MreB filaments align along greatest principal membrane curvature to orient cell wall synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Szwedziak, Piotr; Wong, Felix; Schaefer, Kaitlin; Izoré, Thierry; Renner, Lars D; Holmes, Matthew J; Sun, Yingjie; Bisson-Filho, Alexandre W; Walker, Suzanne; Amir, Ariel; Löwe, Jan

2018-01-01

MreB is essential for rod shape in many bacteria. Membrane-associated MreB filaments move around the rod circumference, helping to insert cell wall in the radial direction to reinforce rod shape. To understand how oriented MreB motion arises, we altered the shape of Bacillus subtilis. MreB motion is isotropic in round cells, and orientation is restored when rod shape is externally imposed. Stationary filaments orient within protoplasts, and purified MreB tubulates liposomes in vitro, orienting within tubes. Together, this demonstrates MreB orients along the greatest principal membrane curvature, a conclusion supported with biophysical modeling. We observed that spherical cells regenerate into rods in a local, self-reinforcing manner: rapidly propagating rods emerge from small bulges, exhibiting oriented MreB motion. We propose that the coupling of MreB filament alignment to shape-reinforcing peptidoglycan synthesis creates a locally-acting, self-organizing mechanism allowing the rapid establishment and stable maintenance of emergent rod shape. PMID:29469806

Nociones de geometría vectorial

OpenAIRE

Ospina Arteaga, Omar Evelio

1990-01-01

Las presentes notas de geometría vectorial pretenden ser una ayuda para los estudiantes que se inician en el tema de vectores y deberá ser complementado con ejercicios sobre el tema. Este texto contiene temas de interés tales como: Espacios euclidianos, Distancian entre dos puntos, Concepto de vector, Igualdad de vectores, entre otros relacionados con el estudio de vectores.

Control-oriented model of a membrane humidifier for fuel cell applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solsona, Miguel; Kunusch, Cristian; Ocampo-Martinez, Carlos

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A control-oriented model of a Nafion® membrane gas humidifier has been developed. • The control-oriented model has been experimentally validated. • A non-linear control strategy has been used to test its suitability for control purposes. - Abstract: Improving the humidification of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cells (PEMFC) is essential to optimize its performance and stability. Therefore, this paper presents an experimentally validated model of a low temperature PEMFC cathode humidifier for control/observation design purposes. A multi-input/multi-output non-linear fourth order model is derived, based on the mass and heat dynamics of circulating air. In order to validate the proposed model and methodology, experimental results are provided. Finally, a non-linear control strategy based on second order sliding mode is designed and analyzed in order to show suitability and usefulness of the approach.

Far-field divergence of a vectorial plane wave diffracted by a circular aperture from the vectorial structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Guo-Quan

2011-01-01

Based on the vectorial structure of an electromagnetic wave, the analytical and concise expressions for the TE and TM terms of a vectorial plane wave diffracted by a circular aperture are derived in the far-field. The expressions of the energy flux distributions of the TE term, the TM term and the diffracted plane wave are also presented. The ratios of the power of the TE and TM terms to that of the diffracted plane wave are examined in the far-field. In addition, the far-field divergence angles of the TE term, the TM term and the diffracted plane wave, which are related to the energy flux distribution, are investigated. The different energy flux distributions of the TE and TM terms result in the discrepancy of their divergence angles. The influences of the linearly polarized angle and the radius of the circular aperture on the far-field divergence angles of the TE term, the TM term and the diffracted plane wave are discussed in detail. This research may promote the recognition of the optical propagation through a circular aperture. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

Vectorial Ekeland Variational Principles and Inclusion Problems in Cone Quasi-Uniform Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Zhu

2012-01-01

principle, vectorial quasiequilibrium principle are obtained. Also, several other important principles in nonlinear analysis are extended to cone quasi-uniform spaces. The results of this paper extend, generalize, and improve the corresponding results for Ekeland's variational principles of the directed vectorial perturbation type and other generalizations of Ekeland's variational principles in the setting of F-type topological space and quasi-metric spaces in the literatures. Even in usual real metric spaces, some of our results are new.

Multiplexed optical data storage and vectorial ray tracing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Foreman M.R.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available With the motivation of creating a terabyte-sized optical disk, a novel imaging technique is implemented. This technique merges two existing technologies: confocal microscopy and Mueller matrix imaging. Mueller matrix images from a high numerical space are obtained. The acquisition of these images makes the exploration of polarisation properties in a sample possible. The particular case of optical data storage is used as an example in this presentation. Since we encode information into asymmetric datapits (see Figure 1, the study of the polarisation of the scattered light can then be used to recover the orientation of the pit. It is thus possible to multiplex information by changing the angle of the mark. The storage capacity in the system is hence limited by the number of distinct angles that the optical system can resolve. This presentation thus answers the question; what is the current storage capacity of a polarisation sensitive optical disk? After a brief introduction to polarisation, the decoding method and experimental results are presented so as to provide an answer to this question. With the aim of understanding high NA focusing, an introduction to vectorial ray tracing is then given.

[Arthropods with vectorial interest in spanish public health].

Science.gov (United States)

Bueno Marí, Rubén; Moreno Marí, Josefa; Oltra Moscardó, M Teresa; Jiménez Peydró, Ricardo

2009-01-01

Fifteen of the thirty-one Obligatory Communicable Diseases in Spain, exempting those of congenital or neonatal types, can be transmitted by several species of arthropods that are present in our country. Several arthropod orders are the suitable transmitters of tens of bacteria, fungi, virus and protozoa. This fact demands a through of the biology knowledge of these vectors in order to adopt efficient control measures that allow us to reduce the incidence levels of these diseases. Nevertheless, the epidemiological studies shouldn't remain only restricted to the diseases with active transmission cycles in our country. It is necessary to acquire a global vision because of allochton diseases that are perfectly extensible to our territory in the globalization context in which we are situated. All this information is important to know which factors are preventing the disease presence. The aim is to provide the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network with a valuable predictive capacity that allows it to predict the potential arrival of diseases and the consequent strengthening of the spanish Public Health. The goal of this work is to carry out a review of the spanish arthropod fauna with any vectorial interest. The current situation of some of the more important vectorial diseases in our country and the factors related to a resurgence reappearance and/or intensification of those ones are also discussed. Therefore, the study of these inappealable protagonists in our Public Health as an articulatory element in the complex network that any vectorial disease entails is absolutely necessary.

An age-structured extension to the vectorial capacity model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasiliy N Novoseltsev

Full Text Available Vectorial capacity and the basic reproductive number (R(0 have been instrumental in structuring thinking about vector-borne pathogen transmission and how best to prevent the diseases they cause. One of the more important simplifying assumptions of these models is age-independent vector mortality. A growing body of evidence indicates that insect vectors exhibit age-dependent mortality, which can have strong and varied affects on pathogen transmission dynamics and strategies for disease prevention.Based on survival analysis we derived new equations for vectorial capacity and R(0 that are valid for any pattern of age-dependent (or age-independent vector mortality and explore the behavior of the models across various mortality patterns. The framework we present (1 lays the groundwork for an extension and refinement of the vectorial capacity paradigm by introducing an age-structured extension to the model, (2 encourages further research on the actuarial dynamics of vectors in particular and the relationship of vector mortality to pathogen transmission in general, and (3 provides a detailed quantitative basis for understanding the relative impact of reductions in vector longevity compared to other vector-borne disease prevention strategies.Accounting for age-dependent vector mortality in estimates of vectorial capacity and R(0 was most important when (1 vector densities are relatively low and the pattern of mortality can determine whether pathogen transmission will persist; i.e., determines whether R(0 is above or below 1, (2 vector population growth rate is relatively low and there are complex interactions between birth and death that differ fundamentally from birth-death relationships with age-independent mortality, and (3 the vector exhibits complex patterns of age-dependent mortality and R(0 ∼ 1. A limiting factor in the construction and evaluation of new age-dependent mortality models is the paucity of data characterizing vector mortality

An Age-Structured Extension to the Vectorial Capacity Model

Science.gov (United States)

Novoseltsev, Vasiliy N.; Michalski, Anatoli I.; Novoseltseva, Janna A.; Yashin, Anatoliy I.; Carey, James R.; Ellis, Alicia M.

2012-01-01

Background Vectorial capacity and the basic reproductive number (R0) have been instrumental in structuring thinking about vector-borne pathogen transmission and how best to prevent the diseases they cause. One of the more important simplifying assumptions of these models is age-independent vector mortality. A growing body of evidence indicates that insect vectors exhibit age-dependent mortality, which can have strong and varied affects on pathogen transmission dynamics and strategies for disease prevention. Methodology/Principal Findings Based on survival analysis we derived new equations for vectorial capacity and R0 that are valid for any pattern of age-dependent (or age–independent) vector mortality and explore the behavior of the models across various mortality patterns. The framework we present (1) lays the groundwork for an extension and refinement of the vectorial capacity paradigm by introducing an age-structured extension to the model, (2) encourages further research on the actuarial dynamics of vectors in particular and the relationship of vector mortality to pathogen transmission in general, and (3) provides a detailed quantitative basis for understanding the relative impact of reductions in vector longevity compared to other vector-borne disease prevention strategies. Conclusions/Significance Accounting for age-dependent vector mortality in estimates of vectorial capacity and R0 was most important when (1) vector densities are relatively low and the pattern of mortality can determine whether pathogen transmission will persist; i.e., determines whether R0 is above or below 1, (2) vector population growth rate is relatively low and there are complex interactions between birth and death that differ fundamentally from birth-death relationships with age-independent mortality, and (3) the vector exhibits complex patterns of age-dependent mortality and R0∼1. A limiting factor in the construction and evaluation of new age-dependent mortality models is the

[Chagas's disease and deep ecology: the anti-vectorial fight in question].

Science.gov (United States)

Siqueira-Batista, Rodrigo; Gomes, Andréia Patrícia; Rôças, Giselle; Cotta, Rosângela Minardi Mitre; Rubião, Eduardo Cárdenas Nogueira; Pissinatti, Alcides

2011-02-01

The inter-relations between man and the environment are among the main themes currently debated by the Brazilian public health. On such horizon, the questions concerning Chagas's disease are found to remain specially in the scope of the directed actions of control to the triatomine, the anti-vectorial fight , though already a century since its first description by Carlos Chagas, a major epidemiological problem in Latin America. Based on these considerations the present article will seek to discuss the main ecological aspects related to the American trypanosomiasis, emphasizing the control of the vectorial transmission in the context of the deep ecology.

Changes in the anisotropy of oriented membrane dynamics induced by myelin basic protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natali, F. [OGG-INFM, Grenoble (France); Gliozzi, A.; Rolandi, R.; Relini, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica and Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Universita di Genova (Italy); Cavatorta, P.; Deriu, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica and Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Universita di Parma (Italy); Fasano, A. [Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, Universita di Bari (Italy); Riccio, P. [Dipartimento di Biologia D.B.A.F., Universita della Basilicata, Potenza (Italy)

2002-07-01

We report recent results showing the evidence of the effect induced by physiological amounts of myelin basic protein (MBP) on the dynamics of dimyristoyl L-a-phosphatidic acid (DMPA) membranes. Incoherent elastic neutron scattering scans, performed over a wide temperature range, have shown that the anisotropy of motions in oriented membranes is significantly enhanced by the presence of MBP. (orig.)

Determination of the polarization states of an arbitrary polarized terahertz beam: vectorial vortex analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wakayama, Toshitaka; Higashiguchi, Takeshi; Oikawa, Hiroki; Sakaue, Kazuyuki; Washio, Masakazu; Yonemura, Motoki; Yoshizawa, Toru; Tyo, J Scott; Otani, Yukitoshi

2015-03-24

Vectorial vortex analysis is used to determine the polarization states of an arbitrarily polarized terahertz (0.1-1.6 THz) beam using THz achromatic axially symmetric wave (TAS) plates, which have a phase retardance of Δ = 163° and are made of polytetrafluorethylene. Polarized THz beams are converted into THz vectorial vortex beams with no spatial or wavelength dispersion, and the unknown polarization states of the incident THz beams are reconstructed. The polarization determination is also demonstrated at frequencies of 0.16 and 0.36 THz. The results obtained by solving the inverse source problem agree with the values used in the experiments. This vectorial vortex analysis enables a determination of the polarization states of the incident THz beam from the THz image. The polarization states of the beams are estimated after they pass through the TAS plates. The results validate this new approach to polarization detection for intense THz sources. It could find application in such cutting edge areas of physics as nonlinear THz photonics and plasmon excitation, because TAS plates not only instantaneously elucidate the polarization of an enclosed THz beam but can also passively control THz vectorial vortex beams.

Vectorial Resilient PC(l) of Order k Boolean Functions from AG-Codes

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hao CHEN; Liang MA; Jianhua LI

2011-01-01

Propagation criteria and resiliency of vectorial Boolean functions are important for cryptographic purpose (see [1- 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 16]). Kurosawa, Stoh [8] and Carlet [1]gave a construction of Boolean functions satisfying PC(l) of order k from binary linear or nonlinear codes. In this paper, the algebraic-geometric codes over GF(2m) are used to modify the Carlet and Kurosawa-Satoh's construction for giving vectorial resilient Boolean functions satisfying PC(l) of order k criterion. This new construction is compared with previously known results.

Monitoring the Orientational Changes of Alamethicin during Incorporation into Bilayer Lipid Membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Forbrig, Enrico; Staffa, Jana K; Salewski, Johannes; Mroginski, Maria Andrea; Hildebrandt, Peter; Kozuch, Jacek

2018-02-13

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are the first line of defense after contact of an infectious invader, for example, bacterium or virus, with a host and an integral part of the innate immune system of humans. Their broad spectrum of biological functions ranges from cell membrane disruption over facilitation of chemotaxis to interaction with membrane-bound or intracellular receptors, thus providing novel strategies to overcome bacterial resistances. Especially, the clarification of the mechanisms and dynamics of AMP incorporation into bacterial membranes is of high interest, and different mechanistic models are still under discussion. In this work, we studied the incorporation of the peptaibol alamethicin (ALM) into tethered bilayer lipid membranes on electrodes in combination with surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy. This approach allows monitoring the spontaneous and potential-induced ion channel formation of ALM in situ. The complex incorporation kinetics revealed a multistep mechanism that points to peptide-peptide interactions prior to penetrating the membrane and adopting the transmembrane configuration. On the basis of the anisotropy of the backbone amide I and II infrared absorptions determined by density functional theory calculations, we employed a mathematical model to evaluate ALM reorientations monitored by SEIRA spectroscopy. Accordingly, ALM was found to adopt inclination angles of ca. 69°-78° and 21° in its interfacially adsorbed and transmembrane incorporated states, respectively. These orientations can be stabilized efficiently by the dipolar interaction with lipid head groups or by the application of a potential gradient. The presented potential-controlled mechanistic study suggests an N-terminal integration of ALM into membranes as monomers or parallel oligomers to form ion channels composed of parallel-oriented helices, whereas antiparallel oligomers are barred from intrusion.

Subcellular localization and logistics of integral membrane protein biogenesis in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogdanov, Mikhail; Aboulwafa, Mohammad; Saier, Milton H

2013-01-01

Transporters catalyze entry and exit of molecules into and out of cells and organelles, and protein-lipid interactions influence their activities. The bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) catalyzes transport-coupled sugar phosphorylation as well as nonvectorial sugar phosphorylation in the cytoplasm. The vectorial process is much more sensitive to the lipid environment than the nonvectorial process. Moreover, cytoplasmic micellar forms of these enzyme-porters have been identified, and non-PTS permeases have similarly been shown to exist in 'soluble' forms. The latter porters exhibit lipid-dependent activities and can adopt altered topologies by simply changing the lipid composition. Finally, intracellular membranes and vesicles exist in Escherichia coli leading to the following unanswered questions: (1) what determines whether a PTS permease catalyzes vectorial or nonvectorial sugar phosphorylation? (2) How do phospholipids influence relative amounts of the plasma membrane, intracellular membrane, inner membrane-derived vesicles and cytoplasmic micelles? (3) What regulates the route(s) of permease insertion and transfer into and between the different subcellular sites? (4) Do these various membranous forms have distinct physiological functions? (5) What methods should be utilized to study the biogenesis and interconversion of these membranous structures? While research concerning these questions is still in its infancy, answers will greatly enhance our understanding of protein-lipid interactions and how they control the activities, conformations, cellular locations and biogenesis of integral membrane proteins. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Functional differentiation and alveolar morphogenesis of primary mammary cultures on reconstituted basement membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

BARCELLOS-HOFF, M. H; AGGELER, J.; RAM, T. G; BISSELL, M. J

1989-02-01

An essential feature of mammary gland differentiation during pregnancy is the formation of alveoli composed of polarized epithelial cells, which, under the influence of lactogenic hormones, secrete vectorially and sequester milk proteins. Previous culture studies have described either organization of cells polarized towards lumina containing little or no demonstrable tissue-specific protein, or establishment of functional secretory cells exhibiting little or no glandular architecture. In this paper, we report that tissue-specific vectorial secretion coincides with the formation of functional alveoli-like structures by primary mammary epithelial cells cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane matrix (derived from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm murine tumour). Morphogenesis of these unique three-dimensional structures was initiated by cell-directed remodelling of the exogenous matrix leading to reorganization of cells into matrixensheathed aggregates by 24 h after plating. The aggregates subsequently cavitated, so that by day 6 the cells were organized into hollow spheres in which apical cell surfaces faced lumina sealed by tight junctions and basal surfaces were surrounded by a distinct basal lamina. The profiles of proteins secreted into the apical (luminal) and basal (medium) compartments indicated that these alveoli-like structures were capable of an appreciable amount of vectorial secretion. Immunoprecipitation with a broad spectrum milk antiserum showed that more than 80% of caseins were secreted into the lumina, whereas iron-binding proteins (both lactoferrin and transferrin) were present in comparable amounts in each compartment. Thus, these mammary cells established protein targeting pathways directing milk-specific proteins to the luminal compartment. A time course monitoring secretory activity demonstrated that establishment of tissue-specific vectorial secretion and increased total and milk protein secretion coincided with functional alveolar

Vectorial diffraction properties of THz vortex Bessel beams.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhen; Wang, Xinke; Sun, Wenfeng; Feng, Shengfei; Han, Peng; Ye, Jiasheng; Yu, Yue; Zhang, Yan

2018-01-22

A vortex Bessel beam combines the merits of an optical vortex and a Bessel beam, including a spiral wave front and a non-diffractive feature, which has immense application potentials in optical trapping, optical fabrication, optical communications, and so on. Here, linearly and circularly polarized vortex Bessel beams in the terahertz (THz) frequency range are generated by utilizing a THz quarter wave plate, a spiral phase plate, and Teflon axicons with different opening angles. Taking advantage of a THz focal-plane imaging system, vectorial diffraction properties of the THz vortex Bessel beams are comprehensively characterized and discussed, including the transverse (Ex, Ey) and longitudinal (Ez) polarization components. The experimental phenomena are accurately simulated by adopting the vectorial Rayleigh diffraction integral. By varying the opening angle of the axicon, the characteristic parameters of these THz vortex Bessel beams are exhibited and compared, including the light spot size, the diffraction-free range, and the phase evolution process. This work provides the precise experimental and theoretical bases for the comprehension and application of a THz vortex Bessel beam.

The generalized vectorial laws of reflection and refraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharjee, Pramode Ranjan

2005-01-01

This paper discloses two important discoveries. These are: (i) discovery of ambiguity in the well-established laws of reflection and refraction of light which have been in regular use for many years, and (ii) discovery of generalized vectorial laws of reflection and refraction of light. The existing definitions of angle of incidence, angle of reflection and angle of refraction are considered first. Each of these definitions is found to be ambiguous, not in compliance with the fundamental definition of angle in geometry. Two typical questions (one in the case of reflection and the other for refraction) have been addressed, which cannot be dealt with by using the existing laws of reflection and refraction of light. Thus, the existing laws of reflection and refraction of light seem to be ambiguous in respect of generality and their validity in a broad sense is questionable. With a view to removing the ambiguities, proper definitions of the above three angles are given first and then the statement of the generalized vectorial law of reflection (as well as that of refraction) has been offered

[Vectorial and congenital transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Las Lomitas, Formosa].

Science.gov (United States)

Sosa-Estani, Sergio; Dri, Lucía; Touris, Cecilia; Abalde, Sergio; Dell'arciprete, Ana; Braunstein, Jose

2009-01-01

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Latin America. The objective of this study was to describe the rate of infestation in four aboriginal communities in Las Lomitas (Great Chaco Region), Formosa, Argentina; the rate of infection in children residing in these communities, in blood donors and in pregnant women who received care at the Hospital Las Lomitas, as well as the rate of congenital infection in children born to women infected during the study period. The rate of infestation of 172 households evaluated in 2006 reached 32%. Prevalence of infection among 445 people was 17.5% and in children under 5 years old it was 8.6%. The rate of infection reached 18.6% in blood donors and 29.1% in pregnant women. The rate of infection among 47 children born to infected women, and living in residences under vectorial surveillance was 17.0%. These infections were considered as congenital. This study showed indexes compatible with active vectorial transmission at the beginning. After vectorial control with insecticides the infestation rate has been reduced to 3.3%. The local health system has introduced high impact procedures of primary and secondary prevention in order to prevent new cases and to treat infected people.

Vectorial near-field imaging of a GaN based photonic crystal cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La China, F.; Intonti, F.; Caselli, N.; Lotti, F.; Vinattieri, A.; Gurioli, M.; Vico Triviño, N.; Carlin, J.-F.; Butté, R.; Grandjean, N.

2015-01-01

We report a full optical deep sub-wavelength imaging of the vectorial components of the electric local density of states for the confined modes of a modified GaN L3 photonic crystal nanocavity. The mode mapping is obtained with a scanning near-field optical microscope operating in a resonant forward scattering configuration, allowing the vectorial characterization of optical passive samples. The optical modes of the investigated cavity emerge as Fano resonances and can be probed without the need of embedded light emitters or evanescent light coupling into the nanocavity. The experimental maps, independently measured in the two in-plane polarizations, turn out to be in excellent agreement with numerical predictions

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

KAUST Repository

Liu, Yunyang

2011-09-01

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

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

KAUST Repository

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

2011-01-01

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

Vectorial structures of linear-polarized Butterfly-Gauss vortex beams in the far zone

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Ke; Zhou, Yan; Lu, Gang; Yao, Na; Zhong, Xianqiong

2018-05-01

By introducing the Butterfly catastrophe to optics, the far-zone vectorial structures of Butterfly-Gauss beam with vortex and non-vortex are studied using the angular spectrum representation and stationary phase method. The influence of topological charge, linear-polarized angle, off-axis distance and scaling length on the far-zone vectorial structures, especially in the Poynting vector and angular momentum density of the corresponding beam is emphasized. The results show that the embedded optical vortex at source plane lead to special dark zones in the far zone, where the number of dark zone equals the absolute value of topological charge of optical vortex. Furthermore, the symmetry and direction of the special dark zones can be controlled by off-axis distance and scaling length, respectively. The linear-polarized angle adjusts only the Poynting vectors of TE and TM terms, but it does not affect those of whole beam. Finally, the vectorial expressions also indicate that the total angular momentum density is certainly zero owing to the far-zone stable structures rather than rotation behaviors.

Deforestation and Vectorial Capacity of Anopheles gambiae Giles Mosquitoes in Malaria Transmission, Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Afrane, Yaw A.; Little, Tom J.; Lawson, Bernard W.; Githeko, Andrew K.

2008-01-01

We investigated the effects of deforestation on microclimates and sporogonic development of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes in an area of the western Kenyan highland prone to malaria epidemics. An. gambiae mosquitoes were fed with P. falciparum–infected blood through membrane feeders. Fed mosquitoes were placed in houses in forested and deforested areas in a highland area (1,500 m above sea level) and monitored for parasite development. Deforested sites had higher temperatures and relative humidities, and the overall infection rate of mosquitoes was increased compared with that in forested sites. Sporozoites appeared on average 1.1 days earlier in deforested areas. Vectorial capacity was estimated to be 77.7% higher in the deforested site than in the forested site. We showed that deforestation changes microclimates, leading to more rapid sporogonic development of P. falciparum and to a marked increase of malaria risk in the western Kenyan highland. PMID:18826815

Flow-alignment of bicellar lipid mixtures: orientations of probe molecules and membrane-associated biomacromolecules in lipid membranes studied with polarized light

KAUST Repository

Kogan, Maxim; Beke-Somfai, Tamá s; Nordé n, Bengt

2011-01-01

Bicelles are excellent membrane-mimicking hosts for a dynamic and structural study of solutes with NMR, but the magnetic fields required for their alignment are hard to apply to optical conditions. Here we demonstrate that bicellar mixtures can be aligned by shear forces in a Couette flow cell, to provide orientation of membrane-bound retinoic acid, pyrene and cytochrome c (cyt c) protein, conveniently studied with linear dichroism spectroscopy. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Simple estimation of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) orientation factor distribution in membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Loura, Luís M S

2012-11-19

Because of its acute sensitivity to distance in the nanometer scale, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) has found a large variety of applications in many fields of chemistry, physics, and biology. One important issue regarding the correct usage of FRET is its dependence on the donor-acceptor relative orientation, expressed as the orientation factor k(2). Different donor/acceptor conformations can lead to k(2) values in the 0 ≤ k(2) ≤ 4 range. Because the characteristic distance for FRET, R(0), is proportional to (k(2))1/6, uncertainties in the orientation factor are reflected in the quality of information that can be retrieved from a FRET experiment. In most cases, the average value of k(2) corresponding to the dynamic isotropic limit ( = 2/3) is used for computation of R(0) and hence donor-acceptor distances and acceptor concentrations. However, this can lead to significant error in unfavorable cases. This issue is more critical in membrane systems, because of their intrinsically anisotropic nature and their reduced fluidity in comparison to most common solvents. Here, a simple numerical simulation method for estimation of the probability density function of k(2) for membrane-embedded donor and acceptor fluorophores in the dynamic regime is presented. In the simplest form, the proposed procedure uses as input the most probable orientations of the donor and acceptor transition dipoles, obtained by experimental (including linear dichroism) or theoretical (such as molecular dynamics simulation) techniques. Optionally, information about the widths of the donor and/or acceptor angular distributions may be incorporated. The methodology is illustrated for special limiting cases and common membrane FRET pairs.

Biologically Complex Planar Cell Plasma Membranes Supported on Polyelectrolyte Cushions Enhance Transmembrane Protein Mobility and Retain Native Orientation.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Han-Yuan; Chen, Wei-Liang; Ober, Christopher K; Daniel, Susan

2018-01-23

Reconstituted supported lipid bilayers (SLB) are widely used as in vitro cell-surface models because they are compatible with a variety of surface-based analytical techniques. However, one of the challenges of using SLBs as a model of the cell surface is the limited complexity in membrane composition, including the incorporation of transmembrane proteins and lipid diversity that may impact the activity of those proteins. Additionally, it is challenging to preserve the transmembrane protein native orientation, function, and mobility in SLBs. Here, we leverage the interaction between cell plasma membrane vesicles and polyelectrolyte brushes to create planar bilayers from cell plasma membrane vesicles that have budded from the cell surface. This approach promotes the direct incorporation of membrane proteins and other species into the planar bilayer without using detergent or reconstitution and preserves membrane constituents. Furthermore, the structure of the polyelectrolyte brush serves as a cushion between the planar bilayer and rigid supporting surface, limiting the interaction of the cytosolic domains of membrane proteins with this surface. Single particle tracking was used to analyze the motion of GPI-linked yellow fluorescent proteins (GPI-YFP) and neon-green fused transmembrane P2X2 receptors (P2X2-neon) and shows that this platform retains over 75% mobility of multipass transmembrane proteins in its native membrane environment. An enzyme accessibility assay confirmed that the protein orientation is preserved and results in the extracellular domain facing toward the bulk phase and the cytosolic side facing the support. Because the platform presented here retains the complexity of the cell plasma membrane and preserves protein orientation and mobility, it is a better representative mimic of native cell surfaces, which may find many applications in biological assays aimed at understanding cell membrane phenomena.

Nanoscale Electric Characteristics and Oriented Assembly of Halobacterium salinarum Membrane Revealed by Electric Force Microscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denghua Li

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Purple membranes (PM of the bacteria Halobacterium salinarum are a unique natural membrane where bacteriorhodopsin (BR can convert photon energy and pump protons. Elucidating the electronic properties of biomembranes is critical for revealing biological mechanisms and developing new devices. We report here the electric properties of PMs studied by using multi-functional electric force microscopy (EFM at the nanoscale. The topography, surface potential, and dielectric capacity of PMs were imaged and quantitatively measured in parallel. Two orientations of PMs were identified by EFM because of its high resolution in differentiating electrical characteristics. The extracellular (EC sides were more negative than the cytoplasmic (CP side by 8 mV. The direction of potential difference may facilitate movement of protons across the membrane and thus play important roles in proton pumping. Unlike the side-dependent surface potentials observed in PM, the EFM capacitive response was independent of the side and was measured to be at a dC/dz value of ~5.25 nF/m. Furthermore, by modification of PM with de novo peptides based on peptide-protein interaction, directional oriented PM assembly on silicon substrate was obtained for technical devices. This work develops a new method for studying membrane nanoelectronics and exploring the bioelectric application at the nanoscale.

Propagation-invariant vectorial Bessel beams by use of sub wavelength quantized Pancharatnam-Berry phase optics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niv, A.; Biener, G.; Kleiner, V.; Hasman, E.

2004-01-01

Full Text:Propagation-invariant scalar fields have been extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally, since they were proposed by Durnin et al. These fields were employed in applications such as optical tweezers and for transport and guiding of microspheres. Although there has recently been considerable theoretical interest in propagation-invariant vectorial beams, experimental studies of such beams have remained somewhat limited. One of the most interesting types of propagation-invariant vectorial beam is the linearly polarized axially symmetric beam (LPASB) [l]. Recently, we introduced and experimentally demonstrated propagation-invariant vectorial Bessel beams with linearly polarized axial symmetry based on quantized Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements (QPBOEs) [21 and an axicon. QP-BOEs utilize the geometric phase that accompanies space-variant polarization manipulations to achieve a desired phase modification [31. To test our approach we formed QPBOEs with different polarization orders as computer-generated space-variant sub wavelength gratings upon GaAs wafers for use with 10.6 micron laser radiation. The resultant beams were also transmitted through a polarizer that produced a unique propagation-invariant scalar beam. This beam has a propeller-shaped intensity pattern that can be rotated by simple rotation of the polarizer. We therefore have demonstrated the formation of a vectorial Bessel beam by using simple, lightweight thin elements and exploited that beam to perform a controlled rotation of a propeller-shaped intensity pattern that can be suitable for optical tweezers

Microbial Pre-exposure and Vectorial Competence of Anopheles Mosquitoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constentin Dieme

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Anopheles female mosquitoes can transmit Plasmodium, the malaria parasite. During their aquatic life, wild Anopheles mosquito larvae are exposed to a huge diversity of microbes present in their breeding sites. Later, adult females often take successive blood meals that might also carry different micro-organisms, including parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Therefore, prior to Plasmodium ingestion, the mosquito biology could be modulated at different life stages by a suite of microbes present in larval breeding sites, as well as in the adult environment. In this article, we highlight several naturally relevant scenarios of Anopheles microbial pre-exposure that we assume might impact mosquito vectorial competence for the malaria parasite: (i larval microbial exposures; (ii protist co-infections; (iii virus co-infections; and (iv pathogenic bacteria co-infections. In addition, significant behavioral changes in African Anopheles vectors have been associated with increasing insecticide resistance. We discuss how these ethological modifications may also increase the repertoire of microbes to which mosquitoes could be exposed, and that might also influence their vectorial competence. Studying Plasmodium–Anopheles interactions in natural microbial environments would efficiently contribute to refining the transmission risks.

2D Poisson sigma models with gauged vectorial supersymmetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonezzi, Roberto [Dipartimento di Fisica ed Astronomia, Università di Bologna and INFN, Sezione di Bologna,via Irnerio 46, I-40126 Bologna (Italy); Departamento de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Andres Bello,Republica 220, Santiago (Chile); Sundell, Per [Departamento de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Andres Bello,Republica 220, Santiago (Chile); Torres-Gomez, Alexander [Departamento de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Andres Bello,Republica 220, Santiago (Chile); Instituto de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad Austral de Chile-UACh,Valdivia (Chile)

2015-08-12

In this note, we gauge the rigid vectorial supersymmetry of the two-dimensional Poisson sigma model presented in arXiv:1503.05625. We show that the consistency of the construction does not impose any further constraints on the differential Poisson algebra geometry than those required for the ungauged model. We conclude by proposing that the gauged model provides a first-quantized framework for higher spin gravity.

A vectorial description of electromagnetic scattering by large bodies of spherical shape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourrely, C.; Lemaire, T.; Chiappetta, P.; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 13 - Marseille

1989-10-01

We present a new method to obtain a vectorial solution of Helmholtz equation for large homogeneous scatterers having a cylindrical symmetry and a shape approximately spherical. Limitations of the method for arbitrarily shaped particles are discussed

Formas armónicas con valores en un fibrado vectorial e inmersiones de variedades riemannianas

OpenAIRE

Llauce Santamaría, Edwin Edilberto

2014-01-01

El propósito de este trabajo es discutir la aplicación de la teoría de las formas armónicas con valores en un fibrado vectorial y su relación con las inmersiones en una variedad riemanniana. Sea M una variedad riemanniana y E un fibrado vectorial riemanniano sobre M, entonces podemos definir de manera natural el operador laplaciano en las formas diferenciales con valores en E y expresaremos el producto escalar ⟨θ, θ⟩, donde θ es una p-forma con valores en E, en términos de la curvatura y la d...

Spectral Properties and Orientation of Voltage-Sensitive Dyes in Lipid Membranes

KAUST Repository

Matson, Maria

2012-07-24

Voltage-sensitive dyes are frequently used for probing variations in the electric potential across cell membranes. The dyes respond by changing their spectral properties: measured as shifts of wavelength of absorption or emission maxima or as changes of absorption or fluorescence intensity. Although such probes have been studied and used for decades, the mechanism behind their voltage sensitivity is still obscure. We ask whether the voltage response is due to electrochromism as a result of direct field interaction on the chromophore or to solvatochromism, which is the focus of this study, as result of changed environment or molecular alignment in the membrane. The spectral properties of three styryl dyes, di-4-ANEPPS, di-8-ANEPPS, and RH421, were investigated in solvents of varying polarity and in model membranes using spectroscopy. Using quantum mechanical calculations, the spectral dependence of monomer and dimer ANEPPS on solvent properties was modeled. Also, the kinetics of binding to lipid membranes and the binding geometry of the probe molecules were found relevant to address. The spectral properties of all three probes were found to be highly sensitive to the local environment, and the probes are oriented nearly parallel with the membrane normal. Slow binding kinetics and scattering in absorption spectra indicate, especially for di-8-ANEPPS, involvement of aggregation. On the basis of the experimental spectra and time-dependent density functional theory calculations, we find that aggregate formation may contribute to the blue-shifts seen for the dyes in decanol and when bound to membrane models. In conclusion, solvatochromic and other intermolecular interactions effects also need to be included when considering electrochromic response voltage-sensitive dyes. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Full-vectorial propagation model and modified effective mode area of four-wave mixing in straight waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guo, Kai; Friis, Søren Michael Mørk; Christensen, Jesper Bjerge

2017-01-01

We derive from Maxwell's equations full-vectorial nonlinear propagation equations of four-wave mixing valid in straight semiconductor-on-insulator waveguides. Special attention is given to the resulting effective mode area, which takes a convenient form known from studies in photonic crystal fibers......, but has not been introduced in the context of integrated waveguides. We show that the difference between our full-vectorial effective mode area and the scalar equivalent often referred to in the literature may lead to mistakes when evaluating the nonlinear refractive index and optimizing designs of new...

Membrane orientation and lateral diffusion of BODIPY-cholesterol as a function of probe structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solanko, Lukasz Michal; Wüstner, Daniel; Lund, Frederik Wendelboe

2013-01-01

-24 of cholesterol (B-P-Chol). Using two-photon fluorescence polarimetry in giant unilamellar vesicles and in the plasma membrane (PM) of living intact and actin-disrupted cells, we show that the BODIPY-groups in B-Chol and B-P-Chol are oriented perpendicular and almost parallel to the bilayer normal...

Toward the Fabrication of Advanced Nanofiltration Membranes by Controlling Morphologies and Mesochannel Orientations of Hexagonal Lyotropic Liquid Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guang Wang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Water scarcity has been recognized as one of the major threats to human activity, and, therefore, water purification technologies are increasingly drawing attention worldwide. Nanofiltration (NF membrane technology has been proven to be an efficient and cost-effective way in terms of the size and continuity of the nanostructure. Using a template based on hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs and partitioning monomer units within this structure for subsequent photo-polymerisation presents a unique path for the fabrication of NF membranes, potentially producing pores of uniform size, ranging from 1 to 5 nm, and large surface areas. The subsequent orientation of this pore network in a direction normal to a flat polymer film that provides ideal transport properties associated with continuous pores running through the membrane has been achieved by the orientation of hexagonal LLCs through various strategies. This review presents the current progresses on the strategies for structure retention from a hexagonal LLCs template and the up-to-date techniques used for the reorientation of mesochanels for continuity through the whole membrane.

Sensitivity enhancement for membrane proteins reconstituted in parallel and perpendicular oriented bicelles obtained by using repetitive cross-polarization and membrane-incorporated free radicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koroloff, Sophie N. [North Carolina State University, Department of Chemistry (United States); Tesch, Deanna M. [Shaw University (United States); Awosanya, Emmanuel O.; Nevzorov, Alexander A., E-mail: alex-nevzorov@ncsu.edu [North Carolina State University, Department of Chemistry (United States)

2017-02-15

Multidimensional separated local-field and spin-exchange experiments employed by oriented-sample solid-state NMR are essential for structure determination and spectroscopic assignment of membrane proteins reconstituted in macroscopically aligned lipid bilayers. However, these experiments typically require a large number of scans in order to establish interspin correlations. Here we have shown that a combination of optimized repetitive cross polarization (REP-CP) and membrane-embedded free radicals allows one to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio by factors 2.4-3.0 in the case of Pf1 coat protein reconstituted in magnetically aligned bicelles with their normals being either parallel or perpendicular to the main magnetic field. Notably, spectral resolution is not affected at the 2:1 radical-to-protein ratio. Spectroscopic assignment of Pf1 coat protein in the parallel bicelles has been established as an illustration of the method. The proposed methodology will advance applications of oriented-sample NMR technique when applied to samples containing smaller quantities of proteins and three-dimensional experiments.

Álgebra vectorial y geometría euclidiana

OpenAIRE

Salazar Caicedo, José Alonso

1992-01-01

Las leyes del álgebra vectorial asociadas al conjunto de los segmentos dirigidos del plano (o del espacio), en conexión con un producto interior, permiten demostrar una gran variedad de proposiciones y teoremas de la geometría clásica euclidiana, utilizando procedimientos y técnicas relativamente simples. Desde un punto de vista didáctico y pedagógico, surge el problema de examinar hasta qué punto es posible recuperar gran parte del arsenal de ideas fructíferas que proporcionaban a otras g...

Advanced vectorial simulation of VCSELs with nano structures invited paper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chung, Il-Sug; Mørk, Jesper

2009-01-01

The single-mode properties and design issues of three vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) structures incorporating nano structures are rigorously investigated. Nano structuring enables to deliver selective pumping or loss to the fundamental mode as well as stabilizing the output...... polarization state. Comparison of three vectorial simulation methods reveals that the modal expansion method is suitable for treating the nano structured VCSEL designs....

An elaborated feeding cycle model for reductions in vectorial capacity of night-biting mosquitoes by insecticide-treated nets.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Menach, Arnaud; Takala, Shannon; McKenzie, F Ellis; Perisse, Andre; Harris, Anthony; Flahault, Antoine; Smith, David L

2007-01-25

Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) are an important tool for malaria control. ITNs are effective because they work on several parts of the mosquito feeding cycle, including both adult killing and repelling effects. Using an elaborated description of the classic feeding cycle model, simple formulas have been derived to describe how ITNs change mosquito behaviour and the intensity of malaria transmission, as summarized by vectorial capacity and EIR. The predicted changes are illustrated as a function of the frequency of ITN use for four different vector populations using parameter estimates from the literature. The model demonstrates that ITNs simultaneously reduce mosquitoes' lifespans, lengthen the feeding cycle, and by discouraging human biting divert more bites onto non-human hosts. ITNs can substantially reduce vectorial capacity through small changes to all of these quantities. The total reductions in vectorial capacity differ, moreover, depending on baseline behavior in the absence of ITNs. Reductions in lifespan and vectorial capacity are strongest for vector species with high baseline survival. Anthropophilic and zoophilic species are affected differently by ITNs; the feeding cycle is lengthened more for anthrophilic species, and the proportion of bites that are diverted onto non-human hosts is higher for zoophilic species. This model suggests that the efficacy of ITNs should be measured as a total reduction in transmission intensity, and that the quantitative effects will differ by species and by transmission intensity. At very high rates of ITN use, ITNs can generate large reductions in transmission intensity that could provide very large reductions in transmission intensity, and effective malaria control in some areas, especially when used in combination with other control measures. At high EIR, ITNs will probably not substantially reduce the parasite rate, but when transmission intensity is low, reductions in vectorial capacity combine with reductions in

Evidence of vectorial photoelectric effect on Copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedersoli, E.; Banfi, F.; Ressel, B.; Pagliara, S.; Giannetti, C.; Galimberti, G.; Lidia, S.; Corlett, J.; Ferrini, G.; Parmigiani, F.

2005-01-01

Quantum efficiency (QE) measurements of single photon photoemission from a Cu(111) single crystal and a Cu polycrystal photocathodes, irradiated by 150 fs-6.28 eV laser pulses, are reported over a broad range of incidence angle, both in s and p polarizations. The maximum QE (≅4x10 -4 ) for polycrystalline Cu is obtained in p polarization at an angle of incidence θ=65 deg. . We observe a QE enhancement in p polarization which cannot be explained in terms of optical absorption, a phenomenon known as vectorial photoelectric effect. Issues concerning surface roughness and symmetry considerations are addressed. An explanation in terms of nonlocal conductivity tensor is proposed

Self-assembled tethered bimolecular lipid membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinner, Eva-Kathrin; Ritz, Sandra; Naumann, Renate; Schiller, Stefan; Knoll, Wolfgang

2009-01-01

via the NH2 moiety of their headgroups. It is demonstrated that these membranes are well suited for the in situ synthesis of membrane protein by a cell-free expression approach. The vectorial integration of an in vitro synthesized odorant receptor, OR5 from the rat, is demonstrated by means of antibodies that specifically bind to a tag at the N-terminus of the receptor and is read out by surface plasmon fluorescence spectroscopy. A completely different strategy employs his-tagged membrane proteins in their solubilized form binding to a surface-attached Ni(+)-NTA monolayer generating a well-oriented protein layer the density of which can be easily controlled by online monitoring the binding (assembly) step by surface plasmon spectroscopy. Moreover, the attachment of the his-tag to either the C- or the N-terminus allows for the complete control of the protein orientation. After the exchange of the detergent micelle by a lipid bilayer via a surface dialysis procedure an electrically very well isolating protein-tethered membrane is formed. We show that this "wiring" of the functional units allows for the (external) manipulation of the oxidation state of the redox-protein cytochrome c Oxidase by the control of the potential applied to the gold substrate which is used as the working electrode in an electrochemical attachment.

Dynamical breakdown of chiral symmetry in vectorial theories: QED and QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, J.C.M.

1987-01-01

Using a variational approach for the Effective Potential for composite operators we dicuss the dynamical breakdown of chiral symmetry in two vectorial theories: Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) and Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). We study the energetic aspects of the problem calculating the Effective Potential with the asymptotic nonperturbative solutions of the Schwinger-Dyson equation for the fermion selfenergy. (author) [pt

Adsorption and Orientation of Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (hIAPP Monomer at Anionic Lipid Bilayers: Implications for Membrane-Mediated Aggregation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guanghong Wei

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Protein misfolding and aggregation cause serious degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and type II diabetes. Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP is the major component of amyloid deposits found in the pancreas of type II diabetic patients. Increasing evidence suggests that β-cell death is related to the interaction of hIAPP with the cellular membrane, which accelerates peptide aggregation. In this study, as a first step towards understanding the membrane-mediated hIAPP aggregation, we investigate the atomic details of the initial step of hIAPP-membrane interaction, including the adsorption orientation and conformation of hIAPP monomer at an anionic POPG lipid bilayer by performing all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. We found that hIAPP monomer is quickly adsorbed to bilayer surface, and the adsorption is initiated from the N-terminal residues driven by strong electrostatic interactions of the positively-charged residues K1 and R11 with negatively-charged lipid headgroups. hIAPP binds parallel to the lipid bilayer surface as a stable helix through residues 7–22, consistent with previous experimental study. Remarkably, different simulations lead to the same binding orientation stabilized by electrostatic and H-bonding interactions, with residues R11, F15 and S19 oriented towards membrane and hydrophobic residues L12, A13, L16 and V17 exposed to solvent. Implications for membrane-mediated hIAPP aggregation are discussed.

Nanoscale orientation and lateral organization of chimeric metal-binding green fluorescent protein on lipid membrane determined by epifluorescence and atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prachayasittikul, Virapong; Isarankura Na Ayudhya, Chartchalerm; Tantimongcolwat, Tanawut; Galla, Hans-Joachim

2005-01-01

Epifluorescence microscopy as well as atomic force microscopy was successfully applied to explore the orientation and lateral organization of a group of chimeric green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) on lipid membrane. Incorporation of the chimeric GFP carrying Cd-binding region (His6CdBP4GFP) to the fluid phase of DPPC monolayer resulted in a strong fluorescence intensity at the air-water interface. Meanwhile, non-specific adsorption of the GFP having hexahistidine (His6GFP) led to the perturbation of the protein structure in which very low fluorescence was observed. Specific binding of both of the chimeric GFPs to immobilized zinc ions underneath the metal-chelating lipid membrane was revealed. This specific binding could be reversibly controlled by addition of metal ions or metal chelator. Binding of the chimeric GFPs to the metal-chelating lipid membrane was proven to be the end-on orientation while the side-on adsorption was contrarily noted in the absence of metal ions. Increase of lateral mobility owing to the fluidization effect on the chelating lipid membrane subsequently facilitated crystal formation. All these findings have opened up a potential approach for a specific orientation of immobilization of protein at the membrane interface. This could have accounted for a better opportunity of sensor development

Synthesis of focused beam with controllable arbitrary homogeneous polarization using engineered vectorial optical fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Rui, Guanghao; Chen, Jian; Wang, Xiaoyan; Gu, Bing; Cui, Yiping; Zhan, Qiwen

2016-10-17

The propagation and focusing properties of light beams continue to remain a research interest owning to their promising applications in physics, chemistry and biological sciences. One of the main challenges to these applications is the control of polarization distribution within the focal volume. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a method for generating a focused beam with arbitrary homogeneous polarization at any transverse plane. The required input field at the pupil plane of a high numerical aperture objective lens can be found analytically by solving an inverse problem with the Richard-Wolf vectorial diffraction method, and can be experimentally created with a vectorial optical field generator. Focused fields with various polarizations are successfully generated and verified using a Stokes parameter measurement to demonstrate the capability and versatility of proposed technique.

A comparative study of different amniotic membrane orientations during extraocular muscle surgery in rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassem, Rehab Rashad; El-Mofty, Randa Mohamed Abdel-Moneim; Khodeir, Mustafa Mahmoud; Hamza, Wael Mostafa

2018-03-01

To histopathologically compare the effect of different orientations of cryopreserved human amniotic membrane (AM) transplant during extraocular muscle surgery in rabbits. Fifty-two albino rabbit eyes underwent 4-mm resection of the superior rectus. Eyes were randomly divided into four groups. In Group C (Control group, 16 eyes) the muscle was not wrapped with amniotic membrane. In the three AM groups, cryopreserved AM was wrapped around the muscle, oriented with either its stroma (Group S, 15 eyes) or epithelium (Group E, nine eyes) towards the muscle, or folded on itself with the epithelium externally (Group F, 12 eyes). The rabbits were sacrificed and the eyes were enucleated 6 weeks after surgery. Histopathological examination was conducted for periamniotic, foreign body, scleral, and conjunctival inflammation, conjunctival vascularity, adhesions and muscle fibrosis. In all AM eyes, the AM was surrounded by periamniotic inflammation, with no adhesions detected between the muscle and surrounding tissues in the segment where the AM was present, but detected elsewhere. Adhesions were detected in all group C eyes. Foreign body inflammation was significantly less in Group C than in each of the AM groups (p  .05). Scleral inflammation was absent in all specimens. No significant differences were noted among all groups in terms of conjunctival vascularity, conjunctival inflammation, or muscle fibrosis (p > .05). All AM orientations were equally effective in preventing the development of postoperative adhesions between the extraocular muscle and surrounding tissues.

The vectorial photoelectric effect under solar irradiance and its application to sun sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hechenblaikner, Gerald; Ziegler, Tobias

2014-01-01

Sun sensors are an integral part of the attitude and orbit control system onboard almost any spacecraft. While the majority of standard analogue sun sensors is based on photo-detectors which produce photo-currents proportional to the cosine of the incidence angle (cosine detectors), we propose an alternative scheme where the vectorial photoelectric effect is exploited to achieve a higher sensitivity of the sensed photo-current to the incidence angle. The vectorial photo-effect is investigated in detail for metal cathode detectors in a space environment. Besides long operational lifetimes without significant degradation, metal cathode detectors are insensitive to earth albedo, which may significantly reduce the errors affecting attitude measurements in low earth orbits. Sensitivity curves are calculated and trade-offs performed with the aim of optimizing the sensitivity whilst also providing currents sufficient for detection. Simple applications and detector configurations are also discussed and compared to the existing designs. (paper)

Single Molecule 3D Orientation in Time and Space: A 6D Dynamic Study on Fluorescently Labeled Lipid Membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Börner, Richard; Ehrlich, Nicky; Hohlbein, Johannes

2016-01-01

Interactions between single molecules profoundly depend on their mutual three-dimensional orientation. Recently, we demonstrated a technique that allows for orientation determination of single dipole emitters using a polarization-resolved distribution of fluorescence into several detection channels...... interesting in non-isotropic environments such as lipid membranes, which are of great importance in biology. We used giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) labeled with fluorescent dyes down to a single molecule concentration as a model system for both, assessing the robustness of the orientation determination...

Effects of spacer orientations on the cake formation during membrane fouling: Quantitative analysis based on 3D OCT imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xin; Li, Weiyi; Chong, Tzyy Haur; Fane, Anthony G

2017-03-01

Spacer design plays an important role in improving the performance of membrane processes for water/wastewater treatment. This work focused on a fundamental issue of spacer design, i.e., investigating the effects of spacer orientations on the fouling behavior during a membrane process. A series of fouling experiments with different spacer orientation were carried out to in situ characterize the formation of a cake layer in a spacer unit cell via 3D optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. The cake layers formed at different times were digitalized for quantitatively analyzing the variation in the cake morphology as a function of time. In particular, the local deposition rates were evaluated to determine the active regions where the instantaneous changes in deposit thickness were significant. The characterization results indicate that varying the spacer orientation could substantially change the evolution of membrane fouling by particulate foulants and thereby result in a cake layer with various morphologies; the competition between growth and erosion at different locations would instantaneously respond to the micro-hydrodynamic environment that might change with time. This work confirms that the OCT-based characterization method is a powerful tool for exploring novel spacer design. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Dynamic study of the female levator ani muscle using MRI 3D vectorial modeling].

Science.gov (United States)

Delmas, Vincent; Ami, Olivier; Iba-Zizen, Marie-Thérèse

2010-06-01

The levator ani muscle has a major role in the female pelvic floor, and is involved in the pathophysiology of pelvic prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. We conducted an anatomical and morphological study of this muscle using dynamic 3D vectorial reconstruction MRI, in order to analyze the contraction of two major components of the levator ani: the iliococcygeus and pubococcygeus. Three volunteer healthy continent nulliparous women aged from 19 to 22 underwent dynamic pelvic MRI. Coronal T2-weighted pelvic images were obtained in the supine position, at rest, holding back, and during Valsalva stress effort. 3D vectorial models were reconstructed by manual segmentation of the source images, and were set up on bony anatomic marks. Iliococcygeus and pubococcygeus volumes were measured in the three positions. Volumetrics, displacement and dynamic morphing changes were analyzed with 3D vectorial animation software. The urogenital hiatus extended more holding back (mean +4.31 mm) than on effort (mean +2.78 mm). The iliococcygeus lowered (mean -3.95 mm) and deviated outward (mean +3.01 mm). The basic tone of the iliococcygeus muscle gives it a dome shape, and its reflex contraction against abdominal strain ensures anal and urinary continence The levator ani is more than a pelvic diaphragm: it is a truly dynamic pelvic floor. Its points of support on the stiff osseous frame allow it to retain the pelvic organs. The levator ani muscle seems to prevent anal prolapse during stress strain.

Binding of the GTPase Sar1 to a Lipid Membrane Monolayer: Insertion and Orientation Studied by Infrared Reflection–Absorption Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Schwieger

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Membrane-interacting proteins are polyphilic polymers that engage in dynamic protein–protein and protein–lipid interactions while undergoing changes in conformation, orientation and binding interfaces. Predicting the sites of interactions between such polypeptides and phospholipid membranes is still a challenge. One example is the small eukaryotic GTPase Sar1, which functions in phospholipid bilayer remodeling and vesicle formation as part of the multimeric coat protein complex (COPII. The membrane interaction of Sar1 is strongly dependent on its N-terminal 23 amino acids. By monolayer adsorption experiments and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS, we elucidate the role of lipids in inducing the amphipathicity of this N-terminal stretch, which inserts into the monolayer as an amphipathic helix (AH. The AH inserting angle is determined and is consistent with the philicities and spatial distribution of the amino acid monomers. Using an advanced method of IRRAS data evaluation, the orientation of Sar1 with respect to the lipid layer prior to the recruitment of further COPII proteins is determined. The result indicates that only a slight reorientation of the membrane-bound Sar1 is needed to allow coat assembly. The time-course of the IRRAS analysis corroborates a role of slow GTP hydrolysis in Sar1 desorption from the membrane.

Polarimetric and angular light-scattering from dense media: Comparison of a vectorial radiative transfer model with analytical, stochastic and experimental approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riviere, Nicolas; Ceolato, Romain; Hespel, Laurent

2013-01-01

Our work presents computations via a vectorial radiative transfer model of the polarimetric and angular light scattered by a stratified dense medium with small and intermediate optical thickness. We report the validation of this model using analytical results and different computational methods like stochastic algorithms. Moreover, we check the model with experimental data from a specific scatterometer developed at the Onera. The advantages and disadvantages of a radiative approach are discussed. This paper represents a step toward the characterization of particles in dense media involving multiple scattering. -- Highlights: • A vectorial radiative transfer model to simulate the light scattered by stratified layers is developed. • The vectorial radiative transfer equation is solved using an adding–doubling technique. • The results are compared to analytical and stochastic data. • Validation with experimental data from a scatterometer developed at Onera is presented

Heterotrimeric G protein beta1gamma2 subunits change orientation upon complex formation with G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) on a model membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Boughton, Andrew P; Yang, Pei; Tesmer, Valerie M; Ding, Bei; Tesmer, John J G; Chen, Zhan

2011-09-13

Few experimental techniques can assess the orientation of peripheral membrane proteins in their native environment. Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was applied to study the formation of the complex between G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinase 2 (GRK2) and heterotrimeric G protein β(1)γ(2) subunits (Gβγ) at a lipid bilayer, without any exogenous labels. The most likely membrane orientation of the GRK2-Gβγ complex differs from that predicted from the known protein crystal structure, and positions the predicted receptor docking site of GRK2 such that it would more optimally interact with GPCRs. Gβγ also appears to change its orientation after binding to GRK2. The developed methodology is widely applicable for the study of other membrane proteins in situ.

Anopheline Reproductive Biology: Impacts on Vectorial Capacity and Potential Avenues for Malaria Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Sara N; Catteruccia, Flaminia

2017-12-01

Vectorial capacity is a mathematical approximation of the efficiency of vector-borne disease transmission, measured as the number of new infections disseminated per case per day by an insect vector. Multiple elements of mosquito biology govern their vectorial capacity, including survival, population densities, feeding preferences, and vector competence. Intriguingly, biological pathways essential to mosquito reproductive fitness directly or indirectly influence a number of these elements. Here, we explore this complex interaction, focusing on how the interplay between mating and blood feeding in female Anopheles not only shapes their reproductive success but also influences their ability to sustain Plasmodium parasite development. Central to malaria transmission, mosquito reproductive biology has recently become the focus of research strategies aimed at malaria control, and we discuss promising new methods based on the manipulation of key reproductive steps. In light of widespread resistance to all public health-approved insecticides targeting mosquito reproduction may prove crucial to the success of malaria-eradication campaigns. Copyright © 2017 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

The vectorial control of magnetization by light.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanda, Natsuki; Higuchi, Takuya; Shimizu, Hirokatsu; Konishi, Kuniaki; Yoshioka, Kosuke; Kuwata-Gonokami, Makoto

2011-06-21

Application of coherent light-matter interactions has recently been extended to the ultrafast control of magnetization. An important but unrealized technique is the manipulation of magnetization vector motion to make it follow an arbitrarily designed multidimensional trajectory. Here we demonstrate a full manipulation of two-dimensional magnetic oscillations in antiferromagnetic NiO with a pair of polarization-twisted femtosecond laser pulses. We employ Raman-type nonlinear optical processes, wherein magnetic oscillations are impulsively induced with a controlled initial phase. Their azimuthal angle follows well-defined selection rules that have been determined by the symmetries of the materials. We emphasize that the temporal variation of the laser-pulse polarization angle enables us to control the phase and amplitude of the two degenerate modes, independently. These results lead to a new concept of the vectorial control of magnetization by light.

