Bioactive glass ions as strong enhancers of osteogenic differentiation in human adipose stem cells.

PubMed

Ojansivu, Miina; Vanhatupa, Sari; Björkvik, Leena; Häkkänen, Heikki; Kellomäki, Minna; Autio, Reija; Ihalainen, Janne A; Hupa, Leena; Miettinen, Susanna

2015-07-01

Bioactive glasses are known for their ability to induce osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. To elucidate the mechanism of the osteoinductivity in more detail, we studied whether ionic extracts prepared from a commercial glass S53P4 and from three experimental glasses (2-06, 1-06 and 3-06) are alone sufficient to induce osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells. Cells were cultured using basic medium or osteogenic medium as extract basis. Our results indicate that cells stay viable in all the glass extracts for the whole culturing period, 14 days. At 14 days the mineralization in osteogenic medium extracts was excessive compared to the control. Parallel to the increased mineralization we observed a decrease in the cell amount. Raman and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy analyses confirmed that the mineral consisted of calcium phosphates. Consistently, the osteogenic medium extracts also increased osteocalcin production and collagen Type-I accumulation in the extracellular matrix at 13 days. Of the four osteogenic medium extracts, 2-06 and 3-06 induced the best responses of osteogenesis. However, regardless of the enhanced mineral formation, alkaline phosphatase activity was not promoted by the extracts. The osteogenic medium extracts could potentially provide a fast and effective way to differentiate human adipose stem cells in vitro. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils and groundwaters

DOEpatents

Peters, R.W.; Frank, J.R.; Feng, X.

1998-06-23

An in situ method is described for extraction of arsenic contaminants from a soil medium and remediation of the medium including contacting the medium with an extractant solution, directing the solution within and through the medium, and collecting the solution and contaminants. The method can also be used for arsenate and/or arsenite removal. 8 figs.

Description of jambolan (Syzygium cumini (L.)) anthocyanin extraction kinetics at different stirring frequencies of the medium using diffusion models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, Wilton Pereira; Nunes, Jarderlany Sousa; Gomes, Josivanda Palmeira; de Araújo, Auryclennedy Calou; e Silva, Cleide M. D. P. S.

2018-05-01

Anthocyanin extraction kinetics was described for jambolan fruits. The spherical granules obtained were dried at 40 °C and the average radius of the sphere equivalent to the granules was determined. Solid-solvent ratio was fixed at 1:20 and temperature at 35 °C. A mixture of ethyl alcohol and hydrochloric acid (85:15) was used as solvent. Experiments were conducted with the following stirring frequencies: 0, 50, 100 and 150 rpm. Two diffusion models were used to describe the extraction process. The first one used an analytical solution, with boundary condition of the first kind. The second one used a numerical solution, with boundary condition of the third kind. The second model was the most adequate, and its results were used to determine empirical equations relating the process parameters with the stirring frequency, allowing to simulate new extraction kinetics.

Inbuilt potential of YEM medium and its constituents to generate Ag/Ag₂O nanoparticles.

PubMed

Yamal, G; Sharmila, P; Rao, K S; Pardha-Saradhi, P

2013-01-01

We discovered that Yeast Extract Mannitol (YEM) medium possessed immense potential to generate silver nanoparticles from AgNO3 upon autoclaving, which was evident from (i) alteration in color of the medium; (ii) peak at ∼410 nm in UV-Vis spectrum due to surface plasmon resonance specific to silver nanoparticles; and (iii) TEM investigations. TEM coupled with EDX confirmed that distinct nanoparticles were composed of silver. Yeast extract and mannitol were key components of YEM medium responsible for the formation of nanoparticles. PXRD analysis indicated crystalline geometry and Ag/Ag2O phases in nanoparticles generated with YEM medium, yeast extract and mannitol. Our investigations also revealed that both mannitol and yeast extract possessed potential to convert ∼80% of silver ions in 0.5 mM AgNO3 to nanoparticles, on autoclaving for 30 min at 121°C under a pressure of 1.06 kg/cm(2). Addition of filter sterilized AgNO3 under ambient conditions to pre-autoclaved YEM medium and yeast extract brought about color change due to the formation of silver nanoparticles, but required prolonged duration. In general, even after 72 h intensity of color was significantly less than that recorded following autoclaving. Silver nanoparticles formed at room temperature were more heterogeneous compared to that obtained upon autoclaving. In summary, our findings demonstrated that (i) YEM medium and its constituents promote synthesis of silver nanoparticles; and (ii) autoclaving enhances rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles by YEM medium, yeast extract and mannitol.

Determination of lytic enzyme activities of indigenous Trichoderma isolates from Pakistan.

PubMed

Asad, Saeed Ahmad; Tabassum, Ayesha; Hameed, Abdul; Hassan, Fayyaz Ul; Afzal, Aftab; Khan, Sabaz Ali; Ahmed, Rafiq; Shahzad, Muhammad

2015-01-01

This study investigated lytic enzyme activities in three indigenous Trichoderma strains namely, Trichoderma asperellum, Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma sp. Native Trichoderma strains and a virulent strain of Rhizoctonia solani isolated from infected bean plants were also included in the study. Enzyme activities were determined by measuring sugar reduction by dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method using suitable substrates. The antagonists were cultured in minimal salt medium with the following modifications: medium A (1 g of glucose), medium B (0.5 g of glucose + 0.5 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia), medium C (1.0 g of deactivated respective antagonist mycelium) and medium D (1 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia). T asperellum showed presence of higher amounts of chitinases, β-1, 3-glucanases and xylanases in extracellular protein extracts from medium D as compared to medium A. While, the higher activities of glucosidases and endoglucanses were shown in medium D extracts by T. harzianum. β-glucosidase activities were lower compared with other enzymes; however, activities of the extracts of medium D were significantly different. T. asperellum exhibited maximum inhibition (97.7%). On the other hand, Trichoderma sp. did not show any effect on mycelia growth of R. solani on crude extract.

Determination of lytic enzyme activities of indigenous Trichoderma isolates from Pakistan

PubMed Central

Asad, Saeed Ahmad; Tabassum, Ayesha; Hameed, Abdul; Hassan, Fayyaz ul; Afzal, Aftab; Khan, Sabaz Ali; Ahmed, Rafiq; Shahzad, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Abstract This study investigated lytic enzyme activities in three indigenous Trichoderma strains namely, Trichoderma asperellum, Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma sp. Native Trichoderma strains and a virulent strain of Rhizoctonia solani isolated from infected bean plants were also included in the study. Enzyme activities were determined by measuring sugar reduction by dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method using suitable substrates. The antagonists were cultured in minimal salt medium with the following modifications: medium A (1 g of glucose), medium B (0.5 g of glucose + 0.5 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia), medium C (1.0 g of deactivated respective antagonist mycelium) and medium D (1 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia). T asperellum showed presence of higher amounts of chitinases, β-1, 3-glucanases and xylanases in extracellular protein extracts from medium D as compared to medium A. While, the higher activities of glucosidases and endoglucanses were shown in medium D extracts by T. harzianum. β-glucosidase activities were lower compared with other enzymes; however, activities of the extracts of medium D were significantly different. T. asperellum exhibited maximum inhibition (97.7%). On the other hand, Trichoderma sp. did not show any effect on mycelia growth of R. solani on crude extract. PMID:26691463

Variables controlling the recovery of ignitable liquid residues from simulated fire debris samples using solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furton, Kenneth G.; Almirall, Jose R.; Wang, Jing

1999-02-01

In this paper, we present data comparing a variety of different conditions for extracting ignitable liquid residues from simulated fire debris samples in order to optimize the conditions for using Solid Phase Microextraction. A simulated accelerant mixture containing 30 components, including those from light petroleum distillates, medium petroleum distillates and heavy petroleum distillates were used to study the important variables controlling Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) recoveries. SPME is an inexpensive, rapid and sensitive method for the analysis of volatile residues from the headspace over solid debris samples in a container or directly from aqueous samples followed by GC. The relative effects of controllable variables, including fiber chemistry, adsorption and desorption temperature, extraction time, and desorption time, have been optimized. The addition of water and ethanol to simulated debris samples in a can was shown to increase the sensitivity when using headspace SPME extraction. The relative enhancement of sensitivity has been compared as a function of the hydrocarbon chain length, sample temperature, time, and added ethanol concentrations. The technique has also been optimized to the extraction of accelerants directly from water added to the fire debris samples. The optimum adsorption time for the low molecular weight components was found to be approximately 25 minutes. The high molecular weight components were found at a higher concentration the longer the fiber was exposed to the headspace (up to 1 hr). The higher molecular weight components were also found in higher concentrations in the headspace when water and/or ethanol was added to the debris.

Inbuilt Potential of YEM Medium and Its Constituents to Generate Ag/Ag2O Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Yamal, G.; Sharmila, P.; Rao, K. S.; Pardha-Saradhi, P.

2013-01-01

We discovered that Yeast Extract Mannitol (YEM) medium possessed immense potential to generate silver nanoparticles from AgNO3 upon autoclaving, which was evident from (i) alteration in color of the medium; (ii) peak at ∼410 nm in UV-Vis spectrum due to surface plasmon resonance specific to silver nanoparticles; and (iii) TEM investigations. TEM coupled with EDX confirmed that distinct nanoparticles were composed of silver. Yeast extract and mannitol were key components of YEM medium responsible for the formation of nanoparticles. PXRD analysis indicated crystalline geometry and Ag/Ag2O phases in nanoparticles generated with YEM medium, yeast extract and mannitol. Our investigations also revealed that both mannitol and yeast extract possessed potential to convert ∼80% of silver ions in 0.5 mM AgNO3 to nanoparticles, on autoclaving for 30 min at 121°C under a pressure of 1.06 kg/cm2. Addition of filter sterilized AgNO3 under ambient conditions to pre-autoclaved YEM medium and yeast extract brought about color change due to the formation of silver nanoparticles, but required prolonged duration. In general, even after 72 h intensity of color was significantly less than that recorded following autoclaving. Silver nanoparticles formed at room temperature were more heterogeneous compared to that obtained upon autoclaving. In summary, our findings demonstrated that (i) YEM medium and its constituents promote synthesis of silver nanoparticles; and (ii) autoclaving enhances rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles by YEM medium, yeast extract and mannitol. PMID:23626722

Static quark-antiquark potential in the quark-gluon plasma from lattice QCD.

PubMed

Burnier, Yannis; Kaczmarek, Olaf; Rothkopf, Alexander

2015-02-27

We present a state-of-the-art determination of the complex valued static quark-antiquark potential at phenomenologically relevant temperatures around the deconfinement phase transition. Its values are obtained from nonperturbative lattice QCD simulations using spectral functions extracted via a novel Bayesian inference prescription. We find that the real part, both in a gluonic medium, as well as in realistic QCD with light u, d, and s quarks, lies close to the color singlet free energies in Coulomb gauge and shows Debye screening above the (pseudo)critical temperature T_{c}. The imaginary part is estimated in the gluonic medium, where we find that it is of the same order of magnitude as in hard-thermal loop resummed perturbation theory in the deconfined phase.

In Silico Modeling Approach for the Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Dissolution, Supersaturation, and Precipitation of Posaconazole.

PubMed

Hens, Bart; Pathak, Shriram M; Mitra, Amitava; Patel, Nikunjkumar; Liu, Bo; Patel, Sanjaykumar; Jamei, Masoud; Brouwers, Joachim; Augustijns, Patrick; Turner, David B

2017-12-04

The aim of this study was to evaluate gastrointestinal (GI) dissolution, supersaturation, and precipitation of posaconazole, formulated as an acidified (pH 1.6) and neutral (pH 7.1) suspension. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and simulation tool was applied to simulate GI and systemic concentration-time profiles of posaconazole, which were directly compared with intraluminal and systemic data measured in humans. The Advanced Dissolution Absorption and Metabolism (ADAM) model of the Simcyp Simulator correctly simulated incomplete gastric dissolution and saturated duodenal concentrations of posaconazole in the duodenal fluids following administration of the neutral suspension. In contrast, gastric dissolution was approximately 2-fold higher after administration of the acidified suspension, which resulted in supersaturated concentrations of posaconazole upon transfer to the upper small intestine. The precipitation kinetics of posaconazole were described by two precipitation rate constants, extracted by semimechanistic modeling of a two-stage medium change in vitro dissolution test. The 2-fold difference in exposure in the duodenal compartment for the two formulations corresponded with a 2-fold difference in systemic exposure. This study demonstrated for the first time predictive in silico simulations of GI dissolution, supersaturation, and precipitation for a weakly basic compound in part informed by modeling of in vitro dissolution experiments and validated via clinical measurements in both GI fluids and plasma. Sensitivity analysis with the PBPK model indicated that the critical supersaturation ratio (CSR) and second precipitation rate constant (sPRC) are important parameters of the model. Due to the limitations of the two-stage medium change experiment the CSR was extracted directly from the clinical data. However, in vitro experiments with the BioGIT transfer system performed after completion of the in silico modeling provided an almost identical CSR to the clinical study value; this had no significant impact on the PBPK model predictions.

A novel algorithm for determining contact area between a respirator and a headform.

PubMed

Lei, Zhipeng; Yang, James; Zhuang, Ziqing

2014-01-01

The contact area, as well as the contact pressure, is created when a respiratory protection device (a respirator or surgical mask) contacts a human face. A computer-based algorithm for determining the contact area between a headform and N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) was proposed. Six N95 FFRs were applied to five sizes of standard headforms (large, medium, small, long/narrow, and short/wide) to simulate respirator donning. After the contact simulation between a headform and an N95 FFR was conducted, a contact area was determined by extracting the intersection surfaces of the headform and the N95 FFR. Using computer-aided design tools, a superimposed contact area and an average contact area, which are non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) surfaces, were developed for each headform. Experiments that directly measured dimensions of the contact areas between headform prototypes and N95 FFRs were used to validate the simulation results. Headform sizes influenced all contact area dimensions (P < 0.0001), and N95 FFR sizing systems influenced all contact area dimensions (P < 0.05) except the left and right chin regions. The medium headform produced the largest contact area, while the large and small headforms produced the smallest.

Numerical simulations of heat transfer through fractured rock for an enhanced geothermal system development in Seokmodo, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Jiyoun; Kim, Kyung-Ho; Hyun, Yunjung; Lee, Kang-Keun

2010-05-01

Estimating the expected capacity and efficiency of energy is a crucial issue in the construction of geothermal plant. It is the lasting temperature of extracted geothermal water that determines the effectiveness of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), so the heat transfer processes in geothermal reservoirs under site-specific geologic conditions should be understood first. The construction of the first geothermal plant in Korea is under planning in Seokmodo, where a few flowing artesian wells showing relatively high water temperature of around 70°C were discovered lately. The site of interest is a part of the island region, consisting of the reclaimed land surrounded by the sea and small mountains. Geothermal gradient measures approximately 45°C/km and the geothermal water is as saline as seawater. Geologic structure in this region is characterized by the fractured granite. In this study, thermo-hydrological (TH) numerical simulations for the temperature evolution in a fractured geothermal reservoir under the supposed injection-extraction operating conditions were carried out using TOUGH2. Multiple porosity model which is useful to calculate the transient interporosity flow in TH coupled heat transfer problem was used in simulations. Several fracture planes which had been investigated in the field were assigned to have highly permeable properties in order to avoid the averaging approximation and describe the dominant flow through the fractures. This heterogeneous model showed the rise of relatively hot geothermal water in the densely fractured region. The temperature of the extracted geothermal water also increased slowly for 50 years due to the rising flow through the fractures. The most sensitive factor which affects the underground thermal distribution and temperature of geothermal water was permeability of the medium. Change in permeabilities of rock and fracture within the range of 1 order might cause such an extreme change in the temperature of geothermal water that the measurement of the permeability should be performed through a very careful process in order to guarantee a reliable simulation. As the fracture spacing became narrower, overall thermal distribution appeared to be similar to that from EPM model. This suggests that EPM model, which is easy to design and takes less time, can be replaced for the densely fractured medium. Change in fracture aperture within the range of that of actual rocks did not cause a remarkable difference in temperature distribution, which means that measuring accuracy of the actual aperture value in rocks is relatively less important. This demonstrates that the distribution and the structure of fracture system make a great contribution to the whole simulation for fluid and heat flow mechanisms in geologic medium, and thus require an intensive geologic investigation for the fractures including strike and dip information, permeability and connecting relation. In addition, the simulation results show that the heterogeneous model can include the description for the significant fracture flow and it can be a practical tool for a site-specific simulation for EGS sites. This preliminary simulation was useful to estimate the scale of the geothermal reservoir and the energy potential in Seokmodo and it can be further expanded to a long-term simulation to predict the evolution of the geothermal reservoir under the potential EGS operations. Acknowledgement: This study was financially supported by KIGAM, KETEP and BK21.

Absorption systems at z ˜ 2 as a probe of the circum galactic medium: a probabilistic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mongardi, C.; Viel, M.; D'Odorico, V.; Kim, T.-S.; Barai, P.; Murante, G.; Monaco, P.

2018-05-01

We characterize the properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM) around a sample of galaxies extracted from state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations of structure formation in a cosmological volume of 25 Mpc comoving at z ˜ 2. The simulations are based on two different sub-resolution schemes for star formation and supernova feedback: the MUlti-Phase Particle Integrator (MUPPI) scheme and the Effective Model. We develop a quantitative and probabilistic analysis based on the apparent optical depth method of the properties of the absorbers as a function of impact parameter from their nearby galaxies: in such a way we probe different environments from circumgalactic medium (CGM) to low density filaments. Absorbers' properties are then compared with a spectroscopic observational data set obtained from high resolution quasar spectra. Our main focus is on the NCIV - NHI relation around simulated galaxies: the results obtained with MUPPI and the Effective model are remarkably similar, with small differences only confined to regions at impact parameters b = [1 - 3] × rvir. Using {C IV} as a tracer of the metallicity, we obtain evidence that the observed metal absorption systems have the highest probability to be confined in a region of 150-400 kpc around galaxies. Near-filament environments have instead metallicities too low to be probed by present-day telescopes, but could be probed by future spectroscopical studies. Finally we compute {C IV} covering fractions which are in agreement with observational data.

Malt-yeast extract-sucrose agar, a suitable medium for enumeration and isolation of fungi from silage.

PubMed Central

Skaar, I; Stenwig, H

1996-01-01

A general medium named malt-yeast extract-sucrose agar (MYSA) containing oxgall was designed. The medium was intended for the enumeration and isolation of molds and yeasts in routine examinations of animal feed stuffs. In this study MYSA was tested as a general medium for mycological examination of silage. The medium was compared with dichloran-rose bengal medium (DRBC) in an examination of more than 500 specimens of big bale grass silage. Selected characteristics of known fungal species commonly isolated from feeds were examined after growth on MYSA and DRBC and on malt extract agar, used as a noninhibitory control medium. MYSA suppressed bacterial growth, without affecting the growth of fungi common in feeds. The fungi growing on MYSA were easily recognized, and the medium seemed to slow radial growth of fungal colonies, which permitted, easy counting. The number of species found was higher on MYSA than on DRBC. When we compared MYSA with DRBC for mycological examination of grass silage samples, MYSA was found to be the medium of choice. PMID:8837416

Determination of the nuclear incompressibility from the rapidity-dependent elliptic flow in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies 0.4A-1.0A GeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongjia; Guo, Chenchen; Li, Qingfeng; Le Fèvre, Arnaud; Leifels, Yvonne; Trautmann, Wolfgang

2018-03-01

Background: The nuclear incompressibility (K0) plays a crucial role in understanding diverse phenomena in nuclear structure and reactions, as well as in astrophysics. Heavy-ion-collision measurements in combination with transport model simulations serve as important tools for extracting the nuclear incompressibility. However, uncertainties in transport models (or model dependence) partly affect the reliability of the extracted result. Purpose: In the present work, by using the recently measured data of rapidity-dependent flows, we constrain the incompressibility of nuclear matter and analyze the impact of model uncertainties on the obtained value. Method: The method is based on the newly updated version of the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) model in which the Skyrme potential energy-density functional is introduced. Three different Skyrme interactions which give different incompressibilities varying from K0 = 201 to 271 MeV are adopted. The incompressibility is deduced from the comparison of the UrQMD model simulations and the FOPI data for rapidity-dependent elliptic flow in Au + Au collisions at beam energies 0.4A-1.0A GeV. Results: The elliptic flow v2 as a function of rapidity y0 can be well described by a quadratic fit v2 =v20 +v22 ṡ y02 . It is found that the quantity v2n defined by v2n = |v20 | + |v22 | is quite sensitive to the incompressibility K0 and the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section, but not sensitive to the slope parameter L of the nuclear symmetry energy. Conclusions: With the FU3FP4 parametrization of the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section, an averaged K0 = 220 ± 40 MeV is extracted from the v2n of free protons and deuterons. However, remaining systematic uncertainties, partly related to the choice of in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections, are of the same magnitude (± 40 MeV). Overall, the rapidity dependent elliptic flow supports a soft symmetric-matter equation-of-state.

Influence of galactic arm scale dynamics on the molecular composition of the cold and dense ISM. I. Observed abundance gradients in dense clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruaud, M.; Wakelam, V.; Gratier, P.; Bonnell, I. A.

2018-04-01

Aim. We study the effect of large scale dynamics on the molecular composition of the dense interstellar medium during the transition between diffuse to dense clouds. Methods: We followed the formation of dense clouds (on sub-parsec scales) through the dynamics of the interstellar medium at galactic scales. We used results from smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations from which we extracted physical parameters that are used as inputs for our full gas-grain chemical model. In these simulations, the evolution of the interstellar matter is followed for 50 Myr. The warm low-density interstellar medium gas flows into spiral arms where orbit crowding produces the shock formation of dense clouds, which are held together temporarily by the external pressure. Results: We show that depending on the physical history of each SPH particle, the molecular composition of the modeled dense clouds presents a high dispersion in the computed abundances even if the local physical properties are similar. We find that carbon chains are the most affected species and show that these differences are directly connected to differences in (1) the electronic fraction, (2) the C/O ratio, and (3) the local physical conditions. We argue that differences in the dynamical evolution of the gas that formed dense clouds could account for the molecular diversity observed between and within these clouds. Conclusions: This study shows the importance of past physical conditions in establishing the chemical composition of the dense medium.

Investigation of relationships between parameters of solar nano-flares and solar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safari, Hossein; Javaherian, Mohsen; Kaki, Bardia

2016-07-01

Solar flares are one of the important coronal events which are originated in solar magnetic activity. They release lots of energy during the interstellar medium, right after the trigger. Flare prediction can play main role in avoiding eventual damages on the Earth. Here, to interpret solar large-scale events (e.g., flares), we investigate relationships between small-scale events (nano-flares) and large-scale events (e.g., flares). In our method, by using simulations of nano-flares based on Monte Carlo method, the intensity time series of nano-flares are simulated. Then, the solar full disk images taken at 171 angstrom recorded by SDO/AIA are employed. Some parts of the solar disk (quiet Sun (QS), coronal holes (CHs), and active regions (ARs)) are cropped and the time series of these regions are extracted. To compare the simulated intensity time series of nano-flares with the intensity time series of real data extracted from different parts of the Sun, the artificial neural networks is employed. Therefore, we are able to extract physical parameters of nano-flares like both kick and decay rate lifetime, and the power of their power-law distributions. The procedure of variations in the power value of power-law distributions within QS, CH is similar to AR. Thus, by observing the small part of the Sun, we can follow the procedure of solar activity.

Correlation of heat transfer coefficient in quenching process using ABAQUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davare, Sandeep Kedarnath; Balachandran, G.; Singh, R. K. P.

2018-04-01

During the heat treatment by quenching in a liquid medium the convective heat transfer coefficient plays a crucial role in the extraction of heat. The heat extraction ultimately influences the cooling rate and hence the hardness and mechanical properties. A Finite Element analysis of quenching a simple flat copper sample with different orientation of sample and with different quenchant temperatures were carried out to check and verify the results obtained from the experiments. The heat transfer coefficient (HTC) was calculated from temperature history in a simple flat copper disc sample experimentally. This HTC data was further used as input to simulation software and the cooling curves were back calculated. The results obtained from software and using experimentation shows nearly consistent values.

Hydrocarbon extraction agents and microbiological processes for their production

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

Zajic, J.E.; Gerson, D.F.

1987-02-03

A process is described for producing extraction agents useful in the separation of hydrocarbon values from mineral deposits. It comprises cultivating by an aerobic fermentation, in a growth promoting medium and under growth promoting conditions, and on a liquid hydrocarbon substrate, a selected microbial strain of a species of microorganism selected from the group consisting of Arthrobacter terregens, Arthrobacter xerosis, Bacillus megaterium, Corynebacterium lepus, Corynebacterium xerosis, Nocardia petroleophila, and Vibrio ficheri. This is done to produce an extraction agent of microbiological origin in the fermentation medium, subsequently recovering the extraction agent from the fermentation medium and drying the agent tomore » powdered form.« less

Study on fermentation kinetics and extraction process of rhamnolipid production by papermaking wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Keer

2018-01-01

Paper mill wastewater (PMW) is the outlet water generated during pulp and papermaking process in the paper industry. Fermentation by wastewater can lower the cost of production as well as alleviate the pressure of wastewater treatment. Rhamnolipids find broad placations as natural surfactants. This paper studied the rhamnolipids fermentation by employing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated by the laboratory, and determined to use wastewater which filtered by medium speed filter paper and strain Z2, the culture conditions were optimized, based on the flask shaking fermentation. On the basis of 5L tank fermentation, batch fermentation was carried out, the yield of fermentation reached 7.067g/L and the fermentation kinetics model of cell growth, product formation and substrate consumption was established by using origin software, and the fermentation process could be simulated well. And studied on the extraction process of rhamnolipids, through fermentation dynamic equation analysis can predict the in fill material yield can be further improved. Research on the extraction process of rhamnolipid simplifies the operation of extraction, and lays the foundation for the industrial extraction.

Medium range order in aluminum-based metallic glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Feng

2011-12-01

Medium range order (MRO) is the structure order existing between the short range order and long range order in amorphous materials. Fluctuation electron microscopy (FEM) is an effective method to quantify MRO. The FEM signal depends on several effects. In this thesis, I will show how the probe coherence, sample thickness and energy filter affect the FEM signal. We have found that microalloying in Al-based glass has dramatic effect on the primary crystallization temperature and nanocrystal density after annealing treatment. FEM alone cannot uncover the details of MRO in these alloys. Therefore, I resort to modeling to solve the relationship between the variance signal and MRO structure. I improved Stratton and Voyles's analytical model. I also did computer simulation. I explored the effects of thermal disorder and hydrostatic strain on the variance. The extracted size d and volume fraction phi in Al88Y7Fe5, Al88Y6Fe 5Cu1 and Al87Y7Fe5Cu 1 as-spun samples reveals the relationship between MRO in as-quenched sample and thermal behaviors in these alloys. I also did FEM experiments in relaxed Al88Y7Fe 5 samples at various annealing times. MRO structure in these samples does not change. FEM was also done on Al87Y7Fe5Cu 1 to check MRO variation during transient nucleation period. The extracted (d, phi) based on combination of experimental data and simulation shows how MRO changes during this period.

On the coherent rotation of diffuse matter in numerical simulations of clusters of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldi, Anna Silvia; De Petris, Marco; Sembolini, Federico; Yepes, Gustavo; Lamagna, Luca; Rasia, Elena

2017-03-01

We present a study on the coherent rotation of the intracluster medium and dark matter components of simulated galaxy clusters extracted from a volume-limited sample of the MUSIC project. The set is re-simulated with three different recipes for the gas physics: (I) non-radiative, (II) radiative without active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback and (III) radiative with AGN feedback. Our analysis is based on the 146 most massive clusters identified as relaxed, 57 per cent of the total sample. We classify these objects as rotating and non-rotating according to the gas spin parameter, a quantity that can be related to cluster observations. We find that 4 per cent of the relaxed sample is rotating according to our criterion. By looking at the radial profiles of their specific angular momentum vector, we find that the solid body model is not a suitable description of rotational motions. The radial profiles of the velocity of the dark matter show a prevalence of the random velocity dispersion. Instead, the intracluster medium profiles are characterized by a comparable contribution from the tangential velocity and the dispersion. In general, the dark matter component dominates the dynamics of the clusters, as suggested by the correlation between its angular momentum and the gas one, and by the lack of relevant differences among the three sets of simulations.

Optimization growth of Spirulina platensis in bean sprouts extract medium with urea fertilizer for phycocyanin production as antioxidant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dianursanti, Taurina, Zarahmaida; Indraputri, Claudia Maya

2018-02-01

Spirulina platensis has the potential to be developed because of essential chemical compounds in the form of phycocyanin that can be used as an antioxidant. The growth of microalgae and phycocyanin depends on the availability of nutrition contained in culture medium. The cultivation will be carried out at 1 L reactor with continuous aeration, light intensity is 3000-4000 lux, and temperature is 27-30°C. Phycocyanin is obtained by liquid-liquid extraction method using phosphate buffer pH 7. Phycocyanin test performed by using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The result show that the highest dry biomass is obtained on bean sprouts extract medium 8% (v/v) with the addition of urea fertilizer 120 ppm. The highest content of phycocyanin is obtained on bean sprouts extract medium 8% (v/v) with the addition of urea fertilizer 100 ppm with phycocyanin concentration of 257.12 mg/L.

A microscopic lane changing process model for multilane traffic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Wei; Song, Wei-guo; Liu, Xiao-dong; Ma, Jian

2013-03-01

In previous simulations lane-changing behavior is usually assumed as an instantaneous action. However, in real traffic, lane changing is a continuing process which can seriously affect the following cars. In this paper, a microscopic lane-changing process (LCP) model is clearly described. A new idea of simplifying the lane-changing process to the car-following framework is presented by controlling fictitious cars. To verify the model, the results of flow, lane-changing frequency, and single-car velocity are extracted from experimental observations and are compared with corresponding simulation. It is found that the LCP model agrees well with actual traffic flow and lane-changing behaviors may induce a 12%-18% reduction of traffic flow. The results also reflect that most of the drivers on the two roads in a city are conservative but not aggressive to change lanes. Investigation of lane-changing frequency shows that the largest lane-changing frequency occurs at a medium density range from 15 vehs km lane to 35 vehs km lane. It also implies that the lane-changing process might strengthen velocity variation at medium density and weaken velocity variation at high density. It is hoped that the idea of this study may be helpful to promote the modeling and simulation study of traffic flow.

A Novel Algorithm for Determining Contact Area Between a Respirator and a Headform

PubMed Central

Lei, Zhipeng; Yang, James; Zhuang, Ziqing

2016-01-01

The contact area, as well as the contact pressure, is created when a respiratory protection device (a respirator or surgical mask) contacts a human face. A computer-based algorithm for determining the contact area between a headform and N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) was proposed. Six N95 FFRs were applied to five sizes of standard headforms (large, medium, small, long/narrow, and short/wide) to simulate respirator donning. After the contact simulation between a headform and an N95 FFR was conducted, a contact area was determined by extracting the intersection surfaces of the headform and the N95 FFR. Using computer-aided design tools, a superimposed contact area and an average contact area, which are non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) surfaces, were developed for each headform. Experiments that directly measured dimensions of the contact areas between headform prototypes and N95 FFRs were used to validate the simulation results. Headform sizes influenced all contact area dimensions (P < 0.0001), and N95 FFR sizing systems influenced all contact area dimensions (P < 0.05) except the left and right chin regions. The medium headform produced the largest contact area, while the large and small headforms produced the smallest. PMID:24579752

High efficiency induction of callus and regeneration of sporophytes of Laminaria japonica (Phaeophyta)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xi-Hua; Qin, Song; Li, Xin-Ping; Jiang, Peng; Zeng, Cheng-Kui; Qin, Mei

1998-03-01

Four media (PESI solid, MS liquid, MS solid and ASP-C-I solid medium) were used to induce callus from excised tissues of the kelp Laminaria japonica. Only PESI solid medium and MS solid medium produced calli. Modified MS solid medium supplemented with mannitol (3%,W/V), yeast extract (0.1%, W/V), VB2 (0.5 mg/ml), VB12 (0.5 mg/ml), kinetin (0.108 μg/ml) and NAA (1.860μg/ml) showed much better effect on callus induction than non-modified MS solid medium. After 24 days of induction 75.5% of tissues in PESI solid medium showed callus formation. For modified MS solid medium, after three months of induction 67.3% of tissues dedifferentiated into calli. No callus could be found after five months of induction in either MS liquid or ASP-C-I solid medium. When calli were squashed and cultured in N-P enriched autoclaved seawater, MS liquid medium and ASP12-NTA liquid medium (both modified with kelp extract), differentiation of cells and regeneration of sporophytes were only observed in ASP12-NTA medium supplemented with kelp extract. Gametophyte-like filaments formed first, then eggs were released. It was suggested that sporophyte formation could be a process of parthenogenesis. Sterilization techniques in tissue culture of L. japonica were also tested in this study.

Alkaline earth cation extraction from acid solution

DOEpatents

Dietz, Mark; Horwitz, E. Philip

2003-01-01

An extractant medium for extracting alkaline earth cations from an aqueous acidic sample solution is described as are a method and apparatus for using the same. The separation medium is free of diluent, free-flowing and particulate, and comprises a Crown ether that is a 4,4'(5')[C.sub.4 -C.sub.8 -alkylcyclohexano]18-Crown-6 dispersed on an inert substrate material.

Antidiabetic activity of medium-polar extract from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bert. (Bertoni) on alloxan-induced diabetic rats

PubMed Central

Misra, Himanshu; Soni, Manish; Silawat, Narendra; Mehta, Darshana; Mehta, B. K.; Jain, D. C.

2011-01-01

Objective: To investigate the medicative effects of medium-polar (benzene:acetone, 1:1, v/v) extract of leaves from Stevia rebaudiana (family Asteraceae) on alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced in adult albino Wistar rats by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of alloxan (180 mg/kg). Medium-polar extract was administered orally at daily dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body wt. basis for 10 days. The control group received normal saline (0.9%) for the same duration. Glibenclamide was used as positive control reference drug against Stevia extract. Results: Medium-polar leaf extract of S. rebaudiana (200 and 400 mg/kg) produced a delayed but significant (P < 0.01) decrease in the blood glucose level, without producing condition of hypoglycemia after treatment, together with lesser loss in the body weight as compared with standard positive control drug glibenclamide. Conclusions: Treatment of diabetes with sulfonylurea drugs (glibenclamide) causes hypoglycemia followed by greater reduction in body weight, which are the most worrisome effects of these drugs. Stevia extract was found to antagonize the necrotic action of alloxan and thus had a re-vitalizing effect on β-cells of pancreas. PMID:21687353

Impact of a packing medium with alga Bifurcaria bifurcata extract on canned Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) quality.

PubMed

Barbosa, Roberta G; Trigo, Marcos; Fett, Roseane; Aubourg, Santiago P

2018-01-03

The present research focused on the quality of canned fish. Its primary objective was the quality enhancement of canned Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) by including an aqueous Bifurcaria bifurcata extract in the packing medium. Various alga extract concentrations were tested and compared with a control without alga extract. After 3 months of canned storage, the cans were opened and quality changes in fish white muscle were analyzed. An inhibitory effect on lipid oxidation development (tertiary compound formation) and color parameter (L* and b*) values was observed as a result of the alga presence in the packing medium. On the contrary, the presence of the alga extract did not produce any effect on volatile compound (total and trimethylamine) formation and lipid hydrolysis (free fatty acid formation) development. A preservative effect derived from the use of an aqueous B. bifurcata extract as packing medium is concluded, and this result is primarily linked to the presence of hydrophilic preservative molecules. The packing system proposed in this work constitutes a novel and promising strategy to enhance the quality of commercial canned fish products. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Cashew apple juice as microbial cultivation medium for non-immunogenic hyaluronic acid production.

PubMed

Oliveira, Adriano H; Ogrodowski, Cristiane C; de Macedo, André C; Santana, Maria Helena A; Gonçalves, Luciana R B

2013-12-01

In this work, natural cashew apple juice was used as cultivation medium as an alternative to substitute brain heart infusion medium. The effect of aeration and juice supplementation with yeast extract on the production of hyaluronic acid in batch fermentation was also investigated. Similar levels of cell mass were obtained in inoculum using cashew apple juice supplemented with yeast extract or the conventional brain heart infusion medium. Fermentation in Erlenmeyer flasks produced low biomass and hyaluronic acid concentrations. The hyaluronic acid concentration and viscosity increased from 0.15 g/L and 3.87 cP (no aeration or medium supplementation) to 1.76 g/L and 107 cP, when aeration (2 vvm) and 60 g/L of yeast extract were used. The results suggest the production of low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid oligomers instead of the high molecular weight polymer.

Cashew apple juice as microbial cultivation medium for non-immunogenic hyaluronic acid production

PubMed Central

Oliveira, Adriano H.; Ogrodowski, Cristiane C.; de Macedo, André C.; Santana, Maria Helena A.; Gonçalves, Luciana R.B.

2013-01-01

In this work, natural cashew apple juice was used as cultivation medium as an alternative to substitute brain heart infusion medium. The effect of aeration and juice supplementation with yeast extract on the production of hyaluronic acid in batch fermentation was also investigated. Similar levels of cell mass were obtained in inoculum using cashew apple juice supplemented with yeast extract or the conventional brain heart infusion medium. Fermentation in Erlenmeyer flasks produced low biomass and hyaluronic acid concentrations. The hyaluronic acid concentration and viscosity increased from 0.15 g/L and 3.87 cP (no aeration or medium supplementation) to 1.76 g/L and 107 cP, when aeration (2 vvm) and 60 g/L of yeast extract were used. The results suggest the production of low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid oligomers instead of the high molecular weight polymer. PMID:24688498

Germanium precipitation from collecting-mains liquor with tannin extract in an alkaline medium

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

Medvedev, K.P.; Mikhailov, N.F.; Petrapol'skaya, V.M.

1976-01-01

It is proposed to precipitate germanium in a slightly alkaline medium, with a neutral solution of tannin extract in aqueous alkali. The effects of various factors on germanium recovery from collecting-mains liquors have been studied.

Using Volcanic Ash to Remove Dissolved Uranium and Lead

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McKay, David S.; Cuero, Raul G.

2009-01-01

Experiments have shown that significant fractions of uranium, lead, and possibly other toxic and/or radioactive substances can be removed from an aqueous solution by simply exposing the solution, at ambient temperature, to a treatment medium that includes weathered volcanic ash from Pu'u Nene, which is a cinder cone on the Island of Hawaii. Heretofore, this specific volcanic ash has been used for an entirely different purpose: simulating the spectral properties of Martian soil. The treatment medium can consist of the volcanic ash alone or in combination with chitosan, which is a natural polymer that can be produced from seafood waste or easily extracted from fungi, some bacteria, and some algae. The medium is harmless to plants and animals and, because of the abundance and natural origin of its ingredient( s), is inexpensive. The medium can be used in a variety of ways and settings: it can be incorporated into water-filtration systems; placed in contact or mixed with water-containing solids (e.g., soils and sludges); immersed in bodies of water (e.g., reservoirs, lakes, rivers, or wells); or placed in and around nuclear power plants, mines, and farm fields.

Extraction of In-Medium Nucleon-Nucleon Amplitude From Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Wilson, John W.

1998-01-01

The in-medium nucleon-nucleon amplitudes are extracted from the available proton-nucleus total reaction cross sections data. The retrieval of the information from the experiment makes the estimate of reaction cross sections very reliable. Simple expressions are given for the in-medium nucleon-nucleon amplitudes for any system of colliding nuclei as a function of energy. Excellent agreement with experimental observations is demonstrated in the ion-nucleus interactions.

Evaluating bis(2-ethylhexyl) methanediphosphonic acid (H 2DEH[MDP]) based polymer ligand film (PLF) for plutonium and uranium extraction

DOE PAGES

Rim, Jung H.; Armenta, Claudine E.; Gonzales, Edward R.; ...

2015-09-12

This paper describes a new analyte extraction medium called polymer ligand film (PLF) that was developed to rapidly extract radionuclides. PLF is a polymer medium with ligands incorporated in its matrix that selectively and quickly extracts analytes. The main focus of the new technique is to shorten and simplify the procedure for chemically isolating radionuclides for determination through alpha spectroscopy. The PLF system was effective for plutonium and uranium extraction. The PLF was capable of co-extracting or selectively extracting plutonium over uranium depending on the PLF composition. As a result, the PLF and electrodeposited samples had similar alpha spectra resolutions.

Liquid chromatographic extraction medium

DOEpatents

Horwitz, E. Philip; Dietz, Mark L.

1994-01-01

A method and apparatus for extracting strontium and technetium values from biological, industrial and environmental sample solutions using a chromatographic column is described. An extractant medium for the column is prepared by generating a solution of a diluent containing a Crown ether and dispersing the solution on a resin substrate material. The sample solution is highly acidic and is introduced directed to the chromatographic column and strontium or technetium is eluted using deionized water.

Urea enhances cell lysis of Schizosaccharomyces pombe ura4 mutants.

