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Sample records for term oxidation due

  1. Long-Term Stability of Oxide Nanowire Sensors via Heavily Doped Oxide Contact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Hao; Takahashi, Tsunaki; Kanai, Masaki; Zhang, Guozhu; He, Yong; Nagashima, Kazuki; Yanagida, Takeshi

    2017-12-22

    Long-term stability of a chemical sensor is an essential quality for long-term collection of data related to exhaled breath, environmental air, and other sources in the Internet of things (IoT) era. Although an oxide nanowire sensor has shown great potential as a chemical sensor, the long-term stability of sensitivity has not been realized yet due to electrical degradation under harsh sensing conditions. Here, we report a rational concept to accomplish long-term electrical stability of metal oxide nanowire sensors via introduction of a heavily doped metal oxide contact layer. Antimony-doped SnO 2 (ATO) contacts on SnO 2 nanowires show much more stable and lower electrical contact resistance than conventional Ti contacts for high temperature (200 °C) conditions, which are required to operate chemical sensors. The stable and low contact resistance of ATO was confirmed for at least 1960 h under 200 °C in open air. This heavily doped oxide contact enables us to realize the long-term stability of SnO 2 nanowire sensors while maintaining the sensitivity for both NO 2 gas and light (photo) detections. The applicability of our method is confirmed for sensors on a flexible polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrate. Since the proposed fundamental concept can be applied to various oxide nanostructures, it will give a foundation for designing long-term stable oxide nanomaterial-based IoT sensors.

  2. Dry oxidation behaviour of metallic containers during long term interim storages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desgranges, C.; Terlain, A.; Bertrand, N.; Gauvain, D.

    2004-01-01

    Low-alloyed steels or carbon steels are considered candidate materials for the fabrication of some nuclear waste package containers for long term interim storage. The containers are required to remain retrievable for centuries. One factor limiting their performance on this time scale is corrosion. The estimation of the metal thickness lost by dry oxidation over such long periods requires the construction of reliable models from short-time experimental data. Two complementary approaches for modelling dry oxidation have been considered. First, basic models following simple analytical laws from classical oxidation theories have been adjusted on the apparent activation energy of oxidation deduced from experimental data. Their extrapolation to long oxidation periods confirms that the expected damage due to dry oxidation could be small. Second, a numerical model able to take in consideration several mechanisms controlling the oxide scale growth is under development. Several preliminary results are presented. (authors)

  3. Greenhouse effect due to atmospheric nitrous oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yung, Y. L.; Wang, W. C.; Lacis, A. A.

    1976-01-01

    The greenhouse effect due to nitrous oxide in the present atmosphere is about 0.8 K. Increase in atmospheric N2O due to perturbation of the nitrogen cycle by man may lead to an increase in surface temperature as large as 0.5 K by 2025, or 1.0 K by 2100. Other climatic effects of N2O are briefly discussed.

  4. Oxidation of eugenol by purified human term placental peroxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, R; Kulkarni, K A; Kulkarni, A P

    2000-01-01

    The oxidation of eugenol by purified human term placental peroxidase (HTPP) was examined. Spectral analyses indicated that, similar to horseradish peroxidase, HTPP is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of eugenol. The accumulated stable product in the reaction medium due to eugenol oxidation by HTPP was tentatively identified as quinone methide of eugenol (EQM). The EQM formation exhibited a pH optimum of 8.0 and was dependent on incubation time, amount of HTPP and the concentration of both eugenol and hydrogen peroxide. The specific activity of approx 2.8 micromoles of EQM/min/mg protein was observed with different preparations of HTPP. The EQM formation was significantly suppressed by glutathione and ascorbic acid. The classical peroxidase inhibitors viz. potassium cyanide and sodium azide blocked the reaction in a concentration manner. Collectively, the results suggest that eugenol may undergo peroxidative metabolism in human placenta. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

  5. Model for low temperature oxidation during long term interim storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Desgranges, Clara; Bertrand, Nathalie; Gauvain, Danielle; Terlain, Anne [Service de la Corrosion et du Comportement des Materiaux dans leur Environnement, CEA/Saclay - 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Poquillon, Dominique; Monceau, Daniel [CIRIMAT UMR 5085, ENSIACET-INPT, 31077 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France)

    2004-07-01

    For high-level nuclear waste containers in long-term interim storage, dry oxidation will be the first and the main degradation mode during about one century. The metal lost by dry oxidation over such a long period must be evaluated with a good reliability. To achieve this goal, modelling of the oxide scale growth is necessary and this is the aim of the dry oxidation studies performed in the frame of the COCON program. An advanced model based on the description of elementary mechanisms involved in scale growth at low temperatures, like partial interfacial control of the oxidation kinetics and/or grain boundary diffusion, is developed in order to increase the reliability of the long term extrapolations deduced from basic models developed from short time experiments. Since only few experimental data on dry oxidation are available in the temperature range of interest, experiments have also been performed to evaluate the relevant input parameters for models like grain size of oxide scale, considering iron as simplified material. (authors)

  6. Model for low temperature oxidation during long term interim storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desgranges, Clara; Bertrand, Nathalie; Gauvain, Danielle; Terlain, Anne; Poquillon, Dominique; Monceau, Daniel

    2004-01-01

    For high-level nuclear waste containers in long-term interim storage, dry oxidation will be the first and the main degradation mode during about one century. The metal lost by dry oxidation over such a long period must be evaluated with a good reliability. To achieve this goal, modelling of the oxide scale growth is necessary and this is the aim of the dry oxidation studies performed in the frame of the COCON program. An advanced model based on the description of elementary mechanisms involved in scale growth at low temperatures, like partial interfacial control of the oxidation kinetics and/or grain boundary diffusion, is developed in order to increase the reliability of the long term extrapolations deduced from basic models developed from short time experiments. Since only few experimental data on dry oxidation are available in the temperature range of interest, experiments have also been performed to evaluate the relevant input parameters for models like grain size of oxide scale, considering iron as simplified material. (authors)

  7. Short-term and long-term effects of transient exogenous cortisol manipulation on oxidative stress in juvenile brown trout

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birnie-Gauvin, Kim; Peiman, Kathryn S.; Larsen, Martin Hage

    2017-01-01

    available for physiological functions like defence against oxidative stress. Using brown trout (Salmo trutta), we evaluated the short-term (2 weeks) and long-term (4 months over winter) effects of exogenous cortisol manipulations (versus relevant shams and controls) on the oxidative status of wild juveniles...

  8. Methane oxidation in an intensively cropped tropical rice field soil under long-term application of organic and mineral fertilizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nayak, D R; Babu, Y Jagadeesh; Datta, A; Adhya, T K

    2007-01-01

    Methane (CH4) oxidation is the only known biological sink process for mitigating atmospheric and terrestrial emissions of CH4, a major greenhouse gas. Methane oxidation in an alluvial soil planted to rice (Oryza sativa L.) under long-term application of organic (compost with a C/N ratio of 21.71), and mineral fertilizers was measured in a field-cum-laboratory incubation study. Oxidation rates were quantified in terms of decrease in the concentration of CH4 in the headspace of incubation vessels and expressed as half-life (t(1)2) values. Methane oxidation rates significantly differed among the treatments and growth stages of the rice crop. Methane oxidation rates were high at the maximum tillering and maturity stages, whereas they were low at grain-filling stage. Methane oxidation was low (t(1)2) = 15.76 d) when provided with low concentration of CH4. On the contrary, high concentration of CH4 resulted in faster oxidation (t(1)2) = 6.67 d), suggesting the predominance of "low affinity oxidation" in rice fields. Methane oxidation was stimulated following the application of mineral fertilizers or compost implicating nutrient limitation as one of the factors affecting the process. Combined application of compost and mineral fertilizer, however, inhibited CH4 oxidation probably due to N immobilization by the added compost. The positive effect of mineral fertilizer on CH4 oxidation rate was evident only at high CH4 concentration (t(1)2 = 4.80 d), while at low CH4 concentration their was considerable suppression (t(1) = 17.60 d). Further research may reveal that long-term application of fertilizers, organic or inorganic, may not inhibit CH4 oxidation.

  9. The protective effect of N-acetylcysteine on oxidative stress in the brain caused by the long-term intake of aspartame by rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finamor, Isabela A; Ourique, Giovana M; Pês, Tanise S; Saccol, Etiane M H; Bressan, Caroline A; Scheid, Taína; Baldisserotto, Bernardo; Llesuy, Susana F; Partata, Wânia A; Pavanato, Maria A

    2014-09-01

    Long-term intake of aspartame at the acceptable daily dose causes oxidative stress in rodent brain mainly due to the dysregulation of glutathione (GSH) homeostasis. N-Acetylcysteine provides the cysteine that is required for the production of GSH, being effective in treating disorders associated with oxidative stress. We investigated the effects of N-acetylcysteine treatment (150 mg kg(-1), i.p.) on oxidative stress biomarkers in rat brain after chronic aspartame administration by gavage (40 mg kg(-1)). N-Acetylcysteine led to a reduction in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, lipid hydroperoxides, and carbonyl protein levels, which were increased due to aspartame administration. N-Acetylcysteine also resulted in an elevation of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase activities, as well as non-protein thiols, and total reactive antioxidant potential levels, which were decreased after aspartame exposure. However, N-acetylcysteine was unable to reduce serum glucose levels, which were increased as a result of aspartame administration. Furthermore, catalase and glutathione S-transferase, whose activities were reduced due to aspartame treatment, remained decreased even after N-acetylcysteine exposure. In conclusion, N-acetylcysteine treatment may exert a protective effect against the oxidative damage in the brain, which was caused by the long-term consumption of the acceptable daily dose of aspartame by rats.

  10. Long term steam oxidation of TP 347H FG in power plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansson, Anette Nørgaard; Korcakova, Leona; Hald, John

    2005-01-01

    The long term oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG at ultra supercritical steam conditions was assessed by exposing the steel in test superheater loops in a Danish coal-fired power plant. The steamside oxide layer was investigated with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive Xray diffract......The long term oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG at ultra supercritical steam conditions was assessed by exposing the steel in test superheater loops in a Danish coal-fired power plant. The steamside oxide layer was investigated with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive Xray...

  11. Long-term stability of oxidative stress biomarkers in human serum.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, Eugène H J M; Beekhof, Piet K; Viezeliene, Dale; Muzakova, Vladimira; Skalicky, Jiri

    2017-01-01

    The storage time and storage temperature might affect stability of oxidative stress biomarkers, therefore, they have to be analyzed after long-term storage of serum samples. The stability of three biomarkers reflecting oxidative stress: reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) for hydroperoxides, total

  12. Evaluation of oxidative status in short-term exercises of adolescent athletes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K Karacabey

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of short-term exercise on total antioxidant status (TAS, lipid hydroperoxide (LOOHs, total oxidative status (TOS and oxidative stress index (OSI in adolescent athletes. A total of 62 adolescent participated in the study. Athletes were trained regularly 3 days a week for 2 hours. All subjects followed a circuit exercise program. Blood samples were collected just before and immediately after the exercise program. Antioxidant status was evaluated by measuring the TAS level in the plasma. Oxidative status was evaluated by measuring the total peroxide level. The percentage ratio of TAS to total peroxide level was accepted as the OSI. Plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and VLDL were measured by automated chemical analyzer using commercially available kits.There was a significant increase in TOS (p<0.05 and OSI (p<0.01 levels and a significant decrease in TAS levels (p<0.01 compared to the resting state. There were no significant changes in LOOHs levels before and after the short-term exercise. After short-term exercise, the balance between oxidative stress and antioxidant status moves towards oxidative stress as a result of increasing oxidants and decreasing antioxidants.

  13. Long-term oxidation of Zr-2.5 wt% Nb alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cox, B.

    1976-09-01

    A long-term study of the oxidation of Zr-2.5 wt% Nb alloys in water, steam, air and fused nitrate/nitrite salt has been carried out as a function of material batch, degree of cold-work, and heat treatment. Examination after oxidation was by weight gain, optical microscopy, replica electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, oxide impedance measurements, mercury porosimetry and metallographic sectioning. The results are compared with other published work and some hypothetical oxidation mechanisms are proposed and discussed. (author)

  14. Microstructural investigation of the oxide formed on TP 347H FG during long-term steam oxidation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansson, Anette Nørgaard; Danielsen, Hilmar Kjartansson; Grumsen, Flemming Bjerg

    2010-01-01

    The long-term oxidation behaviour of TP347H FG in ultra supercritical steam conditions was assessed by exposing the steel in test superheater loops in a Danish coal-fired power plant and characterising the oxide layer with reflective light and electron microscopy. Double layered oxide scales formed...... during steam oxidation. TEM investigations reveal that the inner oxide layer consists of particles of metallic Ni/Fe and Fe-Cr spinel in the interior of the former alloy grains and a compact layer of Fe-Cr spinel and Cr2O3 along the former alloy grain boundaries. The morphology suggests that the inner...

  15. Improved Long-Term Stability of Transparent Conducting Electrodes Based on Double-Laminated Electrosprayed Antimony Tin Oxides and Ag Nanowires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koo B.-R.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We fabricated double-laminated antimony tin oxide/Ag nanowire electrodes by spin-coating and electrospraying. Compared to pure Ag nanowire electrodes and single-laminated antimony tin oxide/Ag nanowire electrodes, the double-laminated antimony tin oxide/Ag nanowire electrodes had superior transparent conducting electrode performances with sheet resistance ~19.8 Ω/□ and optical transmittance ~81.9%; this was due to uniform distribution of the connected Ag nanowires because of double lamination of the metallic Ag nanowires without Ag aggregation despite subsequent microwave heating at 250°C. They also exhibited excellent and superior long-term chemical and thermal stabilities and adhesion to substrate because double-laminated antimony tin oxide thin films act as the protective layers between Ag nanowires, blocking Ag atoms penetration.

  16. Renal Oxidative Stress Induced by Long-Term Hyperuricemia Alters Mitochondrial Function and Maintains Systemic Hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena Cristóbal-García

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We addressed if oxidative stress in the renal cortex plays a role in the induction of hypertension and mitochondrial alterations in hyperuricemia. A second objective was to evaluate whether the long-term treatment with the antioxidant Tempol prevents renal oxidative stress, mitochondrial alterations, and systemic hypertension in this model. Long-term (11-12 weeks and short-term (3 weeks effects of oxonic acid induced hyperuricemia were studied in rats (OA, 750 mg/kg BW, OA+Allopurinol (AP, 150 mg/L drinking water, OA+Tempol (T, 15 mg/kg BW, or vehicle. Systolic blood pressure, renal blood flow, and vascular resistance were measured. Tubular damage (urine N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase and oxidative stress markers (lipid and protein oxidation along with ATP levels were determined in kidney tissue. Oxygen consumption, aconitase activity, and uric acid were evaluated in isolated mitochondria from renal cortex. Short-term hyperuricemia resulted in hypertension without demonstrable renal oxidative stress or mitochondrial dysfunction. Long-term hyperuricemia induced hypertension, renal vasoconstriction, tubular damage, renal cortex oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased ATP levels. Treatments with Tempol and allopurinol prevented these alterations. Renal oxidative stress induced by hyperuricemia promoted mitochondrial functional disturbances and decreased ATP content, which represent an additional pathogenic mechanism induced by chronic hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia-related hypertension occurs before these changes are evident.

  17. Oxidative stress markers in hypertensive states of pregnancy: preterm and term disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lesia Olha Kurlak

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Discussion continues as to whether de novo hypertension in pregnancy with significant proteinuria (pre-eclampsia; PE and non-proteinuric new hypertension (gestational hypertension; GH are parts of the same disease spectrum or represent different conditions. Non-pregnant hypertension, pregnancy and PE are all associated with oxidative stress. We have established a 6 weeks post-partum clinic for women who experienced a hypertensive pregnancy. We hypothesized that PE and GH could be distinguished by markers of oxidative stress; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS and antioxidants (ferric ion reducing ability of plasma; FRAP. Since the severity of PE and GH is greater pre-term, we also compared pre-term and term disease. Fifty-eight women had term PE, 23 pre-term PE, 60 had term GH and 6 pre-term GH, 11 pre-existing (essential hypertension (EH without PE. Limited data were available from normotensive pregnancies (n=7 and non-pregnant controls (n=14. There were no differences in postpartum TBARS or FRAP between hypertensive states; TBARS (P=0.001 and FRAP (P=0.009 were lower in plasma of non-pregnant controls compared to recently-pregnant women. Interestingly FRAP was higher in preterm than term GH (P=0.013. In PE and GH, TBARS correlated with low density lipoprotein (LDL-cholesterol (P=0.036; this association strengthened with inclusion of EH ((P=0.011. The 10 year Framingham index for cardiovascular risk was positively associated with TBARS (P=0.003.Oxidative stress profiles do not differ between hypertensive states but appear to distinguish between recently-pregnant and non-pregnant states. This suggests that pregnancy may alter vascular integrity with changes remaining 6 weeks postpartum. LDL-cholesterol is a known determinant of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease and we have shown this association to be present in hypertensive pregnancy further emphasizing that such a pregnancy may be revealing a pre-existing cardiovascular

  18. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones survive oxidative stress due to increased tolerance instead of avoidance or repair of oxidative damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li-Byarlay, Hongmei; Huang, Ming Hua; Simone-Finstrom, Michael; Strand, Micheline K; Tarpy, David R; Rueppell, Olav

    2016-10-01

    Oxidative stress can lead to premature aging symptoms and cause acute mortality at higher doses in a range of organisms. Oxidative stress resistance and longevity are mechanistically and phenotypically linked; considerable variation in oxidative stress resistance exists among and within species and typically covaries with life expectancy. However, it is unclear whether stress-resistant, long-lived individuals avoid, repair, or tolerate molecular damage to survive longer than others. The honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) is an emerging model system that is well-suited to address this question. Furthermore, this species is the most economically important pollinator, whose health may be compromised by pesticide exposure, including oxidative stressors. Here, we develop a protocol for inducing oxidative stress in honey bee males (drones) via Paraquat injection. After injection, individuals from different colony sources were kept in common social conditions to monitor their survival compared to saline-injected controls. Oxidative stress was measured in susceptible and resistant individuals. Paraquat drastically reduced survival but individuals varied in their resistance to treatment within and among colony sources. Longer-lived individuals exhibited higher levels of lipid peroxidation than individuals dying early. In contrast, the level of protein carbonylation was not significantly different between the two groups. This first study of oxidative stress in male honey bees suggests that survival of an acute oxidative stressor is due to tolerance, not prevention or repair, of oxidative damage to lipids. It also demonstrates colony differences in oxidative stress resistance that might be useful for breeding stress-resistant honey bees. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Short-term and long-term effects of transient exogenous cortisol manipulation on oxidative stress in juvenile brown trout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birnie-Gauvin, Kim; Peiman, Kathryn S; Larsen, Martin H; Aarestrup, Kim; Willmore, William G; Cooke, Steven J

    2017-05-01

    In the wild, animals are exposed to a growing number of stressors with increasing frequency and intensity, as a result of human activities and human-induced environmental change. To fully understand how wild organisms are affected by stressors, it is crucial to understand the physiology that underlies an organism's response to a stressor. Prolonged levels of elevated glucocorticoids are associated with a state of chronic stress and decreased fitness. Exogenous glucocorticoid manipulation reduces an individual's ability to forage, avoid predators and grow, thereby limiting the resources available for physiological functions like defence against oxidative stress. Using brown trout ( Salmo trutta ), we evaluated the short-term (2 weeks) and long-term (4 months over winter) effects of exogenous cortisol manipulations (versus relevant shams and controls) on the oxidative status of wild juveniles. Cortisol caused an increase in glutathione over a 2 week period and appeared to reduce glutathione over winter. Cortisol treatment did not affect oxidative stress levels or low molecular weight antioxidants. Cortisol caused a significant decrease in growth rates but did not affect predation risk. Over-winter survival in the stream was associated with low levels of oxidative stress and glutathione. Thus, oxidative stress may be a mechanism by which elevated cortisol causes negative physiological effects. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  20. Test plan for long-term, low-temperature oxidation of spent fuel, Series 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Einziger, R.E.

    1986-06-01

    Preliminary studies indicated the need for more spent fuel oxidation data in order to determine the probable behavior of spent fuel in a tuff repository. Long-term, low-temperature testing was recommended in a comprehensive technical approach to: (1) confirm the findings of the short-term thermogravimetric analyses scoping experiments; (2) evaluate the effects of variables such as burnup, atmospheric moisture and fuel type on the oxidation rate; and (3) extend the oxidation data base ot representative repository temperatures and better define the temperature dependence of the operative oxidation mechanisms. This document presents the Series 1 test plan to study, on a large number of samples, the effects of atmospheric moisture and temperature on oxidation rate and phase formation. Tests will run for up to two years, use characterized fragmented, and pulverized fuel samples, cover a temperature range of 110 0 C to 175 0 C and be conducted with an atmospheric moisture content rangeing from 0 C to approx. 80 0 C dew point. After testing, the samples will be examined and made available for leaching testing

  1. Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria gain antibiotic resistance during long-term acclimatization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zheng-Zhe; Zhang, Qian-Qian; Guo, Qiong; Chen, Qian-Qian; Jiang, Xiao-Yan; Jin, Ren-Cun

    2015-09-01

    Three broad-spectrum antibiotics, amoxicillin (AMX), florfenicol (FF) and sulfamethazine (SMZ), that inhibit bacteria via different target sites, were selected to evaluate the acute toxicity and long-term effects on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) granules. The specific anammox activity (SAA) levels reduced by approximately half within the first 3 days in the presence of antibiotics but no nitrite accumulation was observed in continuous-flow experiments. However, the SAA levels and heme c content gradually recovered as the antibiotic concentrations increased. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) analysis suggested that anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria gradually developed a better survival strategy during long-term acclimatization, which reduced the antibiotic stress via increased EPS secretion that provided a protective 'cocoon.' In terms of nitrogen removal efficiency, anammox granules could resist 60 mg-AMX L(-1), 10 mg-FF L(-1) and 100 mg-SMZ L(-1). This study supported the feasibility of using anammox granules to treat antibiotic-containing wastewater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Role of nitric oxide in long-term potentiation of the rat medial vestibular nuclei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grassi, S; Pettorossi, V E

    2000-01-01

    In rat brainstem slices, we investigated the role of nitric oxide in long-term potentiation induced in the ventral portion of the medial vestibular nuclei by high-frequency stimulation of the primary vestibular afferents. The nitric oxide scavenger [2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide ] and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester were administered before and after induction of potentiation. Both drugs completely prevented long-term potentiation, whereas they did not impede the potentiation build-up, or affect the already established potentiation. These results demonstrate that the induction, but not the maintenance of vestibular long-term potentiation, depends on the synthesis and release into the extracellular medium of nitric oxide. In addition, we analysed the effect of the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside on vestibular responses. Sodium nitroprusside induced long-term potentiation, as evidenced through the field potential enhancement and unit peak latency decrease. This potentiation was impeded by D, L-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, and was reduced under blockade of synaptosomal platelet-activating factor receptors by ginkgolide B and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors by (R,S)-1-aminoindan-1, 5-dicarboxylic acid. When reduced, potentiation fully developed following the washout of antagonist, demonstrating an involvement of platelet-activating factor and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors in its full development. Potentiation induced by sodium nitroprusside was also associated with a decrease in the paired-pulse facilitation ratio, which persisted under ginkgolide B, indicating that nitric oxide increases glutamate release independently of platelet-activating factor-mediated presynaptic events. We suggest that nitric oxide, released after the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, acts as a retrograde messenger leading to an enhancement of glutamate release to a

  3. Evaluation of oxidative status in short-term exercises of adolescent athletes

    OpenAIRE

    K Karacabey; A Atas; D Zeyrek; A Cakmak; R Kurkcu; F Yamaner

    2010-01-01

    The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of short-term exercise on total antioxidant status (TAS), lipid hydroperoxide (LOOHs), total oxidative status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) in adolescent athletes. A total of 62 adolescent participated in the study. Athletes were trained regularly 3 days a week for 2 hours. All subjects followed a circuit exercise program. Blood samples were collected just before and immediately after the exercise program. Antioxidant status was evalu...

  4. Long-Term Cyclic Oxidation Behavior of Wrought Commercial Alloys at High Temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Bingtao [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2003-01-01

    The oxidation resistance of a high-temperature alloy is dependent upon sustaining the formation of a protective scale, which is strongly related to the alloying composition and the oxidation condition. The protective oxide scale only provides a finite period of oxidation resistance owing to its eventual breakdown, which is especially accelerated under thermal cycling conditions. This current study focuses on the long-term cyclic oxidation behavior of a number of commercial wrought alloys. The alloys studied were Fe- and Ni-based, containing different levels of minor elements, such as Si, Al, Mn, and Ti. Oxidation testing was conducted at 1000 and 1100 C in still air under both isothermal and thermal cycling conditions (1-day and 7-days). The specific aspects studied were the oxidation behavior of chromia-forming alloys that are used extensively in industry. The current study analyzed the effects of alloying elements, especially the effect of minor element Si, on cyclic oxidation resistance. The behavior of oxide scale growth, scale spallation, subsurface changes, and chromium interdiffusion in the alloy were analyzed in detail. A novel model was developed in the current study to predict the life-time during cyclic oxidation by simulating oxidation kinetics and chromium interdiffusion in the subsurface of chromia-forming alloys.

  5. Stochastic health effects assessment due to short-term external exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raicevic, J.J.; Raskob, W.; Merkle, M.; Ninkovic, M.M.

    2001-01-01

    The new model for calculation of stochastic health effects is presented in this paper. The exposure pathways which are briefly considered are the short-term external exposure due to passage of the radioactive cloud (cloudshine) and the short-term external exposure due to radioactive material deposited on skin and clothes (skin contamination). The quantitative assessment of stochastic effects is expressed in numbers of deaths, which are given as a functions of the time at the accident, and age at death, what on the other side enables estimation of the number of deaths within the specified range of the time/age parameters. That means the model calculates the number of deaths within one particular year, summed up over all ages at deaths, or vice versa, it finds the number of deaths within the specified range of ages at death, summed up over all observation times. Results presented in this paper are implemented in the module LATEHEAL, which is incorporated in RODOS, a new European system for decision support for nuclear emergencies. (author)

  6. Effects of short term and long term Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field on depressive disorder in mice: Involvement of nitric oxide pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madjid Ansari, Alireza; Farzampour, Shahrokh; Sadr, Ali; Shekarchi, Babak; Majidzadeh-A, Keivan

    2016-02-01

    Previous reports on the possible effects of Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields (ELF MF) on mood have been paradoxical in different settings while no study has yet been conducted on animal behavior. In addition, it was shown that ELF MF exposure makes an increase in brain nitric oxide level. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to assess the possible effect(s) of ELF MF exposure on mice Forced Swimming Test (FST) and evaluate the probable role of the increased level of nitric oxide in the observed behavior. Male adult mice NMRI were recruited to investigate the short term and long term ELF MF exposure (0.5 mT and 50 Hz, single 2h and 2 weeks 2h a day). Locomotor behavior was assessed by using open-field test (OFT) followed by FST to evaluate the immobility time. Accordingly, NΩ-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester 30 mg/kg was used to exert anti-depressant like effect. According to the results, short term exposure did not alter the immobility time, whereas long term exposure significantly reduces immobility time (pmice, whereas short term exposure has no significant effect. Also, reversing the anti-depressant activity of L-NAME indicates a probable increase in the brain nitric oxide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Comparison of the Effects of Pre-training Administration of Zinc Oxide and ‎Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Long-term Memory of Adult Male Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N Issapare

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Zinc oxide nanoparticles are one of the most widely used nanoparticles in fields of industry, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, cosmetics, and nutrition. Multiple studies have demonstrated the negative effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the nervous system, while others have revealed their enhancing effects on the activity of nerve cells, involved in memory processes. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles and zinc oxide on long-term memory of mice. METHODS: In this experimental study, 49 NMRI adult male mice, with the mean weight of 25±5 g, were randomly divided into seven groups, each consisting of seven mice: control group, three treatment groups receiving zinc oxide nanoparticles (1, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg of  zinc oxide nanoparticles, respectively, and three treatment groups receiving zinc oxide (1, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg of zinc oxide, respectively. Intraperitoneal injections were performed before training (electric shock. Passive avoidance memory of mice was evaluated, using the Step-Down device. The latency time to descend the platform was regarded as an indicator of memory on days 1, 3, and 7 following training. FINDINGS: Pre-training administration of zinc oxide nanoparticles and zinc oxide at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg yielded no effects on the motor activity of mice. However, a significant decline was reported in the latency time to descend the platform on days 1, 3, and 7 following training (58±17, 45±13, and 39±14 in the zinc oxide group and 93±18, 62±12, and 14±3 in the nano zinc oxide group, respectively (p<0.01 however, the dosage of 5 mg/kg had less significant short-term effects (130±38, 49±14, and 68±10 in the zinc oxide group and 132±46, 41±13, and 58±24 in the nano zinc oxide group, respectively. Also, the dosage of 1 mg/kg was almost ineffective. CONCLUSION: The results showed that weakened long-term memory, caused by zinc oxide administration, is not

  8. A case of osteomalacia due to deranged mineral balance caused by saccharated ferric oxide and short-bowel syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nomoto, Hiroshi; Miyoshi, Hideaki; Nakamura, Akinobu; Nagai, So; Kitao, Naoyuki; Shimizu, Chikara; Atsumi, Tatsuya

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Rationale: Saccharated ferric oxide has been shown to lead to elevation of fibroblast growth factor 23, hypophosphatemia, and, consequently, osteomalacia. Moreover, mineral imbalance is often observed in patients with short-bowel syndrome to some degree. Patient concerns: A 62-year-old woman with short-bowel syndrome related with multiple resections of small intestines due to Crohn disease received regular intravenous administration of saccharated ferric oxide. Over the course of treatment, she was diagnosed with tetany, which was attributed to hypocalcemia. Additional assessments of the patient revealed not only hypocalcemia, but also hypophosphatemia, hypomagnesemia, osteomalacia, and a high concentration of fibroblast growth factor 23 (314 pg/mL). Diagnoses: We diagnosed her with mineral imbalance-induced osteomalacia due to saccharated ferric oxide and short-bowel syndrome. Interventions: Magnesium replacement therapy and discontinuation of saccharated ferric oxide alone. Outcomes: These treatments were able to normalize her serum mineral levels and increase her bone mineral density. Lessons: This case suggests that adequate evaluation of serum minerals, including phosphate and magnesium, during saccharated ferric oxide administration may be necessary, especially in patients with short-bowel syndrome. PMID:28953654

  9. Long-term oxidization and phase transition of InN nanotextures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dražic Goran

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The long-term (6 months oxidization of hcp-InN (wurtzite, InN-w nanostructures (crystalline/amorphous synthesized on Si [100] substrates is analyzed. The densely packed layers of InN-w nanostructures (5-40 nm are shown to be oxidized by atmospheric oxygen via the formation of an intermediate amorphous In-O x -N y (indium oxynitride phase to a final bi-phase hcp-InN/bcc-In2O3 nanotexture. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and selected area electron diffraction are used to identify amorphous In-O x -N y oxynitride phase. When the oxidized area exceeds the critical size of 5 nm, the amorphous In-O x -N y phase eventually undergoes phase transition via a slow chemical reaction of atomic oxygen with the indium atoms, forming a single bcc In2O3 phase.

  10. Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity Emulated in Modified Graphene Oxide Electrolyte Gated IZO-Based Thin-Film Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yi; Wen, Juan; Guo, Liqiang; Wan, Xiang; Du, Peifu; Feng, Ping; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

    2016-11-09

    Emulating neural behaviors at the synaptic level is of great significance for building neuromorphic computational systems and realizing artificial intelligence. Here, oxide-based electric double-layer (EDL) thin-film transistors were fabricated using 3-triethoxysilylpropylamine modified graphene oxide (KH550-GO) electrolyte as the gate dielectrics. Resulting from the EDL effect and electrochemical doping between mobile protons and the indium-zinc-oxide channel layer, long-term synaptic plasticity was emulated in our devices. Synaptic functions including long-term memory, synaptic temporal integration, and dynamic filters were successfully reproduced. In particular, spike rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP), one of the basic learning rules of long-term plasticity in the neural network where the synaptic weight changes according to the rate of presynaptic spikes, was emulated in our devices. Our results may facilitate the development of neuromorphic computational systems.

  11. Long-term vegetarians have low oxidative stress, body fat, and cholesterol levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Mi Kyung; Cho, Sang Woon; Park, Yoo Kyoung

    2012-04-01

    Excessive oxidative stress and abnormal blood lipids may cause chronic diseases. This risk can be reduced by consuming an antioxidant- and fiber-rich vegetarian diet. We compared biomarkers of oxidative stress, antioxidant capacity, and lipid profiles of sex- and age-matched long-term vegetarians and omnivores in Korea. Forty-five vegetarians (23 men and 22 women; mean age, 49.5 ± 5.3 years), who had maintained a vegetarian diet for a minimum of 15 years, and 30 omnivores (15 men and 15 women; mean age, 48.9 ± 3.6 years) participated in this study. Their 1-day, 24-h recall, and 2-day dietary records were analyzed. Oxidative stress was measured by the levels of diacron reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM). Antioxidant status was determined by the biological antioxidant potential (BAP) and levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. We observed that vegetarians had a significantly lower body fat percentage (21.6 ± 6.4%) than that of omnivores (25.4 ± 4.6%; P vegetarians than those in omnivores (331.82 ± 77.96 and 375.80 ± 67.26 Carratelli units; P vegetarians and omnivores were 173.73 ± 31.42 mg/dL and 193.17 ± 37.89 mg/dL, respectively (P vegetarians and omnivores, respectively, indicating that vegetarians had significantly lower lipid levels. Thus, oxidative stress, body fat, and cholesterol levels were lower in long-term vegetarians than those in omnivores.

  12. Short- and Long-Term Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Influence of Surface Charge and Dose on Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin R. Di Bona

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs are commonly utilized for biomedical, industrial, and commercial applications due to their unique properties and potential biocompatibility. However, little is known about how exposure to iron oxide NPs may affect susceptible populations such as pregnant women and developing fetuses. To examine the influence of NP surface-charge and dose on the developmental toxicity of iron oxide NPs, Crl:CD1(ICR (CD-1 mice were exposed to a single, low (10 mg/kg or high (100 mg/kg dose of positively-charged polyethyleneimine-Fe2O3-NPs (PEI-NPs, or negatively-charged poly(acrylic acid-Fe2O3-NPs (PAA-NPs during critical windows of organogenesis (gestation day (GD 8, 9, or 10. A low dose of NPs, regardless of charge, did not induce toxicity. However, a high exposure led to charge-dependent fetal loss as well as morphological alterations of the uteri (both charges and testes (positive only of surviving offspring. Positively-charged PEI-NPs given later in organogenesis resulted in a combination of short-term fetal loss (42% and long-term alterations in reproduction, including increased fetal loss for second generation matings (mice exposed in utero. Alternatively, negatively-charged PAA-NPs induced fetal loss (22% earlier in organogenesis to a lesser degree than PEI-NPs with only mild alterations in offspring uterine histology observed in the long-term.

  13. Childhood Craniopharyngioma with Hypothalamic Obesity - No Long-term Weight Reduction due to Rehabilitation Programs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sterkenburg, A. S.; Hoffmann, A.; Gebhardt, U.; Waldeck, E.; Springer, S.; Mueller, H. L.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Severe obesity due to hypothalamic involvement has major impact on prognosis in long-term survivors of childhood craniopharyngioma. The long-term effects of rehabilitation efforts on weight development and obesity in these patients are not analyzed up to now. Patients and Methods: 108

  14. Childhood Craniopharyngioma with Hypothalamic Obesity - No Long-term Weight Reduction due to Rehabilitation Programs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sterkenburg, A. S.; Hoffmann, A.; Gebhardt, U.; Waldeck, E.; Springer, S.; Mueller, H. L.

    Background: Severe obesity due to hypothalamic involvement has major impact on prognosis in long-term survivors of childhood craniopharyngioma. The long-term effects of rehabilitation efforts on weight development and obesity in these patients are not analyzed up to now. Patients and Methods: 108

  15. Estriol-induced fibrinolysis due to the activation of plasminogen to plasmin by nitric oxide synthesis in platelets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jana, Pradipta; Maiti, Smarajit; Kahn, Nighat N; Sinha, Asru K

    2015-04-01

    Estriol, an oestrogen, at 0.6 nmol/l was reported to inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation through nitric oxide synthesis. As nitric oxide has been reported to cause fibrinolysis due to the activation of plasminogen to plasmin, the role of estriol as a fibrinolytic agent was investigated. Also, the mechanism of estriol-induced nitric oxide synthesis in anucleated platelets was investigated. The estriol-induced lysis of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) clot was determined by photography of the clot lysis and by the assay of fibrin degradation products in the lysate and was obtained by SDS-PAGE. Nitric oxide was determined by methemoglobin method. The platelet membrane protein was isolated from the platelets by using Triton X-100 (0.05% v/v). The binding of estriol to the protein was determined by Scatchard plot by using an ELISA for estriol. Estriol at 0.6 nmol/l was found to lyse the clotted PRP due to fibrinolysis that produced fibrin degradation products in the lysate. The amino acid analysis of the platelet membrane protein, which resembles with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, was activated nearly 10-fold over the control in the presence of estriol and was identified to be a human serum albumin precursor (Mr. 69 kDa) that binds to estriol with Kd1 of 6.0 × 10 mol/l and 39 ± 2 molecules of estriol bound the NOS molecule. The estriol-induced nitric oxide is capable of inducing fibrinolysis of the clotted PRP. The binding of estriol to platelet membrane NOS activated the enzyme in the absence of DNA in the platelet.

  16. Conduction band-edge d-states in high-k dielectrics due to Jahn-Teller term splittings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucovsky, G.; Fulton, C.C.; Zhang, Y.; Luning, J.; Edge, L.; Whitten, J.L.; Nemanich, R.J.; Schlom, D.G.; Afanase'v, V.V.

    2005-01-01

    X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is used to study conduction band edge electronic structure of high-k transition metal (TM) and trivalent lanthanide series rare earth (RE) oxide dielectrics. Empty TM/RE d-states are studied by intra-atomic transitions originating in core level spin-orbit split p-states, and conduction band states are studied in inter-atomic transitions which originate in the oxygen atom 1s core level state. In non-crystalline Zr and Hf silicate alloys, the local bonding symmetry, or crystal field splits these d-states into doubly and triply degenerate features. In nano-crystalline oxides, there are additional d-state splittings due to contributions of more distant neighbors that completely remove d-state degeneracies via the Jahn-Teller effect mechanism. This gives rise to highly localized band edge states that are electronically active in photoconductivity, internal photoemission, and act as bulk traps in metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices

  17. On the mechanical stress of Zr, Zry, and other materials due to the formation of oxide layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofmann, P.

    1977-06-01

    Several mechanisms are indicated which during oxidation of sheets, tubes, and cylinders of pure metals and alloys might lead to plastic deformation of the remaining uncorroded cross section. Some experimental methods are described which allow evaluation of stresses occurring in oxide layers. The main reason for the creep deformation of flat and tubular specimens made of Zr and Zr alloys lies in the stresses that arise from volume increase due to the growth of oxide layers. Plastic deformations of the sheet metal specimens can be up to 100% and are anisotropic. In tubular specimens the changes in geometry (axial, radial) are much smaller in the course of oxidation and attain 2% at the maximum for Zr- or Zry-tubes and go up to 10% for Ta-tubes when no differential pressure is applied simultaneously. (orig.) [de

  18. A case of osteomalacia due to deranged mineral balance caused by saccharated ferric oxide and short-bowel syndrome: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nomoto, Hiroshi; Miyoshi, Hideaki; Nakamura, Akinobu; Nagai, So; Kitao, Naoyuki; Shimizu, Chikara; Atsumi, Tatsuya

    2017-09-01

    Saccharated ferric oxide has been shown to lead to elevation of fibroblast growth factor 23, hypophosphatemia, and, consequently, osteomalacia. Moreover, mineral imbalance is often observed in patients with short-bowel syndrome to some degree. A 62-year-old woman with short-bowel syndrome related with multiple resections of small intestines due to Crohn disease received regular intravenous administration of saccharated ferric oxide. Over the course of treatment, she was diagnosed with tetany, which was attributed to hypocalcemia. Additional assessments of the patient revealed not only hypocalcemia, but also hypophosphatemia, hypomagnesemia, osteomalacia, and a high concentration of fibroblast growth factor 23 (314 pg/mL). We diagnosed her with mineral imbalance-induced osteomalacia due to saccharated ferric oxide and short-bowel syndrome. Magnesium replacement therapy and discontinuation of saccharated ferric oxide alone. These treatments were able to normalize her serum mineral levels and increase her bone mineral density. This case suggests that adequate evaluation of serum minerals, including phosphate and magnesium, during saccharated ferric oxide administration may be necessary, especially in patients with short-bowel syndrome.

  19. Long term performance degradation analysis and optimization of anode supported solid oxide fuel cell stacks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parhizkar, Tarannom; Roshandel, Ramin

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A degradation based optimization framework is developed. • The cost of electricity based on degradation of solid oxide fuel cells is minimized. • The effects of operating conditions on degradation mechanisms are investigated. • Results show 7.12% lower cost of electricity in comparison with base case. • Degradation based optimization is a beneficial concept for long term analysis. - Abstract: The main objective of this work is minimizing the cost of electricity of solid oxide fuel cell stacks by decelerating degradation mechanisms rate in long term operation for stationary power generation applications. The degradation mechanisms in solid oxide fuel cells are caused by microstructural changes, reactions between lanthanum strontium manganite and electrolyte, poisoning by chromium, carburization on nickel particles, formation of nickel sulfide, nickel coarsening, nickel oxidation, loss of conductivity and crack formation in the electrolyte. The rate of degradation mechanisms depends on the cell operating conditions (cell voltage and fuel utilization). In this study, the degradation based optimization framework is developed which determines optimum operating conditions to achieve a minimum cost of electricity. To show the effectiveness of the developed framework, optimization results are compared with the case that system operates at its design point. Results illustrate optimum operating conditions decrease the cost of electricity by 7.12%. The performed study indicates that degradation based optimization is a beneficial concept for long term performance degradation analysis of energy conversion systems.

  20. Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity Regulation in Solution-Gated Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide Electric-Double-Layer Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Chang Jin; Liu, Yang Hui; Zhu, Li Qiang; Feng, Ping; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

    2016-04-20

    In the biological nervous system, synaptic plasticity regulation is based on the modulation of ionic fluxes, and such regulation was regarded as the fundamental mechanism underlying memory and learning. Inspired by such biological strategies, indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) electric-double-layer (EDL) transistors gated by aqueous solutions were proposed for synaptic behavior emulations. Short-term synaptic plasticity, such as paired-pulse facilitation, high-pass filtering, and orientation tuning, was experimentally emulated in these EDL transistors. Most importantly, we found that such short-term synaptic plasticity can be effectively regulated by alcohol (ethyl alcohol) and salt (potassium chloride) additives. Our results suggest that solution gated oxide-based EDL transistors could act as the platforms for short-term synaptic plasticity emulation.

  1. Fractal and variability analysis of simulations in ozone level due to oxides of nitrogen and sulphur

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhardwaj, Rashmi; Pruthi, Dimple

    2017-10-01

    Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air. These pollutants are detrimental to human the planet as a whole. Apart from causing respiratory infections and pulmonary disorders, rising levels of Nitrogen Dioxide is worsening ozone pollution. Formation of Ground-level ozone involves nitrogen oxides and volatile gases in the sunlight. Volatile gases are emitted from vehicles primarily. Ozone is harmful gas and its exposure can trigger serious health effects as it damages lung tissues. In order to decrease the level of ozone, level of oxides leading to ozone formation has to be dealt with. This paper deals with the simulations in ozone due to oxides of nitrogen and sulphur. The data from Central Pollution Control Board shows positive correlation for ozone with oxides of sulphur and nitrogen for RK Puram, Delhi in India where high concentration of ozone has been found. The correlation between ozone and sulphur, nitrogen oxides is moderate during summer while weak during winters. Ozone with nitrogen and sulphur dioxide follow persistent behavior as Hurst exponent is between 0.5 and 1. The fractal dimension for Sulphur dioxide is 1.4957 indicating the Brownian motion. The behavior of ozone is unpredictable as index of predictability is close to zero.

  2. Non steady-state model for dry oxidation of nuclear wastes metallic containers in long term interim storage conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertrand, Nathalie; Desgranges, Clara; Poquillon, Dominique; Monceau, Daniel

    2006-01-01

    For high-level nuclear waste containers in long-term interim storage, dry oxidation will be the first and the main degradation mode. The reason is that, for this kind of waste, the temperature on the surface of the containers will be high enough to avoid any condensation phenomena for several years. Even if the scale growth kinetics is expected to be very slow since the temperature will be moderate at the beginning of the storage (around 300 deg. C) and will keep on decreasing, the metal thickness lost by dry oxidation over such a long period must be evaluated with a good reliability. To achieve this goal, modelling of the oxide scale growth is necessary and this is the aim of the dry oxidation studies, performed in the frame of the COCON programme. All existing oxidation models are based on the two main oxidation theories developed by Wagner between the 1930's and 1970's on the one hand, and by Cabrera and Mott in the 1960 and next by Fromhold on the other hand. These used to be associated with high temperature behaviour for Wagner's theory and with low temperature for the second one. Indeed it is certainly more relevant to consider their range of application in terms of the oxide scale thickness rather than in terms of temperature. The question is posed about which theory should an appropriate model rely on. It can be expected that the oxide scale could have a thickness ranging from a few tens of nanometers up to several tens of micrometers depending on temperature and class of alloys chosen. At the present time, low-alloyed steels or carbon steels are considered candidate materials for high-level nuclear waste containers in long term interim storage. For this type of alloys, the scale formed during the dry oxidation stage will be 'rapidly' thick enough to neglect the Mott field. Hence, in a first step, some basic models based on a parabolic rate assumption, that is to say Wagner's model, have been derived from experimental data on iron and on low-alloy steel

  3. The nucleic acid metabolism in rat liver after single and long-term administration of tritium oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shorokhova, V.B.

    1984-01-01

    It was shown that after a single administration of tritiUm oxide in a dose of 22.2 MBq/g body mass the liver mass increased, the concentration of nucleic acids decreased and the biosynthesjs rate increased dUring a one-month observation. By the end of the observation period (the first year) the parameters under study were normalized. The long-term administration of tritium oxide in daily doses of 0.37, 0.925 and 1.85 MBq/g body mass caused changes in the nucleac acid metabolism which were less manifest (at early times), than in the case of a single injection. At the same time, the long-term administration of tritium oxide in the dose of 0.925 MBq/g caused a substantial disturbance of the nucleic acid metabolism at later times (after 2-9 months)

  4. Improving long term oxidation protection for {gamma}-TiAl substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bobzin, K.; Schlaefer, T.; Bruehl, M.; Linke, T.F. [Thermisches Spritzen, Institut fuer Oberflaechentechnik (IOT), RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Warda, T.

    2011-11-15

    In previous work, a thermal spray multilayer system consisting of Zirconia (ZrO{sub 2}) and MCrAlY top coat showed promising results regarding the oxidation behavior of the Gamma Titanium Aluminides substrates tested, which encouraged further research activities. Diffusion of substrate material was successfully inhibited by a ceramic Zirconia coating. A building up of a dense and stable oxide layer could be achieved by additional application of an MCrAlY top coat, leading to improved oxidation resistance and thus showing feasibility. In this work the main focus for development was put on enhancing adhesion and lowering residual stresses of the coatings in order to allow long term and cyclic testing without delamination taking place. Being a very brittle material, Gamma Titanium Aluminides require special surface treatment to enable roughening which is crucial for a strong mechanical bond between substrate and coating. Alternatives to conventional grit blasting as a standard preparation method were investigated. These were micro-abrasive blasting and blasting at elevated temperature ({approx}300-550 C) to allow a more ductile behavior. The paper will highlight the implications by means of these measures and will also show the present development status of the multilayer system. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  5. Recovery of humoral immunity parameters in mice under a long-term action of tritium oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirillova, E.N.; Man'ko, V.M.; Muksinova, K.N.

    1986-01-01

    Using the mice-males of the CBA line at the age of 10-12 weeks and body mass of 20-23 g the recovery value of quantitative and qualitative factors of humoral immunity under a long-term action of tritium oxide which has been injected during 6 months in the quantity of 370 kBq per 1g of body mass (cumulative dose 8.73 Gy). The long-term internal mice irradiation with tritium oxide resulted in marked devastation of central and peripheral organs of immune system. An earlier and complete recovery of cells quantity in the bone marrow and spleen, recover up to 50% in lymphnodes and minimum repopulation (from 10 to 20%) in thymus as compared with tested animals of the same age is pointed out. In experimental mice CFU 5 pool decrease in bone marrow and spleen is found. CFUs content in the spleen recovered up to the norm, whereas in the bone marrow it constituted not more than 55% of the control. Deep function injury of V-lymphocyte and T - helper precursors the activity of which has not recovered during the whole observation period. The long-term tritium oxide intake lead to antibodies production suppression (by 30-50%), the tendency to the decrease of antibody formation of these animals has been conserved up to the end of life. The functional activity of T - suppressors in humoral response to thymus-dependent antigen during the remote periods upon long-term irradiation decreased more than twice

  6. Short-term effects of electronic and tobacco cigarettes on exhaled nitric oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marini, Sara; Buonanno, Giorgio; Stabile, Luca; Ficco, Giorgio

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to compare the short-term respiratory effects due to the inhalation of electronic and conventional tobacco cigarette-generated mainstream aerosols through the measurement of the exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). To this purpose, twenty-five smokers were asked to smoke a conventional cigarette and to vape an electronic cigarette (with and without nicotine), and an electronic cigarette without liquid (control session). Electronic and tobacco cigarette mainstream aerosols were characterized in terms of total particle number concentrations and size distributions. On the basis of the measured total particle number concentrations and size distributions, the average particle doses deposited in alveolar and tracheobronchial regions of the lungs for a single 2-s puff were also estimated considering a subject performing resting (sitting) activity. Total particle number concentrations in the mainstream resulted equal to 3.5 ± 0.4 × 10 9 , 5.1 ± 0.1 × 10 9 , and 3.1 ± 0.6 × 10 9 part. cm −3 for electronic cigarettes without nicotine, with nicotine, and for conventional cigarettes, respectively. The corresponding alveolar doses for a resting subject were estimated equal to 3.8 × 10 10 , 5.2 × 10 10 and 2.3 × 10 10 particles. The mean eNO variations measured after each smoking/vaping session were equal to 3.2 ppb, 2.7 ppb and 2.8 ppb for electronic cigarettes without nicotine, with nicotine, and for conventional cigarettes, respectively; whereas, negligible eNO changes were measured in the control session. Statistical tests performed on eNO data showed statistically significant differences between smoking/vaping sessions and the control session, thus confirming a similar effect on human airways whatever the cigarette smoked/vaped, the nicotine content, and the particle dose received. - Highlights: • Electronic cigarettes (with and without nicotine) mainstream aerosols were analyzed; • Particle number concentrations and size distributions

  7. Short-term effects of electronic and tobacco cigarettes on exhaled nitric oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marini, Sara, E-mail: s.marini@unicas.it [Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino (Italy); Buonanno, Giorgio [Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino (Italy); Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane (Australia); Stabile, Luca; Ficco, Giorgio [Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino (Italy)

    2014-07-01

    The objective of this study was to compare the short-term respiratory effects due to the inhalation of electronic and conventional tobacco cigarette-generated mainstream aerosols through the measurement of the exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). To this purpose, twenty-five smokers were asked to smoke a conventional cigarette and to vape an electronic cigarette (with and without nicotine), and an electronic cigarette without liquid (control session). Electronic and tobacco cigarette mainstream aerosols were characterized in terms of total particle number concentrations and size distributions. On the basis of the measured total particle number concentrations and size distributions, the average particle doses deposited in alveolar and tracheobronchial regions of the lungs for a single 2-s puff were also estimated considering a subject performing resting (sitting) activity. Total particle number concentrations in the mainstream resulted equal to 3.5 ± 0.4 × 10{sup 9}, 5.1 ± 0.1 × 10{sup 9}, and 3.1 ± 0.6 × 10{sup 9} part. cm{sup −3} for electronic cigarettes without nicotine, with nicotine, and for conventional cigarettes, respectively. The corresponding alveolar doses for a resting subject were estimated equal to 3.8 × 10{sup 10}, 5.2 × 10{sup 10} and 2.3 × 10{sup 10} particles. The mean eNO variations measured after each smoking/vaping session were equal to 3.2 ppb, 2.7 ppb and 2.8 ppb for electronic cigarettes without nicotine, with nicotine, and for conventional cigarettes, respectively; whereas, negligible eNO changes were measured in the control session. Statistical tests performed on eNO data showed statistically significant differences between smoking/vaping sessions and the control session, thus confirming a similar effect on human airways whatever the cigarette smoked/vaped, the nicotine content, and the particle dose received. - Highlights: • Electronic cigarettes (with and without nicotine) mainstream aerosols were analyzed; • Particle number

  8. Amnioinfusion in term labor with low amniotic fluid due to rupture of membranes: a new indication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miño, M; Puertas, A; Miranda, J A; Herruzo, A J

    1999-01-01

    The null hypothesis was that the use of intrapartum amnioinfusion to induce term labor because of premature rupture of membranes when labor was complicated by low amniotic fluid volume due to vaginal loss would not improve fetal heart rate patterns, decrease the incidence of operative delivery, or improve neonatal acid-base status. 200 term pregnancies with low amniotic fluid due to vaginal loss were randomly chosen to receive intrapartum amnioinfusion or standard obstetric care without amnioinfusion. Fetal heart rate pattern, method of delivery and neonatal acid-base status were compared with Student's t test, chi-squared analysis, Mann-Whitney U- or Fisher's exact test. When amnioinfusion was used, the fetuses had lower rates of variable (74 vs. 91%, Pamnioinfusion, and babies in this group had lower rates of neonatal acidemia of arterial (22 vs. 36%, PAmnioinfusion improved fetal heart rate pattern, lowered the incidence of operative delivery, and improved neonatal acid-base status in term labor complicated by low amniotic fluid due to vaginal loss.

  9. Iron oxides dynamics in a subtropical Brazilian Paleudult under long-term no-tillage management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Vasconcellos Inda

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Replacing conventional tillage (CT with no-tillage (NT management alters the pedoenvironment and the rate of topsoil processes, with possible effects on dissolution processes associated with iron oxides and therefore soil mineralogy. This study aimed to determine the effect of NT on the content and distribution of types of iron oxides in a Rhodic Paleudult in southern Brazil. Soil samples were collected at eight depths within the 0.00-0.80 m layer under CT and NT in a long-term experiment (21 years. Mineralogical identification was conducted by X-ray diffraction (XRD, and the Fe content related to specific types of iron oxides determined by selective dissolution and diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy. Kaolinite, quartz, goethite, hematite, and maghemite were identified in the clay fraction. In the NT-managed soil, there was a decrease in the content of crystalline iron oxides and an increase in the content of poorly crystalline iron oxides with increasing proximity to the soil surface. These results suggest that iron oxides are rearranged in this soil by reductive dissolution of the crystalline types and neoformation of metastable ferrihydrite in topsoil layers, which should be assessed further in laboratory studies.

  10. Optimization of a model of red blood cells for the study of anti-oxidant drugs, in terms of concentration of oxidant and phosphate buffer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bureau, A; Lahet, J-J; Lenfant, F; Bouyer, F; Petitjean, M; Chaillot, B; Freysz, M

    2005-08-01

    The aggression of erythrocytes by an oxidative stress induces hemolysis. This paper aims to valid a model of erythrocytes in terms of composition of the phosphate buffer solution and of concentration of a well-known oxidant, AAPH. Three compositions of phosphate buffer solution are mixed with three concentrations of oxidant. The influence of these two parameters on hemolysis is independently studied by a variance analysis and a Kruskal-Wallis test when ANOVA is not available. The hemolysis rate increases with time at fixed oxidant concentration, but is not influenced by the composition of the buffer solution. The highest hemolysis rate, 90%, was only measured within 2 h with the highest oxidant concentration. If we retain this concentration of oxidant, the lower concentration of the buffer can by eliminated by a significant less hemolysis and the highest concentration of the buffer can by chosen in regard of the better precision for a similar hemolysis compared to the mean buffer. We hope to study the effect of anti-oxidant agent with such a model of erythrocytes.

  11. The effect of sepsis and short-term exposure to nitrous oxide on the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    It is recognised that prolonged anaesthesia with nitrous oxide (N20) induces megaloblastic anaemia by oxidising vitamin B12 To determine whether sepsis aggravates the effect of H20 on haemopoiesis 5 patients with severe sepsis, who required surgery and were exposed to short-term (45 - 105 minutes) N20 anaesthesia, ...

  12. Mid-term survivorship and clinical outcomes of cobalt-chrome and oxidized zirconium on highly crosslinked polyethylene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petis, Stephen M; Vasarhelyi, Edward M; Lanting, Brent A; Howard, James L; Naudie, Douglas D R; Somerville, Lyndsay E; McCalden, Richard W

    2016-02-01

    The choice of bearing articulation for total hip arthroplasty in younger patients is amenable to debate. We compared mid-term patient-reported outcomes and survivorship across 2 different bearing articulations in a young patient cohort. We reviewed patients with cobalt-chrome or oxidized zirconium on highly crosslinked polyethylene who were followed prospectively between 2004 and 2012. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine predicted cumulative survivorship at 5 years with all-cause and aseptic revisions as the outcome. We compared patient-reported outcomes, including the Harris hip score (HHS), Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Short-form 12 (SF-12) scores. A total of 622 patients were followed during the study period. Mean follow-up was 8.2 (range 2.0-10.6) years for cobalt-chrome and 7.8 (range 2.1-10.7) years for oxidized zirconium. Mean age was 54.9 ± 10.6 years for cobalt-chrome and 54.8 ± 10.7 years for oxidized zirconium. Implant survivorship was 96.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 94.9%-97.1%) for cobalt-chrome and 98.7% (95% CI 98.0%-99.4%) for oxidized zirconium on highly crosslinked polyethylene for all-cause revisions, and 97.2% (95% CI 96.2%-98.2%) for cobalt-chrome and 99.0% (95% CI 98.4%-99.6%) for oxidized zirconium for aseptic revisions. An age-, sex- and diagnosis-matched comparison of the HHS, WOMAC and SF-12 scores demonstrated no significant changes in clinical outcomes across the groups. Both bearing surface couples demonstrated excellent mid-term survivorship and outcomes in young patient cohorts. Future analyses on wear and costs are warranted to elicit differences between the groups at long-term follow-up.

  13. Oxidative stress and myocardial dysfunction in young rabbits after short term anabolic steroids administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Germanakis, Ioannis; Tsarouhas, Konstantinos; Fragkiadaki, Persefoni; Tsitsimpikou, Christina; Goutzourelas, Nikolaos; Champsas, Maria Christakis; Stagos, Demetrios; Rentoukas, Elias; Tsatsakis, Aristidis M

    2013-11-01

    The present study focuses on the short term effects of repeated low level administration of turinabol and methanabol on cardiac function in young rabbits (4 months-old). The experimental scheme consisted of two oral administration periods, lasting 1 month each, interrupted by 1-month wash-out period. Serial echocardiographic evaluation at the end of all three experimental periods was performed in all animals. Oxidative stress markers have also been monitored at the end of each administration period. Treated animals originally showed significantly increased myocardial mass and systolic cardiac output, which normalized at the end of the wash out period. Re-administration led to increased cardiac output, at the cost though of a progressive myocardial mass reduction. A dose-dependent trend towards impaired longitudinal systolic, diastolic and global myocardial function was also observed. The adverse effects were more pronounced in the methanabol group. For both anabolic steroids studied, the low dose had no significant effects on oxidative stress markers monitored, while the high dose created a hostile oxidative environment. In conclusion, anabolic administration has been found to create a possible deleterious long term effect on the growth of the immature heart and should be strongly discouraged especially in young human subjects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Disrupted fat distribution and composition due to medium-chain triglycerides in mice with a β-oxidation defect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucci, Sara; Flögel, Ulrich; Sturm, Marga; Borsch, Elena; Spiekerkoetter, Ute

    2011-08-01

    Because of the enhanced recognition of inherited long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders by worldwide newborn screening programs, an increasing number of asymptomatic patients receive medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplements to prevent the development of cardiomyopathy and myopathy. MCT supplementation has been recognized as a safe dietary intervention, but long-term observations into later adulthood are still not available. We investigated the consequences of a prolonged MCT diet on abdominal fat distribution and composition and on liver fat. Mice with very-long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCAD(-/-)) were supplemented for 1 y with a diet in which MCTs replaced long-chain triglycerides without increasing the total fat content. The dietary effects on abdominal fat accumulation and composition were analyzed by in vivo (1)H- and (13)C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (9.4 Tesla). After 1 y of MCT supplementation, VLCAD(-/-) mice accumulated massive visceral fat and had a dramatic increase in the concentration of serum free fatty acids. Furthermore, we observed a profound shift in body triglyceride composition, ie, concentrations of physiologically important polyunsaturated fatty acids dramatically decreased. (1)H-Magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis and histologic evaluation of the liver also showed pronounced fat accumulation and marked oxidative stress. Although the MCT-supplemented diet has been reported to prevent the development of cardiomyopathy and skeletal myopathy in fatty acid oxidation disorders, our data show that long-term MCT supplementation results in a severe clinical phenotype similar to that of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and the metabolic syndrome.

  15. Catalytic activity of oxide cerium-molybdenum-tellurium catalysts in oxidation ammonolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dzhordano, N.; Bart, D.; Madzhori, R.

    1984-01-01

    A commercial catalyst containing a mixture of Ce-, Mo-, Te oxides deposited on SiO 2 is shown to manifest a high efficiency in oxidative ammonolysis of propylene (C 3 - ) to acrylonitrile (AN). The dependence of the catalytic properties on the catalyst composition and reaction conditions is studied. It is established that three-component mixtures are more active and selective than the systems with a lesser number of components. Using the catalyst with the optimum ratio of constituent oxides in a microreactor at 440 deg enabled one to achieve initial selectivity in terms of AN equal to 82.5% at 97% conversion of C 3 - . Acrolein, acetonitrile, HCN and nitrogen oxides are the reaction by-products. A supposition is made that the reaction proceeds via the formation of π-compleXes on the centres of Te(4). Setective oxidation occurs on oxygen atoms bonded with the Mo(6) ions. Tellurium enhances the molybdenum reducibleness due to delocalization of electrons, whereas the cerium addition to the mixture of tellurium- and molybdenum oxides increases the rate of molybdenum reoxidation and thus enhances the catalytic system stability

  16. Fabrication of long-term stable superoleophobic surface based on copper oxide/cobalt oxide with micro-nanoscale hierarchical roughness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barthwal, Sumit; Lim, Si-Hyung

    2015-02-01

    We have demonstrated a simple and cost-effective technique for the large-area fabrication of a superoleophobic surface using copper as a substrate. The whole process included three simple steps: First, the copper substrate was oxidized under hot alkaline conditions to fabricate flower-like copper oxide microspheres by heating at a particular temperature for an interval of time. Second, the copper-oxide-covered copper substrate was further heated in a solution of cobalt nitrate and ammonium nitrate in the presence of an ammonia solution to fabricate cobalt oxide nanostructures. We applied this second step to increase the surface roughness because it is an important criterion for improved superoleophobicity. Finally, to reduce the surface energy of the fabricated structures, the surfaces were chemically modified with perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane. Contact-angle measurements indicate that the micro-nano binary (MNB) hierarchical structures fabricated on the copper substrate became super-repellent toward a broad range of liquids with surface tension in the range of 21.5-72 mN/m. In an attempt to significantly improve the superoleophobic property of the surface, we also examined and compared the role of nanostructures in MNB hierarchical structures with only micro-fabricated surfaces. The fabricated MNB hierarchical structures also displays thermal stability and excellent long-term stability after exposure in air for more than 9 months. Our method might provide a general route toward the preparation of novel hierarchical films on metal substrates for various industrial applications.

  17. Long-term operation of a solid oxide cell stack for coelectrolysis of steam and CO2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agersted, Karsten; Chen, Ming; Blennow, Peter

    2016-01-01

    of synthetic fuels such as methane, methanol or DME. Previously we have reported electrolysis operation of solid oxide cell stacks for periods up to about 1000 hours. In this work, operation of a Haldor Topsoe 8-cell stack (stack design of 2014) in co-electrolysis mode for 6000 hours is reported. The stack....... Initial operation at 700 oC and -0.25 A/cm2 lasted for only 120 hours due to severe degradation of the bottom cell. Regaining the stack performance was realized by increasing the operation temperature to 750 oC. After reactivation, the stack showed negligible degradation at 750 oC and -0.25 A/cm2...... and about 1.4 %/1000 h performance degradation at 750 oC and -0.5 A/cm2. This study demonstrates feasibility of long-term co-electrolysis operation via SOEC stacks and of careful temperature variation as a tool to regain the stack performance....

  18. Graphene as a long-term metal oxidation barrier: worse than nothing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schriver, Maria; Regan, William; Gannett, Will J; Zaniewski, Anna M; Crommie, Michael F; Zettl, Alex

    2013-07-23

    Anticorrosion and antioxidation surface treatments such as paint or anodization are a foundational component in nearly all industries. Graphene, a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon with impressive impermeability to gases, seems to hold promise as an effective anticorrosion barrier, and recent work supports this hope. We perform a complete study of the short- and long-term performance of graphene coatings for Cu and Si substrates. Our work reveals that although graphene indeed offers effective short-term oxidation protection, over long time scales it promotes more extensive wet corrosion than that seen for an initially bare, unprotected Cu surface. This surprising result has important implications for future scientific studies and industrial applications. In addition to informing any future work on graphene as a protective coating, the results presented here have implications for graphene's performance in a wide range of applications.

  19. Impact of short-term dietary modification on postprandial oxidative stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bloomer Richard J

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We have recently reported that short-term (21-day dietary modification in accordance with a stringent vegan diet (i.e., a Daniel Fast lowers blood lipids as well as biomarkers of oxidative stress. However, this work only involved measurements obtained in a fasted state. In the present study, we determined the postprandial response to a high-fat milkshake with regards to blood triglycerides (TAG, biomarkers of oxidative stress, and hemodynamic variables before and following a 21-day Daniel Fast. Methods Twenty-two subjects (10 men and 12 women; aged 35 ± 3 years completed a 21-day Daniel Fast. To induce oxidative stress, a milkshake (fat = 0.8 g·kg-1; carbohydrate = 1.0 g·kg-1; protein = 0.25 g·kg-1 was consumed by subjects on day one and day 22 in a rested and 12-hour fasted state. Before and at 2 and 4 h after consumption of the milkshake, heart rate (HR and blood pressure were measured. Blood samples were also collected at these times and analyzed for TAG, malondialdehyde (MDA, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP, nitrate/nitrite (NOx, and Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC. Results A time effect was noted for HR (p = 0.006, with values higher at 2 hr post intake of the milkshake as compared to pre intake (p p = 0.02, and a trend for lower systolic blood pressure was noted (p = 0.07. Time effects were noted for TAG (p = 0.001, MDA (p 2O2 (p p p p p = 0.02, which was higher post fast as compared to pre fast. No pre/post fast × time interactions were noted (p > 0.05, with the area under the curve from pre to post fast reduced only slightly for TAG (11%, MDA (11%, H2O2 (8%, and AOPP (12%, with a 37% increase noted for NOx. Conclusion Partaking in a 21-day Daniel Fast does not result in a statistically significant reduction in postprandial oxidative stress. It is possible that a longer time course of adherence to the Daniel Fast eating plan may be needed to observe significant

  20. Amorphous iron–chromium oxide nanoparticles with long-term stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iacob, Mihail [“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487 (Romania); Institute of Chemistry of ASM, Academiei str. 3, Chisinau 2028, Republic of Moldova (Moldova, Republic of); Cazacu, Maria, E-mail: mcazacu@icmpp.ro [“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487 (Romania); Turta, Constantin [Institute of Chemistry of ASM, Academiei str. 3, Chisinau 2028, Republic of Moldova (Moldova, Republic of); Doroftei, Florica [“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487 (Romania); Botko, Martin; Čižmár, Erik; Zeleňáková, Adriana; Feher, Alexander [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Park Angelinum 9, SK-04154 Košice (Slovakia)

    2015-05-15

    Highlights: • Fe–Cr oxide nanoparticles with pre-established metals ratio were obtained. • The amorphous state and its long-term stability were highlighted by X-ray diffraction. • The average diameter of dried nanoparticles was 3.5 nm, as was estimated by TEM, AFM. • In hexane dispersion, nanoparticles with diameter in the range 2.33–4.85 nm were found. • Superparamagnetic state of NPs co-exists with diamagnetism of the organic layer. - Abstract: Iron–chromium nanoparticles (NPs) were obtained through the thermal decomposition of μ{sub 3}-oxo heterotrinuclear (FeCr{sub 2}O) acetate in the presence of sunflower oil and dodecylamine (DA) as surfactants. The average diameter of the NPs was 3.5 nm, as estimated on the basis of transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images. Both techniques revealed the formation of roughly approximated spheres with some irregularities and agglomerations in larger spherical assemblies of 50–100 nm. In hexane, NPs with diameters in the 2.33–4.85 nm range are individually dispersed, as emphasized by dynamic light scattering measurements. The amorphous nature of the product was emphasized by X-ray powder diffraction. The study of the magnetic properties shows the presence of superparamagnetic state of iron–chromium oxide NPs and the diamagnetic contribution from DA layer forming a shell of NPs.

  1. Repeated short-term stress synergizes the ROS signalling through up regulation of NFkB and iNOS expression induced due to combined exposure of trichloroethylene and UVB rays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Farrah; Sultana, Sarwat

    2012-01-01

    Restraint stress is known to catalyse the pathogenesis of the variety of chronic inflammatory disorders. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of repeated short-term stress (RRS) on cellular transduction apart from oxidative burden and early tumour promotional biomarkers induced due to combined exposure of trichloroethylene (TCE) and Ultra-violet radiation (UVB). RRS leads to the increase in the expression of the stress responsive cellular transduction elements NFkB-p65 and activity of iNOS in the epidermal tissues of mice after toxicant exposure. RRS augments the steep depletion of the cellular antioxidant machinery which was evidenced by the marked depletion in GSH (Glutathione and GSH dependant enzymes), superoxide dismutase and catalase activity that were observed at significance level of P stressed animals and down regulation of DT-diaphorase activity (P short-term stress in the toxic response of TCE and UVB radiation.

  2. Enhanced performance of solid oxide electrolysis cells by integration with a partial oxidation reactor: Energy and exergy analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Visitdumrongkul, Nuttawut; Tippawan, Phanicha; Authayanun, Suthida; Assabumrungrat, Suttichai; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Process design of solid oxide electrolyzer integrated with a partial oxidation reactor is studied. • Effect of key operating parameters of partial oxidation reactor on the electrolyzer performance is presented. • Exergy analysis of the electrolyzer process is performed. • Partial oxidation reactor can enhance the solid oxide electrolyzer performance. • Partial oxidation reactor in the process is the highest exergy destruction unit. - Abstract: Hydrogen production without carbon dioxide emission has received a large amount of attention recently. A solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) can produce pure hydrogen and oxygen via a steam electrolysis reaction that does not emit greenhouse gases. Due to the high operating temperature of SOEC, an external heat source is required for operation, which also helps to improve SOEC performance and reduce operating electricity. The non-catalytic partial oxidation reaction (POX), which is a highly exothermic reaction, can be used as an external heat source and can be integrated with SOEC. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the effect of operating parameters of non-catalytic POX (i.e., the oxygen to carbon ratio, operating temperature and pressure) on SOEC performance, including exergy analysis of the process. The study indicates that non-catalytic partial oxidation can enhance the hydrogen production rate and efficiency of the system. In terms of exergy analysis, the non-catalytic partial oxidation reactor is demonstrated to be the highest exergy destruction unit due to irreversible chemical reactions taking place, whereas SOEC is a low exergy destruction unit. This result indicates that the partial oxidation reactor should be improved and optimally designed to obtain a high energy and exergy system efficiency.

