Physical properties of coir and pineapple leaf fibre reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siakeng, R.; Jawaid, M.; Ariffin, H.; Sapuan, S. M.

2018-01-01

This study examined the physical behaviour of Coir fibres (CF)/Pineapple leaf fibres (PALF)/Poly lactic acid (PLA) composites. In this research, coir and PALF reinforced PLA hybrid composites were fabricated by hand lay-up process and hot press. The aim of this work is to do comparative study on density, water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) of untreated CF/PALF reinforced PLA composites and hybrid composites. The effect of different fibre ratios in hybridization on density, WA and TS of CF/PALF hybrid composites were also analyzed and C7P3 showed highest density while P30 had lowest. The results indicated that the density varies on different fibre ratio. WA and TS of CF/PALF composites and hybrid composites vary with fibres ratio and soaking duration. WA and TS of untreated CF/PALF hybrid composites were increased by increasing coir fibre ratio so, C30 showed highest WA and TS whereas P30 and C1P1 showed least WA and TS respectively apart from neat PLA.

Advances in protease engineering for laundry detergents.

PubMed

Vojcic, Ljubica; Pitzler, Christian; Körfer, Georgette; Jakob, Felix; Ronny Martinez; Maurer, Karl-Heinz; Schwaneberg, Ulrich

2015-12-25

Proteases are essential ingredients in modern laundry detergents. Over the past 30 years, subtilisin proteases employed in the laundry detergent industry have been engineered by directed evolution and rational design to tailor their properties towards industrial demands. This comprehensive review discusses recent success stories in subtilisin protease engineering. Advances in protease engineering for laundry detergents comprise simultaneous improvement of thermal resistance and activity at low temperatures, a rational strategy to modulate pH profiles, and a general hypothesis for how to increase promiscuous activity towards the production of peroxycarboxylic acids as mild bleaching agents. The three protease engineering campaigns presented provide in-depth analysis of protease properties and have identified principles that can be applied to improve or generate enzyme variants for industrial applications beyond laundry detergents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acid hydrolysis of cellulosic fibres: Comparison of bleached kraft pulp, dissolving pulps and cotton textile cellulose.

PubMed

Palme, Anna; Theliander, Hans; Brelid, Harald

2016-01-20

The behaviour of different cellulosic fibres during acid hydrolysis has been investigated and the levelling-off degree of polymerisation (LODP) has been determined. The study included a bleached kraft pulp (both never-dried and once-dried) and two dissolving pulps (once-dried). Additionally, cotton cellulose from new cotton sheets and sheets discarded after long-time use was studied. Experimental results from the investigation, together with results found in literature, imply that ultrastructural differences between different fibres affect their susceptibility towards acid hydrolysis. Drying of a bleached kraft pulp was found to enhance the rate of acid hydrolysis and also result in a decrease in LODP. This implies that the susceptibility of cellulosic fibres towards acid hydrolysis is affected by drying-induced stresses in the cellulose chains. In cotton cellulose, it was found that use and laundering gave a substantial loss in the degree of polymerisation (DP), but that the LODP was only marginally affected. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Comparison of acid-detergent lignin, alkaline-peroxide lignin, and acid-detergent insoluble ash as internal markers for predicting fecal output and digestibility by cattle offered bermudagrass hays of varying nutrient composition.

PubMed

Kanani, Juvenal; Philipp, Dirk; Coffey, Kenneth P; Kegley, Elizabeth B; West, Charles P; Gadberry, Shane; Jennings, John; Young, Ashley N; Rhein, Robert T

2014-01-13

The potential for acid-detergent insoluble ash (ADIA), alkaline-peroxide lignin (APL), and acid-detergent lignin (ADL) to predict fecal output (FO) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) by cattle offered bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] hays of different qualities was evaluated. Eight ruminally cannulated cows (594 ± 35.5 kg) were allocated randomly to 4 hay diets: low (L), medium low (ML), medium high (MH), and high (H) crude protein (CP) concentration (79, 111, 131, and 164 g CP/kg on a DM basis, respectively). Diets were offered in 3 periods with 2 diet replicates per period and were rotated across cows between periods. Cows were individually fed 20 g DM/kg of body weight in equal feedings at 08:00 and 16:00 h for a 10-d adaptation followed by a 5-d total fecal collection. Actual DM intake (DMI), DMD, and FO were determined based on hay offered, ort, and feces excreted. These components were then analyzed for ADL, APL, and ADIA concentration to determine marker recovery and marker-based estimates of FO and DMD. Forage DMI was affected by diet (P = 0.02), and DMI from MH and H was greater (P < 0.05) than from L. Apparent DMD tended (P = 0.08) to differ among diets while FO (P = 0.20) was not affected by diet treatments. Average ADL recovery (1.16) was greater (P < 0.05) than that of ADIA (1.03) and APL (1.06), but ADIA and APL did not differ (P = 0.42). Estimates of FO and DMD derived using APL and ADIA were not different (P ≥ 0.05) from total fecal collection while those using ADL differed (P < 0.05). There was no diet by marker interaction (P ≥ 0.22) for either FO or DMD. Acid-detergent insoluble ash and APL accurately predicted FO and DMD of cattle fed bermudagrass hay of varying nutrient composition. These internal markers may facilitate studies involving large numbers of animals and forages. Results from such studies may be used to develop improved equations to predict energy values of forages based on the

Greatly decreased susceptibility of nonmetabolizing cells towards detergents.

PubMed Central

Komor, E; Weber, H; Tanner, W

1979-01-01

The addition of different detergents to Chlorella cells that had previously accumulated 6-deoxyglucose causes a rapid release of the hexose analogue into the medium. This effect is independent of the nature of the detergent and is observed only when the cells are in an energized state. Thus, in the presence of the uncoupler p-trifluoromethoxycarbonylcyanide phenylhydrazone or of inhibitors such as N-ethylmaleimide, the cells show a greatly reduced susceptibility towards detergents. Similarly, the detergent-induced loss of accumulated alpha-aminoisobutyric acid from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and of potassium from Escherichia coli is also strongly affected by the energy state of the cells. The differential susceptibility of energized and nonenergized cells was observed at all detergent concentrations tested. Measurements of substrate efflux at different concentrations of Triton indicated that only Triton monomers are responsible for the increase in permeability. The absorption of [14C]Triton X-100 by Chlorella and the binding of detergent to the cells were measured in the presence of metabolic inhibitors. Again, nonenergized cells bound a significantly lower amount of Triton X-100. The amphiphilic antibiotic nystatin produced effects on cell permeability similar to those of detergents, whereas toluene, which is apolar, gave opposite results. PMID:377284

Experimenting with Detergents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Gail; Phillips, Donald B.

1977-01-01

Lists materials and procedures for experimenting with detergents. Included are methods for determination of the densities of dry detergents, ph values of detergent solutions, and a discussion of the ability of detergents to remove iodine stains from cloth. (CS)

Intermolecular detergent-membrane protein noes for the characterization of the dynamics of membrane protein-detergent complexes.

PubMed

Eichmann, Cédric; Orts, Julien; Tzitzilonis, Christos; Vögeli, Beat; Smrt, Sean; Lorieau, Justin; Riek, Roland

2014-12-11

The interaction between membrane proteins and lipids or lipid mimetics such as detergents is key for the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of membrane proteins. In NMR-based structural studies of membrane proteins, qualitative analysis of intermolecular nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOEs) or paramagnetic resonance enhancement are used in general to identify the transmembrane segments of a membrane protein. Here, we employed a quantitative characterization of intermolecular NOEs between (1)H of the detergent and (1)H(N) of (2)H-perdeuterated, (15)N-labeled α-helical membrane protein-detergent complexes following the exact NOE (eNOE) approach. Structural considerations suggest that these intermolecular NOEs should show a helical-wheel-type behavior along a transmembrane helix or a membrane-attached helix within a membrane protein as experimentally demonstrated for the complete influenza hemagglutinin fusion domain HAfp23. The partial absence of such a NOE pattern along the amino acid sequence as shown for a truncated variant of HAfp23 and for the Escherichia coli inner membrane protein YidH indicates the presence of large tertiary structure fluctuations such as an opening between helices or the presence of large rotational dynamics of the helices. Detergent-protein NOEs thus appear to be a straightforward probe for a qualitative characterization of structural and dynamical properties of membrane proteins embedded in detergent micelles.

Detergent-compatible bacterial amylases.

PubMed

Niyonzima, Francois N; More, Sunil S

2014-10-01

Proteases, lipases, amylases, and cellulases are enzymes used in detergent formulation to improve the detergency. The amylases are specifically supplemented to the detergent to digest starchy stains. Most of the solid and liquid detergents that are currently manufactured contain alkaline enzymes. The advantages of using alkaline enzymes in the detergent formulation are that they aid in removing tough stains and the process is environmentally friendly since they reduce the use of toxic detergent ingredients. Amylases active at low temperature are preferred as the energy consumption gets reduced, and the whole process becomes cost-effective. Most microbial alkaline amylases are used as detergent ingredients. Various reviews report on the production, purification, characterization, and application of amylases in different industry sectors, but there is no specific review on bacterial or fungal alkaline amylases or detergent-compatible amylases. In this mini-review, an overview on the production and property studies of the detergent bacterial amylases is given, and the stability and compatibility of the alkaline bacterial amylases in the presence of the detergents and the detergent components are highlighted.

Irritancy potential of 17 detergents used commonly by the Indian household.

PubMed

Austoria, A J; Lakshmi, Chembolli; Srinivas, C R; Anand, C V; Mathew, A C

2010-01-01

Detergents are used by almost every household in the developed and developing world. Soap and most detergents are anionic surfactants and attack the horny layer of the skin and increase its permeability with little or no inflammatory change and may result in hand eczema, which is very distressing and incapacitating. To evaluate the irritant potential of common household detergents (laundry and dish wash) used by the Indian population using a 24-hour patch test and to convincingly educate the patients on the detergents less likely to cause irritation in the particular individual. Seventeen commonly used detergents found in Indian market were included in the study, of which, 12 were laundry detergents (powders--seven, bar soap--five) and five were dish wash detergents (powder--one, liquid--one, bar soap--three). The irritant potential of the 17 detergents were evaluated in 30 volunteers. Thirty microliters of each of the detergent bar solutions, distilled water (negative control), and 20% SDS (positive control) were applied to Finn chambers with a micropipette and occluded for 24 hours. Erythema, scaling, and edema were graded in comparison to the reaction at the negative control site (distilled water) for each volunteer separately. The scoring of erythema/dryness and wrinkling on a 0-4 point scale and edema on another 0-4 point scale was based on the Draize scale. The pH of each of the detergent solutions was determined using litmus papers (Indikrom papers from Qualigens fine chemicals). The difference between detergents (F value) was significant for erythema/dryness and wrinkling (F = 3.374; p = 0.000), but not significant for edema (F = 1.297; p = 0.194). [Table 2] lists the means for erythema/dryness and wrinkling, and edema. The F value of the totals of the means for erythema/dryness and wrinkling and edema was significant (F = 2.495; p = 0.001). The pH of all the detergents was found to be alkaline except Pril utensil cleaner which tested acidic (pH 6). The

Psyllium husk fibre supplementation to soybean and coconut oil diets of humans: effect on fat digestibility and faecal fatty acid excretion.

PubMed

Ganji, V; Kies, C V

1994-08-01

The effects of psyllium fibre supplementation to polyunsaturated fatty acid rich soybean oil and saturated fatty acid rich coconut oil diets on fat digestibility and faecal fatty acid excretion were investigated in healthy humans. The study consisted of four 7-day experimental periods. Participants consumed soybean oil (SO), soybean oil plus psyllium fibre (20 g/day) (SO+PF), coconut oil (CO) and coconut oil plus psyllium fibre (20 g/day) (CO+PF) diets. Laboratory diet provided 30% calories from fat (20% from test oils and 10% from basal diet), 15% calories from protein and 55% calories from carbohydrate. Fat digestibility was significantly lower and faecal fat excretion was significantly higher with SO+PF diet than SO diet and with CO+PF diet than CO diet. Faecal excretion of myristic and lauric acids was not affected by test diets. Percent faecal palmitic acid excretion was significantly higher during psyllium supplementation periods. Higher faecal linoleic acid excretion was observed with soybean oil diets compared with coconut oil diets. Increased faecal fat loss, decreased fat digestibility and increased faecal palmitic acid excretion with psyllium supplementation may partly explain the hypocholesterolaemic action of psyllium fibre.

The safety of synthetic zeolites used in detergents.

PubMed

Fruijtier-Pölloth, Claudia

2009-01-01

Synthetic zeolites are replacing phosphates as builders in laundry detergents; workers and consumers may, therefore, increasingly be exposed to these materials and it is important to assess their safety. This article puts mechanistic, toxicological and exposure data into context for a safety assessment. Zeolites are hygroscopic compounds with ion-exchanging properties. They may partially decompose under acidic conditions such as in the stomach releasing sodium ions, silicic acid and aluminum salts. The intact molecule is not bioavailable after oral intake or exposure through the dermal and inhalational routes. Under current conditions of manufacture and use, no systemic toxicity is to be expected from neither the intact molecule nor the degradation products; a significant effect on the bioavailability of other compounds is not likely. Zeolites may cause local irritation. It is, therefore, important to minimise occupational exposure. The co-operation of detergent manufacturers with the manufacturers of washing machines is necessary to find the right balance between environmental aspects such as energy and water savings and the occurrence of detergent residues on textiles due to insufficient rinsing.

Degradation studies on highly oriented poly(glycolic acid) fibres with different lamellar structures.

PubMed

de Oca, Horacio Montes; Farrar, David F; Ward, Ian M

2011-04-01

Highly oriented poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) fibres with an initial tensile strength of 1.1 GPa and different lamellar morphologies were prepared and studied during degradation in aqueous media at 37°C. A combination of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering was used to study the structural changes during degradation and to generate two structural models of highly oriented PGA fibres with different lamellar morphologies. It is shown that as a result of crystallisation during degradation PGA crystals grow preferentially along the (110) and (020) directions of the crystal lattice or perpendicular to the orientation direction of the fibres. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance measurements revealed three phases within the fibres with different relaxation times: (1) a mobile amorphous phase with a short relaxation time; (2) a semi-rigid phase with an intermediate relaxation time; (3) a rigid crystalline phase with a longer relaxation time. It is shown that the mobile amorphous phase degrades very rapidly and that it plays only a small role in the tensile mechanical behaviour of the fibres during degradation. It is shown that semi-rigid chains connecting crystalline domains are responsible for transferring the stress between crystalline domains and carrying the tensile deformation. It is proposed that once these tie molecules degrade considerably the oriented fibres very rapidly lose their strength retention. Copyright © 2010 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions.

PubMed

Napper, Imogen E; Thompson, Richard C

2016-11-15

Washing clothes made from synthetic materials has been identified as a potentially important source of microscopic fibres to the environment. This study examined the release of fibres from polyester, polyester-cotton blend and acrylic fabrics. These fabrics were laundered under various conditions of temperature, detergent and conditioner. Fibres from waste effluent were examined and the mass, abundance and fibre size compared between treatments. Average fibre size ranged between 11.9 and 17.7μm in diameter, and 5.0 and 7.8mm in length. Polyester-cotton fabric consistently shed significantly fewer fibres than either polyester or acrylic. However, fibre release varied according to wash treatment with various complex interactions. We estimate over 700,000 fibres could be released from an average 6kg wash load of acrylic fabric. As fibres have been reported in effluent from sewage treatment plants, our data indicates fibres released by washing of clothing could be an important source of microplastics to aquatic habitats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laundry detergents: an overview.

PubMed

Bajpai, Divya; Tyagi, V K

2007-01-01

Nowadays laundry detergents are becoming increasingly popular as they can be metered automatically into the washing machine, impart softness, antistaticness, resiliency to fabrics, mild to eyes and skins and shows good dispersibility in water. Because it is consumed when it is used, the sale of laundry detergent is a rather large business. There are many different kinds or brands of laundry detergent sold, many of them claiming some special qualities as selling points. A Laundry detergent composition is a formulated mixture of raw materials that can be classified into different types based on their properties and function in the final product. The different classes of raw materials are surfactants, builders, bleaching agents, enzymes, and minors which remove dirt, stain, and soil from surfaces or textiles gave them pleasant feel and odour. The physico-chemical properties of surfactants make them suitable for laundry purposes. Laundry detergent has traditionally been a powdered or granular solid, but the use of liquid laundry detergents has gradually increased over the years, and these days use of liquid detergent equals or even exceeds use of solid detergent. This review paper describes the history, composition, types, mechanism, consumption, environmental effects and consumption of laundry detergents.

Pigmented and hyperkeratotic napkin dermatitis: a liquid detergent irritant dermatitis.

PubMed

Patrizi, A; Neri, I; Marzaduri, S; Fiorillo, L

1996-01-01

Napkin or diaper dermatitis (DD) is an inflammatory cutaneous eruption limited to the diaper area and common in the first 2 years of life. A number of clinical variants of DD have been identified. We report a new variant of DD characterized by papyraceous skin, brownish discoloration and predilection for the depth of folds. 15 infants and toddlers affected by this peculiar type of DD were evaluated regarding duration, localization, morphology and evolution of their dermatosis. This variant of DD was mainly confined to the depth of inguinal and gluteal folds and invariably associated with severe xerosis with papyraceous and glazed skin. The patients were healthy and asymptomatic and all laboratory investigations performed were normal. All patients were frequently changed and thoroughly washed with synthetic detergents with acid pH. DD improved rapidly with reduced frequency of washing and discontinuation of liquid detergents. We conclude that this condition is a type of irritant contact dermatitis from excessive use of lipid acid detergents.

Soaps and detergents: understanding their composition and effect.

PubMed

Kirsner, R S; Froelich, C W

1998-03-01

Soaps have been used for thousands of years as part of religious ceremonies and daily life. Derived from fatty acids or triglycerides (fats or oils) into their alkali derivatives through a process called saponification, soaps are important for healthcare professionals in preventing the spread of disease. Partly due to their alkaline nature, soaps are limited by their irritancy to the skin and their tendency to form insoluble and inactive salts when combined with either hard water or sea water. Therefore, soap alternatives or synthetic detergents have been developed. Detergents are classified into four groups: anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and non-ionic. These four groups are based on the hydrophilic qualities and surfactants they possess. Each group has characteristics that pertain to its main uses, irritancy, and toxicity. Understanding soaps and detergents may assist clinicians in making intelligent choices when using these agents on their patients as either skin cleansers or wound cleansers. Understanding the characteristics of soaps and detergents is especially important when dealing with at-risk patients such as the elderly.

Surface Resistance of Jute Fibre/Polylactic Acid Biocomposite to Wet Heat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zandvliet, Clio; Bandyopadhyay, N. R.; Ray, Dipa

2016-04-01

Jute fibre/polylactic acid (PLA) composite is of special interest because both resin and reinforcement come from renewable resources. Thus, it could be a more eco-friendly alternative to glass fibre composite [1] and to conventional wood-based panels made with phenol-formaldehyde resin which present many drawbacks for the workers and the environment [2]. Yet the water affinity of the natural fibres, the susceptibility of PLA towards hydrolysis and the low glass transition of the PLA raise a question about the surface resistance of such composites to wet heat in service condition for a furniture application [3]. In this work, the surface resistance of PLA/jute composite alone and with two different varnishes are investigated in regard to an interior application following the standard test method in accordance to BS EN 18721:2009: "Furniture: assessment of surface resistance to wet heat". It is compared to two common wood based panels, plywood and hardboard. After test, the composite material surface is found to be more affected than plywood and hardboard, but it becomes resistant to wet heat when a layer of biosourced varnish or petrol-based polyurethane varnish are applied on the surface.

Detergent-mediated protein aggregation

PubMed Central

Neale, Chris; Ghanei, Hamed; Holyoake, John; Bishop, Russell E.; Privé, Gilbert G.; Pomès, Régis

2016-01-01

Because detergents are commonly used to solvate membrane proteins for structural evaluation, much attention has been devoted to assessing the conformational bias imparted by detergent micelles in comparison to the native environment of the lipid bilayer. Here, we conduct six 500-ns simulations of a system with >600,000 atoms to investigate the spontaneous self assembly of dodecylphosphocholine detergent around multiple molecules of the integral membrane protein PagP. This detergent formed equatorial micelles in which acyl chains surround the protein’s hydrophobic belt, confirming existing models of the detergent solvation of membrane proteins. In addition, unexpectedly, the extracellular and periplasmic apical surfaces of PagP interacted with the headgroups of detergents in other micelles 85 and 60% of the time, respectively, forming complexes that were stable for hundreds of nanoseconds. In some cases, an apical surface of one molecule of PagP interacted with an equatorial micelle surrounding another molecule of PagP. In other cases, the apical surfaces of two molecules of PagP simultaneously bound a neat detergent micelle. In these ways, detergents mediated the non-specific aggregation of folded PagP. These simulation results are consistent with dynamic light scattering experiments, which show that, at detergent concentrations ≥600 mM, PagP induces the formation of large scattering species that are likely to contain many copies of the PagP protein. Together, these simulation and experimental results point to a potentially generic mechanism of detergent-mediated protein aggregation. PMID:23466535

Nutrient digestibility and energy value of sheep rations differing in protein level, main protein source and non-forage fibre source.

PubMed

Milis, Ch; Liamadis, D

2008-02-01

Two in vivo digestion trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of diet's crude protein (CP) level, N degradability, and non-forage fibre source (NFFS) on nutrient digestibility and energy value of sheep rations. In each trial, rams were fed four isocaloric and isofibrous rations, differing in main protein and/or NFFS source. At the first trial, mean CP/metabolizable energy (ME) ratio of the diets was 17 g/MJ ME and at the second trial, 13 g/MJ ME. At both trials, the first ration contained cotton seed cake (CSC) and wheat bran (WB), the second CSC and corn gluten feed (CGF), the third corn gluten meal (CGM) and WB and the fourth CGM and CGF. Data of both trials were analysed in common as 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experimental design. Low N degradability (CGM) had positive effect on CP, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility of the ration. Those results suggest that an increase in rumen undegradable protein (RUP) content does not negatively affect nutrient digestibility of sheep rations. Corn gluten feed significantly elevated crude fibre (CF) digestibility, in comparison with WB. Rations having high CP/ME ratio had higher digestibility of CP in comparison with those having low CP/ME ratio; the opposite was true for ether extract, CF, NDF and ADF digestibilities. CP level x N degradability interaction negatively affected energy value of the rations that had high CP level and high N degradability. Former suggest that when CP content is high then N degradability should be low otherwise ration's ME is negatively affected. CP digestibility and coefficient q of the rations containing WB and having high N degradability (N degradability x NFFS interaction) were the lowest suggesting that the combination of CSC and WB negatively affected CP digestibility and energy value of the ration. This could be explained by a reduced microbial CP synthesis, or lower RUP digestibility or both.

Evaluation of pelleted aspen foliage as a ruminant feedstuff

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bas, F.J.; Ehle, F.R.; Goodrich, R.D.

1985-01-01

Growth and digestion trials were made to determine the nutritive value of pelleted aspen (Populus tremuloides) foliage as a dietary ingredient for sheep. Lambs offered diets without or with 25, 50 and 75% aspen leaves, with lucerne as the other dietary ingredient, ate less and gained less weight as the proportion of aspen leaves in the diet increased (P less than 0.05). Digestibility coefficients for DM, organic matter, crude protein, gross energy, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, hemicellulose and cellulose decreased linearly (P less than 0.01) as the percentage of aspen foliage eaten increased. Calculated digestibility of individual aspenmore » leaf components gave values as low as 16.6 and 13% for crude protein and cellulose, respectively. Coefficients of determination for the linear regressions indicated no associative effects between lucerne and aspen leaves. Due to the depressed value for crude protein digestibility, the amount of acid detergent fibre-insoluble nitrogen was estimated. Over 50% of the total N in aspen foliage was bound to the acid detergent fibre fraction, reflecting the presence of heat-damaged protein, tannin-protein complexes that are unavailable for digestion or both. After adjustment for unavailable N, the crude protein digestibility of aspen foliage was 61.5%. Balances of 10 minerals were estimated during the digestion trial. Negative mineral balances for the 75% aspen leaf diet suggest that the lambs were in a nutrient deficient condition when fed on this diet. 29 references.« less

[Determination of the detergent efficiency of the detergents disinfecting for surfaces].

PubMed

Santucci, R; Kuntzmann, X; Mesli, N; Meunier, O

2009-01-01

Since the disinfecting activity of disinfectants is evaluated by standards, the intrinsic detergent activity is not easily quantifiable and no standard have been suggested yet. Beyond the physicochemical parameters like wettability or foaming presented by the manufacturers, it appears necessary to us to objectively measure the real effect of the detergent agent. The objective of our work is to propose a simple, fast and reproducible method to evaluate detersive activity of the disinfecting detergents. We measured three factors (total amount of extracted bacteria, extraction efficiency and slope of extracting curve) by using Rodac prints technique on two different supports (PVC, stainless steel) that have been contaminated by either E. coli or S. aureus. An increasing mark from 1 to 6 is given to each of these factors in case of statistically differences. The three factors allowed us to calculate a "Specific Index of detersion" (SI) for each germ/support couple (3 to 18). Addition of the marks given to each couple for each disinfecting detergent allowed to calculate a "Globally Index of detersion" (GI) (9 to 72). We tested 4 commercialised disinfecting detergents: Surfanios, Aniosurf, Major C100 and Ecodiol. All detergents may be classified according to their effectiveness on a bacterium/support couple (value of the SI). This enlights a specific spectrum for each disinfecting detergents. As a result, Ecodiol seems to be the most effective deterging agent on 3 of the 4 germ/support couples (S. aureus/PVC, E. coli/PVC and E. coli/stainless steel), whereas Aniosurf is most effective on the S. aureus/stainless steel couple. The GI is very useful to choose the best compromise between activities for all situations. GI rankings of the tested agents were as follows: water < Aniosurf < Surfanios < neutralizing < Major C100 < Ecodiol. This experimental model will be used to test and compare the intrinsic detergent activities of other commercialised products which are usually

Cationic DOPC-Detergent Conjugates for Safe and Efficient in Vitro and in Vivo Nucleic Acid Delivery.

PubMed

Pierrat, Philippe; Casset, Anne; Didier, Pascal; Kereselidze, Dimitri; Lux, Marie; Pons, Françoise; Lebeau, Luc

2016-09-15

The ability of a nonviral nucleic acid carrier to deliver its cargo to cells with low associated toxicity is a critical issue for clinical applications of gene therapy. We describe biodegradable cationic DOPC-C12 E4 conjugates in which transfection efficiency is based on a Trojan horse strategy. In situ production of the detergent compound C12 E4 through conjugate hydrolysis within the acidic endosome compartment was expected to promote endosome membrane destabilization and subsequent release of the lipoplexes into cytosol. The transfection efficiency of the conjugates has been assessed in vitro, and associated cytotoxicity was determined. Cellular uptake and intracellular distribution of the lipoplexes have been investigated. The results show that direct conjugation of DOPC with C12 E4 produces a versatile carrier that can deliver both DNA and siRNA to cells in vitro with high efficiency and low cytotoxicity. SAR studies suggest that this compound might represent a reasonable compromise between the membrane activity of the released detergent and susceptibility of the conjugate to degradation enzymes in vitro. Although biodegradability of the conjugates had low impact on carrier efficiency in vitro, it proved critical in vivo. Significant improvement of transgene expression was obtained in the mouse lung tuning biodegradability of the carrier. Importantly, this also allowed reduction of the inflammatory response that invariably characterizes cationic-lipid-mediated gene transfer in animals. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dihydrotestosterone stimulates amino acid uptake and the expression of LAT2 in mouse skeletal muscle fibres through an ERK1/2-dependent mechanism

PubMed Central

Hamdi, M M; Mutungi, G

2011-01-01

Abstract Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) has acute/non-genomic actions in adult mammalian skeletal muscles whose physiological functions are still poorly understood. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the acute/non-genomic effects of DHT on amino acid uptake as well as the cellular signal transduction events underlying these actions in mouse fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscle fibre bundles. 14C-Labelled amino acids were used to investigate the effects of DHT and testosterone (T) on amino acid uptake and pharmacological interventions were used to determine the cellular signal transduction events mediating these actions. While T had no effect on the uptake of isoleucine (Ile) and α-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB) in both fibre types, DHT increased their uptake in the fast-twitch fibre bundles. This effect was reversed by inhibitors of protein translation, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), system A, system L, mTOR and MEK. However, it was relatively insensitive to inhibitors of transcription, androgen receptors and PI3K/Akt. Additionally, DHT treatment increased the expression of LAT2 and the phosphorylation of the EGFR in the fast-twitch fibre bundles and that of ERK1/2, RSK1/2 and ATF2 in both fibre types. Also, it decreased the phosphorylation of eEF2 and increased the incorporation of Ile into proteins in both fibre types. Most of these effects were reversed by EGFR and MEK inhibitors. From these findings we suggest that another physiological function of the acute/non-genomic actions of DHT in isolated mammalian skeletal muscle fibres is to stimulate amino acid uptake. This effect is mediated through the EGFR and involves the activation of the MAPK pathway and an increase in LAT2 expression. PMID:21606113

Tonoplast of Beta vulgaris L. contains detergent-resistant membrane microdomains.

PubMed

Ozolina, Natalia V; Nesterkina, Irina S; Kolesnikova, Ekaterina V; Salyaev, Ryurik K; Nurminsky, Vadim N; Rakevich, Alexander L; Martynovich, Evgueni F; Chernyshov, Michael Yu

2013-03-01

The experiments conducted on tonoplast of Beta vulgaris L. roots were performed to identify detergent-resistant lipid-protein microdomains (DRMs, interpreted as lipid rafts).The presence of DRMs can be found when dynamic clustering of sphingolipids, sterols, saturated fatty acids is registered, and the insolubility of these microdomains in nonionic detergents at low temperatures is proven. The elucidation of tonoplast microdomains has been based on results obtained with the aid of high-speed centrifuging in the sucrose gradient. The experiments have shown that tonoplast microdomains are rich in sphingolipids, free sterols and saturated fatty acids (such a lipid content is also typical of lipid-protein microdomains of other membranes), while only few phospholipids are present in tonoplast microdomains. The presence of microdomains has been confirmed by fluorescence and confocal microscopy using filipin and Laurdan as fluorescent probes. The experiments with Laurdan have shown that tonoplast microdomains are characterized by a high order compared to characteristics of the rest of the tonoplast. Thus, the presence of detergent-resistant lipid-protein microdomains in the tonoplast has been demonstrated.

Enhanced gene delivery to the lung using biodegradable polyunsaturated cationic phosphatidylcholine-detergent conjugates.

PubMed

Pierrat, Philippe; Kereselidze, Dimitri; Lux, Marie; Lebeau, Luc; Pons, Françoise

2016-09-10

Lung diseases are among the more representative causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide and gene therapy is considered as a promising therapeutic approach for their treatment. However the design of efficient nucleic acid carriers for airway administration still is a challenge and there is a pressing need for new developments in this field. Herein, new synthetic DNA carriers based on the conjugation of a phospholipid and C12E4, a nonionic detergent, are developed. DNA complexes with phosphatidylcholine-detergent conjugates are administered in mouse airways, and transgene expression and inflammatory activity as an index of toxicity are investigated as a function of time, DNA dose, and presence of helper and stealth lipids. Introduction of a biodegradable linker between the phosphatidylcholine and detergent moieties significantly attenuates the severity of inflammatory response that characterizes cationic lipid-mediated gene transfer. Concurrent introduction of polyunsaturated fatty acid chains in the carrier scaffold improves transgene expression and further reduces airway inflammation. Finally, the biodegradable phosphatidylcholine-detergent conjugates favorably compare to GL67A, the gold standard for DNA delivery to the airway that is currently under clinical evaluation. Our findings indicate that the lipid formulations described herein may have great potential as nucleic acid carriers for gene therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 180.1022 - Iodine-detergent complex; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Iodine-detergent complex; exemption... FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1022 Iodine-detergent complex; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. The aqueous solution of hydriodic acid and elemental iodine, including one or both of...

Concentrations and apparent digestibility of lignin and carbohydrate fractions in cell walls of whole-crop cereal silages

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Whole-crop cereal silage (WCCS) of oats generally has lower fiber digestibility than WCCS of barley. When investigated more closely, the difference seems mainly to be in the digestibility of the hemicellulosic fraction (HC), where HC is calculated as neutral detergent fibre (NDF) – acid detergent fi...

A knockout mutation in the lignin biosynthesis gene CCR1 explains a major QTL for acid detergent lignin content in Brassica napus seeds.

PubMed

Liu, Liezhao; Stein, Anna; Wittkop, Benjamin; Sarvari, Pouya; Li, Jiana; Yan, Xingying; Dreyer, Felix; Frauen, Martin; Friedt, Wolfgang; Snowdon, Rod J

2012-05-01

Seed coat phenolic compounds represent important antinutritive fibre components that cause a considerable reduction in value of seed meals from oilseed rape (Brassica napus). The nutritionally most important fibre compound is acid detergent lignin (ADL), to which a significant contribution is made by phenylpropanoid-derived lignin precursors. In this study, we used bulked-segregant analysis in a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cross of the Chinese oilseed rape lines GH06 (yellow seed, low ADL) and P174 (black seed, high ADL) to identify markers with tight linkage to a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for seed ADL content. Fine mapping of the QTL was performed in a backcross population comprising 872 BC(1)F(2) plants from a cross of an F(7) RIL from the above-mentioned population, which was heterozygous for this major QTL and P174. A 3:1 phenotypic segregation for seed ADL content indicated that a single, dominant, major locus causes a substantial reduction in ADL. This locus was successively narrowed to 0.75 cM using in silico markers derived from a homologous Brassica rapa sequence contig spanning the QTL. Subsequently, we located a B. rapa orthologue of the key lignin biosynthesis gene CINNAMOYL CO-A REDUCTASE 1 (CCR1) only 600 kbp (0.75 cM) upstream of the nearest linked marker. Sequencing of PCR amplicons, covering the full-length coding sequences of Bna.CCR1 homologues, revealed a locus in P174 whose sequence corresponds to the Brassica oleracea wild-type allele from chromosome C8. In GH06, however, this allele is replaced by a homologue derived from chromosome A9 that contains a loss-of-function frameshift mutation in exon 1. Genetic and physical map data infer that this loss-of-function allele has replaced a functional Bna.CCR1 locus on chromosome C8 in GH06 by homoeologous non-reciprocal translocation.

Fibre optic microarrays.

PubMed

Walt, David R

2010-01-01

This tutorial review describes how fibre optic microarrays can be used to create a variety of sensing and measurement systems. This review covers the basics of optical fibres and arrays, the different microarray architectures, and describes a multitude of applications. Such arrays enable multiplexed sensing for a variety of analytes including nucleic acids, vapours, and biomolecules. Polymer-coated fibre arrays can be used for measuring microscopic chemical phenomena, such as corrosion and localized release of biochemicals from cells. In addition, these microarrays can serve as a substrate for fundamental studies of single molecules and single cells. The review covers topics of interest to chemists, biologists, materials scientists, and engineers.

Effects of household detergent on anaerobic fermentation of kitchen wastewater from food waste disposer.

PubMed

Lee, K H; Park, K Y; Khanal, S K; Lee, J W

2013-01-15

This study examines the effects of household detergent on anaerobic methane fermentation of wastewater from food waste disposers (FWDs). Anaerobic toxicity assay (ATA) demonstrated that methane production substantially decreased at a higher detergent concentration. The Gompertz three-parameter model fitted well with the ATA results, and both the extent of methane production (M) and methane production rate (R(m)) obtained from the model were strongly affected by the concentration of the detergent. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of the detergent was 603 mg/L based on R(m). Results from fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) analysis of microbial culture revealed that deterioration of methane fermentation was attributed to impaired structure of anaerobic microbial membrane due to detergent. This study suggests that wastewater from FWD could be used for methane production, but it is necessary to reduce the concentration of detergent prior to anaerobic fermentation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of fibre source on the numbers of some fibre-degrading bacteria of Arabian camel's (Camelus dromedarius) foregut origin.

PubMed

Samsudin, Anjas Asmara; Wright, André-Denis; Al Jassim, Rafat

2014-10-01

The total bacterial community of Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus flavefaciens in fibre-enriched culture of the foregut contents of 12 adult feral camels (Camelus dromedaries) fed on native vegetation in Australia was investigated using quantitative PCR. Foregut contents were collected postmortem, pooled and filtered before divided into two fractions. One fraction was used for extraction of DNA, while the other fraction was inoculated straight away into BM 10 contained filter paper (FP), cotton thread (CT) or neutral detergent fibre (NDF) as the sole carbohydrate sources in Hungate tubes. The tubes were incubated anaerobically at 39 °C for 1 week. After a near complete degradation of the FP and CT and extensive turbidity in the NDF, media subculturing was carried out into fresh media tubes. This was repeated twice before genomic DNA was extracted and used for quantification of bacteria. Using an absolute quantification method, the numbers of cells in 1 ml of each sample ranged from 4.07 × 10(6) to 2.73 × 10(9) for total bacteria, 1.34 × 10(3) to 2.17 × 10(5) for F. succinogenes and 5.78 × 10(1) to 3.53 × 10(4) for R. flavefaciens. The mean cell number of F. succinogenes was highest in the FP enrichment medium at approximately 107-fold, whereas for the R. flavefaciens targeted primer, the NDF enrichment media had the highest mean cell number at approximately 4-fold when compared to the rumen content. The data presented here provide evidence of fibre type preference by the two main fibre-degrading bacteria and would help us understand the interaction between fibre type and fibre-degrading microorganisms, which has ramification on camel nutrition at different seasons and environments.

Utilization of acid pre-treated coconut dregs as a substrate for production of detergent compatible lipase by Bacillus stratosphericus.

PubMed

Mohd Zin, Nur Bainun; Mohamad Yusof, Busyra; Oslan, Siti Nurbaya; Wasoh, Helmi; Tan, Joo Shun; Ariff, Arbakariya B; Halim, Murni

2017-12-01

In recent years, many efforts have been directed to explore the methods to reduce the production costs of industrial lipase by improving the yield and the use of low-cost agricultural wastes. Coconut dregs, which is a lignocellulosic by-product from coconut oil and milk processing plants, is rich in cellulose (36%) and crude fat (9%). A newly isolated Bacillus stratosphericus has been demonstrated to perform cellulose hydrolysis on coconut dregs producing fermentable sugars. The highest extracellular lipase activity of 140 U/mL has been achieved in submerged fermentation with acid pre-treated coconut dregs. The lipase was found to be active over a wide range of temperatures and pHs. The activity of lipase can be generally increased by the presence of detergent ingredients such as Tween-80, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, hydrogen peroxide and phosphate per sulphate. The great compatibility of lipase in commercial detergents has also underlined its potential as an additive ingredient in biodetergent formulations.

Detergents enhance EspB secretion from Escherichia coli strains harboring the locus for the enterocyte effacement (LEE) gene.

PubMed

Nakasone, Noboru; Toma, Claudia; Higa, Naomi; Koizumi, Yukiko; Ogura, Yasunori; Suzuki, Toshihiko

2011-02-01

The effects of detergents (cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, Triton X-100, and Nonidet P-40) on the secretion of EspB from the locus for enterocyte effacement (LEE) gene-positive Escherichia coli strains were examined. Clinical isolates of eight EPEC strains and seven STEC strains were used to detect EspB after they had been cultivated in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth containing one of the detergents. When the bacteria were cultured in LB broth supplemented with one of the detergents, the amount of EspB produced was increased by 2-32-fold depending on the detergent and the strain used. EspB was detected in all strains when they were cultured in LB broth containing all of the detergents. The results obtained in this study can be applied to immunological diagnostic methods for detecting EspB and also to the production of EspB for research purposes. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical composition, dietary fibre, tannins and minerals of grain amaranth genotypes.

PubMed

Mustafa, Arif F; Seguin, Philippe; Gélinas, Bruce

2011-11-01

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition of 28 white and coloured grain amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) genotypes. Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) concentration was greater while strach concentration was lower for coloured seeds genotypes than white seeds genotypes. Total dietary fibre followed a similar trend to that observed for NDF. Total tannin concentrations ranged between 20.7 and 0 g/kg with total and hydrolysed tannin concentrations being higher for white than for coloured seeds genotypes. Coloured seeds genotypes contained higher Mg and Ca concentrations than white seeds genotypes. However, seed colour had no influence on K, Na and P concentrations. Copper and Fe were the most variable micro-minerals in the evaluated genotypes with no significant effect of seed colour on the concentration of either mineral.

Effects of Combining Feed Grade Urea and a Slow-release Urea Product on Performance, Dietary Energetics and Carcass Characteristics of Feedlot Lambs Fed Finishing Diets with Different Starch to Acid Detergent Fiber Ratios

PubMed Central

Estrada-Angulo, A.; López-Soto, M. A.; Rivera-Méndez, C. R.; Castro, B. I.; Ríos, F. G.; Dávila-Ramos, H.; Barreras, A.; Urías-Estrada, J. D.; Zinn, R. A.; Plascencia, A.

2016-01-01

Recent findings have shown that microbial nitrogen flow and digestible energy of diets are increased when urea is combined with a slow-release urea (SRU) in diets with a starch to acid detergent fibre ratio (S:F) 4:1. This affect is attributable to enhanced synchrony between ruminal N availability for microbial growth and carbohydrate degradation. To verify the magnitude of this effects on lamb performance, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of combining urea and a SRU in diets containing S:F ratios of 3:1, 4:1, or 5:1 on performance, dietary energetics and carcass characteristics of finishing lambs. For that, 40 Pelibuey×Katahdin lambs (36.65±3 kg) were assigned to one of five weight groupings in 20 pens (5 repetition/treatments). The S:F ratio in the diet was manipulated by partially replacing the corn grain and dried distiller’s grain with solubles by forage (wheat straw) and soybean meal to reach S:F ratios of 3:1, 4:1 or 5:1. An additional treatment of 4:1 S:F ratio with 0.8% urea as the sole source of non-protein nitrogen was used as a reference for comparing the effect of urea combination vs. conventional urea at the same S:F ratio. There were no treatment effects on dry matter intake (DMI). Compared the urea combination vs urea at the same S:F ratio, urea combination increased (p<0.01) average daily gain (ADG, 18.3%), gain for feed (G:F, 9.5%), and apparent energy retention per unit DMI (8.2%). Irrespective of the S:F ratio, the urea combination improved the observed-to-expected dietary ratio and apparent retention per unit DMI was maximal (quadratic effect, p≤0.03) at an S:F ratio of 4:1, while the conventional urea treatment did not modify the observed-to-expected net energy ratio nor the apparent retention per unit DMI at 4:1 S:F ratio. Urea combination group tended (3.8%, p = 0.08) to have heavier carcasses with no effects on the rest of carcass characteristics. As S:F ratio increased, ADG, G:F, dietary net energy, carcass weight

Affinity Chromatography in Nonionic Detergent Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Jack B.; Strottmann, James M.; Wick, Donald G.; Stellwagen, Earle

1980-10-01

Anionic dye affinity chromatography is commonly unproductive in the presence of nonionic detergents used to extract particulate proteins. Using lactate dehydrogenase as a model protein, Cibacron blue F3GA as a model dye, and Triton X-100 as a model detergent, we find that the dye is encapsulated in nonionic detergent micelles, rendering the dye incapable of ligation with the enzyme. However, the dye can be liberated from the micelles without altering the nonionic detergent concentration by addition of an anionic detergent, such as deoxycholate or sodium dodecyl sulfate, forming mixed anionic/nonionic micelles that displace the anionic dye. Encapsulation of the anionic detergents prevents their activity as protein denaturants. These observations have been successfully translated to the dye affinity chromatography of a detergent extract of brain particulate cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase.

Properties of nanocomposite PP fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smole, Majda S.; Stakne, Kristina; Svetec, Diana G.; Kleinschek, Karin S.; Ribitsch, Volker

2005-06-01

PP-based nanocomposite fibres were prepared by direct polymer melt intercalation. With the intention to determine the size and dispersion of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix, fibres were plasma etched and SEM observations were performed. The influence of nanofiller content and coupling agent on electrokinetic properties was studied. PP monofilament fibres exhibit hydrophobe character with negative zeta potential value. The zeta potential value of co-polymer PP fibre decreases with increasing PPAA content and the isoelectric point IEP of co-polymer samples shifts towards acid region. Addition of modified montmorillonite due to the particles electropositive character, affects the reduction of zeta potential value and a slight shift of IEP towards neutral region is observed. Nano-particles content influences electrokinetic fibres properties, i.e. ZP value is changed, however IE point is not significantly changed by different concentrations of nanofiller. In addition to, mechanical properties of nanocomposite fibres were determined.

The effect of rabbit age on in vitro caecal fermentation of starch, pectin, xylan, cellulose, compound feed and its fibre.

PubMed

Lavrenčič, A

2007-03-01

In vitro gas production kinetics of six different substrates, pectin (PEC), xylan (XYL), starch (STA), cellulose (CEL), commercial compound feed (FEED; 201 g crude protein per kg, 155 g crude fibre per kg, 334 g neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) per kg and 190 g acid-detergent fibre (ADF) per kg) and an NDF prepared from commercial compound feed (NDFFEED) were determined using the caecum contents of weaned rabbits (36 days of age) and of rabbits at slaughter age (78 days of age) as inoculums. The cumulated gas production over 96 h of incubation was modelled with Gompertz model, and the kinetic parameters compared. The total potential gas production (parameter 'B' of the Gompertz model) was not affected (P>0.05) by the inoculum source, except with STA, where rabbits at slaughter weight had significantly higher total potential fermentability (314 ml/g dry matter (DM)) than those at weaning age (189 ml/g DM). Intensities of fermentation (maximum fermentation rate; MFR) of PEC (32.2 ml/h) and XYL (24.4 ml/h) were significantly greater in rabbits at weaning, while that of STA (45 ml/h) was significantly lower than at slaughter age (23.0, 14.3 and 14.0 ml/h for PEC, XYL and STA, respectively). The MFRs of CEL and NDFFEED were very similar between inoculum sources. In the first 10 h of fermentation which correspond to the normal retention time of the substrates in the caecum, the highest amount of gas was produced from PEC, followed by FEED and XYL. These substrates had a time of maximum fermentation rate (TMFR) at both rabbit ages short enough (8.0 and 9.5 h for PEC, 9.5 and 6.6 h for FEED, 13.7 and 14.2 h for XYL at weaning and at slaughter age, respectively) to be almost completely fermented in vivo.

Detergent-free purification of ABC (ATP-binding-cassette) transporters.

PubMed

Gulati, Sonali; Jamshad, Mohammed; Knowles, Timothy J; Morrison, Kerrie A; Downing, Rebecca; Cant, Natasha; Collins, Richard; Koenderink, Jan B; Ford, Robert C; Overduin, Michael; Kerr, Ian D; Dafforn, Timothy R; Rothnie, Alice J

2014-07-15

ABC (ATP-binding-cassette) transporters carry out many vital functions and are involved in numerous diseases, but study of the structure and function of these proteins is often hampered by their large size and membrane location. Membrane protein purification usually utilizes detergents to solubilize the protein from the membrane, effectively removing it from its native lipid environment. Subsequently, lipids have to be added back and detergent removed to reconstitute the protein into a lipid bilayer. In the present study, we present the application of a new methodology for the extraction and purification of ABC transporters without the use of detergent, instead, using a copolymer, SMA (polystyrene-co-maleic acid). SMA inserts into a bilayer and assembles into discrete particles, essentially solubilizing the membrane into small discs of bilayer encircled by a polymer, termed SMALPs (SMA lipid particles). We show that this polymer can extract several eukaryotic ABC transporters, P-glycoprotein (ABCB1), MRP1 (multidrug-resistance protein 1; ABCC1), MRP4 (ABCC4), ABCG2 and CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator; ABCC7), from a range of different expression systems. The SMALP-encapsulated ABC transporters can be purified by affinity chromatography, and are able to bind ligands comparably with those in native membranes or detergent micelles. A greater degree of purity and enhanced stability is seen compared with detergent solubilization. The present study demonstrates that eukaryotic ABC transporters can be extracted and purified without ever being removed from their lipid bilayer environment, opening up a wide range of possibilities for the future study of their structure and function.

Harmful effect of detergents on lipase.

PubMed

Fatima, Sadaf; Ajmal, Rehan; Badr, Gamal; Khan, Rizwan H

2014-11-01

In order to study effects of detergents at molecular level, we have done activity measurements of wheat germ lipase in increasing concentration of some commercial detergents. Conformational changes in protein structure using circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy were studied in increasing concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Our study proves that detergents may lead to loss of enzymatic activity and structure of plant enzymes. Since detergents are common source of pollution in water bodies and the water from these resources can be used in fields, our study may prove helpful in creating awareness about harmful action of detergents.

Effect of detergents on the H(+)-ATPase activity of inside-out and right-side-out plant plasma membrane vesicles.

PubMed

Palmgren, M G; Sommarin, M; Ulvskov, P; Larsson, C

1990-01-29

In search for a detergent to be used to assess the sidedness of plant plasma membrane vesicles by enzyme latency we tested the effect of 42 detergents on the ATPase activity of right-side-out and inside-out plasma membrane vesicles from sugar beet leaves. Most of the detergents seemed to inactivate the ATPase in addition to disrupting the permeability barrier to ATP. There were two main exceptions, namely long chain polyoxyethylene acyl ethers, such as detergents of the Brij series and Lubrol WX, and long chain lysophospholipids. These two types of detergents permeabilized the membranes at low concentrations and did not inhibit the ATPase at higher concentrations. Unmasking of latent active sites seemed to explain the activation of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase produced by long chain polyoxyethylene acyl ethers. These detergents should therefore be ideal for determination of vesicle orientation based on ATPase latency. By contrast, long chain lysophospholipids were found to be highly specific activators of the enzyme. In addition, long chain fatty acids were found to strongly inhibit ATP-dependent proton accumulation in the vesicles without inhibiting ATP hydrolysis. This uncoupling effect of the fatty acids could be abolished by the addition of fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin (BSA). Similarly, the proton transport capacity of ageing vesicles could be restored by addition of BSA. The latter findings may explain why isolated plasma membranes so often exhibit increased permeability to protons on ageing.

Differential distribution of proteins and lipids in detergent-resistant and detergent-soluble domains in rod outer segment plasma membranes and disks.

PubMed

Elliott, Michael H; Nash, Zack A; Takemori, Nobuaki; Fliesler, Steven J; McClellan, Mark E; Naash, Muna I

2008-01-01

Membrane heterogeneity plays a significant role in regulating signal transduction and other cellular activities. We examined the protein and lipid components associated with the detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) fractions from retinal rod outer segment (ROS) disk and plasma membrane-enriched preparations. Proteomics and correlative western blot analysis revealed the presence of alpha and beta subunits of the rod cGMP-gated ion channel and glucose transporter type 1, among other proteins. The glucose transporter was present exclusively in ROS plasma membrane (not disks) and was highly enriched in DRMs, as was the cGMP-gated channel beta-subunit. In contrast, the majority of rod opsin and ATP-binding cassette transporter A4 was localized to detergent-soluble domains in disks. As expected, the cholesterol : fatty acid mole ratio was higher in DRMs than in the corresponding parent membranes (disk and plasma membranes, respectively) and was also higher in disks compared to plasma membranes. Furthermore, the ratio of saturated : polyunsaturated fatty acids was also higher in DRMs compared to their respective parent membranes (disk and plasma membranes). These results confirm that DRMs prepared from both disks and plasma membranes are enriched in cholesterol and in saturated fatty acids compared to their parent membranes. The dominant fatty acids in DRMs were 16 : 0 and 18 : 0; 22 : 6n3 and 18 : 1 levels were threefold higher and twofold lower, respectively, in disk-derived DRMs compared to plasma membrane-derived DRMs. We estimate, based on fatty acid recovery that DRMs account for only approximately 8% of disks and approximately 12% of ROS plasma membrane.

Enhancement of Spartium junceum L. fibres properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovačević, Z.; Bischof, S.; Antonović, A.

2017-10-01

Properties of lignocellulosic Spartium junceum L. (SJL) fibres were investigated in order to use them as reinforcement in composite material production. The fibres were obtained by microwave maceration process and additionally modified with NaOH, nanoclay and citric acid with the aim to improve their mechanical, thermal and other physical-chemical properties. Tensile and thermal properties of these natural fibres were enhanced by the different modification treatment which is investigated by the Vibrodyn/Vibroskop method and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), whilst determination of chemical composition and fibre’s surface properties were explored using scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and elektrokinetic analyser. All the results show great improvement of nanoclay/citric acid modified SJL properties.

Sublethal detergent concentrations increase metabolization of recalcitrant polyphosphonates by the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis.

PubMed

Forlani, Giuseppe; Bertazzini, Michele; Giberti, Samuele; Wieczorek, Dorota; Kafarski, Paweł; Lipok, Jacek

2013-05-01

As a consequence of increasing industrial applications, thousand tons of polyphosphonates are introduced every year into the environment. The inherent stability of the C-P bond results in a prolonged half-life. Moreover, low uptake rates limit further their microbial metabolization. To assess whether low detergent concentrations were able to increase polyphosphonate utilization by the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis, tolerance limits to the exposure to various detergents were determined by measuring the growth rate in the presence of graded levels below the critical micellar concentration. Then, the amount of hexamethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(methylphosphonic acid) that is metabolized in the absence or in the presence of sublethal detergent concentrations was quantified by (31)P NMR analysis on either P-starved or P-fed cyanobacterial cultures. The strain tolerated the presence of detergents in the order: nonionic > anionic > cationic. When added to the culture medium at the highest concentrations showing no detrimental effects upon cell viability, detergents either improved or decreased polyphosphonate utilization, the anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate being the most beneficial. Metabolization was not lower in P-fed cells--a result that strengthens the possibility of using, in the future, this strain for bioremediation purposes.

The use of detergents and sanitizers in dairy farm sanitation--an updated perspective.

PubMed

Gilbert, P H

1982-06-01

Raw milk quality in South Africa is poor and standard plate counts in the millions per ml are common. This is largely due to inefficient cleaning and sanitizing of dairy equipment. The basic constituents in milk are described and various soils are classified as soluble in water, alkali, acid, solvent or surfactant or as insoluble. The importance of water quality is highlighted and the influence of mineral salts on soil deposition described. Dairy detergents are broadly classified as alkaline or acid, the former being most effective against fatty and proteinaceous soils and the latter effective against mineral salts. Typical detergent ingredients and their properties are described. Chlorine is incorporated into alkaline detergents not as a sanitizing agent, but as a peptizing agent to aid in protein soil removal. At high pH values the antimicrobial activity of chlorine is greatly diminished. The use of a daily acidified rinse (pH 3,0-5,0) is preferred to the periodic acid wash, since the acid rinse prevents mineral deposition rather than removing accumulated milkstone. All cleaning programmes follow the same fundamental steps--Pre-rinse (40-50 degrees C), wash (60-70 degrees C), rinse (pH 3,0-5,0) and sanitize (25 ppm iodine and 100 ppm chlorine). Farms following such a programme are able to achieve Standard Plate Counts of less than 10,000/ml and coliform counts of less than 10/ml for raw milk.

Glycosaminoglycan-resistant and pH-sensitive lipid-coated DNA complexes produced by detergent removal method.

PubMed

Lehtinen, Julia; Hyvönen, Zanna; Subrizi, Astrid; Bunjes, Heike; Urtti, Arto

2008-10-21

Cationic polymers are efficient gene delivery vectors in in vitro conditions, but these carriers can fail in vivo due to interactions with extracellular polyanions, i.e. glycosaminoglycans (GAG). The aim of this study was to develop a stable gene delivery vector that is activated at the acidic endosomal pH. Cationic DNA/PEI complexes were coated by 1,2-dioleylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) and cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS) (3:2 mol/mol) using two coating methods: detergent removal and mixing with liposomes prepared by ethanol injection. Only detergent removal produced lipid-coated DNA complexes that were stable against GAGs, but were membrane active at low pH towards endosome mimicking liposomes. In relation to the low cellular uptake of the coated complexes, their transfection efficacy was relatively high. PEGylation of the coated complexes increased their cellular uptake but reduced the pH-sensitivity. Detergent removal was thus a superior method for the production of stable, but acid activatable, lipid-coated DNA complexes.

Detergents with different chemical properties induce variable degree of cytotoxicity and mRNA expression of lipid-metabolizing enzymes and differentiation markers in cultured keratinocytes.

PubMed

Wei, Tianling; Geijer, Sophia; Lindberg, Magnus; Berne, Berit; Törmä, Hans

2006-12-01

The knowledge how detergents with different chemical properties influence epidermal keratinocytes is sparse. In the present study, the effects of five detergents were examined with respect to cell-toxicity and mRNA expression of key-enzymes in barrier lipid production and keratinocyte differentiation markers. First, the LD(50) for each detergent were determined. Secondly, keratinocytes were exposed to sub-toxic concentrations and the mRNA expression was analysed by real-time PCR after 24 h exposure to the detergents. SLS and CAPB induced a concentration-dependent increase in the expression of enzymes producing cholesterol and ceramides, while transcripts of enzymes producing fatty acids were unaffected. SLES and cocoglucoside increased the expression of certain enzymes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis while sodium cocoamphoacetate (SCAA) stimulated expression of transcripts involved in fatty acid synthesis. The expression of differentiation markers were increased by SLS, SLES and CAPB, while SCAA and cocoglucoside exhibited no effect. The present findings show that detergents have variable effects on lipid synthesis and keratinocyte differentiation, which could partly explain their barrier destruction potential in vivo.

Identification of detergents for forensic fiber analysis.

PubMed

Heider, Emily C; Mujumdar, Nirvani; Campiglia, Andres D

2016-11-01

Trace fibers are an important form of trace evidence, and identification of exogenous substances on textile fibers provides valuable information about the origin of the fiber. Laundering textiles can provide a unique fluorescent spectral signature of the whitening agent in the detergent that adsorbs to the fiber. Using fluorescence microscopy, the spectral characteristics of seven detergents adsorbed to single fibers drawn from laundered textiles were investigated, and principal component analysis of clusters was used to characterize the type of detergent on the fiber. On dyed nylon fibers, spectra from eight different detergent pairs could be resolved and washed validation fibers correctly classified. On dyed acrylic fibers, five different detergent pairs could be resolved and identified. Identification of the detergent type may prove useful in matching a trace fiber to its bulk specimen of origin.

Incorporation of glass-reinforced hydroxyapatite microparticles into poly(lactic acid) electrospun fibre mats for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Santos, Daniel; Correia, Cristina O; Silva, Dina M; Gomes, Pedro S; Fernandes, Maria H; Santos, José D; Sencadas, Vitor

2017-06-01

Tissue engineering is constantly evolving towards novel materials that mimic the properties of the replaced injured tissue or organ. A hybrid electrospun membrane of electroactive poly(l-acid lactic) (PLLA) polymer with glass reinforced hydroxyapatite (Bonelike®) microparticles placed among the polymer fibres in a morphology like "islands in the sea" was processed. The incorporation of 60 to 80wt% Bonelike® bone grafts granules with ≤150μm into the polymer solution lead to an amorphous polymeric fibre membranes, and a decrease of the average polymer fibre diameter from 550±150nm for neat PLA down to 440±170nm for the hybrid composite. The presence of Bonelike® in the polymer mats reduced the activation energy for thermal degradation from 134kJ·mol -1 , obtained for the neat PLLA membranes down to 71kJ·mol -1 , calculated for the hybrid composite membranes. In vitro cell culture results suggest that the developed processing method does not induce cytotoxic effects in MG 63 osteoblastic cells, and creates an environment that enhances cell proliferation, when compared to the neat PLLA membrane. The simplicity and scalability of the processing method suggests a large application potential of this novel hybrid polymer-microparticles fibre membranes for bone regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bile salts stimulate mucin secretion by cultured dog gallbladder epithelial cells independent of their detergent effect.