PubMed

Nishino, Kohei; Kushima, Misaki; Kaino, Tomohiro; Matsuo, Yasuhiro; Kawamukai, Makoto

2017-07-01

Cell lysis is induced in Schizosaccharomyces pombe ∆ura4 cells grown in YPD medium, which contains yeast extract, polypeptone, and glucose. To identify the medium components that induce cell lysis, we first tested various kinds of yeast extracts from different suppliers. Cell lysis of ∆ura4 cells on YE medium was observed when yeast extracts from OXOID, BD, Oriental, and Difco were used, but not when using yeast extract from Kyokuto. To determine which compounds induced cell lysis, we subjected yeast extract and polypeptone to GC-MS analysis. Ten kinds of compounds were detected in OXOID and BD yeast extracts, but not in Kyokuto yeast extract. Among them was urea, which was also present in polypeptone, and it clearly induced cell lysis. Deletion of the ure2 gene, which is responsible for utilizing urea, abolished the lytic effect of urea. The effect of urea was suppressed by deletion of pub1, and a similar phenotype was observed in the presence of polypeptone. Thus, urea is an inducer of cell lysis in S. pombe ∆ura4 cells.

Membrane-assisted extraction of monoterpenes: from in silico solvent screening towards biotechnological process application

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

This work focuses on the process development of membrane-assisted solvent extraction of hydrophobic compounds such as monoterpenes. Beginning with the choice of suitable solvents, quantum chemical calculations with the simulation tool COSMO-RS were carried out to predict the partition coefficient (logP) of (S)-(+)-carvone and terpinen-4-ol in various solvent–water systems and validated afterwards with experimental data. COSMO-RS results show good prediction accuracy for non-polar solvents such as n-hexane, ethyl acetate and n-heptane even in the presence of salts and glycerol in an aqueous medium. Based on the high logP value, n-heptane was chosen for the extraction of (S)-(+)-carvone in a lab-scale hollow-fibre membrane contactor. Two operation modes are investigated where experimental and theoretical mass transfer values, based on their related partition coefficients, were compared. In addition, the process is evaluated in terms of extraction efficiency and overall product recovery, and its biotechnological application potential is discussed. Our work demonstrates that the combination of in silico prediction by COSMO-RS with membrane-assisted extraction is a promising approach for the recovery of hydrophobic compounds from aqueous solutions. PMID:29765654

Characterization of a Sea Buckthorn Extract and Its Effect on Free and Encapsulated Lactobacillus casei

PubMed Central

Pop, Oana Lelia; Castro-Giráldez, Marta; Fito, Pedro J.; Vodnar, Dan Cristian; Socaciu, Carmen; Suharoschi, Ramona

2017-01-01

Probiotics are bacteria that can provide health benefits to consumers and are suitable to be added to a variety of foods. In this research, viability of immobilized Lactobacillus casei in alginate with or without sea buckthorn lipid extract were studied during heat treatment and with an in vitro gastrointestinal model. The characterization of the lipid extract was also done using the UV-Vis spectrometry (UV-Vis), high-performance liquid chromatography photodiode array detection method (HPLC-PDA), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GS-MS) and Cryo scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM). During heat treatment, the entrapped probiotic cells proved high viability (>6 CFU log/g), even at temperatures above 50 °C. The rich in monounsaturated fatty acids sea buckthorn fraction improved the in vitro digestion passage regarding the probiotic viability. The survival of the probiotic cells was 15% higher after 2 h in the acidic medium of the simulated gastric fluid in the sample where L. casei was encapsulated with the sea buckthorn extract compared with the samples where no extract was added. Thus, this approach may be effective for the future development of probiotic-supplemented foods as foods with health welfare for the consumers. PMID:29186761

Characterization of a Sea Buckthorn Extract and Its Effect on Free and Encapsulated Lactobacillus casei.

PubMed

Pop, Oana Lelia; Dulf, Francisc Vasile; Cuibus, Lucian; Castro-Giráldez, Marta; Fito, Pedro J; Vodnar, Dan Cristian; Coman, Cristina; Socaciu, Carmen; Suharoschi, Ramona

2017-11-24

Probiotics are bacteria that can provide health benefits to consumers and are suitable to be added to a variety of foods. In this research, viability of immobilized Lactobacillus casei in alginate with or without sea buckthorn lipid extract were studied during heat treatment and with an in vitro gastrointestinal model. The characterization of the lipid extract was also done using the UV-Vis spectrometry (UV-Vis), high-performance liquid chromatography photodiode array detection method (HPLC-PDA), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GS-MS) and Cryo scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM). During heat treatment, the entrapped probiotic cells proved high viability (>6 CFU log/g), even at temperatures above 50 °C. The rich in monounsaturated fatty acids sea buckthorn fraction improved the in vitro digestion passage regarding the probiotic viability. The survival of the probiotic cells was 15% higher after 2 h in the acidic medium of the simulated gastric fluid in the sample where L. casei was encapsulated with the sea buckthorn extract compared with the samples where no extract was added. Thus, this approach may be effective for the future development of probiotic-supplemented foods as foods with health welfare for the consumers.

Numerical simulations of heat transfer considering hydraulic discontinuity for an enhanced geothermal system development in Seokmo Island, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, J.; Kim, K.; Hyun, Y.; Lee, K.; Lee, T.

2011-12-01

The construction of the first geothermal plant in Korea is under planning in Seokmo Island, where a few artesian wells showing relatively high water temperature of around 70 degrees were discovered lately. Geologic structure in this region is characterized by the fractured granite. Numerical simulations for the temperature evolution in a fractured geothermal reservoir in Seokmo Island under the supposed injection-extraction operating conditions were carried out using TOUGH2. A MINC model including a hydraulic discontinuity in Seokmo Island region, which reflected the analysis from several geophysical explorations and drilled rock core, was generated. Supposing the N05°E, NW83° fracture zone containing the pumping range, the numerical simulation results show that temperature of the extracted geothermal water decreases after 15 years of operation, which decreases the overall efficiency of the expected geothermal plant. This is because the colder water from the injection well, which is 400 m apart, begins to flow into the more permeable fracture zone from the 15th year, resulting in a decrease in temperature near the pumping well. Temperature distribution calculated from the simulation also shows a rise of relatively hot geothermal water along the fracture plane. All of the results are different from the non-fracture MINC model, which shows a low temperature contour in concentric circle shape around the injection well and relatively consistent extracting temperature. This demonstrates that the distribution and the structure of fracture system influence the major mass and heat flow mechanisms in geologic medium. Therefore, an intensive geologic investigation for the fractures including their structure, permeability and connecting relation is important. Acknowledgement This study was financially supported by KIGAM, KETEP and BK21.

Rice bran extract: an inexpensive nitrogen source for the production of 2G ethanol from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate.

PubMed

Milessi, Thais S S; Antunes, Felipe A F; Chandel, Anuj K; Silva, Silvio S

2013-10-01

Selection of the raw material and its efficient utilization are the critical factors in economization of second generation (2G) ethanol production. Fermentation of the released sugars into ethanol by a suitable ethanol producing microorganism using cheap media ingredients is the cornerstone of the overall process. This study evaluated the potential of rice bran extract (RBE) as a cheap nitrogen source for the production of 2G ethanol by Scheffersomyces (Pichia) stipitis NRRL Y-7124 using sugarcane bagasse (SB) hemicellulosic hydrolysate. Dilute acid hydrolysis of SB showed 12.45 g/l of xylose and 0.67 g/l of glucose along with inhibitors. It was concentrated by vacuum evaporation and submitted to sequential detoxification (neutralization by calcium hydroxide and charcoal adsorption). The detoxified hydrolysate revealed the removal of furfural (81 %) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (61 %) leading to the final concentration of glucose (1.69 g/l) and xylose (33.03 g/l). S. stipitis was grown in three different fermentation media composed of detoxified hydrolysate as carbon source supplemented with varying nitrogen sources i.e. medium #1 (RBE + ammonium sulfate + calcium chloride), medium #2 (yeast extract + peptone) and medium #3 (yeast extract + peptone + malt extract). Medium #1 showed maximum ethanol production (8.6 g/l, yield 0.22 g/g) followed by medium #2 (8.1 g/l, yield 0.19 g/g) and medium #3 (7.4 g/l, yield 0.18 g/g).

Migration and transformation of different phosphorus forms in rainfall runoff in bioretention system.

PubMed

Song, Yujia; Song, Shoufa

2018-06-04

Artificial bioretention system consisting of Ophiopogon japonicus infiltration medium was used to simulate an infiltration experiment of rainfall runoff. Continuous extraction method was used to detect contents of inorganic phosphorus (P) under exchangeable state (Ex-P) and aluminium phosphate (Al-P) and iron phosphate (Fe-P) at different depths (0, 5, 15 and 35 cm) of soil infiltration medium in bioretention system. Effluent total P (TP) concentration of the system was also monitored. Results indicated that the adsorption of inorganic P, Al-P and Fe-P by soil infiltration medium was implemented layer by layer from top to bottom and gradually weakened. Moreover, Ex-P was gradually transformed into Al-P and Fe-P, whereas Al-P was gradually transformed into Fe-P; thus, Ex-P content reduced layer by layer, whereas Al-P and Fe-P gradually accumulated. The TP removal rate in runoff rainwater by the system was more than 90%, where the TP that was not used by plants was under dynamic equilibrium in water-soil-root system/biological system.

Optimization of Culture Medium for the Growth of Candida sp. and Blastobotrys sp. as Starter Culture in Fermentation of Cocoa Beans (Theobroma cacao) Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM).

PubMed

Mahazar, N H; Zakuan, Z; Norhayati, H; MeorHussin, A S; Rukayadi, Y

2017-01-01

Inoculation of starter culture in cocoa bean fermentation produces consistent, predictable and high quality of fermented cocoa beans. It is important to produce healthy inoculum in cocoa bean fermentation for better fermented products. Inoculum could minimize the length of the lag phase in fermentation. The purpose of this study was to optimize the component of culture medium for the maximum cultivation of Candida sp. and Blastobotrys sp. Molasses and yeast extract were chosen as medium composition and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was then employed to optimize the molasses and yeast extract. Maximum growth of Candida sp. (7.63 log CFU mL-1) and Blastobotrys sp. (8.30 log CFU mL-1) were obtained from the fermentation. Optimum culture media for the growth of Candida sp., consist of 10% (w/v) molasses and 2% (w/v) yeast extract, while for Blastobotrys sp., were 1.94% (w/v) molasses and 2% (w/v) yeast extract. This study shows that culture medium consists of molasses and yeast extract were able to produce maximum growth of Candida sp. and Blastobotrys sp., as a starter culture for cocoa bean fermentation.

Organic electroluminescent devices having improved light extraction

DOEpatents

Shiang, Joseph John [Niskayuna, NY

2007-07-17

Organic electroluminescent devices having improved light extraction include a light-scattering medium disposed adjacent thereto. The light-scattering medium has a light scattering anisotropy parameter g in the range from greater than zero to about 0.99, and a scatterance parameter S less than about 0.22 or greater than about 3.

Antioxidant and neuronal cell protective effects of columbia arabica coffee with different roasting conditions.

PubMed

Jeong, Ji Hee; Jeong, Hee Rok; Jo, Yu Na; Kim, Hyun Ju; Lee, Uk; Heo, Ho Jin

2013-03-01

In vitro antioxidant activities and neuronal cell protective effects of ethanol extract from roasted coffee beans were investigated. Colombia arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) green beans were roasted to give medium (230°C, 10 min), city (230°C, 12 min) and french (230°C, 15 min) coffee beans. Total phenolics in raw green beans, medium, city and french-roasted beans were 8.81±0.05, 9.77±0.03, 9.92±0.04 and 7.76±0.01 mg of GAE/g, respectively. The content of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, the predominant phenolic, was detected higher in medium-roasted beans than others. In addition, we found that extracts from medium-roasted beans particularly showed the highest in vitro antioxidant activity on ABTS radical scavenging activity and FRAP assays. To determine cell viability using the MTT assay, extracts from medium-roasted beans showed higher protection against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity than others. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage was also inhibited by the extracts due to prevention of lipid peroxidation using the malondialdehyde (MDA) assay from mouse whole brain homogenates. These data suggest that the medium-roasting condition to making tasty coffee from Columbia arabica green beans may be more helpful to human health by providing the most physiological phenolics, including 5-O-caffeoylquinic acids.

Extraction of quasi-straightforward-propagating photons from diffused light transmitting through a scattering medium by polarization modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horinaka, Hiromichi; Hashimoto, Koji; Wada, Kenji; Cho, Yoshio; Osawa, Masahiko

1995-07-01

The utilization of light polarization is proposed to extract quasi-straightforward-propagating photons from diffused light transmitting through a scattering medium under continuously operating conditions. Removal of a floor level normally appearing on the dynamic range over which the extraction capability is maintained is demonstrated. By use of pulse-based observations this cw scheme of extraction of quasi-straightforward-propagating photons is directly shown to be equivalent to the use of a temporal gate in the pulse-based operation.

Liquid chromatographic extraction medium

DOEpatents

Horwitz, E.P.; Dietz, M.L.

1994-09-13

A method and apparatus are disclosed for extracting strontium and technetium values from biological, industrial and environmental sample solutions using a chromatographic column. An extractant medium for the column is prepared by generating a solution of a diluent containing a Crown ether and dispersing the solution on a resin substrate material. The sample solution is highly acidic and is introduced directed to the chromatographic column and strontium or technetium is eluted using deionized water. 1 fig.

A predictive control framework for optimal energy extraction of wind farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vali, M.; van Wingerden, J. W.; Boersma, S.; Petrović, V.; Kühn, M.

2016-09-01

This paper proposes an adjoint-based model predictive control for optimal energy extraction of wind farms. It employs the axial induction factor of wind turbines to influence their aerodynamic interactions through the wake. The performance index is defined here as the total power production of the wind farm over a finite prediction horizon. A medium-fidelity wind farm model is utilized to predict the inflow propagation in advance. The adjoint method is employed to solve the formulated optimization problem in a cost effective way and the first part of the optimal solution is implemented over the control horizon. This procedure is repeated at the next controller sample time providing the feedback into the optimization. The effectiveness and some key features of the proposed approach are studied for a two turbine test case through simulations.

Deep liquid-chromatographic purification of uranium extract from technetium

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

Volk, V.; Dvoeglazov, K; Podrezova, L.

The recycling of uranium in the nuclear fuel cycle requires the removal of a number of radioactive and stable impurities like {sup 99}Tc from spent fuels. In order to improve the grade of uranium extract purification from technetium the method of liquid chromatography and the apparatus for its performance have been developed. Process of technetium extraction and concentrating in aqueous solution containing reducing agent has been studied on simulated solutions (U-Tc-HNO{sub 3}-30% TBP-isoparM). The dynamic tests of the method have been carried out on the laboratory unit. Solution of diformyl-hydrazine in nitric acid was used as a stationary phase. Silicamore » gel with specific surface of 186 m{sup 2}/g was used as a carrier of the stationary phase. It is shown that the volume of purified extract increases as the solution temperature increases, concentration of reducing agent increases and extract flow rate decreases. It is established that the technetium content in uranium by this method could achieve a value below 0.3 ppm. Some variants of overload and composition of the stationary phase containing the extracted technetium have been offered and tested. It is defined that the method provides reduction of processing medium-active wastes by more than 10 times during finish refining process. (authors)« less

Adjuvant action of garlic sugar solution in animals immunized with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells attenuated with allicin.

PubMed

Nakata, T; Fujiwara, M

1975-08-01

Ethanol-insoluble components were extracted from fresh garlic with 0.9% NaCl solution containing streptomycin and penicillin. This extract, containing approximately 10% sugar, 0.3% nitrogen, and 0.4% ash, was termed garlic sugar solution. This garlic sugar solution (Medium 1) was used as the suspending medium for Ehrlich ascites tumor cells attenuated with allicin, the main principle of garlic, and 0.9% NaCl solution containing streptomycin and penicillin (Medium 2) was also used as the suspending medium. Mice of DDD strain were immunized with the attenuated tumor cells suspended in Medium 1 or 2. After immunization, the immunized and control mice were challenged intraperitoneally with viable Ehrlich ascites tumorcells. Animals immunized with the attenuated tumor cells suspended in Medium 1 acquired significantly stronger resistance against the tumor cells than animals immunized with those suspended in Medium 2.

Histological staining can enhance the performance of spectroscopic microscopy on sensing nanoarchitectural alterations of biological cells (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Di; Cherkezyan, Lusik; Li, Yue; Capoglu, Ilker; Subramanian, Hariharan; Taflove, Allen; Backman, Vadim

2017-02-01

Our group had previously established that nanoscale three-dimensional refractive index (RI) fluctuations of a linear, dielectric, label-free medium can be sensed in the far field through spectroscopic microscopy, regardless of the diffraction limit of optical microscopy. Adopting this technique, Partial Wave Spectroscopic (PWS) Microscopy was able to sense nanoarchitectural alterations in early-stage cancers. With the success of PWS on detecting cancer from healthy clinical samples, we further investigated whether and how histological staining can enhance the performance of PWS by both finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations and experiments. In this investigation, the dispersion models of hematoxylin and eosin were extracted from the absorption spectra of H and E stained cells. Using these models, the effect of staining were studied via FDTD simulations of unstained versus stained samples with various nanostructures. We observed that, the spectral variance was increased and the spectral variance difference between two samples with distinct nanostructures was enhanced in stained samples by over 200%. Furthermore, we investigated with FDTD whether molecule-specific staining can be used to enhance signals from a medium composing of the desired molecule. Samples with two mixed random media were created and the desired medium was either stained or unstained. Our results showed that the difference between the nanostructures of only the desired medium was enhanced in stained samples. We concluded that, with molecule-specific staining, PWS can selectively target the nanoarchitecture of a desired molecule. Lastly, these results were validated by experiments using human buccal cells from healthy or lung cancer patients. This study has significant impact in improving the performance of PWS on quantifying nanoarchitectural alterations during cancer.

Fish meal extract bile esculin agar (FMBE) a selective medium for Bacteroides fragilis group.

PubMed

Beena, V K; Rao, S; Kotian, M; Shivananda, P G

1997-07-01

Fish meal extract bile esculin agar (FMBE) is prepared using Fish meal extract concentrate as the basal substance, for the selective isolation and presumptive identification of B.fragilis group. The efficiency of the medium was evaluated by growing stock cultures of B.fragilis groups as well as inoculating clinical specimens and comparing the results with Bacteroides bile esculin agar (BBE). All the 87 stock cultures of B.fragilis grew on FMBE and BBE. No other anaerobes tested grew on the medium. However 7 out of 65 neomycin resistant aerobes grew on the FMBE. From the 100 clinical samples, 62 strains of B. Fragilis group were recovered on FMBE and BBE, and 53 strains on supplemented BHIBA. The cost effectiveness, selectivity and the ability to detect esculin hydrolysis will enable FMBE as a suitable medium as comparable to that of BBE, if not superior.

The effect of tomato juices and bean sprout extracts on vitro shoot regeneration of Physalis angulata L.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mastuti, Retno; Munawarti, Aminatun; Rosyidah, Mufidatur

2017-11-01

Physalis angulata L. (Ciplukan) which belongs to Solanaceae is an important medicinal plant. In vitro culture medium contains carbon source, inorganic substance, vitamins, and plant growth regulators. However, organic growth supplements have frequently been added to improve regeneration capability of explants. This study was conducted to observe the effect of tomato juices and extract bean sprout on shoot regeneration and multiplication of in vitro nodal explants. The explants were cultured on MS basal medium + 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP) 2 mg/L + indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) 0.05 mg/L with and without organic supplements. Tomato juices (T) 5, 7.5 and 10% or bean sprout extract (B) 1.25, 2.5, and 3.75% were added as natural organic supplements. Almost all explants have produced shoots one week after culture. After six weeks of culture maximum shoot number (12.5±3.9) was produced in medium MS + T5 while maximum shoot length (10.7 ± 0.7 cm) was obtained in medium MS + T 7.5. Medium T tends to produce more shoots than the medium B and medium control. This result indicates the potential of natural organic supplements for supporting Ciplukan propagation through in vitro culture.

Effect of yeast extract addition to a mineral salts medium containing hydrolyzed plant xylan on fungal pullulan production.

PubMed

Kennedy Ii, Daniel E; West, Thomas P

2018-05-16

The ability of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 to produce pullulan from yeast extract-supplemented xylan hydrolysates of the prairie grass prairie cordgrass was examined relative to polysaccharide and cell biomass production, yield, and pullulan content of the polysaccharide. A pullulan concentration of 11.2 g L-1 and yield of 0.79 g g-1 was produced by ATCC 42023 when grown for 168 h at 30°C on the phosphate-buffered hydrolysate supplemented with yeast extract. The highest biomass level being 8.8 g L-1 was produced by ATCC 42023 after 168 h on a yeast extract-supplemented, hydrolysate-containing complete medium lacking sodium chloride. The highest pullulan content of the polysaccharide produced by ATCC 42023 after 168 h on the hydrolysate medium supplemented with yeast extract and ammonium sulfate was 70%. The findings indicate that a polysaccharide with a high pullulan content can be produced at a relatively high yield by the fungus grown on a yeast extract-supplemented xylan hydrolysate, suggesting that pullulan could be produced using a biomass-based process.

Phytochemical Screening and Biological Activity of Mentha × piperita L. and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Extracts

PubMed Central

Alexa, Ersilia; Radulov, Isidora; Obistioiu, Diana; Sumalan, Renata Maria; Morar, Adriana

2018-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of Mentha × piperita L. (MP) and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (LA) extracts in terms of hydroxycinnamic acid (HCAs) content, in particular, caffeic (CA), p-cumaric (CU), ferulic (FE), and rosmarinic (RS) acids using LC-MS. Also, the in vitro antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and the antiproliferative activity against two cancerous cell lines (A375 and MDA-MB-231) using the MTT assay were tested. The extracts were prepared using aromatic water which resulted from the extraction of oils from plants as extraction medium, with/without acid. The results showed that RS and FE represent the majority of HCAs compounds; the highest content of FE is found in LA (7.47 mg·g–1d.m.), and the maximum content of RS in MP (6.36 mg·g–1d.m.). Regarding the antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, the two extracts showed a simulative role on the growth rate of Staphyloccocus aureus, but a slightly inhibitory effect (69.12%) can be attributed to the acidic environment. In terms of biological activity against MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell line, and A375 human melanoma cell line, at the highest employed concentration, 150 μg·mL–1, the tested extracts present a weak antiproliferative effect. PMID:29552454

Refinement of the theory for extracting cell dielectric properties from dielectrophoresis and electrorotation experiments.

PubMed

Lei, U; Sun, Pei-Hou; Pethig, Ronald

2011-12-01

A modified theory is proposed for extracting cell dielectric properties from the peak frequency measurement of electrorotation (ER) and the crossover frequency measurement of dielectrophoresis (DEP). Current theory in the literature is based on the low frequency (DC) approximations for the equivalent cell permittivity and conductivity, which are valid when the measurements are performed in a medium with conductivity less than 1 mS/m. The present theory extracts the cell properties through optimizing an expression for the medium conductivity in terms of the peak ER, or DEP crossover, frequency according to its definition using full expressions of equivalent cell permittivity and conductivity. Various levels of approximation of the theory are proposed and discussed through a scaling analysis. The present theory can extract both membrane and interior properties from the low and the high peak ER, or DEP crossover, frequencies for any medium conductivity provided the peak ER, or DEP crossover, frequency exists. It can be reduced to the linear theory for the low peak ER and DEP crossover frequencies in the literature when the medium conductivity is less than 10 mS/m. However, we can determine the membrane capacitance and conductance via the slope and intercept, respectively, of the straight line fitting of the ER peak and DEP frequency against medium conductivity data according to the linear theory only when the intercept dominates the experimental uncertainty, which occurs when the medium conductivity is less than 1 mS/m in practice.

Media for aerobic recovery of campylobacter from mixed bacterial cultures

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A non-selective medium for culturing Campylobacter aerobically was recently described. The objective of the present study was to determine if a selective medium could be formulated by supplementing the new medium with the Bolton antibiotic mixture. Basal medium containing beef extract, 50 g; tryptos...

Antifungal and Antiochratoxigenic Activities of Essential Oils and Total Phenolic Extracts: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

EL Khoury, Rachelle; Atoui, Ali; Mathieu, Florence; Kawtharani, Hiba; EL Khoury, Anthony; Maroun, Richard G.; EL Khoury, Andre

2017-01-01

This study is intended to prevent ochratoxin A (OTA) production by Aspergillus carbonarius S402 using essential oils (EOs) and total phenolic compounds extracted from plants and herbs. The EOs used in this study are the following: bay leaves, cumin, fenugreek, melissa, mint, and sage. As for the phenolic compounds, they were extracted from bay leaves, cumin, fenugreek, melissa, mint, sage, anise, chamomile, fennel, rosemary, and thyme. The experiments were conducted on Synthetic Grape Medium (SGM) medium at 28 °C for 4 days. OTA was extracted from the medium with methanol and quantified using HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). Results showed that EOs had a greater impact than the total phenolic extracts on the OTA production. Reduction levels ranged between 25% (sage) and 80% (melissa) for the EOs at 5 µL mL−1, and 13% (thyme) and 69% (mint) for the phenolic extracts. Although they did not affect the growth of A. carbonarius, total phenolic extracts and EOs were capable of partially reducing OTA production. Reduction levels depended on the nature of the plants and the concentration of the EOs. Reducing OTA with natural extracts could be a solution to prevent OTA production without altering the fungal growth, thus preserving the natural microbial balance. PMID:28698493

Simultaneous determination of trace rare-earth elements in simulated water samples using ICP-OES with TODGA extraction/back-extraction.

PubMed

Li, FuKai; Gong, AiJun; Qiu, LiNa; Zhang, WeiWei; Li, JingRui; Liu, Yu; Liu, YuNing; Yuan, HuiTing

2017-01-01

The determination of trace rare-earth elements (REEs) can be used for the assessment of environmental pollution, and is of great significance to the study of toxicity and toxicology in animals and plants. N, N, N', N'-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) is an environmental friendly extractant that is highly selective to REEs. In this study, an analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 16 trace REEs in simulated water samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). With this method, TODGA was used as the extractant to perform the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) sample pretreatment procedure. All 16 REEs were extracted from a 3 M nitric acid medium into an organic phase by a 0.025 M TODGA petroleum ether solution. A 0.03 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA) solution was used for back-extraction to strip the REEs from the organic phase into the aqueous phase. The aqueous phase was concentrated using a vacuum rotary evaporator and the concentration of the 16 REEs was detected by ICP-OES. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the limits of detection (3σ, n = 7) for the REEs ranged from 0.0405 ng mL-1 (Nd) to 0.5038 ng mL-1 (Ho). The relative standard deviations (c = 100 ng mL-1, n = 7) were from 0.5% (Eu) to 4.0% (Tm) with a linear range of 4-1000 ng mL-1 (R2 > 0.999). The recoveries of 16 REEs ranged from 95% to 106%. The LLE-ICP-OES method established in this study has the advantages of simple operation, low detection limits, fast analysis speed and the ability to simultaneously determine 16 REEs, thereby acting as a viable alternative for the simultaneous detection of trace amounts of REEs in water samples.

Simultaneous determination of trace rare-earth elements in simulated water samples using ICP-OES with TODGA extraction/back-extraction

PubMed Central

Li, FuKai; Qiu, LiNa; Zhang, WeiWei; Li, JingRui; Liu, Yu; Liu, YuNing; Yuan, HuiTing

2017-01-01

The determination of trace rare-earth elements (REEs) can be used for the assessment of environmental pollution, and is of great significance to the study of toxicity and toxicology in animals and plants. N, N, N′, N′-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) is an environmental friendly extractant that is highly selective to REEs. In this study, an analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 16 trace REEs in simulated water samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). With this method, TODGA was used as the extractant to perform the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) sample pretreatment procedure. All 16 REEs were extracted from a 3 M nitric acid medium into an organic phase by a 0.025 M TODGA petroleum ether solution. A 0.03 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA) solution was used for back-extraction to strip the REEs from the organic phase into the aqueous phase. The aqueous phase was concentrated using a vacuum rotary evaporator and the concentration of the 16 REEs was detected by ICP-OES. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the limits of detection (3σ, n = 7) for the REEs ranged from 0.0405 ng mL-1 (Nd) to 0.5038 ng mL-1 (Ho). The relative standard deviations (c = 100 ng mL-1, n = 7) were from 0.5% (Eu) to 4.0% (Tm) with a linear range of 4–1000 ng mL-1 (R2 > 0.999). The recoveries of 16 REEs ranged from 95% to 106%. The LLE-ICP-OES method established in this study has the advantages of simple operation, low detection limits, fast analysis speed and the ability to simultaneously determine 16 REEs, thereby acting as a viable alternative for the simultaneous detection of trace amounts of REEs in water samples. PMID:28945788

Interaction of media on production and biocontrol efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis against grey mould of apple.

PubMed

Peighamy-Ashnaei, S; Sharifi-Tehrani, A; Ahmadzadeh, M; Behboudi, K

2008-01-01

The medium has a profound effect on biocontrol agents, including ability to grow and effectiveness in disease control. In this study, growth and antagonistic efficacy of strains P-5 and P-35 (P. fluorescens), B-3 and B-16 (B. subtilis) were evaluated in combinations of two carbon (sucrose and molasses) and two nitrogen (urea and yeast extract) sources to optimize control of Botrytis cinerea on apple. All of the strains were grown in different liquid media (pH = 6.9) including: sucrose + yeast extract, molasses of sugar beet + yeast extract in 2:1 and 1:1 w/w ratios, molasses of sugar beet + urea, molasses, malt extract and nutrient broth. Apples (Golden Delicious) were inoculated by a 25-microl suspension of 10(6) spores of B. cinerea per ml, wounding each fruit (in two sites separately). Then a 25-microl suspension of each strain, containing 2 x 10(8) cfu ml(-1) grown in each of the above culture media, was applied to each wound. Results indicated that Molasses + Yeast extract (1:1 w/w) medium supported rapid growth in all of the strains. The final growth of B. subtilis B-16 in Molasses + Yeast extract (1:1 w/w) medium was 5 x 10(9) cfu ml(-1). After ten days, all of the strains significantly inhibited pathogenicity of B. cinerea on apples. The biocontrol efficacy of B. subtilis B-3 in Molasses + Yeast extract (1:1 w/w) medium reduced the severity of grey mould from 100% (inoculated control) to less than 26.9%. After 20 days, Strain B-3 showed a considerable biocontrol efficacy in Molasses medium and reduced the severity of grey mould from 100% (inoculated control) to less than 38.2%. The results obtained in this study could be used to provide a reliable basis for the increase of population of biocontrol agents in fermentation process.

Extracting Galaxy Cluster Gas Inhomogeneity from X-Ray Surface Brightness: A Statistical Approach and Application to Abell 3667

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawahara, Hajime; Reese, Erik D.; Kitayama, Tetsu; Sasaki, Shin; Suto, Yasushi

2008-11-01

Our previous analysis indicates that small-scale fluctuations in the intracluster medium (ICM) from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations follow the lognormal probability density function. In order to test the lognormal nature of the ICM directly against X-ray observations of galaxy clusters, we develop a method of extracting statistical information about the three-dimensional properties of the fluctuations from the two-dimensional X-ray surface brightness. We first create a set of synthetic clusters with lognormal fluctuations around their mean profile given by spherical isothermal β-models, later considering polytropic temperature profiles as well. Performing mock observations of these synthetic clusters, we find that the resulting X-ray surface brightness fluctuations also follow the lognormal distribution fairly well. Systematic analysis of the synthetic clusters provides an empirical relation between the three-dimensional density fluctuations and the two-dimensional X-ray surface brightness. We analyze Chandra observations of the galaxy cluster Abell 3667, and find that its X-ray surface brightness fluctuations follow the lognormal distribution. While the lognormal model was originally motivated by cosmological hydrodynamic simulations, this is the first observational confirmation of the lognormal signature in a real cluster. Finally we check the synthetic cluster results against clusters from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. As a result of the complex structure exhibited by simulated clusters, the empirical relation between the two- and three-dimensional fluctuation properties calibrated with synthetic clusters when applied to simulated clusters shows large scatter. Nevertheless we are able to reproduce the true value of the fluctuation amplitude of simulated clusters within a factor of 2 from their two-dimensional X-ray surface brightness alone. Our current methodology combined with existing observational data is useful in describing and inferring the statistical properties of the three-dimensional inhomogeneity in galaxy clusters.

Optimization of the scan protocols for CT-based material extraction in small animal PET/CT studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Ching-Ching; Yu, Jhih-An; Yang, Bang-Hung; Wu, Tung-Hsin

2013-12-01

We investigated the effects of scan protocols on CT-based material extraction to minimize radiation dose while maintaining sufficient image information in small animal studies. The phantom simulation experiments were performed with the high dose (HD), medium dose (MD) and low dose (LD) protocols at 50, 70 and 80 kVp with varying mA s. The reconstructed CT images were segmented based on Hounsfield unit (HU)-physical density (ρ) calibration curves and the dual-energy CT-based (DECT) method. Compared to the (HU;ρ) method performed on CT images acquired with the 80 kVp HD protocol, a 2-fold improvement in segmentation accuracy and a 7.5-fold reduction in radiation dose were observed when the DECT method was performed on CT images acquired with the 50/80 kVp LD protocol, showing the possibility to reduce radiation dose while achieving high segmentation accuracy.

Characteristics of purple nonsulfur bacteria grown under Stevia residue extractions.

PubMed

Xu, J; Feng, Y; Wang, Y; Lin, X

2013-11-01

As a consequence of the large-scale cultivation of Stevia plants, releases of plant residues, the byproduct after sweetener extraction, to the environment are inevitable. Stevia residue and its effluent after batching up contain large amounts of organic matters with small molecular weight, which therefore are a potential pollution source. Meanwhile, they are favourite substrates for micro-organism growths. This investigation was aimed to utilize the simulated effluent of Stevia residue to enrich the representative purple nonsulfur bacterium (PNSB), Rhodopseudomonas palustris (Rps. palustris), which has important economic values. The growth profile and quality of Rps. palustris were characterized by spectrophotometry, compared to those grown in common PNSB mineral synthetic medium. Our results revealed that the simulated effluent of Stevia residue not only stimulated Rps. palustris growth to a greater extent, but also increased its physiologically active cytochrome concentrations and excreted indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content. This variation in phenotype of Rps. palustris could result from the shift in its genotype, further revealed by the repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting analysis. Our results showed that the effluent of Stevia residue was a promising substrate for microbial growth. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Characterization of Alicyclobacillus disufldooxidans HIB4 Isolated from an Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suto, Koichi; Joe, Seong Jin; Inoue, Chihiro; Chida, Tadashi

2006-05-01

A heterotrophic bacterium, designated as HIB4, having an ability to oxidize ferrous iron was isolated from the sample of an enrichment culture with 9K medium, by using the modified WAYE (washed agarose/yeast extract) medium with ferrous sulphate. This isolate was identified as Alicyclobacillus disulfidooxidans from 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The isolate grew and oxidized ferrous iron in an inorganic medium containing 0.02 % (w/v) of yeast extract and Ferrous iron oxidation occurred at the almost end of its logarithmic phase. Yeast extract was an essential substrate for the isolate because the isolate could not grow or oxidize ferrous iron without yeast extract. However, higher concentration of yeast extract inhibited the growth of the isolate. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the isolate was able to grow without ferrous ion so that it did not get any energy by ferrous ion oxidation. Its optimum concentration of yeast extract was 0.02% (w/v) at the concentration of ferrous ion 0.08mol/liter. Its optimum pH was 1.5 and the optimum temperature was 30 °C These physiological characteristics were completely different from A. disulfidooxidans SD-11 which is the type strain.

Controlling filamentous fungi morphology with microparticles to enhanced β-mannanase production.

PubMed

Yatmaz, Ercan; Karahalil, Ercan; Germec, Mustafa; Ilgin, Merve; Turhan, İrfan

2016-09-01

β-mannanase was produced mainly by Aspergillus species and can degrade the β-1,4-mannose linkages of galactomannans. This study was undertaken to enhance mannanase production using talcum and aluminum oxide as the microparticles, which control cell morphology of recombinant Aspergillus sojae in glucose and carob extract medium. Both microparticles improved fungal growth in glucose and carob pod extract medium. Aluminum oxide (1 g/L) was the best agent for glucose medium which resulted in 514.0 U/ml. However, the highest mannanase activity was found as 568.7 U/ml with 5 g/L of talcum in carob extract medium. Increase in microparticle concentration resulted in decreasing the pellet size diameter. Furthermore, more than 10 g/L of talcum addition changed the filamentous fungi growth type from pellet to pellet/mycelium mixture. Results showed that right type and concentration of microparticle in fermentation media improved the mannanase activity and production rate by controlling the growth morphology.

In vitro remineralization of hybrid layers using biomimetic analogs*

PubMed Central

Lin, Hui-ping; Lin, Jun; Li, Juan; Xu, Jing-hong; Mehl, Christian

2016-01-01

Resin-dentin bond degradation is a major cause of restoration failures. The major aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of a remineralization medium on collagen matrices of hybrid layers of three different adhesive resins using nanotechnology methods. Coronal dentin surfaces were prepared from freshly extracted premolars and bonded to composite resin using three adhesive resins (FluoroBond II, Xeno-III-Bond, and iBond). From each tooth, two central slabs were selected for the study. The slabs used as controls were immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF). The experimental slabs were immersed in a Portland cement-based remineralization medium that contained two biomimetic analogs (biomineralization medium (BRM)). Eight slabs per group were retrieved after 1, 2, 3, and 4 months, respectively and immersed in Rhodamine B for 24 h. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to evaluate the permeability of hybrid layers to Rhodamine B. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s honest significant difference (HSD) tests. After four months, all BRM specimens exhibited a significantly smaller fluorescent area than SBF specimens, indicating a remineralization of the hybrid layer (P≤0.05). A clinically applicable biomimetic remineralization delivery system could potentially slow down bond degradation. PMID:27819133

In vitro remineralization of hybrid layers using biomimetic analogs.

PubMed

Lin, Hui-Ping; Lin, Jun; Li, Juan; Xu, Jing-Hong; Mehl, Christian

Resin-dentin bond degradation is a major cause of restoration failures. The major aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of a remineralization medium on collagen matrices of hybrid layers of three different adhesive resins using nanotechnology methods. Coronal dentin surfaces were prepared from freshly extracted premolars and bonded to composite resin using three adhesive resins (FluoroBond II, Xeno-III-Bond, and iBond). From each tooth, two central slabs were selected for the study. The slabs used as controls were immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF). The experimental slabs were immersed in a Portland cement-based remineralization medium that contained two biomimetic analogs (biomineralization medium (BRM)). Eight slabs per group were retrieved after 1, 2, 3, and 4 months, respectively and immersed in Rhodamine B for 24 h. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to evaluate the permeability of hybrid layers to Rhodamine B. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's honest significant difference (HSD) tests. After four months, all BRM specimens exhibited a significantly smaller fluorescent area than SBF specimens, indicating a remineralization of the hybrid layer (P≤0.05). A clinically applicable biomimetic remineralization delivery system could potentially slow down bond degradation.

Torque during canal instrumentation using rotary nickel-titanium files.

PubMed

Sattapan, B; Palamara, J E; Messer, H H

2000-03-01

Nickel-titanium engine-driven rotary instruments are used increasingly in endodontic practice. One frequently mentioned problem is fracture of an instrument in the root canal. Very few studies have been conducted on torsional characteristics of these instruments, and none has been done under dynamic conditions. The purposes of this study were to measure the torque generated and the apical force applied during instrumentation with a commercial engine-driven nickel-titanium file system, and to relate torque generated during simulated clinical use to torsional failure of the instruments. Ten extracted human teeth (five with small-sized and five with medium-sized straight root canals) were instrumented with Quantec Series 2000 files, and the torque and apical force generated were measured. The applied apical force was generally low, not exceeding 150 g in either small or medium canals. The torque depended on the tip size and taper of each instrument, and on canal size. Instruments with 0.05 and 0.06 taper generated the highest torque, which was greater in small than in medium canals. The torque at failure was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than torque during instrumentation, but with considerable variation in the extent of the difference.

Numerical study on the power extraction performance of a flapping foil with a flexible tail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, J.; Shu, C.; Zhao, N.; Tian, F.-B.

2015-01-01

The numerical study on the power extraction performance of a flapping foil with a flexible tail is performed in this work. A NACA0015 airfoil is arranged in a two-dimensional laminar flow and imposed with a synchronous harmonic plunge and pitch rotary motion. A flat plate that is attached to the trailing edge of the foil is utilized to model a tail, and so they are viewed as a whole for the purpose of power extraction. In addition, the tail either is rigid or can deform due to the exerted hydrodynamic forces. To implement numerical simulations, an immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method is employed. At a Reynolds number of 1100 and the position of the pitching axis at third chord, the influences of the mass and flexibility of the tail as well as the frequency of motion on the power extraction are systematically examined. It is found that compared to the foil with a rigid tail, the efficiency of power extraction for the foil with a deformable tail can be improved. Based on the numerical analysis, it is indicated that the enhanced plunging component of the power extraction, which is caused by the increased lift force, directly contributes to the efficiency improvement. Since a flexible tail with medium and high masses is not beneficial to the efficiency improvement, a flexible tail with low mass together with high flexibility is recommended in the flapping foil based power extraction system.

Extracting concentrated guided light.

PubMed

Ries, H; Segal, A; Karni, J

1997-05-01

The maximum concentration of radiation is proportional to the square of the refractive index of the medium in which it propagates. A medium with a high refractive index can also serve as a lightguide for concentrated radiation. However, if concentrated radiation is extracted from one medium, with a high refractive index, to another, whose index is lower (e.g., from fused silica into air), part of the radiation may be lost because of the total internal reflection at the interface. We present polygonal shapes suitable for efficient extraction of the concentrated radiation in a controllable way, without increasing the cross-section area (or diameter) of the lightguide. It is shown analytically and experimentally that the use of a secondary concentrator, followed by such a light extractor, both having a high refractive index, can provide considerably more power to a solar receiver with a specific aperture.

SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESS

DOEpatents

Jonke, A.A.

1957-10-01

In improved solvent extraction process is described for the extraction of metal values from highly dilute aqueous solutions. The process comprises contacting an aqueous solution with an organic substantially water-immiscible solvent, whereby metal values are taken up by a solvent extract phase; scrubbing the solvent extract phase with an aqueous scrubbing solution; separating an aqueous solution from the scrubbed solvent extract phase; and contacting the scrubbed solvent phase with an aqueous medium whereby the extracted metal values are removed from the solvent phase and taken up by said medium to form a strip solution containing said metal values, the aqueous scrubbing solution being a mixture of strip solution and an aqueous solution which contains mineral acids anions and is free of the metal values. The process is particularly effective for purifying uranium, where one starts with impure aqueous uranyl nitrate, extracts with tributyl phosphate dissolved in carbon tetrachloride, scrubs with aqueous nitric acid and employs water to strip the uranium from the scrubbed organic phase.

Spatiotemporal Permutation Entropy as a Measure for Complexity of Cardiac Arrhythmia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlemmer, Alexander; Berg, Sebastian; Lilienkamp, Thomas; Luther, Stefan; Parlitz, Ulrich

2018-05-01

Permutation entropy (PE) is a robust quantity for measuring the complexity of time series. In the cardiac community it is predominantly used in the context of electrocardiogram (ECG) signal analysis for diagnoses and predictions with a major application found in heart rate variability parameters. In this article we are combining spatial and temporal PE to form a spatiotemporal PE that captures both, complexity of spatial structures and temporal complexity at the same time. We demonstrate that the spatiotemporal PE (STPE) quantifies complexity using two datasets from simulated cardiac arrhythmia and compare it to phase singularity analysis and spatial PE (SPE). These datasets simulate ventricular fibrillation (VF) on a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional medium using the Fenton-Karma model. We show that SPE and STPE are robust against noise and demonstrate its usefulness for extracting complexity features at different spatial scales.

Multiphase, multicomponent simulations and experiments of reactive flow, relevant for combining geologic CO2 sequestration with geothermal energy capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saar, Martin O.

2011-11-01

Understanding the fluid dynamics of supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) in brine- filled porous media is important for predictions of CO2 flow and brine displacement during geologic CO2 sequestration and during geothermal energy capture using sequestered CO2 as the subsurface heat extraction fluid. We investigate multiphase fluid flow in porous media employing particle image velocimetry experiments and lattice-Boltzmann fluid flow simulations at the pore scale. In particular, we are interested in the motion of a drop (representing a CO2 bubble) through an orifice in a plate, representing a simplified porous medium. In addition, we study single-phase/multicomponent reactive transport experimentally by injecting water with dissolved CO2 into rocks/sediments typically considered for CO2 sequestration to investigate how resultant fluid-mineral reactions modify permeability fields. Finally, we investigate numerically subsurface CO2 and heat transport at the geologic formation scale.

Exploring the feasibility of focusing CW light through a scattering medium into closely spaced twin peaks via numerical solutions of Maxwell’s equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Snow H.; Chang, Shih-Hui

2018-04-01

Here we present a numerical simulation to analyze the effect of scattering on focusing light into closely-spaced twin peaks. The pseudospectral time-domain (PSTD) is implemented to model continuous-wave (CW) light propagation through a scattering medium. Simulations show that CW light can propagate through a scattering medium and focus into closely-spaced twin peaks. CW light of various wavelengths focusing into twin peaks with sub-diffraction spacing is simulated. In advance, light propagation through scattering media of various number densities is simulated to decipher the dependence of CW light focusing phenomenon on the scattering medium. The reported simulations demonstrate the feasibility of focusing CW light into twin peaks with sub-diffraction dimensions. More importantly, based upon numerical solutions of Maxwell’s equations, research findings show that the sub-diffraction focusing phenomenon can be achieved with scarce or densely-packed scattering media.

Medium effect on the characteristics of the coupled seismic and electromagnetic signals.

PubMed

Huang, Qinghua; Ren, Hengxin; Zhang, Dan; Chen, Y John

2015-01-01

Recently developed numerical simulation technique can simulate the coupled seismic and electromagnetic signals for a double couple point source or a finite fault planar source. Besides the source effect, the simulation results showed that both medium structure and medium property could affect the coupled seismic and electromagnetic signals. The waveform of coupled signals for a layered structure is more complicated than that for a simple uniform structure. Different from the seismic signals, the electromagnetic signals are sensitive to the medium properties such as fluid salinity and fluid viscosity. Therefore, the co-seismic electromagnetic signals may be more informative than seismic signals.

Medium effect on the characteristics of the coupled seismic and electromagnetic signals

PubMed Central

HUANG, Qinghua; REN, Hengxin; ZHANG, Dan; CHEN, Y. John

2015-01-01

Recently developed numerical simulation technique can simulate the coupled seismic and electromagnetic signals for a double couple point source or a finite fault planar source. Besides the source effect, the simulation results showed that both medium structure and medium property could affect the coupled seismic and electromagnetic signals. The waveform of coupled signals for a layered structure is more complicated than that for a simple uniform structure. Different from the seismic signals, the electromagnetic signals are sensitive to the medium properties such as fluid salinity and fluid viscosity. Therefore, the co-seismic electromagnetic signals may be more informative than seismic signals. PMID:25743062

Extraction of Pm(III) and Gd(III) by 8-hydroxyquinoline and some related amines in chloroform from nitrate medium

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

Shehata, F.A.; Khalifa, S.M.; El-Dessouky, S.I.

1993-10-01

The extraction of the trivalent radioactive lanthanides (Ln), Pm and Gd from nitrate aqueous medium by 8-hydroxyquinoline (HOX) and/or trilaurylamine (TLA), trioctylamine (TOA), tributylamine (TBA), tripropylamine (TPA) or triallylamine (TAA),L, in chloroform was investigated. The chemical formulae of the extracted organic phase species for both lanthanides were found Ln.NO{sub 3}.(OX){sub 2} for the chelate and Ln.NO{sub 3}(OX){sub 2}.L for the adduct. The respective extraction and formation constants were evaluated. The synergic extraction of Pm and Gd by HOX-amine was investigated as a function of temperature. The thermodynamic parameters, free energy change, enthalpy change and entropy change were evaluated. The stoichiometrymore » of the extracted organic phase species was established and the different data obtained were discussed. 15 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Enhanced Bio-Ethanol Production from Industrial Potato Waste by Statistical Medium Optimization.

PubMed

Izmirlioglu, Gulten; Demirci, Ali

2015-10-15

Industrial wastes are of great interest as a substrate in production of value-added products to reduce cost, while managing the waste economically and environmentally. Bio-ethanol production from industrial wastes has gained attention because of its abundance, availability, and rich carbon and nitrogen content. In this study, industrial potato waste was used as a carbon source and a medium was optimized for ethanol production by using statistical designs. The effect of various medium components on ethanol production was evaluated. Yeast extract, malt extract, and MgSO₄·7H₂O showed significantly positive effects, whereas KH₂PO₄ and CaCl₂·2H₂O had a significantly negative effect (p-value<0.05). Using response surface methodology, a medium consisting of 40.4 g/L (dry basis) industrial waste potato, 50 g/L malt extract, and 4.84 g/L MgSO₄·7H₂O was found optimal and yielded 24.6 g/L ethanol at 30 °C, 150 rpm, and 48 h of fermentation. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that industrial potato waste can be used effectively to enhance bioethanol production.

Medium-Scale Production of Citrinin by Penicillium citrinum in a Semisynthetic Medium

PubMed Central

Davis, N. D.; Dalby, D. K.; Diener, U. L.; Sansing, G. A.

1975-01-01

A convenient method is described for the production of up to 1.75 g of citrinin per liter by Penicillium citrinum growing in stationary culture in a 5-gallon (18.925 liters) carboy containing 4 liters of 4% sucrose and 2% yeast extract medium. PMID:1089161

Development of a semidefined growth medium for Pedobacter cryoconitis BG5 using statistical experimental design.

PubMed

Ong, Magdalena; Ongkudon, Clarence M; Wong, Clemente Michael Vui Ling

2016-10-02

Pedobacter cryoconitis BG5 are psychrophiles isolated from the cold environment and capable of proliferating and growing well at low temperature regime. Their cellular products have found a broad spectrum of applications, including in food, medicine, and bioremediation. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a high-cell density cultivation strategy coupled with optimized growth medium for P. cryoconitis BG5. To date, there has been no published report on the design and optimization of growth medium for P. cryoconitis, hence the objective of this research project. A preliminary screening of four commercially available media, namely tryptic soy broth, R2A, Luria Bertani broth, and nutrient broth, was conducted to formulate the basal medium. Based on the preliminary screening, tryptone, glucose, NaCl, and K2HPO4 along with three additional nutrients (yeast extract, MgSO4, and NH4Cl) were identified to form the basal medium which was further analyzed by Plackett-Burman experimental design. Central composite experimental design using response surface methodology was adopted to optimize tryptone, yeast extract, and NH4Cl concentrations in the formulated growth medium. Statistical data analysis showed a high regression factor of 0.84 with a predicted optimum optical (600 nm) cell density of 7.5 using 23.7 g/L of tryptone, 8.8 g/L of yeast extract, and 0.7 g/L of NH4Cl. The optimized medium for P. cryoconitis BG5 was tested, and the observed optical density was 7.8. The cost-effectiveness of the optimized medium was determined as 6.25 unit prices per gram of cell produced in a 250-ml Erlenmeyer flask.

Effect of phospholipid-based formulations of Boswellia serrata extract on the solubility, permeability, and absorption of the individual boswellic acid constituents present.

PubMed

Hüsch, Jan; Gerbeth, Kathleen; Fricker, Gert; Setzer, Constanze; Zirkel, Jürgen; Rebmann, Herbert; Schubert-Zsilavecz, Manfred; Abdel-Tawab, Mona

2012-10-26

Boswellia serrata gum resin extracts are used widely for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. However, very low concentrations in the plasma and brain were observed for the boswellic acids (1-6, the active constituents of B. serrata). The present study investigated the effect of phospholipids alone and in combination with common co-surfactants (e.g., Tween 80, vitamin E-TPGS, pluronic f127) on the solubility of 1-6 in physiologically relevant media and on the permeability in the Caco-2 cell model. Because of the high lipophilicity of 1-6, the permeability experiments were adapted to physiological conditions using modified fasted state simulated intestinal fluid as apical (donor) medium and 4% bovine serum albumin in the basolateral (receiver) compartment. A formulation composed of extract/phospholipid/pluronic f127 (1:1:1 w/w/w) increased the solubility of 1-6 up to 54 times compared with the nonformulated extract and exhibited the highest mass net flux in the permeability tests. The oral administration of this formulation to rats (240 mg/kg) resulted in 26 and 14 times higher plasma levels for 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (1) and acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (2), respectively. In the brain, five times higher levels for 2 compared to the nonformulated extract were determined 8 h after oral administration.

Copper extraction from ammoniacal medium in a pulsed sieve-plate column with LIX 84-I.

PubMed

Gameiro, M Lurdes F; Machado, Remígio M; Ismael, M Rosinda C; Reis, M Teresa A; Carvalho, Jorge M R

2010-11-15

This article reports on a study of copper removal from ammoniacal aqueous solution (1.0 kg m(-3) Cu, pH 9.5) by liquid-liquid extraction using a pulsed sieve-plate column. The extractant tested was the hydroxyoxime LIX 84-I (2-hydroxy-5-nonylacetophenone oxime) in the aliphatic diluent Shellsol D-70. The results of the pilot plant experiments demonstrated the feasibility of operating the extraction process in this type of column, with efficiencies of copper removal in the range of 90.5-99.5%. Several effects on the column performance were examined, namely the aqueous and organic flow rates and the pulse velocity. The axial dispersion model was applied to simulate the concentration profiles, which reasonably predicted the experimental data. The overall mass transfer coefficient was evaluated from the experimental data and was found to be between 9×10(-6) and 1.2×10(-5) m s(-1). These data were compared with the ones obtained from the resistances in series model, which indicated that the resistance due to chemical reaction was 84-91% of the overall resistance to mass transfer. The extraction using a hollow fiber contactor was also carried out to compare the membrane process performance with the one of conventional process. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wet-plate culture studies of Penicillium sp. PT95 and Q1 for mass production of sclerotia.

PubMed

Zhao, Wen-Jing; An, Cui-Hong; Han, Jian-Rong

2014-04-01

Penicillium sp. PT95 and Q1 strains were able to form abundant orange, sand-shaped sclerotia in which carotenoids were accumulated. To determine the potential availability of the wet-plate method for mass production of sclerotia, nine kinds of liquid media were used culture the PT95 and Q1 strains. The results of the wet-plate culture showed that on 25% glycerol nitrate broth medium, the growth of both strains was relatively slow, and no sclerotia were found. Q1 strain cultured on Czapek's yeast extract broth medium could not form sclerotia. On other media, both strains could form sclerotia. For PT95 strain, the highest sclerotial biomass (380 mg plate(-1) ) and carotenoids yield (20.88 µg plate(-1) ) could be obtained on Czapek's yeast extract broth and Georgiou's liquid medium, respectively. For Q1 strain, malt extract broth medium gave the highest sclerotial biomass (340 mg plate(-1) ) and omitting iron Joham's liquid medium gave the highest carotenoids yield (18.29 µg plate(-1) ). The results from this study suggest the potential usage of wet-plate method in the mass production of sclerotia of the PT95 and Q1 strains. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Effect of Time, Roasting Temperature, and Grind Size on Caffeine and Chlorogenic Acid Concentrations in Cold Brew Coffee.

PubMed

Fuller, Megan; Rao, Niny Z

2017-12-21

The extraction kinetics and equilibrium concentrations of caffeine and 3-chlorogenic acid (3-CGA) in cold brew coffee were investigated by brewing four coffee samples (dark roast/medium grind, dark roast/coarse grind, medium roast/medium grind, medium roast/coarse grind) using cold and hot methods. 3-CGA and caffeine were found at higher concentrations in cold brew coffee made with medium roast coffees, rather than dark roast. The grind size did not impact 3-CGA and caffeine concentrations of cold brew samples significantly, indicating that the rate determining step in extraction for these compounds did not depend on surface area. Caffeine concentrations in cold brew coarse grind samples were substantially higher than their hot brew counterparts. 3-CGA concentrations and pH were comparable between cold and hot brews. This work suggests that the difference in acidity of cold brew coffee is likely not due to 3-CGA or caffeine concentrations considering that most acids in coffee are highly soluble and extract quickly. It was determined that caffeine and 3-CGA concentrations reached equilibrium according to first order kinetics between 6 and 7 hours in all cold brew samples instead of 10 to 24 hours outlined in typical cold brew methods.

[HPLC method to determine DEHP released into blood from a disposable extracorporeal circulation tube].

PubMed

Liu, Xi; Yu, Jingjing; Li, Shen; Wang, Hong; Liu, Jiaxin

2013-08-01

We used blood as leaching medium, simulating clinical operation under maximum condition, to develop Liquid-phase extraction- High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method for determination of plasticizer Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) released from Disposable Extracorporeal Circulation Tube in order to lay the foundation of risk analysis of this product. The characteristic wavelength of DEHP in methanol was detected. Acetonitrile was added to the leaching blood in proportion and extracted DEHP from blood. The methodology for HPLC to quantify DEHP was established and the DEHP amount released from this disposable extracorporeal circulation tube was measured. The experiments showed good results as follows. The characteristic wavelength of DEHP was 272nm. The concentration of DEHP (5-250 microg/mL) kept good linear relationship with peak area (r=0.9999). Method sensitivity was 1 microg/mL. Precisions showed RSD<5%. The adding standard extraction Recovery Rates of 25, 100 and 250 microg DEHP standard were 61.91 +/- 3.32)%, (69.38 +/- 0.55)% and (68.47 +/- 1.15)%. The DEHP maximum amounts released from 3 sets of this disposable extracorporeal circulation tube were 204.14, 106.30 and 165.34 mg/set. Our Liquid-phase Extraction-HPLC method showed high accuracy and precision, and relatively stable recovery rate. Its operation was also convenient.

A numerical study of EGS heat extraction process based on a thermal non-equilibrium model for heat transfer in subsurface porous heat reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jiliang; Jiang, Fangming

2016-02-01

With a previously developed numerical model, we perform a detailed study of the heat extraction process in enhanced or engineered geothermal system (EGS). This model takes the EGS subsurface heat reservoir as an equivalent porous medium while it considers local thermal non-equilibrium between the rock matrix and the fluid flowing in the fractured rock mass. The application of local thermal non-equilibrium model highlights the temperature-difference heat exchange process occurring in EGS reservoirs, enabling a better understanding of the involved heat extraction process. The simulation results unravel the mechanism of preferential flow or short-circuit flow forming in homogeneously fractured reservoirs of different permeability values. EGS performance, e.g. production temperature and lifetime, is found to be tightly related to the flow pattern in the reservoir. Thermal compensation from rocks surrounding the reservoir contributes little heat to the heat transmission fluid if the operation time of an EGS is shorter than 15 years. We find as well the local thermal equilibrium model generally overestimates EGS performance and for an EGS with better heat exchange conditions in the heat reservoir, the heat extraction process acts more like the local thermal equilibrium process.

Antibacterial properties of the skin mucus of the freshwater fishes, Rita rita and Channa punctatus.

PubMed

Kumari, U; Nigam, A K; Mitial, S; Mitial, A K

2011-07-01

The skin mucus of Rita rita and Channa punctatus was investigated to explore the possibilities of its antibacterial properties. Skin mucus was extracted in acidic solvents (0.1% trifluoroacetic acid and 3% acetic acid) and in triple distilled water (aqueous medium). The antibacterial activity of the mucus extracts was analyzed, using disc diffusion method, against five strains of bacteria--the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus; and the Gram negative Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi. In both Rita rita and Channa punctatus, the skin mucus extracted in acidic solvents as well as in aqueous medium show antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus. Nevertheless, the activity is higher in acidic solvents than that in aqueous medium. The acidic mucus extracts of Rita rita, show antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi as well. The results suggest that fish skin mucus have bactericidal properties and thus play important role in the protection of fish against the invasion of pathogens. Fish skin mucus could thus be regarded as a potential source of novel antibacterial components.

Membrane contactor assisted extraction/reaction process employing ionic liquids

DOEpatents

Lin, Yupo J [Naperville, IL; Snyder, Seth W [Lincolnwood, IL

2012-02-07

The present invention relates to a functionalized membrane contactor extraction/reaction system and method for extracting target species from multi-phase solutions utilizing ionic liquids. One preferred embodiment of the invented method and system relates to an extraction/reaction system wherein the ionic liquid extraction solutions act as both extraction solutions and reaction mediums, and allow simultaneous separation/reactions not possible with prior art technology.

Cow dung extract: a medium for the growth of pseudomonads enhancing their efficiency as biofertilizer and biocontrol agent in rice.

PubMed

Srivastava, Rashmi; Aragno, Michel; Sharma, A K

2010-09-01

Some pseudomands are being utilized as biofertilizers and biopesticides because of their role in plant growth promotion and plant protection against root parasites, respectively. Two strains of Pseudomonas, P. jessenii LHRE62 and P. synxantha HHRE81, recovered from wheat rhizosphere, have shown their potential in field bioinoculation tests under rice-wheat and pulse-wheat rotation systems. Normally, pseudomonads are cultivated on synthetic media-like King's B and used for inoculation on seeds/soil drench with talcum or charcoal as carrier material. Cow dung is being used for different purposes from the ancient time and has a significant role in crop growth because of the content in humic compounds and fertilizing bioelements available in it. Here, cow dung extract was tested as a growth medium for strains LHRE62 and HHRE81, in comparison with growth in King's B medium. The log phase was delayed by 2 h as compared to growth in King's B medium. The bacterial growth yield, lower in plain cow dung extract as compared to King's B medium, was improved upon addition of different carbon substrates. Growth of rice var. Pant Dhan 4 in pot cultures was increased using liquid formulation of cow dung extract and bacteria as foliar spray, compared to their respective controls. Biocontrol efficacy of the bioagents was assessed by challenging rice crop with Rhizoctonia solani, a sheath blight pathogen. The growth promotion and biocontrol efficiencies were more pronounced in the case of mixed inocula of strains LHRE62 and HHRE81.

Pinning time statistics for vortex lines in disordered environments.

PubMed

Dobramysl, Ulrich; Pleimling, Michel; Täuber, Uwe C

2014-12-01

We study the pinning dynamics of magnetic flux (vortex) lines in a disordered type-II superconductor. Using numerical simulations of a directed elastic line model, we extract the pinning time distributions of vortex line segments. We compare different model implementations for the disorder in the surrounding medium: discrete, localized pinning potential wells that are either attractive and repulsive or purely attractive, and whose strengths are drawn from a Gaussian distribution; as well as continuous Gaussian random potential landscapes. We find that both schemes yield power-law distributions in the pinned phase as predicted by extreme-event statistics, yet they differ significantly in their effective scaling exponents and their short-time behavior.

Growing media [Chapter 5

Treesearch

Douglass F. Jacobs; Thomas D. Landis; Tara Luna

2009-01-01

Selecting the proper growing medium is one of the most important considerations in nursery plant production. A growing medium can be defined as a substance through which roots grow and extract water and nutrients. In native plant nurseries, a growing medium can consist of native soil but is more commonly an "artificial soil" composed of materials such as peat...

Modulation of antimicrobial metabolites production by the fungus Aspergillus parasiticus

PubMed Central

Bracarense, Adriana A.P.; Takahashi, Jacqueline A.

2014-01-01

Biosynthesis of active secondary metabolites by fungi occurs as a specific response to the different growing environments. Changes in this environment alter the chemical and biological profiles leading to metabolites diversification and consequently to novel pharmacological applications. In this work, it was studied the influence of three parameters (fermentation length, medium composition and aeration) in the biosyntheses of antimicrobial metabolites by the fungus Aspergillus parasiticus in 10 distinct fermentation periods. Metabolism modulation in two culturing media, CYA and YES was evaluated by a 22 full factorial planning (ANOVA) and on a 23 factorial planning, role of aeration, medium composition and carbohydrate concentration were also evaluated. In overall, 120 different extracts were prepared, their HPLC profiles were obtained and the antimicrobial activity against A. flavus, C. albicans, E. coli and S. aureus of all extracts was evaluated by microdilution bioassay. Yield of kojic acid, a fine chemical produced by the fungus A. parasiticus was determined in all extracts. Statistical analyses pointed thirteen conditions able to modulate the production of bioactive metabolites by A. parasiticus. Effect of carbon source in metabolites diversification was significant as shown by the changes in the HPLC profiles of the extracts. Most of the extracts presented inhibition rates higher than that of kojic acid as for the extract obtained after 6 days of fermentation in YES medium under stirring. Kojic acid was not the only metabolite responsible for the activity since some highly active extracts showed to possess low amounts of this compound, as determined by HPLC. PMID:24948950

The impact of different interstellar medium structures on the dynamical evolution of supernova remnants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yueyang; Bao, Biwen; Yang, Chuyuan; Zhang, Li

2018-05-01

The dynamical properties of supernova remnants (SNRs) evolving with different interstellar medium structures are investigated through performing extensive two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations in the cylindrical symmetry. Three cases of different interstellar medium structures are considered: the uniform medium, the turbulent medium and the cloudy medium. Large-scale density and magnetic fluctuations are calculated and mapped into the computational domain before simulations. The clouds are set by random distribution in advance. The above configuration allows us to study the time-dependent dynamical properties and morphological evolution of the SNR evolving with different ambient structures, along with the development of the instabilities at the contact discontinuity. Our simulation results indicate that remnant morphology deviates from symmetry if the interstellar medium contains clouds or turbulent density fluctuations. In the cloudy medium case, interactions between the shock wave and clouds lead to clouds' fragmentation. The magnetic field can be greatly enhanced by stretching field lines with a combination of instabilities while the width of amplification region is quite different among the three cases. Moreover, both the width of amplification region and the maximum magnetic-field strength are closely related to the clouds' density.

Effect of C/N Ratio and Media Optimization through Response Surface Methodology on Simultaneous Productions of Intra- and Extracellular Inulinase and Invertase from Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611

PubMed Central

Dinarvand, Mojdeh; Rezaee, Malahat; Masomian, Malihe; Jazayeri, Seyed Davoud; Zareian, Mohsen; Abbasi, Sahar; Ariff, Arbakariya B.

2013-01-01

The study is to identify the extraction of intracellular inulinase (exo- and endoinulinase) and invertase as well as optimization medium composition for maximum productions of intra- and extracellular enzymes from Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611. From two different methods for extraction of intracellular enzymes, ultrasonic method was found more effective. Response surface methodology (RSM) with a five-variable and three-level central composite design (CCD) was employed to optimize the medium composition. The effect of five main reaction parameters including sucrose, yeast extract, NaNO3, Zn+2, and Triton X-100 on the production of enzymes was analyzed. A modified quadratic model was fitted to the data with a coefficient of determination (R 2) more than 0.90 for all responses. The intra-extracellular inulinase and invertase productions increased in the range from 16 to 8.4 times in the optimized medium (10% (w/v) sucrose, 2.5% (w/v) yeast extract, 2% (w/v) NaNO3, 1.5 mM (v/v) Zn+2, and 1% (v/v) Triton X-100) by RSM and from around 1.2 to 1.3 times greater than in the medium optimized by one-factor-at-a-time, respectively. The results of bioprocesses optimization can be useful in the scale-up fermentation and food industry. PMID:24151605

Probing the Intergalactic Medium with Ly α and 21 cm Fluctuations

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

Heneka, Caroline; Cooray, Asantha; Feng, Chang

2017-10-10

We study 21 cm and Ly α fluctuations, as well as H α , while distinguishing between Ly α emission of galactic, diffuse, and scattered intergalactic medium (IGM) origin. Cross-correlation information about the state of the IGM is obtained, testing neutral versus ionized medium cases with different tracers in a seminumerical simulation setup. In order to pave the way toward constraints on reionization history and modeling beyond power spectrum information, we explore parameter dependencies of the cross-power signal between 21 cm and Ly α , which displays a characteristic morphology and a turnover from negative to positive correlation at scalesmore » of a couple Mpc{sup −1}. In a proof of concept for the extraction of further information on the state of the IGM using different tracers, we demonstrate the use of the 21 cm and H α cross-correlation signal to determine the relative strength of galactic and IGM emission in Ly α . We conclude by showing the detectability of the 21 cm and Ly α cross-correlation signal over more than one decade in scale at high signal-to-noise ratio for upcoming probes like SKA and the proposed all-sky intensity mapping satellites SPHEREx and CDIM, while also including the Ly α damping tail and 21 cm foreground avoidance in the modeling.« less

A method for calculating proton-nucleus elastic cross-sections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Wilson, J. W.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2002-01-01

Recently [Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 145 (1998) 277; Extraction of in-medium nucleon-nucleon amplitude from experiment, NASA-TP, 1998], we developed a method of extracting nucleon-nucleon (N-N) cross-sections in the medium directly from experiment. The in-medium N-N cross-sections form the basic ingredients of several heavy-ion scattering approaches including the coupled-channel approach developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. We investigated [Proton-nucleus total cross-sections in coupled-channel approach, NASA/TP, 2000; Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 173-174 (2001) 391] the ratio of real to imaginary part of the two body scattering amplitude in the medium. These ratios are used in combination with the in-medium N-N cross-sections to calculate proton-nucleus elastic cross-sections. The agreement is excellent with the available experimental data. These cross-sections are needed for the radiation risk assessment of space missions. c2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Model of fluid flow and internal erosion of a porous fragile medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudrolli, Arshad; Clotet, Xavier

2016-11-01

We discuss the internal erosion and transport of particles leading to heterogeneity and channelization of a porous granular bed driven by fluid flow by introducing a model experimental system which enables direct visualization of the evolution of porosity from the single particle up to the system scale. Further, we develop a hybrid hydrodynamic-statistical model to understand the main ingredients needed to simulate our observations. A uniqueness of our study is the close coupling of the experiments and simulations with control parameters used in the simulations derived from the experiments. Understanding this system is of fundamental importance to a number of geophysical processes, and in the extraction of hydrocarbons in the subsurface including the deposition of proppants used in hydraulic fracturing. We provide clear evidence for the importance of curvature of the interface between high and low porosity regions in determining the flux rate needed for erosion and the spatial locations where channels grow. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences program under DE-SC0010274.

Traffic Adaptive Energy Efficient and Low Latency Medium Access Control for Wireless Sensor Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Rajesh; Varma, Shirshu; Malaviya, N.

2008-05-01

Medium access control for wireless sensor networks has been a very active research area in the recent years. The traditional wireless medium access control protocol such as IEEE 802.11 is not suitable for the sensor network application because these are battery powered. The recharging of these sensor nodes is expensive and also not possible. The most of the literature in the medium access for the sensor network focuses on the energy efficiency. The proposed MAC protocol solves the energy inefficiency caused by idle listening, control packet overhead and overhearing taking nodes latency into consideration based on the network traffic. Simulation experiments have been performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The validation of the simulation results of the proposed MAC has been done by comparing it with the analytical model. This protocol has been simulated in Network Simulator ns-2.

Morinda citrifolia leaves enhance osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of human periodontal ligament cells.

PubMed

Boonanantanasarn, Kanitsak; Janebodin, Kajohnkiart; Suppakpatana, Prapan; Arayapisit, Tawepong; Rodsutthi, Jit-aree; Chunhabundit, Panjit; Boonanuntanasarn, Surintorn; Sripairojthikoon, Wanida

2012-01-01

This present study investigated the potential of Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract to induce osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization of human periodontal ligament (hPDL) cells. Human periodontal ligament cells were cultured in complete medium, ascorbic acid with β-glycerophosphate, or Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract. Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract significantly increased alkaline phosphatase activity compared to culturing in complete medium or ascorbic acid with β-glycerophosphate. Matrixcontaining mineralized nodules were formed only when the cells were cultured in the presence of Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract. These nodules showed positive alizarin red S staining and were rich in calcium and phosphorus according to energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In conclusion, Morinda citrifolia leaf extract promoted osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization in human periodontal ligament cells, a clear indication of the therapeutic potential of Morinda citrifolia leaves in bone and periodontal tissue regeneration.

Morinda citrifolia leaves enhance osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of human periodontal ligament cells.

PubMed

Boonanantanasarn, Kanitsak; Janebodin, Kajohnkiart; Suppakpatana, Prapan; Arayapisit, Tawepong; Rodsutthi, Jit-aree; Chunhabundit, Panjit; Boonanuntanasarn, Surintorn; Sripairojthikoon, Wanida

2014-01-01

This present study investigated the potential of Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract to induce osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization of human periodontal ligament (hPDL) cells. Human periodontal ligament cells were cultured in complete medium, ascorbic acid with β-glycerophosphate, or Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract. Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract significantly increased alkaline phosphatase activity compared to culturing in complete medium or ascorbic acid with β-glycerophosphate. Matrixcontaining mineralized nodules were formed only when the cells were cultured in the presence of Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract. These nodules showed positive alizarin red S staining and were rich in calcium and phosphorus according to energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In conclusion, Morinda citrifolia leaf extract promoted osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization in human periodontal ligament cells, a clear indication of the therapeutic potential of Morinda citrifolia leaves in bone and periodontal tissue regeneration.

Extraction of nucleic acids from yeast cells and plant tissues using ethanol as medium for sample preservation and cell disruption.

PubMed

Linke, Bettina; Schröder, Kersten; Arter, Juliane; Gasperazzo, Tatiana; Woehlecke, Holger; Ehwald, Rudolf

2010-09-01

Here we report that dehydrated ethanol is an excellent medium for both in situ preservation of nucleic acids and cell disruption of plant and yeast cells. Cell disruption was strongly facilitated by prior dehydration of the ethanol using dehydrated zeolite. Following removal of ethanol, nucleic acids were extracted from the homogenate pellet using denaturing buffers. The method provided DNA and RNA of high yield and integrity. Whereas cell wall disruption was essential for extraction of DNA and large RNA molecules, smaller molecules such as tRNAs could be selectively extracted from undisrupted, ethanol-treated yeast cells. Our results demonstrate the utility of absolute ethanol for sample fixation, cell membrane and cell wall disruption, as well as preservation of nucleic acids during sample storage.

Morphological identification of Candida species on glucose agar, rice extract agar and corn meal agar with and without Tween-80.

PubMed

Joshi, K R; Solanki, A; Prakash, P

1993-01-01

A comparative study for the identification of 32 known strains of Candida species on the basis of morphology on glucose agar, rice extract agar and corn meal agar with and without Tween 80 revealed that when Tween 80 is incorporated in the media identification is possible for 96.8% of the species within 48 hours on rice extract agar and for 96.8% of the species within 48 hours on rice extract agar and for 90.6% of the species on glucose agar. The germ tubes and chlamydospores were also produced more on rice extract agar than on 0.1% glucose agar. Rice extract agar with Tween 80 can be used as single medium for morphologic identification of Candida species. The inoculated medium is first incubated at 37 degrees C for 3 hours and examined for germ tube formation and then incubated at 25 degrees C for 24 to 72 hours and examined for appearance of chlamydospores and mycelial morphology.

Strain selection and medium optimization for glucoamylase production from industrial potato waste by Aspergillus niger.

PubMed

Izmirlioglu, Gulten; Demirci, Ali

2016-06-01

Glucoamylase is one of the most common enzymes used in the food industry to break down starch into its monomers. Glucoamylase production and its activity are highly dependent on medium composition. Starch is well known as a glucoamylase inducer, and utilization of industrial starchy potato waste is an inexpensive way of improving glucoamylase production. Since glucoamylase production is highly dependent on medium composition, in this study medium optimization for glucoamylase production was considered to enhance glucoamylase activity. Among the evaluated microbial species, Aspergillus niger van Tieghem was found to be the best glucoamylase-producing fungus. The Plackett-Burman design was used to screen various medium ingredients, and malt extract, FeSO4 .7H2 O and CaCl2 ·2H2 O were found to have significant effects on glucoamylase production. Finally, malt extract, FeSO4 .7H2 O and CaCl2 .2H2 O were optimized by using a central composite design of response surface methodology. The results showed that the optimal medium composition for A. niger van Tieghem was 50 g L(-1) industrial waste potato mash supplemented with 51.82 g L(-1) malt extract, 9.27 g L(-1) CaCl2 ·2H2 O and 0.50 g L(-1) FeSO4 .7H2 O. At the end of optimization, glucoamylase activity and glucose production were improved 126% and 98% compared to only industrial waste potato mash basal medium; 274.4 U mL(-1) glucoamylase activity and 41.7 g L(-1) glucose levels were achieved, respectively. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Thiophilic paramagnetic particles as a batch separation medium for the purification of antibodies from various source materials.

PubMed

Dawes, Clive C; Jewess, Philip J; Murray, Deborah A

2005-03-15

A preparation of thiophilic agarose-based paramagnetic particles (T-Gel) has been developed with physical characteristics (particle size and particle density) that facilitate its use as a batch separation medium suitable for the large-scale purification and isolation of immunoglobulins. The medium was used to extract immunoglobulins from a wide range of starting materials, including sera, ascites fluid, tissue culture medium, and whole blood. None of these starting materials required pretreatment such as clarification by centrifugation or filtration prior to antibody extraction. The antibody purity obtained using T-Gel compared well with that obtained using protein A agarose column chromatography. Yields were approximately 30 mg of immunoglobulins per milliliter of T-Gel, and little was required in the way of specialist equipment. The method is uncomplicated and involves a roll mix extraction overnight, followed by magnetic separation to facilitate supernatant removal and subsequent washing of the particles. Elution of bound antibodies was carried out at neutral pH to yield a concentration of immunoglobulins that was approximately 7 mg/ml. The method was found to be applicable to antibody purification from the blood serum of seven different mammalian species and for all immunoglobulin classes.

Enhanced Bio-Ethanol Production from Industrial Potato Waste by Statistical Medium Optimization

PubMed Central

Izmirlioglu, Gulten; Demirci, Ali

2015-01-01

Industrial wastes are of great interest as a substrate in production of value-added products to reduce cost, while managing the waste economically and environmentally. Bio-ethanol production from industrial wastes has gained attention because of its abundance, availability, and rich carbon and nitrogen content. In this study, industrial potato waste was used as a carbon source and a medium was optimized for ethanol production by using statistical designs. The effect of various medium components on ethanol production was evaluated. Yeast extract, malt extract, and MgSO4·7H2O showed significantly positive effects, whereas KH2PO4 and CaCl2·2H2O had a significantly negative effect (p-value < 0.05). Using response surface methodology, a medium consisting of 40.4 g/L (dry basis) industrial waste potato, 50 g/L malt extract, and 4.84 g/L MgSO4·7H2O was found optimal and yielded 24.6 g/L ethanol at 30 °C, 150 rpm, and 48 h of fermentation. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that industrial potato waste can be used effectively to enhance bioethanol production. PMID:26501261

Creating a flipbook as a medium of instruction based on the research on activity test of kencur extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monika, Icha; Yeni, Laili Fitri; Ariyati, Eka

2016-02-01

This research aimed to reveal the validity of the flipbook as a medium of learning for the sub-material of environmental pollution in the tenth grade based on the results of the activity test of kencur (Kaempferia galanga) extract to control the growth of the Fusarium oxysporum fungus. The research consisted of two stages. First, testing the validity of the medium of flipbook through validation by seven assessors and analyzed based on the total average score of all aspects. Second, testing the activity of the kencur extract against the growth of Fusarium oxysporum by using the experimental method with 10 treatments and 3 repetitions which were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. The making of the flipbook medium was done through the stages of analysis for the potential and problems, data collection, design, validation, and revision. The validation analysis on the flipbook received an average score of 3.7 and was valid to a certain extent, so it could be used in the teaching and learning process especially in the sub-material of environmental pollution in the tenth grade of the senior high school.

Antimicrobial activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa aqueous extracts against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus in a microbiological medium and milk of various fat concentrations.

PubMed

Higginbotham, Kristen L; Burris, Kellie P; Zivanovic, Svetlana; Davidson, P Michael; Stewart, C Neal

2014-02-01

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyces are widely used in the preparation of beverages. The calyces contain compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity, yet little research has been conducted on their possible use in food systems as antimicrobials. Aqueous extracts prepared from the brand "Mi Costenita" were sterilized by membrane filtration (0.22-μm pore size) or autoclaving (121 °C, 30 min) and tested for antimicrobial activity against the foodborne pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains ATCC 43894 and Cider and Staphylococcus aureus strains SA113 and ATCC 27708 in a microbiological medium and ultrahigh-temperature-processed milk with various fat percentages. Extracts heated by autoclaving exhibited greater activity than did filtered extracts in a microbiological medium. Against E. coli, results of 20 mg/ml filtered extract were not different from those of the control, whereas autoclaved extracts reduced viable cells ca. 3 to 4 log CFU/ml. At 60 mg/ml, both extracts inactivated cells after 24 h. There were reduced populations of both strains of S. aureus (ca. 2.7 and 3 log CFU/ml, respectively) after 24 h of incubation in 40 mg/ml filtered extracts. When grown in autoclaved extracts at 40 mg/ml, both strains of S. aureus were inactivated after 9 h. Autoclaved extracts had decreased anthocyanin content (2.63 mg/liter) compared with filtered extracts (14.27 mg/liter), whereas the phenolic content (48.7 and 53.8 mg/g) remained similar for both treatments. Autoclaved extracts were then tested for activity in milk at various fat concentrations (skim [<0.5%], 1%, 2%, and whole [>3.25%]) against a 1:1 mixture of the two strains of E. coli O157:H7 and a 1:1 mixture of the two strains of S. aureus. Extracts at 40 mg/ml inactivated S. aureus after 168 h in skim and whole milk, and E. coli was inactivated after 96 h in 60 mg/ml extract in all fat levels. These findings show the potential use of Hibiscus extracts to prevent the growth of pathogens in foods and beverages.

Optimization of permanent breast seed implant dosimetry incorporating tissue heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashouf, Shahram

Seed brachytherapy is currently used for adjuvant radiotherapy of early stage prostate and breast cancer patients. The current standard for calculation of dose around brachytherapy sources is based on the AAPM TG43 formalism, which generates the dose in homogeneous water medium. Recently, AAPM task group no. 186 (TG186) emphasized the importance of accounting for heterogeneities. In this work we introduce an analytical dose calculation algorithm in heterogeneous media using CT images. The advantages over other methods are computational efficiency and the ease of integration into clinical use. An Inhomogeneity Correction Factor (ICF) is introduced as the ratio of absorbed dose in tissue to that in water medium. ICF is a function of tissue properties and independent of the source structure. The ICF is extracted using CT images and the absorbed dose in tissue can then be calculated by multiplying the dose as calculated by the TG43 formalism times ICF. To evaluate the methodology, we compared our results with Monte Carlo simulations as well as experiments in phantoms with known density and atomic compositions. The dose distributions obtained through applying ICF to TG43 protocol agreed very well with those of Monte Carlo simulations and experiments in all phantoms. In all cases, the mean relative error was reduced by at least a factor of two when ICF correction factor was applied to the TG43 protocol. In conclusion we have developed a new analytical dose calculation method, which enables personalized dose calculations in heterogeneous media using CT images. The methodology offers several advantages including the use of standard TG43 formalism, fast calculation time and extraction of the ICF parameters directly from Hounsfield Units. The methodology was implemented into our clinical treatment planning system where a cohort of 140 patients were processed to study the clinical benefits of a heterogeneity corrected dose.