  3. Short-Term Caloric Restriction Suppresses Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Hypertrophy Caused by Chronic Pressure Overload.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobara, Miyuki; Furumori-Yukiya, Akiko; Kitamura, Miho; Matsumura, Mihoko; Ohigashi, Makoto; Toba, Hiroe; Nakata, Tetsuo

    2015-08-01

    Caloric restriction (CR) prevents senescent changes, in which reactive oxygen species (ROS) have a critical role. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. We examined whether CR alters cardiac redox state and hypertrophy from chronic pressure overload. Male c57BL6 mice were subjected to ascending aortic constriction (AAC) with ad libitum caloric intake (AL + AAC group) or 40% restricted caloric intake (CR + AAC group). CR was initiated 2 weeks before AAC and was continued for 4 weeks. Two weeks after constriction, AAC increased LV wall thickness, impaired transmitral flow velocity, and augmented myocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis, in association with enhancement of BNP and collagen III expressions in the AL + AAC group. In the AL + AAC group, oxidative stress in cardiac tissue and mitochondria were enhanced, and NADPH oxidase activity and mitochondrial ROS production were elevated. These changes were significantly attenuated in the CR + AAC group. Additionally, in antioxidant systems, myocardial glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities were enhanced in the CR + AAC group. Chronic pressure overload increased cardiac oxidative damage, in association with cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Short-term CR suppressed oxidative stress and improved cardiac function, suggesting that short-term CR could be a useful strategy to prevent pressure overload-induced cardiac injury. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. The effect of long-term treatment with coenzyme Q10 on nucleic acid modifications by oxidation in children with Down syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Emil List; Padella, Lucia; Bergholdt, Helle Kirstine Mørup

    2018-01-01

    Elevated levels of oxidative nucleic acid modifications have been proposed to be associated with some of the clinical characteristics of Down syndrome. Oral intake of coenzyme Q10 improves oxidative status and shows a tendency toward protective effect on DNA oxidation in certain age groups...... of children with Down syndrome. Here, we demonstrate that long-term (i.e., 4 years) treatment with coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) at the dosage of 4 mg/kg/d does not affect whole body DNA and RNA oxidation....

  5. Relaxation of Si-SiO2 interfacial stress in bipolar screen oxides due to ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Witczak, S.C.; Galloway, K.F.; Schrimpf, R.D.; Suehle, J.S.

    1995-01-01

    Current gain degradation due to ionizing radiation in complementary single-crystalline emitter bipolar transistors was found to grow progressively worse upon subjecting the transistors to repeated cycles of radiation exposure and high-temperature anneal. The increase in radiation sensitivity is independent of the emitter polarity or geometry and is most dramatic between the first and second radiation and anneal cycles. In parallel with the current gain measurements, samples from a monitor wafer simulating the screen oxide region above the extrinsic base in the npn transistors were measured for mechanical stress while undergoing similar cycles of irradiation and anneal. The oxide on the monitor wafer consisted of a 45 nm thermal layer and a 640 nm deposited layer. The results indicate that ionizing radiation helped relieve compressive stress at the Si surface. The magnitude of the stress change due to radiation is smaller than the stress induced by the emitter contact metallization followed by a post-metallization anneal. Correlation of radiation sensitivity in the bipolar transistors and mechanical stress in the monitor wafer suggests that mechanical stress may be influential in determining the radiation hardness of bipolar transistors and lends validation to previously reported observations that Si-SiO 2 interfaces are increasingly more susceptible to radiation damage with decreasing Si compressive stress. Possible mechanisms for the observed changes in stress and their effect on the radiation sensitivity of the bipolar transistors are discussed

  6. Uranium oxidation: characterization of oxides formed by reaction with water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuller, E.L. Jr.; Smyrl, N.R.; Condon, J.B.; Eager, M.H.

    1983-01-01

    Three different uranium oxide samples have been characterized with respect to the different preparation techniques. Results show that the water reaction with uranium metal occurs cyclically forming laminar layers of oxide which spall off due to the strain at the oxide/metal interface. Single laminae are released if liquid water is present due to the prizing penetration at the reaction zone. The rate of reaction of water with uranium is directly proportional to the amount of adsorbed water on the oxide product. Rapid transport is effected through the open hydrous oxide product. Dehydration of the hydrous oxide irreversibly forms a more inert oxide which cannot be rehydrated to the degree that prevails in the original hydrous product of uranium oxidation with water. 27 figures

  7. Effect of Short-Term High Fat Diet Inducing Obesity on Hematological, Some Biochemical Parameters and Testicular Oxidative Stress in Male Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sherif M. Shawky

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Obesity constitutes a health problem due to its increasing worldwide prevalence. Among the health detriments caused by obesity, reproduction is disrupted. Some studies have shown a relationship between obesity and infertility, but until now it remains controversial. The objective of the current work was to examine the effect of diet-induced obesity on blood parameters, liver and kidney function tests, lipid profile and testicular oxidative stress. For that purpose, Male rats were fed ad libitum with a standard diet (control group; n.= 15 and high fat diet (HFD group; n.= 15 for 6 weeks. Hematological parameters, urea, creatinine, albumin were similar between the two groups. Intergroup testosterone levels were also comparable. The high fat diet induced significant increase in serum triglycerides, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. This diet also increases significantly alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and decreased total protein level and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration. Furthermore, HFD showed a significant increasing in malondialdehyde contents in testes and decreasing in superoxide dismutase activity, the results of this study concluded that short-term high fat diet affect on liver enzymes and causing oxidative stress in testes.

  8. Long-term corrosion inhibition mechanism of microarc oxidation coated AZ31 Mg alloys for biomedical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu, Yanhong; Bandopadhyay, Sukumar; Chen, Cheng-fu; Ning, Chengyun; Guo, Yuanjun

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► The corrosion behavior is significantly affected by the long-term immersion. ► The degradation is inhibited due to the corrosion product layer. ► The corrosion resistance is enhanced by optimized MAO electrolyte concentrations. ► The corrosion inhibition mechanism is presented by a Flash animation. - Abstract: This paper addresses the long-term corrosion behavior of microarc oxidation coated Mg alloys immersed in simulated body fluid for 28 days. The coatings on AZ31 Mg alloys were produced in the electrolyte of sodium phosphate (Na 3 PO 4 ) at the concentration of 20 g/L, 30 g/L and 40 g/L, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical micrograph were used to observe the microstructure of the samples before and after corrosion. The composition of the MAO coating and corrosion products were determined by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Corrosion product identification showed that hydroxyapatite (HA) was formed on the surface of the corroded samples. The ratio of Ca/P in HA determined by the X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) technique showed that HA is an acceptable biocompatible implant material. The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to characterize the corrosion rate and the electrochemical impedance. The corrosion resistance of the coated Mg alloys can be enhanced by optimizing the electrolyte concentrations for fabricating samples, and is enhanced after immersing the coated samples in simulated body fluid for more than 14 days. The enhanced corrosion resistance after long-term immersion is attributed to a corrosion product layer formed on the sample surface. The inhibition mechanism of the corrosion process is discussed and presented with an animation

  9. Reduced coupling of oxidative phosphorylation in vivo precedes electron transport chain defects due to mild oxidative stress in mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael P Siegel

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress and mitochondrial function are at the core of many degenerative conditions. However, the interaction between oxidative stress and in vivo mitochondrial function is unclear. We used both pharmacological (2 week paraquat (PQ treatment of wild type mice and transgenic (mice lacking Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1(-/- models to test the effect of oxidative stress on in vivo mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle. Magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopy were used to measure mitochondrial ATP and oxygen fluxes and cell energetic state. In both models of oxidative stress, coupling of oxidative phosphorylation was significantly lower (lower P/O at rest in vivo in skeletal muscle and was dose-dependent in the PQ model. Despite this reduction in efficiency, in vivo mitochondrial phosphorylation capacity (ATPmax was maintained in both models, and ex vivo mitochondrial respiration in permeabilized muscle fibers was unchanged following PQ treatment. In association with the reduced P/O, PQ treatment led to a dose-dependent reduction in PCr/ATP ratio and increased phosphorylation of AMPK. These results indicate that oxidative stress uncouples oxidative phosphorylation in vivo and results in energetic stress in the absence of defects in the mitochondrial electron transport chain.

  10. Long-term results of endoscopic stenting and surgical drainage for biliary stricture due to chronic pancreatitis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smits, M. E.; Rauws, E. A.; van Gulik, T. M.; Gouma, D. J.; Tytgat, G. N.; Huibregtse, K.

    1996-01-01

    A retrospective evaluation was made of the long-term results of endoscopic stenting in 58 patients with benign biliary stricture due to chronic pancreatitis. Immediate relief of jaundice and cholestasis was achieved in all patients after endoscopic stent insertion. Median follow-up was 49 months.

  11. Sulfur Poisoning of Ni/stabilized-zirconia Anodes – Effect on Long-Term Durability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauch, Anne; Hagen, Anke; Hjelm, Johan

    2013-01-01

    Sulfur impurities in carbon containing fuels for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), e.g. natural gas and biogas, can lead to significant losses in performance due to the sulfur sensitivity of Ni/YSZ SOFC anodes. Full cells having Ni/YSZ and Ni/ScYSZ anodes have been characterized during long-term gal...... to focus on the long-term effect over a few hundred of hours. This work describes and correlates the observed evolution of anode performance, over hundreds of hours, with sulfur poisoning with the different operating conditions.......Sulfur impurities in carbon containing fuels for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), e.g. natural gas and biogas, can lead to significant losses in performance due to the sulfur sensitivity of Ni/YSZ SOFC anodes. Full cells having Ni/YSZ and Ni/ScYSZ anodes have been characterized during long...

  12. Catalytic oxidation using nitrous oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Carlos Beltran-Prieto

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Nitrous oxide is a very inert gas used generally as oxidant as it offers some advantage compared with other oxidants such as O2 but a considerably higher temperature (> 526 °C is often required. For particular cases such as the oxidation of sugar alcohols, especially for the oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes, N2O has the advantage over O2 of a higher reaction selectivity. In the present paper we present the modelling of oxidation reaction of sugar alcohols using an oxidizing agent in low concentrations, which is important to suppress subsequent oxidation reactions due to the very low residual concentrations of the oxidizing agent. For orientation experiments we chose nitrous oxide generated by thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate. Kinetic modeling of the reaction was performed after determination of the differential equations that describe the system under study.

  13. Oxidative stress and total antioxidant status in term newborns and their mothers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Wilinska

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The peripartum period and delivery are considered critical for maintaining a balance between the production of free oxygen radicals and functional incompetence of the antioxidant system of a foetus and a neonate. [b]Objective.[/b] The aim of the study was to evaluate the oxidoreductive state of mothers and their newborns immediately after delivery and in the first few days after birth. [b]Method.[/b] Eighty-five mothers and their healthy, term newborns were included into the prospective study. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS in maternal placenta and milk, as well as blood and urine of the neonates on the first and third day after birth, were examined. [b]Results.[/b] Elevated levels of TBARS were found in maternal placenta and neonatal blood on the third day after birth, but low concentrations were observed in maternal milk. On the contrary, total antioxidant status (TAS showed a declining tendency in neonatal blood and an increasing tendency in breast milk. Markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity were independent of the mode of delivery. [b]Conclusions.[/b] Values of oxidative stress markers in mothers and newborns immediately after birth were elevated and increased further during the first few days of neonatal life. Breast milk was the only nutritional substance with high antioxidant activity. At the same time, TBARS levels in breast milk decreased, which might indicate its protective role in reducing oxidative stress in newborns.

  14. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones survive oxidative stress due to increased tolerance instead of avoidance or repair of oxidative damage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oxidative stress can lead to premature aging symptoms and cause acute mortality at higher doses in a range of organisms. Oxidative stress resistance and longevity are mechanistically and phenotypically linked: considerable variation in oxidative stress resistance exists among and within species and ...

  15. The indirect global warming potential and global temperature change potential due to methane oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boucher, Olivier; Collins, Bill; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Shine, Keith P

    2009-01-01

    Methane is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas in the atmosphere next to carbon dioxide. Its global warming potential (GWP) for a time horizon of 100 years is 25, which makes it an attractive target for climate mitigation policies. Although the methane GWP traditionally includes the methane indirect effects on the concentrations of ozone and stratospheric water vapour, it does not take into account the production of carbon dioxide from methane oxidation. We argue here that this CO 2 -induced effect should be included for fossil sources of methane, which results in slightly larger GWP values for all time horizons. If the global temperature change potential is used as an alternative climate metric, then the impact of the CO 2 -induced effect is proportionally much larger. We also discuss what the correction term should be for methane from anthropogenic biogenic sources.

  16. JNK1 ablation in mice confers long-term metabolic protection from diet-induced obesity at the cost of moderate skin oxidative damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becattini, Barbara; Zani, Fabio; Breasson, Ludovic; Sardi, Claudia; D'Agostino, Vito Giuseppe; Choo, Min-Kyung; Provenzani, Alessandro; Park, Jin Mo; Solinas, Giovanni

    2016-09-01

    Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with oxidative stress, which may be implicated in the progression of obesity-related diseases. The kinase JNK1 has emerged as a promising drug target for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. JNK1 is also a key mediator of the oxidative stress response, which can promote cell death or survival, depending on the magnitude and context of its activation. In this article, we describe a study in which the long-term effects of JNK1 inactivation on glucose homeostasis and oxidative stress in obese mice were investigated for the first time. Mice lacking JNK1 (JNK1(-/-)) were fed an obesogenic high-fat diet (HFD) for a long period. JNK1(-/-) mice fed an HFD for the long term had reduced expression of antioxidant genes in their skin, more skin oxidative damage, and increased epidermal thickness and inflammation compared with the effects in control wild-type mice. However, we also observed that the protection from obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, steatosis, and insulin resistance, conferred by JNK1 ablation, was sustained over a long period and was paralleled by decreased oxidative damage in fat and liver. We conclude that compounds targeting JNK1 activity in brain and adipose tissue, which do not accumulate in the skin, may be safer and most effective.-Becattini, B., Zani, F., Breasson, L., Sardi, C., D'Agostino, V. G., Choo, M.-K., Provenzani, A., Park, J. M., Solinas, G. JNK1 ablation in mice confers long-term metabolic protection from diet-induced obesity at the cost of moderate skin oxidative damage. © FASEB.

  17. Influence on the oxidative potential of a heavy-duty engine particle emission due to selective catalytic reduction system and biodiesel blend

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godoi, Ricardo H.M.; Polezer, Gabriela; Borillo, Guilherme C.; Brown, Andrew; Valebona, Fabio B.; Silva, Thiago O.B.; Ingberman, Aline B.G.; Nalin, Marcelo; Yamamoto, Carlos I.; Potgieter-Vermaak, Sanja; Penteado Neto, Renato A.; Marchi, Mary Rosa R. de; Saldiva, Paulo H.N.; Pauliquevis, Theotonio; Godoi, Ana Flavia L.

    2016-01-01

    Although the particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel fuelled engines are acknowledged to be lower than those of fossil diesel, there is a concern on the impact of PM produced by biodiesel to human health. As the oxidative potential of PM has been suggested as trigger for adverse health effects, it was measured using the Electron Spin Resonance (OP"E"S"R) technique. Additionally, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) was employed to determine elemental concentration, and Raman Spectroscopy was used to describe the amorphous carbon character of the soot collected on exhaust PM from biodiesel blends fuelled test-bed engine, with and without Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). OP"E"S"R results showed higher oxidative potential per kWh of PM produced from a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel and 80% ULSD (B20) engine compared with a blend of 5% soybean biodiesel and 95% ULSD (B5), whereas the SCR was able to reduce oxidative potential for each fuel. EDXRF data indicates a correlation of 0.99 between concentration of copper and oxidative potential. Raman Spectroscopy centered on the expected carbon peaks between 1100 cm"−"1 and 1600 cm"−"1 indicate lower molecular disorder for the B20 particulate matter, an indicative of a more graphitic carbon structure. The analytical techniques used in this study highlight the link between biodiesel engine exhaust and increased oxidative potential relative to biodiesel addition on fossil diesel combustion. The EDXRF analysis confirmed the prominent role of metals on free radical production. As a whole, these results suggest that 20% of biodiesel blends run without SCR may pose an increased health risk due to an increase in OH radical generation. - Highlights: • PM emission from biodiesel burning may be more harmful to human health than diesel. • Euro V (SCR) engine fuelled with B5 and B20 tested in a bench dynamometer • Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) to access the oxidative potential of PM emission

  18. Influence on the oxidative potential of a heavy-duty engine particle emission due to selective catalytic reduction system and biodiesel blend

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Godoi, Ricardo H.M., E-mail: rhmgodoi@ufpr.br [Environmental Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Polezer, Gabriela; Borillo, Guilherme C. [Environmental Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Brown, Andrew [Division of Chemistry and Environmental Science, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester (United Kingdom); Valebona, Fabio B.; Silva, Thiago O.B.; Ingberman, Aline B.G. [Environmental Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Nalin, Marcelo [LAVIE - Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara (Brazil); Yamamoto, Carlos I. [Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Potgieter-Vermaak, Sanja [Division of Chemistry and Environmental Science, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester (United Kingdom); Penteado Neto, Renato A. [Vehicle Emissions Laboratory, Institute of Technology for Development (LACTEC), Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Marchi, Mary Rosa R. de [Analytical Chemistry Department, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara (Brazil); Saldiva, Paulo H.N. [Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo (Brazil); Pauliquevis, Theotonio [Department of Natural and Earth Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema (Brazil); Godoi, Ana Flavia L. [Environmental Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil)

    2016-08-01

    Although the particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel fuelled engines are acknowledged to be lower than those of fossil diesel, there is a concern on the impact of PM produced by biodiesel to human health. As the oxidative potential of PM has been suggested as trigger for adverse health effects, it was measured using the Electron Spin Resonance (OP{sup ESR}) technique. Additionally, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) was employed to determine elemental concentration, and Raman Spectroscopy was used to describe the amorphous carbon character of the soot collected on exhaust PM from biodiesel blends fuelled test-bed engine, with and without Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). OP{sup ESR} results showed higher oxidative potential per kWh of PM produced from a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel and 80% ULSD (B20) engine compared with a blend of 5% soybean biodiesel and 95% ULSD (B5), whereas the SCR was able to reduce oxidative potential for each fuel. EDXRF data indicates a correlation of 0.99 between concentration of copper and oxidative potential. Raman Spectroscopy centered on the expected carbon peaks between 1100 cm{sup −1} and 1600 cm{sup −1} indicate lower molecular disorder for the B20 particulate matter, an indicative of a more graphitic carbon structure. The analytical techniques used in this study highlight the link between biodiesel engine exhaust and increased oxidative potential relative to biodiesel addition on fossil diesel combustion. The EDXRF analysis confirmed the prominent role of metals on free radical production. As a whole, these results suggest that 20% of biodiesel blends run without SCR may pose an increased health risk due to an increase in OH radical generation. - Highlights: • PM emission from biodiesel burning may be more harmful to human health than diesel. • Euro V (SCR) engine fuelled with B5 and B20 tested in a bench dynamometer • Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) to access the oxidative potential of

  19. Effect of oxide film formation on the fatigue behavior of aluminum alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jong Cheon; Cheong, Seong Kyun

    2012-01-01

    In this study, the effects of surface oxide film formation on the fatigue behavior of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy were analyzed in terms of the corrosion time of the alloy. The aluminum material used is known to have high corrosion resistance due to the passivation phenomenon that prevents corrosion. Aluminum alloys have been widely used in various industrial applications such as aircraft component manufacturing because of their lighter weight and higher strength than other materials. Therefore, studies on the fatigue behavior of materials and passivation properties that prevent corrosion are required. The fatigue behavior in terms of the corrosion time was analyzed by using a four pointing bending machine, and the surface corrosion level of the aluminum material in terms of the corrosion time was estimated by measuring the surface were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that corrosion actively progressed for four weeks during the initial corrosion phase, the fatigue life significantly decreased, and the surface roughness increased. However, after four weeks, the corrosion reaction tended to slow down due to the passivation phenomenon of the material. Therefore, on the basis of SEM analysis results, it was concluded that the growth of the surface oxide film was reduced after four weeks and then the oxide film on the material surface served as a protection layer and prevented further corrosion

  20. Oxidative and antioxidative responses in submandibular and parotid glands of rats exposed to long-term extremely low frequency magnetic field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Akdağ

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Some epidemiologic and laboratory studies have suggested a possible associations between exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF and cancer. However, it is not known underlying mechanisms of this interaction. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible oxidative damage induced by long-term ELF-MF exposure on submandibular and parotis glands of rats. Methods: Rats in the experimental group were exposed to 100 and 500 µT ELF-MF (2 h/day, 7 days/week, for 10 months corresponding to exposure levels that are considered safe for humans. The same experimental procedures were applied to the sham group, but the ELF generator was turned off. The levels of catalase (CAT, malondialdehyde (MDA, myeloperoxidase (MPO, total antioxidative capacity (TAC, total oxidant status (TOS, and oxidative stress index (OSI were measured in rat submandibular and parotis gland. Results: Although some oxidative and antioxidative parameters of submandibular gland were altered by ELF-100 and ELF-500 exposure groups, these changes were not statistically significant ( p >0.05. However, a decrease observed in CAT levels of parotid gland in both the ELF-100 and ELF-500 exposure groups (p0.05. Conclusions: Our results showed that long-term ELF-MF exposure did not alter oxidative, antioxidative processes and lipid peroxidation in submandibular gland of rats. However, 100 µT and 500 µT ELF-MF exposure decreased CAT activity in parotid gland. J Clin Exp Invest 2014; 5 (2: 219-225

  1. Effects of long-term football training on the expression profile of genes involved in muscle oxidative metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alfieri, A; Martone, D; Randers, Morten Bredsgaard

    2015-01-01

    and a muscle biopsy from the vastus lateralis were collected at T0 (pre intervention) and at T1 (post intervention). Gene expression was measured by RTqPCR on RNA extracted from muscle biopsies. The expression levels of the genes principally involved in energy metabolism (PPARγ, adiponectin, AMPKα1/α2, TFAM...... to improve the expression of muscle molecular biomarkers that are correlated to oxidative metabolism in healthy males....... are directly or indirectly involved in the glucose and lipid oxidative metabolism. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that fat percentage was independently associated with NAMPT, PPARγ and adiponectin expression. In conclusion, long-term recreational football training could be a useful tool...

  2. Oxidative stress response in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to short-term 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marjanovic Cermak, Ana Marija; Pavicic, Ivan; Trosic, Ivancica

    2018-01-28

    The exact mechanism that could explain the effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposure at non-thermal level is still unknown. Increasing evidence suggests a possible involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and development of oxidative stress. To test the proposed hypothesis, human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were exposed to 1800 MHz short-term RF exposure for 10, 30 and 60 minutes. Electric field strength within Gigahertz Transverse Electromagnetic cell (GTEM) was 30 V m -1 and specific absorption rate (SAR) was calculated to be 1.6 W kg -1 . Cellular viability was measured by MTT assay and level of ROS was determined by fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate. Concentrations of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls were used to assess lipid and protein oxidative damage and antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring concentrations of total glutathione (GSH). After radiation exposure, viability of irradiated cells remained within normal physiological values. Significantly higher ROS level was observed for every radiation exposure time. After 60 min of exposure, the applied radiation caused significant lipid and protein damage. The highest GSH concentration was detected after 10 minute-exposure. The results of our study showed enhanced susceptibility of SH-SY5Y cells for development of oxidative stress even after short-term RF exposure.

  3. The thermomechanical stability of micro-solid oxide fuel cells fabricated on anodized aluminum oxide membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Chang-Woo; Lee, Jae-Il; Kim, Ki-Bum; Lee, Hae-Weon; Lee, Jong-Ho; Son, Ji-Won

    2012-07-01

    The thermomechanical stability of micro-solid oxide fuel cells (micro-SOFCs) fabricated on an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane template is investigated. The full structure consists of the following layers: AAO membrane (600 nm)/Pt anode/YSZ electrolyte (900 nm)/porous Pt cathode. The utilization of a 600-nm-thick AAO membrane significantly improves the thermomechanical stability due to its well-known honeycomb-shaped nanopore structure. Moreover, the Pt anode layer deposited in between the AAO membrane and the YSZ electrolyte preserves its integrity in terms of maintaining the triple-phase boundary (TPB) and electrical conductivity during high-temperature operation. Both of these results guarantee thermomechanical stability of the micro-SOFC and extend the cell lifetime, which is one of the most critical issues in the fabrication of freestanding membrane-type micro-SOFCs.

  4. Dystrophic Cutaneous Calcification and Metaplastic Bone Formation due to Long Term Bisphosphonate Use in Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Murat Tatlı

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Bisphosphonates are widely used in the treatment of breast cancer with bone metastases. We report a case of a female with breast cancer presented with a rash around a previous mastectomy site and a discharge lesion on her right chest wall in August 2010. Biopsy of the lesion showed dystrophic calcification and metaplastic bone formation. The patient’s history revealed a long term use of zoledronic acid for the treatment of breast cancer with bone metastasis. We stopped the treatment since we believed that the cutaneous dystrophic calcification could be associated with her long term bisphosphonate therapy. Adverse cutaneous events with bisphosphonates are very rare, and dystrophic calcification has not been reported previously. The dystrophic calcification and metaplastic bone formation in this patient are thought to be due to long term bisphosphonate usage.

  5. High Performance Nano-Ceria Electrodes for Solid Oxide Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graves, Christopher R.; Martinez Aguilera, Lev; Sudireddy, Bhaskar Reddy

    2016-01-01

    forming the active surfaces on a porous backbone with embedded electronic current collector material, yielding one of the highest performances reported for an electrode that operates either on fuel or oxidant. The second is a nano-Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ thin film prepared by spin-coating, which provides......In solid oxide electrochemical cells, the conventional Ni-based fuel-electrodes provide high electrocatalytic activity but they are often a major source of long-term performance degradation due to carbon deposition, poisoning of reaction sites, Ni mobility, etc. Doped-ceria is a promising mixed...

  6. Review of zircaloy oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iglesias, F.C. [Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Lewis, B.J. [Univ. of Ontario Inst. of Technology, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada)

    2013-07-01

    This paper provides an overview of the kinetics for Zircaloy clad oxidation behaviour in steam and air during reactor accident conditions. The generation of chemical heat from metal/water reaction is considered. The effect of internal clad oxidation due to Zircaloy/UO{sub 2} interaction is also discussed. Low-temperature oxidation of Zircaloy due to water-side corrosion is further described. (author)

  7. A short-term supranutritional vitamin E supplementation alleviated respiratory alkalosis but did not reduce oxidative stress in heat stressed pigs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fan Liu

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective Heat stress (HS triggers oxidative stress and respiratory alkalosis in pigs. The objective of this experiment was to study whether a short-term supranutritional amount of dietary vitamin E (VE can mitigate oxidative stress and respiratory alkalosis in heat-stressed pigs. Methods A total of 24 pigs were given either a control diet (17 IU/kg VE or a high VE (200 IU/kg VE; HiVE diet for 14 d, then exposed to thermoneutral (TN; 20°C, 45% humidity or HS (35°C, 35% to 45% humidity, 8 h daily conditions for 7 d. Respiration rate and rectal temperature were measured three times daily during the thermal exposure. Blood gas variables and oxidative stress markers were studied in blood samples collected on d 7. Results Although HiVE diet did not affect the elevated rectal temperature or respiration rate observed during HS, it alleviated (all p<0.05 for diet×temperature the loss of blood CO2 partial pressure and bicarbonate, as well as the increase in blood pH in the heat-stressed pigs. The HS reduced (p = 0.003 plasma biological antioxidant potential (BAP and tended to increase (p = 0.067 advanced oxidized protein products (AOPP in the heat-stressed pigs, suggesting HS triggers oxidative stress. The HiVE diet did not affect plasma BAP or AOPP. Only under TN conditions the HiVE diet reduced the plasma reactive oxygen metabolites (p<0.05 for diet× temperature. Conclusion A short-term supplementation with 200 IU/kg VE partially alleviated respiratory alkalosis but did not reduce oxidative stress in heat-stressed pigs.

  8. Cardioprotective effects of lipoic acid, quercetin and resveratrol on oxidative stress related to thyroid hormone alterations in long-term obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheserek, Maureen Jepkorir; Wu, Guirong; Li, Longnan; Li, Lirong; Karangwa, Eric; Shi, Yonghui; Le, Guowei

    2016-07-01

    This study investigated possible mechanisms for cardioprotective effects of lipoic acid (LA), quercetin (Q) and resveratrol (R) on oxidative stress related to thyroid hormone alterations in long-term obesity. Female C57BL/6 mice were fed on high-fat diet (HFD), HFD+LA, HFD+R, HFD+Q and normal diet for 26weeks. Body weight, blood pressure, thyroid hormones, oxidative stress markers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and ion pump activities were measured, and expression of cardiac genes was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. HFD induced marked increase (Pstress, while plasma triidothyronine levels reduced. ACE activity increased (Pobesity thereby restoring plasma thyroid hormone levels and attenuating oxidative stress in the heart and thus may have therapeutic potential in heart diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Morphological Changes of Yeast Cells due to Oxidative Stress by Mercury and Radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Su Hyoun; Ryu, Tae Ho; Kim, Jin Kyu [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-05-15

    The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most important microorganisms employed in industry. Growth rate, mutation, and environmental conditions affect yeast size and shape distributions but, in general, the influence of spatial variations in large-scale bioreactors is not considered. Ionizing radiation induces DNA double strand breaks in the nucleus, In addition, it causes lipid peroxidation, ceramide generation, and protein oxidation in the membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. Metal ions are essential to life. However, some metals such as mercury are harmful, even when present at trace amounts. Toxicity of mercury arises mainly from its oxidizing properties. As a metal ion, it induces an oxidative stress or predisposes cells to an oxidative stress, with considerable damage to proteins, lipids and DNA. In this work, we investigated to effect of ionizing radiation (IR) and mercury chloride (II) on cell morphology.

  10. Anti-oxidative effects of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis on immobilization-induced oxidative stress in rat brain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    In-Sun Hong

    Full Text Available Exposure to chronic psychological stress may be related to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS or free radicals, and thus, long-term exposure to high levels of oxidative stress may cause the accumulation of oxidative damage and eventually lead to many neurodegenerative diseases. Compared with other organs, the brain appears especially susceptible to excessive oxidative stress due to its high demand for oxygen. In the case of excessive ROS production, endogenous defense mechanisms against ROS may not be sufficient to suppress ROS-associated oxidative damage. Dietary antioxidants have been shown to protect neurons against a variety of experimental neurodegenerative conditions. In particular, Rooibos tea might be a good source of antioxidants due to its larger proportion of polyphenolic compounds. An optimal animal model for stress should show the features of a stress response and should be able to mimic natural stress progression. However, most animal models of stress, such as cold-restraint, electric foot shock, and burn shock, usually involve physical abuse in addition to the psychological aspects of stress. Animals subjected to chronic restraint or immobilization are widely believed to be a convenient and reliable model to mimic psychological stress. Therefore, in the present study, we propose that immobilization-induced oxidative stress was significantly attenuated by treatment with Rooibos tea. This conclusion is demonstrated by Rooibos tea's ability to (i reverse the increase in stress-related metabolites (5-HIAA and FFA, (ii prevent lipid peroxidation (LPO, (iii restore stress-induced protein degradation (PD, (iv regulate glutathione metabolism (GSH and GSH/GSSG ratio, and (v modulate changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT.

  11. Factors Associated with Long-Term Sickness Absence Due to Mental Disorders: A Cohort Study of 7.112 Patients during the Spanish Economic Crisis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Real

    Full Text Available Mental health problems are very common and often lead to prolonged sickness absence, having serious economic repercussions for most European countries. Periods of economic crisis are important social phenomena that are assumed to increase sickness absence due to mental disorders, although research on this topic remains scarce. The aim of this study was to gather data on long-term sickness absence (and relapse due to mental disorders in Spain during a period of considerable socio-economic crisis.Relationships were analyzed (using chi-squared tests and multivariate modelling via binary logistic regression between clinical, social/employment-related and demographic factors associated and long-term sickness absence (>60 consecutive days due to mental disorders in a cohort of 7112 Spanish patients during the period 2008-2012.Older age, severe mental disorders, being self-employed, having a non-permanent contract, and working in the real estate and construction sector were associated with an increased probability of long-term sickness absence (gender had a mediating role with respect to some of these variables. Relapses were associated with short-term sick leave (return to work due to 'improvement' and with working in the transport sector and public administration.Aside from medical factors, other social/employment-related and demographic factors have a significant influence on the duration of sickness absence due to mental disorders.

  12. Long-term research in Japan: amorphous metals, metal oxide varistors, high-power semiconductors and superconducting generators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hane, G.J.; Yorozu, M.; Sogabe, T.; Suzuki, S.

    1985-04-01

    The review revealed that significant activity is under way in the research of amorphous metals, but that little fundamental work is being pursued on metal oxide varistors and high-power semiconductors. Also, the investigation of long-term research program plans for superconducting generators reveals that activity is at a low level, pending the recommendations of a study currently being conducted through Japan's Central Electric Power Council.

  13. Long term population dose due to radon (Rn-222) released from uranium mill tailings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chambers, D.B.; Lower, L.M.; Stager, R.H.

    2001-01-01

    The results of a study undertaken by the European Commission on the external costs (environmental and social) of various energy production systems is likely to be influential in determining how the European Union will develop its energy supply systems. The estimated costs for nuclear power from the study will be based on the findings of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), with the costs being dominated by the estimated long term (10,000 y) population doses due to radon (Rn-222) released from mill tailings. UNSCEAR developed a central estimate of 150 person-Sv per GW y and a range of 1 to 1,000 person-Sv per GW y. However, the generic data available to and being used by UNSCEAR are dated and are not appropriate for the current and planned future conditions in the uranium production industry, with the result that the estimated external costs of nuclear power (specifically, the doses due to radon emitted from mill tailings) are overestimated. The Uranium Institute sponsored a study to estimate long term population doses based on the most recent 1993 UNSCEAR methodology, but using data that would be more appropriate to the current major uranium production facilities. Site-specific information obtained from the owners/operators and the Uranium Institute included: present and proposed tailings management plans; tailings volumes and areas; ore grades and reserves; measurements and estimates of radon emission rates; and population densities. Tailings at closed facilities that no longer contribute to uranium production were not evaluated since it was assumed that these radon sources need not be considered in evaluating the external costs of current and future nuclear power production. Based on the same approach as UNSCEAR, but using a more sophisticated air dispersion model, and more site-specific data relative to existing sites and proposed tailings management practices, radon emission rates and population densities (that

  14. Oxidation resistant peroxide cross-linked UHMWPE produced by blending and surface diffusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gul, Rizwan M; Oral, Ebru; Muratoglu, Orhun K

    2014-01-01

    Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been widely used as acetabular cup in total hip replacement (THR) and tibial component in total knee replacement (TKR). Crosslinking of UHMWPE has been successful used to improve its wear performance leading to longer life of orthopedic implants. Crosslinking can be performed by radiation or organic peroxides. Peroxide crosslinking is a convenient process as it does not require specialized equipment and the level of crosslinking can be manipulated by changing the amount of peroxide added. However, there is concern about the long-term stability of these materials due to possible presence of by-products. Vitamin E has been successfully used to promote long-term oxidative stability of UHMWPE. In this study, UHMWPE has been crosslinked using organic peroxide in the presence of Vitamin E to produce an oxidation resistant peroxide crosslinked material. Crosslinking was performed both in bulk by mixing peroxide and resin, and only on the surface using diffusion of peroxides.The results show that UHMWPE can be crosslinked using organic peroxides in the presence of vitamin E by both methods. However, the level of crosslinking decreases with the increase in vitamin E content. The wear resistance increases with the increase in crosslink density, and oxidation resistance significantly increases due to the presence of vitamin E

  15. Oxidation resistant peroxide cross-linked UHMWPE produced by blending and surface diffusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gul, R. M.; Oral, E.; Muratoglu, O. K.

    2013-01-01

    Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been widely used as acetabular cup in total hip replacement (THR) and tibial component in total knee replacement (TKR). Crosslinking of UHMWPE has been successful used to improve its wear performance leading to longer life of orthopedic implants. Crosslinking can be performed by radiation or organic peroxides. Peroxide crosslinking is a convenient process as it does not require specialized equipment and the level of crosslinking can be manipulated by changing the amount of peroxide added. However, there is concern about the long-term stability of these materials due to possible presence of by-products. Vitamin E has been successfully used to promote long-term oxidative stability of UHMWPE. In this study, UHMWPE has been crosslinked using organic peroxide in the presence of Vitamin E to produce an oxidation resistant peroxide crosslinked material. Crosslinking was performed both in bulk by mixing peroxide and resin, and only on the surface using diffusion of peroxides.The results show that UHMWPE can be crosslinked using organic peroxides in the presence of vitamin E by both methods. However, the level of crosslinking decreases with the increase in vitamin E content. The wear resistance increases with the increase in crosslink density, and oxidation resistance significantly increases due to the presence of vitamin E. (author)

  16. Oxidative stress in duckweed (Lemna minor L.) caused by short-term cadmium exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Razinger, Jaka [Department for Environmental Technologies and Biomonitoring, Institute of Physical Biology, Veliko Mlacevo 59, SI-1290 Grosuplje (Slovenia)], E-mail: jaka@ifb.si; Dermastia, Marina [National Institute of Biology, Vecna pot 111, p.p. 141, SI-1001 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Koce, Jasna Dolenc [Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Zrimec, Alexis [Department for Environmental Technologies and Biomonitoring, Institute of Physical Biology, Veliko Mlacevo 59, SI-1290 Grosuplje (Slovenia)

    2008-06-15

    The mechanisms of plant defence against cadmium toxicity have been studied by short-term exposure of Lemna minor L. (common duckweed) to concentrations of CdCl{sub 2} ranging from 0 to 500 {mu}M. High accumulation of cadmium was observed (12,320 {+-} 2155 {mu}g g{sup -1} at 500 {mu}M CdCl{sub 2}), which caused a gradual decrease of plant growth, increased lipid peroxidation, and weakened the entire antioxidative defence. Total glutathione concentration decreased significantly; however, the concentration of oxidized glutathione remained stable. The responses of four antioxidant enzymes showed that catalase was the most inhibited after CdCl{sub 2} exposure, ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase moderately, and glutathione reductase least. The total antioxidative potential revealed an induced antioxidative network at 0.1 {mu}M CdCl{sub 2} (137 {+-} 13.2% of the control) and its reduction to only 47.4 {+-} 4.0% of the control at higher cadmium concentrations. The possible application of the examined biomarkers in ecotoxicological research is discussed. - The increase of total antioxidative potential at low cadmium concentration is one of the mechanisms that helps duckweed to cope with cadmium-induced oxidative stress.

  17. Oxidative stress in duckweed (Lemna minor L.) caused by short-term cadmium exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Razinger, Jaka; Dermastia, Marina; Koce, Jasna Dolenc; Zrimec, Alexis

    2008-01-01

    The mechanisms of plant defence against cadmium toxicity have been studied by short-term exposure of Lemna minor L. (common duckweed) to concentrations of CdCl 2 ranging from 0 to 500 μM. High accumulation of cadmium was observed (12,320 ± 2155 μg g -1 at 500 μM CdCl 2 ), which caused a gradual decrease of plant growth, increased lipid peroxidation, and weakened the entire antioxidative defence. Total glutathione concentration decreased significantly; however, the concentration of oxidized glutathione remained stable. The responses of four antioxidant enzymes showed that catalase was the most inhibited after CdCl 2 exposure, ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase moderately, and glutathione reductase least. The total antioxidative potential revealed an induced antioxidative network at 0.1 μM CdCl 2 (137 ± 13.2% of the control) and its reduction to only 47.4 ± 4.0% of the control at higher cadmium concentrations. The possible application of the examined biomarkers in ecotoxicological research is discussed. - The increase of total antioxidative potential at low cadmium concentration is one of the mechanisms that helps duckweed to cope with cadmium-induced oxidative stress

  18. Oxidative degradation of phenols in sono-Fenton-like systems upon high-frequency ultrasound irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aseev, D. G.; Sizykh, M. R.; Batoeva, A. A.

    2017-12-01

    The kinetics of oxidative degradation of phenol and chlorophenols upon acoustic cavitation in the megahertz range (1.7 MHz) is studied experimentally in model systems, and the involvement of in situ generated reactive oxygen species (ROSs) is demonstrated. The phenols subjected to high frequency ultrasound (HFUS) are ranked in terms of their rate of conversion: 2,4,6-trichlorophenol > 2,4-dichlorophenol 2-chlorophenol > 4-chlorophenol phenol. Oxidative degradation upon HFUS irradiation is most efficient at low concentrations of pollutants, due to the low steady-state concentrations of the in situ generated ROSs. A dramatic increase is observed in the efficiency of oxidation in several sonochemical oxidative systems (HFUS in combination with other chemical oxidative factors). The system with added Fe2+ (a sono-Fenton system) derives its efficiency from hydrogen peroxide generated in situ as a result of the recombination of OH radicals. The S2O8 2-/Fe2+/HFUS system has a synergetic effect on substrate oxidation that is attributed to a radical chain mechanism. In terms of the oxidation rates, degrees of conversion, and specific energy efficiencies of 4-chlorophenol oxidation based on the amount of oxidized substance per unit of expended energy the considered sonochemical oxidative systems form the series HFUS < S2O8 2-/HFUS < S2O8 2-/Fe2+/HFUS.

  19. Carbon aerogels by pyrolysis of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Sizhao; Feng, Jian; Feng, Junzong; Jiang, Yonggang; Ding, Feng

    2018-05-01

    Although carbon aerogels derived from naturally occurring materials have been developed extensively, a reasonable synthetic approach using cellulose-resource remains unclear. Here, we report a strategy to prepare carbon aerogels originated from cellulose position-selectively oxidized by TEMPO-oxidized process. Contrary to non-TEMPO-oxidized cellulose-derived carbon aerogels (NCCA) with relative loose structure, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose-derived carbon aerogels (TCCA) with tight fibrillar-continuous network are monitored, suggesting the importance of TEMPO-oxidized modification towards creating the architecture of subsequently produced carbon aerogels. TCCA endows a higher BET area despite owning slightly dense bulk density comparing with that of NCCA. The structural texture of TCCA could be maintained in a way in comparison to TEMPO-oxidized cellulose-derived aerogel, due to the integration and aggregation effect by losing the electric double layer repulsion via ionization of the surface carboxyl groups. FTIR and XPS analyses signify the evidence of non-functionalized carbon-skeleton network formation in terms of TCCA. Further, the mechanism concerning the creation of carbon aerogels is also established. These findings not only provide new insights into the production of carbon aerogels but also open up a new opportunity in the field of functional carbon materials.

  20. Dry corrosion prediction of radioactive waste containers in long term interim storage: mechanisms of low temperature oxidation of pure iron and numerical simulation of an oxide scale growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertrand, N.

    2006-10-01

    In the framework of research on long term behaviour of radioactive waste containers, this work consists on the one hand in the study of low temperature oxidation of iron and on the other hand in the development of a numerical model of oxide scale growth. Isothermal oxidation experiments are performed on pure iron at 300 and 400 C in dry and humid air at atmospheric pressure. Oxide scales formed in these conditions are characterized. They are composed of a duplex magnetite scale under a thin hematite scale. The inner layer of the duplex scale is thinner than the outer one. Both are composed of columnar grains, that are smaller in the inner part. The outer hematite layer is made of very small equiaxed grains. Markers and tracers experiments show that a part of the scale grows at metal/oxide interface thanks to short-circuits diffusion of oxygen. A model for iron oxide scale growth at low temperature is then deduced. Besides this experimental study, the numerical model EKINOX (Estimation Kinetics Oxidation) is developed. It allows to simulate the growth of an oxide scale controlled by mixed mechanisms, such as anionic and cationic vacancies diffusion through the scale, as well as metal transfer at metal/oxide interface. It is based on the calculation of concentration profiles of chemical species and also point defects in the oxide scale and in the substrate. This numerical model does not use the classical quasi-steady-state approximation and calculates the future of cationic vacancies at metal/oxide interface. Indeed, these point defects can either be eliminated by interface motion or injected in the substrate, where they can be annihilated, considering sinks as the climb of dislocations. Hence, the influence of substrate cold-work can be investigated. The EKINOX model is validated in the conditions of Wagner's theory and is confronted with experimental results by its application to the case of high temperature oxidation of nickel. (author)

  1. Inhibition of Direct Electrolytic Ammonia Oxidation Due to a Change in Local pH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zöllig, Hanspeter; Morgenroth, Eberhard; Udert, Kai M.

    2015-01-01

    Electrochemical ammonia oxidation has gained a lot of attention recently as an efficient method for ammonia removal from wastewater, for the use in ammonia-based fuel cells and the production of high purity hydrogen. Thermally decomposed iridium oxide films (TDIROF) have been shown to be catalytically active for direct ammonia oxidation in aqueous solutions if NH 3 is present. However, the process was reported to be rapidly inhibited on TDIROF. Herein, we show that this fast inhibition of direct ammonia oxidation does not result from surface poisoning by adsorbed elemental nitrogen (N ads ). Instead, we propose that direct ammonia oxidation and oxygen evolution can lead to a drop of the local pH at the electrode resulting in a low availability of the actual reactant, NH 3 . The hypothesis was tested with cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments on stagnant and rotating disk electrodes (RDE). The CV experiments on the stagnant electrode revealed that the decrease of the ammonia oxidation peaks was considerably reduced by introducing an idle phase at open circuit potential between subsequent scans. Furthermore, the polarization of the TDIROF electrode into the hydrogen evolution region (HER) resulted in increased ammonia oxidation peaks in the following anodic scans which can be explained with an increased local pH after the consumption of protons in the HER. On the RDE, the ammonia oxidation peaks did not decrease in immediately consecutive scans. These findings would not be expected if surface poisoning was responsible for the fast inhibition but they are in good agreement with the proposed mechanism of pH induced limitation by the reactant, NH 3 . The plausibility of the mechanism was also supported by our numerical simulations of the processes in the Nernstian diffusion layer. The knowledge about this inhibition mechanism of direct ammonia oxidation is especially important for the design of electrochemical cells for wastewater treatment. The mechanism is not only

  2. Nitrous Oxide Production at a Fully Covered Wastewater Treatment Plant: Results of a Long-Term Online Monitoring Campaign.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosonen, Heta; Heinonen, Mari; Mikola, Anna; Haimi, Henri; Mulas, Michela; Corona, Francesco; Vahala, Riku

    2016-06-07

    The nitrous oxide emissions of the Viikinmäki wastewater treatment plant were measured in a 12 month online monitoring campaign. The measurements, which were conducted with a continuous gas analyzer, covered all of the unit operations of the advanced wastewater-treatment process. The relation between the nitrous oxide emissions and certain process parameters, such as the wastewater temperature, influent biological oxygen demand, and ammonium nitrogen load, was investigated by applying online data obtained from the process-control system at 1 min intervals. Although seasonal variations in the measured nitrous oxide emissions were remarkable, the measurement data indicated no clear relationship between these emissions and seasonal changes in the wastewater temperature. The diurnal variations of the nitrous oxide emissions did, however, strongly correlate with the alternation of the influent biological oxygen demand and ammonium nitrogen load to the aerated zones of the activated sludge process. Overall, the annual nitrous oxide emissions of 168 g/PE/year and the emission factor of 1.9% of the influent nitrogen load are in the high range of values reported in the literature but in very good agreement with the results of other long-term online monitoring campaigns implemented at full-scale wastewater-treatment plants.

  3. Radiation effects in metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collins, J.L.

    1987-01-01

    The effects of various radiations on commercially made Al-SiO 2 -Si Capacitors (MOSCs) have been investigated. Intrinsic dielectric breakdown in MOSCs has been shown to be a two-stage process dominated by charge injection in a pre-breakdown stage; this is associated with localised high-field injection of carriers from the semiconductor substrate to interfacial and bulk charge traps which, it is proposed, leads to the formation of conducting channels through the dielectric with breakdown occurring as a result of the dissipation of the conduction band energy. A study of radiation-induced dielectric breakdown has revealed the possibility of anomalous hot-electron injection to an excess of bulk oxide traps in the ionization channel produced by very heavily ionizing radiation, which leads to intrinsic breakdown in high-field stressed devices. This is interpreted in terms of a modified model for radiation-induced dielectric breakdown based upon the primary dependence of breakdown on charge injection rather than high-field mechanisms. A detailed investigation of charge trapping and interface state generation due to various radiations has revealed evidence of neutron induced interface states, and the generation of positive oxide charge in devices due to all the radiations tested. The greater the linear energy transfer of the radiation, the greater the magnitude of charge trapped in the oxide and the number of interface states generated. This is interpreted in terms of Si-H and Si-OH bond-breaking at the Si-SiO 2 interface which is enhanced by charge carrier transfer to the interface and by anomalous charge injection to compensate for the excess of charge carriers created by the radiation. (author)

  4. Effects of short-term Western diet on cerebral oxidative stress and diabetes related factors in APP x PS1 knock-in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Studzinski, Christa M; Li, Feng; Bruce-Keller, Annadora J; Fernandez-Kim, Sun Ok; Zhang, Le; Weidner, Adam M; Markesbery, William R; Murphy, M Paul; Keller, Jeffrey N

    2009-02-01

    A chronic high fat Western diet (WD) promotes a variety of morbidity factors although experimental evidence for short-term WD mediating brain dysfunction remains to be elucidated. The amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1 (APP x PS1) knock-in mouse model has been demonstrated to recapitulate some key features of Alzheimer's disease pathology, including amyloid-beta (Abeta) pathogenesis. In this study, we placed 1-month-old APP x PS1 mice and non-transgenic littermates on a WD for 4 weeks. The WD resulted in a significant elevation in protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation in the brain of APP x PS1 mice relative to non-transgenic littermates, which occurred in the absence of increased Abeta levels. Altered adipokine levels were also observed in APP x PS1 mice placed on a short-term WD, relative to non-transgenic littermates. Taken together, these data indicate that short-term WD is sufficient to selectively promote cerebral oxidative stress and metabolic disturbances in APP x PS1 knock-in mice, with increased oxidative stress preceding alterations in Abeta. These data have important implications for understanding how WD may potentially contribute to brain dysfunction and the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

  5. Clinical Outcomes of Zirconium-Oxide Posts: Up-to-Date Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Thobity, Ahmad M

    2016-06-01

    The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the clinical outcomes of the use of zirconium-oxide posts in the past 20 years. The addressed question was: Do zirconium-oxide posts maintain the long-term survival rate of endodontically treated teeth? A database search was made of articles from January 1995 to December 2014; it included combinations of the following keywords: "zirconia," "zirconium oxide," "dowel/dowels," "post/posts," and "post and core." Exclusion criteria included review articles, experimental studies, case reports, commentaries, and articles published in a language other than English. Articles were reviewed by the titles, followed by the abstracts, and, finally, the full text of the selected studies. Four studies were included after filtering the selected studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In one study, the prefabricated zirconia posts with indirect glass-ceramic cores had significantly higher failure rates than other posts with direct composite cores. In two studies, no failure of the cemented posts was observed throughout the follow-up period. Due to the limited number of clinical studies, it can be concluded that the long-term success rate of prefabricated zirconium-oxide posts is unclear.

  6. Does increased Nitric Oxide production and oxidative stress due to high fat diet affect cardiac function after myocardial infarction?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marjan Aghajani

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background &Objectives: High fat (HF diet by affecting the oxidative stress and nitric oxide (NO production may lead to different effects on function of the heart after myocardial infarction (MI. In the present study we aimed to address the hypothesis that high release of NO by activated macrophages affects LV function after MI.Methods: The animals were randomly divided into four groups comprising each of 10 rats: 1 Sham; 2 MI; 3 Sham+ HF diet; 4 MI+ HF diet. Animals fed with HF diet 30 days before sham and MI surgery. MI was induced by permanent ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD. Nitric oxide (NO production of peritoneal macrophages, the concentrations of MDA in the heart and the infarct size were measured.Results: Our study indicated that HF has adverse effects on myocardium and it may increase NO production as well as oxidative stress, resulting in augmentation of infarct size.Conclusion: Our results add to our knowledge that HF diet was associated with overproduction of NO by peritoneal macrophages and ROS that lead to development of infarct size and adverse remodeling.

  7. Electrode Reaction Pathway in Oxide Anode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wenyuan

    Oxide anodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) with the advantage of fuel flexibility, resistance to coarsening, small chemical expansion and etc. have been attracting increasing interest. Good performance has been reported with a few of perovskite structure anodes, such as (LaSr)(CrMn)O3. However, more improvements need to be made before meeting the application requirement. Understanding the oxidation mechanism is crucial for a directed optimization, but it is still on the early stage of investigation. In this study, reaction mechanism of oxide anodes is investigated on doped YCrO 3 with H2 fuel, in terms of the origin of electrochemical activity, rate-determining steps (RDS), extension of reactive zone, and the impact from overpotential under service condition to those properties. H2 oxidation on the YCs anodes is found to be limited by charge transfer and H surface diffusion. A model is presented to describe the elementary steps in H2 oxidation. From the reaction order results, it is suggested that any models without taking H into the charge transfer step are invalid. The nature of B site element determines the H2 oxidation kinetics primarily. Ni displays better adsorption ability than Co. However, H adsorption ability of such oxide anode is inferior to that of Ni metal anode. In addition, the charge transfer step is directly associated with the activity of electrons in the anode; therefore it can be significantly promoted by enhancement of the electron activity. It is found that A site Ca doping improves the polarization resistance about 10 times, by increasing the activity of electrons to promote the charge transfer process. For the active area in the oxide anode, besides the traditional three-phase boundary (3PB), the internal anode surface as two-phase boundary (2PB) is proven to be capable of catalytically oxidizing the H2 fuel also when the bulk lattice is activated depending on the B site elements. The contribution from each part is estimated by switching

  8. SIMS and TEM study on oxide characteristics of Zircaloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Y. H.; Baek, J. H.; Kim, S. J.; Kim, K. H.; Choi, B. K.; Jung, Y. H.

    1998-01-01

    Long-term corrosion test, SIMS analysis, and TEM study were carried out to investigate the corrosion characteristics and corrosion mechanism of Zircaloy-4 in LiOH solution. The corrosion tests were performed in alkali solutions at 350 deg C for 500days. SIMS analysis was performed for the specimens prepared to have an equal oxide thickness to measure the cation content. TEM studies on the samples formed in various alkali solutions were also conducted. Based on the corrosion test, SIMS analysis, and TEM study, the cation is considered to control the corrosion in LiOH solution and its effect is dependent on the concentration of alkali and the oxide thickness. The slight acceleration of corrosion rate at a low concentration is thought to be caused by the cation incorporation into oxide while the significant acceleration at a high concentration is due to the transformation of oxide microstructure that would be induced by the cation incorporation

  9. Sputtered tin oxide and titanium oxide thin films as alternative transparent conductive oxides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boltz, Janika

    2011-12-12

    Alternative transparent conductive oxides to tin doped indium oxide have been investigated. In this work, antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide have been studied with the aim to prepare transparent and conductive films. Antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide belong to different groups of oxides; tin oxide is a soft oxide, while titanium oxide is a hard oxide. Both oxides are isolating materials, in case the stoichiometry is SnO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}. In order to achieve transparent and conductive films free carriers have to be generated by oxygen vacancies, by metal ions at interstitial positions in the crystal lattice or by cation doping with Sb or Nb, respectively. Antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide films have been prepared by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering (dc MS) from metallic targets. The process parameters and the doping concentration in the films have been varied. The films have been electrically, optically and structurally analysed in order to analyse the influence of the process parameters and the doping concentration on the film properties. Post-deposition treatments of the films have been performed in order to improve the film properties. For the deposition of transparent and conductive tin oxide, the dominant parameter during the deposition is the oxygen content in the sputtering gas. The Sb incorporation as doping atoms has a minor influence on the electrical, optical and structural properties. Within a narrow oxygen content in the sputtering gas highly transparent and conductive tin oxide films have been prepared. In this study, the lowest resistivity in the as deposited state is 2.9 m{omega} cm for undoped tin oxide without any postdeposition treatment. The minimum resistivity is related to a transition to crystalline films with the stoichiometry of SnO{sub 2}. At higher oxygen content the films turn out to have a higher resistivity due to an oxygen excess. After post

  10. Electrical conductivity of Ni–YSZ composites: Degradation due to Ni particle growth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pihlatie, Mikko; Kaiser, Andreas; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2011-01-01

    The short-term changes in the electrical conductivity of Ni–YSZ composites (cermets) suitable for use in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) were measured by an in-situ 4-point DC technique. The isothermal reduction was carried out in dry, humidified or wet hydrogen at temperatures from 600 to 1000°C...... modelled using two different semi-empirical approaches. Thermodynamic calculations were carried out to assess the vaporisation of Ni in the conditions tested. The rate and mechanisms of conductivity degradation due to Ni particle growth are discussed in light of the measurements, modelling and literature...

  11. Increased oxidative stress in human fetal membranes overlying the cervix from term non-labouring and post labour deliveries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chai, M; Barker, G; Menon, R; Lappas, M

    2012-08-01

    Enzymatic breakdown of the collagen-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) that connects the amnion and chorion layers of the fetal membranes is one of the key events leading to rupture of membranes. Oxidant stress caused by increased formation of reactive oxygen species and/or reduced antioxidant capacity may predispose to membrane rupture, a major cause of preterm birth. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of human labour and supracervical (SC) apposition on antioxidant enzymes and 8-isoprostane (a marker of lipid peroxidation). To determine the effect of human labour on oxidative stress status, fetal membranes from the SC site (SCS) were collected from women at term Caesarean section (no labour), and from the site of membrane rupture (SOR) after spontaneous labour onset and delivery (post labour). To determine the effect of SC apposition on oxidative stress status, amnion was collected from the SCS and a distal site (DS) in women at term Caesarean section in the absence of labour. The release of 8-isoprostane was significantly higher in amnion from the SCS compared to DS, and in fetal membranes from the SOR compared to the SCS. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were lower in amnion from the SC compared to DS. SOD gene expression and enzyme activity were lower in fetal membranes after labour. There was no difference in expression or activity in catalase, GPx and glutathione reductase (GSR) between no labour and post labour fetal membranes. In primary amnion cells, SOD supplementation significantly augmented IL-1β induced MMP-9 expression and activity. In summary, non-labouring SC fetal membranes are characterised by reduced antioxidant enzyme activity when compared to distal membranes, and, as such, may be more susceptible to oxidative damage and thus membrane rupture. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Improvement of the long term stability in the high temperature solid oxide fuel cell using functional layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brueckner, B.; Guenther, C.; Ruckdaeschel, R. [Siemens AG, Erlangen (Germany)] [and others

    1996-12-31

    In the planar Siemens design of the solid oxide fuel cell a metallic interconnector is used to seperate the ceramic single cells. A disadvantage of the metallic bipolar plate which consists of a chromium alloy is the formation of high volatile Cr-oxides and hydroxides at the surface at the cathode side. The reaction products evaporate and are reduced at the cathode/electrolyte interface to form new crystalline phases. This process gives rise to long term cell degradation. Protective coatings might be successful in preventing the chromium oxide evaporation. The required properties of the protective layers are (I) high electrical conductivity, (II) similar coefficients of thermal expansion to the bipolar plate (III), chemical compatibility to the bipolar plate and cathode material, (IV) a low diffusion coefficient of Cr and (V) chemical stability up to 1223K under oxygen atmosphere. Furthermore, during operation at 1223K an electrical contact between the metallic plate and the electrodes has to be maintained. This problem could be solved using ceramic layer between the metallic plate and the single cells.

  13. Carbonate-mediated Fe(II) oxidation in the air-cathode fuel cell: a kinetic model in terms of Fe(II) speciation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Wei; Zhai, Lin-Feng; Cui, Yu-Zhi; Sun, Min; Jiang, Yuan

    2013-06-06

    Due to the high redox activity of Fe(II) and its abundance in natural waters, the electro-oxidation of Fe(II) can be found in many air-cathode fuel cell systems, such as acid mine drainage fuel cells and sediment microbial fuel cells. To deeply understand these iron-related systems, it is essential to elucidate the kinetics and mechanisms involved in the electro-oxidation of Fe(II). This work aims to develop a kinetic model that adequately describes the electro-oxidation process of Fe(II) in air-cathode fuel cells. The speciation of Fe(II) is incorporated into the model, and contributions of individual Fe(II) species to the overall Fe(II) oxidation rate are quantitatively evaluated. The results show that the kinetic model can accurately predict the electro-oxidation rate of Fe(II) in air-cathode fuel cells. FeCO3, Fe(OH)2, and Fe(CO3)2(2-) are the most important species determining the electro-oxidation kinetics of Fe(II). The Fe(II) oxidation rate is primarily controlled by the oxidation of FeCO3 species at low pH, whereas at high pH Fe(OH)2 and Fe(CO3)2(2-) are the dominant species. Solution pH, carbonate concentration, and solution salinity are able to influence the electro-oxidation kinetics of Fe(II) through changing both distribution and kinetic activity of Fe(II) species.

  14. Evaluation of different nitrous oxide production models with four continuous long-term wastewater treatment process data series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spérandio, Mathieu; Pocquet, Mathieu; Guo, Lisha; Ni, Bing-Jie; Vanrolleghem, Peter A; Yuan, Zhiguo

    2016-03-01

    Five activated sludge models describing N2O production by ammonium oxidising bacteria (AOB) were compared to four different long-term process data sets. Each model considers one of the two known N2O production pathways by AOB, namely the AOB denitrification pathway and the hydroxylamine oxidation pathway, with specific kinetic expressions. Satisfactory calibration could be obtained in most cases, but none of the models was able to describe all the N2O data obtained in the different systems with a similar parameter set. Variability of the parameters can be related to difficulties related to undescribed local concentration heterogeneities, physiological adaptation of micro-organisms, a microbial population switch, or regulation between multiple AOB pathways. This variability could be due to a dependence of the N2O production pathways on the nitrite (or free nitrous acid-FNA) concentrations and other operational conditions in different systems. This work gives an overview of the potentialities and limits of single AOB pathway models. Indicating in which condition each single pathway model is likely to explain the experimental observations, this work will also facilitate future work on models in which the two main N2O pathways active in AOB are represented together.

  15. Phototherapy causes DNA damage in peripheral mononuclear leukocytes in term infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aycicek, Ali; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim; Erel, Ozcan; Senturk, Hakan

    2008-01-01

    Our aim was to determine whether endogenous mononuclear leukocyte DNA strand is a target of phototherapy. The study included 65 term infants aged between 3-10 days that had been exposed to intensive (n = 23) or conventional (n = 23) phototherapy for at least 48 hours due to neonatal jaundice, and a control group (n = 19). DNA damage was assayed by single-cell alkaline gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Plasma total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status levels were also measured, and correlation between DNA damage and oxidative stress was investigated. Mean values of DNA damage scores in both the intensive and conventional phototherapy groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (p Total oxidant status levels in both the intensive and conventional phototherapy groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (p = 0.005). Mean (standard deviation) values were 18.1 (4.2), 16.9 (4.4), 13.5 (4.2) micromol H2O2 equivalent/L, respectively. Similarly, oxidative stress index levels in both the intensive and conventional phototherapy groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (p = 0.041). Plasma total antioxidant capacity and total bilirubin levels did not differ between the groups (p > 0.05). There were no significant correlations between DNA damage scores and bilirubin, total oxidant status and oxidative stress levels in either phototherapy group (p > 0.05). Both conventional phototherapy and intensive phototherapy cause endogenous mononuclear leukocyte DNA damage in jaundiced term infants.

  16. Staphylococcal response to oxidative stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosmarie eGaupp

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Staphylococci are a versatile genus of bacteria that are capable of causing acute and chronic infections in diverse host species. The success of staphylococci as pathogens is due in part to their ability to mitigate endogenous and exogenous oxidative and nitrosative stress. Endogenous oxidative stress is a consequence of life in an aerobic environment; whereas, exogenous oxidative and nitrosative stress are often due to the bacteria’s interaction with host immune systems. To overcome the deleterious effects of oxidative and nitrosative stress, staphylococci have evolved protection, detoxification, and repair mechanisms that are controlled by a network of regulators. In this review, we summarize the cellular targets of oxidative stress, the mechanisms by which staphylococci sense oxidative stress and damage, oxidative stress protection and repair mechanisms, and regulation of the oxidative stress response. When possible, special attention is given to how the oxidative stress defense mechanisms help staphylococci control oxidative stress in the host.

  17. A short-term supranutritional vitamin E supplementation alleviated respiratory alkalosis but did not reduce oxidative stress in heat stressed pigs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Fan; Celi, Pietro; Chauhan, Surinder Singh; Cottrell, Jeremy James; Leury, Brian Joseph; Dunshea, Frank Rowland

    2018-02-01

    Heat stress (HS) triggers oxidative stress and respiratory alkalosis in pigs. The objective of this experiment was to study whether a short-term supranutritional amount of dietary vitamin E (VE) can mitigate oxidative stress and respiratory alkalosis in heat-stressed pigs. A total of 24 pigs were given either a control diet (17 IU/kg VE) or a high VE (200 IU/kg VE; HiVE) diet for 14 d, then exposed to thermoneutral (TN; 20°C, 45% humidity) or HS (35°C, 35% to 45% humidity, 8 h daily) conditions for 7 d. Respiration rate and rectal temperature were measured three times daily during the thermal exposure. Blood gas variables and oxidative stress markers were studied in blood samples collected on d 7. Although HiVE diet did not affect the elevated rectal temperature or respiration rate observed during HS, it alleviated (all prespiratory alkalosis but did not reduce oxidative stress in heat-stressed pigs.

  18. Responses of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers to soil organic and fertilizer amendments under long-term management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wessen, E.; Nyberg, K.; Jansson, J.K.; Hallin, S.

    2010-05-01

    Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) co-exist in soil, but their relative distribution may vary depending on the environmental conditions. Effects of changes in soil organic matter and nutrient content on the AOB and AOA are poorly understood. Our aim was to compare effects of long-term soil organic matter depletion and amendments with labile (straw) and more recalcitrant (peat) organic matter, with and without easily plant-available nitrogen, on the activities, abundances and community structures of AOB and AOA. Soil was sampled from a long-term field site in Sweden that was established in 1956. The potential ammonia oxidation rates, the AOB and AOA amoA gene abundances and the community structures of both groups based on T-RFLP of amoA genes were determined. Straw amendment during 50 years had not altered any of the measured soil parameters, while the addition of peat resulted in a significant increase of soil organic carbon as well as a decrease in pH. Nitrogen fertilization alone resulted in a small decrease in soil pH, organic carbon and total nitrogen, but an increase in primary production. Type and amount of organic matter had an impact on the AOB and AOA community structures and the AOA abundance. Our findings confirmed that AOA are abundant in soil, but showed that under certain conditions the AOB dominate, suggesting niche differentiation between the two groups at the field site. The large differences in potential rates between treatments correlated to the AOA community size, indicating that they were functionally more important in the nitrification process than the AOB. The AOA abundance was positively related to addition of labile organic carbon, which supports the idea that AOA could have alternative growth strategies using organic carbon. The AOB community size varied little in contrast to that of the AOA. This indicates that the bacterial ammonia oxidizers as a group have a greater ecophysiological diversity and

  19. Long-term high-fat diet induces pancreatic injuries via pancreatic microcirculatory disturbances and oxidative stress in rats with hyperlipidemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Mingxian; Li Yanqing; Meng Min; Ren Hongbo; Kou Yi

    2006-01-01

    Relations between hyperlipidemia and chronic pancreatitis remain unclear. Microcirculatory disturbances and oxidative stress are involved in pathogeneses of a high numbers of diseases. The objective of this study was to induce hyperlipidemia in rats by long-term high-fat diet intake, then investigate the biochemical, microcirculatory, and histological alterations in blood and pancreatic tissues of these animals, and discuss their potential significances. Pancreatic blood flow was detected by intravital microscope; malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured in pancreatic tissues for assessment of oxidative stress and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression was determined by immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR. The results showed that the velocity of pancreatic microvascular blood flow of rats with hyperlipidemia decreased significantly as compared to control value (p = 0.008). Pancreatic MDA content increased whereas SOD activity decreased in these rats (p = 0.022; p = 0.039, respectively). Histologically, microvesicles in acinar and islet cells, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, swollen mitochondrion and modified vascular endothelial cells were observed under light microscope and transmission electron microscope. In addition, α-SMA expression was up-regulated significantly (p < 0.05). These results suggest that long-term high-fat diet can induce chronic pancreatic injuries which could be considered as 'nonalcoholic fatty pancreatic disease', and pancreatic microcirculatory disturbances and oxidative stress may play an important part in the underlying pathogenesis

  20. Observational evidence of a long-term increase in precipitation due to urbanization effects and its implications for sustainable urban living.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wai, K M; Wang, X M; Lin, T H; Wong, M S; Zeng, S K; He, N; Ng, E; Lau, K; Wang, D H

    2017-12-01

    Although projected precipitation increases in East Asia due to future climate change have aroused concern, less attention has been paid by the scientific community and public to the potential long-term increase in precipitation due to rapid urbanization. A ten-year precipitation dataset was analysed for both a rapidly urbanized megacity and nearby suburban/rural stations in southern China. Rapid urbanization in the megacity was evident from satellite observations. A statistically significant, long-term, increasing trend of precipitation existed only at the megacity station (45.6mm per decade) and not at the other stations. The increase was attributed to thermal and dynamical modifications of the tropospheric boundary layer related to urbanization, which was confirmed by the results of our WRF-SLUCM simulations. The results also suggested that a long-term regional increase in precipitation, caused by greenhouse gas-induced climate change, for instance, was not evident within the study period. The urbanization-induced increase was found to be higher than the precipitation increase (18.3mm per decade) expected from future climate change. The direct climate impacts due to rapid urbanization is highlighted with strong implications for urban sustainable development and the planning of effective adaptation strategies for issues such as coastal defenses, mosquito-borne disease spread and heat stress mortality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Uranium oxidation: Characterization of oxides formed by reaction with water by infrared and sorption analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuller, E. L.; Smyrl, N. R.; Condon, J. B.; Eager, M. H.

    1984-04-01

    Three different uranium oxide samples have been characterized with respect to the different preparation techniques. The results show that the water reaction with uranium metal occurs cyclically forming laminar layers of oxide which spall off due to the strain at the oxide/metal interface. Single laminae are released if liquid water is present due to the prizing penetration at the reaction zone. The rate of reaction of water with uranium is directly proportional to the amount of adsorbed water on the oxide product. Rapid transport is effected through the open hydrous oxide product. Dehydration of the hydrous oxide irreversibly forms a more inert oxide which cannot be rehydrated to the degree that prevails in the original hydrous product of uranium oxidation with water. Inert gas sorption analyses and diffuse reflectance infrared studies combined with electron microscopy prove valuable in defining the chemistry and morphology of the oxidic products and hydrated intermediates.

  2. Cladding oxidation during air ingress. Part II: Synthesis of modelling results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beuzet, E.; Haurais, F.; Bals, C.; Coindreau, O.; Fernandez-Moguel, L.; Vasiliev, A.; Park, S.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A state-of-the-art for air oxidation modelling in the frame of severe accident is done. • Air oxidation models from main severe accident codes are detailed. • Simulations from main severe accident codes are compared against experimental results. • Perspectives in terms of need for further model development and experiments are given. - Abstract: Air ingress is a potential risk in some low probable situations of severe accidents in a nuclear power plant. Air is a highly oxidizing atmosphere that can lead to an enhanced Zr-based cladding oxidation and core degradation affecting the release of fission products. This is particularly true speaking about ruthenium release, due to its high radiotoxicity and its ability to form highly volatile oxides in a significant manner in presence of air. The oxygen affinity is decreasing from the Zircaloy cladding, fuel and ruthenium inclusions. It is consequently of great need to understand the phenomena governing cladding oxidation by air as a prerequisite for the source term issues in such scenarios. In the past years, many works have been done on cladding oxidation by air under severe accident conditions. This paper with in addition the paper “Cladding oxidation during air ingress – Part I: Synthesis of experimental results” of this journal issue aim at assessing the state of the art on this phenomenon. In this paper, the modelling of air ingress phenomena in the main severe accident codes (ASTEC, ATHLET-CD, MAAP, MELCOR, RELAP/SCDAPSIM, SOCRAT) is described in details, as well as the validation against the integral experiments QUENCH-10, QUENCH-16 and PARAMETER-SF4. A full review of cladding oxidation by air is thus established.

  3. Short-Term Fructose Feeding Induces Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in the Hippocampus of Young and Adult Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cigliano, Luisa; Spagnuolo, Maria Stefania; Crescenzo, Raffaella; Cancelliere, Rosa; Iannotta, Lucia; Mazzoli, Arianna; Liverini, Giovanna; Iossa, Susanna

    2018-04-01

    The drastic increase in the consumption of fructose encouraged the research to focus on its effects on brain physio-pathology. Although young and adults differ largely by their metabolic and physiological profiles, most of the previous studies investigated brain disturbances induced by long-term fructose feeding in adults. Therefore, we investigated whether a short-term consumption of fructose (2 weeks) produces early increase in specific markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in the hippocampus of young and adult rats. After the high-fructose diet, plasma lipopolysaccharide and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were found significantly increased in parallel with hippocampus inflammation, evidenced by a significant rise in TNF-alpha and glial fibrillar acidic protein concentrations in both the young and adult groups. The fructose-induced inflammatory condition was associated with brain oxidative stress, as increased levels of lipid peroxidation and nitro-tyrosine were detected in the hippocampus. The degree of activation of the protein kinase B, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and insulin receptor substrate 1 pathways found in the hippocampus after fructose feeding indicates that the detrimental effects of the fructose-rich diet might largely depend on age. Mitochondrial function in the hippocampus, together with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha content, was found significantly decreased in fructose-treated adult rats. In vitro studies with BV-2 microglial cells confirmed that fructose treatment induces TNF-alpha production as well as oxidative stress. In conclusion, these results suggest that unbalanced diet, rich in fructose, may be highly deleterious in young people as in adults and must be strongly discouraged for the prevention of diet-associated neuroinflammation and neurological diseases.

