DCB-3503, a tylophorine analog, inhibits protein synthesis through a novel mechanism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Wang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: DCB-3503, a tylophorine analog, inhibits the growth of PANC-1 (human pancreatic ductal cancer cell line and HepG2 (human hepatocellular cancer cell line tumor xenografts in nude mice. The inhibition of growth leads to cancer cell differentiation instead of cell death. However, the mechanisms of action of tylophorine analogs is unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we show that DCB-3503 suppresses the expression of pro-oncogenic or pro-survival proteins with short half-lives, including cyclin D1, survivin, beta-catenin, p53, and p21, without decreasing their mRNA levels. Proteasome inhibitor reversed the inhibitory effect of DCB-3503 on expression of these proteins. DCB-3503 inhibited the incorporation of radiolabeled amino acid and thymidine, and to a much lesser degree of uridine, in a panel of cell lines. The mechanism of inhibition of protein synthesis is different from that of cycloheximide (CHX as assayed in cell culture and HeLa in vitro translation system. Furthermore, in contrast to rapamycin, DCB-3503 does not affect protein synthesis through the mTOR pathway. DCB-3503 treatment shifts the sedimentation profiles of ribosomes and mRNAs towards the polysomal fractions while diminishing monosome abundance, indicative of the inhibition of the elongation step of protein synthesis. Preferential down regulation of several studied proteins under these conditions is likely due to the relative short half-lives of these proteins. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The inhibitory effect of DCB-3503 on translation is apparently distinct from any of the current anticancer compounds targeting protein synthesis. Translation inhibitors with novel mechanism could complement current chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of human cancers and suppress the occurrence of drug resistance.

Indium telluride nanotubes: Solvothermal synthesis, growth mechanism, and properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Liyan [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Yan, Shancheng, E-mail: yansc@njupt.edu.cn [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); School of Geography and Biological Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210046 (China); Lu, Tao; Shi, Yi; Wang, Jianyu [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Yang, Fan [School of Geography and Biological Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210046 (China)

2014-03-15

A convenient solvothermal approach was applied for the first time to synthesize In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes. The morphology of the resultant nanotubes was studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Nanotubes with a relatively uniform diameter of around 500 nm, tube wall thickness of 50–100 nm, and average length of tens of microns were obtained. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were used to study the crystal structures, composition, and optical properties of the products. To understand the growth mechanism of the In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes, we studied the influences of temperature, reaction time, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and ethylene diamine (EDA) dosages on the final products. Based on the experimental results, a possible growth mechanism of In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes was proposed. In this mechanism, TeO{sub 3}{sup −2} is first reduced to allow nucleation. Circumferential edges of these nucleated molecules attract further deposition, and nanotubes finally grow rapidly along the c-axis and relatively slowly along the circumferential direction. The surface area of the products was determined by BET and found to be 137.85 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}. This large surface area indicates that the nanotubes may be suitable for gas sensing and hydrogen storage applications. The nanotubes also showed broad light detection ranging from 300 nm to 1100 nm, which covers the UV–visible–NIR regions. Such excellent optical properties indicate that In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes may enable significant advancements in new photodetection and photosensing applications. -- Graphical abstract: A convenient solvothermal approach was applied to synthesize In{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanotubes, which has not been reported in the literature for our knowledge. Surface area of this material is 137.85 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} from the BET testing, and such a high value makes it probably suitable for gas sensing and

Kinematic synthesis of adjustable robotic mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Chuenchom, Thatchai

1993-01-01

Conventional hard automation, such as a linkage-based or a cam-driven system, provides high speed capability and repeatability but not the flexibility required in many industrial applications. The conventional mechanisms, that are typically single-degree-of-freedom systems, are being increasingly replaced by multi-degree-of-freedom multi-actuators driven by logic controllers. Although this new trend in sophistication provides greatly enhanced flexibility, there are many instances where the flexibility needs are exaggerated and the associated complexity is unnecessary. Traditional mechanism-based hard automation, on the other hand, neither can fulfill multi-task requirements nor are cost-effective mainly due to lack of methods and tools to design-in flexibility. This dissertation attempts to bridge this technological gap by developing Adjustable Robotic Mechanisms (ARM's) or 'programmable mechanisms' as a middle ground between high speed hard automation and expensive serial jointed-arm robots. This research introduces the concept of adjustable robotic mechanisms towards cost-effective manufacturing automation. A generalized analytical synthesis technique has been developed to support the computational design of ARM's that lays the theoretical foundation for synthesis of adjustable mechanisms. The synthesis method developed in this dissertation, called generalized adjustable dyad and triad synthesis, advances the well-known Burmester theory in kinematics to a new level. While this method provides planar solutions, a novel patented scheme is utilized for converting prescribed three-dimensional motion specifications into sets of planar projections. This provides an analytical and a computational tool for designing adjustable mechanisms that satisfy multiple sets of three-dimensional motion specifications. Several design issues were addressed, including adjustable parameter identification, branching defect, and mechanical errors. An efficient mathematical scheme for

Study of growth mechanism of conducting polymers by pulse radiolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coletta, Cecilia

2016-01-01

Today conductive polymers have many applications in several devices. For these reasons they have received much attention in recent years. Despite intensive research, the mechanism of conducting polymers growth is still poorly understood and the methods of polymerization are limited to two principal ways: chemical and electrochemical synthesis. On the other hand, the complex properties of polymers can be controlled only if a good knowledge of polymerization process is acquired. In this case, it is possible to control the process during the synthesis (functionalization, hydrophilicity, chain length, doping level), and consequently to improve the conductive properties of the synthesized polymers. Water radiolysis represents an easy and efficient method of synthesis comparing to chemical and electrochemical polymerization routes. It enables the polymerization under soft conditions: ambient temperature and pressure, without any external dopant. Among all conductive polymers, poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene) (PEDOT, a derivative of poly-thiophene) and poly-Pyrrole (PPy) have gained some large scale applications for their chemical and physical proprieties. The aim of the present work was the synthesis of PEDOT and PPy in aqueous solution and the study of their growth mechanism by pulsed radiolysis. Thanks to the electron accelerator ELYSE, the use of pulsed radiolysis coupled with time-resolved absorption spectroscopy allowed to study the kinetics of polymerization. The first transient species involved in the mechanism were identified by time resolved spectroscopy and the rate constants were determined. First, the reaction of hydroxyl radicals onto EDOT and Py monomers was studied, as well as the corresponding radiation induced polymerization. Then, the study was transposed to others oxidizing radicals such as CO3 .- , N 3 . and SO 4 .- at different pHs. This approach allowed to check and to highlight the influence of oxidizing species onto the first transient species

Nicotine-induced retardation of chondrogenesis through down-regulation of IGF-1 signaling pathway to inhibit matrix synthesis of growth plate chondrocytes in fetal rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Yu; Cao, Hong; Cu, Fenglong; Xu, Dan; Lei, Youying; Tan, Yang; Magdalou, Jacques; Wang, Hui; Chen, Liaobin

2013-01-01

Previous studies have confirmed that maternal tobacco smoking causes intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and skeletal growth retardation. Among a multitude of chemicals associated with cigarette smoking, nicotine is one of the leading candidates for causing low birth weights. However, the possible mechanism of delayed chondrogenesis by prenatal nicotine exposure remains unclear. We investigated the effects of nicotine on fetal growth plate chondrocytes in vivo and in vitro. Rats were given 2.0 mg/kg·d of nicotine subcutaneously from gestational days 11 to 20. Prenatal nicotine exposure increased the levels of fetal blood corticosterone and resulted in fetal skeletal growth retardation. Moreover, nicotine exposure induced the inhibition of matrix synthesis and down-regulation of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling in fetal growth plates. The effects of nicotine on growth plates were studied in vitro by exposing fetal growth plate chondrocytes to 0, 1, 10, or 100 μM of nicotine for 10 days. Nicotine inhibited matrix synthesis and down-regulated IGF-1 signaling in chondrocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that prenatal nicotine exposure induces delayed chondrogenesis and that the mechanism may involve the down-regulation of IGF-1 signaling and the inhibition of matrix synthesis by growth plate chondrocytes. The present study aids in the characterization of delayed chondrogenesis caused by prenatal nicotine exposure, which might suggest a candidate mechanism for intrauterine origins of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. - Highlights: ► Prenatal nicotine-exposure could induce delayed chondrogenesis in fetal rats. ► Nicotine inhibits matrix synthesis of fetal growth plate chondrocytes. ► Nicotine inhibits IGF-1 signaling pathway in fetal growth plate chondrocytes

Nicotine-induced retardation of chondrogenesis through down-regulation of IGF-1 signaling pathway to inhibit matrix synthesis of growth plate chondrocytes in fetal rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Yu; Cao, Hong; Cu, Fenglong [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Xu, Dan [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Research Center of Food and Drug Evaluation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Lei, Youying [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Tan, Yang [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Magdalou, Jacques [UMR 7561 CNRS-Nancy Université, Faculté de Médicine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy (France); Wang, Hui [Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Research Center of Food and Drug Evaluation, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Chen, Liaobin, E-mail: lbchen@whu.edu.cn [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China)

2013-05-15

Previous studies have confirmed that maternal tobacco smoking causes intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and skeletal growth retardation. Among a multitude of chemicals associated with cigarette smoking, nicotine is one of the leading candidates for causing low birth weights. However, the possible mechanism of delayed chondrogenesis by prenatal nicotine exposure remains unclear. We investigated the effects of nicotine on fetal growth plate chondrocytes in vivo and in vitro. Rats were given 2.0 mg/kg·d of nicotine subcutaneously from gestational days 11 to 20. Prenatal nicotine exposure increased the levels of fetal blood corticosterone and resulted in fetal skeletal growth retardation. Moreover, nicotine exposure induced the inhibition of matrix synthesis and down-regulation of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling in fetal growth plates. The effects of nicotine on growth plates were studied in vitro by exposing fetal growth plate chondrocytes to 0, 1, 10, or 100 μM of nicotine for 10 days. Nicotine inhibited matrix synthesis and down-regulated IGF-1 signaling in chondrocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that prenatal nicotine exposure induces delayed chondrogenesis and that the mechanism may involve the down-regulation of IGF-1 signaling and the inhibition of matrix synthesis by growth plate chondrocytes. The present study aids in the characterization of delayed chondrogenesis caused by prenatal nicotine exposure, which might suggest a candidate mechanism for intrauterine origins of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. - Highlights: ► Prenatal nicotine-exposure could induce delayed chondrogenesis in fetal rats. ► Nicotine inhibits matrix synthesis of fetal growth plate chondrocytes. ► Nicotine inhibits IGF-1 signaling pathway in fetal growth plate chondrocytes.

Emergence of robust growth laws from optimal regulation of ribosome synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Matthew; Klumpp, Stefan; Mateescu, Eduard M; Hwa, Terence

2014-08-22

Bacteria must constantly adapt their growth to changes in nutrient availability; yet despite large-scale changes in protein expression associated with sensing, adaptation, and processing different environmental nutrients, simple growth laws connect the ribosome abundance and the growth rate. Here, we investigate the origin of these growth laws by analyzing the features of ribosomal regulation that coordinate proteome-wide expression changes with cell growth in a variety of nutrient conditions in the model organism Escherichia coli. We identify supply-driven feedforward activation of ribosomal protein synthesis as the key regulatory motif maximizing amino acid flux, and autonomously guiding a cell to achieve optimal growth in different environments. The growth laws emerge naturally from the robust regulatory strategy underlying growth rate control, irrespective of the details of the molecular implementation. The study highlights the interplay between phenomenological modeling and molecular mechanisms in uncovering fundamental operating constraints, with implications for endogenous and synthetic design of microorganisms. © 2014 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

CdS nanobubbles and Cd-DMS nanosheets: solvothermal synthesis and formation mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Miao; Zhan, Hongbing

2013-02-01

CdS nanobubbles and Cd-DMS nanosheets have been prepared by a solvothermal method from a solution of Cd2+ in dimethyl sulfoxide in the absence of elemental S. A formation mechanism for the nanobubble morphology arising during the CdS nanocrystal growth has been proposed, based on the results of transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectrophotometry. The correlation of the morphology with reaction time was also suggested, and may be applicable to the solvothermal synthesis of other nanomaterials.

Protein synthesis, growth and energetics in larval herring (Clupea harengus) at different feeding regimes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Houlihan, D F; Pedersen, B H; Steffensen, J F

1995-01-01

Rates of growth, protein synthesis and oxygen consumption were measured in herring larvae, Clupea harengus, in order to estimate the contribution that protein synthesis makes to oxygen consumption during rapid growth at 8°C. Protein synthesis rates were determined in larvae 9 to 17 d after hatching....... Larvae were bathed in (3)H phenylalanine for several hours and the free pool and protein-bound phenylalanine specific radioactivities were determined.Fractional rates of protein synthesis increased 5 to 11 fold with feeding after a period of fasting. Efficiencies of retention of synthesized protein were...... approximately 50% during rapid growth. Rapid growth in herring larvae thus appears to be characterized by moderate levels of protein turnover similar to those obtained for larger fish. Increases in growth rate occurred without changes in RNA concentration, i.e., the larvae increased the efficiency of RNA...

Matrix rigidity regulates cancer cell growth by modulating cellular metabolism and protein synthesis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert W Tilghman

Full Text Available Tumor cells in vivo encounter diverse types of microenvironments both at the site of the primary tumor and at sites of distant metastases. Understanding how the various mechanical properties of these microenvironments affect the biology of tumor cells during disease progression is critical in identifying molecular targets for cancer therapy.This study uses flexible polyacrylamide gels as substrates for cell growth in conjunction with a novel proteomic approach to identify the properties of rigidity-dependent cancer cell lines that contribute to their differential growth on soft and rigid substrates. Compared to cells growing on more rigid/stiff substrates (>10,000 Pa, cells on soft substrates (150-300 Pa exhibited a longer cell cycle, due predominantly to an extension of the G1 phase of the cell cycle, and were metabolically less active, showing decreased levels of intracellular ATP and a marked reduction in protein synthesis. Using stable isotope labeling of amino acids in culture (SILAC and mass spectrometry, we measured the rates of protein synthesis of over 1200 cellular proteins under growth conditions on soft and rigid/stiff substrates. We identified cellular proteins whose syntheses were either preferentially inhibited or preserved on soft matrices. The former category included proteins that regulate cytoskeletal structures (e.g., tubulins and glycolysis (e.g., phosphofructokinase-1, whereas the latter category included proteins that regulate key metabolic pathways required for survival, e.g., nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, a regulator of the NAD salvage pathway.The cellular properties of rigidity-dependent cancer cells growing on soft matrices are reminiscent of the properties of dormant cancer cells, e.g., slow growth rate and reduced metabolism. We suggest that the use of relatively soft gels as cell culture substrates would allow molecular pathways to be studied under conditions that reflect the different mechanical

Synthesis, Analysis And Simulation Of a Four-Bar Mechanism Using ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Kinematic synthesis of the four-bar mechanism using the complex number method is presented. The results of the synthesis process are analyzed to determine motion characteristics of the mechanism. These motion characteristics are then used for simulation of the mechanism. Matlab programs are written for solving the ...

Facile solvothermal synthesis of abnormal growth of one-dimensional ZnO nanostructures by ring-opening reaction of polyvinylpyrrolidone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, G., E-mail: gxu@alum.imr.ac.cn; Wang, X.L.; Liu, G.Z.

2015-02-28

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Facile solvothermal synthesis of ZnO nanostructures in super high alkaline alcoholic condition. • The exact role and chemical transformations of PVP in solvothermal synthesis of ZnO nanostructures was revealed. • Mechanism of abnormal growth of ZnO nanopyramids was proposed based on ring-opening reaction of PVP. - Abstract: Abnormal growth of one-dimensional (1-D) ZnO nanostructures (NSs) have been accomplished with the assistance of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) under a super high alkaline alcoholic solvothermal condition. The products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance ({sup 1}H NMR) spectroscopy. The effect of synthetic conditions, such as reaction temperature and the addition of PVP, on the morphologies of ZnO products were investigated. The results show that PVP molecules had the significant role in the transformation of morphologies of ZnO NSs ranging from nanorods, nanoparticles to pyramids, as well as flower-like assembly features. The possible growth mechanism of ZnO pyramids was proposed based on ring-opening reaction of PVP.

Institutions and economic growth : summary and synthesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Szirmai, A.

2013-01-01

This paper provides a summary, overview and synthesis of the findings of the second phase of the AFD/Maastricht Graduate School of Governance research project on institutions and economic growth. The point of departure for this research project is that the diversity of longrun patterns of economic

Epitaxial Growth of Two-Dimensional Layered Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides: Growth Mechanism, Controllability, and Scalability

KAUST Repository

Li, Henan

2017-07-06

Recently there have been many research breakthroughs in two-dimensional (2D) materials including graphene, boron nitride (h-BN), black phosphors (BPs), and transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). The unique electrical, optical, and thermal properties in 2D materials are associated with their strictly defined low dimensionalities. These materials provide a wide range of basic building blocks for next-generation electronics. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique has shown great promise to generate high-quality TMDC layers with scalable size, controllable thickness, and excellent electronic properties suitable for both technological applications and fundamental sciences. The capability to precisely engineer 2D materials by chemical approaches has also given rise to fascinating new physics, which could lead to exciting new applications. In this Review, we introduce the latest development of TMDC synthesis by CVD approaches and provide further insight for the controllable and reliable synthesis of atomically thin TMDCs. Understanding of the vapor-phase growth mechanism of 2D TMDCs could benefit the formation of complicated heterostructures and novel artificial 2D lattices.

Type synthesis for 4-DOF parallel press mechanism using GF set theory

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jun; Gao, Feng; Meng, Xiangdun; Guo, Weizhong

2015-07-01

Parallel mechanisms is used in the large capacity servo press to avoid the over-constraint of the traditional redundant actuation. Currently, the researches mainly focus on the performance analysis for some specific parallel press mechanisms. However, the type synthesis and evaluation of parallel press mechanisms is seldom studied, especially for the four degrees of freedom(DOF) press mechanisms. The type synthesis of 4-DOF parallel press mechanisms is carried out based on the generalized function(GF) set theory. Five design criteria of 4-DOF parallel press mechanisms are firstly proposed. The general procedure of type synthesis of parallel press mechanisms is obtained, which includes number synthesis, symmetrical synthesis of constraint GF sets, decomposition of motion GF sets and design of limbs. Nine combinations of constraint GF sets of 4-DOF parallel press mechanisms, ten combinations of GF sets of active limbs, and eleven combinations of GF sets of passive limbs are synthesized. Thirty-eight kinds of press mechanisms are presented and then different structures of kinematic limbs are designed. Finally, the geometrical constraint complexity( GCC), kinematic pair complexity( KPC), and type complexity( TC) are proposed to evaluate the press types and the optimal press type is achieved. The general methodologies of type synthesis and evaluation for parallel press mechanism are suggested.

Synthesis of hydrophobic gold nanoclusters: growth mechanism study, luminescence property and catalytic application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selvam, Tamil Selvi; Chi, Kai-Ming

2011-01-01

One-pot synthesis of well dispersed, size-controlled gold nanoparticles with the average size of 10–15 nm and luminescent gold nanoclusters with average size of 1.7–2.0 nm were successfully achieved by thermal decomposition of gold organometallic precursor CH 3 AuPPh 3 in the presence of thiol surfactants in o-xylene. Only difference between the preparations of two types of Au nanoparticles is the amount of thiol surfactant employed. The mechanistic study of formation of gold nanoparticles was carried out by analyzing the samples at different reaction time intervals and revealed that two-staged growth process was involved. The nanoclusters showed strong red emission with the maximum intensity at about 600 nm. The maximum room temperature photoluminescence quantum yield was measured as 1.2%. The catalytic ability of the Au nanoclusters to promote Suzuki–Miyaura coupling involving the C–C bond formation was also investigated.

Polyol synthesis of silver nanoplates: The crystal growth mechanism based on a rivalrous adsorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Xiaolin; Li Zongxiao; Yuan Chunlan; Chen Yashao

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Silver nanoplates have been successfully synthesized by polyol reduction in the presence of poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and HNO 3 . → Due to the discovery of CN - ions in the solution, a mechanism for the anisotropic growth of silver nanoplates is systematically discussed. → TG, FT-IR and SERS were used to provide some direct evidences of rivalrous adsorption between PVP and CN - ions on the surface of the silver crystals. - Abstract: A polyol reducing approach has been applied to synthesize silver nanoplates with an average thickness of 50 nm and edge length of 3 μm in the presence of poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and HNO 3 . X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscropy (TEM), and electron diffraction are used to characterize these silver nanoplates. Findings indicate that the nanoplates are single crystals and with their basal plane as (1 1 1) lattice plane. On the basis of the results from thermogravimetric analysis (TG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy, a crystal growth mechanism based on the rivalrous adsorption between PVP and CN - ions on the surface of silver nanoplates is supposed to explain the crystal anisotropic growth.

Changes in collagen synthesis and degradation during skeletal muscle growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laurent, G.J.; McAnulty, R.J.; Gibson, J.

1985-01-01

The changes in collagen metabolism during skeletal muscle growth were investigated by measuring rates of synthesis and degradation during stretch-induced hypertrophy of the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle of the adult chicken (Gallus domesticus). Synthesis rates were obtained from the uptake of tritiated proline injected intravenously with a flooding dose of unlabeled proline. Degradation of newly synthesized and ''mature'' collagen was estimated from the amount of hydroxyproline in the free pool as small molecular weight moieties. In normal muscle, the synthesis rate was 1.1 +/- 0.3%/day, with 49 +/- 7% of the newly produced collagen degraded rapidly after synthesis. During hypertrophy there was an increase of about fivefold in the rate of synthesis (P less than 0.01), a 60% decrease in the rate of degradation of newly synthesized collagen (P less than 0.02), and an increase of about fourfold in the amount of degradation of mature collagen (P less than 0.01). These results suggest an important role for degradative as well as synthetic processes in the regulation of collagen mass. They indicate that enhanced degradation of mature collagen is required for muscle growth and suggest a physiological role for the pathway whereby in normal muscle, a large proportion of newly produced collagen is rapidly degraded

One pot synthesis, growth mechanism and optical properties of Zn{sub 1-x}Cd{sub x}Se graded core/shell and alloy nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sonawane, Kiran G. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India); Patil, K.R. [Centre for Materials Characterization, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411 008 (India); Mahamuni, Shailaja, E-mail: shailajamahamuni@yahoo.co.in [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India)

2013-03-15

Comparatively higher photoluminescence yield along with robustness of core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals make them attractive candidates for studying intricate quantum size effects. Here, we report, one pot synthesis of Zn{sub 1-x}Cd{sub x}Se graded core/shell structures by exploiting change in the reactivity of precursors. Optical and structural measurements indicate formation of graded structure. Growth mechanism probed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy shows formation of graded core/shell structure, with CdSe rich core and ZnSe rich shell. Annealing these nanocrystals, in chemical bath, leads to diffusion of Cd from core to shell region. Formation of Zn{sub 1-x}Cd{sub x}Se alloy is also observed in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements, confirming the diffusion of Cd from core to shell region. Substantially high photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 60% with narrow line width of about 27 nm, was observed and is attributable to the reduced strain due to graded core/shell structure. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Graded CdSe/ZnSe core-shell nanocrystals are synthesized exploiting reactivity of precursors. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Growth mechanism is probed using ICP-AES spectroscopy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Reduced strain leads to luminescence efficiency as high as 60%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Alloy formation by annealing in chemical bath is probed using XPS.

Particle size studies to reveal crystallization mechanisms of the metal organic framework HKUST-1 during sonochemical synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Mitchell R; Senthilnathan, Sethuraman; Balzer, Christopher J; Shan, Bohan; Chen, Liang; Mu, Bin

2017-01-01

Systematic studies of key operating parameters for the sonochemical synthesis of the metal organic framework (MOF) HKUST-1(also called CuBTC) were performed including reaction time, reactor volume, sonication amplitude, sonication tip size, solvent composition, and reactant concentrations analyzed through SEM particle size analysis. Trends in the particle size and size distributions show reproducible control of average particle sizes between 1 and 4μm. These results along with complementary studies in sonofragmentation and temperature control were conducted to compare these results to kinetic crystal growth models found in literature to develop a plausible hypothetical mechanism for ultrasound-assisted growth of metal-organic-frameworks composed of a competitive mechanism including constructive solid-on-solid (SOS) crystal growth and a deconstructive sonofragmentation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and application of labelled growth regulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shyutte, G.R.

1982-01-01

For the investigation of the metabolism both of phytoeffectors like herbicides and plant growth regulators such compounds are needed in radioactive labelled form. The synthesis of radioactive labelled fluorodifen, nitrofen, ethephon, diphenylic acetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyisobutyric acid, abscisic acid, hydroxybenzoic acids and different conjugates are described. Some examples of these compounds metabolism in plants are discussed [ru

Synthesis of dexterity measure of mechanisms by evolution of dissipative system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grešl M.

2007-11-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the new approach of solving traditional kinematical synthesis of mechanisms. The kinematical synthesis is reformulated as nonlinear dynamical problem. All searched parameters of the mechanism are in this dynamical dissipative system introduced as time-varying during motion of mechanism’s dimension iteration. The synthesis process is realized as the time evolution of such system. One of the most important objectives of the machine synthesis is the dexterity measure. The new approach is applied to optimization of this property.

Identification of Novel Human Breast Carcinoma (MDA-MB-231) Cell Growth Modulators from a Carbohydrate-Based Diversity Oriented Synthesis Library.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenci, Elena; Innocenti, Riccardo; Biagioni, Alessio; Menchi, Gloria; Bianchini, Francesca; Trabocchi, Andrea

2016-10-20

The application of a cell-based growth inhibition on a library of skeletally different glycomimetics allowed for the selection of a hexahydro-2 H -furo[3,2- b ][1,4]oxazine compound as candidate inhibitors of MDA-MB-231 cell growth. Subsequent synthesis of analogue compounds and preliminary biological studies validated the selection of a valuable hit compound with a novel polyhydroxylated structure for the modulation of the breast carcinoma cell cycle mechanism.

Fabrication and growth mechanism of carbon nanospheres by chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian, F.; He, C.N.

2010-01-01

The synthesis of carbon nanospheres (CNSs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of methane on catalyst of Ni-Al composite powders was reported. The influence factors on the growth morphology of CNSs, such as reaction temperature, reaction time and different carrier gases concerning hydrogen, nitrogen as well as no carrier gas were investigated using transmission electron microscope. The results showed that the reaction temperature had great effect on the structure of CNSs, higher temperature led to high-crystallized CNSs with high purity. The reaction time brought no significant influence to the structure of CNSs, but the average diameter of the CNSs was obviously increased with prolonging the reaction time. Relatively pure CNSs could be obtained with hydrogen as the carrier gas but with poor product rate compared with the CNSs with no carrier gas. Proper amount of CNSs with pure characteristic could be obtained with nitrogen as the carrier gas. Finally, a growth mechanism of dissolution-precipitation-diffusion is proposed for elucidating the growth process of general CNSs.

GaN growth via HVPE on SiC/Si substrates: growth mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Sharofidinov, Sh Sh; Redkov, A. V.; Osipov, A. V.; Kukushkin, S. A.

2017-11-01

The article focuses on the study of GaN thin film growth via chloride epitaxy on SiC/Si hybrid substrate. SiC buffer layer was grown by a method of substitution of atoms, which allows one to reduce impact of mechanical stress therein on subsequent growth of III-nitride films. It is shown, that change in GaN growth conditions leads to change in its growth mechanism. Three mechanisms: epitaxial, spiral and stepwise growth are considered and mechanical stresses are estimated via Raman spectroscopy.

Identification of Novel Human Breast Carcinoma (MDA-MB-231 Cell Growth Modulators from a Carbohydrate-Based Diversity Oriented Synthesis Library

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Lenci

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The application of a cell-based growth inhibition on a library of skeletally different glycomimetics allowed for the selection of a hexahydro-2H-furo[3,2-b][1,4]oxazine compound as candidate inhibitors of MDA-MB-231 cell growth. Subsequent synthesis of analogue compounds and preliminary biological studies validated the selection of a valuable hit compound with a novel polyhydroxylated structure for the modulation of the breast carcinoma cell cycle mechanism.

CVD-grown horizontally aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes: synthesis routes and growth mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Imad; Bachmatiuk, Alicja; Warner, Jamie H; Büchner, Bernd; Cuniberti, Gianaurelio; Rümmeli, Mark H

2012-07-09

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have attractive electrical and physical properties, which make them very promising for use in various applications. For some applications however, in particular those involving electronics, SWCNTs need to be synthesized with a high degree of control with respect to yield, length, alignment, diameter, and chirality. With this in mind, a great deal of effort is being directed to the precision control of vertically and horizontally aligned nanotubes. In this review the focus is on the latter, horizontally aligned tubes grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The reader is provided with an in-depth review of the established vapor deposition orientation techniques. Detailed discussions on the characterization routes, growth parameters, and growth mechanisms are also provided. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Vitamin B12–dependent taurine synthesis regulates growth and bone mass

Science.gov (United States)

Roman-Garcia, Pablo; Quiros-Gonzalez, Isabel; Mottram, Lynda; Lieben, Liesbet; Sharan, Kunal; Wangwiwatsin, Arporn; Tubio, Jose; Lewis, Kirsty; Wilkinson, Debbie; Santhanam, Balaji; Sarper, Nazan; Clare, Simon; Vassiliou, George S.; Velagapudi, Vidya R.; Dougan, Gordon; Yadav, Vijay K.

2014-01-01

Both maternal and offspring-derived factors contribute to lifelong growth and bone mass accrual, although the specific role of maternal deficiencies in the growth and bone mass of offspring is poorly understood. In the present study, we have shown that vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency in a murine genetic model results in severe postweaning growth retardation and osteoporosis, and the severity and time of onset of this phenotype in the offspring depends on the maternal genotype. Using integrated physiological and metabolomic analysis, we determined that B12 deficiency in the offspring decreases liver taurine production and associates with abrogation of a growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 (GH/IGF1) axis. Taurine increased GH-dependent IGF1 synthesis in the liver, which subsequently enhanced osteoblast function, and in B12-deficient offspring, oral administration of taurine rescued their growth retardation and osteoporosis phenotypes. These results identify B12 as an essential vitamin that positively regulates postweaning growth and bone formation through taurine synthesis and suggests potential therapies to increase bone mass. PMID:24911144

Direct synthesis of BiCuChO-type oxychalcogenides by mechanical alloying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pele, Vincent; Barreteau, Celine [Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d’Orsay, Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 8182, Orsay F-91405 (France); CNRS, Orsay F-91405 (France); Berardan, David, E-mail: david.berardan@u-psud.fr [Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d’Orsay, Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 8182, Orsay F-91405 (France); CNRS, Orsay F-91405 (France); Zhao, Lidong; Dragoe, Nita [Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d’Orsay, Univ. Paris-Sud, UMR 8182, Orsay F-91405 (France); CNRS, Orsay F-91405 (France)

2013-07-15

We report on the direct synthesis of BiCuChO based materials by mechanical alloying (Ch=Se, Te). We show that contrary to the synthesis paths used in the previous reports dealing with this family of materials, which use costly annealings in closed silica tubes under controlled atmosphere, this new synthesis route enables the synthesis of pure phase materials at room temperature under air, with reasonable milling time. This synthesis procedure is easily scalable for large scale applications. - Highlights: • Phase pure BiCuSeO doped and undoped prepared by mechanical alloying. • Synthesis performed under air at room temperature. • Electrical properties similar to that of samples synthesized by a classical path.

Growth Mechanism of Microbial Colonies

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Minhui; Martini, K. Michael; Kim, Neil H.; Sherer, Nicholas; Lee, Jia Gloria; Kuhlman, Thomas; Goldenfeld, Nigel

Experiments on nutrient-limited E. coli colonies, growing on agar gel from single cells reveal a power-law distribution of sizes, both during the growth process and in the final stage when growth has ceased. We developed a Python simulation to study the growth mechanism of the bacterial population and thus understand the broad details of the experimental findings. The simulation takes into account nutrient uptake, metabolic function, growth and cell division. Bacteria are modeled in two dimensions as hard circle-capped cylinders with steric interactions and elastic stress dependent growth characteristics. Nutrient is able to diffuse within and between the colonies. The mechanism of microbial colony growth involves reproduction of cells within the colonies and the merging of different colonies. We report results on the dynamic scaling laws and final state size distribution, that capture in semi-quantitative detail the trends observed in experiment. Supported by NSF Grant 0822613.

Flow-Solution-Liquid-Solid Growth of Semiconductor Nanowires: A Novel Approach for Controlled Synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hollingsworth, Jennifer A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Palaniappan, Kumaranand [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Laocharoensuk, Rawiwan [National Science and Technology Center, Thailand; Smith, Nickolaus A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Dickerson, Robert M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Casson, Joanna L. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Baldwin, Jon K. [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2012-06-07

Semiconductor nanowires (SC-NWs) have potential applications in diverse technologies from nanoelectronics and photonics to energy harvesting and storage due to their quantum-confined opto-electronic properties coupled with their highly anisotropic shape. Here, we explore new approaches to an important solution-based growth method known as solution-liquid-solid (SLS) growth. In SLS, molecular precursors are reacted in the presence of low-melting metal nanoparticles that serve as molten fluxes to catalyze the growth of the SC-NWs. The mechanism of growth is assumed to be similar to that of vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth, with the clear distinctions of being conducted in solution in the presence of coordinating ligands and at relatively lower temperatures (<300 C). The resultant SC-NWs are soluble in common organic solvents and solution processable, offering advantages such as simplified processing, scale-up, ultra-small diameters for quantum-confinement effects, and flexible choice of materials from group III-V to groups II-VI, IV-VI, as well as truly ternary I-III-VI semiconductors as we recently demonstrates. Despite these advantages of SLS growth, VLS offers several clear opportunities not allowed by conventional SLS. Namely, VLS allows sequential addition of precursors for facile synthesis of complex axial heterostructures. In addition, growth proceeds relatively slowly compared to SLS, allowing clear assessments of growth kinetics. In order to retain the materials and processing flexibility afforded by SLS, but add the elements of controlled growth afforded by VLS, we transformed SLS into a flow based method by adapting it to synthesis in a microfluidic system. By this new method - so-called 'flow-SLS' (FSLS) - we have now demonstrated unprecedented fabrication of multi-segmented SC-NWs, e.g., 8-segmented CdSe/ZnSe defined by either compositionally abrupt or alloyed interfaces as a function of growth conditions. In addition, we have studied growth

N-acetylcysteine stimulates protein synthesis in enterocytes independently of glutathione synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Dan; Hou, Yongqing; Wang, Lei; Long, Minhui; Hu, Shengdi; Mei, Huimin; Yan, Liqiong; Hu, Chien-An Andy; Wu, Guoyao

2016-02-01

Dietary supplementation with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been reported to improve intestinal health and treat gastrointestinal diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. According to previous reports, NAC was thought to exert its effect through glutathione synthesis. This study tested the hypothesis that NAC enhances enterocyte growth and protein synthesis independently of cellular glutathione synthesis. Intestinal porcine epithelial cells were cultured for 3 days in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium containing 0 or 100 μM NAC. To determine a possible role for GSH (the reduced form of glutathione) in mediating the effect of NAC on cell growth and protein synthesis, additional experiments were conducted using culture medium containing 100 μM GSH, 100 μM GSH ethyl ester (GSHee), diethylmaleate (a GSH-depletion agent; 10 μM), or a GSH-synthesis inhibitor (buthionine sulfoximine, BSO; 20 μM). NAC increased cell proliferation, GSH concentration, and protein synthesis, while inhibiting proteolysis. GSHee enhanced cell proliferation and GSH concentration without affecting protein synthesis but inhibited proteolysis. Conversely, BSO or diethylmaleate reduced cell proliferation and GSH concentration without affecting protein synthesis, while promoting protein degradation. At the signaling level, NAC augmented the protein abundance of total mTOR, phosphorylated mTOR, and phosphorylated 70S6 kinase as well as mRNA levels for mTOR and p70S6 kinase in IPEC-1 cells. Collectively, these results indicate that NAC upregulates expression of mTOR signaling proteins to stimulate protein synthesis in enterocytes independently of GSH generation. Our findings provide a hitherto unrecognized biochemical mechanism for beneficial effects of NAC in intestinal cells.

NaGd(MoO4)2 nanocrystals with diverse morphologies: controlled synthesis, growth mechanism, photoluminescence and thermometric properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Anming; Xu, Dekang; Lin, Hao; Yang, Shenghong; Shao, Yuanzhi; Zhang, Yueli

2016-08-10

Pure tetragonal phase, uniform and well-crystallized sodium gadolinium molybdate (NaGd(MoO4)2) nanocrystals with diverse morphologies, e.g. nanocylinders, nanocubes and square nanoplates have been selectively synthesized via oleic acid-mediated hydrothermal method. The phase, structure, morphology and composition of the as-synthesized products are studied. Contents of both sodium molybdate and oleic acid of the precursor solutions are found to affect the morphologies of the products significantly, and oleic acid plays a key role in the morphology-controlled synthesis of NaGd(MoO4)2 nanocrystals with diverse morphologies. Growth mechanism of NaGd(MoO4)2 nanocrystals is proposed based on time-dependent morphology evolution and X-ray diffraction analysis. Morphology-dependent down-shifting photoluminescence properties of NaGd(MoO4)2: Eu(3+) nanocrystals, and upconversion photoluminescence properties of NaGd(MoO4)2: Yb(3+)/Er(3+) and Yb(3+)/Tm(3+) nanoplates are investigated in detail. Charge transfer band in the down-shifting excitation spectra shows a slight blue-shift, and the luminescence intensities and lifetimes of Eu(3+) are decreased gradually with the morphology of the nanocrystals varying from nanocubes to thin square nanoplates. Upconversion energy transfer mechanisms of NaGd(MoO4)2: Yb(3+)/Er(3+), Yb(3+)/Tm(3+) nanoplates are proposed based on the energy level scheme and power dependence of upconversion emissions. Thermometric properties of NaGd(MoO4)2: Yb(3+)/Er(3+) nanoplates are investigated, and the maximum sensitivity is determined to be 0.01333 K(-1) at 285 K.

Modulation of protein synthesis by polyamines.

Science.gov (United States)

Igarashi, Kazuei; Kashiwagi, Keiko

2015-03-01

Polyamines are ubiquitous small basic molecules that play important roles in cell growth and viability. Since polyamines mainly exist as a polyamine-RNA complex, we looked for proteins whose synthesis is preferentially stimulated by polyamines at the level of translation, and thus far identified 17 proteins in Escherichia coli and 6 proteins in eukaryotes. The mechanisms of polyamine stimulation of synthesis of these proteins were investigated. In addition, the role of eIF5A, containing hypusine formed from spermidine, on protein synthesis is described. These results clearly indicate that polyamines and eIF5A contribute to cell growth and viability through modulation of protein synthesis. © 2015 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Protein metabolism in marine animals: the underlying mechanism of growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraser, Keiron P P; Rogers, Alex D

2007-01-01

Growth is a fundamental process within all marine organisms. In soft tissues, growth is primarily achieved by the synthesis and retention of proteins as protein growth. The protein pool (all the protein within the organism) is highly dynamic, with proteins constantly entering the pool via protein synthesis or being removed from the pool via protein degradation. Any net change in the size of the protein pool, positive or negative, is termed protein growth. The three inter-related processes of protein synthesis, degradation and growth are together termed protein metabolism. Measurement of protein metabolism is vital in helping us understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect growth and growth efficiency in marine animals. Recently, the developing fields of transcriptomics and proteomics have started to offer us a means of greatly increasing our knowledge of the underlying molecular control of protein metabolism. Transcriptomics may also allow us to detect subtle changes in gene expression associated with protein synthesis and degradation, which cannot be detected using classical methods. A large literature exists on protein metabolism in animals; however, this chapter concentrates on what we know of marine ectotherms; data from non-marine ectotherms and endotherms are only discussed when the data are of particular relevance. We first consider the techniques available to measure protein metabolism, their problems and what validation is required. Protein metabolism in marine organisms is highly sensitive to a wide variety of factors, including temperature, pollution, seasonality, nutrition, developmental stage, genetics, sexual maturation and moulting. We examine how these abiotic and biotic factors affect protein metabolism at the level of whole-animal (adult and larval), tissue and cellular protein metabolism. Available gene expression data, which help us understand the underlying control of protein metabolism, are also discussed. As protein metabolism appears to

Rapid microwave-assisted nonaqueous synthesis and growth mechanism of AgCl/Ag, and its daylight-driven plasmonic photocatalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jing; Zhang, Lizhi

2011-03-21

We report on a rapid microwave-assisted nonaqueous synthesis and the growth mechanism of AgCl/Ag with controlled size and shape. By rationally varying the reaction temperature and the microwave irradiation time, we achieved the transformation of nanocubes to rounded triangular pyramids by a combined process of "oriented attachment" and Ostwald ripening. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties of the as-prepared AgCl/Ag have been found to be somewhat dependent on the size, morphology, and composition. The as-prepared AgCl/Ag exhibits high photocatalytic activity and good reusability for decomposing organic pollutants (such as methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and pentachlorophenol (PCP)) under indoor artificial daylight illumination (ca. 1 mW cm(-2)). The AgCl/Ag has also been found to display a superior ability to harvest diffuse indoor daylight (ca. 5 mW cm(-2)), and could complete the degradation of 10 mg  L(-1) MO within 15 min. Experiments involving the trapping of active species have shown that the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in the AgCl/Ag system may proceed through direct hole transfer. This study has revealed that plasmonic daylight photocatalysis may open a new frontier for indoor pollutant control around the clock under fluorescent lamp illumination. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Simple Synthesis and Growth Mechanism of Core/Shell CdSe/SiOx Nanowires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guozhang Dai

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Core-shell-structured CdSe/SiOx nanowires were synthesized on an equilateral triangle Si (111 substrate through a simple one-step thermal evaporation process. SEM, TEM, and XRD investigations confirmed the core-shell structure; that is, the core zone is single crystalline CdSe and the shell zone is SiOx amorphous layer and CdSe core was grown along (001 direction. Two-stage growth process was present to explain the growth mechanism of the core/shell nanwires. The silicon substrate of designed equilateral triangle providing the silicon source is the key factor to form the core-shell nanowires, which is significant for fabrication of nanowire-core sheathed with a silica system. The PL of the product studied at room temperature showed two emission bands around 715 and 560 nm, which originate from the band-band transition of CdSe cores and the amorphous SiOx shells, respectively.

Seedless Synthesis of Monodispersed Gold Nanorods with Remarkably High Yield: Synergistic Effect of Template Modification and Growth Kinetics Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kang; Bu, Yanru; Zheng, Yuanhui; Jiang, Xuchuan; Yu, Aibing; Wang, Huanting

2017-03-08

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) are versatile materials due to their broadly tunable optical properties associated with their anisotropic feature. Conventional seed-mediated synthesis is, however, not only limited by the operational complexity and over-sensitivity towards subtle changes of experimental conditions but also suffers from low yield (≈15 %). A facile seedless method is reported to overcome these challenges. Monodispersed AuNRs with high yield (≈100 %) and highly adjustable longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) are reproducibly synthesized. The parameters that influence the AuNRs growth were thoroughly investigated in terms of growth kinetics and soft-template regulation, offering a better understanding of the template-based mechanism. The facile synthesis, broad tunability of LSRP, high reproducibility, high yield, and ease of scale-up make this method promising for the future mass production of monodispersed AuNRs for applications in catalysis, sensing, and biomedicine. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis of lithium niobate and monocrystal growth by Czochralski method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balzuweit, K.

1988-01-01

The qualitative analysis of lithium niobate by x-ray analysis and optical microscopy is presented. The lithium niobate compound was obtained by synthesis using niobium oxides and lithium carbonates. The lithium niobate monocrystal growth was done by Czochralski method. (M.C.K.)

Influence of environmental factors on growth and pigment synthesis by purple thiobacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. О. Pavlova

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The influence of different environmental factors on growth and pigment biosynthesis by particular strains of purple thiobacteria was investigated. These strains belong to the genus Chromatium, Thiocystis, Thiocapsa and Lamprocystis and were isolated from Yavoriv sulphur mine. Calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron and sodium chloride should be included in the medium for optimal growth of these bacteria. Addition of these elements entails increasing the biomass production and synthesis of carotenoids and bacteriochlorophyll a. Initial concentration of inoculum and electron donor has essential influence on growth of purple thiobacteria. Early in the development of culture, sulphide was oxidized, and then the growth impairment and destruction of cells under exposure of light were observed. For the optimization of bacteria growth the electron donor (sulphide must be added many times during the cultivation process in the concentration, which is not exceed an inhibition dose. The additional bringing of the electron donor in the medium promotes the raise of cells’ biomass. The acetate introduction in the medium has positive influence on the pigments’ biosynthesis. The essential factor of growth and pigments’ biosynthesis is the light intensity. Peak gain of the culture growth was observed under 400 lx. The amplification of light exposure is accompanied by the decrease of growth and content of pigments in cells. Oxygen inhibits the synthesis of pigments in all strains

Nucleation and growth mechanism for flame synthesis of MoO2 hollow microchannels with nanometer wall thickness.

Science.gov (United States)

Merchan-Merchan, Wilson; Saveliev, Alexei V; Taylor, Aaron M

2009-12-01

The growth and morphological evolution of molybdenum-oxide microstructures formed in the high temperature environment of a counter-flow oxy-fuel flame using molybdenum probes is studied. Experiments conducted using various probe retention times show the sequence of the morphological changes. The morphological row begins with micron size objects exhibiting polygonal cubic shape, develops into elongated channels, changes to large structures with leaf-like shape, and ends in dendritic structures. Time of probe-flame interaction is found to be a governing parameter controlling the wide variety of morphological patterns; a molecular level growth mechanism is attributed to their development. This study reveals that the structures are grown in several consecutive stages: material "evaporation and transportation", "transformation", "nucleation", "initial growth", "intermediate growth", and "final growth". XRD analysis shows that the chemical compositions of all structures correspond to MoO(2).

Synthesis; characterization; and growth mechanism of Au/CdS heterostructured nanoflowers constructed with nanorods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong Qingcheng; Wu Rong; Feng Xiumei; Ye Cui; Hu Guanqi; Hu Jianqiang; Chen Zhiwu

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Well-defined and flower-shaped Au/CdS heterostructured nanocrystals were for the first time synthesized. → The Au-nanorod-induced hydrothermal strategy was for the first time used to fabricate metal/semiconductor heterostructured nanomaterials. → A preliminary crystal growing mechanism was also proposed for better understanding the growth process of other Au/semiconductor heterostructure nanocrystals. → The route devised here should also be extendable to fabricate other Au/semiconductor heterostructure nanomaterials. - Abstract: Gold/sulfide cadmium (Au/CdS) heterostructured nanocrystals with a flower-like shape were for the first time synthesized through an Au-nanorod-induced hydrothermal method. The Au/CdS nanoflowers possessed the average size of about 350 nm while the nanorods constructing the nanoflowers had the average diameter, length, and aspect ratio of approximately 50 nm, 100 nm, and 2, respectively. Our method suggested that Au-nanorods played a decisive role in the formation of Au/CdS heterostructured nanoflowers, demonstrated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffraction (ED), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy measurements. A preliminary experiment model to reveal the Au/CdS growth mechanism was also put forward. The route devised here should be perhaps extendable to fabricate other Au/semiconductor heterostructured nanomaterials, and the Au/CdS nanoflowers may have potential applications in nanodevices, biolabels, and clinical detection and diagnosis.

TIF-IA-dependent regulation of ribosome synthesis in drosophila muscle is required to maintain systemic insulin signaling and larval growth.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhishek Ghosh

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The conserved TOR kinase signaling network links nutrient availability to cell, tissue and body growth in animals. One important growth-regulatory target of TOR signaling is ribosome biogenesis. Studies in yeast and mammalian cell culture have described how TOR controls rRNA synthesis-a limiting step in ribosome biogenesis-via the RNA Polymerase I transcription factor TIF-IA. However, the contribution of TOR-dependent ribosome synthesis to tissue and body growth in animals is less clear. Here we show in Drosophila larvae that ribosome synthesis in muscle is required non-autonomously to maintain normal body growth and development. We find that amino acid starvation and TOR inhibition lead to reduced levels of TIF-IA, and decreased rRNA synthesis in larval muscle. When we mimic this decrease in muscle ribosome synthesis using RNAi-mediated knockdown of TIF-IA, we observe delayed larval development and reduced body growth. This reduction in growth is caused by lowered systemic insulin signaling via two endocrine responses: reduced expression of Drosophila insulin-like peptides (dILPs from the brain and increased expression of Imp-L2-a secreted factor that binds and inhibits dILP activity-from muscle. We also observed that maintaining TIF-IA levels in muscle could partially reverse the starvation-mediated suppression of systemic insulin signaling. Finally, we show that activation of TOR specifically in muscle can increase overall body size and this effect requires TIF-IA function. These data suggest that muscle ribosome synthesis functions as a nutrient-dependent checkpoint for overall body growth: in nutrient rich conditions, TOR is required to maintain levels of TIF-IA and ribosome synthesis to promote high levels of systemic insulin, but under conditions of starvation stress, reduced muscle ribosome synthesis triggers an endocrine response that limits systemic insulin signaling to restrict growth and maintain homeostasis.

In-situ synthesis of Ag nanoparticles by electron beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Jiangfeng; Liu, Hongwei; Jiang, Yuwen; Yang, Shaoguang; Liao, Xiaozhou; Liu, Zongwen; Ringer, Simon

2015-01-01

Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope chamber at room temperature and the growth mechanism was explored in detail. The sizes of the Ag nanoparticles are controlled by the electron beam current density. Two nanoparticle growth stages were identified. The first growth stage was dominated by the discharging effect, while the second stage was controlled by the heating effect. The nanoparticle synthesis method should be applicable to the synthesis of other metallic nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope chamber. • The sizes of the Ag nanoparticles are controlled by the electron beam current density. • The growth mechanism was studied, two growth stages were confirmed. • The first growth stage was dominated by the discharging effect, and the second stage was controlled by the heating effect.

Nutritionally-Induced Catch-Up Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galia Gat-Yablonski

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Malnutrition is considered a leading cause of growth attenuation in children. When food is replenished, spontaneous catch-up (CU growth usually occurs, bringing the child back to its original growth trajectory. However, in some cases, the CU growth is not complete, leading to a permanent growth deficit. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding the mechanism regulating nutrition and growth, including systemic factors, such as insulin, growth hormone, insulin- like growth factor-1, vitamin D, fibroblast growth factor-21, etc., and local mechanisms, including autophagy, as well as regulators of transcription, protein synthesis, miRNAs and epigenetics. Studying the molecular mechanisms regulating CU growth may lead to the establishment of better nutritional and therapeutic regimens for more effective CU growth in children with malnutrition and growth abnormalities. It will be fascinating to follow this research in the coming years and to translate the knowledge gained to clinical benefit.

Synthesis, growth, optical, mechanical and electrical properties of L ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

K RAMAMURTHI. Crystal Growth and Thin Film Laboratory, Department of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620 024, India ..... Green light emission (532 nm) ... pattern was observed on the screen as shown in figure 5.

Synthesis and Growth Mechanism of Multimetallic Core-Shell and Hollow-Like Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Londono-Calderon, Alejandra

A thorough control of nanoscale systems is crucial for developing and improving their activity in a variety of application fields. These range from nanocatalysis, plasmonics, nanosensors, nanomedicine, communications, and others. Controlling and understanding the growth and spatial distribution of multi metallic systems allow us to explore the correlation between the characteristics of the nanoparticle (composition, surface chemistry, crystallinity, etc.) and their properties (mechanical, optical, structural, etc.). In this dissertation bimetallic and multi-metallic nanoparticles were obtained by a seed mediated method and galvanic replacement. Combinations of the type core shell of Au Ag, Au Pd and Au Pd-Au Au multi-metallic systems were studied. A galvanic replacement method was used to obtain hollow-like Au/Pt nanoboxes and Au AgM (M = Au, Pd or Pt) yolk-shell structures with voids in the middle shell. Characterization regarding composition, morphology, optical properties and atomic structures was performed. The mechanical properties of Au Pd nanocubes were studied in situ by the use of a TEM-AFM nanomechanical holder. The nanoparticles strengthening mechanism relies on the Au core resistance to the motion of partial dislocations. The catalytic efficiency of core-shell and nanorattles structures were tested with a model reaction for the decomposition of 4-ntp to 4-amp. Yolk-shell systems exhibit an enhancement in the catalytic decomposition rate in comparison with solid and bimetallic system. Finally, the development of an Electrospray assisted Langmuir Blodgett technique was successfully employed for the deposition of nanoparticles monolayer on a substrate. High particle density and coverage of the substrate makes this a promising technique to finely tune nanoparticles self-assembly.

Concepts on Low Temperature Mechanical Grain Growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharon, John Anthony [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Metallurgy and Materials Joining Dept.; Boyce, Brad Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Metallurgy and Materials Joining Dept.

2013-11-01

In metals, as grain size is reduced below 100nm, conventional dislocation plasticity is suppressed resulting in improvements in strength, hardness, and wears resistance. Existing and emerging components use fine grained metals for these beneficial attributes. However, these benefits can be lost in service if the grains undergo growth during the component’s lifespan. While grain growth is traditionally viewed as a purely thermal process that requires elevated temperature exposure, recent evidence shows that some metals, especially those with nanocrystalline grain structure, can undergo grain growth even at room temperature or below due to mechanical loading. This report has been assembled to survey the key concepts regarding how mechanical loads can drive grain coarsening at room temperature and below. Topics outlined include the atomic level mechanisms that facilitate grain growth, grain boundary mobility, and the impact of boundary structure, loading scheme, and temperature.

Mechanisms involved in the hydrothermal growth of ultra-thin and high aspect ratio ZnO nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demes, Thomas [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Ternon, Céline, E-mail: celine.ternon@grenoble-inp.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LTM, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Morisot, Fanny [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP" 2, IMEP-LaHC, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Riassetto, David [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Legallais, Maxime [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP" 2, IMEP-LaHC, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Roussel, Hervé; Langlet, Michel [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France)

2017-07-15

Highlights: • ZnO nanowires are grown on sol-gel ZnO seed layers by hydrothermal synthesis. • Ultra-thin and high aspect ratio nanowires are obtained without using additives. • Nanowire diameter is 20–25 nm regardless of growth time and seed morphology. • A nanowire growth model is developed on the basis of thermodynamic considerations. • The nanowires are intended for integration into electrically conductive nanonets. - Abstract: Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanowires (NWs) with tailored dimensions, notably high aspect ratios (AR) and small diameters, is a major concern for a wide range of applications and still represents a challenging and recurring issue. In this work, an additive-free and reproducible hydrothermal procedure has been developed to grow ultra-thin and high AR ZnO NWs on sol-gel deposited ZnO seed layers. Controlling the substrate temperature and using a low reagent concentration (1 mM) has been found to be essential for obtaining such NWs. We show that the NW diameter remains constant at about 20–25 nm with growth time contrary to the NW length that can be selectively increased leading to NWs with ARs up to 400. On the basis of investigated experimental conditions along with thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, a ZnO NW growth mechanism has been developed which involves the formation and growth of nuclei followed by NW growth when the nuclei reach a critical size of about 20–25 nm. The low reagent concentration inhibits NW lateral growth leading to ultra-thin and high AR NWs. These NWs have been assembled into electrically conductive ZnO nanowire networks, which opens attractive perspectives toward the development of highly sensitive low-cost gas- or bio-sensors.