A new methodology for determination of macroscopic transport parameters in drying porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attari Moghaddam, A.; Kharaghani, A.; Tsotsas, E.; Prat, M.

2015-12-01

Two main approaches have been used to model the drying process: The first approach considers the partially saturated porous medium as a continuum and partial differential equations are used to describe the mass, momentum and energy balances of the fluid phases. The continuum-scale models (CM) obtained by this approach involve constitutive laws which require effective material properties, such as the diffusivity, permeability, and thermal conductivity which are often determined by experiments. The second approach considers the material at the pore scale, where the void space is represented by a network of pores (PN). Micro- or nanofluidics models used in each pore give rise to a large system of ordinary differential equations with degrees of freedom at each node of the pore network. In this work, the moisture transport coefficient (D), the pseudo desorption isotherm inside the network and at the evaporative surface are estimated from the post-processing of the three-dimensional pore network drying simulations for fifteen realizations of the pore space geometry from a given probability distribution. A slice sampling method is used in order to extract these parameters from PN simulations. The moisture transport coefficient obtained in this way is shown in Fig. 1a. The minimum of average D values demonstrates the transition between liquid dominated moisture transport region and vapor dominated moisture transport region; a similar behavior has been observed in previous experimental findings. A function is fitted to the average D values and then is fed into the non-linear moisture diffusion equation. The saturation profiles obtained from PN and CM simulations are shown in Fig. 1b. Figure 1: (a) extracted moisture transport coefficient during drying for fifteen realizations of the pore network, (b) average moisture profiles during drying obtained from PN and CM simulations.

Effect of cultivation medium on some physicochemical parameters of outer bacterial membrane.

PubMed

Horská, E; Pokorný, J; Labajová, M

1995-01-01

The changes of surface charge and hydrophobicity of the outer bacterial membrane in relation to utilization of n-hexadecane were studied. For this spectrophotometric study adsorption of methylene blue and transport of gentian violet were used. The decrease in the negative charge of the bacterial strains Pseudomonas putida CCM 3423, P. aeruginosa, and P. fluorescens CCM 2115, depended on the type of growth medium. The decrease of surface charge was in the order: meat extract peptone broth > mineral medium with glucose > mineral medium with n-hexadecane. The highest permeability of the bacterial membrane for gentian violet was determined in the case of P. fluorescens grown in meat extract peptone broth. This effect can be explained by a greater hydrophobicity of the bacterial surface for this strain. In other strains a lower permeability was observed. P. fluorescens showed a greater adherence to hexadecane.

Total extract of Korean red ginseng facilitates human bone marrow hematopoietic colony formation in vitro

PubMed Central

Kim, Sang-Gyung; Bae, Sung Hwa; Kim, Seong-Mo; Lee, Ji-Hye; Kim, Min Ji; Jang, Hae-Bong

2014-01-01

Background The number of CD34+ cells in a peripheral blood stem cell collection is the key factor in predicting successful treatment of hematologic malignancies. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is the most popular medicinal herb in Korea. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of KRG on hematopoietic colony formation. Methods Bone marrow (BM) samples were obtained from 8 human donors after acquiring informed consent. BM mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated, and CD34+ cells were sorted using magnetic beads. The sorted CD34+ cells were incubated with or without total extract of KRG (50 µg/mL, 100 µg/mL) or Ginsenoside Rg1 (100 µg/mL), and the hematopoietic colony assay was performed using methylcellulose semisolid medium. The CD34+ cell counts were measured by a single platform assay using flow cytometry. Results The numbers of human BM-MNCs and CD34+ cells obtained after purification were variable among donors (5.6×107 and 1.3-48×107 and 8.9×104 and 1.8-80×104, respectively). The cells expanded 1,944 times after incubation for 12 d. Total extract of KRG added to the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-specific medium increased CD34+ cell counts 3.6 times compared to 2.6 times when using HSC medium alone. Total numbers of hematopoietic colonies in KRG medium were more than those observed in conventional medium, especially that of erythroid colonies such as burst forming unit-erythroid. Conclusion Total extract of KRG facilitated CD34+ cell expansion and hematopoietic colony formation, especially of the erythroid lineage. PMID:25325037

Morphological Variations in Conidia of Arthrobotrys oligospora on Different Media.

PubMed

Singh, R K; Kumar, Niranjan; Singh, K P

2005-06-01

Most commonly occurring predacious fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora showed great variation in size and shape of conidia on some media. The formation of larger conidia was recorded on beef extract and nutrient agar media. The length of conidia in Richard's YPSS, Sabouraud's, PDA and corn meal agar media was of medium size while smaller conidia were produced on Czapek's, Jensen's, Martin's medium. Maximum width of conidia was recorded on YPSS medium followed by Sabouraud's medium. The average size of spores on nematode infested corn meal agar medium was slightly increased than those on corn meal agar medium.

In vitro cytotoxicity of calcium silicate-containing endodontic sealers.

PubMed

Zhou, Hui-min; Du, Tian-feng; Shen, Ya; Wang, Zhe-jun; Zheng, Yu-feng; Haapasalo, Markus

2015-01-01

The cytotoxicity of 2 novel calcium silicate-containing endodontic sealers to human gingival fibroblasts was studied. EndoSequence BC (Brasseler, Savannah, GA), MTA Fillapex (Angelus Indústria de Produtos Odontológicos S/A, Londrina, PR, Brazil) and a control sealer (AH Plus; Dentsply DeTrey GmbH, Konstanz, Germany) were evaluated. Human gingival fibroblasts were incubated for 3 days both with the extracts from fresh and set materials in culture medium and cultured on the surface of the set materials in Dulbecco-modified Eagle medium. Fibroblasts cultured in Dulbecco-modified Eagle medium were used as a control group. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by flow cytometry, and the adhesion of the fibroblasts to the surface of the set materials was assessed using scanning electron microscopy. The data of cell cytotoxicity were analyzed statistically using a 1-way analysis of variance test at a significance level of P < .05. Cells incubated with extracts from BC Sealer showed higher viabilities at all extract concentrations than cells incubated with extracts from freshly mixed AH Plus and fresh and set MTA Fillapex, esspecially for the high extract concentrations (1:2 and 1:8 dilutions). Extracts from set MTA Fillapex of 2 weeks and older were more cytotoxic than extracts from freshly mixed and 1-week-old cement. With extract concentrations of 1:32 and lower, MTA Fillapex was no longer cytotoxic. After setting, AH Plus was no longer cytotoxic, and the fibroblast cells grew on set AH Plus equally as well as on BC Sealer. BC Sealer and MTA Fillapex, the 2 calcium silicate-containing endodontic sealers, exhibited different cytotoxicity to human gingival fibroblasts. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of pseudo-template molecularly imprinted polymers by atom transfer radical polymerization to the solid-phase extraction of pyrethroids.

PubMed

Zhang, Ming; He, Juan; Shen, Yanzheng; He, Weiye; Li, Yuanyuan; Zhao, Dongxin; Zhang, Shusheng

2018-02-01

A polymer-based adsorption medium with molecular recognition ability for homologs of pyrethroids was prepared by atom transfer radical polymer iration using a fragment imprinting technique. Phenyl ether-biphenyl eutectic was utilized as a pseudo-template molecule, and the adsorption medium prepared was evaluated by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography. Selectivity of the medium for pyrethroids was evaluated using it as solid phase extraction packing by Gas Chromatography. The results demonstrated that the absorption amount of bifenthrin, fenpropathrin, permethrin, cypermethrin, fenvalerate, Dursban and pentachloronitrobenzene for molecularly imprinted polymers were 2.32, 2.12, 2.18, 2.20, 2.30, 1.30 and 1.40mgg -1 , respectively, while the non-imprinted polymers were 1.20, 1.13, 1.25, 1.05, 1.20, 1.23 and 1.32mgg -1 , respectively. The rebinding test based on the molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction column technique showed the recoveries of honey sample spiked with seven insecticides within 88.5-106.2%, with relative standard deviations of 2.38-5.63%. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of pyrethroids in a honey sample. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of coconut water, propolis, HBSS, and milk on PDL cell survival.

PubMed

Gopikrishna, Velayutham; Baweja, Parvinder Singh; Venkateshbabu, Nagendrababu; Thomas, Toby; Kandaswamy, Deivanayagam

2008-05-01

Coconut water is biologically pure and sterile, with a rich presence of amino acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. The purpose of this study was to use a collagenase-dispase assay to investigate the potential of a new storage medium, coconut water, in comparison with propolis, Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS), and milk in maintaining viable periodontal ligament (PDL) cells on simulated avulsed teeth. Seventy freshly extracted human teeth were divided into 4 experimental groups and 2 control groups. The positive and negative controls corresponded to 0-minute and 8-hour dry times, respectively. The experimental teeth were stored dry for 30 minutes and then immersed in 1 of the 4 media (coconut water, propolis, HBSS, and milk). The teeth were then treated with dispase grade II and collagenase for 30 minutes. The number of viable PDL cells was counted with a hemocytometer and analyzed. Statistical analysis showed that coconut water kept significantly more PDL cells viable compared with propolis, HBSS, or milk. Coconut water can be used as a superior transport medium for avulsed teeth.

Effect of an anisotropic escape mechanism on elliptic flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaiswal, Amaresh; Bhaduri, Partha Pratim

2018-04-01

We study the effect of an anisotropic escape mechanism on elliptic flow in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. We use the Glauber model to generate initial conditions and ignore hydrodynamic expansion in the transverse direction. We employ the Beer-Lambert law to allow for the transmittance of produced hadrons in the medium and calculate the anisotropy generated due to the suppression of particles traversing through the medium. To separate non-flow contribution due to surface bias effects, we ignore hydrodynamic expansion in the transverse direction and consider purely longitudinal boost-invariant expansion. We calculate the transverse momentum dependence of elliptic flow, generated from an anisotropic escape mechanism due to surface bias effects, for various centralities in √{sN N}=200 GeV Au +Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and √{sN N}=2.76 TeV Pb +Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. We find that the surface bias effects make a sizable contribution to the total elliptic flow observed in heavy-ion collisions, indicating that the viscosity of the QCD matter extracted from hydrodynamic simulations may be underestimated.

Aqueous extracts of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) as a natural antimicrobial against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a microbiological medium and pH 6.0 apple juice.

PubMed

Burris, Kellie P; Davidson, P M; Stewart, C Neal; Zivanovic, S; Harte, F M

2012-04-01

Ilex paraguariensis is popularly used in the preparation of a tea infusion (yerba mate), most commonly produced and consumed in the South American countries of Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. In this study, aqueous extracts of commercial tea, derived from the holly plant species I. paraguariensis were evaluated for their ability to inhibit or inactivate Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a microbiological medium and modified apple juice. Dialyzed, lyophilized aqueous extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against E. coli O157:H7 strains ATCC 43894 and 'Cider' in tryptic soy broth (TSB) and apple juice (adjusted to pH 6.0 to allow for growth of the bacterium). A mixture of the two strains was used as the inoculum when apple juice was used as the medium. MBCs were determined to be ca. 5 and 10 mg/ml for ATCC 43894 and 'Cider', respectively, in TSB. Higher concentrations of the extract were required to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 in pH-adjusted apple juice. An approximate 4.5-log reduction was observed for E. coli O157:H7 treated with 40 mg/ml extract. It was concluded that aqueous extracts from commercial yerba mate have potential to be used as antimicrobials in foods and beverages against pathogenic E. coli O157:H7.

Media for identification of Gibberella zeae and production of F-2-(Zearalenone).

PubMed

Bacon, C W; Robbins, J D; Porter, J K

1977-02-01

Media are described for the isolaton of Fusarium graminearum in the perithecial state, Gibberella zeae, and for the production of F-2 (zearalenone) by Fusarium species. On soil extract-corn meal agar isolated medium, G. Zeae produced perithecia in 9 to 14 days under a 12-h photoperiod. Species of Fusarium were screened for F-2 production on a liquid medium. From strains that produced F-2, the yields, from stationary cultures of G. zeae and F. culmorum after 12 days of incubation, ranged from 22 to 86 mg/liter. Three strains produced no F-2. Glumatic acid, starch, yeast extract,and the proper ratio of medium volume-to-flask volume were necessary for F-2 synthesis.

Optical imaging of objects in turbid medium with ultrashort pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chih-Yu; Sun, Chia-Wei; Yang, Chih Chung; Kiang, Yean-Woei; Lin, Chii-Wann

2000-07-01

Photons are seriously scattered when entering turbid medium; this the images of objects hidden in turbid medium can not be obtained by just collecting the transmitted photons. Early-arriving photons, which are also called ballistic or snake protons, are much less scattered when passing through turbid medium, and contains more image information than the late-arriving ones. Therefore, objects embedded in turbid medium can be imaged by gathering the ballistic and snake photons. In the present research we try to recover images of objects in turbid medium by simultaneously time-gate and polarization-gate to obtain the snake photons. An Argon-pumped Ti-Sapphire laser with 100fs pulses was employed as a light source. A streak camera with a 2ps temporal resolution was used to extract the ballistic and snake photons. Two pieces of lean swine meat, measured 4mmX3mm and 5xxX4mm, respectively, were placed in a 10cmX10cmX3cm acrylic tank, which was full of diluted milk. A pair of polarizer and an analyzer was used to extract the light that keeps polarization unchanged. The combination of time gating and polarization gating resulted in good images of objects hidden in turbid medium.

Raman Monte Carlo simulation for light propagation for tissue with embedded objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Periyasamy, Vijitha; Jaafar, Humaira Bte; Pramanik, Manojit

2018-02-01

Monte Carlo (MC) stimulation is one of the prominent simulation technique and is rapidly becoming the model of choice to study light-tissue interaction. Monte Carlo simulation for light transport in multi-layered tissue (MCML) is adapted and modelled with different geometry by integrating embedded objects of various shapes (i.e., sphere, cylinder, cuboid and ellipsoid) into the multi-layered structure. These geometries would be useful in providing a realistic tissue structure such as modelling for lymph nodes, tumors, blood vessels, head and other simulation medium. MC simulations were performed on various geometric medium. Simulation of MCML with embedded object (MCML-EO) was improvised for propagation of the photon in the defined medium with Raman scattering. The location of Raman photon generation is recorded. Simulations were experimented on a modelled breast tissue with tumor (spherical and ellipsoidal) and blood vessels (cylindrical). Results were presented in both A-line and B-line scans for embedded objects to determine spatial location where Raman photons were generated. Studies were done for different Raman probabilities.

Evaluation and operationalization of a novel forest detrainment modeling approach for computational snow avalanche simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teich, M.; Feistl, T.; Fischer, J.; Bartelt, P.; Bebi, P.; Christen, M.; Grêt-Regamey, A.

2013-12-01

Two-dimensional avalanche simulation software operating in three-dimensional terrain are widely used for hazard zoning and engineering to predict runout distances and impact pressures of snow avalanche events. Mountain forests are an effective biological protection measure; however, the protective capacity of forests to decelerate or even to stop avalanches that start within forested areas or directly above the treeline is seldom considered in this context. In particular, runout distances of small- to medium-scale avalanches are strongly influenced by the structural conditions of forests in the avalanche path. This varying decelerating effect has rarely been addressed or implemented in avalanche simulation. We present an evaluation and operationalization of a novel forest detrainment modeling approach implemented in the avalanche simulation software RAMMS. The new approach accounts for the effect of forests in the avalanche path by detraining mass, which leads to a deceleration and runout shortening of avalanches. The extracted avalanche mass caught behind trees stops immediately and, therefore, is instantly subtracted from the flow and the momentum of the stopped mass is removed from the total momentum of the avalanche flow. This relationship is parameterized by the empirical detrainment coefficient K [Pa] which accounts for the braking power of different forest types per unit area. To define K dependent on specific forest characteristics, we simulated 40 well-documented small- to medium-scale avalanches which released in and ran through forests with varying K-values. Comparing two-dimensional simulation results with one-dimensional field observations for a high number of avalanche events and simulations manually is however time consuming and rather subjective. In order to process simulation results in a comprehensive and standardized way, we used a recently developed automatic evaluation and comparison method defining runout distances based on a pressure-based runout indicator in an avalanche path dependent coordinate system. Analyzing and comparing observed and simulated runout distances statistically revealed values for K suitable to simulate the combined influence of four forest characteristics on avalanche runout: forest type, crown coverage, vertical structure and surface roughness, e.g. values for K were higher for dense spruce and mixed spruce-beech forests compared to open larch forests at the upper treeline. Considering forest structural conditions within avalanche simulation will improve current applications for avalanche simulation tools in mountain forest and natural hazard management considerably. Furthermore, we show that an objective and standardized evaluation of two-dimensional simulation results is essential for a successful evaluation and further calibration of avalanche models in general.

Mechanistic Insights into Human Brain Impact Dynamics through Modal Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laksari, Kaveh; Kurt, Mehmet; Babaee, Hessam; Kleiven, Svein; Camarillo, David

2018-03-01

Although concussion is one of the greatest health challenges today, our physical understanding of the cause of injury is limited. In this Letter, we simulated football head impacts in a finite element model and extracted the most dominant modal behavior of the brain's deformation. We showed that the brain's deformation is most sensitive in low frequency regimes close to 30 Hz, and discovered that for most subconcussive head impacts, the dynamics of brain deformation is dominated by a single global mode. In this Letter, we show the existence of localized modes and multimodal behavior in the brain as a hyperviscoelastic medium. This dynamical phenomenon leads to strain concentration patterns, particularly in deep brain regions, which is consistent with reported concussion pathology.

Effect of simulated microgravity and shear stress on microcin B17 production by Escherichia coli and on its excretion into the medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fang, A.; Pierson, D. L.; Koenig, D. W.; Mishra, S. K.; Demain, A. L.

1997-01-01

Production of the antibacterial polypeptide microcin B17 (MccB17) by Escherichia coli ZK650 was inhibited by simulated microgravity. The site of MccB17 accumulation was found to be different, depending on whether the organism was grown in shaking flasks or in rotating bioreactors designed to establish a simulated microgravity environment. In flasks, the accumulation was cellular, but in the reactors, virtually all the microcin was found in the medium. The change from a cellular site to an extracellular one was apparently not a function of gravity, since extracellular production occurred in these bioreactors, irrespective of whether they were operated in the simulated microgravity or normal gravity mode. More probably, excretion is due to the much lower degree of shear stress in the bioreactors. Addition of even a single glass bead to the 50-ml medium volume in the bioreactor created enough shear to change the site of MccB17 accumulation from the medium to the cells.

Medium-mediated effects increase cell killing in a human keratinocyte cell line exposed to solar-simulated radiation.

PubMed

Maguire, Alanna; Morrissey, Brian; Walsh, James E; Lyng, Fiona M

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate whether cell culture medium is a biologically relevant exposure medium that can be employed in non-ionising photobiological investigations. The effect of solar-simulated irradiation on cell culture medium and its ability to elicit cell death was studied. The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell secreted factors, and the contribution of individual components of the medium were investigated. Cell death was found to be primarily mediated through the formation of ROS via riboflavin photosensitisation and degradation in the cell culture medium. Phenol red was found to significantly reduce the cell killing ability of riboflavin. Exposures in riboflavin-free medium resulted in significantly increased cell survival compared to identical exposures in riboflavin containing medium. This study has shown that solar radiation toxicity is augmented by cell culture medium due to the presence of riboflavin. Results suggest that exposures performed in phenol red-free medium may serve to increase phototoxic effects if riboflavin is present. Riboflavin-free media is recommended for solar radiation investigations to eliminate concerns regarding riboflavin photosensitisation and nutrient deprivation.

Optimization of Milk-Based Medium for Efficient Cultivation of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 Using Face-Centered Central Composite-Response Surface Methodology

PubMed Central

Abdul Khalil, Khalilah; Mustafa, Shuhaimi; Mohammad, Rosfarizan; Bin Ariff, Arbakariya; Shaari, Yamin; Abdul Manap, Yazid; Dahalan, Farrah Aini

2014-01-01

This study was undertaken to optimize skim milk and yeast extract concentration as a cultivation medium for optimal Bifidobacteria pseudocatenulatum G4 (G4) biomass and β-galactosidase production as well as lactose and free amino nitrogen (FAN) balance after cultivation period. Optimization process in this study involved four steps: screening for significant factors using 23 full factorial design, steepest ascent, optimization using FCCD-RSM, and verification. From screening steps, skim milk and yeast extract showed significant influence on the biomass production and, based on the steepest ascent step, middle points of skim milk (6% wt/vol) and yeast extract (1.89% wt/vol) were obtained. A polynomial regression model in FCCD-RSM revealed that both factors were found significant and the strongest influence was given by skim milk concentration. Optimum concentrations of skim milk and yeast extract for maximum biomass G4 and β-galactosidase production meanwhile low in lactose and FAN balance after cultivation period were 5.89% (wt/vol) and 2.31% (wt/vol), respectively. The validation experiments showed that the predicted and experimental values are not significantly different, indicating that the FCCD-RSM model developed is sufficient to describe the cultivation process of G4 using skim-milk-based medium with the addition of yeast extract. PMID:24527457

Two-dimensional simulation of holographic data storage medium for multiplexed recording.

PubMed

Toishi, Mitsuru; Takeda, Takahiro; Tanaka, Kenji; Tanaka, Tomiji; Fukumoto, Atsushi; Watanabe, Kenjiro

2008-02-18

In this paper, we propose a new analysis model for photopolymer recording processes that calculate the two-dimensional refractive index distribution of multiplexed holograms. For the simulation of the photopolymer medium, time evolution of monomer diffusion and polymerization need to be calculated simultaneously. The distribution of the refractive index inside the medium is induced by these processes. By evaluating the refractive index pattern on each layer, the diffraction beams from the multiplexed hologram can be read out by beam propagation method (BPM). This is the first paper to determine the diffraction beam from a multiplexed hologram in a simulated photopolymer medium process. We analyze the time response of the multiplexed hologram recording processes in the photopolymer, and estimate the degradation of diffraction efficiency with multiplexed recording. This work can greatly contribute to understanding the process of hologram recording.

Ferrous Ion and Medium Composition Effects on Acidogenic Phase in Biobutanol Production from Molasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Restiawaty, E.; Grinanda, D.

2017-07-01

Clostridium acetobutylicum B530 has ability to convert sugar into biobutanol through two phases, i.e. acidogenic and solventogenic. This fermentation process is often hampered by high raw material cost and low product yield. In order to suppress the production cost, the molasses, a byproduct of sugar cane process production, was used as carbon source in this research. Molasses has nitrogen content in a small amount, thus could be negating the beef extract component, which is expected not to affect the growth of C. acetobutylicum B530 and also can reduce the production cost. In addition, a certain amount of Fe2+ (ferrous ion), a precursor in the formation of the enzyme ferredoxin, was added to the fermentation medium to contribute in the synthesis of acetyl-CoA, so that the formation of acidogenic products such as butyric acid and acetic acid is affected. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ferrous ion and the medium composition in acidogenic phase. The addition of 20 ppm FeSO4.7H2O in the fermentation medium without beef extract can increase the concentration of butyric acid by 20% at a temperature of 35°C, while acetic acid concentration decreased by 6%. According to those results, it is expected that the product selectivity of butanol will increase in solventogenic phase. In addition, the removal of beef extract in the fermentation medium does not affect the kinetics of growth of C. acetobutylicum B530.

Statistical optimization of culture medium for production of exopolysaccharide from endophytic fungus Bionectria ochroleuca and its antitumor effect in vitro

PubMed Central

Li, Yun; Guo, Shoujun; Zhu, Hui

2016-01-01

Endophytic fungi have been recognized as possible useful sources of bioactive metabolites. However, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production from endophytic fungi and its antitumor activity have been less explored. In the present study, endophtic fungus Bionectria ochroleuca M21 was exploited for the production of EPS in submerged culture. Among tested medium components, glucose, yeast extract, MgSO4 and Tween80 were found to be effective and significant on EPS production. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize medium composition. The results showed that the significant factors were glucose, yeast extract and Tween80. The optimal medium was observed at the composition of glucose 55.7 g/L, yeast extract 6.04 g/L, MgSO4 0.25g/L and Tween80 0.1 % (v/v). Using the optimized medium, EPS production was achieve at 2.65 ± 0.16 g/L after 4 days fermentation in a 5L bioreactor. Examination of cytotoxicity showed that the EPS from B. ochroleuca M21 did not have cytotoxic activity on human liver HL-7702 cells at concentration 0.025-1.6 mg/mL. In contrast, the EPS exhibited antiproliferative activities against cell lines of liver cancer (HepG2), gastric cancer (SGC-7901) and colon cancer (HT29) in a dose- and time-dependent manner in the concentration ranges of 0.1-0.45 mg/mL. PMID:27330527

Analysis of dense-medium light scattering with applications to corneal tissue: experiments and Monte Carlo simulations.

PubMed

Kim, K B; Shanyfelt, L M; Hahn, D W

2006-01-01

Dense-medium scattering is explored in the context of providing a quantitative measurement of turbidity, with specific application to corneal haze. A multiple-wavelength scattering technique is proposed to make use of two-color scattering response ratios, thereby providing a means for data normalization. A combination of measurements and simulations are reported to assess this technique, including light-scattering experiments for a range of polystyrene suspensions. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were performed using a multiple-scattering algorithm based on full Mie scattering theory. The simulations were in excellent agreement with the polystyrene suspension experiments, thereby validating the MC model. The MC model was then used to simulate multiwavelength scattering in a corneal tissue model. Overall, the proposed multiwavelength scattering technique appears to be a feasible approach to quantify dense-medium scattering such as the manifestation of corneal haze, although more complex modeling of keratocyte scattering, and animal studies, are necessary.

Production of unusual dispiro metabolites in Pestalotiopsis virgatula endophyte cultures: HPLC-SPE-NMR, electronic circular dichroism, and time-dependent density-functional computation study.

PubMed

Kesting, Julie R; Olsen, Lars; Staerk, Dan; Tejesvi, Mysore V; Kini, Kukkundoor R; Prakash, Harishchandra S; Jaroszewski, Jerzy W

2011-10-28

The endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis virgatula, derived from the plant Terminalia chebula and previously found to produce a large excess of a single metabolite when grown in the minimal M1D medium, was induced to produce a variety of unusual metabolites by growing in potato dextrose broth medium. Analysis of the fermentation medium extract was performed using an HPLC-PDA-MS-SPE-NMR hyphenated system, which led to the identification of a total of eight metabolites (1-8), six of which are new. Most of the metabolites are structurally related and are derivatives of benzo[c]oxepin, rare among natural products. This includes dispiro derivatives 7 and 8 (pestalospiranes A and B), having a novel 1,9,11,18-tetraoxadispiro[6.2.6.2]octadecane skeleton. Relative and absolute configurations of the latter were determined by a combination of NOESY spectroscopy and electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy supported by time-dependent density-functional theory calculations (B3LYP/TZVP level). This work demonstrates that a largely complete structure elucidation of numerous metabolites present in a raw fermentation medium extract can be performed by the HPLC-SPE-NMR technique using only a small amount of the extract, even with unstable metabolites that are difficult to isolate by traditional methods.

Enrichment and characterization of anaerobic TNT-degrading bacteria

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

Roberts, D.J.; Pendharkar, S.

1995-12-31

Three media constitutions were used to enrich for mixed cultures capable of degrading 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) under strictly anaerobic conditions. The media were derived from a mineral salts solution buffered to pH 7 with CO{sub 2}/bicarbonate and all contained TNT. The cultures were enriched in the TNT mineral salts medium or the TNT mineral salts medium supplemented with glucose, yeast extract, or ammonia in various combinations. Inocula were obtained from a treated soil, previously contaminated with dinoseb and then treated using anaerobic procedures, or from a bench-top aqueous culture, maintained with an extract from a munitions-contaminated soil for more than 4more » years. Several cultures reduced TNT, producing 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene and 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene as the major products. The cultures were unable to effectively remove TNT when cross-transferred to the media they were not enriched on, suggesting that different media had enriched different subcultures form the original inoculum. The treated soil provided the most successful inoculum. Two media were chosen for further studies. Medium 1 contained TNT and glucose and produced a culture that might have used TNT as a nitrogen source. Medium 2, containing TNT and yeast extract, enriched cultures that degraded TNT, accumulating small amounts of p-cresol during the degradation.« less

A newly anti-Streptococcus suis bacteriocin producing strain from unweaned piglets fecal matter: isolation, preliminary identification, and optimization of medium composition for enhanced bacteriocin production.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiangmei; Chang, Xiaoyuan; Liu, Guorong; Wu, Pengpeng; Li, Pinglan

2012-01-01

A newly isolated anti-Streptococcus suis bacteriocin-producing strain LPL1-5 was obtained from healthy unweaned piglets' fecal matter, and was designated as Lactobacillus pentosus LPL1-5 based on morphology, biochemical properties, and 16S rDNA sequencing analysis. The medium composition for enhanced bacteriocin production by L. pentosus LPL1-5 was optimized by statistical methodology. Yeast extract, K(2)HPO(4)·3H(2)O, and MnSO(4)·H(2)O were identified as significant components influencing pentocin LPL1-5 production using the Plackett-Burman method. Response surface methodology was applied for further optimization. The concentrations of medium components for enhanced pentocin LPL1-5 production were as follows (g/L): lactose 20.00, tryptone 10.00, beef extract 10.00, yeast extract 14.00, MnSO(4)·H(2)O 0.84, K(2)HPO(4)·3H(2)O 4.92, triammonium citrate 2.00, Na-acetate 5.00, MgSO(4)·7H(2)O 0.58, Tween 80 1.00. Under the optimized condition, a value of 3154.65 ± 27.93 IU/mL bacteriocin activity was achieved, which was 4.2-fold that of the original medium.

Local turbulence simulations for the multiphase ISM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kissmann, R.; Kleimann, J.; Fichtner, H.; Grauer, R.

2008-12-01

In this paper, we show results of numerical simulations for the turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM). These results were obtained using a Riemann solver-free numerical scheme for high-Mach number hyperbolic equations. Here, we especially concentrate on the physical properties of the ISM. That is, we do not present turbulence simulations trimmed to be applicable to the ISM. The simulations are rather based on physical estimates for the relevant parameters of the interstellar gas. Applying our code to simulate the turbulent plasma motion within a typical interstellar molecular cloud, we investigate the influence of different equations of state (isothermal and adiabatic) on the statistical properties of the resulting turbulent structures. We find slightly different density power spectra and dispersion maps, while both cases yield qualitatively similar dissipative structures, and exhibit a departure from the classical Kolmogorov case towards a scaling described by the She-Leveque model. Solving the full energy equation with realistic heating/cooling terms appropriate for the diffuse interstellar gas (DIG), we are able to reproduce a realistic two-phase distribution of cold and warm plasma. When extracting maps of polarized intensity from our simulation data, we find encouraging similarity to actual observations. Finally, we compare the actual magnetic field strength of our simulations to its value inferred from the rotation measure. We find these to be systematically different by a factor of about 1.15, thus highlighting the often-underestimated influence of varying line-of-sight particle densities on the magnetic field strength derived from observed rotation measures.

Optimization of the medium for Lactobacillus acidophilus by Plackett-Burman and steepest ascent experiment.

PubMed

Chen, He; Niu, Jinfeng; Qin, Tao; Ma, Qi; Wang, Lei; Shu, Guowei

2015-01-01

Lactobacillus acidophilus not only improves the intestinal flora balance but also inhabits the growth of undesirable microorganisms in intestine, which is benefit to the health of humans and animals. Plackett-Burman and steepest ascent experiment are the rapid and concise ways of screening the main effective factors. This study is aimed to select the main influence factors and optimize the medium for Lactobacillus acidophilus by Plackett-Burman experiment and steepest ascent experiment. The ideal carbon source was screened among glucose, maltose, lactose and whey powder, and the ideal nitrogen source was screened among casein hydrolysate, peptone, yeast extract powder, fish meal, carbamide, ammonium sulfate and sodium nitrate by single factor experiment. Plackett-Burman and steepest ascent experiment were applied to screen the main effective factors of Lactobacillus acidophilus among peptone, beef extract, yeast extract powder, glucose, K2HPO4, C6H14O7N2, CH3COONa, MgSO4 and Tween-80. Result. The results indicated that glucose (p = 0.01510) as negative factor and K2HPO4 (p = 0.02017) as positive effect were the significant growth factors of Lactobacillus acidophilus, CH3COONa (p = 0.09273) as positive effect was an important factor, and the optimized medium was as follows: glucose - 21 g/L, K2HPO4 - 3.5 g/L, CH3COONa - 6.5 g/L, peptone - 10 g/L, beef extract - 8 g/L, yeast extract pow. nd. Lactobacillus acidophilus not only improves the intestinal flora balance but also inhabits the growth of undesirable microorganisms in intestine, which is benefit to the health of humans and animals. Plackett-Burman and steepest ascent experiment are the rapid and concise ways of screening the main effective factors. This study is aimed to select the main influence factors and optimize the medium for Lactobacillus acidophilus by Plackett-Burman experiment and steepest ascent experiment. Material and methods. The ideal carbon source was screened among glucose, maltose, lactose and whey powder, and the ideal nitrogen source was screened among casein hydrolysate, peptone, yeast extract powder, fish meal, carbamide, ammonium sulfate and sodium nitrate by single factor experiment. Plackett-Burman and steepest ascent experiment were applied to screen the main effective factors of Lactobacillus acidophilus among peptone, beef extract, yeast extract powder, glucose, K2HPO4, C6H14O7N2, CH3COONa, MgSO4 and Tween-80. Result. The results indicated that glucose (p = 0.01510) as negative factor and K2HPO4 (p = 0.02017) as positive effect were the significant growth factors of Lactobacillus acidophilus, CH3COONa (p = 0.09273) as positive effect was an important factor, and the optimized medium was as follows: glucose - 21 g/L, K2HPO4 - 3.5 g/L, CH3COONa - 6.5 g/L, peptone - 10 g/L, beef extract - 8 g/L, yeast extract powder - 8 g/L, C6H14O7N2 - 2 g/L, MgSO4 - 0.2 g/L and Tween-80 - 1 mL/L when the maximum viable count could achieve 2.72·109 cfu/mL. The experimental model is reliable and the experimental results are of good stability. Variance analysis is performed to determine the adequacy and significance of the linear model. Thus, Plackett-Burman and steepest ascent experiment improve the veracity of optimization the medium for Lactobacillus acidophilus compared with the previous research.

Mineral resource potential map of the Fossil Ridge Wilderness Study Area, Gunnison County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeWitt, Ed; Stoneman, R.J.; Clark, J.R.; Kluender, S.E.

1985-01-01

Areas that immediately adjoin the Fossil Ridge Wilderness Study Area have a high potential for molybdenum in large deposits, lead in medium-size deposits, and zinc -in small- to medium-size deposits. Depending on the extraction of base metals, parts of the adjoining areas could have a low resource potential for bismuth and cadmium as byproducts in medium-size deposits.

Inhibitive effect of Xylopia ferruginea extract on the corrosion of mild steel in 1M HCl medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, Pandian Bothi; Rahim, Afidah Abdul; Osman, Hasnah; Awang, Khalijah

2011-08-01

The alkaloid content of the leaves and stem bark of Xylopia ferruginea plant was isolated and tested for its anticorrosion potential on mild steel corrosion in a hydrochloric acid medium by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) analysis. The experimental results reveal the effective anticorrosion potential of the plant extract. The mixed mode of action exhibited by the plant extract is evidenced from the polarization study. SEM images proof the formation of a protective layer over the mild steel surface, and this is supported by the FTIR study. The possible mode of the corrosion inhibition mechanism has also been discussed.

Effects of Coffee Extracts with Different Roasting Degrees on Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Systems in Mice.

PubMed

Choi, Sukyoung; Jung, Soohan; Ko, Kwang Suk

2018-03-16

Coffee roasting affects the taste, color, and aroma of coffee. The Maillard reaction, a major reaction during the roasting process, produces melanoidin, which affects the overall antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory effects of coffee. In this experiment, coffee roasting was divided into four degrees: Light, Medium, City, and French. To examine the in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of coffee extracts with different roasting degrees, we used 10-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. Mice were pre-treated with coffee extracts for 10 days by oral gavage (300 mg/Kg.B.W). After the last pre-treatment, lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 15 mg/Kg.B.W) was injected intraperitoneally for immune stimulation. Histopathological analysis showed that hepatic portal vein invasion and liver necrosis were severe in the LPS-treated group. However, these phenomena were greatly ameliorated when mice were pre-treated with Light- or Medium-roasted coffee extracts. Hepatic glutathione level was increased in the French group but decreased in the LPS-stimulated group. When mice were treated with LPS, mRNA expression level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was increased, whereas TNF-α expression was significantly reduced in the Light and Medium groups. Treatment with coffee extracts decreased the mRNA expression levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in mice stimulated by LPS, regardless of coffee roasting degrees. These effects decreased with the increasing coffee roasting degree. Results of luciferase reporter assay revealed that these effects of coffee extracts were transcriptionally regulated by the NF-κB pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that the roasting degree affects the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of coffee extracts.

Effect of ultrasound transducer design on the acoustically-assisted supercritical fluid extraction of antioxidants from oregano.

PubMed

Santos-Zea, Liliana; Antunes-Ricardo, Marilena; Gutierrez-Uribe, Janet A; García-Pérez, Jose V; Benedito, Jose

2018-10-01

Power ultrasound is applied in food technology to intensify extraction processes, due to the phenomena ultrasonic energy induces in the medium, enhancing mass transfer. The purpose of this work was the acoustic characterization of four transducers of different geometries and the evaluation of their performance in the ultrasonically assisted supercritical fluid extraction of antioxidants from oregano. The transducers differed in the amount of energy transmitted into the medium. Designs varied from the base model (T1), a larger cylindrical headmass (T2), a stepped circular section sonotrode (T3) and a multiplate configuration (T4). The highest nominal power density provided according to the calorimetric method was for T4 (151.6 ± 7.1 W/L). The T2 produced a more uniform acoustic field and a higher acoustic pressure (150.6 ± 20.5 kPa). Both parameters had an impact on total phenolics and antioxidants extraction with CO 2 under supercritical conditions (35 MPa, 35 °C, 2.3% ethanol as co-solvent). T4 and T2 were equally efficient (4.0 ± 0.2 and 4.2 ± 0.2 mg GA/g) for phenolic extraction, and with respect to antioxidant capacity, the best performance was that of T4 (26.4 ± 1.1 μmol TE/g). Of the antioxidant compounds extracted, flavones and flavanones were identified. Therefore, transducer geometry influenced the amount and distribution of energy transmitted into the medium, thus determining the efficiency of the extraction process. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing the extraction of pharmaceuticals from sewage sludge and soil: an experimental design approach.

PubMed

Ferhi, Sabrina; Bourdat-Deschamps, Marjolaine; Daudin, Jean-Jacques; Houot, Sabine; Nélieu, Sylvie

2016-09-01

Pharmaceuticals can enter the environment when organic waste products are recycled on agricultural soils. The extraction of pharmaceuticals is a challenging step in their analysis. The very different extraction conditions proposed in the literature make the choice of the right method for multi-residue analysis difficult. This study aimed at evaluating, with experimental design methodology, the influence of the nature, pH and composition of the extraction medium on the extraction recovery of 14 pharmaceuticals, including 8 antibiotics, from soil and sewage sludge. Preliminary experimental designs showed that acetonitrile and citrate-phosphate buffer were the best extractants. Then, a response surface design demonstrated that many cross-product and squared terms had significant effects, explaining the shapes of the response surfaces. It also allowed optimising the pharmaceutical recoveries in soil and sludge. The optimal conditions were interpreted considering the ionisation states of the compounds, their solubility in the extraction medium and their interactions with the solid matrix. To perform the analysis, a compromise was made for each matrix. After a QuEChERS purification, the samples were analysed by online SPE-UHPLC-MS-MS. Both methods were simple and economical. They were validated with the accuracy profile methodology for soil and sludge and characterised for another type of soil, digested sludge and composted sludge. Trueness globally ranged between 80 and 120 % recovery, and inter- and intra-day precisions were globally below 20 % relative standard deviation. Various pharmaceuticals were present in environmental samples, with concentration levels ranging from a few micrograms per kilogramme up to thousands of micrograms per kilogramme. Graphical abstract Influence of the extraction medium on the extraction recovery of 14 pharmaceuticals. Influence of the ionisation state, the solubility and the interactions of pharmaceuticals with solid matrix. Analysis of different soils and organic waste products.

Evaluating the Competitive Use of the Subsurface: The Influence of Energy Storage and Production in Groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helmig, R.; Becker, B.; Flemisch, B.