  4. Long-term outcome of acute prosthetic joint infections due to gram-negative bacilli treated with retention of prosthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaén, N; Martínez-Pastor, J C; Muñoz-Mahamud, E; García-Ramiro, S; Bosch, J; Mensa, J; Soriano, A

    2012-09-01

    To update the clinical information of the 47 patients with a prosthetic joint infection due to Gram-negative bacilli included in a previous study and to reassess the predictors of failure after a longer follow-up. Using the electronic files of our hospital, all the information regarding readmissions to the hospital, new surgical procedures and the reason for the new surgery (infection, aseptic loosening), and the last visit in the hospital were registered. The medical chart of the 35 patients that were considered in remission in the previous publication was reviewed. In 30 patients no clinical evidence of failure was detected and no additional surgery on the previously infected prosthesis was necessary and they were considered in long-term remission. In 5 cases a late complication was identified. One case had a reinfection due to coagulase-negative staphylococci after 22 months from the open debridement and required a 2-stage revision surgery. The other 4 cases developed an aseptic loosening and it was necessary to perform a 1-stage exchange. Receiving a fluoroquinolone when all the Gram-negatives involved in the infection were susceptible to fluoroquinolones was the only factor associated with remission in the univariate analysis (p=0.002). After a long-term follow-up, our results support the importance of using fluoroquinolones in acute PJI due to Gram-negative bacilli.

  5. Antioxidant-enzyme reaction to the oxidative stress due to alpha-cypermethrin, chlorpyriphos, and pirimicarb in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chahid, Karim; Laglaoui, Amin; Zantar, Said; Ennabili, Abdeslam

    2015-11-01

    Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) becomes one of the world's foremost vegetables, and its world production and consumption have increased fairly quickly. The capacity to induce oxidative stress in tomato plant, exposed to three xenobiotics such as alpha-cypermethrin, chlorpyriphos, and pirimicarb, was investigated by the evaluation of lipid peroxidation by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) rate; also, we studied the response of tomato to this stress by assessing the response of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR). The effect of the insecticides was observed using four concentrations (25, 50, 75, and 100%) for germinating seeds and only the recommended concentration in agriculture (100%) for growing plants. Our results show an important accumulation of MDA, demonstrating the increase of lipid peroxidation in consequence of the excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production due to insecticide treatment. In response to this oxidative stress in tomato seedlings and plants, the activities of antioxidant-enzyme system were generally enhanced. The electrophoretic analysis showed also the apparition of new isoenzymes as the case for CAT and POD.

  6. Effects of long- and short-term darbepoetin-α treatment on oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial injury in ApoE knockout mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özdemir, Evrim Dursun; Hanikoglu, Aysegul; Cort, Aysegul; Ozben, Beste; Suleymanlar, Gultekin; Ozben, Tomris

    2017-07-01

    Atherosclerosis and atherosclerosis-related complications are the main cause of death in the world. Vascular injury in response to inflammation and enhanced oxidant stress promotes endothelial dysfunction and leads to atherosclerotic lesions. Low-dose treatment with darbepoetin-α may be a potential therapeutic tool for endothelial injury and atherosclerosis. In order to study the effect of darbepoetin-α on endothelial injury and atherosclerosis, we used ApoE-/- mice as the atherosclerotic mice model. We monitored atherosclerosis and plaque formation histochemically in ApoE knockout mice at early and late stages of atherosclerosis. Darbepoetin-α was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 0.1 μg/kg to ApoE-/- mice. The results of 2 ApoE-/- mice groups injected with darbepoetin-α (early and late stages of atherosclerosis) were compared to the results of the corresponding saline injected ApoE-/- mice groups and the control (C57BL/6) mice. Lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride), inflammation (CRP, IL-6, histamine), endothelial injury (ICAM-1, selectin) and oxidative stress markers (lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation) were significantly increased in 4 atherosclerotic groups compared to the control group. Short-term darbepoetin-α had no marked effects on indicators of inflammation and endothelial injury in the ApoE knockout mice groups compared to the ApoE knockout mice not treated with darbepoetin-α, however, darbepoetin-α significantly decreased 8-isoprostane and protein carbonyl content. Long term darbepoetin-α treatment reduced oxidative stress in ApoE-/- mice. This study contributes to understanding and elucidating the biochemical changes occurring during early and late stages of atherosclerosis development regarding lipid profile, inflammation, endothelial injury and oxidative stress markers.

  7. The 2016 oxide electronic materials and oxide interfaces roadmap

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lorenz, M.; Rao, M. S. Ramachandra; Venkatesan, T.

    2016-01-01

    of these materials to understand the tunability of their properties and the novel properties that evolve due to their nanostructured nature is another facet of the challenge. The research related to the oxide electronic field is at an impressionable stage, and this has motivated us to contribute with a roadmap......, Pentcheva, and Gegenwart. Finally, Miletto Granozio presents the European action ‘towards oxide-based electronics’ which develops an oxide electronics roadmap with emphasis on future nonvolatile memories and the required technologies.In summary, we do hope that this oxide roadmap appears as an interesting...

  8. Influence of nutrition on liver oxidative metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorquera, F; Culebras, J M; González-Gallego, J

    1996-06-01

    The liver plays a major role in the disposition of the majority of drugs. This is due to the presence of several drug-metabolizing enzyme systems, including a group of membrane-bound mixed-function oxidative enzymes, mainly the cytochrome P450 system. Hepatic oxidative capacity can be assessed by changes in antipyrine metabolism. Different drugs and other factors may induce or inhibit the cytochrome P450-dependent system. This effect is important in terms of the efficacy or toxicity of drugs that are substrates for the system. Microsomal oxidation in animals fed with protein-deficient diets is depressed. The mixed-function oxidase activity recovers after a hyperproteic diet or the addition of lipids. Similar findings have been reported in patients with protein-calorie malnutrition, although results in the elderly are conflicting. Different studies have revealed that microsomal oxidation is impaired by total parenteral nutrition and that this effect is absent when changing the caloric source from carbohydrates to a conventional amino acid solution or after lipid addition, especially when administered as medium-chain/long-chain triglyceride mixtures. Peripheral parenteral nutrition appears to increase antipyrine clearance.

  9. Auditory agnosia due to long-term severe hydrocephalus caused by spina bifida - specific auditory pathway versus nonspecific auditory pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qing; Kaga, Kimitaka; Hayashi, Akimasa

    2011-07-01

    A 27-year-old female showed auditory agnosia after long-term severe hydrocephalus due to congenital spina bifida. After years of hydrocephalus, she gradually suffered from hearing loss in her right ear at 19 years of age, followed by her left ear. During the time when she retained some ability to hear, she experienced severe difficulty in distinguishing verbal, environmental, and musical instrumental sounds. However, her auditory brainstem response and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were largely intact in the left ear. Her bilateral auditory cortices were preserved, as shown by neuroimaging, whereas her auditory radiations were severely damaged owing to progressive hydrocephalus. Although she had a complete bilateral hearing loss, she felt great pleasure when exposed to music. After years of self-training to read lips, she regained fluent ability to communicate. Clinical manifestations of this patient indicate that auditory agnosia can occur after long-term hydrocephalus due to spina bifida; the secondary auditory pathway may play a role in both auditory perception and hearing rehabilitation.

  10. Critical Role of Nitric Oxide-cGMP Cascade in the Formation of cAMP-Dependent Long-Term Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aonuma, Hitoshi; Mizunami, Makoto; Matsumoto, Yukihisa; Unoki, Sae

    2006-01-01

    Cyclic AMP pathway plays an essential role in formation of long-term memory (LTM). In some species, the nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic GMP pathway has been found to act in parallel and complementary to the cAMP pathway for LTM formation. Here we describe a new role of the NO-cGMP pathway, namely, stimulation of the cAMP pathway to induce LTM. We have…

  11. Short-term static corrosion tests in lead-bismuth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soler Crespo, L.; Martín Muñoz, F. J.; Gómez Briceño, D.

    2001-07-01

    Martensitic steels have been proposed to be used as structural materials and as spallation target window in hybrid systems devoted to the transmutation of radioactive waste of long life and high activity. However, their compatibility with lead-bismuth in the operating conditions of these systems depends on the existence of a protective layer such as an oxide film. The feasibility of forming and maintaining an oxide layer or maintaining a pre-oxidised one has been studied. Martensitic steel F82Hmod. (8% Cr) has been tested in lead-bismuth under static and isothermal conditions at 400°C and 600°C. In order to study the first stages of the interaction between the steel and the eutectic, short-term tests (100 and 665 h) have been carried out. Pre-oxidised and as-received samples have been tested in atmospheres with different oxidant potential. For low oxygen concentration in lead-bismuth due to unexpected oxygen consumption in the experimental device, dissolution of as-received F82Hmod. occurs and pre-oxidation does not prevent the material dissolution. For high oxygen concentration, the pre-oxidation layer seems to improve the feasibility of protecting stainless steels controlling the oxygen potential of lead-bismuth with a gas phase.

  12. Short-term static corrosion tests in lead-bismuth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soler Crespo, L.; Martin Munoz, F.J.; Gomez Briceno, D.

    2001-01-01

    Martensitic steels have been proposed to be used as structural materials and as spallation target window in hybrid systems devoted to the transmutation of radioactive waste of long life and high activity. However, their compatibility with lead-bismuth in the operating conditions of these systems depends on the existence of a protective layer such as an oxide film. The feasibility of forming and maintaining an oxide layer or maintaining a pre-oxidised one has been studied. Martensitic steel F82Hmod. (8% Cr) has been tested in lead-bismuth under static and isothermal conditions at 400 o C and 600 o C. In order to study the first stages of the interaction between the steel and the eutectic, short-term tests (100 and 665 h) have been carried out. Pre-oxidised and as-received samples have been tested in atmospheres with different oxidant potential. For low oxygen concentration in lead-bismuth due to unexpected oxygen consumption in the experimental device, dissolution of as-received F82Hmod. occurs and pre-oxidation does not prevent the material dissolution. For high oxygen concentration, the pre-oxidation layer seems to improve the feasibility of protecting stainless steels controlling the oxygen potential of lead-bismuth with a gas phase

  13. Dissecting long-term adjustments of photoprotective and photo-oxidative stress acclimation occurring in dynamic light environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shizue Matsubara

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Changes in light intensity directly affect the performance of the photosynthetic apparatus. Light energy absorbed in excess of cells’ needs leads to production of reactive oxygen species and photo-oxidative damage. Excess light in both constant and dynamic environments induces photoprotective acclimation in plants. Distinct sets of signals and regulatory mechanisms are involved in acclimatory adjustment of photoprotection and photosynthesis under constant and dynamic (fluctuating light conditions. We are still far away from drawing a comprehensive picture of acclimatory signal transduction pathways, particularly in dynamic environments. In this perspective article, we propose the use of Arabidopsis plants that produce H2O2 in chloroplasts (GO plants under atmospheric CO2 levels as a tool to study the mechanisms of long-term acclimation to photo-oxidative stress. In our opinion there are new avenues to future investigations on acclimatory adjustments and signal transduction occurring in plants under dynamic light environments.

  14. Poly[(ethylene oxide)-co-(methylene ethylene oxide)]: A hydrolytically-degradable poly(ethylene oxide) platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundberg, Pontus; Lee, Bongjae F; van den Berg, Sebastiaan A; Pressly, Eric D; Lee, Annabelle; Hawker, Craig J; Lynd, Nathaniel A

    2012-11-20

    A facile method for imparting hydrolytic degradability to poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), compatible with current PEGylation strategies, is presented. By incorporating methylene ethylene oxide (MEO) units into the parent PEO backbone, complete degradation was defined by the molar incorporation of MEO, and the structure of the degradation byproducts was consistent with an acid-catalyzed vinyl-ether hydrolysis mechanism. The hydrolytic degradation of poly[(ethylene oxide)-co-(methylene ethylene oxide)] was pH-sensitive, with degradation at pH 5 being significantly faster than at pH 7.4 at 37 °C in PBS buffer while long-term stability could be obtained in either the solid-state or at pH 7.4 at 6 °C.

  15. Comparison of direct and indirect plasma oxidation of NO combined with oxidation by catalyst

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jogi, Indrek; Stamate, Eugen; Irimiea, Cornelia

    2015-01-01

    of the DBD reactor decreased the long-term efficiency of direct plasma oxidation. At the same time, the efficiency of indirect oxidation increased at elevated reactor temperatures. Additional experiments were carried out to investigate the improvement of indirect oxidation by the introduction of catalyst...

  16. Nitrous Oxide and Serious Long-term Morbidity and Mortality in the Evaluation of Nitrous Oxide in the Gas Mixture for Anaesthesia (ENIGMA)-II Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leslie, Kate; Myles, Paul S; Kasza, Jessica; Forbes, Andrew; Peyton, Philip J; Chan, Matthew T V; Paech, Michael J; Sessler, Daniel I; Beattie, W Scott; Devereaux, P J; Wallace, Sophie

    2015-12-01

    The Evaluation of Nitrous Oxide in the Gas Mixture for Anaesthesia (ENIGMA)-II trial randomly assigned 7,112 noncardiac surgery patients at risk of perioperative cardiovascular events to 70% N2O or 70% N2 groups. The aim of this follow-up study was to determine the effect of nitrous oxide on a composite primary outcome of death and major cardiovascular events at 1 yr after surgery. One-year follow-up was conducted via a medical record review and telephone interview. Disability was defined as a Katz index of independence in activities of daily living score less than 8. Adjusted odds ratios and hazard ratios were calculated as appropriate for primary and secondary outcomes. Among 5,844 patients evaluated at 1 yr, 435 (7.4%) had died, 206 (3.5%) had disability, 514 (8.8%) had a fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction, and 111 (1.9%) had a fatal or nonfatal stroke during the 1-yr follow-up period. Exposure to nitrous oxide did not increase the risk of the primary outcome (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.25; P = 0.27), disability or death (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.90 to 1.27; P = 0.44), death (hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.43; P = 0.10), myocardial infarction (odds ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.17; P = 0.78), or stroke (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.58; P = 0.70). These results support the long-term safety of nitrous oxide administration in noncardiac surgical patients with known or suspected cardiovascular disease.

  17. EVALUATION OF RADIONUCLIDE ACCUMULATION IN SOIL DUE TO LONG-TERM IRRIGATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Wesley Wu

    2006-01-01

    Radionuclide accumulation in soil due to long-term irrigation is an important part of the model for predicting radiation dose in a long period of time. The model usually assumes an equilibrium condition in soil with a constant irrigation rate, so that radionuclide concentration in soil does not change with time and can be analytically solved. This method is currently being used for the dose assessment in the Yucca Mountain project, which requires evaluating radiation dose for a period of 10,000 years. There are several issues associated with the method: (1) time required for the equilibrium condition, (2) validity of constant irrigation rate, (3) agricultural land use for a long period of time, and (4) variation of a radionuclide concentration in water. These issues are evaluated using a numerical method with a simple model built in the GoldSim software. Some key radionuclides, Tc-99, Np-237, Pu-239, and Am-241 are selected as representative radionuclides. The results indicate that the equilibrium model is acceptable except for a radionuclide that requires long time to accumulate in soil and that its concentration in water changes dramatically with time (i.e. a sharp peak). Then the calculated dose for that radionuclide could be overestimated using the current equilibrium method

  18. Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress: The Framingham Heart Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wenyuan; Wilker, Elissa H; Dorans, Kirsten S; Rice, Mary B; Schwartz, Joel; Coull, Brent A; Koutrakis, Petros; Gold, Diane R; Keaney, John F; Lin, Honghuang; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Benjamin, Emelia J; Mittleman, Murray A

    2016-04-28

    Short-term exposure to elevated air pollution has been associated with higher risk of acute cardiovascular diseases, with systemic oxidative stress induced by air pollution hypothesized as an important underlying mechanism. However, few community-based studies have assessed this association. Two thousand thirty-five Framingham Offspring Cohort participants living within 50 km of the Harvard Boston Supersite who were not current smokers were included. We assessed circulating biomarkers of oxidative stress including blood myeloperoxidase at the seventh examination (1998-2001) and urinary creatinine-indexed 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α (8-epi-PGF2α) at the seventh and eighth (2005-2008) examinations. We measured fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon, sulfate, nitrogen oxides, and ozone at the Supersite and calculated 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, and 7-day moving averages of each pollutant. Measured myeloperoxidase and 8-epi-PGF2α were loge transformed. We used linear regression models and linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts for myeloperoxidase and indexed 8-epi-PGF2α, respectively. Models were adjusted for demographic variables, individual- and area-level measures of socioeconomic position, clinical and lifestyle factors, weather, and temporal trend. We found positive associations of PM2.5 and black carbon with myeloperoxidase across multiple moving averages. Additionally, 2- to 7-day moving averages of PM2.5 and sulfate were consistently positively associated with 8-epi-PGF2α. Stronger positive associations of black carbon and sulfate with myeloperoxidase were observed among participants with diabetes than in those without. Our community-based investigation supports an association of select markers of ambient air pollution with circulating biomarkers of oxidative stress. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

  19. Long-term Steam Electrolysis with Electrolyte-Supported Solid Oxide Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schefold, Josef; Brisse, Annabelle; Poepke, Hendrik

    2015-01-01

    Steam electrolysis over 11000 h with an electrolyte-supported solid oxide cell is discussed. The cell of 45 cm"2 area consists of a scandia/ceria doped zirconia electrolyte (6Sc1CeSZ), CGO diffusion-barrier/adhesion layers, a lanthanum strontium cobaltite ferrite (LSCF) oxygen electrode, and a nickel steam/hydrogen electrode. After initial 2500 h operation with lower current-density magnitude, the current density was set to j = -0.9 A cm"−"2 and the steam conversion rate to 51%. This led to a cell voltage of 1.185 V at 847 °C cell temperature. Average voltage degradation was 7.3 mV/1000 h ( 100% throughout the test (with an external heat source for evaporation). Impedance spectroscopic measurements revealed a degradation almost entirely due to increasing ohmic resistance. The rate of resistance increase was initially faster (up to 40 mΩ cm"2/1000 h) and stabilised after several 1000 h operation. After 9000 h a small (non-ohmic) electrode degradation became detectable (<2 mV/1000 h), superimposed to ohmic degradation. The small electrode degradation is understood as indication for largely reversible (electrolysis cell/fuel cell) behaviour.

  20. Short-term exercise worsens cardiac oxidative stress and fibrosis in 8-month-old db/db mice by depleting cardiac glutathione.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laher, Ismail; Beam, Julianne; Botta, Amy; Barendregt, Rebekah; Sulistyoningrum, Dian; Devlin, Angela; Rheault, Mark; Ghosh, Sanjoy

    2013-01-01

    Moderate exercise improves cardiac antioxidant status in young humans and animals with Type-2 diabetes (T2D). Given that both diabetes and advancing age synergistically decrease antioxidant expression in most tissues, it is unclear whether exercise can upregulate cardiac antioxidants in chronic animal models of T2D. To this end, 8-month-old T2D and normoglycemic mice were exercised for 3 weeks, and cardiac redox status was evaluated. As expected, moderate exercise increased cardiac antioxidants and attenuated oxidative damage in normoglycemic mice. In contrast, similar exercise protocol in 8-month-old db/db mice worsened cardiac oxidative damage, which was associated with a specific dysregulation of glutathione (GSH) homeostasis. Expression of enzymes for GSH biosynthesis [γ-glutamylcysteine synthase, glutathione reductase] as well as for GSH-mediated detoxification (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase) was lower, while toxic metabolites dependent on GSH for clearance (4-hydroxynonenal) were increased in exercised diabetic mice hearts. To validate GSH loss as an important factor for such aggravated damage, daily administration of GSH restored cardiac GSH levels in exercised diabetic mice. Such supplementation attenuated both oxidative damage and fibrotic changes in the myocardium. Expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and its regulated genes which are responsible for such profibrotic changes were also attenuated with GSH supplementation. These novel findings in a long-term T2D animal model demonstrate that short-term exercise by itself can deplete cardiac GSH and aggravate cardiac oxidative stress. As GSH administration conferred protection in 8-month-old diabetic mice undergoing exercise, supplementation with GSH-enhancing agents may be beneficial in elderly diabetic patients undergoing exercise.

  1. Physical exercise prevents short and long-term deficits on aversive and recognition memory and attenuates brain oxidative damage induced by maternal deprivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neves, Ben-Hur; Menezes, Jefferson; Souza, Mauren Assis; Mello-Carpes, Pâmela B

    2015-12-01

    It is known from previous research that physical exercise prevents long-term memory deficits induced by maternal deprivation in rats. But we could not assume similar effects of physical exercise on short-term memory, as short- and long-term memories are known to result from some different memory consolidation processes. Here we demonstrated that, in addition to long-term memory deficit, the short-term memory deficit resultant from maternal deprivation in object recognition and aversive memory tasks is also prevented by physical exercise. Additionally, one of the mechanisms by which the physical exercise influences the memory processes involves its effects attenuating the oxidative damage in the maternal deprived rats' hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

  2. Heterogeneous Oxidation of Atmospheric Organic Aerosol: Kinetics of Changes to the Amount and Oxidation State of Particle-Phase Organic Carbon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroll, Jesse H; Lim, Christopher Y; Kessler, Sean H; Wilson, Kevin R

    2015-11-05

    Atmospheric oxidation reactions are known to affect the chemical composition of organic aerosol (OA) particles over timescales of several days, but the details of such oxidative aging reactions are poorly understood. In this study we examine the rates and products of a key class of aging reaction, the heterogeneous oxidation of particle-phase organic species by the gas-phase hydroxyl radical (OH). We compile and reanalyze a number of previous studies from our laboratories involving the oxidation of single-component organic particles. All kinetic and product data are described on a common basis, enabling a straightforward comparison among different chemical systems and experimental conditions. Oxidation chemistry is described in terms of changes to key ensemble properties of the OA, rather than to its detailed molecular composition, focusing on two quantities in particular, the amount and the oxidation state of the particle-phase carbon. Heterogeneous oxidation increases the oxidation state of particulate carbon, with the rate of increase determined by the detailed chemical mechanism. At the same time, the amount of particle-phase carbon decreases with oxidation, due to fragmentation (C-C scission) reactions that form small, volatile products that escape to the gas phase. In contrast to the oxidation state increase, the rate of carbon loss is nearly uniform among most systems studied. Extrapolation of these results to atmospheric conditions indicates that heterogeneous oxidation can have a substantial effect on the amount and composition of atmospheric OA over timescales of several days, a prediction that is broadly in line with available measurements of OA evolution over such long timescales. In particular, 3-13% of particle-phase carbon is lost to the gas phase after one week of heterogeneous oxidation. Our results indicate that oxidative aging represents an important sink for particulate organic carbon, and more generally that fragmentation reactions play a major

  3. Influence on the oxidative potential of a heavy-duty engine particle emission due to selective catalytic reduction system and biodiesel blend.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godoi, Ricardo H M; Polezer, Gabriela; Borillo, Guilherme C; Brown, Andrew; Valebona, Fabio B; Silva, Thiago O B; Ingberman, Aline B G; Nalin, Marcelo; Yamamoto, Carlos I; Potgieter-Vermaak, Sanja; Penteado Neto, Renato A; de Marchi, Mary Rosa R; Saldiva, Paulo H N; Pauliquevis, Theotonio; Godoi, Ana Flavia L

    2016-08-01

    Although the particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel fuelled engines are acknowledged to be lower than those of fossil diesel, there is a concern on the impact of PM produced by biodiesel to human health. As the oxidative potential of PM has been suggested as trigger for adverse health effects, it was measured using the Electron Spin Resonance (OP(ESR)) technique. Additionally, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) was employed to determine elemental concentration, and Raman Spectroscopy was used to describe the amorphous carbon character of the soot collected on exhaust PM from biodiesel blends fuelled test-bed engine, with and without Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). OP(ESR) results showed higher oxidative potential per kWh of PM produced from a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel and 80% ULSD (B20) engine compared with a blend of 5% soybean biodiesel and 95% ULSD (B5), whereas the SCR was able to reduce oxidative potential for each fuel. EDXRF data indicates a correlation of 0.99 between concentration of copper and oxidative potential. Raman Spectroscopy centered on the expected carbon peaks between 1100cm(-1) and 1600cm(-1) indicate lower molecular disorder for the B20 particulate matter, an indicative of a more graphitic carbon structure. The analytical techniques used in this study highlight the link between biodiesel engine exhaust and increased oxidative potential relative to biodiesel addition on fossil diesel combustion. The EDXRF analysis confirmed the prominent role of metals on free radical production. As a whole, these results suggest that 20% of biodiesel blends run without SCR may pose an increased health risk due to an increase in OH radical generation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The Enzymatic Oxidation of Graphene Oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotchey, Gregg P.; Allen, Brett L.; Vedala, Harindra; Yanamala, Naveena; Kapralov, Alexander A.; Tyurina, Yulia Y.; Klein-Seetharaman, Judith; Kagan, Valerian E.; Star, Alexander

    2011-01-01

    Two-dimensional graphitic carbon is a new material with many emerging applications, and studying its chemical properties is an important goal. Here, we reported a new phenomenon – the enzymatic oxidation of a single layer of graphitic carbon by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the presence of low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (~40 µM), HRP catalyzed the oxidation of graphene oxide, which resulted in the formation of holes on its basal plane. During the same period of analysis, HRP failed to oxidize chemically reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The enzymatic oxidation was characterized by Raman, UV-Vis, EPR and FT-IR spectroscopy, TEM, AFM, SDS-PAGE, and GC-MS. Computational docking studies indicated that HRP was preferentially bound to the basal plane rather than the edge for both graphene oxide and RGO. Due to the more dynamic nature of HRP on graphene oxide, the heme active site of HRP was in closer proximity to graphene oxide compared to RGO, thereby facilitating the oxidation of the basal plane of graphene oxide. We also studied the electronic properties of the reduced intermediate product, holey reduced graphene oxide (hRGO), using field-effect transistor (FET) measurements. While RGO exhibited a V-shaped transfer characteristic similar to a single layer of graphene that was attributed to its zero band gap, hRGO demonstrated a p-type semiconducting behavior with a positive shift in the Dirac points. This p-type behavior rendered hRGO, which can be conceptualized as interconnected graphene nanoribbons, as a potentially attractive material for FET sensors. PMID:21344859

  5. A Decade of Improvements for Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells. Long-Term Degradation Rate from 40%/Kh to 0.4 % Kh

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauch, Anne; Brodersen, Karen; Chen, Ming

    2016-01-01

    Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) have the potential for efficient large-scale conversion from electrical energy to chemical energy stored in fuels, such as hydrogen or synthetic hydrocarbon fuels by use of well-known catalysis processes. Key issues for the break-through of this technology...... are to provide inexpensive, reliable, high performing and long-term stable SOEC for stack and system applications. At DTU Energy (formerly Department of Fuel Cells and Solid State Chemistry, Risø National Laboratory), research within SOEC for more than a decade has led to long-term degradation rates on cell...

  6. CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF ALCOHOLS AND EPOXIDATION OF OLEFINS WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AS OXIDANT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an ideal oxidant of choice for these oxidations due to economic and environmental reasons by giving water as a by-product. Two catalysts used are vanadium phosphorus oxide (VPO) and Fe3+/montmorillonite-K10 catalyst prepared by ion-exchange method at a...

  7. Characterization of tin oxide nanoparticles synthesized via oxidation from metal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abruzzi, R.C.; Dedavid, B.A.; Pires, M.J.R.; Streicher, M.

    2014-01-01

    The tin oxide (SnO_2) is a promising material with great potential for applications such as gas sensors and catalysts. This oxide nanostructures show higher activation efficiency due to its larger effective surface. This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of the tin oxide in different conditions, via oxidation of pure tin with nitric acid. Results obtained from the characterization of SnO_2 powder by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX), Particle size by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that the conditions were suitable for the synthesis to obtain manometric tin oxide granules with crystalline structure of rutile. (author)

  8. BCL-2 inhibition targets oxidative phosphorylation and selectively eradicates quiescent human leukemia stem cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagadinou, Eleni D.; Sach, Alexander; Callahan, Kevin; Rossi, Randall M.; Neering, Sarah J.; Minhajuddin, Mohammad; Ashton, John M.; Pei, Shanshan; Grose, Valerie; O’Dwyer, Kristen M.; Liesveld, Jane L.; Brookes, Paul S.; Becker, Michael W.; Jordan, Craig T.

    2013-01-01

    Summary Most forms of chemotherapy employ mechanisms involving induction of oxidative stress, a strategy that can be effective due to the elevated oxidative state commonly observed in cancer cells. However, recent studies have shown that relative redox levels in primary tumors can be heterogeneous, suggesting that regimens dependent on differential oxidative state may not be uniformly effective. To investigate this issue in hematological malignancies, we evaluated mechanisms controlling oxidative state in primary specimens derived from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients. Our studies demonstrate three striking findings. First, the majority of functionally-defined leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are characterized by relatively low levels of reactive oxygen species (termed “ROS-low”). Second, ROS-low LSCs aberrantly over-express BCL-2. Third, BCL-2 inhibition reduced oxidative phosphorylation and selectively eradicated quiescent LSCs. Based on these findings, we propose a model wherein the unique physiology of ROS-low LSCs provides an opportunity for selective targeting via disruption of BCL-2-dependent oxidative phosphorylation. PMID:23333149

  9. Two-Step Electrochemical Intercalation and Oxidation of Graphite for the Mass Production of Graphene Oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Jianyun; He, Pei; Mohammed, Mahdi A; Zhao, Xin; Young, Robert J; Derby, Brian; Kinloch, Ian A; Dryfe, Robert A W

    2017-12-06

    Conventional chemical oxidation routes for the production of graphene oxide (GO), such as the Hummers' method, suffer from environmental and safety issues due to their use of hazardous and explosive chemicals. These issues are addressed by electrochemical oxidation methods, but such approaches typically have a low yield due to inhomogeneous oxidation. Herein we report a two-step electrochemical intercalation and oxidation approach to produce GO on the large laboratory scale (tens of grams) comprising (1) forming a stage 1 graphite intercalation compound (GIC) in concentrated sulfuric acid and (2) oxidizing and exfoliating the stage 1 GIC in an aqueous solution of 0.1 M ammonium sulfate. This two-step approach leads to GO with a high yield (>70 wt %), good quality (>90%, monolayer), and reasonable oxygen content (17.7 at. %). Moreover, the as-produced GO can be subsequently deeply reduced (3.2 at. % oxygen; C/O ratio 30.2) to yield highly conductive (54 600 S m -1 ) reduced GO. Electrochemical capacitors based on the reduced GO showed an ultrahigh rate capability of up to 10 V s -1 due to this high conductivity.

  10. Archaeal dominated ammonia-oxidizing communities in Icelandic grassland soils are moderately affected by long-term N fertilization and geothermal heating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daebeler, Anne; Abell, Guy C. J.; Bodelier, Paul L. E.; Bodrossy, Levente; Frampton, Dion M. F.; Hefting, Mariet M.; Laanbroek, Hendrikus J.

    2012-01-01

    The contribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea (AOB and AOA, respectively) to the net oxidation of ammonia varies greatly between terrestrial environments. To better understand, predict and possibly manage terrestrial nitrogen turnover, we need to develop a conceptual understanding of ammonia oxidation as a function of environmental conditions including the ecophysiology of associated organisms. We examined the discrete and combined effects of mineral nitrogen deposition and geothermal heating on ammonia-oxidizing communities by sampling soils from a long-term fertilization site along a temperature gradient in Icelandic grasslands. Microarray, clone library and quantitative PCR analyses of the ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) gene accompanied by physico-chemical measurements of the soil properties were conducted. In contrast to most other terrestrial environments, the ammonia-oxidizing communities consisted almost exclusively of archaea. Their bacterial counterparts proved to be undetectable by quantitative polymerase chain reaction suggesting AOB are only of minor relevance for ammonia oxidation in these soils. Our results show that fertilization and local, geothermal warming affected detectable ammonia-oxidizing communities, but not soil chemistry: only a subset of the detected AOA phylotypes was present in higher temperature soils and AOA abundance was increased in the fertilized soils, while soil physio-chemical properties remained unchanged. Differences in distribution and structure of AOA communities were best explained by soil pH and clay content irrespective of temperature or fertilizer treatment in these grassland soils, suggesting that these factors have a greater potential for ecological niche-differentiation of AOA in soil than temperature and N fertilization. PMID:23060870

  11. Archaeal dominated ammonia-oxidizing communities in Icelandic grassland soils are moderately affected by long-term N fertilization and geothermal heating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne eDaebeler

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The contribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea (AOB and AOA, respectively to the net oxidation of ammonia varies greatly between terrestrial environments. To better understand, predict and possibly manage terrestrial nitrogen turnover, we need to develop a conceptual understanding of ammonia oxidation as a function of environmental conditions including the ecophysiology of the associated organisms. We examined the discrete and combined effects of mineral nitrogen deposition and geothermal heating on ammonia-oxidizing communities by sampling soils from a long-term fertilisation site along a temperature gradient in Icelandic grasslands. Microarray, clone library and quantitative PCR analyses of the ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA gene accompanied by physico-chemical measurements of the soil properties were conducted. In contrast to most other terrestrial environments, the ammonia-oxidizing communities consisted almost exclusively of archaea. Their bacterial counterparts proved to be undetectable by quantitative PCR suggesting AOB are only of minor relevance for ammonia oxidation in these soils. Our results show that fertilization and local, geothermal warming affected detectable ammonia-oxidizing communities, but not soil chemistry: only a subset of the detected AOA phylotypes was present in higher temperature soils and AOA abundance was increased in the fertilized soils, while the measured soil physico-chemical properties remained unchanged. Differences in distribution and structure of AOA communities were best explained by soil pH and clay content irrespective of temperature or fertilizer treatment in these grassland soils, suggesting that these factors have a greater potential for ecological niche-differentiation of AOA in soil than temperature and N fertilization.

  12. Archaeal dominated ammonia-oxidizing communities in Icelandic grassland soils are moderately affected by long-term N fertilization and geothermal heating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daebeler, Anne; Abell, Guy C J; Bodelier, Paul L E; Bodrossy, Levente; Frampton, Dion M F; Hefting, Mariet M; Laanbroek, Hendrikus J

    2012-01-01

    The contribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea (AOB and AOA, respectively) to the net oxidation of ammonia varies greatly between terrestrial environments. To better understand, predict and possibly manage terrestrial nitrogen turnover, we need to develop a conceptual understanding of ammonia oxidation as a function of environmental conditions including the ecophysiology of associated organisms. We examined the discrete and combined effects of mineral nitrogen deposition and geothermal heating on ammonia-oxidizing communities by sampling soils from a long-term fertilization site along a temperature gradient in Icelandic grasslands. Microarray, clone library and quantitative PCR analyses of the ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) gene accompanied by physico-chemical measurements of the soil properties were conducted. In contrast to most other terrestrial environments, the ammonia-oxidizing communities consisted almost exclusively of archaea. Their bacterial counterparts proved to be undetectable by quantitative polymerase chain reaction suggesting AOB are only of minor relevance for ammonia oxidation in these soils. Our results show that fertilization and local, geothermal warming affected detectable ammonia-oxidizing communities, but not soil chemistry: only a subset of the detected AOA phylotypes was present in higher temperature soils and AOA abundance was increased in the fertilized soils, while soil physio-chemical properties remained unchanged. Differences in distribution and structure of AOA communities were best explained by soil pH and clay content irrespective of temperature or fertilizer treatment in these grassland soils, suggesting that these factors have a greater potential for ecological niche-differentiation of AOA in soil than temperature and N fertilization.

  13. Review of oxidation rates of DOE spent nuclear fuel : Part 1 : nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hilton, B.A.

    2000-01-01

    The long-term performance of Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in a mined geologic disposal system depends highly on fuel oxidation and subsequent radionuclide release. The oxidation rates of nuclear fuels are reviewed in this two-volume report to provide a baseline for comparison with release rate data and technical rationale for predicting general corrosion behavior of DOE SNF. The oxidation rates of nuclear fuels in the DOE SNF inventory were organized according to metallic, Part 1, and non-metallic, Part 2, spent nuclear fuels. This Part 1 of the report reviews the oxidation behavior of three fuel types prototypic of metallic fuel in the DOE SNF inventory: uranium metal, uranium alloys and aluminum-based dispersion fuels. The oxidation rates of these fuels were evaluated in oxygen, water vapor, and water. The water data were limited to pure water corrosion as this represents baseline corrosion kinetics. Since the oxidation processes and kinetics discussed in this report are limited to pure water, they are not directly applicable to corrosion rates of SNF in water chemistry that is significantly different (such as may occur in the repository). Linear kinetics adequately described the oxidation rates of metallic fuels in long-term corrosion. Temperature dependent oxidation rates were determined by linear regression analysis of the literature data. As expected the reaction rates of metallic fuels dramatically increase with temperature. The uranium metal and metal alloys have stronger temperature dependence than the aluminum dispersion fuels. The uranium metal/water reaction exhibited the highest oxidation rate of the metallic fuel types and environments that were reviewed. Consequently, the corrosion properties of all DOE SNF may be conservatively modeled as uranium metal, which is representative of spent N-Reactor fuel. The reaction rate in anoxic, saturated water vapor was essentially the same as the water reaction rate. The long-term intrinsic

  14. Reduction of healthcare-associated infections in a long-term care brain injury ward by replacing regular linens with biocidal copper oxide impregnated linens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazary, A; Weinberg, I; Vatine, J-J; Jefidoff, A; Bardenstein, R; Borkow, G; Ohana, N

    2014-07-01

    Contaminated textiles in hospitals contribute to endogenous, indirect-contact, and aerosol transmission of nosocomial related pathogens. Copper oxide impregnated linens have wide-spectrum antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Our aim was to determine if replacing non-biocidal linens with biocidal copper oxide impregnated linens would reduce the rates of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in a long-term care ward. We compared the rates of HAI in two analogous patient cohorts in a head injury care ward over two 6-month parallel periods before (period A) and after (period B) replacing all the regular non-biocidal linens and personnel uniforms with copper oxide impregnated biocidal products. During period B, in comparison to period A, there was a 24% reduction in the HAI per 1000 hospitalization-days (p38.5°C) per 1000 hospitalization-days (p<0.01), and a 32.8% reduction in total number of days of antibiotic administration per 1000 hospitalization-days (p<0.0001). Accordingly there was saving of approximately 27% in costs of antibiotics, HAI-related treatments, X-rays, disposables, labor, and laundry, expenses during period B. The use of biocidal copper oxide impregnated textiles in a long-term care ward may significantly reduce HAI, fever, antibiotic consumption, and related treatment costs. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  15. Extraction of Spear Grass (Imperata Cylindrica As Pro-Oxidant In Polymer Blends

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuradibah M.A.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Packaging material such as plastic bags is one of the main factors that contribute to the environmental pollution due to slow degradation. The usage of metal oxide as pro-oxidant has been proven to accelerate the degradation of these materials, but the excessive usage of this pro-oxidant will be harmful to the human body. Therefore, in this research, spear grass is investigated to be used as natural based pro-oxidant that can increase the degradation rate of the polymers. In terms of that, spear grass is extracted by using pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE to obtain the metal element such as zinc (Zn and ferum (Fe. PHWE is using water as a solvent which is highly favourable due to non-toxicity and non-flammable characteristics that make it easy to handle. Box-Behnken design is used to optimize the temperature, extraction time, and sample-to-solvent ratio to get the maximum amount of Zn and Fe concentration from the extracted spear grass. As a conclusion, the leaf of spear grass contributed the highest amount of Zn and Fe concentration. The highest amount of Zn and Fe concentration is achieved at 150 °C, 20 minutes, and 3 g of sample to 45 ml of water.

  16. Graphene oxide papers with high water adsorption capacity for air dehumidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Renlong; Gong, Tao; Zhang, Kan; Lee, Changgu

    2017-08-29

    Graphene oxide (GO) has shown a high potential to adsorb and store water molecules due to the oxygen-containing functional groups on its hydrophilic surface. In this study, we characterized the water absorbing properties of graphene oxide in the form of papers. We fabricated three kinds of graphene oxide papers, two with rich oxygen functional groups and one with partial chemical reduction, to vary the oxygen/carbon ratio and found that the paper with high oxygen content has higher moisture adsorption capability. For the GO paper with reduction, the overall moisture absorbance was reduced. However, the absorbance at high humidity was significantly improved due to direct formation of multilayer water vapor in the system, which derived from the weak interaction between the adsorbent and the adsorbate. To demonstrate one application of GO papers as a desiccant, we tested grape fruits with and without GO paper. The fruits with a GO paper exhibited longer-term preservation with delayed mold gathering because of desiccation effect from the paper. Our results suggest that GO will find numerous practical applications as a desiccant and is a promising material for moisture desiccation and food preservation.

  17. Long-Term Planning for Open Pits for Mining Sulphide-Oxide Ores in Order to Achieve Maximum Profit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kržanović, Daniel; Conić, Vesna; Stevanović, Dejan; Kolonja, Božo; Vaduvesković, Jovan

    2017-12-01

    Profitable exploitation of mineralised material from the earth's crust is a complex and difficult task that depends on a comprehensive planning process. Answering the question of how to plan production depends on the geometry of the deposit, as well as the concentration, distribution, and type of minerals in it. The complex nature of mineral deposits largely determines the method of exploitation and profitability of mining operations. In addition to unit operating costs and metal prices, the optimal recovery of and achievement of maximum profit from deposits of sulphide-oxide ores also depend, to a significant extent, on the level of technological recovery achieved in the ore processing procedure. Therefore, in defining a long-term development strategy for open pits, special attention must be paid to the selection of an optimal procedure for ore processing in order to achieve the main objective: maximising the Net Present Value (NPV). The effect of using two different processes, flotation processing and hydrometallurgical methods (bioleaching acid leaching), on determining the ultimate pit is shown in the case of the Kraku Bugaresku-Cementacija sulphide-oxide ore deposit in eastern Serbia. Analysis shows that the application of hydrometallurgical methods of processing sulphide-oxide ore achieved an increase in NPV of 20.42%.

  18. d° Ferromagnetism of Magnesium Oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jitendra Pal Singh

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Magnetism without d-orbital electrons seems to be unrealistic; however, recent observations of magnetism in non-magnetic oxides, such as ZnO, HfO2, and MgO, have opened new avenues in the field of magnetism. Magnetism exhibited by these oxides is known as d° ferromagnetism, as these oxides either have completely filled or unfilled d-/f-orbitals. This magnetism is believed to occur due to polarization induced by p-orbitals. Magnetic polarization in these oxides arises due to vacancies, the excitation of trapped spin in the triplet state. The presence of vacancies at the surface and subsurface also affects the magnetic behavior of these oxides. In the present review, origins of magnetism in magnesium oxide are discussed to obtain understanding of d° ferromagnetism.

  19. Short-Term Systemic Effects of Nose-Only Cigarette Smoke Exposure in Mice: Role of Oxidative Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abderrahim Nemmar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Long–term cigarette smoking (CS is a major risk factor for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and is also known to adversely affect other organs. However, data on the systemic effects of short-term CS exposure (STCSE are scarce. Presently, using a nose-only exposure system, we evaluated the systemic effects of STCSE in mice. Methods: We assessed the effects of CS generated by 9 consecutive cigarettes per day for 4 days in a nose-only exposure system on cardiovascular, hepatic and renal endpoints evaluated on day 5 in mice. Control mice were exposed to air only. Results: CS significantly increased systolic blood pressure and decreased total nitric oxide plasma concentration. Circulating platelets and erythrocyte numbers were also increased. However, STCSE did not significantly increase thrombosis in pial arterioles and venules. STCSE significantly raised plasma alanine aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase activities, but did not affect urea or creatinine concentrations. Interestingly, while STCSE enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species in heart and kidney and lipid peroxidation in heart, liver and kidneys, it also enhanced the antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase, probably indicating that STCSE causes adaptive reactions to counterbalance the potentially damaging action of oxygen radicals induced by STCSE. Conclusion: These results suggest that STCSE causes blood pressure increase, hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in the heart, liver and the kidneys. These data provide information on the initial steps leading to the systemic effects of STCSE, a stage at which the diseases may likely be reversed.

  20. Sulfonated graphene oxide/nafion composite membrane for vanadium redox flow battery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Byung Guk; Han, Tae Hee; Cho, Chang Gi

    2014-12-01

    Nafion is the most frequently used as the membrane material due to its good proton conductivity, and excellent chemical and mechanical stabilities. But it is known to have poor barrier property due to its well-developed water channels. In order to overcome this drawback, graphene oxide (GO) derivatives were introduced for Nafion composite membranes. Sulfonated graphene oxide (sGO) was prepared from GO. Both sGO and GO were treated each with phenyl isocyanate and transformed into corresponding isGO and iGO in order to promote miscibility with Nafion. Then composite membranes were obtained, and the adaptability as a membrane for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) was investigated in terms of proton conductivity and vanadium permeability. Compared to a pristine Nafion, proton conductivities of both isGO/Nafion and iGO/Nafion membranes showed less temperature sensitivity. Both membranes also showed quite lower vanadium permeability at room temperature. Selectivity of the membrane was the highest for isGO/Nafion and the lowest for the pristine Nafion.

  1. Covalent modification and exfoliation of graphene oxide using ferrocene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avinash, M. B.; Subrahmanyam, K. S.; Sundarayya, Y.; Govindaraju, T.

    2010-09-01

    Large scale preparation of single-layer graphene and graphene oxide is of great importance due to their potential applications. We report a simple room temperature method for the exfoliation of graphene oxide using covalent modification of graphene oxide with ferrocene to obtain single-layer graphene oxide sheets. The samples were characterized by FESEM, HRTEM, AFM, EDAX, FT-IR, Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. HRTEM micrograph of the covalently modified graphene oxide showed increased interlayer spacing of ~2.4 nm due to ferrocene intercalation. The presence of single-layer graphene oxide sheets were confirmed by AFM studies. The covalently modified ferrocene-graphene oxide composite showed interesting magnetic behavior.Large scale preparation of single-layer graphene and graphene oxide is of great importance due to their potential applications. We report a simple room temperature method for the exfoliation of graphene oxide using covalent modification of graphene oxide with ferrocene to obtain single-layer graphene oxide sheets. The samples were characterized by FESEM, HRTEM, AFM, EDAX, FT-IR, Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. HRTEM micrograph of the covalently modified graphene oxide showed increased interlayer spacing of ~2.4 nm due to ferrocene intercalation. The presence of single-layer graphene oxide sheets were confirmed by AFM studies. The covalently modified ferrocene-graphene oxide composite showed interesting magnetic behavior. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Magnetic data; AFM images; TEM micrographs; and Mössbauer spectroscopic data. See DOI: 10.1039/c0nr00024h

  2. Characterization of oxide scales grown on alloy 310S stainless steel after long term exposure to supercritical water at 500 °C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Behnamian, Yashar, E-mail: behnamia@ualberta.ca [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9 (Canada); Mostafaei, Amir [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); Kohandehghan, Alireza [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9 (Canada); Amirkhiz, Babak Shalchi [Canmet MATERIALS, Natural Resources Canada, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 0A5 (Canada); Serate, Daniel [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9 (Canada); Zheng, Wenyue [Canmet MATERIALS, Natural Resources Canada, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 0A5 (Canada); Guzonas, David [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario K0J 1J0 (Canada); Chmielus, Markus [Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); Chen, Weixing, E-mail: Weixing@ualberta.ca [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9 (Canada); Luo, Jing Li, E-mail: Jingli.luo@ualberta.ca [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9 (Canada)

    2016-10-15

    The oxide scale grown of static capsules made of alloy 310S stainless steel was investigated by exposure to the supercritical water at 500 °C 25 MPa for various exposure times up to 20,000 h. Characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning/transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and fast Fourier transformation were employed on the oxide scales. The elemental and phase analyses indicated that long term exposure to the SCW resulted in the formation of scales identified as Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} (outer layer), Fe-Cr spinel (inner layer), Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} (transition layer) on the substrate, and Ni-enrichment (chrome depleted region) in the alloy 310S. It was found that the layer thickness and weight gain vs. exposure time followed parabolic law. The oxidation mechanism and scales grown on the alloy 310S stainless steel exposed to SCW are discussed. - Highlights: •Oxidation of alloy 310S stainless steel exposed to SCW (500 °C/25 MPa) •The layer thickness and weight gain vs. exposure time followed parabolic law. •Oxide layers including Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} (outer), Fe-Cr spinel (inner) and Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} (transition) •Ni element is segregated by the selective oxidation of Cr.

  3. N2 Dissociation In The Mesosphere Due To Secondary Electrons During A Solar Proton Event: The Effect On Atomic Nitrogen and Nitric Oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verronen, P. T.; Shematovich, V. I.; Bisikalo, D. V.; Turunen, E.; Ulich, Th.

    Solar proton events have an effect on the middle atmospheric odd nitrogen chem- istry. During a solar proton event high energy protons enter Earth's middle atmosphere where they ionize ambient gas. Ionization leads to production of atomic nitrogen, and further to production of nitric oxide, through ion chemistry. In addition, ionization processes produce secondary electrons that, if possessing 9.76 eV or more energy, dissociate N2 providing an additional source of atomic nitrogen. We have calculated mesospheric N2 dissociation rate due to secondary electrons dur- ing a solar proton event. Further, we have studied the effect on atomic nitrogen and nitric oxide at altitudes between 50 and 90 km. It was found that N2 is efficiently dis- sociated in the lower mesosphere by secondary electrons, with rates up to 103 cm-3 s-1 at 50 km. Thus, secondary electrons significantly add to odd nitrogen produc- tion. As a result of N2 dissociation, atomic nitrogen is greatly enhanced in both N(4S) and N(2D) states by 259% and 1220% maximum increases at 50 km, respectively. This further leads to a maximum increase of 16.5% in NO concentration at 61 km via chemical reactions. In our study a Monte Carlo model was used to calculate the total ionization rate and secondary electrons flux due to precipitating protons. These where then used as input to a detailed ion and neutral chemistry model and a steady-state solution was calcu- lated for two cases: With and without N2 dissociation due to secondary electrons.

  4. Reversible solid oxide fuel cells (R-SOFCs) with chemically stable proton-conducting oxides

    KAUST Repository

    Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

    2015-01-01

    Proton-conducting oxides offer a promising way of lowering the working temperature of solid oxide cells to the intermediate temperate range (500 to 700. °C) due to their better ionic conductivity. In addition, the application of proton

  5. Alpha Radiolysis of Sorbed Water on Uranium Oxides and Uranium Oxyfluorides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Icenhour, A.S.

    2003-09-10

    The radiolysis of sorbed water and other impurities contained in actinide oxides has been the focus of a number of studies related to the establishment of criteria for the safe storage and transport of these materials. Gamma radiolysis studies have previously been performed on uranium oxides and oxyfluorides (UO{sub 3}, U{sub 3}O{sub 8}, and UO{sub 2}F{sub 2}) to evaluate the long-term storage characteristics of {sup 233}U. This report describes a similar study for alpha radiolysis. Uranium oxides and oxyfluorides (with {sup 238}U as the surrogate for {sup 233}U) were subjected to relatively high alpha radiation doses (235 to 634 MGy) by doping with {sup 244}Cm. The typical irradiation time for these samples was about 1.5 years, which would be equivalent to more than 50 years irradiation by a {sup 233}U sample. Both dry and wet (up to 10 wt % water) samples were examined in an effort to identify the gas pressure and composition changes that occurred as a result of radiolysis. This study shows that several competing reactions occur during radiolysis, with the net effect that only very low pressures of hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide are generated from the water, nitrate, and carbon impurities, respectively, associated with the oxides. In the absence of nitrate impurities, no pressures greater than 1000 torr are generated. Usually, however, the oxygen in the air atmosphere over the oxides is consumed with the corresponding oxidation of the uranium oxide. In the presence of up to 10 wt % water, the oxides first show a small pressure rise followed by a net decrease due to the oxygen consumption and the attainment of a steady-state pressure where the rate of generation of gaseous components is balanced by their recombination and/or consumption in the oxide phase. These results clearly demonstrate that alpha radiolysis of either wet or dry {sup 233}U oxides will not produce deleterious pressures or gaseous components that could compromise the long-term storage of

  6. Oxidative stress-mediated antibacterial activity of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    OpenAIRE

    Gurunathan, Sangiliyandi; Han,Jae Woong; Abdal Daye,Ahmed; Eppakayala,Vasuki; Kim,Jin-Hoi

    2012-01-01

    Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, Jae Woong Han, Ahmed Abdal Dayem, Vasuki Eppakayala, Jin-Hoi KimDepartment of Animal Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, South KoreaBackground: Graphene holds great promise for potential use in next-generation electronic and photonic devices due to its unique high carrier mobility, good optical transparency, large surface area, and biocompatibility. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effects of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxid...

  7. Oxidation dynamics of aluminum nanorods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Ying [Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Kalia, Rajiv K.; Nakano, Aiichiro; Vashishta, Priya [Collaboratory for Advanced Computing and Simulations, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0242 (United States)

    2015-02-23

    Aluminum nanorods (Al-NRs) are promising fuels for pyrotechnics due to the high contact areas with oxidizers, but their oxidation mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, reactive molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study thermally initiated burning of oxide-coated Al-NRs with different diameters (D = 26, 36, and 46 nm) in oxygen environment. We found that thinner Al-NRs burn faster due to the larger surface-to-volume ratio. The reaction initiates with the dissolution of the alumina shell into the molten Al core to generate heat. This is followed by the incorporation of environmental oxygen atoms into the resulting Al-rich shell, thereby accelerating the heat release. These results reveal an unexpectedly active role of the alumina shell as a “nanoreactor” for oxidation.

  8. Trends for Methane Oxidation at Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kleis, Jesper; Jones, Glenn; Abild-Pedersen, Frank

    2009-01-01

    First-principles calculations are used to predict a plausible reaction pathway for the methane oxidation reaction. In turn, this pathway is used to obtain trends in methane oxidation activity at solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode materials. Reaction energetics and barriers for the elementary...... the Ni surfaces to other metals of interest. This allows the reactivity over the different metals to be understood in terms of two reactivity descriptors, namely, the carbon and oxygen adsorption energies. By combining a simple free-energy analysis with microkinetic modeling, activity landscapes of anode...

  9. Long-term treatment of anterior pituitary cells with nitric oxide induces programmed cell death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velardez, Miguel Omar; Poliandri, Ariel Hernán; Cabilla, Jimena Paula; Bodo, Cristian Carlos Armando; Machiavelli, Leticia Inés; Duvilanski, Beatriz Haydeé

    2004-04-01

    Nitric oxide (NO) plays a complex role in modulating programmed cell death. It can either protect the cell from apoptotic death or mediate apoptosis, depending on its concentration and the cell type and/or status. In this study, we demonstrate that long-term exposition to NO induces cell death of anterior pituitary cells from Wistar female rats. DETA NONOate (Z)-1-[2-(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-ammonioethyl)amino]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate, 1 mm], a NO donor that releases NO for an extended period of time, decreased cellular viability and prolactin release from primary cultures of anterior pituitary cells. Morphological studies showed an increase in the number of cells with chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation at 24 and 48 h after DETA/NO exposure. DNA internucleosomal fragmentation was also observed at the same time. Reversibility of the NO effect on cellular viability and prolactin release was observed only when the cells were incubated with DETA/NO for less than 6 h. Most apoptotic cells were immunopositive for prolactin, suggesting a high susceptibility of lactotrophs to the effect of NO. The cytotoxic effect of NO is dependent of caspase-9 and caspase-3, but seems to be independent of oxidative stress or nitrosative stress. Our results show that the exposition of anterior pituitary cells to NO for long periods induces programmed cell death of anterior pituitary cells.

  10. Influence of synthesis procedure on the formation and properties of zinc oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Music, S.; Popovic, S.; Maljkovic, M.; Dragcevic, D.

    2002-01-01

    Formation and properties of zinc oxide were investigated in dependence on the synthesis procedure. Zinc oxide did not crystallize upon hydrothermal treatment of Zn(NO 3 ) 2 aqueous solutions containing urea, up to 160 deg. C. Hydrozincite was formed instead. Changes in the X-ray diffraction patterns and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra were interpreted in terms of stacking disorder in hydrozincite crystals. Zinc oxide powder was obtained by thermal treatment in air of precipitated hydrozincite. The conditions for instantaneous synthesis of very fine zinc oxide particles were found. This procedure is based on addition of TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide) solution to an ethanolic solution of zinc acetate dihydrate, up to pH∼14. On the other hand, addition of an equivalent volume of water to the ethanolic solution of zinc acetate dihydrate, prior to the addition of TMAH solution up to pH∼14, yielded ZnO flakes without any specific shape. All zinc oxide particles produced upon heating at 600 deg. C in air showed similar morphology and tendency to aggregation due to the sintering effect. The features of the FT-IR spectra of zinc oxide particles were related to their shapes

  11. High temperature oxidation and electrochemical studies on novel co-base superalloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, Leonhard

    2013-02-27

    /AgCl), indicating remarkable retardation of cathodic and anodic reactions. The best protective properties of high temperature oxides can be achieved in acidic solution. Even for thin oxide layers formed during short-term oxidation of only 1 hour at 900 C, no breakdown events can be observed in chloride containing solution. The addition of silicon to the Co-Al-W-B alloy considerably increases corrosion resistance of the oxidised specimen in 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solutions due to the formation of protective Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and silicon-rich species. This demonstrates that not only the thickness of high temperature scales, obtained by longer oxidation times and temperatures, but also their detailed nature, such as chemical composition or oxide stabilities in solutions of different pH, dictates the corrosion performance.

  12. The effect of long-term oxidation on the rheological properties of polymer modified asphalts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yonghong Ruan; Richard R. Davison; Charles J. Glover [Texas A & M University, College Station, TX (United States). Department of Chemical Engineering

    2003-10-01

    The effect of long-term aging on rheological properties of polymer modified asphalt binders was studied. Modifiers included diblock poly(styrene-b-butadiene) rubber, triblock poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene), and tire rubber. Asphalt aging was carried out either at 60{sup o}C in a controlled environmental room or at 100{sup o}C in a pressure aging vessel (AASHTO Provisional Standards, 1993). Both dynamic shear properties and extensional properties were investigated. Polymer modification resulted in increased asphalt complex modulus at high temperatures, decreased asphalt complex modulus at low temperatures, broadened relaxation spectra, and improved ductility. Oxidative aging decreased asphalt temperature susceptibility, damaged the polymer network in binders, further broadened the relaxation spectrum, and diminished polymer effectiveness in improving asphalt ductility. 27 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

  13. Tungsten oxide nanowires grown on graphene oxide sheets as high-performance electrochromic material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Xueting; Sun, Shibin; Dong, Lihua; Hu, Xiong; Yin, Yansheng

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Electrochromic mechanism of tungsten oxide nanowires-reduced graphene oxide composite. - Highlights: • A novel inorganic-nano-carbon hybrid composite was prepared. • The hybrid composite has sandwich-like structure. • The hybrid composite exhibited high-quality electrohcromic performance. - Abstract: In this work, we report the synthesis of a novel hybrid electrochromic composite through nucleation and growth of ultrathin tungsten oxide nanowires on graphene oxide sheets using a facile solvothermal route. The competition between the growth of tungsten oxide nanowires and the reduction of graphene oxide sheets leads to the formation of sandwich-structured tungsten oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite. Due to the strongly coupled effect between the ultrathin tungsten oxide nanowires and the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets, the novel electrochromic composite exhibited high-quality electrochromic performance with fast color-switching speed, good cyclic stability, and high coloration efficiency. The present tungsten oxide-reduced graphene oxide composite represents a new approach to prepare other inorganic-reduced graphene oxide hybrid materials for electrochemical applications

  14. Bilateral Incomplete Atypical Femoral Fracture due to Long-Term Bisphosphonate Use: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sibel Başaran

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Although the overall safety profile of bisphosphonates (BP is favorable, adverse effects associated with long-term use have came up during recent years. In this report, a case of bilateral incomplete atypical femoral fracture (AFF due to prolonged BP use was presented. A 69-year-old patient, who has been in surgical menopause for 20 years and was started on BP following vertebral fracture almost 10 years ago, was admitted with thigh pain, which was increased two weeks ago. On physical examination, she had antalgic gait, increased thoracic kyphosis and tenderness to percussion over the thoracolumbar region. Lateral cortical thickness in the subtrochanteric region of both femurs and cortical radiolucency on the left femur were observed on plain radiography. Loss of height in L3 and L4 vertebrae was detected on vertebral radiography. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OHD], parathyroid hormone, alkaline phosphatase and calcium levels, along with osteoporosis markers were all within the normal ranges. As the patient was diagnosed with AFF, BP therapy was terminated and vitamin D-calcium supplementation was continued. Since she did not have severe pain, conservative management (limited weight bearing, using a walking stick was recommended for 3 months. Teriparatide therapy was started and she was discharged with recommendations. AFF, which is a rare disorder, should be kept in mind in patients on long-term BP treatment who are admitted with thigh pain and, necessary interventions should be tailored before the occurrence of complete fracture.

  15. Comparison between zircaloy oxidation in steam and air surroundings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shawkat, M.E.; Hasaneln, H.; Ali, M.; Parlatan, Y.; Albasha, H.

    2013-01-01

    The available experimental data for Zircaloy oxidation in air were reviewed. The behavior of the oxidation kinetics at different temperature ranges was described. It was shown that maintaining the oxidation kinetics within the oxide pre-breakaway region can prevent elevated sheath temperatures due to the oxidation process during postulated accidents. The available correlations to model the oxidation kinetics for pre-breakaway region were reviewed and assessed. Zircaloy-air oxidation correlation based on Leistikow-Berg data was determined to be the most suitable correlation to model pre-breakaway kinetics and it was compared to Urbanic-Heidrick correlation which is widely used for Zircaloy oxidation in steam environment. The results showed that the energy release due to the Zircaloy-steam oxidation bounds the energy released due to Zircaloy-air oxidation up to a sheath temperature referred as the “crossover temperature”. Below this temperature, the impact of Zircaloy-air oxidation on fuel sheath temperature transient can be predicted conservatively using the Urbanic-Heidrick steam correlation. The crossover temperature was calculated for isothermal sheath heating as well as transient sheath heat-up assuming three linear heating rates of 0.6, 1.0, and 1.3 K/s. (author)

  16. The effect of long-term, high-volume aerobic exercise training on postprandial lipemia and oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomer, Richard J; Fisher-Wellman, Kelsey H; Bell, Heather K

    2010-04-01

    We have previously found no effect of moderate-volume aerobic exercise training (approximately 3 hrs*wk(-1)) on postprandial oxidative stress. It is possible that a higher volume of exercise is needed to impact postprandial oxidative stress in young, otherwise healthy individuals. Our purpose was to compare blood triglycerides (TAGs) and oxidative stress biomarkers in 10 healthy untrained and 10 healthy highly aerobically trained (eg, >or= 40 miles running*wk(-1) or >or= 150 miles cycling*wk(-1)) men and women following ingestion of a lipid meal. Blood samples were collected before (in a 10-hour fasted state), and 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours after ingestion of a lipid load (heavy whipping cream at 1 g*kg(-1)). Blood samples were analyzed for TAGs, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), and nitrate/nitrite (NOx). No training status or interaction effects were noted for TAGs, MDA, H2O2, or NOx (P > 0.05). However, a time effect was noted for TAGs (P = 0.01), with values higher at 2 hours (67 +/- 6 mg*dL(-1)) compared with premeal (41 +/- 6 mg*dL(-1)). A time effect was also noted for H2O2 (P = 0.0001), with values higher at 2 hours (24 +/- 3 micromol*L(-1)), 4 hours (23 +/- 3 micromol*L(-1)), and 6 hours (21 +/- 3 mumol.L(-1)) compared with premeal (7 +/- 2 micromol*L(-1)). The time effect for MDA approached significance (P = 0.07), with values peaking at 4 hours post-meal (1.59 +/- 0.16 micromol*L(-1)) compared with premeal (0.99 +/- 0.15 micromol*L(-1)). These data indicate that aerobic exercise training (even when performed at a relatively high volume) does not attenuate postprandial lipemia or oxidative stress as compared with no exercise when healthy men and women consume a lipid load in the form of heavy whipping cream. Fasting TAG values may be most important in this regard. It is possible that long-term exercise may be capable of attenuating postprandial lipemia or oxidative stress in older individuals, those with chronic disease, or those with

  17. Degradation Studies of Polyolefins Incorporating Transparent Nanoparticulate Zinc Oxide UV Stabilizers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ammala, A.; Hill, A.J.; Meakin, P.; Pas, S.J.; Turney, T.W.

    2002-01-01

    Coated and dispersed nanoparticulate zinc oxide is shown to improve ultra violet (UV) stability of polypropylene and high-density polyethylene without changing its characteristic absorption spectrum in the visible region (400-800-nm). The performance of these nanoparticulate UV stabilizers is compared to conventional hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS). QUV accelerated weathering is used to simulate long-term exposure. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) is used to provide an indication of physical and chemical changes due to accelerated weathering and is shown to have potential for detecting changes well before other techniques. Visual observation, optical microscopy, carbonyl index, yellowness index and PALS indicate that nanoparticulate zinc oxide gives superior resistance to UV degradation compared to organic HALS at appropriate loading levels

  18. Quality of life among post-menopausal women due to oxidative stress boosted by dysthymia and anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Rodríguez, Martha A; Castrejón-Delgado, Lizett; Zacarías-Flores, Mariano; Arronte-Rosales, Alicia; Mendoza-Núñez, Víctor Manuel

    2017-01-03

    Menopause is the onset of aging in women. During this process, some women experience physical changes that may impact upon their psychological and social status, also affecting their quality of life. Furthermore, several psychological changes following menopause have been shown to act as pro-oxidant, but the association between the psychological status that modify the quality of life and oxidative stress in postmenopausal women is still unclear. The aim of this study was to determinate the relationship between oxidative stress with psychological disturbances, low self-esteem, depressive mood and anxiety, and quality of life in the postmenopausal women. We carried out a cross-sectional study with101 premenopausal and 101 postmenopausal women from Mexico City. As markers of oxidative stress we measured plasma lipoperoxide levels, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, and total antioxidant status. We calculate a stress score as global oxidative stress status, with cut-off values for each parameter; this score range from 0 to 6, representing the severity of markers modifications. All the women were rated using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scales, and the WHO Quality of Life-brief. The postmenopausal women with low quality of life in the WHO Quality of Life-brief and their subscales had higher stress score compared with premenopausal women with high quality of life (p Life-brief scores (r = -0.266, p Life-brief, after adjusted for pro-oxidant factors. Zung Self-Rating Anxiety and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scales scores also contribute to increase lipoperoxides levels, but not significant. Our findings suggest that oxidative stress is increased in postmenopausal women with psychological disturbances and low quality of life.

  19. Analysis of resonances due to 'S' neutrons in experiments on transmission by time-of-flight. 1. without the interference term; Analyse des resonances dues aux neutrons 'S' dans les experiences de transmission par temps de vol. 1. sans terme d'interference

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corge, C R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1961-07-01

    Various methods of transmission resonance analysis for 's' wave neutrons in time of flight experiments are described in this report. Only the case when the interference term can be neglected is treated in this first part. Results are given relative to a more complete partial area method and also to a new method so-called the width at half depth method. (author) [French] Le present rapport est consacre a l'expose de differentes methodes d'analyse des resonances dues aux neutrons d'ondes 's' dans les experiences de transmission par temps de vol, cette premiere partie traitant uniquement le cas ou l'on peut negliger le terme d'interference. Y figurent en particulier sous forme de reseaux de courbes, les resultats relatifs a une methode des aires partielles amelioree et ceux relatifs a une nouvelle methode dite de la largeur a mi-profondeur. (auteur)

  20. Electrochemical Thinning for Anodic Aluminum Oxide and Anodic Titanium Oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, In Hae; Jo, Yun Kyoung; Kim, Yong Tae; Tak, Yong Sug; Choi, Jin Sub [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-05-15

    For given electrolytes, different behaviors of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) and anodic titanium oxide (ATO) during electrochemical thinning are explained by ionic and electronic current modes. Branched structures are unavoidably created in AAO since the switch of ionic to electronic current is slow, whereas the barrier oxide in ATO is thinned without formation of the branched structures. In addition, pore opening can be possible in ATO if chemical etching is performed after the thinning process. The thinning was optimized for complete pore opening in ATO and potential-current behavior is interpreted in terms of ionic current-electronic current switching.

  1. Review Of Plutonium Oxidation Literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korinko, P.

    2009-01-01

    A brief review of plutonium oxidation literature was conducted. The purpose of the review was to ascertain the effect of oxidation conditions on oxide morphology to support the design and operation of the PDCF direct metal oxidation (DMO) furnace. The interest in the review was due to a new furnace design that resulted in oxide characteristics that are different than those of the original furnace. Very little of the published literature is directly relevant to the DMO furnace operation, which makes assimilation of the literature data with operating conditions and data a convoluted task. The oxidation behavior can be distilled into three regimes, a low temperature regime (RT to 350 C) with a relatively slow oxidation rate that is influenced by moisture, a moderate temperature regime (350-450 C) that is temperature dependent and relies on more or less conventional oxidation growth of a partially protective oxide scale, and high temperature oxidation (> 500 C) where the metal autocatalytically combusts and oxidizes. The particle sizes obtained from these three regimes vary with the finest being from the lowest temperature. It is surmised that the slow growth rate permits significant stress levels to be achieved that help break up the oxides. The intermediate temperatures result in a fairly compact scale that is partially protective and that grows to critical thickness prior to fracturing. The growth rate in this regime may be parabolic or paralinear, depending on the oxidation time and consequently the oxide thickness. The high temperature oxidation is invariant in quiescent or nearly quiescent conditions due to gas blanketing while it accelerates with temperature under flowing conditions. The oxide morphology will generally consist of fine particles ( 250 (micro)m). The particle size ratio is expected to be < 5%, 25%, and 70% for fine, medium and large particles, respectively, for metal temperatures in the 500-600 C range.

  2. Cycle oxidation behavior and anti-oxidation mechanism of hot-dipped aluminum coating on TiBw/Ti6Al4V composites with network microstructure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X T; Huang, L J; Wei, S L; An, Q; Cui, X P; Geng, L

    2018-04-10

    Controlled and compacted TiAl 3 coating was successfully fabricated on the network structured TiBw/Ti6Al4V composites by hot-dipping aluminum and subsequent interdiffusion treatment. The network structure of the composites was inherited to the TiAl 3 coating, which effectively reduces the thermal stress and avoids the cracks appeared in the coating. Moreover, TiB reinforcements could pin the TiAl 3 coating which can effectively improve the bonding strength between the coating and composite substrate. The cycle oxidation behavior of the network structured coating on 873 K, 973 K and 1073 K for 100 h were investigated. The results showed the coating can remarkably improve the high temperature oxidation resistance of the TiBw/Ti6Al4V composites. The network structure was also inherited to the Al 2 O 3 oxide scale, which effectively decreases the tendency of cracking even spalling about the oxide scale. Certainly, no crack was observed in the coating after long-term oxidation due to the division effect of network structured coating and pinning effect of TiB reinforcements. Interfacial reaction between the coating and the composite substrate occurred and a bilayer structure of TiAl/TiAl 2 formed next to the substrate after oxidation at 973 K and 1073 K. The anti-oxidation mechanism of the network structured coating was also discussed.

  3. A critical analysis of nitrous oxide emissions from animal manure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klemendtsson, Aa.K.; Klemedtsson, L.

    2002-01-01

    Emission of nitrous oxide, N 2 0, alter manure applications to agricultural soil is composed of two components. The first is the immediately increased potential for N 2 0 production due to favourable conditions in the manure-soil environment. More N 2 0 is produced and emitted when the nitrogen content of the manure is high, especially the mineral nitrogen content. The amount of carbon available for microbiological decomposition and water content regulate the oxygen availability, which is important for N 2 0 production in both nitrification and denitrification. The balance between mineralisation of organically bound nitrogen and immobilisation of mineral nitrogen by microorganisms and plants control the availability of N for N 2 0 production. The initial burst of N 2 0 to the atmosphere following manure application may last for two months, while a second component is long term and due to nitrogen in organic matter accumulating in the soil, resulting in a small increase in background emissions over many years due to nitrogen cycling. The IPCC emission factor for N 2 0 emission due to manure addition accounts for the increased emission of N 2 0 during the first year, whereas the long-term emission is not included. (au)

  4. The long-term hemodynamic changes of liver and spleen after partial splenic embolization for portal hypertension due to cirrhosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Xinyuan; Geng Huijie; Wang Baocai; Zhang Xinfang; Du Ruiqing; Wang Lijing; Yin Shumei

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To observe the long-term hemodynamic changes of liver and spleen after partial splenic embolization (PSE) in patients with portal hypertension due to cirrhosis. Methods: PSE was performed in 1720 patients with portal hypertension and hypersplenism due to cirrhosis. The survival rate of 1 - 5 years and the cause of death were observed. The preoperative and postoperative hemodynamics of both the liver and spleen, the blood picture, splenic size and the complications in 600 patients who survived over five years and had integrated document were retrospectively analyzed and compared. Results Obvious changes in hemodynamics at different time after PSE were seen. The frequency and the volume of gastrointestinal bleeding were obviously decreased, while the leucocyte and platelet count was markedly increased. The spleen size began to reduce two months after PSE, which became very obvious in three months. The difference in above items between pre-PSE and post-PSE was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion: PSE can definitely improve hepatic and splenic hemodynamics, reduce the pressure of portal vein, alleviate hypersplenism and reduce the occurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding, elongate the life span and improve the living quality. With obvious and reliable long-term efficacy and fewer complications, PSE is a minimallyinvasive, safe and effective therapy. (authors)

  5. Effects of oxidation potential and retention time on electrochromic stability of poly (3-hexyl thiophene) films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Tae-Ho; Hyun Song, Seok; Kim, Hyo-Jae; Oh, Seong-Hyeon; Han, Song-Yi; Kim, Goung; Nah, Yoon-Chae

    2018-06-01

    Herein, we report the effects of applied voltage on the electrochromic (EC) stability of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films during EC reactions. The transmittance difference and cycling stability of these films were monitored to optimize the oxidation voltage, and their chemical compositions were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy after long-term electrochemical cycling. High oxidation voltages increased the color contrast of P3HT films but decreased their cycling stability due to facilitating chemical degradation. Furthermore, at an optimized oxidation voltage, the retention time during potential pulsing was adjusted utilizing the optical memory of P3HT, revealing that the decreased voltage application time reduced power consumption by 9.6% and enhanced EC stability without loss of color contrast.

