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Sample records for superior freezing tolerance

  1. Freezing tolerance of conifer seeds and germinants.

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    Hawkins, B J; Guest, H J; Kolotelo, D

    2003-12-01

    Survival after freezing was measured for seeds and germinants of four seedlots each of interior spruce (Picea glauca x engelmannii complex), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Donn). Effects of eight seed treatments on post-freezing survival of seeds and germinants were tested: dry, imbibed and stratified seed, and seed placed in a growth chamber for 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 days in a 16-h photoperiod and a 22/17 degrees C thermoperiod. Survival was related to the water content of seeds and germinants, germination rate and seedlot origin. After freezing for 3 h at -196 degrees C, dry seed of most seedlots of interior spruce, Douglas-fir and western red cedar had 84-96% germination, whereas lodgepole pine seedlots had 53-82% germination. Freezing tolerance declined significantly after imbibition in lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir and interior spruce seed (western red cedar was not tested), and mean LT50 of imbibed seed of these species was -30, -24.5 and -20 degrees C, respectively. Freezing tolerance continued to decline to a minimum LT50 of -4 to -7 degrees C after 10 days in a growth chamber for interior spruce, Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine, or after 15 days for western red cedar. Minimum freezing tolerance was reached at the stage of rapid hypocotyl elongation. In all species, a slight increase in freezing tolerance of germinants was observed once cotyledons emerged from the seed coat. The decrease in freezing tolerance during the transition from dry to germinating seed correlated with increases in seed water content. Changes in freezing tolerance between 10 and 30 days in the growth chamber were not correlated with seedling water content. Within a species, seedlots differed significantly in freezing tolerance after 2 or 5 days in the growth chamber. Because all seedlots of interior spruce and lodgepole pine germinated quickly, there was no correlation

  2. Breeding of Freeze-tolerant Yeast and the Mechanisms of Stress-tolerance

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    Hino, Akihiro

    Frozen dough method have been adopted in the baking industry to reduce labor and to produce fresh breads in stores. New freeze-tolerant yeasts for frozen dough preparations were isolated from banana peel and identified. To obtain strains that have fermentative ability even after several months of frozen storage in fermented dough, we attempted to breed new freeze-tolerantstrain. The hybrid between S.cerevisiae, which is a isolated freeze-tolerant strain, and a strain isolated from bakers' yeast with sexual conjugation gave a good quality bread made from frozen dough method. Freeze-tolerant strains showed higher surviving and trehalose accumulating abilities than freeze-sensitive strains. The freeze tolerance of the yeasts was associated with the basal amount of intracellular trehalose after rapid degradation at the onset of the prefermentation period. The complicated metabolic pathway and the regulation system of trehalose in yeast cells are introduced. The trehalose synthesis may act as a metabolic buffer system which contribute to maintain the intracellular inorganic phosphate and as a feedback regulation system in the glycolysis. However, it is not known enough how the trehalose protects yeast cells from stress.

  3. Anhydrobiosis and Freezing-Tolerance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McGill, Lorraine; Shannon, Adam; Pisani, Davide

    2015-01-01

    Anhydrobiotic animals can survive the loss of both free and bound water from their cells. While in this state they are also resistant to freezing. This physiology adapts anhydrobiotes to harsh environments and it aids their dispersal. Panagrolaimus davidi, a bacterial feeding anhydrobiotic nematode...... Panagrolaimus strains from tropical, temperate, continental and polar habitats and we analysed their phylogenetic relationships. We found that several other Panagrolaimus isolates can also survive freezing when fully hydrated and that tissue extracts from these freezing-tolerant nematodes can inhibit the growth...

  4. Effect of photoperiod prior to cold acclimation on freezing tolerance and carbohydrate metabolism in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

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    Bertrand, Annick; Bipfubusa, Marie; Claessens, Annie; Rocher, Solen; Castonguay, Yves

    2017-11-01

    Cold acclimation proceeds sequentially in response to decreases in photoperiod and temperature. This study aimed at assessing the impact of photoperiod prior to cold acclimation on freezing tolerance and related biochemical and molecular responses in two alfalfa cultivars. The fall dormant cultivar Evolution and semi-dormant cultivar 6010 were grown in growth chambers under different photoperiods (8, 10, 12, 14 or 16h) prior to cold acclimation. Freezing tolerance was evaluated as well as carbohydrate concentrations, levels of transcripts encoding enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism as well as a K-3dehydrin, before and after cold acclimation. The fall dormant cultivar Evolution had a better freezing tolerance than the semi-dormant cultivar 6010. The effect of photoperiod prior to cold acclimation on the level of freezing tolerance differed between the two cultivars: an 8h-photoperiod induced the highest level of freezing tolerance in Evolution and the lowest in 6010. In Evolution, the 8h-induced superior freezing tolerance was associated with higher concentration of raffinose-family oligosaccharides (RFO). The transcript levels of sucrose synthase (SuSy) decreased whereas those of sucrose phosphatase synthase (SPS) and galactinol synthase (GaS) increased in response to cold acclimation in both cultivars. Our results indicate that RFO metabolism could be involved in short photoperiod-induced freezing tolerance in dormant alfalfa cultivars. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Canalization of freeze tolerance in an alpine grasshopper.

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    Hawes, Timothy C

    2015-10-01

    In the Rock and Pillar Range, New Zealand, the alpine grasshopper, Sigaus australis Hutton, survives equilibrium freezing (EF) all-year round. A comparison of freeze tolerance (FT) in grasshoppers over four austral seasons for a 1 year period finds that: (a) the majority (>70%) of the sample population of grasshoppers survive single freeze-stress throughout the year; (b) exposure to increased freeze stress (multiple freeze-stress events) does not lead to a loss of freeze tolerance; and (c) responses to increased freeze stress reveal seasonal tuning of the FT adaptation to environmental temperatures. The Rock and Pillar sample population provides a clear example of the canalization of the FT adaptation. Seasonal variability in the extent of tolerance of multiple freezing events indicates that physiology is modulated to environmental temperatures by phenotypic plasticity - i.e. the FT adaptation is permanent and adjustable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Freezing tolerance of ectomycorrhizal fungi in pure culture.

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    Lehto, Tarja; Brosinsky, Arlena; Heinonen-Tanski, Helvi; Repo, Tapani

    2008-10-01

    The ability to survive freezing and thawing is a key factor for the existence of life forms in large parts of the world. However, little is known about the freezing tolerance of mycorrhizal fungi and their role in the freezing tolerance of mycorrhizas. Threshold temperatures for the survival of these fungi have not been assessed experimentally. We grew isolates of Suillus luteus, Suillus variegatus, Laccaria laccata, and Hebeloma sp. in liquid culture at room temperature. Subsequently, we exposed samples to a series of temperatures between +5 degrees C and -48 degrees C. Relative electrolyte leakage (REL) and re-growth measurements were used to assess the damage. The REL test indicated that the lethal temperature for 50% of samples (LT(50)) was between -8.3 degrees C and -13.5 degrees C. However, in the re-growth experiment, all isolates resumed growth after exposure to -8 degrees C and higher temperatures. As many as 64% of L. laccata samples but only 11% in S. variegatus survived -48 degrees C. There was no growth of Hebeloma and S. luteus after exposure to -48 degrees C, but part of their samples survived -30 degrees C. The fungi tolerated lower temperatures than was expected on the basis of earlier studies on fine roots of ectomycorrhizal trees. The most likely freezing tolerance mechanism here is tolerance to apoplastic freezing and the concomitant intracellular dehydration with consequent concentrating of cryoprotectant substances in cells. Studying the properties of fungi in isolation promotes the understanding of the role of the different partners of the mycorrhizal symbiosis in the freezing tolerance.

  7. Freezing and low temperature photoinhibition tolerance in cultivated potato and potato hybrids

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    M.M. SEPPÄNEN

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Four Solanum tuberosum L. cultivars (Nicola, Pito, Puikula, Timo and somatic hybrids between freezing tolerant S. commersonii and freezing sensitive S. tuberosum were evaluated for their tolerance to freezing and low temperature photoinhibition. Cellular freezing tolerance was studied using ion leakage tests and the sensitivity of the photosynthetic apparatus to freezing and high light intensity stress by measuring changes in chlorophyll fluorescence (FV/FM and oxygen evolution. Exposure to high light intensities after freezing stress increased frost injury significantly in all genotypes studied. Compared with S. tuberosum cultivars, the hybrids were more tolerant both of freezing and intense light stresses. In field experiments the mechanism of frost injury varied according to the severity of night frosts. During night frosts in 1999, the temperature inside the potato canopy was significantly higher than at ground level, and did not fall below the lethal temperature for potato cultivars (from -2.5 to -3.0°C. As a result, frost injury developed slowly, indicating that damage occurred to the photosynthetic apparatus. However, as the temperature at ground level and inside the canopy fell below -4°C, cellular freezing occurred and the canopy was rapidly destroyed. This suggests that in the field visual frost damage can follow from freezing or non-freezing temperatures accompanied with high light intensity. Therefore, in an attempt to improve low temperature tolerance in potato, it is important to increase tolerance to both freezing and chilling stresses.

  8. Proteome dynamics of cold-acclimating Rhododendron species contrasting in their freezing tolerance and thermonasty behavior.

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    Jose V Die

    Full Text Available To gain a better understanding of cold acclimation in rhododendron and in woody perennials in general, we used the 2D-DIGE technique to analyze the rhododendron proteome during the seasonal development of freezing tolerance. We selected two species varying in their cold acclimation ability as well as their thermonasty response (folding of leaves in response to low temperature. Proteins were extracted from leaves of non-acclimated (NA and cold acclimated (CA plants of the hardier thermonastic species, R. catawbiense (Cata., and from leaves of cold acclimated plants of the less hardy, non-thermonastic R. ponticum (Pont.. All three protein samples (Cata.NA, Cata.CA, and Pont.CA were labeled with different CyDyes and separated together on a single gel. Triplicate gels were run and protein profiles were compared resulting in the identification of 72 protein spots that consistently had different abundances in at least one pair-wise comparison. From the 72 differential spots, we chose 56 spots to excise and characterize further by mass spectrometry (MS. Changes in the proteome associated with the seasonal development of cold acclimation were identified from the Cata.CA-Cata.NA comparisons. Differentially abundant proteins associated with the acquisition of superior freezing tolerance and with the thermonastic response were identified from the Cata.CA-Pont.CA comparisons. Our results indicate that cold acclimation in rhododendron involves increases in abundance of several proteins related to stress (freezing/desiccation tolerance, energy and carbohydrate metabolism, regulation/signaling, secondary metabolism (possibly involving cell wall remodeling, and permeability of the cell membrane. Cold acclimation also involves decreases in abundance of several proteins involved in photosynthesis. Differences in freezing tolerance between genotypes can probably be attributed to observed differences in levels of proteins involved in these functions. Also

  9. Freezing and desiccation tolerance in entomopathogenic nematodes: diversity and correlation of traits.

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    Shapiro-Ilan, David I; Brown, Ian; Lewis, Edwin E

    2014-03-01

    The ability of entomopathogenic nematodes to tolerate environmental stress such as desiccating or freezing conditions, can contribute significantly to biocontrol efficacy. Thus, in selecting which nematode to use in a particular biocontrol program, it is important to be able to predict which strain or species to use in target areas where environmental stress is expected. Our objectives were to (i) compare inter- and intraspecific variation in freeze and desiccation tolerance among a broad array of entomopathogenic nematodes, and (ii) determine if freeze and desiccation tolerance are correlated. In laboratory studies we compared nematodes at two levels of relative humidity (RH) (97% and 85%) and exposure periods (24 and 48 h), and nematodes were exposed to freezing temperatures (-2°C) for 6 or 24 h. To assess interspecific variation, we compared ten species including seven that are of current or recent commercial interest: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (VS), H. floridensis, H. georgiana, (Kesha), H. indica (HOM1), H. megidis (UK211), Steinernema carpocapsae (All), S. feltiae (SN), S. glaseri (VS), S. rarum (17C&E), and S. riobrave (355). To assess intraspecific variation we compared five strains of H. bacteriophora (Baine, Fl1-1, Hb, Oswego, and VS) and four strains of S. carpocapsae (All, Cxrd, DD136, and Sal), and S. riobrave (355, 38b, 7-12, and TP). S. carpocapsae exhibited the highest level of desiccation tolerance among species followed by S. feltiae and S. rarum; the heterorhabditid species exhibited the least desiccation tolerance and S. riobrave and S. glaseri were intermediate. No intraspecific variation was observed in desiccation tolerance; S. carpocapsae strains showed higher tolerance than all H. bacteriophora or S. riobrave strains yet there was no difference detected within species. In interspecies comparisons, poor freeze tolerance was observed in H. indica, and S. glaseri, S. rarum, and S. riobrave whereas H. georgiana and S. feltiae exhibited the

  10. Freeze-tolerance of Trichinella muscle larvae in experimentally infected wild boars

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lacour, Sandrine A.; Heckmann, Aurelie; Mace, Pauline

    2013-01-01

    served as negative controls. All wild boars were sacrificed 24 wpi. Muscle samples of 70 g were stored at -21 degrees C for 19,30 and 56h, and for 1-8 weeks. Larvae were recovered by artificial digestion. Their mobilities were recorded using Saisam (R) image analysis software and their infectivities were......Freeze-tolerance of encapsulated Trichinella muscle larvae (ML) is mainly determined by Trichinella species, but is also influenced by host species, the age of the infection and the storage time and temperature of the infected meat. Moreover, the freeze-tolerance of the encapsulated species appears...... to be correlated to the development of thick capsule walls which increases with age. An extended infection period and the muscle composition in some hosts (e.g. herbivores) may provide freeze-avoiding matrices due to high carbohydrate contents. The present experiment compares freeze-tolerance of Trichinella...

  11. Freeze Tolerance of Seed-Producing Turf Bermudagrasses.

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    Anderson, Jeffrey A.; Taliaferro, Charles M.

    2002-01-01

    Bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., suffers periodic severe winter-kill throughout much of its area of use in the contiguous USA. A research goal is to increase freeze tolerance in cultivars to lessen the risk of such damage. An identified research need is for Cynodon germplasm resources to be characterized for freeze tolerance and hybridization potential. Accordingly, the objective of this research was to characterize the relative freeze tolerance of selected fertile bermudagrass plants. Nine tetraploid (2n = 4x = 36) C. dactylon and two triploid (2n = 3x = 27) hybrid (C. dactylon x C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy) clonal plants (standards) were evaluated in two experiments. Plants were propagated clonally and established in Cone-tainers (Ray Leach Cone-tainer Nursery, Canby, OR) for about 10 wk. Acclimation took place for 4 wk in controlled environment chambers at 8/2 degrees C (day/night) temperatures with a 10-h photoperiod. Following acclimation, Cone-tainers were placed into a freeze chamber and cooled rapidly to -2 degrees C, induced to freeze with ice chips, then held overnight at -2 degrees C. The freeze chamber was then programmed to cool linearly at 1 degrees C per hour. For each cultivar, three Cone-tainers were removed at each test temperature. Following thawing, Cone-tainers were transferred to a greenhouse and regrowth was evaluated visually. Nonlinear regression was used to estimate T(mid), which corresponded to the midpoint of the sigmoidal response curve of survival vs temperature. Within experiment one, Tifgreen (T(mid) = -7.2 degrees C) was significantly less cold hardy than Quickstand (-9.0 degrees C), A-12204 (-9.2 degrees C), Midiron (-9.9 degrees C), and A-12195 (-10.5 degrees C). A-12195 was significantly hardier than all genotypes except Midiron. In the second experiment, Arizona Common (-6.6 degrees C), Tifgreen (-7.1 degrees C), and A-12205 (-7.1 degrees C) were less hardy than A-9959 (-8.7 degrees C), A-12156 (-8.9 degrees C), A

  12. Anhydrobiosis and freezing-tolerance: adaptations that facilitate the establishment of Panagrolaimus nematodes in polar habitats.

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    McGill, Lorraine M; Shannon, Adam J; Pisani, Davide; Félix, Marie-Anne; Ramløv, Hans; Dix, Ilona; Wharton, David A; Burnell, Ann M

    2015-01-01

    Anhydrobiotic animals can survive the loss of both free and bound water from their cells. While in this state they are also resistant to freezing. This physiology adapts anhydrobiotes to harsh environments and it aids their dispersal. Panagrolaimus davidi, a bacterial feeding anhydrobiotic nematode isolated from Ross Island Antarctica, can survive intracellular ice formation when fully hydrated. A capacity to survive freezing while fully hydrated has also been observed in some other Antarctic nematodes. We experimentally determined the anhydrobiotic and freezing-tolerance phenotypes of 24 Panagrolaimus strains from tropical, temperate, continental and polar habitats and we analysed their phylogenetic relationships. We found that several other Panagrolaimus isolates can also survive freezing when fully hydrated and that tissue extracts from these freezing-tolerant nematodes can inhibit the growth of ice crystals. We show that P. davidi belongs to a clade of anhydrobiotic and freezing-tolerant panagrolaimids containing strains from temperate and continental regions and that P. superbus, an early colonizer at Surtsey island, Iceland after its volcanic formation, is closely related to a species from Pennsylvania, USA. Ancestral state reconstructions show that anhydrobiosis evolved deep in the phylogeny of Panagrolaimus. The early-diverging Panagrolaimus lineages are strongly anhydrobiotic but weakly freezing-tolerant, suggesting that freezing tolerance is most likely a derived trait. The common ancestors of the davidi and the superbus clades were anhydrobiotic and also possessed robust freezing tolerance, along with a capacity to inhibit the growth and recrystallization of ice crystals. Unlike other endemic Antarctic nematodes, the life history traits of P. davidi do not show evidence of an evolved response to polar conditions. Thus we suggest that the colonization of Antarctica by P. davidi and of Surtsey by P. superbus may be examples of recent "ecological fitting

  13. Anhydrobiosis and freezing-tolerance: adaptations that facilitate the establishment of Panagrolaimus nematodes in polar habitats.

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    Lorraine M McGill

    Full Text Available Anhydrobiotic animals can survive the loss of both free and bound water from their cells. While in this state they are also resistant to freezing. This physiology adapts anhydrobiotes to harsh environments and it aids their dispersal. Panagrolaimus davidi, a bacterial feeding anhydrobiotic nematode isolated from Ross Island Antarctica, can survive intracellular ice formation when fully hydrated. A capacity to survive freezing while fully hydrated has also been observed in some other Antarctic nematodes. We experimentally determined the anhydrobiotic and freezing-tolerance phenotypes of 24 Panagrolaimus strains from tropical, temperate, continental and polar habitats and we analysed their phylogenetic relationships. We found that several other Panagrolaimus isolates can also survive freezing when fully hydrated and that tissue extracts from these freezing-tolerant nematodes can inhibit the growth of ice crystals. We show that P. davidi belongs to a clade of anhydrobiotic and freezing-tolerant panagrolaimids containing strains from temperate and continental regions and that P. superbus, an early colonizer at Surtsey island, Iceland after its volcanic formation, is closely related to a species from Pennsylvania, USA. Ancestral state reconstructions show that anhydrobiosis evolved deep in the phylogeny of Panagrolaimus. The early-diverging Panagrolaimus lineages are strongly anhydrobiotic but weakly freezing-tolerant, suggesting that freezing tolerance is most likely a derived trait. The common ancestors of the davidi and the superbus clades were anhydrobiotic and also possessed robust freezing tolerance, along with a capacity to inhibit the growth and recrystallization of ice crystals. Unlike other endemic Antarctic nematodes, the life history traits of P. davidi do not show evidence of an evolved response to polar conditions. Thus we suggest that the colonization of Antarctica by P. davidi and of Surtsey by P. superbus may be examples of recent

  14. The interaction between freezing tolerance and phenology in temperate deciduous trees

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    Yann eVitasse

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Temperate climates are defined by a distinct temperature seasonality with large and often unpredictable weather during any of the four seasons. To thrive in such climates, trees have to withstand a cold winter and the stochastic occurrence of freeze events during any time of the year. The physiological mechanisms trees adopt to escape, avoid and tolerate freezing temperatures include a cold acclimation in autumn, a dormancy period during winter (leafless in deciduous trees, and the maintenance of a certain freezing tolerance during dehardening in early spring. The change from one phase to the next is mediated by complex interactions between temperature and photoperiod. This review aims at providing an overview of the interplay between phenology of leaves and species-specific freezing resistance. First, we address the long-term evolutionary responses that enabled temperate trees to tolerate certain low temperature extremes. We provide evidence that short term acclimation of freezing resistance plays a crucial role both in dormant and active buds, including re-acclimation to cold conditions following warm spells. This ability declines to almost zero during leaf emergence. Second, we show that the risk that native temperate trees encounter freeze injuries is low and is confined to spring and underline that this risk might be altered by climate warming depending on species-specific phenological responses to environmental cues.

  15. Isolation of mutations affecting the development of freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.

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    Warren, G; McKown, R; Marin, A L; Teutonico, R

    1996-08-01

    We screened for mutations deleterious to the freezing tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. ecotype Columbia. Tolerance was assayed by the vigor and regrowth of intact plants after cold acclimation and freezing. From a chemically mutagenized population, we obtained 13 lines of mutants with highly penetrant phenotypes. In 5 of these, freezing sensitivity was attributable to chilling injury sustained during cold acclimation, but in the remaining 8 lines, the absence of injury prior to freezing suggested that they were affected specifically in the development of freezing tolerance. In backcrosses, freezing sensitivity from each line segregated as a single nuclear mutation. Complementation tests indicated that the 8 lines contained mutations in 7 different genes. The mutants' freezing sensitivity was also detectable in the leakage of electrolytes from frozen leaves. However, 1 mutant line that displayed a strong phenotype at the whole-plant level showed a relatively weak phenotype by the electrolyte leakage assay.

  16. Arginine and proline applied as food additives stimulate high freeze tolerance in larvae of Drosophila melanogaster.

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    Koštál, Vladimír; Korbelová, Jaroslava; Poupardin, Rodolphe; Moos, Martin; Šimek, Petr

    2016-08-01

    The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an insect of tropical origin. Its larval stage is evolutionarily adapted for rapid growth and development under warm conditions and shows high sensitivity to cold. In this study, we further developed an optimal acclimation and freezing protocol that significantly improves larval freeze tolerance (an ability to survive at -5°C when most of the freezable fraction of water is converted to ice). Using the optimal protocol, freeze survival to adult stage increased from 0.7% to 12.6% in the larvae fed standard diet (agar, sugar, yeast, cornmeal). Next, we fed the larvae diets augmented with 31 different amino compounds, administered in different concentrations, and observed their effects on larval metabolomic composition, viability, rate of development and freeze tolerance. While some diet additives were toxic, others showed positive effects on freeze tolerance. Statistical correlation revealed tight association between high freeze tolerance and high levels of amino compounds involved in arginine and proline metabolism. Proline- and arginine-augmented diets showed the highest potential, improving freeze survival to 42.1% and 50.6%, respectively. Two plausible mechanisms by which high concentrations of proline and arginine might stimulate high freeze tolerance are discussed: (i) proline, probably in combination with trehalose, could reduce partial unfolding of proteins and prevent membrane fusions in the larvae exposed to thermal stress (prior to freezing) or during freeze dehydration; (ii) both arginine and proline are exceptional among amino compounds in their ability to form supramolecular aggregates which probably bind partially unfolded proteins and inhibit their aggregation under increasing freeze dehydration. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  17. Alteration of gene expression during the induction of freezing tolerance in Brassica napus suspension cultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson-Flanagan, A.M.; Singh, J.

    1987-01-01

    Brassica napus suspension-cultured cells can be hardened to a lethal temperature for 50% of the sample of -20 0 C in eight days at room temperature with abscisic acid. During the induction of freezing tolerance, changes were observed in the electrophoretic pattern of [ 35 S]methionine labeled polypeptides. In hardening cells, a 20 kilodalton polypeptide was induced on day 2 and its level increased during hardening. The induction of freezing tolerance with nonmaximal hardening regimens also resulted in increases in the 20 kilodalton polypeptide. The 20 kilodalton polypeptide was associated with a membrane fraction enriched in endoplasmic reticulum and was resolved as a single spot by two-dimensional electrophoresis. In vitro translation of mRNA indicate alteration of gene expression during abscisic acid induction of freezing tolerance. The new mRNA encodes a 20 kilodalton polypeptide associated with increased freezing tolerance induced by either abscisic acid or high sucrose. A 20 kilodalton polypeptide was also translated by mRNA isolated from cold-hardened B. napus plants

  18. The genetic characteristics in cytology and plant physiology of two wheat (Triticum aestivum) near isogenic lines with different freezing tolerances.

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    Wang, Wenqiang; Hao, Qunqun; Wang, Wenlong; Li, Qinxue; Wang, Wei

    2017-11-01

    Freezing tolerance in taft plants relied more upon an ABA-independent- than an ABA-dependent antifreeze signaling pathway. Two wheat (Triticum aestivum) near isogenic lines (NIL) named tafs (freezing sensitivity) and taft (freezing tolerance) were isolated in the laboratory and their various cytological and physiological characteristics under freezing conditions were studied. Proplastid, cell membrane, and mitochondrial ultrastructure were less damaged by freezing treatment in taft than tafs plants. Chlorophyll, ATP, and thylakoid membrane protein contents were significantly higher, but malondialdehyde content was significantly lower in taft than tafs plants under freezing condition. Antioxidant capacity, as indicated by reactive oxygen species accumulation and antioxidant enzyme activity, and the relative gene expression were significantly greater in taft than tafs plants. Soluble sugars and abscisic acid (ABA) contents were significantly higher in taft plants than in tafs plants under both normal and freezing conditions. The upregulated expression levels of certain freezing tolerance-related genes were greater in taft than tafs plants under freezing treatment. The addition of sodium tungstate, an ABA synthesis inhibitor, led to only partial freezing tolerance inhibition in taft plants and the down-regulated expression of some ABA-dependent genes. Thus, both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling pathways are involved in the freezing tolerance of taft plants. At the same time, freezing tolerance in taft plants relied more upon an ABA-independent- than an ABA-dependent antifreeze signaling pathway.

  19. Transcriptional and metabolomic analysis of Ascophyllum nodosum mediated freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

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    Nair Prasanth

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We have previously shown that lipophilic components (LPC of the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (ANE improved freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the mechanism(s of this induced freezing stress tolerance is largely unknown. Here, we investigated LPC induced changes in the transcriptome and metabolome of A. thaliana undergoing freezing stress. Results Gene expression studies revealed that the accumulation of proline was mediated by an increase in the expression of the proline synthesis genes P5CS1 and P5CS2 and a marginal reduction in the expression of the proline dehydrogenase (ProDH gene. Moreover, LPC application significantly increased the concentration of total soluble sugars in the cytosol in response to freezing stress. Arabidopsis sfr4 mutant plants, defective in the accumulation of free sugars, treated with LPC, exhibited freezing sensitivity similar to that of untreated controls. The 1H NMR metabolite profile of LPC-treated Arabidopsis plants exposed to freezing stress revealed a spectrum dominated by chemical shifts (δ representing soluble sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids and lipophilic components like fatty acids, as compared to control plants. Additionally, 2D NMR spectra suggested an increase in the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids in LPC treated plants under freezing stress. These results were supported by global transcriptome analysis. Transcriptome analysis revealed that LPC treatment altered the expression of 1113 genes (5% in comparison with untreated plants. A total of 463 genes (2% were up regulated while 650 genes (3% were down regulated. Conclusion Taken together, the results of the experiments presented in this paper provide evidence to support LPC mediated freezing tolerance enhancement through a combination of the priming of plants for the increased accumulation of osmoprotectants and alteration of cellular fatty acid composition.

  20. Population structure, genetic variation and linkage disequilibrium in perennial ryegrass populations divergently selected for freezing tolerance

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    Mallikarjuna Rao eKovi

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Low temperature is one of the abiotic stresses seriously affecting the growth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. Understanding the genetic control of freezing tolerance would aid in the development of cultivars of perennial ryegrass with improved adaptation to frost. A total number of 80 individuals (24 of High frost [HF]; 29 of Low frost [LF] and 27 of Unselected [US] from the second generation of the two divergently selected populations and an unselected control population were genotyped using 278 genome-wide SNPs derived from Lolium perenne L. transcriptome sequence. Our studies showed that the HF and LF populations are very divergent after selection for freezing tolerance, whereas the HF and US populations are more similar. Linkage disequilibrium (LD decay varied across the seven chromosomes and the conspicuous pattern of LD between the HF and LF population confirmed their divergence in freezing tolerance. Furthermore, two Fst outlier methods; finite island model (fdist by LOSITAN and hierarchical structure model using ARLEQUIN detected six loci under directional selection. These outlier loci are most probably linked to genes involved in freezing tolerance, cold adaptation and abiotic stress and might be the potential marker resources for breeding perennial ryegrass cultivars with improved freezing tolerance.

  1. Freeze-tolerance of Trichinella muscle larvae in experimentally infected wild boars.

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    Lacour, Sandrine A; Heckmann, Aurélie; Macé, Pauline; Grasset-Chevillot, Aurélie; Zanella, Gina; Vallée, Isabelle; Kapel, Christian M O; Boireau, Pascal

    2013-05-20

    Freeze-tolerance of encapsulated Trichinella muscle larvae (ML) is mainly determined by Trichinella species, but is also influenced by host species, the age of the infection and the storage time and temperature of the infected meat. Moreover, the freeze-tolerance of the encapsulated species appears to be correlated to the development of thick capsule walls which increases with age. An extended infection period and the muscle composition in some hosts (e.g. herbivores) may provide freeze-avoiding matrices due to high carbohydrate contents. The present experiment compares freeze-tolerance of Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella britovi ML in wild boar meat 24 weeks post inoculation (wpi). Three groups of four wild boars were infected with 200, 2000 or 20,000 ML of T. britovi (ISS 1575), respectively. Additionally, three wild boars were inoculated with 20,000 ML of T. spiralis (ISS 004) and two animals served as negative controls. All wild boars were sacrificed 24 wpi. Muscle samples of 70 g were stored at -21°C for 19, 30 and 56 h, and for 1-8 weeks. Larvae were recovered by artificial digestion. Their mobilities were recorded using Saisam(®) image analysis software and their infectivities were evaluated using mouse bioassays. Samples frozen for 19, 30 and 56 h allowed recovery of mobile ML, but samples frozen for 1 or 2 weeks did not. Correspondingly, only T. spiralis and T. britovi larvae isolated from wild boar meat frozen for 19, 30 and 56 h established in mice. This study showed that freezing at -21°C for 1 week inactivated T. spiralis and T. britovi ML encapsulated in wild boar meat for 24 weeks. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Recrystallization in a Freezing Tolerant Antarctic Nematode, Panagrolaimus davidi, and a Alpine Weta, Hemideina maori (Orthoptera; Stenopelmatidae)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ramløv, Hans; Wharton, David A.; Wilson, Peter W.

    1996-01-01

    The ability of haemolymph from the freezing tolerant weta,Hemideina maori,and supernatant from homogenates of the freezing tolerant nematodePanagrolaimus davidito inhibit the recrystallization of ice was examined using the “splat freezing” technique and annealing on a cryomicroscope stage...

  3. Projecting potential adoption of genetically engineered freeze-tolerant Eucalyptus in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    David N. Wear; Ernest Dixon IV; Robert C. Abt; Navinder Singh

    2015-01-01

    Development of commercial Eucalyptus plantations has been limited in the United States because of the species’ sensitivity to freezing temperatures. Recently developed genetically engineered clones of a Eucalyptus hybrid, which confer freeze tolerance, could expand the range of commercial plantations. This study explores how...

  4. Phenological cues drive an apparent trade-off between freezing tolerance and growth in the family Salicaceae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savage, Jessica A; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine

    2013-08-01

    With increasing concern about the ecological consequences of global climate change, there has been renewed interest in understanding the processes that determine species range limits. We tested a long-hypothesized trade-off between freezing tolerance and growth rate that is often used to explain species range limits. We grew 24 willow and poplar species (family Salicaceae) collected from across North America in a greenhouse common garden under two climate treatments. Maximum entropy models were used to describe species distributions and to estimate species-specific climate parameters. A range of traits related to freezing tolerance, including senescence, budburst, and susceptibility to different temperature minima during and after acclimation were measured. As predicted, species from colder climates exhibited higher freezing tolerance and slower growth rates than species from warmer climates under certain environmental conditions. However, the average relative growth rate (millimeters per meter per day) of northern species markedly increased when a subset of species was grown under a long summer day length (20.5 h), indicating that genetically based day-length cues are required for growth regulation in these species. We conclude that the observed relationship between freezing tolerance and growth rate is not driven by differences in species' intrinsic growth capacity but by differences in the environmental cues that trigger growth. We propose that the coordinated evolution of freezing tolerance and growth phenology could be important in circumscribing willow and poplar range limits and may have important implications for species' current and future distributions.

  5. A cold-induced pectin methyl-esterase inhibitor gene contributes negatively to freezing tolerance but positively to salt tolerance in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jian; Chen, Xuehui; Zhang, Qingfeng; Zhang, Yidan; Ou, Xiangli; An, Lizhe; Feng, Huyuan; Zhao, Zhiguang

    2018-03-01

    Plant pectin methyl-esterase (PME) and PME inhibitor (PMEI) belong to large gene families whose members are proposed to be widely involved in growth, development, and stress responses; however, the biological functions of most PMEs and PMEIs have not been characterized. In this study, we studied the roles of CbPMEI1, a cold-induced pectin methyl-esterase inhibitor (PMEI) gene from Chorispora bungeana, under freezing and salt stress. The putative CbPMEI1 peptide shares highest similarity (83%) with AT5G62360 (PMEI13) of Arabidopsis. Overexpression of either CbPMEI1 or PMEI13 in Arabidopsis decreased tissue PME activity and enhanced the degree of methoxylation of cell wall pectins, indicating that both genes encode functional PMEIs. CbPMEI1 and PMEI13 were induced by cold but repressed by salt stress and abscisic acid, suggesting distinct roles of the genes in freezing and salt stress tolerance. Interestingly, transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing CbPMEI1 or PMEI13 showed decreased freezing tolerance, as indicated by survival and electrolyte leakage assays. On the other hand, the salt tolerance of transgenic plants was increased, showing higher rates of germination, root growth, and survival under salinity conditions as compared with non-transgenic wild-type plants. Although the transgenic plants were freezing-sensitive, they showed longer roots than wild-type plants under cold conditions, suggesting a role of PMEs in balancing the trade-off between freezing tolerance and growth. Thus, our study indicates that CbPMEI1 and PMEI13 are involved in root growth regulation under cold and salt stresses, and suggests that PMEIs may be potential targets for genetic engineering aimed to improve fitness of plants under stress conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  6. Molecular and genetic basis of freezing tolerance in crucifer species

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heo, J.

    2014-01-01

    Understanding genetic variation for freezing tolerance is important for unraveling an adaptative strategy of species and for finding out an effective way to improve crop productivity to unfavorable winter environments. The aim of this thesis was to examine natural variation for

  7. A Multi-Environment Thermal Control System With Freeze-Tolerant Radiator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Weibo; Fogg, David; Mancini, Nick; Steele, John; Quinn, Gregory; Bue, Grant; Littibridge, Sean

    2013-01-01

    Future space exploration missions require advanced thermal control systems (TCS) to dissipate heat from spacecraft, rovers, or habitats operating in environments that can vary from extremely hot to extremely cold. A lightweight, reliable TCS is being developed to effectively control cabin and equipment temperatures under widely varying heat loads and ambient temperatures. The system uses freeze-tolerant radiators, which eliminate the need for a secondary circulation loop or heat pipe systems. Each radiator has a self-regulating variable thermal conductance to its ambient environment. The TCS uses a nontoxic, water-based working fluid that is compatible with existing lightweight aluminum heat exchangers. The TCS is lightweight, compact, and requires very little pumping power. The critical characteristics of the core enabling technologies were demonstrated. Functional testing with condenser tubes demonstrated the key operating characteristics required for a reliable, freeze-tolerant TCS, namely (1) self-regulating thermal conductance with short transient responses to varying thermal loads, (2) repeatable performance through freeze-thaw cycles, and (3) fast start-up from a fully frozen state. Preliminary coolant tests demonstrated that the corrosion inhibitor in the water-based coolant can reduce the corrosion rate on aluminum by an order of magnitude. Performance comparison with state-of-the-art designs shows significant mass and power saving benefits of this technology.

  8. Adaptive and freeze-tolerant heteronetwork organohydrogels with enhanced mechanical stability over a wide temperature range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Hainan; Zhao, Ziguang; Cai, Yudong; Zhou, Jiajia; Hua, Wenda; Chen, Lie; Wang, Li; Zhang, Jianqi; Han, Dong; Liu, Mingjie; Jiang, Lei

    2017-06-01

    Many biological organisms with exceptional freezing tolerance can resist the damages to cells from extra-/intracellular ice crystals and thus maintain their mechanical stability at subzero temperatures. Inspired by the freezing tolerance mechanisms found in nature, here we report a strategy of combining hydrophilic/oleophilic heteronetworks to produce self-adaptive, freeze-tolerant and mechanically stable organohydrogels. The organohydrogels can simultaneously use water and oil as a dispersion medium, and quickly switch between hydrogel- and organogel-like behaviours in response to the nature of the surrounding phase. Accordingly, their surfaces display unusual adaptive dual superlyophobic in oil/water system (that is, they are superhydrophobic under oil and superoleophobic under water). Moreover, the organogel component can inhibit the ice crystallization of the hydrogel component, thus enhancing the mechanical stability of organohydrogel over a wide temperature range (-78 to 80 °C). The organohydrogels may have promising applications in complex and harsh environments.

  9. Dual roles of glucose in the freeze-tolerant earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra: cryoprotection and fuel for metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Calderon, Sofia; Holmstrup, Martin; Westh, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Ectothermic animals inhabiting the subarctic and temperate regions have evolved strategies to deal with periods of continuous frost during winter. The earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra is freeze tolerant and accumulates large concentrations of glucose upon freezing. The present study investigates...... the roles of glucose accumulation for long-term freeze tolerance in worms kept frozen at -2 degrees C for 47 days. During this period, worms were sampled periodically for determination of survival and for measurements of glucose, glycogen, lactate, alanine and succinate. In addition we performed...... increased slightly whereas succinate levels remained constant. However, it is argued that other waste products (particularly propionate) could be the primary end product of a continued anaerobic metabolism. Calorimetric measures of the metabolic rate of frozen worms were in accord with values calculated...

  10. Incorporation of [14C]-palmitate into lipids of Brassica cells during the induction of freezing tolerance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lynch, D.V.; Joseph, R.A.

    1989-01-01

    Changes in plasma membrane lipid composition have been causally related to increased freezing tolerance. Studies of lipid metabolism during ABA induction of freezing tolerance in Brassica napus suspension cultures were undertaken. Cells were labeled with [ 14 C]-palmitate four days after transfer to fresh medium (control) or medium containing ABA (which increases freezing tolerance). At times between one and 20 hrs after labeling, ABA-treated cells incorporated almost twice the amount of label as controls cells. Approximately 80% of the radioactivity was associated with neutral lipids in ABA-treated cells and controls. Incorporation of label into total cellular polar lipids was 4.9 x 10 5 dpm/mg protein for control cells and 1 x 10 6 dpm/mg protein for cells transferred to medium containing ABA. Analysis of lipids following alkaline hydrolysis indicated that incorporation of [ 14 C]-palmitate into glucosylceramide of ABA-treated cells was less than 60% of control values when expressed relative to that of the total polar lipids. Incorporation into ceramides was also depressed in ABA-treated cells

  11. Arabidopsis dynamin-related protein 1E in sphingolipid-enriched plasma membrane domains is associated with the development of freezing tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minami, Anzu; Tominaga, Yoko; Furuto, Akari; Kondo, Mariko; Kawamura, Yukio; Uemura, Matsuo

    2015-08-01

    The freezing tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana is enhanced by cold acclimation, resulting in changes in the compositions and function of the plasma membrane. Here, we show that a dynamin-related protein 1E (DRP1E), which is thought to function in the vesicle trafficking pathway in cells, is related to an increase in freezing tolerance during cold acclimation. DRP1E accumulated in sphingolipid and sterol-enriched plasma membrane domains after cold acclimation. Analysis of drp1e mutants clearly showed that DRP1E is required for full development of freezing tolerance after cold acclimation. DRP1E fused with green fluorescent protein was visible as small foci that overlapped with fluorescent dye-labelled plasma membrane, providing evidence that DRP1E localizes non-uniformly in specific areas of the plasma membrane. These results suggest that DRP1E accumulates in sphingolipid and sterol-enriched plasma membrane domains and plays a role in freezing tolerance development during cold acclimation. © 2015 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Enhancing freezing tolerance of Brassica napus L. by overexpression of a stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase gene (SAD) from Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Dan; Zhou, Bo; Jiang, Yueqiao; Tan, XiaoFeng; Yuan, DeYi; Zhang, Lin

    2018-07-01

    Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb. is an important woody oil tree and traditional herbal medicine in China. Stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase (SAD) is a dehydrogenase enzyme that plays a key role in the transformation of saturated fatty acids into unsaturated fatty acids in oil; these fatty acids greatly influence the freezing tolerance of plants. However, it remains unclear whether freezing tolerance can be regulated by the expression level of SsSAD in S. sebiferum L. Our research indicated that SsSAD expression in S. sebiferum L. increased under freezing stress. To further confirm this result, we constructed a pEGAD-SsSAD vector and transformed it into B. napus L. W10 by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Transgenic plants that overexpressed the SsSAD gene exhibited significantly higher linoleic (18:2) and linolenic acid (18:3) content and advanced freezing tolerance. These results suggest that SsSAD overexpression in B. napus L. can increase the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as linoleic (18:2) and linolenic acid (18:3), which are likely pivotal in improving freezing tolerance in B. napus L. plants. Thus, SsSAD overexpression could be useful in the production of freeze-tolerant varieties of B. napus L. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Evaluation of Freeze Tolerance in Lancelot Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L. Ecotypes under Controlled Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Janalizadeh

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Lancelot Plantain (Ribwort, narrow-leaf or English plantain is a deep-rooted, short-lived perennial herb from Plantaginaceae family which has been used for various medicinal purposes for centuries, especially in Europe and only more recently has been proposed as a forage plant. The leaf of plantain is highly palatable for grazing animals, providing mineral-rich forage. Recently two productive upright cultivars of plantain have been bred and introduced, Grasslands Lancelot and the more erect winter active Ceres Tonic. Plantain grows moderately in winter but its main growth periods beings in spring and autumn with opportunistic summer growth. Although it reveals suitable winter survival in natural conditions, but there is not a lot of information about cold tolerance of this plant. So it is important to recognize the freeze tolerance of narrow leaf plantain for successful planting and utilization in cold regions such as Mashhad in Khorasan Razavi Province (Northeast of Iran. Determining LT50 point or critical temperature for survival of plant is the most reliable and simple method for evaluating cold tolerance of plants. Another reliable method for freeze tolerance of plants is estimation of temperature at which 50 % of dry matter reduces (RDMT50. This experiment was carried out to evaluate freeze tolerance of five ecotypes of Lancelot plantain according to the LT50su and RDMT50 indices. Materials and Methods In order to evaluate freeze tolerance of Lancelot plantain, a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications was carried out under controlled conditions at college of agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Five ecotypes of Lancelot plantain (Bojnourd, Kalat, Mashhad, Ghayen and Birjand after three months growth and hardening in natural environment were transferred to a Thermo gradient freezer on January 20th, 2012 and exposed to eight freezing temperatures (Zero, -3, -6, -9, -12, -15, -18

  14. Physiological Mechanisms Only Tell Half Story: Multiple Biological Processes are involved in Regulating Freezing Tolerance of Imbibed Lactuca sativa Seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaganathan, Ganesh K; Han, Yingying; Li, Weijie; Song, Danping; Song, Xiaoyan; Shen, Mengqi; Zhou, Qiang; Zhang, Chenxue; Liu, Baolin

    2017-03-13

    The physiological mechanisms by which imbibed seeds survive freezing temperatures in their natural environment have been categorized as freezing avoidance by supercooling and freezing tolerance by extracellular freeze-desiccation, but the biochemical and molecular mechanisms conferring seed freezing tolerance is unexplored. In this study, using imbibed Lactuca sativa seeds we show that fast cooled seeds (60 °C h -1 ) suffered significantly higher membrane damage at temperature between -20 °C and -10 °C than slow cooled (3 °Ch -1 ) seeds (P  0.05). However, both SOD activity and accumulation of free proline were induced significantly after slow cooling to -20 °C compared with fast cooling. RNA-seq demonstrated that multiple pathways were differentially regulated between slow and fast cooling. Real-time verification of some differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that fast cooling caused mRNA level changes of plant hormone and ubiquitionation pathways at higher sub-zero temperature, whilst slow cooling caused mRNA level change of those pathways at lower sub-zero ttemperatures. Thus, we conclude that imbibed seed tolerate low temperature not only by physiological mechanisms but also by biochemical and molecular changes.

  15. Threshold temperatures mediate the impact of reduced snow cover on overwintering freeze-tolerant caterpillars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Katie E.; Sinclair, Brent J.

    2012-01-01

    Decreases in snow cover due to climate change could alter the energetics and physiology of ectothermic animals that overwinter beneath snow, yet how snow cover interacts with physiological thresholds is unknown. We applied numerical simulation of overwintering metabolic rates coupled with field validation to determine the importance of snow cover and freezing to the overwintering lipid consumption of the freeze-tolerant Arctiid caterpillar Pyrrharctia isabella. Caterpillars that overwintered above the snow experienced mean temperatures 1.3°C lower than those below snow and consumed 18.36 mg less lipid of a total 68.97-mg reserve. Simulations showed that linear temperature effects on metabolic rate accounted for only 30% of the difference in lipid consumption. When metabolic suppression by freezing was included, 93% of the difference between animals that overwintered above and below snow was explained. Our results were robust to differences in temperature sensitivity of metabolic rate, changes in freezing point, and the magnitude of metabolic suppression by freezing. The majority of the energy savings was caused by the non-continuous reduction in metabolic rate due to freezing, the first example of the importance of temperature thresholds in the lipid use of overwintering insects.

  16. Genetic and molecular analyses of natural variation indicate CBF2 as a candidate gene for underlying a freezing tolerance quantitative trait locus in Arabidopsis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alonso-Blanco, C.; Gomez-Mena, C.; Llorente, F.; Koornneef, M.; Salinas, J.; Martinez-Zapater, J.M.

    2005-01-01

    Natural variation for freezing tolerance is a major component of adaptation and geographic distribution of plant species. However, little is known about the genes and molecular mechanisms that determine its naturally occurring diversity. We have analyzed the intraspecific freezing tolerance

  17. Evaluation of Freezing Tolerance of Three Ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi (Linn. Sprague Ecotypes in Controlled Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z Boroumand Rezazadeh

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Ajowan is one of the endemic plants in Khorasan province, and there is a little information on its tolerance to cold stress. In order to study freezing tolerance of ajowan, an experiment was conducted in faculty of agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, based on factorial-completely randomized design with three replications and three ecotypes of ajowan (Neishabour, Birjand and Torbat-e-Heidarieh were imposed on eight freezing temperatures (0 (control, -1.5, -3, -4.5, -6,-7.5, -9 and -10.5 °C. Plants were grown in natural environment till 4-5 leaf stage, then for freezing treatments transferred to thermo-gradient freezer. The cell membrane stability was evaluated by electrolyte leakage index (EL and temperature for killing 50% of samples according to the electrolyte leakage (LT50el was determined. Furthermore, survival percentage, leaf number and dry weight, temperature for killing 50% of samples according to survival (LT50su and reduced dry matter temperature 50 (RDMT50 were determined after three weeks recovery in the glasshouse. Response of ajowan ecotypes for electrolyte leakage was different and birjand ecotype had the lowest %EL, whereas the slope of %EL in mentioned ecotype was lower than two other ecotypes. However there were no significant differences among ajowan ecotypes on LT50su. Decreasing temperature to -7.5 °C reduced survival percentage of Neishabour and Torbat-e-Heidarieh ecotypes to lower than 20 percent, whiles in this temperature Birjand’s survival percentage was about 60 percent. It seems that Birjand ecotype with the lowest electrolyte leakage, the highest survival and dry matter and the lowest LT50su was more tolerant than two other ecotypes.

  18. Seasonal changes in lipid composition and glycogen storage associated with freeze-tolerance of the earthworm, Dendrobaena octaedra

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Overgaard, J.; Tollarová, Michaela; Hedlund, K.; Petersen, S. O.; Holmstrup, M.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 179, č. 5 (2009), s. 569-577 ISSN 0174-1578 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : earthworms * freeze-tolerance * glycogen Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.897, year: 2009

  19. Advantages of liquid nitrogen freezing of Penaeus monodon over conventional plate freezing

    OpenAIRE

    Chakrabarti, R.; Chaudhury, D.R.

    1987-01-01

    Liquid nitrogen frozen products are biochemically and organoleptically superior to conventional plate frozen products but beneficial effect of liquid nitrogen freezing over conventional plate freezing can exist only up to 59 days at a commercial storage temperature of -18°C.

  20. Overexpression of Arabidopsis NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase C (AtNTRC) confers freezing and cold shock tolerance to plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moon, Jeong Chan [National Institute of Ecology, 1210 Geumgang-ro, Maseo-myeon, Seocheon-gun 325-813 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sangmin [Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Su Young [National Institute of Ecology, 1210 Geumgang-ro, Maseo-myeon, Seocheon-gun 325-813 (Korea, Republic of); Chae, Ho Byoung; Jung, Young Jun [Division of Applied Life Science - BK21+ program, PMBBRC, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Hyun Suk [Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Kyun Oh [Division of Applied Life Science - BK21+ program, PMBBRC, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jung Ro, E-mail: leejr73@nie.re.kr [National Institute of Ecology, 1210 Geumgang-ro, Maseo-myeon, Seocheon-gun 325-813 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX (United States); Lee, Sang Yeol, E-mail: sylee@gnu.ac.kr [Division of Applied Life Science - BK21+ program, PMBBRC, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-08-07

    Overexpression of AtNTRC (AtNTRC{sup OE}) in Arabidopsis thaliana led to a freezing and cold stress tolerance, whereas a knockout mutant (atntrc) showed a stress-sensitive phenotype. Biochemical analyses showed that the recombinant AtNTRC proteins exhibited a cryoprotective activity for malate dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase. Furthermore, conclusive evidence of its interaction with nucleic acids in vitro is provided here on the basis of gel shift and electron microscopy analysis. Recombinant AtNTRC efficiently protected RNA and DNA from RNase A and metal catalyzed oxidation damage, respectively. The C-terminal thioredoxin domain is required for the nucleic acid–protein complex formation. From these results, it can be hypothesized that AtNTRC, which is known to be an electron donor of peroxiredoxin, contributes the stability of macromolecules under cold stress. - Highlights: • AtNTRC has a cryoprotective activity in vitro. • Overexpression of AtNTRC increases tolerance to freezing and cold shock stresses. • Thioredoxin domain of AtNTRC protects nucleic acids in vitro. • AtNTRC inhibits protein aggregation under freezing stress in vitro.

  1. Overexpression of Arabidopsis NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase C (AtNTRC) confers freezing and cold shock tolerance to plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, Jeong Chan; Lee, Sangmin; Shin, Su Young; Chae, Ho Byoung; Jung, Young Jun; Jung, Hyun Suk; Lee, Kyun Oh; Lee, Jung Ro; Lee, Sang Yeol

    2015-01-01

    Overexpression of AtNTRC (AtNTRC OE ) in Arabidopsis thaliana led to a freezing and cold stress tolerance, whereas a knockout mutant (atntrc) showed a stress-sensitive phenotype. Biochemical analyses showed that the recombinant AtNTRC proteins exhibited a cryoprotective activity for malate dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase. Furthermore, conclusive evidence of its interaction with nucleic acids in vitro is provided here on the basis of gel shift and electron microscopy analysis. Recombinant AtNTRC efficiently protected RNA and DNA from RNase A and metal catalyzed oxidation damage, respectively. The C-terminal thioredoxin domain is required for the nucleic acid–protein complex formation. From these results, it can be hypothesized that AtNTRC, which is known to be an electron donor of peroxiredoxin, contributes the stability of macromolecules under cold stress. - Highlights: • AtNTRC has a cryoprotective activity in vitro. • Overexpression of AtNTRC increases tolerance to freezing and cold shock stresses. • Thioredoxin domain of AtNTRC protects nucleic acids in vitro. • AtNTRC inhibits protein aggregation under freezing stress in vitro

  2. Effect of Hexaconazole and Penconazole on Kochia (Kochia scoparia Freezing Tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Kamandy

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Cold and freezing are the most important limiting factors on development of sensitive plants. When the ambient temperature deviates from optimal, physiological, and biochemical, metabolic and molecular changes will occur within plants. This is an effort of plants to maximize growth and developmental processes and to maintain cellular homeostasis during such adverse conditions. At the extremes of the natural temperature range of plant, the degree of physiological, cellular, metabolic and molecular dysfunction becomes so severe that it leads to death. Triazoles are the most potent groups of growth retardants with multiple effects. Plant growing with paclobutrazol generally has little effect on rates of net photosynthetic rate. However, because the compound reduces leaf area, net photosynthesis on a per plant basis is probably reduced. They have exhibited growth regulating, fungicidal, herbicidal, apicidal and antibacterial activities. More recently, it was found that triazole compounds are able to increase tolerance of plants to cold and freezing stress. Kochia (Kochia scoparia (L. Schrad., an out crossing species whose pollen move between plants in windy areas, has recently been considered as a forage or fodder crop in marginal lands. Steppuhn and Wall (1993 claimed that Kochia offers great potential as a crop that can be grown on saline soils, yielding fodder in quantities approaching that produced by alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.. Shamsutdinov et al. (1996 also reported more than 15 Mg ha-1 dry-matter production for Kochia under saline conditions and concluded that it is a good candidate for forage hay. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine whether the triazole compounds could increase tolerance of kochia against freezing stress. Materials and Methods An experiment was carried out with hexaconazole and penconazole in 0, 10 and 20 mg.L-1 and freezing temperatures 0, -2, -4, -6 and -8 degree centigrade in factorial based

  3. Seasonal Variation in the Hepatoproteome of the Dehydration- and Freeze-Tolerant Wood Frog, Rana sylvatica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jon P. Costanzo

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Winter’s advent invokes physiological adjustments that permit temperate ectotherms to cope with stresses such as food shortage, water deprivation, hypoxia, and hypothermia. We used liquid chromatography (LC in combination with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS quantitative isobaric (iTRAQ™ peptide mapping to assess variation in the abundance of hepatic proteins in summer- and winter-acclimatized wood frogs (Rana sylvatica, a northerly-distributed species that tolerates extreme dehydration and tissue freezing during hibernation. Thirty-three unique proteins exhibited strong seasonal lability. Livers of winter frogs had relatively high levels of proteins involved in cytoprotection, including heat-shock proteins and an antioxidant, and a reduced abundance of proteins involved in cell proliferation, protein synthesis, and mitochondrial function. They also exhibited altered levels of certain metabolic enzymes that participate in the biochemical reorganization associated with aphagia and reliance on energy reserves, as well as the freezing mobilization and post-thaw recovery of glucose, an important cryoprotective solute in freezing adaptation.

  4. Potential implications for expansion of freeze-tolerant eucalyptus plantations on water resources in the southern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    James M. Vose; Chelcy F. Miniat; Ge Sun; Peter V. Caldwell

    2014-01-01

    The potential expansion of freeze-tolerant (FT) Eucalyptus plantations in the United States has raised concerns about the implications for water resources. Modeling was used to examine the potential effects of expanding the distribution of FT Eucalyptus plantations in US Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 8b and...

  5. A single-repeat R3-MYB transcription factor MYBC1 negatively regulates freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhai, Hong; Bai, Xi; Zhu, Yanming; Li, Yong; Cai, Hua; Ji, Wei; Ji, Zuojun; Liu, Xiaofei; Liu, Xin; Li, Jing

    2010-01-01

    We had previously identified the MYBC1 gene, which encodes a single-repeat R3-MYB protein, as a putative osmotic responding gene; however, no R3-MYB transcription factor has been reported to regulate osmotic stress tolerance. Thus, we sought to elucidate the function of MYBC1 in response to osmotic stresses. Real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that MYBC1 expression responded to cold, dehydration, salinity and exogenous ABA at the transcript level. mybc1 mutants exhibited an increased tolerance to freezing stress, whereas 35S::MYBC1 transgenic plants exhibited decreased cold tolerance. Transcript levels of some cold-responsive genes, including CBF/DREB genes, KIN1, ADC1, ADC2 and ZAT12, though, were not altered in the mybc1 mutants or the 35S::MYBC1 transgenic plants in response to cold stress, as compared to the wild type. Microarray analysis results that are publically available were investigated and found transcript level of MYBC1 was not altered by overexpression of CBF1, CBF2, and CBF3, suggesting that MYBC1 is not down regulated by these CBF family members. Together, these results suggested that MYBC1is capable of negatively regulating the freezing tolerance of Arabidopsis in the CBF-independent pathway. In transgenic Arabidopsis carrying an MYBC1 promoter driven β-glucuronidase (GUS) construct, GUS activity was observed in all tissues and was relatively stronger in the vascular tissues. Fused MYBC1 and GFP protein revealed that MYBC1 was localized exclusively in the nuclear compartment.

  6. A comparison of the low temperature transcriptomes and CBF regulons of three plant species that differ in freezing tolerance: Solanum commersonii, Solanum tuberosum, and Arabidopsis thaliana

    OpenAIRE

    Carvallo, Marcela A.; Pino, María-Teresa; Jeknić, Zoran; Zou, Cheng; Doherty, Colleen J.; Shiu, Shin-Han; Chen, Tony H. H.; Thomashow, Michael F.

    2011-01-01

    Solanum commersonii and Solanum tuberosum are closely related plant species that differ in their abilities to cold acclimate; whereas S. commersonii increases in freezing tolerance in response to low temperature, S. tuberosum does not. In Arabidopsis thaliana, cold-regulated genes have been shown to contribute to freezing tolerance, including those that comprise the CBF regulon, genes that are controlled by the CBF transcription factors. The low temperature transcriptomes and CBF regulons of ...

  7. Evaluation of Freezing Tolerance of Hexaploid Triticale Genotypes under Controlled Conditions

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    Ahmad, NEZAMI

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available In order to evaluate freezing tolerance of different triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack genotypes, an experiment was carried out under controlled conditions in 2007 and 2008 at college of agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. In this study seeven triticale genotypes (Juanilo-92, ET-82-15, ET-82-8, ET-83-20, ET-83-19, ET-83-18 and ET-79-17, across six temperatures (0C, -4C, -8C, -12C, -16C and -20C were evaluated within a factorial-completely randomized design with three replications. Plants were kept until 2 leaf stage in chamber with temperature of 20/15C (day/night and 12.5 h photoperiod. At the end of this stage, plants were under acclimation for three weeks. After exposing to acclimation freezing the cell membrane integrity was measured through electrolyte leakage (EL and the lethal temperature (LT50 of samples was measured. After the exposure to freezing temperatures the samples were transferred to the greenhouse. Survival percentage, plant height, leaf area and number, chlorophyll content, and plant dry weight were determined after 3 weeks. Results showed that the effect of different freezing temperature and genotypes were significant on all plant characteristics. As temperature decreased, %EL of all genotypes was increased. Minimum and Maximum EL % in leaf and crown were observed at 0C (21% and -20C (88.5%. ET-79-17 and Juanilo-92 genotypes showed the highest EL% (55.5% and 44.8% and ET-83-20 the lowest EL% (47.3% and 41.2% in leaf and crown. Dry weight and leaf area decreased by 48% and 42% respectively compared to non frozen control plants. ET-79-17 and ET-82-15 genotypes showed the highest dry weight (83.8 mg and highest leaf area (14.3 cm2 respectively and ET-83-20 cultivar showed the lowest dry weight and leaf area (58.2 mg and 8.7 cm2.

  8. Wheat Transcription Factor TaAREB3 Participates in Drought and Freezing Tolerances in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jingyi; Li, Qian; Mao, Xinguo; Li, Ang; Jing, Ruilian

    2016-01-01

    AREB (ABA response element binding) proteins in plants play direct regulatory roles in response to multiple stresses, but their functions in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are not clear. In the present study, TaAREB3, a new member of the AREB transcription factor family, was isolated from wheat. Sequence analysis showed that the TaAREB3 protein is composed of three parts, a conserved N-terminal, a variable M region, and a conserved C-terminal with a bZIP domain. It belongs to the group A subfamily of bZIP transcription factors. TaAREB3 was constitutively expressed in stems, leaves, florets, anthers, pistils, seeds, and most highly, in roots. TaAREB3 gene expression was induced with abscisic acid (ABA) and low temperature stress, and its protein was localized in the nucleus when transiently expressed in tobacco epidermal cells and stably expressed in transgenic Arabidopsis. TaAREB3 protein has transcriptional activation activity, and can bind to the ABRE cis-element in vitro. Overexpression of TaAREB3 in Arabidopsis not only enhanced ABA sensitivity, but also strengthened drought and freezing tolerances. TaAREB3 also activated RD29A, RD29B, COR15A, and COR47 by binding to their promoter regions in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results demonstrated that TaAREB3 plays an important role in drought and freezing tolerances in Arabidopsis.

  9. Screening Prosopis (mesquite) for cold tolerance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Felker, P. (Texas AandI Univ., Kingsville); Clark, P.R.; Nash, P.; Osborn, J.F.; Cannell, G.H.

    1982-09-01

    Cold tolerance and biomass estimation of Prosopis species were examined under field conditions. Prosopis africana and P. pallida tolerated several minus 1.5/sup 0/C freezes but none survived a minus 5/sup 0/C freeze. P. alba, P. articulata, P. chilensis, P. nigra, and P. tamarugo tolerated several minus 5/sup 0/C freezes but not a 12-hour below 0/sup 0/C freeze. Most North American native species P. glandulosa var. glandulosa, P. glandulosa var. torreyana, and P. velutina tolerated the 12 hour freeze with only moderate damage. In general trees with greater productivity belonged to the most cold sensitive accessions but sufficient variability exists to substantially improve Prosopis biomass production on the coldest areas where it now naturally occurs.

  10. Evaluation of Freezing Tolerance of Hexaploid Triticale Genotypes under Controlled Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad, NEZAMI

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available In order to evaluate freezing tolerance of different triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack genotypes, an experiment was carried out under controlled conditions in 2007 and 2008 at college of agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. In this study seeven triticale genotypes (�Juanilo-92�, �ET-82-15�, �ET-82-8�, �ET-83-20�, �ET-83-19�, �ET-83-18� and �ET-79-17�, across six temperatures (0�C, -4�C, -8�C, -12�C, -16�C and -20�C were evaluated within a factorial-completely randomized design with three replications. Plants were kept until 2 leaf stage in chamber with temperature of 20/15�C (day/night and 12.5 h photoperiod. At the end of this stage, plants were under acclimation for three weeks. After exposing to acclimation freezing the cell membrane integrity was measured through electrolyte leakage (EL and the lethal temperature (LT50 of samples was measured. After the exposure to freezing temperatures the samples were transferred to the greenhouse. Survival percentage, plant height, leaf area and number, chlorophyll content, and plant dry weight were determined after 3 weeks. Results showed that the effect of different freezing temperature and genotypes were significant on all plant characteristics. As temperature decreased, %EL of all genotypes was increased. Minimum and Maximum EL % in leaf and crown were observed at 0�C (21% and -20�C (88.5%. �ET-79-17� and �Juanilo-92� genotypes showed the highest EL% (55.5% and 44.8% and �ET-83-20� the lowest EL% (47.3% and 41.2% in leaf and crown. Dry weight and leaf area decreased by 48% and 42% respectively compared to non frozen control plants. �ET-79-17� and �ET-82-15� genotypes showed the highest dry weight (83.8 mg and highest leaf area (14.3 cm2 respectively and �ET-83-20� cultivar showed the lowest dry weight and leaf area (58.2 mg and 8.7 cm2.

  11. Freezing tolerance of sea urchin embryonic cells: Differentiation commitment and cytoskeletal disturbances in culture.

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    Odintsova, Nelly A; Ageenko, Natalya V; Kipryushina, Yulia O; Maiorova, Mariia A; Boroda, Andrey V

    2015-08-01

    This study focuses on the freezing tolerance of sea urchin embryonic cells. To significantly reduce the loss of physiological activity of these cells that occurs after cryopreservation and to study the effects of ultra-low temperatures on sea urchin embryonic cells, we tested the ability of the cells to differentiate into spiculogenic or pigment directions in culture, including an evaluation of the expression of some genes involved in pigment differentiation. A morphological analysis of cytoskeletal disturbances after freezing in a combination of penetrating (dimethyl sulfoxide and ethylene glycol) and non-penetrating (trehalose and polyvinylpyrrolidone) cryoprotectants revealed that the distribution pattern of filamentous actin and tubulin was similar to that in the control cultures. In contrast, very rare spreading cells and a small number of cells with filamentous actin and tubulin were detected after freezing in the presence of only non-penetrating cryoprotectants. The largest number of pigment cells was found in cultures frozen with trehalose or trehalose and dimethyl sulfoxide. The ability to induce the spicule formation was lost in the cells frozen only with non-penetrating cryoprotectants, while it was maximal in cultures frozen in a cryoprotective mixture containing both non-penetrating and penetrating cryoprotectants (particularly, when ethylene glycol was present). Using different markers for cell state assessment, an effective cryopreservation protocol for sea urchin cells was developed: three-step freezing with a low cooling rate (1-2°C/min) and a combination of non-penetrating and penetrating cryoprotectants made it possible to obtain a high level of cell viability (up to 65-80%). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging accurately quantifies freezing damage and cold acclimation responses in Arabidopsis leaves

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    Hincha Dirk K

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Freezing tolerance is an important factor in the geographical distribution of plants and strongly influences crop yield. Many plants increase their freezing tolerance during exposure to low, nonfreezing temperatures in a process termed cold acclimation. There is considerable natural variation in the cold acclimation capacity of Arabidopsis that has been used to study the molecular basis of this trait. Accurate methods for the quantitation of freezing damage in leaves that include spatial information about the distribution of damage and the possibility to screen large populations of plants are necessary, but currently not available. In addition, currently used standard methods such as electrolyte leakage assays are very laborious and therefore not easily applicable for large-scale screening purposes. Results We have performed freezing experiments with the Arabidopsis accessions C24 and Tenela, which differ strongly in their freezing tolerance, both before and after cold acclimation. Freezing tolerance of detached leaves was investigated using the well established electrolyte leakage assay as a reference. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging was used as an alternative method that provides spatial resolution of freezing damage over the leaf area. With both methods, LT50 values (i.e. temperature where 50% damage occurred could be derived as quantitative measures of leaf freezing tolerance. Both methods revealed the expected differences between acclimated and nonacclimated plants and between the two accessions and LT50 values were tightly correlated. However, electrolyte leakage assays consistently yielded higher LT50 values than chlorophyll fluorescence imaging. This was to a large part due to the incubation of leaves for electrolyte leakage measurements in distilled water, which apparently led to secondary damage, while this pre-incubation was not necessary for the chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. Conclusion Chlorophyll

  13. Distribution of pines in the Iberian Peninsula agrees with species differences in foliage frost tolerance, not with vulnerability to freezing-induced xylem embolism.

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    Fernández-Pérez, Laura; Villar-Salvador, Pedro; Martínez-Vilalta, Jordi; Toca, Andrei; Zavala, Miguel A

    2018-04-01

    Drought and frosts are major determinants of plant functioning and distribution. Both stresses can cause xylem embolism and foliage damage. The objective of this study was to analyse if the distribution of six common pine species along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients in Europe is related to their interspecific differences in frost tolerance and to the physiological mechanisms underlying species-specific frost tolerance. We also evaluate if frost tolerance depends on plant water status. We studied survival to a range of freezing temperatures in 2-year-old plants and assessed the percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) due xylem embolism formation and foliage damage determined by needle electrolyte leakage (EL) after a single frost cycle to -15 °C and over a range of predawn water potential (ψpd) values. Species experiencing cold winters in their range (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold, Pinus sylvestris L. and Pinus uncinata Raymond ex A. DC.) had the highest frost survival rates and lowest needle EL and soluble sugar (SS) concentration. In contrast, the pines inhabiting mild or cool winter locations (especially Pinus halepensis Mill. and Pinus pinea L. and, to a lesser extent, Pinus pinaster Ait.) had the lowest frost survival and highest needle EL and SS values. Freezing-induced PLC was very low and differences among species were not related to frost damage. Reduction in ψpd decreased leaf frost damage in P. pinea and P. sylvestris, increased it in P. uncinata and had a neutral effect on the rest of the species. This study demonstrates that freezing temperatures are a major environmental driver for pine distribution and suggests that interspecific differences in leaf frost sensitivity rather than vulnerability to freezing-induced embolism or SS explain pine juvenile frost survival.

  14. Seasonal differences in freezing tolerance of yellow-cedar and western hemlock trees at a site affected by yellow-cedar decline

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul G. Schaberg; Paul E. Hennon; Amore, David V. D; Gary J. Hawley; Catherine H. Borer; Catherine H. Borer

    2005-01-01

    To assess whether inadequate cold hardiness could be a contributor to yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach) decline, we measured the freezing tolerance of foliage from yellow-cedar trees in closed-canopy (nondeclining) and open-canopy (declining at elevations below 130 m) stands at three sites along an elevational gradient in the heart of the decline...