2015-12-01

The natural subsurface is gaining in importance for a variety of engineering applications related to energy supply. At the same time it is already utilized in many ways. On the one hand, the subsurface with its groundwater system represents the most important source of drinking water; on the other hand, it contains natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas and coal. In recent years, the subsurface has been gaining importance as a resource of energy and as an energy and waste repository. It can serve as a short-, medium- or long-term storage medium for energy in various forms, e.g. in the form of methane (CH4), hydrogen (H2) or compressed air. The subsurface is also attracting increasing interest as a natural source of energy, regarding, for instance, the extraction of fossil methane by hydraulic fracturing or the utilization of geothermal energy as a renewable energy source. As a result, with increasing exploitation, resource conflicts are becoming more and more common and complex. Modeling concepts for simulating multiphase flow that can reproduce the high complexity of the underlying processes in an efficient way need to be developed. The application of these model concepts is of great importance with respect to feasibility, risk analysis, storage capacity and sensitivity issues. This talk will give an overview on possible utilization conflicts in subsurface systems and how the groundwater is affected. It will focus on presenting fundamental properties and functions of a compositional multiphase system in a porous medium and introduce basic multiscale and multiphysics concepts as well as formulate conser­vation laws for simulating energy storage in the subsurface. Large-scale simulations that show the general applicability of the modeling concepts of such complicated natural systems, especially the impact on the groundwater of simultaneously using geothermal energy and storing chemical and thermal energy, and how such real large-scale systems provide a good environment for balancing the efficiency potential and possible weaknesses of the approaches will be discussed.

A generalised porous medium approach to study thermo-fluid dynamics in human eyes.

PubMed

Mauro, Alessandro; Massarotti, Nicola; Salahudeen, Mohamed; Romano, Mario R; Romano, Vito; Nithiarasu, Perumal

2018-03-22

The present work describes the application of the generalised porous medium model to study heat and fluid flow in healthy and glaucomatous eyes of different subject specimens, considering the presence of ocular cavities and porous tissues. The 2D computational model, implemented into the open-source software OpenFOAM, has been verified against benchmark data for mixed convection in domains partially filled with a porous medium. The verified model has been employed to simulate the thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena occurring in the anterior section of four patient-specific human eyes, considering the presence of anterior chamber (AC), trabecular meshwork (TM), Schlemm's canal (SC), and collector channels (CC). The computational domains of the eye are extracted from tomographic images. The dependence of TM porosity and permeability on intraocular pressure (IOP) has been analysed in detail, and the differences between healthy and glaucomatous eye conditions have been highlighted, proving that the different physiological conditions of patients have a significant influence on the thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena. The influence of different eye positions (supine and standing) on thermo-fluid dynamic variables has been also investigated: results are presented in terms of velocity, pressure, temperature, friction coefficient and local Nusselt number. The results clearly indicate that porosity and permeability of TM are two important parameters that affect eye pressure distribution. Graphical abstract Velocity contours and vectors for healthy eyes (top) and glaucomatous eyes (bottom) for standing position.

Heavy flavour in high-energy nuclear collisions: a theoretical overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beraudo, Andrea

2018-03-01

The peculiar role of heavy-flavour observables in relativistic heavy-ion collisions is discussed. Produced in the early stage, c and b quarks cross the hot deconfined plasma arising from the collision, interacting strongly with the latter, until they hadronize. Transport calculations are the tools to follow their propagation in the medium: their formulation as well as their conceptual basis are briefly reviewed. Depending on the strength of the interaction heavy quarks may or not approach kinetic equilibrium with the plasma, tending in the first case to follow the collective flow of the expanding fireball. The presence of a hot deconfined medium may also affect heavy-quark hadronization, being possible for them to recombine with the surrounding light thermal partons, so that the final heavy-flavour hadrons inherit part of the flow of the medium. Here we show how it is possible to develop a complete transport setup allowing one to describe heavy-flavour production in high-energy nuclear collisions. The ultimate goal will be to extract from the experimental data the heavy-flavour transport coefficients in the Quark-Gluon Plasma: we will comment on how far we are from this achievement. Information coming from recent lattice-QCD simulations concerning both the heavy-flavour transport coefficients in the hot QCD plasma and the nature of the charmed degrees around the deconfinement transition is also presented. Finally, the possibility that the formation of a hot deconfined medium even in small systems (high-multiplicity p-Au and d-Au collisions, so far) may affect also heavy-flavour observables is investigated.

A full-spectrum analysis of high-speed train interior noise under multi-physical-field coupling excitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xu; Hao, Zhiyong; Wang, Xu; Mao, Jie

2016-06-01

High-speed-railway-train interior noise at low, medium, and high frequencies could be simulated by finite element analysis (FEA) or boundary element analysis (BEA), hybrid finite element analysis-statistical energy analysis (FEA-SEA) and statistical energy analysis (SEA), respectively. First, a new method named statistical acoustic energy flow (SAEF) is proposed, which can be applied to the full-spectrum HST interior noise simulation (including low, medium, and high frequencies) with only one model. In an SAEF model, the corresponding multi-physical-field coupling excitations are firstly fully considered and coupled to excite the interior noise. The interior noise attenuated by sound insulation panels of carriage is simulated through modeling the inflow acoustic energy from the exterior excitations into the interior acoustic cavities. Rigid multi-body dynamics, fast multi-pole BEA, and large-eddy simulation with indirect boundary element analysis are first employed to extract the multi-physical-field excitations, which include the wheel-rail interaction forces/secondary suspension forces, the wheel-rail rolling noise, and aerodynamic noise, respectively. All the peak values and their frequency bands of the simulated acoustic excitations are validated with those from the noise source identification test. Besides, the measured equipment noise inside equipment compartment is used as one of the excitation sources which contribute to the interior noise. Second, a full-trimmed FE carriage model is firstly constructed, and the simulated modal shapes and frequencies agree well with the measured ones, which has validated the global FE carriage model as well as the local FE models of the aluminum alloy-trim composite panel. Thus, the sound transmission loss model of any composite panel has indirectly been validated. Finally, the SAEF model of the carriage is constructed based on the accurate FE model and stimulated by the multi-physical-field excitations. The results show that the trend of the simulated 1/3 octave band sound pressure spectrum agrees well with that of the on-site-measured one. The deviation between the simulated and measured overall sound pressure level (SPL) is 2.6 dB(A) and well controlled below the engineering tolerance limit, which has validated the SAEF model in the full-spectrum analysis of the high speed train interior noise.

Simulation of Subsurface Multiphase Contaminant Extraction Using a Bioslurping Well Model

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

Matos de Souza, Michelle; Oostrom, Mart; White, Mark D.

2016-07-12

Subsurface simulation of multiphase extraction from wells is notoriously difficult. Explicit representation of well geometry requires small grid resolution, potentially leading to large computational demands. To reduce the problem dimensionality, multiphase extraction is mostly modeled using vertically-averaged approaches. In this paper, a multiphase well model approach is presented as an alternative to simplify the application. The well model, a multiphase extension of the classic Peaceman model, has been implemented in the STOMP simulator. The numerical solution approach accounts for local conditions and gradients in the exchange of fluids between the well and the aquifer. Advantages of this well model implementationmore » include the option to simulate the effects of well characteristics and operation. Simulations were conducted investigating the effects of extraction location, applied vacuum pressure, and a number of hydraulic properties. The obtained results were all consistent and logical. A major outcome of the test simulations is that, in contrast with common recommendations to extract from either the gas-NAPL or the NAPL-aqueous phase interface, the optimum extraction location should be in between these two levels. The new model implementation was also used to simulate extraction at a field site in Brazil. The simulation shows a good match with the field data, suggesting that the new STOMP well module may correctly represent oil removal. The field simulations depend on the quality of the site conceptual model, including the porous media and contaminant properties and the boundary and extraction conditions adopted. The new module may potentially be used to design field applications and analyze extraction data.« less

Gardenia jasminoides Extract Attenuates the UVB-Induced Expressions of Cytokines in Keratinocytes and Indirectly Inhibits Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 Expression in Human Dermal Fibroblasts

PubMed Central

Seok, Jin Kyung; Suh, Hwa-Jin

2014-01-01

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is a major cause of photoaging, which also involves inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). The present study was undertaken to examine the UVB-protecting effects of yellow-colored plant extracts in cell-based assays. HaCaT keratinocytes were exposed to UVB in the absence or presence of plant extracts, and resulting changes in cell viability and inflammatory cytokine expression were measured. Of the plant extracts tested, Gardenia jasminoides extract showed the lowest cytotoxicity and dose-dependently enhanced the viabilities of UVB-exposed cells. Gardenia jasminoides extract also attenuated the mRNA expressions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in HaCaT cells stimulated by UVB. Conditioned medium from UVB-exposed HaCaT cells was observed to stimulate MMP-1 protein expression in human dermal fibroblasts, and this effect was much smaller for the conditioned medium of HaCaT cells exposed to UVB in the presence of Gardenia jasminoides extract. Gardenia jasminoides extract also exhibited antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects in HaCaT cells exposed to UVB. These results indicated that UVB-induced injury and inflammatory responses of skin cells can be attenuated by yellow-colored plant extracts, such as Gardenia jasminoides extract. PMID:24711853

Effects of different extracts of Eucalyptus camaldulensis on Trichomonas vaginalis parasite in culture medium

PubMed Central

Hassani, Solmaz; Asghari, Gholamreza; Yousefi, Hossseinali; Kazemian, Afsaneh; Rafieiean, Mahmood; Darani, Hossein Yousofi

2013-01-01

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis is considered one of the main causes of vulvovaginitis in women. Metronidazole with vast side effects is now the drug of choice for treatment of this infection. In an attempt to find an alternative drug, the effect of Eucalyptus camaldulensis on this parasite was shown in previous studies. In this investigation, the effect of different extracts of this plant on T. vaginalis in culture medium has been investigated. Materials and Methods: Five different extracts including total extract, diethyl ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water fractions were prepared. The extracts were dried using vacuum rotary evaporator and then they were used for in vitro anti-trichomonas experiments. Results: Crude extract of E. camaldulensis showed 80% growth inhibition (GI) in a concentration of 12.5 mg/ml during 24 h. Diethyl ether extract in a concentration of 25 mg/ml showed 100% GI during 24 h. With ethyl acetate extract, 100% GI was detected with the minimum concentration of 12.5 mg/ml in the first 24 h. Finally, water extract in a concentration of 50 mg/ml showed 80% and 100% GI after 48 and 72 h, respectively. Conclusion: Ethyl acetate fraction is the extract which showed the highest percentage of GI (100%) with the least concentration (12.5 mg/ml) after 24 and 48 h. PMID:24516847

Simulation of water flow in fractured porous medium by using discretized virtual internal bond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Shujun; Zhang, Zhennan; Li, Chunfang; He, Guofu; Miao, Guoqing

2017-12-01

The discretized virtual internal bond (DVIB) is adopted to simulate the water flow in fractured porous medium. The intact porous medium is permeable because it contains numerous micro cracks and pores. These micro discontinuities construct a fluid channel network. The representative volume of this fluid channel network is modeled as a lattice bond cell with finite number of bonds in statistical sense. Each bond serves as a fluid channel. In fractured porous medium, many bond cells are cut by macro fractures. The conductivity of the fracture facet in a bond cell is taken over by the bonds parallel to the flow direction. The equivalent permeability and volumetric storage coefficient of a micro bond are calibrated based on the ideal bond cell conception, which makes it unnecessary to consider the detailed geometry of a specific element. Such parameter calibration method is flexible and applicable to any type of element. The accuracy check results suggest this method has a satisfying accuracy in both the steady and transient flow simulation. To simulate the massive fractures in rockmass, the bond cells intersected by fracture are assigned aperture values, which are assumed random numbers following a certain distribution law. By this method, any number of fractures can be implicitly incorporated into the background mesh, avoiding the setup of fracture element and mesh modification. The fracture aperture heterogeneity is well represented by this means. The simulation examples suggest that the present method is a feasible, simple and efficient approach to the numerical simulation of water flow in fractured porous medium.

Impact of Phosphate, Potassium, Yeast Extract, and Trace Metals on Chitosan and Metabolite Production by Mucor indicus.

PubMed

Safaei, Zahra; Karimi, Keikhosro; Zamani, Akram

2016-08-30

In this study the effects of phosphate, potassium, yeast extract, and trace metals on the growth of Mucor indicus and chitosan, chitin, and metabolite production by the fungus were investigated. Maximum yield of chitosan (0.32 g/g cell wall) was obtained in a phosphate-free medium. Reversely, cell growth and ethanol formation by the fungus were positively affected in the presence of phosphate. In a phosphate-free medium, the highest chitosan content (0.42 g/g cell wall) and cell growth (0.66 g/g sugar) were obtained at 2.5 g/L of KOH. Potassium concentration had no significant effect on ethanol and glycerol yields. The presence of trace metals significantly increased the chitosan yield at an optimal phosphate and potassium concentration (0.50 g/g cell wall). By contrast, production of ethanol by the fungus was negatively affected (0.33 g/g sugars). A remarkable increase in chitin and decrease in chitosan were observed in the absence of yeast extract and concentrations lower than 2 g/L. The maximum chitosan yield of 51% cell wall was obtained at 5 g/L of yeast extract when the medium contained no phosphate, 2.5 g/L KOH, and 1 mL/L trace metal solution.

Screening of Ganoderma strains with high polysaccharides and ganoderic acid contents and optimization of the fermentation medium by statistical methods.

PubMed

Wei, Zhen-hua; Duan, Ying-yi; Qian, Yong-qing; Guo, Xiao-feng; Li, Yan-jun; Jin, Shi-he; Zhou, Zhong-Xin; Shan, Sheng-yan; Wang, Chun-ru; Chen, Xue-Jiao; Zheng, Yuguo; Zhong, Jian-Jiang

2014-09-01

Polysaccharides and ganoderic acids (GAs) are the major bioactive constituents of Ganoderma species. However, the commercialization of their production was limited by low yield in the submerged culture of Ganoderma despite improvement made in recent years. In this work, twelve Ganoderma strains were screened to efficiently produce polysaccharides and GAs, and Ganoderma lucidum 5.26 (GL 5.26) that had been never reported in fermentation process was found to be most efficient among the tested stains. Then, the fermentation medium was optimized for GL 5.26 by statistical method. Firstly, glucose and yeast extract were found to be the optimum carbon source and nitrogen source according to the single-factor tests. Ferric sulfate was found to have significant effect on GL 5.26 biomass production according to the results of Plackett-Burman design. The concentrations of glucose, yeast extract and ferric sulfate were further optimized by response surface methodology. The optimum medium composition was 55 g/L of glucose, 14 g/L of yeast extract, 0.3 g/L of ferric acid, with other medium components unchanged. The optimized medium was testified in the 10-L bioreactor, and the production of biomass, IPS, total GAs and GA-T enhanced by 85, 27, 49 and 93 %, respectively, compared to the initial medium. The fermentation process was scaled up to 300-L bioreactor; it showed good IPS (3.6 g/L) and GAs (670 mg/L) production. The biomass was 23.9 g/L in 300-L bioreactor, which was the highest biomass production in pilot scale. According to this study, the strain GL 5.26 showed good fermentation property by optimizing the medium. It might be a candidate industrial strain by further process optimization and scale-up study.

Kinetic-MHD simulations of gyroresonance instability driven by CR pressure anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebiga, O.; Santos-Lima, R.; Yan, H.

2018-05-01

The transport of cosmic rays (CRs) is crucial for the understanding of almost all high-energy phenomena. Both pre-existing large-scale magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence and locally generated turbulence through plasma instabilities are important for the CR propagation in astrophysical media. The potential role of the resonant instability triggered by CR pressure anisotropy to regulate the parallel spatial diffusion of low-energy CRs (≲100 GeV) in the interstellar and intracluster medium of galaxies has been shown in previous theoretical works. This work aims to study the gyroresonance instability via direct numerical simulations, in order to access quantitatively the wave-particle scattering rates. For this, we employ a 1D PIC-MHD code to follow the growth and saturation of the gyroresonance instability. We extract from the simulations the pitch-angle diffusion coefficient Dμμ produced by the instability during the linear and saturation phases, and a very good agreement (within a factor of 3) is found with the values predicted by the quasi-linear theory (QLT). Our results support the applicability of the QLT for modelling the scattering of low-energy CRs by the gyroresonance instability in the complex interplay between this instability and the large-scale MHD turbulence.

Carbon coated magnetic nanoparticles as a novel magnetic solid phase extraction adsorbent for simultaneous extraction of methamphetamine and ephedrine from urine samples.

PubMed

Taghvimi, Arezou; Hamishehkar, Hamed

2017-01-15

This paper develops a highly selective, specific and efficient method for simultaneous determination of ephedrine and methamphetamine by a new carbon coated magnetic nanoparticles (C/MNPs) as a magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) adsorbent in biological urine medium. The characterization of synthesized magnetic nano adsorbent was completely carried out by various characterization techniques like Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Nine important parameters influencing extraction efficiency including amount of adsorbent, amounts of sample volume, pH, type and amount of extraction organic solvent, time of extraction and desorption, agitation rate and ionic strength of extraction medium, were studied and optimized. Under optimized extraction conditions, a good linearity was observed in the concentration range of 100-2000ng/mL for ephedrine and 100-2500ng/mL for methamphetamine. Analysis of positive urine samples was carried out by proposed method with the recovery of 98.71 and 97.87% for ephedrine and methamphetamine, respectively. The results indicated that carbon coated magnetic nanoparticles could be applied in clinical and forensic laboratories for simultaneous determination of abused drugs in urine media. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Physarum polycephalum plasmodial growth and lipid production using rice bran as a carbon source.

PubMed

Tran, Hanh; Stephenson, Steven; Pollock, Erik

2015-08-01

The myxomycete Physarum polycephalum appears to have remarkable potential as a lipid source for biodiesel production. The present study evaluated the use of rice bran as a carbon source and determined the medium components for optimum growth and lipid production for this organism. Optimization of medium components by response surface methodology showed that rice bran and yeast extract had significant influences on lipid and biomass production. The optimum medium consisted of 37.5 g/L rice bran, 0.79 g/L yeast extract and 12.5 g/L agar, and this yielded 7.5 g/L dry biomass and 0.9 g/L lipid after 5 days. The biomass and lipid production profiles revealed that these parameters increased over time and reached their maximum values (10.5 and 1.26 g/L, respectively) after 7 days. Physarum polycephalum growth decreased on the spent medium but using the latter increased total biomass and lipid concentrations to 14.3 and 1.72 g/L, respectively. An effective method for inoculum preparation was developed for biomass and lipid production by P. polycephalum on a low-cost medium using rice bran as the main carbon source. These results also demonstrated the feasibility of scaling up and reusing the medium for additional biomass and lipid production.

Evaluation of cashew apple juice for surfactin production by Bacillus subtilis LAMI008.

PubMed

Ponte Rocha, Maria Valderez; Gomes Barreto, Raphaela V; Melo, Vânia Maria M; Barros Gonçalves, Luciana Rocha

2009-05-01

Bacillus subtilis LAMI008 strain isolated from the tank of Chlorination at the Wastewater Treatment Plant on Campus do Pici in Federal University of Ceará, Brazil has been screened for surfactin production in mineral medium containing clarified cashew apple juice (MM-CAJC). Results were compared with the ones obtained using mineral medium with glucose PA as carbon source. The influence on growth and surfactin production of culture medium supplementation with yeast extract was also studied. The substrate concentration analysis indicated that B. subtilis LAMI008 was able to degrade all carbon sources studied and produce biosurfactant. The highest reduction in surface tension was achieved with the fermentation of MM-CAJC, supplemented with yeast extract, which decreased from 58.95 +/- 0.10 to 38.10 +/- 0.81 dyn cm(-1). The biosurfactant produced was capable of emulsifying kerosene, achieving an emulsification index of 65%. Surfactin concentration of 3.5 mg L(-1) was obtained when MM-CAJC, supplemented with yeast extract, was used, thus indicating that it is feasible to produce surfactin from clarified cashew apple juice, a renewable and low-cost carbon source.

Effect of salinity medium on antioxidant and antidiabetic activity marine endophytic fungus of asperegillus elegans ptf 9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulyani, Hani; Artanti, Nina; Fitria, Irni; Filailla, Euis; Kandace, Yoice Sri; Udin, Linar Zalinar

2017-11-01

Our previous studies on screening of antioxidant activities from various endophytic fungi isolated from marine bioata showed that A. elegans PTF9 isolated from sea weed is one of the fungus that has good antioxidant activity. In current study we reported the effect of medium salinity (0, 3 and 10% salt in PDB medium) on antioxidant and antidiabetes activity of mycelium and filtrate ethyl acetate extracts of A. elegans Ptf 9. The antioxidant assay was conducted using DPPH free radical scavenging activity method. The antidiabetes assay was conducted using a-glucosidase inhibitory activity method. The results showed that the best antioxidant activity was obtained from filtrate extract of fungus cultures with 0% salt (IC50=1.56 ppm), whereas the best antidiabetes activity was obtained from filtrate extract of fungus culture with 10% salt (IC50= 3.64 ppm). Addition of salt reduced the antioxidant activity, but not the antidiabetes activity. The results suggest that A. elegans PTF9 showed potential for further studies on isolation of antioxidant and antidiabetes lead compounds that could be use for further development of new drugs.

Control of 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase activity in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. The involvement of sulphur metabolism

PubMed Central

Neuberger, Albert; Sandy, John D.; Tait, George H.

1973-01-01

1. The `initial' 5-aminolaevulinate synthetase activity, that is the activity observed immediately after cell disruption, in extracts prepared from unharvested semianaerobically grown Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, was twice that observed under the same assay conditions in extracts prepared from harvested cells. 2. The effect of oxygenation of a culture on the `maximum' aminolaevulinate synthetase activity, that is the activity observed 1h after disruption of harvested cells, is markedly influenced by the contents of the growth medium. Oxygenation of organisms for 1h in the medium in which they have grown produces an 80–90% decrease in maximum activity, whereas similar treatment of organisms resuspended in fresh medium produces less than a 40% decrease. 3. This protective effect of fresh medium is absolutely dependent on the presence of sulphate. When cells are suspended in sulphate-deficient fresh medium, the maximum activity falls by 65–75% even without oxygenation. A high maximum activity is regenerated when sulphate is resupplied. 4. When organisms are oxygenated in the medium in which they have grown, the cellular contents of GSH+GSSG and cysteine+cystine fall very markedly and homolanthionine is formed. Both the fall in aminolaevulinate synthetase activity and the changes in sulphur metabolism are largely prevented by the addition of compounds which stimulate synthesis of cysteine de novo or inhibit the conversion of cysteine S into homocysteine S. 5. The maximum aminolaevulinate synthetase activity was directly proportional to the GSH+GSSG content of all cell preparations. In glutathione-depleted extracts the `low'-activity enzyme could be re-activated in vitro by the addition of GSH, GSSG, cysteine or cystine, whereas in extracts with a high glutathione content the `high'-activity enzyme was unaffected by these sulphur compounds. 6. The activation of low-activity enzyme with exogenous sulphur compounds was prevented by excluding air or by adding NADH. Studies with purified enzyme indicate that sulphur compounds do not interact directly with the enzyme, but that their effect is mediated by a number of other endogenous factors. PMID:4544404

Development of a Post-Processing Algorithm for Accurate Human Skull Profile Extraction via Ultrasonic Phased Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Ansary, Mariam Luay Y.

Ultrasound Imaging has been favored by clinicians for its safety, affordability, accessibility, and speed compared to other imaging modalities. However, the trade-offs to these benefits are a relatively lower image quality and interpretability, which can be addressed by, for example, post-processing methods. One particularly difficult imaging case is associated with the presence of a barrier, such as a human skull, with significantly different acoustical properties than the brain tissue as the target medium. Some methods were proposed in the literature to account for this structure if the skull's geometry is known. Measuring the skull's geometry is therefore an important task that requires attention. In this work, a new edge detection method for accurate human skull profile extraction via post-processing of ultrasonic A-Scans is introduced. This method, referred to as the Selective Echo Extraction algorithm, SEE, processes each A-Scan separately and determines the outermost and innermost boundaries of the skull by means of adaptive filtering. The method can also be used to determine the average attenuation coefficient of the skull. When applied to simulated B-Mode images of the skull profile, promising results were obtained. The profiles obtained from the proposed process in simulations were found to be within 0.15lambda +/- 0.11lambda or 0.09 +/- 0.07mm from the actual profiles. Experiments were also performed to test SEE on skull mimicking phantoms with major acoustical properties similar to those of the actual human skull. With experimental data, the profiles obtained with the proposed process were within 0.32lambda +/- 0.25lambda or 0.19 +/- 0.15mm from the actual profile.

Simulation of the Growth of Austenite from As-Quenched Martensite in Medium Mn Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huyan, Fei; Yan, Jia-Yi; Höglund, Lars; Ågren, John; Borgenstam, Annika

2018-04-01

As part of an ongoing development of third-generation advanced high-strength steels with acceptable cost, austenite reversion treatment of medium Mn steels becomes attractive because it can give rise to a microstructure of fine mixture of ferrite and austenite, leading to both high strength and large elongation. The growth of austenite during intercritical annealing is crucial for the final properties, primarily because it determines the fraction, composition, and phase stability of austenite. In the present work, the growth of austenite from as-quenched lath martensite in medium Mn steels has been simulated using the DICTRA software package. Cementite is added into the simulations based on experimental observations. Two types of systems (cells) are used, representing, respectively, (1) austenite and cementite forming apart from each other, and (2) austenite forming on the cementite/martensite interface. An interfacial dissipation energy has also been added to take into account a finite interface mobility. The simulations using the first type of setup with an addition of interfacial dissipation energy are able to reproduce the observed austenite growth in medium Mn steels reasonably well.

A simplified radiometabolite analysis procedure for PET radioligands using a solid phase extraction with micellar medium.

PubMed

Nakao, Ryuji; Halldin, Christer

2013-07-01

A solid phase extraction method has been developed for simple and high-speed direct determination of PET radioligands in plasma. This methodology makes use of a micellar medium and a solid-phase extraction cartridge for displacement of plasma protein bound radioligand and separation of PET radioligands from their radiometabolites without significant preparation. The plasma samples taken from monkey or human during PET measurements were mixed with a micellar eluent containing an anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate and loaded onto SPE cartridges. The amount of radioactivity corresponding to parent radioligand (retained on the cartridge) and its radioactive metabolites (eluted with micellar eluent) was measured. Under the optimized conditions, excellent separation of target PET radioligands from their radiometabolites was achieved with a single elution and short run-time of 1 min. This method was successfully applied to study the metabolism for (11)C-labelled radioligands in human or monkey plasma. The amount of parent PET radioligands estimated by micellar solid phase extraction strongly corresponded with that determined by radio-LC. The improved throughput permitted the analysis of a large number of plasma samples (up to 13 samples per one PET study) for accurate estimation of metabolite-corrected input function during quantitative PET imaging studies. Solid phase extraction together with micellar medium is fast, sensitive and easy to use, and therefore it is an attractive alternative method to determine relative composition of PET radioligands in plasma. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT)-enriched seed oil from Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae) and its oxidative stability.

PubMed

Hu, Jiang-Ning; Zhang, Bing; Zhu, Xue-Mei; Li, Jing; Fan, Ya-Wei; Liu, Rong; Tang, Liang; Lee, Ki-Teak; Deng, Ze-Yuan

2011-05-11

Medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT)-enriched oil was extracted by supercritical fluid extraction of carbon dioxide (SFE-CO(2)) from Cinnamomum camphora seeds. The SFE-CO(2) process was optimized using the Box-Behnken design (BBD). The maximum oil yield (42.82%) was obtained under the optimal SFE-CO(2) conditions: extraction pressure, 21.16 MPa; extraction temperature, 45.67 °C; and extraction time, 2.38 h. Subsequently, the physicochemical characteristics, fatty acid composition, triacylglycerol (TAG) composition, tocopherol content, and DSC profile as well as oxidative stabilities of C. camphora seed oil (CCSO) were studied. Results showed that CCSO contained two major medium-chain fatty acids, capric acid (53.27%) and lauric acid (39.93%). The predominant TAG species in CCSO was LaCC/CLaC (ECN 32, 79.29%). Meanwhile, it can be found that CCSO had much higher oxidative stabilities than coconut oil due to the higher content of tocopherols in CCSO (α-tocopherol, 8.67 ± 0.51 mg/100 g; γ-tocopherol, 22.6 ± 1.02 mg/100 g; δ-tocopherol, 8.38 ± 0.47 mg/100 g). Conclusively, CCSO with such a high level of MCTs and high oxidative stabilities could be potentially applied in special food for specific persons such as weak patients and overweight persons because oils enriched in MCTs can be rapidly absorbed into body to provide energy without fat accumulation.

Photonuclear activation of pure isotopic mediums.

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

Grohman, Mark A.; Lukosi, Eric Daniel

2010-06-01

This work simulated the response of idealized isotopic U-235, U-238, Th-232, and Pu-239 mediums to photonuclear activation with various photon energies. These simulations were conducted using MCNPX version 2.6.0. It was found that photon energies between 14-16 MeV produce the highest response with respect to neutron production rates from all photonuclear reactions. In all cases, Pu-239 responds the highest, followed by U-238. Th-232 produces more overall neutrons at lower photon energies then U-235 when material thickness is above 3.943 centimeters. The time it takes each isotopic material to reach stable neutron production rates in time is directly proportional to themore » material thickness and stopping power of the medium, where thicker mediums take longer to reach stable neutron production rates and thinner media display a neutron production plateau effect, due to the lack of significant attenuation of the activating photons in the isotopic mediums. At this time, no neutron sensor system has time resolutions capable of verifying these simulations, but various indirect methods are possible and should be explored for verification of these results.« less

Self-Controlled Synthesis of Hyperbranched Polyetherketones From A3 + B2 Approach Via Different Solubilities of Monomers in the Reaction Medium (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-01

higher yields than 1a and 2a after the similar work-up procedure, which involved Soxhlet extraction with water for 2 days and methanol for 2 days to get...the co-monomers. One such reaction medium, optimized PPA/P2O5 mixture, has been established for the electrophilic substitution reaction to yield high... Soxhlet -extracted with water for 2 days, methanol for 2 days, and finally dried under reduced pressure (0.05 mmHg) at 100°C for 150 h to give 3.30 g (76

[Specific odor component produced by Mycobacterium lepraemurium on Ogawa yolk medium].

PubMed

Mori, T; Aishima, T

1992-11-01

When Mycobacterium lepraemurium is grown on the 1% Ogawa yolk medium, it produces a specific odor. This odor was not observed in other easily cultivable acid-fast bacilli. Therefore, identification of the components responsible for the specific odor produced by M. lepraemurium was attempted. The odor components were extracted for overnight with sterilized and distilled water from the Ogawa yolk medium on which M. lepraemurium had been cultivated for two months. The odor components in the extract was adsorbed on refined charcoal. After washing with distilled water for three times, the charcoal was dried. Then the odor components were eluted from the charcoal with ethanol and the eluate was condensed under nitrogen gas flow at 40 degrees C. The condensate was analyzed by Gas-Chromatography-Mass-Spectrum (GC-MS). Phenylethanol and phenylacetic acid were identified as major odor components. A mixture of authentic phenylacetic acid, its methyl and ethyl esters, smelled similar to the odor of cultivated medium of M. lepraemurium. Thus, phenylacetic acid was identified as the key odor component produced by M. lepraemurium. When initial isolation culture of M. lepraemurium from murine leproma was cultivated on the Ogawa yolk medium by adding phenylacetic acid, growth inhibition was brought by the compound.

Exploring the sensitivity of the zone of inhibition test for leachable biocides from paper and board food contact materials, and improvements thereof.

PubMed

Castle, L; Kelly, J; Jickells, S M; Johns, S M; Mountfort, K A

2012-01-01

The zone of inhibition method to test the release of biocides from paper and board food contact materials was evaluated. The method tests the paper by placing a small specimen directly onto culture plates of Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger. The principle is that any extractable biocide will diffuse from the paper into the surrounding nutrient medium and so inhibit growth of the microorganism in the vicinity. The test was found to have insufficient sensitivity for assuring food safety, where detection limits for migration at or below the mg l(-1) (parts per million) level are needed. Also, the test does not mimic the actual or foreseeable conditions of use since most paper/board materials are not intended for direct contact with an aqueous medium for up to 3 days at 30°C (B. subtilis) or 25°C (A. niger), which are the incubation conditions used. The sensitivity of the test was increased approximately 100-fold by preparing a concentrated extract of the paper to be tested and applying this extract to the assay via a blank paper carrier. This was done using methanol as a good solvent for most biocides, as a proof of principle. Other solvents or food simulants could be used to mimic the conditions of use intended for the particular paper/board samples under examination, e.g. contact with dry, fatty, aqueous or acidic foods, hot or cold. Twenty-four plain (unconverted) paper and board samples and 100 food packaging samples were evaluated using the modified procedure. The results revealed that the method has been developed to the stage where background cytotoxic action of normal paper constituents gives a weak response. Unlike the original method, therefore, the modified method with its improved sensitivity and the facility to link with the intended food contact conditions may be considered a suitable bioassay screening test to complement chemical analysis of paper/board for composition and migration.

Cultivation of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and Ca. L. americanus associated with Huanglongbing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A new medium designated Liber A has been designed and used to successfully cultivate all three Candidatus Liberibacter species, the suspect causative agents of Huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus. The medium containing citrus vein extract and a growth factor sustained growth of Ca. Liberibacter species fo...

Critical Evaluation of Air-Liquid Interface Cell Exposure Systems for In Vitro Assessment of Atmospheric Pollutants##

EPA Science Inventory

Conventional in vitro exposure studies of airborne pollutants involve, for example, the addition of particulate matter (PM) or PM extracts to the cell culture medium, or the bubbling of gases into the culture medium; these methods alter the pollutant’s physical and chemical...

Practicality in Virtuality: Finding Student Meaning in Video Game Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barko, Timothy; Sadler, Troy D.

2013-04-01

This paper looks at the conceptual differences between video game learning and traditional classroom and laboratory learning. It explores the notion of virtual experience by comparing a commonly used high school laboratory protocol on DNA extraction with a similar experience provided by a biotechnology themed video game. When considered conceptually, the notion of virtual experience is not limited to those experiences generated by computer aided technology, as with a video game or computer simulation. The notion of virtuality can apply to many real world experiences as well. It is proposed that the medium of the learning experience, be it video game or classroom, is not an important distinction to consider; instead, we should seek to determine what kinds of meaningful experiences apply for both classrooms and video games.

Proton-Nucleus Elastic Cross Sections Using Two-Body In-Medium Scattering Amplitudes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Wilson, John W.; Cucinotta, Francis A.

2001-01-01

Recently, a method was developed of extracting nucleon-nucleon (NN) cross sections in the medium directly from experiment. The in-medium NN cross sections form the basic ingredients of several heavy-ion scattering approaches including the coupled-channel approach developed at the Langley Research Center. The ratio of the real to the imaginary part of the two-body scattering amplitude in the medium was investigated. These ratios are used in combination with the in-medium NN cross sections to calculate elastic proton-nucleus cross sections. The agreement is excellent with the available experimental data. These cross sections are needed for the radiation risk assessment of space missions.

Thin Disk Ti:Sapphire amplifiers for Joule-class ultrashort pulses with high repetition rate (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagymihály, Roland S.; Cao, Huabao; Kalashnikov, Mikhail P.; Khodakovskiy, Nikita; Ehrentraut, Lutz; Osvay, Károly; Chvykov, Vladimir V.

2017-05-01

High peak power CPA laser systems can deliver now few petawatt pulses [1]. Reaching the high energies with broad spectral bandwidth necessary for these pulses was possible by the use of large aperture Ti:Sa crystals as final amplifier media. Wide applications for these systems will be possible if the repetition rate could be increased. Therefore, thermal deposition in Ti:Sa amplifiers is a key issue, which has to be solved in case of high average power pumping. The thin disk (TD) laser technology, which is intensively developed nowadays by using new laser materials, is able to overcome thermal distortions and damages of laser crystals [2]. TD technique also has the potential to be used in systems with both high peak and average power. For this, the commonly used laser materials with low absorption and emission cross sections, also low heat conductivity, like Yb:YAG, need to be replaced by a gain medium that supports broad enough emission spectrum and high thermal conductivity to obtain few tens of fs pulses with high repetition rates. Parasitic effects during the amplification process however seriously limit the energy that can be extracted from the gain medium and also they distort the gain profile. Nevertheless, the application of the Extraction During Pumping (EDP) technique can mitigate the depopulation losses in the gain medium with high aspect ratio [3]. We proposed to use Ti:Sa in combination with TD and EDP techniques to reach high energies at high repetition rates, and we presented numerical simulations for different amplifier geometries and parameters of the amplification [4,5]. We present the results of the proof-of-principle experiment, where a EDP-TD Ti:Sa amplifier was tested for the first time. In our experiment, the final cryogenically cooled Ti:Sa amplifier in a 100 TW/10 Hz/28 fs laser system was replaced with the EDP-TD room temperature cooled arrangement. Amplified seed pulse energy of 2.6 J was reached only for 3 passes through TD with 0.5 J of input seed and 5 J of absorbed pump energy. We verified the excellent heat extraction capabilities of our amplifier module. Results of the scaling simulations on the base of this experiment for 100s of TW peak power laser systems operating at up to 100 Hz will be also presented. References 1. Y. Chu et al, Opt. Lett. 40, 5011-5014 (2015). 2. C. R. E. Baer et al, Opt. Exp. 20, 7054-7065 (2012). 3. V. Chvykov et al, Opt. Comm. 285, 2134-2136 (2012). 4. V. Chvykov, R. S. Nagymihaly, H. Cao, M. Kalashnikov, K. Osvay, Opt. Exp. 24, 3721 (2016). 5. V.Chvykov, R. S. Nagymihaly, H. Cao, M. Kalashnikov, K. Osvay, Opt. Lett. 41,13, 3017 (2016).

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Mahkota Dewa (Phaleria Macrocarpa) Extract in Subcritical Water Extraction Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashim, N. A.; Mudalip, S. K. Abdul; Harun, N.; Che Man, R.; Sulaiman, S. Z.; Arshad, Z. I. M.; Shaarani, S. M.

2018-05-01

Mahkota Dewa (Phaleria Macrocarpa), a good source of saponin, flavanoid, polyphenol, alkaloid, and mangiferin has an extensive range of medicinal effects. The intermolecular interactions between solute and solvents such as hydrogen bonding considered as an important factor that affect the extraction of bioactive compounds. In this work, molecular dynamics simulation was performed to elucidate the hydrogen bonding exists between Mahkota Dewa extracts and water during subcritical extraction process. A bioactive compound in the Mahkota Dewa extract, namely mangiferin was selected as a model compound. The simulation was performed at 373 K and 4.0 MPa using COMPASS force field and Ewald summation method available in Material Studio 7.0 simulation package. The radial distribution functions (RDF) between mangiferin and water signify the presence of hydrogen bonding in the extraction process. The simulation of the binary mixture of mangiferin:water shows that strong hydrogen bonding was formed. It is suggested that, the intermolecular interaction between OH2O••HMR4(OH1) has been identified to be responsible for the mangiferin extraction process.

[Effect of Codonopsis Radix maintained with sulfur fumigation on immune function in mice].

PubMed

Liu, Cheng-song; Wang, Yu-ping; Shi, Yan-bin; Ma, Xing-ming; Li, Hui-li; Zhang, Xiao-yun; Li, Shou-tang

2014-11-01

To investigate the immune function of mice being given the extract of Codonopsis Radix maintained with sulfur fumigation. Mice were divided into five groups. Except the normal control group, the mice were fed with the extract of Codonopsis Radix maintained with sulfur fumigation at the high,medium and low doses, as well as medium dose of Codonopsis Radix maintained with low-temperature vacuum method, respectively. Mice were treated once a day for 10 continuous days. Weight change,organ indexes, blood cell indices, macrophage phagocytic function, and IL-2 and IFN-γ levels were measured. Compared with normal control group, Codonopsis Radix maintained with sulfur fumigation at medium and high doses inhibited body weight increase of mice; white blood cell count of high dose group was significantly increased; significant increase of macrophage phagocytosis were observed for all groups except the normal control group; and spleen index and IFN-γ level of Codonopsis Radix maintained with sulfur fumigation medium dose group were increased significantly. Codonopsis Radix maintained with sulfur fumigation can promote mouse immune function to a certain degree. There was no difference in immune effect between Codonopsis Radix maintained with sulfur fumigation and low-temperature vacuum method during experimental period. However,taking the extract of Codonopsis Radix maintained with sulfur fumigation can exert negative effect on appetite and body weight in mice.

Computer simulation program for medium-energy ion scattering and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimura, Tomoaki

2016-03-01

A computer simulation program for ion scattering and its graphical user interface (MEISwin) has been developed. Using this program, researchers have analyzed medium-energy ion scattering and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry at Ritsumeikan University since 1998, and at Rutgers University since 2007. The main features of the program are as follows: (1) stopping power can be chosen from five datasets spanning several decades (from 1977 to 2011), (2) straggling can be chosen from two datasets, (3) spectral shape can be selected as Gaussian or exponentially modified Gaussian, (4) scattering cross sections can be selected as Coulomb or screened, (5) simulations adopt the resonant elastic scattering cross section of 16O(4He, 4He)16O, (6) pileup simulation for RBS spectra is supported, (7) natural and specific isotope abundances are supported, and (8) the charge fraction can be chosen from three patterns (fixed, energy-dependent, and ion fraction with charge-exchange parameters for medium-energy ion scattering). This study demonstrates and discusses the simulations and their results.