Controlling the orientation of spin-correlated radical pairs by covalent linkage to nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsiao-Fan; Gardner, Daniel M; Carmieli, Raanan; Wasielewski, Michael R

2013-10-07

Ordered multi-spin assemblies are required for developing solid-state molecule-based spintronics. A linear donor-chromophore-acceptor (D-C-A) molecule was covalently attached inside the 150 nm diam. nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. Photoexcitation of D-C-A in a 343 mT magnetic field results in sub-nanosecond, two-step electron transfer to yield the spin-correlated radical ion pair (SCRP) (1)(D(+)˙-C-A(-)˙), which then undergoes radical pair intersystem crossing (RP-ISC) to yield (3)(D(+)˙-C-A(-)˙). RP-ISC results in S-T0 mixing to selectively populate the coherent superposition states |S'> and |T'>. Microwave-induced transitions between these states and the unpopulated |T(+1)> and |T(-1)> states result in spin-polarized time-resolved EPR (TREPR) spectra. The dependence of the electron spin polarization (ESP) phase of the TREPR spectra on the orientation of the AAO membrane pores relative to the externally applied magnetic field is used to determine the overall orientation of the SCRPs within the pores at room temperature.

Vectorial Modeling Of NH In Comet 2P/Encke

Science.gov (United States)

Dorman, Garrett; Pierce, D.; Cochran, A.

2010-10-01

Encke is an ideal comet for studying the relationship of radicals to their photodissociative parent molecules due to its low dust content. On 2003 October 22 - 24, we used the the 2.7 m telescope at the McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas to obtain spectra of several cometary radical species. Using a version of the Vectorial Model that has been modified to simulate Encke's prominent sunward-facing fan, we examined the spacial distribution of NH in the coma. Potential photochemical parents of NH were studied in order to understand its production and spacial distribution in the coma. Derived production rates are compared to values in other comets to constrain the primary parent of NH in Encke.

Fatty acid fouling of forward osmosis membrane: Effects of pH, calcium, membrane orientation, initial permeate flux and foulant composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Pin; Gao, Baoyu; Yue, Qinyan; Liu, Pan; Shon, Ho Kyong

2016-08-01

Octanoic acid (OA) was selected to represent fatty acids in effluent organic matter (EOM). The effects of feed solution (FS) properties, membrane orientation and initial permeate flux on OA fouling in forward osmosis (FO) were investigated. The undissociated OA formed a cake layer quickly and caused the water flux to decline significantly in the initial 0.5hr at unadjusted pH3.56; while the fully dissociated OA behaved as an anionic surfactant and promoted the water permeation at an elevated pH of 9.00. Moreover, except at the initial stage, the sudden decline of water flux (meaning the occurrence of severe membrane fouling) occurred in two conditions: 1. 0.5mmol/L Ca(2+), active layer facing draw solution (AL-DS) and 1.5mol/L NaCl (DS); 2. No Ca(2+), active layer-facing FS (AL-FS) and 4mol/L NaCl (DS). This demonstrated that cake layer compaction or pore blocking occurred only when enough foulants were absorbed into the membrane surface, and the water permeation was high enough to compact the deposit inside the porous substrate. Furthermore, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was selected as a co-foulant. The water flux of both co-foulants was between the fluxes obtained separately for the two foulants at pH3.56, and larger than the two values at pH9.00. This manifested that, at pH3.56, BSA alleviated the effect of the cake layer caused by OA, and OA enhanced BSA fouling simultaneously; while at pH9.00, the mutual effects of OA and BSA eased the membrane fouling. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Larval food quantity affects development time, survival and adult biological traits that influence the vectorial capacity of Anopheles darlingi under laboratory conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Maisa da-Silva; Gil, Luiz Herman S; e-Silva, Alexandre de-Almeida

2012-08-02

The incidence of malaria in the Amazon is seasonal and mosquito vectorial capacity parameters, including abundance and longevity, depend on quantitative and qualitative aspects of the larval diet. Anopheles darlingi is a major malaria vector in the Amazon, representing >95% of total Anopheles population present in the Porto Velho region. Despite its importance in the transmission of the Plasmodium parasite, knowledge of the larval biology and ecology is limited. Studies regarding aspects of adult population ecology are more common than studies on larval ecology. However, in order develop effective control strategies and laboratory breeding conditions for this species, more data on the factors affecting vector biology is needed. The aim of the present study is to assess the effects of larval food quantity on the vectorial capacity of An. darling under laboratory conditions. Anopheles darlingi was maintained at 28°C, 80% humidity and exposed to a daily photoperiod of 12 h. Larvae were divided into three experimental groups that were fed either a low, medium, or high food supply (based on the food amounts consumed by other species of culicids). Each experiment was replicated for six times. A cohort of adults were also exposed to each type of diet and assessed for several biological characteristics (e.g. longevity, bite frequency and survivorship), which were used to estimate the vectorial capacity of each experimental group. The group supplied with higher food amounts observed a reduction in development time while larval survival increased. In addition to enhanced longevity, increasing larval food quantity was positively correlated with increasing frequency of bites, longer blood meal duration and wing length, resulting in greater vectorial capacity. However, females had greater longevity than males despite having smaller wings. Overall, several larval and adult biological traits were significantly affected by larval food availability. Greater larval food supply

The importance of orientation in proton transport of a polymer film based on an oriented self-organized columnar liquid-crystalline polyether

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tylkowski, Bartosz; Castelao, Nuria [Departament d' Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Paiesos Catalans, 26, E-43007, Tarragona (Spain); Giamberini, Marta, E-mail: marta.giamberini@urv.net [Departament d' Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Paiesos Catalans, 26, E-43007, Tarragona (Spain); Garcia-Valls, Ricard [Departament d' Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Paiesos Catalans, 26, E-43007, Tarragona (Spain); Reina, Jose Antonio [Departament de Quimica Analitica i Quimica Organica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel.li Domingo s/n, E-43007, Tarragona (Spain); Gumi, Tania [Departament d' Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Paiesos Catalans, 26, E-43007, Tarragona (Spain)

2012-02-01

We prepared membranes based on a liquid-crystalline side-chain polyether obtained by chemical modification of commercial poly(epichlorohydrin) (PECH) with dendrons. This polymer exhibited a columnar structure, which could form an ion channel in the inner part. The columns were successfully oriented by taking advantage of surface interactions between the polymer and hydrophilic substrates, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and optical microscopy between crossed polars (POM). Column orientation was found to be crucial for effective transport: the oriented membranes exhibited proton transport comparable to that of Nafion Registered-Sign N117 and no water uptake. An increase in sodium ion concentration in the feed phase suggested a proton/cation antiport. On the contrary, no proton transport was detected on unoriented membranes based on the same liquid-crystalline side-chain polyether or on unmodified PECH. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We prepared oriented membranes based on a liquid crystalline columnar polyether. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In this structure, the inner polyether chain could work as an ion channel. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We obtained membranes by casting a chloroform solution in the presence of water. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Membranes showed good proton permeability due to the presence of oriented channels.

The importance of orientation in proton transport of a polymer film based on an oriented self-organized columnar liquid-crystalline polyether

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tylkowski, Bartosz; Castelao, Nuria; Giamberini, Marta; Garcia-Valls, Ricard; Reina, José Antonio; Gumí, Tània

2012-01-01

We prepared membranes based on a liquid-crystalline side-chain polyether obtained by chemical modification of commercial poly(epichlorohydrin) (PECH) with dendrons. This polymer exhibited a columnar structure, which could form an ion channel in the inner part. The columns were successfully oriented by taking advantage of surface interactions between the polymer and hydrophilic substrates, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and optical microscopy between crossed polars (POM). Column orientation was found to be crucial for effective transport: the oriented membranes exhibited proton transport comparable to that of Nafion® N117 and no water uptake. An increase in sodium ion concentration in the feed phase suggested a proton/cation antiport. On the contrary, no proton transport was detected on unoriented membranes based on the same liquid-crystalline side-chain polyether or on unmodified PECH. - Highlights: ► We prepared oriented membranes based on a liquid crystalline columnar polyether. ► In this structure, the inner polyether chain could work as an ion channel. ► We obtained membranes by casting a chloroform solution in the presence of water. ► Membranes showed good proton permeability due to the presence of oriented channels.

Simulació de tècniques de control vectorial d'un motor síncron

OpenAIRE

Valls Peralbo, Víctor

2016-01-01

L'objecte del projecte és simular diferents tècniques de control vectorial d'una màquina síncrona d’ imants permanents funcionant com a motor a l'entorn Matlab-Simulink. Es buscarà un mètode de control que permeti que la intensitat directe de la intensitat de camp sigui igual a zero

Localization and Orientation of Xanthophylls in a Lipid Bilayer.

Science.gov (United States)

Grudzinski, Wojciech; Nierzwicki, Lukasz; Welc, Renata; Reszczynska, Emilia; Luchowski, Rafal; Czub, Jacek; Gruszecki, Wieslaw I

2017-08-29

Xanthophylls (polar carotenoids) play diverse biological roles, among which are modulation of the physical properties of lipid membranes and protection of biomembranes against oxidative damage. Molecular mechanisms underlying these functions are intimately related to the localization and orientation of xanthophyll molecules in lipid membranes. In the present work, we address the problem of localization and orientation of two xanthophylls present in the photosynthetic apparatus of plants and in the retina of the human eye, zeaxanthin and lutein, in a single lipid bilayer membrane formed with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. By using fluorescence microscopic analysis and Raman imaging of giant unilamellar vesicles, as well as molecular dynamics simulations, we show that lutein and zeaxanthin adopt a very similar transmembrane orientation within a lipid membrane. In experimental and computational approach, the average tilt angle of xanthophylls relative to the membrane normal is independently found to be ~40 deg, and results from hydrophobic mismatch between the membrane thickness and the distance between the terminal hydroxyl groups of the xanthophylls. Consequences of such a localization and orientation for biological activity of xanthophylls are discussed.

Multidimensional oriented solid-state NMR experiments enable the sequential assignment of uniformly 15N labeled integral membrane proteins in magnetically aligned lipid bilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mote, Kaustubh R.; Gopinath, T.; Traaseth, Nathaniel J.; Kitchen, Jason; Gor’kov, Peter L.; Brey, William W.; Veglia, Gianluigi

2011-01-01

Oriented solid-state NMR is the most direct methodology to obtain the orientation of membrane proteins with respect to the lipid bilayer. The method consists of measuring 1 H- 15 N dipolar couplings (DC) and 15 N anisotropic chemical shifts (CSA) for membrane proteins that are uniformly aligned with respect to the membrane bilayer. A significant advantage of this approach is that tilt and azimuthal (rotational) angles of the protein domains can be directly derived from analytical expression of DC and CSA values, or, alternatively, obtained by refining protein structures using these values as harmonic restraints in simulated annealing calculations. The Achilles’ heel of this approach is the lack of suitable experiments for sequential assignment of the amide resonances. In this Article, we present a new pulse sequence that integrates proton driven spin diffusion (PDSD) with sensitivity-enhanced PISEMA in a 3D experiment ([ 1 H, 15 N]-SE-PISEMA-PDSD). The incorporation of 2D 15 N/ 15 N spin diffusion experiments into this new 3D experiment leads to the complete and unambiguous assignment of the 15 N resonances. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated for the membrane protein sarcolipin reconstituted in magnetically aligned lipid bicelles. Taken with low electric field probe technology, this approach will propel the determination of sequential assignment as well as structure and topology of larger integral membrane proteins in aligned lipid bilayers.

Demonstration of a vectorial optical field generator with adaptive close loop control.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian; Kong, Lingjiang; Zhan, Qiwen

2017-12-01

We experimentally demonstrate a vectorial optical field generator (VOF-Gen) with an adaptive close loop control. The close loop control capability is illustrated with the calibration of polarization modulation of the system. To calibrate the polarization ratio modulation, we generate 45° linearly polarized beam and make it propagate through a linear analyzer whose transmission axis is orthogonal to the incident beam. For the retardation calibration, circularly polarized beam is employed and a circular polarization analyzer with the opposite chirality is placed in front of the CCD as the detector. In both cases, the close loop control automatically changes the value of the corresponding calibration parameters in the pre-set ranges to generate the phase patterns applied to the spatial light modulators and records the intensity distribution of the output beam by the CCD camera. The optimized calibration parameters are determined corresponding to the minimum total intensity in each case. Several typical kinds of vectorial optical beams are created with and without the obtained calibration parameters, and the full Stokes parameter measurements are carried out to quantitatively analyze the polarization distribution of the generated beams. The comparisons among these results clearly show that the obtained calibration parameters could remarkably improve the accuracy of the polarization modulation of the VOF-Gen, especially for generating elliptically polarized beam with large ellipticity, indicating the significance of the presented close loop in enhancing the performance of the VOF-Gen.

Vectorial capacity and vector control: reconsidering sensitivity to parameters for malaria elimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Oliver J; Godfray, H Charles J; Tatem, Andrew J; Gething, Peter W; Cohen, Justin M; McKenzie, F Ellis; Perkins, T Alex; Reiner, Robert C; Tusting, Lucy S; Sinka, Marianne E; Moyes, Catherine L; Eckhoff, Philip A; Scott, Thomas W; Lindsay, Steven W; Hay, Simon I; Smith, David L

2016-02-01

Major gains have been made in reducing malaria transmission in many parts of the world, principally by scaling-up coverage with long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying. Historically, choice of vector control intervention has been largely guided by a parameter sensitivity analysis of George Macdonald's theory of vectorial capacity that suggested prioritizing methods that kill adult mosquitoes. While this advice has been highly successful for transmission suppression, there is a need to revisit these arguments as policymakers in certain areas consider which combinations of interventions are required to eliminate malaria. Using analytical solutions to updated equations for vectorial capacity we build on previous work to show that, while adult killing methods can be highly effective under many circumstances, other vector control methods are frequently required to fill effective coverage gaps. These can arise due to pre-existing or developing mosquito physiological and behavioral refractoriness but also due to additive changes in the relative importance of different vector species for transmission. Furthermore, the optimal combination of interventions will depend on the operational constraints and costs associated with reaching high coverage levels with each intervention. Reaching specific policy goals, such as elimination, in defined contexts requires increasingly non-generic advice from modelling. Our results emphasize the importance of measuring baseline epidemiology, intervention coverage, vector ecology and program operational constraints in predicting expected outcomes with different combinations of interventions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Estimation of vectorial capacity of Anopheles minimus Theobald & An. fluviatilis James (Diptera: Culicidae) in a malaria endemic area of Odisha State, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunasekaran, K; Sahu, S S; Jambulingam, P

2014-11-01

Anopheles minimus and An. fluviatilis were incriminated as the major malaria vectors in Keonjhar district of Odisha State recently. This study was carried out to elucidate the potential role of these two vector species in transmission of malaria during different seasons, and vectorial capacity of these species was also estimated. Three hilly and forested villages of Keonjhar district were randomly selected. Vectorial capacity (C) was calculated using the Macdonald's formula as modified by Garret-Jones. The human landing density of the vector species was obtained from all night human landing collections (bait protected by bed-net). Man feeding habit was estimated by multiplying the human blood index with feeding frequency, which was obtained on daily basis from the duration of gonotrophic cycle. The probability of survival through the extrinsic incubation cycle was calculated from the probability of survival through one day and duration of sporogonic cycle. The estimated vectorial capacity of An. minimus varied between 0.014 and 1.09 for Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and between 0.1 and 1.46 for P. vivax (Pv). The C of An. minimus for both Pf and Pv was higher during rainy season than the other two seasons. The estimated C of An. fluviatilis varied between 0.04 and 1.28 for Pf and between 0.20 and 1.54 for Pv. Based on the estimated values of vectorial capacity of the two vector species, the area could be stratified and such stratification would reflect the difference in the intensity of transmission between different strata and accordingly the appropriate control strategy could be adopted for each stratum.

Estimation of vectorial capacity of Anopheles minimus Theobald & An. fluviatilis James (Diptera: Culicidae in a malaria endemic area of Odisha State, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K Gunasekaran

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives: Anopheles minimus and An. fluviatilis were incriminated as the major malaria vectors in Keonjhar district of Odisha State recently. This study was carried out to elucidate the potential role of these two vector species in transmission of malaria during different seasons, and vectorial capacity of these species was also estimated. Methods: Three hilly and forested villages of Keonjhar district were randomly selected. Vectorial capacity (C was calculated using the Macdonald′s formula as modified by Garret-Jones. The human landing density of the vector species was obtained from all night human landing collections (bait protected by bed-net. Man feeding habit was estimated by multiplying the human blood index with feeding frequency, which was obtained on daily basis from the duration of gonotrophic cycle. The probability of survival through the extrinsic incubation cycle was calculated from the probability of survival through one day and duration of sporogonic cycle. Results: The estimated vectorial capacity of An. minimus varied between 0.014 and 1.09 for Plasmodium falciparum (Pf and between 0.1 and 1.46 for P. vivax (Pv. The C of An. minimus for both Pf and Pv was higher during rainy season than the other two seasons. The estimated C of An. fluviatilis varied between 0.04 and 1.28 for Pf and between 0.20 and 1.54 for Pv. Interpretation & conclusions: Based on the estimated values of vectorial capacity of the two vector species, the area could be stratified and such stratification would reflect the difference in the intensity of transmission between different strata and accordingly the appropriate control strategy could be adopted for each stratum.

A vectorial capacity product to monitor changing malaria transmission potential in epidemic regions of Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Ceccato, Pietro; Vancutsem, Christelle; Klaver, Robert; Rowland, James; Connor, Stephen J.

2012-01-01

Rainfall and temperature are two of the major factors triggering malaria epidemics in warm semi-arid (desert-fringe) and high altitude (highland-fringe) epidemic risk areas. The ability of the mosquitoes to transmit Plasmodium spp. is dependent upon a series of biological features generally referred to as vectorial capacity. In this study, the vectorial capacity model (VCAP) was expanded to include the influence of rainfall and temperature variables on malaria transmission potential. Data from two remote sensing products were used to monitor rainfall and temperature and were integrated into the VCAP model. The expanded model was tested in Eritrea and Madagascar to check the viability of the approach. The analysis of VCAP in relation to rainfall, temperature and malaria incidence data in these regions shows that the expanded VCAP correctly tracks the risk of malaria both in regions where rainfall is the limiting factor and in regions where temperature is the limiting factor. The VCAP maps are currently offered as an experimental resource for testing within Malaria Early Warning applications in epidemic prone regions of sub-Saharan Africa. User feedback is currently being collected in preparation for further evaluation and refinement of the VCAP model.

Multidimensional oriented solid-state NMR experiments enable the sequential assignment of uniformly 15N labeled integral membrane proteins in magnetically aligned lipid bilayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mote, Kaustubh R; Gopinath, T; Traaseth, Nathaniel J; Kitchen, Jason; Gor'kov, Peter L; Brey, William W; Veglia, Gianluigi

2011-11-01

Oriented solid-state NMR is the most direct methodology to obtain the orientation of membrane proteins with respect to the lipid bilayer. The method consists of measuring (1)H-(15)N dipolar couplings (DC) and (15)N anisotropic chemical shifts (CSA) for membrane proteins that are uniformly aligned with respect to the membrane bilayer. A significant advantage of this approach is that tilt and azimuthal (rotational) angles of the protein domains can be directly derived from analytical expression of DC and CSA values, or, alternatively, obtained by refining protein structures using these values as harmonic restraints in simulated annealing calculations. The Achilles' heel of this approach is the lack of suitable experiments for sequential assignment of the amide resonances. In this Article, we present a new pulse sequence that integrates proton driven spin diffusion (PDSD) with sensitivity-enhanced PISEMA in a 3D experiment ([(1)H,(15)N]-SE-PISEMA-PDSD). The incorporation of 2D (15)N/(15)N spin diffusion experiments into this new 3D experiment leads to the complete and unambiguous assignment of the (15)N resonances. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated for the membrane protein sarcolipin reconstituted in magnetically aligned lipid bicelles. Taken with low electric field probe technology, this approach will propel the determination of sequential assignment as well as structure and topology of larger integral membrane proteins in aligned lipid bilayers. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Formation of oriented membrane multilayers of Na/K-ATPase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pachence, J.M.; Knott, R.; Edelman, I.S.; Schoenborn, B.P.; Wallace, B.A.

1982-01-01

The isolated membrane-bound enzyme retains its ouabain-sensitive ATP hydrolysis activity, and produces ATP-dependent Na + and K + fluxes when incorporated into phospholipid vesicles. The ultimate goal of this work is to determine its low resolution structure using both X-ray and neutron diffraction. A number of methods were used to impart lamellar stacking order to highly purified pig Na/K-ATPase membranes. Upon partial dehydration, x-ray diffraction from Na/K-ATPase membrane multilayers at 98% relative humidity yielded discrete reflections of 118 A periodicity, diffracting to 1/14.8 A -1 , additionally, continuous diffraction to 1/10 A -1 was obtained. Subjecting the membrane multilayers to high magnetic fields improved the quality of the lamellar diffraction dramatically. Neutron diffraction studies of the partially dehydrated Na/K-ATPase membrane multilayers detected a mosaic spread of 2 0 when the samples were subjected to a magnetic field of 5 Tesla perpendicular to the membrane surface; the reflections were narrower than the camera line width; hence, the lattice disorder has also decreased significantly, although only four orders were measured

Reduction of product platform complexity by vectorial Euclidean algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navarrete, Israel Aguilera; Guzman, Alejandro A. Lozano

2013-01-01

In traditional machine, equipment and devices design, technical solutions are practically independent, thus increasing designs cost and complexity. Overcoming this situation has been tackled just using designer's experience. In this work, a product platform complexity reduction is presented based on a matrix representation of technical solutions versus product properties. This matrix represents the product platform. From this matrix, the Euclidean distances among technical solutions are obtained. Thus, the vectorial distances among technical solutions are identified in a new matrix of order of the number of technical solutions identified. This new matrix can be reorganized in groups with a hierarchical structure, in such a way that modular design of products is now more tractable. As a result of this procedure, the minimum vector distances are found thus being possible to identify the best technical solutions for the design problem raised. Application of these concepts is shown with two examples.

Simultaneous acquisition of 2D and 3D solid-state NMR experiments for sequential assignment of oriented membrane protein samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gopinath, T. [University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics (United States); Mote, Kaustubh R. [University of Minnesota, Department of Chemistry (United States); Veglia, Gianluigi, E-mail: vegli001@umn.edu [University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics (United States)

2015-05-15

We present a new method called DAISY (Dual Acquisition orIented ssNMR spectroScopY) for the simultaneous acquisition of 2D and 3D oriented solid-state NMR experiments for membrane proteins reconstituted in mechanically or magnetically aligned lipid bilayers. DAISY utilizes dual acquisition of sine and cosine dipolar or chemical shift coherences and long living {sup 15}N longitudinal polarization to obtain two multi-dimensional spectra, simultaneously. In these new experiments, the first acquisition gives the polarization inversion spin exchange at the magic angle (PISEMA) or heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) spectra, the second acquisition gives PISEMA-mixing or HETCOR-mixing spectra, where the mixing element enables inter-residue correlations through {sup 15}N–{sup 15}N homonuclear polarization transfer. The analysis of the two 2D spectra (first and second acquisitions) enables one to distinguish {sup 15}N–{sup 15}N inter-residue correlations for sequential assignment of membrane proteins. DAISY can be implemented in 3D experiments that include the polarization inversion spin exchange at magic angle via I spin coherence (PISEMAI) sequence, as we show for the simultaneous acquisition of 3D PISEMAI–HETCOR and 3D PISEMAI–HETCOR-mixing experiments.

Simultaneous acquisition of 2D and 3D solid-state NMR experiments for sequential assignment of oriented membrane protein samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Gopinath, T; Mote, Kaustubh R; Veglia, Gianluigi

2015-05-01

We present a new method called DAISY (Dual Acquisition orIented ssNMR spectroScopY) for the simultaneous acquisition of 2D and 3D oriented solid-state NMR experiments for membrane proteins reconstituted in mechanically or magnetically aligned lipid bilayers. DAISY utilizes dual acquisition of sine and cosine dipolar or chemical shift coherences and long living (15)N longitudinal polarization to obtain two multi-dimensional spectra, simultaneously. In these new experiments, the first acquisition gives the polarization inversion spin exchange at the magic angle (PISEMA) or heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) spectra, the second acquisition gives PISEMA-mixing or HETCOR-mixing spectra, where the mixing element enables inter-residue correlations through (15)N-(15)N homonuclear polarization transfer. The analysis of the two 2D spectra (first and second acquisitions) enables one to distinguish (15)N-(15)N inter-residue correlations for sequential assignment of membrane proteins. DAISY can be implemented in 3D experiments that include the polarization inversion spin exchange at magic angle via I spin coherence (PISEMAI) sequence, as we show for the simultaneous acquisition of 3D PISEMAI-HETCOR and 3D PISEMAI-HETCOR-mixing experiments.

Simultaneous acquisition of 2D and 3D solid-state NMR experiments for sequential assignment of oriented membrane protein samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gopinath, T.; Mote, Kaustubh R.; Veglia, Gianluigi

2015-01-01

We present a new method called DAISY (Dual Acquisition orIented ssNMR spectroScopY) for the simultaneous acquisition of 2D and 3D oriented solid-state NMR experiments for membrane proteins reconstituted in mechanically or magnetically aligned lipid bilayers. DAISY utilizes dual acquisition of sine and cosine dipolar or chemical shift coherences and long living 15 N longitudinal polarization to obtain two multi-dimensional spectra, simultaneously. In these new experiments, the first acquisition gives the polarization inversion spin exchange at the magic angle (PISEMA) or heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) spectra, the second acquisition gives PISEMA-mixing or HETCOR-mixing spectra, where the mixing element enables inter-residue correlations through 15 N– 15 N homonuclear polarization transfer. The analysis of the two 2D spectra (first and second acquisitions) enables one to distinguish 15 N– 15 N inter-residue correlations for sequential assignment of membrane proteins. DAISY can be implemented in 3D experiments that include the polarization inversion spin exchange at magic angle via I spin coherence (PISEMAI) sequence, as we show for the simultaneous acquisition of 3D PISEMAI–HETCOR and 3D PISEMAI–HETCOR-mixing experiments

Protein-membrane interaction: effect of myelin basic protein on the dynamics of oriented lipids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natali, F.; Relini, A.; Gliozzi, A.; Rolandi, R.; Cavatorta, P.; Deriu, A.; Fasano, A.; Riccio, P

2003-08-01

We have studied the effect of physiological amounts of myelin basic protein (MBP) on pure dimyristoyl L-{alpha}-phosphatidic acid (DMPA) oriented membranes. The investigation has been carried out using several complementary experimental methods to provide a detailed characterization of the proteo-lipid complexes. In particular, taking advantage of the power of the quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) technique as optimal probe in biology, a significant effect is suggested to be induced by MBP on the anisotropy of lipid dynamics across the liquid-gel phase transition. Thus, the enhancement of the spatially restricted, vertical translation motion of DMPA is suggested to be the main responsible for the increased contribution of the out of plane lipid dynamics observed at 340 K.

Ukraine’s Multi-Vectorial Foreign Policy: Looking West while not Overlooking its Eastern Neighbour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Raquel Freire

2009-05-01

Full Text Available La Ucrania post-soviética ha perseguido un curso independiente en su política exterior desde que lograse la independencia en 1991. Sin embargo su posición geográfica condicionó mucho el contorno de su política exterior. De hecho, mientras que un acercamiento al Oeste ha sido valorado grandemente, las relaciones con Rusia han seguido siendo el pilar central de Ucrania, intentándose por tanto, mirar hacia el Oeste sin perder de vista a su vecino oriental. En tal contexto, ¿cómo podrían conciliar las autoridades ucranianas los diferentes vectores de la política exterior de su país?¿En qué medida podrían pervivir los principios de la Revolución Naranja entre un contexto interior tan difícil y un contexto exterior complejo?¿En qué medida pueden afectar a las opciones en política exterior de Kiev la influencia occidental y las interferencias rusas? Intentando encontrar respuestas a tales preguntas, este artículo tiene como objetivo la deconstrucción de los varios círculos en la política exterior multi-vectorial de Kiev que se encargan de atender a la política exterior de una manera integrada y donde las formulaciones interiores se ven condicionadas por las opciones externas, echando luz de esta manera sobre cómo las interrelaciones e interconexiones se desarrollan en el proceso de toma de decisiones y en el curso elegido.

Lipid Bilayer Composition Affects Transmembrane Protein Orientation and Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katie D. Hickey

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Sperm membranes change in structure and composition upon ejaculation to undergo capacitation, a molecular transformation which enables spermatozoa to undergo the acrosome reaction and be capable of fertilization. Changes to the membrane environment including lipid composition, specifically lipid microdomains, may be responsible for enabling capacitation. To study the effect of lipid environment on proteins, liposomes were created using lipids extracted from bull sperm membranes, with or without a protein (Na+ K+-ATPase or -amylase. Protein incorporation, function, and orientation were determined. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET confirmed protein inclusion in the lipid bilayer, and protein function was confirmed using a colourometric assay of phosphate production from ATP cleavage. In the native lipid liposomes, ATPase was oriented with the subunit facing the outer leaflet, while changing the lipid composition to 50% native lipids and 50% exogenous lipids significantly altered this orientation of Na+ K+-ATPase within the membranes.

Cálculo vectorial discreto para problemas elípticos sobre retículas uniformes

OpenAIRE

Santos Gutiérrez, Roberto

2004-01-01

Esta tesina se enmarca dentro de los trabajos en el campo del análisis numérico denominados genéricamente como "discretizaciones miméticas de la mecánica del medio continuo". La idea consiste en establecer un cálculo vectorial sobre retículas uniformes siguiendo el modelo del caso continuo, de forma que se plantean los problemas elípticos directamente en medios discretos. Esto conduce a obtener operadores discretos análogos al gradiente, divergencia y laplaciano, y se demuestra que estos oper...

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Engineering Model Powerplant. Test Report: Benchmark Tests in Three Spatial Orientations

Science.gov (United States)

Loyselle, Patricia; Prokopius, Kevin

2011-01-01

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology is the leading candidate to replace the aging alkaline fuel cell technology, currently used on the Shuttle, for future space missions. This test effort marks the final phase of a 5-yr development program that began under the Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Program, transitioned into the Next Generation Launch Technologies (NGLT) Program, and continued under Constellation Systems in the Exploration Technology Development Program. Initially, the engineering model (EM) powerplant was evaluated with respect to its performance as compared to acceptance tests carried out at the manufacturer. This was to determine the sensitivity of the powerplant performance to changes in test environment. In addition, a series of tests were performed with the powerplant in the original standard orientation. This report details the continuing EM benchmark test results in three spatial orientations as well as extended duration testing in the mission profile test. The results from these tests verify the applicability of PEM fuel cells for future NASA missions. The specifics of these different tests are described in the following sections.

Laser printed nano-gratings: orientation and period peculiarities

Science.gov (United States)

Stankevič, Valdemar; Račiukaitis, Gediminas; Bragheri, Francesca; Wang, Xuewen; Gamaly, Eugene G.; Osellame, Roberto; Juodkazis, Saulius

2017-01-01

Understanding of material behaviour at nanoscale under intense laser excitation is becoming critical for future application of nanotechnologies. Nanograting formation by linearly polarised ultra-short laser pulses has been studied systematically in fused silica for various pulse energies at 3D laser printing/writing conditions, typically used for the industrial fabrication of optical elements. The period of the nanogratings revealed a dependence on the orientation of the scanning direction. A tilt of the nanograting wave vector at a fixed laser polarisation was also observed. The mechanism responsible for this peculiar dependency of several features of the nanogratings on the writing direction is qualitatively explained by considering the heat transport flux in the presence of a linearly polarised electric field, rather than by temporal and spatial chirp of the laser beam. The confirmed vectorial nature of the light-matter interaction opens new control of material processing with nanoscale precision.

Paramagnetic relaxation enhancements in NMR peptide-membrane interaction studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosol, S.

2011-01-01

Small membrane-bound proteins or peptides are involved in numerous essential biological processes, like cellular recognition, signaling, channel formation, and cytolysis. The secondary structure, orientation, mode of interaction and dynamics of these peptides can be as varied as their functions. Their localization in the membrane, the immersion depth, and their binding mode are factors critical to the function of these peptides. The atomic 3D solution structure of peptides bound to micelles can be determined by NMR spectroscopy. However, by employing paramagnetic relaxation enhancements (PREs) information on the complete topology of peptide bound to a micelle can be obtained. The antimicrobial peptide maximin H6, fst, a bacterial toxin, and the human peptide hormone ghrelin served as membrane-bound model peptides of similar sizes but strongly differing amino acid sequences. Their structures and binding behavior were determined and compared.The measured PREs provided suitable data for determining and distinguishing the different topologies of the investigated peptides bound to micelles. Maximin H6 and fst fold into α-helices upon insertion into a membrane, whereas the unstructured ghrelin is freely mobile in solution and interacts only via a covalently bound octanoyl group with the lipids. Maximin H6 is oriented parallel to the membrane surface, enabling the peptide to aggregate at the membrane water interface. Fst binds in transmembrane orientation with a protruding intrinsically disordered region near the C-terminus. Aside from determining the orientation of the bound peptides from the PREs, the moieties critical for membrane binding could be mapped in ghrelin. If suitable relaxation-edited spectra are acquired, the complete orientation and immersion depth of a peptide bound to a micelle can readily be obtained. (author) [de

[Current status of the knowledge on Moroccan anophelines (Diptera: Culicidae): systematic, geographical distribution and vectorial competence].

Science.gov (United States)

Faraj, C; Ouahabi, S; Adlaoui, E; Elaouad, R

2010-10-01

This bibliographical study, based on published works, ministry of Health Reports, exploitation of the database relative to the entomological surveillance conducted in the framework of the National Malaria Control Program, as well as unpublished results obtained within the framework of the European project "Emerging disease in a changing European environment", summarizes and completes with new data current knowledge on the systematics, the distribution and the vectorial competence of moroccan anophelines. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Polypropilene nuclear track membranes - a new type of membranes for cleaning and analysis of agressive media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apel', P.Yu.; Shirkova, V.V.; Soboleva, T.I.; Kuznetsov, V.I.; Shestakov, V.D.

1988-01-01

The brief description of the polypropylene nuclear track membranes is given. The membranes are obtained from biaxially oriented polypropylene films 10μm thick by means of irradiation with accelerated heavy ions and following chemical etching. The data on pore shape, pore size dispersion, the permeability of membranes and on the content of impurities in membrane matrix are given. It is noted that the polypropylene membranes can be used for cleaning and analysis of agressive chemical species. 9 refs.; 2 figs

Molecular dynamics simulations on PGLa using NMR orientational constraints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sternberg, Ulrich, E-mail: ulrich.sternberg@partner.kit.edu; Witter, Raiker [Tallinn University of Technology, Technomedicum (Estonia)

2015-11-15

NMR data obtained by solid state NMR from anisotropic samples are used as orientational constraints in molecular dynamics simulations for determining the structure and dynamics of the PGLa peptide within a membrane environment. For the simulation the recently developed molecular dynamics with orientational constraints technique (MDOC) is used. This method introduces orientation dependent pseudo-forces into the COSMOS-NMR force field. Acting during a molecular dynamics simulation these forces drive molecular rotations, re-orientations and folding in such a way that the motional time-averages of the tensorial NMR properties are consistent with the experimentally measured NMR parameters. This MDOC strategy does not depend on the initial choice of atomic coordinates, and is in principle suitable for any flexible and mobile kind of molecule; and it is of course possible to account for flexible parts of peptides or their side-chains. MDOC has been applied to the antimicrobial peptide PGLa and a related dimer model. With these simulations it was possible to reproduce most NMR parameters within the experimental error bounds. The alignment, conformation and order parameters of the membrane-bound molecule and its dimer were directly derived with MDOC from the NMR data. Furthermore, this new approach yielded for the first time the distribution of segmental orientations with respect to the membrane and the order parameter tensors of the dimer systems. It was demonstrated the deuterium splittings measured at the peptide to lipid ratio of 1/50 are consistent with a membrane spanning orientation of the peptide.

Localization and Orientation of Xanthophylls in a Lipid Bilayer

OpenAIRE

Grudzinski, Wojciech; Nierzwicki, Lukasz; Welc, Renata; Reszczynska, Emilia; Luchowski, Rafal; Czub, Jacek; Gruszecki, Wieslaw I.

2017-01-01

Xanthophylls (polar carotenoids) play diverse biological roles, among which are modulation of the physical properties of lipid membranes and protection of biomembranes against oxidative damage. Molecular mechanisms underlying these functions are intimately related to the localization and orientation of xanthophyll molecules in lipid membranes. In the present work, we address the problem of localization and orientation of two xanthophylls present in the photosynthetic apparatus of plants and i...

Nafion–clay nanocomposite membranes: Morphology and properties

KAUST Repository

Herrera Alonso, Rafael; Estevez, Luis; Lian, Huiqin; Kelarakis, Antonios; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.

2009-01-01

A series of Nafion-clay nanocomposite membranes were synthesized and characterized. To minimize any adverse effects on ionic conductivity the clay nanoparticles were H+ exchanged prior to mixing with Nafion. Well-dispersed, mechanically robust, free-standing nanocomposite membranes were prepared by casting from a water suspension at 180 °C under pressure. SAXS profiles reveal a preferential orientation of Nafion aggregates parallel to the membrane surface, or normal plane. This preferred orientation is induced by the platy nature of the clay nanoparticles, which tend to align parallel to the surface of the membrane. The nanocomposite membranes show dramatically reduced methanol permeability, while maintaining high levels of proton conductivity. The hybrid films are much stiffer and can withstand much higher temperatures compared to pure Nafion. The superior thermomechanical, electrochemical and barrier properties of the nanocomposite membranes are of significant interest for direct methanol fuel cell applications. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nafion–clay nanocomposite membranes: Morphology and properties

KAUST Repository

Herrera Alonso, Rafael

2009-05-01

A series of Nafion-clay nanocomposite membranes were synthesized and characterized. To minimize any adverse effects on ionic conductivity the clay nanoparticles were H+ exchanged prior to mixing with Nafion. Well-dispersed, mechanically robust, free-standing nanocomposite membranes were prepared by casting from a water suspension at 180 °C under pressure. SAXS profiles reveal a preferential orientation of Nafion aggregates parallel to the membrane surface, or normal plane. This preferred orientation is induced by the platy nature of the clay nanoparticles, which tend to align parallel to the surface of the membrane. The nanocomposite membranes show dramatically reduced methanol permeability, while maintaining high levels of proton conductivity. The hybrid films are much stiffer and can withstand much higher temperatures compared to pure Nafion. The superior thermomechanical, electrochemical and barrier properties of the nanocomposite membranes are of significant interest for direct methanol fuel cell applications. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mode-selective mapping and control of vectorial nonlinear-optical processes in multimode photonic-crystal fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Ming-Lie; Wang, Ching-Yue; Song, You-Jian; Li, Yan-Feng; Chai, Lu; Serebryannikov, Evgenii; Zheltikov, Aleksei

2006-02-06

We demonstrate an experimental technique that allows a mapping of vectorial nonlinear-optical processes in multimode photonic-crystal fibers (PCFs). Spatial and polarization modes of PCFs are selectively excited in this technique by varying the tilt angle of the input beam and rotating the polarization of the input field. Intensity spectra of the PCF output plotted as a function of the input field power and polarization then yield mode-resolved maps of nonlinear-optical interactions in multimode PCFs, facilitating the analysis and control of nonlinear-optical transformations of ultrashort laser pulses in such fibers.

Structure and Orientation of Bovine Lactoferrampin in the Mimetic Bacterial Membrane as Revealed by Solid-State NMR and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsumi, Atsushi; Javkhlantugs, Namsrai; Kira, Atsushi; Umeyama, Masako; Kawamura, Izuru; Nishimura, Katsuyuki; Ueda, Kazuyoshi; Naito, Akira

2012-01-01

Bovine lactoferrampin (LFampinB) is a newly discovered antimicrobial peptide found in the N1-domain of bovine lactoferrin (268–284), and consists of 17 amino-acid residues. It is important to determine the orientation and structure of LFampinB in bacterial membranes to reveal the antimicrobial mechanism. We therefore performed 13C and 31P NMR, 13C-31P rotational echo double resonance (REDOR), potassium ion-selective electrode, and quartz-crystal microbalance measurements for LFampinB with mimetic bacterial membrane and molecular-dynamics simulation in acidic membrane. 31P NMR results indicated that LFampinB caused a defect in mimetic bacterial membranes. Ion-selective electrode measurements showed that ion leakage occurred for the mimetic bacterial membrane containing cardiolipin. Quartz-crystal microbalance measurements revealed that LFampinB had greater affinity to acidic phospholipids than that to neutral phospholipids. 13C DD-MAS and static NMR spectra showed that LFampinB formed an α-helix in the N-terminus region and tilted 45° to the bilayer normal. REDOR dephasing patterns between carbonyl carbon nucleus in LFampinB and phosphorus nuclei in lipid phosphate groups were measured by 13C-31P REDOR and the results revealed that LFampinB is located in the interfacial region of the membrane. Molecular-dynamics simulation showed the tilt angle to be 42° and the rotation angle to be 92.5° for Leu3, which are in excellent agreement with the experimental values. PMID:23083717

Stoichiometry of vectorial H+ movements coupled to electron transport and to ATP synthesis in mitochondria

Science.gov (United States)

Alexandre, Adolfo; Reynafarje, Baltazar; Lehninger, Albert L.

1978-01-01

In order to verify more directly our earlier measurements showing that, on the average, close to four vectorial H+ are rejected per pair of electrons passing each of the three energy-conserving sites of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, direct tests of the H+/2e- ratio for sites 2 and 3 were carried out in the presence of permeant charge-compensating cations. Site 2 was examined by utilizing succinate as electron donor and ferricyanide as electron acceptor from mitochondrial cytochrome c; the directly measured H+/2e- ratio was close to 4. Energy-conserving site 3 was isolated for study with ferrocyanide or ascorbate plus tetramethylphenylenediamine as electron donors to cytochrome c and with oxygen as electron acceptor. The directly measured H+/2e- ratio for site 3 was close to 4. The H+/ATP ratio (number of vectorial H+ ejected per ATP hydrolyzed) was determined with a new method in which the steady-state rates of both H+ ejection and ATP hydrolysis were measured in the presence of K+ + valinomycin. The H+/ATP ratio was found to approach 3.0. A proton cycle for oxidative phosphorylation is proposed, in which four electrochemical H+ equivalents are ejected per pair of electrons passing each energy-conserving site; three of the H+ equivalents pass inward to derive ATP synthesis from ADP and phosphate and the fourth H+ is used to bring about the energy-requiring electrogenic expulsion of ATP4- in exchange for extramitochondrial ADP3-, via the H+/H2PO4- symporter. PMID:31621

Differential Membrane Dipolar Orientation Induced by Acute and Chronic Cholesterol Depletion.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Parijat; Chakraborty, Hirak; Chattopadhyay, Amitabha

2017-06-30

Cholesterol plays a crucial role in cell membrane organization, dynamics and function. Depletion of cholesterol represents a popular approach to explore cholesterol-sensitivity of membrane proteins. An emerging body of literature shows that the consequence of membrane cholesterol depletion often depends on the actual process (acute or chronic), although the molecular mechanism underlying the difference is not clear. Acute depletion, using cyclodextrin-type carriers, is faster relative to chronic depletion, in which inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis are used. With the overall goal of addressing molecular differences underlying these processes, we monitored membrane dipole potential under conditions of acute and chronic cholesterol depletion in CHO-K1 cells, using a voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye in dual wavelength ratiometric mode. Our results show that the observed membrane dipole potential exhibits difference under acute and chronic cholesterol depletion conditions, even when cholesterol content was identical. To the best of our knowledge, these results provide, for the first time, molecular insight highlighting differences in dipolar reorganization in these processes. A comprehensive understanding of processes in which membrane cholesterol gets modulated would provide novel insight in its interaction with membrane proteins and receptors, thereby allowing us to understand the role of cholesterol in cellular physiology associated with health and disease.

Dynamic nuclear polarization methods in solids and solutions to explore membrane proteins and membrane systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Chi-Yuan; Han, Songi

2013-01-01

Membrane proteins regulate vital cellular processes, including signaling, ion transport, and vesicular trafficking. Obtaining experimental access to their structures, conformational fluctuations, orientations, locations, and hydration in membrane environments, as well as the lipid membrane properties, is critical to understanding their functions. Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) of frozen solids can dramatically boost the sensitivity of current solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance tools to enhance access to membrane protein structures in native membrane environments. Overhauser DNP in the solution state can map out the local and site-specific hydration dynamics landscape of membrane proteins and lipid membranes, critically complementing the structural and dynamics information obtained by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Here, we provide an overview of how DNP methods in solids and solutions can significantly increase our understanding of membrane protein structures, dynamics, functions, and hydration in complex biological membrane environments.

Boron Removal in Radioactive Liquid Waste by Forward Osmosis Membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Dooseong; Choi, Hei Min; Lee, Kune Woo; Moon Jeikwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

These wastes contain about 0.3-0.8 wt% boric acid and have been concentrated through an evaporation treatment. Boric acid tends to crystallize owing to its solubility, and to plug the evaporator. The volume reduction obtained through evaporation is limited by the amount of boric acid in the waste. As an emerging technology, forward osmosis (FO) has attracted growing interest in wastewater treatment and desalination. FO is a membrane process in which water flows across a semi-permeable membrane from a feed solution of lower osmotic pressure to a draw solution of higher osmotic pressure. However, very few studies on the removal of boron by FO have been performed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possibility of boron separation in radioactive liquid waste by FO. In this study, the performance of FO was investigated to separate boron in the simulated liquid waste under the factors such as pH, osmotic pressure, ionic strength of the solution, and membrane characteristic. The boron separation in radioactive borate liquid waste was investigated with an FO membrane. When the feed solution containing boron is treated by the FO membrane, the boron permeation depends on the type of membrane, membrane orientation, pH of the feed solution, salt and boron concentration in the feed solution, and osmotic pressure of the draw solution. The boron flux begins to decline from pH 7, and increases with an increase in the osmotic driving force. The boron flux of the CTA-ES and ALFD membrane orientation is higher than those of the CTA-NW and ALFF orientation, respectively. The boron permeation rate is constant regardless of the osmotic pressure and membrane orientation. The boron flux decreases slightly with the salt concentration, but it is not heavily influenced at a low salt concentration.

Boron Removal in Radioactive Liquid Waste by Forward Osmosis Membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Dooseong; Choi, Hei Min; Lee, Kune Woo; Moon Jeikwon

2014-01-01

These wastes contain about 0.3-0.8 wt% boric acid and have been concentrated through an evaporation treatment. Boric acid tends to crystallize owing to its solubility, and to plug the evaporator. The volume reduction obtained through evaporation is limited by the amount of boric acid in the waste. As an emerging technology, forward osmosis (FO) has attracted growing interest in wastewater treatment and desalination. FO is a membrane process in which water flows across a semi-permeable membrane from a feed solution of lower osmotic pressure to a draw solution of higher osmotic pressure. However, very few studies on the removal of boron by FO have been performed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possibility of boron separation in radioactive liquid waste by FO. In this study, the performance of FO was investigated to separate boron in the simulated liquid waste under the factors such as pH, osmotic pressure, ionic strength of the solution, and membrane characteristic. The boron separation in radioactive borate liquid waste was investigated with an FO membrane. When the feed solution containing boron is treated by the FO membrane, the boron permeation depends on the type of membrane, membrane orientation, pH of the feed solution, salt and boron concentration in the feed solution, and osmotic pressure of the draw solution. The boron flux begins to decline from pH 7, and increases with an increase in the osmotic driving force. The boron flux of the CTA-ES and ALFD membrane orientation is higher than those of the CTA-NW and ALFF orientation, respectively. The boron permeation rate is constant regardless of the osmotic pressure and membrane orientation. The boron flux decreases slightly with the salt concentration, but it is not heavily influenced at a low salt concentration

Control of gravitropic orientation. I. Non-vertical orientation by primary roots of maize results from decay of competence for orthogravitropic induction

Science.gov (United States)

LaMotte, Clifford E.; Pickard, Barbara G.

2004-01-01

Plant organs may respond to gravity by vertical (orthogravitropic), oblique (plagiogravitropic) or horizontal (diagravitropic) growth. Primary roots of maize (Zea mays L.) provide a good system for studying such behaviours because they are reportedly capable of displaying all three responses. In current work using maize seedlings of the Silver Queen cultivar, stabilisation of growth at an oblique orientation was commonplace. Hypothetically, plagiogravitropism may be accomplished either by a process we call graded orthogravitropism or by hunting about a sensed non-vertical setpoint. In graded orthotropism primary bending is unidirectional and depends on facilitative stimuli that determine its extent. The hallmark of the setpoint mechanism is restorative curvature of either sign following a displacement; both diagravitropism and orthogravitropism are based on setpoints. Roots settled in a plagiogravitropic orientation were tested with various illumination and displacement protocols designed to distinguish between these two hypotheses. The tests refuted the setpoint hypothesis and supported that of graded orthotropism. No evidence of diagravitropism could be found, thus, earlier claims were likely based on inadequately controlled observations of graded orthotropism. We propose that orthotropism is graded by the sequential action of dual gravity receptors: induction of a vectorial gravitropic response requires gravitational induction of a separate facilitative response, whose decay in the absence of fresh stimuli can brake gravitropism at plagiotropic angles.

El método de los elementos finitos para el modelado de ondas con un procesador vectorial

OpenAIRE

Sanz, F.; Serón, Francisco J.; Kindelan, M.; Pérez, C.

1990-01-01

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar los aspectos computacionales del Método de los Eleinentos Finitos para la resolución de las ecuaciones de onda elásticas. Se analizan las técnicas nuinéricas necesarias desde el punto de vista de la precisión, prestaciones y necesidades de almacenamiento cuando se impleinentan en procesadores escalares y vectoriales con gran capacidad de almacenamiento. El método se ha iinplementado en un IBM 3090 con procesador vectorial usando diferentes algorit...

Boron removal in radioactive liquid waste by forward osmosis membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doo Seong Hwang; Hei Min Choi; Kune Woo Lee; Jei Kwon Moon [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-07-01

This study investigated the treatment of boric acid contained in liquid radioactive waste using a forward osmosis membrane. The boron permeation through the membrane depends on the type of membrane, membrane orientation, pH of the feed solution, salt and boron concentration in the feed solution, and osmotic pressure of the draw solution. The boron flux begins to decline from pH 7 and increases with an increase of the osmotic driving force. The boron flux decreases slightly with the salt concentration, but is not heavily influenced by a low salt concentration. The boron flux increases linearly with the concentration of boron. No element except for boron was permeated through the FO membrane in the multi-component system. The maximum boron flux is obtained in an active layer facing a draw solution orientation of the CTA-ES membrane under conditions of less than pH 7 and high osmotic pressure. (authors)

Sobre el estado electro-tónico y su interpretación: el potencial vectorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio Rozo Clavijo

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Se presenta un análisis acerca de las perspectivas que surgieron sobre el potencial vectorial a partir de los escritos originales de Faraday y Maxwell. Se muestran las primeras ideas sobre los experimentos y las explicaciones que Faraday desarrolló en torno a la inducción magnética, y la influencia que tuvo su concepto de estado electro-tónico en la primera explicación que formuló Maxwell, quien lo definió como el estado mediante el cual se ejecutan las acciones magnéticas a través de líneas de fuerza. Señala que ese concepto es la base para explicar el fenómeno de la inducción magnética en términos no newtonianos y lo formaliza mediante la variación temporal de la circulación del potencial vectorial a lo largo de una trayectoria cerrada. Este tipo de análisis muestra la manera en que estos pensadores representan el fenómeno, la cual no se evidencia en la literatura, sino que se muestra como una formalización alrededor del campo magnético. On the Electro-Tonic State and its Interpretation: The Vector Potential An analysis is presented on the emerging perspectives about the vector potential from Faraday and Maxwell’s original writings. This paper presents the initial observations about the experiments and explanations developed by Faraday on Magnetic Induction and the influence that his concept of Electrotonic State had on Maxwell’s first explanation. He defined it as the state by which magnetic actions are executed through lines of force. He pointed out that this concept is critical to explain the phenomenon of Magnetic Induction in non-Newtonian terms. Therefore, he formalized it by the circulation of vector potential throughout a closed trajectory. This kind of analysis shows how these researchers represented the phenomenon which is not evident in literature. It’s presented as a formalization around magnetic field instead. Sobre o estado electro-tônica e sua interpretação: o potencial vetor Mostra-se uma an

Oriented solid-state NMR spectrosocpy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertelsen, Kresten

This thesis is concerned with driving forward oriented solid-state NMR spectroscopy as a viable technique for studying peptides in membrane bilayers. I will show that structural heterogeneity is an intrinsic part of the peptide/lipid system and that NMR can be used to characterize static...... and dynamic structural features of the peptides and its local surroundings. In fact one need to take into account the dynamical features of the system in order to correctly predict the structure from oriented solid-state NMR spectra.      ...

Orientation selectivity of synaptic input to neurons in mouse and cat primary visual cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Andrew Y Y; Brown, Brandon D; Scholl, Benjamin; Mohanty, Deepankar; Priebe, Nicholas J

2011-08-24

Primary visual cortex (V1) is the site at which orientation selectivity emerges in mammals: visual thalamus afferents to V1 respond equally to all stimulus orientations, whereas their target V1 neurons respond selectively to stimulus orientation. The emergence of orientation selectivity in V1 has long served as a model for investigating cortical computation. Recent evidence for orientation selectivity in mouse V1 opens cortical computation to dissection by genetic and imaging tools, but also raises two essential questions: (1) How does orientation selectivity in mouse V1 neurons compare with that in previously described species? (2) What is the synaptic basis for orientation selectivity in mouse V1? A comparison of orientation selectivity in mouse and in cat, where such measures have traditionally been made, reveals that orientation selectivity in mouse V1 is weaker than in cat V1, but that spike threshold plays a similar role in narrowing selectivity between membrane potential and spike rate. To uncover the synaptic basis for orientation selectivity, we made whole-cell recordings in vivo from mouse V1 neurons, comparing neuronal input selectivity-based on membrane potential, synaptic excitation, and synaptic inhibition-to output selectivity based on spiking. We found that a neuron's excitatory and inhibitory inputs are selective for the same stimulus orientations as is its membrane potential response, and that inhibitory selectivity is not broader than excitatory selectivity. Inhibition has different dynamics than excitation, adapting more rapidly. In neurons with temporally modulated responses, the timing of excitation and inhibition was different in mice and cats.

Effect of pretreatment and membrane orientation on fluxes for concentration of whey with high foulants by using NH3/CO2 in forward osmosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Seker, M; Buyuksari, E; Topcu, S; Babaoglu, D S; Celebi, D; Keskinler, B; Aydiner, C

2017-11-01

Usage of forward osmosis membrane in FO mode, in which active and support layers of the membrane were in contact with the feed and the draw solutions respectively, provided higher initial water flux (12L/m 2 h) than the usage of membrane in PRO mode (6L/m 2 h) having opposite orientation but fluxes approached to each other after 4h during concentration of whey with NH 3 /CO 2 as draw salt. High organic and inorganic foulants of whey was considered as reason for observed result in addition to lower solute resistivity. Initial water flux (8,5L/m 2 h) was lower when pre-treatment was applied before forward osmosis process but final flux (4L/m 2 h) was equal flux of non pre-treatment. Reduction of solute resistivity or absence of hydraulic pressure can be reasons for lower initial flux. Detection of organic carbon but absence of lactose in draw solution showed passage of molecules being different than lactose into draw solution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A general melt-injection-decomposition route to oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Dongqiang; Zhang, Xinwei; Hua, Zhenghe; Yang, Shaoguang

2016-12-01

In this manuscript, a general melt-injection-decomposition (MID) route has been proposed and realized for the fabrication of oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays. Nitrate was used as the starting materials, which was injected into the nanopores of the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane through the capillarity action in its liquid state. At higher temperature, the nitrate decomposed into corresponding metal oxide within the nanopores of the AAO membrane. Oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays were formed within the AAO membrane as a result of the confinement of the nanopores. Four kinds of metal oxide (CuO, Mn2O3, Co3O4 and Cr2O3) nanowire arrays are presented here as examples fabricated by this newly developed process. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies showed clear evidence of the formations of the oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays. Formation mechanism of the metal oxide nanowire arrays is discussed based on the Thermogravimetry and Differential Thermal Analysis measurement results.

Meet me on the other side: trans-bilayer modulation of a model voltage-gated ion channel activity by membrane electrostatics asymmetry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loredana Mereuta

Full Text Available While it is accepted that biomembrane asymmetry is generated by proteins and phospholipids distribution, little is known about how electric changes manifested in a monolayer influence functional properties of proteins localized on the opposite leaflet. Herein we used single-molecule electrophysiology and investigated how asymmetric changes in the electrostatics of an artificial lipid membrane monolayer, generated oppositely from where alamethicin--a model voltage-gated ion channel--was added, altered peptide activity. We found that phlorizin, a membrane dipole potential lowering amphiphile, augmented alamethicin activity and transport features, whereas the opposite occurred with RH-421, which enhances the monolayer dipole potential. Further, the monolayer surface potential was decreased via adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate, and demonstrated that vectorial modification of it also affected the alamethicin activity in a predictive manner. A new paradigm is suggested according to which asymmetric changes in the monolayer dipole and surface potential extend their effects spatially by altering the intramembrane potential, whose gradient is sensed by distantly located peptides.