PubMed

Klinkspoor, J H; Yoshida, T; Lee, S P

1998-05-15

1. Bile salts stimulate mucin secretion by the gallbladder epithelium. We have investigated whether this stimulatory effect is due to a detergent effect of bile salts. 2. The bile salts taurocholic acid (TC) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDC) and the detergents Triton X-100 (12.5-400 microM) and Tween-20 (0.1-3.2 mM) were applied to monolayers of cultured dog gallbladder epithelial cells. Mucin secretion was studied by measuring the secretion of [3H]N-acetyl-d-glucosamine-labelled glycoproteins. We also attempted to alter the fluidity of the apical membrane of the cells through extraction of cholesterol with beta-cyclodextrin (2.5-15 mM). The effect on TUDC-induced mucin secretion was studied. Cell viability was assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage or 51Cr release. 3. In contrast with the bile salts, the detergents were not able to cause an increase in mucin secretion without causing concomitant cell lysis. Concentrations of detergent that increased mucin release (>100 microM Triton X-100, >0.8 mM Tween-20), caused increased LDH release. Incubation with beta-cyclodextrin resulted in effective extraction of cholesterol without causing an increase in 51Cr release. However, no effect of the presumed altered membrane fluidity on TUDC (10 mM)-induced mucin secretion was observed. 4. The stimulatory effect of bile salts on mucin secretion by gallbladder epithelial cells is not affected by the fluidity of the apical membrane of the cells and also cannot be mimicked by other detergents. We conclude that the ability of bile salts to cause mucin secretion by the gallbladder epithelium is not determined by their detergent properties.

Concentrated liquid detergent pod ingestion in children.

PubMed

Sidhu, Natasha; Jaeger, Matthew W

2014-12-01

Concentrated liquid detergent pods are an emerging public health hazard, especially in pediatric patients. Ingestion is a more common route of exposure for liquid detergent pods compared with non-pod detergents and it tends to be associated with more severe adverse effects. We present 3 cases that demonstrate the varied clinical symptoms resulting from detergent pod ingestion. These cases not only demonstrate findings such as gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms but also show more rare neurological symptoms. The cases highlight the dangers of concentrated liquid detergent pod ingestion. To help prevent further life-threatening injuries, there is a need for more consumer information and provider knowledge about the potential adverse complications.

Radiation pasteurised oil palm empty fruit bunch fermented with Pleurotus sajor-caju as feed supplement to ruminants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awang, Mat Rasol; Mutaat, Hassan Hamdani; Mahmud, Mohd. Shukri; Wan Husain, Wan Badrin; Osman, Tajuddin; Bakar, Khomsaton Abu; Kassim, Asmahwati; Wan Mahmud, Zal U'yun; Manaf, Ishak; Kume, Tamikazu; Hashimoto, Shoji

1993-10-01

In solid state fermentation, Pleurotus sajor-caju has been found to be able to degrade at least 30% oil palm empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) fibre leaving 70 % useful materials. Conditions under which fermentation carried out were investigated. It was found that, in the temperature range between 25- 28 °C, relative ph between 6-8, moisture between 60-70 % and medium composition of CaCO 3: rice bran 2 %: 5 % were the optimum conditions. The results showed in fermented products that, there were substantial reduction in cellulosic component such as Crude Fiber (CF, 18 %); Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF, 45 %), Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF, 61 %) and Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL, 14 %). However, Crude Protein (CP, 10%) increased resulted from single cell protein enrichment of mycelial microbial mass. The mass reductions of substrate in fermentation process corresponds to the CO 2 released during fermentation. Hence, attributable to the decreased in content of CF, ADF, NDF, and ADL. The digestibility study has also been carried out to determine the useful level of this product to ruminant. Aflatoxin content was detected low in both the initial substrates and products. Based on nutritional value and low content of aflatoxin, the product is useful as a source of roughage to ruminant.

Effects of dietary neutral detergent fiber and starch ratio on rumen epithelial cell morphological structure and gene expression in dairy cows.

PubMed

Ma, L; Zhao, M; Zhao, L S; Xu, J C; Loor, J J; Bu, D P

2017-05-01

This study was designed to investigate the effect of dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio on rumen epithelial morphological structure and gene expression. Eight primiparous dairy cows including 4 ruminally fistulated cows were assigned to 4 total mixed rations with neutral detergent fiber to starch ratios of 0.86, 1.18, 1.63, and 2.34 in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. The duration of each period was 21 d including 14 d for adaptation and 7 d for sampling. Rumen epithelial papillae were collected from the ruminally fistulated cows for morphological structure examination and mRNA expression analysis using quantitative real-time PCR of several genes related to volatile fatty acid absorption and metabolism, and cellular growth. Increasing dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio resulted in a linear increase in the thickness of the stratum spinosum and basale. In contrast, expression of HMGCS2 (encoding the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of ketone bodies) decreased linearly, whereas the expression of MCT2 (encoding a transporter of volatile fatty acid) increased linearly with increasing dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio. As dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio increased, expression of IGFBP5 (a gene related to the growth of rumen epithelial papillae) decreased, whereas IGFBP6 expression increased. Both of these IGFBP genes are regulated by short-chain fatty acids. Overall, the data indicate that dietary neutral detergent fiber to starch ratio can alter the thickness of the rumen epithelial papillae partly through changes in expression of genes associated with regulating volatile fatty acid absorption, metabolism, and cell growth. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solubilization of glycoproteins of envelope viruses by detergents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berezin, V.E.; Zaides, V.M.; Artamsnov, A.F.

1986-11-20

The action of a number of known ionic and nonionic detergents, as well as the new nonionic detergent MESK, on envelope viruses was investigated. It was shown that the nonionic detergents MESK, Triton X-100, and octyl-..beta..-D-glucopyranoside selectively solubilize the outer glycoproteins of the virus particles. The nonionic detergent MESK has the mildest action. Using MESK, purified glycoproteins of influenza, parainfluenza, Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis, vesicular stomatitis, rabies, and herpes viruses were obtained. The procedure for obtaining glycoproteins includes incubation of the virus suspension with the detergent MESK, removal of subvirus structures by centrifuging, and purification of glycoproteins from detergents by dialysis.more » Isolated glycoproteins retain a native structure and biological activity and possess high immunogenicity. The detergent MESK is promising for laboratory tests and with respect to the production of subunit vaccines.« less

Detergent-compatible proteases: microbial production, properties, and stain removal analysis.

PubMed

Niyonzima, Francois Niyongabo; More, Sunil

2015-01-01

Proteases are one of the most important commercial enzymes used in various industrial domains such as detergent and leather industries. The alkaline proteases as well as other detergent-compatible enzymes such as lipases and amylases serve now as the key components in detergent formulations. They break down various stains during fabric washing. The search for detergent-compatible proteases with better properties is a continuous exercise. The current trend is to use detergent-compatible proteases that are stable over a wide temperature range. Although the proteases showing stability at elevated pH have the capacity to be used in detergent formulations, their usage can be significant if they are also stable and compatible with detergent and detergent ingredients, and also able to remove protein stains. Despite the existence of some reviews on alkaline proteases, there is no specification for the use of alkaline proteases as detergent additives. The present review describes the detergent-compatible proteases tested as detergent additives. An overview was provided for screening, optimization, purification, and properties of detergent compatible proteases, with an emphasis on the stability and compatibility of the alkaline proteases with the detergent and detergent compounds, as well as stain removal examination methods.

Cytocompatibility and Mechanical Properties of Short Phosphate Glass Fibre Reinforced Polylactic Acid (PLA) Composites: Effect of Coupling Agent Mediated Interface

PubMed Central

Hasan, Muhammad Sami; Ahmed, Ifty; Parsons, Andrew; Walker, Gavin; Scotchford, Colin

2012-01-01

In this study three chemical agents Amino-propyl-triethoxy-silane (APS), sorbitol ended PLA oligomer (SPLA) and Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) were identified to be used as coupling agents to react with the phosphate glass fibre (PGF) reinforcement and the polylactic acid (PLA) polymer matrix of the composite. Composites were prepared with short chopped strand fibres (l = 20 mm, ϕ = 20 µm) in a random arrangement within PLA matrix. Improved, initial composite flexural strength (~20 MPa) was observed for APS treated fibres, which was suggested to be due to enhanced bonding between the fibres and polymer matrix. Both APS and HDI treated fibres were suggested to be covalently linked with the PLA matrix. The hydrophobicity induced by these coupling agents (HDI, APS) helped to resist hydrolysis of the interface and thus retained their mechanical properties for an extended period of time as compared to non-treated control. Approximately 70% of initial strength and 65% of initial modulus was retained by HDI treated fibre composites in contrast to the control, where only ~50% of strength and modulus was retained after 28 days of immersion in PBS at 37 °C. All coupling agent treated and control composites demonstrated good cytocompatibility which was comparable to the tissue culture polystyrene (TCP) control, supporting the use of these materials as coupling agent’s within medical implant devices. PMID:24955744

A comparative study on the graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto rayon fibre by a ceric ion redox system and a γ-radiation method.

PubMed

Kaur, Inderjeet; Kumar, Raj; Sharma, Neelam

2010-10-13

Functionalization of rayon fibre has been carried out by grafting acrylic acid (AAC) both by a chemical method using a Ce(4+)-HNO(3) redox initiator and by a mutual irradiation (γ-rays) method. The reaction conditions affecting the grafting percentage have been optimized for both methods, and the results are compared. The maximum percentage of grafting (50%) by the chemical method was obtained utilizing 18.24 × 10(-3) moles/L of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN), 39.68 × 10(-2) moles/L of HNO(3), and 104.08 × 10(-2) moles/L of AAc in 20 mL of water at 45°C for 120 min. For the radiation method, the maximum grafting percentage (60%) was higher, and the product was obtained under milder reaction conditions using a lower concentration of AAc (69.38 × 10(-2) moles/L) in 10 mL of water at an optimum total dose of 0.932 kGy. Swelling studies showed higher swelling for the grafted rayon fibre in water (854.54%) as compared to the pristine fibre (407%), while dye uptake studies revealed poor uptake of the dye (crystal violet) by the grafted fibre in comparison with the pristine fibre. The graft copolymers were characterized by IR, TGA, and scanning electron micrographic methods. Grafted fibre, prepared by the radiation-induced method, showed better thermal behaviour. Comparison of the two methods revealed that the radiation method of grafting of acrylic acid onto rayon fibre is a better method of grafting in comparison with the chemical method. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fibre typing of intrafusal fibres

PubMed Central

Thornell, Lars-Eric; Carlsson, Lena; Eriksson, Per-Olof; Liu, Jing-Xia; Österlund, Catharina; Stål, Per; Pedrosa-Domellöf, Fatima

2015-01-01

The first descriptions of muscle spindles with intrafusal fibres containing striated myofibrils and nervous elements were given approximately 150 years ago. It took, however, another 100 years to establish the presence of two types of intrafusal muscle fibres: nuclear bag and nuclear chain fibres. The present paper highlights primarily the contribution of Robert Banks in fibre typing of intrafusal fibres: the confirmation of the principle of two types of nuclear bag fibres in mammalian spindles and the variation in occurrence of a dense M-band along the fibres. Furthermore, this paper summarizes how studies from the Umeå University group (Laboratory of Muscle Biology in the Department of Integrative Medical Biology) on fibre typing and the structure and composition of M-bands have contributed to the current understanding of muscle spindle complexity in adult humans as well as to muscle spindle development and effects of ageing. The variable molecular composition of the intrafusal sarcomeres with respect to myosin heavy chains and M-band proteins gives new perspectives on the role of the intrafusal myofibrils as stretch-activated sensors influencing tension/stiffness and signalling to nuclei. PMID:26179023

Detergent-Specific Membrane Protein Crystallization Screens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiener, Michael

2007-01-01

A suite of reagents has been developed for three-dimensional crystallization of integral membranes present in solution as protein-detergent complexes (PDCs). The compositions of these reagents have been determined in part by proximity to the phase boundaries (lower consolute boundaries) of the detergents present in the PDCs. The acquisition of some of the requisite phase-boundary data and the preliminary design of several of the detergent- specific screens was supported by a NASA contract. At the time of expiration of the contract, a partial set of preliminary screens had been developed. This work has since been extended under non-NASA sponsorship, leading to near completion of a set of 20 to 30 different and unique detergent- specific 96-condition screens.

Coproduction of detergent compatible bacterial enzymes and stain removal evaluation.

PubMed

Niyonzima, Francois N; More, Sunil S

2015-10-01

Most of the detergents that are presently produced contain the detergent compatible enzymes to improve and accelerate the washing performance by removing tough stains. The process is environment friendly as the use of enzymes in the detergent formulation reduces the utilization of toxic detergent constituents. The current trend is to use the detergent compatible enzymes that are active at low and ambient temperature in order to save energy and maintain fabric quality. As the detergent compatible bacterial enzymes are used together in the detergent formulation, it is important to co-produce the detergent enzymes in a single fermentation medium as the enzyme stability is assured, and production cost gets reduced enormously. The review reports on the production, purification, characterization and application of detergent compatible amylases, lipases, and proteases are available. However, there is no specific review or minireview on the concomitant production of detergent compatible amylases, lipases, and proteases. In this minireview, the coproduction of detergent compatible enzymes by bacterial species, enzyme stability towards detergents and detergent components, and stain release analysis were discussed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

40 CFR 80.163 - Detergent certification options.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Detergent certification options. 80... options. To be used to satisfy the detergency requirements under § 80.161(a), a detergent additive must be certified in accordance with the requirements of one or more of the options and suboptions described in this...

Characterization of chemically and enzymatically treated hemp fibres using atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Michael; Mussone, Paolo G.; Abboud, Zeinab; Bressler, David C.

2014-09-01

The mechanical and moisture resistance properties of natural fibre reinforced composites are dependent on the adhesion between the matrix of choice and the fibre. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of NaOH swelling of hemp fibres prior to enzymatic treatment and a novel chemical sulfonic acid method on the physical properties of hemp fibres. The colloidal properties of treated hemp fibres were studied exclusively using an atomic force microscope. AFM imaging in tapping mode revealed that each treatment rendered the surface topography of the hemp fibres clean and exposed the individual fibre bundles. Hemp fibres treated with laccase had no effect on the surface adhesion forces measured. Interestingly, mercerization prior to xylanase + cellulase and laccase treatments resulted in greater enzyme access evident in the increased adhesion force measurements. Hemp fibres treated with sulfonic acid showed an increase in surface de-fibrillation and smoothness. A decrease in adhesion forces for 4-aminotoulene-3-sulfonic acid (AT3S) treated fibres suggested a reduction in surface polarity. This work demonstrated that AFM can be used as a tool to estimate the surface forces and roughness for modified fibres and that enzymatic coupled with chemical methods can be used to improve the surface properties of natural fibres for composite applications. Further, this work is one of the first that offers some insight into the effect of mercerization prior to enzymes and the effect on the surface topography. AFM will be used to selectively screen treated fibres for composite applications based on the adhesion forces associated with the colloidal interface between the AFM tip and the fibre surfaces.

Pediatric exposure to laundry detergent pods.

PubMed

Valdez, Amanda L; Casavant, Marcel J; Spiller, Henry A; Chounthirath, Thiphalak; Xiang, Huiyun; Smith, Gary A

2014-12-01

Laundry detergent pods are a new product in the US marketplace. This study investigates the epidemiologic characteristics and outcomes of laundry detergent pod exposures among young children in the United States. Using data from the National Poison Data System, exposures to laundry detergent pods among children younger than 6 years of age during 2012-2013 were investigated. There were 17 230 children younger than 6 years exposed to laundry detergent pods in 2012-2013. From March 2012 to April 2013, the monthly number of exposures increased by 645.3%, followed by a 25.1% decrease from April to December 2013. Children younger than 3 years accounted for 73.5% of cases. The major route of exposure was ingestion, accounting for 79.7% of cases. Among exposed children, 4.4% were hospitalized and 7.5% experienced a moderate or major medical outcome. A spectrum of clinical effects from minor to serious was seen with ingestion and ocular exposures. There were 102 patients (0.6%) exposed to a detergent pod via ingestion, aspiration, or a combination of routes, including ingestion, who required tracheal intubation. There was 1 confirmed death. Laundry detergent pods pose a serious poisoning risk to young children. This nationwide study underscores the need for increased efforts to prevent exposure of young children to these products, which may include improvements in product packaging and labeling, development of a voluntary product safety standard, and public education. Product constituent reformulation is another potential strategy to mitigate the severity of clinical effects of laundry detergent pod exposure. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In vitro determination of the mechanical and chemical properties of a fibre orthodontic retainer.

PubMed

Silvestrini-Biavati, Armando; Angiero, Francesca; Gibelli, Francesca; Signore, Antonio; Benedicenti, Stefano

2012-12-01

The aim of this study was to analyse, in vitro, the chemical and mechanical properties of a new fibre retainer, Everstick, comparing its characteristics with the requirements for an orthodontic retainer. Chemical analysis was used to examine seven fibre bundles exposed to a photocuring lamp and then to different acids and resistance to corrosion by artificial saliva fortified with plaque acids. The mechanical properties examined were tensile strength and resistance to flexural force. Ten fibre samples were tested for each mechanical analysis and the mean value and standard deviation were calculated. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to evaluate change in weight after treatment in each group. To determine changes over time between the groups for each acid considered separately, both repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on original data and on rank transformed data were used. If the results were different, ANOVA on rank-transformed data was considered. Acetic acid was found to be the most corrosive and caused the most substance loss: both pure and at the salivary pH value. Hydrofluoric acid was the most damaging. For all acids analysed in both groups (lactic, formic, acetic, propionic), changes after treatment were statistically different between two groups (P < 0.001 for lactic, acetic, propionic; P = 0.004 for formic acid).The mean Young's modulus value was 68 510 MPa. Deformation before the fibre separated into its constituent elements (glass fibre and composite) was 3.9 per cent, stress to rupture was 1546 MPa, and resistance to bending was 534 MPa. The deflection produced over a length of 12 mm was 1.4 mm. The fibre bundle was attacked by acids potentially present in the oral cavity; the degree of aggressiveness depending on the acid concentration. To preserve fibre bundles long term, careful plaque control is necessary, especially in the interproximal spaces, to avoid acid formation. The tested product was found to be sufficiently strong to oppose

Metabolism of Some Anionic Tallow-based Detergents by Sewage Microorganisms1

PubMed Central

Cordon, Theone C.; Maurer, Elmer W.; Nuñez-Ponzoa, M. V.; Stirton, A. J.

1968-01-01

A method in which the test detergent was the sole source of carbon was used to study the metabolism of several tallow-based detergents. These were tallow alcohol sulfates, long-chain ether alcohol sulfates, and esters of α-sulfo fatty acids. Sodium p-(1-methylundecyl)benzenesulfonate (LAS) was used as a reference material. The alcohol sulfates were the most rapidly and completely metabolized (96 to 99%), and one ether alcohol sulfate was 94% degraded. The other compounds were metabolized to the extent of 61 to 87%; LAS was 80% degraded. Except for the alcohol sulfates, loss of methylene blue activity (MBAS) occurred long before the chemical oxygen demand (COD) values had reached a minimum; with the alcohol sulfates, MBAS and COD decreased simultaneously. PMID:5636472

Laundry Detergency of Solid Non-Particulate Soil Using Microemulsion-Based Formulation.

PubMed

Chanwattanakit, Jarussri; Chavadej, Sumaeth

2018-02-01

Laundry detergency of solid non-particulate soil on polyester and cotton was investigated using a microemulsion-based formulation, consisting of an anionic extended surfactant (C 12,13 -4PO-SO 4 Na) and sodium mono-and di-methyl naphthalene sulfonate (SMDNS) as the hydrophilic linker, to provide a Winsor Type III microemulsion with an ultralow interfacial tension (IFT). In this work, methyl palmitate (palmitic acid methyl ester) having a melting point around 30°C, was used as a model solid non-particulate (waxy) soil. A total surfactant concentration of 0.35 wt% of the selected formulation (4:0.65 weight ratio of C 12,13 -4PO-SO 4 Na:SMDNS) with 5.3 wt% NaCl was able to form a middle phase microemulsion at a high temperature (40°C),which provided the highest oil removal level with the lowest oil redeposition and the lowest IFT, and was much higher than that with a commercial detergent or de-ionized water. Most of the detached oil, whether in liquid or solid state, was in an unsolubilized form. Hence, the dispersion stability of the detached oil droplets or solidified oil particles that resulted from the surfactant adsorption played an important role in the oil redeposition. For an oily detergency, the lower the system IFT, the higher the oil removal whereas for a waxy (non-particulate) soil detergency, the lower the contact angle, the higher the solidified oil removal. For a liquefied oil, the detergency mechanism was roll up and emulsification with dispersion stability, while that for the waxy soil (solid oil) was the detachment by wettability with dispersion stability.

Detergent-Induced Stabilization and Improved 3D Map of the Human Heteromeric Amino Acid Transporter 4F2hc-LAT2

PubMed Central

Harder, Daniel; Stauffer, Mirko; Jeckelmann, Jean-Marc; Brühlmann, Béla; Rosell, Albert; Ilgü, Hüseyin; Kovar, Karin; Palacín, Manuel; Fotiadis, Dimitrios

2014-01-01

Human heteromeric amino acid transporters (HATs) are membrane protein complexes that facilitate the transport of specific amino acids across cell membranes. Loss of function or overexpression of these transporters is implicated in several human diseases such as renal aminoacidurias and cancer. HATs are composed of two subunits, a heavy and a light subunit, that are covalently connected by a disulphide bridge. Light subunits catalyse amino acid transport and consist of twelve transmembrane α-helix domains. Heavy subunits are type II membrane N-glycoproteins with a large extracellular domain and are involved in the trafficking of the complex to the plasma membrane. Structural information on HATs is scarce because of the difficulty in heterologous overexpression. Recently, we had a major breakthrough with the overexpression of a recombinant HAT, 4F2hc-LAT2, in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. Microgram amounts of purified protein made possible the reconstruction of the first 3D map of a human HAT by negative-stain transmission electron microscopy. Here we report the important stabilization of purified human 4F2hc-LAT2 using a combination of two detergents, i.e., n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside and lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol, and cholesteryl hemisuccinate. The superior quality and stability of purified 4F2hc-LAT2 allowed the measurement of substrate binding by scintillation proximity assay. In addition, an improved 3D map of this HAT could be obtained. The detergent-induced stabilization of the purified human 4F2hc-LAT2 complex presented here paves the way towards its crystallization and structure determination at high-resolution, and thus the elucidation of the working mechanism of this important protein complex at the molecular level. PMID:25299125

Detergent-induced stabilization and improved 3D map of the human heteromeric amino acid transporter 4F2hc-LAT2.

PubMed

Meury, Marcel; Costa, Meritxell; Harder, Daniel; Stauffer, Mirko; Jeckelmann, Jean-Marc; Brühlmann, Béla; Rosell, Albert; Ilgü, Hüseyin; Kovar, Karin; Palacín, Manuel; Fotiadis, Dimitrios

2014-01-01

Human heteromeric amino acid transporters (HATs) are membrane protein complexes that facilitate the transport of specific amino acids across cell membranes. Loss of function or overexpression of these transporters is implicated in several human diseases such as renal aminoacidurias and cancer. HATs are composed of two subunits, a heavy and a light subunit, that are covalently connected by a disulphide bridge. Light subunits catalyse amino acid transport and consist of twelve transmembrane α-helix domains. Heavy subunits are type II membrane N-glycoproteins with a large extracellular domain and are involved in the trafficking of the complex to the plasma membrane. Structural information on HATs is scarce because of the difficulty in heterologous overexpression. Recently, we had a major breakthrough with the overexpression of a recombinant HAT, 4F2hc-LAT2, in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. Microgram amounts of purified protein made possible the reconstruction of the first 3D map of a human HAT by negative-stain transmission electron microscopy. Here we report the important stabilization of purified human 4F2hc-LAT2 using a combination of two detergents, i.e., n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside and lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol, and cholesteryl hemisuccinate. The superior quality and stability of purified 4F2hc-LAT2 allowed the measurement of substrate binding by scintillation proximity assay. In addition, an improved 3D map of this HAT could be obtained. The detergent-induced stabilization of the purified human 4F2hc-LAT2 complex presented here paves the way towards its crystallization and structure determination at high-resolution, and thus the elucidation of the working mechanism of this important protein complex at the molecular level.

Metabolic response to dietary fibre composition in horses.

PubMed

Brøkner, C; Austbø, D; Næsset, J A; Blache, D; Bach Knudsen, K E; Tauson, A H

2016-07-01

The hypothesis for this study was that a higher dietary proportion of soluble fibre would result in stable and constant plasma metabolite and regulatory hormone concentrations. The study was a 4×4 Latin Square design with a sequence of 17 days adaptation to the ration followed by 8 sampling days. The feed rations consisted of only timothy hay (H), hay plus molassed sugar beet pulp combined with either whole oats (OB) or barley (BB) and hay plus a loose chaff-based concentrate (M). Four horses were fitted with permanent caecal cannulas and liquid caecal content was withdrawn manually and blood was drawn from the jugular vein at 0, 3 and 9 h postprandial. The horses were exercised daily at medium level for about 1 h. Samples were analysed for short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and metabolic traits. Caecal SCFA and propionic acid concentrations increased with increased dietary starch and soluble fibre. The diet highest in soluble fibre (M) resulted in the highest plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in the morning, which then remained stable and constant throughout the day. A strong interaction (P<0.01) between time and diet was measured for plasma urea, glucose, insulin and leptin. The greatest variations in plasma glycaemic and insulinaemic responses were associated with the cereal grain diets (OB and BB). There were indications of a negative energy balance, which was reflected in a significantly higher plasma β-hydroxybutyrate concentration and a numerically higher non-esterified fatty acid concentration. In conclusion, this study found that inclusion of soluble fibre resulted in increased total caecal SCFA and propionic acid concentrations. This consequently resulted in stable and constant plasma glycaemic and insulinaemic responses. Diets with a high content of soluble fibre provided enough energy for horses at medium work level.

Designing Mixed Detergent Micelles for Uniform Neutron Contrast

DOE PAGES

Oliver, Ryan C.; Pingali, Sai Venkatesh; Urban, Volker S.

2017-09-29

Micelle-forming detergents provide an amphipathic environment that mimics lipid bilayers and are important tools used to solubilize and stabilize membrane proteins in solution for in vitro structural investigations. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) performed at the neutron contrast match point of detergent molecules allows observing the scattering signal from membrane proteins unobstructed by contributions from the detergent. However, we show here that even for a perfectly average-contrast matched detergent there arises significant core-shell scattering from the contrast difference between aliphatic detergent tails and hydrophilic head groups. This residual signal at the average detergent contrast match point interferes with interpreting structural datamore » of membrane proteins. This complication is often made worse by the presence of excess empty (protein-free) micelles. Here, we present an approach for the rational design of mixed micelles containing a deuterated detergent analog, which eliminates neutron contrast between core and shell, and allows the micelle scattering to be fully contrast matched to unambiguously resolve membrane protein structure using solution SANS.« less

Designing Mixed Detergent Micelles for Uniform Neutron Contrast

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oliver, Ryan C.; Pingali, Sai Venkatesh; Urban, Volker S.

Micelle-forming detergents provide an amphipathic environment that mimics lipid bilayers and are important tools used to solubilize and stabilize membrane proteins in solution for in vitro structural investigations. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) performed at the neutron contrast match point of detergent molecules allows observing the scattering signal from membrane proteins unobstructed by contributions from the detergent. However, we show here that even for a perfectly average-contrast matched detergent there arises significant core-shell scattering from the contrast difference between aliphatic detergent tails and hydrophilic head groups. This residual signal at the average detergent contrast match point interferes with interpreting structural datamore » of membrane proteins. This complication is often made worse by the presence of excess empty (protein-free) micelles. Here, we present an approach for the rational design of mixed micelles containing a deuterated detergent analog, which eliminates neutron contrast between core and shell, and allows the micelle scattering to be fully contrast matched to unambiguously resolve membrane protein structure using solution SANS.« less

Review article: dietary fibre-microbiota interactions.

PubMed

Simpson, H L; Campbell, B J

2015-07-01

Application of modern rapid DNA sequencing technology has transformed our understanding of the gut microbiota. Diet, in particular plant-based fibre, appears critical in influencing the composition and metabolic activity of the microbiome, determining levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) important for intestinal health. To assess current epidemiological, experimental and clinical evidence of how long-term and short-term alterations in dietary fibre intake impact on the microbiome and metabolome. A Medline search including items 'intestinal microbiota', 'nutrition', 'diet', 'dietary fibre', 'SCFAs' and 'prebiotic effect' was performed. Studies found evidence of fibre-influenced differences in the microbiome and metabolome as a consequence of habitual diet, and of long-term or short-term intervention (in both animals and humans). Agrarian diets high in fruit/legume fibre are associated with greater microbial diversity and a predominance of Prevotella over Bacteroides. 'Western'-style diets, high in fat/sugar, low in fibre, decrease beneficial Firmicutes that metabolise dietary plant-derived polysaccharides to SCFAs and increase mucosa-associated Proteobacteria (including enteric pathogens). Short-term diets can also have major effects, particularly those exclusively animal-based, and those high-protein, low-fermentable carbohydrate/fibre 'weight-loss' diets, increasing the abundance of Bacteroides and lowering Firmicutes, with long-term adherence to such diets likely increasing risk of colonic disease. Interventions to prevent intestinal inflammation may be achieved with fermentable prebiotic fibres that enhance beneficial Bifidobacteria or with soluble fibres that block bacterial-epithelial adherence (contrabiotics). These mechanisms may explain many of the differences in microbiota associated with long-term ingestion of a diet rich in fruit and vegetable fibre. © 2015 The Authors. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Effect of natural or synthetic detergents on the transport of D-glucose in the membranes of vesicles of the brush border of the intestine of the rabbit].

PubMed

Favilli, F; Iantomasi, T; Stio, M; Treves, C; Vanni, P; Vincenzini, M T

1988-01-01

We describe here the effects of natural and synthetic detergents on the D-glucose transport into brush-border membranes of vesicles of rabbit's intestine. Two synthetic detergents: Triton X-100 and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide have been found very strong inhibitors (more than 50 p. 100 of inhibition of maximal D-glucose uptake). Kinetic studies showed that these detergents behaved as mixed type inhibitors. The Na+-dependent transport of amino acids (aspartic acid, lysine, phenylalanine) is only poorly affected by dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, while Triton X-100 inhibits unspecifically all the transport studied.

40 CFR 80.141 - Interim detergent gasoline program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) “Carburetor Cleanliness Test Procedure, State-of-the-Art Summary, Report: 1973-1981”, Coordinating Research... ultimate consumer; (ii) All additized post-refinery component (PRC); and (iii) All detergent additives sold... who manufacture, supply, or transfer detergent additives or detergent-additized post-refinery...

Movement and fate of detergents in groundwater: a field study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thurman, E.M.; Barber, L.B.; LeBlanc, D.

1986-01-01

The major cations, anions, and detergents in a plume of contaminated groundwater at Otis Air Base on Cape Cod (Mass., U.S.A.) have moved approximately 3.5 km down gradient from the disposal beds. We hypothesize that the detergents form two distinct plumes, which consist of alkyl benzene sulfonates (ABS) detergents and linear alkyl sulfonates (LAS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (NaLS) detergents. The ABS detergents were deposited from approximately 1940 through 1965, when ABS detergents were banned. From 1965 to the present, LAS and NaLS detergents were in the sewage. The ABS detergents appear to be transported in the aquifer at the same rate as the specific conductance (major cations and anions) and boron, which are currently used as conservative tracers of the plume of contaminated groundwater. There appears to be little or no biological degradation of the ABS detergents in the aquifer, based on their concentration in the plume. On the other hand, the LAS and NaLS detergents have degraded rapidly and have been detected only 0.6 km down gradient. The roleof the detergents in the transport of other organic compounds in the plume is nuclear. There is a separation of the ABS detergent plume and the volatile organic compound plume; however, the time of entry of the detergents and the volatile organic compounds is unknown. Therefore, it is not possible to conclude on the interaction of these two classes of compounds. ?? 1986.

Effects of species and season on chemical composition and ruminal crude protein and organic matter degradability of some multi-purpose tree species by West African dwarf rams.

PubMed

Arigbede, O M; Anele, U Y; Südekum, K-H; Hummel, J; Oni, A O; Olanite, J A; Isah, A O

2012-04-01

Seasonal chemical composition and ruminal organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) degradabilities were determined in four tropical multi-purpose tree species (MPTS) namely; Pterocarpus santalinoides, Grewia pubescens, Enterolobium cyclocarpum and Leucaena leucocephala. Three West African dwarf (WAD) rams fitted with permanent rumen cannula were used for the degradability trials. Foliage samples were collected four times to represent seasonal variations as follows: January--mid dry; April--late dry; July--mid rainy and October--late rainy seasons. Leaf samples were randomly collected from the trees for estimation of dry matter (DM) and chemical composition. Ruminal in sacco OM and CP degradabilities were estimated from residues in nylon bags. All samples had high CP (161-259 g/kg DM) and moderate fibre concentrations [neutral detergent fibre (without residual ash], 300-501 g/kg DM; acid detergent fibre (without residual ash), 225-409 g/kg DM and acid detergent lignin, 87-179 g/kg DM across seasons. Interaction effects of species and season on chemical composition were highly significant (p = 0.001) except for trypsin inhibitor (p = 0.614). The MPTS recorded more than 60% OM and CP degradability at 24 h, which implied that they were all highly degradable in the rumen. Their incorporation into ruminant feeding systems as dry season forage supplements is therefore recommended. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effects of gamma irradiation on cell-wall constituents of some agricultural residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Masri, M. R.; Zarkawi, M.

1994-12-01

The effects of 150 kilogray (kGy) of γ irradiation on cell-wall constituents of cottonwood (CW), lentils straw (LS), apple pruning products (AP) and olive cake (OC) were investigated. Samples were irradiated by γ irradiation at a dose level of 150 kGy under identical conditions of temperature and humidity and analyzed for crude fibre (CF), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid-detergent lignin (ADL). The results indicate that γ irradiation decreased CF contents by about 29% for CW, LS and AP and by 17% for OC. NDF values were also decreased by about 4% for CW and OC, and by about 12% for LS and AP. γ Irradiation treatment also decreased ADF values only for CW by 8%. ADL contents decreased by 8% for CW and 5% for OC with no effects for LS and AP. The percentage of cellulose (CL): CF ratio increased by 30, 34, 38 and 20% for CW, LS, AP and OC, respectively. Also, the percentage of hemicellulose (HCL): CF increased by 57% for CW and 16% for OC and decreased by 7% for LS and AP. The percentage of HCL: ADL increased by 22% for CW but decreased by 33% for LS and AP with no changes for OC. There were no changes in CL: ADL ratio for all residues.

Soaps and Detergents--A 'Social' Treatment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rust, S. C.

1979-01-01

Describes how social aspects of science can be incorporated into teaching soap and detergents in British secondary chemistry and general science courses. Historical background to the use and production of soap and the development of detergents are also presented. (HM)

Detergents as selective inhibitors and inactivators of enzymes.

PubMed

Vincenzini, M T; Favilli, F; Stio, M; Vanni, P; Treves, C

1985-01-01

In order to study the detergent-enzyme interaction and to clarify whether such an interaction produces specific or non-specific effects, we investigated the action of natural and synthetic detergents on enzymatic systems of different levels of complexity (crystalline enzymes, crude homogenates, organ preparations, organisms in toto i.e. rats and germinating seeds). The enzyme-detergent interaction was examined both as a time-independent phenomenon (inhibition) and as a time-dependent phenomenon (inactivation). In in vitro experiments a clear inhibition of pyridine-dependent dehydrogenases by long-chain anionic detergents was found. Cationic detergents have their greatest effect on lipase, LDH, MDH and ICDH from rat liver homogenates. At low concentrations SDS inactivates all the dehydrogenase enzymes studied. With high concentrations (10 mM) of SDS and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12), there was a sharp and non-specific decrease of enzymatic activities. In the in vivo studies, rats were given detergents to drink; the cationic detergent (C12) was far more effective than SDS with enzymes from both intestine and liver homogenates. SDS and C12 do not seem to interfere with enzyme activities at the beginning of the germination of Pinus pinea and Triticum durum seeds. However a marked reduction of activities does occur at the respective maximum germination times of these seeds. The nonionic detergent is ineffective both as inhibitor and as inactivator.

Efficacy of detergents and fresh produce disinfectants against microorganisms associated with mixed raw vegetables.

PubMed

Samadi, Nasrin; Abadian, Neda; Bakhtiari, Donya; Fazeli, Mohammad Reza; Jamalifar, Hossein

2009-07-01

Efficacy of commercial detergent and disinfectants to eliminate microorganisms associated with fresh vegetables eaten raw in Iran, including radish, parsley, basil, coriander (cilantro), Allium porrum (leek), and peppermint were studied. The raw vegetables were subjected to a triple wash treatment of washing in tap water for mud removal, washing in water containing a detergent (dishwashing liquid) or disinfectant individually, and rinsing in tap water. The population of total mesophilic microbes on the surface of untreated vegetables ranged from 10(5) to 10(6) CFU/g. Washing in tap water or treatment with detergent (333 ppm for 10 min) or benzalkonium chloride (92 ppm for 15 min) reduced the total microbial count, most probable number (MPN) of coliforms, MPN of fecal coliforms, and MPN of fecal streptococci by about 1.2 to 2.3 log. No significant differences in microbial populations were found on vegetables after decontamination with tap water, detergent, or benzalkonium chloride (P > 0.05). Treatments with peracetic acid (100 ppm for 15 min) and hydrogen peroxide (133 ppm for 30 min) reduced the total mesophilic microbial counts by about 2.8 log. The microbial reductions with calcium hypochlorite (300 ppm for 15 min) and combined hydrogen peroxide and silver ion (133 ppm for 30 min) were significantly higher than those obtained after rinsing in tap water or after detergent or benzalkonium chloride wash (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with detergent slightly enhanced the efficacy of all decontamination treatments, but results were not significantly different from those obtained after individual application of disinfectants.

Comparative studies on ecotoxicology of synthetic detergents.

PubMed

Lal, H; Misra, V; Viswanathan, P N; Krishna Murti, C R

1983-12-01

To predict the comparative toxicological response of synthetic detergents on aquatic ecosystems, the effects of various concentrations of neutralized alkyl benzene sulfonate were studied. The median tolerance limit at 48 hr, 95% confidence limit, slope function, presumable harmless concentration, and rate of survival of different species of aquatic fauna such as water fleas (Daphnia magna), mosquito larvae (Culex pipiens), slug worms (Tubifex rivulorum), snails (Lymnaea vulgaris), tadpoles (Rana cyanophlyctis), and fish fingerlings (Cirrhina mrigala) were followed at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr. Any effect on quality of the water was also tested after the addition of various concentrations of detergents. The results showed that water fleas are more susceptible to detergent toxicity than fish fingerlings, tadpoles, slug worms, snails, and mosquito larvae. Behavioral changes were also observed as an index for detergent toxicity. The relative toxicity of the detergents to various species is discussed in relation to selective ecotoxicological response.

Concentrating membrane proteins using ultrafiltration without concentrating detergents.

PubMed

Feroz, Hasin; Vandervelden, Craig; Ikwuagwu, Bon; Ferlez, Bryan; Baker, Carol S; Lugar, Daniel J; Grzelakowski, Mariusz; Golbeck, John H; Zydney, Andrew L; Kumar, Manish

2016-10-01

Membrane proteins (MPs) are of rapidly growing interest in the design of pharmaceutical products, novel sensors, and synthetic membranes. Ultrafiltration (UF) using commercially available centrifugal concentrators is typically employed for laboratory-scale concentration of low-yield MPs, but its use is accompanied by a concomitant increase in concentration of detergent micelles. We present a detailed analysis of the hydrodynamic processes that control detergent passage during ultrafiltration of MPs and propose methods to optimize detergent passage during protein concentration in larger-scale membrane processes. Experiments were conducted using nonionic detergents, octyl-β-D glucoside (OG), and decyl-β-D maltoside (DM) with the bacterial water channel protein, Aquaporin Z (AqpZ) and the light driven chloride pump, halorhodopsin (HR), respectively. The observed sieving coefficient (So ), a measure of detergent passage, was evaluated in both stirred cell and centrifugal systems. So for DM and OG increased with increasing filtrate flux and decreasing shear rates in the stirred cell, that is, with increasing concentration polarization (CP). Similar effects were observed during filtration of MP-detergent (MPD) micelles. However, lower transmission was observed in the centrifugal system for both detergent and MPD systems. This is attributed to free convection-induced shear and hence reduced CP along the membrane surface during centrifugal UF. Thus to concentrate MPs without retention of detergent, design of UF systems that promote CP is required. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2122-2130. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

40 CFR 80.161 - Detergent additive certification program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... requirements. For a detergent additive package to be certified as eligible for use by detergent blenders in...: (i) The compositional data required under § 79.21(a) of this chapter shall include the information... chapter shall be reported to EPA in units of gallons of detergent additive package per 1000 gallons of...

40 CFR 80.161 - Detergent additive certification program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... requirements. For a detergent additive package to be certified as eligible for use by detergent blenders in...: (i) The compositional data required under § 79.21(a) of this chapter shall include the information... chapter shall be reported to EPA in units of gallons of detergent additive package per 1000 gallons of...

40 CFR 80.161 - Detergent additive certification program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... requirements. For a detergent additive package to be certified as eligible for use by detergent blenders in...: (i) The compositional data required under § 79.21(a) of this chapter shall include the information... chapter shall be reported to EPA in units of gallons of detergent additive package per 1000 gallons of...

A new high-performance thin layer chromatography-based assay of detergents and surfactants commonly used in membrane protein studies.

PubMed

Barret, Laurie-Anne; Polidori, Ange; Bonneté, Françoise; Bernard-Savary, Pierre; Jungas, Colette

2013-03-15

The hydrophobic nature of membrane proteins (MPs) necessitates the use of detergents for their extraction, solubilization and purification. Because the concentration of amphiphiles is crucial in the crystallization process, detergent quantification is essential to routine analysis. Here we describe a quantitative high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method we developed for the detection of small quantities of detergent bound to solubilized MPs. After optimization of aqueous deposit conditions, we show that most detergents widely used in membrane protein crystallography display distinctive mobilities in a mixture of dichloromethane, methanol and acetic acid 32:7.6:0.4 (v/v/v). Migration and derivatization conditions were optimized with n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM), the most popular detergent for membrane protein crystallization. A linear calibration curve very well fits our data from 0.1 to 1.6 μg of DDM in water with a limit of detection of 0.05 μg. This limit of detection is the best achieved to date for a routine detergent assay, being not modified by the addition of NaCl, commonly used in protein buffers. With these chromatographic conditions, no prior treatment is required to assess the quantities of detergent bound to purified MPs, thus enabling the quantification of close structure detergents via a single procedure. This HPTLC method, which is fast and requires low sample volume, is fully suitable for routine measurements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contractile properties of skinned muscle fibres from young and adult normal and dystrophic (mdx) mice.

PubMed Central

Williams, D A; Head, S I; Lynch, G S; Stephenson, D G

1993-01-01

1. Single muscle fibres were enzymatically isolated from the soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of genetically dystrophic mdx and normal (C57BL/10) mice aged 3-6 or 17-23 weeks. 2. Fibres of both muscles were chemically skinned with the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 (2% v/v). Ca(2+)- and Sr(2+)-activated contractile responses were recorded and comparisons were made between several contractile parameters of various fibre types of normal and dystrophic mice of similar age. 3. There were no significant differences in the following contractile parameters of skinned fibres of normal and mdx mice of the same age: sensitivity to activating Ca2+ (pCa50) or Sr2+ (pSr50) and differential sensitivity to the activating ions (pCa50-pSr50). However the maximum isometric tension (Po) and the frequency of myofibrillar force oscillations in EDL fast-twitch fibres of young mdx mice were significantly lower than those of soleus fast-twitch fibres of the same animals, or fast-twitch fibres (EDL or soleus) of normal mice. 4. Age-related differences were apparent in some contractile parameters of both normal and mdx mice. In particular the steepness of force-pCa and force-pSr curves increased with age in normal mice, yet decreased with age in fibres of mdx mice. 5. A fluorescent probe, ethidium bromide, which interchelates with DNA, was used with laser-scanning confocal microscopy to determine the distribution of myonuclei in fibres. Fibres isolated from either muscle type of normal animals displayed a characteristic peripheral spiral of myonuclei. Fibres from muscles of mdx mice displayed three major patterns of nuclear distribution; the normal peripheral spiral, long central strands of nuclei, and a mixture of these two patterns. 6. The contractile characteristics of mdx fibres were not markedly influenced by the nuclear distribution pattern in that there were no discernible differences in the major contractile parameters (the Hill coefficients nCa and nSr, which

Effect of acid detergent fiber in hydrothermally pretreated sewage sludge on anaerobic digestion process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takasaki, Rikiya; Yuan, Lee Chang; Kamahara, Hirotsugu; Atsuta, Youichi; Daimon, Hiroyuki

2017-10-01

Hydrothermal treatment is one of the pre-treatment method for anaerobic digestion. The application of hydrothermal treatment to sewage sludge of wastewater treatment plant has been succeeded to enhance the biogas production. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively clarify the effect of hydrothermal treatment on anaerobic digestion process focusing on acid detergent fiber (ADF) in sewage sludge, which is low biodegradability. The hydrothermal treatment experiment was carried out for 15 minutes between 160 °C and 200 °C respectively. The ADF content was decreased after hydrothermal treatment compared with untreated sludge. However, ADF content was increased when raising the treatment temperature from 160 °C to 200 °C. During batch anaerobic digestion experiment, untreated and treated sludge were examined for 10 days under 38 °C, and all samples were fed once based on volatile solids of samples. From batch anaerobic digestion experiment, as ADF content in sewage sludge increased, the total biogas production decreased. It was found that ADF content in sewage sludge influence on anaerobic digestion. Therefore, ADF could be one of the indicator to evaluate the effect of hydrothermal treatment to sewage sludge on anaerobic digestion.

Dissociation, aggregation of sesame alpha-globulin in nonionic detergent solution.

PubMed

Lakshmi, T S; Nandi, P K

1978-10-01

Nonionic detergents Triton X-100 and Brij 36T induce dissociation and aggregation of the protein sesame alpha-globulin above the critical micelle concentrations (cmc) of the detergents. Spectrophotometric titration in Triton shows no change in the pKInt value of the tyrosyl groups at 1x10-3 M detergent where both dissociation and aggregation of the protein are observed. Fluorescence measurement does not indicate any change in the environment of the tryptophan groups of the protein in Brij. Viscosity measurements show no major conformational change of the protein in the detergent solution. Binding measurements suggest that perhaps micelles of the detergent predominantly bind to the protein. The detergent micelles preferentially bind to the exposed hydrophobic surfaces of the protein subunits. The association of the protein detergent complex through electrostatic interaction is probably responsible for the formation of the aggregates.

Optimisation of mechanical properties of bamboo fibre reinforced-PLA biocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurnadia M., J.; Fazita, M. R. Nurul; Abdul Khalil H. P., S.; Mohamad Haafiz M., K.

2017-12-01

The majority of the raw materials that have been widely used in industries are petroleum-based. Growing environmental awareness, the depletion of fossil fuels, and climate change are the key drivers to seek more ecologically friendly materials, such as natural fibres to replace synthetic fibres in polymeric composite. Among the natural fibres available, bamboo fibre has relatively high strength. Poly (lactic) acid (PLA), one of the well-known biopolymers, has been used as a matrix in order to produce totally biodegradable biocomposites. In this study, bamboo fibres were compounded with PLA by a twin screw extruder. The bamboo fibre reinforced PLA composites were then manufactured via the compression moulding method. The influences of screw speed and die temperature during extrusion on the mechanical properties, the tensile and flexural of the biocomposites, were studied. The effects of fibre content and fibre length were also investigated. Taguchi experimental design approach was adopted to determine the optimum set of conditions to achieve the "best" mechanical properties of the composites. Tensile and flexural properties were characterised based on the D638-10 and D790-10 standards, respectively. It was observed that the fibre aspect ratio and fibre content significantly affected the mechanical performance of bamboo fibres reinforced PLA composites.

Effect of high fibre diets formulated with different fibrous ingredients on performance, nutrient digestibility and faecal microbiota of weaned piglets.

PubMed

Yu, Cangyou; Zhang, Shihai; Yang, Qing; Peng, Qian; Zhu, Jinlong; Zeng, Xiangfang; Qiao, Shiyan

2016-08-01

The aim of the experiment on 180 weaned piglets (8.9 kg body weight) was to investigate the influence of high fibre diets formulated with different fibrous ingredients on performance, nutrient digestibility, diarrhoea incidence and numbers of faecal microbiota. The dietary treatments included a Control diet and five high fibre diets formulated with different fibre sources including wheat bran, soybean hulls, naked oat hulls, palm kernel expeller and bamboo fibre. The high fibre diets averaged 14.6% neutral detergent fibre with different non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) components and were fed ad libitum for 28 d. Faecal samples were collected during the last 3 d of the experiment and the apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients and fibre components were determined. Pigs fed the Control and wheat bran diets had a higher (p ≤ 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) than pigs fed the palm kernel expeller and bamboo meal diets. The reduced ADG for pigs appeared to be related to reductions in the digestibility of gross energy and dry matter, respectively. The feed-to-gain ratio was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) for pigs fed the fibre diets. The digestibility of NSP components was different among the treatments. The diarrhoea incidence was not affected by treatments. The abundance of faecal bifidobacteria was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) for pigs fed the wheat bran diet than for pigs fed the bamboo meal diet. It was concluded that the diets formulated with different fibre sources when fed to weaned piglets have different effects on pig performance, nutrient digestibility and numbers of faecal microbiota. The wheat bran diet rich in arabinoxylans enabled a better performance than the other tested diets with fibre addition.

Maximizing detergent stability and functional expression of a GPCR by exhaustive recombination and evolution.

PubMed

Schlinkmann, Karola M; Hillenbrand, Matthias; Rittner, Alexander; Künz, Madeleine; Strohner, Ralf; Plückthun, Andreas

2012-09-21

To identify structural features in a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) crucial for biosynthesis, stability in the membrane and stability in detergent micelles, we developed an evolutionary approach using expression in the inner membrane of Escherichia coli. From the analysis of 800,000 sequences of the rat neurotensin receptor 1, in which every amino acid had been varied to all 64 codons, we uncovered several "shift" positions, where the selected population focuses on a residue different from wild type. Here, we employed in vitro DNA recombination and a comprehensive synthetic binary library made by the Slonomics® technology, allowing us to uncover additive and synergistic effects in the structure that maximize both detergent stability and functional expression. We identified variants with >25,000 functional molecules per E. coli cell, a 50-fold increase over wild type, and observed strong coevolution of detergent stability. We arrived at receptor variants highly stable in short-chain detergents, much more so than those found by alanine scanning on the same receptor. These evolved GPCRs continue to be able to signal through the G-protein. We discuss the structural reasons for these improvements achieved through directed evolution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the protease activity of detergents: laboratory practicals for studying the protease profile and activity of various commercial detergents.

PubMed

Valls, Cristina; Pujadas, Gerard; Garcia-Vallve, Santi; Mulero, Miquel

2011-07-01

Detergent enzymes account for about 30% of the total worldwide production of enzymes and are one of the largest and most successful applications of modern industrial biotechnology. Proteases can improve the wash performance of household, industrial, and institutional laundry detergents used to remove protein-based stains such as blood, grass, body fluids, and food soils. This article describes two easy and cheap laboratory exercises to study the presence, profile, and basic enzymology of detergent proteases. These laboratory practicals are based on the determination of the detergent protease activity of various commercial detergents using the N-succinyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-prolyl-L-phenylalanine p-nitroanilide method and the bovine serum albumin degradation capacity. Students are also required to elucidate the enzymatic subtype of detergent proteases by studying the inhibitory potential of several types of protease inhibitors revealed by the same experimental methodology. Additionally, the results of the exercises can be used to provide additional insights on elementary enzymology by studying the influence of several important parameters on protease activity such as temperature (in this article) and the influence of pH and effects of surfactants and oxidizers (proposed). Students also develop laboratory skills, problem-solving capacities, and the ability to write a laboratory report. The exercises are mainly designed for an advanced undergraduate project in the biochemistry and biotechnology sciences. Globally, these laboratory practicals show students the biotechnological applications of proteases in the detergent industry and also reinforce important enzymology concepts. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Detergent-Fearing Milk.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Diane

1997-01-01

Describes an activity that demonstrates among the following: diffusion; cohesion and adhesion; properties of surface tension which include wicking, hydrophilic, and hydrophobic molecular behaviors; and break up of fat clusters by liquid dishwashing detergent. (DDR)

Biodegradable fibre scaffolds incorporating water-soluble drugs and proteins.

PubMed

Ma, J; Meng, J; Simonet, M; Stingelin, N; Peijs, T; Sukhorukov, G B

2015-07-01

A new type of biodegradable drug-loaded fibre scaffold has been successfully produced for the benefit of water-soluble drugs and proteins. Model drug loaded calcium carbonate (CaCO3) microparticles incorporated into poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibres were manufactured by co-precipitation of CaCO3 and the drug molecules, followed by electrospinning of a suspension of such drug-loaded microparticles in a PLGA solution. Rhodamine 6G and bovine serum albumin were used as model drugs for our release study, representing small bioactive molecules and protein, respectively. A bead and string structure of fibres was achieved. The drug release was investigated with different drug loadings and in different pH release mediums. Results showed that a slow and sustained drug release was achieved in 40 days and the CaCO3 microparticles used as the second barrier restrained the initial burst release.

Is chronic detergent ingestion harmful to the gut?

PubMed Central

Mercurius-Taylor, L A; Jayaraj, A P; Clark, C G

1984-01-01

Synthetic detergents are used in large quantities as household and industrial cleaners. Because of the common practice of leaving dishes washed in detergent solutions to dry without rinsing these compounds are ingested. We have calculated that an adult takes in about 1 mg/kg detergent a day and babies can be administered between seven and 10 mg/kg a day. Rats were fed a dose of 100 mg/kg a day in a pilot experiment and gross abnormalities were found in the gastrointestinal tract, the most striking being subtotal villous atrophy of the small bowel mucosa and glandular atrophy in the colon. These changes were not reversible 12 weeks after cessation of detergent administration. Images PMID:6722057

Biodegradability, toxicity and mutagenicity of detergents: Integrated experimental evaluations.

PubMed

Pedrazzani, Roberta; Ceretti, Elisabetta; Zerbini, Ilaria; Casale, Rosario; Gozio, Eleonora; Bertanza, Giorgio; Gelatti, Umberto; Donato, Francesco; Feretti, Donatella

2012-10-01

The widespread use of detergents has raised concern with regard to the environmental pollution caused by their active ingredients, which are biorefractory, toxic and persistent. Since detergents are complex mixtures of different substances, in which synergistic effects may occur, we aimed to assess the mutagenicity of different detergent formulations, taking into account aquatic toxicity and ready biodegradability. We performed a ready biodegradability test (OECD 301 F), Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri toxicity tests, and mutagenicity tests (Salmonella/microsome test, Allium cepa test and comet assay). Six detergent formulations were examined, 3 pre-manufacture and 3 commercially available. All detergents presented ready biodegradability. EC50 values varied for all products, according to the marker organism used, but were always higher than the more stringent value considered for aquatic toxicity assessment (V. fischeri 10-60 mg/L; D. magna 25-300 mg/L; A. cepa 250-2000 mg/L). None of the detergents caused mutations in bacteria. However, one commercial ecolabelled product induced an increase in micronucleus frequency in A. cepa root cells. All pre-manufacture detergents and one commercial one, which gave negative results in the Ames and A. cepa tests, induced DNA damage in human leukocytes. A more accurate evaluation of the environmental impact of complex mixtures such as detergents requires a battery of tests to describe degradation, as well as toxicological and mutagenic features. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlative microscopy of detergent granules.

PubMed

van Dalen, G; Nootenboom, P; Heussen, P C M

2011-03-01

The microstructure of detergent products for textile cleaning determines to a large extent the physical properties of these products. Correlative microscopy was used to reveal the microstructure by reconciling images obtained by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray microtomography and Fourier transform infrared microscopy. These techniques were applied on the same location of a subsample of a spray-dried detergent base powder embedded in polyacrylate. In this way, the three-dimensional internal and external structure of detergent granules could be investigated from milli to nano scale with detailed spatial information about the components present. This will generate knowledge how to design optimal microstructures for laundry products to obtain product properties demanded by the market. This method is also very useful for other powder systems used in a large variety of industries (e.g. for pharmaceutical, food, ceramic and metal industries). © 2010 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2010 The Royal Microscopical Society.

Effect of dodecyl maltoside detergent on rhodopsin stability and function.

PubMed

Ramon, Eva; Marron, Jordi; del Valle, Luis; Bosch, Laia; Andrés, Anna; Manyosa, Joan; Garriga, Pere

2003-12-01

Detergent-solubilized bovine rhodopsin produces mixed detergent/lipid/protein micelles. The effect of dodecyl maltoside detergent on the thermal stability of dark-state rhodopsin, and upon formation of the different intermediates after rhodopsin photobleaching (metarhodopsin II and metarhodopsin III), and upon transducin activation has been studied. No significant effect is observed for the thermal stability of dark-state rhodopsin in the range of detergent concentrations studied, but a decrease in the stability of metarhodopsin II and an increase in metarhodopsin III formation is observed with decreasing detergent concentrations. The transducin activation process is also affected by the presence of detergent indicating that this process is dependent on the lipid micro-environment and membrane fluidity, and this stresses the importance of the native lipid environment in rhodopsin normal function.

Polyol and Amino Acid-Based Biosurfactants, Builders, and Hydrogels

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This chapter reviews different detergent materials which have been synthesized from natural agricultural commodities. Background information, which gives reasons why the use of biobased materials may be advantageous, is presented. Detergent builders from L-aspartic acid, citric acid and D-sorbitol...

Enzymatic detergent formulation containing amylase from Aspergillus niger: a comparative study with commercial detergent formulations.

PubMed

Mitidieri, Sydnei; Souza Martinelli, Anne Helene; Schrank, Augusto; Vainstein, Marilene Henning

2006-07-01

There is a wide range of biotechnological applications for amylases, including the textile, pharmaceutical, food and laundry industries. Hydrolytic enzymes are 100% biodegradable and enzymatic detergents can achieve effective cleaning with lukewarm water. Microorganisms and culture media were tested for amylase production and the best producer was Aspergillus niger L119 (3.9 U ml(-1) +/- 0.2) in submerged culture and its amylase demonstrated excellent activity at 50-55 degrees C and pH 4.0, remaining stable at 53 degrees C for up to 200 h. In order to establish the potential uses of this enzyme in detergents, different formulations were tested using the A. niger amylase extract. Enzyme activity was compared with three commercial formulations. The detergents are used in hospitals to clean surgical and endoscopy equipment. The presence of amylase in the formulation is because of its action within hospital drainage system, whether or not it has any function in cleaning the equipment.

Effects of starch and fibre in pelleted diets on nutritional status of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) fawns.