Effect of Rocket (Eruca sativa) Extract on MRSA Growth and Proteome: Metabolic Adjustments in Plant-Based Media

PubMed Central

Doulgeraki, Agapi I.; Efthimiou, Georgios; Paramithiotis, Spiros; Pappas, Katherine M.; Typas, Milton A.; Nychas, George-John

2017-01-01

The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in food has provoked a great concern about the presence of MRSA in associated foodstuff. Although MRSA is often detected in various retailed meat products, it seems that food handlers are more strongly associated with this type of food contamination. Thus, it can be easily postulated that any food could be contaminated with this pathogen in an industrial environment or in household and cause food poisoning. To this direction, the effect of rocket (Eruca sativa) extract on MRSA growth and proteome was examined in the present study. This goal was achieved with the comparative study of the MRSA strain COL proteome, cultivated in rocket extract versus the standard Luria-Bertani growth medium. The obtained results showed that MRSA was able to grow in rocket extract. In addition, proteome analysis using 2-DE method showed that MRSA strain COL is taking advantage of the sugar-, lipid-, and vitamin-rich substrate in the liquid rocket extract, although its growth was delayed in rocket extract compared to Luria–Bertani medium. This work could initiate further research about bacterial metabolism in plant-based media and defense mechanisms against plant-derived antibacterials. PMID:28529502

Effect of Rocket (Eruca sativa) Extract on MRSA Growth and Proteome: Metabolic Adjustments in Plant-Based Media.

PubMed

Doulgeraki, Agapi I; Efthimiou, Georgios; Paramithiotis, Spiros; Pappas, Katherine M; Typas, Milton A; Nychas, George-John

2017-01-01

The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in food has provoked a great concern about the presence of MRSA in associated foodstuff. Although MRSA is often detected in various retailed meat products, it seems that food handlers are more strongly associated with this type of food contamination. Thus, it can be easily postulated that any food could be contaminated with this pathogen in an industrial environment or in household and cause food poisoning. To this direction, the effect of rocket (Eruca sativa ) extract on MRSA growth and proteome was examined in the present study. This goal was achieved with the comparative study of the MRSA strain COL proteome, cultivated in rocket extract versus the standard Luria-Bertani growth medium. The obtained results showed that MRSA was able to grow in rocket extract. In addition, proteome analysis using 2-DE method showed that MRSA strain COL is taking advantage of the sugar-, lipid-, and vitamin-rich substrate in the liquid rocket extract, although its growth was delayed in rocket extract compared to Luria-Bertani medium. This work could initiate further research about bacterial metabolism in plant-based media and defense mechanisms against plant-derived antibacterials.

l-Pyroglutamate Spontaneously Formed from l-Glutamate Inhibits Growth of the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

PubMed Central

Park, Chan B.; Lee, Sun Bok; Ryu, Dewey D. Y.

2001-01-01

Identification of physiological and environmental factors that limit efficient growth of hyperthermophiles is important for practical application of these organisms to the production of useful enzymes or metabolites. During fed-batch cultivation of Sulfolobus solfataricus in medium containing l-glutamate, we observed formation of l-pyroglutamic acid (PGA). PGA formed spontaneously from l-glutamate under culture conditions (78°C and pH 3.0), and the PGA formation rate was much higher at an acidic or alkaline pH than at neutral pH. It was also found that PGA is a potent inhibitor of S. solfataricus growth. The cell growth rate was reduced by one-half by the presence of 5.1 mM PGA, and no growth was observed in the presence of 15.5 mM PGA. On the other hand, the inhibitory effect of PGA on cell growth was alleviated by addition of l-glutamate or l-aspartate to the medium. PGA was also produced from the l-glutamate in yeast extract; the PGA content increased to 8.5% (wt/wt) after 80 h of incubation of a yeast extract solution at 78°C and pH 3.0. In medium supplemented with yeast extract, cell growth was optimal in the presence of 3.0 g of yeast extract per liter, and higher yeast extract concentrations resulted in reduced cell yields. The extents of cell growth inhibition at yeast extract concentrations above the optimal concentration were correlated with the PGA concentration in the culture broth. Although other structural analogues of l-glutamate, such as l-methionine sulfoxide, glutaric acid, succinic acid, and l-glutamic acid γ-methyl ester, also inhibited the growth of S. solfataricus, the greatest cell growth inhibition was observed with PGA. We also observed that unlike other glutamate analogues, N-acetyl-l-glutamate enhanced the growth of S. solfataricus. This compound was stable under cell culture conditions, and replacement of l-glutamate with N-acetyl-l-glutamate in the medium resulted in increased cell density. PMID:11472943

Identification of Native Bacteria of the Candelaria and Tatacoa Semiarid Zone, Capable of Withstanding a Mars UV Radiation Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendez, Y.; Vives, M.

2017-07-01

This work is the first study to describe native bacteria from the semi-arid areas in Candelaria and Tatacoa in Colombia, able to withstand a simulation of UV radiation, in order to draw an analogy with microbial growth on the surface of Mars. Sampling was carried out in the areas mentioned taking 50 samples of sediment divided into 25 samples of surface and 25 deep samples. As soon as the samples were transferred, they were subjected to a test of UV radiation in an atmospheric simulation chamber designed for the experiment, for periods of 1, 6 and 12 hours of exposure. Microbiological analysis as a method of plate dilution and isolation were performed using the modified AIS growth medium, macroscopic and microscopic description of morphotypes, biochemical identification of the morphotypes found, extraction of the feasible mycelium, DNA extraction and amplification of the gene 16 S by PCR. 13 morphotypes of bacteria resistant to UV radiation were found, mostly compatible with the gender of Streptomyces. One of the morphotypes found resisted 12 hours exposure. Molecular analyzes did not produce any results, because it was not possible to amplify the 16S by PCR, this may be due to that the exposure to UV radiation can degrade the DNA in existence, a affecting the results. The finding of native bacteria capable of withstanding conditions UV radiation can give us an approximation of microbial growth, mechanisms of resistance and survival under extreme conditions such as those found on Mars, in order to develop biotechnological applications and establish planetary analogues to understand the origin and evolution of the universe.

Numerical simulation of bubble plumes and an analysis of their seismic attributes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Canping; Gou, Limin; You, Jiachun

2017-04-01

To study the bubble plume's seismic response characteristics, the model of a plume water body has been built in this article using the bubble-contained medium acoustic velocity model and the stochastic medium theory based on an analysis of both the acoustic characteristics of a bubble-contained water body and the actual features of a plume. The finite difference method is used for forward modelling, and the single-shot seismic record exhibits the characteristics of a scattered wave field generated by a plume. A meaningful conclusion is obtained by extracting seismic attributes from the pre-stack shot gather record of a plume. The values of the amplitude-related seismic attributes increase greatly as the bubble content goes up, and changes in bubble radius will not cause seismic attributes to change, which is primarily observed because the bubble content has a strong impact on the plume's acoustic velocity, while the bubble radius has a weak impact on the acoustic velocity. The above conclusion provides a theoretical reference for identifying hydrate plumes using seismic methods and contributes to further study on hydrate decomposition and migration, as well as on distribution of the methane bubble in seawater.

Validating Semi-analytic Models of High-redshift Galaxy Formation Using Radiation Hydrodynamical Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Côté, Benoit; Silvia, Devin W.; O’Shea, Brian W.; Smith, Britton; Wise, John H.

2018-05-01

We use a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation calculated with Enzo and the semi-analytic galaxy formation model (SAM) GAMMA to address the chemical evolution of dwarf galaxies in the early universe. The long-term goal of the project is to better understand the origin of metal-poor stars and the formation of dwarf galaxies and the Milky Way halo by cross-validating these theoretical approaches. We combine GAMMA with the merger tree of the most massive galaxy found in the hydrodynamic simulation and compare the star formation rate, the metallicity distribution function (MDF), and the age–metallicity relationship predicted by the two approaches. We found that the SAM can reproduce the global trends of the hydrodynamic simulation. However, there are degeneracies between the model parameters, and more constraints (e.g., star formation efficiency, gas flows) need to be extracted from the simulation to isolate the correct semi-analytic solution. Stochastic processes such as bursty star formation histories and star formation triggered by supernova explosions cannot be reproduced by the current version of GAMMA. Non-uniform mixing in the galaxy’s interstellar medium, coming primarily from self-enrichment by local supernovae, causes a broadening in the MDF that can be emulated in the SAM by convolving its predicted MDF with a Gaussian function having a standard deviation of ∼0.2 dex. We found that the most massive galaxy in the simulation retains nearby 100% of its baryonic mass within its virial radius, which is in agreement with what is needed in GAMMA to reproduce the global trends of the simulation.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of cuphea seed oil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cuphea seed oil is being investigated as a potential domestic source of medium chain fatty acids for several industrial uses. Although the oil from cuphea seeds has been obtained using both solvent extraction and screw pressing, both methods suffer from several disadvantages. Petroleum ether extra...

Medium Fidelity Simulation of Oxygen Tank Venting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sweet, Adam; Kurien, James; Lau, Sonie (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The item to he cleared is a medium-fidelity software simulation model of a vented cryogenic tank. Such tanks are commonly used to transport cryogenic liquids such as liquid oxygen via truck, and have appeared on liquid-fueled rockets for decades. This simulation model works with the HCC simulation system that was developed by Xerox PARC and NASA Ames Research Center. HCC has been previously cleared for distribution. When used with the HCC software, the model generates simulated readings for the tank pressure and temperature as the simulated cryogenic liquid boils off and is vented. Failures (such as a broken vent valve) can be injected into the simulation to produce readings corresponding to the failure. Release of this simulation will allow researchers to test their software diagnosis systems by attempting to diagnose the simulated failure from the simulated readings. This model does not contain any encryption software nor can it perform any control tasks that might be export controlled.

Development and use of a selective medium for isolation of Leuconostoc spp. from vegetables and dairy products.

PubMed Central

Benkerroum, N; Misbah, M; Sandine, W E; Elaraki, A T

1993-01-01

A selective medium (LUSM medium) for the isolation of Leuconostoc spp. was developed. This medium contained 1.0% glucose, 1.0% Bacto Peptone (Difco), 0.5% yeast extract (BBL), 0.5% meat extract (Difco), 0.25% gelatin (Difco), 0.5% calcium lactate, 0.05% sorbic acid, 75 ppm of sodium azide (Sigma), 0.25% sodium acetate, 0.1% (vol/vol) Tween 80, 15% tomato juice, 30 micrograms of vancomycin (Sigma) per ml, 0.20 microgram of tetracycline (Serva) per ml, 0.5 mg of cysteine hydrochloride per ml, and 1.5% agar (Difco). LUSM medium was used successfully for isolation and enumeration of Leuconostoc spp. in dairy products and vegetables. Of 116 colony isolates obtained from fresh raw milk, curdled milk, or various vegetables, 115 were identified as members of the genus Leuconostoc. A total of 89 of these isolates were identified to species; 13.5% of the isolates were Leuconostoc cremoris, 7.9% were Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, 11.2% were Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum, 16.9% were Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. paramesenteroides, 10.1% were leuconostoc lactis, and 40.4% were Leuconostoc oenos. When we compared the counts obtained for two Leuconostoc strains, Leuconostoc dextranicum 181 and L. cremoris JLL8, on MRS agar and LUSM medium, we found no significant difference between the values obtained on the two media. PMID:8434926

Velocity-image model for online signature verification.

PubMed

Khan, Mohammad A U; Niazi, Muhammad Khalid Khan; Khan, Muhammad Aurangzeb

2006-11-01

In general, online signature capturing devices provide outputs in the form of shape and velocity signals. In the past, strokes have been extracted while tracking velocity signal minimas. However, the resulting strokes are larger and complicated in shape and thus make the subsequent job of generating a discriminative template difficult. We propose a new stroke-based algorithm that splits velocity signal into various bands. Based on these bands, strokes are extracted which are smaller and more simpler in nature. Training of our proposed system revealed that low- and high-velocity bands of the signal are unstable, whereas the medium-velocity band can be used for discrimination purposes. Euclidean distances of strokes extracted on the basis of medium velocity band are used for verification purpose. The experiments conducted show improvement in discriminative capability of the proposed stroke-based system.

Interoperability format translation and transformation between IFC architectural design file and simulation file formats

DOEpatents

Chao, Tian-Jy; Kim, Younghun

2015-02-03

Automatically translating a building architecture file format (Industry Foundation Class) to a simulation file, in one aspect, may extract data and metadata used by a target simulation tool from a building architecture file. Interoperability data objects may be created and the extracted data is stored in the interoperability data objects. A model translation procedure may be prepared to identify a mapping from a Model View Definition to a translation and transformation function. The extracted data may be transformed using the data stored in the interoperability data objects, an input Model View Definition template, and the translation and transformation function to convert the extracted data to correct geometric values needed for a target simulation file format used by the target simulation tool. The simulation file in the target simulation file format may be generated.

Use of orange peel extract for mixotrophic cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris: increased production of biomass and FAMEs.

PubMed

Park, Won-Kun; Moon, Myounghoon; Kwak, Min-Su; Jeon, Seungjib; Choi, Gang-Guk; Yang, Ji-Won; Lee, Bongsoo

2014-11-01

Mass cultivation of microalgae is necessary to achieve economically feasible production of microalgal biodiesel, but the high cost of nutrients is a major limitation. In this study, orange peel extract (OPE) was used as an inorganic and organic nutrient source for the cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris OW-01. Chemical composition analysis of the OPE indicated that it contains sufficient nutrients for mixotrophic cultivation of C. vulgaris OW-01. Analysis of biomass and FAME production showed that microalgae grown in OPE medium produced 3.4-times more biomass and 4.5-times more fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) than cells cultured in glucose-supplemented BG 11 medium (BG-G). These results suggest that growth of microalgae in an OPE-supplemented medium increases lipid production and that OPE has potential for use in the mass cultivation of microalgae. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Revisiting History: Encountering Iodine Then and Now--A General Chemistry Laboratory to Observe Iodine from Seaweed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahab, M. Farooq

2009-01-01

The history of the discovery of iodine is retold using brown-colored seaweed found commonly along the ocean shore. The seaweed is ashed at a low temperature and the iodides are extracted into boiling water. The iodides are oxidized in acidic medium. Solvent extraction of iodine by oxidation of iodides as well as simple aqueous extraction of iodide…

Terpenes as green solvents for extraction of oil from microalgae.

PubMed

Dejoye Tanzi, Celine; Abert Vian, Maryline; Ginies, Christian; Elmaataoui, Mohamed; Chemat, Farid

2012-07-09

Herein is described a green and original alternative procedure for the extraction of oil from microalgae. Extractions were carried out using terpenes obtained from renewable feedstocks as alternative solvents instead of hazardous petroleum solvents such as n-hexane. The described method is achieved in two steps using Soxhlet extraction followed by the elimination of the solvent from the medium using Clevenger distillation in the second step. Oils extracted from microalgae were compared in terms of qualitative and quantitative determination. No significant difference was obtained between each extract, allowing us to conclude that the proposed method is green, clean and efficient.

Bioleaching of copper oxide ore by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabani, M. A.; Irannajad, M.; Azadmehr, A. R.; Meshkini, M.

2013-12-01

Bioleaching is an environmentally friendly method for extraction of metal from ores. In this study, bioleaching of copper oxide ore by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a heterotrophic bacterium that can produce various organic acids in an appropriate culture medium, and these acids can operate as leaching agents. The parameters, such as particle size, glucose percentage in the culture medium, bioleaching time, and solid/liquid ratio were optimized. Optimum bioleaching conditions were found as follows: particle size of 150-177 μm, glucose percentage of 6%, bioleaching time of 8 d, and solid/liquid ratio of 1:80. Under these conditions, 53% of copper was extracted.

Zeatin and Thidiazuron Induced Embryogenic Calli From In Vitro Leaf and Stem of Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis).

PubMed

El-Ashry, Amal Abd El-Latif; Gabr, Ahmed Mohamed Magdy; Bekheet, Shawky Abd El-Hamid

2017-01-01

Jojoba is a promising industrial plant, which recommended with pharmaceutical benefits. The present study was conducted to stimulate embryogenic calli formation from jojoba using zeatin and thidiazuron (TDZ), as well as determination of the antioxidant activity of proliferated calli. For callus induction, leaf and stem explants derived from in vitro grown shootlets, were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with different combinations of 0.5 mg L-1 benzyl adenine (BA) or kinetin with 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and picloram at 0.5 or 1mg L-1. To stimulate embryogenic calli, friable callus were transferred to woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with different concentrations of zeatin or TDZ. Antioxidant activity of different treatments was determined using hexane or petroleum ether extraction. Data was analyzed as mean±standard deviation (SD). The MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L-1 BA+0.5 or 1 mg L-1 picloram was the best treatment to obtain friable calli from both explants types. WPM medium supplemented with 2 mg L-1 zeatin gave the highest percentage of embryogenic calli derived from leaf explants. While the highest percentage of embryogenic calli derived from stem explants was registered using 1 or 4 mg L-1 TDZ containing medium. Embryogenic calli originated from leaves explants on 1.5 mg L-1 zeatin showed promising activity of antioxidant with hexane extraction. However, embryogenic calli originated from stem explants on 1 mg L-1 TDZ showed the highest antioxidant activity with petroleum ether extraction. TDZ has promising effect on embryogenic callus induction from stem explants. While, zeatin has promising effect on embryogenic callus induction from leaf explants.

Simulation of the influence of EDTA on the sorption of heavy metals by humic acids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kropacheva, T. N.; Didik, M. V.; Kornev, V. I.

2015-04-01

The results of mathematical simulation of sorption equilibria with the participation of divalent cations of heavy metals (HMs), chelant (EDTA), and insoluble forms of humic acids (HAs) are discussed. It is shown that the formation of chelates of metals with EDTA in solutions results in the decreasing sorption of the metals by humic acids. We also analyzed the effect of the acidity of the medium and the HM: EDTA: HA ratio (in a wide range) on the desorption of metals. The desorbing effect of EDTA on the metals is the highest at pH 3-5 and increases with an increase in the concentration of EDTA and a decrease in the concentration of HAs. With respect to the remobilization of metals under the impact of EDTA, the metal cations can be arranged into the following sequence: Cu(II) > Ni(II) > Pb(II) ≫ Cd(II) > Co(II) > Zn(II). The obtained data have been used to analyze the remobilization / extraction of HMs from soils with a high content of humic substances.

Characterization of Residual Medium Peptides from Yersinia pestis Cultures

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

Clowers, Brian H.; Wunschel, David S.; Kreuzer, Helen W.

2013-04-03

Using a range of common microbial medium formulations (TSB, BHI, LB, and G-media), two attenuated strains of Y. pestis (KIM D27 (pgm-) and KIMD1 lcr-) were cultivated in triplicate. These cellular suspensions were used to develop a method of extracting residual medium peptides from the final microbial preparation to assess their relative abundance and identity. Across the conditions examined, which included additional cellular washing and different forms of microbial inactivation, residual medium peptides were detected. Despite the range of growth medium sources used and the associated manufacturing processes used in their production, a high degree of peptide similarity was observedmore » for a given medium recipe. These results demonstrate that residual medium peptides are retained using traditional microbial cultivation techniques and may be used to inform forensic investigations with respect to production deduction.« less

Modeling the VARTM Composite Manufacturing Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, Xiao-Lan; Loos, Alfred C.; Grimsley, Brian W.; Cano, Roberto J.; Hubert, Pascal

2004-01-01

A comprehensive simulation model of the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Modeling (VARTM) composite manufacturing process has been developed. For isothermal resin infiltration, the model incorporates submodels which describe cure of the resin and changes in resin viscosity due to cure, resin flow through the reinforcement preform and distribution medium and compaction of the preform during the infiltration. The accuracy of the model was validated by measuring the flow patterns during resin infiltration of flat preforms. The modeling software was used to evaluate the effects of the distribution medium on resin infiltration of a flat preform. Different distribution medium configurations were examined using the model and the results were compared with data collected during resin infiltration of a carbon fabric preform. The results of the simulations show that the approach used to model the distribution medium can significantly effect the predicted resin infiltration times. Resin infiltration into the preform can be accurately predicted only when the distribution medium is modeled correctly.

Reflection of processes of non-equilibrium two-phase filtration in oil-saturated hierarchical medium in data of active wave geophysical monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hachay, Olga; Khachay, Andrey; Khachay, Oleg

2016-04-01

The processes of oil extraction from deposit are linked with the movement of multi-phase multi-component media, which are characterized by non-equilibrium and non-linear rheological features. The real behavior of layered systems is defined by the complexity of the rheology of moving fluids and the morphology structure of the porous medium, and also by the great variety of interactions between the fluid and the porous medium [Hasanov and Bulgakova, 2003]. It is necessary to take into account these features in order to informatively describe the filtration processes due to the non-linearity, non-equilibrium and heterogeneity that are features of real systems. In this way, new synergetic events can be revealed (namely, a loss of stability when oscillations occur, and the formation of ordered structures). This allows us to suggest new methods for the control and management of complicated natural systems that are constructed on account of these phenomena. Thus the layered system, from which it is necessary to extract the oil, is a complicated dynamical hierarchical system. A comparison is provided of non-equilibrium effects of the influence of independent hydrodynamic and electromagnetic induction on an oil layer and the medium which it surrounds. It is known that by drainage and steeping the hysteresis effect on curves of the relative phase permeability in dependence on the porous medium's water saturation in some cycles of influence (drainage-steep-drainage) is observed. Using the earlier developed 3D method of induction electromagnetic frequency geometric monitoring, we showed the possibility of defining the physical and structural features of a hierarchical oil layer structure and estimating the water saturation from crack inclusions. This effect allows managing the process of drainage and steeping the oil out of the layer by water displacement. An algorithm was constructed for 2D modeling of sound diffraction on a porous fluid-saturated intrusion of a hierarchical structure located in layer number J of an N-layered elastic medium. The algorithm developed for modeling, and the method of mapping and monitoring of heterogenic highly complicated two-phase medium can be used for managing viscous oil extraction in mining conditions and light oil in sub-horizontal boreholes. The demand for effective economic parameters and fuller extraction of oil and gas from deposits dictates the necessity of developing new geotechnology based on the fundamental achievements in the area of geophysics and geomechanics

SHOCKFIND - an algorithm to identify magnetohydrodynamic shock waves in turbulent clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, Andrew; Federrath, Christoph; Wardle, Mark

2016-11-01

The formation of stars occurs in the dense molecular cloud phase of the interstellar medium. Observations and numerical simulations of molecular clouds have shown that supersonic magnetized turbulence plays a key role for the formation of stars. Simulations have also shown that a large fraction of the turbulent energy dissipates in shock waves. The three families of MHD shocks - fast, intermediate and slow - distinctly compress and heat up the molecular gas, and so provide an important probe of the physical conditions within a turbulent cloud. Here, we introduce the publicly available algorithm, SHOCKFIND, to extract and characterize the mixture of shock families in MHD turbulence. The algorithm is applied to a three-dimensional simulation of a magnetized turbulent molecular cloud, and we find that both fast and slow MHD shocks are present in the simulation. We give the first prediction of the mixture of turbulence-driven MHD shock families in this molecular cloud, and present their distinct distributions of sonic and Alfvénic Mach numbers. Using subgrid one-dimensional models of MHD shocks we estimate that ˜0.03 per cent of the volume of a typical molecular cloud in the Milky Way will be shock heated above 50 K, at any time during the lifetime of the cloud. We discuss the impact of this shock heating on the dynamical evolution of molecular clouds.

Instability of an aromatic amine in fatty food and fatty food simulant: characterisation of reaction products and prediction of their toxicity.

PubMed

Paseiro-Cerrato, R; Rodríguez-Bernaldo de Quirós, A; Sendón, R; Bustos, J; Sánchez, J J; López-Hernández, J; Paseiro-Losada, P

2015-01-01

It is a well-known fact that amines are not stable in food of a fatty nature. In this study the synthesis and characterisation of the products obtained as a result of the reaction of amines in a fatty medium are reported. Based on the well-known reactions among amines and acid and esters groups, two novel compounds were synthesised using m-xylylenediamine (mXDA), a primary diamine widely used as monomer in the manufacture of food contact materials and two fatty acids, oleic acid and palmitic acid, which occur in most fats. The resulting compounds were two molecules belonging to the family of fatty acid amides, dioleamide and dipalmitamide. A complete characterisation of both products was carried out employing several techniques such as infrared spectroscopy, (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectroscopy, electron ionisation mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS and UV spectrometry. The results obtained by the different techniques were well correlated. In the second part of the work, the formation of these compounds in real samples was evaluated. For this purpose a certain volume of olive oil was spiked with a known amount of mXDA. Olive oil was selected as a fatty medium since it is a widely consumed food and additionally is used as a fatty food simulant in migration studies of food contact materials. A method was developed to extract the fatty acid amides from the fatty matrix, which were then identified by LC-MS/MS. The toxicity of the synthesised compounds was predicted using a toxicity estimation software tool.

Phase Field Model of Hydraulic Fracturing in Poroelastic Media: Fracture Propagation, Arrest, and Branching Under Fluid Injection and Extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santillán, David; Juanes, Ruben; Cueto-Felgueroso, Luis

2018-03-01

The simulation of fluid-driven fracture propagation in a porous medium is a major computational challenge, with applications in geosciences and engineering. The two main families of modeling approaches are those models that represent fractures as explicit discontinuities and solve the moving boundary problem and those that represent fractures as thin damaged zones, solving a continuum problem throughout. The latter family includes the so-called phase field models. Continuum approaches to fracture face validation and verification challenges, in particular grid convergence, well posedness, and physical relevance in practical scenarios. Here we propose a new quasi-static phase field formulation. The approach fully couples fluid flow in the fracture with deformation and flow in the porous medium, discretizes flow in the fracture on a lower-dimension manifold, and employs the fluid flux between the fracture and the porous solid as coupling variable. We present a numerical assessment of the model by studying the propagation of a fracture in the quarter five-spot configuration. We study the interplay between injection flow rate and rock properties and elucidate fracture propagation patterns under the leak-off toughness dominated regime as a function of injection rate, initial fracture length, and poromechanical properties. For the considered injection scenario, we show that the final fracture length depends on the injection rate, and three distinct patterns are observed. We also rationalize the system response using dimensional analysis to collapse the model results. Finally, we propose some simplifications that alleviate the computational cost of the simulations without significant loss of accuracy.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase and Protein Kinase C as Molecular Determinants of Chemoresistance in Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-01

medium (Cambrex, San Diego, CA) supplemented with bovine pituitary extract . cancer contained approximately one-half the level of cer- 3-[4,5...rill et al., 1988) as modified by Yoon et al. (1999) was used. Lipid Cytochrome c Release. Cells (4 X 106) were harvested with 0.5% extract aliquots... extracted in chloroform, and the organic phase was dried under a nitrogen z 80- stream. The lipids contained in the organic phase extract were re- 70

Actinobacillus succinogenes ATCC 55618 Fermentation Medium Optimization for the Production of Succinic Acid by Response Surface Methodology

PubMed Central

Zhu, Li-Wen; Wang, Cheng-Cheng; Liu, Rui-Sang; Li, Hong-Mei; Wan, Duan-Ji; Tang, Ya-Jie

2012-01-01

As a potential intermediary feedstock, succinic acid takes an important place in bulk chemical productions. For the first time, a method combining Plackett-Burman design (PBD), steepest ascent method (SA), and Box-Behnken design (BBD) was developed to optimize Actinobacillus succinogenes ATCC 55618 fermentation medium. First, glucose, yeast extract, and MgCO3 were identified to be key medium components by PBD. Second, preliminary optimization was run by SA method to access the optimal region of the key medium components. Finally, the responses, that is, the production of succinic acid, were optimized simultaneously by using BBD, and the optimal concentration was located to be 84.6 g L−1 of glucose, 14.5 g L−1 of yeast extract, and 64.7 g L−1 of MgCO3. Verification experiment indicated that the maximal succinic acid production of 52.7 ± 0.8 g L−1 was obtained under the identified optimal conditions. The result agreed with the predicted value well. Compared with that of the basic medium, the production of succinic acid and yield of succinic acid against glucose were enhanced by 67.3% and 111.1%, respectively. The results obtained in this study may be useful for the industrial commercial production of succinic acid. PMID:23093852

Interoperability format translation and transformation between IFC architectural design file and simulation file formats

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

Chao, Tian-Jy; Kim, Younghun

Automatically translating a building architecture file format (Industry Foundation Class) to a simulation file, in one aspect, may extract data and metadata used by a target simulation tool from a building architecture file. Interoperability data objects may be created and the extracted data is stored in the interoperability data objects. A model translation procedure may be prepared to identify a mapping from a Model View Definition to a translation and transformation function. The extracted data may be transformed using the data stored in the interoperability data objects, an input Model View Definition template, and the translation and transformation function tomore » convert the extracted data to correct geometric values needed for a target simulation file format used by the target simulation tool. The simulation file in the target simulation file format may be generated.« less

Treatment of a Textile Effluent from Dyeing with Cochineal Extracts Using Trametes versicolor Fungus

PubMed Central

Arroyo-Figueroa, Gabriela; Ruiz-Aguilar, Graciela M. L.; López-Martínez, Leticia; González-Sánchez, Guillermo; Cuevas-Rodríguez, Germán; Rodríguez-Vázquez, Refugio

2011-01-01

Trametes versicolor (Tv) fungus can degrade synthetic dyes that contain azo groups, anthraquinone, triphenylmethane polymers, and heterocyclic groups. However, no references have been found related to the degradation of natural dyes, such as the carminic acid that is contained in the cochineal extract. Experiments to determine the decolorization of the effluent used in the cotton dyeing process with cochineal extract by means of Tv fungus were done. Treatments to determine decolorization in the presence or absence of Kirk's medium, glucose, and fungus, with an addition of 50% (v v-1) of nonsterilized effluent were performed. Physicochemical characterization was performed at the start and end of the treatment. Degradation kinetics were determined. A direct relationship was found between the dry weight of fungi, pH, and the decolorization system, with higher decolorization at lower pH levels (pH ~4.3). High decolorization (81% ± 0.09; 88% ± 0.17; and 99% ± 0.04) for three of the eight treatments (Kirk's medium without glucose, Kirk's medium with glucose, and without medium with glucose, respectively) was found. Toxicity tests determined an increase in the initial effluent toxicity (7.33 TU) compared with the final treatment (47.73 TU) in a period of 11 days. For this system, a degradation sequence of the carminic acid structure present in the effluent by the Tv fungus is suggested, in which it is seen that metabolites still containing aromatic structures are generated. PMID:21552764

Treatment of a textile effluent from dyeing with cochineal extracts using Trametes versicolor fungus.

PubMed

Arroyo-Figueroa, Gabriela; Ruiz-Aguilar, Graciela M L; López-Martínez, Leticia; González-Sánchez, Guillermo; Cuevas-Rodríguez, Germán; Rodríguez-Vázquez, Refugio

2011-05-05

Trametes versicolor (Tv) fungus can degrade synthetic dyes that contain azo groups, anthraquinone, triphenylmethane polymers, and heterocyclic groups. However, no references have been found related to the degradation of natural dyes, such as the carminic acid that is contained in the cochineal extract. Experiments to determine the decolorization of the effluent used in the cotton dyeing process with cochineal extract by means of Tv fungus were done. Treatments to determine decolorization in the presence or absence of Kirk's medium, glucose, and fungus, with an addition of 50% (v v-1) of nonsterilized effluent were performed. Physicochemical characterization was performed at the start and end of the treatment. Degradation kinetics were determined. A direct relationship was found between the dry weight of fungi, pH, and the decolorization system, with higher decolorization at lower pH levels (pH ~4.3). High decolorization (81% ± 0.09; 88% ± 0.17; and 99% ± 0.04) for three of the eight treatments (Kirk's medium without glucose, Kirk's medium with glucose, and without medium with glucose, respectively) was found. Toxicity tests determined an increase in the initial effluent toxicity (7.33 TU) compared with the final treatment (47.73 TU) in a period of 11 days. For this system, a degradation sequence of the carminic acid structure present in the effluent by the Tv fungus is suggested, in which it is seen that metabolites still containing aromatic structures are generated.

Monte Carlo simulation of reflection spectra of random multilayer media strongly scattering and absorbing light

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

Meglinskii, I V

2001-12-31

The reflection spectra of a multilayer random medium - the human skin - strongly scattering and absorbing light are numerically simulated. The propagation of light in the medium and the absorption spectra are simulated by the stochastic Monte Carlo method, which combines schemes for calculations of real photon trajectories and the statistical weight method. The model takes into account the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of blood vessels, water, and melanin, the degree of blood oxygenation, and the hematocrit index. The attenuation of the incident radiation caused by reflection and refraction at Fresnel boundaries of layers inside the medium is also considered.more » The simulated reflection spectra are compared with the experimental reflection spectra of the human skin. It is shown that a set of parameters that was used to describe the optical properties of skin layers and their possible variations, despite being far from complete, is nevertheless sufficient for the simulation of the reflection spectra of the human skin and their quantitative analysis. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

The effect of simulated microgravity on bacteria from the mir space station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Paul W.; Leff, Laura

2004-03-01

The effects of simulated microgravity on two bacterial isolates, Sphingobacterium thalpophilium and Ralstonia pickettii (formerly Burkholderia pickettii), originally recovered from water systems aboard the Mir space station were examined. These bacteria were inoculated into water, high and low concentrations of nutrient broth and subjected to simulated microgravity conditions. S. thalpophilium (which was motile and had flagella) showed no significant differences between simulated microgravity and the normal gravity control regardless of the method of enumeration and medium. In contrast, for R. pickettii (that was non-motile and lacked flagella), there were significantly higher numbers in high nutrient broth under simulated microgravity compared to normal gravity. Conversely, when R. pikkettii was inoculated into water (i.e., starvation conditions) significantly lower numbers were found under simulated microgravity compared to normal gravity. Responses to microgravity depended on the strain used (e.g., the motile strain exhibited no response to microgravity, while the non-motile strain did), the method of enumeration, and the nutrient concentration of the medium. Under oligotrophic conditions, non-motile cells may remain in geostationary orbit and deplete nutrients in their vicinity, while in high nutrient medium, resources surrounding the cell may be sufficient so that high growth is observed until nutrients becoming limiting.

The effect of simulated microgravity on bacteria from the Mir space station.

PubMed

Baker, Paul W; Leff, Laura

2004-01-01

The effects of simulated microgravity on two bacterial isolates, Sphingobacterium thalpophilium and Ralstonia pickettii (formerly Burkholderia pickettii), originally recovered from water systems aboard the Mir space station were examined. These bacteria were inoculated into water, high and low concentrations of nutrient broth and subjected to simulated microgravity conditions. S. thalpophilium (which was motile and had flagella) showed no significant differences between simulated microgravity and the normal gravity control regardless of the method of enumeration and medium. In contrast, for R. pickettii (that was non-motile and lacked flagella), there were significantly higher numbers in high nutrient broth under simulated microgravity compared to normal gravity. Conversely, when R. pikkettii was inoculated into water (i.e., starvation conditions) significantly lower numbers were found under simulated microgravity compared to normal gravity. Responses to microgravity depended on the strain used (e.g., the motile strain exhibited no response to microgravity, while the non-motile strain did), the method of enumeration, and the nutrient concentration of the medium. Under oligotrophic conditions, non-motile cells may remain in geostationary orbit and deplete nutrients in their vicinity, while in high nutrient medium, resources surrounding the cell may be sufficient so that high growth is observed until nutrients becoming limiting.

The effect of simulated microgravity on bacteria from the Mir space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Paul W.; Leff, Laura

2004-01-01

The effects of simulated microgravity on two bacterial isolates, Sphingobacterium thalpophilium and Ralstonia pickettii (formerly Burkholderia pickettii), originally recovered from water systems aboard the Mir space station were examined. These bacteria were inoculated into water, high and low concentrations of nutrient broth and subjected to simulated microgravity conditions. S. thalpophilium (which was motile and had flagella) showed no significant differences between simulated microgravity and the normal gravity control regardless of the method of enumeration and medium. In contrast, for R. pickettii (that was non-motile and lacked flagella), there were significantly higher numbers in high nutrient broth under simulated microgravity compared to normal gravity. Conversely, when R. pikkettii was inoculated into water (i.e., starvation conditions) significantly lower numbers were found under simulated microgravity compared to normal gravity. Responses to microgravity depended on the strain used (e.g., the motile strain exhibited no response to microgravity, while the non-motile strain did), the method of enumeration, and the nutrient concentration of the medium. Under oligotrophic conditions, non-motile cells may remain in geostationary orbit and deplete nutrients in their vicinity, while in high nutrient medium, resources surrounding the cell may be sufficient so that high growth is observed until nutrients becoming limiting.

Numerical simulation of failure behavior of granular debris flows based on flume model tests.

PubMed

Zhou, Jian; Li, Ye-xun; Jia, Min-cai; Li, Cui-na

2013-01-01

In this study, the failure behaviors of debris flows were studied by flume model tests with artificial rainfall and numerical simulations (PFC(3D)). Model tests revealed that grain sizes distribution had profound effects on failure mode, and the failure in slope of medium sand started with cracks at crest and took the form of retrogressive toe sliding failure. With the increase of fine particles in soil, the failure mode of the slopes changed to fluidized flow. The discrete element method PFC(3D) can overcome the hypothesis of the traditional continuous medium mechanic and consider the simple characteristics of particle. Thus, a numerical simulations model considering liquid-solid coupled method has been developed to simulate the debris flow. Comparing the experimental results, the numerical simulation result indicated that the failure mode of the failure of medium sand slope was retrogressive toe sliding, and the failure of fine sand slope was fluidized sliding. The simulation result is consistent with the model test and theoretical analysis, and grain sizes distribution caused different failure behavior of granular debris flows. This research should be a guide to explore the theory of debris flow and to improve the prevention and reduction of debris flow.

Cytotoxicity of dental glass ionomers evaluated using dimethylthiazol diphenyltetrazolium and neutral red tests.

PubMed

Lönnroth, E C; Dahl, J E

2001-02-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the cytotoxicity of some commonly used glass ionomers. Three chemically cured glass ionomers (Fuji II, Lining cement, and Ketac Silver) and one light-cured (Fuji II LC) were tested. Extracts of mixed non-polymerized materials and polymerized specimens were prepared in accordance with ISO standard 10993-12. The polymerized specimens were cured and placed either directly in the medium (freshly cured), left for 24 h (aged), or aged plus ground before being placed in the medium. The cytotoxicity of extracts was evaluated on mouse fibroblasts (L, 929), using dimethylthiazol diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) and neutral red (NR) assays. Further, the concentrations of aluminum, arsenic and lead were analyzed in aqueous extracts from freshly cured and aged samples, and the fluoride levels analyzed in aqueous extracts from freshly cured samples. All extracts except that of non-polymerized Ketac Silver were rated as severely cytotoxic in both assays. Extracts of polymerized material were significantly more cytotoxic than extracts of non-polymerized material. All freshly cured glass ionomers released aluminum and fluoride concentrations far above what is considered cytotoxic (aluminum >0.2 ppm and fluoride >20 ppm). Extracts from freshly cured Lining Cement contained the highest concentrations of aluminum and fluoride (215 ppm and 112 ppm). Extracts from freshly cured Ketac Silver had the lowest concentrations of aluminum and fluoride but the highest of lead (100 ppm). It can be concluded that all extracts from non-cured, freshly cured, and aged glass ionomers contained cytotoxic levels of substances. Curing did not reduce the toxicity significantly.

Effect of vegetable extracts on immunoglobulin production by mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes of Sprague-Dawley rats.

PubMed

Kaku, S; Yamada, K; Hassan, N; Watanabe, T; Sugano, M

1997-03-01

To clarify the immunoglobulin production-regulating activity of vegetable extracts, mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes of Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured in the presence of 25 different vegetable extracts. The immunoglobulin content in the culture medium determined by ELISA indicated that the lily family (Liliaceae) vegetables most strongly enhanced the production of IgA and IgG, whereas they suppressed IgE production.

Using Extractive FTIR to Measure N2O from Medium Heavy Duty Vehicles Powered with Diesel and Biodiesel Fuels

EPA Science Inventory

A Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer was used to measure N2O and other pollutant gases during an evaluation of two medium heavy-duty diesel trucks equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). The emissions of these trucks were characterized under a variety of oper...

Algae as an electron donor promoting sulfate reduction for the bioremediation of acid rock drainage.

PubMed

Ayala-Parra, Pedro; Sierra-Alvarez, Reyes; Field, Jim A

2016-11-05

This study assessed bioremediation of acid rock drainage in simulated permeable reactive barriers (PRB) using algae, Chlorella sorokiniana, as the sole electron donor for sulfate-reducing bacteria. Lipid extracted algae (LEA), the residues of biodiesel production, were compared with whole cell algae (WCA) as an electron donor to promote sulfate-reducing activity. Inoculated columns containing anaerobic granular sludge were fed a synthetic medium containing H2SO4 and Cu(2+). Sulfate, sulfide, Cu(2+) and pH were monitored throughout the experiment of 123d. Cu recovered in the column packing at the end of the experiment was evaluated using sequential extraction. Both WCA and LEA promoted 80% of sulfate removal (12.7mg SO4(2-) d(-1)) enabling near complete Cu removal (>99.5%) and alkalinity generation raising the effluent pH to 6.5. No noteworthy sulfate reduction, alkalinity formation and Cu(2+) removal were observed in the endogenous control. In algae amended-columns, Cu(2+) was precipitated with biogenic H2S produced by sulfate reduction. Formation of CuS was evidenced by sequential extraction and X-ray diffraction. LEA and WCA provided similar levels of electron donor based on the COD balance. The results demonstrate an innovative passive remediation system using residual algae biomass from the biodiesel industry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of trace inorganic mercury species in water samples by cloud point extraction and UV-vis spectrophotometry.