  15. Tolerância de frutos de pessegueiro a geadas Fruit frost tolerance in peach

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    André Paulo Assmann

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a tolerância de frutos de pessegueiro aos danos ocasionados pela geada. A geada ocorreu no dia 5 de setembro de 2006, sendo que a temperatura mínima, a 1,5 m do solo, foi de - 1,06ºC. Foram avaliados 28 genótipos de pessegueiro em diferentes estádios fenológicos. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições (plantas de pessegueiro, procedendo-se à avaliação em seis ramos por planta. No dia em que ocorreu a geada, foram mensurados o número de frutos por ramo, diâmetro sutural médio dos frutos, número total de gemas vegetativas, percentual de brotação e percentual de brindilas formadas a partir das gemas brotadas. Uma segunda avaliação foi realizada 15 dias após a primeira, para avaliar o percentual de queda de frutos e o diâmetro sutural médio dos frutos remanescentes. Genótipos bem enfolhados e cujos frutos apresentavam endocarpo endurecido, no momento da ocorrência da geada, foram tolerantes ao dano ocasionado pelo frio; frutos com diâmetro sutural inferior a 20 mm foram suscetíveis à geada, enquanto frutos com diâmetro sutural superior a 30 mm apresentaram boa tolerância, independentemente do genótipo avaliado.The aim of this work was to evaluate the fruit damage tolerance in different peach tree genotypes after natural freeze. The frost happened on September 5, 2006, and the minimum temperature, 1.5 meters over soil, was -1.06ºC. Twenty- eight peach tree genotypes, in different stages of development, were evaluated, in a completely random design, in three replication (plants and six branches by plants. Immediately after frost, we measured the number of fruits per branches, average fruit suture diameter, percentage of sprouts and percentage of twigs in formation. A second evaluation was accomplished fifteen days after the first one in order to assess the percentage of fruit drop and the average remaining fruit suture diameter. Genotypes

  16. Successful long-term preservation of rat sperm by freeze-drying.

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    Takehito Kaneko

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Freeze-drying sperm has been developed as a new preservation method where liquid nitrogen is no longer necessary. An advantage of freeze-drying sperm is that it can be stored at 4 °C and transported at room temperature. Although the successful freeze-drying of sperm has been reported in a number of animals, the possibility of long-term preservation using this method has not yet been studied. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Offspring were obtained from oocytes fertilized with rat epididymal sperm freeze-dried using a solution containing 10 mM Tris and 1 mM EDTA adjusted to pH 8.0. Tolerance of testicular sperm to freeze-drying was increased by pre-treatment with diamide. Offspring with normal fertility were obtained from oocytes fertilized with freeze-dried epididymal sperm stored at 4 °C for 5 years. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Sperm with -SS- cross-linking in the thiol-disulfide of their protamine were highly tolerant to freeze-drying, and the fertility of freeze-dried sperm was maintained for 5 years without deterioration. This is the first report to demonstrate the successful freeze-drying of sperm using a new and simple method for long-term preservation.

  17. Identification and expression analysis of cold and freezing stress responsive genes of Brassica oleracea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Nasar Uddin; Jung, Hee-Jeong; Park, Jong-In; Cho, Yong-Gu; Hur, Yoonkang; Nou, Ill-Sup

    2015-01-10

    Cold and freezing stress is a major environmental constraint to the production of Brassica crops. Enhancement of tolerance by exploiting cold and freezing tolerance related genes offers the most efficient approach to address this problem. Cold-induced transcriptional profiling is a promising approach to the identification of potential genes related to cold and freezing stress tolerance. In this study, 99 highly expressed genes were identified from a whole genome microarray dataset of Brassica rapa. Blast search analysis of the Brassica oleracea database revealed the corresponding homologous genes. To validate their expression, pre-selected cold tolerant and susceptible cabbage lines were analyzed. Out of 99 BoCRGs, 43 were differentially expressed in response to varying degrees of cold and freezing stress in the contrasting cabbage lines. Among the differentially expressed genes, 18 were highly up-regulated in the tolerant lines, which is consistent with their microarray expression. Additionally, 12 BoCRGs were expressed differentially after cold stress treatment in two contrasting cabbage lines, and BoCRG54, 56, 59, 62, 70, 72 and 99 were predicted to be involved in cold regulatory pathways. Taken together, the cold-responsive genes identified in this study provide additional direction for elucidating the regulatory network of low temperature stress tolerance and developing cold and freezing stress resistant Brassica crops. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Clonal variation in gas exchange and freezing tolerance development of interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x P. engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) during autumn acclimation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fan, Shihe; Grossnickle, S.C. [British Columbia Research Corp., Vancouver, BC (Canada). Forest Biotechnology Centre

    1999-08-01

    Variation in physiological response during autumn acclimation was investigated in somatic seedlings of 10 interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x P. engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) clones from five full-sib families. Experiments were conducted on 2-yr-old seedlings through simulation in a growth chamber. Throughout the experimental period, gas-exchange parameters (net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance to water vapour and instantaneous water-use efficiency) were measured weekly and freezing tolerance was determined five times. Results showed that as seedlings acclimated to decreasing air temperature and photoperiod, stomatal conductance decreased linearly, photosynthesis was unchanged until air temperature and photoperiod were below 10 deg C and 11 h, respectively, water-use efficiency nearly doubled and freezing tolerance increased in a curvilinear fashion. There was significant between- and within-family clonal variation in all of these physiological parameters. 47 refs, 7 figs

  19. Summer freezing resistance: a critical filter for plant community assemblies in Mediterranean high mountains

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    David Sánchez Pescador

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Assessing freezing community response and whether freezing resistance is related to other functional traits is essential for understanding alpine community assemblages, particularly in Mediterranean environments where plants are exposed to freezing temperatures and summer droughts. Thus, we characterized the leaf freezing resistance of 42 plant species in 38 plots at Sierra de Guadarrama (Spain by measuring their ice nucleation temperature, freezing point (FP, and low-temperature damage (LT50, as well as determining their freezing resistance mechanisms (i.e., tolerance or avoidance. The community response to freezing was estimated for each plot as community weighted means (CWMs and functional diversity, and we assessed their relative importance with altitude. We established the relationships between freezing resistance, growth forms, and four key plant functional traits (i.e., plant height, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, and seed mass. There was a wide range of freezing resistance responses and more than in other alpine habitats. At the community level, the CWMs of FP and LT50 responded negatively to altitude, whereas the functional diversity of both traits increased with altitude. The proportion of freezing-tolerant species also increased with altitude. The ranges of FP and LT50 varied among growth forms, and only the leaf dry matter content correlated negatively with freezing-resistance traits. Summer freezing events represent important abiotic filters for assemblies of Mediterranean high mountain communities, as suggested by the CWMs. However, a concomitant summer drought constraint may also explain the high freezing resistance of species that thrive in these areas and the lower functional diversity of freezing resistance traits at lower altitudes. Leaves with high dry matter contents may maintain turgor at lower water potential and enhance drought tolerance in parallel to freezing resistance. This adaptation to drought seems to

  20. Characteristics of superior soybean breeding lines tolerance to rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd.

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    Alfi Inayati

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi is one of the most important diseases which limits soybean production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the resistance of 28 superior soybean lines and their tolerance to rust. The study was conducted at a screen house and arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD; three replications. All genotypes tested were artificially inoculated with P. pachyrhizi, and a set of un-inoculated genotypes was planted as a comparison. Number of pustules was recorded weekly, and resistant criteria was rated based on the International working group on soybean rust IWGSR method. Lesion color (LC, sporulation level (SL, number of uredia (NoU, frequency of pustule which had uredia, and yield were also recorded. Among 28 genotypes tested, only one was categorized as resistant and 2 genotypes were susceptible. Resistant genotypes had few pustules, lower AUDPC values, low disease severity, and Reddish Brown lesion type. Soybean rust affected yield components, i.e. number of intact pods and yield per plant. Yield loses due to rust in this study varied from 5-89%, and the average was 51%. The set of lines from Tanggamus pedigree showed more resistant to rust but less tolerant compared to Sinabung pedigree.How to CiteInayati, A., & Yusnawan, E. (2016. Characteristics of superior soybean breeding lines tolerancet to rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd.. Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education, 8(1, 47-55.

  1. Plant plasma membrane proteomics for improving cold tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daisuke eTakahashi

    2013-04-01

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

  2. Alpha-ketoglutarate enhances freeze-thaw tolerance and prevents carbohydrate-induced cell death of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayliak, Maria M; Hrynkiv, Olha V; Knyhynytska, Roksolana V; Lushchak, Volodymyr I

    2018-01-01

    Stress resistance and fermentative capability are important quality characteristics of baker's yeast. In the present study, we examined protective effects of exogenous alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG), an intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and amino acid metabolism, against freeze-thaw and carbohydrate-induced stresses in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Growth on AKG-supplemented medium prevented a loss of viability and improved fermentative capacity of yeast cells after freeze-thaw treatment. The cells grown in the presence of AKG had higher levels of amino acids (e.g., proline), higher metabolic activity and total antioxidant capacity, and higher activities of catalase, NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthase compared to control ones. Both synthesis of amino acids and enhancement of antioxidant system capacity could be involved in AKG-improved freeze-thaw tolerance in S. cerevisiae. Cell viability dramatically decreased under incubation of stationary-phase yeast cells in 2% glucose or fructose solutions (in the absence of the other nutrients) as compared with incubation in distilled water or in 10 mM AKG solution. The decrease in cell viability was accompanied by acidification of the medium, and decrease in cellular respiration, aconitase activity, and levels of total protein and free amino acids. The supplementation with 10 mM AKG effectively prevented carbohydrate-induced yeast death. Protective mechanisms of AKG could be associated with the intensification of respiration and prevention of decreasing protein level as well as with direct antioxidant AKG action.

  3. The ins and outs of water dynamics in cold tolerant soil invertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmstrup, Martin

    2014-10-01

    Many soil invertebrates have physiological characteristics in common with freshwater animals and represent an evolutionary transition from aquatic to terrestrial life forms. Their high cuticular permeability and ability to tolerate large modifications of internal osmolality are of particular importance for their cold tolerance. A number of cold region species that spend some or most of their life-time in soil are in more or less intimate contact with soil ice during overwintering. Unless such species have effective barriers against cuticular water-transport, they have only two options for survival: tolerate internal freezing or dehydrate. The risk of internal ice formation may be substantial due to inoculative freezing and many species rely on freeze-tolerance for overwintering. If freezing does not occur, the desiccating power of external ice will cause the animal to dehydrate until vapor pressure equilibrium between body fluids and external ice has been reached. This cold tolerance mechanism is termed cryoprotective dehydration (CPD) and requires that the animal must be able to tolerate substantial dehydration. Even though CPD is essentially a freeze-avoidance strategy the associated physiological traits are more or less the same as those found in freeze tolerant species. The most well-known are accumulation of compatible osmolytes and molecular chaperones reducing or protecting against the stress caused by cellular dehydration. Environmental moisture levels of the habitat are important for which type of cold tolerance is employed, not only in an evolutionary context, but also within a single population. Some species use CPD under relatively dry conditions, but freeze tolerance when soil moisture is high. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Overexpression of a Panax ginseng tonoplast aquaporin alters salt tolerance, drought tolerance and cold acclimation ability in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Yanhui; Lin, Wuling; Cai, Weiming; Arora, Rajeev

    2007-08-01

    Water movement across cellular membranes is regulated largely by a family of water channel proteins called aquaporins (AQPs). Since several abiotic stresses such as, drought, salinity and freezing, manifest themselves via altering water status of plant cells and are linked by the fact that they all result in cellular dehydration, we overexpressed an AQP (tonoplast intrinsic protein) from Panax ginseng, PgTIP1, in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants to test its role in plant's response to drought, salinity and cold acclimation (induced freezing tolerance). Under favorable conditions, PgTIP1 overexpression significantly increased plant growth as determined by the biomass production, and leaf and root morphology. PgTIP1 overexpression had beneficial effect on salt-stress tolerance as indicated by superior growth status and seed germination of transgenic plants under salt stress; shoots of salt-stressed transgenic plants also accumulated greater amounts of Na(+) compared to wild-type plants. Whereas PgTIP1 overexpression diminished the water-deficit tolerance of plants grown in shallow (10 cm deep) pots, the transgenic plants were significantly more tolerant to water stress when grown in 45 cm deep pots. The rationale for this contrasting response, apparently, comes from the differences in the root morphology and leaf water channel activity (speed of dehydration/rehydration) between the transgenic and wild-type plants. Plants overexpressed with PgTIP1 exhibited lower (relative to wild-type control) cold acclimation ability; however, this response was independent of cold-regulated gene expression. Our results demonstrate a significant function of PgTIP1 in growth and development of plant cells, and suggest that the water movement across tonoplast (via AQP) represents a rate-limiting factor for plant vigor under favorable growth conditions and also significantly affect responses of plant to drought, salt and cold stresses.

  5. Effect of the Winter Wheat Cheyenne 5A Substituted Chromosome on Dynamics of Abscisic Acid and Cytokinins in Freezing-Sensitive Chinese Spring Genetic Background

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalapos, Balázs; Novák, Aliz; Dobrev, Petre; Vítámvás, Pavel; Marincs, Ferenc; Galiba, Gábor; Vanková, Radomira

    2017-01-01

    The effect of short- and long-term cold treatment on the abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinin (CK) metabolism, and their main biosynthesis- and signaling-related genes were investigated in freezing-sensitive and freezing-tolerant wheat genotypes. Varieties Cheyenne and Chinese Spring substituted with the 5A Cheyenne chromosome, which represented freezing-tolerant genotypes, were compared with the freezing-sensitive Chinese Spring. Hormone levels and gene expression data indicated that the short- and long-term cold treatments are associated with specific regulation of the accumulation of cold-protective proteins and phytohormone levels, as well as the expression profiles of the hormone-related genes. The significant differences were observed between the genotypes, and between their leaf and crown tissues, too. The level of dehydrins, including WCS120 protein, and expression of WCS120 gene were considerably higher in the freezing-tolerant genotypes after 21 days of cold treatment. Expression of Cor14b and CBF14, cold-responsive regulator genes, was increased by cold treatment in all genotypes, to higher extent in freezing-tolerant genotypes. Cluster analysis revealed that the tolerant genotypes had a similar response to cold treatment, regarding expression of the ABA and CK metabolic genes, as well as hormone levels in leaves. As far as hormone levels in crowns are concerned, however, the strongly freezing-tolerant Cheyenne variety clustered separately from the Chinese Spring and the substitution line, which were more similar to each other after both 1 and 21 days of cold treatment than to Cheyenne. Based on these results we concluded that the 5A chromosome of wheat might have both a direct and an indirect impact on the phytohormone-dependent cold-induced freezing tolerance. Based on the gene expression data, novel genetic markers could be developed, which may be used to determine the freezing tolerance level in a wide range of wheat varieties. PMID:29238355

  6. Enzymatic regulation of seasonal glycogen cycling in the freeze-tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    do Amaral, M Clara F; Lee, Richard E; Costanzo, Jon P

    2016-12-01

    Liver glycogen is an important energy store in vertebrates, and in the freeze-tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica, this carbohydrate also serves as a major source of the cryoprotectant glucose. We investigated how variation in the levels of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKAc), glycogen phosphorylase (GP), and glycogen synthase (GS) relates to seasonal glycogen cycling in a temperate (Ohioan) and subarctic (Alaskan) populations of this species. In spring, Ohioan frogs had reduced potential for glycogen synthesis, as evidenced by low GS activity and high PKAc protein levels. In addition, glycogen levels in spring were the lowest of four seasonal samples, as energy input was likely directed towards metabolism and somatic growth during this period. Near-maximal glycogen levels were reached by mid-summer, and remained unchanged in fall and winter, suggesting that glycogenesis was curtailed during this period. Ohioan frogs had a high potential for glycogenolysis and glycogenesis in winter, as evidenced by large glycogen reserves, high levels of GP and GS proteins, and high GS activity, which likely allows for rapid mobilization of cryoprotectant during freezing and replenishing of glycogen reserves during thawing. Alaskan frogs also achieved a near-maximal liver glycogen concentration by summer and displayed high glycogenic and glycogenolytic potential in winter, but, unlike Ohioan frogs, started replenishing their energy reserves early in spring. We conclude that variation in levels of both glycogenolytic and glycogenic enzymes likely happens in response to seasonal changes in energetic strategies and demands, with winter survival being a key component to understanding the regulation of glycogen cycling in this species.

  7. Metabolic changes in Avena sativa crowns recovering from freezing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cynthia A Henson

    Full Text Available Extensive research has been conducted on cold acclimation and freezing tolerance of fall-sown cereal plants due to their economic importance; however, little has been reported on the biochemical changes occurring over time after the freezing conditions are replaced by conditions favorable for recovery and growth such as would occur during spring. In this study, GC-MS was used to detect metabolic changes in the overwintering crown tissue of oat (Avena sativa L. during a fourteen day time-course after freezing. Metabolomic analysis revealed increases in most amino acids, particularly proline, 5-oxoproline and arginine, which increased greatly in crowns that were frozen compared to controls and correlated very significantly with days after freezing. In contrast, sugar and sugar related metabolites were little changed by freezing, except sucrose and fructose which decreased dramatically. In frozen tissue all TCA cycle metabolites, especially citrate and malate, decreased in relation to unfrozen tissue. Alterations in some amino acid pools after freezing were similar to those observed in cold acclimation whereas most changes in sugar pools after freezing were not. These similarities and differences suggest that there are common as well as unique genetic mechanisms between these two environmental conditions that are crucial to the winter survival of plants.

  8. Freezing resistance in Patagonian woody shrubs: the role of cell wall elasticity and stem vessel size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yong-Jiang; Bucci, Sandra J; Arias, Nadia S; Scholz, Fabian G; Hao, Guang-You; Cao, Kun-Fang; Goldstein, Guillermo

    2016-08-01

    Freezing resistance through avoidance or tolerance of extracellular ice nucleation is important for plant survival in habitats with frequent subzero temperatures. However, the role of cell walls in leaf freezing resistance and the coordination between leaf and stem physiological processes under subzero temperatures are not well understood. We studied leaf and stem responses to freezing temperatures, leaf and stem supercooling, leaf bulk elastic modulus and stem xylem vessel size of six Patagonian shrub species from two sites (plateau and low elevation sites) with different elevation and minimum temperatures. Ice seeding was initiated in the stem and quickly spread to leaves, but two species from the plateau site had barriers against rapid spread of ice. Shrubs with xylem vessels smaller in diameter had greater stem supercooling capacity, i.e., ice nucleated at lower subzero temperatures. Only one species with the lowest ice nucleation temperature among all species studied exhibited freezing avoidance by substantial supercooling, while the rest were able to tolerate extracellular freezing from -11.3 to -20 °C. Leaves of species with more rigid cell walls (higher bulk elastic modulus) could survive freezing to lower subzero temperatures, suggesting that rigid cell walls potentially reduce the degree of physical injury to cell membranes during the extracellular freezing and/or thaw processes. In conclusion, our results reveal the temporal-spatial ice spreading pattern (from stem to leaves) in Patagonian shrubs, and indicate the role of xylem vessel size in determining supercooling capacity and the role of cell wall elasticity in determining leaf tolerance of extracellular ice formation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Polyclonal Recipient nTregs Are Superior to Donor or Third-Party Tregs in the Induction of Transplantation Tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina Pilat

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Induction of donor-specific tolerance is still considered as the “Holy Grail” in transplantation medicine. The mixed chimerism approach is virtually the only tolerance approach that was successfully translated into the clinical setting. We have previously reported successful induction of chimerism and tolerance using cell therapy with recipient T regulatory cells (Tregs to avoid cytotoxic recipient treatment. Treg therapy is limited by the availability of cells as large-scale expansion is time-consuming and associated with the risk of contamination with effector cells. Using a costimulation-blockade based bone marrow (BM transplantation (BMT model with Treg therapy instead of cytoreductive recipient treatment we aimed to determine the most potent Treg population for clinical translation. Here we show that CD4+CD25+ in vitro activated nTregs are superior to TGFβ induced iTregs in promoting the induction of chimerism and tolerance. Therapy with nTregs (but not iTregs led to multilineage chimerism and donor-specific tolerance in mice receiving as few as 0.5 × 106 cells. Moreover, we show that only recipient Tregs, but not donor or third-party Tregs, had a beneficial effect on BM engraftment at the tested doses. Thus, recipient-type nTregs significantly improve chimerism and tolerance and might be the most potent Treg population for translation into the clinical setting.

  10. Soil salinity increases survival of freezing in the enchytraeid Enchytraeus albidus

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Patrício Silva, A. L.; Holmstrup, M.; Košťál, Vladimír; Amorim, M. J. B.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 216, č. 14 (2013), s. 2732-2740 ISSN 0022-0949 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : ice content * freeze tolerance * osmolality Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 3.002, year: 2013

  11. Regulation of 5'-adenosine monophosphate deaminase in the freeze tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dieni, Christopher A; Storey, Kenneth B

    2008-04-22

    The wood frog, Rana sylvatica, is one of a few vertebrate species that have developed natural freeze tolerance, surviving days or weeks with 65-70% of its total body water frozen in extracellular ice masses. Frozen frogs exhibit no vital signs and their organs must endure multiple stresses, particularly long term anoxia and ischemia. Maintenance of cellular energy supply is critical to viability in the frozen state and in skeletal muscle, AMP deaminase (AMPD) plays a key role in stabilizing cellular energetics. The present study investigated AMPD control in wood frog muscle. Wood frog AMPD was subject to multiple regulatory controls: binding to subcellular structures, protein phosphorylation, and effects of allosteric effectors, cryoprotectants and temperature. The percentage of bound AMPD activity increased from 20 to 35% with the transition to the frozen state. Bound AMPD showed altered kinetic parameters compared with the free enzyme (S0.5 AMP was reduced, Hill coefficient fell to approximately 1.0) and the transition to the frozen state led to a 3-fold increase in S0.5 AMP of the bound enzyme. AMPD was a target of protein phosphorylation. Bound AMPD from control frogs proved to be a low phosphate form with a low S0.5 AMP and was phosphorylated in incubations that stimulated PKA, PKC, CaMK, or AMPK. Bound AMPD from frozen frogs was a high phosphate form with a high S0.5 AMP that was reduced under incubation conditions that stimulated protein phosphatases. Frog muscle AMPD was activated by Mg.ATP and Mg.ADP and inhibited by Mg.GTP, KCl, NaCl and NH4Cl. The enzyme product, IMP, uniquely inhibited only the bound (phosphorylated) enzyme from muscle of frozen frogs. Activators and inhibitors differentially affected the free versus bound enzyme. S0.5 AMP of bound AMPD was also differentially affected by high versus low assay temperature (25 vs 5 degrees C) and by the presence/absence of the natural cryoprotectant (250 mM glucose) that accumulates during freezing

  12. Freezing tolerance of wheat cultivars at the early growing season ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Cold stress is a worldwide abiotic stress in temperate regions that affects plant development and yield of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and other winter crops. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of freezing stress at the early growing season on survival and also the relationship between resistances ...

  13. Logistic Regression Analysis of the Response of Winter Wheat to Components of Artificial Freezing Episodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Improvement of cold tolerance of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through breeding methods has been problematic. A better understanding of how individual wheat cultivars respond to components of the freezing process may provide new information that can be used to develop more cold tolerance culti...

  14. Critical temperature: A quantitative method of assessing cold tolerance

    Science.gov (United States)

    D.H. DeHayes; M.W., Jr. Williams

    1989-01-01

    Critical temperature (Tc), defined as the highest temperature at which freezing injury to plant tissues can be detected, provides a biologically meaningful and statistically defined assessment of the relative cold tolerance of plant tissues. A method is described for calculating critical temperatures in laboratory freezing studies that use...

  15. Effect of moisture and freeze-thaw on mechanical properties of CRM asphalt mixture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Nak-Seok; Cho, Kee-Ju [Kyonggi University, Suwon(Korea)

    2000-06-30

    This paper presents the experimental test results on moisture and freeze-thaw resistance of hot mix crumb rubber modified (CRM) asphalt concrete mixture. To compare the differences in mechanical properties of conventional and CRM asphalt concretes, various tests were conducted under different moisture conditions and freeze-thaw cycles. Marshall mix design was also performed to determine the optimum asphalt contents for the both asphalt concrete mixtures. Test results revealed that the moisture and freeze-thaw resistance of CRM asphalt mixture was superior to the conventional asphalt concrete. As a result, it is considered that the utilization of waste tires in asphalt pavements has the potential of minimizing the damage due to the moisture and freeze-thaw. (author). 9 refs., 4 tabs., 8 figs.

  16. Stem water transport and freeze-thaw xylem embolism in conifers and angiosperms in a Tasmanian treeline heath.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feild, Taylor S; Brodribb, Tim

    2001-05-01

    The effect of freezing on stem xylem hydraulic conductivity and leaf chlorophyll a fluorescence was measured in 12 tree and shrub species from a treeline heath in Tasmania, Australia. Reduction in stem hydraulic conductivity after a single freeze-thaw cycle was minimal in conifers and the vessel-less angiosperm species Tasmannia lanceolata (Winteraceae), whereas mean loss of conductivity in vessel-forming angiosperms fell in the range 17-83%. A positive linear relationship was observed between percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity by freeze-thaw and the average conduit diameter across all 12 species. This supports the hypothesis that large-diameter vascular conduits have a greater likelihood of freeze-thaw cavitation because larger bubbles are produced, which are more likely to expand under tension. Leaf frost tolerances, as measured by a 50% loss of maximum PSII quantum yield, varied from -6 to -13°C, indicating that these species were more frost-sensitive than plants from northern hemisphere temperate forest and treeline communities. There was no evidence of a relationship between frost tolerance of leaves and the resilience of stem water transport to freezing, suggesting that low temperature survival and the resistance of stem water transport to freezing are independently evolving traits. The results of this study bear on the ecological importance of stem freezing in the southern hemisphere treeline zones.

  17. Comparing Enchytraeus albidus populations from contrasting climatic environments suggest a link between cold tolerance and metabolic activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Žagar, Anamarija; Holmstrup, Martin; Simčič, Tatjana; Debeljak, Barabara; Slotsbo, Stine

    2018-06-06

    Basal metabolic activity and freezing of body fluids create reactive oxygen species (ROS) in freeze-tolerant organisms. These sources of ROS can have an additive negative effect via oxidative stress. In cells, antioxidant systems are responsible for removing ROS in order to avoid damage due to oxidative stress. Relatively little is known about the importance of metabolic rate for the survival of freezing, despite a good understanding of several cold tolerance related physiological mechanisms. We hypothesized that low basal metabolism would be selected for in freeze-tolerant organisms where winter survival is important for fitness for two reasons. First, avoidance of the additive effect of ROS production from metabolism and freezing, and second, as an energy-saving mechanism under extended periods of freezing where the animal is metabolically active, but unable to feed. We used the terrestrial oligochaete, Enchytraeus albidus, which is widely distributed from Spain to the high Arctic and compared eight populations originating across a broad geographical and climatic gradient after they had been cold acclimated at 5 °C in a common garden experiment. Cold tolerance (lower lethal temperature: LT50) and the potential metabolic activity (PMA, an estimator of the maximal enzymatic potential of the mitochondrial respiration chain) of eight populations were positively correlated amongst each other and correlated negatively with latitude and positively with average yearly temperature and the average temperature of the coldest month. These results indicate that low PMA in cold tolerant populations is important for survival in extremely cold environments. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Key composition optimization of meat processed protein source by vacuum freeze-drying technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yan; Wu, Xingzhuang; Zhang, Qi; Giovanni, Vigna; Meng, Xianjun

    2018-05-01

    Vacuum freeze-drying technology is a high technology content, a wide range of knowledge of technology in the field of drying technology is involved, it is also a method of the most complex drying equipment, the largest energy consumption, the highest cost of drying method, but due to the particularity of its dry goods: the freeze-drying food has the advantages of complex water performance is good, cooler and luster of freezing and drying food to maintain good products, less nutrient loss, light weight, easy to carry transportation, easy to long-term preservation, and on the quality is far superior to the obvious advantages of other dried food, making it become the forefront of drying technology research and development. The freeze-drying process of Chinese style ham and western Germany fruit tree tenderloin is studied in this paper, their eutectic point, melting point and collapse temperature, freeze-drying curve and its heat and mass transfer characteristics are got, then the precool temperature and the highest limiting temperature of sublimation interface are determined. The effect of system pressure on freeze-dried rate in freeze-drying process is discussed, and the method of regulating pressure circularly is determined.

  19. Effect of freeze-thaw repetitions upon the supercooling release ability of ice-nucleating bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuchiya, Yooko; Hasegawa, Hiromi; Sasaki, Kazuhiro

    2004-01-01

    We have studied the durability of ice-nucleating bacteria with a potent supercooling release capacity through repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Through experiment, we confirmed that UV sterilized Erwinia ananas maintains a superior supercooling release capacity at around -1degC through 2000 freeze-thaw cycles. We also found that γ-ray sterilization, which is more suitable than UV for large-scale sterilization treatment, has a similar effect at appropriately selected doses. (author)

  20. Key composition optimization of meat processed protein source by vacuum freeze-drying technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Ma

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Vacuum freeze-drying technology is a high technology content, a wide range of knowledge of technology in the field of drying technology is involved, it is also a method of the most complex drying equipment, the largest energy consumption, the highest cost of drying method, but due to the particularity of its dry goods: the freeze-drying food has the advantages of complex water performance is good, cooler and luster of freezing and drying food to maintain good products, less nutrient loss, light weight, easy to carry transportation, easy to long-term preservation, and on the quality is far superior to the obvious advantages of other dried food, making it become the forefront of drying technology research and development. The freeze-drying process of Chinese style ham and western Germany fruit tree tenderloin is studied in this paper, their eutectic point, melting point and collapse temperature, freeze-drying curve and its heat and mass transfer characteristics are got, then the precool temperature and the highest limiting temperature of sublimation interface are determined. The effect of system pressure on freeze-dried rate in freeze-drying process is discussed, and the method of regulating pressure circularly is determined. Keywords: Ham, Tenderloin, Vacuum freeze-dry, Processing, Optimization

  1. Heterologous expression of wheat VERNALIZATION 2 (TaVRN2 gene in Arabidopsis delays flowering and enhances freezing tolerance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amadou Diallo

    Full Text Available The vernalization gene 2 (VRN2, is a major flowering repressor in temperate cereals that is regulated by low temperature and photoperiod. Here we show that the gene from Triticum aestivum (TaVRN2 is also regulated by salt, heat shock, dehydration, wounding and abscissic acid. Promoter analysis indicates that TaVRN2 regulatory region possesses all the specific responsive elements to these stresses. This suggests pleiotropic effects of TaVRN2 in wheat development and adaptability to the environment. To test if TaVRN2 can act as a flowering repressor in species different from the temperate cereals, the gene was ectopically expressed in the model plant Arabidopsis. Transgenic plants showed no alteration in morphology, but their flowering time was significantly delayed compared to controls plants, indicating that TaVRN2, although having no ortholog in Brassicaceae, can act as a flowering repressor in these species. To identify the possible mechanism by which TaVRN2 gene delays flowering in Arabidopsis, the expression level of several genes involved in flowering time regulation was determined. The analysis indicates that the late flowering of the 35S::TaVRN2 plants was associated with a complex pattern of expression of the major flowering control genes, FCA, FLC, FT, FVE and SOC1. This suggests that heterologous expression of TaVRN2 in Arabidopsis can delay flowering by modulating several floral inductive pathways. Furthermore, transgenic plants showed higher freezing tolerance, likely due to the accumulation of CBF2, CBF3 and the COR genes. Overall, our data suggests that TaVRN2 gene could modulate a common regulator of the two interacting pathways that regulate flowering time and the induction of cold tolerance. The results also demonstrate that TaVRN2 could be used to manipulate flowering time and improve cold tolerance in other species.

  2. Alcohol Brine Freezing of Japanese Horse Mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) for Raw Consumption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, Toshimichi; Yuki, Atsuhiko; Sakurai, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Koichiro; Itoh, Nobuo; Inui, Etsuro; Seike, Kazunori; Mizukami, Yoichi; Fukuda, Yutaka; Harada, Kazuki

    In order to test the possible application of alcohol brine freezing to Japanese horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) for raw consumption, the quality and taste of fish frozen by direct immersion in 60% ethanol brine at -20, -25 and -30°C was compared with those by air freezing and fresh fish without freezing. Cracks were not found during the freezing. Smell of ethanol did not remain. K value, an indicator of freshness, of fish frozen in alcohol brine was less than 8.3%, which was at the same level as those by air freezing and fresh fish. Oxidation of lipid was at the same level as air freezing does, and lower than that of fresh fish. The pH of fish frozen in alcohol brine at -25 and -30°C was 6.5 and 6.6, respectively, which were higher than that by air freezing and that of fresh fish. Fish frozen in alcohol brine was better than that by air and at the same level as fresh fish in total evaluation of sensory tests. These results show that the alcohol brine freezing is superior to air freezing, and fish frozen in alcohol brine can be a material for raw consumption. The methods of thawing in tap water, cold water, refrigerator, and at room temperature were compared. Thawing in tap water is considered to be convenient due to the short thaw time and the quality of thawed fish that was best among the methods.

  3. Transcriptome Analysis of Spartina pectinata in Response to Freezing Stress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gyoungju Nah

    Full Text Available Prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata, a perennial C4 grass native to the North American prairie, has several distinctive characteristics that potentially make it a model crop for production in stressful environments. However, little is known about the transcriptome dynamics of prairie cordgrass despite its unique freezing stress tolerance. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to explore the transcriptome dynamics of prairie cordgrass in response to freezing stress at -5°C for 5 min and 30 min. We used a RNA-sequencing method to assemble the S. pectinata leaf transcriptome and performed gene-expression profiling of the transcripts under freezing treatment. Six differentially expressed gene (DEG groups were categorized from the profiling. In addition, two major consecutive orders of gene expression were observed in response to freezing; the first being the acute up-regulation of genes involved in plasma membrane modification, calcium-mediated signaling, proteasome-related proteins, and transcription regulators (e.g., MYB and WRKY. The follow-up and second response was of genes involved in encoding the putative anti-freezing protein and the previously known DNA and cell-damage-repair proteins. Moreover, we identified the genes involved in epigenetic regulation and circadian-clock expression. Our results indicate that freezing response in S. pectinata reflects dynamic changes in rapid-time duration, as well as in metabolic, transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic regulation.

  4. Transition from natural-convection-controlled freezing to conduction-controlled freezing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sparrow, E.M.; Ramsey, J.W.; Harris, J.S.

    1981-01-01

    Experiments were performed to study the transition between freezing controlled by natural convection in the liquid adjacent to a freezing interface and freezing controlled by heat conduction in the solidified material. The freezing took place on a cooled vertical tube immersed in an initially superheated liquid contained in an adiabatic-walled vessel. At early and intermediate times, temperature differences throughout the liquid induce a vigorous natural convection motion which retards freezing, but the temperature differences diminish with time and natural convection ebbs. At large times, the freezing rate is fully controlled by heat conduction in the solidified material. The frozen specimens for short and intermediate freezing times are smooth-surfaced and tapered, while those for large times are straight-sided and have surfaces that are overlaid with a thicket of large discrete crystals. These characteristics correspond respectively to those of natural-convection- controlled freezing and conduction-controlled freezing. At early times, the measured mass of the frozen material is identical to that for natural-convection-controlled freezing and conduction-controlled freezing. At early times, the measured mass of the frozen material is identical to that for natural-convection-controlled freezing. At later times, the frozen mass tends to approach that for conduction-controlled freezing, but a residual deficit remains

  5. The freeze-thaw stress response of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is growth phase specific and is controlled by nutritional state via the RAS-cyclic AMP signal transduction pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, J I; Grant, C M; Attfield, P V; Dawes, I W

    1997-10-01

    The ability of cells to survive freezing and thawing is expected to depend on the physiological conditions experienced prior to freezing. We examined factors affecting yeast cell survival during freeze-thaw stress, including those associated with growth phase, requirement for mitochondrial functions, and prior stress treatment(s), and the role played by relevant signal transduction pathways. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was frozen at -20 degrees C for 2 h (cooling rate, less than 4 degrees C min-1) and thawed on ice for 40 min. Supercooling occurred without reducing cell survival and was followed by freezing. Loss of viability was proportional to the freezing duration, indicating that freezing is the main determinant of freeze-thaw damage. Regardless of the carbon source used, the wild-type strain and an isogenic petite mutant ([rho 0]) showed the same pattern of freeze-thaw tolerance throughout growth, i.e., high resistance during lag phase and low resistance during log phase, indicating that the response to freeze-thaw stress is growth phase specific and not controlled by glucose repression. In addition, respiratory ability and functional mitochondria are necessary to confer full resistance to freeze-thaw stress. Both nitrogen and carbon source starvation led to freeze-thaw tolerance. The use of strains affected in the RAS-cyclic AMP (RAS-cAMP) pathway or supplementation of an rca1 mutant (defective in the cAMP phosphodiesterase gene) with cAMP showed that the freeze-thaw response of yeast is under the control of the RAS-cAMP pathway. Yeast did not adapt to freeze-thaw stress following repeated freeze-thaw treatment with or without a recovery period between freeze-thaw cycles, nor could it adapt following pretreatment by cold shock. However, freeze-thaw tolerance of yeast cells was induced during fermentative and respiratory growth by pretreatment with H2O2, cycloheximide, mild heat shock, or NaCl, indicating that cross protection between freeze-thaw stress

  6. Overexpression of a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) bZIP transcription factor gene, TabZIP6, decreased the freezing tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings by down-regulating the expression of CBFs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Wangting; Yang, Yaling; Wang, Weiwei; Guo, Guangyan; Liu, Wei; Bi, Caili

    2018-03-01

    The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) proteins play important roles against abiotic stress in plants, including cold stress. However, most bZIPs involved in plant freezing tolerance are positive regulators. Only a few bZIPs function negatively in cold stress response. In this study, TabZIP6, a Group C bZIP transcription factor gene from common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), was cloned and characterized. The transcript of TabZIP6 was strongly induced by cold treatment (4 °C). TabZIP6 is a nuclear-localized protein with transcriptional activation activity. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TabZIP6 showed decreased tolerance to freezing stress. Microarray as well as quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that CBFs and some key COR genes, including COR47 and COR15B, were down-regulated by cold treatment in TabZIP6-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines. TabZIP6 was capable of binding to the G-box motif and the CBF1 and CBF3 promoters in yeast cells. A yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that TabZIP6, as well as the other two Group S bZIP proteins involved in cold stress tolerance in wheat, Wlip19 and TaOBF1, can form homodimers by themselves and heterodimers with each other. These results suggest that TabZIP6 may function negatively in the cold stress response by binding to the promoters of CBFs, and thereby decreasing the expression of downstream COR genes in TabZIP6-overexpressing Arabidopsis seedlings. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  7. Viability of G4 after Spray-Drying and Freeze-Drying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephenie Wong

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Viability of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 following spray-drying and freeze-drying in skim milk was evaluated. After spray-drying, the strain experienced over 99% loss in viability regardless of the air outlet temperature (75 and 85 °C and the heat-adaptation temperature (45 and 65 °C, 30 min. The use of heat-adaptation treatment to improve the thermotolerance of this strain was ineffective. On the other hand, the strain showed a superior survival at 71.65%–82.07% after freeze-drying. Viable populations of 9.319–9.487 log 10 cfu/g were obtained when different combinations of skim milk and sugar were used as cryoprotectant. However, the addition of sugars did not result in increased survival during the freeze-drying process. Hence, 10% (w/v skim milk alone is recommended as a suitable protectant and drying medium for this strain. The residual moisture content obtained was 4.41% ± 0.44%.

  8. Effects of freezing and cold acclimation on the plasma membrane of isolated protoplasts. [Annual report], May 16, 1993--January 29, 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steponkus, P.L.

    1994-06-01

    Our aim is to provide a mechanistic understanding of the cellular and molecular aspects of freezing injury and cold acclimation from a perspective of the structural and functional integrity of the plasma membrane-the primary site of freezing injury in winter cereals. We established that destabilization of the plasma membrane of winter rye, the most freezing-tolerant winter cereal, can result from several different lesions: expansion induced lysis, lamellar-to-hexagonal II phase transitions, and the fracture-jump lesion. The occurrence and incidence of these various lesions, depends on the freeze/thaw protocol and the stage of cold acclimation. In non-acclimated leaves and protoplasts, expansion-induced lysis is the predominant lesion at temperatures between {minus}2 and {minus}5{degree}C, whereas freeze-induced formation of the H{sub II} phase is the predominant lesion at temperatures below {minus}10{degree}C. We investigated whether the difference in freezing tolerance and the threshold temperatures at which the lesions occur in rye and oat are a consequence of differences in the lipid composition of the plasma membrane. There are substantial differences between rye and oat cell membranes both before and after cold acclimation. The plasma membrane of oat contains greater proportions of acylated sterylglucosides and cerebrosides than that of rye, and there is little change in these two lipid classes during cold acclimation. The lyotropic phase behavior of lipid mixtures that resemble the plasma membrane of rye and oat was studied. The differences in lipid composition of rye and oat are of mechanistic significance because of their influence on the hydration characteristics of the plasma membrane, the propensity for dehydration-induced lipid-lipid demixing, and the intrinsic curvature of the lipid monolayers. These studies suggest that strategies for improving the freezing tolerance of winter cereals should include approaches to modify membrane lipid composition.

  9. The Effect of Freezing Stress on Percentage of Electrolytes Leakage and Survival of Flixweed (Descurainia sophia L. Seedlings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E Izadi-Darbandi

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Flixweed (Descurainia sophia L. is a medicinal plant from Brassicaceae family which also known as a weed for winter cereals and oil seed rape. Low temperatures are one of the most important abiotic stresses that threat Flixweed growth and productivity. Therefore it is important to recognize the freeze tolerance of Flixweed for successful planting and utilization in cold regions such as Mashhad in Khorasan Razavi Province (Iran’s north. east. Among many laboratory methods which have been developed to estimate and to evaluate plants response or their tolerance to freez ing temperatures, electrolyte leakage (EL test is widely used. This test is based on this principle that damage to the cell membranes results in enhanced leakage of solutes into the apoplastic water, hence recording the amount of leakage after stress treatments provides an estimation of tissue injury. Indeed continuing integration of plasma membrane is one important factor for survival of plants under freezing stress and any disturbance in membrane structure can lead to damage and death. So determination of LT50 point or critical temperature for electrolytes leakage and survival of plant is the most reliable, quantitative and simple methods for evaluating the cold tolerance of plants. The aim of this trial was to determine the LT50 according to the EL and SU% for Flixweed ecotypes. Materials and Methods In order to evaluate freeze tolerance in Flixweed, a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications was carried out in college of agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Experimental factors included five ecotypes of Flixweed (Eghlid, Sabzewar, Hamedan, Torbat-e-Jam and Neyshabour and 10 freezing temperature levels (0, -2,-4, -6, -8,-10,-12,-14,-16 and -18°C. Flixweed seeds were cultivated in pots in autumn of 2008 and were grown until 5-7 leaf stage under natural weather conditions for acclimation. Then to apply freezing

  10. Effects of Artificial Supercooling Followed by Slow Freezing on the Microstructure and Qualities of Pork Loin

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of artificial supercooling followed by still air freezing (SSF) on the qualities of pork loin. The qualities of pork frozen by SSF were compared with the fresh control (CT, stored at 4℃ for 24 h), slow freezing (SAF, still air freezing) and rapid freezing (EIF, ethanol immersion freezing) treatments. Compared with no supercooling phenomena of SAF and EIF, the extent of supercooling obtained by SSF treatment was 1.4℃. Despite that SSF was conducted with the same method with SAF, application of artificial supercooling accelerated the phase transition (traverse from -0.6℃ to -5℃) from 3.07 h (SAF) to 2.23 h (SSF). The observation of a microstructure indicated that the SSF prevented tissue damage caused by ice crystallization and maintained the structural integrity. The estimated quality parameters reflected that SSF exhibited superior meat quality compared with slow freezing (SAF). SSF showed better water-holding capacity (lower thawing loss, cooking loss and expressible moisture) and tenderness than SAF, and these quality parameters of SSF were not significantly different with ultra-fast freezing treatment (EIF). Consequently, the results demonstrated that the generation of supercooling followed by conventional freezing potentially had the advantage of minimizing the quality deterioration caused by the slow freezing of meat. PMID:27857541

  11. Effects of Artificial Supercooling Followed by Slow Freezing on the Microstructure and Qualities of Pork Loin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yiseul; Hong, Geun-Pyo

    2016-10-31

    This study investigated the effects of artificial supercooling followed by still air freezing (SSF) on the qualities of pork loin. The qualities of pork frozen by SSF were compared with the fresh control (CT, stored at 4℃ for 24 h), slow freezing (SAF, still air freezing) and rapid freezing (EIF, ethanol immersion freezing) treatments. Compared with no supercooling phenomena of SAF and EIF, the extent of supercooling obtained by SSF treatment was 1.4℃. Despite that SSF was conducted with the same method with SAF, application of artificial supercooling accelerated the phase transition (traverse from -0.6℃ to -5℃) from 3.07 h (SAF) to 2.23 h (SSF). The observation of a microstructure indicated that the SSF prevented tissue damage caused by ice crystallization and maintained the structural integrity. The estimated quality parameters reflected that SSF exhibited superior meat quality compared with slow freezing (SAF). SSF showed better water-holding capacity (lower thawing loss, cooking loss and expressible moisture) and tenderness than SAF, and these quality parameters of SSF were not significantly different with ultra-fast freezing treatment (EIF). Consequently, the results demonstrated that the generation of supercooling followed by conventional freezing potentially had the advantage of minimizing the quality deterioration caused by the slow freezing of meat.

  12. Freezing tolerance and the histology of recovering nodes in St. Augustinegrass

    Science.gov (United States)

    St. Augustinegrass [Stenataphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] is a coarse-textured turfgrass commonly utilized for its excellent shade tolerance. However, inferior cold tolerance in comparison to other warm-season grasses limits its range primarily to the southeastern U. S., The objectives of this stu...

  13. Freezing for Love

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carroll, Katherine; Kroløkke, Charlotte

    2018-01-01

    The promise of egg freezing for women’s fertility preservation entered feminist debate in connection with medical and commercial control over, and emancipation from, biological reproduction restrictions. In this paper we explore how women negotiate and make sense of the decision to freeze...... their eggs. Our analysis draws on semi-structured interviews with 16 women from the Midwest and East Coast regions of the USA who froze their eggs. Rather than freezing to balance career choices and ‘have it all’, the women in this cohort were largely ‘freezing for love’ and in the hope of having their ‘own...... healthy baby’. This finding extends existing feminist scholarship and challenges bioethical concerns about egg freezing by drawing on the voices of women who freeze their eggs. By viewing egg freezing as neither exclusively liberation nor oppression or financial exploitation, this study casts egg freezing...

  14. Temperatura letal de diferentes plantas frutíferas tropicais Freezing points of various tropical fruits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Cesar Sentelhas

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available Com o objetivo de conhecer melhor o efeito das baixas temperaturas sobre as frutíferas de clima tropical e possibilitar o desenvolvimento de novas variedades, mais tolerantes, simularam-se geadas em câmaras frigoríficas para a determinação da temperatura letal de diferentes plantas frutíferas tropicais. Os resultados permitiram classificar as espécies em três grupos: Grupo I - moderada tolerância (-4°C: condessa (Annona reticulata; goiaba (Psidium guajava; acerola (Malpighia glabra e abacate (Persea americana var. Geada; Grupo II - média tolerância (-5°C: conde (A. squamosa; araticum-mirim (Rollinea spp.; anona-do-brejo (A. glabra; falsa-gravioleira (A. montana; araticum-de-folha-miúda (R. ermaginata e maracujá-amarelo (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa; Grupo III - acentuada tolerância (-6°C: cherimóia (A. cherimola.The effect of low temperature on tropical fruits was studied in order to guide future developments of frost resistant varieties. Simulations of frost were done in a freezing chamber to determine the freezing points of various fruit plants. On the basis of the results the studied species can be classified into three groups according to their tolerance to low temperatures: Group I - little tolerance (-4°C: Annona reticulata; Psidium guajava; Malpighia glabra and Persea americana (var. Geada; Group II - medium tolerance (-5°C: A. squamosa; Rollinea spp.; A. glabra; A. montana; R. ermaginata and Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa; Group III - high tolerance (-6°C: A. cherimola.

  15. Freezing Bubbles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kingett, Christian; Ahmadi, Farzad; Nath, Saurabh; Boreyko, Jonathan

    2017-11-01

    The two-stage freezing process of a liquid droplet on a substrate is well known; however, how bubbles freeze has not yet been studied. We first deposited bubbles on a silicon substrate that was chilled at temperatures ranging from -10 °C to -40 °C, while the air was at room temperature. We observed that the freeze front moved very slowly up the bubble, and in some cases, even came to a complete halt at a critical height. This slow freezing front propagation can be explained by the low thermal conductivity of the thin soap film, and can be observed more clearly when the bubble size or the surface temperature is increased. This delayed freezing allows the frozen portion of the bubble to cool the air within the bubble while the top part is still liquid, which induces a vapor pressure mismatch that either collapses the top or causes the top to pop. In cases where the freeze front reaches the top of the bubble, a portion of the top may melt and slowly refreeze; this can happen more than just once for a single bubble. We also investigated freezing bubbles inside of a freezer where the air was held at -20 °C. In this case, the bubbles freeze quickly and the ice grows radially from nucleation sites instead of perpendicular to the surface, which provides a clear contrast with the conduction limited room temperature bubbles.

  16. Microprocessor-controlled vs. "dump-freezing" platelet and lymphocyte cryopreservation: A quantitative and qualitative comparative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balint Bela

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Thermodynamical and cryobiological parameters responsible for cell damages during cryopreservation (cryoinjuries have not yet been completely explained. Thus, freezing procedures should be revised, exactly optimized to obtain an enhanced structural and functional recovery of frozen- thawed cells. The aim of this study was to compare microprocessor- controlled (controlled-rate with the compensation of the released fusion heat and “dump-freezing” (uncontrolled- rate of the platelet and lymphocyte cryopreservation efficacy. Methods. Platelet quantitative recovery (post-thaw vs. unfrozen cell count, viability (using hypotonic shock response - HSR, morphological score (PMS, ultrastructural (electron microscopy properties and expression of different surface antigens were investigated. In lymphocyte setting, cell recovery and viability (using trypan blue exclusion test as well as functionality (by plant mitogens were determined. Controlled- rate freezing and uncontrolled-rate cryopreservation were combined with 6% (platelets and 10% (lymphocytes dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO. Results. Platelet recovery and functionality were superior in the controlled-rate system. The majority of surface antigen expression was reduced in both freezing groups vs. unfrozen cells, but GP140/CD62p was significantly higher in controlled-rate vs. uncontrolled-rate setting. Controlled- rate freezing resulted with better lymphocyte recovery and viability (trypan blue-negative cell percentage. In mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferative response no significant intergroup difference (controlled-rate vs. uncontrolled-rate were found. Conclusion. The data obtained in this study showned the dependence of cell response on the cryopreservation type. Controlled-rate freezing provided a superior platelet quantitative and functional recovery. Lymphocyte recovery and viability were better in the controlled-rate group, although only a minor intergroup difference for cell

  17. Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycerol/H+ symporter Stl1p is essential for cold/near-freeze and freeze stress adaptation. A simple recipe with high biotechnological potential is given

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferreira Célia

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Freezing is an increasingly important means of preservation and storage of microbial strains used for many types of industrial applications including food processing. However, the yeast mechanisms of tolerance and sensitivity to freeze or near-freeze stress are still poorly understood. More knowledge on this regard would improve their biotechnological potential. Glycerol, in particular intracellular glycerol, has been assigned as a cryoprotectant, also important for cold/near-freeze stress adaptation. The S. cerevisiae glycerol active transporter Stl1p plays an important role on the fast accumulation of glycerol. This gene is expressed under gluconeogenic conditions, under osmotic shock and stress, as well as under high temperatures. Results We found that cells grown on STL1 induction medium (YPGE and subjected to cold/near-freeze stress, displayed an extremely high expression of this gene, also visible at glycerol/H+ symporter activity level. Under the same conditions, the strains harbouring this transporter accumulated more than 400 mM glycerol, whereas the glycerol/H+ symporter mutant presented less than 1 mM. Consistently, the strains able to accumulate glycerol survive 25-50% more than the stl1Δ mutant. Conclusions In this work, we report the contribution of the glycerol/H+ symporter Stl1p for the accumulation and maintenance of glycerol intracellular levels, and consequently cell survival at cold/near-freeze and freeze temperatures. These findings have a high biotechnological impact, as they show that any S. cerevisiae strain already in use can become more resistant to cold/freeze-thaw stress just by simply adding glycerol to the broth. The combination of low temperatures with extracellular glycerol will induce the transporter Stl1p. This solution avoids the use of transgenic strains, in particular in food industry.

  18. Biochemical, sensory and microbiological attributes of bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) during partial freezing and chilled storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yongling; Luo, Yongkang; You, Juan; Shen, Huixing; Hu, Sumei

    2012-01-15

    Bream is one of the main farmed freshwater fish species in China. This study aimed to examine the nucleotide degradation of bream during partial freezing and chilled storage and to assess the possible usefulness of nucleotide ratios (K, Ki, H, P, Fr and G values) as freshness indices in comparison with sensory assessment and total viable counts. Total viable counts were 5.74 and 4.66 log(colony-forming units g(-1)) on the day of sensory rejection under chilled storage and partial freezing storage respectively. The inosine 5-monophosphate decrease and inosine increase were faster in chilled storage than in partial freezing storage. Hypoxanthine levels increased continuously with time under both storage regimes. Among the nucleotide ratios, the K, Ki, P, G and Fr values were superior to the H value and provided useful freshness indicators for both storage conditions. Bream in chilled storage were sensorially acceptable only up to 10 days, compared with 33 days for bream in partial freezing storage. Partial freezing delayed the nucleotide degradation of bream. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

  19. Influence of different sugar cryoprotectants on the stability and physico-chemical characteristics of freeze-dried 5-fluorouracil plurilamellar vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Mahmoud Nounou

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available Lyophilization increases the shelf-life of liposomes by preserving it in a dry form as lyophilized cake to be reconstituted with water immediately prior to administration. Aiming at increasing stability and availability of 5-Fluorouracil liposomal products, 5-Fluorouacil Stable Plurilamellar Vesicles were prepared. Freeze dried liposomal dispersions were prepared with or without cryoprotectants. The cryoprotectants used were glucose, mannitol or trehalose in 1, 2 and 4 grams per gram phospholipids. The results showed that lyophilized cake of liposomes without cryoprotectants was compact and difficult to reconstitute, in comparison with fluffy cakes which reconstituted easily and quickly when using cryoprotectants. The percentage of 5-Fluorouracil retained in liposomes freeze-dried without cryoprotectants was 18.29% ± 0.96% and the percentage of 5-Fluorouracil retained in stable plurilamellar vesicles was 31.22% ± 0.62% using 4 grams trehalose as cryoprotectant per gram of lipid. Physico-chemical and release stability studies showed superior potentials of the lyophilized product after reconstitution in comparison to dispersion product. It may be concluded that all tested sugars have cryoprotectant effects that stabilized liposomes in the freeze dried state, where trehalose offered the most superior cryoprotectant effect for freeze dried 5-fluorouracil liposomes.

  20. High ice nucleation activity located in blueberry stem bark is linked to primary freeze initiation and adaptive freezing behaviour of the bark

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishimoto, Tadashi; Yamazaki, Hideyuki; Saruwatari, Atsushi; Murakawa, Hiroki; Sekozawa, Yoshihiko; Kuchitsu, Kazuyuki; Price, William S.; Ishikawa, Masaya

    2014-01-01

    Controlled ice nucleation is an important mechanism in cold-hardy plant tissues for avoiding excessive supercooling of the protoplasm, for inducing extracellular freezing and/or for accommodating ice crystals in specific tissues. To understand its nature, it is necessary to characterize the ice nucleation activity (INA), defined as the ability of a tissue to induce heterogeneous ice nucleation. Few studies have addressed the precise localization of INA in wintering plant tissues in respect of its function. For this purpose, we recently revised a test tube INA assay and examined INA in various tissues of over 600 species. Extremely high levels of INA (−1 to −4 °C) in two wintering blueberry cultivars of contrasting freezing tolerance were found. Their INA was much greater than in other cold-hardy species and was found to be evenly distributed along the stems of the current year's growth. Concentrations of active ice nuclei in the stem were estimated from quantitative analyses. Stem INA was localized mainly in the bark while the xylem and pith had much lower INA. Bark INA was located mostly in the cell wall fraction (cell walls and intercellular structural components). Intracellular fractions had much less INA. Some cultivar differences were identified. The results corresponded closely with the intrinsic freezing behaviour (extracellular freezing) of the bark, icicle accumulation in the bark and initial ice nucleation in the stem under dry surface conditions. Stem INA was resistant to various antimicrobial treatments. These properties and specific localization imply that high INA in blueberry stems is of intrinsic origin and contributes to the spontaneous initiation of freezing in extracellular spaces of the bark by acting as a subfreezing temperature sensor. PMID:25082142

  1. Quality changes and freezing time prediction during freezing and thawing of ginger

    OpenAIRE

    Singha, Poonam; Muthukumarappan, Kasiviswanathan

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Effects of different freezing rates and four different thawing methods on chemical composition, microstructure, and color of ginger were investigated. Computer simulation for predicting the freezing time of cylindrical ginger for two different freezing methods (slow and fast) was done using ANSYS ? Multiphysics. Different freezing rates (slow and fast) and thawing methods significantly (P?

  2. High-definition infrared thermography of ice nucleation and propagation in wheat under natural frost conditions and controlled freezing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livingston, David P; Tuong, Tan D; Murphy, J Paul; Gusta, Lawrence V; Willick, Ian; Wisniewski, Micheal E

    2018-04-01

    An extremely high resolution infrared camera demonstrated various freezing events in wheat under natural conditions. Many of those events shed light on years of misunderstanding regarding freezing in small grains. Infrared thermography has enhanced our knowledge of ice nucleation and propagation in plants through visualization of the freezing process. The majority of infrared analyses have been conducted under controlled conditions and often on individual organs instead of whole plants. In the present study, high-definition (1280 × 720 pixel resolution) infrared thermography was used under natural conditions to visualize the freezing process of wheat plants during freezing events in 2016 and 2017. Plants within plots were found to freeze one at a time throughout the night and in an apparently random manner. Leaves on each plant also froze one at a time in an age-dependent pattern with oldest leaves freezing first. Contrary to a common assumption that freezing begins in the upper parts of leaves; freezing began at the base of the plant and spread upwards. The high resolution camera used was able to verify that a two stage sequence of freezing began within vascular bundles. Neither of the two stages was lethal to leaves, but a third stage was demonstrated at colder temperatures that was lethal and was likely a result of dehydration stress; this stage of freezing was not detectable by infrared. These results underscore the complexity of the freezing process in small grains and indicate that comprehensive observational studies are essential to identifying and selecting freezing tolerance traits in grain crops.

  3. Freeze drying method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coppa, N.V.; Stewart, P.; Renzi, E.

    1999-01-01

    The present invention provides methods and apparatus for freeze drying in which a solution, which can be a radioactive salt dissolved within an acid, is frozen into a solid on vertical plates provided within a freeze drying chamber. The solid is sublimated into vapor and condensed in a cold condenser positioned above the freeze drying chamber and connected thereto by a conduit. The vertical positioning of the cold condenser relative to the freeze dryer helps to help prevent substances such as radioactive materials separated from the solution from contaminating the cold condenser. Additionally, the system can be charged with an inert gas to produce a down rush of gas into the freeze drying chamber to also help prevent such substances from contaminating the cold condenser

  4. To freeze or not to freeze embryos: clarity, confusion and conflict.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goswami, Mohar; Murdoch, Alison P; Haimes, Erica

    2015-06-01

    Although embryo freezing is a routine clinical practice, there is little contemporary evidence on how couples make the decision to freeze their surplus embryos, or of their perceptions during that time. This article describes a qualitative study of 16 couples who have had in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. The study question was 'What are the personal and social factors that patients consider when deciding whether to freeze embryos?' We show that while the desire for a baby is the dominant drive, couples' views revealed more nuanced and complex considerations in the decision-making process. It was clear that the desire to have a baby influenced couples' decision-making and that they saw freezing as 'part of the process'. However, there were confusions associated with the term 'freezing' related to concerns about the safety of the procedure. Despite being given written information, couples were confused about the practical aspects of embryo freezing, which suggests they were preoccupied with the immediate demands of IVF. Couples expressed ethical conflicts about freezing 'babies'. We hope the findings from this study will inform clinicians and assist them in providing support to couples confronted with this difficult decision-making.

  5. Effect of Controlled Ice Nucleation on Stability of Lactate Dehydrogenase During Freeze-Drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Rui; Tanaka, Kazunari; Mudhivarthi, Vamsi; Bogner, Robin H; Pikal, Michael J

    2018-03-01

    Several controlled ice nucleation techniques have been developed to increase the efficiency of the freeze-drying process as well as to improve the quality of pharmaceutical products. Owing to the reduction in ice surface area, these techniques have the potential to reduce the degradation of proteins labile during freezing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ice nucleation temperature on the in-process stability of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). LDH in potassium phosphate buffer was nucleated at -4°C, -8°C, and -12°C using ControLyo™ or allowed to nucleate spontaneously. Both the enzymatic activity and tetramer recovery after freeze-thawing linearly correlated with product ice nucleation temperature (n = 24). Controlled nucleation also significantly improved batch homogeneity as reflected by reduced inter-vial variation in activity and tetramer recovery. With the correlation established in the laboratory, the degradation of protein in manufacturing arising from ice nucleation temperature differences can be quantitatively predicted. The results show that controlled nucleation reduced the degradation of LDH during the freezing process, but this does not necessarily translate to vastly superior stability during the entire freeze-drying process. The capability of improving batch homogeneity provides potential advantages in scaling-up from lab to manufacturing scale. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Ice recrystallization inhibition proteins (IRIPs) and freeze tolerance in the cryophilic Antarctic hair grass Deschampsia antarctica E. Desv.

    Science.gov (United States)

    John, Ulrik P; Polotnianka, Renatam M; Sivakumaran, Kailayapillai A; Chew, Orinda; Mackin, Leanne; Kuiper, Micheal J; Talbot, Jonathan P; Nugent, Gregory D; Mautord, Julie; Schrauf, Gustavo E; Spangenberg, German C

    2009-04-01

    Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica E. Desv.), the only grass indigenous to Antarctica, has well-developed freezing tolerance, strongly induced by cold acclimation. Here, we show that in response to low temperatures, D. antarctica expresses potent recrystallization inhibition (RI) activity that, inhibits the growth of small ice crystals into potentially damaging large ones, is proteinaceous and localized to the apoplasm. A gene family from D. antarctica encoding putative homologs of an ice recrystallization inhibition protein (IRIP) has been isolated and characterized. IRIPs are apoplastically targeted proteins with two potential ice-binding motifs: 1-9 leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) and c. 16 'IRIP' repeats. IRIP genes appear to be confined to the grass subfamily Pooideae and their products, exhibit sequence similarity to phytosulphokine receptors and are predicted to adopt conformations with two ice-binding surfaces. D. antarctica IRIP (DaIRIP) transcript levels are greatly enhanced in leaf tissue following cold acclimation. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana expressing a DaIRIP has novel RI activity, and purified DaIRIP, when added back to extracts of leaves from non-acclimated D. antarctica, can reconstitute the activity found in acclimated plants. We propose that IRIP-mediated RI activity may contribute to the cryotolerance of D. antarctica, and thus to its unique ability to have colonized Antarctica.

  7. Chilling- and Freezing-Induced Alterations in Cytosine Methylation and Its Association with the Cold Tolerance of an Alpine Subnival Plant, Chorispora bungeana.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuan Song

    Full Text Available Chilling (0-18°C and freezing (<0°C are two distinct types of cold stresses. Epigenetic regulation can play an important role in plant adaptation to abiotic stresses. However, it is not yet clear whether and how epigenetic modification (i.e., DNA methylation mediates the adaptation to cold stresses in nature (e.g., in alpine regions. Especially, whether the adaptation to chilling and freezing is involved in differential epigenetic regulations in plants is largely unknown. Chorispora bungeana is an alpine subnival plant that is distributed in the freeze-thaw tundra in Asia, where chilling and freezing frequently fluctuate daily (24 h. To disentangle how C. bungeana copes with these intricate cold stresses through epigenetic modifications, plants of C. bungeana were treated at 4°C (chilling and -4°C (freezing over five periods of time (0-24 h. Methylation-sensitive amplified fragment-length polymorphism markers were used to investigate the variation in DNA methylation of C. bungeana in response to chilling and freezing. It was found that the alterations in DNA methylation of C. bungeana largely occurred over the period of chilling and freezing. Moreover, chilling and freezing appeared to gradually induce distinct DNA methylation variations, as the treatment went on (e.g., after 12 h. Forty-three cold-induced polymorphic fragments were randomly selected and further analyzed, and three of the cloned fragments were homologous to genes encoding alcohol dehydrogenase, UDP-glucosyltransferase and polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein. These candidate genes verified the existence of different expressive patterns between chilling and freezing. Our results showed that C. bungeana responded to cold stresses rapidly through the alterations of DNA methylation, and that chilling and freezing induced different DNA methylation changes. Therefore, we conclude that epigenetic modifications can potentially serve as a rapid and flexible mechanism for C. bungeana

  8. 3D Reconstruction of Frozen Plant Tissue: a unique histological analysis to image post-freeze responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winter hardiness in plants is the result of a complex interaction between genes, the tissue where those genes are expressed and the environment. The light microscope is a valuable tool to understand this complexity which will ultimately help researchers improve the tolerance of plants to freezing st...

  9. Freeze Casting for Assembling Bioinspired Structural Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Qunfeng; Huang, Chuanjin; Tomsia, Antoni P

    2017-12-01

    Nature is very successful in designing strong and tough, lightweight materials. Examples include seashells, bone, teeth, fish scales, wood, bamboo, silk, and many others. A distinctive feature of all these materials is that their properties are far superior to those of their constituent phases. Many of these natural materials are lamellar or layered in nature. With its "brick and mortar" structure, nacre is an example of a layered material that exhibits extraordinary physical properties. Finding inspiration in living organisms to create bioinspired materials is the subject of intensive research. Several processing techniques have been proposed to design materials mimicking natural materials, such as layer-by-layer deposition, self-assembly, electrophoretic deposition, hydrogel casting, doctor blading, and many others. Freeze casting, also known as ice-templating, is a technique that has received considerable attention in recent years to produce bioinspired bulk materials. Here, recent advances in the freeze-casting technique are reviewed for fabricating lamellar scaffolds by assembling different dimensional building blocks, including nanoparticles, polymer chains, nanofibers, and nanosheets. These lamellar scaffolds are often infiltrated by a second phase, typically a soft polymer matrix, a hard ceramic matrix, or a metal matrix. The unique architecture of the resultant bioinspired structural materials displays excellent mechanical properties. The challenges of the current research in using the freeze-casting technique to create materials large enough to be useful are also discussed, and the technique's promise for fabricating high-performance nacre-inspired structural materials in the future is reviewed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Tolerance of Coffea arabica L. seeds to sub zero temperatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefania Vilas Boas Coelho

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Preservation of the quality of coffee seeds is hindered by their intermediate behavior in storage. However, long-term storage at sub zero temperatures may be achieved by adjusting the water content of the seeds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of coffee seeds to freezing, in relation to physiological and enzymatic modifications. Coffee seeds were dried in two manners, rapid and slow, to water contents of interest, 0.67, 0.43, 0.25, 0.18, 0.11, and 0.05 g H2O g-¹ dw (dry basis. After drying, the seeds were stored at a temperature of -20 ºC and of 86 ºC for 24 hours and for 12 months, and then compared to seeds in cold storage at 10 ºC. The seeds were evaluated through calculation of percentage of normal seedlings, percentage of seedlings with expanded cotyledonary leaves, dry matter of roots and of hypocotyls, and viability of embryos in the tetrazolium test. Expression of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase were evaluated by means of electrophoretic analysis. Only seeds dried more slowly to 0.18 g H2O g-1 dw present relative tolerance to storing at -20 °C for 12 months. Coffee seeds do not tolerate storage at a temperature of -86 ºC for 12 months. Water contents below 0.11g H2O g-¹ dw and above 0.43 g H2O g-¹ dw hurt the physiological quality of coffee seeds, regardless of the type of drying, temperature, and storage period. Coffee seed embryos are more tolerant to desiccation and to freezing compared to whole seeds, especially when the seeds are dried to 0.05 g H2O g-¹ dw. The catalase enzyme can be used as a biochemical marker to study tolerance to freezing in coffee seeds.