Anisotropic Growth of Otavite on Calcite: Implications for Heteroepitaxial Growth Mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riechers, Shawn L.; Kerisit, Sebastien N.

2017-12-18

Elucidating how cation intermixing can affect the mechanisms of heteroepitaxial growth in aqueous media has remained a challenging endeavor. Toward this goal, in situ atomic force microscopy was employed to image the heteroepitaxial growth of otavite (CdCO3) at the (10-14) surface of calcite (CaCO3) single crystals in static aqueous conditions. Heteroepitaxial growth proceeded via spreading of three-dimensional (3D) islands and two-dimensional (2D) atomic layers at low and high initial saturation levels, respectively. Experiments were carried out as a function of applied force and imaging mode thus enabling determination of growth mechanisms unaltered by imaging artifacts. This approach revealed the significant anisotropic nature of heteroepitaxial growth on calcite in both growth modes and its dependence on supersaturation, intermixing, and substrate topography. The 3D islands not only grew preferentially along the [42-1] direction relative to the [010] direction, resulting in rod-like surface precipitates, but also showed clear preference for growth from the island end rich in obtuse/obtuse kink sites. Pinning to step edges was observed to often reverse this tendency. In the 2D growth mode, the relative velocities of acute and obtuse steps were observed to switch between the first and second atomic layers. This phenomenon stemmed from the significant Cd-Ca intermixing in the first layer, despite bulk thermodynamics predicting the formation of almost pure otavite. Composition effects were also responsible for the inability of 3D islands to grow on 2D layers in cases where both modes were observed to occur simultaneously. Overall, the AFM images highlighted the effects of intermixing on heteroepitaxial growth, particularly how it can induce thickness-dependent growth mechanisms at the nanoscale.

From precursor powders to CsPbX3 perovskite nanowires. One-pot synthesis, growth mechanism, and oriented self-assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong, Yu; Bohn, Bernhard J.; Urban, Alexander S.; Polavarapu, Lakshminarayana; Feldmann, Jochen; Bladt, Eva; Bals, Sara; Wang, Kun; Mueller-Buschbaum, Peter

2017-01-01

The colloidal synthesis and assembly of semiconductor nanowires continues to attract a great deal of interest. Herein, we describe the single-step ligand-mediated synthesis of single-crystalline CsPbBr 3 perovskite nanowires (NWs) directly from the precursor powders. Studies of the reaction process and the morphological evolution revealed that the initially formed CsPbBr 3 nanocubes are transformed into NWs through an oriented-attachment mechanism. The optical properties of the NWs can be tuned across the entire visible range by varying the halide (Cl, Br, and I) composition through subsequent halide ion exchange. Single-particle studies showed that these NWs exhibit strongly polarized emission with a polarization anisotropy of 0.36. More importantly, the NWs can self-assemble in a quasi-oriented fashion at an air/liquid interface. This process should also be easily applicable to perovskite nanocrystals of different morphologies for their integration into nanoscale optoelectronic devices. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Advances in the understanding of crystal growth mechanisms

CERN Document Server

Nishinaga, T; Harada, J; Sasaki, A; Takei, H

1997-01-01

This book contains the results of a research project entitled Crystal Growth Mechanisms on an Atomic Scale, which was carried out for 3 years by some 72 reseachers. Until recently in Japan, only the technological aspects of crystal growth have been emphasized and attention was paid only to its importance in industry. However the scientific aspects also need to be considered so that the technology of crystal growth can be developed even further. This project therefore aimed at understanding crystal growth and the emphasis was on finding growth mechanisms on an atomic scale.

Growth factor involvement in tension-induced skeletal muscle growth

Science.gov (United States)

Vandenburgh, Herman H.

1993-01-01

Long-term manned space travel will require a better understanding of skeletal muscle atrophy which results from microgravity. Astronaut strength and dexterity must be maintained for normal mission operations and for emergency situations. Although exercise in space slows the rate of muscle loss, it does not prevent it. A biochemical understanding of how gravity/tension/exercise help to maintain muscle size by altering protein synthesis and/or degradation rate should ultimately allow pharmacological intervention to prevent muscle atrophy in microgravity. The overall objective is to examine some of the basic biochemical processes involved in tension-induced muscle growth. With an experimental in vitro system, the role of exogenous and endogenous muscle growth factors in mechanically stimulated muscle growth are examined. Differentiated avian skeletal myofibers can be 'exercised' in tissue culture using a newly developed dynamic mechanical cell stimulator device which simulates different muscle activity patterns. Patterns of mechanical activity which significantly affect muscle growth and metabolic characteristics were found. Both exogenous and endogenous growth factors are essential for tension-induced muscle growth. Exogenous growth factors found in serum, such as insulin, insulin-like growth factors, and steroids, are important regulators of muscle protein turnover rates and mechanically-induced muscle growth. Endogenous growth factors are synthesized and released into the culture medium when muscle cells are mechanically stimulated. At least one family of mechanically induced endogenous factors, the prostaglandins, help to regulate the rates of protein turnover in muscle cells. Endogenously synthesized IGF-1 is another. The interaction of muscle mechanical activity and these growth factors in the regulation of muscle protein turnover rates with our in vitro model system is studied.

Process Parameters for Successful Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes by Chemical Vapor Deposition: Implications for Chemical Mechanisms and Life-cycle Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Ke

CNT precursors by themselves. Acetylene does not show an additional energy demand or thermal conversion in the synthesis, and it could be the direct CNT precursors by itself; or at least, it would be most easily to get access to carbon nanotube growth while minimizing synthesis temperature. In detail, methane employs more energy demand (Tavg=883°C) than ethylene (Tavg=766°C), which in turn demands more energy than acetylene (Tavg=710°C) to successfully synthesize carbon nanotubes. The distinction in energy demand could be the result of kinetic energy requirements by the thermal conversion process of methane and ethylene to form direct CNT precursors, and methane employs the highest activation demand among three hydrocarbons. Thus, these results support the hypothesis that methane and ethylene could be thermally converted to form acetylene before CNT incorporation. In addition, methane and ethylene show the demand for hydrogen in thermal conversion process before CNT incorporation; whereas, hydrogen does not contribute to the synthesis via acetylene before CNT incorporation, except the reduction of catalyst. At relatively low hydrogen concentration, this work suggests that hydrogen prompts growth of carbon nanotubes via methane and ethylene, probably by reducing the catalysts or participating thermal reactions. In addition, "polymerization-like formation mechanism" could be supported by the higher growth rate of CNTs via ethylene than acetylene. There could be an optimum residence time to maintain a relatively higher growth rate. At too low residence time, carbon source could not be accumulated, causing a waste of material; while too high residence time may cause the limitation of carbon source supplement and accumulation of byproducts. At last, high concentration of carbon source and hydrogen could cause more energy consumption, while it helps to achieve a high growth rate, due to the more presence of direct carbon precursor.

Using realist synthesis to understand the mechanisms of interprofessional teamwork in health and social care.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewitt, Gillian; Sims, Sarah; Harris, Ruth

2014-11-01

Realist synthesis offers a novel and innovative way to interrogate the large literature on interprofessional teamwork in health and social care teams. This article introduces realist synthesis and its approach to identifying and testing the underpinning processes (or "mechanisms") that make an intervention work, the contexts that trigger those mechanisms and their subsequent outcomes. A realist synthesis of the evidence on interprofessional teamwork is described. Thirteen mechanisms were identified in the synthesis and findings for one mechanism, called "Support and value" are presented in this paper. The evidence for the other twelve mechanisms ("collaboration and coordination", "pooling of resources", "individual learning", "role blurring", "efficient, open and equitable communication", "tactical communication", "shared responsibility and influence", "team behavioural norms", "shared responsibility and influence", "critically reviewing performance and decisions", "generating and implementing new ideas" and "leadership") are reported in a further three papers in this series. The "support and value" mechanism referred to the ways in which team members supported one another, respected other's skills and abilities and valued each other's contributions. "Support and value" was present in some, but far from all, teams and a number of contexts that explained this variation were identified. The article concludes with a discussion of the challenges and benefits of undertaking this realist synthesis.

L-Citrulline Supplementation Enhances Fetal Growth and Protein Synthesis in Rats with Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourdon, Aurélie; Parnet, Patricia; Nowak, Christel; Tran, Nhat-Thang; Winer, Norbert; Darmaun, Dominique

2016-03-01

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) results from either maternal undernutrition or impaired placental blood flow, exposing offspring to increased perinatal mortality and a higher risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease during adulthood. l-Citrulline is a precursor of l-arginine and nitric oxide (NO), which regulates placental blood flow. Moreover, l-citrulline stimulates protein synthesis in other models of undernutrition. The aim of the study was to determine whether l-citrulline supplementation would enhance fetal growth in a model of IUGR induced by maternal dietary protein restriction. Pregnant rats were fed either a control (20% protein) or a low-protein (LP; 4% protein) diet. LP dams were randomly allocated to drink tap water either as such or supplemented with l-citrulline (2 g · kg(-1) · d(-1)), an isonitrogenous amount of l-arginine, or nonessential l-amino acids (NEAAs). On day 21 of gestation, dams received a 2-h infusion of l-[1-(13)C]-valine until fetuses were extracted by cesarean delivery. Isotope enrichments were measured in free amino acids and fetal muscle, liver, and placenta protein by GC-mass spectrometry. Fetal weight was ∼29% lower in the LP group (3.82 ± 0.06 g) than in the control group (5.41 ± 0.10 g) (P growth in a model of IUGR, and the effect may be mediated by enhanced fetal muscle protein synthesis and/or increased NO production. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Mechanisms of radiation induced creep and growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bullough, R.; Wood, M.H.

1980-01-01

Irradiation creep occurs primarily because the applied stress causes the evolving microstructure to respond in an anisotropic fashion to the interstitial and vacancy fluxes. On the other hand, irradiation growth requires the response to be naturally anisotropic in the absence of applied stress. Four fundamental mechanisms of irradiation creep have been conjectured: stress induced preferred absorption (SIPA) of the point defects on the dislocations, stress induced preferred nucleation (SIPN) of point defects in planar aggregates (edge dislocation loops), stress induced climb and glide (SICG) of the dislocation network and stress induced gas driven interstitial deposition (SIGD). These mechanisms will be briefly outlined and commented upon. The contributions made by these mechanisms to the total strain are not, in general, mutually separable and also depend on the prevailing (and changing) microstructure during irradiation. The fundamental mechanism of irradiation growth will be discussed: it is believed to arise by the preferred condensation of point defects and climb of dislocation loops and network on certain crystallographic planes. The preferred absorption and nucleation is thus a consequence of natural crystallographic anisotropy and not due to any external stresses. Again the effectiveness of this mechanism depends on the prevailing microstructure in the material. In this connection will be particularly drawn to the significance of solute trapping, segregation at grain boundaries, dislocation bias for interstitials and transport parameters for an understanding of irradiation growth in materials like zirconium and its alloys; the relevance of recent simulation studies of growth in such materials using electrons to the growth under neutron irradiation will be discussed in detail and a consistent model of growth in these materials will be presented. (orig.)

Synthesis and growth mechanism of sponge-like nickel using a hydrothermal method

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Bin; Yin, Xueguo; Hua, Weidong; Ma, Yilong; Sun, Jianchun; Li, Chunhong; Chen, Dengming; Guo, Donglin; Li, Kejian

2018-05-01

Sponge-like nickel composed of micro-chains with a diameter of 1-5 μm was selectively synthesized by the hydrothermal method, using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as the alkaline reagent, aqueous hydrazine as reducing agent and citric acid as a coordination agent. The time-dependent samples prepared at different NaOH concentrations were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The results showed that the agglomerates of nickel citrate hydrazine complex nanoplates were first precipitated and then reduced to prickly nickel micro-chains at a lower NaOH concentration, which played a role in the further formation of sponge-like nickel. Also, the probable growth mechanism of the sponge-like nickel was proposed. The magnetic properties of sponge-like nickel were studied using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The sponge-like nickel exhibited a ferromagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization value of 43.8 emu g-1 and a coercivity value of 120.7 Oe.

Cell growth and protein synthesis of unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas in heavy water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, M.R.

1983-01-01

The effects of heavy water on the cell growth and protein synthesis of the photoautotrophically growing Chlamydomonas cells were studied. The growth rate of the cells is inversely proportional to the concentrations of heavy water. The cells can barely live in 90% heavy water, but they die in 99.85% heavy water within a few days. Incorporation of 14 Cleucine into cells is markedly stimulated by heavy water of various concentrations between 30 and 99.85% in the case of the short time incubation. Contrary to this, in the long time incubation as several days, heavy water inhibits the protein synthesis. Such two modes of the protein synthetic activities are dependent upon the incubation time of the cells grown photoautotrophically in the heavy water media. (author)

Just-in-time control of Spo0A synthesis in Bacillus subtilis by multiple regulatory mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Chastanet, Arnaud; Losick, Richard

2011-11-01

The response regulator Spo0A governs multiple developmental processes in Bacillus subtilis, including most conspicuously sporulation. Spo0A is activated by phosphorylation via a multicomponent phosphorelay. Previous work has shown that the Spo0A protein is not rate limiting for sporulation. Rather, Spo0A is present at high levels in growing cells, rapidly rising to yet higher levels under sporulation-inducing conditions, suggesting that synthesis of the response regulator is subject to a just-in-time control mechanism. Transcription of spo0A is governed by a promoter switching mechanism, involving a vegetative, σ(A)-recognized promoter, P(v), and a sporulation σ(H)-recognized promoter, P(s), that is under phosphorylated Spo0A (Spo0A∼P) control. The spo0A regulatory region also contains four (including one identified in the present work) conserved elements that conform to the consensus binding site for Spo0A∼P binding sites. These are herein designated O(1), O(2), O(3), and O(4) in reverse order of their proximity to the coding sequence. Here we report that O(1) is responsible for repressing P(v) during the transition to stationary phase, that O(2) is responsible for repressing P(s) during growth, that O(3) is responsible for activating P(s) at the start of sporulation, and that O(4) is dispensable for promoter switching. We also report that Spo0A synthesis is subject to a posttranscriptional control mechanism such that translation of mRNAs originating from P(v) is impeded due to RNA secondary structure whereas mRNAs originating from P(s) are fully competent for protein synthesis. We propose that the opposing actions of O(2) and O(3) and the enhanced translatability of mRNAs originating from P(s) create a highly sensitive, self-reinforcing switch that is responsible for producing a burst of Spo0A synthesis at the start of sporulation.

Growth mechanisms, polytypism, and real structure of kaolinite microcrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samotoin, N. D.

2008-01-01

The mechanisms of growth of kaolinite microcrystals (0.1-5.0 μm in size) at deposits related to the cluvial weathering crust, as well as to the low-temperature and medium-temperature hydrothermal processes of transformations of minerals in different rocks in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Czechia, Vietnam, India, Cuba, and Madagascar, are investigated using transmission electron microscopy and vacuum decoration with gold. It is established that kaolinite microcrystals grow according to two mechanisms: the mechanism of periodic formation of two-dimensional nuclei and the mechanism of spiral growth. The spiral growth of kaolinite microcrystals is dominant and occurs on steps of screw dislocations that differ in sign and magnitude of the Burgers vector along the c axis. The layered growth of kaolinite originates from a widespread source in the form of a step between polar (+ and -) dislocations, i.e., a growth analogue of the Frank-Read dislocation source. The density of growth screw dislocations varies over a wide range and can be as high as ∼10 9 cm -2 . Layered stepped kaolinite growth pyramids for all mechanisms of growth on the (001) face of kaolinite exhibit the main features of the triclinic 1Tc and real structures of this mineral.

Reaction mechanisms for on-surface synthesis of covalent nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Björk, J

2016-01-01

In recent years, on-surface synthesis has become an increasingly popular strategy to form covalent nanostructures. The approach has great prospects for facilitating the manufacture of a range of fascinating materials with atomic precision. However, the on-surface reactions are enigmatic to control, currently restricting its bright perspectives and there is a great need to explore how the reactions are governed. The objective of this topical review is to summarize theoretical work that has focused on comprehending on-surface synthesis protocols through studies of reaction mechanisms. (topical review)

Surface growth mechanisms and structural faulting in the growth of large single and spherulitic titanosilicate ETS-4 crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Miraglia, Peter Q.; Yilmaz, Bilge; Warzywoda, Juliusz; Sacco, Albert

2004-10-01

Morphological, surface and crystallographic analyses of titanosilicate ETS-4 products, with diverse habits ranging from spherulitic particles composed of submicron crystallites to large single crystals, are presented. Pole figures revealed that crystal surfaces with a-, b- and c- axes corresponded to , and directions, respectively. Thus, technologically important 8-membered ring pores and titania chains in ETS-4 run along the b-axis of single crystals and terminate at the smallest crystal face. Height of the spiral growth steps observed on {1 0 0} and {0 0 1} surfaces corresponded to the interplanar spacings associated with their crystallographic orientation, and is equivalent to the thickness of building units that form the ETS-4 framework. Data suggest that the more viscous synthesis mixtures, with a large driving force for growth, increased the two- and three-dimensional nucleation, while limiting the transport of nutrients to the growth surface. These conditions increase the tendency for stacking fault formation on {1 0 0} surfaces and small angle branching, which eventually results in spherulitic growth. The growth of high quality ETS-4 single crystals (from less viscous synthesis mixtures) occurred at lower surface nucleation rates. Data suggest that these high quality, large crystals grew due to one-dimensional nucleation at spiral hillocks, and indicate that under these conditions un-faulted growth is preferred.

A self-propagation high-temperature synthesis and annealing route to synthesis of wave-like boron nitride nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jilin; Zhang, Laiping [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430073 (China); Gu, Yunle, E-mail: ncm@mail.wit.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430073 (China); Pan, Xinye; Zhao, Guowei; Zhang, Zhanhui [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430073 (China)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Large quantities of wave-like BN nanotubes were synthesized by SHS-annealing method. ► The catalytic boron-containing porous precursor was produced by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis method. ► Three growth models were proposed to explain the growth mechanism of the wave-like BN nanotubes. - Abstract: Large quantities of boron nitride (BN) nanotubes were synthesized by annealing a catalytic boron-containing porous precursor in flowing NH{sub 3} gas at 1180 °C. The porous precursor was prepared by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method at 800 °C using Mg, B{sub 2}O{sub 3} and amorphous boron powder (α-B) as the starting materials. The porous precursor played an important role in large quantities synthesis of BN nanotubes. The as-synthesized product was characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), Raman, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Characterization results indicated that the BN nanotubes displayed wave-like inner structures with diameters in the range of 50–300 nm and average lengths of more than 10 μm. The possible growth mechanism of the BN nanotubes was also discussed.

Upconversion Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Mechanism, and Applications in Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Xiaojun Zhao

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Upconversion is an optical process that involves the conversion of lower-energy photons into higher-energy photons. It has been extensively studied since mid-1960s and widely applied in optical devices. Over the past decade, high-quality rare earth-doped upconversion nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized with the rapid development of nanotechnology and are becoming more prominent in biological sciences. The synthesis methods are usually phase-based processes, such as thermal decomposition, hydrothermal reaction, and ionic liquids-based synthesis. The main difference between upconversion nanoparticles and other nanomaterials is that they can emit visible light under near infrared irradiation. The near infrared irradiation leads to low autofluorescence, less scattering and absorption, and deep penetration in biological samples. In this review, the synthesis of upconversion nanoparticles and the mechanisms of upconversion process will be discussed, followed by their applications in different areas, especially in the biological field for biosensing.

DMPD: Mechanism of age-associated up-regulation in macrophage PGE2 synthesis. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 15331118 Mechanism of age-associated up-regulation in macrophage PGE2 synthesis. Wu...e-associated up-regulation in macrophage PGE2 synthesis. PubmedID 15331118 Title Mechanism of age-associated... up-regulation in macrophage PGE2 synthesis. Authors Wu D, Meydani SN. Publicatio

Remobilization of Phytol from Chlorophyll Degradation Is Essential for Tocopherol Synthesis and Growth of Arabidopsis

Science.gov (United States)

vom Dorp, Katharina; Hölzl, Georg; Plohmann, Christian; Eisenhut, Marion; Abraham, Marion

2015-01-01

Phytol from chlorophyll degradation can be phosphorylated to phytyl-phosphate and phytyl-diphosphate, the substrate for tocopherol (vitamin E) synthesis. A candidate for the phytyl-phosphate kinase from Arabidopsis thaliana (At1g78620) was identified via a phylogeny-based approach. This gene was designated VITAMIN E DEFICIENT6 (VTE6) because the leaves of the Arabidopsis vte6 mutants are tocopherol deficient. The vte6 mutant plants are incapable of photoautotrophic growth. Phytol and phytyl-phosphate accumulate, and the phytyl-diphosphate content is strongly decreased in vte6 leaves. Phytol feeding and enzyme assays with Arabidopsis and recombinant Escherichia coli cells demonstrated that VTE6 has phytyl-P kinase activity. Overexpression of VTE6 resulted in increased phytyl-diphosphate and tocopherol contents in seeds, indicating that VTE6 encodes phytyl-phosphate kinase. The severe growth retardation of vte6 mutants was partially rescued by introducing the phytol kinase mutation vte5. Double mutant plants (vte5 vte6) are tocopherol deficient and contain more chlorophyll, but reduced amounts of phytol and phytyl-phosphate compared with vte6 mutants, suggesting that phytol or phytyl-phosphate are detrimental to plant growth. Therefore, VTE6 represents the missing phytyl-phosphate kinase, linking phytol release from chlorophyll with tocopherol synthesis. Moreover, tocopherol synthesis in leaves depends on phytol derived from chlorophyll, not on de novo synthesis of phytyl-diphosphate from geranylgeranyl-diphosphate. PMID:26452599

Synthesis of Gibberellic Acid Derivatives and Their Effects on Plant Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Tian

2017-04-01

Full Text Available A series of novel C-3-OH substituted gibberellin derivatives bearing an amide group were designed and synthesized from the natural product gibberellic acid (GA3. Their activities on the plant growth regulation of rice and Arabidopsis were evaluated in vivo. Among these compounds, 10d and 10f exhibited appreciable inhibitory activities on rice (48.6% at 100 μmol/L and Arabidopsis (41.4% at 100 μmol/L, respectively. These results provide new insights into the design and synthesis of potential plant growth regulators.

Portraying mechanics of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dweipayan Goswami

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Population growth and increase in food requirement is the global problem. It is inevitable to introduce new practices that help to increase agricultural productivity. Use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR has shown potentials to be a promising technique in the practice of sustainable agriculture. A group of natural soil microbial flora acquire dwelling in the rhizosphere and on the surface of the plant roots which impose beneficial effect on the overall well-being of the plant are categorized as PGPR. Researchers are actively involved in understanding plant growth promoting mechanics employed by PGPR. Broadly, these are divided into direct and indirect mechanics. Any mechanism that directly enhances plant growth either by providing nutrients or by producing growth regulators are portrayed as direct mechanics. Whereas, any mechanisms that protects plant from acquiring infections (biotic stress or helps plant to grow healthily under environmental stresses (abiotic stress are considered indirect mechanics. This review is focused to describe cogent mechanics employed by PGPR that assists plant to sustain healthy growth. Also, we emphasized on the PGPR-based products which have been commercially developed exploiting these mechanics of PGPR.

The crack growth mechanism in asphaltic mixes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jacobs, M.M.J.; Hopman, P.C.; Molenaar, A.A.A.

1995-01-01

The crack growth mechanism in asphalt concrete (Ac) mixes is studied. In cyclic tests on several asphaltic mixes crack growth is measured, both with crack foils and with cOD-gauges. It is found that crack growth in asphaltic mixes is described by three processes which are parallel in time: cohesive

Lewis lung carcinoma regulation of mechanical stretch-induced protein synthesis in cultured myotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Song; Carson, James A

2016-01-01

Mechanical stretch can activate muscle and myotube protein synthesis through mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. While it has been established that tumor-derived cachectic factors can induce myotube wasting, the effect of this catabolic environment on myotube mechanical signaling has not been determined. We investigated whether media containing cachectic factors derived from Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) can regulate the stretch induction of myotube protein synthesis. C2C12 myotubes preincubated in control or LLC-derived media were chronically stretched. Protein synthesis regulation by anabolic and catabolic signaling was then examined. In the control condition, stretch increased mTORC1 activity and protein synthesis. The LLC treatment decreased basal mTORC1 activity and protein synthesis and attenuated the stretch induction of protein synthesis. LLC media increased STAT3 and AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in myotubes, independent of stretch. Both stretch and LLC independently increased ERK1/2, p38, and NF-κB phosphorylation. In LLC-treated myotubes, the inhibition of ERK1/2 and p38 rescued the stretch induction of protein synthesis. Interestingly, either leukemia inhibitory factor or glycoprotein 130 antibody administration caused further inhibition of mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis in stretched myotubes. AMP-activated protein kinase inhibition increased basal mTORC1 signaling activity and protein synthesis in LLC-treated myotubes, but did not restore the stretch induction of protein synthesis. These results demonstrate that LLC-derived cachectic factors can dissociate stretch-induced signaling from protein synthesis through ERK1/2 and p38 signaling, and that glycoprotein 130 signaling is associated with the basal stretch response in myotubes. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Room temperature growth of ZnO nanorods by hydrothermal synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Tateyama, Hiroki; Zhang, Qiyan; Ichikawa, Yo

2018-05-01

The effect of seed layer morphology on ZnO nanorod growth at room temperature was studied via hydrothermal synthesis on seed layers with different thicknesses and further annealed at different temperatures. The change in the thickness and annealing temperature enabled us to control over a diameter of ZnO nanorods which are attributed to the changing of crystallinity and roughness of the seed layers.

Effect of alkali ions (Na+, K+, Cs+) on reaction mechanism of CZTS nano-particles synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Suresh; Altosaar, Mare; Grossberg, Maarja; Mikli, Valdek

2018-04-01

The control of morphology, elemental composition and phase composition of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nano-crystals depends on the control of complex formation and surface stabilization of nano-particles in solution-based synthesis in oleylamine. At temperatures ≥280 °C, the control of nano-crystal's morphology and homogenous growth is difficult because of fast poly-nuclear growth occurring at higher temperatures. In the present work the effect of oleylamine complex formation with different alkali ions (Na+, K+ and Cs+) on nano-crystals growth at synthesis temperature of 280 °C was studied. It was found that nano-powders synthesized in the presence of Na+ and K+ ions showed the formation of crystals of different sizes - small nano-particles (18 nm-30 nm), large aggregated crystals (few nm to 1 μm) and large single crystals (1 μm - 4 μm). The presence of Cs+ ions in the nano-powder synthesis in oleylamine-metal precursor-CsOH solution promoted growth of nano-crystals of homogenous size. It is proposed that the formed oleylamine-Cs complexes a) enhance the formation and stabilization of oleylamine-metal (Cu, Zn and Sn) complexes before the injection of sulphur precursor into the oleylamine-metal precursor solution and b) after addition of sulphur stabilize the fast nucleated nano-particles and promote diffusion limited growth.

Effect of ketoconazole in combination with other inhibitors of sterol synthesis on fungal growth.

OpenAIRE

Sud, I J; Feingold, D S

1985-01-01

The effect of combination of ketoconazole with other sterol synthesis inhibitors on fungal growth was tested against a variety of fungi selected for resistance to ketoconazole. All of the sterol inhibitors, at concentrations lower than their MICs, caused an increase greater than fourfold in the ketoconazole susceptibility of some fungi. Some of the sterol synthesis inhibitors showed this effect with ketoconazole at levels that may be achieved clinically.

Regulation of intestinal mucosal growth by amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Ramesh M; Johnson, Leonard R

2014-03-01

Amino acids, especially glutamine (GLN) have been known for many years to stimulate the growth of small intestinal mucosa. Polyamines are also required for optimal mucosal growth, and the inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the first rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine synthesis, blocks growth. Certain amino acids, primarily asparagine (ASN) and GLN stimulate ODC activity in a solution of physiological salts. More importantly, their presence is also required before growth factors and hormones such as epidermal growth factor and insulin are able to increase ODC activity. ODC activity is inhibited by antizyme-1 (AZ) whose synthesis is stimulated by polyamines, thus, providing a negative feedback regulation of the enzyme. In the absence of amino acids mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is inhibited, whereas, mTORC2 is stimulated leading to the inhibition of global protein synthesis but increasing the synthesis of AZ via a cap-independent mechanism. These data, therefore, explain why ASN or GLN is essential for the activation of ODC. Interestingly, in a number of papers, AZ has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation, stimulate apoptosis, or increase autophagy. Each of these activities results in decreased cellular growth. AZ binds to and accelerates the degradation of ODC and other proteins shown to regulate proliferation and cell death, such as Aurora-A, Cyclin D1, and Smad1. The correlation between the stimulation of ODC activity and the absence of AZ as influenced by amino acids is high. Not only do amino acids such as ASN and GLN stimulate ODC while inhibiting AZ synthesis, but also amino acids such as lysine, valine, and ornithine, which inhibit ODC activity, increase the synthesis of AZ. The question remaining to be answered is whether AZ inhibits growth directly or whether it acts by decreasing the availability of polyamines to the dividing cells. In either case, evidence strongly suggests that the regulation of AZ synthesis is the

Application of mechanical alloying to synthesis of intermetallic phases based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dymek, S.

2001-01-01

Mechanical alloying is the process of synthesis of powder materials during milling in high energetic mills, usually ball mills. The central event in mechanical alloying is the ball-powder-ball collision. Powder particles are trapped between the colliding balls during milling and undergo deformation and/or fracture. Fractured parts are cold welded. The continued fracture and cold welding results in a uniform size and chemical composition of powder particles. The main applications of mechanical alloying are: processing of ODS alloys, syntheses of intermetallic phases, synthesis of nonequilibrium structures (amorphous alloys, extended solid solutions, nanocrystalline, quasi crystals) and magnetic materials. The present paper deals with application of mechanical alloying to synthesis Ni A l base intermetallic phases as well as phases from the Nb-Al binary system. The alloy were processed from elemental powders. The course of milling was monitored by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. After milling, the collected powders were sieved by 45 μm grid and hot pressed (Nb alloys and NiAl) or hot extruded (NiAl). The resulting material was fully dense and exhibited fine grain (< 1 μm) and uniform distribution of oxide dispersoid. The consolidated material was compression and creep tested. The mechanical properties of mechanically alloys were superior to properties of their cast counterparts both in the room and elevated temperatures. Higher strength of mechanically alloyed materials results from their fine grains and from the presence of dispersoid. At elevated temperatures, the Nb-Al alloys have higher compression strength than NiAl-based alloys processed at the same conditions. The minimum creep rates of mechanically alloyed Nb alloys are an order of magnitude lower than analogously processed NiAl-base alloys. (author)

Mechanisms of growth plate maturation and epiphyseal fusion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Emons, J.; Chagin, A.S.; Karperien, Hermanus Bernardus Johannes; Wit, J.M.

2011-01-01

Longitudinal growth occurs within the long bones at the growth plate. During childhood, the growth plate matures, its total width decreases and eventually it disappears at the end of puberty with complete replacement by bone along with cessation of longitudinal growth. The exact mechanism of

Mass Equivalent Pantographs for Synthesis of Balanced Focal Mechanisms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wijk, V.; Lenarcic, Jadran; Merlet, Jean-Pierre

2016-01-01

Force balance is an important property in the design of high-speed high precision machinery to reduce base vibrations and also for the design of inherently safe large movable structures. This paper presents the synthesis of inherently balanced overconstrained focal mechanisms with mass equivalent

From precursor powders to CsPbX{sub 3} perovskite nanowires. One-pot synthesis, growth mechanism, and oriented self-assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tong, Yu; Bohn, Bernhard J.; Urban, Alexander S.; Polavarapu, Lakshminarayana; Feldmann, Jochen [Chair for Photonics and Optoelectronics, Department of Physics and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Muenchen Univ. (Germany); Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM), Munich (Germany); Bladt, Eva; Bals, Sara [EMAT, University of Antwerp (Belgium); Wang, Kun; Mueller-Buschbaum, Peter [Department of Physics, Chair for Functional Materials, Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany)

2017-10-23

The colloidal synthesis and assembly of semiconductor nanowires continues to attract a great deal of interest. Herein, we describe the single-step ligand-mediated synthesis of single-crystalline CsPbBr{sub 3} perovskite nanowires (NWs) directly from the precursor powders. Studies of the reaction process and the morphological evolution revealed that the initially formed CsPbBr{sub 3} nanocubes are transformed into NWs through an oriented-attachment mechanism. The optical properties of the NWs can be tuned across the entire visible range by varying the halide (Cl, Br, and I) composition through subsequent halide ion exchange. Single-particle studies showed that these NWs exhibit strongly polarized emission with a polarization anisotropy of 0.36. More importantly, the NWs can self-assemble in a quasi-oriented fashion at an air/liquid interface. This process should also be easily applicable to perovskite nanocrystals of different morphologies for their integration into nanoscale optoelectronic devices. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Computer Aided Synthesis of a Four-Bar Mechanism For Soil Tilling ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

points, circle points, lengths, and the coupler point of interest of the chosen mechanism were altered and the resulting coupler curve plotted. The process was repeated until a suitable coupler curve and acceptable dimensions and fixed points locations were obtained. Keywords: Computer synthesis, four-bar mechanism, ...

Graphene growth with ‘no’ feedstock

Science.gov (United States)

Qing, Fangzhu; Jia, Ruitao; Li, Bao-Wen; Liu, Chunlin; Li, Congzhou; Peng, Bo; Deng, Longjiang; Zhang, Wanli; Li, Yanrong; Ruoff, Rodney S.; Li, Xuesong

2017-06-01

Synthesis of graphene by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from hydrocarbons on Cu foil substrates can yield high quality and large area graphene films. In a typical CVD process, a hydrocarbon in the gas phase is introduced for graphene growth and hydrogen is usually required to achieve high quality graphene. We have found that in a low pressure CVD system equipped with an oil mechanical vacuum pump located downstream, graphene can be grown without deliberate introduction of a carbon feedstock but with only trace amounts of C present in the system, the origin of which we attribute to the vapor of the pump oil. This finding may help to rationalize the differences in graphene growth reported by different research groups. It should also help to gain an in-depth understanding of graphene growth mechanisms with the aim to improve the reproducibility and structure control in graphene synthesis, e.g. the formation of large area single crystal graphene and uniform bilayer graphene.

The mathematics and mechanics of biological growth

CERN Document Server

Goriely, Alain

2017-01-01

This monograph presents a general mechanical theory for biological growth. It provides both a conceptual and a technical foundation for the understanding and analysis of problems arising in biology and physiology. The theory and methods is illustrated on a wide range of examples and applications. A process of extreme complexity, growth plays a fundamental role in many biological processes and is considered to be the hallmark of life itself. Its description has been one of the fundamental problems of life sciences, but until recently, it has not attracted much attention from mathematicians, physicists, and engineers. The author herein presents the first major technical monograph on the problem of growth since D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson’s 1917 book On Growth and Form. The emphasis of the book is on the proper mathematical formulation of growth kinematics and mechanics. Accordingly, the discussion proceeds in order of complexity and the book is divided into five parts. First, a general introduction on the pro...

Engineering cell wall synthesis mechanism for enhanced PHB accumulation in E. coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xing-Chen; Guo, Yingying; Liu, Xu; Chen, Xin-Guang; Wu, Qiong; Chen, Guo-Qiang

2018-01-01

The rigidity of bacterial cell walls synthesized by a complicated pathway limit the cell shapes as coccus, bar or ellipse or even fibers. A less rigid bacterium could be beneficial for intracellular accumulation of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) as granular inclusion bodies. To understand how cell rigidity affects PHB accumulation, E. coli cell wall synthesis pathway was reinforced and weakened, respectively. Cell rigidity was achieved by thickening the cell walls via insertion of a constitutive gltA (encoding citrate synthase) promoter in front of a series of cell wall synthesis genes on the chromosome of several E. coli derivatives, resulting in 1.32-1.60 folds increase of Young's modulus in mechanical strength for longer E. coli cells over-expressing fission ring FtsZ protein inhibiting gene sulA. Cell rigidity was weakened by down regulating expressions of ten genes in the cell wall synthesis pathway using CRISPRi, leading to elastic cells with more spaces for PHB accumulation. The regulation on cell wall synthesis changes the cell rigidity: E. coli with thickened cell walls accumulated only 25% PHB while cell wall weakened E. coli produced 93% PHB. Manipulation on cell wall synthesis mechanism adds another possibility to morphology engineering of microorganisms. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genistein-mediated inhibition of glycosaminoglycan synthesis, which corrects storage in cells of patients suffering from mucopolysaccharidoses, acts by influencing an epidermal growth factor-dependent pathway

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Barańska Sylwia

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS are inherited metabolic disorders caused by mutations leading to dysfunction of one of enzymes involved in degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs. Due to their impaired degradation, GAGs accumulate in cells of patients, which results in dysfunction of tissues and organs. Substrate reduction therapy is one of potential treatment of these diseases. It was demonstrated previously that genistein (4', 5, 7-trihydroxyisoflavone inhibits synthesis and reduces levels of GAGs in cultures of fibroblasts of MPS patients. Recent pilot clinical study indicated that such a therapy may be effective in MPS III (Sanfilippo syndrome. Methods To learn on details of the molecular mechanism of genistein-mediated inhibition of GAG synthesis, efficiency of this process was studied by measuring of incorporation of labeled sulfate, storage of GAGs in lysosomes was estimated by using electron microscopic techniques, and efficiency of phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor (EGF receptor was determined by using an ELISA-based assay with fluorogenic substrates. Results Effects of genistein on inhibition of GAG synthesis and accumulation in fibroblasts from patients suffering from various MPS types were abolished in the presence of an excess of EGF, and were partially reversed by an increased concentration of genistein. No such effects were observed when an excess of 17β-estradiol was used instead of EGF. Moreover, EGF-mediated stimulation of phsophorylation of the EGF receptor was impaired in the presence of genistein in both wild-type and MPS fibroblasts. Conclusion The results presented in this report indicate that the mechanism of genistein-mediated inhibition of GAG synthesis operates through epidermal growth factor (EGF-dependent pathway.

Hydrothermal Synthesis and Mechanism of Unusual Zigzag Ag2Te and Ag2Te/C Core-Shell Nanostructures

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Saima Manzoor

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A single step surfactant-assisted hydrothermal route has been developed for the synthesis of zigzag silver telluride nanowires with diameter of 50–60 nm and length of several tens of micrometers. Silver nitrate (AgNO3 and sodium tellurite (Na2TeO3, are the precursors and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP is used as surfactant in the presence of the reducing agent, that is, hydrazine hydrate (N2H4·H2O. In addition to the zigzag nanowires a facile hydrothermal reduction-carbonization route is proposed for the preparation of uniform core-shell Ag2Te/C nanowires. In case of Ag2Te/C synthesis process the same precursors are employed for Ag and Te along with the ethylene glycol used as reducing agent and glucose as the carbonizing agent. Morphological and compositional properties of the prepared products are analyzed with the help of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. The detailed formation mechanism of the zigzag morphology and reduction-carbonization growth mechanism for core-shell nanowires are illustrated on the bases of experimental results.

Quantifying mechanical force in axonal growth and guidance

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Ahmad Ibrahim Mahmoud Athamneh

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Mechanical force plays a fundamental role in neuronal development, physiology, and regeneration. In particular, research has shown that force is involved in growth cone-mediated axonal growth and guidance as well as stretch-induced elongation when an organism increases in size after forming initial synaptic connections. However, much of the details about the exact role of force in these fundamental processes remain unknown. In this review, we highlight (1 standing questions concerning the role of mechanical force in axonal growth and guidance and (2 different experimental techniques used to quantify forces in axons and growth cones. We believe that satisfying answers to these questions will require quantitative information about the relationship between elongation, forces, cytoskeletal dynamics, axonal transport, signaling, substrate adhesion, and stiffness contributing to directional growth advance. Furthermore, we address why a wide range of force values have been reported in the literature, and what these values mean in the context of neuronal mechanics. We hope that this review will provide a guide for those interested in studying the role of force in development and regeneration of neuronal networks.

Local administration of growth hormone stimulates tendon collagen synthesis in elderly men

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard, P; Jørgensen, J.O.L.; Olesen, J.L.

2012-01-01

Tendon collagen content and circulating growth hormone (GH) are reduced in elderly. In a placebo-controlled, double-blinded study, we examined if local injections of rhGH enhance collagen synthesis in healthy elderly men (61 ± 1 yr). Two injections of rhGH or saline (control) were injected into e...

Mechanics of quasi-static crack growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rice, J R

1978-10-01

Results on the mechanics of quasi-static crack growth are reviewed. These include recent studies on the geometry and stability of crack paths in elastic-brittle solids, and on the thermodynamics of Griffith cracking, including environmental effects. The relation of crack growth criteria to non-elastic rheological models is considered and paradoxes with energy balance approaches, based on singular crack models, are discussed for visco-elastic, diffuso-elastic, and elastic-plastic materials. Also, recent approaches to prediction of stable crack growth in ductile, elastic-plastic solids are discussed.

Mechanical growth and morphogenesis of seashells

KAUST Repository

Moulton, D.E.

2012-10-01

Seashells grow through the local deposition of mass along the aperture. Many mathematical descriptions of the shapes of shells have been provided over the years, and the basic logarithmic coiling seen in mollusks can be simulated with few parameters. However, the developmental mechanisms underlying shell coiling are largely not understood and the ubiquitous presence of ornamentation such as ribs, tubercles, or spines presents yet another level of difficulty. Here we develop a general model for shell growth based entirely on the local geometry and mechanics of the aperture and mantle. This local description enables us to efficiently describe both arbitrary growth velocities and the evolution of the shell aperture itself. We demonstrate how most shells can be simulated within this framework. We then turn to the mechanics underlying the shell morphogenesis, and develop models for the evolution of the aperture. We demonstrate that the elastic response of the mantle during shell deposition provides a natural mechanism for the formation of three-dimensional ornamentation in shells. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Glycosaminoglycan synthesis in the mandibular condyle during growth adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kantomaa, T; Pirttiniemi, P; Tuominen, M; Poikela, A

1994-01-01

Condylar growth was studied after an operation simulating functional orthodontic appliances. Twenty-five rabbits underwent a surgical operation for the induction of premature synostosis to displace the glenoid fossa posteriorly during growth. Twenty-five control rabbits underwent sham operations. At the age of 15 days, 10 experimental and 10 control animals and, at the age of 20 days, 5 experimental and 5 control animals were killed. Their mandibular condyles were organ-cultured for 3 h in the presence of radiolabelled sulphur. The condyles were used for autoradiographic purposes. Digital image analysis of autoradiograms of histological sections showed synthesis of glycosaminoglycans to have increased from the anterior to the posterior direction. This increase was more marked in experimental animals than in the condyles of control animals. Ten experimental and 10 control animals were killed at the age of 15 days, and mandibular condyles were organ-cultured for 1, 4 and 7 days. Differentiation of proliferating prechondroblasts into hypertrophied chondrocytes continued under organ culture conditions. A marked decrease in the proliferating cell layer was noticed, especially in control condyles. Hypertrophy was faster and came closer to the surface of the condyle in the anterior region of the condyle. This was most marked in the condyles of experimental animals. The results indicate that a procedure carried out on the glenoid fossa with the same effect as functional appliances increases the synthesis of extracellular matrix in the posterosuperior region of the mandibular condyle.

Fundamental aspects of nucleation and growth in the solution-phase synthesis of germanium nanocrystals

KAUST Repository

Codoluto, Stephen C.; Baumgardner, William J.; Hanrath, Tobias

2010-01-01

Colloidal Ge nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized via the solution phase reduction of germanium(ii) iodide. We report a systematic investigation of the nanocrystal nucleation and growth as a function of synthesis conditions including the nature

Oxygen dependency of epidermal growth factor receptor binding and DNA synthesis of rat hepatocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, Tetsuro; Terajima, Hiroaki; Yamauchi, Akira

1997-01-01

Background/Aims: Changes in oxygen availability modulate replicative responses in several cell types, but the effects on hepatocyte replication remain unclear. We have studied the effects of transient nonlethal hypoxia on epidermal growth factor receptor binding and epidermal growth factor-induced DNA synthesis of rat hepatocytes. Methods: Lactate dehydrogenase activity in culture supernatant, intracellular adenosine triphosphate content, 125 I-epidermal growth factor specific binding, epidermal growth factor receptor protein expression, and 3 H-thymidine incorporation were compared between hepatocytes cultured in hypoxia and normoxia. Results: Hypoxia up to 3 h caused no significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity in the culture supernatant, while intracellular adenosine triphosphate content decreased time-dependently and was restored to normoxic levels by reoxygenation (nonlethal hypoxia). Concomitantly, 125 I-epidermal growth factor specific binding to hepatocytes decreased time-dependently (to 54.1% of normoxia) and was restored to control levels by reoxygenation, although 125 I-insulin specific binding was not affected. The decrease in 125 I-epidermal growth factor specific binding was explained by the decrease in the number or available epidermal growth factor receptors (21.37±3.08 to 12.16±1.42 fmol/10 5 cells), while the dissociation constant of the receptor was not affected. The change in the number of available receptors was not considered to be due to receptor degradation-resynthesis, since immuno-detection of the epidermal growth factor receptor revealed that the receptor protein expression did not change during hypoxia and reoxygenation, and since neither actinomycin D nor cycloheximide affected the recovery of 125 I-epidermal growth factor binding by reoxygenation. Inhibition of epidermal growth factor-induced DNA synthesis after hypoxia (to 75.4% of normoxia by 3 h hypoxia) paralleled the decrease in 125 I-epidermal growth factor binding

Growth Mechanism of Pumpkin-Shaped Vaterite Hierarchical Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Guobin; Xu, Yifei; Wang, Mu

2015-03-01

CaCO3-based biominerals possess sophisticated hierarchical structures and promising mechanical properties. Recent researches imply that vaterite may play an important role in formation of CaCO3-based biominerals. However, as a less common polymorph of CaCO3, the growth mechanism of vaterite remains not very clear. Here we report the growth of a pumpkin-shaped vaterite hierarchical structure with a six-fold symmetrical axis and lamellar microstructure. We demonstrate that the growth is controlled by supersaturation and the intrinsic crystallographic anisotropy of vaterite. For the scenario of high supersaturation, the nucleation rate is higher than the lateral extension rate, favoring the ``double-leaf'' spherulitic growth. Meanwhile, nucleation occurs preferentially in as determined by the crystalline structure of vaterite, modulating the grown products with a hexagonal symmetry. The results are beneficial for an in-depth understanding of the biomineralization of CaCO3. The growth mechanism may also be applicable to interpret the formation of similar hierarchical structures of other materials. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from National Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51172104 and 50972057) and National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2010CB630705).

Nickel–carbon nanocomposites: Synthesis, structural changes and strengthening mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunes, D.; Vilarigues, M.; Correia, J.B.; Carvalho, P.A.

2012-01-01

The present work investigates Ni–nanodiamond and Ni–graphite composites produced by mechanical synthesis and subsequent heat treatments. Processing of nickel–carbon nanocomposites by this powder metallurgy route poses specific challenges, as carbon phases are prone to carbide conversion and amorphization. The processing window for carbide prevention has been established through X-ray diffraction by a systematic variation of the milling parameters. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the absence of carbide and showed homogeneous particle distributions, as well as intimate bonding between the metallic matrix and the carbon phases. Ring diffraction patterns of chemically extracted carbon phases demonstrated that milled nanodiamond preserved crystallinity, while an essentially amorphous nature could be inferred for milled graphite. Raman spectra confirmed that nanodiamond particles remained largely unaffected by mechanical synthesis, whereas the bands of milled graphite were significantly changed into the typical amorphous carbon fingerprint. The results on the annealed nanocomposites showed that milling with Ni accelerated graphitization of the carbon phases during heat treatments at 973 and 1073 K in both composites. At the finer scales, the nanocomposites exhibited a remarkable microhardness enhancement (∼70%) compared with pure nanostructured nickel. The Hall–Petch relation and the Orowan–Ashby equation are used to discuss strengthening mechanisms and the load transfer ability to the reinforcing particles.

Synthesis of [18F]-5-fluorouridine (F-18-5-FUR) as a probe for measuring RNA synthesis and tumor growth rates in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiue, C.Y.; Fowler, J.S.; MacGregor, R.R.; Wolf, A.P.

1979-01-01

A method for the rapid synthesis of high specific activity of [ 18 F]-5-fluorouridine is described. The 20 Ne(d,α) 18 F nuclear reaction is used to produce high specific activity, anhydrous [ 18 F]-F 2 at the Brookhaven National Laboratory 60'' cyclotron. Fluorination of 2',3',5'-tri-0-acetyluridine with [ 18 F]-F 2 in glacial acetic acid at room temperature followed by hydrolysis with sodium methoxide in methanol gives [ 18 F]-5-fluorouridine with a radiochemical yield of 5 to 7% in a synthesis time of 90 minutes from EOB. The compound is required for the study of RNA synthesis and tumor growth rates in vivo

Synthesis of 1 nm Pd Nanoparticles in a Microfluidic Reactor: Insights from in Situ X ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy and Small-Angle X ray Scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karim, Ayman M.; Al Hasan, Naila M.; Ivanov, Sergei A.; Siefert, Soenke; Kelly, Ryan T.; Hallfors, Nicholas G.; Benavidez, Angelica D.; Kovarik, Libor; Jenkins, Aaron; Winans, R. E.; Datye, Abhaya K.

2015-06-11

In this paper we show that the temporal separation of nucleation and growth is not a necessary condition for the colloidal synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles. The synthesis mechanism of Pd nanoparticles was determined by in situ XAFS and SAXS in a microfluidic reactor capable of millisecond up to an hour time resolution. The SAXS results showed two autocatalytic growth phases, a fast growth phase followed by a very slow growth phase. The steady increase in the number of particles throughout the two growth phases indicates the synthesis is limited by slow continuous nucleation. The transition from fast to slow growth was caused by rapid increase in bonding with the capping agent as shown by XAFS. Based on this fundamental understanding of the synthesis mechanism, we show that 1 nm monodisperse Pd nanoparticles can be synthesized at low temperature using a strong binding capping agent such as trioctylphosphine (TOP).

Analytical synthesis for four–bar mechanisms used in a pseudo–equatorial solar tracker

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Manuel González Mendoza

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Photovoltaic energy production systems generate electricity without emitting pollutants into the atmosphere and do so from a free, unlimited resource. The highest level of energy conversion from the photovoltaic panels can be obtained by placing them perpendicular to the sun’s rays falling on their surface; this is done by installing solar tracking systems. This work proposes the use of two four-bar mechanisms as the driving force for a solar tracker; we propose the use of analytical synthesis for such mechanisms. This procedure is aimed at optimising the transmission angle, increasing mechanical advantage and decreasing driving torque. A mathematical model was used to prove synthesis results and a prototype of the solar tracker was built.

The synthesis of a small library of prospective growth hormone secretagogues

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JELENA JOKSIMOVIC

1999-10-01

Full Text Available Employing tools of combinatorial chemistry, an original methodological approach has been developed and applied for the design and synthesis of a small library of peptide-like compounds, prospective growth hormone (GH secretagogues. For this purpose seven building blocks of tBoc- and Fmoc-protected amino acids was used. In this way, a small, tripeptoid library on polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether 5000 (PEG 5000 as a soluble support was obtained. The library was screened by a new, simple system, based on polyclonal rabbit antiserum raised against "GH secretagogue pharmacophore" of a known growth hormone secretagogue GHRP-6 (Hexarelin® and the most promising GH secretagogue candidate was selected.

Mechanisms involved in the hydrothermal growth of ultra-thin and high aspect ratio ZnO nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Demes, Thomas; Ternon, Céline; Morisot, Fanny; Riassetto, David; Legallais, Maxime; Roussel, Hervé; Langlet, Michel

2017-07-01

Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanowires (NWs) with tailored dimensions, notably high aspect ratios (AR) and small diameters, is a major concern for a wide range of applications and still represents a challenging and recurring issue. In this work, an additive-free and reproducible hydrothermal procedure has been developed to grow ultra-thin and high AR ZnO NWs on sol-gel deposited ZnO seed layers. Controlling the substrate temperature and using a low reagent concentration (1 mM) has been found to be essential for obtaining such NWs. We show that the NW diameter remains constant at about 20-25 nm with growth time contrary to the NW length that can be selectively increased leading to NWs with ARs up to 400. On the basis of investigated experimental conditions along with thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, a ZnO NW growth mechanism has been developed which involves the formation and growth of nuclei followed by NW growth when the nuclei reach a critical size of about 20-25 nm. The low reagent concentration inhibits NW lateral growth leading to ultra-thin and high AR NWs. These NWs have been assembled into electrically conductive ZnO nanowire networks, which opens attractive perspectives toward the development of highly sensitive low-cost gas- or bio-sensors.

Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Crack Growth of RR1000.

Science.gov (United States)

Pretty, Christopher John; Whitaker, Mark Thomas; Williams, Steve John

2017-01-04

Non-isothermal conditions during flight cycles have long led to the requirement for thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) evaluation of aerospace materials. However, the increased temperatures within the gas turbine engine have meant that the requirements for TMF testing now extend to disc alloys along with blade materials. As such, fatigue crack growth rates are required to be evaluated under non-isothermal conditions along with the development of a detailed understanding of related failure mechanisms. In the current work, a TMF crack growth testing method has been developed utilising induction heating and direct current potential drop techniques for polycrystalline nickel-based superalloys, such as RR1000. Results have shown that in-phase (IP) testing produces accelerated crack growth rates compared with out-of-phase (OOP) due to increased temperature at peak stress and therefore increased time dependent crack growth. The ordering of the crack growth rates is supported by detailed fractographic analysis which shows intergranular crack growth in IP test specimens, and transgranular crack growth in 90° OOP and 180° OOP tests. Isothermal tests have also been carried out for comparison of crack growth rates at the point of peak stress in the TMF cycles.

Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Crack Growth of RR1000

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher John Pretty

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Non-isothermal conditions during flight cycles have long led to the requirement for thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF evaluation of aerospace materials. However, the increased temperatures within the gas turbine engine have meant that the requirements for TMF testing now extend to disc alloys along with blade materials. As such, fatigue crack growth rates are required to be evaluated under non-isothermal conditions along with the development of a detailed understanding of related failure mechanisms. In the current work, a TMF crack growth testing method has been developed utilising induction heating and direct current potential drop techniques for polycrystalline nickel-based superalloys, such as RR1000. Results have shown that in-phase (IP testing produces accelerated crack growth rates compared with out-of-phase (OOP due to increased temperature at peak stress and therefore increased time dependent crack growth. The ordering of the crack growth rates is supported by detailed fractographic analysis which shows intergranular crack growth in IP test specimens, and transgranular crack growth in 90° OOP and 180° OOP tests. Isothermal tests have also been carried out for comparison of crack growth rates at the point of peak stress in the TMF cycles.