PubMed

Ulusoy, Halil Ibrahim

2014-01-01

A new micelle-mediated extraction method was developed for preconcentration of ultratrace Hg(II) ions prior to spectrophotometric determination. 2-(2'-Thiazolylazo)-p-cresol (TAC) and Ponpe 7.5 were used as the chelating agent and nonionic surfactant, respectively. Hg(II) ions form a hydrophobic complex with TAC in a micelle medium. The main factors affecting cloud point extraction efficiency, such as pH of the medium, concentrations of TAC and Ponpe 7.5, and equilibration temperature and time, were investigated in detail. An overall preconcentration factor of 33.3 was obtained upon preconcentration of a 50 mL sample. The LOD obtained under the optimal conditions was 0.86 microg/L, and the RSD for five replicate measurements of 100 microg/L Hg(II) was 3.12%. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Hg in environmental water samples.

Energy analysis of cool, medium, and dark roofs on residential buildings in the U.S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunbar, Michael A.

This study reports an energy analysis of cool, medium, and dark roofs on residential buildings in the U.S. Three analyses were undertaken in this study: energy consumption, economic analysis, and an environmental analysis. The energy consumption reports the electricity and natural gas consumption of the simulations. The economic analysis uses tools such as simple payback period (SPP) and net present value (NPV) to determine the profitability of the cool roof and the medium roof. The variable change for each simulation model was the roof color. The default color was a dark roof and the results were focused on the changes produced by the cool roof and the medium roof. The environmental analysis uses CO2 emissions to assess the environmental impact of the cool roof and the medium roof. The analysis uses the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) EnergyPlus software to produce simulations of a typical, two-story residential home in the U.S. The building details of the typical, two-story U.S. residential home and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) building code standards used are discussed in this study. This study indicates that, when material and labor costs are. assessed, the cool roof and the medium roof do not yield a SPP less than 10 years. Furthermore, the NPV results assess that neither the cool roof nor the medium roof are a profitable investment in any climate zone in the U.S. The environmental analysis demonstrates that both the cool roof and the medium roof have a positive impact in warmer climates by reducing the CO2 emissions as much as 264 kg and 129 kg, respectively.

Genotoxic effect of Physalis angulata L. (Solanaceae) extract on human lymphocytes treated in vitro.

PubMed

Alves dos Santos, Raquel; Cabral, Teresinha Rosa; Cabral, Isabel Rosa; Antunes, Lusânia Maria; Pontes Andrade, Cristiane; Cerqueira dos Santos Cardoso, Plínio; de Oliveira Bahia, Marcelo; Pessoa, Claudia; Martins do Nascimento, José Luis; Rodríguez Burbano, Rommel; Takahashi, Catarina Satie

2008-08-01

Physalis angulata L (Solanaceae) is a medicinal plant from North of Brazil, whose different extracts and infusions are commonly used in the popular medicine for the treatment of malaria, asthma, hepatitis, dermatitis and rheumatism. However, the genotoxic effects of P. angulata on human cells is not well known. The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro genotoxic effects of aqueous extract of P. angulata using the comet assay and the micronucleus assay in human lymphocytes provided from 6 healthy donors. Treatments with P. angulata extracts were performed in vitro in order to access the extent of DNA damage. The comet assay has shown that treatments with P. angulata at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 6.0 microg/mL in culture medium were genotoxic. Lymphocytes treated with P. angulata at the concentrations of 3.0 and 6.0 microg/mL in culture medium showed a statistically significant increase in the frequency of micronucleus (p<0.05), however, the cytokinesis blocked proliferation index (CBPI) was not decreased after P. angulata treatment. In conclusion, the present work demonstrated the genotoxic effects of P. angulata extract on human lymphocytes in vitro.

Current progress in isolation and characterization of toxins isolated from Pfiesteria piscicida.

PubMed Central

Moeller, P D; Morton, S L; Mitchell, B A; Sivertsen, S K; Fairey, E R; Mikulski, T M; Glasgow, H; Deamer-Melia, N J; Burkholder, J M; Ramsdell, J S

2001-01-01

The isolation and partial purification of toxic substances derived from Pfiesteria piscicida Steidinger & Burkholder extracts is described. Four distinct bioassay systems were used to monitor bioactivity of the P. piscicida extracts, including a high throughput cell cytotoxicity assay and a reporter gene assay as well as assays using brine shrimp and fish. Using these bioassays to guide fractionation, we have isolated two distinct, active fractions from Pfiesteria culture medium and cell mass extracts on the basis of their solubility characteristics. We have identified and characterized a bioactive lipophilic substance from Pfiesteria-derived extracts as di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a commonly used plasticizer. The source of this typically man-made substance has been identified as originating from Instant Ocean (Aquarium Systems, Mentor, OH, USA), a commercially available seawater salt mixture used to prepare our mass culture growth medium. We have developed chromatographic methodology to isolate a bioactive polar compound isolated from extracts of Pfiesteria culture and presently report the characterization of the activity of this substance. The molecular structural analysis of the polar active component(s) using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is currently under way. PMID:11677183

Acanthopanax senticosus extracts have a protective effect on Drosophila gut immunity.

PubMed

Li, Wenjia; Luo, Qiuxiang; Jin, Li Hua

2013-03-07

Aanthopanax senticosus (A. senticosus) Harms is a classical adaptogenic agent used in China. It has been applied as an analeptic aid to improve weakened physical status. However, little is known about the effects of A. senticosus on inflammatory disease processes. Flies fed with standard cornmeal-yeast medium were used as controls, and the treatment groups contained 10% of A. senticosus aqueous extracts (root or fruit) in standard medium. Survival rate was performed by feeding a vial containing five layers of filter paper hydrated with 5% sucrose solution contaminated with pathogenic or toxic compounds. Imaging of the guts was viewed under the microscope. Death cells were detected by 7-AAD staining. The A. senticosus extract improved the survival rate, attenuated the death of intestinal epithelial cells, promoted the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes, and decreased the formation of melanotic masses. Moreover, our results indicated that the protective effect of fruit is much higher than that of root extracts. A. senticosus extracts have a protective effect on Drosophila gut immunity and stress response, and may contribute to the prevention of inflammatory diseases induced by pathogenic and toxic compounds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of drying methods on total antioxidant capacity of bitter gourd (momordica charantia) fruit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Ee Shian; Abdullah, Aminah; Maskat, Mohammad Yusof

2013-11-01

The effect of thermal and non-thermal drying methods on hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacities of bitter gourd fruit was investigated in this study. The bitter gourd fruits were dried by following methods: (i) oven drying 40°C, (ii) oven drying 50°C, (iii) oven drying 60°C, (iv) microwave drying (medium low power), (v) microwave drying (medium power) and (vi) freeze drying. Pure acetone and hexane were used to extract the hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant compounds from dried bitter gourd fruits. Freeze dried extracts reported to have highest values in DPPH scavenging activity (hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions), FRAP (lipophilic fraction) and TPC (hydrophilic and lipophilic fraction). Thermal drying slightly increased the values of DPPH scavenging activity, FRAP and TPC assays for hydrophilic extracts. Results concluded bitter gourd fruit is a good source of natural antioxidants and its total antioxidant quality was most preserved by freeze drying. Additionally, the higher value reported in DPPH scavenging activity, FRAP and TPC assays for lipophilic extracts than the hydrophilic extracts suggested that the lipophilic antioxidant compounds of bitter gourd fruit might possess stronger antioxidant power than its counterpart.

FY10 Report on Multi-scale Simulation of Solvent Extraction Processes: Molecular-scale and Continuum-scale Studies

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

Wardle, Kent E.; Frey, Kurt; Pereira, Candido

2014-02-02

This task is aimed at predictive modeling of solvent extraction processes in typical extraction equipment through multiple simulation methods at various scales of resolution. We have conducted detailed continuum fluid dynamics simulation on the process unit level as well as simulations of the molecular-level physical interactions which govern extraction chemistry. Through combination of information gained through simulations at each of these two tiers along with advanced techniques such as the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) which can bridge these two scales, we can develop the tools to work towards predictive simulation for solvent extraction on the equipment scale (Figure 1). Themore » goal of such a tool-along with enabling optimized design and operation of extraction units-would be to allow prediction of stage extraction effrciency under specified conditions. Simulation efforts on each of the two scales will be described below. As the initial application of FELBM in the work performed during FYl0 has been on annular mixing it will be discussed in context of the continuum-scale. In the future, however, it is anticipated that the real value of FELBM will be in its use as a tool for sub-grid model development through highly refined DNS-like multiphase simulations facilitating exploration and development of droplet models including breakup and coalescence which will be needed for the large-scale simulations where droplet level physics cannot be resolved. In this area, it can have a significant advantage over traditional CFD methods as its high computational efficiency allows exploration of significantly greater physical detail especially as computational resources increase in the future.« less

Entropy and the driving force for the filling of carbon nanotubes with water.

PubMed

Pascal, Tod A; Goddard, William A; Jung, Yousung

2011-07-19

The spontaneous filling of hydrophobic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by water observed both experimentally and from simulations is counterintuitive because confinement is generally expected to decrease both entropy and bonding, and remains largely unexplained. Here we report the entropy, enthalpy, and free energy extracted from molecular dynamics simulations of water confined in CNTs from 0.8 to 2.7-nm diameters. We find for all sizes that water inside the CNTs is more stable than in the bulk, but the nature of the favorable confinement of water changes dramatically with CNT diameter. Thus we find (i) an entropy (both rotational and translational) stabilized, vapor-like phase of water for small CNTs (0.8-1.0 nm), (ii) an enthalpy stabilized, ice-like phase for medium-sized CNTs (1.1-1.2 nm), and (iii) a bulk-like liquid phase for tubes larger than 1.4 nm, stabilized by the increased translational entropy as the waters sample a larger configurational space. Simulations with structureless coarse-grained water models further reveal that the observed free energies and sequence of transitions arise from the tetrahedral structure of liquid water. These results offer a broad theoretical basis for understanding water transport through CNTs and other nanostructures important in nanofluidics, nanofiltrations, and desalination.

Entropy and the driving force for the filling of carbon nanotubes with water

PubMed Central

Pascal, Tod A.; Goddard, William A.; Jung, Yousung

2011-01-01

The spontaneous filling of hydrophobic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by water observed both experimentally and from simulations is counterintuitive because confinement is generally expected to decrease both entropy and bonding, and remains largely unexplained. Here we report the entropy, enthalpy, and free energy extracted from molecular dynamics simulations of water confined in CNTs from 0.8 to 2.7-nm diameters. We find for all sizes that water inside the CNTs is more stable than in the bulk, but the nature of the favorable confinement of water changes dramatically with CNT diameter. Thus we find (i) an entropy (both rotational and translational) stabilized, vapor-like phase of water for small CNTs (0.8–1.0 nm), (ii) an enthalpy stabilized, ice-like phase for medium-sized CNTs (1.1–1.2 nm), and (iii) a bulk-like liquid phase for tubes larger than 1.4 nm, stabilized by the increased translational entropy as the waters sample a larger configurational space. Simulations with structureless coarse-grained water models further reveal that the observed free energies and sequence of transitions arise from the tetrahedral structure of liquid water. These results offer a broad theoretical basis for understanding water transport through CNTs and other nanostructures important in nanofluidics, nanofiltrations, and desalination. PMID:21709268

Supplemented base medium containing Amburana cearensis associated with FSH improves in vitro development of isolated goat preantral follicles.

PubMed

Gouveia, B B; Macedo, T J S; Santos, J M S; Barberino, R S; Menezes, V G; Müller, M C; Almeida, J R G S; Figueiredo, J R; Matos, M H T

2016-09-15

The effects of Amburana cearensis ethanolic extract, with or without addition of a mix of supplements associated or not with FSH, on in vitro morphology and development of caprine secondary follicles were evaluated. In experiment 1, isolated follicles (250 μm in diameter) were cultured for 12 days in alpha-modified minimal essential medium (α-MEM) alone (control) or in medium composed of different concentrations of A. cearensis extract (Amb 0.1; 0.2, or 0.4 mg/mL). In experiment 2, culture media were α-MEM or Amb 0.2 mg/mL (both without supplements), or these same media supplemented with BSA, insulin, transferrin, selenium, glutamine, hypoxanthine, and ascorbic acid (referred as α-MEM(+) and Amb 0.2(+), respectively), or these last groups also supplemented with sequential FSH (100 ng/mL from Day 0 to Day 6; 500 ng/mL from Day 6 to Day 12), constituting groups α-MEM(+) + FSH and Amb 0.2(+) + FSH. At the end of culture in experiment 1, control medium (α-MEM) and Amb 0.2 mg/mL had higher percentages (P < 0.05) of morphologically normal follicles and percentage of fully grown oocytes, i.e., oocyte greater than 110 μm, compared to the other A. cearensis extract concentrations. In experiment 2, all supplemented media had higher percentages (P < 0.05) of normal follicles and antrum formation than nonsupplemented media. In addition, follicles cultured in Amb 0.2(+) + FSH showed an average increase in diameter higher (P < 0.05) than the other treatments. Oocytes cultured in both treatments supplemented with FSH showed greater glutathione and active mitochondria levels than nonsupplemented media but similar to the other treatments. In conclusion, A. cearensis extract (0.2 mg/mL) added by supplements and FSH improves follicular growth. Therefore, it can be an alternative culture medium for goat preantral follicle development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative contrast-enhanced mammography for contrast medium kinetics studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arvanitis, C. D.; Speller, R.

2009-10-01

Quantitative contrast-enhanced mammography, based on a dual-energy approach, aims to extract quantitative and temporal information of the tumour enhancement after administration of iodinated vascular contrast media. Simulations using analytical expressions and optimization of critical parameters essential for the development of quantitative contrast-enhanced mammography are presented. The procedure has been experimentally evaluated using a tissue-equivalent phantom and an amorphous silicon active matrix flat panel imager. The x-ray beams were produced by a tungsten target tube and spectrally shaped using readily available materials. Measurement of iodine projected thickness in mg cm-2 has been performed. The effect of beam hardening does not introduce nonlinearities in the measurement of iodine projected thickness for values of thicknesses found in clinical investigations. However, scattered radiation introduces significant deviations from slope equal to unity when compared with the actual iodine projected thickness. Scatter correction before the analysis of the dual-energy images provides accurate iodine projected thickness measurements. At 10% of the exposure used in clinical mammography, signal-to-noise ratios in excess of 5 were achieved for iodine projected thicknesses less than 3 mg cm-2 within a 4 cm thick phantom. For the extraction of temporal information, a limited number of low-dose images were used with the phantom incorporating a flow of iodinated contrast medium. The results suggest that spatial and temporal information of iodinated contrast media can be used to indirectly measure the tumour microvessel density and determine its uptake and washout from breast tumours. The proposed method can significantly improve tumour detection in dense breasts. Its application to perform in situ x-ray biopsy and assessment of the oncolytic effect of anticancer agents is foreseeable.

3D Heart: a new visual training method for electrocardiographic analysis.

PubMed

Olson, Charles W; Lange, David; Chan, Jack-Kang; Olson, Kim E; Albano, Alfred; Wagner, Galen S; Selvester, Ronald H S

2007-01-01

This new training method is based on developing a sound understanding of the sequence in which electrical excitation spreads through both the normal and the infarcted myocardium. The student is made aware of the cardiac electrical performance through a series of 3-dimensional pictures during the excitation process. The electrocardiogram 3D Heart 3-dimensional program contains a variety of different activation simulations. Currently, this program enables the user to view the activation simulation for all of the following pathology examples: normal activation; large, medium, and small anterior myocardial infarction (MI); large, medium, and small posterolateral MI; large, medium, and small inferior MI. Simulations relating to other cardiac abnormalities, such as bundle branch block and left ventricular hypertrophy fasicular block, are being developed as part of a National Institute of Health (NIH) Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

[Comparison of the efficiency of 2 culture media in the recovery of heterotrophic bacteria damaged with chlorine].

PubMed

Guerrero, J J

1987-01-01

In this study, culture mediums R2A and m-HPC were compared with respect to their efficiency in the recuperation of injured heterotrophic bacteria present in water, which previously was treated with chlorine. The results of total counts obtained by membrane filtration, show that medium R2A was better than m-HPC. These two culture mediums are indicated by the 16th edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste-water. The results obtained may be due to the low concentration of organic matter, or to the presence of yeast extract in the R2A medium.

Production of beta-carotene by a Rhodotorula glutinis mutant in sea water medium.

PubMed

Bhosale, P; Gadre, R V

2001-01-01

Mutant 32, derived from Rhodotorula glutinis NCIM 3353 produced 76-fold more beta-carotene than the parent strain. In the growth medium prepared in seawater, the total carotenoid content and dry cell mass was 86 mg/l and 16 g/l, respectively, as compared to 70 mg/l and 12 g/l obtained with a medium prepared in distilled water. A 2-fold increase in beta-carotene with simultaneous 2.3-fold decrease in torulene content was also observed. When grown in seawater medium at pH 6.0, 83 +/- 5% carotenoids could be extracted from the cells without any mechanical disintegration.

Synthesis of Surface-Modified Iron Oxides for the Solvent-Free Recovery of Bacterial Bioactive Compound Prodigiosin and Its Algicidal Activity.

PubMed

Arivizhivendhan, K V; Mahesh, M; Boopathy, R; Patchaimurugan, K; Maharaja, P; Swarnalatha, S; Regina Mary, R; Sekaran, G

2016-09-15

Prodigiosin (PG) is a bioactive compound produced by several bacterial species. Currently, many technologies are being developed for the production of PG by fermentation processes. However, new challenges are being faced with regard to the production of PG in terms of the recovery and purification steps, owing to the labile nature of PG molecules and the cost of the purification steps. Conventional methods have limitations due to high cost, low reusability, and health hazards. Hence, the present investigation was focused on the development of surface-functionalized magnetic iron oxide ([Fe3O4]F) for solvent-free extraction of bioactive PG from the bacterial fermented medium. Fe3O4 was functionalized with diethanolamine and characterized by FT-IR, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy. The various process parameters, such as contact time, temperature, pH, and mass of Fe3O4, were optimized for the extraction of PG using functionalized Fe3O4. Instrumental analyses confirmed that the PG molecules were cross-linked with functional groups on [Fe3O4]F through van der Waals forces of attraction. PG extracted through Fe3O4 or [Fe3O4]F was separated from the fermentation medium by applying an external electromagnetic field and regenerated for successive reuse cycles. The purity of the extracted PG was characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography, FT-IR, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The iron oxide-diethanolamine-PG cross-linked ([Fe3O4]F-PG) composite matrix effectively deactivates harmful fouling by cyanobacterial growth in water-treatment plants. The present investigation provides the possibility of solvent-free extraction of bacterial bioactive PG from a fermented medium using functionalized magnetic iron oxide.

Human dental pulp stem cells derived from cryopreserved dental pulp tissues of vital extracted teeth with disease demonstrate hepatic-like differentiation.

PubMed

Chen, Y K; Huang, Anderson H C; Chan, Anthony W S; Lin, L M

2016-06-01

Reviewing the literature, hepatic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) from cryopreserved dental pulp tissues of vital extracted teeth with disease has not been studied. This study is aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that hDPSCs from cryopreserved dental pulp tissues of vital extracted teeth with disease could possess potential hepatic differentiation. Forty vital extracted teeth with disease recruited for hDPSCs isolation, stem cell characterization and hepatic differentiation were randomly and equally divided into group A (liquid nitrogen-stored dental pulp tissues) and group B (freshly derived dental pulp tissues). Samples of hDPSCs isolated from groups A and B but without hepatic growth factors formed negative controls. A well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma cell line was employed as a positive control. All the isolated hDPSCs from groups A and B showed hepatic-like differentiation with morphological change from a spindle-shaped to a polygonal shape and normal karyotype. Differentiated hDPSCs and the positive control expressed hepatic metabolic function genes and liver-specific genes. Glycogen storage of differentiated hDPSCs was noted from day 7 of differentiation-medium culture. Positive immunofluorescence staining of low-density lipoprotein and albumin was observed from day 14 of differentiation-medium culture; urea production in the medium was noted from week 6. No hepatic differentiation was observed for any of the samples of the negative controls. We not only demonstrated the feasibility of hepatic-like differentiation of hDPSCs from cryopreserved dental pulp tissues of vital extracted teeth with disease but also indicated that the differentiated cells possessed normal karyotype and were functionally close to normal hepatic-like cells. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thermal behavior modeling of a cabinet direct solar dryer as influenced by sensible heat storage in a fractured porous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandali, Messaoud; Boubekri, Abdelghani; Mennouche, Djamel

2018-05-01

Numerical simulation method has been employed to improve the thermal performance of cabinet direct solar dryer. The present study focused on the numerical simulation of a direct solar dryer with integration of a flat layer of fractured porous medium above the absorber plate in the aim to store thermal energy by sensible heat. Several calculations were conducted, using the finite volume method with a two-dimensional unsteady model implemented in the Fluent CFD software. The porous medium has been integrated with different thickness to show the influence of the medium thickness on the thermal performance of solar dryer. Different kinds of materials have been tested and studied. The effect of porosity of porous medium has been studied. The obtained results showed that the temperature of drying air is increased by 4°C with integration of porous medium. The increasing in the thickness of the porous medium by 1cm leads to increase the temperature of drying air by 2°C. The increasing of the medium porosity by 10% leads to decrease the temperature of drying air by 1°C. The best material is the one that has a highest specific heat and thermal conductivity.

Automated Design Tools for Integrated Mixed-Signal Microsystems (NeoCAD)

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-02-01

method, Model Order Reduction (MOR) tools, system-level, mixed-signal circuit synthesis and optimization tools, and parsitic extraction tools. A unique...Mission Area: Command and Control mixed signal circuit simulation parasitic extraction time-domain simulation IC design flow model order reduction... Extraction 1.2 Overall Program Milestones CHAPTER 2 FAST TIME DOMAIN MIXED-SIGNAL CIRCUIT SIMULATION 2.1 HAARSPICE Algorithms 2.1.1 Mathematical Background

A phase screen model for simulating numerically the propagation of a laser beam in rain

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

Lukin, I P; Rychkov, D S; Falits, A V

2009-09-30

The method based on the generalisation of the phase screen method for a continuous random medium is proposed for simulating numerically the propagation of laser radiation in a turbulent atmosphere with precipitation. In the phase screen model for a discrete component of a heterogeneous 'air-rain droplet' medium, the amplitude screen describing the scattering of an optical field by discrete particles of the medium is replaced by an equivalent phase screen with a spectrum of the correlation function of the effective dielectric constant fluctuations that is similar to the spectrum of a discrete scattering component - water droplets in air. Themore » 'turbulent' phase screen is constructed on the basis of the Kolmogorov model, while the 'rain' screen model utiises the exponential distribution of the number of rain drops with respect to their radii as a function of the rain intensity. Theresults of the numerical simulation are compared with the known theoretical estimates for a large-scale discrete scattering medium. (propagation of laser radiation in matter)« less

Electronic simulation of the supported liquid membrane in electromembrane extraction systems: Improvement of the extraction by precise periodical reversing of the field polarity.

PubMed

Moazami, Hamid Reza; Nojavan, Saeed; Zahedi, Pegah; Davarani, Saied Saeed Hosseiny

2014-09-02

In order to understand the limitations of electromebrane extraction procedure better, a simple equivalent circuit has been proposed for a supported liquid membrane consisting of a resistor and a low leakage capacitor in series. To verify the equivalent circuit, it was subjected to a simulated periodical polarity changing potential and the resulting time variation of the current was compared with that of a real electromembrane extraction system. The results showed a good agreement between the simulated current patterns and those of the real ones. In order to investigate the impact of various limiting factors, the corresponding values of the equivalent circuit were estimated for a real electromembrane extraction system and were attributed to the physical parameters of the extraction system. A dual charge transfer mechanism was proposed for electromembrane extraction by combining general migration equation and fundamental aspects derived from the simulation. Dual mechanism comprises a current dependent contribution of analyte in total current and could support the possibility of an improvement in performance of an electromembrane extraction by application of an asymmetric polarity changing potential. The optimization of frequency and duty cycle of the asymmetric polarity exchanging potential resulted in a higher recovery (2.17 times greater) in comparison with the conventional electromebrane extraction. The simulation also provided more quantitative approaches toward the investigation of the mechanism of extraction and contribution of different limiting factors in electromembrane extraction. Results showed that the buildup of the double layer is the main limiting factor and the Joule heating has lesser impact on the performance of an electromebrane extraction system. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Blay, J.A.

The problem of the determination of micro-amounts of uranium in aqueous and organic phases in liquid-liquid extraction processes, original ones, and extraction residues was solved by a chromatographic separation of the uranium by means of columns of activated cellulose and further spectrophotometric evaluation using the thiocyanate complex in aqueous medium. The usable range is 5 to 200 mu g.

Retention of drug administration skills after intensive teaching.

PubMed

Wheeler, D W; Degnan, B A; Murray, L J; Dunling, C P; Whittlestone, K D; Wood, D F; Smith, H L; Gupta, A K

2008-04-01

We have identified deficiencies in medical students' drug administration skills, and we attempted to address them with interactive online teaching modules and simulated critical incident scenarios. Short-term improvements have been evident with this intensive effort, but medium-term retention of skills has not been measured. A drug administration lecture, an online module and a simulated emergency scenario were offered to final year clinical students. None of the teaching was compulsory but participation was recorded, along with students' simulator performances and marks in an objective structured practical examination 9 months later. A poor simulator score predicted a poor performance in the later examination. Participation in the simulated scenario only significantly improved examination scores when supplemented by online teaching (p = 0.002). Intensive drug administration teaching using an online module and high fidelity simulation improves drug administration skills in the medium term. Students found simulation much more engaging than online teaching.

Optimization of Xylanase Production from Penicillium sp.WX-Z1 by a Two-Step Statistical Strategy: Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken Experimental Design

PubMed Central

Cui, Fengjie; Zhao, Liming

2012-01-01

The objective of the study was to optimize the nutrition sources in a culture medium for the production of xylanase from Penicillium sp.WX-Z1 using Plackett-Burman design and Box-Behnken design. The Plackett-Burman multifactorial design was first employed to screen the important nutrient sources in the medium for xylanase production by Penicillium sp.WX-Z1 and subsequent use of the response surface methodology (RSM) was further optimized for xylanase production by Box-Behnken design. The important nutrient sources in the culture medium, identified by the initial screening method of Placket-Burman, were wheat bran, yeast extract, NaNO3, MgSO4, and CaCl2. The optimal amounts (in g/L) for maximum production of xylanase were: wheat bran, 32.8; yeast extract, 1.02; NaNO3, 12.71; MgSO4, 0.96; and CaCl2, 1.04. Using this statistical experimental design, the xylanase production under optimal condition reached 46.50 U/mL and an increase in xylanase activity of 1.34-fold was obtained compared with the original medium for fermentation carried out in a 30-L bioreactor. PMID:22949884

Optimization of Xylanase production from Penicillium sp.WX-Z1 by a two-step statistical strategy: Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken experimental design.

PubMed

Cui, Fengjie; Zhao, Liming

2012-01-01

The objective of the study was to optimize the nutrition sources in a culture medium for the production of xylanase from Penicillium sp.WX-Z1 using Plackett-Burman design and Box-Behnken design. The Plackett-Burman multifactorial design was first employed to screen the important nutrient sources in the medium for xylanase production by Penicillium sp.WX-Z1 and subsequent use of the response surface methodology (RSM) was further optimized for xylanase production by Box-Behnken design. The important nutrient sources in the culture medium, identified by the initial screening method of Placket-Burman, were wheat bran, yeast extract, NaNO(3), MgSO(4), and CaCl(2). The optimal amounts (in g/L) for maximum production of xylanase were: wheat bran, 32.8; yeast extract, 1.02; NaNO(3), 12.71; MgSO(4), 0.96; and CaCl(2), 1.04. Using this statistical experimental design, the xylanase production under optimal condition reached 46.50 U/mL and an increase in xylanase activity of 1.34-fold was obtained compared with the original medium for fermentation carried out in a 30-L bioreactor.

A xyloglucan from seeds of the native Brazilian species Hymenaea courbaril for micropropagation of Marubakaido and Jonagored apples.

PubMed

Lima-Nishimura, N; Quoirin, M; Naddaf, Y G; Wilhelm, H M; Ribas, L L F; Sierakowski, M-R

2003-01-01

Xyloglucan was extracted from seeds of Hymenaea courbaril and mixed with agar to prepare a solid culture medium used for micropropagation of the Marubakaido apple rootstock (Malus prunifolia Borkh) and cv. Jonagored (Malus domestica). The performance on gels created from a blend of 0.4%agar and 0.2% xyloglucan (w/v) was compared with that on media gelled with a standard concentration 0.6% (w/v) of agar. The growth of shoots and the multiplication rate were higher on the modified culture medium than on the agar-gelled medium. The occurrence of hyperhydric shoots was lower on the modified medium. In the absence of auxin, shoot rooting reached 70% (Marubakaido) and 66% (Jonagored) on the agar-xyloglucan medium and 6.7% and 10.4%, respectively, on the agar medium. When 0.25 microM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) was added to both media, the modified medium gave better results in terms of rooting percentage and quality of roots than the agar-gelled medium.

Polyurethane foam loaded with sodium dodecylsulfate for the extraction of 'quat' pesticides from aqueous medium: Optimization of loading conditions.

PubMed

Vinhal, Jonas O; Lima, Claudio F; Cassella, Ricardo J

2016-09-01

The cationic herbicides paraquat, diquat and difenzoquat are largely used in different cultures worldwide. With this, there is an intrinsic risk of environmental contamination when these herbicides achieve natural waters. The goal of this work was to propose a novel and low-cost sorbent for the removal of the cited herbicides from aqueous medium. The proposed sorbent was prepared by loading polyurethane foam with sodium dodecylsulfate. The influence of several parameters (SDS concentration, HCl concentration and shaking time) on the loading process was investigated. The results obtained in this work demonstrated that all studied variables influenced the loading process, having significant effect on the extraction efficiency of the resulted PUF-SDS. At optimized conditions, the PUF was loaded by shaking 200mg of crushed foam with 200mL of a solution containing 5.0×10(-3)molL(-1) SDS and 0.25molL(-1) HCl, for 30min. The obtained PUF-SDS was efficient for removing the three herbicides from aqueous medium, achieving extraction percentages higher than 90%. The sorption process followed a pseudo second-order kinetics, which presented excellent predictive capacity of the amount of herbicide retained with time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term impact of wildfire on soils exposed to different fire severities. A case study in Cadiretes Massif (NE Iberian Peninsula).

PubMed

Francos, Marcos; Úbeda, Xavier; Pereira, Paulo; Alcañiz, Meritxell

2018-02-15

Wildfires affect ecosystems depending on the fire regime. Long-term studies are needed to understand the ecological role played by fire, especially as regards its impact on soils. The aim of this study is to monitor the long-term effects (18years) of a wildfire on soil properties in two areas affected by low and high fire severity regimes. The properties studied were total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), C/N ratio, soil organic matter (SOM) and extractable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and potassium (K). The study was carried out in three phases: short- (immediately after the wildfire), medium- (seven years after the wildfire) and long-term (18years after the wildfire). The results showed that in both fire regimes TN decreased with time, TC and SOM were significantly lower in the burned plots than they were in the control in the medium- and long-terms. C/N ratio was significantly lower at short-term in low wildfire severity area. Extractable Ca and Mg were significantly higher in control plot than in the burned plots in the medium-term. In the long-term, extractable Ca and Mg were significantly lower in the area exposed to a high severity burning. No differences were identified in the case of extractable Na between plots on any of the sampling dates, while extractable K was significantly higher in the plot exposed to low wildfire than it was in the control. Some restoration measures may be required after the wildfire, especially in areas affected by high severity burning, to avoid the long-term impacts on the essential soil nutrients of TC, SOM, extractable Ca and Mg. This long-term nutrient depletion is attributable to vegetation removal, erosion, leaching and post-fire vegetation consumption. Soils clearly need more time to recover from wildfire disturbance, especially in areas affected by high severity fire regimes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone in drugs using polypyrrole-based headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-nitrogen-phosphorous detection.

PubMed

Mehdinia, Ali; Ghassempour, Alireza; Rafati, Hasan; Heydari, Rouhollah

2007-03-21

A headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-nitrogen-phosphorous detection (HS-SPME-GC-NPD) method using polypyrrole (PPy) fibers has been introduced to determine two derivatives of pyrrolidone; N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). Two types of PPy fibers, prepared using organic and aqueous media, were compared in terms of extraction efficiency and thermal stability. It was found that PPy film prepared using organic medium (i.e. acetonitrile) had higher extraction efficiency and more thermal stability compared to the film prepared in aqueous medium. To enhance the sensitivity of HS-SPME, the effects of pH, ionic strength, extraction time, extraction temperature and the headspace volume on the extraction efficiency were optimized. Using the results of this research, high sensitivity and selectivity had been achieved due to the combination of the high extraction efficiency of PPy film prepared in organic medium and the high sensitivity and selectivity of nitrogen-phosphorous detection. Linear range of the analytes was found to be between 1.0 and 1000 microg L(-1) with regression coefficients (R(2)) of 0.998 and 0.997 for NVP and NMP, consequently. Limits of detection (LODs) were 0.074 and 0.081 microg L(-1) for NVP and NMP, respectively. Relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for five replications of analyses was found to be less than 6.0%. In real samples the mean recoveries were 94.81% and 94.15% for NVP and NMP, respectively. The results demonstrated the suitability of the HS-SPME technique for analyzing NVP and NMP in two different pharmaceutical matrices. In addition, the method was used for simultaneous detection of NVP, 2-pyrrolidone (2-Pyr), gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and ethanolamine (EA) compounds.

Motility of Escherichia coli in a quasi-two-dimensional porous medium.

PubMed

Sosa-Hernández, Juan Eduardo; Santillán, Moisés; Santana-Solano, Jesús

2017-03-01

Bacterial migration through confined spaces is critical for several phenomena, such as biofilm formation, bacterial transport in soils, and bacterial therapy against cancer. In the present work, E. coli (strain K12-MG1655 WT) motility was characterized by recording and analyzing individual bacterium trajectories in a simulated quasi-two-dimensional porous medium. The porous medium was simulated by enclosing, between slide and cover slip, a bacterial-culture sample mixed with uniform 2.98-μm-diameter spherical latex particles. The porosity of the medium was controlled by changing the latex particle concentration. By statistically analyzing several trajectory parameters (instantaneous velocity, turn angle, mean squared displacement, etc.), and contrasting with the results of a random-walk model developed ad hoc, we were able to quantify the effects that different obstacle concentrations have upon bacterial motility.

Terahertz radiation in graphene hyperbolic medium excited by an electric dipole.

PubMed

Feng, Xiaodong; Gong, Sen; Zhong, Renbin; Zhao, Tao; Hu, Min; Zhang, Chao; Liu, Shenggang

2018-03-01

In this Letter, the enhanced and directional radiation in a wide terahertz (THz) frequency range in a graphene hyperbolic medium excited by an electric dipole is presented. The numerical simulations and theoretical analyses indicate that the enhanced radiation comes from the strong surface plasmon couplings in the graphene hyperbolic medium, consisting of alternative graphene and dielectric substrate layers. The simulation results also show that the peak power flow of the enhanced THz radiation in the graphene hyperbolic medium is dramatically enhanced by more than 1 order of magnitude over that in a general medium within a certain distance from the dipole, and the electromagnetic fields are strongly concentrated in a narrow angle. Also, the radiation fields can be manipulated, and the fields' angular distributions can be tuned by adjusting the dielectric permittivity and thickness of the substrates, and the chemical potential of graphene. Accordingly, it provides a good opportunity for developing miniature, integratable, high-power-density, and tunable radiation sources in the THz band at room temperature.

Chemical mimicking of bio-assisted aluminium extraction by Aspergillus niger's exometabolites.

PubMed

Boriová, Katarína; Urík, Martin; Bujdoš, Marek; Pifková, Ivana; Matúš, Peter

2016-11-01

Presence of microorganisms in soils strongly affects mobility of metals. This fact is often excluded when mobile metal fraction in soil is studied using extraction procedures. Thus, the first objective of this paper was to evaluate strain Aspergillus niger's exometabolites contribution on aluminium mobilization. Fungal exudates collected in various time intervals during cultivation were analyzed and used for two-step bio-assisted extraction of alumina and gibbsite. Oxalic, citric and gluconic acids were identified in collected culture media with concentrations up to 68.4, 2.0 and 16.5 mmol L -1 , respectively. These exometabolites proved to be the most efficient agents in mobile aluminium fraction extraction with aluminium extraction efficiency reaching almost 2.2%. However, fungal cultivation is time demanding process. Therefore, the second objective was to simplify acquisition of equally efficient extracting agent by chemically mimicking composition of main organic acid components of fungal exudates. This was successfully achieved with organic acids mixture prepared according to medium composition collected on the 12th day of Aspergillus niger cultivation. This mixture extracted similar amounts of aluminium from alumina compared to culture medium. The aluminium extraction efficiency from gibbsite by organic acids mixture was lesser than 0.09% which is most likely because of more rigid mineral structure of gibbsite compared to alumina. The prepared organic acid mixture was then successfully applied for aluminium extraction from soil samples and compared to standard single step extraction techniques. This showed there is at least 2.9 times higher content of mobile aluminium fraction in soils than it was previously considered, if contribution of microbial metabolites is considered in extraction procedures. Thus, our contribution highlights the significance of fungal metabolites in aluminium extraction from environmental samples, but it also simplifies the extraction procedure inspired by bio-assisted extraction of aluminium by common soil fungus A. niger. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polymer-based adsorption medium prepared using a fragment imprinting technique for homologues of chlorinated bisphenol A produced in the environment.

PubMed

Kubo, Takuya; Hosoya, Ken; Watabe, Yoshiyuki; Ikegami, Tohru; Tanaka, Nobuo; Sano, Tomoharu; Kaya, Kunimitsu

2004-03-12

A polymer-based adsorption medium having molecular recognition ability for homologues of chlorinated bisphenol A produced in environment was prepared using a fragment imprinting technique. 2,6-Dimethyl phenol was utilized as a pseudo-template molecule and the adsorption media prepared was evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and solid-phase extraction (SPE). As results, the adsorption medium showed preferable chromatographic retention and specific adsorption ability for the chlorinated bisphenol As having chlorine substituents at 3,5-positions through fragment imprinting effect.

Liquid-liquid extraction of neodymium(III) by dialkylphosphate ionic liquids from acidic medium: the importance of the ionic liquid cation.

PubMed

Rout, Alok; Kotlarska, Justyna; Dehaen, Wim; Binnemans, Koen

2013-10-21

The ionic liquids 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate, [C6mim][DEHP], 1-hexyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate, [C6mpyr][DEHP], and tetrabutylammonium bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate, [N4444][DEHP], were prepared and characterized using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The extraction behavior of neodymium(iii) from nitrate medium by these ionic liquids, diluted with the room temperature ionic liquids 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [C6mim][NTf2], 1-hexyl-3-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [C6mpyr][NTf2], and tributylmethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [N1444][NTf2], was studied. The distribution ratio of neodymium(iii) was measured as a function of various parameters, such as pH, concentration of the ionic liquid extractant, nature of diluents, concentration of ionic liquid cations and nitrate anions in the aqueous phase. The extraction behavior was compared with that obtained for a solution of the molecular extractant bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) in an ionic liquid diluent. The extraction of neodymium(iii) in the ionic liquids [C6mim][DEHP] and [C6mpyr][DEHP] showed markedly different extraction properties in comparison with that of the quaternary ammonium analogue [N4444][DEHP], especially concerning the pH dependence of the extraction process. These results show that the extraction process can be tuned by the selection of the ionic liquid cation. The extraction experiments also included the trivalent rare-earth ions lanthanum(iii), cerium(iii), praseodymium(iii), ytterbium(iii) and yttrium(iii). Studies of the stripping behavior and the reusability of the ionic liquids were carried out, which indicate that the ionic liquids can be reused with no loss in activity.

[The molecular mechanisms of curcuma wenyujin extract-mediated inhibitory effects on human esophageal carcinoma cells in vitro].

PubMed

Jing, Zhao; Zou, Hai-Zhou; Xu, Fang

2012-09-01

To study the molecular mechanisms of Curcuma Wenyujin extract-mediated inhibitory effects on human esophageal carcinoma cells. The Curcuma Wenyujin extract was obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. TE-1 cells were divided into 4 groups after adherence. 100 microL RMPI-1640 culture medium containing 0.1% DMSO was added in Group 1 as the control group. 100 microL 25, 50, and 100 mg/L Curcuma Wenyujin extract complete culture medium was respectively added in the rest 3 groups as the low, middle, and high dose Curcuma Wenyujin extract groups. The effects of different doses of Curcuma Wenyujin extract (25, 50, and 100 mg/L) on the proliferation of human esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1 in vitro were analyzed by MTT assay. The gene expression profile was identified by cDNA microarrays in esophageal carcinoma TE-1 cells exposed to Curcuma Wenyujin extract for 48 h. The differential expression genes were further analyzed by Gene Ontology function analysis. Compared with the control group, MTT results showed that Curcuma Wenyujin extract significantly inhibited the proliferation of TE-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). The expression level of 88 genes changed with significance, including 66 up-regulation genes and 22 down-regulation genes. Gene Ontology analysis indicated the genes coding for proteins was involved in signal transduction (6), cell cycle (8), apoptosis (14), and cell differentiation (10). The Curcuma Wenyujin extract could inhibit the growth of human esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1 in vitro. The molecular mechanisms might be associated with regulating genes expressions at multi-levels.