  11. Freezing during tapping tasks in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delval, Arnaud; Defebvre, Luc; Tard, Céline

    2017-01-01

    Parkinson's disease patients with freezing of gait also experience sudden motor blocks (freezing) during other repetitive motor tasks. We assessed the proportion of patients with advanced PD and freezing of gait who also displayed segmental "freezing" in tapping tasks. Fifteen Parkinson's disease patients with freezing of gait were assessed. Freezing of gait was evaluated using a standardized gait trajectory with the usual triggers. Patients performed repetitive tapping movements (as described in the MDS-UPDRS task) with the hands or the feet in the presence or absence of a metronome set to 4 Hz. Movements were recorded with a video motion system. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of segmental freezing in these tapping tasks. The secondary endpoints were (i) the relationship between segmental episodic phenomena and FoG severity, and (ii) the reliability of the measurements. For the upper limbs, freezing was observed more frequently with a metronome (21% of trials) than without a metronome (5%). For the lower limbs, the incidence of freezing was higher than for the upper limbs, and was again observed more frequently in the presence of an auditory cue (47%) than in its absence (14%). Although freezing of the lower limbs was easily assessed during an MDS-UPDRS task with a metronome, it was not correlated with the severity of freezing of gait (as evaluated during a standardized gait trajectory). Only this latter was a reliable measurement in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

  12. Comparative study on the freeze stability of yeast and chemical leavened steamed bread dough.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Pei; Yang, Runqiang; Gu, Zhenxin; Xu, Xueming; Jin, Zhengyu

    2017-04-15

    The present study comparatively evaluated the evolution of yeast and chemical leavened steamed bread dough (YLD/CLD) quality during freeze/thaw (FT) cycles. The steamed bread quality of CLD was more freeze-stable than that of the YLD after 3 FT cycles. Decreased yeast viability contributed to the loss of gassing power in YLD while no significant differences were observed for CLD during FT cycles. However, faster gas release rate in frozen CLD indicated gas retention loss due to the distortion of gluten network. Glutenin macropolymers (GMP) depolymerization via breakage of inter-chain disulfide (SS) bonds and conversions of α-helix and β-turn to β-sheet structures were the main indicators of gluten deterioration. Gluten network was more vulnerable in frozen YLD, resulting in detectable loss of viscoelasticity. The results suggested that supplement of chemical leavener contributed to a more freeze-tolerant gluten network besides its stable gassing power. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Well-plate freeze-drying

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trnka, Hjalte; Rantanen, Jukka; Grohganz, Holger

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Context: Freeze-drying in presence of excipients is a common practice to stabilize biomacromolecular formulations. The composition of this formulation is known to affect the quality of the final product. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate freeze-drying in well-plates as a h......Abstract Context: Freeze-drying in presence of excipients is a common practice to stabilize biomacromolecular formulations. The composition of this formulation is known to affect the quality of the final product. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate freeze-drying in well......-plates as a high throughput platform for formulation screening of freeze-dried products. Methods: Model formulations consisting of mannitol, sucrose and bovine serum albumin were freeze-dried in brass well plates, plastic well plates and vials. Physical properties investigated were solid form, residual moisture......, cake collapse and reconstitution time. Results: Samples freeze-dried in well-plates had an acceptable visual cake appearance. Solid form analysis by high throughput X-ray powder diffraction indicated comparable polymorphic outcome independent of the container. The expected increase in moisture level...

  14. Comparison of drying characteristic and uniformity of banana cubes dried by pulse-spouted microwave vacuum drying, freeze drying and microwave freeze drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Lim, Rui-Xin

    2014-07-01

    To overcome the flaws of high energy consumption of freeze drying (FD) and the non-uniform drying of microwave freeze drying (MFD), pulse-spouted microwave vacuum drying (PSMVD) was developed. The results showed that the drying time can be dramatically shortened if microwave was used as the heating source. In this experiment, both MFD and PSMVD could shorten drying time by 50% as compared to the FD process. Depending on the heating method, MFD and PSMVD dried banana cubes showed trends of expansion while FD dried samples demonstrated trends of shrinkage. Shrinkage also brought intensive structure and highest fracturability of all three samples dried by different methods. The residual ascorbic acid content of PSMVD dried samples can be as high as in FD dried samples, which were superior to MFD dried samples. The tests confirmed that PSMVD could bring about better drying uniformity than MFD. Besides, compared with traditional MFD, PSMVD can provide better extrinsic feature, and can bring about improved nutritional features because of the higher residual ascorbic acid content. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  15. Using Power Ultrasound to Accelerate Food Freezing Processes: Effects on Freezing Efficiency and Food Microstructure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Peizhi; Zhu, Zhiwei; Sun, Da-Wen

    2018-05-31

    Freezing is an effective way of food preservation. However, traditional freezing methods have the disadvantages of low freezing efficiency and generation of large ice crystals, leading to possible damage of food quality. Power ultrasound assisted freezing as a novel technique can effectively reduce the adverse effects during freezing process. This paper gives an overview on recent researches of power ultrasound technique to accelerate the food freezing processes and illustrates the main principles of power ultrasound assisted freezing. The effects of power ultrasound on liquid food, model solid food as well as fruit and vegetables are discussed, respectively, from the aspects of increasing freezing rate and improving microstructure. It is shown that ultrasound assisted freezing can effectively improve the freezing efficiency and promote the formation of small and evenly distributed ice crystals, resulting in better food quality. Different inherent properties of food samples affect the effectiveness of ultrasound application and optimum ultrasound parameters depend on the nature of the samples. The application of ultrasound to the food industry is more likely on certain types of food products and more efforts are still needed to realize the industrial translation of laboratory results.

  16. Surface freezing of water

    OpenAIRE

    P?rez-D?az, J. L.; ?lvarez-Valenzuela, M. A.; Rodr?guez-Celis, F.

    2016-01-01

    Freezing, melting, evaporation and condensation of water are essential ingredients for climate and eventually life on Earth. In the present work, we show how surface freezing of supercooled water in an open container is conditioned and triggered?exclusively?by humidity in air. Additionally, a change of phase is demonstrated to be triggered on the water surface forming surface ice crystals prior to freezing of bulk. The symmetry of the surface crystal, as well as the freezing point, depend on ...

  17. A comparison of freezing-damage during isochoric and isobaric freezing of the potato

    OpenAIRE

    Lyu, Chenang; Nastase, Gabriel; Ukpai, Gideon; Serban, Alexandru; Rubinsky, Boris

    2017-01-01

    Background Freezing is commonly used for food preservation. It is usually done under constant atmospheric pressure (isobaric). While extending the life of the produce, isobaric freezing has detrimental effects. It causes loss of food weight and changes in food quality. Using thermodynamic analysis, we have developed a theoretical model of the process of freezing in a constant volume system (isochoric). The mathematical model suggests that the detrimental effects associated with isobaric freez...

  18. A novel Zea mays ssp. mexicana L. MYC-type ICE-like transcription factor gene ZmmICE1, enhances freezing tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Xiang; Yang, Lei; Yu, Mengyuan; Lai, Jianbin; Wang, Chao; McNeil, David; Zhou, Meixue; Yang, Chengwei

    2017-04-01

    The annual Zea mays ssp. mexicana L., a member of the teosinte group, is a close wild relative of maize and thus can be effectively used in maize improvement. In this study, an ICE-like gene, ZmmICE1, was isolated from a cDNA library of RNA-Seq from cold-treated seedling tissues of Zea mays ssp. mexicana L. The deduced protein of ZmmICE1 contains a highly conserved basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain and C-terminal region of ICE-like proteins. The ZmmICE1 protein localizes to the nucleus and shows sumoylation when expressed in an Escherichia coli reconstitution system. In addition, yeast one hybrid assays indicated that ZmmICE1 has transactivation activities. Moreover, ectopic expression of ZmmICE1 in the Arabidopsis ice1-2 mutant increased freezing tolerance. The ZmmICE1 overexpressed plants showed lower electrolyte leakage (EL), reduced contents of malondialdehyde (MDA). The expression of downstream cold related genes of Arabidopsis C-repeat-binding factors (AtCBF1, AtCBF2 and AtCBF3), cold-responsive genes (AtCOR15A and AtCOR47), kinesin-1 member gene (AtKIN1) and responsive to desiccation gene (AtRD29A) was significantly induced when compared with wild type under low temperature treatment. Taken together, these results indicated that ZmmICE1 is the homolog of Arabidopsis inducer of CBF expression genes (AtICE1/2) and plays an important role in the regulation of freezing stress response. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. Surface freezing of water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Díaz, J L; Álvarez-Valenzuela, M A; Rodríguez-Celis, F

    2016-01-01

    Freezing, melting, evaporation and condensation of water are essential ingredients for climate and eventually life on Earth. In the present work, we show how surface freezing of supercooled water in an open container is conditioned and triggered-exclusively-by humidity in air. Additionally, a change of phase is demonstrated to be triggered on the water surface forming surface ice crystals prior to freezing of bulk. The symmetry of the surface crystal, as well as the freezing point, depend on humidity, presenting at least three different types of surface crystals. Humidity triggers surface freezing as soon as it overpasses a defined value for a given temperature, generating a plurality of nucleation nodes. An evidence of simultaneous nucleation of surface ice crystals is also provided.

  20. Freezing temperatures as a limit to forest recruitment above tropical Andean treelines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehm, Evan M; Feeley, Kenneth J

    2015-07-01

    The elevation of altitudinal treelines is generally believed to occur where low mean temperatures during the growing season limit growth and prevent trees from establishing at higher elevations. Accordingly, treelines should move upslope with increasing global temperatures. Contrary to this prediction, tropical treelines have remained stable over the past several decades despite increasing mean temperatures. The observed stability of tropical treelines, coupled with the drastically different temperature profiles between temperate and tropical treelines, suggests that using mean measures of temperature to predict tropical treeline movements during climate change may be overly simplistic. We hypothesize that frost events at tropical treelines may slow climate driven treeline movement by preventing tree recruitment beyond the established forest canopy. To assess this hypothesis, we measured freezing resistance of four canopy-forming treeline species (Weinmannia fagaroides, Polylepis pauta, Clethra cuneata, and Gynoxys nitida) at two life stages (juvenile and adult) and during two seasons (warm-wet and cold-dry). Freezing resistances were then compared to microclimatic data to determine if freezing events in the grassland matrix above treeline are too harsh for these forest species. Freezing resistance varied among species and life stages from -5.7 degrees C for juveniles of P. pauta to -11.1 degrees C for juveniles of W. fagaroides. Over a four-year period, the lowest temperatures recorded at 10 cm above ground level in the grasslands above treeline and at treeline itself were -8.9 degrees C and -6.8 degrees C, respectively. Juveniles maintained freezing resistances similar to adults during the coldest parts of the year and ontogenetic differences in freezing resistance were only present during the warm season when temperatures did not represent a significant threat to active plant tissue. These findings support the hypothesis that rare extreme freezing events at and

  1. Electrical Capacitance Tomography Measurement of the Migration of Ice Frontal Surface in Freezing Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu J.

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The tracking of the migration of ice frontal surface is crucial for the understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms in freezing soil. Owing to the distinct advantages, including non-invasive sensing, high safety, low cost and high data acquisition speed, the electrical capacitance tomography (ECT is considered to be a promising visualization measurement method. In this paper, the ECT method is used to visualize the migration of ice frontal surface in freezing soil. With the main motivation of the improvement of imaging quality, a loss function with multiple regularizers that incorporate the prior formation related to the imaging objects is proposed to cast the ECT image reconstruction task into an optimization problem. An iteration scheme that integrates the superiority of the split Bregman iteration (SBI method is developed for searching for the optimal solution of the proposed loss function. An unclosed electrodes sensor is designed for satisfying the requirements of practical measurements. An experimental system of one dimensional freezing in frozen soil is constructed, and the ice frontal surface migration in the freezing process of the wet soil sample containing five percent of moisture is measured. The visualization measurement results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the ECT visualization method

  2. The influence of freezing rates on bovine pericardium tissue Freeze-drying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camila Figueiredo Borgognoni

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The bovine pericardium has been used as biomaterial in developing bioprostheses. Freeze-drying is a drying process that could be used for heart valve's preservation. The maintenance of the characteristics of the biomaterial is important for a good heart valve performance. This paper describes the initial step in the development of a bovine pericardium tissue freeze-drying to be used in heart valves. Freeze-drying involves three steps: freezing, primary drying and secondary drying. The freezing step influences the ice crystal size and, consequently, the primary and secondary drying stages. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of freezing rates on the bovine pericardium tissue freeze-drying parameters. The glass transition temperature and the structural behaviour of the lyophilized tissues were determined as also primary and secondary drying time. The slow freezing with thermal treatment presented better results than the other freeze-drying protocols.O pericárdio bovino é um material utilizado na fabricação de biopróteses. A liofilização é um método de secagem que vem sendo estudado para a conservação de válvulas cardíacas. A preservação das características do biomaterial é de fundamental importância no bom funcionamento das válvulas. Este artigo é a primeira etapa do desenvolvimento do ciclo de liofilização do pericárdio bovino. Liofilização é o processo de secagem no qual a água é removida do material congelado por sublimação e desorção da água incongelável, sob pressão reduzida. O congelamento influencia o tamanho do cristal de gelo e, consequentemente, a secagem primária e secundária. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a influência das taxas de congelamento nos parâmetros de liofilização do pericárdio bovino. Determinou-se a temperatura de transição vítrea e o comportamento estrutural do pericárdio bovino liofilizado. Determinou-se o tempo da secagem primária e secundária. O

  3. Objective video quality assessment method for freeze distortion based on freeze aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Keishiro; Okamoto, Jun; Kurita, Takaaki

    2006-01-01

    With the development of the broadband network, video communications such as videophone, video distribution, and IPTV services are beginning to become common. In order to provide these services appropriately, we must manage them based on subjective video quality, in addition to designing a network system based on it. Currently, subjective quality assessment is the main method used to quantify video quality. However, it is time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, we need an objective quality assessment technology that can estimate video quality from video characteristics effectively. Video degradation can be categorized into two types: spatial and temporal. Objective quality assessment methods for spatial degradation have been studied extensively, but methods for temporal degradation have hardly been examined even though it occurs frequently due to network degradation and has a large impact on subjective quality. In this paper, we propose an objective quality assessment method for temporal degradation. Our approach is to aggregate multiple freeze distortions into an equivalent freeze distortion and then derive the objective video quality from the equivalent freeze distortion. Specifically, our method considers the total length of all freeze distortions in a video sequence as the length of the equivalent single freeze distortion. In addition, we propose a method using the perceptual characteristics of short freeze distortions. We verified that our method can estimate the objective video quality well within the deviation of subjective video quality.

  4. SLAPex Freeze/Thaw 2015: The First Dedicated Soil Freeze/Thaw Airborne Campaign

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Edward; Wu, Albert; DeMarco, Eugenia; Powers, Jarrett; Berg, Aaron; Rowlandson, Tracy; Freeman, Jacqueline; Gottfried, Kurt; Toose, Peter; Roy, Alexandre; hide

    2016-01-01

    Soil freezing and thawing is an important process in the terrestrial water, energy, and carbon cycles, marking the change between two very different hydraulic, thermal, and biological regimes. NASA's Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) mission includes a binary freeze/thaw data product. While there have been ground-based remote sensing field measurements observing soil freeze/thaw at the point scale, and airborne campaigns that observed some frozen soil areas (e.g., BOREAS), the recently-completed SLAPex Freeze/Thaw (F/T) campaign is the first airborne campaign dedicated solely to observing frozen/thawed soil with both passive and active microwave sensors and dedicated ground truth, in order to enable detailed process-level exploration of the remote sensing signatures and in situ soil conditions. SLAPex F/T utilized the Scanning L-band Active/Passive (SLAP) instrument, an airborne simulator of SMAP developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and was conducted near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in October/November, 2015. Future soil moisture missions are also expected to include soil freeze/thaw products, and the loss of the radar on SMAP means that airborne radar-radiometer observations like those that SLAP provides are unique assets for freeze/thaw algorithm development. This paper will present an overview of SLAPex F/T, including descriptions of the site, airborne and ground-based remote sensing, ground truth, as well as preliminary results.

  5. Freezing of Gait Detection in Parkinson's Disease: A Subject-Independent Detector Using Anomaly Scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pham, Thuy T; Moore, Steven T; Lewis, Simon John Geoffrey; Nguyen, Diep N; Dutkiewicz, Eryk; Fuglevand, Andrew J; McEwan, Alistair L; Leong, Philip H W

    2017-11-01

    Freezing of gait (FoG) is common in Parkinsonian gait and strongly relates to falls. Current clinical FoG assessments are patients' self-report diaries and experts' manual video analysis. Both are subjective and yield moderate reliability. Existing detection algorithms have been predominantly designed in subject-dependent settings. In this paper, we aim to develop an automated FoG detector for subject independent. After extracting highly relevant features, we apply anomaly detection techniques to detect FoG events. Specifically, feature selection is performed using correlation and clusterability metrics. From a list of 244 feature candidates, 36 candidates were selected using saliency and robustness criteria. We develop an anomaly score detector with adaptive thresholding to identify FoG events. Then, using accuracy metrics, we reduce the feature list to seven candidates. Our novel multichannel freezing index was the most selective across all window sizes, achieving sensitivity (specificity) of (). On the other hand, freezing index from the vertical axis was the best choice for a single input, achieving sensitivity (specificity) of () for ankle and () for back sensors. Our subject-independent method is not only significantly more accurate than those previously reported, but also uses a much smaller window (e.g., versus ) and/or lower tolerance (e.g., versus ).Freezing of gait (FoG) is common in Parkinsonian gait and strongly relates to falls. Current clinical FoG assessments are patients' self-report diaries and experts' manual video analysis. Both are subjective and yield moderate reliability. Existing detection algorithms have been predominantly designed in subject-dependent settings. In this paper, we aim to develop an automated FoG detector for subject independent. After extracting highly relevant features, we apply anomaly detection techniques to detect FoG events. Specifically, feature selection is performed using correlation and clusterability metrics. From

  6. Effects of various freezing containers for vitrification freezing on mouse oogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji Chul; Kim, Jae Myeoung; Seo, Byoung Boo

    2016-01-01

    In the present study, various freezing containers were tested for mouse embryos of respective developmental stages; embryos were vitrified and then their survival rate and developmental rate were monitored. Mouse two cell, 8 cell, and blastula stage embryos underwent vitrification freezing-thawing and then their recovery rate, survival rate, development rate, and hatching rate were investigated. EM-grid, OPS, and cryo-loop were utilized for vitrification freezing-thawing of mouse embryos. It was found that recovery rate and survival rate were higher in the group of cryo-loop compared to those of EM-grid (p containers on vitrified embryos of respective developmental stages; it was demonstrated that higher developmental rate was shown in more progressed (or developed) embryos with more blastomeres. There was however, no difference in embryonic development rate was shown amongst containers. Taken together, further additional studies are warranted with regards to 1) manipulation techniques of embryos for various vitrification freezing containers and 2) preventive measures against contamination via liquid nitrogen.

  7. The effect of sublethal injury by heating, freezing, drying and gamma-radiation on the duration of the lag phase of Salmonella typhimurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mackey, B.M.; Derrick, C.M.

    1982-01-01

    The duration of the lag phase of Salmonella typhimurium surviving heat, freezing, drying and gamma-radiation was used to indicate the time needed to repair sublethal injury. Following equivalent lethal treatments, heat and freeze-injured cells needed longer to repair than those injured by drying or gamma-radiation. Measurement of repair on membrane filters showed that in a heat-injured population having a lag time of 9 h, some individual cells needed up to 14 h to recover maximum tolerance to 3% NaCl. (author)

  8. Tolerance of brown bear spermatozoa to conditions of pre-freezing cooling rate and equilibration time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Urueña, E; Alvarez, M; Gomes-Alves, S; Martínez-Rodríguez, C; Borragan, S; Anel-López, L; de Paz, P; Anel, L

    2014-06-01

    Specific protocols for the cryopreservation of endangered Cantabrian brown bear spermatozoa are critical to create a genetic resource bank. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of cooling rates and equilibration time before freezing on post-thawed brown bear spermatozoa quality. Electroejaculates from 11 mature bears were extended to 100 × 10(6) spermatozoa/mL in a TES-Tris-Fructose-based extender, cryopreserved following performance of the respective cooling/equilibration protocol each sample was assigned to, and stored at -196 °C for further assessment. Before freezing, after thawing, and after 1 hour's incubation post-thawing at 37 °C (thermal stress test), the quality of the samples was assessed for motility by computer-assisted semen analysis, and for viability (SYBR-14/propidium iodide), acrosomal status (peanut agglutinin-fluorescein isothiocyanate /propidium iodide), and sperm chromatin stability (SCSA) by flow cytometry. In experiment 1, three cooling rates (0.25 °C/min, 1 °C/min, and 4 °C/min) to 5 °C were assessed. After thawing, total motility (%TM) was higher and percentage of damaged acrosomes (%dACR) was lower (P bear sperm. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. The value of a freeze

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bethe, H.A.; Long, F.A.

    1988-01-01

    This paper reports on the rapid increase in public support for a nuclear-freeze agreement---that is, a mutual freeze on the testing, production and further deployment of nuclear weapons---which has been a remarkable political phenomenon. In less than a year, support has grown from a few volunteers collecting signatures on petitions to a congressional vote in which supporters of a freeze very nearly prevailed. This fall, eight states and the District of Columbia will vote on freeze referendums. Already Wisconsin voters have overwhelmingly voted yes in such a referendum. There are many reasons for this strong support for a freeze, including fear of nuclear war, resistance to high levels of military spending and opposition to particular military policies of the Reagan administration. But to most supporters, the chief purpose of a freeze is simple: it is to help stop an immense, continuing, dangerous and incredibly costly arms race between the two superpowers

  10. The Freezing Bomb

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Allan

    2010-01-01

    The extreme pressures that are generated when water freezes were traditionally demonstrated by sealing a small volume in a massive cast iron "bomb" and then surrounding it with a freezing mixture of ice and salt. This vessel would dramatically fail by brittle fracture, but no quantitative measurement of bursting pressure was available. Calculation…

  11. Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeze-fracture/freeze-etch describes a process whereby specimens, typically biological or nanomaterial in nature, are frozen, fractured, and replicated to generate a carbon/platinum "cast" intended for examination by transmission electron microscopy. Specimens are subjected to u...

  12. Impregnation of leather during "freeze-drying"

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Storch, Mikkel; Vestergaard Poulsen Sommer, Dorte; Hovmand, Ida

    2016-01-01

    Freeze-drying is a recognized method for the preservation of waterlogged objects. Naturally, freeze-drying has also been used for waterlogged archaeological leather often after treatment with Na2.EDTA and impregnation with PEG; but the treated leather sometimes suffers from “excessive drying......” becoming too stiff and brittle. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a conventional freeze-drying method against an alternative freeze-drying method that preserves the natural moisture content of the leather. Both new and archaeological waterlogged leather were included in the study...... suggest that the process which takes place within the leather during the freeze-drying in not actual freeze-drying, but rather a sophisticated way of distributing the impregnating agent. The pure ice phase freezes out, but the impregnating agent remains liquid as the temperature does not become low enough...

  13. Building the Method to Determine the Rate of Freezing Water in Penaeus monodon of the Freezing Process

    OpenAIRE

    Nguyen Tan Dzung; Trinh Van Dzung; Tran Duc Ba

    2012-01-01

    The method of determination the rate of freezing water in Penaeus monodon of freezing process was established on base the equation of energy balance in warming up process Penaeus monodon after freezing to determine specific heat of Penaeus monodon. The result obtained was built the mathematical model (19) to determine the rate of freezing water according to the freezing temperature of Penaeus monodon. The results indicated that when water was completely frozen (ω = 1 or 100%), the optimal fre...

  14. Polymerization with freezing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ben-Naim, E; Krapivsky, P L

    2005-01-01

    Irreversible aggregation processes involving reactive and frozen clusters are investigated using the rate equation approach. In aggregation events, two clusters join irreversibly to form a larger cluster; additionally, reactive clusters may spontaneously freeze. Frozen clusters do not participate in merger events. Generally, freezing controls the nature of the aggregation process, as demonstrated by the final distribution of frozen clusters. The cluster mass distribution has a power-law tail, F k ∼k -γ , when the freezing process is sufficiently slow. Different exponents, γ = 1 and 3, are found for the constant and the product aggregation rates, respectively. For the latter case, the standard polymerization model, either no gels, or a single gel, or even multiple gels, may be produced

  15. Generalized structural theory of freezing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yussouff, M.

    1980-10-01

    The first-principles order parameter theory of freezing, proposed in an earlier work, has been successful in yielding quantitative agreement with known freezing parameters for monoatomic liquids forming solids with one atom per unit cell. A generalization of this theory is presented here to include the effects of a basis set of many atoms per unit cell. The basic equations get modified by the 'density structure factors' fsub(i) which arise from the density variations within the unit cell. Calculations are presented for the important case of monoatomic liquids freezing into hexagonal close packed solids. It is concluded that all freezing transitions can be described by using structural correlations in the liquid instead of the pair potential; and that the three body correlations are important in deciding the type of solid formed after freezing. (author)

  16. Large-scale evaluation of pea (Pisum sativum L.) germplasm for cold tolerance in the open field during winter in Qingdao.

    Science.gov (United States)

    As a cool season crop, pea (Pisum sativum L.) can tolerate frost at the vegetative stage but has yield loss when freezing stress occurs at reproductive stage. Cold tolerance improvement of pea varieties is important for the stable yield and the expansion of winter pea planting area. Under the natura...

  17. Freeze-Casting Produces a Graphene Oxide Aerogel with a Radial and Centrosymmetric Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chunhui; Chen, Xiong; Wang, Bin; Huang, Ming; Wang, Bo; Jiang, Yi; Ruoff, Rodney S

    2018-05-14

    We report the assembly of graphene oxide (G-O) building blocks into a vertical and radially aligned structure by a bidirectional freeze-casting approach. The crystallization of water to ice assembles the G-O sheets into a structure, a G-O aerogel whose local structure mimics turbine blades. The centimeter-scale radiating structure in this aerogel has many channels whose width increases with distance from the center. This was achieved by controlling the formation of the ice crystals in the aqueous G-O dispersion that grew radially in the shape of lamellae during freezing. Because the shape and size of ice crystals is influenced by the G-O sheets, different additives (ethanol, cellulose nanofibers, and chitosan) that can form hydrogen bonds with H 2 O were tested and found to affect the interaction between the G-O and formation of ice crystals, producing ice crystals with different shapes. A G-O/chitosan aerogel with a spiral pattern was also obtained. After chemical reduction of G-O, our aerogel exhibited elasticity and absorption capacity superior to that of graphene aerogels with "traditional" pore structures made by conventional freeze-casting. This methodology can be expanded to many other configurations and should widen the use of G-O (and reduced G-O and "graphenic") aerogels.

  18. Freeze out in heavy ion reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Csernai, Laszlo P.; Lazar, Zs.I.; Grassi, F.; Hama, Y.

    1998-01-01

    In fluid dynamical models the freeze out of particles across a three dimensional space-time hypersurface is discussed. The calculation of final momentum distribution of emitted particles is described for freeze out surfaces, with both space-like and time-like normals, taking into account conservation laws across the freeze out discontinuity. Generally the conservation laws lead to a change of temperature, baryon density and flow velocity at freeze out. (author)

  19. Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN reduces damages to freezing temperature in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fan eSU

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Several plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR are known to improve plant tolerance to multiple stresses, including low temperatures. However, mechanisms underlying this protection are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the endophytic PGPR, Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN (Bp PsJN, on Arabidopsis thaliana cold tolerance using photosynthesis parameters as physiological markers.Under standard conditions, our results indicated that Bp PsJN inoculation led to growth promotion of Arabidopsis plants without significant modification on photosynthesis parameters and chloroplast organization. However, bacterial colonization induced a cell wall strengthening in the mesophyllImpact of inoculation modes (either on seeds or by soil irrigation and their effects overnight at 0, -1 or -3°C, were investigated by following photosystem II (PSII activity and gas exchanges. Following low temperatures stress, a decrease of photosynthesis parameters was observed. In addition, during three consecutive nights or days at -1°C, PSII activity was monitored. Pigment contents, RuBisCO protein abundance, expression of several genes including RbcS, RbcL, CBF1, CBF2, CBF3, ICE1, COR15a, and COR78 were evaluated at the end of exposure. To assess the impact of the bacteria on cell ultrastructure under low temperatures, microscopic observations were achieved. Results indicated that freezing treatment induced significant changes in PSII activity as early as the first cold day, whereas the same impact on PSII activity was observed only during the third cold night. The significant effects conferred by PsJN were differential accumulation of pigments, and reduced expression of RbcL and COR78. Microscopical observations showed an alteration/disorganization in A. thaliana leaf mesophyll cells independently of the freezing treatments. The presence of bacteria during the three successive nights or days did not significantly improved A

  20. Freeze-dried microarterial allografts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raman, J.; Hargrave, J.C.

    1990-01-01

    Rehydrated freeze-dried microarterial allografts were implanted to bridge arterial defects using New Zealand White rabbits as the experimental model. Segments of artery from the rabbit ear and thigh were harvested and preserved for a minimum of 2 weeks after freeze-drying. These allografts, approximately 1 mm in diameter and ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length, were rehydrated and then implanted in low-pressure and high-pressure arterial systems. Poor patency was noted in low-pressure systems in both allografts and autografts, tested in 12 rabbits. In the high-pressure arterial systems, allografts that were freeze-dried and reconstituted failed in a group of 10 rabbits with an 8-week patency rate of 30 percent. Gamma irradiation in an effort to reduce infection and antigenicity of grafts after freeze-drying was associated with a patency rate of 10 percent at 8 weeks in this system in another group of 10 rabbits. Postoperative cyclosporin A therapy was associated with a patency rate of 22.2 percent in the high-pressure arterial system in a 9-rabbit group. Control autografts in this system in a group of 10 rabbits showed a 100 percent patency at 8 weeks. Microarterial grafts depend on perfusion pressure of the vascular bed for long-term patency. Rehydrated freeze-dried microarterial allografts do not seem to function well in lengths of 1 to 2.5 cm when implanted in a high-pressure arterial system. Freeze-dried arterial allografts are probably not antigenic

  1. Superior radiation tolerance of thin epitaxial silicon detectors

    CERN Document Server

    Kramberger, G; Fretwurst, E; Honniger, F; Lindström, G; Pintilie, I; Röder, R; Schramm, A; Stahl, J

    2003-01-01

    For the LHC upgrade (fluences up to 10**1**6 p/cm**2) epi-Si devices are shown to be a viable solution. No type inversion was measured up to 1.3 multiplied by 10**1**524 GeV/c protons/cm**2 and the charge collection efficiency (CCE) remained close to 100%. For reactor neutrons CCE was measured to be 60% at 8 multiplied by 10**1**5 n/cm **2. Annealing measurements have shown that only moderate cooling during beam off periods would be necessary. As a tentative explanation for the superior quality of these devices, we assume that radiation-induced donor generation leads to compensation effects of deep acceptors. In the future, we will extend the experiments to fluences up to 10**1**6 p/cm**2 and use also different variants of the epi-Si material and device geometry.

  2. Application of the Quality by Design Approach to the Freezing Step of Freeze-Drying: Building the Design Space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsiccio, Andrea; Pisano, Roberto

    2018-06-01

    The present work shows a rational method for the development of the freezing step of a freeze-drying cycle. The current approach to the selection of freezing conditions is still empirical and nonsystematic, thus resulting in poor robustness of control strategy. The final aim of this work is to fill this gap, describing a rational procedure, based on mathematical modeling, for properly choosing the freezing conditions. Mechanistic models are used for the prediction of temperature profiles during freezing and dimension of ice crystals being formed. Mathematical description of the drying phase of freeze-drying is also coupled with the results obtained by freezing models, thus providing a comprehensive characterization of the lyophilization process. In this framework, deep understanding of the phenomena involved is required, and according to the Quality by Design approach, this knowledge can be used to build the design space. The step-by-step procedure for building the design space for freezing is thus described, and examples of applications are provided. The calculated design space is validated upon experimental data, and we show that it allows easy control of the freezing process and fast selection of appropriate operating conditions. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Pilot study of atomoxetine in patients with Parkinson's disease and dopa-unresponsive Freezing of Gait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Revuelta, Gonzalo J; Embry, Aaron; Elm, Jordan J; Gregory, Chris; Delambo, Amy; Kautz, Steve; Hinson, Vanessa K

    2015-01-01

    Freezing of gait (FoG) is a common and debilitating condition in Parkinson's disease (PD) associated with executive dysfunction. A subtype of FoG does not respond to dopaminergic therapy and may be related to noradrenergic deficiency. This pilot study explores the effects of atomoxetine on gait in PD patients with dopa-unresponsive FoG using a novel paradigm for objective gait assessment. Ten patients with PD and dopa-unresponsive FoG were enrolled in this eight-week open label pilot study. Assessments included an exploratory gait analysis protocol that quantified spatiotemporal parameters during straight-away walking and turning, while performing a dual task. Clinical, and subjective assessments of gait, quality of life, and safety were also administered. The primary outcome was a validated subjective assessment for FoG (FOG-Q). Atomoxetine was well tolerated, however, no significant change was observed in the primary outcome. The gait analysis protocol correlated well with clinical scales, but not with subjective assessments. DBS patients were more likely to increase gait velocity (p = 0.033), and improved in other clinical assessments. Objective gait analysis protocols assessing gait while dual tasking are feasible and useful for this patient population, and may be superior correlates of FoG severity than subjective measures. These findings can inform future trials in this population.

  4. Cognitive Factors Affecting Freeze-like Behavior in Humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alban, Michael W; Pocknell, Victoria

    2017-01-01

    Contemporary research on survival-related defensive behaviors has identified physiological markers of freeze/flight/fight. Our research focused on cognitive factors associated with freeze-like behavior in humans. Study 1 tested if an explicit decision to freeze is associated with the psychophysiological state of freezing. Heart rate deceleration occurred when participants chose to freeze. Study 2 varied the efficacy of freezing relative to other defense options and found "freeze" was responsive to variations in the perceived effectiveness of alternative actions. Study 3 tested if individual differences in motivational orientation affect preference for a "freeze" option when the efficacy of options is held constant. A trend in the predicted direction suggested that naturally occurring cognitions led loss-avoiders to select "freeze" more often than reward-seekers. In combination, our attention to the cognitive factors affecting freeze-like behavior in humans represents a preliminary step in addressing an important but neglected research area.

  5. 9 CFR 590.536 - Freezing operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Freezing operations. 590.536 Section 590.536 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EGG..., and Facility Requirements § 590.536 Freezing operations. (a) Freezing rooms shall be kept clean and...

  6. 9 CFR 590.534 - Freezing facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Freezing facilities. 590.534 Section 590.534 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EGG..., and Facility Requirements § 590.534 Freezing facilities. (a) Freezing rooms, either on or off the...

  7. 3 CFR - Pay Freeze

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Pay Freeze Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Memorandum of January 21, 2009 Pay Freeze Memorandum for the Assistant to the President and Chief... the White House staff forgo pay increases until further notice. Accordingly, as a signal of our shared...

  8. How do yeast cells become tolerant to high ethanol concentrations?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Snoek, Tim; Verstrepen, Kevin J.; Voordeckers, Karin

    2016-01-01

    The brewer’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae displays a much higher ethanol tolerance compared to most other organisms, and it is therefore commonly used for the industrial production of bioethanol and alcoholic beverages. However, the genetic determinants underlying this yeast’s exceptional ethanol...... and challenges involved in obtaining superior industrial yeasts with improved ethanol tolerance....

  9. Freezing cytorrhysis and critical temperature thresholds for photosystem II in the peat moss Sphagnum capillifolium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchner, Othmar; Neuner, Gilbert

    2010-07-01

    Leaflets of Sphagnum capillifolium were exposed to temperatures from -5 degrees C to +60 degrees C under controlled conditions while mounted on a microscope stage. The resultant cytological response to these temperature treatments was successfully monitored using a light and fluorescence microscope. In addition to the observable cytological changes during freezing cytorrhysis and heat exposure on the leaflets, the concomitant critical temperature thresholds for inactivation of photosystem II (PS II) were studied using a micro fibre optic and a chlorophyll fluorometer mounted to the microscope stage. Chlorophyllous cells of S. capillifolium showed extended freezing cytorrhysis immediately after ice nucleation at -1.1 degrees C in the water in which the leaflets were submersed during the measurement. The occurrence of freezing cytorrhysis, which was visually manifested by cell shrinkage, was highly dynamic and was completed within 2 s. A total reduction of the mean projected diameter of the chloroplast containing area during freezing cytorrhysis from 8.9 to 3.8 microm indicates a cell volume reduction of approximately -82%. Simultaneous measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence of PS II was possible even through the frozen water in which the leaf samples were submersed. Freezing cytorrhysis was accompanied by a sudden rise of basic chlorophyll fluorescence. The critical freezing temperature threshold of PS II was identical to the ice nucleation temperature (-1.1 degrees C). This is significantly above the temperature threshold at which frost damage to S. capillifolium leaflets occurs (-16.1 degrees C; LT(50)) which is higher than observed in most higher plants from the European Alps during summer. High temperature thresholds of PS II were 44.5 degrees C which is significantly below the heat tolerance of chlorophyllous cells (49.9 degrees C; LT(50)). It is demonstrated that light and fluorescence microscopic techniques combined with simultaneous chlorophyll fluorescence

  10. Effect of magnetic field on food freezing

    OpenAIRE

    村田, 圭治; 奥村, 太一; 荒賀, 浩一; 小堀, 康功

    2010-01-01

    [Abstract] This paper presents an experimental investigation on effects of magnetic field on food freezing process. Although purpose of food freezing is to suppress the deterioration of food, freezing breaks food tissue down, and some nutrient and delicious element flow out after thawing. Recently, a few of refrigeration equipments with electric and magnetic fields have attracted attention from food production companies and mass media. Water and tuna were freezed in magnetic field (100kH, 1.3...

  11. Freezing of Lennard-Jones-type fluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khrapak, Sergey A.; Chaudhuri, Manis; Morfill, Gregor E.

    2011-01-01

    We put forward an approximate method to locate the fluid-solid (freezing) phase transition in systems of classical particles interacting via a wide range of Lennard-Jones-type potentials. This method is based on the constancy of the properly normalized second derivative of the interaction potential (freezing indicator) along the freezing curve. As demonstrated recently it yields remarkably good agreement with previous numerical simulation studies of the conventional 12-6 Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid [S.A.Khrapak, M.Chaudhuri, G.E.Morfill, Phys. Rev. B 134, 052101 (2010)]. In this paper, we test this approach using a wide range of the LJ-type potentials, including LJ n-6 and exp-6 models, and find that it remains sufficiently accurate and reliable in reproducing the corresponding freezing curves, down to the triple-point temperatures. One of the possible application of the method--estimation of the freezing conditions in complex (dusty) plasmas with ''tunable'' interactions--is briefly discussed.

  12. Freeze-thaw durability of air-entrained concrete.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Huai-Shuai; Yi, Ting-Hua

    2013-01-01

    One of the most damaging actions affecting concrete is the abrupt temperature change (freeze-thaw cycles). The types of deterioration of concrete structures by cyclic freeze-thaw can be largely classified into surface scaling (characterized by the weight loss) and internal crack growth (characterized by the loss of dynamic modulus of elasticity). The present study explored the durability of concrete made with air-entraining agent subjected to 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 cycles of freeze-thaw. The experimental study of C20, C25, C30, C40, and C50 air-entrained concrete specimens was completed according to "the test method of long-term and durability on ordinary concrete" GB/T 50082-2009. The dynamic modulus of elasticity and weight loss of specimens were measured after different cycles of freeze-thaw. The influence of freeze-thaw cycles on the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity and weight loss was analyzed. The findings showed that the dynamic modulus of elasticity and weight decreased as the freeze-thaw cycles were repeated. They revealed that the C30, C40, and C50 air-entrained concrete was still durable after 300 cycles of freeze-thaw according to the experimental results.

  13. Cooling method with automated seasonal freeze protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cambell, Levi; Chu, Richard; David, Milnes; Ellsworth, Jr, Michael; Iyengar, Madhusudan; Simons, Robert; Singh, Prabjit; Zhang, Jing

    2016-05-31

    An automated multi-fluid cooling method is provided for cooling an electronic component(s). The method includes obtaining a coolant loop, and providing a coolant tank, multiple valves, and a controller. The coolant loop is at least partially exposed to outdoor ambient air temperature(s) during normal operation, and the coolant tank includes first and second reservoirs containing first and second fluids, respectively. The first fluid freezes at a lower temperature than the second, the second fluid has superior cooling properties compared with the first, and the two fluids are soluble. The multiple valves are controllable to selectively couple the first or second fluid into the coolant in the coolant loop, wherein the coolant includes at least the second fluid. The controller automatically controls the valves to vary first fluid concentration level in the coolant loop based on historical, current, or anticipated outdoor air ambient temperature(s) for a time of year.

  14. Cooling system with automated seasonal freeze protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Levi A.; Chu, Richard C.; David, Milnes P.; Ellsworth, Jr., Michael J.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Simons, Robert E.; Singh, Prabjit; Zhang, Jing

    2016-05-24

    An automated multi-fluid cooling system and method are provided for cooling an electronic component(s). The cooling system includes a coolant loop, a coolant tank, multiple valves, and a controller. The coolant loop is at least partially exposed to outdoor ambient air temperature(s) during normal operation, and the coolant tank includes first and second reservoirs containing first and second fluids, respectively. The first fluid freezes at a lower temperature than the second, the second fluid has superior cooling properties compared with the first, and the two fluids are soluble. The multiple valves are controllable to selectively couple the first or second fluid into the coolant in the coolant loop, wherein the coolant includes at least the second fluid. The controller automatically controls the valves to vary first fluid concentration level in the coolant loop based on historical, current, or anticipated outdoor air ambient temperature(s) for a time of year.

  15. Momentum anisotropy at freeze out

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feld, S.; Borghini, N.; Lang, C.

    2017-01-01

    The transition from a hydrodynamical modeling to a particle-based approach is a crucial element of the description of high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Assuming this “freeze out” happens instantaneously at each point of the expanding medium, we show that the local phase-space distribution of the emitted particles is asymmetric in momentum space. This suggests the use of anisotropic hydrodynamics for the last stages of the fluid evolution. We discuss how observables depend on the amount of momentum-space anisotropy at freeze out and how smaller or larger anisotropies allow for different values of the freeze-out temperature. (paper)

  16. Bulk water freezing dynamics on superhydrophobic surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chavan, S.; Carpenter, J.; Nallapaneni, M.; Chen, J. Y.; Miljkovic, N.

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we elucidate the mechanisms governing the heat-transfer mediated, non-thermodynamic limited, freezing delay on non-wetting surfaces for a variety of characteristic length scales, Lc (volume/surface area, 3 mm commercial superhydrophobic spray coatings, showing a monotonic increase in freezing time with coating thickness. The added thermal resistance of thicker coatings was much larger than that of the nanoscale superhydrophobic features, which reduced the droplet heat transfer and increased the total freezing time. Transient finite element method heat transfer simulations of the water slab freezing process were performed to calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient at the substrate-water/ice interface during freezing, and shown to be in the range of 1-2.5 kW/m2K for these experiments. The results shown here suggest that in order to exploit the heat-transfer mediated freezing delay, thicker superhydrophobic coatings must be deposited on the surface, where the coating resistance is comparable to the bulk water/ice conduction resistance.

  17. Applicable technical method for freeze-substitution of high pressure ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    bmshsj

    2011-11-02

    Quintana, 1994) are available for the microscopic visualization of intracellular organelles. Cryo- fixation, plunge freezing, propane jet freezing, cold metal block freezing, and high pressure freezing provide advantages over chemical ...

  18. Mechanisms of deterioration of nutrients. [of freeze dried foods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karel, M.; Flink, J. M.

    1976-01-01

    Methods which produce freeze dried foods of improved quality were examined with emphasis on storage stability. Specific topics discussed include: microstructure of freeze dried systems, investigation of structural changes in freeze dried systems, artificial food matrices, osmotic preconcentration to yield improved quality freeze dried fruits, and storage stability of osmotically preconcentrated freeze dried fruits.

  19. A Novel Wheat C-bZIP Gene, TabZIP14-B, Participates in Salt and Freezing Tolerance in Transgenic Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lina Zhang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The group C-bZIP transcription factors (TFs are involved in diverse biological processes, such as the regulation of seed storage protein (SSP production and the responses to pathogen challenge and abiotic stress. However, our knowledge of the abiotic functions of group C-bZIP genes in wheat remains limited. Here, we present the function of a novel TabZIP14-B gene in wheat. This gene belongs to the group C-bZIP TFs and contains six exons and five introns; three haplotypes were identified among accessions of tetraploid and hexaploid wheat. A subcellular localization analysis indicated that TabZIP14-B was targeted to the nucleus of tobacco epidermal cells. A transactivation assay demonstrated that TabZIP14-B showed transcriptional activation ability and was capable of binding the abscisic acid (ABA responsive element (ABRE in yeast. RT-qPCR revealed that TabZIP14-B was expressed in the roots, stems, leaves, and young spikes and was up-regulated by exogenous ABA, salt, low-temperature, and polyethylene glycol (PEG stress treatments. Furthermore, Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TabZIP14-B exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt, freezing stresses and ABA sensitivity. Overexpression of TabZIP14-B resulted in increased expression of the AtRD29A, AtCOR47, AtRD20, AtGSTF6, and AtRAB18 genes and changes in several physiological characteristics. These results suggest that TabZIP14-B could function as a positive regulator in mediating the abiotic stress response.

  20. Freeze Protection in Gas Holders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjorth, Poul G.; Duursma, Gail

    In cold weather, the water seals of gasholders need protection from freez- ing to avoid compromising the seal. These holders have a large reservoir of “tank water” at the base which is below ground. At present freeze- protection is achieved by external heating of the seal water which...

  1. Freeze dehydration of milk using microwave energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souda, K.B.; Akyel, C.; Bilgen, E.

    1989-01-01

    This paper presents the results of experimental studies on heat and mass transfer during a microwave freeze dehydration process. An experimental system and procedure was developed to freeze dry milk. A 2500-W microwave system with an appropriate wave guide was set up and instrumented, and a procedure was experimentally developed to obtain milk powder first by freezing milk and then dehydrating it at low pressure using microwave energy. An unsteady-state analysis was used to derive a one-dimensional mathematical model of the freeze dehydration process in a microwave electromagnetic field

  2. Freeze-Thaw Durability of Air-Entrained Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huai-Shuai Shang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the most damaging actions affecting concrete is the abrupt temperature change (freeze-thaw cycles. The types of deterioration of concrete structures by cyclic freeze-thaw can be largely classified into surface scaling (characterized by the weight loss and internal crack growth (characterized by the loss of dynamic modulus of elasticity. The present study explored the durability of concrete made with air-entraining agent subjected to 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 cycles of freeze-thaw. The experimental study of C20, C25, C30, C40, and C50 air-entrained concrete specimens was completed according to “the test method of long-term and durability on ordinary concrete” GB/T 50082-2009. The dynamic modulus of elasticity and weight loss of specimens were measured after different cycles of freeze-thaw. The influence of freeze-thaw cycles on the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity and weight loss was analyzed. The findings showed that the dynamic modulus of elasticity and weight decreased as the freeze-thaw cycles were repeated. They revealed that the C30, C40, and C50 air-entrained concrete was still durable after 300 cycles of freeze-thaw according to the experimental results.

  3. Exploring new alleles for frost tolerance in winter rye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erath, Wiltrud; Bauer, Eva; Fowler, D Brian; Gordillo, Andres; Korzun, Viktor; Ponomareva, Mira; Schmidt, Malthe; Schmiedchen, Brigitta; Wilde, Peer; Schön, Chris-Carolin

    2017-10-01

    Rye genetic resources provide a valuable source of new alleles for the improvement of frost tolerance in rye breeding programs. Frost tolerance is a must-have trait for winter cereal production in northern and continental cropping areas. Genetic resources should harbor promising alleles for the improvement of frost tolerance of winter rye elite lines. For frost tolerance breeding, the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and the choice of optimum genome-based selection methods are essential. We identified genomic regions involved in frost tolerance of winter rye by QTL mapping in a biparental population derived from a highly frost tolerant selection from the Canadian cultivar Puma and the European elite line Lo157. Lines per se and their testcrosses were phenotyped in a controlled freeze test and in multi-location field trials in Russia and Canada. Three QTL on chromosomes 4R, 5R, and 7R were consistently detected across environments. The QTL on 5R is congruent with the genomic region harboring the Frost resistance locus 2 (Fr-2) in Triticeae. The Puma allele at the Fr-R2 locus was found to significantly increase frost tolerance. A comparison of predictive ability obtained from the QTL-based model with different whole-genome prediction models revealed that besides a few large, also small QTL effects contribute to the genomic variance of frost tolerance in rye. Genomic prediction models assigning a high weight to the Fr-R2 locus allow increasing the selection intensity for frost tolerance by genome-based pre-selection of promising candidates.

  4. A Theory of Immersion Freezing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barahona, Donifan

    2017-01-01

    Immersion freezing is likely involved in the initiation of precipitation and determines to large extent the phase partitioning in convective clouds. Theoretical models commonly used to describe immersion freezing in atmospheric models are based on the classical nucleation theory which however neglects important interactions near the immersed particle that may affect nucleation rates. This work introduces a new theory of immersion freezing based on two premises. First, immersion ice nucleation is mediated by the modification of the properties of water near the particle-liquid interface, rather than by the geometry of the ice germ. Second, the same mechanism that leads to the decrease in the work of germ formation also decreases the mobility of water molecules near the immersed particle. These two premises allow establishing general thermodynamic constraints to the ice nucleation rate. Analysis of the new theory shows that active sites likely trigger ice nucleation, but they do not control the overall nucleation rate nor the probability of freezing. It also suggests that materials with different ice nucleation efficiency may exhibit similar freezing temperatures under similar conditions but differ in their sensitivity to particle surface area and cooling rate. Predicted nucleation rates show good agreement with observations for a diverse set of materials including dust, black carbon and bacterial ice nucleating particles. The application of the new theory within the NASA Global Earth System Model (GEOS-5) is also discussed.

  5. Controlled release of Lactobacillus rhamnosus biofilm probiotics from alginate-locust bean gum microcapsules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheow, Wean Sin; Kiew, Tie Yi; Hadinoto, Kunn

    2014-03-15

    Chitosan-coated alginate microcapsules containing high-density biofilm Lactobacillus rhamnosus have been previously shown to exhibit higher freeze drying- and thermal-tolerance than their planktonic counterparts. However, their cell release profile remains poor due to the capsules' susceptibility to the gastric environment. Herein the effects of adding locust bean (LB) and xanthan (XT) gums to alginate (AGN) capsules on the stress tolerance and cell release profiles in simulated gastrointestinal fluids are investigated. Compared to the AGN-only capsules, the AGN-LB capsules exhibit improved stress tolerance (i.e. ≈ 6x for freeze drying, 100x for thermotolerance, 10x for acid), whereas the AGN-XT capsules only improve the acid tolerance. Importantly, the AGN-LB capsules possess the optimal cell release profile with a majority of cells released in the simulated intestinal juice than in the gastric juice. The AGN-LB capsules' superiority is attributed to their stronger interaction with the chitosan coating and high swelling capacity, thus delaying their bulk dissolution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Physical Stability of Freeze-Dried Isomalt Diastereomer Mixtures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Koskinen, Anna-Kaisa; Fraser-Miller, Sara J.; Bøtker, Johan P.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose Isomalt is a sugar alcohol used as an excipient in commercially available solid oral dosage forms. The potential of isomalt as a novel freeze-drying excipient was studied in order to increase knowledge of the behavior of isomalt when it is freeze-dried. Methods Isomalt was freeze-dried in......Purpose Isomalt is a sugar alcohol used as an excipient in commercially available solid oral dosage forms. The potential of isomalt as a novel freeze-drying excipient was studied in order to increase knowledge of the behavior of isomalt when it is freeze-dried. Methods Isomalt was freeze......-dried in four different diastereomer compositions and its physical stability was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, Karl-Fischer titration and thermogravimetric analysis in order to verify the solid state form...... of the diastereomer compositions showed signs of physical instability when stored in the highest relative humidity condition. The four different crystalline diastereomer mixtures showed specific identifiable solid state properties. Conclusions Isomalt was shown to be a suitable excipient for freeze-drying. Preferably...

  7. Freezing as a treatment to prevent the spread of Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in coffee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollingsworth, Robert C; Jang, Eric B; Follett, Peter A

    2013-04-01

    Coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) is the most serious insect pest of coffee around the world. Although it is already present in most of the world's major coffee growing regions, it is important to delay further spread and to prevent reintroductions that might include hyperparasites or improve the genetic base of existing populations. Green coffee is shipped around the world for custom blending and roasting and such shipments carry the risk of spreading H. hampei. We used heavily infested coffee berries as a surrogate for green coffee to test the freezing tolerance of H. hampei. After freezing, all life stages of H. hampei were dissected from coffee berries and mortality was assessed. Counting all life stages, > 15,000 insects were measured in this study. A temperature of approximately -15 degrees C (range, -13.9 to -15.5) for 48 h provided 100% control of all life stages. A logit regression model predicted coffee might be more economical and acceptable compared with fumigation with methyl bromide, especially for small-scale and organic growers and millers in Hawaii who ship green coffee beans to other islands for custom roasting. Freezing treatments could also be used to kill H. hampei in coffee seeds before export with minimal effects on seed germination if coffee seeds are first dried to critical water content levels in accordance with published methods.

  8. Freezing the Master Production Schedule Under Rolling Planning Horizons

    OpenAIRE

    V. Sridharan; William L. Berry; V. Udayabhanu

    1987-01-01

    The stability of the Master Production Schedule (MPS) is a critical issue in managing production operations with a Material Requirements Planning System. One method of achieving stability is to freeze some portion or all of the MPS. While freezing the MPS can limit the number of schedule changes, it can also produce an increase in production and inventory costs. This paper examines three decision variables in freezing the MPS: the freezing method, the freeze interval length, and the planning ...

  9. Optimal management and productivity of Eucalyptus grandis on former phosphate mined and citrus lands in central and southern Florida: influence of genetics and spacing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyle W. Fabbro; Donald L. Rockwood

    2016-01-01

    Eucalyptus short rotation woody crops (SRWC) with superior genotypes are promising in central and south Florida due to their fast growth, freeze resilience, coppicing ability, and site tolerance. Four Eucalyptus grandis cultivars, E.nergy™ G1, G2, G3, and/or G5, were established in 2009 at varying planting densities on a...

  10. On flaw tolerance of nacre: a theoretical study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Yue; Zhao, Hong-Ping; Feng, Xi-Qiao

    2014-01-01

    As a natural composite, nacre has an elegant staggered ‘brick-and-mortar’ microstructure consisting of mineral platelets glued by organic macromolecules, which endows the material with superior mechanical properties to achieve its biological functions. In this paper, a microstructure-based crack-bridging model is employed to investigate how the strength of nacre is affected by pre-existing structural defects. Our analysis demonstrates that owing to its special microstructure and the toughening effect of platelets, nacre has a superior flaw-tolerance feature. The maximal crack size that does not evidently reduce the tensile strength of nacre is up to tens of micrometres, about three orders higher than that of pure aragonite. Through dimensional analysis, a non-dimensional parameter is proposed to quantify the flaw-tolerance ability of nacreous materials in a wide range of structural parameters. This study provides us some inspirations for optimal design of advanced biomimetic composites. PMID:24402917

  11. Comparing contact and immersion freezing from continuous flow diffusion chambers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Nagare

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Ice nucleating particles (INPs in the atmosphere are responsible for glaciating cloud droplets between 237 and 273 K. Different mechanisms of heterogeneous ice nucleation can compete under mixed-phase cloud conditions. Contact freezing is considered relevant because higher ice nucleation temperatures than for immersion freezing for the same INPs were observed. It has limitations because its efficiency depends on the number of collisions between cloud droplets and INPs. To date, direct comparisons of contact and immersion freezing with the same INP, for similar residence times and concentrations, are lacking. This study compares immersion and contact freezing efficiencies of three different INPs. The contact freezing data were obtained with the ETH CoLlision Ice Nucleation CHamber (CLINCH using 80 µm diameter droplets, which can interact with INPs for residence times of 2 and 4 s in the chamber. The contact freezing efficiency was calculated by estimating the number of collisions between droplets and particles. Theoretical formulations of collision efficiencies gave too high freezing efficiencies for all investigated INPs, namely AgI particles with 200 nm electrical mobility diameter, 400 and 800 nm diameter Arizona Test Dust (ATD and kaolinite particles. Comparison of freezing efficiencies by contact and immersion freezing is therefore limited by the accuracy of collision efficiencies. The concentration of particles was 1000 cm−3 for ATD and kaolinite and 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 cm−3 for AgI. For concentrations  <  5000 cm−3, the droplets collect only one particle on average during their time in the chamber. For ATD and kaolinite particles, contact freezing efficiencies at 2 s residence time were smaller than at 4 s, which is in disagreement with a collisional contact freezing process but in accordance with immersion freezing or adhesion freezing. With “adhesion freezing”, we refer to a contact nucleation

  12. 7 CFR 58.620 - Freezing and packaging rooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Freezing and packaging rooms. 58.620 Section 58.620 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards....620 Freezing and packaging rooms. The rooms used for freezing and packaging frozen desserts shall be...

  13. Tolerance to multiple climate stressors: a case study of Douglas-fir drought and cold hardiness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheel Bansal; Connie Harrington; Brad St. Clair

    2016-01-01

    1. Drought and freeze events are two of the most common forms of climate extremes which result in tree damage or death, and the frequency and intensity of both stressors may increase with climate change. Few studies have examined natural covariation in stress tolerance traits to cope with multiple stressors among wild plant populations. 2. We assessed the...

  14. Parameter Sensitivity of the Microdroplet Vacuum Freezing Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhijun Zhang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The vacuum freezing process of microdroplets (1 mm. Pressure and droplet diameter have an effect on cooling and freezing stages, but initial temperature only affects the cooling stage. The thermal conductivity coefficient kl affected the cooling stage, whereas ki affected the freezing stage. Heat capacity Cl affected the cooling stage, but Ci has virtually no effect on all stages. The actual latent heat of freezing ΔH was also affected. Higher density corresponds to lower cooling rate in the cooling stage.

  15. Novel NAC transcription factor TaNAC67 confers enhanced multi-abiotic stress tolerances in Arabidopsis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinguo Mao

    Full Text Available Abiotic stresses are major environmental factors that affect agricultural productivity worldwide. NAC transcription factors play pivotal roles in abiotic stress signaling in plants. As a staple crop, wheat production is severely constrained by abiotic stresses whereas only a few NAC transcription factors have been characterized functionally. To promote the application of NAC genes in wheat improvement by biotechnology, a novel NAC gene designated TaNAC67 was characterized in common wheat. To determine its role, transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing TaNAC67-GFP controlled by the CaMV-35S promoter was generated and subjected to various abiotic stresses for morphological and physiological assays. Gene expression showed that TaNAC67 was involved in response to drought, salt, cold and ABA treatments. Localization assays revealed that TaNAC67 localized in the nucleus. Morphological analysis indicated the transgenics had enhanced tolerances to drought, salt and freezing stresses, simultaneously supported by enhanced expression of multiple abiotic stress responsive genes and improved physiological traits, including strengthened cell membrane stability, retention of higher chlorophyll contents and Na(+ efflux rates, improved photosynthetic potential, and enhanced water retention capability. Overexpression of TaNAC67 resulted in pronounced enhanced tolerances to drought, salt and freezing stresses, therefore it has potential for utilization in transgenic breeding to improve abiotic stress tolerance in crops.

  16. Air-cooled steam condensers non-freeze warranties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larinoff, M.W.

    1995-09-01

    What this paper is suggesting is the seller quote a condenser package with a LIMITED NON-FREEZE WARRANTY. Relieve the inexperienced buyer of the responsibility for selecting freeze protection design options. The seller cannot afford to over-design because of the added costs and the need for a competitive price. Yet he cannot under-design and allow the condenser tubes to freeze periodically and then pay the repair bills in accordance with the warranty.

  17. Cold tolerance and photosystem function in a montane red spruce population: physiological relationships with foliar carbohydrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    P.G. Shaberg; G.R. Strimbeck; G.J. Hawley; D.H. DeHayes; J.B. Shane; P.F. Murakami; T.D. Perkins; J.R. Donnelly; B.L. Wong

    2000-01-01

    Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) growing in northern montane forests of eastern North America appears to be distinctive with respect to at least two aspects of winter physiology. First, red spruce attains only a modest level of midwinter cold tolerance compared to other north temperate conifers and appears barely capable of avoiding freezing injury at...

  18. Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel freezing-inducible DREB1/CBF transcription factor gene in boreal plant Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhuo Huang

    Full Text Available Abstract DREB1 of the AP2/ERF superfamily plays a key role in the regulation of plant response to low temperatures. In this study, a novel DREB1/CBF transcription factor, PnDREB1, was isolated from Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule, a plant adaptive to low temperature environments. It is homologous to the known DREB1s of Arabidopsis and other plant species. It also shares similar 3D structure, and conserved and functionally important motifs with DREB1s of Arabidopsis. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the AP2 domain of PnDREB1 is similar to those of Glycine max, Medicago truncatula, and M. sativa. PnDREB1 is constitutively expressed in diverse tissues and is increased in roots. qPCR analyses indicated that PnDREB1 is significantly induced by freezing treatment as well as by abscissic acid. The expression levels induced by freezing treatment were higher in the variety with higher degree of freezing tolerance. These results suggested that PnDREB1 is a novel and functional DREB1 transcription factor involved in freezing response and possibly in other abiotic stresses. Furthermore, the freezing-induction could be suppressed by exogenous gibberellins acid, indicating that PnDREB1 might play some role in the GA signaling transduction pathway. This study provides a basis for better understanding the roles of DREB1 in adaption of Iceland poppy to low temperatures.

  19. Study on dewatering of chemical sludge by freeze-thaw process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Shikun; Liu Pin

    1993-01-01

    The treatment of radioactive sludge that is produced from treating radioactive waste water contains radioactively is different from that of non-radioactive sludge. The methods of immersing freeze and simulated two-step freeze have been studied for the elementary properties of simulated low-level radioactive sledge, the effect of freezing temperature, freeze time, and settling time on volume-reduction factor. Some parameters for design of freeze-thaw device are provided

  20. Screening for Terminal Drought Tolerance in Iranian and Exotic Safflower Genotypes Using Drought Tolerance and Susceptibility Indices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Maleki Nejad

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This research was conducted to evaluate drought tolerance of safflower genotypes (Carthamus tinctorius L. at the research farm of Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran during growing season of 2012. One hundred genotypes including 81 foreign genotypes along with 19 Iranian genotypes were evaluated under normal and moisture stress conditions according to a simple lattice design with two replications. Drought tolerance and sensitivity indices including mean productivity (MP, geometric mean productivity (GMP, stress tolerance index (STI, tolerance (TOL and stress susceptibility index (SSI were studied. Results of this study indicated that genotypes were significantly different for grain yield in both moisture conditions. Among all indices, MP, GMP and STI were identified as the best indices that can be used to determine tolerant genotypes. Based on MP, GMP and STI and also principal component analysis PI 369847 (Tajikistan, CART 56 (USA, PI 657820 (Jordan, PI 305527 (Soudan were determined as the most tolerant genotypes and PI 537652 (Mexico, CART 131 (Prague, PI 470942 (Bangladesh, PI 209286 (Romania and CART 32 (German as the most sensitive ones. Results also indicated that the biplot of principal component analysis is a powerful technique to discriminate genotypes based on the measured indices. The superior safflower genotypes can be used in future breeding programs.

  1. Hot big bang or slow freeze?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetterich, C.

    2014-09-01

    We confront the big bang for the beginning of the universe with an equivalent picture of a slow freeze - a very cold and slowly evolving universe. In the freeze picture the masses of elementary particles increase and the gravitational constant decreases with cosmic time, while the Newtonian attraction remains unchanged. The freeze and big bang pictures both describe the same observations or physical reality. We present a simple ;crossover model; without a big bang singularity. In the infinite past space-time is flat. Our model is compatible with present observations, describing the generation of primordial density fluctuations during inflation as well as the present transition to a dark energy-dominated universe.

  2. Recent developments in smart freezing technology applied to fresh foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ji-Cheng; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Adhikari, Benu

    2017-09-02

    Due to the increased awareness of consumers in sensorial and nutritional quality of frozen foods, the freezing technology has to seek new and innovative technologies for better retaining the fresh like quality of foods. In this article, we review the recent developments in smart freezing technology applied to fresh foods. The application of these intelligent technologies and the associated underpinning concepts have greatly improved the quality of frozen foods and the freezing efficiency. These technologies are able to automatically collect the information in-line during freezing and help control the freezing process better. Smart freezing technology includes new and intelligent technologies and concepts applied to the pretreatment of the frozen product, freezing processes, cold chain logistics as well as warehouse management. These technologies enable real-time monitoring of quality during the freezing process and help improve product quality and freezing efficiency. We also provide a brief overview of several sensing technologies used to achieve automatic control of individual steps of freezing process. These sensing technologies include computer vision, electronic nose, electronic tongue, digital simulation, confocal laser, near infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance technology and ultrasound. Understanding of the mechanism of these new technologies will be helpful for applying them to improve the quality of frozen foods.

  3. ESKIMO1 is a key gene involved in water economy as well as cold acclimation and salt tolerance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bouchabke-Coussa, O.; Quashie, M.L.; Seoane, Jose Miguel

    2008-01-01

    's improved tolerance to reduced water supply may be explained by its lower transpiration rate and better water use efficiency (WUE), which was assessed by carbon isotope discrimination and gas exchange measurements. esk1 alleles were also shown to be more tolerant to salt stress. Transcriptomic analysis......Background: Drought is a major social and economic problem resulting in huge yield reduction in the field. Today's challenge is to develop plants with reduced water requirements and stable yields in fluctuating environmental conditions. Arabidopsis thaliana is an excellent model for identifying...... as a key gene involved in plant water economy as well as cold acclimation and salt tolerance. Results: All esk1 mutants were more tolerant to freezing, after acclimation, than their wild type counterpart. esk1 mutants also showed increased tolerance to mild water deficit for all traits measured. The mutant...

  4. Cryopreserving turkey semen in straws and nitrogen vapour using DMSO or DMA: effects of cryoprotectant concentration, freezing rate and thawing rate on post-thaw semen quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iaffaldano, N; Di Iorio, M; Miranda, M; Zaniboni, L; Manchisi, A; Cerolini, S

    2016-04-01

    1. This study was designed to identify a suitable protocol for freezing turkey semen in straws exposed to nitrogen vapour by examining the effects of dimethylacetamide (DMA) or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as cryoprotectant (CPA), CPA concentration, freezing rate and thawing rate on in vitro post-thaw semen quality. 2. Pooled semen samples were diluted 1:1 (v:v) with a freezing extender composed of Tselutin diluent containing DMA or DMSO to give final concentrations of 8% or 18% DMA and 4% or 10% DMSO. The semen was packaged in 0.25 ml plastic straws and frozen at different heights above the liquid nitrogen (LN2) surface (1, 5 and 10 cm) for 10 min. Semen samples were thawed at 4°C for 5 min or at 50°C for 10 s. After thawing, sperm motility, viability and osmotic tolerance were determined. 3. Cryosurvival of turkey sperm was affected by DMSO concentration. Freezing rate affected the motility of sperm cryopreserved using both CPAs, while thawing rates showed an effect on the motility of sperm cryopreserved using DMA and on the viability of sperm cryopreserved using DMSO. Significant interactions between freezing rate × thawing rate on sperm viability in the DMA protocol were found. 4. The most effective freezing protocol was the use of 18% DMA or 10% DMSO with freezing 10 cm above the LN2 surface and a thawing temperature of 50°C. An efficient protocol for turkey semen would improve prospects for sperm cryobanks and the commercial use of frozen turkey semen.

  5. Freeze-all cycle for all normal responders?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roque, Matheus; Valle, Marcello; Guimarães, Fernando; Sampaio, Marcos; Geber, Selmo

    2017-02-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the freeze-all strategy in subgroups of normal responders, to assess whether this strategy is beneficial regardless of ovarian response, and to evaluate the possibility of implementing an individualized embryo transfer (iET) based on ovarian response. This was an observational, cohort study performed in a private IVF center. A total of 938 IVF cycles were included in this study. The patients were submitted to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol and a cleavage-stage day 3 embryo transfer. We performed a comparison of outcomes between the fresh embryo transfer (n = 523) and the freeze-all cycles (n = 415). The analysis was performed in two subgroups of patients based on the number of retrieved oocytes: Group 1 (4-9 oocytes) and Group 2 (10-15 oocytes). In Group 1 (4-9 retrieved oocytes), the implantation rates (IR) were 17.9 and 20.5% (P = 0.259) in the fresh and freeze-all group, respectively; the ongoing pregnancy rates (OPR) were 31 and 33% (P = 0.577) in the fresh and freeze-all group, respectively. In Group 2 (10-15 oocytes), the IR were 22.1 and 30.1% (P = 0.028) and the OPR were 34 and 47% (P = 0.021) in the fresh and freeze-all groups, respectively. Although the freeze-all policy may be related to better in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in normal responders, these potential advantages decrease with worsening ovarian response. Patients with poorer ovarian response do not benefit from the freeze-all strategy.

  6. Rational design of an influenza subunit vaccine powder with sugar glass technology : preventing conformational changes of haemagglutinin during freezing and freeze-drying

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Amorij, J-P; Meulenaar, J; Hinrichs, W L J; Stegmann, T; Huckriede, A; Coenen, F; Frijlink, H W

    2007-01-01

    The development of a stable influenza subunit vaccine in the dry state was investigated. The influence of various carbohydrates, buffer types and freezing rates on the integrity of haemagglutinin after freeze-thawing or freeze-drying was investigated with a range of analytical and immunological

  7. Medical and social egg freezing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lallemant, Camille; Vassard, Ditte; Andersen, Anders Nyboe

    2016-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Until recently, limited options for preserving fertility in order to delay childbearing were available. Although egg freezing and successful thawing is now possible, it remains unclear to what extent women are aware of the availability of this technique, their attitudes towards its...... use, or the circumstances under which this technique may be considered. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was designed to investigate knowledge and attitudes of women in Denmark and the UK on egg freezing and their potential intentions regarding the procedure. RESULTS: Data...... was collected from September 2012 to September 2013 and the responses of 973 women were analyzed. In total, 83% of women reported having heard of egg freezing, and nearly all considered it acceptable for medical indications, whilst 89% considered it acceptable for social reasons. Overall, 19% expressed active...