PubMed

McCusker, S; Shipley, L A; Tollefson, T N; Griffin, M; Koutsos, E A

2011-08-01

To compare the effects of a low-starch, high-fibre diet [LSHF; 51.6% neutral detergent fibre (NDF), 3.0% starch, 14.8% crude protein (CP)] and a high-starch, low-fibre diet (HSLF; 33.3% NDF, 20.0% starch, 19.6% CP) on the nutritional status of captive exotic ruminants, 16 mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) were fed one of these two diets ad libitum with ≤25% alfalfa hay cubes from 10 days to 68 weeks of age. During five sampling periods beginning in November and spaced 6-12 weeks apart thereafter, feed intake, rumen and blood chemistry, faecal scores, growth and body condition were measured. Dry matter intake, digestible energy intake, time spent ruminating and feeding and blood acetate concentration were greater for deer fed LSHF (p < 0.05 for all). Lower dietary CP led to reduced blood urea nitrogen for deer consuming LSHF (p = 0.004). Deer had the same faecal scores, growth and body fat among treatments (all p > 0.05). These findings show pelleted diets with less starch, more fibre, and reduced protein met the energy and protein requirements of growing mule deer, a medium-sized browsing ruminant, as well as traditional grain-based diets while more closely mimicking natural forages and stimulating a more natural feeding behaviour. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Insulin at pH 2: structural analysis of the conditions promoting insulin fibre formation.

PubMed

Whittingham, Jean L; Scott, David J; Chance, Karen; Wilson, Ashley; Finch, John; Brange, Jens; Guy Dodson, G

2002-04-26

When insulin solutions are subjected to acid, heat and agitation, the normal pattern of insulin assembly (dimers-->tetramers-->hexamers) is disrupted; the molecule undergoes conformational changes allowing it to follow an alternative aggregation pathway (via a monomeric species) leading to the formation of insoluble amyloid fibres. To investigate the effect of acid pH on the conformation and aggregation state of the protein, the crystal structure of human insulin at pH 2.1 has been determined to 1.6 A resolution. The structure reveals that the native fold is maintained at low pH, and that the molecule is still capable of forming dimers similar to those found in hexameric insulin structures at higher pH. Sulphate ions are incorporated into the molecule and the crystal lattice where they neutralise positive charges on the protein, stabilising its structure and facilitating crystallisation. The sulphate interactions are associated with local deformations in the protein, which may indicate that the structure is more plastic at low pH. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of insulin fibres reveals that the appearance of the fibres is greatly influenced by the type of acid employed. Sulphuric acid produces distinctive highly bunched, truncated fibres, suggesting that the sulphate ions have a sophisticated role to play in fibre formation, rather as they do in the crystal structure. Analytical ultracentrifugation studies show that in the absence of heating, insulin is predominantly dimeric in mineral acids, whereas in acetic acid the equilibrium is shifted towards the monomer. Hence, the effect of acid on the aggregation state of insulin is also complex. These results suggest that acid conditions increase the susceptibility of the molecule to conformational change and dissociation, and enhance the rate of fibrillation by providing a charged environment in which the attractive forces between the protein molecules is increased. (c) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Propionic and butyric acids, formed in the caecum of rats fed highly fermentable dietary fibre, are reflected in portal and aortic serum.

PubMed

Jakobsdottir, Greta; Jädert, Cecilia; Holm, Lena; Nyman, Margareta E

2013-11-14

SCFA are important end products formed during colonic fermentation of dietary fibre (DF). It has been suggested that propionic and butyric acids affect metabolic parameters, low-grade systemic inflammation, insulin resistance and obesity. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the various SCFA profiles observed after fermentation in the caecum of rats fed pectin, guar gum and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) were also represented in hepatic portal and aortic serum. The SCFA in serum were extracted using hollow fibre-supported liquid membrane extraction before GLC analysis. The concentrations of acetic, propionic and butyric acids in caecal content correlated well with those in portal serum (P< 0·001) for all the three diets. A weaker correlation was found for propionic and butyric acids between the caecal content and aortic serum (P< 0·05). Butyric acid concentration in caecal content was also reflected in the aortic serum (P= 0·019) of rats fed FOS. FOS gave rather low amounts of the SCFA, especially butyric acid, but caecal tissue weight was higher with FOS than with the other two diets. This may be explained by rapid fermentation and quick utilisation/absorption of the SCFA. The present study also showed that propionic acid was metabolised/utilised to a higher extent than butyric acid by colonocytes before reaching the liver. We conclude that the formation of propionic and butyric acids in the caecum is reflected by increased concentrations in the aortic blood. This approach may therefore simplify the evaluation and study of SCFA from DF in human subjects.

Thorium binding by biochar fibres derived from Luffa Cylindrica after controlled surface oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liatsou, Ioanna; Christodoulou, Eleni; Paschalidis, Ioannis

2017-04-01

Controlled surface modification of biochar fibres derived from Luffa Cylindrica sponges has been carried out by nitric acid and the degree of oxidation could be controlled by changing the acid concentration or the reaction time. The extent of surface oxidation has been quantified by acid-base titration and FTIR-spectroscopy. Furthermore, thorium binding has been studied as a function of various parameters and the experimental results show that even under strong acidic conditions the relative sorption is above 70% and the sorption capacity of the biochar fibres for Th(IV) at pH 3 is qmax= 70 gṡkg-1.

Detergent effects on enzyme activity and solubilization of lipid bilayer membranes.

PubMed

Womack, M D; Kendall, D A; MacDonald, R C

1983-09-07

Over 50 detergents were tested to establish which would be most effective in releasing proteins from membrane-bounded compartments without denaturing them. Various concentrations each of detergent were tested for two activities: (1) solubilization of egg phospholipid liposomes as measured by reduction of turbidity and (2) effect of detergent concentration on the activities of soluble, hydrolytic enzymes. Those detergents most effective in solubilizing 0.2% lipid and least detrimental to enzymes were five pure, synthetic compounds recently introduced: CHAPS, CHAPSO, Zwittergents 310 and 312, and octylglucoside. Industrial detergents were generally much inferior, insofar as they solubilized membranes inefficiently and/or inactivated certain hydrolytic enzymes readily. The five detergents were characterized by (a) an unusually high critical micelle concentration and (b) a preference for forming mixed micelles with lipids instead of forming pure micelles, as indicated by an ability to solubilize lipid at concentrations of detergent significantly below the critical micelle concentration. This characteristic permits solubilization of high concentrations of membrane below the critical micelle concentration of the detergent so that protein denaturation is minimized. A generally applicable guideline that emerged from this study is that detergents should be used at approximately their critical micelle concentration which should not be exceeded by the concentration of membrane. Similar considerations should apply to the use of detergents in purifying and reconstituting intrinsic membrane proteins.

NMR spectroscopic and analytical ultracentrifuge analysis of membrane protein detergent complexes.

PubMed

Maslennikov, Innokentiy; Kefala, Georgia; Johnson, Casey; Riek, Roland; Choe, Senyon; Kwiatkowski, Witek

2007-11-08

Structural studies of integral membrane proteins (IMPs) are hampered by inherent difficulties in their heterologous expression and in the purification of solubilized protein-detergent complexes (PDCs). The choice and concentrations of detergents used in an IMP preparation play a critical role in protein homogeneity and are thus important for successful crystallization. Seeking an effective and standardized means applicable to genomic approaches for the characterization of PDCs, we chose 1D-NMR spectroscopic analysis to monitor the detergent content throughout their purification: protein extraction, detergent exchange, and sample concentration. We demonstrate that a single NMR measurement combined with a SDS-PAGE of a detergent extracted sample provides a useful gauge of the detergent's extraction potential for a given protein. Furthermore, careful monitoring of the detergent content during the process of IMP production allows for a high level of reproducibility. We also show that in many cases a simple sedimentation velocity measurement provides sufficient data to estimate both the oligomeric state and the detergent-to-protein ratio in PDCs, as well as to evaluate the homogeneity of the samples prior to crystallization screening. The techniques presented here facilitate the screening and selection of the extraction detergent, as well as help to maintain reproducibility in the detergent exchange and PDC concentration procedures. Such reproducibility is particularly important for the optimization of initial crystallization conditions, for which multiple purifications are routinely required.

The potential synergistic behaviour of inter- and intra-genus probiotic combinations in the pattern and rate of short chain fatty acids formation during fibre fermentation.

PubMed

Fernando, Warnakulasuriya M A D B; Flint, Steve H; Ranaweera, K K D S; Bamunuarachchi, Arthur; Johnson, Stuart K; Brennan, Charles S

2018-03-01

This study compared the rate of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production by different probiotic combinations of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium to determine any synergistic effects. Six different fibre fractions were fermented with nine combinations of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR), Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA), Bifidobacterium longum (BL) and Bifidobacterium breve (BB) for 0, 6, 24 and 48 h. SCFAs were quantified by gas chromatography. Inter-genus combinations of bacteria produced more SCFA, especially BB + BL + LR, compared to intra-genus that yielded the lowest SCFA production. Acetate was the most abundant, while propionate and butyrate were the most utilised. The SCFA formation was as acetate > propionate > butyrate and the total dietary fibre produced most of the SCFA. Most combinations utilised 60-80% of the fibre; BB + BL + LR digested the fibre completely. The quantity, pattern and the time of release of SCFA depends on the genus, but the combination of pre and probiotics is of great importance for the outcome.

[On health regulation of synthetic detergents].

PubMed

Frolova, A D; Sidorin, G I; Lukovnikova, L V; Skhodkina, N I; D'iakova, L I; Shaposhnikova, E S

1999-01-01

The authors present materials on hygienic regulation of such synthetic detergents as "Losk", "Dixan" in air of workplace and populated area, demonstrate results concerning evaluation of "Losk" effects. Discussion covers ways to evaluate chemical load caused by simultaneous emission of synthetic detergents from various environmental objects. For testing reliability of hygienic regulation for complex emission exemplified by "Losk", the authors suggest a model for express evaluation of complex exposure to chemicals.

Synthetic detergents: 100 years of history.

PubMed

Kogawa, Ana Carolina; Cernic, Beatriz Gamberini; do Couto, Leandro Giovanni Domingos; Salgado, Hérida Regina Nunes

2017-09-01

In the year 2016 the synthetic detergents complete 100 years and in this story they evolved as cleaners. They are already part of the routine of thousands of people worldwide. For a higher power of cleaning of the detergent, today, are added phosphates, the main responsible for environmental problems. After 100 years of synthetic detergents, the effect of the combination of various cleaners on the environment is a gap. Legislation and guidelines about the other components of the formula of cleaners still missing. Even the term biodegradable can be best placed on the diversity of products currently entitled biodegradable. A lot attitudes can still be taken to continuously improve the relationship between the parties involved, animals, plants, waters and men, so that in another 100 years continues to exist this interaction with the environment without destroying it. The marketing used by synthetic detergent companies evolved a lot over the years and showed maturity to deal with changes in theories and strategies for promotion and even with the constant social reform that its consumer lived, accompanying them intelligently to be able to capture their changing needs and desires, and so assemble the best way to connect to them. This paper focuses on the subject synthetic detergents as well as (i) types and applications, (ii) threats, (iii) sustainability, (iv) legislation, (v) packaging and (vi) marketing strategies.

A comparative study of the apparent total tract digestibility of carbohydrates in Icelandic and Danish warmblood horses fed two different haylages and a concentrate consisting of sugar beet pulp and black oats.

PubMed

Jensen, Rasmus Bovbjerg; Brokner, Christine; Knudsen, Knud Erik Bach; Tauson, Anne-Helene

2010-10-01

Four Icelandic (ICE) and four Danish Warmblood (DW) horses were used in a crossover study with two treatments to investigate the effect of breed and the effect of stage of maturity of haylage on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of a diet consisting of sugar beet pulp, black oats and haylage early or late cut. Fibre was analysed as crude fibre (CF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and dietary fibre (DF = non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) plus lignin). In haylage all analysed fibre fractions increased with advancing stage of maturity, with the cell wall components cellulose, non-cellulosic residue, xylose and lignin causing this increase. Crude protein (CP) and sugars decreased with advancing stage of maturity. Feeding early cut haylage resulted in a significantly (p < 0.05) higher ATTD of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), energy, NDF, total NSP, DF and CP compared to feeding late cut haylage. There was a significantly (p < 0.05) higher ATTD of CF, DF and starch in ICE than in DW. Diet affected several faecal parameters with a significantly (p < 0.05) lower pH in faeces when horses were fed the early cut haylage. Concentrations of total short-chain fatty acids were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in faeces from horses fed early cut haylage, reflecting the higher fermentability (higher ATTD) of this diet. There was no marked effect of breed on faecal parameters. The DF analysis method gave the most appropriate differentiation of the fibre fractions and their digestibility, compared to the traditional CF, ADF and NDF analyses. A major advantage of the DF analysis is the capacity of recovering soluble fibres. The results suggested that ICE had higher ATTD of DF than DW, and this was caused by a tendency for a higher ATTD of cellulose, but further studies are required to verify that in general.

Soluble Fibre Meal Challenge Reduces Airway Inflammation and Expression of GPR43 and GPR41 in Asthma.

PubMed

Halnes, Isabel; Baines, Katherine J; Berthon, Bronwyn S; MacDonald-Wicks, Lesley K; Gibson, Peter G; Wood, Lisa G

2017-01-10

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced following the fermentation of soluble fibre by gut bacteria. In animal models, both dietary fibre and SCFAs have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects via the activation of free fatty acid receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptor 41 and 43 (GPR41 and GPR43). This pilot study examined the acute effect of a single dose of soluble fibre on airway inflammation-including changes in gene expression of free fatty acid receptors-in asthma. Adults with stable asthma consumed a soluble fibre meal ( n = 17) containing 3.5 g inulin and probiotics, or a control meal ( n = 12) of simple carbohydrates. Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) was measured and induced sputum was collected at 0 and 4 h for differential cell counts, measurement of interleukin-8 (IL-8) protein concentration, and GPR41 and GPR43 gene expression. At 4 h after meal consumption, airway inflammation biomarkers, including sputum total cell count, neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, sputum IL-8, and eNO significantly decreased compared to baseline in the soluble fibre group only. This corresponded with upregulated GPR41 and GPR43 sputum gene expression and improved lung function in the soluble fibre group alone. Soluble fibre has acute anti-inflammatory effects in asthmatic airways. Long-term effects of soluble fibre as an anti-inflammatory therapy in asthma warrants further investigation.

Enzymatic grafting of simple phenols on flax and sisal pulp fibres using laccases.

PubMed

Aracri, Elisabetta; Fillat, Amanda; Colom, José F; Gutiérrez, Ana; Del Río, José C; Martínez, Angel T; Vidal, Teresa

2010-11-01

Flax and sisal pulps were treated with two laccases (from Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, PcL and Trametes villosa, TvL, respectively), in the presence of different phenolic compounds (syringaldehyde, acetosyringone and p-coumaric acid in the case of flax pulp, and coniferaldehyde, sinapaldehyde, ferulic acid and sinapic acid in the case of sisal pulp). In most cases the enzymatic treatments resulted in increased kappa number of pulps suggesting the incorporation of the phenols into fibres. The covalent binding of these compounds to fibres was evidenced by the analysis of the treated pulps, after acetone extraction, by pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in the absence and/or in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) as methylating agent. The highest extents of phenol incorporation were observed with the p-hydroxycinnamic acids, p-coumaric and ferulic acids. The present work shows for the first time the use of analytical pyrolysis as an effective approach to study fibre functionalization by laccase-induced grafting of phenols. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NMR spectroscopic and analytical ultracentrifuge analysis of membrane protein detergent complexes

PubMed Central

Maslennikov, Innokentiy; Kefala, Georgia; Johnson, Casey; Riek, Roland; Choe, Senyon; Kwiatkowski, Witek

2007-01-01

Background Structural studies of integral membrane proteins (IMPs) are hampered by inherent difficulties in their heterologous expression and in the purification of solubilized protein-detergent complexes (PDCs). The choice and concentrations of detergents used in an IMP preparation play a critical role in protein homogeneity and are thus important for successful crystallization. Results Seeking an effective and standardized means applicable to genomic approaches for the characterization of PDCs, we chose 1D-NMR spectroscopic analysis to monitor the detergent content throughout their purification: protein extraction, detergent exchange, and sample concentration. We demonstrate that a single NMR measurement combined with a SDS-PAGE of a detergent extracted sample provides a useful gauge of the detergent's extraction potential for a given protein. Furthermore, careful monitoring of the detergent content during the process of IMP production allows for a high level of reproducibility. We also show that in many cases a simple sedimentation velocity measurement provides sufficient data to estimate both the oligomeric state and the detergent-to-protein ratio in PDCs, as well as to evaluate the homogeneity of the samples prior to crystallization screening. Conclusion The techniques presented here facilitate the screening and selection of the extraction detergent, as well as help to maintain reproducibility in the detergent exchange and PDC concentration procedures. Such reproducibility is particularly important for the optimization of initial crystallization conditions, for which multiple purifications are routinely required. PMID:17988403

Laundry detergent capsules and pediatric poisoning.

PubMed

Bonney, Asha G; Mazor, Suzan; Goldman, Ran D

2013-12-01

A 4-year-old girl was brought into the emergency department vomiting after having had ingested a laundry detergent capsule (LDC) from under the sink at her house. What is the risk of LDC poisoning? What can be done to treat these children? Laundry detergent capsules are relatively new to supermarket shelves in North America, and there has been an emergence of case reports in the literature describing LDC poisoning, which is worse than poisoning from other laundry detergents. Very little is known about the mechanisms causing these severe reactions, which include airway compromise and esophageal perforation, but the attractive appearance of these capsules and easy access at home has governments and health officials concerned about an increase in poisoning. No residual problems have been associated with these cases to date; however, further research is needed to assess long-term effects.

Effects of wastewater sludge and its detergents on the stability of rotavirus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ward, R.L.; Ashley, C.S.

1980-06-01

Wastewater sludge reduced the heat required to inactivate rotavirus SA-11, and ionic detergents were identified as the sludge components responsible for this effect. A similar result was found previously with reovirus. The quantitative effects of individual ionic detergents on rotavirus and reovirus were very different, and rotavirus was found to be extremely sensitive to several of these detergents. However, neither virus was destabilized by nonionic detergents. On the contrary, rotavirus was stabilized by a nonionic detergent against the potent destabilizing effects of the ionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate. The destabilizing effects of both cationic and anionic detergents on rotavirus weremore » greatly altered by changes in the pH of the medium.« less

Effect of ionic detergents, nonionic detergents, and chaotropic agents on polyphenol oxidase activity from dormant saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corms.

PubMed

Saeidian, Shahriar; Keyhani, Ezzatollah; Keyhani, Jacqueline

2007-05-02

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO; EC 1.14.18.1) catalyzes the hydroxylation of monophenols to o-diphenols (cresolase activity) and the oxidation of o-diphenols to o-quinones (catecholase activity), leading to browning in plants and produce. Further interest in the enzyme has been triggered by the active role that it plays in plant defense systems. PPO can be found in latent forms and is activated in vitro by various agents including urea, detergents, and proteases. The activation of PPO from several sources by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been extensively investigated, but reports on the effect of other detergents or on the differential effect of detergents on each of PPO's activities are scarce. In addition, investigations on the enzyme in other plant parts besides fruits and vegetables are also scarce. Here, the effect of various detergents and chaotropic agents on PPO from dormant saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corm extract was investigated. SDS and sarkosyl activated the cresolase activity, while only SDS activated the catecholase activity. All other detergents tested, in milli- or micromolar concentrations, inhibited the cresolase activity but barely affected the catecholase activity. In contrast, urea and guanidine-HCl drastically inhibited the catecholase activity but moderately inhibited the cresolase activity. The same effects were obtained on the partially purified enzyme. Results identified a PPO, present in dormant corms, which was activated only by anionic detergents and was inhibited by other reputed activating agents such as urea. Results also emphasized the differences in structure and accessibility of the active sites for cresolase and catecholase activities.

Effect of Detergent on Electrical Properties of Squid Axon Membrane

PubMed Central

Kishimoto, Uichiro; Adelman, William J.

1964-01-01

The effects of detergents on squid giant axon action and resting potentials as well as membrane conductances in the voltage clamp have been studied. Anionic detergents (sodium lauryl sulfate, 0.1 to 1.0 mM; dimethyl benzene sulfonate, 1 to 20 mM, pH 7.6) cause a temporary increase and a later decrease of action potential height and the value of the resting potential. Cationic detergent (cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, 6 x 10-5 M or more, pH 7.6) generally brings about immediate and irreversible decreases in the action and resting potentials. Non-ionic detergent (tween 80, 0.1 M, pH 7.6) causes a slight reversible reduction of action potential height without affecting the value of the resting potential. Both anionic and cationic detergents generally decrease the sodium and potassium conductances irreversibly. The effect of non-ionic detergent is to decrease the sodium conductance reversibly, leaving the potassium conductance almost unchanged. PMID:14158665

Impact of Detergents on Membrane Protein Complex Isolation.

PubMed

Lee, Yu-Chen; Bååth, Jenny Arnling; Bastle, Ryan M; Bhattacharjee, Sonali; Cantoria, Mary Jo; Dornan, Mark; Gamero-Estevez, Enrique; Ford, Lenzie; Halova, Lenka; Kernan, Jennifer; Kürten, Charlotte; Li, Siran; Martinez, Jerahme; Sachan, Nalani; Sarr, Medoune; Shan, Xiwei; Subramanian, Nandhitha; Rivera, Keith; Pappin, Darryl; Lin, Sue-Hwa

2018-01-05

Detergents play an essential role during the isolation of membrane protein complexes. Inappropriate use of detergents may affect the native fold of the membrane proteins, their binding to antibodies, or their interaction with partner proteins. Here we used cadherin-11 (Cad11) as an example to examine the impact of detergents on membrane protein complex isolation. We found that mAb 1A5 could immunoprecipitate Cad11 when membranes were solubilized by dodecyl maltoside (DDM) but not by octylglucoside, suggesting that octylglucoside interferes with Cad11-mAb 1A5 interaction. Furthermore, we compared the effects of Brij-35, Triton X-100, cholate, CHAPSO, Zwittergent 3-12, Deoxy BIG CHAP, and digitonin on Cad11 solubilization and immunoprecipitation. We found that all detergents except Brij-35 could solubilize Cad11 from the membrane. Upon immunoprecipitation, we found that β-catenin, a known cadherin-interacting protein, was present in Cad11 immune complex among the detergents tested except Brij-35. However, the association of p120 catenin with Cad11 varied depending on the detergents used. Using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) to determine the relative levels of proteins in Cad11 immune complexes, we found that DDM and Triton X-100 were more efficient than cholate in solubilization and immunoprecipitation of Cad11 and resulted in the identification of both canonical and new candidate Cad11-interacting proteins.

A compilation of life cycle studies for six household detergent product categories in Europe: the basis for product-specific A.I.S.E. Charter Advanced Sustainability Profiles.

PubMed

Golsteijn, Laura; Menkveld, Rimousky; King, Henry; Schneider, Christine; Schowanek, Diederik; Nissen, Sascha

2015-01-01

A.I.S.E., the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products, launched the 'A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning' in Europe in 2005 to promote sustainability in the cleaning and maintenance products industry. This Charter is a proactive programme for translating the concept of sustainable innovation into reality and actions. Per product category, life cycle assessments (LCA) are used to set sustainability criteria that are ambitious, but also achievable by all market players. This paper presents and discusses LCAs of six household detergent product categories conducted for the Charter, i.e.: manual dishwashing detergents, powder and tablet laundry detergents, window glass trigger spray cleaners, bathroom trigger spray cleaners, acid toilet cleaners, and bleach toilet cleaners. Relevant impact categories are identified, as well as the life cycle stages with the largest contribution to the environmental impact. It was concluded that the variables that mainly drive the results (i.e. the environmental hotspots) for manual dishwashing detergents and laundry detergents were the water temperature, water consumption (for manual dishwashing detergents), product dosage (for laundry detergents), and the choice and amount of surfactant. By contrast, for bathroom trigger sprays, acid and bleach toilet cleaners, the driving factors were plastic packaging, transportation to retailer, and specific ingredients. Additionally, the type of surfactant was important for bleach toilet cleaners. For window glass trigger sprays, the driving factors were the plastic packaging and the type of surfactant, and the other ingredients were of less importance. A.I.S.E. used the results of the studies to establish sustainability criteria, the so-called 'Charter Advanced Sustainability Profiles', which led to improvements in the marketplace.

Effects of Lubrol detergents on adenylate cyclases.

PubMed

Bär, H P; Kulshrestha, S

1975-04-01

The nonionic detergent Lubrol WX showed diverse, concentration-dependent effects onbasal and stimulated adenylate cyclases. Above concentrations of 0.001-0.01% Lubrol WX, the basal activity of cyclase from Ehrlich ascites cells was inhibed about 50%, and that from rat fat cells was doubled. In both cases, hormonal sensitivity was lost at 0.01%. These effects were reversed upon dilution of the detergent. It is suggested that solubilization of adenylate cyclases at such low concentrations of Lubrol should be attempted since it is conceivable that loss of hormone sensitivity may then be reversible. Different Lubrol-type detergents may also offer centain advantages, since Lubrol PX effects were not identical with those of Lubrol WX.

Anaerobic Biodegradation of Detergent Surfactants

PubMed Central

Merrettig-Bruns, Ute; Jelen, Erich

2009-01-01

Detergent surfactants can be found in wastewater in relevant concentrations. Most of them are known as ready degradable under aerobic conditions, as required by European legislation. Far fewer surfactants have been tested so far for biodegradability under anaerobic conditions. The natural environment is predominantly aerobic, but there are some environmental compartments such as river sediments, sub-surface soil layer and anaerobic sludge digesters of wastewater treatment plants which have strictly anaerobic conditions. This review gives an overview on anaerobic biodegradation processes, the methods for testing anaerobic biodegradability, and the anaerobic biodegradability of different detergent surfactant types (anionic, nonionic, cationic, amphoteric surfactants).

Potential Benefits of Dietary Fibre Intervention in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

PubMed

Wong, Celestine; Harris, Philip J; Ferguson, Lynnette R

2016-06-14

Intestinal dysbiosis is thought to be an important cause of disease progression and the gastrointestinal symptoms experienced in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Inflammation appears to be a major contributor in perpetuating a dysregulated gut microbiota. Although current drug therapies can significantly induce and maintain disease remission, there is no cure for these diseases. Nevertheless, ongoing human studies investigating dietary fibre interventions may potentially prove to exert beneficial outcomes for IBD. Postulated mechanisms include direct interactions with the gut mucosa through immunomodulation, or indirectly through the microbiome. Component species of the microbiome may degrade dietary-fibre polysaccharides and ferment the products to form short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. Prebiotic dietary fibres may also act more directly by altering the composition of the microbiome. Longer term benefits in reducing the risk of more aggressive disease or colorectal cancer may require other dietary fibre sources such as wheat bran or psyllium. By critically examining clinical trials that have used dietary fibre supplements or dietary patterns containing specific types or amounts of dietary fibres, it may be possible to assess whether varying the intake of specific dietary fibres may offer an efficient treatment for IBD patients.

Metabolomic analysis can detect the composition of pasta enriched with fibre after cooking.

PubMed

Beleggia, Romina; Menga, Valeria; Platani, Cristiano; Nigro, Franca; Fragasso, Mariagiovanna; Fares, Clara

2016-07-01

Several studies have demonstrated that metabolomics has a definite place in food quality, nutritional value, and safety issues. The aim of the present study was to determine and compare the metabolites in different pasta samples with fibre, and to investigate the modifications induced in these different kinds of pasta during cooking, using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach. Differences were seen for some of the amino acids, which were absent in control pasta, while were present both in the commercially available high-fibre pasta (samples A-C) and the enriched pasta (samples D-F). The highest content in reducing sugars was observed in enriched samples in comparison with high-fibre pasta. The presence of stigmasterol in samples enriched with wheat bran was relevant. Cooking decreased all of the metabolites: the high-fibre pasta (A-C) and Control showed losses of amino acids and tocopherols, while for sugars and organic acids, the decrease depended on the pasta sample. The enriched pasta samples (D-F) showed the same decreases with the exception of phytosterols, and in pasta with barley the decrease of saturated fatty acids was not significant as for tocopherols in pasta with oat. Principal component analysis of the metabolites and the pasta discrimination was effective in differentiating the enriched pasta from the commercial pasta, both uncooked and cooked. The study has established that such metabolomic analyses provide useful tools in the evaluation of the changes in nutritional compounds in high-fibre and enriched pasta, both before and after cooking. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Laundry detergent capsules and pediatric poisoning

PubMed Central

Bonney, Asha G.; Mazor, Suzan; Goldman, Ran D.

2013-01-01

Abstract Question A 4-year-old girl was brought into the emergency department vomiting after having had ingested a laundry detergent capsule (LDC) from under the sink at her house. What is the risk of LDC poisoning? What can be done to treat these children? Answer Laundry detergent capsules are relatively new to supermarket shelves in North America, and there has been an emergence of case reports in the literature describing LDC poisoning, which is worse than poisoning from other laundry detergents. Very little is known about the mechanisms causing these severe reactions, which include airway compromise and esophageal perforation, but the attractive appearance of these capsules and easy access at home has governments and health officials concerned about an increase in poisoning. No residual problems have been associated with these cases to date; however, further research is needed to assess long-term effects. PMID:24336541

Activation of structural carbon fibres for potential applications in multifunctional structural supercapacitors.

PubMed

Qian, Hui; Diao, Hele; Shirshova, Natasha; Greenhalgh, Emile S; Steinke, Joachim G H; Shaffer, Milo S P; Bismarck, Alexander

2013-04-01

The feasibility of modifying conventional structural carbon fibres via activation has been studied to create fibres, which can be used simultaneously as electrode and reinforcement in structural composite supercapacitors. Both physical and chemical activation, including using steam, carbon dioxide, acid and potassium hydroxide, were conducted and the resulting fibre properties compared. It was proven that the chemical activation using potassium hydroxide is an effective method to prepare activated structural carbon fibres that possess both good electrochemical and mechanical properties. The optimal activation conditions, such as the loading of activating agent and the burn-off of carbon fibres, was identified and delivered a 100-fold increase in specific surface area and 50-fold improvement in specific electrochemical capacitance without any degradation of the fibre mechanical properties. The activation process was successfully scaled-up, showing good uniformity and reproducibility. These activated structural carbon fibres are promising candidates as reinforcement/electrodes for multifunctional structural energy storage devices. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Live yeasts enhance fibre degradation in the cow rumen through an increase in plant substrate colonization by fibrolytic bacteria and fungi.

PubMed

Chaucheyras-Durand, F; Ameilbonne, A; Bichat, A; Mosoni, P; Ossa, F; Forano, E

2016-03-01

To monitor the effect of a live yeast additive on feedstuff colonization by targeted fibrolytic micro-organisms and fibre degradation in the cow rumen. Abundance of adhering fibrolytic bacteria and fungi on feedstuffs incubated in sacco in the cow rumen was quantified by qPCR and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) degradation was measured. Saccharomyces cerevisiae I-1077 (SC) increased the abundance of fibre-associated Fibrobacter succinogenes on wheat bran (WB) and that of Ruminococcus flavefaciens on alfalfa hay (AH) and wheat silage (WS). The greatest effect was observed on the abundance of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens on AH and soya hulls (SH) (P < 0·001). Fungal biomass increased on AH, SH, WS and WB in the presence of SC. NDF degradation of AH and SH was improved (P < 0·05) with SC supplementation. Live yeasts enhanced microbial colonization of fibrous materials, the degree of enhancement depended on their nature and composition. As an effect on rumen pH was not likely to be solely involved, the underlying mechanisms could involve nutrient supply or oxygen scavenging by the live yeast cells. Distribution of this microbial additive could be an interesting tool to increase fibre digestion in the rumen and thereby improve cow feed efficiency. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Detergents compared with each other and with antiseptics as skin 'degerming' agents.

PubMed Central

Lilly, H. A.; Lowbury, E. J.; Wilkins, M. D.

1979-01-01

Three detergent preparations (bar soap, 'Hibiscrub' base and 'LIC 76'), TWO ANTISEPTic preparations (0.5% chlorhexidine in 95% ethyl alcohol and an alcohol jelly, 'Alcogel'), and one antiseptic-detergent solution (4% chlorhexidine gluconate in a detergent base, 'Hibiscrub') were compared for their effectiveness, on a single use, in reducing the yield of bacteria from the hands of volunteers. The antiseptic and antiseptic--detergent preparations were more effective than the detergents, with a mean reduction in yield of skin bacteria of 96.0% after use of alcoholic chlorhexidine and of 81.2% after use of Hibiscrub. One of the detergents, LIC 76, appeared more effective than the others, causing a mean reduction in the yield of skin bacteria of 41.5%, compared with reductions of 4.6% by the Hibiscrub detergent base and an increase of 3.2% with bar soap; unlike the other detergents, LIC 76 was found to have appreciable bacteristatic and bactericidal properties. PMID:762408

A validation of the fibre orientation and fibre length attrition prediction for long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopmann, Ch.; Weber, M.; van Haag, J.; Schöngart, M.

2015-05-01

To improve the mechanical performance of polymeric parts, fibre reinforcement has established in industrial applications during the last decades. Next to the widely used Short Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (SFT) the use of Long Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (LFT) is increasingly growing. Especially for non-polar polymeric matrices like polypropylene (PP), longer fibres can significantly improve the mechanical performance. As with every kind of discontinuous fibre reinforcement the fibre orientations (FO) show a high impact on the mechanical properties. On the contrary to SFT where the local fibre length distribution (FLD) can be often neglected, for LFT the FLD show a high impact on the material's properties and has to be taken into account in equal measure to the FOD. Recently numerical models are available in commercial filling simulation software and allow predicting both the local FOD and FLD in LFT parts. The aim of this paper is to compare i.) the FOD results and ii) the FLD results from available orientation- and fibre length attrition-models to those obtained from experimental data. The investigations are conducted by the use of different injection moulded specimens made from long glass fibre reinforced PP. In order to determine the FOD, selected part sections are examined by means of Computed Tomographic (CT) analyses. The fully three dimensional measurement of the FOD is then performed by digital image processing using grey scale correlation. The FLD results are also obtained by using digital image processing after a thermal pyrolytic separation of the polymeric matrix from the fibres. Further the FOD and the FLD are predicted by using a reduced strain closure (RSC) as well as an anisotropic rotary diffusion - reduced strain closure model (ARD-RSC) and Phelps-Tucker fibre length attrition model implemented in the commercial filling software Moldflow, Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA.

A validation of the fibre orientation and fibre length attrition prediction for long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hopmann, Ch.; Weber, M.; Haag, J. van

2015-05-22

To improve the mechanical performance of polymeric parts, fibre reinforcement has established in industrial applications during the last decades. Next to the widely used Short Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (SFT) the use of Long Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (LFT) is increasingly growing. Especially for non-polar polymeric matrices like polypropylene (PP), longer fibres can significantly improve the mechanical performance. As with every kind of discontinuous fibre reinforcement the fibre orientations (FO) show a high impact on the mechanical properties. On the contrary to SFT where the local fibre length distribution (FLD) can be often neglected, for LFT the FLD show a high impact on themore » material’s properties and has to be taken into account in equal measure to the FOD. Recently numerical models are available in commercial filling simulation software and allow predicting both the local FOD and FLD in LFT parts. The aim of this paper is to compare i.) the FOD results and ii) the FLD results from available orientation- and fibre length attrition-models to those obtained from experimental data. The investigations are conducted by the use of different injection moulded specimens made from long glass fibre reinforced PP. In order to determine the FOD, selected part sections are examined by means of Computed Tomographic (CT) analyses. The fully three dimensional measurement of the FOD is then performed by digital image processing using grey scale correlation. The FLD results are also obtained by using digital image processing after a thermal pyrolytic separation of the polymeric matrix from the fibres. Further the FOD and the FLD are predicted by using a reduced strain closure (RSC) as well as an anisotropic rotary diffusion - reduced strain closure model (ARD-RSC) and Phelps-Tucker fibre length attrition model implemented in the commercial filling software Moldflow, Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA.« less

Control of occupational asthma and allergy in the detergent industry.

PubMed

Sarlo, Katherine

2003-05-01

To provide an overview of how a comprehensive preclinical, clinical, and industrial hygiene program has been successfully used to control allergy and asthma to enzymes used in the detergent industry. The author performed a PubMed and ToxLine search of English-language articles with the keywords enzymes, occupational allergy, occupational asthma, detergent, and detergent industry from January 1, 1995, to January 1, 2002. Scientific meeting abstracts, books, and industry association papers on allergy and asthma in the detergent industry were also reviewed. In addition, the practical experience of one major detergent company was included in the review. All published work on this topic was reviewed, and the work that discussed the key highlights of control of occupational allergy and asthma to enzymes used in the detergent industry was selected for this review. The detergent industry has developed guidelines for the safety assessment of enzymes, control of exposure to enzymes, and medical surveillance of enzyme-exposed workers. Because of these guidelines, occupational allergy and asthma to enzymes used in the detergent industry have become uncommon events. Cases of disease have been documented in some manufacturing sites that have had poor adherence to the guidelines. Those manufacturing sites that have adhered to the guidelines have had few cases of allergy and asthma to enzymes among exposed workers. A review of medical data from these sites has shown that workers who have developed IgE antibody to enzymes can continue to work with enzymes and remain symptom free. Occupational allergy and asthma to enzymes used in the detergent industry have been successfully controlled via the use of preclinical, clinical, and industrial hygiene safety programs designed to minimize sensitization to enzymes and development of disease. The basic principles of these programs can be applied to other industries where occupational allergy and asthma to proteins are common.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa W.) and amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus L.) provide dietary fibres high in pectic substances and xyloglucans.

PubMed

Lamothe, Lisa M; Srichuwong, Sathaporn; Reuhs, Bradley L; Hamaker, Bruce R

2015-01-15

Dietary fibre of quinoa and amaranth was analysed for its insoluble and soluble fibre content, composition, and structure. Total dietary fibre content was 10% for quinoa and 11% for amaranth. For both pseudocereals, 78% of its dietary fibre was insoluble. Insoluble fibre (IDF) from quinoa and amaranth was mainly composed of galacturonic acid, arabinose, galactose, xylose and glucose. Linkage analysis indicated that IDF was composed of homogalacturonans and rhamnogalacturonan-I with arabinan side-chains (∼55-60%), as well as highly branched xyloglucans (∼30%) and cellulose. For both pseudocereals, 22% of total dietary fibre was soluble; a higher proportion than that found in wheat and maize (∼15%). The soluble fibre (SDF) was composed of glucose, galacturonic acid and arabinose; for amaranth, xylose was also a major constituent. Xyloglucans made up ∼40-60% of the SDF and arabinose-rich pectic polysaccharides represented ∼34-55%. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of a New Lipase from Staphylococcus sp. for Detergent Additive Capability

PubMed Central

Chauhan, Mamta; Chauhan, Rajinder Singh; Garlapati, Vijay Kumar

2013-01-01

Lipases are the enzymes of choice for laundry detergent industries owing to their triglyceride removing ability from the soiled fabric which eventually reduces the usage of phosphate-based chemical cleansers in the detergent formulation. In the present study, a partially purified bacterial lipase from Staphylococcus arlettae JPBW-1 isolated from the rock salt mine has been assessed for its triglyceride removing ability by developing a presoak solution so as to use lipase as an additive in laundry detergent formulations. The effects of selected surfactants, commercial detergents, and oxidizing agents on lipase stability were studied in a preliminary evaluation for its further usage in the industrial environment. Partially purified lipase has shown good stability in presence of surfactants, commercial detergents, and oxidizing agents. Washing efficiency has been found to be enhanced while using lipase with 0.5% nonionic detergent than the anioinic detergent. The wash performance using 0.5% wheel with 40 U lipase at 40°C in 45 min results in maximum oil removal (62%) from the soiled cotton fabric. Hence, the present study opens the new era in enzyme-based detergent sector for formulation of chemical-free detergent using alkaline bacterial lipase. PMID:24106703

Evaluation of a new lipase from Staphylococcus sp. for detergent additive capability.

PubMed

Chauhan, Mamta; Chauhan, Rajinder Singh; Garlapati, Vijay Kumar

2013-01-01

Lipases are the enzymes of choice for laundry detergent industries owing to their triglyceride removing ability from the soiled fabric which eventually reduces the usage of phosphate-based chemical cleansers in the detergent formulation. In the present study, a partially purified bacterial lipase from Staphylococcus arlettae JPBW-1 isolated from the rock salt mine has been assessed for its triglyceride removing ability by developing a presoak solution so as to use lipase as an additive in laundry detergent formulations. The effects of selected surfactants, commercial detergents, and oxidizing agents on lipase stability were studied in a preliminary evaluation for its further usage in the industrial environment. Partially purified lipase has shown good stability in presence of surfactants, commercial detergents, and oxidizing agents. Washing efficiency has been found to be enhanced while using lipase with 0.5% nonionic detergent than the anioinic detergent. The wash performance using 0.5% wheel with 40 U lipase at 40°C in 45 min results in maximum oil removal (62%) from the soiled cotton fabric. Hence, the present study opens the new era in enzyme-based detergent sector for formulation of chemical-free detergent using alkaline bacterial lipase.

Characterization of the Protease Activity of Detergents: Laboratory Practicals for Studying the Protease Profile and Activity of Various Commercial Detergents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valls, Cristina; Pujadas, Gerard; Garcia-Vallve, Santi; Mulero, Miquel

2011-01-01

Detergent enzymes account for about 30% of the total worldwide production of enzymes and are one of the largest and most successful applications of modern industrial biotechnology. Proteases can improve the wash performance of household, industrial, and institutional laundry detergents used to remove protein-based stains such as blood, grass, body…

Effects of soap and detergents on skin surface pH, stratum corneum hydration and fat content in infants.

PubMed

Gfatter, R; Hackl, P; Braun, F

1997-01-01

In adults the influence of cleansing preparations on the pH, fat content and hydration of the skin is well documented. Studies in newborn and small infants have not been reported. Our study aimed at examining whether similar effects can be ascertained in infants. Infants without skin disease, aged 2 weeks to 16 months, entered an open, controlled and randomized study. Ten infants each had skin washed with tap water (control group), liquid detergent (pH 5.5), compact detergent (pH 5.5) or alkaline soap (pH 9.5). The pH, fat content and hydration were measured before and 10 min after cleansing. Findings were statistically evaluated by parametric covariance analysis. The skin pH increased from an average of 6.60 after cleansing in all groups. The smallest increase (+0.19) was observed in the control group, the largest (+0.45) after washing with alkaline soap. After treatment with liquid or compact detergent, the increase of the pH was only 0.09 higher than for the control group. In comparison to the compact and liquid detergents, the alkaline soap group had a significantly higher increase in pH. The fat content (mean starting value: 4.34 micrograms/cm2) decreased after washing in all groups; the smallest effect was observed in the control group (decrease of 0.93 micrograms/cm2), the highest for the alkaline soap group (decrease of 4.81 micrograms/cm2). In comparison to the compact and liquid detergents, the alkaline soap group had a higher decrease in fat content. This difference was significant for compact detergents. No statistically significant differences were observed for hydration before versus after washing. Each cleansing agent, even normal tap water, influences the skin surface. The increase of the skin pH irritates the physiological protective 'acid mantle', changes the composition of the cutaneous bacterial flora and the activity of enzymes in the upper epidermis, which have an acid pH optimum. The dissolution of fat from the skin surface may influence the

Diesel fuel detergent additive performance and assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vincent, M.W.; Papachristos, M.J.; Williams, D.

Diesel fuel detergent additives are increasingly linked with high quality automotive diesel fuels. Both in Europe and in the USA, field problems associated with fuel injector coking or fouling have been experienced. In Europe indirect injection (IDI) light duty engines used in passenger cars were affected, while in the USA, a direct injection (DI) engine in heavy duty truck applications experienced field problems. In both cases, a fuel additive detergent performance test has evolved using an engine linked with the original field problem, although engine design modifications employed by the manufacturers have ensured improved operation in service. Increasing awareness ofmore » the potential for injector nozzle coking to cause deterioration in engine performance is coupled with a need to meet ever more stringent exhaust emissions legislation. These two requirements indicate that the use of detergency additives will continue to be associated with high quality diesel fuels. The paper examines detergency performance evaluated in a range of IDI and DI engines and correlates performance in the two most widely recognised test engines, namely the Peugeot 1.9 litre IDI, and Cummins L10 DI engines. 17 refs., 18 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Detergent Disposal into Our Environmentand Its Impact on Marine Microbes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Effendi, I.; Nedi, S.; Ellizal; Nursyirwani; Feliatra; Fikar; Tanjung; Pakpahan, R.; Pratama

2017-12-01

Detergents figure in an extensive array of industrial and home cleaning applications, released into the flow of wastewater coming from the home, can far-reaching environmental impacts. Microorganisms are crucial to nutrient recycling in ecosystems as they act as decomposers, pathogen, antibiotic producer, biodegradation of pollutants etc. The research is aimed to examine effect detergent disposal to bacterial population growth in marine environment both in vitro and in situ condition. Seawater samples were collected from Sungai Kayu Ara Village, and Dumai River estuary, Siak Regency and Dumai City, Riau Province. Experimental method with complete randomized design (RAL) 2 (two) factors; a detergent brand (a1: ATTACK, a2; RINSO and a3; SURF) and b concentration of detergent concentration with 5 (five) concentration level, b1 (0%) as control, b2 (0.3%), b3 (0.6%), b4 (0.9%) and b5 (1.2%) wass applied. The study showed that there was an effect of detergent addition, periode of exposure, and doses to the growth of bacterial population both in vitro and in situ conditions. The higher levels of detergent in the water column and the longer contamination duration, causing more and more depressed bacterial populations. It is suggested to run a further research on identification, and growth optimatioan of the species capable of degrading detergent.

OPTICAL FIBRES AND FIBREOPTIC SENSORS: Bismuth-ring-doped fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zlenko, Aleksandr S.; Akhmetshin, Ural G.; Dvoirin, Vladislav V.; Bogatyrev, Vladimir A.; Firstov, Sergei V.

2009-11-01

A new process for bismuth doping of optical fibres is proposed in which the dopant is introduced into a thin layer surrounding the fibre core. This enables bismuth stabilisation in the silica glass, with no limitations on the core composition. In particular, the GeO2 content of the fibre core in this study is 16 mol %. Spectroscopic characterisation of such fibres and optical gain measurements suggest that the proposed approach has considerable potential for laser applications.

The effect of fibre content, fibre size and alkali treatment to Charpy impact resistance of Oil Palm fibre reinforced composite material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitri, Muhamad; Mahzan, Shahruddin

2016-11-01

In this research, the effect of fibre content, fibre size and alkali treatment to the impact resistance of the composite material have been investigated, The composite material employs oil palm fibre as the reinforcement material whereas the matrix used for the composite materials are polypropylene. The Oil Palm fibres are prepared for two conditions: alkali treated fibres and untreated fibres. The fibre sizes are varied in three sizes: 5mm, 7mm and 10mm. During the composite material preparation, the fibre contents also have been varied into 3 different percentages: 5%, 7% and 10%. The statistical approach is used to optimise the variation of specimen determined by using Taguchi method. The results were analyzed also by the Taguchi method and shows that the Oil Palm fibre content is significantly affect the impact resistance of the polymer matrix composite. However, the fibre size is moderately affecting the impact resistance, whereas the fibre treatment is insignificant to the impact resistance of the oil palm fibre reinforced polymer matrix composite.

Surveillance of paediatric exposures to liquid laundry detergent pods in Italy

PubMed Central

Settimi, Laura; Giordano, Felice; Lauria, Laura; Celentano, Anna; Sesana, Fabrizio; Davanzo, Franca

2018-01-01

Objective To analyse paediatric exposures to pod and traditional laundry detergents in Italy and changes in exposure trends. Methods Analyses of a series of patients aged <5 years and exposed to laundry detergents between September 2010 and June 2015, identified by the National Poison Control in Milan. Results In comparison with patients exposed to traditional laundry detergents (n=1150), a higher proportion of those exposed to pods (n=1649) were managed in hospital (68% vs 42%), had clinical effects (75% vs 22%) and moderate/high severity outcomes (13% vs <1%). Exposure rates were stable over time for traditional detergents (average 0.65 cases/day), but an abrupt decline in major company pods was seen in December 2012, 4 months after the introduction of opaque outer packaging (from 1.03 to 0.36 cases/day and from 1.88 to 0.86 cases/million units sold). The odds of clinical effects was higher for exposure to pods than for traditional detergents (OR=10.8; 95% CI 9.0 to 12.9). Among patients exposed to pods, the odds of moderate/high severity outcomes was four times higher for children aged <1 years than for the other age groups (OR=3.9; 95% CI 2.2 to 7.0). Ten children exposed to laundry detergent pods had high severity outcomes while no children exposed to traditional laundry detergents developed high severity effects. Conclusions The study confirms that exposure to laundry detergent pods is more dangerous than exposure to traditional detergents. In Italy, 4 months after the introduction of opaque outer packaging by a major company, product-specific exposure rates decreased sharply, suggesting that reducing visibility of laundry detergent pods may be an effective preventive measure. Further efforts are needed to improve safety. PMID:28188147

Biochemical characterization of detergent-resistant membranes: a systematic approach

PubMed Central

Babiychuk, Eduard B.; Draeger, Annette

2006-01-01

Lateral segregation of cholesterol- and sphingomyelin-rich rafts and glycerophospholipid-containing non-raft microdomains has been proposed to play a role in a variety of biological processes. The most compelling evidence for membrane segregation is based on the observation that extraction with non-ionic detergents leads to solubilization of a subset of membrane components only. However, one decade later, a large body of inconsistent detergent-extraction data is threatening the very concept of membrane segregation. We have assessed the validity of the existing paradigms and we show the following. (i) The localization of a membrane component within a particular fraction of a sucrose gradient cannot be taken as a yardstick for its solubility: a variable localization of the DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes) in sucrose gradients is the result of complex associations between the membrane skeleton and the lipid bilayer. (ii) DRMs of variable composition can be generated by using a single detergent, the increasing concentration of which gradually extracts one protein/lipid after another. Therefore any extraction pattern obtained by a single concentration experiment is bound to be ‘investigator-specific’. It follows that comparison of DRMs obtained by different detergents in a single concentration experiment is prone to misinterpretations. (iii) Depletion of cholesterol has a graded effect on membrane solubility. (iv) Differences in detergent solubility of the members of the annexin protein family arise from their association with chemically different membrane compartments; however, these cannot be attributed to the ‘brick-like’ raft-building blocks of fixed size and chemical composition. Our findings demonstrate a need for critical re-evaluation of the accumulated detergent-extraction data. PMID:16608442

Biochemical characterization of detergent-resistant membranes: a systematic approach.

PubMed

Babiychuk, Eduard B; Draeger, Annette

2006-08-01

Lateral segregation of cholesterol- and sphingomyelin-rich rafts and glycerophospholipid-containing non-raft microdomains has been proposed to play a role in a variety of biological processes. The most compelling evidence for membrane segregation is based on the observation that extraction with non-ionic detergents leads to solubilization of a subset of membrane components only. However, one decade later, a large body of inconsistent detergent-extraction data is threatening the very concept of membrane segregation. We have assessed the validity of the existing paradigms and we show the following. (i) The localization of a membrane component within a particular fraction of a sucrose gradient cannot be taken as a yardstick for its solubility: a variable localization of the DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes) in sucrose gradients is the result of complex associations between the membrane skeleton and the lipid bilayer. (ii) DRMs of variable composition can be generated by using a single detergent, the increasing concentration of which gradually extracts one protein/lipid after another. Therefore any extraction pattern obtained by a single concentration experiment is bound to be 'investigator-specific'. It follows that comparison of DRMs obtained by different detergents in a single concentration experiment is prone to misinterpretations. (iii) Depletion of cholesterol has a graded effect on membrane solubility. (iv) Differences in detergent solubility of the members of the annexin protein family arise from their association with chemically different membrane compartments; however, these cannot be attributed to the 'brick-like' raft-building blocks of fixed size and chemical composition. Our findings demonstrate a need for critical re-evaluation of the accumulated detergent-extraction data.

21 CFR 740.17 - Foaming detergent bath products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Foaming detergent bath products. 740.17 Section 740.17 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) COSMETICS COSMETIC PRODUCT WARNING STATEMENTS Warning Statements § 740.17 Foaming detergent bath products...

21 CFR 740.17 - Foaming detergent bath products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Foaming detergent bath products. 740.17 Section 740.17 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) COSMETICS COSMETIC PRODUCT WARNING STATEMENTS Warning Statements § 740.17 Foaming detergent bath products...

21 CFR 740.17 - Foaming detergent bath products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Foaming detergent bath products. 740.17 Section 740.17 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) COSMETICS COSMETIC PRODUCT WARNING STATEMENTS Warning Statements § 740.17 Foaming detergent bath products...

21 CFR 740.17 - Foaming detergent bath products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Foaming detergent bath products. 740.17 Section 740.17 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) COSMETICS COSMETIC PRODUCT WARNING STATEMENTS Warning Statements § 740.17 Foaming detergent bath products...

21 CFR 740.17 - Foaming detergent bath products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Foaming detergent bath products. 740.17 Section 740.17 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) COSMETICS COSMETIC PRODUCT WARNING STATEMENTS Warning Statements § 740.17 Foaming detergent bath products...

Spider wrapping silk fibre architecture arising from its modular soluble protein precursor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremblay, Marie-Laurence; Xu, Lingling; Lefèvre, Thierry; Sarker, Muzaddid; Orrell, Kathleen E.; Leclerc, Jérémie; Meng, Qing; Pézolet, Michel; Auger, Michèle; Liu, Xiang-Qin; Rainey, Jan K.

2015-06-01

Spiders store spidroins in their silk glands as high concentration aqueous solutions, spinning these dopes into fibres with outstanding mechanical properties. Aciniform (or wrapping) silk is the toughest spider silk and is devoid of the short amino acid sequence motifs characteristic of the other spidroins. Using solution-state NMR spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the 200 amino acid Argiope trifasciata AcSp1 repeat unit contrasts with previously characterized spidroins, adopting a globular 5-helix bundle flanked by intrinsically disordered N- and C-terminal tails. Split-intein-mediated segmental NMR-active isotope-enrichment allowed unambiguous demonstration of modular and malleable “beads-on-a-string” concatemeric behaviour. Concatemers form fibres upon manual drawing with silk-like morphology and mechanical properties, alongside secondary structuring and orientation consistent with native AcSp1 fibres. AcSp1 structural stability varies locally, with the fifth helix denaturing most readily. The structural transition of aciniform spidroin from a mostly α-helical dope to a mixed α-helix/β-sheet-containing fibre can be directly related to spidroin architecture and stability.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Inhibit T Cell Signal Transduction by Modification of Detergent-insoluble Membrane Domains

PubMed Central

Stulnig, Thomas M.; Berger, Markus; Sigmund, Thomas; Raederstorff, Daniel; Stockinger, Hannes; Waldhäusl, Werner

1998-01-01

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exert immunosuppressive effects, but the molecular alterations leading to T cell inhibition are not yet elucidated. Signal transduction seems to involve detergent-resistant membrane domains (DRMs) acting as functional rafts within the plasma membrane bilayer with Src family protein tyrosine kinases being attached to their cytoplasmic leaflet. Since DRMs include predominantly saturated fatty acyl moieties, we investigated whether PUFAs could affect T cell signaling by remodeling of DRMs. Jurkat T cells cultured in PUFA-supplemented medium showed a markedly diminished calcium response when stimulated via the transmembrane CD3 complex or glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)- anchored CD59. Immunofluorescence studies indicated that CD59 but not Src family protein tyrosine kinase Lck remained in a punctate pattern after PUFA enrichment. Analysis of DRMs revealed a marked displacement of Src family kinases (Lck, Fyn) from DRMs derived from PUFA-enriched T cells compared with controls, and the presence of Lck in DRMs strictly correlated with calcium signaling. In contrast, GPI-anchored proteins (CD59, CD48) and ganglioside GM1, both residing in the outer membrane leaflet, remained in the DRM fraction. In conclusion, PUFA enrichment selectively modifies the cytoplasmic layer of DRMs and this alteration could underlie the inhibition of T cell signal transduction by PUFAs. PMID:9813086

Erythrocyte hemolysis by detergents.

PubMed

Chernitsky, E A; Senkovich, O A

1997-01-01

The numbers of Triton X-100 and sodium dodecyl sulfate molecules required to form respective pores were estimated from the relationship between the detergent concentrations and the rates of fast and slow hemolysis components. It has been found that the slow hemolysis component evoked by Triton X-100 is related to the existence of two different pores. It is shown that the fast hemolysis component induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate is associated with the modification of phosphatidylcholine which determines the break in the Arrhenius plots of the hemolysis rate within the range of 20 degrees C. The shape of hemolysis kinetic curves and the dependence of hemolytic parameters on the detergent concentration and temperature are discussed based on the concept of hemolysis caused by the formation of pores in various membrane lipid regions and by releasing vesicles from erythrocytes.

The Formation and Binding of Gold Nanoparticles onto Wool Fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, James H.; Burridge, Kerstin A.; Kelly, Fern M.

2009-07-01

This paper presents the novel use of nanosize gold with different plasmon resonance colours, as stable colourfast colourants on wool fibres for use in high quality fabrics and textiles. The gold nanoparticles are synthesised by the controlled reduction of Au3+ in the AuCl4- complex to Au0 onto the surface of the wool where they attach to the S in the cystine amino acids in wool keratin proteins. Scanning electronmicroscopy shows the nanoparticles are present on the cuticles of the fibre surface and are concentrated at the edges of these cuticles. EDS analysis shows a strong correlation of Au with S and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests Au-S bond formation. Hence the nanogold colourants are chemically bound to the wool fibre surface and do not fade as traditional organic dyes do. A range of coloured fibres have been produced.

40 CFR 80.161 - Detergent additive certification program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the subject detergent additive in each test fuel, and the corresponding test results (percent flow... penalties in §§ 80.169 and 80.172. (iii) If both parties submit the required information, EPA will evaluate... customers who use the disqualified detergent. Failure to do so may subject the certifier to liabilities for...

The Effect of Detergents on the Morphology and Immunomodulatory Activity of Malassezia furfur

PubMed Central

Kim, Su-Han; Ko, Hyun-Chang; Kwon, Kyung-Sool; Oh, Chang-Keun

2009-01-01

Background Several workers have found that Malassezia are capable of suppressing cytokine release and downregulating the phagocytic function of monocytes. But lipid-depleted Malassezia furfur (M. furfur) extracts have also been shown to induce increased production of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in monocytes. We thought that the detergents in shampoos or soaps could change the composition of the lipid in the M. furfur cell wall. Objective We studied whether detergents affect the morphology of M. furfur and if the inflammatory cytokine profiles change in the monocytes treated with detergent-treated M. furfur. Methods Commonly used detergents such as sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate and tween-80 were respectively added to the modified Leeming-Notman's media. M. furfur was cultivated in each media (detergent-added or untreated). Thereafter, the surface morphology of the yeast was evaluated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The cytokine profiles of monocytes, which were treated by M. furfur with or without detergents, were also evaluated. Results The detergent-treated M. furfur were similar to the lipid-extracted form of M. furfur on the electron microscopic study, with a recessed, withered surface and with thinner and rather electron transparent cell walls than the detergent-untreated M. furfur. The levels of TNF-α were higher in monocytes treated with detergent-treated Malassezia than that in the monocytes treated with the detergent-untreated Malassezia (p<0.05). Conclusion According to the findings in this study, it could be inferred that the detergents in shampoos or soaps affect the lipid layers of the Malassezia cell wall and these lipid-extracted Malassezia induce or aggravate some inflammatory conditions. But to correlate the relationship between detergents and Malassezia-associated diseases, in vivo experiments that will focus on short-term contact with detergents in real life conditions should be done. PMID:20523770

The Effect of Detergents on the Morphology and Immunomodulatory Activity of Malassezia furfur.