  6. Pressurization of Containment Vessels from Plutonium Oxide Contents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hensel, S.

    2012-01-01

    Transportation and storage of plutonium oxide is typically done using a convenience container to hold the oxide powder which is then placed inside a containment vessel. Intermediate containers which act as uncredited confinement barriers may also be used. The containment vessel is subject to an internal pressure due to several sources including; (1) plutonium oxide provides a heat source which raises the temperature of the gas space, (2) helium generation due to alpha decay of the plutonium, (3) hydrogen generation due to radiolysis of the water which has been adsorbed onto the plutonium oxide, and (4) degradation of plastic bags which may be used to bag out the convenience can from a glove box. The contributions of these sources are evaluated in a reasonably conservative manner.

  7. Simulation of synaptic short-term plasticity using Ba(CF3SO3)2-doped polyethylene oxide electrolyte film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, C T; Zeng, F; Li, X J; Dong, W S; Lu, S H; Gao, S; Pan, F

    2016-01-07

    The simulation of synaptic plasticity using new materials is critical in the study of brain-inspired computing. Devices composed of Ba(CF3SO3)2-doped polyethylene oxide (PEO) electrolyte film were fabricated and with pulse responses found to resemble the synaptic short-term plasticity (STP) of both short-term depression (STD) and short-term facilitation (STF) synapses. The values of the charge and discharge peaks of the pulse responses did not vary with input number when the pulse frequency was sufficiently low(~1 Hz). However, when the frequency was increased, the charge and discharge peaks decreased and increased, respectively, in gradual trends and approached stable values with respect to the input number. These stable values varied with the input frequency, which resulted in the depressed and potentiated weight modifications of the charge and discharge peaks, respectively. These electrical properties simulated the high and low band-pass filtering effects of STD and STF, respectively. The simulations were consistent with biological results and the corresponding biological parameters were successfully extracted. The study verified the feasibility of using organic electrolytes to mimic STP.

  8. The catalytic activity of several tungsten oxides for the oxidation of propene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Rossi, S.; Schiavello, M.; Rome Univ.; Iguchi, E.; Tilley, R.J.D.

    1976-01-01

    A study has been made of the catalytic oxidation of propene over the oxides WO 3 , WOsub(2,95), WOsub(2,90), WOsub(2,72) and Wo 2 , which were selected because they possess specific features of chemical and structural interest rather than for their catalytic ability. It was found that the oxides WOsub(2,95), WOsub(2,90) and WOsub(2,72) all selectively produce acrolein in small amounts. The oxides WO 3 and WO 2 were non-selective and rather inactive. The results are discussed in terms of a mechanism involving both variable valence in the crystal and the specific structural geometry of these compounds. (orig.) [de

  9. Long-term effects of early parental loss due to divorce on the HPA axis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloch, Miki; Peleg, Ido; Koren, Danny; Aner, Hamotal; Klein, Ehud

    2007-04-01

    We investigated the long-term effects of divorce and early separation from one parent on HPA axis reactivity, in young adults without psychopathology. Participants were 44 young subjects, 22 whose parents divorced before they reached age 10, and 22 controls. Psychiatric symptomatology was measured with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), family perceived stress by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and bonding by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Assessment of HPA axis function included baseline morning cortisol and ACTH and cortisol response to a CRH stimulation test. No baseline or stimulated group differences were observed for ACTH. Cortisol levels were consistently but insignificantly lower in the divorce group throughout the CRH stimulation reaching statistical significance only at 5 min (p<0.03). Group by time effect reached a trend level (p<0.06). A correlation was found between psychiatric symptomatology and PBI scores; however, both parameters did not correlate with HPA axis activity. A significant correlation was found between DAS scores and ACTH. A regression model revealed a contributing effect for both family stress and child-parent bonding to stimulated ACTH levels. These preliminary findings suggest that even in the absence of adult psychopathology, a history of childhood separation from one parent due to divorce may lead to detectable, albeit mild, long-term alterations in HPA axis activity. Furthermore, they suggest that level of stress at home and parental bonding are important determinants of this effect. It is likely that divorce has significant and sustained effects on children's HPA axis only in the context of a traumatic separation.

  10. Nitric-oxide supplementation for treatment of long-term complications in argininosuccinic aciduria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) is required for the synthesis and channeling of L-arginine to nitric oxide synthase (NOS) for nitric oxide (NO) production. Congenital ASL deficiency causes argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA), the second most common urea cycle disorder, and leads to deficiency of both urea...

  11. Association of Oxidative Stress with Psychiatric Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Waseem; Noreen, Hamsa; Castro-Gomes, Vitor; Mohammadzai, Imdadullah; da Rocha, Joao Batista Teixeira; Landeira-Fernandez, J

    2016-01-01

    When concentrations of both reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species exceed the antioxidative capability of an organism, the cells undergo oxidative impairment. Impairments in membrane integrity and lipid and protein oxidation, protein mutilation, DNA damage, and neuronal dysfunction are some of the fundamental consequences of oxidative stress. The purpose of this work was to review the associations between oxidative stress and psychological disorders. The search terms were the following: "oxidative stress and affective disorders," "free radicals and neurodegenerative disorders," "oxidative stress and psychological disorders," "oxidative stress, free radicals, and psychiatric disorders," and "association of oxidative stress." These search terms were used in conjunction with each of the diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and World Health Organization's International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Genetic, pharmacological, biochemical, and preclinical therapeutic studies, case reports, and clinical trials were selected to explore the molecular aspects of psychological disorders that are associated with oxidative stress. We identified a broad spectrum of 83 degenerative syndromes and psychiatric disorders that were associated with oxidative stress. The multi-dimensional information identified herein supports the role of oxidative stress in various psychiatric disorders. We discuss the results from the perspective of developing novel therapeutic interventions.

  12. Attenuated flow‐induced dilatation of middle cerebral arteries is related to increased vascular oxidative stress in rats on a short‐term high salt diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosic, Anita; Jukic, Ivana; Stupin, Ana; Mihalj, Martina; Mihaljevic, Zrinka; Novak, Sanja; Vukovic, Rosemary

    2016-01-01

    Key points Recent studies have shown that high salt (HS) intake leads to endothelial dysfunction and impaired vascular reactivity in different vascular beds in both animal and human models, due to increased oxidative stress.The objective of this study was to assess vascular response to flow‐induced dilatation (FID) and to elucidate the role of vascular oxidative stress/antioxidative capacity in middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) of HS‐fed rats in vitro.The novelty of this study is in demonstrating impaired flow‐induced dilatation of MCAs and down‐regulation of vascular antioxidant genes with HS intake, leading to increased levels of oxidative stress in blood vessels and peripheral lymph organs, which together contribute to impaired FID.In addition, results show increased oxidative stress in leukocytes of peripheral lymph organs, suggesting the occurrence of inflammatory processes due to HS intake.Recirculation of leukocytes might additionally increase vascular oxidative stress in vivo. Abstract The aim of this study was to determine flow‐induced dilatation (FID) and the role of oxidative stress/antioxidative capacity in isolated, pressurized middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) of high salt (HS)‐fed rats. Healthy male Sprague‐Dawley rats (11 weeks old) were fed low salt (0.4% NaCl; LS group) or high salt (4% NaCl; HS group) diets for 1 week. Reactivity of MCAs in response to stepwise increases in pressure gradient (Δ10–Δ100 mmHg) was determined in the absence or presence of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic TEMPOL and/or the nitric oxide synthases (NOS) inhibitor N ω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐name). mRNA levels of antioxidative enzymes, NAPDH‐oxidase components, inducible (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOS) were determined by quantitative real‐time PCR. Blood pressure (BP), antioxidant enzymes activity, oxidative stress in peripheral leukocytes, lipid peroxidation products and the antioxidant capacity of plasma

  13. Gender differences in patients starting long-term home mechanical ventilation due to obesity hypoventilation syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palm, Andreas; Midgren, Bengt; Janson, Christer; Lindberg, Eva

    2016-01-01

    Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is often diagnosed late. The aim of this study was to analyse gender differences at initiation of long-term mechanical ventilation (LTMV) in patients with (OHS), to analyse gender differences in treatment effect and to study how the prescription of LTMV due to OHS has changed over time. Data on patients on LTMV due to OHS between 1996 and 2014 were obtained from Swedevox, a nationwide health quality registry of patients on LTMV in Sweden. When starting LTMV, women were generally older (age 64.4 ± 11.2 vs. 60.1 ± 12.1 years, p obese (BMI 43.0 ± 8.2 vs. 41.5 ± 7.9 kg/m2, p differ. During the study period, the age of patients at the initiation of LTMV rose by 3.4 years/decade (P = 0.001) in women and with 1.9 years/decade (P = 0.048) in men but there were no significant changes in BMI (P = 0.425). Diagnosis of OHS is more delayed in women and as a consequence the disease is more advanced when diagnosed. In spite of this, there is no gender difference in survival rate in patients with OHS treated with LTMV. More and older patients with OHS nowadays gain access to LTMV. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Effects of long-term inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase on blood pressure and renin release

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ollerstam, A.; Skøtt, O.; Ek, J.

    2001-01-01

    Nitric oxide (NO) produced by neuronal NO-synthase (nNOS) in macula densa cells may be involved in the control of renin release. 7-Nitro indazole (7-NI) inhibits nNOS, and we investigated the effect of short- (4 days) and long-term (4 weeks) 7-NI treatment on blood pressure (BP), plasma renin...... LS rats (107 +/- 15 vs. 56 +/- 1 mGU mL(-1)). Stimulation of PRC in LS rats was further enhanced by 7-NI after 4 days of treatment, but not affected in rats treated for 4 weeks. This suggests that inhibition of nNOS stimulates renin release but that this stimulatory effect in the long run might...

  15. Oxidation limited lifetime of Ni-Base metal foams in the temperature range 700-900 C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chyrkin, Anton; Singheiser, Lorenz; Quadakkers, Willem Joseph [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, IEF-2, Juelich (Germany); Schulze, Sebastian Leif; Bleck, Wolfgang [Department of Ferrous Metallurgy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen (Germany); Piron-Abellan, Javier [Vallourec Mannesmann Tubes, Duesseldorf (Germany)

    2010-09-15

    INCONEL 625 metal foams produced from alloy powder by the slip-reaction-foam-sinter-process are tested in respect to cyclic oxidation behavior in air in the temperature range 700-900 C. The structure of the oxide scales formed on the foam particles is characterized using optical microscopy and SEM/EDX analysis. Main emphasis is put on studying the oxidation limited lifetimes of the foams as function of temperature and foam microstructure. It is shown that mechanical disintegration during long term oxidation at the highest test temperatures is caused by a critical depletion of the Cr content in the alloy as a result of the growth of the initially formed surface chromia layer. This results in chemical breakaway due to accelerated oxide growth of voluminous Ni-rich oxide on chromium exhausted alloy particles. Lifetime modeling based on calculation of Cr-depletion in the alloy at the oxide/metal interface of each individual foam particle using the DICTRA software is in good agreement with the experimentally determined values of the time to breakaway. (Copyright copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  16. Stabilized chromium oxide film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garwin, Edward L.; Nyaiesh, Ali R.

    1988-01-01

    Stabilized air-oxidized chromium films deposited on high-power klystron ceramic windows and sleeves having a thickness between 20 and 150.ANG. are useful in lowering secondary electron emission yield and in avoiding multipactoring and window failure due to overheating. The ceramic substrate for the film is chosen from alumina, sapphire or beryllium oxide.

  17. Obtainment of zirconium oxide and partially stabilized zirconium oxide with yttrium and rare earth oxides, from Brazilian zirconite, for ceramic aim

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribeiro, S.

    1991-05-01

    This work presents experimental results for processing of brazilian zirconite in order to obtain zirconium oxide with Yttrium and Rare Earth oxide by mutual coprecipitation for ceramics purposes. Due to analysis of experimental results was possible to obtain the optimum conditions for each one of technological route stage, such as: alkaline fusion; acid leaching; sulfactation and coprecipitation. (author)

  18. Long-term exposure to enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation in the sub-arctic does not cause oxidative stress in Vaccinium myrtillus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taulavuori, E.; Bäckman, M.; Taulavuori, K.; Gwynn-Jones, D.; Johanson, U.; Laine, K.; Callaghan, T.; Sonesson, M.; Björn, L.O.

    1998-01-01

    The aim of this work was to assess whether or not oxidative stress had developed in a dwarf shrub bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) under long-term exposure to enhanced levels of ultraviolet-B (u.v.-B) radiation. The bilberry plants were exposed to increased u.v.-B representing a 15 stratospheric ozone depletion for seven full growing seasons (19911997) at Abisko, Swedish Lapland (68N). The oxidative stress was assessed on leaves and stems by analysing ascorbate and glutathione concentrations, and activities of the closely related enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.11) and glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2). The affects of autumnal leaf senescence and stem cold hardening on these variables were also considered. The results showed that the treatment caused scarcely any response in the studied variables, indicating that u.v.-B flux representing a 15 ozone depletion under clear sky conditions is not sufficient to cause oxidative stress in the bilberry. It is suggested that no strain was evoked since adaptation was possible under such u.v.-B increases. The studied variables did, however, respond significantly to leaf senescence and especially to stem cold hardening. (author)

  19. Oxidative processes in power plant oils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forlerer, Elena; Zambrano, Debora N.

    2007-01-01

    This paper analyzes the chemical properties differences between thermal-oxidation and radioactive-oxidation in turbine oils in order to estimate the oils' Service Life. The oils were Turbine R type, provided by Repsol-YPF with only few additives such as: anti rust, antioxidant, anticorrosion and without viscosity index improvers. The oils were ISO 32 and ISO 68 grade -with viscosity index 95- and API (American Petroleum Institute) group I, due to its viscosity index (95), the percent of paraffinic component ( 0.03%). Different samples from the heavy water main pumps were collected with different service times and radiation fields during an Embalse NPP's outage. For comparison purposes oils from feedwater pumps systems that convey light water to the steam generators in the Turbine building -without radiation- were obtained. The properties studied by ASTM standards were: colour (visual inspection), Viscosity Index VI (ASTM D227/93), viscosity at 40 C degrees (ASTM D445/96) and Total Acid Number, TAN (ASTM D974-97). Oxidative degradation of base oils could be described by two successive mechanisms that allow the definition of two stages: Primary and Secondary Oxidation. Primary oxidation begins with the thermal generation of alkylation's reactions and acid products formation. Radiation damage operates by two mechanisms: scission and cross-linking. The first one generates free radicals of low molecular weight while the other one can build-up complex molecular networks with high or low solubility in the base oil. Moreover, radiation damage destroys additives molecules and generates colour centres different from oxidative colour modification. Due to scission and cross-linking alkyl group substitution in the aromatic rings are formed. Then, radiation acts as a precursor of Primary Oxidation. Both, thermal and radioactive, damage mechanisms can act simultaneously making the isolated analysis for each one very difficult. To manage it, a Relative Damage Index (RDI) has been

  20. Treatment with glial derived neurotropic factor (GDNF attenuates oxidative damages of spinal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Li

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Spinal cord injury (SCI is a serious and debilitating issue being suffered by wide population worldwide. Extensive treatment approaches have been tested and being verified for their efficacy. Owing to the nature of central nervous system (CNS, the resident stem cells would be triggered in response to any sort of trauma with nerve factors as their communication signals. Apart from physical injuries, damages due to oxidative stress also need to be addressed while CNS repair mechanism takes place. This study looks at the potential of glial derived nerve factor (GDNF in addressing the SCI in regard to oxidative damages. A total of 60 Wistar rats were clustered into five groups and GDNF at various concentrations was tested in each group. Assessments in terms of oxidative stress parameters were noted and analyzed accordingly. It was noted that GDNF had reduced oxidative damages and increased the levels of anti-oxidants in dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05. Though treatment with 10 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL showed significant changes as compared to control group, these treatment modalities remained insignificant among each other. In conclusion, we demonstrated that GDNF exerted a neuro-protective effect on CNS by inducing anti-oxidants and reducing the levels of oxidative stress in SCI induced rat models.

  1. Oxidative Stress in Neurodegeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Varsha Shukla

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available It has been demonstrated that oxidative stress has a ubiquitous role in neurodegenerative diseases. Major source of oxidative stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS is related to mitochondria as an endogenous source. Although there is ample evidence from tissues of patients with neurodegenerative disorders of morphological, biochemical, and molecular abnormalities in mitochondria, it is still not very clear whether the oxidative stress itself contributes to the onset of neurodegeneration or it is part of the neurodegenerative process as secondary manifestation. This paper begins with an overview of how oxidative stress occurs, discussing various oxidants and antioxidants, and role of oxidative stress in diseases in general. It highlights the role of oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The last part of the paper describes the role of oxidative stress causing deregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5 hyperactivity associated with neurodegeneration.

  2. Free Radical Oxidation in Rat Myocardium after Maximum Permissible Hepatic Resection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ermolaev, P A; Khramykh, T P; Barskaya, L O

    2016-03-01

    Free radical oxidation in rat myocardial homogenate was studied by chemiluminescent assay during the early terms after maximum permissible liver resection. During this period, activation of free radical oxidation was biphasic. The critical terms characterized by dramatic intensification of free radical oxidation in the myocardium are the first hour and the first day after surgery. The period from 3 to 12 h after surgery, in which the indices of chemiluminescence decrease, can be tentatively termed as the period of "putative wellbeing". Normalization of the free radical oxidation processes in the myocardium occurred by day 7 after surgery.

  3. Rare earth oxide aero- and xerogels. Tuning porosity and catalytic properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neumann, Bjoern

    2013-11-01

    Heterogeneous catalysts to this day are still largely developed on the basis of trial and error. This is due to the great difficulty of creating custom-designed structures at the nanometer scale using traditional preparation methods. In the course of recent rapid developments in the material sciences, however, it has become possible to create materials with custom-designed properties from the macroscopic down into the nanometer range. The purpose of the present study was to make use of this potential for catalysis. The task was to modify the porosity and composition of selected rare earth oxides that promise well as catalysts with the goal of obtaining good results in terms of oxidative reactions and oxidative coupling. One major focus was on chemical sol-gel methods and in particular on what is referred to as the epoxide addition method. Extensive work was put into the characterisation and catalytic testing of aerogels and xerogels of pure rare earth oxides as well as of hybrid systems of rare earth oxides and aluminium oxide. Furthermore, thin xerogel films and macroporous monoliths were produced, the latter using a direct foaming method. The results of this work confirm the high potential of sol-gel chemistry for making porous materials of variable and controllable porosity and composition available for heterogeneous catalysis and creating more powerful catalysts. [de

  4. P -type transparent conducting oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Kelvin H L; Xi, Kai; Blamire, Mark G; Egdell, Russell G

    2016-01-01

    Transparent conducting oxides constitute a unique class of materials combining properties of electrical conductivity and optical transparency in a single material. They are needed for a wide range of applications including solar cells, flat panel displays, touch screens, light emitting diodes and transparent electronics. Most of the commercially available TCOs are n -type, such as Sn doped In 2 O 3 , Al doped ZnO, and F doped SnO 2 . However, the development of efficient p -type TCOs remains an outstanding challenge. This challenge is thought to be due to the localized nature of the O 2 p derived valence band which leads to difficulty in introducing shallow acceptors and large hole effective masses. In 1997 Hosono and co-workers (1997 Nature 389 939) proposed the concept of ‘chemical modulation of the valence band’ to mitigate this problem using hybridization of O 2 p orbitals with close-shell Cu 3 d 10 orbitals. This work has sparked tremendous interest in designing p -TCO materials together with deep understanding the underlying materials physics. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive review on traditional and recently emergent p -TCOs, including Cu + -based delafossites, layered oxychalcogenides, nd 6 spinel oxides, Cr 3+ -based oxides (3 d 3 ) and post-transition metal oxides with lone pair state (ns 2 ). We will focus our discussions on the basic materials physics of these materials in terms of electronic structures, doping and defect properties for p -type conductivity and optical properties. Device applications based on p -TCOs for transparent p – n junctions will also be briefly discussed. (topical review)

  5. Cerium oxide and platinum nanoparticles protect cells from oxidant-mediated apoptosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, Andrea; Zhu Aiping; Sun Kai; Petty, Howard R.

    2011-01-01

    Catalytic nanoparticles represent a potential clinical approach to replace or correct aberrant enzymatic activities in patients. Several diseases, including many blinding eye diseases, are promoted by excessive oxidant stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cerium oxide and platinum nanoparticles represent two potentially therapeutic nanoparticles that de-toxify ROS. In the present study, we directly compare these two classes of catalytic nanoparticles. Cerium oxide and platinum nanoparticles were found to be 16 ± 2.4 and 1.9 ± 0.2 nm in diameter, respectively. Using surface plasmon-enhanced microscopy, we find that these nanoparticles associate with cells. Furthermore, cerium oxide and platinum nanoparticles demonstrated superoxide dismutase catalytic activity, but did not promote hemolytic or cytolytic pathways in living cells. Importantly, both cerium oxide and platinum nanoparticles reduce oxidant-mediated apoptosis in target cells as judged by the activation of caspase 3. The ability to diminish apoptosis may contribute to maintaining healthy tissues.

  6. The influence of acoustical and non-acoustical factors on short-term annoyance due to aircraft noise in the field - The COSMA study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartels, Susanne; Márki, Ferenc; Müller, Uwe

    2015-12-15

    Air traffic has increased for the past decades and is forecasted to continue to grow. Noise due to current airport operations can impair the physical and psychological well-being of airport residents. The field study investigated aircraft noise-induced short-term (i.e., within hourly intervals) annoyance in local residents near a busy airport. We aimed at examining the contribution of acoustical and non-acoustical factors to the annoyance rating. Across four days from getting up till going to bed, 55 residents near Cologne/Bonn Airport (M=46years, SD=14years, 34 female) rated their annoyance due to aircraft noise at hourly intervals. For each participant and each hour, 26 noise metrics from outdoor measurements and further 6 individualized metrics that took into account the sound attenuation due to each person's whereabouts in and around their homes were obtained. Non-acoustical variables were differentiated into situational factors (time of day, performed activity during past hour, day of the week) and personal factors (e.g., sensitivity to noise, attitudes, domestic noise insulation). Generalized Estimation Equations were applied for the development of a prediction model for annoyance. Acoustical factors explained only a small proportion (13.7%) of the variance in the annoyance ratings. The number of fly-overs predicted annoyance better than did equivalent and maximum sound pressure levels. The proportion of explained variance in annoyance rose considerably (to 27.6%) when individualized noise metrics as well as situational and personal variables were included in the prediction model. Consideration of noise metrics related to the number of fly-overs and individual adjustment of noise metrics can improve the prediction of short-term annoyance compared to models using equivalent outdoor levels only. Non-acoustical factors have remarkable impact not only on long-term annoyance as shown before but also on short-term annoyance judged in the home environment. Copyright

  7. Oxidation of {phi}'-aluminium oxynitride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xolin, E. [Universite de Lyon, INSA-Lyon, MATEIS, UMR CNRS 5510, 20, av Albert Einstein, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex (France); Jorand, Y., E-mail: Yves.Jorand@insa-lyon.f [Universite de Lyon, INSA-Lyon, MATEIS, UMR CNRS 5510, 20, av Albert Einstein, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex (France); Olagnon, C.; Gremillard, L. [Universite de Lyon, INSA-Lyon, MATEIS, UMR CNRS 5510, 20, av Albert Einstein, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex (France)

    2011-03-15

    Research highlights: Oxidation of {phi}'-AlON has been studied for the first time. First corrosion products are {gamma}-alumina. Low density {alpha}-alumina is formed at high temperature. Grains are extensively cracked after oxidation. The low density of the {alpha}-alumina is due to a network of nanometric porosities. - Abstract: The oxidation in air of single crystal {phi}'-aluminium oxynitride (AlON) grains has been characterized by thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction in the 1273-1673 K range. Two oxidation stages have been observed, suggesting the formation of a transitional phase. Below 1473 K, oxidation results in the apparition of platelets and noodle-like crystals on the surface of the initially faceted single crystals. Above 1473 K, low density {alpha}-alumina polycrystals start forming on the grain surface and grow towards the grain core with increasing temperature or time. Their low density is mainly due to the presence of a network of nano-porosities.

  8. Evolution of thermal stress and failure probability during reduction and re-oxidation of solid oxide fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yu; Jiang, Wenchun; Luo, Yun; Zhang, Yucai; Tu, Shan-Tung

    2017-12-01

    The reduction and re-oxidation of anode have significant effects on the integrity of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) sealed by the glass-ceramic (GC). The mechanical failure is mainly controlled by the stress distribution. Therefore, a three dimensional model of SOFC is established to investigate the stress evolution during the reduction and re-oxidation by finite element method (FEM) in this paper, and the failure probability is calculated using the Weibull method. The results demonstrate that the reduction of anode can decrease the thermal stresses and reduce the failure probability due to the volumetric contraction and porosity increasing. The re-oxidation can result in a remarkable increase of the thermal stresses, and the failure probabilities of anode, cathode, electrolyte and GC all increase to 1, which is mainly due to the large linear strain rather than the porosity decreasing. The cathode and electrolyte fail as soon as the linear strains are about 0.03% and 0.07%. Therefore, the re-oxidation should be controlled to ensure the integrity, and a lower re-oxidation temperature can decrease the stress and failure probability.

  9. A phenomenological approach to high Tc oxide superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chela-Flores, J.; Das, M.P.; Saif, A.G.

    1987-06-01

    Oxide superconductors are described in terms of macroscopic wave functions Ψ and Φ corresponding, respectively, to electron pairs of the superconducting and insulating states. In terms of the total free energy of the system, including the effect of interaction, we discuss the electrodynamic responses of the oxide superconductors in relation with the experiments to data. (author). 10 refs

  10. Electron donating and acid-base properties of cerium oxide and its mixed oxides with alumina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugunan, S.; Jalaja, J.M.

    1994-01-01

    The electron donating properties of cerium oxide activated at 300, 500 and 800 degC and of its mixed oxides with alumina were examined based on the adsorption of electron acceptors exhibiting different electron affinities. The surface acidity/basicity of the oxides was determined by titrimetry; the H 0,max values are given. The limit of electron transfer from the oxide surface lies within the region of 1.77 and 2.40 eV in terms of the electron affinity of the electron acceptor. Cerium oxide promotes the electron donor nature of alumina while leaving the limit of electron transfer unchanged. 2 tabs., 4 figs., 13 refs

  11. Magnesium oxide prepared via metal-chitosan complexation method: Application as catalyst for transesterification of soybean oil and catalyst deactivation studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almerindo, Gizelle I.; Probst, Luiz F. D.; Campos, Carlos E. M.; de Almeida, Rusiene M.; Meneghetti, Simoni M. P.; Meneghetti, Mario R.; Clacens, Jean-Marc; Fajardo, Humberto V.

    2011-10-01

    A simple method to prepare magnesium oxide catalysts for biodiesel production by transesterification reaction of soybean oil with ethanol is proposed. The method was developed using a metal-chitosan complex. Compared to the commercial oxide, the proposed catalysts displayed higher surface area and basicity values, leading to higher yield in terms of fatty acid ethyl esters (biodiesel). The deactivation of the catalyst due to contact with CO2 and H2O present in the ambient air was verified. It was confirmed that the active catalytic site is a hydrogenocarbonate adsorption site.

  12. Rare earth oxide doping in oxide cathodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Engelsen, Daniel den; Gaertner, Georg

    2006-01-01

    The effect on life performance and poisoning with O 2 by doping oxide cathodes with rare earth oxides and pseudo rare earth oxides, notably yttria, is qualitatively explained in terms of electrolysis of BaO during emission of electrons. Doped cathodes show less electrolysis and consume therefore less Ba during life: consequently, doped cathodes have a better life performance. However, the lower Ba-production makes doped cathodes more sensitive to oxygen poisoning. The experimentally found relation between conductivity and yttria concentration was the motive to propose a new model for the crystal imperfections in BaO. In this new imperfection model most Y 3+ -ions will combine with barium vacancies, therefore, the increase of the conductivity is modest and also the effect on the position of the Fermi level is modest. By assuming a combination of bulk and surface conductivity, the agreement between experiment and theory can be improved further

  13. Accelerated Rates of Nitrogen Cycling and N2O Production in Salt Marsh Sediments due to Long-Term Fertilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, X.; Ji, Q.; Angell, J.; Kearns, P.; Bowen, J. L.; Ward, B. B.

    2014-12-01

    Intensified sedimentary production of nitrous oxide (N2O), one of the most potent greenhouse gases, is one of the many possible environmental consequences of elevated nitrogen (N) loading into estuarine ecosystems. This study investigates the response to over 40 years of fertilization of nitrogen removal processes in the sediments of the Great Sippewissett Marsh in Falmouth, MA. Sediment slurries were incubated (1.5 hr) with trace amounts (fertilized sediments (0.89 nmol hr-1 g-1 wet weight) was 30-fold higher than in unfertilized sediments. The ratio of N2O to N2 production was also significantly higher in fertilized sediments (2.9%) than in unfertilized sediments (1.2%). This highlights the disproportionally large effect of long-term fertilization on N2O production in salt marsh sediments. The reduced oxygen level and higher ammonium concentrations in situ probably contributed to the significant rise in N2O production as a result of long-term fertilization. When detected, anammox and coupled nitrification-denitrification accounted for 10% and 14% of the total N2 production in fertilized sediments (30.5 nmol hr-1 g-1 wet weight), respectively, whereas neither was detected in unfertilized sediments. Thus these experiments indicate that N loading has important effects on multiple N cycle processes that result in N loss and N2O production.

  14. Short-Term Nose-Only Water-Pipe (Shisha Smoking Exposure Accelerates Coagulation and Causes Cardiac Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abderrahim Nemmar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim: Water-pipe smoking (WPS has acquired worldwide popularity, and is disseminating particularly rapidly in Europe and North America. However, little is known about the short-term cardiovascular effects of WPS. Methods: Presently, we assessed the short-term cardiovascular effects of nose-only exposure to mainstream WPS in BALB/c mice for 30 min/day for 5 consecutive days. Control mice were exposed to air. At the end of the exposure period, several cardiovascular endpoints were measured. Results: WPS did not affect the number of leukocytes and the plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα and interleukin-6 (IL-6. Likewise, plasma levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO, reduced glutathione (GSH and catalase were not affected by WPS. By contrast, WPS aggravated in vivo thrombosis by shortening the thrombotic occlusion time in pial arterioles and venules. The number of circulating platelets was reduced by WPS suggesting the occurrence of platelet aggregation in vivo. Elevated concentrations of fibrinogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were seen after the exposure to WPS. Blood samples taken from mice exposed to WPS and exposed to adenosine diphosphate showed more platelet aggregation. The heart concentrations of IL-6 and TNFα were augmented by WPS. Likewise, heart levels of LPO, reactive oxygen species and the antioxidants catalase and GSH were increased by WPS. However, the systolic blood pressure and heart rate were not affected by WPS. Conclusion: It can be concluded that short-term exposure to WPS exerts procoagulatory effects and induce cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress. At the time point investigated, there was no evidence for blood inflammation or oxidative stress.

  15. Sperm quality and oxidative status as affected by homogenization of liquid-stored boar semen diluted in short- and long-term extenders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menegat, Mariana B; Mellagi, Ana Paula G; Bortolin, Rafael C; Menezes, Tila A; Vargas, Amanda R; Bernardi, Mari Lourdes; Wentz, Ivo; Gelain, Daniel P; Moreira, José Cláudio F; Bortolozzo, Fernando P

    2017-04-01

    Homogenization of diluted boar semen during storage has for a long time been regarded as beneficial. Recent studies indicated an adverse effect of homogenization on sperm quality for yet unknown reasons. This study aimed to verify the effect of homogenization on sperm parameters and to elucidate the impact of oxidative stress. Twenty-one normospermic ejaculates (21 boars) were diluted with Androstar ® Plus (AND) and Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS). Semen doses were submitted to no-homogenization (NoHom) or twice-a-day manual homogenization (2xHom) during storage at 17°C for 168h. NoHom and 2xHom were similar (P>0.05) for both short- and long-term extenders with respect to motility and kinematics parameters (CASA system), membrane viability (SYBR-14/PI), acrosome integrity, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, intracellular reactive oxygen species, sulfhydryl content, and total radical-trapping antioxidant potential. 2xHom reduced sperm motility and motion kinematics (VCL, VSL, VAP, BCF, and ALH) following the thermoresistance test and presented with a slight increase in pH along the storage (P=0.05) as compared to NoHom. Furthermore, 2xHom semen doses presented with a constant SOD and GSH-Px activity during storage whereas enzymatic activity increased for NoHom at the end of the storage. These findings confirm that homogenization of semen doses is detrimental to sperm quality. Moreover, it is shown that the effect of homogenization is unlikely to be primarily related to oxidative stress. Homogenization is not recommended for storage of liquid boar semen for up to 168h in both short- and long-term extenders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of glucose metabolism pathways on sperm motility and oxidative status during long-term liquid storage of goat semen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Jian-Hua; Li, You-Wei; Xie, Hong-Li; Li, Qing; Dong, Hai-Bo; Sun, Ming-Ju; Gao, Wei-Qiang; Tan, Jing-He

    2016-08-01

    Although great efforts were made to prolong the fertility of liquid-stored semen, limited improvements have been achieved in different species. Although it is expected that energy supply and the redox potential will play an essential role in sperm function, there are few reports on the impact of specific energy substrates on spermatozoa during liquid semen storage. Furthermore, although it is accepted that glucose metabolism through glycolysis provides energy, roles of pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and tricarboxylic acid cycle remain to be unequivocally found in spermatozoa. We have studied the pathways by which spermatozoa metabolize glucose during long-term liquid storage of goat semen. The results indicated that among the substrates tested, glucose and pyruvate were better than lactate in maintaining goat sperm motility. Although both glycolysis and PPP were essential, PPP was more important than glycolysis to maintain sperm motility. Pentose phosphate pathway reduced oxidative stress and provided glycolysis with more intermediate products such as fructose-6-phosphate. Pyruvate entered goat spermatozoa through monocarboxylate transporters and was oxidized by the tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transfer to sustain sperm motility. Long-term liquid semen storage can be used as a good model to study sperm glucose metabolism. The data are important for an optimal control of sperm survival during semen handling and preservation not only in the goat but also in other species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders is associated with individual features and psychosocial work conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva-Junior, João Silvestre da; Fischer, Frida Marina

    2014-01-01

    Sickness absence is a socioeconomic global burden. In Brazil, mental disorders are the third leading cause of social security benefits payments. The aim of the present study was to compare factors associated with long-term sickness absence between workers who claimed social benefits due to mental disorders or by other causes. We investigated individual features and occupational characteristics. In addition, we evaluated psychosocial factors at work assessed by the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) and Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models, and whether they were associated with long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders (LTSA-MD). The present case-control study was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil. The sample (n = 385) included workers on sick leave for more than 15 days. Cases were the participants with disabling psychiatric illnesses, and controls were the ones with other disabling diseases. Interviews were conducted to assess individual features (sociodemographic data, health habits/lifestyle, health conditions) and occupational characteristics. The participants' perception of exposure to dimensions of the DCS and ERI models was also recorded. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the association between independent variables and LTSA-MD. All the regression analyses showed that LTSA-MD was associated with female sex, self-reported white skin color, higher education level, high tobacco consumption, high alcohol intake, two or more comorbidities, exposure to violence at work, high job strain and low social support at work, effort-reward imbalance and high overcommitment to work. LTSA-MD was associated with separate and combined DCS and ERI stress models. Individual features and work conditions were associated with LTSA-MD. Combined analysis of stress models showed that psychosocial factors at work were significantly associated with LTSA-MD. Resourceful use of this information may contribute to the implementation of preventive actions and

  18. Long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders is associated with individual features and psychosocial work conditions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Silvestre da Silva-Junior

    Full Text Available Sickness absence is a socioeconomic global burden. In Brazil, mental disorders are the third leading cause of social security benefits payments. The aim of the present study was to compare factors associated with long-term sickness absence between workers who claimed social benefits due to mental disorders or by other causes. We investigated individual features and occupational characteristics. In addition, we evaluated psychosocial factors at work assessed by the Demand-Control-Support (DCS and Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI models, and whether they were associated with long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders (LTSA-MD.The present case-control study was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil. The sample (n = 385 included workers on sick leave for more than 15 days. Cases were the participants with disabling psychiatric illnesses, and controls were the ones with other disabling diseases. Interviews were conducted to assess individual features (sociodemographic data, health habits/lifestyle, health conditions and occupational characteristics. The participants' perception of exposure to dimensions of the DCS and ERI models was also recorded. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the association between independent variables and LTSA-MD.All the regression analyses showed that LTSA-MD was associated with female sex, self-reported white skin color, higher education level, high tobacco consumption, high alcohol intake, two or more comorbidities, exposure to violence at work, high job strain and low social support at work, effort-reward imbalance and high overcommitment to work. LTSA-MD was associated with separate and combined DCS and ERI stress models.Individual features and work conditions were associated with LTSA-MD. Combined analysis of stress models showed that psychosocial factors at work were significantly associated with LTSA-MD. Resourceful use of this information may contribute to the implementation of preventive

  19. Total oxidant/antioxidant status in jaundiced newborns before and after phototherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aycicek, Ali; Erel, Ozcan

    2007-01-01

    To assess the effect of phototherapy on serum oxidant and antioxidant status in hyperbilirubinemic full-term newborns. Thirty-four full-term infants from 3 to 10 days of age exposed to phototherapy were studied. The serum antioxidant status was assessed by measuring the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and individual antioxidant components: vitamin C, uric acid, albumin, thiol contents and total bilirubin. The oxidant status was assessed by determining the total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and individual oxidant components: malondialdehyde (MDA), and lipid hydroperoxide levels. Vitamin C, uric acid, total bilirubin and MDA concentration were significantly lower, whereas serum TOS, lipid hydroperoxide and OSI levels were significantly higher after phototherapy (p total bilirubin and MDA (r = 0.434, p = 0.001). Although the MDA level was reduced after phototherapy, phototherapy has a negative impact on numerous parts of the oxidant/antioxidant defense system in jaundiced full-term newborns, exposing them to potential oxidative stress.

  20. Base case short-term Pu-oxide store. 2. Pt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-08-01

    This paper describes the interim storage of plutonium oxide after its conversion from plutonium nitrate and before fabrication into fuel elements. The capacity of the store is 3 tons Pu. A description of the major handling, criticality, maintenance and physical protection philosophy is given, together with comments on the safety of the store and its impact on the environment

  1. An ECVAG trial on assessment of oxidative damage to DNA measured by the comet assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansson, Clara; Møller, Peter; Forchhammer, Lykke

    2010-01-01

    The increasing use of single cell gel electrophoresis (the comet assay) highlights its popularity as a method for detecting DNA damage, including the use of enzymes for assessment of oxidatively damaged DNA. However, comparison of DNA damage levels between laboratories can be difficult due...... to differences in assay protocols (e.g. lysis conditions, enzyme treatment, the duration of the alkaline treatment and electrophoresis) and in the end points used for reporting results (e.g. %DNA in tail, arbitrary units, tail moment and tail length). One way to facilitate comparisons is to convert primary comet...... assay end points to number of lesions/10(6) bp by calibration with ionizing radiation. The aim of this study was to investigate the inter-laboratory variation in assessment of oxidatively damaged DNA by the comet assay in terms of oxidized purines converted to strand breaks with formamidopyrimidine DNA...

  2. Identifying the Long-Term Role of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase after Contusive Spinal Cord Injury Using a Transgenic Mouse Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominic M. Maggio

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS is a potent mediator of oxidative stress during neuroinflammation triggered by neurotrauma or neurodegeneration. We previously demonstrated that acute iNOS inhibition attenuated iNOS levels and promoted neuroprotection and functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI. The present study investigated the effects of chronic iNOS ablation after SCI using inos-null mice. iNOS−/− knockout and wild-type (WT control mice underwent a moderate thoracic (T8 contusive SCI. Locomotor function was assessed weekly, using the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS, and at the endpoint (six weeks, by footprint analysis. At the endpoint, the volume of preserved white and gray matter, as well as the number of dorsal column axons and perilesional blood vessels rostral to the injury, were quantified. At weeks two and three after SCI, iNOS−/− mice exhibited a significant locomotor improvement compared to WT controls, although a sustained improvement was not observed during later weeks. At the endpoint, iNOS−/− mice showed significantly less preserved white and gray matter, as well as fewer dorsal column axons and perilesional blood vessels, compared to WT controls. While short-term antagonism of iNOS provides histological and functional benefits, its long-term ablation after SCI may be deleterious, blocking protective or reparative processes important for angiogenesis and tissue preservation.

  3. Structured medium and long chain triglycerides show short-term increases in fat oxidation, but no changes in adiposity in men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roynette, Catherine E; Rudkowska, Iwona; Nakhasi, Dilip K; Jones, Peter J H

    2008-05-01

    Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) have been suggested as modulators of human energy expenditure (EE) and thus may influence total and regional body fat distribution. To investigate in overweight men the effects of structured medium and long chain triglycerides on EE, substrate oxidation and body adiposity, compared to extra virgin olive oil (OO). In a 6 week single-blind crossover study, 23 overweight men were randomly assigned to consume a standard high-fat diet of which 75% total fat was provided as either structured medium and long chain triglycerides referred to as structured oil (StO), or OO. EE and body composition were measured using indirect calorimetry and magnetic resonance imaging, respectively, at weeks 1 and 6 of each phase. Body weight decreased (pstructured medium and long chain triglyceride oil increases short-term fat oxidation but fails to modulate body weight or adiposity through a change in EE.

  4. On the Properties and Long-Term Stability of Infiltrated Lanthanum Cobalt Nickelates (LCN) in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kiebach, Wolff-Ragnar; Zielke, Philipp; Veltzé, Sune

    2017-01-01

    Infiltration as a fabrication method for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) electrodes is offering significant improvements in cell performance at reduced materials and fabrication costs, especially when combined with co-sintering. However, important questions regarding the long-term performance...... and microstructural stability remain unanswered. Here, we present the results of a three-year project, where large footprint anode-supported SOFCs with a co-sintered cathode backbone and infiltrated La0.95Co0.4Ni0.6O3 (LCN) cathodes were developed and thoroughly characterized. The initial long-term performance...... in the electrode properties using SEM, BET area, and in-plane conductivity measurements. Finally, the mechanical properties of co-sintered cathode backbone cells were determined in four-point bending tests carried out both at room temperature and at 800°C in air. Based on these results, degradation mechanisms were...

  5. Sputter fabricated Nb-oxide-Nb josephson junctions incorporating post-oxidation noble metal layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bain, R.J.P.; Donaldson, G.B.

    1985-01-01

    We present an extension, involving other metals, of the work of Hawkins and Clarke, who found that a thin layer of copper prevented the formation of the superconductive shorts which are an inevitable consequence of sputtering niobium counter-electrodes directly on top of niobium oxide. We find gold to be the most satisfactory, and that 0.3 nm is sufficient to guarantee short-free junctions of excellent electrical and mechanical stability, though high excess conductance means they are best suited to shunted-junction applications, as in SQUIDs. We present results for critical current dependence on oxide thickness and on gold thickness. Our data shows that thermal oxide growth is described by the Cabrera-Mott mechanism. We show that the protective effect of the gold layer can be understood in terms of the electro-chemistry of the Nb-oxide-Au structure, and that the reduced quasi-particle resistance of the junctions relative to goldfree junctions with evaporated counterelectrodes can be explained in terms of barrier shape modification, and not by proximity effect mechanisms. The performance of a DC SQUID based on these junctions is described

  6. Molecular theory of graphene oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheka, Elena F; Popova, Nadezhda A

    2013-08-28

    Applied to graphene oxide, the molecular theory of graphene considers its oxide as a final product in the succession of polyderivatives related to a series of oxidation reactions involving different oxidants. The graphene oxide structure is created in the course of a stepwise computational synthesis of polyoxides of the (5,5) nanographene molecule governed by an algorithm that takes into account the molecule's natural radicalization due to the correlation of its odd electrons, the extremely strong influence of the structure on properties, and a sharp response of the molecule behavior on small actions of external factors. Taking these together, the theory has allowed for a clear, transparent and understandable explanation of the hot points of graphene oxide chemistry and suggesting reliable models of both chemically produced and chemically reduced graphene oxides.

  7. Sulfur poisoning of Ni/Gadolinium-doped ceria anodes: A long-term study outlining stable solid oxide fuel cell operation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riegraf, Matthias; Zekri, Atef; Knipper, Martin; Costa, Rémi; Schiller, Günter; Friedrich, K. Andreas

    2018-03-01

    This work presents an analysis of the long-term behavior of nickel/gadolinium-doped ceria (CGO) anode-based solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) under sulfur poisoning conditions. A parameter study of sulfur-induced irreversible long-term degradation of commercial, high-performance single cells was carried out at 900 °C for different H2/N2/H2S fuel gas atmospheres, current densities and Ni/CGO anodes. The poisoning periods of the cells varied from 200 to 1500 h. The possibility of stable long-term Ni/CGO anode operation under sulfur exposure is established and the critical operating regime is outlined. Depending on the operating conditions, two degradation phenomena can be observed. Small degradation of the ohmic resistance was witnessed for sulfur exposure times of approximately 1000 h. Moreover, degradation of the anode charge transfer resistance was observed to be triggered by the combination of a small anodic potential step and high sulfur coverage on Ni. The microstructural evolution of altered Ni/CGO anodes was examined post-mortem by means of SEM and FIB/SEM, and is correlated to the anode performance degradation under critical operating conditions, establishing Ni depletion, porosity increase and a tripe phase boundary density decrease in the anode functional layer. It is shown that short-term sulfur poisoning behavior can be used to assess long-term stability.

  8. Effects of Curcuminoids-Piperine Combination on Systemic Oxidative Stress, Clinical Symptoms and Quality of Life in Subjects with Chronic Pulmonary Complications Due to Sulfur Mustard: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panahi, Yunes; Ghanei, Mostafa; Hajhashemi, Ali; Sahebkar, Amirhossein

    2016-01-01

    Oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of chronic pulmonary complications of sulfur mustard (SM). Curcuminoids are polyphenols with documented safety and antioxidant activity. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of short-term supplementation with curcuminoids (co-administered with piperine to enhance the bioavailability of curcuminoids) in alleviating systemic oxidative stress and clinical symptoms, and improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in subjects suffering from chronic pulmonary complications due to SM exposure who are receiving standard respiratory treatments. Eighty-nine subjects were recruited to this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, being randomly allocated to either curcuminoids (1500 mg/day) + piperine (15 mg/day) combination (n = 45) or placebo (n = 44) for a period of 4 weeks. High-resolution computed tomography suggested the diagnosis of bronchiolitis obliterans in all subjects. Efficacy measures were changes in serum levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malonedialdehyde (MDA). The severity and frequency of respiratory symptoms and HRQoL were also assessed using St. George respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and COPD Assessment Test (CAT) indices. Serum levels of GSH were increased whilst those of MDA decreased by the end of trial in both groups. Likewise, there were significant improvements in the total as well as subscale (symptoms, activity and impact) SGRQ and CAT scores in both groups. However, comparison of magnitude of changes revealed a greater effect of curcuminoids-piperine combination compared to placebo in elevating GSH, reducing MDA and improving CAT and SGRQ (total and subscale) scores (p stress, clinical symptoms and HRQoL, these phytochemicals may be used as safe adjuvants in patients suffering from chronic SM-induced pulmonary complications who are receiving standard treatments.

  9. SU-E-T-279: Dose Enhancement Effect Due to Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Employed as Radiation Protectants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ouyang, Z; Altundal, Y; Sajo, E [Univ Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA (United States); Ngwa, W [Univ Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA (United States); Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical, Boston, MA (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: The goal of radiotherapy is to maximize radiation dose to diseased cells while minimizing radiation damage to normal tissues. In order to minimize damage to normal tissues, cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are currently considered as a radioprotectant. However, some studies have reported concerns that nanoceria can also lead to radiotherapy dose enhancement due to the high atomic number of cerium, especially when used in conjunction with kV energy and brachytherapy sources. In this study, this concern is investigated to determine if the concentrations of nanoceria employed in in-vivo studies to confer radioprotection can engender a significant dose enhancement. Methods: Radiation with energies ranging from 50kVp to 140kVp is investigated in this work along with brachytherapy sources Pd-103 and I-125. A previously established theoretical model is used to calculate the dose enhancement factor (DEF). In this model, each cell is assumed to be a voxel of size (10 µm, 10 µm, 10 µm) with nanoceria homogeneously distributed among them. Electron energy loss formula of Cole is used to calculate energy (and hence dose) deposited by photoelectrons and Auger electrons in each tissue voxel due to irradiation of nanoceria. The DEF is defined as the ratio of the dose with and without nanoparticles. Results: DEF calculation results are smaller than 1.02 with dosages of nanoceria smaller than 0.645 mg/g, which is shown to be sufficiently protective by some previous in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. The brachytherapy sources show higher DEF’s than kVp radiations. DEF peaks are consistent with K shell and L shell energies of cerium, 40 keV and 6 keV, respectively. Conclusion: The results show that for sufficiently radioprotective concentrations of nanoceria, there will be minimal DEF when used in conjunction with clinically applicable kV energy radiotherapy sources or brachytherapy sources.

  10. Chronic exposure to iron oxide, chromium oxide, and nickel oxide fumes of metal dressers in a steelworks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, J. Graham; Warner, C. G.

    1972-01-01

    Graham Jones, J., and Warner, C. G. (1972).Brit. J. industr. Med.,29, 169-177. Chronic exposure to iron oxide, chromium oxide, and nickel oxide fumes of metal dressers in a steelworks. Occupational and medical histories, smoking habits, respiratory symptoms, chest radiographs, and ventilatory capacities were studied in 14 steelworkers employed as deseamers of steel ingots for periods of up to 16 years. The men were exposed for approximately five hours of each working shift to fume concentrations ranging from 1·3 to 294·1 mg/m3 made up mainly of iron oxide with varying proportions of chromium oxide and nickel oxide. Four of the men, with 14 to 16 years' exposure, showed radiological evidence of pneumoconiosis classified as ILO categories 2 or 3. Of these, two had pulmonary function within the normal range and two had measurable loss of function, moderate in one case and mild in the other. Many observers would diagnose these cases as siderosis but the authors consider that this term should be reserved for cases exposed to pure iron compounds. The correct diagnosis is mixed-dust pneumoconiosis and the loss of pulmonary function is caused by the effects of the mixture of metallic oxides. It is probable that inhalation of pure iron oxide does not cause fibrotic pulmonary changes, whereas the inhalation of iron oxide plus certain other substances obviously does. Images PMID:5021996

  11. Characterization and storage of the Rocky Flats plutonium oxide legacy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stakebake, J.L.

    1997-01-01

    Prior to 1989, plutonium oxide storage at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) could generally be considered as short term. Packaging configurations for short-term storage consisted of slip-lid cans and sealed produce cans. Prior to packaging, most of the oxide had been stabilized by heating to ∼500 degrees C. When storage times were relatively short, few problems were attributed to either packaging or storage. However, with projected storage times extended up to 50 yr, most of the old packaging of RFETS plutonium oxide will be in two welded steel containers in compliance with the DOE Standard 3013-96, which defines processing and packaging criteria for safe, long-term storage of plutonium oxide

  12. Reversible solid oxide fuel cells (R-SOFCs) with chemically stable proton-conducting oxides

    KAUST Repository

    Bi, Lei

    2015-07-01

    Proton-conducting oxides offer a promising way of lowering the working temperature of solid oxide cells to the intermediate temperate range (500 to 700. °C) due to their better ionic conductivity. In addition, the application of proton-conducting oxides in both solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and sold oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) provides unique advantages compared with the use of conventional oxygen-ion conducting conductors, including the formation of water at the air electrode site. Since the discovery of proton conduction in some oxides about 30. years ago, the development of proton-conducting oxides in SOFCs and SOECs (the reverse mode of SOFCs) has gained increased attention. This paper briefly summarizes the development in the recent years of R-SOFCs with proton-conducting electrolytes, focusing on discussing the importance of adopting chemically stable materials in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes. The development of electrode materials for proton-conducting R-SOFCs is also discussed. © 2015 Elsevier B.V.

  13. New insight of high temperature oxidation on self-exfoliation capability of graphene oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuhang; Zeng, Jie; Han, Di; Wu, Kai; Yu, Bowen; Chai, Songgang; Chen, Feng; Fu, Qiang

    2018-05-01

    The preparation of graphene oxide (GO) via Hummers method is usually divided into two steps: low temperature oxidation at 35 °C (step I oxidation) and high temperature oxidation at 98 °C (step II oxidation). However, the effects of these two steps on the exfoliation capability and chemical structure of graphite oxide remain unclear. In this study, both the functional group content of graphite oxide and the entire evolution of interlayer spacing were investigated during the two steps. Step I oxidation is a slowly inhomogeneous oxidation step to remove unoxidized graphite flakes. The prepared graphite oxide can be easily self-exfoliated but contains a lot of organic sulfur. During the first 20 min of step II oxidation, the majority of organic sulfur can be efficiently removed and graphite oxide still remains a good exfoliation capability due to sharp increasing of carboxyl groups. However, with a longer oxidation time at step II oxidation, the decrease of organic sulfur content is slowed down apparently but without any carboxyl groups forming, then graphite oxide finally loses self-exfoliation capability. It is concluded that a short time of step II oxidation can produce purer and ultralarge GO sheets via self-exfoliation. The pure GO is possessed with better thermal stability and liquid crystal behavior. Besides, reduced GO films prepared from step II oxidation show better mechanical and electric properties after reducing compared with that obtained only via step I oxidation.

  14. rhEPO Enhances Cellular Anti-oxidant Capacity to Protect Long-Term Cultured Aging Primary Nerve Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Huqing; Fan, Jiaxin; Chen, Mengyi; Yao, Qingling; Gao, Zhen; Zhang, Guilian; Wu, Haiqin; Yu, Xiaorui

    2017-08-01

    Erythropoietin (EPO) may protect the nervous system of animals against aging damage, making it a potential anti-aging drug for the nervous system. However, experimental evidence from natural aging nerve cell models is lacking, and the efficacy of EPO and underlying mechanism of this effect warrant further study. Thus, the present study used long-term cultured primary nerve cells to successfully mimic the natural aging process of nerve cells. Starting on the 11th day of culture, cells were treated with different concentrations of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). Using double immunofluorescence labeling, we found that rhEPO significantly improved the morphology of long-term cultured primary nerve cells and increased the total number of long-term cultured primary cells. However, rhEPO did not improve the ratio of nerve cells. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to measure nerve cell activity and showed that rhEPO significantly improved the activity of long-term cultured primary nerve cells. Moreover, Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide (PI) double immunofluorescence labeling flow cytometry revealed that rhEPO reduced the apoptotic rate of long-term cultured primary nerve cells. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) immunohistochemistry staining showed that rhEPO significantly reduced the aging rate of long-term cultured primary nerve cells. Immunochemistry revealed that rhEPO enhanced intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) abundance and reduced the intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) level. In addition, this effect depended on the dose, was maximized at a dose of 100 U/ml and was more pronounced than that of vitamin E. In summary, this study finds that rhEPO protects long-term cultured primary nerve cells from aging in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism of this effect may be associated with the enhancement of the intracellular anti-oxidant

  15. Effect of yttrium on the oxide scale adherence of pre-oxidized silicon-containing heat-resistant alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Jingbo; Gao Yimin; Shen Yudi; Yang Fang; Yi Dawei; Ye Zhaozhong; Liang Long; Du Yingqian

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → AE experiment shows yttrium has a beneficial effect on the pre-oxidized HP40 alloy. → Yttrium facilitates the formation of internal oxide after 10 h of oxidation. → Internal oxide changes the rupture behaviour of the oxide scale. → Twins form in the internal oxide and improve the binding strength of the scale. - Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of the rare earth element yttrium on the rupture behaviour of the oxide scale on the silicon-containing heat-resistant alloy during cooling. After 10 h of oxidation, yttrium is found to facilitate the formation of internal oxides (silica) at the scale-matrix interface. Due to the twinning observed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in silica, the critical strain value for the scale failure can be dramatically improved, and the formation of cracks at the scale-matrix interface is inhibited.

  16. Oxidant stress evoked damage in rat hepatocyte leading to triggered nitric oxide synthase (NOS levels on long term consumption of aspartame

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iyaswamy Ashok

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates how long-term (40 mg/kg b.wt consumption of aspartame can alter the antioxidant status, stress pathway genes, and apoptotic changes in the liver of Wistar albino rats. Numerous controversial reports are available on the use of aspartame as it releases methanol as one of its metabolites during metabolism. To mimic the human methanol metabolism the methotrexate treated rats were included to study the aspartame effects. The aspartame treated methotrexate (MTX animals showed a marked significant increase in the superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT, lipid peroxidation (LPO, and Glutathione peroxidase (GPx activity in the liver from control and MTX control animals, and showed a significant decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH and protein thiol in aspartame treated animals. The aspartame treated MTX animals showed a marked significant decrease in the body weight, brain, and liver weight. The aspartame treated MTX animals showed a marked increase in the inducible nitric oxide (iNOS, neuronal nitric oxide (nNOS, c-fos, Heat shock protein (Hsp 70 Tumour necrosis Factor (TNFα, caspase 8, c-jun N terminal kinases (JNK 3 and Nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB gene expression in the liver from control and MTX control animals. The aspartame treated MTX animals showed a marked increase in the c-fos, Hsp 70, iNOS Caspase 8, and JNK 3 protein expression in the liver from control and MTX control animals indicating the enhancement of stress and apoptosis. The aspartame treated MTX animals showed a streak of marked DNA fragmentation in the liver. On immunohistochemical analysis aspartame treated animals showed brown colored positive hepatocytes indicating the stress specific and apoptotic protein expression. Since aspartame consumption is on the rise among people, it is essential to create awareness regarding the usage of this artificial sweetener.

  17. Impaired oxidative capacity due to decreased CPT1b levels as a contributing factor to fat accumulation in obesity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ratner, Cecilia; Madsen, Andreas Nygaard; Kristensen, Line Vildbrad

    2015-01-01

    In order to characterize mechanisms responsible for fat accumulation we used a selectively bred obesity-prone (OP) and obesity-resistant (OR) rat model, where the rats were fed a Western diet for 76 days. Body composition was assessed by MRI scans and as expected the OP rats developed a higher...... likewise had higher RER values indicating that this trait may be a primary and contributing factor to their obese phenotype. When the adult obese rats were exposed to the orexigenic and adipogenic hormone ghrelin, we observed increased RER values in both OP and OR rats, while OR rats were more sensitive...... to ghrelin's orexigenic effects as well as ghrelin-induced attenuation of activity and energy expenditure. Thus, increased fat accumulation characterizing obesity may be caused by impaired oxidative capacity due to decreased carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1b levels in the white adipose tissue, while ghrelin...

  18. Management of full term pregnant patient with paroxysmal hypertension due to incidental pheochromocytoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Sahu*

    2013-12-01

    Case Description: A 25-year-old, full-term pregnant woman diagnosed with pre-eclampsia was referred to our tertiary care hospital with severe resistant hypertension. Her blood pressure remained labile despite the usual medications, which led to the suspicion of an underlying endocrinological problem. Further biochemical and radiological investigations confirmed the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. The patient was invasively monitored and treated with alpha blockade, beta blocker, and vasodilators in ICU. On the fifth day, she went into spontaneous labour with confirmed rupture of the membranes. The labour was augmented with intravenous oxytocin 2U in 500 ml solution of Ringer’s lactate. A nitro-glycerine basal infusion was started and titrated to control BP during labour to keep the blood pressure below 160/90 mmHg. An injection of Phentolamine drip and beta blocker esmolol was kept ready, to control the wide fluctuation of blood pressure. She delivered a live, healthy, male infant weighing 2.5 Kg. She was kept in the ICU for 72 h with epidural patient-controlled analgesia (EPCA. The patient was not keen for a resection of the adrenal tumour immediately after delivery. She was discharged with medical management, with a further plan for surgery in due course. With a multidisciplinary team approach (gynaecologist, anaesthesiologist, endocrinologist, and surgeon, proper planning, and adequate preoperative medical management; pheochromocytoma in pregnancy can be managed successfully.

  19. 7 CFR 29.1046 - Oxidized (O).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Oxidized (O). 29.1046 Section 29.1046 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... Type 92) § 29.1046 Oxidized (O). A term applied to tobacco that has deteriorated and turned black...

  20. Graphene oxide reduction recipes, spectroscopy, and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Gao, Wei

    2015-01-01

    This book focuses on a group of new materials labeled ""graphene oxides."" It provides a comprehensive overview of graphene oxide-based nanomaterials in terms of their synthesis, structures, properties, and extensive applications in catalysis, separation, filtration, energy storage and conversion. The book also covers emerging research on graphite oxides and the impact of the research on fundamental and applied sciences.

  1. Short-term and latent post-settlement effects associated with elevated temperature and oxidative stress on larvae from the coral Porites astreoides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, C.; Ritson-Williams, R.; Olsen, K.; Paul, V. J.

    2013-03-01

    Coral reefs across the Caribbean are undergoing unprecedented rates of decline in coral cover during the last three decades, and coral recruitment is one potential process that could aid the recovery of coral populations. To better understand the effects of climate change on coral larval ecology, the larvae of Porites astreoides were studied to determine the immediate and post-settlement effects of elevated temperature and associated oxidative stress. Larvae of Porites astreoides were exposed to 27 °C (ambient) and +3.0 °C (elevated temperature) seawater for a short duration of 24 h; then, a suite of physiological parameters were measured to determine the extent of sublethal stress. Following the +3.0 °C treatment, larvae did not show a significant difference in maximum quantum yield of PSII ( F v/ F m) or respiratory demand when compared to controls maintained at 27 °C. The addition of micromolar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide did not impact respiration or photochemical efficiency. Catalase activity in the larvae increased (>60 %) following exposure to elevated temperature when compared to the controls. Short-term larval survival and settlement and metamorphosis were not affected by increased temperature or the H2O2 treatment. However, the settled spat that were exposed to elevated temperature underwent a 99 % reduction in survival compared to 90 % reduction for the control spat when examined 24 days following the deployment of 4-day-old settled spat on settlement tiles in the field. These results show that short-term exposure to some stressors might have small impacts on coral physiology, and no effects on larval survival, settlement and metamorphosis. However, due to post-settlement mortality, these stressors can cause a significant reduction in coral recruitment.

  2. Different contributions of platelet-activating factor and nitric oxide in long-term potentiation of the rat medial vestibular nuclei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettorossi, V E; Grassi, S

    2001-01-01

    In rat brainstem slices, we investigated the differential role of nitric oxide (NO) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) in long-term potentiation (LTP) induced in the ventral portion of the medial vestibular nuclei (MVN) by high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the primary vestibular afferents. The NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (carboxy-PTIO) and the PAF receptor antagonist ginkgolide B (BN-52021) were administered before and after induction of potentiation. The effect of carboxy-PTIO was to completely prevent LTP. By contrast, BN-52021 only reduced the amplitude of HFS potentiation, which could develop fully at the drug washout or decline to zero, becoming a short-term phenomenon, in the case of long-lasting PAF receptor block. Both drugs, when given after HFS, had no effect on the already established potentiation, but whilst BN-52021 showed an influence within 5 min of the LTP induction, carboxy-PTIO did not affect the response once HFS was delivered. Moreover, we showed that the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, and methylcarbamyl PAF (mc-PAF) induced LTP which was associated with an increase in glutamate release as shown by reduction in the paired-pulse facilitation ratio. The mc-PAF LTP was prevented by the NO scavenger, while NO LTP was only reduced by BN-52021. We suggest that NO and PAF are implicated as retrograde messengers in two different phases of vestibular LTP: NO in the induction phase; and PAF in the full expression phase.

  3. Influence of rare earth oxides in the oxidation of chromia forming alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramanathan, L.V.

    1989-01-01

    The influence of superficial application of rare earth oxides such as CeO sub(2), La sub(2)O sub(3), Nd sub(2)O sub(3), Sm sub(2)O sub(3), and Gd sub(2)O sub (3) to AISI 304 and 310 stainless steels, on their isothermal oxidation behavior at 900 sup(0) and 1000 sup(0)C, and cyclic oxidation behavior between 20 sup(0) and 1000 sup(0)C has been studied. The application of rare earth oxides (REO) has been found to increase the oxidation resistance at AISI 304. No significant improvements in oxidation resistance of AISI 310 were noted. The oxidation resistance of AISI 304 was highest in the presence of CeO sub(2) on its surface. The other REO in decreasing order of influence on oxidation resistance are La sub(2)O sub(3), Nd sub(2)O sub(3), Sm sub(2)O sub(3) and Gd sub(2)O sub(3). SEM investigations of the oxide scale morphology revealed that the improved resistance is probably due to the formation of a thin layer of fine grained compact Cr sub(2)O sub(3) and the higher adhesion of the scale to its increased plasticity. (author)

  4. A microstuctural study on accelerated zirconium alloy oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sohn, Seung Bum; Oh, Seung Jun; Jang, Jung Nam; Kim, Yong Soo; Jung, Yong Hwan; Baek, Jong Hyuk; Park, Jung Yong

    2005-01-01

    It has been reported that the effect of thermal redistribution of hydrides across the zirconium metaloxide interface, coupled with thermal feedback on the metal-oxide interface, is a dominating factor in the accelerated oxidation in zirconium alloys cladding PWR fuel. Basically this influence determines characteristic of oxide layer. Influence estimation for corrosion oxide layer due to hydrogen / hydride carried out because of investigation on the kinetic on accelerated oxidation due to hydride precipitation was preceded. Generally, it is known that ZrO 2 tetragonal layer structures play an important role as a barrier layer. So analysing the ZrO 2 monoclinic and tetragonal structure distribution is our main aim. Especially, this study focused on the hydride effects. In other words, the difference of crystal structure distribution between pre-hydrided and without hydrided specimen is just expected results. Experimental results of microstructure at zirconium metal-oxide interface through TEM and EBSD analysis was confirmed

  5. Zirconium metal-water oxidation kinetics. III. Oxygen diffusion in oxide and alpha Zircaloy phases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pawel, R.E.

    1976-10-01

    The reaction of Zircaloy in steam at elevated temperature involves the growth of discrete layers of oxide and oxygen-rich alpha Zircaloy from the parent beta phase. The multiphase, moving boundary diffusion problem involved is encountered in a number of important reaction schemes in addition to that of Zircaloy-oxygen and can be completely (albeitly ideally) characterized through an appropriate model in terms of oxygen diffusion coefficients and equilibrium concentrations for the various phases. Conversely, kinetic data for phase growth and total oxygen consumption rates can be used to compute diffusion coefficients. Equations are developed that express the oxygen diffusion coefficients in the oxide and alpha phases in terms of the reaction rate constants and equilibrium solubility values. These equations were applied to recent experimental kinetic data on the steam oxidation of Zircaloy-4 to determine the effective oxygen diffusion coefficients in these phases over the temperature range 1000--1500 0 C

  6. A highly sensitive and durable electrical sensor for liquid ethanol using thermally-oxidized mesoporous silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harraz, Farid A.; Ismail, Adel A.; Al-Sayari, S. A.; Al-Hajry, A.; Al-Assiri, M. S.

    2016-12-01

    A capacitive detection of liquid ethanol using reactive, thermally oxidized films constructed from electrochemically synthesized porous silicon (PSi) is demonstrated. The sensor elements are fabricated as meso-PSi (pore sizes hydrophobic PSi surface exhibited almost a half sensitivity of the thermal oxide sensor. The response to water is achieved only at the oxidized surface and found to be ∼one quarter of the ethanol sensitivity, dependent on parameters such as vapor pressure and surface tension. The capacitance response retains ∼92% of its initial value after continuous nine cyclic runs and the sensors presumably keep long-term stability after three weeks storage, demonstrating excellent durability and storage stability. The observed behavior in current system is likely explained by the interface interaction due to dipole moment effect. The results suggest that the current sensor structure and design can be easily made to produce notably higher sensitivities for reversible detection of various analytes.

  7. Leakage Current Degradation Due to Ion Drift and Diffusion in Tantalum and Niobium Oxide Capacitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuparowitz Martin

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available High temperature and high electric field applications in tantalum and niobium capacitors are limited by the mechanism of ion migration and field crystallization in a tantalum or niobium pentoxide insulating layer. The study of leakage current (DCL variation in time as a result of increasing temperature and electric field might provide information about the physical mechanism of degradation. The experiments were performed on tantalum and niobium oxide capacitors at temperatures of about 125°C and applied voltages ranging up to rated voltages of 35 V and 16 V for tantalum and niobium oxide capacitors, respectively. Homogeneous distribution of oxygen vacancies acting as positive ions within the pentoxide layer was assumed before the experiments. DCL vs. time characteristics at a fixed temperature have several phases. At the beginning of ageing the DCL increases exponentially with time. In this period ions in the insulating layer are being moved in the electric field by drift only. Due to that the concentration of ions near the cathode increases producing a positively charged region near the cathode. The electric field near the cathode increases and the potential barrier between the cathode and insulating layer decreases which results in increasing DCL. However, redistribution of positive ions in the insulator layer leads to creation of a ion concentration gradient which results in a gradual increase of the ion diffusion current in the direction opposite to the ion drift current component. The equilibrium between the two for a given temperature and electric field results in saturation of the leakage current value. DCL vs. time characteristics are described by the exponential stretched law. We found that during the initial part of ageing an exponent n = 1 applies. That corresponds to the ion drift motion only. After long-time application of the electric field at a high temperature the DCL vs. time characteristics are described by the exponential

  8. Long term effect of curcumin in regulation of glycolytic pathway and angiogenesis via modulation of stress activated genes in prevention of cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laxmidhar Das

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress, an important factor in modulation of glycolytic pathway and induction of stress activated genes, is further augmented due to reduced antioxidant defense system, which promotes cancer progression via inducing angiogenesis. Curcumin, a naturally occurring chemopreventive phytochemical, is reported to inhibit carcinogenesis in various experimental animal models. However, the underlying mechanism involved in anticarcinogenic action of curcumin due to its long term effect is still to be reported because of its rapid metabolism, although metabolites are accumulated in tissues and remain for a longer time. Therefore, the long term effect of curcumin needs thorough investigation. The present study aimed to analyze the anticarcinogenic action of curcumin in liver, even after withdrawal of treatment in Dalton's lymphoma bearing mice. Oxidative stress observed during lymphoma progression reduced antioxidant enzyme activities, and induced angiogenesis as well as activation of early stress activated genes and glycolytic pathway. Curcumin treatment resulted in activation of antioxidant enzyme super oxide dismutase and down regulation of ROS level as well as activity of ROS producing enzyme NADPH:oxidase, expression of stress activated genes HIF-1α, cMyc and LDH activity towards normal level. Further, it lead to significant inhibition of angiogenesis, observed via MMPs activity, PKCα and VEGF level, as well as by matrigel plug assay. Thus findings of this study conclude that the long term effect of curcumin shows anticarcinogenic potential via induction of antioxidant defense system and inhibition of angiogenesis via down regulation of stress activated genes and glycolytic pathway in liver of lymphoma bearing mice.