  8. Effect of the winter wheat cheyenne 5A substituted chromosome on dynamics of abscisic acid and cytokinins in freezing-sensitive Chinese spring genetic background

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kalapos, S.; Novák, A.; Dobrev, Petre; Vítámvás, P.; Marincs, F.; Galiba, G.; Vaňková, Radomíra

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 8, NOV 29 (2017), č. článku 2033. ISSN 1664-462X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-06613S; GA MZe QJ1530373 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : Abscisic acid * Cold treatment * Cytokinin * Freezing tolerance * Gene expression * Phytohormones * Triticum aestivum Subject RIV: EF - Botanics OBOR OECD: Plant sciences, botany Impact factor: 4.298, year: 2016

  9. Response of seasonal soil freeze depth to climate change across China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Tingjun; Frauenfeld, Oliver W.; Wang, Kang; Cao, Bin; Zhong, Xinyue; Su, Hang; Mu, Cuicui

    2017-05-01

    The response of seasonal soil freeze depth to climate change has repercussions for the surface energy and water balance, ecosystems, the carbon cycle, and soil nutrient exchange. Despite its importance, the response of soil freeze depth to climate change is largely unknown. This study employs the Stefan solution and observations from 845 meteorological stations to investigate the response of variations in soil freeze depth to climate change across China. Observations include daily air temperatures, daily soil temperatures at various depths, mean monthly gridded air temperatures, and the normalized difference vegetation index. Results show that soil freeze depth decreased significantly at a rate of -0.18 ± 0.03 cm yr-1, resulting in a net decrease of 8.05 ± 1.5 cm over 1967-2012 across China. On the regional scale, soil freeze depth decreases varied between 0.0 and 0.4 cm yr-1 in most parts of China during 1950-2009. By investigating potential climatic and environmental driving factors of soil freeze depth variability, we find that mean annual air temperature and ground surface temperature, air thawing index, ground surface thawing index, and vegetation growth are all negatively associated with soil freeze depth. Changes in snow depth are not correlated with soil freeze depth. Air and ground surface freezing indices are positively correlated with soil freeze depth. Comparing these potential driving factors of soil freeze depth, we find that freezing index and vegetation growth are more strongly correlated with soil freeze depth, while snow depth is not significant. We conclude that air temperature increases are responsible for the decrease in seasonal freeze depth. These results are important for understanding the soil freeze-thaw dynamics and the impacts of soil freeze depth on ecosystem and hydrological process.

  10. Effects of freezing conditions on quality changes in blueberries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Xuehui; Zhang, Fangfang; Zhao, Dongyu; Zhu, Danshi; Li, Jianrong

    2018-03-12

    Freezing preservation is one of the most effective methods used to maintain the flavour and nutritional value of fruit. This research studied the effects of different freezing conditions, -20 °C, -40 °C, -80 °C, and immersion in liquid nitrogen, on quality changes of freeze-thawed blueberries. The water distribution estimates of blueberries were measured based on low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) analysis. The pectin content, drip loss, and fruit texture were also detected to evaluate quality changes in samples. The freezing curves of blueberry showed super-cooling points at -20 °C and - 40 °C, whereas super-cooling points were not observed at -80 °C or in liquid nitrogen. After freeze-thaw treatment, the relaxation time of the cell wall water (T 21 ), cytoplasm water and extracellular space (T 22 ), and vacuole water (T 23 ) were significantly shortened compared to fresh samples, which suggested a lower liquidity. Although the freezing speed for samples immersed in liquid nitrogen was faster than other treatments, samples treated at -80 °C showed better quality regarding vacuole water holding, drip loss, and original pectin content retention. This study contributed to understanding how freezing temperature affects the qualities of blueberries. The super-fast freezing rate might injure fruit, and an appropriate freezing rate could better preserve blueberries. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

  11. The freezing and supercooling of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    James, Christian; Seignemartin, Violaine; James, Stephen J. [Food Refrigeration and Process Engineering Research Centre (FRPERC), University of Bristol, Churchill Building, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU (United Kingdom)

    2009-03-15

    This work shows that peeled garlic cloves demonstrate significant supercooling during freezing under standard conditions and can be stored at temperatures well below their freezing point (-2.7 C) without freezing. The nucleation point or 'metastable limit temperature' (the point at which ice crystal nucleation is initiated) of peeled garlic cloves was found to be between -7.7 and -14.6 C. Peeled garlic cloves were stored under static air conditions at temperatures between -6 and -9 C for up to 69 h without freezing, and unpeeled whole garlic bulbs and cloves were stored for 1 week at -6 C without freezing. (author)

  12. Effect of freezing conditions on β-Tricalcium Phosphate /Camphene scaffold with micro sized particles fabricated by freeze casting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Gurdev; Soundarapandian, S

    2018-03-01

    The long standing need of the implant manufacturing industries is to fabricate multi-matrix, customized porous scaffold as cost-effectively. In recent years, freeze casting has shown greater opportunity in the fabrication of porous scaffolds (tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, bioglass, alumina, etc.) such as at ease and good control over pore size, porosity, a range of materials and economic feasibility. In particular, tricalcium phosphate (TCP) has proved as it possesses good biocompatible (osteoinduction, osteoconduction, etc.) and biodegradability hence beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP, particle size of 10µm) was used as base material and camphene was used as a freezing vehicle in this study. Both freezing conditions such as constant freezing temperature (CFT) and constant freezing rate (CFR) were used for six different conditional samples (CFT: 30, 35 and 40vol% solid loading; similarly CFR: 30, 35 and 40vol% solid loading) to study and understand the effect of various properties (pore size, porosity and compressive strength) of the freeze-cast porous scaffold. It was observed that the average size of the pore was varying linearly as from lower to higher when the solid loading was varying higher to lower. With the help of scanning electron micrographs (SEM), it was observed that the average size of pore during CFR (9.7/ 6.5/ 4.9µm) was comparatively higher than the process of CFT (6.0/ 4.8/ 2.6µm) with respect to the same solid loading (30/ 35/ 40vol%) conditions. From the Gas pycnometer analysis, it was found that the porosity in both freezing conditions (CFT, CFR) were almost near values such as 32.8% and 28.5%. Further to be observed that with the increase in solid loading, the total porosity value has decreased due to the reduction in the concentration of the freezing vehicle. Hence, the freezing vehicle was found as responsible for the formation of appropriate size and orientation of pores during freeze casting. The compressive strength (CS

  13. Changes of hydrogen peroxide and radical-scavenging activity of raspberry during osmotic, convective, and freeze-drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novaković, Miroslav M; Stevanović, Snežana M; Gorjanović, Stanislava Ž; Jovanovic, Predrag M; Tešević, Vele V; Janković, Miodrag A; Sužnjević, Desanka Ž

    2011-05-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the influence of different drying treatments on antioxidant (AO) activity and phenolic content of raspberry (Rubus idaeus), cultivar Willamette. Whole raspberry fruits were dried convectively (air-drying), osmotically, and freeze-dried. Acetone-water extracts of fresh and dried raspberries were assessed for total phenolic content by standard Folin-Ciocalteau method. Two AO assays were applied, a recently developed direct current (DC) polarographic assay based on decrease of anodic oxidation current of hydrogen peroxide and widely used radical scavenge against the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Strong correlation has been obtained between both AO assays and total phenolic content. In addition, some individual phenolic compounds present in raspberry have been assessed using DPPH and DC polarographic assay. Comparison and evaluation of drying methods has been based on preservation of AO activity and total phenolic content. Obtained results confirmed superiority of freeze-drying; convective drying caused slight changes while osmotic dehydration showed a significant decrease of phenolic compounds and AO activity. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

  14. The choice of a suitable oligosaccharide to prevent aggregation of PEGylated nanoparticles during freeze thawing and freeze drying

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hinrichs, Wouter; Manceñido, F A; Sanders, N N; Braeckmans, K; De Smedt, S C; Demeester, J; Frijlink, H W

    2006-01-01

    In a previous Study we have shown that the oligosaccharide inulin can prevent aggregation of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) coated plasmid DNA/cationic liposome complexes ('' PEGylated lipoplexes '') during freeze thawing and freeze drying [Hinrichs et al., 2005. J. Control. Release 103, 465]. By

  15. Faktor Influencing the Vacuum Freezing Rate of Liquid Food

    OpenAIRE

    Tambunan, Armansyah H

    2000-01-01

    Many,freezing methods, mechanicul as well as cryogenic, have been in wide application in food industries. Each method has its own advantage, but in regard with the food quality, freezing rule can be accomplished by the method is one of the tnost important factors. Nowadays, many researchers are conducting experiment in order to enhance thefi.eezing rate. This paper deals with the advantage of vacuum freezing method in enhancing the freezing rate and its applicability for liquidfood.Experinren...

  16. Increased spring freezing vulnerability for alpine shrubs under early snowmelt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheeler, J A; Hoch, G; Cortés, A J; Sedlacek, J; Wipf, S; Rixen, C

    2014-05-01

    Alpine dwarf shrub communities are phenologically linked with snowmelt timing, so early spring exposure may increase risk of freezing damage during early development, and consequently reduce seasonal growth. We examined whether environmental factors (duration of snow cover, elevation) influenced size and the vulnerability of shrubs to spring freezing along elevational gradients and snow microhabitats by modelling the past frequency of spring freezing events. We sampled biomass and measured the size of Salix herbacea, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum and Loiseleuria procumbens in late spring. Leaves were exposed to freezing temperatures to determine the temperature at which 50% of specimens are killed for each species and sampling site. By linking site snowmelt and temperatures to long-term climate measurements, we extrapolated the frequency of spring freezing events at each elevation, snow microhabitat and per species over 37 years. Snowmelt timing was significantly driven by microhabitat effects, but was independent of elevation. Shrub growth was neither enhanced nor reduced by earlier snowmelt, but decreased with elevation. Freezing resistance was strongly species dependent, and did not differ along the elevation or snowmelt gradient. Microclimate extrapolation suggested that potentially lethal freezing events (in May and June) occurred for three of the four species examined. Freezing events never occurred on late snow beds, and increased in frequency with earlier snowmelt and higher elevation. Extrapolated freezing events showed a slight, non-significant increase over the 37-year record. We suggest that earlier snowmelt does not enhance growth in four dominant alpine shrubs, but increases the risk of lethal spring freezing exposure for less freezing-resistant species.

  17. Hot big bang or slow freeze?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetterich, C.

    2014-09-07

    We confront the big bang for the beginning of the universe with an equivalent picture of a slow freeze — a very cold and slowly evolving universe. In the freeze picture the masses of elementary particles increase and the gravitational constant decreases with cosmic time, while the Newtonian attraction remains unchanged. The freeze and big bang pictures both describe the same observations or physical reality. We present a simple “crossover model” without a big bang singularity. In the infinite past space–time is flat. Our model is compatible with present observations, describing the generation of primordial density fluctuations during inflation as well as the present transition to a dark energy-dominated universe.

  18. Hot big bang or slow freeze?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wetterich, C.

    2014-01-01

    We confront the big bang for the beginning of the universe with an equivalent picture of a slow freeze — a very cold and slowly evolving universe. In the freeze picture the masses of elementary particles increase and the gravitational constant decreases with cosmic time, while the Newtonian attraction remains unchanged. The freeze and big bang pictures both describe the same observations or physical reality. We present a simple “crossover model” without a big bang singularity. In the infinite past space–time is flat. Our model is compatible with present observations, describing the generation of primordial density fluctuations during inflation as well as the present transition to a dark energy-dominated universe

  19. Hot big bang or slow freeze?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Wetterich

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available We confront the big bang for the beginning of the universe with an equivalent picture of a slow freeze — a very cold and slowly evolving universe. In the freeze picture the masses of elementary particles increase and the gravitational constant decreases with cosmic time, while the Newtonian attraction remains unchanged. The freeze and big bang pictures both describe the same observations or physical reality. We present a simple “crossover model” without a big bang singularity. In the infinite past space–time is flat. Our model is compatible with present observations, describing the generation of primordial density fluctuations during inflation as well as the present transition to a dark energy-dominated universe.

  20. FREEZE DRYING PROCESS: A REVIEW

    OpenAIRE

    Soham Shukla

    2011-01-01

    Among the various methods of drying, this article has mentioned only one most important method, “Freeze drying”. This method is mainly used for the drying of thermo labile materials. This method works on the principle of sublimation. This method is divided into 3 steps for its better understanding; these are Freezing, Primary drying, and secondary drying. There are many advantages and disadvantages of this method, but still this is the most useful drying method nowadays.

  1. Optimization of protectant, salinity and freezing condition for freeze-drying preservation of Edwardsiella tarda

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yongxiang; Zhang, Zheng; Wang, Yingeng; Liao, Meijie; Li, Bin; Xue, Liangyi

    2017-10-01

    Novel preservation condition without ultra-low temperature is needed for the study of pathogen in marine fishes. Freeze-drying is such a method usually used for preservation of terrigenous bacteria. However, studies using freeze-drying method to preserving marine microorganisms remain very limited. In this study, we optimized the composition of protectants during the freeze-drying of Edwardsiella tarda, a fish pathogen that causes systemic infection in marine fishes. We found that the optimal composition of protectant mixture contained trehalose (8.0%), skim milk (12.0%), sodium citrate (2.0%), serum (12.0%) and PVP (2.0%). Orthogonal and interaction analyses demonstrated the interaction between serum and skim milk or sodium citrate. The highest survival rate of E. tarda was observed when the concentration of NaCl was 10.0, 30.0 and between 5.0 and 10.0 g L-1 for preparing TSB medium, E. tarda suspension and protectant mixture, respectively. When E. tarda was frozen at -80°C or -40°C for 6 h, its survival rate was higher than that under other tested conditions. Under the optimized conditions, when the protectant mixture was used during freeze-drying process, the survival rate (79.63%-82.30%) of E. tarda was significantly higher than that obtained using single protectant. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image indicated that E. tarda was embedded in thick matrix with detectable aggregation. In sum, the protectant mixture may be used as a novel cryoprotective additive for E. tarda.

  2. Optimization Of Freeze-Dried Starter For Yogurt By Full Factorial Experimental Design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen He

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available With the rapidly development of fermented milk product, it is significant for enhancing the performance of starter culture. This paper not only investigated the influence of anti-freeze factors and freeze-drying protective agents on viable count, freeze-drying survival rate and yield of Lactobacillus bulgaricus (LB and Streptococcus thermophilus (ST, but also optimized the bacteria proportion of freeze-dried starter culture for yogurt by full factorial experimental design. The results showed as following: the freeze-drying protective agents or anti-freeze factors could enhanced survival rate of LB and ST; the freeze-dried LB and ST powders containing both of anti-freeze factors and freeze-drying protective agents had higher viable count and freeze-drying survival rate that were 84.7% and 79.7% respectively; In terms of fermentation performance, the best group of freeze-dried starter for yogurt was the compound of LB3 and ST2.

  3. (Mis)placed central venous catheter in the left superior intercostal vein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Padovan, Ranka Stern; Paar, Maja Hrabak; Aurer, Igor

    2010-01-01

    Chest X-ray is routinely performed to check the position of the central venous catheter (CVC) inserted through the internal jugular or subclavian vein, while the further evaluation of CVC malfunction is usually performed by contrast venography. In patients with superior vena cava obstruction, the tip of the catheter is often seen in collateral mediastinal venous pathways, rather than in the superior vena cava. In such cases detailed knowledge of thoracic vessel anatomy is necessary to identify the exact location of the catheter. We report a case of 32-year-old female patient with relapsing mediastinal lymphoma and previous superior vena cava obstruction with collateral azygos-hemiazygos venous pathways. The patient had CVC inserted through the left subclavian vein and its position was detected by CT to be in the dilated left superior intercostal vein and accessory hemiazygos vein. Considering that dilated accessory hemiazygos vein can tolerate infusion, the CVC was left in place and the patient had no complaints related to CVC (mal)position. Furthermore, we present anatomical and radiological observations on the azygos-hemiazygos venous system with the special emphasis on the left superior intercostal vein. Non-contrast CT scans can be a valuable imaging tool in the detection of the CVC position, especially in patients with renal insufficiency and contrast media hypersensitivity

  4. A rapidly negotiable first-stage nuclear freeze

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1988-01-01

    This paper reports on the objective of a nuclear freeze which is to slow down or stop the so-far inexorable development and deployment of more and more (read destructive and deadly) nuclear warheads. The essential notion is not new. The proposed treaty for a comprehensive ban on nuclear tests that was very nearly negotiated in 1959 was perhaps the first serious effort to obtain a nuclear freeze, albeit a partial one. Growing concern about the nuclear arms race has led to greatly increased interest in much broader and more effective freezes. A comprehensive nuclear freeze, one that would stop all stages in the manufacture, testing, and deployment of nuclear warheads, would clearly be very desirable and have a great impact. It would not, however, deal with the other worrisome aspects of nuclear weapons, which is the very large number of such weapons that already exist

  5. Mechanisms of deterioration of nutrients. [improved quality of freeze-dried foods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karel, M.; Flink, J. M.

    1978-01-01

    Methods for improving the quality of freeze-dried foods were investigated. Areas discussed include: (1) microstructure of freeze-dried systems, (2) structural changes in freeze-dried systems, (3) artificial food matrices, and (4) osmotic preconcentration to yield improved freeze-dried products.

  6. Cost-Effectiveness of the Freeze-All Policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roque, Matheus; Valle, Marcello; Guimarães, Fernando; Sampaio, Marcos; Geber, Selmo

    2015-08-01

    To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of freeze-all cycles when compared to fresh embryo transfer. This was an observational study with a cost-effectiveness analysis. The analysis consisted of 530 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles in a private center in Brazil between January 2012 and December 2013. A total of 530 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles - 351 fresh embryo transfers and 179 freeze-all cycles - with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol and day 3 embryo transfers. The pregnancy rate was 31.1% in the fresh group and 39.7% in the freeze-all group. We performed two scenario analyses for costs. In scenario 1, we included those costs associated with the ICSI cycle (monitoring during controlled ovarian stimulation [COS], oocyte retrieval, embryo transfer, IVF laboratory, and medical costs), embryo cryopreservation of supernumerary embryos, hormone measurements during COS and endometrial priming, medication use (during COS, endometrial priming, and luteal phase support), ultrasound scan for frozen- thawed embryo transfer (FET), obstetric ultrasounds, and miscarriage. The total cost (in USD) per pregnancy was statistically lower in the freeze-all cycles (19,156.73 ± 1,732.99) when compared to the fresh cycles (23,059.72 ± 2,347.02). Even in Scenario 2, when charging all of the patients in the freeze-all group for cryopreservation (regardless of supernumerary embryos) and for FET, the fresh cycles had a statistically significant increase in treatment costs per ongoing pregnancy. The results presented in this study suggest that the freeze-all policy is a cost-effective strategy when compared to fresh embryo transfer.

  7. Applications of Simulator Freeze to Carrier Glideslope Tracking Instruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-07-01

    Showing Datum Bars and Meatball . .. .. .. ... .. ... .... 19 4 Freezes Per Trial Averaged Across Freeze Conditions and Across 4-Trial Blocks of Training...algorithm linearly increased the criterion in meatball units from 1.0 at 6000 feet from the ramp to 1.5 at the ramp. "Freezes" did not occur beyond 6000

  8. Freeze block testing of buried waste lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robbins, E.D.; Willi, J.C.

    1976-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to demonstrate application of freeze blocking in waste transfer lines such that a hydrostatic pressure test can be applied. A shop test was conducted on a 20-foot length, 3-inch schedule 40, carbon steel pipe using a coolant of dry ice and Freon. The positive results from these tests prompted a similar employment of the freeze block method in hydrostatic pressure testing the feed inlet leading to 241-S-101 Waste Tank. This pipeline is a 3-inch schedule 10, stainless steel pipe approximately 800 feet long. The freeze block was formed near the lower end of the pipe as it entered the 101-S Waste Tank and a pressure hold test was applied to this pipeline. This test proved the integrity of the pipeline in question, and demonstrated the validity of freeze blocking an open-ended pipeline which could not be hydrotested in other conventional ways. The field demonstration facility, costing $30,200 was completed late in 1975

  9. Predictive modeling of freezing and thawing of frost-susceptible soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Frost depth is an essential factor in design of various transportation infrastructures. In frost : susceptible soils, as soils freezes, water migrates through the soil voids below the freezing line : towards the freezing front and causes excessive he...

  10. Multiple Glass Transitions and Freezing Events of Aqueous Citric Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Calorimetric and optical cryo-microscope measurements of 10–64 wt % citric acid (CA) solutions subjected to moderate (3 K/min) and slow (0.5 and 0.1 K/min) cooling/warming rates and also to quenching/moderate warming between 320 and 133 K are presented. Depending on solution concentration and cooling rate, the obtained thermograms show one freezing event and from one to three liquid–glass transitions upon cooling and from one to six liquid–glass and reverse glass–liquid transitions, one or two freezing events, and one melting event upon warming of frozen/glassy CA/H2O. The multiple freezing events and glass transitions pertain to the mother CA/H2O solution itself and two freeze-concentrated solution regions, FCS1 and FCS2, of different concentrations. The FCS1 and FCS2 (or FCS22) are formed during the freezing of CA/H2O upon cooling and/or during the freezing upon warming of partly glassy or entirely glassy mother CA/H2O. The formation of two FCS1 and FCS22 regions during the freezing upon warming to our best knowledge has never been reported before. Using an optical cryo-microscope, we are able to observe the formation of a continuous ice framework (IF) and its morphology and reciprocal distribution of IF/(FCS1 + FCS2). Our results provide a new look at the freezing and glass transition behavior of aqueous solutions and can be used for the optimization of lyophilization and freezing of foods and biopharmaceutical formulations, among many other applications where freezing plays a crucial role. PMID:25482069

  11. Application of freeze-drying technology in manufacturing orally disintegrating films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liew, Kai Bin; Odeniyi, Michael Ayodele; Peh, Kok-Khiang

    2016-01-01

    Freeze drying technology has not been maximized and reported in manufacturing orally disintegrating films. The aim of this study was to explore the freeze drying technology in the formulation of sildenafil orally disintegrating films and compare the physical properties with heat-dried orally disintegrating film. Central composite design was used to investigate the effects of three factors, namely concentration of carbopol, wheat starch and polyethylene glycol 400 on the tensile strength and disintegration time of the film. Heat-dried films had higher tensile strength than films prepared using freeze-dried method. For folding endurance, freeze-dried films showed improved endurance than heat-dried films. Moreover, films prepared using freeze-dried methods were thicker and had faster disintegration time. Formulations with higher amount of carbopol and starch showed higher tensile strength and thickness whereas formulations with higher PEG 400 content showed better flexibility. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the freeze-dried films had more porous structure compared to the heat-dried film as a result of the release of water molecule from the frozen structure when it was subjected to freeze drying process. The sildenafil film was palatable. The dissolution profiles of freeze-dried and heat-dried films were similar to Viagra® with f2 of 51.04 and 65.98, respectively.

  12. Three-Dimensional Microstructure of Biological Tissues during Freezing and Thawing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishiguro, Hiroshi; Horimizu, Takashi; Kataori, Akinobu; Kajigaya, Hiroshi

    Three-dimensional behavior of ice crystals and cells during the freezing and thawing of biological tissues was investigated microscopically in real time by using a confocal laser scanning microscope(CLSM) and a fluorescent dye, acridine orange (AO). Fresh tender meat (2nd pectoral muscles) of chicken was stained with the AO in physiological saline to distinguish ice crystals and cells by their different colors, and then frozen and thawed under two different thermal protocols: a) slow-cooling and rapid-warming and b) rapid-cooling and rapid-warming. The CLSM noninvasively produced optical tomograms of the tissues to clarify the pattern of freezing, morphology of ice crystals in the tissues, and the interaction between ice crystals and cells. Also, the tissues were morphologically investigated by pathological means after the freezing and thawing. Typical freezing pattern during the slow-cooling was extracellular-freezing, and those during the rapid-cooling were extracellular-freezing and intracellular freezing with a lot of fine ice crystals in the cells. Cracks caused by the extracellular and intracellular ice crystals remained in the muscle tissues after the thawing. The results obtained by using the CLSM/dye method were consistent with pathologically morphological changes in the tissues through freezing and thawing.

  13. The effect of leaf shape on the thermoregulation and frost tolerance of an annual vine, Ipomoea hederacea (Convolvulaceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campitelli, Brandon E; Gorton, Amanda J; Ostevik, Katherine L; Stinchcombe, John R

    2013-11-01

    Leaf shape is predicted to have important ecophysiological consequences; for example, theory predicts that lobed leaves should track air temperature more closely than their entire-margined counterparts. Hence, leaf-lobing may be advantageous during cold nights (∼0°C) when there is the risk of damage by radiation frost (a phenomenon whereby leaves fall below air temperature because of an imbalance between radiational heat loss and convective heat gain). Here, we test whether radiation frost can lead to differential damage between leaf shapes by examining a leaf-shape polymorphism in Ipomoea hederacea, where leaves are either lobed or heart-shaped depending on a single Mendelian locus. We logged leaf temperature during midautumn, and measured chlorophyll fluorescence and survival as proxies of performance. Furthermore, we tested if the leaf-shape locus confers freezing tolerance using freezing assays on leaf tissue from different leaf shapes. We found that lobed leaves consistently remain warmer than heart-shaped leaves during the night, but that no pattern emerged during the day, and that temperature differences between leaf shapes were typically small. Furthermore, we found that leaf types did not differ in frost tolerance, but that a 1°C decrease leads to a transition from moderate to complete damage. Our results demonstrate that Ipomoea hederacea leaf shapes do experience different nighttime temperatures, and that only minor temperature differences can lead to disparate levels of freezing damage, suggesting that the differential thermoregulation could result in different levels of frost damage.

  14. Static delectric behavior of charged fluids near freezing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fasolino, A.; Parrinello, M.; Tosi, M.P.

    1978-01-01

    The wavenumber-dependent, static dielectric function of classical charged fluids near freezing is obtained from structural data based on computer simulation or neutron diffraction, and its behavior is connected with the freezing process. (Auth.)

  15. Cryogenic freezing of fresh date fruits for quality preservation during frozen storage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Alhamdan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Fresh date fruits, especially Barhi cultivar, are favored and widely consumed at the Khalal maturity stage (first color edible stage. These fruits are seasonal and perishable and there is a need for extending their shelf life. This study evaluates two different freezing methods, namely cryogenic freezing using liquid nitrogen and conventional deep freezing on preserving the quality and stability of date fruits (cv. Barhi at Khalal maturity stage. Fresh date fruits (cv. Barhi at Khalal stage were frozen utilizing the two methods. The produced frozen dates were stored under frozen storage conditions for nine months (at −20 °C and −40 °C for the conventional and cryogenic freezing, respectively. Color values, textural properties (hardness, elasticity, chewiness and resilience, and nutrition attributes (enzymes and sugars for fresh dates before freezing and for the frozen dates were measured every three months during the frozen storage. Color values of the frozen dates were affected by the freezing method and the frozen storage period. There are substantial differences in the quality of the frozen fruits in favor of cryogenic freezing compared to the conventional slow freezing. The results revealed a large disparity between the times of freezing of the two methods. The freezing time accounted to 10 min in the cryogenic freezing method, whereas it was 1800 min for the conventional slow freezing system.

  16. Benefits of tolerance in public goods games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szolnoki, Attila; Chen, Xiaojie

    2015-10-01

    Leaving the joint enterprise when defection is unveiled is always a viable option to avoid being exploited. Although loner strategy helps the population not to be trapped into the tragedy of the commons state, it could offer only a modest income for nonparticipants. In this paper we demonstrate that showing some tolerance toward defectors could not only save cooperation in harsh environments but in fact results in a surprisingly high average payoff for group members in public goods games. Phase diagrams and the underlying spatial patterns reveal the high complexity of evolving states where cyclic dominant strategies or two-strategy alliances can characterize the final state of evolution. We identify microscopic mechanisms which are responsible for the superiority of global solutions containing tolerant players. This phenomenon is robust and can be observed both in well-mixed and in structured populations highlighting the importance of tolerance in our everyday life.

  17. Experimental analysis and modeling of ultrasound assisted freezing of potato spheres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiani, Hossein; Zhang, Zhihang; Sun, Da-Wen

    2015-09-01

    In recent years, innovative methods such as ultrasound assisted freezing have been developed in order to improve the freezing process. During freezing of foods, accurate prediction of the temperature distribution, phase ratios, and process time is very important. In the present study, ultrasound assisted immersion freezing process (in 1:1 ethylene glycol-water solution at 253.15K) of potato spheres (0.02 m diameter) was evaluated using experimental, numerical and analytical approaches. Ultrasound (25 kHz, 890 W m(-2)) was irradiated for different duty cycles (DCs=0-100%). A finite volume based enthalpy method was used in the numerical model, based on which temperature and liquid fraction profiles were simulated by a program developed using OpenFOAM® CFD software. An analytical technique was also employed to calculate freezing times. The results showed that ultrasound irradiation could decrease the characteristic freezing time of potatoes. Since ultrasound irradiation increased the heat transfer coefficient but simultaneously generated heat at the surface of the samples, an optimum DC was needed for the shortest freezing time which occurred in the range of 30-70% DC. DCs higher than 70% increased the freezing time. DCs lower than 30% did not provide significant effects on the freezing time compared to the control sample. The numerical model predicted the characteristic freezing time in accordance with the experimental results. In addition, analytical calculation of characteristic freezing time exhibited qualitative agreement with the experimental results. As the numerical simulations provided profiles of temperature and water fraction within potatoes frozen with or without ultrasound, the models can be used to study and control different operation situations, and to improve the understanding of the freezing process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Freeze-drying and related preparation techniques for biological microprobe analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wroblewski, R.; Wroblewski, J.; Anniko, M.; Edstroem, L.P.

    1985-01-01

    An X-ray microanalytical and morphological investigation has been carried out on rapidly frozen, freeze-dried or freeze-substituted tissues. A comparison was made between different embedding and polymerization procedures following freeze-substitution and freeze-drying. The investigation also included an analysis of specimens infiltrated, embedded and polymerized by ultraviolet irradiation at low temperatures with Lowicryl HM20. The morphological preservation of Lowicryl embedded tissue was adequate for the identification of different cell structures like nuclei, mitochondria, lysosomes and different types of endoplasmic reticulum. X-ray microanalytical investigation of low temperature embedded material displayed an elemental composition of cells and organelles similar to that found in freeze-dried cyosections. Compared with freeze-dried cryosections, low temperature embedded material could be sectioned for light microscopy and area of interest chosen for further thin sectioning. This is of great importance in work with tissues with complicated morphology and heterogenous cell populations

  19. Storage of human platelets by freezing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, B K; Tanoue, K; Baldini, M G

    1976-01-01

    Prolonged, probably indefinite storage of viable and functional human platelets is now possible by freezing with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The platelets have a nearly normal survival upon reinfusion and are capable of sustained hemostatic effectiveness in thrombocytopenic patients. Adaptation of the freezing technique for large-scale usage has more recently been achieved. The method is mainly based on the following principles: (1) use of plasma for suspension of the platelet concentrate; (2) gradual addition (0.5% every 2 min) of DMSO to a final concentration of 5% and its gradual removal; (3) a slow cooling rate of about 1/sup 0/C per min and rapid thawing (in 1 min); (4) use of a polyolefin plastic bag for freezing; (5) a washing medium of 20% plasma in Hanks' balanced salt solution; (6) final resuspension of the platelets in 50% plasma in Hanks' solution.

  20. Heterogeneous freezing of super cooled water droplets in micrometre range- freezing on a chip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Häusler, Thomas; Witek, Lorenz; Felgitsch, Laura; Hitzenberger, Regina; Grothe, Hinrich

    2017-04-01

    A new setup to analyse the freezing behaviour of ice nucleation particles (INPs) dispersed in aqueous droplets has been developed with the aim to analyse ensembles of droplets with sizes in the micrometre range, in which INPs are immersed. Major disadvantages of conventional drop-freezing experiments like varying drop sizes or interactions between the water- oil mixture and the INP, were solved by introducing a unique freezing- chip consisting of an etched and sputtered 15x15x1 mm gold-plated silicon or pure gold film (Pummer et al., 2012; Zolles et al., 2015). Using this chip, isolated micrometre-sized droplets can be generated with sizes similar to droplets in real world clouds. The experimental set-up for drop-freezing experiments was revised and improved by establishing automated process control and image evaluation. We were able to show the efficiency and accuracy of our setup by comparing measured freezing temperatures of different INPs (Snomax®, K- feldspar, birch pollen (Betula pendula) washing water, juniper pollen suspension (Juniperus communis) and ultrapure water) with already published results (Atkinson et al., 2013; Augustin et al., 2013; Pruppacher and Klett, 1997; Pummer et al., 2012; Wex et al., 2015; Zolles et al., 2015). Comparison of our measurements with literature data show the important impact of droplet size, INP concentration and number of active sites on the T50 values. Here, the new set-up exhibits its strength in reproducibility and accuracy which is due to the defined and isolated droplets. Finally, it opens a temperature window down to -37˚ C for freezing experiments which was not accessible with former traditional approaches .Atkinson, J. D., Murray, B. J., Woodhouse, M. T., Whale, T. F., Baustian, K. J., Carslaw, K. S., Dobbie, S., O'Sullivan, D., and Malkin, T. L.: The importance of feldspar for ice nucleation by mineral dust in mixed-phase clouds (vol 498, pg 355, 2013), Nature, 500, 491-491, 2013. Augustin, S., Wex, H

  1. Evaluating relative contribution of osmotolerance and tissue tolerance mechanisms toward salinity stress tolerance in three Brassica species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, Koushik; Bose, Jayakumar; Shabala, Lana; Eyles, Alieta; Shabala, Sergey

    2016-10-01

    Three different species of Brassica, with differential salt sensitivity were used to understand physiological mechanisms of salt tolerance operating in these species and to evaluate the relative contribution of different strategies to cope with salt load. Brassica napus was the most tolerant species in terms of the overall performance, with Brassica juncea and Brassica oleracea being much more sensitive to salt stress with no obvious difference between them. While prominent reduction in net CO2 assimilation was observed in both sensitive species, physiological mechanisms beyond this reduction differed strongly. Brassica juncea plants possessed high osmotolerance and were able to maintain high transpiration rate but showed a significant reduction in leaf chlorophyll content and efficiency of leaf photochemistry. On the contrary, B. oleracea plants possessed the highest (among the three species) tissue tolerance but showed a very significant stomatal limitation of photosynthesis. Electrophysiological experiments revealed that the high tissue tolerance in B. oleracea was related to the ability of leaf mesophyll cells to maintain highly negative membrane potential in the presence of high apoplastic Na(+) . In addition to high osmotolerance, the most tolerant B. napus showed also lesser accumulation of toxic Na(+) and Cl(-) in the leaf, possessed moderate tissue tolerance and had a superior K(+) retention ability. Taken together, the results from this study indicate that the three Brassica species employ very different mechanisms to cope with salinity and, despite its overall sensitivity to salinity, B. oleracea could be recommended as a valuable 'donor' of tissue tolerance genes to confer this trait for marker-assisted breeding programs. © 2016 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

  2. Preparation of freezing quantum state for quantum coherence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Lian-Wu; Man, Zhong-Xiao; Zhang, Ying-Jie; Han, Feng; Du, Shao-jiang; Xia, Yun-Jie

    2018-06-01

    We provide a method to prepare the freezing quantum state for quantum coherence via unitary operations. The initial product state consists of the control qubit and target qubit; when it satisfies certain conditions, the initial product state converts into the particular Bell diagonal state under the unitary operations, which have the property of freezing of quantum coherence under quantum channels. We calculate the frozen quantum coherence and corresponding quantum correlations, and find that the quantities are determined by the control qubit only when the freezing phenomena occur.

  3. Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraunfelder, Frederick W

    2009-02-01

    To evaluate the effects of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy on superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK). Interventional case series. In this clinical practice case series, the effects of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy on SLK were observed. Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy was performed using a Brymill E tip spray (0.013-inch aperture) with a double freeze-thaw technique. All subjects were outpatients who had local anesthesia with a single drop of topical proparacaine. The main outcome measure was the resolution of the disease process after treatment. Four female patients (average age, 64 +/- 13 years) and seven eyes with SLK were treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. Resolution of signs and symptoms occurred within two weeks. Disease recurred in two patients and three of seven eyes, although repeat cryotherapy eradicated SLK in all cases. The repeat cryotherapy was performed at three months postoperatively. There were no adverse ocular events. Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy appears to be an effective alternative treatment for SLK as all subjects studied achieved long-term cures. Repeat cryotherapy may be necessary in some instances and may be performed three months after the first treatment.

  4. Freezing temperature protection admixture for Portland cement concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    1996-10-01

    A number of experimental admixtures were compared to Pozzutec 20 admixture for their ability to protect fresh concrete from freezing and for increasing the rate of cement hydration at below-freezing temperatures. The commercial accelerator and low-te...

  5. Pharmacodynamics and tolerance of X-ray contrast media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmiedel, E.

    1987-01-01

    The improved tolerance of nonionic contrast media compared with conventional contrast media is mainly due to their lower osmolality and reduced allergoid potential. Tolerance advantages that have been definitely proven are, for example, low-pain contrast medium injection and superior systemic tolerance; side effects of an allergic pattern occur less often. Animals experiments have established that nonionic contrast media exercise a comparatively lower influence on the cardiovascular system. The haemodynamics of pulmonary circulation are less adversely affected on intravenous bolus injection. Reduced potential risk is to be expected especially in cardiac and bronchopulmonary high-risk patients. The reduced nephrotoxicity of nonionic contrast media was definitely established by clinical studies. Further systematic studies will however be required to provide an answer to the question whether this also entails a reduction in the incidence of renal failures induced by contrast media. (orig.) [de

  6. Research on strength attenuation law of concrete in freezing - thawing environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, qianhui; Cao, zhiyuan; Li, qiang

    2018-03-01

    By rapid freezing and thawing method, the experiments of concrete have been 300 freeze-thaw cycles specimens in the water. The cubic compression strength value under different freeze-thaw cycles was measured. By analyzing the test results, the water-binder ratio of the concrete under freeze-thaw environments, fly ash and air entraining agent is selected dosage recommendations. The exponential attenuation prediction model and life prediction model of compression strength of concrete under freezing-thawing cycles considering the factors of water-binder ratio, fly ash content and air-entraining agent dosage were established. The model provides the basis for predicting the durability life of concrete under freezing-thawing environment. It also provides experimental basis and references for further research on concrete structures with antifreeze requirements.

  7. Universal pion freeze-out in heavy-ion collisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamová, D; Agakichiev, G; Appelshäuser, H; Belaga, V; Braun-Munzinger, P; Castillo, A; Cherlin, A; Damjanović, S; Dietel, T; Dietrich, L; Drees, A; Esumi, S I; Filimonov, K; Fomenko, K; Fraenkel, Z; Garabatos, C; Glässel, P; Hering, G; Holeczek, J; Kushpil, V; Lenkeit, B; Ludolphs, W; Maas, A; Marín, A; Milosević, J; Milov, A; Miśkowiec, D; Panebrattsev, Yu; Petchenova, O; Petrácek, V; Pfeiffer, A; Rak, J; Ravinovich, I; Rehak, P; Sako, H; Schmitz, W; Schukraft, J; Sedykh, S; Shimansky, S; Slívová, J; Specht, H J; Stachel, J; Sumbera, M; Tilsner, H; Tserruya, I; Wessels, J P; Wienold, T; Windelband, B; Wurm, J P; Xie, W; Yurevich, S; Yurevich, V

    2003-01-17

    Based on an evaluation of data on pion interferometry and on particle yields at midrapidity, we propose a universal condition for thermal freeze-out of pions in heavy-ion collisions. We show that freeze-out occurs when the mean free path of pions lambda(f) reaches a value of about 1 fm, which is much smaller than the spatial extent of the system at freeze-out. This critical mean free path is independent of the centrality of the collision and beam energy from the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron to the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.

  8. Water vapor movement in freezing aggregate base materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-06-01

    The objectives of this research were to 1) measure the extent to which water vapor movement results in : water accumulation in freezing base materials; 2) evaluate the effect of soil stabilization on water vapor movement : in freezing base materials;...

  9. Transcriptome profiling of fully open flowers in a frost-tolerant almond genotype in response to freezing stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseinpour, Batool; Sepahvand, Sadegh; Kamali Aliabad, Kazem; Bakhtiarizadeh, MohammadReza; Imani, Ali; Assareh, Reza; Salami, Seyed Alireza

    2018-02-01

    Spring frost is a major limiting abiotic stress for the cultivation of almonds [Prunus dulcis (Mill.)] in Mediterranean areas or the Middle East. Spring frost, in particular, damages almond fully open flowers, resulting to significant reduction in yield. Little is known about the genetic factors expressed after frost stress in Prunus spp. as well as in almond fully open flowers. Here, we provide the molecular signature of pistils of fully open flowers from a frost-tolerant almond genotype. The level of frost tolerance in this genotype was determined for all three flowering stages and was confirmed by comparing it to two other cultivars using several physiological analyses. Afterwards, comprehensive expression profiling of genes expressed in fully open flowers was performed after being exposed to frost temperatures (during post-thaw period). Clean reads, 27,104,070 and 32,730,772, were obtained for non-frost-treated and frost-treated (FT) libraries, respectively. A total of 62.24 Mb was assembled, generating 50,896 unigenes and 66,906 transcripts. Therefore, 863 upregulated genes and 555 downregulated genes were identified in the FT library. Functional annotation showed that most of the upregulated genes were related to various biological processes involved in responding to abiotic stress. For the first time, a highly expressed cold-shock protein was identified in the reproductive organ of fruit trees. The expression of six genes was validated by RT-PCR. As the first comprehensive analysis of open flowers in a frost-tolerant almond genotype, this study represents a key step toward the molecular breeding of fruit tree species for frost tolerance.

  10. A freeze-stable formulation for DTwP and DTaP vaccines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Honggang; Yang, Bangling; Kristensen, Debra D; Chen, Dexiang

    2014-01-01

    Inadvertent vaccine freezing often occurs in the cold chain and may cause damage to freeze‑sensitive vaccines. Liquid vaccines that contain aluminum salt adjuvants are particularly vulnerable. Polyol cryoprotective excipients have been shown to prevent freeze damage to hepatitis B vaccine. In this study, we examined the freeze-protective effect of propylene glycol on diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-whole-cell (DTwP) and acellular (DTaP) vaccines. Pilot lots of DTwP and DTaP formulated with 7.5% propylene glycol underwent 3 freeze-thaw treatments. The addition of propylene glycol had no impact on pH, particle size distribution, or potency of the vaccines prior to freeze-thaw treatment; the only change noted was an increase in osmolality. The potencies and the physical properties of the vaccines containing cryoprotectant were maintained after freeze-thawing and for 3 months in accelerated stability studies. The results from this study indicate that formulating vaccines with propylene glycol can protect diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccines against freeze damages.

  11. Freeze-drying-induced changes in the properties of graphene oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ham, Heon; Van Khai, Tran; Gil Na, Han; Jung Kwon, Yong; Yeon Cho, Hong; Woo Kim, Hyoun; Park, No-Hyung; So, Dae Sup; Lee, Joon-Woo

    2014-01-01

    We have characterized and evaluated changes in graphene oxide (GO) induced by means of freeze-drying. In order to evaluate these changes, we investigated the effects of freeze-drying and chemical reduction processes on the structure, morphology, chemical composition, and Raman properties of GO and reduced GO. The freeze-dried GO had a pore structure, maintaining a pored morphology even after thermal annealing. The freeze-dried samples were composed of a single folded nanosheet or a few nanosheets stacked and folded. The oxygen-containing functional groups were removed not only during the freeze-drying but also during the reduction processes, with an accompanying decrease in the average size of the sp 2 carbon domain (i.e. an increase in the I D /I G value). (papers)

  12. Nanocrystals-based Macroporous Materials Synthesized by Freeze-drying Combustion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Ruiqiang; Chen, Yu; Lin, Ye; Chen, Fanglin

    2016-01-01

    We present a novel freeze-drying combustion method for synthesis of macroporous powders with nano-network, using Sm 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 1.9 (SDC) as an example. The metal nitrate salt solution mixed with glycine is frozen to form homogeneous nitrate/glycine mixture and then freeze-dried through sublimation of ice crystals. Upon combustion of the freeze-dried mixture, SDC powders with macroporous microstructure consisting of 10–20 nm nanocrystals, high surface area and excellent sinterability are achieved. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis indicates that nanodomains due to aggregation/segregation of dopants in the SDC powders obtained from freeze-drying combustion are much smaller than those in the SDC powders synthesized by the conventional nitrate solution combustion approach, demonstrating better elemental homogeneity and improved conductivity. Using low cost precursors and simple processing conditions, freeze-drying combustion can be a versatile method to synthesize nanocrystalline powders with excellent composition homogeneity for broad applications.

  13. RESEARCH OF MOISTURE MIGRATION DURING PARTIAL FREEZING OF GROUND BEEF

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. M. Stefanovskiy

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The concept of «ideal product» is proposed for the study of mass transfer during partial freezing of food products by freezing plate. The ideal product is a product, in which number of factors affecting the «real product» (meat are excluded. These factors include chemical composition of meat, quality grade of raw material (NOR, DFD, PSE, cryoscopic temperature that determines the degree of water transformation into ice, the phenomenon of osmosis, rate of freezing, etc. By using the concept of «ideal product» and its implementation in a physical experiment, it is proved that the “piston effect” causing the migration of moisture is due to frozen crust formation during partial freezing of the body. During partial freezing of the product by freezing plate, «ideal» and «real» food environment is transformed from closed system into open one with inflow of moisture to unfrozen part of the body. In the «ideal product», there is an expulsion of unfrozen moisture from freezing front, so the water appears on the body surface. Thus, the displacement of moisture increases by the same law, according to which the thickness (weight of frozen layer increases. During partial freezing of ground meat, moisture does not appear on the surface of the product, but hydrates the unfrozen part of meat. The reason of this phenomenon is the expulsion of water during formation of frozen crust and water-binding capacity of meat.

  14. Non-Toxic, Low-Freezing, Drop-In Replacement Heat Transfer Fluids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cutbirth, J. Michael

    2012-01-01

    A non-toxic, non-flammable, low-freezing heat transfer fluid is being developed for drop-in replacement within current and future heat transfer loops currently using water or alcohol-based coolants. Numerous water-soluble compounds were down-selected and screened for toxicological, physical, chemical, compatibility, thermodynamic, and heat transfer properties. Two fluids were developed, one with a freezing point near 0 C, and one with a suppressed freezing point. Both fluids contain an additive package to improve material compatibility and microbial resistance. The optimized sub-zero solution had a freezing point of 30 C, and a freezing volume expansion of 10-percent of water. The toxicity of the solutions was experimentally determined as LD(50) greater than 5g/kg. The solutions were found to produce minimal corrosion with materials identified by NASA as potentially existing in secondary cooling loops. Thermal/hydrodynamic performance exceeded that of glycol-based fluids with comparable freezing points for temperatures Tf greater than 20 C. The additive package was demonstrated as a buffering agent to compensate for CO2 absorption, and to prevent microbial growth. The optimized solutions were determined to have physically/chemically stable shelf lives for freeze/thaw cycles and longterm test loop tests.

  15. Freeze injury to roots of southern pine seedlings in the USA | South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... and therefore root injury was often overlooked. Many freeze-injured seedlings died within two months of the freeze event. Since freeze injury symptoms to roots were overlooked, foresters offered various reasons (other than the freeze) for the poor seedling performance. Keywords: acclimation, frost, nursery, Pinus elliottii, ...

  16. Brown bear sperm double freezing: Effect of elapsed time and use of PureSperm(®) gradient between freeze-thaw cycles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez-Rodríguez, Manuel; Alvarez, Mercedes; López-Urueña, Elena; Martínez-Rodriguez, Carmen; Borragan, Santiago; Anel-López, Luis; de Paz, Paulino; Anel, Luis

    2013-12-01

    The use of sexed spermatozoa has great potential to captive population management in endangered wildlife. The problem is that the sex-sorting facility is a long distance from the semen collection place and to overcome this difficulty two freeze-thaw cycles may be necessary. In this study, effects of refreezing on brown bear electroejaculated spermatozoa were analyzed. We carried out two experiments: (1) to assess the effects of the two freezing-thawing cycles on sperm quality and to analyze three different elapsed times between freezing-thawing cycles (30, 90 and 180 min), and (2) to analyze the use of PureSperm between freezing-thawing cycles to select a more motile and viable sperm subpopulation which better survived first freezing. The motility, viability and undamaged acrosomes were significantly reduced after the second thawing respect to first thawing into each elapsed time group, but the elapsed times did not significantly affect the viability and acrosome status although motility was damaged. Our results with the PureSperm gradient showed higher values of viability in freezability of select sample (pellet) respect to the rest of the groups and it also showed a significant decrease in the number of acrosome damaged. In summary, the double freezing of bear semen selected by gradient centrifugation is qualitatively efficient, and thus could be useful to carry out a sex-sorting of frozen-thawed bear spermatozoa before to send the cryopreserved sample to a biobank. Given the low recovery of spermatozoa after applying a selection gradient, further studies will be needed to increase the recovery rate without damaging of the cell quality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. DSC and TMA studies on freezing and thawing gelation of galactomannan polysaccharide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iijima, Mika; Hatakeyama, Tatsuko; Hatakeyama, Hyoe

    2012-01-01

    Research highlights: ► Locust bean gum forms hydrogels by freezing and thawing. ► Syneresis was observed when freezing and thawing cycle (n) increased. ► Dynamic Young's modulus increased with increasing n. ► Non-freezing water content restrained by hydrogels decreased with increasing n. ► Strong gel with densely packed network structure formed with increasing n. - Abstract: Among various kinds of polysaccharides known to form hydrogels, locust bean gum (LBG) consisting of a mannose backbone and galactose side chains has unique characteristics, since LBG forms hydrogels by freezing and thawing. In this study, effect of thermal history on gelation was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA). Gel/sol ratio calculated by weighing method was found to be affected by sol concentration, freezing rate and the number of freezing and thawing cycle (n). Once LBG hydrogels are formed, they are thermally stable, although syneresis was observed when n increased. Dynamic Young's modulus (E′) of hydrogels measured by TMA in water increased with increasing n and decreasing freezing rate. Non-freezing water calculated from DSC melting peak of ice in the gel decreased with increasing n and decreasing freezing rate. Morphological observation of freeze-dried gels was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The above results indicate that weak hydrogel having large molecular network structure transformed into strong gel with densely packed network structure by increasing n and decreasing freezing rate.

  18. CONSIDERA TIONS OF ICE MORPHOLOGY AND DRIVING FORCES IN FREEZE CONCENTRATION

    OpenAIRE

    PETZOLD MALDONADO, GUILLERMO

    2013-01-01

    Ice rnorphology (size and shape) influence decisively in sensory appreciation, texture and quality of rnany frozen foods. Ice rnorphology is also irnportant in sorne technological processes such as freeze drying and freeze concentration, which influences the efficiency ofthese processes. The overall objective of this thesis was to increase our knowledge about the control on rnorphology of the ice phase in freezing food and related processes such as freeze concentration. Freezin...

  19. Overexpression of MfPIP2-7 from Medicago falcata promotes cold tolerance and growth under NO3 (-) deficiency in transgenic tobacco plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuo, Chunliu; Wang, Ting; Guo, Zhenfei; Lu, Shaoyun

    2016-06-14

    Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), which belong to aquaporins (AQPs) superfamily, are subdivided into two groups, PIP1 and PIP2, based on sequence similarity. Several PIP2s function as water channels, while PIP1s have low or no water channel activity, but have a role in water permeability through interacting with PIP2. A cold responsive PIP2 named as MfPIP2-7 was isolated from Medicago falcata (hereafter falcata), a forage legume with great cold tolerance, and transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing MfPIP2-7 were analyzed in tolerance to multiple stresses including freezing, chilling, and nitrate reduction in this study. MfPIP2-7 transcript was induced by 4 to 12 h of cold treatment and 2 h of abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Pretreatment with inhibitor of ABA synthesis blocked the cold induced MfPIP2-7 transcript, indicating that ABA was involved in cold induced transcription of MfPIP2-7 in falcata. Overexpression of MfPIP2-7 resulted in enhanced tolerance to freezing, chilling and NO3 (-) deficiency in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants as compared with the wild type. Moreover, MfPIP2-7 was demonstrated to facilitate H2O2 diffusion in yeast. Higher transcript levels of several stress responsive genes, such as NtERD10B, NtERD10C, NtDREB1, and 2, and nitrate reductase (NR) encoding genes (NtNIA1, and NtNIA2) were observed in transgenic plants as compared with the wild type with dependence upon H2O2. In addition, NR activity was increased in transgenic plants, which led to alterations in free amino acid components and concentrations. The results suggest that MfPIP2-7 plays an important role in plant tolerance to freezing, chilling, and NO3 (-) deficiency by promoted H2O2 diffusion that in turn up-regulates expression of NIAs and multiple stress responsive genes.

  20. Universal pion freeze-out in heavy-ion collisions

    CERN Document Server

    Adamova, D; Appelshäuser, H; Belaga, V; Braun-Munzinger, P; Castillo, A; Cherlin, A; Damjanovic, S; Dietel, T; Dietrich, L; Drees, A; Esumi, S I; Filimonov, K; Fomenko, K; Fraenkel, Zeev; Garabatos, C; Glässel, P; Hering, G; Holeczek, J; Kushpil, V; Lenkeit, B C; Ludolphs, W; Maas, A; Marin, A; Milosevic, J; Milov, A; Miskowiec, D; Panebratsev, Yu A; Petchenova, O Yu; Petracek, V; Pfeiffer, A; Rak, J; Ravinovich, I; Rehak, P; Sako, H; Schükraft, Jürgen; Sedykh, S; Shimansky, S S; Slivova, J; Specht, H J; Stachel, J; Sumbera, M; Tilsner, H; Tserruya, Itzhak; Wessels, J P; Wienold, T; Windelband, B; Wurm, J P; Xie, W; Yurevich, S; Yurevich, V; Schmitz, W

    2003-01-01

    Based on an evaluation of recent systematic data on two-pion interferometry and on measured particle yields at mid-rapidity, we propose a universal condition for thermal freeze-out of pions in heavy-ion collisions. We show that freeze-out occurs when the mean free path of pions lambda_f reaches a value of approximately 2.5 fm, which is much smaller than the spatial extent of the system at freeze-out. This critical mean free path is independent of the centrality of the collision and its value is constant at all currently available beam energies from AGS to RHIC.

  1. Boron-toxicity tolerance in barley arising from efflux transporter amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutton, Tim; Baumann, Ute; Hayes, Julie; Collins, Nicholas C; Shi, Bu-Jun; Schnurbusch, Thorsten; Hay, Alison; Mayo, Gwenda; Pallotta, Margaret; Tester, Mark; Langridge, Peter

    2007-11-30

    Both limiting and toxic soil concentrations of the essential micronutrient boron represent major limitations to crop production worldwide. We identified Bot1, a BOR1 ortholog, as the gene responsible for the superior boron-toxicity tolerance of the Algerian barley landrace Sahara 3771 (Sahara). Bot1 was located at the tolerance locus by high-resolution mapping. Compared to intolerant genotypes, Sahara contains about four times as many Bot1 gene copies, produces substantially more Bot1 transcript, and encodes a Bot1 protein with a higher capacity to provide tolerance in yeast. Bot1 transcript levels identified in barley tissues are consistent with a role in limiting the net entry of boron into the root and in the disposal of boron from leaves via hydathode guttation.

  2. Anti-freezing of air-cooled heat exchanger by switching off sectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Weijia; Kong, Yanqiang; Huang, Xianwei; Yang, Lijun; Du, Xiaoze; Yang, Yongping

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • The anti-freezing of air-cooled heat exchanger by switching off sectors is studied. • The water side heat loads of various sectors are compared for different cases. • Anti-freezing turbine back pressure is proposed and obtained for various cases. • As wind speed increases, the energy efficiency can be clearly improved by sector off. • By switching frontal sector off, anti-freezing operation is most energy efficient. - Abstract: With the air side huge heat transfer surface, the air-cooled heat exchanger will take a serious freezing risk in cold winter. Therefore, it is of benefit to the safe operation of natural draft dry cooling system to propose the anti-freezing measures. In this work, the flow and heat transfer models of the cooling air coupling with the circulating water, are developed and numerically simulated for the anti-freezing by switching various sectors off. The local thermo-flow fields of cooling air are presented, and the water side heat loads of various sectors are compared for various cases. The anti-freezing turbine back pressure is proposed and obtained for the energy efficiency analysis. The results show that the sector switching off approach can effectively prevent the air-cooled heat exchanger from freezing and improve the energy efficiency of the cooling system, especially at high wind speeds. Moreover, with the frontal sector switching off, the most energy efficient anti-freezing operation of natural draft dry cooling system can be achieved.

  3. Isolation of baker's yeast mutants with proline accumulation that showed enhanced tolerance to baking-associated stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsolmonbaatar, Ariunzaya; Hashida, Keisuke; Sugimoto, Yukiko; Watanabe, Daisuke; Furukawa, Shuhei; Takagi, Hiroshi

    2016-12-05

    During bread-making processes, yeast cells are exposed to baking-associated stresses such as freeze-thaw, air-drying, and high-sucrose concentrations. Previously, we reported that self-cloning diploid baker's yeast strains that accumulate proline retained higher-level fermentation abilities in both frozen and sweet doughs than the wild-type strain. Although self-cloning yeasts do not have to be treated as genetically modified yeasts, the conventional methods for breeding baker's yeasts are more acceptable to consumers than the use of self-cloning yeasts. In this study, we isolated mutants resistant to the proline analogue azetidine-2-carboxylate (AZC) derived from diploid baker's yeast of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Some of the mutants accumulated a greater amount of intracellular proline, and among them, 5 mutants showed higher cell viability than that observed in the parent wild-type strain under freezing or high-sucrose stress conditions. Two of them carried novel mutations in the PRO1 gene encoding the Pro247Ser or Glu415Lys variant of γ-glutamyl kinase (GK), which is a key enzyme in proline biosynthesis in S. cerevisiae. Interestingly, we found that these mutations resulted in AZC resistance of yeast cells and desensitization to proline feedback inhibition of GK, leading to intracellular proline accumulation. Moreover, baker's yeast cells expressing the PRO1 P247S and PRO1 E415K gene were more tolerant to freezing stress than cells expressing the wild-type PRO1 gene. The approach described here could be a practical method for the breeding of proline-accumulating baker's yeasts with higher tolerance to baking-associated stresses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Evaluation of Freezing Damage in some Pistachio Seedling Rootstocks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Afrousheh

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the freezing damage in some pistachio rootstocks by ion leakage and pH changes of leaked solution. A factorial experiment was carried out in randomized block designs (RBD with three factors: Temperature (A including 4 ̊C, 0 ̊C, -2 ̊C, -4 ̊C, -6 ̊C, Time (B including 3, 12, 24h , and Rootstock (C including P. vera cv 'Badami Zarand' (V13 and 'Sarakhs' (S5, P. mutica (M1and P. atlantica (A7. For this, one-year-old seedlings were kept at these five temperatures in incubator for 2 hours. Then in the first 24 hours in three hour intervals and during four days, EC and pH in leaked solution were measured daily. After four days the seedling samples were autoclaved at temperatures 105°C for 4 minutes to destroy all cell membrane. EC and pH of remaining solution were measured again and the percentage of ionic leakage was calculated. The results showed that the best time to evaluate the pH and ionic leakage was 24 hours after incubation of samples. Based on the results, ionic leakage dramatically increased with decreasing temperatures from 0°C to -6°C, while pH of leaked solution had no significant difference in 0°C and 4°C temperature treatments. When temperature reduced from 0°C to -6°C, like ionic leakage, pH greatly reduced. So the pH of the leaked solution could be an appropriate tool to study the freezing damage of pistachio rootstocks. Based on the results of pH and ionic leakage, P. mutica and P. atlantica were the most frost tolerant and sensitive rootstocks of this experiment, respectively.

  5. Reduced freezing in posttraumatic stress disorder patients while watching affective pictures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fragkaki, I.; Roelofs, K.; Stins, J.F.; Jongedijk, R.A.; Hagenaars, M.A.

    2017-01-01

    Besides fight and flight responses, animals and humans may respond to threat with freezing, an adaptive response characterized by bradycardia and physical immobility. Risk assessment is enhanced during freezing to promote optimal decision-making. Indeed, healthy participants showed freezing-like

  6. Apparatus for freeze drying of biologic and sediment samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1978-01-01

    Freeze drying to obtain water from individual samples, though not complicated, usually requires considerable effort to maintain the cold traps on a 24-hr basis. In addition, the transfer of a sample from sample containers to freeze-dry flasks is usually made with some risk of contamination to the sample. If samples are large, 300 g to 600 g, usually several days are required to dry the samples. The use of an unattended system greatly improves personnel and drying efficiency. Commercial freeze dryers are not readily applicable to the problems of collecting water from individual samples, and lab-designed collectors required sample transfer and continual replenishment of the dry ice. A freeze-dry apparatus for collecting water from individual sediment and/or biological samples was constructed to determine the tritium concentrations in fish for dose calcaluations and the tritium distribution in sediment cores for water movement studies. The freeze, dry apparatus, which can handle eight samples simultaneously and conveniently, is set up for unattended 24-hr operation and is designed to avoid sample transfer problems

  7. Comparison Study of Three Common Technologies for Freezing-Thawing Measurement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinbao Yu

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a comparison study on three different technologies (i.e., thermocouple, electrical resistivity probe and Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR that are commonly used for frost measurement. Specially, the paper developed an analyses procedure to estimate the freezing-thawing status based on the dielectric properties of freezing soil. Experiments were conducted where the data of temperature, electrical resistivity, and dielectric constant were simultaneously monitored during the freezing/thawing process. The comparison uncovered the advantages and limitations of these technologies for frost measurement. The experimental results indicated that TDR measured soil dielectric constant clearly indicates the different stages of the freezing/thawing process. Analyses method was developed to determine not only the onset of freezing or thawing, but also the extent of their development. This is a major advantage of TDR over other technologies.

  8. Adaptive Control of Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication Processes (Preprint)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Zhao, Xiyue; Landers, Robert G; Leu, Ming C

    2008-01-01

    Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) is an additive manufacturing process that extrudes high solids loading aqueous ceramic pastes in a layer-by-layer fashion below the paste freezing temperature for component fabrication...

  9. Comparative polygenic analysis of maximal ethanol accumulation capacity and tolerance to high ethanol levels of cell proliferation in yeast.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiago M Pais

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is able to accumulate ≥17% ethanol (v/v by fermentation in the absence of cell proliferation. The genetic basis of this unique capacity is unknown. Up to now, all research has focused on tolerance of yeast cell proliferation to high ethanol levels. Comparison of maximal ethanol accumulation capacity and ethanol tolerance of cell proliferation in 68 yeast strains showed a poor correlation, but higher ethanol tolerance of cell proliferation clearly increased the likelihood of superior maximal ethanol accumulation capacity. We have applied pooled-segregant whole-genome sequence analysis to identify the polygenic basis of these two complex traits using segregants from a cross of a haploid derivative of the sake strain CBS1585 and the lab strain BY. From a total of 301 segregants, 22 superior segregants accumulating ≥17% ethanol in small-scale fermentations and 32 superior segregants growing in the presence of 18% ethanol, were separately pooled and sequenced. Plotting SNP variant frequency against chromosomal position revealed eleven and eight Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs for the two traits, respectively, and showed that the genetic basis of the two traits is partially different. Fine-mapping and Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis identified ADE1, URA3, and KIN3, encoding a protein kinase involved in DNA damage repair, as specific causative genes for maximal ethanol accumulation capacity. These genes, as well as the previously identified MKT1 gene, were not linked in this genetic background to tolerance of cell proliferation to high ethanol levels. The superior KIN3 allele contained two SNPs, which are absent in all yeast strains sequenced up to now. This work provides the first insight in the genetic basis of maximal ethanol accumulation capacity in yeast and reveals for the first time the importance of DNA damage repair in yeast ethanol tolerance.

  10. "On" freezing in Parkinson's disease: resistance to visual cue walking devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kompoliti, K; Goetz, C G; Leurgans, S; Morrissey, M; Siegel, I M

    2000-03-01

    To measure "on" freezing during unassisted walking (UW) and test if two devices, a modified inverted stick (MIS) and a visual laser beam stick (LBS) improved walking speed and number of "on" freezing episodes in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Multiple visual cues can overcome "off' freezing episodes and can be useful in improving gait function in parkinsonian patients. These devices have not been specifically tested in "on" freezing, which is unresponsive to pharmacologic manipulations. Patients with PD, motor fluctuations and freezing while "on," attempted walking on a 60-ft track with each of three walking conditions in a randomized order: UW, MIS, and LBS. Total time to complete a trial, number of freezes, and the ratio of walking time to the number of freezes were compared using Friedman's test. Twenty-eight patients with PD, mean age 67.81 years (standard deviation [SD] 7.54), mean disease duration 13.04 years (SD 7.49), and mean motor Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale score "on" 32.59 (SD 10.93), participated in the study. There was a statistically significant correlation of time needed to complete a trial and number of freezes for all three conditions (Spearman correlations: UW 0.973, LBS 0.0.930, and MIS 0.842). The median number of freezes, median time to walk in each condition, and median walking time per freeze were not significantly different in pairwise comparisons of the three conditions (Friedman's test). Of the 28 subjects, six showed improvement with the MIS and six with the LBS in at least one outcome measure. Assisting devices, specifically based on visual cues, are not consistently beneficial in overcoming "on" freezing in most patients with PD. Because this is an otherwise untreatable clinical problem and because occasional subjects do respond, cautious trials of such devices under the supervision of a health professional should be conducted to identify those patients who might benefit from their long-term use.

  11. Frost heave susceptibility of saturated soil under constant rate of freezing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryokai, K.; Iguro, M.; Yoneyama, K.

    Introduced are the results of experiments carried out to quantitatively obtain the frost heave pressure and displacement of soil subjected to artificial freezing or freezing around in-ground liquefied natural gas storage tanks. This experiment is conducted to evaluate the frost heave susceptibility of saturated soil under overconsolidation. In other words, this experiment was carried out to obtain the relation of the over-burden pressure and freezing rate to the frost heave ratio by observing the frost heave displacement and freezing time of specimens by freezing the specimens at a constant freezing rate under a constant overburden pressure, while letting water freely flow in and out of the system. Introduced are the procedures for frost heave test required to quantitatively obtain the frost heave displacement and pressure of soil. Furthermore, the relation between the frost heave susceptibility and physical properties of soil obtained by this test is reported.

  12. Gradient porous hydroxyapatite ceramics fabricated by freeze casting method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zuo Kaihui; Zhang Yuan; Jiang Dongliang; Zeng Yuping

    2011-01-01

    By controlling the cooling rates and the composition of slurries, the gradient porous hydroxyapatite ceramics are fabricated by the freeze casting method. According to the different cooling rate, the pores of HAP ceramics fabricated by gradient freeze casting are divided into three parts: one is lamellar pores, another is column pore and the last one is fine round pores. The laminated freeze casting is in favour of obtaining the gradient porous ceramics composed of different materials and the ceramics have unclear interfaces.

  13. Improvement of stress tolerance and leavening ability under multiple baking-associated stress conditions by overexpression of the SNR84 gene in baker's yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xue; Zhang, Cui-Ying; Bai, Xiao-Wen; Feng, Bing; Xiao, Dong-Guang

    2015-03-16

    During the bread-making process, industrial baker's yeast cells are exposed to multiple baking-associated stresses, such as elevated high-temperature, high-sucrose and freeze-thaw stresses. There is a high demand for baker's yeast strains that could withstand these stresses with high leavening ability. The SNR84 gene encodes H/ACA snoRNA (small nucleolar RNA), which is known to be involved in pseudouridylation of the large subunit rRNA. However, the function of the SNR84 gene in baker's yeast coping with baking-associated stresses remains unclear. In this study, we explored the effect of SNR84 overexpression on baker's yeast which was exposed to high-temperature, high-sucrose and freeze-thaw stresses. These results suggest that overexpression of the SNR84 gene conferred tolerance of baker's yeast cells to high-temperature, high-sucrose and freeze-thaw stresses and enhanced their leavening ability in high-sucrose and freeze-thaw dough. These findings could provide a valuable insight for breeding of novel stress-resistant baker's yeast strains that are useful for baking. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Use of freeze-casting in advanced burner reactor fuel design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lang, A. L.; Yablinsky, C. A.; Allen, T. R. [Dept. of Engineering Physics, Univ. of Wisconsin Madison, 1500 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53711 (United States); Burger, J.; Hunger, P. M.; Wegst, U. G. K. [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 8000 Cummings Hall, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States)

    2012-07-01

    This paper will detail the modeling of a fast reactor with fuel pins created using a freeze-casting process. Freeze-casting is a method of creating an inert scaffold within a fuel pin. The scaffold is created using a directional solidification process and results in open porosity for emplacement of fuel, with pores ranging in size from 300 microns to 500 microns in diameter. These pores allow multiple fuel types and enrichments to be loaded into one fuel pin. Also, each pore could be filled with varying amounts of fuel to allow for the specific volume of fission gases created by that fuel type. Currently fast reactors, including advanced burner reactors (ABR's), are not economically feasible due to the high cost of operating the reactors and of reprocessing the fuel. However, if the fuel could be very precisely placed, such as within a freeze-cast scaffold, this could increase fuel performance and result in a valid design with a much lower cost per megawatt. In addition to competitive costs, freeze-cast fuel would also allow for selective breeding or burning of actinides within specific locations in fast reactors. For example, fast flux peak locations could be utilized on a minute scale to target specific actinides for transmutation. Freeze-cast fuel is extremely flexible and has great potential in a variety of applications. This paper performs initial modeling of freeze-cast fuel, with the generic fast reactor parameters for this model based on EBR-II. The core has an assumed power of 62.5 MWt. The neutronics code used was Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP5) transport code. Uniform pore sizes were used in increments of 100 microns. Two different freeze-cast scaffold materials were used: ceramic (MgO-ZrO{sub 2}) and steel (SS316L). Separate models were needed for each material because the freeze-cast ceramic and metal scaffolds have different structural characteristics and overall porosities. Basic criticality results were compiled for the various models

  15. Experimental research on durability of recycled aggregate concrete under freeze- thaw cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Yanqiu; Shang, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Youjia

    2017-07-01

    The freeze-thaw durability of recycled aggregate concrete has significance for the concrete buildings in the cold region. In this paper, the rapid freezing and thawing cycles experience on recycle aggregate concrete was conducted to study on the effects of recycle aggregate amount, water-binder ratio and fly ash on freeze-thaw durability of recycle aggregate concrete. The results indicates that recycle aggregate amount makes the significant influence on the freeze-thaw durability. With the increase of recycled aggregates amount, the freeze-thaw resistance for recycled aggregate concrete decreases. Recycled aggregate concrete with lower water cement ratio demonstrates better performance of freeze-thaw durability. It is advised that the amount of fly ash is less than 30% for admixture of recycled aggregates in the cold region.