The involvement of altered vesicle transport in redistribution of Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase in cholestatic rat liver

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Song, J. Y.; van Noorden, C. J.; Frederiks, W. M.

1998-01-01

Vectorial sorting of plasma membrane protein-containing vesicles is essential for the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. In the present study, the involvement of altered vesicle transport in the redistribution of membrane-bound Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase resulting from cholestasis was

Mode and polarization state selected guided wave spectroscopy of orientational anisotrophy in model membrane cellulosic polymer films: relevance to lab-on-a-chip

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Andrews, Mark P.; Kanigan, Tanya

2007-06-01

Orientation anisotropies in structural properties relevant to the use of cellulosic polymers as membranes for lab-on-chips were investigated for cellulose acetate (CA) and regenerated cellulose (RC) films deposited as slab waveguides. Anisotropy was probed with mode and polarization state selected guided wave Raman spectroscopy. CA exhibits partial chain orientation in the plane of the film, and this orientation is independent of sample substrate and film preparation conditions. RC films also show in-plane anisotropy, where the hexose sugar rings lie roughly in the plane of the film. Explanations are given of the role of artifacts in interpreting waveguide Raman spectra, including anomalous contributions to Raman spectra that arise from deviations from right angle scattering geometry, mode-dependent contributions to longitudinal electric field components and TETM mode conversion. We explore diffusion profiles of small molecules in cellulosic films by adaptations of an inverse-Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (iWKB) recursive, noninteger virtual mode index algorithm. Perturbations in the refractive index distribution, n(z), are recovered from the measured relative propagation constants, neffective,m, of the planar waveguide. The refractive index distribution then yields the diffusion profile.

In-plane mechanics of soft architectured fibre-reinforced silicone rubber membranes.

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Bailly, L; Toungara, M; Orgéas, L; Bertrand, E; Deplano, V; Geindreau, C

2014-12-01

Silicone rubber membranes reinforced with architectured fibre networks were processed with a dedicated apparatus, allowing a control of the fibre content and orientation. The membranes were subjected to tensile loadings combined with continuous and discrete kinematical field measurements (DIC and particle tracking). These tests show that the mechanical behaviour of the membranes is hyperelastic at the first order. They highlight the influence of the fibre content and orientation on both the membrane in-plane deformation and stress levels. They also prove that for the considered fibrous architectures and mechanical loadings, the motion and deformation of fibres is an affine function of the macroscale transformation. These trends are fairly well described by the micromechanical model proposed recently in Bailly et al. (JMBBM, 2012). This result proves that these materials are very good candidates for new biomimetic membranes, e.g. to improve aortic analogues used for in vitro experiments, or existing textiles used for vascular (endo)prostheses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

pH sensing by lipids in membranes: The fundamentals of pH-driven migration, polarization and deformations of lipid bilayer assemblies.

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Angelova, Miglena I; Bitbol, Anne-Florence; Seigneuret, Michel; Staneva, Galya; Kodama, Atsuji; Sakuma, Yuka; Kawakatsu, Toshihiro; Imai, Masayuki; Puff, Nicolas

2018-03-06

Most biological molecules contain acido-basic groups that modulate their structure and interactions. A consequence is that pH gradients, local heterogeneities and dynamic variations are used by cells and organisms to drive or regulate specific biological functions including energetic metabolism, vesicular traffic, migration and spatial patterning of tissues in development. While the direct or regulatory role of pH in protein function is well documented, the role of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in modulating the properties of lipid assemblies such as bilayer membranes is only beginning to be understood. Here, we review approaches using artificial lipid vesicles that have been instrumental in providing an understanding of the influence of pH gradients and local variations on membrane vectorial motional processes: migration, membrane curvature effects promoting global or local deformations, crowding generation by segregative polarization processes. In the case of pH induced local deformations, an extensive theoretical framework is given and an application to a specific biological issue, namely the structure and stability of mitochondrial cristae, is described. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Emergence of Complex Behavior in Biomembranes edited by Marjorie Longo. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glycan structures contain information for the spatial arrangement of glycoproteins in the plasma membrane.

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M Kristen Hall

Full Text Available Glycoconjugates at the cell surface are crucial for cells to communicate with each other and the extracellular microenvironment. While it is generally accepted that glycans are vectorial biopolymers, their information content is unclear. This report provides evidence that distinct N-glycan structures influence the spatial arrangement of two integral membrane glycoproteins, Kv3.1 and E-cadherin, at the adherent membrane which in turn alter cellular properties. Distinct N-glycan structures were generated by heterologous expression of these glycoproteins in parental and glycosylation mutant Chinese hamster ovary cell lines. Unlike the N-linked glycans, the O-linked glycans of the mutant cell lines are similar to those of the parental cell line. Western and lectin blots of total membranes and GFP immunopurified samples, combined with glycosidase digestion reactions, were employed to verify the glycoproteins had predominantly complex, oligomannose, and bisecting type N-glycans from Pro(-5, Lec1, and Lec10B cell lines, respectively. Based on total internal reflection fluorescence and differential interference contrast microscopy techniques, and cellular assays of live parental and glycosylation mutant CHO cells, we propose that glycoproteins with complex, oligomannose or bisecting type N-glycans relay information for localization of glycoproteins to various regions of the plasma membrane in both a glycan-specific and protein-specific manner, and furthermore cell-cell interactions are required for deciphering much of this information. These distinct spatial arrangements also impact cell adhesion and migration. Our findings provide direct evidence that N-glycan structures of glycoproteins contribute significantly to the information content of cells.

Vectorial Command of Induction Motor Pumping System Supplied by a Photovoltaic Generator

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Makhlouf, Messaoud; Messai, Feyrouz; Benalla, Hocine

2011-01-01

With the continuous decrease of the cost of solar cells, there is an increasing interest and needs in photovoltaic (PV) system applications following standard of living improvements. Water pumping system powered by solar-cell generators are one of the most important applications. The fluctuation of solar energy on one hand, and the necessity to optimise available solar energy on the other, it is useful to develop new efficient and flexible modes to control motors that entrain the pump. A vectorial control of an asynchronous motor fed by a photovoltaic system is proposed. This paper investigates a photovoltaic-electro mechanic chain, composed of a PV generator, DC-AC converter, a vector controlled induction motor and centrifugal pump. The PV generator is forced to operate at its maximum power point by using an appropriate search algorithm integrated in the vector control. The optimization is realized without need to adding a DC-DC converter to the chain. The motor supply is also ensured in all insolation conditions. Simulation results show the effectiveness and feasibility of such an approach.

Variation in Wolbachia effects on Aedes mosquitoes as a determinant of invasiveness and vectorial capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Jessica G; Souto-Maior, Caetano; Sartori, Larissa M; Maciel-de-Freitas, Rafael; Gomes, M Gabriela M

2018-04-16

Wolbachia has been introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to control the spread of arboviruses, such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Studies showed that certain Wolbachia strains (such as wMel) reduce replication of dengue viruses in the laboratory, prompting the release of mosquitoes carrying the bacterium into the field, where vectorial capacity can be realistically assessed in relation to native non-carriers. Here we apply a new analysis to two published datasets, and show that wMel increases the mean and the variance in Ae. aegypti susceptibility to dengue infection when introgressed into Brazil and Vietnam genetic backgrounds. In the absence of other processes, higher mean susceptibility should lead to enhanced viral transmission. The increase in variance, however, widens the basis for selection imposed by unexplored natural forces, retaining the potential for reducing transmission overall.

Fine structure of granal thylakoid membrane organization using cryo electron tomography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kouril, Roman; Oostergetel, Gert T.; Boekema, Egbert J.

The architecture of grana membranes from spinach chloroplasts was studied by cryo electron tomography. Tomographic reconstructions of ice-embedded isolated grana stacks enabled to resolve features of photosystem II (PSII) in the native membrane and to assign the absolute orientation of individual

Nonlinear Effects in Osmotic Volume Flows of Electrolyte Solutions through Double-Membrane System

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slezak, A.; Jasik-Slezak, J.; Grzegorczyn, S.; Slezak-Prochazka, I.

The results of experimental study of volume osmotic flows in a double-membrane system are presented in this article. The double-membrane system consists of two membranes (M-u, M-d) oriented in horizontal planes and three identical compartments (u, m, d), containing unstirred binary or ternary ionic

Life cycle and vectorial competence of Triatoma williami (Galvão, Souza e Lima, 1965) under the influence of different blood meal sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Lunardi, Rosaline Rocha; Gomes, Letícia Pinho; Peres Câmara, Thaís; Arrais-Silva, Wagner Welber

2015-09-01

Triatoma williami is naturally infected by Trypanosoma cruzi, the ethiological agent of Chagas disease, the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality in South and Central America.The possibility of domiciliation of T. williami increases the risk of human T. cruzi vetorial transmission. Despite this, there is a lack of data demonstrating the bionomic aspects, the vectorial competence or the natural ecotope and the wild hosts of T. williami. This study describes for the first time the life cycle of T. williami under the influence of two blood meal sources and also evaluates the vectorial potential of the species. The development of two groups of hundred triatomines was followed over the nymphal stages and adulthood. Each group was exposed to a sole blood meal source, mammalian or bird. The average egg-to-adult development time in both groups was similar, except by shorter stages of N3 and N4 in triatomines fed on mammals. The group fed on birds needed more blood feedings to suffer the ecdysis and had higher cumulative mortality in the nymphal stages. Although the observed delay at defecation of adults after feeding, our results suggest that T. williami in the third and fifth nymphal stages may be good vectors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving intensity-modulated radiation therapy using the anatomic beam orientation optimization algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potrebko, Peter S.; McCurdy, Boyd M. C.; Butler, James B.; El-Gubtan, Adel S.

2008-01-01

A novel, anatomic beam orientation optimization (A-BOO) algorithm is proposed to significantly improve conventional intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The A-BOO algorithm vectorially analyses polygonal surface mesh data of contoured patient anatomy. Five optimal (5-opt) deliverable beam orientations are selected based on (1) tangential orientation bisecting the target and adjacent organ's-at-risk (OARs) to produce precipitous dose gradients between them and (2) parallel incidence with polygon features of the target volume to facilitate conformal coverage. The 5-opt plans were compared to standard five, seven, and nine equiangular-spaced beam plans (5-equi, 7-equi, 9-equi) for: (1) gastric, (2) Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) P-0126 prostate, and (3) RTOG H-0022 oropharyngeal (stage-III, IV) cancer patients. In the gastric case, the noncoplanar 5-opt plan reduced the right kidney V 20 Gy by 32.2%, 23.2%, and 20.6% compared to plans with five, seven, and nine equiangular-spaced beams. In the prostate case, the coplanar 5-opt plan produced similar rectal sparing as the 7-equi and 9-equi plans with a reduction of the V 75, V 70, V 65, and V 60 Gy of 2.4%, 5.3%, 7.0%, and 9.5% compared to the 5-equi plan. In the stage-III and IV oropharyngeal cases, the noncoplanar 5-opt plan substantially reduced the V 30 Gy and mean dose to the contralateral parotid compared to plans with five, seven, and nine equiangular-spaced beams: (stage-III) 7.1%, 5.2%, 6.8%, and 5.1, 3.5, 3.7 Gy and (stage-IV) 10.2%, 10.2%, 9.8% and 7.0, 7.1, 7.2 Gy. The geometry-based A-BOO algorithm has been demonstrated to be robust for application to a variety of IMRT treatment sites. Beam orientations producing significant improvements in OAR sparing over conventional IMRT can be automatically produced in minutes compared to hours with existing dose-based beam orientation optimization methods

Mapping the local organization of cell membranes using excitation-polarization-resolved confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kress, Alla; Wang, Xiao; Ranchon, Hubert; Savatier, Julien; Rigneault, Hervé; Ferrand, Patrick; Brasselet, Sophie

2013-07-02

Fluorescence anisotropy and linear dichroism imaging have been widely used for imaging biomolecular orientational distributions in protein aggregates, fibrillar structures of cells, and cell membranes. However, these techniques do not give access to complete orientational order information in a whole image, because their use is limited to parts of the sample where the average orientation of molecules is known a priori. Fluorescence anisotropy is also highly sensitive to depolarization mechanisms such as those induced by fluorescence energy transfer. A fully excitation-polarization-resolved fluorescence microscopy imaging that relies on the use of a tunable incident polarization and a nonpolarized detection is able to circumvent these limitations. We have developed such a technique in confocal epifluorescence microscopy, giving access to new regions of study in the complex and heterogeneous molecular organization of cell membranes. Using this technique, we demonstrate morphological changes at the subdiffraction scale in labeled COS-7 cell membranes whose cytoskeleton is perturbed. Molecular orientational order is also seen to be affected by cholesterol depletion, reflecting the strong interplay between lipid-packing regions and their nearby cytoskeleton. This noninvasive optical technique can reveal local organization in cell membranes when used as a complement to existing methods such as generalized polarization. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NMR structural studies of peptides and proteins in membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Opella, S J [Pennsylvania Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

1994-12-31

The use of NMR methodology in structural studies is described as applicable to larger proteins, considering that the majority of membrane proteins is constructed from a limited repertoire of structural and dynamic elements. The membrane associated domains of these proteins are made up of long hydrophobic membrane spanning helices, shorter amphipathic bridging helices in the plane of the bilayer, connecting loops with varying degrees of mobility, and mobile N- and C- terminal sections. NMR studies have been successful in identifying all of these elements and their orientations relative to each other and the membrane bilayer 19 refs., 9 figs.

Characterization of the immersion properties of the peripheral membrane anchor of the FATC domain of the kinase "target of rapamycin" by NMR, oriented CD spectroscopy, and MD simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommer, Lisa A M; Janke, J Joel; Bennett, W F Drew; Bürck, Jochen; Ulrich, Anne S; Tieleman, D Peter; Dames, Sonja A

2014-05-08

The multidomain ser/thr kinase "target of rapamycin" (TOR) centrally controls eukaryotic growth and metabolism. The C-terminal FATC domain is important for TOR regulation and was suggested to directly mediate TOR-membrane interactions. Here, we present a detailed characterization of the membrane immersion properties of the oxidized and reduced yeast TOR1 FATC domain (2438-2470 = y1fatc). The immersion depth was characterized by NMR-monitored interaction studies with DPC micelles containing paramagnetically tagged 5- or 16-doxyl stearic acid (5-/16-SASL) and by analyzing the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) from Mn(2+) in the solvent. Complementary MD-simulations of micellar systems in the absence and presence of protein showed that 5-/16-SASL can move in the micelle and that 16-SASL can bend such that the doxyl group is close to the headgroup region and not deep in the interior as commonly assumed. Based on oriented CD (OCD) data, the single α-helix of oxidized/reduced y1fatc has an angle to the membrane normal of ∼30-60°/∼35-65° in neutral and ∼5-35°/∼0-30° in negatively charged bilayers. The presented experimentally well-founded models help to better understand how this redox-sensitive peripheral membrane anchor may be part of a network of protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions regulating TOR localization at different cellular membranes. Moreover, the presented work provides a good methodological reference for the structural characterization of other peripherally membrane associating proteins.

Predicción de la estructura secundaria de proteínas usando Máquinas de soporte Vectorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darío José Delgado

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Título en ingles: Protein secondary structure prediction    using  support vector machines Abstract : Among the computational methods used for predicting secondary structure proteins highlights the use of support vector machines. This research shows the predicted secondary structure of protein from its primary amino acid sequence using Support Vector Machines. As inputs, in the proposed methodology, features are used from different structural motifs or text strings associated with the primary structure which represents the secondary structure, such as R-group and the probability that the amino acid at position adopts a central particular secondary structure. For feature extraction method is used coding of sequences in which each symbol in the primary structure is associated with each symbol in the secondary structure. The use of this encoding method reduces the dimensionality of the data of thousands of characteristics only 220 of these. The results obtained are comparable to those reported in the literature, taking about 70% accuracy. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce computational cost in the construction of classifiers because this work models the problem of multi classification as a group of binary classifiers. Key words: coding methodology; support vector machines; prediction of protein secondary structure. Resumen: Entre los métodos computacionales utilizados para la predicción de la estructura secundaria de proteínas, se destaca el uso de máquinas de soporte vectorial. Este trabajo de investigación presenta la predicción de la estructura secundaria de proteínas desde su secuencia primaria de aminoácidos usando Máquinas de Soporte Vectorial. Como entradas, en la metodología propuesta, se utilizan características de los diferentes motivos estructurales o cadenas de texto asociadas a la estructura primaria que representa la estructura secundaria, tales como el R-grupo y la probabilidad de que el aminoácido en la posici

Three-dimensional polarization marked multiple-QR code encryption by optimizing a single vectorial beam

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chao; Shen, Xueju; Hua, Binbin; Wang, Zhisong

2015-10-01

We demonstrate the feasibility of three dimensional (3D) polarization multiplexing by optimizing a single vectorial beam using a multiple-signal window multiple-plane (MSW-MP) phase retrieval algorithm. Original messages represented with multiple quick response (QR) codes are first partitioned into a series of subblocks. Then, each subblock is marked with a specific polarization state and randomly distributed in 3D space with both longitudinal and transversal adjustable freedoms. A generalized 3D polarization mapping protocol is established to generate a 3D polarization key. Finally, multiple-QR code is encrypted into one phase only mask and one polarization only mask based on the modified Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm. We take the polarization mask as the cyphertext and the phase only mask as additional dimension of key. Only when both the phase key and 3D polarization key are correct, original messages can be recovered. We verify our proposal with both simulation and experiment evidences.

Fouling-induced enzyme immobilization for membrane reactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, Jianquan; Meyer, Anne S.; Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

2013-01-01

A simple enzyme immobilization method accomplished by promoting membrane fouling formation is proposed. The immobilization method is based on adsorption and entrapment of the enzymes in/on the membrane. To evaluate the concept, two membrane orientations, skin layer facing feed (normal mode......, but the reverse mode allowed for higher enzyme loading and stability, and irreversible fouling (i.e. pore blocking) developed more readily in the support structure than in the skin layer. Compared with an enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR) with free enzymes, the novel EMR with enzymes immobilized in membrane......) and support layer facing feed (reverse mode), were used to immobilize alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, EC 1.1.1.1) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH, EC 1.4.1.3), respectively. The nature of the fouling in each mode was determined by filtration fouling models. The permeate flux was larger in the normal mode...

A general melt-injection-decomposition route to oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Dongqiang; Zhang, Xinwei; Hua, Zhenghe; Yang, Shaoguang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A general melt-injection-decomposition (MID) route is proposed for the fabrication of oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays. • Four kinds of metal oxide (CuO, Mn_2O_3, Co_3O_4 and Cr_2O_3) nanowire arrays have been realized as examples through the developed MID route. • The mechanism of the developed MID route is discussed using Thermogravimetry and Differential Thermal Analysis technique. • The MID route is a versatile, simple, facile and effective way to prepare different kinds of oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays in the future. - Abstract: In this manuscript, a general melt-injection-decomposition (MID) route has been proposed and realized for the fabrication of oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays. Nitrate was used as the starting materials, which was injected into the nanopores of the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane through the capillarity action in its liquid state. At higher temperature, the nitrate decomposed into corresponding metal oxide within the nanopores of the AAO membrane. Oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays were formed within the AAO membrane as a result of the confinement of the nanopores. Four kinds of metal oxide (CuO, Mn_2O_3, Co_3O_4 and Cr_2O_3) nanowire arrays are presented here as examples fabricated by this newly developed process. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies showed clear evidence of the formations of the oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays. Formation mechanism of the metal oxide nanowire arrays is discussed based on the Thermogravimetry and Differential Thermal Analysis measurement results.

Effects of Lys to Glu mutations in GsMTx4 on membrane binding, peptide orientation, and self-association propensity, as analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations.

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Nishizawa, Kazuhisa; Nishizawa, Manami; Gnanasambandam, Radhakrishnan; Sachs, Frederick; Sukharev, Sergei I; Suchyna, Thomas M

2015-11-01

GsMTx4, a gating modifier peptide acting on cationic mechanosensitive channels, has a positive charge (+5e) due to six Lys residues. The peptide does not have a stereospecific binding site on the channel but acts from the boundary lipids within a Debye length of the pore probably by changing local stress. To gain insight into how these Lys residues interact with membranes, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of Lys to Glu mutants in parallel with our experimental work. In silico, K15E had higher affinity for 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine bilayers than wild-type (WT) peptide or any other mutant tested, and showed deeper penetration than WT, a finding consistent with the experimental data. Experimentally, the inhibitory activities of K15E and K25E were most compromised, whereas K8E and K28E inhibitory activities remained similar to WT peptide. Binding of WT in an interfacial mode did not influence membrane thickness. With interfacial binding, the direction of the dipole moments of K15E and K25E was predicted to differ from WT, whereas those of K8E and K28E oriented similarly to that of WT. These results support a model in which binding of GsMTx4 to the membrane acts like an immersible wedge that serves as a membrane expansion buffer reducing local stress and thus inhibiting channel activity. In simulations, membrane-bound WT attracted other WT peptides to form aggregates. This may account for the positive cooperativity observed in the ion channel experiments. The Lys residues seem to fine-tune the depth of membrane binding, the tilt angle, and the dipole moments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Location of macular xanthophylls in the most vulnerable regions of photoreceptor outer-segment membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Subczynski, Witold K; Wisniewska, Anna; Widomska, Justyna

2010-12-01

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two dietary carotenoids that compose the macular pigment of the primate retina. Another carotenoid, meso-zeaxanthin, is formed from lutein in the retina. A membrane location is one possible site where these dipolar, terminally dihydroxylated carotenoids, named macular xanthophylls, are accumulated in the nerve fibers and photoreceptor outer segments. Macular xanthophylls are oriented perpendicular to the membrane surface, which ensures their high solubility, stability, and significant effects on membrane properties. It was recently shown that they are selectively accumulated in membrane domains that contain unsaturated phospholipids, and thus are located in the most vulnerable regions of the membrane. This location is ideal if they are to act as lipid antioxidants, which is the most accepted mechanism through which lutein and zeaxanthin protect the retina from age-related macular degeneration. In this mini-review, we examine published data on carotenoid-membrane interactions and present our hypothesis that the specific orientation and location of macular xanthophylls maximize their protective action in membranes of the eye retina. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Invasiveness of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus and Vectorial Capacity for Chikungunya Virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Lounibos, Leon Philip; Kramer, Laura D

2016-12-15

In this review, we highlight biological characteristics of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, 2 invasive mosquito species and primary vectors of chikungunya virus (CHIKV), that set the tone of these species' invasiveness, vector competence, and vectorial capacity (VC). The invasiveness of both species, as well as their public health threats as vectors, is enhanced by preference for human blood. Vector competence, characterized by the efficiency of an ingested arbovirus to replicate and become infectious in the mosquito, depends largely on vector and virus genetics, and most A. aegypti and A. albopictus populations thus far tested confer vector competence for CHIKV. VC, an entomological analog of the pathogen's basic reproductive rate (R 0 ), is epidemiologically more important than vector competence but less frequently measured, owing to challenges in obtaining valid estimates of parameters such as vector survivorship and host feeding rates. Understanding the complexities of these factors will be pivotal in curbing CHIKV transmission. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Fast Alternating Minimization Algorithm for Nonlocal Vectorial Total Variational Multichannel Image Denoising

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Rubing Xi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The variational models with nonlocal regularization offer superior image restoration quality over traditional method. But the processing speed remains a bottleneck due to the calculation quantity brought by the recent iterative algorithms. In this paper, a fast algorithm is proposed to restore the multichannel image in the presence of additive Gaussian noise by minimizing an energy function consisting of an l2-norm fidelity term and a nonlocal vectorial total variational regularization term. This algorithm is based on the variable splitting and penalty techniques in optimization. Following our previous work on the proof of the existence and the uniqueness of the solution of the model, we establish and prove the convergence properties of this algorithm, which are the finite convergence for some variables and the q-linear convergence for the rest. Experiments show that this model has a fabulous texture-preserving property in restoring color images. Both the theoretical derivation of the computation complexity analysis and the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm performs favorably in comparison to the widely used fixed point algorithm.

Vectorial capacity of Aedes aegypti for dengue virus type 2 is reduced with co-infection of Metarhizium anisopliae.

Science.gov (United States)

Garza-Hernández, Javier A; Rodríguez-Pérez, Mario A; Salazar, Ma Isabel; Russell, Tanya L; Adeleke, Monsuru A; de Luna-Santillana, Erik de J; Reyes-Villanueva, Filiberto

2013-01-01

Aedes aegypti, is the major dengue vector and a worldwide public health threat combated basically by chemical insecticides. In this study, the vectorial competence of Ae. aegypti co-infected with a mildly virulent Metarhizium anisopliae and fed with blood infected with the DENV-2 virus, was examined. The study encompassed three bioassays (B). In B1 the median lethal time (LT50) of Ae. aegypti exposed to M. anisopliae was determined in four treatments: co-infected (CI), single-fungus infection (SF), single-virus infection (SV) and control (C). In B2, the mortality and viral infection rate in midgut and in head were registered in fifty females of CI and in SV. In B3, the same treatments as in B1 but with females separated individually were tested to evaluate the effect on fecundity and gonotrophic cycle length. Survival in CI and SF females was 70% shorter than the one of those in SV and control. Overall viral infection rate in CI and SV were 76 and 84% but the mortality at day six post-infection was 78% (54% infected) and 6% respectively. Survivors with virus in head at day seven post-infection were 12 and 64% in both CI and SV mosquitoes. Fecundity and gonotrophic cycle length were reduced in 52 and 40% in CI compared to the ones in control. Fungus-induced mortality for the CI group was 78%. Of the survivors, 12% (6/50) could potentially transmit DENV-2, as opposed to 64% (32/50) of the SV group, meaning a 5-fold reduction in the number of infective mosquitoes. This is the first report on a fungus that reduces the vectorial capacity of Ae. aegypti infected with the DENV-2 virus.

Printing-assisted surface modifications of patterned ultrafiltration membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wardrip, Nathaniel C.; Dsouza, Melissa; Urgun-Demirtas, Meltem; Snyder, Seth W.

2016-01-01

Understanding and restricting microbial surface attachment will enhance wastewater treatment with membranes. We report a maskless lithographic patterning technique for the generation of patterned polymer coatings on ultrafiltration membranes. Polyethylene glycol, zwitterionic, or negatively charged hydrophilic polymer compositions in parallel- or perpendicular-striped patterns with respect to feed flow were evaluated using wastewater. Membrane fouling was dependent on the orientation and chemical composition of the coatings. Modifications reduced alpha diversity in the attached microbial community (Shannon indices decreased from 2.63 to 1.89) which nevertheless increased with filtration time. Sphingomonas species, which condition membrane surfaces and facilitate cellular adhesion, were depleted in all modified membranes. Microbial community structure was significantly different between control, different patterns, and different chemistries. Lastly, this study broadens the tools for surface modification of membranes with polymer coatings and for understanding and optimization of antifouling surfaces.

Modulación Vectorial de Inversores Multinivel con Diodos de Enclavamiento con Balance del Bus de Continua

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santiago A. Verne

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Resumen: En este trabajo se presenta un algoritmo de modulación para convertidores multinivel de enclavamiento por diodos que optimiza el balance del bus de continua. Se describe el mecanismo de modulación vectorial para convertidores multinivel y se desarrolla un método que permite mantener equilibradas las tensiones del bus de continua utilizando la redundancia del convertidor. El presente algoritmo puede aplicarse a convertidores con un número arbitrario de niveles. Se consideran en el desarrollo dos situaciones prácticas: presencia o ausencia de una fuente de tensión continua sobre el bus. El desempeño del modulador es estudiado mediante simulaciones digitales. Palabras clave: convertidores multinivel, modulación, vector espacial

Oriented Mn-doped CuO nanowire arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Dongqiang; Wu, Zhaofeng; Wang, Zhihe; Yang, Shaoguang

2016-01-01

Using anodic aluminum oxide membranes as the nanoreactors and controller, oriented nanowire arrays of the diluted magnetic semiconductor Mn-doped CuO have been successfully fabricated using Mn(NO_3)_2 · 4H_2O and Cu(NO_3)_2 · 3H_2O as the starting materials. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the as-prepared oriented nanowire arrays are of high purity. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope studies showed the nanowires are oriented, continuous and uniform with a diameter and length of about 170 nm and several tens of micrometers, respectively, and thus of a high aspect ratio. Low-temperature magnetic measurements showed the ferromagnetic property of the oriented Mn-doped CuO nanowire arrays with the critical temperature at around 80 K, which will endow them with great potential applications in spintronics in the future. (paper)

High anisotropy of flow-aligned bicellar membrane systems

KAUST Repository

Kogan, Maxim; Nordé n, Bengt; Beke-Somfai, Tamá s

2013-01-01

In recent years, multi-lipid bicellar systems have emerged as promising membrane models. The fast orientational diffusion and magnetic alignability made these systems very attractive for NMR investigations. However, their alignment was so far

El método de los elementos finitos para el modelado de la ecuación de ondas con un procesador vectorial

OpenAIRE

Seron, F.; Sanz, F.; Kindelan, M.; C.Perez, C.Perez

1990-01-01

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar los aspectos computacionales del Método de los Elementos Finitos para la resolución de las ecuaciones de onda elásticas. Se analizan las técnicas numéricas necesarias desde el punto de vista de la precisión, prestaciones y necesidades de almacenamiento cuando se implementan en procesadores escalares y vectoriales con gran capacidad de almacenamiento. El método se ha implementado en un IBM 3090 con procesador vectorial usando diferentes algoritmos para l...

High anisotropy of flow-aligned bicellar membrane systems

KAUST Repository

Kogan, Maxim

2013-10-01

In recent years, multi-lipid bicellar systems have emerged as promising membrane models. The fast orientational diffusion and magnetic alignability made these systems very attractive for NMR investigations. However, their alignment was so far achieved with a strong magnetic field, which limited their use with other methods that require macroscopic orientation. Recently, it was shown that bicelles could be aligned also by shear flow in a Couette flow cell, making it applicable to structural and biophysical studies by polarized light spectroscopy. Considering the sensitivity of this lipid system to small variations in composition and physicochemical parameters, efficient use of such a flow-cell method with coupled techniques will critically depend on the detailed understanding of how the lipid systems behave under flow conditions. In the present study we have characterized the flow alignment behavior of the commonly used dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine/dicaproyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC/DHPC) bicelle system, for various temperatures, lipid compositions, and lipid concentrations. We conclude that at optimal flow conditions the selected bicellar systems can produce the most efficient flow alignment out of any lipid systems used so far. The highest degree of orientation of DMPC/DHPC samples is noticed in a narrow temperature interval, at a practical temperature around 25 C, most likely in the phase transition region characterized by maximum sample viscosity. The change of macroscopic orientation factor as function of the above conditions is now described in detail. The increase in macroscopic alignment observed for bicelles will most likely allow recording of higher resolution spectra on membrane systems, which provide deeper structural insight and analysis into properties of biomolecules interacting with solution phase lipid membranes. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

A general melt-injection-decomposition route to oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Dongqiang; Zhang, Xinwei; Hua, Zhenghe; Yang, Shaoguang, E-mail: sgyang@nju.edu.cn

2016-12-30

Highlights: • A general melt-injection-decomposition (MID) route is proposed for the fabrication of oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays. • Four kinds of metal oxide (CuO, Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}) nanowire arrays have been realized as examples through the developed MID route. • The mechanism of the developed MID route is discussed using Thermogravimetry and Differential Thermal Analysis technique. • The MID route is a versatile, simple, facile and effective way to prepare different kinds of oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays in the future. - Abstract: In this manuscript, a general melt-injection-decomposition (MID) route has been proposed and realized for the fabrication of oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays. Nitrate was used as the starting materials, which was injected into the nanopores of the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane through the capillarity action in its liquid state. At higher temperature, the nitrate decomposed into corresponding metal oxide within the nanopores of the AAO membrane. Oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays were formed within the AAO membrane as a result of the confinement of the nanopores. Four kinds of metal oxide (CuO, Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}) nanowire arrays are presented here as examples fabricated by this newly developed process. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies showed clear evidence of the formations of the oriented metal oxide nanowire arrays. Formation mechanism of the metal oxide nanowire arrays is discussed based on the Thermogravimetry and Differential Thermal Analysis measurement results.

Determinants of compliance with anti-vectorial protective measures among non-immune travellers during missions to tropical Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagui, Emmanuel; Resseguier, Noémie; Machault, Vanessa; Ollivier, Lénaïck; Orlandi-Pradines, Eve; Texier, Gaetan; Pages, Frédéric; Michel, Remy; Pradines, Bruno; Briolant, Sébastien; Buguet, Alain; Tourette-Turgis, Catherine; Rogier, Christophe

2011-08-10

The effectiveness of anti-vectorial malaria protective measures in travellers and expatriates is hampered by incorrect compliance. The objective of the present study was to identify the determinants of compliance with anti-vectorial protective measures (AVPMs) in this population that is particularly at risk because of their lack of immunity. Compliance with wearing long clothing, sleeping under insecticide-impregnated bed nets (IIBNs) and using insect repellent was estimated and analysed by questionnaires administered to 2,205 French military travellers from 20 groups before and after short-term missions (approximately four months) in six tropical African countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon and Djibouti). For each AVPM, the association of "correct compliance" with individual and collective variables was investigated using random-effect mixed logistic regression models to take into account the clustered design of the study. The correct compliance rates were 48.6%, 50.6% and 18.5% for wearing long clothing, sleeping under bed nets and using repellents, respectively. Depending on the AVPM, correct compliance was significantly associated with the following factors: country, older than 24 years of age, management responsibilities, the perception of a personal malaria risk greater than that of other travellers, the occurrence of life events, early bedtime (i.e., before midnight), the type of stay (field operation compared to training), the absence of medical history of malaria, the absence of previous travel in malaria-endemic areas and the absence of tobacco consumption.There was no competition between compliance with the different AVPMs or between compliance with any AVPM and malaria chemoprophylaxis. Interventions aimed at improving compliance with AVPMs should target young people without management responsibilities who are scheduled for non-operational activities in countries with high risk of clinical malaria. Weak associations

Vectorial transport of bile salts across MDCK cells expressing both rat Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide and rat bile salt export pump.

Science.gov (United States)

Mita, Sachiko; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Akita, Hidetaka; Stieger, Bruno; Meier, Peter J; Hofmann, Alan F; Sugiyama, Yuichi

2005-01-01

Bile salts are predominantly taken up by hepatocytes via the basolateral Na(+)-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP/SLC10A1) and secreted into the bile by the bile salt export pump (BSEP/ABCB11). In the present study, we transfected rat Ntcp and rat Bsep into polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and characterized the transport properties of these cells for eight bile salts. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that Ntcp was expressed at the basolateral domains, whereas Bsep was expressed at the apical domains. Basal-to-apical transport of taurocholate across the monolayer expressing only Ntcp and that coexpressing Ntcp/Bsep was observed, whereas the flux across the monolayer of control and Bsep-expressing cells was symmetrical. Basal-to-apical transport of taurocholate across Ntcp/Bsep-coexpressing monolayers was significantly higher than that across monolayers expressing only Ntcp. Kinetic analysis of this vectorial transport of taurocholate gave an apparent K(m) value of 13.9 +/- 4.7 microM for cells expressing Ntcp alone, which is comparable with 22.2 +/- 4.5 microM for cells expressing both Ntcp and Bsep and V(max) values of 15.8 +/- 4.2 and 60.8 +/- 9.0 pmol.min(-1).mg protein(-1) for Ntcp alone and Ntcp and Bsep-coexpressing cells, respectively. Transcellular transport of cholate, glycocholate, taurochenodeoxycholate, chenodeoxycholate, glycochenodeoxycholate, tauroursodeoxycholate, ursodeoxycholate, and glycoursodeoxycholate, but not that of lithocholate was also observed across the double transfectant. This double-expressing system can be used as a model to clarify vectorial transport of bile salts across hepatocytes under physiological conditions.

[Formation of purple membranes during salt bacteria cultivation].

Science.gov (United States)

Chekulaeva, L N; Korolev, Iu N; Telegin, N L; Rikhireva, G T

1975-01-01

Experiments have been carried out on cultivation of halophile with probe selection in the interval of 1--2 hours to record the spectra of repeated disturbed completed inner reflection. Periodicity in the changes of spectral characteristics of the culture with the interval of 20--24 hours is revealed. A clearly expressed dichroism of the amid II band of the membrane complex is found, the absence of this dichroism in the protein isolated from the membrane complex is stated. It is suggested that dichroism revealed is a specific feature of the presence of purpuric membranes in the cells. Spontaneous plane orientation of protein macromolecules in purpuric membranes is established. The level of dichroism of amid II band is shown to depend on fermentation conditions of salt bacteria.

Mechanical properties of electrospun bilayer fibrous membranes as potential scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Pu, Juan; Komvopoulos, Kyriakos

2014-06-01

Bilayer fibrous membranes of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) were fabricated by electrospinning, using a parallel-disk mandrel configuration that resulted in the sequential deposition of a layer with fibers aligned across the two parallel disks and a layer with randomly oriented fibers, both layers deposited in a single process step. Membrane structure and fiber alignment were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and two-dimensional fast Fourier transform. Because of the intricacies of the generated electric field, bilayer membranes exhibited higher porosity than single-layer membranes consisting of randomly oriented fibers fabricated with a solid-drum collector. However, despite their higher porosity, bilayer membranes demonstrated generally higher elastic modulus, yield strength and toughness than single-layer membranes with random fibers. Bilayer membrane deformation at relatively high strain rates comprised multiple abrupt microfracture events characterized by discontinuous fiber breakage. Bilayer membrane elongation yielded excessive necking of the layer with random fibers and remarkable fiber stretching (on the order of 400%) in the layer with fibers aligned in the stress direction. In addition, fibers in both layers exhibited multiple localized necking, attributed to the nonuniform distribution of crystalline phases in the fibrillar structure. The high membrane porosity, good mechanical properties, and good biocompatibility and biodegradability of PLLA (demonstrated in previous studies) make the present bilayer membranes good scaffold candidates for a wide range of tissue engineering applications. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The establishment of polarized membrane traffic in Xenopus laevis embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, S J; Leaf, D S; Moore, H P; Gerhart, J C

1992-09-01

Delineation of apical and basolateral membrane domains is a critical step in the epithelialization of the outer layer of cells in the embryo. We have examined the initiation of polarized membrane traffic in Xenopus and show that membrane traffic is not polarized in oocytes but polarized membrane domains appear at first cleavage. The following proteins encoded by injected RNA transcripts were used as markers to monitor membrane traffic: (a) VSV G, a transmembrane glycoprotein preferentially inserted into the basolateral surface of polarized epithelial cells; (b) GThy-1, a fusion protein of VSV G and Thy-1 that is localized to the apical domains of polarized epithelial cells; and (c) prolactin, a peptide hormone that is not polarly secreted. In immature oocytes, there is no polarity in the expression of VSV G or GThy-1, as shown by the constitutive expression of both proteins at the surface in the animal and vegetal hemispheres. At meiotic maturation, membrane traffic to the surface is blocked; the plasma membrane no longer accepts the vesicles synthesized by the oocyte (Leaf, D. L., S. J. Roberts, J. C. Gerhart, and H.-P. Moore. 1990. Dev. Biol. 141:1-12). When RNA transcripts are injected after fertilization, VSV G is expressed only in the internal cleavage membranes (basolateral orientation) and is excluded from the outer surface (apical orientation, original oocyte membrane). In contrast, GThy-1 and prolactin, when expressed in embryos, are inserted or released at both the outer membrane derived from the oocyte and the inner cleavage membranes. Furthermore, not all of the cleavage membrane comes from an embryonic pool of vesicles--some of the cleavage membrane comes from vesicles synthesized during oogenesis. Using prolactin as a marker, we found that a subset of vesicles synthesized during oogenesis was only released after fertilization. However, while embryonic prolactin was secreted from both apical and basolateral surfaces, the secretion of oogenic prolactin

[Computer modeling the hydrostatic pressure characteristics of the membrane potential for polymeric membrane, separated non-homogeneous electrolyte solutions].

Science.gov (United States)

Slezak, Izabella H; Jasik-Slezak, Jolanta; Rogal, Mirosława; Slezak, Andrzej

2006-01-01

On the basis of model equation depending the membrane potential deltapsis, on mechanical pressure difference (deltaP), concentration polarization coefficient (zetas), concentration Rayleigh number (RC) and ratio concentration of solutions separated by membrane (Ch/Cl), the characteristics deltapsis = f(deltaP)zetas,RC,Ch/Cl for steady values of zetas, RC and Ch/Cl in single-membrane system were calculated. In this system neutral and isotropic polymeric membrane oriented in horizontal plane, the non-homogeneous binary electrolytic solutions of various concentrations were separated. Nonhomogeneity of solutions is results from creations of the concentration boundary layers on both sides of the membrane. Calculations were made for the case where on a one side of the membrane aqueous solution of NaCl at steady concentration 10(-3) mol x l(-1) (Cl) was placed and on the other aqueous solutions of NaCl at concentrations from 10(-3) mol x l(-1) to 2 x 10(-2) mol x l(-1) (Ch). Their densities were greater than NaCl solution's at 10(-3) mol x l(-1). It was shown that membrane potential depends on hydrodynamic state of a complex concentration boundary layer-membrane-concentration boundary layer, what is controlled by deltaP, Ch/Cl, RC and zetas.

Spectral Properties and Orientation of Voltage-Sensitive Dyes in Lipid Membranes

KAUST Repository

Matson, Maria; Carlsson, Nils; Beke-Somfai, Tamá s; Nordé n, Bengt

2012-01-01

Voltage-sensitive dyes are frequently used for probing variations in the electric potential across cell membranes. The dyes respond by changing their spectral properties: measured as shifts of wavelength of absorption or emission maxima

New Vectorial Propulsion System and Trajectory Control Designs for Improved AUV Mission Autonomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Masmitja

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV are proving to be a promising platform design for multidisciplinary autonomous operability with a wide range of applications in marine ecology and geoscience. Here, two novel contributions towards increasing the autonomous navigation capability of a new AUV prototype (the Guanay II as a mix between a propelled vehicle and a glider are presented. Firstly, a vectorial propulsion system has been designed to provide full vehicle maneuverability in both horizontal and vertical planes. Furthermore, two controllers have been designed, based on fuzzy controls, to provide the vehicle with autonomous navigation capabilities. Due to the decoupled system propriety, the controllers in the horizontal plane have been designed separately from the vertical plane. This class of non-linear controllers has been used to interpret linguistic laws into different zones of functionality. This method provided good performance, used as interpolation between different rules or linear controls. Both improvements have been validated through simulations and field tests, displaying good performance results. Finally, the conclusion of this work is that the Guanay II AUV has a solid controller to perform autonomous navigation and carry out vertical immersions.

New Vectorial Propulsion System and Trajectory Control Designs for Improved AUV Mission Autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Masmitja, Ivan; Gonzalez, Julian; Galarza, Cesar; Gomariz, Spartacus; Aguzzi, Jacopo; Del Rio, Joaquin

2018-04-17

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) are proving to be a promising platform design for multidisciplinary autonomous operability with a wide range of applications in marine ecology and geoscience. Here, two novel contributions towards increasing the autonomous navigation capability of a new AUV prototype (the Guanay II) as a mix between a propelled vehicle and a glider are presented. Firstly, a vectorial propulsion system has been designed to provide full vehicle maneuverability in both horizontal and vertical planes. Furthermore, two controllers have been designed, based on fuzzy controls, to provide the vehicle with autonomous navigation capabilities. Due to the decoupled system propriety, the controllers in the horizontal plane have been designed separately from the vertical plane. This class of non-linear controllers has been used to interpret linguistic laws into different zones of functionality. This method provided good performance, used as interpolation between different rules or linear controls. Both improvements have been validated through simulations and field tests, displaying good performance results. Finally, the conclusion of this work is that the Guanay II AUV has a solid controller to perform autonomous navigation and carry out vertical immersions.

Sided functions of an arginine-agmatine antiporter oriented in liposomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Ming-Feng; Fang, Yiling; Miller, Christopher

2012-02-28

The arginine-dependent extreme acid resistance system helps enteric bacteria survive the harsh gastric environment. At the center of this multiprotein system is an arginine-agmatine antiporter, AdiC. To maintain cytoplasmic pH, AdiC imports arginine and exports its decarboxylated product, agmatine, resulting in a net extrusion of one "virtual proton" in each turnover. The random orientation of AdiC in reconstituted liposomes throws up an obstacle to quantifying its transport mechanism. To overcome this problem, we introduced a mutation, S26C, near the substrate-binding site. This mutant exhibits substrate recognition and pH-dependent activity similar to those of the wild-type protein but loses function completely upon reaction with thiol reagents. The membrane-impermeant MTSES reagent can then be used as a cleanly sided inhibitor to silence those S26C-AdiC proteins whose extracellular portion projects from the external side of the liposome. Alternatively, the membrane-permeant MTSEA and membrane-impermeant reducing reagent, TCEP, can be used together to inhibit proteins in the opposite orientation. This approach allows steady-state kinetic analysis of AdiC in a sided fashion. Arginine and agmatine have similar Michaelis-Menten parameters for both sides of the protein, while the extracellular side selects arginine over argininamide, a mimic of the carboxylate-protonated form of arginine, more effectively than does the cytoplasmic side. Moreover, the two sides of AdiC have different pH sensitivities. AdiC activity increases to a plateau at pH 4 as the extracellular side is acidified, while the cytoplasmic side shows an optimal pH of 5.5, with further acidification inhibiting transport. This oriented system allows more precise analysis of AdiC-mediated substrate transport than has been previously available and permits comparison to the situation experienced by the bacterial membrane under acid stress.

The higher level of complexity of K-Ras4B activation at the membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hyunbum; Banerjee, Avik; Chavan, Tanmay S; Lu, Shaoyong; Zhang, Jian; Gaponenko, Vadim; Nussinov, Ruth

2016-04-01

Is nucleotide exchange sufficient to activate K-Ras4B? To signal, oncogenic rat sarcoma (Ras) anchors in the membrane and recruits effectors by exposing its effector lobe. With the use of NMR and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we observed that in solution, farnesylated guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP)-bound K-Ras4B is predominantly autoinhibited by its hypervariable region (HVR), whereas the GTP-bound state favors an activated, HVR-released state. On the anionic membrane, the catalytic domain adopts multiple orientations, including parallel (∼180°) and perpendicular (∼90°) alignments of the allosteric helices, with respect to the membrane surface direction. In the autoinhibited state, the HVR is sandwiched between the effector lobe and the membrane; in the active state, with membrane-anchored farnesyl and unrestrained HVR, the catalytic domain fluctuates reinlessly, exposing its effector-binding site. Dimerization and clustering can reduce the fluctuations. This achieves preorganized, productive conformations. Notably, we also observe HVR-autoinhibited K-Ras4B-GTP states, with GDP-bound-like orientations of the helices. Thus, we propose that the GDP/GTP exchange may not be sufficient for activation; instead, our results suggest that the GDP/GTP exchange, HVR sequestration, farnesyl insertion, and orientation/localization of the catalytic domain at the membrane conjointly determine the active or inactive state of K-Ras4B. Importantly, K-Ras4B-GTP can exist in active and inactive states; on its own, GTP binding may not compel K-Ras4B activation.-Jang, H., Banerjee, A., Chavan, T. S, Lu, S., Zhang, J., Gaponenko, V., Nussinov, R. The higher level of complexity of K-Ras4B activation at the membrane. © FASEB.

Axis of eye rotation changes with head-pitch orientation during head impulses about earth-vertical.

Science.gov (United States)

Migliaccio, Americo A; Schubert, Michael C; Clendaniel, Richard A; Carey, John P; Della Santina, Charles C; Minor, Lloyd B; Zee, David S

2006-06-01

The goal of this study was to assess how the axis of head rotation, Listing's law, and eye position influence the axis of eye rotation during brief, rapid head rotations. We specifically asked how the axis of eye rotation during the initial angular vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) changed when the pitch orientation of the head relative to Earth-vertical was varied, but the initial position of the eye in the orbit and the orientation of Listing's plane with respect to the head were fixed. We measured three-dimensional eye and head rotation axes in eight normal humans using the search coil technique during head-and-trunk (whole-body) and head-on-trunk (head-only) "impulses" about an Earth-vertical axis. The head was initially oriented at one of five pitch angles (30 degrees nose down, 15 degrees nose down, 0 degrees, 15 degrees nose up, 30 degrees nose up). The fixation target was always aligned with the nasooccipital axis. Whole-body impulses were passive, unpredictable, manual, rotations with peak-amplitude of approximately 20 degrees , peak-velocity of approximately 80 degrees /s, and peak-acceleration of approximately 1000 degrees /s2. Head-only impulses were also passive, unpredictable, manual, rotations with peak-amplitude of approximately 20 degrees , peak-velocity of approximately 150 degrees /s, and peak-acceleration of approximately 3000 degrees /s2. During whole-body impulses, the axis of eye rotation tilted in the same direction, and by an amount proportional (0.51 +/- 0.09), to the starting pitch head orientation (P rotation could be predicted from vectorial summation of the gains (eye velocity/head velocity) obtained for rotations about the pure yaw and roll head axes. Thus, even when the orientation of Listing's plane and eye position in the orbit are fixed, the axis of eye rotation during the VOR reflects a compromise between the requirements of Listing's law and a perfectly compensatory VOR.

Membrane tension and cytoskeleton organization in cell motility.

Science.gov (United States)

Sens, Pierre; Plastino, Julie

2015-07-15

Cell membrane shape changes are important for many aspects of normal biological function, such as tissue development, wound healing and cell division and motility. Various disease states are associated with deregulation of how cells move and change shape, including notably tumor initiation and cancer cell metastasis. Cell motility is powered, in large part, by the controlled assembly and disassembly of the actin cytoskeleton. Much of this dynamic happens in close proximity to the plasma membrane due to the fact that actin assembly factors are membrane-bound, and thus actin filaments are generally oriented such that their growth occurs against or near the membrane. For a long time, the membrane was viewed as a relatively passive scaffold for signaling. However, results from the last five years show that this is not the whole picture, and that the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton are intimately linked to the mechanics of the cell membrane. In this review, we summarize recent findings concerning the role of plasma membrane mechanics in cell cytoskeleton dynamics and architecture, showing that the cell membrane is not just an envelope or a barrier for actin assembly, but is a master regulator controlling cytoskeleton dynamics and cell polarity.

General imaging of advanced 3D mask objects based on the fully-vectorial extended Nijboer-Zernike (ENZ) theory

Science.gov (United States)

van Haver, Sven; Janssen, Olaf T. A.; Braat, Joseph J. M.; Janssen, Augustus J. E. M.; Urbach, H. Paul; Pereira, Silvania F.

2008-03-01

In this paper we introduce a new mask imaging algorithm that is based on the source point integration method (or Abbe method). The method presented here distinguishes itself from existing methods by exploiting the through-focus imaging feature of the Extended Nijboer-Zernike (ENZ) theory of diffraction. An introduction to ENZ-theory and its application in general imaging is provided after which we describe the mask imaging scheme that can be derived from it. The remainder of the paper is devoted to illustrating the advantages of the new method over existing methods (Hopkins-based). To this extent several simulation results are included that illustrate advantages arising from: the accurate incorporation of isolated structures, the rigorous treatment of the object (mask topography) and the fully vectorial through-focus image formation of the ENZ-based algorithm.

The higher level of complexity of K-Ras4B activation at the membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hyunbum; Banerjee, Avik; Chavan, Tanmay S.; Lu, Shaoyong; Zhang, Jian; Gaponenko, Vadim; Nussinov, Ruth

2016-01-01

Is nucleotide exchange sufficient to activate K-Ras4B? To signal, oncogenic rat sarcoma (Ras) anchors in the membrane and recruits effectors by exposing its effector lobe. With the use of NMR and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we observed that in solution, farnesylated guanosine 5′-diphosphate (GDP)-bound K-Ras4B is predominantly autoinhibited by its hypervariable region (HVR), whereas the GTP-bound state favors an activated, HVR-released state. On the anionic membrane, the catalytic domain adopts multiple orientations, including parallel (∼180°) and perpendicular (∼90°) alignments of the allosteric helices, with respect to the membrane surface direction. In the autoinhibited state, the HVR is sandwiched between the effector lobe and the membrane; in the active state, with membrane-anchored farnesyl and unrestrained HVR, the catalytic domain fluctuates reinlessly, exposing its effector-binding site. Dimerization and clustering can reduce the fluctuations. This achieves preorganized, productive conformations. Notably, we also observe HVR-autoinhibited K-Ras4B-GTP states, with GDP-bound-like orientations of the helices. Thus, we propose that the GDP/GTP exchange may not be sufficient for activation; instead, our results suggest that the GDP/GTP exchange, HVR sequestration, farnesyl insertion, and orientation/localization of the catalytic domain at the membrane conjointly determine the active or inactive state of K-Ras4B. Importantly, K-Ras4B-GTP can exist in active and inactive states; on its own, GTP binding may not compel K-Ras4B activation.—Jang, H., Banerjee, A., Chavan, T. S, Lu, S., Zhang, J., Gaponenko, V., Nussinov, R. The higher level of complexity of K-Ras4B activation at the membrane. PMID:26718888

NMR of bicelles: orientation and mosaic spread of the liquid-crystal director under sample rotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zandomeneghi, Giorgia; Tomaselli, Marco; Williamson, Philip T.F.; Meier, Beat H.

2003-01-01

Model-membrane systems composed of liquid-crystalline bicellar phases can be uniaxially oriented with respect to a magnetic field, thereby facilitating structural and dynamics studies of membrane-associated proteins. Here we quantitatively characterize a method that allows the manipulation of the direction of this uniaxial orientation. Bicelles formed from DMPC/DHPC are examined by 31 P NMR under variable-angle sample-spinning (VAS) conditions, confirming that the orientation of the liquid-crystalline director can be influenced by sample spinning. The director is perpendicular to the rotation axis when Θ (the angle between the sample-spinning axis and the magnetic field direction) is smaller than the magic angle, and is parallel to the rotation axis when Θ is larger than the magic angle. The new 31 P NMR VAS data presented are considerably more sensitive to the orientation of the bicelle than earlier 2 H studies and the analysis of the sideband pattern allows the determination of the orientation of the liquid-crystal director and its variation over the sample, i.e., the mosaic spread. Under VAS, the mosaic spread is small if Θ deviates significantly from the magic angle but becomes very large at the magic angle

Low temperature electron microscopy and electron diffraction of the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayward, S.B.

1978-09-01

The structure of the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium was studied by high resolution electron microscopy and electron diffraction, primarily at low temperature. The handedness of the purple membrane diffraction pattern with respect to the cell membrane was determined by electron diffraction of purple membranes adsorbed to polylysine. A new method of preparing frozen specimens was used to preserve the high resolution order of the membranes in the electron microscope. High resolution imaging of glucose-embedded purple membranes at room temperature was used to relate the orientation of the diffraction pattern to the absolute orientation of the structure of the bacteriorhodopsin molecule. The purple membrane's critical dose for electron beam-induced damage was measured at room temperature and at -120 0 C, and was found to be approximately five times greater at -120 0 C. Because of this decrease in radiation sensitivity, imaging of the membrane at low temperature should result in an increased signal-to-noise ratio, and thus better statistical definition of the phases of weak reflections. Higher resolution phases may thus be extracted from images than can be determined by imaging at room temperature. To achieve this end, a high resolution, liquid nitrogen-cooled stage was built for the JEOL-100B. Once the appropriate technology for taking low dose images at very high resolution has been developed, this stage will hopefully be used to determine the high resolution structure of the purple membrane

Determinants of compliance with anti-vectorial protective measures among non-immune travellers during missions to tropical Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Briolant Sébastien

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The effectiveness of anti-vectorial malaria protective measures in travellers and expatriates is hampered by incorrect compliance. The objective of the present study was to identify the determinants of compliance with anti-vectorial protective measures (AVPMs in this population that is particularly at risk because of their lack of immunity. Methods Compliance with wearing long clothing, sleeping under insecticide-impregnated bed nets (IIBNs and using insect repellent was estimated and analysed by questionnaires administered to 2,205 French military travellers from 20 groups before and after short-term missions (approximately four months in six tropical African countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon and Djibouti. For each AVPM, the association of "correct compliance" with individual and collective variables was investigated using random-effect mixed logistic regression models to take into account the clustered design of the study. Results The correct compliance rates were 48.6%, 50.6% and 18.5% for wearing long clothing, sleeping under bed nets and using repellents, respectively. Depending on the AVPM, correct compliance was significantly associated with the following factors: country, older than 24 years of age, management responsibilities, the perception of a personal malaria risk greater than that of other travellers, the occurrence of life events, early bedtime (i.e., before midnight, the type of stay (field operation compared to training, the absence of medical history of malaria, the absence of previous travel in malaria-endemic areas and the absence of tobacco consumption. There was no competition between compliance with the different AVPMs or between compliance with any AVPM and malaria chemoprophylaxis. Conclusion Interventions aimed at improving compliance with AVPMs should target young people without management responsibilities who are scheduled for non-operational activities in

A New Insight into Morphology of Solvent Resistant Nano filtration Membranes: Image Processing Assisted Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pouresmaeel-Selakjani, P.; Jahanshahi, M.; Peyravi, M.; Fauzi Ismail, A.; Nabipoor, M. R.