Mechanical alloying and self-propagating high-temperature synthesis of stable icosahedral quasicrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bokhonov, B.B.

2008-01-01

The phase evolution of the mechanically alloyed ternary 63%Al + 25%Cu + 12%Fe and 65%Al + 20%Cu + 15%Fe powder mixtures with milling time has been studied by X-ray diffraction method. It was found that an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase was formed directly during high-energy ball milling of the Al-Cu-Fe mixtures. The X-ray and scanning electron microscopic investigations demonstrated the possibility to use self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) in combination with preliminary mechanical activation for the synthesis of stable icosahedral quasicrystals. The typical morphology of the Al 63 Cu 25 Fe 12 icosahedral quasicrystals formed in the SHS process is a pentagonal dodecahedron with a size of 3-5 mm. The phase composition of the SHS products depends on the time of preliminary mechanical activation. The content of cubic intermetallic phase in SHS products increases with the time of preliminary mechanical activation of the 63%Al + 25%Cu + 12%Fe powder mixtures

Functional Development of the Human Gastrointestinal Tract: Hormone- and Growth Factor-Mediated Regulatory Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Ménard

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The present review focuses on the control of gastrointestinal (GI tract development. The first section addresses the differences in general mechanisms of GI development in humans versus rodents, highlighting that morphogenesis of specific digestive organs and the differentiation of digestive epithelia occur not only at different stages of ontogeny but also at different rates. The second section provides an overview of studies from the author's laboratory at the Université de Sherbrooke pertaining to the development of the human fetal small intestine and colon. While both segments share similar morphological and functional characteristics, they are nevertheless modulated by distinct regulatory mechanisms. Using the organ culture approach, the author and colleagues were able to establish that hormones and growth factors, such as glucocorticoids, epidermal growth factor, insulin and keratinocyte growth factor, not only exert differential effects within these two segments, they can also trigger opposite responses in comparison with animal models. In the third section, emphasis is placed on the functional development of human fetal stomach and its various epithelial cell types; in particular, the glandular chief cells responsible for the synthesis and secretion of gastric enzymes such as pepsinogen-5 and gastric lipase. Bearing in mind that limitations of available cell models have, until now, greatly impeded the comprehension of molecular mechanisms regulating human gastric epithelial cell functions, the last section focuses on new human gastric epithelial cell models recently developed in the author's laboratory. These models comprise a novel primary culture system of human fetal gastric epithelium including, for the first time, functional chief cells, and human gastric epithelium cell lines cloned from the parental NCI-N87 strain. These new cells lines could serve important applications in the study of pathogenic action and epithelial

Analysis of trophic responses in lesioned brain: focus on basic fibroblast growth factor mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chadi G.

1998-01-01

Full Text Available The actions of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs, particularly the basic form (bFGF, have been described in a large number of cells and include mitogenicity, angiogenicity and wound repair. The present review discusses the presence of the bFGF protein and messenger RNA as well as the presence of the FGF receptor messenger RNA in the rodent brain by means of semiquantitative radioactive in situ hybridization in combination with immunohistochemistry. Chemical and mechanical injuries to the brain trigger a reduction in neurotransmitter synthesis and neuronal death which are accompanied by astroglial reaction. The altered synthesis of bFGF following brain lesions or stimulation was analyzed. Lesions of the central nervous system trigger bFGF gene expression by neurons and/or activated astrocytes, depending on the type of lesion and time post-manipulation. The changes in bFGF messenger RNA are frequently accompanied by a subsequent increase of bFGF immunoreactivity in astrocytes in the lesioned pathway. The reactive astrocytes and injured neurons synthesize increased amount of bFGF, which may act as a paracrine/autocrine factor, protecting neurons from death and also stimulating neuronal plasticity and tissue repair

Epitaxial growth of hybrid nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Chaoliang; Chen, Junze; Wu, Xue-Jun; Zhang, Hua

2018-02-01

Hybrid nanostructures are a class of materials that are typically composed of two or more different components, in which each component has at least one dimension on the nanoscale. The rational design and controlled synthesis of hybrid nanostructures are of great importance in enabling the fine tuning of their properties and functions. Epitaxial growth is a promising approach to the controlled synthesis of hybrid nanostructures with desired structures, crystal phases, exposed facets and/or interfaces. This Review provides a critical summary of the state of the art in the field of epitaxial growth of hybrid nanostructures. We discuss the historical development, architectures and compositions, epitaxy methods, characterization techniques and advantages of epitaxial hybrid nanostructures. Finally, we provide insight into future research directions in this area, which include the epitaxial growth of hybrid nanostructures from a wider range of materials, the study of the underlying mechanism and determining the role of epitaxial growth in influencing the properties and application performance of hybrid nanostructures.

Effects of near-ultraviolet and violet radiations (313-405 NM) on DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis in E. coli B/r. Implications for growth delay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramabhadran, T V [Texas Univ., Dallas (USA). Inst. for Molecular Biology

1975-09-01

Fluences (21 to 32 kJ/m/sup 2/) of near-ultraviolet radiation that induced about a 1 hour growth delay in continuously growing cultures of E.coli B/r were found to produce complete cessation of net RNA synthesis, while the effects on protein and DNA synthesis were considerably milder. The near-UV action spectrum for this inhibition of RNA synthesis was similar to the action spectrum for growth decay in E.coli B and to the absorption spectrum of E.coli valyl transfer RNA. In addition, the fluences required for inhibition of RNA synthesis and growth delay were similar to those reported for formation of 4-thiouridine-cytidine adducts in transfer RNA. These findings suggest that the chromophore and target for near-UV-induced inhibition of both net RNA synthesis and growth in E.coli may be 4-thiouridine in transfer RNA.

Roles of Transcriptional and Translational Control Mechanisms in Regulation of Ribosomal Protein Synthesis in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgos, Hector L; O'Connor, Kevin; Sanchez-Vazquez, Patricia; Gourse, Richard L

2017-11-01

Bacterial ribosome biogenesis is tightly regulated to match nutritional conditions and to prevent formation of defective ribosomal particles. In Escherichia coli , most ribosomal protein (r-protein) synthesis is coordinated with rRNA synthesis by a translational feedback mechanism: when r-proteins exceed rRNAs, specific r-proteins bind to their own mRNAs and inhibit expression of the operon. It was recently discovered that the second messenger nucleotide guanosine tetra and pentaphosphate (ppGpp), which directly regulates rRNA promoters, is also capable of regulating many r-protein promoters. To examine the relative contributions of the translational and transcriptional control mechanisms to the regulation of r-protein synthesis, we devised a reporter system that enabled us to genetically separate the cis -acting sequences responsible for the two mechanisms and to quantify their relative contributions to regulation under the same conditions. We show that the synthesis of r-proteins from the S20 and S10 operons is regulated by ppGpp following shifts in nutritional conditions, but most of the effect of ppGpp required the 5' region of the r-protein mRNA containing the target site for translational feedback regulation and not the promoter. These results suggest that most regulation of the S20 and S10 operons by ppGpp following nutritional shifts is indirect and occurs in response to changes in rRNA synthesis. In contrast, we found that the promoters for the S20 operon were regulated during outgrowth, likely in response to increasing nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) levels. Thus, r-protein synthesis is dynamic, with different mechanisms acting at different times. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cells have evolved complex and seemingly redundant strategies to regulate many high-energy-consuming processes. In E. coli , synthesis of ribosomal components is tightly regulated with respect to nutritional conditions by mechanisms that act at both the transcription and translation steps. In

Differential chlorate inhibition of Chaetomium globosum germination, hyphal growth, and perithecia synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Biles, Charles L; Wright, Desiree; Fuego, Marianni; Guinn, Angela; Cluck, Terry; Young, Jennifer; Martin, Markie; Biles, Josiah; Poudyal, Shubhra

2012-12-01

Chaetomium globosum Kunze:Fr is a dermatophytic, dematiaceous fungus that is ubiquitous in soils, grows readily on cellulolytic materials, and is commonly found on water-damaged building materials. Chlorate affects nitrogen metabolism in fungi and is used to study compatibility among anamorphic fungi by inducing nit mutants. The effect of chlorate toxicity on C. globosum was investigated by amending a modified malt extract agar (MEA), oat agar, and carboxymethyl cellulose agar (CMC) with various levels of potassium chlorate (KClO(3)). C. globosum perithecia production was almost completely inhibited (90-100 %) at low levels of KClO(3) (0.1 mM) in amended MEA. Inhibition of perithecia production was also observed on oat agar and CMC at 1 and 10 mM, respectively. However, hyphal growth in MEA was only inhibited 20 % by 0.1-100 mM KClO(3) concentrations. Hyphal growth was never completely inhibited at the highest levels tested (200 mM). Higher levels of KClO(3) were needed on gypsum board to inhibit perithecia synthesis. In additional experiments, KClO(3) did not inhibit C. globosum, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger, Penicillum expansum, and airborne fungal spore germination. The various fungal spores were not inhibited by KClO(3) at 1-100 mM levels. These results suggest that C. globosum perithecia synthesis is more sensitive to chlorate toxicity than are hyphal growth and spore germination. This research provides basic information that furthers our understanding about perithecia formation and may help in developing control methods for fungal growth on building materials.

Growth mechanism and internal structure of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Einarsson, Erik; Kadowaki, Masayuki; Ogura, Kazuaki; Okawa, Jun; Xiang, Rong; Zhang, Zhengyi; Yamamoto, Takahisa; Ikuhara, Yuichi; Maruyama, Shigeo

2008-11-01

An in situ optical absorbance technique was used to monitor the growth of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-SWNTs) at various temperatures and pressures. The effects of the growth temperature and ethanol pressure on the initial growth rate and catalyst lifetime were investigated. It was found that the ideal pressure for VA-SWNT synthesis changes with the growth temperature, shifting toward higher pressure as the growth temperature increases. It was also found that the growth reaction is first-order below this ideal pressure. Additionally, the internal structure of the VA-SWNT film was observed at different depths into the film by transmission electron microscopy. The absence of large bundles was confirmed, and little change in the structure was observed to a depth of approximately 1 microm.

Global transcriptomic profiling of aspen trees under elevated [CO2] to identify potential molecular mechanisms responsible for enhanced radial growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Hairong; Gou, Jiqing; Yordanov, Yordan; Zhang, Huaxin; Thakur, Ramesh; Jones, Wendy; Burton, Andrew

2013-03-01

Aspen (Populus tremuloides) trees growing under elevated [CO(2)] at a free-air CO(2) enrichment (FACE) site produced significantly more biomass than control trees. We investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed increase in biomass by producing transcriptomic profiles of the vascular cambium zone (VCZ) and leaves, and then performed a comparative study to identify significantly changed genes and pathways after 12 years exposure to elevated [CO(2)]. In leaves, elevated [CO(2)] enhanced expression of genes related to Calvin cycle activity and linked pathways. In the VCZ, the pathways involved in cell growth, cell division, hormone metabolism, and secondary cell wall formation were altered while auxin conjugation, ABA synthesis, and cytokinin glucosylation and degradation were inhibited. Similarly, the genes involved in hemicellulose and pectin biosynthesis were enhanced, but some genes that catalyze important steps in lignin biosynthesis pathway were inhibited. Evidence from systemic analysis supported the functioning of multiple molecular mechanisms that underpin the enhanced radial growth in response to elevated [CO(2)].

Renal protein synthesis in diabetes mellitus: effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barac-Nieto, M.; Lui, S.M.; Spitzer, A.

1991-01-01

Is increased synthesis of proteins responsible for the hypertrophy of kidney cells in diabetes mellitus? Does the lack of insulin, and/or the effect of insulin-like growth factor I (IGFI) on renal tubule protein synthesis play a role in diabetic renal hypertrophy? To answer these questions, we determined the rates of 3H-valine incorporation into tubule proteins and the valine-tRNA specific activity, in the presence or absence of insulin and/or IGFI, in proximal tubule suspension isolated from kidneys of streptozotocin diabetic and control rats. The rate of protein synthesis increased, while the stimulatory effects of insulin and IGFI on tubule protein synthesis were reduced, early (96 hours) after induction of experimental diabetes. Thus, hypertrophy of the kidneys in experimental diabetes mellitus is associated with increases in protein synthesis, rather than with decreases in protein degradation. Factor(s) other than the lack of insulin, or the effects of IGFI, must be responsible for the high rate of protein synthesis present in the hypertrophying tubules of diabetic rats

Path synthesis of four-bar mechanisms using synergy of polynomial neural network and Stackelberg game theory

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi, Bahman; Nariman-zadeh, Nader; Jamali, Ali

2017-06-01

In this article, a novel approach based on game theory is presented for multi-objective optimal synthesis of four-bar mechanisms. The multi-objective optimization problem is modelled as a Stackelberg game. The more important objective function, tracking error, is considered as the leader, and the other objective function, deviation of the transmission angle from 90° (TA), is considered as the follower. In a new approach, a group method of data handling (GMDH)-type neural network is also utilized to construct an approximate model for the rational reaction set (RRS) of the follower. Using the proposed game-theoretic approach, the multi-objective optimal synthesis of a four-bar mechanism is then cast into a single-objective optimal synthesis using the leader variables and the obtained RRS of the follower. The superiority of using the synergy game-theoretic method of Stackelberg with a GMDH-type neural network is demonstrated for two case studies on the synthesis of four-bar mechanisms.

A Compliant Mechanism Synthesis Theory for Fostering Innovation of Micro Air Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-01

errors creep into the model only for very large loads, and it works extremely well for tip deflections as high as 70◦. A sensitivity analysis was also...D., and Howell, L. L., 1999. “A Pseudo-Rigid-Body Model for Initially- Curved Pinned-Pinned Segments Used in Compliant Mechanisms”. Journal of Me...synthesis theory that incorporate a general framework for determining pseudo-rigid-body models , type synthesis algorithms (determining mechanism topology

Mechanical synthesis of copper-carbon nanocomposites: Structural changes, strengthening and thermal stabilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunes, D.; Livramento, V.; Mateus, R.; Correia, J.B.; Alves, L.C.; Vilarigues, M.; Carvalho, P.A.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The study characterized Cu-nanodiamond (Cu-nD) and Cu-graphite (Cu-G) composites. → Preservation of nD crystalline structure during high-energy milling was demonstrated. → Higher refinement of matrix in Cu-nD comparing to Cu-G is due to a milling mechanism. → Remarkable thermal stability and microhardness have been achieved in Cu-nD and Cu-G. → Strengthening resulted mainly from grain refinement and second-phase reinforcement. - Abstract: Processing of copper-carbon nanocomposites by mechanical synthesis poses specific challenges as carbon phases are prone to amorphization and exhibit an intrinsically difficult bonding with copper. The present work investigates Cu-nanodiamond (Cu-nD) and Cu-graphite (Cu-G) composites produced by mechanical synthesis and subsequent heat treatments. Transmission electron microscopy observations showed homogeneous particle distributions and intimate bonding between the metallic matrix and the carbon phases. Ring diffraction patterns of chemically extracted carbon phases demonstrated that milled nanodiamond preserved crystallinity, while an essentially amorphous nature could be inferred for milled graphite. Raman spectra confirmed that nanodiamond particles remained essentially unaffected by the mechanical synthesis, whereas the bands of milled graphite were significantly changed into the typical amorphous carbon fingerprint. Particle-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy showed that the total contamination originating from the milling media remained below 0.7 wt.%. The Cu-nanodiamond composite exhibited remarkable microhardness and microstructural thermal stability when compared with pure nanostructured copper.

Mechanical synthesis of copper-carbon nanocomposites: Structural changes, strengthening and thermal stabilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nunes, D., E-mail: daniela.nunes@ist.utl.pt [Associacao Euratom/IST, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear - Laboratorio Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); LNEG, Estrada do Paco do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa (Portugal); ICEMS, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Livramento, V. [Associacao Euratom/IST, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear - Laboratorio Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); LNEG, Estrada do Paco do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa (Portugal); Mateus, R. [Associacao Euratom/IST, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear - Laboratorio Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Correia, J.B. [LNEG, Estrada do Paco do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa (Portugal); Alves, L.C. [ITN, Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Estrada Nacional 10, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal); Vilarigues, M. [Departamento de Conservacao e Restauro e R and D Unit Vidro e da Ceramica Para as Artes, FCT-UNL, Quinta da Torre, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Carvalho, P.A. [ICEMS, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Departamento de Bioengenharia, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal)

2011-11-15

Highlights: {yields} The study characterized Cu-nanodiamond (Cu-nD) and Cu-graphite (Cu-G) composites. {yields} Preservation of nD crystalline structure during high-energy milling was demonstrated. {yields} Higher refinement of matrix in Cu-nD comparing to Cu-G is due to a milling mechanism. {yields} Remarkable thermal stability and microhardness have been achieved in Cu-nD and Cu-G. {yields} Strengthening resulted mainly from grain refinement and second-phase reinforcement. - Abstract: Processing of copper-carbon nanocomposites by mechanical synthesis poses specific challenges as carbon phases are prone to amorphization and exhibit an intrinsically difficult bonding with copper. The present work investigates Cu-nanodiamond (Cu-nD) and Cu-graphite (Cu-G) composites produced by mechanical synthesis and subsequent heat treatments. Transmission electron microscopy observations showed homogeneous particle distributions and intimate bonding between the metallic matrix and the carbon phases. Ring diffraction patterns of chemically extracted carbon phases demonstrated that milled nanodiamond preserved crystallinity, while an essentially amorphous nature could be inferred for milled graphite. Raman spectra confirmed that nanodiamond particles remained essentially unaffected by the mechanical synthesis, whereas the bands of milled graphite were significantly changed into the typical amorphous carbon fingerprint. Particle-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy showed that the total contamination originating from the milling media remained below 0.7 wt.%. The Cu-nanodiamond composite exhibited remarkable microhardness and microstructural thermal stability when compared with pure nanostructured copper.

Chemistry of Ammonothermal Synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theresia M. M. Richter

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Ammonothermal synthesis is a method for synthesis and crystal growth suitable for a large range of chemically different materials, such as nitrides (e.g., GaN, AlN, amides (e.g., LiNH2, Zn(NH22, imides (e.g., Th(NH2, ammoniates (e.g., Ga(NH33F3, [Al(NH36]I3 · NH3 and non-nitrogen compounds like hydroxides, hydrogen sulfides and polychalcogenides (e.g., NaOH, LiHS, CaS, Cs2Te5. In particular, large scale production of high quality crystals is possible, due to comparatively simple scalability of the experimental set-up. The ammonothermal method is defined as employing a heterogeneous reaction in ammonia as one homogenous fluid close to or in supercritical state. Three types of milieus may be applied during ammonothermal synthesis: ammonobasic, ammononeutral or ammonoacidic, evoked by the used starting materials and mineralizers, strongly influencing the obtained products. There is little known about the dissolution and materials transport processes or the deposition mechanisms during ammonothermal crystal growth. However, the initial results indicate the possible nature of different intermediate species present in the respective milieus.

Formation Mechanism of Spherical TiC in Ni-Ti-C System during Combustion Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Guoliang; Wang, Wei; Wang, Rui; Zhao, Chuanbao; Pan, Weitao; Huang, Haijun; Du, Dafan; Wang, Donghong; Shu, Da; Dong, Anping; Sun, Baode; Jiang, Sheng; Pu, Yilong

2017-08-29

The formation mechanism of TiC particles in a Ni-Ti-C system were revealed by using differential thermal analysis (DTA), XRD, and SEM to identify the reaction products in different temperature ranges. The results indicated that the synthesis mechanism of TiC in Ni-Ti-C system was complex; several reactions were involved in the combustion synthesis of TiC-Ni composite. The Ni-Ti intermediate phases play important roles during the formation of TiC. Moreover, the influence of heating rate on the size range of TiC was also discussed.

Biological synthesis of nanoparticles in biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanzil, Abid H; Sultana, Sujala T; Saunders, Steven R; Shi, Liang; Marsili, Enrico; Beyenal, Haluk

2016-12-01

The biological synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) by bacteria and biofilms via extracellular redox reactions has received attention because of the minimization of harmful chemicals, low cost, and ease of culturing and downstream processing. Bioreduction mechanisms vary across bacteria and growth conditions, which leads to various sizes and shapes of biosynthesized NPs. NP synthesis in biofilms offers additional advantages, such as higher biomass concentrations and larger surface areas, which can lead to more efficient and scalable biosynthesis. Although biofilms have been used to produce NPs, the mechanistic details of NP formation are not well understood. In this review, we identify three critical areas of research and development needed to advance our understanding of NP production by biofilms: 1) synthesis, 2) mechanism and 3) stabilization. Advancement in these areas could result in the biosynthesis of NPs that are suitable for practical applications, especially in drug delivery and biocatalysis. Specifically, the current status of methods and mechanisms of nanoparticle synthesis and surface stabilization using planktonic bacteria and biofilms is discussed. We conclude that the use of biofilms to synthesize and stabilize NPs is underappreciated and could provide a new direction in biofilm-based NP production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of Cubic Phase-Co Microspheres by Mechanical Solid-State Reaction-Thermal Decomposition and Research on Its Growth Kinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Deng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cubic phase cobalt (Co, which can be used as a key component for composite materials given its excellent ductility and internal structure, is not easy to obtain at room temperature. In this study, oxalic acid and cobalt nitrate are used as raw materials to synthesize the cobalt oxalate precursor, which has a stable structure with a five-membered chelate ring. Cobalt oxalate microspheres, having a high internal energy content, were prepared by using mechanical solid-state reaction in the presence of a surfactant, which can produce spherical micelles. The thermal decomposition of the precursor was carried out by maintaining it in a nitrogen atmosphere at 450°C for 3 h. At the end of the procedure, 100 nm cubic phase-Co microspheres, stable at room temperature, were obtained. Isothermal and nonisothermal kinetic mechanisms of cobalt grain growth were investigated. The cubic-Co grain growth activation energy, Q, was calculated in this study to be 71.47 kJ/mol. The required reaction temperature was low, making the production process simple and suitable for industrial applications.

One-step synthesis of bird cage-like ZnO and other controlled morphologies: Structural, growth mechanism and photocatalytic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Shuo; Wang, Jian; Li, Xiuyan; Zhai, Hongju; Han, Donglai; Wei, Bing; Wang, Dandan; Yang, Jinghai

2014-01-01

Highlights: • ZnO nanocage arrays were synthesized by a one-step etching route. • ZnO nanocage exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than other samples. • The different photocatalytic activities of different samples were analyzed. • The formation mechanism of ZnO nanocages was proposed. - Abstract: ZnO nanocages and other nanostructures have been synthesized via a simple one-pot hydrothermal method with different reaction times. It is worth mentioning that this is a completely green method which does not require any other chemicals except that Zn foil served as Zn source in the experiment. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectra were used to characterize the crystallinity, morphology and optical property of ZnO structures. Growth mechanisms of ZnO were proposed based on these results. Furthermore, ZnO films with different morphologies and crystal growth habits exhibited different activities to rhodamine B degradation. The influence of the reaction time on the morphology of ZnO films and the effect of the morphologies on the photocatalytic activity are discussed

Layer-by-Layer Method for the Synthesis and Growth of Surface Mounted Metal-Organic Frameworks (SURMOFs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osama Shekhah

2010-02-01

Full Text Available A layer-by-layer method has been developed for the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs and their deposition on functionalized organic surfaces. The approach is based on the sequential immersion of functionalized organic surfaces into solutions of the building blocks of the MOF, i.e., the organic ligand and the inorganic unit. The synthesis and growth of different types of MOFs on substrates with different functionalization, like COOH, OH and pyridine terminated surfaces, were studied and characterized with different surface characterization techniques. A controlled and highly oriented growth of very homogenous films was obtained using this method. The layer-by-layer method offered also the possibility to study the kinetics of film formation in more detail using surface plasmon resonance and quartz crystal microbalance. In addition, this method demonstrates the potential to synthesize new classes of MOFs not accessible by conventional methods. Finally, the controlled growth of MOF thin films is important for many applications like chemical sensors, membranes and related electrodes.

Anaerobiosis and ethanol effects on germination, growth, and protein synthesis of five Echinochloa species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dybiec, L.D.; Rumpho, M.E.; Kennedy, R.A.

1989-01-01

Five Echinochloa species, encompassing a spectrum from flood tolerant to flood intolerant, were studied to determine the mechanisms of anaerobic germination and growth. Seeds were germinated in air or N 2 , plus 0, 1 or 3% ethanol, and germination rates and growth measurements recorded for 7 days. In air or N 2 increasing ethanol levels did not affect total germination per se, although the rate of germination was delayed in N 2 . Shoot/root lengths in air were highest for tolerant species and increased with increasing ethanol, whereas, in intolerant species, shoot/root lengths decreased with increasing ethanol. Aerobic vs. anaerobic polypeptide profiles of each of the species were compared by SDS/PAGE. For all species, the number of polypeptides decreased under anaerobiosis and several quantitative differences were apparent relative to the aerobic profile. In addition, amino acid incorporation into protein was analyzed by [ 35 S]-Met labeling of 3 day old seedlings grown in air or N 2 . Significant protein synthesis was measured in tolerant seedlings under N 2 and several polypeptides were specifically induced. These results are being compared with labeling patterns of the other semi-tolerant and intolerant Echinochloa species to determine their importance in flooding tolerance

Room temperature mushrooming of gallium wires and its growth mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, P.; Shen, L.W.; Ouyang, J.; Zhang, Y.M.; Wu, S.Q. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); Sun, Z.M., E-mail: sunzhengming@gmail.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu (China); National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569 (Japan)

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Fast spontaneous growth of Ga wires (∼200 nm/s) from a composite system of Cr{sub 2}GaC–Ga is reported. • The fact that Ga wires’ growth phenomena on the composite share most features with metals whiskers with metal/alloy substrates suggests the same mechanism highly likely operating with both systems. • Compelling evidences indicate that the popular stress-based mechanism developed in metal/alloy systems does not hold water in the Cr{sub 2}GaC–Ga composite system. • A new catalysis mechanism is proposed, in which the cleavage planes of Cr{sub 2}GaC grains act as a catalyst for the Ga wires growth. • The new findings in this composite system would lead a new route to address this old problem, and it might see significance in the electronics industry. On the other hand, it is likely to be harnessed to engineer a promising and facile route to prepare various metal wires in large scale. - Abstract: Spontaneous growth of Ga wires at high rate (∼200 nm/s) from a composite system of Cr{sub 2}GaC (a MAX phase) and Ga is presented. A Ga wire growth mechanism based on a catalysis model, which involves fractured Cr{sub 2}GaC grains as the catalyst, is proposed. Regarding the morphologies and the incubation time of the Ga wires, this system shares most features with metal/alloy substrates, such as tin and zinc, where the whiskering phenomenon has been well established and has resisted interpretation for 60+ years. The same growth mechanism is thus considered to operate across different substrates, including the composite one in this study. However, the experimental findings in this composite system oppose the popular stress-based mechanism for the whisker growth with metal/alloy substrates, and provide new sights on this phenomenon. In addition, compelling evidences strongly indicate that fractured Cr{sub 2}GaC grains produced by ball milling initiated the growth of Ga wires, like a ‘catalyst’, and the pristine Cr{sub 2}GaC grains do not

Mechanism of Particle Formation in Silver/Epoxy Nanocomposites Obtained through a Visible-Light-Assisted in Situ Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

dell'Erba, Ignacio E; Martínez, Francisco D; Hoppe, Cristina E; Eliçabe, Guillermo E; Ceolín, Marcelo; Zucchi, Ileana A; Schroeder, Walter F

2017-10-03

A detailed understanding of the processes taking place during the in situ synthesis of metal/polymer nanocomposites is crucial to manipulate the shape and size of nanoparticles (NPs) with a high level of control. In this paper, we report an in-depth time-resolved analysis of the particle formation process in silver/epoxy nanocomposites obtained through a visible-light-assisted in situ synthesis. The selected epoxy monomer was based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, which undergoes relatively slow cationic ring-opening polymerization. This feature allowed us to access a full description of the formation process of silver NPs before this was arrested by the curing of the epoxy matrix. In situ time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering investigation was carried out to follow the evolution of the number and size of the silver NPs as a function of irradiation time, whereas rheological experiments combined with near-infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopies were performed to interpret how changes in the rheological properties of the matrix affect the nucleation and growth of particles. The analysis of the obtained results allowed us to propose consistent mechanisms for the formation of metal/polymer nanocomposites obtained by light-assisted one-pot synthesis. Finally, the effect of a thermal postcuring treatment of the epoxy matrix on the particle size in the nanocomposite was investigated.

Multiple regulatory systems coordinate DNA replication with cell growth in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Heath; Koh, Alan

2014-10-01

In many bacteria the rate of DNA replication is linked with cellular physiology to ensure that genome duplication is coordinated with growth. Nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation has been appreciated for decades, however the mechanism(s) that connects these cell cycle activities has eluded understanding. In order to help address this fundamental question we have investigated regulation of DNA replication in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Contrary to the prevailing view we find that changes in DnaA protein level are not sufficient to account for nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation, although this regulation does require both DnaA and the endogenous replication origin. We go on to report connections between DNA replication and several essential cellular activities required for rapid bacterial growth, including respiration, central carbon metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, and protein synthesis. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that multiple regulatory systems are involved in coordinating DNA replication with cell physiology, with some of the regulatory systems targeting oriC while others act in a oriC-independent manner. We propose that distinct regulatory systems are utilized to control DNA replication in response to diverse physiological and chemical changes.

Review on Synthesis, Thermo-Physical Property, and Heat Transfer Mechanism of Nanofluids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahesh Suresh Patil

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Nanofluids are suspended nano-sized particles in a base fluid. With increasing demand for more high efficiency thermal systems, nanofluids seem to be a promising option for researchers. As a result, numerous investigations have been undertaken to understand the behaviors of nanofluids. Since their discovery, the thermo-physical properties of nanofluids have been under intense research. Inadequate understanding of the mechanisms involved in the heat transfer of nanofluids has been the major obstacle for the development of sophisticated nanofluids with the desired properties. In this comprehensive review paper, investigations on synthesis, thermo-physical properties, and heat transfer mechanisms of nanofluids have been reviewed and presented. Results show that the thermal conductivity of nanofluids increases with the increase of the operating temperature. This can potentially be used for the efficiency enhancement of thermal systems under higher operating temperatures. In addition, this paper also provides details concerning dependency of the thermo-physical properties as well as synthesis and the heat transfer mechanism of the nanofluids.

Synthesis and growth mechanism of Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanohexagon dendrite

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Wen; Fang, Pengfei; Wang, Shaojie

2014-12-01

Hierarchical Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanohexagon dendrites were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanohexagon dendrites were made up of nanohexagons with a side length of about 90 nm. The nanohexagons were regularly arranged forming as embranchments which were parallel to each other along certain hexagonal directions. Furthermore, these embranchments made up primary trunks shaping as dendrites. The growth mechanism of Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanohexagon dendrites was proposed in which molecular soft template and lowest energy principle played key roles. By adjusting the composition of the reactants, a series of ZnxCd1-xS solid solutions could be obtained. The morphology of the synthesized ZnxCd1-xS depended much on the x value. The UV-vis spectra absorb edges of the ZnxCd1-xS samples continuously shifted indicating the changes of the band gap.

CdMoO{sub 4} micro-ellipsoids: controllable synthesis, growth mechanism, and photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, Ke; Gao, Tianyu [College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei, Wuhan (China); Liu, Hui; Chen, Hao, E-mail: hchenhao@mail.hzau.edu.cn [College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Hubei, Wuhan (China); Wang, Qi, E-mail: hchenhao@mail.hzau.edu.cn [School of Environment Sciences and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou (China)

2017-01-15

CdMoO{sub 4} micro-ellipsoids were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal route with the assistance of nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The effects of hydrothermal pH, temperature, and time on the morphology and photocatalytic activity of CdMoO{sub 4} were investigated. With an initial hydrothermal pH of 5.00, CdMoO{sub 4} micro-ellipsoids were obtained at 180 °C for 24 h and found to possess the highest photocatalytic activity - 89% Rhodamine B can be degraded for 30 minutes presented in the 0.4 g/L CdMoO{sub 4} suspension. The formation mechanism of the CdMoO{sub 4} micro-ellipsoids was initiated by the formation of small nanoparticles and bulk structures afterwards, which was followed by the growth of micro-ellipsoids. Experiment results showed that the evolution of the micro-ellipsoids was an Ostwald ripening process. (author)

Synthesis of carbon nanomaterials from different pyrolysis techniques: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Umer Zahid, Muhammad; Pervaiz, Erum; Hussain, Arshad; Shahzad, Muhammad Imran; Niazi, Muhammad Bilal Khan

2018-05-01

In the current age, the significance of carbon-based nanomaterials for many applications has made the efforts for the facile synthesis methods from abundantly available wastes in a cost-effective way. Pyrolysis in a broad spectrum is commonly employed for the synthesis of carbon nanostructures by thermally treating the organic waste. The mechanism of growth of the nanoparticles determines the functional distribution of nanoparticles based on the growing size, medium, and physio-chemical properties. Carbon nanomaterial’s growth is a complicated process which is profoundly influenced by temperature, catalyst, and type of precursor. Nowadays, significant progress has been made in improving nanomaterial’s growth techniques, opening new paths for commercial production of carbon-based nanomaterials. The most promising are the methods involving hydrocarbon-rich organic waste as the feed source. In this review, synthesis of carbon-based nanomaterials, specifically carbon nanotubes (CNTs), Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and Graphene (G) are discussed by different pyrolysis techniques. Furthermore, the review explores recent advancements made in the context of pyrolysis.

Synthesis of lever-blade dampers with enhanced mechanical structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor I. Sydorenko

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Since the torsion bar represents just an elastic element, the energy dissipation in suspensions problem is highly relevant for its application. Currently in quality of a dissipation device in torsion suspension are used the hydraulic dampers with movable members reciprocating translational motion respectively to the housing or lever-type hydraulic shock absorbers of piston and vane types, with the movable member’s rotational movement respectively to the housing. These dampers are implementing only throttle-valve performance type, associated with these devices’ functional capacities and depending on design constraints. The paper presents a synthesis of innovative lever-blade dampers, whose performance is not related to the value of working chambers inner pressure. Their essential peculiarity relates to the mechanical control loop presence in the structure that determines a close relationship between the performance and the value of the shock absorber movable element displacement relatively to the body. In the process of synthesis carried out tested are the appropriate methods, built on the basis of technical systems’ modeling with modified kinematic graphs. The synthesis results are shown in the form of two structurally implemented samples. Performed is a comparative analysis of the samples with their basic performance determining.

Finite element design for the HPHT synthesis of diamond

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Rui; Ding, Mingming; Shi, Tongfei

2018-06-01

The finite element method is used to simulate the steady-state temperature field in diamond synthesis cell. The 2D and 3D models of the China-type cubic press with large deformation of the synthesis cell was established successfully, which has been verified by situ measurements of synthesis cell. The assembly design, component design and process design for the HPHT synthesis of diamond based on the finite element simulation were presented one by one. The temperature field in a high-pressure synthetic cavity for diamond production is optimized by adjusting the cavity assembly. A series of analysis about the influence of the pressure media parameters on the temperature field are examined through adjusting the model parameters. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of wasteland was studied in detail. It indicates that the wasteland is inevitably exists in the synthesis sample, the distribution of growth region of the diamond with hex-octahedral is move to the center of the synthesis sample from near the heater as the power increasing, and the growth conditions of high quality diamond is locating at the center of the synthesis sample. These works can offer suggestion and advice to the development and optimization of a diamond production process.

Bamboo-like 3C-SiC nanowires with periodical fluctuating diameter: Homogeneous synthesis, synergistic growth mechanism, and their luminescence properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Meng; Zhao, Jian [School of Electromechanical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266061 (China); Li, Zhenjiang, E-mail: zhenjiangli@qust.edu.cn [School of Sino-German Science and Technology, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061, China (China); Yu, Hongyuan [School of Electromechanical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266061 (China); Wang, Yaqi [School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266042 (China); Meng, Alan, E-mail: alanmengqust@163.com [School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266042 (China); Li, Qingdang [School of Sino-German Science and Technology, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061, China (China)

2016-11-15

Herein, bamboo-like 3C-SiC nanowires have been successfully fabricated on homogeneous 6H-SiC substrate by a simple chemical vapor reaction (CVR) approach. The obtained 3C-SiC nanostructure with periodical fluctuating diameter, is composed of two alternating structure units, the typical normal-sized stem segment with perfect crystallinity and obvious projecting nodes segment having high-density stacking faults. The formation of the interesting morphology is significantly subjected to the peculiar growth condition provided by the homogeneous substrate as well as the varying growth elastic energy. Furthermore, the photoluminescence (PL) performance measured on the bamboo-like SiC nanowire shows an intensive emission peaks centered at 451 nm and 467 nm, which has been expected to make a positive progress toward the optical application of the SiC-based one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures, such as light emission diode (LED). - Graphical abstract: Based on the synergistic growth mechanism from homogeneous substrate and elastic energy, bamboo-like 3C-SiC nanowires with periodically fluctuating diameter have been synthesized on 6H-SiC. The blue-violet light emission properties of the bamboo-like nanowires have also been investigated for exploring their peculiar optical application. - Highlights: • Bamboo-like 3C-SiC nanowires with periodically fluctuating diameter have been synthesized on 6H-SiC. • A synergistic growth mechanism from homogeneous substrate and elastic energy has been proposed firstly. • The blue-violet light emission properties of the products displayed peculiar optical application.

Bamboo-like 3C-SiC nanowires with periodical fluctuating diameter: Homogeneous synthesis, synergistic growth mechanism, and their luminescence properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Meng; Zhao, Jian; Li, Zhenjiang; Yu, Hongyuan; Wang, Yaqi; Meng, Alan; Li, Qingdang

2016-01-01

Herein, bamboo-like 3C-SiC nanowires have been successfully fabricated on homogeneous 6H-SiC substrate by a simple chemical vapor reaction (CVR) approach. The obtained 3C-SiC nanostructure with periodical fluctuating diameter, is composed of two alternating structure units, the typical normal-sized stem segment with perfect crystallinity and obvious projecting nodes segment having high-density stacking faults. The formation of the interesting morphology is significantly subjected to the peculiar growth condition provided by the homogeneous substrate as well as the varying growth elastic energy. Furthermore, the photoluminescence (PL) performance measured on the bamboo-like SiC nanowire shows an intensive emission peaks centered at 451 nm and 467 nm, which has been expected to make a positive progress toward the optical application of the SiC-based one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures, such as light emission diode (LED). - Graphical abstract: Based on the synergistic growth mechanism from homogeneous substrate and elastic energy, bamboo-like 3C-SiC nanowires with periodically fluctuating diameter have been synthesized on 6H-SiC. The blue-violet light emission properties of the bamboo-like nanowires have also been investigated for exploring their peculiar optical application. - Highlights: • Bamboo-like 3C-SiC nanowires with periodically fluctuating diameter have been synthesized on 6H-SiC. • A synergistic growth mechanism from homogeneous substrate and elastic energy has been proposed firstly. • The blue-violet light emission properties of the products displayed peculiar optical application.

Structure-based mechanism of lipoteichoic acid synthesis by Staphylococcus aureus LtaS

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Duo; Wörmann, Mirka E.; Zhang, Xiaodong; Schneewind, Olaf; Gründling, Angelika; Freemont, Paul S.

2009-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus synthesizes polyglycerol-phosphate lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from phosphatidylglycerol. LtaS, a predicted membrane protein with 5 N-terminal transmembrane helices followed by a large extracellular part (eLtaS), is required for staphylococcal growth and LTA synthesis. Here, we report the first crystal structure of the eLtaS domain at 1.2-Å resolution and show that it assumes a sulfatase-like fold with an α/β core and a C-terminal part composed of 4 anti-parallel β-strands and a long α-helix. Overlaying eLtaS with sulfatase structures identified active site residues, which were confirmed by alanine substitution mutagenesis and in vivo enzyme function assays. The cocrystal structure with glycerol-phosphate and the coordination of a Mn2+ cation allowed us to propose a reaction mechanism, whereby the active site threonine of LtaS functions as nucleophile for phosphatidylglycerol hydrolysis and formation of a covalent threonine–glycerolphosphate intermediate. These results will aid in the development of LtaS-specific inhibitors for S. aureus and many other Gram-positive pathogens. PMID:19168632

Large-scale synthesis and growth habit of 3-D flower-like crystal of PbTe

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Nan; Chen, Gang; Yang, Xi; Zhang, Xiaosong

2012-02-01

In this paper, 3-D flower-like crystal of PbTe was successfully synthesized using Pb(CH3COO)2·3H2O and Na2TeO3 as precursors under hydrothermal conditions, and characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD). The reaction parameters that influenced the evolution of PbTe synthesis and morphology were investigated. It was shown that the flower-like crystal of PbTe was composed of a nucleus with eight pods. A possible growth mechanism was proposed based on the calculation of the surface energies of PbTe and the SEM observation. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent transport properties of 3-D flower-like crystal of PbTe specimen have been evaluated with an average thermoelectric power of 120 S cm-1 and electrical conductivity of 220 μV K-1 at 740 K.

Growth Mechanism of Nanowires: Ternary Chalcogenides

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, N. B.; Coriell, S. R.; Hopkins, R. H.; Su, Ching Hua; Arnold, B.; Choa, Fow-Sen; Cullum, Brian

2016-01-01

In the past two decades there has been a large rise in the investment and expectations for nanotechnology use. Almost every area of research has projected improvements in sensors, or even a promise for the emergence of some novel device technologies. For these applications major focuses of research are in the areas of nanoparticles and graphene. Although there are some near term applications with nanowires in photodetectors and other low light detectors, there are few papers on the growth mechanism and fabrication of nanowire-based devices. Semiconductor nanowires exhibit very favorable and promising optical properties, including high transparency and a several order of magnitude better photocurrent than thin film and bulk materials. We present here an overview of the mechanism of nanowire growth from the melt, and some preliminary results for the thallium arsenic selenide material system. Thallium arsenic selenide (TAS) is a multifunctional material combining excellent acousto-optical, nonlinear and radiation detection properties. We observed that small units of (TAS) nanocubes arrange and rearrange at moderate melt undercooling to form the building block of a nanowire. In some cases very long wires (less than mm) are formed. Since we avoided the catalyst, we observed self-nucleation and uncontrolled growth of wires from different places.

Fundamental aspects of nucleation and growth in the solution-phase synthesis of germanium nanocrystals

KAUST Repository

Codoluto, Stephen C.

2010-01-01

Colloidal Ge nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized via the solution phase reduction of germanium(ii) iodide. We report a systematic investigation of the nanocrystal nucleation and growth as a function of synthesis conditions including the nature of coordinating solvents, surface bound ligands, synthesis duration and temperature. NC synthesis in reaction environments with weakly bound phosphine surface ligand led to the coalescence of nascent particles leading to ensembles with broad lognormal particle diameter distributions. Synthesis in the presence of amine or alkene ligands mitigated particle coalescence. High-resolution transmission electron micrographs revealed that NCs grown in the presence of weak ligands had a high crystal defect density whereas NCs grown in amine solutions were predominantly defect-free. We applied infrared spectroscopy to study the NC surface chemistry and showed that alkene ligands project the NCs from surface oxidation. Photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements showed that alkene ligands passivate surface traps, as indicated by infrared fluorescence, conversely oxidized phosphine and amine passivated NCs did not fluoresce. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Mechanisms of pancreatic beta-cell growth and regeneration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jens Høiriis

1989-01-01

Information about the mechanism of beta-cell growth and regeneration may be obtained by studies of insulinoma cells. In the present study the growth and function of the rat insulinoma cell lines RINm5F and 5AH were evaluated by addition of serum, hormones, and growth factors. It was found...... of insulin mRNA content showed that the insulinoma cells only contained about 2% of that of normal rat beta-cells. These results are discussed in relation to the role of growth factors, oncogenes, and differentiation in the growth and regeneration of beta-cells....... that transferrin is the only obligatory factor whereas growth hormone, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, and TRH had modulating effects. A heat-labile heparin binding serum factor which stimulated thymidine incorporation but not cell proliferation was demonstrated in human serum. Measurements...

Study of gold nanoparticle synthesis by synchrotron x-ray diffraction and fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Zhongying; Wang, Xiao; Yu, Le; Moeendarbari, Sina; Hao, Yaowu; Cai, Zhonghou; Cheng, Xuemei

Gold nanoparticles have a wide range of potential applications, including therapeutic agent delivery, catalysis, and electronics. Recently a new process of hollow nanoparticle synthesis was reported, the mechanism of which was hypothesized to involve electroless deposition around electrochemically evolved hydrogen bubbles. However, the growth mechanism still needs experimental evidence. We report investigation of this synthesis process using synchrotron x-ray diffraction and fluorescence measurements performed at beamline 2-ID-D of the Advanced Photon Source (APS). A series of gold nanoparticle samples with different synthesis time (50-1200 seconds) were deposited using a mixture electrolyte solution of Na3Au(SO3)2 and H4N2NiO6S2 on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes. The 2D mapping of fluorescence intensity and comparison of x-ray diffraction peaks of the samples have provided valuable information on the growth mechanism. Work at Bryn Mawr College and University of Texas at Arlington is supported by NSF Grants (1207085 and 1207377) and use of the APS at Argonne National Laboratory is supported by the U. S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Growth of ZnO nanostructures on Au-coated Si: Influence of growth temperature on growth mechanism and morphology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumar, Rajendra; McGlynn, E.; Biswas, M.

2008-01-01

ZnO nanostructures were grown on Au-catalyzed Si silicon substrates using vapor phase transport at growth temperatures from 800 to 1150 degrees C. The sample location ensured a low Zn vapor supersaturation during growth. Nanostructures grown at 800 and 850 degrees C showed a faceted rodlike...... growth tended to dominate resulting in the formation of a porous, nanostructured morphology. In all cases growth was seen only on the Au-coated region. Our results show that the majority of the nanostructures grow via a vapor-solid mechanism at low growth temperatures with no evidence of Au nanoparticles...

Synthesis of highly c-oriented ZIF-69 membranes by secondary growth and their gas permeation properties

KAUST Repository

Liu, Yunyang

2011-09-01

A seeded growth procedure was successfully developed to synthesize highly c-oriented and well-intergrown zeolitic imidazolate framework-69 (ZIF-69) membranes on porous α-alumina substrates. The synthesis conditions were optimized both for seed preparation and for secondary growth. For seeding, a facile method was developed to prepare smaller and flat ZIF-69 microcrystals in order to make thin and c-oriented seed layers. While for secondary growth, a synthesis condition that favored the growth along the c-direction was chosen in order to form highly c-oriented ZIF-69 membranes after growth. As a result, the majority of ZIF-69 grains inside the membrane have their straight channels along the crystallographic c-axis aligned perpendicularly to the substrate surface. Such alignment was confirmed by both XRD and pole figure analysis. The mixture-gas separation studies that were carried out at room temperature and 1atm gave separation factors of 6.3, 5.0, 4.6 for CO2/N2, CO2/CO and CO2/CH4 respectively, and a permeance of ∼1.0×10-7molm-2s-1Pa-1 for CO2 in almost all mixtures. Both the separation factor and permeance were better than the performance of the ZIF-69 membranes prepared by the in situ solvothermal method due to improvement in the membrane microstructure by the seeded growth method. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Synthesis of highly c-oriented ZIF-69 membranes by secondary growth and their gas permeation properties

KAUST Repository

Liu, Yunyang; Zeng, Gaofeng; Pan, Yichang; Lai, Zhiping

2011-01-01

A seeded growth procedure was successfully developed to synthesize highly c-oriented and well-intergrown zeolitic imidazolate framework-69 (ZIF-69) membranes on porous α-alumina substrates. The synthesis conditions were optimized both for seed preparation and for secondary growth. For seeding, a facile method was developed to prepare smaller and flat ZIF-69 microcrystals in order to make thin and c-oriented seed layers. While for secondary growth, a synthesis condition that favored the growth along the c-direction was chosen in order to form highly c-oriented ZIF-69 membranes after growth. As a result, the majority of ZIF-69 grains inside the membrane have their straight channels along the crystallographic c-axis aligned perpendicularly to the substrate surface. Such alignment was confirmed by both XRD and pole figure analysis. The mixture-gas separation studies that were carried out at room temperature and 1atm gave separation factors of 6.3, 5.0, 4.6 for CO2/N2, CO2/CO and CO2/CH4 respectively, and a permeance of ∼1.0×10-7molm-2s-1Pa-1 for CO2 in almost all mixtures. Both the separation factor and permeance were better than the performance of the ZIF-69 membranes prepared by the in situ solvothermal method due to improvement in the membrane microstructure by the seeded growth method. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-like peptide and 20-hydroxyecdysone regulate the growth and development of the male genital disk through different mechanisms in the silkmoth, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujinaga, Daiki; Kohmura, Yusuke; Okamoto, Naoki; Kataoka, Hiroshi; Mizoguchi, Akira

2017-08-01

It is well established that ecdysteroids play pivotal roles in the regulation of insect molting and metamorphosis. However, the mechanisms by which ecdysteroids regulate the growth and development of adult organs after pupation are poorly understood. Recently, we have identified insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-like peptides (IGFLPs), which are secreted after pupation under the control of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). In the silkmoth, Bombyx mori, massive amounts of Bombyx-IGFLP (BIGFLP) are present in the hemolymph during pupal-adult development, suggesting its importance in the regulation of adult tissue growth. Thus, we hypothesized that the growth and development of adult tissues including imaginal disks are regulated by the combined effects of BIGFLP and 20E. In this study, we investigated the growth-promoting effects of BIGFLP and 20E using the male genital disks of B. mori cultured ex vivo, and further analyzed the cell signaling pathways mediating hormone actions. We demonstrate that 20E induces the elongation of genital disks, that both hormones stimulate protein synthesis in an additive manner, and that BIGFLP and 20E exert their effects through the insulin/IGF signaling pathway and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, respectively. These results show that the growth and development of the genital disk are coordinately regulated by both BIGFLP and 20E. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nitroxide radicals formed in situ as polymer chain growth regulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolyakina, Elena V; Grishin, Dmitry F

2009-01-01

Published data on controlled synthesis of macromolecules using nitroxide radicals, formed in situ during polymerization, as polymer chain growth regulators are systematized and generalized. The attention is focused on the mechanism of polymer chain growth control during reversibly inhibited radical homopolymerization and the effect of structure of precursors and regulating additives on the polymerization kinetics of monomers of different nature and the molecular-mass characteristics of the polymers thus formed. The key methods for generation of nitroxide radicals directly during polymerization are considered. The prospects for development and practical use of these approaches for the synthesis of new polymeric materials are evaluated.

Fracture processes and mechanisms of crack growth resistance in human enamel

Science.gov (United States)

Bajaj, Devendra; Park, Saejin; Quinn, George D.; Arola, Dwayne

2010-07-01

Human enamel has a complex micro-structure that varies with distance from the tooth’s outer surface. But contributions from the microstructure to the fracture toughness and the mechanisms of crack growth resistance have not been explored in detail. In this investigation the apparent fracture toughness of human enamel and the mechanisms of crack growth resistance were evaluated using the indentation fracture approach and an incremental crack growth technique. Indentation cracks were introduced on polished surfaces of enamel at selected distances from the occlusal surface. In addition, an incremental crack growth approach using compact tension specimens was used to quantify the crack growth resistance as a Junction of distance from the occlusal surface. There were significant differences in the apparent toughness estimated using the two approaches, which was attributed to the active crack length and corresponding scale of the toughening mechanisms.

Mechanism of growth retardation of the adenocarcinoma EO 771

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassukas, I.D.; Maurer-Schultze, B.

1987-01-01

Growth retardation of tumors has been predominantly described by an increase of the ''cell loss factor'' Φ. However, this cell loss factor alone merely reflects the growth deceleration without giving information on the mechanism that causes growth retardation. In the present study a quantitative analysis of the mechanism causing growth retardation of the adenocarcinoma EO 771 has been carried out by determining separately the components of the cell loss factor Φ, namely the cell production rate and the cell loss rate of the tumor cell population. For this purpose the alteration of the histology of the tumor (proportion of necrotic tumor tissue, tumor cell density) and the proliferative capacity of the tumor cell population as a function of the tumor size was studied by applying morphometric and cell kinetic methods. The results show that growth deceleration is due to a decrease of the cell production rate k p and a simultaneous increase of the cell rate k l . Both processes contribute to about the same extent to the growth deceleration of the tumor cell population. In early tumor growth deceleration is mainly due to a prolongation of the cycle time of the tumor cells, in later phases of tumor growth to an increasing probability of the tumor cells to decycle leading to a decrease of the growth fraction GF and an increase of the cell loss rate k l . (orig.)

Effects of hepatocyte growth factor on glutathione synthesis, growth, and apoptosis is cell density-dependent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Heping; Magilnick, Nathaniel; Xia Meng; Lu, Shelly C.

2008-01-01

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent hepatocyte mitogen that exerts opposing effects depending on cell density. Glutathione (GSH) is the main non-protein thiol in mammalian cells that modulates growth and apoptosis. We previously showed that GSH level is inversely related to cell density of hepatocytes and is positively related to growth. Our current work examined whether HGF can modulate GSH synthesis in a cell density-dependent manner and how GSH in turn influence HGF's effects. We found HGF treatment of H4IIE cells increased cell GSH levels only under subconfluent density. The increase in cell GSH under low density was due to increased transcription of GSH synthetic enzymes. This correlated with increased protein levels and nuclear binding activities of c-Jun, c-Fos, p65, p50, Nrf1 and Nrf2 to the promoter region of these genes. HGF acts as a mitogen in H4IIE cells under low cell density and protects against tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced apoptosis by limiting JNK activation. However, HGF is pro-apoptotic under high cell density and exacerbates TNFα-induced apoptosis by potentiating JNK activation. The increase in cell GSH under low cell density allows HGF to exert its full mitogenic effect but is not necessary for its anti-apoptotic effect

Understanding the Growth Mechanism of GaN Epitaxial Layers on Mechanically Exfoliated Graphite.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tianbao; Liu, Chenyang; Zhang, Zhe; Yu, Bin; Dong, Hailiang; Jia, Wei; Jia, Zhigang; Yu, Chunyan; Gan, Lin; Xu, Bingshe; Jiang, Haiwei

2018-04-27

The growth mechanism of GaN epitaxial layers on mechanically exfoliated graphite is explained in detail based on classic nucleation theory. The number of defects on the graphite surface can be increased via O-plasma treatment, leading to increased nucleation density on the graphite surface. The addition of elemental Al can effectively improve the nucleation rate, which can promote the formation of dense nucleation layers and the lateral growth of GaN epitaxial layers. The surface morphologies of the nucleation layers, annealed layers and epitaxial layers were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, where the evolution of the surface morphology coincided with a 3D-to-2D growth mechanism. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the microstructure of GaN. Fast Fourier transform diffraction patterns showed that cubic phase (zinc-blend structure) GaN grains were obtained using conventional GaN nucleation layers, while the hexagonal phase (wurtzite structure) GaN films were formed using AlGaN nucleation layers. Our work opens new avenues for using highly oriented pyrolytic graphite as a substrate to fabricate transferable optoelectronic devices.