  16. Recent developments in novel freezing and thawing technologies applied to foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xiao-Fei; Zhang, Min; Adhikari, Benu; Sun, Jincai

    2017-11-22

    This article reviews the recent developments in novel freezing and thawing technologies applied to foods. These novel technologies improve the quality of frozen and thawed foods and are energy efficient. The novel technologies applied to freezing include pulsed electric field pre-treatment, ultra-low temperature, ultra-rapid freezing, ultra-high pressure and ultrasound. The novel technologies applied to thawing include ultra-high pressure, ultrasound, high voltage electrostatic field (HVEF), and radio frequency. Ultra-low temperature and ultra-rapid freezing promote the formation and uniform distribution of small ice crystals throughout frozen foods. Ultra-high pressure and ultrasound assisted freezing are non-thermal methods and shorten the freezing time and improve product quality. Ultra-high pressure and HVEF thawing generate high heat transfer rates and accelerate the thawing process. Ultrasound and radio frequency thawing can facilitate thawing process by volumetrically generating heat within frozen foods. It is anticipated that these novel technologies will be increasingly used in food industries in the future.

  17. Effect of freezing temperature on the color of frozen salmon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ottestad, Silje; Enersen, Grethe; Wold, Jens Petter

    2011-09-01

    New freezing methods developed with the purpose of improved product quality after thawing can sometimes be difficult to get accepted in the market. The reason for this is the formation of ice crystals that can give the product a temporary color loss and make it less appealing. We have here used microscopy to study ice crystal size as a function of freezing temperature by investigating the voids in the cell tissue left by the ice crystals. We have also investigated how freezing temperature affects the color and the visible absorption spectra of frozen salmon. Freezing temperatures previously determined to be the best for quality after thawing (-40 to -60 °C) were found to cause a substantial loss in perceived color intensity during frozen state. This illustrated the conflict between optimal freezing temperatures with respect to quality after thawing against visual appearance during frozen state. Low freezing temperatures gave many small ice crystals, increased light scattering and an increased absorption level for all wavelengths in the visible region. Increased astaxanthin concentration on the other hand would give higher absorption at 490 nm. The results showed a clear potential of using visible interactance spectroscopy to differentiate between poor product coloration due to lack of pigmentation and temporary color loss due to light scattering by ice crystal. This type of measurements could be a useful tool in the development of new freezing methods and to monitor ice crystal growth during frozen storage. It could also potentially be used by the industry to prove good product quality. In this article we have shown that freezing food products at intermediate to low temperatures (-40 to -80 °C) can result in paler color during frozen state, which could affect consumer acceptance. We have also presented a spectroscopic method that can separate between poor product color and temporary color loss due to freezing. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

  18. Double elevator weakening for unilateral congenital superior oblique palsy with ipsilateral superior rectus contracture and lax superior oblique tendon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Arif O

    2012-06-01

    In unilateral congenital superior oblique palsy, a large hypertropia is sometimes associated with ipsilateral contracture of the superior rectus muscle and apparent overaction of the contralateral superior oblique. Ipsilateral double elevator weakening is one surgical approach; however, this procedure could compromise supraduction. We report a series of three consecutive patients who underwent ipsilateral superior rectus and inferior oblique recessions for unilateral superior oblique palsy. Intraoperatively, all three patients were found to have a lax ipsilateral superior oblique tendon. Postoperatively, all three patients had satisfactory correction of the hypertropia and abnormal head position with minimal supraduction defect. This procedure seems to be an acceptable initial surgical option for treating congenital superior oblique muscle palsy with ipsilateral contracture of the superior rectus muscle, even when the ipsilateral superior oblique tendon is lax. Copyright © 2012 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. DNA comet assay to identify different freezing temperatures of irradiated liver chicken

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duarte, Renato C.; Mozeika, Michel A.; Fanaro, Gustavo B.; Villavicencio, Anna L.C.H.; Marchioni, Eric

    2009-01-01

    The cold chain is a succession of steps which maintain the food at low temperature. The thawed food never be frozen again and the best solution being to consume it quickly to avoid the microorganism growth which causes decay and nutrients damage. One of most important point is that freezing process, unlike irradiation, do not destroy microorganisms, only inactive them as long as they remain in a frozen state. The Comet Assay is an original test used to detect irradiated foods that's recognize the DNA damage and can then be used to control the overall degradation of the food and in a certain extend to evaluate the damage caused by irradiation, different forms of freeze and storage time on liver chicken cells. Different freezing temperatures were used, deep freeze -196 deg C and slow freeze -10 deg C. Samples were irradiated in a 60 Co irradiator with 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 kGy radiation doses. Fast freezing technique induces a low percent of DNA degradation comparing to slow freezing technique. This procedure could be a good choose to chicken freezing processing. (author)

  20. DNA comet assay to identify different freezing temperatures of irradiated liver chicken

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duarte, Renato C.; Mozeika, Michel A.; Fanaro, Gustavo B.; Villavicencio, Anna L.C.H. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)], e-mail: renatocduarte@yahoo.com.br; Marchioni, Eric [Universite de Strasbourg, Illkirch (France). Faculte de Pharmacie. Lab. de Chimie Analytique et Sciences de l' Aliment

    2009-07-01

    The cold chain is a succession of steps which maintain the food at low temperature. The thawed food never be frozen again and the best solution being to consume it quickly to avoid the microorganism growth which causes decay and nutrients damage. One of most important point is that freezing process, unlike irradiation, do not destroy microorganisms, only inactive them as long as they remain in a frozen state. The Comet Assay is an original test used to detect irradiated foods that's recognize the DNA damage and can then be used to control the overall degradation of the food and in a certain extend to evaluate the damage caused by irradiation, different forms of freeze and storage time on liver chicken cells. Different freezing temperatures were used, deep freeze -196 deg C and slow freeze -10 deg C. Samples were irradiated in a {sup 60}Co irradiator with 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 kGy radiation doses. Fast freezing technique induces a low percent of DNA degradation comparing to slow freezing technique. This procedure could be a good choose to chicken freezing processing. (author)

  1. Does anxiety cause freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaylena A Ehgoetz Martens

    Full Text Available Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD commonly experience freezing of gait under time constraints, in narrow spaces, and in the dark. One commonality between these different situations is that they may all provoke anxiety, yet anxiety has never been directly examined as a cause of FOG. In this study, virtual reality was used to induce anxiety and evaluate whether it directly causes FOG. Fourteen patients with PD and freezing of gait (Freezers and 17 PD without freezing of gait (Non-Freezers were instructed to walk in two virtual environments: (i across a plank that was located on the ground (LOW, (ii across a plank above a deep pit (HIGH. Multiple synchronized motion capture cameras updated participants' movement through the virtual environment in real-time, while their gait was recorded. Anxiety levels were evaluated after each trial using self-assessment manikins. Freezers performed the experiment on two separate occasions (in their ON and OFF state. Freezers reported higher levels of anxiety compared to Non-Freezers (p < 0.001 and all patients reported greater levels of anxiety when walking across the HIGH plank compared to the LOW (p < 0.001. Freezers experienced significantly more freezing of gait episodes (p = 0.013 and spent a significantly greater percentage of each trial frozen (p = 0.005 when crossing the HIGH plank. This finding was even more pronounced when comparing Freezers in their OFF state. Freezers also had greater step length variability in the HIGH compared to the LOW condition, while the step length variability in Non-Freezers did not change. In conclusion, this was the first study to directly compare freezing of gait in anxious and non-anxious situations. These results present strong evidence that anxiety is an important mechanism underlying freezing of gait and supports the notion that the limbic system may have a profound contribution to freezing in PD.

  2. Freeze-drying wet digital prints: An option for salvage?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juergens, M C; Schempp, N

    2010-01-01

    On the occasion of the collapse of the Historical Archive of the City of Cologne in March 2009 and the ensuing salvage effort, questions were raised about the use of freeze-drying for soaked digital prints, a technique that has not yet been evaluated for these materials. This study examines the effects of immersion, air-drying, drying in a blotter stack, freezing and freeze-drying on 35 samples of major digital printing processes. The samples were examined visually before, during and after testing; evaluation of the results was qualitative. Results show that some prints were already damaged by immersion alone (e.g. bleeding inks and soluble coatings) to the extent that the subsequent choice of drying method made no significant difference any more. For those samples that did survive immersion, air-drying proved to be crucial for water-sensitive prints, since any contact with the wet surface caused serious damage. Less water-sensitive prints showed no damage throughout the entire procedure, regardless of drying method. Some prints on coated media suffered from minor surface disruption up to total delamination of the surface coating due to the formation of ice crystals during shock-freezing. With few exceptions, freeze-drying did not cause additional damage to any of the prints that hadn't already been damaged by freezing. It became clear that an understanding of the process and materials is important for choosing an appropriate drying method.

  3. Intact preservation of environmental samples by freezing under an alternating magnetic field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morono, Yuki; Terada, Takeshi; Yamamoto, Yuhji; Xiao, Nan; Hirose, Takehiro; Sugeno, Masaya; Ohwada, Norio; Inagaki, Fumio

    2015-04-01

    The study of environmental samples requires a preservation system that stabilizes the sample structure, including cells and biomolecules. To address this fundamental issue, we tested the cell alive system (CAS)-freezing technique for subseafloor sediment core samples. In the CAS-freezing technique, an alternating magnetic field is applied during the freezing process to produce vibration of water molecules and achieve a stable, super-cooled liquid phase. Upon further cooling, the temperature decreases further, achieving a uniform freezing of sample with minimal ice crystal formation. In this study, samples were preserved using the CAS and conventional freezing techniques at 4, -20, -80 and -196 (liquid nitrogen) °C. After 6 months of storage, microbial cell counts by conventional freezing significantly decreased (down to 10.7% of initial), whereas that by CAS-freezing resulted in minimal. When Escherichia coli cells were tested under the same freezing conditions and storage for 2.5 months, CAS-frozen E. coli cells showed higher viability than the other conditions. In addition, an alternating magnetic field does not impact on the direction of remanent magnetization in sediment core samples, although slight partial demagnetization in intensity due to freezing was observed. Consequently, our data indicate that the CAS technique is highly useful for the preservation of environmental samples. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Heat transfer coefficient of cryotop during freezing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, W J; Zhou, X L; Wang, H S; Liu, B L; Dai, J J

    2013-01-01

    Cryotop is an efficient vitrification method for cryopreservation of oocytes. It has been widely used owing to its simple operation and high freezing rate. Recently, the heat transfer performance of cryotop was studied by numerical simulation in several studies. However, the range of heat transfer coefficient in the simulation is uncertain. In this study, the heat transfer coefficient for cryotop during freezing process was analyzed. The cooling rates of 40 percent ethylene glycol (EG) droplet in cryotop during freezing were measured by ultra-fast measurement system and calculated by numerical simulation at different value of heat transfer coefficient. Compared with the results obtained by two methods, the range of the heat transfer coefficient necessary for the numerical simulation of cryotop was determined, which is between 9000 W/(m(2)·K) and 10000 W/(m (2)·K).

  5. Optoacoustic laser monitoring of cooling and freezing of tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larin, Kirill V; Larina, I V; Motamedi, M; Esenaliev, R O

    2002-01-01

    Real-time monitoring of cooling and freezing of tissues, cells, and other biological objects with a high spatial and time resolution, which is necessary for selective destruction of cancer and benign tumours during cryotherapy, as well as for preventing any damage to the structure and functioning of biological objects in cryobiology, is considered. The optoacoustic method, based on the measurement and analysis of acoustic waves induced by short laser pulses, is proposed for monitoring the cooling and freezing of the tissue. The effect of cooling and freezing on the amplitude and time profile of acoustic signals generated in real tissues and in a model object is studied. The experimental results indicate that the optoacoustic laser technique can be used for real-time monitoring of cooling and freezing of biological objects with a submillimeter spatial resolution and a high contrast. (laser biology and medicine)

  6. Viability of L. casei during fermentation in soymilk and freeze-dried soymilk; effect of cryoprotectant, rehydration and storage temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristina Mladenovska

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the work was to investigate the behaviour of L. casei and the effect of sorbitol on its viability during fermentation in soymilk drink. Values for pH, ranging from 6.82 to 3.42 in the soymilk drink without sorbitol and from 6.74 to 3.41 in the drink with sorbitol were noted during 72 h of fermentation at 25oC. The corresponding values for titratable acidity ranged from 0.071% to 0.758% and from 0.073% to 0.761%, respectively. Soymilk was found to support the growth of L. casei with improvement in viability for 0.24 log at the end of fermentation when sorbitol was added. Survival of L. casei and the effectiveness of sorbitol in improving viability during freeze-drying, subsequent rehydration and during a 5-week period of storage under different temperatures were also investigated. After freeze-drying, L. casei exhibited a survival percent of approximately 46%. Sorbitol improved the viability of L. casei by 0.51 log immediately after freeze-drying and by 1.30 log and 0.47 log during five weeks of storage at 25oC and 4oC, respectively. Further study revealed that the freeze-dried fermented soymilk rehydrated at 45oC was optimum for the recovery of L. casei with improvement in recovery for 0.68 log when sorbitol was added. A higher percent of survival was noted when the dried soymilk was stored at 4oC than at 25oC with improved viability at the end of 5 weeks storage for approximately 6 log for drinks with and without sorbitol. Fermented dried soymilk with sorbitol afforded significant tolerance of L. casei to acid stress. Generally, a stable probiotic diary product was prepared in which the concentration of L. casei remained above therapeutic level of 107 cfu/ml.

  7. Exploring high-density baryonic matter: Maximum freeze-out density

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Randrup, Joergen [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Cleymans, Jean [University of Cape Town, UCT-CERN Research Centre and Department of Physics, Rondebosch (South Africa)

    2016-08-15

    The hadronic freeze-out line is calculated in terms of the net baryon density and the energy density instead of the usual T and μ{sub B}. This analysis makes it apparent that the freeze-out density exhibits a maximum as the collision energy is varied. This maximum freeze-out density has μ{sub B} = 400 - 500 MeV, which is above the critical value, and it is reached for a fixed-target bombarding energy of 20-30 GeV/N well within the parameters of the proposed NICA collider facility. (orig.)

  8. Freeze-thaw performance testing of whole concrete railroad ties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-01

    Freezing and thawing durability tests of prestressed concrete ties are normally performed according to ASTM C666 specifications. Small specimens are cut from the shoulders of concrete ties and tested through 300 cycles of freezing and thawing. Saw-cu...

  9. Positron probe to study the freezing of nanodroplets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pujari, P.K.

    2010-01-01

    Positron is an excellent in situ probe to study the phase behavior of fluid confined in nanodomains. The study of phase behavior (freezing/melting) of nano confined fluid or nanodroplet has great relevance in fundamental research as well as applications in nano-tribology, nanofabrication, membrane separation, interfacial adhesion and lubrication. It is seen that the properties of freezing/melting of nanodroplets are different from their bulk behavior due to the combined effects of finite size, surface force, surface anisotropy, pore disorder and reduced dimensionality. We have used positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) to study the freezing/melting behavior of different organic liquids like benzene, ethylene glycol and isopropanol confined in nanopores of ZSM5 zeolite and silica gel

  10. Mechanism study of freeze-valve for molten salt reactor (MSR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qinhua, Zhang

    2014-01-01

    Molten salt reactor (MSR) is one of the fourth generation nuclear reactor, ordinary nuclear grade valve is unsuitable for MSR due to its special coolant and extraordinary working temperature. Freeze-valve is proposed as the most appropriate valve for MSR, but the technology issue about freeze-valve has not been report in recent decades. Its significance to test the comprehensive property of freeze-valve for the application in MSR. A high temperature molten salt test loop was built which the physics property of salt is similar to the coolant of MSR. The results indicate that freeze-valve has a good performance use in the molten salt circumstances of high temperature (max 700 deg. C) and strong corrosion (authors)

  11. Post Thawing Sperm Quality and Ca+2 Intensity Characters of Local Goat Sperm After Freezing by Simple Method Using Deep Freezing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gatot Ciptadi

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this research was to determine the effect of the simple modified freezing method, 1°C/minute freezing rate with different diluter ration on a post-thawing quality of local goat sperm namely Peranakan Etawah (PE. This work is aimed to study the quality of post-thawing sperm and to characterize the calcium intensity profile of both fresh and post thawing goat sperm. The method used is the experimental design of a laboratory. Freezing semen was performed in 2 main temperatures of -45°C then -196°C respectively using Mr. Frosty (® System. Early Sperm characters of Ca+2 intensity was performed by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM through Fluo-3 staining and Ca++ intensity was analysis descriptively. The result showed that post-thawing qualities are considered as good as standard qualities, at least, more than 40% based on Indonesian National Standard (SNI, 2014. The different level diluents commercial of Andromeda used were influenced highly significant (P<0.01. The best diluents ration is 1:4 (v/v for final sperms stocked at -196°C. However freezing sperm conserved in -196°C is better than in -45°C. Meanwhile, the sperm characters of two condition showed the important variation of Ca+2 intensity, with the length of region measurement of 39.06±4.595 and 32.696±9.011 µm each.  It was concluded that the calcium intensity pattern was varied more and higher in fresh sperm than in freezing sperms. This simple modified method of a freezing system was considered as a feasible alternative method for goat semen in a reason for both for sperm post-thawing quality and practical purposes.

  12. Emerging techniques for assisting and accelerating food freezing processes: A review of recent research progresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Lina; Sun, Da-Wen; Zhu, Zhiwei; Zhang, Zi

    2017-03-04

    Freezing plays an important role in food preservation and the emergence of rapid freezing technologies can be highly beneficial to the food industry. This paper reviews some novel food freezing technologies, including high-pressure freezing (HPF), ultrasound-assisted freezing (UAF), electrically disturbed freezing (EF) and magnetically disturbed freezing (MF), microwave-assisted freezing (MWF), and osmo-dehydro-freezing (ODF). HPF and UAF can initiate ice nucleation rapidly, leading to uniform distribution of ice crystals and the control of their size and shape. Specifically, the former is focused on increasing the degree of supercooling, whereas the latter aims to decrease it. Direct current electric freezing (DC-EF) and alternating current electric freezing (AC-EF) exhibit different effects on ice nucleation. DC-EF can promote ice nucleation and AC-EF has the opposite effect. Furthermore, ODF has been successfully used for freezing various vegetables and fruit. MWF cannot control the nucleation temperature, but can decrease supercooling degree, thus decreasing the size of ice crystals. The heat and mass transfer processes during ODF have been investigated experimentally and modeled mathematically. More studies should be carried out to understand the effects of these technologies on food freezing process.

  13. Effect of freezing and thawing rates on the post-thaw viability of boar spermatozoa frozen in FlatPacks and Maxi-straws.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eriksson, B M; Rodriguez-Martinez, H

    2000-11-01

    The effects of different freezing and thawing rates on the post-thaw motility and membrane integrity of boar spermatozoa, processed as split samples in Maxi-straws or flat PET-plastic packages (FlatPack) were studied. A programmable freezing device was used to obtain freezing rates of either 20, 50 or 80 degrees C/min. Thawing of the samples was performed in a bath of circulating water; for 40s at 50 degrees C or 27s at 70 degrees C for Maxi-straws and 23s at 35 degrees C, 13s at 50 degrees C or 8s at 70 degrees C for the FlatPacks. Sperm motility was assessed both visually and with a computer assisted semen analysis (CASA) apparatus, while plasma membrane integrity was assessed using the fluorescent probes Calcein AM and ethidium homodimer-1. Temperature changes during freezing and thawing were monitored in both forms of packaging. Values for motile spermatozoa, sperm velocity and lateral head displacement variables were significantly (pstraws, with superior results at higher thawing rates. Freezing at 50 degrees C/min yielded better motility than 20 or 80 degrees C/min, although the effect was rather small. Neither freezing rate nor thawing rate had any effect on membrane integrity (p>0.05). A significant boar effect was seen for several parameters. The most striking difference in temperature courses between containers was a 4-5-fold lowering of the thawing rate, between -20 and 0 degrees C, in the center of the Maxi-straw, compared with the FlatPack. This is apparently due to the insulating effect of the thawed water in the periphery of the Maxi-straw. The improvement in sperm motility seen when using the FlatPack appears to be related to the rapid thawing throughout the sample, which decreases the risk of cell damage due to recrystallization during thawing. Since sperm motility patterns have been reported to be correlated with fertility both in vitro and in vivo it is speculated that the use of the FlatPack might improve the results when using frozen

  14. Shrinkage of spray-freeze-dried microparticles of pure protein for ballistic injection by manipulation of freeze-drying cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Straller, Georg; Lee, Geoffrey

    2017-10-30

    Spray-freeze-drying was used to produce shrivelled, partially-collapsed microparticles of pure proteins that may be suitable for use in a ballistic injector. Various modifications of the freeze drying cycle were examined for their effects on collapse of the pure protein microparticles. The use of annealing at a shelf temperature of up to +10°C resulted in no visible particle shrinkage. This was because of the high T g ' of the pure protein. Inclusion of trehalose or sucrose led to particle shrinkage because of the plasticizing effects of the disaccharides on the protein. Only by extending the duration of primary drying from 240 to 2745min at shelf temperatures in the range -12 to -8°C were shrivelled, wrinkled particles of bSA and bCA of reduced porosity obtained. Manipulation of the freeze-drying cycle used for SFD can therefore be used to modify particle morphology and increase particle density. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Arginine and proline applied as food additives stimulate high freeze tolerance in larvae of Drosophila melanogaster

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Košťál, Vladimír; Korbelová, Jaroslava; Poupardin, Rodolphe; Moos, Martin; Šimek, Petr

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 219, č. 15 (2016), s. 2358-2367 ISSN 0022-0949 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-01057S EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 316304 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : fruit fly * diet augmentation * cold tolerance Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 3.320, year: 2016

  16. Mechanism of freeze-thaw injury and recovery: A cool retrospective and warming up to new ideas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, Rajeev

    2018-05-01

    Understanding cellular mechanism(s) of freeze-thaw injury (FTI) is key to the efforts for improving plant freeze-tolerance by cultural methods or molecular/genetic approaches. However, not much work has been done in the last 25+ years to advance our understanding of the nature and cellular loci of FTI. Currently, two FTI lesions are predominantly implicated: 1) structural and functional perturbations in plasma membrane; 2) ROS-induced oxidative damage. While both have stood the test of time, many questions remain unresolved and other potentially significant lesions need to be investigated. Additionally, molecular mechanism of post-thaw recovery (PTR), a critical component of frost-survival, has not been well investigated. Mechanistic understanding of repair after reversible injury could expand the options for strategies to improve frost-hardiness. In this review, without claiming to be exhaustive, I have attempted to synthesize major discoveries from last several decades on the mechanisms of FTI and the relatively little research conducted thus far on PTR mechanisms. It is followed by proposing of hypotheses for mechanism(s) for irreversible FTI or PTR involving cytosolic calcium and ROS signaling. Perspective is presented on some unresolved questions and research on new ideas to fill the knowledge gaps and advance the field. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Freeze-Thaw Cycles and Soil Biogeochemistry: Implications for Greenhouse Gas emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezanezhad, F.; Milojevic, T.; Oh, D. H.; Parsons, C. T.; Smeaton, C. M.; Van Cappellen, P.

    2016-12-01

    Freeze-thaw cycles represent a major natural climate forcing acting on soils at middle and high latitudes. Repeated freezing and thawing of soils changes their physical properties, geochemistry, and microbial community structure, which together govern the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients. In this presentation, we focus on how freeze-thaw cycles regulate carbon and nitrogen cycling and how these transformations influence greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. We present a novel approach, which combines the acquisition of physical and chemical data in a newly developed experimental soil column system. This system simulates realistic soil temperature profiles during freeze-thaw cycles. A high-resolution, Multi-Fiber Optode (MuFO) microsensor technique was used to detect oxygen (O2) continuously in the column at multiple depths. Surface and subsurface changes to gas and aqueous phase chemistry were measured to delineate the pathways and quantify soil respiration rates during freeze-thaw cycles. The results indicate that the time-dependent release of GHG from the soil surface is influenced by a combination of two key factors. Firstly, fluctuations in temperature and O2 availability affect soil biogeochemical activity and GHG production. Secondly, the recurrent development of a physical ice barrier prevents exchange of gaseous compounds between the soil and atmosphere during freezing conditions; removal of this barrier during thaw conditions increases GHG fluxes. During freezing, O2 levels in the unsaturated zone decreased due to restricted gas exchange with the atmosphere. As the soil thawed, O2 penetrated deeper into the soil enhancing the aerobic mineralization of organic carbon and nitrogen. Additionally, with the onset of thawing a pulse of gas flux occurred, which is attributed to the build-up of respiratory gases in the pore space during freezing. The latter implies enhanced anaerobic respiration as O2 supply ceases when the upper soil layer freezes.

  18. Conversion of the chill susceptible fruit fly larva (Drosophila melanogaster) to a freeze tolerant organism

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Košťál, Vladimír; Šimek, Petr; Zahradníčková, Helena; Cimlová, Jana; Štětina, T.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 109, č. 9 (2012), s. 3270-3274 ISSN 0027-8424 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/07/0269; GA ČR GA203/09/2014 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : insect cold tolerance * long-term storage * metabolomics Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 9.737, year: 2012 http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/02/06/1119986109.full.pdf+html

  19. Model for heat and mass transfer in freeze-drying of pellets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trelea, Ioan Cristian; Passot, Stéphanie; Marin, Michèle; Fonseca, Fernanda

    2009-07-01

    Lyophilizing frozen pellets, and especially spray freeze-drying, have been receiving growing interest. To design efficient and safe freeze-drying cycles, local temperature and moisture content in the product bed have to be known, but both are difficult to measure in the industry. Mathematical modeling of heat and mass transfer helps to determine local freeze-drying conditions and predict effects of operation policy, and equipment and recipe changes on drying time and product quality. Representative pellets situated at different positions in the product slab were considered. One-dimensional transfer in the slab and radial transfer in the pellets were assumed. Coupled heat and vapor transfer equations between the temperature-controlled shelf, the product bulk, the sublimation front inside the pellets, and the chamber were established and solved numerically. The model was validated based on bulk temperature measurement performed at two different locations in the product slab and on partial vapor pressure measurement in the freeze-drying chamber. Fair agreement between measured and calculated values was found. In contrast, a previously developed model for compact product layer was found inadequate in describing freeze-drying of pellets. The developed model represents a good starting basis for studying freeze-drying of pellets. It has to be further improved and validated for a variety of product types and freeze-drying conditions (shelf temperature, total chamber pressure, pellet size, slab thickness, etc.). It could be used to develop freeze-drying cycles based on product quality criteria such as local moisture content and glass transition temperature.

  20. Effect of Repeated Freeze-Thaw Cycles on Beef Quality and Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Mohammad Hafizur; Hossain, Mohammad Mujaffar; Rahman, Syed Mohammad Ehsanur; Hashem, Mohammad Abul

    2014-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to know the effect of repeated freeze-thaw cycles of beef on the sensory, physicochemical quality and microbiological assessment. The effects of three successive freeze-thaw cycles on beef forelimb were investigated comparing with unfrozen fresh beef for 75 d by keeping at −20±1℃. The freeze-thaw cycles were subjected to three thawing methods and carried out to know the best one. As the number of freeze-thaw cycles increased color and odor declined significantly before cook within the cycles and tenderness, overall acceptability also declined among the cycles after cook by thawing methods. The thawing loss increased and dripping loss decreased significantly (pcycles and then decreased. Cooking loss increased in cycle 1 and 3, but decreased in cycle 2. pH decreased significantly (pcycles. Moreover, drip loss, cooking loss and WHC were affected (pcycles. 2-Thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) value increased (pcycles and among the cycles by thawing methods. Total viable bacteria, total coliform and total yeast-mould count decreased significantly (pcycles in comparison to the initial count in repeated freeze-thaw cycles. As a result, repeated freeze-thaw cycles affected the sensory, physicochemical and microbiological qua- lity of beef, causing the deterioration of beef quality, but improved the microbiological quality. Although repeated freeze-thaw cycles did not affect much on beef quality and safety but it may be concluded that repeated freeze and thaw should be minimized in terms of beef color for commercial value and WHC and tenderness/juiciness for eating quality. PMID:26761286

  1. Analytical solution and numerical simulation of the liquid nitrogen freezing-temperature field of a single pipe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Haibing; Xu, Liuxun; Yang, Yugui; Li, Longqi

    2018-05-01

    Artificial liquid nitrogen freezing technology is widely used in urban underground engineering due to its technical advantages, such as simple freezing system, high freezing speed, low freezing temperature, high strength of frozen soil, and absence of pollution. However, technical difficulties such as undefined range of liquid nitrogen freezing and thickness of frozen wall gradually emerge during the application process. Thus, the analytical solution of the freezing-temperature field of a single pipe is established considering the freezing temperature of soil and the constant temperature of freezing pipe wall. This solution is then applied in a liquid nitrogen freezing project. Calculation results show that the radius of freezing front of liquid nitrogen is proportional to the square root of freezing time. The radius of the freezing front also decreases with decreased the freezing temperature, and the temperature gradient of soil decreases with increased distance from the freezing pipe. The radius of cooling zone in the unfrozen area is approximately four times the radius of the freezing front. Meanwhile, the numerical simulation of the liquid nitrogen freezing-temperature field of a single pipe is conducted using the Abaqus finite-element program. Results show that the numerical simulation of soil temperature distribution law well agrees with the analytical solution, further verifies the reliability of the established analytical solution of the liquid nitrogen freezing-temperature field of a single pipe.

  2. Folic acid content in thermostabilized and freeze-dried space shuttle foods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, H. W.; Nillen, J. L.; Kloeris, V. L.

    1995-01-01

    This study was designed to determine whether freeze-dried and thermostabilized foods on a space shuttle contain adequate folate and to investigate any effects of freeze-drying on folacin. Frozen vegetables were analyzed after three states of processing: thawed; cooked; and rehydrated. Thermostabilized items were analyzed as supplied with no further processing. Measurable folate decreased in some freeze-dried vegetables and increased in others. Folacin content of thermostabilized food items was comparable with published values. We concluded that although the folacin content of some freeze-dried foods was low, adequate folate is available from the shuttle menu to meet RDA guidelines.

  3. Does Anxiety Cause Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehgoetz Martens, Kaylena A.; Ellard, Colin G.; Almeida, Quincy J.

    2014-01-01

    Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly experience freezing of gait under time constraints, in narrow spaces, and in the dark. One commonality between these different situations is that they may all provoke anxiety, yet anxiety has never been directly examined as a cause of FOG. In this study, virtual reality was used to induce anxiety and evaluate whether it directly causes FOG. Fourteen patients with PD and freezing of gait (Freezers) and 17 PD without freezing of gait (Non-Freezers) were instructed to walk in two virtual environments: (i) across a plank that was located on the ground (LOW), (ii) across a plank above a deep pit (HIGH). Multiple synchronized motion capture cameras updated participants' movement through the virtual environment in real-time, while their gait was recorded. Anxiety levels were evaluated after each trial using self-assessment manikins. Freezers performed the experiment on two separate occasions (in their ON and OFF state). Freezers reported higher levels of anxiety compared to Non-Freezers (panxiety when walking across the HIGH plank compared to the LOW (panxiety is an important mechanism underlying freezing of gait and supports the notion that the limbic system may have a profound contribution to freezing in PD. PMID:25250691

  4. Impact of nucleon mass shift on the freeze-out process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zschocke, Sven; Csernai, Laszlo Pal; Molnar, Etele; Nyiri, Agnes; Manninen, Jaakko

    2005-01-01

    The freeze-out of a massive nucleon gas through a finite layer with a timelike normal is studied. The impact of the in-medium nucleon mass shift on the freeze-out process is investigated. A considerable modification of the thermodynamic variables of temperature, flow velocity, energy density, and particle density has been found. Because of the nucleon mass shift the freeze-out particle distribution functions are changed noticeably in comparison with the evaluations, which use the vacuum nucleon mass

  5. Freezing of Water Droplet due to Evaporation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satoh, Isao; Fushinobu, Kazuyoshi; Hashimoto, Yu

    In this study, the feasibility of cooling/freezing of phase change.. materials(PCMs) due to evaporation for cold storage systems was experimentally examined. A pure water was used as the test PCM, since the latent heat due to evaporation of water is about 7 times larger than that due to freezing. A water droplet, the diameter of which was 1-4 mm, was suspended in a test cell by a fine metal wire (O. D.= 100μm),and the cell was suddenly evacuated up to the pressure lower than the triple-point pressure of water, so as to enhance the evaporation from the water surface. Temperature of the droplet was measured by a thermocouple, and the cooling/freezing behavior and the temperature profile of the droplet surface were captured by using a video camera and an IR thermo-camera, respectively. The obtained results showed that the water droplet in the evacuated cell is effectively cooled by the evaporation of water itself, and is frozen within a few seconds through remarkable supercooling state. When the initial temperature of the droplet is slightly higher than the room temperature, boiling phenomena occur in the droplet simultaneously with the freezing due to evaporation. Under such conditions, it was shown that the degree of supercooling of the droplet is reduced by the bubbles generated in the droplet.

  6. The wheat transcription factor, TabHLH39, improves tolerance to multiple abiotic stressors in transgenic plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhai, Yiqian; Zhang, Lichao; Xia, Chuan; Fu, Silu; Zhao, Guangyao; Jia, Jizeng; Kong, Xiuying

    2016-05-13

    Although bHLH transcription factors play important roles regulating plant development and abiotic stress response and tolerance, few functional studies have been performed in wheat. In this study, we isolated and characterized a bHLH gene, TabHLH39, from wheat. The TabHLH39 gene is located on wheat chromosome 5DL, and the protein localized to the nucleus and activated transcription. TabHLH39 showed variable expression in roots, stems, leaves, glumes, pistils and stamens and was induced by polyethylene glycol, salt and cold treatments. Further analysis revealed that TabHLH39 overexpression in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced tolerance to drought, salt and freezing stress during the seedling stage, which was also demonstrated by enhanced abiotic stress-response gene expression and changes to several physiological indices. Therefore, TabHLH39 has potential in transgenic breeding applications to improve abiotic stress tolerance in crops. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Chloroplast RNA-Binding Protein RBD1 Promotes Chilling Tolerance through 23S rRNA Processing in Arabidopsis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuai Wang

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Plants have varying abilities to tolerate chilling (low but not freezing temperatures, and it is largely unknown how plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana achieve chilling tolerance. Here, we describe a genome-wide screen for genes important for chilling tolerance by their putative knockout mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana. Out of 11,000 T-DNA insertion mutant lines representing half of the genome, 54 lines associated with disruption of 49 genes had a drastic chilling sensitive phenotype. Sixteen of these genes encode proteins with chloroplast localization, suggesting a critical role of chloroplast function in chilling tolerance. Study of one of these proteins RBD1 with an RNA binding domain further reveals the importance of chloroplast translation in chilling tolerance. RBD1 is expressed in the green tissues and is localized in the chloroplast nucleoid. It binds directly to 23S rRNA and the binding is stronger under chilling than at normal growth temperatures. The rbd1 mutants are defective in generating mature 23S rRNAs and deficient in chloroplast protein synthesis especially under chilling conditions. Together, our study identifies RBD1 as a regulator of 23S rRNA processing and reveals the importance of chloroplast function especially protein translation in chilling tolerance.

  8. Freeze-drying of HI-6-loaded recombinant human serum albumin nanoparticles for improved storage stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dadparvar, Miriam; Wagner, Sylvia; Wien, Sascha; Worek, Franz; von Briesen, Hagen; Kreuter, Jörg

    2014-10-01

    Severe intoxications with organophosphates require the immediate administration of atropine in combination with acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) reactivators such as HI-6. Although this therapy regimen enables the treatment of peripheral symptoms, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) restricts the access of the hydrophilic antidotes to the central nervous system which could lead to a fatal respiratory arrest. Therefore, HI-6-loaded albumin nanoparticles were previously developed to enhance the transport across this barrier and were able to reactivate organophosphate-(OP)-inhibited AChE in an in vitro BBB model. Since HI-6 is known to be moisture-sensitive, the feasibility of freeze-drying of the HI-6-loaded nanoparticles was investigated in the present study using different cryo- and lyoprotectants at different concentrations. Trehalose and sucrose (3%, w/v)-containing formulations were superior to mannitol concerning the physicochemical parameters of the nanoparticles whereas trehalose-containing samples were subject of a prolonged storage stability study at temperatures between -20°C and +40°C for predetermined time intervals. Shelf-life computations of the freeze-dried HI-6 nanoparticle formulations revealed a shelf-life time of 18 months when stored at -20°C. The formulations' efficacy was proven in vitro by reactivation of OP-inhibited AChE after transport over a porcine brain capillary endothelial cell layer model. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Analyses of out-of-pile freezing experiments by SIMMER-II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawada, Tetsuo; Ninokata, Hisashi

    1994-01-01

    This paper describes the interpretation of the TRAN Simulation experiments performed by SIMBATH facility of KfK. Two typical TRAN Simulation experiments were analyzed by using the SIMMER-II code. The original TRAN experiments were performed at SNL in order to examine the freezing behavior of molten UO 2 injected into an annular channel. In the TRAN Simulation experiments of SIMBATH series, similar freezing phenomena were investigated for molten thermite, i.e., a mixture of Al 2 O 3 and iron, instead of UO 2 . The analyses of the simulation experiments by SIMMER-II code aimed at clarifying the applicability of the code and interpreting the freezing process during the experiments. Distribution of molten materials that had deposited in the test section was compared between experimental measurements and calculation by SIMMER-II. Through this study, it has been confirmed that SIMMER-II can well reproduce the TRAN Simulation experiments with allowable difference. The calculations by SIMMER-II also suggested that further model improvements, e.g., freezing on a convex surface, would be effective for a better interpretation of the freezing phenomena. (author)

  10. Effect of freeze/thaw cycles on several biomarkers in urine from patients with kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yinan; Luo, Yi; Lu, Huijuan; Wang, Niansong; Shen, Yixie; Chen, Ruihua; Fang, Pingyan; Yu, Hong; Wang, Congrong; Jia, Weiping

    2015-04-01

    Urine samples were collected from eleven randomly selected patients with kidney disease, including diabetic nephropathy, chronic nephritis, and nephritic syndrome. Urine samples were treated with one of four protocols for freezing and thawing: freeze directly and thaw directly; freeze directly and thaw by temperature gradient; freeze by temperature gradient and thaw directly; and freeze by temperature gradient and thaw by temperature gradient. After one to six freeze/thaw cycles at -20°C or -80°C, different biomarkers showed differential stabilities. The concentrations of total protein, calcium, and potassium did not change significantly after five freeze/thaw cycles at either -20°C or -80°C. Albumin could only sustain three freeze/thaw cycles at -20°C before it started to degrade. We recommend that urine be stored at -80°C as albumin and the organic ions could sustain five and six freeze/thaw cycles, respectively, using the simple "direct freeze and direct thaw" protocol. Furthermore, in most cases, gradient freeze/thaw cycles are not necessary for urine sample storage.

  11. Entree Production Guides for Cook/Freeze Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    1983-03-01

    92.29 50.00 22,680 1. Fill roasting pans with cut-up chicken . Salt 0.35 0.19 86 2. Combine ingredients listed Pepper, black 0.07 0.04 18 in this...INSTALLATIONS FREEZING RECIPES HOSPITAL FEEDING i, WACT (Vmentbs m reves - W neete y lsmer ~lr y block nguber) Entree production guides have been...control and better use of personnel. Standard recipes must be adapted to production guides for use in cook/freeze systems. Products must withstand the

  12. Quality Evaluation of Pork with Various Freezing and Thawing Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    In this study, the physicochemical and sensory quality characteristics due to the influence of various thawing methods on electro-magnetic and air blast frozen pork were examined. The packaged pork samples, which were frozen by air blast freezing at −45℃ or electro-magnetic freezing at −55℃, were thawed using 4 different methods: refrigeration (4±1℃), room temperature (RT, 25℃), cold water (15℃), and microwave (2450 MHz). Analyses were carried out to determine the drip and cooking loss, water holding capacity (WHC), moisture content and sensory evaluation. Frozen pork thawed in a microwave indicated relatively less thawing loss (0.63-1.24%) than the other thawing methods (0.68-1.38%). The cooking loss after electro-magnetic freezing indicated 37.4% by microwave thawing, compared with 32.9% by refrigeration, 36.5% by RT, and 37.2% by cold water in ham. The thawing of samples frozen by electro-magnetic freezing showed no significant differences between the methods used, while the moisture content was higher in belly thawed by microwave (62.0%) after electro-magnetic freezing than refrigeration (54.8%), RT (61.3%), and cold water (61.1%). The highest overall acceptability was shown for microwave thawing after electro-magnetic freezing but there were no significant differences compared to that of the other samples. PMID:26761493

  13. Stress Tolerance in Doughs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Trehalase Mutants Derived from Commercial Baker’s Yeast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shima, Jun; Hino, Akihiro; Yamada-Iyo, Chie; Suzuki, Yasuo; Nakajima, Ryouichi; Watanabe, Hajime; Mori, Katsumi; Takano, Hiroyuki

    1999-01-01

    Accumulation of trehalose is widely believed to be a critical determinant in improving the stress tolerance of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is commonly used in commercial bread dough. To retain the accumulation of trehalose in yeast cells, we constructed, for the first time, diploid homozygous neutral trehalase mutants (Δnth1), acid trehalase mutants (Δath1), and double mutants (Δnth1 ath1) by using commercial baker’s yeast strains as the parent strains and the gene disruption method. During fermentation in a liquid fermentation medium, degradation of intracellular trehalose was inhibited with all of the trehalase mutants. The gassing power of frozen doughs made with these mutants was greater than the gassing power of doughs made with the parent strains. The Δnth1 and Δath1 strains also exhibited higher levels of tolerance of dry conditions than the parent strains exhibited; however, the Δnth1 ath1 strain exhibited lower tolerance of dry conditions than the parent strain exhibited. The improved freeze tolerance exhibited by all of the trehalase mutants may make these strains useful in frozen dough. PMID:10388673

  14. Separation of Contaminants in The Freeze/Thaw Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Szpaczyński Janusz A.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available These studies examined the concept of concentration and purification of several types of wastewater by freezing and thawing. The experiments demonstrated that freezing of contaminated liquid contributed to concentration of contaminants in solution as well as significant concentration and agglomeration of solid particles. A high degree of purification was achieved for many parameters. The results of comparative laboratory tests for single and multiple freezing are presented. It was found that there was a higher degree of concentration of pollutants in wastewater frozen as man-made snow than in bulk ice. Furthermore, the hypothesis that long storage time of liquid as snow and sufficient temperature gradient metamorphism allows for high efficiency of the concentration process was confirmed. It was reported that the first 30% of the melted liquid volume contained over 90% of all impurities. It gives great opportunities to use this method to concentrate pollutants. The results revealed that the application of this process in full scale is possible. Significant agglomeration of solid particles was also noted. Tests with clay slurry showed that repeated freezing and thawing processes significantly improve the characteristics of slurry for sedimentation and filtration.

  15. PHBV/PLLA-based composite scaffolds fabricated using an emulsion freezing/freeze-drying technique for bone tissue engineering: surface modification and in vitro biological evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sultana, Naznin; Wang Min

    2012-01-01

    Tissue engineering combines living cells with biodegradable materials and/or bioactive components. Composite scaffolds containing biodegradable polymers and nanosized osteoconductive bioceramic with suitable properties are promising for bone tissue regeneration. In this paper, based on blending two biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, namely poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) with incorporated nano hydroxyapatite (HA), three-dimensional composite scaffolds with controlled microstructures and an interconnected porous structure, together with high porosity, were fabricated using an emulsion freezing/freeze-drying technique. The influence of various parameters involved in the emulsion freezing/freeze-drying technique was studied for the fabrication of good-quality polymer scaffolds based on PHBV polymers. The morphology, mechanical properties and crystallinity of PHBV/PLLA and HA in PHBV/PLLA composite scaffolds and PHBV polymer scaffolds were studied. The scaffolds were coated with collagen in order to improve wettability. During in vitro biological evaluation study, it was observed that SaOS-2 cells had high attachment on collagen-coated scaffolds. Significant improvement in cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity for HA-incorporated composite scaffolds was observed due to the incorporation of HA. After 3 and 7 days of culture on all scaffolds, SaOS-2 cells also had normal morphology and growth. These results indicated that PHBV/PLLA-based scaffolds fabricated via an emulsion freezing/freeze-drying technique were favorable sites for osteoblastic cells and are promising for the applications of bone tissue engineering.

  16. Accelerated redox reaction between chromate and phenolic pollutants during freezing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ju, Jinjung; Kim, Jaesung [Department of Environmental Sciences and Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 24252 (Korea, Republic of); Vetráková, Ľubica [Department of Chemistry and Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Seo, Jiwon [School of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919 (Korea, Republic of); Heger, Dominik [Department of Chemistry and Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Lee, Changha [School of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Ho-Il [Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Incheon 21990 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kitae, E-mail: ktkim@kopri.re.kr [Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Incheon 21990 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jungwon, E-mail: jwk@hallym.ac.kr [Department of Environmental Sciences and Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do 24252 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-05-05

    Highlights: • Redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI) was significantly accelerated during freezing. • Accelerated redox conversion in ice is ascribed to the freeze concentration effect. • 4-CP, Cr(VI), and protons are concentrated in the liquid brine by freezing. • Redox conversions of various phenolic pollutants/Cr(VI) were significant in ice. • Freezing-accelerated redox conversion was observed in real polluted water. - Abstract: The redox reaction between 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and chromate (Cr(VI)) (i.e., the simultaneous oxidation of 4-CP by Cr(VI) and reduction of Cr(VI) by 4-CP) in ice (i.e., at −20 °C) was compared with the corresponding reaction in water (i.e., at 25 °C). The redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI), which was negligible in water, was significantly accelerated in ice. This accelerated redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI) in ice is ascribed to the freeze concentration effect occurring during freezing, which excludes solutes (i.e., 4-CP and Cr(VI)) and protons from the ice crystals and subsequently concentrates them in the liquid brine. The concentrations of Cr(VI) and protons in the liquid brine were confirmed by measuring the optical image and the UV–vis absorption spectra of cresol red (CR) as a pH indicator of frozen solution. The redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI) was observed in water when the concentrations of 4-CP/protons or Cr(VI)/protons increased by 100/1000-fold. These results corroborate the freeze concentration effect as the reason for the accelerated redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI) in ice. The redox conversion of various phenolic pollutants/Cr(VI) and 4-CP/Cr(VI) in real wastewater was successfully achieved in ice, which verifies the environmental relevance and importance of freezing-accelerated redox conversion of phenolic pollutants/Cr(VI) in cold regions.

  17. Accelerated redox reaction between chromate and phenolic pollutants during freezing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ju, Jinjung; Kim, Jaesung; Vetráková, Ľubica; Seo, Jiwon; Heger, Dominik; Lee, Changha; Yoon, Ho-Il; Kim, Kitae; Kim, Jungwon

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI) was significantly accelerated during freezing. • Accelerated redox conversion in ice is ascribed to the freeze concentration effect. • 4-CP, Cr(VI), and protons are concentrated in the liquid brine by freezing. • Redox conversions of various phenolic pollutants/Cr(VI) were significant in ice. • Freezing-accelerated redox conversion was observed in real polluted water. - Abstract: The redox reaction between 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and chromate (Cr(VI)) (i.e., the simultaneous oxidation of 4-CP by Cr(VI) and reduction of Cr(VI) by 4-CP) in ice (i.e., at −20 °C) was compared with the corresponding reaction in water (i.e., at 25 °C). The redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI), which was negligible in water, was significantly accelerated in ice. This accelerated redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI) in ice is ascribed to the freeze concentration effect occurring during freezing, which excludes solutes (i.e., 4-CP and Cr(VI)) and protons from the ice crystals and subsequently concentrates them in the liquid brine. The concentrations of Cr(VI) and protons in the liquid brine were confirmed by measuring the optical image and the UV–vis absorption spectra of cresol red (CR) as a pH indicator of frozen solution. The redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI) was observed in water when the concentrations of 4-CP/protons or Cr(VI)/protons increased by 100/1000-fold. These results corroborate the freeze concentration effect as the reason for the accelerated redox conversion of 4-CP/Cr(VI) in ice. The redox conversion of various phenolic pollutants/Cr(VI) and 4-CP/Cr(VI) in real wastewater was successfully achieved in ice, which verifies the environmental relevance and importance of freezing-accelerated redox conversion of phenolic pollutants/Cr(VI) in cold regions.

  18. Effect of baking and steaming on physicochemical and thermal properties of sweet potato puree preserved by freezing and freeze-drying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernarda Svrakačić

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Thermal treatments could be one of the hurdles in applications of sweet potato purees for food different products formulation. Sweet potato purees (SPP were prepared from raw, baked and steamed roots and they were preserved by freezing and freeze-drying. The effects of baking and steaming on thermal properties (melting temperature-Tm, melting transition energy - ΔH, and glass transition temperatures - Tg of sweet potato (cultivar Beauregard, were measured by means of a Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. The SPP made from baked roots had higher total and soluble solids (20.32 and 18.95%, respectively than SPP made from raw and steamed roots. It can be also noticed that starch content was reduced by steaming and baking which reflected on amount of total and reducing sugars. The increase of reducing sugars level in baked SPP for 3.78% and steamed for 0.86% SPP was the result of yielding the maltose. The chemical changes of SPP also influenced the thermal behavior such that SPP prepared from baked sweet potato roots had the lowest initial freezing point (-2.80 °C followed by SPP prepared from steamed (-2.63 °C and raw (-0.71 °C roots. The highest energy for melting (transition was needed for SPP prepared from raw potato roots followed by steamed and baked roots, -103.79, -103.63, and -102.90 J/g, respectively. The glass transition in freeze-dried SPP prepared from raw roots was not detected. However, in the freeze-dried SPP prepared from baked and steamed roots the glass transition was detected in the range of 39 and 42 °C but with no significant difference (p > 0.05.

  19. Freezing process in unsaturated packed beds; Fuhowa ryushi sonai ni okeru suibun toketsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akahori, M; Aoki, K; Hattori, M [Nagaoka University of Technology, Niigata (Japan); Tani, T [Oji Paper Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

    1998-04-25

    The freezing process in unsaturated packed beds has been investigated experimentally and theoretically. Water transport to the frozen front plays an important part on freezing. The rate of the absorption of water into frozen layer depended on the freezing heat flux and the water saturation at the freezing front. As a result, ice content in the frozen layer was related to the rate of the absorption of water and the freezing heat flux. A one-dimensional freezing model in unsaturated packed beds has been presented, accounting for the water transport. The predicted water saturation and temperature distributions in the body and the thickness of frozen layer were compared with the experimental results using a porous bed composed of glass beads. 12 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

  20. Does freeze-all policy affect IVF outcomes in poor responders?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roque, Matheus; Valle, Marcello; Sampaio, Marcos; Geber, Selmo

    2017-12-27

    To evaluate whether the freeze-all strategy affects in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in poor ovarian responders following the Bologna criteria. We performed a retrospective cohort study conducted between January 2012 and December 2016. A total of 433 poor responders (per the Bologna criteria) fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were included in the study, with 277 patients included in the fresh group and 156 in the freeze-all group. All patients were submitted to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol and cleavage-stage embryo transfer (ET). The main outcome measure was ongoing pregnancy rate. Secondary outcomes included implantation and clinical pregnancy rates. The freeze-all strategy was implemented when the progesterone serum level was >1.5 ng/mL on the trigger day, when the endometrium was <7 mm on the trigger day, or as a patient preference. Patients with previous failed fresh embryo transfer were also submitted to fresh or freeze-all strategy considering the indications mentioned above. The patients' mean age in the freeze-all group was 39.5±3.6 years, while that of patients in the fresh group was 39.7±3.8 years (P=0.54). The mean number of embryos transferred (nET) was 1.53±0.6 and 1.60±0.6 (P=0.12) in the freeze-all and fresh groups, respectively. Ongoing pregnancy rates did not significantly differ between the freeze-all and fresh groups (9.6% versus 10.1%, respectively; Relative Risk [RR]: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.52-1.73), nor did the clinical pregnancy rates (14.1% versus 13.7%, respectively; RR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.63-1.76). Implantation rates were 9.6% and 9.8% (P=0.82) in the freeze-all and fresh groups, respectively. The logistic regression analysis (including age, antral follicle count [AFC], the number of retrieved oocytes, the number of mature oocytes, nET, and fresh versus freeze-all strategy) indicated that age (P<0.001) and the nET (P=0.039) were the only independent variables

  1. Visual Indicators on Vaccine Boxes as Early Warning Tools to Identify Potential Freeze Damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angoff, Ronald; Wood, Jillian; Chernock, Maria C; Tipping, Diane

    2015-07-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of visual freeze indicators on vaccines would assist health care providers in identifying vaccines that may have been exposed to potentially damaging temperatures. Twenty-seven sites in Connecticut involved in the Vaccine for Children Program participated. In addition to standard procedures, visual freeze indicators (FREEZEmarker ® L; Temptime Corporation, Morris Plains, NJ) were affixed to each box of vaccine that required refrigeration but must not be frozen. Temperatures were monitored twice daily. During the 24 weeks, all 27 sites experienced triggered visual freeze indicator events in 40 of the 45 refrigerators. A total of 66 triggered freeze indicator events occurred in all 4 types of refrigerators used. Only 1 of the freeze events was identified by a temperature-monitoring device. Temperatures recorded on vaccine data logs before freeze indicator events were within the 35°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) range in all but 1 instance. A total of 46,954 doses of freeze-sensitive vaccine were stored at the time of a visual freeze indicator event. Triggered visual freeze indicators were found on boxes containing 6566 doses (14.0% of total doses). Of all doses stored, 14,323 doses (30.5%) were of highly freeze-sensitive vaccine; 1789 of these doses (12.5%) had triggered indicators on the boxes. Visual freeze indicators are useful in the early identification of freeze events involving vaccines. Consideration should be given to including these devices as a component of the temperature-monitoring system for vaccines.

  2. Chromosomal integrity of freeze-dried mouse spermatozoa after 137Cs γ-ray irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusakabe, Hirokazu; Kamiguchi, Yujiroh

    2004-01-01

    This study demonstrated that freeze-dried mouse spermatozoa possess strong resistance to 137 Cs γ-ray irradiation at doses of up to 8 Gy. Freeze-dried mouse spermatozoa were rehydrated and injected into mouse oocytes with an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique. Most oocytes can be activated after ICSI by using spermatozoa irradiated with γ-rays before and after freeze-drying. Sperm chromosome complements were analyzed at the first cleavage metaphase. Chromosome aberrations increased in a dose-dependent manner in the spermatozoa irradiated before freeze-drying. However, no increase in oocytes with chromosome aberrations was observed when fertilized by spermatozoa that had been irradiated after freeze-drying, as compared with freeze-dried spermatozoa that had not been irradiated. These results suggest that both the chromosomal integrity of freeze-dried spermatozoa, as well as their ability to activate oocytes, were protected from γ-ray irradiation at doses at which chromosomal damage is found to be strongly induced in spermatozoa suspended in solution

  3. Ultrasound assisted immersion freezing of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xin, Ying; Zhang, Min; Adhikari, Benu

    2014-09-01

    The aim of this study was to research the ultrasound-assisted freezing (UAF) of broccoli. CaCl2 solution was used as freezing medium. The comparative advantage of using UAF over normal freezing on the freezing time, cell-wall bound calcium to total calcium ratio, textural properties, color, drip loss and L-ascorbic acid contents was evaluated. The application of UAF at selected acoustic intensity with a range of 0.250-0.412 W/cm(2) decreased the freezing time and the loss of cell-wall bound calcium content. Compared to normal freezing, the values of textural properties, color, L-ascorbic acid content were better preserved and the drip loss was significantly minimized by the application of UAF. However, when outside that range of acoustic intensity, the quality of the ultrasound-assisted frozen broccoli was inferior compared to that of the normally frozen samples. Selected the appropriate acoustic intensity was very important for the application of UAF. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Reformate tolerant electrocatalysts in solid polymer fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooper, S J; Gunner, A G; Thompsett, D; Hards, G A

    1998-12-31

    The aim of the project was to evaluate a series of platinum group metal catalysts which had previously been identified from a wide range of areas related to carbon monoxide (CO) activation, and to demonstrate superior intrinsic reformate tolerance to current platinum/ruthenium technology as anode catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). (author)

  5. Cognitive Contributions to Freezing of Gait in Parkinson Disease: Implications for Physical Rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Daniel S; King, Laurie A; Cohen, Rajal G; Horak, Fay B

    2016-05-01

    People with Parkinson disease (PD) who show freezing of gait also have dysfunction in cognitive domains that interact with mobility. Specifically, freezing of gait is associated with executive dysfunction involving response inhibition, divided attention or switching attention, and visuospatial function. The neural control impairments leading to freezing of gait have recently been attributed to higher-level, executive and attentional cortical processes involved in coordinating posture and gait rather than to lower-level, sensorimotor impairments. To date, rehabilitation for freezing of gait primarily has focused on compensatory mobility training to overcome freezing events, such as sensory cueing and voluntary step planning. Recently, a few interventions have focused on restitutive, rather than compensatory, therapy. Given the documented impairments in executive function specific to patients with PD who freeze and increasing evidence of overlap between cognitive and motor function, incorporating cognitive challenges with mobility training may have important benefits for patients with freezing of gait. Thus, a novel theoretical framework is proposed for exercise interventions that jointly address both the specific cognitive and mobility challenges of people with PD who freeze. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

  6. SOME STUDIES ABOUT CEREALS BEHAVIOR DURING FREEZE DRYING PROCESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GABRIELA-VICTORIA MNERIE

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents some special method and equipment and the principal advantages of freeze-dried food. The freeze drying is a good method of freeze-drying for make some experiments with many kind of cereals, for the improvement that in food production. It is necessary and is possible to study the corn oil extract, wheat flour, the maltodextrin from corn, modified cornstarch, spice extracts, soy sauce, hydrolyzed wheat gluten, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil etc. That is very porous, since it occupies the same volume as the original and so rehydrates rapidly. There is less loss of flavour and texture than with most other methods of drying.

  7. Conserved and narrow temperature limits in alpine insects: Thermal tolerance and supercooling points of the ice-crawlers, Grylloblatta (Insecta: Grylloblattodea: Grylloblattidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoville, Sean D; Slatyer, Rachel A; Bergdahl, James C; Valdez, Glenda A

    2015-07-01

    For many terrestrial species, habitat associations and range size are dependent on physiological limits, which in turn may influence large-scale patterns of species diversity. The temperature range experienced by individuals is considered to shape the breadth of the thermal niche, with species occupying temporally and/or geographically stable climates tolerating a narrow temperature range. High-elevation environments experience large temperature fluctuations, with frequent periods below 0 °C, but Grylloblatta (Grylloblattodea: Grylloblattidae) occupy climatically stable microhabitats within this region. Here we test critical thermal limits and supercooling points for five Grylloblatta populations from across a large geographic area, to examine whether the stable microhabitats of this group are associated with a narrow thermal niche and assess their capacity to tolerate cold conditions. Thermal limits are highly conserved in Grylloblatta, despite substantial genetic divergence among populations spanning 1500 m elevation and being separated by over 500 km. Further, Grylloblatta show exceptionally narrow thermal limits compared to other insect taxa with little capacity to improve cold tolerance via plasticity. In contrast, upper thermal limits were significantly depressed by cold acclimation. Grylloblatta maintain coordinated movement until they freeze, and they die upon freezing. Convergence of the critical thermal minima, supercooling point and lower lethal limits point to adaptation to a cold but, importantly, constant thermal environment. These physiological data provide an explanation for the high endemism and patchy distribution of Grylloblatta, which relies on subterranean retreats to accommodate narrow thermal limits. These retreats are currently buffered from temperature fluctuations by snow cover, and a declining snowpack thus places Grylloblatta at risk of exposure to temperatures beyond its tolerance capacity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  8. [Freeze drying process optimization of ginger juice-adjuvant for Chinese materia medica processing and stability of freeze-dried ginger juice powder].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chun-Yu; Guo, Feng-Qian; Zang, Chen; Cao, Hui; Zhang, Bao-Xian

    2018-02-01

    Ginger juice, a commonly used adjuvant for Chinese materia medica, is applied in processing of multiple Chinese herbal decoction pieces. Because of the raw materials and preparation process of ginger juice, it is difficult to be preserved for a long time, and the dosage of ginger juice in the processing can not be determined base on its content of main compositions. Ginger juice from different sources is hard to achieve consistent effect during the processing of traditional Chinese herbal decoction pieces. Based on the previous studies, the freeze drying of ginger juice under different shelf temperatures and vacuum degrees were studied, and the optimized freeze drying condition of ginger juice was determined. The content determination method for 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol and 6-shagaol in ginger juice and redissolved ginger juice was established. The content changes of 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol, 6-gingerol, 6-shagaol, volatile oil and total phenol were studied through the drying process and 30 days preservation period. The results showed that the freeze drying time of ginger juice was shortened after process optimization; the compositions basically remained unchanged after freeze drying, and there was no significant changes in the total phenol content and gingerol content, but the volatile oil content was significantly decreased( P <0.05). Within 30 days, the contents of gingerol, total phenol, and volatile oil were on the decline as a whole. This study has preliminarily proved the feasibility of freeze-drying process of ginger juice as an adjuvant for Chinese medicine processing. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  9. The impact of freeze-drying on microstructure and rehydration properties of carrot

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voda, A.; Homan, N.; Witek, M.; Duijster, A.; Dalen, van G.; Sman, van der R.G.M.; Nijsse, J.; Vliet, van L.J.; As, van H.; Duynhoven, van J.P.M.

    2012-01-01

    The impact of freeze-drying, blanching and freezing rate pre-treatments on the microstructure and on the rehydration properties of winter carrots were studied by µCT, SEM, MRI and NMR techniques. The freezing rate determines the size of ice crystals being formed that leave pores upon drying. Their

  10. Physicochemical interaction mechanism between nanoparticles and tetrasaccharides (stachyose) during freeze-drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamiya, Seitaro; Nakashima, Kenichiro

    2017-12-01

    Nanoparticle suspensions are thermodynamically unstable and subject to aggregation. Freeze-drying on addition of saccharides is a useful method for preventing aggregation. In the present study, tetrasaccharides (stachyose) was employed as an additive. In addition, we hypothesize the interactive mechanism between stachyose and the nanoparticles during freeze-drying for the first time. The mean particle size of the rehydrated freeze-dried stachyose-containing nanoparticles (104.7 nm) was similar to the initial particle size before freeze-drying (76.8 nm), indicating that the particle size had been maintained. The mean particle size of the rehydrated normal-dried stachyose-containing nanoparticles was 222.2 nm. The powder X-ray diffraction of the freeze-dried stachyose-containing nanoparticles revealed a halo pattern. The powder X-ray diffraction of the normally dried stachyose-containing nanoparticles produced mainly a halo pattern and a partial peak. These results suggest an interaction between the nanoparticles and stachyose, and that this relationship depends on whether the mixture is freeze-dried or dried normally. In the case of normal drying, although most molecules cannot move rapidly thereby settling irregularly, some stachyose molecules can arrange regularly leading to some degree of crystallization and potentially some aggregation. In contrast, during freeze-drying, the moisture sublimed, while the stachyose molecules and nanoparticles were immobilized in the ice. After sublimation, stachyose remained in the space occupied by water and played the role of a buffer material, thus preventing aggregation.

  11. QTL analysis of frost damage in pea suggests different mechanisms involved in frost tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, Anthony; Houtin, Hervé; Rond, Céline; Marget, Pascal; Jacquin, Françoise; Boucherot, Karen; Huart, Myriam; Rivière, Nathalie; Boutet, Gilles; Lejeune-Hénaut, Isabelle; Burstin, Judith

    2014-06-01

    Avoidance mechanisms and intrinsic resistance are complementary strategies to improve winter frost tolerance and yield potential in field pea. The development of the winter pea crop represents a major challenge to expand plant protein production in temperate areas. Breeding winter cultivars requires the combination of freezing tolerance as well as high seed productivity and quality. In this context, we investigated the genetic determinism of winter frost tolerance and assessed its genetic relationship with yield and developmental traits. Using a newly identified source of frost resistance, we developed a population of recombinant inbred lines and evaluated it in six environments in Dijon and Clermont-Ferrand between 2005 and 2010. We developed a genetic map comprising 679 markers distributed over seven linkage groups and covering 947.1 cM. One hundred sixty-one quantitative trait loci (QTL) explaining 9-71 % of the phenotypic variation were detected across the six environments for all traits measured. Two clusters of QTL mapped on the linkage groups III and one cluster on LGVI reveal the genetic links between phenology, morphology, yield-related traits and frost tolerance in winter pea. QTL clusters on LGIII highlighted major developmental gene loci (Hr and Le) and the QTL cluster on LGVI explained up to 71 % of the winter frost damage variation. This suggests that a specific architecture and flowering ideotype defines frost tolerance in winter pea. However, two consistent frost tolerance QTL on LGV were independent of phenology and morphology traits, showing that different protective mechanisms are involved in frost tolerance. Finally, these results suggest that frost tolerance can be bred independently to seed productivity and quality.

  12. A theoretical extension of the soil freezing curve paradigm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amiri, Erfan A.; Craig, James R.; Kurylyk, Barret L.

    2018-01-01

    Numerical models of permafrost evolution in porous media typically rely upon a smooth continuous relation between pore ice saturation and sub-freezing temperature, rather than the abrupt phase change that occurs in pure media. Soil scientists have known for decades that this function, known as the soil freezing curve (SFC), is related to the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) for unfrozen soils due to the analogous capillary and sorptive effects experienced during both soil freezing and drying. Herein we demonstrate that other factors beyond the SFC-SWCC relationship can influence the potential range over which pore water phase change occurs. In particular, we provide a theoretical extension for the functional form of the SFC based upon the presence of spatial heterogeneity in both soil thermal conductivity and the freezing point depression of water. We infer the functional form of the SFC from many abrupt-interface 1-D numerical simulations of heterogeneous systems with prescribed statistical distributions of water and soil properties. The proposed SFC paradigm extension has the appealing features that it (1) is determinable from measurable soil and water properties, (2) collapses into an abrupt phase transition for homogeneous media, (3) describes a wide range of heterogeneity within a single functional expression, and (4) replicates the observed hysteretic behavior of freeze-thaw cycles in soils.

  13. Validation of the shake test for detecting freeze damage to adsorbed vaccines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kartoglu, Umit; Ozgüler, Nejat Kenan; Wolfson, Lara J; Kurzatkowski, Wiesław

    2010-08-01

    To determine the validity of the shake test for detecting freeze damage in aluminium-based, adsorbed, freeze-sensitive vaccines. A double-blind crossover design was used to compare the performance of the shake test conducted by trained health-care workers (HCWs) with that of phase contrast microscopy as a "gold standard". A total of 475 vials of 8 different types of World Health Organization prequalified freeze-sensitive vaccines from 10 different manufacturers were used. Vaccines were kept at 5 degrees C. Selected numbers of vials from each type were then exposed to -25 degrees C and -2 degrees C for 24-hour periods. There was complete concordance between HCWs and phase-contrast microscopy in identifying freeze-damaged vials and non-frozen samples. Non-frozen samples showed a fine-grain structure under phase contrast microscopy, but freeze-damaged samples showed large conglomerates of massed precipitates with amorphous, crystalline, solid and needle-like structures. Particles in the non-frozen samples measured from 1 microm (vaccines against diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis; Haemophilus influenzae type b; hepatitis B; diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis B) to 20 microm (diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, alone or in combination). By contrast, aggregates in the freeze-damaged samples measured up to 700 microm (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) and 350 microm on average. The shake test had 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity and 100% positive predictive value in this study, which confirms its validity for detecting freeze damage to aluminium-based freeze-sensitive vaccines.