  9. Solubility study of Tc(IV) oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, D.J.; Fan, X.H.

    2005-01-01

    The deep geological disposal of the high level radioactive wastes is expected to be a safer disposal method in most countries. The long-lived fission product 99 Tc is present in large quantities in nuclear wastes and its chemical behavior in aqueous solution is of considerable interest. Under oxidizing conditions technetium exists as the anionic species TcO 4 - whereas under the reducing conditions, expected to exist in a deep geological repository, it is generally predicted that technetium will be present as TcO 2 ·nH 2 O. Hence, the mobility of Tc(IV) in reducing groundwater may be limited by the solubility of TcO 2 ·nH 2 O under these conditions. Due to this fact it is important to investigate the solubility of TcO 2 ·nH 2 O. The solubility determines the release of radionuclides from waste form and is used as a source term in radionuclide migration analysis in performance assessment of radioactive waste repository. Technetium oxide was prepared by reduction of a technetate solution with Sn 2 + . The solubility of Tc(IV) oxide has been determined in simulated groundwater and redistilled water under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The effects of pH and CO 3 2- concentration of solution on solubility of Tc(IV) oxide were studied. The concentration of total technetium and Tc(IV) species in the solutions were periodically determined by separating the oxidized and reduced technetium species using a solvent extraction procedure and counting the beta activity of the 99 Tc with a liquid scintillation counter. The experimental results show that the rate of oxidation of Tc(IV) in simulated groundwater and redistilled water is about (1.49-1.86) x 10 -9 mol/(L·d) under aerobic conditions, but Tc(IV) in simulated groundwater and redistilled water is not oxidized under anaerobic conditions. Under aerobic or anaerobic conditions the solubility of Tc(IV) oxide in simulated groundwater and redistilled water is equal on the whole after centrifugation or ultrafiltration. The

  10. Blast induces oxidative stress, inflammation, neuronal loss and subsequent short-term memory impairment in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, H J; Sajja, V S S S; Vandevord, P J; Lee, Y W

    2013-12-03

    Molecular and cellular mechanisms of brain injury after exposure to blast overpressure (BOP) are not clearly known. The present study hypothesizes that pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory pathways in the brain may be responsible for neuronal loss and behavioral deficits following BOP exposure. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and exposed to calibrated BOP of 129.23±3.01kPa while controls received only anesthesia. In situ dihydroethidium fluorescence staining revealed that BOP significantly increased the production of reactive oxygen species in the brain. In addition, real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated a significant up-regulation of mRNA and protein expressions of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as interferon-γ and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, in brains collected from BOP-exposed animals compared with the controls. Furthermore, immunoreactivity of neuronal nuclei in brains indicated that fewer neurons were present following BOP exposure. Moreover, novel object recognition paradigm showed a significant impairment in the short-term memory at 2weeks following BOP exposure. These results suggest that pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory environments in the brain could play a potential role in BOP-induced neuronal loss and behavioral deficits. It may provide a foundation for defining a molecular and cellular basis of the pathophysiology of blast-induced neurotrauma (BINT). It will also contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches selectively targeting these pathways, which have great potential in the diagnosis and therapy of BINT. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Long-term chemiluminescence signal is produced in the course of luminol oxidation catalyzed by enhancer-independent peroxidase purified from Jatropha curcas leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Peipei; Cai, Feng; Luo, Yongting; Chen, Yangxi; Zou, Shujuan

    2015-09-01

    Isoenzyme c of horseradish peroxidase (HRP-C) is widely used in enzyme immunoassay combined with chemiluminescence (CL) detection. For this application, HRP-C activity measurement is usually based on luminol oxidation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, this catalysis reaction was enhancer dependent. In this study, we demonstrated that Jatropha curcas peroxidase (JcGP1) showed high efficiency in catalyzing luminol oxidation in the presence of H2O2. Compared with HRP-C, the JcGP1-induced reaction was enhancer independent, which made the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) simpler. In addition, the JcGP1 catalyzed reaction showed a long-term stable CL signal. We optimized the conditions for JcGP1 catalysis and determined the favorable conditions as follows: 50 mM Tris buffer (pH 8.2) containing 10 mM H2 O2, 14 mM luminol and 0.75 M NaCl. The optimum catalysis temperature was 30°C. The detection limit of JcGP1 under optimum condition was 0.2 pM. Long-term stable CL signal combined with enhancer-independent property indicated that JcGP1 might be a valuable candidate peroxidase for clinical diagnosis and enzyme immunoassay with CL detection. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. Water Oxidation by Ru-Polyoxometalate Catalysts: Overpotential Dependency on the Number and Charge of the Metal Centers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Piccinin

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Water oxidation is efficiently catalyzed by several Ru-based polyoxometalate (POM molecular catalysts differing in the number, local atomistic environment and oxidation state of the Ru sites. We employ density functional theory calculations to rationalize the dependency of the reaction overpotential on the main structural and electronic molecular properties. In particular, we compare the thermodynamics of the water oxidation cycle for single-site Ru-POM and multiple-site Ru4-POM complexes. For the Ru-POM case, we also investigate the reaction free energy as a function of the Ru oxidation state. We find that the overpotential of these molecular catalysts is primarily determined by the oxidation state of the metal center and is minimum for Ru(IV. In solution, the number of active sites is shown to play a minor role on the reaction energetics. The results are rationalized and discussed in terms of the local structure around the active sites and of the electrostatic screening due to the molecular structure or the solvent.

  13. rGO-ZnO nanocomposites for high electrocatalytic effect on water oxidation obtained by microwave-hydrothermal method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romeiro, Fernanda C.; Rodrigues, Mônica A.; Silva, Luiz A. J.; Catto, Ariadne C.; da Silva, Luis F.; Longo, Elson; Nossol, Edson; Lima, Renata C.

    2017-11-01

    Reduced graphene oxide-zinc oxide (rGO-ZnO) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized using a facile microwave-hydrothermal method under mild conditions, and their electrocatalytic properties towards O2 evolution were investigated. The microwave radiation played an important role in obtainment of well dispersed ZnO nanoparticles directly on reduced graphene oxide sheets without any additional reducing reagents or passivation agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and infrared spectroscopies indicated the reduction of GO as well as the successful synthesis of rGO-ZnO nanocomposites. The chemical states of the samples were shown by XPS analyses. Due to the synergic effect, the resulting nanocomposites exhibited high electronic interaction between ZnO and rGO sheets, which improved the electrocatalytic oxidation of water with low onset potential of 0.48 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in neutral pH and long-term stability, with high current density during electrolysis. The overpotential for water oxidation decreased in alkaline pH, suggesting useful insight on the catalytic mechanism for O2 evolution.

  14. Factors controlling the oxide ion conductivity of fluorite and perovskite structured oxides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg; Lybye, D.; Bonanos, N.

    2004-01-01

    Many metal oxides of fluorite and perovskite related structures are oxide ion conductors, which have practical applications in devices such as oxygen sensors, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and electrolysers. Several structural and thermodynamic parameters such as (1) critical radius of the pathway...... such parameters for fluorite and perovskite oxides by considering their sensitivities to the individual ionic radii. Based on experimental data available in the literature, it is argued that lattice distortion (lattice stress and deviation from cubic symmetry) due to ion radii mismatch determines the ionic...... conductivity to a very large extent, and that lattice distortion is of much greater importance than many other proposed parameters. In case of the perovskites, the charge of the B-site ion is also of major importance. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V....

  15. Thermo-oxidation of tokamak carbon dust

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, J.W.; Fitzpatrick, B.W.N.; Sharpe, J.P.; Haasz, A.A.

    2009-01-01

    The oxidation of dust and flakes collected from the DIII-D tokamak, and various commercial dust specimens, has been measured at 350 deg. C and 2.0 kPa O 2 pressure. Following an initial small mass loss, most of the commercial dust specimens showed very little effect due to O 2 exposure. Similarly, dust collected from underneath DIII-D tiles, which is thought to comprise largely Grafoil TM particulates, also showed little susceptibility to oxidation at this temperature. However, oxidation of the dust collected from tile surfaces has led to ∼18% mass loss after 8 h; thereafter, little change in mass was observed. This suggests that the surface dust includes some components of different composition and/or structure - possibly fragments of codeposited layers. The oxidation of codeposit flakes scraped from DIII-D upper divertor tiles showed an initial 25% loss in mass due to heating in vacuum, and the gradual loss of 30-38% mass during the subsequent 24 h exposure to O 2 . The oxidation of these flakes was much slower than that observed for the oxidation of thinner DIII-D codeposit specimens which were still adhered to tile surfaces. This is thought to be related to structural differences.

  16. Role of Oxides and Porosity on High-Temperature Oxidation of Liquid-Fueled HVOF Thermal-Sprayed Ni50Cr Coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, B.; Bai, M.; Voisey, K. T.; Hussain, T.

    2017-02-01

    High chromium content in Ni50Cr thermally sprayed coatings can generate a dense and protective scale at the surface of coating. Thus, the Ni50Cr coating is widely used in high-temperature oxidation and corrosion applications. A commercially available gas atomized Ni50Cr powder was sprayed onto a power plant steel (ASME P92) using a liquid-fueled high velocity oxy-fuel thermal spray with three processing parameters in this study. Microstructure of as-sprayed coatings was examined using oxygen content analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Short-term air oxidation tests (4 h) of freestanding coatings (without boiler steel substrate) in a thermogravimetric analyzer at 700 °C were performed to obtain the kinetics of oxidation of the as-sprayed coating. Long-term air oxidation tests (100 h) of the coated substrates were performed at same temperature to obtain the oxidation products for further characterization in detail using SEM/EDX and XRD. In all samples, oxides of various morphologies developed on top of the Ni50Cr coatings. Cr2O3 was the main oxidation product on the surface of all three coatings. The coating with medium porosity and medium oxygen content has the best high-temperature oxidation performance in this study.

  17. Long-term Simulation of Photo-oxidants and Particulate Matter Over Europe With The Eurad Modeling System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Memmesheimer, M.; Friese, E.; Jakobs, H. J.; Feldmann, H.; Ebel, A.; Kerschgens, M. J.

    During recent years the interest in long-term applications of air pollution modeling systems (AQMS) has strongly increased. Most of these models have been developed for the application to photo-oxidant episodes during the last decade. In this contribu- tion a long-term application of the EURAD modeling sytem to the year 1997 is pre- sented. Atmospheric particles are included using the Modal Aerosol Dynamics Model for Europe (MADE). Meteorological fields are simulated by the mesoscale meteoro- logical model MM5, gas-phase chemistry has been treated with the RACM mecha- nism. The nesting option is used to zoom in areas of specific interest. Horizontal grid sizes are 125 km for the reginal scale, and 5 km for the local scale covering the area of North-Rhine-Westfalia (NRW). The results have been compared to observations of the air quality network of the environmental agency of NRW for the year 1997. The model results have been evaluated using the data quality objectives of the EU direc- tive 99/30. Further improvement for application of regional-scale air quality models is needed with respect to emission data bases, coupling to global models to improve the boundary values, interaction between aerosols and clouds and multiphase modeling.

  18. Chronic mitochondrial uncoupling treatment prevents acute cold-induced oxidative stress in birds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stier, Antoine; Massemin, Sylvie; Criscuolo, François

    2014-12-01

    Endotherms have evolved two major types of thermogenesis that allow them to actively produce heat in response to cold exposure, either through muscular activity (i.e. shivering thermogenesis) or through futile electro-chemical cycles (i.e. non-shivering thermogenesis). Amongst the latter, mitochondrial uncoupling is of key importance because it is suggested to drive heat production at a low cost in terms of oxidative stress. While this has been experimentally shown in mammals, the oxidative stress consequences of cold exposure and mitochondrial uncoupling are clearly less understood in the other class of endotherms, the birds. We compared metabolic and oxidative stress responses of zebra finches chronically treated with or without a chemical mitochondrial uncoupler (2,4-dinitrophenol: DNP), undergoing an acute (24 h) and a chronic (4 weeks) cold exposure (12 °C). We predicted that control birds should present at least a transient elevation of oxidative stress levels in response to cold exposure. This oxidative stress cost should be more pronounced in control birds than in DNP-treated birds, due to their lower basal uncoupling state. Despite similar increase in metabolism, control birds presented elevated levels of DNA oxidative damage in response to acute (but not chronic) cold exposure, while DNP-treated birds did not. Plasma antioxidant capacity decreased overall in response to chronic cold exposure. These results show that acute cold exposure increases oxidative stress in birds. However, uncoupling mitochondrial functioning appears as a putative compensatory mechanism preventing cold-induced oxidative stress. This result confirms previous observations in mice and underlines non-shivering thermogenesis as a putative key mechanism for endotherms in mounting a response to cold at a low oxidative cost.

  19. Doxorubicin-loaded micelles of reverse poly(butylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(butylene oxide) block copolymers as efficient "active" chemotherapeutic agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cambón, A; Rey-Rico, A; Mistry, D; Brea, J; Loza, M I; Attwood, D; Barbosa, S; Alvarez-Lorenzo, C; Concheiro, A; Taboada, P; Mosquera, V

    2013-03-10

    Five reverse poly(butylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(butylene oxide) block copolymers, BOnEOmBOn, with BO ranging from 8 to 21 units and EO from 90 to 411 were synthesized and evaluated as efficient chemotherapeutic drug delivery nanocarriers and inhibitors of the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux pump in a multidrug resistant (MDR) cell line. The copolymers were obtained by reverse polymerization of poly(butylene oxide), which avoids transfer reaction and widening of the EO block distribution, commonly found in commercial poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) block copolymers (poloxamers). BOnEOmBOn copolymers formed spherical micelles of 10-40 nm diameter at lower concentrations (one order of magnitude) than those of equivalent poloxamers. The influence of copolymer block lengths and BO/EO ratios on the solubilization capacity and protective environment for doxorubicin (DOXO) was investigated. Micelles showed drug loading capacity ranging from ca. 0.04% to 1.5%, more than 150 times the aqueous solubility of DOXO, and protected the cargo from hydrolysis for more than a month due to their greater colloidal stability in solution. Drug release profiles at various pHs, and the cytocompatibility and cytotoxicity of the DOXO-loaded micelles were assessed in vitro. DOXO loaded in the polymeric micelles accumulated more slowly inside the cells than free DOXO due to its sustained release. All copolymers were found to be cytocompatible, with viability extents larger than 95%. In addition, the cytotoxicity of DOXO-loaded micelles was higher than that observed for free drug solutions in a MDR ovarian NCI-ADR-RES cell line which overexpressed P-gp. The inhibition of the P-gp efflux pump by some BOnEOmBOn copolymers, similar to that measured for the common P-gp inhibitor verapamil, favored the retention of DOXO inside the cell increasing its cytotoxic activity. Therefore, poly(butylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers offer interesting features as cell

  20. 21 CFR 60.36 - Standard of due diligence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Standard of due diligence. 60.36 Section 60.36... TERM RESTORATION Due Diligence Petitions § 60.36 Standard of due diligence. (a) In determining the due diligence of an applicant, FDA will examine the facts and circumstances of the applicant's actions during...

  1. Modelling of Zircaloy-steam-oxidation under severe fuel damage conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malang, S.; Neitzel, H.J.

    1983-01-01

    Small break loss-of-coolant accidents and special transients in an LWR, in combination with loss of required safety systems, may lead to an uncovered core for an extended period of time. As a consequence, the cladding temperature could rise up to the melting point due to the decay heat, resulting in severely damaged fuel rods. During heat-up the claddings oxidize due to oxygen uptake from the steam atmosphere in the core. The modeling and assessment of the Zircaloy-steam oxidation under such conditions is important, mainly for two reasons: The oxidation of the cladding influences the temperature transients due to the exothermic heat of reaction; the amount of liquified fuel depends on the oxide layer thickness and the oxygen content of the remaining Zircaloy metal when the melting point is reached. (author)

  2. Erection capability is potentiated by long-term sildenafil treatment: role of blood flow-induced endothelial nitric-oxide synthase phosphorylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musicki, Biljana; Champion, Hunter C; Becker, Robyn E; Liu, Tongyun; Kramer, Melissa F; Burnett, Arthur L

    2005-07-01

    Despite demonstrated clinical efficacy of sildenafil for the temporary treatment of erectile dysfunction, the possibility that sildenafil used long-term durably augments erectile ability remains unclear. We investigated whether continuous long-term administration of sildenafil at clinically relevant levels to aged rats "primes" the penis for improved erectile ability and involves nitric oxide (NO) or RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathways. In aged, but not young rats, sildenafil prolonged erection and increased the protein expressions of phosphorylated endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) at serine-1177 and phosphorylated Akt at serine-473 in penes. Only in the young rat penis, protein expressions of phosphodiesterase-5 and phosphomyosin phosphatase target subunit 1, a marker of Rho-kinase activity, were increased by sildenafil. Sildenafil inhibited phosphodiesterase-5 activity in penes of young and aged rats coincident with assayed free plasma levels of the drug equivalent to clinically therapeutic measurements. We conclude that erectile ability can be enhanced under preconditions of erectile impairment by long-term inhibition of phosphodiesterase-5 and that the effect is mediated by Akt-dependent eNOS phosphorylation. The lack of erectile ability enhancement in young rats by long-term phosphodiesterase-5 inhibition may relate to restrained NO signaling by phosphodiesterase-5 up-regulation, lack of incremental Akt and eNOS phosphorylation, and heightened Rho-kinase signaling in the penis.

  3. Nitric oxide affects short-term olfactory memory in the antennal lobe of Manduca sexta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gage, Stephanie L; Daly, Kevin C; Nighorn, Alan

    2013-09-01

    Nitric oxide (NO) is thought to play an important neuromodulatory role in olfaction. We are using the hawkmoth Manduca sexta to investigate the function of NO signaling in the antennal lobe (AL; the primary olfactory network in invertebrates). We have found previously that NO is present at baseline levels, dramatically increases in response to odor stimulation, and alters the electrophysiology of AL neurons. It is unclear, however, how these effects contribute to common features of olfactory systems such as olfactory learning and memory, odor detection and odor discrimination. In this study, we used chemical detection and a behavioral approach to further examine the function of NO in the AL. We found that basal levels of NO fluctuate with the daily light cycle, being higher during the nocturnal active period. NO also appears to be necessary for short-term olfactory memory. NO does not appear to affect odor detection, odor discrimination between dissimilar odorants, or learning acquisition. These findings suggest a modulatory role for NO in the timing of olfactory-guided behaviors.

  4. Enhanced In Situ Chemical Oxidation Using Surfactants and Shear Thinning Fluids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauswirth, S.; Sadeghi, S.; Cerda, C. C.; Espinoza, I.; Schultz, P. B.; Miller, C. T.

    2017-12-01

    In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is an attractive approach for the remediation of recalcitrant contaminants, due to the fact that target compounds are degraded in place, precluding the need for ex situ treatment or disposal. However, field applications of ISCO approaches have been plagued by "rebound" of contaminant concentrations in groundwater weeks to months after treatment. The cause of rebound at a given site may vary, but is typically associated with back-diffusion from finer grained, low permeability units or the presence of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) that are incompletely degraded during treatment. Modifications to traditional ISCO methods have been proposed to overcome these challenges, including the use of shear-thinning polymers to improve delivery of oxidants to low permeability units and the addition of surfactants to improve dissolution of contaminants from NAPLs. In this work, we investigate the application of these approaches to the oxidation of manufactured gas plant (MGP) tars—NAPLs composed primarily of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We conducted experiments to determine the mutual impact of each chemical component on the physical and chemical properties of the overall system. Specifically, experiments were designed to: determine the kinetics and overall effectiveness of contaminant-oxidant reactions for multiple oxidant-activator combinations; screen several common surfactants in terms of their ability to increase MGP tar solubility and their compatibility with oxidant systems; measure the impact of oxidants and surfactants on the rheology of several common polymer additives; and assess the effect of surfactants and polymers on the consumption of oxidants/activators and on the kinetics of contaminant-oxidant reactions. The results of this work provide insight into the chemical and physical mechanisms associated with enhanced ISCO approaches and an improved basis with which to model and design ISCO applications at both the lab

  5. Biochemical basis of the high resistance to oxidative stress

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Aerobic organisms experience oxidative stress due to generation of reactive oxygen species during normal aerobic metabolism. In addition, several chemicals also generate reactive oxygen species which induce oxidative stress. Thus oxidative stress constitutes a major threat to organisms living in aerobic environments.

  6. Oxidation under electron bombardment. A tool for studying the initial states of silicon oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carriere, B.; Deville, J.P.; El Maachi, A.

    1987-06-01

    The exciting beam of an Auger electron spectrometer has been used to monitor the oxidation of silicon single crystals at room temperature and very low pressures of oxygen (approx. 10/sup -7/ Torr). This process allows us to build ultra-thin layers of silica on silicon (down to 30 A) but it is mostly used to investigate the mechanisms of the initial stages of oxidation. Auger spectra recorded continuously during the oxidation process provide information on (1) the nature of the silicon-oxygen chemical bonds which are interpreted through fine structure in the Auger peak, and (2) the kinetics of oxide formation which are deduced from curves of Auger signal versus time. An account is given of the contribution of these Auger studies to the description of the intermediate oxide layer during the reaction between silicon and oxygen and the influence of surface structural disorder, induced mainly by argon-ion bombardment, is discussed in terms of reactivity and oxide coverage.

  7. Magnetic composites based on hybrid spheres of aluminum oxide and superparamagnetic nanoparticles of iron oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braga, Tiago P.; Vasconcelos, Igor F.; Sasaki, Jose M.; Fabris, J.D.; Oliveira, Diana Q.L. de; Valentini, Antoninho

    2010-01-01

    Materials containing hybrid spheres of aluminum oxide and superparamagnetic nanoparticles of iron oxides were obtained from a chemical precursor prepared by admixing chitosan and iron and aluminum hydroxides. The oxides were first characterized with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Moessbauer spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed the size distribution of the resulting spheres to be highly homogeneous. The occurrence of nano-composites containing aluminum oxides and iron oxides was confirmed from powder X-ray diffraction patterns; except for the sample with no aluminum, the superparamagnetic relaxation due to iron oxide particles were observed from Moessbauer spectra obtained at 298 and 110 K; the onset six line-spectrum collected at 20 K indicates a magnetic ordering related to the blocking relaxation effect for significant portion of small spheres in the sample with a molar ratio Al:Fe of 2:1.

  8. Can safe and long-term exposure to extremely low frequency (50 Hz) magnetic fields affect apoptosis, reproduction, and oxidative stress?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akdag, Mehmet Zulkuf; Dasdag, Suleyman; Uzunlar, Ali Kemal; Ulukaya, Engin; Oral, Arzu Yilmaztepe; Çelik, Necla; Akşen, Feyzan

    2013-12-01

    To determine whether 50 Hz extremely low frequency-magnetic fields (ELF-MF) affects apoptotic processes, oxidative damage, and reproductive characteristics such as sperm count and morphology in rat testes. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the present study, which were divided into three groups (sham group, n = 10, and two experimental groups, n = 10 for each group). Rats in the experimental group were exposed to 100 and 500 μT ELF-MF (2 h/day, 7 days/week, for 10 months) corresponding to exposure levels that are considered safe for humans. The same experimental procedures were applied to the sham group, but the ELF generator was turned off. Tissues from the testes were immunohistochemically stained for active (cleaved) caspase-3 in order to measure the apoptotic index by a semi-quantitative scoring system. The levels of catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), total antioxidative capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were also measured. Additionally, epididymal sperm count and sperm morphology was evaluated. There were no significant differences in the reproductive and oxidative stress parameters between the sham group and the exposed groups (p > 0.05). While no difference was observed between the final apoptosis score of the sham and the 100 μT ELF-MF group (p > 0.05), the final apoptosis score was higher in the 500 μT ELF-MF exposure group than in the sham group (p reproductive components such as sperm count and morphology in testes tissue of rats. However, long-term exposure to 500 μT ELF-MF did affect active-caspase-3 activity, which is a well-known apoptotic indicator.

  9. Nitric Oxide Metabolites and Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Concentrations in Breast Milk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hakan Öztürk

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Nitric oxide plays a preventive role in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis. Oral nitrite and nitrate intake has gained importance with the discovery of the conversion of nitrite to nitric oxide in acidic medium out of the synthesis of nitric oxide from L-arginine. Objective of this study was to examine the breast milk concentrations of nitric oxide and asymmetric dimethylarginine which is a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide and to compare these concentrations in terms of gestational age and maturity of breast milk. Study Design: Forty-one women were included in the study. Milk samples were collected from 3 groups of mothers as term, late preterm and preterm on the postpartum days 3, 7 and 28. Results: When breast milk concentrations of nitric oxide were compared according to the postnatal day of the milk independently from gestational age; nitric oxide concentration was higher in the colostrum than in the transition milk and mature milk (p=0,035; p=0,001; respectively. For the comparison of asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations among these groups and days; no statistically significant difference was observed in terms of gestational age and maturity of the milk (p=0.865, p=0.115; respectively. Conclusion: The highest nitric oxide concentration was found in the colostrum, suggesting that colostrum is a valuable food for newborns. Plasma concentrations of asymmetric dimethylarginine were negatively correlated with nitric oxide and did not show a correlation with breast milk, suggesting that asymmetric dimethylargininedoesn’t make nitric oxide inhibition in breast milk.

  10. Graphene oxide/ferroferric oxide/polyethylenimine nanocomposites for Congo red adsorption from water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lina; Mao, Changming; Sui, Ning; Liu, Manhong; Yu, William W

    2017-04-01

    Graphene oxide/ferroferric oxide/polyethylenimine (GO/Fe 3 O 4 /PEI) nanocomposites were synthesized by an in situ growth of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles on GO sheets, and then modified by PEI. The GO/Fe 3 O 4 /PEI nanocomposites showed extremely high removal efficiency for anionic dye Congo Red (CR) due to the positively charged PEI molecules (methylene blue was also tested but with low adsorption capacity due to its cationic property). The CR removal capacity was 574.7 mg g -1 , higher than most of reported results. The adsorption kinetics could be well described by a pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, GO/Fe 3 O 4 /PEI nanocomposites could be easily recycled by magnetic separation. The removal efficiency remained above 70% after five cycles.

  11. Increased mobility of metal oxide nanoparticles due to photo and thermal induced disagglomeration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongxu Zhou

    Full Text Available Significant advances have been made on our understanding of the fate and transport of engineered nanomaterials. One unexplored aspect of nanoparticle aggregation is how environmental stimuli such as light exposure and temperature variations affect the mobility of engineered nanoparticles. In this study, TiO(2, ZnO, and CeO(2 were chosen as model materials for investigating the mobility of nanoparticles under three external stimuli: heat, light and sonication. Sunlight and high power sonication were able to partially disagglomerate metal oxide clusters, but primary particles bonded by solid state necks were left intact. A cycle of temperature increase from 25°C to 65°C and then decrease back was found to disagglomerate the compact clusters in the heating phase and reagglomerate them as more open fractal structures during the cooling phase. A fractal model summing the pair-wise DLVO interactions between primary particles within two fractal agglomerates predicts weak attractions on the order of a few kT. Our study shows that common environmental stimuli such as light exposure or temperature variation can disagglomerate nanoparticle clusters and enhance their mobility in open waters. This phenomenon warrants attention since it is likely that metal oxide nanoparticles will experience these natural stimuli during their transport in the environment.

  12. Spontaneously Bi decorated carbon supported Pd nanoparticles for formic acid electro-oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bauskar, Akshay S.; Rice, Cynthia A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Selective decoration of Bi onto commercial Pd/C is carried out by a simple gas controlled surface potential modulation technique. • Bi decorated Pd/C catalyst exhibits higher and sustained formic acid oxidation activity presumably via the electronic effect. • Shielding of Pd atoms by Bi increases long term stability. • Formic acid electro-oxidation current increased by 121% at 0.2 V vs. RHE. -- Abstract: The activity and stability of carbon supported palladium (Pd/C) nanoparticles decorated with a submonolayer of bismuth (Bi) for formic acid (FA) electro-oxidation was investigated herein. The FA electro-oxidation activity enhancement of Bi decorated Pd/C was evaluated electrochemically using a rotating disk electrode configuration by linear sweep voltammetric and chronoamperometric measurements. Commercial Pd/C was decorated by irreversible adsorption of Bi via a simple gas controlled surface potential modulation technique, and the coverage of Bi adatoms as measured by cyclic voltammetry was controlled in the range of 30–87%. An optimal Bi coverage was observed to be 40%, resulting in a favorable decrease in the FA onset potential by greater than 0.1 V and increase in electro-oxidation current density from 0.25 mA cm −2 SA to 0.55 mA cm −2 SA at 0.2 V vs. RHE, compared to commercial Pd/C. The results indicate that Bi decorated Pd nanoparticles have excellent properties for the electro-oxidation of FA, i.e. high electro-catalytic activity and excellent stability, due to sustained promotion of dehydrogenation pathway attributed to the electronic effect, thereby promoting FA adsorption in the CH-down orientation. Based on no significant shifting in the CO stripping peak position, minimal impact of Bi on the Pd-CO bond strength is observed. Chronoamperometry results show much better long-term electro-catalytic activity for Bi decorated Pd nanoparticles attributed to shielding of surface Pd atoms by Bi and reducing Pd dissolution

  13. The photoelectrocatalytic activity, long term stability and corrosion performance of NiMo deposited titanium oxide nano-tubes for hydrogen production in alkaline medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mert, Mehmet Erman; Mert, Başak Doğru; Kardaş, Gülfeza; Yazıcı, Birgül

    2017-11-01

    In this study, titanium oxide nano-tubes are doped with Ni and Mo particles with various chemical compositions, in order to put forth the efficiency of single and binary coatings on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 1 M KOH. The characterization was achieved by cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The water wettability characteristics of electrode surfaces were investigated using contact angle. The long-term catalyst stability and corrosion performance were determined by current-potential curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Furthermore, photoelectrochemical behavior was determined via linear sweep voltammetry. Results showed that, nano-structured Ni and Mo deposited titanium oxide nano-tubes decrease the hydrogen over potential and increase HER efficiency, it is stable over 168 h electrolysis and it exhibits higher corrosion performance.

  14. Oxidative stability of fatty acid alkyl esters: a review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michal Angelovič

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate and to process the current literary knowledge of the physico-chemical properties of vegetable oil raw used for biodiesel production in terms of its qualitative stability. An object of investigation was oxidative stability of biodiesel. In the study, we focused on the qualitative physico-chemical properties of vegetable oils used for biodiesel production, oxidative degradation and its mechanisms, oxidation of lipids, mechanisms of autooxidation, effectivennes of different synthetic antioxidants in relation to oxidative stability of biodiesel and methods of oxidative stability determination. Knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of vegetable oil as raw material and the factors affecting these properties is critical for the production of quality biodiesel and its sustainability. According to the source of oilseed, variations in the chemical composition of the vegetable oil are expressed by variations in the molar ratio among different fatty acids in the structure. The relative ratio of fatty acids present in the raw material is kept relatively constant after the transesterification reaction. The quality of biodiesel physico-chemical properties is influenced by the chain length and the level of unsaturation of the produced fatty acid alkyl esters. A biodiesel is thermodynamically stable. Its instability primarily occurs from contact of oxygen present in the ambient air that is referred to as oxidative instability. For biodiesel is oxidation stability a general term. It is necessary to distinguish ‘storage stability' and ‘thermal stability', in relation to oxidative degradation, which may occur during extended periods of storage, transportation and end use. Fuel instability problems can be of two related types, short-term oxidative instability and long-term storage instability. Storage instability is defined in terms of solid formation, which can plug nozzles, filters, and degrade engine

  15. Oxidation of urate by a therapeutic nitric oxide/air mixture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hicks, M.; Nguyen, L.; Day, R.; Rogers, P.

    1996-01-01

    Full text: Little is known about the potential toxicological consequences of therapeutic exposure of lung tissue to inhaled nitric oxide (NO). This route of administration is currently being successfully employed for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension and other lung pathologies including acute reperfusion injury in lung transplant patients. The toxicity of NO lies in its ability to act as an oxidant either in its own right or in concert with oxygen or with the superoxide free radical. One important interaction may be the reaction of these products with protective antioxidants in the lung epithelial lining fluid. One such antioxidant found in significant concentrations in both upper and lower airways is uric acid. In the present study, urate solutions (30μM) were exposed to a therapeutic concentration of NO gas, (35 ppm in air), for up to 90 minutes. Oxidative changes were followed spectrophotometrically and by HPLC. Significant loss of uric acid was observed with a concomitant formation of nitrite and allantoin, the stable oxidation product of NO and the major oxidation product of uric acid, respectively. No oxidation of urate was observed in the presence of air alone or when urate was incubated with nitrite. Uric acid oxidation could also be prevented by passing the NO / air stream through 10% KOH before the uric acid solution. This strategy removed trace amounts of higher oxides of nitrogen, (especially NO 2 ), from the NO / air stream. Thus, therapeutic inhalation of NO may deplete soluble antioxidants such as uric acid, especially during long-term chronic exposure unless care is taken to minimise formation of higher oxides of nitrogen

  16. Boron-doped diamond electrodes for the electrochemical oxidation and cleavage of peptides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roeser, Julien; Alting, Niels F A; Permentier, Hjalmar P; Bruins, Andries P; Bischoff, Rainer

    2013-07-16

    Electrochemical oxidation of peptides and proteins is traditionally performed on carbon-based electrodes. Adsorption caused by the affinity of hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids toward these surfaces leads to electrode fouling. We compared the performance of boron-doped diamond (BDD) and glassy carbon (GC) electrodes for the electrochemical oxidation and cleavage of peptides. An optimal working potential of 2000 mV was chosen to ensure oxidation of peptides on BDD by electron transfer processes only. Oxidation by electrogenerated OH radicals took place above 2500 mV on BDD, which is undesirable if cleavage of a peptide is to be achieved. BDD showed improved cleavage yield and reduced adsorption for a set of small peptides, some of which had been previously shown to undergo electrochemical cleavage C-terminal to tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) on porous carbon electrodes. Repeated oxidation with BDD electrodes resulted in progressively lower conversion yields due to a change in surface termination. Cathodic pretreatment of BDD at a negative potential in an acidic environment successfully regenerated the electrode surface and allowed for repeatable reactions over extended periods of time. BDD electrodes are a promising alternative to GC electrodes in terms of reduced adsorption and fouling and the possibility to regenerate them for consistent high-yield electrochemical cleavage of peptides. The fact that OH-radicals can be produced by anodic oxidation of water at elevated positive potentials is an additional advantage as they allow another set of oxidative reactions in analogy to the Fenton reaction, thus widening the scope of electrochemistry in protein and peptide chemistry and analytics.

  17. Characterisation of oxidised aluminium powder: Validation of a new anodic oxidation bench

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gascoin, Nicolas, E-mail: Nicolas.Gascoin@univ-orleans.fr [PRISME Institute, Orleans University, 63 avenue de Lattre de Tassigny, 18020 Bourges (France); Gillard, Philippe; Baudry, Guillaume [PRISME Institute, Orleans University, 63 avenue de Lattre de Tassigny, 18020 Bourges (France)

    2009-11-15

    Aluminium powder is of major interest in many applications but it presents a risk due to its high explosibility, particularly when dispersed in air. The safety is directly linked to the particles oxidation because the Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE), which is required to initiate an Al dust explosion, increases with the oxide layer thickness. This study provides a controlled method to furnish reproducible homogeneous set of powder for such safety studies. Thanks to a new experimental bench, the influence on the oxidation rate of seven treatment parameters is investigated (current density, time of treatment, acid concentration, mass of powder, particles size, stirring, neutralisation by ammonia solution). The oxide content is plotted versus the current density, the time and the acid concentration to provide reference curves for further elaboration of oxidised powder. The particles size of sieved powder is measured before and after treatment by different methods (optical and Scanning Electron Microscopes, laser measurement). A high refinement of the powder in terms of size distribution is achieved thanks to the employed sieving. The present bench and the elaborated procedure are of great interest to provide well-calibrated oxidised powder directly available for safety studies. The time must be adjusted, depending on the wanted oxide content - from 2 to 18 wt.% - and the other treatment parameters must be kept constant: acid concentration (5 wt.%), current density (1 A dm{sup -2}), treated powder (20 g). In these conditions, the ratio of the oxide layer thickness on the particles diameter is found to be constant for a given oxide content whatever the particles size.

  18. Characterisation of oxidised aluminium powder: Validation of a new anodic oxidation bench

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gascoin, Nicolas; Gillard, Philippe; Baudry, Guillaume

    2009-01-01

    Aluminium powder is of major interest in many applications but it presents a risk due to its high explosibility, particularly when dispersed in air. The safety is directly linked to the particles oxidation because the Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE), which is required to initiate an Al dust explosion, increases with the oxide layer thickness. This study provides a controlled method to furnish reproducible homogeneous set of powder for such safety studies. Thanks to a new experimental bench, the influence on the oxidation rate of seven treatment parameters is investigated (current density, time of treatment, acid concentration, mass of powder, particles size, stirring, neutralisation by ammonia solution). The oxide content is plotted versus the current density, the time and the acid concentration to provide reference curves for further elaboration of oxidised powder. The particles size of sieved powder is measured before and after treatment by different methods (optical and Scanning Electron Microscopes, laser measurement). A high refinement of the powder in terms of size distribution is achieved thanks to the employed sieving. The present bench and the elaborated procedure are of great interest to provide well-calibrated oxidised powder directly available for safety studies. The time must be adjusted, depending on the wanted oxide content - from 2 to 18 wt.% - and the other treatment parameters must be kept constant: acid concentration (5 wt.%), current density (1 A dm -2 ), treated powder (20 g). In these conditions, the ratio of the oxide layer thickness on the particles diameter is found to be constant for a given oxide content whatever the particles size.

  19. Electron transport properties of indium oxide - indium nitride metal-oxide-semiconductor heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, C.Y.; Hauguth, S.; Polyakov, V.; Schwierz, F.; Cimalla, V.; Kups, T.; Himmerlich, M.; Schaefer, J.A.; Krischok, S.; Ambacher, O.; Morales, F.M.; Lozano, J.G.; Gonzalez, D.; Lebedev, V.

    2008-01-01

    The structural, chemical and electron transport properties of In 2 O 3 /InN heterostructures and oxidized InN epilayers are reported. It is shown that the accumulation of electrons at the InN surface can be manipulated by the formation of a thin surface oxide layer. The epitaxial In 2 O 3 /InN heterojunctions show an increase in the electron concentration due to the increasing band banding at the heterointerface. The oxidation of InN results in improved transport properties and in a reduction of the sheet carrier concentration of the InN epilayer very likely caused by a passivation of surface donors. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  20. Bias due to withdrawal in long-term randomised trials in COPD

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestbo, Jørgen; Anderson, Julie Anne; Calverley, Peter Mark Anthony

    2011-01-01

    Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the least biased method for evaluating drug efficacy and several large long-term RCTs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been published. These usually include drugs with symptomatic benefits and have significant withdrawal rates....

  1. Plutonium oxide dissolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gray, J.H.

    1992-01-01

    Several processing options for dissolving plutonium oxide (PuO 2 ) from high-fired materials have been studied. The scoping studies performed on these options were focused on PuO 2 typically generated by burning plutonium metal and PuO 2 produced during incineration of alpha contaminated waste. At least two processing options remain applicable for dissolving high-fired PuO 2 in canyon dissolvers. The options involve solid solution formation of PuO 2 With uranium oxide (UO 2 ) and alloying incinerator ash with aluminum. An oxidative dissolution process involving nitric acid solutions containing a strong oxidizing agent, such as cerium (IV), was neither proven nor rejected. This uncertainty was due to difficulty in regenerating cerium (IV) ions during dissolution. However, recent work on silver-catalyzed dissolution of PuO 2 with persulfate has demonstrated that persulfate ions regenerate silver (II). Use of persulfate to regenerate cerium (IV) or bismuth (V) ions during dissolution of PuO 2 materials may warrant further study

  2. Altered contractile response due to increased beta3-adrenoceptor stimulation in diabetic cardiomyopathy: the role of nitric oxide synthase 1-derived nitric oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amour, Julien; Loyer, Xavier; Le Guen, Morgan; Mabrouk, Nejma; David, Jean-Stéphane; Camors, Emmanuel; Carusio, Nunzia; Vivien, Benoît; Andriantsitohaina, Ramaroson; Heymes, Christophe; Riou, Bruno

    2007-09-01

    In the diabetic heart, the positive inotropic response to beta-adrenoceptor stimulation is altered and beta1 and beta2 adrenoceptors are down-regulated, whereas beta3 adrenoceptor is up-regulated. In heart failure, beta3-adrenoceptor stimulation induces a negative inotropic effect that results from endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3)-derived nitric oxide production. The objective of our study was to investigate the role of beta3-adrenoceptor in diabetic cardiomyopathy. beta-Adrenergic responses were investigated in vivo (dobutamine echocardiography) and in vitro (left ventricular papillary muscle) in healthy and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The effect of beta3-adrenoceptor inhibition on the inotropic response was studied in vitro. Immunoblots and NOS activities were performed in heart homogenates (electron paramagnetic resonance) and isolated cardiomyocytes. Data are mean percentage of baseline +/- SD. The impaired positive inotropic effect was confirmed in diabetes both in vivo (121 +/- 15% vs. 160 +/- 16%; P < 0.05) and in vitro (112 +/- 5% vs. 179 +/- 15%; P < 0.05). In healthy rat, the positive inotropic effect was not significantly modified in presence of beta3-adrenoceptor antagonist (174 +/- 20%), nonselective NOS inhibitor (N -nitro-l-arginine methylester [l-NAME]; 183 +/- 19%), or selective NOS1 inhibitor (vinyl-l-N-5-(1-imino-3-butenyl)-l-ornithine [l-VNIO]; 172 +/- 13%). In diabetes, in parallel with the increase in beta3-adrenoceptor protein expression, the positive inotropic effect was partially restored by beta3-adrenoceptor antagonist (137 +/- 8%; P < 0.05), l-NAME (133 +/- 11%; P < 0.05), or l-VNIO (130 +/- 13%; P < 0.05). Nitric oxide was exclusively produced by NOS1 within diabetic cardiomyocytes. NOS2 and NOS3 proteins were undetectable. beta3-Adrenoceptor is involved in altered positive inotropic response to beta-adrenoceptor stimulation in diabetic cardiomyopathy. This effect is mediated by NOS1-derived nitric oxide in diabetic

  3. Death from Nitrous Oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bäckström, Björn; Johansson, Bengt; Eriksson, Anders

    2015-11-01

    Nitrous oxide is an inflammable gas that gives no smell or taste. It has a history of abuse as long as its clinical use, and deaths, although rare, have been reported. We describe two cases of accidental deaths related to voluntary inhalation of nitrous oxide, both found dead with a gas mask covering the face. In an attempt to find an explanation to why the victims did not react properly to oncoming hypoxia, we performed experiments where a test person was allowed to breath in a closed system, with or without nitrous oxide added. Vital signs and gas concentrations as well as subjective symptoms were recorded. The experiments indicated that the explanation to the fact that neither of the descendents had reacted to oncoming hypoxia and hypercapnia was due to the inhalation of nitrous oxide. This study raises the question whether nitrous oxide really should be easily, commercially available. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  4. Activated neuro-oxidative and neuro-nitrosative pathways at the end of term are associated with inflammation and physio-somatic and depression symptoms, while predicting outcome characteristics in mother and baby.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roomruangwong, Chutima; Barbosa, Decio Sabbatini; Matsumoto, Andressa Keiko; Nogueira, André de Souza; Kanchanatawan, Buranee; Sirivichayakul, Sunee; Carvalho, André F; Duleu, Sebastien; Geffard, Michel; Moreira, Estefania Gastaldello; Maes, Michael

    2017-12-01

    To examine oxidative & nitrosative stress (O&NS) biomarkers at the end of term in relation to perinatal affective symptoms, neuro-immune biomarkers and pregnancy-related outcome variables. We measured plasma advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), total radical trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP), -sulfhydryl (-SH), peroxides (LOOH) and paraoxonase (PON)1 activity in pregnant women with and without prenatal depression and non-pregnant controls. Pregnancy is accompanied by significantly increased AOPP and NOx, and lowered TRAP, -SH and LOOH. Increased O&NS and lowered LOOH and -SH levels are associated with prenatal depressive and physio-somatic symptoms (fatigue, pain, dyspepsia, gastro-intestinal symptoms). Increased AOPP and NOx are significantly associated with lowered -SH, TRAP and zinc, and with increased haptoglobin and C-reactive protein levels. Increased O&NS and lowered TRAP and PON 1 activity, at the end of term predict mother (e.g. hyperpigmentation, labor duration, caesarian section, cord length, breast milk flow) and baby (e.g. sleep and feeding problems) outcome characteristics. Pregnancy is accompanied by interrelated signs of O&NS, lowered antioxidant defenses and activated neuro-immune pathways. Increased O&NS at the end of term is associated with perinatal depressive and physio-somatic symptoms and may predict obstetric and behavioral complications in mother and baby. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Beta dose due to monazite sands of Kerala

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Massand, O.P.; Venkataraman, G.; Dhairyawan, M.P.

    1977-01-01

    The heavy black mineral sands of the sea coast of Kerala in India contain patches of monazite in concentrations varying between 0.5 to 5%. Monazite contains about 9.5% of thorium oxide (ThO 2 ) and 0.35% of uranium oxide (U 3 O 8 ). The high natural background radiation of this area had been a matter of concern and reports on the measured gamma radiation levels have appeared. The dose contribution due to beta rays emitted by the materials in the sand has been calculated using Loevinger's formula. The annual beta dose is of the order of 4200 mrad and 740 mrad at a height of 5 and 200 cm respectively from ground level. (author)

  6. Determination of Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria and Nitrate Oxidizing Bacteria in Wastewater and Bioreactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francis, Somilez Asya

    2014-01-01

    The process of water purification has many different physical, chemical, and biological processes. One part of the biological process is the task of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Both play critical roles in the treatment of wastewater by oxidizing toxic compounds. The broad term is nitrification, a naturally occurring process that is carried out by AOB and NOB by using oxidation to convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. To monitor this biological activity, bacterial staining was performed on wastewater contained in inoculum tanks and biofilm samples from bioreactors. Using microscopy and qPCR, the purpose of this experiment was to determine if the population of AOB and NOB in wastewater and membrane bioreactors changed depending on temperature and hibernation conditions to determine the optimal parameters for AOB/NOB culture to effectively clean wastewater.

  7. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation mediated by Mn-oxides: from sediment to strain level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javanaud, Cedric; Michotey, Valerie; Guasco, Sophie; Garcia, Nicole; Anschutz, Pierre; Canton, Mathieu; Bonin, Patricia

    2011-11-01

    Nitrite and (29)N(2) productions in slurry incubations of anaerobically sediment after (15)NO(3) or (15)NH(4) labelling in the presence of Mn-oxides suggested that anaerobic Mn-oxides mediated nitrification coupled with denitrification in muddy intertidal sediments of Arcachon Bay (SW Atlantic French coast). From this sediment, bacterial strains were isolated and physiologically characterized in terms of Mn-oxides and nitrate reduction as well as potential anaerobic nitrification. One of the isolated strain, identified as Marinobacter daepoensis strain M4AY14, was a denitrifier. Nitrous oxide production by this strain was demonstrated in the absence of nitrate and with Mn-oxides and NH(4) amendment, giving indirect proof of anaerobic nitrate or nitrite production. Anaerobic Mn-oxide-mediated nitrification was confirmed by (29)N(2) production in the presence of (15)NO(3) and (14)NH(4) under denitrifying conditions. Anaerobic nitrification by M4AY14 seemed to occur only in the absence of nitrate, or at nitrate levels lower than that of Mn-oxides. Most of the other isolates were affiliated with the Shewanella genus and were able to use both nitrate and Mn-oxides as electron acceptors. When both electron acceptors were present, whatever their concentrations, nitrate and Mn-oxide reduction co-occurred. These data indicate that bacterial Mn-oxide reduction could be an important process in marine sediments with low oxygen concentrations, and demonstrate for the first time the role of bacteria in anaerobic Mn-mediated nitrification. Copyright © 2011 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. High temperature oxidation test of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel claddings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narita, Takeshi; Ukai, Shigeharu; Kaito, Takeji; Ohtsuka, Satoshi; Matsuda, Yasushi

    2006-07-01

    In a feasibility study of ODS steel cladding, its high temperature oxidation resistance was evaluated. Although addition of Cr is effective for preventing high temperature oxidation, excessively higher amount of Cr leads to embrittlement due to the Cr-rich α' precipitate formation. In the ODS steel developed by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), the Cr content is controlled in 9Cr-ODS martensite and 12Cr-ODS ferrite. In this study, high temperature oxidation test was conducted for ODS steels, and their results were compared with that of conventional austenitic stainless steel and ferritic-martensitic stainless steel. Following results were obtained in this study. (1) 9Cr-ODS martensitic and 12Cr-ODS ferritic steel have superior high temperature oxidation resistance compared to 11mass%Cr PNC-FMS and even 17mass% SUS430 and equivalent to austenitic PNC316. (2) The superior oxidation resistance of ODS steel was attributed to earlier formation of the protective alpha-Cr 2 O 3 layer at the matrix and inner oxide scale interface. The grain size of ODS steel is finer than that of PNC-FMS, so the superior oxidation resistance of ODS steel can be attributed to the enhanced Cr-supplying rate throughout the accelerated grain boundary diffusion. Finely dispersed Y 2 O 3 oxide particles in the ODS steel matrix may also stabilized the adherence between the protective alpha-Cr 2 O 3 layer and the matrix. (author)

  9. "A New Class of Creep Resistant Oxide/Oxide Ceramic Matrix Composites"

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dr. Mohit Jain, Dr. Ganesh Skandan, Prof. Roger Cannon, Rutgers University

    2007-03-30

    Despite recent progress in the development of SiC-SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), their application in industrial gas turbines for distributed energy (DE) systems has been limited. The poor oxidation resistance of the non-oxide ceramics warrants the use of envrionmental barrier coatings (EBCs), which in turn lead to issues pertaining to life expectancy of the coatings. On the other hand, oxide/oxide CMCs are potential replacements, but their use has been limited until now due to the poor creep resistance at high temperatures, particularly above 1200 oC: the lack of a creep resistant matrix has been a major limiting factor. Using yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) as the matrix material system, we have advanced the state-of-the-art in oxide/oxide CMCs by introducing innovations in both the structure and composition of the matrix material, thereby leading to high temperature matrix creep properties not achieved until now. An array of YAG-based powders with a unique set of particle characteristics were produced in-house and sintered to full density and compressive creep data was obtained. Aided in part by the composition and the microstructure, the creep rates were found to be two orders of magnitude smaller than the most creep resistant oxide fiber available commercially. Even after accounting for porosity and a smaller matrix grain size in a practical CMC component, the YAG-based matrix material was found to creep slower than the most creep resistant oxide fiber available commercially.

  10. Structure and properties of tempo-oxidized cotton fibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milanovic Jovana

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the influence of the catalytic oxidation using water soluble and stable nitroxyl radical 2,2´,6,6´-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO on structure and properties of cotton fibers was studied. In particular, the selective TEMPO-mediated oxidation has become very interesting way for introduction of functional groups into cellulose fibers with the aim to obtain oxycellulose fibers with specific properties. Unmodified and modified fibers were characterized in terms of weight loss values, introduced functional groups and crystallinity index. Also, oxidized fibers were characterized in terms of the sorption, morphological, and physico-mechanical properties. The TEMPO-oxidized cotton fibers show a minimum increase of fineness (from 1.32 to 1.28 dtex and increase of crystallinity index (up to 91.9%, while the tensile strength of fibers decreases (up to 10.82 cN/tex. By the TEMPO-mediated oxidation of cotton fibers significant amount of carboxyl groups (up to 0.795 mmol/g cell can be introduced into cellulose fibers. Introduced hydrophilic carboxyl groups increases the sorption properties of oxidized fibers, that can be used directly or for further chemical modification.

  11. Thermo-Oxidation of Tokamak Carbon Dust

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    J.W. Davis; B.W.N. Fitzpatrick; J.P. Sharpe; A.A. Haasz

    2008-01-01

    The oxidation of dust and flakes collected from the DIII-D tokamak, and various commercial dust specimens, has been measured at 350 C and 2.0 kPa O 2 pressure. Following an initial small mass loss, most of the commercial dust specimens showed very little effect due to O 2 exposure. Similarly, dust collected from underneath DIII-D tiles, which is thought to comprise largely Grafoil(trademark) particulates, also showed little susceptibility to oxidation at this temperature. However, oxidation of the dust collected from tile surfaces has led to ∼ 18% mass loss after 8 hours; thereafter, little change in mass was observed. This suggests that the surface dust includes some components of different composition and/or structure--possibly fragments of codeposited layers. The oxidation of codeposit flakes scraped form DIII-D upper divertor tiles showed an initial 25% loss in mass due to heating in vacuum, and the gradual loss of 30-38% mass during the subsequent 24 hours exposure to O 2 . This behavior is significantly different from that observed for the oxidation of thinner DIII-D codeposit specimens which were still adhered to tile surfaces, and this is thought to be related to the low deuterium content (D/C ∼ 0.03-0.04) of the flakes

  12. Similarity-based distortion of visual short-term memory is due to perceptual averaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubé, Chad; Zhou, Feng; Kahana, Michael J; Sekuler, Robert

    2014-03-01

    A task-irrelevant stimulus can distort recall from visual short-term memory (VSTM). Specifically, reproduction of a task-relevant memory item is biased in the direction of the irrelevant memory item (Huang & Sekuler, 2010a). The present study addresses the hypothesis that such effects reflect the influence of neural averaging under conditions of uncertainty about the contents of VSTM (Alvarez, 2011; Ball & Sekuler, 1980). We manipulated subjects' attention to relevant and irrelevant study items whose similarity relationships were held constant, while varying how similar the study items were to a subsequent recognition probe. On each trial, subjects were shown one or two Gabor patches, followed by the probe; their task was to indicate whether the probe matched one of the study items. A brief cue told subjects which Gabor, first or second, would serve as that trial's target item. Critically, this cue appeared either before, between, or after the study items. A distributional analysis of the resulting mnemometric functions showed an inflation in probability density in the region spanning the spatial frequency of the average of the two memory items. This effect, due to an elevation in false alarms to probes matching the perceptual average, was diminished when cues were presented before both study items. These results suggest that (a) perceptual averages are computed obligatorily and (b) perceptual averages are relied upon to a greater extent when item representations are weakened. Implications of these results for theories of VSTM are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Metabolite profiles reveal energy failure and impaired beta-oxidation in liver of mice with complex III deficiency due to a BCS1L mutation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heike Kotarsky

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND & AIMS: Liver is a target organ in many mitochondrial disorders, especially if the complex III assembly factor BCS1L is mutated. To reveal disease mechanism due to such mutations, we have produced a transgenic mouse model with c.232A>G mutation in Bcs1l, the causative mutation for GRACILE syndrome. The homozygous mice develop mitochondrial hepatopathy with steatosis and fibrosis after weaning. Our aim was to assess cellular mechanisms for disease onset and progression using metabolomics. METHODS: With mass spectrometry we analyzed metabolite patterns in liver samples obtained from homozygotes and littermate controls of three ages. As oxidative stress might be a mechanism for mitochondrial hepatopathy, we also assessed H(2O(2 production and expression of antioxidants. RESULTS: Homozygotes had a similar metabolic profile at 14 days of age as controls, with the exception of slightly decreased AMP. At 24 days, when hepatocytes display first histopathological signs, increases in succinate, fumarate and AMP were found associated with impaired glucose turnover and beta-oxidation. At end stage disease after 30 days, these changes were pronounced with decreased carbohydrates, high levels of acylcarnitines and amino acids, and elevated biogenic amines, especially putrescine. Signs of oxidative stress were present in end-stage disease. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest an early Krebs cycle defect with increases of its intermediates, which might play a role in disease onset. During disease progression, carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism deteriorate leading to a starvation-like condition. The mouse model is valuable for further investigations on mechanisms in mitochondrial hepatopathy and for interventions.

  14. Effects of selenium on short-term control of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease treated with methimazole: results of a randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leo, M; Bartalena, L; Rotondo Dottore, G; Piantanida, E; Premoli, P; Ionni, I; Di Cera, M; Masiello, E; Sassi, L; Tanda, M L; Latrofa, F; Vitti, P; Marcocci, C; Marinò, M

    2017-03-01

    In spite of previous conflicting results, an adjuvant role of selenium in the treatment of Graves' disease (GD) hyperthyroidism has been proposed. To address this issue, a randomized clinical trial was carried out aimed at investigating whether selenium is beneficial on the short-term control of GD hyperthyroidism treated with methimazole (MMI). Thirty newly diagnosed hyperthyroid GD patients were randomly assigned to treatment with: (i) MMI or (ii) MMI plus selenium. Primary outcomes were: control of hyperthyroidism and clinical and biochemical manifestations of hyperthyroidism [heart rate, cholesterol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), hyperthyroidism symptoms] at 90 days. Baseline features of the two groups did not differ. Serum selenium at baseline was similar in the two groups and within the recommended range to define selenium sufficiency. Selenium increased with treatment in the MMI-selenium group and became significantly higher than in the MMI group. Serum malondialdehyde, a marker of oxidative stress, was similar in the two groups and decreased significantly with treatment, with no difference between groups. Administration of MMI was followed by a reduction of FT 3 and FT 4 , with no difference between groups. Heart rate, SHBG and symptoms of hyperthyroidism decreased, whereas total cholesterol increased in both groups with no difference between groups. Our study, carried out in a selenium-sufficient cohort of GD patients, failed to show an adjuvant role of selenium in the short-term control of hyperthyroidism. However, selenium might be beneficial in patients from selenium-deficient areas, as well as in the long-term outcome of antithyroid treatment.

  15. Bronchoalveolar lavage with diluted porcine surfactant in mechanically ventilated term infants with meconium aspiration syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lista, Gianluca; Bianchi, Silvia; Castoldi, Francesca; Fontana, Paola; Cavigioli, Francesco

    2006-01-01

    To evaluate the efficacy and safety of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) with diluted porcine surfactant in mechanically ventilated term infants with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). Eight consecutive mechanically ventilated term infants with severe ARDS due to MAS underwent BAL with 15 mL/kg of diluted (5.3mg phospholipid/mL) surfactant saline suspension (porcine surfactant [Curosurf]). Treatment was administered slowly in aliquots of 2.5 mL. The mean age of neonates at treatment was 3.5 (range 1-8) hours. Heart rate, systemic blood pressure and oxygen saturation were monitored continuously. Arterial blood gases were measured immediately before treatment, and again at 3 and 6 hours post-treatment. Chest x-rays were taken 6 and 24 hours after treatment. Radiological improvement was evident in all eight patients 6 hours post-treatment. Compared with pre-BAL values, significant improvements (p fluids that had been meconium-stained prior to BAL were clear of meconium after BAL. Only one patient required nitric oxide therapy for transient pulmonary hypertension. No adverse sequelae of treatment occurred during the study. BAL with dilute porcine surfactant administered slowly in 2.5 mL aliquots improved oxygenation and chest x-ray findings, without causing major adverse effects, in mechanically ventilated term infants with ARDS due to MAS.

  16. Modeling of thermal expansion coefficient of perovskite oxide for solid oxide fuel cell cathode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heydari, F.; Maghsoudipour, A.; Alizadeh, M.; Khakpour, Z.; Javaheri, M.

    2015-09-01

    Artificial intelligence models have the capacity to eliminate the need for expensive experimental investigation in various areas of manufacturing processes, including the material science. This study investigates the applicability of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) approach for modeling the performance parameters of thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of perovskite oxide for solid oxide fuel cell cathode. Oxides (Ln = La, Nd, Sm and M = Fe, Ni, Mn) have been prepared and characterized to study the influence of the different cations on TEC. Experimental results have shown TEC decreases favorably with substitution of Nd3+ and Mn3+ ions in the lattice. Structural parameters of compounds have been determined by X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy has been used for the morphological study. Comparison results indicated that the ANFIS technique could be employed successfully in modeling thermal expansion coefficient of perovskite oxide for solid oxide fuel cell cathode, and considerable savings in terms of cost and time could be obtained by using ANFIS technique.

  17. Stannic oxide spherical nanoparticles: an anode material with long-term cyclability for Li-ion rechargeable batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalubarme, Ramchandra S.; Kale, Bharat B.; Gosavi, Suresh W.

    2017-08-01

    Transition metal oxides are widely used in energy storage applications. Stannic oxide nanostructures are prepared using a controlled, NaOH assisted, simple precipitation method. The morphology of the prepared material confirms the formation of fine nanoparticles having a rutile stannic oxide (SnO2) phase, with cassiterite structure, and size distribution ~20 nm. On testing, as an anode material for a Li-ion battery, stannic oxide delivers a reversible charge capacity of 957 mAh g-1 at an applied current rate of C/10. The stannic oxide shows excellent rate performance displaying capacity of 577 mAh g-1 at 10 C and capacity of 919 mAh g-1 retained after 200 cycles at an applied current rate of C/2. The super performance of stannic oxide fine particles stem from both the effective diffusion of Li-ions to reaction sites through porous channels and weaker stress/strain during Li insertion/desertion owing to its fine size.

  18. Homogenous and heterogenous advanced oxidation of two commercial reactive dyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balcioglu, I A; Arslan, I; Sacan, M T

    2001-07-01

    Two commercial reactive dyes, the azo dye Reactive Black 5 and the copper phythalocyanine dye Reactive Blue 21, have been treated at a concentration of 75 mg l(-1) by titanium dioxide mediated photocatalytic (TiO2/UV), dark and UV-light assisted Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2) and Fenton-like (Fe3+/H2O2) processes in acidic medium. For the treatment of Reactive Black 5, all investigated advanced oxidation processes were quite effective in terms of colour, COD as well as TOC removal. Moreover, the relative growth inhibition of the azo dye towards the marine algae Dunaliella tertiolecta that was initially 70%, did not exhibit an increase during the studied advanced oxidation reactions and complete detoxification at the end of the treatment period could be achieved for all investigated treatment processes. However, for Reactive Blue 21, abatement in COD and UV-VIS absorbance values was mainly due to the adsorption of the dye on the photocatalyst surface and/or the coagulative effect of Fe3+/Fe2+ ions. Although only a limited fraction of the copper phythalocyanine dye underwent oxidative degradation, 47% of the total copper in the dye was already released after 1 h photocatalytic treatment.

  19. Ionizing radiation-induced metabolic oxidative stress and prolonged cell injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azzam, Edouard I.; Jay-Gerin, Jean-Paul; Pain, Debkumar

    2013-01-01

    Cellular exposure to ionizing radiation leads to oxidizing events that alter atomic structure through direct interactions of radiation with target macromolecules or via products of water radiolysis. Further, the oxidative damage may spread from the targeted to neighboring, non-targeted bystander cells through redox-modulated intercellular communication mechanisms. To cope with the induced stress and the changes in the redox environment, organisms elicit transient responses at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels to counteract toxic effects of radiation. Metabolic pathways are induced during and shortly after the exposure. Depending on radiation dose, dose-rate and quality, these protective mechanisms may or may not be sufficient to cope with the stress. When the harmful effects exceed those of homeostatic biochemical processes, induced biological changes persist and may be propagated to progeny cells. Physiological levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species play critical roles in many cellular functions. In irradiated cells, levels of these reactive species may be increased due to perturbations in oxidative metabolism and chronic inflammatory responses, thereby contributing to the long-term effects of exposure to ionizing radiation on genomic stability. Here, in addition to immediate biological effects of water radiolysis on DNA damage, we also discuss the role of mitochondria in the delayed outcomes of ionization radiation. Defects in mitochondrial functions lead to accelerated aging and numerous pathological conditions. Different types of radiation vary in their linear energy transfer (LET) properties, and we discuss their effects on various aspects of mitochondrial physiology. These include short and long-term in vitro and in vivo effects on mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial protein import and metabolic and antioxidant enzymes. PMID:22182453

  20. SiC as an oxidation-resistant refractory material. Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlichting, J.

    1979-01-01

    Uses his own investigations and gives a literature survey on the oxidation and corrosion behaviour of SiC (in the form of a pure SiC powder, hot-pressed and reaction-sintered materials). The excellent stability of SiC in oxidizing atmosphere is due to the development of protective SiO 2 coatings. Any changes in these protective coatings (e.g. due to impurities with corrosive media, high porosity of SiC, etc.) lead in most cases to increased rates of oxidation and thus restrict the field of application of SiC. (orig.) [de

  1. Plasma and catalyst for the oxidation of NOx

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jögi, I.; Erme, K.; Levoll, E.

    2017-01-01

    The removal of NOx from the exhaust gases requires the oxidation of most abundant NO to NO2 or N2O5. The oxidation can be done by non-thermal plasma but the efficiency is limited due to the back-reaction of NO2 to NO by O radicals. Present contribution investigates the role of catalysts in the im......The removal of NOx from the exhaust gases requires the oxidation of most abundant NO to NO2 or N2O5. The oxidation can be done by non-thermal plasma but the efficiency is limited due to the back-reaction of NO2 to NO by O radicals. Present contribution investigates the role of catalysts...... in the improvement of oxidation efficiency based on the stationary and time-dependent studies of the NOx oxidation at different reactor configurations and experimental conditions. The plasma produced active oxygen species (O, O3) were shown to play an important role in the reactions taking place on the catalyst...... surfaces while the exact mechanism and extent of the effect depended on the reactor configuration. The effect of catalyst at different experimental conditions was quantitatively described with the aid of analytical lumped kinetic models derived for the NOx oxidation when the catalyst was directly...

  2. Oxidative Stress at High Temperatures in Lactococcus lactis Due to an Insufficient Supply of Riboflavin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Jun; Shen, Jing; Solem, Christian

    2013-01-01

    Lactococcus lactis MG1363 was found to be unable to grow at temperatures above 37°C in a defined medium without riboflavin, and the cause was identified to be dissolved oxygen introduced during preparation of the medium. At 30°C, growth was unaffected by dissolved oxygen and oxygen was consumed...... riboflavin to the medium, it was possible to improve growth and oxygen consumption at 37°C, and this also normalized the [ATP]-to-[ADP] ratio. A codon-optimized redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein (GFP) was introduced into L. lactis and revealed a more oxidized cytoplasm at 37°C than at 30°C....... These results indicate that L. lactis suffers from heat-induced oxidative stress at increased temperatures. A decrease in intracellular flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which is derived from riboflavin, was observed with increasing growth temperature, but the presence of riboflavin made the decrease smaller...

  3. Colour due to Cr3+ ions in oxides: a study of the model system MgO:Cr3+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aramburu, J A; García-Fernández, P; Moreno, M; García-Lastra, J M; Barriuso, M T

    2013-01-01

    Seeking to understand why the cubic centre in MgO:Cr 3+ has the same 10Dq value as emerald, ab initio cluster and periodic supercell calculations have been performed. It is found that the equilibrium Cr 3+ –O 2− distance, R, in MgO:Cr 3+ is equal to 2.03 Å and thus 0.06 Å higher than that measured for the emerald. Calculations carried out on the isolated CrO 6 9- complex at R = 2.03 Å give 10Dq = 14 510 cm −1 , which is 10% smaller than the experimental figure for MgO:Cr 3+ . Nevertheless, when the internal electric field, E R (r), due to the rest of the lattice ions is also taken into account, the calculated 10Dq = 16 210 cm −1 coincides with the experimental value. Accordingly, the colour shift for different oxides doped with Cr 3+ can be well understood on the basis of this extrinsic contribution to 10Dq usually ignored in a ligand field description. The calculated electrostatic potential, V R (r), related to E R (r), is found to be attractive when the electronic density is lying along 〈110〉 directions and |r| > 1 Å driven by the first shell of twelve Mg 2+ ions. The action of V R (r) upon the CrO 6 9- complex slightly decreases the energy of t 2g (xy,xz,yz) orbitals with respect to that for e g (3z 2 − r 2 ,x 2 − y 2 ) orbitals, thus enhancing the 10Dq value by 0.2 eV. However, the addition of V R (r) induces very small changes in the electronic density, a relevant fact that is related to the 2 E( 2g 3 ) → 4 A 2 (t 2g 3 ) emission energy being nearly independent of the host lattice along the series of Cr 3+ -doped oxides. (paper)

  4. Long-term sickness absence from work due to physical inactivity: A registry-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Høgsbro, Cecilie; Davidsen, Michael; Sørensen, Jan

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between leisure-time physical inactivity and long-term sickness absence in a representative sample of individuals aged 16-54 years, within the labour market and in good health. It was hypothesised that physically inactive individuals have a higher risk of long-term sickness absence and longer duration of sickness absence. The study population was identified from the National Health and Morbidity Survey, 2010. Weekly data on long-term sickness absence were obtained from the National Register on Social Transfer Payments (the DREAM registry). The association of incidence and duration of long-term sickness absence with physical inactivity was explored using logistic and Poisson regression. Data were fitted to models with levels of physical activity, demographic, social and lifestyle characteristics as independent variables. A combined hurdle model was used to estimate the difference in mean number of absence weeks. Logistic regression showed that physically inactive individuals had a 27% higher incidence of long-term sickness absence compared with physically active individuals. The Poisson regression showed that long-term sickness absence was only slightly shorter (1 week less) for moderately active individuals compared with inactive individuals. The hurdle model estimated longer absence periods for inactive individuals (additional 2.5 weeks) in comparison with moderately and highly active individuals. The study showed that physically inactive individuals have a higher incidence of long-term absence and that physically inactive individuals have longer periods with sickness absence than moderately and highly active individuals. When adjustments for social and health behaviour were included, the estimated associations became statistically insignificant.

  5. Impact of scorpion stings on electrocardiographic changes and relationship with body oxidant and antioxidant status

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Behcet, A.; Zengin, S.; Yildirim, C.; Ercan, S.; Davutoglu, V.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To investigate electrocardiogram changes due to scorpion stings and association between oxidative stress index, body oxidant/antioxidant system and the electrocardiogram changes. Methods: The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Turkey, between May 2009 and October 2010. It comprised 44 patients admitted to the emergency department for scorpion sting, and a control group of matched age and gender of 20 persons. Electrocardiograms were taken promptly in the most painful phases of the patients. Cardiac parameters were measured. Erythrocyte packages were prepared to detect toxin/antioxidant levels. SPSS 18 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the 44 patients, 22 (50%) were male. Overall average age of the patients was 45.22+-17.99 years. None of the patients required intensive care and none of them had limb losses. Cardiac parameters of the patients in electrocardiogram were higher (p 0.05). Conclusion: Scorpion stings associated with electrocardiogram changes. The mechanism of this relationship is not related with the status of body oxidative stress index and body oxidant and antioxidant capacity. Some parameters warrant further study in terms of potential serious arrhythmias in scorpionism. (author)

  6. Work Function of Oxide Ultrathin Films on the Ag(100) Surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sementa, Luca; Barcaro, Giovanni; Negreiros, Fabio R; Thomas, Iorwerth O; Netzer, Falko P; Ferrari, Anna Maria; Fortunelli, Alessandro

    2012-02-14

    Theoretical calculations of the work function of monolayer (ML) and bilayer (BL) oxide films on the Ag(100) surface are reported and analyzed as a function of the nature of the oxide for first-row transition metals. The contributions due to charge compression, charge transfer and rumpling are singled out. It is found that the presence of empty d-orbitals in the oxide metal can entail a charge flow from the Ag(100) surface to the oxide film which counteracts the decrease in the work function due to charge compression. This flow can also depend on the thickness of the film and be reduced in passing from ML to BL systems. A regular trend is observed along first-row transition metals, exhibiting a maximum for CuO, in which the charge flow to the oxide is so strong as to reverse the direction of rumpling. A simple protocol to estimate separately the contribution due to charge compression is discussed, and the difference between the work function of the bare metal surface and a Pauling-like electronegativity of the free oxide slabs is used as a descriptor quantity to predict the direction of charge transfer.

  7. Nitrous Oxide Production by Abundant Benthic Macrofauna

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stief, Peter; Schramm, Andreas

    of the short-term metabolic induction of gut denitrification is the preferential production of nitrous oxide rather than dinitrogen. On a large scale, gut denitrification in, for instance, Chironomus plumosus larvae can increase the overall nitrous oxide emission of lake sediment by a factor of eight. We...... screened more than 20 macrofauna species for nitrous oxide production and identified filter-feeders and deposit-feeders that occur ubiquitously and at high abundance (e.g., chironomids, ephemeropterans, snails, and mussels) as the most important emitters of nitrous oxide. In contrast, predatory species...... that do not ingest large quantities of microorganisms produced insignificant amounts of nitrous oxide. Ephemera danica, a very abundant mayfly larva, was monitored monthly in a nitrate-polluted stream. Nitrous oxide production by this filter-feeder was highly dependent on nitrate availability...