Synthesis, growth, structural, optical, thermal, dielectric and mechanical studies of an organic guanidinium p-nitrophenolate crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Dhavamurthy, M.; Peramaiyan, G.; Mohan, R.

2014-08-01

Guanidinium p-nitrophenolate (GUNP), a novel organic compound, was synthesized and crystals were grown from methanol solution by a slow evaporation solution growth technique. A single crystal X-ray diffraction study elucidated the crystal structure of GUNP belonging to the orthorhombic crystal system with space group Pnma. Thermal studies revealed that the GUNP crystal is thermally stable up to 192 °C. The lower cut-off wavelength of GUNP was found to be 505 nm by UV-vis-NIR spectral studies. The luminescence properties of the GUNP crystal were investigated. The three independent tensor coefficients ε11, ε22 and ε33 of the dielectric permittivity were calculated. The mechanical properties of the grown crystal were studied by Vickers' microhardness hardness technique.

Multiple regulatory systems coordinate DNA replication with cell growth in Bacillus subtilis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heath Murray

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In many bacteria the rate of DNA replication is linked with cellular physiology to ensure that genome duplication is coordinated with growth. Nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation has been appreciated for decades, however the mechanism(s that connects these cell cycle activities has eluded understanding. In order to help address this fundamental question we have investigated regulation of DNA replication in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Contrary to the prevailing view we find that changes in DnaA protein level are not sufficient to account for nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation, although this regulation does require both DnaA and the endogenous replication origin. We go on to report connections between DNA replication and several essential cellular activities required for rapid bacterial growth, including respiration, central carbon metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, and protein synthesis. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that multiple regulatory systems are involved in coordinating DNA replication with cell physiology, with some of the regulatory systems targeting oriC while others act in a oriC-independent manner. We propose that distinct regulatory systems are utilized to control DNA replication in response to diverse physiological and chemical changes.

Multiple Regulatory Systems Coordinate DNA Replication with Cell Growth in Bacillus subtilis

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Heath; Koh, Alan

2014-01-01

In many bacteria the rate of DNA replication is linked with cellular physiology to ensure that genome duplication is coordinated with growth. Nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation has been appreciated for decades, however the mechanism(s) that connects these cell cycle activities has eluded understanding. In order to help address this fundamental question we have investigated regulation of DNA replication in the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Contrary to the prevailing view we find that changes in DnaA protein level are not sufficient to account for nutrient-mediated growth rate control of DNA replication initiation, although this regulation does require both DnaA and the endogenous replication origin. We go on to report connections between DNA replication and several essential cellular activities required for rapid bacterial growth, including respiration, central carbon metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, phospholipid synthesis, and protein synthesis. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that multiple regulatory systems are involved in coordinating DNA replication with cell physiology, with some of the regulatory systems targeting oriC while others act in a oriC-independent manner. We propose that distinct regulatory systems are utilized to control DNA replication in response to diverse physiological and chemical changes. PMID:25340815

Extracellular matrix components influence DNA synthesis of rat hepatocytes in primary culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawada, N.; Tomomura, A.; Sattler, C.A.; Sattler, G.L.; Kleinman, H.K.; Pitot, H.C.

1986-01-01

The effects of several extracellular matrix components (EMCs) - fibronectin (Fn), laminin (Ln), type I (C-I) and type IV (C-IV) collagen - on DNA synthesis in rat hepatocytes in primary culture were examined by both quantitative scintillation spectrometry and autoradiography of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation. Hepatocytes cultured on Fn showed the most active DNA synthesis initiated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) with decreasing levels of [ 3 H]thymidine uptake exhibited in the cell cultured on C-IV, C-I, and Ln, respectively. The decreasing level of DNA synthesis in hepatocytes cultured on Fn, C-IV, C-I, and Ln respectively was not influenced by cell density. The number of EGF receptors of hepatocytes was also not influenced by EMCs. These data suggest that EMCs modify hepatocyte DNA synthesis by means of post-EGF-receptor mechanisms which are regulated by both growth factors and cell density

Facile Low Temperature Hydrothermal Synthesis of BaTiO3 Nanoparticles Studied by In Situ X-ray Diffraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ola G. Grendal

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Ferroelectric materials are crucial for today’s technological society and nanostructured ferroelectric materials are important for the downscaling of devices. Controlled and reproducible synthesis of these materials are, therefore, of immense importance. Hydrothermal synthesis is a well-established synthesis route, with a large parameter space for optimization, but a better understanding of nucleation and growth mechanisms is needed for full utilization and control. Here we use in situ X-ray diffraction to follow the nucleation and growth of BaTiO3 formed by hydrothermal synthesis using two different titanium precursors, an amorphous titania precipitate slurry and a Ti-citric acid complex solution. Sequential Rietveld refinement was used to extract the time dependency of lattice parameters, crystallite size, strain, and atomic displacement parameters. Phase pure BaTiO3 nanoparticles, 10–15 nm in size, were successfully synthesized at different temperatures (100, 125, and 150 °C from both precursors after reaction times, ranging from a few seconds to several hours. The two precursors resulted in phase pure BaTiO3 with similar final crystallite size. Finally, two different growth mechanisms were revealed, where the effect of surfactants present during hydrothermal synthesis is discussed as one of the key parameters.

Silver nanostructures with well-controlled shapes: synthesis, characterization and growth mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kan Caixia; Zhu Jiejun; Zhu Xiaoguang

2008-01-01

This paper describes a poly(vinylpyrollidone)-directed polyol synthesis method for the fabrication of silver (Ag) nanostructures with well-controlled shapes (such as nanorods and nanocubes) by adjusting the synthesizing parameters. The structure characterizations suggest that the Ag nanorods grow from the five-fold twinned decahedral crystal nuclei. The nature of the {1 1 1} planes of Ag crystal and the highly selective poly(vinylpyrollidone) adsorption on the {100} planes of Ag crystal nuclei are favourable for the formation of Ag nanorods and Ag nanowires. The single crystalline Ag nanocubes obtained at optimum conditions are perfect in shape and are enclosed by the {1 0 0} facets. The optical properties of the Ag nanostructures show an attractive plasma resonance, displaying a considerable dependence on the shape and size. The formation of the Ag nanostructures with well-defined shapes is probably due to the fact that the nanostructures are controlled thermodynamically and kinetically. The ability to generate shape-controlled Ag nanostructures also provides an opportunity to experimentally and systematically study the relationship between their properties and geometric shapes

Silver nanostructures with well-controlled shapes: synthesis, characterization and growth mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Kan, Cai-Xia; Zhu, Jie-Jun; Zhu, Xiao-Guang

2008-08-01

This paper describes a poly(vinylpyrollidone)-directed polyol synthesis method for the fabrication of silver (Ag) nanostructures with well-controlled shapes (such as nanorods and nanocubes) by adjusting the synthesizing parameters. The structure characterizations suggest that the Ag nanorods grow from the five-fold twinned decahedral crystal nuclei. The nature of the {1 1 1} planes of Ag crystal and the highly selective poly(vinylpyrollidone) adsorption on the {100} planes of Ag crystal nuclei are favourable for the formation of Ag nanorods and Ag nanowires. The single crystalline Ag nanocubes obtained at optimum conditions are perfect in shape and are enclosed by the {1 0 0} facets. The optical properties of the Ag nanostructures show an attractive plasma resonance, displaying a considerable dependence on the shape and size. The formation of the Ag nanostructures with well-defined shapes is probably due to the fact that the nanostructures are controlled thermodynamically and kinetically. The ability to generate shape-controlled Ag nanostructures also provides an opportunity to experimentally and systematically study the relationship between their properties and geometric shapes.

Effects of glucose on lactose synthesis in mammary epithelial cells from dairy cow.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ye; Sun, Xiaoxu; Hou, Xiaoming; Qu, Bo; Gao, Xuejun; Li, Qingzhang

2016-05-26

Lactose, as the primary osmotic component in milk, is the major determinant of milk volume. Glucose is the primary precursor of lactose. However, the effect of glucose on lactose synthesis in dairy cow mammary glands and the mechanism governing this process are poorly understood. Here we showed that glucose has the ability to induce lactose synthesis in dairy cow mammary epithelial cells, as well as increase cell viability and proliferation. A concentration of 12 mM glucose was the optimum concentration to induce cell growth and lactose synthesis in cultured dairy cow mammary epithelial cells. In vitro, 12 mM glucose enhanced lactose content, along with the expression of genes involved in glucose transportation and the lactose biosynthesis pathway, including GLUT1, SLC35A2, SLC35B1, HK2, β4GalT-I, and AKT1. In addition, we found that AKT1 knockdown inhibited cell growth and lactose synthesis as well as expression of GLUT1, SLC35A2, SLC35B1, HK2, and β4GalT-I. Glucose induces cell growth and lactose synthesis in dairy cow mammary epithelial cells. Protein kinase B alpha acts as a regulator of metabolism in dairy cow mammary gland to mediate the effects of glucose on lactose synthesis.

Synthesis of graphene by MEVVA source ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ying, J.J.; Xiao, X.H.; Dai, Z.G.; Wu, W.; Li, W.Q.; Mei, F.; Cai, G.X.; Ren, F.; Jiang, C.Z.

2013-01-01

Ion implantation provides a new synthesis route for graphene, and few-layered graphene synthesis by ion implantation has been reported. Here we show the synthesis of a single layer of high-quality graphene by Metal Vapor Vacuum Arc (MEVVA) source ion implantation. Polycrystalline nickel and copper thin films are implanted with MEVVA source carbon ions at 40 kV, followed by high-temperature thermal annealing and quenching. A Raman spectrum is applied to probe the quality and thickness of the prepared graphene. A single layer of high-quality graphene is grown on the nickel films, but not on the copper films. The growth mechanisms on the nickel and copper films are explained. MEVVA source ion implantation has been widely applied in industrial applications, demonstrating that this synthesis method can be generalized for industrial production

A synthesis of radial growth patterns preceding tree mortality

Science.gov (United States)

Cailleret, Maxime; Jansen, Steven; Robert, Elisabeth M.R.; Desoto, Lucia; Aakala, Tuomas; Antos, Joseph A.; Beikircher, Barbara; Bigler, Christof; Bugmann, Harald; Caccianiga, Marco; Cada, Vojtech; Camarero, Jesus J.; Cherubini, Paolo; Cochard, Herve; Coyea, Marie R.; Cufar, Katarina; Das, Adrian J.; Davi, Hendrik; Delzon, Sylvain; Dorman, Michael; Gea-Izquierdo, Guillermo; Gillner, Sten; Haavik, Laurel J.; Hartmann, Henrik; Heres, Ana-Maria; Hultine, Kevin R.; Janda, Pavel; Kane, Jeffrey M.; Kharuk, Vyacheslav I.; Kitzberger, Thomas; Klein, Tamir; Kramer, Koen; Lens, Frederic; Levanic, Tom; Calderon, Juan C. Linares; Lloret, Francisco; Lobo-Do-Vale, Raquel; Lombardi, Fabio; Lopez Rodriguez, Rosana; Makinen, Harri; Mayr, Stefan; Meszaros, IIona; Metsaranta, Juha M.; Minunno, Francesco; Oberhuber, Walter; Papadopoulos, Andreas; Peltoniemi, Mikko; Petritan, Any M.; Rohner, Brigitte; Sanguesa-Barreda, Gabriel; Sarris, Dimitrios; Smith, Jeremy M.; Stan, Amanda B.; Sterck, Frank; Stojanovic, Dejan B.; Suarez, Maria L.; Svoboda, Miroslav; Tognetti, Roberto; Torres-Ruiz, Jose M.; Trotsiuk, Volodymyr; Villalba, Ricardo; Vodde, Floor; Westwood, Alana R.; Wyckoff, Peter H.; Zafirov, Nikolay; Martinez-Vilalta, Jordi

2017-01-01

Tree mortality is a key factor influencing forest functions and dynamics, but our understanding of the mechanisms leading to mortality and the associated changes in tree growth rates are still limited. We compiled a new pan-continental tree-ring width database from sites where both dead and living trees were sampled (2970 dead and 4224 living trees from 190 sites, including 36 species), and compared early and recent growth rates between trees that died and those that survived a given mortality event. We observed a decrease in radial growth before death in ca. 84% of the mortality events. The extent and duration of these reductions were highly variable (1–100 years in 96% of events) due to the complex interactions among study species and the source(s) of mortality. Strong and long-lasting declines were found for gymnosperms, shade- and drought-tolerant species, and trees that died from competition. Angiosperms and trees that died due to biotic attacks (especially bark-beetles) typically showed relatively small and short-term growth reductions. Our analysis did not highlight any universal trade-off between early growth and tree longevity within a species, although this result may also reflect high variability in sampling design among sites. The intersite and interspecific variability in growth patterns before mortality provides valuable information on the nature of the mortality process, which is consistent with our understanding of the physiological mechanisms leading to mortality. Abrupt changes in growth immediately before death can be associated with generalized hydraulic failure and/or bark-beetle attack, while long-term decrease in growth may be associated with a gradual decline in hydraulic performance coupled with depletion in carbon reserves. Our results imply that growth-based mortality algorithms may be a powerful tool for predicting gymnosperm mortality induced by chronic stress, but not necessarily so for angiosperms and in case of intense drought or

Synthesis of dopamine in E. coli using plasmid-based expression system and its marked effect on host growth profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Arunangshu; Verma, Anita; Mukherjee, Krishna J

2017-09-14

L-Dopa and dopamine are important pathway intermediates toward the synthesis of catecholamine such as epinephrine and norepinephrine from amino acid L-tyrosine. Dopamine, secreted from dopaminergic nerve cells, serves as an important neurotransmitter. We report the synthesis of dopamine by extending the aromatic amino acid pathway of Escherichia coli DH5α by the expression of 4-hydroxyphenylacetate-3-hydrolase (HpaBC) from E. coli and an engineered dopa decarboxylase (DDC) from pig kidney cell. The activity of HpaBC and DDC require 200 µM iron supplementation and 50 µM vitamin B6, respectively as additives to the growth media. The maximum concentration of L-dopa and dopamine obtained from the broth was around 26 and 27 mg/L after 24 hr of separate shake flask studies. We observed that in the presence of dopamine synthesized in vivo host growth was remarkably enhanced. These observations lead us to an interesting finding about the role of these catecholamines on bacterial growth. It is clear that synthesis of dopamine in vivo actually promotes growth much efficiently as compared to when dopamine is added to the system from outside. From HPLC and GC-MS data it was further observed that L-dopa was stable within the observable time of experiments whereas dopamine actually was subjected to degradation via oxidation and host consumption.

Automated synthesis of photovoltaic-quality colloidal quantum dots using separate nucleation and growth stages

KAUST Repository

Pan, Jun

2013-11-26

As colloidal quantum dot (CQD) optoelectronic devices continue to improve, interest grows in the scaled-up and automated synthesis of high-quality materials. Unfortunately, all reports of record-performance CQD photovoltaics have been based on small-scale batch syntheses. Here we report a strategy for flow reactor synthesis of PbS CQDs and prove that it leads to solar cells having performance similar to that of comparable batch-synthesized nanoparticles. Specifically, we find that, only when using a dual-temperature-stage flow reactor synthesis reported herein, are the CQDs of sufficient quality to achieve high performance. We use a kinetic model to explain and optimize the nucleation and growth processes in the reactor. Compared to conventional single-stage flow-synthesized CQDs, we achieve superior quality nanocrystals via the optimized dual-stage reactor, with high photoluminescence quantum yield (50%) and narrow full width-half-maximum. The dual-stage flow reactor approach, with its versatility and rapid screening of multiple parameters, combined with its efficient materials utilization, offers an attractive path to automated synthesis of CQDs for photovoltaics and, more broadly, active optoelectronics. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Obesity resistance and multiple mechanisms of triglyceride synthesis in mice lacking Dgat.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, S J; Cases, S; Jensen, D R; Chen, H C; Sande, E; Tow, B; Sanan, D A; Raber, J; Eckel, R H; Farese, R V

2000-05-01

Triglycerides (or triacylglycerols) represent the major form of stored energy in eukaryotes. Triglyceride synthesis has been assumed to occur primarily through acyl CoA:diacylglycerol transferase (Dgat), a microsomal enzyme that catalyses the final and only committed step in the glycerol phosphate pathway. Therefore, Dgat has been considered necessary for adipose tissue formation and essential for survival. Here we show that Dgat-deficient (Dgat-/-) mice are viable and can still synthesize triglycerides. Moreover, these mice are lean and resistant to diet-induced obesity. The obesity resistance involves increased energy expenditure and increased activity. Dgat deficiency also alters triglyceride metabolism in other tissues, including the mammary gland, where lactation is defective in Dgat-/- females. Our findings indicate that multiple mechanisms exist for triglyceride synthesis and suggest that the selective inhibition of Dgat-mediated triglyceride synthesis may be useful for treating obesity.

Mechanically activated self-propagated high-temperature synthesis of nanometer-structured MgB2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radev, D.D.; Marinov, M.; Tumbalev, V.; Radev, I.; Konstantinov, L.

2005-01-01

Nanometer-sized MgB 2 was prepared via a two-step modification of the mechanically activated self-propagated high-temperature synthesis. The experimental conditions and some structural and phase characteristics of the synthesized product are reported. It is shown that a single-phase material can be prepared after 2 h of intense mechanical treatment of the starting magnesium and boron powders and a synthesis induced at a current-pulse density of 30 A cm -2 . The average size of MgB 2 particles synthesized in this way is 70-80 nm. It is also shown that using the same reagents and the 'classic' high-temperature interaction at 850 deg C with a protective atmosphere of pure Ar, mean particle size of the MgB 2 obtained is 50 μm

Resolving nanoparticle growth mechanisms from size- and time-dependent growth rate analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Pichelstorfer, Lukas; Stolzenburg, Dominik; Ortega, John; Karl, Thomas; Kokkola, Harri; Laakso, Anton; Lehtinen, Kari E. J.; Smith, James N.; McMurry, Peter H.; Winkler, Paul M.

2018-01-01

Atmospheric new particle formation occurs frequently in the global atmosphere and may play a crucial role in climate by affecting cloud properties. The relevance of newly formed nanoparticles depends largely on the dynamics governing their initial formation and growth to sizes where they become important for cloud microphysics. One key to the proper understanding of nanoparticle effects on climate is therefore hidden in the growth mechanisms. In this study we have developed and successfully tested two independent methods based on the aerosol general dynamics equation, allowing detailed retrieval of time- and size-dependent nanoparticle growth rates. Both methods were used to analyze particle formation from two different biogenic precursor vapors in controlled chamber experiments. Our results suggest that growth rates below 10 nm show much more variation than is currently thought and pin down the decisive size range of growth at around 5 nm where in-depth studies of physical and chemical particle properties are needed.

Continuum damage mechanics method for fatigue growth of surface cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Xiqiao; He Shuyan

1997-01-01

With the background of leak-before-break (LBB) analysis of pressurized vessels and pipes in nuclear plants, the fatigue growth problem of either circumferential or longitudinal semi-elliptical surface cracks subjected to cyclic loading is studied by using a continuum damage mechanics method. The fatigue damage is described by a scalar damage variable. From the damage evolution equation at the crack tip, a crack growth equation similar to famous Paris' formula is derived, which shows the physical meaning of Paris' formula. Thereby, a continuum damage mechanics approach is developed to analyze the configuration evolution of surface cracks during fatigue growth

Capsule-like {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, and growth mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Changhua [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Liaocheng University (China); Wang, Hui [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an (China)

2012-08-15

Uniform capsule-like {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method, employing FeCl{sub 3} and CH{sub 3}COONa as the precursors and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as soft template. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the structure of synthesized products. Some factors influencing the formation of capsule-like {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles were systematically investigated, including different kinds of surfactants, the concentration of SDS, and reaction times. The investigation on the evolution formation reveals that SDS was critical to control the morphology of final products, and a possible five-step growth mechanism was presented by tracking the structures of the products at different reaction stages. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The Synthesis of Nanostructured WC-Based Hardmetals Using Mechanical Alloying and Their Direct Consolidation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Al-Aqeeli

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tungsten carbide- (WC- based hardmetals or cemented carbides represent an important class of materials used in a wide range of industrial applications which primarily include cutting/drilling tools and wear resistant components. The introduction and processing of nanostructured WC-based cemented carbides and their subsequent consolidation to produce dense components have been the subject of several investigations. One of the attractive means of producing this class of materials is by mechanical alloying technique. However, one of the challenging issues in obtaining the right end-product is the possible loss of the nanocrystallite sizes due to the undesirable grain growth during powder sintering step. Many research groups have engaged in multiple projects aiming at exploring the right path of consolidating the nanostructured WC-based powders without substantially loosing the attained nanostructure. The present paper highlights some key issues related to powder synthesis and sintering of WC-based nanostructured materials using mechanical alloying. The path of directly consolidating the powders using nonconventional consolidation techniques will be addressed and some light will be shed on the advantageous use of such techniques. Cobalt-bonded hardmetals will be principally covered in this work along with an additional exposure of the use of other binders in the WC-based hardmetals.

Mechanism of Fatigue Crack Growth of Bridge Steel Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu H.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out on the background of Sutong Bridge project based on fracture mechanics, aiming at analyzing the growth mechanism of fatigue cracks of a bridge under the load of vehicles. Stress intensity factor (SIF can be calculated by various methods. Three steel plates with different kinds of cracks were taken as the samples in this study. With the combination of finite element analysis software ABAQUS and the J integral method, SIF values of the samples were calculated. After that, the extended finite element method in the simulation of fatigue crack growth was introduced, and the simulation of crack growth paths under different external loads was analyzed. At last, we took a partial model from the Sutong Bridge and supposed its two dangerous parts already had fine cracks; then simulative vehicle load was added onto the U-rib to predict crack growth paths using the extended finite element method.

Synthesis, growth and characterization of organic nonlinear optical material: N-benzyl-2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (BNA)

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaivanan, R.; Srinivasan, K.

2017-05-01

Synthesis of the organic nonlinear optical compound N-benzyl-2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (BNA) was carried out in a newer chemical environment using the mixture of benzyl chloride and 2-methl-4-nitroaniline by a preferred laboratory synthesis process. The synthesized BNA compound was separated by column chromatography (CC) with low pressure silica gell using petrollium benzine and purity of the separated resultant product was confirmed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Further, the material was recrystallized atleast four times in methanol and the highly purified BNA was used for the growth of single crystals from solutions with selected solvents by slow evaporation method at room temperature. Single crystals having natural growth morphology were harvested and their different growth faces were identified by optical goniometry. The grown crystals were subjected to different characterization techniques such as powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and UV-vis-Near IR spectroscopy. Further, the second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of the grown BNA crystal was studied by Kurtz and Perry powder technique using Nd:YAG laser as fundamental source and found to be twice that of inorganic standard KDP.

Physiological-phased kinetic characteristics of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris growth and lipid synthesis considering synergistic effects of light, carbon and nutrients.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Qiang; Chang, Hai-Xing; Fu, Qian; Huang, Yun; Xia, Ao; Zhu, Xun; Zhong, Nianbing

2018-02-01

To comprehensively understand kinetic characteristics of microalgae growth and lipid synthesis in different phases, a phase-feeding strategy was proposed to simultaneously regulate light, carbon and nutrients in adaption, growth and stationary phases of microalgae cultivation. Physiological-phased kinetic characteristics of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris growth and lipid synthesis under synergistic effects of light, carbon and nutrients were investigated, and supply-demand relationships of electrons and energy between light and dark reactions of photosynthesis process were discussed. Finally, the optimized cultivation strategy for microalgae in various phases were obtained, under which the lipid productivity was significantly improved from 130.11 mg/L/d to 163.42 mg/L/d. The study provided some important guidance for the large-scale production of biofuels from microalgae. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cell growth state determines susceptibility of repair DNA synthesis to inhibition by hydroxyurea and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullinger, A.M.; Collins, A.R.; Johnson, R.T.

1983-01-01

The effects of inhibitors of replicative DNA synthesis on repair DNA synthesis have been examined by autoradiography in several different cell types and in cells in different growth states. Hydroxyurea (HU) and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara C), administered together, influence unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in a manner which is independent of the status of the cell culture (normal or transformed) and of the species, but which is strongly affected by whether the cells are proliferating or quiescent. In proliferating human, Chinese hamster and Microtus cell cultures, UDS is not inhibited by HU and ara C, and may even appear to be stimulated. In quiescent cultures of these cells UDS is reduced by HU and ara C. In cells reseeded from a confluent culture and followed during proliferation and back to quiescence the effect of inhibitors parallels the growth pattern. The results are interpreted in terms of changes in the sizes of endogenous DNA precursor pools; they underline the potential problems associated with quantitating UDS in the presence of inhibitors

Silver nanostructures with well-controlled shapes: synthesis, characterization and growth mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kan Caixia [College of Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211100 (China); Zhu Jiejun [Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Zhu Xiaoguang [Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)], E-mail: cxkan@nuaa.edu.cn

2008-08-07

This paper describes a poly(vinylpyrollidone)-directed polyol synthesis method for the fabrication of silver (Ag) nanostructures with well-controlled shapes (such as nanorods and nanocubes) by adjusting the synthesizing parameters. The structure characterizations suggest that the Ag nanorods grow from the five-fold twinned decahedral crystal nuclei. The nature of the {l_brace}1 1 1{r_brace} planes of Ag crystal and the highly selective poly(vinylpyrollidone) adsorption on the {l_brace}100{r_brace} planes of Ag crystal nuclei are favourable for the formation of Ag nanorods and Ag nanowires. The single crystalline Ag nanocubes obtained at optimum conditions are perfect in shape and are enclosed by the {l_brace}1 0 0{r_brace} facets. The optical properties of the Ag nanostructures show an attractive plasma resonance, displaying a considerable dependence on the shape and size. The formation of the Ag nanostructures with well-defined shapes is probably due to the fact that the nanostructures are controlled thermodynamically and kinetically. The ability to generate shape-controlled Ag nanostructures also provides an opportunity to experimentally and systematically study the relationship between their properties and geometric shapes.

Mechanism and microstructural evolution of polyol mediated synthesis of nanostructured M-type SrFe12O19

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tenorio Gonzalez, F.N.; Bolarín Miró, A.M.; Sánchez De Jesús, F.; Cortés Escobedo, C.A.; Ammar, S.

2016-01-01

The synthesis mechanism of nanostructured M-type strontium hexaferrite SrFe 12 O 19 with high coercivity (5.7 kOe) obtained by a polyol process and annealing is proposed. The results show that the hexaferrite is synthesized through the formation of a complex with diethylene glycol during the hydrolysis and solvation stage, followed by the condensation of magnetite and strontium oxide. The results of the monitoring of the process by X-ray diffraction (XRD) of synthesized powders, magnetization hysteresis loops and micromorphology are presented and discussed. The proposed mechanism suggests the intermediate formation of the magnetite phase, which shows coercivity near zero at room temperature and confirms the nanoscale of the particles. Results of thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis indicate that this phase is followed by the formation of the hematite phase after a heat treatment up to 543 °C in an oxidizing atmosphere. Finally, the hexagonal phase is obtained after application of annealing at 836 °C through the reaction between hematite and strontium oxide. - Highlights: • SrFe 12 O 19 was successfully obtained by a polyol-assisted synthesis. • Magnetite nanoparticles have been obtained as intermediate phase. • A synthesis mechanism for the growing stage of magnetite is proposed. • A reaction sequence and the synthesis mechanism to obtain hexaferrite is presented.

Synthesis of silicon nanowires and novel nano-dendrite structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, Saion; Gao Bo; Zhou, Otto

2004-01-01

We report a study on the effects of various parameters on the synthesis of silicon nanowires (5--50 nm in diameter) by pulsed laser ablation. A novel silicon nanodendrite structure is observed by changing some of the growth parameters abruptly. This growth mechanism is explained by a qualitative model. These nanodendrites show a promise of being used as a template in fabricating nanocircuits. Thermal quantum confinement effects were also observed on the silicon nanowires and have been reported

On the lubrication mechanism of detonation-synthesis nanodiamond additives in lubricant composites

Science.gov (United States)

Shepelevskii, A. A.; Esina, A. V.; Voznyakovskii, A. P.; Fadin, Yu. A.

2017-09-01

The lubrication of detonation-synthesis diamond additives in lubricant composites has been discussed. The mechanism of interaction between nanodiamonds and friction surface has been shown to depend on the applied load. Two models of the lubrication of nanodiamonds and the conditions for their validity have also been proposed.

Local administration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) stimulates tendon collagen synthesis in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Mette; Boesen, Anders; Holm, Lars

2013-01-01

Collagen is the predominant structural protein in tendons and ligaments, and can be controlled by hormonal changes. In animals, injections of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been shown to increase collagen synthesis in tendons and ligaments and to improve structural tissue healing, but t...

Boron Stress Activates the General Amino Acid Control Mechanism and Inhibits Protein Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Uluisik, Irem; Kaya, Alaattin; Fomenko, Dmitri E.; Karakaya, Huseyin C.; Carlson, Bradley A.; Gladyshev, Vadim N.; Koc, Ahmet

2011-01-01

Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants, and it is beneficial for animals. However, at high concentrations boron is toxic to cells although the mechanism of this toxicity is not known. Atr1 has recently been identified as a boron efflux pump whose expression is upregulated in response to boron treatment. Here, we found that the expression of ATR1 is associated with expression of genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis. These mechanisms are strictly controlled by the transcription factor Gcn4 in response to boron treatment. Further analyses have shown that boron impaired protein synthesis by promoting phosphorylation of eIF2α in a Gcn2 kinase dependent manner. The uncharged tRNA binding domain (HisRS) of Gcn2 is necessary for the phosphorylation of eIF2α in the presence of boron. We postulate that boron exerts its toxic effect through activation of the general amino acid control system and inhibition of protein synthesis. Since the general amino acid control pathway is conserved among eukaryotes, this mechanism of boron toxicity may be of general importance. PMID:22114689

Boron stress activates the general amino acid control mechanism and inhibits protein synthesis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irem Uluisik

Full Text Available Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants, and it is beneficial for animals. However, at high concentrations boron is toxic to cells although the mechanism of this toxicity is not known. Atr1 has recently been identified as a boron efflux pump whose expression is upregulated in response to boron treatment. Here, we found that the expression of ATR1 is associated with expression of genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis. These mechanisms are strictly controlled by the transcription factor Gcn4 in response to boron treatment. Further analyses have shown that boron impaired protein synthesis by promoting phosphorylation of eIF2α in a Gcn2 kinase dependent manner. The uncharged tRNA binding domain (HisRS of Gcn2 is necessary for the phosphorylation of eIF2α in the presence of boron. We postulate that boron exerts its toxic effect through activation of the general amino acid control system and inhibition of protein synthesis. Since the general amino acid control pathway is conserved among eukaryotes, this mechanism of boron toxicity may be of general importance.

Regularities of synthesis and mechanism of polycondensation of aromatic amines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matnishyan, Hagob

2002-01-01

Full text.Aniline polymers and its derivatives are widely used in modern electronics, electrical engineering and manufacturing of various appliances. They are used for production of electrical power sources, probes and sensors, composite materials absorbing high frequency radiations, anticorrosion coatings, nonlinear optical devices-such as lasers, cathode ray tubes, photodiodes etc. Such a wide usage of aromatic amine polymers brings up new demands to their structure and properties, which is dependent on conditions of synthesis and forming of the hard phase. The presented article describes regularities and mechanisms of oxidative polycondensation of aromatic amines. Several types of polymers have been synthesized by chemical and electrochemical oxidation of aniline and its chlor-, brom-, iodo-, nitro-, p-substituted derivatives; diphenylamine, benzidine and phenylenediamines in nonwater media. On the basis of kinetic and electrochemical studies and literature analysis we suggested a mechanism of polycondensation of aromatic amines. According to it, oxidation of amines starts with the electron transfer with cation-radical formation on the first stage, which stabilizes in acid environments due to complex formation with initial amine. Dimer formation and further growth of chain takes place upon another electron transfer from formed complex, which results in forming of macromolecules. We also suggested a scheme for obtaining of structures defect in media assisting in deprotonizing of cation radicals and formation of arylamine radical centers. Those processes lead to formation of azo- and diphenyl fragments in the main chain of the polymer and predetermine the possibility of chain disruption. We also considered reactions leading to formation of branched polymers and cyclic structures, such as phenazine in particular. The peculiarity of electrochemical process lies in regulation of concentration of active centres on the positive electrode surface

Analysis of controlled-mechanism of grain growth in undercooled Fe-Cu alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zheng; Liu Feng; Yang Xiaoqin; Shen Chengjin; Fan Yu

2011-01-01

Highlights: → In terms of a thermo-kinetic model applicable for micro-scale undercooled Fe-4 at.% Cu alloy, grain growth behavior of the single-phase supersaturated granular grain was investigated. → In comparison of pure kinetic model, pure thermodynamic model and the extended thermo-kinetic model, two characteristic annealing time were determined. → The controlled-mechanism of grain growth in undercooled Fe-Cu alloy was proposed, including a mainly kinetic-controlled process, a transition from kinetic-mechanism to thermodynamic-mechanism and purely thermodynamic-controlled process. - Abstract: An analysis of controlled-mechanism of grain growth in the undercooled Fe-4 at.% Cu immiscible alloy was presented. Grain growth behavior of the single-phase supersaturated granular grains prepared in Fe-Cu immiscible alloy melt was investigated by performing isothermal annealings at 500-800 deg. C. The thermo-kinetic model [Chen et al., Acta Mater. 57 (2009) 1466] applicable for nano-scale materials was extended to the system of micro-scale undercooled Fe-4 at.% Cu alloy. In comparison of pure kinetic model, pure thermodynamic model and the extended thermo-kinetic model, two characteristic annealing time (t 1 and t 2 ) were determined. The controlled-mechanism of grain growth in undercooled Fe-Cu alloy was proposed, including a mainly kinetic-controlled process (t ≤ t 1 ), a transition from kinetic-mechanism to thermodynamic-mechanism (t 1 2 ) and purely thermodynamic-controlled process (t ≥ t 2 ).

Expression of PML tumor suppressor in A 431 cells reduces cellular growth by inhibiting the epidermal growth factor receptor expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vallian, S.; Chang, K.S.

2004-01-01

Our previous studies showed that the promyelocytic leukemia, PML, protein functions as a cellular and growth suppressor. Transient expression of PML was also found to repress the activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene promoter. In this study we have examined the effects of PML on A431 cells, which express a high level of + protein. The PML gene was introduced into the cells using the adenovirus-mediated gene transfer system. Western blot analysis on the extracts from the cells expressing PML showed a significant repression in the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor protein. The cells were examined for growth and DNA synthesis. The data showed a marked reduction in both growth and DNA synthesis rate in the cells expressing PML compared with the control cells. Furthermore, in comparison with the controls, the cells expressing PML were found to be more in G1 phase, fewer in S and about the same number in the G2/M phase. This data clearly demonstrated that the repression of epidermal growth factor receptor expression in A 431 cells by PML was associated with inhibition of cell growth and alteration of the cell cycle distribution, suggesting a novel mechanism for the known growth inhibitory effects of PML

Plant growth-promoting bacteria: mechanisms and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Glick, Bernard R

2012-01-01

The worldwide increases in both environmental damage and human population pressure have the unfortunate consequence that global food production may soon become insufficient to feed all of the world's people. It is therefore essential that agricultural productivity be significantly increased within the next few decades. To this end, agricultural practice is moving toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. This includes both the increasing use of transgenic plants and plant growth-promoting bacteria as a part of mainstream agricultural practice. Here, a number of the mechanisms utilized by plant growth-promoting bacteria are discussed and considered. It is envisioned that in the not too distant future, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) will begin to replace the use of chemicals in agriculture, horticulture, silviculture, and environmental cleanup strategies. While there may not be one simple strategy that can effectively promote the growth of all plants under all conditions, some of the strategies that are discussed already show great promise.

Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria: Mechanisms and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard R. Glick

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The worldwide increases in both environmental damage and human population pressure have the unfortunate consequence that global food production may soon become insufficient to feed all of the world's people. It is therefore essential that agricultural productivity be significantly increased within the next few decades. To this end, agricultural practice is moving toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. This includes both the increasing use of transgenic plants and plant growth-promoting bacteria as a part of mainstream agricultural practice. Here, a number of the mechanisms utilized by plant growth-promoting bacteria are discussed and considered. It is envisioned that in the not too distant future, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB will begin to replace the use of chemicals in agriculture, horticulture, silviculture, and environmental cleanup strategies. While there may not be one simple strategy that can effectively promote the growth of all plants under all conditions, some of the strategies that are discussed already show great promise.

Mechanisms and pathways of growth failure in primordial dwarfism.

Science.gov (United States)

Klingseisen, Anna; Jackson, Andrew P

2011-10-01

The greatest difference between species is size; however, the developmental mechanisms determining organism growth remain poorly understood. Primordial dwarfism is a group of human single-gene disorders with extreme global growth failure (which includes Seckel syndrome, microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism I [MOPD] types I and II, and Meier-Gorlin syndrome). Ten genes have now been identified for microcephalic primordial dwarfism, encoding proteins involved in fundamental cellular processes including genome replication (ORC1 [origin recognition complex 1], ORC4, ORC6, CDT1, and CDC6), DNA damage response (ATR [ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related]), mRNA splicing (U4atac), and centrosome function (CEP152, PCNT, and CPAP). Here, we review the cellular and developmental mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of these conditions and address whether further study of these genes could provide novel insight into the physiological regulation of organism growth.

The effects of habitat fragmentation on extinction risk: Mechanisms and synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David H. Reed

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Across the globe, much current research reflects concerns over the effect of habitat fragmentation on the viability of species and populations. This is an immediate and important concern for the Kingdom of Thailand, where decisions about land use are at a critical juncture. Thailand is in danger of losing species that play a special role in Thai culture and history such as the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus and the tiger (Panthera tigris. We provide a selective review and synthesis of the effects of habitat fragmentation on extinction risk. Our emphasis is on objectives, causal mechanisms, and the validity of some of the arguments that have been made in the debate. Heuristic models are explored to elucidate mechanisms that may affect populations in fragmented landscapes and we point out gaps in our knowledge of this important and complicated question. Our synthesis of the current evidence suggests that fragmenting landscapes usually increases the risk of extinction, especially as the isolation of patches increases or the size of patches decreases. The Kingdom of Thailand, and other countries facing similar circumstances, should seek to connect isolated patches of habitat in order to better protect their remaining biodiversity.

Mechanical-thermal synthesis of chromium carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cintho, Osvaldo Mitsuyuki; Favilla, Eliane Aparecida Peixoto; Capocchi, Jose Deodoro Trani

2007-01-01

The present investigation deals with the synthesis of chromium carbides (Cr 3 C 2 and Cr 7 C 3 ), starting from metallic chromium (obtained from the reduction of Cr 2 O 3 with Al) and carbon (graphite). The synthesis was carried out via high energy milling, followed by heat-treating of pellets made of different milled mixtures at 800 o C, for 2 h, under an atmosphere of argon. A SPEX CertPrep 8000 Mixer/Mill was used for milling under argon atmosphere. A tool steel vat and two 12.7 mm diameter chromium steel balls were used. The raw materials used and the products were characterized by differential thermal analysis, thermo gravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, electronic microscopy and X-ray fluorescence chemical analysis. The following variables were investigated: the quantity of carbon in the mixture, the milling time and the milling power. Mechanical activation of the reactant mixture depends upon the milling power ratio used for processing. The energy liberated by the reduction of the chromium oxide with aluminium exhibits a maximum for milling power ratio between 5:1 and 7.5:1. Self-propagating reaction occurred for all heat-treated samples whatever the carbon content of the sample and the milling power ratio used. Bearing carbon samples exhibited hollow shell structures after the reaction. The level of iron contamination of the milled samples was kept below 0.3% Fe. The self-propagated reaction caused high temperatures inside the samples as it may be seen by the occurrence of spherules, dendrites and whiskers. The carbon content determines the type of chromium carbide formed

A theory of economic growth with material/energy resources and dematerialization: interaction of three growth mechanisms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ayes, R.U.; van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.

2005-01-01

The nature of energy and material resources in a non-optimizing growth theory framework is clarified. This involves two modifications of the conventional theory. Firstly, multiple feedback mechanisms or "growth engines" are identified, such that the impact of the cost of production through demand on

Synthesis and evaluation of the plant growth regulator property of indolic compounds derived from safrole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchi, Irineu; Rebelo, Ricardo Andrade; Rosa, Flavia A. Fernandes da; Maiochi, Riceli A.

2007-01-01

The present work describes the use of piperonal, a derivative of the secondary metabolite safrole, for the synthesis of new 5,6-methylenedioxy substituted indole carboxylic acids structurally related to the indol-3-yl-acetic acid (AIA, I). The route comprises six steps beginning with piperonal with an overall yield of 19%. Compound IX was tested towards its plant growth regulator properties in bioassays specific for auxine activity. The in vitro assays were performed in a germination chamber and were of two types: root growth in germinated seeds of Lactuca sativa, Cucumbis sativus and Raphanus sativus and peciole biotest using Phaseolus vulgaris. (author)

Control of DNA synthesis in inhibited and activated Agrostemma githago seeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hecker, M [Sektion Biologie, FG Algemeine Botanik und Pflanzenphysiologie, Universitaet Greifswald (German Democratic Republic)

1975-01-01

The relationships between DNA synthesis and germination capacity of Agrostemma seeds had been studied. Protein synthesis and RNA synthesis were activated at the very beginning of imbibition, whereas DNA synthesis started in the second part of the imbibition phase. Agrostemma seeds inhibited by higher temperature (30 degC), or aged seeds with a low germination capacity were characterized by a significantly reduced protein synthesis. DNA synthesis was also reduced. The inhibition of the protein synthesis of Agrostemma embryos fed with cycloheximide or actinomycin D caused a depression of DNA synthesis. The results indicated that the initiation of DNA synthesis of imbibing Agrostemma seeds depended on the synthesis of special proteins. Abscisic acid inhibited the growth as well as DNA synthesis of isolated Agrostemma embryos. Nitomycin inhibited germination and DNA synthesis to the same extent. Dormant seeds with an undiminished intensity of protein synthesis also showed a reduced incorporation of /sup 3/H-thymidine by DNA. It is suggested that DNA synthesis of imbibed seeds, which is a necessary prerequisite for the radicle protrusion, was involved in the mechanism of ripening of the Agrostemma seeds.

Control of DNA synthesis in inhibited and activated Agrostemma githago seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hecker, M.

1975-01-01

The relationships between DNA synthesis and germination capacity of Agrostemma seeds had been studied. Protein synthesis and RNA synthesis were activated at the very beginning of imbibition, whereas DNA synthesis started in the second part of the imbibition phase. Agrostemma seeds inhibited by higher temperature (30 degC), or aged seeds with a low germination capacity were characterized by a significantly reduced protein synthesis. DNA synthesis was also reduced. The inhibition of the protein synthesis of Agrostemma embryos fed with cycloheximide or actinomycin D caused a depression of DNA synthesis. The results indicated that the initiation of DNA synthesis of imbibing Agrostemma seeds depended on the synthesis of special proteins. Abscisic acid inhibited the growth as well as DNA synthesis of isolated Agrostemma embryos. Nitomycin inhibited germination and DNA synthesis to the same extent. Dormant seeds with an undiminished intensity of protein synthesis also showed a reduced incorporation of 3 H-thymidine by DNA. It is suggested that DNA synthesis of imbibed seeds, which is a necessary prerequisite for the radicle protrusion, was involved in the mechanism of ripening of the Agrostemma seeds. (author)

Motion laws synthesis for cam mechanisms with multiple follower displacement

Science.gov (United States)

Podgornyj, Yu I.; Skeeba, V. Yu; Kirillov, A. V.; Martynova, T. G.; Skeeba, P. Yu

2018-03-01

The research discusses the cam mechanisms design. The analysis of specialized literature indicates that the synthesis of the cam mechanisms laws of motion is currently done mainly by a standard set of acceleration curves. In some cases, the designer needs to synthesize a new acceleration law which should be task-specific and enforce a certain production step. The values of the technological loads and inertia forces loads generated by the mechanism are calculated to analyze the slay mechanism behavior in the production of closely woven fabrics. Mathematical packages MathCad and SolidWorks are used in calculations. As a result of the research, the authors propose the methodology for synthesizing the slay mechanism with multiple follower displacements for the point of contact between the reed and the fabric edge. Theoretical studies have been tested on a specific machine model (STB loom). The authors have synthesized the motion law of the filling threads beat-up mechanism for the production of strong fabrics. New basic and closing cam profiles are proposed. The results are designed to enhance the possibilities of the looms and to recommend the most efficient equipment operation modes for the producers.

On the role of Pb0 atoms on the nucleation and growth of PbSe and PbTe nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Gutierrez, Domingo I.; Leon-Covian, Lina M. De; Garcia-Gutierrez, Diana F.; Treviño-Gonzalez, M.; Garza-Navarro, M. A.; Sepulveda-Guzman, S.

2013-01-01

In this contribution, a nucleation and growth mechanism of PbSe and PbTe nanoparticles are proposed. The formation and growth of PbSe and PbTe nanoparticles during their reaction synthesis were studied and followed using transmission electron microscopy, and their related techniques. In the synthesis method, trioctylphosphine-selenide and telluride were used as the chalcogen precursors, while lead oleate was employed as the lead precursor. Different synthesis conditions were tested to assess the effect of varying the reaction time, lead to chalcogen ratio, reaction temperature, and lead oleate concentration. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by means of electron diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy, to obtain information related to their morphology, crystal structure, and composition. The experimental results suggest that the growth of the lead chalcogenide nanoparticles greatly relies on the reduction of Pb 2+ ions to Pb 0 atoms at early reaction times; this reduction of the lead precursor is evidenced by the formation of Pb nanoparticles with sizes between 1 and 3 nm under certain synthesis conditions. These Pb nanoparticles gradually disappear as the reaction progresses, suggesting that the reduced Pb 0 atoms are able to contribute to the growth of the PbSe and PbTe nanoparticles, reaching sizes between 8 and 18 nm. The current results contribute to a better understanding of the nucleation and growth mechanisms of lead chalcogenide nanoparticles, which will enable the definition of more efficient synthesis routes of these types of nanostructures.

[Molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle hypertrophy].

Science.gov (United States)

Astratenkova, I V; Rogozkin, V A

2014-06-01

Enzymes Akt, AMPK, mTOR, S6K and PGC-1a coactivator take part in skeletal muscles in the regulation of synthesis of proteins. The expression of these proteins is regulated by growth factors, hormones, nutrients, mechanical loading and leads to an increase in muscle mass and skeletal muscle hypertrophy. The review presents the results of studies published in the past four years, which expand knowledge on the effects of various factors on protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. The attention is focused on the achievements that reveal and clarify the signaling pathways involved in the regulation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. The central place is taken by mTOR enzyme which controls and regulates the main stages of the cascade of reactions of muscle proteins providing synthesis in the conditions of human life. coactivator PGC-1a.

Decoding Nucleation and Growth of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Thin Films with Atomic Force Microscopy and Vibrational Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Öztürk, Zafer; Filez, Matthias; Weckhuysen, Bert M

2017-08-10

The synthesis of metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films has garnered significant attention during the past decade. By better understanding the parameters governing the nucleation and growth of such thin films, their properties can be rationally tuned, empowering their application as (reactive) membranes. Here, a combined AFM-vibrational spectroscopy research strategy is employed to detail the chemistries governing the nucleation and growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) thin films, in particular isostructural Co-ZIF-67 and Zn-ZIF-8. First, a single step direct synthesis approach is used to investigate the influence of different synthesis parameters -metal/linker ratio, temperature, and metal type- on the thin film nucleation and growth behaviour. While the metal/linker ratio has a pronounced effect on the thin film nucleation rate, the temperature mainly influences the growth kinetics of nuclei forming the thin film. In addition, the nucleation and growth of ZIF thin films is shown to be highly dependent on the electronegativity of the metal type. Thin-film thickness control can be achieved by using a multistep synthesis strategy, implying repetitive applications of single step deposition under identical synthesis conditions, for which a growth mechanism is proposed. This study provides insight into the influence of synthesis parameters on the ZIF thin film properties, using tools at hand to rationally tune MOF thin film properties. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Effect of Antimalarial Drugs on Plasmodia Cell-Free Protein Synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Ferreras

2002-04-01

Full Text Available A cell-free system from Plasmodium falciparum able to translate endogenous mRNA was used to determine the effect of artemisinin, chloroquine and primaquine on the protein synthesis mechanism of the parasite. The antimalarial drugs did not inhibit the incorporation of [³H] methionine into parasite proteins even at concentrations higher than the ones found to strongly inhibit the parasite growth. Results clearly indicate that these compounds do not have a direct effect on protein synthesis activity of P. falciparum coded by endogenous mRNA.

Chemistry of the Colloidal Group II-VI Nanocrystal Synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Haitao

2007-01-01

In the last two decades, the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology has witnessed tremendous advancement in the synthesis and application of group II-VI colloidal nanocrystals. The synthesis based on high temperature decomposition of organometallic precursors has become one of the most successful methods of making group II-VI colloidal nanocrystals. This method is first demonstrated by Bawendi and coworkers in 1993 to prepare cadmium chalcogenide colloidal quantum dots and later extended by others to prepare other group II-VI quantum dots as well as anisotropic shaped colloidal nanocrystals, such as nanorod and tetrapod. This dissertation focuses on the chemistry of this type of nanocrystal synthesis. The synthesis of group II-VI nanocrystals was studied by characterizing the molecular structures of the precursors and products and following their time evolution in the synthesis. Based on these results, a mechanism was proposed to account for the 2 reaction between the precursors that presumably produces monomer for the growth of nanocrystals. Theoretical study based on density functional theory calculations revealed the detailed free energy landscape of the precursor decomposition and monomer formation pathway. Based on the proposed reaction mechanism, a new synthetic method was designed that uses water as a novel reagent to control the diameter and the aspect ratio of CdSe and CdS nanorods

Myostatin inhibits eEF2K-eEF2 by regulating AMPK to suppress protein synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Zhao; Luo, Pei; Lai, Wen; Song, Tongxing; Peng, Jian; Wei, Hong-Kui

2017-12-09

Growth of skeletal muscle is dependent on the protein synthesis, and the rate of protein synthesis is mainly regulated in the stage of translation initiation and elongation. Myostatin, a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, is a negative regulator of protein synthesis. C2C12 myotubes was incubated with 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 2, 3 μg/mL myostatin recombinant protein, and then we detected the rates of protein synthesis by the method of SUnSET. We found that high concentrations of myostatin (2 and 3 μg/mL) inhibited protein synthesis by blocking mTOR and eEF2K-eEF2 pathway, while low concentration of myostatin (0.01, 0.1 and 1 μg/mL) regulated eEF2K-eEF2 pathway activity to block protein synthesis without affected mTOR pathway, and myostatin inhibited eEF2K-eEF2 pathway through regulating AMPK pathway to suppress protein synthesis. It provided a new mechanism for myostatin regulating protein synthesis and treating muscle atrophy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Synthesis Of NiCrAlC alloys by mechanical alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, A.K.; Pereira, J.I.; Vurobi Junior, S.; Cintho, O.M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present paper is the synthesis of nickel alloys (NiCrAlC), which has been proposed like a economic alternative to the Stellite family Co alloys using mechanical alloying, followed by sintering heat treatment of milled material. The NiCrAlC alloys consist of a chromium carbides dispersion in a Ni 3 Al intermetallic matrix, that is easily synthesized by mechanical alloying. The use of mechanical alloying enables higher carbides sizes and distribution control in the matrix during sintering. We are also investigated the compaction of the processed materials by compressibility curves. The milling products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, and the end product was featured by conventional metallography and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), that enabled the identification of desired phases, beyond microhardness test, which has been shown comparable to alloys manufactured by fusion after heat treating. (author)

Comparative analysis of the mechanical signals in lung development and compensatory growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsia, Connie C W

2017-03-01

This review compares the manner in which physical stress imposed on the parenchyma, vasculature and thorax and the thoraco-pulmonary interactions, drive both developmental and compensatory lung growth. Re-initiation of anatomical lung growth in the mature lung is possible when the loss of functioning lung units renders the existing physiologic-structural reserves insufficient for maintaining adequate function and physical stress on the remaining units exceeds a critical threshold. The appropriate spatial and temporal mechanical interrelationships and the availability of intra-thoracic space, are crucial to growth initiation, follow-on remodeling and physiological outcome. While the endogenous potential for compensatory lung growth is retained and may be pharmacologically augmented, supra-optimal mechanical stimulation, unbalanced structural growth, or inadequate remodeling may limit functional gain. Finding ways to optimize the signal-response relationships and resolve structure-function discrepancies are major challenges that must be overcome before the innate compensatory ability could be fully realized. Partial pneumonectomy reproducibly removes a known fraction of functioning lung units and remains the most robust model for examining the adaptive mechanisms, structure-function consequences and plasticity of the remaining functioning lung units capable of regeneration. Fundamental mechanical stimulus-response relationships established in the pneumonectomy model directly inform the exploration of effective approaches to maximize compensatory growth and function in chronic destructive lung diseases, transplantation and bioengineered lungs.

Green and Rapid Synthesis of Anticancerous Silver Nanoparticles by Saccharomyces boulardii and Insight into Mechanism of Nanoparticle Synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhishek Kaler

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Rapidly developing field of nanobiotechnology dealing with metallic nanoparticle (MNP synthesis is primarily lacking control over size, shape, dispersity, yield, and reaction time. Present work describes an ecofriendly method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs by cell free extract (CFE of Saccharomyces boulardii. Parameters such as culture age (stationary phase growth, cell mass concentration (400 mg/mL, temperature (35°C, and reaction time (4 h, have been optimized to exercise a control over the yield of nanoparticles and their properties. Nanoparticle (NP formation was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, elemental composition by EDX (energy dispersive X-rays analysis, and size and shape by transmission electron microscopy. Synthesized nanoparticles had the size range of 3–10 nm with high negative zeta potential (−31 mV indicating excellent stability. Role of proteins/peptides in NP formation and their stability were also elucidated. Finally, anticancer activity of silver nanoparticles as compared to silver ions was determined on breast cancer cell lines.

Growth kinetics and growth mechanism of ultrahigh mass density carbon nanotube forests on conductive Ti/Cu supports.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugime, Hisashi; Esconjauregui, Santiago; D'Arsié, Lorenzo; Yang, Junwei; Makaryan, Taron; Robertson, John

2014-09-10

We evaluate the growth kinetics and growth mechanism of ultrahigh mass density carbon nanotube forests. They are synthesized by chemical vapor deposition at 450 °C using a conductive Ti/Cu support and Co-Mo catalyst system. We find that Mo stabilizes Co particles preventing lift off during the initial growth stage, thus promoting the growth of ultrahigh mass density nanotube forests by the base growth mechanism. The morphology of the forest gradually changes with growth time, mostly because of a structural change of the catalyst particles. After 100 min growth, toward the bottom of the forest, the area density decreases from ∼ 3-6 × 10(11) cm(-2) to ∼ 5 × 10(10) cm(-2) and the mass density decreases from 1.6 to 0.38 g cm(-3). We also observe part of catalyst particles detached and embedded within nanotubes. The progressive detachment of catalyst particles results in the depletion of the catalyst metals on the substrate surfaces. This is one of the crucial reasons for growth termination and may apply to other catalyst systems where the same features are observed. Using the packed forest morphology, we demonstrate patterned forest growth with a pitch of ∼ 300 nm and a line width of ∼ 150 nm. This is one of the smallest patterning of the carbon nanotube forests to date.