  14. The human milk oligosaccharides are not affected by pasteurization and freeze-drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahn, Won-Ho; Kim, Jaehan; Song, Seunghyun; Park, Suyeon; Kang, Nam Mi

    2017-11-06

    Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are known as important factors in neurologic and immunologic development of neonates. Moreover, freeze-drying seems to be a promising storage method to improve the processes of human milk banks. However, the effects of pasteurization and freeze-drying on HMOs were not evaluated yet. The purpose of this study is to analyze and compare the HMOs profiles of human milk collected before and after the pasteurization and freeze-drying. Totally nine fresh human milk samples were collected from three healthy mothers at the first, second, and third week after delivery. The samples were treated with Holder pasteurization and freeze-drying. HMOs profiles were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight/time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry and compared between samples collected before and after the treatments. Human milk samples showed significantly different HMO patterns between mothers. However, HMOs were not affected by lactation periods within 3 weeks after delivery (r 2  = 0.972-0.999, p pasteurization and freeze-drying were found not to affect HMO patterns in a correlation analysis (r 2  = 0.989-0.999, p pasteurization and freeze-drying of donor milks. We hope that introducing freeze-drying to the human milk banks would be encouraged by the present study. However, the storage length without composition changes of HMOs after freeze-drying needs to be evaluated in the further studies.

  15. A Determination of the Ratio of the Zinc Freezing Point to the Tin Freezing Point by Noise Thermometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labenski, J. R.; Tew, W. L.; Benz, S. P.; Nam, S. W.; Dresselhaus, P.

    2008-02-01

    A Johnson-noise thermometer (JNT) has been used with a quantized voltage noise source (QVNS), as a calculable reference to determine the ratio of temperatures near the Zn freezing point to those near the Sn freezing point. The temperatures are derived in a series of separate measurements comparing the synthesized noise power from the QVNS with that of Johnson noise from a known resistance. The synthesized noise power is digitally programed to match the thermal noise powers at both temperatures and provides the principle means of scaling the temperatures. This produces a relatively flat spectrum for the ratio of spectral noise densities, which is close to unity in the low-frequency limit. The data are analyzed as relative spectral ratios over the 4.8 to 450 kHz range averaged over a 3.2 kHz bandwidth. A three-parameter model is used to account for differences in time constants that are inherently temperature dependent. A drift effect of approximately -6 μK·K-1 per day is observed in the results, and an empirical correction is applied to yield a relative difference in temperature ratios of -11.5 ± 43 μK·K-1 with respect to the ratio of temperatures assigned on the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90). When these noise thermometry results are combined with results from acoustic gas thermometry at temperatures near the Sn freezing point, a value of T - T 90 = 7 ± 30 mK for the Zn freezing point is derived.

  16. Normal freezing of ideal ternary systems of the pseudobinary type

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, C. H.

    1972-01-01

    Perfect liquid mixing but no solid diffusion is assumed in normal freezing. In addition, the molar compositions of the freezing solid and remaining liquid, respectively, follow the solidus and liquidus curves of the constitutional diagram. For the linear case, in which both the liquidus and solidus are perfectly straight lines, the normal freezing equation giving the fraction solidified at each melt temperature and the solute concentration profile in the frozen solid was determined as early as 1902, and has since been repeatedly published. Corresponding equations for quadratic, cubic or higher-degree liquidus and solidus lines have also been obtained. The equation of normal freezing for ideal ternary liquid solutions solidified into ideal solid solutions of the pseudobinary type is given. Sample computations with the use of this new equation were made and are given for the Ga-Al-As system.

  17. Freezing and melting line invariants of the Lennard-Jones system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Costigliola, Lorenzo; Schrøder, Thomas; Dyre, Jeppe C.

    2016-01-01

    The invariance of several structural and dynamical properties of the Lennard-Jones (LJ) system along the freezing and melting lines is interpreted in terms of isomorph theory. First the freezing/melting lines of the LJ system are shown to be approximated by isomorphs. Then we show...... that the invariants observed along the freezing and melting isomorphs are also observed on other isomorphs in the liquid and crystalline phases. The structure is probed by the radial distribution function and the structure factor and dynamics are probed by the mean-square displacement, the intermediate scattering...... function, and the shear viscosity. Studying these properties with reference to isomorph theory explains why the known single-phase melting criteria hold, e.g., the Hansen–Verlet and the Lindemann criteria, and why the Andrade equation for the viscosity at freezing applies, e.g., for most liquid metals. Our...

  18. Efficacy and Tolerability of Fixed-Dose Combination of Dexketoprofen and Dicyclomine Injection in Acute Renal Colic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Porwal

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a fixed-dose combination of dexketoprofen and dicyclomine (DXD injection in patients with acute renal colic. Patients and Methods. Two hundred and seventeen patients were randomized to receive either DXD (n=109 or fixed-dose combination of diclofenac and dicyclomine injection (DLD; n=108, intramuscularly. Pain intensity (PI was self-evaluated by patients on visual analogue scale (VAS at baseline and at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours. Efficacy parameters were proportion of responders, difference in PI (PID at 8 hours, and sum of analogue of pain intensity differences (SAPID. Tolerability was assessed by patients and physicians. Results. DXD showed superior efficacy in terms of proportion of responders (98.17% versus 81.48; P<0.0001, PID at 8 hours (P=0.002, and SAPID0–8 hours (P=0.004. The clinical global impression for change in pain was significantly better for DXD than DLD. The incidence of adverse events was comparable in both groups. However, global assessment of tolerability was rated significantly better for DXD. Conclusion. DXD showed superior efficacy and tolerability than DLD in patients clinically diagnosed to be suffering from acute renal colic.

  19. Efficacy and Tolerability of Fixed-Dose Combination of Dexketoprofen and Dicyclomine Injection in Acute Renal Colic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porwal, A.; Mahajan, A. D.; Oswal, D. S.; Erram, S. S.; Sheth, D. N.; Balamurugan, S.; Kamat, V.; Enadle, R. P.; Badadare, A.; Bhatnagar, S. K.; Walvekar, R. S.; Dhorepatil, S.; Naik, R. C.; Basu, I.; Kshirsagar, S. N.; Keny, J. V.; Sengupta, S.

    2012-01-01

    Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a fixed-dose combination of dexketoprofen and dicyclomine (DXD) injection in patients with acute renal colic. Patients and Methods. Two hundred and seventeen patients were randomized to receive either DXD (n = 109) or fixed-dose combination of diclofenac and dicyclomine injection (DLD; n = 108), intramuscularly. Pain intensity (PI) was self-evaluated by patients on visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline and at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours. Efficacy parameters were proportion of responders, difference in PI (PID) at 8 hours, and sum of analogue of pain intensity differences (SAPID). Tolerability was assessed by patients and physicians. Results. DXD showed superior efficacy in terms of proportion of responders (98.17% versus 81.48; P < 0.0001), PID at 8 hours (P = 0.002), and SAPID0–8 hours (P = 0.004). The clinical global impression for change in pain was significantly better for DXD than DLD. The incidence of adverse events was comparable in both groups. However, global assessment of tolerability was rated significantly better for DXD. Conclusion. DXD showed superior efficacy and tolerability than DLD in patients clinically diagnosed to be suffering from acute renal colic. PMID:22577544

  20. FY 2017 Status of Sodium Freezing and Remelting Tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lv, Q. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Boron, E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Momozaki, Y. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Chojnowski, D. B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sienicki, J. J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Reed, C. B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

    2017-09-15

    The Sodium Freezing and Remelting experiment facility at Argonne National Laboratory has been significantly modified and improved. The main improvement was replacement of the two original stainless steel test sections that had strain gages limited by their bonds to the stainless steel to maximum temperatures of 350°C with a single new test section with strain gages that can be utilized up to 980°C and a thin wall to enhance measured strains. Wetting of stainless steel by sodium within a practical time of one to a few days is expected to require temperatures of 450°C or greater. Thus, the higher temperature strain gages enable wetting in a short time of a few days. Wetting below 350°C would have required an impractically long time of at least weeks. Other improvements included upgrading of the loop configuration, incorporation of a cold finger to purify sodium, a new data acquisition system, and reinstallation of the many heaters, heater controllers, and thermocouples. After the loop had been heated to 400°C for about two hours, an initial sodium freezing test was conducted. It is thought that the sodium might have at least partially wetted the stainless steel wall under these conditions. The strain gage measurements indicate that an incremental step inward deformation of the test section thin wall occurred as the temperature decreased through the sodium freezing temperature. This behavior is consistent with sodium initially adhering to the stainless steel inner wall but breaking away from the wall as the freezing sodium contracted. Conduct of additional sodium freezing tests under well wetted conditions was prevented as a result of stoppage of all electrical work at Argonne by the Laboratory Director on July 25, 2017. A pathway to resuming electrical work is now in place at Argonne and additional sodium freezing testing will resume next fiscal year.

  1. Freeze desalination of seawater using LNG cold energy

    KAUST Repository

    Chang, Jian; Zuo, Jian; Lu, Kang-Jia; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung

    2016-01-01

    With the aid of cold energy from regasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG), freeze desalination (FD) is an emerging technology for seawater desalination because of its low energy characteristics and insensitivities to fouling problems. This work aims to investigate the major operating parameters of FD such as coolant temperature, freezing duration, supercooling, seeding, agitation, crystallizer material and subsequent washing procedure on ice production and water quality. It was found that the optimal freezing duration per batch was 1 h for an iron crystallizer and 1.5 h for a glass crystallizer. The optimal coolant temperature should be around −8 °C. The optimal amount of washing water to clean the raw ice was about 50 wt% of the raw ice. Over 50 wt% of the feed could be recovered as raw ice within 1 h, which means an overall ice recovery rate of higher than 25% (of the original seawater), considering the consumption of washing water. Both artificial and real seawater were tested under the optimized conditions. The total dissolved solid in the product ice was around 300 ppm, which met the World Health Organization (WHO) potable water salinity standard of 500 ppm. Therefore, the process parameters optimized in this study can be directly used for the freeze desalination of seawater.

  2. Freeze desalination of seawater using LNG cold energy

    KAUST Repository

    Chang, Jian

    2016-06-23

    With the aid of cold energy from regasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG), freeze desalination (FD) is an emerging technology for seawater desalination because of its low energy characteristics and insensitivities to fouling problems. This work aims to investigate the major operating parameters of FD such as coolant temperature, freezing duration, supercooling, seeding, agitation, crystallizer material and subsequent washing procedure on ice production and water quality. It was found that the optimal freezing duration per batch was 1 h for an iron crystallizer and 1.5 h for a glass crystallizer. The optimal coolant temperature should be around −8 °C. The optimal amount of washing water to clean the raw ice was about 50 wt% of the raw ice. Over 50 wt% of the feed could be recovered as raw ice within 1 h, which means an overall ice recovery rate of higher than 25% (of the original seawater), considering the consumption of washing water. Both artificial and real seawater were tested under the optimized conditions. The total dissolved solid in the product ice was around 300 ppm, which met the World Health Organization (WHO) potable water salinity standard of 500 ppm. Therefore, the process parameters optimized in this study can be directly used for the freeze desalination of seawater.

  3. A New Freezing Method Using Pre-Dehydration by Microwave-Vacuum Drying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuruta, Takaharu; Hamidi, Nurkholis

    Partial dehydration by microwave-vacuum drying has been applied to tuna and strawberry in order to reduce cell-damages caused by the formation of large ice-crystals during freezing. The samples were subjected to microwave vacuum drying at pressure of 5 kPa and temperature less than 27°C to remove small amount of water prior to freezing. The tuna were cooled by using the freezing chamber at temperature -50°C or -150°C, while the strawberries were frozen at temperature -30°C or -80°C, respectively. The temperature transients in tuna showed that removing some water before freezing made the freezing time shorter. The observations of ice crystal clearly indicated that rapid cooling and pre-dehydration prior to freezing were effective in minimizing the size of ice crystal. It is also understood that the formation of large ice crystals has a close relation to the cell damages. After thawing, the observation of microstructure was done on the tuna and strawberry halves. The pre-dehydrated samples showed a better structure than the un-dehydrated one. It is concluded that the pre-dehydration by microwave-vacuum drying is one promising method for the cryo-preservation of foods.

  4. A subspecies of region crossing change, region freeze crossing change

    OpenAIRE

    Inoue, Ayumu; Shimizu, Ryo

    2016-01-01

    We introduce a local move on a link diagram named a region freeze crossing change which is close to a region crossing change, but not the same. We study similarity and difference between region crossing change and region freeze crossing change.

  5. Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) sperm morphometry and function after repeated freezing and thawing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santiago-Moreno, J; Esteso, M C; Pradiee, J; Castaño, C; Toledano-Díaz, A; O'Brien, E; Lopez-Sebastián, A; Martínez-Nevado, E; Delclaux, M; Fernández-Morán, J; Zhihe, Z

    2016-05-01

    This work examines the effects of subsequent cycles of freezing-thawing on giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) sperm morphometry and function, and assesses whether density-gradient centrifugation (DGC) can increase the number of freezing-thawing cycles this sperm can withstand. A sperm sample was collected by electroejaculation from a mature giant panda and subjected to five freezing-thawing cycles. Although repeated freezing-thawing negatively affected (P 60% of the sperm cells in both treatments showed acrosome integrity even after the fifth freezing cycle. In fresh semen, the sperm head length was 4.7 μm, the head width 3.6 μm, area 14.3 μm(2) and perimeter length 14.1 μm. The present results suggest that giant panda sperm trends to be resistant to repeated freezing-thawing, even without DGC selection. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  6. Gelatin-Filtered Consomme: A Practical Demonstration of the Freezing and Thawing Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahne, Jacob B.; Schmidt, Shelly J.

    2010-01-01

    Freezing is a key food processing and preservation technique widely used in the food industry. Application of best freezing and storage practices extends the shelf-life of foods for several months, while retaining much of the original quality of the fresh food. During freezing, as well as its counterpart process, thawing, a number of critical…

  7. Geometric origin of dynamically induced freezing of quantum evolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matos-Abiague, A.; Berakdar, J.

    2006-01-01

    The phenomenon of dynamical, field-induced freezing of quantum evolution is discussed. It occurs when a time-dependent state is dynamically driven in such a way that the evolution of the corresponding wave function is effectively localized within a small region in the projective Hilbert space. As a consequence, the dynamics of the system is frozen and the expectation values of all physical observables hardly change with time. Necessary and sufficient conditions for inducing dynamical freezing are inferred from a general analysis of the geometry of quantum evolution. The relevance of the dynamical freezing for a sustainable in time, dynamical control is discussed and exemplified by a study of the coherent control of the kicked rotor motion

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  9. Do freeze events create a demographic bottleneck for Colophospermum mopane?

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Whitecross, MA

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available capacity of the effected plants. A severely freeze-damaged stand of Colophospermum mopane along a slope in the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve provided an opportunity to investigate the nature of freeze-damage impacts on C. mopane. Is this disturbance a...

  10. Influence of the freezing process on the pore structure of freeze-dried collagen sponges; Einfluss des Einfriervorganges auf die Porenstruktur gefriergetrockneter Kollagenschwaemme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schoof, H.; Bruns, L.; Apel, J.; Heschel, I.; Rau, G. [Helmholz-Inst. fuer Biomedizinische Technik, Aachen (Germany)

    1997-12-31

    Freeze-dried sponges are used as colonisable tissue implants. As their porous structure is important for rapid colonisation it was found desirable to be able to produce homogeneous pore structures to specification. The structure of freeze-dried sponges is largely the same as the ice crystal morphology of frozen samples. In industrial manufacture suspensions are solidified in a cold bath. Freezing conditions are not stationary in this process, rendering ice crystal morphology inhomogeneous. However, studies on directed solidification as it is used in the Bridgman or the power-down method have shown that certain freezing conditions permit the production of collagen sponges of homogenous predefined pore size. [Deutsch] Gefriergetrocknete Kollagenschwaemme werden als besiedelbare Gewebeimplantate eingesetzt. Da die poroese Struktur fuer eine zuegige Besiedelung von grosser Bedeutung ist, sollen Kollagenschwaemme mit einer einstellbaren und homogenen Porenstruktur hergestellt werden. Die Struktur der gefriergetrockneten Schwaemme entspricht weitestgehend der Eiskristallmorphologie der gefrorenen Probe. Bei der industriellen Herstellung werden Suspensionen in einem Kaeltebad erstarrt. Die Einfrierbedingungen sind dabei nicht stationaer, was zu einer inhomogenen Eiskristallmorphologie fuehrt. Untersuchungen zur gerichteten Erstarrung nach dem Bridgman- und dem Power-Down-Verfahren ergaben jedoch, dass unter bestimmten Einfrierbedingungen Kollagenschwaemme mit homogener und definierbarer Porengroesse hergestellt werden koennen. (orig.)

  11. NMR Pore Structure and Dynamic Characteristics of Sandstone Caused by Ambient Freeze-Thaw Action

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Ke

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available For a deeper understanding of the freeze-thaw weathering effects on the microstructure evolution and deterioration of dynamic mechanical properties of rock, the present paper conducted the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR tests and impact loading experiments on sandstone under different freeze-thaw cycles. The results of NMR test show that, with the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the pores expand and pores size tends to be uniform. The experimental results show that the stress-strain curves all go through four stages, namely, densification, elasticity, yielding, and failure. The densification curve is shorter, and the slope of elasticity curve decreases as the freeze-thaw cycles increase. With increasing freeze-thaw cycles, the dynamic peak stress decreases and energy absorption of sandstone increases. The dynamic failure form is an axial splitting failure, and the fragments increase and the size diminishes with increasing freeze-thaw cycles. The higher the porosity is, the more severe the degradation of dynamic characteristics is. An increase model for the relationships between the porosity or energy absorption and freeze-thaw cycles number was built to reveal the increasing trend with the freeze-thaw cycles increase; meanwhile, a decay model was built to predict the dynamic compressive strength degradation of rock after repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

  12. Proteomic analysis reveals contrasting stress response to uranium in two nitrogen-fixing Anabaena strains, differentially tolerant to uranium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Panda, Bandita; Basu, Bhakti; Acharya, Celin; Rajaram, Hema; Apte, Shree Kumar, E-mail: aptesk@barc.gov.in

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Response of two native cyanobacterial strains to uranium exposure was studied. • Anabaena L-31 exhibited higher tolerance to uranium as compared to Anabaena 7120. • Uranium exposure differentially affected the proteome profiles of the two strains. • Anabaena L-31 showed better sustenance of photosynthesis and carbon metabolism. • Anabaena L-31 displayed superior oxidative stress defense than Anabaena 7120. - Abstract: Two strains of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena, native to Indian paddy fields, displayed differential sensitivity to exposure to uranyl carbonate at neutral pH. Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 and Anabaena sp. strain L-31 displayed 50% reduction in survival (LD{sub 50} dose), following 3 h exposure to 75 μM and 200 μM uranyl carbonate, respectively. Uranium responsive proteome alterations were visualized by 2D gel electrophoresis, followed by protein identification by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry. The two strains displayed significant differences in levels of proteins associated with photosynthesis, carbon metabolism, and oxidative stress alleviation, commensurate with their uranium tolerance. Higher uranium tolerance of Anabaena sp. strain L-31 could be attributed to sustained photosynthesis and carbon metabolism and superior oxidative stress defense, as compared to the uranium sensitive Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. Significance: Uranium responsive proteome modulations in two nitrogen-fixing strains of Anabaena, native to Indian paddy fields, revealed that rapid adaptation to better oxidative stress management, and maintenance of metabolic and energy homeostasis underlies superior uranium tolerance of Anabaena sp. strain L-31 compared to Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120.

  13. Arsenate tolerance in Silene paradoxa does not rely on phytochelatin-dependent sequestration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnetoli, Miluscia; Vooijs, Riet; Bookum, Wilma ten; Galardi, Francesca; Gonnelli, Cristina; Gabbrielli, Roberto; Schat, Henk; Verkleij, Jos A.C.

    2008-01-01

    Arsenate tolerance, As accumulation and As-induced phytochelatin accumulation were compared in populations of Silene paradoxa, one from a mine site enriched in As, Cu and Zn, the other from an uncontaminated site. The mine population was significantly more arsenate-tolerant. Arsenate uptake and root-to-shoot transport were slightly but significantly higher in the non-mine plants. The difference in uptake was quantitatively insufficient to explain the difference in tolerance between the populations. As accumulation in the roots was similar in both populations, but the mine plants accumulated much less phytochelatins than the non-mine plants. The mean phytochelatin chain length, however, was higher in the mine population, possibly due to a constitutively lower cellular glutathione level. It is argued that the mine plants must possess an arsenic detoxification mechanism other than arsenate reduction and subsequent phytochelatin-based sequestration. This alternative mechanism might explain at least some part of the superior tolerance in the mine plants. - Neither decreased uptake nor phytochelatins seem to play a role in the As tolerance in Silene paradoxa

  14. Degradation of ATP and glycogen in cod ( Gadus morhua ) muscle during freezing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cappeln, Gertrud; Jessen, Flemming

    2001-01-01

    Changes in ATP, IMP, lactate and glycogen contents in the muscle of cod were followed during freezing at temperatures of -20C and -45C. ATP degradation was accompanied by a corresponding increase in IMP content. Simultaneous measurement of temperature showed that at both freezing rates......, the greatest decrease in ATP content was observed when the temperature reached -0.8C. Glycolysis occurred during freezing of cod as indicated by an increase in lactate content. The changes found in all measured metabolites were more pronounced when freezing was performed at a slow rate compared to a fast rate...

  15. Freeze-all policy: fresh vs. frozen-thawed embryo transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roque, Matheus; Valle, Marcello; Guimarães, Fernando; Sampaio, Marcos; Geber, Selmo

    2015-05-01

    To compare in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes between fresh embryo transfer (ET) and frozen-thawed ET (the "freeze-all" policy), with fresh ET performed only in cases without progesterone (P) elevation. Prospective, observational, cohort study. Private IVF center. A total of 530 patients submitted to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone-antagonist protocol, and cleavage-stage, day-3 ET. None. Ongoing pregnancy rates. A total of 530 cycles were included in the analysis: 351 in the fresh ET group (when P levels were ≤1.5 ng/mL on the trigger day); and 179 cycles in the freeze-all group (ET performed after endometrial priming with estradiol valerate, at 6 mg/d, taken orally). For the fresh ET group vs. the freeze-all group, respectively, the implantation rate was 19.9% and 26.5%; clinical pregnancy rate was 35.9% and 46.4%; and ongoing pregnancy rate was 31.1% and 39.7%. The IVF outcomes were significantly better in the group using the freeze-all policy, compared with the group using fresh ET. These results suggest that even in a select group of patients that underwent fresh ET (P levels ≤1.5 ng/mL), endometrial receptivity may have been impaired by COS, and outcomes may be improved by using the freeze-all policy. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. An Equipment to Measure the Freezing Point of Soils under Higher Pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dayan; Guan, Hui; Wen, Zhi; Ma, Wei

    2014-05-01

    Soil freezing point is the highest temperature at which ice can be presented in the system and soil can be referred to as frozen. The freezing temperature of soil is an important parameter for solving many practical problems in civil engineering, such as evaluation of soil freezing depth, prediction of soil heaving, force of soil suction, etc. However, as the freezing temperature is always affected by many factors like soil particle size, mineral composition, water content and the external pressure endured by soils, to measure soil freezing point is a rather difficult task until now, not to mention the soil suffering higher pressure. But recently, with the artificial freezing technology widely used in the excavation of deep underground space, the frozen wall thickness is a key factor to impact the security and stability of deep frozen wall. To determine the freeze wall thickness, the location of the freezing front must be determined firstly, which will deal with the determination of the soil freezing temperature. So how to measure the freezing temperature of soil suffering higher pressure is an important problem to be solved. This paper will introduce an equipment which was developed lately by State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering to measure the freezing-point of soils under higher pressure. The equipment is consisted of cooling and keeping temperature system, temperature sensor and data collection system. By cooling and keeping temperature system, not only can we make the higher pressure soil sample's temperature drop to a discretionary minus temperature, but also keep it and reduce the heat exchange of soil sample with the outside. The temperature sensor is the key part to our measurement, which is featured by high precision and high sensitivity, what is more important is that the temperature sensor can work in a higher pressure condition. Moreover, the major benefit of this equipment is that the soil specimen's loads can be loaded by any microcomputer

  17. Effects of Pressure-shift Freezing on the Structural and Physical Properties of Gelatin Hydrogel Matrices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Byeongsoo; Gil, Hyung Bae; Min, Sang-Gi; Lee, Si-Kyung; Choi, Mi-Jung

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the effects of the gelatin concentration (10-40%, w/v), freezing temperatures (from -20℃ to -50℃) and freezing methods on the structural and physical properties of gelatin matrices. To freeze gelatin, the pressure-shift freezing (PSF) is being applied at 0.1 (under atmospheric control), 50 and 100 MPa, respectively. The freezing point of gelatin solutions decrease with increasing gelatin concentrations, from -0.2℃ (10% gelatin) to -6.7℃ (40% gelatin), while the extent of supercooling did not show any specific trends. The rheological properties of the gelatin indicate that both the storage (G') and loss (G") moduli were steady in the strain amplitude range of 0.1-10%. To characterize gelatin matrices formed by the various freezing methods, the ice crystal sizes which were being determined by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are affected by the gelatin concentrations. The ice crystal sizes are affected by gelatin concentrations and freezing temperature, while the size distributions of ice crystals depend on the freezing methods. Smaller ice crystals are being formed with PSF rather than under the atmospheric control where the freezing temperature is above -40℃. Thus, the results of this study indicate that the PSF processing at a very low freezing temperature (-50℃) offers a potential advantage over commercial atmospheric freezing points for the formation of small ice crystals. PMID:26760743

  18. Monitoring Freeze Thaw Transitions in Arctic Soils using Complex Resistivity Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Y.; Hubbard, S. S.; Ulrich, C.; Dafflon, B.; Wullschleger, S. D.

    2012-12-01

    The Arctic region, which is a sensitive system that has emerged as a focal point for climate change studies, is characterized by a large amount of stored carbon and a rapidly changing landscape. Seasonal freeze-thaw transitions in the Arctic alter subsurface biogeochemical processes that control greenhouse gas fluxes from the subsurface. Our ability to monitor freeze thaw cycles and associated biogeochemical transformations is critical to the development of process rich ecosystem models, which are in turn important for gaining a predictive understanding of Arctic terrestrial system evolution and feedbacks with climate. In this study, we conducted both laboratory and field investigations to explore the use of the complex resistivity method to monitor freeze thaw transitions of arctic soil in Barrow, AK. In the lab studies, freeze thaw transitions were induced on soil samples having different average carbon content through exposing the arctic soil to temperature controlled environments at +4 oC and -20 oC. Complex resistivity and temperature measurements were collected using electrical and temperature sensors installed along the soil columns. During the laboratory experiments, resistivity gradually changed over two orders of magnitude as the temperature was increased or decreased between -20 oC and 0 oC. Electrical phase responses at 1 Hz showed a dramatic and immediate response to the onset of freeze and thaw. Unlike the resistivity response, the phase response was found to be exclusively related to unfrozen water in the soil matrix, suggesting that this geophysical attribute can be used as a proxy for the monitoring of the onset and progression of the freeze-thaw transitions. Spectral electrical responses contained additional information about the controls of soil grain size distribution on the freeze thaw dynamics. Based on the demonstrated sensitivity of complex resistivity signals to the freeze thaw transitions, field complex resistivity data were collected over

  19. Bulk specimen X-ray microanalysis of freeze-fractured, freeze-dried tissues in gerontological research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagy, I.

    1988-01-01

    The rationale for choosing the freeze-fracture freeze-drying (FFFD) method of biological bulk specimen preparation as well as the theoretical and practical problems of this method are treated. FFFD specimens are suitable for quantitative X-ray microanalysis of biologically relevant elements. Although the spatial resolution of this analytical technique is low, the application of properly selected bulk standard crystals as well as the measurement of the intracellular water and dry mass content by means of another method developed in the same laboratory, allow us to obtain useful information about the age-dependent changes of ionic composition in the main intracellular compartments. The paper summarizes the problems with regard to specimen preparation, beam penetration and the quantitative analysis of FFFD specimens. The method has been applied so far mainly for the analysis of intranuclear and intracytoplasmic concentrations of Na, C1 and K in various types of cells and has resulted in a significant contribution to our understanding of the cellular mechanisms of aging. 84 references

  20. Scaling-Up Eutectic Freeze Crystallization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Genceli, F.E.

    2008-01-01

    A novel crystallization technology, Eutectic Freeze Crystallization (EFC) has been investigated and further developed in this thesis work. EFC operates around the eutectic temperature and composition of aqueous solutions and can be used for recovery of (valuable) dissolved salts (and/or or acids)

  1. Development of Three-Layer Simulation Model for Freezing Process of Food Solution Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaminishi, Koji; Araki, Tetsuya; Shirakashi, Ryo; Ueno, Shigeaki; Sagara, Yasuyuki

    A numerical model has been developed for simulating freezing phenomena of food solution systems. The cell model was simplified to apply to food solution systems, incorporating with the existence of 3 parts such as unfrozen, frozen and moving boundary layers. Moreover, the moving rate of freezing front model was also introduced and calculated by using the variable space network method proposed by Murray and Landis (1957). To demonstrate the validity of the model, it was applied to the freezing processes of coffee solutions. Since the model required the phase diagram of the material to be frozen, the initial freezing temperatures of 1-55 % coffee solutions were measured by the DSC method. The effective thermal conductivity for coffee solutions was determined as a function of temperature and solute concentration by using the Maxwell - Eucken model. One-dimensional freezing process of 10 % coffee solution was simulated based on its phase diagram and thermo-physical properties. The results were good agreement with the experimental data and then showed that the model could accurately describe the change in the location of the freezing front and the distributions of temperature as well as ice fraction during a freezing process.

  2. A Case of Apparent Upper-Body Freezing in Parkinsonism while Using a Wheelchair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel T. Nemanich

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Freezing of gait (FOG is a common, disabling gait disturbance in Parkinson’s disease (PD and other Parkinsonian syndromes. Freezing also occurs during non-gait movements involving the upper limbs. The mechanisms underlying freezing are complex, likely involving motor, cognitive, and sensory systems that contribute to the episodes. Here, we reported a 60-year-old female with a 24-year history of parkinsonism who experienced significant FOG when ambulatory. Disease progression resulted in her permanent use of a powered wheelchair. While using the power chair, the patient experiences apparent paroxysmal freezing in the hand and arm used to steer and propel the chair. These episodes, some lasting up to several minutes, occur only in circumstances (e.g., entering and leaving an elevator that are similar to environments known to elicit and exacerbate FOG. Episodes are transient and can be volitionally interrupted by the patient but sometimes require external assistance. Therapeutic intervention for this type of potential freezing has yet to be determined. This case may provide insight into the complex nature of freezing behavior and suggests a need for new approaches to treating non-traditional freezing behavior.

  3. Cell growth and resistance of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis TOMSC161 following freezing, drying and freeze-dried storage are differentially affected by fermentation conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velly, H; Fonseca, F; Passot, S; Delacroix-Buchet, A; Bouix, M

    2014-09-01

    To investigate the effects of fermentation parameters on the cell growth and on the resistance to each step of the freeze-drying process of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis TOMSC161, a natural cheese isolate, using a response surface methodology. Cells were cultivated at different temperatures (22, 30 and 38°C) and pH (5·6, 6·2 and 6·8) and were harvested at different growth phases (0, 3 and 6 h of stationary phase). Cultivability and acidification activity losses of Lc. lactis were quantified after freezing, drying, 1 and 3 months of storage at 4 and 25°C. Lactococcus lactis was not damaged by freezing but was sensitive to drying and to ambient temperature storage. Moreover, the fermentation temperature and the harvesting time influenced the drying resistance of Lc. lactis. Lactococcus lactis cells grown in a whey-based medium at 32°C, pH 6·2 and harvested at late stationary phase exhibited both an optimal growth and the highest resistance to freeze-drying and storage. A better insight on the individual and interaction effects of fermentation parameters made it possible the freeze-drying and storage preservation of a sensitive strain of technological interest. Evidence on the particularly damaging effect of the drying step and the high-temperature storage is presented. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  4. 9 CFR 354.244 - Temperatures and cooling and freezing procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Temperatures and cooling and freezing procedures. 354.244 Section 354.244 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... and cooling and freezing procedures. Temperatures and procedures which are necessary for cooling and...

  5. Freeze-casting: Fabrication of highly porous and hierarchical ceramic supports for energy applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cyril Gaudillere

    2016-03-01

    The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the freeze-casting ceramic shaping method and to show how its implementation could be useful for several energy applications where key components comprise a porous scaffold. A detailed presentation of the freeze-casting process and of the characteristics of the resulting porous parts is firstly given. The characteristic of freeze-cast parts and the drawbacks of conventional porous scaffolds existing in energy applications are drawn in order to highlight the expected beneficial effect of this new shaping technique as possible substitute to the conventional ones. Finally, a review of the state of the art freeze-cast based energy applications developed up to now and expected to be promising is given to illustrate the large perspectives opened by the implementation of the freeze-casting of ceramics for energy fields. Here we suggest discussing about the feasibility of incorporate freeze-cast porous support in high temperature ceramic-based energy applications.

  6. Deep freezing of cattle embryos in glass ampules or French straws.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massip, A; Van der Zwalmen, P; Ectors, F; De Coster, R; D'Ieteren, G; Hanzen, C

    1979-08-01

    Ninety four cow embryos recovered on day 7-8 after onset of oestrus were frozen by the "Two Step" freezing procedure: 49 in pyrex glass ampules and 45 in .25 ml French semen straws. The overall survival rate was 33.7% (36.2% for embryos frozen in glass ampules; 31.1% for embryos frozen in plastic straws). 45.2% of transferred embryos resulted in pregnancies (35.7% after freezing in glass ampules v.s 52.9% after freezing in plastic straws).

  7. Limited Impact of Subglacial Supercooling Freeze-on for Greenland Ice Sheet Stratigraphy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dow, Christine F.; Karlsson, Nanna B.; Werder, Mauro A.

    2018-02-01

    Large units of disrupted radiostratigraphy (UDR) are visible in many radio-echo sounding data sets from the Greenland Ice Sheet. This study investigates whether supercooling freeze-on rates at the bed can cause the observed UDR. We use a subglacial hydrology model to calculate both freezing and melting rates at the base of the ice sheet in a distributed sheet and within basal channels. We find that while supercooling freeze-on is a phenomenon that occurs in many areas of the ice sheet, there is no discernible correlation with the occurrence of UDR. The supercooling freeze-on rates are so low that it would require tens of thousands of years with minimal downstream ice motion to form the hundreds of meters of disrupted radiostratigraphy. Overall, the melt rates at the base of the ice sheet greatly overwhelm the freeze-on rates, which has implications for mass balance calculations of Greenland ice.

  8. Freeze-drying of mononuclear cells derived from umbilical cord blood followed by colony formation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dity Natan

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We recently showed that freeze-dried cells stored for 3 years at room temperature can direct embryonic development following cloning. However, viability, as evaluated by membrane integrity of the cells after freeze-drying, was very low; and it was mainly the DNA integrity that was preserved. In the present study, we improved the cells' viability and functionality after freeze-drying. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We optimized the conditions of directional freezing, i.e. interface velocity and cell concentration, and we added the antioxidant EGCG to the freezing solution. The study was performed on mononuclear cells (MNCs derived from human umbilical cord blood. After freeze-drying, we tested the viability, number of CD34(+-presenting cells and ability of the rehydrated hematopoietic stem cells to differentiate into different blood cells in culture. The viability of the MNCs after freeze-drying and rehydration with pure water was 88%-91%. The total number of CD34(+-presenting cells and the number of colonies did not change significantly when evaluated before freezing, after freeze-thawing, and after freeze-drying (5.4 x 10(4+/-4.7, 3.49 x 10(4+/-6 and 6.31 x 10(4+/-12.27 cells, respectively, and 31+/-25.15, 47+/-45.8 and 23.44+/-13.3 colonies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of nucleated cells which have been dried and then rehydrated with double-distilled water remaining viable, and of hematopoietic stem cells retaining their ability to differentiate into different blood cells.

  9. Freeze-all cycle in reproductive medicine: current perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roque, Matheus; Valle, Marcello; Kostolias, Alessandra; Sampaio, Marcos; Geber, Selmo

    2017-02-01

    The freeze-all strategy has emerged as an alternative to fresh embryo transfer (ET) during in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Although fresh ET is the norm during assisted reproductive therapies (ART), there are many concerns about the possible adverse effects of controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) over the endometrium. The supra-physiologic hormonal levels that occur during a conventional COS are associated with modifications in the peri-implantation endometrium, which may be related to a decrease in pregnancy rates and poorer obstetric and perinatal outcomes when comparing fresh to frozen-thawed embryo transfers. The main objective of this study was to assess the available literature regarding the freeze-all strategy in IVF cycles, in regards to effectiveness and safety. Although there are many potential advantages in performing a freeze-all cycle over a fresh ET, it seems that the freeze-all strategy is not designed for all IVF patients. There is a need to develop a non-invasive clinical tool to evaluate the endometrial receptivity during a fresh cycle, which enables the selection of patients that would benefit from this strategy. Today, it is reasonable to perform elective cryopreservation of all oocytes/embryos in cases with a risk of OHSS development, and in patients with supra-physiologic hormonal levels during the follicular phase of COS. It is not clear if all normal responders and poor responders may benefit from this strategy.

  10. Asymptotic freeze-out of the perturbations generated inside a corrugated rarefaction wave

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wouchuk, J.G.; Serrano Rodrigo, A.D.

    2004-01-01

    Based on previous work [J. G. Wouchuk and R. Carretero, Phys. Plasmas 10, 4237 (2003)], the conditions of asymptotic freeze-out of the ripples at the tail of a corrugated rarefaction wave are analyzed. The precise location of the freezing-out regions in the space of preshock parameters is tried, and an efficient algorithm for their determination is given. It is seen that asymptotic freeze-out can only happen for gases that have an isentropic exponent γ cr ≅2.2913hellip. It is shown that the late time freeze-out of the ripple perturbations is correlated to the initial tangential velocity profile (at t=0+) inside the expansion fan

  11. Role of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin on freeze-dried and gamma-irradiated PLGA and PLGA–PEG diblock copolymer nanospheres for ophthalmic flurbiprofen delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vega E

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Estefanía Vega1, M Antònia Egea1, Ana Cristina Calpena2, Marta Espina1, M Luisa García11Department of Physical Chemistry, 2Department of Biopharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainAbstract: Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide with poly(ethylene glycol nanospheres (NSs incorporating flurbiprofen (FB were freeze-dried with several cryoprotective agents and sterilized by γ-irradiation. Only when 5.0% (w/v hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD was used, a complete resuspension by manual shaking and almost identical particle size of the NSs was obtained after freeze-drying. In vitro drug release and ex vivo corneal permeation of NSs with and without HPβCD were evaluated. The presence of HPβCD resulted in a reduction of burst effect, providing a more sustained release of the drug. A significant decrease in the FB transcorneal permeation of NSs containing HPβCD was obtained, related to the slower diffusion of FB observed in the in vitro results. The uptake mechanism of the NSs was examined by confocal microscopy, suggesting that NSs penetrate corneal epithelium through a transcellular pathway. Ocular tolerance was assessed in vitro and in vivo by the Eytex™ and Draize test, respectively. Long-term stability studies revealed that γ-irradiated NSs stored as freeze-dried powders maintained their initial characteristics. Stability studies of the resuspended NSs after 3 months of storage in the aqueous form showed that NSs were stable at 4°C, while formulations stored at 25°C and 40°C increased their initial particle size.Keywords: nanospheres, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide, poly(ethylene glycol, hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, freeze-drying, γ-irradiation 

  12. FREEZING AND THAWING TIME PREDICTION METHODS OF FOODS II: NUMARICAL METHODS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yahya TÜLEK

    1999-03-01

    Full Text Available Freezing is one of the excellent methods for the preservation of foods. If freezing and thawing processes and frozen storage method are carried out correctly, the original characteristics of the foods can remain almost unchanged over an extended periods of time. It is very important to determine the freezing and thawing time period of the foods, as they strongly influence the both quality of food material and process productivity and the economy. For developing a simple and effectively usable mathematical model, less amount of process parameters and physical properties should be enrolled in calculations. But it is a difficult to have all of these in one prediction method. For this reason, various freezing and thawing time prediction methods were proposed in literature and research studies have been going on.

  13. Sperm preservation by freeze-drying for the conservation of wild animals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takehito Kaneko

    Full Text Available Sperm preservation is a useful technique for the maintenance of biological resources in experimental and domestic animals, and in wild animals. A new preservation method has been developed that enables sperm to be stored for a long time in a refrigerator at 4 °C. Sperm are freeze-dried in a solution containing 10 mM Tris and 1 mM EDTA. Using this method, liquid nitrogen is not required for the storage and transportation of sperm. We demonstrate that chimpanzee, giraffe, jaguar, weasel and the long-haired rat sperm remain viable after freeze-drying. In all species, pronuclei were formed after the injection of freeze-dried sperm into the mouse oocytes. Although preliminary, these results may be useful for the future establishment of "freeze-drying zoo" to conserve wild animals.

  14. Freezing and refrigerated storage in fisheries

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Johnston, W. A

    1994-01-01

    ...; the factors affecting cold storage conditions, etc. In addition, the publication describes the methods used to calculate cold storage refrigeration loads as well as the costs of freezing and cold storage...

  15. 9 CFR 381.66 - Temperatures and chilling and freezing procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Temperatures and chilling and freezing procedures. 381.66 Section 381.66 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT... Procedures § 381.66 Temperatures and chilling and freezing procedures. (a) General. Temperatures and...

  16. Study on irradiaiton of freezing-dried Wuchang fish

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Xueling; Cheng Wei; Xiong Guangquan; Ye Lixiu; Chen Yuxia; Guan Jian; He Jianjun

    2008-01-01

    The effects of irradiation on sterilization and storage time for the freezing-dried Wuchang fish were studied. The results show that the number of the coliform group in freezing-dried Wuchang fish irradiated at 1kGy can be acceptable according to the national industrial standard and the number of bacteria decrease from 3100cfu/g to <10cfu/g after irradiation. With the optimal irradiation dose 1kGy the shelf life of Wuchang fish can be extended over one year. (authors)

  17. Social Freezing in Medical Practice. Experiences and Attitudes of Gynecologists in Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schochow, Maximilian; Rubeis, Giovanni; Büchner-Mögling, Grit; Fries, Hansjakob; Steger, Florian

    2017-09-09

    Surveys of the German public have revealed a high acceptance of social freezing, i.e. oocyte conservation without medical indication. Up to now, there are no investigations available on the experiences and attitudes of health professionals towards social freezing. Between August 2015 and January 2016, we surveyed gynecologists Germany-wide on the topic social freezing. Five gynecologists specialized in reproductive medicine and five office-based gynecologists in standard care were chosen for the survey. The survey was conducted with an explorative, qualitative research design. The demand for social freezing in Germany is low. With regard to their fertility age, most women attend consultations too late, they have only little previous knowledge and false expectations. The gynecologists consider it the duty of society and politics to provide for the compatibility of family and work. They relate late parenthood to disadvantages primarily for the children. A majority of the gynecologists interviewed tend to advise natural reproduction. Social freezing is often mistaken as a kind of fertility insurance. Thus, it is necessary that physicians inform women early about the possibilities and limitations of social freezing. In the first place, social freezing is not a medical or medical-ethical topic. Women consider the method as a possibility to ensure the compatibility of family and work. This compatibility should be mostly perceived as a political topic. It cannot be a medical task to solve this issue. In fact, a debate in society as a whole is necessary that includes all relevant actors.

  18. Application of two electrical methods for the rapid assessment of freezing resistance in Salix epichloro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsarouhas, V.; Kenney, W.A.; Zsuffa, L. [University of Toronto, Ontario (Canada). Faculty of Forestry

    2000-09-01

    The importance of early selection of frost-resistant Salix clones makes it desirable to select a rapid and accurate screening method for assessing freezing resistance among several genotypes. Two electrical methods, stem electrical impedance to 1 and 10 khz alternating current, and electrolyte leakage of leaf tissue, were evaluated for detecting freezing resistance on three North America Salix epichloro Michx., clones after subjecting them to five different freezing temperatures (-1, -2, -3, -4, and -5 deg C). Differences in the electrical impedance to 1 and 10 kHz, and the ratio of the impedance at the two frequencies (low/high) before and after the freezing treatment (DZ{sub low}, DZ{sub high}, and DZ{sub ratio}, respectively) were estimated. Electrolyte leakage was expressed as relative conductivity (RC{sub t}) and index of injury (IDX{sub t}). Results from the two methods, obtained two days after the freezing stress, showed that both electrical methods were able to detect freezing injury in S. eriocephala. However, the electrolyte leakage method detected injury in more levels of freezing stress (-3, -4, and -5 deg C) than the impedance (-4, and -5 deg C), it assessed clonal differences in S. eriocephala freezing resistance, and it was best suited to correlate electrical methods with the visual assessed freezing injury. No significant impedance or leakage changes were found after the -1 and -2 deg C freezing temperatures. (author)

  19. Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on greenhouse gas fluxes from peat soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, H. D.; Rezanezhad, F.; Markelov, I.; McCarter, C. P. R.; Van Cappellen, P.

    2017-12-01

    The ongoing displacement of climate zones by global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of freeze-thaw cycles in middle and high latitude regions, many of which are dominated by organic soils such as peat. Repeated freezing and thawing of soils changes their physical properties, geochemistry, and microbial community structure, which together govern the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients. In this presentation, we focus on how freeze-thaw cycles influence greenhouse gas fluxes from peat using a newly developed experimental soil column system that simulates realistic soil temperature profiles during freeze-thaw cycles. We measured the surface and subsurface changes to gas and aqueous phase chemistry to delineate the diffusion pathways and quantify soil greenhouse gas fluxes during freeze-thaw cycles using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as a conservative tracer. Three peat columns were assembled inside a temperature controlled chamber with different soil structures. All three columns were packed with 40 cm of undisturbed, slightly decomposed peat, where the soil of two columns had an additional 10 cm layer on top (one with loose Sphagnum moss and one with an impermeable plug). The results indicate that the release of SF6 and CO2 gas from the soil surface was influenced by the recurrent development of a physical ice barrier, which prevented gas exchange between the soil and atmosphere during freezing conditions. With the onset of thawing a pulse of SF6 and CO2 occurred, resulting in a flux of 3.24 and 2095.52 µmol/m2h, respectively, due to the build-up of gases in the liquid-phase pore space during freezing. Additionally, we developed a model to determine the specific diffusion coefficients for each peat column. These data allow us to better predict how increased frequency and intensity of freeze-thaw cycles will affect greenhouse gas emissions in northern peat soils.

  20. Prediction of frozen food properties during freezing using product composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boonsupthip, W; Heldman, D R

    2007-06-01

    Frozen water fraction (FWF), as a function of temperature, is an important parameter for use in the design of food freezing processes. An FWF-prediction model, based on concentrations and molecular weights of specific product components, has been developed. Published food composition data were used to determine the identity and composition of key components. The model proposed in this investigation had been verified using published experimental FWF data and initial freezing temperature data, and by comparison to outputs from previously published models. It was found that specific food components with significant influence on freezing temperature depression of food products included low molecular weight water-soluble compounds with molality of 50 micromol per 100 g food or higher. Based on an analysis of 200 high-moisture food products, nearly 45% of the experimental initial freezing temperature data were within an absolute difference (AD) of +/- 0.15 degrees C and standard error (SE) of +/- 0.65 degrees C when compared to values predicted by the proposed model. The predicted relationship between temperature and FWF for all analyzed food products provided close agreements with experimental data (+/- 0.06 SE). The proposed model provided similar prediction capability for high- and intermediate-moisture food products. In addition, the proposed model provided statistically better prediction of initial freezing temperature and FWF than previous published models.

  1. Effec t of Freeze-Thaw Cycles on Lipid Oxidation and Myowater in Broiler Chickens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Ali

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The present study was carried out to investigate the influence of freezing-thawing cycles (0, 2, 4 and 6 on lipid oxidation and myowater contents and distribution. Nine replicates of chicken breast meat samples were used for each cycle. Lipid oxidation was determined by measuring peroxide value, and malondialdehyde (MDA concentrations, which reflect thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS. Color was determined with a digital colorimeter. Muscle moisture contents were determined by drip loss and thawing loss, water holding capacity, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR. The results showed that, as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increased, meat redness decreased and MDA and peroxide values increased. Drip loss and thawing loss tended to decreasing as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increased. Water holding capacity also decreased as a function of increasing freeze-thaw cycles. NMR relaxometry profile showed freeze-thaw cycles change the water distribution of meat subjected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles. In conclusion, multiple freezing and thawing rate (6 cycles increased lipid oxidation, decreased myowater, and impaired the color of chicken meat.

  2. Immersion and contact freezing experiments in the Mainz wind tunnel laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eppers, Oliver; Mayer, Amelie; Diehl, Karoline; Mitra, Subir; Borrmann, Stephan; Szakáll, Miklós

    2016-04-01

    Immersion and contact freezing are of outmost important ice nucleation processes in mixed phase clouds. Experimental studies are carried out in the Mainz vertical wind tunnel laboratory in order to characterize these nucleation processes for different ice nucleating particles (INP), such as for mineral dust or biological particles. Immersion freezing is investigated in our laboratory with two different experimental techniques, both attaining contact-free levitation of liquid droplets and cooling of the surrounding air down to about -25 °C. In an acoustic levitator placed in the cold room of our laboratory, drops with diameters of 2 mm are investigated. In the vertical air stream of the wind tunnel droplets with diameter of 700 micron are freely floated at their terminal velocities, simulating the flow conditions of the free atmosphere. Furthermore, the wind tunnel offers a unique platform for contact freezing experiments. Supercooled water droplets are floated in the vertical air stream at their terminal velocities and INP are injected into the tunnel air stream upstream of them. As soon as INP collides with the supercooled droplet the contact freezing is initiated. The first results of immersion and contact freezing experiments with cellulose particles both in the acoustic levitator and in the wind tunnel will be presented. Cellulose is considered as typical INP of biological origin and a macrotracer for plant debris. Nucleating properties of cellulose will be provided, mainly focusing on the temperature, INP concentration, and specific surface area dependences of the freezing processes. Direct comparison between the different experimental techniques (acoustic levitator and wind tunnel), as well as between nucleation modes (immersion and contact freezing) will be presented. The work is carried out within the framework of the German research unit INUIT.

  3. Lesions causing freezing of gait localize to a cerebellar functional network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fasano, Alfonso; Laganiere, Simon E.; Lam, Susy; Fox, Michael D.

    2016-01-01

    Objective Freezing of gait is a disabling symptom in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, but the brain regions involved in symptom generation remain unclear. Here we analyze brain lesions causing acute onset freezing of gait to identify regions causally involved in symptom generation. Methods Fourteen cases of lesion-induced freezing of gait were identified from the literature and lesions were mapped to a common brain atlas. Because lesion-induced symptoms can come from sites connected to the lesion location, not just the lesion location itself, we also identified brain regions functionally connected to each lesion location. This technique, termed lesion network mapping, has been recently shown to identify regions involved in symptom generation across a variety of lesion-induced disorders. Results Lesion location was heterogeneous and no single region could be considered necessary for symptom generation. However, over 90% (13/14) of lesions were functionally connected to a focal area in the dorsal medial cerebellum. This cerebellar area overlapped previously recognized regions that are activated by locomotor tasks, termed the cerebellar locomotor region. Connectivity to this region was specific to lesions causing freezing of gait compared to lesions causing other movement disorders (hemichorea or asterixis). Interpretation Lesions causing freezing of gait are located within a common functional network characterized by connectivity to the cerebellar locomotor region. These results based on causal brain lesions complement prior neuroimaging studies in Parkinson’s disease patients, advancing our understanding of the brain regions involved in freezing of gait. PMID:28009063

  4. Running out of time: exploring women's motivations for social egg freezing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, Kylie; Culley, Lorraine; Hudson, Nicky; Mitchell, Helene

    2018-04-12

    Few qualitative studies have explored women's use of social egg freezing. Derived from an interview study of 31 participants, this article explores the motivations of women using this technology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 users of social egg freezing resident in UK (n = 23), USA (n = 7) and Norway (n = 1). Interviews were face to face (n = 16), through Skype and Facetime (n = 9) or by telephone (n = 6). Data were analyzed using interpretive thematic analysis. Women's use of egg freezing was shaped by fears of running out of time to form a conventional family, difficulties in finding a partner and concerns about "panic partnering", together with a desire to avoid future regrets and blame. For some women, use of egg freezing was influenced by recent fertility or health diagnoses as well as critical life events. A fifth of the participants also disclosed an underlying fertility or health issue as affecting their decision. The study provides new insights in to the complex motivations women have for banking eggs. It identifies how women's use of egg freezing was an attempt to "preserve fertility" in the absence of the particular set of "life conditions" they regarded as crucial for pursuing parenthood. It also demonstrates that few women were motivated by a desire to enhance their career and that the boundaries between egg freezing for medical and for social reasons may be more porous than first anticipated.

  5. Stress tolerance and stress-induced injury in crop plants measured by chlorophyll fluorescence in vivo: chilling, freezing, ice cover, heat, and high light.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smillie, R M; Hetherington, S E

    1983-08-01

    The proposition is examined that measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence in vivo can be used to monitor cellular injury caused by environmental stresses rapidly and nondestructively and to determine the relative stress tolerances of different species. Stress responses of leaf tissue were measured by F(R), the maximal rate of the induced rise in chlorophyll fluorescence. The time taken for F(R) to decrease by 50% in leaves at 0 degrees C was used as a measure of chilling tolerance. This value was 4.3 hours for chilling-sensitive cucumber. In contrast, F(R) decreased very slowly in cucumber leaves at 10 degrees C or in chilling-tolerant cabbage leaves at 0 degrees C. Long-term changes in F(R) of barley, wheat, and rye leaves kept at 0 degrees C were different in frost-hardened and unhardened material and in the latter appeared to be correlated to plant frost tolerance. To simulate damage caused by a thick ice cover, wheat leaves were placed at 0 degrees C under N(2). Kharkov wheat, a variety tolerant of ice encapsulation, showed a slower decrease in F(R) than Gatcher, a spring wheat. Relative heat tolerance was also indicated by the decrease in F(R) in heated leaves while changes in vivo resulting from photoinhibition, ultraviolet radiation, and photobleaching can also be measured.

  6. Effect of food additives on egg yolk gelation induced by freezing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Primacella, Monica; Fei, Tao; Acevedo, Nuria; Wang, Tong

    2018-10-15

    This study demonstrates technological advances in preventing yolk gelation during freezing and thawing. Gelation negatively affects yolk functionality in food formulation. Preventing gelation using 10% salt or sugar limits the application of the yolk. Novel food additives were tested to prevent gelation induced by freezing. Significant reduction (p freezing at -20 °C) indicates that hydrolyzed carboxymethyl cellulose (HCMC), proline, and hydrolyzed egg white and yolk (HEW and HEY) are effective gelation inhibitors. The mechanisms in which these additives prevented gelation were further studied through measuring the changes in the amount of freezable water, lipoprotein particle size, and protein surface hydrophobicity. Overall, this study provides several alternatives of gelation inhibitor that have great potentials in replacing the use of salt or sugar in commercial operation of freezing egg yolk for shelf-life extension. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Freezing of bentonite. Experimental studies and theoretical considerations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Birgersson, Martin; Karnland, Ola; Nilsson, Ulf (Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden))

    2010-01-15

    During its lifetime, a KBS-3 repository will be subject to various ambient temperatures. Backfilled tunnels, shafts and investigation bore holes closest to ground level will experience periods of temperature below 0 deg C. From a safety assessment perspective, it is therefore essential to understand the behavior of compacted bentonite below 0 deg C. A theoretical framework for predicting the pressure response in compacted water saturated bentonite due to temperature changes has been developed based on thermodynamics and a single pore-type. This model predicts an approximately linear temperature dependence of swelling pressure P{sub s}(w,DELTAT) = P{sub s}(w,0 deg C) + DELTAs(w)DELTAT/nu{sub clay}(w) where DELTAT denotes a temperature difference from 0 deg C, DELTAs(w) is the difference in partial molar entropy between clay water and bulk water, nu{sub clay} (w) is the partial molar volume of the clay water and w denotes the water/solid mass ratio of the clay. As bulk water changes phase at 0 deg C, DELTAs(w) has a different value dependent on whether DELTAT is negative or positive. Above 0 deg C DELTAs(w) is a small value for all relevant densities which means that the pressure response due to temperature changes is small. A further consequence of this fact is that DELTAs(w) is a large positive number below 0 deg C when the external water phase is transformed to ice. Consequently, the model predicts a large drop of swelling pressure with temperature below 0 deg C, in the order of 1.2 MPa/deg C. Specifically, the swelling pressure is zero at a certain (negative) temperature T{sub C}. T{sub C} also quantifies the freezing point of the bentonite sample under consideration, as ice formation in the bentonite does not occur until swelling pressure is lost. A large set of laboratory tests have been performed where fully water saturated samples of bentonites have been exposed to temperatures in the range -10 deg C to +25 deg C. The swelling pressure response has been

  8. Infant attachment predicts bodily freezing in adolescence: evidence from a prospective longitudinal study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hannah C. M. Niermann

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Early life-stress, particularly maternal deprivation, is associated with long-lasting deviations in animals’ freezing responses. Given the relevance of freezing for stress-coping, translational research is needed to examine the relation between insecure infant-parent attachment and bodily freezing-like behavior in humans. Therefore, we investigated threat-related reductions in body sway (indicative of freezing-like behavior in 14-year-old adolescents (N=79, for whom attachment security was earlier assessed in infancy. As expected, insecure (versus secure attachment was associated with less body sway for angry versus neutral faces. This effect remained when controlling for intermediate life-events. These results suggest that the long-lasting effects of early negative caregiving experiences on the human stress and threat systems extend to the primary defensive reaction of freezing. Additionally, we replicated earlier work in adults, by observing a significant correlation (in adolescents assessed as securely attached between subjective state anxiety and reduced body sway in response to angry versus neutral faces. Together, this research opens venues to start exploring the role of freezing in the development of human psychopathology.

  9. Adaptation to seasonality and the winter freeze

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jill Christine Preston

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Flowering plants initially diversified during the Mesozoic era at least 140 million years ago in regions of the world where temperate seasonal environments were not encountered. Since then several cooling events resulted in the contraction of warm and wet environments and the establishment of novel temperate zones in both hemispheres. In response, less than half of modern angiosperm families have members that evolved specific adaptations to cold seasonal climates, including cold acclimation, freezing tolerance, endodormancy, and vernalization responsiveness. Despite compelling evidence for multiple independent origins, the level of genetic constraint on the evolution of adaptations to seasonal cold is not well understood. However, the recent increase in molecular genetic studies examining the response of model and crop species to seasonal cold offers new insight into the evolutionary lability of these traits. This insight has major implications for our understanding of complex trait evolution, and the potential role of local adaptation in response to past and future climate change. In this review, we discuss the biochemical, morphological, and developmental basis of adaptations to seasonal cold, and synthesize recent literature on the genetic basis of these traits in a phylogenomic context. We find evidence for multiple genetic links between distinct physiological responses to cold, possibly reinforcing the coordinated expression of these traits. Furthermore, repeated recruitment of the same or similar ancestral pathways suggests that land plants might be somewhat pre-adapted to dealing with temperature stress, perhaps making inducible cold traits relatively easy to evolve.

  10. Reduced freezing in posttraumatic stress disorder patients while watching affective pictures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fragkaki, Iro; Roelofs, Karin; Stins, John; Jongedijk, Ruud A.; Hagenaars, Muriel A.

    2017-01-01

    Besides fight and flight responses, animals and humans may respond to threat with freezing, a response characterized by bradycardia and physical immobility. Risk assessment is proposed to be enhanced during freezing to promote optimal decision making. Indeed, healthy participants showed

  11. Reduced freezing in posttraumatic stress disorder patients while watching affective pictures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fragkaki, Iro; Roelofs, Karin; Stins, John; Jongedijk, Ruud A.; Hagenaars, Muriel A.

    Besides fight and flight responses, animals and humans may respond to threat with freezing, a response characterized by bradycardia and physical immobility. Risk assessment is proposed to be enhanced during freezing to promote optimal decision making. Indeed, healthy participants showed

  12. Cortical correlates of susceptibility to upper limb freezing in Parkinson's disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholten, M.; Govindan, R.B.; Braun, C.; Bloem, B.R.; Plewnia, C.; Kruger, R.; Gharabaghi, A.; Weiss, D.

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Freezing behavior is an unmet symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), which reflects its complex pathophysiology. Freezing behavior can emerge when attentional capacity is reduced, i.e. under dual task interference. In this study, we characterized the cortical network signatures underlying

  13. The freezing point of raw and heat treated sheep milk and its variation during lactation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bohumíra Janštová

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The freezing point of milk is an important indicator of the adulteration of the milk with water, but heat treatment may also affect its value. The aim of this study was determine freezing point of raw and heat treated sheep milk and its variation during lactation. The freezing point was determined in 42 bulk tank raw sheep milk samples and 42 pasteurized milk samples collected during lactation of sheep at one ecofarm in Moravian Walachia (Valašsko in the Czech Republic. The freezing point was determined in accordance with the standard ČSN 57 0538 using a thermistor cryoscope. The average freezing point of raw milk was -0.617 ± 0.052 °C, with a range from -0.560 to -0.875 °C. The freezing point was lower in the first months of lactation and increased at the end of lactation. The freezing point correlated (r = 0.8967 with the content of total non-fat solids. The average freezing point of sheep milk pasteurized at 65 °C for 30 min was -0.614 ± 0.053 °C, with a range from -0.564 to -0.702 °C. The median of freezing point differences between raw and pasteurized milk was 0.004 °C. Our study extends data about physico-chemical properties of sheep milk and registers for the first time specific changes in the freezing point value of sheep milk by heating.

  14. The effect of dryer load on freeze drying process design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Sajal M; Jameel, Feroz; Pikal, Michael J

    2010-10-01

    Freeze-drying using a partial load is a common occurrence during the early manufacturing stages when insufficient amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) are available. In such cases, the immediate production needs are met by performing lyophilization with less than a full freeze dryer load. However, it is not obvious at what fractional load significant deviations from full load behavior begin. The objective of this research was to systematically study the effects of variation in product load on freeze drying behavior in laboratory, pilot and clinical scale freeze-dryers. Experiments were conducted with 5% mannitol (high heat and mass flux) and 5% sucrose (low heat and mass flux) at different product loads (100%, 50%, 10%, and 2%). Product temperature was measured in edge as well as center vials with thermocouples. Specific surface area (SSA) was measured by BET gas adsorption analysis and residual moisture was measured by Karl Fischer. In the lab scale freeze-dryer, the molar flux of inert gas was determined by direct flow measurement using a flowmeter and the molar flux of water vapor was determined by manometric temperature measurement (MTM) and tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) techniques. Comparative pressure measurement (capacitance manometer vs. Pirani) was used to determine primary drying time. For both 5% mannitol and 5% sucrose, primary drying time decreases and product temperature increases as the load on the shelves decreases. No systematic variation was observed in residual moisture and vapor composition as load decreased. Further, SSA data suggests that there are no significant freezing differences under different load conditions. Independent of dryer scale, among all the effects, variation in radiation heat transfer from the chamber walls to the product seems to be the dominant effect resulting in shorter primary drying time as the load on the shelf decreases (i.e., the fraction of edge vials increases).

  15. Effect of freezing and thawing on UMTRA covers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rager, R.; Smith, G.; Brody, R.

    1988-01-01

    The proposed US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) groundwater standards (40 CFR 192) require that Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project remedial action designs meet low numerical limits for contaminants contained in water or vapor exiting the embankments. To meet the standards, a cover of compacted fine-grained soil is placed over UMTRA Project embankments. One of the functions of this cover is to limit infiltration. The hydraulic conductivity of this infiltration barrier must be low in order to reduce seepage from the cell to the extent necessary to comply with the proposed EPA groundwater standards. Analyses of infiltration barriers covered with rock erosion protection show that the infiltration barriers may become saturated. Accordingly, it is necessary to assure that freezing and thawing of the infiltration barrier materials do not affect the performance of the embankment. A study has been conducted to determine if the hydraulic conductivity of fine-grained clayey soils used or proposed for use in radon/infiltration barriers is affected by repeated freezing and thawing cycles. In addition, a procedure for determining the depth of frost penetration has been developed. Laboratory freeze-thaw tests were undertaken in order to determine if the saturated hydraulic conductivity of clay soils used in UMTRA Project radon/infiltration barriers was affected. The results indicate that an increase of an order of magnitude or more in saturated hydraulic conductivity may occur during repeated freeze-thaw cycles

  16. Monte Carlo simulation of the OCP freezing transition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeWitt, H.E.; Slattery, W.L.; Yang, Juxing

    1992-09-01

    The One Component Plasma (OCP) in three dimensions is a system of classical point charges moving in a fixed uniform neutralizing background. In nature the OCP is a rough approximation of the conditions in a white dwarf star in which one has fully ionized nuclei such as carbon, oxygen, and smaller amounts of heavier elements up to iron all moving in a nearly uniform background provided by relativistically degenerate electrons. The OCP is also a mathematical limiting model for a non-neutral plasma of ions in a Penning trap and cooled to strongly coupled conditions. Similarly, a collection of charge colloidal suspensions in water can exhibit the Coulomb freezing behavior of the OCP. A single dimensionless parameter, Γ is sufficient to describe the system. For very weak coupling, Γ much-lt 1, the thermodynamic properties of the OCP are given rigorously by the Debye-Huckel theory. This paper reports on Monte Carlo simulation of the freezing of the OCP from a random start for particle numbers ranging from 500 to 2000. In one case the authors obtained a perfect bcc lattice, but in most cases the final state would be an imperfect crystal or two different microcrystals, fcc and bcc, growing into each other. With a cluster analysis program the authors looked at the formation of nucleating clusters, and followed the actual freezing process. Roughly 80 particles are needed in a cluster before it starts to grow rapidly and freeze

  17. Persistent left superior vena cava with absent right superior vena cava: image findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araujo Junior, Cyrillo Rodrigues de; Carvalho, Tarcisio Nunes; Fraguas Filho, Sergio Roberto; Costa, Marlos Augusto Bitencourt; Jacob, Beatriz Mahmud; Machado, Marcio Martins; Teixeira, Kim-Ir-Sen Santos; Ximenes, Carlos Alberto

    2003-01-01

    Persistent left superior vena cava absent right superior vena cava is a rare anomaly, with less than 150 cases reported in the literature. Congenitally persistent left superior vena cava is the most common variant of systemic venous return to the heart, resulting embryologically from failure of the left anterior cardinal vein to become obliterated. Its incidence varies from 0.3% in patients with otherwise normal heart to 4.3% in patients with congenital heart disease. In the majority of the patients, a right superior vena cava is present as well, but rarely the right anterior cardinal vein degenerates resulting in the absence of the normal right superior vena cava. The blood from the right side is carried by the persistent left superior vena cava to the right atrium through the coronary sinus. We report the case of a patient with a persistent left superior vena cava and absence of right superior vena cava identified by chance during a chest radiograph and computed tomography examination for investigation of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. The patient had no congenital heart disease and the blood from the right side was drained by the persistent left superior vena cava into the right atrium through the coronary sinus. (author)

  18. Chemical freeze out condition for central heavy-ion collisions at AGS, SPS, RHIC and LHC energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chatterjee, Sandeep; Mishra, Debadeepti; Mohanty, Bedangadas; Das, Sabita; Sharma, Natasha; Kumar, Lokesh; Sahoo, Raghunath

    2014-01-01

    As a result of ultrarelativistic collision between two heavy ions, a fireball is expected to form that rapidly thermalized as it expands and hence cools. As the interparticle separation increases the particles cease to interact. The surface of last scattering is the freeze-out surface. It can be of two types: chemical freeze-out (CFO) where inelastic collisions cease and kinetic freeze-out where elastic collisions cease. But in general freeze-out can be a more complicated process in which different types of particles and reactions switch-off at different times giving rise to a series of freeze-out surfaces. Here we will discuss two CFO schemes: 1CFO, in which all hadrons freeze-out together and 2CFO, in which all strange and those with hidden strangeness freeze-out at the same surface and the other non strange hadrons freeze-out at a separate surface

  19. Insights into the Molecular Events That Regulate Heat-Induced Chilling Tolerance in Citrus Fruits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lafuente, María T; Establés-Ortíz, Beatriz; González-Candelas, Luis

    2017-01-01

    Low non-freezing temperature may cause chilling injury (CI), which is responsible for external quality deterioration in many chilling-sensitive horticultural crops. Exposure of chilling-sensitive citrus cultivars to non-lethal high-temperature conditioning may increase their chilling tolerance. Very little information is available about the molecular events involved in such tolerance. In this work, the molecular events associated with the low temperature tolerance induced by heating Fortune mandarin, which is very sensitive to chilling, for 3 days at 37°C prior to cold storage is presented. A transcriptomic analysis reveals that heat-conditioning has an important impact favoring the repression of genes in cold-stored fruit, and that long-term heat-induced chilling tolerance is an active process that requires activation of transcription factors involved in transcription initiation and of the WRKY family. The analysis also shows that chilling favors degradation processes, which affect lipids and proteins, and that the protective effect of the heat-conditioning treatment is more likely to be related to the repression of the genes involved in lipid degradation than to the modification of fatty acids unsaturation, which affects membrane permeability. Another major factor associated with the beneficial effect of the heat treatment on reducing CI is the regulation of stress-related proteins. Many of the genes that encoded such proteins are involved in secondary metabolism and in oxidative stress-related processes.