2016-01-01

The aim of this review is to investigate the morphological properties of polyimide based Solvent Resistant Nano filtration membranes by mean of image processing. Effect of phase inversion parameters like polymer concentration, volatile co-solvent, pre-evaporation time, additives in coagulation bath, polymers weight ratio in composite membranes, addition of nano particles and cross-linking agents have been reviewed. The voids of membrane were targeted to survey in the aspect of void area concentration in the scanning electron microscopy micrograph, mean of voids area, voids orientation and circle equivalent diameters of voids. This method by mean of the developed software could make the morphological studies of membranes easy. The population of different measured parameters of the voids could also measure. In conclusion for polyimide based membranes there are specific trends for change in voids properties by changing of phase inversion parameters. It was predictable, but investigated qualitatively up to now and this review can confirm the qualitative observations and also open new discussions about, for example void orientations that are not investigated in any study up to now

Mapping the Local Organization of Cell Membranes Using Excitation-Polarization-Resolved Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

OpenAIRE

Kress, Alla; Wang, Xiao; Ranchon, Hubert; Savatier, Julien; Rigneault, Hervé; Ferrand, Patrick; Brasselet, Sophie

2013-01-01

International audience; Fluorescence anisotropy and linear dichroism imaging have been widely used for imaging biomolecular orientational distributions in protein aggregates, fibrillar structures of cells, and cell membranes. However, these techniques do not give access to complete orientational order information in a whole image, because their use is limited to parts of the sample where the average orientation of molecules is known a priori. Fluorescence anisotropy is also highly sensitive t...

There and back again: putting the vectorial movement planning hypothesis to a critical test.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobak, Eva-Maria; Cardoso de Oliveira, Simone

2014-01-01

Based on psychophysical evidence about how learning of visuomotor transformation generalizes, it has been suggested that movements are planned on the basis of movement direction and magnitude, i.e., the vector connecting movement origin and targets. This notion is also known under the term "vectorial planning hypothesis". Previous psychophysical studies, however, have included separate areas of the workspace for training movements and testing the learning. This study eliminates this confounding factor by investigating the transfer of learning from forward to backward movements in a center-out-and-back task, in which the workspace for both movements is completely identical. Visual feedback allowed for learning only during movements towards the target (forward movements) and not while moving back to the origin (backward movements). When subjects learned the visuomotor rotation in forward movements, initial directional errors in backward movements also decreased to some degree. This learning effect in backward movements occurred predominantly when backward movements featured the same movement directions as the ones trained in forward movements (i.e., when opposite targets were presented). This suggests that learning was transferred in a direction specific way, supporting the notion that movement direction is the most prominent parameter used for motor planning.

Orientation of biomolecular assemblies in a microfluidic jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Priebe, M; Kalbfleisch, S; Tolkiehn, M; Salditt, T; Koester, S; Abel, B; Davies, R J

2010-01-01

We have investigated multilamellar lipid assemblies in a microfluidic jet, operating at high shear rates of the order of 10 7 s -1 . Compared to classical Couette cells or rheometers, the shear rate was increased by at least 2-3 orders of magnitude, and the sample volume was scaled down correspondingly. At the same time, the jet is characterized by high extensional stress due to elongational flow. A focused synchrotron x-ray beam was used to measure the structure and orientation of the lipid assemblies in the jet. The diffraction patterns indicate conventional multilamellar phases, aligned with the membrane normals oriented along the velocity gradient of the jet. The results indicate that the setup may be well suited for coherent diffractive imaging of oriented biomolecular assemblies and macromolecules at the future x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) sources.

Analysis of fluid-solid interaction in MHD natural convection in a square cavity equally partitioned by a vertical flexible membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehryan, S.A.M.; Ghalambaz, Mohammad; Ismael, Muneer A.; Chamkha, Ali J.

2017-01-01

This paper investigates numerically the problem of unsteady natural convection inside a square cavity partitioned by a flexible impermeable membrane. The finite element method with the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) technique has been used to model the interaction of the fluid and the membrane. The horizontal walls of the cavity are kept adiabatic while the vertical walls are kept isothermal at different temperatures. A uniform magnetic field is applied onto the cavity with different orientations. The cavity has been provided by two eyelets to compensate volume changes due the movement of the flexible membrane. A parametric study is carried out for the pertinent parameters, which are the Rayleigh number (10"5–10"8), Hartmann number (0–200) and the orientation of the magnetic field (0–180°). The change in the Hartmann number affects the shape of the membrane and the heat transfer in the cavity. The angle of the magnetic field orientation also significantly affects the shape of the membrane and the heat transfer in the cavity. - Highlights: • Magnetohydrodynamics heat transfer in a partitioned cavity is studied. • There is a flexible membrane in the cavity. • The membrane is modeled using fluid-solid structure interaction. • A moving grid formulation based on ALE is adopted. • The effect of the magnetic field on the natural convection heat transfer is examined.

Analysis of fluid-solid interaction in MHD natural convection in a square cavity equally partitioned by a vertical flexible membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mehryan, S.A.M., E-mail: a.mansuri1366@gmail.com [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dezful Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dezful (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghalambaz, Mohammad, E-mail: m.ghalambaz@iaud.ac.ir [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dezful Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dezful (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ismael, Muneer A., E-mail: muneerismael@yahoo.com [Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering College, University of Basrah, Basrah (Iraq); Chamkha, Ali J., E-mail: achamkha@pmu.edu.sa [Mechanical Engineering Department, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al-Khobar 31952 (Saudi Arabia); Prince Sultan Endowment for Energy and Environment, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al-Khobar 31952 (Saudi Arabia)

2017-02-15

This paper investigates numerically the problem of unsteady natural convection inside a square cavity partitioned by a flexible impermeable membrane. The finite element method with the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) technique has been used to model the interaction of the fluid and the membrane. The horizontal walls of the cavity are kept adiabatic while the vertical walls are kept isothermal at different temperatures. A uniform magnetic field is applied onto the cavity with different orientations. The cavity has been provided by two eyelets to compensate volume changes due the movement of the flexible membrane. A parametric study is carried out for the pertinent parameters, which are the Rayleigh number (10{sup 5}–10{sup 8}), Hartmann number (0–200) and the orientation of the magnetic field (0–180°). The change in the Hartmann number affects the shape of the membrane and the heat transfer in the cavity. The angle of the magnetic field orientation also significantly affects the shape of the membrane and the heat transfer in the cavity. - Highlights: • Magnetohydrodynamics heat transfer in a partitioned cavity is studied. • There is a flexible membrane in the cavity. • The membrane is modeled using fluid-solid structure interaction. • A moving grid formulation based on ALE is adopted. • The effect of the magnetic field on the natural convection heat transfer is examined.

Diffusion in membranes: Toward a two-dimensional diffusion map

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toppozini Laura

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For decades, quasi-elastic neutron scattering has been the prime tool for studying molecular diffusion in membranes over relevant nanometer distances. These experiments are essential to our current understanding of molecular dynamics of lipids, proteins and membrane-active molecules. Recently, we presented experimental evidence from X-ray diffraction and quasi-elastic neutron scattering demonstrating that ethanol enhances the permeability of membranes. At the QENS 2014/WINS 2014 conference we presented a novel technique to measure diffusion across membranes employing 2-dimensional quasi-elastic neutron scattering. We present results from our preliminary analysis of an experiment on the cold neutron multi-chopper spectrometer LET at ISIS, where we studied the self-diffusion of water molecules along lipid membranes and have the possibility of studying the diffusion in membranes. By preparing highly oriented membrane stacks and aligning them horizontally in the spectrometer, our aim is to distinguish between lateral and transmembrane diffusion. Diffusion may also be measured at different locations in the membranes, such as the water layer and the hydrocarbon membrane core. With a complete analysis of the data, 2-dimensional mapping will enable us to determine diffusion channels of water and ethanol molecules to quantitatively determine nanoscale membrane permeability.

Membrane tension and cytoskeleton organization in cell motility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sens, Pierre; Plastino, Julie

2015-01-01

Cell membrane shape changes are important for many aspects of normal biological function, such as tissue development, wound healing and cell division and motility. Various disease states are associated with deregulation of how cells move and change shape, including notably tumor initiation and cancer cell metastasis. Cell motility is powered, in large part, by the controlled assembly and disassembly of the actin cytoskeleton. Much of this dynamic happens in close proximity to the plasma membrane due to the fact that actin assembly factors are membrane-bound, and thus actin filaments are generally oriented such that their growth occurs against or near the membrane. For a long time, the membrane was viewed as a relatively passive scaffold for signaling. However, results from the last five years show that this is not the whole picture, and that the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton are intimately linked to the mechanics of the cell membrane. In this review, we summarize recent findings concerning the role of plasma membrane mechanics in cell cytoskeleton dynamics and architecture, showing that the cell membrane is not just an envelope or a barrier for actin assembly, but is a master regulator controlling cytoskeleton dynamics and cell polarity. (topical review)

Estrategia para determinar la línea base en áreas de interrupción vectorial de la enfermedad de Chagas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Montenegro

Full Text Available RESUMEN Objetivos Presentar una estrategia para determinar la línea de base en áreas endémicas en el proceso de interrupción vectorial de la enfermedad de Chagas (ECh. Métodos Con un cuestionario socioambiental y una encuesta entomológica, se evaluaron las condiciones físicas de los domicilios, el conocimiento de los habitantes sobre la ECh, los indicadores entomológicos de triatominos y la relación estadística entre estas variables. Resultados Existe colonización e infección natural con Trypanosoma cruzi en Rhodnius prolixus, el principal vector de la ECh en Colombia. La colonización estuvo relacionada con casas de techos de hojas de palma y paredes de adobe o bahareque. Se encontró el vector Panstrongylus geniculatus con hábitos de colonización. Casi 50% de la población encuestada asociaba el término ECh con una enfermedad humana y 37%, con los triatominos. Conclusiones R. prolixus puede considerarse el principal vector de T. cruzi en ambientes domésticos y el proceso de interrupción vectorial es factible dentro del municipio priorizado. Se necesitan nuevos estudios que comprueben la existencia de poblaciones silvestres de R. prolixus que puedan afectar las etapas futuras del proceso y demostrar si hay una participación de P. geniculatus en la dinámica de transmisión de T. cruzi. Los anteriores escenarios pueden ser viabilizados con la inclusión de los habitantes en todo el proceso, ya que han sido altamente sensibles en la detección de vectores dentro de sus casas. El diseño del estudio aquí presentado puede ser adaptado en otras áreas endémicas de la Región de las Américas.

The orientation of eosin-5-maleimide on human erythrocyte band 3 measured by fluorescence polarization microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Blackman, S M; Cobb, C E; Beth, A H; Piston, D W

1996-01-01

The dominant motional mode for membrane proteins is uniaxial rotational diffusion about the membrane normal axis, and investigations of their rotational dynamics can yield insight into both the oligomeric state of the protein and its interactions with other proteins such as the cytoskeleton. However, results from the spectroscopic methods used to study these dynamics are dependent on the orientation of the probe relative to the axis of motion. We have employed polarized fluorescence confocal microscopy to measure the orientation of eosin-5-maleimide covalently reacted with Lys-430 of human erythrocyte band 3. Steady-state polarized fluorescence images showed distinct intensity patterns, which were fit to an orientation distribution of the eosin absorption and emission dipoles relative to the membrane normal axis. This orientation was found to be unchanged by trypsin treatment, which cleaves band 3 between the integral membrane domain and the cytoskeleton-attached domain. this result suggests that phosphorescence anisotropy changes observed after trypsin treatment are due to a rotational constraint change rather than a reorientation of eosin. By coupling time-resolved prompt fluorescence anisotropy with confocal microscopy, we calculated the expected amplitudes of the e-Dt and e-4Dt terms from the uniaxial rotational diffusion model and found that the e-4Dt term should dominate the anisotropy decay. Delayed fluorescence and phosphorescence anisotropy decays of control and trypsin-treated band 3 in ghosts, analyzed as multiple uniaxially rotating populations using the amplitudes predicted by confocal microscopy, were consistent with three motional species with uniaxial correlation times ranging from 7 microseconds to 1.4 ms. Images FIGURE 4 FIGURE 8 FIGURE 9 PMID:8804603

On the solution of a vectorial radiative transfer equation in an arbitrary three-dimensional turbid medium with anisotropic scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budak, Vladimir P.; Korkin, Sergey V.

2008-01-01

The authors developed a numerical method of the boundary-value problem solution in the vectorial radiative transfer theory applicable to the turbid media with an arbitrary three-dimensional geometry. The method is based on the solution representation as the sum of an anisotropic part that contains all the singularities of the exact solution and a smooth regular part. The regular part of the solution could be found numerically by the finite element method that enables to extend the approach to the arbitrary medium geometry. The anisotropic part of the solution is determined analytically by the special form of the small-angle approximation. The method development is performed by the examples of the boundary-value problems for the plane unidirectional and point isotropic sources in a turbid medium slab

Surface Immobilized His-tagged Azurin as a Model Interface for the Investigation of Vectorial Electron Transfer in Biological Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casalini, Stefano; Berto, Marcello; Kovtun, Alessandro; Operamolla, Alessandra; Di Rocco, Giulia; Facci, Paolo; Liscio, Andrea; Farinola, Gianluca M.; Borsari, Marco; Bortolotti, Carlo A.

2015-01-01

A model system for the electrochemical investigation of vectorial electron transfer in biological systems was designed, assembled and characterized. Gold electrodes, functionalized with a -OCH_3 terminated, aromatic self-assembled monolayer, were used as a substrate for the adsorption of variants of copper-containing, redox metalloprotein azurin. The engineered azurin bears a polyhistidine tag at its C-terminus. Thanks to the presence of the solvent exposed tag, which chelates Cu"2"+ ions in solution, we introduced an exogenous redox centre. The different reduction potentials of the two redox centres and their positioning with respect to the surface are such that electron transfer from the exogenous copper centre and the electrode is mediated by the native azurin active site, closely paralleling electron transfer processes in naturally occurring multicentre metalloproteins.

Impact of the antimicrobial peptide Novicidin on membrane structure and integrity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Søren B; Otzen, Daniel Erik

2010-01-01

We have studied the impact of an 18-residue cationic antimicrobial peptide Novicidin (Nc) on the structure and integrity of partially anionic lipid membranes using oriented circular dichroism (OCD), quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), dual polarization interferometry (DPI......), calcein dye leakage and fluorescence spectroscopy. OCD consistently showed that Nc is bound in an alpha-helical, surface bound state over a range of peptide to lipid (P/L) ratios up to approximately 1:15. Realignment of Nc at higher P/L ratios correlates to loss of membrane integrity as shown by Laurdan...... concentration, probably through formation of transient pores or transient disruption of the membrane integrity, followed by more extensive membrane disintegration at higher P/L ratios....

First report of autochthonous non-vectorial canine leishmaniasis in New Caledonia, south-western Pacific: implications for new control measures and recommendations on importation of dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Daval, Nathalie; Marchal, Céline; Guillaumot, Laurent; Hüe, Thomas; Ravel, Christophe; Keck, Nicolas; Kasbari, Mohamed

2016-02-25

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL), a parasitic zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania infantum and usually transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies, has rarely been reported in Pacific islands, which have been regarded until now as leishmaniasis-free territory. Here, we report the first autochthonous CanL case in New Caledonia (south-western Pacific) and the investigations carried out 1) to determine how infection was introduced into and transmitted among these dogs and 2) to assess the risks to animal and public health. Extensive epidemiological and entomological investigations in and around the focus were carried out. Leishmaniasis infection was confirmed by histopathology, indirect fluorescent antibody test, real-time PCR, and culture. Parasite strain was typed by the isoenzymatic technique. The survey revealed close contacts between the autochthonous dog and two infected bitches imported from Spain, but failed to find any possible vector or disease spreading to other animals or humans. L. infantum zymodeme MON-1, the most frequent type in the Mediterranean basin, was identified. Although transplacental and venereal transmissions could not be excluded, the evidence was in favour of non-vectorial, direct dog-to-dog transmission. This study corroborates the possibility of non-vectorial routes (transplacental, venereal, and direct dog-to-dog) of canine leishmaniasis transmission in New Caledonia and raises the debate of relevant test requirements and diagnostic sensitivity prior to importation of dogs in Leishmania-free regions. New leishmaniasis control measures and recommendations to avoid future CanL introduction on the island are discussed.

Biliary Secretion of Quasi-Enveloped Human Hepatitis A Virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirai-Yuki, Asuka; Hensley, Lucinda; Whitmire, Jason K; Lemon, Stanley M

2016-12-06

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is an unusual picornavirus that is released from cells cloaked in host-derived membranes. These quasi-enveloped virions (eHAV) are the only particle type circulating in blood during infection, whereas only nonenveloped virions are shed in feces. The reason for this is uncertain. Hepatocytes, the only cell type known to support HAV replication in vivo, are highly polarized epithelial cells with basolateral membranes facing onto hepatic (blood) sinusoids and apical membranes abutting biliary canaliculi from which bile is secreted to the gut. To assess whether eHAV and nonenveloped virus egress from cells via vectorially distinct pathways, we studied infected polarized cultures of Caco-2 and HepG2-N6 cells. Most (>99%) progeny virions were released apically from Caco-2 cells, whereas basolateral (64%) versus apical (36%) release was more balanced with HepG2-N6 cells. Both apically and basolaterally released virions were predominantly enveloped, with no suggestion of differential vectorial release of eHAV versus naked virions. Basolateral to apical transcytosis of either particle type was minimal (work reveals that it has an unusual life cycle. Virus is found in cell culture supernatant fluids in two mature, infectious forms: one wrapped in membranes (quasi-enveloped) and another that is nonenveloped. Membrane-wrapped virions circulate in blood during acute infection and are resistant to neutralizing antibodies, likely facilitating HAV dissemination within the liver. On the other hand, virus shed in feces is nonenveloped and highly stable, facilitating epidemic spread and transmission to naive hosts. Factors controlling the biogenesis of these two distinct forms of the virus in infected humans are not understood. Here we characterize vectorial release of quasi-enveloped virions from polarized epithelial cell cultures and provide evidence that bile acids strip membranes from eHAV following its secretion into the biliary tract. These results

Structure and hydration of membranes embedded with voltage-sensing domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Krepkiy, Dmitriy; Mihailescu, Mihaela; Freites, J Alfredo; Schow, Eric V; Worcester, David L; Gawrisch, Klaus; Tobias, Douglas J; White, Stephen H; Swartz, Kenton J

2009-11-26

Despite the growing number of atomic-resolution membrane protein structures, direct structural information about proteins in their native membrane environment is scarce. This problem is particularly relevant in the case of the highly charged S1-S4 voltage-sensing domains responsible for nerve impulses, where interactions with the lipid bilayer are critical for the function of voltage-activated ion channels. Here we use neutron diffraction, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the structure and hydration of bilayer membranes containing S1-S4 voltage-sensing domains. Our results show that voltage sensors adopt transmembrane orientations and cause a modest reshaping of the surrounding lipid bilayer, and that water molecules intimately interact with the protein within the membrane. These structural findings indicate that voltage sensors have evolved to interact with the lipid membrane while keeping energetic and structural perturbations to a minimum, and that water penetrates the membrane, to hydrate charged residues and shape the transmembrane electric field.

Water Diffusion Mechanism in Carbon Nanotube and Polyamide Nanocomposite Reverse Osmosis Membranes: A Possible Percolation-Hopping Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Araki, Takumi; Cruz-Silva, Rodolfo; Tejima, Syogo; Ortiz-Medina, Josue; Morelos-Gomez, Aaron; Takeuchi, Kenji; Hayashi, Takuya; Terrones, Mauricio; Endo, Morinobu

2018-02-01

This paper is a contribution to the Physical Review Applied collection in memory of Mildred S. Dresselhaus. The mechanism of water diffusion across reverse osmosis nanocomposite membranes made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and aromatic polyamide is not completely understood despite its high potential for desalination applications. While most of the groups have proposed that superflow inside the CNT might positively impact the water flow across membranes, here we show theoretical evidence that this is not likely the case in composite membranes because CNTs are usually oriented parallel to the membrane surface, not to mention that sometimes the nanotube cores are occluded. Instead, we propose an oriented diffusion mechanism that explains the high water permeation by decreasing the diffusion path of water molecules across the membranes, even in the presence of CNTs that behave as impermeable objects. Finally, we provide a comprehensive description of the molecular dynamics occurring in water desalination membranes by considering the bond polarizability caused by dynamic charge transfer and explore the use of molecular-dynamics-derived stochastic diffusion simulations. The proposed water diffusion mechanism offers an alternative and most likely explanation for the high permeation phenomena observed in CNTs and PA nanocomposite membranes, and its understanding can be helpful to design the next generation of reverse osmosis desalination membranes.

Dominant negative RPW8.2 fusion proteins reveal the importance of haustorium-oriented protein trafficking for resistance against powdery mildew in Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qiong; Berkey, Robert; Pan, Zhiyong; Wang, Wenming; Zhang, Yi; Ma, Xianfeng; King, Harlan; Xiao, Shunyuan

2015-01-01

Powdery mildew fungi form feeding structures called haustoria inside epidermal cells of host plants to extract photosynthates for their epiphytic growth and reproduction. The haustorium is encased by an interfacial membrane termed the extrahaustorial membrane (EHM). The atypical resistance protein RPW8.2 from Arabidopsis is specifically targeted to the EHM where RPW8.2 activates haustorium-targeted (thus broad-spectrum) resistance against powdery mildew fungi. EHM-specific localization of RPW8.2 suggests the existence of an EHM-oriented protein/membrane trafficking pathway during EHM biogenesis. However, the importance of this specific trafficking pathway for host defense has not been evaluated via a genetic approach without affecting other trafficking pathways. Here, we report that expression of EHM-oriented, nonfunctional RPW8.2 chimeric proteins exerts dominant negative effect over functional RPW8.2 and potentially over other EHM-localized defense proteins, thereby compromising both RPW8.2-mediated and basal resistance to powdery mildew. Thus, our results highlight the importance of the EHM-oriented protein/membrane trafficking pathway for host resistance against haustorium-forming pathogens such as powdery mildew fungi.

[Computer modeling the dependences of the membrane potential for polymeric membrane separated non-homogeneous electrolyte solutions on concentration Rayleigh number].

Science.gov (United States)

Slezak, Izabella H; Jasik-Slezak, Jolanta; Bilewicz-Wyrozumska, Teresa; Slezak, Andrzej

2006-01-01

On the basis of model equation describing the membrane potential delta psi(s) on concentration Rayleigh number (R(C)), mechanical pressure difference (deltaP), concentration polarization coefficient (zeta s) and ratio concentration of solutions separated by membrane (Ch/Cl), the characteristics delta psi(s) = f(Rc)(delta P, zeta s, Ch/Cl) for steady values of zeta s, R(C) and Ch/Cl in single-membrane system were calculated. In this system neutral and isotropic polymeric membrane oriented in horizontal plane, the non-homogeneous binary electrolytic solutions of various concentrations were separated. Nonhomogeneity of solutions is results from creations of the concentration boundary layers on both sides of the membrane. Calculations were made for the case where on a one side of the membrane aqueous solution of NaCl at steady concentration 10(-3) mol x l(-1) (Cl) was placed and on the other aqueous solutions of NaCl at concentrations from 10(-3) mol x l(-1) to 2 x 10(-2) mol x l(-1) (Ch). Their densities were greater than NaCl solution's at 10(-3) mol x l(-1). It was shown that membrane potential depends on hydrodynamic state of a complex concentration boundary layer-membrane-concentration boundary layer, what is controlled by deltaP, Ch/Cl, Rc and Zeta(s).

Molecular mechanisms of protein-cholesterol interactions in plasma membranes: Functional distinction between topological (tilted) and consensus (CARC/CRAC) domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Fantini, Jacques; Di Scala, Coralie; Baier, Carlos J; Barrantes, Francisco J

2016-09-01

The molecular mechanisms that control the multiple possible modes of protein association with membrane cholesterol are remarkably convergent. These mechanisms, which include hydrogen bonding, CH-π stacking and dispersion forces, are used by a wide variety of extracellular proteins (e.g. microbial or amyloid) and membrane receptors. Virus fusion peptides penetrate the membrane of host cells with a tilted orientation that is compatible with a transient interaction with cholesterol; this tilted orientation is also characteristic of the process of insertion of amyloid proteins that subsequently form oligomeric pores in the plasma membrane of brain cells. Membrane receptors that are associated with cholesterol generally display linear consensus binding motifs (CARC and CRAC) characterized by a triad of basic (Lys/Arg), aromatic (Tyr/phe) and aliphatic (Leu/Val) amino acid residues. In some cases, the presence of both CARC and CRAC within the same membrane-spanning domain allows the simultaneous binding of two cholesterol molecules, one in each membrane leaflet. In this review the molecular basis and the functional significance of the different modes of protein-cholesterol interactions in plasma membranes are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visualization of structural organization of ventral membranes of sheared-open resorbing osteoclasts attached to apatite pellets.

Science.gov (United States)

Akisaka, Toshitaka; Yoshida, Atsushi

2015-05-01

Osteoclasts are highly polarized cells from both morphological and functional points of view. Using quick-freeze, rotary-replication methods combined with cell-shearing, we clarified the variability of cytoplasmic surface of the polarized membranes of osteoclasts seeded on apatite. As to the organization of actin filaments and clathrin sheets, we confirmed almost the same ventral membrane specializations of osteoclasts on apatite as seen on glass plates. The organized actin filaments and membrane-associated particles supported the ruffled border membranes. Inside the actin sealing zone, membrane specializations were not always occupied with the ruffled border but also with other types of membranes. Some osteoclasts formed an actin ring but lacked the ruffled border projections. We report a unique and distinctive membrane modification of apatite-attached osteoclasts, i.e., the presence of dense aggregates of membrane-associated particles and related structures not found in the osteoclasts seeded on glass plates. Actin filament polarity in the podosomes was determined by decoration with myosin S1. The actin filament polarity within podosome appears to be oriented predominantly with its barbed ends toward the core, whereas the interconnecting F-actin appears to be mixed oriented. Two different types of clathrin plaques displayed different distributions: clathrin-dependent endocytosis was observed in the ruffled border regions, whereas flat clathrin sheets were found in the leading edge of lamellipodia and near podosomes. The clathrin sheets adhered to the apatite surface tightly on the ventral membranes overlaying the resorption lacunae. All these membrane specializations as mentioned above may indicate the functional variability of osteoclasts seeded on apatite.

Assessing the removal of organic micro-pollutants from anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent by fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis

KAUST Repository

Kim, Youngjin

2017-03-23

In this study, the behavior of organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) transport including membrane fouling was assessed in fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) during treatment of the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) effluent. The flux decline was negligible when the FO membrane was oriented with active layer facing feed solution (AL-FS) while severe flux decline was observed with active layer facing draw solution (AL-DS) with di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer as DS due to struvite scaling inside the membrane support layer. DAP DS however exhibited the lowest OMPs forward flux or higher OMPs rejection rate compared to other two fertilizers (i.e., mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) and KCl). MAP and KCl fertilizer DS had higher water fluxes that induced higher external concentration polarization (ECP) and enhanced OMPs flux through the FO membrane. Under the AL-DS mode of membrane orientation, OMPs transport was further increased with MAP and KCl as DS due to enhanced concentrative internal concentration polarization while with DAP the internal scaling enhanced mass transfer resistance thereby lowering OMPs flux. Physical or hydraulic cleaning could successfully recover water flux for FO membranes operated under the AL-FS mode but only partial flux recovery was observed for membranes operated under AL-DS mode because of internal scaling and fouling in the support layer. Osmotic backwashing could however significantly improve the cleaning efficiency.

Lateral interactions in the photoreceptor membrane: a NMR study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mollevanger, L.C.P.J.

1987-01-01

The photoreceptor membrane has an exceptionally high content of polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains combined with a high amount of phosphatidyl ethanolamine. It is situated in a cell organelle, the rod outer segment, with a high biological activity in which controlable trans-membrane currents of different ions play an important role. These characteristics make it a very interesting biological membrane to search for the existence of non-bilayer structures. Therefore in this thesis a detailed study of the polymorphic phase behaviour of the rod outer segment photoreceptor lipids was undertaken, concerning modulation of the polymorphic phase behaviour of photoreceptor membrane lipids by divalent cations and temperature, polymorphism of the individual phospholipid classes phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine and effects of cholesterol, bilayer stabilization by (rhod)opsin. Morphologically intact rod outer segment possesses a large magnetic anisotropy. This property is used to obtain 31 P-NMR of oriented photoreceptor membranes which allows spectral analysis and identification of individual phospholipid classes, and allows to study lateral lipid diffusion in intact disk membranes. The power of high resolution solid state 13 C-NMR to study the conformation of the chromophore in rhodopsin is demonstrated. (Auth.)

Self-assembling layers created by membrane proteins on gold.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, D S; Thomas, M B; Phillips, S; Cisneros, D A; Le Brun, A P; Holt, S A; Lakey, J H

2007-06-01

Membrane systems are based on several types of organization. First, amphiphilic lipids are able to create monolayer and bilayer structures which may be flat, vesicular or micellar. Into these structures membrane proteins can be inserted which use the membrane to provide signals for lateral and orientational organization. Furthermore, the proteins are the product of highly specific self-assembly otherwise known as folding, which mostly places individual atoms at precise places in three dimensions. These structures all have dimensions in the nanoscale, except for the size of membrane planes which may extend for millimetres in large liposomes or centimetres on planar surfaces such as monolayers at the air/water interface. Membrane systems can be assembled on to surfaces to create supported bilayers and these have uses in biosensors and in electrical measurements using modified ion channels. The supported systems also allow for measurements using spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance and atomic force microscopy. By combining the roles of lipids and proteins, highly ordered and specific structures can be self-assembled in aqueous solution at the nanoscale.

The role of antioxidant-protein interactions in biological membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGillivray, Duncan J; Singh, Rachna; Melton, Laurence D.; Worcester, David L.; Gilbert, Elliot P.

2009-01-01

Full text: Oxidative damage of cellular membranes has been linked to a variety of disease pathologies, including cardiac disease, Alzheimer's and complications due to diabetes. The oxidation of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid chains found in cellular membranes leads to significant alteration in membrane physical properties, including lipid orientation and membrane permeability, which ultimately affect biological function. Polyphenols are naturally occurring phytochemicals present in a number of fruit and vegetables that are of interest for their anti-oxidative powers. These polyphenols inhibit lipid oxidation in cellular membrane surfaces, although the mechanism of this inhibition is not entirely clear. Moreover, the polyphenols have significant binding affinity for proteins, which can lead to the formation of soluble and insoluble protein-polyphenol complexes Significantly, in the presence of casein proteins the oxidation inhibition the polyphenols in the membrane is significantly enhanced (as assessed by Lipid Peroxidation Inhibition Capacity assays). Thus the antioxidant pathway appears to involve these protein/polyphenol complexes, as well as direct antioxidant action by the polyphenol. Here we discuss neutron and x-ray scattering results from phospholipid membranes, looking at the positioning of two examples of polyphenolic antioxidants in phospholipid membranes, quercetin and phloretin, the antioxidants' impact on the membrane organisation, and the interaction between antioxidant and extra-membranous protein. This information sheds light on the mechanism of antioxidant protection in these systems, which may be used to understand biological responses to oxidative stress.

Analysis of the Comprehensive Tensile Relationship in Electrospun Silk Fibroin/Polycaprolactone Nanofiber Membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Yunlei; Pu, Dandan; Xiong, Jie

2017-12-07

The mechanical properties of electrospun nanofiber membranes are critical for their applications. A clear understanding of the mechanical properties that result from the characteristics of the individual fiber and membrane microstructure is vital in the design of fiber composites. In this reported study, silk fibroin (SF)/polycaprolactone (PCL) composite nanofiber membranes were preparedusing an electrostatic spinning technology. The nanofiber orientation distribution (FOD) of the membrane was analyzed using multi-layer image fusion technology, and the results indicated the presence of an approximately uniform distribution of fibers in the electrospun membranes. The relationship between the single nanofiber and the membrane was established by analyzing the geometrical structure of the cell by employing a representative volume element (RVE) analysis method. The mechanical properties of the 272 nm diameter SF/PCL composite fibers were then predicted using the developed model.

Ion transport through biological membranes an integrated theoretical approach

CERN Document Server

Mackey, Michael C

1975-01-01

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

Application of split-green fluorescent protein for topology mapping membrane proteins in Escherichia coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toddo, Stephen; Soderstrom, Bill; Palombo, Isolde

2012-01-01

A topology map of a membrane protein defines the location of transmembrane helices and the orientation of soluble domains relative to the membrane. In the absence of a high-resolution structure, a topology map is an essential guide for studying structurefunction relationships. Although these maps....../periplasmic location of the N-terminus of a protein. Here, we show that the bimolecular split-green fluorescent protein complementation system can overcome this limitation and can be used to determine the location of both the N- and C-termini of inner membrane proteins in Escherichia coli....

Linealización de sistemas VSC-HVDC para el diseño de un controlador PI vectorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelson Díaz Aldana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Los sistemas VSC-HVDC son muy utilizados para la transmisión de energía en redes de interconexión eléctrica. Uno de los principales problemas que poseen estos sistemas es la complejidad de su modelo matemático, lo que conlleva grandes dificultades para el diseño de controladores que permitan la regulación de parámetros como la tensión DC de transmisión, así como la potencia activa y reactiva del sistema VSC-HVDC. En este artículo se presenta la linealización de un sistema VSC-HVDC y el posterior diseño de un controlador lineal PI vectorial a partir del modelo linealizado. Adicionalmente, se proponen dos estrategias para la validación de este tipo de controladores, la primera consiste en un único controlador PI para regular los estados del sistema para cada VSC, la segunda consiste en el diseño de controladores PI vectoriales independientes para la regulación de cada estado del VSC.

Creation of a longitudinally polarized subwavelength hotspot with an ultra-thin planar lens: vectorial Rayleigh–Sommerfeld method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, Huapeng; Qiu, Cheng-Wei; Huang, Kun; Yeo, Swee Ping; Teng, Jinghua; Luk’yanchuk, Boris

2013-01-01

This letter shows how a longitudinally polarized hotspot can be created by a planar ultra-thin lens that beats the diffraction limit. On the imaging plane, a subwavelength optical resolution 0.39λ with almost purely longitudinal electric component has been demonstrated in air ambient. This novel paradigm addresses simultaneously both longitudinal polarization and deep sub-diffraction imaging, by a planar lens composed of ultra-thin opaque concentric annuli. The vectorial Rayleigh–Sommerfeld (VRS) approach, offering the advantage of significant reduction in computation, has been developed for a particular optimization of a flat lens with full control of polarization. Empowered by the robustness of VRS in dealing with polarization states, the proposed roadmap may be universally and efficiently integrated with other optimization algorithms to design super-resolution imaging with controlled polarization states at any wavelength without luminescence of the object. The lens, which is empowered by the proposed method, opens an avenue for the first time toward a highly integrated imaging system with advanced functionalities in far-field super-imaging, tailored polarization states and flat ultra-thin geometry simultaneously. (letter)

Vectorial loading of processive motor proteins: implementing a landscape picture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young C; Fisher, Michael E

2005-01-01

Individual processive molecular motors, of which conventional kinesin is the most studied quantitatively, move along polar molecular tracks and, by exerting a force F = (F x ,F y ,F z ) on a tether, drag cellular cargoes, in vivo, or spherical beads, in vitro, taking up to hundreds of nanometre-scale steps. From observations of velocities and the dispersion of displacements with time, under measured forces and controlled fuel supply (typically ATP), one may hope to obtain insight into the molecular motions undergone in the individual steps. In the simplest situation, the load force F may be regarded as a scalar resisting force, F x z >0, while more recently Block and co-workers (2002 Biophys. J. 83 491, 2003 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 100 2351) and Carter and Cross (2005 Nature 435 308) have studied assisting (or reverse) loads, F x >0, and also sideways (or transverse) loads F y ≠ 0. We extend previous mechanochemical kinetic models by explicitly implementing a free-energy landscape picture in order to allow for the full vectorial nature of the force F transmitted by the tether. The load-dependence of the various forward and reverse transition rates is embodied in load distribution vectors, θ j + and θ j - , which relate to substeps of the motor, and in next order, in compliance matrices η j + and η j - . The approach is applied specifically to discuss the experiments of Howard and co-workers (1996 Biophys.?J. 70 418) in which the buckling of partially clamped microtubules was measured under the action of bound kinesin molecules which induced determined perpendicular loads. But in the normal single-bead assay it also proves imperative to allow for F z >0: the appropriate analysis for kinesin, suggesting that the motor 'crouches' on binding ATP prior to stepping, is sketched. It yields an expression for the velocity, V (F x ,F z ;[ATP]), needed to address the buckling experiments

Crystal nuclei templated nanostructured membranes prepared by solvent crystallization and polymer migration

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo; Ji, Jing; Li, Kang

2016-09-01

Currently, production of porous polymeric membranes for filtration is predominated by the phase-separation process. However, this method has reached its technological limit, and there have been no significant breakthrough over the last decade. Here we show, using polyvinylidene fluoride as a sample polymer, a new concept of membrane manufacturing by combining oriented green solvent crystallization and polymer migration is able to obtain high performance membranes with pure water permeation flux substantially higher than those with similar pore size prepared by conventional phase-separation processes. The new manufacturing procedure is governed by fewer operating parameters and is, thus, easier to control with reproducible results. Apart from the high water permeation flux, the prepared membranes also show excellent stable flux after fouling and superior mechanical properties of high pressure load and better abrasion resistance. These findings demonstrate the promise of a new concept for green manufacturing nanostructured polymeric membranes with high performances.

Construction and characterization of an electrospun tubular scaffold for small-diameter tissue-engineered vascular grafts: a scaffold membrane approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jin-Jia; Chao, Wei-Chih; Lee, Pei-Yuan; Huang, Chih-Hao

2012-09-01

Based on a postulate that the microstructure of a scaffold can influence that of the resulting tissue and hence its mechanical behavior, we fabricated a small-diameter tubular scaffold (∼3 mm inner diameter) that has a microstructure similar to the arterial media using a scaffold membrane approach. Scaffold membranes that contain randomly oriented, moderately aligned, or highly aligned fibers were fabricated by collecting electrospun poly([epsilon]-caprolactone) fibers on a grounded rotating drum at three different drum rotation speeds (250, 1000, and 1500 rpm). Membranes of each type were wrapped around a small-diameter mandrel to form the tubular scaffolds. Particularly, the tubular scaffolds with three different off-axis fiber angles (30, 45, and 60 degree) were formed using membranes that contain aligned fibers. These scaffolds were subjected to biaxial mechanical testing to examine the effects of fiber directions as well as the distribution of fiber orientations on their mechanical properties. The circumferential elastic modulus of the tubular scaffold was closely related to the fiber directions; the larger the off-axis fiber angle the greater the circumferential elastic modulus. The distribution of fiber orientations, on the other hand, manifested itself in the mechanical behavior via the Poisson effect. Similar to cell sheet-based vascular tissue engineering, tubular cell-seeded constructs were prepared by wrapping cell-seeded scaffold membranes, alleviating the difficulty associated with cell seeding in electrospun scaffolds. Histology of the construct illustrated that cells were aligned to the fiber directions in the construct, demonstrating the potential to control the microstructure of tissue-engineered vascular grafts using the electrospun scaffold membrane. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Finsler Geometry Modeling of an Orientation-Asymmetric Surface Model for Membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Proutorov, Evgenii; Koibuchi, Hiroshi

2017-12-01

In this paper, a triangulated surface model is studied in the context of Finsler geometry (FG) modeling. This FG model is an extended version of a recently reported model for two-component membranes, and it is asymmetric under surface inversion. We show that the definition of the model is independent of how the Finsler length of a bond is defined. This leads us to understand that the canonical (or Euclidean) surface model is obtained from the FG model such that it is uniquely determined as a trivial model from the viewpoint of well definedness.

Performance and Fouling Study of Asymmetric PVDF Membrane Applied in the Concentration of Organic Fertilizer by Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanfei Liu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study proposes using membrane distillation (MD as an alternative to the conventional multi-stage flushing (MSF process to concentrate a semi-product of organic fertilizer. By applying a unique asymmetric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF membrane, which was specifically designed for MD applications using a nonsolvent thermally induced phase separation (NTIPS method, the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD performance was investigated in terms of its sustainability in permeation flux, fouling resistance, and anti-wetting properties. It was found that the permeation flux increased with increasing flow rate, while the top-surface facing feed mode was the preferred orientation to achieve 25% higher flux than the bottom-surface facing feed mode. Compared to the commercial polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE membrane, the asymmetric PVDF membrane exhibited excellent anti-fouling and sustainable flux, with less than 8% flux decline in a 15 h continuous operation, i.e., flux decreased slightly and was maintained as high as 74 kg·m−2·h−1 at 70 °C. Meanwhile, the lost flux was easily recovered by clean water rinsing. Overall 2.6 times concentration factor was achieved in 15 h MD operation, with 63.4% water being removed from the fertilizer sample. Further concentration could be achieved to reach the desired industrial standard of 5x concentration factor.

Vectorial acylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fat1p and fatty acyl-CoA synthetase are interacting components of a fatty acid import complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zou, Zhiying; Tong, Fumin; Færgeman, Nils J.

2003-01-01

the growth defect in the faa1Delta fat1Delta strain indicating some essential functions of Fat1p cannot be performed by Faa4p. Chromosomally encoded FAA1 and FAT1 are not able to suppress the growth deficiencies of the fat1Delta faa1Delta and faa1Delta faa4Delta strains, respectively, indicating Faa1p...... as trap were active when tested using the yeast two-hybrid system. Third, co-expressed, differentially tagged Fat1p and Faa1p or Faa4p were co-immunoprecipitated. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that fatty acid import by vectorial acylation in yeast requires a multiprotein complex, which...... consists of Fat1p and Faa1p or Faa4p....

Characterization of the methotrexate transport pathway in murine L1210 leukemia cells: Involvement of a membrane receptor and a cytosolic protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, E.M.; Ratnam, M.; Rodeman, K.M.; Freisheim, J.H.

1988-01-01

A radioiodinated photoaffinity analogue of methotrexate, N α -(4-amino-4-deoxy-10-methyl-pteroyl)-N ε -(4-azidosalicylyl)-L-lysine (APA-ASA-Lys), was recently used to identify the plasma membrane derived binding protein involved in the transport of this folate antagonist into murine L1210 cells. The labeled protein has an apparent molecular weight of 46K-48K when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, but no such labeling occurs in a methotrexate transport-defective cell line (L1210/R81). Labeling of the total cytosolic protein from disrupted cells, followed by electrophoresis and autoradiography, showed, among other proteins, a 21K band, corresponding to dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), in both the parent and R81 cells and a 38K band only in the parent cells. However, when whole cells were UV irradiated at various times at 37 degree C following addition of radiolabeled APA-ASA-Lys, the 38K protein and DHFR were the only cytosolic proteins labeled in the parent cells, while the intact R81 cells showed no labeled cytosolic protein, since the photoprobe is not transported. Further, when the parent cells were treated with a pulse of radiolabeled photoprobe, followed by UV irradiation at different times at 37 degree C, the probe appeared sequentially on the 48K membrane protein and both the 38K cytosolic protein and dihydrofolate reductase. A 48K protein could be detected in both parent L1210 cells and the R81 cells on Western blots using antisera to a membrane folate binding protein from human placenta. These results suggest a vectorial transport of APA-ASA-Lys or methotrexate and reduced folate coenzymes into murine L1210 cells mediated by a 48K integral membrane protein and a 38K cytosolic or peripheral membrane protein. The 38K protein may help in the trafficking of reduced folate coenzymes, shuttling them to various cytosolic targets

Membrane-Organized Chemical Photoredox Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hurst, James K.

2014-09-18

This project has three interrelated goals relevant to solar water photolysis, which are to develop: (1) vesicle-organized assemblies for H2 photoproduction that utilize pyrylium and structurally related compounds as combined photosensitizers and cyclic electroneutral transmembrane electron carriers; (2) transmembrane redox systems whose reaction rates can be modulated by light; and (3) homogeneous catalysts for water oxidation. . In area (1), initial efforts to photogenerate H2 from vectorially-organized vesicles containing occluded colloidal Pt and commonly available pyrylium ions as transmembrane redox mediators were unsuccessful. New pyrylium compounds with significantly lower reduction potentials have been synthesized to address this problem, their apparent redox potentials in functioning systems have been now evaluated by using a series of occluded viologens, and H2 photoproduction has been demonstrated in continuous illumination experiments. In area (2), spirooxazine-quinone dyads have been synthesized and their capacity to function as redox mediators across bilayer membranes has been evaluated through continuous photolysis and transient spectrophotometric measurements. Photoisomerization of the spiro moiety to the ring-open mero form caused net quantum yields to decrease significantly, providing a basis for photoregulation of transmembrane redox. Research on water oxidation (area 3) has been directed at understanding mechanisms of catalysis by cis,cis-[(bpy)2Ru(OH2)]2O4+ and related polyimine complexes. Using a variety of physical techniques, we have: (i) identified the redox state of the complex ion that is catalytically active; (ii) shown using 18O isotopic labeling that there are two reaction pathways, both of which involve participation of solvent H2O; and (iii) detected and characterized by EPR and resonance Raman spectroscopies new species which may be key intermediates in the catalytic cycle.

Optimization of bicelle lipid composition and temperature for EPR spectroscopy of aligned membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

McCaffrey, Jesse E; James, Zachary M; Thomas, David D

2015-01-01

We have optimized the magnetic alignment of phospholipid bilayered micelles (bicelles) for EPR spectroscopy, by varying lipid composition and temperature. Bicelles have been extensively used in NMR spectroscopy for several decades, in order to obtain aligned samples in a near-native membrane environment and take advantage of the intrinsic sensitivity of magnetic resonance to molecular orientation. Recently, bicelles have also seen increasing use in EPR, which offers superior sensitivity and orientational resolution. However, the low magnetic field strength (less than 1 T) of most conventional EPR spectrometers results in homogeneously oriented bicelles only at a temperature well above physiological. To optimize bicelle composition for magnetic alignment at reduced temperature, we prepared bicelles containing varying ratios of saturated (DMPC) and unsaturated (POPC) phospholipids, using EPR spectra of a spin-labeled fatty acid to assess alignment as a function of lipid composition and temperature. Spectral analysis showed that bicelles containing an equimolar mixture of DMPC and POPC homogeneously align at 298 K, 20 K lower than conventional DMPC-only bicelles. It is now possible to perform EPR studies of membrane protein structure and dynamics in well-aligned bicelles at physiological temperatures and below. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid have distinct membrane locations and lipid interactions as determined by X-ray diffraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherratt, Samuel C R; Mason, R Preston

2018-01-31

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) differentially influence lipid oxidation, signal transduction, fluidity, and cholesterol domain formation, potentially due in part to distinct membrane interactions. We used small angle X-ray diffraction to evaluate the EPA and DHA effects on membrane structure. Membrane vesicles composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and cholesterol (C) (0.3C:POPC mole ratio) were prepared and treated with vehicle, EPA, or DHA (1:10 mol ratio to POPC). Electron density profiles generated from the diffraction data showed that EPA increased membrane hydrocarbon core electron density over a broad area, up to ± 20 Å from the membrane center, indicating an energetically favorable extended orientation for EPA likely stabilized by van der Waals interactions. By contrast, DHA increased electron density in the phospholipid head group region starting at ± 12 Å from the membrane center, presumably due to DHA-surface interactions, with coincident reduction in electron density in the membrane hydrocarbon core centered ± 7-9 Å from the membrane center. The membrane width (d-space) decreased by 5 Å in the presence of vehicle as the temperature increased from 10 °C to 30 °C due to increased acyl chain trans-gauche isomerizations, which was unaffected by addition of EPA or DHA. The influence of DHA on membrane structure was modulated by temperature changes while the interactions of EPA were unaffected. The contrasting EPA and DHA effects on membrane structure indicate distinct molecular locations and orientations that may contribute to observed differences in biological activity. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High precision wavefront control in point spread function engineering for single emitter localization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siemons, M.E.; Thorsen, R.Ø; Smith, C.S.; Stallinga, S.

2018-01-01

Point spread function (PSF) engineering is used in single emitter localization to measure the emitter position in 3D and possibly other parameters such as the emission color or dipole orientation as well. Advanced PSF models such as spline fits to experimental PSFs or the vectorial PSF model can

Use of liquid membranes for treatment of nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dozol, J.F.

1988-01-01

The reprocessing operations produce liquid wastes in which the main components are nitric acid and sodium nitrate. The goal of the experiments is to separate trace amounts of radioactive elements from these acidic and high sodium nitrate content solutions. CMPO, a neutral bifunctional organophosphorus compound, and crown compounds (DC18 C6 - B21 C7) are able to extract respectively actinides, strontium and cesium from these high salinity solutions. The supported liquid membrane (SLM) render the use of expensive tailor-made extractant molecules like CMPO or crown ethers possible. The results obtained for the extraction of actinides and strontium are promising, but research must now be oriented towards improving the stability of the membrane

Vectorial control of nonlinear emission via chiral butterfly nanoantennas: generation of pure high order nonlinear vortex beams.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesina, Antonino Cala'; Berini, Pierre; Ramunno, Lora

2017-02-06

We report on a chiral gap-nanostructure, which we term a "butterfly nanoantenna," that offers full vectorial control over nonlinear emission. The field enhancement in its gap occurs for only one circular polarization but for every incident linear polarization. As the polarization, phase and amplitude of the linear field in the gap are highly controlled, the linear field can drive nonlinear emitters within the gap, which behave as an idealized Huygens source. A general framework is thereby proposed wherein the butterfly nanoantennas can be arranged in a metasurface, and the nonlinear Huygens sources exploited to produce a highly structured far-field optical beam. Nonlinearity allows us to shape the light at shorter wavelengths, not accessible by linear plasmonics, and resulting in high purity beams. The chirality of the butterfly allows us to create orbital angular momentum states using a linearly polarized excitation. A third harmonic Laguerre-Gauss beam carrying an optical orbital angular momentum of 41 is demonstrated as an example, through large-scale simulations on a high-performance computing platform of the full plasmonic metasurface with an area large enough to contain up to 3600 nanoantennas.

Fabrication of highly co2 selective metal organic framework membrane using liquid phase epitaxy approach

KAUST Repository

Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2016-01-28

Embodiments include a method of making a metal organic framework membrane comprising contacting a substrate with a solution including a metal ion and contacting the substrate with a solution including an organic ligand, sufficient to form one or more layers of a metal organic framework on a substrate. Embodiments further include a defect-free metal organic framework membrane comprising MSiF6(pyz)2, wherein M is a metal, wherein the thickness of the membrane is less than 1,000 µm, and wherein the metal organic has a growth orientation along the [110] plane relative to a substrate.

Funding initiates production of tunable nano-porous block copolymer membranes

KAUST Repository

Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

2013-06-01

Researchers in Saudi Arabia at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology have created a membrane comprising a thin layer of densely packed, highly ordered cylindrical channels with uniform pore sizes - oriented perpendicular to its surface - on top of a non-ordered sponge-like layer. It is fabricated in a fast, one-step process by combining the self-assembly of an amphiphilic block copolymer (PS- b-P4VP) with non-solvent-induced phase separation. The university\\'s "Seed Fund" has helped the researchers to start manufacturing this membrane, which is particularly suited to size-selective and charge-based separation of bio-molecules. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Communication: Orientational self-ordering of spin-labeled cholesterol analogs in lipid bilayers in diluted conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kardash, Maria E.; Dzuba, Sergei A., E-mail: dzuba@kinetics.nsc.ru [Voevodsky Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia, and Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

2014-12-07

Lipid-cholesterol interactions are responsible for different properties of biological membranes including those determining formation in the membrane of spatial inhomogeneities (lipid rafts). To get new information on these interactions, electron spin echo (ESE) spectroscopy, which is a pulsed version of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), was applied to study 3β-doxyl-5α-cholestane (DCh), a spin-labeled analog of cholesterol, in phospholipid bilayer consisted of equimolecular mixture of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. DCh concentration in the bilayer was between 0.1 mol.% and 4 mol.%. For comparison, a reference system containing a spin-labeled 5-doxyl-stearic acid (5-DSA) instead of DCh was studied as well. The effects of “instantaneous diffusion” in ESE decay and in echo-detected (ED) EPR spectra were explored for both systems. The reference system showed good agreement with the theoretical prediction for the model of spin labels of randomly distributed orientations, but the DCh system demonstrated remarkably smaller effects. The results were explained by assuming that neighboring DCh molecules are oriented in a correlative way. However, this correlation does not imply the formation of clusters of cholesterol molecules, because conventional continuous wave EPR spectra did not show the typical broadening due to aggregation of spin labels and the observed ESE decay was not faster than in the reference system. So the obtained data evidence that cholesterol molecules at low concentrations in biological membranes can interact via large distances of several nanometers which results in their orientational self-ordering.

Structure and dynamics of cationic membrane peptides and proteins: Insights from solid-state NMR

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Mei; Su, Yongchao

2011-01-01

Many membrane peptides and protein domains contain functionally important cationic Arg and Lys residues, whose insertion into the hydrophobic interior of the lipid bilayer encounters significant energy barriers. To understand how these cationic molecules overcome the free energy barrier to insert into the lipid membrane, we have used solid-state NMR spectroscopy to determine the membrane-bound topology of these peptides. A versatile array of solid-state NMR experiments now readily yields the conformation, dynamics, orientation, depth of insertion, and site-specific protein–lipid interactions of these molecules. We summarize key findings of several Arg-rich membrane peptides, including β-sheet antimicrobial peptides, unstructured cell-penetrating peptides, and the voltage-sensing helix of voltage-gated potassium channels. Our results indicate the central role of guanidinium-phosphate and guanidinium-water interactions in dictating the structural topology of these cationic molecules in the lipid membrane, which in turn account for the mechanisms of this functionally diverse class of membrane peptides. PMID:21344534

Surface characterization of the chitosan membrane after oxygen plasma treatment and its aging effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yingjun; Yin Shiheng; Ren Li; Zhao Lianna

2009-01-01

Chitosan has received considerable attention for biomedical applications in recent years because of its biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this paper, angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) was carried out to investigate the chemical groups' spatial orientation on the chitosan membrane surface. Oxygen plasma treatment was also employed to improve the surface hydrophilicity of the chitosan membrane. The results of ARXPS revealed the distribution of surface polar groups, such as-OH and O=CNH 2 toward the membrane bulk, which was the origin of the chitosan membrane surface hydrophobicity. The contact angle measurements and XPS results indicated that oxygen plasma treatment can markedly improve the surface hydrophilicity and surface energy of the chitosan membrane by incorporating oxygen-containing polar groups. With the existence of the aging process, the influence of plasma treatment was not permanent, it faded with storage time. The ARXPS result discovered that the reorientation of polar functional groups generated by plasma treatment toward the membrane bulk was primarily responsible for the aging effect.

Spacer geometry and particle deposition in spiral wound membrane feed channels

KAUST Repository

Radu, A.I.

2014-11-01

Deposition of microspheres mimicking bacterial cells was studied experimentally and with a numerical model in feed spacer membrane channels, as used in spiral wound nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems. In-situ microscopic observations in membrane fouling simulators revealed formation of specific particle deposition patterns for different diamond and ladder feed spacer orientations. A three-dimensional numerical model combining fluid flow with a Lagrangian approach for particle trajectory calculations could describe very well the in-situ observations on particle deposition in flow cells. Feed spacer geometry, positioning and cross-flow velocity sensitively influenced the particle transport and deposition patterns. The deposition patterns were not influenced by permeate production. This combined experimental-modeling approach could be used for feed spacer geometry optimization studies for reduced (bio)fouling. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Bands, Chords, Tendons, and Membranes in the Heart: An Imaging Overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Baxi, Ameya Jagdish; Tavakoli, Sina; Vargas, Daniel; Restrepo, Carlos S

Crests, bands, chords, and membranes can be seen within the different cardiac chambers, with variable clinical significance. They can be incidental or can have clinical implications by causing hemodynamic disturbance. It is crucial to know the morphology and orientation of normal structures, aberrant or accessory muscles, and abnormal membranes to diagnose the hemodynamic disturbance associated with them. Newer generation computed tomographic scanners and faster magnetic resonance imaging sequences offer high spatial and temporal resolution allowing for acquisition of high resolution images of the cardiac chambers improving identification of small internal structures, such as papillary muscles, muscular bands, chords, and membranes. They also help in identification of other associated complications, malformations, and provide a road map for treatment. In this article, we review cross-sectional cardiac imaging findings of normal anatomical variants and distinctive imaging features of pathologic bands, chords, or membranes, which may produce significant hemodynamic changes and clinical symptomatology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Atomic resolution view into the structure–function relationships of the human myelin peripheral membrane protein P2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruskamo, Salla [University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Yadav, Ravi P. [Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (India); Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (CSSB-HZI), German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Sharma, Satyan; Lehtimäki, Mari [University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Laulumaa, Saara [University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (CSSB-HZI), German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Aggarwal, Shweta; Simons, Mikael [Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen (Germany); Bürck, Jochen; Ulrich, Anne S. [Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe (Germany); Juffer, André H. [University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Kursula, Inari [University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (CSSB-HZI), German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Kursula, Petri, E-mail: petri.kursula@oulu.fi [University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (CSSB-HZI), German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); University of Hamburg, Hamburg (Germany)

2014-01-01

The structure of the human myelin peripheral membrane protein P2 has been refined at 0.93 Å resolution. In combination with functional experiments in vitro, in vivo and in silico, the fine details of the structure–function relationships in P2 are emerging. P2 is a fatty acid-binding protein expressed in vertebrate peripheral nerve myelin, where it may function in bilayer stacking and lipid transport. P2 binds to phospholipid membranes through its positively charged surface and a hydrophobic tip, and accommodates fatty acids inside its barrel structure. The structure of human P2 refined at the ultrahigh resolution of 0.93 Å allows detailed structural analyses, including the full organization of an internal hydrogen-bonding network. The orientation of the bound fatty-acid carboxyl group is linked to the protonation states of two coordinating arginine residues. An anion-binding site in the portal region is suggested to be relevant for membrane interactions and conformational changes. When bound to membrane multilayers, P2 has a preferred orientation and is stabilized, and the repeat distance indicates a single layer of P2 between membranes. Simulations show the formation of a double bilayer in the presence of P2, and in cultured cells wild-type P2 induces membrane-domain formation. Here, the most accurate structural and functional view to date on P2, a major component of peripheral nerve myelin, is presented, showing how it can interact with two membranes simultaneously while going through conformational changes at its portal region enabling ligand transfer.