Mechanism for longitudinal growth of rod-shaped bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Taneja, Swadhin; Levitan, Ben; Rutenberg, Andrew

2013-03-01

The peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall along with MreB proteins are major determinants of shape in rod-shaped bacteria. However the mechanism guiding the growth of this elastic network of cross-linked PG (sacculus) that maintains the integrity and shape of the rod-shaped cell remains elusive. We propose that the known anisotropic elasticity and anisotropic loading, due to the shape and turgor pressure, of the sacculus is sufficient to direct small gaps in the sacculus to elongate around the cell, and that subsequent repair leads to longitudinal growth without radial growth. We computationally show in our anisotropically stressed anisotropic elasticity model small gaps can extend stably in the circumferential direction for the known elasticity of the sacculus. We suggest that MreB patches that normally propagate circumferentially, are associated with these gaps and are steered with this common mechanism. This basic picture is unchanged in Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. We also show that small changes of elastic properties can in fact lead to bi-stable propagation of gaps, both longitudinal and circumferential, that can explain the bi-stability in patch movement observed in ΔmblΔmreb mutants.

Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Crack Growth of RR1000

OpenAIRE

Christopher John Pretty; Mark Thomas Whitaker; Steve John Williams

2017-01-01

Non-isothermal conditions during flight cycles have long led to the requirement for thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) evaluation of aerospace materials. However, the increased temperatures within the gas turbine engine have meant that the requirements for TMF testing now extend to disc alloys along with blade materials. As such, fatigue crack growth rates are required to be evaluated under non-isothermal conditions along with the development of a detailed understanding of related failure mechan...

Molecular mechanism of reduction in pregnenolone synthesis by cigarette smoke

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bose, Mahuya; Whittal, Randy M.; Gairola, C. Gary; Bose, Himangshu S.

2008-01-01

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) facilitates the movement of cholesterol from the outer to inner mitochondrial membrane for the synthesis of pregnenolone. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of the reduction of pregnenolone synthesis by cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). Pre-exposure or post-exposure of cells with CSC led to reduced pregnenolone synthesis, in a fashion similar to its effect on isolated mitochondria. However, there was no difference in the expression of 30 kDa StAR in cells treated with moderately concentrated CSC by either regimen. The active form of 37 kDa StAR is degraded easily suggesting that the continuous presence of CSC reduces StAR expression. Mitochondrial import of 35 S-methionine-labeled StAR followed by extraction of the StAR-mitochondrial complex with 1% digitonin showed similarly sized complexes in the CSC-treated and untreated mitochondria. Further analysis by sucrose density gradient centrifugation showed a specific complex, 'complex 2', in the untreated mitochondria but absent in the CSC-treated mitochondria. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed that complex 2 is the outer mitochondrial protein, VDAC1. Knockdown of VDAC1 expression by siRNA followed by co-transfection with StAR resulted in a lack of pregnenolone synthesis and 37 kDa StAR expression with reduced expression of the intermediate, 32 kDa StAR. Taken together, these results suggest that in the absence of VDAC1, active StAR expression is reduced indicating that VDAC1 expression is essential for StAR activity. In the absence of VDAC1-StAR interaction, cholesterol cannot be transported into mitochondria; thus the interaction with VDAC1 is a mandatory step for initiating steroidogenesis

Chemistry of the Colloidal Group II-VI Nanocrystal Synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Haitao [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2007-05-17

In the last two decades, the field of nanoscience andnanotechnology has witnessed tremendous advancement in the synthesis andapplication of group II-VI colloidal nanocrystals. The synthesis based onhigh temperature decomposition of organometallic precursors has becomeone of the most successful methods of making group II-VI colloidalnanocrystals. This methodis first demonstrated by Bawendi and coworkersin 1993 to prepare cadmium chalcogenide colloidal quantum dots and laterextended by others to prepare other group II-VI quantum dots as well asanisotropic shaped colloidal nanocrystals, such as nanorod and tetrapod.This dissertation focuses on the chemistry of this type of nanocrystalsynthesis. The synthesis of group II-VI nanocrystals was studied bycharacterizing the molecular structures of the precursors and productsand following their time evolution in the synthesis. Based on theseresults, a mechanism was proposed to account for the 2 reaction betweenthe precursors that presumably produces monomer for the growth ofnanocrystals. Theoretical study based on density functional theorycalculations revealed the detailed free energy landscape of the precursordecomposition and monomerformation pathway. Based on the proposedreaction mechanism, a new synthetic method was designed that uses wateras a novel reagent to control the diameter and the aspect ratio of CdSeand CdS nanorods.

Synthesis, Mechanical Behavior, and Multi-Scale Tribological Performance of Carbon Nanoparticle Reinforced Ceramic Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Nieto, Andy

This dissertation investigates the effects of carbon nanoparticles on the synthesis, mechanical behavior, and tribological performance of ceramic based composites. Specifically graphene Nanoplatelet (GNP) reinforced Al 2O3 and nanodiamond (ND) reinforced WC-Co systems are investigated. Carbon based nanoparticles such as GNPs and NDs are ideal reinforcements for ceramic based composites because of their unique functional and mechanical properties. GNPs have exceptional mechanical properties such as yield strength and elastic modulus, along with superb functional properties such as thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. NDs possess the highest hardness of any materials, very high elastic modulus, and have a very high thermal conductivity. GNPs are demonstrated to affect the sintering of Al2O 3 matrix composites by wrapping around grains, inhibiting diffusion, and thereby suppressing grain growth. High applied pressures (90 MPa) during sintering are observed to exacerbate grain growth suppression, while promoting attainment of fully dense ceramic composites. Higher applied pressures facilitate the wrapping of GNPs around grains, which promotes the onset of GNP induced grain growth suppression. Grain growth suppression compensates for the decreased hardness induced by low strength of the GNPs phase along the c-axis direction. GNPs enhanced the toughness and wear resistance of the nanocomposites by 21% and 39%, respectively, due to the intrinsic energy dissipating mechanisms such as GNP sheet kinking and sliding and GNP induced phenomena such as micro-cracking and crack bridging. The addition of ND affects the deposition of thermally sprayed coatings. Porosity increased in samples deposited by high velocity oxyacetylene flame spray (HVOF) and decreased in samples deposited by air plasma spray (APS). NDs are believed to inhibit solid state diffusion during splat impact, in the low thermal energy and high kinetic energy HVOF process. The high thermal

Resveratrol increases nucleus pulposus matrix synthesis through activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway under mechanical compression in a disc organ culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xiaorui; Leng, Xiaoming; Zhao, Man; Wu, Mei; Chen, Amei; Hong, Guoju; Sun, Ping

2017-12-22

Disc nucleus pulposus (NP) matrix homeostasis is important for normal disc function. Mechanical overloading seriously decreases matrix synthesis and increases matrix degradation. The present study aims to investigate the effects of resveratrol on disc NP matrix homeostasis under a relatively high-magnitude mechanical compression and the potential mechanism underlying this process. Porcine discs were perfusion-cultured and subjected to a relatively high-magnitude mechanical compression (1.3 MPa at a frequency of 1.0 Hz for 2 h once per day) for 7 days in a mechanically active bioreactor. The non-compressed discs were used as controls. Resveratrol was added along with culture medium to observe the effects of resveratrol on NP matrix synthesis under mechanical load respectively. NP matrix synthesis was evaluated by histology, biochemical content (glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and hydroxyproline (HYP)), and expression of matrix macromolecules (aggrecan and collagen II). Results showed that this high-magnitude mechanical compression significantly decreased NP matrix content, indicated by the decreased staining intensity of Alcian Blue and biochemical content (GAG and HYP), and the down-regulated expression of NP matrix macromolecules (aggrecan and collagen II). Further analysis indicated that resveratrol partly stimulated NP matrix synthesis and increased activity of the PI3K/Akt pathway in a dose-dependent manner under mechanical compression. Together, resveratrol is beneficial for disc NP matrix synthesis under mechanical overloading, and the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway may participate in this regulatory process. Resveratrol may be promising to regenerate mechanical overloading-induced disc degeneration. © 2017 The Author(s).

Low Temperature Graphene Growth and Its Applications in Electronic and Optical Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Chugh, Sunny

Graphene, a two dimensional allotrope of carbon in a honeycomb lattice, has gathered wide attention due to its excellent electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical properties. It has extremely high electron/hole mobility, very high thermal conductivity and fascinating optical properties, and combined with its mechanical strength and elasticity, graphene is believed to find commercial applications in existing as well as novel technologies. One of the biggest reasons behind the rapid development in graphene research during the last decade is the fact that laboratory procedures to obtain high quality graphene are rather cheap and simple. However, any new material market is essentially driven by the progress in its large scale commercial production with minimal costs, with properties that are suited for different applications. And it is in this aspect that graphene is still required to make a huge progress before its commercial benefits can be derived. Laboratory graphene synthesis techniques such as mechanical exfoliation, liquid phase exfoliation and SiC graphene growth pose several challenges in terms of cost, reliability and scalability. To this end, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) growth of graphene has emerged as a widely used synthesis method that overcomes these problems. Unfortunately, conventional thermal CVD requires a high temperature of growth and a catalytic metal substrate, making the undesirable step of graphene transfer a necessity. Besides requiring a catalyst, the high temperature of growth also limits the range of growth substrates. In this work, I have successfully demonstrated low temperature ( 550 °C) growth of graphene directly on dielectric materials using a Plasma-Enhanced CVD (PECVD) process. The PECVD technique described here solves the issues faced by conventional CVD methods and provides a direct route for graphene synthesis on arbitrary materials at relatively low temperatures. Detailed growth studies, as described here, illustrate the

On the role of Pb{sup 0} atoms on the nucleation and growth of PbSe and PbTe nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia-Gutierrez, Domingo I., E-mail: domingo.garciagt@uanl.edu.mx; Leon-Covian, Lina M. De; Garcia-Gutierrez, Diana F. [Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, UANL, Facultad de Ingenieria Mecanica y Electrica, FIME (Mexico); Trevino-Gonzalez, M. [Centro de Innovacion, Investigacion y Desarrollo en Ingenieria y Tecnologia, CIIDIT, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, UANL (Mexico); Garza-Navarro, M. A.; Sepulveda-Guzman, S. [Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, UANL, Facultad de Ingenieria Mecanica y Electrica, FIME (Mexico)

2013-05-15

In this contribution, a nucleation and growth mechanism of PbSe and PbTe nanoparticles are proposed. The formation and growth of PbSe and PbTe nanoparticles during their reaction synthesis were studied and followed using transmission electron microscopy, and their related techniques. In the synthesis method, trioctylphosphine-selenide and telluride were used as the chalcogen precursors, while lead oleate was employed as the lead precursor. Different synthesis conditions were tested to assess the effect of varying the reaction time, lead to chalcogen ratio, reaction temperature, and lead oleate concentration. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by means of electron diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy, to obtain information related to their morphology, crystal structure, and composition. The experimental results suggest that the growth of the lead chalcogenide nanoparticles greatly relies on the reduction of Pb{sup 2+} ions to Pb{sup 0} atoms at early reaction times; this reduction of the lead precursor is evidenced by the formation of Pb nanoparticles with sizes between 1 and 3 nm under certain synthesis conditions. These Pb nanoparticles gradually disappear as the reaction progresses, suggesting that the reduced Pb{sup 0} atoms are able to contribute to the growth of the PbSe and PbTe nanoparticles, reaching sizes between 8 and 18 nm. The current results contribute to a better understanding of the nucleation and growth mechanisms of lead chalcogenide nanoparticles, which will enable the definition of more efficient synthesis routes of these types of nanostructures.

Expression of human choline kinase in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts increases the mitogenic potential of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, T; Huang, J S; Mukherjee, J J; Crilly, K S; Kiss, Z

2000-05-01

In mammalian cells, growth factors, oncogenes, and carcinogens stimulate phosphocholine (PCho) synthesis by choline kinase (CK), suggesting that PCho may regulate cell growth. To validate the role of PCho in mitogenesis, we determined the effects of insulin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and other growth factors on DNA synthesis in NIH 3T3 fibroblast sublines highly expressing human choline kinase (CK) without increasing phosphatidylcholine synthesis. In serum-starved CK expressor cells, insulin and IGF-I stimulated DNA synthesis, p70 S6 kinase (p70 S6K) activity, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity, and activating phosphorylation of p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) to greater extents than in the corresponding vector control cells. Furthermore, the CK inhibitor hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) inhibited insulin- and IGF-I-induced DNA synthesis in the CK overexpressors, but not in the vector control cells. The results indicate that high cellular levels of PCho potentiate insulin- and IGF-I-induced DNA synthesis by MAPK- and p70 S6K-regulated mechanisms.

Synthesis of transparent chloroborosilicate nanoglass-ceramics: Crystallization and growth mechanism of BaCl2 nanocrystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilanjana Shasmal

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Oxyfluoride glass-ceramics are extensively being investigated for their excellent optical properties and widespread use in photonic applications. But oxychloride systems are scarcely studied although they are potential candidates for those fields. Here we report chloroborosilicate glass system SiO2–B2O3–BaO–K2O–Al2O3–BaCl2 (mol% within which BaCl2 nanocrystals have been generated by melt-quench technique followed by heat treatment. Samples were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, infrared and UV–vis spectroscopy, elastic constants measurement, etc. Micro- and nanostructures were analyzed by using FESEM, TEM and SAED. Formation and growth mechanism of BaCl2 nanocrystals have been demonstrated with the help of schematic representations. Size (7–47 nm and morphology of the nanocrystals were found to be controlled by temperature and heat-treatment time. Activation energy for crystallization was determined by non-isothermal method using DSC and found to be 510 kJ/mol. Chloroborosilicate glasses containing BaCl2 nanocrystals having low-phonon energy (∼350 cm−1 are promising for different photonic applications.

Timing matters: the underappreciated role of temperature ramp rate for shape control and reproducibility of quantum dot synthesis

KAUST Repository

Baumgardner, William J.

2012-01-01

Understanding the coupled kinetic and thermodynamics factors governing colloidal nanocrystals nucleation and growth are critical factors in the predictable and reproducible synthesis of advanced nanomaterials. We show that the temporal temperature profile is decisive in tuning the particle shape from pseudo-spherical to monodisperse cubes. The shape of the nanocrystals was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. We introduce a mechanism for the shape controlled synthesis in the context of temperature-dependent nucleation and growth and provide experimental evidence to support it. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Growth Mechanism of Gold Nanorods in Binary Surfactant System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Bo-Mi; Seo, Sun-Hwa; Joe, Ara; Shim, Kyu-Dong; Jang, Eue-Soon [Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Gumi (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

In order to reveal the growth mechanism of gold nanorods (GNRs) in a binary surfactant system, we synthesized various GNRs by changing the concentration of the surfactants, AgNO{sub 3}, and HBr in the growth solution. We found that the benzyldime thylhexadecylammoniumchloride surfactant had weak interaction with the gold ions, but it could reduce the membrane fluidity. In addition, we could dramatically decrease the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide concentration required for GNR growth by adding an HBr solution. Notably, Ag{sup +} ions were necessary to break the symmetry of the seed crystals for GNR growth, but increasing the concentration of Ag{sup +} and Br{sup -} ions caused a decrease in the template size.

p38 MAPK signaling in postnatal tendon growth and remodeling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J Schwartz

Full Text Available Tendon is a dynamic tissue whose structure and function is influenced by mechanical loading, but little is known about the fundamental mechanisms that regulate tendon growth and remodeling in vivo. Data from cultured tendon fibroblasts indicated that the p38 MAPK pathway plays an important role in tendon fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis in vitro. To gain greater insight into the mechanisms of tendon growth, and explore the role of p38 MAPK signaling in this process, we tested the hypotheses that inducing plantaris tendon growth through the ablation of the synergist Achilles tendon would result in rapid expansion of a neotendon matrix surrounding the original tendon, and that treatment with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 would prevent this growth. Rats were treated with vehicle or SB203580, and subjected to synergist ablation by bilateral tenectomy of the Achilles tendon. Changes in histological and biochemical properties of plantaris tendons were analyzed 3, 7, or 28 days after overload, and comparisons were made to non-overloaded animals. By 28 days after overload, tendon mass had increased by 30% compared to non-overloaded samples, and cross-sectional area (CSA increased by around 50%, with most of the change occurring in the neotendon. The expansion in CSA initially occurred through the synthesis of a hyaluronic acid rich matrix that was progressively replaced with mature collagen. Pericytes were present in areas of active tendon growth, but never in the original tendon ECM. Inhibition of p38 MAPK resulted in a profound decrease in IL6 expression, and had a modest effect on the expression of other ECM and cell proliferation genes, but had a negligible impact on overall tendon growth. The combined results from this study provided novel insights into tendon mechanobiology, and suggest that p38 MAPK signaling does not appear to be necessary for tendon growth in vivo.

PAH growth initiated by propargyl addition: Mechanism development and computational kinetics

KAUST Repository

Raj, Abhijeet Dhayal; Rachidi, Mariam El; Chung, Suk-Ho; Sarathy, Mani

2014-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) growth is known to be the principal pathway to soot formation during fuel combustion, as such, a physical understanding of the PAH growth mechanism is needed to effectively assess, predict, and control soot

Utilization of plasmas for graphene synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Shashurin, Alexey; Keidar, Michael

2013-10-01

Graphene is a one-atom-thick planar sheet of carbon atoms that are densely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice. Grapheen has tremendous range of potential applications ranging from high-speed transistors to electrochemical energy storage devices and biochemical sensors. Methods of graphene synthesis include mechanical exfoliation, epitaxial growth on SiC, CVD and colloidal suspensions. In this work the utilization of plasmas in synthesis process is considered. Types of carbonaceous structures produced by the anodic arc and regions of their synthesis were studied. Ultimate role of substrate temperature and transformations occurring with various carbonaceous structures generated in plasma discharge were considered. Formation of graphene film on copper substrate was detected at temperatures around the copper melting point. The film was consisted of several layers graphene flakes having typical sizes of about 200 nm. Time required for crystallization of graphene on externally heated substrates was determined. This work was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF Grant No. CBET-1249213).

Revealing the Formation Mechanism of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals Produced via a Slowed-Down Microwave-Assisted Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanxiu; Huang, He; Xiong, Yuan; Kershaw, Stephen V; Rogach, Andrey L

2018-03-24

We developed a microwave-assisted slowed-down synthesis of CsPbBr 3 perovskite nanocrystals, which retards the reaction and allows us to gather useful insights into the formation mechanism of these nanoparticles, by examining the intermediate stages of their growth. The trends in the decay of the emission intensity of CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals under light exposure are well correlated with their stability against decomposition in TEM under electron beam. The results show the change of the crystal structure of CsPbBr 3 nanocrystals from a deficient and easier to be destroyed lattice to a well crystallized one. Conversely the shift in the ease of degradation sheds light on the formation mechanism, indicating first the formation of a bromoplumbate ionic scaffold, with Cs-ion infilling lagging a little behind. Increasing the cation to halide ratio towards the stoichiometric level may account for the improved radiative recombination rates observed in the longer reaction time materials. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[The process of heme synthesis in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells cultured under fibroblast growth factor bFGF and hypoxic conditions].

Science.gov (United States)

Poleshko, A G; Lobanok, E S; Mezhevikina, L M; Fesenko, E E; Volotkovskiĭ, I D

2014-01-01

It was demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor bFGF influences the process of heme synthesis, the proliferation activity and viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in culture under hypoxic conditions. The addition of fibroblast growth factor bFGF (7 ng/ml) to the medium under above conditions led to the accumulation of aminolevulinic acid--an early porphyrin and heme precursor, an increase in CD 71 expression--a transferrin receptor, and also a decrease in porphyrin pigments and heme contents--a late precursor and end products of heme synthesis, respectively. It was found that cultivation of the cells under hypoxic conditions and bFGF is an optimum to maintain high viability and proliferation capacity of the mesenchymal stem cells.

Seed-mediated growth and manipulation of Au nanorods via size-controlled synthesis of Au seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Juncheng; Duggan, Jennifer N.; Morgan, Joshua; Roberts, Christopher B.

2012-01-01

Seed-mediated growth of gold (Au) nanorods with highly controllable length, width, and aspect ratio was accomplished via carefully size-controlled synthesis of the original Au seeds. A slow dynamic growth of Au nanoparticle seeds was observed after reduction of the Au salt (i.e., hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (III) hydrate) by sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) in the presence of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). As such, the size of the Au nanoparticle seeds can therefore be manipulated through control over the duration of the reaction period (i.e., aging times of 2, 8, 48, 72, and 144 h were used in this study). These differently sized Au nanoparticles were subsequently used as seeds for the growth of Au nanorods, where the additions of Au salt, CTAB, AgNO 3 , and ascorbic acid were employed. Smaller Au nanoparticle seeds obtained via short growth/aging time resulted in Au nanorods with higher aspect ratio and thus longer longitudinal surface plasmon wavelength (LSPW). The larger Au nanoparticle seeds obtained via longer growth/aging time resulted in Au nanorods with lower aspect ratio and shorter LSPW.

Mechanism and microstructural evolution of polyol mediated synthesis of nanostructured M-type SrFe{sub 12}O{sub 19}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tenorio Gonzalez, F.N.; Bolarín Miró, A.M. [Área Académica de Ciencias de la Tierra y Materiales, UAEH, Carr. Pachuca-Tulancingo Km. 4.5, C.P. 42184 Pachuca, Hidalgo (Mexico); Sánchez De Jesús, F., E-mail: fsanchez@uaeh.edu.mx [Área Académica de Ciencias de la Tierra y Materiales, UAEH, Carr. Pachuca-Tulancingo Km. 4.5, C.P. 42184 Pachuca, Hidalgo (Mexico); Cortés Escobedo, C.A. [Centro de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica del IPN, Cda. CECATI S/N, Col. Sta. Catarina, C. P. 02250 Azcapotzalco, D. F. (Mexico); Ammar, S. [Université Paris Diderot, Paris 7, Laboratoire Interfaces, Traitements, Organisation et Dynamiqué des Systéme UMR, 7086, Paris (France)

2016-06-01

The synthesis mechanism of nanostructured M-type strontium hexaferrite SrFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} with high coercivity (5.7 kOe) obtained by a polyol process and annealing is proposed. The results show that the hexaferrite is synthesized through the formation of a complex with diethylene glycol during the hydrolysis and solvation stage, followed by the condensation of magnetite and strontium oxide. The results of the monitoring of the process by X-ray diffraction (XRD) of synthesized powders, magnetization hysteresis loops and micromorphology are presented and discussed. The proposed mechanism suggests the intermediate formation of the magnetite phase, which shows coercivity near zero at room temperature and confirms the nanoscale of the particles. Results of thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis indicate that this phase is followed by the formation of the hematite phase after a heat treatment up to 543 °C in an oxidizing atmosphere. Finally, the hexagonal phase is obtained after application of annealing at 836 °C through the reaction between hematite and strontium oxide. - Highlights: • SrFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} was successfully obtained by a polyol-assisted synthesis. • Magnetite nanoparticles have been obtained as intermediate phase. • A synthesis mechanism for the growing stage of magnetite is proposed. • A reaction sequence and the synthesis mechanism to obtain hexaferrite is presented.

Facile aqueous synthesis and growth mechanism of CdTe nanorods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong Haibo; Hao Xiaopeng; Gao Chang; Wu Yongzhong; Du Jie; Xu Xiangang; Jiang Minhua

2008-01-01

Single-crystal CdTe nanorods with diameters of 50-100 nm were synthesized under a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal condition. The experimental results indicated that with a temporal dependence the morphologies of CdTe nanocrystallites changed from nanoparticles to smooth surface nanorods. The crystal structure, morphology and optical properties of the products were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence spectrophotometer. Furthermore, the formation mechanisms of the nanorods were investigated and discussed on the basis of the experimental results.

GH receptor blocker administration and muscle-tendon collagen synthesis in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rie Harboe; Doessing, Simon; Goto, Kazushige

2011-01-01

The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) axis stimulates collagen synthesis in tendon and skeletal muscle, but no studies have investigated the effect of reducing IGF-I on collagen synthesis in healthy humans.......The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) axis stimulates collagen synthesis in tendon and skeletal muscle, but no studies have investigated the effect of reducing IGF-I on collagen synthesis in healthy humans....

Synthesis of hexagonal gold nanoparticles using a microfluidic reaction system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng, Chen-Hsun; Lee, Gwo-Bin; Huang, Chih-Chia; Yeh, Chen-Sheng; Lei, Huan-Yao

2008-01-01

A new microfluidic reaction system capable of mixing, transporting and reacting is developed for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. It allows for a rapid and a cost-effective approach to accelerate the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The microfluidic reaction chip is made from micro-electro-mechanical-system technologies which integrate a micro-mixer, micro-pumps, a micro-valve, micro-heaters and a micro temperature sensor on a single chip. Successful synthesis of dispersed gold nanoparticles has been demonstrated within a shorter period of time, as compared to traditional methods. It is experimentally found that precise control of the mixing/heating time for gold salts and reducing agents plays an essential role in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The growth process of hexagonal gold nanoparticles by a thermal aqueous approach is also systematically studied by using the same microfluidic reaction system. The development of the microfluidic reaction system could be promising for the synthesis of functional nanoparticles for future biomedical applications

The rapid size- and shape-controlled continuous hydrothermal synthesis of metal sulphide nanomaterials

OpenAIRE

Dunne, Peter W.; Starkey, Christopher L.; Gimeno-Fabra, Miquel; Lester, Edward

2014-01-01

Continuous flow hydrothermal synthesis offers a cheap, green and highly scalable route for the preparation of inorganic nanomaterials which has predominantly been applied to metal oxide based materials. In this work we report the first continuous flow hydrothermal synthesis of metal sulphide nanomaterials. A wide range of binary metal sulphides, ZnS, CdS, PbS, CuS, Fe₍₁₋ᵪ₎S and Bi₂S₃, have been synthesised. By varying the reaction conditions two different mechanisms may be invoked; a growth d...

Epitaxial growth mechanisms of graphene and effects of substrates

OpenAIRE

Özçelik, V. Ongun; Cahangirov, S.; Ciraci, S.

2012-01-01

The growth process of single layer graphene with and without substrate is investigated using ab initio, finite temperature molecular dynamic calculations within density functional theory. An understanding of the epitaxial graphene growth mechanisms in the atomic level is provided by exploring the transient stages which occur at the growing edges of graphene. These stages are formation and collapse of large carbon rings together with the formation and healing of Stone-Wales like pentagon-hepta...

mTORC2 Promotes Tumorigenesis via Lipid Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Guri, Yakir; Colombi, Marco; Dazert, Eva; Hindupur, Sravanth K; Roszik, Jason; Moes, Suzette; Jenoe, Paul; Heim, Markus H; Riezman, Isabelle; Riezman, Howard; Hall, Michael N

2017-12-11

Dysregulated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) promotes cancer, but underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We describe an mTOR-driven mouse model that displays hepatosteatosis progressing to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Longitudinal proteomic, lipidomics, and metabolomic analyses revealed that hepatic mTORC2 promotes de novo fatty acid and lipid synthesis, leading to steatosis and tumor development. In particular, mTORC2 stimulated sphingolipid (glucosylceramide) and glycerophospholipid (cardiolipin) synthesis. Inhibition of fatty acid or sphingolipid synthesis prevented tumor development, indicating a causal effect in tumorigenesis. Increased levels of cardiolipin were associated with tubular mitochondria and enhanced oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, increased lipogenesis correlated with elevated mTORC2 activity and HCC in human patients. Thus, mTORC2 promotes cancer via formation of lipids essential for growth and energy production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ultrathin SnO2 nanorods: template- and surfactant-free solution phase synthesis, growth mechanism, optical, gas-sensing, and surface adsorption properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Guangcheng; Ye, Jinhua

2010-03-01

A novel template- and surfactant-free low temperature solution-phase method has been successfully developed for the controlled synthesis of ultrathin SnO(2) single-crystalline nanorods for the first time. The ultrathin SnO(2) single-crystalline nanorods are 2.0 +/- 0.5 nm in diameter, which is smaller than its exciton Bohr radius. The ultrathin SnO(2) nanorods show a high specific area (191.5 m(2) g(-1)). Such a thin SnO(2) single-crystalline nanorod is new in the family of SnO(2) nanostrucures and presents a strong quantum confinement effect. Its formation depends on the reaction temperature as well as on the concentration of the urea solution. A nonclassical crystallization process, Ostwald ripening process followed by an oriented attachment mechanism, is proposed based on the detailed observations from a time-dependent crystal evolution process. Importantly, such structured SnO(2) has shown a strong structure-induced enhancement of gas-sensing properties and has exhibited greatly enhanced gas-sensing property for the detection of ethanol than that of other structured SnO(2), such as the powders of nanobelts and microrods. Moreover, these ultrathin SnO(2) nanorods exhibit excellent ability to remove organic pollutant in wastewater by enormous surface adsorption. These properties are mainly attributed to its higher surface-to-volume ratio and ultrathin diameter. This work provides a novel low temperature, green, and inexpensive pathway to the synthesis of ultrathin nanorods, offering a new material form for sensors, solar cells, catalysts, water treatments, and other applications.

Characterization and Growth Mechanism of Nickel Nanowires Resulting from Reduction of Nickel Formate in Polyol Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga A. Logutenko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Nickel linear nanostructures were synthesized by reduction of nickel formate with hydrazine hydrate in ethylene glycol medium in the absence of any surfactants or capping agents for direction of the particles growth. The effect of the synthesis conditions such as temperature, reduction time, type of polyol, and nickel formate concentration on the reduction products was studied. The size and morphology of the nickel nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that the nickel nanocrystallites were wire-shaped with a face-center-cubic phase. Ethylene glycol was found to play a crucial role in the formation of the nickel nanowires. The possible growth processes of the wire-shaped particles taking place at 110 and 130°C are discussed. It was shown that, under certain synthesis conditions, nickel nanowires grow on the surface of the crystals of the solid intermediate of nickel with hydrazine hydrate.

A theory of economic growth with material/energy resources and dematerialization. Interaction of three growth mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ayres, Robert U. [Department of Physical Resource Theory, Chalmers Institute, Gothenburg (Sweden); Van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M. [Department of Spatial Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, and Institute for Environmental Studies, Free University, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV (Netherlands)

2005-10-05

The nature of energy and material resources in a non-optimizing growth theory framework is clarified. This involves two modifications of the conventional theory. Firstly, multiple feedback mechanisms or 'growth engines' are identified, such that the impact of the cost of production through demand on growth is accounted for. Secondly, a production function distinguishes between resource use, technical efficiency, and value creation. The resulting model is analytically solved under the condition of a constant growth rate. Given model complexity, numerical experiments are performed as well, providing relevant insights to the academic and political debates on 'environmental Kuznets curves' and 'dematerialization.'.

Insulin receptors mediate growth effects in cultured fetal neurons. I. Rapid stimulation of protein synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heidenreich, K.A.; Toledo, S.P.

1989-01-01

In this study we have examined the effects of insulin on protein synthesis in cultured fetal chick neurons. Protein synthesis was monitored by measuring the incorporation of [3H]leucine (3H-leu) into trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-precipitable protein. Upon addition of 3H-leu, there was a 5-min lag before radioactivity occurred in protein. During this period cell-associated radioactivity reached equilibrium and was totally recovered in the TCA-soluble fraction. After 5 min, the incorporation of 3H-leu into protein was linear for 2 h and was inhibited (98%) by the inclusion of 10 micrograms/ml cycloheximide. After 24 h of serum deprivation, insulin increased 3H-leu incorporation into protein by approximately 2-fold. The stimulation of protein synthesis by insulin was dose dependent (ED50 = 70 pM) and seen within 30 min. Proinsulin was approximately 10-fold less potent than insulin on a molar basis in stimulating neuronal protein synthesis. Insulin had no effect on the TCA-soluble fraction of 3H-leu at any time and did not influence the uptake of [3H]aminoisobutyric acid into neurons. The isotope ratio of 3H-leu/14C-leu in the leucyl tRNA pool was the same in control and insulin-treated neurons. Analysis of newly synthesized proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that insulin uniformly increased the incorporation of 14C-leu into all of the resolved neuronal proteins. We conclude from these data that (1) insulin rapidly stimulates overall protein synthesis in fetal neurons independent of amino acid uptake and aminoacyl tRNA precursor pools; (2) stimulation of protein synthesis is mediated by the brain subtype of insulin receptor; and (3) insulin is potentially an important in vivo growth factor for fetal central nervous system neurons

Role of growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I, and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in the catabolic response to injury and infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Charles H; Frost, Robert A

2002-05-01

The erosion of lean body mass resulting from protracted critical illness remains a significant risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in this patient population. Previous studies have documented the well known impairment in nitrogen balance results from both an increase in muscle protein degradation as well as a decreased rate of both myofibrillar and sacroplasmic protein synthesis. This protein imbalance may be caused by an increased presence or activity of various catabolic agents, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6 or glucocorticoids, or may be mediated via a decreased concentration or responsiveness to various anabolic hormones, such as growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor-I. This review focuses on recent developments pertaining to the importance of alterations in the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-I axis as a mechanism for the observed defects in muscle protein balance.

Compound Synthesis or Growth and Development of Roots/Stomata Regulate Plant Drought Tolerance or Water Use Efficiency/Water Uptake Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Lai-Sheng

2018-04-11

Water is crucial to plant growth and development because it serves as a medium for all cellular functions. Thus, the improvement of plant drought tolerance or water use efficiency/water uptake efficiency is important in modern agriculture. In this review, we mainly focus on new genetic factors for ameliorating drought tolerance or water use efficiency/water uptake efficiency of plants and explore the involvement of these genetic factors in the regulation of improving plant drought tolerance or water use efficiency/water uptake efficiency, which is a result of altered stomata density and improving root systems (primary root length, hair root growth, and lateral root number) and enhanced production of osmotic protectants, which is caused by transcription factors, proteinases, and phosphatases and protein kinases. These results will help guide the synthesis of a model for predicting how the signals of genetic and environmental stress are integrated at a few genetic determinants to control the establishment of either water use efficiency or water uptake efficiency. Collectively, these insights into the molecular mechanism underpinning the control of plant drought tolerance or water use efficiency/water uptake efficiency may aid future breeding or design strategies to increase crop yield.

On-Surface Pseudo-High-Dilution Synthesis of Macrocycles: Principle and Mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Qitang; Wang, Tao; Dai, Jingya; Kuttner, Julian; Hilt, Gerhard; Gottfried, J Michael; Zhu, Junfa

2017-05-23

Macrocycles have attracted much attention due to their specific "endless" topology, which results in extraordinary properties compared to related linear (open-chain) molecules. However, challenges still remain in their controlled synthesis with well-defined constitution and geometry. Here, we report the successful application of the (pseudo-)high-dilution method to the conditions of on-surface synthesis in ultrahigh vacuum. This approach leads to high yields (up to 84%) of cyclic hyperbenzene ([18]-honeycombene) via an Ullmann-type reaction from 4,4″-dibromo-meta-terphenyl (DMTP) as precursor on a Ag(111) surface. The mechanism of macrocycle formation was explored in detail using scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. We propose that the dominant pathway for hyperbenzene (MTP) 6 formation is the stepwise desilverization of an organometallic (MTP-Ag) 6 macrocycle, which forms via cyclization of (MTP-Ag) 6 chains under pseudo-high-dilution conditions. The high probability of cyclization on the stage of the organometallic phase results from the reversibility of the C-Ag bond. The case is different from that in solution, in which cyclization typically occurs on the stage of a covalently bonded open-chain precursor. This difference in the cyclization mechanism on a surface compared to that in solution stems mainly from the 2D confinement exerted by the surface template, which hinders the flipping of chain segments necessary for cyclization.

Graphene growth from reduced graphene oxide by chemical vapour deposition: seeded growth accompanied by restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Sung-Jin; Hyun, Moon Seop; Myung, Sung; Kang, Min-A.; Yoo, Jung Ho; Lee, Kyoung G.; Choi, Bong Gill; Cho, Youngji; Lee, Gaehang; Park, Tae Jung

2016-03-01

Understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in graphene growth via chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is critical for precise control of the characteristics of graphene. Despite much effort, the actual processes behind graphene synthesis still remain to be elucidated in a large number of aspects. Herein, we report the evolution of graphene properties during in-plane growth of graphene from reduced graphene oxide (RGO) on copper (Cu) via methane CVD. While graphene is laterally grown from RGO flakes on Cu foils up to a few hundred nanometres during CVD process, it shows appreciable improvement in structural quality. The monotonous enhancement of the structural quality of the graphene with increasing length of the graphene growth from RGO suggests that seeded CVD growth of graphene from RGO on Cu surface is accompanied by the restoration of graphitic structure. The finding provides insight into graphene growth and defect reconstruction useful for the production of tailored carbon nanostructures with required properties.

Agglomerate formation and growth mechanisms during melt agglomeration in a rotary processor.

Science.gov (United States)

Vilhelmsen, Thomas; Schaefer, Torben

2005-11-04

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the binder particle size and the binder addition method on the mechanisms of agglomerate formation and growth during melt agglomeration in a laboratory scale rotary processor. Lactose monohydrate was agglomerated with molten polyethylene glycol (PEG) 3000 by adding the PEG either as solid particles from the size fraction 0-250, 250-500, or 500-750 microm or as droplets with a median size of 25, 48, or 69 microm. It was found that the PEG particle size, the PEG droplet size, and the massing time significantly influenced the agglomerate size and size distribution. Agglomerate formation and growth were found to occur primarily by distribution and coalescence for the PEG size fraction 0-250 microm and mainly by the immersion mechanism for the PEG size fractions 250-500 and 500-750 microm. When the PEG was sprayed upon the lactose, the mechanism of agglomerate formation was supposed to be a mixture of immersion and distribution, and the agglomerate growth was found to occur by coalescence regardless of the PEG mean droplet size. Compared to high shear mixers and conventional fluid bed granulators, the mechanisms of agglomerate formation and growth in the rotary processor resembled mostly those seen in the fluid bed granulator.

Epitaxial growth mechanisms of graphene and effects of substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Özçelik, V. Ongun; Cahangirov, S.; Ciraci, S.

2012-06-01

The growth process of single layer graphene with and without substrate is investigated using ab initio, finite temperature molecular dynamic calculations within density functional theory. An understanding of the epitaxial graphene growth mechanisms in the atomic level is provided by exploring the transient stages which occur at the growing edges of graphene. These stages are formation and collapse of large carbon rings together with the formation and healing of Stone-Wales like pentagon-heptagon defects. The activation barriers for the healing of these growth induced defects on various substrates are calculated using the climbing image nudge elastic band method and compared with that of the Stone-Wales defect. It is found that the healing of pentagon-heptagon defects occurring near the edge in the course of growth is much easier than that of Stone-Wales defect. The role of the substrate in the epitaxial growth and in the healing of defects are also investigated in detail, along with the effects of using carbon dimers as the building blocks of graphene growth.

CuSn(OH)6 submicrospheres: Room-temperature synthesis, growth mechanism, and weak antiferromagnetic behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Sheng-Liang; Xu, Rong; Wang, Lei; Li, Yuan; Zhang, Lin-Fei

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► CuSn(OH) 6 spheres have been synthesized via an aqueous solution method at room temperature. ► The diameters of the CuSn(OH) 6 spheres can be tuned by adjusting the molar ratio of SnO 3 2− to Cu 2+ . ► The as-obtained CuSn(OH) 6 spheres are antiferromagnetic and have a weak spin-Peierls transition at about 78 K -- Abstract: CuSn(OH) 6 submicrospheres with diameters of 400–900 nm have been successfully fabricated using a simple aqueous solution method at room temperature. Influencing factors such as the dosage of reactants and reaction time on the preparation were systematically investigated. The products were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Results reveal that the CuSn(OH) 6 spheres are built from numerous nanoparticles. It is found that the diameter of CuSn(OH) 6 spheres can be readily tuned by adjusting the molar ratio of SnO 3 2− to Cu 2+ . A possible growth mechanism for the CuSn(OH) 6 submicrospheres has been proposed. Amorphous CuSnO 3 submicrospheres were obtained after thermal treatment of the CuSn(OH) 6 submicrospheres at 300 °C for 4 h. Standard magnetization measurements demonstrate that the CuSn(OH) 6 submicrospheres are antiferromagnetic and have a weak spin-Peierls transition at about 78 K.

Effects of near ultraviolet and green radiations on plant growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, R.M.; Edsall, P.C.; Gentile, A.C.

1965-01-01

Selective removal of near ultraviolet and green wavelengths from white light permitted enhanced growth of marigold, tomato, corn, and Impatiens plants, Chlamydomonas cells and the mycelium of Sordaria. Additions of near ultraviolet and green radiations caused repressions in the growth of marigold and Sordaria. These wavelengths do not alter the oxidative mechanisms of mitochondria, intact algal cells or marigold leaf tissues. The capacity for chlorophyll and carotenoid synthesis by Euglena cells was unaffected by these wavelengths. 23 references, 2 figures, 4 tables.

Mechanism of Microbubble Growth at Mitral Mechanical Heart Valve (MHV) Closure

Science.gov (United States)

Rambod, Edmond; Beizaie, Masoud; Shusser, Michael; Gharib, Morteza

1999-11-01

The growth mechanism of microbubbles at mitral MHV closure has been experimentally studied. In the heart, some of the tiny bubbles grow explosively and form larger and persistent bubbles. An experimental set-up was designed to allow the passage of micron-size bubbles through an 80 micron-wide slot, simulating a typical gap between the housing ring and the occluders in MHV. The bubbles were generated using an air-liquid dispenser and were delivered to the system via a 250 micron-diameter hypedermic needle positioned vertically near the slot. A solenoid valve was used to deliver a 10cc volume of liquid in 25ms time through the slot. High-speed imaging was used to study the impact of flow through the slot on bubble growth. The velocity of liquid through the slot was assessed to be in the range of 12-15 m/s. Our observations confirmed the rapid and drastic growth of microbubbles following their passage through the narrow slot, due to pressure drop. Vortices, which were induced by flow separation on the downstream of the slot, caused the grown bubbles to shatter and form more stable bubbles.

Facile Synthesis of Ternary Boron Carbonitride Nanotubes

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Luo Lijie

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this study, a novel and facile approach for the synthesis of ternary boron carbonitride (B–C–N nanotubes was reported. Growth occurred by heating simple starting materials of boron powder, zinc oxide powder, and ethanol absolute at 1150 °C under a mixture gas flow of nitrogen and hydrogen. As substrate, commercial stainless steel foil with a typical thickness of 0.05 mm played an additional role of catalyst during the growth of nanotubes. The nanotubes were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDX, and EELS. The results indicate that the synthesized B–C–N nanotubes exhibit a bamboo-like morphology and B, C, and N elements are homogeneously distributed in the nanotubes. A catalyzed vapor–liquid–solid (VLS mechanism was proposed for the growth of the nanotubes.

Morphogenesis and crystallization of ZnS microspheres by a soft template-assisted hydrothermal route: synthesis, growth mechanism, and oxygen sensitivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liangbao; Han, Jun; Luo, Tao; Li, Minqiang; Huang, Jiarui; Meng, Fanli; Liu, Jinhuai

2009-01-05

Almost monodisperse ZnS microspheres have been synthesized on a large scale by a hydrothermal route, in which tungstosilicate acid (TSA) was used as a soft template. By controlling the reaction conditions, such as reaction temperature, pH value of the solutions, and the reaction medium, almost monodisperse microspheres can be synthesized. The structure of these microspheres is sensitive to the reaction conditions. The growth mechanism of these nearly monodisperse microspheres was examined. Oxygen sensing is realized from ZnS microspheres. The current through the ZnS microspheres under UV illumination increases as the oxygen concentration decreases.

Dose-Dependent AMPK-Dependent and Independent Mechanisms of Berberine and Metformin Inhibition of mTORC1, ERK, DNA Synthesis and Proliferation in Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

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Ming Ming

Full Text Available Natural products represent a rich reservoir of potential small chemical molecules exhibiting anti-proliferative and chemopreventive properties. Here, we show that treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC cells (PANC-1, MiaPaCa-2 with the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine (0.3-6 µM inhibited DNA synthesis and proliferation of these cells and delay the progression of their cell cycle in G1. Berberine treatment also reduced (by 70% the growth of MiaPaCa-2 cell growth when implanted into the flanks of nu/nu mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that berberine decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular ATP levels and induced potent AMPK activation, as shown by phosphorylation of AMPK α subunit at Thr-172 and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC at Ser79. Furthermore, berberine dose-dependently inhibited mTORC1 (phosphorylation of S6K at Thr389 and S6 at Ser240/244 and ERK activation in PDAC cells stimulated by insulin and neurotensin or fetal bovine serum. Knockdown of α1 and α2 catalytic subunit expression of AMPK reversed the inhibitory effect produced by treatment with low concentrations of berberine on mTORC1, ERK and DNA synthesis in PDAC cells. However, at higher concentrations, berberine inhibited mitogenic signaling (mTORC1 and ERK and DNA synthesis through an AMPK-independent mechanism. Similar results were obtained with metformin used at doses that induced either modest or pronounced reductions in intracellular ATP levels, which were virtually identical to the decreases in ATP levels obtained in response to berberine. We propose that berberine and metformin inhibit mitogenic signaling in PDAC cells through dose-dependent AMPK-dependent and independent pathways.

Growth mechanism and magnon excitation in NiO nanowalls

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Yang Chun

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The nanosized effects of short-range multimagnon excitation behavior and short-circuit diffusion in NiO nanowalls synthesized using the Ni grid thermal treatment method were observed. The energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping technique was used to characterize the growth mechanism, and confocal Raman scattering was used to probe the antiferromagnetic exchange energy J 2 between next-nearest-neighboring Ni ions in NiO nanowalls at various growth temperatures below the Neel temperature. This study shows that short spin correlation leads to an exponential dependence of the growth temperatures and the existence of nickel vacancies during the magnon excitation. Four-magnon configurations were determined from the scattering factor, revealing a lowest state and monotonic change with the growth temperature. PACS: 75.47.Lx; 61.82.Rx; 75.50.Tt; 74.25.nd; 72.10.Di

Growth mechanism and magnon excitation in NiO nanowalls

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

The nanosized effects of short-range multimagnon excitation behavior and short-circuit diffusion in NiO nanowalls synthesized using the Ni grid thermal treatment method were observed. The energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping technique was used to characterize the growth mechanism, and confocal Raman scattering was used to probe the antiferromagnetic exchange energy J2 between next-nearest-neighboring Ni ions in NiO nanowalls at various growth temperatures below the Neel temperature. This study shows that short spin correlation leads to an exponential dependence of the growth temperatures and the existence of nickel vacancies during the magnon excitation. Four-magnon configurations were determined from the scattering factor, revealing a lowest state and monotonic change with the growth temperature. PACS: 75.47.Lx; 61.82.Rx; 75.50.Tt; 74.25.nd; 72.10.Di PMID:21824408

Creatine Supplementation and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism for Building Muscle Mass- Review of the Potential Mechanisms of Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Farshidfar, Farnaz; Pinder, Mark A; Myrie, Semone B

2017-01-01

Creatine, a very popular supplement among athletic populations, is of growing interest for clinical applications. Since over 90% of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, the effect of creatine supplementation on muscle metabolism is a widely studied area. While numerous studies over the past few decades have shown that creatine supplementation has many favorable effects on skeletal muscle physiology and metabolism, including enhancing muscle mass (growth/hypertrophy); the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. This report reviews studies addressing the mechanisms of action of creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle growth/hypertrophy. Early research proposed that the osmotic effect of creatine supplementation serves as a cellular stressor (osmosensing) that acts as an anabolic stimulus for protein synthesis signal pathways. Other reports indicated that creatine directly affects muscle protein synthesis via modulations of components in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Creatine may also directly affect the myogenic process (formation of muscle tissue), by altering secretions of myokines, such as myostatin and insulin-like growth factor-1, and expressions of myogenic regulatory factors, resulting in enhanced satellite cells mitotic activities and differentiation into myofiber. Overall, there is still no clear understanding of the mechanisms of action regarding how creatine affects muscle mass/growth, but current evidence suggests it may exert its effects through multiple approaches, with converging impacts on protein synthesis and myogenesis. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Effects of High Glucose on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Synthesis and Secretion in Aortic Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells from Obese and Lean Zucker Rats

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Mariella Trovati

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Type 1 diabetes is characterized by insulin deficiency, type 2 by both insulin deficiency and insulin resistance: in both conditions, hyperglycaemia is accompanied by an increased cardiovascular risk, due to increased atherosclerotic plaque formation/instabilization and impaired collateral vessel formation. An important factor in these phenomena is the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF, a molecule produced also by Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMC. We aimed at evaluating the role of high glucose on VEGF-A₁₆₄ synthesis and secretion in VSMC from lean insulin-sensitive and obese insulin-resistant Zucker rats (LZR and OZR. In cultured aortic VSMC from LZR and OZR incubated for 24 h with D-glucose (5.5, 15 and 25 mM or with the osmotic controls L-glucose and mannitol, we measured VEGF-A₁₆₄ synthesis (western, blotting and secretion (western blotting and ELISA. We observed that: (i D-glucose dose-dependently increases VEGF-A₁₆₄ synthesis and secretion in VSMC from LZR and OZR (n = 6, ANOVA p = 0.002–0.0001; (ii all the effects of 15 and 25 mM D-glucose are attenuated in VSMC from OZR vs. LZR (p = 0.0001; (iii L-glucose and mannitol reproduce the VEGF-A₁₆₄ modulation induced by D-glucose in VSMC from both LZR and OZR. Thus, glucose increases via an osmotic mechanism VEGF synthesis and secretion in VSMC, an effect attenuated in the presence of insulin resistance.

Nucleic acid and nucleotide-mediated synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles

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Berti, Lorenzo; Burley, Glenn A.

2008-02-01

Since the advent of practical methods for achieving DNA metallization, the use of nucleic acids as templates for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) has become an active area of study. It is now widely recognized that nucleic acids have the ability to control the growth and morphology of inorganic NPs. These biopolymers are particularly appealing as templating agents as their ease of synthesis in conjunction with the possibility of screening nucleotide composition, sequence and length, provides the means to modulate the physico-chemical properties of the resulting NPs. Several synthetic procedures leading to NPs with interesting photophysical properties as well as studies aimed at rationalizing the mechanism of nucleic acid-templated NP synthesis are now being reported. This progress article will outline the current understanding of the nucleic acid-templated process and provides an up to date reference in this nascent field.

RodZ links MreB to cell wall synthesis to mediate MreB rotation and robust morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgenstein, Randy M; Bratton, Benjamin P; Nguyen, Jeffrey P; Ouzounov, Nikolay; Shaevitz, Joshua W; Gitai, Zemer

2015-10-06

The rod shape of most bacteria requires the actin homolog, MreB. Whereas MreB was initially thought to statically define rod shape, recent studies found that MreB dynamically rotates around the cell circumference dependent on cell wall synthesis. However, the mechanism by which cytoplasmic MreB is linked to extracytoplasmic cell wall synthesis and the function of this linkage for morphogenesis has remained unclear. Here we demonstrate that the transmembrane protein RodZ mediates MreB rotation by directly or indirectly coupling MreB to cell wall synthesis enzymes. Furthermore, we map the RodZ domains that link MreB to cell wall synthesis and identify mreB mutants that suppress the shape defect of ΔrodZ without restoring rotation, uncoupling rotation from rod-like growth. Surprisingly, MreB rotation is dispensable for rod-like shape determination under standard laboratory conditions but is required for the robustness of rod shape and growth under conditions of cell wall stress.

Low transformation growth factor-β1 production and collagen synthesis correlate with the lack of hepatic periportal fibrosis development in undernourished mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni

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Andreia Ferreira Barros

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Undernourished mice infected (UI submitted to low and long-lasting infections by Schistosoma mansoni are unable to develop the hepatic periportal fibrosis that is equivalent to Symmers’ fibrosis in humans. In this report, the effects of the host’s nutritional status on parasite (worm load, egg viability and maturation and host (growth curves, biology, collagen synthesis and characteristics of the immunological response were studied and these are considered as interdependent factors influencing the amount and distribution of fibrous tissue in hepatic periovular granulomas and portal spaces. The nutritional status of the host influenced the low body weight and low parasite burden detected in UI mice as well as the number, viability and maturation of released eggs. The reduced oviposition and increased number of degenerated or dead eggs were associated with low protein synthesis detected in deficient hosts, which likely induced the observed decrease in transformation growth factor (TGF-β1 and liver collagen. Despite the reduced number of mature eggs in UI mice, the activation of TGF-β1 and hepatic stellate cells occurred regardless of the unviability of most miracidia, due to stimulation by fibrogenic proteins and eggshell glycoproteins. However, changes in the repair mechanisms influenced by the nutritional status in deficient animals may account for the decreased liver collagen detected in the present study.

PAH growth initiated by propargyl addition: Mechanism development and computational kinetics

KAUST Repository

Raj, Abhijeet Dhayal

2014-04-24

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) growth is known to be the principal pathway to soot formation during fuel combustion, as such, a physical understanding of the PAH growth mechanism is needed to effectively assess, predict, and control soot formation in flames. Although the hydrogen abstraction C2H2 addition (HACA) mechanism is believed to be the main contributor to PAH growth, it has been shown to under-predict some of the experimental data on PAHs and soot concentrations in flames. This article presents a submechanism of PAH growth that is initiated by propargyl (C 3H3) addition onto naphthalene (A2) and the naphthyl radical. C3H3 has been chosen since it is known to be a precursor of benzene in combustion and has appreciable concentrations in flames. This mechanism has been developed up to the formation of pyrene (A4), and the temperature-dependent kinetics of each elementary reaction has been determined using density functional theory (DFT) computations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory and transition state theory (TST). H-abstraction, H-addition, H-migration, β-scission, and intramolecular addition reactions have been taken into account. The energy barriers of the two main pathways (H-abstraction and H-addition) were found to be relatively small if not negative, whereas the energy barriers of the other pathways were in the range of (6-89 kcal·mol-1). The rates reported in this study may be extrapolated to larger PAH molecules that have a zigzag site similar to that in naphthalene, and the mechanism presented herein may be used as a complement to the HACA mechanism to improve prediction of PAH and soot formation. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Homeostatic mechanisms in dopamine synthesis and release: a mathematical model

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Nijhout H Frederik

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dopamine is a catecholamine that is used as a neurotransmitter both in the periphery and in the central nervous system. Dysfunction in various dopaminergic systems is known to be associated with various disorders, including schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and Tourette's syndrome. Furthermore, microdialysis studies have shown that addictive drugs increase extracellular dopamine and brain imaging has shown a correlation between euphoria and psycho-stimulant-induced increases in extracellular dopamine 1. These consequences of dopamine dysfunction indicate the importance of maintaining dopamine functionality through homeostatic mechanisms that have been attributed to the delicate balance between synthesis, storage, release, metabolism, and reuptake. Methods We construct a mathematical model of dopamine synthesis, release, and reuptake and use it to study homeostasis in single dopaminergic neuron terminals. We investigate the substrate inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase by tyrosine, the consequences of the rapid uptake of extracellular dopamine by the dopamine transporters, and the effects of the autoreceoptors on dopaminergic function. The main focus is to understand the regulation and control of synthesis and release and to explicate and interpret experimental findings. Results We show that the substrate inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase by tyrosine stabilizes cytosolic and vesicular dopamine against changes in tyrosine availability due to meals. We find that the autoreceptors dampen the fluctuations in extracellular dopamine caused by changes in tyrosine hydroxylase expression and changes in the rate of firing. We show that short bursts of action potentials create significant dopamine signals against the background of tonic firing. We explain the observed time courses of extracellular dopamine responses to stimulation in wild type mice and mice that have genetically altered dopamine transporter densities and the observed

Altered growth, differentiation, and responsiveness to epidermal growth factor of human embryonic mesenchymal cells of palate by persistent rubella virus infection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoneda, T.; Urade, M.; Sakuda, M.; Miyazaki, T.