PubMed

Kim, Su-Han; Ko, Hyun-Chang; Kim, Moon-Bum; Kwon, Kyung-Sool; Oh, Chang-Keun

2009-05-01

Several workers have found that Malassezia are capable of suppressing cytokine release and downregulating the phagocytic function of monocytes. But lipid-depleted Malassezia furfur (M. furfur) extracts have also been shown to induce increased production of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta in monocytes. We thought that the detergents in shampoos or soaps could change the composition of the lipid in the M. furfur cell wall. We studied whether detergents affect the morphology of M. furfur and if the inflammatory cytokine profiles change in the monocytes treated with detergent-treated M. furfur. Commonly used detergents such as sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate and tween-80 were respectively added to the modified Leeming-Notman's media. M. furfur was cultivated in each media (detergent-added or untreated). Thereafter, the surface morphology of the yeast was evaluated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The cytokine profiles of monocytes, which were treated by M. furfur with or without detergents, were also evaluated. The detergent-treated M. furfur were similar to the lipid-extracted form of M. furfur on the electron microscopic study, with a recessed, withered surface and with thinner and rather electron transparent cell walls than the detergent-untreated M. furfur. The levels of TNF-alpha were higher in monocytes treated with detergent-treated Malassezia than that in the monocytes treated with the detergent-untreated Malassezia (p<0.05). According to the findings in this study, it could be inferred that the detergents in shampoos or soaps affect the lipid layers of the Malassezia cell wall and these lipid-extracted Malassezia induce or aggravate some inflammatory conditions. But to correlate the relationship between detergents and Malassezia-associated diseases, in vivo experiments that will focus on short-term contact with detergents in real life conditions should be done.

Synthesis and Properties of Dodecyl Trehaloside Detergents for Membrane Protein Studies

PubMed Central

Tao, Houchao; Fu, Yu; Thompson, Aaron; Lee, Sung Chang; Mahoney, Nicholas; Stevens, Raymond C.; Zhang, Qinghai

2012-01-01

Sugar-based detergents, mostly derived from maltose or glucose, prevail in the extraction, solubilization, stabilization and crystallization of membrane proteins. Inspired by the broad use of trehalose for protecting biological macromolecules and lipid bilayer structures, we synthesized new trehaloside detergents for potential applications in membrane protein research. We devised an efficient synthesis of four dodecyl trehalosides, each with the 12-carboned alkyl chain attached to different hydroxyl groups of trehalose, thus presenting a structurally diverse but related family of detergents. The detergent physical properties, including solubility, hydrophobicity, critical micelle concentration (CMC) and size of micelles, were evaluated and compared with the most popular maltoside analog, β- D-dodecylmaltoside (DDM), which varied from each other due to distinct molecular geometries and possible polar group interactions in resulting micelles. Crystals of 2-dodecyl trehaloside (2-DDTre) were also obtained in methanol, and the crystal packing revealed multiple H-bonded interactions among adjacent trehalose groups. The few trehaloside detergents were tested for the solubilization and stabilization of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide receptor (ORL1) and MsbA, which belong to the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) and ATP-binding cassette transporter families, respectively. Our results demonstrated the utility of trehaloside detergents as membrane protein solubilization reagents with the optimal detergents being protein dependent. Continuing development and investigations of trehaloside detergents are attractive given their interesting and unique chemical-physical properties and potential interactions with membrane lipids. PMID:22780816

Safer staining method for acid fast bacilli.

PubMed Central

Ellis, R C; Zabrowarny, L A

1993-01-01

To develop a method for staining acid fast bacilli which excluded highly toxic phenol from the staining solution. A lipophilic agent, a liquid organic detergent, LOC High Studs, distributed by Amway, was substituted. The acid fast bacilli stained red; nuclei, cytoplasm, and cytoplasmic elements stained blue on a clear background. These results compare very favourably with acid fast bacilli stained by the traditional method. Detergents are efficient lipophilic agents and safer to handle than phenol. The method described here stains acid fast bacilli as efficiently as traditional carbol fuchsin methods. LOC High Suds is considerably cheaper than phenol. Images PMID:7687254

Safer staining method for acid fast bacilli.

PubMed

Ellis, R C; Zabrowarny, L A

1993-06-01

To develop a method for staining acid fast bacilli which excluded highly toxic phenol from the staining solution. A lipophilic agent, a liquid organic detergent, LOC High Studs, distributed by Amway, was substituted. The acid fast bacilli stained red; nuclei, cytoplasm, and cytoplasmic elements stained blue on a clear background. These results compare very favourably with acid fast bacilli stained by the traditional method. Detergents are efficient lipophilic agents and safer to handle than phenol. The method described here stains acid fast bacilli as efficiently as traditional carbol fuchsin methods. LOC High Suds is considerably cheaper than phenol.

All-atom molecular dynamics simulation of a photosystem I/detergent complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harris, Bradley J.; Cheng, Xiaolin; Frymier, Paul

2014-09-18

All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was used to investigate the solution structure and dynamics of the photosynthetic pigment protein complex photosystem I (PSI) from Thermosynechococcus elongatus embedded in a toroidal belt of n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) detergent. Evaluation of root-mean-square deviations (RMSDs) relative to the known crystal structure show that the protein complex surrounded by DDM molecules is stable during the 200 ns simulation time, and root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF) analysis indicates that regions of high local mobility correspond to solvent-exposed regions such as turns in the transmembrane α-helices and flexible loops on the stromal and lumenal faces. Comparing the protein detergent complexmore » to a pure detergent micelle, the detergent surrounding the PSI trimer is found to be less densely packed but with more ordered detergent tails, contrary to what is seen in most lipid bilayer models. We also investigated any functional implications for the observed conformational dynamics and protein detergent interactions, discovering interesting structural changes in the psaL subunits associated with maintaining the trimeric structure of the protein. Moreover, we find that the docking of soluble electron mediators such as cytochrome c 6 and ferredoxin to PSI is not significantly impacted by the solubilization of PSI in detergent.« less

All-atom molecular dynamics simulation of a photosystem i/detergent complex.

PubMed

Harris, Bradley J; Cheng, Xiaolin; Frymier, Paul

2014-10-09

All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was used to investigate the solution structure and dynamics of the photosynthetic pigment-protein complex photosystem I (PSI) from Thermosynechococcus elongatus embedded in a toroidal belt of n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) detergent. Evaluation of root-mean-square deviations (RMSDs) relative to the known crystal structure show that the protein complex surrounded by DDM molecules is stable during the 200 ns simulation time, and root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF) analysis indicates that regions of high local mobility correspond to solvent-exposed regions such as turns in the transmembrane α-helices and flexible loops on the stromal and lumenal faces. Comparing the protein-detergent complex to a pure detergent micelle, the detergent surrounding the PSI trimer is found to be less densely packed but with more ordered detergent tails, contrary to what is seen in most lipid bilayer models. We also investigated any functional implications for the observed conformational dynamics and protein-detergent interactions, discovering interesting structural changes in the psaL subunits associated with maintaining the trimeric structure of the protein. Importantly, we find that the docking of soluble electron mediators such as cytochrome c6 and ferredoxin to PSI is not significantly impacted by the solubilization of PSI in detergent.

Preservatives and fragrances in selected consumer-available cosmetics and detergents.

PubMed

Yazar, Kerem; Johnsson, Stina; Lind, Marie-Louise; Boman, Anders; Lidén, Carola

2011-05-01

Preservatives and fragrances are important and frequent skin sensitizers, found in a wide range of products intended for personal and occupational use. To examine the use of preservatives and fragrances in certain cosmetics and detergents on the market. The product types studied were shampoos, hair conditioners, liquid soaps, wet tissues, washing-up liquids, and multi-purpose cleaners. Ingredient labels of 204 cosmetic products and ingredient data sheets of 97 detergents, available on company websites, were examined. The preservatives most frequently identified were phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, sodium benzoate, propylparaben, and methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone. Parabens were found in 44% of cosmetics and 9% of detergents; formaldehyde-releasers in 25% of cosmetics and 8% of detergents; and isothiazolinones in 23% of cosmetics and 28% of detergents. The fragrances most frequently identified were linalool, limonene, hexyl cinnamal, butylphenyl methylpropional, and citronellol. Eighty-eight per cent of the products contained fragrances, and any of the 26 fragrances requiring labelling were found in half of the cosmetics and one-third of the detergents. Several preservatives and fragrances with well-known skin-sensitizing potential were common in the examined product types. Such products may be used several times a day by consumers and workers. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Influence of Cellulosic Fibres on the Physical Properties of Fibre Cement Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hospodarova, V.; Stevulova, N.; Vaclavik, V.; Dvorsky, T.

2017-10-01

Nowadays, there are new approaches directing to processing of non-conventional fibre-cement composites for application in the housing construction. Vegetable cellulosic fibres coming from natural resources used as reinforcement in cost-effective and environmental friendly building products are in the spotlight. The applying of natural fibres in cement based composites is narrowly linked to the ecological building sector, where a choice of materials is based on components including recyclable, renewable raw materials and low-resource manufacture techniques. In this paper, two types of cellulosic fibres coming from wood pulp and recycled waste paper with 0.2%; 0.3% and 0.5% of fibre addition into cement mixtures were used. Differences in the physical characteristics (flowability, density, coefficient of thermal conductivity and water absorbability) of 28 days hardened fibre-cement composites are investigated. Addition of cellulosic fibres to cement mixture caused worsening the workability of fresh mixture as well as absorbability of hardened composites due to hydrophilic nature of biomaterial, whereas density and thermal conductivity of manufactured cement based fibre plaster are enhanced. The physical properties of cement plasters based on cellulosic fibres depend on structural, physical characteristics of cellulosic fibres, their nature and processing.

Effect of phosphate-based glass fibre surface properties on thermally produced poly(lactic acid) matrix composites.

PubMed

Mohammadi, Maziar Shah; Ahmed, Ifty; Muja, Naser; Rudd, Christopher D; Bureau, Martin N; Nazhat, Showan N

2011-12-01

Incorporation of soluble bioactive glass fibres into biodegradable polymers is an interesting approach for bone repair and regeneration. However, the glass composition and its surface properties significantly affect the nature of the fibre-matrix interface and composite properties. Herein, the effect of Si and Fe on the surface properties of calcium containing phosphate based glasses (PGs) in the system (50P(2)O(5)-40CaO-(10-x)SiO(2)-xFe(2)O(3), where x = 0, 5 and 10 mol.%) were investigated. Contact angle measurements revealed a higher surface energy, and surface polarity as well as increased hydrophilicity for Si doped PG which may account for the presence of surface hydroxyl groups. Two PG formulations, 50P(2)O(5)-40CaO-10Fe(2)O(3) (Fe10) and 50P(2)O(5)-40CaO-5Fe(2)O(3)-5SiO(2) (Fe5Si5), were melt drawn into fibres and randomly incorporated into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) produced by melt processing. The ageing in deionised water (DW), mechanical property changes in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and cytocompatibility properties of these composites were investigated. In contrast to Fe10 and as a consequence of the higher surface energy and polarity of Fe5Si5, its incorporation into PLA led to increased inorganic/organic interaction indicated by a reduction in the carbonyl group of the matrix. PLA chain scission was confirmed by a greater reduction in its molecular weight in PLA-Fe5Si5 composites. In DW, the dissolution rate of PLA-Fe5Si5 was significantly higher than that of PLA-Fe10. Dissolution of the glass fibres resulted in the formation of channels within the matrix. Initial flexural strength was significantly increased through PGF incorporation. After PBS ageing, the reduction in mechanical properties was greater for PLA-Fe5Si5 compared to PLA-Fe10. MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts seeded onto PG discs, PLA and PLA-PGF composites were evaluated for up to 7 days indicating that the materials were generally cytocompatible. In addition, cell alignment along the PGF

Cellular localization and detergent dependent oligomerization of rice allene oxide synthase-1.

PubMed

Yoeun, Sereyvath; Kim, Jeong-Il; Han, Oksoo

2015-01-01

Allene oxide synthase-1 from Oryza sativa (OsAOS1) localizes to the chloroplast, but lacks a putative chloroplast targeting sequence typically found in dicot AOS. Here, kinetic parameters and the oligomerization state/subunit composition of OsAOS1 were characterized in vitro in the absence or presence of detergent micelles. The catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) of OsAOS1 reached a maximum near the critical micelle concentration for polyoxyethylene 10 tridecyl ether. Native gel analysis showed that OsAOS1 exists as a multimer in the absence of detergent micelles. The multimeric form of OsAOS1 was stably cross-linked in the absence of detergents, while only monomeric OsAOS1 was detected in the presence of detergent micelles. Gel filtration analysis indicated that the oligomeric state of OsAOS1 depends strongly on the detergents and that the monomer becomes the predominant form in the presence of detergent micelles. These data suggest that the detergent-dependent oligomeric state of OsAOS1 is an important factor for the regulation of its catalytic efficiency.

Effect of surfactants and natural detergents on phosphatidylcholine synthesis in photoreceptor membranes.

PubMed

Roque, M E; Castagnet, P I; Giusto, N M

2001-07-01

The synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) in rod outer segments (ROS) catalysed by lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PE N-MTase) was studied and the effects of natural (FA and lysophospholipids) and synthetic (Triton X-100, deoxycholate and CHAPS) surfactants was evaluated. In all experimental conditions used, incorporation of labelled oleate into lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) was at least 40 times greater than oleate incorporation into any other lysophospholipid. Acylation of lysoPC was slightly affected by Triton X-100 and was totally inhibited in the presence of 10 mM sodium deoxycholate (NaDOC) or CHAPS. Below their critical micelle concentration (cmc) Triton X-100 and NaDOC stimulated acylation of all ROS lysophospholipids analysed. The activity of PE N-MTase was stimulated at detergent concentrations below the cmc and inhibited at concentrations above the cmc for all three detergents tested. The effect of FA with differing degree of unsaturation on PC synthesis was evaluated. Oleic acid (10 microM) inhibited methyl group incorporation into total PC, whereas from 100 microM onward, the methylating activity increased with preferential synthesis of PC. Docosahexaenoic acid, in turn, inhibited PE N-MTase activity at every concentration tested. These results suggest that PC synthesis in ROS membranes is modified by bioregulators and surfactants altering the physico-chemical state of the membrane.

A robust method to screen detergents for membrane protein stabilization, revisited.

PubMed

Champeil, Philippe; Orlowski, Stéphane; Babin, Simon; Lund, Sten; le Maire, Marc; Møller, Jesper; Lenoir, Guillaume; Montigny, Cédric

2016-10-15

This report is a follow up of our previous paper (Lund, Orlowski, de Foresta, Champeil, le Maire and Møller (1989), J Biol Chem 264:4907-4915) showing that solubilization in detergent of a membrane protein may interfere with its long-term stability, and proposing a protocol to reveal the kinetics of such irreversible inactivation. We here clarify the fact that when various detergents are tested for their effects, special attention has of course to be paid to their critical micelle concentration. We also investigate the effects of a few more detergents, some of which have been recently advertised in the literature, and emphasize the role of lipids together with detergents. Among these detergents, lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (LMNG) exerts a remarkable ability, even higher than that of β-dodecylmaltoside (DDM), to protect our test enzyme, the paradigmatic P-type ATPase SERCA1a from sarcoplasmic reticulum. Performing such experiments for one's favourite protein probably remains useful in pre-screening assays testing various detergents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Barrier function and natural moisturizing factor levels after cumulative exposure to a fruit-derived organic acid and a detergent: different outcomes in atopic and healthy skin and relevance for occupational contact dermatitis in the food industry.

PubMed

Angelova-Fischer, Irena; Hoek, Anne-Karin; Dapic, Irena; Jakasa, Ivone; Kezic, Sanja; Fischer, Tobias W; Zillikens, Detlef

2015-12-01

Fruit-derived organic compounds and detergents are relevant exposure factors for occupational contact dermatitis in the food industry. Although individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD) are at risk for development of occupational contact dermatitis, there have been no controlled studies on the effects of repeated exposure to multiple irritants, relevant for the food industry, in atopic skin. The aim of the study was to investigate the outcomes of repeated exposure to a fruit-derived organic acid and a detergent in AD compared to healthy volunteers. The volunteers were exposed to 2.0% acetic acid (AcA) and/or 0.5% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in controlled tandem repeated irritation test. The outcomes were assessed by measurements of erythema, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and natural moisturizing factor (NMF) levels. In the AD volunteers, repeated AcA exposure led to barrier disruption and significant TEWL increase; no significant differences after the same exposure in the healthy controls were found. Repeated exposure to SLS and the irritant tandems enhanced the reactions and resulted in a significantly higher increase in TEWL in the AD compared to the control group. Cumulative irritant exposure reduced the NMF levels in both groups. Differences in the severity of irritant-induced barrier impairment in atopic individuals contribute to the risk for occupational contact dermatitis in result of multiple exposures to food-derived irritants and detergents. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a fibre size-specific job-exposure matrix for airborne asbestos fibres.

PubMed

Dement, J M; Kuempel, E D; Zumwalde, R D; Smith, R J; Stayner, L T; Loomis, D

2008-09-01

To develop a method for estimating fibre size-specific exposures to airborne asbestos dust for use in epidemiological investigations of exposure-response relations. Archived membrane filter samples collected at a Charleston, South Carolina asbestos textile plant during 1964-8 were analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to determine the bivariate diameter/length distribution of airborne fibres by plant operation. The protocol used for these analyses was based on the direct transfer method published by the International Standards Organization (ISO), modified to enhance fibre size determinations, especially for long fibres. Procedures to adjust standard phase contrast microscopy (PCM) fibre concentration measures using the TEM data in a job-exposure matrix (JEM) were developed in order to estimate fibre size-specific exposures. A total of 84 airborne dust samples were used to measure diameter and length for over 18,000 fibres or fibre bundles. Consistent with previous studies, a small proportion of airborne fibres were longer than >5 microm in length, but the proportion varied considerably by plant operation (range 6.9% to 20.8%). The bivariate diameter/length distribution of airborne fibres was expressed as the proportion of fibres in 20 size-specific cells and this distribution demonstrated a relatively high degree of variability by plant operation. PCM adjustment factors also varied substantially across plant operations. These data provide new information concerning the airborne fibre characteristics for a previously studied textile facility. The TEM data demonstrate that the vast majority of airborne fibres inhaled by the workers were shorter than 5 mum in length, and thus not included in the PCM-based fibre counts. The TEM data were used to develop a new fibre size-specific JEM for use in an updated cohort mortality study to investigate the role of fibre dimension in the development of asbestos-related lung diseases.

Mechanisms of anionic detergent-induced hemolysis.

PubMed

Chernitsky, E; Senkovich, O

1998-09-01

The effect of osmotic protectors (sucrose and polyethylene glycols) and of a decrease in the detergent concentration at different points of hemolysis of human erythrocytes by sodium dodecyl sulphate on the shape of kinetic curves of hemolysis were studied. It is shown that slow detergent-induced hemolysis follows the colloid-osmotic mechanisms. Evidence is provided that rapid hemolysis by sodium dodecyl sulphate is caused by opening of large pores sufficient for the release of hemoglobin molecules rather than by the colloid-osmotic mechanism, and that the kinetics of hemolysis is mainly determined by time dependence of the opening probability of these pores.

Changes in digestibility and cell-wall constituents of some agricultural by-products due to gamma irradiation and urea treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Masri, M. R.; Guenther, K. D.

1999-07-01

The effects of different doses of gamma irradiation (0, 100, 150, 200 kGy) or different concentrations of urea (0, 2, 3 and 5 g urea/100 g DM) on in-vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), digestible energy (IVDE), gross energy (GE) and cell-wall constituents: neutral-detergent fibre, acid-detergent fibre and acid-detergent lignin, have been evaluated in wheat straw, cotton seed shell, peanut shell, soybean shell, extracted olive cake and extracted unpeeled sunflower seeds. The results indicated that gamma irradiation or urea treatments increased the digestible energy values significantly ( P<0.05) and these were attributed to the increases IVOMD and decreases cell-wall constituents of treated samples. The experimental agricultural by-products do not respond to the treatments in the same amount in increasing the IVOMD. There was no significant effect of irradiation and urea treatments on GE. Combined treatments had slightly less effect in increasing IVDE as the addition of both effects. The treatment of 200 kGy and 5% urea resulted in a larger increase in the digestible energy and a better effect by reducing the concentration of the cell-wall constituents even more than what occurred using a single treatment. However, the combination of irradiation with urea treatments could reduce the applied irradiation doses for increasing the IVDE in some studied agricultural by-products.

'Fibre body': the concept of fibre in eighteenth-century medicine, c.1700-40.

PubMed

Ishizuka, Hisao

2012-10-01

This paper attempts a comprehensive account of 'fibre medicine' elaborated by iatromechanists from c. 1700 to c. 1740. Fibre medicine, a medical theory informed by the notion of the fibre, has been neglected by medical historians despite the pivotal role played by the fibre in animal economy. Referring to a wide range of medical fields such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, therapeutics and life sciences, this paper elucidates the ways that the fibre serves as an indispensable concept for iatromechanists to establish their medical theories. This paper also highlights the metaphorical dimension of the fibre as an integral part of fibre medicine. In re-evaluating the concept of the fibre, this paper seeks to redress the neuro-centric view of eighteenth-century medicine, and attempts to locate the fibre body amidst the fundamental shift from humoralism to solidism.

Plantain peel - a potential source of antioxidant dietary fibre for developing functional cookies.

PubMed

Arun, K B; Persia, Florence; Aswathy, P S; Chandran, Janu; Sajeev, M S; Jayamurthy, P; Nisha, P

2015-10-01

Plantain cultivar Nendran is popular as a staple food in many parts of India and deep fried chips made from raw matured Nendran are one of the popular snack items in India. This study aims to utilize peel from Nendran variety- the main byproduct of banana chips industry- to develop high fibre cookies with enhanced bioactive content. Proximate analysis indicated that peels are rich in total dietary fibre (64.33 g/100 g), vitamins (Folic acid- 33.12 mg/100 g) and minerals (Potassium- 35.61 mg/100 g). Nendran Peel Flour (NPF) was extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol. Phenolic and flavonoid content was high for ethyl acetate extract (15.21 and 9.39 mg QE/g dry weight). Methanol extract was more potent in reducing Copper ion (2.36 μM TR/g dry weight) and scavenging NO (IC50-381.71 μg/mL). Ethyl acetate extract was capable of scavenging DPPH and hydroxyl radical. HPLC profiling showed presence of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, rutin hydrate and quercetin in ethyl acetate extract and gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and vanillic acid in methanol extract. Cookies prepared with NPF possess higher total dietary fibre content. There was a decrease in spread ratio, breaking strength and browning index of cookies as the percentage of NPF increased. NPF incorporation gradually increased the phenolic content from 4.36 to 5.28 mg GAE, compared to control cookie (3.21 mg GAE). DPPH scavenging activity also increased with increase in NPF. Hence NPF is a very good source of antioxidant dietary fibre and acceptable cookies can be produced by replacing wheat flour with 10 % NPF.

Availability of manufacturers' information on efficacy and compatibility of detergents used for cleaning dental instruments.

PubMed

Calvert, G; Murray, C A; Smith, A J; Hurrell, D

2012-05-25

To review physico-chemical data supplied for commercially available detergents marketed for manual and/or ultrasonic cleansing of reusable dental instruments. Manufacturers/suppliers of commercially available detergents for manual or ultrasonic cleaning of dental instruments within primary dental care were invited to supply product information. A structured questionnaire requested details on a range of physical and chemical properties for each detergent. Seventeen detergent manufacturers/suppliers, encompassing 31 commercially available detergents were identified. Ten of the 17 manufacturers provided information on 23 (74%) of the detergent formulations. Nine detergents were of neutral pH, ten mild alkalis (pH 7.5-10.5) and four strong alkalis (pH >10.5). Sixteen detergents were recommended for ultrasonic and manual cleaning, four stated ultrasonic use and three manual only. Ten detergents cited enzymatic activity as their main mode of action, but only six manufacturers provided detailed information. Four detergents recommended by manufacturers as suitable for manual washing had a strong alkaline pH (>10.5), presenting chemical hazards to users. Two strong alkaline detergents did not warn users of potential adverse effects of such alkaline solutions (corrosion) upon aluminium containing instruments. Only one detergent had investigated the potential toxicity of detergent residuals remaining on instruments after reprocessing. It has proven challenging to collate physico-chemical data on detergents suitable for use in manual and/or ultrasonic cleaning of dental instruments in general dental practice. Standardisation of information on the nature and efficacy of dental detergents in a readily accessible form would be beneficial to dental practice.

Strain development in curing epoxy resin and glass fibre/epoxy composites monitored by fibre Bragg grating sensors in birefringent optical fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chehura, E.; Skordos, A. A.; Ye, C.-C.; James, S. W.; Partridge, I. K.; Tatam, R. P.

2005-04-01

Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) fabricated in linearly birefringent fibres were embedded in glass fibre/epoxy composites and in the corresponding unreinforced resin to monitor the effective transverse strain development during the cure process. The optical fibres containing the FBG sensors were aligned either normal or parallel to the reinforcement fibres in unidirectional glass fibre/epoxy prepregs. The chemical cure kinetics of the epoxy resin system used were studied using differential scanning calorimetry, in order to investigate the correlation between the strain monitoring results and the evolution of the curing reaction. A non-parametric cure kinetics model was developed and validated for this purpose. The effective transverse strain measured by the FBGs demonstrated high sensitivity to the degree of cure as a result of the densification of the resin caused by the curing reaction. The effective compressive transverse strain developed during the reaction, and thus the corresponding sensitivity to chemical changes, was higher in the case of the sensing fibre aligned normal to the reinforcement fibres than in the case of the sensor fibre parallel to the reinforcement fibres. Small but measurable sensitivity to cure induced changes was observed in the case of the unreinforced resin.

Effect of Detergents on the Thermal Behavior of Elastin-like Polypeptides

PubMed Central

Thapa, Arjun; Han, Wei; Simons, Robin H.; Chilkoti, Ashutosh; Chi, Eva Y.; López, Gabriel P.

2012-01-01

Elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) fusions have been designed to allow large scale, non-chromatographic purification of many soluble proteins using the inverse transition cycling (ITC) method; however, the sensitivity of the aqueous lower critical solubility phase transition temperature (Tt) of ELPs to the addition of cosolutes, including detergents, may be a potential hindrance in purification of proteins with surface hydrophobicity in such a manner. To identify detergents that are known to solubilize such proteins (e.g., membrane proteins) and that have little effect on the Tt of the ELP, we screened a number of detergents with respect to their effects on the Tt and secondary structures of a model ELP (denoted here as ELP180). We found that mild detergents (e.g., DDM, Triton-X100, and CHAPS) do not alter the phase transition behavior or structure (as probed by circular dichroism) of ELP180. This result is in contrast to previous studies that showed a strong effect of other detergents (e.g., SDS) on the Ttof ELPs. Our results clearly indicate that mild detergents do not preclude ITC-based separation of ELPs, and thus that ELP fusions may prove to be useful in the purification of detergent-solubilized recombinant hydrophobic proteins, including membrane proteins, which are otherwise notoriously difficult to extract and purify by conventional separation methods (e.g., chromatography). PMID:23097230

OPTICAL FIBRES AND FIBREOPTIC SENSORS: Polarisation reflectometry of anisotropic optical fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konstantinov, Yurii A.; Kryukov, Igor'I.; Pervadchuk, Vladimir P.; Toroshin, Andrei Yu

2009-11-01

Anisotropic, polarisation-maintaining fibres have been studied using a reflectometer and integrated optic polariser. Linearly polarised pulses were launched into the fibre under test at different angles between their plane of polarisation and the main optical axis of the fibre. A special procedure for the correlation analysis of these reflectograms is developed to enhance the reliability of the information about the longitudinal optical uniformity ofanisotropic fibres.

Detergents: Friends not foes for high-performance membrane proteomics toward precision medicine.

PubMed

Zhang, Xi

2017-02-01

Precision medicine, particularly therapeutics, emphasizes the atomic-precise, dynamic, and systems visualization of human membrane proteins and their endogenous modifiers. For years, bottom-up proteomics has grappled with removing and avoiding detergents, yet faltered at the therapeutic-pivotal membrane proteins, which have been tackled by classical approaches and are known for decades refractory to single-phase aqueous or organic denaturants. Hydrophobicity and aggregation commonly challenge tissue and cell lysates, biofluids, and enriched samples. Frequently, expected membrane proteins and peptides are not identified by shotgun bottom-up proteomics, let alone robust quantitation. This review argues the cause of this proteomic crisis is not detergents per se, but the choice of detergents. Recently, inclusion of compatible detergents for membrane protein extraction and digestion has revealed stark improvements in both quantitative and structural proteomics. This review analyzes detergent properties behind recent proteomic advances, and proposes that rational use of detergents may reconcile outstanding membrane proteomics dilemmas, enabling ultradeep coverage and minimal artifacts for robust protein and endogenous PTM measurements. The simplicity of detergent tools confers bottom-up membrane proteomics the sophistication toward precision medicine. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Harmful Effects of Synthetic Surface-Active Detergents against Atopic Dermatitis.

PubMed

Deguchi, Hajime; Aoyama, Riho; Takahashi, Hideaki; Isobe, Yoshinari; Tsutsumi, Yutaka

2015-01-01

We report herein two cases of intractable atopic dermatitis successfully treated by simply avoiding the contact with surface-active detergents in the daily life and living. The detergents were closely related to the exacerbation and remission of the disease. Steroid ointment was no longer used. We discuss that the removal of horny layer lipids by surface-active detergents accelerates the transepidermal water loss and disturbs the barrier function of the epidermis and thus is intimately involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.

Evaluation of eco-friendly zwitterionic detergents for enveloped virus inactivation.

PubMed

Conley, Lynn; Tao, Yinying; Henry, Alexis; Koepf, Edward; Cecchini, Douglas; Pieracci, John; Ghose, Sanchayita

2017-04-01

Inclusion of a detergent in protein biotherapeutic purification processes is a simple and very robust method for inactivating enveloped viruses. The detergent Triton X-100 has been used for many years and is part of the production process of several commercial therapeutic proteins. However, recent ecological studies have suggested that Triton X-100 and its break-down products can potentially behave as endocrine disrupters in aquatic organisms, raising concerns from an environmental impact perspective. As such, discharge of Triton X-100 into the waste water treatment plants is regulated in some jurisdictions, and alternative detergents for viral inactivation are required. In this work, we report on the identification and evaluation of more eco-friendly detergents as viable replacements for Triton X-100. Five detergent candidates with low to moderate environmental impact were initially identified and evaluated with respect to protein stability, followed by proof-of-concept virus inactivation studies using a model enveloped virus. From the set of candidates lauryldimethylamine N-oxide (LDAO) was identified as the most promising detergent due to its low ecotoxicity, robust anti-viral activity (LRV >4 at validation set-point conditions with X-MuLX), and absence of any negative impact on protein function. This detergent exhibited effective and robust virus inactivation in a broad range of protein concentrations, solution conductivities, pHs, and in several different cell culture fluid matrices. The only process parameter which correlated with reduced virus inactivation potency was LDAO concentration, and then only when the concentration was reduced to below the detergent's critical micelle concentration (CMC). Additionally, this work also demonstrated that LDAO was cleared to below detectable levels after Protein A affinity chromatography, making it suitable for use in a platform process that utilizes this chromatographic mode for protein capture. All these findings

Recent Development of Flax Fibres and Their Reinforced Composites Based on Different Polymeric Matrices

PubMed Central

Zhu, Jinchun; Zhu, Huijun; Njuguna, James; Abhyankar, Hrushikesh

2013-01-01

This work describes flax fibre reinforced polymeric composites with recent developments. The properties of flax fibres, as well as advanced fibre treatments such as mercerization, silane treatment, acylation, peroxide treatment and coatings for the enhancement of flax/matrix incompatibility are presented. The characteristic properties and characterizations of flax composites on various polymers including polypropylene (PP) and polylactic acid, epoxy, bio-epoxy and bio-phenolic resin are discussed. A brief overview is also given on the recent nanotechnology applied in flax composites. PMID:28788383

Ecotoxicity evaluation of a liquid detergent using the automatic biotest ECOTOX.

PubMed

Azizullah, Azizullah; Richter, Peter; Ullah, Waheed; Ali, Imran; Häder, Donat-Peter

2013-08-01

Synthetic detergents are common pollutants reaching aquatic environments in different ways after usage at homes, institutions and industries. In this study a liquid detergent, used for dish washing, was evaluated for its toxicity during long- and short-term tests using the automatic biotest ECOTOX. Different parameters of Euglena gracilis like motility, swimming velocity, gravitactic orientation, cell compactness and cell growth were used as end points. In short-term experiments, the maximum adverse effects on motility, velocity, cell shape and gravitaxis were observed after 1 h of exposure. With further increase in exposure time to the detergent a slight recovery of these parameters was observed. In long-term experiments, the detergent caused severe disturbances to E. gracilis. Motility, cell growth and cell compactness (shape) with EC50 values of 0.064, 0.18 and 2.05 %, respectively, were found as the most sensitive parameters to detergent stress. There was a slight positive effect on gravitactic orientation at the lowest two concentrations; at higher concentrations of the detergent cells orientation was highly impaired giving EC50 values of 1.75 and 2.52 % for upward swimming and r-value, respectively.

Removal of detergents from proteins and peptides in a spin-column format.

PubMed

Antharavally, Babu S

2012-08-01

To enable downstream analysis, it is critical to remove unbound detergents from protein and peptide samples. This unit describes the use of a high-performance resin that offers exceptional detergent removal for proteins and peptides. The easy-to-use spin format significantly improves results over the standard drip column and batch methodologies, with >95% removal of 1% to 5% detergents, including SDS, sodium deoxycholate, CHAPS, Triton X-100, Triton X-114, NP-40, Brij-35, octyl glucoside, octyl thioglucoside, and lauryl maltoside, with high recovery of proteins and peptides. Detergent removal efficiency is evaluated using colorimetric methods and mass spectrometry (MS). BSA tryptic peptides have been successfully analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MS for identification of protein, following detergent removal using the resin. Advantages of this method include speed (less than 15 min), efficient detergent removal, and high recovery of proteins and peptides. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The Formation and Binding of Gold Nanoparticles onto Wool Fibres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnston, James H.; Burridge, Kerstin A.; Kelly, Fern M.

2009-07-23

This paper presents the novel use of nanosize gold with different plasmon resonance colours, as stable colourfast colourants on wool fibres for use in high quality fabrics and textiles. The gold nanoparticles are synthesised by the controlled reduction of Au{sup 3+} in the AuCl{sub 4}{sup -} complex to Au{sup 0} onto the surface of the wool where they attach to the S in the cystine amino acids in wool keratin proteins. Scanning electronmicroscopy shows the nanoparticles are present on the cuticles of the fibre surface and are concentrated at the edges of these cuticles. EDS analysis shows a strong correlationmore » of Au with S and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests Au-S bond formation. Hence the nanogold colourants are chemically bound to the wool fibre surface and do not fade as traditional organic dyes do. A range of coloured fibres have been produced.« less

Single fibre strength of cellulosic fibre extracted from "Belatlan roots" plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

M. Hanis. A., H.; Majid, M. S. Abdul; Ridzuan, M. J. M.; Fahmi, I.

2017-12-01

The tensile strength of a fibre extracted from "Belatlan Root" plant was investigated as potential reinforcement material in polymeric composites. Following retting process, the fibres were manually extracted from "Belatlan" root's plant. The fibres were treated with 5 % 10 %, 15 %, and 20 % sodium hydroxide (NaOH) wt. % concentration for 24 h. The single fibre tests were then performed in accordance with ASTM D3822-07 standard. The surfaces of the fibres prior and after the treatment were observed with a metallurgical Microscope MT8100 and the physical properties were recorded. Physically, in the post treatment, the fibre showed a decrease in diameter with increase in NaOH concentration The results from the mechanical testing indicates that samples subjected to 5 % NaOH treatment yielded the highest tensile strength and elastic modulus at 89.05 MPa ± 2.75 and 3.81 GPa ± 0.09 respectively compared to untreated fibres. This represents an increase of almost 72 % in tensile strength and 42 % for elastic modulus. The findings support the preliminary information for incorporating the "Belatlan Root" as possible reinforcing materials in composite structures.

Efficacy of detergents in removing Salmonella and Shigella spp. from the surface of fresh produce.

PubMed

Raiden, Renee M; Sumner, Susan S; Eifert, Joseph D; Pierson, Merle D

2003-12-01

Fresh produce has been implicated in several foodborne disease outbreaks. Produce surfaces can be primary sites of contamination during production and handling. One approach to reduce contamination is to treat fresh produce with rinsing agents. In this study, different detergent agents were used at 22 and 40 degrees C to determine their efficacy in removing Salmonella and Shigella spp. from the surfaces of strawberries, tomatoes, and green-leaf lettuce. Produce was inoculated at 22 degrees C with a cocktail of nalidixic acid-resistant organisms (6 to 6.5 log CFU/ml). After air drying for 1 h, samples were rinsed with either 0.1% Tween 80, 0.1% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), or water (control) at 22 or 40 degrees C. Rinse solutions were spiral plated onto tryptic soy agar supplemented with 50 mg of nalidixic acid per liter. In trials involving strawberries and lettuce, Salmonella and Shigella were removed at levels of 4 and 3 log CFU/ml, respectively, except from Salmonella-inoculated strawberries rinsed with SLS, for which minimal removal rates were 1.5 log CFU/ml at 22 degrees C and < 1 log CFU/ml at 40 degrees C. When whole strawberries were analyzed after rinsing with SLS, few organisms were recovered. This result suggests that SLS may have a lethal or sublethal effect on Salmonella, especially when a 40 degrees C solution is used. Salmonella and Shigella removal rates for tomatoes were 1 and 1.5 log CFU/ml lower, respectively, than those for strawberries or lettuce. Overall, detergents were no more effective in removing organisms from produce than water was. The detergents examined would not constitute effective overall produce rinse treatments.

Cultivar and Harvest Month Influence the Nutrient Content of Opuntia spp. Cactus Pear Cladode Mucilage Extracts.

PubMed

du Toit, Alba; de Wit, Maryna; Hugo, Arno

2018-04-16

Mucilage extracted from cactus pear cladodes is a hydrocolloid gum. It is a novel, natural, low-kilojoule, cost-effective texture-modifying ingredient in functional food products. Yet, the cultivar with the most optimal nutrient content and the preferred harvest times are as yet unknown. For this reason, mucilage from three Opuntia ficus-indica (Algerian, Morado and Gymno-Carpo) and one Opuntia robusta (Robusta) cultivar were investigated to determine their nutrient content over six months. Nutrients that contribute energy (10.2 kJ/g) were low. The mineral content was high (ash 17.7/100 g), particularly calcium (3.0 g/100 g) and phosphorous (109.5 mg/kg). Low insoluble acid-detergent fibre (1.4 g/kg) and neutral-detergent fibre (2.1 g/kg) values indicated that mucilage was mostly soluble fibre. Calcium oxalate crystals were not detected in dried mucilage. Opuntia robusta powders had higher protein, extractable fat and potassium content, while Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage powders had higher polyunsaturated (Linoleic and α-Linolenic acid) fat content. O. robusta Robusta mucilage, harvested after the fruit harvest (February) had the lowest energy content and the highest mineral and protein content. Mucilage powders were highly soluble, low-kilojoule and mineral-rich. This is a functional ingredient that is produced from an easily cultivated crop, as cactus pears grow in areas with poor soil, extremely high daytime temperatures and limited water supplies.

Effect of pig bodyweight on ileal amino acid endogenous losses after ingestion of a protein-free diet enriched in pea inner fibre isolates.

PubMed

Leterme, Pascal; Théwis, André

2004-01-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate whether bodyweight and the micronisation of dietary fibre affect the endogenous nitrogen and amino acid losses (ENL and EAAL) in pigs. The effect of the micronising process was tested by providing pigs with 90 g DM x kg(-1) BW0.75 of a N-free diet supplemented with isolated pea inner fibres, presented in native or micronised form and with a water-holding capacity of 12 and 4 g water g(-1) DM, respectively. ENL and EAAL were measured on pigs weighing 24, 62 and 105 kg. In all cases, daily ENL increased linearly (P < 0.05) with BW, for the majority of the AA and total N. As BW increased, daily ENL, total EAAL and the majority of EAAL increased linearly independently of micronisation (P < 0.05). When expressed per kg DMI, total EAAL and the majority of each EAA decreased curvilinearly and reached nadir at around 100 kg BW. For ENL expressed per kg DMI, micronisation resulted in a curvilinear decrease with increasing BW, as compared to a linear decrease for pigs fed the native pea fibre diet (non-micronised). Micronisation of pea inner fibres did not decrease ENL or EAAL daily, except for proline. When the losses were expressed as g x k(-1)g DMI, micronisation did not decrease ENL but decreased (P < 0.05) endogenous losses for a majority of AA as well as for total AA. The results suggest that small pigs excrete more endogenous N per kg DMI than large pigs and that pea fibre micronisation reduces EAAL but not ENL when expressed per kg DMI.

Mechanical and thermal properties of polylactic acid composites reinforced with cellulose nanoparticles extracted from kenaf fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ketabchi, Mohammad Reza; Khalid, Mohammad; Thevy Ratnam, Chantara; Walvekar, Rashmi

2016-12-01

Different approaches have been attempted to use biomass as filler for production of biodegradable polymer composites. In this study, cellulose nanoparticles (CNP) extracted from kenaf fibres were used to produce polylactic acid (PLA) based biodegradable nanocomposites. CNP concentration was varied from 1-5 wt. % and blended with PLA using Brabender twin-screw compounder. Effects of CNP loading on the mechanical, thermal and dynamic properties of PLA were investigated. Studies on the morphological properties and influence of CNP loading on the properties of CNP/PLA nanocomposite were also conducted. The results show an adequate compatibility between CNP and PLA matrix. Moreover, addition of 3 wt. % of CNP improved the PLA tensile strength by 25%.

Mixing and Matching Detergents for Membrane Protein NMR Structure Determination

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Columbus, Linda; Lipfert, Jan; Jambunathan, Kalyani

2009-10-21

One major obstacle to membrane protein structure determination is the selection of a detergent micelle that mimics the native lipid bilayer. Currently, detergents are selected by exhaustive screening because the effects of protein-detergent interactions on protein structure are poorly understood. In this study, the structure and dynamics of an integral membrane protein in different detergents is investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The results suggest that matching of the micelle dimensions to the protein's hydrophobic surface avoids exchange processes that reduce the completeness of the NMR observations. Based onmore » these dimensions, several mixed micelles were designed that improved the completeness of NMR observations. These findings provide a basis for the rational design of mixed micelles that may advance membrane protein structure determination by NMR.« less

Impact of detergent systems on bacterial survival on laundered fabrics.

PubMed Central

Jaska, J M; Fredell, D L

1980-01-01

The survival of Staphylococcus aureus was determined from inoculated swatches laundered in either a phosphate or a phosphate-substitute detergent. In a Plackett-Burman design study, the independent variables of detergent type, concentration, and variation, wash water temperature, soil load, cycle time, and water hardness were assigned high and low values. Wash water temperatures of 27, 38, 49, and 60 degrees C were employed. Viable bacteria were recovered from macerated swatches. Statistical analysis disclosed that there was no practical difference in the ability of phosphate or phosphate-substitute detergents to reduce the level of S. aureus on the laundered swatches in this controlled design. Analysis did reveal that water temperature was the most significant independent variables. The remaining variables did not appear to have any practical significance upon bacterial reduction. This bacteriological study did not evaluate other essential detergent properties. PMID:7377775

Equilibrium sampling through membranes (ESTM) of acidic organic pollutants using hollow fibre modules in continuous steady-state mode.

PubMed

Larsson, Niklas; Utterback, Karl; Toräng, Lars; Risberg, Johan; Gustafsson, Per; Mayer, Philipp; Jönsson, Jan Ke

2009-08-01

Hollow fibre (HF) membrane modules were applied in continuous mode for equilibrium sampling through membranes (ESTM) of polar organic pollutants. Phenolic compounds (chlorophenols, cresols and phenol) served as model substances and ESTM was tuned towards the measurement of freely dissolved concentrations (C(free)). HF membrane modules were constructed using thin-walled membrane, 1-m module length and low packing density in order to optimise the uptake kinetics of the analytes into the acceptor solution. Such custom made devices were tested and compared to commercially available modules. The former modules performed best for continuous ESTM. The custom made modules provided steady-state equilibrium within 20-40 min and enrichment that was in general agreement with calculated distribution ratios between acceptor and sample. In experiments during which sample concentration was changed, acceptor response time to decreased sample concentration was around 30 min for custom built modules. In the presence of commercial humic acids, analytes showed lower steady-state enrichment, which is due to a decrease in C(free). Continuous ESTM may be automated and is suggested for use in online determination of C(free) of pollutants and studies on sorption of pollutants. Future studies should include optimisation of the membrane liquid and factors regarding the residence time of the acceptor solution in the fibre lumen. Qualitative aspects of DOM should also be included, as natural DOM can be fractionated. C(free) could be correlated to DOM properties that have previously been shown to influence sorption, such as aromaticity, carboxylic acid content and molecular size.

Membrane protein stability can be compromised by detergent interactions with the extramembranous soluble domains

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhengrong; Wang, Chi; Zhou, Qingxian; An, Jianli; Hildebrandt, Ellen; Aleksandrov, Luba A; Kappes, John C; DeLucas, Lawrence J; Riordan, John R; Urbatsch, Ina L; Hunt, John F; Brouillette, Christie G

2014-01-01

Detergent interaction with extramembranous soluble domains (ESDs) is not commonly considered an important determinant of integral membrane protein (IMP) behavior during purification and crystallization, even though ESDs contribute to the stability of many IMPs. Here we demonstrate that some generally nondenaturing detergents critically destabilize a model ESD, the first nucleotide-binding domain (NBD1) from the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a model IMP. Notably, the detergents show equivalent trends in their influence on the stability of isolated NBD1 and full-length CFTR. We used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy to monitor changes in NBD1 stability and secondary structure, respectively, during titration with a series of detergents. Their effective harshness in these assays mirrors that widely accepted for their interaction with IMPs, i.e., anionic > zwitterionic > nonionic. It is noteworthy that including lipids or nonionic detergents is shown to mitigate detergent harshness, as will limiting contact time. We infer three thermodynamic mechanisms from the observed thermal destabilization by monomer or micelle: (i) binding to the unfolded state with no change in the native structure (all detergent classes); (ii) native state binding that alters thermodynamic properties and perhaps conformation (nonionic detergents); and (iii) detergent binding that directly leads to denaturation of the native state (anionic and zwitterionic). These results demonstrate that the accepted model for the harshness of detergents applies to their interaction with an ESD. It is concluded that destabilization of extramembranous soluble domains by specific detergents will influence the stability of some IMPs during purification. PMID:24652590

40 CFR 417.160 - Applicability; description of the manufacture of liquid detergents subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... manufacture of liquid detergents subcategory. 417.160 Section 417.160 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... CATEGORY Manufacture of Liquid Detergents Subcategory § 417.160 Applicability; description of the manufacture of liquid detergents subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges...

76 FR 9013 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Detergent Gasoline

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-16

... Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Detergent Gasoline AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... this action are those who (1) Manufacture gasoline, post-refinery component, or detergent additives, (2) blend detergent additives into gasoline or post-refinery component, or (3) transport or receive a...

Effect of synthetic detergents on germination of fern spores

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Devi, Y.; Devi, S.

Synthetic detergents constitute one of the most important water pollutants by contaminating the lakes and rivers through domestic and industrial use. Considerable information is now available for the adverse effects of detergents an aquatic fauna including fish, algae, and higher aquatic plants. Marked inhibition of germination in orchids and brinjals and of seedlings growth in raddish suggest that rapidly growing systems could be sensitive to detergent polluted water. The present study of the effect of linear alkyl benzene sulphonate on germination of the spores of a fern, Diplazium esculentum aims at the understanding of the effects of water pollution onmore » pteridophytes and the development of spore germination assay for phytoxicity evaluation.« less

Use of anionic denaturing detergents to purify insoluble proteins after overexpression

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Many proteins form insoluble protein aggregates, called “inclusion bodies”, when overexpressed in E. coli. This is the biggest obstacle in biotechnology. Ever since the reversible denaturation of proteins by chaotropic agents such as urea or guanidinium hydrochloride had been shown, these compounds were predominantly used to dissolve inclusion bodies. Other denaturants exist but have received much less attention in protein purification. While the anionic, denaturing detergent sodiumdodecylsulphate (SDS) is used extensively in analytical SDS-PAGE, it has rarely been used in preparative purification. Results Here we present a simple and versatile method to purify insoluble, hexahistidine-tagged proteins under denaturing conditions. It is based on dissolution of overexpressing bacterial cells in a buffer containing sodiumdodecylsulfate (SDS) and whole-lysate denaturation of proteins. The excess of detergent is removed by cooling and centrifugation prior to affinity purification. Host- and overexpressed proteins do not co-precipitate with SDS and the residual concentration of detergent is compatible with affinity purification on Ni/NTA resin. We show that SDS can be replaced with another ionic detergent, Sarkosyl, during purification. Key advantages over denaturing purification in urea or guanidinium are speed, ease of use, low cost of denaturant and the compatibility of buffers with automated FPLC. Conclusion Ionic, denaturing detergents are useful in breaking the solubility barrier, a major obstacle in biotechnology. The method we present yields detergent-denatured protein. Methods to refold proteins from a detergent denatured state are known and therefore we propose that the procedure presented herein will be of general application in biotechnology. PMID:23231964

Determination and residual characteristic of alkylphenols in household food detergents of Taiwan.

PubMed

Pan, Yi-Ping; Tsai, Shih-Wei

2009-07-01

The non-ionic surfactants are mostly composed of alkylphenols for the ingredients of synthetic food detergents. Due to the ability to mimic hormones, it has been noticed that the exposures of alkylphenols might cause a variety of adverse effects. To assess the associate risks from possible exposures, concentrations of alkylphenols, including 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), technical nonylphenol isomers (t-NP(S)), and 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), in household food detergents of Taiwan were determined. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometer (GC/MS) was used to analyze alkylphenols in samples. The Taguchi experimental design was utilized to study the possible factors that might affect the residual characteristics of alkylphenols from detergents on dishware and fruits. By the analysis of variance, the orders of importance of different parameters were determined. The results showed that the concentrations of alkylphenols in food detergents ranged from 1.71 x 10(-5) to 2.13 x 10(-3) (APs/detergent, mgg(-1)). For residual characteristics, the cleaning temperature was found to be the only significant factor that will affect the 4-t-OP left on the dishware, while the concentrations of detergents used will affect the left of t-NPs and 4-NP on dishware as well. On the other hand, the varieties of fruits, the concentrations of detergents, and the concentrations of alkylphenols were found to have significant effects for the t-NPs left on fruits. As for the exposure assessments, the maximum dose of APs exposures from the use of household food detergents in Taiwan was also estimated in the study.

Mechanical Property Analysis on Sandwich Structured Hybrid Composite Made from Natural Fibre, Glass Fibre and Ceramic Fibre Wool Reinforced with Epoxy Resin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bharat, K. R.; Abhishek, S.; Palanikumar, K.

2017-06-01

Natural fibre composites find wide range of applications and usage in the automobile and manufacturing industries. They find lack in desired properties, which are required for present applications. In current scenario, many developments in composite materials involve the synthesis of Hybrid composite materials to overcome some of the lacking properties. In this present investigation, two sandwich structured hybrid composite materials have been made by reinforcing Aloe Vera-Ceramic Fibre Wool-Glass fibre with Epoxy resin matrix and Sisal fibre-Ceramic Fibre Wool-Glass fibre with Epoxy resin matrix and its mechanical properties such as Tensile, Flexural and Impact are tested and analyzed. The test results from the two samples are compared and the results show that sisal fibre reinforced hybrid composite has better mechanical properties than aloe vera reinforced hybrid composite.

Fibre laser based on tellurium-doped active fibre

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alyshev, S V; Ryumkin, K E; Shubin, A V

2014-02-28

We have studied the lasing properties of tellurium-doped germanosilicate fibre, identified its gain and excited-state absorption bands, and assessed the effect of cooling to low temperature (77 K) on the bands. The excitation spectrum of the near-IR luminescence in the fibre has been measured. Lasing at 1.55 mm has been demonstrated for the first time in this gain medium at liquidnitrogen temperature and pump wavelengths of 1.064 and 1.085 mm. The measured Raman spectrum of the fibre provides some insight into the structure of the near-IR luminescence centre. (letters)

Chronic toxicity of a laundry detergent to the freshwater flagellate Euglena gracilis.

PubMed

Azizullah, Azizullah; Richter, Peter; Jamil, Muhammad; Häder, Donat-Peter

2012-10-01

Chronic toxicity of the common laundry detergent Ariel on the freshwater alga Euglena gracilis was investigated by growing the alga in a medium containing the detergent for 7 days. Cell density, motility, swimming velocity, gravitactic orientation, cell shape, photosynthesis and concentration of light-harvesting pigments were used as end point parameters for the assessment of toxicity. Cell density was significantly reduced at a concentration of 1 mg l(-1) or above. Among the other tested parameters, with the exception of cell shape, gravitaxis and chlorophyll b, all were adversely affected by the detergent at concentrations exceeding 1 mg l(-1). It is concluded that long-term (7-days) exposure to the detergent caused significant toxicity to E. gracilis. Furthermore, long-term tests with E. gracilis can be used as sensitive indicator for the toxicity assessment of laundry detergents in aquatic environments.

High-Fat Diet Reduces the Formation of Butyrate, but Increases Succinate, Inflammation, Liver Fat and Cholesterol in Rats, while Dietary Fibre Counteracts These Effects

PubMed Central

Jakobsdottir, Greta; Xu, Jie; Molin, Göran; Ahrné, Siv; Nyman, Margareta

2013-01-01

Introduction Obesity is linked to type 2 diabetes and risk factors associated to the metabolic syndrome. Consumption of dietary fibres has been shown to have positive metabolic health effects, such as by increasing satiety, lowering blood glucose and cholesterol levels. These effects may be associated with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly propionic and butyric acids, formed by microbial degradation of dietary fibres in colon, and by their capacity to reduce low-grade inflammation. Objective To investigate whether dietary fibres, giving rise to different SCFAs, would affect metabolic risk markers in low-fat and high-fat diets using a model with conventional rats for 2, 4 and 6 weeks. Material and Methods Conventional rats were administered low-fat or high-fat diets, for 2, 4 or 6 weeks, supplemented with fermentable dietary fibres, giving rise to different SCFA patterns (pectin – acetic acid; guar gum – propionic acid; or a mixture – butyric acid). At the end of each experimental period, liver fat, cholesterol and triglycerides, serum and caecal SCFAs, plasma cholesterol, and inflammatory cytokines were analysed. The caecal microbiota was analysed after 6 weeks. Results and Discussion Fermentable dietary fibre decreased weight gain, liver fat, cholesterol and triglyceride content, and changed the formation of SCFAs. The high-fat diet primarily reduced formation of SCFAs but, after a longer experimental period, the formation of propionic and acetic acids recovered. The concentration of succinic acid in the rats increased in high-fat diets with time, indicating harmful effect of high-fat consumption. The dietary fibre partly counteracted these harmful effects and reduced inflammation. Furthermore, the number of Bacteroides was higher with guar gum, while noticeably that of Akkermansia was highest with the fibre-free diet. PMID:24236183

Suitability of the isolated chicken eye test for classification of extreme pH detergents and cleaning products.

PubMed

Cazelle, Elodie; Eskes, Chantra; Hermann, Martina; Jones, Penny; McNamee, Pauline; Prinsen, Menk; Taylor, Hannah; Wijnands, Marcel V W

2015-04-01

A.I.S.E. investigated the suitability of the regulatory adopted ICE in vitro test method (OECD TG 438) with or without histopathology to identify detergent and cleaning formulations having extreme pH that require classification as EU CLP/UN GHS Category 1. To this aim, 18 extreme pH detergent and cleaning formulations were tested covering both alkaline and acidic extreme pHs. The ICE standard test method following OECD Test Guideline 438 showed good concordance with in vivo classification (83%) and good and balanced specificity and sensitivity values (83%) which are in line with the performances of currently adopted in vitro test guidelines, confirming its suitability to identify Category 1 extreme pH detergent and cleaning products. In contrast to previous findings obtained with non-extreme pH formulations, the use of histopathology did not improve the sensitivity of the assay whilst it strongly decreased its specificity for the extreme pH formulations. Furthermore, use of non-testing prediction rules for classification showed poor concordance values (33% for the extreme pH rule and 61% for the EU CLP additivity approach) with high rates of over-prediction (100% for the extreme pH rule and 50% for the additivity approach), indicating that these non-testing prediction rules are not suitable to predict Category 1 hazards of extreme pH detergent and cleaning formulations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Evaluation of the mutagenicity of detergents by tests on bacteria, plant cells and human leucocytes.].

PubMed

Feretti, Donatella; Pedrazzani, Roberta; Ceretti, Elisabetta; Zerbini, Ilaria; Gozio, Eleonora; Belotti, Caterina; Alias, Carlotta; Donato, Francesco; Gelatti, Umberto

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the mutagenicity of several traditional detergents and that of newer more biodegradable detergents, by using a bacterial test (Ames test), a plant cell test (Allium cepa micronuclei test) and a human leucocyte test (Comet test). All tests were conducted using a wide range of doses (1-2000 mg/l). None of the examined detergents induced mutations in S.typhimurium. One traditional detergent showed a genotoxic effect with the A. cepa test, while all newer detergents and one traditional detergent were shown by the Comet test to be capable of inducing DNA damage.

A high-throughput differential filtration assay to screen and select detergents for membrane proteins

PubMed Central

Vergis, James M.; Purdy, Michael D.; Wiener, Michael C.

2015-01-01

Structural studies on integral membrane proteins are routinely performed on protein–detergent complexes (PDCs) consisting of purified protein solubilized in a particular detergent. Of all the membrane protein crystal structures solved to date, a subset of only four detergents has been used in more than half of these structures. Unfortunately, many membrane proteins are not well behaved in these four detergents and/or fail to yield well-diffracting crystals. Identification of detergents that maintain the solubility and stability of a membrane protein is a critical step and can be a lengthy and “protein-expensive” process. We have developed an assay that characterizes the stability and size of membrane proteins exchanged into a panel of 94 commercially available and chemically diverse detergents. This differential filtration assay (DFA), using a set of filtered microplates, requires sub-milligram quantities of purified protein and small quantities of detergents and other reagents and is performed in its entirety in several hours. PMID:20667442

Influence of fibre design and curvature on crosstalk in multi-core fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egorova, O. N.; Astapovich, M. S.; Melnikov, L. A.; Salganskii, M. Yu; Mishkin, V. P.; Nishchev, K. N.; Semjonov, S. L.; Dianov, E. M.

2016-03-01

We have studied the influence of cross-sectional structure and bends on optical cross-talk in a multicore fibre. A reduced refractive index layer produced between the cores of such fibre with a small centre-to-centre spacing between neighbouring cores (27 μm) reduces optical cross-talk by 20 dB. The cross-talk level achieved, 30 dB per kilometre of the length of the multicore fibre, is acceptable for a number of applications where relatively small lengths of fibre are needed. Moreover, a significant decrease in optical cross-talk has been ensured by reducing the winding diameter of multicore fibres with identical cores.

Influence of fibre design and curvature on crosstalk in multi-core fibre

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Egorova, O N; Astapovich, M S; Semjonov, S L

2016-03-31

We have studied the influence of cross-sectional structure and bends on optical cross-talk in a multicore fibre. A reduced refractive index layer produced between the cores of such fibre with a small centre-to-centre spacing between neighbouring cores (27 μm) reduces optical cross-talk by 20 dB. The cross-talk level achieved, 30 dB per kilometre of the length of the multicore fibre, is acceptable for a number of applications where relatively small lengths of fibre are needed. Moreover, a significant decrease in optical cross-talk has been ensured by reducing the winding diameter of multicore fibres with identical cores. (fiber optics)

Evolutionary adaptation of muscle power output to environmental temperature: force-velocity characteristics of skinned fibres isolated from antarctic, temperate and tropical marine fish.