Asymmetric bi-layer PFSA membranes as model systems for the study of water management in the PEMFC.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Z; Peng, A Z; Morin, A; Huguet, P; Lanteri, Y; Deabate, S

2014-10-14

New bi-layer PFSA membranes made of Nafion® NRE212 and Aquivion™ E79-05s with different equivalent weights are prepared with the aim of managing water repartition in the PEMFC. The membrane water transport properties, i.e. back-diffusion and electroosmosis, as well as the electrochemical performances, are compared to those of state-of-art materials. The actual water content (the inner water concentration profile across the membrane thickness) is measured under operation in the fuel cell by in situ Raman microspectroscopy. The orientation of the equivalent weight gradient with respect to the water external gradient and to the proton flow direction affects the membrane water content, the water transport ability and, thus, the fuel cell performances. Higher power outputs, related to lower ohmic losses, are observed when the membrane is assembled with the lower equivalent weight layer (Aquivion™) at the anode side. This orientation, corresponding to enhanced water transport by back-flow while electroosmosis remains unaffected, results in the higher hydration of the membrane and of the anode active layer during operation. Also, polarization data suggest a different water repartition in the fuel cell along the on-plane direction. Even if the interest in multi-layer PFSA membranes as perspective electrolytes for PEMFCs is not definitively attested, these materials appear to be excellent model systems to establish relationships between the membrane transport properties, the water distribution in the fuel cell and the electrochemical performances. Thanks to the micrometric resolution, in situ Raman microspectroscopy proves to be a unique tool to measure the actual hydration of the membrane at the surface swept by the hydrated feed gases during operation, so that it can be used as a local probe of the water concentration evolution along the gas distribution channels according to changing working conditions.

Three-Dimensional Graphene Matrix-Supported and Thylakoid Membrane-Based High-Performance Bioelectrochemical Solar Cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pankratova, Galina; Pankratov, Dmitrii; Di Bari, Chiara

2018-01-01

A combination of thylakoid membranes (TMs) as photobiocatalysts with high-surface-area electroactive materials could hold great potential for sustainable “green” solar energy conversion. We have studied the orientated immobilization of TMs on high-surface-area graphene electrodes, which were...

Engineering a genetically-encoded SHG chromophore by electrostatic targeting to the membrane

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Yuka eJinno

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Although second harmonic generation (SHG microscopy provides unique imaging advantages for voltage imaging and other biological applications, genetically-encoded SHG chromophores remain relatively unexplored. SHG only arises from non-centrosymmetric media, so an anisotropic arrangement of chromophores is essential to provide strong SHG signals. Here, inspired by the mechanism by which K-Ras4B associates with plasma membranes, we sought to achieve asymmetric arrangements of chromophores at the membrane-cytoplasm interface using the fluorescent protein mVenus. After adding a farnesylation motif to the C-terminus of mVenus, nine amino acids composing its -barrel surface were replaced by lysine, forming an electrostatic patch. This protein (mVe9Knus-CVIM was efficiently targeted to the plasma membrane in a geometrically defined manner and exhibited SHG in HEK293 cells. In agreement with its design, mVe9Knus-CVIM hyperpolarizability was oriented at a small angle (~7.3º from the membrane normal. Genetically-encoded SHG chromophores could serve as a molecular platform for imaging membrane potential.

A comparison of sulfur mustard and heptane penetrating a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Thomas J., E-mail: t.mueller@theo.chemie.tu-darmstadt.de [Theoretische Physikalische Chemie, Eduard-Zintl-Institut fuer Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstrasse 20, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Mueller-Plathe, Florian [Theoretische Physikalische Chemie, Eduard-Zintl-Institut fuer Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstrasse 20, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2009-08-30

In the present molecular dynamics simulations we study the chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard (bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide) and the alkane heptane inserted into a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer, a generic model for a biological membrane. We investigate the diffusion, the orientation, the preferred positioning, and the end-to-end distance of the solutes within the membrane as well as the corresponding coupling times. We compare results of equilibrium simulations and simulation at different external forces, which drag the solutes through the membrane. These properties lead to a general comparison of the rotational and translational behaviors of the two solutes during the penetration of the membrane. We show that sulfur mustard, due to its atomic charge polarization, its bigger flexibility and its smaller molecular volume, is the faster moving molecule within the membrane. In last consequence, we show that this leads to different limits for the transport mechanism as observed in these simulations. For heptane the hindrance to penetrate into the membrane is significantly higher than for sulfur mustard. In contrast to heptane molecules, which spend the most of the time penetrating the tail groups, sulfur mustard needs more time to escape the tail group-head group interface of the membrane.

Aspectos destacados de las teorías cognitivas del aprendizaje, como estrategias didácticas para la enseñanza y aprendizaje de conceptos del cálculo vectorial

OpenAIRE

Costa, Viviana

2013-01-01

Este trabajo se centra en la problemática de la enseñanza y aprendizaje del Cálculo Vectorial. Se sitúa esta rama de la matemática en el contexto de la ingeniería y sus orígenes. Se exponen aspectos destacados de algunas teorías cognitivas del aprendizaje: la teoría de los modelos mentales de Johnson-Laird y la teoría del aprendizaje significativo subversivo. Proponemos considerar las mismas como marco referencial en el desarrollo de estrategias didácticas para la enseñanza y aprendizaje de l...

Effect of PVP Intermediate Layer on the Properties of SAPO 34 Membrane

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Jugal K. Das

2012-01-01

Full Text Available SAPO 34 zeolite membranes were prepared on a tubular mullite support. Before membrane preparation, the support surfaces were coated with seed crystals. Seeds particles were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. Before seeding, the substrates were treated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP to orient the seeds. Both the treated and untreated supports were seeded, and membranes were synthesized on those support tubes by ex situ hydrothermal method. The PVP molecule exists in the two resonance structures. Hence the acylamino bond –N+ = C–O-– acts as intermediate linker between support surface and seed surface. Due to charge interaction, the seed crystals were anchored strongly to support surface. The synthesized membranes along with seed crystals were characterized by XRD, FESEM, and EDAX analysis. The single-gas permeation with CO2 and H2 was investigated. Up to 5 bar of feed pressure, the permselectivity of CO2 and H2 was as high as 4.2.

Vectorial transport of unconjugated and conjugated bile salts by monolayers of LLC-PK1 cells doubly transfected with human NTCP and BSEP or with rat Ntcp and Bsep.

Science.gov (United States)

Mita, Sachiko; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Akita, Hidetaka; Hayashi, Hisamitsu; Onuki, Reiko; Hofmann, Alan F; Sugiyama, Yuichi

2006-03-01

Na(+)-taurocholate-cotransporting peptide (NTCP)/SLC10A1 and bile salt export pump (BSEP)/ABCB11 synergistically play an important role in the transport of bile salts by the hepatocyte. In this study, we transfected human NTCP and BSEP or rat Ntcp and Bsep into LLC-PK1 cells, a cell line devoid of bile salts transporters. Transport by these cells was characterized with a focus on substrate specificity between rats and humans. The basal to apical flux of taurocholate across NTCP- and BSEP-expressing LLC-PK1 monolayers was 10 times higher than that in the opposite direction, whereas the flux across the monolayer of control and NTCP or BSEP single-expressing cells did not show any vectorial transport. The basal to apical flux of taurocholate was saturated with a K(m) value of 20 microM. Vectorial transcellular transport was also observed for cholate, chenodeoxycholate, ursodeoxycholate, their taurine and glycine conjugates, and taurodeoxycholate and glycodeoxycholate, whereas no transport of lithocholate was detected. To evaluate the respective functions of NTCP and BSEP and to compare them with those of rat Ntcp and Bsep, we calculated the clearance by each transporter in this system. A good correlation in the clearance of the examined bile salts (cholate, chenodeoxycholate, ursodeoxycholate, and their taurine or glycine conjugates) was observed between transport by human and that of rat transporters in terms of their rank order: for NTCP, taurine conjugates > glycine conjugates > unconjugated bile salts, and for BSEP, unconjugated bile salts and glycine conjugates > taurine conjugates. In conclusion, the substrate specificity of human and rat NTCP and BSEP appear to be very similar at least for monovalent bile salts under physiological conditions.

Determination of the Orientation and Dynamics of Ergosterol in Model Membranes Using Uniform 13C Labeling and Dynamically Averaged 13C Chemical Shift Anisotropies as Experimental Restraints

Science.gov (United States)

Soubias, O.; Jolibois, F.; Massou, S.; Milon, A.; Réat, V.

2005-01-01

A new strategy was established to determine the average orientation and dynamics of ergosterol in dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine model membranes. It is based on the analysis of chemical shift anisotropies (CSAs) averaged by the molecular dynamics. Static 13C CSA tensors were computed by quantum chemistry, using the gauge-including atomic-orbital approach within Hartree-Fock theory. Uniformly 13C-labeled ergosterol was purified from Pichia pastoris cells grown on labeled methanol. After reconstitution into dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine lipids, the complete 1H and 13C assignment of ergosterol's resonances was performed using a combination of magic-angle spinning two-dimensional experiments. Dynamically averaged CSAs were determined by standard side-band intensity analysis for isolated 13C resonances (C3 and ethylenic carbons) and by off-magic-angle spinning experiments for other carbons. A set of 18 constraints was thus obtained, from which the sterol's molecular order parameter and average orientation could be precisely defined. The validity of using computed CSAs in this strategy was verified on cholesterol model systems. This new method allowed us to quantify ergosterol's dynamics at three molar ratios: 16 mol % (Ld phase), 30 mol % (Lo phase), and 23 mol % (mixed phases). Contrary to cholesterol, ergosterol's molecular diffusion axis makes an important angle (14°) with the inertial axis of the rigid four-ring system. PMID:15923221

Thickness and angular dependent magnetic anisotropy of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films by Vectorial Magneto Optical Kerr Magnetometry

Science.gov (United States)

Chaluvadi, S. K.; Perna, P.; Ajejas, F.; Camarero, J.; Pautrat, A.; Flament, S.; Méchin, L.

2017-10-01

We investigate the in-plane magnetic anisotropy in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 (001) substrate using angular dependent room temperature Vectorial Magneto-Optical Kerr Magnetometry. The experimental data reveals that the magnetic anisotropy symmetry landscape significantly changes depending upon the strain and thickness. At low film thickness (12 and 25 nm) the dominant uniaxial anisotropy is due to interface effects, step edges due to mis-cut angle of SrTiO3 substrate. At intermediate thickness, the magnetic anisotropy presents a competition between magnetocrystalline (biaxial) and substrate step induced (uniaxial) anisotropy. Depending upon their relative strengths, a profound biaxial or uniaxial or mixed anisotropy is favoured. Above the critical thickness, magnetocrystalline anisotropy dominates all other effects and shows a biaxial anisotropy.

Robust hydrophobic polyurethane fibrous membranes with tunable porous structure for waterproof and breathable application

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Jiatai; Gu, Haihong; Cao, Jin; Chen, Shaojie; Li, Ni; Xiong, Jie

2018-05-01

In this work, novel nanofibrous membranes with waterproof and breathable (W&B) performance were successfully fabricated by the combination of electrospinning and surface modification technology. This fibrous membranes consisted of polyurethane (PU), NaCl, and fluoroalkylsilane (FAS). Firstly, The fibrous construction and porous structure of fibrous membranes were regulated by tuning the NaCl concentrations in PU solutions. Then, the obtained PU/NaCl fibrous membranes were further modified with fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) to improve hydrophobic property. The synergistic effect of porous structure and hydrophobicity on waterproof and breathable performance was investigated. Furthermore, the mechanical property of fibrous membranes was deeply analysed on the basis of macromolecule orientation and adhesive structure. Benefiting from the optimized porous structure and hydrophobic modification, the resultant fibrous membranes exhibited excellent waterproof (hydrostatic pressure of 1261 Mbar), breathable (water vapor transmission (WVT) rate of 9.06 kg m-2 d-1 and air permeability of 4.8 mm s-1) performance, as well as high tensile strength (breakage stress of 10.4 MPa), suggesting a promising candidate for various applications, especially in protective clothing.

Modelo Vectorial para la Inferencia del Estado Cognitivo de Pacientes en Estados Derivados del Coma

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Esteban Velásquez R.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available La forma tradicional de evaluar el estado de conciencia de un individuo, ha sido mediante la aplicación de estímulos y el análisis de sus respuestas, sin embargo, esta técnica se ve limitada cuando el individuo es incapaz de responder evidentemente ante un estímulo, como es el caso de los pacientes en estados derivados del coma. En estos casos, se requiere de una conexión directa con el cerebro del paciente para detectar una respuesta. Por consiguiente, en este artículo se desarrolla y analiza un modelo computacional basado en los principios de las máquinas de soporte vectorial (MSV, para inferir el estado cognitivo de pacientes en estados derivados del coma, mediante la utilización de un equipo de electroencefalografía comercial. Los resultados obtenidos, mostraron que el modelo logró clasificar correctamente una tarea cognitiva en al menos cuatro de cada cinco pruebas en pacientes de control, lo que se traduce en la obtención de un sistema de bajo costo para el análisis del estado de conciencia y para la posible comunicación con algunos pacientes en estados derivados del coma mediante protocolos médicos definidos. De esta manera, este sistema se presenta como un gran aporte para las clínicas y centros hospitalarios, como herramienta potencial de diagnóstico para este tipo de pacientes.

Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) riouxi: a synonym of Phlebotomus chabaudi without any proven vectorial role in Tunisia and Algeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabbabi, A; Rhim, A; Ghrab, J; Martin, O; Aoun, K; Bouratbine, A; Ready, P D

2014-08-01

Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) riouxi Depaquit, Léger & Killick-Kendrick (Diptera: Psychodidae) was described as a typological species based on a few morphological characters distinguishing it from Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) chabaudi Croset, Abonnenc & Rioux. The naming of P. riouxi coincided with its incrimination as a rural vector of Leishmania tropica Wright (junior synonym: Leishmania killicki Rioux, Lanotte & Pratlong) in Tataouine governorate, an arid region of southern Tunisia. The current report finds insufficient evidence to incriminate either phlebotomine sandfly as a vector of L. tropica in North Africa. Phlebotomus riouxi was found not to have the characteristics of a phylogenetic or biological species, and therefore it is synonymized with P. chabaudi. Both taxa were recorded together for the first time in Tunisia, in Tataouine, where three of 12 males showed intermediate morphology and both sexes of each taxon were not characterized by specific lineages of the nuclear gene elongation factor-1α or the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b, for which a long 3' terminal fragment is recommended for phlebotomine phylogenetics. This case study indicates that the eco-epidemiology of leishmaniasis should focus more on identifying key components of vectorial transmission that are susceptible to interventions for disease control, rather than on defining sibling species of vectors. © 2014 The Royal Entomological Society.

Membrane recognition and dynamics of the RNA degradosome.

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Henrik Strahl

2015-02-01

Full Text Available RNase E, which is the central component of the multienzyme RNA degradosome, serves as a scaffold for interaction with other enzymes involved in mRNA degradation including the DEAD-box RNA helicase RhlB. Epifluorescence microscopy under live cell conditions shows that RNase E and RhlB are membrane associated, but neither protein forms cytoskeletal-like structures as reported earlier by Taghbalout and Rothfield. We show that association of RhlB with the membrane depends on a direct protein interaction with RNase E, which is anchored to the inner cytoplasmic membrane through an MTS (Membrane Targeting Sequence. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the MTS interacts with the phospholipid bilayer by forming a stabilized amphipathic α-helix with the helical axis oriented parallel to the plane of the bilayer and hydrophobic side chains buried deep in the acyl core of the membrane. Based on the molecular dynamics simulations, we propose that the MTS freely diffuses in the membrane by a novel mechanism in which a large number of weak contacts are rapidly broken and reformed. TIRFm (Total Internal Reflection microscopy shows that RNase E in live cells rapidly diffuses over the entire inner membrane forming short-lived foci. Diffusion could be part of a scanning mechanism facilitating substrate recognition and cooperativity. Remarkably, RNase E foci disappear and the rate of RNase E diffusion increases with rifampicin treatment. Control experiments show that the effect of rifampicin is specific to RNase E and that the effect is not a secondary consequence of the shut off of E. coli transcription. We therefore interpret the effect of rifampicin as being due to the depletion of RNA substrates for degradation. We propose a model in which formation of foci and constraints on diffusion arise from the transient clustering of RNase E into cooperative degradation bodies.

Crystal orientation of PEO confined within the nanorod templated by AAO nanochannels.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chien-Liang; Chen, Hsin-Lung

2018-06-18

The orientation of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) crystallites developed in the nanochannels of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane has been investigated. PEO was filled homogeneously into the nanochannels in the melt state, and the crystallization confined within the PEO nanorod thus formed was allowed to take place subsequently at different temperatures. The effects of PEO molecular weight (MPEO), crystallization temperature (Tc) and AAO channel diameter (DAAO) on the crystal orientation attained in the nanorod were revealed by 2-D wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) patterns. In the nanochannels with DAAO = 23 nm, the crystallites formed from PEO with the lowest MPEO (= 3400 g mol-1) were found to adopt a predominantly perpendicular orientation with the crystalline stems aligning normal to the channel axis irrespective of Tc (ranging from -40 to 20 °C). Increasing MPEO or decreasing Tc tended to induce the development of the tilt orientation characterized by the tilt of the (120) plane by 45° from the channel axis. In the case of the highest MPEO (= 95 000 g mol-1) studied, both perpendicular and tilt orientations coexisted irrespective of Tc. Coexistent orientation was always observed in the channels with a larger diameter (DAAO = 89 nm) irrespective of MPEO and Tc. Compared with the previous results of the crystal orientation attained in nanotubes templated by the preferential wetting of the channel walls by PEO, the window of the perpendicular crystal orientation in the nanorod was much narrower due to its weaker confinement effect imposed on the crystal growth than that set by the nanotube.

Effect of Melatonin and Cholesterol on the Structure of DOPC and DPPC Membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drolle, E [University of Waterloo, Canada; Kucerka, Norbert [Canadian Neutron Beam Centre and Comelius University (Slovakia); Hoopes, M I [University of Waterloo, Canada; Choi, Y [University of Waterloo, Canada; Katsaras, John [ORNL; Karttunen, M [University of Waterloo, Canada; Leonenko, Z [University of Waterloo, Canada

2013-01-01

The cell membrane plays an important role in the molecular mechanism of amyloid toxicity associated with Alzheimer's disease. The membrane's chemical composition and the incorporation of small molecules, such as melatonin and cholesterol, can alter its structure and physical properties, thereby affecting its interaction with amyloid peptides. Both melatonin and cholesterol have been recently linked to amyloid toxicity. Melatonin has been shown to have a protective role against amyloid toxicity. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of this protection is still not well understood, and cholesterol's role remains controversial. We used small-angle neutron diffraction (SAND) from oriented lipid multi-layers, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) from unilamellar vesicles experiments andMolecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to elucidate non-specific interactions of melatonin and cholesterol with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-snglycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) model membranes. We conclude that melatonin decreases the thickness of both model membranes by disordering the lipid hydrocarbon chains, thus increasing membrane fluidity. This result is in stark contrast to the much accepted ordering effect induced by cholesterol, which causes membranes to thicken.

A high affinity Ca2(+)-ATPase on the surface membrane of Leishmania donovani promastigote

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, J.; Ray, M.; Sarkar, S.; Bhaduri, A.

1990-01-01

A Ca2(+)-dependent ATP-hydrolytic activity was detected in the crude membrane ghost of the promastigote or vector form of the protozoal parasite Leishmania donovani, the pathogen responsible for kala azar. The Ca2(+)-ATPase was purified to apparent homogeneity after solubilization with deoxycholate. The enzyme consists of two subunits of Mr = 51,000 and 57,000 and has an apparent molecular weight of 215,000 +/- 12,000. The enzyme activity is exclusively dependent on Ca2+, and the pure enzyme can hydrolyze 1.6 mumol of ATP/min/mg of protein. The apparent Km for Ca2+ is 35 nM, which is further reduced to 12 nM in the presence of heterologous calmodulin. The enzyme is sensitive to vanadate, but is insensitive to oligomycin and ouabain. The enzyme is strongly associated with the plasma membrane and has its catalytic site oriented toward the cytoplasmic face. The enzyme spans across the plasma membrane as surface labeling with radioiodine shows considerable radioactivity in the completely purified enzyme. The localization and orientation of this high affinity, calmodulin-sensitive Ca2(+)-ATPase suggest some role of this enzyme in Ca2+ movement in the life cycle of this protozoal parasite

A high affinity Ca2(+)-ATPase on the surface membrane of Leishmania donovani promastigote

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, J.; Ray, M.; Sarkar, S.; Bhaduri, A. (Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Calcutta (India))

1990-07-05

A Ca2(+)-dependent ATP-hydrolytic activity was detected in the crude membrane ghost of the promastigote or vector form of the protozoal parasite Leishmania donovani, the pathogen responsible for kala azar. The Ca2(+)-ATPase was purified to apparent homogeneity after solubilization with deoxycholate. The enzyme consists of two subunits of Mr = 51,000 and 57,000 and has an apparent molecular weight of 215,000 +/- 12,000. The enzyme activity is exclusively dependent on Ca2+, and the pure enzyme can hydrolyze 1.6 mumol of ATP/min/mg of protein. The apparent Km for Ca2+ is 35 nM, which is further reduced to 12 nM in the presence of heterologous calmodulin. The enzyme is sensitive to vanadate, but is insensitive to oligomycin and ouabain. The enzyme is strongly associated with the plasma membrane and has its catalytic site oriented toward the cytoplasmic face. The enzyme spans across the plasma membrane as surface labeling with radioiodine shows considerable radioactivity in the completely purified enzyme. The localization and orientation of this high affinity, calmodulin-sensitive Ca2(+)-ATPase suggest some role of this enzyme in Ca2+ movement in the life cycle of this protozoal parasite.

Differential dynamic and structural behavior of lipid-cholesterol domains in model membranes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis F Aguilar

Full Text Available Changes in the cholesterol (Chol content of biological membranes are known to alter the physicochemical properties of the lipid lamella and consequently the function of membrane-associated enzymes. To characterize these changes, we used steady-state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and two photon-excitation microscopy techniques. The membrane systems were chosen according to the techniques that were used: large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs for cuvette and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs for microscopy measurements; they were prepared from dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC and dioctadecyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC in mixtures that are well known to form lipid domains. Two fluorescent probes, which insert into different regions of the bilayer, were selected: 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH was located at the deep hydrophobic core of the acyl chain regions and 2-dimethylamino-6-lauroylnaphthalene (Laurdan at the hydrophilic-hydrophobic membrane interface. Our spectroscopy results show that (i the changes induced by cholesterol in the deep hydrophobic phospholipid acyl chain domain are different from the ones observed in the superficial region of the hydrophilic-hydrophobic interface, and these changes depend on the state of the lamella and (ii the incorporation of cholesterol into the lamella induces an increase in the orientation dynamics in the deep region of the phospholipid acyl chains with a corresponding decrease in the orientation at the region close to the polar lipid headgroups. The microscopy data from DOPC/DPPC/Chol GUVs using Laurdan generalized polarization (Laurdan GP suggest that a high cholesterol content in the bilayer weakens the stability of the water hydrogen bond network and hence the stability of the liquid-ordered phase (Lo.

Environment-oriented low-cost porous mullite ceramic membrane supports fabricated from coal gangue and bauxite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lü, Qikai [Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China); Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo (China); School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou (China); Dong, Xinfa [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou (China); Zhu, Zhiwen [Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China); Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo (China); Dong, Yingchao, E-mail: ycdong@iue.ac.cn [Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China); Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo (China)

2014-05-01

Highlights: • Coal gangue was recycled to fabricate low-cost porous mullite membrane supports. • A unique volume-expansion occurred due to a mullitization-crystal-growth process. • A porous structure consists of glassy particles and embedded mullite crystals. - Abstract: Porous mullite ceramic supports for filtration membrane were successfully fabricated via recycling of coal gangue and bauxite at sintering temperatures from 1100 to 1500 °C with corn starch as pore-forming agent. The dynamic sintering behaviors, phase evolution, shrinkage, porosity and pore size, gas permeation flux, microstructure and mechanical property were systematically studied. A unique volume-expansion stage was observed at increased temperatures from 1276 to 1481 °C caused by a mullitization-crystal-growth process. During this stage, open porosity increases and pore size distributions broaden, which result in a maximum of nitrogen gas flux at 1400 °C. The X-ray diffraction results reveal that secondary mullitization took place from 1100 °C and the major phase is mullite with a content of ∼84.7 wt.% at 1400 °C. SEM images show that the as-fabricated mullite supports have a porous microstructure composed of sintered glassy particles embedded with inter-locked mullite crystals, which grew gradually with increasing temperature from rod-like into blocky-like morphologies. To obtain mullite membrane supports with sufficient porosity and acceptable mechanical strength, the relationship between porosity and mechanical strength was investigated, which was fitted using a parabolic equation.

Control of the selectivity of the aquaporin water channel family by global orientational tuning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Morten Østergaard; Tajkhorshid, E.; Nollert, P.

2002-01-01

and orientation of a single file of seven to nine water molecules inside the channel. Two conserved asparagines force a central water molecule to serve strictly as a hydrogen bond donor to its neighboring water molecules. Assisted by the electrostatic potential generated by two half-membrane spanning loops......Aquaporins are transmembrane channels found in cell membranes of all life forms. We examine their apparently paradoxical property, facilitation of efficient permeation of water while excluding protons, which is of critical importance to preserving the electrochemical potential across the cell...... membrane. We have determined the structure of the Escherichia coli aquaglyceroporin GlpF with bound water, in native (2.7 angstroms) and in W48F/F200T mutant (2.1 angstroms) forms, and carried out 12-nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations that define the spatial and temporal probability distribution...

Cellulose nanocrystal-filled poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite fibrous membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Ping; Hsieh, You-Lo

2009-01-01

Nanocomposite fibrous membranes have been fabricated by electrospinning cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-loaded poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) ethanol mixtures. Incorporating CNC in PAA significantly reduced fiber diameters and improved fiber uniformity. The average diameters of the as-spun nanocomposite fibers were significantly reduced from 349 nm to 162 nm, 141 nm, 90 nm and 69 nm at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% CNC loading (by weight of a constant 4% PAA solution), respectively. CNC was well dispersed in the fibers as isolated rods oriented along the fiber axis and as spheres in the PAA matrix. The Young modulus and stress of the PAA/CNC nanocomposite fibers were significantly improved with increasing CNC loadings by up to 35-fold and 16-fold, respectively. Heat-induced esterification between the CNC surface hydroxyls and PAA carboxyl groups produced covalent crosslinks at the CNC-PAA interfaces, rendering the nanocomposite fibrous membranes insoluble in water, more thermally stable and far more superior in tensile strength. With 20% CNC, the crosslinked nanocomposite fibrous membrane exhibited a very impressive 77-fold increase in modulus and 58-fold increase in stress.

New approaches to characterizing and understanding biofouling of spiral wound membrane systems

KAUST Repository

van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M.

2012-06-01

Historically, biofouling research on spiral wound membrane systems is typically problem solving oriented. Membrane modules are studied as black box systems, investigated by autopsies. Biofouling is not a simple process. Many factors influence each other in a non-linear fashion. These features make biofouling a subject which is not easy to study using a fundamental scientific approach. Nevertheless to solve or minimize the negative impacts of biofouling, a clear understanding of the interacting basic principles is needed. Recent research into microbiological characterizing of biofouling, small scale test units, application of in situ visualization methods, and model approaches allow such an integrated study of biofouling. © IWA Publishing 2012.

New approaches to characterizing and understanding biofouling of spiral wound membrane systems

KAUST Repository

van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M.; Bereschenko, Ludmilla A.; Radu, Andrea I.; Kruithof, Joop C.; Picioreanu, Cristian; Johns, Michael L.; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.

2012-01-01

Historically, biofouling research on spiral wound membrane systems is typically problem solving oriented. Membrane modules are studied as black box systems, investigated by autopsies. Biofouling is not a simple process. Many factors influence each other in a non-linear fashion. These features make biofouling a subject which is not easy to study using a fundamental scientific approach. Nevertheless to solve or minimize the negative impacts of biofouling, a clear understanding of the interacting basic principles is needed. Recent research into microbiological characterizing of biofouling, small scale test units, application of in situ visualization methods, and model approaches allow such an integrated study of biofouling. © IWA Publishing 2012.

Segregated phases in pulmonary surfactant membranes do not show coexistence of lipid populations with differentiated dynamic properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bernardino de la Serna, Jorge; Orädd, Greger; Bagatolli, Luis

2009-01-01

surfactant membranes and membranes reconstituted from two surfactant hydrophobic fractions (i.e., all the lipids plus the hydrophobic proteins SP-B and SP-C, or only the total lipid fraction). These preparations show micrometer-sized fluid ordered/disordered phase coexistence, associated with a broad...... endothermic transition ending close to 37°C. However, both types of membrane exhibit uniform lipid mobility when analyzed by electron paramagnetic resonance with different spin-labeled phospholipids. A similar feature is observed with pulse-field gradient NMR experiments on oriented membranes reconstituted...... from the two types of surfactant hydrophobic extract. These latter results suggest that lipid dynamics are similar in the coexisting fluid phases observed by fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, it is found that surfactant proteins significantly reduce the average intramolecular lipid mobility...

A facile method to align carbon nanotubes on polymeric membrane substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Haiyang; Zhou, Zhijun; Dong, Hang; Zhang, Lin; Chen, Huanlin; Hou, Lian

2013-01-01

The alignment of carbon nanotubes (CNT) is the fundamental requirement to ensure their excellent functions but seems to be desolated in recent years. A facile method, hot-press combined with peel-off (HPPO), is introduced here, through which CNT can be successfully vertically aligned on the polymeric membrane substrate. Shear force and mechanical stretch are proposed to be the main forces to align the tubes perpendicular to the substrate surface during the peel-off process. The alignment of CNT keeps its orientation in a thin hybrid membrane by dip-coating cellulose acetate dope solution. It is expected that the stable alignment of CNT by HPPO would contribute to the realization of its potential applications. PMID:24326297

'Boomerang'-like insertion of a fusogenic peptide in a lipid membrane revealed by solid-state 19F NMR.

Science.gov (United States)

Afonin, Sergii; Dürr, Ulrich H N; Glaser, Ralf W; Ulrich, Anne S

2004-02-01

Solid state (19)F NMR revealed the conformation and alignment of the fusogenic peptide sequence B18 from the sea urchin fertilization protein bindin embedded in flat phospholipid bilayers. Single (19)F labels were introduced into nine distinct positions along the wild-type sequence by substituting each hydrophobic amino acid, one by one, with L-4-fluorophenylglycine. Their anisotropic chemical shifts were measured in uniaxially oriented membrane samples and used as orientational constraints to model the peptide structure in the membrane-bound state. Previous (1)H NMR studies of B18 in 30% TFE and in detergent micelles had shown that the peptide structure consists of two alpha-helical segments that are connected by a flexible hinge. This helix-break-helix motif was confirmed here by the solid-state (19)F NMR data, while no other secondary structure (beta-sheet, 3(10)-helix) was compatible with the set of orientational constraints. For both alpha-helical segments we found that the helical conformation extends all the way to the respective N- and C-termini of the peptide. Analysis of the corresponding tilt and azimuthal rotation angles showed that the N-terminal helix of B18 is immersed obliquely into the bilayer (at a tilt angle tau approximately 54 degrees), whereas the C-terminus is peripherally aligned (tau approximately 91 degrees). The azimuthal orientation of the two segments is consistent with the amphiphilic distribution of side-chains. The observed 'boomerang'-like mode of insertion into the membrane may thus explain how peptide binding leads to lipid dehydration and acyl chain perturbation as a prerequisite for bilayer fusion to occur. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Bioimpedancia vectorial y espectroscópica: valoración del estado de hidratación con ambos métodos en hemodiálisis Bioimpedance vector and spectroscopic analysis: assessing hydration status using both methods in haemodialysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth Ros Nogales

2013-03-01

Full Text Available El análisis de bioimpedancia es una herramienta útil para determinar el estado nutricional y de hidratación del enfermo en hemodiálisis. Los dos sistemas más utilizados son la bioimpedancia de monofrecuencia vectorial y la bioimpedancia multifrecuencia espectroscópica que utilizan diferentes criterios para clasificar el estado de hidratación del enfermo dializado. El sistema de bioimpedancia de monofrecuencia vectorial utiliza una escala ordinal de 7 puntos que va desde el valor 3 (mayor hidratación hasta el valor -3 (mayor deshidratación definiendo la hiperhidratación cuando el vector está en el eje de hidratación por debajo de la elipse de tolerancia del 75% (valores 3 y 2 de la escala ordinal. El sistema de bioimpedancia multifrecuencia espectroscópica emplea dos criterios para definir el estado de hiperhidratación prediálisis: OH superior a 2,5 litros o mayor del 15% del volumen de agua extracelular. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar el grado de concordancia entre ambos sistemas de bioimpedancia para definir el estado de hiperhidratación en enfermos tratados con hemodiálisis. Se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal en 54 enfermos tratados con hemodiálisis a los que se les realizó un análisis de bioimpedancia con monitores de monofrecuencia vectorial y multifrecuencia espectroscópica inmediatamente antes de una sesión de hemodiálisis. El grado de equivalencia en la definición de hiperhidratación entre ambos monitores fue mejor cuando se utilizó, en el monitor de multifrecuencia, el criterio de OH>15% del agua extracelular (índice kappa 0.81, concordancia excelente que cuando se utilizó el criterio de OH>2,5 litros (índice kappa 0.71, concordancia aceptable. Conclusiones: Hay una buena relación entre la escala vectorial de hidratación y el valor OH (exceso de hidratación. Los criterios utilizados por los monitores de monofrecuencia vectorial y multifrecuencia espectroscópica para definir los estados

Mechanisms of Membrane Binding of Small GTPase K-Ras4B Farnesylated Hypervariable Region*

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hyunbum; Abraham, Sherwin J.; Chavan, Tanmay S.; Hitchinson, Ben; Khavrutskii, Lyuba; Tarasova, Nadya I.; Nussinov, Ruth; Gaponenko, Vadim

2015-01-01

K-Ras4B belongs to a family of small GTPases that regulates cell growth, differentiation and survival. K-ras is frequently mutated in cancer. K-Ras4B association with the plasma membrane through its farnesylated and positively charged C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR) is critical to its oncogenic function. However, the structural mechanisms of membrane association are not fully understood. Here, using confocal microscopy, surface plasmon resonance, and molecular dynamics simulations, we observed that K-Ras4B can be distributed in rigid and loosely packed membrane domains. Its membrane binding domain interaction with phospholipids is driven by membrane fluidity. The farnesyl group spontaneously inserts into the disordered lipid microdomains, whereas the rigid microdomains restrict the farnesyl group penetration. We speculate that the resulting farnesyl protrusion toward the cell interior allows oligomerization of the K-Ras4B membrane binding domain in rigid microdomains. Unlike other Ras isoforms, K-Ras4B HVR contains a single farnesyl modification and positively charged polylysine sequence. The high positive charge not only modulates specific HVR binding to anionic phospholipids but farnesyl membrane orientation. Phosphorylation of Ser-181 prohibits spontaneous farnesyl membrane insertion. The mechanism illuminates the roles of HVR modifications in K-Ras4B targeting microdomains of the plasma membrane and suggests an additional function for HVR in regulation of Ras signaling. PMID:25713064

Atomistic Monte Carlo Simulation of Lipid Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Wüstner

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Biological membranes are complex assemblies of many different molecules of which analysis demands a variety of experimental and computational approaches. In this article, we explain challenges and advantages of atomistic Monte Carlo (MC simulation of lipid membranes. We provide an introduction into the various move sets that are implemented in current MC methods for efficient conformational sampling of lipids and other molecules. In the second part, we demonstrate for a concrete example, how an atomistic local-move set can be implemented for MC simulations of phospholipid monomers and bilayer patches. We use our recently devised chain breakage/closure (CBC local move set in the bond-/torsion angle space with the constant-bond-length approximation (CBLA for the phospholipid dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC. We demonstrate rapid conformational equilibration for a single DPPC molecule, as assessed by calculation of molecular energies and entropies. We also show transition from a crystalline-like to a fluid DPPC bilayer by the CBC local-move MC method, as indicated by the electron density profile, head group orientation, area per lipid, and whole-lipid displacements. We discuss the potential of local-move MC methods in combination with molecular dynamics simulations, for example, for studying multi-component lipid membranes containing cholesterol.

Electroformation of Giant Unilamellar Vesicles from Native Membranes and Organic Lipid Mixtures for the Study of Lipid Domains under Physiological Ionic-Strength Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Montes, Ruth; Ahyayauch, Hasna; Ibarguren, Maitane

2010-01-01

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) constitute a cell-sized model membrane system that allows direct visualization of particular membrane-related phenomena, such as domain formation, at the level of single vesicles using fluorescence microscopy-related techniques. Currently available protocols...... for the preparation of GUVs work only at very low salt concentrations, thus precluding experimentation under physiological conditions. In addition, the GUVs thus obtained lack membrane compositional asymmetry. Here we show how to prepare GUVs using a new protocol based on the electroformation method either from...... native membranes or organic lipid mixtures at physiological ionic strength. Additionally, we describe methods to test whether membrane proteins and glycosphingolipids preserve their natural orientation after electroformation of GUVs composed of native membranes...

Membranes, methods of making membranes, and methods of separating gases using membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, W. S. Winston

2012-10-02

Membranes, methods of making membranes, and methods of separating gases using membranes are provided. The membranes can include at least one hydrophilic polymer, at least one cross-linking agent, at least one base, and at least one amino compound. The methods of separating gases using membranes can include contacting a gas stream containing at least one of CO.sub.2, H.sub.2S, and HCl with one side of a nonporous and at least one of CO.sub.2, H.sub.2S, and HCl selectively permeable membrane such that at least one of CO.sub.2, H.sub.2S, and HCl is selectively transported through the membrane.

MEMS flexible artificial basilar membrane fabricated from piezoelectric aluminum nitride on an SU-8 substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Jongmoon; Choi, Hongsoo; Jang, Jeong Hun

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a flexible artificial basilar membrane (FABM) that mimics the passive mechanical frequency selectivity of the basilar membrane. The FABM is composed of a cantilever array made of piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) on an SU-8 substrate. We analyzed the orientations of the AlN crystals using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The AIN crystals are oriented in the c -axis (0 0 2) plane and effective piezoelectric coefficient was measured as 3.52 pm V −1 . To characterize the frequency selectivity of the FABM, mechanical displacements were measured using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer. When electrical and acoustic stimuli were applied, the measured resonance frequencies were in the ranges of 663.0–2369 Hz and 659.4–2375 Hz, respectively. These results demonstrate that the mechanical frequency selectivity of this piezoelectric FABM is close to the human communication frequency range (300–3000 Hz), which is a vital feature of potential auditory prostheses. (paper)

Location and activity of ubiquinone 10 and ubiquinone analogues in model and biological membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornell, B.A.; Keniry, M.A.; Post, A.; Roberston, R.N.; Weir, L.E.; Westerman, P.W.

1987-01-01

Deuteriated analogues of ubiquinone 10 (Q 10 ) have been dispersed with plasma membranes of Escherichia coli and with the inner membranes of beetroot mitochondria. Orientational order at various deuteriated sites was measured by solid-state deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance ( 2 H NMR). Similar measurements were made, using the compounds dispersed in dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and egg yolk lecithin and dispersions prepared from the lipid extracts of beetroot mitochondria. In all cases only a single unresolved 2 H NMR spectrum (typically 1000-Hz full width at half-height) was observed at concentrations down to 0.02 mol % Q 10 per membrane lipid. This result shows that most Q 10 is in a mobile environment which is physically separate from the orientational constraints of the bilayer lipid chains. In contrast, a short-chain analog of Q 10 , in which the 10 isoprene groups have been replaced by a perdeuteriated tridecyl chain, showed 2 H NMR spectra with quadrupolar splittings typical of an ordered lipid that is intercalated into the bilayer. The NADH oxidase activity and O 2 uptake in Escherichia coli and in mitochondria were independent of which analog was incorporated into the membrane. Thus, despite the major difference in their physical association with membranes, or their lipid extracts, the electron transport function of the long- and short-chain ubiquinones is similar, suggesting that the bulk of the long-chain ubiquinone does not have a direct function in electron transporting activity. The physiologically active Q 10 may only be a small fraction of the total ubiquinone, a fraction that is below the level of detection of the present NMR equipment. However, our results do not support any model of Q 10 electron transport action that includes intercalation of the long isoprenoid chain in lipid

Entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, and competitive environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Hans Eibe; Cadogan, John W.

This study sheds light on the role that the competitive environment plays in determining how elements of market orientation and elements of entrepreneurial orientation interact to influence business success. We develop a model in which we postulate that market orientation, entrepreneurial...... orientation, and competitive environment shape business performance via a three-way interaction. We test the model using primary data from the CEOs of 270 CEO of manufacturing firms, together with secondary data on these firms' profit performance. An assessment of the results indicates that customer...... orientation moderates the positive relationships between the competitiveness element of entrepreneurial orientation and market share and return on assets (ROA): the positive relationships between competitiveness and market share and competitiveness and ROA become stronger the greater the firms' customer...

Determining In Situ Protein Conformation and Orientation from the Amide-I Sum-Frequency Generation Spectrum: Theory and Experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roeters, S.J.; van Dijk, C.N.; Torres Knoop, A.; Backus, E.H.G.; Campen, R.K.; Bonn, M.; Woutersen, S.

2013-01-01

Vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectra of the amide-I band of proteins can give detailed insight into biomolecular processes near membranes. However, interpreting these spectra in terms of the conformation and orientation of a protein can be difficult, especially in the case of complex

Composite proton exchange membrane based on sulfonated organic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Pitia, Emmanuel Sokiri

exchange was characterized with solid state 13C NMR spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, TGA, elemental analysis, and titration. The results indicate the extent of ion exchange was ~ 70-80%. Due to the mass of QAA, the remaining QAA reduced the IEC of the nanoparticles to < 2.2 meq/g. In fabricating the composite membranes, the nanoparticles and polystyrene were solution cast in a continuous process with and without electric field. The electric field had no effect on the water uptake. Based on the morphology and the proton conductivity, it appears orientation of the nanoparticles did not occur. We hypothesize the lack of orientation was caused by swelling of the particles with the solvent. The solvent inside the particle minimized polarizability, and thus prevented orientation. The composite membranes were limited to low proton conductivity of ~ 10-5 S/cm due to low IEC of the nanoparticles, but good dispersion of the nanoparticles was achieved. Future work should look into eliminating the QAA during synthesis and developing a rigid core for the nanoparticles.

A wrinkle in flight: the role of elastin fibres in the mechanical behaviour of bat wing membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheney, Jorn A; Konow, Nicolai; Bearnot, Andrew; Swartz, Sharon M

2015-05-06

Bats fly using a thin wing membrane composed of compliant, anisotropic skin. Wing membrane skin deforms dramatically as bats fly, and its three-dimensional configurations depend, in large part, on the mechanical behaviour of the tissue. Large, macroscopic elastin fibres are an unusual mechanical element found in the skin of bat wings. We characterize the fibre orientation and demonstrate that elastin fibres are responsible for the distinctive wrinkles in the surrounding membrane matrix. Uniaxial mechanical testing of the wing membrane, both parallel and perpendicular to elastin fibres, is used to distinguish the contribution of elastin and the surrounding matrix to the overall membrane mechanical behaviour. We find that the matrix is isotropic within the plane of the membrane and responsible for bearing load at high stress; elastin fibres are responsible for membrane anisotropy and only contribute substantially to load bearing at very low stress. The architecture of elastin fibres provides the extreme extensibility and self-folding/self-packing of the wing membrane skin. We relate these findings to flight with membrane wings and discuss the aeromechanical significance of elastin fibre pre-stress, membrane excess length, and how these parameters may aid bats in resisting gusts and preventing membrane flutter. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and characterization of ZIF-69 membranes and separation for CO2/CO mixture

KAUST Repository

Liu, Yunyang

2010-05-01

Continuous and c-oriented ZIF-69 membranes were successfully synthesized on porous alpha-alumina substrates by an in situ solvothermal method. The membranes were characterized by XRD, SEM and single-gas permeation tests. The BET measurements on crystals taken from the same mother liquor that was used for membrane synthesis yield a Langmuir surface area of 1138 m(2)/g. The stability of the membrane towards heat and different solvents were studied. Single-gas permeation experiments through ZIF-69 membranes were carried out by a vacuum method at room temperature using H-2, CH4, CO, CO2 and SF6, respectively. The permeances were in the order of H-2 > CO2 > CH4 > CO > SF6. The separation of CO2/CO gas mixture was investigated by gas chromatograph (GC) and the permselectivity of CO2/CO was 3.5 +/- 0.1 with CO2 permeance of 3.6 +/- 0.3 x 10(-8) mol m(-2) s(-1) Pa-1 at room temperature. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of dynamic membranes in anaerobic membranes in anaerobic membrane bioreactor systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erşahin, M.E.

2015-01-01

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) physically ensure biomass retention by the application of a membrane filtration process. With growing application experiences from aerobic membrane bioreactors (MBRs), the combination of membrane and anaerobic processes has received much attention and become

Determination of structural topology of a membrane protein in lipid bilayers using polarization optimized experiments (POE) for static and MAS solid state NMR spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mote, Kaustubh R. [University of Minnesota, Department of Chemistry (United States); Gopinath, T. [University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics (United States); Veglia, Gianluigi, E-mail: vegli001@umn.edu [University of Minnesota, Department of Chemistry (United States)

2013-10-15

The low sensitivity inherent to both the static and magic angle spinning techniques of solid-state NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy has thus far limited the routine application of multidimensional experiments to determine the structure of membrane proteins in lipid bilayers. Here, we demonstrate the advantage of using a recently developed class of experiments, polarization optimized experiments, for both static and MAS spectroscopy to achieve higher sensitivity and substantial time-savings for 2D and 3D experiments. We used sarcolipin, a single pass membrane protein, reconstituted in oriented bicelles (for oriented ssNMR) and multilamellar vesicles (for MAS ssNMR) as a benchmark. The restraints derived by these experiments are then combined into a hybrid energy function to allow simultaneous determination of structure and topology. The resulting structural ensemble converged to a helical conformation with a backbone RMSD {approx}0.44 A, a tilt angle of 24 Degree-Sign {+-} 1 Degree-Sign , and an azimuthal angle of 55 Degree-Sign {+-} 6 Degree-Sign . This work represents a crucial first step toward obtaining high-resolution structures of large membrane proteins using combined multidimensional oriented solid-state NMR and magic angle spinning solid-state NMR.

Magnetic anisotropy of lecithin membranes. A new anisotropy susceptometer

OpenAIRE

Scholz, F.; Boroske, E.; Helfrich, W.

1984-01-01

Cylindrical giant vesicles prepared from egg lecithin and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) are oriented in an external magnetic field and observed by phase contrast microscopy. The anisotropic part of the diamagnetic susceptibility of the lecithin membrane is determined from the distribution of angles between the magnetic field and the long cylinder axis due to thermal fluctuations. The anisotropy of DMPC is found to be larger by a factor of 2 than that of egg lecithin. This...

Biliary Secretion of Quasi-Enveloped Human Hepatitis A Virus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asuka Hirai-Yuki

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis A virus (HAV is an unusual picornavirus that is released from cells cloaked in host-derived membranes. These quasi-enveloped virions (eHAV are the only particle type circulating in blood during infection, whereas only nonenveloped virions are shed in feces. The reason for this is uncertain. Hepatocytes, the only cell type known to support HAV replication in vivo, are highly polarized epithelial cells with basolateral membranes facing onto hepatic (blood sinusoids and apical membranes abutting biliary canaliculi from which bile is secreted to the gut. To assess whether eHAV and nonenveloped virus egress from cells via vectorially distinct pathways, we studied infected polarized cultures of Caco-2 and HepG2-N6 cells. Most (>99% progeny virions were released apically from Caco-2 cells, whereas basolateral (64% versus apical (36% release was more balanced with HepG2-N6 cells. Both apically and basolaterally released virions were predominantly enveloped, with no suggestion of differential vectorial release of eHAV versus naked virions. Basolateral to apical transcytosis of either particle type was minimal (<0.02%/h in HepG2-N6 cells, arguing against this as a mechanism for differences in membrane envelopment of serum versus fecal virus. High concentrations of human bile acids converted eHAV to nonenveloped virions, whereas virus present in bile from HAV-infected Ifnar1−/−Ifngr1−/− and Mavs−/− mice banded over a range of densities extending from that of eHAV to that of nonenveloped virions. We conclude that nonenveloped virions shed in feces are derived from eHAV released across the canalicular membrane and stripped of membranes by the detergent action of bile acids within the proximal biliary canaliculus.

Vectorial competence of larvae and adults of Alphitobius diaperinus in the transmission of Salmonella enteritidis in poultry.

Science.gov (United States)

Leffer, Andreia M; Kuttel, Javier; Martins, Lidiane M; Pedroso, Antonio Carlos; Astolfi-Ferreira, Claudete S; Ferreira, Fernando; Ferreira, Antonio J Piantino

2010-06-01

The ingestion of food products originating from poultry infected with Salmonella spp. is one of the major causes of food poisoning in humans. The control of poultry salmonellosis is particularly difficult since birds are asymptomatic and numerous factors may expedite the maintenance of bacteria in poultry production facilities. The aim of the study was to determine the vectorial capacity of adults and larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in the experimental transmission of Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 4 to 1-day-old specific pathogen-free White Leghorn chicks. Adult insects and larvae were starved for 1 day, fed for 24 h or 7 days on sterile ration that had been treated with Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 4, and the levels of bacterial infection were determined. Infected adult insects and larvae were fed to groups of day-old chicks, after which bacteria were recovered from cecum, liver, and spleen samples over a 7-day period. Infected larvae were more efficient than adult insects in transmitting Salmonella Enteritidis to chicks. Higher concentrations of bacteria could be reisolated from the cecum, liver, and spleen of chicks that had ingested infected larvae compared with those that had ingested infected adults. The control of A. diaperinus, and particularly of the larvae, represents a critical factor in the reduction of Salmonella spp. in poultry farms.

Enhanced forward osmosis from chemically modified polybenzimidazole (PBI) nanofiltration hollow fiber membranes with a thin wall

KAUST Repository

Wang, Kai Yu; Yang, Qian; Chung, Tai-Shung; Rajagopalan, Raj

2009-01-01

To develop high-flux and high-rejection forward osmosis (FO) membranes for water reuses and seawater desalination, we have fabricated polybenzimidazole (PBI) nanofiltration (NF) hollow fiber membranes with a thin wall and a desired pore size via non-solvent induced phase inversion and chemically cross-linking modification. The cross-linking by p-xylylene dichloride can finely tune the mean pore size and enhance the salt selectivity. High water permeation flux and improved salt selectivity for water reuses were achieved by using the 2-h modified PBI NF membrane which has a narrow pore size distribution. Cross-linking at a longer time produces even a lower salt permeation flux potentially suitable for desalination but at the expense of permeation flux due to tightened pore sizes. It is found that draw solution concentration and membrane orientations are main factors determining the water permeation flux. In addition, effects of membrane morphology and operation conditions on water and salt transport through membrane have been investigated. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced forward osmosis from chemically modified polybenzimidazole (PBI) nanofiltration hollow fiber membranes with a thin wall

KAUST Repository

Wang, Kai Yu

2009-04-01

To develop high-flux and high-rejection forward osmosis (FO) membranes for water reuses and seawater desalination, we have fabricated polybenzimidazole (PBI) nanofiltration (NF) hollow fiber membranes with a thin wall and a desired pore size via non-solvent induced phase inversion and chemically cross-linking modification. The cross-linking by p-xylylene dichloride can finely tune the mean pore size and enhance the salt selectivity. High water permeation flux and improved salt selectivity for water reuses were achieved by using the 2-h modified PBI NF membrane which has a narrow pore size distribution. Cross-linking at a longer time produces even a lower salt permeation flux potentially suitable for desalination but at the expense of permeation flux due to tightened pore sizes. It is found that draw solution concentration and membrane orientations are main factors determining the water permeation flux. In addition, effects of membrane morphology and operation conditions on water and salt transport through membrane have been investigated. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copolyimide mixed matrix membranes with oriented microporous titanosilicate JDF-L1sheet particles

OpenAIRE

Galve, Alejandro; Vispe, Eugenio; Téllez, Carlos; Coronas, Joaquín

2011-01-01

JDF-L1 is a microporous titanosilicate exhibiting a layer structure with pore size of about 3 Å. It is consequently an attractive material to separate H2-containing mixtures. This is the reason why JDF-L1, after disaggregation by means of hexadecyltrimethylammonium surfactant, has been combined with a carboxyl group containing copolyimide (6FDA-4MPD/6FDA-DABA 4:1) to produce mixed matrix membranes, which were applied to the separation of H2/CH4 and O2/N2 mixtures. Additionally, due to the she...

Impact of two different saponins on the organization of model lipid membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Korchowiec, Beata; Gorczyca, Marcelina; Wojszko, Kamila; Janikowska, Maria; Henry, Max; Rogalska, Ewa

2015-10-01

Saponins, naturally occurring plant compounds are known for their biological and pharmacological activity. This activity is strongly related to the amphiphilic character of saponins that allows them to aggregate in aqueous solution and interact with membrane components. In this work, Langmuir monolayer techniques combined with polarization modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) and Brewster angle microscopy were used to study the interaction of selected saponins with lipid model membranes. Two structurally different saponins were used: digitonin and a commercial Merck Saponin. Membranes of different composition, namely, cholesterol, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine or 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) were formed at the air/water and air/saponin solution interfaces. The saponin-lipid interaction was characterized by changes in surface pressure, surface potential, surface morphology and PM-IRRAS signal. Both saponins interact with model membranes and change the physical state of membranes by perturbing the lipid acyl chain orientation. The changes in membrane fluidity were more significant upon the interaction with Merck Saponin. A higher affinity of saponins for cholesterol than phosphatidylglycerols was observed. Moreover, our results indicate that digitonin interacts strongly with cholesterol and solubilize the cholesterol monolayer at higher surface pressures. It was shown, that digitonin easily penetrate to the cholesterol monolayer and forms a hydrogen bond with the hydroxyl groups. These findings might be useful in further understanding of the saponin action at the membrane interface and of the mechanism of membrane lysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of membrane binding of small GTPase K-Ras4B farnesylated hypervariable region.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hyunbum; Abraham, Sherwin J; Chavan, Tanmay S; Hitchinson, Ben; Khavrutskii, Lyuba; Tarasova, Nadya I; Nussinov, Ruth; Gaponenko, Vadim

2015-04-10

K-Ras4B belongs to a family of small GTPases that regulates cell growth, differentiation and survival. K-ras is frequently mutated in cancer. K-Ras4B association with the plasma membrane through its farnesylated and positively charged C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR) is critical to its oncogenic function. However, the structural mechanisms of membrane association are not fully understood. Here, using confocal microscopy, surface plasmon resonance, and molecular dynamics simulations, we observed that K-Ras4B can be distributed in rigid and loosely packed membrane domains. Its membrane binding domain interaction with phospholipids is driven by membrane fluidity. The farnesyl group spontaneously inserts into the disordered lipid microdomains, whereas the rigid microdomains restrict the farnesyl group penetration. We speculate that the resulting farnesyl protrusion toward the cell interior allows oligomerization of the K-Ras4B membrane binding domain in rigid microdomains. Unlike other Ras isoforms, K-Ras4B HVR contains a single farnesyl modification and positively charged polylysine sequence. The high positive charge not only modulates specific HVR binding to anionic phospholipids but farnesyl membrane orientation. Phosphorylation of Ser-181 prohibits spontaneous farnesyl membrane insertion. The mechanism illuminates the roles of HVR modifications in K-Ras4B targeting microdomains of the plasma membrane and suggests an additional function for HVR in regulation of Ras signaling. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Smart membranes for monitoring membrane based desalination processes

KAUST Repository

Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem

2017-10-12

Various examples are related to smart membranes for monitoring membrane based process such as, e.g., membrane distillation processes. In one example, a membrane, includes a porous surface and a plurality of sensors (e.g., temperature, flow and/or impedance sensors) mounted on the porous surface. In another example, a membrane distillation (MD) process includes the membrane. Processing circuitry can be configured to monitor outputs of the plurality of sensors. The monitored outputs can be used to determine membrane degradation, membrane fouling, or to provide an indication of membrane replacement or cleaning. The sensors can also provide temperatures or temperature differentials across the porous surface, which can be used to improve modeling or control the MD process.

Structure and dynamics of alpha-tocopherol in model membranes and in solution: a broad-line and high-resolution NMR study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekiel, I.H.; Hughes, L.; Burton, G.W.; Jovall, P.A.; Ingold, K.U.; Smith, I.C.