1986-01-01

We previously demonstrated that human embryonic mesenchymal cells derived from the palate (HEMP cells) retain alkaline phosphatase (ALP) content and capacity for collagen synthesis after long-term culture, and their growth is markedly stimulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF). There was a dramatic decrease in ALP content and capacity to synthesize collagen in HEMP cells (HEMP-RV cells) persistently infected with rubella virus (RV). EGF increased ALP activity and decreased collagen synthesis in HEMP cells, whereas EGF showed no effect on these activities in HEMP-RV cells. Growth of HEMP-RV cells was slightly reduced compared with that of HEMP cells. EGF stimulated growth of HEMP cells and to a lesser extent of HEMP-RV cells. Binding of 125 I-EGF to cell-surface receptors in HEMP-RV cells was, to our surprise, twice as much as that in HEMP cells. However, internalization of bound 125 I-EGF in HEMP-RV cells was profoundly diminished. Thus, persistent RV infection causes not only changes in HEMP cell growth and differentiation but a decrease in or loss of HEMP cell responsiveness to EGF. The effects of persistent RV infection on palatal cell differentiation as well as growth may be responsible for the pathogenesis of congenital rubella. Furthermore, since HEMP cells appear to be closely related to osteoblasts, these results suggest a mechanism for RV-induced osseous abnormalities manifested in congenital rubella patients

Protein synthesis in geostimulated root caps

Science.gov (United States)

Feldman, L. J.

1982-01-01

A study is presented of the processes occurring in the root cap of corn which are requisite for the formation of root cap inhibitor and which can be triggered or modulated by both light and gravity. The results of this study indicate the importance of protein synthesis for light-induced gravitropic bending in roots. Root caps in which protein synthesis is prevented are unable to induce downward bending. This suggests that light acts by stimulating proteins which are necessary for the translation of the gravitropic stimulus into a growth response (downward bending). The turnover of protein with time was also examined in order to determine whether light acts by stimulating the synthesis of unique proteins required for downward growth. It is found that auxin in combination with light allows for the translation of the gravitropic stimulus into a growth response at least in part through the modification of protein synthesis. It is concluded that unique proteins are stimulated by light and are involved in promoting the downward growth in roots which are responding to gravity.

Epitaxy-enabled vapor-liquid-solid growth of tin-doped indium oxide nanowires with controlled orientations

KAUST Repository

Shen, Youde

2014-08-13

Controlling the morphology of nanowires in bottom-up synthesis and assembling them on planar substrates is of tremendous importance for device applications in electronics, photonics, sensing and energy conversion. To date, however, there remain challenges in reliably achieving these goals of orientation-controlled nanowire synthesis and assembly. Here we report that growth of planar, vertical and randomly oriented tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanowires can be realized on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates via the epitaxy-assisted vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, by simply regulating the growth conditions, in particular the growth temperature. This robust control on nanowire orientation is facilitated by the small lattice mismatch of 1.6% between ITO and YSZ. Further control of the orientation, symmetry and shape of the nanowires can be achieved by using YSZ substrates with (110) and (111), in addition to (100) surfaces. Based on these insights, we succeed in growing regular arrays of planar ITO nanowires from patterned catalyst nanoparticles. Overall, our discovery of unprecedented orientation control in ITO nanowires advances the general VLS synthesis, providing a robust epitaxy-based approach toward rational synthesis of nanowires. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Mechanical properties of calcium phosphate cements obtained by solution combustion synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volkmer, Tiago M.; Barreiro, Oscar; Souza, Vania Caldas; Santos, Luis Alberto dos, E-mail: tiagovolkmer@gmail.com, E-mail: oscarbafer@hotmail.com, E-mail: vania.souza@ufrgs.br, E-mail: luis.santos@ufrgs.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Laboratorio de Biomateriais

2009-07-01

Bioceramics based on calcium phosphates, especially hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphates (TCP) are the most used biomaterials as bone substitutes. The objective of this work is to evaluate the mechanical properties of α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) synthesized by the solution combustion method. The solution combustion synthesis (SCS) can be considered as faster and simpler as other methods, furthermore it allows the obtainment of high purity α-TCP. In the calcium phosphates (CPC), α-TCP reacts with water forming needle like HA, which restrain the movement of grains, increasing mechanical resistance. In the present paper the influence of particle size on mechanical properties of α-TCP cements were evaluated. The α-TCP powder were characterized by XRD, TEM, BET and laser diffraction to asses particle size while the CPC bodies by SEM, Arquimedes method and compression tests. Increasing the milling time, the particle size decreases, resulting in samples with less porosity and consequently with higher compression resistance. (author)

Predictable 'meta-mechanisms' emerge from feedbacks between transpiration and plant growth and cannot be simply deduced from short-term mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tardieu, François; Parent, Boris

2017-06-01

Growth under water deficit is controlled by short-term mechanisms but, because of numerous feedbacks, the combination of these mechanisms over time often results in outputs that cannot be deduced from the simple inspection of individual mechanisms. It can be analysed with dynamic models in which causal relationships between variables are considered at each time-step, allowing calculation of outputs that are routed back to inputs for the next time-step and that can change the system itself. We first review physiological mechanisms involved in seven feedbacks of transpiration on plant growth, involving changes in tissue hydraulic conductance, stomatal conductance, plant architecture and underlying factors such as hormones or aquaporins. The combination of these mechanisms over time can result in non-straightforward conclusions as shown by examples of simulation outputs: 'over production of abscisic acid (ABA) can cause a lower concentration of ABA in the xylem sap ', 'decreasing root hydraulic conductance when evaporative demand is maximum can improve plant performance' and 'rapid root growth can decrease yield'. Systems of equations simulating feedbacks over numerous time-steps result in logical and reproducible emergent properties that can be viewed as 'meta-mechanisms' at plant level, which have similar roles as mechanisms at cell level. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Accuracy synthesis of T-shaped exit fixed mechanism in a double-crystal monochromator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Fengqin; Cao Chongzhen; Wang Jidai; Li Yushan; Gao Xueguan

2007-01-01

It is a key performance requirement for a double-crystal monochromator that the exit is fixed, and in order to improve the height accuracy of the exit in T-shaped exit fixed mechanism, the expression between the height of the exit and various original errors was put forward using geometrical analysis method. According to the independent action principle of original errors, accuracy synthesis of T-shaped exit fixed mechanism was studied by using the equal accuracy method, and the tolerance ranges of original errors were obtained. How to calculate the tolerance ranges of original errors was explained by giving an example. (authors)

Characterization and Growth Mechanism of Nickel Nano wires Resulting from Reduction of Nickel Formate in Polyol Medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logutenko, O.A.; Titkov, A.I.; Vorobyov, A.M.; Yukhin, Y.M.; Lyakhov, N.Z.

2016-01-01

Nickel linear nano structures were synthesized by reduction of nickel formate with hydrazine hydrate in ethylene glycol medium in the absence of any surfactants or capping agents for direction of the particles growth. The effect of the synthesis conditions such as temperature, reduction time, type of polyol, and nickel formate concentration on the reduction products was studied. The size and morphology of the nickel nano wires were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that the nickel nano crystallites were wire-shaped with a face-center-cubic phase. Ethylene glycol was found to play a crucial role in the formation of the nickel nano wires. The possible growth processes of the wire-shaped particles taking place at 110 and 130 degree are discussed. It was shown that, under certain synthesis conditions, nickel nano wires grow on the surface of the crystals of the solid intermediate of nickel with hydrazine hydrate.

Mechanically activated combustion synthesis of molybdenum borosilicides for ultrahigh-temperature structural applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esparza, Alan A.; Shafirovich, Evgeny, E-mail: eshafirovich2@utep.edu

2016-06-15

The thermal efficiency of gas-turbine power plants could be dramatically increased by the development of new structural materials based on molybdenum silicides and borosilicides, which can operate at temperatures higher than 1300 °C with no need for cooling. A major challenge, however, is to simultaneously achieve high oxidation resistance and acceptable mechanical properties at high temperatures. Materials based on Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2} (called T{sub 2}) phase are promising materials that offer favorable combinations of high temperature mechanical properties and oxidation resistance. In the present paper, T{sub 2} phase based materials have been obtained using mechanically activated self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (MASHS). Upon ignition, Mo/Si/B/Ti mixtures exhibited a self-sustained propagation of a spinning combustion wave, but the products were porous, contained undesired secondary phases, and had low oxidation resistance. The “chemical oven” technique has been successfully employed to fabricate denser and stronger Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2}–TiC, Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2}–TiB{sub 2}, and Mo–Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2}–Mo{sub 3}Si materials. Among them, Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2}–TiB{sub 2} material exhibits the best oxidation resistance at temperatures up to 1500 °C. - Highlights: • Mechanical activation has enabled combustion synthesis of Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2} based materials. • For the first time, the fabrication of Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2}–TiB{sub 2} material has been reported. • Among the obtained materials, Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2}–TiB{sub 2} exhibits the best oxidation resistance.

Micromechanical analysis of volumetric growth in the context of open systems thermodynamics and configurational mechanics. Application to tumor growth

Science.gov (United States)

Ganghoffer, J. F.; Boubaker, M. B.

2017-03-01

We adopt in this paper the physically and micromechanically motivated point of view that growth (resp. resorption) occurs as the expansion (resp. contraction) of initially small tissue elements distributed within a host surrounding matrix, due to the interfacial motion of their boundary. The interface motion is controlled by the availability of nutrients and mechanical driving forces resulting from the internal stresses that built in during the growth. A general extremum principle of the zero potential for open systems witnessing a change of their mass due to the diffusion of nutrients is constructed, considering the framework of open systems thermodynamics. We postulate that the shape of the tissue element evolves in such a way as to minimize the zero potential among all possible admissible shapes of the growing tissue elements. The resulting driving force for the motion of the interface sets a surface growth models at the scale of the growing tissue elements, and is conjugated to a driving force identified as the interfacial jump of the normal component of an energy momentum tensor, in line with Hadamard's structure theorem. The balance laws associated with volumetric growth at the mesoscopic level result as the averaging of surface growth mechanisms occurring at the microscopic scale of the growing tissue elements. The average kinematics has been formulated in terms of the effective growth velocity gradient and elastic rate of deformation tensor, both functions of time. This formalism is exemplified by the simulation of the avascular growth of multicell spheroids in the presence of diffusion of nutrients, showing the respective influence of mechanical and chemical driving forces in relation to generation of internal stresses.

A review of theoretical study of graphene chemical vapor deposition synthesis on metals: nucleation, growth, and the role of hydrogen and oxygen

Science.gov (United States)

Rezwan Habib, Mohammad; Liang, Tao; Yu, Xuegong; Pi, Xiaodong; Liu, Yingchun; Xu, Mingsheng

2018-03-01

Graphene has attracted intense research interest due to its extraordinary properties and great application potential. Various methods have been proposed for the synthesis of graphene, among which chemical vapor deposition has drawn a great deal of attention for synthesizing large-area and high-quality graphene. Theoretical understanding of the synthesis mechanism is crucial for optimizing the experimental design for desired graphene production. In this review, we discuss the three fundamental steps of graphene synthesis in details, i.e. (1) decomposition of carbon feedstocks and formation of various active carbon species, (2) nucleation, and (3) attachment and extension. We provide a complete scenario of graphene synthesis on metal surfaces at atomistic level by means of density functional theory, molecular dynamics (MD), Monte Carlo (MC) and their combination and interface with other simulation methods such as quantum mechanical molecular dynamics, density functional tight binding molecular dynamics, and combination of MD and MC. We also address the latest investigation of the influences of the hydrogen and oxygen on the synthesis and the quality of the synthesized graphene.

Mechanical model for filament buckling and growth by phase ordering.

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Alejandro D; Abukhdeir, Nasser M

2008-02-05

A mechanical model of open filament shape and growth driven by phase ordering is formulated. For a given phase-ordering driving force, the model output is the filament shape evolution and the filament end-point kinematics. The linearized model for the slope of the filament is the Cahn-Hilliard model of spinodal decomposition, where the buckling corresponds to concentration fluctuations. Two modes are predicted: (i) sequential growth and buckling and (ii) simultaneous buckling and growth. The relation among the maximum buckling rate, filament tension, and matrix viscosity is given. These results contribute to ongoing work in smectic A filament buckling.

Colloidal Gold--Collagen Protein Core--Shell Nanoconjugate: One-Step Biomimetic Synthesis, Layer-by-Layer Assembled Film, and Controlled Cell Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Ruirui; Jiao, Tifeng; Yan, Linyin; Ma, Guanghui; Liu, Lei; Dai, Luru; Li, Junbai; Möhwald, Helmuth; Yan, Xuehai

2015-11-11

The biogenic synthesis of biomolecule-gold nanoconjugates is of key importance for a broad range of biomedical applications. In this work, a one-step, green, and condition-gentle strategy is presented to synthesize stable colloidal gold-collagen core-shell nanoconjugates in an aqueous solution at room temperature, without use of any reducing agents and stabilizing agents. It is discovered that electrostatic binding between gold ions and collagen proteins and concomitant in situ reduction by hydroxyproline residues are critically responsible for the formation of the core-shell nanoconjugates. The film formed by layer-by-layer assembly of such colloidal gold-collagen nanoconjugates can notably improve the mechanical properties and promote cell adhesion, growth, and differentiation. Thus, the colloidal gold-collagen nanoconjugates synthesized by such a straightforward and clean manner, analogous to a biomineralization pathway, provide new alternatives for developing biologically based hybrid biomaterials toward a range of therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their application in resin based nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, Shahid Nisar; Hakeem, Saira; Alvi, Rashid Ahmed; Farooq, Khawar; Farooq, Naveed; Yasmin, Farida; Saeed, Sadaf

2013-01-01

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized by catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbon gas using chemical vapor deposition method. Synthesis was done at different growth temperatures and catalyst ratios. These MWCNTs were dispersed in epoxy resin (E-51) and their effect on mechanical strength of epoxy nanocomposites was studied. Increase in the mechanical strength of epoxy was observed with the addition of CNTs. The surface characterization was done by using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Mechanical properties were determined by the general tensile strength testing method.

Two-Swim Operators in the Modified Bacterial Foraging Algorithm for the Optimal Synthesis of Four-Bar Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Betania Hernández-Ocaña

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents two-swim operators to be added to the chemotaxis process of the modified bacterial foraging optimization algorithm to solve three instances of the synthesis of four-bar planar mechanisms. One swim favors exploration while the second one promotes fine movements in the neighborhood of each bacterium. The combined effect of the new operators looks to increase the production of better solutions during the search. As a consequence, the ability of the algorithm to escape from local optimum solutions is enhanced. The algorithm is tested through four experiments and its results are compared against two BFOA-based algorithms and also against a differential evolution algorithm designed for mechanical design problems. The overall results indicate that the proposed algorithm outperforms other BFOA-based approaches and finds highly competitive mechanisms, with a single set of parameter values and with less evaluations in the first synthesis problem, with respect to those mechanisms obtained by the differential evolution algorithm, which needed a parameter fine-tuning process for each optimization problem.

Estrogen Regulates Protein Synthesis and Actin Polymerization in Hippocampal Neurons through Different Molecular Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Briz, Victor; Baudry, Michel

2014-01-01

Estrogen rapidly modulates hippocampal synaptic plasticity by activating selective membrane-associated receptors. Reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and stimulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-mediated protein synthesis are two major events required for the consolidation of hippocampal long-term potentiation and memory. Estradiol regulates synaptic plasticity by interacting with both processes, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Here, we used acute rat hippocampal slices to analyze the mechanisms underlying rapid changes in mTOR activity and actin polymerization elicited by estradiol. Estradiol-induced mTOR phosphorylation was preceded by rapid and transient activation of both extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (Akt) and by phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) degradation. These effects were prevented by calpain and ERK inhibitors. Estradiol-induced mTOR stimulation did not require activation of classical estrogen receptors (ER), as specific ERα and ERβ agonists (PPT and DPN, respectively) failed to mimic this effect, and ER antagonists could not block it. Estradiol rapidly activated both RhoA and p21-activated kinase (PAK). Furthermore, a specific inhibitor of RhoA kinase (ROCK), H1152, and a potent and specific PAK inhibitor, PF-3758309, blocked estradiol-induced cofilin phosphorylation and actin polymerization. ER antagonists also blocked these effects of estrogen. Consistently, both PPT and DPN stimulated PAK and cofilin phosphorylation as well as actin polymerization. Finally, the effects of estradiol on actin polymerization were insensitive to protein synthesis inhibitors, but its stimulation of mTOR activity was impaired by latrunculin A, a drug that disrupts actin filaments. Taken together, our results indicate that estradiol regulates local protein synthesis and cytoskeletal reorganization via different molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways. PMID:24611062

Parathyroid hormone blocks the stimulatory effect of insulin-like growth factor-I on collagen synthesis in cultured 21-day fetal rat calvariae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kream, B.E.; Petersen, D.N.; Raisz, L.G.

1990-01-01

We examined the interaction of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) on collagen synthesis in 21-day fetal rat calvariae as assessed by measuring the incorporation of [ 3 H]proline into collagenase-digestible protein. After 96 hours of culture, 10 nM PTH antagonized the stimulation of collagen synthesis and partially blocked the increase in dry weight produced by 10 nM IGF-I. The effect of PTH to block IGF-I stimulated collagen synthesis was observed in the central bone of calvariae and was mimicked by forskolin and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, but not by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, transforming growth factor-alpha or dexamethasone. Our data are consistent with the concept that the direct effect of PTH is to inhibit basal CDP labeling and fully oppose IGF-I stimulated CDP labeling. The finding that this effect of PTH is mimicked by forskolin and PMA suggests that this block in IGF-I stimulation of CDP labeling involves both cAMP and protein kinase C mediated pathways

Type Synthesis of Parallel Mechanisms with the First Class GF Sets and Two-Dimensional Rotations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jialun Yang

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The novel design of parallel mechanisms plays a key role in the potential application of parallel mechanisms. In this paper, the type synthesis of parallel mechanisms with the first class GF sets and two-dimensional rotations is studied. The rule of two-dimensional rotations is given, which lays the theoretical foundation for the intersection operations of specific GF sets. Next, kinematic limbs with specific characteristics are designed according to the 2-D and 3-D axes movement theorems. Finally, several synthesized parallel mechanisms with the first class GF sets and two-dimensional rotations are illustrated to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Mechanical aspects of developmental biology: perspectives On Growth and Form in the (post)-genomic age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutson, M Shane; Ma Xiaoyan

2008-01-01

Simple experiments demonstrate that the development of an organism is both a genetic and a physical process. This statement is so obvious that it is seldom stated explicitly, and yet, there has been little progress toward integrating what should be complementary viewpoints. This paper focuses on the mechanical aspects of morphogenesis—highlighting those areas where mechanics and molecular genetics are converging toward a much-needed synthesis

Synthesis and Application of Graphene Based Nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Zhiwei

Graphene, a two-dimensional sp2-bonded carbon material, has recently attracted major attention due to its excellent electrical, optical and mechanical properties. Depending on different applications, graphene and its derived hybrid nanomaterials can be synthesized by either bottom-up chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods for electronics, or various top-down chemical reaction methods for energy generation and storage devices. My thesis begins with the investigation of CVD synthesis of graphene thin films in Chapter 1, including the direct growth of bilayer graphene on insulating substrates and synthesis of "rebar graphene": a hybrid structure with graphene and carbon or boron nitride nanotubes. Chapter 2 discusses the synthesis of nanoribbon-shaped materials and their applications, including splitting of vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube carpets for supercapacitors, synthesis of dispersable ferromagnetic graphene nanoribbon stacks with enhanced electrical percolation properties in magnetic field, graphene nanoribbon/SnO 2 nanocomposite for lithium ion batteries, and enhanced electrocatalysis for hydrogen evolution reactions from WS2 nanoribbons. Next, Chapter 3 discusses graphene coated iron oxide nanomaterials and their use in energy storage applications. Finally, Chapter 4 introduces the development, characterization, and fabrication of laser induced graphene and its application as supercapacitors.

Insulin-like growth factor I enhances proenkephalin synthesis and dopamine β-hydroxylase activity in adrenal chromaffin cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, S.P.

1991-01-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) increased both the contents of proenkephalin derived enkephalin-containing peptides and the activity of dopamine β-hydroxylase in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. These increases in dopamine β-hydroxylase and enkephalin-containing peptides continued for at least 8 days. The half-maximal IGF-I concentration for these effects was ∼ 1 nM, with maximal effects observed at 10-30 nM. In contrast, insulin was 1,000-fold less potent. Pretreatment of chromaffin cells with IGF-I increased the rate of [ 35 S]proenkephalin synthesis 4-fold compared to untreated cells. Total protein synthesis increased only 1.5-fold under these conditions. These results suggest that IGF-I may be a normal regulator of chromaffin cell function

Insulin-like growth factor I enhances proenkephalin synthesis and dopamine. beta. -hydroxylase activity in adrenal chromaffin cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, S.P. (Univ. of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia (USA))

1991-01-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) increased both the contents of proenkephalin derived enkephalin-containing peptides and the activity of dopamine {beta}-hydroxylase in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. These increases in dopamine {beta}-hydroxylase and enkephalin-containing peptides continued for at least 8 days. The half-maximal IGF-I concentration for these effects was {approximately} 1 nM, with maximal effects observed at 10-30 nM. In contrast, insulin was 1,000-fold less potent. Pretreatment of chromaffin cells with IGF-I increased the rate of ({sup 35}S)proenkephalin synthesis 4-fold compared to untreated cells. Total protein synthesis increased only 1.5-fold under these conditions. These results suggest that IGF-I may be a normal regulator of chromaffin cell function.

Sex effect on polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in fish: a synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Madenjian, C.P.

2011-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulate in fish primarily via food intake, and therefore, PCBs serve as a chemical tracer for food consumption. Sex differences in PCB concentrations of fish have been attributed to the following three mechanisms: (i) females losing a substantial portion of their PCB body burden during spawning and consequently their PCB concentration is considerably reduced immediately after spawning; (ii) sex differences in habitat utilization leading to sex differences in the PCB concentrations of the prey; and (iii) sex differences in gross growth efficiency, which is defined as growth divided by the amount of food consumption needed to achieve that growth. Based on my analyses and synthesis, mechanisms (i) and (ii) operate in relatively few fish populations, but can lead to mature males having PCB concentrations two to three times higher than mature female PCB concentrations. In contrast, mechanism (iii) operates in all fish populations, but typically, mechanism (iii) results in relatively modest sex differences, with mature males only between 15 and 35% higher in PCB concentration than mature females. In summary, the study of sex differences in PCB concentrations of fish has led to insights into fish behaviour and fish physiology.

The Growth Hormone Receptor: Mechanism of Receptor Activation, Cell Signaling, and Physiological Aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhad Dehkhoda

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The growth hormone receptor (GHR, although most well known for regulating growth, has many other important biological functions including regulating metabolism and controlling physiological processes related to the hepatobiliary, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. In addition, growth hormone signaling is an important regulator of aging and plays a significant role in cancer development. Growth hormone activates the Janus kinase (JAK–signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT signaling pathway, and recent studies have provided a new understanding of the mechanism of JAK2 activation by growth hormone binding to its receptor. JAK2 activation is required for growth hormone-mediated activation of STAT1, STAT3, and STAT5, and the negative regulation of JAK–STAT signaling comprises an important step in the control of this signaling pathway. The GHR also activates the Src family kinase signaling pathway independent of JAK2. This review covers the molecular mechanisms of GHR activation and signal transduction as well as the physiological consequences of growth hormone signaling.

NASGRO(registered trademark): Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue Crack Growth Analysis Software

Science.gov (United States)

Forman, Royce; Shivakumar, V.; Mettu, Sambi; Beek, Joachim; Williams, Leonard; Yeh, Feng; McClung, Craig; Cardinal, Joe

2004-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes NASGRO, which is a fracture mechanics and fatigue crack growth analysis software package that is used to reduce risk of fracture in Space Shuttles. The contents include: 1) Consequences of Fracture; 2) NASA Fracture Control Requirements; 3) NASGRO Reduces Risk; 4) NASGRO Use Inside NASA; 5) NASGRO Components: Crack Growth Module; 6) NASGRO Components:Material Property Module; 7) Typical NASGRO analysis: Crack growth or component life calculation; and 8) NASGRO Sample Application: Orbiter feedline flowliner crack analysis.

Synthesis, growth, and studies (crystal chemistry, magnetic chemistry) of actinide-based intermetallic compounds and alloys with a 1.1.1 stoichiometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kergadallan, Yann

1993-01-01

The first part of this research thesis reports the study of the synthesis and reactivity of intermetallic compounds with a 1.1.1 stoichiometry. It presents the thermal properties of 1.1.1 compounds: general presentation of physical transitions, and of solid solutions and formation heat, application to actinides (reactivity analysis from phase diagrams, techniques of crystal synthesis and crystal growth. It describes experimental techniques: synthesis, determination of fusion temperature by dilatometry, methods used for crystal growth, characterisation techniques (metallography, X ray diffraction on powders, dilatometry). It discusses the obtained results in terms of characterisation of synthesised samples, of crystal growth, and of measurements of fusion temperature. The second part addresses crystal chemistry studies: structure of compounds with a 1.1.1 stoichiometry (Laves structures, Zr, Ti and Pu compounds), techniques of analysis by X-ray diffraction (on powders and on single crystals), result interpretation (UNiX compounds, AnTAl compounds with T being a metal from group VIII, AnTGa compounds, AnNiGe compounds, distance comparison, structure modifications under pressure). The third part concerns physical issues. The author addresses the following topics: physical properties of intermetallic 1.1.1 compounds (magnetism of yttrium phases, behaviour of uranium-based Laves phases, analysis of pseudo-binary diagrams, physical characteristics of uranium-based 1.1.1 compounds, predictions of physical measurements), analysis techniques (Moessbauer spectroscopy, SQUID for Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), and result interpretation

Studies on protein synthesis by protoplasts of saccharomyces carlsbergensis III. Studies on the specificity and the mechanism of the action of ribonuclease on protein synthesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kloet, S.R. de; Dam, G.J.W. van; Koningsberger, V.V.

1962-01-01

In this paper, the experimental results are presented of a continued study on the specificity and the mechanism of the inhibition by ribonuclease of protein synthesis in protoplasts of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. By comparing the effects of native pancreatic ribonuclease with those of

Detwinning mechanisms for growth twins in face-centered cubic metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, J., E-mail: wangj6@lanl.gov [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Li, N.; Anderoglu, O. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843-3123 (United States); Zhang, X., E-mail: zhangx@tamu.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering Program, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843-3123 (United States); Misra, A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Huang, J.Y. [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States); Hirth, J.P. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

2010-04-15

Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we studied the stability of growth twins. We observed the rapid migration of incoherent twin boundaries (ITBs), indicating that nanotwins are unstable. Topological analysis and atomistic simulations are adopted to explore detwinning mechanisms. The results show that: (i) the detwinning process is accomplished via the collective glide of multiple twinning dislocations that form an ITB; (ii) detwinning can easily occur for thin twins, and the driving force is mainly attributed to a variation of the excess energy of a coherent twin boundary; (iii) shear stresses enable ITBs to migrate easily, causing the motion of coherent twin boundaries; and (iv) the migration velocity depends on stacking fault energy. The results imply that detwinning becomes the dominant deformation mechanism for growth twins of the order of a few nanometers thick.

Computational modeling of the mechanical modulation of the growth plate by sustained loading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narváez-Tovar Carlos A

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper presents a computational model that describes the growth of the bone as a function of the proliferation and hypertrophy of chondrocytes in the growth plate. We have included the effects of the mechanical loads on the sizes of the proliferative and hypertrophic areas, the number of proliferative chondrocytes and the final size of the hypertrophic chondrocytes. The validation of the model was performed with experimental data published on other investigations about proximal tibia of rats, subjected to sustained axial stresses of 0.1 MPa, 0.0 MPa, -0.1 MPa and −0.2 MPa. Growth was simulated during 23 days, obtaining numerical errors between 2.77% and 3.73% with respect to experimental growth rates. The results obtained show that the model adequately simulates the behavior of the growth plate and the effect of mechanical loads over its cellular activity.

Carbon Nanotubes Growth by CVD on Graphite Fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Shen; Su, Ching-Hua; Cochrane, J. C.; Lehoczky, S. L.; Muntele, I.; Ila, D.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Due to the superior electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNT), synthesizing CNT on various substances for electronics devices and reinforced composites have been engaged in many efforts for applications. This presentation will illustrate CNT synthesized on graphite fibers by thermal CVD. On the fiber surface, iron nanoparticles as catalysts for CNT growth are coated. The growth temperature ranges from 600 to 1000 C and the pressure ranges from 100 Torr to one atmosphere. Methane and hydrogen gases with methane content of 10% to 100% are used for the CNT synthesis. At high growth temperatures (greater than or equal to 900 C), the rapid inter-diffusion of the transition metal iron on the graphite surface results in the rough fiber surface without any CNT grown on it. When the growth temperature is relative low (650-800 C), CNT with catalytic particles on the nanotube top ends are fabricated on the graphite surface. (Methane and hydrogen gases with methane content of 10% to 100% are used for the CNT synthesis.) (By measuring the samples) Using micro Raman spectroscopy in the breath mode region, single-walled or multi-walled CNT (MWCNT), depending on growth concentrations, are found. Morphology, length and diameter of these MWCNT are determined by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The detailed results of syntheses and characterizations will be discussed in the presentation.

Differential modulation of growth and phenotypic expression of chondrocytes in sparse and confluent cultures by growth factors in cartilage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraki, Y.; Inoue, H.; Asada, A.; Suzuki, F.

1990-01-01

The growth-promoting actions of cartilage extracts (CE) on rabbit cultured chondrocytes were studied to assess the role of local acting growth factors in the generation and expansion of highly differentiated cells. In the present study, DNA synthesis and proteoglycan synthesis in the cultured chondrocytes were monitored by flow cytofluorometry and double-isotope autoradiography by using ( 3 H)thymidine and ( 35 S)sulfate. We report here that actions of the same set of growth factors extracted from cartilage evokes differential cellular responses depending upon cell density. Growth factors in the optimal dose of CE (2 micrograms/ml) or epidermal growth factor (EGF, 40 ng/ml) did not reveal such a cell density-dependent effect on cellular proliferation. However, growth factors in CE induced proteoglycan synthesis selectively in nonproliferating and expressing cells in confluent culture

Glass fabrics self-cracking catalytic growth of boron nitride nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jilin; Peng, Daijang; Long, Fei; Wang, Weimin; Gu, Yunle; Mo, Shuyi; Zou, Zhengguang; Fu, Zhengyi

2017-02-01

Glass fabrics were used to fabricate boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with a broad diameter range through a combined chemical vapor deposition and self-propagation high-temperature synthesis (CVD-SHS) method at different holding times (0min, 30min, 90min, 180min and 360min). SEM characterization has been employed to investigate the macro and micro structure/morphology changes of the glass fabrics and BNNTs in detail. SEM image analysis has provided direct experimental evidences for the rationality of the optimized self-cracking catalyst VLS growth mechanism, including the transformation situations of the glass fabrics and the BNNTs growth processes respectively. This paper was the further research and compensation for the theory and experiment deficiencies in the new preparation method of BNNTs reported in our previous work. In addition, it is likely that the distinctive self-cracking catalyst VLS growth mechanism could provide a new idea to preparation of other inorganic functional nano-materials using similar one-dimensional raw materials as growth templates and catalysts.

Mechanisms of environmental chemicals that enable the cancer hallmark of evasion of growth suppression.

Science.gov (United States)

Nahta, Rita; Al-Mulla, Fahd; Al-Temaimi, Rabeah; Amedei, Amedeo; Andrade-Vieira, Rafaela; Bay, Sarah N; Brown, Dustin G; Calaf, Gloria M; Castellino, Robert C; Cohen-Solal, Karine A; Colacci, Annamaria; Cruickshanks, Nichola; Dent, Paul; Di Fiore, Riccardo; Forte, Stefano; Goldberg, Gary S; Hamid, Roslida A; Krishnan, Harini; Laird, Dale W; Lasfar, Ahmed; Marignani, Paola A; Memeo, Lorenzo; Mondello, Chiara; Naus, Christian C; Ponce-Cusi, Richard; Raju, Jayadev; Roy, Debasish; Roy, Rabindra; Ryan, Elizabeth P; Salem, Hosni K; Scovassi, A Ivana; Singh, Neetu; Vaccari, Monica; Vento, Renza; Vondráček, Jan; Wade, Mark; Woodrick, Jordan; Bisson, William H

2015-06-01

As part of the Halifax Project, this review brings attention to the potential effects of environmental chemicals on important molecular and cellular regulators of the cancer hallmark of evading growth suppression. Specifically, we review the mechanisms by which cancer cells escape the growth-inhibitory signals of p53, retinoblastoma protein, transforming growth factor-beta, gap junctions and contact inhibition. We discuss the effects of selected environmental chemicals on these mechanisms of growth inhibition and cross-reference the effects of these chemicals in other classical cancer hallmarks. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A structure-based extracellular matrix expansion mechanism of fibrous tissue growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalson, Nicholas S; Lu, Yinhui; Taylor, Susan H; Starborg, Tobias; Holmes, David F; Kadler, Karl E

2015-05-20

Embryonic growth occurs predominately by an increase in cell number; little is known about growth mechanisms later in development when fibrous tissues account for the bulk of adult vertebrate mass. We present a model for fibrous tissue growth based on 3D-electron microscopy of mouse tendon. We show that the number of collagen fibrils increases during embryonic development and then remains constant during postnatal growth. Embryonic growth was explained predominately by increases in fibril number and length. Postnatal growth arose predominately from increases in fibril length and diameter. A helical crimp structure was established in embryogenesis, and persisted postnatally. The data support a model where the shape and size of tendon is determined by the number and position of embryonic fibroblasts. The collagen fibrils that these cells synthesise provide a template for postnatal growth by structure-based matrix expansion. The model has important implications for growth of other fibrous tissues and fibrosis.

Protein synthesis in the growing rat lung

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelley, J.; Chrin, L.

1986-01-01

Developmental control of protein synthesis in the postnatal growth of the lung has not been systematically studied. In male Fischer 344 rats, lung growth continues linearly as a function of body weight (from 75 to 450 g body weight). To study total protein synthesis in lungs of growing rats, we used the technique of constant intravenous infusion of tritiated leucine, an essential amino acid. Lungs of sacrificed animals were used to determine the leucine incorporation rate into newly synthesized protein. The specific radioactivity of the leucine associated with tRNA extracted from the same lungs served as an absolute index of the precursor leucine pool used for lung protein synthesis. On the basis of these measurements, we were able to calculate the fractional synthesis rate (the proportion of total protein destroyed and replaced each day) of pulmonary proteins for each rat. Under the conditions of isotope infusion, leucyl-tRNA very rapidly equilibrates with free leucine of the plasma and of the extracellular space of the lung. Infusions lasting 30 minutes or less yielded linear rates of protein synthesis without evidence of contamination of lung proteins by newly labeled intravascular albumin. The fractional synthesis rate is considerably higher in juvenile animals (55% per day) than in adult rats (20% per day). After approximately 12 weeks of age, the fractional synthesis rate remains extremely constant in spite of continued slow growth of the lung. It is apparent from these data that in both young and adult rats the bulk of total protein synthesis is devoted to rapidly turning over proteins and that less than 4 percent of newly made protein is committed to tissue growth

Marked stimulation of growth and motility of human keratinocytes by hepatocyte growth factor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, K.; Hashimoto, K.; Yoshikawa, K.; Nakamura, T.

1991-01-01

Effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on normal human epidermal keratinocytes cultured under conditions of low Ca2+ (0.1 mM, growth-promoting condition) and physiological Ca2+ (1.8 mM, differentiation-promoting condition) was investigated. In low Ca2+, HGF markedly enhanced the migration of keratinocytes while it suppressed cell growth and DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, HGF enhanced the migration, cell growth, and DNA synthesis of keratinocytes cultured under conditions of physiological Ca2+. The maximal stimulation of DNA synthesis (2.4-fold stimulation) in physiological Ca2+ was seen at 2.5-5 ng/ml HGF and the stimulatory effect of HGF was suppressed by transforming growth factor-beta 1. Analysis of the HGF receptor using 125I-HGF as a ligand showed that human keratinocytes expressed a single class of specific, saturable receptor for HGF in both low and physiological Ca2+ conditions, exhibiting a Kd = 17.3 pM and approximately 690 binding sites/cell under physiological Ca2+. Thus, HGF is a potent factor which enhances growth and migration of normal human keratinocytes under conditions of physiological Ca2+. HGF may play an important role in epidermal tissue repair as it enhances both the migration and growth of keratinocytes

Can the growth factors PTHrP, Ihh and VEGF, together regulate the development of a long bone?

Science.gov (United States)

Brouwers, J E M; van Donkelaar, C C; Sengers, B G; Huiskes, R

2006-01-01

Endochondral ossification is the process of differentiation of cartilaginous into osseous tissue. Parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHrP), Indian hedgehog (Ihh) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are synthesized in different zones of the growth plate, were found to have crucial roles in regulating endochondral ossification. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the three growth factors PTHrP, Ihh and VEGF, together, could regulate longitudinal growth in a normal human, fetal femur. For this purpose, a one-dimensional finite element (FE) model, incorporating growth factor signaling, was developed of the human, distal, femoral growth plate. It included growth factor synthesis in the relevant zones, their transport and degradation and their effects. Simulations ran from initial hypertrophy in the center of the bone until secondary ossification starts at approximately 3.5 months postnatal. For clarity, we emphasize that no mechanical stresses were considered. The FE model showed a stable growth plate in which the bone growth rate was constant and the number of cells per zone oscillated around an equilibrium. Simulations incorporating increased and decreased PTHrP and Ihh synthesis rates resulted, respectively, in more and less cells per zone and in increased and decreased bone growth rates. The FE model correctly reflected the development of a growth plate and the rate of bone growth in the femur. Simulations incorporating increased and decreased PTHrP and Ihh synthesis rates reflected growth plate pathologies and growth plates in PTHrP-/- and Ihh-/- mice. The three growth factors, PTHrP, Ihh and VEGF, could potentially together regulate tissue differentiation.

Synthesis mechanism of heterovalent Sn2O3 nanosheets in oxidation annealing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Jun-Hua; Wu Guo-Qiang; Yang Xu-Feng; Tan Rui-Qin; Yang Ye; Xu Wei; Li Jia; Shen Wen-Feng; Song Wei-Jie

2015-01-01

Heterovalent Sn 2 O 3 nanosheets were fabricated via an oxidation annealing process and the formation mechanism was investigated. The temperature required to complete the phase transformation from Sn 3 O 4 to Sn 2 O 3 was considered. Two contrasting experiments showed that both oxygen and heating were not necessary conditions for the phase transition. Sn 2 O 3 was formed under an argon protective atmosphere by annealing and could also be obtained at room temperature by exposing Sn 3 O 4 in atmosphere or dispersing in ethanol. The synthesis mechanism was proposed and discussed. This fundamental research is important for the technological applications of intermediate tin oxide materials. (paper)

Growth Factors and Tension-Induced Skeletal Muscle Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Vandenburgh, Herman H.

1994-01-01

The project investigated biochemical mechanisms to enhance skeletal muscle growth, and developed a computer based mechanical cell stimulator system. The biochemicals investigated in this study were insulin/(Insulin like Growth Factor) IGF-1 and Steroids. In order to analyze which growth factors are essential for stretch-induced muscle growth in vitro, we developed a defined, serum-free medium in which the differentiated, cultured avian muscle fibers could be maintained for extended periods of time. The defined medium (muscle maintenance medium, MM medium) maintains the nitrogen balance of the myofibers for 3 to 7 days, based on myofiber diameter measurements and myosin heavy chain content. Insulin and IGF-1, but not IGF-2, induced pronounced myofiber hypertrophy when added to this medium. In 5 to 7 days, muscle fiber diameters increase by 71 % to 98% compared to untreated controls. Mechanical stimulation of the avian muscle fibers in MM medium increased the sensitivity of the cells to insulin and IGF-1, based on a leftward shift of the insulin dose/response curve for protein synthesis rates. (54). We developed a ligand binding assay for IGF-1 binding proteins and found that the avian skeletal muscle cultures produced three major species of 31, 36 and 43 kD molecular weight (54) Stretch of the myofibers was found to have no significant effect on the efflux of IGF-1 binding proteins, but addition of exogenous collagen stimulated IGF-1 binding protein production 1.5 to 5 fold. Steroid hormones have a profound effect on muscle protein turnover rates in vivo, with the stress-related glucocorticoids inducing rapid skeletal muscle atrophy while androgenic steroids induce skeletal muscle growth. Exercise in humans and animals reduces the catabolic effects of glucocorticoids and may enhance the anabolic effects of androgenic steroids on skeletal muscle. In our continuing work on the involvement of exogenrus growth factors in stretch-induced avian skeletal muscle growth, we

Abscisic Acid Synthesis and Response

Science.gov (United States)

Finkelstein, Ruth

2013-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the “classical” plant hormones, i.e. discovered at least 50 years ago, that regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. This chapter reviews our current understanding of ABA synthesis, metabolism, transport, and signal transduction, emphasizing knowledge gained from studies of Arabidopsis. A combination of genetic, molecular and biochemical studies has identified nearly all of the enzymes involved in ABA metabolism, almost 200 loci regulating ABA response, and thousands of genes regulated by ABA in various contexts. Some of these regulators are implicated in cross-talk with other developmental, environmental or hormonal signals. Specific details of the ABA signaling mechanisms vary among tissues or developmental stages; these are discussed in the context of ABA effects on seed maturation, germination, seedling growth, vegetative stress responses, stomatal regulation, pathogen response, flowering, and senescence. PMID:24273463

Gold catalyzed nickel disilicide formation: a new solid-liquid-solid phase growth mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Wei; Picraux, S Tom; Huang, Jian Yu; Liu, Xiaohua; Tu, K N; Dayeh, Shadi A

2013-01-01

The vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism is the predominate growth mechanism for semiconductor nanowires (NWs). We report here a new solid-liquid-solid (SLS) growth mechanism of a silicide phase in Si NWs using in situ transmission electron microcopy (TEM). The new SLS mechanism is analogous to the VLS one in relying on a liquid-mediating growth seed, but it is fundamentally different in terms of nucleation and mass transport. In SLS growth of Ni disilicide, the Ni atoms are supplied from remote Ni particles by interstitial diffusion through a Si NW to the pre-existing Au-Si liquid alloy drop at the tip of the NW. Upon supersaturation of both Ni and Si in Au, an octahedral nucleus of Ni disilicide (NiSi2) forms at the center of the Au liquid alloy, which thereafter sweeps through the Si NW and transforms Si into NiSi2. The dissolution of Si by the Au alloy liquid mediating layer proceeds with contact angle oscillation at the triple point where Si, oxide of Si, and the Au alloy meet, whereas NiSi2 is grown from the liquid mediating layer in an atomic stepwise manner. By using in situ quenching experiments, we are able to measure the solubility of Ni and Si in the Au-Ni-Si ternary alloy. The Au-catalyzed mechanism can lower the formation temperature of NiSi2 by 100 °C compared with an all solid state reaction.

Synthesis, growth, structure, mechanical and optical properties of a new semi-organic 2-methyl imidazolium dihydrogen phosphate single crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagapandiselvi, P., E-mail: nagapandiselvip@ssn.edu.in [Department of Physics, SSN College of Engineering, Kalavakkam (India); Baby, C. [Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai (India); Gopalakrishnan, R. [Crystal Research Lab, Department of Physics, Anna University, Chennai (India)

2016-09-15

Highlights: • 2MIDP crystals were grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique. • Single crystal XRD revealed self-assembled supramolecular framework. • Z scan technique is employed for third order nonlinear optical susceptibility. • Structure-property correlation is established. - Abstract: A new semi-organic compound, 2-methyl imidazolium dihydrogen phosphate (2MIDP), was prepared and good quality single crystals of 2MIDP were grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique. Crystal structure elucidated using Single crystal XRD showed that 2MIDP crystallizes in monoclinic system with P2{sub 1}/c space group. FT-IR, UV-Vis-NIR, Fluorescence and FT-NMR spectra confirm the molecular structure of 2MIDP. The UV-Vis-NIR spectra established the suitability of the compound for NLO applications. TG-DSC showed that 2MIDP is thermally stable up to 200 °C. Mechanical characteristics like hardness number (H{sub v}), stiffness constant (C{sub 11}), yield strength (σ{sub v}), fracture toughness (K{sub c}) and brittleness index (B{sub i}) were assessed using Vicker’s microhardness tester. Third order nonlinear optical properties determined from Z-scan measurement using femto and picosecond lasers showed two photon reverse saturable absorption. The enhancement of nonlinear optical properties in femto second laser, revealed the suitability of 2MIDP for optical limiting applications.

Synthesis mechanism of an Al-Ti-C grain refiner master alloy prepared by a new method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, B. Q.; Lu, L.; Lai, M. O.; Fang, H. S.; Ma, H. T.; Li, J. G.

2003-08-01

The mechanisms of in-situ synthesis of an Al-Ti-C grain-refiner master alloy, prepared by adding a powder mixture of potassium titanium fluoride and carbon into an aluminum melt, have been systematically studied. It was found that vigorous reactions occurred at the initial stage of reaction and then slowed down. After about 20 minutes, the reactions, which led the formation of blocky titanium aluminides and submicron titanium carbides in the aluminum matrix, appeared to reach completion. Potassium titanium fluoride reacted with aluminum and carbon at 724 °C and 736 °C, respectively, resulting in the formation of titanium aluminides and titanium carbides in the aluminum matrix as well as in the formation of a low-melting-point slag of binary potassium aluminofluorides. The reaction between potassium titanium fluoride and carbon is believed to be the predominant mechanism in the synthesis of TiC by this method.

Mechanical behavior of cells within a cell-based model of wheat leaf growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulyana Zubairova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding the principles and mechanisms of cell growth coordination in plant tissue remains an outstanding challenge for modern developmental biology. Cell-based modeling is a widely used technique for studying the geometric and topological features of plant tissue morphology during growth. We developed a quasi-one-dimensional model of unidirectional growth of a tissue layer in a linear leaf blade that takes cell autonomous growth mode into account. The model allows for fitting of the visible cell length using the experimental cell length distribution along the longitudinal axis of a wheat leaf epidermis. Additionally, it describes changes in turgor and osmotic pressures for each cell in the growing tissue. Our numerical experiments show that the pressures in the cell change over the cell cycle, and in symplastically growing tissue, they vary from cell to cell and strongly depend on the leaf growing zone to which the cells belong. Therefore, we believe that the mechanical signals generated by pressures are important to consider in simulations of tissue growth as possible targets for molecular genetic regulators of individual cell growth.

Positive regulation of prostate cancer cell growth by lipid droplet forming and processing enzymes DGAT1 and ABHD5

OpenAIRE

Mitra, Ranjana; Le, Thuc T.; Gorjala, Priyatham; Goodman Jr., Oscar B.

2017-01-01

Background Neoplastic cells proliferate rapidly and obtain requisite building blocks by reprogramming metabolic pathways that favor growth. Previously, we observed that prostate cancer cells uptake and store lipids in the form of lipid droplets, providing building blocks for membrane synthesis, to facilitate proliferation and growth. Mechanisms of lipid uptake, lipid droplet dynamics and their contribution to cancer growth have yet to be defined. This work is focused on elucidating the prosta...

Synthesis, growth, and structural, optical, mechanical, electrical properties of a new inorganic nonlinear optical crystal: Sodium manganese tetrachloride (SMTC

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M. Packiya raj

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A new inorganic nonlinear optical single crystal of sodium manganese tetrachloride (SMTC has been successfully grown from aqueous solution using the slow evaporation technique at room temperature. The crystals obtained using the aforementioned method were characterized using different techniques. The crystalline nature of the as-grown crystal of SMTC was analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that the crystal belongs to an orthorhombic system with non-centrosymmetric space group Pbam. The optical transmission study of the SMTC crystal revealed high transmittance in the entire UV–vis region, and the lower cut-off wavelength was determined to be 240 nm. The mechanical strength of the as-grown crystal was estimated using the Vickers microhardness test. The second harmonic generation (SHG efficiency of the crystal was measured using Kurtz's powder technique, which indicated that the crystal has a nonlinear optical (NLO efficiency that is 1.32 times greater than that of KDP. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the compound were measured at different temperatures with varying frequencies. The photoconductivity study confirmed that the title compound possesses a negative photoconducting nature. The growth mechanism and surface features of the as-grown crystals were investigated using chemical etching analysis.

Seeded growth of InP and InAs quantum rods using indium acetate and myristic acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shweky, Itzhak; Aharoni, Assaf; Mokari, Taleb; Rothenberg, Eli; Nadler, Moshe; Popov, Inna; Banin, Uri

2006-01-01

A synthesis of soluble III-V semiconductor quantum rods using gold nanoparticles to direct and catalyze one-dimensional growth is developed. The growth takes place via the solution-liquid-solid (SLS) mechanism where proper precursors are injected into a coordinating solvent. We report the synthesis of InP nanorods using indium acetate and myristic acid with gold nanoparticles as the catalysts in the SLS growth mode. A similar route was successfully developed for the growth of InAs nanorods. We find that the amount of Au catalyst in the reaction is an important parameter to achieve shape control. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of InP and InAs nanocrystals revealed that the crystals are mostly rod-shaped, and provide strong evidence for Au presence in one edge. The rods were characterized structurally using X-ray diffraction and high-resolution TEM and optically by absorption and photoluminescence

Selective growth of gold onto copper indium sulfide selenide nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Witt, Elena; Parisi, Juergen; Kolny-Olesiak, Joanna [Oldenburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Physics, Energy and Semiconductor Research

2013-05-15

Hybrid nanostructures are interesting materials for numerous applications in chemistry, physics, and biology, due to their novel properties and multiple functionalities. Here, we present a synthesis of metal-semiconductor hybrid nanostructures composed of nontoxic I-III-VI semiconductor nanoparticles and gold. Copper indium sulfide selenide (CuInSSe) nanocrystals with zinc blende structure and trigonal pyramidal shape, capped with dodecanethiol, serve as an original semiconductor part of a new hybrid nanostructure. Metallic gold nanocrystals selectively grow onto vertexes of these CuInSSe pyramids. The hybrid nanostructures were studied by transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Vis-absorption spectroscopy, which allowed us conclusions about their growth mechanism. Hybrid nanocrystals are generated by replacement of a sacrificial domain in the CuInSSe part. At the same time, small selenium nanocrystals form that stay attached to the remaining CuInSSe/Au particles. Additionally, we compare the synthesis and properties of CuInSSe-based hybrid nanostructures with those of copper indium disulfide (CuInS{sub 2}). CuInS{sub 2}/Au nanostructures grow by a different mechanism (surface growth) and do not show any selectivity. (orig.)

Synthesis of alumina-metal nanocomposites by mechanical alloying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osso, D.; Caer, G. le; Begin-Colin, S.; Mocellin, A.; Matteazzi, P.

1993-01-01

The synthesis of nanometer-sized α-Al 2 O 3 -metal composites can be performed by room temperature ball-milling of mixtures of metal-oxides and aluminium as shown by Matteazzi and Le Caer. The average crystallite size of the alumina-metal composite so obtained is in general about 10nm. Such composites may also be prepared by direct grinding of a mixture of α-Al 2 O 3 and of a metal or an alloy. The present work is devoted to the study of the reaction mechanisms by X-Ray diffraction and 57 Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy for the α-Al 2 O 3 -Cr, α-Al 2 O 3 -Fe, α-Al 2 O 3 -(Fe-Cr) and α-Al 2 O 3 -Ti systems. Moessbauer spectroscopy shows that non-completely reduced Fe, partly in the form of Fe 2+ , still exists at the end of the synthesis and belongs to a ternary Al-Fe-O oxide in α-Al 2 O 3 -Fe composites although it cannot be indexed by X-Ray diffraction. The Fe 2+ component is mainly associated with iron environments in or similar to those of hercynite. Species like Fe 3+ in Al 2 O 3 or in grain boundaries are observed, Fe 4+ and Fe 0 cannot be excluded. Differences are obtained by reactive milling and by direct milling the reaction products. Reactive milling of Al-TiO 2 (anatase) yields α-Al 2 O 3 -Ti nanocomposites. The transient formation of a high-pressure orthorhombic form of TiO 2 of the α-PbO 2 type is observed. (orig.)

Mechanisms and applications of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria: Current perspective

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Munees Ahemad

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are the soil bacteria inhabiting around/on the root surface and are directly or indirectly involved in promoting plant growth and development via production and secretion of various regulatory chemicals in the vicinity of rhizosphere. Generally, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria facilitate the plant growth directly by either assisting in resource acquisition (nitrogen, phosphorus and essential minerals or modulating plant hormone levels, or indirectly by decreasing the inhibitory effects of various pathogens on plant growth and development in the forms of biocontrol agents. Various studies have documented the increased health and productivity of different plant species by the application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria under both normal and stressed conditions. The plant-beneficial rhizobacteria may decrease the global dependence on hazardous agricultural chemicals which destabilize the agro-ecosystems. This review accentuates the perception of the rhizosphere and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria under the current perspectives. Further, explicit outlooks on the different mechanisms of rhizobacteria mediated plant growth promotion have been described in detail with the recent development and research. Finally, the latest paradigms of applicability of these beneficial rhizobacteria in different agro-ecosystems have been presented comprehensively under both normal and stress conditions to highlight the recent trends with the aim to develop future insights.

Boehmite (AlOOH) nanostrips and their growth mechanism

KAUST Repository

Dar, Farooq Ahmad

2015-02-04

Crystalline nanostrips of AlOOH have been prepared at 240∘C through a fast route. Powder X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the as-prepared nanostrips are highly crystalline in nature and by morphological investigations using FESEM, it was revealed that the strips have average length of 210 nm and width of 60 ± 20 nm. A plausible theory is proposed which reveals the growth mechanism of nanostrips.