  20. Insights into the Molecular Events That Regulate Heat-Induced Chilling Tolerance in Citrus Fruits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María T. Lafuente

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Low non-freezing temperature may cause chilling injury (CI, which is responsible for external quality deterioration in many chilling-sensitive horticultural crops. Exposure of chilling-sensitive citrus cultivars to non-lethal high-temperature conditioning may increase their chilling tolerance. Very little information is available about the molecular events involved in such tolerance. In this work, the molecular events associated with the low temperature tolerance induced by heating Fortune mandarin, which is very sensitive to chilling, for 3 days at 37°C prior to cold storage is presented. A transcriptomic analysis reveals that heat-conditioning has an important impact favoring the repression of genes in cold-stored fruit, and that long-term heat-induced chilling tolerance is an active process that requires activation of transcription factors involved in transcription initiation and of the WRKY family. The analysis also shows that chilling favors degradation processes, which affect lipids and proteins, and that the protective effect of the heat-conditioning treatment is more likely to be related to the repression of the genes involved in lipid degradation than to the modification of fatty acids unsaturation, which affects membrane permeability. Another major factor associated with the beneficial effect of the heat treatment on reducing CI is the regulation of stress-related proteins. Many of the genes that encoded such proteins are involved in secondary metabolism and in oxidative stress-related processes.

  1. Development of freeze-dried miyeokguk, Korean seaweed soup, as space food sterilized by irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Beom-Seok; Park, Jin-Gyu; Kim, Jae-Hun; Choi, Jong-Il; Ahn, Dong-Hyun; Hao, Chen; Lee, Ju-Woon

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate microbial populations, Hunter's color values (L ⁎ , a ⁎ , b ⁎ ) and the sensory quality of freeze-dried miyeokguk, Korean seaweed soup, in order to use it as space food. Microorganisms were not detected in non-irradiated freeze-dried miyeokguk within the detection limit of 1.00 log CFU/g. However, the microbial population in rehydrated miyeokguk was 7.01 log CFU/g after incubation at 35 °C for 48 h, indicating that freeze-dried miyeokguk was not sterilized by heat treatment during the preparation process. Bacteria in the freeze-dried miyeokguk were tentatively identified as Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Enterobacter hormaechei, and Ancinetobacter genomosp. using the 16S rDNA sequencing. In samples that were gamma-irradiated above 10 kGy, it was confirmed that all microorganisms were inactivated. Hunter's color values of the samples irradiated at doses less than 10 kGy were not significantly altered from their baseline appearance (p>0.05). Sensory evaluation showed that preference scores in all sensory properties decreased when freeze-dried miyeokguk was irradiated at doses greater than 10 kGy. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that gamma irradiation at 10 kGy is sufficient to sterilize freeze-dried miyeokguk without significant deterioration in the sensory quality, and thus, the freeze-dried and irradiated miyeokguk at 10 kGy fulfills the microbiological requirements as space food. - Highlights: ► 10 kGy gamma-irradiation is sufficient for sterilization of freeze-dried miyeokguk. ► Sensory quality of freeze-dried miyeokguk decreased after >10 kGy gamma irradiation. ► 10 kGy gamma-irradiation sterilizes freeze-dried miyeokguk and makes it optimal for use as space food.

  2. Structure-property-processing correlations in freeze-cast composite scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunger, Philipp M; Donius, Amalie E; Wegst, Ulrike G K

    2013-05-01

    Surprisingly few reports have been published, to date, on the structure-property-processing correlations observed in freeze-cast materials directionally solidified from polymer solutions, or ceramic or metal slurries. The studies that exist focus on properties of sintered ceramics, that is materials whose structure was altered by further processing. In this contribution, we report first results on correlations observed in alumina-chitosan-gelatin composites, which were chosen as a model system to test and compare the effect of particle size and processing parameters on their mechanical properties at a specific composition. Our study reveals that highly porous (>90%) hybrid materials can be manufactured by freeze casting, through the self-assembly of a polymer and a ceramic phase that occurs during directional solidification, without the need of additional processing steps such as sintering or infiltration. It further illustrates that the properties of freeze-cast hybrid materials can independently be tailored at two levels of their structural hierarchy, allowing for the simultaneous optimization of both mechanical and structural requirements. An increase in freezing rate resulted in decreases in lamellar spacing, cell wall thickness, pore aspect ratio and cross-sectional area, as well as increases in both Young's modulus and compressive yield strength. The mechanical properties of the composite scaffolds increased with an increasing particle size. The results show that both structure and mechanical properties of the freeze-cast composites can be custom-designed and that they are thus ideally suited for a large variety of applications that require high porosity at low or medium load-bearing capacity. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. A novel cold-regulated gene from Phlox subulata, PsCor413im1, enhances low temperature tolerance in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Aimin; Sun, Hongwei; Feng, Shuang; Zhou, Mi; Gong, Shufang; Wang, Jingang; Zhang, Shuzhen

    2018-01-08

    Low temperature stress adversely affects plant growth, development, and crop productivity. Analysis of the function of genes in the response of plants to low temperature stress is essential for understanding the mechanism of chilling and freezing tolerance. In this study, PsCor413im1, a novel cold-regulated gene isolated from Phlox subulata, was transferred to Arabidopsis to investigate its function under low temperature stress. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that PsCor413im1 expression was induced by cold and abscisic acid. Subcellular localization revealed that PsCor413im1-GFP fusion protein was localized to the periphery of the chloroplast, consistent with the localization of chloroplast inner membrane protein AtCor413im1, indicating that PsCor413im1 is a chloroplast membrane protein. Furthermore, the N-terminal of PsCor413im1 was determined to be necessary for its localization. Compared to the wild-type plants, transgenic plants showed higher germination and survival rates under cold and freezing stress. Moreover, the expression of AtCor15 in transgenic plants was higher than that in the wild-type plants under cold stress. Taken together, our results suggest that the overexpression of PsCor413im1 enhances low temperature tolerance in Arabidopsis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Exogenous application of hydrogen sulfide donor sodium hydrosulfide enhanced multiple abiotic stress tolerance in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L). Pers.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Haitao; Ye, Tiantian; Chan, Zhulong

    2013-10-01

    As a gaseous molecule, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been recently found to be involved in plant responses to multiple abiotic stress. In this study, salt (150 and 300 mM NaCl), osmotic (15% and 30% PEG6000) and cold (4 °C) stress treatments induced accumulation of endogenous H2S level, indicating that H2S might play a role in bermudagrass responses to salt, osmotic and cold stresses. Exogenous application of H2S donor (sodium hydrosulfide, NaHS) conferred improved salt, osmotic and freezing stress tolerances in bermudagrass, which were evidenced by decreased electrolyte leakage and increased survival rate under stress conditions. Additionally, NaHS treatment alleviated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and cell damage induced by abiotic stress, via modulating metabolisms of several antioxidant enzymes [catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and GR (glutathione reductase)] and non-enzymatic glutathione antioxidant pool and redox state. Moreover, exogenous NaHS treatment led to accumulation of osmolytes (proline, sucrose and soluble total sugars) in stressed bermudagrass plants. Taken together, all these data indicated the protective roles of H2S in bermudagrass responses to salt, osmotic and freezing stresses, via activation of the antioxidant response and osmolyte accumulation. These findings might be applicable to grass and crop engineering to improve abiotic stress tolerance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Freezing Point Determination of Water–Ionic Liquid Mixtures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Yanrong; Meyer, Anne S.; Nie, Yi

    2017-01-01

    .841 K in thefirst system and at a water mole fraction of 0.657 and 202.565 K inthe second system. Water activities in aqueous IL solutions were predictedby COSMO-RS and COSMO-SAC and compared to water activities derivedfrom the experimentally determined freezing points. The COSMO-RS predictionswere...... closer to the experimental water activities than the COSMO-SACpredictions. The experimental results indicate that the freezing pointsof IL+H2O systems are affected by the nature of both cationsand anions. However, according to the COSMO-RS excess enthalpy predictionresults, the anions have a relatively...

  6. Model-based optimization of the primary drying step during freeze-drying

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortier, Séverine Thérèse F.C.; Van Bockstal, Pieter-Jan; Nopens, Ingmar

    2015-01-01

    Since large molecules are considered the key driver for growth of the pharmaceutical industry, the focus of the pharmaceutical industry is shifting from small molecules to biopharmaceuticals: around 50% of the approved biopharmaceuticals are freeze-dried products. Therefore, freeze- drying is an ...

  7. Charge-charge liquid structure factor and the freezing of alkali halides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    March, N.H.; Tosi, M.P.

    1980-10-01

    The peak height of the charge-charge liquid structure factor Ssub(QQ) in molten alkali halides is proposed as a criterion for freezing. Available data on molten alkali chlorides, when extrapolated to the freezing point suggests Ssub(QQ)sup(max) approximately 5. (author)

  8. Cod and rainbow trout as freeze-chilled meal elements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Louise Helene Søgaard; Nielsen, Jette; Jørgensen, Bo

    2010-01-01

    Meal elements' are elements of a meal, e.g. portions of pre-fried meat, sauces, frozen fish or pre-processed vegetables typically prepared industrially. The meal elements are distributed to professional satellite kitchens, where the staff can combine them into complete meals. Freeze......-chilling is a process consisting of freezing and frozen storage followed by thawing and chilled storage. Combining the two would enable the manufacturer to produce large quantities of frozen meal elements to be released into the chill chain according to demand. We have studied the influence of freeze...... days of chilled storage, and the corresponding time for rainbow trout was 10 days. After this period the sensory quality decreased and chemical indicators of spoilage were seen to increase. CONCLUSION: The consistent quality during storage and the high-quality shelf life are practically applicable...

  9. Energy efficiency of freezing tunnels: towards an optimal operation of compressors and air fans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Widell, Kristina Norne

    2012-07-01

    Fish is one of Norway's main exports, and can be shipped fresh, frozen or dried. This thesis examines the freezing of fish in batch tunnels and ways to increase the energy efficiency of this process. A fish freezing plant on the west coast of Norway was used as a baseline case and measurements were made of the freezing system. Different aspects of this system were simulated, mainly using MATLAB.The focus was on the compressors and the freezing tunnels of an industrial refrigeration system. The compressors and the freezing tunnel fans are the largest consumers of electricity, but they are often not operated at the highest efficiency. An analysis of the compressor operation showed that it was far from optimal, with several compressors often operating at part-load simultaneously. These were screw compressors regulated by slide valves, which provide easy capacity control, but also have low energy efficiency. The refrigeration system had several different sized compressors, and the results showed that it was possible to run the system with only one compressor at part-load operation. The total coefficient of performance was improved by as much as 29% for a low production period. A further analysis showed that installing a variable speed drive on one compressor would also improve energy efficiency and make capacity regulation straightforward.The freezing system included five batch freezing tunnels, each of which had a freezing capacity of more than 100 tonnes of pelagic fish. A typical freezing period lasted typically 20 h and decreased the fish temperature to -18?C or below. The main task was to develop a computer program that could simulate the freezing process and the refrigeration system and locate opportunities for improvement. The air velocities inside the freezing tunnel varied with location, which were pinpointed using the computational fluid dynamics software program Airpak. These velocities were used in freezing time calculations. It was shown that a guide

  10. Prediction model for carbonation depth of concrete subjected to freezing-thawing cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Qian Hui; Li, Qiang; Guan, Xiao; Xian Zou, Ying

    2018-03-01

    Through the indoor simulation test of the concrete durability under the coupling effect of freezing-thawing and carbonation, the variation regularity of concrete neutralization depth under freezing-thawing and carbonation was obtained. Based on concrete carbonation mechanism, the relationship between the air diffusion coefficient and porosity in concrete was analyzed and the calculation method of porosity in Portland cement concrete and fly ash cement concrete was investigated, considering the influence of the freezing-thawing damage on the concrete diffusion coefficient. Finally, a prediction model of carbonation depth of concrete under freezing-thawing circumstance was established. The results obtained using this prediction model agreed well with the experimental test results, and provided a theoretical reference and basis for the concrete durability analysis under multi-factor environments.

  11. Assessing storage of stability and mercury reduction of freeze-dried Pseudomonas putida within different types of lyoprotectant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azoddein, Abdul Aziz Mohd; Nuratri, Yana; Azli, Faten Ahada Mohd; Bustary, Ahmad Bazli

    2017-12-01

    Pseudomonas putida is a potential strain in biological treatment to remove mercury contained in the effluent of petrochemical industry due to its mercury reductase enzyme that able to reduce ionic mercury to elementary mercury. Freeze-dried P. putida allows easy, inexpensive shipping, handling and high stability of the product. This study was aimed to freeze dry P. putida cells with addition of lyoprotectant. Lyoprotectant was added into the cells suspension prior to freezing. Dried P. putida obtained was then mixed with synthetic mercury. Viability of recovery P. putida after freeze dry was significantly influenced by the type of lyoprotectant. Among the lyoprotectants, tween 80/ sucrose was found to be the best lyoprotectant. Sucrose was able to recover more than 78% (6.2E+09 CFU/ml) of the original cells (7.90E+09CFU/ml) after freeze dry and able to retain 5.40E+05 viable cells after 4 weeks storage at 4 °C without vacuum. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) pre-treated freeze dried cells and broth pre-treated freeze dried cells after the freeze-dry process recovered more than 64% (5.0 E+09CFU/ml) and >0.1% (5.60E+07CFU/ml). Freeze-dried P. putida cells in PEG and broth cannot survive after 4 weeks storage. Freeze dry also does not really change the pattern of growth P. putida but extension of lag time was found 1 hour after 3 weeks of storage. Additional time was required for freeze-dried P. putida cells to recover before introducing freeze-dried cells to more complicated condition such as mercury solution. The maximum mercury reduction of PEG pre-treated freeze-dried cells after freeze dry and after storage of 3 weeks was 17.91 %. The maximum of mercury reduction of tween 80/sucrose pre-treated freeze-dried cells after freeze dry and after storage 3 weeks was 25.03%. Freeze dried P. putida was found to have lower mercury reduction compare to the fresh P. putida that has been grown in agar. Result from this study may be beneficial and useful as initial reference before

  12. A Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Internal Flow of a Freezing Water Droplet

    OpenAIRE

    Karlsson, Linn

    2015-01-01

    The overarching aim of this work is to study the freezing process of a single water droplet freezing on a cold surface, which is an interesting and important phenomenon with possible applications in many areas. Understanding the freezing process of a single water droplet is for example an important step when preventing unwanted icing, e.g. in the case of airplane wings and propellers, wind turbine rotor blades, and road surfaces.As a step in understanding the freezing process, the study speci...

  13. Freeze concentration of dairy products Phase 2. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Best, D.E.; Vasavada, K.C.

    1993-09-01

    An efficient, electrically driven freeze concentration system offers potential for substantially increasing electricity demand while providing the mature dairy industry with new products for domestic and export markets together with enhanced production efficiencies. Consumer tests indicate that dairy products manufactured from freeze-concentrated ingredients are either preferred or considered equivalent in quality to fresh milk-based products. Economic analyses indicate that this technology should be competitive with thermal evaporation processes on a commercial basis.

  14. Simulation Study on Freeze-drying Characteristics of Mashed Beef

    OpenAIRE

    Tambunan, Armansyah H; Solahudin, M; Rahajeng, Estri

    2000-01-01

    Drying characteristic of a particular product is important in analyzing the appropriateness of the drying method for the product. This is especially important for freeze drying, which is known as the most expensive drying method, asideji-om its good drying quality. The objectives of this experiment are to develop a computer simulation program using a retreating drying-frontmodel for predicting freeze drying characteristics of mashed nteat, especially for the influence of sublimation temperatu...

  15. Sintering of a freeze-dried 10 mol% Y2O3-stabilized zirconia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rakotoson, A.; Paulus, M.

    1983-01-01

    After presenting the results of freeze drying a sulfate solution, the authors describe a preparation process in which the freeze-drying technique by addition of a suspension of stabilized zirconia in the liquid solution before freeze-drying. This process breaks the polymeric chains, increases the green density of the compact, and decreases the sintering temperature. The mechanisms involved are discussed

  16. Freeze-dried spermatozoa: An alternative biobanking option for endangered species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anzalone, Debora Agata; Palazzese, Luca; Iuso, Domenico; Martino, Giuseppe; Loi, Pasqualino

    2018-03-01

    In addition to the iconic wild species, such as the pandas and Siberian tigers, an ever-increasing number of domestic species are also threatened with extinction. Biobanking of spermatozoa could preserve genetic heritages of extinct species, and maintain biodiversity of existing species. Because lyophilized spermatozoa retain fertilizing capacity, the aim was to assess whether freeze-dried spermatozoa are an alternative option to save endangered sheep breeds. To achieve this objective, semen was collected from an Italian endangered sheep breed (Pagliarola), and a biobank of cryopreserved and freeze-dried spermatozoa was established, and evaluated using IVF (for frozen spermatozoa) and ICSI procedures (for frozen and freeze-dried spermatozoa). As expected, the fertilizing capacity of cryopreserved Pagliarola's spermatozoa was comparable to commercial semen stocks. To evaluate the activating capability of freeze-dried spermatozoa, 108 MII sheep oocytes were subjected to ICSI, and allocated to two groups: 56 oocytes were activated by incubation with ionomycin (ICSI-FDSa) and 52 were not activated (ICSI-FDSna). Pronuclear formation (2PN) was investigated at 14-16 h after ICSI in fixed presumptive zygotes. Only artificially activated oocytes developed into blastocysts after ICSI. In the present study, freeze-dried ram spermatozoa induced blastocyst development following ICSI at a relatively high proportion, providing evidence that sperm lyophilization is an alternative, low cost storage option for biodiversity preservation of domestic species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Tracheid diameter is the key trait determining the extent of freezing-induced embolism in conifers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pittermann, Jarmila; Sperry, John

    2003-09-01

    We tested the hypotheses that freezing-induced embolism is related to conduit diameter, and that conifers and angiosperms with conduits of equivalent diameter will exhibit similar losses of hydraulic conductivity in response to freezing. We surveyed the freeze-thaw response of conifers with a broad range of tracheid diameters by subjecting wood segments (root, stem and trunk wood) to a freeze-thaw cycle at -0.5 MPa in a centrifuge. Embolism increased as mean tracheid diameter exceeded 30 microm. Tracheids with a critical diameter greater than 43 microm were calculated to embolize in response to freezing and thawing at a xylem pressure of -0.5 MPa. To confirm that freezing-induced embolism is a function of conduit air content, we air-saturated stems of Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. (mean conduit diameter 13.7 +/- 0.7 microm) by pressurizing them 1 to 60 times above atmospheric pressure, prior to freezing and thawing. The air saturation method simulated the effect of increased tracheid size because the degree of super-saturation is proportional to a tracheid volume holding an equivalent amount of dissolved air at ambient pressure. Embolism increased when the dissolved air content was equivalent to a mean tracheid diameter of 30 microm at ambient air pressure. Our centrifuge and air-saturation data show that conifers are as vulnerable to freeze-thaw embolism as angiosperms with equal conduit diameter. We suggest that the hydraulic conductivity of conifer wood is maximized by increasing tracheid diameters in locations where freezing is rare. Conversely, the narrowing of tracheid diameters protects against freezing-induced embolism in cold climates.

  18. INFLUENCE OF THE FREEZING PROCESS ON NATIONAL QUALITY FLOUR PRODUCTS (OSSETIAN PIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. U. Kusova

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Summary. Satisfying the taste preferences of the main engine of people food. Abundance and diversity of varieties of products provided by the manufacturer to the consumer market, is a consequence of the increasing diversity of taste preferences. Along with the expansion of the range of bakery products, improve the quality and nutritional value, the main task is to preserve the manufacturers of products in a fresh state. To preserve freshness, extend shelf life without deterioration of organoleptic properties of bakery products is the most appropriate way to freeze them. This article determines the dynamics of the freezing process, depending on the kind of filling and semi-finished (raw blanks, blanks after proofing, baking blanks after partial or fully finished products and the relationship with the quality of products. The highest quality of frozen semi-finished products is achieved when subjected to freeze after partial baking the preform (50 % availability. The article shows that the freezing of products with filling blanks based on a change in his cheese lipid fractions decreased total lipid content due to their partial migration in the test portion of the blank, and there is some increase of peroxide and acid number. Similar changes occur during freezing most of the filling. In the case of freezing of products subjected to partial baking, lipid changes are less significant.

  19. Open Zinc Freezing-Point Cell Assembly and Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Žužek, V.; Batagelj, V.; Drnovšek, J.; Bojkovski, J.

    2014-07-01

    An open metal freezing-point cell design has been developed in the Laboratory of Metrology and Quality. According to our design, a zinc cell was successfully assembled. The paper presents the needed parts for the cell, the cleaning process, and sealing of the cell. The assembled cell was then evaluated by comparison with two commercial closed zinc cells of different manufacturers. The freezing plateaus of the cells were measured, and a direct cell comparison was made. It was shown that the assembled open cell performed better than the used closed cell and was close to the brand new closed cell. The nominal purity of the zinc used for the open cell was 7 N, but the freezing plateau measurement suggests a higher impurity concentration. It was assumed that the zinc was contaminated to some extent during the process of cutting as its original shape was an irregular cylinder. The uncertainty due to impurities for the assembled cell is estimated to be 0.3 mK. Furthermore, the immersion profile and the pressure coefficient were measured. Both results are close to their theoretical values.

  20. Immersion freezing of ice nucleation active protein complexes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Hartmann

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Utilising the Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator (LACIS, the immersion freezing behaviour of droplet ensembles containing monodisperse particles, generated from a Snomax™ solution/suspension, was investigated. Thereto ice fractions were measured in the temperature range between −5 °C to −38 °C. Snomax™ is an industrial product applied for artificial snow production and contains Pseudomonas syringae} bacteria which have long been used as model organism for atmospheric relevant ice nucleation active (INA bacteria. The ice nucleation activity of such bacteria is controlled by INA protein complexes in their outer membrane. In our experiments, ice fractions increased steeply in the temperature range from about −6 °C to about −10 °C and then levelled off at ice fractions smaller than one. The plateau implies that not all examined droplets contained an INA protein complex. Assuming the INA protein complexes to be Poisson distributed over the investigated droplet populations, we developed the CHESS model (stoCHastic modEl of similar and poiSSon distributed ice nuclei which allows for the calculation of ice fractions as function of temperature and time for a given nucleation rate. Matching calculated and measured ice fractions, we determined and parameterised the nucleation rate of INA protein complexes exhibiting class III ice nucleation behaviour. Utilising the CHESS model, together with the determined nucleation rate, we compared predictions from the model to experimental data from the literature and found good agreement. We found that (a the heterogeneous ice nucleation rate expression quantifying the ice nucleation behaviour of the INA protein complex is capable of describing the ice nucleation behaviour observed in various experiments for both, Snomax™ and P. syringae bacteria, (b the ice nucleation rate, and its temperature dependence, seem to be very similar regardless of whether the INA protein complexes inducing ice

  1. Veia cava superior esquerda anômala com ausência de veia cava superior direita: achados de imagem Persistent left superior vena cava with absent right superior vena cava: image findings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cyrillo Rodrigues de Araújo Júnior

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available A persistência da veia cava superior esquerda com ausência da veia cava superior direita é uma anomalia rara, com menos de 150 casos descritos na literatura. A não-obliteração e regressão da veia cardinal anterior esquerda durante o desenvolvimento embriológico promove uma variação sistêmica de retorno venoso ao coração, com persistência da veia cava superior esquerda. Sua incidência varia de 0,3% em pacientes sem alterações cardíacas congênitas concomitantes a 4,3% naqueles com cardiopatias. Na maioria das vezes coexiste a veia cava superior direita, porém se houver regressão e degeneração da veia cardinal anterior direita, implicará a sua ausência e a drenagem venosa para o coração será feita pela veia cava superior esquerda ao átrio direito, através do seio coronariano. Mostramos um caso de um paciente submetido a radiografia de tórax e tomografia computadorizada para avaliação de doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica, tendo como achado a persistência da veia cava superior esquerda com ausência da direita, sem qualquer cardiopatia associada e com a drenagem cardíaca sendo feita, através do seio coronariano, para o átrio direito.Persistent left superior vena cava with absent right superior vena cava is a rare anomaly, with less than 150 cases reported in the literature. Congenitally persistent left superior vena cava is the most common variant of systemic venous return to the heart, resulting embryologically from failure of the left anterior cardinal vein to become obliterated. Its incidence varies from 0.3% in patients with otherwise normal heart to 4.3% in patients with congenital heart disease. In the majority of the patients, a right superior vena cava is present as well, but rarely the right anterior cardinal vein degenerates resulting in the absence of the normal right superior vena cava. The blood from the right side is carried by the persistent left superior vena cava to the right atrium through the

  2. Freeze-dried processing of tungsten heavy alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, G.D.; Gurwell, W.E.

    1989-06-01

    Tungsten heavy alloy powders were produced from freeze-dried aqueous solutions of ammonium metatungstate and, principally, sulfates of Ni and Fe. The freeze-dried salts were calcined and hydrogen reduced to form very fine, homogeneous, low-density, W heavy alloy powders having a coral-like structure with elements of approximately 0.1 μm in diameter. The powders yield high green strength and sinterability. Tungsten heavy alloy powders of 70%, 90%, and 96% W were prepared by freeze drying, compacted, and solid-state (SS) sintered to fully density at temperatures as low as 1200 degree C and also at conventional liquid-phase (LP) sintering temperatures. Solid-state sintered microstructures contained polygonal W grains with high contiguity; the matrix did not coat and separate the W grains to form low-contiguity, high-ductility structures. Liquid-phase sintered microstructures were very conventional in appearance, having W spheroids of low contiguity. All these materials were found to be brittle. High levels of residual S accompanied by segregation of the S to all the microstructural interfaces are principally responsible for the brittleness; problems with S could be eliminated by using Fe and Ni nitrates rather than the sulfates. 9 refs., 22 figs., 3 tabs

  3. Experimental Study Regarding the Freezing and Thawing Dynamics of Spruce Wood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria - Bernadett SZMUTKU

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The article presents the results regarding theevolution of the temperature field in spruce wood(Picea abies L. during freezing at two differentfreezing rates: -100C/h (rapid freezing and -10C/h(slow freezing and then during thawing at +50C,+30°C, +50°C temperature.This approach aimed at simulating thetemperature variations which occur inside timberduring open air storage in winter in two situations(sudden vs. gradual drop of temperature, and thenwhen the timber enters the drying kiln, depending onthe temperature applied in the initial heating phase.The results clearly show that the freezing ratesignificantly influences the thawing time and speed,which increase by 13-17% in the case of slowly frozenwood (at -10C/min compared to rapidly frozen wood(at -100C/min. It was also established that theoptimum temperature in the heating-up phase whendrying frozen spruce is 300C instead of the usual500C. This value leads to much better dryinguniformity without significantly prolonging the dryingtime.

  4. Effects of aging and freezing/thawing sequence on quality attributes of bovine and

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyun-Wook Kim

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective The effects of aging and freezing/thawing sequence on color, physicochemical, and enzymatic characteristics of two beef muscles (Mm. gluteus medius, GM and biceps femoris, BF were evaluated. Methods Beef muscles at 3 d postmortem were assigned to four different combinations of aging and freezing/thawing sequence as follows; aging at 2°C for 3 wk (A3, never-frozen control, freezing at −28°C for 2 wk then thawing (F2, frozen/thawed-only, aging at 2°C for 3 wk, freezing at −28°C for 2 wk then thawing (A3F2, and freezing at −28°C for 2 wk, thawing then further aging at 2°C for 3 wk (F2A3. Results No significant interactions between different aging/freezing/thawing treatments and muscle type on all measurements were found. Postmortem aging, regardless of aging/freezing/thawing sequence, had no impact on color stability of frozen/thawed beef muscles (p<0.05. F2A3 resulted in higher purge loss than F2 and A3F2 treatments (p<0.05. A3F2 and F2A3 treatments resulted in lower shear force of beef muscles compared to F2 (p<0.05. Although there was no significant difference in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px activity, F2A3 had the highest β-N-acetyl glucominidase (BNAG activity in purge, but the lowest BNAG activity in muscle (p<0.05. GM muscle exhibited higher total color changes and purge loss, and lower GSH-Px activity than BF muscle. Conclusion The results from this present study indicate that different combinations of aging/freezing/thawing sequence would result in considerable impacts on meat quality attributes, particularly thaw/purge loss and tenderness. Developing a novel freezing strategy combined with postmortem aging will be beneficial for the food/meat industry to maximize its positive impacts on tenderness, while minimizing thaw/purge loss of frozen/thawed meat.

  5. Generalized enthalpy model of a high-pressure shift freezing process

    KAUST Repository

    Smith, N. A. S.

    2012-05-02

    High-pressure freezing processes are a novel emerging technology in food processing, offering significant improvements to the quality of frozen foods. To be able to simulate plateau times and thermal history under different conditions, in this work, we present a generalized enthalpy model of the high-pressure shift freezing process. The model includes the effects of pressure on conservation of enthalpy and incorporates the freezing point depression of non-dilute food samples. In addition, the significant heat-transfer effects of convection in the pressurizing medium are accounted for by solving the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. We run the model for several numerical tests where the food sample is agar gel, and find good agreement with experimental data from the literature. © 2012 The Royal Society.

  6. Effects of Artificial Supercooling Followed by Slow Freezing on the Microstructure and Qualities of Pork Loin

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Yiseul; Hong, Geun-Pyo

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of artificial supercooling followed by still air freezing (SSF) on the qualities of pork loin. The qualities of pork frozen by SSF were compared with the fresh control (CT, stored at 4? for 24 h), slow freezing (SAF, still air freezing) and rapid freezing (EIF, ethanol immersion freezing) treatments. Compared with no supercooling phenomena of SAF and EIF, the extent of supercooling obtained by SSF treatment was 1.4?. Despite that SSF was conducted with the ...

  7. The effect of variety and maturity on the quality of freeze-dried carrots. The effect of microwave blanching on the nutritional and textural quality of freeze-dried spinach

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-01-01

    Using carrots, the quality of freeze-dried products was studied to determine the optimum varieties and maturation stages for quality attributes such as appearance, flavor, texture, and nutritive value. The quality of freeze-dried carrots is discussed in terms of Gardner color, alcohol insoluble solids, viscosity, and core/cortex ratio. Also, microwave blanching of freeze-dried spinach was studied to determine vitamin interrelationships, anatomical changes, and oxidative deteriorations in terms of preprocessing microwave treatments. Statistical methods were employed in the gathering of data and interpretation of results in both studies.

  8. Molecular breeding for drought tolerance in plants: wheat perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, S.S.; Rivandi, A.; Rivandi, A.

    2007-01-01

    Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.em Thell.) is the first important and strategic cereal crop for the majority of world,s populations. It is the most important staple food of about two billion people (36% of the world population). Due to industrialization, erosion, urbanization, compaction, and the increase in acidity as a result of fertilization, there is a decrease in the available space for agriculture. Environmental conditions such as increased salinity, drought, and freezing cause adverse effects on the growth and productivity of cereal crops such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Though grown under a wide range of climates and soils, wheat is best adapted to temperate regions. Whether the cropping occurs in the temperate areas or the tropics, both types of environments are affected by global warming and the destabilizing effects that it causes, none more serious than the attendant increased variability in rainfall and temperature. Due to the limited insight into the physiological basis of drought tolerance in wheat, a better understanding of some of the mechanisms that enable the plants to adapt to stress and maintain growth during stress periods would help in breeding for drought tolerance. On the other hand, understanding the genetic and genome organization using molecular markers is of great value for plant breeding purposes. (author)

  9. Pictorial Superiority Effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Douglas L.; And Others

    1976-01-01

    Pictures generally show superior recognition relative to their verbal labels. This experiment was designed to link this pictorial superiority effect to sensory or meaning codes associated with the two types of symbols. (Editor)

  10. Contact freezing of supercooled cloud droplets on collision with mineral dust particles: effect of particle size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Nadine; Duft, Denis; Kiselev, Alexei; Leisner, Thomas

    2013-04-01

    The contact freezing of supercooled cloud droplets is one of the potentially important and the least investigated heterogeneous mechanism of ice formation in the tropospheric clouds [1]. On the time scales of cloud lifetime the freezing of supercooled water droplets via contact mechanism may occur at higher temperature compared to the same IN immersed in the droplet. However, the laboratory experiments of contact freezing are very challenging due to the number of factors affecting the probability of ice formation. In our experiment we study single water droplets freely levitated in the laminar flow of mineral dust particles acting as the contact freezing nuclei. By repeating the freezing experiment sufficient number of times we are able to reproduce statistical freezing behavior of large ensembles of supercooled droplets and measure the average rate of freezing events. We show that the rate of freezing at given temperature is governed only by the rate of droplet -particle collision and by the properties of the contact ice nuclei. In this contribution we investigate the relationship between the freezing probability and the size of mineral dust particle (represented by illite) and show that their IN efficiency scales with the particle size. Based on this observation, we discuss the similarity between the freezing of supercooled water droplets in immersion and contact modes and possible mechanisms of apparent enhancement of the contact freezing efficiency. [1] - K.C. Young, The role of contact nucleation in ice phase initiation in clouds, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 31, 1974

  11. FREEZE-OUT YIELDS OF RADIOACTIVITIES IN CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magkotsios, Georgios; Wiescher, Michael; Timmes, F. X.

    2011-01-01

    We explore the nucleosynthesis trends from two mechanisms during freeze-out expansions in core-collapse supernovae. The first mechanism is related to the convection and instabilities within homogeneous stellar progenitor matter that is accreted through the supernova shock. The second mechanism is related to the impact of the supersonic wind termination shock (reverse shock) within the tumultuous inner regions of the ejecta above the proto-neutron star. Our results suggest that isotopes in the mass range 12 ≤ A ≤ 122 that are produced during the freeze-out expansions may be classified in two families. The isotopes of the first family manifest a common mass fraction evolutionary profile, whose specific shape per isotope depends on the characteristic transition between two equilibrium states (equilibrium state transition) during each type of freeze-out expansion. The first family includes the majority of isotopes in this mass range. The second family is limited to magic nuclei and isotopes in their locality, which do not sustain any transition, become nuclear flow hubs, and dominate the final composition. We use exponential and power-law adiabatic profiles to identify dynamic large-scale and small-scale equilibrium patterns among nuclear reactions. A reaction rate sensitivity study identifies those reactions that are crucial to the synthesis of radioactivities in the mass range of interest. In addition, we introduce non-monotonic parameterized profiles to probe the impact of the reverse shock and multi-dimensional explosion asymmetries on nucleosynthesis. Cases are shown in which the non-monotonic profiles favor the production of radioactivities. Non-monotonic freeze-out profiles involve longer non-equilibrium nucleosynthesis intervals compared with the exponential and power-law profiles, resulting in mass fraction trends and yield distributions that may not be achieved by the monotonic freeze-out profiles.

  12. Products and stability of phosphate reactions with lead under freeze-thaw cycling in simple systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hafsteinsdottir, Erla G.; White, Duanne A.; Gore, Damian B.; Stark, Scott C.

    2011-01-01

    Orthophosphate fixation of metal contaminated soils in environments that undergo freeze-thaw cycles is understudied. Freeze-thaw cycling potentially influences the reaction rate, mineral chemical stability and physical breakdown of particles during fixation. This study determines what products form when phosphate (triple superphosphate [Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 ] or sodium phosphate [Na 3 PO 4 ]) reacts with lead (PbSO 4 or PbCl 2 ) in simple chemical systems in vitro, and assesses potential changes in formation during freeze-thaw cycles. Systems were subjected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles from +10 deg. C to -20 deg. C and then analysed by X-ray diffractometry. Pyromorphite formed in all systems and was stable over multiple freeze-thaw cycles. Low temperature lead orthophosphate reaction efficiency varied according to both phosphate and lead source; the most time-efficient pyromorphite formation was observed when PbSO 4 and Na 3 PO 4 were present together. These findings have implications for the manner in which metal contaminated materials in freezing ground can be treated with phosphate. - Highlights: → Formation of lead phosphate products in cold environments is identified. → Potential change in formation during freeze-thaw cycling is assessed. → Lead phosphate reaction efficiency varies according to phosphate and lead source. → Pyromorphite formation is stable during 240 freeze-thaw cycles. - Pyromorphite, formed from Pb phosphate fixation, is stable during multiple freeze-thaw cycles but the efficiency of the fixation depends on the phosphate source and the type of Pb mineral.

  13. Reagan and the Nuclear Freeze: "Stars Wars" as a Rhetorical Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjork, Rebecca S.

    1988-01-01

    Analyzes the interaction between nuclear freeze activists and proponents of a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Argues that SDI strengthens Reagan's rhetorical position concerning nuclear weapons policy because it reduces the argumentative ground of the freeze movement by envisioning a defensive weapons system that would nullify nuclear weapons.…

  14. Effects of annealing on the physical properties of therapeutic proteins during freeze drying process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Jun Yeul; Lim, Dae Gon; Kim, Ki Hyun; Park, Sang-Koo; Jeong, Seong Hoon

    2018-02-01

    Effects of annealing steps during the freeze drying process on etanercept, model protein, were evaluated using various analytical methods. The annealing was introduced in three different ways depending on time and temperature. Residual water contents of dried cakes varied from 2.91% to 6.39% and decreased when the annealing step was adopted, suggesting that they are directly affected by the freeze drying methods Moreover, the samples were more homogenous when annealing was adopted. Transition temperatures of the excipients (sucrose, mannitol, and glycine) were dependent on the freeze drying steps. Size exclusion chromatography showed that monomer contents were high when annealing was adopted and also they decreased less after thermal storage at 60°C. Dynamic light scattering results exhibited that annealing can be helpful in inhibiting aggregation and that thermal storage of freeze-dried samples preferably induced fragmentation over aggregation. Shift of circular dichroism spectrum and of the contents of etanercept secondary structure was observed with different freeze drying steps and thermal storage conditions. All analytical results suggest that the physicochemical properties of etanercept formulation can differ in response to different freeze drying steps and that annealing is beneficial for maintaining stability of protein and reducing the time of freeze drying process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Effect of Novel Quick Freezing Techniques Combined with Different Thawing Processes on Beef Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Seon-Mi; Han, Gui-Jung

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of various freezing and thawing techniques on the quality of beef. Meat samples were frozen using natural convection freezing (NF), individual quick freezing (IQF), or cryogenic freezing (CF) techniques, followed by natural convection thawing (NCT) or running water thawing (RT). The meat was frozen until the core temperature reached -12℃ and then stored at -24℃, followed by thawing until the temperature reached 5℃. Quality parameters, such as the pH, water binding properties, CIE color, shear force, and microstructure of the beef were elucidated. Although the freezing and thawing combinations did not cause remarkable changes in the quality parameters, rapid freezing, in the order of CF, IQF, and NF, was found to minimize the quality deterioration. In the case of thawing methods, NCT was better than RT and the meat quality was influence on the thawing temperature rather than the thawing rate. Although the microstructure of the frozen beef exhibited an excessive loss of integrity after the freezing and thawing, it did not cause any remarkable change in the beef quality. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CF and NCT form the best combination for beef processing; however, IQF and NCT may have practical applications in the frozen food industry. PMID:26761674

  16. Validity of a portable urine refractometer: the effects of sample freezing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparks, S Andy; Close, Graeme L

    2013-01-01

    The use of portable urine osmometers is widespread, but no studies have assessed the validity of this measurement technique. Furthermore, it is unclear what effect freezing has on osmolality. One-hundred participants of mean (±SD) age 25.1 ± 7.6 years, height 1.77 ± 0.1 m and weight 77.1 ± 10.8 kg provided single urine samples that were analysed using freeze point depression (FPD) and refractometry (RI). Samples were then frozen at -80°C (n = 81) and thawed prior to re-analysis. Differences between methods and freezing were determined using Wilcoxon's signed rank test. Relationships between measurements were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and typical error of estimate (TE). Osmolality was lower (P = 0.001) using RI (634.2 ± 339.8 mOsm · kgH2O(-1)) compared with FPD (656.7 ± 334.1 mOsm · kgH2O(-1)) but the TE was trivial (0.17). Freezing significantly reduced mean osmolality using FPD (656.7 ± 341.1 to 606.5 ± 333.4 mOsm · kgH2O(-1); P < 0.001), but samples were still highly related following freezing (ICC, r = 0.979, P < 0.001, CI = 0.993-0.997; TE = 0.15; and r=0.995, P < 0.001, CI = 0.967-0.986; TE = 0.07 for RI and FPD respectively). Despite mean differences between methods and as a result of freezing, such differences are physiologically trivial. Therefore, the use of RI appears to be a valid measurement tool to determine urine osmolality.

  17. Chemistry of ice: Migration of ions and gases by directional freezing of water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umer Shafique

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Redistribution of anions and cations creates an electrical imbalance in ice grown from electrolyte solutions. Movement of acidic and basic ions in cooling solutions can permanently change the pH of frozen and unfrozen parts of the system, largely. The extent of pH change associated with freezing is determined by solute concentration and the extent of cooling. In the present work, redistribution of hydrogen, hydroxyl, carbonate, and bicarbonate ions was studied during directional freezing in batch aqueous systems. Controlled freezing was employed vertically as well as radially in acidic and basic solutions. In each case, the ions substantially migrated along with moving freezing front. Conductometry and pH-metry were employed to monitor the moving ions. Besides, some other experiments were carried out with molecular gases, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and chlorine and an azeotropic mixture like water–ethanol. Findings can be used to understand possible changes that can occur in preserving materials by freezing.

  18. Properties of subvisible cirrus clouds formed by homogeneous freezing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Kärcher

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Number concentrations and mean sizes of ice crystals and derived microphysical and optical properties of subvisible cirrus clouds (SVCs formed by homogeneous freezing of supercooled aerosols are investigated as a function of temperature and updraft speed of adiabatically ascending air parcels. The properties of such clouds are insensitive to variations of the aerosol number and size distribution. Based on criteria constraining the optical extinction, sedimentation time, and existence time of SVCs, longer-lived (>10min clouds, capable of exerting a measurable radiative or chemical impact, are generated within a narrow range of updraft speeds below 1-2cm s-1 at temperatures below about 215K, with concentrations of ice crystals not exceeding 0.1cm-3. The clouds do not reach an equilibrium state because the ice crystals sediment out of the formation layer typically before the supersaturation is removed. Two important conclusions emerge from this work. First, the above characteristics of SVCs may provide an explanation for why SVCs are more common in the cold tropical than in the warmer midlatitude tropopause region. Second, it seems likely that a limited number (-3 of effective heterogeneous freezing nuclei that nucleate ice below the homogeneous freezing threshold can control the formation and properties of SVCs, although homogeneous freezing nuclei are far more abundant.

  19. Tolerance to multiple climate stressors: A case study of Douglas-fir drought and cold hardiness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bansal, Sheel; Harrington, Constance A; St. Clair, John Bradley

    2016-01-01

    Summary: 1. Drought and freeze events are two of the most common forms of climate extremes which result in tree damage or death, and the frequency and intensity of both stressors may increase with climate change. Few studies have examined natural covariation in stress tolerance traits to cope with multiple stressors among wild plant populations. 2. We assessed the capacity of coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii), an ecologically and economically important species in the northwestern USA, to tolerate both drought and cold stress on 35 populations grown in common gardens. We used principal components analysis to combine drought and cold hardiness trait data into generalized stress hardiness traits to model geographic variation in hardiness as a function of climate across the Douglas-fir range. 3. Drought and cold hardiness converged among populations along winter temperature gradients and diverged along summer precipitation gradients. Populations originating in regions with cold winters had relatively high tolerance to both drought and cold stress, which is likely due to overlapping adaptations for coping with winter desiccation. Populations from regions with dry summers had increased drought hardiness but reduced cold hardiness, suggesting a trade-off in tolerance mechanisms. 4. Our findings highlight the necessity to look beyond bivariate trait–climate relationships and instead consider multiple traits and climate variables to effectively model and manage for the impacts of climate change on widespread species.

  20. Effect of Latent Heat Released by Freezing Droplets during Frost Wave Propagation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chavan, Shreyas; Park, Deokgeun; Singla, Nitish; Sokalski, Peter; Boyina, Kalyan; Miljkovic, Nenad

    2018-05-21

    Frost spreads on nonwetting surfaces during condensation frosting via an interdroplet frost wave. When a supercooled condensate water droplet freezes on a hydrophobic or superhydrophobic surface, neighboring droplets still in the liquid phase begin to evaporate. Two possible mechanisms govern the evaporation of neighboring water droplets: (1) The difference in saturation pressure of the water vapor surrounding the liquid and frozen droplets induces a vapor pressure gradient, and (2) the latent heat released by freezing droplets locally heats the substrate, leading to evaporation of nearby droplets. The relative significance of these two mechanisms is still not understood. Here, we study the significance of the latent heat released into the substrate by freezing droplets, and its effect on adjacent droplet evaporation, by studying the dynamics of individual water droplet freezing on aluminum-, copper-, and glass-based hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces. The latent heat flux released into the substrate was calculated from the measured droplet sizes and the respective freezing times ( t f ), defined as the time from initial ice nucleation within the droplet to complete droplet freezing. To probe the effect of latent heat release, we performed three-dimensional transient finite element simulations showing that the transfer of latent heat to neighboring droplets is insignificant and accounts for a negligible fraction of evaporation during microscale frost wave propagation. Furthermore, we studied the effect of substrate thermal conductivity on the transfer of latent heat transfer to neighboring droplets by investigating the velocity of ice bridge formation. The velocity of the ice bridge was independent of the substrate thermal conductivity, indicating that adjacent droplet evaporation during condensation frosting is governed solely by vapor pressure gradients. This study not only provides key insights into the individual droplet freezing process but also

  1. Multitarget transcranial direct current stimulation for freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dagan, Moria; Herman, Talia; Harrison, Rachel; Zhou, Junhong; Giladi, Nir; Ruffini, Giulio; Manor, Brad; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M

    2018-04-01

    Recent findings suggest that transcranial direct current stimulation of the primary motor cortex may ameliorate freezing of gait. However, the effects of multitarget simultaneous stimulation of motor and cognitive networks are mostly unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of multitarget transcranial direct current stimulation of the primary motor cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on freezing of gait and related outcomes. Twenty patients with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait received 20 minutes of transcranial direct current stimulation on 3 separate visits. Transcranial direct current stimulation targeted the primary motor cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex simultaneously, primary motor cortex only, or sham stimulation (order randomized and double-blinded assessments). Participants completed a freezing of gait-provoking test, the Timed Up and Go, and the Stroop test before and after each transcranial direct current stimulation session. Performance on the freezing of gait-provoking test (P = 0.010), Timed Up and Go (P = 0.006), and the Stroop test (P = 0.016) improved after simultaneous stimulation of the primary motor cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but not after primary motor cortex only or sham stimulation. Transcranial direct current stimulation designed to simultaneously target motor and cognitive regions apparently induces immediate aftereffects in the brain that translate into reduced freezing of gait and improvements in executive function and mobility. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  2. Development of a freeze-stable formulation for vaccines containing aluminum salt adjuvants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, LaToya Jones; Tyagi, Anil; Perkins, Shalimar; Carpenter, John; Sylvester, David; Guy, Mark; Kristensen, Debra; Chen, Dexiang

    2009-01-01

    Vaccines containing aluminum salt adjuvants are prone to inactivation following exposure to freeze-thaw stress. Many are also prone to inactivation by heat. Thus, for maximum potency, these vaccines must be maintained at temperatures between 2 degrees C and 8 degrees C which requires the use of the cold chain. Nevertheless, the cold chain is not infallible. Vaccines are subject to freezing during both transport and storage, and frozen vaccines are discarded (under the best circumstances) or inadvertently administered despite potentially reduced potency. Here we describe an approach to minimize our reliance on the proper implementation of the cold chain to protect vaccines from freeze-thaw inactivation. By including PEG 300, propylene glycol, or glycerol in a hepatitis B vaccine, particle agglomeration, changes in the fluorescence emission spectrum--indicative of antigen tertiary structural changes--and losses of in vitro and in vivo indicators of potency were prevented following multiple exposures to -20 degrees C. The effect of propylene glycol was examined in more detail and revealed that even at concentrations too low to prevent freezing at -10 degrees C, -20 degrees C, and -80 degrees C, damage to the vaccine could be prevented. A pilot study using two commercially available diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines suggested that the same stabilizers might protect these vaccines from freeze-thaw agglomeration as well. It remains to be determined if preventing agglomeration of DTaP vaccines preserves their antigenic activity following freeze-thaw events.

  3. Egg freezing and egg banking: empowerment and alienation in assisted reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, John A

    2014-06-01

    With the development of rapid freezing of human oocytes, many programs have reported IVF success rates comparable to those achieved with fresh eggs and thawed frozen embryos. Egg freezing is now gaining professional and regulatory acceptance as a safe and effective technique for women who wish to avoid discarding excess embryos, who face fertility-threatening medical treatments, or who want to preserve their eggs for use when they are better situated to have a family. This article focuses on the uses of and justification for egg freezing, the path to professional acceptance, the variability in success rates, and the controversy over freezing eggs for social rather than medical reasons. It also addresses the emergence of egg banking as a separate sector in the infertility industry, the regulatory issues that it poses, and its effect on egg donation. Key here is the legal control of stored eggs by banking women and their options when they wish to dispose of those eggs. The analysis is framed around empowerment and alienation. Egg freezing is generally empowering for women, but the donation or sale of unused eggs to infertile women, egg bankers, and researchers also raises issues of alienation.

  4. Freezing issue on stability master production scheduling for supplier network: Decision making view

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aisyati Azizah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the daily operation, there are frequently changes in customer order requirement which will induce instability of the MPS. Moreover, the frequently adjustment of MPS can induce fluctuation of production and increasing of inventory cost as well as decreasing service level of customer. Most of studies about instability of MPS use freezing method and rolling procedure to adjust MPS periodically. Freezing is the proportion of planning horizon being frozen, whereas rolling procedure is a method replanning periodically of MPS using newly updated demand data. This study is focused on interval freezing length as an issue of decision making. In supply chain, a manufacturer is supported by suppliers to supply material requirement. Since a manufacturer plan production schedule on MPS the freezing interval is determined that will be informed to suppliers which supply the material requirement. In previous research, the freezing interval is decided by manufacturer as necessary decision maker. This decision must be followed by suppliers though it is not beneficial for them. It can be concluded that this condition is no win-win situation. Hence, this research proposes that suppliers will be involved as decision maker besides a manufacturer so the interval freezing is decided by two-side decision maker.

  5. Protection of fish oil from oxidation by microencapsulation using freeze-drying techniques

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heinzelmann, K.; Franke, K.; Jensen, Benny

    2000-01-01

    (N-3)-Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Cold sea water plankton and plankton- consuming fish are known sources of (n-3)-PUFAs. Enriching normal food components with fish oil is a tool for increasing the intake of (n-3)-PUFAs. Due to the high sensitivity...... different freezing techniques and subsequently freeze-dried. Several parameters regarding formulation and process (addition of antioxidants to the fish oil, use of carbohydrates, homogenisation and freezing conditions, initial freeze-drying temperature, grinding) were varied to evaluate their influence...... on the oxidative stability of dried microencapsulated fish oil. The shelf life of the produced samples was determined by measuring the development of volatile oxidation products vs. storage time. It could be shown that the addition of antioxidants to fish oil was necessary to produce dried microencapsulated fish...

  6. Effect of repeated freezing-thawing on the Achilles tendon of rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lianxu; Wu, Yanping; Yu, Jiakuo; Jiao, Zhaode; Ao, Yingfang; Yu, Changlong; Wang, Jianquan; Cui, Guoqing

    2011-06-01

    The increased use of allograft tissue in the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament has brought more focus to the effect of storage and treatment on allograft. The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of histology and biomechanics on Achilles tendon in rabbits through repeated freezing-thawing before allograft tendon transplantation. Rabbit Achilles tendons were harvested and processed according to the manufacture's protocol of tissue bank, and freezing-thawing was repeated three times (group 1) and ten times (group 2). Those received only one cycle were used as controls. Then, tendons in each group were selected randomly to make for histological observations and biomechanics test. Histological observation showed that the following changes happened as the number of freezing-thawing increased: the arrangement of tendon bundles and collagen fibrils became disordered until ruptured, cells disrupted and apparent gaps appeared between tendon bundle because the formation of ice crystals. There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the values of maximum load, energy of maximum load and maximum stress, whereas no significant differences existed in other values such as stiffness, maximum strain, elastic modulus, and energy density. Therefore, repeated freezing-thawing had histological and biomechanical effect on Achilles tendon in rabbits before allograft tendon transplantation. This indicates that cautions should be taken in the repeated freezing-thawing preparation of allograft tendons in clinical application.

  7. Effects of freezing, freeze drying and convective drying on in vitro gastric digestion of apples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalmau, Maria Esperanza; Bornhorst, Gail M; Eim, Valeria; Rosselló, Carmen; Simal, Susana

    2017-01-15

    The influence of processing (freezing at -196°C in liquid N2, FN sample; freeze-drying at -50°C and 30Pa, FD sample; and convective drying at 60°C and 2m/s, CD sample) on apple (var. Granny Smith) behavior during in vitro gastric digestion was investigated. Dried apples (FD and CD samples) were rehydrated prior to digestion. Changes in carbohydrate composition, moisture, soluble solids, acidity, total polyphenol content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AA) of apple samples were measured at different times during digestion. Processing resulted in disruption of the cellular structure during digestion, as observed by scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, and changes in carbohydrate composition. Moisture content increased (6-11% dmo), while soluble solids (55-78% dmo), acidity (44-72% dmo), total polyphenol content (30-61% dmo), and antioxidant activity (41-87%) decreased in all samples after digestion. Mathematical models (Weibull and exponential models) were used to better evaluate the influence of processing on apple behavior during gastric digestion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Elevated Temperature and CO2 Stimulate Late-Season Photosynthesis But Impair Cold Hardening in Pine[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Rising global temperature and CO2 levels may sustain late-season net photosynthesis of evergreen conifers but could also impair the development of cold hardiness. Our study investigated how elevated temperature, and the combination of elevated temperature with elevated CO2, affected photosynthetic rates, leaf carbohydrates, freezing tolerance, and proteins involved in photosynthesis and cold hardening in Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). We designed an experiment where control seedlings were acclimated to long photoperiod (day/night 14/10 h), warm temperature (22°C/15°C), and either ambient (400 μL L−1) or elevated (800 μmol mol−1) CO2, and then shifted seedlings to growth conditions with short photoperiod (8/16 h) and low temperature/ambient CO2 (LTAC), elevated temperature/ambient CO2 (ETAC), or elevated temperature/elevated CO2 (ETEC). Exposure to LTAC induced down-regulation of photosynthesis, development of sustained nonphotochemical quenching, accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, expression of a 16-kD dehydrin absent under long photoperiod, and increased freezing tolerance. In ETAC seedlings, photosynthesis was not down-regulated, while accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, dehydrin expression, and freezing tolerance were impaired. ETEC seedlings revealed increased photosynthesis and improved water use efficiency but impaired dehydrin expression and freezing tolerance similar to ETAC seedlings. Sixteen-kilodalton dehydrin expression strongly correlated with increases in freezing tolerance, suggesting its involvement in the development of cold hardiness in P. strobus. Our findings suggest that exposure to elevated temperature and CO2 during autumn can delay down-regulation of photosynthesis and stimulate late-season net photosynthesis in P. strobus seedlings. However, this comes at the cost of impaired freezing tolerance. Elevated temperature and CO2 also impaired freezing tolerance. However, unless the frequency and timing of extreme low

  9. Reduced early growing season freezing resistance in alpine treeline plants under elevated atmospheric CO2.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martin, M.; Gavazov, K.S.; Körner, S.; Rixen, C.

    2010-01-01

    The frequency of freezing events during the early growing season and the vulnerability to freezing of plants in European high-altitude environments could increase under future atmospheric and climate change. We tested early growing season freezing sensitivity in 10 species, from four plant

  10. Mechanisms of deterioration of nutrients. [freeze drying methods for space flight food

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karel, M.; Flink, J. M.

    1974-01-01

    Methods are reported by which freeze dried foods of improved quality will be produced. The applicability of theories of flavor retention has been demonstrated for a number of food polymers, both proteins and polysacchardies. Studies on the formation of structures during freeze drying have been continued for emulsified systems. Deterioration of organoleptic quality of freeze dried foods due to high temperature heating has been evaluated and improved procedures developed. The influence of water activity and high temperature on retention of model flavor materials and browning deterioration has been evaluated for model systems and food materials.

  11. Effect of pasteurisation and freezing method on bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of strawberry pulp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonçalves, Gilma Auxiliadora Santos; Resende, Nathane Silva; Carvalho, Elisângela Elena Nunes; Resende, Jaime Vilela de; Vilas Boas, Eduardo Valério de Barros

    2017-09-01

    This study evaluated the stability of strawberry pulp subjected to three factors, pasteurisation (pasteurised and unpasteurised), freezing method (static air and forced air) and storage time (0, 2, 4 and 6 months). Pasteurisation favoured vitamin C retention during storage but enhanced the total loss of phenolics without affecting anthocyanin levels. Freezing by forced air was more effective in retaining phenolics during the first 4 months of storage, although the freezing method did not affect the anthocyanin levels. Processing and storage reduced the levels of individual phenolics. Freezing by forced air was more effective than static air in retaining antioxidant activity of the pulp. Polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase enzyme levels were relatively stable and independent of pasteurisation, freezing and storage time. Even after 6 months of frozen storage, strawberry pulp is a significant source of nutrients and bioactive compounds and retains high antioxidant capacity independent of pasteurisation and freezing method.

  12. Sperm freezing to address the risk of azoospermia on the day of ICSI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montagut, M; Gatimel, N; Bourdet-Loubère, S; Daudin, M; Bujan, L; Mieusset, R; Isus, F; Parinaud, J; Leandri, R

    2015-11-01

    In which cases is freezing of ejaculated sperm indicated before ICSI? Sperm freezing should be performed only when out of two analyses at least one total sperm count in the ejaculate is lower than 10(6). Due to variations in individual sperm parameters, in cases of severe oligozoospermia there is a risk of absence of spermatozoa on the day of ICSI, leading to cancellation of the attempt. Sperm freezing can avoid this problem but little is known of the parameters governing the decision to freeze sperm or not. This retrospective study included 247 men who underwent sperm cryopreservation to prevent the risk of azoospermia on the day of ICSI, from 2000 to 2012. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to define the threshold value. The lowest total sperm count per ejaculate was studied as a predictive factor for the use of frozen sperm in a total of 593 ICSI attempts. Moreover, 2003 patients who had at least 4 semen analyses for andrological diagnosis have been studied to evaluate the reproducibility of sperm count. To evaluate the psychological impact of sperm freezing, a questionnaire was administered to 84 men who attended for sperm cryopreservation between June and December 2014. The cost of sperm freezing was analysed according to the French prices. When at least one total sperm count was counts were ≥10(5) (P sperm freezing is recommended when one analysis from at least two, showed a sperm count sperm freezings. The psychological impact of sperm freezing was good since >70% of men had positive feelings about this technique. This was a fairly short-term study and preservation of future fertility was not assessed. It appeared impossible to find a threshold that would predict the risk of azoospermia with 100% accuracy. Therefore there is still a risk of absence of spermatozoa on the day of ICSI despite a good negative predictive value when no total sperm count was lower than 10(5). These data suggest that sperm freezing should be proposed when

  13. A case history of a tunnel constructed by ground freezing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacy, H. S.; Jones, J. S., Jr.; Gidlow, B.

    Artificial ground freezing was used for structural support and groundwater control for a 37 m long, 3.2 m diameter tunnel located about 2 m beneath high speed railroad lines in Syracuse, New York. A double row of freeze pipes spaced approximately 0.9 m on-center was used around the periphery of the tunnel above the spring line, while only a single row of freeze pipes was required below the spring line. Excavation of the frozen soil within the tunnel was accomplished with a small road header tunnel boring machine. The results of in situ testing of frozen soil, laboratory testing of frozen soils, computer analysis to predict stress deformation-time characteristics under static and cyclic loading, the instrumentation program including a comparison of estimated and measured performance are discussed.

  14. Effects of gamma radiation on freeze-dried wheat seeds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajayi, N.O.; Larsson, B.

    1975-07-01

    The effect of radiation on freeze-dried wheat seeds are reported. The response of the various parts of the seedling to radiation was found to differ from one another. There was no significant modification of the effect of radiation on the shoot and root growth, while the growth of the coleoptile was slightly reduced in the frezze-dried seeds. The change in the shoot growth-absorbed dose relationship reported by others to occur at high doses for oven-dried as compared to air-dried barley seeds was not seen for the control and freeze-dried wheat seeds. The freeze-dried seeds are believed to show only the effect of radiation without any modification due to drying as such. The dose-effect relationships may be splited into functions characterised by different radiosensitivity. The high sensitivty effect is mainly taking place within the first 40 krad of energy absorption, and the low sensitivity is dominating at higher doses. (author)

  15. Products and stability of phosphate reactions with lead under freeze-thaw cycling in simple systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hafsteinsdottir, Erla G., E-mail: erla.hafsteinsdottir@gmail.com [Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 (Australia); White, Duanne A., E-mail: duanne.white@mq.edu.au [Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 (Australia); Gore, Damian B., E-mail: damian.gore@mq.edu.au [Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 (Australia); Stark, Scott C., E-mail: scott.stark@aad.gov.au [Environmental Protection and Change, Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Tasmania 7050 (Australia)

    2011-12-15

    Orthophosphate fixation of metal contaminated soils in environments that undergo freeze-thaw cycles is understudied. Freeze-thaw cycling potentially influences the reaction rate, mineral chemical stability and physical breakdown of particles during fixation. This study determines what products form when phosphate (triple superphosphate [Ca(H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}){sub 2}] or sodium phosphate [Na{sub 3}PO{sub 4}]) reacts with lead (PbSO{sub 4} or PbCl{sub 2}) in simple chemical systems in vitro, and assesses potential changes in formation during freeze-thaw cycles. Systems were subjected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles from +10 deg. C to -20 deg. C and then analysed by X-ray diffractometry. Pyromorphite formed in all systems and was stable over multiple freeze-thaw cycles. Low temperature lead orthophosphate reaction efficiency varied according to both phosphate and lead source; the most time-efficient pyromorphite formation was observed when PbSO{sub 4} and Na{sub 3}PO{sub 4} were present together. These findings have implications for the manner in which metal contaminated materials in freezing ground can be treated with phosphate. - Highlights: > Formation of lead phosphate products in cold environments is identified. > Potential change in formation during freeze-thaw cycling is assessed. > Lead phosphate reaction efficiency varies according to phosphate and lead source. > Pyromorphite formation is stable during 240 freeze-thaw cycles. - Pyromorphite, formed from Pb phosphate fixation, is stable during multiple freeze-thaw cycles but the efficiency of the fixation depends on the phosphate source and the type of Pb mineral.

  16. Plasticity and stress tolerance override local adaptation in the responses of Mediterranean holm oak seedlings to drought and cold.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimeno, Teresa E; Pías, Beatriz; Lemos-Filho, José P; Valladares, Fernando

    2009-01-01

    Plant populations of widely distributed species experience a broad range of environmental conditions that can be faced by phenotypic plasticity or ecotypic differentiation and local adaptation. The strategy chosen will determine a population's ability to respond to climate change. To explore this, we grew Quercus ilex (L.) seedlings from acorns collected at six selected populations from climatically contrasting localities and evaluated their response to drought and late season cold events. Maximum photosynthetic rate (A(max)), instantaneous water use efficiency (iWUE), and thermal tolerance to freeze and heat (estimated from chlorophyll fluorescence versus temperature curves) were measured in 5-month-old seedlings in control (no stress), drought (water-stressed), and cold (low suboptimal temperature) conditions. The observed responses were similar for the six populations: drought decreased A(max) and increased iWUE, and cold reduced A(max) and iWUE. All the seedlings maintained photosynthetic activity under adverse conditions (drought and cold), and rapidly increased their iWUE by closing stomata when exposed to drought. Heat and freeze tolerances were similarly high for seedlings from all the populations, and they were significantly increased by drought and cold, respectively; and were positively related to each other. Differences in seedling performance across populations were primarily induced by maternal effects mediated by seed size and to a lesser extent by idiosyncratic physiologic responses to drought and low temperatures. Tolerance to multiple stresses together with the capacity to physiologically acclimate to heat waves and cold snaps may allow Q. ilex to cope with the increasingly stressful conditions imposed by climate change. Lack of evidence of physiologic seedling adaptation to local climate may reflect opposing selection pressures to complex, multidimensional environmental conditions operating within the distribution range of this species.

  17. The Effect of Freezing Temperatures on Microdochium majus and M. nivale Seedling Blight of Winter Wheat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ian M. Haigh

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Exposure to pre-emergent freezing temperatures significantly delayed the rate of seedling emergence (P<0.05 from an infected and a non-infected winter wheat cv. Equinox seed lot, but significant effects for timing of freezing and duration of freezing on final emergence were only seen for the Microdochium-infested seed lot. Freezing temperatures of −5∘C at post-emergence caused most disease on emerged seedlings. Duration of freezing (12 hours or 24 hours had little effect on disease index but exposure to pre-emergent freezing for 24 hours significantly delayed rate of seedling emergence and reduced final emergence from the infected seed lot. In plate experiments, the calculated base temperature for growth of M. nivale and M. majus was −6.3∘C and −2.2∘C, respectively. These are the first set of experiments to demonstrate the effects of pre-emergent and post-emergent freezing on the severity of Microdochium seedling blight.

  18. Effect of Canning and Freezing on the Nutritional Content of Apricots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adkison, Erin Claire; Biasi, William B; Bikoba, Veronique; Holstege, Dirk M; Mitcham, Elizabeth J

    2018-05-22

    The effect of commercial canning and freezing on the nutritional content of fresh apricots was investigated. Processed samples were analyzed post-processing and after 3 months of storage and compared directly to fresh apricots from the same source. Vitamin C, beta-carotene, total phenols, and antioxidants were quantified. Compared to fresh, canned apricots initially exhibited similar levels of antioxidants, a 17% increase in beta-carotene, and a 48% increase in phenols, while vitamin C was reduced by 37%. After 3 months of storage, antioxidant levels were 47% higher than fresh. Vitamin C did not change significantly following storage and beta-carotene decreased by 15%. The canned apricot fruit packed in light syrup did not have higher total soluble solids (TSS) levels indicating no increase in fruit sugar content. Frozen apricots exhibited large increases in antioxidants (529%), beta-carotene (35%), vitamin C (3,370%), and phenols (406%) compared to fresh. After 3 months of storage, frozen apricots decreased in vitamin C (29%) and phenols (17%), but remained 2,375% and 318% higher than fresh, respectively. Beta-carotene increased during storage, reaching levels 56% higher than fresh while antioxidant activity was unchanged. This study demonstrates that key nutrients in canned and frozen apricots are retained or amplified upon processing, with the exception of vitamin C in canned apricots. The routine addition of citric and ascorbic acid to fruit prior to freezing resulted in significantly higher antioxidants, vitamin C, and phenols. Consumers eating canned or frozen apricots can feel confident of similar or superior nutritional content as compared to fresh apricots. The apricot industry is limited by the short shelf life of the fruit and consumer belief that processed produce is not as nutritious as fresh. Assessing the nutritional content of canned and frozen apricots and determining that processed apricots can deliver nearly comparable nutrient levels to fresh

  19. Impact of the industrial freezing process on selected vegetables -Part II. Colour and bioactive compounds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mazzeo, Teresa; Paciulli, Maria; Chiavaro, Emma; Visconti, Attilio; Fogliano, Vincenzo; Ganino, Tommaso; Pellegrini, Nicoletta

    2015-01-01

    In the present study, the impact of the different steps (i.e. blanching, freezing, storage following the industrial freezing process and the final cooking prior to consumption) of the industrial freezing process was evaluated on colour, chlorophylls, lutein, polyphenols and ascorbic acid content

  20. Optimization of the freezing process for hematopoietic progenitor cells: effect of precooling, initial dimethyl sulfoxide concentration, freezing program, and storage in vapor-phase or liquid nitrogen on in vitro white blood cell quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dijkstra-Tiekstra, Margriet J; Setroikromo, Airies C; Kraan, Marcha; Gkoumassi, Effimia; de Wildt-Eggen, Janny

    2014-12-01

    Adding dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) causes an exothermic reaction, potentially affecting their viability. The freezing method might also influence this. The aim was to investigate the effect of 1) precooling of DMSO and plasma (D/P) and white blood cell (WBC)-enriched product, 2) DMSO concentration of D/P, 3) freezing program, and 4) storage method on WBC quality. WBC-enriched product without CD34+ cells was used instead of HPCs. This was divided into six or eight portions. D/P (20 or 50%; precooled or room temperature [RT]) was added to the WBC-enriched product (precooled or RT), resulting in 10% DMSO, while monitoring temperature. The product was frozen using controlled-rate freezing ("fast-rate" or "slow-rate") and placed in vapor-phase or liquid nitrogen. After thawing, WBC recovery and viability were determined. Temperature increased most for precooled D/P to precooled WBC-enriched product, without influence of 20 or 50% D/P, but remained for all variations below 30°C. WBC recovery for both freezing programs was more than 95%. Recovery of WBC viability was higher for slow-rate freezing compared to fast-rate freezing (74% vs. 61%; p liquid nitrogen was marginal. Based on these results, precooling is not necessary. Fifty percent D/P is preferred over 20% D/P. Slow-rate freezing is preferred over fast-rate freezing. For safety reasons storage in vapor-phase nitrogen is preferred over storage in liquid nitrogen. Additional testing using real HPCs might be necessary. © 2014 AABB.