1988-01-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance has been applied to study the conformational dynamics of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) in solution and in model membranes. In nonviscous solution, 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) showed that alpha-tocopherol is in rapid equilibrium between two or more puckered conformers of its heterocyclic ring. The most likely conformers to be so involved are the two half-chair forms. Deuterium NMR spectra of specifically deuteriated alpha-tocopherol in multilamellar dispersions of egg phosphatidylcholine, measured in the liquid-crystalline state, were characteristic of axially symmetric motional averaging. The orientation of the rotational axis within the molecular framework was determined. Studies on oriented multilamellar membranes revealed that this axis is perpendicular to the surface of the membrane. The profile of quadrupolar splittings along the hydrophobic tail does not have a plateau, in contrast to that of the fatty acyl chains of the membrane lipids. Longitudinal relaxation times (T1) were short. The presence of a minimum in their temperature dependence shows that molecular motion with an effective correlation time tau eff approximately equal to 3 X 10(-9)s is responsible for relaxation. However, the temperatures and absolute values of the minima depend on the position of the deuterium in the molecule, demonstrating that tau eff represents a complex blend of motions

Recent advances on polymeric membranes for membrane reactors

KAUST Repository

Buonomenna, M. G.; Choi, Seung Hak

2012-01-01

. The successful use of membranes in membrane reactors is primary the result of two developments concerning: (i) membrane materials and (ii) membrane structures. The selection of a suited material and preparation technique depends on the application the membrane

The role of hydrophobic interactions in positioning of peripheral proteins in membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lomize Mikhail A

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Three-dimensional (3D structures of numerous peripheral membrane proteins have been determined. Biological activity, stability, and conformations of these proteins depend on their spatial positions with respect to the lipid bilayer. However, these positions are usually undetermined. Results We report the first large-scale computational study of monotopic/peripheral proteins with known 3D structures. The optimal translational and rotational positions of 476 proteins are determined by minimizing energy of protein transfer from water to the lipid bilayer, which is approximated by a hydrocarbon slab with a decadiene-like polarity and interfacial regions characterized by water-permeation profiles. Predicted membrane-binding sites, protein tilt angles and membrane penetration depths are consistent with spin-labeling, chemical modification, fluorescence, NMR, mutagenesis, and other experimental studies of 53 peripheral proteins and peptides. Experimental membrane binding affinities of peripheral proteins were reproduced in cases that did not involve a helix-coil transition, specific binding of lipids, or a predominantly electrostatic association. Coordinates of all examined peripheral proteins and peptides with the calculated hydrophobic membrane boundaries, subcellular localization, topology, structural classification, and experimental references are available through the Orientations of Proteins in Membranes (OPM database. Conclusion Positions of diverse peripheral proteins and peptides in the lipid bilayer can be accurately predicted using their 3D structures that represent a proper membrane-bound conformation and oligomeric state, and have membrane binding elements present. The success of the implicit solvation model suggests that hydrophobic interactions are usually sufficient to determine the spatial position of a protein in the membrane, even when electrostatic interactions or specific binding of lipids are substantial. Our

Recent advances on polymeric membranes for membrane reactors

KAUST Repository

Buonomenna, M. G.

2012-06-24

Membrane reactors are generally applied in high temperature reactions (>400 °C). In the field of fine chemical synthesis, however, much milder conditions are generally applicable and polymeric membranes were applied without their damage. The successful use of membranes in membrane reactors is primary the result of two developments concerning: (i) membrane materials and (ii) membrane structures. The selection of a suited material and preparation technique depends on the application the membrane is to be used in. In this chapter a review of up to date literature about polymers and configuration catalyst/ membranes used in some recent polymeric membrane reactors is given. The new emerging concept of polymeric microcapsules as catalytic microreactors has been proposed. © 2012 Bentham Science Publishers. All rights reserved.

Physiologically-Relevant Modes of Membrane Interactions by the Human Antimicrobial Peptide, LL-37, Revealed by SFG Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Bei; Soblosky, Lauren; Nguyen, Khoi; Geng, Junqing; Yu, Xinglong; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy; Chen, Zhan

2013-05-01

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) could become the next generation antibiotic compounds which can overcome bacterial resistance by disrupting cell membranes and it is essential to determine the factors underlying its mechanism of action. Although high-resolution NMR and other biological studies have provided valuable insights, it has been a major challenge to follow the AMP-membrane interactions at physiologically-relevant low peptide concentrations. In this study, we demonstrate a novel approach to overcome this major limitation by performing Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopic experiments on lipid bilayers containing an AMP, LL-37. Our results demonstrate the power of SFG to study non-linear helical peptides and also infer that lipid-peptide interaction and the peptide orientation depend on the lipid membrane composition. The observed SFG signal changes capture the aggregating process of LL-37 on membrane. In addition, our SFG results on cholesterol-containing lipid bilayers indicate the inhibition effect of cholesterol on peptide-induced membrane permeation process.

Uniquely different PVA-xanthan gum irradiated membranes as transdermal diltiazem delivery device.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhunia, Tridib; Giri, Arindam; Nasim, Tanbir; Chattopadhyay, Dipankar; Bandyopadhyay, Abhijit

2013-06-05

This paper reports interesting differences between physical and mechanical properties of various membranes prepared from high and low molecular weight poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and xanthan gum (XG) blends irradiated under low dose electron beam. The membranes were designed for sustained delivery of diltiazem hydrochloride through skin. Electron beam irradiation produced crosslinks and turned PVA into crystalline phase from its amorphous organization in the unirradiated state. PVA crystals were fibrillar at low XG content (1 wt.%) when the molecular weight was high while similar orientation at higher XG content (5 wt.%) when the molecular weight was low. Low molecular weight PVA-XG membranes showed equivalent physical properties under dry condition but wet-mechanical properties were superior for high molecular weight PVA-XG hybrids. Both of them showed slow and sustained diltiazem release but the later induced slightly slower release despite low drug encapsulation efficiency due to its better wet mechanical strength. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topology of membrane proteins-predictions, limitations and variations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsirigos, Konstantinos D; Govindarajan, Sudha; Bassot, Claudio; Västermark, Åke; Lamb, John; Shu, Nanjiang; Elofsson, Arne

2017-10-26

Transmembrane proteins perform a variety of important biological functions necessary for the survival and growth of the cells. Membrane proteins are built up by transmembrane segments that span the lipid bilayer. The segments can either be in the form of hydrophobic alpha-helices or beta-sheets which create a barrel. A fundamental aspect of the structure of transmembrane proteins is the membrane topology, that is, the number of transmembrane segments, their position in the protein sequence and their orientation in the membrane. Along these lines, many predictive algorithms for the prediction of the topology of alpha-helical and beta-barrel transmembrane proteins exist. The newest algorithms obtain an accuracy close to 80% both for alpha-helical and beta-barrel transmembrane proteins. However, lately it has been shown that the simplified picture presented when describing a protein family by its topology is limited. To demonstrate this, we highlight examples where the topology is either not conserved in a protein superfamily or where the structure cannot be described solely by the topology of a protein. The prediction of these non-standard features from sequence alone was not successful until the recent revolutionary progress in 3D-structure prediction of proteins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative Study of MIL-96(Al) as Continuous Metal-Organic Frameworks Layer and Mixed-Matrix Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Knebel, Alexander; Friebe, Sebastian; Bigall, Nadja Carola; Benzaqui, Marvin; Serre, Christian; Caro, Jürgen

2016-03-23

MIL-96(Al) layers were prepared as supported metal-organic frameworks membrane via reactive seeding using the α-alumina support as the Al source for the formation of the MIL-96(Al) seeds. Depending on the solvent mixture employed during seed formation, two different crystal morphologies, with different orientation of the transport-active channels, have been formed. This crystal orientation and habit is predefined by the seed crystals and is kept in the subsequent growth of the seeds to continuous layers. In the gas separation of an equimolar H2/CO2 mixture, the hydrogen permeability of the two supported MIL-96(Al) layers was found to be highly dependent on the crystal morphology and the accompanied channel orientation in the layer. In addition to the neat supported MIL-96(Al) membrane layers, mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs, 10 wt % filler loading) as a composite of MIL-96(Al) particles as filler in a continuous Matrimid polymer phase have been prepared. Five particle sizes of MIL-96(Al) between 3.2 μm and 55 nm were synthesized. In the preparation of the MIL-96(Al)/Matrimid MMM (10 wt % filler loading), the following preparation problems have been identified: The bigger micrometer-sized MIL-96(Al) crystals show a trend toward sedimentation during casting of the MMM, whereas for nanoparticles aggregation and recrystallization to micrometer-sized MIL-96(Al) crystals has been observed. Because of these preparation problems for MMM, the neat supported MIL-96(Al) layers show a relatively high H2/CO2 selectivity (≈9) and a hydrogen permeance approximately 2 magnitudes higher than that of the best MMM.

Structural role of lipids in mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes: freeze-fracture electron microscopy studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Packer, L; Mehard, C W; Meissner, G; Zahler, W L; Fleischer, S

1974-01-01

The role of phospholipid in the structure of the membranes of beef heart mitochondria and of the sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes from rabbit skeletal muscle has been investigated by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Progressive removal of membrane phospholipids, by phospholipase A treatment or detergent treatment, or by organic solvent extraction, results in loss of the smooth background seen in membrane fracture faces and decreased ability of membrane to undergo freeze fracture to yield fracture faces. Instead cross-sections of vesicles or particle clusters are observed. Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles have a 9 to 1 asymmetry in the distribution of particles between the convex and concave fracture faces. There is also a wide range of particle size distribution in both of these fracture faces with 85-A particles in greatest number. The removal of membrane associated proteins by detergent extraction does not appreciably change the distribution in particle size. Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were dissolved with detergent and reassembled to form membrane vesicles containing mainly one protein (approx. 90%), i.e., the Ca/sup 2 +/ pump protein, and with a ratio of lipid to protein similar to the original membrane. The reconstituted vesicles readily underwent freeze fracture but the asymmetric particle distribution between the fracture faces was no longer observed. The size distribution of particles in the reconstituted membrane, consisting mainly of Ca/sup 2 +/ pump protein, and phospholipid, was similar in heterogeneity to the original sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. Thus the heterogeneity in particle size could reflect variation in the orientation of the Ca/sup 2 +/ pump protein within the membrane.

Theoretical and experimental study of stochastic effects on polarization rotation in a vectorial bistable laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Kamal P.; Ropars, Guy; Brunel, Marc; Le Floch, Albert

2006-01-01

We investigate the two-dimensional optical rotor of a weakly modulated vectorial bistable laser submitted to a single or multiple stochastic perturbations. In the Langevin-type equation of the rotor the role of an even or odd input forcing function on the system dynamics is isolated. Through these two inputs of optical and magnetic natures we verify that the stochastic resonance exists only when the periodic modulation acts on the even parity optical input. When two mutually correlated noises are simultaneously submitted to the input functions of opposite parities, we find a critical regime of the noise interplay whereby one stable state becomes noise-free. In this case, the residence time of the light vector in the noise-free state diverges which leads to a collapse of the output signal-to-noise ratio. But, in this critical regime also obtained when one noise drives both the even and odd functions, if the system symmetry is broken through an independent lever control, we can recover the switching cycle due to a new response mechanism, namely, the dual stochastic response, with a specific output signal-to-noise ratio expression. Both the theoretical analysis and the experiment show that the signal-to-noise ratio now displays a robust behavior for a large range of the input noise amplitude, and a plateau with respect to the input signal amplitude. Furthermore, we isolate an original signature of this synchronization mechanism in the residence-time distribution leading to a broadband forcing frequency range. These noise interplay effects in a double well potential are of generic nature and could be found in other nonlinear systems

Membrane fouling mechanism of biofilm-membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR): Pore blocking model and membrane cleaning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Wenxiang; Tang, Bing; Ding, Jie; Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Zhien

2018-02-01

Biofilm membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR) is considered as an important wastewater treatment technology that incorporates advantages of both biofilm and MBR process, as well as can alleviate membrane fouling, with respect to the conventional activated sludge MBR. But, to be efficient, it necessitates the establishment of proper methods for the assessment of membrane fouling. Four Hermia membrane blocking models were adopted to quantify and evaluate the membrane fouling of BF-MBR. The experiments were conducted with various operational conditions, including membrane types, agitation speeds and transmembrane pressure (TMP). Good agreement between cake formation model and experimental data was found, confirming the validity of the Hermia models for assessing the membrane fouling of BF-MBR and that cake layer deposits on membrane. Moreover, the influences of membrane types, agitation speeds and transmembrane pressure on the Hermia pore blocking coefficient of cake layer were investigated. In addition, the permeability recovery after membrane cleaning at various operational conditions was studied. This work confirms that, unlike conventional activated sludge MBR, BF-MBR possesses a low degree of membrane fouling and a higher membrane permeability recovery after cleaning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Responses Require Actions of the Melanocortin-2 Receptor Accessory Protein on the Extracellular Surface of the Plasma Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Malik, Sundeep; Dolan, Terrance M; Maben, Zachary J; Hinkle, Patricia M

2015-11-13

The melanocortin-2 (MC2) receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor that mediates responses to ACTH. The MC2 receptor acts in concert with the MC2 receptor accessory protein (MRAP) that is absolutely required for ACTH binding and signaling. MRAP has a single transmembrane domain and forms a highly unusual antiparallel homodimer that is stably associated with MC2 receptors at the plasma membrane. Despite the physiological importance of the interaction between the MC2 receptor and MRAP, there is little understanding of how the accessory protein works. The dual topology of MRAP has made it impossible to determine whether highly conserved and necessary regions of MRAP are required on the intracellular or extracellular face of the plasma membrane. The strategy used here was to fix the orientation of two antiparallel MRAP molecules and then introduce inactivating mutations on one side of the membrane or the other. This was achieved by engineering proteins containing tandem copies of MRAP fused to the amino terminus of the MC2 receptor. The data firmly establish that only the extracellular amino terminus (Nout) copy of MRAP, oriented with critical segments on the extracellular side of the membrane, is essential. The transmembrane domain of MRAP is also required in only the Nout orientation. Finally, activity of MRAP-MRAP-MC2-receptor fusion proteins with inactivating mutations in either MRAP or the receptor was rescued by co-expression of free wild-type MRAP or free wild-type receptor. These results show that the basic MRAP-MRAP-receptor signaling unit forms higher order complexes and that these multimers signal. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Complete topology inversion can be part of normal membrane protein biogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodall, Nicholas B; Hadley, Sarah; Yin, Ying; Bowie, James U

2017-04-01

The topology of helical membrane proteins is generally defined during insertion of the transmembrane helices, yet it is now clear that it is possible for topology to change under unusual circumstances. It remains unclear, however, if topology reorientation is part of normal biogenesis. For dual topology dimer proteins such as the multidrug transporter EmrE, there may be evolutionary pressure to allow topology flipping so that the populations of both orientations can be equalized. We previously demonstrated that when EmrE is forced to insert in a distorted topology, topology flipping of the first transmembrane helix can occur during translation. Here, we show that topological malleability also extends to the C-terminal helix and that even complete topology inversion of the entire EmrE protein can occur after the full protein is translated and inserted. Thus, topology rearrangements are possible during normal biogenesis. Wholesale topology flipping is remarkable given the physical constraints of the membrane and expands the range of possible membrane protein folding pathways, both productive and detrimental. © 2017 The Protein Society.

Sum frequency generation image reconstruction: Aliphatic membrane under spherical cap geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volkov, Victor [Bereozovaya 2A, Konstantinovo, Moscow Region 140207 (Russian Federation)

2014-10-07

The article explores an opportunity to approach structural properties of phospholipid membranes using Sum Frequency Generation microscopy. To establish the principles of sum frequency generation image reconstruction in such systems, at first approach, we may adopt an idealistic spherical cap uniform assembly of hydrocarbon molecules. Quantum mechanical studies for decanoic acid (used here as a representative molecular system) provide necessary information on transition dipole moments and Raman tensors of the normal modes specific to methyl terminal – a typical moiety in aliphatic (and phospholipid) membranes. Relative degree of localization and frequencies of the normal modes of methyl terminals make nonlinearities of this moiety to be promising in structural analysis using Sum Frequency Generation imaging. Accordingly, the article describes derivations of relevant macroscopic nonlinearities and suggests a mapping procedure to translate amplitudes of the nonlinearities onto microscopy image plane according to geometry of spherical assembly, local molecular orientation, and optical geometry. Reconstructed images indicate a possibility to extract local curvature of bilayer envelopes of spherical character. This may have practical implications for structural extractions in membrane systems of practical relevance.

Assessing the vulnerability of Brazilian municipalities to the vectorial transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi using multi-criteria decision analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinhaes, Márcio Costa; de Oliveira, Stefan Vilges; Reis, Priscilleyne Ouverney; de Lacerda Sousa, Ana Carolina; Silva, Rafaella Albuquerque E; Obara, Marcos Takashi; Bezerra, Cláudia Mendonça; da Costa, Veruska Maia; Alves, Renato Vieira; Gurgel-Gonçalves, Rodrigo

2014-09-01

Despite the dramatic reduction in Trypanosoma cruzi vectorial transmission in Brazil, acute cases of Chagas disease (CD) continue to be recorded. The identification of areas with greater vulnerability to the occurrence of vector-borne CD is essential to prevention, control, and surveillance activities. In the current study, data on the occurrence of domiciliated triatomines in Brazil (non-Amazonian regions) between 2007 and 2011 were analyzed. Municipalities' vulnerability was assessed based on socioeconomic, demographic, entomological, and environmental indicators using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Overall, 2275 municipalities were positive for at least one of the six triatomine species analyzed (Panstrongylus megistus, Triatoma infestans, Triatoma brasiliensis, Triatoma pseudomaculata, Triatoma rubrovaria, and Triatoma sordida). The municipalities that were most vulnerable to vector-borne CD were mainly in the northeast region and exhibited a higher occurrence of domiciliated triatomines, lower socioeconomic levels, and more extensive anthropized areas. Most of the 39 new vector-borne CD cases confirmed between 2001 and 2012 in non-Amazonian regions occurred within the more vulnerable municipalities. Thus, MCDA can help to identify the states and municipalities that are most vulnerable to the transmission of T. cruzi by domiciliated triatomines, which is critical for directing adequate surveillance, prevention, and control activities. The methodological approach and results presented here can be used to enhance CD surveillance in Brazil. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Membrane dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendix, Pól Martin

2015-01-01

Current topics include membrane-protein interactions with regard to membrane deformation or curvature sensing by BAR domains. Also, we study the dynamics of membrane tubes of both cells and simple model membrane tubes. Finally, we study membrane phase behavior which has important implications...... for the lateral organization of membranes as wells as for physical properties like bending, permeability and elasticity...

Inverse colloidal crystal membranes for hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Anh T; Wang, Xinying; Wickramasinghe, S Ranil; Yu, Bing; Yuan, Hua; Cong, Hailin; Luo, Yongli; Tang, Jianguo

2015-08-01

Hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography has gained interest due to its excellent performance in the purification of humanized monoclonal antibodies. The membrane material used in hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography has typically been commercially available polyvinylidene fluoride. In this contribution, newly developed inverse colloidal crystal membranes that have uniform pores, high porosity and, therefore, high surface area for protein binding are used as hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography membranes for humanized monoclonal antibody immunoglobulin G purification. The capacity of the inverse colloidal crystal membranes developed here is up to ten times greater than commercially available polyvinylidene fluoride membranes with a similar pore size. This work highlights the importance of developing uniform pore size high porosity membranes in order to maximize the capacity of hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Controlled Vectorial Electron Transfer and Photoelectrochemical Applications of Layered Relay/Photosensitizer-Imprinted Au Nanoparticle Architectures on Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Metzger, Tzuriel S; Tel-Vered, Ran; Willner, Itamar

2016-03-23

Two configurations of molecularly imprinted bis-aniline-bridged Au nanoparticles (NPs) for the specific binding of the electron acceptor N,N'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium (MV(2+) ) and for the photosensitizer Zn(II)-protoporphyrin IX (Zn(II)-PP-IX) are assembled on electrodes, and the photoelectrochemical features of the two configurations are discussed. Configuration I includes the MV(2+) -imprinted Au NPs matrix as a base layer, on which the Zn(II)-PP-IX-imprinted Au NPs layer is deposited, while configuration II consists of a bilayer corresponding to the reversed imprinting order. Irradiation of the two electrodes in the presence of a benzoquinone/benzohydroquinone redox probe yields photocurrents of unique features: (i) Whereas configuration I yields an anodic photocurrent, the photocurrent generated by configuration II is cathodic. (ii) The photocurrents obtained upon irradiation of the imprinted electrodes are substantially higher as compared to the nonimprinted surfaces. The high photocurrents generated by the imprinted Au NPs-modified electrodes are attributed to the effective loading of the imprinted matrices with the MV(2+) and Zn(II)-PP-IX units and to the effective charge separation proceeding in the systems. The directional anodic/cathodic photocurrents are rationalized in terms of vectorial electron transfer processes dictated by the imprinting order and by the redox potentials of the photosensitizer/electron acceptor units associated with the imprinted sites in the two configurations. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Orientation determination of interfacial beta-sheet structures in situ.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Khoi Tan; King, John Thomas; Chen, Zhan

2010-07-01

Structural information such as orientations of interfacial proteins and peptides is important for understanding properties and functions of such biological molecules, which play crucial roles in biological applications and processes such as antimicrobial selectivity, membrane protein activity, biocompatibility, and biosensing performance. The alpha-helical and beta-sheet structures are the most widely encountered secondary structures in peptides and proteins. In this paper, for the first time, a method to quantify the orientation of the interfacial beta-sheet structure using a combined attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopic (ATR-FTIR) and sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopic study was developed. As an illustration of the methodology, the orientation of tachyplesin I, a 17 amino acid peptide with an antiparallel beta-sheet, adsorbed to polymer surfaces as well as associated with a lipid bilayer was determined using the regular and chiral SFG spectra, together with polarized ATR-FTIR amide I signals. Both the tilt angle (theta) and the twist angle (psi) of the beta-sheet at interfaces are determined. The developed method in this paper can be used to obtain in situ structural information of beta-sheet components in complex molecules. The combination of this method and the existing methodology that is currently used to investigate alpha-helical structures will greatly broaden the application of optical spectroscopy in physical chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology.

Smart membranes for monitoring membrane based desalination processes

KAUST Repository

Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem; Karam, Ayman M.

2017-01-01

Various examples are related to smart membranes for monitoring membrane based process such as, e.g., membrane distillation processes. In one example, a membrane, includes a porous surface and a plurality of sensors (e.g., temperature, flow and

Electrochemical growth of highly oriented organic-inorganic superlattices using solid-supported multilamellar membranes as templates.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Li-Li; Li, Da-Peng; Hu, Shu-Xin; Jing, Huai-Yu; Fu, Honglan; Mai, Zhen-Hong; Li, Ming

2006-02-08

Controllable depositing of relatively thick inorganic sublayers into organic templates to fabricate organic-inorganic superlattices is of great importance. We report a novel approach to fabricating phospholipid/Ni(OH)(2) superlattices by electrochemical deposition of the inorganic component into solid-supported multilamellar templates. The well-ordered and highly oriented multilamellar templates are produced by spreading small drops of lipid solution on silicon surfaces and letting the solvent evaporate slowly. The templates which are used as working electrodes preserve the lamellar structure in the electrolyte solution. The resulting superlattices are highly oriented. The thickness of the nickel hydroxide is controlled by the concentration of nickel ions in the electrolyte bath. The electron density profiles derived from the X-ray diffraction data reveal that the thickness of the nickel hydroxide sublayers increases from 15 to 27 A as the concentration of nickel nitrate increases from 0.005 mol/L to 0.08 mol/L. We expect that the new method can be extended to depositing a variety of inorganic components including metals, oxides, and semiconductors.

Biomimetic membranes and methods of making biomimetic membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Rempe, Susan; Brinker, Jeffrey C.; Rogers, David Michael; Jiang, Ying-Bing; Yang, Shaorong

2016-11-08

The present disclosure is directed to biomimetic membranes and methods of manufacturing such membranes that include structural features that mimic the structures of cellular membrane channels and produce membrane designs capable of high selectivity and high permeability or adsorptivity. The membrane structure, material and chemistry can be selected to perform liquid separations, gas separation and capture, ion transport and adsorption for a variety of applications.

Gel layer formation on membranes in Membrane Bioreactors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van den Brink, P.F.H.

2014-01-01

The widespread application of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for municipal wastewater treatment is hampered by membrane fouling. Fouling increases energy demand, reduces process performance and creates the need for more frequent (chemical) membrane cleaning or replacement. Membrane fouling in MBRs is

Reinforced PEI/PVdF Multicore-Shell Structure Composite Membranes by Phase Prediction on a Ternary Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jihye Chae

2018-04-01

Full Text Available To construct a polyetherimide (PEI-reinforced polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF composite membrane with multicore-shell structure, a ternary solution was prepared and electrospun by single-nozzle electrospinning. A theoretical prediction was made for the feasibility of complete distinction of two phases. The diameters of the membrane fibers and the PEI multi-core fibrils varied with the PEI ratio and the spinning time, respectively. The tensile strength and modulus were improved to 48 MPa and 1.5 GPa, respectively. The shrinkage of the membrane was only 6.6% at 180 °C, at which temperature the commercial PE separator melted down. The reinforcement in mechanical and thermal properties is associated with multiple PEI nanofibrils oriented along the fiber axis. Indeed, the unique morphology of self-assembled multicore-shell fibers plays an important role in their properties. All in all, PEI/PVdF membranes are appropriate for a lithium-ion battery application due to their high mechanical strength, excellent thermal stability, and controllable textural properties.

Nanodisc-solubilized membrane protein library reflects the membrane proteome.

Science.gov (United States)

Marty, Michael T; Wilcox, Kyle C; Klein, William L; Sligar, Stephen G

2013-05-01

The isolation and identification of unknown membrane proteins offers the prospect of discovering new pharmaceutical targets and identifying key biochemical receptors. However, interactions between membrane protein targets and soluble ligands are difficult to study in vitro due to the insolubility of membrane proteins in non-detergent systems. Nanodiscs, nanoscale discoidal lipid bilayers encircled by a membrane scaffold protein belt, have proven to be an effective platform to solubilize membrane proteins and have been used to study a wide variety of purified membrane proteins. This report details the incorporation of an unbiased population of membrane proteins from Escherichia coli membranes into Nanodiscs. This solubilized membrane protein library (SMPL) forms a soluble in vitro model of the membrane proteome. Since Nanodiscs contain isolated proteins or small complexes, the SMPL is an ideal platform for interactomics studies and pull-down assays of membrane proteins. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the protein population before and after formation of the Nanodisc library indicates that a large percentage of the proteins are incorporated into the library. Proteomic identification of several prominent bands demonstrates the successful incorporation of outer and inner membrane proteins into the Nanodisc library.

Diffraction limited focusing with controllable arbitrary three-dimensional polarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Weibin; Zhan, Qiwen

2010-01-01

We propose a new approach that enables full control over the three-dimensional state of polarization and the field distribution near the focus of a high numerical aperture objective lens. By combining the electric dipole radiation and a vectorial diffraction method, the input field at the pupil plane for generating arbitrary three-dimensionally oriented linear polarization at the focal point with a diffraction limited spot size is found analytically by solving the inverse problem. Arbitrary three-dimensional elliptical polarization can be obtained by introducing a second electric dipole oriented in the orthogonal plane with appropriate amplitude and phase differences

Flux Enhancement in Membrane Distillation Using Nanofiber Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Jiříček

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Membrane distillation (MD is an emerging separation technology, whose largest application potential lies in the desalination of highly concentrated solutions, which are out of the scope of reverse osmosis. Despite many attractive features, this technology is still awaiting large industrial application. The main reason is the lack of commercially available membranes with fluxes comparable to reverse osmosis. MD is a thermal separation process driven by a partial vapour pressure difference. Flux, distillate purity, and thermal efficiency are always in conflict, all three being strictly connected with pore size, membrane hydrophobicity, and thickness. The world has not seen the ideal membrane yet, but nanofibers may offer a solution to these contradictory requirements. Membranes of electrospun PVDF were tested under various conditions on a direct contact (DCMD unit, in order to determine the optimum conditions for maximum flux. In addition, their performance was compared to commonly available PTFE, PE, and PES membranes. It was confirmed that thinner membranes have higher fluxes and a lower distillate purity and also higher energy losses via conduction across the membrane. As both mass and heat transfer are connected, it is best to develop new membranes with a target application in mind, for the specific membrane module and operational conditions.

Fabrication of electrospun nanofibrous membranes for membrane distillation application

KAUST Repository

Francis, Lijo

2013-02-01

Nanofibrous membranes of Matrimid have been successfully fabricated using an electrospinning technique under optimized conditions. Nanofibrous membranes are found to be highly hydrophobic with a high water contact angle of 130°. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and pore size distribution analysis revealed the big pore size structure of electrospun membranes to be greater than 2 μm and the pore size distribution is found to be narrow. Flat sheet Matrimid membranes were fabricated via casting followed by phase inversion. The morphology, pore size distribution, and water contact angle were measured and compared with the electrospun membranes. Both membranes fabricated by electrospinning and phase inversion techniques were tested in a direct contact membrane distillation process. Electrospun membranes showed high water vapor flux of 56 kg/m2-h, which is very high compared to the casted membrane as well as most of the fabricated and commercially available highly hydrophobic membranes. ©2013 Desalination Publications.

Nanoparticle orientation to control RNA loading and ligand display on extracellular vesicles for cancer regression

Science.gov (United States)

Pi, Fengmei; Binzel, Daniel W.; Lee, Tae Jin; Li, Zhefeng; Sun, Meiyan; Rychahou, Piotr; Li, Hui; Haque, Farzin; Wang, Shaoying; Croce, Carlo M.; Guo, Bin; Evers, B. Mark; Guo, Peixuan

2018-01-01

Nanotechnology offers many benefits, and here we report an advantage of applying RNA nanotechnology for directional control. The orientation of arrow-shaped RNA was altered to control ligand display on extracellular vesicle membranes for specific cell targeting, or to regulate intracellular trafficking of small interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA). Placing membrane-anchoring cholesterol at the tail of the arrow results in display of RNA aptamer or folate on the outer surface of the extracellular vesicle. In contrast, placing the cholesterol at the arrowhead results in partial loading of RNA nanoparticles into the extracellular vesicles. Taking advantage of the RNA ligand for specific targeting and extracellular vesicles for efficient membrane fusion, the resulting ligand-displaying extracellular vesicles were capable of specific delivery of siRNA to cells, and efficiently blocked tumour growth in three cancer models. Extracellular vesicles displaying an aptamer that binds to prostate-specific membrane antigen, and loaded with survivin siRNA, inhibited prostate cancer xenograft. The same extracellular vesicle instead displaying epidermal growth-factor receptor aptamer inhibited orthotopic breast cancer models. Likewise, survivin siRNA-loaded and folate-displaying extracellular vesicles inhibited patient-derived colorectal cancer xenograft.

Alternative energy efficient membrane bioreactor using reciprocating submerged membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, J; Smith, S; Roh, H K

2014-01-01

A novel membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot system, using membrane reciprocation instead of air scouring, was operated at constant high flux and daily fluctuating flux to demonstrate its application under peak and diurnal flow conditions. Low and stable transmembrane pressure was achieved at 40 l/m(2)/h (LMH) by use of repetitive membrane reciprocation. The results reveal that the inertial forces acting on the membrane fibers effectively propel foulants from the membrane surface. Reciprocation of the hollow fiber membrane is beneficial for the constant removal of solids that may build up on the membrane surface and inside the membrane bundle. The membrane reciprocation in the reciprocating MBR pilot consumed less energy than coarse air scouring used in conventional MBR systems. Specific energy consumption for the membrane reciprocation was 0.072 kWh/m(3) permeate produced at 40 LMH flux, which is 75% less than for a conventional air scouring system as reported in literature without consideration of energy consumption for biological aeration (0.29 kWh/m(3)). The daily fluctuating flux test confirmed that the membrane reciprocation is effective to handle fluctuating flux up to 50 LMH. The pilot-scale reciprocating MBR system successfully demonstrated that fouling can be controlled via 0.43 Hz membrane reciprocation with 44 mm or higher amplitude.

Attosecond control of electron beams at dielectric and absorbing membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Morimoto, Yuya; Baum, Peter

2018-03-01

Ultrashort electron pulses are crucial for time-resolved electron diffraction and microscopy of the fundamental light-matter interaction. In this work, we study experimentally and theoretically the generation and characterization of attosecond electron pulses by optical-field-driven compression and streaking at dielectric or absorbing interaction elements. The achievable acceleration and deflection gradient depends on the laser-electron angle, the laser's electric and magnetic field directions, and the foil orientation. Electric and magnetic fields have similar contributions to the final effect and both need to be considered. Experiments and theory agree well and reveal the optimum conditions for highly efficient, velocity-matched electron-field interactions in the longitudinal or transverse direction. We find that metallic membranes are optimum for light-electron control at mid-infrared or terahertz wavelengths, but dielectric membranes are excellent in the visible and near-infrared regimes and are therefore ideal for the formation of attosecond electron pulses.

Transport Asymmetry of Novel Bi-Layer Hybrid Perfluorinated Membranes on the Base of MF-4SC Modified by Halloysite Nanotubes with Platinum

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Anatoly Filippov

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Three types of bi-layer hybrid nanocomposites on the base of perfluorinated cation-exchange membrane MF-4SC (Russian analogue of Nafion®-117 were synthesized and characterized. It was found that two membranes possess the noticeable asymmetry of the current–voltage curve (CVC under changing their orientation towards the applied electric field, despite the absence of asymmetry of diffusion permeability. These phenomena were explained in the frame of the “fine-porous model” expanded for bi-layer membranes. A special procedure to calculate the real values of the diffusion layers thickness and the limiting current density was proposed. Due to asymmetry effects of the current voltage curves of bi-layer hybrid membranes on the base of MF-4SC, halloysite nanotubes and platinum nanoparticles, it is prospective to assemble membrane switches (membrane relays or diodes with predictable transport properties, founded upon the theory developed here.

Structure and interactions in biomaterials based on membrane-biopolymer self-assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Koltover, Ilya

Physical and chemical properties of artificial pure lipid membranes have been extensively studied during the last two decades and are relatively well understood. However, most real membrane systems of biological and biotechnological importance incorporate macromolecules either embedded into the membranes or absorbed onto their surfaces. We have investigated three classes of self-assembled membrane-biopolymer biomaterials: (i) Structure, interactions and stability of the two-dimensional crystals of the integral membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin (bR). We have conducted a synchrotron x-ray diffraction study of oriented bR multilayers. The important findings were as follows: (1) the protein 2D lattice exhibited diffraction patterns characteristic of a 2D solid with power-law decay of in-plane positional correlations, which allowed to measure the elastic constants of protein crystal; (2) The crystal melting temperature was a function of the multilayer hydration, reflecting the effect of inter-membrane repulsion on the stability of protein lattice; (3) Preparation of nearly perfect (mosaicity gene therapy applications. We have established that DNA complexes with cationic lipid (DOTAP) and a neutral lipid (DOPC) have a compact multilayer liquid crystalline structure ( L ca ) with DNA intercalated between the lipid bilayers in a periodic 2D smectic phase. Furthermore, a different 2D columnar phase of complexes was found in mixtures with a transfectionen-hancing lipid DOPE. This structure ( HcII ) derived from synchrotron x-ray diffraction consists of DNA coated by cationic lipid monolayers and arranged on a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice. Optical microscopy revealed that the L ca complexes bind stably to anionic vesicles (models of cellular membranes), whereas the more transfectant HcII complexes are unstable, rapidly fusing and releasing DNA upon adhering to anionic vesicles.

Membrane order in the plasma membrane and endocytic recycling compartment.

Science.gov (United States)

Iaea, David B; Maxfield, Frederick R

2017-01-01

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

Model for the orientational ordering of the plant microtubule cortical array

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Rhoda J.; Tindemans, Simon H.; Mulder, Bela M.

2010-07-01

The plant microtubule cortical array is a striking feature of all growing plant cells. It consists of a more or less homogeneously distributed array of highly aligned microtubules connected to the inner side of the plasma membrane and oriented transversely to the cell growth axis. Here, we formulate a continuum model to describe the origin of orientational order in such confined arrays of dynamical microtubules. The model is based on recent experimental observations that show that a growing cortical microtubule can interact through angle dependent collisions with pre-existing microtubules that can lead either to co-alignment of the growth, retraction through catastrophe induction or crossing over the encountered microtubule. We identify a single control parameter, which is fully determined by the nucleation rate and intrinsic dynamics of individual microtubules. We solve the model analytically in the stationary isotropic phase, discuss the limits of stability of this isotropic phase, and explicitly solve for the ordered stationary states in a simplified version of the model.

Understanding voter orientation in the context of political market orientation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ormrod, Robert P.; Henneberg, Stephan C.

2010-01-01

This article develops a conceptual framework and measurement model of political market orientation. The relationships between different behavioural aspects of political market orientation and the attitudinal influences of such behaviour are analysed, and the study includes structural equation...... modelling to test several hypotheses. While the results show that political parties focus on several different aspects of market-oriented behaviour, especially using an internal and societal orientation as cultural antecedents, a more surprising result is the inconclusive effect of a voter orientation...... on political market orientation. This lends support to the argument of 'looking beyond the customer' in political marketing research and practice. The article discusses the findings in the context of the existing literature on political marketing and commercial market orientation....

Environment-oriented low-cost porous mullite ceramic membrane supports fabricated from coal gangue and bauxite.

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, Qikai; Dong, Xinfa; Zhu, Zhiwen; Dong, Yingchao

2014-05-30

Porous mullite ceramic supports for filtration membrane were successfully fabricated via recycling of coal gangue and bauxite at sintering temperatures from 1100 to 1500°C with corn starch as pore-forming agent. The dynamic sintering behaviors, phase evolution, shrinkage, porosity and pore size, gas permeation flux, microstructure and mechanical property were systematically studied. A unique volume-expansion stage was observed at increased temperatures from 1276 to 1481°C caused by a mullitization-crystal-growth process. During this stage, open porosity increases and pore size distributions broaden, which result in a maximum of nitrogen gas flux at 1400°C. The X-ray diffraction results reveal that secondary mullitization took place from 1100°C and the major phase is mullite with a content of ∼84.7wt.% at 1400°C. SEM images show that the as-fabricated mullite supports have a porous microstructure composed of sintered glassy particles embedded with inter-locked mullite crystals, which grew gradually with increasing temperature from rod-like into blocky-like morphologies. To obtain mullite membrane supports with sufficient porosity and acceptable mechanical strength, the relationship between porosity and mechanical strength was investigated, which was fitted using a parabolic equation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical simulation of bubble induced shear in membrane bioreactors: effects of mixed liquor rheology and membrane configuration.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xuefei; Wang, Yuan; Waite, T David; Leslie, Greg

2015-05-15

A CFD model, incorporating an empirically determined rheology model and a porous media model, was developed to simulate bubble induced surface shear in membrane bioreactors configured with hollow fibre membranes with outer diameters ranging from 1.3 to 2.4 mm, arranged in vertically orientated modules with packing density from 200 to 560 m(2)/m(3). The rheology model was developed for mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations of 3 to 16 gL(-1) in the presence and absence of coagulant (generated by addition of a ferrous salt) for shear rates ranging from 0 to 500 s(-1). Experimentally determined particle relaxation times for the biological flocs in the mixed liquor, both in the absence and presence of iron, were negligible, consistent with an environment where positive buoyancy forces were greater than negative settling forces thereby allowing the sludge mixture to be modelled as a single continuous phase. The non-Newtonian behaviour of the mixed liquor was incorporated into the CFD simulations using an Ostwald-de Waele rheology model. Interactions between mixed liquor and hollow fibre membranes of different fibre size and packing density were described using a porous media model that was calibrated by empirical measurement of inertial loss coefficients over a range of viscosities (0.8 × 10(-3) to 2.1 × 10(-3) Pa.s) and velocities (0 to 0.35 m/s) typically encountered in full scale MBRs. Experimental results indicated that addition of iron salts resulted in an increase in MLSS and sludge viscosity. Shear stress is affected by both velocity and viscosity. The increase in sludge viscosity resulted in an increase in resistance to flow through the hollow fibre membrane bundles and, as a result, decreased the liquid flow velocities. CFD simulations provided insight on the effects of point of coagulant addition and MLSS concentration on bubble-induced shear over a range of industrially relevant conditions. A 12% increase in shear stress was observed when

Orientations of Iron-Sulfur Clusters FA and FB in the Homodimeric Type-I Photosynthetic Reaction Center of Heliobacterium modesticaldum.

Science.gov (United States)

Kondo, Toru; Matsuoka, Masahiro; Azai, Chihiro; Itoh, Shigeru; Oh-Oka, Hirozo

2016-05-12

Orientations of the FA and FB iron-sulfur (FeS) clusters in a structure-unknown type-I homodimeric heriobacterial reaction center (hRC) were studied in oriented membranes of the thermophilic anaerobic photosynthetic bacterium Heliobacterium modesticaldum by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and compared with those in heterodimeric photosystem I (PS I). The Rieske-type FeS center in the cytochrome b/c complex showed a well-oriented EPR signal. Illumination at 14 K induced an FB(-) signal with g-axes of gz = 2.066, gy = 1.937, and gx = 1.890, tilted at angles of 60°, 60°, and 45°, respectively, with respect to the membrane normal. Chemical reduction with dithionite produced an additional signal of FA(-), which magnetically interacted with FB(-), with gz = 2.046, gy = 1.942, and gx = 1.911 at 30°, 60°, and 90°, respectively. The angles and redox properties of FA(-) and FB(-) in hRC resemble those of FB(-) and FA(-), respectively, in PS I. Therefore, FA and FB in hRC, named after their g-value similarities, seem to be located like FB and FA, not like FA and FB, respectively, in PS I. The reducing side of hRC could resemble those in PS I, if the names of FA and FB are interchanged with each other.

Estudo da competência vetorial de Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912 para Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis, Vianna, 1911 Study of the vectorial competence of Lutzomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912 to Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis, Vianna, 1911

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Carlos da Silva

2001-04-01

Full Text Available Estudou-se a competência vetorial de Lutzomyia intermedia (Diptera: Psychodidae do Vale do Ribeira (SP para estirpes de Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae, mediante pesquisa de infectividade natural; exposições de fêmeas silvestres e colonizadas (F1 às lesões de hamsters experimentalmente infectados e testes de transmissão via picada. A infectividade natural e os testes de transmissão revelaram-se negativos e, nas exposições, foram obtidas positividades de 74% (123+/166 dissecados e 70% (115+/164 dissecados para fêmeas silvestres e colonizadas respectivamente, e o desenvolvimento das formas evolutivas compatíveis com o modelo Peripilaria. A suscetibilidade às estirpes testadas associada aos indicadores epidemiológicos concorrem para a suspeita do papel vetorial de Lutzomyia intermedia na região estudada.This paper investigated the vectorial competence of Lutzomyia intermedia (Diptera: Psychodidae in Vale do Ribeira (SP to strains of Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae, by means of a search for natural infection; exposure of wild and colonized females (F1 to the lesions of experimentally infected hamsters and transmission tests by bite. The natural infection and the transmission tests were negative. In the exposures of Lu. intermedia to infected lesions we found rates of 74% (123+/166 dissected and 70% (115+/164 dissected for the wild and colonized females respectively. The development of the parasites was compatible with the development model of Peripilaria. The susceptibility of the tested strains associated with the epidemiological indicators contribute to the vectorial role suspicion of Lutzomyia intermedia in the studied region.

Giant plasma membrane vesicles: models for understanding membrane organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Levental, Kandice R; Levental, Ilya

2015-01-01

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

Structure and dynamics of water and lipid molecules in charged anionic DMPG lipid bilayer membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rønnest, A. K.; Peters, Günther H.J.; Hansen, Flemming Yssing

2016-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate the influence of the valency of counter-ions on the structure of freestanding bilayer membranes of the anionic 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DMPG) lipid at 310 K and 1 atm. At this temperature, the membrane is in the fluid...... compared to experimental results and used to determine an average diffusion constant for all water molecules in the system. On extrapolating the diffusion constants inferred experimentally to a temperature of 310 K, reasonable agreement with the simulations is obtained. However, the experiments do not have...... the sensitivity to confirm the diffusion of a small component of water bound to the lipids as found in the simulations. In addition, the orientation of the dipole moment of the water molecules has been determined as a function of their depth in the membrane. Previous indirect estimates of the electrostatic...

Reconstitution of a Kv channel into lipid membranes for structural and functional studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sungsoo; Zheng, Hui; Shi, Liang; Jiang, Qiu-Xing

2013-07-13

To study the lipid-protein interaction in a reductionistic fashion, it is necessary to incorporate the membrane proteins into membranes of well-defined lipid composition. We are studying the lipid-dependent gating effects in a prototype voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel, and have worked out detailed procedures to reconstitute the channels into different membrane systems. Our reconstitution procedures take consideration of both detergent-induced fusion of vesicles and the fusion of protein/detergent micelles with the lipid/detergent mixed micelles as well as the importance of reaching an equilibrium distribution of lipids among the protein/detergent/lipid and the detergent/lipid mixed micelles. Our data suggested that the insertion of the channels in the lipid vesicles is relatively random in orientations, and the reconstitution efficiency is so high that no detectable protein aggregates were seen in fractionation experiments. We have utilized the reconstituted channels to determine the conformational states of the channels in different lipids, record electrical activities of a small number of channels incorporated in planar lipid bilayers, screen for conformation-specific ligands from a phage-displayed peptide library, and support the growth of 2D crystals of the channels in membranes. The reconstitution procedures described here may be adapted for studying other membrane proteins in lipid bilayers, especially for the investigation of the lipid effects on the eukaryotic voltage-gated ion channels.

Structure and physical properties of bio membranes and model membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tibor Hianik

2006-01-01

Bio membranes belong to the most important structures of the cell and the cell organelles. They play not only structural role of the barrier separating the external and internal part of the membrane but contain also various functional molecules, like receptors, ionic channels, carriers and enzymes. The cell membrane also preserves non-equilibrium state in a cell which is crucial for maintaining its excitability and other signaling functions. The growing interest to the bio membranes is also due to their unique physical properties. From physical point of view the bio membranes, that are composed of lipid bilayer into which are incorporated integral proteins and on their surface are anchored peripheral proteins and polysaccharides, represent liquid s crystal of smectic type. The bio membranes are characterized by anisotropy of structural and physical properties. The complex structure of bio membranes makes the study of their physical properties rather difficult. Therefore several model systems that mimic the structure of bio membranes were developed. Among them the lipid monolayers at an air-water interphase, bilayer lipid membranes, supported bilayer lipid membranes and liposomes are most known. This work is focused on the introduction into the physical word of the bio membranes and their models. After introduction to the membrane structure and the history of its establishment, the physical properties of the bio membranes and their models are stepwise presented. The most focus is on the properties of lipid monolayers, bilayer lipid membranes, supported bilayer lipid membranes and liposomes that were most detailed studied. This lecture has tutorial character that may be useful for undergraduate and graduate students in the area of biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology and bioengineering, however it contains also original work of the author and his co-worker and PhD students, that may be useful also for specialists working in the field of bio membranes and model

Distribution of anionic sites in Bruch's membrane of the rabbit eye.

Science.gov (United States)

Essner, E; Pino, R M

1982-06-01

The organization of anionic (negatively charged) sites in Bruch's membrane of the rabbit eye at various stages of postnatal development was studied using the cationic polymer, polyethyleneimine (PEI). PEI-positive sites were demonstrable as rows of particles (diameter ca. 18 nm) located at intervals along either side of the basal laminae of the retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillary endothelium. In tangential sections through Bruch's membrane, stained particles appeared to be arranged in a semi-regular, lattice-like pattern in which the sites were separated from each other by an interval of approximately 50 nm. PEI-positive particles were also observed on collagen fibers where they were distributed at regular intervals along the length of the fiber. In tangential sections, collagen fibers formed a loosely packed meshwork in the central zone of Bruch's membrane. In addition, individual fibers were frequently oriented so that one end was located close to or within the substance of the basal laminae, a result suggesting that the anionic sites on these fibers might contribute to the network present in the basal laminae. The findings lend further support to the suggestion that anionic sites in Bruch's membrane may serve as a charge barrier which retards the movement of anionic molecules that are in transit from the choriocapillaris to the retinal pigment epithelium and outer neural retina.

Determination of Age and Vectorial Capacity of Anopheles Maculipennis Sensu Lato in the Central Plateau of Iran

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Hamideh Edalat

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Islamic Republic of Iran has greatly reduced its malaria burden and has a national goal to eliminate malaria by 2025. The aim of this study was to determine the population dynamics of Anopheles maculipennis sensu lato, in relation to probable malaria transmission. For this purpose, the study was conducted in three villages in Isfahan Province of Iran, from April to March 2014. Materials and Methods: Two mosquitoes sampling methods were conducted, comprises human landing catch and human bed net collection. The results of this investigation were subjected to one-way ANOVA using SPSS. Results: A. maculipennis s.l. was found as a dominant vector with exophagic and endophilic behavior. Two peaks of blood feeding were observed, 9.00-10.00 p.m and 1.00-2.00 a.m. The gonotrophic cycle, survival rate, and life expectancy of the species were 4, 0.82, and 5 days, respectively. Malaria vectorial capacity of A. maculipennis was measured 0.0128 and 0.059 for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium Falciparum, respectively. Conclusion: The findings indicate that there is a negative correlation between the temperature and daily age of A. maculipennis s.l. The method described can be used as a standard method to determine the daily age of Anopheles, as well as of other mosquito species since it is fast and precise and needs small samples. Survey on the age structure of vectors is very important as it is useful in monitoring the success of large-scale vector control measures.

Polyurethane Nanofiber Membranes for Waste Water Treatment by Membrane Distillation

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T. Jiříček

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Self-sustained electrospun polyurethane nanofiber membranes were manufactured and tested on a direct-contact membrane distillation unit in an effort to find the optimum membrane thickness to maximize flux rate and minimize heat losses across the membrane. Also salt retention and flux at high salinities up to 100 g kg−1 were evaluated. Even though the complex structure of nanofiber layers has extreme specific surface and porosity, membrane performance was surprisingly predictable; the highest flux was achieved with the thinnest membranes and the best energy efficiency was achieved with the thickest membranes. All membranes had salt retention above 99%. Nanotechnology offers the potential to find modern solutions for desalination of waste waters, by introducing new materials with revolutionary properties, but new membranes must be developed according to the target application.

Control de velocidad de un motor de inducción utilizando un controlador Fuzzy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madelín Lima Álvarez

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Se realiza la simulación del sistema de control de velocidad del motor de inducción. Se parte del enfoquevectorial y de un sistema de coordenadas adecuado a su futura utilización, utilizando para esto el lenguaje desimulación de sistemas dinámicos Simulink. En cuanto a la simulación del método de control vectorial porcampo orientado se ha empleado el denominado método de control vectorial indirecto. El control de la velocidaddel motor se simuló utilizando un controlador Fuzzy, comparándose posteriormente estos resultados con losobtenidos mediante la utilización de un controlador PI digital.  This work carries out the simulation of speed control of induction motor. It is based on the field orientation theoryand on a system of coordinates adapted to its future use. The language that has been used for the simulation ofdynamics systems is Simulink. The indirect method of the field orientation control theory was used in themathematical analysis of the induction motor. The speed control of the induction motor was simulated using aFuzzy controller and these results were compared with those obtained by means of the use of a PI digitalcontroller.

Electrospinning of oriented and nonoriented ultrafine fibers of biopolymers

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, David

2005-07-01

Chitosan has long been known as a biocompatible and biodegradable material suitable for tissue engineering applications. Unfortunately, conventional chitosan solutions cannot be used for electrospinning due to their high conductivity, viscosity and surface tension. We have developed a method to produce clear chitosan solutions with conductivities, surface tension and viscosities that facilitate their processing into micron and submicron fibers via electrospinning. Acetic acid, carbon dioxide and organic solvents are key ingredients in preparing the chitosan solutions. Oriented and non oriented chitosan fibers were produced with the ultimate goal of designing a suitable tissue engineering scaffold. Circularly oriented, continuous, and aligned nanofibers were produced via this technique in the form of a thin membrane or fibrous "mat". Chitosan fiber diameters ranged from 5 micrometers down to 100 nanometers. The structure and mechanical properties of oriented and randomly aligned chitosan fiber deposits could potentially be exploited for cartilage tissue engineering. Ultrafine fibers of starch acetate (SA) also were prepared by the electrospinning process. In this study, solvent mixtures based on DMF, DMSO, pyrindine, acetic acid, acetone, THF, DMC, chloroform were used. A two-solvent formulation was used to study the effect of viscosity, surface tension, and conductivity to the fiber diameter. Also, water and ethanol were used to decrease the boiling point of the solvent, and to make bundled fibers. Several techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, conductmetry, viscometry, and tensiometry were used in this study. The results showed that the combined effects of viscosity, surface tension, and conductivity are of great importance in controlling the diameter of the fibers. We were able to produce SA fibers that was less than 40 nm in diameter. The dependence of fiber diameter on flow-rate, electric field and solvents also was investigated. A rotating disk and a

Fouling in Membrane Distillation, Osmotic Distillation and Osmotic Membrane Distillation

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Mourad Laqbaqbi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Various membrane separation processes are being used for seawater desalination and treatment of wastewaters in order to deal with the worldwide water shortage problem. Different types of membranes of distinct morphologies, structures and physico-chemical characteristics are employed. Among the considered membrane technologies, membrane distillation (MD, osmotic distillation (OD and osmotic membrane distillation (OMD use porous and hydrophobic membranes for production of distilled water and/or concentration of wastewaters for recovery and recycling of valuable compounds. However, the efficiency of these technologies is hampered by fouling phenomena. This refers to the accumulation of organic/inorganic deposits including biological matter on the membrane surface and/or in the membrane pores. Fouling in MD, OD and OMD differs from that observed in electric and pressure-driven membrane processes such electrodialysis (ED, membrane capacitive deionization (MCD, reverse osmosis (RO, nanofiltration (NF, ultrafiltration (UF, microfiltration (MF, etc. Other than pore blockage, fouling in MD, OD and OMD increases the risk of membrane pores wetting and reduces therefore the quantity and quality of the produced water or the concentration efficiency of the process. This review deals with the observed fouling phenomena in MD, OD and OMD. It highlights different detected fouling types (organic fouling, inorganic fouling and biofouling, fouling characterization techniques as well as various methods of fouling reduction including pretreatment, membrane modification, membrane cleaning and antiscalants application.

Structural features and dynamic investigations of the membrane-bound cytochrome P450 17A1.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Ying-Lu; Xue, Qiao; Zheng, Qing-Chuan; Zhang, Ji-Long; Kong, Chui-Peng; Fan, Jing-Rong; Zhang, Hong-Xing

2015-10-01

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 17A1 is a dual-function monooxygenase with a critical role in the synthesis of many human steroid hormones. The enzyme is an important target for treatment of breast and prostate cancers that proliferate in response to estrogens and androgens. Despite the crystallographic structures available for CYP17A1, no membrane-bound structural features of this enzyme at atomic level are available. Accumulating evidence has indicated that the interactions between bounded CYPs and membrane could contribute to the recruitment of lipophilic substrates. To this end, we have investigated the effects on structural characteristics in the presence of the membrane for CYP17A1. The MD simulation results demonstrate a spontaneous insertion process of the enzyme to the lipid. Two predominant modes of CYP17A1 in the membrane are captured, characterized by the depths of insertion and orientations of the enzyme to the membrane surface. The measured heme tilt angles show good consistence with experimental data, thereby verifying the validity of the structural models. Moreover, conformational changes induced by the membrane might have impact on the accessibility of the active site to lipophilic substrates. The dynamics of internal aromatic gate formed by Trp220 and Phe224 are suggested to regulate tunnel opening motions. The knowledge of the membrane binding characteristics could guide future experimental and computational works on membrane-bound CYPs so that various investigations of CYPs in their natural, lipid environment rather than in artificially solubilized forms may be achieved. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Action-oriented versus state-oriented reactions to experimenter-induced failures].

Science.gov (United States)

Brunstein, J C

1989-01-01

The present study assessed different effects of action-oriented versus state-oriented styles of coping with failure on achievement-related performance and cognition. In a learned helplessness experiment, students were exposed to an academic failure situation and were then tested on a series of problem-solving tasks, either immediately after the pretreatment or after a delay of 24 hours. Performance and cognitive concomitants were measured during both experimental periods. Results demonstrated that action orientation was associated with self-immunizing cognitions during helplessness training. Action-oriented participants improved their performance level even after repeated failure feedbacks. Moreover, action-oriented students assigned to the delayed test condition responded with increased striving for success and showed performance increments, even in comparison with control subjects. In contrast, state-oriented participants developed symptoms of helplessness and showed impaired performance during failure inductions. In later tests on problem-solving tasks, state-oriented groups responded with increased fear of failure. Independent of immediate or delayed test conditions, they soon lapsed into new performance decrements.

Flow and fouling in membrane filters: Effects of membrane morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Sanaei, Pejman; Cummings, Linda J.

2015-11-01

Membrane filters are widely-used in microfiltration applications. Many types of filter membranes are produced commercially, for different filtration applications, but broadly speaking the requirements are to achieve fine control of separation, with low power consumption. The answer to this problem might seem obvious: select the membrane with the largest pore size and void fraction consistent with the separation requirements. However, membrane fouling (an inevitable consequence of successful filtration) is a complicated process, which depends on many parameters other than membrane pore size and void fraction; and which itself greatly affects the filtration process and membrane functionality. In this work we formulate mathematical models that can (i) account for the membrane internal morphology (internal structure, pore size & shape, etc.); (ii) fouling of membranes with specific morphology; and (iii) make some predictions as to what type of membrane morphology might offer optimum filtration performance.