Boehmite (AlOOH) nanostrips and their growth mechanism

KAUST Repository

Dar, Farooq Ahmad; Sofi, Ashaq Hussain; Shah, Mohammad Ashraf

2015-01-01

Crystalline nanostrips of AlOOH have been prepared at 240∘C through a fast route. Powder X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the as-prepared nanostrips are highly crystalline in nature and by morphological investigations using FESEM, it was revealed that the strips have average length of 210 nm and width of 60 ± 20 nm. A plausible theory is proposed which reveals the growth mechanism of nanostrips.

Mechanical coupling limits the density and quality of self-organized carbon nanotube growth

Science.gov (United States)

Bedewy, Mostafa; Hart, A. John

2013-03-01

Aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) structures are promising for many applications; however, as-grown CNT "forests" synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are typically low-density and mostly comprise tortuous defective CNTs. Here, we present evidence that the density and alignment of self-organized CNT growth is limited by mechanical coupling among CNTs in contact, in combination with their diameter-dependent growth rates. This study is enabled by comprehensive X-ray characterization of the spatially and temporally-varying internal morphology of CNT forests. Based on this data, we model the time evolution and diameter-dependent scaling of the ensuing mechanical forces on catalyst nanoparticles during CNT growth, which arise from the mismatch between the collective lengthening rate of the forest and the diameter-dependent growth rates of individual CNTs. In addition to enabling self-organization of CNTs into forests, time-varying forces between CNTs in contact dictate the hierarchical tortuous morphology of CNT forests, and may be sufficient to influence the structural quality of CNTs. These forces reach a maximum that is coincident with the maximum density observed in our growth process, and are proportional to CNT diameter. Therefore, we propose that improved manufacturing strategies for self-organized CNTs should consider both chemical and mechanical effects. This may be especially necessary to achieve high density CNT forests with low defect density, such as for improved thermal interfaces and high-permeability membranes.Aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) structures are promising for many applications; however, as-grown CNT "forests" synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are typically low-density and mostly comprise tortuous defective CNTs. Here, we present evidence that the density and alignment of self-organized CNT growth is limited by mechanical coupling among CNTs in contact, in combination with their diameter-dependent growth rates. This study is

Effect and mechanism of cadmium on the progesterone synthesis of ovaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Wenchang; Jia Haimei

2007-01-01

The paper presents results of the effect of cadmium on the progesterone synthesis of ovaries. In the current study, we investigated whether Cd also disrupts progesterone synthesis via steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450scc), which play important roles in progesterone synthesis. The Wistar rats were exposed to cadmium in vivo (at 2.5, 5, 7.5 mg/kg, as a single s.c. dose). We showed that the serum P 4 and granule cells P 4 of rats were significantly lower than control group. Ovaries granule cells were incubated in Dulbecco-modified Eagle medium +15% fetal bovine serum with 0, 10, 20, or 40 μM CdCl 2 in vitro, progesterone levels were declined in a dose-dependent manner. Our data showed that the expression of StAR and P450scc in vivo or in vitro were inhibited when treated with CdCl 2 (p 2 treatment; the expression of StAR mRNA and P450scc mRNA in 8-Br-cAMP + 40 μM CdCl 2 were significantly higher than 40 μM CdCl 2 , and were lower than control group. We concluded that StAR, which delivers cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membrane, is one site at which Cd interferes with progesterone production in cultured rats ovarian granule cells; P450scc, which conveys cholesterol to pregnenolone, is anther site. The mechanisms were mainly controlled by the cAMP-dependent pathway

Growth Mechanism of Nanowires: Binary and Ternary Chalcogenides

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, N. B.; Coriell, S. R.; Su, Ching-Hua; Hopkins, R. H.; Arnold, B.; Choa, Fow-Sen; Cullum, Brian

2016-01-01

Semiconductor nanowires exhibit very exciting optical and electrical properties including high transparency and a several order of magnitude better photocurrent than thin film and bulk materials. We present here the mechanism of nanowire growth from the melt-liquid-vapor medium. We describe preliminary results of binary and ternary selenide materials in light of recent theories. Experiments were performed with lead selenide and thallium arsenic selenide systems which are multifunctional material and have been used for detectors, acousto-optical, nonlinear and radiation detection applications. We observed that small units of nanocubes and elongated nanoparticles arrange and rearrange at moderate melt undercooling to form the building block of a nanowire. Since we avoided the catalyst, we observed self-nucleation and uncontrolled growth of wires from different places. Growth of lead selenide nanowires was performed by physical vapor transport method and thallium arsenic selenide nanowire by vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method. In some cases very long wires (>mm) are formed. To achieve this goal experiments were performed to create situation where nanowires grew on the surface of solid thallium arsenic selenide itself.

Polyamines in chemiosmosis in vivo: A cunning mechanism for the regulation of ATP synthesis during growth and stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolaos E Ioannidis

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Polyamines (PAs are low molecular weight amines that occur in every living organism. The three main PAs [putrescine (Put, spermidine (Spd and spermine (Spm] are involved in several important biochemical processes covered in recent reviews. As rule of thumb, increase of the cellular titer of PAs in plants is related to cell growth and cell tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress. In the present contribution, we describe recent findings from plant bioenergetics that bring to light a previously unrecognized dynamic behavior of the PA pool. Traditionally, PAs are described by many authors as organic polycations, when in fact they are bases that can be found in a charged or uncharged form. Although uncharged forms represent less than 0.1% of the total pool, we propose that their physiological role could be crucial in chemiosmosis. This process describes the formation of a PA gradient across membranes within seconds and is difficult to be tested in vivo in plants due to the relatively small molecular weight of PAs and the speed of the process. We tested the hypothesis that PAs act as permeable buffers in intact leaves by using recent advances in vivo probing. We found that an increase of PAs increases the electric component (∆ψ and decreases the ∆pH component of the proton motive force (pmf. These findings reveal an important modulation of the energy production process and photoprotection of the chloroplast by PAs. We explain in detail the theory behind PA pumping and ion trapping in acidic compartments (such as the lumen in chloroplasts and how this regulatory process could improve either the photochemical efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus and increase the synthesis of ATP or fine tune antenna regulation and make the plant more tolerant to stress.

Turning “on” and “off” nucleation and growth: Microwave assisted synthesis of CdS clusters and nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrer, Edmy; Nater, Sariann; Rivera, Daniel; Colon, Jean Marie; Zayas, Francisco; Gonzalez, Miguel; Castro, Miguel E.

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Cadmium acetate and DMSO were employed as ion precursors. ► New approach to controlled CdS nanoparticle synthesis. ► CdS clusters and nanoparticles synthesis achieved using microwave irradiation. ► Microwave irradiation turns on and off nanoparticle growth. ► The formation of clusters, embryos and nanoparticles studied with optical spectroscopy. -- Abstract: We report here on the formation of CdS NP from the microwave assisted reaction of Cd(CH 3 CO 2 ) 2 with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). DMSO serves as the solvent and a controlled source of sulfide ions to form (CdS) 1≤n≤5 clusters at the early stages of the process. The clusters grow into CdS nanoparticles, with diameters that range from 1.6 nm up to over 250 nm, with microwave heating. The time dependence of the onset of light absorption and absorbance are consistent with a concurrent nucleation and growth processes. The formation of clusters and nuclei and their subsequent reactions is controlled by turning on and off the energy supply consistent with an energy barrier to the formation of CdS nanostructures.

Turning “on” and “off” nucleation and growth: Microwave assisted synthesis of CdS clusters and nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrer, Edmy; Nater, Sariann; Rivera, Daniel; Colon, Jean Marie; Zayas, Francisco; Gonzalez, Miguel [Chemical Imaging Center, Department of Chemistry, The University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, Mayaguez, PR 00680 (United States); Castro, Miguel E., E-mail: miguel.castro2@upr.edu [Chemical Imaging Center, Department of Chemistry, The University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, Mayaguez, PR 00680 (United States)

2012-11-15

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Cadmium acetate and DMSO were employed as ion precursors. ► New approach to controlled CdS nanoparticle synthesis. ► CdS clusters and nanoparticles synthesis achieved using microwave irradiation. ► Microwave irradiation turns on and off nanoparticle growth. ► The formation of clusters, embryos and nanoparticles studied with optical spectroscopy. -- Abstract: We report here on the formation of CdS NP from the microwave assisted reaction of Cd(CH{sub 3}CO{sub 2}){sub 2} with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). DMSO serves as the solvent and a controlled source of sulfide ions to form (CdS){sub 1≤n≤5} clusters at the early stages of the process. The clusters grow into CdS nanoparticles, with diameters that range from 1.6 nm up to over 250 nm, with microwave heating. The time dependence of the onset of light absorption and absorbance are consistent with a concurrent nucleation and growth processes. The formation of clusters and nuclei and their subsequent reactions is controlled by turning on and off the energy supply consistent with an energy barrier to the formation of CdS nanostructures.

Interface-Limited Spherulitic Growth of Hydroxyapatite/Chondroitin Sulfate Composite Enamel-like Films

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Guobin; Xu, Yifei; Wang, Xiyan; Wang, Mu

2012-02-01

Understanding and mimicking the growth of hard tissues such as tooth enamel may lead to innovative approaches toward engineering novel functional materials and providing new therapeutics. Up to now, in vitro growth of enamel-like materials is still a great challenge, and the microscopic formation mechanisms are far from well understood. Here we report synthesis of large-scale hydroxyapatite (HAP) and chondroitin sulfate (ChS) composite films by an efficient solution-air interface growth method. The products have the characteristic hierarchical prism structures of enamel and the mechanical properties comparable to dentin. We demonstrate that the films are assembled by spherulites nucleated at the solution surface. The growth of the spherulites is limited by the interfaces between them as well as between the solution and air, leading to the ordered prism structure. The results are beneficial for a clearer understanding of the fundamentals of tooth enamel formation.

Optimal synthesis of four-bar steering mechanism using AIS and genetic algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ettefagh, Mir Mohammad; Javash, Morteza Saeidi [University of Tabriz, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-06-15

Synthesis of four-bar Ackermann steering mechanism was considered as an optimization problem for generating the best function between input and output links. The steering mechanism was designed through two heuristic optimization methods, namely, artificial immune system (AIS) algorithm and genetic algorithm (GA). The optimization was implemented using the two methods, length was selected as optimization parameter in the first method, whereas precision point distribution was considered in the second method. Two of the links in the first method had the same length to achieve a symmetric mechanism; one of these lengths was considered as optimization parameter. Five precision points were considered in the precision point distribution method, one of which was in the straight line condition, whereas the others were symmetric. The obtained results showed that the AIS algorithm can generate the closest function to the desired function in the first method. By contrast, GA can generate the closest function to the desired function with the least error in the second method.

Configuration Synthesis of Novel Series-Parallel Hybrid Transmission Systems with Eight-Bar Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ngoc-Tan Hoang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a design approach for the configuration synthesis of series-parallel hybrid transmissions with eight-bar mechanisms. The final design consists of 54 mechanisms with eight members and twelve joints including a simple planetary gear train (PGT and a double planet PGT. Then, by using the techniques of power and clutch arrangements, new series-parallel hybrid transmissions are synthesized. The power arrangement process generates 97 clutchless hybrid systems. The clutch arrangement process generates 100 corresponding series-parallel transmissions. To demonstrate the feasibility of the synthesized configurations, a new hybrid transmission is selected as an example to analyze the working principle with operation modes and power flow paths.

The mechanisms by which polyamines accelerate tumor spread

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soda Kuniyasu

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Increased polyamine concentrations in the blood and urine of cancer patients reflect the enhanced levels of polyamine synthesis in cancer tissues arising from increased activity of enzymes responsible for polyamine synthesis. In addition to their de novo polyamine synthesis, cells can take up polyamines from extracellular sources, such as cancer tissues, food, and intestinal microbiota. Because polyamines are indispensable for cell growth, increased polyamine availability enhances cell growth. However, the malignant potential of cancer is determined by its capability to invade to surrounding tissues and metastasize to distant organs. The mechanisms by which increased polyamine levels enhance the malignant potential of cancer cells and decrease anti-tumor immunity are reviewed. Cancer cells with a greater capability to synthesize polyamines are associated with increased production of proteinases, such as serine proteinase, matrix metalloproteinases, cathepsins, and plasminogen activator, which can degrade surrounding tissues. Although cancer tissues produce vascular growth factors, their deregulated growth induces hypoxia, which in turn enhances polyamine uptake by cancer cells to further augment cell migration and suppress CD44 expression. Increased polyamine uptake by immune cells also results in reduced cytokine production needed for anti-tumor activities and decreases expression of adhesion molecules involved in anti-tumor immunity, such as CD11a and CD56. Immune cells in an environment with increased polyamine levels lose anti-tumor immune functions, such as lymphokine activated killer activities. Recent investigations revealed that increased polyamine availability enhances the capability of cancer cells to invade and metastasize to new tissues while diminishing immune cells' anti-tumor immune functions.

Growth hormone stimulates the collagen synthesis in human tendon and skeletal muscle without affecting myofibrillar protein synthesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Doessing, Simon; Heinemeier, Katja M; Holm, Lars

2010-01-01

young individuals. rhGH administration caused an increase in serum GH, serum IGF-I, and IGF-I mRNA expression in tendon and muscle. Tendon collagen I mRNA expression and tendon collagen protein synthesis increased by 3.9-fold and 1.3-fold, respectively (P ...RNA expression and muscle collagen protein synthesis increased by 2.3-fold and 5.8-fold, respectively (P protein synthesis was unaffected by elevation of GH and IGF-I. Moderate exercise did not enhance the effects of GH manipulation. Thus, increased GH availability stimulates...... matrix collagen synthesis in skeletal muscle and tendon, but without any effect upon myofibrillar protein synthesis. The results suggest that GH is more important in strengthening the matrix tissue than for muscle cell hypertrophy in adult human musculotendinous tissue....

Ni foam assisted synthesis of high quality hexagonal boron nitride with large domain size and controllable thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Hao; Li, Xiuting; Li, Deshuai; Huang, Mingqiang; Wan, Wen; Yao, Qian; Chen, Xiangping; Wang, Zhiwei; Wu, Yanqing; Wang, Le; Chen, Shanshan

2018-04-01

The scalable synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is of great interest for its numerous applications in novel electronic devices. Highly-crystalline h-BN films, with single-crystal sizes up to hundreds of microns, are demonstrated via a novel Ni foam assisted technique reported here for the first time. The nucleation density of h-BN domains can be significantly reduced due to the high boron solubility, as well as the large specific surface area of the Ni foam. The crystalline structure of the h-BN domains is found to be well aligned with, and therefore strongly dependent upon, the underlying Pt lattice orientation. Growth-time dependent experiments confirm the presence of a surface mediated self-limiting growth mechanism for monolayer h-BN on the Pt substrate. However, utilizing remote catalysis from the Ni foam, bilayer h-BN films can be synthesized breaking the self-limiting effect. This work provides further understanding of the mechanisms involved in the growth of h-BN and proposes a facile synthesis technique that may be applied to further applications in which control over the crystal alignment, and the numbers of layers is crucial.

Tendon protein synthesis rate in classic Ehlers-Danlos patients can be stimulated with insulin-like growth factor-I

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rie Harboe; Holm, Lars; Jensen, Jacob Kildevang

2014-01-01

tissue protein turnover is unknown. We investigated whether cEDS affected the protein synthesis rate in skin and tendon, and whether this could be stimulated in tendon tissue with insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Five patients with cEDS and 10 healthy, matched controls (CTRL) were included. One...... patellar tendon of each participant was injected with 0.1 ml IGF-I (Increlex, Ipsen, 10 mg/ml) and the contralateral tendon with 0.1 ml isotonic saline as control. The injections were performed at both 24 and 6 h prior to tissue sampling. The fractional synthesis rate (FSR) of proteins in skin and tendon.......002 (cEDS) and 0.007 ± 0.002 (CTRL); tendon: 0.008 ± 0.001 (cEDS) and 0.009 ± 0.002 (CTRL) %/h, mean ± SE]. IGF-I injections significantly increased FSR values in cEDS patients but not in controls (delta values: cEDS 0.007 ± 0.002, CTRL 0.001 ± 0.001%/h). In conclusion, baseline protein synthesis rates...

Plasma-assisted synthesis of MoS2

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Philip M.; Perini, Christopher J.; Chiu, Johannes; Gupta, Atul; Ray, Hunter S.; Chen, Hang; Wenzel, Kevin; Snyder, Eric; Wagner, Brent K.; Ready, Jud; Vogel, Eric M.

2018-03-01

There has been significant interest in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), including MoS2, in recent years due to their potential application in novel electronic and optical devices. While synthesis methods have been developed for large-area films of MoS2, many of these techniques require synthesis temperatures of 800 °C or higher. As a result of the thermal budget, direct synthesis requiring high temperatures is incompatible with many integrated circuit processes as well as flexible substrates. This work explores several methods of plasma-assisted synthesis of MoS2 as a way to lower the synthesis temperature. The first approach used is conversion of a naturally oxidized molybdenum thin film to MoS2 using H2S plasma. Conversion is demonstrated at temperatures as low as 400 °C, and the conversion is enabled by hydrogen radicals which reduce the oxidized molybdenum films. The second method is a vapor phase reaction incorporating thermally evaporated MoO3 exposed to a direct H2S plasma, similar to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of MoS2. Synthesis at 400 °C results in formation of super-stoichiometric MoS2 in a beam-interrupted growth process. A final growth method relies on a cyclical process in which a small amount of Mo is sputtered onto the substrate and is subsequently sulfurized in a H2S plasma. Similar results could be realized using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to deposit the Mo film. Compared to high temperature synthesis methods, the lower temperature samples are lower quality, potentially due to poor crystallinity or higher defect density in the films. Temperature-dependent conductivity measurements are consistent with hopping conduction in the plasma-assisted synthetic MoS2, suggesting a high degree of disorder in the low-temperature films. Optimization of the plasma-assisted synthesis process for slower growth rate and better stoichiometry is expected to lead to high quality films at low growth temperature.

A fracture- mechanics calculation of crack growth rate for a gas turbine blade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirzaei, M.; Karimi, R.

2002-01-01

The existence of thermo-mechanical stresses, due to the frequent start-ups and shutdowns of gas turbines. Combined with high working temperatures may cause creep and fatigue failure of the blades. This paper describes a fracture-mechanics life assessment of a gas turbine blade. Initially, the distributions of thermal and mechanical stresses were obtained by using the finite element method. Accordingly; the crack modeling was performed in a high stress region at the suction side surface of the blade. Several crack growth increments were observed and the related crack tip parameters were calculated. Finally; the creep-fatigue crack growth in each cycle was calculated and the total number of start-stop cycles was determined

Mechanism of electric fatigue crack growth in lead zirconate titanate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westram, Ilona; Oates, William S.; Lupascu, Doru C.; Roedel, Juergen; Lynch, Christopher S.

2007-01-01

A series of experiments was performed with through-thickness cracks in ferroelectric double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens. Cyclic electric fields of different amplitudes were applied which resulted in cyclic crack propagation perpendicular to the electric field direction. Crack propagation was observed optically and three regimes were identified: a pop-in from a notch, steady-state crack growth and a decrease of the crack growth rate with increasing cycle number. Crack growth only occurred if the applied field exceeded the coercive field strength of the material. Furthermore, the crack extended during each field reversal and the crack growth rate increased with increasing field. Based on the experimental observations, a mechanistic understanding was developed and contrasted with a nonlinear finite element analysis which quantified the stress intensity in the DCB specimens. The driving forces for crack formation at the notch and subsequent fatigue crack growth were computed based on the distribution of residual stresses due to ferroelectric switching. The finite element results are in good agreement with the experimental observations and support the proposed mechanism

EBSD characterization of the growth mechanism of SiC synthesized via direct microwave heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jigang, E-mail: wangjigang@seu.edu.cn [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallic Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189 (China); Xizang Key Laboratory of Optical Information Processing and Visualization Technology, School of Information Engineering, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang 712082 (China); Huang, Shan; Liu, Song; Qing, Zhou [Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallic Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189 (China)

2016-04-15

Well-crystallized 3C-silicon carbide (SiC) grains/nanowires have been synthesized rapidly and conveniently via direct microwave heating, simply using silicon dioxide powders and artificial graphite as raw materials. The comprehensive characterizations have been employed to investigate the micro-structure of the obtained 3C-SiC products. Results indicated that, different from the classic screw dislocation growth mechanism, the 3C-SiC grains/nanowires synthesized via high-energy vacuum microwave irradiation were achieved through the two-dimension nucleation and laminar growth mechanism. Especially, the electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) was employed to characterize the crystal planes of the as-grown SiC products. The calculated Euler angles suggested that the fastest-growing crystal planes (211) were overlapped gradually. Through the formation of the (421) transformation plane, (211) finally evolved to (220) which existed as the side face of SiC grains. The most stable crystal planes (111) became the regular hexagonal planes in the end, which could be explained by the Bravais rule. The characterization results of EBSD provided important experimental information for the evolution of crystal planes. - Graphical abstract: The formation of 3C-SiC prepared via direct microwave heating follows the mechanism of two-dimension nucleation and laminar growth. - Highlights: • 3C−SiC grains/nanowires were obtained via direct microwave heating. • 3C−SiC followed the mechanism of two-dimension nucleation and laminar growth. • In-situ EBSD analysis provided the experimental evidences of the growth.

Growth Mechanism of Cluster-Assembled Surfaces: From Submonolayer to Thin-Film Regime

Science.gov (United States)

Borghi, Francesca; Podestà, Alessandro; Piazzoni, Claudio; Milani, Paolo

2018-04-01

Nanostructured films obtained by assembling preformed atomic clusters are of strategic importance for a wide variety of applications. The deposition of clusters produced in the gas phase onto a substrate offers the possibility to control and engineer the structural and functional properties of the cluster-assembled films. To date, the microscopic mechanisms underlying the growth and structuring of cluster-assembled films are poorly understood, and, in particular, the transition from the submonolayer to the thin-film regime is experimentally unexplored. Here we report the systematic characterization by atomic force microscopy of the evolution of the structural properties of cluster-assembled films deposited by supersonic cluster beam deposition. As a paradigm of nanostructured systems, we focus our attention on cluster-assembled zirconia films, investigating the influence of the building block dimensions on the growth mechanisms and roughening of the thin films, following the growth process from the early stages of the submonolayer to the thin-film regime. Our results demonstrate that the growth dynamics in the submonolayer regime determines different morphological properties of the cluster-assembled thin film. The evolution of the roughness with the number of deposited clusters reproduces the growth exponent of the ballistic deposition in the 2 +1 model from the submonolayer to the thin-film regime.

Molecular mechanisms of crystal growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pina, C. M.

2000-01-01

In this paper I present an example of the research that the Mineral Surface Group of the Munster University is conducting in the field of Crystal Growth. Atomic Force Microscopy (Am) in situ observations of different barite (BaSO4) faces growing from aqueous solutions, in combination with computer simulations of the surface attachment of growth units allows us to test crystal growth models. Our results demonstrate the strong structural control that a crystal can exert on its own growth, revealing also the limitation of the classical crystal growth theories (two dimensional nucleation and spiral growth models) in providing a complete explanation for the growth behaviour at a molecular scale. (Author) 6 refs

Acute myotube protein synthesis regulation by IL-6-related cytokines.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Song; Durstine, J Larry; Koh, Ho-Jin; Carver, Wayne E; Frizzell, Norma; Carson, James A

2017-11-01

IL-6 and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), members of the IL-6 family of cytokines, play recognized paradoxical roles in skeletal muscle mass regulation, being associated with both growth and atrophy. Overload or muscle contractions can induce a transient increase in muscle IL-6 and LIF expression, which has a regulatory role in muscle hypertrophy. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in this regulation have not been completely identified. The induction of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-dependent myofiber protein synthesis is an established regulator of muscle hypertrophy, but the involvement of the IL-6 family of cytokines in this process is poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the acute effects of IL-6 and LIF administration on mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis in C2C12 myotubes. The role of glycoprotein 130 (gp130) receptor and downstream signaling pathways, including phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt-mTORC1 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)-suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), was investigated by administration of specific siRNA or pharmaceutical inhibitors. Acute administration of IL-6 and LIF induced protein synthesis, which was accompanied by STAT3 activation, Akt-mTORC1 activation, and increased SOCS3 expression. This induction of protein synthesis was blocked by both gp130 siRNA knockdown and Akt inhibition. Interestingly, STAT3 inhibition or Akt downstream mTORC1 signaling inhibition did not fully block the IL-6 or LIF induction of protein synthesis. SOCS3 siRNA knockdown increased basal protein synthesis and extended the duration of the protein synthesis induction by IL-6 and LIF. These results demonstrate that either IL-6 or LIF can activate gp130-Akt signaling axis, which induces protein synthesis via mTORC1-independent mechanisms in cultured myotubes. However, IL-6- or LIF-induced SOCS3 negatively regulates the activation of myotube protein synthesis. Copyright © 2017 the

Silver nanoparticles: mechanism of antimicrobial action, synthesis, medical applications, and toxicity effects

Science.gov (United States)

Prabhu, Sukumaran; Poulose, Eldho K.

2012-10-01

Silver nanoparticles are nanoparticles of silver which are in the range of 1 and 100 nm in size. Silver nanoparticles have unique properties which help in molecular diagnostics, in therapies, as well as in devices that are used in several medical procedures. The major methods used for silver nanoparticle synthesis are the physical and chemical methods. The problem with the chemical and physical methods is that the synthesis is expensive and can also have toxic substances absorbed onto them. To overcome this, the biological method provides a feasible alternative. The major biological systems involved in this are bacteria, fungi, and plant extracts. The major applications of silver nanoparticles in the medical field include diagnostic applications and therapeutic applications. In most of the therapeutic applications, it is the antimicrobial property that is being majorly explored, though the anti-inflammatory property has its fair share of applications. Though silver nanoparticles are rampantly used in many medical procedures and devices as well as in various biological fields, they have their drawbacks due to nanotoxicity. This review provides a comprehensive view on the mechanism of action, production, applications in the medical field, and the health and environmental concerns that are allegedly caused due to these nanoparticles. The focus is on effective and efficient synthesis of silver nanoparticles while exploring their various prospective applications besides trying to understand the current scenario in the debates on the toxicity concerns these nanoparticles pose.

Mechanism of abnormally slow crystal growth of CuZr alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, X. Q.; Lü, Y. J.

2015-01-01

Crystal growth of the glass-forming CuZr alloy is shown to be abnormally slow, which suggests a new method to identify the good glass-forming alloys. The crystal growth of elemental Cu, Pd and binary NiAl, CuZr alloys is systematically studied with the aid of molecular dynamics simulations. The temperature dependence of the growth velocity indicates the different growth mechanisms between the elemental and the alloy systems. The high-speed growth featuring the elemental metals is dominated by the non-activated collision between liquid-like atoms and interface, and the low-speed growth for NiAl and CuZr is determined by the diffusion across the interface. We find that, in contrast to Cu, Pd, and NiAl, a strong stress layering arisen from the density and the local order layering forms in front of the liquid-crystal interface of CuZr alloy, which causes a slow diffusion zone. The formation of the slow diffusion zone suppresses the interface moving, resulting in much small growth velocity of CuZr alloy. We provide a direct evidence of this explanation by applying the compressive stress normal to the interface. The compression is shown to boost the stress layering in CuZr significantly, correspondingly enhancing the slow diffusion zone, and eventually slowing down the crystal growth of CuZr alloy immediately. In contrast, the growth of Cu, Pd, and NiAl is increased by the compression because the low diffusion zones in them are never well developed

Synthesis, growth, structural, optical, thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of hydrogen bonded organic salt crystal: Triethylammonium-3, 5-dinitrosalicylate

Science.gov (United States)

Rajkumar, Madhu; Chandramohan, Angannan

2017-04-01

Triethylammonium-3, 5-dinitrosalicylate, an organic salt was synthesized and single crystals grown by slow solvent evaporation solution growth technique using methanol as a solvent. The presence of various functional groups and mode of vibrations has been confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopic technique. The UV-vis-NIR Spectrum was recorded in the range 200-1200 nm to find optical transmittance window and lower cut off wavelength of the title crystal. The formation of the salt and the molecular structure was confirmed by NMR spectroscopic technique. Crystal system, crystalline nature, cell parameters and hydrogen bonding interactions of the grown crystal were determined by single crystal x-ray diffraction analysis. The thermal characteristics of grown crystal were analyzed by thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analyses. Dielectric studies were carried out to study the distribution of charges within the crystal. The mechanical properties of the title crystal were studied by Vicker's microhardness technique.

A general strategy toward the rational synthesis of metal tungstate nanostructures using plasma electrolytic oxidation method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Yanan; Liu, Baodan, E-mail: baodanliu@imr.ac.cn; Zhai, Zhaofeng; Liu, Xiaoyuan; Yang, Bing; Liu, Lusheng; Jiang, Xin, E-mail: xjiang@imr.ac.cn

2015-11-30

Graphical abstract: A general strategy for the rational synthesis of tungstate nanostructure has been developed based on plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology (up). Using this method, ZnWO{sub 4} and NiWO{sub 4} nanostructures with controllable morphologies and superior crystallinity can be easily obtained (down), showing obvious advantage in comparison with conventional hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. - Highlights: • Plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) method has been used for the rational synthesis of tungstate nanostructures. • ZnWO{sub 4} nanoplates have strong mechanical adhesion with porous TiO{sub 2} film substrate. • The morphology and dimensional size of ZnWO{sub 4} nanostructures can be selectively tailored by controlling the annealing temperature and growth time. • The PEO method can be widely applied to the growth of various metal oxides. - Abstract: A new method based on conventional plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology has been developed for the rational synthesis of metal tungstate nanostructures. Using this method, ZnWO{sub 4} and NiWO{sub 4} nanostructures with controllable morphologies (nanorods, nanosheets and microsheets) and superior crystallinity have been synthesized. It has been found that the morphology diversity of ZnWO{sub 4} nanostructures can be selectively tailored through tuning the electrolyte concentration and annealing temperatures, showing obvious advantages in comparison to traditional hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. Precise microscopy analyses on the cross section of the PEO coating and ZnWO{sub 4} nanostructures confirmed that the precursors initially precipitated in the PEO coating and its surface during plasma discharge process are responsible for the nucleation and subsequent growth of metal tungstate nanostructures by thermal annealing. The method developed in this work represents a general strategy toward the rational synthesis of metal oxide nanostructures and the formation mechanism of

A general strategy toward the rational synthesis of metal tungstate nanostructures using plasma electrolytic oxidation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Yanan; Liu, Baodan; Zhai, Zhaofeng; Liu, Xiaoyuan; Yang, Bing; Liu, Lusheng; Jiang, Xin

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: A general strategy for the rational synthesis of tungstate nanostructure has been developed based on plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology (up). Using this method, ZnWO 4 and NiWO 4 nanostructures with controllable morphologies and superior crystallinity can be easily obtained (down), showing obvious advantage in comparison with conventional hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. - Highlights: • Plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) method has been used for the rational synthesis of tungstate nanostructures. • ZnWO 4 nanoplates have strong mechanical adhesion with porous TiO 2 film substrate. • The morphology and dimensional size of ZnWO 4 nanostructures can be selectively tailored by controlling the annealing temperature and growth time. • The PEO method can be widely applied to the growth of various metal oxides. - Abstract: A new method based on conventional plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology has been developed for the rational synthesis of metal tungstate nanostructures. Using this method, ZnWO 4 and NiWO 4 nanostructures with controllable morphologies (nanorods, nanosheets and microsheets) and superior crystallinity have been synthesized. It has been found that the morphology diversity of ZnWO 4 nanostructures can be selectively tailored through tuning the electrolyte concentration and annealing temperatures, showing obvious advantages in comparison to traditional hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. Precise microscopy analyses on the cross section of the PEO coating and ZnWO 4 nanostructures confirmed that the precursors initially precipitated in the PEO coating and its surface during plasma discharge process are responsible for the nucleation and subsequent growth of metal tungstate nanostructures by thermal annealing. The method developed in this work represents a general strategy toward the rational synthesis of metal oxide nanostructures and the formation mechanism of metal tungstate nanostructures fabricated by

Micro- and macroapproaches in fracture mechanics for interpreting brittle fracture and fatigue crack growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekobori, T.; Konosu, S.; Ekobori, A.

1980-01-01

Classified are models of the crack growth mechanism, and in the framework of the fracture mechanics suggested are combined micro- and macroapproaches to interpreting the criterion of the brittle fracture and fatigue crack growth as fracture typical examples, when temporal processes are important or unimportant. Under the brittle fracture conditions the crack propagation criterion is shown to be brought with the high accuracy to a form analogous to one of the crack propagation in a linear fracture mechanics although it is expressed with micro- and macrostructures. Obtained is a good agreement between theoretical and experimental data

Magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles prepared by seeded-growth route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espinosa, A.; Muñoz-Noval, A.; García-Hernández, M.; Serrano, A.; Jiménez de la Morena, J.; Figuerola, A.; Quarta, A.; Pellegrino, T.; Wilhelm, C.; García, M. A.

2013-01-01

In this work we investigate the magnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles obtained by two-step synthesis (seeded-growth route) with sizes that range from 6 to 18 nm. The initial seeds result monocrystalline and exhibit ferromagnetic behavior with low saturation field. The subsequent growth of a shell enhances the anisotropy inducing magnetic frustration, and, consequently, reducing its magnetization. This increase in anisotropy occurs suddenly at a certain size (∼10 nm). Electronic and structural analysis with X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicates a step reduction in the oxidation state as the particle reaches 10 nm size while keeping its overall structure in spite of the magnetic polydispersity. The formation of antiphase magnetic boundaries due to island percolation in the growing shells is hypothesized to be the mechanism responsible of the magnetic behavior, as a direct consequence of the two-step synthesis route of the nanoparticles.

The effect of growth factors on both collagen synthesis and tensile strength of engineered human ligaments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagerty, Paul; Lee, Ann; Calve, Sarah; Lee, Cassandra A; Vidal, Martin; Baar, Keith

2012-09-01

Growth factors play a central role in the development and remodelling of musculoskeletal tissues. To determine which growth factors optimized in vitro ligament formation and mechanics, a Box-Behnken designed array of varying concentrations of growth factors and ascorbic acid were applied to engineered ligaments and the collagen content and mechanics of the grafts were determined. Increasing the amount of transforming growth factor (TGF) β1 and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 led to an additive effect on ligament collagen and maximal tensile load (MTL). In contrast, epidermal growth factor (EGF) had a negative effect on both collagen content and MTL. The predicted optimal growth media (50 μg/ml TGFβ, IGF-1, and GDF-7 and 200 μM ascorbic acid) was then validated in two separate trials: showing a 5.7-fold greater MTL and 5.2-fold more collagen than a minimal media. Notably, the effect of the maximized growth media was scalable such that larger constructs developed the same material properties, but larger MTL. These results show that optimizing the interactions between growth factors and engineered ligament volume results in an engineered ligament of clinically relevant function. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth mechanism of silver nanowires synthesized by polyvinylpyrrolidone-assisted polyol reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Yan; Jiang Peng; Song Li; Liu Lifeng; Yan Xiaoqin; Zhou Zhenping; Liu Dongfang; Wang Jianxiong; Yuan Huajun; Zhang Zengxing; Zhao Xiaowei; Dou Xinyuan; Zhou Weiya; Wang Gang; Xie Sishen

2005-01-01

Silver (Ag) nanowires with a pentagonal cross section have been synthesized by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-assisted polyol reduction in the presence of Pt nanoparticle seeds. The UV-visible absorption spectra and scanning electron microscopy have been used to trace the growth process of the Ag nanowires. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigation further shows that the PVP molecules are adsorbed on the surface of the Ag nanowires through Ag : O coordination. Comparing with the growth process of Ag nanoparticles, a possible growth mechanism of the Ag nanowires has been proposed. It is implied that the PVP molecules are used as both a protecting agent and a structure-directing agent for the growth of Ag nanowires. It is concluded that the five-fold twinning Ag nanoparticles are formed through heterogenous nucleation after the introduction of Pt nanoparticle seeds and then grow anisotropically along the (110) direction, while the growth along (100) is relatively depressed

Effect of temperature on synthesis and properties of aluminum-magnesium mechanical alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umbrajkar, Swati M.; Schoenitz, Mirko; Jones, Steven R.; Dreizin, Edward L.

2005-01-01

The synthesis of an Al 0.7 Mg 0.3 mechanical alloy was studied using a planetary mill. Several distinct temperature regimes of mechanical alloying were achieved using milling jars equipped with finned heat sinks and an external air conditioner installed to cool the entire milling chamber. Wireless temperature sensors were attached to the milling jars to monitor the process temperature. Intermediate and final products were collected and were analyzed by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The temperature history of the milling jars exhibited two peaks during mechanical alloying. The first peak occurred when particles of the starting powders deformed to produce flakes. The second peak was observed when the flakes agglomerated and re-fragmented forming layered composites that served as precursors for the mechanical alloy. The temperature of milling affected the magnesium solubility of the produced Al-Mg mechanical alloys. Decreasing the milling temperature from ∼70-80 deg. C to 20-30 deg. C resulted in an increase of the dissolved Mg concentration in Al from 2-3 at.% to ∼25 at.% for the Al 0.7 Mg 0.3 composition. The formation of intermetallic phases was favored at higher milling temperatures, where high solubilities cannot be achieved

Effect of temperature on synthesis and properties of aluminum-magnesium mechanical alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Umbrajkar, Swati M. [New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Newark, NJ 07102-1982 (United States); Schoenitz, Mirko [New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Newark, NJ 07102-1982 (United States); Jones, Steven R. [New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Newark, NJ 07102-1982 (United States); Dreizin, Edward L. [New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Newark, NJ 07102-1982 (United States)]. E-mail: dreizin@njit.edu

2005-10-27

The synthesis of an Al{sub 0.7}Mg{sub 0.3} mechanical alloy was studied using a planetary mill. Several distinct temperature regimes of mechanical alloying were achieved using milling jars equipped with finned heat sinks and an external air conditioner installed to cool the entire milling chamber. Wireless temperature sensors were attached to the milling jars to monitor the process temperature. Intermediate and final products were collected and were analyzed by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The temperature history of the milling jars exhibited two peaks during mechanical alloying. The first peak occurred when particles of the starting powders deformed to produce flakes. The second peak was observed when the flakes agglomerated and re-fragmented forming layered composites that served as precursors for the mechanical alloy. The temperature of milling affected the magnesium solubility of the produced Al-Mg mechanical alloys. Decreasing the milling temperature from {approx}70-80 deg. C to 20-30 deg. C resulted in an increase of the dissolved Mg concentration in Al from 2-3 at.% to {approx}25 at.% for the Al{sub 0.7}Mg{sub 0.3} composition. The formation of intermetallic phases was favored at higher milling temperatures, where high solubilities cannot be achieved.

Cellular mechanisms that control mistranslation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reynolds, Noah M; Lazazzera, Beth A; Ibba, Michael

2010-01-01

Mistranslation broadly encompasses the introduction of errors during any step of protein synthesis, leading to the incorporation of an amino acid that is different from the one encoded by the gene. Recent research has vastly enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms that control mistranslation...... at the molecular level and has led to the discovery that the rates of mistranslation in vivo are not fixed but instead are variable. In this Review we describe the different steps in translation quality control and their variations under different growth conditions and between species though a comparison...

Growth of monodisperse nanocrystals of cerium oxide during synthesis and annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Swapankumar; Divya, Damodaran; Remani, Kottayilpadi C.; Sreeremya, Thadathil S.

2010-01-01

Monodisperse cerium oxide nanocrystals have been successfully synthesised using simple ammonia precipitation technique from cerium(III) nitrate solution at different temperatures in the range 35-80 o C. The activation energy for growth of CeO 2 nanocrystals during the precipitation is calculated as 11.54 kJ/mol using Arrhenius plot. Average crystal diameter was obtained from XRD analysis, HR-TEM and light scattering (PCS). The analysis of size data from HR-TEM images and PCS clearly indicated the formation of highly crystalline CeO 2 particles in narrow size range. CeO 2 nanocrystals precipitated at 35 o C were further annealed at temperatures in the range 300-700 o C. The activation energy for crystal growth during annealing is also calculated and is close to the reported values. An effort is made to predict the mechanism of crystal growth during the precipitation and annealing.

Stress-driven lithium dendrite growth mechanism and dendrite mitigation by electroplating on soft substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xu; Zeng, Wei; Hong, Liang; Xu, Wenwen; Yang, Haokai; Wang, Fan; Duan, Huigao; Tang, Ming; Jiang, Hanqing

2018-03-01

Problems related to dendrite growth on lithium-metal anodes such as capacity loss and short circuit present major barriers to next-generation high-energy-density batteries. The development of successful lithium dendrite mitigation strategies is impeded by an incomplete understanding of the Li dendrite growth mechanisms, and in particular, Li-plating-induced internal stress in Li metal and its effect on Li growth morphology are not well addressed. Here, we reveal the enabling role of plating residual stress in dendrite formation through depositing Li on soft substrates and a stress-driven dendrite growth model. We show that dendrite growth is mitigated on such soft substrates through surface-wrinkling-induced stress relaxation in the deposited Li film. We demonstrate that this dendrite mitigation mechanism can be utilized synergistically with other existing approaches in the form of three-dimensional soft scaffolds for Li plating, which achieves higher coulombic efficiency and better capacity retention than that for conventional copper substrates.

Mechanisms of action of plant growth promoting bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Olanrewaju, Oluwaseyi Samuel; Glick, Bernard R; Babalola, Olubukola Oluranti

2017-10-06

The idea of eliminating the use of fertilizers which are sometimes environmentally unsafe is slowly becoming a reality because of the emergence of microorganisms that can serve the same purpose or even do better. Depletion of soil nutrients through leaching into the waterways and causing contamination are some of the negative effects of these chemical fertilizers that prompted the need for suitable alternatives. This brings us to the idea of using microbes that can be developed for use as biological fertilizers (biofertilizers). They are environmentally friendly as they are natural living organisms. They increase crop yield and production and, in addition, in developing countries, they are less expensive compared to chemical fertilizers. These biofertilizers are typically called plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). In addition to PGPB, some fungi have also been demonstrated to promote plant growth. Apart from improving crop yields, some biofertilizers also control various plant pathogens. The objective of worldwide sustainable agriculture is much more likely to be achieved through the widespread use of biofertilizers rather than chemically synthesized fertilizers. However, to realize this objective it is essential that the many mechanisms employed by PGPB first be thoroughly understood thereby allowing workers to fully harness the potentials of these microbes. The present state of our knowledge regarding the fundamental mechanisms employed by PGPB is discussed herein.

The birth and growth of quantum theory. From quantum hypothesis to quantum mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Huanwu

2001-01-01

The short history covers the birth and early growth of quantum theory from 1900 to 1928, beginning with Planck's formula and the quantum hypothesis for the black-body radiation. After a description of the rise and decline of the old quantum theory in connection with its application in spectroscopy, two paths based on the rigorous formulation of the correspondence principle leading to matrix mechanics (1925) and Dirac's non-commuting q-numbers (1925) are explained. Another path based on the generalization of the wave-particle aspect of light quanta is then shown to lead to wave mechanics (1926). Among the works during the early growth of quantum mechanics in 1927-1928, representation theory, the uncertainty principle, two-electron problems, and Dirac's relativistic theory of electrons are discussed

Anisotropic atomic packing model for abnormal grain growth mechanism of WC-25 wt.% Co alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryoo, H.S.; Hwang, S.K.

1998-01-01

During liquid phase sintering, cemented carbide particles grow into either faceted or non-faceted grain shapes depending on ally system. In case of WC-Co alloy, prism-shape faceted grains with (0001) planes and {1 bar 100} planes on each face are observed, and furthermore an abnormal grain growth has been reported to occur. When abnormal grain growth occurs in WC crystals, dimension ratio, R, of the length of the side of the triangular prism face to the height of the prism is higher than 4 whereas that for normal grains is approximately 2. Abnormal grain growth in this alloy is accelerated by the fineness of starting powders and by high sintering temperature. To account for the mechanism of the abnormal grain growth, there are two proposed models which drew much research attention: nucleation and subsequent carburization and transformation of η (W 3 Co 3 C) phase into WC, and coalescence of coarse WC grains through dissolution and re-precipitation. Park et al. proposed a two-dimensional nucleation theory to explain the abnormal grain growth of faceted grains. There are questions, however, on the role of η phase on abnormal grain growth. The mechanism of coalescence of spherical grains as proposed by Kingery is also unsuitable for faceted grains. So far theories on abnormal grain growth do not provide a satisfactory explanation on the change of R value during the growth process. In the present work a new mechanism of nucleation and growth of faceted WC grains is proposed on the ground of anisotropic packing sequence of each atom

Variations in Glycogen Synthesis in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells with Altered Pluripotent States

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Richard J.; Zhang, Guofeng; Garfield, Susan H.; Shi, Yi-Jun; Chen, Kevin G.; Robey, Pamela G.; Leapman, Richard D.

2015-01-01

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represent very promising resources for cell-based regenerative medicine. It is essential to determine the biological implications of some fundamental physiological processes (such as glycogen metabolism) in these stem cells. In this report, we employ electron, immunofluorescence microscopy, and biochemical methods to study glycogen synthesis in hPSCs. Our results indicate that there is a high level of glycogen synthesis (0.28 to 0.62 μg/μg proteins) in undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) compared with the glycogen levels (0 to 0.25 μg/μg proteins) reported in human cancer cell lines. Moreover, we found that glycogen synthesis was regulated by bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4) and the glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) pathway. Our observation of glycogen bodies and sustained expression of the pluripotent factor Oct-4 mediated by the potent GSK-3 inhibitor CHIR-99021 reveals an altered pluripotent state in hPSC culture. We further confirmed glycogen variations under different naïve pluripotent cell growth conditions based on the addition of the GSK-3 inhibitor BIO. Our data suggest that primed hPSCs treated with naïve growth conditions acquire altered pluripotent states, similar to those naïve-like hPSCs, with increased glycogen synthesis. Furthermore, we found that suppression of phosphorylated glycogen synthase was an underlying mechanism responsible for altered glycogen synthesis. Thus, our novel findings regarding the dynamic changes in glycogen metabolism provide new markers to assess the energetic and various pluripotent states in hPSCs. The components of glycogen metabolic pathways offer new assays to delineate previously unrecognized properties of hPSCs under different growth conditions. PMID:26565809

Parametric study on vapor-solid-solid growth mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shukrullah, S., E-mail: zshukrullah@gmail.com [Center of Innovative Nanostructures and Nanodevices, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak (Malaysia); Mohamed, N.M. [Center of Innovative Nanostructures and Nanodevices, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak (Malaysia); Shaharun, M.S. [Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak (Malaysia); Naz, M.Y. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak (Malaysia)

2016-06-15

This study aimed at investigating the effect of the fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FBCVD) process parameters on growth mechanism, morphology and purity of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Nanotubes were produced in a vertical FBCVD reactor by catalytic decomposition of ethylene over Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} supported nano-iron catalyst buds at different flow rates. FESEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy and TGA thermograms were used to elaborate the growth parameters of the as grown MWCNTs. As the growth process was driven by the process temperatures well below the iron-carbon eutectic temperature (1147 °C), the appearance of graphite platelets from the crystallographic faces of the catalyst particles suggested a solid form of the catalyst during CNT nucleation. A vapor-solid-solid (VSS) growth mechanism was predicted for nucleation of MWCNTs with very low activation energy. The nanotubes grown at optimized temperature and ethylene flow rate posed high graphitic symmetry, purity, narrow diameter distribution and shorter inter-layer spacing. In Raman and TGA analyses, small I{sub D}/I{sub G} ratio and residual mass revealed negligible ratios of structural defects and amorphous carbon in the product. However, several structural defects and impurity elements were spotted in the nanotubes grown under unoptimized process parameters. - Graphical abstract: Arrhenius plot of relatively pure MWCNTs grown over Al2O3 supported nano-iron buds. - Highlights: • Vapor–solid–solid growth mechanism of MWCNTs was studied in a vertical FBCVD reactor. • MWCNTs were grown over Al2O3 supported nano-iron buds at very low activation energy. • FBCVD reactor was operated at temperatures well below the iron-carbon eutectic point. • Ideally graphitized structures were obtained at a process temperature of 800 °C. • Tube diameter revealed a narrow distribution of 20–25 nm at the optimum temperature.

Parametric study on vapor-solid-solid growth mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukrullah, S.; Mohamed, N.M.; Shaharun, M.S.; Naz, M.Y.

2016-01-01

This study aimed at investigating the effect of the fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FBCVD) process parameters on growth mechanism, morphology and purity of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Nanotubes were produced in a vertical FBCVD reactor by catalytic decomposition of ethylene over Al_2O_3 supported nano-iron catalyst buds at different flow rates. FESEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy and TGA thermograms were used to elaborate the growth parameters of the as grown MWCNTs. As the growth process was driven by the process temperatures well below the iron-carbon eutectic temperature (1147 °C), the appearance of graphite platelets from the crystallographic faces of the catalyst particles suggested a solid form of the catalyst during CNT nucleation. A vapor-solid-solid (VSS) growth mechanism was predicted for nucleation of MWCNTs with very low activation energy. The nanotubes grown at optimized temperature and ethylene flow rate posed high graphitic symmetry, purity, narrow diameter distribution and shorter inter-layer spacing. In Raman and TGA analyses, small I_D/I_G ratio and residual mass revealed negligible ratios of structural defects and amorphous carbon in the product. However, several structural defects and impurity elements were spotted in the nanotubes grown under unoptimized process parameters. - Graphical abstract: Arrhenius plot of relatively pure MWCNTs grown over Al2O3 supported nano-iron buds. - Highlights: • Vapor–solid–solid growth mechanism of MWCNTs was studied in a vertical FBCVD reactor. • MWCNTs were grown over Al2O3 supported nano-iron buds at very low activation energy. • FBCVD reactor was operated at temperatures well below the iron-carbon eutectic point. • Ideally graphitized structures were obtained at a process temperature of 800 °C. • Tube diameter revealed a narrow distribution of 20–25 nm at the optimum temperature.

ZnO growth technologies: current status and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lupan, Oleg

2011-01-01

Development of new technologies for ZnO nano materials and thin films is of critical importance for further fundamental investigations and practical applications. We discuss on the main technical control of the synthesis of zinc oxide and its properties, which are of significance in understanding the growth mechanism and further developing ZnO-based devices. Next, we present a brief summary of recent research activities, current status and progress in developing improved control of technological processes for zinc oxide as advanced material.

Growth mechanics of bacterial cell wall and morphology of bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hongyuan; Sun, Sean

2010-03-01

The peptidoglycan cell wall of bacteria is responsible for maintaining the cell shape and integrity. During the bacterial life cycle, the growth of the cell wall is affected by mechanical stress and osmotic pressure internal to the cell. We develop a theory to describe cell shape changes under the influence of mechanical forces. We find that the theory predicts a steady state size and shape for bacterial cells ranging from cocci to spirillum. Moreover, the theory suggest a mechanism by which bacterial cytoskeletal proteins such as MreB and crescentin can maintain the shape of the cell. The theory can also explain the several recent experiments on growing bacteria in micro-environments.

[Effect of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, nutrient uptake and synthesis of volatile oil in Schizonepeta tenuifolia briq].

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, G; Wang, H

1991-03-01

Inoculating Schizonepeta tenuifolia with VA mycorrhizal fungi can significantly improve the plant growth and uptake of P and S, and influence the absorption of K, Na, Fe, Mo, Mn, Zn, Co, Ba, Ni and Pb. It is interesting to note that VA mycorrhiza can also increase the synthesis of volatile oil in the shoots of S. tenuifolia. The efficiency of VA mycorrhiza varies with the fungal species.

Mechano-chemical synthesis of strontium britholites: Reaction mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gmati, N.; Boughzala, K.; Bouzouita, K.; Abdellaoui, M.

2011-01-01

The britholites have gained a great interest thanks to their potential applications as matrices for the confinement of the byproducts in the nuclear industry such as minor actinides and long-lived fission products. However, the preparation of britholites requires high temperatures, above 1200 C. In this work, we strive to prepare these kinds of compounds by a mechano-chemical synthesis at room temperature from the starting materials SrF 2 , SrCO 3 , Sr 2 P 2 O 7 , La 2 O 3 and SiO 2 using a planetary ball mill. The obtained results showed that the prepared products were carbonated apatites and the corresponding powders contained some unreacted silica and lanthana. To obtain pure britholites, a heat-treatment at 1100 C was required. The mechanism involved in the different steps of the reaction is discussed in this paper. The obtained results suggest that the use of raw materials containing no carbonate is expected to directly lead to pure britholites by appropriate milling at room temperature. (authors)

Characterization and Growth Mechanism of Nickel Nanowires Resulting from Reduction of Nickel Formate in Polyol Medium

OpenAIRE

Logutenko, Olga A.; Titkov, Alexander I.; Vorob’yov, Alexander M.; Yukhin, Yriy M.; Lyakhov, Nikolay Z.

2016-01-01

Nickel linear nanostructures were synthesized by reduction of nickel formate with hydrazine hydrate in ethylene glycol medium in the absence of any surfactants or capping agents for direction of the particles growth. The effect of the synthesis conditions such as temperature, reduction time, type of polyol, and nickel formate concentration on the reduction products was studied. The size and morphology of the nickel nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning, and transmission ...

Mechanical stretch up-regulates the B-type natriuretic peptide system in human cardiac fibroblasts: a possible defense against transforming growth factor-ß mediated fibrosis

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Watson, Chris J

2012-07-07

AbstractBackgroundMechanical overload of the heart is associated with excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins and the development of cardiac fibrosis. This can result in reduced ventricular compliance, diastolic dysfunction, and heart failure. Extracellular matrix synthesis is regulated primarily by cardiac fibroblasts, more specifically, the active myofibroblast. The influence of mechanical stretch on human cardiac fibroblasts’ response to pro-fibrotic stimuli, such as transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), is unknown as is the impact of stretch on B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA) expression. BNP, acting via NPRA, has been shown to play a role in modulation of cardiac fibrosis.Methods and resultsThe effect of cyclical mechanical stretch on TGFβ induction of myofibroblast differentiation in primary human cardiac fibroblasts and whether differences in response to stretch were associated with changes in the natriuretic peptide system were investigated. Cyclical mechanical stretch attenuated the effectiveness of TGFβ in inducing myofibroblast differentiation. This finding was associated with a novel observation that mechanical stretch can increase BNP and NPRA expression in human cardiac fibroblasts, which could have important implications in modulating myocardial fibrosis. Exogenous BNP treatment further reduced the potency of TGFβ on mechanically stretched fibroblasts.ConclusionWe postulate that stretch induced up-regulation of the natriuretic peptide system may contribute to the observed reduction in myofibroblast differentiation.