  8. Oxidation of boron carbide at high temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinbrueck, Martin

    2005-01-01

    The oxidation kinetics of various types of boron carbides (pellets, powder) were investigated in the temperature range between 1073 and 1873 K. Oxidation rates were measured in transient and isothermal tests by means of mass spectrometric gas analysis. Oxidation of boron carbide is controlled by the formation of superficial liquid boron oxide and its loss due to the reaction with surplus steam to volatile boric acids and/or direct evaporation at temperatures above 1770 K. The overall reaction kinetics is paralinear. Linear oxidation kinetics established soon after the initiation of oxidation under the test conditions described in this report. Oxidation is strongly influenced by the thermohydraulic boundary conditions and in particular by the steam partial pressure and flow rate. On the other hand, the microstructure of the B 4 C samples has a limited influence on oxidation. Very low amounts of methane were produced in these tests

  9. Computer simulation of oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowley, A.

    1998-01-01

    An ionic interaction model is developed which accounts for the effects of the ionic environment upon the electron densities of both cations and anions through changes in their size and shape and is transferable between materials. These variations are represented by additional dynamical variables which are handled within the model using the techniques of the Car-Parrinello method. The model parameters are determined as far as possible by input from external ab initio electronic structure calculations directed at examining the individual effects of the ionic environment upon the ions, particularly the oxide ion. Techniques for the evaluation of dipolar and quadrupolar Ewald sums in non-cubic simulation cells and the calculation of the pressure due to the terms in the potential are presented. This model is applied to the description of the perfect crystal properties and phonon dispersion curves of MgO. Consideration of the high symmetry phonon modes allows parameterization of the remaining model parameters in an unambiguous fashion. The same procedure is used to obtain parameters for CaO. These two parameter sets are examined to determine how they may be used to generate the parameters for SrO and simple scaling relationships based on ionic radii and polarizabilities are formulated. The transferability of the model to Cr 2 O 3 is investigated using parameters generated from the alkaline earth oxides. The importance of lower symmetry model terms, particularly quadrupolar interactions, at the low symmetry ion sites in the crystal structure is demonstrated. The correct ground-state crystal structure is predicted and the calculated surface energies and relaxation phenomena are found to agree well with previous ab initio studies. The model is applied to GeO 2 as a strong test of its applicability to ion environments far different from those encountered in MgO. An good description of the crystal structures is obtained and the interplay of dipolar and quadrupolar effects is

  10. VUV photo-oxidation of gaseous benzene combined with ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation: Effect on transition metal catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Haibao; Lu, Haoxian; Zhan, Yujie; Liu, Gaoyuan; Feng, Qiuyu; Huang, Huiling; Wu, Muyan; Ye, Xinguo

    2017-01-01

    Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause the major air pollution concern. In this study, a series of ZSM-5 supported transition metals were prepared by impregnation method. They were combined with vacuum UV (VUV) photo-oxidation in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor and used for the degradation of benzene, a typical toxic VOCs. Compared with VUV photo-oxidation alone, the introduction of catalysts can greatly enhance benzene oxidation under the help of O3, the by-products from VUV irradiation, via ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation (OZCO). The catalytic activity of transition metals towards benzene oxidation followed the order: Mn > Co > Cu > Ni > Fe. Mn achieved the best catalytic activity due to the strongest capability for O3 catalytic decomposition and utilization. Benzene and O3 removal efficiency reached as high as 97% and 100% after 360 min, respectively. O3 was catalytically decomposed, generating highly reactive oxidants such as rad OH and rad O for benzene oxidation.

  11. A study on the oxidation behavior of uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Tae Kook; Kang, Kweon Ho; Kim, Kil Jeang; Kang, Il Sik; Jung, Kyung Whan

    1998-03-01

    When storing depleted uranium wastes, careful handling is required due to their very high oxidation rates. To determine the oxidation mechanism and oxidation rate of depleted uranium wastes, the most important factors to be considered in their treatment, an experiment was carried out by varying the heating rates of the Air-Controlled Oxidizer. The experiment, showed that depleted uranium wastes are pulverized after complete oxidation because of the density difference and then converted to UO 2 , U 3 O 7 , U 3 O 8 . The grain size of pulverized powder decrease with increased temperature. (author). 30 refs., 5 tabs., 28 figs

  12. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles function as a long-term, multi-modal imaging label for non-invasive tracking of implanted progenitor cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina A Pacak

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO nanoparticles to function as a long-term tracking label for multi-modal imaging of implanted engineered tissues containing muscle-derived progenitor cells using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT. SPIO-labeled primary myoblasts were embedded in fibrin sealant and imaged to obtain intensity data by MRI or radio-opacity information by μCT. Each imaging modality displayed a detection gradient that matched increasing SPIO concentrations. Labeled cells were then incorporated in fibrin sealant, injected into the atrioventricular groove of rat hearts, and imaged in vivo and ex vivo for up to 1 year. Transplanted cells were identified in intact animals and isolated hearts using both imaging modalities. MRI was better able to detect minuscule amounts of SPIO nanoparticles, while μCT more precisely identified the location of heavily-labeled cells. Histological analyses confirmed that iron oxide particles were confined to viable, skeletal muscle-derived cells in the implant at the expected location based on MRI and μCT. These analyses showed no evidence of phagocytosis of labeled cells by macrophages or release of nanoparticles from transplanted cells. In conclusion, we established that SPIO nanoparticles function as a sensitive and specific long-term label for MRI and μCT, respectively. Our findings will enable investigators interested in regenerative therapies to non-invasively and serially acquire complementary, high-resolution images of transplanted cells for one year using a single label.

  13. Pyrite oxidation in unsaturated aquifer sediments. Reaction stoichiometry and rate of oxidation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Martin Søgaard; Larsen, Flemming; Postma, Diederik Jan

    2001-01-01

    The oxidation of pyrite (FeS2) contained in unsaturated aquifer sediment was studied by sediment incubation in gas impermeable polymer laminate bags. Reaction progress was followed over a period of nearly 2 months by monitoring the gas composition within the laminate bag. The gas phase in the inc......The oxidation of pyrite (FeS2) contained in unsaturated aquifer sediment was studied by sediment incubation in gas impermeable polymer laminate bags. Reaction progress was followed over a period of nearly 2 months by monitoring the gas composition within the laminate bag. The gas phase...... in the incubation bags became depleted in O2 and enriched in CO2 and N2 and was interpreted as due to pyrite oxidation in combination with calcite dissolution. Sediment incubation provides a new method to estimate low rates of pyrite oxidation in unsaturated zone aquifer sediments. Oxidation rates of up to 9.4â10......-10 mol FeS2/gâs are measured, and the rates are only weakly correlated with the sediment pyrite content. The reactivity of pyrite, including the inhibition by FeOOH layers formed on its surface, apparently has a major effect on the rate of oxidation. The code PHREEQC 2.0 was used to calculate...

  14. Role of oxidative stress in cadmium toxicity and carcinogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jie; Qu Wei; Kadiiska, Maria B.

    2009-01-01

    Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal, targeting the lung, liver, kidney, and testes following acute intoxication, and causing nephrotoxicity, immunotoxicity, osteotoxicity and tumors after prolonged exposures. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are often implicated in Cd toxicology. This minireview focused on direct evidence for the generation of free radicals in intact animals following acute Cd overload and discussed the association of ROS in chronic Cd toxicity and carcinogenesis. Cd-generated superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals in vivo have been detected by the electron spin resonance spectra, which are often accompanied by activation of redox sensitive transcription factors (e.g., NF-κB, AP-1 and Nrf2) and alteration of ROS-related gene expression. It is generally agreed upon that oxidative stress plays important roles in acute Cd poisoning. However, following long-term Cd exposure at environmentally-relevant low levels, direct evidence for oxidative stress is often obscure. Alterations in ROS-related gene expression during chronic exposures are also less significant compared to acute Cd poisoning. This is probably due to induced adaptation mechanisms (e.g., metallothionein and glutathione) following chronic Cd exposures, which in turn diminish Cd-induced oxidative stress. In chronic Cd-transformed cells, less ROS signals are detected with fluorescence probes. Acquired apoptotic tolerance renders damaged cells to proliferate with inherent oxidative DNA lesions, potentially leading to tumorigenesis. Thus, ROS are generated following acute Cd overload and play important roles in tissue damage. Adaptation to chronic Cd exposure reduces ROS production, but acquired Cd tolerance with aberrant gene expression plays important roles in chronic Cd toxicity and carcinogenesis.

  15. Heterogeneous catalysis in the liquid-phase oxidation of olefins--3. The activity of supported vanadium-chromium binary oxide catalyst for the oxidation of cyclohexene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takehira, K; Hayakawa, T; Ishikawa, T

    1979-03-01

    The activity of supported vanadium-chromium binary oxide catalyst for the oxidation of cyclohexene to 1-cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide, 2-cyclohexene-1-one, 2-cyclohexene-1-ol, and cyclohexene oxide was due to the interaction between the metal oxides and the carriers. The oxidation reaction was carried out in benzene at 60/sup 0/C for four hours with the binary oxide supported on (GAMMA)-alumina or silica; three series of catalysts were prepared by combining the vanadium and chromium oxide components with alumina hydrate or silica sol by a kneading method. The silica-supported catalysts had the greatest activity, the highest being the V/sub 2/O/sub 5//SiO/sub 2/ system, which lost its activity quickly during the reaction. This was followed in activity by the Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3//SiO/sub 2/ system, containing the chromium(V) species. The Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ system also had high activity and the chromium(V) species. The vanadium and chromium metal ions are probably coordinated tetrahedrally on the support, and these complexes catalyze cyclohexene autoxidation by decomposing 1-cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide.

  16. Zinc oxide tetrapod: a morphology with multifunctional applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modi, Gaurav

    2015-01-01

    Zinc oxide has emerged as a material of great interest due to its unique optical, electrical and magnetic properties. This review comprehensively covers the various aspects of zinc oxide tetrapods. Tetrapod is a one dimensional zinc oxide nano-microstructure and has been found to have very promising applications in diverse fields. The growth model, properties, synthesis methods and variations in the tetrapod morphology by varying the synthesis conditions have been discussed. The promising applications of zinc oxide tetrapod morphology have been also discussed in detail. (review)

  17. Graphene oxide nanoplatforms to enhance catalytic performance of iron phthalocyanine for oxygen reduction reaction in bioelectrochemical systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa de Oliveira, Maida Aysla; Mecheri, Barbara; D'Epifanio, Alessandra; Placidi, Ernesto; Arciprete, Fabrizio; Valentini, Federica; Perandini, Alessando; Valentini, Veronica; Licoccia, Silvia

    2017-07-01

    We report the development of electrocatalysts based on iron phthalocyanine (FePc) supported on graphene oxide (GO), obtained by electrochemical oxidation of graphite in aqueous solution of LiCl, LiClO4, and NaClO4. Structure, surface chemistry, morphology, and thermal stability of the prepared materials were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at neutral pH was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry. The experimental results demonstrate that the oxidation degree of GO supports affects the overall catalytic activity of FePc/GO, due to a modulation effect of the interaction between FePc and the basal plane of GO. On the basis of electrochemical, spectroscopic, and morphological investigations, FePc/GO_LiCl was selected to be assembled at the cathode side of a microbial fuel cell prototype, demonstrating a good electrochemical performance in terms of voltage and power generation.

  18. The effects of PPR on the reproductive health of Black Bengal goats and the possible role played by oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Pankaj; Dey, Amitava; Kumar, Abhay; Ray, Pradeep Kumar; Chandran, Poolangulam Chinnakkan; Kumari, Rashmi Rekha; Kumar, Manish

    2018-03-28

    Outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) viral disease in Black Bengal goats were investigated from the middle Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Clinical profile of PPR-affected flocks was recorded from four different outbreak sites of the region. The PPR outbreak was diagnosed serologically using commercially available sandwich ELISA kit. Relatively, low mortality rate (mean 26.75%) for PPR outbreak was recorded due to the endemic status of the disease. To understand the role of oxidative stress in PPR virus pathogenesis, various oxidant and antioxidant parameters in goats infected with PPR were estimated and compared with the uninfected/healthy goats of the same flock. The measured high level of pro-oxidant malondialdehyde (MDA) obtained from lipid peroxidation along with lower levels of anti-oxidants viz. superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) in PPR-affected Black Bengal goats suggests oxidative stress as one of the mechanism of pathogenesis of PPR virus. In addition, the correlation of oxidative stress due to PPR and the resulting reproductive disorders in the female goats were evaluated. The abortion in pregnant does observed during PPR outbreak was proportional to debility and oxidative stress manifested during PPR infection. The reproductive performance of recovered female goats in the period of 18 months of monitoring was significantly compromised in terms of kidding and twinning frequency. The mortality rate in kids born from PPR-recovered goats was significantly higher compared to those from health goats in the first 9 months post-recovery. From the present study, it may be concluded that together with the PPR virus, infection in goats and the resulting oxidative stress play a vital role for abortion and reduced post-reproductive performance in Black Bengal female goat.

  19. Oxidation behaviour of titanium in high temperature steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moroishi, Taishi; Shida, Yoshiaki

    1978-01-01

    The oxidation of pure titanium was studied in superheated steam at 400 -- 550 0 C. The effects of prior cold working and several heat treatment conditions on the oxidation were examined and also the effects of the addition of small amounts of iron and oxygen were investigated. The oxidation mechanism of pure titanium is discussed in relation to the scale structure and the oxidation kinetics. Hydrogen absorption rate was also measured. As a result, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) The oxidation of pure titanium in steam was faster than in air and breakaway oxidation was observed above 500 0 C after the specimen had gained a certain weight. Prior cold working and heat treatment conditions scarcely affected the oxidation rate, whereas the specimen containing small amounts of iron and oxygen showed a little more rapid oxidation. (2) At 500 and 550 0 C a dark grey inner scale and a yellow-brown outer scale were formed. The outer scale was apt to exfoliate after the occurrence of breakaway oxidation. At 400 and 450 0 C only a dark grey scale was observed. All of these oxides were identified as the rutile type, TiO 2 . Furthermore, the presence of a thin and uniform oxygen rich layer beneath the external scale was confirmed at all test temperatures. (3) The measured weight gain approximately followed the cubic rate law; this would be expected for the following reason; one component of the weight gain is due to the dissolved oxygen, the amount of which remains constant after the early stages of oxidation. The second component is due to the parabolic growth of the external TiO 2 scale. When these contributions are added a pseudo-cubic weight gain curve results. (4) It was shown that 50 percent of the hydrogen generated during the oxidation was absorbed into the metal. (auth.)

  20. Polycrystalline oxides formation during transient oxidation of (001) Cu-Ni binary alloys studied by in situ TEM and XRD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, J.C.; Li, Z.Q.; Sun, L.; Zhou, G.W.; Eastman, J.A.; Fong, D.D.; Fuoss, P.H.; Baldo, P.M.; Rehn, L.E.; Thompson, L.J.

    2009-01-01

    The nucleation and growth of Cu 2 O and NiO islands due to oxidation of Cu x Ni 1-x (001) films were monitored, at various temperatures, by in situ ultra-high vacuum (UHV) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD). In remarkable contrast to our previous observations of Cu and Cu-Au oxidation, irregular-shaped polycrystalline oxide islands formed with respect to the Cu-Ni alloy film, and an unusual second oxide nucleation stage was noted. In situ XRD experiments revealed that NiO formed first epitaxially, then other orientations appeared, and finally polycrystalline Cu 2 O developed as the oxidation pressure was increased. The segregation of Ni and Cu towards or away, respectively, from the alloy surface during oxidation could disrupt the surface and cause polycrystalline oxide formation.

  1. Oxidation Behavior of AlN/h-BN Nano Composites at High Temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin Haiyun; Huang Yinmao; Feng Dawei; He Bo; Yang Jianfeng

    2011-01-01

    Both AlN/ nano h-BN composites and AlN/ micro h-BN composites were fabricated. The high temperature oxidation behaviors were investigated at 1000deg. C and 1300deg. C using a cycle-oxidation method. The results showed that there were little changes of both nano composites and monolithic AlN ceramic at temperature of 1000deg. C. And at 1300deg. C, the oxidation dynamics curve of composites could be divided into two courses: a slowly weight increase and a rapid weight decrease, but the oxidation behavior of nano composites was better than micro composites. It was due to that the uniform distribution of oxidation production (Al 18 B 4 O 33 ) surround the AlN grains in nano composites and the oxidation proceeding was retarded. The XRD analysis and SEM observations showed that there was no BN remained in the composites surface after 1300deg. C oxidation and the micropores remain due to the vaporizing of B 2 O 3 oxidized by BN.

  2. Graphene oxide and H2 production from bioelectrochemical graphite oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Lu; Zeng, Cuiping; Wang, Luda; Yin, Xiaobo; Jin, Song; Lu, Anhuai; Jason Ren, Zhiyong

    2015-11-17

    Graphene oxide (GO) is an emerging material for energy and environmental applications, but it has been primarily produced using chemical processes involving high energy consumption and hazardous chemicals. In this study, we reported a new bioelectrochemical method to produce GO from graphite under ambient conditions without chemical amendments, value-added organic compounds and high rate H2 were also produced. Compared with abiotic electrochemical electrolysis control, the microbial assisted graphite oxidation produced high rate of graphite oxide and graphene oxide (BEGO) sheets, CO2, and current at lower applied voltage. The resultant electrons are transferred to a biocathode, where H2 and organic compounds are produced by microbial reduction of protons and CO2, respectively, a process known as microbial electrosynthesis (MES). Pseudomonas is the dominant population on the anode, while abundant anaerobic solvent-producing bacteria Clostridium carboxidivorans is likely responsible for electrosynthesis on the cathode. Oxygen production through water electrolysis was not detected on the anode due to the presence of facultative and aerobic bacteria as O2 sinkers. This new method provides a sustainable route for producing graphene materials and renewable H2 at low cost, and it may stimulate a new area of research in MES.

  3. Flexible substrate compatible solution processed P-N heterojunction diodes with indium-gallium-zinc oxide and copper oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choudhary, Ishan; Deepak, E-mail: saboo@iitk.ac.in

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • Both n and p-type semiconductors are solution processed. • Temperature compatibility with flexible substrates such as polyimide. • Compatibility of p-type film (CuO) on n-type film (IZO). • Diode with rectification ratio of 10{sup 4} and operating voltage <1.5 V. • Construction of band alignment using XPS. - Abstract: Printed electronics on flexible substrates requires low temperature and solution processed active inks. With n-type indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) based electronics maturing for thin film transistor (TFT), we here demonstrate its heterojunction diode with p-copper oxide, prepared by sol-gel method and processed at temperatures compatible with polyimide substrates. The phase obtained for copper oxide is CuO. When coated on n-type oxide, it is prone to develop morphological features, which are minimized by annealing treatment. Diodes of p-CuO films with IGZO are of poor quality due to its high resistivity while, conducting indium-zinc oxide (IZO) films yielded good diode with rectification ratio of 10{sup 4} and operating voltage <1.5 V. A detailed measurement at the interface by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical absorption ascertained the band alignment to be of staggered type. Consistently, the current in the diode is established to be due to electrons tunnelling from n-IZO to p-CuO.

  4. Electrochemical treatment of wastewater: A case study of reduction of DNT and oxidation of chlorinated phenols

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodgers, J.D.; Bunce, N.J.; Jedral, W.

    1999-07-01

    Electrochemical treatment is under consideration as a treatment option for several recalcitrant compounds. In this work the authors investigate the oxidation of chlorophenols and the reduction of nitroaromatics. In the case of chlorinated phenols, they explore the problem of anode fouling which has hampered electrolytic treatment of phenolic compounds by examining phenols differing in the extent of chlorination, according to the mechanism of oxidation at different electrode types. Linear sweep voltammograms at a Pt anode were interpreted in terms of deposition of oligomers on the anode surface. Passivation increased in parallel with the uncompensated resistance of the solution and occurred only at potentials at which water is oxidized, suggesting that the formation of the oligomer film involves attack of hydroxyl radicals on electrochemically oxidized substrate. Relative reactivities of congeners were anode-dependent, due to different mechanisms of oxidation: direct electron transfer oxidation at PbO{sub 2} and hydroxyl radical attack at SnO{sub 2} and IrO{sub 2}. Voltammetry of 2,6-dinitrotoluene (DNT) was consistent with literature values. DNT was reduced at several cathodes with the most promising result at Ni-plated Ni wire. At current densities {lt} 0.1 mA cm{sup {minus}2}, current efficiencies {gt} 50% could be achieved with 4-chlorophenol at all three anodes and for 2,6-DNT at Ni-plated Ni wire.

  5. The fate of arsenic adsorbed on iron oxides in the presence of arsenite-oxidizing bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhennan; Yin, Naiyi; Du, Huili; Cai, Xiaolin; Cui, Yanshan

    2016-05-01

    Arsenic (As) is a redox-active metalloid whose toxicity and mobility in soil depend on its oxidation state. Arsenite [As(III)] can be oxidized by microbes and adsorbed by minerals in the soil. However, the combined effects of these abiotic and biotic processes are not well understood. In this study, the fate of arsenic in the presence of an isolated As(III)-oxidizing bacterium (Pseudomonas sp. HN-1, 10(9) colony-forming units (CFUs)·ml(-1)) and three iron oxides (goethite, hematite, and magnetite at 1.6 g L(-1)) was determined using batch experiments. The total As adsorption by iron oxides was lower with bacteria present and was higher with iron oxides alone. The total As adsorption decreased by 78.6%, 36.0% and 79.7% for goethite, hematite and magnetite, respectively, due to the presence of bacteria. As(III) adsorbed on iron oxides could also be oxidized by Pseudomonas sp. HN-1, but the oxidation rate (1.3 μmol h(-1)) was much slower than the rate in the aqueous phase (96.2 μmol h(-1)). Therefore, the results of other studies with minerals only might overestimate the adsorptive capacity of solids in natural systems; the presence of minerals might hinder As(III) oxidation by microbes. Under aerobic conditions, in the presence of iron oxides and As(III)-oxidizing bacteria, arsenic is adsorbed onto iron oxides within the adsorption capacity, and As(V) is the primary form in the solid and aqueous phases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Evaluation of tumoral enhancement by superparamagnetic iron oxide particles: comparative studies with ferumoxtran and anionic iron oxide nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brillet, P-Y.; Gazeau, F.; Luciani, A.; Bessoud, B.; Cuenod, C.-A.; Siauve, N.; Pons, J.-N.; Poupon, J.; Clement, O.

    2005-01-01

    This study was designed to compare tumor enhancement by superparamagnetic iron oxide particles, using anionic iron oxide nanoparticles (AP) and ferumoxtran. In vitro, relaxometry and media with increasing complexity were used to assess the changes in r2 relaxivity due to cellular internalization. In vivo, 26 mice with subcutaneously implanted tumors were imaged for 24 h after injection of particles to describe kinetics of enhancement using T1 spin echo, T2 spin echo, and T2 fast spin echo sequences. In vitro, the r2 relaxivity decreased over time (0-4 h) when AP were uptaken by cells. The loss of r2 relaxivity was less pronounced with long (Hahn Echo) than short (Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill) echo time sequences. In vivo, our results with ferumoxtran showed an early T2 peak (1 h), suggesting intravascular particles and a second peak in T1 (12 h), suggesting intrainterstitial accumulation of particles. With AP, the late peak (24 h) suggested an intracellular accumulation of particles. In vitro, anionic iron oxide nanoparticles are suitable for cellular labeling due to a high cellular uptake. Conversely, in vivo, ferumoxtran is suitable for passive targeting of tumors due to a favorable biodistribution. (orig.)

  7. Simulation of Molten Core-Concrete Interaction in oxide/metal stratified configuration with the TOLBIAC-ICB code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tourniaire, B.; Spindler, B.

    2005-01-01

    The frame of this work is the validation of the TOLBIAC-ICB code which is devoted to the simulation of Molten Core-Concrete Interaction (MCCI) for reactor safety analysis. Attention focuses here on the validation of TOLBIAC-ICB in configurations expected to be representative of the long term phase of MCCI i.e. during an interaction between an oxide/metal stratified corium melt and a concrete structure. Up to now the BETA tests performed at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FzK) are the only tests available to study such kind of interaction. The BETA tests are first described and the operating conditions are reminded. The TOLBIAC-ICB code is then briefly described, with emphasis on the models used for stratified configurations. The results of the simulations are discussed. A sensitivity study is also performed with the power generated in the oxide layer instead of the metal layer as in the test. This last calculation shows that the large axial ablation observed in the tests is probably due to the peculiar configuration of the test with input power in the bottom metal layer. Since in the reactor case the residual power would be mainly concentrated in the upper oxide layer, the conclusions of the BETA tests for the reactor applications, in term of axial ablation, must be derived with caution. (author)

  8. Copper-mediated oxidative degradation of catecholamines and oxidative damage of protein

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goncalves, P.R.; Harria, M.I.N.; Felix, J.M.; Hoffmann, M.E. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Biologia

    1997-12-31

    Full text. Degradative oxidation of catecholamines has been a matter of large interest in recent years due to the evidences associating their autoxidation with the etiology of neurotoxic and cardiotoxic processes. In this work we present data on the degradative oxidation of catecholamines of physiological importance: isoproterenol (IP), epinephrine (EP), norepinephrine (NEP), deoxyepinephrine (DEP) and dopamine (DA). The degradative oxidation of the catecholamines was followed by measurement of spectral changes and oxygen consumption by neutral aqueous solutions. The data show that Cu{sup 2+} strongly accelerated the rate of catecholamine oxidation, following the decreasing order; EP>DEP>IP>NEP>DA. The production of superoxide anion radical during catecholamine oxidation was very slow, even in the presence of Cu{sup 2+}. The ability of IP to induce damages on bovine serum albumin (BSA) was determined by measuring the formation of carbonyl-groups in the protein, detected by reduction with tritiated Na BH{sub 4}. The incubation of BSA with IP (50-500{mu}M), in the presence of 100{mu}M Cu{sup 2+} leaded to an increased and dose dependent {sup 3} H-incorporation by the oxidized protein. The production of oxidative damage by IP/Cu{sup 2+} was accompanied by marked BSA fragmentation, detected by SDS-polyacrylamide gel dependent (25-400{mu}M IP) des appearance of the original BSA band and appearance of smaller fragments spread in the gel, when incubation has been done in the presence of 100{mu}M Cu{sup 2+}. These results suggest that copper-catalysed oxidative degradation of proteins induced by catecholamines might be critically involved in the toxic action of these molecules

  9. Matching Diabetes and Alcoholism: Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Neurogenesis Are Commonly Involved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge M. Barcia

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Diabetes and alcohol misuse are two of the major challenges in health systems worldwide. These two diseases finally affect several organs and systems including the central nervous system. Hippocampus is one of the most relevant structures due to neurogenesis and memory-related processing among other functions. The present review focuses on the common profile of diabetes and ethanol exposure in terms of oxidative stress and proinflammatory and prosurvival recruiting transcription factors affecting hippocampal neurogenesis. Some aspects around antioxidant strategies are also included. As a global conclusion, the present review points out some common hits on both diseases giving support to the relations between alcohol intake and diabetes.

  10. Geomagnetic control of mesospheric nitric oxide concentration from simultaneous D and F region ionization measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pradhan, S.N.; Shirke, J.S.

    1978-01-01

    Investigations are made of D-region electron density profiles derived from 'partial reflection' measurements over a low latitude station (Ahmedabad) during a year of low solar activity. The index relating the electron density with the solar zenith angle is found to increase towards lower zenith angles suggesting both diurnal and seasonal variations in the Nitric oxide concentration. A close correlation is also found between the electron density at 80 km and the maximum ionization density in the F region above. This is interpreted as due to concomitant variation of a sizeable fraction of the Nitric oxide concentration in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere with the overhead F region ionization. A simplified global model is presented for the mesospheric Nitric oxide concentration based on the morphological features of F region and the relationship existing between the ionization levels in F and D regions. Many observed features of the D region ionization including the solar zenith angle dependence, latitudinal and geomagnetic anomaly and long term variability are explained on the basis of this model

  11. Graph-representation of oxidative folding pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaján László

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The process of oxidative folding combines the formation of native disulfide bond with conformational folding resulting in the native three-dimensional fold. Oxidative folding pathways can be described in terms of disulfide intermediate species (DIS which can also be isolated and characterized. Each DIS corresponds to a family of folding states (conformations that the given DIS can adopt in three dimensions. Results The oxidative folding space can be represented as a network of DIS states interconnected by disulfide interchange reactions that can either create/abolish or rearrange disulfide bridges. We propose a simple 3D representation wherein the states having the same number of disulfide bridges are placed on separate planes. In this representation, the shuffling transitions are within the planes, and the redox edges connect adjacent planes. In a number of experimentally studied cases (bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, insulin-like growth factor and epidermal growth factor, the observed intermediates appear as part of contiguous oxidative folding pathways. Conclusions Such networks can be used to visualize folding pathways in terms of the experimentally observed intermediates. A simple visualization template written for the Tulip package http://www.tulip-software.org/ can be obtained from V.A.

  12. Facile synthesis of iron oxides/reduced graphene oxide composites: application for electromagnetic wave absorption at high temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lili; Yu, Xinxin; Hu, Hongrui; Li, Yang; Wu, Mingzai; Wang, Zhongzhu; Li, Guang; Sun, Zhaoqi; Chen, Changle

    2015-03-19

    Iron oxides/reduced graphene oxide composites were synthesized by facile thermochemical reactions of graphite oxide and FeSO4 · 7H2O. By adjusting reaction temperature, α-Fe2O3/reduced graphene oxide and Fe3O4/reduced graphene oxide composites can be obtained conveniently. Graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide sheets were demonstrated to regulate the phase transition from α-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4 via γ-Fe2O3, which was reported for the first time. The hydroxyl groups attached on the graphene oxide sheets and H2 gas generated during the annealing of graphene oxide are believed to play an important role during these phase transformations. These samples showed good electromagnetic wave absorption performance due to their electromagnetic complementary effect. These samples possess much better electromagnetic wave absorption properties than the mixture of separately prepared Fe3O4 with rGO, suggesting the crucial role of synthetic method in determining the product properties. Also, these samples perform much better than commercial absorbers. Most importantly, the great stability of these composites is highly advantageous for applications as electromagnetic wave absorption materials at high temperatures.

  13. Cadmium induced oxidative stress in Dunaliella salina | Moradshahi ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The unicellular green algae Dunaliella salina contains various antioxidants which protect the cell from oxidative damage due to environmental stresses such as heavy metal stress. In the present study, the response of D. salina at the stationary growth phase to oxidative stress generated by cadmium chloride was ...

  14. Fatty acids and oxidative stress in psychiatric disorders

    OpenAIRE

    Tonello Lucio; Cocchi Massimo; Tsaluchidu Sofia; Puri Basant K

    2008-01-01

    Abstract Background The aim of this study was to determine whether there is published evidence for increased oxidative stress in neuropsychiatric disorders. Methods A PubMed search was carried out using the MeSH search term 'oxidative stress' in conjunction with each of the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Association in order to identify potential studies. Results There was published evidence of increased oxidative stress in the following DSM-IV-TR diagnostic categ...

  15. Tolerance of spermatogonia to oxidative stress is due to high levels of Zn and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fritzie T Celino

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Spermatogonia are highly tolerant to reactive oxygen species (ROS attack while advanced-stage germ cells such as spermatozoa are much more susceptible, but the precise reason for this variation in ROS tolerance remains unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the Japanese eel testicular culture system that enables a complete spermatogenesis in vitro, we report that advanced-stage germ cells undergo intense apoptosis and exhibit strong signal for 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, an oxidative DNA damage marker, upon exposure to hypoxanthine-generated ROS while spermatogonia remain unaltered. Activity assay of antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD and Western blot analysis using an anti-Copper/Zinc (Cu/Zn SOD antibody showed a high SOD activity and Cu/Zn SOD protein concentration during early spermatogenesis. Immunohistochemistry showed a strong expression for Cu/Zn SOD in spermatogonia but weak expression in advanced-stage germ cells. Zn deficiency reduced activity of the recombinant eel Cu/Zn SOD protein. Cu/Zn SOD siRNA decreased Cu/Zn SOD expression in spermatogonia and led to increased oxidative damage. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data indicate that the presence of high levels of Cu/Zn SOD and Zn render spermatogonia resistant to ROS, and consequently protected from oxidative stress. These findings provide the biochemical basis for the high tolerance of spermatogonia to oxidative stress.

  16. Nonlinear response of vessel walls due to short-time thermomechanical loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pfeiffer, P.A.; Kulak, R.F.

    1994-01-01

    Maintaining structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) during a postulated core melt accident is an important safety consideration in the design of the vessel. This study addresses the failure predictions of the vessel due to thermal and pressure loadings fro the molten core debris depositing on the lower head of the vessel. Different loading combinations were considered based on the dead load, yield stress assumptions, material response and internal pressurization. The analyses considered only short term failure (quasi static) modes, long term failure modes were not considered. Short term failure modes include plastic instabilities of the structure and failure due to exceeding the failure strain. Long term failure odes would be caused by creep rupture that leads to plastic instability of the structure. Due to the sort time durations analyzed, creep was not considered in the analyses presented

  17. Chronic Iron Limitation Confers Transient Resistance to Oxidative Stress in Marine Diatoms1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graff van Creveld, Shiri; Rosenwasser, Shilo; Vardi, Assaf

    2016-01-01

    Diatoms are single-celled, photosynthetic, bloom-forming algae that are responsible for at least 20% of global primary production. Nevertheless, more than 30% of the oceans are considered “ocean deserts” due to iron limitation. We used the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a model system to explore diatom’s response to iron limitation and its interplay with susceptibility to oxidative stress. By analyzing physiological parameters and proteome profiling, we defined two distinct phases: short-term (5 d, phase II) iron limitation. While at phase I no significant changes in physiological parameters were observed, molecular markers for iron starvation, such as Iron Starvation Induced Protein and flavodoxin, were highly up-regulated. At phase II, down-regulation of numerous iron-containing proteins was detected in parallel to reduction in growth rate, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity, respiration rate, and antioxidant capacity. Intriguingly, while application of oxidative stress to phase I and II iron-limited cells similarly oxidized the reduced glutathione (GSH) pool, phase II iron limitation exhibited transient resistance to oxidative stress, despite the down regulation of many antioxidant proteins. By comparing proteomic profiles of P. tricornutum under iron limitation and metatranscriptomic data of an iron enrichment experiment conducted in the Pacific Ocean, we propose that iron-limited cells in the natural environment resemble the phase II metabolic state. These results provide insights into the trade-off between optimal growth rate and susceptibility to oxidative stress in the response of diatoms to iron quota in the marine environment. PMID:27503604

  18. Protein oxidation and peroxidation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Davies, Michael Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Proteins are major targets for radicals and two-electron oxidants in biological systems due to their abundance and high rate constants for reaction. With highly reactive radicals damage occurs at multiple side-chain and backbone sites. Less reactive species show greater selectivity with regard...... to the residues targeted and their spatial location. Modification can result in increased side-chain hydrophilicity, side-chain and backbone fragmentation, aggregation via covalent cross-linking or hydrophobic interactions, protein unfolding and altered conformation, altered interactions with biological partners...... and modified turnover. In the presence of O2, high yields of peroxyl radicals and peroxides (protein peroxidation) are formed; the latter account for up to 70% of the initial oxidant flux. Protein peroxides can oxidize both proteins and other targets. One-electron reduction results in additional radicals...

  19. Oxidation of zirconium alloys in steam: influence of tetragonal zirconia on oxide growth mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godlewski, J.

    1990-07-01

    The oxidation of zirconium alloys in presence of steam, presents after a 'parabolic' growth law, an acceleration of the oxidation velocity. This phenomenon limits the use of zirconium alloys as nuclear fuel cladding element. In order to determine the physico-chemical process leading to this kinetic transition, two approaches have been carried out: the first one has consisted to determine the composition of the oxide layer and its evolution with the oxidation time; and the second one to determine the oxygen diffusion coefficients in the oxide layers of pre- and post-transition as well as their evolution with the oxidation time. The composition of the oxide layers has been determined by two analyses techniques: the X-ray diffraction and the laser Raman spectroscopy. This last method has allowed to confirm the presence of tetragonal zirconium oxide in the oxide layers. Analyses carried out by laser Raman spectroscopy on oxides oblique cuttings have revealed that the tetragonal zirconium oxide is transformed in monoclinic phase during the kinetic transition. A quantitative approach has allowed to corroborate the results obtained by these two techniques. In order to determine the oxygen diffusion coefficients in the oxides layers, two diffusion treatments have been carried out: 1)under low pressure with D 2 18 O 2 ) under high pressure in an autoclave with H 2 18 O. The oxygen 18 concentration profiles have been obtained by two analyses techniques: the nuclear microprobe and the secondary ions emission spectroscopy. The obtained profiles show that the mass transport is made by the volume and particularly by the grain boundaries. The corresponding diffusion coefficients have been calculated with the WHIPPLE and LE CLAIRE solution. The presence of tetragonal zirconium oxide, its relation with the kinetic transition, and the evolution of the diffusion coefficients with the oxidation time, are discussed in terms of internal stresses in the oxide layer and of the oxide layer

  20. Electrochemical reduction of actinides oxides in molten salts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Claux, B.

    2011-01-01

    Reactive metals are currently produced from their oxide by multiple steps reduction techniques. A one step route from the oxide to the metal has been suggested for metallic titanium production by electrolysis in high temperature molten chloride salts. In the so-called FFC process, titanium oxide is electrochemically reduced at the cathode, generating O 2- ions, which are converted on a graphite anode into carbon oxide or dioxide. After this process, the spent salt can in principle be reused for several batches which is particularly attractive for a nuclear application in terms of waste minimization. In this work, the electrochemical reduction process of cerium oxide (IV) is studied in CaCl 2 and CaCl 2 -KCl melts to understand the oxide reduction mechanism. Cerium is used as a chemical analogue of actinides. Electrolysis on 10 grams of cerium oxide are made to find optimal conditions for the conversion of actinides oxides into metals. The scale-up to hundred grams of oxide is also discussed. (author) [fr

  1. Selective propene oxidation on mixed metal oxide catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James, David William

    2002-01-01

    that of Sb 2 O 3 , which is dominated by Sb 3+ . X-ray diffraction analysis of the 'Sb 2 O 5 ' sample, together with computer modelling studies, have indicated that this sample is in fact an unusual morphology of the β-Sb 2 O 4 phase. A comparison of the reactivity between iron antimonate (Fe:Sb = 1:2) and bismuth molybdate has revealed that the latter is more effective for the selective oxidation reaction due to its higher oxygen mobility and its ability to maintain a higher average surface oxidation state, due to oxygen vacancies being transported into the bulk material. A preliminary investigation into the effect of metal cation substitution within the bulk iron antimonate composition (Fe 1-x A x SbO 4 , where A was cobalt or vanadium, and 0 ≤ x ≤ 1) showed that both the metal and its extent of substitution significantly affects the products formed during reaction. Low levels of cobalt or vanadium substitution (x = 0.2) enhance the selectivity towards acrolein, with the latter also providing a route for the direct conversion of acrolein into acrylic acid when operated within a fixed temperature regime. At high levels of substitution both metals increase the activity of the system and form undesired reaction products. A correlation between metal doping and product distributions has been proposed. Fundamental studies concerning the intermediate species involved during selective propene oxidation on iron antimonate have been carried out using inelastic neutron scattering. The identification of allyl species, by comparison of experimental spectra with those predicted from density functional theory calculations, suggests that the rate-determining step may not be the initial a-hydrogen abstraction to form the allyl, as is often assumed. (author)

  2. Sucrose tricarboxylate by sonocatalysed TEMPO-mediated oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemoine, S; Thomazeau, C; Joannard, D; Trombotto, S; Descotes, G; Bouchu, A; Queneau, Y

    2000-06-16

    Oxidation of sucrose by the NaOCl/TEMPO system provided sucrose tricarboxylate without the addition of sodium bromide as co-catalyst when high-frequency (500 kHz) ultrasound was applied, in contrast to very limited conversion without sonication. In the presence of sodium bromide, sonication also caused acceleration of the oxidation. The rate increase due to sonication of the oxidant system prior to sucrose addition suggests that ultrasound acts at the level of the formation of the nitrosonium ion, the active oxidising species in the catalytic cycle.

  3. The oxidative hypothesis of senescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gilca M

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The oxidative hypothesis of senescence, since its origin in 1956, has garnered significant evidence and growing support among scientists for the notion that free radicals play an important role in ageing, either as "damaging" molecules or as signaling molecules. Age-increasing oxidative injuries induced by free radicals, higher susceptibility to oxidative stress in short-lived organisms, genetic manipulations that alter both oxidative resistance and longevity and the anti-ageing effect of caloric restriction and intermittent fasting are a few examples of accepted scientific facts that support the oxidative theory of senescence. Though not completely understood due to the complex "network" of redox regulatory systems, the implication of oxidative stress in the ageing process is now well documented. Moreover, it is compatible with other current ageing theories (e.g., those implicating the mitochondrial damage/mitochondrial-lysosomal axis, stress-induced premature senescence, biological "garbage" accumulation, etc. This review is intended to summarize and critically discuss the redox mechanisms involved during the ageing process: sources of oxidant agents in ageing (mitochondrial -electron transport chain, nitric oxide synthase reaction- and non-mitochondrial- Fenton reaction, microsomal cytochrome P450 enzymes, peroxisomal β -oxidation and respiratory burst of phagocytic cells, antioxidant changes in ageing (enzymatic- superoxide dismutase, glutathione-reductase, glutathion peroxidase, catalase- and non-enzymatic glutathione, ascorbate, urate, bilirubine, melatonin, tocopherols, carotenoids, ubiquinol, alteration of oxidative damage repairing mechanisms and the role of free radicals as signaling molecules in ageing.

  4. Oxidative stress due to radiation in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells. Protection by IGF-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Floratou, K.; Karakantza, M.; Giannopoulou, E.; Antonacopoulou, A.; Adonakis, G.; Kardamakis, D.; Matsouka, P.

    2012-01-01

    Radiation exerts direct as well as indirect effects on DNA through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Irradiated hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) experience DNA strand breaks, favoring genetic instability, due to ROS generation. Our aim was to study the effect of a range of radiation doses in HPCs and the possible protective mechanisms activated by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). ROS generation was evaluated, in the presence or absence of IGF-1 in liquid cultures of human HPCs-CD34 + irradiated with 1-, 2- and 5-Gy X-rays, using a flow cytometry assay. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) expression was studied by western blot analysis and visualized by an immunofluorescence assay. Apoptosis was estimated using the following assays: Annexin-V assay, DNA degradation assay, BCL-2/BAX mRNA and protein levels and caspase-9 protein immunofluorescence visualization. Viability and clonogenic potential were studied in irradiated HPCs. The generation of superoxide anion radicals at an early and a late time point was increased, while the hydrogen peroxide generation at a late time point was stable. IGF-1 presence further enhanced the radiation-induced increase of MnSOD at 24 h post irradiation. IGF-1 inhibited the mitochondria-mediated pathway of apoptosis by regulating the m-RNA and protein expression of BAX, BCL-2 and the BCL-2/BAX ratio and by decreasing caspase-9 protein expression. IGF-1 presence in culture media of irradiated cells restored the clonogenic capacity and the viability of HPCs as well. In conclusion, IGF-1 protects HPCs-CD34 + from radiation effects, by eliminating the oxidative microenvironment through the enhancement of MnSOD activation and by regulating the mitochondria-mediated pathway of apoptosis. (author)

  5. Secondary organic aerosol from VOC mixtures in an oxidation flow reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahlberg, Erik; Falk, John; Eriksson, Axel; Holst, Thomas; Brune, William H.; Kristensson, Adam; Roldin, Pontus; Svenningsson, Birgitta

    2017-07-01

    The atmospheric organic aerosol is a tremendously complex system in terms of chemical content. Models generally treat the mixtures as ideal, something which has been questioned owing to model-measurement discrepancies. We used an oxidation flow reactor to produce secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mixtures containing oxidation products of biogenic (α-pinene, myrcene and isoprene) and anthropogenic (m-xylene) volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The resulting volume concentration and chemical composition was measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS), respectively. The SOA mass yield of the mixtures was compared to a partitioning model constructed from single VOC experiments. The single VOC SOA mass yields with no wall-loss correction applied are comparable to previous experiments. In the mixtures containing myrcene a higher yield than expected was produced. We attribute this to an increased condensation sink, arising from myrcene producing a significantly higher number of nucleation particles compared to the other precursors. Isoprene did not produce much mass in single VOC experiments but contributed to the mass of the mixtures. The effect of high concentrations of isoprene on the OH exposure was found to be small, even at OH reactivities that previously have been reported to significantly suppress OH exposures in oxidation flow reactors. Furthermore, isoprene shifted the particle size distribution of mixtures towards larger sizes, which could be due to a change in oxidant dynamics inside the reactor.

  6. Uncharted territories of the patent-restoration due-diligence challenge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaudry, Kate S

    2011-01-01

    The innovation and development incentives offered by the patent system are mitigated if a substantial portion of the patent term is lost while obtaining product approval through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Drug Price Competition and Patent Restoration Act was enacted to return some of the lost patent term to the patentee. However, any person can petition the FDA, contending that the patentee did not act with due diligence in seeking FDA approval of the product during the regulatory review period. A successful challenge will reduce the restored term, such that the patentee is not compensated for time lost due to his own non-diligent actions. While the current due-diligence regulations provide a vague and flexible standard, earlier drafts of the regulations and FDA responses to comments provide insight as to the types of factors the FDA is likely to consider when assessing an applicant's diligence. A due-diligence petition has only been filed three times, and in none of these cases did the FDA issue a decision based on substantive diligence matters. Still, detailed examination of these petitions is also instructive in predicting the success of due-diligence challenges. Statute-imposed maximums and applicants' own incentives to act diligently may minimize the utility of the due-diligence challenges in some contexts. However, in other contexts, I propose that these petitions offer a feasible approach towards limiting pharmaceutical monopolies.

  7. [Short-term and medium-term efficacy of mesotherapy in patients with lower back pain due to spondyloarthrosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrara, Paola Emilia; Ronconi, Gianpaolo; Viscito, Rossella; Maggi, Loredana; Bertolini, Carlo; Ljoka, Concetta; Ferriero, Giorgio; Foti, Calogero

    2017-01-01

    Mesotherapy is an intradermal treatment for patients with local pain. The literature describes the efficacy of mesotherapy in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders measuring a reduction of analgesic drug intake and of healthcare spending. The aim of this study was to measure the effects of mesotherapy on pain and disability in patients with low back pain due to spondyloarthrosis.

  8. Oxidation of nano-reinforced polyolefins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gutierrez Castro, G.G.

    2010-11-01

    Nano-composite materials attract search due to their improvements on barrier properties by incorporating low level of nano-filler of 5%w. Nowadays, organically modified montmorillonite (MMT-O) is the most used filler due to its high aspect ratio which permits stronger clay/polymer interactions. If nano-reinforced materials are highly performing, the ways in which clay presence affects polyolefin durability have not being subject of a rigorous study, thus they are not yet clear. Our goal was to examine unstabilized clay polypropylene and unstabilized clay polyethylene nano composites to get a better comprehension of the clay effects on their thermo-oxidation process under low temperatures. The effects induced by a dual physic-chemical nature of the clay were explored. The problem was tackled from both experimental and theoretical point of views for degradation process not controlled and controlled by oxygen diffusion (homogenous and heterogeneous respectively). It seems that MMT-O speeds up oxidation. This phenomenon was modeled by adding a catalytic reaction between metallic particles initially present in the MMT-O and hydroperoxide groups (main responsible of oxidation). Regarding the oxygen permeability two situations were confronted: for the clay polypropylene system a decrease of 45% of oxygen permeability was measured. On the other hand, no variation was found for the polyethylene case. This effect was attributed to the fact that polyethylene nano-composite reached a blend morphology less developed than those of the polypropylene nano-composite. Kinetics and oxidation products profiles across the sample thickness were simulated for both systems by coupling oxidation reactions with oxygen diffusion equations. For the polyethylene case, the effects induced by oxidation on molar mass and crystalline morphology were also simulated. Finally, based on a structure-property relationship, simulations of mechanic modulus profiles were performed for the heterogeneous

  9. Oxidative stress due to (R)-styrene oxide exposure and the role of antioxidants in non-Swiss albino (NSA) mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meszka-Jordan, Anna; Mahlapuu, Riina; Soomets, Ursel; Carlson, Gary P

    2009-01-01

    Styrene produces lung and liver damage that may be related to oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the toxicity of (R)-styrene oxide (R-SO), the more active enantiomeric metabolite of styrene, and the protective properties of the antioxidants glutathione (GSH), N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and 4-methoxy-L-tyrosinyl-gamma-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine (UPF1) against R-SO-induced toxicity in non-Swiss Albino (NSA) mice. UPF1 is a synthetic GSH analog that was shown to have 60 times the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) in comparison to GSH. R-SO toxicity to the lung was measured by elevations in the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), protein concentration, and number of cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Toxicity to the liver was measured by increases in serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity. Antioxidants were not able to decrease the adverse effects of R-SO on lung. However, NAC (200 mg/kg) ip and GSH (600 mg/kg), administered orally prior to R-SO (300 mg/kg) ip, showed significant protection against liver toxicity as measured by SDH activity. Unexpectedly, a synthetic GSH analog, UPF1 (0.8 mg/kg), administered intravenously (iv) prior to R-SO, produced a synergistic effect with regard to liver and lung toxicity. Treatment with UPF1 (0.8 mg/kg) iv every other day for 1 wk for preconditioning prior to R-SO ip did not result in any protection against liver and lung toxicity, but rather enhanced the toxicity when administered prior R-SO. The results of the present study demonstrated protection against R-SO toxicity in liver but not lung by the administration of the antioxidants NAC and GSH.

  10. Cellular membrane accommodation of copper-induced oxidative conditions in the coral Seriatopora caliendrum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Chuan-Ho, E-mail: chtang@nmmba.gov.tw [Institute of Marine Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, Taiwan, ROC (China); National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lin, Ching-Yu [Institute of Environmental Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lee, Shu-Hui [Center of General Education, National Kaohsiung Marine University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC (China); Wang, Wei-Hsien [National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources and Asia-Pacific Ocean Research Center, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC (China)

    2014-03-01

    Highlights: • Coral cells alter membrane lipid to accommodate copper-induce oxidative conditions • Coral membrane repair occur due to lipid alterations • Zooxanthellae release results from membrane repair by symbiosome fusion • Copper-induced lipid alterations perturb membrane-related functions in coral cells • Copper chronic effect on coral fitness are related to long-term membrane perturbation - Abstract: Oxidative stress has been associated with copper-induced toxicity in scleractinian corals. To gain insight into the accommodation of the cellular membrane to oxidative conditions, a pocilloporid coral, Seriatopora caliendrum, was exposed to copper at distinct, environmentally relevant dose for various lengths of time. Glycerophosphocholine profiling of the response of the coral to copper exposure was characterized using a validated method. The results indicate that coral lipid metabolism is programmed to induce membrane alterations in response to the cellular deterioration that occurs during the copper exposure period. Decreasing lyso-phosphatidylcholines and exchanging polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines for polyunsaturated plasmanylcholines were the initial actions taken to prevent membrane permeabilization. To relax/resist the resulting membrane strain caused by cell/organelle swelling, the coral cells inversely exchanged polyunsaturated plasmanylcholines for polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines and further increased the levels of monounsaturated glycerophosphocholines. At the same time, the levels of saturated phosphatidylcholines were also increased to increase membrane rigidity and protect against oxidative attack. Interestingly, such alterations in lipid metabolism were also required for membrane fusion to repair the deteriorated membranes by repopulating them with proximal lipid reservoirs, similar to symbiosome membranes. Additionally, increasing saturated and monounsaturated plasmanylcholines and inhibiting the suppression of saturated lyso

  11. Cellular membrane accommodation of copper-induced oxidative conditions in the coral Seriatopora caliendrum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Chuan-Ho; Lin, Ching-Yu; Lee, Shu-Hui; Wang, Wei-Hsien

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Coral cells alter membrane lipid to accommodate copper-induce oxidative conditions • Coral membrane repair occur due to lipid alterations • Zooxanthellae release results from membrane repair by symbiosome fusion • Copper-induced lipid alterations perturb membrane-related functions in coral cells • Copper chronic effect on coral fitness are related to long-term membrane perturbation - Abstract: Oxidative stress has been associated with copper-induced toxicity in scleractinian corals. To gain insight into the accommodation of the cellular membrane to oxidative conditions, a pocilloporid coral, Seriatopora caliendrum, was exposed to copper at distinct, environmentally relevant dose for various lengths of time. Glycerophosphocholine profiling of the response of the coral to copper exposure was characterized using a validated method. The results indicate that coral lipid metabolism is programmed to induce membrane alterations in response to the cellular deterioration that occurs during the copper exposure period. Decreasing lyso-phosphatidylcholines and exchanging polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines for polyunsaturated plasmanylcholines were the initial actions taken to prevent membrane permeabilization. To relax/resist the resulting membrane strain caused by cell/organelle swelling, the coral cells inversely exchanged polyunsaturated plasmanylcholines for polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines and further increased the levels of monounsaturated glycerophosphocholines. At the same time, the levels of saturated phosphatidylcholines were also increased to increase membrane rigidity and protect against oxidative attack. Interestingly, such alterations in lipid metabolism were also required for membrane fusion to repair the deteriorated membranes by repopulating them with proximal lipid reservoirs, similar to symbiosome membranes. Additionally, increasing saturated and monounsaturated plasmanylcholines and inhibiting the suppression of saturated lyso

  12. Why nano-oxidation with carbon nanotube probes is so stable: II. Bending behaviour of CNT probes during nano-oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuramochi, H; Tokizaki, T; Ando, K; Yokoyama, H; Dagata, J A

    2007-01-01

    Part I demonstrated that nano-oxidation in the dynamic-force mode was enhanced by the use of conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) probes. Fabrication of oxide nanostructures using CNT probes benefited not only from the smaller tip apex compared to conventional probes but from improved operational stability over a wide range of exposure conditions primarily due to the hydrophobic nature of the CNT. Here we investigate the bending response of CNT probes to electrostatic and meniscus forces during nano-oxidation. We conclude that bending of the CNT introduces an additional cushion in the combined cantilever-probe deflection system, thus improving overall stability of the tip-sample junction during nano-oxidation

  13. Multiscale model of metal alloy oxidation at grain boundaries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sushko, Maria L.; Alexandrov, Vitaly; Schreiber, Daniel K.; Rosso, Kevin M.; Bruemmer, Stephen M.

    2015-01-01

    High temperature intergranular oxidation and corrosion of metal alloys is one of the primary causes of materials degradation in nuclear systems. In order to gain insights into grain boundary oxidation processes, a mesoscale metal alloy oxidation model is established by combining quantum Density Functional Theory (DFT) and mesoscopic Poisson-Nernst-Planck/classical DFT with predictions focused on Ni alloyed with either Cr or Al. Analysis of species and fluxes at steady-state conditions indicates that the oxidation process involves vacancy-mediated transport of Ni and the minor alloying element to the oxidation front and the formation of stable metal oxides. The simulations further demonstrate that the mechanism of oxidation for Ni-5Cr and Ni-4Al is qualitatively different. Intergranular oxidation of Ni-5Cr involves the selective oxidation of the minor element and not matrix Ni, due to slower diffusion of Ni relative to Cr in the alloy and due to the significantly smaller energy gain upon the formation of nickel oxide compared to that of Cr 2 O 3 . This essentially one-component oxidation process results in continuous oxide formation and a monotonic Cr vacancy distribution ahead of the oxidation front, peaking at alloy/oxide interface. In contrast, Ni and Al are both oxidized in Ni-4Al forming a mixed spinel NiAl 2 O 4 . Different diffusivities of Ni and Al give rise to a complex elemental distribution in the vicinity of the oxidation front. Slower diffusing Ni accumulates in the oxide and metal within 3 nm of the interface, while Al penetrates deeper into the oxide phase. Ni and Al are both depleted from the region 3–10 nm ahead of the oxidation front creating voids. The oxide microstructure is also different. Cr 2 O 3 has a plate-like structure with 1.2–1.7 nm wide pores running along the grain boundary, while NiAl 2 O 4 has 1.5 nm wide pores in the direction parallel to the grain boundary and 0.6 nm pores in the perpendicular direction providing an additional

  14. Oxidation and creep behavior of Mo*5*Si*3* based materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meyer, Mitch [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    1995-06-19

    Mo5Si3 shows promise as a high temperature creep resistant material. The high temperature oxidation resistance of Mo5Si3 has been found to be poor, however, limiting its use in oxidizing atmospheres. Undoped Mo5Si3 exhibits mass loss in the temperature range 800°-1200°C due to volatilization of molybdenum oxide, indicating that the silica scale does not provide a passivating layer. The addition of boron results in protective scale formation and parabolic oxidation kinetics in the temperature range of 1050{degrees}-1300°C. The oxidation rate of Mo5Si3 was decreased by 5 orders of magnitude at 1200°C by doping with less than two weight percent boron. Boron doping eliminates catastrophic "pest" oxidation at 800°C. The mechanism for improved oxidation resistance of boron doped Mo5Si3 is due to scale modification by boron.

  15. Ultrathin Oxide Passivation Layer by Rapid Thermal Oxidation for the Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell Applications

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Youngseok; Oh, Woongkyo; Dao, Vinh Ai; Hussain, Shahzada Qamar; Yi, Junsin

    2012-01-01

    It is difficult to deposit extremely thin a-Si:H layer in heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) solar cell due to thermal damage and tough process control. This study aims to understand oxide passivation mechanism of silicon surface using rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) process by examining surface effective lifetime and surface recombination velocity. The presence of thin insulating a-Si:H layer is the key to get high Voc by lowering the leakage current (I0) which improves the efficie...

  16. Carbon contaminant in the ion processing of aluminum oxide film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaug, Y.; Roy, N.

    1989-01-01

    Ion processing can induce contamination on the bombarded surface. However, this process is essential for the microelectronics device fabrication. Auger electron spectroscopy has been used to study the simultaneous deposition of carbon impurity during ion bombardment of magnetron rf-sputtering deposited aluminum oxide film. Ion bombardment on aluminum oxide results in a preferential removal of surface oxygen and a formation of a metastable state of aluminum suboxide. Cosputtered implanted carbon contaminant appears to have formed a new state of stoichiometry on the surface of the ion bombarded aluminum oxide and existed as an aluminum carbide. This phase has formed due to the interaction of the implanted carbon and the aluminum suboxide. The Ar + ion sputter etching rate is reduced for the carbon contaminated oxide. The electrical resistance of the aluminum oxide between two gold strips has been measured. It is found that the electrical resistance is also reduced due to the formation of the new stoichiometry on the surface

  17. The Geomagnetic Control Concept of The Ionospheric Long- Term Trends

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikhailov, A. V.

    The geomagnetic control concept has been developed to explain long-term trends of the electron concentration in the F2 and E ionospheric regions. Periods with negative and positive foF2, hmF2 and foE trends correspond to the periods of increasing or decreasing geomagnetic activity with the turning points around the end of 1950s, 1960s, and 1980s where trends change their signs. Strong latitudinal and diurnal variations revealed for the foF2 and hmF2 trends can be explained by neutral composition, temperature and thermospheric wind changes. Particle precipitation is important in the auroral zone. The newly proposed concept proceeds from a natural origin of the F2-layer trends rather than an artificial one related to the greenhouse effect. Using the proposed method a very long-term foF2 and foE trends related with general increase of geomagnetic activity in the 20th century has been revealed for the first time. The firstly revealed relationship of the foE trends with geomagnetic activity is due to nitric oxide variations at the E-region heights. This "natural" relationship of the foE trends with geomagnetic activity breaks down around 1970 on many stations presumably due to chemical polution of the upper atmosphere. The increasing rate of rocket and satellite launchings in the late 1960s is considered as a reason.

  18. Oxidative alteration of uraninite at the Nopal I deposit, Mexico: Possible contaminant transport and source term constraints for the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leslie, B.W.; Pearcy, E.C.; Prikryl, J.D.

    1993-01-01

    The Nopal I uranium deposit at Pena Blanca, Mexico is being studied as a natural analog of the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Identification of secondary uranium phases at Nopal I, and the sequence of their formation after uraninite oxidation, provides insight into the source term for uranium, and suggests that uranophane may control uranium release and transport in a silici, tuffaceous, chemically oxidizing, and hydrologically unsaturated environment. Possible constraints on contaminant transport at Nopal I are derived from the spatial distribution of uranium and from measurements of 238 U decay-series isotopes. The analyses indicate that flow of U-bearing fluids was influenced strongly by fracture density, but that the flow of these fluids was not restricted to fractures. Gamma spectroscopic measurements of 238 U decay-series isotopes indicates secular equilibrium, which suggests undetectable U transport under present conditions

  19. Nitrous Oxide Emission by Aquatic Macrofauna

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stief, Peter; Nielsen, Lars Peter; Schramm, Andreas

    -term metabolic induction of gut denitrification is the preferential production of nitrous oxide rather than dinitrogen. These observations were made in detailed studies on the larvae of the freshwater insects Chironomus plumosus and Ephemera danica which both can be very abundant in lake and stream sediments......, respectively. Aside from these case studies, we screened more than 20 macrofauna species in various aquatic habitats for nitrous oxide production. Filter- and deposit-feeders that ingest large quantities of microorganisms were the most important emitters of nitrous oxide. In contrast, predatory species that do...... not ingest large quantities of microorganisms produced insignificant amounts of nitrous oxide. With increasing eutrophication, filter- and deposit-feeders often become the dominant feeding guilds of benthic communities. Thus, with increasing nitrate pollution, aquatic macrofauna has the potential to further...

  20. Comparison and functionalization study of microemulsion-prepared magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okoli, Chuka; Sanchez-Dominguez, Margarita; Boutonnet, Magali; Järås, Sven; Civera, Concepción; Solans, Conxita; Kuttuva, Gunaratna Rajarao

    2012-06-05

    Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MION) for protein binding and separation were obtained from water-in-oil (w/o) and oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions. Characterization of the prepared nanoparticles have been performed by TEM, XRD, SQUID magnetometry, and BET. Microemulsion-prepared magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (ME-MION) with sizes ranging from 2 to 10 nm were obtained. Study on the magnetic properties at 300 K shows a large increase of the magnetization ~35 emu/g for w/o-ME-MION with superparamagnetic behavior and nanoscale dimensions in comparison with o/w-ME-MION (10 emu/g) due to larger particle size and anisotropic property. Moringa oleifera coagulation protein (MOCP) bound w/o- and o/w-ME-MION showed an enhanced performance in terms of coagulation activity. A significant interaction between the magnetic nanoparticles and the protein can be described by changes in fluorescence emission spectra. Adsorbed protein from MOCP is still retaining its functionality even after binding to the nanoparticles, thus implying the extension of this technique for various applications.

  1. Chronic Iron Limitation Confers Transient Resistance to Oxidative Stress in Marine Diatoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graff van Creveld, Shiri; Rosenwasser, Shilo; Levin, Yishai; Vardi, Assaf

    2016-10-01

    Diatoms are single-celled, photosynthetic, bloom-forming algae that are responsible for at least 20% of global primary production. Nevertheless, more than 30% of the oceans are considered "ocean deserts" due to iron limitation. We used the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a model system to explore diatom's response to iron limitation and its interplay with susceptibility to oxidative stress. By analyzing physiological parameters and proteome profiling, we defined two distinct phases: short-term (chronic (>5 d, phase II) iron limitation. While at phase I no significant changes in physiological parameters were observed, molecular markers for iron starvation, such as Iron Starvation Induced Protein and flavodoxin, were highly up-regulated. At phase II, down-regulation of numerous iron-containing proteins was detected in parallel to reduction in growth rate, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity, respiration rate, and antioxidant capacity. Intriguingly, while application of oxidative stress to phase I and II iron-limited cells similarly oxidized the reduced glutathione (GSH) pool, phase II iron limitation exhibited transient resistance to oxidative stress, despite the down regulation of many antioxidant proteins. By comparing proteomic profiles of P. tricornutum under iron limitation and metatranscriptomic data of an iron enrichment experiment conducted in the Pacific Ocean, we propose that iron-limited cells in the natural environment resemble the phase II metabolic state. These results provide insights into the trade-off between optimal growth rate and susceptibility to oxidative stress in the response of diatoms to iron quota in the marine environment. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  2. Brain susceptibility to oxidative stress in the perinatal period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrone, Serafina; Tataranno, Luisa M; Stazzoni, Gemma; Ramenghi, Luca; Buonocore, Giuseppe

    2015-11-01

    Oxidative stress (OS) occurs at birth in all newborns as a consequence of the hyperoxic challenge due to the transition from the hypoxic intrauterine environment to extrauterine life. Free radical (FRs) sources such as inflammation, hyperoxia, hypoxia, ischaemia-reperfusion, neutrophil and macrophage activation, glutamate and free iron release, all increases the OS during the perinatal period. Newborns, and particularly preterm infants, have reduced antioxidant defences and are not able to counteract the harmful effects of FRs. Energy metabolism is central to life because cells cannot exist without an adequate supply of ATP. Due to its growth, the mammalian brain can be considered as a steady-state system in which ATP production matches ATP utilisation. The developing brain is particularly sensitive to any disturbances in energy generation, and even a short-term interruption can lead to long-lasting and irreversible damage. Whenever energy failure develops, brain damage can occur. Accumulating evidence indicates that OS is implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurological diseases, such as intraventricular haemorrhage, hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy and epilepsy.

  3. Spectroscopic investigation of oxidized solder surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Jenn-Ming; Chang-Chien, Yu-Chien; Huang, Bo-Chang; Chen, Wei-Ting; Shie, Chi-Rung; Hsu, Chuang-Yao

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → UV-visible spectroscopy is successfully used to evaluate the degree of discoloring of solders. → The surface oxides of solders can also be identified by UV-visible absorption spectra. → The discoloration of solder surface can be correlated with optical characterization of oxides. → A strategy against discoloring by alloying was also suggested. - Abstract: For further understanding of the discoloration of solder surfaces due to oxidation during the assembly and operation of electronic devices, UV-vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses were applied to evaluate the degree of discoloring and identify the surface oxides. The decrease in reflectance of the oxidized solder surface is related to SnO whose absorption band is located within the visible region. A trace of P can effectively depress the discoloration of solders under both solid and semi-solid states through the suppression of SnO.

  4. Oxidative stability of fish oil-enriched mayonnaise-based salads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Ann-Dorit Moltke; Nielsen, Nina Skall; Jacobsen, Charlotte

    2010-01-01

    The oxidative stability of fish oil-enriched mayonnaise-based salads and the influence of different vegetables in shrimp and tuna salads were evaluated. Moreover, the lipid oxidation in the presence of 1% oregano, rosemary, or thyme in fish oil-enriched tuna salad was assessed. The results obtain......-oxidative effect of shrimp. The effect of ingredients in tuna salads was inconclusive, possibly due to a high content of volatiles in the vegetables themselves. However, the addition of spices increased the oxidative stability of tuna salad (oregano>rosemary>thyme)....

  5. Microstructure and optical appearance of anodized friction stir processed Al - Metal oxide surface composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gudla, Visweswara Chakravarthy; Jensen, Flemming; Bordo, Kirill

    2014-01-01

    Multiple-pass friction stir processing (FSP) was employed to impregnate Ti, Y and Ce oxide powders into the surface of an Aluminium alloy. The FSP processed surface composite was subsequently anodized with an aim to develop optical effects in the anodized layer owing to the presence of incorporated...... oxide particles which will influence the scattering of light. This paper presents the investigations on relation between microstructure of the FSP zone and optical appearance of the anodized layer due to incorporation of metal oxide particles and modification of the oxide particles due to the anodizing...

  6. Persistent fibrosis in the liver of choline-deficient and iron-supplemented L-amino acid-defined diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis rat due to continuing oxidative stress after choline supplementation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeuchi-Yorimoto, Ayano; Noto, Takahisa; Yamada, Atsushi; Miyamae, Yoichi; Oishi, Yuji; Matsumoto, Masahiro

    2013-01-01

    Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by combined pathology of steatosis, lobular inflammation, fibrosis, and hepatocellular degeneration, with systemic symptoms of diabetes or hyperlipidemia, all in the absence of alcohol abuse. Given the therapeutic importance and conflicting findings regarding the potential for healing the histopathologic features of NASH in humans, particularly fibrosis, we investigated the reversibility of NASH-related findings in Wistar rats fed a choline-deficient and iron-supplemented L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet for 12 weeks, with a recovery period of 7 weeks, during which the diets were switched to a choline-sufficient and iron-supplemented L-amino acid-defined (CSAA) one. Analysis showed that steatosis and inflammation were significantly resolved by the end of the recovery period, along with decreases in AST and ALT activities within 4 weeks. In contrast, fibrosis remained even after the recovery period, to an extent similar to that in continuously CDAA-fed animals. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemical investigations revealed that expression of some factors indicating oxidative stress (CYP2E1, 4-HNE, and iNOS) were elevated, whereas catalase and SOD1 were decreased, and a hypoxic state and CD34-positive neovascularization were evident even after the recovery period, although the fibrogenesis pathway by activated α-SMA-positive hepatic stellate cells via TGF-β and TIMPs decreased to the CSAA group level. In conclusion, persistent fibrosis was noted after the recovery period of 7 weeks, possibly due to sustained hypoxia and oxidative stress supposedly caused by capillarization. Otherwise, histopathological features of steatosis and inflammation, as well as serum AST and ALT activities, were recovered. - Highlights: ► NASH-like liver lesions are induced in rats by feeding a CDAA diet. ► Steatosis and lobular inflammation are resolved after switching to a

  7. Persistent fibrosis in the liver of choline-deficient and iron-supplemented L-amino acid-defined diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis rat due to continuing oxidative stress after choline supplementation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takeuchi-Yorimoto, Ayano, E-mail: ayano.takeuchi@astellas.com [Drug Safety Research Labs, Astellas Pharma Inc., Osaka 532-8514 (Japan); Noto, Takahisa [Drug Safety Research Labs, Astellas Pharma Inc., Osaka 532-8514 (Japan); Yamada, Atsushi [Drug Safety Research Division, Astellas Research Technologies Co., Ltd., Osaka 532-8514 (Japan); Miyamae, Yoichi; Oishi, Yuji; Matsumoto, Masahiro [Drug Safety Research Labs, Astellas Pharma Inc., Osaka 532-8514 (Japan)

    2013-05-01

    Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by combined pathology of steatosis, lobular inflammation, fibrosis, and hepatocellular degeneration, with systemic symptoms of diabetes or hyperlipidemia, all in the absence of alcohol abuse. Given the therapeutic importance and conflicting findings regarding the potential for healing the histopathologic features of NASH in humans, particularly fibrosis, we investigated the reversibility of NASH-related findings in Wistar rats fed a choline-deficient and iron-supplemented L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet for 12 weeks, with a recovery period of 7 weeks, during which the diets were switched to a choline-sufficient and iron-supplemented L-amino acid-defined (CSAA) one. Analysis showed that steatosis and inflammation were significantly resolved by the end of the recovery period, along with decreases in AST and ALT activities within 4 weeks. In contrast, fibrosis remained even after the recovery period, to an extent similar to that in continuously CDAA-fed animals. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemical investigations revealed that expression of some factors indicating oxidative stress (CYP2E1, 4-HNE, and iNOS) were elevated, whereas catalase and SOD1 were decreased, and a hypoxic state and CD34-positive neovascularization were evident even after the recovery period, although the fibrogenesis pathway by activated α-SMA-positive hepatic stellate cells via TGF-β and TIMPs decreased to the CSAA group level. In conclusion, persistent fibrosis was noted after the recovery period of 7 weeks, possibly due to sustained hypoxia and oxidative stress supposedly caused by capillarization. Otherwise, histopathological features of steatosis and inflammation, as well as serum AST and ALT activities, were recovered. - Highlights: ► NASH-like liver lesions are induced in rats by feeding a CDAA diet. ► Steatosis and lobular inflammation are resolved after switching to a

  8. Effects of oxidation in the mechanical behavior of zircaloy-4 tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, A.M.M. dos.

    1981-07-01

    The kinetics of oxidation of zircaloy-4 is isothermally studied utilizing discontinous gravimetric method under two different oxidizing conditions, using gaseous oxigen and steam. The total weight gain during oxidation occurs in two different way: formation of oxide and solid solution. A mechanical test for studying the effect of embrittlement due to the absorption of oxygen in small zircalloy tubes have been developed. (Author) [pt

  9. The effects of iron(II) on the kinetics of arsenic oxidation and sorption on manganese oxides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yun; Li, Wei; Sparks, Donald L

    2015-11-01

    In this study, As(III) oxidation kinetics by a poorly-crystalline phyllomanganate (δ-MnO2) in the presence and absence of dissolved Fe(II) was investigated using stirred-flow and batch experiments. Chemically synthetic δ-MnO2 was reacted with four influent solutions, containing the same As(III) concentration but different Fe(II) concentrations, at pH 6. The results show an initial rapid As(III) oxidation by δ-MnO2, which is followed by an appreciably slow reaction after 8h. In the presence of Fe(II), As(III) oxidation is inhibited due to the competitive oxidation of Fe(II) as well as the formation of Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides on the δ-MnO2 surface. However, the sorption of As(III), As(V) and Mn(II) are increased, for the newly formed Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides provide additional sorption sites. This study suggests that the competitive oxidation of Fe(II) and consequently the precipitation of Fe(III) compounds on the δ-MnO2 surface play an important role in As(III) oxidation and As sequestration. Understanding these processes would be helpful in developing in situ strategies for remediation of As-contaminated waters and soils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Oxidation of urate in human skeletal muscle during exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hellsten, Ylva; Tullson, P. C.; Richter, Erik

    1997-01-01

    the level was more than twofold higher and remained elevated throughout recovery (p exercise, probably due to generation of free radicals. Furthermore, the findings support the suggested importance of urate......The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether high metabolic stress to skeletal muscle, induced by intensive exercise, would lead to an oxidation of urate to allantoin in the exercised muscle. Seven healthy male subjects performed short term (4.39 +/- 0.04 [+/-SE] min) exhaustive...... cycling exercise. Muscle samples were obtained from m. v. lateralis before and during the first few minutes after the exercise. Venous blood samples were obtained before and up to 45 min after the exercise. The concentration of urate in muscle decreased from a resting level of 0.26 +/- 0.023 to 0...