Helicity, membrane incorporation, orientation and thermal stability of the large conductance mechanosensitive ion channel from E. coli

Science.gov (United States)

Arkin, I. T.; Sukharev, S. I.; Blount, P.; Kung, C.; Brunger, A. T.

1998-01-01

In this report, we present structural studies on the large conductance mechanosensitive ion channel (MscL) from E. coli in detergent micelles and lipid vesicles. Both transmission Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicate that the protein is highly helical in detergents as well as liposomes. The secondary structure of the proteins was shown to be highly resistant towards denaturation (25-95 degrees C) based on an ellipticity thermal profile. Amide H+/D+ exchange was shown to be extensive (ca. 66%), implying that two thirds of the protein are water accessible. MscL, reconstituted in oriented lipid bilayers, was shown to possess a net bilayer orientation using dichroic ratios measured by attenuated total-reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Here, we present and discuss this initial set of structural data on this new family of ion-channel proteins.

Lateralized Difference in Tympanic Membrane Temperature: Emotion and Hemispheric Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth E Propper

2013-03-01

Full Text Available We review literature examining relationships between tympanic membrane temperature (TMT, affective/motivational orientation, and hemispheric activity. Lateralized differences in TMT might enable real-time monitoring of hemispheric activity in real-world conditions, and could serve as a corroborating marker of mental illnesses associated with specific affective dysregulation. We support the proposal that TMT holds potential for broadly indexing lateralized brain physiology during tasks demanding the processing and representation of emotional and/or motivational states, and for predicting trait-related affective/motivational orientations. The precise nature of the relationship between TMT and brain physiology, however, remains elusive. Indeed the limited extant research has sampled different participant populations and employed largely different procedures and measures, making for seemingly discrepant findings and implications. We propose, however, that many of these discrepancies can be resolved by considering how emotional states map onto motivational systems, and further examining how validated methods for inducing lateralized brain activity might affect TMT.

Interaction of the 106-126 prion peptide with lipid membranes and potential implication for neurotoxicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupiereux, Ingrid; Zorzi, Willy; Lins, Laurence; Brasseur, Robert; Colson, Pierre; Heinen, Ernst; Elmoualij, Benaissa

2005-01-01

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation in the brain of an abnormally misfolded, protease-resistant, and β-sheet rich pathogenic isoform (PrP sc ) of the cellular prion protein (PrP c ). In the present work, we were interested to study the mode of prion protein interaction with the membrane using the 106-126 peptide and small unilamellar lipid vesicles as model. As previously demonstrated, we showed by MTS assay that PrP 106-126 induces alterations in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. We demonstrated for the first time by lipid-mixing assay and by the liposome vesicle leakage test that PrP 106-126, a non-tilted peptide, induces liposome fusion thus a potential cell membrane destabilization, as supported by membrane integrity assay (LDH). By circular dichroism (CD) analysis we showed that the fusogenic property of PrP 106-126 in the presence of liposome is associated with a predominantly β-sheet structure. These data suggest that the fusogenic property associated with a predominant β-sheet structure exhibited by the prion peptides contributes to the neurotoxicity of these peptides by destabilizing cellular membranes. The latter might be attached at the membrane surface in a parallel orientation as shown by molecular modeling

Coiled-coil formation of the membrane-fusion K/E peptides viewed by electron paramagnetic resonance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pravin Kumar

Full Text Available The interaction of the complementary K (Ac-(KIAALKE3-GW-NH2 and E (Ac-(EIAALEK3-GY-NH2 peptides, components of the zipper of an artificial membrane fusion system (Robson Marsden H. et al. Angew Chemie Int Ed. 2009 is investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR. By frozen solution continuous-wave EPR and double electron-electron resonance (DEER, the distance between spin labels attached to the K- and to the E-peptide is measured. Three constructs of spin-labelled K- and E-peptides are used in five combinations for low temperature investigations. The K/E heterodimers are found to be parallel, in agreement with previous studies. Also, K homodimers in parallel orientation were observed, a finding that was not reported before. Comparison to room-temperature, solution EPR shows that the latter method is less specific to detect this peptide-peptide interaction. Combining frozen solution cw-EPR for short distances (1.8 nm to 2.0 nm and DEER for longer distances thus proves versatile to detect the zipper interaction in membrane fusion. As the methodology can be applied to membrane samples, the approach presented suggests itself for in-situ studies of the complete membrane fusion process, opening up new avenues for the study of membrane fusion.

Fundamentals of membrane bioreactors materials, systems and membrane fouling

CERN Document Server

Ladewig, Bradley

2017-01-01

This book provides a critical, carefully researched, up-to-date summary of membranes for membrane bioreactors. It presents a comprehensive and self-contained outline of the fundamentals of membrane bioreactors, especially their relevance as an advanced water treatment technology. This outline helps to bring the technology to the readers’ attention, and positions the critical topic of membrane fouling as one of the key impediments to its more widescale adoption. The target readership includes researchers and industrial practitioners with an interest in membrane bioreactors.

Surface modification of PTMSP membranes by plasma treatment: Asymmetry of transport in organic solvent nanofiltration.

Science.gov (United States)

Volkov, A V; Tsarkov, S E; Gilman, A B; Khotimsky, V S; Roldughin, V I; Volkov, V V

2015-08-01

For the first time, the effect of asymmetry of the membrane transport was studied for organic solvents and solutes upon their nanofiltration through the plasma-modified membranes based on poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (PTMSP). Plasma treatment is shown to provide a marked hydrophilization of the hydrophobic PTMSP surface (the contact angle of water decreases from 88 down to 20°) and leads to the development of a negative charge of -5.2 nC/cm(2). The XPS measurements prove the formation of the oxygen-containing groups (Si-O and C-O) due to the surface modification. The AFM images show that the small-scale surface roughness of the plasma-treated PTMSP sample is reduced but the large-scale surface heterogeneities become more pronounced. The modified membranes retain their hydrophilic surface properties even after the nanofiltration tests and 30-day storage under ambient conditions. The results of the filtration tests show that when the membrane is oriented so that its modified layer contacts the feed solution, the membrane permeability for linear alcohols (methanol-propanol) and acetone decreases nearly two times. When the modified membrane surface faces the permeate, the membrane is seen to regain its transport characteristics: the flux becomes equal to that of the unmodified PTMSP. The well-pronounced effect of the transport asymmetry is observed for the solution of the neutral dye Solvent Blue 35 in methanol, ethanol, and acetone. For example, the initial membrane shows the negative retention for the Solvent Blue 35 dye (-16%) upon its filtration from the ethanol solution whereas, for the modified PTMSP membrane, the retention increases up to 17%. Various effects contributing to the asymmetry of the membrane transport characteristics are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

General theory of detection of signal induced in vibrating magnetometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacyna, A.W.

1980-01-01

Assuming the point dipole approximation only and making use of the vectorial notation, signal (EMF) induced in a single-turn pick-up coil of the vibrating magnetometer are calculated for the case of any orientation of the coil, of vibration axis and of the magnetic moment of the sample. On the basis of formula obtained, three types of measurement geometries have been distinquished and for these the qualitative analysis is made. (author)

Adaptive silicone-membrane lenses: planar vs. shaped membrane

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Schneider, F

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Engineering, Georges-Koehler-Allee 102, Freiburg 79110, Germany florian.schneider@imtek.uni-freiburg.de ABSTRACT We compare the performance and optical quality of two types of adaptive fluidic silicone-membrane lenses. The membranes feature either a...-membrane lenses: planar vs. shaped membrane Florian Schneider1,2, Philipp Waibel2 and Ulrike Wallrabe2 1 CSIR, Materials Science and Manufacturing, PO Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa 2 University of Freiburg – IMTEK, Department of Microsystems...

Degradation of Polypropylene Membranes Applied in Membrane Distillation Crystallizer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Gryta

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The studies on the resistance to degradation of capillary polypropylene membranes assembled in a membrane crystallizer were performed. The supersaturation state of salt was achieved by evaporation of water from the NaCl saturated solutions using membrane distillation process. A high feed temperature (363 K was used in order to enhance the degradation effects and to shorten the test times. Salt crystallization was carried out by the application of batch or fluidized bed crystallizer. A significant membrane scaling was observed regardless of the method of realized crystallization. The SEM-EDS, DSC, and FTIR methods were used for investigations of polypropylene degradation. The salt crystallization onto the membrane surface accelerated polypropylene degradation. Due to a polymer degradation, the presence of carbonyl groups on the membranes’ surface was identified. Besides the changes in the chemical structure a significant mechanical damage of the membranes, mainly caused by the internal scaling, was also found. As a result, the membranes were severely damaged after 150 h of process operation. A high level of salt rejection was maintained despite damage to the external membrane surface.

Membrane fusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendix, Pól Martin

2015-01-01

At Stanford University, Boxer lab, I worked on membrane fusion of small unilamellar lipid vesicles to flat membranes tethered to glass surfaces. This geometry closely resembles biological systems in which liposomes fuse to plasma membranes. The fusion mechanism was studied using DNA zippering...... between complementary strands linked to the two apposing membranes closely mimicking the zippering mechanism of SNARE fusion complexes....

Introducing Membrane Charge and Membrane Potential to T Cell Signaling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanqing Ma

2017-11-01

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

Polyazole hollow fiber membranes for direct contact membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

Maab, Husnul; Alsaadi, Ahmad Salem; Francis, Lijo; Livazovic, Sara; Ghaffour, NorEddine; Amy, Gary L.; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

2013-01-01

Porous hollow fiber membranes were fabricated from fluorinated polyoxadiazole and polytriazole by a dry-wet spinning method for application in desalination of Red Sea water by direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). The data were compared with commercially available hollow fiber MD membranes prepared from poly(vinylidene fluoride). The membranes were characterized by electron microscopy, liquid entry pressure (LEP), and pore diameter measurements. Finally, the hollow fiber membranes were tested for DCMD. Salt selectivity as high as 99.95% and water fluxes as high as 35 and 41 L m -2 h-1 were demonstrated, respectively, for polyoxadiazole and polytriazole hollow fiber membranes, operating at 80 C feed temperature and 20 C permeate. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Polyazole hollow fiber membranes for direct contact membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

Maab, Husnul

2013-08-07

Porous hollow fiber membranes were fabricated from fluorinated polyoxadiazole and polytriazole by a dry-wet spinning method for application in desalination of Red Sea water by direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). The data were compared with commercially available hollow fiber MD membranes prepared from poly(vinylidene fluoride). The membranes were characterized by electron microscopy, liquid entry pressure (LEP), and pore diameter measurements. Finally, the hollow fiber membranes were tested for DCMD. Salt selectivity as high as 99.95% and water fluxes as high as 35 and 41 L m -2 h-1 were demonstrated, respectively, for polyoxadiazole and polytriazole hollow fiber membranes, operating at 80 C feed temperature and 20 C permeate. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Novel cellulose ester substrates for high performance flat-sheet thin-film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes

KAUST Repository

Ong, Rui Chin

2015-01-01

A novel hydrophilic cellulose ester with a high intrinsic water permeability and a water partition coefficient was discovered to construct membrane supports for flat-sheet thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes for water reuse and seawater desalination with high performance. The performance of TFC-FO membranes prepared from the hydrophilic cellulose ester containing a high degree of OH and a moderate degree of Pr substitutions clearly surpasses those prepared from cellulose esters and other polymers with moderate hydrophilicity. Post-treatments of TFC-FO membranes using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and glycerol followed by heat treatment further enhance the water flux without compromising the selectivity. Positron annihilation lifetime analyses have confirmed that the SDS/glycerol post-treatment increases the free volume size and fractional free volume of the polyamide selective layer. The newly developed post-treated TFC-FO membranes exhibit a remarkably high water flux up to 90 LMH when the selective layer is oriented towards the draw solution (i.e., PRO mode) using 1. M NaCl as the draw solution and DI water as the feed. For seawater desalination, the membranes display a high water flux up to 35 LMH using a 2. M NaCl draw solution. These water fluxes exceeded the water fluxes achieved by other types of FO membranes reported in literatures. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Fabrication of high-transmission microporous membranes by proton beam writing-based molding technique

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liping; Meyer, Clemens; Guibert, Edouard; Homsy, Alexandra; Whitlow, Harry J.

2017-08-01

Porous membranes are widely used as filters in a broad range of micro and nanofluidic applications, e.g. organelle sorters, permeable cell growth substrates, and plasma filtration. Conventional silicon fabrication approaches are not suitable for microporous membranes due to the low mechanical stability of thin film substrates. Other techniques like ion track etching are limited to the production of randomly distributed and randomly orientated pores with non-uniform pore sizes. In this project, we developed a procedure for fabricating high-transmission microporous membranes by proton beam writing (PBW) with a combination of spin-casting and soft lithography. In this approach, focused 2 MeV protons were used to lithographically write patterns consisting of hexagonal arrays of high-density pillars of few μm size in a SU-8 layer coated on a silicon wafer. After development, the pillars were conformably coated with a thin film of poly-para-xylylene (Parylene)-C release agent and spin-coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). To facilitate demolding, a special technique based on the use of a laser-cut sealing tape ring was developed. This method facilitated the successful delamination of 20-μm thick PDMS membrane with high-density micropores from the mold without rupture or damage.

Market Orientation Capabilities: A Study of Learning Processes in Market-Oriented Companies

OpenAIRE

Silkoset, Ragnhild

2009-01-01

The literature operates with three perspectives on market orientation. These include market orientation as behavior (Kohli and Jaworski 1990; Narver and Slater 1990), market orientation as a unique resource (Hunt and Morgan 1995) and market orientation as a dynamic learning capability (Sinkula 1994; Day 1994b). A company's level of market orientation will vary with regard to the perspectives, including factors affecting a company’s degree of market orientation and the effect...

Biomimetic processing of oriented crystalline ceramic layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cesarano, J.; Shelnutt, J.A.

1997-10-01

The aim of this project was to develop the capabilities for Sandia to fabricate self assembled Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of various materials and to exploit their two-dimensional crystalline structure to promote the growth of oriented thin films of inorganic materials at room temperature. This includes the design and synthesis of Langmuir-active (amphiphilic) organic molecules with end groups offering high nucleation potential for various ceramics. A longer range goal is that of understanding the underlying principles, making it feasible to use the techniques presented in this report to fabricate unique oriented films of various materials for electronic, sensor, and membrane applications. Therefore, whenever possible, work completed in this report was completed with the intention of addressing the fundamental phenomena underlying the growth of crystalline, inorganic films on template layers of highly organized organic molecules. This problem was inspired by biological processes, which often produce exquisitely engineered structures via templated growth on polymeric layers. Seashells, for example, exhibit great toughness owing to their fine brick-and-mortar structure that results from templated growth of calcium carbonate on top of layers of ordered organic proteins. A key goal in this work, therefore, is to demonstrate a positive correlation between the order and orientation of the template layer and that of the crystalline ceramic material grown upon it. The work completed was comprised of several parallel efforts that encompassed the entire spectrum of biomimetic growth from solution. Studies were completed on seashells and the mechanisms of growth for calcium carbonate. Studies were completed on the characterization of LB films and the capability developed for the in-house fabrication of these films. Standard films of fatty acids were studied as well as novel polypeptides and porphyrins that were synthesized.

Anatomy and biomechanics of the forearm interosseous membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Farr, Leela D; Werner, Frederick W; McGrattan, Michael L; Zwerling, Sierra R; Harley, Brian J

2015-06-01

To examine the anatomy and function of the forearm interosseous membrane by exploring the anatomical insertions of the central band (CB) on the radius and the ulna and by quantifying the length of the intact ligament and replacement grafts located at the original CB attachment sites and alternative locations. Eight fresh cadaver forearms were supinated and pronated and the wrist was extended and flexed while the motion between the distal radius and ulna were recorded. The length of the CB was computed for the intact CB as well for several alternative graft orientations and positions. The maximum length of the CB did not significantly change among different wrist motions. However, with the wrist in a static neutral position, the CB length was significantly shorter in forearm supination than in neutral. During active forearm rotation when CB replacement grafts were positioned distal or proximal to the original CB site, yet still parallel to it, each had a similar trend to be longer in neutral than in supination. If a graft was more transversely oriented, the computed CB length would be 1.6 mm shorter in supination than in neutral. These results support tensioning a CB graft with the forearm in supination if the goal is to maximize graft tension and to maintain the native 22° angle for a CB graft between the radius and ulna. The results also suggest that the CB graft can probably be located slightly distal or slightly proximal to its original attachment sites. Reconstruction of the interosseous membrane has been hampered by a lack of understanding of its length changes with forearm or wrist motion. These results provide a starting point in helping clinicians understand how to more precisely reconstruct this ligament in an anatomical manner. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimal time for initiating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Haile, Dawit T; Schears, Gregory J

2009-09-01

The technical evolution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) coincides with the vast improvement in intensive care medicine of the past 4 decades. Extracorporeal circulatory technology substitutes for acutely failed cardiac or pulmonary function until these organs regain sustainable function through goal-oriented intensive care practice. The technology has been validated to improve survival in select patients who would otherwise have 100% mortality. This is by far the most complex life-sustaining technology employed and thus can contribute significant risks such that the decision to institute ECMO requires prompt risk and benefit analysis. Delaying the institution of ECMO may cause irreversible pulmonary and cardiac injuries in addition to other organs. Therefore, the optimal time of initiating ECMO support is crucial to the survival of a critically ill patient.

Membrane fusion by VAMP3 and plasma membrane t-SNAREs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Chuan; Hardee, Deborah; Minnear, Fred

2007-01-01

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

Sexual Orientation (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Sexual Orientation KidsHealth / For Parents / Sexual Orientation What's in this ... orientation is part of that process. What Is Sexual Orientation? The term sexual orientation refers to the gender ( ...

Hydrodynamic effects of air sparging on hollow fiber membranes in a bubble column reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Lijun; Law, Adrian Wing-Keung; Fane, Anthony G

2013-07-01

Air sparging is now a standard approach to reduce concentration polarization and fouling of membrane modules in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). The hydrodynamic shear stresses, bubble-induced turbulence and cross flows scour the membrane surfaces and help reduce the deposit of foulants onto the membrane surface. However, the detailed quantitative knowledge on the effect of air sparging remains lacking in the literature due to the complex hydrodynamics generated by the gas-liquid flows. To date, there is no valid model that describes the relationship between the membrane fouling performance and the flow hydrodynamics. The present study aims to examine the impact of hydrodynamics induced by air sparging on the membrane fouling mitigation in a quantitative manner. A modelled hollow fiber module was placed in a cylindrical bubble column reactor at different axial heights with the trans-membrane pressure (TMP) monitored under constant flux conditions. The configuration of bubble column without the membrane module immersed was identical to that studied by Gan et al. (2011) using Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA), to ensure a good quantitative understanding of turbulent flow conditions along the column height. The experimental results showed that the meandering flow regime which exhibits high flow instability at the 0.3 m is more beneficial to fouling alleviation compared with the steady flow circulation regime at the 0.6 m. The filtration tests also confirmed the existence of an optimal superficial air velocity beyond which a further increase is of no significant benefit on the membrane fouling reduction. In addition, the alternate aeration provided by two air stones mounted at the opposite end of the diameter of the bubble column was also studied to investigate the associated flow dynamics and its influence on the membrane filtration performance. It was found that with a proper switching interval and membrane module orientation, the membrane fouling can be effectively

Subcortical orientation biases explain orientation selectivity of visual cortical cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidyasagar, Trichur R; Jayakumar, Jaikishan; Lloyd, Errol; Levichkina, Ekaterina V

2015-04-01

The primary visual cortex of carnivores and primates shows an orderly progression of domains of neurons that are selective to a particular orientation of visual stimuli such as bars and gratings. We recorded from single-thalamic afferent fibers that terminate in these domains to address the issue whether the orientation sensitivity of these fibers could form the basis of the remarkable orientation selectivity exhibited by most cortical cells. We first performed optical imaging of intrinsic signals to obtain a map of orientation domains on the dorsal aspect of the anaesthetized cat's area 17. After confirming using electrophysiological recordings the orientation preferences of single neurons within one or two domains in each animal, we pharmacologically silenced the cortex to leave only the afferent terminals active. The inactivation of cortical neurons was achieved by the superfusion of either kainic acid or muscimol. Responses of single geniculate afferents were then recorded by the use of high impedance electrodes. We found that the orientation preferences of the afferents matched closely with those of the cells in the orientation domains that they terminated in (Pearson's r = 0.633, n = 22, P = 0.002). This suggests a possible subcortical origin for cortical orientation selectivity. © 2015 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

Adhesion structures and their cytoskeleton-membrane interactions at podosomes of osteoclasts in culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Akisaka, Toshitaka; Yoshida, Hisaho; Suzuki, Reiko; Takama, Keiko

2008-03-01

The organization of the cytoskeleton in the podosomes of osteoclasts was studied by use of cell shearing, rotary replication, and fluorescence cytochemical techniques. After shearing, clathrin plaques and particles associated with the cytoskeleton were left behind on the exposed cytoplasmic side of the membrane. The cytoskeleton of the podosomes was characterized by two types of actin filaments: relatively long filaments in the portion surrounding the podosome core, and highly branched short filaments in the core. Individual actin filaments radiating from the podosomes interacted with several membrane particles along the length of the filaments. Many lateral contacts with the membrane surface by the particles were made along the length of individual actin filaments. The polarity of actin filaments in podosomes became oriented such that their barbed ends were directed toward the core of podosomes. The actin cytoskeletons terminated or branched at the podosomes, where the membrane tightly adhered to the substratum. Microtubules were not usually present in the podosome structures; however, certain microtubules appeared to be morphologically in direct contact with the podosome core. Most of the larger clathrin plaques consisted of flat sheets of clathrin lattices that interconnected neighboring clathrin lattices to form an extensive clathrin area. However, the small deeply invaginated clathrin plaques and the podosomal cytoskeleton were located close together. Thus, the clathrin plaques on the ventral membrane of osteoclasts might be involved in both cell adhesion and the formation of receptor-ligand complexes, i.e., endocytosis.

The relationships between market orientation and alternative strategic orientations : A meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grinstein, A.

2008-01-01

Purpose - One of the strongest convictions in marketing is that market orientation contributes to firms' performance substantially more than alternative strategic orientations such as innovation and entrepreneurial orientations. Still, some studies show that alternative orientations can also

Strong orientational coordinates and orientational order parameters for symmetric objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haji-Akbari, Amir; Glotzer, Sharon C

2015-01-01

Recent advancements in the synthesis of anisotropic macromolecules and nanoparticles have spurred an immense interest in theoretical and computational studies of self-assembly. The cornerstone of such studies is the role of shape in self-assembly and in inducing complex order. The problem of identifying different types of order that can emerge in such systems can, however, be challenging. Here, we revisit the problem of quantifying orientational order in systems of building blocks with non-trivial rotational symmetries. We first propose a systematic way of constructing orientational coordinates for such symmetric building blocks. We call the arising tensorial coordinates strong orientational coordinates (SOCs) as they fully and exclusively specify the orientation of a symmetric object. We then use SOCs to describe and quantify local and global orientational order, and spatiotemporal orientational correlations in systems of symmetric building blocks. The SOCs and the orientational order parameters developed in this work are not only useful in performing and analyzing computer simulations of symmetric molecules or particles, but can also be utilized for the efficient storage of rotational information in long trajectories of evolving many-body systems. (paper)

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

Science.gov (United States)

Quon, Evan; Beh, Christopher T.

2015-01-01

Lipid transport between membranes within cells involves vesicle and protein carriers, but as agents of nonvesicular lipid transfer, the role of membrane contact sites has received increasing attention. As zones for lipid metabolism and exchange, various membrane contact sites mediate direct associations between different organelles. In particular, membrane contact sites linking the plasma membrane (PM) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) represent important regulators of lipid and ion transfer. In yeast, cortical ER is stapled to the PM through membrane-tethering proteins, which establish a direct connection between the membranes. In this review, we consider passive and facilitated models for lipid transfer at PM–ER contact sites. Besides the tethering proteins, we examine the roles of an additional repertoire of lipid and protein regulators that prime and propagate PM–ER membrane association. We conclude that instead of being simple mediators of membrane association, regulatory components of membrane contact sites have complex and multilayered functions. PMID:26949334

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

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Rui; Liang, Songping

2012-01-01

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

High-Throughput Simulations of Dimer and Trimer Assembly of Membrane Proteins. The DAFT Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wassenaar, Tsjerk A; Pluhackova, Kristyna; Moussatova, Anastassiia; Sengupta, Durba; Marrink, Siewert J; Tieleman, D Peter; Böckmann, Rainer A

2015-05-12

Interactions between membrane proteins are of great biological significance and are consequently an important target for pharmacological intervention. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to obtain detailed views on such interactions, both experimentally, where the environment hampers atomic resolution investigation, and computationally, where the time and length scales are problematic. Coarse grain simulations have alleviated the later issue, but the slow movement through the bilayer, coupled to the long life times of nonoptimal dimers, still stands in the way of characterizing binding distributions. In this work, we present DAFT, a Docking Assay For Transmembrane components, developed to identify preferred binding orientations. The method builds on a program developed recently for generating custom membranes, called insane (INSert membrANE). The key feature of DAFT is the setup of starting structures, for which optimal periodic boundary conditions are devised. The purpose of DAFT is to perform a large number of simulations with different components, starting from unbiased noninteracting initial states, such that the simulations evolve collectively, in a manner reflecting the underlying energy landscape of interaction. The implementation and characteristic features of DAFT are explained, and the efficacy and relaxation properties of the method are explored for oligomerization of glycophorin A dimers, polyleucine dimers and trimers, MS1 trimers, and rhodopsin dimers. The results suggest that, for simple helices, such as GpA and polyleucine, in POPC/DOPC membranes series of 500 simulations of 500 ns each allow characterization of the helix dimer orientations and allow comparing associating and nonassociating components. However, the results also demonstrate that short simulations may suffer significantly from nonconvergence of the ensemble and that using too few simulations may obscure or distort features of the interaction distribution. For trimers, simulation

Membrane Biophysics

CERN Document Server

Ashrafuzzaman, Mohammad

2013-01-01

Physics, mathematics and chemistry all play a vital role in understanding the true nature and functioning of biological membranes, key elements of living processes. Besides simple spectroscopic observations and electrical measurements of membranes we address in this book the phenomena of coexistence and independent existence of different membrane components using various theoretical approaches. This treatment will be helpful for readers who want to understand biological processes by applying both simple observations and fundamental scientific analysis. It provides a deep understanding of the causes and effects of processes inside membranes, and will thus eventually open new doors for high-level pharmaceutical approaches towards fighting membrane- and cell-related diseases.

Polyurethane Nanofiber Membranes for Waste Water Treatment by Membrane Distillation

OpenAIRE

Jiříček, T.; Komárek, M.; Lederer, T.

2017-01-01

Self-sustained electrospun polyurethane nanofiber membranes were manufactured and tested on a direct-contact membrane distillation unit in an effort to find the optimum membrane thickness to maximize flux rate and minimize heat losses across the membrane. Also salt retention and flux at high salinities up to 100 g kg−1 were evaluated. Even though the complex structure of nanofiber layers has extreme specific surface and porosity, membrane performance was surprisingly predictable; the highest ...

The Service Orientation and Employee’s Customer Orientation in Public Services Organizations

OpenAIRE

Andrada Iacob

2015-01-01

This paper explores the relationships between service orientation and employees’ customer orientation in public services organizations. First, we will review the relevant literature on service orientation and employee’s customer orientation. Based on this theory, the research hypothesis is formulated. The research results will be followed by conclusions, limitations and future directions. At the construct level, we found positive direct relationships between service orientation and employees’...

Nanodisc-solubilized membrane protein library reflects the membrane proteome

OpenAIRE

Marty, Michael T.; Wilcox, Kyle C.; Klein, William L.; Sligar, Stephen G.

2013-01-01

The isolation and identification of unknown membrane proteins offers the prospect of discovering new pharmaceutical targets and identifying key biochemical receptors. However, interactions between membrane protein targets and soluble ligands are difficult to study in vitro due to the insolubility of membrane proteins in non-detergent systems. Nanodiscs, nanoscale discoidal lipid bilayers encircled by a membrane scaffold protein belt, have proven to be an effective platform to solubilize membr...

Impact of sludge flocs on membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Morten Lykkegaard; Niessen, Wolfgang; Jørgensen, Mads Koustrup

Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are widely used for wastewater treatment, but membrane fouling reduces membrane performance and thereby increases the cost for membranes and fouling control. Large variation in filtration properties measured as flux decline was observed for the different types of sludges....... Further, the flux could partly be reestablished after the relaxation period depending on the sludge composition. The results underline that sludge properties are important for membrane fouling and that control of floc properties, as determined by the composition of the microbial communities...... and the physico-chemical properties, is an efficient method to reduce membrane fouling in the MBR. High concentration of suspended extracellular substances (EPS) and small particles (up to 10 µm) resulted in pronounced fouling propensity. The membrane fouling resistance was reduced at high concentration...

G protein-membrane interactions II: Effect of G protein-linked lipids on membrane structure and G protein-membrane interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Casas, Jesús; Ibarguren, Maitane; Álvarez, Rafael; Terés, Silvia; Lladó, Victoria; Piotto, Stefano P; Concilio, Simona; Busquets, Xavier; López, David J; Escribá, Pablo V

2017-09-01

G proteins often bear myristoyl, palmitoyl and isoprenyl moieties, which favor their association with the membrane and their accumulation in G Protein Coupled Receptor-rich microdomains. These lipids influence the biophysical properties of membranes and thereby modulate G protein binding to bilayers. In this context, we showed here that geranylgeraniol, but neither myristate nor palmitate, increased the inverted hexagonal (H II ) phase propensity of phosphatidylethanolamine-containing membranes. While myristate and palmitate preferentially associated with phosphatidylcholine membranes, geranylgeraniol favored nonlamellar-prone membranes. In addition, Gαi 1 monomers had a higher affinity for lamellar phases, while Gβγ and Gαβγ showed a marked preference for nonlamellar prone membranes. Moreover, geranylgeraniol enhanced the binding of G protein dimers and trimers to phosphatidylethanolamine-containing membranes, yet it decreased that of monomers. By contrast, both myristate and palmitate increased the Gαi 1 preference for lamellar membranes. Palmitoylation reinforced the binding of the monomer to PC membranes and myristoylation decreased its binding to PE-enriched bilayer. Finally, binding of dimers and trimers to lamellar-prone membranes was decreased by palmitate and myristate, but it was increased in nonlamellar-prone bilayers. These results demonstrate that co/post-translational G protein lipid modifications regulate the membrane lipid structure and that they influence the physico-chemical properties of membranes, which in part explains why G protein subunits sort to different plasma membrane domains. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Lipid Therapy: Drugs Targeting Biomembranes edited by Pablo V. Escribá. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pretreatment and Membrane Hydrophilic Modification to Reduce Membrane Fouling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huaqiang Chu

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The application of low pressure membranes (microfiltration/ultrafiltration has undergone accelerated development for drinking water production. However, the major obstacle encountered in its popularization is membrane fouling caused by natural organic matter (NOM. This paper firstly summarizes the two factors causing the organic membrane fouling, including molecular weight (MW and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of NOM, and then presents a brief introduction of the methods which can prevent membrane fouling such as pretreatment of the feed water (e.g., coagulation, adsorption, and pre-oxidation and membrane hydrophilic modification (e.g., plasma modification, irradiation grafting modification, surface coating modification, blend modification, etc.. Perspectives of further research are also discussed.

Prediction of temperature and damage in an irradiated human eye-Utilization of a detailed computer model which includes a vectorial blood stream in the choroid.

Science.gov (United States)

Heussner, Nico; Holl, Lukas; Nowak, Timo; Beuth, Thorsten; Spitzer, Martin S; Stork, Wilhelm

2014-08-01

The work presented here describes the development and use of a three-dimensional thermo-dynamic model of the human eye for the prediction of temperatures and damage thresholds under irradiation. This model takes into account the blood flow by the implementation of a vectorial blood stream in the choroid and also uses the actual physiological extensions and tissue parameters of the eye. Furthermore it considers evaporation, radiation and convection at the cornea as well as the eye lid. The predicted temperatures were successfully validated against existing eye models in terms of corneal and global thermal behaviour. The model׳s predictions were additionally checked for consistency with in-vivo temperature measurements of the cornea, the irradiated retina and its damage thresholds. These thresholds were calculated from the retinal temperatures using the Arrhenius integral. Hence the model can be used to predict the temperature increase and irradiation hazard within the human eye as long as the absorption values and the Arrhenius coefficients are known and the damage mechanism is in the thermal regime. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixed matrix membranes with fast and selective transport pathways for efficient CO2 separation

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Jinpeng; Li, Xueqin; Guo, Ruili; Zhang, Jianshu; Wang, Zhongming

2018-03-01

To improve CO2 separation performance, porous carbon nanosheets (PCNs) were used as a filler into a Pebax MH 1657 (Pebax) matrix, fabricating mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The PCNs exhibited a preferential horizontal orientation within the Pebax matrix because of the extremely large 2D plane and nanoscale thickness of the matrix. Therefore, the micropores of the PCNs provided fast CO2 transport pathways, which led to increased CO2 permeability. The reduced pore size of the PCNs was a consequence of the overlapping of PCNs and the polymer chains penetrating into the pores of the PCNs. The reduction in the pore size of the PCNs improved the CO2/gas selectivity. As a result, the CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4 selectivity of the Pebax membrane with 10 wt% PCNs-loading (Pebax-PCNs-10) were 520 barrer and 51, respectively, for CO2/CH4 mixed-gas. The CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 selectivity of the Pebax-PCNs-10 membrane were 614 barrer and 61, respectively, for CO2/N2 mixed-gas.

German Orientalism

OpenAIRE

Margaret Olin

2011-01-01

Review of: Suzanne L. Marchand, German Orientalism in the Age of Empire: Religion, Race and Scholarship, Cambridge and Washington, D.C.: Cambridge University Press, 2009. This analysis of Suzanne L. Marchand’s German Orientalism in the Age of Empire: Religion, Race and Scholarship reads her contribution in part against the background of Edward Said’s path breaking book Orientalism. Differences lie in her more expansive understanding of the term ‘Oriental’ to include the Far East and her conce...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2006-02-28

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

Clustering on Membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johannes, Ludger; Pezeshkian, Weria; Ipsen, John H

2018-01-01

Clustering of extracellular ligands and proteins on the plasma membrane is required to perform specific cellular functions, such as signaling and endocytosis. Attractive forces that originate in perturbations of the membrane's physical properties contribute to this clustering, in addition to direct...... protein-protein interactions. However, these membrane-mediated forces have not all been equally considered, despite their importance. In this review, we describe how line tension, lipid depletion, and membrane curvature contribute to membrane-mediated clustering. Additional attractive forces that arise...... from protein-induced perturbation of a membrane's fluctuations are also described. This review aims to provide a survey of the current understanding of membrane-mediated clustering and how this supports precise biological functions....

Analysis of proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance with alternate membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wakizoe, Masanobu; Velev, O A; Srinivasan, S [Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Texas Engineering Experiment Station

1995-02-01

Renewed interest in proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology for space and terrestrial (particularly electric vehicles) was stimulated by the demonstration, in the mid 1980s, of high energy efficiencies and high power densities. One of the most vital components of the PEMFC is the proton conducting membrane. In this paper, an analysis is made of the performances of PEMFCs with Dupont`s Nafion, Dow`s experimental, and Asahi Chemical`s Aciplex-S membranes. Attempts were also made to draw correlations between the PEMFC performances with the three types of membranes and their physico-chemical characteristics. Practically identical levels of performances (energy efficiency, power density, and lifetime) were achieved in PEMFCs with the Dow and the Aciplex-S membranes and these performances were better than in the PEMFCs with the Nafion-115 membrane. The electrode kinetic parameters for oxygen reduction are better for the PEMFCs with the Aciplex-S and Nafion membranes than with the Dow membranes. The PEMFCs with the Aciplex-S and Dow membranes have nearly the same internal resistances which are considerably lower than for the PEMFC with the Nafion membrane. The desired membrane characteristics to obtain high levels of performance are low equivalent weight and high water content. (Author)

Electrospun superhydrophobic membranes with unique structures for membrane distillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Yuan; Loh, Chun-Heng; Wang, Rong; Fane, Anthony G

2014-09-24

With modest temperature demand, low operating pressure, and high solute rejection, membrane distillation (MD) is an attractive option for desalination, waste treatment, and food and pharmaceutical processing. However, large-scale practical applications of MD are still hindered by the absence of effective membranes with high hydrophobicity, high porosity, and adequate mechanical strength, which are important properties for MD permeation fluxes, stable long-term performance, and effective packing in modules without damage. This study describes novel design strategies for highly robust superhydrophobic dual-layer membranes for MD via electrospinning. One of the newly developed membranes comprises a durable and ultrathin 3-dimensional (3D) superhydrophobic skin and porous nanofibrous support whereas another was fabricated by electrospinning 3D superhydrophobic layers on a nonwoven support. These membranes exhibit superhydrophobicity toward distilled water, salty water, oil-in-water emulsion, and beverages, which enables them to be used not only for desalination but also for other processes. The superhydrophobic dual-layer membrane #3S-N with nanofibrous support has a competitive permeation flux of 24.6 ± 1.2 kg m(-2) h(-1) in MD (feed and permeate temperate were set as 333 and 293 K, respectively) due to the higher porosity of the nanofibrous scaffold. Meanwhile, the membranes with the nonwoven support exhibit greater mechanical strength due to this support combined with better long-term performance because of the thicker 3D superhydrophobic layers. The morphology, pore size, porosity, mechanical properties, and liquid enter pressure of water of these superhydrophobic composite membranes with two different structures are reported and compared with commercial polyvinylidene fluoride membranes.

Microporous silica membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boffa, Vittorio; Yue, Yuanzheng

2012-01-01

Hydrothermal stability is a crucial factor for the application of microporous silica-based membranes in industrial processes. Indeed, it is well established that steam exposure may cause densification and defect formation in microporous silica membranes, which are detrimental to both membrane...... permeability and selectivity. Numerous previous studies show that microporous transition metal doped-silica membranes are hydrothermally more stable than pure silica membranes, but less permeable. Here we present a quantitative study on the impact of type and concentration of transition metal ions...... on the microporous structure, stability and permeability of amorphous silica-based membranes, providing information on how to design chemical compositions and synthetic paths for the fabrication of silica-based membranes with a well accessible and highly stabile microporous structure....

Composite Membrane with Underwater-Oleophobic Surface for Anti-Oil-Fouling Membrane Distillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhangxin; Hou, Deyin; Lin, Shihong

2016-04-05

In this study, we fabricated a composite membrane for membrane distillation (MD) by modifying a commercial hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with a nanocomposite coating comprising silica nanoparticles, chitosan hydrogel and fluoro-polymer. The composite membrane exhibits asymmetric wettability, with the modified surface being in-air hydrophilic and underwater oleophobic, and the unmodified surface remaining hydrophobic. By comparing the performance of the composite membrane and the pristine PVDF membrane in direct contact MD experiments using a saline emulsion with 1000 ppm crude oil (in water), we showed that the fabricated composite membrane was significantly more resistant to oil fouling compared to the pristine hydrophobic PVDF membrane. Force spectroscopy was conducted for the interaction between an oil droplet and the membrane surface using a force tensiometer. The difference between the composite membrane and the pristine PVDF membrane in their interaction with an oil droplet served to explain the difference in the fouling propensities between these two membranes observed in MD experiments. The results from this study suggest that underwater oleophobic coating can effectively mitigate oil fouling in MD operations, and that the fabricated composite membrane with asymmetric wettability can enable MD to desalinate hypersaline wastewater with high concentrations of hydrophobic contaminants.

Applications of the rotating orientation XRD method to oriented materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Zhenqi; Li Fei; Jin Li; Bai Yu

2009-01-01

The rotating orientation x-ray diffraction (RO-XRD) method, based on conventional XRD instruments by a modification of the sample stage, was introduced to investigate the orientation-related issues of such materials. In this paper, we show its applications including the determination of single crystal orientation, assistance in crystal cutting and evaluation of crystal quality. The interpretation of scanning patterns by RO-XRD on polycrystals with large grains, bulk material with several grains and oriented thin film is also presented. These results will hopefully expand the applications of the RO-XRD method and also benefit the conventional XRD techniques. (fast track communication)

Understanding political market orientation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ormrod, Robert P.; Henneberg, Stephan C.

influences of such behavior. The study includes structural equation modeling to investigate several propositions. While the results show that political parties need to focus on several different aspects of market-oriented behavior, especially using an internal and external orientation as cultural antecedents......This article develops a conceptual framework and measurement model of political market orientation that consists of attitudinal and behavioural constructs. The article reports on perceived relationships among different behavioral aspects of political market orientation and the attitudinal......, a more surprising result is the inconclusive effect of a voter orientation on market-oriented behaviours. The article discusses the findings in the context of the existing literature in political marketing and commercial market orientation....

Sputtered highly oriented PZT thin films for MEMS applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kalpat, Sriram S.

Recently there has been an explosion of interest in the field of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). MEMS device technology has become critical in the growth of various fields like medical, automotive, chemical, and space technology. Among the many applications of ferroelectric thin films in MEMS devices, microfluidics is a field that has drawn considerable amount of research from bio-technology industries as well as chemical and semiconductor manufacturing industries. PZT thin films have been identified as best suited materials for micro-actuators and micro-sensors used in MEMS devices. A promising application for piezoelectric thin film based MEMS devices is disposable drug delivery systems that are capable of sensing biological parameters, mixing and delivering minute and precise amounts of drugs using micro-pumps or micro mixers. These devices call for low driving voltages, so that they can be battery operated. Improving the performance of the actuator material is critical in achieving battery operated disposal drug delivery systems. The device geometry and power consumption in MEMS devices largely depends upon the piezoelectric constant of the films, since they are most commonly used to convert electrical energy into a mechanical response of a membrane or cantilever and vice versa. Phenomenological calculation on the crystal orientation dependence of piezoelectric coefficients for PZT single crystal have reported a significant enhancement of the piezoelectric d33 constant by more than 3 times along [001] in the rhombohedral phase as compared to the conventionally used orientation PZT(111) since [111] is the along the spontaneous polarization direction. This could mean considerable improvement in the MEMS device performance and help drive the operating voltages lower. The motivation of this study is to investigate the crystal orientation dependence of both dielectric and piezoelectric coefficients of PZT thin films in order to select the appropriate

Metal membrane with dimer slots as a universal polarizer

Science.gov (United States)

Zhukovsky, Sergej; Zalkovskij, Maksim; Malureanu, Radu; Kremers, Christian; Chigrin, Dmitry; Tang, Peter T.; Jepsen, Peter U.; Lavrinenko, Andrei V.

2014-03-01

In this work, we show theoretically and confirm experimentally that thin metal membranes patterned with an array of slot dimers (or their Babinet analogue with metal rods) can function as a versatile spectral and polarization filter. We present a detailed covariant multipole theory for the electromagnetic response of an arbitrary dimer based on the Green functions approach. The theory confirms that a great variety of polarization properties, such as birefringence, chirality and elliptical dichroism, can be achieved in a metal layer with such slot-dimer patterning (i.e. in a metasurface). Optical properties of the metasurface can be extensively tuned by varying the geometry (shape and dimensions) of the dimer, for example, by adjusting the sizes and mutual placement of the slots (e.g. inter-slot distance and alignment angle). Three basic shapes of dimers are analyzed: II-shaped (parallel slots), V-shaped, and T-shaped. These particular shapes of dimers are found to be sensitive to variations of the slots lengths and orientation of elements. Theoretical results are well supported by full-wave three-dimensional simulations. Our findings were verified experimentally on the metal membranes fabricated using UV lithography with subsequent Ni growth. Such metasurfaces were characterized using time-domain THz spectroscopy. The samples exhibit pronounced optical activity (500 degrees per wavelength) and high transmission: even though the slots cover only 4.3 % of the total membrane area the amplitude transmission reaches 0.67 at the resonance frequency 0.56 THz.

Comparison and analysis of membrane fouling between flocculent sludge membrane bioreactor and granular sludge membrane bioreactor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Jing-Feng

Full Text Available The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of inoculating granules on reducing membrane fouling. In order to evaluate the differences in performance between flocculent sludge and aerobic granular sludge in membrane reactors (MBRs, two reactors were run in parallel and various parameters related to membrane fouling were measured. The results indicated that specific resistance to the fouling layer was five times greater than that of mixed liquor sludge in the granular MBR. The floc sludge more easily formed a compact layer on the membrane surface, and increased membrane resistance. Specifically, the floc sludge had a higher moisture content, extracellular polymeric substances concentration, and negative surface charge. In contrast, aerobic granules could improve structural integrity and strength, which contributed to the preferable permeate performance. Therefore, inoculating aerobic granules in a MBR presents an effective method of reducing the membrane fouling associated with floc sludge the perspective of from the morphological characteristics of microbial aggregates.

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

OpenAIRE

Evan Quon; Christopher T. Beh

2016-01-01

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

Autophagosomal membranes assemble at ER-plasma membrane contact sites.

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-01-01

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

Metal–Organic Framework-Functionalized Alumina Membranes for Vacuum Membrane Distillation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Zuo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Nature-mimetic hydrophobic membranes with high wetting resistance have been designed for seawater desalination via vacuum membrane distillation (VMD in this study. This is achieved through molecular engineering of metal–organic framework (MOF-functionalized alumina surfaces. A two-step synthetic strategy was invented to design the hydrophobic membranes: (1 to intergrow MOF crystals on the alumina tube substrate and (2 to introduce perfluoro molecules onto the MOF functionalized membrane surface. With the first step, the surface morphology, especially the hierarchical roughness, can be controlled by tuning the MOF crystal structure. After the second step, the perfluoro molecules function as an ultrathin layer of hydrophobic floss, which lowers the surface energy. Therefore, the resultant membranes do not only possess the intrinsic advantages of alumina supports such as high stability and high water permeability, but also have a hydrophobic surface formed by MOF functionalization. The membrane prepared under an optimum condition achieved a good VMD flux of 32.3 L/m2-h at 60 °C. This study may open up a totally new approach for design of next-generation high performance membrane distillation membranes for seawater desalination.

Correlation between the ripple phase and stripe domains in membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernchou, Uffe; Midtiby, Henrik; Ipsen, John Hjort; Simonsen, Adam Cohen

2011-12-01

We investigate the relationship between stripe domains and the ripple phase in membranes. These have previously been observed separately without being linked explicitly. Past results have demonstrated that solid and ripple phases exhibit rich textural patterns related to the orientational order of tilted lipids and the orientation of ripple corrugations. Here we reveal a highly complex network pattern of ripple and solid domains in DLPC, DPPC bilayers with structures covering length scales from 10 nm to 100 μm. Using spincoated double supported membranes we investigate domains by correlated AFM and fluorescence microscopy. Cooling experiments demonstrate the mode of nucleation and growth of stripe domains enriched in the fluorescent probe. Concurrent AFM imaging reveals that these stripe domains have a one-to-one correspondence with a rippled morphology running parallel to the stripe direction. Both thin and thick stripe domains are observed having ripple periods of 13.5±0.2 nm and 27.4±0.6 nm respectively. These are equivalent to previously observed asymmetric/equilibrium and symmetric/metastable ripple phases, respectively. Thin stripes grow from small solid domains and grow predominantly in length with a speed of ~3 times that of the thick stripes. Thick stripes grow by templating on the sides of thinner stripes or can emerge directly from the fluid phase. Bending and branching angles of stripes are in accordance with an underlying six fold lattice. We discuss mechanisms for the nucleation and growth of ripples and discuss a generic phase diagram that may partly rationalize the coexistence of metastable and stable phases. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Focus on Membrane Differentiation and Membrane Domains in the Prokaryotic Cell

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boekema, Egbert J.; Scheffers, Dirk-Jan; van Bezouwen, Laura S.; Bolhuis, Henk; Folea, I. Mihaela

2013-01-01

A summary is presented of membrane differentiation in the prokaryotic cell, with an emphasis on the organization of proteins in the plasma/cell membrane. Many species belonging to the Eubacteria and Archaea have special membrane domains and/or membrane proliferation, which are vital for different

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

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Bingyun; Hood, Leroy

2014-06-06

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

Photochemical Production of Hydrogen from Water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, E.

1978-01-01

The energy flux in sunlight is 40 000 kW per head of the world population. Theoretically much of this energy can be used to photolyze water, in presence of a sensitizer, to H2 (and 02) for a hydrogen economy. The main difficulty in a homogeneous medium is the back-reaction of the primary products. According to the 'membrane principle', the reducing and the oxidizing primary products are released on opposite sides of asymmetric membranes, and so prevented from back-reacting. In essence, this is the mechanism of the photosynthetic machinery in plants and bacteria. This therefore serves as an example in the artificial construction of suitable asymmetric, 'vectorial', membranes. Relatively small areas of photolytic collectors, e.g. in tropical deserts, could cover the energy needs of large populations through hydrogen. (author)

Differential Interaction of Synthetic Glycolipids with Biomimetic Plasma Membrane Lipids Correlates with the Plant Biological Response.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasir, Mehmet Nail; Lins, Laurence; Crowet, Jean-Marc; Ongena, Marc; Dorey, Stephan; Dhondt-Cordelier, Sandrine; Clément, Christophe; Bouquillon, Sandrine; Haudrechy, Arnaud; Sarazin, Catherine; Fauconnier, Marie-Laure; Nott, Katherine; Deleu, Magali

2017-09-26

Natural and synthetic amphiphilic molecules including lipopeptides, lipopolysaccharides, and glycolipids are able to induce defense mechanisms in plants. In the present work, the perception of two synthetic C14 rhamnolipids, namely, Alk-RL and Ac-RL, differing only at the level of the lipid tail terminal group have been investigated using biological and biophysical approaches. We showed that Alk-RL induces a stronger early signaling response in tobacco cell suspensions than does Ac-RL. The interactions of both synthetic RLs with simplified biomimetic membranes were further analyzed using experimental and in silico approaches. Our results indicate that the interactions of Alk-RL and Ac-RL with lipids were different in terms of insertion and molecular responses and were dependent on the lipid composition of model membranes. A more favorable insertion of Alk-RL than Ac-RL into lipid membranes is observed. Alk-RL forms more stable molecular assemblies than Ac-RL with phospholipids and sterols. At the molecular level, the presence of sterols tends to increase the RLs' interaction with lipid bilayers, with a fluidizing effect on the alkyl chains. Taken together, our findings suggest that the perception of these synthetic RLs at the membrane level could be related to a lipid-driven process depending on the organization of the membrane and the orientation of the RLs within the membrane and is correlated with the induction of early signaling responses in tobacco cells.

Chemical degradation mechanisms of membranes for alkaline membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choe, Yoong-Kee [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba (Japan); Henson, Neil J.; Kim, Yu Seung [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-12-31

Chemical degradation mechanisms of membranes for alkaline membrane fuel cells have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT). We have elucidated that the aryl-ether moiety of membranes is one of the weakest site against attack of hydroxide ions. The results of DFT calculations for hydroxide initiated aryl-ether cleavage indicated that the aryl-ether cleavage occurred prior to degradation of cationic functional group. Such a weak nature of the aryl-ether group arises from the electron deficiency of the aryl group as well as the low bond dissociation energy. The DFT results suggests that removal of the aryl-ether group in the membrane should enhance the stability of membranes under alkaline conditions. In fact, an ether fee poly(phenylene) membrane exhibits excellent stability against the attack from hydroxide ions.

Nafion/Silicon Oxide Composite Membrane for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membranes were produced via in situ sol-gel reaction of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in Nafion membranes. The physicochemical properties of the membranes were studied by FT-IR, TG-DSC and tensile strength. The results show that the silicon oxide is compatible with the Nafion membrane and the thermo stability of Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membrane is higher than that of Nafion membrane. Furthermore, the tensile strength of Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membrane is similar to that of the Nafion membrane. The proton conductivity of Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membrane is higher than that of Nafion membrane. When the Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membrane was employed as an electrolyte in H2/O2 PEMFC, a higher current density value (1 000 mA/cm2 at 0.38 V) than that of the Nafion 1135 membrane (100 mA/cm2 at 0.04 V) was obtained at 110 ℃.

Proteoliposomes as Tool for Assaying Membrane Transporter Functions and Interactions with Xenobiotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annamaria Tonazzi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Proteoliposomes represent a suitable and up to date tool for studying membrane transporters which physiologically mediate absorption, excretion, trafficking and reabsorption of nutrients and metabolites. Using recently developed reconstitution strategies, transporters can be inserted in artificial bilayers with the same orientation as in the cell membranes and in the absence of other interfering molecular systems. These methodologies are very suitable for studying kinetic parameters and molecular mechanisms. After the first applications on mitochondrial transporters, in the last decade, proteoliposomes obtained with optimized methodologies have been used for studying plasma membrane transporters and defining their functional and kinetic properties and structure/function relationships. A lot of information has been obtained which has clarified and completed the knowledge on several transporters among which the OCTN sub-family members, transporters for neutral amino acid, B0AT1 and ASCT2, and others. Transporters can mediate absorption of substrate-like derivatives or drugs, improving their bioavailability or can interact with these compounds or other xenobiotics, leading to side/toxic effects. Therefore, proteoliposomes have recently been used for studying the interaction of some plasma membrane and mitochondrial transporters with toxic compounds, such as mercurials, H2O2 and some drugs. Several mechanisms have been defined and in some cases the amino acid residues responsible for the interaction have been identified. The data obtained indicate proteoliposomes as a novel and potentially important tool in drug discovery.

Dynamic shaping of cellular membranes by phospholipids and membrane-deforming proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Suetsugu, Shiro; Kurisu, Shusaku; Takenawa, Tadaomi

2014-10-01

All cellular compartments are separated from the external environment by a membrane, which consists of a lipid bilayer. Subcellular structures, including clathrin-coated pits, caveolae, filopodia, lamellipodia, podosomes, and other intracellular membrane systems, are molded into their specific submicron-scale shapes through various mechanisms. Cells construct their micro-structures on plasma membrane and execute vital functions for life, such as cell migration, cell division, endocytosis, exocytosis, and cytoskeletal regulation. The plasma membrane, rich in anionic phospholipids, utilizes the electrostatic nature of the lipids, specifically the phosphoinositides, to form interactions with cytosolic proteins. These cytosolic proteins have three modes of interaction: 1) electrostatic interaction through unstructured polycationic regions, 2) through structured phosphoinositide-specific binding domains, and 3) through structured domains that bind the membrane without specificity for particular phospholipid. Among the structured domains, there are several that have membrane-deforming activity, which is essential for the formation of concave or convex membrane curvature. These domains include the amphipathic helix, which deforms the membrane by hemi-insertion of the helix with both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, and/or the BAR domain superfamily, known to use their positively charged, curved structural surface to deform membranes. Below the membrane, actin filaments support the micro-structures through interactions with several BAR proteins as well as other scaffold proteins, resulting in outward and inward membrane micro-structure formation. Here, we describe the characteristics of phospholipids, and the mechanisms utilized by phosphoinositides to regulate cellular events. We then summarize the precise mechanisms underlying the construction of membrane micro-structures and their involvements in physiological and pathological processes. Copyright © 2014 the

Eggshell membrane-templated porous gold membranes using nanoparticles as building blocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashraf, S.; Khalid, Z. M.; Hussain, I.

2013-01-01

Highly porous gold membrane-like structures are formed using eggshell membrane, as such and heat denatured, as a template and gold nanoparticles as building blocks. Gold nanoparticles were produced in-situ on the eggshell membranes without using additional reducing agents. The morphology and loading of gold nanoparticles can easily be controlled by adjusting the pH and thus the redox potential of eggshell membranes. Lower pH favored the formation of irregularly-shaped but dense gold macro/ nanocrystals whereas higher pH(8-9) favored the formation of fairly uniform but less dense gold nanoparticles onto the eggshell membranes. Heat treatment of eggshell membrane-gold nanoparticle composites formed at pH 8-9 led to the formation of highly porous membrane like gold while mimicking the original structure of eggshell membrane. All these materials have been thoroughly characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectroscopy (ISP-AES). These highly porous membrane-like gold materials may have potential applications in catalysis, biosensors, electrode materials, optically selective coatings, heat dissipation and biofiltration. (author)

Membrane processes

Science.gov (United States)

Staszak, Katarzyna

2017-11-01

The membrane processes have played important role in the industrial separation process. These technologies can be found in all industrial areas such as food, beverages, metallurgy, pulp and paper, textile, pharmaceutical, automotive, biotechnology and chemical industry, as well as in water treatment for domestic and industrial application. Although these processes are known since twentieth century, there are still many studies that focus on the testing of new membranes' materials and determining of conditions for optimal selectivity, i. e. the optimum transmembrane pressure (TMP) or permeate flux to minimize fouling. Moreover the researchers proposed some calculation methods to predict the membrane processes properties. In this article, the laboratory scale experiments of membrane separation techniques, as well their validation by calculation methods are presented. Because membrane is the "heart" of the process, experimental and computational methods for its characterization are also described.

Polymeric and Lipid Membranes-From Spheres to Flat Membranes and vice versa.

Science.gov (United States)

Saveleva, Mariia S; Lengert, Ekaterina V; Gorin, Dmitry A; Parakhonskiy, Bogdan V; Skirtach, Andre G

2017-08-15

Membranes are important components in a number of systems, where separation and control of the flow of molecules is desirable. Controllable membranes represent an even more coveted and desirable entity and their development is considered to be the next step of development. Typically, membranes are considered on flat surfaces, but spherical capsules possess a perfect "infinite" or fully suspended membranes. Similarities and transitions between spherical and flat membranes are discussed, while applications of membranes are also emphasized.