Effect of unloading followed by reloading on expression of collagen and related growth factors in rat tendon and muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinemeier, K M; Olesen, J L; Haddad, F

2009-01-01

Tendon tissue and the extracellular matrix of skeletal muscle respond to mechanical loading by increased collagen expression and synthesis. This response is likely a secondary effect of a mechanically induced expression of growth factors, including transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1......) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). It is not known whether unloading of tendon tissue can reduce the expression of collagen and collagen-inducing growth factors. Furthermore, the coordinated response of tendon and muscle tissue to disuse, followed by reloading, is unclear. Female Sprague-Dawley rats...... tissue growth factor (CTGF), myostatin, and IGF-I isoforms were measured by real-time RT-PCR in Achilles tendon and soleus muscle. The tendon mass was unchanged, while the muscle mass was reduced by 50% after HS (P

Growth of monodisperse nanocrystals of cerium oxide during synthesis and annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, Swapankumar, E-mail: swapankumar.ghosh2@mail.dcu.ie; Divya, Damodaran [National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (India); Remani, Kottayilpadi C. [Sree Neelakanda Government Sanskrit College, Department of Chemistry (India); Sreeremya, Thadathil S. [National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (India)

2010-06-15

Monodisperse cerium oxide nanocrystals have been successfully synthesised using simple ammonia precipitation technique from cerium(III) nitrate solution at different temperatures in the range 35-80 {sup o}C. The activation energy for growth of CeO{sub 2} nanocrystals during the precipitation is calculated as 11.54 kJ/mol using Arrhenius plot. Average crystal diameter was obtained from XRD analysis, HR-TEM and light scattering (PCS). The analysis of size data from HR-TEM images and PCS clearly indicated the formation of highly crystalline CeO{sub 2} particles in narrow size range. CeO{sub 2} nanocrystals precipitated at 35 {sup o}C were further annealed at temperatures in the range 300-700 {sup o}C. The activation energy for crystal growth during annealing is also calculated and is close to the reported values. An effort is made to predict the mechanism of crystal growth during the precipitation and annealing.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 stimulates synthesis of proteoglycan aggregates in calf articular cartilage organ cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morales, T.I.

1991-01-01

Previous work showed that transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), added alone to bovine cartilage organ cultures, stimulated [35S]sulfate incorporation into macromolecular material but did not investigate the fidelity of the stimulated system to maintain synthesis of cartilage-type proteoglycans. This paper provides evidence that chondrocytes synthesize the appropriate proteoglycan matrix under TGF-beta 1 stimulation: (1) there is a coordinated increase in hyaluronic acid and proteoglycan monomer synthesis, (2) link-stable proteoglycan aggregates are assembled, (3) the hybrid chondroitin sulfate/keratan sulfate monomeric species is synthesized, and (4) there is an increase in protein core synthesis. Some variation in glycosylation patterns was observed when proteoglycans synthesized under TGF-beta 1 stimulation were compared to those synthesized under basal conditions. Thus comparing TGF-beta 1 to basal samples respectively, the monomers were larger (Kav on Sepharose CL-2B = 0.29 vs 0.41), the chondroitin sulfate chains were longer by approximately 3.5 kDa, the percentage of total glycosaminoglycan in keratan sulfate increased slightly from approximately 4% (basal) to approximately 6%, and the unsulfated disaccharide decreased from 28% (basal) to 12%. All of these variations are in the direction of a more anionic proteoglycan. Since the ability of proteoglycans to confer resiliency to the cartilage matrix is directly related to their anionic nature, these changes would presumably have a beneficial effect on tissue function

The role of energy in economic growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, David I

2011-02-01

This paper reviews the mainstream, resource economics, and ecological economics models of growth. A possible synthesis of energy-based and mainstream models is presented. This shows that when energy is scarce it imposes a strong constraint on the growth of the economy; however, when energy is abundant, its effect on economic growth is much reduced. The industrial revolution released the constraints on economic growth by the development of new methods of using coal and the discovery of new fossil fuel resources. Time-series analysis shows that energy and GDP cointegrate, and energy use Granger causes GDP when capital and other production inputs are included in the vector autoregression model. However, various mechanisms can weaken the links between energy and growth. Energy used per unit of economic output has declined in developed and some developing countries, owing to both technological change and a shift from poorer quality fuels, such as coal, to the use of higher quality fuels, especially electricity. Substitution of other inputs for energy and sectoral shifts in economic activity play smaller roles. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

Controlled synthesis of ZnO branched nanorod arrays by hierarchical solution growth and application in dye-sensitized solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Xiaoming; Peng Lihua; Shang Xiaoying; Zhang Zhengguo

2011-01-01

We demonstrate the controlled synthesis of ZnO branched nanorod arrays on fluorine-doped SnO 2 -coated glass substrates by the hierarchical solution growth method. In the secondary growth, the concentration of Zn(NO 3 ) 2 /hexamethylenetetramine plays an important role in controlling the morphology of the branched nanorod arrays, besides that of diaminopropane used as a structure-directing agent to induce the growth of branches. The population density and morphology of the branched nanorod arrays depend on those of the nanorod arrays obtained from the primary growth, which can be modulated though the concentration of Zn(NO 3 ) 2 /hexamethylenetetramine in the primary growth solution. The dye-sensitized ZnO branched nanorod arrays exhibit much stronger optical absorption as compared with its corresponding primary nanorod arrays, suggesting that the addition of the branches improves light harvesting. The dye-sensitized solar cell based on the optimized ZnO branched nanorod array reaches a conversion efficiency of 1.66% under the light radiation of 1000 W/m 2 . The branched nanorod arrays can also be applied in other application fields of ZnO.

Microgravity Production of Nanoparticles of Novel Materials Using Plasma Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Frenklach, Michael; Fernandez-Pello, Carlos

2001-01-01

The research goal is to study the formation in reduced gravity of high quality nanoparticulate of novel materials using plasma synthesis. Particular emphasis will be placed on the production of powders of non-oxide materials like diamond, SiC, SiN, c-BN, etc. The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of gravity on plasma synthesis of these materials, and to determine how the microgravity synthesis can improve the quality and yield of the nanoparticles. It is expected that the reduced gravity will aid in the understanding of the controlling mechanisms of plasma synthesis, and will increase the yield, and quality of the synthesized powder. These materials have properties of interest in several industrial applications, such as high temperature load bearings or high speed metal machining. Furthermore, because of the nano-meter size of the particulate produced in this process, they have specific application in the fabrication of MEMS based combustion systems, and in the development and growth of nano-systems and nano-structures of these materials. These are rapidly advancing research areas, and there is a great need for high quality nanoparticles of different materials. One of the primary systems of interest in the project will be gas-phase synthesis of nanopowder of non-oxide materials.

Crack growth threshold under hold time conditions in DA Inconel 718 – A transition in the crack growth mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Fessler

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aeroengine manufacturers have to demonstrate that critical components such as turbine disks, made of DA Inconel 718, meet the certification requirements in term of fatigue crack growth. In order to be more representative of the in service loading conditions, crack growth under hold time conditions is studied. Modelling crack growth under these conditions is challenging due to the combined effect of fatigue, creep and environment. Under these conditions, established models are often conservative but the degree of conservatism can be reduced by introducing the crack growth threshold in models. Here, the emphasis is laid on the characterization of crack growth rates in the low ΔK regime under hold time conditions and in particular, on the involved crack growth mechanism. Crack growth tests were carried out at high temperature (550 °C to 650 °C under hold time conditions (up to 1200 s in the low ΔK regime using a K-decreasing procedure. Scanning electron microscopy was used to identify the fracture mode involved in the low ΔK regime. EBSD analyses and BSE imaging were also carried out along the crack path for a more accurate identification of the fracture mode. A transition from intergranular to transgranular fracture was evidenced in the low ΔK regime and slip bands have also been observed at the tip of an arrested crack at low ΔK. Transgranular fracture and slip bands are usually observed under pure fatigue loading conditions. At low ΔK, hold time cycles are believed to act as equivalent pure fatigue cycles. This change in the crack growth mechanism under hold time conditions at low ΔK is discussed regarding results related to intergranular crack tip oxidation and its effect on the crack growth behaviour of Inconel 718 alloy. A concept based on an “effective oxygen partial pressure” at the crack tip is proposed to explain the transition from transgranular to intergranular fracture in the low ΔK regime.

Hydroxyapatite-ciprofloxacin delivery system: Synthesis, characterisation and antibacterial activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciocilteu Maria-Viorica

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to synthesize hydroxyapatite-ciprofloxacin composites using a chemical precipitation method and to evaluate the properties and in vitro release profile of the drug from the hydroxyapatite-ciprofloxacin composites. Composite characterization was achieved by FT-IR, XRD and DLS. Ciprofloxacin determination was accomplished by HPLC, resulting in good incorporation efficiency of the drug (18.13 %. The in vitro release study (Higuchi model C = K t1/2 and Ritger-Peppas model, C = K t0.6 showed a diffusion-controlled mechanism. The antibacterial activity showed that the bacterial growth inhibition zones were approximately equal for the synthesis composites and for the mechanical mixture on the Staphylococcus aureus germ.

Layer-selective synthesis of bilayer graphene via chemical vapor deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ning; Choi, Kyoungjun; Robertson, John; Park, Hyung Gyu

2017-09-01

A controlled synthesis of high-quality AB-stacked bilayer graphene by chemical vapor deposition demands a detailed understanding of the mechanism and kinetics. By decoupling the growth of the two layers via a growth-and-regrowth scheme, we report the kinetics and termination mechanisms of the bilayer graphene growth on copper. We observe, for the first time, that the secondary layer growth follows Gompertzian kinetics. Our observations affirm the postulate of a time-variant transition from a mass-transport-limited to a reaction-limited regimes and identify the mechanistic disparity between the monolayer growth and the secondary-layer expansion underneath the monolayer cover. It is the continuous carbon supply that drives the expansion of the graphene secondary layer, rather than the initially captured carbon amount, suggesting an essential role of the surface diffusion of reactant adsorbates in the interspace between the top graphene layer and the underneath copper surface. We anticipate that the layer selectivity of the growth relies on the entrance energetics of the adsorbed reactants to the graphene-copper interspace across the primary-layer edge, which could be engineered by tailoring the edge termination state. The temperature-reliant saturation area of the secondary-layer expansion is understood as a result of competitive attachment of carbon and hydrogen adatoms to the secondary-layer graphene edge.

Validity of the tritiated thymidine method for estimating bacterial growth rates: measurement of isotope dilution during DNA synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollard, P.C.; Moriarty, D.J.W.

1984-01-01

The rate of tritiated thymidine incorporation into DNA was used to estimate bacterial growth rates in aquatic environments. To be accurate, the calculation of growth rates has to include a factor for the dilution of isotope before incorporation. The validity of an isotope dilution analysis to determine this factor was verified in experiments reported here with cultures of a marine bacterium growing in a chemostat. Growth rates calculated from data on chemostat dilution rates and cell density agreed well with rates calculated by tritiated thymidine incorporation into DNA and isotope dilution analysis. With sufficiently high concentrations of exogenous thymidine, de novo synthesis of deoxythymidine monophosphate was inhibited, thereby preventing the endogenous dilution of isoope. The thymidine technique was also shown to be useful for measuring growth rates of mixed suspensions of bacteria growing anaerobically. Thymidine was incorporated into the DNA of a range of marine pseudomonads that were investigated. Three species did not take up thymidine. The common marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus species did not incorporate thymidine into DNA

Mechanically Activated Combustion Synthesis of MoSi₂-Based Composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shafirovich, Evgeny [Univ. of Texas, El Paso, TX (United States)

2015-09-30

The thermal efficiency of gas-turbine power plants could be dramatically increased by the development of new structural materials based on molybdenum silicides and borosilicides, which can operate at temperatures higher than 1300 °C with no need for cooling. A major challenge, however, is to simultaneously achieve high oxidation resistance and acceptable mechanical properties at high temperatures. One approach is based on the fabrication of MoSi2-Mo5Si3 composites that combine high oxidation resistance of MoSi2 and good mechanical properties of Mo5Si3. Another approach involves the addition of boron to Mo-rich silicides for improving their oxidation resistance through the formation of a borosilicate surface layer. In particular, materials based on Mo5SiB2 phase are promising materials that offer favorable combinations of high temperature mechanical properties and oxidation resistance. However, the synthesis of Mo-Si-B multi-phase alloys is difficult because of their extremely high melting temperatures. Mechanical alloying has been considered as a promising method, but it requires long milling times, leading to large energy consumption and contamination of the product by grinding media. In the reported work, MoSi2-Mo5Si3 composites and several materials based on Mo5SiB2 phase have been obtained by mechanically activated self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (MASHS). Short-term milling of Mo/Si mixture in a planetary mill has enabled a self-sustained propagation of the combustion front over the mixture pellet, leading to the formation of MoSi2-T1 composites. Combustion of Mo/Si/B mixtures for the formation of T2 phase becomes possible if the composition is designed for the addition of more exothermic reactions leading to the formation of MoB, TiC, or TiB2. Upon ignition, Mo/Si/B and Mo/Si/B/Ti mixtures exhibited spin combustion, but the products were porous, contained undesired secondary phases, and had low oxidation resistance. It has been shown that use of

The dynamics of streamer formation and its growth mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zalikhanov, B.Zh.

2004-01-01

We report the results of experimental studies of physical processes responsible for the transformation of the electron avalanche to the streamer and its growth towards the cathode. The new experimental data on the mechanism of formation and the structure of the streamer allow a more concrete understanding of the pattern of evolution of long spark discharges, including the lightning, and the interrelation of basic processes in such discharges. (author)

Structure of human DNA polymerase iota and the mechanism of DNA synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Makarova, A V; Kulbachinskiy, A V

2012-06-01

Cellular DNA polymerases belong to several families and carry out different functions. Highly accurate replicative DNA polymerases play the major role in cell genome replication. A number of new specialized DNA polymerases were discovered at the turn of XX-XXI centuries and have been intensively studied during the last decade. Due to the special structure of the active site, these enzymes efficiently perform synthesis on damaged DNA but are characterized by low fidelity. Human DNA polymerase iota (Pol ι) belongs to the Y-family of specialized DNA polymerases and is one of the most error-prone enzymes involved in DNA synthesis. In contrast to other DNA polymerases, Pol ι is able to use noncanonical Hoogsteen interactions for nucleotide base pairing. This allows it to incorporate nucleotides opposite various lesions in the DNA template that impair Watson-Crick interactions. Based on the data of X-ray structural analysis of Pol ι in complexes with various DNA templates and dNTP substrates, we consider the structural peculiarities of the Pol ι active site and discuss possible mechanisms that ensure the unique behavior of the enzyme on damaged and undamaged DNA.

In situ observations of the atomistic mechanisms of Ni catalyzed low temperature graphene growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Patera, Laerte L; Africh, Cristina; Weatherup, Robert S; Blume, Raoul; Bhardwaj, Sunil; Castellarin-Cudia, Carla; Knop-Gericke, Axel; Schloegl, Robert; Comelli, Giovanni; Hofmann, Stephan; Cepek, Cinzia

2013-09-24

The key atomistic mechanisms of graphene formation on Ni for technologically relevant hydrocarbon exposures below 600 °C are directly revealed via complementary in situ scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For clean Ni(111) below 500 °C, two different surface carbide (Ni2C) conversion mechanisms are dominant which both yield epitaxial graphene, whereas above 500 °C, graphene predominantly grows directly on Ni(111) via replacement mechanisms leading to embedded epitaxial and/or rotated graphene domains. Upon cooling, additional carbon structures form exclusively underneath rotated graphene domains. The dominant graphene growth mechanism also critically depends on the near-surface carbon concentration and hence is intimately linked to the full history of the catalyst and all possible sources of contamination. The detailed XPS fingerprinting of these processes allows a direct link to high pressure XPS measurements of a wide range of growth conditions, including polycrystalline Ni catalysts and recipes commonly used in industrial reactors for graphene and carbon nanotube CVD. This enables an unambiguous and consistent interpretation of prior literature and an assessment of how the quality/structure of as-grown carbon nanostructures relates to the growth modes.

On the mechanism of arginine requirement for adenovirus synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plaat, D.; Weber, J.

1979-01-01

The effects of arginine deprivation on the synthesis and processing of viral proteins and the assembly of incomplete and complete virions were studied during infection with human adenovirus type 2. Arginine deprivation greatly reduced the synthesis of all viral proteins, particularly the precursor to core protein VII. The inhibition was completely reversible by the addition of arginine to the medium. Arginine deprivation between 7 and 20 hours post-infection inhibited the processing of PVII to VII, suggesting that PVII is not cleaved autocatalytically. The assembly of incomplete virions was sensitive to arginine deprivation only prior to 20 hours, while the assembly of complete virions was dependent on the continuous presence of arginine. This observation supports the hypothesis that incomplete virions are precursors of complete virions. The experiments on the PVII-specific endoprotease activity showed that arginine deprivation caused only slight reduction in the in vitro activity, although no activity was observed in vivo. The present results lead to the hypothesis that arginine deficiency inhibits the synthesis of a functional protein essential for virion maturation, other than the synthesis of processing of PVII. (author)

Phenotypic Screening Identifies Protein Synthesis Inhibitors as H-Ras-Nanocluster-Increasing Tumor Growth Inducers.

Science.gov (United States)

Najumudeen, Arafath K; Posada, Itziar M D; Lectez, Benoit; Zhou, Yong; Landor, Sebastian K-J; Fallarero, Adyary; Vuorela, Pia; Hancock, John; Abankwa, Daniel

2015-12-15

Ras isoforms H-, N-, and K-ras are each mutated in specific cancer types at varying frequencies and have different activities in cell fate control. On the plasma membrane, Ras proteins are laterally segregated into isoform-specific nanoscale signaling hubs, termed nanoclusters. As Ras nanoclusters are required for Ras signaling, chemical modulators of nanoclusters represent ideal candidates for the specific modulation of Ras activity in cancer drug development. We therefore conducted a chemical screen with commercial and in-house natural product libraries using a cell-based H-ras-nanoclustering FRET assay. Next to established Ras inhibitors, such as a statin and farnesyl-transferase inhibitor, we surprisingly identified five protein synthesis inhibitors as positive regulators. Using commonly employed cycloheximide as a representative compound, we show that protein synthesis inhibition increased nanoclustering and effector recruitment specifically of active H-ras but not of K-ras. Consistent with these data, cycloheximide treatment activated both Erk and Akt kinases and specifically promoted H-rasG12V-induced, but not K-rasG12V-induced, PC12 cell differentiation. Intriguingly, cycloheximide increased the number of mammospheres, which are enriched for cancer stem cells. Depletion of H-ras in combination with cycloheximide significantly reduced mammosphere formation, suggesting an exquisite synthetic lethality. The potential of cycloheximide to promote tumor cell growth was also reflected in its ability to increase breast cancer cell tumors grown in ovo. These results illustrate the possibility of identifying Ras-isoform-specific modulators using nanocluster-directed screening. They also suggest an unexpected feedback from protein synthesis inhibition to Ras signaling, which might present a vulnerability in certain tumor cell types.

Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-Receptor α Strongly Inhibits Melanoma Growth In Vitro and In Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debora Faraone

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive skin cancer; it is highly metastatic and responds poorly to current therapies. The expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGF-Rs is reported to be reduced in metastatic melanoma compared with benign nevi or normal skin; we then hypothesized that PDGF-Rα may control growth of melanoma cells. We show here that melanoma cells overexpressing PDGF-Rα respond to serum with a significantly lower proliferation compared with that of controls. Apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, pRb dephosphorylation, and DNA synthesis inhibition were also observed in cells overexpressing PDGF-Rα. Proliferation was rescued by PDGF-Rα inhibitors, allowing to exclude nonspecific toxic effects and indicating that PDGF-Rα mediates autocrine antiproliferation signals in melanoma cells. Accordingly, PDGF-Rα was found to mediate staurosporine cytotoxicity. A protein array-based analysis of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway revealed that melanoma cells overexpressing PDGF-Rα show a strong reduction of c-Jun phosphorylated in serine 63 and of protein phosphatase 2A/Bα and a marked increase of p38γ, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3, and signal regulatory protein α1 protein expression. In a mouse model of primary melanoma growth, infection with the Ad-vector overexpressing PDGF-Rα reached a significant 70% inhibition of primary melanoma growth (P < .001 and a similar inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. All together, these data demonstrate that PDGF-Rα strongly impairs melanoma growth likely through autocrine mechanisms and indicate a novel endogenous mechanism involved in melanoma control.

The rapid size- and shape-controlled continuous hydrothermal synthesis of metal sulphide nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, Peter W.; Starkey, Chris L.; Gimeno-Fabra, Miquel; Lester, Edward H.

2014-01-01

Continuous flow hydrothermal synthesis offers a cheap, green and highly scalable route for the preparation of inorganic nanomaterials which has predominantly been applied to metal oxide based materials. In this work we report the first continuous flow hydrothermal synthesis of metal sulphide nanomaterials. A wide range of binary metal sulphides, ZnS, CdS, PbS, CuS, Fe(1-x)S and Bi2S3, have been synthesised. By varying the reaction conditions two different mechanisms may be invoked; a growth dominated route which permits the formation of nanostructured sulphide materials, and a nucleation driven process which produces nanoparticles with temperature dependent size control. This offers a new and industrially viable route to a wide range of metal sulphide nanoparticles with facile size and shape control.Continuous flow hydrothermal synthesis offers a cheap, green and highly scalable route for the preparation of inorganic nanomaterials which has predominantly been applied to metal oxide based materials. In this work we report the first continuous flow hydrothermal synthesis of metal sulphide nanomaterials. A wide range of binary metal sulphides, ZnS, CdS, PbS, CuS, Fe(1-x)S and Bi2S3, have been synthesised. By varying the reaction conditions two different mechanisms may be invoked; a growth dominated route which permits the formation of nanostructured sulphide materials, and a nucleation driven process which produces nanoparticles with temperature dependent size control. This offers a new and industrially viable route to a wide range of metal sulphide nanoparticles with facile size and shape control. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details, refinement procedure, fluorescence spectra of ZnS samples. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr05749f

Synthesis, optical properties and growth mechanism of MnO nano structures

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, B. K.; Shahi, A. K.; Gopal, R.

2013-10-01

Manganese oxide (MnO) colloidal nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by pulse laser ablation in double distilled water. Nd: YAG laser with focused output operating at different pulse energies (20, 30, 40, 50 mJ/pulse) was used for ablation. Synthesized MnO nano crystal phase and structure were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and SAED pattern. Optical properties of as synthesized MnO nano colloidal solution were studied by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Optical particle size and band gap of as synthesized MnO colloidal nanoparticles were calculated. Particle shape and size were determined by TEM/SEM image. It is observed that MnO nano colloidal particles assembled to make different structures after aging in the liquid media. Aspect ratio has been calculated from SEM picture. MnO nanoparticles show weak antiferromagnetic behavior at room temperature as measured by VSM. A typical mechanism has been proposed for the formation of different nanostructures.

Template Dimerization Promotes an Acceptor Invasion-Induced Transfer Mechanism during Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Minus-Strand Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Balakrishnan, Mini; Roques, Bernard P.; Fay, Philip J.; Bambara, Robert A.

2003-01-01

The biochemical mechanism of template switching by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase and the role of template dimerization were examined. Homologous donor-acceptor template pairs derived from the HIV-1 untranslated leader region and containing the wild-type and mutant dimerization initiation sequences (DIS) were used to examine the efficiency and distribution of transfers. Inhibiting donor-acceptor interaction was sufficient to reduce transfers in DIS-containing template pairs, indicating that template dimerization, and not the mere presence of the DIS, promotes efficient transfers. Additionally, we show evidence that the overall transfer process spans an extended region of the template and proceeds through a two-step mechanism. Transfer is initiated through an RNase H-facilitated acceptor invasion step, while synthesis continues on the donor template. The invasion then propagates towards the primer terminus by branch migration. Transfer is completed with the translocation of the primer terminus at a site distant from the invasion point. In our system, most invasions initiated before synthesis reached the DIS. However, transfer of the primer terminus predominantly occurred after synthesis through the DIS. The two steps were separated by 60 to 80 nucleotides. Sequence markers revealed the position of primer terminus switch, whereas DNA oligomers designed to block acceptor-cDNA interactions defined sites of invasion. Within the region of homology, certain positions on the template were inherently more favorable for invasion than others. In templates with DIS, the proximity of the acceptor facilitates invasion, thereby enhancing transfer efficiency. Nucleocapsid protein enhanced the overall efficiency of transfers but did not alter the mechanism. PMID:12663778

Synthesis and secretion of platelet-derived growth factor by human breast cancer cell lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bronzert, D.A.; Pantazis, P.; Antoniades, H.N.; Kasid, A.; Davidson, N.; Dickson, R.B.; Lippman, M.E.

1987-01-01

The authors report that human breast cancer cells secrete a growth factor that is biologically and immunologically similar to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Serum-free medium conditioned by estrogen-independent MDA-MB-231 or estrogen-dependent MCF-7 cells contains a mitogenic or competence activity that is capable of inducing incorporation of [ 3 H] thymidine into quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells in the presence of platelet-poor plasma. Like authentic PDGF, the PDGF-like activity produced by breast cancer cells is stable after acid and heat treatment (95 0 C) and inhibited by reducing agents. The mitogenic activity comigrates with a material of ≅30 kDa on NaDodSO 4 /polyacrylamide gels. Immunoprecipitation with PDGF antiserum of proteins from metabolically labeled cell lysates and conditioned medium followed by analysis on nonreducing NaDodSO 4 /polyacrylamide gels identified proteins of 30 and 34 kDa. Upon reduction, the 30- and 34-kDa bands were converted to 15- and 16-kDa bands suggesting that the immunoprecipitated proteins were made up of two disulfide-linked polypeptides similar to PDGF. Hybridization studies with cDNA probes for the A chain PDGF and the B chain of PDGF/SIS identified transcripts for both PDGF chains in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The data summarized above provide conclusive evidence for the synthesis and hormonally regulated secretion of a PDGF-like mitogen by breast carcinoma cells. Production of a PDGF-like growth factor by breast cancer cell lines may be important in mediating paracrine stimulation of tumor growth

Theoretical model of the Bergeron-Findeisen mechanism of ice crystal growth in clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Castellano, N. E.; Avila, E. E.; Saunders, C. P. R.

A numerical study of growth rate of ice particles in an array of water droplets (Bergeron-Findeisen mechanism) has used the method of electrostatic image charges to determine the vapour field in which a particle grows. Analysis of growth rate in various conditions of relevance to clouds has shown that it is proportional to liquid water content and to ice particle size, while it is inversely proportional to cloud droplet size. The results show that growth rate is enhanced by several percent relative to the usual treatment in which vapour is assumed to diffuse from infinity towards a growing ice particle. The study was performed for ice particles between 25 and 150 μm radii, water droplet sizes between 6 and 20 μm diameter and a wide range of liquid water contents. A study was also made to determine the effect of reducing the vapour source at infinity so that the droplets alone provided the vapour for particle growth. A parameterisation of ice particle growth rate is given as a function of liquid water content and ice particle and droplet sizes. These studies are of importance to considerations in thunderstorm electrification processes, where the mechanism of charge transfer between ice particles and graupel could take place.

cAMP promotes the synthesis in early G1 of gp115, a yeast glycoprotein containing glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol.

Science.gov (United States)

Grandori, R; Popolo, L; Vai, M; Alberghina, L

1990-08-25

The glycoprotein gp115 (Mr = 115,000, pI 4.8-5) is localized in the plasma membrane of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and maximally expressed during G1 phase. To gain insight on the mechanism regulating its synthesis, we have examined various conditions of cell proliferation arrest. We used pulse-labeling experiments with [35S]methionine and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis, which allow the detection of the well characterized 100-kDa precursor of gp115 (p100). In the cAMP-requiring mutant cyr1, p100 synthesis is active during exponential growth, shut off by cAMP removal, and induced when growth is restored by cAMP readdition. The inhibition of p100 synthesis also occurs in TS1 mutant cells (ras1ras2-ts1) shifted from 24 to 37 degrees C. During nitrogen starvation of rca1 cells, a mutant permeable to cAMP, p100 synthesis is also inhibited. cAMP complements the effect of ammonium deprivation, promoting p100 synthesis, even when added to cells which have already entered G0. Experiments with the bcy1 and cyr1bcy1 mutants have indicated the involvement of the cAMP-dependent protein kinases in the control of p100 synthesis. Moreover, the synthesis of p100 was unaffected in A364A cells, terminally arrested at START B by alpha-factor. These results indicate that the switch operating on p100 synthesis is localized in early G1 (START A) and is one of the multiple events controlled by the cAMP pathway.

Sterol synthesis and cell size distribution under oscillatory growth conditions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae scale-down cultivations.

Science.gov (United States)

Marbà-Ardébol, Anna-Maria; Bockisch, Anika; Neubauer, Peter; Junne, Stefan

2018-02-01

Physiological responses of yeast to oscillatory environments as they appear in the liquid phase in large-scale bioreactors have been the subject of past studies. So far, however, the impact on the sterol content and intracellular regulation remains to be investigated. Since oxygen is a cofactor in several reaction steps within sterol metabolism, changes in oxygen availability, as occurs in production-scale aerated bioreactors, might have an influence on the regulation and incorporation of free sterols into the cell lipid layer. Therefore, sterol and fatty acid synthesis in two- and three-compartment scale-down Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultivation were studied and compared with typical values obtained in homogeneous lab-scale cultivations. While cells were exposed to oscillating substrate and oxygen availability in the scale-down cultivations, growth was reduced and accumulation of carboxylic acids was increased. Sterol synthesis was elevated to ergosterol at the same time. The higher fluxes led to increased concentrations of esterified sterols. The cells thus seem to utilize the increased availability of precursors to fill their sterol reservoirs; however, this seems to be limited in the three-compartment reactor cultivation due to a prolonged exposure to oxygen limitation. Besides, a larger heterogeneity within the single-cell size distribution was observed under oscillatory growth conditions with three-dimensional holographic microscopy. Hence the impact of gradients is also observable at the morphological level. The consideration of such a single-cell-based analysis provides useful information about the homogeneity of responses among the population. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Insulin-like growth factors act synergistically with basic fibroblast growth factor and nerve growth factor to promote chromaffin cell proliferation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frödin, M; Gammeltoft, S

1994-01-01

We have investigated the effects of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and nerve growth factor (NGF) on DNA synthesis in cultured chromaffin cells from fetal, neonatal, and adult rats by using 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd) pulse labeling for 24 or 48 h...... implications for improving the survival of chromaffin cell implants in diseased human brain....

Anatase TiO2 single crystals with dominant {0 0 1} facets: Synthesis, shape-control mechanism and photocatalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Huifen; Zhou, Yingying; Chang, Gang; Li, Pai; Zhu, Ruizhi; He, Yunbin

2018-06-01

Anatase TiO2 micro-crystals with 51% surface exposing highly active {0 0 1} facets are prepared by hydrothermal synthesis using TiF4 as Ti resource and HF as morphology control agent. In addition, anatase TiO2 single crystals exposing large {0 0 1} crystal facets are facilely synthesized with "green" NaF plus HCl replacing HF for the morphology control. A series of comparative experiments are carried out for separately studying the effects of F- and H+ concentrations on the growth of TiO2 crystals, which have not been understood very much in depth so far. The results indicate that both F- and H+ synergistically affect the synthesis of truncated anatase octahedrons, where F- is preferentially adsorbed on the {0 0 1} facets resulting in lateral growth of these facets and H+ adjusts the growth rate of anatase TiO2 along different orientations by tuning the hydrolysis rate. Based on this information, anatase TiO2 single crystals with small size (1.3 μm) and large exposure of {0 0 1} facets (45%) are successfully prepared under optimal conditions ([H+]/[F-] = 20:1). Photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared products toward methylene blue photo-degradation are further tested. It is revealed that both crystal size and percentage of {0 0 1} facets are decisive for the photocatalytic performance, and the crystals with a small size (1.3 μm) and large exposure of {0 0 1} facets (45%) are catalytically most active. This work has clarified the main factors that control the growth process and morphology of anatase TiO2 single crystals for achieving superior photocatalytic properties.

Graphene Synthesis by Plasma-Enhanced CVD Growth with Ethanol

OpenAIRE

Campo, T.; Cotto, M.; Márquez, F.; Elizalde, E.; Morant, C.

2016-01-01

A modified route to synthesize graphene flakes is proposed using the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique, by using copper substrates as supports. The carbon source used was ethanol, the synthesis temperature was 950°C and the pressure was controlled along the whole process. In this CVD synthesis process the incorporation of the carbon source was produced at low pressure and 950°C inducing the appearance of a plasma blue flash inside the quartz tube. Apparently, the presence of this plas...

Mechanisms for catalytic carbon nanofiber growth studied by ab initio density functional theory calculations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abild-Pedersen, Frank; Nørskov, Jens Kehlet; Rostrup-Nielsen, Jens

2006-01-01

Mechanisms and energetics of graphene growth catalyzed by nickel nanoclusters were studied using ab initio density functional theory calculations. It is demonstrated that nickel step-edge sites act as the preferential growth centers for graphene layers on the nickel surface. Carbon is transported......, and it is argued how these processes may lead to different nanofiber structures. The proposed growth model is found to be in good agreement with previous findings....

Stiff mutant genes of Phycomyces target turgor pressure and wall mechanical properties to regulate elongation growth rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph K. E. Ortega

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Regulation of cell growth is paramount to all living organisms. In plants, algae and fungi, regulation of expansive growth of cells is required for development and morphogenesis. Also, many sensory responses of stage IVb sporangiophores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus are produced by regulating elongation growth rate (growth responses and differential elongation growth rate (tropic responses. Stiff mutant sporangiophores exhibit diminished tropic responses and are found to be defective in at least four genes; madD, madE, madF and madG. Prior experimental research suggests that the defective genes affect growth regulation, but this was not verified. All the growth of the single-celled stalk of the stage IVb sporangiophore occurs in a short region termed the growth zone. Prior experimental and theoretical research indicates that elongation growth rate of the stage IVb sporangiophore can be regulated by controlling the cell wall mechanical properties within the growth zone and the magnitude of the turgor pressure. A quantitative biophysical model for elongation growth rate is required to elucidate the relationship between wall mechanical properties and turgor pressure during growth regulation. In this study, it is hypothesized that the mechanical properties of the wall within the growth zone of stiff mutant sporangiophores are different compared to wild type. A biophysical equation for elongation growth rate is derived for fungal and plant cells with a growth zone. Two strains of stiff mutants are studied, C149 madD120 (- and C216 geo- (-. Experimental results demonstrate that turgor pressure is larger but irreversible deformation rates of the wall within the growth zone and growth zone length are smaller for stiff mutant sporangiophores compared to wild type. These findings explain the diminished tropic responses of the stiff mutant sporangiophores and suggest that the defective genes affect the amount of wall-building material delivered to the inner

Synthesis and single crystal growth of perovskite semiconductor CsPbBr3

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mingzhi; Zheng, Zhiping; Fu, Qiuyun; Chen, Zheng; He, Jianle; Zhang, Sen; Chen, Cheng; Luo, Wei

2018-02-01

As a typical representative of all-inorganic lead halide perovskites, cesium lead bromine (CsPbBr3) has attracted significant attention in recent years. The direct band gap semiconductor CsPbBr3 has a wide band gap of 2.25 eV and high average atomic number (Cs: 55, Pb: 82 and Br: 35), which meet most of the requirements for detection of X- and γ-ray radiation, such as high attenuation, high resistivity, and significant photoconductivity response. However, the growth of large volume CsPbBr3 single crystals remains a challenge. In this paper, the synthesis of CsPbBr3 polycrystalline powders by a chemical co-precipitation method was investigated and the optimum synthesis conditions were obtained. A large CsPbBr3 single crystal of 8 mm diameter and 60 mm length was obtained by a creative electronic dynamic gradient (EDG) method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and X-ray rocking curve showed that the CsPbBr3 crystal preferentially oriented in the (1 1 0) direction and had a low dislocation density and small residual stress in the crystal. The IR and UV-Vis transmittance and temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed the crystal had a good basic optical performance. The almost linear current-voltage (I-V) curves implied good ohmic contact between the electrodes and crystal surfaces. The resistivity of the crystal was calculated 109-1010 Ω cm. The above results showed that the quality of the obtained crystal had met the demand of optoelectronic applications.

Alteration of placental haemostatic mechanisms in idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime Eduardo Bernal Villegas

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Intrauterine growth restriction is a complication of pregnancy with a high probability of perinatal morbidity and mortality. It appears tobe caused by abnormal development of placental vasculature. Haemostatic processes are important for the development of the placenta,and an imbalance between procoagulant and anticoagulant factors has been associated with risk of intrauterine growth restriction.Objective. To evaluate coagulation abnormalities in placenta of pregnancies complicated with idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction.Materials and methods. Five placentas from pregnancies with idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction were compared to 19 controls.We performed gross and histological examination of the placenta. Analysis was made of both mRNA expression by real-time PCRand protein by ELISA of tissue factor and thrombomodulin in placental tissue. Results. Results based on histological evaluation wereconsistent with an increased prothrombotic state in placentas from pregnancies with idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction, andthrombosis of chorionic vessels was the most important finding. The study showed an increased expression of tissue factor protein(p=0.0411 and an increase in the ratio of tissue factor/thrombomodulin mRNA (p=0.0411 and protein (p=0.0215 in placentas frompregnancies with idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction. There were no statistically significant differences neither between cases andcontrols in the mRNA levels of tissue factor or thrombomodulin nor at the protein level of thrombomodulin. Conclusion. Evidence ofalteration of local haemostatic mechanisms at the level of the placenta, including abnormal expression of tissue factor and tissue factor/thrombomodulin ratio, in pregnancies that occur with idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction is presented.

Growth-related variations in the glycosaminoglycan synthesis of ultraviolet light-induced murine cutaneous fibrosarcoma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piepkorn, M.; Carney, H.; Linker, A.

1985-01-01

Glycosaminoglycan synthesis was studied in cell populations of ultraviolet light-induced murine cutaneous fibrosarcoma cells under conditions of varying growth rates in vitro. After labeling with the precursors, 3 H-glucosamine and 35 SO 4 , sulfated glycosaminoglycans recoverable by direct proteolysis of the culture monolayers increased approximately 5-fold on a per cell basis from sparsely populated, exponential cell cultures (greater than 85% of cells in S, G2, or M phases) to stationary cultures inhibited by high cell density (greater than 50% of cells in G1). Within this cell surface-associated material, the relative ratio of heparan sulfate to the chondroitin sulfates was approximately 60/40% under conditions of exponential growth; in the growth-arrested cultures, the reverse ratio was found. The substratum attached material, obtained from the flask surface after ethyl glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA)-mediated detachment of the monolayers, contained relatively more hyaluronic acid, heparan sulfate, and chondroitin sulfates in the most actively proliferating cultures compared with the growth-inhibited cell populations. Furthermore, heparan sulfate and the chondroitin sulfates, which were enriched in the substratum material and in the cell pellet of exponential cultures, showed a relative shift to the cell surface-associated compartment (releasable by mild trypsinization after EGTA-mediated cell detachment) and to the compartment loosely associated with the pericellular matrix (i.e., released into the supernatant during detachment of the monolayers in the presence of EGTA)

A review on radiation-induced nucleation and growth of colloidal metallic nanoparticles

OpenAIRE

Abedini, Alam; Daud, Abdul Razak; Abdul Hamid, Muhammad Azmi; Kamil Othman, Norinsan; Saion, Elias

2013-01-01

This review presents an introduction to the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles by radiation-induced method, especially gamma irradiation. This method offers some benefits over the conventional methods because it provides fully reduced and highly pure nanoparticles free from by-products or chemical reducing agents, and is capable of controlling the particle size and structure. The nucleation and growth mechanism of metallic nanoparticles are also discussed. The competition between nucleation ...

Crystal growth and applications of mercuric iodide. Report S-242-TP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schieber, M.; Roth, M.; Schnepple, W.F.

1983-01-01

A brief summary is given of a paper which discusses the crystal growth of mercuric iodide, a high-Z wide bandgap semiconductor suitable as a low noise, room temperature x-ray and gamma-ray detector. The paper summarized also reviews the state-of-the-art of the synthesis and purification of the starting material, mechanical properties and dislocation structure of HgI 2 , and recent success in the development of thick HgI 2 spectrometers

X-ray crystallography and QM/MM investigation on the oligosaccharide synthesis mechanism of rice BGlu1 glycosynthases.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jinhu; Pengthaisong, Salila; Cairns, James R Ketudat; Liu, Yongjun

2013-02-01

Nucleophile mutants of retaining β-glycosidase can act as glycosynthases to efficiently catalyze the synthesis of oligosaccharides. Previous studies proved that rice BGlu1 mutants E386G, E386S and E386A catalyze the oligosaccharide synthesis with different rates. The E386G mutant gave the fastest transglucosylation rate, which was approximately 3- and 19-fold faster than those of E386S and E386A. To account for the differences of their activities, in this paper, the X-ray crystal structures of BGlu1 mutants E386S and E386A were solved and compared with that of E386G mutant. However, they show quite similar active sites, which implies that their activities cannot be elucidated from the crystal structures alone. Therefore, a combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations were further performed. Our calculations reveal that the catalytic reaction follows a single-step mechanism, i.e., the extraction of proton by the acid/base, E176, and the formation of glycosidic bond are concerted. The energy barriers are calculated to be 19.9, 21.5 and 21.9kcal/mol for the mutants of E386G, E386S and E386A, respectively, which is consistent with the order of their experimental relative activities. But based on the calculated activation energies, 1.1kcal/mol energy difference may translate to nearly 100 fold rate difference. Although the rate limiting step in these mutants has not been established, considering the size of the product and the nature of the active site, it is likely that the product release, rather than chemistry, is rate limiting in these oligosaccharides synthesis catalyzed by BGlu1 mutants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biomechanical force induces the growth factor production in human periodontal ligament-derived cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ichioka, Hiroaki; Yamamoto, Toshiro; Yamamoto, Kenta; Honjo, Ken-Ichi; Adachi, Tetsuya; Oseko, Fumishige; Mazda, Osam; Kanamura, Narisato; Kita, Masakazu

2016-01-01

Although many reports have been published on the functional roles of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells, the mechanisms involved in the maintenance and homeostasis of PDL have not been determined. We investigated the effects of biomechanical force on growth factor production, phosphorylation of MAPKs, and intracellular transduction pathways for growth factor production in human periodontal ligament (hPDL) cells using MAPK inhibitors. hPDL cells were exposed to mechanical force (6 MPa) using a hydrostatic pressure apparatus. The levels of growth factor mRNA and protein were examined by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA. The phosphorylation of MAPKs was measured using BD™ CBA Flex Set. In addition, MAPKs inhibitors were used to identify specific signal transduction pathways. Application of biomechanical force (equivalent to occlusal force) increased the synthesis of VEGF-A, FGF-2, and NGF. The application of biomechanical force increased the expression levels of phosphorylated ERK and p38, but not of JNK. Furthermore, the levels of VEGF-A and NGF expression were suppressed by ERK or p38 inhibitor. The growth factors induced by biomechanical force may play a role in the mechanisms of homeostasis of PDL.

Extracellular matrix organization modulates fibroblast growth and growth factor responsiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagawa, S; Pawelek, P; Grinnell, F

1989-06-01

To learn more about the relationship between extracellular matrix organization, cell shape, and cell growth control, we studied DNA synthesis by fibroblasts in collagen gels that were either attached to culture dishes or floating in culture medium during gel contraction. After 4 days of contraction, the collagen density (initially 1.5 mg/ml) reached 22 mg/ml in attached gels and 55 mg/ml in floating gels. After contraction, attached collagen gels were well organized; collagen fibrils were aligned in the plane of cell spreading; and fibroblasts had an elongated, bipolar morphology. Floating collagen gels, however, were unorganized; collagen fibrils were arranged randomly; and fibroblasts had a stellate morphology. DNA synthesis by fibroblasts in contracted collagen gels was suppressed if the gels were floating in medium but not if the gels were attached, and inhibition was independent of the extent of gel contraction. Therefore, growth of fibroblasts in contracted collagen gels could be regulated by differences in extracellular matrix organization and cell shape independently of extracellular matrix density. We also compared the responses of fibroblasts in contracted collagen gels and monolayer culture to peptide growth factors including fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta, and interleukin 1. Cells in floating collagen gels were generally unresponsive to any of the growth factors. Cells in attached collagen gels and monolayer culture were affected similarly by fibroblast growth factor but not by the others. Our results indicate that extracellular matrix organization influenced not only cell growth, but also fibroblast responsiveness to peptide growth factors.

Hygrothermal Effect on Mechanical and Fatigue Properties of laminated Lower Limb Socket and Bacteria Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fadhel Abbas Abdullah

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this work, hygrothermal effect on the mechanical and fatigue properties of prosthetic socket lamination and its effect on the bacteria growth were studied. Two laminations composite materials were used in manufacturing prosthetic socket by using vacuum device. The reinforced materials of these laminations were perlon and carbon nanopowder (CNP while the matrix material was polyurethane resin. Tests performed in this work were the moisture absorption properties test to calculate percent moisture content according to ASTM 5229, tensile and fatigue tests with and without the hygrothermal effect to find the mechanical and fatigue properties, and the bacteria growth test under the hygrothermal effect to calculate the number of bacteria on the laminations. The results showed that the lamination (10 perlon+1 wt % CNP has mechanical properties than lamination (10 perlon with and without hygrothermal effect. The mechanical and fatigue properties for the two laminations were decreasing with increasing temperature and moisture.. Adding carbon nanopowder to the lamination (10 perlon increased ultimate stress, modulus of elastic, and endurance limit by (1.36, 2.35, and2.72 time respectively. Finally, the results showed that the Staphylococcus aureus growth increases with increasing temperature and moisture on the two laminations used in manufacturing prosthetic socket, and adding carbon nanopowder also increased the Staphylococcus aureus growth on the lamination.

Localized synthesis, assembly and integration of silicon nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Englander, Ongi

Localized synthesis, assembly and integration of one-dimensional silicon nanowires with MEMS structures is demonstrated and characterized in terms of local synthesis processes, electric-field assisted self-assembly, and a proof-of-concept nanoelectromechanical system (HEMS) demonstration. Emphasis is placed on the ease of integration, process control strategies, characterization techniques and the pursuit of integrated devices. A top-down followed by a bottom-up integration approach is utilized. Simple MEMS heater structures are utilized as the microscale platforms for the localized, bottom-up synthesis of one-dimensional nanostructures. Localized heating confines the high temperature region permitting only localized nanostructure synthesis and allowing the surroundings to remain at room temperature thus enabling CMOS compatible post-processing. The vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process in the presence of a catalytic nanoparticle, a vapor phase reactant, and a specific temperature environment is successfully employed locally. Experimentally, a 5nm thick gold-palladium layer is used as the catalyst while silane is the vapor phase reactant. The current-voltage behavior of the MEMS structures can be correlated to the approximate temperature range required for the VLS reaction to take place. Silicon nanowires averaging 45nm in diameter and up to 29mum in length synthesized at growth rates of up to 1.5mum/min result. By placing two MEMS structures in close proximity, 4--10mum apart, localized silicon nanowire growth can be used to link together MEMS structures to yield a two-terminal, self-assembled micro-to-nano system. Here, one MEMS structure is designated as the hot growth structure while a nearby structure is designated as the cold secondary structure, whose role is to provide a natural stopping point for the VLS reaction. The application of a localized electric-field, 5 to 13V/mum in strength, during the synthesis process, has been shown to improve nanowire

Electromagnetic induction heating for single crystal graphene growth: morphology control by rapid heating and quenching

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chaoxing; Li, Fushan; Chen, Wei; Veeramalai, Chandrasekar Perumal; Ooi, Poh Choon; Guo, Tailiang

2015-03-01

The direct observation of single crystal graphene growth and its shape evolution is of fundamental importance to the understanding of graphene growth physicochemical mechanisms and the achievement of wafer-scale single crystalline graphene. Here we demonstrate the controlled formation of single crystal graphene with varying shapes, and directly observe the shape evolution of single crystal graphene by developing a localized-heating and rapid-quenching chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system based on electromagnetic induction heating. Importantly, rational control of circular, hexagonal, and dendritic single crystalline graphene domains can be readily obtained for the first time by changing the growth condition. Systematic studies suggest that the graphene nucleation only occurs during the initial stage, while the domain density is independent of the growth temperatures due to the surface-limiting effect. In addition, the direct observation of graphene domain shape evolution is employed for the identification of competing growth mechanisms including diffusion-limited, attachment-limited, and detachment-limited processes. Our study not only provides a novel method for morphology-controlled graphene synthesis, but also offers fundamental insights into the kinetics of single crystal graphene growth.

Physiological role of growth factors and bone morphogenetic proteins in osteogenesis and bone fracture healing: а review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Sagalovsky

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The repair of large bone defects remains a major clinical orthopedic challenge. Bone regeneration and fracture healing is a complex physiological mechanisms regulated by a large number of biologically active molecules. Multiple factors regulate this cascade of molecular events, which affects different stages in the osteoblast and chondroblast lineage during such processes as migration, proliferation, chemotaxis, differentiation, inhibition, and extracellular protein synthesis. A recent review has focused on the mechanisms by which growth and differentiation factors regulate the fracture healing process. Rapid progress in skeletal cellular and molecular biology has led to identification of many signaling molecules associated with formation of skeletal tissues, including a large family of growth factors (transforming growth factor-β and bone morphogenetic proteins, fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, cytokines and interleukins. There is increasing evidence indicating that they are critical regulators of cellular proliferation, differentiation, extracellular matrix biosynthesis and bone mineralization. A clear understanding of cellular and molecular pathways involved in fracture healing is not only critical for improvement of fracture treatments, but it may also enhance further our knowledge of mechanisms involved in skeletal growth and repair, as well as mechanisms of aging. This suggests that, in the future, they may play a major role in the treatment of bone disease and fracture repair.

A Gibberellin-Mediated DELLA-NAC Signaling Cascade Regulates Cellulose Synthesis in Rice[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Debao; Wang, Shaogan; Zhang, Baocai; Shang-Guan, Keke; Shi, Yanyun; Zhang, Dongmei; Liu, Xiangling; Wu, Kun; Xu, Zuopeng; Fu, Xiangdong; Zhou, Yihua

2015-01-01

Cellulose, which can be converted into numerous industrial products, has important impacts on the global economy. It has long been known that cellulose synthesis in plants is tightly regulated by various phytohormones. However, the underlying mechanism of cellulose synthesis regulation remains elusive. Here, we show that in rice (Oryza sativa), gibberellin (GA) signals promote cellulose synthesis by relieving the interaction between SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1), a DELLA repressor of GA signaling, and NACs, the top-layer transcription factors for secondary wall formation. Mutations in GA-related genes and physiological treatments altered the transcription of CELLULOSE SYNTHASE genes (CESAs) and the cellulose level. Multiple experiments demonstrated that transcription factors NAC29/31 and MYB61 are CESA regulators in rice; NAC29/31 directly regulates MYB61, which in turn activates CESA expression. This hierarchical regulation pathway is blocked by SLR1-NAC29/31 interactions. Based on the results of anatomical analysis and GA content examination in developing rice internodes, this signaling cascade was found to be modulated by varied endogenous GA levels and to be required for internode development. Genetic and gene expression analyses were further performed in Arabidopsis thaliana GA-related mutants. Altogether, our findings reveal a conserved mechanism by which GA regulates secondary wall cellulose synthesis in land plants and provide a strategy for manipulating cellulose production and plant growth. PMID:26002868

Gibbs–Thomson Effect in Planar Nanowires: Orientation and Doping Modulated Growth

KAUST Repository

Shen, Youde; Chen, Renjie; Yu, Xuechao; Wang, Qijie; Jungjohann, Katherine L.; Dayeh, Shadi A.; Wu, Tao

2016-01-01

Epitaxy-enabled bottom-up synthesis of self-assembled planar nanowires via the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is an emerging and promising approach toward large-scale direct integration of nanowire-based devices without postgrowth alignment. Here, by examining large assemblies of indium tin oxide nanowires on yttria-stabilized zirconia substrate, we demonstrate for the first time that the growth dynamics of planar nanowires follows a modified version of the Gibbs-Thomson mechanism, which has been known for the past decades to govern the correlations between thermodynamic supersaturation, growth speed, and nanowire morphology. Furthermore, the substrate orientation strongly influences the growth characteristics of epitaxial planar nanowires as opposed to impact at only the initial nucleation stage in the growth of vertical nanowires. The rich nanowire morphology can be described by a surface-energy-dependent growth model within the Gibbs-Thomson framework, which is further modulated by the tin doping concentration. Our experiments also reveal that the cutoff nanowire diameter depends on the substrate orientation and decreases with increasing tin doping concentration. These results enable a deeper understanding and control over the growth of planar nanowires, and the insights will help advance the fabrication of self-assembled nanowire devices. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

Gibbs–Thomson Effect in Planar Nanowires: Orientation and Doping Modulated Growth

KAUST Repository

Shen, Youde

2016-06-02

Epitaxy-enabled bottom-up synthesis of self-assembled planar nanowires via the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is an emerging and promising approach toward large-scale direct integration of nanowire-based devices without postgrowth alignment. Here, by examining large assemblies of indium tin oxide nanowires on yttria-stabilized zirconia substrate, we demonstrate for the first time that the growth dynamics of planar nanowires follows a modified version of the Gibbs-Thomson mechanism, which has been known for the past decades to govern the correlations between thermodynamic supersaturation, growth speed, and nanowire morphology. Furthermore, the substrate orientation strongly influences the growth characteristics of epitaxial planar nanowires as opposed to impact at only the initial nucleation stage in the growth of vertical nanowires. The rich nanowire morphology can be described by a surface-energy-dependent growth model within the Gibbs-Thomson framework, which is further modulated by the tin doping concentration. Our experiments also reveal that the cutoff nanowire diameter depends on the substrate orientation and decreases with increasing tin doping concentration. These results enable a deeper understanding and control over the growth of planar nanowires, and the insights will help advance the fabrication of self-assembled nanowire devices. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

Block-copolymer assisted synthesis of arrays of metal nanoparticles and their catalytic activities for the growth of SWNTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhaviripudi, Sreekar; Reina, Alfonso; Qi, Jifa; Kong, Jing; Belcher, Angela M

2006-01-01

Block copolymer micellar templates were used for the controlled synthesis of large arrays of mono-metallic (Fe, Co, Ni, Mo) and bi-metallic (Fe-Mo) nanoparticles with average diameters ranging from 1 to 4 nm and the distance between the nanoparticles ranging from 40 to 45 nm. XPS data reveal the presence of mono-metallic nanoparticles in their oxidized states. These uniform arrays of nanoparticles serve as an excellent tool to investigate the catalytic effect of different metal/metal oxide nanoparticles for the growth of carbon nanotubes, and in this work, they were used to investigate the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes with the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process, using both ethanol and hydrocarbon (methane + ethylene) gases as carbon sources. The periodicity and the arrangement of nanoparticles were unaffected even at high growth temperatures, indicating that nanoparticle agglomeration on the Si substrate does not take place during growth. AFM and SEM results reveal uniform growth of nanotubes with diameters smaller than the initial size of the catalyst nanoparticles. The Fe, Co and Ni nanoparticles all serve as effective catalysts for nanotube growth with both types of carbon feed stock, and Co and Ni give rise to a relatively higher yield than Fe. The catalytic activity of Fe and bi-metallic Fe-Mo nanoparticles of similar size and identical densities using ethanol CVD are also compared

Putting theory to the test: which regulatory mechanisms can drive realistic growth of a root?