PubMed

Johnston, I A; Altringham, J D

1985-09-01

Single fast fibres were isolated from the myotomal muscles of icefish (Chaenocephalus aceratus Lönnberg, Antarctica), North Sea Cod (Gadus morhua L.) and Pacific Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans Wakiya, Hawaii). Fibres were chemically skinned with the non-ionic detergent Brij-58. Maximum tensions (Po, kN m-2) developed at the characteristic body temperature of each species are 231 for icefish (-1 degree C), 187 for cod (8 degrees C) and 156 for marlin (20 degrees C). At 0 degree C Po is 7 times higher for fibres from the icefish than from the marlin. Fibres from icefish and cod failed to relax completely following activations at temperatures above approximately 12 degrees C. The resultant post-contraction force is associated with a proportional increase in stiffness, suggesting the formation of a population of Ca-insensitive cross bridges. At 10 degrees C there is little interspecific variation in unloaded contraction velocity (Vmax) among the three species. Vmax (muscle lengths s-1) at normal body temperatures are 0.9 for icefish (-1 degree C), 1.0 for cod (8 degrees C) and 3.4 for marlin (20 degrees C). The force-velocity (P-V) relationship becomes progressively more curved with increasing temperature for all three species. Maximum power output for the fast muscle fibres from the Antarctic species at -1 degree C is around 60% of that of the tropical fish at 20 degrees C. Evolutionary temperature compensation of muscle power output appears largely to involve differences in the ability of cross bridges to generate force.

Crystallization of the C-terminal head domain of the avian adenovirus CELO long fibre

PubMed Central

Guardado Calvo, Pablo; Llamas-Saiz, Antonio L.; Langlois, Patrick; van Raaij, Mark J.

2006-01-01

Avian adenovirus CELO contains two different fibres: fibre 1, the long fibre, and fibre 2, the short fibre. The short fibre is responsible for binding to an unknown avian receptor and is essential for infection of birds. The long fibre is not essential, but is known to bind the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor protein. Both trimeric fibres are attached to the same penton base, of which each icosahedral virus contains 12 copies. The short fibre extends straight outwards, while the long fibre emerges at an angle. The carboxy-terminal amino acids 579–793 of the avian adenovirus long fibre have been expressed with an amino-terminal hexahistidine tag and the expressed trimeric protein has been purified by nickel-affinity chromatography and crystallized. Crystals were grown at low pH using PEG 10 000 as precipitant and belonged to space group C2. The crystals diffracted rotating-anode Cu Kα radiation to at least 1.9 Å resolution and a complete data set was collected from a single crystal to 2.2 Å resolution. Unit-cell parameters were a = 216.5, b = 59.2, c = 57.5 Å, β = 101.3°, suggesting one trimer per asymmetric unit and a solvent content of 46%. The long fibre head does not have significant sequence homology to any other protein of known structure and molecular-replacement attempts with known fibre-head structures were unsuccessful. However, a map calculated using SIRAS phasing shows a clear trimer with a shape similar to known adenovirus fibre-head structures. Structure solution is in progress. PMID:16682773

Detergent enhances binding of a secreted HLA-A2 molecule to solid phase peptides.

PubMed

Tussey, L G; Frelinger, J A

1991-11-01

We have constructed a secreted analogue (sA2) of the human class I molecule HLA-A2. sA2 was affinity purified both in the presence and absence of detergent and the effects of detergent on the magnitude and specificity of A2 binding to solid phase peptides tested. sA2 purified in the presence of detergent and detergent-solubilized A2 are shown to function comparably in the binding of the synthetic peptide M.Y + 57-68, a known T-cell epitope derived from the influenza A matrix protein. The molecules binding to M.Y + 57-68 typically represent 8% to 10% of the added protein. In contrast, less than 1% of sA2 protein purified in the absence of detergent binds M.Y + 57-68. This reduced binding is not due to a change in the affinity of sA2 for M.Y + 57-68. Addition of detergent at various stages of the purification and iodination procedures indicates that the longer the sA2 molecules are exposed to detergent the better they bind. However, the concentration of detergent during the actual binding assay does not appear to be critical. We also find that while the sA2-detergent and the sA2-no detergent molecules differ in the extent to which they bind various peptides, they do not differ in their patterns of binding. We conclude that detergent probably does not influence the specificity of class I/peptide binding but does increase the number of sA2 molecules that can participate in the binding of peptide either by generating and stabilizing "empty" sA2 molecules or by stabilizing a structure that is more amenable to binding peptide.

Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of biodegradable starch/PVA composite films reinforced with cellulosic fibre.

PubMed

Priya, Bhanu; Gupta, Vinod Kumar; Pathania, Deepak; Singha, Amar Singh

2014-08-30

Cellulosic fibres reinforced composite blend films of starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by using citric acid as plasticizer and glutaraldehyde as the cross-linker. The mechanical properties of cellulosic fibres reinforced composite blend were compared with starch/PVA crossed linked blend films. The increase in the tensile strength, elongation percentage, degree of swelling and biodegradability of blend films was evaluated as compared to starch/PVA crosslinked blend films. The value of different evaluated parameters such as citric acid, glutaraldehyde and reinforced fibre to starch/PVA (5:5) was found to be 25 wt.%, 0.100 wt.% and 20 wt.%, respectively. The blend films were characterized using Fourier transform-infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA/DTG). Scanning electron microscopy illustrated a good adhesion between starch/PVA blend and fibres. The blend films were also explored for antimicrobial activities against pathogenic bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The results confirmed that the blended films may be used as exceptional material for food packaging. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

‘Fibre Body’: The Concept of Fibre in Eighteenth-century Medicine, c.1700–401

PubMed Central

Ishizuka, Hisao

2012-01-01

This paper attempts a comprehensive account of ‘fibre medicine’ elaborated by iatromechanists from c. 1700 to c. 1740. Fibre medicine, a medical theory informed by the notion of the fibre, has been neglected by medical historians despite the pivotal role played by the fibre in animal economy. Referring to a wide range of medical fields such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, therapeutics and life sciences, this paper elucidates the ways that the fibre serves as an indispensable concept for iatromechanists to establish their medical theories. This paper also highlights the metaphorical dimension of the fibre as an integral part of fibre medicine. In re-evaluating the concept of the fibre, this paper seeks to redress the neuro-centric view of eighteenth-century medicine, and attempts to locate the fibre body amidst the fundamental shift from humoralism to solidism. PMID:23112385

Animal fibre: the forgotten nutrient in strict carnivores? First insights in the cheetah.

PubMed

Depauw, S; Hesta, M; Whitehouse-Tedd, K; Vanhaecke, L; Verbrugghe, A; Janssens, G P J

2013-02-01

As wild felids are obligate carnivores, it is likely that poorly enzymatically digestible animal tissues determine hindgut fermentation, instead of plant fibre. Therefore, faecal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA, including branched-chain fatty acids, BCFA), indole and phenol were evaluated in 14 captive cheetahs, fed two different diets differing in proportion of poorly enzymatically digestible animal tissue. Using a cross-over design, the cheetahs were fed exclusively whole rabbit or supplemented beef for 1 month each. Feeding whole rabbit decreased faecal propionic (p < 0.001) and butyric (p = 0.013) acid concentrations, yet total SCFA was unaltered (p = 0.146). Also, a remarkably higher acetic acid to propionic acid ratio (p = 0.013) was present when fed whole rabbit. Total BCFA (p = 0.011) and putrefactive indole (p = 0.004) and phenol (p = 0.002) were lower when fed whole rabbit. Additionally, serum indoxyl sulphate, a toxic metabolite of indole, was analysed and showed a quadratic decrease (p = 0.050) when fed whole rabbit. The divergent SCFA ratios and the decrease in putrefaction when fed whole rabbit could be caused by the presence of undigested tissue, such as skin, bone and cartilage, that might have fibre-like functions. The concept of animal fibre is an unexplored area of interest relevant to gastrointestinal health of captive cheetahs and likely other felids. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

[Response of the algae Gymnodinium kovalevskii (Dinophyta) to exposure to synthetic detergents and distillation].

PubMed

Aĭzdaĭcher, N A

2000-01-01

The effects of synthetic detergents and combined effects of synthetic detergents and water freshening on growth characteristics of the alga Gymnodinium kovalevskii (Dinophyta) were studied. Low concentrations of synthetic detergents (0.1 and 1.0 mg/l) stimulated the algal growth. Elevated concentrations inhibited cell division, affected their motility and induced morphological changes. Contamination with synthetic detergents adversely affected the adaptation plasticity of algae with respect to salinity.

Vibrated and self-compacting fibre reinforced concrete: experimental investigation on the fibre orientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conforti, A.; Plizzari, G. A.; Zerbino, R.

2017-09-01

In addition to the fibre type and content, the residual properties of fibre reinforced concrete are influenced by fibre orientation. Consequently, the performance fibre reinforced concrete can be affected by its fresh properties (workability, flowing capacity) and by casting and compaction processes adopted. This paper focuses on the study of the orientation of steel or macro-synthetic fibres in two materials characterized by very different fresh properties: vibrated and self-compacting concrete. Four rectangular slabs 1800 mm long, 925 mm wide and 100 mm high were produced changing concrete and fibre type. From each slab, eighteen small prisms (550 mm long) were firstly cut either orthogonal or parallel to casting direction and, secondly, notched and tested in bending according to EN 14651. Experimental results showed that the toughness properties of a thin slab significantly varies both in vibrated and self-compacting concrete, even if in case of self-compacting concrete this variation resulted higher. Steel fibres led to greater variability of results compared to polymer one, underlining a different fibre orientation. A discussion on the relative residual capacity measured on the prisms sawn from the slabs and the parameters obtained from standard specimens is performed.

Summary of: availability of manufacturers' information on efficacy and compatibility of detergents used for cleaning dental instruments.

PubMed

Barker, Chris

2012-05-25

To review physico-chemical data supplied for commercially available detergents marketed for manual and/or ultrasonic cleansing of reusable dental instruments. Manufacturers/suppliers of commercially available detergents for manual or ultrasonic cleaning of dental instruments within primary dental care were invited to supply product information. A structured questionnaire requested details on a range of physical and chemical properties for each detergent. Seventeen detergent manufacturers/suppliers, encompassing 31 commercially available detergents were identified. Ten of the 17 manufacturers provided information on 23 (74%) of the detergent formulations. Nine detergents were of neutral pH, ten mild alkalis (pH 7.5-10.5) and four strong alkalis (pH >10.5). Sixteen detergents were recommended for ultrasonic and manual cleaning, four stated ultrasonic use and three manual only. Ten detergents cited enzymatic activity as their main mode of action, but only six manufacturers provided detailed information. Four detergents recommended by manufacturers as suitable for manual washing had a strong alkaline pH (>10.5), presenting chemical hazards to users. Two strong alkaline detergents did not warn users of potential adverse effects of such alkaline solutions (corrosion) upon aluminium containing instruments. Only one detergent had investigated the potential toxicity of detergent residuals remaining on instruments after reprocessing. It has proven challenging to collate physico-chemical data on detergents suitable for use in manual and/or ultrasonic cleaning of dental instruments in general dental practice. Standardisation of information on the nature and efficacy of dental detergents in a readily accessible form would be beneficial to dental practice.

Detergent solubilization of the EGF receptor from A431 cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dayanidhi, R.; Rintoul, D. A.; Spooner, B. S. (Principal Investigator)

1993-01-01

Functional reconstitution of purified preparations of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) requires dissociation of the protein from its plasma membrane lipid environment. Solubilization of membrane proteins in this manner requires the use of detergents, which are known to disrupt plasma membrane lipid/protein interactions. We have investigated the ability of three nonionic detergents to solubilize the human EGFR selectively, and have also analyzed the effect of these various treatments on the intrinsic tyrosyl kinase activity of the receptor. The nonionic detergent known as n-octyl glucoside (n-octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside) was found to give the best combination of selectivity, yield, and maintenance of enzymatic activity of the human EGFR.

Biological durability and oxidative potential of man-made vitreous fibres as compared to crocidolite asbestos fibres.

PubMed

Hippeli, S; Dornisch, K; Wiethege, T; Gillissen, A; Müller, K M; Elstner, E F

2001-01-01

In this study we investigated relationships between redox properties and biodurability of crocidolite asbestos fibres and three different man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF): traditional stone wool fibres (MMVF 21), glass fibres (MMVF 11) and refractory ceramic fibres (RCF). Each fibre type was incubated up to 22 weeks in four different incubation media: gamble solution (GS) pH 5.0 and pH 7.4, representing blood plasma without proteins, and surfactant-like solution (SLS) pH 5.0 and pH 7.4. During incubation time aliquots of incubation mixtures were removed and analysed in a biochemical model reaction, mimicking activated phagocytes. In addition, changes of fibre morphology and chemical composition were examined using SEM- and EDX-technology. In the presence of crocidolite asbestos fibres and MMVF 21 the formation of OH*-radicals according to the Haber-Weiss sequence could be demonstrated, whereas MMVF 11 and RCF showed no reactivity. Crocidolite asbestos fibres exhibited a significant higher activity compared with the stone wool fibres at the onset of incubation. The oxidative capacities of these fibre types were shown to depend on both specific surface area and iron content. The oxidative potentials of crocidolite asbestos fibres as well as MMVF 21 were not constant during incubation over several weeks in each incubation medium. The reactivities showed sinoidal curves including reactivities much higher than those at the onset of incubation time. These irregular changes of oxidative capacity may be explained by changes of the redox state of fibre surface-complexed iron. Furthermore our results showed clear differences between incubation of fibres in GS and SLS, respectively, indicating that phospholipids play an important part in fibre dissolution behaviour and oxidative reactivity. In conclusion we suggest, that biodurability testing procedures should not exclusively concentrate on dissolution rates of fibres. They should include fibre characteristics concerning known

Identification of conserved lipid/detergent-binding sites in a high-resolution structure of the membrane protein cytochrome c oxidase

PubMed Central

Qin, Ling; Hiser, Carrie; Mulichak, Anne; Garavito, R. Michael; Ferguson-Miller, Shelagh

2006-01-01

Well ordered reproducible crystals of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides yield a previously unreported structure at 2.0 Å resolution that contains the two catalytic subunits and a number of alkyl chains of lipids and detergents. Comparison with crystal structures of other bacterial and mammalian CcOs reveals that the positions occupied by native membrane lipids and detergent substitutes are highly conserved, along with amino acid residues in their vicinity, suggesting a more prevalent and specific role of lipid in membrane protein structure than often envisioned. Well defined detergent head groups (maltose) are found associated with aromatic residues in a manner similar to phospholipid head groups, likely contributing to the success of alkyl glycoside detergents in supporting membrane protein activity and crystallizability. Other significant features of this structure include the following: finding of a previously unreported crystal contact mediated by cadmium and an engineered histidine tag; documentation of the unique His–Tyr covalent linkage close to the active site; remarkable conservation of a chain of waters in one proton pathway (D-path); and discovery of an inhibitory cadmium-binding site at the entrance to another proton path (K-path). These observations provide important insight into CcO structure and mechanism, as well as the significance of bound lipid in membrane proteins. PMID:17050688

Opposite behavior of two isozymes when refolding in the presence of non-ionic detergents.

PubMed Central

Doñate, F.; Artigues, A.; Iriarte, A.; Martinez-Carrion, M.

1998-01-01

GroEL has a greater affinity for the mitochondrial isozyme (mAAT) of aspartate aminotransferase than for its cytosolic counterpart (cAAT) (Mattingly JR Jr, Iriarte A, Martinez-Carrion M, 1995, J Biol Chem 270:1138-1148), two proteins that share a high degree of sequence similarity and an almost identical spatial structure. The effect of detergents on the refolding of these large, dimeric isozymes parallels this difference in behavior. The presence of non-ionic detergents such as Triton X-100 or lubrol at concentrations above their critical micelle concentration (CMC) interferes with reactivation of mAAT unfolded in guanidinium chloride but increases the yield of cAAT refolding at low temperatures. The inhibitory effect of detergents on the reactivation of mAAT decreases progressively as the addition of detergents is delayed after starting the refolding reaction. The rate of disappearance of the species with affinity for binding detergents coincides with the slowest of the two rate-limiting steps detected in the refolding pathway of mAAT. Limited proteolysis studies indicate that the overall structure of the detergent-bound mAAT resembles that of the protein in a complex with GroEL. The mAAT folding intermediates trapped in the presence of detergents can resume reactivation either upon dilution of the detergent below its CMC or by adding beta-cyclodextrin. Thus, isolation of otherwise transient productive folding intermediates for further characterization is possible through the use of detergents. PMID:10082379

Opposite behavior of two isozymes when refolding in the presence of non-ionic detergents.

PubMed

Doñate, F; Artigues, A; Iriarte, A; Martinez-Carrion, M

1998-08-01

GroEL has a greater affinity for the mitochondrial isozyme (mAAT) of aspartate aminotransferase than for its cytosolic counterpart (cAAT) (Mattingly JR Jr, Iriarte A, Martinez-Carrion M, 1995, J Biol Chem 270:1138-1148), two proteins that share a high degree of sequence similarity and an almost identical spatial structure. The effect of detergents on the refolding of these large, dimeric isozymes parallels this difference in behavior. The presence of non-ionic detergents such as Triton X-100 or lubrol at concentrations above their critical micelle concentration (CMC) interferes with reactivation of mAAT unfolded in guanidinium chloride but increases the yield of cAAT refolding at low temperatures. The inhibitory effect of detergents on the reactivation of mAAT decreases progressively as the addition of detergents is delayed after starting the refolding reaction. The rate of disappearance of the species with affinity for binding detergents coincides with the slowest of the two rate-limiting steps detected in the refolding pathway of mAAT. Limited proteolysis studies indicate that the overall structure of the detergent-bound mAAT resembles that of the protein in a complex with GroEL. The mAAT folding intermediates trapped in the presence of detergents can resume reactivation either upon dilution of the detergent below its CMC or by adding beta-cyclodextrin. Thus, isolation of otherwise transient productive folding intermediates for further characterization is possible through the use of detergents.

Detergent-associated Solution Conformations of Helical and Beta-barrel Membrane Proteins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mo, Yiming; Lee, Byung-Kwon; Ankner, John Francis

2008-01-01

Membrane proteins present major challenges for structural biology. In particular, the production of suitable crystals for high-resolution structural determination continues to be a significant roadblock for developing an atomic-level understanding of these vital cellular systems. The use of detergents for extracting membrane proteins from the native membrane for either crystallization or reconstitution into model lipid membranes for further study is assumed to leave the protein with the proper fold with a belt of detergent encompassing the membrane-spanning segments of the structure. Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to probe the detergent-associated solution conformations of three membrane proteins, namely bacteriorhodopsin (BR), themore » Ste2p G-protein coupled receptor from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the Escherichia coli porin OmpF. The results demonstrate that, contrary to the traditional model of a detergent-associated membrane protein, the helical proteins BR and Ste2p are not in the expected, compact conformation and associated with detergent micelles, while the ?-barrel OmpF is indeed embedded in a disk-like micelle in a properly folded state. The comparison provided by the BR and Ste2p, both members of the 7TM family of helical membrane proteins, further suggests that the interhelical interactions between the transmembrane helices of the two proteins differ, such that BR, like other rhodopsins, can properly refold to crystallize, while Ste2p continues to prove resistant to crystallization from an initially detergent-associated state.« less

Detergent-associated solution conformations of helical and beta-barrel membrane proteins.

PubMed

Mo, Yiming; Lee, Byung-Kwon; Ankner, John F; Becker, Jeffrey M; Heller, William T

2008-10-23

Membrane proteins present major challenges for structural biology. In particular, the production of suitable crystals for high-resolution structural determination continues to be a significant roadblock for developing an atomic-level understanding of these vital cellular systems. The use of detergents for extracting membrane proteins from the native membrane for either crystallization or reconstitution into model lipid membranes for further study is assumed to leave the protein with the proper fold with a belt of detergent encompassing the membrane-spanning segments of the structure. Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to probe the detergent-associated solution conformations of three membrane proteins, namely bacteriorhodopsin (BR), the Ste2p G-protein coupled receptor from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the Escherichia coli porin OmpF. The results demonstrate that, contrary to the traditional model of a detergent-associated membrane protein, the helical proteins BR and Ste2p are not in the expected, compact conformation and associated with detergent micelles, while the beta-barrel OmpF is indeed embedded in a disk-like micelle in a properly folded state. The comparison provided by the BR and Ste2p, both members of the 7TM family of helical membrane proteins, further suggests that the interhelical interactions between the transmembrane helices of the two proteins differ, such that BR, like other rhodopsins, can properly refold to crystallize, while Ste2p continues to prove resistant to crystallization from an initially detergent-associated state.

Visualization of Detergent Solubilization of Membranes: Implications for the Isolation of Rafts

PubMed Central

Garner, Ashley E.; Smith, D. Alastair; Hooper, Nigel M.

2008-01-01

Although different detergents can give rise to detergent-resistant membranes of different composition, it is unclear whether this represents domain heterogeneity in the original membrane. We compared the mechanism of action of five detergents on supported lipid bilayers composed of equimolar sphingomyelin, cholesterol, and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine imaged by atomic force microscopy, and on raft and nonraft marker proteins in live cells imaged by confocal microscopy. There was a marked correlation between the detergent solubilization of the cell membrane and that of the supported lipid bilayers. In both systems Triton X-100 and CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate) distinguished between the nonraft liquid-disordered (ld) and raft liquid ordered (lo) lipid phases by selectively solubilizing the ld phase. A higher concentration of Lubrol was required, and not all the ld phase was solubilized. The solubilization by Brij 96 occurred by a two-stage mechanism that initially resulted in the solubilization of some ld phase and then progressed to the solubilization of both ld and lo phases simultaneously. Octyl glucoside simultaneously solubilized both lo and ld phases. These data show that the mechanism of membrane solubilization is unique to an individual detergent. Our observations have significant implications for using different detergents to isolate membrane rafts from biological systems. PMID:17933878

Refractive index-based determination of detergent concentration and its application to the study of membrane proteins

PubMed Central

Strop, Pavel; Brunger, Axel T.

2005-01-01

The concentration of detergent in membrane protein preparations can have a critical role on protein stability, function, and the potential for crystallization. Unfortunately, dialysis or protein concentration can lead to an unknown amount of detergent in the final membrane protein preparations. Here we present a method for the determination of detergent concentration based on refractive index of the detergent solution. This method was applied to quantitate the amount of detergent remaining in solution after concentration in various concentrators. We found that the ability of the tested detergents to pass through the molecular weight cutoff membrane correlates well with detergent micelle size. Therefore, the micelle size can be used as a rough guide to estimate the retention of a given detergent in various molecular weight cutoff concentrators. The refractive index method is exceptionally informative when coupled with size exclusion chromatography and light scattering, and can be used to determine the oligomeric state of the membrane protein, the size of a protein-associated micelle, as well as the amount and size of the unbound detergent micelle. PMID:16046633

Refractive index-based determination of detergent concentration and its application to the study of membrane proteins.

PubMed

Strop, Pavel; Brunger, Axel T

2005-08-01

The concentration of detergent in membrane protein preparations can have a critical role on protein stability, function, and the potential for crystallization. Unfortunately, dialysis or protein concentration can lead to an unknown amount of detergent in the final membrane protein preparations. Here we present a method for the determination of detergent concentration based on refractive index of the detergent solution. This method was applied to quantitate the amount of detergent remaining in solution after concentration in various concentrators. We found that the ability of the tested detergents to pass through the molecular weight cutoff membrane correlates well with detergent micelle size. Therefore, the micelle size can be used as a rough guide to estimate the retention of a given detergent in various molecular weight cutoff concentrators. The refractive index method is exceptionally informative when coupled with size exclusion chromatography and light scattering, and can be used to determine the oligomeric state of the membrane protein, the size of a protein-associated micelle, as well as the amount and size of the unbound detergent micelle.

Deuterated detergents for structural and functional studies of membrane proteins: Properties, chemical synthesis and applications.

PubMed

Hiruma-Shimizu, Kazumi; Shimizu, Hiroki; Thompson, Gary S; Kalverda, Arnout P; Patching, Simon G

2015-01-01

Detergents are amphiphilic compounds that have crucial roles in the extraction, purification and stabilization of integral membrane proteins and in experimental studies of their structure and function. One technique that is highly dependent on detergents for solubilization of membrane proteins is solution-state NMR spectroscopy, where detergent micelles often serve as the best membrane mimetic for achieving particle sizes that tumble fast enough to produce high-resolution and high-sensitivity spectra, although not necessarily the best mimetic for a biomembrane. For achieving the best quality NMR spectra, detergents with partial or complete deuteration can be used, which eliminate interfering proton signals coming from the detergent itself and also eliminate potential proton relaxation pathways and strong dipole-dipole interactions that contribute line broadening effects. Deuterated detergents have also been used to solubilize membrane proteins for other experimental techniques including small angle neutron scattering and single-crystal neutron diffraction and for studying membrane proteins immobilized on gold electrodes. This is a review of the properties, chemical synthesis and applications of detergents that are currently commercially available and/or that have been synthesized with partial or complete deuteration. Specifically, the detergents are sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), lauryldimethylamine-oxide (LDAO), n-octyl-β-D-glucoside (β-OG), n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM) and fos-cholines including dodecylphosphocholine (DPC). The review also considers effects of deuteration, detergent screening and guidelines for detergent selection. Although deuterated detergents are relatively expensive and not always commercially available due to challenges associated with their chemical synthesis, they will continue to play important roles in structural and functional studies of membrane proteins, especially using solution-state NMR.

Production of membrane proteins without cells or detergents.

PubMed

Rajesh, Sundaresan; Knowles, Timothy; Overduin, Michael

2011-04-30

The production of membrane proteins in cellular systems is besieged by several problems due to their hydrophobic nature which often causes misfolding, protein aggregation and cytotoxicity, resulting in poor yields of stable proteins. Cell-free expression has emerged as one of the most versatile alternatives for circumventing these obstacles by producing membrane proteins directly into designed hydrophobic environments. Efficient optimisation of expression and solubilisation conditions using a variety of detergents, membrane mimetics and lipids has yielded structurally and functionally intact membrane proteins, with yields several fold above the levels possible from cell-based systems. Here we review recently developed techniques available to produce functional membrane proteins, and discuss amphipols, nanodisc and styrene maleic acid lipid particle (SMALP) technologies that can be exploited alongside cell-free expression of membrane proteins. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 417.150 - Applicability; description of the manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory. 417.150 Section 417.150 Protection of Environment... POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Manufacture of Spray Dried Detergents Subcategory § 417.150 Applicability; description of the manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are...

40 CFR 417.180 - Applicability; description of the manufacture of drum dried detergents subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... manufacture of drum dried detergents subcategory. 417.180 Section 417.180 Protection of Environment... POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Manufacture of Drum Dried Detergents Subcategory § 417.180 Applicability; description of the manufacture of drum dried detergents subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are...

Surface analysis of glass fibres using XPS and AFM: case study of glass fibres recovered from the glass fibre reinforced polymer using chemical recycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nzioka, A. M.; Kim, Y. J.

2018-01-01

In this study, we present the results of an experimental study of the use of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to characterise the coatings of the recovered E - glass fibres. The recovered E - glass fibres were obtained using chemical recycling process coupled with ultrasound cavitation. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of chemical recycling and the ultrasound cavitation process on the sizing properties of the recovered fibres. We obtained the recovered fibres and sized using 1 wt% 3 - aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS). Part of the sized fibres was washed with acetone and analysed all the sample fibres using AFM and XPS. Results showed the different composition of sizing after extraction using acetone. We compared the results of this study with that of virgin clean glass fibres.

Comparative lipidomics and proteomics analysis of platelet lipid rafts using different detergents.

PubMed

Rabani, Vahideh; Davani, Siamak; Gambert-Nicot, Ségolène; Meneveau, Nicolas; Montange, Damien

2016-11-01

Lipid rafts play a pivotal role in physiological functions of platelets. Their isolation using nonionic mild detergents is considered as the gold standard method, but there is no consensual detergent for lipid raft studies. We aimed to investigate which detergent is the most suitable for lipid raft isolation from platelet membrane, based on lipidomics and proteomics analysis. Platelets were obtained from healthy donors. Twelve sucrose fractions were extracted by three different detergents, namely Brij 35, Lubrol WX, and Triton X100, at 0.05% and 1%. After lipidomics analysis and determination of fractions enriched in cholesterol (Ch) and sphingomyelin (SM), proteomics analysis was performed. Lipid rafts were mainly observed in 1-4 fractions, and non-rafts were distributed on 5-12 fractions. Considering the concentration of Ch and SM, Lubrol WX 1% and Triton X100 1% were more suitable detergents as they were able to isolate lipid raft fractions that were more enriched than non-raft fractions. By proteomics analysis, overall, 822 proteins were identified in platelet membrane. Lipid raft fractions isolated with Lubrol WX 0.05% and Triton X100 1% contained mainly plasma membrane proteins. However, only Lubrol WX 0.05 and 1% and Triton X100 1% were able to extract non-denaturing proteins with more than 10 transmembrane domains. Our results suggest that Triton X100 1% is the most suitable detergent for global lipid and protein studies on platelet plasma membrane. However, the detergent should be adapted if investigation of an association between specific proteins and lipid rafts is planned.

Characterization of Protein Detergent Complexes by NMR, Light Scattering, and Analytical Ultracentrifugation

PubMed Central

Maslennikov, Innokentiy; Krupa, Martin; Dickson, Christopher; Esquivies, Luis; Blain, Katherine; Kefala, Georgia; Choe, Senyon; Kwiatkowski, Witek

2009-01-01

Bottlenecks in expression, solubilization, purification and crystallization hamper the structural study of integral membrane proteins (IMPs). Successful crystallization is critically dependent on the purity, stability and oligomeric homogeneity of an IMP sample. These characteristics are in turn strongly influenced by the type and concentration of the detergents used in IMP preparation. By utilizing the techniques and analytical tools we earlier developed for the characterization of protein-detergent complexes (PDCs) (Maslennikov et al., 2007), we demonstrate that for successful protein extraction from E. coli membrane fractions, the solubilizing detergent associates preferentially to IMPs rather than to membrane lipids. Notably, this result is contrary to the generally accepted mechanism of detergent-mediated IMP solubilization. We find that for one particular member of the family of proteins studied (E. coli receptor kinases, which is purified in mixed multimeric states and oligomerizes through its transmembrane region), the protein oligomeric composition is largely unaffected by a 10-fold increase in protein concentration, by alteration of micelle properties through addition of other detergents to the PDC sample, or by a 20-fold variation in the detergent concentration used for solubilization of the IMP from the membrane. We observed that the conditions used for expression of the IMP, which impact protein density in the membrane, has the greatest influence on the IMP oligomeric structure. Finally, we argue that for concentrating PDCs smaller than 30 kDa, stirred concentration cells are less prone to over-concentration of detergent and are therefore more effective than centrifugal ultrafiltration devices. PMID:19214777

Pure chiral optical fibres.

PubMed

Poladian, L; Straton, M; Docherty, A; Argyros, A

2011-01-17

We investigate the properties of optical fibres made from chiral materials, in which a contrast in optical activity forms the waveguide, rather than a contrast in the refractive index; we refer to such structures as pure chiral fibres. We present a mathematical formulation for solving the modes of circularly symmetric examples of such fibres and examine the guidance and polarisation properties of pure chiral step-index, Bragg and photonic crystal fibre designs. Their behaviour is shown to differ for left- and right-hand circular polarisation, allowing circular polarisations to be isolated and/or guided by different mechanisms, as well as differing from equivalent non-chiral fibres. The strength of optical activity required in each case is quantified.

Detergent-dependent kinetics of truncated Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase.

PubMed

Malmquist, Nicholas A; Baldwin, Jeffrey; Phillips, Margaret A

2007-04-27

The survival of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is dependent upon the de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidines. P. falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH) catalyzes the fourth step in this pathway in an FMN-dependent reaction. The full-length enzyme is associated with the inner mitochondrial membrane, where ubiquinone (CoQ) serves as the terminal electron acceptor. The lipophilic nature of the co-substrate suggests that electron transfer to CoQ occurs at the two-dimensional lipid-solution interface. Here we show that PfDHODH associates with liposomes even in the absence of the N-terminal transmembrane-spanning domain. The association of a series of ubiquinone substrates with detergent micelles was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry, and the data reveal that CoQ analogs with long decyl (CoQ(D)) or geranyl (CoQ(2)) tails partition into detergent micelles, whereas that with a short prenyl tail (CoQ(1)) remains in solution. PfDHODH-catalyzed reduction of CoQ(D) and CoQ(2), but not CoQ(1), is stimulated as detergent concentrations (Tween 80 or Triton X-100) are increased up to their critical micelle concentrations, beyond which activity declines. Steady-state kinetic data acquired for the reaction with CoQ(D) and CoQ(2) in substrate-detergent mixed micelles fit well to a surface dilution kinetic model. In contrast, the data for CoQ(1) as a substrate were well described by solution steady-state kinetics. Our results suggest that the partitioning of lipophilic ubiquinone analogues into detergent micelles needs to be an important consideration in the kinetic analysis of enzymes that utilize these substrates.

The relationship between critical flux and fibre movement induced by bubbling in a submerged hollow fibre system.

PubMed

Wicaksana, F; Fan, A G; Chen, V

2005-01-01

Bubbling has been used to enhance various processes. In this paper we deal with the effect of bubbling on submerged hollow fibre membranes, where bubbling is applied to prevent severe membrane fouling. Previous work with submerged hollow fibres has observed that significant fibre movement can be induced by bubbling and that there is a qualitative relationship between fibre movement and filtration performance. Therefore, the aim of the present research has been to analyse the link between bubbling, fibre movement and critical flux, identified as the flux at which the transmembrane pressure (TMP) starts to rise. Tests were performed on vertical isolated fibres with a model feed of yeast suspension. The fibres were subject to steady bubbling from below. The parameters of interest were the fibre characteristics, such as tightness, diameter and length, as well as feed concentration. The results confirmed that the critical fluxes are affected by the fibre characteristics and feed concentration. Higher critical flux values can be achieved by using loose fibres, smaller diameters and longer fibres. The enhancement is partially linked to fibre movement and this is confirmed by improved performance when fibres are subject to mechanical movement in the absence of bubbling.

GbTCP, a cotton TCP transcription factor, confers fibre elongation and root hair development by a complex regulating system.

PubMed

Hao, Juan; Tu, Lili; Hu, Haiyan; Tan, Jiafu; Deng, Fenglin; Tang, Wenxin; Nie, Yichun; Zhang, Xianlong

2012-10-01

As the most important natural raw material for textile industry, cotton fibres are an excellent model for studying single-cell development. Although expression profiling and functional genomics have provided some data, the mechanism of fibre development is still not well known. A class I TCP transcription factor (designated GbTCP), encoding 344 amino acids, was isolated from the normalized cDNA library of sea-island cotton fibre (from -2 to 25 days post anthesis). GbTCP was preferentially expressed in the elongating cotton fibre from 5 to 15 days post anthesis. Some expression was also observed in stems, apical buds, and petals. RNAi silencing of GbTCP produced shorter fibre, a reduced lint percentage, and a lower fibre quality than the wild-type plants. Overexpression of GbTCP enhanced root hair initiation and elongation in Arabidopsis and regulated branching. Solexa sequencing and Affymetrix GeneChip analysis indicated that GbTCP positively regulates the level of jasmonic acid (JA) and, as a result, activates downstream genes (reactive oxygen species, calcium signalling, ethylene biosynthesis and response, and several NAC and WRKY transcription factors) necessary for elongation of fibres and root hairs. JA content analysis in cotton also confirmed that GbTCP has a profound effect on JA biosynthesis. In vitro ovule culture showed that an appropriate concentration of JA promoted fibre elongation. The results suggest that GbTCP is an important transcription factor for fibre and root hair development by regulating JA biosynthesis and response and other pathways, including reactive oxygen species, calcium channel and ethylene signalling.

GbTCP, a cotton TCP transcription factor, confers fibre elongation and root hair development by a complex regulating system

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xianlong

2012-01-01

As the most important natural raw material for textile industry, cotton fibres are an excellent model for studying single-cell development. Although expression profiling and functional genomics have provided some data, the mechanism of fibre development is still not well known. A class I TCP transcription factor (designated GbTCP), encoding 344 amino acids, was isolated from the normalized cDNA library of sea-island cotton fibre (from –2 to 25 days post anthesis). GbTCP was preferentially expressed in the elongating cotton fibre from 5 to 15 days post anthesis. Some expression was also observed in stems, apical buds, and petals. RNAi silencing of GbTCP produced shorter fibre, a reduced lint percentage, and a lower fibre quality than the wild-type plants. Overexpression of GbTCP enhanced root hair initiation and elongation in Arabidopsis and regulated branching. Solexa sequencing and Affymetrix GeneChip analysis indicated that GbTCP positively regulates the level of jasmonic acid (JA) and, as a result, activates downstream genes (reactive oxygen species, calcium signalling, ethylene biosynthesis and response, and several NAC and WRKY transcription factors) necessary for elongation of fibres and root hairs. JA content analysis in cotton also confirmed that GbTCP has a profound effect on JA biosynthesis. In vitro ovule culture showed that an appropriate concentration of JA promoted fibre elongation. The results suggest that GbTCP is an important transcription factor for fibre and root hair development by regulating JA biosynthesis and response and other pathways, including reactive oxygen species, calcium channel and ethylene signalling. PMID:23105133

A discrete fibre dispersion method for excluding fibres under compression in the modelling of fibrous tissues.

PubMed

Li, Kewei; Ogden, Ray W; Holzapfel, Gerhard A

2018-01-01

Recently, micro-sphere-based methods derived from the angular integration approach have been used for excluding fibres under compression in the modelling of soft biological tissues. However, recent studies have revealed that many of the widely used numerical integration schemes over the unit sphere are inaccurate for large deformation problems even without excluding fibres under compression. Thus, in this study, we propose a discrete fibre dispersion model based on a systematic method for discretizing a unit hemisphere into a finite number of elementary areas, such as spherical triangles. Over each elementary area, we define a representative fibre direction and a discrete fibre density. Then, the strain energy of all the fibres distributed over each elementary area is approximated based on the deformation of the representative fibre direction weighted by the corresponding discrete fibre density. A summation of fibre contributions over all elementary areas then yields the resultant fibre strain energy. This treatment allows us to exclude fibres under compression in a discrete manner by evaluating the tension-compression status of the representative fibre directions only. We have implemented this model in a finite-element programme and illustrate it with three representative examples, including simple tension and simple shear of a unit cube, and non-homogeneous uniaxial extension of a rectangular strip. The results of all three examples are consistent and accurate compared with the previously developed continuous fibre dispersion model, and that is achieved with a substantial reduction of computational cost. © 2018 The Author(s).

Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function impairment among detergent plant workers in Jos, Northern Nigeria.

PubMed

Babashani, M; Iliyasu, Z; Ukoli, C O

2008-01-01

The industrial process of detergent production could be deleterious to lung function. This study describes respiratory symptoms and ventilatory function impairment among detergent workers in Jos, Northern Nigeria. Two hundred detergent plant workers and controls were studied for the presence of respiratory symptoms and ventilatory function impairment using the MRC questionnaire and Spirometry. A significantly higher proportion of exposed detergent workers 178 (87.0%) reported respiratory symptoms compared to 52 (26.0%) controls [OR=23; 95% CI=12.9-41.3] (P<0.001). Commonest symptoms include rhinitis (57.5% versus 11.0%) and cough (48.5% versus 15%). Symptoms were most prevalent in the packaging section. FEV1, FVC and PEFR were significantly reduced among exposed detergent workers. Similarly, the predicted values of PEFR, FVC and FEV1, were significantly reduced among smokers (P<0. 001). Respiratory symptoms are highly prevalent among detergent workers. This was associated with impaired pulmonary function. Protective equipment and periodic lung function tests could reduce these effects.

Advanced Fibre Based Energy Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reid, Daniel Oliver

New energy storage devices are required to enable future technologies. With the rise of wearable consumer and medical devices, a suitable flexible and wearable means of storing electrical energy is required. Fibre-based devices present a possible method of achieving this aim. Fibres are inherently more flexible than their bulk counterparts, and as such can be employed to form the electrodes of flexible batteries and capacitors. They also present a facile possibility for incorporation into many fabrics and clothes, further boosting their potential for use in wearable devices. Electrically conducting fibres were produced from a dispersion of carbon nanomaterials in a room temperature ionic liquid. Coagulation of this dispersion was achieved through manual injection into aqueous solutions of xanthan gum. The limitations of this method are highlighted by very low ultimate tensile strengths of these fibres, in the order of 3 MPa, with high variation within all of the fibres. Fibres were also produced via scrolling of bi-component films containing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Chemical treatments were employed to impart water compatibility to these fibres, and their electrochemical, physical and electrical properties were analysed. Fibres were wet spun from two PEDOT:PSS sources, in several fibre diameters. The effect of chemical treatments on the fibres were investigated and compared. Short 5 min treatment times with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on 20 mum fibres produced from Clevios PH1000 were found to produce the best overall treatment. Up to a six-fold increase in electrical conductivity resulted, reaching 800 S cm-1, with up to 40 % increase in specific capacitance and no loss of mechanical strength (55 F g-1 and 150 MPa recorded). A wet spinning system to produce PEDOT:PSS fibres containing functionalised graphenes and carbon nanotubes, as well as birnessite nanotubes was subsequently developed

Dihydrotestosterone treatment rescues the decline in protein synthesis as a result of sarcopenia in isolated mouse skeletal muscle fibres.

PubMed

Wendowski, Oskar; Redshaw, Zoe; Mutungi, Gabriel

2017-02-01

Sarcopenia, the progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass and function with age, is a debilitating condition. It leads to inactivity, falls, and loss of independence. Despite this, its cause(s) and the underlying mechanism(s) are still poorly understood. In this study, small skeletal muscle fibre bundles isolated from the extensor digitorum longus (a fast-twitch muscle) and the soleus (a slow-twitch muscle) of adult mice of different ages (range 100-900 days old) were used to investigate the effects of ageing and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment on protein synthesis as well as the expression and function of two amino acid transporters; the sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter (SNAT) 2, and the sodium-independent L-type amino-acid transporter (LAT) 2. At all ages investigated, protein synthesis was always higher in the slow-twitch than in the fast-twitch muscle fibres and decreased with age in both fibre types. However, the decline was greater in the fast-twitch than in the slow-twitch fibres and was accompanied by a reduction in the expression of SNAT2 and LAT2 at the protein level. Again, the decrease in the expression of the amino acid transporters was greater in the fast-twitch than in the slow-twitch fibres. In contrast, ageing had no effect on SNAT2 and LAT2 expressions at the mRNA level. Treating the muscle fibre bundles with physiological concentrations (~2 nM) of DHT for 1 h completely reversed the effects of ageing on protein synthesis and the expression of SNAT2 and LAT2 protein in both fibre types. From the observations that ageing is accompanied by a reduction in protein synthesis and transporter expression and that these effects are reversed by DHT treatment, we conclude that sarcopenia arises from an age-dependent reduction in protein synthesis caused, in part, by the lack of or by the low bioavailability of the male sex steroid, DHT.

Dihydrotestosterone treatment rescues the decline in protein synthesis as a result of sarcopenia in isolated mouse skeletal muscle fibres

PubMed Central

Wendowski, Oskar; Redshaw, Zoe

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Sarcopenia, the progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass and function with age, is a debilitating condition. It leads to inactivity, falls, and loss of independence. Despite this, its cause(s) and the underlying mechanism(s) are still poorly understood. Methods In this study, small skeletal muscle fibre bundles isolated from the extensor digitorum longus (a fast‐twitch muscle) and the soleus (a slow‐twitch muscle) of adult mice of different ages (range 100–900 days old) were used to investigate the effects of ageing and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) treatment on protein synthesis as well as the expression and function of two amino acid transporters; the sodium‐coupled neutral amino acid transporter (SNAT) 2, and the sodium‐independent L‐type amino‐acid transporter (LAT) 2. Results At all ages investigated, protein synthesis was always higher in the slow‐twitch than in the fast‐twitch muscle fibres and decreased with age in both fibre types. However, the decline was greater in the fast‐twitch than in the slow‐twitch fibres and was accompanied by a reduction in the expression of SNAT2 and LAT2 at the protein level. Again, the decrease in the expression of the amino acid transporters was greater in the fast‐twitch than in the slow‐twitch fibres. In contrast, ageing had no effect on SNAT2 and LAT2 expressions at the mRNA level. Treating the muscle fibre bundles with physiological concentrations (~2 nM) of DHT for 1 h completely reversed the effects of ageing on protein synthesis and the expression of SNAT2 and LAT2 protein in both fibre types. Conclusion From the observations that ageing is accompanied by a reduction in protein synthesis and transporter expression and that these effects are reversed by DHT treatment, we conclude that sarcopenia arises from an age‐dependent reduction in protein synthesis caused, in part, by the lack of or by the low bioavailability of the male sex steroid, DHT. PMID:27239418

Sodium hydroxide based non-detergent decellularizing solution for rat lung.

PubMed

Sengyoku, Hideyori; Tsuchiya, Tomoshi; Obata, Tomohiro; Doi, Ryoichiro; Hashimoto, Yasumasa; Ishii, Mitsutoshi; Sakai, Hiromi; Matsuo, Naoto; Taniguchi, Daisuke; Suematsu, Takashi; Lawn, Murray; Matsumoto, Keitaro; Miyazaki, Takuro; Nagayasu, Takeshi

2018-06-11

Lung transplantation is the last option for the treatment of end stage chronic lung disorders. Because the shortage of donor lung organs represents the main hurdle, lung regeneration has been considered to overcome this hurdle. Recellularization of decellularized organ scaffold is a promising option for organ regeneration. Although detergents are ordinarily used for decellularization, other approaches are possible. Here we used high alkaline (pH12) sodium hydroxide (NaOH)-PBS solution without detergents for lung decellularization and compared the efficacy on DNA elimination and ECM preservation with detergent based decellularization solutions CHAPS and SDS. Immunohistochemical image analysis showed that cell components were removed by NaOH solution as well as other detergents. A Collagen and GAG assay showed that the collagen reduction of the NaOH group was comparable to that of the CHAPS and SDS groups. However, DNA reduction was more significant in the NaOH group than in other groups (p < 0.0001). The recellularization of HUVEC revealed cell attachment was not inferior to that of the SDS group. Ex vivo functional analysis showed 100% oxygen ventilation increased oxygen partial pressure as artificial hemoglobin vesicle-PBS solution passed through regenerated lungs in the SDS or NaOH group. It was concluded that the NaOH-PBS based decellularization solution was comparable to ordinal decellularizaton solutions and competitive in cost effectiveness and residues in the decellularized scaffold negligible, thus providing another potential option to detergent for future clinical usage.

Evaluation of Liquid Detergents and Methods Used for Airfield Rubber Removal

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-31

friction. Each detergent is applied to the pavement surface in controlled 50’ x 30’ patches. There were three patches placed for each detergent with...Measurements ..........................................................................................................16 6.3. Periodic Pavement Wetting...19 Figure 14. Pre-Cleaning Micro -Texture Data Graph (GT View Data

Visualization of detergent solubilization of membranes: implications for the isolation of rafts.

PubMed

Garner, Ashley E; Smith, D Alastair; Hooper, Nigel M

2008-02-15

Although different detergents can give rise to detergent-resistant membranes of different composition, it is unclear whether this represents domain heterogeneity in the original membrane. We compared the mechanism of action of five detergents on supported lipid bilayers composed of equimolar sphingomyelin, cholesterol, and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine imaged by atomic force microscopy, and on raft and nonraft marker proteins in live cells imaged by confocal microscopy. There was a marked correlation between the detergent solubilization of the cell membrane and that of the supported lipid bilayers. In both systems Triton X-100 and CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate) distinguished between the nonraft liquid-disordered (l(d)) and raft liquid ordered (l(o)) lipid phases by selectively solubilizing the l(d) phase. A higher concentration of Lubrol was required, and not all the l(d) phase was solubilized. The solubilization by Brij 96 occurred by a two-stage mechanism that initially resulted in the solubilization of some l(d) phase and then progressed to the solubilization of both l(d) and l(o) phases simultaneously. Octyl glucoside simultaneously solubilized both l(o) and l(d) phases. These data show that the mechanism of membrane solubilization is unique to an individual detergent. Our observations have significant implications for using different detergents to isolate membrane rafts from biological systems.

Human Dietary Fibre: A Review,

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-05-01

in 1)iets ( Dietary Fibre and Lipid Metabolism 7 Dietary Fibre and Colon Function 8 Epidemiology of Bowel Disease 8 Dietary Fibre and 1)iverticular... Disease 9 Dietary Fibre aiicl Colonic Cancer 10 Fibre and Appendicitis II 1 i1)re and Dental Caries 11 References 1)istr ibution List __________ Access...infective bowel diseases include hlaeiiiorm’hoidl s, appendicitis , di v ert i— cnlar disease , cam icer (If the colon , co litis audi Cu’ohn’s disease . 1 t is

SUNRISE: A SpaceFibre Router

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkes, Steve; McClements, Chris; McLaren, David; Florit, Albert Ferrer; Gonzalez Villafranca, Alberto

2016-08-01

SpaceFibre is a new generation of SpaceWire technology which is able to support the very high data- rates required by sensors like SAR and multi-spectral imagers. Data rates of between 1 and 16 Gbits/s are required to support several sensors currently being planned. In addition a mass-memory unit requires high performance networking to interconnect many memory modules. SpaceFibre runs over both electrical and fibre-optic media and provides and adds quality of service and fault detection, isolation and recovery technology to the network. SpaceFibre is compatible with the widely used SpaceWire protocol at the network level allowing existing SpaceWire devices to be readily incorporated into a SpaceFibre network. SpaceFibre provides 2 to 5 Gbits/s links (2.5 to 6.25 Gbits/s data signalling rate) which can be operated in parallel (multi-laning) to give higher data rates. STAR- Dundee with University of Dundee has designed and tested several SpaceFibre interface devices.The SUNRISE project is a UK Space Agency, Centre for Earth Observation and Space Technology (CEOI- ST) project in which STAR-Dundee and University of Dundee will design and prototype critical SpaceFibre router technology necessary for future on-board data- handling systems. This will lay a vital foundation for future very high data-rate sensor and telecommunications systems.This paper give a brief introduction to SpaceFibre, explains the operation of a SpaceFibre network, and then describes the SUNRISE SpaceFibre Router. The initial results of the SUNRISE project are described.

Application of new insoluble dietary fibres from triticale as supplement in yoghurt - effects on physico-chemical, rheological and quality properties.

PubMed

Miocinovic, Jelena; Tomic, Nikola; Dojnov, Biljana; Tomasevic, Igor; Stojanovic, Sanja; Djekic, Ilija; Vujcic, Zoran

2018-03-01

The need to increase the daily intake of dietary fibres opens a new chapter in the research of functional foods enriched with fibres. The potential application of an innovative product - insoluble dietary fibres from triticale in yoghurts - was deployed by characterising their food application and evaluating physico-chemical, rheological and sensory properties and was the aim of this research. Detailed characterisations of these fibres are presented for the first time and showed very good hydration properties, optimal pH (slightly acidic), optimal chemical composition, high antioxidant capacity which was proven by phenolics contents. Besides, these fibres showed negligible calorific value, with no phytates and high antioxidant capacity, mainly from ferulic acid. Therefore they could be successfully added to yoghurt. Enrichment of yoghurt having different milk fat content (1.5 and 2.8% w/w) with triticale insoluble fibre (1.5% and 3.0% w/w) significantly influenced the syneresis level, its apparent viscosity, yield stress and thixotropic behaviour. The overall sensory quality scores indicated that yoghurt enriched with 1.5% triticale insoluble fibres was recognised as 'excellent' and had enhanced antioxidant activity. Insoluble triticale fibre could therefore be used as a supplement to produce functional yoghurt. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ingestion of Laundry Detergent Packets in Children.

PubMed

Shah, Lindsey Wilson

2016-08-01

Ingestion of laundry detergent packets is an important threat to young children. Because of their developmental stage, toddlers are prone to place these small, colorful packets in their mouths. The packets can easily burst, sending a large volume of viscous, alkaline liquid throughout the oropharynx. Ingestion causes major toxic effects, including depression of the central nervous system, metabolic acidosis, respiratory distress, and dysphagia. Critical care nurses should anticipate these clinical effects and facilitate prompt intervention. Increased understanding of the risks and clinical effects of ingestion of laundry detergent packets will better prepare critical care nurses to provide care for these children. (Critical Care Nurse 2016; 36[4]:70-75). ©2016 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Fun with Optical Fibres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alti, Kamlesh

2017-01-01

Optical fibres play a very crucial role in today's technologies. Academic courses in optical fibres start at the undergraduate level. Nevertheless, student's curiosity towards optical fibres starts from the school level. In this paper, some fun experiments have been designed for both school and college students, which have some concrete…

Effects of applying molasses, lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid on fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro gas production of total mixed ration silage prepared with oat-common vetch intercrop on the Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Chen, Lei; Guo, Gang; Yuan, Xianjun; Zhang, Jie; Li, Junfeng; Shao, Tao

2016-03-30

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of molasses, lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro gas production of total mixed ration (TMR) silage prepared with oat-common vetch intercrop on the Tibetan plateau. TMR (436 g kg(-1) dry matter (DM)) was ensiled with six experimental treatments: (1) no additives (control); (2) molasses (M); (3) an inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum) (L); (4) propionic acid (P); (5) molasses + propionic acid (MP); (6) inoculant + propionic acid (LP). All silages were well preserved with low pH (< 4.19) and NH3-N contents, and high lactic acid contents after ensiling for 45 days. L and PL silages underwent a more efficient fermentation than silages without L. P and MP silages inhibited lactic acid production. Under aerobic conditions, M and L silage reduced aerobic stability for 15 and 74 h, respectively. All silages that had propionic acid in their treatments markedly (P < 0.05) improved the aerobic stability. After 72 h incubation, all additives treatments increased (P < 0.05) the 72 h cumulative gas production and in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) as compared with the control. L treatment decreased (P < 0.05) in vitro neutral detergent fibre degradability. Our findings show that TMR prepared with oat-common vetch intercrop can be well preserved. Although propionic acid is compatible with lactic acid bacteria, and when used together, they had minor effects on fermentation, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of TMR silage prepared with oat-common vetch intercrop. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of a detergent micelle environment on P-glycoprotein (ABCB1)-ligand interactions

PubMed Central

Shukla, Suneet; Abel, Biebele; Chufan, Eduardo E.; Ambudkar, Suresh V.

2017-01-01

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a multidrug transporter that uses energy from ATP hydrolysis to export many structurally dissimilar hydrophobic and amphipathic compounds, including anticancer drugs from cells. Several structural studies on purified P-gp have been reported, but only limited and sometimes conflicting information is available on ligand interactions with the isolated transporter in a dodecyl-maltoside detergent environment. In this report we compared the biochemical properties of P-gp in native membranes, detergent micelles, and when reconstituted in artificial membranes. We found that the modulators zosuquidar, tariquidar, and elacridar stimulated the ATPase activity of purified human or mouse P-gp in a detergent micelle environment. In contrast, these drugs inhibited ATPase activity in native membranes or in proteoliposomes, with IC50 values in the 10–40 nm range. Similarly, a 30–150-fold decrease in the apparent affinity for verapamil and cyclic peptide inhibitor QZ59-SSS was observed in detergent micelles compared with native or artificial membranes. Together, these findings demonstrate that the high-affinity site is inaccessible because of either a conformational change or binding of detergent at the binding site in a detergent micelle environment. The ligands bind to a low-affinity site, resulting in altered modulation of P-gp ATPase activity. We, therefore, recommend studying structural and functional aspects of ligand interactions with purified P-gp and other ATP-binding cassette transporters that transport amphipathic or hydrophobic substrates in a detergent-free native or artificial membrane environment. PMID:28283574

Manifestation of cryptic fibroblast tissue factor occurs at detergent concentrations which dissolve the plasma membrane.

PubMed

Carson, S D

1996-04-01

Cultured fibroblasts treated with increasing concentrations of detergents expressed only encrypted levels of tissue factor activity (measured by fX activation in the presence of fVIIa), characteristic of undamaged cells, until each detergent reached a critical concentration at which the cryptic tissue factor activity was manifested. Beyond the narrow ranges of concentrations over which the detergents stimulated tissue factor activity, the detergents were inhibitory. Studies with Triton X-100 and octyl glucoside revealed that manifestation of tissue factor activity coincided with breakdown of the plasma membrane. The magnitude of the increased tissue factor activity differed among detergents, with octyl glucoside giving the largest response. The tissue factor that was active after Triton X-100 treatment remained mostly associated with the insoluble cell residue, whereas the concentration of octyl glucoside which stimulated activity released tissue factor activity into the supernatant. Radiolabeled antibody against human tissue factor was used to show that a small percentage of the total accessible tissue factor remained in the insoluble fraction after treatment with either non-ionic detergent. Chromatographic analysis of lipids extracted from cells treated with detergents and dansyl chloride showed dansyl-reactivity of phosphatidylserine on intact cells, and solubilization of membrane lipids at sublytic concentrations of detergents. These findings reveal that there is a critical level of detergent-induced membrane damage at which tissue factor activity is maximally expressed, in essentially an all-or-none manner. The results are consistent with a major role for phospholipid asymmetry in regulation of tissue factor specific activity, but require either maintenance of asymmetry during sublytic detergent perturbation of the plasma membrane or additional control mechanisms.

Experimental and numerical study on refractive index sensors based on fibre Bragg gratings inscribed in multimode fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filipe Kuhne, Jean; Rocha, Ana Maria; de Oliveira, Valmir; José Kalinowski, Hypolito; Canute Kamikawachi, Ricardo

2018-02-01

In this work is reported the experimental and numerical results of the refractive index response of etched fibre Bragg gratings written in a graded index multimode fibre. The responses of the modes coupled by the grating inscribed in a multimode fibre are compared with the mode coupled by a grating inscribed in single mode fibre. The results of this study show that the refractive index sensitivity and the dynamical range of etched fibre Bragg gratings written in multimode fibres are higher than the ones verified in single-mode fibres. The determination of oil-biodiesel blend concentrations are also compared as an example of practical applications. It is shown that a greater core diameter of the multimode fibre enables the Bragg gratings to exhibit enhanced sensitivity without requiring further fibre diameter reduction.

Influence of detergents on water drift in cooling towers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitkovicova, Rut

An influence of detergents on the water drift from the cooling tower was experimentally investigated. For this experimental measurements was used a model cooling tower, especially an experimental aerodynamic line, which is specially designed for the measurement and monitoring of processes taking place around the eliminators of the liquid phase. The effect of different concentrations of detergent in the cooling water on the drift of water droplets from a commonly used type eliminator was observed with visualization methods.

Fluorinated diglucose detergents for membrane-protein extraction.