  11. EXAMINATION OF THE OXIDATION PROTECTION OF ZINC COATINGS FORMED ON COPPER ALLOYS AND STEEL SUBSTRATES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papazoglou, M.; Chaliampalias, D.; Vourlias, G.; Pavlidou, E.; Stergioudis, G.; Skolianos, S.

    2010-01-01

    The exposure of metallic components at aggressive high temperature environments, usually limit their usage at similar application because they suffer from severe oxidation attack. Copper alloys are used in a wide range of high-quality indoor and outdoor applications, statue parts, art hardware, high strength and high thermal conductivity applications. On the other hand, steel is commonly used as mechanical part of industrial set outs or in the construction sector due to its high mechanical properties. The aim of the present work is the examination of the oxidation resistance of pack cementation zinc coatings deposited on copper, leaded brass and steel substrates at elevated temperature conditions. Furthermore, an effort made to make a long-term evaluation of the coated samples durability. The oxidation results showed that bare substrates appear to have undergone severe damage comparing with the coated ones. Furthermore, the mass gain of the uncoated samples was higher than this of the zinc covered ones. Particularly zinc coated brass was found to be more resistant to oxidation conditions in which it was exposed as it has the lower mass gain as compared to the bare substrates and zinc coated copper. Zinc coated steel was also proved to be more resistive than the uncoated steel.

  12. Heat release from B4C oxidation in steam and air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belovsky, L.

    1996-01-01

    BWR and some PWR cores contain boron carbide (B 4 C) as neutron absorber. During a severe accident, the B 4 C can potentially react with steam under release of heat and hydrogen. Although models for B 4 C oxidation already exist in MELCOR and SCDAP/RELAP5, a development of a new model for another computer code seems to be difficult due to a missing comprehensive description of the current modelling methodology and scarce experimental data. The aim of this paper is to highlight the key points of the B 4 C oxidation using the existing available experimental data and to perform a simple heat balance analysis of the B 4 C/steam and B 4 C/air chemical reactions. The analysis of literature data shows that the B 4 C oxidation phenomenon is qualitatively well described below 1000 deg. C. However, no reliable data exist for the reaction kinetics especially above this temperature. It was found that the experimental results strongly depend on the experimental arrangement. The reaction heats, calculated in this study, indicate that the B 4 C oxidation is an exothermic reaction, releasing more heat in air than in steam. The formation of boric acids from the boron oxide increases the heat release from B 4 C by ∼ 10%, in the worst case. Although the total heat, released in a PWR core from the B 4 C oxidation, is probably much smaller than the heat released from the Zr/steam reaction, it is not excluded that the B 4 C oxidation can locally contribute to the damage of the control elements due to local overheating. Modelling of these phenomena is, however, very difficult due to the complex geometry of the liquefied control elements and due to absence of suitable data on the reaction kinetics. (author). 25 refs, 2 figs, 3 tabs

  13. Interannual variation in nitrous oxide emissions from perennial ryegrass/white clover grassland used for dairy production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burchill, William; Li, Dejun; Lanigan, Gary J; Williams, Micheal; Humphreys, James

    2014-10-01

    Nitrous oxide (N2 O) emissions are subject to intra- and interannual variation due to changes in weather and management. This creates significant uncertainties when quantifying estimates of annual N2 O emissions from grazed grasslands. Despite these uncertainties, the majority of studies are short-term in nature (Nitrous oxide emissions were measured from fertilized and grazed perennial ryegrass/white clover grassland (WC) and from perennial ryegrass plots that were not grazed and did not receive N input (GB), over 4 years from 2008 to 2012 in Ireland (52°51'N, 08°21'W). The annual N2 O-N emissions (kg ha(-1); mean ± SE) ranged from 4.4 ± 0.2 to 34.4 ± 5.5 from WC and from 1.7 ± 0.8 to 6.3 ± 1.2 from GB. Interannual variation in N2 O emissions was attributed to differences in annual rainfall, monthly (December) soil temperatures and variation in N input. Such substantial interannual variation in N2 O emissions highlights the need for long-term studies of emissions from managed pastoral systems. © 2014 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Short-Term and Long-Term Biological Effects of Chronic Chemical Contamination on Natural Populations of a Marine Bivalve.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marine Breitwieser

    Full Text Available Understanding the effects of chronic chemical contamination on natural populations of marine organisms is complex due to the combined effects of different types of pollutants and environmental parameters that can modulate the physiological responses to stress. Here, we present the effects of a chronic contamination in a marine bivalve by combining multiple approaches that provide information on individual and population health. We sampled variegated scallops (Mimachlamys varia at sites characterized by different contaminants and contamination levels to study the short and long-term (intergenerational responses of this species to physiological stress. We used biomarkers (SOD, MDA, GST, laccase, citrate synthase and phosphatases as indicators of oxidative stress, immune system alteration, mitochondrial respiration and general metabolism, and measured population genetic diversity at each site. In parallel, concentration of 14 trace metals and 45 organic contaminants (PAHs, PCBs, pesticides in tissues were measured. Scallops were collected outside and during their reproductive season to investigate temporal variability in contaminant and biomarker levels. Our analyses revealed that the levels of two biomarkers (Laccase-type phenoloxidase and malondialdehyde were significantly correlated with Cd concentration. Additionally, we observed significant seasonal differences for four of the five biomarkers, which is likely due to the scallop reproductive status at time of sampling. As a source of concern, a location that was identified as a reference site on the basis of inorganic contaminant levels presented the same level of some persistent organic pollutants (DDT and its metabolites than more impacted sites. Finally, potential long-term effects of heavy metal contamination were observed for variegated scallops as genetic diversity was depressed in the most polluted sites.

  15. Short-Term and Long-Term Biological Effects of Chronic Chemical Contamination on Natural Populations of a Marine Bivalve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breitwieser, Marine; Viricel, Amélia; Graber, Marianne; Murillo, Laurence; Becquet, Vanessa; Churlaud, Carine; Fruitier-Arnaudin, Ingrid; Huet, Valérie; Lacroix, Camille; Pante, Eric; Le Floch, Stéphane; Thomas-Guyon, Hélène

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the effects of chronic chemical contamination on natural populations of marine organisms is complex due to the combined effects of different types of pollutants and environmental parameters that can modulate the physiological responses to stress. Here, we present the effects of a chronic contamination in a marine bivalve by combining multiple approaches that provide information on individual and population health. We sampled variegated scallops (Mimachlamys varia) at sites characterized by different contaminants and contamination levels to study the short and long-term (intergenerational) responses of this species to physiological stress. We used biomarkers (SOD, MDA, GST, laccase, citrate synthase and phosphatases) as indicators of oxidative stress, immune system alteration, mitochondrial respiration and general metabolism, and measured population genetic diversity at each site. In parallel, concentration of 14 trace metals and 45 organic contaminants (PAHs, PCBs, pesticides) in tissues were measured. Scallops were collected outside and during their reproductive season to investigate temporal variability in contaminant and biomarker levels. Our analyses revealed that the levels of two biomarkers (Laccase-type phenoloxidase and malondialdehyde) were significantly correlated with Cd concentration. Additionally, we observed significant seasonal differences for four of the five biomarkers, which is likely due to the scallop reproductive status at time of sampling. As a source of concern, a location that was identified as a reference site on the basis of inorganic contaminant levels presented the same level of some persistent organic pollutants (DDT and its metabolites) than more impacted sites. Finally, potential long-term effects of heavy metal contamination were observed for variegated scallops as genetic diversity was depressed in the most polluted sites.

  16. Oxidation behaviour of titanium in high temperature steam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moroishi, T; Shida, Y [Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd., Amagasaki, Hyogo (Japan). Central Research Labs.

    1978-03-01

    The oxidation of pure titanium was studied in superheated steam at 400 -- 550/sup 0/C. The effects of prior cold working and several heat treatment conditions on the oxidation were examined and also the effects of the addition of small amounts of iron and oxygen were investigated. The oxidation mechanism of pure titanium is discussed in relation to the scale structure and the oxidation kinetics. Hydrogen absorption rate was also measured. As a result, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) The oxidation of pure titanium in steam was faster than in air and breakaway oxidation was observed above 500/sup 0/C after the specimen had gained a certain weight. Prior cold working and heat treatment conditions scarcely affected the oxidation rate, whereas the specimen containing small amounts of iron and oxygen showed a little more rapid oxidation. (2) At 500 and 550/sup 0/C a dark grey inner scale and a yellow-brown outer scale were formed. The outer scale was apt to exfoliate after the occurrence of breakaway oxidation. At 400 and 450/sup 0/C only a dark grey scale was observed. All of these oxides were identified as the rutile type, TiO/sub 2/. Furthermore, the presence of a thin and uniform oxygen rich layer beneath the external scale was confirmed at all test temperatures. (3) The measured weight gain approximately followed the cubic rate law; this would be expected for the following reason; one component of the weight gain is due to the dissolved oxygen, the amount of which remains constant after the early stages of oxidation. The second component is due to the parabolic growth of the external TiO/sub 2/ scale. When these contributions are added a pseudo-cubic weight gain curve results. (4) It was shown that 50 percent of the hydrogen generated during the oxidation was absorbed into the metal.

  17. Enzymatic Oxidation of Cholesterol: Properties and Functional Effects of Cholestenone in Cell Membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neuvonen, M.; Manna, M.; Mokkila, S.

    2014-01-01

    of cholestenone using simulations and cell biological experiments and assessed the functional effects of cholestenone in human cells. Atomistic simulations predicted that cholestenone reduces membrane order, undergoes faster flip-flop and desorbs more readily from membranes than cholesterol. In primary human...... fibroblasts, cholestenone was released from membranes to physiological extracellular acceptors more avidly than cholesterol, but without acceptors it remained in cells over a day. To address the functional effects of cholestenone, we studied fibroblast migration during wound healing. When cells were either...... similarly to control cells. Thus, cholesterol oxidation produces long-term functional effects in cells and these are in part due to the generated membrane active cholestenone....

  18. Methane combustion over lanthanum-based perovskite mixed oxides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arandiyan, Hamidreza [New South Wales Univ., Sydney (Australia). School of Chemical Engineering

    2015-11-01

    This book presents current research into the catalytic combustion of methane using perovskite-type oxides (ABO{sub 3}). Catalytic combustion has been developed as a method of promoting efficient combustion with minimum pollutant formation as compared to conventional catalytic combustion. Recent theoretical and experimental studies have recommended that noble metals supported on (ABO{sub 3}) with well-ordered porous networks show promising redox properties. Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) materials with interpenetrated and regular mesoporous systems have recently triggered enormous research activity due to their high surface areas, large pore volumes, uniform pore sizes, low cost, environmental benignity, and good chemical stability. These are all highly relevant in terms of the utilization of natural gas in light of recent catalytic innovations and technological advances. The book is of interest to all researchers active in utilization of natural gas with novel catalysts. The research covered comes from the most important industries and research centers in the field. The book serves not only as a text for researcher into catalytic combustion of methane, 3DOM perovskite mixed oxide, but also explores the field of green technologies by experts in academia and industry. This book will appeal to those interested in research on the environmental impact of combustion, materials and catalysis.

  19. Oxide-nitride-oxide dielectric stacks with Si nanoparticles obtained by low-energy ion beam synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ioannou-Sougleridis, V; Dimitrakis, P; Vamvakas, V Em; Normand, P; Bonafos, C; Schamm, S; Mouti, A; Assayag, G Ben; Paillard, V

    2007-01-01

    Formation of a thin band of silicon nanoparticles within silicon nitride films by low-energy (1 keV) silicon ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing is demonstrated. Electrical characterization of metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors reveals that oxide/Si-nanoparticles-nitride/oxide dielectric stacks exhibit enhanced charge transfer characteristics between the substrate and the silicon nitride layer compared to dielectric stacks using unimplanted silicon nitride. Attractive results are obtained in terms of write/erase memory characteristics and data retention, indicating the large potential of the low-energy ion-beam-synthesis technique in SONOS memory technology

  20. Zinc oxide nanoparticles for water disinfection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emelita Asuncion S. Dimapilis

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The world faces a growing challenge for adequate clean water due to threats coming from increasing demand and decreasing supply. Although there are existing technologies for water disinfection, their limitations, particularly the formation of disinfection-by-products, have led to researches on alternative methods. Zinc oxide, an essential chemical in the rubber and pharmaceutical industries, has attracted interest as antimicrobial agent. In nanoscale, zinc oxide has shown antimicrobial properties which make its potential great for various applications. This review discusses the synthesis of zinc oxide with focus on precipitation method, its antimicrobial property and the factors affecting it, disinfection mechanisms, and the potential application to water disinfection.

  1. The anti-oxidant effects of ginger and cinnamon on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ginger and cinnamon are strong anti-oxidants and have been shown to reduce oxidative stress in the long-term treatment of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in animal models. The present study examined the influence of combined ginger and cinnamon on spermatogenesis in STZ-induced diabetes in maleWistar rats ...

  2. Enhancing hepatic fibrosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats fed a choline-deficient diet: a follow-up report on long-term effects of oxidative stress in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Hiroya; Kanno, Keishi; Ikuta, Takuya; Arihiro, Koji; Sugiyama, Akiko; Kishikawa, Nobusuke; Tazuma, Susumu

    2016-05-01

    We previously reported a model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), fed a choline-deficient (CD) diet for 5 weeks, that hepatic steatosis but not fibrosis is developed through oxidative stress. To determine the relationship between hypertension and hepatic fibrosis in NAFLD, we examined whether long-term CD diet leads to hepatic fibrosis through oxidative stress. Eight-week-old male SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKYs) were fed a CD diet for 5 or 20 weeks, then liver histology and hepatic expression of genes related to lipid metabolism, fibrosis, and oxidative stress were assessed. Oxidative stress was assessed by hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels. After 5 weeks on CD diet, prominent hepatic steatosis and decrease in expression of genes for lipid metabolism were observed in SHRs as compared with WKYs. SHRs on a CD diet demonstrated a downregulated expression of genes for antioxidants, along with significant increases in hepatic TBARS. After 20 weeks on CD diet, SHRs demonstrated severe liver fibrosis and upregulated expressions of genes for fibrosis when compared with WKY. Hypertension precipitated hepatic steatosis, and further, acts as an enhancer in NAFLD progression to liver fibrosis through oxidative stress. © 2016 Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.

  3. Reliability and degradation of oxide VCSELs due to reaction to atmospheric water vapor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dafinca, Alexandru; Weidberg, Anthony R.; McMahon, Steven J.; Grillo, Alexander A.; Farthouat, Philippe; Ziolkowski, Michael; Herrick, Robert W.

    2013-03-01

    850nm oxide-aperture VCSELs are susceptible to premature failure if operated while exposed to atmospheric water vapor, and not protected by hermetic packaging. The ATLAS detector in CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has had approximately 6000 channels of Parallel Optic VCSELs fielded under well-documented ambient conditions. Exact time-to-failure data has been collected on this large sample, providing for the first time actual failure data at use conditions. In addition, the same VCSELs were tested under a variety of accelerated conditions to allow us to construct a more accurate acceleration model. Failure analysis information will also be presented to show what we believe causes corrosion-related failure for such VCSELs.

  4. Characteristics of oxide scale formed on Cu-bearing austenitic stainless steel during early stages of high temperature oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swaminathan, Srinivasan, E-mail: swaminathan@kist.re.kr [Metallurgy & Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India); High Temperature Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136 791 (Korea, Republic of); Krishna, Nanda Gopala [Metallurgy & Materials Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India); Kim, Dong-Ik, E-mail: dongikkim@kist.re.kr [High Temperature Energy Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136 791 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-30

    Highlights: • Initial oxidation characteristics of Cu-bearing austenitic stainless steel at 650 °C were studied. • Strong segregation and oxidation of Mn and Nb were found in the entire oxide scale. • Surface coverage by metallic Cu-rich precipitates increases with exposure time. • Chemical heterogeneity of oxide scale revealed initial oxidation to be non-selective. • Fe-Cr and Mn-Cr mixed oxides were realized along with binary oxides of Fe, Cr and Mn. - Abstract: Oxide scale evolution on Cu-bearing austenitic stainless steel 304H at 650 °C, in ambient air, for exposure times 100, 300, 500 and 1000 h, has been investigated. Surface morphology and chemistry of the oxide scale grown were examined using SEM/EDX and XPS. The oxidation kinetics was determined by measuring the weight change using an electronic balance. At the initial stage, up to 500 h of exposure time, the oxidation rate was rapid due to surface reactions governed primarily by oxygen ingress, and then, dropped to a low rate after prolonged oxidation for 1000 h. The diffusion of reactants through the initially formed oxide scale limits the oxidation rate at longer times, thus, the progress of reaction followed the parabolic kinetics. The formed oxide scale was enriched significantly with segregation and subsequent oxidation of Nb, and finely dispersed metallic Cu particles. Within the time frame of oxidation, the oxide scale was mainly composed of mixed oxides such as FeCr{sub 2}O{sub 4} and MnCr{sub 2}O{sub 4} along with the binary oxides of Fe, Cr and Mn. Moreover, the precipitation fraction of Cu-rich particles on the oxide scale increased markedly with increase of exposure times. The chemical heterogeneity of oxide scale suggests that the oxidation occurred in a non-selective manner.

  5. Hot functional test chemistry - long term experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vonkova, K.; Kysela, J.; Marcinsky, M.; Martykan, M.

    2010-01-01

    Primary circuit materials undergo general corrosion in high temperature, deoxygenated, neutral or mildly alkaline solutions to form thin oxide films. These oxide layers (films) serve as protective film and mitigate the further corrosion of primary materials. Inner chromium-rich oxide layer has low cation diffusion coefficients and thus control iron and nickel transport from the metal surface to the outer layer and their dissolution into the coolant. Much less corrosion products are generated by the compact, integral and stable oxide (passivation) layer. For the latest Czech and Slovak stations commissioned (Temelin and Mochovce) a modified Hot Functional Test (HFT) chemistry was developed in the NRI Rez. Chromium rich surface layer formatted due to modified HTF chemistry ensures lower corrosion rates and radiation field formation and thus also mitigates crud formation during operation. This procedure was also designed to prepare the commissioned unit for the further proper water chemistry practise. Mochovce 1 (SK) was the first station commissioned using these recommendations in 1998. Mochovce 2 (1999) and Temelin 1 and 2 (CZ - 2000 and 2002) were subsequently commissioned using these guidelines too. The main principles of the controlled primary water chemistry applied during the hot functional tests are reviewed and importance of the water chemistry, technological and other relevant parameters is stressed regarding to the quality of the passive layer formed on the primary system surfaces. Samples from Mochovce indicated that duplex oxide layers up to 20 μm thick were produced, which were mainly magnetite substituted with nickel and chromium (e.g. 60-65% Fe, 18-28% Cr, 9-12% Ni, <1% Mn and 1-2% Si on a stainless steel primary circuit sample). Long term operation experience from both nuclear power plants are discussed in this paper. Radiation field, occupational radiation exposure and corrosion layers evolution during the first c. ten years of operation are

  6. Selected oxidized fragrance terpenes are common contact allergens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Matura, Mihaly; Sköld, Maria; Börje, Anna

    2005-01-01

    Terpenes are widely used fragrance compounds in fine fragrances, but also in domestic and occupational products. Terpenes oxidize easily due to autoxidation on air exposure. Previous studies have shown that limonene, linalool and caryophyllene are not allergenic themselves but readily form...... allergenic products on air-exposure. This study aimed to determine the frequency and characteristics of allergic reactions to selected oxidized fragrance terpenes other than limonene. In total 1511 consecutive dermatitis patients in 6 European dermatology centres were patch tested with oxidized fragrance...

  7. Accelerated evaporation of water on graphene oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Rongzheng; Shi, Guosheng

    2017-03-29

    Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the evaporation of nanoscale volumes of water on patterned graphene oxide is faster than that on homogeneous graphene oxide. The evaporation rate of water is insensitive to variation in the oxidation degree of the oxidized regions, so long as the water film is only distributed on the oxidized regions. The evaporation rate drops when the water film spreads onto the unoxidized regions. Further analysis showed that varying the oxidation degree observably changed the interaction between the outmost water molecules and the solid surface, but the total interaction for the outmost water molecules only changed a very limited amount due to the correspondingly regulated water-water interaction when the water film is only distributed on the oxidized regions. When the oxidation degree is too low and some unoxidized regions are also covered by the water film, the thickness of the water film decreases, which extends the lifetime of the hydrogen bonds for the outmost water molecules and lowers the evaporation rate of the water. The insensitivity of water evaporation to the oxidation degree indicates that we only need to control the scale of the unoxidized and oxidized regions for graphene oxide to regulate the evaporation of nanoscale volumes of water.

  8. Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Performance in the Selective Oxidation of Alcohols by Metallophthalocyanines Supported on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amin Ebadi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Unsubstituted phthalocyanines of Co, Fe and Mn supported on zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared and were well characterized with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The oxidation of alcohols with tert-butylhydroperoxide, in the presence of metallophthalocyanines supported on zinc oxide nanoparticles was investigated. These MPc/ZnO nanocomposites were effective catalysts for the oxidation of alcohols such as cyclohexanol (83.4% conversion; 100% selectivity, benzyl alcohol (70.5% conversion; 100% selectivity and hexanol (62.3% conversion; 100% selectivity. The influences of reaction time, various metals and type of substrates and oxidants on the oxidation of alcohols were also studied, and optimized conditions were investigated. Under these reaction conditions, the activity of the catalysts decreases in the following order:  CoPc/nano-ZnO > FePc/nano-ZnO > MnPc/nano-ZnO. It shows that TBHP is more efficient oxidant due to weaker O-O bond with respect to H2O2 and the following order has been observed for the percentage of conversions of alcohols: 2º > benzylic > 1º.

  9. Aspirin increases mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uppala, Radha; Dudiak, Brianne; Beck, Megan E.; Bharathi, Sivakama S.; Zhang, Yuxun; Stolz, Donna B.; Goetzman, Eric S.

    2017-01-01

    The metabolic effects of salicylates are poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of aspirin on fatty acid oxidation. Aspirin increased mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid oxidation, but inhibited peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation, in two different cell lines. Aspirin increased mitochondrial protein acetylation and was found to be a stronger acetylating agent in vitro than acetyl-CoA. However, aspirin-induced acetylation did not alter the activity of fatty acid oxidation proteins, and knocking out the mitochondrial deacetylase SIRT3 did not affect the induction of long-chain fatty acid oxidation by aspirin. Aspirin did not change oxidation of medium-chain fatty acids, which can freely traverse the mitochondrial membrane. Together, these data indicate that aspirin does not directly alter mitochondrial matrix fatty acid oxidation enzymes, but most likely exerts its effects at the level of long-chain fatty acid transport into mitochondria. The drive on mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation may be a compensatory response to altered mitochondrial morphology and inhibited electron transport chain function, both of which were observed after 24 h incubation of cells with aspirin. These studies provide insight into the pathophysiology of Reye Syndrome, which is known to be triggered by aspirin ingestion in patients with fatty acid oxidation disorders. - Highlights: • Aspirin increases mitochondrial—but inhibits peroxisomal—fatty acid oxidation. • Aspirin acetylates mitochondrial proteins including fatty acid oxidation enzymes. • SIRT3 does not influence the effect of aspirin on fatty acid oxidation. • Increased fatty acid oxidation is likely due to altered mitochondrial morphology and respiration.

  10. Hydrogen oxidation in Azospirillum brasilense

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tibelius, K.

    1984-01-01

    Hydrogen oxidation by Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 was studied in N/sub 2/-fixing and NH/sub 4//sup +/-grown batch cultures. The K/sub m/ for H/sub 2/ of O/sub 2/-dependent H/sup 3/H oxidation in whole cells was 9 uM. The rates of H/sup 3/H and H/sub 2/ oxidation were very similar, indicating that the initial H/sub 2/ activation step in the overall H/sub 2/ oxidation reaction was not rate-limiting and that H/sup 3/H oxidation was a valid measure of H/sub 2/-oxidation activity. Hydrogen-oxidation activity was inhibited irreversibly by air. In N-free cultures the O/sub 2/ optima for O/sub 2/-dependent H/sub 2/ oxidation, ranging from 0.5-1.25% O/sub 2/ depending on the phase of growth, were significantly higher than those of C/sub 2/H/sub 2/ reduction, 0.15-0.35%, suggesting that the H/sub 2/-oxidation system may have a limited ability to aid in the protection of nitrogenase against inactivation by O/sub 2/. Oxygen-dependent H/sub 2/ oxidation was inhibited by NO/sub 2//sup +/, NO, CO, and C/sub 2/H/sub 2/ with apparent K/sub 1/ values of 20, 0.4, 28, and 88 uM, respectively. Hydrogen-oxidation activity was 50 to 100 times higher in denitrifying cultures when the terminal electron acceptor for growth was N/sub 2/O rather than NO/sub 3//sup -/, possibly due to the irreversible inhibition of hydrogenase by NO/sub 2//sup -/ and NO in NO/sub 3//sup -/-grown cultures.

  11. Less Stress : Oxidative stress and glutathione kinetics in preterm infants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D. Rook (Denise)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractDue to immature antioxidant defenses, preterm infants are at susceptible to oxidative stress, which is associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity and periventricular leukomalacia. The general aim of this thesis was to study oxidative stress in preterm infants

  12. Years of life lost due to external radiation exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raicevic, J.J.; Merkle, J.M.; Ehrhardt, J.; Ninkovic, M.M.

    2002-01-01

    A new approach for calculation of the years of life lost per excess death (YLL) due to stochastic health effects is applied to external exposure pathways. The short-term external exposures are due to the passage of radioactive cloud (CL) and due to the skin and clothes contamination (SK). The long-term external exposure is the one from the radioactive material deposited on ground (GR). Three nuclides, 131 I , 137 Cs and 239 Pu with extremely wide range of the half-life are considered to examine its possible influence on the calculated YLL values. For each of these nuclides, the YLL is found as a decreasing function of the age at exposure and presented graphically in this paper. Another negative correlation is established between the fully averaged YLL and the duration of the nuclide's half-life has been found for protracted exposure (GR). On the other hand, the YLL for the short-term external exposures (CL and SK) practically does not depend on the nuclide's half-life. In addition, a weak YLL dependence of the dose was commented. (author)

  13. Oxidative stress and the ageing endocrine system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitale, Giovanni; Salvioli, Stefano; Franceschi, Claudio

    2013-04-01

    Ageing is a process characterized by a progressive decline in cellular function, organismal fitness and increased risk of age-related diseases and death. Several hundred theories have attempted to explain this phenomenon. One of the most popular is the 'oxidative stress theory', originally termed the 'free radical theory'. The endocrine system seems to have a role in the modulation of oxidative stress; however, much less is known about the role that oxidative stress might have in the ageing of the endocrine system and the induction of age-related endocrine diseases. This Review outlines the interactions between hormones and oxidative metabolism and the potential effects of oxidative stress on ageing of endocrine organs. Many different mechanisms that link oxidative stress and ageing are discussed, all of which converge on the induction or regulation of inflammation. All these mechanisms, including cell senescence, mitochondrial dysfunction and microRNA dysregulation, as well as inflammation itself, could be targets of future studies aimed at clarifying the effects of oxidative stress on ageing of endocrine glands.

  14. Antimicrobial Activity of Nitric Oxide-Releasing Ti-6Al-4V Metal Oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reger, Nina A.; Meng, Wilson S.; Gawalt, Ellen S.

    2017-01-01

    Titanium and titanium alloy materials are commonly used in joint replacements, due to the high strength of the materials. Pathogenic microorganisms can easily adhere to the surface of the metal implant, leading to an increased potential for implant failure. The surface of a titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V) metal oxide implant material was functionalized to deliver an small antibacterial molecule, nitric oxide. S-nitroso-penicillamine, a S-nitrosothiol nitric oxide donor, was covalently immobilized on the metal oxide surface using self-assembled monolayers. Infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the attachment of the S-nitrosothiol donor to the Ti-Al-4V surface. Attachment of S-nitroso-penicillamine resulted in a nitric oxide (NO) release of 89.6 ± 4.8 nmol/cm2 under physiological conditions. This low concentration of nitric oxide reduced Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis growth by 41.5 ± 1.2% and 25.3 ± 0.6%, respectively. Combining the S-nitrosothiol releasing Ti-6Al-4V with tetracycline, a commonly-prescribed antibiotic, increased the effectiveness of the antibiotic by 35.4 ± 1.3%, which allows for lower doses of antibiotics to be used. A synergistic effect of ampicillin with S-nitroso-penicillamine-modified Ti-6Al-4V against S. epidermidis was not observed. The functionalized Ti-6Al-4V surface was not cytotoxic to mouse fibroblasts. PMID:28635681

  15. Growth and etching characteristics of gallium oxide thin films by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ou, Sin-Liang; Wuu, Dong-Sing; Fu, Yu-Chuan; Liu, Shu-Ping; Horng, Ray-Hua; Liu, Lei; Feng, Zhe-Chuan

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The β-Ga2O3 thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition. ► The substrate temperature affects the structural, optical and etching properties of the grown films. ► The optical transmittance and band gap of the films increased with increasing the substrate temperature. ► The etching treatments for gallium oxide are performed in 49 mol% HF solution at room temperature. ► The gallium oxide thin film grown at 400 °C has the highest etching rate of 490 nm s −1 . - Abstract: The gallium oxide films were deposited on (0 0 1) sapphire at various substrate temperatures from 400 to 1000 °C by pulsed laser deposition using a KrF excimer laser. The etching treatments for as-grown gallium oxide were performed in a 49 mol% HF solution at room temperature. The structural, optical and etching properties of the grown films were investigated in terms of high resolution X-ray diffraction, optical transmittance, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The phase transition from amorphous to polycrystalline β-Ga 2 O 3 structure was observed with increasing growth temperature. From the optical transmittance measurements, the films grown at 550–1000 °C exhibit a clear absorption edge at deep ultraviolet region around 250–275 nm wavelength. It was found that the optical band gap of gallium oxide films increased from 4.56 to 4.87 eV when the substrate temperature increased from 400 to 1000 °C. As the substrate temperature increases, the crystallinity of gallium oxide film is enhanced and the etching rate is decreased. The high etching rate of 490 nm s −1 for gallium oxide film grown at 400 °C could be due to its amorphous phase, which is referred to higher void ratio and looser atomic structure.

  16. Efficient electrochemical water oxidation in neutral and near-neutral systems by nanoscale silver-oxide catalyst

    KAUST Repository

    Joya, Khurram Saleem; Ahmad, Zahoor; Joya, Yasir Faheem; Garcia Esparza, Angel T.; de Groot, Huub

    2016-01-01

    In electrocatalytic water splitting systems pursuing for renewable energy using sun light, developing robust, stable and easy accessible materials operating under mild chemical conditions is pivotal. We present here unique nano-particulate type silver-oxide (AgOx-NP) based robust and highly stable electrocatalyst for efficient water oxidation. The AgOx-NP is generated in situ in a HCO3–/CO2 system under benign conditions. Mircographs show that they exhibit nanoscale box type squared nano-bipyramidal configuration. The oxygen generation is initiated at low overpotential, and a sustained O2 evolution current density of > 1.1 mA cm–2 is achieved during prolonged-period water electrolysis. The AgOx-NP electrocatalyst performs exceptionally well in metal-ions free neutral or near-neutral carbonate, phosphate and borate buffers relative to recently reported Co-oxide and Ni-oxide based heterogeneous electrocatalysts, which are unstable in metal-ions free electrolyte and tend to degrade with time and lose catalytic performance during long-term experimental tests.

  17. Efficient electrochemical water oxidation in neutral and near-neutral systems by nanoscale silver-oxide catalyst

    KAUST Repository

    Joya, Khurram Saleem

    2016-07-19

    In electrocatalytic water splitting systems pursuing for renewable energy using sun light, developing robust, stable and easy accessible materials operating under mild chemical conditions is pivotal. We present here unique nano-particulate type silver-oxide (AgOx-NP) based robust and highly stable electrocatalyst for efficient water oxidation. The AgOx-NP is generated in situ in a HCO3–/CO2 system under benign conditions. Mircographs show that they exhibit nanoscale box type squared nano-bipyramidal configuration. The oxygen generation is initiated at low overpotential, and a sustained O2 evolution current density of > 1.1 mA cm–2 is achieved during prolonged-period water electrolysis. The AgOx-NP electrocatalyst performs exceptionally well in metal-ions free neutral or near-neutral carbonate, phosphate and borate buffers relative to recently reported Co-oxide and Ni-oxide based heterogeneous electrocatalysts, which are unstable in metal-ions free electrolyte and tend to degrade with time and lose catalytic performance during long-term experimental tests.

  18. A study on the improvement of oxidation resistance of OAE-added stainless steels for high temperature applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dae Hwan; Kim, Gil Moo

    1996-01-01

    Since the manufacturing temperature of stainless steels is relatively high, oxidation at the elevated temperature becomes important. The chemical and physical properties of the protective oxide film which was formed on the stainless steels at high temperature for the oxidation resistance are important in determining the rate of oxidation and the life of equipment exposed to high temperature oxidizing environments. In this study, the oxidation behavior of STS 309S and STS 409L added by a small amount of oxygen active element(each + 0.5wt% Hf and Y) was studied to improve oxidation resistance. In the cyclic oxidation, while OAE-free specimens showed relatively poor oxidation resistance due to spallations and cracks of Cr-rich oxide layer, OAE-added specimens improved cyclic oxidation resistance assumably due to constant oxidation rate with stable oxide layers at high temperature. Especially Hf improved cyclic oxidation resistance by forming Cr-rich oxide layer preventing internal oxidation in STS 309S. (author)

  19. High temperature cyclic oxidation and hot corrosion behaviours of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    eutectic reaction below 600°C. When the temperature ... blades, consequently corrosion rate rapidly increases due ... the corrosion run. ... Figure 1. Surface macrographs of superalloys subjected to hot corrosion and oxidation .... show the oxide scales of three different chemical compo- .... Li J and Wahi R P 1995 Acta Metall.

  20. CT findings and prognosis of 70 full-term infants having spasm due to hypoxic ischemic encephalography following asphyxia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogita, Yasutoki; Kawakami, Tadashi; Tsunei, Mikio; Ohta, Yuko; Sone, Yoshiharu; Akamatsu, Hiroshi

    1984-01-01

    Relationship between cranial CT findings and prognosis at 12 months or more after birth was studied in 70 full-term (appropriate for date and large for date) infants who had spasm due to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy following neonatal asphyxia. There was correlation between the prognosis of the infants and neonatal CT findings showing slight and marked low density areas in the brain parenchyma. However, it was sometimes difficult to estimate the prognosis when the low density area was moderate on CT. Therefore, follow-up CT at one and six months and one year after birth was required to examine changes in low density areas for the estimation of prognosis. The prognosis was unfavorable in cases of the disease accompanied by hemorrhage in the brain parenchyma or cerebral ventricle, persistent cerebral edema on neonatal CT, and low density areas in the atrophied brain by the follow-up CT. There was no consistent relationship between subarachnoid hemorrhage and the prognosis. (Namekawa, K.)

  1. Molybdenum, molybdenum oxides, and their electrochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saji, Viswanathan S; Lee, Chi-Woo

    2012-07-01

    The electrochemical behaviors of molybdenum and its oxides, both in bulk and thin film dimensions, are critical because of their widespread applications in steels, electrocatalysts, electrochromic materials, batteries, sensors, and solar cells. An important area of current interest is electrodeposited CIGS-based solar cells where a molybdenum/glass electrode forms the back contact. Surprisingly, the basic electrochemistry of molybdenum and its oxides has not been reviewed with due attention. In this Review, we assess the scattered information. The potential and pH dependent active, passive, and transpassive behaviors of molybdenum in aqueous media are explained. The major surface oxide species observed, reversible redox transitions of the surface oxides, pseudocapacitance and catalytic reduction are discussed along with carefully conducted experimental results on a typical molybdenum glass back contact employed in CIGS-based solar cells. The applications of molybdenum oxides and the electrodeposition of molybdenum are briefly reviewed. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Oxidative Stress in the Developing Rat Brain due to Production of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Wilhelm, Jiří; Vytášek, Richard; Uhlík, Jiří; Vajner, Luděk

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 2016, č. 2016 (2016), č. článku 5057610. ISSN 1942-0900 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP303/11/0298 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : oxidative stress * developing rat brain * lipid peroxidation Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 4.593, year: 2016

  3. HT oxidation activity of soil irradiated with gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Momoshima, Noriyuki; Tjahaja, P.I.; Takashima, Yoshimasa

    1992-01-01

    The HT oxidation activity was examined for soils irradiated with 60 Co γ-rays at various doses. The HT oxidation rate decreased with increase of initial H 2 concentration, indicating a similar oxidation mechanism between HT and H 2 . Irradiated soils showed decrease of oxidation activity with dose suggests that HT and H 2 oxidation activities were affected by sterilization with γ-rays. The decline of the oxidation activity with dose was analyzed by a composite of two components with different radiosensitivity and they were considered to be activities of soil microorganisms and abiotic soil enzymes. The oxidation activity due to soil microorganisms would be important at low dose range and more radioresistant abiotic soil enzymes would be responsible for the oxidation activity observed at more than several kGy. In non-irradiated soil about half of the oxidation activity was considered resulting from abiotic soil enzymes. (author)

  4. Metal Oxide Nanostructures in Food Applications: Quality Control and Packaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vardan Galstyan

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Metal oxide materials have been applied in different fields due to their excellent functional properties. Metal oxides nanostructuration, preparation with the various morphologies, and their coupling with other structures enhance the unique properties of the materials and open new perspectives for their application in the food industry. Chemical gas sensors that are based on semiconducting metal oxide materials can detect the presence of toxins and volatile organic compounds that are produced in food products due to their spoilage and hazardous processes that may take place during the food aging and transportation. Metal oxide nanomaterials can be used in food processing, packaging, and the preservation industry as well. Moreover, the metal oxide-based nanocomposite structures can provide many advantageous features to the final food packaging material, such as antimicrobial activity, enzyme immobilization, oxygen scavenging, mechanical strength, increasing the stability and the shelf life of food, and securing the food against humidity, temperature, and other physiological factors. In this paper, we review the most recent achievements on the synthesis of metal oxide-based nanostructures and their applications in food quality monitoring and active and intelligent packaging.

  5. Possible effects of UO2 oxidation on light water reactor spent fuel performance in long-term geologic disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almassy, M.Y.; Woodley, R.E.

    1982-08-01

    Disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a conventionally mined geologic formation is the nearest-term option for permanently isolating radionuclides from the biosphere. Because irradiated uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) fuel pellets retain 95 to 99% of the radionuclides generated during normal light water reactor operation, they may represent a significant barrier to radionuclide release. This document presents a technical assessment of published literature representing the current level of understanding of spent fuel characteristics and conditions that may degrade pellet integrity during a geologic disposal sequence. A significant deterioration mechanism is spent UO 2 oxidation with possible consequences identified as fission gas release, rod diameter increases, cladding breach extension, and release of solid fuel particles containing radionuclides. Areas requiring further study to support development of a comprehensive spent fuel performance prediction model are highlighted. A program and preliminary schedule to obtain the information needed to develop model correlations are also presented

  6. Electrochemical reduction of nitroaromatic compounds by single sheet iron oxide coated electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Li-Zhi, E-mail: lizhi@plen.ku.dk [Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK–1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Hansen, Hans Christian B. [Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK–1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Bjerrum, Morten Jannik [Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, DK–2100 København Ø (Denmark)

    2016-04-05

    Highlights: • Composite layers of single sheet iron oxides were coated on indium tin oxide electrodes. • Single sheet iron oxide is an electro-catalyst for reduction of nitroaromatic compounds in aqueous solution. • The reduction is well explained by a diffusion layer model. • The charge properties of the nitrophenols have an important influence on reduction. • Low-cost iron oxide based materials are promising electro-catalyst for water treatment. - Abstract: Nitroaromatic compounds are substantial hazard to the environment and to the supply of clean drinking water. We report here the successful reduction of nitroaromatic compounds by use of iron oxide coated electrodes, and demonstrate that single sheet iron oxides formed from layered iron(II)-iron(III) hydroxides have unusual electrocatalytic reactivity. Electrodes were produced by coating of single sheet iron oxides on indium tin oxide electrodes. A reduction current density of 10 to 30 μA cm{sup −2} was observed in stirred aqueous solution at pH 7 with concentrations of 25 to 400 μM of the nitroaromatic compound at a potential of −0.7 V vs. SHE. Fast mass transfer favors the initial reduction of the nitroaromatic compound which is well explained by a diffusion layer model. Reduction was found to comprise two consecutive reactions: a fast four-electron first-order reduction of the nitro-group to the hydroxylamine-intermediate (rate constant = 0.28 h{sup −1}) followed by a slower two-electron zero-order reduction resulting in the final amino product (rate constant = 6.9 μM h{sup −1}). The zero-order of the latter reduction was attributed to saturation of the electrode surface with hydroxylamine-intermediates which have a more negative half-wave potential than the parent compound. For reduction of nitroaromatic compounds, the SSI electrode is found superior to metal electrodes due to low cost and high stability, and superior to carbon-based electrodes in terms of high coulombic efficiency and

  7. Surface behaviour of first-wall materials due to the synergistic effect of helium and hydrogen isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abramov, E.; Moreno, D.; Solovioff, G.; Eliezer, D.

    1994-01-01

    Scanning electron microscopy has been used to investigate changes in surface morphology due to helium implantation and hydrogen charging. Pure polycrystalline nickel, OFHC copper and Cu-1.8Be-0.2Co (CAD 172) alloy have been studied. The influence of helium implantation parameters on blister formation and growth was investigated. Hydrogen charging (cathodic or thermal-gas) was found to lower the helium content needed for blistering and surface exfoliation. The effect of heating, carried out after hydrogen charging, was also studied. For the copper samples, hydrogen damage was produced by oxide reduction at the oxide-metal interface. This damage was found to be lower when the sputtering due to helium implantation increased. The CuBe alloy showed a greater hydrogen resistance due to the stability of the surface BeO. ((orig.))

  8. Exposure to automotive pollution increases plasma susceptibility to oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharman, James E; Coombes, Jeff S; Geraghty, Dominic P; Fraser, David I

    2002-01-01

    Low-density lipoprotein oxidation is implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. Plasma susceptibility to oxidation may be used as a marker of low-density lipoprotein oxidation and thus predict atherosclerotic risk. In this study the authors investigated the relationship between plasma susceptibility to oxidation and exposure to automotive pollution in a group of automobile mechanics (n = 16) exposed to high levels of automotive pollution, vs. matched controls (n = 13). The authors induced plasma oxidation by a free radical initiator and they determined susceptibility to oxidation by (1) change in absorbance at 234 nm, (2) lag time to conjugated diene formation, and (3) linear slope of the oxidation curve. Mechanics had significantly higher values (mean +/- standard error) for change in absorbance (1.60 +/- 0.05 vs. 1.36 +/- 0.05; p automotive pollutants increases plasma susceptibility to oxidation and may, in the long-term, increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis.

  9. Study on the use of oxidant scrubbers for elimination of interferences due to nitrogen dioxide in analysis of atmospheric dimethylsulfide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigues Beatriz A.

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, oxidant scrubbers were evaluated for their ability to prevent sampling losses of dimethylsulfide caused by reactions with nitrogen dioxide. Various compounds and mixtures were used in the preparation of the oxidant scrubbers. An automatic flow analysis device was used to compare scrubbing efficiency for nitrogen dioxide. Among the scrubbers tested, the best were shown to be the one made with filter paper or glass wool coated with iron (II sulfate, sulfuric acid and pyrogallic acid, and the one made from with paper coated with triethanolamine. The results obtained under laboratory conditions, using dimethylsulfide standard gas, and in field experiments confirmed that these scrubbers are suitable for the prevention of oxidation during sampling.

  10. Absorption and oxidation of nitrogen oxide in ionic liquids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kunov-Kruse, Andreas Jonas; Thomassen, Peter Langelund; Riisager, Anders

    2016-01-01

    A new strategy for capturing nitrogen oxide, NO, from the gas phase is presented. Dilute NO gas is removed from the gas phase by ionic liquids under ambient conditions. The nitrate anion of the ionic liquid catalyzes the oxidation of NO to nitric acid by atmospheric oxygen in the presence of water....... The nitric acid is absorbed in the ionic liquid up to approximately one mole HNO3 per mole of the ionic liquid due to the formation of hydrogen bonds. The nitric acid can be desorbed by heating, thereby regenerating the ionic liquid with excellent reproducibility. Here, time-resolved in-situ spectroscopic...... investigations of the reaction and products are presented. The procedure reveals a new vision for removing the pollutant NO by absorption into a non-volatile liquid and converting it into a useful bulk chemical, that is, HNO3....

  11. Limits to the adherence of oxide scales

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robertson, J.; Manning, M.I.

    1989-10-01

    Fracture mechanics is used to identify criteria under which uniform oxide scales may be expected to fail due to rapidly applied strains. The most common failure mode occurs when the strain, ε, builds up in the scale until the strain energy density per unit area exceeds the fracture surface energy, γ, of the oxide. This produces spalling when ε > (2γ/hE) 1/2 , where h is the scale thickness and E is the oxide Youngs modulus. In thin scales, as the external strain is applied to the oxide via the metal substrate, it is clear that no further strain can be applied to the oxide if the substrate has itself been strained beyond yield. This gives rise to extended oxide adherence in which the oxide cracks and forms a series of islands but remains attached to the deformed metal. When the oxide thickness is less than its comminution limit, the flaw size necessary for brittle fracture exceeds the oxide thickness and the oxide yields in a ductile manner without cracking. The results are presented as maps of failure strain versus oxide thickness for various oxide systems such as Fe 3 O 4 , Cr 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 and NiO. The observed cases of spalling are found to lie within the predicted regions. (author)

  12. Glucose Oxidation on Gold-modified Copper Electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lim, Jieun; Pyo, Sung Gyu; Son, Hyungbin; Kim, Sookil [Chung-Ang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Sang Hyun; Son, Hyungbin [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-15

    The activities of Au-modified Cu electrodes toward glucose oxidation are evaluated according to their fabrication conditions and physico-chemical properties. The Au-modified Cu electrodes are fabricated by the galvanic displacement of Au on a Cu substrate and the characteristics of the Au particles are controlled by adjusting the displacement time. From the glucose oxidation tests, it is found that the Au modified Cu has superior activity to the pure Au or Cu film, which is evidenced by the negative shift in the oxidation potential and enhanced current density during the electrochemical oxidation. Though the activity of the Au nanoparticles is a contributing factor, the enhanced activity of the Au-modified Cu electrode is due to the increased oxidation number of Cu through the electron transfer from Cu to more electronegative Au. The depletion of electron in Cu facilitates the oxidation of glucose. The stability of the Au-modified Cu electrode was also studied by chronoamperometry.

  13. The Bias of the Gini Coefficient due to Grouping

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    T.G.M. van Ourti (Tom); Ph. Clarke (Philip)

    2008-01-01

    textabstractWe propose a first order bias correction term for the Gini index to reduce the bias due to grouping. The first order correction term is obtained from studying the estimator of the Gini index within a measurement error framework. In addition, it reveals an intuitive formula for the

  14. Effect of self purification on the structural optical and electrical properties of copper doped oxidized Zn films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koshy, Obey; Abdul Khadar, M.

    2015-01-01

    The effect of self purification mechanism is studied on oxidized Cu–Zn thin films. Oxidized Cu–Zn thin films were prepared by thermal evaporation on glass substrates. XRD studies indicate that the oxidized Cu–Zn thin films are of hexagonal wurtzite structure. AFM images shows that with increase in copper wt. percent the nanoparticle morphology of oxidized Zn film turned to one dimensional nanorod morphology. XPS spectra of the oxidized Cu–Zn thin films shows the oxidized state of zinc and copper. The PL spectra of oxidized Zn film showed a strong and narrow near band edge emission at 380 nm whereas in the case of oxidized Cu–Zn thin films the emission showed peak near 410 nm corresponding to peak related to copper. With increase in copper content, the intensity of the defect emission decreased due to the self purification mechanism in nanomaterials. In addition the resistivity of doped films increased due to the self purification mechanism in nanomaterials. - Highlights: • Copper doping in ZnO resulted in the increase in blue emission due to defect levels formed. • The intensity of the luminescence peak of the doped film sample decreased and resistivity increased due to the self purification mechanism in nanomaterials.

  15. Everyday hassles and uplifts among women on long-term sick-leave due to stress-related disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, Gun; Eklund, Mona; Erlandsson, Lena-Karin

    2012-05-01

    A balance between different experiences of occupations in everyday life is important for well-being. The study aim was to describe hassles and uplifts in everyday occupations among women on long-term sick-leave due to stress-related disorders. The sample consisted of 77 women and experiences were collected by the THU-5 instrument. The statements were analysed using quantitative content analysis. Data were categorized into three domains of hassles concerning oneself, doings, and social and physical context. The same domains occurred among the uplifts. Hassles were mostly generated by disturbing people around the women and by their limited body functions. The women were uplifted by supportive social relationships and by performing relaxing and calming occupations. The study illuminates the strong need for social support among women on sick-leave, as well as their low level of energy, which was an obvious obstacle for performing occupations. It is suggested that, in order to increase well-being in the target group, the occupational therapist should meet their need for occupations that match their current level of energy. The challenge for the client is to avoid remaining in a pattern of low-demand occupations without exceeding her/his capacity and returning to an unhealthy pattern of occupations.

  16. Effects of UV Aging on the Cracking of Titanium Oxide Layer on Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Substrate: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Chao; Gray, Matthew H.; Tirawat, Robert; Larsen, Ross E.; Chen, Fangliang

    2016-04-18

    Thin oxide and metal films deposited on polymer substrates is an emerging technology for advanced reflectors for concentrated solar power applications, due to their unique combination of light weight, flexibility and inexpensive manufacture. Thus far, there is little knowledge on the mechanical integrity or structural persistence of such multi-layer thin film systems under long-term environmental aging. In this paper, the cracking of a brittle titanium dioxide layer deposited onto elasto-plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate is studied through a combination of experiment and modeling. In-situ fragmentation tests have been conducted to monitor the onset and evolution of cracks both on pristine and on samples aged with ultraviolet (UV) light. An analytical model is presented to simulate the cracking behavior and to predict the effects of UV aging. Based on preliminary experimental observation, the effect of aging is divided into three aspects and analyzed independently: mechanical property degradation of the polymer substrate; degradation of the interlayer between substrate and oxide coating; and internal stress-induced cracks on the oxide coating.

  17. Practicality of intermittent fasting in humans and its effect on oxidative stress and genes related to aging and metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegman, Martin P; Guo, Michael H; Bennion, Douglas M; Shankar, Meena N; Chrzanowski, Stephen M; Goldberg, Leslie A; Xu, Jinze; Williams, Tiffany A; Lu, Xiaomin; Hsu, Stephen I; Anton, Stephen D; Leeuwenburgh, Christiaan; Brantly, Mark L

    2015-04-01

    Caloric restriction has consistently been shown to extend life span and ameliorate aging-related diseases. These effects may be due to diet-induced reactive oxygen species acting to up-regulate sirtuins and related protective pathways, which research suggests may be partially inhibited by dietary anti-oxidant supplementation. Because caloric restriction is not sustainable long term for most humans, we investigated an alternative dietary approach, intermittent fasting (IF), which is proposed to act on similar biological pathways. We hypothesized that a modified IF diet, where participants maintain overall energy balance by alternating between days of fasting (25% of normal caloric intake) and feasting (175% of normal), would increase expression of genes associated with aging and reduce oxidative stress and that these effects would be suppressed by anti-oxidant supplementation. To assess the tolerability of the diet and to explore effects on biological mechanisms related to aging and metabolism, we recruited a cohort of 24 healthy individuals in a double-crossover, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Study participants underwent two 3-week treatment periods-IF and IF with anti-oxidant (vitamins C and E) supplementation. We found strict adherence to study-provided diets and that participants found the diet tolerable, with no adverse clinical findings or weight change. We detected a marginal increase (2.7%) in SIRT3 expression due to the IF diet, but no change in expression of other genes or oxidative stress markers analyzed. We also found that IF decreased plasma insulin levels (1.01 μU/mL). Although our study suggests that the IF dieting paradigm is acceptable in healthy individuals, additional research is needed to further assess the potential benefits and risks.

  18. Decreased total antioxidant levels and increased oxidative stress in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Chronic hyperglycaemia in diabetes mellitus leads to increased lipid peroxidation in the body, followed by the development of chronic complications due to oxidative stress. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare total antioxidant (TAO) levels and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) ...

  19. Characterization of tin oxide nanoparticles synthesized via oxidation from metal; Caracterizacao de nanoparticulas de oxido de estanho sintetizado via oxidacao do metal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abruzzi, R.C.; Dedavid, B.A.; Pires, M.J.R.; Streicher, M., E-mail: afael.abruzzi@acad.pucrs.br [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia e Tecnologia de Materiais

    2014-07-01

    The tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) is a promising material with great potential for applications such as gas sensors and catalysts. This oxide nanostructures show higher activation efficiency due to its larger effective surface. This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of the tin oxide in different conditions, via oxidation of pure tin with nitric acid. Results obtained from the characterization of SnO{sub 2} powder by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX), Particle size by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that the conditions were suitable for the synthesis to obtain manometric tin oxide granules with crystalline structure of rutile. (author)

  20. French Approach for Long Term Storage Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marciano, Jacob; Carreton, Jean-Pierre; Lizot, Marie Therese; Lhomme, Veronique

    2014-01-01

    IRSN presents its statement regarding long-term storage facilities; in France, the regulatory documents do not define the long term duration. The storage facility lifetime can only be appreciated according to the needs and materials stored therein. However, the magnitude of the long-term can be estimated at a few hundred years compared to a few decades for current storage. Usually, in France, construction of storage facilities is driven from the necessity various necessities, linked to the management of radioactive material (eg spent fuel) and to the management of radioactive waste. Because of the variety of 'stored materials and objects' (fission product solutions, plutonium oxide powders, activated solids, drums containing technological waste, spent fuel...), a great number of storage facility design solutions have been developed (surface, subsurface areas, dry or wet conditions...) in the World. After describing the main functions of a storage facility, IRSN displays the safety principles and the associated design principles. The specific design principles applied to particular storage (dry or wet spent fuel storage, depleted uranium or reprocessed uranium storage, plutonium storage, waste containing tritium storage, HLW and ILLW storage...) are also presented. Finally, the concerns due to the long-term duration storage and related safety assessment are developed. After discussing these issues, IRSN displays its statement. The authorization procedures governing the facility lifetime are similar to those of any basic nuclear installation, the continuation of the facility operation remaining subject to periodic safety reviews (in France, every 10 years). The applicant safety cases have to show, that the safety requirements are always met; this requires, at minimum, to take into account at the design stage, comfortable design margins. (author)

  1. Influence of heat treatment temperature on bonding and oxidation ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    Diamond; TiO2 film; heat treatment temperature; anti-oxidation; mechanical properties. 1. Introduction. Due to its ..... figure 4a, which was due to the change of chemical envi- ronment of ... graphite, diamond, diamond-like carbon and carbon.10.

  2. La doping effect on TZM alloy oxidation behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Fan; Wang, Kuai-She; Hu, Ping; He, Huan-Cheng; Kang, Xuan-Qi; Wang, Hua; Liu, Ren-Zhi; Volinsky, Alex A.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The oxidation can be resisted by doping La into TZM alloy. • La doped TZM alloy has more compact organization. • It can rise the starting temperature of severe oxidation reaction by more than 50 °C. • Effectively slow down the oxidation rate. • Provide guidance for experiments of improving high-temperature oxidation resistance. - Abstract: Powder metallurgy methods were utilized to prepare lanthanum-doped (La-TZM) and traditional TZM alloy plates. High temperature oxidation experiments along with the differential thermal analysis were employed to study the oxidation behavior of the two kinds of TZM alloys. An extremely volatile oxide layer was generated on the surface of traditional TZM alloy plates when the oxidation started. Molybdenum oxide volatilization exposed the alloy matrix, which was gradually corroded by oxygen, losing its quality with serious surface degradation. The La-TZM alloy has a more compact structure due to the lanthanum doping. The minute lanthanum oxide particles are pinned at the grain boundaries and refine the grains. Oxide layer generated on the matrix surface can form a compact coating, which effectively blocks the surface from being corroded by oxidation. The oxidation resistance of La-TZM alloys has been enhanced, expanding its application range

  3. Long-term in vivo polychlorinated biphenyl 126 exposure induces oxidative stress and alters proteomic profile on islets of Langerhans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loiola, Rodrigo Azevedo; Dos Anjos, Fabyana Maria; Shimada, Ana Lúcia; Cruz, Wesley Soares; Drewes, Carine Cristiane; Rodrigues, Stephen Fernandes; Cardozo, Karina Helena Morais; Carvalho, Valdemir Melechco; Pinto, Ernani; Farsky, Sandra Helena

    2016-06-01

    It has been recently proposed that exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is a risk factor to type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). We investigated this hypothesis using long-term in vivo PCB126 exposure to rats addressing metabolic, cellular and proteomic parameters. Male Wistar rats were exposed to PCB126 (0.1, 1 or 10 μg/kg of body weight/day; for 15 days) or vehicle by intranasal instillation. Systemic alterations were quantified by body weight, insulin and glucose tolerance, and blood biochemical profile. Pancreatic toxicity was measured by inflammatory parameters, cell viability and cycle, free radical generation, and proteomic profile on islets of Langerhans. In vivo PCB126 exposure enhanced the body weight gain, impaired insulin sensitivity, reduced adipose tissue deposit, and elevated serum triglycerides, cholesterol, and insulin levels. Inflammatory parameters in the pancreas and cell morphology, viability and cycle were not altered in islets of Langerhans. Nevertheless, in vivo PCB126 exposure increased free radical generation and modified the expression of proteins related to oxidative stress on islets of Langerhans, which are indicative of early β-cell failure. Data herein obtained show that long-term in vivo PCB126 exposure through intranasal route induced alterations on islets of Langerhans related to early end points of DM2.

  4. One-step synthesis of sea urchin-like alpha-MnO2 using KIO4 as the oxidant and its oxidation of arsenite

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, M.X.; Tan, W.F.; Feng, X.H.; Koopal, L.K.; Liu, M.M.; Liu, F.

    2012-01-01

    Among several types of manganese oxides alpha-MnO2 is the most active due to its good catalytic, adsorption and ion exchange properties. Sea urchin-like alpha-MnO2 particles were synthesized by a one-step chemistry route at room temperature using MnSO4 in combination with KIO4 as oxidant. The

  5. VUV photo-oxidation of gaseous benzene combined with ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation: Effect on transition metal catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Haibao; Lu, Haoxian; Zhan, Yujie; Liu, Gaoyuan; Feng, Qiuyu; Huang, Huiling; Wu, Muyan; Ye, Xinguo

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Mn nanoparticles are highly dispersed on ZSM-5 and most efficient in benzene degradation in the VUV-OZCO process. - Highlights: • Vacuum UV irradiation is well combined with O_3 catalytic oxidation. • O_3 byproducts was used to enhance catalytic oxidation of VOCs. • Mn/ZSM-5 achieved the best catalytic activity for benzene degradation. - Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause the major air pollution concern. In this study, a series of ZSM-5 supported transition metals were prepared by impregnation method. They were combined with vacuum UV (VUV) photo-oxidation in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor and used for the degradation of benzene, a typical toxic VOCs. Compared with VUV photo-oxidation alone, the introduction of catalysts can greatly enhance benzene oxidation under the help of O_3, the by-products from VUV irradiation, via ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation (OZCO). The catalytic activity of transition metals towards benzene oxidation followed the order: Mn > Co > Cu > Ni > Fe. Mn achieved the best catalytic activity due to the strongest capability for O_3 catalytic decomposition and utilization. Benzene and O_3 removal efficiency reached as high as 97% and 100% after 360 min, respectively. O_3 was catalytically decomposed, generating highly reactive oxidants such as ·OH and ·O for benzene oxidation.

  6. VUV photo-oxidation of gaseous benzene combined with ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation: Effect on transition metal catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Haibao, E-mail: seabao8@gmail.com [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University (China); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University) (China); Lu, Haoxian; Zhan, Yujie; Liu, Gaoyuan; Feng, Qiuyu; Huang, Huiling; Wu, Muyan; Ye, Xinguo [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University (China)

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Mn nanoparticles are highly dispersed on ZSM-5 and most efficient in benzene degradation in the VUV-OZCO process. - Highlights: • Vacuum UV irradiation is well combined with O{sub 3} catalytic oxidation. • O{sub 3} byproducts was used to enhance catalytic oxidation of VOCs. • Mn/ZSM-5 achieved the best catalytic activity for benzene degradation. - Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause the major air pollution concern. In this study, a series of ZSM-5 supported transition metals were prepared by impregnation method. They were combined with vacuum UV (VUV) photo-oxidation in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor and used for the degradation of benzene, a typical toxic VOCs. Compared with VUV photo-oxidation alone, the introduction of catalysts can greatly enhance benzene oxidation under the help of O{sub 3}, the by-products from VUV irradiation, via ozone-assisted catalytic oxidation (OZCO). The catalytic activity of transition metals towards benzene oxidation followed the order: Mn > Co > Cu > Ni > Fe. Mn achieved the best catalytic activity due to the strongest capability for O{sub 3} catalytic decomposition and utilization. Benzene and O{sub 3} removal efficiency reached as high as 97% and 100% after 360 min, respectively. O{sub 3} was catalytically decomposed, generating highly reactive oxidants such as ·OH and ·O for benzene oxidation.

  7. Size-dependent magnetic properties of branchlike nickel oxide nanocrystals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Branchlike nickel oxide nanocrystals with narrow size distribution are obtained by a solution growth method. The size-dependent of magnetic properties of the nickel oxides were investigated. The results of magnetic characterization indicate that the NiO nanocrystals with size below 12.8 nm show very weak ferromagnetic state at room temperature due to the uncompensated spins. Both of the average blocking temperature (Tb and the irreversible temperature (Tirr increase with the increase of nanoparticle sizes, while both the remnant magnetization and the coercivity at 300 K increase with the decrease of the particle sizes. Moreover, the disappearance of two-magnon (2M band and redshift of one-phonon longitudinal (1LO and two-phonon LO in vibrational properties due to size reduction are observed. Compared to the one with the spherical morphological, it is also found that nano-structured nickel oxides with the branchlike morphology have larger remnant magnetization and the coercivity at 5 K due to their larger surface-to-volume ratio and greater degree of broken symmetry at the surface or the higher proportion of broken bonds.

  8. Are oxidative stress markers useful to distinguish schizoaffective disorder from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulbul, Feridun; Virit, Osman; Alpak, Gokay; Unal, Ahmet; Bulut, Mahmut; Kaya, Mehmet Cemal; Altindag, Abdurrahman; Celik, Hakim; Savas, Haluk A

    2014-04-01

    Schizoaffective disorder is a disease with both affective and psychotic symptoms. In this study, we aimed to compare oxidative metabolism markers of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, we also aimed to investigate whether schizoaffective disorder could be differentiated from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in terms of oxidative metabolism. Total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured in the blood samples that were collected from schizoaffective patients (n = 30), bipolar disorder patients (n = 30) and schizophrenic patients (n = 30). Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated by dividing TOS by TAS. TOS and OSI were found to be higher in patients with schizoaffective disorder compared with those in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients. TAS was not significantly different between the groups. Schizoaffective disorder was found to be different from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in terms of oxidative parameters. This result may indicate that schizoaffective disorder could differ from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in terms of biochemical parameters. Increased TOS levels observed in schizoaffective disorder may suggest poor clinical course and may be an indicator of poor prognosis.

  9. Preparation of high purity plutonium oxide for radiochemistry instrument calibration standards and working standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, A.S.; Stalnaker, N.D.

    1997-04-01

    Due to the lack of suitable high level National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable plutonium solution standards from the NIST or commercial vendors, the CST-8 Radiochemistry team at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has prepared instrument calibration standards and working standards from a well-characterized plutonium oxide. All the aliquoting steps were performed gravimetrically. When a 241 Am standardized solution obtained from a commercial vendor was compared to these calibration solutions, the results agreed to within 0.04% for the total alpha activity. The aliquots of the plutonium standard solutions and dilutions were sealed in glass ampules for long term storage

  10. Oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steels as fuel cladding candidate materials for SCWR in superheated steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abe, Hiroshi; Hong, Seung Mo; Watanabe, Yutaka

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Effect of cold work on oxidation kinetics was clearly observed for 15Cr–20Ni SS. • The tube-shaped 15Cr–20Ni SS showed very good oxidation resistance. • The machined layer by cold drawing has a significant role to mitigate oxidation. - Abstract: Oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steels as fuel cladding candidate materials for supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR), including three types of 15Cr–20Ni stainless steels (1520 SSs), in the temperature range of 700–780 °C superheated steam have been investigated. Effect of temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), degree of cold work (CW), and machined layer by cold drawing process on the oxidation kinetics assuming power-law kinetics are discussed. Characteristics of oxide layers and its relation to oxidation behaviors are also discussed. The effect of DO on the weight gain behavior in superheated steam at 700 °C was minor for all specimens at least up to 200 ppb DO. The tube-shaped specimens of 1520 SSs showed very good oxidation resistance at 700–780 °C. There was no clear difference in the oxidation kinetics among the three investigated types of 1520 SSs. The machined layer formed at the tube surface has a significant role to mitigate oxidation in superheated steam. A fine-grained microstructure near the surface due to recrystallization by cold drawing process is effective to form the protective Cr 2 O 3 layer. It has been suggested that since Cr diffusion in the outside surface of tubes is accelerated as a result of an increased dislocation density and/or grain refinement by cold drawing, tube specimens show very slow oxidation kinetics. Breakdown of the protective Cr 2 O 3 layer and nodule oxide formation were partly observed on the tube-shaped specimens of 15Cr–20Ni SSs. The reliability of Cr 2 O 3 layer has to be carefully examined to predict the oxidation kinetics after long-term exposure

  11. Oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steels as fuel cladding candidate materials for SCWR in superheated steam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abe, Hiroshi, E-mail: hiroshi.abe@qse.tohoku.ac.jp; Hong, Seung Mo; Watanabe, Yutaka

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • Effect of cold work on oxidation kinetics was clearly observed for 15Cr–20Ni SS. • The tube-shaped 15Cr–20Ni SS showed very good oxidation resistance. • The machined layer by cold drawing has a significant role to mitigate oxidation. - Abstract: Oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steels as fuel cladding candidate materials for supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR), including three types of 15Cr–20Ni stainless steels (1520 SSs), in the temperature range of 700–780 °C superheated steam have been investigated. Effect of temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), degree of cold work (CW), and machined layer by cold drawing process on the oxidation kinetics assuming power-law kinetics are discussed. Characteristics of oxide layers and its relation to oxidation behaviors are also discussed. The effect of DO on the weight gain behavior in superheated steam at 700 °C was minor for all specimens at least up to 200 ppb DO. The tube-shaped specimens of 1520 SSs showed very good oxidation resistance at 700–780 °C. There was no clear difference in the oxidation kinetics among the three investigated types of 1520 SSs. The machined layer formed at the tube surface has a significant role to mitigate oxidation in superheated steam. A fine-grained microstructure near the surface due to recrystallization by cold drawing process is effective to form the protective Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. It has been suggested that since Cr diffusion in the outside surface of tubes is accelerated as a result of an increased dislocation density and/or grain refinement by cold drawing, tube specimens show very slow oxidation kinetics. Breakdown of the protective Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer and nodule oxide formation were partly observed on the tube-shaped specimens of 15Cr–20Ni SSs. The reliability of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer has to be carefully examined to predict the oxidation kinetics after long-term exposure.

  12. Oxidation mechanism of flavanone taxifolin. Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical investigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kocábová, Jana; Fiedler, Jan; Degano, Ilaria; Sokolová, Romana

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The oxidation mechanism of flavanone taxifolin was proposed. • The oxidation is specific and differs from oxidation of flavonol quercetin. • A benzofuranon common for quercetin is NOT the taxifolin oxidation product. • The absence of C2–C3 double bond is crucial in taxifolin oxidation. - Abstract: The oxidation of taxifolin on glassy carbon electrode in acetonitrile was studied by cyclic voltammetry, UV–vis and IR spectroelectrochemistry. The oxidation products were identified using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The two-electron oxidation mechanism differs from that of flavonols (e.g. quercetin) due to the absence of the double bond between atoms C-2 and C-3. As confirmed by IR spectroelectrochemistry, quinone at ring B is formed as low stable intermediate. The oxidation pathway leads to the formation of hydroxylated derivative of taxifolin 2′,3,3′,4′,5,7-hexahydroxyflavone accompanied by the 2,3-desaturation.

  13. Increased electrochemical properties of ruthenium oxide and graphene/ruthenium oxide hybrid dispersed by polyvinylpyrrolidone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Yao; Zhang, Xiong; Zhang, Dacheng; Ma, Yanwei

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► A good dispersion of RuO 2 and graphene/RuO 2 is obtained by polyvinylpyrrolidone. ► PVP as a dispersant also can prevent the formation of metal Ru in graphene/RuO 2 . ► The max capacitances of the hybrid and RuO 2 reach 435 and 597 F g −1 at 0.2 A g −1 . ► The hybrid shows the best rate capability of 39% at 50 A g −1 . - Abstract: Ruthenium oxide has been prepared by a sol–gel method. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as an excellent polymeric dispersant is adopted to prevent aggregation of ruthenium oxide. In order to enhance the rate capability of ruthenium oxide, graphene with residual oxygen functional groups as a 2D support has been merged into ruthenium oxide. These oxygen functional groups not only favor to form stable few layers of graphene colloids, but also offer the sites to anchor ruthenium oxide nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction infers that PVP can also hinder the partial formation of Ru by blocking the direct contact between the Ru 3+ and the graphene in the sol–gel synthesis of the hybrids. The ruthenium oxide and the graphene/ruthenium oxide hybrids dispersed by PVP have superior electrochemical properties due to good dispersing and protecting ability of PVP. Especially, the hybrids using PVP exhibit the best rate capability, indicating that the composites possess an advanced structure of combining sheets and particles in nano-scale.

  14. Kinetics of high-temperature oxidation of (Ti,Ta)(C,N)-based cermets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chicardi, E.; Córdoba, J.M.; Gotor, F.J.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The kinetic of high-temperature oxidation of (Ti,Ta)(C,N)-Co cermets was studied. • A parabolic oxidation kinetic was determined in cermets between 700 °C and 1200 °C. • This parabolic kinetic behaviour is due to the existence of a protective layer. • The protective layer formed was a complex Ti_xTa_1_−_xO_2 oxide with rutile structure. • The oxidation rate is controlled by the Ti and O_2 diffusion through the Ti_xTa_1_−_xO_2. - Abstract: The kinetics of the high-temperature oxidation of titanium–tantalum carbonitride-based cermets with different Ti/Ta ratios was studied. Isothermal oxidation tests were conducted under static air for 48 h at temperatures between 700 °C and 1200 °C. The oxidation satisfied the parabolic kinetics, characteristic of the existence of a protective oxide layer. The apparent activation energy suggests the rate-controlling process during oxidation is the simultaneous inward and outward diffusion of oxygen and titanium, respectively, through the formed protective layer, consisting mainly of a rutile phase. A higher Ta(V) content in the rutile decreased the oxygen diffusivity due to the reduction of oxygen vacancy concentration.