Chelating polymeric membranes

KAUST Repository

Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor; Villalobos Vazquez de la Parra, Luis Francisco; Hilke, Roland

2015-01-01

microporous chelating polymeric membrane. Embodiments include, but are not limited to, microporous chelating polymeric membranes, device comprising the membranes, and methods of using and making the same.

Photoresponsive nanostructured membranes

KAUST Repository

Madhavan, Poornima

2016-07-26

The perspective of adding stimuli-response to isoporous membranes stimulates the development of separation devices with pores, which would open or close under control of environment chemical composition, temperature or exposure to light. Changes in pH and temperature have been previously investigated. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the preparation of photoresponsive isoporous membranes, applying self-assembly non-solvent induced phase separation to a new light responsive block copolymer. First, we optimized the membrane formation by using poly(styrene-b-anthracene methyl methacrylate-b-methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA) copolymer, identifying the most suitable solvent, copolymer block length, and other parameters. The obtained final triblock copolymer membrane morphologies were characterized using atomic force and electron microscopy. The microscopic analysis reveals that the PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA copolymer can form both lamellar and ordered hexagonal nanoporous structures on the membrane top layer in appropriate solvent compositions. The nanostructured membrane emits fluorescence due to the presence of the anthracene mid-block. On irradiation of light the PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA copolymer membranes has an additional stimuli response. The anthracene group undergoes conformational changes by forming [4 + 4] cycloadducts and this alters the membrane\\'s water flux and solute retention. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Binding free energy and counterion release for adsorption of the antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin B on a POPG membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Tolokh, Igor S.; Vivcharuk, Victor; Tomberli, Bruno; Gray, C. G.

2009-09-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to study the interaction of an anionic palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (POPG) bilayer with the cationic antimicrobial peptide bovine lactoferricin (LFCinB) in a 100 mM NaCl solution at 310 K. The interaction of LFCinB with a POPG bilayer is employed as a model system for studying the details of membrane adsorption selectivity of cationic antimicrobial peptides. Seventy eight 4 ns MD production run trajectories of the equilibrated system, with six restrained orientations of LFCinB at 13 different separations from the POPG membrane, are generated to determine the free energy profile for the peptide as a function of the distance between LFCinB and the membrane surface. To calculate the profile for this relatively large system, a variant of constrained MD and thermodynamic integration is used. A simplified method for relating the free energy profile to the LFCinB-POPG membrane binding constant is employed to predict a free energy of adsorption of -5.4±1.3kcal/mol and a corresponding maximum adsorption binding force of about 58 pN. We analyze the results using Poisson-Boltzmann theory. We find the peptide-membrane attraction to be dominated by the entropy increase due to the release of counterions and polarized water from the region between the charged membrane and peptide, as the two approach each other. We contrast these results with those found earlier for adsorption of LFCinB on the mammalianlike palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine membrane.

Recent advances on membranes and membrane reactors for hydrogen production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gallucci, F.; Fernandez Gesalaga, E.; Corengia, P.; Sint Annaland, van M.

2013-01-01

Membranes and membrane reactors for pure hydrogen production are widely investigated not only because of the important application areas of hydrogen, but especially because mechanically and chemically stable membranes with high perm-selectivity towards hydrogen are available and are continuously

Application of virus-like particles (VLP) to NMR characterization of viral membrane protein interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antanasijevic, Aleksandar; Kingsley, Carolyn [University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (United States); Basu, Arnab; Bowlin, Terry L. [Microbiotix Inc. (United States); Rong, Lijun [University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Microbiology and Immunology (United States); Caffrey, Michael, E-mail: caffrey@uic.edu [University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (United States)

2016-03-15

The membrane proteins of viruses play critical roles in the virus life cycle and are attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. Virus-like particles (VLP) present the possibility to study the biochemical and biophysical properties of viral membrane proteins in their native environment. Specifically, the VLP constructs contain the entire protein sequence and are comprised of native membrane components including lipids, cholesterol, carbohydrates and cellular proteins. In this study we prepare VLP containing full-length hemagglutinin (HA) or neuraminidase (NA) from influenza and characterize their interactions with small molecule inhibitors. Using HA-VLP, we first show that VLP samples prepared using the standard sucrose gradient purification scheme contain significant amounts of serum proteins, which exhibit high potential for non-specific interactions, thereby complicating NMR studies of ligand-target interactions. We then show that the serum contaminants may be largely removed with the addition of a gel filtration chromatography step. Next, using HA-VLP we demonstrate that WaterLOGSY NMR is significantly more sensitive than Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) NMR for the study of ligand interactions with membrane bound targets. In addition, we compare the ligand orientation to HA embedded in VLP with that of recombinant HA by STD NMR. In a subsequent step, using NA-VLP we characterize the kinetic and binding properties of substrate analogs and inhibitors of NA, including study of the H274Y-NA mutant, which leads to wide spread resistance to current influenza antivirals. In summary, our work suggests that VLP have high potential to become standard tools in biochemical and biophysical studies of viral membrane proteins, particularly when VLP are highly purified and combined with control VLP containing native membrane proteins.

Performance of different hollow fiber membranes for seawater desalination using membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

Francis, Lijo; Ghaffour, NorEddine; Alsaadi, Ahmad Salem; Amy, Gary L.

2014-01-01

Membrane distillation requires a highly porous hydrophobic membrane with low surface energy. In this paper, we compare the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) performances of four different types of in-house fabricated hollow fiber membranes and two different commercially available hollow fiber membranes. Hollow fiber membranes are fabricated using wet-jet phase inversion technique and the polymeric matrices used for the fabrication are polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Commercial hollow fiber membrane materials are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polypropylene (PP). PVDF hollow fibers showed a superior performance among all the hollow fibers tested in the DCMD process and gave a water vapor flux of 31 kg m-2h-1 at a feed and coolant inlet temperatures of 80 and 20°C, respectively. Under the same conditions, the water vapor flux observed for PP, PTFE, and PVC hollow fiber membranes are 13, 11, and 6 kg m-2h-1, respectively, with 99.99% salt rejection observed for all membranes used.

Performance of different hollow fiber membranes for seawater desalination using membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

Francis, Lijo

2014-08-11

Membrane distillation requires a highly porous hydrophobic membrane with low surface energy. In this paper, we compare the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) performances of four different types of in-house fabricated hollow fiber membranes and two different commercially available hollow fiber membranes. Hollow fiber membranes are fabricated using wet-jet phase inversion technique and the polymeric matrices used for the fabrication are polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Commercial hollow fiber membrane materials are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polypropylene (PP). PVDF hollow fibers showed a superior performance among all the hollow fibers tested in the DCMD process and gave a water vapor flux of 31 kg m-2h-1 at a feed and coolant inlet temperatures of 80 and 20°C, respectively. Under the same conditions, the water vapor flux observed for PP, PTFE, and PVC hollow fiber membranes are 13, 11, and 6 kg m-2h-1, respectively, with 99.99% salt rejection observed for all membranes used.

Improving Nanofiber Membrane Characteristics and Membrane Distillation Performance of Heat-Pressed Membranes via Annealing Post-Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minwei Yao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Electrospun membranes are gaining interest for use in membrane distillation (MD due to their high porosity and interconnected pore structure; however, they are still susceptible to wetting during MD operation because of their relatively low liquid entry pressure (LEP. In this study, post-treatment had been applied to improve the LEP, as well as its permeation and salt rejection efficiency. The post-treatment included two continuous procedures: heat-pressing and annealing. In this study, annealing was applied on the membranes that had been heat-pressed. It was found that annealing improved the MD performance as the average flux reached 35 L/m2·h or LMH (>10% improvement of the ones without annealing while still maintaining 99.99% salt rejection. Further tests on LEP, contact angle, and pore size distribution explain the improvement due to annealing well. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses of the membranes showed that there was an increase in the crystallinity of the polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP membrane; also, peaks indicating the α phase of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF became noticeable after annealing, indicating some β and amorphous states of polymer were converted into the α phase. The changes were favorable for membrane distillation as the non-polar α phase of PVDF reduces the dipolar attraction force between the membrane and water molecules, and the increase in crystallinity would result in higher thermal stability. The present results indicate the positive effect of the heat-press followed by an annealing post-treatment on the membrane characteristics and MD performance.

Membrane paradigm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, R.H.; Thorne, K.S.

1986-01-01

The membrane paradigm is a modified frozen star approach to modeling black holes, with particles and fields assuming a complex, static, boundary-layer type structure (membrane) near the event horizon. The membrane has no effects on the present or future evolution of particles and fields above itself. The mathematical representation is a combination of a formalism containing terms for the shear and bulk viscosity, surface pressure, momentum, temperature, entropy, etc., of the horizon and the 3+1 formalism. The latter model considers a family of three-dimensional spacelike hypersurfaces in one-dimensional time. The membrane model considers a magnetic field threading the hole and undergoing torque from the hole rotation. The field is cleaned by the horizon and distributed over the horizon so that ohmic dissipation is minimized. The membrane paradigm is invalid inside the horizon, but is useful for theoretically probing the properties of slowly evolving black holes

Ion-conducting membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Masel, Richard I.; Sajjad, Syed Dawar; Gao, Yan; Liu, Zengcai; Chen, Qingmei

2017-12-26

An anion-conducting polymeric membrane comprises a terpolymer of styrene, vinylbenzyl-R.sub.s and vinylbenzyl-R.sub.x. R.sub.s is a positively charged cyclic amine group. R.sub.x is at least one constituent selected from the group consisting Cl, OH and a reaction product between an OH or Cl and a species other than a simple amine or a cyclic amine. The total weight of the vinylbenzyl-R.sub.x groups is greater than 0.3% of the total weight of the membrane. In a preferred embodiment, the membrane is a Helper Membrane that increases the faradaic efficiency of an electrochemical cell into which the membrane is incorporated, and also allows product formation at lower voltages than in cells without the Helper Membrane.

High-resolution orientation and depth of insertion of the voltage-sensing S4 helix of a potassium channel in lipid bilayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Tim; Su, Yongchao; Hong, Mei

2010-08-27

The opening and closing of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are controlled by several conserved Arg residues in the S4 helix of the voltage-sensing domain. The interaction of these positively charged Arg residues with the lipid membrane has been of intense interest for understanding how membrane proteins fold to allow charged residues to insert into lipid bilayers against free-energy barriers. Using solid-state NMR, we have now determined the orientation and insertion depth of the S4 peptide of the KvAP channel in lipid bilayers. Two-dimensional (15)N correlation experiments of macroscopically oriented S4 peptide in phospholipid bilayers revealed a tilt angle of 40 degrees and two possible rotation angles differing by 180 degrees around the helix axis. Remarkably, the tilt angle and one of the two rotation angles are identical to those of the S4 helix in the intact voltage-sensing domain, suggesting that interactions between the S4 segment and other helices of the voltage-sensing domain are not essential for the membrane topology of the S4 helix. (13)C-(31)P distances between the S4 backbone and the lipid (31)P indicate a approximately 9 A local thinning and 2 A average thinning of the DMPC (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphochloline)/DMPG (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylglycerol) bilayer, consistent with neutron diffraction data. Moreover, a short distance of 4.6 A from the guanidinium C(zeta) of the second Arg to (31)P indicates the existence of guanidinium phosphate hydrogen bonding and salt bridges. These data suggest that the structure of the Kv gating helix is mainly determined by protein-lipid interactions instead of interhelical protein-protein interactions, and the S4 amino acid sequence encodes sufficient information for the membrane topology of this crucial gating helix. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of membrane properties on fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Marel, P.; Zwijnenburg, A.; Kemperman, Antonius J.B.; Wessling, Matthias; Temmink, Hardy; van der Meer, Walterus Gijsbertus Joseph

2010-01-01

Polymeric flat-sheet membranes with different properties were used in filtration experiments with activated sludge from a pilot-scale MBR to investigate the influence of membrane pore size, surface porosity, pore morphology, and hydrophobicity on membrane fouling. An improved flux-step method was

Anti-fouling and high water permeable forward osmosis membrane fabricated via layer by layer assembly of chitosan/graphene oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Salehi, Hasan; Rastgar, Masoud; Shakeri, Alireza

2017-08-01

To date, forward osmosis (FO) has received considerable attention due to its potential application in seawater desalination. FO does not require external hydraulic pressure and consequently is believed to have a low fouling propensity. Despite the numerous privileges of FO process, a major challenge ahead for its development is the lack of high performance membranes. In this study, we fabricated a novel highly-efficient FO membrane using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of positive chitosan (CS) and negative graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets via electrostatic interaction on a porous support layer. The support layer was prepared by blending hydrophilic sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) into polyethersulfone (PES) matrix using wet phase inversion process. Various characterization techniques were used to confirm successful fabrication of LbL membrane. The number of layers formed on the SPES-PES support layer was easily adjusted by repeating the CS and GO deposition cycles. Thin film composite (TFC) membrane was also prepared by the same SPES-PES support layer and polyamide (PA) active layer to compare membranes performances. The water permeability and salt rejection of the fabricated membranes were obtained by two kinds of draw solutions (including Na2SO4 and sucrose) under two different membrane orientations. The results showed that membrane coated by a CS/GO bilayers had water flux of 2-4 orders of magnitude higher than the TFC one. By increasing the number of CS/GO bilayers, the selectivity of the LbL membrane was improved. The novel fabricated LbL membrane showed better fouling resistance than the TFC one in the feed solution containing 200 ppm of sodium alginate as a foulant model.

Exploring the potential of commercial polyethylene membranes for desalination by membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

Zuo, Jian; Bonyadi, Sina; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung

2015-01-01

The potential of utilizing polyethylene (PE) membranes in membrane distillation (MD) for sea water desalination has been explored in this study. The advantages of using PE membranes are (1) their intrinsic hydrophobicity with low surface energy of 28-33×10N/m, (2) good chemical stability and low thermal conductivity and (3) their commercial availability that may expedite the MD commercialization process. Several commercial PE membranes with different physicochemical properties are employed to study the capability and feasibility of PE membrane application in an MD process. The effect of membrane pore size, porosity, thickness and wetting resistance on MD performance and energy efficiency have been investigated. The PE membranes demonstrate impressive separation performance with permeation fluxes reaching 123.0L/mh for a 3.5wt% sodium chloride (NaCl) feed solution at 80°C. This superior performance surpasses most of the prior commercial and lab-made flat sheet and hollow fiber membranes. A long term MD testing of 100h is also performed to evaluate the durability of PE membranes, and a relatively stable performance is observed during the entire experiment. This long term stability signifies the suitability of PE membranes for MD applications.

Exploring the potential of commercial polyethylene membranes for desalination by membrane distillation

KAUST Repository

Zuo, Jian

2015-09-26

The potential of utilizing polyethylene (PE) membranes in membrane distillation (MD) for sea water desalination has been explored in this study. The advantages of using PE membranes are (1) their intrinsic hydrophobicity with low surface energy of 28-33×10N/m, (2) good chemical stability and low thermal conductivity and (3) their commercial availability that may expedite the MD commercialization process. Several commercial PE membranes with different physicochemical properties are employed to study the capability and feasibility of PE membrane application in an MD process. The effect of membrane pore size, porosity, thickness and wetting resistance on MD performance and energy efficiency have been investigated. The PE membranes demonstrate impressive separation performance with permeation fluxes reaching 123.0L/mh for a 3.5wt% sodium chloride (NaCl) feed solution at 80°C. This superior performance surpasses most of the prior commercial and lab-made flat sheet and hollow fiber membranes. A long term MD testing of 100h is also performed to evaluate the durability of PE membranes, and a relatively stable performance is observed during the entire experiment. This long term stability signifies the suitability of PE membranes for MD applications.

Lubricant jet flow phenomena in spur and helical gears with modified addendums - For radially directed individual jets

Science.gov (United States)

Akin, L. S.; Townsend, D. P.

1989-01-01

This paper develops the mathematical relations for the Virtual Kinetic Model as an improvement over the vectorial model developed earlier. The model solution described provides the most energy efficient means of cooling gears, i.e., it requires the least pressure or pumping power to distribute the coolant onto the tooth surface. Further, this nozzle orientation allows impingement to the root of the tooth if needed and provides the most cooling control when compared to into-mesh and out-of-mesh cooling.

Lubricant Jet Flow Phenomena in Spur and Helical Gears with Modified Addendums; for Radially Directed Individual Jets

Science.gov (United States)

Akin, Lee S.; Townsend, Dennis P.

1989-01-01

This paper develops the mathematical relations for the Virtual Kinetic Model as an improvement over the vectorial model developed earlier. The model solution described provides the most energy efficient means of cooling gears, i.e., it requires the least pressure or pumping power to distribute the coolant onto the tooth surface. Further, this nozzle orientation allows impingement to the root of the tooth if needed and provides the most cooling control when compared to into-mesh and out-of-mesh cooling.

Organization of Subunits in the Membrane Domain of the Bovine F-ATPase Revealed by Covalent Cross-linking.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jennifer; Ding, ShuJing; Walpole, Thomas B; Holding, Andrew N; Montgomery, Martin G; Fearnley, Ian M; Walker, John E

2015-05-22

The F-ATPase in bovine mitochondria is a membrane-bound complex of about 30 subunits of 18 different kinds. Currently, ∼85% of its structure is known. The enzyme has a membrane extrinsic catalytic domain, and a membrane intrinsic domain where the turning of the enzyme's rotor is generated from the transmembrane proton-motive force. The domains are linked by central and peripheral stalks. The central stalk and a hydrophobic ring of c-subunits in the membrane domain constitute the enzyme's rotor. The external surface of the catalytic domain and membrane subunit a are linked by the peripheral stalk, holding them static relative to the rotor. The membrane domain contains six additional subunits named ATP8, e, f, g, DAPIT (diabetes-associated protein in insulin-sensitive tissues), and 6.8PL (6.8-kDa proteolipid), each with a single predicted transmembrane α-helix, but their orientation and topography are unknown. Mutations in ATP8 uncouple the enzyme and interfere with its assembly, but its roles and the roles of the other five subunits are largely unknown. We have reacted accessible amino groups in the enzyme with bifunctional cross-linking agents and identified the linked residues. Cross-links involving the supernumerary subunits, where the structures are not known, show that the C terminus of ATP8 extends ∼70 Å from the membrane into the peripheral stalk and that the N termini of the other supernumerary subunits are on the same side of the membrane, probably in the mitochondrial matrix. These experiments contribute significantly toward building up a complete structural picture of the F-ATPase. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Organization of Subunits in the Membrane Domain of the Bovine F-ATPase Revealed by Covalent Cross-linking*

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jennifer; Ding, ShuJing; Walpole, Thomas B.; Holding, Andrew N.; Montgomery, Martin G.; Fearnley, Ian M.; Walker, John E.

2015-01-01

The F-ATPase in bovine mitochondria is a membrane-bound complex of about 30 subunits of 18 different kinds. Currently, ∼85% of its structure is known. The enzyme has a membrane extrinsic catalytic domain, and a membrane intrinsic domain where the turning of the enzyme's rotor is generated from the transmembrane proton-motive force. The domains are linked by central and peripheral stalks. The central stalk and a hydrophobic ring of c-subunits in the membrane domain constitute the enzyme's rotor. The external surface of the catalytic domain and membrane subunit a are linked by the peripheral stalk, holding them static relative to the rotor. The membrane domain contains six additional subunits named ATP8, e, f, g, DAPIT (diabetes-associated protein in insulin-sensitive tissues), and 6.8PL (6.8-kDa proteolipid), each with a single predicted transmembrane α-helix, but their orientation and topography are unknown. Mutations in ATP8 uncouple the enzyme and interfere with its assembly, but its roles and the roles of the other five subunits are largely unknown. We have reacted accessible amino groups in the enzyme with bifunctional cross-linking agents and identified the linked residues. Cross-links involving the supernumerary subunits, where the structures are not known, show that the C terminus of ATP8 extends ∼70 Å from the membrane into the peripheral stalk and that the N termini of the other supernumerary subunits are on the same side of the membrane, probably in the mitochondrial matrix. These experiments contribute significantly toward building up a complete structural picture of the F-ATPase. PMID:25851905

Orienteering injuries

OpenAIRE

Folan, Jean M.

1982-01-01

At the Irish National Orienteering Championships in 1981 a survey of the injuries occurring over the two days of competition was carried out. Of 285 individual competitors there was a percentage injury rate of 5.26%. The article discusses the injuries and aspects of safety in orienteering.

Micropore Geometry Manipulation by Macroscopic Deformation Based on Shape Memory Effect in Porous PLLA Membrane and its Enhanced Separation Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jingxin; Yang, Qiucheng; Wang, Tao; Wang, Lian; You, Jichun; Li, Yongjin

2017-12-20

An effective strategy to tailor the microporous structures has been developed based on the shape memory effect in porous poly(l-lactic acid) membranes in which tiny crystals and amorphous matrix play the roles of shape-fixed phase and reversible-phase, respectively. Our results indicate that not only PLLA membranes but micropores exhibit shape memory properties. The proportional deformations on two scales have been achieved by uniaxial or biaxial tension, providing a facile way to manipulate continuously the size and the orientation degree of pores on microscale. The enhanced separation performance has been validated by taking polystyrene colloids with varying diameters as an example.

Biomimetic Membranes for Multi-Redox Center Proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renate L. C. Naumann

2016-03-01

Full Text Available His-tag technology was applied for biosensing purposes involving multi-redox center proteins (MRPs. An overview is presented on various surfaces ranging from flat to spherical and modified with linker molecules with nitrile-tri-acetic acid (NTA terminal groups to bind his-tagged proteins in a strict orientation. The bound proteins are submitted to in situ dialysis in the presence of lipid micelles to form a so-called protein-tethered bilayer lipid membrane (ptBLM. MRPs, such as the cytochrome c oxidase (CcO from R. sphaeroides and P. denitrificans, as well as photosynthetic reactions centers (RCs from R. sphaeroides, were thus investigated. Electrochemical and surface-sensitive optical techniques, such as surface plasmon resonance, surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence, surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS and surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS, were employed in the case of the ptBLM structure on flat surfaces. Spherical particles ranging from µm size agarose gel beads to nm size nanoparticles modified in a similar fashion were called proteo-lipobeads (PLBs. The particles were investigated by laser-scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy (LSM and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Electron and proton transfer through the proteins were demonstrated to take place, which was strongly affected by the membrane potential. MRPs can thus be used for biosensing purposes under quasi-physiological conditions.

Cell-free system for synthesizing membrane proteins cell free method for synthesizing membrane proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Laible, Philip D; Hanson, Deborah K

2013-06-04

The invention provides an in vitro method for producing proteins, membrane proteins, membrane-associated proteins, and soluble proteins that interact with membrane-associated proteins for assembly into an oligomeric complex or that require association with a membrane for proper folding. The method comprises, supplying intracytoplasmic membranes from organisms; modifying protein composition of intracytoplasmic membranes from organism by modifying DNA to delete genes encoding functions of the organism not associated with the formation of the intracytoplasmic membranes; generating appropriate DNA or RNA templates that encode the target protein; and mixing the intracytoplasmic membranes with the template and a transcription/translation-competent cellular extract to cause simultaneous production of the membrane proteins and encapsulation of the membrane proteins within the intracytoplasmic membranes.

Orienteering club

CERN Multimedia

Club d'orientation

2015-01-01

Course d'orientation La reprise des courses d’orientation était attendue dans la région puisque près de 150 coureurs ont participé à la première épreuve automnale organisée par le club d’orientation du CERN sur le site de La Faucille. Les circuits ont été remportés par Yann Locatelli du club d’Orientation Coeur de Savoie avec 56 secondes d’avance sur Damien Berguerre du club SOS Sallanches pour le parcours technique long, Marie Vuitton du club CO CERN (membre également de l’Equipe de France Jeune) pour le parcours technique moyen avec presque 4 minutes d’avance sur Jeremy Wichoud du club Lausanne-Jorat, Victor Dannecker pour le circuit technique court devant Alina Niggli, Elliot Dannecker pour le facile moyen et Alice Merat sur le facile court, tous membres du club O’Jura. Les résultats comp...

Micro-and/or nano-scale patterned porous membranes, methods of making membranes, and methods of using membranes

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xianbin; Chen, Wei; Wang, Zhihong; Zhang, Xixiang; Yue, Weisheng; Lai, Zhiping

2015-01-01

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for materials that include a pre-designed patterned, porous membrane (e.g., micro- and/or nano-scale patterned), structures or devices that include a pre-designed patterned, porous membrane, methods of making pre-designed patterned, porous membranes, methods of separation, and the like.

Micro-and/or nano-scale patterned porous membranes, methods of making membranes, and methods of using membranes

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xianbin

2015-01-22

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for materials that include a pre-designed patterned, porous membrane (e.g., micro- and/or nano-scale patterned), structures or devices that include a pre-designed patterned, porous membrane, methods of making pre-designed patterned, porous membranes, methods of separation, and the like.

Protein adsorption capability on polyurethane and modified-polyurethane membrane for periodontal guided tissue regeneration applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheikh, Zeeshan [Matrix Dynamics Group, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Fitzgerald Building, 150 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E2 (Canada); School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Khan, Abdul Samad, E-mail: draskhan@ciitlahore.edu.pk [Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Biomedical Materials, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Roohpour, Nima [Oral Care R& D, GSK St., Georges Ave., Weybridge KT13 8PA (United Kingdom); Glogauer, Michael [Matrix Dynamics Group, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Fitzgerald Building, 150 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E2 (Canada); Rehman, Ihtesham u [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Kroto Research Institute, North Campus, University of Sheffield, Broad Lane, Sheffield S3 7HQ (United Kingdom)

2016-11-01

Periodontal disease if left untreated can result in creation of defects within the alveolar ridge. Barrier membranes are frequently used with or without bone replacement graft materials for achieving periodontal guided tissue regeneration (GTR). Surface properties of barrier membranes play a vital role in their functionality and clinical success. In this study polyetherurethane (PEU) membranes were synthesized by using 4,4′-methylene-diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), polytetramethylene oxide (PTMO) and 1,4-butane diol (BDO) as a chain extender via solution polymerization. Hydroxyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) due to having inherent surface orientation towards air was used for surface modification of PEU on one side of the membranes. This resulting membranes had one surface being PEU and the other being PDMS coated PEU. The prepared membranes were treated with solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in de-ionized water at 37 °C at a pH of 7.2. The surface protein adsorptive potential of PEU membranes was observed using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and Confocal Raman spectroscopy. The contact angle measurement, tensile strength and modulus of prepared membranes were also evaluated. PEU membrane (89.86 ± 1.62°) exhibited less hydrophobic behavior than PEU-PDMS (105.87 ± 3.16°). The ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus of PEU (27 ± 1 MPa and 14 ± 2 MPa) and PEU-PDMS (8 ± 1 MPa and 26 ± 1 MPa) membranes was in required range. The spectral analysis revealed adsorption of BSA proteins on the surface of non PDMS coated PEU surface. The PDMS modified PEU membranes demonstrated a lack of BSA adsorption. The non PDMS coated side of the membrane which adsorbs proteins could potentially be used facing towards the defect attracting growth factors for periodontal tissue regeneration. Whereas, the PDMS coated side could serve as an occlusive barrier for preventing gingival epithelial

Protein adsorption capability on polyurethane and modified-polyurethane membrane for periodontal guided tissue regeneration applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheikh, Zeeshan; Khan, Abdul Samad; Roohpour, Nima; Glogauer, Michael; Rehman, Ihtesham u

2016-01-01

Periodontal disease if left untreated can result in creation of defects within the alveolar ridge. Barrier membranes are frequently used with or without bone replacement graft materials for achieving periodontal guided tissue regeneration (GTR). Surface properties of barrier membranes play a vital role in their functionality and clinical success. In this study polyetherurethane (PEU) membranes were synthesized by using 4,4′-methylene-diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), polytetramethylene oxide (PTMO) and 1,4-butane diol (BDO) as a chain extender via solution polymerization. Hydroxyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) due to having inherent surface orientation towards air was used for surface modification of PEU on one side of the membranes. This resulting membranes had one surface being PEU and the other being PDMS coated PEU. The prepared membranes were treated with solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in de-ionized water at 37 °C at a pH of 7.2. The surface protein adsorptive potential of PEU membranes was observed using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and Confocal Raman spectroscopy. The contact angle measurement, tensile strength and modulus of prepared membranes were also evaluated. PEU membrane (89.86 ± 1.62°) exhibited less hydrophobic behavior than PEU-PDMS (105.87 ± 3.16°). The ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus of PEU (27 ± 1 MPa and 14 ± 2 MPa) and PEU-PDMS (8 ± 1 MPa and 26 ± 1 MPa) membranes was in required range. The spectral analysis revealed adsorption of BSA proteins on the surface of non PDMS coated PEU surface. The PDMS modified PEU membranes demonstrated a lack of BSA adsorption. The non PDMS coated side of the membrane which adsorbs proteins could potentially be used facing towards the defect attracting growth factors for periodontal tissue regeneration. Whereas, the PDMS coated side could serve as an occlusive barrier for preventing gingival epithelial

Transformation Strategies between Block-Oriented and Graph-Oriented Process Modelling Languages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mendling, Jan; Lassen, Kristian Bisgaard; Zdun, Uwe

2006-01-01

Much recent research work discusses the transformation between different process modelling languages. This work, however, is mainly focussed on specific process modelling languages, and thus the general reusability of the applied transformation concepts is rather limited. In this paper, we aim...... to abstract from concrete transformation strategies by distinguishing two major paradigms for representing control flow in process modelling languages: block-oriented languages (such as BPEL and BPML) and graph-oriented languages (such as EPCs and YAWL). The contribution of this paper are generic strategies...... for transforming from block-oriented process languages to graph-oriented languages, and vice versa....

Transformation Strategies between Block-Oriented and Graph-Oriented Process Modelling Languages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mendling, Jan; Lassen, Kristian Bisgaard; Zdun, Uwe

to abstract from concrete transformationstrategies by distinguishing two major paradigms for process modelling languages:block-oriented languages (such as BPEL and BPML) and graph-oriented languages(such as EPCs and YAWL). The contribution of this paper are generic strategiesfor transforming from block......Much recent research work discusses the transformation between differentprocess modelling languages. This work, however, is mainly focussed on specific processmodelling languages, and thus the general reusability of the applied transformationconcepts is rather limited. In this paper, we aim......-oriented process languages to graph-oriented languages,and vice versa. We also present two case studies of applying our strategies....

Separation membrane development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, M.W. [Savannah River Technology Center, Aiken, SC (United States)

1998-08-01

A ceramic membrane has been developed to separate hydrogen from other gases. The method used is a sol-gel process. A thin layer of dense ceramic material is coated on a coarse ceramic filter substrate. The pore size distribution in the thin layer is controlled by a densification of the coating materials by heat treatment. The membrane has been tested by permeation measurement of the hydrogen and other gases. Selectivity of the membrane has been achieved to separate hydrogen from carbon monoxide. The permeation rate of hydrogen through the ceramic membrane was about 20 times larger than Pd-Ag membrane.

Structure and properties of cell membranes. Volume 3: Methodology and properties of membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benga, G.

1985-01-01

This book covers the topics: Quantum chemical approach to study the mechanisms of proton translocation across membranes through protein molecules; monomolecular films as biomembrane models; planar lipid bilayers in relation to biomembranes; relation of liposomes to cell membranes; reconstitution of membrane transport systems; structure-function relationships in cell membranes as revealed by X-ray techniques; structure-function relationships in cell membranes as revealed by spin labeling ESR; structure and dynamics of cell membranes as revealed by NMR techniques; the effect of dietary lipids on the composition and properties of biological membranes and index

A forced-flow membrane reactor for transfructosylation using ceramic membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishizawa, K; Nakajima, M; Nabetani, H

2000-04-05

A forced-flow membrane reactor system for transfructosylation was investigated using several ceramic membranes having different pore sizes. beta-Fructofuranosidase from Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 was immobilized chemically to the inner surface of a ceramic membrane activated by a silane-coupling reagent. Sucrose solution was forced through the ceramic membrane by crossflow filtration while transfructosylation took place. The saccharide composition of the product, which was a mixture of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), was a function of the permeate flux, which was easily controlled by pressure. Using 0.2 micrometer pore size of symmetric ceramic membrane, the volumetric productivity obtained was 3.87 kg m(-3) s(-1), which was 560 times higher than that in a reported batch system, with a short residence time of 11 s. The half-life of the immobilized enzyme in the membrane was estimated to be 35 days by a long-term operation. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Oriented Poly(dialkylstannane)s

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Choffat, Fabien; Fornera, Sara; Smith, Paul

2008-01-01

The inorganic (or 'organometallic') polymers poly(dibutylstannane), poly(dioctylstannane), and poly(didodecylstannane) have been oriented by shear forces, the tensile drawing of blends with polyethylene, and deposition from solution onto glass slides coated with all oriented, friction-deposited p......The inorganic (or 'organometallic') polymers poly(dibutylstannane), poly(dioctylstannane), and poly(didodecylstannane) have been oriented by shear forces, the tensile drawing of blends with polyethylene, and deposition from solution onto glass slides coated with all oriented, friction......-deposited poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) layer. Orientation of the polystannanes has been examined by polarization microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy with polarized light, and X-ray diffraction and their direction is found to depend on the length of the alkyl side groups and the method of orientation. Remarkably...

Membrane microdomains, rafts, and detergent-resistant membranes in plants and fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Malinsky, Jan; Opekarová, Miroslava; Grossmann, Guido; Tanner, Widmar

2013-01-01

The existence of specialized microdomains in plasma membranes, postulated for almost 25 years, has been popularized by the concept of lipid or membrane rafts. The idea that detergent-resistant membranes are equivalent to lipid rafts, which was generally abandoned after a decade of vigorous data accumulation, contributed to intense discussions about the validity of the raft concept. The existence of membrane microdomains, meanwhile, has been verified by unequivocal independent evidence. This review summarizes the current state of research in plants and fungi with respect to common aspects of both kingdoms. In these organisms, principally immobile microdomains large enough for microscopic detection have been visualized. These microdomains are found in the context of cell-cell interactions (plant symbionts and pathogens), membrane transport, stress, and polarized growth, and the data corroborate at least three mechanisms of formation. As documented in this review, modern methods of visualization of lateral membrane compartments are also able to uncover the functional relevance of membrane microdomains.

Determination of the separate lipid and protein profile structures derived from the total membrane profile structure or isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum via x-ray and neutron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbette, L.; Blasie, J.K.

1984-01-01

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes were prepared to contain biosynthetically deuterated SR phospholipids utilizing specific and general phospholipid exchange proteins (PLEP). Functional measurements and freeze fracture on SR dispersions and x-ray diffraction of hydrated oriented membrane multilayers revealed that the exchanged SR membranes were very similar to unexchanged SR membranes. Low resolution (28-A) neutron diffraction studies utilizing SR membranes exchanged with either protonated or perdeuterated SR phospholipids allowed direct determination of the lipid profile within the isolated SR membrane at two different unit cell repeat distances. These lipid profile structures were found to be highly asymmetric regarding the conformation of the fatty acid chain extents and compositional distribution of phospholipid molecules in the inner vs. outer monolayer of the SR membrane bilayer. The relatively high resolution (11-A) electron-density profile from x-ray diffraction was decomposed by utilizing the asymmetry in the number of phospholipid molecules residing in the inner vs. outer monolayer of the SR lipid bilayer as obtained from the neutron diffraction study. To our knowledge, this represents the first direct determination of a lipid bilayer profile structure within an isolated membrane system

Modification of chitosan membranes with nanosilica particles as polymer electrolyte membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kusumastuti, Ella, E-mail: ella.kusuma@gmail.com; Siniwi, Widasari Trisna, E-mail: wsiniwi@gmail.com; Mahatmanti, F. Widhi; Jumaeri [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, State University of Semarang D6 Building 2" n" d floor, Sekaran Unnes Campus, Gunungpati, Semarang (Indonesia); Atmaja, Lukman; Widiastuti, Nurul [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Tenth November Institute of Technology Keputih ITS Campus, Sukolilo, Surabaya (Indonesia)

2016-04-19

Chitosan has been widely used as polymer matrix for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) application replacing Nafion which has shortcomings in terms of high methanol permeability that degrades the performance of fuel cells. Chitosan membranes modification is performed by adding nanosilica to prevent methanol transport through the membrane. Nanosilica is synthesized by sol-gel method and the particle diameter is obtained by analysis using Breunner Emmet Teller (BET) that is 6.59 nm. Nanosilica is mixed with chitosan solution to obtain nanosilica-chitosan as polymer electrolyte membrane. The membranes are synthesized through phase inversion method with nanosilica composition including 0; 0.5; 1; 2; 3; 5; and 10% w/w of chitosan. Characterization of the membranes indicate that the results of water swelling, proton conductivity and methanol permeability of the membrane with 3% nanosilica respectively were 49.23%, 0.231 S/cm, and 5.43 x 10{sup −7} cm{sup 2}/s. Based on the results of membrane selectivity calculation, the optimum membrane is the composition of 3% nanosilica with value 5.91 x 105 S s cm{sup −3}. The results of functional groups analysis with FTIR showed that it was only physical interaction that occurred between chitosan and nanosilica since no significant changes found in peak around the wave number 1000-1250 cm{sup −-1}.

Functionalization of a Hydrophilic Commercial Membrane Using Inorganic-Organic Polymers Coatings for Membrane Distillation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lies Eykens

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Membrane distillation is a thermal separation technique using a microporous hydrophobic membrane. One of the concerns with respect to the industrialization of the technique is the development of novel membranes. In this paper, a commercially available hydrophilic polyethersulfone membrane with a suitable structure for membrane distillation was modified using available hydrophobic coatings using ORMOCER® technology to obtain a hydrophobic membrane that can be applied in membrane distillation. The surface modification was performed using a selection of different components, concentrations, and application methods. The resulting membranes can have two hydrophobic surfaces or a hydrophobic and hydrophilic surface depending on the application method. An extensive characterization procedure confirmed the suitability of the coating technique and the obtained membranes for membrane distillation. The surface contact angle of water could be increased from 27° up to 110°, and fluxes comparable to membranes commonly used for membrane distillation were achieved under similar process conditions. A 100 h test demonstrated the stability of the coating and the importance of using sufficiently stable base membranes.

Efficient molecular mechanics simulations of the folding, orientation, and assembly of peptides in lipid bilayers using an implicit atomic solvation model

Science.gov (United States)

Bordner, Andrew J.; Zorman, Barry; Abagyan, Ruben

2011-10-01

Membrane proteins comprise a significant fraction of the proteomes of sequenced organisms and are the targets of approximately half of marketed drugs. However, in spite of their prevalence and biomedical importance, relatively few experimental structures are available due to technical challenges. Computational simulations can potentially address this deficit by providing structural models of membrane proteins. Solvation within the spatially heterogeneous membrane/solvent environment provides a major component of the energetics driving protein folding and association within the membrane. We have developed an implicit solvation model for membranes that is both computationally efficient and accurate enough to enable molecular mechanics predictions for the folding and association of peptides within the membrane. We derived the new atomic solvation model parameters using an unbiased fitting procedure to experimental data and have applied it to diverse problems in order to test its accuracy and to gain insight into membrane protein folding. First, we predicted the positions and orientations of peptides and complexes within the lipid bilayer and compared the simulation results with solid-state NMR structures. Additionally, we performed folding simulations for a series of host-guest peptides with varying propensities to form alpha helices in a hydrophobic environment and compared the structures with experimental measurements. We were also able to successfully predict the structures of amphipathic peptides as well as the structures for dimeric complexes of short hexapeptides that have experimentally characterized propensities to form beta sheets within the membrane. Finally, we compared calculated relative transfer energies with data from experiments measuring the effects of mutations on the free energies of translocon-mediated insertion of proteins into lipid bilayers and of combined folding and membrane insertion of a beta barrel protein.

LA REGLA DE CRAMER A PARTIR DEL PRODUCTO GENERALIZADO EN ℜn

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moisés Aranda Silva

2003-12-01

Full Text Available En el espacio vectorial euclídeo ℜ3 se definen el producto vectorial y el producto triple, a partir de la interpretación geométrica de estos productos, definimos el producto vectorial en los espacios vectorialesℜ2, ℜ4 y ℜn. Con el producto vectorial generalizado se presenta una deducción elemental de la regla de Cramer.

Orientalism/Occidentalism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Minca, C.; Ong, C.E.

2017-01-01

Orientalism and Occidentalism are interrelated concepts. Orientalism is defined in three keys ways: (i) as a study of “the Orient”; (ii) as a cultural and aesthetic concern with “the Orient”; and (iii) as a critical approach to understanding the construction of “the Orient” by European and American

Photoresponsive nanostructured membranes

KAUST Repository

Madhavan, Poornima; Sutisna, Burhannudin; Sougrat, Rachid; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

2016-01-01

The perspective of adding stimuli-response to isoporous membranes stimulates the development of separation devices with pores, which would open or close under control of environment chemical composition, temperature or exposure to light. Changes in pH and temperature have been previously investigated. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the preparation of photoresponsive isoporous membranes, applying self-assembly non-solvent induced phase separation to a new light responsive block copolymer. First, we optimized the membrane formation by using poly(styrene-b-anthracene methyl methacrylate-b-methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA) copolymer, identifying the most suitable solvent, copolymer block length, and other parameters. The obtained final triblock copolymer membrane morphologies were characterized using atomic force and electron microscopy. The microscopic analysis reveals that the PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA copolymer can form both lamellar and ordered hexagonal nanoporous structures on the membrane top layer in appropriate solvent compositions. The nanostructured membrane emits fluorescence due to the presence of the anthracene mid-block. On irradiation of light the PS-b-PAnMMA-b-PMMA copolymer membranes has an additional stimuli response. The anthracene group undergoes conformational changes by forming [4 + 4] cycloadducts and this alters the membrane's water flux and solute retention. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Characteristics of membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactor under sub-critical flux operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Y C; Huang, C P; Pan, Jill R; Lee, H C

2008-01-01

Recently, the membrane bioreactor (MBR) process has become one of the novel technologies to enhance the performance of biological treatment of wastewater. Membrane bioreactor process uses the membrane unit to replace a sediment tank, and this can greatly enhance treatment performance. However, membrane fouling in MBR restricts its widespread application because it leads to permeate flux decline, making more frequent membrane cleaning and replacement necessary, which then increases operating and maintenance costs. This study investigated the sludge characteristics in membrane fouling under sub-critical flux operation and also assessed the effect of shear stress on membrane fouling. Membrane fouling was slow under sub-critical flux operation. However, as filamentous microbes became dominant in the reactor, membrane fouling increased dramatically due to the increased viscosity and polysaccharides. A close link was found between membrane fouling and the amount of polysaccharides in soluble EPS. The predominant resistance was the cake resistance which could be minimized by increasing the shear stress. However, the resistance of colloids and solutes was not apparently reduced by increasing shear stress. Therefore, smaller particles such as macromolecules (e.g. polysaccharides) may play an important role in membrane fouling under sub-critical flux operation.

Parameter optimization of thermal-model-oriented control law for PEM fuel cell stack via novel genetic algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xi; Deng Zhonghua; Wei Dong; Xu Chunshan; Cao Guangyi

2011-01-01

Highlights: →We build up the thermal expressions of PEMFC stack. → The expressions are converted into the affine state space control-oriented model for the VSC strategy. → The NGA is developed to optimize the parameter of thermal-model-oriented control law. → Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness and rationality of the method proposed. - Abstract: It is critical to understand and manage the thermal effects in optimizing the performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack. And building up the control-oriented thermal model of PEMFC stack is necessary. The thermal model, a set of differential equations, is established according to the conservation equations of mass and energy, which can be used to reflect truly the actual temperature response of PEMFC stack, however, the expressions of the model are too complicated to be used in the design of control. For this reason, the expressions are converted into the affine state space control-oriented model in detail for the variable structure control (VSC) strategy. Meanwhile, the accurate model must be established for the VSC and the parameters of VSC laws should be optimized. Consequently, a novel genetic algorithm (NGA) is developed to optimize the parameter of thermal-model-oriented control law for PEMFC stack. Finally, numerical test results demonstrate the effectiveness and rationality of the method proposed in this paper. It lays the foundation for the realization of online thermal management of PEMFC stack based on VSC.

Determination of the topology of endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins using redox-sensitive green-fluorescence protein fusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsachaki, Maria; Birk, Julia; Egert, Aurélie; Odermatt, Alex

2015-07-01

Membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are involved in a wide array of essential cellular functions. Identification of the topology of membrane proteins can provide significant insight into their mechanisms of action and biological roles. This is particularly important for membrane enzymes, since their topology determines the subcellular site where a biochemical reaction takes place and the dependence on luminal or cytosolic co-factor pools and substrates. The methods currently available for the determination of topology of proteins are rather laborious and require post-lysis or post-fixation manipulation of cells. In this work, we have developed a simple method for defining intracellular localization and topology of ER membrane proteins in living cells, based on the fusion of the respective protein with redox-sensitive green-fluorescent protein (roGFP). We validated the method and demonstrated that roGFP fusion proteins constitute a reliable tool for the study of ER membrane protein topology, using as control microsomal 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) proteins whose topology has been resolved, and comparing with an independent approach. We then implemented this method to determine the membrane topology of six microsomal members of the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) family. The results revealed a luminal orientation of the catalytic site for three enzymes, i.e. 17β-HSD6, 7 and 12. Knowledge of the intracellular location of the catalytic site of these enzymes will enable future studies on their biological functions and on the role of the luminal co-factor pool. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prediction of binding free energy for adsorption of antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin B on a POPC membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Vivcharuk, Victor; Tomberli, Bruno; Tolokh, Igor S.; Gray, C. G.

2008-03-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to study the interaction of a zwitterionic palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayer with the cationic antimicrobial peptide bovine lactoferricin (LFCinB) in a 100 mM NaCl solution at 310 K. The interaction of LFCinB with POPC is used as a model system for studying the details of membrane-peptide interactions, with the peptide selected because of its antimicrobial nature. Seventy-two 3 ns MD simulations, with six orientations of LFCinB at 12 different distances from a POPC membrane, are carried out to determine the potential of mean force (PMF) or free energy profile for the peptide as a function of the distance between LFCinB and the membrane surface. To calculate the PMF for this relatively large system a new variant of constrained MD and thermodynamic integration is developed. A simplified method for relating the PMF to the LFCinB-membrane binding free energy is described and used to predict a free energy of adsorption (or binding) of -1.05±0.39kcal/mol , and corresponding maximum binding force of about 20 pN, for LFCinB-POPC. The contributions of the ions-LFCinB and the water-LFCinB interactions to the PMF are discussed. The method developed will be a useful starting point for future work simulating peptides interacting with charged membranes and interactions involved in the penetration of membranes, features necessary to understand in order to rationally design peptides as potential alternatives to traditional antibiotics.

Use of geoprocessing to define malaria risk areas and evaluation of the vectorial importance of anopheline mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Espírito Santo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Meneguzzi, Viviane Coutinho; Santos, Claudiney Biral dos; Pinto, Israel de Souza; Feitoza, Leandro Roberto; Feitoza, Hideko Nagatani; Falqueto, Aloísio

2009-07-01

In Brazil, introduced malaria occurs from the flat to the sloping hot areas, predominantly outside the Amazon Region, where endemic malaria has occurred in the past. This is a consequence of human migrations to other Brazilian states, including the state of Espírito Santo (ES). The objective of this study was to use geoprocessing to define the areas at risk of introduced malaria transmission and evaluate the vectorial importance of species of anophelines in ES. Anophelines were sampled from 1997-2005 in 297 rural localities identified or not identified as foci of malaria during the last 20 years. The geoclimatic variables temperature, relief and marine influence were obtained from a database of the ES Natural Units. The 14,663 anophelines captured belonged to 22 species. A significant association was found between the occurrence of malaria foci and the presence of hot, low-lying areas or gently undulating to undulating relief. The occurrence of the disease was associated with the presence of Anopheles darlingi and Anopheles aquasalis. Geoprocessing was determined to be a useful tool for defining areas at risk for malaria and vectors in ES.

Emulsification using microporous membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goran T. Vladisavljević

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Membrane emulsification is a process of injecting a pure dispersed phase or pre-emulsion through a microporous membrane into the continuous phase. As a result of the immiscibility of the two phases, droplets of the dispersed phase are formed at the outlets of membrane pores. The droplets formed in the process are removed from the membrane surface by applying cross-flow or stirring of the continuous phase or using a dynamic (rotating or vibrating membrane. The most commonly used membrane for emulsification is the Shirasu Porous Glass (SPG membrane, fabricated through spinodal decomposition in a melt consisting of Japanese volcanic ash (Shirasu, boric acid and calcium carbonate. Microsieve membranes are increasingly popular as an alternative to highly tortuous glass and ceramic membranes. Microsieves are usually fabricated from nickel by photolithography and electroplating or they can be manufactured from silicon nitride via Reactive Ion Etching (RIE. An advantage of microsieves compared to the SPG membrane is in much higher transmembrane fluxes and higher tolerance to fouling by the emulsion ingredients due to the existence of short, straight through pores. Unlike conventional emulsification devices such as high-pressure valve homogenisers and rotor-stator devices, membrane emulsification devices permit a precise control over the mean pore size over a wide range and during the process insignificant amount of energy is dissipated as heat. The drop size is primarily determined by the pore size, but it depends also on other parameters, such as membrane wettability, emulsion formulation, shear stress on the membrane surface, transmembrane pressure, etc.

Proton exchange membranes prepared by grafting of styrene/divinylbenzene into crosslinked PTFE membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jingye; Ichizuri, Shogo; Asano, Saneto; Mutou, Fumihiro; Ikeda, Shigetoshi; Iida, Minoru; Miura, Takaharu; Oshima, Akihiro; Tabata, Yoneho; Washio, Masakazu

2005-01-01

Thin PTFE membranes were prepared by coating the PTFE dispersion onto the aluminum films. Thus the thin crosslinked PTFE (RX-PTFE) membranes were obtained by means of electron beam irradiation above the melting temperature of PTFE under oxygen-free atmosphere. The RX-PTFE membranes were pre-irradiated and grafted by styrene with or without divinylbenzene (DVB) in liquid phase. The existence of DVB accelerated the initial grafting rate. The styrene grafted RX-PTFE membranes are white colored, on the other hand, the styrene/DVB grafted RX-PTFE membranes are colorless. The proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were obtained by sulfonating the grafted membranes using chlorosulfonic acid. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) values of the PEMs ranging from 1.5 to 2.8 meq/g were obtained. The PEMs made from the styrene/DVB grafted membranes showed higher chemical stability than those of the styrene grafted membranes under oxidative circumstance

Chorioamniotic membrane separation and preterm premature rupture of membranes complicating in utero myelomeningocele repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Soni, Shelly; Moldenhauer, Julie S; Spinner, Susan S; Rendon, Norma; Khalek, Nahla; Martinez-Poyer, Juan; Johnson, Mark P; Adzick, N Scott

2016-05-01

Since the results of the Management of Myelomeningocele Study were published, maternal-fetal surgery for the in utero treatment of spina bifida has become accepted as a standard of care alternative. Despite promise with fetal management of myelomeningocele repair, there are significant complications to consider. Chorioamniotic membrane separation and preterm premature rupture of membranes are known complications of invasive fetal procedures. Despite their relative frequency associated with fetal procedures, few data exist regarding risk factors that may be attributed to their occurrence or the natural history of pregnancies that are affected with chorionic membrane separation or preterm premature rupture of membranes related to the procedure. The objective of this study was to review chorioamniotic membrane separation and preterm premature rupture of membranes in a cohort of patients undergoing fetal management of myelomeningocele repair including identification of risk factors and outcomes. This was a retrospective review of patients undergoing fetal management of myelomeningocele repair and subsequent delivery from January 2011 through December 2013 at 1 institution. Patients were identified through the institutional fetal management of myelomeningocele repair database and chart review was performed. Perioperative factors and outcomes among patients with chorioamniotic membrane separation and preterm premature rupture of membranes were compared to those without. Risk factors associated with the development of chorioamniotic membrane separation and preterm premature rupture of membranes were determined. A total of 88 patients underwent fetal management of myelomeningocele repair and subsequently delivered during the study period. In all, 21 patients (23.9%) were diagnosed with chorioamniotic membrane separation by ultrasound and preterm premature rupture of membranes occurred in 27 (30.7%). Among the chorioamniotic membrane separation patients, 10 (47.6%) were

Object-orientated DBMS techniques for time-oriented medical record.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinciroli, F; Combi, C; Pozzi, G

1992-01-01

In implementing time-orientated medical record (TOMR) management systems, use of a relational model played a big role. Many applications have been developed to extend query and data manipulation languages to temporal aspects of information. Our experience in developing TOMR revealed some deficiencies inside the relational model, such as: (a) abstract data type definition; (b) unified view of data, at a programming level; (c) management of temporal data; (d) management of signals and images. We identified some first topics to face by an object-orientated approach to database design. This paper describes the first steps in designing and implementing a TOMR by an object-orientated DBMS.

Vectorial signalling mechanism required for cell-cell communication during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Diez, Veronica; Schujman, Gustavo E; Gueiros-Filho, Frederico J; de Mendoza, Diego

2012-01-01

Spore formation in Bacillus subtilis takes place in a sporangium consisting of two chambers, the forespore and the mother cell, which are linked by pathways of cell-cell communication. One pathway, which couples the proteolytic activation of the mother cell transcription factor σ(E) to the action of a forespore synthesized signal molecule, SpoIIR, has remained enigmatic. Signalling by SpoIIR requires the protein to be exported to the intermembrane space between forespore and mother cell, where it will interact with and activate the integral membrane protease SpoIIGA. Here we show that SpoIIR signal activity as well as the cleavage of its N-terminal extension is strictly dependent on the prespore fatty acid biosynthetic machinery. We also report that a conserved threonine residue (T27) in SpoIIR is required for processing, suggesting that signalling of SpoIIR is dependent on fatty acid synthesis probably because of acylation of T27. In addition, SpoIIR localization in the forespore septal membrane depends on the presence of SpoIIGA. The orchestration of σ(E) activation in the intercellular space by an acylated signal protein provides a new paradigm to ensure local transmission of a weak signal across the bilayer to control cell-cell communication during development. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Pilot demonstration of energy-efficient membrane bioreactor (MBR) using reciprocating submerged membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Jaeho; Smith, Shaleena; Patamasank, Jaren; Tontcheva, Petia; Kim, Gyu Dong; Roh, Hyung Keun

2015-03-01

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) is becoming popular for advanced wastewater treatment and water reuse. Air scouring to "shake" the membrane fibers is most suitable and applicable to maintain filtration without severe and rapidfouling. However, membrane fouling mitigating technologies are energy intensive. The goal of this research is to develop an alternative energy-saving MBR system to reduce energy consumption; a revolutionary system that will directly compete with air scouring technologies currently in the membrane water reuse market. The innovative MBR system, called reciprocation MBR (rMBR), prevents membrane fouling without the use of air scouring blowers. The mechanism featured is a mechanical reciprocating membrane frame that uses inertia to prevent fouling. Direct strong agitation of the fiber is also beneficial for the constant removal of solids built up on the membrane surface. The rMBR pilot consumes less energy than conventional coarse air scouring MBR systems. Specific energy consumption for membrane reciprocation for the pilot rMBR system was 0.072 kWh/m3 permeate produced at 40 LMH, which is 75% less than the conventional air scouring in an MBR system (0.29 kWh/m3). Reciprocation of the hollow-fiber membrane can overcome the hydrodynamic limitations of air scouring or cross-flow membrane systems with less energy consumption and/or higher energy efficiency.

Who takes more sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial actions? The role of entrepreneurs' values, beliefs and orientations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jahanshahi, Asghar Afshar; Brem, Alexander; Bhattacharjee, Amitab

2017-01-01

We examine the relationships between entrepreneurs' values, beliefs and orientations with their firms' engagement in sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial actions, using a sample of 352 newly established businesses from two Asian countries (Bangladesh and Iran). Our results reveal a dual role o...... of sustainable entrepreneurship, by providing answers for recent calls for better understanding which entrepreneurial ventures engage more in sustainability-oriented actions.......We examine the relationships between entrepreneurs' values, beliefs and orientations with their firms' engagement in sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial actions, using a sample of 352 newly established businesses from two Asian countries (Bangladesh and Iran). Our results reveal a dual role...... of entrepreneurs' values, beliefs and orientations when taking sustainability-oriented actions. We confirm that individual differences in the set of values, beliefs and orientations can foster or hinder the sustainability-oriented actions across organizations. Our paper contributes to the growing literature...

Actin filaments growing against an elastic membrane: Effect of membrane tension

Science.gov (United States)

Sadhu, Raj Kumar; Chatterjee, Sakuntala

2018-03-01

We study the force generation by a set of parallel actin filaments growing against an elastic membrane. The elastic membrane tries to stay flat and any deformation from this flat state, either caused by thermal fluctuations or due to protrusive polymerization force exerted by the filaments, costs energy. We study two lattice models to describe the membrane dynamics. In one case, the energy cost is assumed to be proportional to the absolute magnitude of the height gradient (gradient model) and in the other case it is proportional to the square of the height gradient (Gaussian model). For the gradient model we find that the membrane velocity is a nonmonotonic function of the elastic constant μ and reaches a peak at μ =μ* . For μ membrane energy keeps increasing with time. For the Gaussian model, the system always reaches a steady state and the membrane velocity decreases monotonically with the elastic constant ν for all nonzero values of ν . Multiple filaments give rise to protrusions at different regions of the membrane and the elasticity of the membrane induces an effective attraction between the two protrusions in the Gaussian model which causes the protrusions to merge and a single wide protrusion is present in the system. In both the models, the relative time scale between the membrane and filament dynamics plays an important role in deciding whether the shape of elasticity-velocity curve is concave or convex. Our numerical simulations agree reasonably well with our analytical calculations.