PubMed

Boussambe, Gildas Nyame Mendendy; Guillet, Pierre; Mahler, Florian; Marconnet, Anaïs; Vargas, Carolyn; Cornut, Damien; Soulié, Marine; Ebel, Christine; Le Roy, Aline; Jawhari, Anass; Bonneté, Françoise; Keller, Sandro; Durand, Grégory

2018-05-29

Fluorinated surfactants have scarcely been explored for the direct extraction of proteins from membranes because fluorination is believed to abrogate detergency. However, we have recently shown that a commercially available fluorinated surfactant readily solubilizes lipid membranes, thereby suggesting that fluorination per se does not interfere with detergent activity. In this work, we developed new fluorinated surfactants that exhibit detergency in terms of both lipid-vesicle solubilization and membrane-protein extraction. The compounds made and tested contain two glucose moieties as polar headgroup, a hydrogenated thioether linker, and a perfluorinated alkyl tail with either 4, 6, or 8 carbon atoms. The physicochemical properties of the micelles formed by the three fluorinated surfactants were evaluated by NMR spectroscopy, surface tensiometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, and analytical ultracentrifugation. At 25°C, micellization was mainly entropy-driven, and the CMC values were found to decrease with chain length of the fluorinated tail, whereas the aggregation number increased with chain length. Remarkably, all three surfactants were found to solubilize lipid vesicles and extract a broad range of proteins from Escherichiacoli membranes. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, that nonionic fluorinated surfactants could be further exploited for the direct extraction and solubilization of membrane proteins. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Laundry pod and non-pod detergent related emergency department visits occurring in children in the USA.

PubMed

Swain, Thomas A; McGwin, Gerald; Griffin, Russell

2016-12-01

Previous studies have reported that children are at risk of severe injuries from exposure to laundry detergent pods. For the first time, this study sought to compare demographic and exposure characteristics and risk among children exposed to pod and non-pod laundry detergents presenting to emergency departments (EDs). Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) from 2012-2014 were used. All observations with injuries involving laundry detergent (NEISS code 0949) were included in this study. The χ 2 test was used for bivariate analysis and logistic regression was used to determine the OR and 95% CI of hospitalisation for pod related versus non-pod laundry detergent exposures. From 2012-2014, there were an estimated 26 062 non-pod and 9814 pod laundry detergent related exposures among those aged 18 years and younger. For pod detergent, children aged 0-5 years had the most injuries. Poisoning (71.3%) was the most common diagnosis for pod detergent while contact dermatitis (72.2%) was most common for non-pod detergent. Hospitalisation occurred in 12.5% of pod detergent cases and just 3.0% of non-pod cases. Compared with non-pod detergent, those exposed to pod detergent were 4 times as likely to be hospitalised (OR 4.02; 95% CI 1.96 to 8.24). A greater effort should be made to appropriately educate the public about the dangers of laundry detergents, specifically pods, so a safe home environment can be established. While new regulations such as childproof containers, opaque packaging, and less appealing and colourful pods could reduce the number of pod related ED visits for children, caregivers should store detergents, along with other chemicals, in a secure location where children cannot easily access them. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Magnesium coated bioresorbable phosphate glass fibres: investigation of the interface between fibre and polyester matrices.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoling; Grant, David M; Parsons, Andrew J; Harper, Lee T; Rudd, Chris D; Ahmed, Ifty

2013-01-01

Bioresorbable phosphate glass fibre reinforced polyester composites have been investigated as replacement for some traditional metallic orthopaedic implants, such as bone fracture fixation plates. However, composites tested revealed loss of the interfacial integrity after immersion within aqueous media which resulted in rapid loss of mechanical properties. Physical modification of fibres to change fibre surface morphology has been shown to be an effective method to improve fibre and matrix adhesion in composites. In this study, biodegradable magnesium which would gradually degrade to Mg(2+) in the human body was deposited via magnetron sputtering onto bioresorbable phosphate glass fibres to obtain roughened fibre surfaces. Fibre surface morphology after coating was observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The roughness profile and crystalline texture of the coatings were determined via atomic force microscope (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively. The roughness of the coatings was seen to increase from 40 ± 1 nm to 80 ± 1 nm. The mechanical properties (tensile strength and modulus) of fibre with coatings decreased with increased magnesium coating thickness.

Magnesium Coated Bioresorbable Phosphate Glass Fibres: Investigation of the Interface between Fibre and Polyester Matrices

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaoling; Grant, David M.; Parsons, Andrew J.; Harper, Lee T.; Rudd, Chris D.; Ahmed, Ifty

2013-01-01

Bioresorbable phosphate glass fibre reinforced polyester composites have been investigated as replacement for some traditional metallic orthopaedic implants, such as bone fracture fixation plates. However, composites tested revealed loss of the interfacial integrity after immersion within aqueous media which resulted in rapid loss of mechanical properties. Physical modification of fibres to change fibre surface morphology has been shown to be an effective method to improve fibre and matrix adhesion in composites. In this study, biodegradable magnesium which would gradually degrade to Mg2+ in the human body was deposited via magnetron sputtering onto bioresorbable phosphate glass fibres to obtain roughened fibre surfaces. Fibre surface morphology after coating was observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The roughness profile and crystalline texture of the coatings were determined via atomic force microscope (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively. The roughness of the coatings was seen to increase from 40 ± 1 nm to 80 ± 1 nm. The mechanical properties (tensile strength and modulus) of fibre with coatings decreased with increased magnesium coating thickness. PMID:24066297

Applications for carbon fibre recovered from composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickering; Liu, Z.; Turner, TA; Wong, KH

2016-07-01

Commercial operations to recover carbon fibre from waste composites are now developing and as more recovered fibre becomes available new applications for recovered fibre are required. Opportunities to use recovered carbon fibre as a structural reinforcement are considered involving the use of wet lay processes to produce nonwoven mats. Mats with random in-plane fibre orientation can readily be produced using existing commercial processes. However, the fibre volume fraction, and hence the mechanical properties that can be achieved, result in composites with limited mechanical properties. Fibre volume fractions of 40% can be achieved with high moulding pressures of over 100 bar, however, moulding at these pressures results in substantial fibre breakage which reduces the mean fibre length and the properties of the composite manufactured. Nonwoven mats made from aligned, short carbon fibres can achieve higher fibre volume fractions with lower fibre breakage even at high moulding pressure. A process for aligning short fibres is described and a composite of over 60% fibre volume fraction has been manufactured at a pressures up to 100 bar with low fibre breakage. Further developments of the alignment process have been undertaken and a composite of 46% fibre volume fraction has been produced moulded at a pressure of 7 bar in an autoclave, exhibiting good mechanical properties that compete with higher grade materials. This demonstrates the potential for high value applications for recovered carbon fibre by fibre alignment.

Effect of soaps and detergents on epidermal barrier function.

PubMed

Wolf, Ronni; Parish, Lawrence Charles

2012-01-01

The past decade has witnessed an explosion of new impartial information about the complex interaction of the skin with topically applied substances, including soaps and detergents. Despite of all these new data, our knowledge on the exact pathomechanism and molecular events leading to detergent-induced barrier dysfunction remains incomplete and the answers continue to elude us. The longtime prevailing opinion which contends that the damaging effect of soaps and detergents is related to their property to extract and remove useful intercellular lipids has mostly been abandoned. Although this effect might be involved in the damaging effect, it is definitely not the sole mechanism, nor, indeed, is it even the main one. Skin proteins damage, the interaction with keratins and their denaturation, swelling of cell membranes and collagen fibers, cytotoxicity expressed with cellular lysis are other important mechanisms. One proposed mechanism is that an initial stratum corneum hyper-hydration results from a continuous disruption of the secondary and tertiary structures of keratin protein by surfactants, exposing new water-binding sites, thereby increasing the hydration of the membrane. Following evaporation of excess water, the denatured keratin possesses a decreased water-binding capacity and decreased ability to function as a barrier. Recent studies have also emphasized the effects of detergents on lipid synthesis, on lipid-metabolizing enzymes and on keratinocyte differentiation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Seed Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL) and Hull Content in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

PubMed Central

Wei, Lijuan; Qu, Cunmin; Xu, Xinfu; Lu, Kun; Qian, Wei; Li, Jiana; Li, Maoteng; Liu, Liezhao

2015-01-01

A stable yellow-seeded variety is the breeding goal for obtaining the ideal rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) plant, and the amount of acid detergent lignin (ADL) in the seeds and the hull content (HC) are often used as yellow-seeded rapeseed screening indices. In this study, a genome-wide association analysis of 520 accessions was performed using the Q + K model with a total of 31,839 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites. As a result, three significant associations on the B. napus chromosomes A05, A09, and C05 were detected for seed ADL content. The peak SNPs were within 9.27, 14.22, and 20.86 kb of the key genes BnaA.PAL4, BnaA.CAD2/BnaA.CAD3, and BnaC.CCR1, respectively. Further analyses were performed on the major locus of A05, which was also detected in the seed HC examination. A comparison of our genome-wide association study (GWAS) results and previous linkage mappings revealed a common chromosomal region on A09, which indicates that GWAS can be used as a powerful complementary strategy for dissecting complex traits in B. napus. Genomic selection (GS) utilizing the significant SNP markers based on the GWAS results exhibited increased predictive ability, indicating that the predictive ability of a given model can be substantially improved by using GWAS and GS. PMID:26673885

The Bacterial Community Structure and Dynamics of Carbon and Nitrogen when Maize (Zea mays L.) and Its Neutral Detergent Fibre Were Added to Soil from Zimbabwe with Contrasting Management Practices.

PubMed

De la Cruz-Barrón, Magali; Cruz-Mendoza, Alejandra; Navarro-Noya, Yendi E; Ruiz-Valdiviezo, Victor M; Ortíz-Gutiérrez, Daniel; Ramírez-Villanueva, Daniel A; Luna-Guido, Marco; Thierfelder, Cristian; Wall, Patrick C; Verhulst, Nele; Govaerts, Bram; Dendooven, Luc

2017-01-01

Water infiltration, soil carbon content, aggregate stability and yields increased in conservation agriculture practices compared to conventionally ploughed control treatments at the Henderson research station near Mazowe (Zimbabwe). How these changes in soil characteristics affect the bacterial community structure and the bacteria involved in the degradation of applied organic material remains unanswered. Soil was sampled from three agricultural systems at Henderson, i.e. (1) conventional mouldboard ploughing with continuous maize (conventional tillage), (2) direct seeding with a Fitarelli jab planter and continuous maize (direct seeding with continuous maize) and (3) direct seeding with a Fitarelli jab planter with rotation of maize sunn hemp (direct seeding with crop rotation). Soil was amended with young maize plants or their neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and incubated aerobically for 56 days, while C and N mineralization and the bacterial community structure were monitored. Bacillus (Bacillales), Micrococcaceae (Actinomycetales) and phylotypes belonging to the Pseudomonadales were first degraders of the applied maize plants. At day 3, Streptomyces (Actinomycetales), Chitinophagaceae ([Saprospirales]) and Dyella (Xanthomonadales) participated in the degradation of the applied maize and at day 7 Oxalobacteraceae (Burkholderiales). Phylotypes belonging to Halomonas (Oceanospirillales) were the first degraders of NDF and were replaced by Phenylobacterium (Caulobacterales) and phylotypes belonging to Pseudomonadales at day 3. Afterwards, similar bacterial groups were favoured by application of NDF as they were by the application of maize plants, but there were also clear differences. Phylotypes belonging to the Micrococcaceae and Bacillus did not participate in the degradation of NDF or its metabolic products, while phylotypes belonging to the Acidobacteriaceae participated in the degradation of NDF but not in that of maize plants. It was found that agricultural

Effects of detergents on ribosomal precursor subunits of Bacillus megaterium.

PubMed

Body, A; Brownstein, B H

1978-01-01

Cell extracts prepared by osmotic lysis of protoplasts were analyzed by sucrose gradient sedimentation. In the absence of detergents, ribosomal precursor particles were found in a gradient fraction which sedimented faster than mature 50S subunits and in two other fractions coincident with mature 50S and 30S ribosomal subunits. Phospholipid, an indicator of membrane, was shown to be associated with only the fastest-sedimenting ribosomal precursor particle fraction. After the extracts were treated with detergents, all phospholipid was found at the top of the gradients. Brij 58, Triton X-100, and Nonidet P-40 did not cause a change in the sedimentation values of precursors; however, the detergents deoxycholate or LOC (Amway Corp.) disrupted the fastest-sedimenting precursor and converted the ribosomal precursor subunits which sedimented at the 50S and 30S positions to five different classes of more slowly sedimenting particles. Earlier reports on the in vivo assembly of ribosomal subunits have shown that several stages of ribosomal precursor subunits exist, and, in the presence of the detergents deoxycholate and LOC, which had been used to prepare cell extracts, the precursors sedimented more slowly. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that those detergents selectively modify the structure of ribosomal precursors and lend further support to the hypothesis that the in vivo ribosomal precursor subunits have 50S and 30S sedimentation values. In addition, these data support the idea that the ribosomal precursor particles found in the fast-sedimenting fraction may constitute a unique precursor fraction.

Effects of Detergents on Ribosomal Precursor Subunits of Bacillus megaterium

PubMed Central

Body, Barbara A.; Brownstein, Bernard H.

1978-01-01

Cell extracts prepared by osmotic lysis of protoplasts were analyzed by sucrose gradient sedimentation. In the absence of detergents, ribosomal precursor particles were found in a gradient fraction which sedimented faster than mature 50S subunits and in two other fractions coincident with mature 50S and 30S ribosomal subunits. Phospholipid, an indicator of membrane, was shown to be associated with only the fastest-sedimenting ribosomal precursor particle fraction. After the extracts were treated with detergents, all phospholipid was found at the top of the gradients. Brij 58, Triton X-100, and Nonidet P-40 did not cause a change in the sedimentation values of precursors; however, the detergents deoxycholate or LOC (Amway Corp.) disrupted the fastest-sedimenting precursor and converted the ribosomal precursor subunits which sedimented at the 50S and 30S positions to five different classes of more slowly sedimenting particles. Earlier reports on the in vivo assembly of ribosomal subunits have shown that several stages of ribosomal precursor subunits exist, and, in the presence of the detergents deoxycholate and LOC, which had been used to prepare cell extracts, the precursors sedimented more slowly. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that those detergents selectively modify the structure of ribosomal precursors and lend further support to the hypothesis that the in vivo ribosomal precursor subunits have 50S and 30S sedimentation values. In addition, these data support the idea that the ribosomal precursor particles found in the fast-sedimenting fraction may constitute a unique precursor fraction. PMID:412833

Fun with optical fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alti, Kamlesh

2017-07-01

Optical fibres play a very crucial role in today’s technologies. Academic courses in optical fibres start at the undergraduate level. Nevertheless, student’s curiosity towards optical fibres starts from the school level. In this paper, some fun experiments have been designed for both school and college students, which have some concrete implications at the research level also.

Membrane proteins, detergents and crystals: what is the state of the art?

PubMed Central

Loll, Patrick J.

2014-01-01

At the time when the first membrane-protein crystal structure was determined, crystallization of these molecules was widely perceived as extremely arduous. Today, that perception has changed drastically, and the process is regarded as routine (or nearly so). On the occasion of the International Year of Crystallography 2014, this review presents a snapshot of the current state of the art, with an emphasis on the role of detergents in this process. A survey of membrane-protein crystal structures published since 2012 reveals that the direct crystallization of protein–detergent complexes remains the dominant method­ology; in addition, lipidic mesophases have proven immensely useful, particularly in specific niches, and bicelles, while perhaps undervalued, have provided important contributions as well. Evolving trends include the addition of lipids to protein–detergent complexes and the gradual incorporation of new detergents into the standard repertoire. Stability has emerged as a critical parameter controlling how a membrane protein behaves in the presence of detergent, and efforts to enhance stability are discussed. Finally, although discovery-based screening approaches continue to dwarf mechanistic efforts to unravel crystallization, recent technical advances offer hope that future experiments might incorporate the rational manipulation of crystallization behaviors. PMID:25484203

40 CFR 80.156 - Liability for violations of the interim detergent program controls and prohibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., or detergent-additized post-refinery component satisfied relevant requirements when it left their... detergent satisfied all relevant requirements when it left the detergent manufacturer's control; and (B... manufactured. (2) The test results must accurately establish that, when it left the manufacturer's control, the...

Fibre Concrete 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-09-01

9th international conference on fibre reinforced concretes (FRC), textile reinforced concretes (TRC) and ultra-high performance concretes (UHPC) Preface The Fibre Concrete Conference series is held biennially to provide a platform to share knowledge on fibre reinforced concretes, textile concretes and ultra-high performance concretes regarding material properties and behaviour, technology procedures, topics of long-term behaviour, creep, durability; sustainable aspects of concrete including utilisation of waste materials in concrete production and recycling of concrete. The tradition of Fibre Concrete Conferences started in eighties of the last century. Nowadays the conference is organized by the Department of Concrete and Masonry Structures of the Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering. The 9th International Conference Fibre Concrete 2017 had 109 participants from 27 countries all over the world. 55 papers were presented including keynote lectures of Professor Bažant, Professor Bartoš and Dr. Broukalová. The conference program covered wide range of topics from scientific research to practical applications. The presented contributions related to performance and behaviour of cement based composites, their long-term behaviour and durability, sustainable aspects, advanced analyses of structures from these composites and successful applications. This conference was organized also to honour Professor Zděnek P. Bažant on the occasion of his jubilee and to appreciate his merits and discoveries in the field of fibre reinforced composites, structural mechanics and engineering.

Stabilization of photosystem II reaction centers: influence of bile salt detergents and low pH.

PubMed

Gall, B; Scheer, H

1998-07-17

Rapid deterioration of samples is a major obstacle in research on the isolated reaction center of photosystem II. Its stability was tested systematically using a wide range of detergents, varying pH and temperature. Stability and activity did not depend on ionic properties of detergents or on critical micellar concentration. However, both were significantly increased by bile salt detergents in the dark as well as in the light. Low pH (5.5) and low temperature further improved stability. The results suggest that in particular the zwitterionic bile salt detergent, CHAPS, in pH 5.5 buffers is a very useful detergent and even superior to dodecylmaltoside for work with photosystem II reaction centers.

Effect of the Ratio of Non-fibrous Carbohydrates to Neutral Detergent Fiber and Protein Structure on Intake, Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation, and Nitrogen Metabolism in Lambs

PubMed Central

Ma, T.; Tu, Y.; Zhang, N. F.; Deng, K. D.; Diao, Q. Y.

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the ratio of non-fibrous carbohydrates to neutral detergent fibre (NFC/NDF) and undegraded dietary protein (UDP) on rumen fermentation and nitrogen metabolism in lambs. Four Dorper×thin-tailed Han crossbred lambs, averaging 62.3±1.9 kg of body weight and 10 mo of age, were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments of combinations of two levels of NFC/NDF (1.0 and 1.7) and two levels of UDP (35% and 50% of crude protein [CP]). Duodenal nutrient flows were measured with dual markers of Yb and Co, and microbial N (MN) synthesis was estimated using 15N. High UDP decreased organic matter (OM) intake (p = 0.002) and CP intake (p = 0.005). Ruminal pH (p<0.001), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N; p = 0.008), and total volatile fatty acids (p<0.001) were affected by dietary NFC/NDF. The ruminal concentration of NH3-N was also affected by UDP (p<0.001). The duodenal flow of total MN (p = 0.007) was greater for lambs fed the high NFC/NDF diet. The amount of metabolisable N increased with increasing dietary NFC:NDF (p = 0.02) or UDP (p = 0.04). In conclusion, the diets with high NFC/NDF (1.7) and UDP (50% of CP) improved metabolisable N supply to lambs. PMID:26323398

Effect of the Ratio of Non-fibrous Carbohydrates to Neutral Detergent Fiber and Protein Structure on Intake, Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation, and Nitrogen Metabolism in Lambs.

PubMed

Ma, T; Tu, Y; Zhang, N F; Deng, K D; Diao, Q Y

2015-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the ratio of non-fibrous carbohydrates to neutral detergent fibre (NFC/NDF) and undegraded dietary protein (UDP) on rumen fermentation and nitrogen metabolism in lambs. Four Dorper×thin-tailed Han crossbred lambs, averaging 62.3±1.9 kg of body weight and 10 mo of age, were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments of combinations of two levels of NFC/NDF (1.0 and 1.7) and two levels of UDP (35% and 50% of crude protein [CP]). Duodenal nutrient flows were measured with dual markers of Yb and Co, and microbial N (MN) synthesis was estimated using (15)N. High UDP decreased organic matter (OM) intake (p = 0.002) and CP intake (p = 0.005). Ruminal pH (p<0.001), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N; p = 0.008), and total volatile fatty acids (p<0.001) were affected by dietary NFC/NDF. The ruminal concentration of NH3-N was also affected by UDP (p<0.001). The duodenal flow of total MN (p = 0.007) was greater for lambs fed the high NFC/NDF diet. The amount of metabolisable N increased with increasing dietary NFC:NDF (p = 0.02) or UDP (p = 0.04). In conclusion, the diets with high NFC/NDF (1.7) and UDP (50% of CP) improved metabolisable N supply to lambs.

40 CFR 417.170 - Applicability; description of the manufacture of detergents by dry blending subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... manufacture of detergents by dry blending subcategory. 417.170 Section 417.170 Protection of Environment... POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Manufacture of Detergents by Dry Blending Subcategory § 417.170 Applicability; description of the manufacture of detergents by dry blending subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are...

40 CFR 417.190 - Applicability; description of the manufacture of detergent bars and cakes subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... manufacture of detergent bars and cakes subcategory. 417.190 Section 417.190 Protection of Environment... POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Manufacture of Detergent Bars and Cakes Subcategory § 417.190 Applicability; description of the manufacture of detergent bars and cakes subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are...

Modified sensing element of a fibre-optic current sensor based on a low-eigenellipticity spun fibre

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Przhiyalkovsky, Ya V; Morshnev, S K; Starostin, N I

2014-10-31

We have proposed and investigated a modified sensing element of a spun fibre current sensor for the case when the beat length of the built-in linear birefringence of the fibre is equal to or less than the spin pitch of its helical structure. The proposed configuration makes it possible to restore the interferometer contrast reduced because of the decrease in the ellipticity of the wavelength-averaged polarisation state of radiation propagating in such spun fibre. The modified sensing element contains two polarisation state converters: one, located at the spun fibre input, produces polarisation with ellipticity equal to the eigenellipticity of themore » fibre, and the other ensures conversion of the elliptical polarisation to an orthogonal one through mirror reflection at the fibre output. We have also demonstrated that the magneto-optical sensitivity decreases slightly for the analysed spectrum-averaged parameters of the polarisation state of radiation in the spun fibre. Experimental data lend support to the theoretical predictions. (fibre-optic sensors)« less

Detergent alkaline proteases: enzymatic properties, genes, and crystal structures.

PubMed

Saeki, Katsuhisa; Ozaki, Katsuya; Kobayashi, Tohru; Ito, Susumu

2007-06-01

Subtilisin-like serine proteases from bacilli have been used in various industrial fields worldwide, particularly in the production of laundry and automatic dishwashing detergents. They belong to family A of the subtilase superfamily, which is composed of three clans, namely, true subtilisins, high-alkaline proteases, and intracellular proteases. We succeeded in the large-scale production of a high-alkaline protease (M-protease) from alkaliphilic Bacillus clausii KSM-K16, and the enzyme has been introduced into compact heavy-duty laundry detergents. We have also succeeded in the industrial-scale production of a new alkaline protease, KP-43, which was originally resistant to chemical oxidants and to surfactants, produced by alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. strain KSM-KP43 and have incorporated it into laundry detergents. KP-43 and related proteases form a new clan, oxidatively stable proteases, in subtilase family A. In this review, we describe the enzymatic properties, gene sequences, and crystal structures of M-protease, KP-43, and related enzymes.

Structure formation in binary mixtures of lipids and detergents: self-assembly and vesicle division.

PubMed

Noguchi, Hiroshi

2013-01-14

Self-assembly dynamics in binary surfactant mixtures and structure changes of lipid vesicles induced by detergent solution are studied using coarse-grained molecular simulations. Disk-shaped micelles, the bicelles, are stabilized by detergents surrounding the rim of a bilayer disk of lipids. The self-assembled bicelles are considerably smaller than bicelles formed from vesicle rupture, and their size is determined by the concentrations of lipids and detergents and the interactions between the two species. The detergent-adsorption induces spontaneous curvature of the vesicle bilayer and results in vesicle division into two vesicles or vesicle rupture into worm-like micelles. The division occurs mainly via the inverse pathway of the modified stalk model. For large spontaneous curvature of the monolayers of the detergents, a pore is often opened, thereby leading to vesicle division or worm-like micelle formation.

Polarisation effects in twin-core fibre: Application for mode locking in a fibre laser

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lobach, I A; Kablukov, S I; Podivilov, Evgenii V

2012-09-30

We report the first measurements of the longitudinal power distribution in a twin-core optical fibre at different input light polarisations. Experimental evidence is presented that, because of the difference in birefringence between the cores, the power in them depends on which core the beam is launched into. Experimental data are interpreted in terms of a modified polarisation model for mode coupling in twin-core fibres which takes into account the birefringence of the cores. In addition, we demonstrate for the first time the use of the polarisation properties of a twincore fibre for mode locking in a fibre laser. (optical fibres,more » lasers and amplifiers. properties and applications)« less

Detergents modify proteinase K resistance of PrPSc in different transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs)

PubMed Central

Breyer, Johanna; Wemheuer, Wiebke M.; Wrede, Arne; Graham, Catherine; Benestad, Sylvie L.; Brenig, Bertram; Richt, Jürgen A.; Schulz-Schaeffer, Walter J.

2012-01-01

Prion diseases are diagnosed by the detection of their proteinase K-resistant prion protein fragment (PrPSc). Various biochemical protocols use different detergents for the tissue preparation. We found that the resistance of PrPSc against proteinase K may vary strongly with the detergent used. In our study, we investigated the influence of the most commonly used detergents on eight different TSE agents derived from different species and distinct prion disease forms. For a high throughput we used a membrane adsorbtion assay to detect small amounts of prion aggregates, as well as Western blotting. Tissue lysates were prepared using DOC, SLS, SDS or Triton X-100 in different concentrations and these were digested with various amounts of proteinase K. Detergents are able to enhance or diminish the detectability of PrPSc after proteinase K digestion. Depending on the kind of detergent, its concentration - but also on the host species that developed the TSE and the disease form or prion type - the detectability of PrPSc can be very different. The results obtained here may be helpful during the development or improvement of a PrPSc detection method and they point towards a detergent effect that can be additionally used for decontamination purposes. A plausible explanation for the detergent effects described in this article could be an interaction with the lipids associated with PrPSc that may stabilize the aggregates. PMID:22226540

40 CFR 80.156 - Liability for violations of the interim detergent program controls and prohibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... base gasoline component, the detergent component, or the detergent-additized post-refinery component of... component of any post-refinery component or gasoline in the storage tank containing gasoline found to be in... evidence, that the gasoline or detergent carrier caused the violation. (2) Post-refinery component non...

Can the gastrointestinal microbiota be modulated by dietary fibre to treat obesity?

PubMed

Davis, H C

2018-05-01

Recent research suggests that the human gastrointestinal microbiota is greatly involved in yielding, storing and expending energy from the diet; therefore, it may be a further factor in linking diet to obesity. The gut microbial composition is affected by diet throughout the human lifespan, and is highly dynamic and efficient in response to dietary alterations in particular to dietary fibre intake. Short-chained fatty acids (SCFA) are the bi-product of fibre fermentation and have both obesogenic and anti-obesogenic properties. The production of specific forms of SCFAs depends on the microbes available in the gut and the type of fibre ingested. The gut microbiome associated with healthy lean individuals has a higher microbial biodiversity and a greater Bacteroidete to Firmicute ratio compared to the obese individuals associated with microbiome. These gut microbial associations are similar to those seen in individuals with high and low dietary fibre intakes, respectively. Metabolites generated by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes include the three main SCFA related to obesity, namely butyrate, acetate and propionate. However, neither Bacteroidetes nor Firmicutes is purely causative or purely preventative of obesity. More research is crucial in linking the various types of fibre with particular SCFA production and the microbiome it promotes before suggesting that dietary fibre modulation of the gut microbiome can treat obesity. However, the long-term dietary trend plays the principal role in assembling the diversity and abundance of gut microbes; thus, a sustained diet high in fibre may help prevent obesity by promoting a microbiome associated with a lean phenotype.

False-positive pregnancy test after transfusion of solvent/detergent-treated plasma.

PubMed

Jilma-Stohlawetz, Petra; Wreford-Bush, Tim; Mills, Francesca; Davidson, Fiona; Kursten, Friedrich W; Jilma, Bernd; Birchall, Janet

2017-12-01

The transmission of pathogens, antibodies, and proteins is a possible consequence of blood product transfusion. A female patient had an unexpected positive serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin result, indicative of pregnancy, after she had received a transfusion with 1 unit of platelet concentrate, 4 units of red blood cells, and 4 units of pooled solvent/detergent-treated plasma (Octaplas). To investigate the possibility of passive transfusion of β-human chorionic gonadotropin from the plasma transfusion, one additional unit from the same batch was thawed and analyzed. To validate the β-human chorionic gonadotropin assay for use in solvent/detergent-treated plasma and to investigate any interference in the assay, dilution experiments were performed using the implicated plasma batch diluted with male and non-pregnant female sera. Also, plasma from a known pregnant woman was diluted with Octaplas (tested negative for β-human chorionic gonadotropin) and with a male serum to validate the assay for use in solvent/detergent-treated plasma. The implicated solvent/detergent-treated plasma had a mean β-human chorionic gonadotropin level of 91.5 mIU/mL. Results from the dilution experiments revealed an excellent correlation (r > 0.99) between β-human chorionic gonadotropin measurement in solvent/detergent-treated plasma and male serum and no over or under recovery of the expected results. Further measurements of β-human chorionic gonadotropin levels in the female recipient revealed an estimated half-life of 6 hours. This case demonstrates the importance of considering the possibility of passive transmission of analytes to a patient from the transfusion of blood products. Furthermore, the measurement of β-human chorionic gonadotropin is valid in solvent/detergent-treated plasma using a Roche Cobas analyzer. © 2017 AABB.

Experimental study of the mutual influence of fibre Faraday elements in a spun-fibre interferometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gubin, V P; Morshnev, S K; Przhiyalkovsky, Ya V

2015-08-31

An all-spun-fibre linear reflective interferometer with two linked Faraday fibre coils is studied. It is found experimentally that there is mutual influence of Faraday fibre coils in this interferometer. It manifests itself as an additional phase shift of the interferometer response, which depends on the circular birefringence induced by the Faraday effect in both coils. In addition, the interferometer contrast and magneto-optical sensitivity of one of the coils change. A probable physical mechanism of the discovered effect is the distributed coupling of orthogonal polarised waves in the fibre medium, which is caused by fibre bend in the coil. (interferometry)

Occupational asthma caused by cellulase and lipase in the detergent industry.

PubMed

Brant, A; Hole, A; Cannon, J; Helm, J; Swales, C; Welch, J; Taylor, A Newman; Cullinan, P

2004-09-01

Three employees from two different detergent companies were investigated for occupational asthma, using skin prick tests, serum specific IgE, and specific bronchial challenge. Two were challenged with lipase and one with cellulase. All three cases had immunological evidence of sensitisation to the detergent enzymes with which they worked. Bronchial challenge in each provoked a reproducible dual asthmatic response, which reproduced their work related symptoms. These are the first reported cases of occupational asthma attributable to cellulase and lipase in the detergent industry. Four of the most common enzymes used in this industry have now been reported to cause occupational asthma; continued vigilance and caution are needed when working with these or other enzymes.

Efficacy of detergent and water versus bleach for disinfection of direct contact ophthalmic lenses.

PubMed

Abbey, Ashkan M; Gregori, Ninel Z; Surapaneni, Krishna; Miller, Darlene

2014-06-01

Although manufacturers recommend cleaning ophthalmic lenses with detergent and water and then with a specific disinfectant, disinfectants are rarely used in ophthalmic practices. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of detergent and water versus that of bleach, a recommended disinfectant, to eliminate common ocular bacteria and viruses from ophthalmic lenses. Three bacterial strains (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium straitum, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 2 viral strains (adenovirus and herpes simplex virus [HSV] type-1) were individually inoculated onto 20 gonioscopy and laser lenses. The lenses were washed with detergent and water and then disinfected with 10% bleach. All the lenses were cultured after inoculation, after washing with detergent and water, and after disinfecting with the bleach. Bacterial cultures in thioglycollate broth were observed for 3 weeks, and viral cultures were observed for 2 weeks. The presence of viruses was also detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All 20 lenses inoculated with S. epidermidis, C. straitum, adenovirus, and HSV-1 showed growth after inoculation but no growth after washing with detergent/water and after disinfecting with the bleach. All lenses showed positive HSV and adenovirus PCR results after inoculation and negative PCR results after washing with detergent/water and after disinfecting with bleach. All methicillin-resistant S. aureus-contaminated lenses showed growth after inoculation and no growth after washing with detergent and water. However, 1 lens showed positive growth after disinfecting with bleach. Cleaning with detergent and water seemed to effectively eliminate bacteria and viruses from the surface of contaminated ophthalmic lenses. Further studies are warranted to design practical disinfection protocols that minimize lens damage.

An accessory protein required for anchoring and assembly of amyloid fibres in B. subtilis biofilms.

PubMed

Romero, Diego; Vlamakis, Hera; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

2011-06-01

Cells within Bacillus subtilis biofilms are held in place by an extracellular matrix that contains cell-anchored amyloid fibres, composed of the amyloidogenic protein TasA. As biofilms age they disassemble because the cells release the amyloid fibres. This release appears to be the consequence of incorporation of D-tyrosine, D-leucine, D-tryptophan and D-methionine into the cell wall. Here, we characterize the in vivo roles of an accessory protein TapA (TasA anchoring/assembly protein; previously YqxM) that serves both to anchor the fibres to the cell wall and to assemble TasA into fibres. TapA is found in discrete foci in the cell envelope and these foci disappear when cells are treated with a mixture of D-amino acids. Purified cell wall sacculi retain a functional form of this anchoring protein such that purified fibres can be anchored to the sacculi in vitro. In addition, we show that TapA is essential for the proper assembly of the fibres. Its absence results in a dramatic reduction in TasA levels and what little TasA is left produces only thin fibres that are not anchored to the cell. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Characterization of the Activity and Stability of Amylase from Saliva and Detergent: Laboratory Practicals for Studying the Activity and Stability of Amylase from Saliva and Various Commercial Detergents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valls, Cristina; Rojas, Cristina; Pujadas, Gerard; Garcia-Vallve, Santi; Mulero, Miquel

2012-01-01

This article presents two integrated laboratory exercises intended to show students the role of [alpha]-amylases (AAMYs) in saliva and detergents. These laboratory practicals are based on the determination of the enzymatic activity of amylase from saliva and different detergents using the Phadebas test (quantitative) and the Lugol test…

Preparation of Biopolyol by Solvolysis Liquefaction of Oil Palm Mesocarp Fibre using Polyhydric Alchohol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kormin, Shaharuddin; Rus, Anika Zafiah M.; Azahari, M. Shafiq M.

2017-08-01

Liquefied oil palm mesocarp fibre (LOPMF) is a promising natural material that can be used as biopolyol of polyurethane foam. The aim of this study was to utilizing solvolysis liquefaction conversion technology of oil palm mesocarp fibre (OPMF) for polyurethane (PU) foam. LOPMF was obtained with liquefaction of fibre in polyhydric alchohol (PA) such as ethylene glycol (EG), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and glycerol (GLY) as liquefaction solvent and sulphuric acid (H2SO4) in three different OPMF/PA ratio (1/2, 1/3 and 1/4) in conventional glass reactor. During the liquefaction, cellulose, semi-cellulose and lignin are decomposed, which results in changes of acid value and hydroxyl value. Liquefied OPMF and residues were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results revealed that almost 50% of the OPMF converted into biopolyol product within 2 hours with OPMF/PA ratio of 1/4. Biopolyol produced under different condition showed viscosities from 210 to 450 Pa.s. The hydroxyl and acid values of the liquefied OPMF varied with the liquefied conditions. It was observed that with an increase in the liquefaction solvent (PA) amount in the mixture resulted in a high acid value and hydroxyl value for the OPMF. High reaction temperature combining with low OPMF material to solvent ratio resulted low hydroxyl number of LOPMF. The result in this study showed that biopolyol was suitable monomer for polyurethane synthesis.

Submicrometer Emitter ESI Tips for Native Mass Spectrometry of Membrane Proteins in Ionic and Nonionic Detergents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susa, Anna C.; Lippens, Jennifer L.; Xia, Zijie; Loo, Joseph A.; Campuzano, Iain D. G.; Williams, Evan R.

2018-01-01

Native mass spectrometry (native-MS) of membrane proteins typically requires a detergent screening protocol, protein solubilization in the preferred detergent, followed by protein liberation from the micelle by collisional activation. Here, submicrometer nano-ESI emitter tips are used for native-MS of membrane proteins solubilized in both nonionic and ionic detergent solutions. With the submicrometer nano-ESI emitter tips, resolved charge-state distributions of membrane protein ions are obtained from a 150 mM NaCl, 25 mM Tris-HCl with 1.1% octyl glucoside solution. The relative abundances of NaCl and detergent cluster ions at high m / z are significantly reduced with the submicrometer emitters compared with larger nano-ESI emitters that are commonly used. This technique is beneficial for significantly decreasing the abundances (by two to three orders of magnitude compared with the larger tip size: 1.6 μm) of detergent cluster ions formed from aqueous ammonium acetate solutions containing detergents that can overlap with the membrane protein ion signal. Resolved charge-state distributions of membrane protein ions from aqueous ammonium acetate solutions containing ionic detergents were obtained with the submicrometer nano-ESI emitters; this is the first report of native-MS of membrane proteins solubilized by ionic detergents. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Submicrometer Emitter ESI Tips for Native Mass Spectrometry of Membrane Proteins in Ionic and Nonionic Detergents.

PubMed

Susa, Anna C; Lippens, Jennifer L; Xia, Zijie; Loo, Joseph A; Campuzano, Iain D G; Williams, Evan R

2018-01-01

Native mass spectrometry (native-MS) of membrane proteins typically requires a detergent screening protocol, protein solubilization in the preferred detergent, followed by protein liberation from the micelle by collisional activation. Here, submicrometer nano-ESI emitter tips are used for native-MS of membrane proteins solubilized in both nonionic and ionic detergent solutions. With the submicrometer nano-ESI emitter tips, resolved charge-state distributions of membrane protein ions are obtained from a 150 mM NaCl, 25 mM Tris-HCl with 1.1% octyl glucoside solution. The relative abundances of NaCl and detergent cluster ions at high m /z are significantly reduced with the submicrometer emitters compared with larger nano-ESI emitters that are commonly used. This technique is beneficial for significantly decreasing the abundances (by two to three orders of magnitude compared with the larger tip size: 1.6 μm) of detergent cluster ions formed from aqueous ammonium acetate solutions containing detergents that can overlap with the membrane protein ion signal. Resolved charge-state distributions of membrane protein ions from aqueous ammonium acetate solutions containing ionic detergents were obtained with the submicrometer nano-ESI emitters; this is the first report of native-MS of membrane proteins solubilized by ionic detergents. Graphical Abstract.

The Physico-Chemical Properties of Dietary Fibre Determine Metabolic Responses, Short-Chain Fatty Acid Profiles and Gut Microbiota Composition in Rats Fed Low- and High-Fat Diets

PubMed Central

Kulcinskaja, Evelina; Marungruang, Nittaya; Matziouridou, Chrysoula; Nilsson, Ulf; Stålbrand, Henrik; Nyman, Margareta

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate how physico-chemical properties of two dietary fibres, guar gum and pectin, affected weight gain, adiposity, lipid metabolism, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles and the gut microbiota in male Wistar rats fed either low- or high-fat diets for three weeks. Both pectin and guar gum reduced weight gain, adiposity, liver fat and blood glucose levels in rats fed a high-fat diet. Methoxylation degree of pectin (low, LM and high (HM)) and viscosity of guar gum (low, medium or high) resulted in different effects in the rats, where total blood and caecal amounts of SCFA were increased with guar gum (all viscosities) and with high methoxylated (HM) pectin. However, only guar gum with medium and high viscosity increased the levels of butyric acid in caecum and blood. Both pectin and guar gum reduced cholesterol, liver steatosis and blood glucose levels, but to varying extent depending on the degree of methoxylation and viscosity of the fibres. The medium viscosity guar gum was the most effective preparation for prevention of diet-induced hyperlipidaemia and liver steatosis. Caecal abundance of Akkermansia was increased with high-fat feeding and with HM pectin and guar gum of all viscosities tested. Moreover, guar gum had distinct bifidogenic effects independent of viscosity, increasing the caecal abundance of Bifidobacterium ten-fold. In conclusion, by tailoring the viscosity and possibly also the degree of methoxylation of dietary fibre, metabolic effects may be optimized, through a targeted modulation of the gut microbiota and its metabolites. PMID:25973610

Additive and Synergistic Membrane Permeabilization by Antimicrobial (Lipo)Peptides and Detergents

PubMed Central

Patel, Hiren; Huynh, Quang; Bärlehner, Dominik; Heerklotz, Heiko

2014-01-01

Certain antibiotic peptides are thought to permeabilize membranes of pathogens by effects that are also observed for simple detergents, such as membrane thinning and disordering, asymmetric bilayer expansion, toroidal pore formation, and micellization. Here we test the hypothesis that such peptides act additively with detergents when applied in parallel. Additivity is defined analogously to a fractional inhibitory concentration index of unity, and the extent and mechanism of leakage is measured by the fluorescence lifetime-based vesicle leakage assay using calcein-loaded vesicles. Good additivity was found for the concerted action of magainin 2, the fungicidal lipopeptide class of surfactins from Bacillus subtilis QST713, and the detergent octyl glucoside, respectively, with the detergent C12EO8. Synergistic or superadditive action was observed for fengycins from B. subtilis, as well as the detergent CHAPS, when combined with C12EO8. The results illustrate two mechanisms of synergistic action: First, maximal leakage requires an optimum degree of heterogeneity in the system that may be achieved by mixing a graded with an all-or-none permeabilizer. (The optimal perturbation should be focused to certain defect structures, yet not to the extent that some vesicles are not affected at all.) Second, a cosurfactant may enhance the bioavailability of a poorly soluble peptide. The results are important for understanding the concerted action of membrane-permeabilizing compounds in biology as well as for optimizing formulations of such antimicrobials for medical applications or crop protection. PMID:24853740

The influence of sorghum grain decortication on bioethanol production and quality of the distillers' dried grains with solubles using cold and conventional warm starch processing.

PubMed

Nkomba, Edouard Y; van Rensburg, Eugéne; Chimphango, Annie F A; Görgens, Johann F

2016-03-01

Very high gravity hydrolysis-fermentation of whole and decorticated sorghum grains were compared using conventional and cold hydrolysis methods to assess the extent by which decortication could minimize enzymes dosages and affect the quality of the distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS). All processing configurations achieved ethanol concentrations between 126 and 132 g/L (16.0-16.7%v/v), although decortication resulted in a decreased ethanol yield. Decortication resulted in a decreased volumetric productivity during warm processing from 1.55 to 1.25 g L(-1)h(-1), whereas the required enzyme dosage for cold processing was decreased from 250 to 221 μl/100 gstarch. Cold processing decreased the average acid detergent fibre (ADF) from 35.59% to 29.32% and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) from 44.04% to 32.28% in the DDGS compared to the conventional (warm) processing. Due to lower enzyme requirements, the use of decorticated grains combined with cold processing presents a favourable process configuration and source of DDGS for non-ruminants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance and carcass measurements of ewe lambs reared in a feedlot and fed wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) middlings total mixed rations in the summer season.

PubMed

Tufarelli, Vincenzo; Khan, Rifat Ullah; Mazzei, Domenico; Laudadio, Vito

2012-04-01

The effect of total mixed ratios containing wheat middlings (WM) as a corn grain substitute on the growth performance and carcass traits of Comisana ewe lambs was evaluated. Forty ewe lambs, with average live body weight of 13 ± 0.3 kg (mean ± SEM), were allocated randomly to two isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets for 50 days. Control diet contained 400 g/kg of dry matter (DM) of corn as the main starchy source, whereas experimental diet contained 600 g/kg DM of WM. In vivo nutrient apparent digestibility of the two diets was determined using Comisana rams (mean body weight, 65 ± 2.3 kg) and indicated significant (P < 0.05) differences for neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and hemicellulose fractions. Results from the trial using Comisana ewe lambs showed that growth traits were unaffected by dietary treatments as well as none of the carcass measurements examined (P > 0.05). These findings indicate that WM results as a suitable feed ingredient for growing ewe lambs that can be a satisfactory substitute to conventional grain source.

Detergent-Mediated Formation of β-Hematin: Heme Crystallization Promoted by Detergents Implicates Nanostructure Formation for Use as a Biological Mimic

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Hemozoin is a unique biomineral that results from the sequestration of toxic free heme liberated as a consequence of hemoglobin degradation in the malaria parasite. Synthetic neutral lipid droplets (SNLDs) and phospholipids were previously shown to support the rapid formation of β-hematin, abiological hemozoin, under physiologically relevant pH and temperature, though the mechanism by which heme crystallization occurs remains unclear. Detergents are particularly interesting as a template because they are amphiphilic molecules that spontaneously organize into nanostructures and have been previously shown to mediate β-hematin formation. Here, 11 detergents were investigated to elucidate the physicochemical properties that best recapitulate crystal formation in the parasite. A strong correlation between the detergent’s molecular structure and the corresponding kinetics of β-hematin formation was observed, where higher molecular weight polar chains promoted faster reactions. The larger hydrophilic chains correlated to the detergent’s ability to rapidly sequester heme into the lipophilic core, allowing for crystal nucleation to occur. The data presented here suggest that detergent nanostructures promote β-hematin formation in a similar manner to SNLDs and phospholipids. Through understanding mediator properties that promote optimal crystal formation, we are able to establish an in vitro assay to probe this drug target pathway. PMID:27175104

Properties of Zeolite A Obtained from Powdered Laundry Detergent: An Undergraduate Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smoot, Alison L.; Lindquist, David A.

1997-01-01

Presents experiments that introduce students to the myriad properties of zeolites using the sodium form of zeolite A (Na-A) from laundry detergent. Experiments include extracting Na-A from detergent, water softening properties, desiccant properties, ion-exchange properties, and Zeolite HA as a dehydration catalyst. (JRH)

Study on OELs for enzyme-containing detergent in China.

PubMed

Zhang, X D; Liang, Y X; Lee, C S; Jin, T Y

2004-01-01

This study is aimed at setting occupational exposure levels for total detergent dust and enzymes in detergent industries. The study population consisted of 795 workers from four enzyme-containing detergent manufacturing plants (A1, A2, B1 and B2), and 156 control workers from an electronic assembly factory. Work environment monitoring was conducted using high volume of air sampler fro measuring the concentration of total dust (mg/m3), and analyzing the level of enzyme (ng/m3) by ELISA method. A standard questionnaires, pulmonary function test, and skin prick test are used to assess health effects. The levels of detergent total dust varied from 0.2 mg/m3 to 12.54 mg/m3. For enzyme levels, in A1, B1 and B2, the concentration ranged from non-detectable to 9.92 ng/m3 and in A2, the concentration was analyzed by enzyme activity methods and was expressed as Gu/m3 (1 Gu/m3 = 16 ng/m3). The concentration is between 0.16-31.36 ng/m3. Non-specific irritation rates in exposed workers were significantly higher than that in controls. Based on the data collected from A1, B1 and control plants, 95% benchmark dose lower bound were calculated as 1.17 mg/m3. The difference of pulmonary function between exposed workers and controls is not significant. The results of SPT showed that neither Savinase- nor Alcalase-induced sensitization was found in controls. The prevalence rates of sensitization for Savinase and Alcalase were ranged between 3.2% and 31% in all enzyme-containing detergent manufacturers investigated. No case of occupational asthma was observed. For total dust, 1 mg/m3 is suggested as permissible concentration-time weighted average (PC-TWA), and 2 mg/m3 as permissible concentration-short term exposure limit (PC-STEL). For the enzyme Subtilisins, 15 ng/m3 is suggested as PC-TWA, and 30 ng/m3 as PC-STEL.

Coupling detergent lysis/clean-up methodology with intact protein fractionation for enhanced proteome characterization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharma, Ritin; Dill, Brian; Chourey, Karuna

2012-01-01

The expanding use of surfactants for proteome sample preparations has prompted the need to systematically optimize the application and removal of these MS-deleterious agents prior to proteome measurements. Here we compare four different detergent clean-up methods (Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) precipitation, Chloroform/Methanol/Water (CMW) extraction, commercial detergent removal spin column method (DRS) and filter-aided sample preparation(FASP)) with respect to varying amounts of protein biomass in the samples, and provide efficiency benchmarks with respect to protein, peptide, and spectral identifications for each method. Our results show that for protein limited samples, FASP outperforms the other three clean-up methods, while at high protein amountmore » all the methods are comparable. This information was used in a dual strategy of comparing molecular weight based fractionated and unfractionated lysates from three increasingly complex samples (Escherichia coli, a five microbial isolate mixture, and a natural microbial community groundwater sample), which were all lysed with SDS and cleaned up using FASP. The two approaches complemented each other by enhancing the number of protein identifications by 8%-25% across the three samples and provided broad pathway coverage.« less

Study of injection moulded long glass fibre-reinforced polypropylene and the effect on the fibre length and orientation distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parveeen, B.; Caton-Rose, P.; Costa, F.; Jin, X.; Hine, P.

2014-05-01

Long glass fibre (LGF) composites are extensively used in manufacturing to produce components with enhanced mechanical properties. Long fibres with length 12 to 25mm are added to a thermoplastic matrix. However severe fibre breakage can occur in the injection moulding process resulting in shorter fibre length distribution (FLD). The majority of this breakage occurs due to the melt experiencing extreme shear stress during the preparation and injection stage. Care should be taken to ensure that the longer fibres make it through the injection moulding process without their length being significantly degraded. This study is based on commercial 12 mm long glass-fibre reinforced polypropylene (PP) and short glass fibre Nylon. Due to the semi-flexiable behaviour of long glass fibres, the fibre orientation distribution (FOD) will differ from the orientation distribution of short glass fibre in an injection molded part. In order to investigate the effect the change in fibre length has on the fibre orientation distribution or vice versa, FOD data was measured using the 2D section image analyser. The overall purpose of the research is to show how the orientation distribution chnages in an injection moulded centre gated disc and end gated plaque geometry and to compare this data against fibre orientation predictions obtained from Autodesk Moldflow Simulation Insight.

Purification and Characterization of Thermostable and Detergent-Stable α-Amylase from Anoxybacillus sp. AH1

PubMed Central

Bekler, Fatma Matpan; Pirinççioğlu, Hemşe; Güven, Reyhan Gül; Güven, Kemal

2016-01-01

Summary A thermostable and detergent-stable α-amylase from a newly isolated Anoxybacillus sp. AH1 was purified and characterized. Maximum enzyme production (1874.8 U/mL) was obtained at 24 h of incubation. The amylase was purified by using Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, after which an 18-fold increase in specific activity and a yield of 9% were achieved. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated at 85 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The optimum pH and temperature values of the enzyme were 7.0 and 60 °C, respectively. The enzyme was highly stable in the presence of 30% glycerol, retaining 85% of its original activity at 60 °C within 120 min. Km and vmax values were 0.102 µmol and 0.929 µmol/min, respectively, using Lineweaver-Burk plot. The enzyme activity was increased by various detergents, but it was significantly inhibited in the presence of urea. Mg2+ and Ca2+ also significantly activated α-amylase, while Zn2+, Cu2+ and metal ion chelators ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) greatly inhibited the enzyme activity. α-Amylase activity was enhanced by β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) and dithiothreitol (DTT) to a great extent, but inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (PCMB). Iodoacetamide (IAA) and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) had a slight, whereas phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) had a strong inhibitory effect on the amylase activity. PMID:27904395

Systematic analysis of protein–detergent complexes applying dynamic light scattering to optimize solutions for crystallization trials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meyer, Arne; Dierks, Karsten; XtalConcepts, Marlowring 19, 22525 Hamburg

Application of in situ dynamic light scattering to solutions of protein–detergent complexes permits characterization of these complexes in samples as small as 2 µl in volume. Detergents are widely used for the isolation and solubilization of membrane proteins to support crystallization and structure determination. Detergents are amphiphilic molecules that form micelles once the characteristic critical micelle concentration (CMC) is achieved and can solubilize membrane proteins by the formation of micelles around them. The results are presented of a study of micelle formation observed by in situ dynamic light-scattering (DLS) analyses performed on selected detergent solutions using a newly designed advancedmore » hardware device. DLS was initially applied in situ to detergent samples with a total volume of approximately 2 µl. When measured with DLS, pure detergents show a monodisperse radial distribution in water at concentrations exceeding the CMC. A series of all-transn-alkyl-β-d-maltopyranosides, from n-hexyl to n-tetradecyl, were used in the investigations. The results obtained verify that the application of DLS in situ is capable of distinguishing differences in the hydrodynamic radii of micelles formed by detergents differing in length by only a single CH{sub 2} group in their aliphatic tails. Subsequently, DLS was applied to investigate the distribution of hydrodynamic radii of membrane proteins and selected water-insoluble proteins in presence of detergent micelles. The results confirm that stable protein–detergent complexes were prepared for (i) bacteriorhodopsin and (ii) FetA in complex with a ligand as examples of transmembrane proteins. A fusion of maltose-binding protein and the Duck hepatitis B virus X protein was added to this investigation as an example of a non-membrane-associated protein with low water solubility. The increased solubility of this protein in the presence of detergent could be monitored, as well as the progress of

Mechanical, degradation and cytocompatibility properties of magnesium coated phosphate glass fibre reinforced polycaprolactone composites.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoling; Hasan, Muhammad S; Grant, David M; Harper, Lee T; Parsons, Andrew J; Palmer, Graham; Rudd, Chris D; Ahmed, Ifty

2014-11-01

Retention of mechanical properties of phosphate glass fibre reinforced degradable polyesters such as polycaprolactone and polylactic acid in aqueous media has been shown to be strongly influenced by the integrity of the fibre/polymer interface. A previous study utilising 'single fibre' fragmentation tests found that coating with magnesium improved the fibre and matrix interfacial shear strength. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a magnesium coating on the manufacture and characterisation of a random chopped fibre reinforced polycaprolactone composite. Short chopped strand non-woven phosphate glass fibre mats were sputter coated with degradable magnesium to manufacture phosphate glass fibre/polycaprolactone composites. The degradation behaviour (water uptake, mass loss and pH change of the media) of these polycaprolactone composites as well as of pure polycaprolactone was investigated in phosphate buffered saline. The Mg coated fibre reinforced composites revealed less water uptake and mass loss during degradation compared to the non-coated composites. The cations released were also explored and a lower ion release profile for all three cations investigated (namely Na(+), Mg(2+) and Ca(2+)) was seen for the Mg coated composite samples. An increase of 17% in tensile strength and 47% in tensile modulus was obtained for the Mg coated composite samples. Both flexural and tensile properties were investigated and a higher retention of mechanical properties was obtained for the Mg coated fibre reinforced composite samples up to 10 days immersion in PBS. Cytocompatibility study showed both composite samples (coated and non-coated) had good cytocompatibility with human osteosarcoma cell line. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

High-Melting Lipid Mixtures and the Origin of Detergent-Resistant Membranes Studied with Temperature-Solubilization Diagrams

PubMed Central

Sot, Jesús; Manni, Marco M.; Viguera, Ana R.; Castañeda, Verónica; Cano, Ainara; Alonso, Cristina; Gil, David; Valle, Mikel; Alonso, Alicia; Goñi, Félix M.

2014-01-01

The origin of resistance to detergent solubilization in certain membranes, or membrane components, is not clearly understood. We have studied the solubilization by Triton X-100 of binary mixtures composed of egg sphingomyelin (SM) and either ceramide, diacylglycerol, or cholesterol. Solubilization has been assayed in the 4–50°C range, and the results are summarized in a novel, to our knowledge, form of plots, that we have called temperature-solubilization diagrams. Despite using a large detergent excess (lipid/detergent 1:20 mol ratio) and extended solubilization times (24–48 h) certain mixtures were not amenable to Triton X-100 solubilization at one or more temperatures. DSC of all the lipid mixtures, and of all the lipid + detergent mixtures revealed that detergent resistance was associated with the presence of gel domains at the assay temperature. Once the system melted down, solubilization could occur. In general adding high-melting lipids limited the solubilization, whereas the addition of low-melting lipids promoted it. Lipidomic analysis of Madin-Darby canine kidney cell membranes and of the corresponding detergent-resistant fraction indicated a large enrichment of the nonsolubilized components in saturated diacylglycerol and ceramide. SM-cholesterol mixtures were special in that detergent solubilization was accompanied, for certain temperatures and compositions, by an independent phenomenon of reassembly of the partially solubilized lipid bilayers. The temperature at which lysis and reassembly prevailed was ∼25°C, thus for some SM-cholesterol mixtures solubilization occurred both above and below 25°C, but not at that temperature. These observations can be at the origin of the detergent resistance effects observed with cell membranes, and they also mean that cholesterol-containing detergent-resistant membrane remnants cannot correspond to structures existing in the native membrane before detergent addition. PMID:25517149

Effects of dietary supplementation of leaves and whole plant of Andrographis paniculata on rumen fermentation, fatty acid composition and microbiota in goats.

PubMed

Yusuf, Aisha L; Adeyemi, Kazeem D; Samsudin, Anjas A; Goh, Yong M; Alimon, Abdul Razak; Sazili, Awis Q

2017-11-24

The nature and amount of dietary medicinal plants are known to influence rumen fermentation and nutrient digestibility in ruminants. Nonetheless, changes in nutrient digestibility and rumen metabolism in response to dietary Andrographis paniculata (AP) in goats are unknown. This study examined the effects of dietary supplementation of leaves and whole plant of AP on nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, fatty acids and rumen microbial population in goats. Twenty-four Boer crossbred bucks (4 months old; average body weight of 20.18 ± 0.19 kg) were randomly assigned to three dietary groups of eight goats each. The dietary treatments included a control diet (Basal diet without additive), basal diet +1.5% (w/w) Andrographis paniculata leaf powder (APL) and basal diet +1.5% (w/w) Andrographis paniculata whole plant powder (APW). The trial lasted 100 d following 14 d of adjustment. The rumen pH and concentration of propionate were greater (P < 0.05) in goats fed the APL and APW diets than those fed the control diet. The concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and acetate were greater (P < 0.05) in the control goats than the APL and APW goats. The digestibilities of crude protein, dry matter, acid detergent fibre and neutral detergent fibre were greater (P < 0.05) in the APL and APW goats compared to the control goats. Dietary APL and APW decreased (P < 0.05) the ruminal concentration of C18:0 and increased (P < 0.05) the ruminal concentration of C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3. The APL goats had greater (P < 0.05) ruminal concentration of C18:1 trans-11 and CLA cis-9 trans-11 than the APW and control goats. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on the population of protozoa and methanogens in the rumen of goats. The ruminal populations of Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Fibrobacter succinogenes were greater (P < 0.05) in the APL and APW goats than the control goats. Dietary supplementation of leaves and whole plant of Andrographis

[Status of the upper respiratory tract of workers in the synthetic detergent industry].

PubMed

Artamonova, V G; Barsukov, A F; Galzhiev, A S

1991-01-01

Otorhinolaryngologic examinations and functional studies were performed among 99 workers engaged in the production of synthetic detergents. The studies revealed disorders in the barrier and decontamination functions of the nasal ciliary epithelium caused by synthetic detergent dusts.