  15. Optimization of the C11-BODIPY(581/591) dye for the determination of lipid oxidation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by flow cytometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheloni, Giulia; Slaveykova, Vera I

    2013-10-01

    Lipid oxidation is a recognized end point for the study of oxidative stress and is an important parameter to describe the mode of micropollutant action on aquatic microorganisms. Therefore, the development of quick and reliable methodologies probing the oxidative stress and damage in living cells is highly sought. In the present proof-of-concept work, we examined the potential of the fluorescent dye C11-BODIPY(591/581) to probe lipid oxidation in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. C11-BODIPY(591/581) staining was combined with flow cytometry measurements to obtain multiparameter information on cellular features and oxidative stress damage within single cells. First, staining conditions were optimized by exploring the capability of the dye to stain algal cells under increasing cell and dye concentrations and different staining procedures. Then lipid oxidation in algae induced by short- and long-term exposures to the three metallic micropollutants, copper, mercury, and nanoparticulate copper oxide, and the two organic contaminants, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) and diuron was determined. In this work we pointed out C11-BODIPY(591/581) applicability in a wide range of exposure conditions, including studies of oxidation as a function of time and that it is suitable for in vivo measurements of lipid oxidation due to its high permeation and stability in cells and its low interference with algal autofluorescence. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

  16. Impact of pH on hydrogen oxidizing redox processes in aquifers due to gas intrusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metzgen, Adrian; Berta, Marton; Dethlefsen, Frank; Ebert, Markus; Dahmke, Andreas

    2017-04-01

    Hydrogen production from excess energy and its storage can help increasing the efficiency of solar and wind in the energy mix. Therefore, hydrogen needs large-scale intermediate storage independent of the intended later use as hydrogen gas or as reactant to produce methane in the Sabatier process. A possible storage solution is using the geological subsurface such as caverns built in salt deposits or aquifers that are not used for drinking water production. However, underground storage of hydrogen gas potentially leads to accidental gas leakages into near-surface potable aquifers triggering subsequent geochemical processes. These leakages pose potential risks that are currently not sufficiently understood. To close this gap in knowledge, a high-pressure laboratory column system was used to simulate a hydrogen gas intrusion into a shallow aquifer. Water and sediment were gained from a sandy Pleistocene aquifer near Neumünster, Germany. In the first stage of the experiment, 100% hydrogen gas was used to simulate dissolved hydrogen concentrations between 800 and 4000 µM by varying pH2 between 2 and 15 bars. pH values rose to between 7.9 and 10.4, partly due to stripping CO2 from the groundwater used during H2 gas addition. In a second stage, the pH was regulated in a range of 6.7 to 7.9 by using a gas mixture of 99% H2 and 1% CO2 at 5 bars of total gas pressure. Observed processes included hydrogen oxidation, sulfate reduction, acetogenesis, formate production, and methanogenesis, which were independent of the hydrogen concentration. Hydrogen oxidation and sulfate reduction showed zeroth order reaction rates and rate constants (106 to 412 µM/h and 12 to 33 µM/h, respectively) in the pH range between 8 and 10. At pH levels between 7 and 8, both reactions started out faster near the column's inflow but then seemed limited towards the columns outflow, suggesting the dependence of sulfate reduction on the pH-value. Acetogenesis dominated the pH range between 8 and 10

  17. Air pollution due to road traffic in Ljubljana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matej Ogrin

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Air pollution is due to road traffic an inevitable outcome of internal combustion in engines ofvehicles and some other processes. Air near the roads is more polluted with some pollutants,such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, particulate matter and some others.Monitoring the air quality is a key issue, when one wants to estimate environmental impactsof the road traffic. The article shows a method of passive samplers for air quality monitoringalong different roads in the area of Ljubljana Municipality.

  18. Commonly used air filters fail to eliminate secondhand smoke induced oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muthumalage, Thivanka; Pritsos, Karen; Hunter, Kenneth; Pritsos, Chris

    2017-07-01

    Secondhand smoke (SHS) causes approximately 50,000 deaths per year. Despite all the health warnings, smoking is still allowed indoors in many states exposing both workers and patrons to SHS on a daily basis. The opponents of smoking bans suggest that present day air filtration systems remove the health hazards of exposure to SHS. In this study, using an acute SHS exposure model, we looked at the impact of commonly used air filters (MERV-8 pleated and MERV-8 pleated activated charcoal) on SHS by assessing the inflammatory response and the oxidative stress response in C57BL/6 mice. In order to assess the inflammatory response, we looked at the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) cytokine production by alveolar macrophages (AMs), and for the oxidative response, we quantified the products of lipid peroxidation and the total glutathione (tGSH) production in lung homogenates. Our results showed that SHS caused significant immune and oxidative stress responses. The tested filters resulted in only a modest alleviation of inflammatory and oxidative responses due to SHS exposure. Our data show that these air filters cannot eliminate the risk of SHS exposure and that a short-term exposure to SHS is sufficient to alter the inflammatory cytokine response and to initiate a complex oxidative stress response. Our results are consistent with the statement made by the Surgeon General's reports that there is no risk free level of exposure to SHS.

  19. High temperature oxidation behavior of TiAl-based intermetallics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stroosnijder, M.F.; Sunderkoetter, J.D.; Haanappel, V.A.C.

    1996-01-01

    TiAl-based intermetallic compounds have attracted considerable interest as structural materials for high-temperature applications due to their low density and substantial mechanical strength at high temperatures. However, one major drawback hindering industrial application arises from the insufficient oxidation resistance at temperatures beyond 700 C. In the present contribution some general aspects of high temperature oxidation of TiAl-based intermetallics will be presented. This will be followed by a discussion of the influence of alloying elements, in particular niobium, and of the effect of nitrogen in the oxidizing environment on the high temperature oxidation behavior of such materials

  20. Phosphorus Retention (32P) by synthetic iron oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bittencourt, V.C.; Montanheiro, M.N.S.

    1975-02-01

    The P retention by iron oxides was characterized as a chemical adsorption process followed by a physical adsorption. The former process was very intense with initial amounts of added P but after a certain surface saturation is reached physical interaction occurs. It was supposed that the chemically adsorbed phosphate confers a negative charge on the iron oxides particles, which repels any further physical adsorbtion of the anion. However due to diffusion of phosphate ions into the internal layers of the iron oxides, their surface can retain further amounts of P [pt

  1. Decomposition of SnH{sub 4} molecules on metal and metal–oxide surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ugur, D. [TNO, Stieltjesweg 1, 2628 CK Delft (Netherlands); Delft University of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands); Storm, A.J.; Verberk, R. [TNO, Stieltjesweg 1, 2628 CK Delft (Netherlands); Brouwer, J.C. [Delft University of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands); Sloof, W.G., E-mail: w.g.sloof@tudelft.nl [Delft University of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands)

    2014-01-01

    Atomic hydrogen cleaning is a promising method for EUV lithography systems, to recover from surface oxidation and to remove carbon and tin contaminants. Earlier studies showed, however, that tin may redeposit on nearby surfaces due to SnH{sub 4} decomposition. This phenomenon of SnH{sub 4} decomposition during tin cleaning has been quantified for various metallic and metal-oxide surfaces using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was observed that the metal oxide surfaces (TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2}) were significantly less contaminated than metallic surfaces. Tin contamination due to SnH{sub 4} decomposition can thus be reduced or even mitigated by application of a suitable metal-oxide coating.

  2. ZIF-67-derived hollow nanocages with layered double oxides shell as high-Efficiency catalysts for CO oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Wenpeng; Li, Jing; Chen, Yao; Ren, Yuqing; Guo, Yonghua; Niu, Shengli; Yang, Yanzhao

    2018-04-01

    Constructing non-precious hybrid metal oxides with specific morphology as cost-effective and highly efficient catalysts is a promising way for the automotive exhaust purification. In this work, we report a facile strategy for the fabrication of a unique hollow Co-Ni layered double oxides (HLDO) nanocages by using zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIFs) as template. The synthesis of intermediate core-shell and hollow Co-Ni layered double hydroxides (HLDH) nanoflakes as well as the corresponding Co-Ni oxides products were successfully controlled, and the formation process was also explained. Among ZIF-67-derived oxides, HLDO exhibits excellent catalytic activities (complete conversion of CO into CO2 at 118 °C) and long-term stability for CO oxidation. The remarkable catalytic activities of HLDO can be attributed to high surface area (258 m2 g-1) inherited from the HLDH, which could provide more active sites for CO oxidation. In addition, active oxygen species indicated by the O 1 s XPS spectrum and improved synergistic effect between NiO and Co3O4 reflected by H2-TPR, further explain the enhanced performance of the HLDO catalysts. The presented strategy for controlled design and synthesis of hollow multicomponent metal oxides will provide prospects in developing highly effective catalysts.

  3. Quantum confinement-induced tunable exciton states in graphene oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Dongwook; Seo, Jiwon; Zhu, Xi; Lee, Jiyoul; Shin, Hyeon-Jin; Cole, Jacqueline M; Shin, Taeho; Lee, Jaichan; Lee, Hangil; Su, Haibin

    2013-01-01

    Graphene oxide has recently been considered to be a potential replacement for cadmium-based quantum dots due to its expected high fluorescence. Although previously reported, the origin of the luminescence in graphene oxide is still controversial. Here, we report the presence of core/valence excitons in graphene-based materials, a basic ingredient for optical devices, induced by quantum confinement. Electron confinement in the unreacted graphitic regions of graphene oxide was probed by high resolution X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. Using experiments and simulations, we were able to tune the core/valence exciton energy by manipulating the size of graphitic regions through the degree of oxidation. The binding energy of an exciton in highly oxidized graphene oxide is similar to that in organic electroluminescent materials. These results open the possibility of graphene oxide-based optoelectronic device technology.

  4. Fatty Acid Incubation of Myotubues from Humans with Type 2 Diabetes Leads to Enhanced Release of Beta Oxidation Products Due to Impaired Fatty Acid Oxidation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wensaas, Andreas J; Rustan, Arild C; Just, Marlene

    2008-01-01

    Objective: Increased availability of fatty acids is important for accumulation of intracellular lipids and development of insulin resistance in human myotubes. It is unknown whether different types of fatty acids like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) influence...... these processes. Research Design and Methods: We examined fatty acid and glucose metabolism, and gene expression in cultured human skeletal muscle cells from control and T2D individuals after four days preincubation with EPA or TTA. Results: T2D myotubes exhibited reduced formation of CO(2) from palmitic acid (PA....... EPA markedly enhanced TAG accumulation in myotubes, more pronounced in T2D cells. TAG accumulation and fatty acid oxidation were inversely correlated only after EPA preincubation, and total level of acyl-CoA was reduced. Glucose oxidation (CO(2) formation) was enhanced and lactate production decreased...

  5. Advanced manufacturing of intermediate temperature, direct methane oxidation membrane electrode assemblies for durable solid oxide fuel cell, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ITN proposes to create an innovative anode supported membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that is capable of long-term operation at...

  6. Distress due to lithium-induced polyuria: exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradhan, Basant K; Chakrabarti, Subho; Irpati, Anand S; Bhardwaj, Rahul

    2011-06-01

    Lithium-induced polyuria, although common, often goes unrecognized. The purpose of the present study was therefore to investigate the complaints of polyuria, and distress and functional impairment associated with polyuria, in 56 patients with bipolar disorder on long-term lithium treatment. All participants underwent 24-h urine collection, and renal function tests. Polyuria (24-h urine volume > 3 L) was found in 70% of subjects. Unless directly enquired about, polyuria was underreported. Impairment in work and daily routine due to increased urine output/frequency was associated with 24-h urine volumes. Polyuria is a highly prevalent, distressing and impairing side-effect of long-term lithium treatment, requiring due attention. © 2011 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2011 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

  7. CELLULOSE DEGRADATION BY OXIDATIVE ENZYMES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Dimarogona

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Enzymatic degradation of plant biomass has attracted intensive research interest for the production of economically viable biofuels. Here we present an overview of the recent findings on biocatalysts implicated in the oxidative cleavage of cellulose, including polysaccharide monooxygenases (PMOs or LPMOs which stands for lytic PMOs, cellobiose dehydrogenases (CDHs and members of carbohydrate-binding module family 33 (CBM33. PMOs, a novel class of enzymes previously termed GH61s, boost the efficiency of common cellulases resulting in increased hydrolysis yields while lowering the protein loading needed. They act on the crystalline part of cellulose by generating oxidized and non-oxidized chain ends. An external electron donor is required for boosting the activity of PMOs. We discuss recent findings concerning their mechanism of action and identify issues and questions to be addressed in the future.

  8. Nanocatalysts for Ethanol Oxidation: Synthesis and Characterisation

    OpenAIRE

    Bonesi, A.; Triaca, W. E.; Luna, A. M. Castro

    2009-01-01

    Carb on-supported binary PtSn/C and ternary PtSnNi/C catalysts were prepared for the electro-oxidation of ethanol. The carbon-supported nanoparticles were synthesised by employing a modified polyol methodology and characterised in terms of structure, morphology and composition by using XRD, EDX and TEM techniques. Their electro-catalytic behaviour for ethanol oxidation (EO) was investigated by employing a disc-composite electrode covered by a thin layer of catalyst imbedded in a Nafion polyme...

  9. Years of life lost due to external radiation exposure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raičević Jagoš J.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a new approach for calculation of the years of life lost per excess death due to stochastic health effects is applied to external exposure pathways. The short-term external exposures are due to the passage of radioactive cloud and due to the skin and clothes contamination. The long-term external exposure is the one from the radioactive material deposited on the ground (groundshine. Three nuclides, 131I, 137Cs, and 239Pu, and with the extremely wide range of half-life are considered in order to examine their possible influence on the calculated values of years of life lost. For each of these nuclides, the number of years of life lost has been found as a decreasing function of the age at the expo sure and presented graphically in this paper. For protracted exposures, the fully averaged number of years of life lost is negative correlated with the nuclide’s half-life. On the other hand, the short-term external exposures do not depend on the nuclide’s half-life. In addition, a weak years of life lost dependence of the dose has been commented.

  10. Low mercury concentration produces vasoconstriction, decreases nitric oxide bioavailability and increases oxidative stress in rat conductance artery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Núbia Belem Lemos

    Full Text Available Mercury is an environmental pollutant that reduces nitric oxide (NO bioavailability and increases oxidative stress, having a close link with cardiovascular diseases, as carotid atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease and hypertension. One of the main sites affected by oxidative stress, which develops atherosclerosis, is the aorta. Under acute exposure to low mercury concentrations reactive oxygen species (ROS production were only reported for resistance vessels but if low concentrations of mercury also affect conductance arteries it is still unclear. We investigated the acute effects of 6 nM HgCl(2 on endothelial function of aortic rings measuring the reactivity to phenylephrine in rings incubated, or not, with HgCl(2 for 45 min, the protein expression for cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2 and the AT1 receptor. HgCl(2 increased Rmax and pD2 to phenylephrine without changing the vasorelaxation induced by acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside. Endothelial damage abolished the increased reactivity to phenylephrine. The increase of Rmax and pD2 produced by L-NAME was smaller in the presence of HgCl(2. Enalapril, losartan, indomethacin, furegrelate, the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS 398, superoxide dismutase and the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin reverted HgCl(2 effects on the reactivity to phenylephrine, COX-2 protein expression was increased, and AT1 expression reduced. At low concentration, below the reference values, HgCl(2 increased vasoconstrictor activity by reducing NO bioavailability due to increased ROS production by NADPH oxidase activity. Results suggest that this is due to local release of angiotensin II and prostanoid vasoconstrictors. Results also suggest that acute low concentration mercury exposure, occurring time to time could induce vascular injury due to endothelial oxidative stress and contributing to increase peripheral resistance, being a high risk factor for public health.

  11. Processing and Characterization of Sol-Gel Cerium Oxide Microspheres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McClure, Zachary D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Padilla Cintron, Cristina [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-09-27

    Of interest to space exploration and power generation, Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) can provide long-term power to remote electronic systems without the need for refueling or replacement. Plutonium-238 (Pu-238) remains one of the more promising materials for thermoelectric power generation due to its high power density, long half-life, and low gamma emissions. Traditional methods for processing Pu-238 include ball milling irregular precipitated powders before pressing and sintering into a dense pellet. The resulting submicron particulates of Pu-238 quickly accumulate and contaminate glove boxes. An alternative and dust-free method for Pu-238 processing is internal gelation via sol-gel techniques. Sol-gel methodology creates monodisperse and uniform microspheres that can be packed and pressed into a pellet. For this study cerium oxide microspheres were produced as a surrogate to Pu-238. The similar electronic orbitals between cerium and plutonium make cerium an ideal choice for non-radioactive work. Before the microspheres can be sintered and pressed they must be washed to remove the processing oil and any unreacted substituents. An investigation was performed on the washing step to find an appropriate wash solution that reduced waste and flammable risk. Cerium oxide microspheres were processed, washed, and characterized to determine the effectiveness of the new wash solution.

  12. Effect of poly(ethylene oxide) homopolymer and two different poly(ethylene oxide-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymers on morphological, optical, and mechanical properties of nanostructured unsaturated polyester.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Builes, Daniel H; Hernández-Ortiz, Juan P; Corcuera, Ma Angeles; Mondragon, Iñaki; Tercjak, Agnieszka

    2014-01-22

    Novel nanostructured unsaturated polyester resin-based thermosets, modified with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), and two poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxide) block copolymers (BCP), were developed and analyzed. The effects of molecular weights, blocks ratio, and curing temperatures on the final morphological, optical, and mechanical properties were reported. The block influence on the BCP miscibility was studied through uncured and cured mixtures of unsaturated polyester (UP) resins with PEO and PPO homopolymers having molecular weights similar to molecular weights of the blocks of BCP. The final morphology of the nanostructured thermosetting systems, containing BCP or homopolymers, was investigated, and multiple mechanisms of nanostructuration were listed and explained. By considering the miscibility of each block before and after curing, it was determined that the formation of the nanostructured matrices followed a self-assembly mechanism or a polymerization-induced phase separation mechanism. The miscibility between PEO or PPO blocks with one of two phases of UP matrix was highlighted due to its importance in the final thermoset properties. Relationships between the final morphology and thermoset optical and mechanical properties were examined. The mechanisms and physics behind the morphologies lead toward the design of highly transparent, nanostructured, and toughened thermosetting UP systems.

  13. Fireside corrosion and steamside oxidation of 9-12% Cr martensitic steels exposed for long term testing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Montgomery, Melanie; Jensen, S. A.; Rasmussen, F.

    2009-01-01

    MoV121 and HCM12 for the 12% Cr steels. The test tubes were welded in as part of the existing final superheaters in actual plants and exposure has been conducted over a ten year period (1994-2005). Compared to the older steel types, T92 and HCM12 utilise tungsten to improve their creep strength. From......To obtain long term corrosion and steam oxidation data for the 9-12%Cr ferritic steels, test tube sections have been exposed in Amager 3 and Avedore 1 coal fired power plants in Denmark (formerly run by ENERGI E2). Thus direct comparisons can be made for T91 and T92 for the 9% Cr steels and X20Cr...... Avedore I testing, T91 and T92 can be compared for exposure times up to similar to 48 000 h exposure. From Amager 3 testing, X20, HCM12 and T92 were tested; T92 has been exposed for up to 31 000 h and X20 and HCM12 have had 84 500 h exposure. Tube sections were removed for various exposure durations...

  14. Appropriate zinc addition management into PWR primary coolant after the plant long-term maintenance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirose, Atsushi; Matsui, Ryo; Imamura, Haruki; Takahashi, Akira; Shimizu, Yuichi; Kogawa, Noritaka; Nagamine, Kunitaka

    2014-01-01

    Zinc addition into the PWR primary coolant is known as an effective method to reduce the radioactivity build up. The reduction effect has been confirmed by actual plant experience of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 to 4 and the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 to 2 which are operated by Kyushu Electric Power Co. in Japan. Zinc addition is suspended at shut-down, and is resumed after heat up or arrival at full power. In usual maintenance, the period when zinc addition is not applied is short; thus it is considered that suspension of zinc addition does not have practical influence on the corrosion and the radioactivity buildup in the oxide layer of surface for the primary equipment and piping. On the other hand, in case the maintenance period is much longer, the new oxide which does not contain zinc has grown, and then the structure of the oxide layer may be changed. Therefore, it is considered that zinc addition suspension in long-term period has possibilities to deteriorate the dose reduction effect. In order to verify the effect of long-term suspension of zinc addition upon oxide layer, the lab experiment was carried out using TT690 alloy which is the constitution material of the steam generator tubes under the conditions of long-term and the subsequent resuming operations. After the experiment, the specimens were analyzed by IMA and chemical analysis. These measurement results suggest the difference of the oxide layer is little or none between long-term suspension of zinc addition and short-term suspension of zinc suspension. Hence it is considered that influence of long-term maintenance on the oxide layer is small. Furthermore, in this study, in order to evaluate the influence of the suspension of zinc addition in the operation period, specimens of oxide film formed with zinc were carried out the corrosion test in the simulated RCS condition without zinc. These measurement results indicate the effect of reduction of the activity build up will become less

  15. KINETICS OF THE OXIDATION OF VITAMIN C

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sitti Rahmawati

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is needed by the human body but it is already damaged by the rise in temperature due to be oxidized to L-dehydroascorbic acid. This research aims to determine the kinetics of oxidation of ascorbic acid due to an increase if temperature (40-80 °C and to design an ascorbic acid oxidation reaction laboratory module to be applied in the senior high school reaction kinetics curriculum. The determination of the kinetics of the oxidation of ascorbic acid applies the integral and half-change time methods, while the concentration of the remained ascorbic acid in sixty minute intervals is determined by iodimetric titration method. Decomposition of ascorbic acid was measured at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C. The results of this research indicate that at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C the kinetics of the oxidation of ascorbic acid is a first-order reaction with rate constants of 4.55 x 10-4, 5.85 x 10-4, 8.4 x 10-4, 1.1 x 10-3 and 1.015 x 10-3 min-1, respectively. Pre-exponential factor or the frequency of collisions is a factor which is a measure of the collision rate. The activation energy and the pre-exponential factor for the oxidation of ascorbic acid were found to be 20.73 kJ.mol-1 and 1.372 min-1. The procedure used in this study was modified into a laboratory module will be applied in the teaching of reaction kinetics at the senior high school level.

  16. Synthesis of non-siliceous mesoporous oxides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Dong; Schüth, Ferdi

    2014-01-07

    Mesoporous non-siliceous oxides have attracted great interest due to their unique properties and potential applications. Since the discovery of mesoporous silicates in 1990s, organic-inorganic assembly processes by using surfactants or block copolymers as soft templates have been considered as a feasible path for creating mesopores in metal oxides. However, the harsh sol-gel conditions and low thermal stabilities have limited the expansion of this method to various metal oxide species. Nanocasting, using ordered mesoporous silica or carbon as a hard template, has provided possibilities for preparing novel mesoporous materials with new structures, compositions and high thermal stabilities. This review concerns the synthesis, composition, and parameter control of mesoporous non-siliceous oxides. Four synthesis routes, i.e. soft-templating (surfactants or block copolymers as templates), hard-templating (mesoporous silicas or carbons as sacrificial templates), colloidal crystal templating (3-D ordered colloidal particles as a template), and super lattice routes, are summarized in this review. Mesoporous metal oxides with different compositions have different properties. Non-siliceous mesoporous oxides are comprehensively described, including a discussion of constituting elements, synthesis, and structures. General aspects concerning pore size control, atomic scale crystallinity, and phase control are also reviewed.

  17. Cost and Performance Assessment of In-situ Chemical Oxidation for Intermittent and Continuous Oxidant Injection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, U.; Parker, J.; Borden, R. C.

    2015-12-01

    In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is a popular remediation technology that involves injection of chemical oxidant into groundwater to destroy dissolved and non-aqueous liquid phase contaminants. Depending on site conditions, oxidant can be injected into the contaminated subsurface periodically (intermittently) or continuously. A common approach is to intermittently inject oxidant into a network of wells over a period long enough to emplace oxidant over a target treatment volume (referred to ISCO-int). The injection phase is followed by a passive phase when the oxidant is allowed to react with contaminants and natural oxygen demand (NOD) and to migrate under natural hydraulic gradients. This process may be repeated multiple times until termination criteria are met. Recently, some practitioners have adopted an alternative approach in which oxidant is injected continuously with extraction wells recovering unreacted oxidant to recycle with additional makeup oxidant to maintain its constant concentration (referred to ISCO-cont). Each method has certain advantages and disadvantages. This study numerically evaluates those two ISCO practices in terms of remediation costs and performance based on multiple equi-probable parameter sets. Stochastic cost optimization toolbox (SCOToolkit) is used for this purpose. SCOToolkit is an integrated semi-analytical model for contaminant transport and remediation (e.g., thermal source treatment, ISCO, electron donor injections, permeable reactive barriers) enabling inverse solution and Monte Carlo simulations. Four different aquifer settings, slow and fast Darcy velocities combined with low and high NOD conditions, are used for the evaluation. Preliminary results showed that ISCO-cont is effective for a full scale application without large investment while ISCO-int is more efficient to utilize oxidant in well-characterized sites. Pros and cons of each approach are discussed for the practical use of ISCO for various site conditions.

  18. Selective Oxidation of Biomass-Derived Chemicals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Modvig, Amalie Elise

    . These processes should be able to compete with the established processes based on fossil resources. Glycolaldehyde is an often-observed by-product formed from degradation of larger sugars. Due to competing ecological and economical aspects of the well-established processes for extraction and conversion....... The objective of this dissertation was to develop new, alternative and sustainable methods for oxidative catalytic upgrading of biomass-derived compounds, with focus on oxidation of glycolaldehyde and simple alcohols as model substrates for larger sugars. Supported gold nanoparticle were studied...

  19. Nanostructured manganese oxide thin films as electrode material for supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Hui; Lai, Man On; Lu, Li

    2011-01-01

    Electrochemical capacitors, also called supercapacitors, are alternative energy storage devices, particularly for applications requiring high power densities. Recently, manganese oxides have been extensively evaluated as electrode materials for supercapacitors due to their low cost, environmental benignity, and promising supercapacitive performance. In order to maximize the utilization of manganese oxides as the electrode material for the supercapacitors and improve their supercapacitive performance, the nanostructured manganese oxides have therefore been developed. This paper reviews the synthesis of the nanostructured manganese oxide thin films by different methods and the supercapacitive performance of different nanostructures.

  20. Effect of coating density on oxidation resistance and Cr vaporization from solid oxide fuel cell interconnects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talic, Belma; Falk-Windisch, Hannes; Venkatachalam, Vinothini; Hendriksen, Peter Vang; Wiik, Kjell; Lein, Hilde Lea

    2017-06-01

    Manganese cobalt spinel oxides are promising materials for protective coatings for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) interconnects. To achieve high density such coatings are often sintered in a two-step procedure, involving heat treatment first in reducing and then in oxidizing atmospheres. Sintering the coating inside the SOFC stack during heating would reduce production costs, but may result in a lower coating density. The importance of coating density is here assessed by characterization of the oxidation kinetics and Cr evaporation of Crofer 22 APU with MnCo1.7Fe0.3O4 spinel coatings of different density. The coating density is shown to have minor influence on the long-term oxidation behavior in air at 800 °C, evaluated over 5000 h. Sintering the spinel coating in air at 900 °C, equivalent to an in-situ heat treatment, leads to an 88% reduction of the Cr evaporation rate of Crofer 22 APU in air-3% H2O at 800 °C. The air sintered spinel coating is initially highly porous, however, densifies with time in interaction with the alloy. A two-step reduction and re-oxidation heat treatment results in a denser coating, which reduces Cr evaporation by 97%.

  1. Electrolysed reduced water decreases reactive oxygen species-induced oxidative damage to skeletal muscle and improves performance in broiler chickens exposed to medium-term chronic heat stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azad, M A K; Kikusato, M; Zulkifli, I; Toyomizu, M

    2013-01-01

    1. The present study was designed to achieve a reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative damage to skeletal muscle and to improve the performance of broiler chickens exposed to chronic heat stress. 2. Chickens were given a control diet with normal drinking water, or diets supplemented with cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) or grape seed extract (GSE), or a control diet with electrolysed reduced water (ERW) for 19 d after hatch. Thereafter, chickens were exposed to a temperature of either 34°C continuously for a period of 5 d, or maintained at 24°C, on the same diets. 3. The control broilers exposed to 34°C showed decreased weight gain and feed consumption and slightly increased ROS production and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in skeletal muscle. The chickens exposed to 34°C and supplemented with ERW showed significantly improved growth performance and lower ROS production and MDA contents in tissues than control broilers exposed to 34°C. Following heat exposure, CNSL chickens performed better with respect to weight gain and feed consumption, but still showed elevated ROS production and skeletal muscle oxidative damage. GSE chickens did not exhibit improved performance or reduced skeletal muscle oxidative damage. 4. In conclusion, this study suggests that ERW could partially inhibit ROS-induced oxidative damage to skeletal muscle and improve growth performance in broiler chickens under medium-term chronic heat treatment.

  2. Strength of Anode‐Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Faes, A.; Frandsen, Henrik Lund; Kaiser, Andreas

    2011-01-01

    Nickel oxide and yttria doped zirconia composite strength is crucial for anode‐supported solid oxide fuel cells, especially during transient operation, but also for the initial stacking process, where cell curvature after sintering can cause problems. This work first compares tensile and ball....... Even though the electrolyte is to the tensile side, it is found that the anode support fails due to the thermo‐mechanical residual stresses....

  3. First results of tall tower based nitrous oxide flux monitoring over an agricultural region in Central Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haszpra, László; Hidy, Dóra; Taligás, Tímea; Barcza, Zoltán

    2018-03-01

    Nitrous oxide is one of the atmospheric greenhouse gases whose amount is significantly influenced by human activity. Its major anthropogenic sources are the agricultural soils but the emission is known only with large uncertainty yet. The paper presents a tall tower based measuring system installed in Hungary, which is designed for the long-term monitoring of nitrous oxide emission of a regionally typical composition of agricultural fields by means of eddy covariance technique. Due to the careful calibration of the gas analyzer applied the measuring system is also suitable for the recording of the atmospheric concentration of nitrous oxide on the globally compatible scale (WMO X2006A). The paper reports the results of the first two years of the monitoring program, which is the first of its kind in Central Europe. For the period of July 2015-June 2017 the concentration measurements indicate an increasing trend of 0.91 nmol mol-1 year-1 with an average concentration of 330.64 nmol mol-1. During the two years of the project, the monitoring system recorded a total of 441 ± 195 mg N2O-N m-2 nitrous oxide emission with late spring/early summer maximum. The measurements also revealed the episodic nature of the emission typically triggered by major precipitation events.

  4. Nutrients and Oxidative Stress: Friend or Foe?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bee Ling Tan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available There are different types of nutritionally mediated oxidative stress sources that trigger inflammation. Much information indicates that high intakes of macronutrients can promote oxidative stress and subsequently contribute to inflammation via nuclear factor-kappa B- (NF-κB- mediated cell signaling pathways. Dietary carbohydrates, animal-based proteins, and fats are important to highlight here because they may contribute to the long-term consequences of nutritionally mediated inflammation. Oxidative stress is a central player of metabolic ailments associated with high-carbohydrate and animal-based protein diets and excessive fat consumption. Obesity has become an epidemic and represents the major risk factor for several chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD, and cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of nutritionally mediated oxidative stress are complex and poorly understood. Therefore, this review aimed to explore how dietary choices exacerbate or dampen the oxidative stress and inflammation. We also discussed the implications of oxidative stress in the adipocyte and glucose metabolism and obesity-associated noncommunicable diseases (NCDs. Taken together, a better understanding of the role of oxidative stress in obesity and the development of obesity-related NCDs would provide a useful approach. This is because oxidative stress can be mediated by both extrinsic and intrinsic factors, hence providing a plausible means for the prevention of metabolic disorders.

  5. Nutrients and Oxidative Stress: Friend or Foe?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Bee Ling; Norhaizan, Mohd Esa; Liew, Winnie-Pui-Pui

    2018-01-01

    There are different types of nutritionally mediated oxidative stress sources that trigger inflammation. Much information indicates that high intakes of macronutrients can promote oxidative stress and subsequently contribute to inflammation via nuclear factor-kappa B- (NF- κ B-) mediated cell signaling pathways. Dietary carbohydrates, animal-based proteins, and fats are important to highlight here because they may contribute to the long-term consequences of nutritionally mediated inflammation. Oxidative stress is a central player of metabolic ailments associated with high-carbohydrate and animal-based protein diets and excessive fat consumption. Obesity has become an epidemic and represents the major risk factor for several chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of nutritionally mediated oxidative stress are complex and poorly understood. Therefore, this review aimed to explore how dietary choices exacerbate or dampen the oxidative stress and inflammation. We also discussed the implications of oxidative stress in the adipocyte and glucose metabolism and obesity-associated noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Taken together, a better understanding of the role of oxidative stress in obesity and the development of obesity-related NCDs would provide a useful approach. This is because oxidative stress can be mediated by both extrinsic and intrinsic factors, hence providing a plausible means for the prevention of metabolic disorders.

  6. Thermally oxidized titania nanotubes enhance the corrosion resistance of Ti6Al4V.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotberg, John; Hamlekhan, Azhang; Butt, Arman; Patel, Sweetu; Royhman, Dmitry; Shokuhfar, Tolou; Sukotjo, Cortino; Takoudis, Christos; Mathew, Mathew T

    2016-02-01

    The negative impact of in vivo corrosion of metallic biomedical implants remains a complex problem in the medical field. We aimed to determine the effects of electrochemical anodization (60V, 2h) and thermal oxidation (600°C) on the corrosive behavior of Ti-6Al-4V, with serum proteins, at physiological temperature. Anodization produced a mixture of anatase and amorphous TiO2 nanopores and nanotubes, while the annealing process yielded an anatase/rutile mixture of TiO2 nanopores and nanotubes. The surface area was analyzed by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method and was estimated to be 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of polished control samples. Corrosion resistance was evaluated on the parameters of open circuit potential, corrosion potential, corrosion current density, passivation current density, polarization resistance and equivalent circuit modeling. Samples both anodized and thermally oxidized exhibited shifts of open circuit potential and corrosion potential in the noble direction, indicating a more stable nanoporous/nanotube layer, as well as lower corrosion current densities and passivation current densities than the smooth control. They also showed increased polarization resistance and diffusion limited charge transfer within the bulk oxide layer. The treatment groups studied can be ordered from greatest corrosion resistance to least as Anodized+Thermally Oxidized > Anodized > Smooth > Thermally Oxidized for the conditions investigated. This study concludes that anodized surface has a potential to prevent long term implant failure due to corrosion in a complex in-vivo environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Oxidation-Mediated Fingering in Liquid Metals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eaker, Collin B.; Hight, David C.; O'Regan, John D.; Dickey, Michael D.; Daniels, Karen E.

    2017-10-01

    We identify and characterize a new class of fingering instabilities in liquid metals; these instabilities are unexpected due to the large interfacial tension of metals. Electrochemical oxidation lowers the effective interfacial tension of a gallium-based liquid metal alloy to values approaching zero, thereby inducing drastic shape changes, including the formation of fractals. The measured fractal dimension (D =1.3 ±0.05 ) places the instability in a different universality class than other fingering instabilities. By characterizing changes in morphology and dynamics as a function of droplet volume and applied electric potential, we identify the three main forces involved in this process: interfacial tension, gravity, and oxidative stress. Importantly, we find that electrochemical oxidation can generate compressive interfacial forces that oppose the tensile forces at a liquid interface. The surface oxide layer ultimately provides a physical and electrochemical barrier that halts the instabilities at larger positive potentials. Controlling the competition between interfacial tension and oxidative (compressive) stresses at the interface is important for the development of reconfigurable electronic, electromagnetic, and optical devices that take advantage of the metallic properties of liquid metals.

  8. A combinatorial chemistry approach to the investigation of cerium oxide and plutonium oxide reactions with small molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, John T.; Warner, Benjamin P.; Bridgewater, Jon S.; Havrilla, George J.; Morris, David E.; Buscher, C. Thomas

    2000-07-01

    We are currently investigating the potential chemistry of the 3013 Standard waste storage containers. These containers are filled with waste that is a mixture of inorganic salts and plutonium oxide that has been calcined to remove water and other volatiles. There has been concern about possible pressure buildup due to the formation of hydrogen or other gases. We are utilizing a combinatorial chemistry approach to investigate a range of possible reactions that may occur in the containers with various concentrations of metal oxides and inorganic salts.

  9. Apricot melanoidins prevent oxidative endothelial cell death by counteracting mitochondrial oxidation and membrane depolarization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annalisa Cossu

    Full Text Available The cardiovascular benefits associated with diets rich in fruit and vegetables are thought to be due to phytochemicals contained in fresh plant material. However, whether processed plant foods provide the same benefits as unprocessed ones is an open question. Melanoidins from heat-processed apricots were isolated and their presence confirmed by colorimetric analysis and browning index. Oxidative injury of endothelial cells (ECs is the key step for the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD, therefore the potential protective effect of apricot melanoidins on hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative mitochondrial damage and cell death was explored in human ECs. The redox state of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial compartments was detected by using the redox-sensitive, fluorescent protein (roGFP, while the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP was assessed with the fluorescent dye, JC-1. ECs exposure to hydrogen peroxide, dose-dependently induced mitochondrial and cytoplasmic oxidation. Additionally detected hydrogen peroxide-induced phenomena were MMP dissipation and ECs death. Pretreatment of ECs with apricot melanoidins, significantly counteracted and ultimately abolished hydrogen peroxide-induced intracellular oxidation, mitochondrial depolarization and cell death. In this regard, our current results clearly indicate that melanoidins derived from heat-processed apricots, protect human ECs against oxidative stress.

  10. Selected oxidized fragrance terpenes are common contact allergens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matura, Mihaly; Sköld, Maria; Börje, Anna; Andersen, Klaus E; Bruze, Magnus; Frosch, Peter; Goossens, An; Johansen, Jeanne D; Svedman, Cecilia; White, Ian R; Karlberg, Ann-Therese

    2005-06-01

    Terpenes are widely used fragrance compounds in fine fragrances, but also in domestic and occupational products. Terpenes oxidize easily due to autoxidation on air exposure. Previous studies have shown that limonene, linalool and caryophyllene are not allergenic themselves but readily form allergenic products on air-exposure. This study aimed to determine the frequency and characteristics of allergic reactions to selected oxidized fragrance terpenes other than limonene. In total 1511 consecutive dermatitis patients in 6 European dermatology centres were patch tested with oxidized fragrance terpenes and some oxidation fractions and compounds. Oxidized linalool and its hydroperoxide fraction were found to be common contact allergens. Of the patients tested, 1.3% showed a positive reaction to oxidized linalool and 1.1% to the hydroperoxide fraction. About 0.5% of the patients reacted to oxidized caryophyllene whereas 1 patient reacted to oxidized myrcene. Of the patients reacting to the oxidized terpenes, 58% had fragrance-related contact allergy and/or a positive history for adverse reaction to fragrances. Autoxidation of fragrance terpenes contributes greatly to fragrance allergy, which emphasizes the need of testing with compounds that patients are actually exposed to and not only with the ingredients originally applied in commercial formulations.

  11. An exogenous source of nitric oxide modulates zinc nutritional status in wheat plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buet, Agustina; Moriconi, Jorge I; Santa-María, Guillermo E; Simontacchi, Marcela

    2014-10-01

    The effect of addition of the nitric oxide donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) on the Zn nutritional status was evaluated in hydroponically-cultured wheat plants (Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring). Addition of GSNO in Zn-deprived plants did not modify biomass accumulation but accelerated leaf senescence in a mode concomitant with accelerated decrease of Zn allocation to shoots. In well-supplied plants, Zn concentration in both roots and shoots declined due to long term exposure to GSNO. A further evaluation of net Zn uptake rate (ZnNUR) during the recovery of long-term Zn-deprivation unveiled that enhanced Zn-accumulation was partially blocked when GSNO was present in the uptake medium. This effect on uptake was mainly associated with a change of Zn translocation to shoots. Our results suggest a role for GSNO in the modulation of Zn uptake and in root-to-shoot translocation during the transition from deficient to sufficient levels of Zn-supply. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Ni–Ta–O mixed oxide catalysts for the low temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Haibo

    2015-09-01

    The "wet" sol-gel and "dry" solid-state methods were used to prepare Ni-Ta-O mixed oxide catalysts. The resulting Ni-Ta oxides exhibit high activity and selectivity for the low temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene. The Ta/(Ni + Ta) atomic ratios (varying from 0 to 0.11 in "wet" sol-gel method, and from 0 to 0.20 in "dry" solid-state method) as well as the preparation methods used in the synthesis, play important roles in controlling catalyst structure, activity, selectivity and stability in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. Electron microscopy characterizations (TEM, EELS mapping, and HAADF-STEM) clearly demonstrate that the Ta atoms are inserted into NiO crystal lattice, resulting in the formation of a new Ni-Ta oxide solid solution. More Ta atoms are found to be located at the lattice sites of crystal surface in sol-gel catalyst. While, a small amount of thin layer of Ta2O5 clusters are detected in solid-state catalyst. Further characterization by XRD, N2 adsorption, SEM, H2-TPR, XPS, and Raman techniques reveal different properties of these two Ni-Ta oxides. Due to the different properties of the Ni-Ta oxide catalysts prepared by two distinct approaches, they exhibit different catalytic behaviors in the ethane oxidative dehydrogenation reaction at low temperature. Thus, the catalytic performance of Ni-Ta-O mixed oxide catalysts can be systematically modified and tuned by selecting a suitable synthesis method, and then varying the Ta content. ©2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Simulation of short-term fluctuations in gamma exposure rate due to radioactive cloud released from nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ichikawa, Yoichi; Shikata, Hiroshi; Ishida, Kenji; Ohba, Tachimori.

    1981-01-01

    The measured γ-exposure rate around nuclear power plants is due mainly to natural causes and radioactive clouds emitted from the plants. An exposure calculation method based on puff model has been already proposed to identify the plant contributions and to estimate values in response to short-term fluctuations of meteorological condition and the release rate. However, the calculation method by this model consumes a lot of computer time, since the calculation requires a three-dimensional integration of the distribution of the concentration from each puff. Hence, we propose a simplified method using approximate polynominal equations and interpolations. The computer time needed for the calculation with the simplified method is reduced to 1/30 of that required by the previous method. The calculation results by simplified method are compared with those by the previous method and with the measured exposure rate less natural background. The results of two different methods are in good agreement. The calculated exposure rate is within the range from half to twice as much as the measured exposure rate less background. (author)

  14. Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jiabin; Salihi, Elif Caliskan; Šiller, Lidija

    2017-01-01

    There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. - Highlights: • An environmentally friendly route was reported for the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO). • Alanine could reduce GO to rGO (reduced graphene oxide) without using any stabilizer or alcaline medium. • Characterization studies confirmed the successful deoxygenation of GO.

  15. Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jiabin [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Salihi, Elif Caliskan, E-mail: caliskanelif@gmail.com [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Marmara University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, 34668 Istanbul (Turkey); Šiller, Lidija [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

    2017-03-01

    There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. - Highlights: • An environmentally friendly route was reported for the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO). • Alanine could reduce GO to rGO (reduced graphene oxide) without using any stabilizer or alcaline medium. • Characterization studies confirmed the successful deoxygenation of GO.

  16. Effects of an oxidizing atmosphere in a spent fuel packaging facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Einziger, R.E.

    1991-09-01

    Sufficient oxidation of spent fuel can cause a cladding breach to propagate, resulting in dispersion of fuel particulates and gaseous radionuclides. The literature for spent fuel oxidation in storage and disposal programs was reviewed to evaluate the effect of an oxidizing atmosphere in a preclosure packaging facility on (1) physical condition of the fuel and (2) operations in the facility. Effects such as cladding breach propagation, cladding oxidation, rod dilation, fuel dispersal, 14 C and 85 Kr release, and crud release were evaluated. The impact of these effects, due to oxidation, upon a spent fuel handling facility is generally predicted to be less than the impact of similar effects due to fuel rod breached during handling in an inert-atmosphere facility. Preliminary temperature limits of 240 degree C and 227 degree C for a 2-week or 4-week handling period and 175 degree C for 2-year lag storage would prevent breach propagation and fuel dispersal. Additional data that are needed to support the assumptions in this analysis or complete the database were identified

  17. Effect of gamma radiation and storage on cholesterol oxidative stability of raw and processed eggs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medina, Marliz Klaumann Julca

    2005-01-01

    The egg have being studied due its nutritional wealth, for show industrial interest as a raw material, e due its higher cholesterol content. At the same time, due its susceptibility to contamination mainly with salmonella, it is being proposed the ionizing radiation as a hygienic measure. Cholesterol is subject to oxidation, that it is facilitated by several factors, among them ionizing radiation. Formed cholesterol oxides, by its turn, show harmful biological properties to human health, as atherogenicity, cytotoxicity, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, among others. The objectives of this work were evaluate the effect of ionizing radiation over pH, viscosity and color, besides the oxidative stability of cholesterol, in stored and processed crude eggs. With the increase of used doses (1, 2 and 3 KGy), there was an reduction in the viscosity of the egg white and in the color yolk egg, besides the increase in lipidic oxidation, measured through tiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). Specifications as humidity, total lipids and egg yolk cholesterol were not influenced. In the subject of humidity and of cholesterol, there was an meaningful alteration due storage (30 days in 4 deg C). The sum of the analyzed oxides didn't variate with the irradiation, only individually, although it did vary with storage. The thermal processing caused an meaningful increase of TBARS, but despite this, the oxides sum didn't differed between treatments. (author)

  18. Facile and Low-Cost Preparation of Nb/Al Oxide Catalyst with High Performance for the Conversion of Kiwifruit Waste Residue to Levulinic Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui Wang

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The kiwifruit industry is booming worldwide. As a result, a great deal of kiwifruit waste residue (KWR containing monosaccharides is produced and discarded. This material shows great potential for the production of platform chemicals. In this study, a series of Nb/Al oxide catalysts were synthesized via a facile and low-cost coprecipitation method, and their structures were characterized using: thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA, XRD, FESEM, TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, NH3-TPD, N2 adsorption-desorption, and FTIR-Pyridine adsorption. Experimental results of sugar-to-levulinic acid (LA conversion revealed that the 20%Nb/Al oxide catalyst provided the highest catalytic performance and durability in terms of LA yield from fructose (74.2% at 463 K after 10 min and from glucose (47.5% at 473 K after 15 min. Notably, the 20% Nb/Al oxide catalyst with a 10% dosage is capable of converting kiwifruit waste residue to LA at 473 K after 10 min. In conclusion, the enhanced catalytic performance was obtained due to the high acidity, and large surface areaof Nb/Al oxide catalyst.

  19. Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jiabin; Salihi, Elif Caliskan; Šiller, Lidija

    2017-03-01

    There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide thin films prepared by ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Zinc oxide thin films were prepared with ammonia/ammonium chloride buffer as the reaction moderating agent in the chemical bath deposition technique. An observable color change during the reaction due to variations in the reactants concentration indicated the existence of the cupric (CuO) and cuprous (Cu2O) oxides ...

  1. Effect of LiOH, NaOH and KOH on corrosion and oxide microstructure of Zr-based alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Y.H.; Kim, H.G.; Jung, Y.H.; Ruhmann, H.

    1999-01-01

    Long-term corrosion test, SIMS analysis, and TEM microstructural study were carried out to investigate the corrosion characteristics and mechanism of Zr alloys in alkali hydroxides. The corrosion tests were performed in solutions of LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, and CsOH at 350 deg. C for 500 days. SIMS analysis was performed for the specimens prepared to have an equal oxide thickness. TEM studies on the specimens with an equal oxide thickness in various solutions in both pre- and post-transition regimes were also conducted. The corrosion rate in alkali hydroxide solutions was observed to decrease as the ionic radius of alkali cation was increased. The penetration depth of cation into the oxide decreases with increasing the ionic radius of cation. Even though the oxide thickness was equal, the different oxide morphologies were observed in specimens. Namely, in LiOH solution the oxide morphology was transformed early from columnar to equiaxed structure. However, in KOH solution the columnar structure was maintained up to post-transition regime. Based on the corrosion test, SIMS analysis, and microstructural study, the cation is considered to control the corrosion in a alkali hydroxide solution and its effect is dependent on the concentration of alkali and the oxide thickness. The slight acceleration of the corrosion rate at a low concentration is thought to be caused by cation incorporation into oxide while the significant acceleration at a high concentration is due to the transformation of oxide microstructure that would be induced by cation incorporation. KOH was shown not to affect significantly the corrosion and the hydrogen pickup of Zircaloy. Therefore, it has a potential for PWR application only from the point of view of Zircaloy corrosion. (author)

  2. A STUDY OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN DIABETES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babu Rao

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Non - enzymatic free radical mediated oxidation of biological molecules, membranes and tissues is associated with a variety of pathological events such as cancer, aging and diabetes mellitus . [1] Increased oxidative stress is seen in both types of diabetes me llitus namely type 1 and type 2, irrespective of duration, complications and treatment. In diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress seems primarily due to both an increased plasma free radical concentration and a sharp decline in antioxidant defences . [1] Among the causes of enhanced free radical production, hyperglycemia and hyper insulinemia seem to play a major role , [2,3] Hyperglycemia is the more easily modifiable factor among the two and good glycemic control can reduce the oxidative stress. Controversy pers ists regarding the other possible mechanisms of increased oxidative stress in diabetes and whether oxidative stress normalizes with adequate metabolic control alone. The role of oxidative stress and diabetic complications has been extensively investigated. Oxidative stress has been suggested to be involved in the genesis of both macro and micro angiopathy [4,5] Prospective trials are now underway addressing the controversial issues of possible role of pharmacological antioxidants in preventing or at least de laying the onset of diabetic complications.

  3. Thermo-electric oxidization of iron in lithium niobate crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falk, Matthias

    2007-01-01

    Lithium niobate crystals (LiNbO 3 ) are a promising material for nonlinear-optical applications like frequency conversion to generate visible light, e.g., in laser displays, but their achievable output power is greatly limited by the ''optical damage'', i.e., light-induced refractive-index changes caused by excitation of electrons from iron impurities and the subsequent retrapping in unilluminated areas of the crystal. The resulting space-charge fields modify the refractive indices due to the electro-optic effect. By this ''photorefractive effect'' the phase-matching condition, i.e., the avoidance of destructive interference between light generated at different crystal positions due to the dispersion of the fundamental wave and the converted wave, is disturbed critically above a certain light intensity threshold. The influence of annealing treatments conducted in the presence of an externally applied electric field (''thermo-electric oxidization'') on the valence state of iron impurities and thereby on the optical damage is investigated. It is observed that for highly iron-doped LiNbO 3 crystals this treatment leads to a nearly complete oxidization from Fe 2+ to Fe 3+ indicated by the disappearance of the absorption caused by Fe 2+ . During the treatment an absorption front forms that moves through the crystal. The absorption in the visible as well as the electrical conductivity are decreased by up to five orders of magnitude due to this novel treatment. The ratio of the Fe 2+ concentration to the total iron concentration - a measure for the strength of the oxidization - is in the order of 10 -6 for oxidized crystals whereas it is about 10 -1 for untreated samples. Birefringence changes are observed at the absorption front that are explained by the removal of hydrogen and lithium ions from the crystal that compensate for the charges of the also removed electrons from Fe 2+ . A microscopic shock-wave model is developed that explains the observed absorption front by

  4. Measurement of exercise-induced oxidative stress in lymphocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, James E; Bosch, Jos A; Aldred, Sarah

    2011-10-01

    Vigorous exercise is associated with oxidative stress, a state that involves modifications to bodily molecules due to release of pro-oxidant species. Assessment of such modifications provides non-specific measures of oxidative stress in human tissues and blood, including circulating lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are a very heterogeneous group of white blood cells, consisting of subtypes that have different functions in immunity. Importantly, exercise drastically changes the lymphocyte composition in blood by increasing the numbers of some subsets, while leaving other cells unaffected. This fact may imply that observed changes in oxidative stress markers are confounded by changes in lymphocyte composition. For example, lymphocyte subsets may differ in exposure to oxidative stress because of subset differences in cell division and the acquisition of cytotoxic effector functions. The aim of the present review is to raise awareness of interpretational issues related to the assessment of oxidative stress in lymphocytes with exercise and to address the relevance of lymphocyte subset phenotyping in these contexts.

  5. Heat-induced redistribution of surface oxide in uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swissa, E.; Shamir, N.; Bloch, J.; Mintz, M.H.; Israel Atomic Energy Commission, Beersheba. Nuclear Research Center-Negev)

    1990-01-01

    The redistribution of oxygen and uranium metal at the vicinity of the metal-oxide interface of native and grown oxides due to vacuum thermal annealing was studied for uranium and uranium-chromium alloy using Auger depth profiling and metallographic techniques. It was found that uranium metal is segregating out through the uranium oxide layer for annealing temperatures above 450deg C. At the same time the oxide is redistributed in the metal below the oxide-metal interface in a diffusion like process. By applying a diffusion equation of a finite source, the diffusion coefficients for the process were obtained from the oxygen depth profiles measured for different annealing times. An Arrhenius like behavior was found for the diffusion coefficient between 400 and 800deg C. The activation energy obtained was E a =15.4±1.9 kcal/mole and the pre-exponential factor, D 0 =1.1x10 -8 cm 2 /s. An internal oxidation mechanism is proposed to explain the results. (orig.)

  6. Heat-induced redistribution of surface oxide in uranium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swissa, Eli; Shamir, Noah; Mintz, Moshe H.; Bloch, Joseph

    1990-09-01

    The redistribution of oxygen and uranium metal at the vicinity of the metal-oxide interface of native and grown oxides due to vacuum thermal annealing was studied for uranium and uranium-chromium alloy using Auger depth profiling and metallographic techniques. It was found that uranium metal is segregating out through the uranium oxide layer for annealing temperatures above 450°C. At the same time the oxide is redistributed in the metal below the oxide-metal interface in a diffusion like process. By applying a diffusion equation of a finite source, the diffusion coefficients for the process were obtained from the oxygen depth profiles measured for different annealing times. An Arrhenius like behavior was found for the diffusion coefficient between 400 and 800°C. The activation energy obtained was Ea = 15.4 ± 1.9 kcal/mole and the pre-exponential factor, D0 = 1.1 × 10 -8cm2/ s. An internal oxidation mechanism is proposed to explain the results.

  7. Bonding to oxide ceramics—laboratory testing versus clinical outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kern, Matthias

    2015-01-01

    Despite a huge number of published laboratory bonding studies on dental oxide ceramics clinical long-term studies on resin bonded oxide ceramic restorations are rare. The purpose of this review is to present the best available clinical evidence for successful bonding of dental oxide ceramic restorations. Clinical trials with resin-bonded restorations that had no or only limited mechanical retention and were made from alumina or zirconia ceramic were identified using an electronic search in PubMed database. Overall 10 publications with clinical trials could be identified. Their clinical outcome was compared with that laboratory bond strength studies. Clinical data provide strong evidence that air-abrasion at a moderate pressure in combination with using phosphate monomer containing primers and/or luting resins provide long-term durable bonding to glass-infiltrated alumina and zirconia ceramic under the humid and stressful oral conditions. As simple and clinically reliable bonding methods to oxide ceramics exist, the rationale for development of alternative bonding methods might be reconsidered especially when these methods are more time consuming or require rather complicated and/or technique sensitive procedures. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Combined electron microscopy and spectroscopy characterization of as-received, acid purified, and oxidized HiPCO single-wall carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosario-Castro, Belinda I.; Contes, Enid J.; Lebron-Colon, Marisabel; Meador, Michael A.; Sanchez-Pomales, Germarie; Cabrera, Carlos R.

    2009-01-01

    Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are very important materials due to their combination of unique structure, dimension, strength, chemical stability, and electronic properties. Nevertheless, SWCNTs from commercial sources usually contain several impurities, which are usually removed by a purification process that includes reflux in acids and strong oxidation. This strong chemical procedure may alter the nanotube properties and it is thus important to control the extent of functionalization and oxidation during the purification procedure. In this report, we provide a comprehensive study of the structure and physical composition of SWCNTs during each step of the purification process. Techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Infrared spectroscopy were used to track the SWCNTs structure, in terms of length and diameter distribution, and surface chemical modifications during each purification stage.

  9. Biological Superoxide In Manganese Oxide Formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansel, C.; Learman, D.; Zeiner, C.; Santelli, C. M.

    2011-12-01

    Manganese (Mn) oxides are among the strongest sorbents and oxidants within the environment, controlling the fate and transport of numerous elements and the degradation of recalcitrant carbon. Both bacteria and fungi mediate the oxidation of Mn(II) to Mn(III/IV) oxides but the genetic and biochemical mechanisms responsible remain poorly understood. Furthermore, the physiological basis for microbial Mn(II) oxidation remains an enigma. We have recently reported that a common marine bacterium (Roseobacter sp. AzwK-3b) oxidizes Mn(II) via reaction with extracellular superoxide (O2-) produced during exponential growth. Here we expand this superoxide-mediated Mn(II) oxidation pathway to fungi, introducing a surprising homology between prokaryotic and eukaryotic metal redox processes. For instance, Stibella aciculosa, a common soil Ascomycete filamentous fungus, precipitates Mn oxides at the base of asexual reproductive structures (synnemata) used to support conidia (Figure 1). This distribution is a consequence of localized production of superoxide (and it's dismutation product hydrogen peroxide, H2O2), leading to abiotic oxidation of Mn(II) by superoxide. Disruption of NADPH oxidase activity using the oxidoreductase inhibitor DPI leads to diminished cell differentiation and subsequent Mn(II) oxidation inhibition. Addition of Cu(II) (an effective superoxide scavenger) leads to a concentration dependent decrease in Mn oxide formation. We predict that due to the widespread production of extracellular superoxide within the fungal and likely bacterial kingdoms, biological superoxide may be an important contributor to the cycling of Mn, as well as other metals (e.g., Hg, Fe). Current and future explorations of the genes and proteins involved in superoxide production and Mn(II) oxidation will ideally lend insight into the physiological and biochemical basis for these processes.

  10. Induction of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase by Lipopolysaccharide and the Influences of Cell Volume Changes, Stress Hormones and Oxidative Stress on Nitric Oxide Efflux from the Perfused Liver of Air-Breathing Catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahua G Choudhury

    Full Text Available The air-breathing singhi catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis is frequently being challenged by bacterial contaminants, and different environmental insults like osmotic, hyper-ammonia, dehydration and oxidative stresses in its natural habitats throughout the year. The main objectives of the present investigation were to determine (a the possible induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS gene with enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO by intra-peritoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS (a bacterial endotoxin, and (b to determine the effects of hepatic cell volume changes due to anisotonicity or by infusion of certain metabolites, stress hormones and by induction of oxidative stress on production of NO from the iNOS-induced perfused liver of singhi catfish. Intra-peritoneal injection of LPS led to induction of iNOS gene and localized tissue specific expression of iNOS enzyme with more production and accumulation of NO in different tissues of singhi catfish. Further, changes of hydration status/cell volume, caused either by anisotonicity or by infusion of certain metabolites such as glutamine plus glycine and adenosine, affected the NO production from the perfused liver of iNOS-induced singhi catfish. In general, increase of hydration status/cell swelling due to hypotonicity caused decrease, and decrease of hydration status/cell shrinkage due to hypertonicity caused increase of NO efflux from the perfused liver, thus suggesting that changes in hydration status/cell volume of hepatic cells serve as a potent modulator for regulating the NO production. Significant increase of NO efflux from the perfused liver was also observed while infusing the liver with stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine, accompanied with decrease of hydration status/cell volume of hepatic cells. Further, oxidative stress, caused due to infusion of t-butyl hydroperoxide and hydrogen peroxide separately, in the perfused liver of singhi catfish, resulted

  11. Surface engineering of one-dimensional tin oxide nanostructures for chemical sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Yuanyuan; Qu, Yongquan; Zhou, Wei

    2013-01-01

    Nanostructured materials are promising candidates for chemical sensors due to their fascinating physicochemical properties. Among various candidates, tin oxide (SnO 2 ) has been widely explored in gas sensing elements due to its excellent chemical stability, low cost, ease of fabrication and remarkable reproducibility. We are presenting an overview on recent investigations on 1-dimensional (1D) SnO 2 nanostructures for chemical sensing. In particular, we focus on the performance of devices based on surface engineered SnO 2 nanostructures, and on aspects of morphology, size, and functionality. The synthesis and sensing mechanism of highly selective, sensitive and stable 1D nanostructures for use in chemical sensing are discussed first. This is followed by a discussion of the relationship between the surface properties of the SnO 2 layer and the sensor performance from a thermodynamic point of view. Then, the opportunities and recent progress of chemical sensors fabricated from 1D SnO 2 heterogeneous nanostructures are discussed. Finally, we summarize current challenges in terms of improving the performance of chemical (gas) sensors using such nanostructures and suggest potential applications. (author)

  12. Ionic Liquids in Selective Oxidation: Catalysts and Solvents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Chengna; Zhang, Jie; Huang, Chongpin; Lei, Zhigang

    2017-05-24

    Selective oxidation has an important role in environmental and green chemistry (e.g., oxidative desulfurization of fuels and oxidative removal of mercury) as well as chemicals and intermediates chemistry to obtain high-value-added special products (e.g., organic sulfoxides and sulfones, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, epoxides, esters, and lactones). Due to their unique physical properties such as the nonvolatility, thermal stability, nonexplosion, high polarity, and temperature-dependent miscibility with water, ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted considerable attention as reaction solvents and media for selective oxidations and are considered as green alternatives to volatile organic solvents. Moreover, for easy separation and recyclable utilization, IL catalysts have attracted unprecedented attention as "biphasic catalyst" or "immobilized catalyst" by immobilizing metal- or nonmetal-containing ILs onto mineral or polymer supports to combine the unique properties of ILs (chemical and thermal stability, capacity for extraction of polar substrates and reaction products) with the extended surface of the supports. This review highlights the most recent outcomes on ILs in several important typical oxidation reactions. The contents are arranged in the series of oxidation of sulfides, oxidation of alcohols, epoxidation of alkenes, Baeyer-Villiger oxidation reaction, oxidation of alkanes, and oxidation of other compounds step by step involving ILs as solvents, catalysts, reagents, or their combinations.

  13. Fundamental aspects of regenerative cerium oxide nanoparticles and their applications in nanobiotechnology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patil, Swanand D.

    Cerium oxide has been used extensively for various applications over the past two decades. The use of cerium oxide nanoparticles is beneficial in present applications and can open avenues for future applications. The present study utilizes the microemulsion technique to synthesize uniformly distributed cerium oxide nanoparticles. The same technique was also used to synthesize cerium oxide nanoparticles doped with trivalent elements (La and Nd). The fundamental study of cerium oxide nanoparticles identified variations in properties as a function of particle size and also due to doping with trivalent elements (La and Nd). It was found that the lattice parameter of cerium oxide nanoparticles increases with decrease in particle size. Also Raman allowed mode shift to lower energies and the peak at 464 cm-1 becomes broader and asymmetric. The size dependent changes in cerium oxide were correlated to increase in oxygen vacancy concentration in the cerium oxide lattice. The doping of cerium oxide nanoparticles with trivalent elements introduces more oxygen vacancies and expands the cerium oxide lattice further (in addition to the lattice expansion due to the size effect). The lattice expansion is greater for La-doped cerium oxide nanoparticles compared to Nd-doping due to the larger ionic radius of La compared to Nd, the lattice expansion is directly proportional to the dopant concentration. The synthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles were used to develop an electrochemical biosensor of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The sensor was useful to detect H2O2 concentrations as low as 1muM in water. Also the preliminary testing of the sensor on tomato stem and leaf extracts indicated that the sensor can be used in practical applications such as plant physiological studies etc. The nanomolar concentrations of cerium oxide nanoparticles were also found to be useful in decreasing ROS (reactive oxygen species) mediated cellular damages in various in vitro cell cultures. Cerium oxide

  14. Polyakov's quantized string with boundary terms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durhuus, B.; Olesen, P.; Petersen, J.L.

    1982-01-01

    We compute the boundary terms due to the conformal anomaly which are needed in Polyakov's method of calculating averages of functionals defined on surfaces. The method we use is due to Seeley, who found recursive relations yielding the boundary terms. We solve these relations for a general second-order elliptic differential operator. This solution is then applied to Polyakov's problem. (orig.)

  15. Fus1 KO Mouse As a Model of Oxidative Stress-Mediated Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease: Circadian Disruption and Long-Term Spatial and Olfactory Memory Impairments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coronas-Samano, Guillermo; Baker, Keeley L; Tan, Winston J T; Ivanova, Alla V; Verhagen, Justus V

    2016-01-01

    Insufficient advances in the development of effective therapeutic treatments of sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (sAD) to date are largely due to the lack of sAD-relevant animal models. While the vast majority of models do recapitulate AD's hallmarks of plaques and tangles by virtue of tau and/or beta amyloid overexpression, these models do not reflect the fact that in sAD (unlike familial AD) these genes are not risk factors per se and that other mechanisms like oxidative stress, metabolic dysregulation and inflammation play key roles in AD etiology. Here we characterize and propose the Fus1 KO mice that lack a mitochondrial protein Fus1/Tusc2 as a new sAD model. To establish sAD relevance, we assessed sAD related deficits in Fus1 KO and WT adult mice of 4-5 months old, the equivalent human age when the earliest cognitive and olfactory sAD symptoms arise. Fus1 KO mice showed oxidative stress (increased levels of ROS, decreased levels of PRDX1), disruption of metabolic homeostasis (decreased levels of ACC2, increased phosphorylation of AMPK), autophagy (decreased levels of LC3-II), PKC (decreased levels of RACK1) and calcium signaling (decreased levels of Calb2) in the olfactory bulb and/or hippocampus. Mice were behaviorally tested using objective and accurate video tracking (Noldus), in which Fus1 KO mice showed clear deficits in olfactory memory (decreased habituation/cross-habituation in the short and long term), olfactory guided navigation memory (inability to reduce their latency to find the hidden cookie), spatial memory (learning impairments on finding the platform in the Morris water maze) and showed more sleep time during the diurnal cycle. Fus1 KO mice did not show clear deficits in olfactory perception (cross-habituation), association memory (passive avoidance) or in species-typical behavior (nest building) and no increased anxiety (open field, light-dark box) or depression/anhedonia (sucrose preference) at this relatively young age. These neurobehavioral

  16. Oxidative stress evoked damages leading to attenuated memory and inhibition of NMDAR–CaMKII–ERK/CREB signalling on consumption of aspartame in rat model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashok Iyaswamy

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Many controversial reports are available on the use of aspartame as it releases methanol as one of its metabolite during metabolism. The present study proposes to investigate whether long term (90 days aspartame (40 mg/kg b.wt administration could induce oxidative stress and alter the memory in Wistar strain male albino rats. To mimic the human methanol metabolism, methotrexate (MTX-treated rats were included as a model to study the effects of aspartame. Wistar strain albino rats were administered with aspartame (40 mg/kg b.wt orally and studied along with controls and MTX-treated controls. Aspartame interfered in the body weight and corticosterone levels in the rats. A marked increase in the mRNA and protein expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS which resulted in the increased nitric oxide radical's level indicating that aspartame is a stressor. These reactive nitrogen species could be responsible for the altered cell membrane integrity and even cause death of neurons by necrosis or apoptosis. The animals showed a marked decrease in learning, spatial working and spatial recognition memory deficit in the Morris water maze and Y-maze performance task which could have resulted due to reduced hippocampal acetylcholine esterase (AChE activity. The animal brain homogenate also revealed the decrease in the phosphorylation of NMDAR1–CaMKII–ERK/CREB signalling pathway, which well documents the inhibition of phosphorylation leads to the excitotoxicity of the neurons and memory decline. This effect may be due to methanol which may also activate the NOS levels, microglia and astrocytes, inducing neurodegeneration in brain. Neuronal shrinkage of hippocampal layer due to degeneration of pyramidal cells revealed the abnormal neuronal morphology of pyramidal cell layers in the aspartame treated animals. These findings demonstrate that aspartame metabolites could be a contributing factor for the

  17. Stimulation of the cardiac myocyte Na+-K+ pump due to reversal of its constitutive oxidative inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chia, Karin K M; Liu, Chia-Chi; Hamilton, Elisha J; Garcia, Alvaro; Fry, Natasha A; Hannam, William; Figtree, Gemma A; Rasmussen, Helge H

    2015-08-15

    Protein kinase C can activate NADPH oxidase and induce glutathionylation of the β1-Na(+)-K(+) pump subunit, inhibiting activity of the catalytic α-subunit. To examine if signaling of nitric oxide-induced soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)/cGMP/protein kinase G can cause Na(+)-K(+) pump stimulation by counteracting PKC/NADPH oxidase-dependent inhibition, cardiac myocytes were exposed to ANG II to activate NADPH oxidase and inhibit Na(+)-K(+) pump current (Ip). Coexposure to 3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzylindazole (YC-1) to stimulate sGC prevented the decrease of Ip. Prevention of the decrease was abolished by inhibition of protein phosphatases (PP) 2A but not by inhibition of PP1, and it was reproduced by an activator of PP2A. Consistent with a reciprocal relationship between β1-Na(+)-K(+) pump subunit glutathionylation and pump activity, YC-1 decreased ANG II-induced β1-subunit glutathionylation. The decrease induced by YC-1 was abolished by a PP2A inhibitor. YC-1 decreased phosphorylation of the cytosolic p47(phox) NADPH oxidase subunit and its coimmunoprecipitation with the membranous p22(phox) subunit, and it decreased O2 (·-)-sensitive dihydroethidium fluorescence of myocytes. Addition of recombinant PP2A to myocyte lysate decreased phosphorylation of p47(phox) indicating the subunit could be a substrate for PP2A. The effects of YC-1 to decrease coimmunoprecipitation of p22(phox) and p47(phox) NADPH oxidase subunits and decrease β1-Na(+)-K(+) pump subunit glutathionylation were reproduced by activation of nitric oxide-dependent receptor signaling. We conclude that sGC activation in cardiac myocytes causes a PP2A-dependent decrease in NADPH oxidase activity and a decrease in β1 pump subunit glutathionylation. This could account for pump stimulation with neurohormonal oxidative stress expected in vivo. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  18. Due diligence responsibilities of the professional geologist

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hobbs, G.W.

    1991-01-01

    Whether in the role of independent consultant or company employee, a geologist has certain professional obligations in the evaluation of an oil and gas submittal from a third party. 'Due diligence' is the term used to describe the analysis of an investment opportunity. Due diligence involves a multidisciplinary examination of both the technical and business aspects of a submittal. In addition to the obvious geological considerations, prospect evaluations should include relevant details about the specific technical documentation reviewed, information sources, and how the data were verified. Full disclosure of ownership, technical risks, and negative aspects of the prospect should be included along with the positive elements. After the geological analysis is completed, the economic merits of the prospect should be analyzed, incorporating all lease burdens and terms of participation into the calculations. Estimated exploration, development, and operating costs, together with projected annual production, cash flow, and reserves must be examined as to their reasonableness. Finally, the due diligence review should include a thorough check on the reputation, financial condition, technical and managerial expertise, and prior track record of the operator. Bank, trade, legal, and prior partner references should be contacted. The successful professional geologist in today's competitive world must have multidisciplinary skills. A solid background in geology and geophysics, a basic understanding of the principles of petroleum engineering and economics, and the wits of a private eye are needed for good due diligence work

  19. Elongational viscosity of photo-oxidated LDPE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolón-Garrido, Víctor H.; Wagner, Manfred H.

    2014-05-01

    Sheets of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were photo-oxidatively treated at room temperature, and subsequently characterized rheologically in the melt state by shear and uniaxial extensional experiments. For photo-oxidation, a xenon lamp was used to irradiate the samples for times between 1 day and 6 weeks. Linear-viscoelastic characterization was performed in a temperature range of 130 to 220°C to obtain the master curve at 170°C, the reference temperature at which the elongational viscosities were measured. Linear viscoelasticity is increasingly affected by increasing photo-oxidation due to crosslinking of LDPE, as corroborated by an increasing gel fraction as determined by a solvent extraction method. The elongational measurements reveal a strong enhancement of strain hardening until a saturation level is achieved. The elongational data are analyzed in the frame work of two constitutive equations, the rubber-like liquid and the molecular stress function models. Within the experimental window, timedeformation separability is confirmed for all samples, independent of the degree of photo-oxidation.

  20. Chronic nandrolone administration promotes oxidative stress, induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine and TNF-α mediated apoptosis in the kidneys of CD1 treated mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riezzo, Irene; Turillazzi, Emanuela; Bello, Stefania; Cantatore, Santina [Department of Forensic Pathology, University of Foggia, Foggia (Italy); Cerretani, Daniela [Pharmacology Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena (Italy); Di Paolo, Marco [Department of Forensic Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa (Italy); Fiaschi, Anna Ida [Pharmacology Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena (Italy); Frati, Paola [Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, University of Rome Sapienza, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome (Italy); Neri, Margherita [Department of Forensic Pathology, University of Foggia, Foggia (Italy); Pedretti, Monica [Department of Forensic Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa (Italy); Fineschi, Vittorio, E-mail: vfinesc@tin.it [Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, University of Rome Sapienza, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome (Italy)

    2014-10-01

    Nandrolone decanoate administration and strenuous exercise increase the extent of renal damage in response to renal toxic injury. We studied the role played by oxidative stress in the apoptotic response caused by nandrolone decanoate in the kidneys of strength-trained male CD1 mice. To measure cytosolic enzyme activity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined after nandrolone treatment. An immunohistochemical study and Western blot analysis were performed to evaluate cell apoptosis and to measure the effects of renal expression of inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, TNF-α) on the induction of apoptosis (HSP90, TUNEL). Dose-related oxidative damage in the kidneys of treated mice is shown by an increase in MDA levels and by a reduction of antioxidant enzyme GR and GPx activities, resulting in the kidney's reduced radical scavenging ability. Renal specimens of the treated group showed relevant glomeruli alterations and increased immunostaining and protein expressions, which manifested significant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. The induction of proinflammatory cytokine expression levels was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Long-term administration of nandrolone promotes oxidative injury in the mouse kidneys. TNF-α mediated injury due to nandrolone in renal cells appears to play a role in the activation of both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways. - Highlights: • We analyze abuse of nandrolone decanoate in strength-trained male CD1 mice. • Nandrolone decanoate administration increases oxidative stress. • Increased cytokine expressions were observed. • Renal apoptosis was described. • Long-term administration of nandrolone promotes oxidative injury in mice kidney.