  1. Evaluation and Comparison of Freeze-Thaw Tests and Air Void Analysis of Pervious Concrete

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Mia Schou Møller; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard; Kevern, John T.

    2016-01-01

    Pearl-Chain Bridge technology is an innovative precast arch bridge solution which uses pervious concrete as fill material. To ensure longevity of the bridge superstructure it is necessary that the per-vious concrete fill is designed to be freeze-thaw durable; however, no standards exist on how...... to eval-uate the freeze-thaw resistance of fresh or hardened pervious concrete and correspondingly what constitutes acceptable freeze-thaw durability. A greater understanding of the correlation between the freeze-thaw performance and the air void structure of pervious concrete is needed. In the present...... study six pervious concrete mixes were exposed to freeze-thaw testing, and their air void structure was analyzed using an automated linear-traverse method. It was found that there is a miscorrelation between these two test methods in their assumption of whether or not the large interconnected voids...

  2. Evaluation of freeze-thaw durability of pervious concrete by use of operational modal analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, M.S.M.; Hansen, K. K.; Brincker, R.

    2018-01-01

    It is well-known that laboratory testing of pervious concrete's freeze-thaw performance is too harsh and does not agree well with field observations. The most commonly used laboratory freeze-thaw test method for pervious concrete is similar to that used for conventional concrete even though...... the void structure of the two materials is completely different. In the present study, a new freeze-thaw test method for pervious concrete is suggested and tested on one baseline mix, with three different contents of entrained air. The evaluation of freeze-thaw damage on pervious concrete beams...... was evaluated from the decrease in mass and from operational modal analysis which provides an accurate determination of the change in natural frequencies with freeze-thaw exposure. Operational modal analysis was also used to determine the Young's modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson's ratio of the pervious...

  3. Association and linkage analysis of aluminum tolerance genes in maize.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allison M Krill

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Aluminum (Al toxicity is a major worldwide constraint to crop productivity on acidic soils. Al becomes soluble at low pH, inhibiting root growth and severely reducing yields. Maize is an important staple food and commodity crop in acidic soil regions, especially in South America and Africa where these soils are very common. Al exclusion and intracellular tolerance have been suggested as two important mechanisms for Al tolerance in maize, but little is known about the underlying genetics. METHODOLOGY: An association panel of 282 diverse maize inbred lines and three F2 linkage populations with approximately 200 individuals each were used to study genetic variation in this complex trait. Al tolerance was measured as net root growth in nutrient solution under Al stress, which exhibited a wide range of variation between lines. Comparative and physiological genomics-based approaches were used to select 21 candidate genes for evaluation by association analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Six candidate genes had significant results from association analysis, but only four were confirmed by linkage analysis as putatively contributing to Al tolerance: Zea mays AltSB like (ZmASL, Zea mays aluminum-activated malate transporter2 (ALMT2, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteinase (SAHH, and Malic Enzyme (ME. These four candidate genes are high priority subjects for follow-up biochemical and physiological studies on the mechanisms of Al tolerance in maize. Immediately, elite haplotype-specific molecular markers can be developed for these four genes and used for efficient marker-assisted selection of superior alleles in Al tolerance maize breeding programs.

  4. Standalone cool/freeze cluster driven by solar photovoltaic energy. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katic, I.; Pedersen, Per Henrik; Jacobsen, Emil

    2010-12-15

    processing. They are currently designing a prototype with a cooling capacity of 75 liters/day for test at DTI. The relief organization PATH is a specialist in cold chain vaccine storage and transport in developing countries. One of the major problems with vaccines is that they cannot tolerate freezing, but on the other hand they need cooling. Current use of icepacks in transport boxes requires precise adjustment of icepack temperature before outreach, but still there is a risk of freezing. A new type of icepack with a freezing temperature of 5-6 deg. C may solve this problem, but until now they are frozen in ordinary freezers to -18 deg. C in order to be sure they are totally frozen (avoiding sub cooling). If they could be frozen at, say, 1-2 deg. C they could be used immediately for vaccine transport without risk of freezing the vaccine. It seems that the PLC regulated chest freezer from the current project could be well suited for this purpose, and its size is perfect for the type of rack that is used by PATH to hold the icepacks. The rack with icepacks will be tried in the lab by DTI in the near future. (Author)

  5. Rehydration kinetics of freeze-dried carrots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vergeldt, F.J.; Dalen, van G.; Duijster, A.J.; Voda, A.; Khalloufi, S.; Vliet, van L.J.; As, van H.; Duynhoven, van J.P.M.; Sman, van der R.G.M.

    2014-01-01

    Rehydration kinetics by two modes of imbibition is studied in pieces of freeze-dried winter carrot, after different thermal pre-treatments. Water ingress at room temperature is measured in real time by in situ MRI and NMR relaxometry. Blanched samples rehydrate substantially faster compared to

  6. Fabrication of Chitosan Silk-based Tracheal Scaffold Using Freeze-Casting Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nematollahi, Zeinab; Tafazzoli-Shadpour, Mohammad; Zamanian, Ali; Seyedsalehi, Amir; Mohammad-Behgam, Shadmehr; Ghorbani, Fariba; Mirahmadi, Fereshte

    2017-01-01

    Background: Since the treatments of long tracheal lesions are associated with some limitations, tissue engineered trachea is considered as an alternative option. This study aimed at preparing a composite scaffold, based on natural and synthetic materials for tracheal tissue engineering. Methods: Nine chitosan silk-based scaffolds were fabricated using three freezing rates (0.5, 1, and 2°C/min) and glutaraldehyde (GA) concentrations (0, 0.4, and 0.8 wt%). Samples were characterized, and scaffolds having mechanical properties compatible with those of human trachea and proper biodegradability were selected for chondrocyte cell seeding and subsequent biological assessments. Results: The pore sizes were highly influenced by the freezing rate and varied from 135.3×372.1 to 37.8×83.4 µm. Swelling and biodegradability behaviors were more affected by GA rather than freezing rate. Tensile strength raised from 120 kPa to 350 kPa by an increment of freezing rate and GA concentration. In addition, marked stiffening was demonstrated by increasing elastic modulus from 1.5 MPa to 12.2 MPa. Samples having 1 and 2°C/min of freezing rate and 0.8 wt% GA concentration made a non-toxic, porous structure with tensile strength and elastic modulus in the range of human trachea, facilitating the chondrocyte proliferation. The results of 21-day cell culture indicated that glycosaminoglycans content was significantly higher for the rate of 2°C/min (12.04 µg/min) rather than the other (9.6 µg/min). Conclusion: A homogenous porous structure was created by freeze drying. This allows the fabrication of a chitosan silk scaffold cross-linked by GA for cartilage tissue regeneration with application in tracheal regeneration. PMID:28131109

  7. Cryopreservation of Iberian pig spermatozoa. Comparison of different freezing extenders based on post-thaw sperm quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Mercado, Eduardo; Rodríguez, Ana; Gómez, Emilio; Sanz, Elena

    2010-03-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the cryoprotective effect of different freezing extenders against cryopreservation injuries on Iberian boar sperm. The sperm-rich fraction was collected and pooled from six sexually mature Iberian boars, and was frozen in different extenders containing glucose, lactose or fructose as sugar source and including Orvus ES Paste only in the freezing extender-2 (Glucose; Lactose and Fructose) or in both freezing extenders (Glucose2; Lactose2 and Fructose2). During the cryopreservation process, the supernatant was removed after the centrifugation step, then was extended with freezing extender-1 for the equilibration period and with freezing extender-2 immediately before freezing. Post-thaw sperm characteristics, such as plasma membrane integrity (SYBR-14/PI), mitochondrial function (Rhodamine 123) and acrosome integrity (NAR), were monitored. Overall sperm motility and the individual kinematic parameters of motile spermatozoa (assessed by the computer-aided sperm analysis system Sperm Class Analyzer [SCA]) were recorded in the different experimental treatments. Measurements were taken at 30 and 150 min post-thaw. The state of the acrosome after thawing did not show significant differences between the freezing extenders studied. Freezing-thawing caused a significant decrease (Pextenders. Furthermore, spermatozoa frozen with Orvus ES Paste in both freezing extenders exhibited lower (Pextender. The spermatozoa frozen with the Lactose extender and with Orvus ES Paste only in the second freezing extender showed a better evolution of the motility and kinematic characteristics (Pextenders studied in the present experiment affected the quality of frozen-thawed semen in Iberian boar.

  8. Renewable and superior thermal-resistant cellulose-based composite nonwoven as lithium-ion battery separator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jianjun; Liu, Zhihong; Kong, Qingshan; Zhang, Chuanjian; Pang, Shuping; Yue, Liping; Wang, Xuejiang; Yao, Jianhua; Cui, Guanglei

    2013-01-01

    A renewable and superior thermal-resistant cellulose-based composite nonwoven was explored as lithium-ion battery separator via an electrospinning technique followed by a dip-coating process. It was demonstrated that such nanofibrous composite nonwoven possessed good electrolyte wettability, excellent heat tolerance, and high ionic conductivity. The cells using the composite separator displayed better rate capability and enhanced capacity retention, when compared to those of commercialized polypropylene separator under the same conditions. These fascinating characteristics would endow this renewable composite nonwoven a promising separator for high-power lithium-ion battery.

  9. Micromechanical properties of canine femoral articular cartilage following multiple freeze-thaw cycles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Abby E; Comerford, Eithne J; Macaulay, Sophie; Bates, Karl T; Akhtar, Riaz

    2017-07-01

    Tissue material properties are crucial to understanding their mechanical function, both in healthy and diseased states. However, in certain circumstances logistical limitations can prevent testing on fresh samples necessitating one or more freeze-thaw cycles. To date, the nature and extent to which the material properties of articular cartilage are altered by repetitive freezing have not been explored. Therefore, the aim of this study is to quantify how articular cartilage mechanical properties, measured by nanoindentation, are affected by multiple freeze-thaw cycles. Canine cartilage plugs (n = 11) from medial and lateral femoral condyles were submerged in phosphate buffered saline, stored at 3-5°C and tested using nanoindentation within 12h. Samples were then frozen at -20°C and later thawed at 3-5°C for 3h before material properties were re-tested and samples re-frozen under the same conditions. This process was repeated for all 11 samples over three freeze-thaw cycles. Overall mean and standard deviation of shear storage modulus decreased from 1.76 ± 0.78 to 1.21 ± 0.77MPa (p = 0.91), shear loss modulus from 0.42 ± 0.19 to 0.39 ± 0.17MPa (p=0.70) and elastic modulus from 5.13 ± 2.28 to 3.52 ± 2.24MPa (p = 0.20) between fresh and three freeze-thaw cycles respectively. The loss factor increased from 0.31 ± 0.38 to 0.71 ± 1.40 (p = 0.18) between fresh and three freeze-thaw cycles. Inter-sample variability spanned as much as 10.47MPa across freezing cycles and this high-level of biological variability across samples likely explains why overall mean "whole-joint" trends do not reach statistical significance across the storage conditions tested. As a result multiple freeze-thaw cycles cannot be explicitly or statistically linked to mechanical changes within the cartilage. However, the changes in material properties observed herein may be sufficient in magnitude to impact on a variety of clinical and scientific studies of cartilage, and should be considered

  10. Influence of Freeze-Thaw Damage on the Steel Corrosion and Bond-Slip Behavior in the Reinforced Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fangzhi Zhu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper mainly studies the behavior of steel corrosion in various reinforced concrete under freeze-thaw environment. The influence of thickness of concrete cover is also discussed. Additionally, the bond-slip behavior of the reinforced concrete after suffering the freeze-thaw damage and steel corrosion has also be presented. The results show that the freeze-thaw damage aggravates the steel corrosion in concrete, and the results become more obvious in the concrete after suffering serious freeze-thaw damage. Compared with the ordinary concrete, both air entrained concrete and waterproofing concrete possess better resistance to steel corrosion under the same freeze-thaw environment. Moreover, increasing the thicknesses of concrete cover is also an effective method of improving the resistance to steel corrosion. The bond-slip behavior of reinforced concrete with corroded steel decreases with the increase of freeze-thaw damage, especially for the concrete that suffered high freeze-thaw cycles. Moreover, there exists a good correlation between the parameters of bond-slip and freeze-thaw cycles. The steel corrosion and bond-slip behavior of reinforced concrete should be considered serious under freeze-thaw cycles environment, which significantly impact the durability and safety of concrete structure.

  11. A model of freezing foods with liquid nitrogen using special functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez Vega, Martín.

    2014-05-01

    A food freezing model is analyzed analytically. The model is based on the heat diffusion equation in the case of cylindrical shaped food frozen by liquid nitrogen; and assuming that the thermal conductivity of the cylindrical food is radially modulated. The model is solved using the Laplace transform method, the Bromwich theorem, and the residue theorem. The temperature profile in the cylindrical food is presented as an infinite series of special functions. All the required computations are performed with computer algebra software, specifically Maple. Using the numeric values of the thermal and geometric parameters for the cylindrical food, as well as the thermal parameters of the liquid nitrogen freezing system, the temporal evolution of the temperature in different regions in the interior of the cylindrical food is presented both analytically and graphically. The duration of the liquid nitrogen freezing process to achieve the specified effect on the cylindrical food is computed. The analytical results are expected to be of importance in food engineering and cooking engineering. As a future research line, the formulation and solution of freezing models with thermal memory is proposed.

  12. Globally important nitrous oxide emissions from croplands induced by freeze-thaw cycles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wagner-Riddle, Claudia; Congreves, Katelyn A.; Abalos Rodriguez, Diego; Berg, Aaron A.; Brown, Shannon E.; Ambadan, Jaison Thomas; Gao, Xiaopeng; Tenuta, Mario

    2017-01-01

    Seasonal freezing induces large thaw emissions of nitrous oxide, a trace gas that contributes to stratospheric ozone destruction and atmospheric warming. Cropland soils are by far the largest anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide. However, the global contribution of seasonal freezing to nitrous

  13. Atmospheric freeze drying assisted by power ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santacatalina, J V; Cárcel, J A; Garcia-Perez, J V; Mulet, A; Simal, S

    2012-01-01

    Atmospheric freeze drying (AFD) is considered an alternative to vacuum freeze drying to keep the quality of fresh product. AFD allows continuous drying reducing fix and operating costs, but presents, as main disadvantage, a long drying time required. The application of power ultrasound (US) can accelerate AFD process. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the application of power ultrasound to improve atmospheric freeze drying of carrot. For that purpose, AFD experiments were carried out with carrot cubes (10 mm side) at constant air velocity (2 ms −1 ), temperature (−10°C) and relative humidity (10%) with (20.5 kWm −3 ,USAFD) and without (AFD) ultrasonic application. A diffusion model was used in order to quantify the influence of US in drying kinetics. To evaluate the quality of dry products, rehydration capacity and textural properties were determined. The US application during AFD of carrot involved the increase of drying rate. The effective moisture diffusivity identified in USAFD was 73% higher than in AFD experiments. On the other hand, the rehydration capacity was higher in USAFD than in AFD and the hardness of dried samples did not show significant (p<0.05) differences. Therefore, US application during AFD significantly (p<0.05) sped-up the drying process preserving the quality properties of the dry product.

  14. Dynamical Dark Matter from thermal freeze-out

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dienes, Keith R.; Fennick, Jacob; Kumar, Jason; Thomas, Brooks

    2018-03-01

    In the Dynamical Dark-Matter (DDM) framework, the dark sector comprises a large number of constituent dark particles whose individual masses, lifetimes, and cosmological abundances obey specific scaling relations with respect to each other. In particular, the most natural versions of this framework tend to require a spectrum of cosmological abundances which scale inversely with mass, so that dark-sector states with larger masses have smaller abundances. Thus far, DDM model-building has primarily relied on nonthermal mechanisms for abundance generation such as misalignment production, since these mechanisms give rise to abundances that have this property. By contrast, the simplest versions of thermal freeze-out tend to produce abundances that increase, rather than decrease, with the mass of the dark-matter component. In this paper, we demonstrate that there exist relatively simple modifications of the traditional thermal freeze-out mechanism which "flip" the resulting abundance spectrum, producing abundances that scale inversely with mass. Moreover, we demonstrate that a far broader variety of scaling relations between lifetimes, abundances, and masses can emerge through thermal freeze-out than through the nonthermal mechanisms previously considered for DDM ensembles. The results of this paper thus extend the DDM framework into the thermal domain and essentially allow us to "design" our resulting DDM ensembles at will in order to realize a rich array of resulting dark-matter phenomenologies.

  15. Freezing pattern and frost killing temperature of apple (Malus domestica) wood under controlled conditions and in nature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pramsohler, Manuel; Hacker, Jürgen; Neuner, Gilbert

    2012-07-01

    The freezing pattern and frost killing temperatures of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) xylem were determined by differential thermal analysis and infrared differential thermal analysis (IDTA). Results from detached or attached twigs in controlled freezing experiments and during natural field freezing of trees were compared. Non-lethal freezing of apoplastic water in apple xylem as monitored during natural winter frosts in the field occurred at -1.9 ± 0.4 °C and did not change seasonally. The pattern of whole tree freezing was variable and specific to the environmental conditions. On detached twigs high-temperature freezing exotherms (HTEs) occurred 2.8 K below the temperature observed under natural frosts in the field with a seasonal mean of -4.7 ± 0.5 °C. Microporous apple xylem showed freezing without a specific pattern within a few seconds in IDTA images during HTEs, which is in contrast to macroporous xylem where a 2D freezing pattern mirrors anatomical structures. The pith tissue always remained unfrozen. Increasing twig length increased ice nucleation temperature; for increased twig diameter the effect was not significant. In attached twigs frozen in field portable freezing chambers, HTEs were recorded at a similar mean temperature (-4.6 ± 1.0 °C) to those for detached twigs. Upon lethal intracellular freezing of apple xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) low-temperature freezing exotherms (LTEs) can be recorded. Low-temperature freezing exotherms determined on detached twigs varied significantly between a winter minimum of -36.9 °C and a summer maximum -12.7 °C. Within the temperature range wherein LTEs were recorded by IDTA in summer (-12.7 ± 0.5 to -20.3 ± 1.1 °C) various tiny clearly separated discontinuous freezing events could be detected similar to that in other species with contrasting XPC anatomy. These freezing events appeared to be initially located in the primary and only later in the secondary xylem. During the LTE no

  16. Effect of particle surface area on ice active site densities retrieved from droplet freezing spectra

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Beydoun

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Heterogeneous ice nucleation remains one of the outstanding problems in cloud physics and atmospheric science. Experimental challenges in properly simulating particle-induced freezing processes under atmospherically relevant conditions have largely contributed to the absence of a well-established parameterization of immersion freezing properties. Here, we formulate an ice active, surface-site-based stochastic model of heterogeneous freezing with the unique feature of invoking a continuum assumption on the ice nucleating activity (contact angle of an aerosol particle's surface that requires no assumptions about the size or number of active sites. The result is a particle-specific property g that defines a distribution of local ice nucleation rates. Upon integration, this yields a full freezing probability function for an ice nucleating particle. Current cold plate droplet freezing measurements provide a valuable and inexpensive resource for studying the freezing properties of many atmospheric aerosol systems. We apply our g framework to explain the observed dependence of the freezing temperature of droplets in a cold plate on the concentration of the particle species investigated. Normalizing to the total particle mass or surface area present to derive the commonly used ice nuclei active surface (INAS density (ns often cannot account for the effects of particle concentration, yet concentration is typically varied to span a wider measurable freezing temperature range. A method based on determining what is denoted an ice nucleating species' specific critical surface area is presented and explains the concentration dependence as a result of increasing the variability in ice nucleating active sites between droplets. By applying this method to experimental droplet freezing data from four different systems, we demonstrate its ability to interpret immersion freezing temperature spectra of droplets containing variable particle concentrations. It is shown

  17. An improved model for nucleation-limited ice formation in living cells during freezing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingru Yi

    Full Text Available Ice formation in living cells is a lethal event during freezing and its characterization is important to the development of optimal protocols for not only cryopreservation but also cryotherapy applications. Although the model for probability of ice formation (PIF in cells developed by Toner et al. has been widely used to predict nucleation-limited intracellular ice formation (IIF, our data of freezing Hela cells suggest that this model could give misleading prediction of PIF when the maximum PIF in cells during freezing is less than 1 (PIF ranges from 0 to 1. We introduce a new model to overcome this problem by incorporating a critical cell volume to modify the Toner's original model. We further reveal that this critical cell volume is dependent on the mechanisms of ice nucleation in cells during freezing, i.e., surface-catalyzed nucleation (SCN and volume-catalyzed nucleation (VCN. Taken together, the improved PIF model may be valuable for better understanding of the mechanisms of ice nucleation in cells during freezing and more accurate prediction of PIF for cryopreservation and cryotherapy applications.

  18. Experimental and numerical study on frost heave of saturated rock under uniform freezing conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Zhitao; Xia, Caichu; Li, Qiang

    2018-04-01

    A series of freezing experiments are conducted on saturated sandstone and mortar specimens to investigate the frost heave of saturated rock under uniform freezing conditions. The experimental results show that the frost heave of saturated rock is isotropic under uniform freezing conditions. During the freezing process, three stages are observed in the curves of variation of total frost heaving strain versus time: the thermal contraction stage, the frost heaving stage and the steady stage. Moreover, the amount of final stable frost heave first increases and then decreases with decrease in freezing temperature, and the maximum final stable frost heave occurs at different freezing temperature in saturated sandstone and mortar. Furthermore, a coupled thermal-mechanical (TM) model of frost heave of saturated rock is proposed in which a constraint coefficient \\zeta is used to consider the susceptibility of the internal rock grain structure to the expansion of pore ice. Then, numerical simulations are implemented with COMSOL to solve the governing equations of the TM model. Comparisons of the numerical results with the experimental results are performed to demonstrate the reliability of the model. The influences of elastic modulus and porosity on frost heave are also investigated, and the results show that the total frost heaving strain decreases non-linearly with increasing elastic modulus, and the decrease is significant when the elastic modulus is less than 3000 MPa, or approximately five times the elastic modulus of ice. In addition, the total frost heaving strain increases linearly with increasing porosity. Finally, an empirical equation between total frost heaving strain and freezing temperature is proposed and the equation well describes the variation of total frost heaving strain with freezing temperature.

  19. Synthesis and structural evaluation of freeze-cast porous alumina

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, Douglas F., E-mail: souzadf@outlook.com [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais — UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 2, sala 2230 (Brazil); Nunes, Eduardo H.M., E-mail: eduardohmn@gmail.com [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais — UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 2, sala 2230 (Brazil); Pimenta, Daiana S.; Vasconcelos, Daniela C.L. [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais — UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 2, sala 2230 (Brazil); Nascimento, Jailton F.; Grava, Wilson [Petrobras/CENPES, Avenida Horácio Macedo 950, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ CEP:21941-915 (Brazil); Houmard, Manuel [Department of Materials Engineering and Civil Construction, Federal University of Minas Gerais — UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 1, sala 3304 (Brazil); Vasconcelos, Wander L., E-mail: wlv@demet.ufmg.br [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais — UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP: 31270-901, Escola de Engenharia, bloco 2, sala 2230 (Brazil)

    2014-10-15

    In this work we fabricated alumina samples by the freeze-casting technique using tert-butanol as the solvent. The prepared materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microtomography. Next, they were coated with sol–gel silica films by dip-coating. Permeability tests were carried out in order to assess the permeation behavior of the materials processed in this study. We observed that the sintering time and alumina loading showed a remarkable effect on both the structural properties and flexural strength of the freeze-cast samples. Nitrogen adsorption tests revealed that the silica prepared in this study exhibited a microporous structure. It was observed that the presence of silica coatings on the alumina surface decreased the CO{sub 2} permeance by about one order of magnitude. Because of the similar kinetic diameters of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, the CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} system showed a separation efficiency that was lower than that observed for the He/CO{sub 2} and He/N{sub 2} systems. We noticed that increasing the feed pressure improved the separation capacity of the obtained materials. - Highlights: • Porous alumina samples obtained by the freeze-casting technique • Microporous silica coating prepared by a simple sol–gel dip-coating methodology • Samples examined by SEM, μ-CT, and nitrogen sorption tests • Mechanical tests were carried out in the freeze-cast samples. • The presence of silica coatings on the alumina surface decreased the CO{sub 2} permeance.

  20. Truths and myths of oocyte sensitivity to controlled rate freezing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coticchio, G; Bonu, M A; Sciajno, R; Sereni, E; Bianchi, V; Borini, A

    2007-07-01

    The mammalian oocyte is especially sensitive to cryopreservation. Because of its size and physiology, it can easily undergo cell death or sub-lethal damage as a consequence of intracellular ice formation, increase in the concentration of solutes and other undesired effects during the conversion of extracellular water into ice. This has generated the belief that oocyte storage cannot be achieved with the necessary efficiency and safety. However, many concerns raised by oocyte freezing are the result of unproven hypotheses or observations conducted under sometimes inappropriate conditions. For instance, spindle organization can undergo damage under certain freezing conditions but not with other protocols. The controversial suggestion that cryopreservation induces cortical granule discharge and zona pellucida hardening somehow questions the routine use of sperm microinjection. Damage to mouse oocytes caused by solute concentration is well documented but, in the human, there is no solid evidence that modifications of freezing mixtures, to prevent this problem, provide an actual advantage. The hope of developing oocyte cryopreservation as a major IVF option is becoming increasingly realistic, but major efforts are still required to clarify the authentic implications of oocyte cryopreservation at the cellular level and identify freezing conditions compatible with the preservation of viability and developmental ability.

  1. Microstructure study of a material on the basis of YSZ obtained be freeze-drying

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rizea, A.; Abrudeanu, M.; Petot, C.; Petot Ervas, G.

    2001-01-01

    Freeze-drying is a dehydration proceeding of the products in a frozen state, which is based on the ice sublimation process. It is a method, which leads to a very good homogeneity of the products and it allows obtaining very fine powders, which directs to reducing the sintering temperature. Freeze drying always supposes three stages: - freezing, sublimation and absorption of the residual water. The preparation of ZrO 20.91 Y 2 O 30.09 samples proceeds through the following stages: - a. solution preparation; b. solution spraying (into small droplets in liquid nitrogen); c. freeze drying processing; d. calcination of the freeze dried powder; e. powder compacting; f. sintering at four different temperature. The different structure of samples with different density are characterized on basis of micrographs. The results of these analyses are presented, discussed and explained through the chemical composition of the samples

  2. Cryochemistry: freezing effect on peptide coupling in different organic solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vajda, T; Szókán, G; Hollósi, M

    1998-06-01

    The freezing effect on peptide coupling in organic solutions of different polarity has been investigated and compared with the results obtained in liquid phase. The model reaction of DCC-activated coupling of Boc-Ala-Phe-OH with H-Ala-OBu(t) has been carried out in dioxane, dimethylsulfoxide and formamide, as well as in mixtures (90%/10%, v/v) of dioxane with acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide and formamide. The reactions have been traced and evaluated by RP-HPLC analysis. Freezing the reaction mixture resulted in all cases in a significant suppression of the N-dipeptidylurea side-product formation together with a slight decrease of tripeptide epimerization. The coupling yields and the side effects depended on the solvent, with the dioxane and dioxane/acetonitrile mixture produced the best results. The role of freezing and solvent in the improved results is discussed.

  3. Method of reprocessing nuclear fuel using vacuum freeze-drying method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otsuka, Katsuyuki; Kondo, Isao.

    1989-01-01

    Solutions of plutonium nitrate and uranyl nitrate, spent solvents and liquid wastes separated by the treatment in the solvent extractant steps in the wet processing steps of re-processing plants or fuel fabrication plants are processed by means of freeze-drying under vacuum. Then, the solutions of plutonium nitrate and uranyl nitrate are separated into nitrates and liquid condensates and the spent solvents are freeze-dried. Thus, they are separated into tri-n-butyl phosphate, diester, monoester and n-dodecane and the liquid wastes are processed by means of freeze-drying and separated into liquids and residues. In this way, since sodium carbonate, etc. are not used, the amount of resultant liquid wastes is reduced and sodium is not contained in liquid wastes sent to an asphalt solidification step and a vitrification step, the processing steps can be simplified. (S.T.)

  4. Estimation of Freezing Point of Hydrocarbon and Hydrofluorocarbon Mixtures for Mixed Refrigerant jt Cryocooler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, G.; Lee, J.; Jeong, S.

    2010-04-01

    Estimating the freezing point of refrigerant is an essential part in designing an MR JT (Mixed refrigerant Joule-Thomson) cryocooler to prevent itself from clogging and to operate with stability. There were researches on estimating freezing point, but some of them resulted in the wrong prediction of clogging. In this paper, the freezing point of the MR is precisely estimated with caution of clogging. The solubility of HC (hydrocarbon) and HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) mixture components are obtained with their activity coefficients, which represent the molecular interaction among the components. The freezing points of the MR JT cryocooler are systematically investigated in the operating temperature range from 70 K to 90 K.

  5. Genomic Selection for Drought Tolerance Using Genome-Wide SNPs in Maize

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thirunavukkarasu Nepolean

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Traditional breeding strategies for selecting superior genotypes depending on phenotypic traits have proven to be of limited success, as this direct selection is hindered by low heritability, genetic interactions such as epistasis, environmental-genotype interactions, and polygenic effects. With the advent of new genomic tools, breeders have paved a way for selecting superior breeds. Genomic selection (GS has emerged as one of the most important approaches for predicting genotype performance. Here, we tested the breeding values of 240 maize subtropical lines phenotyped for drought at different environments using 29,619 cured SNPs. Prediction accuracies of seven genomic selection models (ridge regression, LASSO, elastic net, random forest, reproducing kernel Hilbert space, Bayes A and Bayes B were tested for their agronomic traits. Though prediction accuracies of Bayes B, Bayes A and RKHS were comparable, Bayes B outperformed the other models by predicting highest Pearson correlation coefficient in all three environments. From Bayes B, a set of the top 1053 significant SNPs with higher marker effects was selected across all datasets to validate the genes and QTLs. Out of these 1053 SNPs, 77 SNPs associated with 10 drought-responsive transcription factors. These transcription factors were associated with different physiological and molecular functions (stomatal closure, root development, hormonal signaling and photosynthesis. Of several models, Bayes B has been shown to have the highest level of prediction accuracy for our data sets. Our experiments also highlighted several SNPs based on their performance and relative importance to drought tolerance. The result of our experiments is important for the selection of superior genotypes and candidate genes for breeding drought-tolerant maize hybrids.

  6. Accelerated storage testing of freeze-dried Pseudomonas ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Accelerated storage testing of freeze-dried Pseudomonas fluorescens BTP1, ... of all P. fluorescens strains were not significantly different and thermal inactivation ... useful to the development of improved reference materials and samples held ...

  7. Screening of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) accessions for high salt tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Md Amirul; Juraimi, Abdul Shukor; Rafii, M Y; Hamid, Azizah Abdul; Aslani, Farzad

    2014-01-01

    Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is an herbaceous leafy vegetable crop, comparatively more salt-tolerant than any other vegetables with high antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Salt-tolerant crop variety development is of importance due to inadequate cultivable land and escalating salinity together with population pressure. In this view a total of 25 purslane accessions were initially selected from 45 collected purslane accessions based on better growth performance and subjected to 5 different salinity levels, that is, 0.0, 10.0, 20.0, 30.0, and 40.0 dS m(-1) NaCl. Plant height, number of leaves, number of flowers, and dry matter contents in salt treated purslane accessions were significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.05) and the enormity of reduction increased with increasing salinity stress. Based on dry matter yield reduction, among all 25 purslane accessions 2 accessions were graded as tolerant (Ac7 and Ac9), 6 accessions were moderately tolerant (Ac3, Ac5, Ac6, Ac10, Ac11, and Ac12), 5 accessions were moderately susceptible (Ac1, Ac2, Ac4, Ac8, and Ac13), and the remaining 12 accessions were susceptible to salinity stress and discarded from further study. The selected 13 purslane accessions could assist in the identification of superior genes for salt tolerance in purslane for improving its productivity and sustainable agricultural production.

  8. Screening of Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L. Accessions for High Salt Tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Amirul Alam

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L. is an herbaceous leafy vegetable crop, comparatively more salt-tolerant than any other vegetables with high antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Salt-tolerant crop variety development is of importance due to inadequate cultivable land and escalating salinity together with population pressure. In this view a total of 25 purslane accessions were initially selected from 45 collected purslane accessions based on better growth performance and subjected to 5 different salinity levels, that is, 0.0, 10.0, 20.0, 30.0, and 40.0 dS m−1 NaCl. Plant height, number of leaves, number of flowers, and dry matter contents in salt treated purslane accessions were significantly reduced (P≤0.05 and the enormity of reduction increased with increasing salinity stress. Based on dry matter yield reduction, among all 25 purslane accessions 2 accessions were graded as tolerant (Ac7 and Ac9, 6 accessions were moderately tolerant (Ac3, Ac5, Ac6, Ac10, Ac11, and Ac12, 5 accessions were moderately susceptible (Ac1, Ac2, Ac4, Ac8, and Ac13, and the remaining 12 accessions were susceptible to salinity stress and discarded from further study. The selected 13 purslane accessions could assist in the identification of superior genes for salt tolerance in purslane for improving its productivity and sustainable agricultural production.

  9. Structural Changes in Cattle Immature Oocytes Subjected to Slow Freezing and Vitrification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Wahid*, M. Thein1, E.A. El-Hafez2, M.O. Abas3, K. Mohd Azam4, O. Fauziah5, Y. Rosnina and H. Hajarian

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different cryopreservation methods (slow-freezing and vitrification on structural changes of bovine immature oocytes. Bovine ovaries were collected from local abattoirs. Cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs were retrieved using aspiration method from 2-6 mm follicles. In Experiment 1, selected oocytes were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups namely freezing solution-exposed, frozen-thawed, vitrification solution-exposed and vitrified-thawed and then oocytes abnormalities were examined under a stereomicroscope. In Experiment 2, oocytes were randomly allocated to the same grouping as experiment 1 plus control group. Following freezing or vitrification, all oocytes were fixed in glutaraldehyde and processed for transmission electron microscopy. In experiment 1, there was a higher incidence of abnormalities in the frozen-thawed and vitrified-warmed oocytes compared to those in freezing solution and vitrification solution-exposed groups (P<0.05. In experiment 2, there were marked alterations in the perivitelline space, microvilli and vesicles of frozen-thawed and vitrified-warmed oocytes characterized by loss of elasticity and integrity of cytoplasmic processes and microvilli following cooling and warming. In conclusion, ethylene glycol-based freezing and vitrification solutions are suitable choices for cryopreservation of immature oocytes and most organelles are able to retain their normal morphology following cryopreservation and thawing processes.

  10. Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of meniscoid superior labrum: normal variant or superior labral tear

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Novelino Simão

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of a "meniscoid" superior labrum. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 582 magnetic resonance imaging examinations of shoulders. Of those 582 examinations, 110 were excluded, for a variety of reasons, and the final analysis therefore included 472 cases. Consensus readings were performed by three musculoskeletal radiologists using specific criteria to diagnose meniscoid labra. Results: A meniscoid superior labrum was identified in 48 (10.2% of the 472 cases evaluated. Arthroscopic proof was available in 21 cases (43.8%. In 10 (47.6% of those 21 cases, the operative report did not include the mention a superior labral tear, thus suggesting the presence of a meniscoid labrum. In only one of those cases were there specific comments about a mobile superior labrum (i.e., meniscoid labrum. In the remaining 11 (52.4%, surgical correlation demonstrated superior labral tears. Conclusion: A meniscoid superior labrum is not an infrequent finding. Depending upon assumptions and the requirement of surgical proof, the prevalence of a meniscoid superior labrum in this study was between 2.1% (surgically proven and 4.8% (projected. However, superior labral tears are just as common and are often confused with meniscoid labra.

  11. Aluminium tolerance and high phosphorus efficiency helps Stylosanthes better adapt to low-P acid soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Yu-Mei; Tian, Jiang; Liao, Hong; Bai, Chang-Jun; Yan, Xiao-Long; Liu, Guo-Dao

    2009-06-01

    Stylosanthes spp. (stylo) is one of the most important pasture legumes used in a wide range of agricultural systems on acid soils, where aluminium (Al) toxicity and phosphorus (P) deficiency are two major limiting factors for plant growth. However, physiological mechanisms of stylo adaptation to acid soils are not understood. Twelve stylo genotypes were surveyed under field conditions, followed by sand and nutrient solution culture experiments to investigate possible physiological mechanisms of stylo adaptation to low-P acid soils. Stylo genotypes varied substantially in growth and P uptake in low P conditions in the field. Three genotypes contrasting in P efficiency were selected for experiments in nutrient solution and sand culture to examine their Al tolerance and ability to utilize different P sources, including Ca-P, K-P, Al-P, Fe-P and phytate-P. Among the three tested genotypes, the P-efficient genotype 'TPRC2001-1' had higher Al tolerance than the P-inefficient genotype 'Fine-stem' as indicated by relative tap root length and haematoxylin staining. The three genotypes differed in their ability to utilize different P sources. The P-efficient genotype, 'TPRC2001-1', had superior ability to utilize phytate-P. The findings suggest that possible physiological mechanisms of stylo adaptation to low-P acid soils might involve superior ability of plant roots to tolerate Al toxicity and to utilize organic P and Al-P.

  12. Application of one-sided stress wave velocity measurement technique to evaluate freeze-thaw damage in concrete

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Joon Hyun; Park, Won Su

    1998-01-01

    It is well recognized that damage resulting from freeze-thaw cycles is a serious problems causing deterioration and degradation of concrete. In general, freeze-thaw cycles change the microstructure of the concrete ultimately leading to internal stresses and cracking. In this study, a new method for one-sided stress wave velocity measurement has been applied to evaluate freeze-thaw damage in concrete by monitoring the velocity change of longitudinal and surface waves. The freeze-thaw damage was induced in a 400 x 150 x 100 mm concrete specimen in accordance with ASTM C666 using s commercial testing apparatus. A cycle consisted of a variation of the temperature from -14 to 4 degrees Celsius. A cycle takes 4-5 hours with approximately equal times devoted to freezing-thawing. Measurement of longitudinal and surface wave velocities based on one-sided stress wave velocity measurement technique was made every 5 freeze-thaw cycle. The variation of longitudinal and surface wave velocities due to increasing freeze-thaw damage is demonstrated and compared to determine which one is more effective to monitor freeze-thaw cyclic damage progress. The variation in longitudinal wave velocity measured by one-sided technique is also compared with that measured by the conventional through transmission technique.

  13. Freeze-In dark matter with displaced signatures at colliders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Co, Raymond T.; D’Eramo, Francesco; Hall, Lawrence J.; Pappadopulo, Duccio

    2015-01-01

    Dark matter, X, may be generated by new physics at the TeV scale during an early matter-dominated (MD) era that ends at temperature T R ≪ TeV. Compared to the conventional radiation-dominated (RD) results, yields from both Freeze-Out and Freeze-In processes are greatly suppressed by dilution from entropy production, making Freeze-Out less plausible while allowing successful Freeze-In with a much larger coupling strength. Freeze-In is typically dominated by the decay of a particle B of the thermal bath, B→X. For a large fraction of the relevant cosmological parameter space, the decay rate required to produce the observed dark matter abundance leads to displaced signals at LHC and future colliders, for any m X in the range keV

  14. Freezing of liquid alkali metals as screened ionic plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badirkhan, Z.; Rovere, M.; Tosi, M.P.

    1990-08-01

    The relationship between Wigner crystallization of the classical ionic plasma and the liquid-solid transition of alkali metals is examined within the density wave theory of freezing. Freezing of the classical plasma on a rigid neutralizing background into the bcc structure is first re-evaluated, in view of recent progress in the determination of its thermodynamic functions by simulation and of the known difficulties of the theory relating to the order parameter at the (200) star of reciprocal lattice vectors. Freezing into the fcc structure is also considered in this context and found to be unfavoured. On allowing for long-wavelength deformability of the background, the ensuing appearance of a volume change on freezing into the bcc structure is accompanied by reduced stability of the fluid phase and by an increase in the entropy of melting. Freezing of alkali metals into the bcc structure is next evaluated, taking their ionic pair structure as that of an ionic plasma reference fluid screened by conduction electrons and asking that the correct ionic coupling strength at liquid-solid coexistence should be approximately reproduced. The ensuring values of the volume and entropy changes across the phase transition, as estimated from the theory by two alternative routes, are in reasonable agreement with experiment. The order parameters of the phase transition, excepting the (200) one, conform rather closely to a Gaussian behaviour and yield a Lindemann ratio in reasonable agreement with the empirical value for melting of bcc crystals. It is suggested that ionic ordering at the (200) star in the metal may be (i) assisted by medium range ordering in the conduction electrons, as indicated by differences in X-ray and neutron diffraction intensities from the liquid, and/or (ii) quite small in the hot bcc solid. Such a possible premelting behaviour of bcc metals should be worth testing experimentally by diffraction. (author). 48 refs, 1 fig., 1 tab

  15. Development of freeze-dried miyeokguk, Korean seaweed soup, as space food sterilized by irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Beom-Seok; Park, Jin-Gyu; Kim, Jae-Hun; Choi, Jong-Il; Ahn, Dong-Hyun; Hao, Chen; Lee, Ju-Woon

    2012-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate microbial populations, Hunter's color values (L*, a*, b*) and the sensory quality of freeze-dried miyeokguk, Korean seaweed soup, in order to use it as space food. Microorganisms were not detected in non-irradiated freeze-dried miyeokguk within the detection limit of 1.00 log CFU/g. However, the microbial population in rehydrated miyeokguk was 7.01 log CFU/g after incubation at 35 °C for 48 h, indicating that freeze-dried miyeokguk was not sterilized by heat treatment during the preparation process. Bacteria in the freeze-dried miyeokguk were tentatively identified as Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Enterobacter hormaechei, and Ancinetobacter genomosp. using the 16S rDNA sequencing. In samples that were gamma-irradiated above 10 kGy, it was confirmed that all microorganisms were inactivated. Hunter's color values of the samples irradiated at doses less than 10 kGy were not significantly altered from their baseline appearance (p>0.05). Sensory evaluation showed that preference scores in all sensory properties decreased when freeze-dried miyeokguk was irradiated at doses greater than 10 kGy. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that gamma irradiation at 10 kGy is sufficient to sterilize freeze-dried miyeokguk without significant deterioration in the sensory quality, and thus, the freeze-dried and irradiated miyeokguk at 10 kGy fulfills the microbiological requirements as space food.

  16. Microbial analysis and survey test of gamma-irradiated freeze-dried fruits for patient's food

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jae-Nam; Sung, Nak-Yun; Byun, Eui-Hong; Byun, Eui-Baek; Song, Beom-Seok; Kim, Jae-Hun; Lee, Kyung-A.; Son, Eun-Joo; Lyu, Eun-Soon

    2015-06-01

    This study examined the microbiological and organoleptic qualities of gamma-irradiated freeze-dried apples, pears, strawberries, pineapples, and grapes, and evaluated the organoleptic acceptability of the sterilized freeze-dried fruits for hospitalized patients. The freeze-dried fruits were gamma-irradiated at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12, and 15 kGy, and their quality was evaluated. Microorganisms were not detected in apples after 1 kGy, in strawberries and pears after 4 kGy, in pineapples after 5 kGy, and in grapes after 12 kGy of gamma irradiation. The overall acceptance score, of the irradiated freeze-dried fruits on a 7-point scale at the sterilization doses was 5.5, 4.2, 4.0, 4.1, and 5.1 points for apples, strawberries, pears, pineapples, and grapes, respectively. The sensory survey of the hospitalized cancer patients (N=102) resulted in scores of 3.8, 3.7, 3.9, 3.9, and 3.7 on a 5-point scale for the gamma-irradiated freeze-dried apples, strawberries, pears, pineapples, and grapes, respectively. The results suggest that freeze-dried fruits can be sterilized with a dose of 5 kGy, except for grapes, which require a dose of 12 kGy, and that the organoleptic quality of the fruits is acceptable to immuno-compromised patients. However, to clarify the microbiological quality and safety of freeze-dried fruits should be verified by plating for both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms.

  17. Controlled cooling versus rapid freezing of teratozoospermic semen samples: Impact on sperm chromatin integrity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shivananda N Kalludi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The present study evaluates the impact of controlled slow cooling and rapid freezing techniques on the sperm chromatin integrity in teratozoospermic and normozoospermic samples. Setting: The study was done in a university infertility clinic, which is a tertiary healthcare center serving the general population. Design: It was a prospective study designed in vitro. Materials and Methods: Semen samples from normozoospermic (N=16 and teratozoospermic (N=13 infertile men were cryopreserved using controlled cooling and rapid freezing techniques. The sperm chromatin integrity was analyzed in fresh and frozen-thawed samples. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were reported as mean and standard error (mean ± SEM of mean. The difference between two techniques was determined by a paired t-test. Results: The freeze-thaw induced chromatin denaturation was significantly (P<0.01 elevated in the post-thaw samples of normozoospermic and teratozoospermic groups. Compared to rapid freezing, there was no difference in the number of red sperms (with DNA damage by the controlled slow cooling method in both normozoospermic and teratozoospermic groups. Freeze-thaw induced sperm chromatin denaturation in teratozoospermic samples did not vary between controlled slow cooling and rapid freezing techniques. Conclusions: Since the controlled slow cooling technique involves the use of expensive instrument and is a time consuming protocol, rapid freezing can be a good alternative technique for teratozoospermic and normozoospermic samples when sperm DNA damage is a concern.

  18. Chemical freeze-out study in proton-proton collisions at RHIC and LHC energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Sabita; Mishra, Debadeepti; Mohanty, Bedangadas; Chatterjee, Sandeep

    2016-01-01

    Particle multiplicities measured at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) facilities can be used to understand the chemical freeze-out dynamics. At chemical freeze-out (CFO), inelastic collisions cease and the freeze-out parameters can be determined using measured particle multiplicities within the framework of a statistical model. The statistical model has proven to be quite successful in describing the particle production from elementary p-p and e"+e"- collisions up to heavy-ion collisions. It helps to do a systematic study of the centrality and energy dependence of freeze-out parameters in heavy-ion collisions from lower SPS to higher LHC energies. The new data at LHC along with the RHIC data can be used to do such a systematic study in proton-proton collisions

  19. Accuracy and simultaneous selection gains for N-stress tolerance and N-use efficiency in maize tropical lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leandro de Freitas Mendonça

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Maize plants can be N-use efficient or N-stress tolerant. The first have high yields in favorable environments but is drastically affected under stress conditions; whereas the second show satisfactory yields in stressful environments but only moderate ones under optimal conditions. In this context, our aim was to assess the possibility of selecting tropical maize lines that are simultaneously N-stress tolerant and N-use efficient and check for differences between simultaneous selection statistical methods. Sixty-four tropical maize lines were evaluated for Nitrogen Agronomic Efficiency (NAE and Low Nitrogen Tolerance (LNTI response indices and two per se selection indices, Low Nitrogen Agronomic Efficiency (LNAE and Harmonic Mean of Relative Performance (HMRP. We performed eight selection scenarios: LNAE; HMRP; Additive index; Mulamba-Mock index; and Independent culling levels. The last three was predicted by REML/BLUP single-trait and multi-trait using genotypic values of NAE and LNTI. The REML/BLUP multi-trait analysis was superior to the single-trait analysis due to high unfavorable correlation between NAE and LNTI. However, the accuracy and genotypic determination coefficient of NAE and LNTI were too low. Thus, neither single- nor multi-trait analysis achieved a good result for simultaneous selection nor N-use efficiency nor N-stress tolerance. LNAE obtained satisfactorily accurate values and genotypic determination coefficient, but its performance in selection gain was worse than HMRP, particularly in terms of N-use efficiency. Therefore, because of the superior performance in accuracy, genotypic determination coefficient and selection, HMRP was considered the best simultaneous selection methodology of the scenarios tested for N-use efficiency and N-stress tolerance.

  20. Response surface optimization of lyoprotectant for Lactobacillus bulgaricus during vacuum freeze-drying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, He; Chen, Shiwei; Li, Chuanna; Shu, Guowei

    2015-01-01

    The individual and interactive effects of skimmed milk powder, lactose, and sodium ascorbate on the number of viable cells and freeze-drying survival for vacuum freeze-dried powder formulation of Lactobacillus bulgaricus were studied by response surface methodology, and the optimal compound lyoprotectant formulations were gained. It is shown that skim milk powder, lactose, and sodium ascorbate had a significant impact on variables and survival of cultures after freeze-drying. Also, their protective abilities could be enhanced significantly when using them as a mixture of 28% w/v skim milk, 24% w/v lactose, and 4.8% w/v sodium ascorbate. The optimal freeze-drying survival rate and the number of viable cells of Lactobacillus bulgaricus were observed to be (64.41±0.02)% and (3.22±0.02)×10(11) colony-forming units (CFU)/g using the optimal compound protectants, which were very close to the expected values 64.47% and 3.28×10(11) CFU/g.

  1. MRI of adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: Distension of the bursa in the superior subscapularis recess is a suggestive sign of the pathology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carbone, Stefano, E-mail: stefcarbone@yahoo.it [Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatology, University of Rome Sapienza (Italy); Napoli, Alessandro [Department of Radiologic Sciences, University of Rome Sapienza (Italy); Gumina, Stefano [Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatology, University of Rome Sapienza (Italy)

    2014-02-15

    Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic values of the superior subscapularis recess sign in patients with shoulder adhesive capsulitis. The sign consists in evaluating in MRI of the shoulder the presence of fluid distension of the bursa in the superior subscapularis recess. Materials and methods: We evaluated MRI of 165 shoulders in 48 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of shoulder adhesive capsulitis in the freezing phase (group I), in 49 short-wide superior cuff tear (group II) and in 65 controls (group III) between 2010 and 2013. On the T2 weighted images, we evaluated the presence of an high intensity signal within the superior subscapularis recess, consistent with fluid distension of the bursa. Results: The sign was found in 43/48 patients (89.58%) with shoulder adhesive capsulitis in 3/49 (6.12%) patients with superior cuff tear and in 1/65 controls (1.53%) (p < 0.001). The mean diagnostic values were: sensibility 0.91; specificity 0.96–0.98; positive predictive value 0.93–0.97; negative predictive value 0.92–0.94; likelihood ratios for an abnormal test result 15.16–60.6; likelihood ratios for a normal test result 0.086–0.095. Conclusion: For the orthopedic surgeon or the clinician, the sign is useful to confirm in MRI the clinical diagnosis of shoulder adhesive capsulitis; accordingly, the radiologist should describe and relate this sign to the pathology in the report, looking eventually for further typical sign of shoulder adhesive capsulitis.

  2. Fast-freezing with liquid nitrogen preserves bulk dissolved organic matter concentrations, but not its composition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thieme, Lisa; Graeber, Daniel; Kaupenjohann, Martin

    2016-01-01

    -freezing with liquid nitrogen) on DOM concentrations measured as organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and on spectroscopic properties of DOM from different terrestrial ecosystems (forest and grassland). Fresh and differently frozen throughfall, stemflow, litter leachate and soil solution samples were analyzed for DOC...... concentrations, UV-vis absorption and fluorescence excitation–emission matrices combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Fast-freezing with liquid nitrogen prevented a significant decrease of DOC concentrations observed after freezing at −18 °C. Nonetheless, the share of PARAFAC components 1 (EXmax...... component 4 (EXmax: 280 nm, EXmax: 328 nm) to total fluorescence was not affected by freezing. We recommend fast-freezing with liquid nitrogen for preservation of bulk DOC concentrations of samples from terrestrial sources, whereas immediate measuring is preferable to preserve spectroscopic properties...

  3. Disruption of the yeast ATH1 gene confers better survival after dehydration, freezing, and ethanol shock: potential commercial applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, J; Alizadeh, P; Harding, T; Hefner-Gravink, A; Klionsky, D J

    1996-01-01

    The accumulation of trehalose is a critical determinant of stress resistance in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have constructed a yeast strain in which the activity of the trehalose-hydrolyzing enzyme, acid trehalase (ATH), has been abolished. Loss of ATH activity was accomplished by disrupting the ATH1 gene, which is essential for ATH activity. The delta ath1 strain accumulated greater levels of cellular trehalose and grew to a higher cell density than the isogenic wild-type strain. In addition, the elevated levels of trehalose in the delta ath1 strain correlated with increased tolerance to dehydration, freezing, and toxic levels of ethanol. The improved resistance to stress conditions exhibited by the delta ath1 strain may make this strain useful in commercial applications, including baking and brewing. PMID:8633854

  4. Development of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Expanded-Shale Lightweight Concrete with High Freeze-Thaw Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingshuang Zhao

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available For the popularized structural application, steel fiber-reinforced expanded-shale lightweight concrete (SFRELC with high freeze-thaw resistance was developed. The experimental study of this paper figured out the effects of air-entraining content, volume fraction of steel fibers, and fine aggregate type. Results showed that while the less change of mass loss rate was taken place for SFRELC after 300 freeze-thaw cycles, the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity and the relative flexural strength presented clear trends of freeze-thaw resistance of SFRELC. The compound effect of the air-entraining agent and the steel fibers was found to support the SFRELC with high freeze-thaw resistance, and the mechanisms were explored with the aid of the test results of water penetration of SFRELC. The beneficial effect was appeared from the replacement of lightweight sand with manufactured sand. Based on the test results, suggestions are given out for the optimal mix proportion of SFRELC to satisfy the durability requirement of freeze-thaw resistance.

  5. Preparation and evaluation of freeze-dried Mag3 kits for 99m Tc-labelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Mohty, A.A.; El-Ghany, E.A.; El-Kolaly, M.T.; Raieh, M.; EL-Bary, A.A.

    1996-01-01

    The freeze-dried Mag 3 kits were designed for both ligand trans chelation and direct labelling techniques. The solution of Sn-Mag 3 was sterilized by 0.22 μU mill pore filtration and dispensed in a laminar flow hood (1 m I / vial) then, the vials were introduced to the lyophilized. The process of lyophilization was continued for 24 hours. At end of the cycle, the vials were closed under nitrogen. The moisture content of the freeze-dried Mag 3 kits was determined and it was found equal to 0.1% also, the losses of tin (II) during the freeze-drying cycle did not exceed 5%. It was found that the Mag 3 freeze-dried kits were sterile, pyrogen free and does not have any unexpected toxicity. The prepared Mag 3 freeze-dried kits have high radiochemical purity > 97% and high stability for more than 8 h after labelling. The biodistribution shows rapid renal excretion at 15 min post injection. 3 figs., 4 tabs

  6. Effects of Freezing and Thawing Cycle on Mechanical Properties and Stability of Soft Rock Slope

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanlong Chen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available To explore the variation laws of mechanical parameters of soft rock and the formed slope stability, an experiment was carried out with collected soft rock material specimens and freezing and thawing cycle was designed. Meanwhile, a computational simulation analysis of the freezing-thawing slope stability was implemented. Key factors that influence the strength of frozen rock specimens were analyzed. Results showed that moisture content and the number of freezing-thawing cycles influenced mechanical parameters of soft rock significantly. With the increase of moisture content, cohesion of frozen soft rock specimens presents a quadratic function decrease and the internal friction angle shows a negative exponential decrease. The stability coefficient of soft rock material slope in seasonal freeze soil area declines continuously. With the increase of freezing and thawing cycle, both cohesion and internal friction angle of soft rock decrease exponentially. The higher the moisture content, the quicker the reduction. Such stability coefficient presents a negative exponential reduction. After three freezing and thawing cycles, the slope stability coefficient only changes slightly. Findings were finally verified by the filed database.

  7. Warm and cold fermionic dark matter via freeze-in

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klasen, Michael; Yaguna, Carlos E.

    2013-01-01

    The freeze-in mechanism of dark matter production provides a simple and intriguing alternative to the WIMP paradigm. In this paper, we analyze whether freeze-in can be used to account for the dark matter in the so-called singlet fermionic model. In it, the SM is extended with only two additional fields, a singlet scalar that mixes with the Higgs boson, and the dark matter particle, a fermion assumed to be odd under a Z 2 symmetry. After numerically studying the generation of dark matter, we analyze the dependence of the relic density with respect to all the free parameters of the model. These results are then used to obtain the regions of the parameter space that are compatible with the dark matter constraint. We demonstrate that the observed dark matter abundance can be explained via freeze-in over a wide range of masses extending down to the keV range. As a result, warm and cold dark matter can be obtained in this model. It is also possible to have dark matter masses well above the unitarity bound for WIMPs

  8. Dark Matter Freeze-in Production in Fast-Expanding Universes

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Eramo, Francesco; Fernandez, Nicolas; Profumo, Stefano

    2018-02-01

    If the dark matter is produced in the early universe prior to Big Bang nucleosynthesis, a modified cosmological history can drastically affect the abundance of relic dark matter particles. Here, we assume that an additional species to radiation dominates at early times, causing the expansion rate at a given temperature to be larger than in the standard radiation-dominated case. We demonstrate that, if this is the case, dark matter production via freeze-in (a scenario when dark matter interacts very weakly, and is dumped in the early universe out of equilibrium by decay or scattering processes involving particles in the thermal bath) is dramatically suppressed. We illustrate and quantitatively and analytically study this phenomenon for three different paradigmatic classes of freeze-in scenarios. For the frozen-in dark matter abundance to be as large as observations, couplings between the dark matter and visible-sector particles must be enhanced by several orders of magnitude. This sheds some optimistic prospects for the otherwise dire experimental and observational outlook of detecting dark matter produced by freeze-in.

  9. Ice, Ice, Baby? A Sociological Exploration of Social Egg Freezing

    OpenAIRE

    Baldwin, K.

    2016-01-01

    Social egg freezing is a fertility preservation strategy which enables women to preserve a number of healthy unfertilised eggs for potential future use when faced with the threat of age-related fertility decline. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore how women understand, construct and experience social egg freezing in the context of debates surrounding reproductive ‘choice’ and ‘delayed motherhood’. The study sought to provide insights into how women perceive the risks and benefi...

  10. Measuring influenza RNA quantity after prolonged storage or multiple freeze/thaw cycles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granados, Andrea; Petrich, Astrid; McGeer, Allison; Gubbay, Jonathan B

    2017-09-01

    In this study, we aim to determine what effects prolonged storage and repeated freeze/thaw cycles have on the stability of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (influenza A/H1N1)RNA. Cloned influenza A/H1N1 RNA transcripts were serially diluted from 8.0-1.0 log 10 copies/μl. RT-qPCR was used to measure RNA loss in transcripts stored at -80°C, -20°C, 4°C and 25°C for up to 84days or transcripts undergoing a total of 10 freeze/thaw cycles. Viral load was measured in clinical specimens stored at-80°C for three years (n=89 influenza A RNA extracts; n=35 primary specimens) and in 10 clinical specimens from the 2015/2016 influenza season that underwent 7 freeze/thaw cycles. RNA stored at -80°C, -20°C, 4°C and 25°C is stable for up to 56, 56, 21, and 7days respectively or up to 9 freeze/thaw cycles when stored at -80°C. There is no difference in viral load in clinical specimens that have been stored for up to three years at -80°C if they are re-extracted. Similarly, clinical specimens undergoing up to 7 freeze/thaw cycles are stable if they are re-extracted between cycles. Influenza specimens can be stored for up to three years at -80°C or undergo up to 7 freeze/thaw cycles without loss of RNA quantity if re-extracted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Effects of rasagiline on freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease - an open-label, multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cibulcik, Frantisek; Benetin, Jan; Kurca, Egon; Grofik, Milan; Dvorak, Miloslav; Richter, Denis; Donath, Vladimir; Kothaj, Jan; Minar, Michal; Valkovic, Peter

    2016-12-01

    Freezing of gait is a disabling symptom in advanced Parkinson's disease. Positive effects have been suggested with MAO-B inhibitors. We report on an open label clinical study on the efficacy of rasagiline as add-on therapy on freezing of gait and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease. Forty two patients with freezing of gait were treated with 1 mg rasagiline daily as an add-on therapy. Patients were assessed at baseline and after 1, 2 and 3 months of treatment. Freezing of gait severity was assessed using the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire, motor impairment by the modified MDS UPDRS part III, and quality of life using the PDQ-39 questionnaire. Patients treated with rasagiline had a statistically significant decrease in FoG-Q score and modified MDS UPDRS score after 1, 2 and 3 months of therapy. A moderately strong (r = 0.686, P = 0.002) correlation between the effects on mobility and freezing of gait was found. We also observed a statistically significant improvement in global QoL and in the subscales mobility, ADL, stigma and bodily discomfort in patients after 3 months of rasagiline therapy. A significant correlation (r = 0.570, P = 0.02) between baseline FoG-Q score and the baseline score for the PDQ Mobility subscale was found. In our study rasagiline as add-on antiparkinsonian therapy significantly improved mobility, freezing of gait and quality of life. The positive effect on freezing of gait appears to be related to improvement of mobility.

  12. Production of Low-Freezing-Point Highly Branched Alkanes through Michael Addition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Yaxuan; Xia, Qineng; Liu, Xiaohui; Wang, Yanqin

    2017-12-22

    A new approach for the production of low-freezing-point, high-quality fuels from lignocellulose-derived molecules was developed with Michael addition as the key step. Among the investigated catalysts, CoCl 2 ⋅6 H 2 O was found most active for the Michael addition of 2,4-pentanedione with FA (single aldol adduct of furfural and acetone, 4-(2-furanyl)-3-butene-2-one). Over CoCl 2 ⋅6 H 2 O, a high carbon yield of C 13 oxygenates (about 75 %) can be achieved under mild conditions (353 K, 20 h). After hydrodeoxygenation, low-freezing-point (hydrodeoxygenation, high density (0.8415 g mL -1 ) and low-freezing-point (<223 K) branched alkanes with 18, 23 carbons within lubricant range were also obtained over a Pd/NbOPO 4 catalyst. These highly branched alkanes can be directly used as transportation fuels or additives. This work opens a new strategy for the synthesis of highly branched alkanes with low freezing point from renewable biomass. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Socket preservation using freeze-dried bone allograft with and without plasma rich in growth factors in dogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samandari, Mohammad Hasan; Haghighat, Abbas; Torabinia, Nakisa; Taghian, Mehdi; Sadri, Leyli; Naemy, Vahid

    2016-01-01

    Background: Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) and freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) are shown to promote bone healing. This study was aimed to histologically and histomorphometrically investigate the effect of combined use of PRGF and FDBA on bone formation, and compare it to FDBA alone and control group. Materials and Methods: The distal roots of the lower premolars were extracted bilaterally in four female dogs. Sockets were randomly divided into FDBA + PRGF, FDBA, and control groups. Two dogs were sacrificed after 2 weeks and two dogs were sacrificed after 4 weeks. Sockets were assessed histologically and histomorphometrically. Data were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Mann–Whitney U-tests utilizing the SPSS software version 20. P PRGF groups was not significant in middle and apical portions. Conclusion: The superiority of PRGF+FDBA overFDBA in socket preservation cannot be concluded from this experiment. PMID:27857769

  14. Flaw tolerance vs. performance: A tradeoff in metallic glass cellular structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Wen; Liu, Ze; Robinson, Hannah Mae; Schroers, Jan

    2014-01-01

    Stochastic cellular structures are prevalent in nature and engineering materials alike. They are difficult to manipulate and study systematically and almost always contain imperfections. To design and characterize various degrees of imperfections in perfect periodic, stochastic and natural cellular structures, we fabricate a broad range of metallic glass cellular structures from perfectly periodic to highly stochastic by using a novel artificial microstructure approach based on thermoplastic replication of metallic glasses. For these cellular structures, precisely controlled imperfections are implemented and their effects on the mechanical response are evaluated. It is found that the mechanical performance of the periodic structures is generally superior to that of the stochastic structures. However, the stochastic structures experience a much higher tolerance to flaws than the periodic structure, especially in the plastic regime. The different flaw tolerance is explained by the stress distribution within the various structures, which leads to an overall 'strain-hardening' behavior of the stochastic structure compared to a 'strain-softening' behavior in the periodic structure. Our findings reveal how structure, 'strain-hardening' and flaw tolerance are microscopically related in structural materials

  15. Drying of α-amylase by spray drying and freeze-drying - a comparative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. S. de Jesus

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This study is aimed at comparing two traditional methods of drying of enzymes and at verifying the efficiency of each one and their advantages and disadvantages. The experiments were performed with a laboratory spray dryer and freeze-dryer using α-amylase as the model enzyme. An experimental design in star revealed that spray drying is mainly influenced by the inlet air temperature and feed flow rate, which were considered to be the main factors influencing the enzymatic activity and water activity; the long period of material exposure to high temperatures causes a partial activity loss. In the experiments of freeze drying, three methods of freezing were used (freezer, acetone and dry ice, and liquid nitrogen and samples subsequently freeze-dried for times ranging between 0-24 hours. The product obtained from the two techniques showed high enzymatic activity and low water activity. For the drying of heat-resistant enzymes, in which the product to be obtained does not have high added value, spray drying may be more economically viable because, in the freeze drying process, the process time can be considered as a limiting factor when choosing a technique.

  16. Tolerance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tønder, Lars

    is linked to a different set of circumstances than the ones suggested by existing models in contemporary democratic theory. Reorienting the discussion of tolerance, the book raises the question of how to disclose new possibilities within our given context of affect and perception. Once we move away from......Tolerance: A Sensorial Orientation to Politics is an experiment in re-orientation. The book is based on the wager that tolerance exceeds the more prevalent images of self-restraint and repressive benevolence because neither precludes the possibility of a more “active tolerance” motivated...... by the desire to experiment and to become otherwise. The objective is to discuss what gets lost, conceptually as well as politically, when we neglect the subsistence of active tolerance within other practices of tolerance, and to develop a theory of active tolerance in which tolerance's mobilizing character...

  17. Protoplasmic Swelling as a Symptom of Freezing Injury in Onion Bulb Cells 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, Rajeev; Palta, Jiwan P.

    1986-01-01

    Freezing injury, in onion bulb tissue, is known to cause enhanced K+ efflux accompanied by a small but significant loss of Ca2+ following incipient freezing injury and swelling of protoplasm during the postthaw secondary injury. The protoplasmic swelling of the cell is thought to be caused by the passive influx of extracellular K+ into the cell followed by water uptake. Using outer epidermal layer of unfrozen onion bulb scales (Allium cepa L. cv Big Red), we were able to stimulate the irreversible freezing injury symptoms, by bathing epidermal cells in 50 millimolar KCl. These symptoms were prevented by adding 20 millimolar CaCl2 to the extracellular KCl solution. Our results provide evidence that loss of cellular Ca2+ plays an important role in the initiation and the progression of freezing injury. Images Fig. 1 PMID:16665083

  18. LASER BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE: Optoacoustic laser monitoring of cooling and freezing of tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larin, Kirill V.; Larina, I. V.; Motamedi, M.; Esenaliev, R. O.

    2002-11-01

    Real-time monitoring of cooling and freezing of tissues, cells, and other biological objects with a high spatial and time resolution, which is necessary for selective destruction of cancer and benign tumours during cryotherapy, as well as for preventing any damage to the structure and functioning of biological objects in cryobiology, is considered. The optoacoustic method, based on the measurement and analysis of acoustic waves induced by short laser pulses, is proposed for monitoring the cooling and freezing of the tissue. The effect of cooling and freezing on the amplitude and time profile of acoustic signals generated in real tissues and in a model object is studied. The experimental results indicate that the optoacoustic laser technique can be used for real-time monitoring of cooling and freezing of biological objects with a submillimeter spatial resolution and a high contrast.

  19. When do particle ratios freeze out in relativistic heavy ion collisions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humanic, Thomas; Bellwied, Rene

    1999-10-01

    The systematics of CERN SPS data for transverse mass distributions have been shown to imply that thermal equilibrium is achieved at freeze out in these collisions. This conclusion is based on the observation that for p+p, S+S, and Pb+Pb collisions freeze out occurs at a single temperature for all particle species measured if one assumes a certain uniform expansion velocity after hadronization for each colliding system [1]. A recent final- state rescattering calculation for SPS Pb+Pb collisions has shown that these systematics can be described as a consequence of particle rescattering where the system is assumed initially (i.e. at hadronization) to have a common temperature for all particles and no initial expansion velocity [2]. In addition to kinetic observables, it is equally interesting to investigate the time dependence of particle abundances through particle ratios in such a calculation. Two questions immediately arise: 1) is chemical equilibrium established in these collisions, and 2) when does chemical freeze out occur with respect to thermal freeze out for different particle ratios? How rescattering influences particle ratios is clearly of interest if one would like to deduce information about the hadronization stage of the collision from particle ratios measured at freeze out. For the present work we will show results for strange and non-strange particle ratios within the context of a version of the dynamic transport code used in Ref. [2]. [1] NA44 colaboration, I.G. Bearden et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 78,2080(1997), [2] T. J. Humanic, Phys. Rev. C 57,866(1998)

  20. Visualization data on the freezing process of micrometer-scaled aqueous citric acid drops

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anatoli Bogdan

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The visualization data (8 movies presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Freezing and glass transitions upon cooling and warming and ice/freeze-concentration-solution morphology of emulsified aqueous citric acid” (A. Bogdan, M.J. Molina, H. Tenhu, 2016 [1]. The movies recorded in-situ with optical cryo-miscroscopy (OC-M demonstrate for the first time freezing processes that occur during the cooling and subsequent warming of emulsified micrometer-scaled aqueous citric acid (CA drops. The movies are made publicly available to enable critical or extended analyzes.