High Extinction Ratio In-Fibre Polarisers by Exploiting Tilted Fibre Bragg Grating Structures for Single-Polarisation High-Power Fibre Lasers and Amplifiers

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

maintaining (PM) fibre, utilising polarisation hole-burning ( PHB ) effect to reduce homogeneous linewidth of the EDFL. In our work, we demonstrate a stable...loss filter which will induce some loss to the cavity around its paired attenuation band region, thus imposing PHB effect to the gain medium. The...polarisation-hole-burning ( PHB ) effect to realise multi-wavelength switchable function in proposed fibre ring laser system. In the proposed fibre ring laser

Efficacy of Detergent and Water Versus Bleach for the Disinfection of Direct Contact Ophthalmic Lenses

PubMed Central

Abbey, Ashkan M.; Gregori, Ninel Z.; Surapaneni, Krishna; Miller, Darlene

2014-01-01

Purpose While manufacturers recommend cleaning ophthalmic lenses with detergent and water and then a specific disinfectant, disinfectants are rarely used in ophthalmic practices. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of detergent and water versus bleach, a recommended disinfectant, to eliminate common ocular bacteria and viruses from ophthalmic lenses. Methods Three bacterial strains (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium straitum, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and two viral strains (adenovirus and herpes simplex virus (HSV) type-1) were individually inoculated to 20 gonioscopy and laser lenses. Lenses were washed with detergent and water and then disinfected with 10% bleach. All lenses were cultured after inoculation, after detergent and water, and after the bleach. Bacterial cultures in thioglycollate broth were observed for 3 weeks and viral cultures for 2 weeks. The presence of viruses was also detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results All 20 lenses inoculated with Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium straitum, adenovirus, and HSV-1 showed growth after inoculation, but no growth after detergent/water and after the bleach. All lenses showed positive HSV and adenovirus PCR after inoculation and negative PCR after detergent/water and after bleach. All MRSA contaminated lenses showed growth after inoculation and no growth after detergent and water. However, one lens showed positive growth after bleach. Conclusions Cleaning with detergent and water appeared to effectively eliminate bacteria and viruses from the surface of contaminated ophthalmic lenses. Further studies are warranted to design practical disinfection protocols that minimize lens damage. PMID:24747806

Self-Assembling Peptide Detergents Stabilize Isolated Photosystem Ion a Dry Surface for an Extended Time

PubMed Central

Kiley, Patrick; Zhao, Xiaojun; Vaughn, Michael; Baldo, Marc A; Bruce, Barry D

2005-01-01

We used a class of designed peptide detergents to stabilize photosystem I (PS-I) upon extended drying under N2 on a gold-coated-Ni-NTA glass surface. PS-I is a chlorophyll-containing membrane protein complex that is the primary reducer of ferredoxin and the electron acceptor of plastocyanin. We isolated the complex from the thylakoids of spinach chloroplasts using a chemical detergent. The chlorophyll molecules associated with the PS-I complex provide an intrinsic steady-state emission spectrum between 650 and 800 nm at −196.15 °C that reflects the organization of the pigment-protein interactions. In the absence of detergents, a large blue shift of the fluorescence maxima from approximately 735 nm to approximately 685 nm indicates a disruption in light-harvesting subunit organization, thus revealing chlorophyll−protein interactions. The commonly used membrane protein-stabilizing detergents, N-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside and N-octyl-β-D-glucoside, only partially stabilized the approximately 735-nm complex with approximately 685-nm spectroscopic shift. However, prior to drying, addition of the peptide detergent acetyl- AAAAAAK at increasing concentration significantly stabilized the PS-I complex. Moreover, in the presence of acetyl- AAAAAAK, the PS-I complex is stable in a dried form at room temperature for at least 3 wk. Another peptide detergent, acetyl-VVVVVVD, also stabilized the complex but to a lesser extent. These observations suggest that the peptide detergents may effectively stabilize membrane proteins in the solid-state. These designed peptide detergents may facilitate the study of diverse types of membrane proteins. PMID:15954800

Friction and wear of human hair fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowen, James; Johnson, Simon A.; Avery, Andrew R.; Adams, Michael J.

2016-06-01

An experimental study of the tribological properties of hair fibres is reported, and the effect of surface treatment on the evolution of friction and wear during sliding. Specifically, orthogonally crossed fibre/fibre contacts under a compressive normal load over a series of 10 000 cycle studies are investigated. Reciprocating sliding at a velocity of 0.4 mm s-1, over a track length of 0.8 mm, was performed at 18 °C and 40%-50% relative humidity. Hair fibres retaining their natural sebum were studied, as well as those stripped of their sebum via hexane cleaning, and hair fibres conditioned using a commercially available product. Surface topography modifications resulting from wear were imaged using scanning electron microscopy and quantified using white light interferometry. Hair fibres that presented sebum or conditioned product at the fibre/fibre junction exhibited initial coefficients of friction at least 25% lower than those that were cleaned with hexane. Coefficients of friction were observed to depend on the directionality of sliding for hexane cleaned hair fibres after sufficient wear cycles that cuticle lifting was present, typically on the order 1000 cycles. Cuticle flattening was observed for fibre/fibre junctions exposed to 10 mN compressive normal loads, whereas loads of 100 mN introduced substantial cuticle wear and fibre damage.

Calcium activation of frog slow muscle fibres

PubMed Central

Costantin, L. L.; Podolsky, R. J.; Tice, Lois W.

1967-01-01

1. Skinned muscle fibres were prepared from the tonus bundle of the frog iliofibularis muscle and the contractile response elicited by applied calcium ions was studied. The fibre type was determined by electron microscopy. 2. Fast fibres shortened many times more rapidly than slow fibres, indicating that the slow contraction of slow fibres is an inherent property of the contractile mechanism. 3. The extent of spread of contraction following local calcium application was much greater in slow than in fast fibres, a difference which is consistent with the relative sparsity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in slow fibres. 4. The ability of the sarcoplasmic reticulum of slow fibres to accumulate calcium was demonstrated by the in situ immobilization of calcium when oxalate solutions were added to the skinned fibre. ImagesPlate 1Plate 2Plate 3Plate 4Plate 5AB PMID:6030519

Pectin Methylesterase and Pectin Remodelling Differ in the Fibre Walls of Two Gossypium Species with Very Different Fibre Properties

PubMed Central

Liu, Qinxiang; Talbot, Mark; Llewellyn, Danny J.

2013-01-01

Pectin, a major component of the primary cell walls of dicot plants, is synthesized in Golgi, secreted into the wall as methylesters and subsequently de-esterified by pectin methylesterase (PME). Pectin remodelling by PMEs is known to be important in regulating cell expansion in plants, but has been poorly studied in cotton. In this study, genome-wide analysis showed that PMEs are a large multi-gene family (81 genes) in diploid cotton (Gossypium raimondii), an expansion over the 66 in Arabidopsis and suggests the evolution of new functions in cotton. Relatively few PME genes are expressed highly in fibres based on EST abundance and the five most abundant in fibres were cloned and sequenced from two cotton species. Their significant sequence differences and their stage-specific expression in fibres within a species suggest sub-specialisation during fibre development. We determined the transcript abundance of the five fibre PMEs, total PME enzyme activity, pectin content and extent of de-methylesterification of the pectin in fibre walls of the two cotton species over the first 25–30 days of fibre growth. There was a higher transcript abundance of fibre-PMEs and a higher total PME enzyme activity in G. barbadense (Gb) than in G. hirsutum (Gh) fibres, particularly during late fibre elongation. Total pectin was high, but de-esterified pectin was low during fibre elongation (5–12 dpa) in both Gh and Gb. De-esterified pectin levels rose thereafter when total PME activity increased and this occurred earlier in Gb fibres resulting in a lower degree of esterification in Gb fibres between 17 and 22 dpa. Gb fibres are finer and longer than those of Gh, so differences in pectin remodelling during the transition to wall thickening may be an important factor in influencing final fibre diameter and length, two key quality attributes of cotton fibres. PMID:23755181

Effect of synthetic detergents on the swelling and the ATPase of mitochondria isolated from rat liver.

PubMed

WITTER, R F; MINK, W

1958-01-25

A study was made of the effects of various types of detergents on the swelling of isolated mitochondria and on mitochondrial ATPases which are activated by Mg or DNP respectively. The rate of swelling was measured in the Beckman spectrophotometer by following the decrease in turbidity of dilute suspensions of these organelles. It was found that non-ionic detergents containing a nonyl phenoxy side chain or anionic detergents caused swelling of the mitochondria and activation of Mg-ATPase. On the other hand, cationic detergents promoted the clumping of mitochondria and did not activate Mg-ATPase. DNP-ATPase was inhibited by all of the detergents tested. It would appear from these observations that the inhibition of DNP-ATPase is not related to a gross change in the morphology of the organelles; in contrast, the activation of Mg-ATPase definitely is correlated with swelling of the isolated mitochondria. These data also suggest that the ionic detergents combine with charged sites on the protein moiety of the lipoprotein in the mitochondrial surface, whereas the non-ionic detergents form inclusion compounds with the lipide moiety, thereby altering the mitochondrial structure and permeability.

The variable detergent sensitivity of proteases that are utilized for recombinant protein affinity tag removal

PubMed Central

Vergis, James M.; Wiener, Michael C.

2011-01-01

Recombinant proteins typically include one or more affinity tags to facilitate purification and/or detection. Expression constructs with affinity tags often include an engineered protease site for tag removal. Like other enzymes, the activities of proteases can be affected by buffer conditions. The buffers used for integral membrane proteins contain detergents, which are required to maintain protein solubility. We examined the detergent sensitivity of six commonly-used proteases (Enterokinase, Factor Xa, Human Rhinovirus 3C Protease, SUMOstar, Tobacco Etch Virus Protease, and Thrombin) by use of a panel of ninety-four individual detergents. Thrombin activity was insensitive to the entire panel of detergents, thus suggesting it as the optimal choice for use with membrane proteins. Enterokinase and Factor Xa were only affected by a small number of detergents, making them good choices as well. PMID:21539919

FIBER OPTICS: Fibre optics: Forty years later

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dianov, Evgenii M.

2010-01-01

This paper presents a brief overview of the state of the art in fibre optics and its main applications: optical fibre communications, fibre lasers and fibre sensors for various physical property measurements. The future of fibre optics and the status of this important area of the modern technology in Russia are discussed.

Helically twisted photonic crystal fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, P. St. J.; Beravat, R.; Wong, G. K. L.

2017-02-01

Recent theoretical and experimental work on helically twisted photonic crystal fibres (PCFs) is reviewed. Helical Bloch theory is introduced, including a new formalism based on the tight-binding approximation. It is used to explore and explain a variety of unusual effects that appear in a range of different twisted PCFs, including fibres with a single core and fibres with N cores arranged in a ring around the fibre axis. We discuss a new kind of birefringence that causes the propagation constants of left- and right-spinning optical vortices to be non-degenerate for the same order of orbital angular momentum (OAM). Topological effects, arising from the twisted periodic `space', cause light to spiral around the fibre axis, with fascinating consequences, including the appearance of dips in the transmission spectrum and low loss guidance in coreless PCF. Discussing twisted fibres with a single off-axis core, we report that optical activity in a PCF is opposite in sign to that seen in a step-index fibre. Fabrication techniques are briefly described and emerging applications reviewed. The analytical results of helical Bloch theory are verified by an extensive series of `numerical experiments' based on finite-element solutions of Maxwell's equations in a helicoidal frame. This article is part of the themed issue 'Optical orbital angular momentum'.

Effect of detergents, trypsin, and bivalent metal ions on interfacial activation and functioning of phospholipase D.

PubMed

Madyarov, Sh R

2014-07-01

The effects of detergents, trypsin, and bivalent metal ions on production of phosphatidic and lysophosphatidic acids by the action of phospholipase D (PLD) on lecithin and lysolecithin were studied. It was found that these reaction products and dodecyl sulfate ions activate PLD, whereas other anionic detergents are less effective. A protective effect of the functioning enzyme against its hydrolytic inactivation by trypsin was found. Bivalent metal ions can be arranged in the following sequence by their ability to activate PLD in the hydrolysis of lecithin and lysolecithin: Ca2+>Sr2+>Ba2+>Mg2+. These results are considered in relation to a proposed mechanism of activation and functioning of PLD with the participation of clusters of phosphatidates and lysophosphatidates. Such Me2+-induced formation of rafts or microdomains from the products of hydrolysis of phospholipids can rationalize not only PLD activation and self-regulation, but also the action of this mechanism on other components and properties of biomembranes. PLD and other lipolytic enzymes can be classified as lateral vector enzymes.

End effects in optical fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allington-Smith, Jeremy; Dunlop, Colin; Lemke, Ulrike; Murray, Graham

2013-12-01

The performance of highly multiplexed spectrographs is limited by focal ratio degradation (FRD) in the optical fibres. It has already been shown that this is caused mainly by processes concentrated around the mounting points at the ends of the fibres. We use the thickness of rings produced in the far-field when a fibre is illuminated by a collimated beam, to estimate the size of the region where the FRD is generated. This requires the development of a new model, using features of existing ray-tracing and wave-based models, which fits existing data very well. The results suggest that the amount of FRD is primarily determined by the length of fibre bonded into the supporting ferrule. We point out the implications for the production of future fibre systems.

Perturbations of Native Membrane Protein Structure in Alkyl Phosphocholine Detergents: A Critical Assessment of NMR and Biophysical Studies

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Membrane proteins perform a host of vital cellular functions. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms whereby they fulfill these functions requires detailed biophysical and structural investigations. Detergents have proven pivotal to extract the protein from its native surroundings. Yet, they provide a milieu that departs significantly from that of the biological membrane, to the extent that the structure, the dynamics, and the interactions of membrane proteins in detergents may considerably vary, as compared to the native environment. Understanding the impact of detergents on membrane proteins is, therefore, crucial to assess the biological relevance of results obtained in detergents. Here, we review the strengths and weaknesses of alkyl phosphocholines (or foscholines), the most widely used detergent in solution-NMR studies of membrane proteins. While this class of detergents is often successful for membrane protein solubilization, a growing list of examples points to destabilizing and denaturing properties, in particular for α-helical membrane proteins. Our comprehensive analysis stresses the importance of stringent controls when working with this class of detergents and when analyzing the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins in alkyl phosphocholine detergents. PMID:29488756

Surface treated polypropylene (PP) fibres for reinforced concrete

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

López-Buendía, Angel M., E-mail: buendia@uv.es; Romero-Sánchez, María Dolores; Climent, Verónica

Surface treatments on a polypropylene (PP) fibre have contributed to the improvement of fibre/concrete adhesion in fibre-reinforced concrete. The treatments to the PP fibre were characterized by contact angle measurements, ATR-IR and XPS to analyse chemical alterations. The surface topography and fibre/concrete interaction were analysed by several microscopic techniques, namely optical petrographic, and scanning electron microscopy. Treatment modified the surface chemistry and topography of the fibre by introducing sodium moieties and created additional fibre surface roughness. Modifications in the fibre surface led to an increase in the adhesion properties between the treated fibres and concrete and an improvement in themore » mechanical properties of the fibre-reinforced concrete composite as compared to the concrete containing untreated PP fibres. Compatibility with the concrete and increased roughness and mineral surface was also improved by nucleated portlandite and ettringite mineral association anchored on the alkaline PP fibre surface, which is induced during treatment.« less

Partial purification and properties of a laundry detergent compatible alkaline protease from a newly isolated Bacillus species Y.

PubMed

Mala, M; Srividya, S

2010-09-01

Alkaline protease production by a newly isolated Bacillus species from laundry soil was studied for detergent biocompatibility. From its morphological and nucleotide sequence (about 1.5 kb) of its 16S rDNA it was identified as Bacillus species with similarity to Bacillus species Y (Gen Bank entry: ABO 55095), and close homology with Bacillus cohnii YN-2000 (Gen Bank entry: ABO23412). Partial purification of the enzyme by ammonium sulfate (50-70% saturation) yielded 8-fold purity. Casein zymography and Sodium dodecylsulphate-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of the partially purified enzyme revealed two isozymes of molecular sizes approximately 66 kDa and 18 kDa, respectively. The enzyme was most active at pH 12 and 50°C. At pH 12 the enzyme was stable for 5 h and retained 60% activity. The enzyme retained 44% activity at 50°C up to 2 h. The protease showed good hydrolysis specificity with different substrates tested. The presence of Mn(2+), Co(2+) and ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) showed profound increase in protease activity. The protease of Bacillus species Y showed excellent stability and compatibility with three locally available detergents (Kite, Tide and Aerial) up to 3 h retaining almost 70-80% activity and 10-20% activity at room temperature (30°C) and 50°C, respectively, indicating the potential role of this enzyme for detergent application.

Development and reduction of hypertension and oxidative stress among detergent industry workers.

PubMed

Boojar, Massod M A; Goodarzi, Faranak; Boojar, Manochehr M A

2004-12-01

Hypertension status and oxidative stress parameters were assessed in 291 workers (hypertensive workers were divided into three grades, non-equivalently) at two detergent production plants, one of which included enzymes in the detergent (n=138) and another which did not (n=153), and 45 control workers in another industry three times (at the time of employment, 7 yrs later at the time of installation of a filter system, and about 3 yrs later). Malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, antioxidant enzymes and lipid status by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, trace elements by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and blood pressure using an oscilometric device. Prior to filter system installation, enzyme-exposed workers had significantly higher MDA, antioxidant enzyme activities, and prevalence of hypertension, compared with controls. The filter system reduced airborne detergent and enzyme dusts, resulting in a decreased prevalence of hypertension and a significant improvement in workers' oxidative stress indicators. Alterations in antioxidant status may result from the cumulative effect of high levels of detergent and enzyme in airborne dust in the workplace.

The Effect Of Additional Detergent In Crude Palm Oil In The Process Of Separation Stearin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezekyah Hasibuan, Vina; aini, Nur; Febriyanti; Ayubi Pane, Salahudin Al

2018-03-01

This study aims to find out how much stearin is formed from the addition of detergent and to understand the process of separation of crude olein with crude stearin from raw material of crude palm oil (CPO). Using a detergent fractionation system, detergent fractionation is a continuous crystallization of oil with controlled cooling and the separation of fractions by weight or centrifuge after supplementing surfactant.

Omega 3 fatty acids chemosensitize multidrug resistant colon cancer cells by down-regulating cholesterol synthesis and altering detergent resistant membranes composition

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The activity of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and multidrug resistance related protein 1 (MRP1), two membrane transporters involved in multidrug resistance of colon cancer, is increased by high amounts of cholesterol in plasma membrane and detergent resistant membranes (DRMs). It has never been investigated whether omega 3 polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs), which modulate cholesterol homeostasis in dyslipidemic syndromes and have chemopreventive effects in colon cancer, may affect the response to chemotherapy in multidrug resistant (MDR) tumors. Methods We studied the effect of omega 3 PUFAs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in human chemosensitive colon cancer HT29 cells and in their MDR counterpart, HT29-dx cells. Results MDR cells, which overexpressed Pgp and MRP1, had a dysregulated cholesterol metabolism, due to the lower expression of ubiquitin E3 ligase Trc8: this produced lower ubiquitination rate of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCoAR), higher cholesterol synthesis, higher cholesterol content in MDR cells. We found that DHA and EPA re-activated Trc8 E3 ligase in MDR cells, restored the ubiquitination rate of HMGCoAR to levels comparable with chemosensitive cells, reduced the cholesterol synthesis and incorporation in DRMs. Omega 3 PUFAs were incorporated in whole lipids as well as in DRMs of MDR cells, and altered the lipid composition of these compartments. They reduced the amount of Pgp and MRP1 contained in DRMs, decreased the transporters activity, restored the antitumor effects of different chemotherapeutic drugs, restored a proper tumor-immune system recognition in response to chemotherapy in MDR cells. Conclusions Our work describes a new biochemical effect of omega 3 PUFAs, which can be useful to overcome chemoresistance in MDR colon cancer cells. PMID:24225025

Waste prevention in liquid detergent distribution: a comparison based on life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Nessi, Simone; Rigamonti, Lucia; Grosso, Mario

2014-11-15

The distribution of liquid detergents through self-dispensing systems has been adopted in some Italian retail stores over the last few years. By enabling the consumer to refill several times the same container, it is proposed as a less waste-generating and more environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional distribution with single-use plastic containers. For this reason, its implementation is encouraged by the national waste prevention programme recently adopted in Italy. In order to assess such claims, a life cycle assessment was carried out to evaluate whether detergent distribution through self-dispensing systems actually allows to achieve the expected reduction in waste generation and environmental impacts. The focus was on the distribution within the large-scale retail trade and on the categories of laundry detergents, fabric softeners and hand dishwashing detergents. For each of them, a set of baseline single-use scenarios were compared with two alternative waste prevention scenarios, where the detergent is distributed through self-dispensing systems. Beyond waste generation, also the Cumulative Energy Demand and thirteen midpoint-level potential impact indicators were calculated for the comparison. Results showed that a reduction in waste generation up to 98% can be achieved, depending on the category of detergent, on the baseline scenario of comparison and on the number of times the refillable container is used. A progressive reduction in the energy demand and in most of the potential impacts was also observed, starting from a minimum number of uses of the refillable container. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physical-chemical features of non-detergent sulfobetaines active as protein-folding helpers.

PubMed

Expert-Bezançon, Nicole; Rabilloud, Thierry; Vuillard, Laurent; Goldberg, Michel E

2003-01-01

Some non-detergent sulfobetaines had been shown to prevent aggregation and improve the yield of active proteins when added to the buffer during in vitro protein renaturation. With the aim of designing more efficient folding helpers, a series of non-detergent sulfobetaines have been synthesized and their efficiency in improving the renaturation of a variety of proteins (E. coli tryptophan synthase and beta-D-galactosidase, hen lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, a monoclonal antibody) have been investigated. Attempts to correlate the structure of each sulfobetaines with its effect on folding revealed some molecular features that appear important in helping renaturation. This enabled us to design and synthesize new non-detergent sulfobetaines that act as potent folding helpers.

Fibre reinforced concrete exposed to elevated temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novák, J.; Kohoutková, A.

2017-09-01

Although concrete when subject to fire performs very well, its behaviour and properties change dramatically under high temperature due to damaged microstructure and mesostructure. As fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) represents a complex material composed of various components with different response to high temperature, to determine its behaviour and mechanical properties in fire is a demanding task. The presented paper provides a summary of findings on the fire response of fibre FRC. Namely, the information on steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), synthetic fibre reinforced concrete and hybrid (steel + synthetic) fibre reinforced concrete have been gathered from various contributions published up to date. The mechanical properties including the melting point and ignition point of fibres affect significantly the properties of concrete composites with addition of fibres. The combination of steel and synthetic fibres represents a promising alternative how to ensure good toughness of a concrete composite before heating and improve its residual mechanical behaviour and spalling resistance as well as the ductility after heating. While synthetic fibres increase concrete spalling resistance, steel fibres in a concrete mix leads to an improvement in both mechanical properties and resistance to heating effects.

A novel regulatory system in plants involving medium-chain fatty acids.

PubMed

Hunzicker, Gretel Mara

2009-12-01

Polyethylene glycol sorbitan monoacylates (Tween) are detergents of widespread use in plant sciences. However, little is known about the plant response to these compounds. Interestingly, the structure of Tweens' detergents (especially from Tween 20) resembles the lipid A structure from gram-negative bacteria polysaccharides (a backbone with short saturated fatty acids). Thus, different assays (microarray, GC-MS, RT-PCR, Northern blots, alkalinization and mutant analyses) were conducted in order to elucidate physiological changes in the plant response to Tween 20 detergent. Tween 20 causes a rapid and complex change in transcript abundance which bears all characteristics of a pathogenesis-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)/elicitor-induced defense response, and they do so at concentrations which cause no detectable deleterious effects on plant cellular integrity. In the present work, it is shown that the PAMP/elicitor-induced defense responses are caused by medium-chain fatty acids which are efficiently released from the Tween backbone by the plant, notably lauric acid (12:0) and methyl lauric acid. These compounds induce the production of ethylene, medium alkalinization and gene activation in a jasmonate-independent manner. Medium-chain fatty acids are thus novel elicitors/regulators of plant pathogen defense as they have being proved in animals.

Efficacy of adding detergents to sanitizer solutions for inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Romaine lettuce.

PubMed

Keskinen, Lindsey A; Annous, Bassam A

2011-06-30

Numerous Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been linked to consumption of fresh lettuce. The development of effective and easily implemented wash treatment could reduce such incidents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the addition of food-grade detergents to sanitizer solutions for inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 on Romaine lettuce. Freshly-cut leaves of Romaine lettuce were dip-inoculated to achieve a final cell concentration of 7.8±0.2 log CFU/g, air-dried for 2h, and stored overnight at 4 °C. Leaves were then washed for 2 min in an experimental short chain fatty acid formulation (SCFA) or in one of the following solutions with or without 0.2% dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid or 0.2% sodium 2-ethyl hexyl sulfate: 1) deionized water; 2) 100 ppm chlorine dioxide; 3) 100 ppm chlorine; and 4) 200 ppm chlorine. Following wash treatment, samples were blended in neutralizing buffer (1:3) and surface plated on the selective media CT-SMAC. The efficacy of wash treatments, with or without the detergents, in inactivating E. coli O157:H7 cells on lettuce leaves were not significantly different. The most effective wash solution was SCFA, which was capable of reducing E. coli O157:H7 populations by more than 5 log CFU/g. The rest of the wash treatments resulted in a population reduction of less than 1 log CFU/g. The effectiveness of SCFA surpasses that of other sanitizer treatments tested in this study and requires further research to optimize treatments to preserve lettuce quality. Conventional detergents did not enhance the efficacy of any of the wash treatments tested during this study. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Helically twisted photonic crystal fibres

PubMed Central

Beravat, R.; Wong, G. K. L.

2017-01-01

Recent theoretical and experimental work on helically twisted photonic crystal fibres (PCFs) is reviewed. Helical Bloch theory is introduced, including a new formalism based on the tight-binding approximation. It is used to explore and explain a variety of unusual effects that appear in a range of different twisted PCFs, including fibres with a single core and fibres with N cores arranged in a ring around the fibre axis. We discuss a new kind of birefringence that causes the propagation constants of left- and right-spinning optical vortices to be non-degenerate for the same order of orbital angular momentum (OAM). Topological effects, arising from the twisted periodic ‘space’, cause light to spiral around the fibre axis, with fascinating consequences, including the appearance of dips in the transmission spectrum and low loss guidance in coreless PCF. Discussing twisted fibres with a single off-axis core, we report that optical activity in a PCF is opposite in sign to that seen in a step-index fibre. Fabrication techniques are briefly described and emerging applications reviewed. The analytical results of helical Bloch theory are verified by an extensive series of ‘numerical experiments’ based on finite-element solutions of Maxwell's equations in a helicoidal frame. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Optical orbital angular momentum’. PMID:28069771

Muscle fibre capillarization is a critical factor in muscle fibre hypertrophy during resistance exercise training in older men.

PubMed

Snijders, Tim; Nederveen, Joshua P; Joanisse, Sophie; Leenders, Marika; Verdijk, Lex B; van Loon, Luc J C; Parise, Gianni

2017-04-01

Adequate muscle fibre perfusion is critical for the maintenance of muscle mass; it is essential in the rapid delivery of oxygen, nutrients and growth factors to the muscle, stimulating muscle fibre growth. Muscle fibre capillarization is known to decrease substantially with advancing age. However, whether (relative) low muscle fibre capillarization negatively impacts the muscle hypertrophic response following resistance exercise training in older adults is unknown. Twenty-two healthy older men (71 ± 1 years) performed 24 weeks of progressive resistance type exercise training. To assess the change in muscle fibre characteristics, percutaneous biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle were taken before and following 12 and 24 weeks of the intervention programme. A comparison was made between participants who had a relatively low type II muscle fibre capillary-to-fibre perimeter exchange index (CFPE; LOW group) and high type II muscle fibre CFPE (HIGH group) at baseline. Type I and type II muscle fibre size, satellite cell, capillary content and distance between satellite cells to the nearest capillary were determined by immunohistochemistry. Overall, type II muscle fibre size (from 5150 ± 234 to 6719 ± 446 µm 2 , P < 0.05) and satellite cell content (from 0.058 ± 0.006 to 0.090 ± 0.010 satellite cells per muscle fibre, P < 0.05) had increased significantly in response to 24 weeks of resistance exercise training. However, these improvements where mainly driven by differences in baseline type II muscle fibre capillarization, whereas muscle fibre size (from 5170 ± 390 to 7133 ± 314 µm 2 , P < 0.05) and satellite cell content (from 0.059 ± 0.009 to 0.102 ± 0.017 satellite cells per muscle fibre, P < 0.05) increased significantly in the HIGH group, no significant changes were observed in LOW group following exercise training. No significant changes in type I and type II muscle fibre capillarization

Foam Properties and Detergent Abilities of the Saponins from Camellia oleifera

PubMed Central

Chen, Yu-Fen; Yang, Chao-Hsun; Chang, Ming-Shiang; Ciou, Yong-Ping; Huang, Yu-Chun

2010-01-01

The defatted seed meal of Camellia oleifera has been used as a natural detergent and its extract is commercially utilized as a foam-stabilizing and emulsifying agent. The goal of this study was to investigate the foam properties and detergent ability of the saponins from the defatted seed meal of C. oleifera. The crude saponin content in the defatted seed meal of C. oleifera was 8.34 and the total saponins content in the crude saponins extract was 39.5% (w/w). The foaming power of the 0.5 crude saponins extract solution from defatted seed meal of C. oleifera was 37.1 of 0.5 SLS solution and 51.3% to that of 0.5% Tween 80 solution. The R5 value of 86.0% represents good foam stability of the crude saponins extracted from the defatted seed meal of the plant. With the reduction of water surface tension from 72 mN/m to 50.0 mN/m, the 0.5% crude saponins extract solution has wetting ability. The sebum-removal experiment indicated that the crude saponins extract has moderate detergency. The detergent abilities of the saponins from C. oleifera and Sapindus mukorossi were also compared. PMID:21151446

Jatropha oil derived sophorolipids: production and characterization as laundry detergent additive.

PubMed

Joshi-Navare, Kasturi; Khanvilkar, Poonam; Prabhune, Asmita

2013-01-01

Sophorolipids (SLs) are glycolipidic biosurfactants suitable for various biological and physicochemical applications. The nonedible Jatropha oil has been checked as the alternative raw material for SL synthesis using C. bombicola (ATCC22214). This is useful towards lowering the SL production cost. Through optimization of fermentation parameters and use of resting cell method, the yield 15.25 g/L could be achieved for Jatropha oil derived SL (SLJO) with 1% v/v oil feeding. The synthesized SL displayed good surfactant property. It reduced the surface tension of distilled water from 70.7 mN/m to 33.5 mN/m with the Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) value of 9.5 mg/L. Keeping the prospective use of the SL in mind, the physicochemical properties were checked along with emulsion stability under temperature, pH stress, and in hard water. Also antibacterial action and stain removal capability in comparison with commercial detergent was demonstrated. SLJO enhanced the detergent performance. Based on the results, it can be said that SLs have utility as fabric cleaner with advantageous properties such as skin friendly nature, antibacterial action, and biodegradability. Therefore SLs are potential green molecules to replace synthetic surfactants in detergents so as to reduce harm caused to environment through detergent usage.

Designer lipid-like peptides: a class of detergents for studying functional olfactory receptors using commercial cell-free systems.

PubMed

Corin, Karolina; Baaske, Philipp; Ravel, Deepali B; Song, Junyao; Brown, Emily; Wang, Xiaoqiang; Wienken, Christoph J; Jerabek-Willemsen, Moran; Duhr, Stefan; Luo, Yuan; Braun, Dieter; Zhang, Shuguang

2011-01-01

A crucial bottleneck in membrane protein studies, particularly G-protein coupled receptors, is the notorious difficulty of finding an optimal detergent that can solubilize them and maintain their stability and function. Here we report rapid production of 12 unique mammalian olfactory receptors using short designer lipid-like peptides as detergents. The peptides were able to solubilize and stabilize each receptor. Circular dichroism showed that the purified olfactory receptors had alpha-helical secondary structures. Microscale thermophoresis suggested that the receptors were functional and bound their odorants. Blot intensity measurements indicated that milligram quantities of each olfactory receptor could be produced with at least one peptide detergent. The peptide detergents' capability was comparable to that of the detergent Brij-35. The ability of 10 peptide detergents to functionally solubilize 12 olfactory receptors demonstrates their usefulness as a new class of detergents for olfactory receptors, and possibly other G-protein coupled receptors and membrane proteins.

Designer Lipid-Like Peptides: A Class of Detergents for Studying Functional Olfactory Receptors Using Commercial Cell-Free Systems

PubMed Central

Corin, Karolina; Baaske, Philipp; Ravel, Deepali B.; Song, Junyao; Brown, Emily; Wang, Xiaoqiang; Wienken, Christoph J.; Jerabek-Willemsen, Moran; Duhr, Stefan; Luo, Yuan; Braun, Dieter; Zhang, Shuguang

2011-01-01

A crucial bottleneck in membrane protein studies, particularly G-protein coupled receptors, is the notorious difficulty of finding an optimal detergent that can solubilize them and maintain their stability and function. Here we report rapid production of 12 unique mammalian olfactory receptors using short designer lipid-like peptides as detergents. The peptides were able to solubilize and stabilize each receptor. Circular dichroism showed that the purified olfactory receptors had alpha-helical secondary structures. Microscale thermophoresis suggested that the receptors were functional and bound their odorants. Blot intensity measurements indicated that milligram quantities of each olfactory receptor could be produced with at least one peptide detergent. The peptide detergents' capability was comparable to that of the detergent Brij-35. The ability of 10 peptide detergents to functionally solubilize 12 olfactory receptors demonstrates their usefulness as a new class of detergents for olfactory receptors, and possibly other G-protein coupled receptors and membrane proteins. PMID:22132066

A new hydrogen peroxide--based medical-device detergent with germicidal properties: comparison with enzymatic cleaners.

PubMed

Alfa, M J; Jackson, M

2001-06-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning and bacterial killing ability of a new non-enzyme-based formulation (killing detergent solution [KDS]) compared with commercially available enzymatic detergents that included Metrizyme (Metrex Research Division of Sybron Canada Ltd. Morrisburg, Ontario) and Gzyme (Germiphene Corp, Brantford, Ontario). KDS is a hydrogen peroxide-based detergent formulation that combines cleaning efficacy with the ability to kill microorganisms. The KDS formulation helps ensure the protection of the health care worker from infectious risk during the soaking and cleaning stages of medical device reprocessing and reduces the bioburden on devices before sterilization/disinfection. Test organisms that included Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella choleraesuis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were suspended in artificial test soil (ATS-B; patent submitted), inoculated at 10(6) colonyforming units per carrier and dried overnight before detergent exposure. The ATS-B mimics the blood, protein, carbohydrate, and endotoxin levels of patient-used medical devices. Plastic lumen carriers and a flexible colonoscope were used for surface and simulated-use testing, respectively. The results for the microbial challenge dried onto polyvinyl chloride (PVC) carriers demonstrated that the ability of KDS to remove protein, blood, carbohydrate, and endotoxin from surface test carriers was as effective as the enzyme detergents that were evaluated. Furthermore, KDS was able to effect approximately a 5-Log(10) reduction in microbial loads with a 3-minute exposure at room temperature, whereas none of the other detergents were as effective. In simulated-use testing of a soiled colonoscope, KDS was significantly better at ensuring microbial killing compared with Gzyme and Metrizyme and was equivalent to the enzymatic detergents in cleaning ability. In summary the KDS has excellent microbial-killing ability in 3-minute

Fabrication of biopolymer-based staple electrospun fibres for nanocomposite applications by particle-assisted low temperature ultrasonication.

PubMed

Mulky, Elias; Yazgan, Gökçe; Maniura-Weber, Katharina; Luginbuehl, Reto; Fortunato, Giuseppino; Bühlmann-Popa, Ana-Maria

2014-12-01

We demonstrate the fabrication of staple polymer-based fibres by the ultrasound-assisted processing of electrospun meshes. Bioabsorbable Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) was electrospun from organic solvent mixtures, yielding continuous fibres with diameters in the range of 244±78 nm. Subsequently, the obtained fibres were sonicated at low temperatures in the presence of nanoparticles in order to obtain fibres with small aspect ratios. The influence of the dispersion medium, the sonication process parameters (temperature and time) and the dimensions of the particles used on the respective length distribution of the obtained nanofibres was investigated. Hexane was identified as an optimal dispersion medium for the system studied in this work. When a cooling bath temperature of 0°C was used, a slight increase in the obtained fibres' average length and distribution was observed as compared to cooling at -80°C (54±43 μm vs 44±31 μm). Moreover, in the presence of hydroxyapatite and hydrophilic and hydrophobic TiO2 nanoparticles in the dispersion medium longer fibres were obtained (44±31 μm, 63±47 μm, and 51±52 μm). Finally, the application of the obtained PLLA-fibre-hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticle precursors for the fabrication of a fibre-reinforced Brushite-based cement with high compressive strength is shown. This method of obtaining nanoscaled fibre-reinforced materials opens up a wide range of perspectives for the fabrication of composites for tissue engineering applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Action on ileal smooth muscle of synthetic detergents and pardaxin.

PubMed

Primor, N

1986-01-01

Pardaxin (PX), a toxic and repellent substance isolated from the Red Sea flatfish, causes a sharp ball-like profile of drop of saline placed on a hydrophobic film to turn into a flattened one. This effect results with a decrease of the contact angle (theta) from 96 degrees to a maximum of 42 degrees at 10(-4) M of PX. The action of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), a synthetic anionic detergent, benzalkonium chloride (BAC) cationic detergent and pardaxin (PX) a toxic protein with detergent properties, were studied in the ileal guinea-pig longitudinal smooth muscle preparation. SDS (4 X 10(-4) M) and PX (5 X 10(-6) M) diminished the muscle contractile response to field stimulation (0.1 Hz, 1 msec) and to acetylcholine (Ach) and to histamine and elicited a prolonged (4-6 min) TTX-insensitive muscle contraction. The dose dependence of muscle contraction to SDS and PX was found to be sigmoidal and occurred over a narrow range of concentrations. The SDS- but not PX-induced muscle contraction could be reduced by diphenhydramine (H1 antihistamine). BAC (10(-5)-10(-4) M) suppressed the muscle's contractile response to electrical stimulation (0.1 Hz, 1 msec), to Ach, histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine but did not produce muscle contraction. PX at concentrations higher than 5 X 10(-6) M is a potent detergent and at this concentration shares several pharmacological similarities with SDS.

Development of the fibres of MOONS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guinouard, Isabelle; Lee, David; Schnetler, Hermine; Taylor, William; Amans, Jean-Philippe; Montgomery, David; Oliva, Ernesto

2014-07-01

MOONS will exploit the full 500 square arcmin field of view offered by the Nasmyth focus of the Very Large Telescope and will be equipped with two identical triple arm cryogenic spectrographs covering the wavelength range 0.8 - 1.8 μm, with a multiplex capability of approximately 1000 fibres. Each triple arm spectrograph will produce spectra for half of the targets simultaneously. The system will have both a medium resolution (R~4000-6000) mode and a high resolution (R~20000) mode. The fibres are used to pick off each sub field of 1.05 arcseconds and are used to transport the light from the instrument focal plane to the two spectrographs. Each fibre has a microlens to focus the beam into the fibre at a relative fast focal ratio of F/3.65 to reduce the Focal Ratio Degradation (FRD). This paper presents the overall design of the fibre system and describes the specific developments required to optimise its performance. The design of the fibre input optics, the choice of the fibre connector, and the layout of the slit end are described. The results of preliminary tests to measure the effect of twisting on the FRD performance of prototype fibres are also discussed.

Dietary fibre in foods: a review.

PubMed

Dhingra, Devinder; Michael, Mona; Rajput, Hradesh; Patil, R T

2012-06-01

Dietary fibre is that part of plant material in the diet which is resistant to enzymatic digestion which includes cellulose, noncellulosic polysaccharides such as hemicellulose, pectic substances, gums, mucilages and a non-carbohydrate component lignin. The diets rich in fibre such as cereals, nuts, fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on health since their consumption has been related to decreased incidence of several diseases. Dietary fibre can be used in various functional foods like bakery, drinks, beverages and meat products. Influence of different processing treatments (like extrusion-cooking, canning, grinding, boiling, frying) alters the physico- chemical properties of dietary fibre and improves their functionality. Dietary fibre can be determined by different methods, mainly by: enzymic gravimetric and enzymic-chemical methods. This paper presents the recent developments in the extraction, applications and functions of dietary fibre in different food products.

Identification and absolute quantification of enzymes in laundry detergents by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Gaubert, Alexandra; Jeudy, Jérémy; Rougemont, Blandine; Bordes, Claire; Lemoine, Jérôme; Casabianca, Hervé; Salvador, Arnaud

2016-07-01

In a stricter legislative context, greener detergent formulations are developed. In this way, synthetic surfactants are frequently replaced by bio-sourced surfactants and/or used at lower concentrations in combination with enzymes. In this paper, a LC-MS/MS method was developed for the identification and quantification of enzymes in laundry detergents. Prior to the LC-MS/MS analyses, a specific sample preparation protocol was developed due to matrix complexity (high surfactant percentages). Then for each enzyme family mainly used in detergent formulations (protease, amylase, cellulase, and lipase), specific peptides were identified on a high resolution platform. A LC-MS/MS method was then developed in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) MS mode for the light and corresponding heavy peptides. The method was linear on the peptide concentration ranges 25-1000 ng/mL for protease, lipase, and cellulase; 50-1000 ng/mL for amylase; and 5-1000 ng/mL for cellulase in both water and laundry detergent matrices. The application of the developed analytical strategy to real commercial laundry detergents enabled enzyme identification and absolute quantification. For the first time, identification and absolute quantification of enzymes in laundry detergent was realized by LC-MS/MS in a single run. Graphical Abstract Identification and quantification of enzymes by LC-MS/MS.

Effects of Detergents on Catalytic Activity of Human Endometase/Matrilysin-2, a Putative Cancer Biomarker†

PubMed Central

Park, Hyun I.; Lee, Seakwoo; Ullah, Asad; Cao, Qiang; Sang, Qing-Xiang Amy

2009-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of hydrolytic enzymes that play significant roles in development, morphogenesis, inflammation, and cancer invasion. Endometase (matrilysin 2 or MMP-26) is a putative early biomarker for human carcinomas. The effects of the ionic and nonionic detergents on catalytic activity of endometase were investigated. The hydrolytic activity of endometase was detergent concentration-dependent exhibiting a bell-shaped curve with its maximum activity near the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of nonionic detergents tested. The effect of Brij-35 on human gelatinase B (MMP-9), matirilysin (MMP-7), and membrane-type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP) was further explored. Their maximum catalysis was observed near the CMC of Brij-35 (~90 μM). Their IC50 values were above the CMC. The inhibition mechanism of MMP-7, MMP-9, and MT1-MMP by Brij-35 was mixed-type as determined by Dixon’s plot, however, that of endometase was non-competitive with a Ki value of 240 μM. The catalytic activities of MMPs are influenced by detergents. Monomer of detergents may activate and stabilize MMPs to enhance catalysis, but micelle of detergents may sequester enzyme and block substrate binding site to impede catalysis. Under physiological conditions lipid or membrane microenvironment may regulate enzymatic activity. PMID:19818727

Chemical composition, nitrogen degradability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins in vines harvested from four tropical sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) varieties.

PubMed

Ali, R; Mlambo, V; Mangwe, M C; Dlamini, B J

2016-02-01

This study investigated the potential of vines from four sweet potato varieties (Tia Nong 57, Tia Nong 66, Ligwalagwala and Kenya) as alternative feed resources for ruminant livestock. The chemical composition [neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), crude protein (CP) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN)], in vitro ruminal nitrogen (N) degradability and in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins in the vines, harvested at 70 and 110 days after planting (DAP), were determined. Variety and harvesting stage did not (p > 0.05) influence CP and NDF content of the vines. Concentration of CP ranged from 104.9 to 212.2 g/kg DM, while NDF ranged from 439.4 to 529.2 g/kg DM across harvesting stages and varieties. Nitrogen degradability (ND) at 70 and 110 DAP was highest (p < 0.05) in Ligwalagwala (743.1 and 985.0 g/kg DM, respectively). Treatment of vines with tannin-binding polyethylene glycol (PEG) increased (p < 0.05) in vitro ruminal cumulative gas production parameters (a, b and c). The in vitro ruminal biological activity of tannins, as measured by increment in gas production parameters upon PEG inclusion, had a maximum value of 18.2%, suggesting low to moderate antinutritional tannin activity. Ligwalagwala vines, with highly degradable N, would be the best protein supplement to use during the dry season when ruminant animals consume low N basal diets and maintenance is an acceptable production objective. Tia Nong 66 and Kenya varieties, with less degradable N, may be more suitable for use as supplements for high-producing animals such as dairy goats. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Insolubility and redistribution of GPI-anchored proteins at the cell surface after detergent treatment.

PubMed Central

Mayor, S; Maxfield, F R

1995-01-01

A diverse set of cell surface eukaryotic proteins including receptors, enzymes, and adhesion molecules have a glycosylphosphoinositol-lipid (GPI) modification at the carboxy-terminal end that serves as their sole means of membrane anchoring. These GPI-anchored proteins are poorly solubilized in nonionic detergent such as Triton X-100. In addition these detergent-insoluble complexes from plasma membranes are significantly enriched in several cytoplasmic proteins including nonreceptor-type tyrosine kinases and caveolin/VIP-21, a component of the striated coat of caveolae. These observations have suggested that the detergent-insoluble complexes represent purified caveolar membrane preparations. However, we have recently shown by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy that GPI-anchored proteins are diffusely distributed at the cell surface but may be enriched in caveolae only after cross-linking. Although caveolae occupy only a small fraction of the cell surface (< 4%), almost all of the GPI-anchored protein at the cell surface becomes incorporated into detergent-insoluble low-density complexes. In this paper we show that upon detergent treatment the GPI-anchored proteins are redistributed into a significantly more clustered distribution in the remaining membranous structures. These results show that GPI-anchored proteins are intrinsically detergent-insoluble in the milieu of the plasma membrane, and their co-purification with caveolin is not reflective of their native distribution. These results also indicate that the association of caveolae, GPI-anchored proteins, and signalling proteins must be critically re-examined. Images PMID:7579703

Disinfection of the Skin with Detergent Preparations of Irgasan DP 300 and Other Antiseptics

PubMed Central

Lilly, H. A.; Lowbury, E. J. L.

1974-01-01

An evaluation of the relative effectiveness of 2% hexachlorophane and 0·75% Irgasan DP 300 bar soaps in disinfection of the hands showed that the former caused a significantly larger reduction in natural skin bacteria than the latter after one handwash and after six handwashings, three on each of two successive days. Repeated use of Irgasan DP 300 bar soap caused a significantly greater reduction in skin flora than repeated handwashings with unmedicated bar soap, but a single handwash gave no significant reduction in skin flora compared with a single use of the unmedicated soap. In a comparison of a 4% chlorhexidine detergent solution a 3% hexachlorophane detergent cream and a 2% Irgasan DP 300 detergent solution the 4% chlorhexidine detergent gave the largest mean reduction in skin bacteria after one handwash and after six handwashings and 2% Irgasan DP 300 a poor and erratic reduction after a single handwash. After six handwashings all three preparations gave large reductions in skin bacteria. The 2% Irgasan preparation showed some residual activity on the skin after handwashing though less than that with chlorhexidine and with hexachlorophane-chlorocresol detergent preparations. PMID:4609556

A method for detergent-free isolation of membrane proteins in their local lipid environment.

PubMed

Lee, Sarah C; Knowles, Tim J; Postis, Vincent L G; Jamshad, Mohammed; Parslow, Rosemary A; Lin, Yu-Pin; Goldman, Adrian; Sridhar, Pooja; Overduin, Michael; Muench, Stephen P; Dafforn, Timothy R

2016-07-01

Despite the great importance of membrane proteins, structural and functional studies of these proteins present major challenges. A significant hurdle is the extraction of the functional protein from its natural lipid membrane. Traditionally achieved with detergents, purification procedures can be costly and time consuming. A critical flaw with detergent approaches is the removal of the protein from the native lipid environment required to maintain functionally stable protein. This protocol describes the preparation of styrene maleic acid (SMA) co-polymer to extract membrane proteins from prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems. Successful isolation of membrane proteins into SMA lipid particles (SMALPs) allows the proteins to remain with native lipid, surrounded by SMA. We detail procedures for obtaining 25 g of SMA (4 d); explain the preparation of protein-containing SMALPs using membranes isolated from Escherichia coli (2 d) and control protein-free SMALPS using E. coli polar lipid extract (1-2 h); investigate SMALP protein purity by SDS-PAGE analysis and estimate protein concentration (4 h); and detail biophysical methods such as circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation (svAUC) to undertake initial structural studies to characterize SMALPs (∼2 d). Together, these methods provide a practical tool kit for those wanting to use SMALPs to study membrane proteins.

Towards the Knittability of Graphene Oxide Fibres

PubMed Central

Seyedin, Shayan; Romano, Mark S.; Minett, Andrew I.; Razal, Joselito M.

2015-01-01

Recent developments in graphene oxide fibre (GO) processing include exciting demonstrations of hand woven textile structures. However, it is uncertain whether the fibres produced can meet the processing requirements of conventional textile manufacturing. This work reports for the first time the production of highly flexible and tough GO fibres that can be knitted using textile machinery. The GO fibres are made by using a dry-jet wet-spinning method, which allows drawing of the spinning solution (the GO dispersion) in several stages of the fibre spinning process. The coagulation composition and spinning conditions are evaluated in detail, which led to the production of densely packed fibres with near-circular cross-sections and highly ordered GO domains. The results are knittable GO fibres with Young’s modulus of ~7.9 GPa, tensile strength of ~135.8 MPa, breaking strain of ~5.9%, and toughness of ~5.7 MJ m−3. The combination of suitable spinning method, coagulation composition, and spinning conditions led to GO fibres with remarkable toughness; the key factor in their successful knitting. This work highlights important progress in realising the full potential of GO fibres as a new class of textile. PMID:26459866

Effective feather degradation and keratinase production by Bacillus pumilus GRK for its application as bio-detergent additive.

PubMed

Ramakrishna Reddy, M; Sathi Reddy, K; Ranjita Chouhan, Y; Bee, Hameeda; Reddy, Gopal

2017-11-01

An effecient feather-degrading bacterium was isolated from poultry dumping yard and identified as Bacillus pumilus GRK based on 16S rRNA sequencing. Complete feather degradation (98.3±1.52%) with high keratinase production (373±4 U/ml) was observed in 24h under optimized conditions (substrate 1% (w/w); inoculum size 4% (v/v); pH 10; 200rpm at 37°C) with feathers as sole carbon and nitrogen source in tap water. The fermented broth was enriched with amino acids like tryptophan (221.44µg/ml), isoleucine (15.0µg/ml), lysine (10.81µg/ml) and methionine (7.24µg/ml) suggesting its potential use as feed supplement. The keratinase produced was a detergent stable serine protease and its activity was further enhanced by Ca +2 and Mg +2 . Bacillus pumilus GRK keratinase was successfully utilised as bioadditive in detergent formulations for removing the blood stains from cloth without affecting its fiber and texture. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal-coated Bragg grating reflecting fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamorovskiy, Yu. K.; Butov, O. V.; Kolosovskiy, A. O.; Popov, S. M.; Voloshin, V. V.; Vorob'ev, I. L.; Vyatkin, M. Yu.

2017-03-01

High-temperature optical fibres (OF) with fibre Bragg gratings (FBG) arrays written over a long length and in-line metal coating have been made for the first time. The optical parameters of the FBG arrays were tested by the optical frequency domain reflectometer (OFDR) method in a wide temperature range, demonstrating no degradation in reflection at heating up to 600 °C for a fibre with Al coating. The mechanical strength of the developed fibre was practically the same as "ordinary" OF with similar coating, showing the absence of the influence of FBG writing process on fibre strength. Further experiments are necessary to evaluate the possibility of further increases in the operational temperature range.

Microbial products activate monocytic cells through detergent-resistant membrane microdomains.

PubMed

Epelman, Slava; Berenger, Byron; Stack, Danuta; Neely, Graham G; Ma, Ling Ling; Mody, Christopher H

2008-12-01

Patients with cystic fibrosis suffer recurrent pulmonary infections that are characterized by an overactive yet ineffective and destructive inflammatory response that is associated with respiratory infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen that produces a number of phlogistic molecules. To better understand this process, we used exoenzyme S (ExoS), one of the key P. aeruginosa-secreted exoproducts, which is known to stimulate cells via the Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway. We found that ExoS induced proinflammatory cytokine production via the NF-kappaB, Erk1/2, and Src kinase pathways. Because Src kinases are concentrated within cholesterol-containing, detergent-resistant membrane microdomains (DRM) (also called lipid rafts) and DRM act as signaling platforms and amplifiers on the surface of cells, we addressed the role of DRM in ExoS signaling. ExoS bound directly to a subset of DRM and induced the phosphorylation of multiple proteins within DRM, including Src kinases. Disruption of DRM by cholesterol extraction prevented NF-kappaB and Erk 1/2 activation and TNF-alpha production in response to ExoS. Activation of monocytic cells by other TLR and Nod-like receptor agonists, such as lipoteichoic acid, lipopolysaccharide, and peptidoglycan, were also dependent on DRM, and disruption prevented TNF-alpha production. Disruption of DRM did not prevent ExoS binding but did release the Src kinase, Lyn, from the DRM fraction into the detergent-soluble fraction, a site in which Src kinases are not active. These studies show that ExoS, a TLR agonist, requires direct binding to DRM for optimal signaling, which suggests that DRM are possible therapeutic targets in cystic fibrosis.

Combined effect of a mixture of tetracycline, acid, and detergent, and Nisin against Enterococcus faecalis and Actinomyces viscosus biofilms

PubMed Central

Balto, Hanan A.; Shakoor, Zahid A.; Kanfar, Maha A.

2015-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the combined effect of a mixture of tetracycline, acid, and detergent (MTAD) and Nisin against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) and Actinomyces viscosus (A. viscosus) biofilms. Methods: This study was conducted between June and December 2013 in collaboration with Dental Caries Research Chair, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Single-species biofilms (n=9/species/observation period) were generated on membrane filter discs and subjected to 5, 10, or 15 minute incubation with MTADN (MTAD with 3% Nisin), 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), or normal saline. The colony forming units were counted using the Dark field colony counter. Results: A 100% bactericidal effect of 5.25% NaOCl was noted during the 3 observation periods; a significant reduction (p=0.000) in mean survival rates of E. faecalis (77.3+13.6) and A. viscosus (39.6+12.6) was noted after 5 minutes exposure to MTADN compared with normal saline (78000000+5291503) declining to almost no growth after 10 and 15 minutes. The survival rates of the E. faecalis and A. viscosus biofilm were no different after treatment with MTADN and 5.25% NaOCl at the 3 observation periods (p=1.000). Conclusion: A combination of MTAD and Nisin was as effective as NaOCl against E. faecalis and A. viscosus biofilms. PMID:25719587

Ligand-induced association of surface immunoglobulin with the detergent insoluble cytoskeleton may involve an 89K protein

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, S.K.; Woda, B.

1986-03-01

Membrane immunoglobulin of B-lymphocytes is thought to play an important role in antigen recognition and cellular activation. Binding of cross-linking ligands to surface immunoglobulin (SIg) on intact cells converts it to a detergent insoluble state, and this conversion is associated with the transmission of a mitogenic signal. Insolubilized membrane proteins may be solubilized by incubating the detergent insoluble cytoskeletons in buffers which convert F-actin to G-actin ((Buffer 1), 0.34M sucrose, 0.5mM ATP, 0.5mM Dithiothrietol and lmM EDTA). Immunoprecipitation of SIg from the detergent soluble fraction of /sup 35/S-methionine labeled non ligand treated rat B-cells results in the co-isolation of anmore » 89K protein and a 44K protein, presumably actin. The 89K protein is not associated with the fraction of endogenous detergent insoluble SIg. On treatment of rat B cells with cross-linking ligand (anti-Ig) the 89K protein becomes detergent insoluble along with most of the SIg and co-isolates with SIg on immunoprecipitation of the detergent insoluble, buffer l solubilized fraction. The migration of the SIg-associated 89K protein from the detergent soluble fraction to the detergent insoluble fraction after ligand treatment, suggests that this protein might be involved in linking SIg to the underlying cytoskeleton and could be involved in the transmission of a mitogenic signal.« less

Laundry detergent and possible nonaccidental injury.

PubMed

Howieson, Alan J; Harley, Oliver J H; Tiernan, Eunan P

2007-06-01

Nonaccidental injury is always a concern when children present with unusual injuries. The case of a child who presented with a partial thickness burn secondary to prolonged contact with a liquid biological laundry detergent is described. Initially there was some doubt as to whether the agent in question could cause this injury but a small experiment on a volunteer confirmed it was possible.

The pH of commonly available soaps, liquid cleansers, detergents and alcohol gels.

PubMed

Boonchai, Waranya; Iamtharachai, Pacharee

2010-01-01

The hydrogen ion concentration (pH) of a cleanser certainly has an impact on skin condition. Dermatologists always need to recommend a cleanser to patients with hand dermatitis or sensitive skin; particularly during the outbreak of swine (AH1N1 virus) influenza, frequent hand washing and alcohol gel cleansing were greatly recommended. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pH of various commonly available cleansers and alcohol gels on the market to assess patient comfort in using such products and to make good recommendations to our patients. Multiple brands of liquid cleansers, dishwashing liquids, soaps, laundry detergents, and alcohol gels commonly available on the market were assessed for pH by using a pH meter and pH-indicator strips. The pH assessment imitated real-life conditions by diluting each cleanser with tap water and then comparing the changed pH. The pH levels of liquid cleansers, dishwashing liquids, a beauty bar, and alcohol gels were acidic to neutral and compatible with normal skin pH. Most bar soaps, baby soaps, and powdered laundry detergents had a pH in the alkali range. The pH of concentrated cleansers was slightly different from that of their dissolved forms. Regarding the antiseptic property and pH of the cleansers, alcohol gels with moisturizers appeared to be the best hand cleansers to recommend to our patients.

Influence of Embedding SMA Fibres and SMA Fibre Surface Modification on the Mechanical Performance of BFRP Composite Laminates

PubMed Central

Liu, Yanfei; Wang, Zhenqing; Li, Hao; Sun, Min; Wang, Fangxin; Chen, Bingjie

2018-01-01

In this paper, a new shape memory alloy (SMA) hybrid basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP) composite laminate was fabricated and a new surface modification method with both silane coupling agent KH550 and Al2O3 nanoparticles was conducted to enhance the interface performance. The mechanical performance of BFRP composite laminates with and without SMA fibres and the influence of SMA surface modification were studied in this paper. Different SMA fibre surface treatment methods, including etching with both H2SO4 and NaOH, modification with the silane coupling agent KH550 and new modification method with both KH550 and Al2O3 nanoparticles, were conducted to enhance the bonding between the SMA fibres and polymer matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the micromorphology of the SMA fibre surfaces exposed to different treatments and the damage morphology of composite laminates. The mechanical performance of the composites was investigated with tensile, three-point bending and low-velocity impact tests to study the influence of embedded SMA fibres and the different surface modifications of the SMA fibres. The results demonstrated that the embedded Ni-Ti SMA fibres can significantly enhance the mechanical performance of BFRP composite laminates. SMA fibres modified with both the silane coupling agent KH550 and Al2O3 nanoparticles illustrate the best mechanical performance among all samples. PMID:29300321

Characterization of detergent compatible protease from halophilic Virgibacillus sp. CD6.

PubMed

Lam, Ming Quan; Nik Mut, Nik Nurhidayu; Thevarajoo, Suganthi; Chen, Sye Jinn; Selvaratnam, Chitra; Hussin, Huszalina; Jamaluddin, Haryati; Chong, Chun Shiong

2018-02-01

A halophilic bacterium, Virgibacillus sp. strain CD6, was isolated from salted fish and its extracellular protease was characterized. Protease production was found to be highest when yeast extract was used as nitrogen source for growth. The protease exhibited stability at wide range of salt concentration (0-12.5%, w/v), temperatures (20-60 °C), and pH (4-10) with maximum activity at 10.0% (w/v) NaCl, 60 °C, pH 7 and 10, indicating its polyextremophilicity. The protease activity was enhanced in the presence of Mg 2+ , Mn 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Al 3+ (107-122% relative activity), and with retention of activity > 80% for all of other metal ions examined (K + , Ca 2+ , Cu 2+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Fe 3+ ). Both PMSF and EDTA inhibited protease activity, denoting serine protease and metalloprotease properties, respectively. High stability (> 70%) was demonstrated in the presence of organic solvents and detergent constituents, and the extracellular protease from strain CD6 was also found to be compatible in commercial detergents. Proteinaceous stain removal efficacy revealed that crude protease of strain CD6 could significantly enhance the performance of commercial detergent. The protease from Virgibacillus sp. strain CD6 could serve as a promising alternative for various applications, especially in detergent industry.

40 CFR 417.150 - Applicability; description of the manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true Applicability; description of the manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory. 417.150 Section 417.150 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS SOAP AND DETERGENT MANUFACTURING...

40 CFR 417.150 - Applicability; description of the manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Applicability; description of the manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory. 417.150 Section 417.150 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS SOAP AND DETERGENT MANUFACTURING...

40 CFR 417.150 - Applicability; description of the manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2014-07-01 2012-07-01 true Applicability; description of the manufacture of spray dried detergents subcategory. 417.150 Section 417.150 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS SOAP AND DETERGENT MANUFACTURING...

FRD in optical fibres at low temperatures: investigations for Gemini's Wide-field Fibre Multi-Object Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Oliveira, A. C.; de Oliveira, L. S.; Dos Santos, J. B.; Arruda, M. V.; Dos Santos, L. G. C.; Rodrigues, F.; de Castro, F. L. F.

2011-06-01

While there is no direct evidence for the deterioration in Focal Ratio Degradation (FRD) of optical fibres in severe temperature gradients, the fibre ends inserted into metallic containment devices such as steel ferrules can be a source of stress, and hence increased FRD at low temperatures. In such conditions, instruments using optical fibres may suffer some increase in FRD and consequent loss of system throughput when they are working in environments with significant thermal gradients, a common characteristic of ground-based observatories. In this paper we present results of experiments with optical fibres inserted in different materials as a part of our prototyping study for Gemini's Wide-field Multi-Object Spectrograph (WFMOS) project. Thermal effects and the use of new holding techniques will be discussed in the context of Integral Field Units and multi-fibres systems. In this work, we have used careful methodologies that give absolute measurements of FRD to quantify the advantages of using epoxy-based composites rather than metals as support structures for the fibre ends. This is shown to be especially important in minimizing thermally induced stresses in the fibre terminations. Not only is this important for optimizing fibre spectrograph performance but the benefits of using such materials are demonstrated in the minimization of positional variations and the avoidance of metal-to-glass delamination. Furthermore, by impregnating the composites with small zirconium oxide particles the composite materials supply their own fine polishing grit which aids significantly to the optical quality of the finished product.

PH-dependence of detergent-induced hemolysis and vesiculation of erythrocytes.

PubMed

Chernitsky, E A; Rozin, V V; Senkovich, O A

2001-01-01

The influence of pH of the medium on the parameters of detergent-induced fast hemolysis and vesiculation of human erythrocytes was studied. In the range of pH 6.3-7.2 neither the extent nor the rate of the vesiculation induced by 25 microM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) changed. However, a decrease of pH from 8.0 to 5.8 strongly modified both the extent and the rate of the hemolysis induced by SDS. Within the range of pH 8.0-6.4, the effect can be ascribed to the increase of the positive charge of the membrane. This could lead to the accumulation of the membrane-bound anion detergent and, hence, to the change of the hemolysis parameters. Non-charged detergent Triton X-100 did not display any pH-dependence. At pH between 6.4 and 5.8 the extent and rate of hemolysis changed in a complicated manner. The kinetic curves of hemolysis could be approximated by a single exponential within the pH range between 8.0 and 7.2. Upon further reduction of pH, a second exponential component, with a larger time constant, appeared in the kinetic curves. At 5.8 < pH < 7.2, the contribution of the "fast" hemolysis dropped virtually to zero, with pK about 6.0. This points to a structural transition of the membrane, possibly involving histidine. We suggest that the parameters of the detergent-induced hemolysis are sensitive to the changes of the charge and structural state of erythrocyte membrane.

Characterization of the activity and stability of amylase from saliva and detergent: laboratory practicals for studying the activity and stability of amylase from saliva and various commercial detergents.

PubMed

Valls, Cristina; Rojas, Cristina; Pujadas, Gerard; Garcia-Vallve, Santi; Mulero, Miquel

2012-07-01

This article presents two integrated laboratory exercises intended to show students the role of α-amylases (AAMYs) in saliva and detergents. These laboratory practicals are based on the determination of the enzymatic activity of amylase from saliva and different detergents using the Phadebas test (quantitative) and the Lugol test (qualitative) under different conditions (e.g. variations in temperature and alkalinity). This work also proposes the study of enzyme stability in the presence of several surfactants and oxidizing agents using the same technical approach. The proposed laboratory exercises promote the understanding of the physiological function of this enzyme and the biotechnological applications of AAMYs in the detergent industry. The exercises also promote the understanding that the enzymatic stability and performance are dependent on the organism of origin, and if necessary, these properties could be modified by genetic engineering. In addition, this article reinforces the development of laboratory skills, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to write a laboratory report. The exercises are proposed primarily as an undergraduate project for advanced students in the biochemical and biotechnological sciences. These laboratory practicals are complementary to the previously published BAMBED article (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 280-290, 2011) on detergent proteases. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Detergent Stabilized Nanopore Formation Kinetics of an Anthrax Protein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Kelby

2015-03-01

This summer research project funded through the Society of Physics Students Internship Program and The National Institute of Standards and Technology focused on optimization of pore formation of Protective Antigen protein secreted by Bacillus Anthraces. This experiment analyzes the use of N-tetradecylphosphocholine (FOS-14 Detergent) to stabilize the water soluble protein, protective antigen protein (PA63) to regulate the kinetics of pore formation in a model bilayer lipid membrane. The FOS-14 Detergent was tested under various conditions to understand its impact on the protein pore formation. The optimization of this channel insertion is critical in preparing samples of oriented for neutron reflectometry that provide new data to increase the understanding of the protein's structure.

Smooth light extraction in lighting optical fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez-Balbuena, A. A.; Vazquez-Molini, D.; Garcia-Botella, A.; Martinez-Anton, J. C.; Bernabeu, E.

2011-10-01

Recent advances in LED technology have relegated the use of optical fibre for general lighting, but there are several applications where it can be used as scanners lighting systems, daylight, cultural heritage lighting, sensors, explosion risky spaces, etc. Nowadays the use of high intensity LED to inject light in optical fibre increases the possibility of conjugate fibre + LED for lighting applications. New optical fibres of plastic materials, high core diameter up to 12.6 mm transmit light with little attenuation in the visible spectrum but there is no an efficient and controlled way to extract the light during the fibre path. Side extracting fibres extracts all the light on 2π angle so is not well suited for controlled lighting. In this paper we present an extraction system for mono-filament optical fibre which provides efficient and controlled light distribution. These lighting parameters can be controlled with an algorithm that set the position, depth and shape of the optical extraction system. The extraction system works by total internal reflection in the core of the fibre with high efficiency and low cost. A 10 m length prototype is made with 45° sectional cuts in the fibre core as extraction system. The system is tested with a 1W white LED illuminator in one side.

Interactions of dietary fibre and omega-3-rich oil with protein in surimi gels developed with salt substitute.

PubMed

Debusca, Alicia; Tahergorabi, Reza; Beamer, Sarah K; Partington, Susan; Jaczynski, Jacek

2013-11-01

Most Western populations have insufficient intake of fibre and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), while sodium intake greatly exceeds the recommended maximum. Surimi seafood is not currently fortified with these nutraceutical ingredients. Alaska pollock surimi seafood was developed with salt substitute and fortified with either 6g/100g of fibre or 10 g/100g of ω-3 oil (flax:algae:menhaden, 8:1:1) or fibre+ω-3 oil (6g/100g of fibre+10 g/100g of ω-3 oil). The objective was to determine effects of the dietary fortification on physicochemical properties of surimi. Fortification with either dietary fibre or ω-3 oil alone or in combination enhanced (P<0.05) rheological and textural characteristics. The combined fortification had a synergistic effect on rheological properties. This indicates greater gelation of surimi in the presence of fibre+ω-3 oil, suggesting their interaction with surimi myofibrillar proteins. Fibre results in protein dehydration increasing protein concentration; while oil is immobilised by protein filling void spaces in the gel matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that fibre and ω-3 oil did not interfere with normal denaturation of surimi proteins. Colour properties were only slightly affected (P<0.05). Fortification of surimi with fibre and ω-3 oil resulted in a quality product that could be useful in developing surimi products with nutritional benefits. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protein unfolding in detergents: effect of micelle structure, ionic strength, pH, and temperature.

PubMed Central

Otzen, Daniel E

2002-01-01

The 101-residue monomeric protein S6 unfolds in the anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) above the critical micelle concentration, with unfolding rates varying according to two different modes. Our group has proposed that spherical micelles lead to saturation kinetics in unfolding (mode 1), while cylindrical micelles prevalent at higher SDS concentrations induce a power-law dependent increase in the unfolding rate (mode 2). Here I investigate in more detail how micellar properties affect protein unfolding. High NaCl concentrations, which induce cylindrical micelles, favor mode 2. This is consistent with our model, though other effects such as electrostatic screening cannot be discounted. Furthermore, unfolding does not occur in mode 2 in the cationic detergent LTAB, which is unable to form cylindrical micelles. A strong retardation of unfolding occurs at higher LTAB concentrations, possibly due to the formation of dead-end protein-detergent complexes. A similar, albeit much weaker, effect is seen in SDS in the absence of salt. Chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 exhibits the same modes of unfolding in SDS as S6, indicating that this type of protein unfolding is not specific for S6. The unfolding process in mode 1 has an activation barrier similar in magnitude to that in water, while the activation barrier in mode 2 is strongly concentration-dependent. The strong pH-dependence of unfolding in SDS and LTAB suggests that the rate of unfolding in anionic detergent is modulated by repulsion between detergent headgroups and anionic side chains, while cationic side chains modulate unfolding rates in cationic detergents. PMID:12324439

Structural investigation of Mimosa pudica Linn fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, S. R.; Pattojoshi, P.; Tiwari, T. N.; Mallick, B.

2017-04-01

Sensitive plant ( Mimosa pudica Linn.) fibre is a natural fibre with electrically conductive property. Because of its electro-active sensing nature, it has been found very interesting among physicists, chemists, biologists, material scientists and technologists. So far as our knowledge is concerned; there is no report on the X-ray structure of M. pudica fibre using diffraction technique. In the present report, the M. pudica fibre has been extracted from the stem of the herb by sinking the stem in 10% NaOH solution for one week. The diffraction pattern of the fibre is found out to be cellulose-I. The effect of the fibre structure and its orientation due to different mounting have been investigated using X-ray diffraction technique. The I max of cellulose-I has been observed along (002) and (10\\overline{1)} for the perpendicular and parallel mounting of the native-fibre, respectively. Full width at half maxima of the diffraction profile turns out to be decreased with fibre orientation. Dimension of crystallite size D hkl estimated in the perpendicular mounting D_{hkl}^{ \\bot } is more as compared to that of the parallel mounting D_{hkl}^{{^{allel } }}. The smallest crystallite sizes observed in both parallel and perpendicular mounting are 18.78 and 30.78 Å respectively. It is expected that the present study may help to analyse the X-ray diffraction of fibre materials in general and natural fibres in particular.

Insight into the Structure of Light Harvesting Complex II and its Stabilization in Detergent Solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cardoso, Mateus B; Smolensky, Dmitriy; Heller, William T

2009-01-01

The structure of spinach light-harvesting complex II (LHC II), stabilized in a solution of the detergent n-octyl-{beta}-d-glucoside (BOG), was investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Physicochemical characterization of the isolated complex indicated that it was pure (>95%) and also in its native trimeric state. SANS with contrast variation was used to investigate the properties of the protein-detergent complex at three different H{sub 2}O/D{sub 2}O contrast match points, enabling the scattering properties of the protein and detergent to be investigated independently. The topological shape of LHC II, determined using ab initio shape restoration methods from the SANS data at the contrastmore » match point of BOG, was consistent with the X-ray crystallographic structure of LHC II (Liu et al. Nature 2004 428, 287-292). The interactions of the protein and detergent were investigated at the contrast match point for the protein and also in 100% D{sub 2}O. The data suggested that BOG micelle structure was altered by its interaction with LHC II, but large aggregate structures were not formed. Indirect Fourier transform analysis of the LHC II/BOG scattering curves showed that the increase in the maximum dimension of the protein-detergent complex was consistent with the presence of a monolayer of detergent surrounding the protein. A model of the LHC II/BOG complex was generated to interpret the measurements made in 100% D{sub 2}O. This model adequately reproduced the overall size of the LHC II/BOG complex, but demonstrated that the detergent does not have a highly regular shape that surrounds the hydrophobic periphery of LHC II. In addition to demonstrating that natively structured LHC II can be produced for functional characterization and for use in artificial solar energy applications, the analysis and modeling approaches described here can be used for characterizing detergent-associated {alpha}-helical transmembrane proteins.« less

Isomeric Detergent Comparison for Membrane Protein Stability: Importance of Inter-Alkyl-Chain Distance and Alkyl Chain Length

PubMed Central

Cho, Kyung Ho; Hariharan, Parameswaran; Mortensen, Jonas S.; Du, Yang; Nielsen, Anne K.; Byrne, Bernadette; Kobilka, Brian K.; Loland, Claus J.; Guan, Lan

2017-01-01

Membrane proteins encapsulated by detergent micelles are widely used for structural study. Because of their amphipathic property, detergents have the ability to maintain protein solubility and stability in an aqueous medium. However, conventional detergents have serious limitations in their scope and utility, particularly for eukaryotic membrane proteins and membrane protein complexes. Thus, a number of new agents have been devised; some have made significant contributions to membrane protein structural studies. However, few detergent design principles are available. In this study, we prepared meta and ortho isomers of the previously reported para-substituted xylene-linked maltoside amphiphiles (XMAs), along with alkyl chain-length variation. The isomeric XMAs were assessed with three membrane proteins, and the meta isomer with a C12 alkyl chain was most effective at maintaining solubility/stability of the membrane proteins. We propose that interplay between the hydrophile–lipophile balance (HLB) and alkyl chain length is of central importance for high detergent efficacy. In addition, differences in inter-alkyl-chain distance between the isomers influence the ability of the detergents to stabilise membrane proteins. PMID:27981750

Detection and quantification of anionic detergent (lissapol) in milk using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Jaiswal, Pranita; Jha, Shyam Narayan; Kaur, Jaspreet; Borah, Anjan

2017-04-15

Adulteration of milk to gain economic benefit is rampant. Addition of detergent in milk can cause food poisoning and other complications. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy was evaluated as rapid method for detection and quantification of anionic detergent (lissapol) in milk. Spectra of pure and artificially adulterated milk (0.2-2.0% detergent) samples revealed clear differences in wavenumber range of 4000-500cm -1 . The apparent variations observed in region of 1600-995 and 3040-2851cm -1 corresponds to absorption frequencies of common constituents of detergent (linear alkyl benzene sulphonate). Principal component analysis showed discrete clustering of samples based on level of detergent (p⩽0.05) in milk. The classification efficiency for test samples were recorded to be >93% using Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy approach. Maximum coefficient of determination for prediction of detergent was 0.94 for calibration and 0.93 for validation, using partial least square regression in wavenumber combination of 1086-1056, 1343-1333, 1507-1456, 3040-2851cm -1 . Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthetic detergents induced-biochemical and histological changes in skin of guinea pigs.

PubMed

Agarwal, C; Mathur, A K; Gupta, B N; Singh, A; Shanker, R

1990-06-01

The linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) based synthetic detergents-induced decrease in lipid peroxydation and increase in histamine content in exposed skin of guinea pigs in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological alterations of exposed skin included moderate degree of hyperkeratinization at lower concentration but necrosis, scarring, sloughing as well as discontinuity of epidermis at higher concentrations. The results shows that the contact of skin with detergents causes dermal toxicity.

Optimisation of saponin extraction conditions with Camellia sinensis var. assamica seed and its application for a natural detergent.

PubMed

Gong, Wanying; Huang, Yewei; Ji, Aibing; Peng, Wenshu; Liu, Cong; Zeng, Yin; Yang, Ruijuan; Yan, Liang; Wang, Xuanjun; Sheng, Jun

2018-04-01

Camellia sinensis var. assamica seed cake (a by-product of tea-seed oil) is an abundant resource with poor utilisation. C. sinensis var. assamica seed saponin (CSS) is one kind of non-ionic surfactant. In this study, the CSS extraction conditions were optimised by response surface methodology (RSM) and then the CSS detergent was developed. Additionally, the safety and decontamination ability of the developed detergent were evaluated. The optimised extraction conditions were including the extracting temperature of 40.04 °C, extraction time of 4.97 h, ethanol concentration of 64.11% and liquid-solid ratio of 14.57:1 mL g -1 . The formula of the CSS detergent was as follows: 20% crude CSS, 0.3% oxidised tea polyphenols (OTPs), 0.2% nisin, 0.3% sodium dehydroacetate, 0.7% sodium alginate and 0.5% sodium polyacrylate. The LD 50 of the CSS detergent exceeds 14 g kg -1 in mice, indicating the detergent was non-toxic. Both of the emulsifying and the pesticide residues removal abilities of the CSS detergent were significantly stronger than the commercial detergent. A natural tea seed saponin detergent with good safety and decontamination ability was successfully developed. This can make better use of the tea seed cake, thereby creating added value in the tea seed oil industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of physical effectiveness on digestibility of ration for cows in early lactation.

PubMed

Stojanovic, B; Grubic, G; Djordjevic, N; Bozickovic, A; Ivetic, A; Davidovic, V

2014-08-01

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of a diet particle size on nutrient digestibility in cows in early lactation. Treatments were diets with forage to concentrate ratio 43:57% in diet dry matter, with four different physically effective fibres (peNDF) content based on different cut length of corn silage and alfalfa haylage. The physical effectiveness factors (pef) and peNDF content of TMRs (total mixed ration) were determined using Penn State Particle Separator (PSPS) with two (pef8.0 , peNDF8.0) or three (pef1.18, peNDF1.18) sieves. The reducing of cut length of forages and particle size of diets did not affect on dry matter intake, while decreased peNDF intake by 16.34 and 8.83%, for peNDF8.0 and peNDF1.18 respectively. Apparent total tract digestibility of the nutrients was measured using two indicators: acid insoluble ash (AIA) and acid detergent insoluble lignin (ADL). Decreasing of forages cut length significantly increased apparent total tract digestibility of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) from 48.39% to 53.84% and from 53.9% to 58.66%, of crude protein from 73.96% to 79.24% and from 71.56% to 77.90%, with contemporary decreasing of non-fibre carbohydrate from 90.89% to 84.81% and from 91.99% to 86.80%, with AIA or ADL as indicator respectively. Dietary value of net energy for lactation (NEL) and energy intake was not affected by the peNDF content of the diet. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effect of undigested neutral detergent fiber content of alfalfa hay on lactating dairy cows: Feeding behavior, fiber digestibility, and lactation performance.

PubMed

Fustini, M; Palmonari, A; Canestrari, G; Bonfante, E; Mammi, L; Pacchioli, M T; Sniffen, G C J; Grant, R J; Cotanch, K W; Formigoni, A

2017-06-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of 2 alfalfa hays differing in undigested neutral detergent fiber content and digestibility used as the main forage source in diets fed to high producing cows for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese production. Diets were designed to have 2 different amounts of undigestible NDF [high (Hu) and low (Lu)], as determined by 240-h in vitro analysis (uNDF 240 ). Alfalfa hay in vitro digestibility [% of amylase- and sodium sulfite-treated NDF with ash correction (aNDFom)] at 24 and 240 h was 40.2 and 31.2% and 53.6 and 45.7% for low- (LD) and high-digestibility (HD) hays, respectively. The 4 experimental diets (Hu-HD, Lu-HD, Hu-LD, and Lu-LD) contained 46.8, 36.8, 38.8, and 30.1% of alfalfa hay, respectively, 8.6% wheat straw, and 35.3% corn (50% flake and 50% meal; DM basis). Soy hulls and soybean meal were used to replace hay to balance protein and energy among diets. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (average milk production = 46.0 ± 5.2 kg/d, 101 ± 38 d in milk, and 662 ± 42 kg of average body weight) were assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square design, with 2 wk of adaptation and a 1-wk collection period. Dry matter and water intake, rumination time, ruminal pH, and milk production and composition were measured. Diets and feces were analyzed for NDF on an organic matter basis (aNDFom), acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, and uNDF 240 to estimate total-tract fiber digestibility. Dry matter intake and rumination times were higher in HD diets compared with LD diets, regardless of forage amount. Rumination time was constant per unit of dry matter intake but differed when expressed as a function of uNDF 240 , aNDFom, or physically effective NDF intake. No differences were found among treatments on average ruminal pH, but the amount of time with pH <5.8 was lower in Hu-HD diets. Milk production and components were not different among diets. Total-tract aNDFom and potentially digestible neutral detergent fiber fraction

Fibrogenesis by mineral fibres: an in-vitro study of the roles of the macrophage and fibre length.

PubMed Central

Aalto, M.; Heppleston, A. G.

1984-01-01

Evidence on the mechanism by which inhaled mineral fibres lead to pulmonary fibrosis has not been forthcoming. As with silica, a biphasic cell culture system was required to distinguish phagocytosis from collagen formation. Synthesis of total protein and collagen by rat fibroblasts was estimated by incorporation of labelled proline after treatment with the medium from rat peritoneal macrophages that had been cultured in the presence of different types of mineral fibre. The influence of fibre length was also examined. All the main varieties of asbestos reacted with macrophages to produce or release a fibrogenic factor. However, chrysotile and the longer amosite fibres evoked the response only after prolonging the period of incubation with macrophages, presumably by permitting more complete phagocytosis of curled or longer fibres. Short amosite fibres proved to be more active than longer ones and under certain conditions were as potent as quartz. Fibrous glass also possessed stimulatory properties and again a sample having a short length gave a stronger response than a long one. Collagen formation by asbestos thus appears to be mediated by a macrophage factor, so operating in a manner similar to that previously demonstrated for quartz. The conventional view that short fibres are comparatively insignificant in asbestos fibrogenesis cannot, on the present evidence, be sustained. Furthermore, it should not be assumed than man-made mineral fibres of respirable diameter are innocuous or that short ones can be ignored. PMID:6696832

Compaction in optical fibres and fibre Bragg gratings under nuclear reactor high neutron and gamma fluence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Remy, L.; Cheymol, G.; Gusarov, A.

2015-07-01

In the framework of the development by CEA and SCK.CEN of a Fabry Perot Sensor (FPS) able to measure dimensional changes in Material Testing Reactor (MTR), the first goal of the SAKE 1 (Smirnof extention - Additional Key-tests on Elongation of glass fibres) irradiation was to measure the linear compaction of single mode fibres under high fast neutron fluence. Indeed, the compaction of the fibre which forms one side of the Fabry Perot cavity, may in particular cause a noticeable measurement error. An accurate quantification of this effect is then required to predict the radiation-induced drift and optimize the sensormore » design. To achieve this, an innovative approach was used. Approximately seventy uncoated fibre tips (length: 30 to 50 mm) have been prepared from several different fibre samples and were installed in the SCK.CEN BR2 reactor (Mol Belgium). After 22 days of irradiation a total fast (E > 1 MeV) fluence of 3 to 5x10{sup 19} n{sub fast}/cm{sup 2}, depending on the sample location, was accumulated. The temperature during irradiation was 291 deg. C, which is not far from the condition of the intended FPS use. A precise measurement of each fibre tip length was made before the irradiation and compared to the post irradiation measurement highlighting a decrease of the fibres' length corresponding to about 0.25% of linear compaction. The amplitude of the changes is independent of the capsule, which could mean that the compaction effect saturates even at the lowest considered fluence. In the prospect of performing distributed temperature measurement in MTR, several fibre Bragg gratings written using a femtosecond laser have been also irradiated. All the gratings were written in radiation hardened fibres, and underwent an additional treatment with a procedure enhancing their resistance to ionizing radiations. A special mounting made it possible to test the reflection and the transmission of the gratings on fibre samples cut down to 30 to 50 mm. The

Detergent protease exposure and respiratory disease: case-referent analysis of a retrospective cohort.

PubMed

Brant, A; Upchurch, S; van Tongeren, M; Zekveld, C; Helm, J; Barnes, F; Newman Taylor, A J; Cullinan, P

2009-11-01

To examine the relationship between protease exposure and respiratory disease in a cohort of detergent enzyme manufacturers. Case-referent analysis of a cohort of employees working in a European detergent factory between 1989 and 2002. Cases with new lower or upper respiratory disease were ascertained by examination of occupational health records and matched to referents on date of first employment. Personal exposures to airborne detergent protease were estimated, using a job exposure matrix, from >12,000 measurements taken in the factory during the period of study. We found clear, monotonic relationships between estimated protease exposure and both lower and upper respiratory disease. After control for age, sex and smoking, the odds ratio of lower respiratory disease was significantly elevated (1.98, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.79) in those employees working in jobs in the highest quartile of protease exposure (geometric mean 7.9 ng x m(-3)). For employees with upper respiratory disease, the risk was significantly elevated at a lower level of estimated protease exposure (geometric mean 2.3 ng x m(-3)). These findings provide strong evidence of an association between detergent enzyme exposure and the development of respiratory disease in an occupational setting. Using the routinely collected information on specific sensitisation and the close attention to workplace exposures that are characteristic of this industry, it should be possible to derive meaningful occupational exposure standards for most detergent enzymes.

Preparation of micro-fibrillated cellulose from sorghum fibre through alkalization and acetylation treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismojo; Simanulang, P. H.; Zulfia, A.; Chalid, M.

2017-07-01

Recently, the pollution due to non-degradable materials including plastics, has led to needs on the development of environmental-friendly material. Owing to its biodegradability nature, sorghum fibres are interesting to be modified with petro-polymer as a composite. These materials are also expected to reduce the impact of environmental pollution. Surface modification of sorghum through chemical treatment was aimed to enhanced crystalline part of micro-fibrillated cellulose, thus increased compatibility to petro-polymer, as mean to improve composite properties. The experiments were conducted by alkalization process (10% NaOH) followed by acetylation with acetic acid glacial and acetic anhydride (CH3CO2)2 with additions of 1 and 2 drops of 25% H2SO4. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the treated and untreated fibres. The results of investigation showed that the chemical treatments have effectively produced MFC with the smallest fibre size around 5.5 - 6.5 microns and reduced lignin and hemicellulose where the highest crystalline part up to 80.64% was obtained through acetate acid treatment of 17.4 M, followed acetic anhydride with 1 drop of H2SO4 addition. Based on the current results, it is promising that the synthesized composites can be improved for their compatibilities.

Fibre Bragg grating encapted with no-core fibre sensors for SRI and temperature monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daud, S.; Amiri, I. S.; Noorden, A. F. A.; Ali, J.; Yupapin, P.

2018-06-01

In this work, a Fibre Bragg grating (FBG) encapted with no-core fibre (NCF) as surrounding refractive index (SRI) and temperature sensors are practically demonstrated. A FBG with 1550 nm wavelength was attached with 5 cm length of no-core fibre (NCF) is used as SRI and temperature sensing probe. The change of temperature and SRI induced the wavelength shift in FBG. The wavelength shift in FBG reacts directly proportional to the temperature with a sensitivity of while the sensitivity of NCF was measured as 13.13 pm °C-1.

Effect of harvesting frequency, variety and leaf maturity on nutrient composition, hydrogen cyanide content and cassava foliage yield.

PubMed

Hue, Khuc Thi; Thanh Van, Do Thi; Ledin, Inger; Wredle, Ewa; Spörndly, Eva

2012-12-01

The experiment studied the effect of harvesting frequencies and varieties on yield, chemical composition and hydrogen cyanide content in cassava foliage. Foliage from three cassava varieties, K94 (very bitter), K98-7 (medium bitter) and a local (sweet), were harvested in three different cutting cycles, at 3, 6 and 9 months; 6 and 9 months and 9 months after planting, in a 2-yr experiment carried out in Hanoi, Vietnam. Increasing the harvesting frequency increased dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) production in cassava foliage. The K94 variety produced higher foliage yields than the other two varieties. Dry matter, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and total tannin content increased with months to the first harvest, whereas CP content decreased. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) content was lower at the first harvest than at later harvests for all cutting cycles. At subsequent harvests the content of total tannins tended to decline, while HCN content increased (p<0.05). Chemical composition differed somewhat across varieties except for total tannins and ash. Dry matter, NDF, ADF and total tannins were higher in fully matured leaves, while CP and HCN were lower in developing leaves.

Effect of Harvesting Frequency, Variety and Leaf Maturity on Nutrient Composition, Hydrogen Cyanide Content and Cassava Foliage Yield

PubMed Central

Hue, Khuc Thi; Thanh Van, Do Thi; Ledin, Inger; Wredle, Ewa; Spörndly, Eva

2012-01-01

The experiment studied the effect of harvesting frequencies and varieties on yield, chemical composition and hydrogen cyanide content in cassava foliage. Foliage from three cassava varieties, K94 (very bitter), K98-7 (medium bitter) and a local (sweet), were harvested in three different cutting cycles, at 3, 6 and 9 months; 6 and 9 months and 9 months after planting, in a 2-yr experiment carried out in Hanoi, Vietnam. Increasing the harvesting frequency increased dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) production in cassava foliage. The K94 variety produced higher foliage yields than the other two varieties. Dry matter, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and total tannin content increased with months to the first harvest, whereas CP content decreased. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) content was lower at the first harvest than at later harvests for all cutting cycles. At subsequent harvests the content of total tannins tended to decline, while HCN content increased (p<0.05). Chemical composition differed somewhat across varieties except for total tannins and ash. Dry matter, NDF, ADF and total tannins were higher in fully matured leaves, while CP and HCN were lower in developing leaves. PMID:25049534

Role of Detergents in Conformational Exchange of a G Protein-coupled Receptor*

PubMed Central

Chung, Ka Young; Kim, Tae Hun; Manglik, Aashish; Alvares, Rohan; Kobilka, Brian K.; Prosser, R. Scott

2012-01-01

The G protein-coupled β2-adrenoreceptor (β2AR) signals through the heterotrimeric G proteins Gs and Gi and β-arrestin. As such, the energy landscape of β2AR-excited state conformers is expected to be complex. Upon tagging Cys-265 of β2AR with a trifluoromethyl probe, 19F NMR was used to assess conformations and possible equilibria between states. Here, we report key differences in β2AR conformational dynamics associated with the detergents used to stabilize the receptor. In dodecyl maltoside (DDM) micelles, the spectra are well represented by a single Lorentzian line that shifts progressively downfield with activation by appropriate ligand. The results are consistent with interconversion between two or more states on a time scale faster than the greatest difference in ligand-dependent chemical shift (i.e. >100 Hz). Given that high detergent off-rates of DDM monomers may facilitate conformational exchange between functional states of β2AR, we utilized the recently developed maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG-3) diacyl detergent. In MNG-3 micelles, spectra indicated at least three distinct states, the relative populations of which depended on ligand, whereas no ligand-dependent shifts were observed, consistent with the slow exchange limit. Thus, detergent has a profound effect on the equilibrium kinetics between functional states. MNG-3, which has a critical micelle concentration in the nanomolar regime, exhibits an off-rate that is 4 orders of magnitude lower than that of DDM. High detergent off-rates are more likely to facilitate conformational exchange between distinct functional states associated with the G protein-coupled receptor. PMID:22893704

Role of detergents in conformational exchange of a G protein-coupled receptor.

PubMed

Chung, Ka Young; Kim, Tae Hun; Manglik, Aashish; Alvares, Rohan; Kobilka, Brian K; Prosser, R Scott

2012-10-19

The G protein-coupled β(2)-adrenoreceptor (β(2)AR) signals through the heterotrimeric G proteins G(s) and G(i) and β-arrestin. As such, the energy landscape of β(2)AR-excited state conformers is expected to be complex. Upon tagging Cys-265 of β(2)AR with a trifluoromethyl probe, (19)F NMR was used to assess conformations and possible equilibria between states. Here, we report key differences in β(2)AR conformational dynamics associated with the detergents used to stabilize the receptor. In dodecyl maltoside (DDM) micelles, the spectra are well represented by a single Lorentzian line that shifts progressively downfield with activation by appropriate ligand. The results are consistent with interconversion between two or more states on a time scale faster than the greatest difference in ligand-dependent chemical shift (i.e. >100 Hz). Given that high detergent off-rates of DDM monomers may facilitate conformational exchange between functional states of β(2)AR, we utilized the recently developed maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG-3) diacyl detergent. In MNG-3 micelles, spectra indicated at least three distinct states, the relative populations of which depended on ligand, whereas no ligand-dependent shifts were observed, consistent with the slow exchange limit. Thus, detergent has a profound effect on the equilibrium kinetics between functional states. MNG-3, which has a critical micelle concentration in the nanomolar regime, exhibits an off-rate that is 4 orders of magnitude lower than that of DDM. High detergent off-rates are more likely to facilitate conformational exchange between distinct functional states associated with the G protein-coupled receptor.

A comparison of clinic based dosimeters based on silica optical fibre and plastic optical fibre for in vivo dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lingxia; O'Keeffe, Sinead; Woulfe, Peter; Lewis, Elfed

2017-04-01

Four sensors based on silica optical fibre and plastic optical fibre for clinical in-vivo dosimetry have been fabricated and tested on site at Galway Clinic. The initial comparison results have been attained for the four sensors when they have been irradiated with beam energies of 6 MV and 15 MV at different dose rates using a modern clinical linear accelerator (Linac) as the radiation source. According to the experimental test results, the sensors based on silica optical fibre exhibit greater sensitivity to the incident radiation beam than the sensors based on plastic optical fibre when they are exposed to identical irradiation conditions. The output intensity from the sensor based on silica fibre is 5 times higher than the sensor based on plastic optical fibre.

Simulation of complex phenomena in optical fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allington-Smith, Jeremy; Murray, Graham; Lemke, Ulrike

2012-12-01

Optical fibres are essential for many types of highly multiplexed and precision spectroscopy. The success of the new generation of multifibre instruments under construction to investigate fundamental problems in cosmology, such as the nature of dark energy, requires accurate modellization of the fibre system to achieve their signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) goals. Despite their simple construction, fibres exhibit unexpected behaviour including non-conservation of etendue (focal ratio degradation, FRD) and modal noise. Furthermore, new fibre geometries (non-circular or tapered) have become available to improve the scrambling properties that, together with modal noise, limit the achievable SNR in precision spectroscopy. These issues have often been addressed by extensive tests on candidate fibres and their terminations, but these are difficult and time-consuming. Modelling by ray tracing and wave analysis is possible with commercial software packages, but these do not address the more complex features, in particular FRD. We use a phase-tracking ray-tracing method to provide a practical description of FRD derived from our previous experimental work on circular fibres and apply it to non-standard fibres. This allows the relationship between scrambling and FRD to be quantified for the first time. We find that scrambling primarily affects the shape of the near-field pattern but has negligible effect on the barycentre. FRD helps to homogenize the near-field pattern but does not make it completely uniform. Fibres with polygonal cross-section improve scrambling without amplifying the FRD. Elliptical fibres, in conjunction with tapering, may offer an efficient means of image slicing to improve the product of resolving power and throughput, but the result is sensitive to the details of illumination. We also investigated the performance of fibres close to the limiting numerical aperture since this may affect the uniformity of the SNR for some prime focus fibre instrumentation.

40 CFR 80.141 - Interim detergent gasoline program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... considered acceptable for demonstration of IVD control performance. Examples of acceptable test procedures... carburetor deposits. Examples of acceptable test procedures for demonstration of carburetor deposit control... ultimate consumer; (ii) All additized post-refinery component (PRC); and (iii) All detergent additives sold...

40 CFR 80.141 - Interim detergent gasoline program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... considered acceptable for demonstration of IVD control performance. Examples of acceptable test procedures... carburetor deposits. Examples of acceptable test procedures for demonstration of carburetor deposit control... ultimate consumer; (ii) All additized post-refinery component (PRC); and (iii) All detergent additives sold...

40 CFR 80.141 - Interim detergent gasoline program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... considered acceptable for demonstration of IVD control performance. Examples of acceptable test procedures... carburetor deposits. Examples of acceptable test procedures for demonstration of carburetor deposit control... ultimate consumer; (ii) All additized post-refinery component (PRC); and (iii) All detergent additives sold...

40 CFR 80.141 - Interim detergent gasoline program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... considered acceptable for demonstration of IVD control performance. Examples of acceptable test procedures... carburetor deposits. Examples of acceptable test procedures for demonstration of carburetor deposit control... ultimate consumer; (ii) All additized post-refinery component (PRC); and (iii) All detergent additives sold...

Binding of bile acids by pastry products containing bioactive substances during in vitro digestion.

PubMed

Dziedzic, Krzysztof; Górecka, Danuta; Szwengiel, Artur; Smoczyńska, Paulina; Czaczyk, Katarzyna; Komolka, Patrycja

2015-03-01

The modern day consumer tends to choose products with health enhancing properties, enriched in bioactive substances. One such bioactive food component is dietary fibre, which shows a number of physiological properties including the binding of bile acids. Dietary fibre should be contained in everyday, easily accessible food products. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine sorption capacities of primary bile acid (cholic acid - CA) and secondary bile acids (deoxycholic - DCA and lithocholic acids - LCA) by muffins (BM) and cookies (BC) with bioactive substances and control muffins (CM) and cookies (CC) in two sections of the in vitro gastrointestinal tract. Variations in gut flora were also analysed in the process of in vitro digestion of pastry products in a bioreactor. Enzymes: pepsin, pancreatin and bile salts: cholic acid, deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid were added to the culture. Faecal bacteria, isolated from human large intestine, were added in the section of large intestine. The influence of dietary fibre content in cookies and concentration of bile acids in two stages of digestion were analysed. Generally, pastry goods with bioactive substances were characterized by a higher content of total fibre compared with the control samples. These products also differ in the profile of dietary fibre fractions. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the bile acid profile after two stages of digestion depends on the quality and quantity of fibre. The bile acid profile after digestion of BM and BC forms one cluster, and with the CM and CC forms a separate cluster. High concentration of H (hemicellulose) is positively correlated with LCA (low binding effect) and negatively correlated with CA and DCA contents. The relative content of bile acids in the second stage of digestion was in some cases above the content in the control sample, particularly LCA. This means that the bacteria introduced in the 2nd stage of digestion synthesize the LCA.

Correlation of retinal nerve fibre layer and macular thickness with serum uric acid among type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Vinuthinee-Naidu, Munisamy-Naidu; Zunaina, Embong; Azreen-Redzal, Anuar; Nyi-Nyi, Naing

2017-06-14

Uric acid is a final breakdown product of purine catabolism in humans. It's a potent antioxidant and can also act as a pro-oxidant that induces oxidative stress on the vascular endothelial cells, thus mediating progression of diabetic related diseases. Various epidemiological and experimental evidence suggest that uric acid has a role in the etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the correlation of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and macular thickness with serum uric acid in type 2 diabetic patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eye Clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan between the period of August 2013 till July 2015 involving type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with no diabetic retinopathy and with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). An evaluation for RNFL and macular thickness was measured using Spectralis Heidelberg optical coherence tomography. Six ml of venous blood was taken for the measurement of serum uric acid and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1 C ). A total of 180 diabetic patients were recruited (90 patients with no diabetic retinopathy and 90 patients with NPDR) into the study. The mean level of serum uric acid for both the groups was within normal range and there was no significance difference between the two groups. Based on gender, both male and female gender showed significantly higher level of mean serum uric acid in no diabetic retinopathy group (p = 0.004 respectively). The mean serum uric acid was significantly higher in patient with HbA1 C  < 6.5% (p < 0.031). Patients with NPDR have thicker RNFL and macular thickness compared to patients with no diabetic retinopathy. However, only the RNFL thickness of the temporal quadrant and the macular thickness of the superior outer, inferior outer and temporal outer subfields were statistically significant (p = 0.038, p = 0.004, 0.033 and <0.001 respectively). There was poor correlation between RNFL and

Improving retting of fibre through genetic modification of flax to express pectinases.

PubMed

Musialak, Magdalena; Wróbel-Kwiatkowska, Magdalena; Kulma, Anna; Starzycka, Eligia; Szopa, Jan

2008-02-01

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a raw material used for important industrial products. Linen has very high quality textile properties, such as its strength, water absorption, comfort and feel. However, it occupies less than 1% of the total textile market. The major reason for this is the long and difficult retting process by which linen fibres are obtained. In retting, bast fibre bundles are separated from the core, the epidermis and the cuticle. This is accomplished by the cleavage of pectins and hemicellulose in the flax cell wall, a process mainly carried out by plant pathogens like filamentous fungi. The remaining bast fibres are mainly composed of cellulose and lignin. The aim of this study was to generate plants that could be retted more efficiently. To accomplish this, we employed the novel approach of transgenic flax plant generation with increased polygalacturonase (PGI ) and rhamnogalacturonase (RHA) activities. The constitutive expression of Aspergillus aculeatus genes resulted in a significant reduction in the pectin content in tissue-cultured and field-grown plants. This pectin content reduction was accompanied by a significantly higher (more than 2-fold) retting efficiency of the transgenic plant fibres as measured by a modified Fried's test. No alteration in the lignin or cellulose content was observed in the transgenic plants relative to the control. This indicates that the over-expression of the two enzymes does not affect flax fibre composition. The growth rate and soluble sugar and starch contents were in the range of the control levels. It is interesting to note that the RHA and PGI plants showed higher resistance to Fusarium culmorum and F. oxysporum attack, which correlates with the increased phenolic acid level. In this report, we demonstrate for the first time that over-expression of the A. aculeatus genes results in flax plants more readily usable for fibre production. The biochemical parameters of the cell wall components indicated that

Functionalised Silk Fibres

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-30

rubber moulds (14 x 5 x 6 mm; RL060, ProSciTech, QLD), frozen at -20ºC overnight, and placed in a freeze - dryer (FD355DMP, FTS Systems) for 24 hours...surface area, low volume materials: electrospun fibres and freeze -dried sponges (Figure 9). Each new material type is described in detail below...surface area materials generated from recombinant honeybee silk proteins. (A) Electrospun fibres, scale bar is 200 nm. (B) Freeze dried sponges

Detergent-dispersant additives based on high-molecular-weight alkylphenols

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulieva, K.N.; Namazova, I.I.; Ismailova, N.D.

1988-09-01

This article describes the synthesis and investigation of Mannich bases produced for alkylphenols, obtained in turn from ethylene oligomers. These oligomers are the still bottoms from distillation products of high-temperature oligomerization of ethylene in the presence of triethylaluminum. Two narrow cuts obtained from the distillation of oligomer fraction were used to study the influence of ethylene oligomer molecular weight on the properties of the additives. The additives were blended in DS-11 oil to evaluate their detergency-dispersancy and other properties. Comparison blends were made with succinimide additives based on the same ethylene oligomers. The Mannich bases give improvements in the oxidationmore » resistance, anticorrosion properties, and detergency-dispersancy of the DS-11 diesel oil.« less

Estimating the duration of intracellular action potentials in muscle fibres from single-fibre extracellular potentials.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Javier; Navallas, Javier; Gila, Luis; Dimitrova, Nonna Alexandrovna; Malanda, Armando

2011-04-30

In situ recording of the intracellular action potential (IAP) of human muscle fibres is not yet possible, and consequently, knowledge concerning certain IAP characteristics is still limited. According to the core-conductor theory, close to a fibre, a single fibre action potential (SFAP) can be assumed to be proportional to the IAP second derivative. Thus, we might expect to be able to derive some characteristics of the IAP, such as the duration of its spike, from the SFAP waveform. However, SFAP properties not only depend on the IAP shape but also on the fibre-to-electrode (radial) distance and other physiological properties of the fibre. In this paper we, first, propose an SFAP parameter (the negative phase duration, NPD) appropriate for estimating the IAP spike duration and, second, show that this parameter is largely independent of changes in radial distance and muscle fibre propagation velocity. Estimation of the IAP spike duration from a direct measurement taken from the SFAP waveform provides a possible way to enhance the accuracy of SFAP models. Because IAP spike duration is known to be sensitive to the effects of fatigue and calcium accumulation, the proposed SFAP parameter, the NPD, has potential value in electrodiagnosis and as an indicator of IAP profile changes due to peripheral fatigue. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occupational asthma and allergy in the detergent industry: new developments.

PubMed

Sarlo, Katherine; Kirchner, Donald B

2002-04-01

This review highlights the latest developments in the control of enzyme-induced occupational asthma and allergy (rhinitis and conjunctivitis) in the detergent industry. The industry has developed guidelines for the safe handling of enzymes in order to reduce the risk of occupational allergy and asthma. Those manufacturing facilities that follow all of the guidelines enjoy very low or no cases of asthma and allergy among workers exposed to enzymes. The key to the success of the management of enzyme-induced allergy and asthma is prospective surveillance for the development of enzyme-specific IgE antibody before the onset of allergic symptoms. This allows for continuing interventions to reduce exposures, so as to minimize or eliminate those associated with symptoms. Workers with IgE to enzymes can still continue to work in the industry symptom-free for their entire career. This indicates that exposures needed to induce sensitization are different and probably lower than exposures needed to elicit enzyme allergic symptoms. The experience of the detergent enzyme industry in controlling occupational allergens can be applied to other industries. The detergent enzyme story can be viewed as a model for the control of type 1 protein allergens in the workplace.

Responses to betaine and inorganic sulphur of sheep in growth performance and fibre growth.

PubMed

Nezamidoust, M; Alikhani, M; Ghorbani, G R; Edriss, M A

2014-12-01

Sulphur-containing amino acids (SAA) are essential and usually the first limiting amino acids for growth, milk and wool production. The keratin fibre that grows from epidermal tissue is rich in SAA. The rate of fibre growth and its S content are influenced by the availability of SAA. Betaine is a dietary source for a labile methyl group and actively participates in methionine metabolism by donating methyl groups for the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. Ruminants are capable of synthesizing SAA from inorganic S sources, and most bacteria in the rumen can use inorganic S to meet their requirements for growth. The objective of this study was to examine whether betaine and an inorganic sulphur supplement could provide methyl groups and sulphur amino acids in a way that growth performance and wool production of ewes and lambs are improved. Treatments performed included betaine supplementation, sulphate supplementation and betaine plus sulphate supplementation with five replications for each treatment. The dry matter intake of the ewes was affected by betaine plus sulphate supplementation (p < 0.05). In the ewes, betaine plus sulphate supplementation increased (p < 0.05) the wool growth rate, wool yield, staple length and wool sulphur concentration, while decreasing wool wax and wool yellowness (p < 0.05). In the lambs, wool growth rate, wool yield, fibre diameter, staple length, staple strength, wool sulphur concentration, wool wax and fibre percentage did not differ (p > 0.05) between treatments. In the ewes, plasma methionine concentration increased (p < 0.05) with betaine plus sulphate treatment. No corresponding difference (p > 0.05) was observed in plasma methionine concentration in the lambs. It can be concluded that betaine plus sulphate supplementation has the potential to change wool characteristics in the ewes, while these compounds were without any effect on growth and wool production of the lambs. Combining the two supplements was advantageous

Isomeric Detergent Comparison for Membrane Protein Stability: Importance of Inter-Alkyl-Chain Distance and Alkyl Chain Length.

PubMed

Cho, Kyung Ho; Hariharan, Parameswaran; Mortensen, Jonas S; Du, Yang; Nielsen, Anne K; Byrne, Bernadette; Kobilka, Brian K; Loland, Claus J; Guan, Lan; Chae, Pil Seok

2016-12-14

Membrane proteins encapsulated by detergent micelles are widely used for structural study. Because of their amphipathic property, detergents have the ability to maintain protein solubility and stability in an aqueous medium. However, conventional detergents have serious limitations in their scope and utility, particularly for eukaryotic membrane proteins and membrane protein complexes. Thus, a number of new agents have been devised; some have made significant contributions to membrane protein structural studies. However, few detergent design principles are available. In this study, we prepared meta and ortho isomers of the previously reported para-substituted xylene-linked maltoside amphiphiles (XMAs), along with alkyl chain-length variation. The isomeric XMAs were assessed with three membrane proteins, and the meta isomer with a C 12 alkyl chain was most effective at maintaining solubility/stability of the membrane proteins. We propose that interplay between the hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) and alkyl chain length is of central importance for high detergent efficacy. In addition, differences in inter-alkyl-chain distance between the isomers influence the ability of the detergents to stabilise membrane proteins. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Short-fibre reinforcement of calcium phosphate bone cement.

PubMed

Buchanan, F; Gallagher, L; Jack, V; Dunne, N

2007-02-01

Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) sets to form hydroxyapatite, a major component of mineral bone, and is gaining increasing interest in bone repair applications. However, concerns regarding its brittleness and tendency to fragment have limited its widespread use. In the present study, short-fibre reinforcement of an apatitic calcium phosphate has been investigated to improve the fracture behaviour. The fibres used were polypropylene (PP) fibres, 50 microm in diameter and reduced in length by cryogenic grinding. The compressive strength and fracture behaviour were examined. Fibre addition of up to 10 wt % had a significant effect on composite properties, with the energy absorbed during failure being significantly increased, although this tended to be accompanied with a slight drop in compressive strength. The fibre reinforcement mechanisms appeared to be crack bridging and fibre pull-out. The setting time of the CPC with fibre reinforcement was also investigated and was found to increase with fibre volume fraction.

The glycaemic index: importance of dietary fibre and other food properties.

PubMed

Björck, Inger; Elmståhl, Helena Liljeberg

2003-02-01

An increasing body of evidence suggests that a low-glycaemic-index (GI) diet has a therapeutic as well as a preventive potential in relation to the insulin resistance syndrome. The implementation of a low-GI diet, however, will require an extended list of low-GI foods to be available on the market. The tailoring of low-GI bread products offers a particular challenge due to their generally high GI and abundance in the diet. Low-GI bread products can be tailored by, for example,enclosure of cereal kernels, sour dough fermentation and/or addition of organic acids, or use of cereal genotypes with elevated contents of amylose or f-glucans. Low-GI cereal foods appear to vary in effect on 'second-meal' glucose tolerance in healthy subjects. In addition to the slow-release properties of such foods, the content of dietary fibre appears to play a role. The low glycaemia to starch in a pasta breakfast (GI 54) promoted a higher glucose tolerance and lowered triacylglycerol levels at a standardized lunch ingested 4 h later, compared with a white-wheat-bread breakfast (GI 100). The metabolic benefits of the low GI properties per se have been demonstrated also in the longer term. Thus, a reduction in dietary GI improved glucose and lipid metabolism and normalized fibrinolytic activity in type 2 diabetics, while maintaining a similar amount and composition of dietary fibre. However, the higher dietary fibre content frequently associated with low-GI foods may add to the metabolic merits of a low-GI diet. Consequently, a low-GI barley meal rich in dietary fibre (GI 53) improved glucose tolerance from evening meal to breakfast, whereas an evening meal with pasta had no effect (GI 54). The exchange of common high-GI bread for low-GI high-fibre bread, as the only dietary modification, improved insulin economy in women at risk of type 2 diabetes. These results are in accordance with epidemiological evidence of a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes with a low-GI diet rich in cereal fibre. It

Surface Treated Natural Fibres as Filler in Biocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarzova, I.; Stevulova, N.; Singovszka, E.; Terpakova, E.

2015-11-01

Biocomposites based on natural fibres as organic filler have been studied for several years because traditional building materials such as concrete are increasingly being replaced by advanced composite materials. Natural fibres are a potential replacement of glass fibres in composite materials. Inherent advantages such as low density, biodegradability and comparable specific mechanical properties make natural fibres an attractive option. However, limitations such as poor thermal stability, moisture absorption and poor compatibility with matrix are challenges that need to be resolved. The primary objective of this research was to study the effect of surface treatment on properties of hemp hurds like a natural lignocellulosic material and composites made thereof. Industrial hemp fibre is the one of the most suitable fibres for use in composite materials because of its good specific properties, as well as it being biologically degradable and CO2 neutral. Improving interfacial bonding between fibres and matrix is an important factor in using hemp fibres as reinforcement in composites. In order to improve interfacial bonding, modifications can be made to the hemp fibres to remove non- cellulosic compounds, separate hemp fibres from their bundles, and modify the fibre surface. This paper contains the comparison of FTIR spectra caused by combination of physical and chemical treatment of hemp material with unmodified sample. Modification of hemp hurds was carried out by NaOH solution and by ultrasonic treatment (deionized water and NaOH solution were used as the cleaning mediums).

Ultralong fibre-optic distributed Raman temperature sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, A. G.; Kharenko, D. S.; Babin, S. A.; Tsydenzhapov, I. B.; Shelemba, I. S.

2017-11-01

We have demonstrated an ultralong (up to 85 km in length) all-fibre Raman temperature sensor which utilises SMF-28 standard single-mode telecom fibre and a 1.63-μm probe signal source. The probe signal from the laser diode is amplified by a Raman fibre amplifier. The temperature along a 85-km-long fibre line has been measured with an accuracy of 8°C and spatial resolution of 800 m or better.

All-fibre Q-switching YDFL operation with bismuth-doped fibre as saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammad, A. R.; Haris, H.; Arof, H.; Tan, S. J.; Ahmad, M. T.; Harun, S. W.

2018-05-01

We demonstrate the generation of a passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fibre laser (YDFL) using a bismuth-doped fibre (BDF) as a solid-state fibre saturable absorber (FSA) in a ring cavity. The BDF used has a wide and low absorption band of 5 dB/m at the 1.0 μm region due to the ion transition of ? that occurs around the region. When introduced into a YDFL laser cavity, a stable Q-switched pulse operation was observed and the pulse repetition rate was proportional to the input pump power. It was limited to 72.99 kHz by the maximum power that the laser diode could supply. Meanwhile, the pulse width decreased from 12.22 to 4.85 μs as the pump power was increased from 215.6 to 475.6 mW. The finding suggests that BDF could be used as a potential SA for the development of robust, compact, efficient and low cost Q-switched fibre lasers operating at 1 micron region.

A target fibre study on seats in public houses.

PubMed

Kelly, E; Griffin, R M

1998-01-01

A target fibre survey was conducted to assess the random occurrence of a blue wool fibre on seats in public houses throughout the United Kingdom. Fibre tape lifts were taken from 80 seats. Four seats yielded matching fibres and five of these were found on one seat. A total of 292 fibres were identified; nine fibres proved indistinguishable from the target after comparison microscopy, microspectro-photometry and attempts at thin layer chromatography, and two of these fibres were still apparently indistinguishable after TLC analysis although only one dye component was visible.

Effect of Detergents on Galactoside Binding by Melibiose Permeases.

PubMed

Amin, Anowarul; Hariharan, Parameswaran; Chae, Pil Seok; Guan, Lan

2015-09-29

The effect of various detergents on the stability and function of the melibiose permeases of Escherichia coli (MelBEc) and Salmonella typhimurium (MelBSt) was studied. In n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) or n-undecyl-β-d-maltoside (UDM), WT MelBSt binds melibiose with an affinity similar to that in the membrane. However, with WT MelBEc or MelBSt mutants (Arg141 → Cys, Arg295 → Cys, or Arg363 → Cys), galactoside binding is not detected in these detergents, but binding to the phosphotransferase protein IIA(Glc) is maintained. In the amphiphiles lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (MNG-3) or glyco-diosgenin (GDN), galactoside binding with all of the MelB proteins is observed, with slightly reduced affinities. MelBSt is more thermostable than MelBEc, and the thermostability of either MelB is largely increased in MNG-3 or GDN. Therefore, the functional defect with DDM or UDM likely results from the relative instability of the sensitive MelB proteins, and stability, as well as galactoside binding, is retained in MNG-3 or GDN. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry of melibiose binding with MelBSt shows that the favorable entropic contribution to the binding free energy is decreased in MNG-3, indicating that the conformational dynamics of MelB is restricted in this detergent.

Effect of detergents on galactoside binding by melibiose permeases

PubMed Central

Amin, Anowarul; Hariharan, Parameswaran; Chae, Pil Seok; Guan, Lan

2015-01-01

The effect of various detergents on the stability and function of melibiose permeases of Escherichia coli (MelBEc) or Salmonella typhimurium (MelBSt) were studied. In n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) or n-undecyl-β-d-maltoside (UDM), WT MelBSt binds melibiose with an affinity similar to that in the membrane. However, with WT MelBEc or MelBSt mutants (Arg141→Cys, Arg295→Cys or Arg363→Cys), galactoside binding is not detected in these detergents, but binding to the phosphotransferase protein IIAGlc is maintained. In the amphiphiles lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (MNG-3) or glyco-diosgenin (GDN), galactoside binding with all the MelB proteins is observed, with slightly reduced affinities. MelBSt is more thermostable than MelBEc, and the thermostability of either MelB is largely increased in MNG-3 or GDN. Therefore, the functional defect with DDM or UDM likely results from relative instability of the sensitive MelB proteins, and stability, as well as galactoside binding, is retained in MNG-3 or GDN. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry of melibiose binding with MelBSt shows that the favorable entropic contribution to the binding free energy is decreased in MNG-3, indicating that the conformational dynamics of MelB is restricted in this detergent. PMID:26352464

Differential effects of non-ionic detergents on microsomal and sarcolemmal adenylate cyclase in cardiac muscle

PubMed Central

Sulakhe, Prakash V.; Narayanan, Njanoor

1978-01-01

1. About 4 and 23% of the homogenate adenylate cyclase activity was recovered in the microsomal and sarcolemmal fractions isolated from guinea-pig heart ventricles. 2. Cardiac microsomal adenylate cyclase activity [basal as well as p[NH]ppG (guanyl-5′-yl imidodiphosphate)- and NaF-stimulated] was increased over 2-fold in the presence of Lubrol-PX (0.01–0.1%). 3. The sarcolemmal enzyme, however, showed concentration-dependent inhibition caused by the detergent under all assay conditions, except when p[NH]ppG was included in the assay. In the latter case, the detergent (0.01–0.02%) caused a modest increase (30–45%) in enzyme activity. 4. Another non-ionic detergent, Triton X-100, also stimulated the microsomal cyclase and inhibited the sarcolemmal enzyme. 5. With either membrane fraction, Lubrol-PX solubilized the enzyme when the detergent/membrane protein ratio was 2.5 (μmol of detergent/mg of protein). 6. The findings with homogenate and a washed particulate fraction resembled those obtained with sarcolemma, and those with isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum resembled those with microsomal preparations. 7. p[NH]ppG, and to some extent NaF, protected the detergent-induced inactivation of the enzyme observed at higher detergent concentrations (0.5% Lubrol-PX and 0.05–0.5% Triton X-100). 8. In the absence of detergents, p[NH]ppG increased the basal enzyme activity about 2-fold in microsomal fractions, but did not appreciably stimulate the sarcolemmal enzyme. Isoproterenol, on the other hand, increased the sarcolemmal enzyme activity (>2-fold) in the presence of p[NH]ppG and caused only moderate stimulation (31%) of the microsomal enzyme under these conditions. 9. These findings support the view that, although the bulk of adenylate cyclase resides in heart sarcolemma (plasma membrane), the microsomal activity cannot be accounted for solely by contamination of the microsomal fraction with sarcolemma, as has been suggested by others [Besch, Jones & Watanabe (1976