Fiber Composite Sandwich Thermostructural Behavior: Computational Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.; Aiello, R. A.; Murthy, P. L. N.

1986-01-01

Several computational levels of progressive sophistication/simplification are described to computationally simulate composite sandwich hygral, thermal, and structural behavior. The computational levels of sophistication include: (1) three-dimensional detailed finite element modeling of the honeycomb, the adhesive and the composite faces; (2) three-dimensional finite element modeling of the honeycomb assumed to be an equivalent continuous, homogeneous medium, the adhesive and the composite faces; (3) laminate theory simulation where the honeycomb (metal or composite) is assumed to consist of plies with equivalent properties; and (4) derivations of approximate, simplified equations for thermal and mechanical properties by simulating the honeycomb as an equivalent homogeneous medium. The approximate equations are combined with composite hygrothermomechanical and laminate theories to provide a simple and effective computational procedure for simulating the thermomechanical/thermostructural behavior of fiber composite sandwich structures.

Response surface optimization of culture medium for enhanced docosahexaenoic acid production by a Malaysian thraustochytrid.

PubMed

Manikan, Vidyah; Kalil, Mohd Sahaid; Hamid, Aidil Abdul

2015-02-27

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) plays a vital role in the enhancement of human health, particularly for cognitive, neurological, and visual functions. Marine microalgae, such as members of the genus Aurantiochytrium, are rich in DHA and represent a promising source of omega-3 fatty acids. In this study, levels of glucose, yeast extract, sodium glutamate and sea salt were optimized for enhanced lipid and DHA production by a Malaysian isolate of thraustochytrid, Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1, using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized medium contained 60 g/L glucose, 2 g/L yeast extract, 24 g/L sodium glutamate and 6 g/L sea salt. This combination produced 17.8 g/L biomass containing 53.9% lipid (9.6 g/L) which contained 44.07% DHA (4.23 g/L). The optimized medium was used in a scale-up run, where a 5 L bench-top bioreactor was employed to verify the applicability of the medium at larger scale. This produced 24.46 g/L biomass containing 38.43% lipid (9.4 g/L), of which 47.87% was DHA (4.5 g/L). The total amount of DHA produced was 25% higher than that produced in the original medium prior to optimization. This result suggests that Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1 could be developed for industrial application as a commercial DHA-producing microorganism.

Mycotoxin producing potential of some isolates of Aspergillus flavus and Eurotium groups from meat products.

PubMed

el-Kady, I; el-Maraghy, S; Zohri, A N

1994-09-01

All strains (92) of A. flavus group proved to be positive for production of aflatoxin (45 to 1200 micrograms/50 ml medium) on potato dextrose liquid medium, while 59 strains only proved to be positive (35-310 micrograms/50 ml) on 15% NaCl potato-dextrose liquid medium. Most of the strains tested of A. flavus, A. flavus var. columnaris and A. oryzae produced aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 & G2. All positive strains of A. tamarii produced aflatoxins G1 & G2 while the tested isolate of A. zonatus produced aflatoxins B1 & G1. Of 95 strains tested of Eurotium, aflatoxins B1 & G1 were produced by one strain of each of E. chevalieri var. intermedium, E. repens and E. rubrum. Gliotoxin was detected in the extract of two strains of E. chevalieri and one strain of each of E. chevalieri var. intermedium and E. pseudoglaucum on the salt-free medium, and two strains of each of E. chevalieri, E. chevalieri var. intermedium and one of E. pseudoglaucum on 15% NaCl medium. Sterigmatocystin was produced by some strains of E. chevalieri, E. chevalieri var. intermedium, E. amstelodami, E. pseudoglaucum and E. rubrum on the two experimental media. One strain only of E. repens produced ochratoxin A while citrinin was detected in the extract of one strain of E. pseudoglaucum.

Sensory and instrumental analysis of medium and long shelf-life Charentais cantaloupe melons (Cucumis melo L.) harvested at different maturities

PubMed Central

Lignou, Stella; Parker, Jane K.; Baxter, Charles; Mottram, Donald S.

2014-01-01

The flavour profiles of two genotypes of Charentais cantaloupe melons (medium shelf-life and long shelf-life), harvested at two distinct maturities (immature and mature fruit), were investigated. Dynamic headspace extraction (DHE), solid-phase extraction (SPE), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and gas chromatography–olfactometry/mass spectrometry (GC–O/MS) were used to determine volatile and semi-volatile compounds. Qualitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was used to assess the organoleptic impact of the different melons and the sensory data were correlated with the chemical analysis. There were significant, consistent and substantial differences between the mature and immature fruit for the medium shelf-life genotype, the less mature giving a green, cucumber character and lacking the sweet, fruity character of the mature fruit. However, maturity at harvest had a much smaller impact on the long shelf-life melons and fewer differences were detected. These long shelf-life melons tasted sweet, but lacked fruity flavours, instead exhibiting a musty, earthy character. PMID:24262549

Interaction of fructose with other medium components to affect bioproduction of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manikan, Vidyah; Kalil, Mohd. Sahaid; Shuib, Shuwahida; Hamid, Aidil Abdul

2018-04-01

Thraustochytrids are a group of marine fungus-like microheterotrophs of which some can accumulate considerable amounts of the high valued omega-3 oil, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In this study, a local thraustochytrid isolate, Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1, was cultivated in a medium containing fructose as the major carbon source. The effects of this carbon source in interaction with yeast extract, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and sea salt were studied using a software-based two level full factorial design. Results showed that fructose as a single factor, has significant positive effect on the volumetric DHA content of SW1. Similarly, its interaction with yeast extract has profound positive effect. However, interactions of fructose with MSG and sea salt were significant negative effects. These results indicate that manipulation of the concentration of fructose in the culture medium may serve as a simple and useful strategy to help achieve preferred amount of DHA.

Sequential low and medium frequency ultrasound assists biodegradation of wheat chaff by white rot fungal enzymes.

PubMed

Oliver, Christine M; Mawson, Raymond; Melton, Laurence D; Dumsday, Geoff; Welch, Jessica; Sanguansri, Peerasak; Singh, Tanoj K; Augustin, Mary Ann

2014-10-13

The consequences of ultrasonic pre-treatment using low (40 kHz) and medium (270 kHz) frequency (40 kHz followed by 270 kHz) on the degradation of wheat chaff (8 g 100ml(-1) acetate buffer, pH 5) were evaluated. In addition, the effects of the ultrasonic pre-treatment on the degradation of the wheat chaff when subsequently exposed to enzyme extracts from two white rot fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes sp.) were investigated. Pre-treatment by sequential low and medium frequency ultrasound had a disruptive effect on the lignocellulosic matrix. Analysis of the phenolic-derived volatiles after enzymatic hydrolysis showed that biodegradation with the enzyme extract obtained from P. chrysosporium was more pronounced compared to that of the Trametes sp. The efficacy of the ultrasonic pre-treatment was attributed to increased enzyme accessibility of the cellulose fibrils due to sonication-induced disruption of the plant surface structure, as shown by changes in the microstructure. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans grown on ethanol stillage as a nitrogen source.

PubMed

West, T P; Strohfus, B

1996-01-01

Pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans strain RP-1 using thin stillage from fuel ethanol production as a nitrogen source was studied in a medium using corn syrup as a carbon source. The use of 1% thin stillage as a nitrogen source instead of ammonium sulphate elevated polysaccharide production by strain RP-1 cells when grown on a concentration of up to 7.5% corn syrup, independent of yeast extract supplementation. Dry weights of cells grown in medium containing ammonium sulphate as the nitrogen source were higher than the stillage-grown cells after 7 days of growth. The viscosity of the polysaccharide on day 7 was higher for cells grown on thin stillage rather than ammonium sulphate as a nitrogen source. The pullulan content of the polysaccharide elaborated by ammonium sulphate-grown cells on day 7 was higher than the pullulan content of polysaccharide produced by stillage-grown cells regardless of whether yeast extract was added to the culture medium.

Identification of significant medium components that affect docosahexaenoic acid production by Schizochytrium sp. SW1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manikan, Vidyah; Hamid, Aidil A.

2013-11-01

Central composite design (CCD) was employed to investigate the significance of glucose, yeast extract, MSG and sea salt in affecting the amount of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) accumulated by a locally isolated strain of Schizochytrium. Design Expert software was used to construct a set of experiments where each medium component mentioned above was varied over three levels. Cultivation was carried out in 250mL flasks containing 50mL of medium, incubated at 30°C with 200 rpm agitation for 96 hours. ANOVA was conducted to identify the influential factors and the level of their significance where factors that scored a probability value of less than 0.05 were considered significant. The level of influence for each independent variable was also interpreted using perturbation whereas pattern of interaction between the factors were interpreted using interaction plots. This experiment revealed that yeast extract and monosodium glutamate have significant influence on DHA accumulation process by Schizochytrium sp. SW1.

Combining Experiments and Simulations of Extraction Kinetics and Thermodynamics in Advanced Separation Processes for Used Nuclear Fuel

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

Nilsson, Mikael

This 3-year project was a collaboration between University of California Irvine (UC Irvine), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and with an international collaborator at ForschungZentrum Jülich (FZJ). The project was led from UC Irvine under the direction of Profs. Mikael Nilsson and Hung Nguyen. The leads at PNNL, INL, ANL and FZJ were Dr. Liem Dang, Dr. Peter Zalupski, Dr. Nathaniel Hoyt and Dr. Giuseppe Modolo, respectively. Involved in this project at UC Irvine were three full time PhD graduate students, Tro Babikian, Ted Yoo, and Quynh Vo, and one MS student,more » Alba Font Bosch. The overall objective of this project was to study how the kinetics and thermodynamics of metal ion extraction can be described by molecular dynamic (MD) simulations and how the simulations can be validated by experimental data. Furthermore, the project includes the applied separation by testing the extraction systems in a single stage annular centrifugal contactor and coupling the experimental data with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. Specific objectives of the proposed research were: Study and establish a rigorous connection between MD simulations based on polarizable force fields and extraction thermodynamic and kinetic data. Compare and validate CFD simulations of extraction processes for An/Ln separation using different sizes (and types) of annular centrifugal contactors. Provide a theoretical/simulation and experimental base for scale-up of batch-wise extraction to continuous contactors. We approached objective 1 and 2 in parallel. For objective 1 we started by studying a well established extraction system with a relatively simple extraction mechanism, namely tributyl phosphate. What we found was that well optimized simulations can inform experiments and new information on TBP behavior was presented in this project, as well be discussed below. The second objective proved a larger challenge and most of the efforts were devoted to experimental studies.« less

CFD simulation of copper(II) extraction with TFA in non-dispersive hollow fiber membrane contactors.

PubMed

Muhammad, Amir; Younas, Mohammad; Rezakazemi, Mashallah

2018-04-01

This study presents computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of dispersion-free liquid-liquid extraction of copper(II) with trifluoroacetylacetone (TFA) in hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC). Mass and momentum balance Navier-Stokes equations were coupled to address the transport of copper(II) solute across membrane contactor. Model equations were simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics™. The simulation was run to study the detailed concentration distribution of copper(II) and to investigate the effects of various parameters like membrane characteristics, partition coefficient, and flow configuration on extraction efficiency. Once-through extraction was found to be increased from 10 to 100% when partition coefficient was raised from 1 to 10. Similarly, the extraction efficiency was almost doubled when porosity to tortuosity ratio of membrane was increased from 0.05 to 0.81. Furthermore, the study revealed that CFD can be used as an effective optimization tool for the development of economical membrane-based dispersion-free extraction processes.

High Aflatoxin Production on a Chemically Defined Medium 1

PubMed Central

Reddy, T. V.; Viswanathan, L.; Venkitasubramanian, T. A.

1971-01-01

Aspergillus parasiticus ATCC 15517 produced 28 to 30 mg of aflatoxin per 100 ml of a medium containing sucrose, asparagine, and salts in stationary and shaken cultures. In the absence of asparagine in the medium, the toxin yields fell drastically, and the thin-layer chromatograms of the chloroform extracts of the cultures indicated the total absence of aflatoxin G1 and the presence of new intense blue and green fluorescent bands having RF values lower than aflatoxins. Initial pH was critical and had to be around 4.5 for good growth and high toxin production on this medium. Optimum concentrations of KH2PO4 and MgSO4·7H2O in the medium were much lower than those normally used in fungal growth media. PMID:5119206

Method for liquid chromatographic extraction of strontium from acid solutions

DOEpatents

Horwitz, E. Philip; Dietz, Mark L.

1992-01-01

A method and apparatus for extracting strontium and technetium values from biological, industrial and environmental sample solutions using a chromatographic column is described. An extractant medium for the column is prepared by generating a solution of a diluent containing a Crown ether and dispersing the solution on a resin substrate material. The sample solution is highly acidic and is introduced directed to the chromatographic column and strontium or technetium is eluted using deionized water.

The Impact of the Roast Levels of Coffee Extracts on their Potential Anticancer Activities.

PubMed

Mojica, Benigno E; Fong, Lisa E; Biju, Denny; Muharram, Alfeah; Davis, Isabel M; Vela, Klarisse O; Rios, Diana; Osorio-Camacena, Elena; Kaur, Baljit; Rojas, Sebastian M; Forester, Sarah C

2018-04-01

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and contains numerous phytochemicals that are beneficial to consumer health. The phytochemical profile of coffee, however, can be affected by the roast level. In this study, we compared the effect of roasting level on the growth inhibitory activity of HT-29 (colon) and SCC-25 (oral) cancer cell lines. The different roasting stages selected for this study were green, cinnamon/blonde, city/medium, full city/medium-dark, and full city plus/dark. Cancer cells were treated with various concentrations of coffee extracts for 72 hr. Cell viability was quantified using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay. It was found that the lighter roast extracts, Cinnamon in particular, reduced cell growth more than darker roast extracts. The Cinnamon extract had the greatest amount of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Relative levels of gallic, caffeic, and chlorogenic acid in the extracts were also compared. The Cinnamon coffee extract had the highest levels of gallic and caffeic acids, which have both been widely-regarded as bioactive phytochemicals. In conclusion, the consumption of lighter roasted coffee, may contribute to the prevention of certain types of cancer such as oral and colon. Chemical compounds in coffee may reduce the risk for certain types of cancers. These compounds may be particularly abundant in lighter roasted coffee. Therefore, lighter roasted coffee could contribute to the prevention of cancer through a healthy diet. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Proton-Nucleus Total Cross Sections in Coupled-Channel Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Wilson, John W.; Cucinotta, Francis A.

2000-01-01

Recently, nucleon-nucleon (N-N) cross sections in the medium have been extracted directly from experiment. The in-medium N-N cross sections form the basic ingredients of several heavy-ion scattering approaches including the coupled-channel approach developed at the Langley Research Center. In the present study the ratio of the real to the imaginary part of the two-body scattering amplitude in the medium was investigated. These ratios are used in combination with the in-medium N-N cross sections to calculate total proton-nucleus cross sections. The agreement is excellent with the available experimental data. These cross sections are needed for the radiation risk assessment of space missions.

In situ Orbit Extraction from Live, High Precision Collisionless Simulations of Systems Formed by Cold Collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noriega-Mendoza, H.; Aguilar, L. A.

2018-04-01

We performed high precision, N-body simulations of the cold collapse of initially spherical, collisionless systems using the GYRFALCON code of Dehnen (2000). The collapses produce very prolate spheroidal configurations. After the collapse, the systems are simulated for 85 and 170 half-mass radius dynamical timescales, during which energy conservation is better than 0.005%. We use this period to extract individual particle orbits directly from the simulations. We then use the TAXON code of Carpintero and Aguilar (1998) to classify 1 to 1.5% of the extracted orbits from our final, relaxed configurations: less than 15% are chaotic orbits, 30% are box orbits and 60% are tube orbits (long and short axis). Our goal has been to prove that direct orbit extraction is feasible, and that there is no need to "freeze" the final N-body system configuration to extract a time-independent potential.

Diverse bacteria isolated from microtherm oil-production water.

PubMed

Sun, Ji-Quan; Xu, Lian; Zhang, Zhao; Li, Yan; Tang, Yue-Qin; Wu, Xiao-Lei

2014-02-01

In total, 435 pure bacterial strains were isolated from microtherm oil-production water from the Karamay Oilfield, Xinjiang, China, by using four media: oil-production water medium (Cai medium), oil-production water supplemented with mineral salt medium (CW medium), oil-production water supplemented with yeast extract medium (CY medium), and blood agar medium (X medium). The bacterial isolates were affiliated with 61 phylogenetic groups that belong to 32 genera in the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Except for the Rhizobium, Dietzia, and Pseudomonas strains that were isolated using all the four media, using different media led to the isolation of bacteria with different functions. Similarly, nonheme diiron alkane monooxygenase genes (alkB/alkM) also clustered according to the isolation medium. Among the bacterial strains, more than 24 % of the isolates could use n-hexadecane as the sole carbon source for growth. For the first time, the alkane-degrading ability and alkB/alkM were detected in Rhizobium, Rhodobacter, Trichococcus, Micrococcus, Enterococcus, and Bavariicoccus strains, and the alkM gene was detected in Firmicutes strains.

Interference of peptone and tyrosine with the lignin peroxidase assay.

PubMed Central

ten Have, R; Hartmans, S; Field, J A

1997-01-01

The N-unregulated white rot fungus Bjerkandera sp. strain BOS55 was cultured in 1 liter of peptone-yeast extract medium to produce lignin peroxidase (LiP). During the LiP assay, the oxidation of veratryl alcohol to veratraldehyde was inhibited due to tyrosine present in the peptone and the yeast extract. PMID:9251220

Retinal blood vessel extraction using tunable bandpass filter and fuzzy conditional entropy.

PubMed

Sil Kar, Sudeshna; Maity, Santi P

2016-09-01

Extraction of blood vessels on retinal images plays a significant role for screening of different opthalmologic diseases. However, accurate extraction of the entire and individual type of vessel silhouette from the noisy images with poorly illuminated background is a complicated task. To this aim, an integrated system design platform is suggested in this work for vessel extraction using a sequential bandpass filter followed by fuzzy conditional entropy maximization on matched filter response. At first noise is eliminated from the image under consideration through curvelet based denoising. To include the fine details and the relatively less thick vessel structures, the image is passed through a bank of sequential bandpass filter structure optimized for contrast enhancement. Fuzzy conditional entropy on matched filter response is then maximized to find the set of multiple optimal thresholds to extract the different types of vessel silhouettes from the background. Differential Evolution algorithm is used to determine the optimal gain in bandpass filter and the combination of the fuzzy parameters. Using the multiple thresholds, retinal image is classified as the thick, the medium and the thin vessels including neovascularization. Performance evaluated on different publicly available retinal image databases shows that the proposed method is very efficient in identifying the diverse types of vessels. Proposed method is also efficient in extracting the abnormal and the thin blood vessels in pathological retinal images. The average values of true positive rate, false positive rate and accuracy offered by the method is 76.32%, 1.99% and 96.28%, respectively for the DRIVE database and 72.82%, 2.6% and 96.16%, respectively for the STARE database. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the existing methods in detecting the various types of vessels and the neovascularization structures. The combination of curvelet transform and tunable bandpass filter is found to be very much effective in edge enhancement whereas fuzzy conditional entropy efficiently distinguishes vessels of different widths. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extraction of solubles from plant biomass for use as microbial growth stimulant and methods related thereto

DOEpatents

Lau, Ming Woei

2015-12-08

A method for producing a microbial growth stimulant (MGS) from a plant biomass is described. In one embodiment, an ammonium hydroxide solution is used to extract a solution of proteins and ammonia from the biomass. Some of the proteins and ammonia are separated from the extracted solution to provide the MGS solution. The removed ammonia can be recycled and the proteins are useful as animal feeds. In one embodiment, the method comprises extracting solubles from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass with a cellulase enzyme-producing growth medium (such T. reesei) in the presence of water and an aqueous extract.

Anisotropy and probe-medium interactions in the microrheology of nematic fluids.

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

Cordoba, Andres; Stieger, Tillmann; Mazza, Marco G.

2016-01-01

A theoretical formalism is presented to analyze and interpret microrheology experiments in anisotropic fluids with nematic order. The predictions of that approach are examined in the context of a simple coarse-grained molecular model which is simulated using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics calculations. The proposed formalism is used to study the effect of confinement, the type of anchoring at the probe-particle surface, and the strength of the nematic field on the rheological response functions obtained from probe-particle active microrheology. As expected, a stronger nematic field leads to increased anisotropy in the rheological response of the material. It is also found that themore » defect structures that arise around the probe particle, which are determined by the type of anchoring and the particle size, have a significant effect on the rheological response observed in microrheology simulations. Independent estimates of the bulk dynamic modulus of the model nematic fluid considered here are obtained from small-amplitude oscillatory shear simulations with Lees Edwards boundary conditions. The results of simulations indicate that the dynamic modulus extracted from particle-probe microrheology is different from that obtained in the absence of the particle, but that the differences decrease as the size of the defect also decreases. Importantly, the results of the nematic microrheology theory proposed here are in much closer agreement with simulations than those from earlier formalisms conceived for isotropic fluids. As such, it is anticipated that the theoretical framework advanced in this study could provide a useful tool for interpretation of microrheology experiments in systems such as liquid crystals and confined macromolecular solutions or gels.« less

In Vitro Propagation, Phytochemical Analysis, and Evaluation of Free Radical Scavenging Property of Scrophularia kakudensis Franch Tissue Extracts.

PubMed

Manivannan, Abinaya; Soundararajan, Prabhakaran; Park, Yoo Gyeong; Jeong, Byoung Ryong

2015-01-01

The current study deals with in vitro propagation, antioxidant property estimation, and assessment of acacetin content in Scrophularia kakudensis Franch. Adventitious shoot induction was achieved from the nodal explant with the highest number of adventitious shoots per explant (17.4) on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium fortified with 2.0 mg·L(-1) 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 0.5 mg L(-1) indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Maximum number of roots per plant (16.5) was noted in half strength MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg·L(-1) IAA. The regenerated plants displayed successful survival ratio (95%) in the greenhouse. The highest content of acacetin, a pharmaceutically important flavonoid, was observed in the shoot extracts (in vitro: 32.83 µg·g(-1) FW; in vivo: 30.05 µg·g(-1) FW) followed by root extracts. Total phenol and flavonoid contents along with free radical scavenging assays revealed the occurrence of larger amount of antioxidants in shoot extract in comparison with callus and root extracts of S. kakudensis. Thus, the outcome of the present study can be highly beneficial for the germplasm conservation and commercial cultivation of S. kakudensis for therapeutic purposes.

A selective medium for recovery and enumeration of endolithic bacteria.

PubMed

Bhattacharjee, Kaushik; Joshi, S R

2016-10-01

The study of lithic microbial communities, inhabiting rock substrates has been gathering momentum due to a growing attention of their wide importance as model systems in ecological studies and for their community structure. It is generally accepted that the success of cultivation-based technique is primarily based on suitable culture medium for isolation. The media available for enumeration and recovery of endolithic bacteria are mainly specific to particular type of rock which may not be suitable to isolate endolithic bacterial community from diverse lithobiontic niches. In this study, a new unoptimized medium was formulated, designated LM10 (unoptimized) for enumeration and recovery of endolithic bacteria by addition and/or omission of media components to the basal medium R2G, which was selected after experimental evaluation of five different existing media. The endolithic bacterial count in LM10 medium (unoptimized) was significantly higher than the R2G medium (t=-12.57, p<0.0001). The culture and nutritional parameters associated with unoptimized LM10 medium were optimized using statistical approach to maximize the recovery and enumeration of endolithic bacteria. The first phase of the study comprised of a Plackett-Burman (PB) design experiment conducted to screen thirteen medium components and two culture parameters as variables with effect on bacterial enumeration and recovery. Out of these, Yeast extract, Casein hydrolysate, Glucose, Starch and Sodium thiosulphate were found to be significantly affecting the bacterial count (p<0.05) based on PB design. On keeping rest of the media components and culture conditions at fixed value as per the PB design analyses (p>0.05 and coefficients), further optimization was carried out for significant factors using Box-Behnken design (BBD) of response surface methodology (RSM). Optimized media components obtained by BBD were Yeast extract, Casein hydrolysate, Glucose and Starch in 0.05g/l each and Sodium thiosulphate in 0.047g/l concentrations. The composition of optimized LM10 medium formulated (per litre) is 0.05g Yeast extract, 0.05g Casein hydrolysate, 0.05g Glucose, 0.05g Starch, 0.01g K2HPO4, 0.02g Sodium pyruvate, 0.2g MgSO4, 0.001g FeSO4·7H2O, 0.285g NH4Cl, 0.039g CaCl2·2H2O, 0.047g Na2S2O3·5H2O, 0.002g NaHCO3 and 11g Gellan gum (pH=7.4). Validation of optimized LM10 medium using nine different rock samples from Meghalaya clearly indicated that optimized LM10 medium was better suited for higher recovery and enumeration of endolithic bacteria under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth of Desulfovibrio on the surface of agar media.

PubMed

Iverson, W P

1966-07-01

Growth of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (API strain) was found to take place in an atmosphere of hydrogen on the agar surface of complex media, including yeast extract (Difco), and Trypticase Soy Agar (BBL) without any added reducing agents. For growth on a 2% yeast extract-agar surface in the absence of hydrogen (nitrogen atmosphere), sodium lactate was required in the medium. Growth on the surface of Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA) under nitrogen took place readily in the absence of an added hydrogen donor. A medium (TSA plus salts) is described based upon the addition of sodium lactate (4 ml per liter), magnesium sulfate (2 g per liter), and ferrous ammonium sulfate (0.05%) to TSA, which appears suitable for the isolation and growth of Desulfovibrio on the surface of agar plates in an atmosphere of hydrogen. Sodium lactate does not appear to be essential in this medium for good growth and sulfate reduction in a hydrogen atmosphere, but is essential in a nitrogen atmosphere. Growth of Desulfovibrio (hydrogen atmosphere) on the agar surface of media commonly used for its cultivation as well as on an inorganic medium containing bicarbonate as a source of carbon is poor and erratic unless inoculated (Desulfovibrio) plates of TSA plus salts are incubated in the same container with plates of these media. This stimulatory effect of incubation with inoculated plates of TSA plus salts medium appears to be due to as yet unidentified volatile material produced by D. desulfuricans when growing on this medium. Another volatile material, or possibly the identical material, appears to act similarly to a hydrogen donor.

Effect of pore geometry on the compressibility of a confined simple fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrzanski, Christopher D.; Maximov, Max A.; Gor, Gennady Y.

2018-02-01

Fluids confined in nanopores exhibit properties different from the properties of the same fluids in bulk; among these properties is the isothermal compressibility or elastic modulus. The modulus of a fluid in nanopores can be extracted from ultrasonic experiments or calculated from molecular simulations. Using Monte Carlo simulations in the grand canonical ensemble, we calculated the modulus for liquid argon at its normal boiling point (87.3 K) adsorbed in model silica pores of two different morphologies and various sizes. For spherical pores, for all the pore sizes (diameters) exceeding 2 nm, we obtained a logarithmic dependence of fluid modulus on the vapor pressure. Calculation of the modulus at saturation showed that the modulus of the fluid in spherical pores is a linear function of the reciprocal pore size. The calculation of the modulus of the fluid in cylindrical pores appeared too scattered to make quantitative conclusions. We performed additional simulations at higher temperature (119.6 K), at which Monte Carlo insertions and removals become more efficient. The results of the simulations at higher temperature confirmed both regularities for cylindrical pores and showed quantitative difference between the fluid moduli in pores of different geometries. Both of the observed regularities for the modulus stem from the Tait-Murnaghan equation applied to the confined fluid. Our results, along with the development of the effective medium theories for nanoporous media, set the groundwork for analysis of the experimentally measured elastic properties of fluid-saturated nanoporous materials.

A Computational Model of Coupled Multiphase Flow and Geomechanics to Study Fault Slip and Induced Seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juanes, R.; Jha, B.

2014-12-01

The coupling between subsurface flow and geomechanical deformation is critical in the assessment of the environmental impacts of groundwater use, underground liquid waste disposal, geologic storage of carbon dioxide, and exploitation of shale gas reserves. In particular, seismicity induced by fluid injection and withdrawal has emerged as a central element of the scientific discussion around subsurface technologies that tap into water and energy resources. Here we present a new computational approach to model coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics of faulted reservoirs. We represent faults as surfaces embedded in a three-dimensional medium by using zero-thickness interface elements to accurately model fault slip under dynamically evolving fluid pressure and fault strength. We incorporate the effect of fluid pressures from multiphase flow in the mechanical stability of faults and employ a rigorous formulation of nonlinear multiphase geomechanics that is capable of handling strong capillary effects. We develop a numerical simulation tool by coupling a multiphase flow simulator with a mechanics simulator, using the unconditionally stable fixed-stress scheme for the sequential solution of two-way coupling between flow and geomechanics. We validate our modeling approach using several synthetic, but realistic, test cases that illustrate the onset and evolution of earthquakes from fluid injection and withdrawal. We also present the application of the coupled flow-geomechanics simulation technology to the post mortem analysis of the Mw=5.1, May 2011 Lorca earthquake in south-east Spain, and assess the potential that the earthquake was induced by groundwater extraction.

Toward 2D Seismic Wavefield Monitoring: Seismic Gradiometry for Long-Period Seismogram and Short-Period Seismogram Envelope applied to the Hi-net Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, T.; Nishida, K.; Takagi, R.; Obara, K.

2015-12-01

The high-sensitive seismograph network Japan (Hi-net) operated by National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) has about 800 stations with average separation of 20 km. We can observe long-period seismic wave propagation as a 2D wavefield with station separations shorter than wavelength. In contrast, short-period waves are quite incoherent at stations, however, their envelope shapes resemble at neighbor stations. Therefore, we may be able to extract seismic wave energy propagation by seismogram envelope analysis. We attempted to characterize seismic waveform at long-period and its envelope at short-period as 2D wavefield by applying seismic gradiometry. We applied the seismic gradiometry to a synthetic long-period (20-50s) dataset prepared by numerical simulation in realistic 3D medium at the Hi-net station layout. Wave amplitude and its spatial derivatives are estimated by using data at nearby stations. The slowness vector, the radiation pattern and the geometrical spreading are extracted from estimated velocity, displacement and its spatial derivatives. For short-periods at shorter than 1 s, seismogram envelope shows temporal and spatial broadening through scattering by medium heterogeneity. It is expected that envelope shape may be coherent among nearby stations. Based on this idea, we applied the same method to the time-integration of seismogram envelope to estimate its spatial derivatives. Together with seismogram envelope, we succeeded in estimating the slowness vector from the seismogram envelope as well as long-period waveforms by synthetic test, without using phase information. Our preliminarily results show that the seismic gradiometry suits the Hi-net to extract wave propagation characteristics both at long and short periods. This method is appealing that it can estimate waves at homogeneous grid to monitor seismic wave as a wavefield. It is promising to obtain phase velocity variation from direct waves, and to grasp wave packets originating from scattering from coda, by applying the seismic gradiometry to the Hi-net.

Influence of Culture Media on the Radiation Resistance of Micrococcus radiodurans

PubMed Central

Krabbenhoft, K. L.; Anderson, A. W.; Elliker, P. R.

1967-01-01

The addition of NZ-case (a tryptic digest of casein) to a growth medium (PC) consisting of tryptone, glucose, and yeast extract caused a significant decrease in γ radiation resistance of Micrococcus radiodurans. The level of radiation resistance was inversely related to the concentration of NZ-case. The ld50 for this organism was approximately 700 krad when grown in tryptone, glucose, yeast extract, and dl-methionine (TGYM) broth, but it was approximately one-half as resistant when grown in a PC medium containing 0.5% NZ-case (PCNZ). The resistance to ultraviolet light was also reduced. Cultures transferred from PCNZ to TGYM media regained the high level of resistance. Images Fig. 2 Fig. 3 PMID:5340165

In-to-Out Body Antenna-Independent Path Loss Model for Multilayered Tissues and Heterogeneous Medium

PubMed Central

Kurup, Divya; Vermeeren, Günter; Tanghe, Emmeric; Joseph, Wout; Martens, Luc

2015-01-01

In this paper, we investigate multilayered lossy and heterogeneous media for wireless body area networks (WBAN) to develop a simple, fast and efficient analytical in-to-out body path loss (PL) model at 2.45 GHz and, thus, avoid time-consuming simulations. The PL model is an antenna-independent model and is validated with simulations in layered medium, as well as in a 3D human model using electromagnetic solvers. PMID:25551483

CASE_ATTI: An Algorithm-Level Testbed for Multi-Sensor Data Fusion

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-05-01

Illumination Radar (STIR) control console, the SPS- 49 long-range radar, the Sea Giraffe medium-range radar and their associated CCS software modules. The...The current A WW sensor suite of the CPF comprises the SPS-49 long range 2-D radar, the Sea Giraffe medium range 2-D radar, the CANEWS ESM and the...and Sea Giraffe . . This represents an original novelty of our simulation environment. Conventional radar simulations such as CARPET are not fully

A layered modulation method for pixel matching in online phase measuring profilometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongru; Feng, Guoying; Bourgade, Thomas; Yang, Peng; Zhou, Shouhuan; Asundi, Anand

2016-10-01

An online phase measuring profilometry with new layered modulation method for pixel matching is presented. In this method and in contrast with previous modulation matching methods, the captured images are enhanced by Retinex theory for better modulation distribution, and all different layer modulation masks are fully used to determine the displacement of a rectilinear moving object. High, medium and low modulation masks are obtained by performing binary segmentation with iterative Otsu method. The final shifting pixels are calculated based on centroid concept, and after that the aligned fringe patterns can be extracted from each frame. After performing Stoilov algorithm and a series of subsequent operations, the object profile on a translation stage is reconstructed. All procedures are carried out automatically, without setting specific parameters in advance. Numerical simulations are detailed and experimental results verify the validity and feasibility of the proposed approach.

Vibrio sp. DSM 14379 pigment production--a competitive advantage in the environment?

PubMed

Starič, Nejc; Danevčič, Tjaša; Stopar, David

2010-10-01

The ability to produce several antibacterial agents greatly increases the chance of producer's survival. In this study, red-pigmented Vibrio sp. DSM 14379 and Bacillus sp., both isolated from the same sampling volume from estuarine waters of the Northern Adriatic Sea, were grown in a co-culture. The antibacterial activity of the red pigment extract was tested on Bacillus sp. in microtiter plates. The MIC(50) for Bacillus sp. was estimated to be around 10⁻⁵ mg/L. The extract prepared form the nonpigmented mutant of Vibrio sp. had no antibacterial effect. The pigment production of Vibrio sp. was studied under different physicochemical conditions. There was no pigment production at high or low temperatures, high or low salt concentrations in peptone yeast extract (PYE) medium, low glucose concentration in mineral growth medium or high glucose concentration in PYE medium. This indicates that the red pigment production is a luxurious good that Vibrio sp. makes only under favorable conditions. The Malthusian fitness of Bacillus sp. in a co-culture with Vibrio sp. under optimal environmental conditions dropped from 4.0 to -7.6, which corresponds to three orders of magnitude decrease in the number of CFU relative to the monoculture. The nonpigmented mutant of Vibrio sp. in a co-culture with Bacillus sp. had a significant antibacterial activity. This result shows that studying antibacterial properties in isolation (i.e. pigment extract only) may not reveal full antibacterial potential of the bacterial strain. The red pigment is a redundant antibacterial agent of Vibrio sp.

Augmenting in vitro shoot multiplication by vipul (triacontanol) and adventitious rhizogenesis by rice bran extract in Dendrocalamus strictus.

PubMed

Mishra, Y; Rana, P K; Shirin, F; Ansari, S A

2001-02-01

Like other bamboo species, Dendrocalamus strictus flowers gregariously after a prolonged intermast period of 48 years and constitutes an ideal material for in vitro clonal propagation. In this study, MS liquid medium containing 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mL/L vipul (Godrej Agrovet, Ltd., Sachin, India), a commercial formulation of triacontanol, with or without BA (3.0 mg/L) was tested for in vitro shoot multiplication and 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 mL/L of 20% (w/v) alcoholic/aqueous rice bran extract (alone or in combination) with NAA (3 mg/L) used for in vitro adventitious rhizogenesis in single node culture derived shoots of Dendrocalamus strictus.. After a multiplication cycle for 4-5 week, vipul (0.5 mL/L) with BA (3.0 mg/L) in the culture medium induced 4.59 fold shoot multiplication rate whereas application of BA and vipul alone had corresponding values of 3.29 and 0.53 fold respectively. Maximum vipul concentration (2 mL/L) with BA (3 mg/L) exhibited shoot multiplication higher than (or equal to) that of BA alone. Maximum in vitro rooting percentage (55.66%) was obtained on half MS medium enriched with alcoholic rice bran extract (2.5 mL/L) and NAA (3 mg/L). This is the first investigation reporting amelioration of in vitro shoot multiplication rate by triacontanol and rooting percentage by rice bran extract in explants from mature bamboo culms. The protocol is economical and rapid for in vitro clonal propagation of Dendrocalamus strictus.

Retrieving the polarization information for satellite-to-ground light communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Qiangqiang; Guo, Zhongyi; Xu, Qiang; Jiao, Weiyan; Wang, Xinshun; Qu, Shiliang; Gao, Jun

2015-08-01

In this paper, we have investigated the reconstruction of the polarization states (degree of polarization (DoP) and angle of polarization (AoP)) of the incident light which passed through a 10 km atmospheric medium between the satellite and the Earth. Here, we proposed a more practical atmospheric model in which the 10 km atmospheric medium is divided into ten layers to be appropriate for the Monte Carlo simulation algorithm. Based on this model, the polarization retrieve (PR) method can be used for reconstructing the initial polarization information effectively, and the simulated results demonstrate that the mean errors of the retrieved DoP and AoP are very close to zero. Moreover, the results also show that although the atmospheric medium system is fixed, the Mueller matrices for the downlink and uplink are completely different, which shows that the light transmissions in the two links are irreversible in the layered atmospheric medium system.

Antioxidant potential of banana: Study using simulated gastrointestinal model and conventional extraction.

PubMed

Bhatt, Anjali; Patel, Vinayak

2015-07-01

Most reports on fruit antioxidant capacities are based on extraction of antioxidants using polar solvents. In banana, little is known about the fate of bioactive compounds during the digestion process, particularly in the food matrix under the gastric and intestinal conditions. In the present study, an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion method was used to simulate physiological conditions of the stomach and small intestine to evaluate the actual antioxidant capacity of banana. The simulated gastrointestinal extracts showed significantly higher antioxidant properties. The total phenol content of the physiological enzymatic extract was higher by almost 150% than the methanolic extract. Similarly, the flavonoid and flavonol contents were higher in the physiological enzymatic extract by 330.6 and 141.7%, respectively as compared to methanolic extract. These differences were also noticed in the antioxidant capacity measurement parameters. From the results, it can be concluded that the conventional extracts underrate the antioxidant value of banana and that they may have much higher health significance, as an antioxidant in particular.

The toxicity evaluation of prepared Lantana camara nano extract against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasmara, Hikmat; Melanie, Nurfajri, Dea Audia; Hermawan, Wawan; Panatarani, Camellia

2018-02-01

Nanotechnology plays an important role in providing opportunities and possibilities for the development of a plant extracts, particularly applied for agriculture using the organic nanoparticles extract as bioinsecticide. This paper reports the extraction of L. camaraas an insecticidal compound applied to control the S. litura larvae which is the main pest for agricultural commodities in Indonesia. The objective of this research is to evaluate the toxicity performance of nano extract to S. litura larvae. The extract was prepared by maceration and evaporation and followed by particles stabilization. The received suspension was characterized using a Particles Size Analyzer (PSA). The performance evaluation was conducted using dye feed method by observing at 24 h and 48 h. The toxicity performance of L. camara nano extract on S. litura larvae was evaluated based on the lethal concentration which was obtained at 50% of 3rd instar larvae S. litura (LC50) and the toxicity level. The larval mortality data was analyzed by probit analysis to obtain LC50 values. The results showed that the LC50 value of L. camara nano extract after 24 h was 16,347 ppm and after 48 h the LC50 value was 3,548 ppm. The smaller LC50 values indicate a stronger toxicity level, in contrast the best toxicity was LC50 after 48 h with the concentration of 3,548 ppm. Referring to toxicity category standard with LC50 pesticide value, the range 0.5-5 g/L is considered as medium toxic category. Toxicity level of L. camara nano extract to S. litura 3,548 ppm or 3,548 mg/L is considered as medium toxic category.

Filterability of the suspension from germanium precipitation with aqueous tannin extract solution

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

Mikhailov, N.F.; Petropol'skii, V.M.; Semenenko, L.E.

1978-01-01

We have already described the use of a neutral aqueous solution of tannin extract to recover germanium from collecting-mains liquor in coking plants. Further pilot commercial trials have encountered problems with the poor filterability of the precipitate obtained when germanium is extracted with this reagent in alkaline media. There are published references to the colloidal nature of the precipitated tannin-germanium complex. It is also known that the alkalinity of the medium influences the degree of association in colloidal systems to a marked extent. Accordingly, special research was needed to establish the relationship between the pH of the precipitation medium andmore » the filterability of the germanium deposit. Samples of collecting-mains liquor were taken from one of the southern coking plants to determine the optimum filtration behavior. The collecting-mains liquor should first be purged of volatile ammonia and then adjusted to pH = 6.5 to 6.7 for precipitation.« less

Computational model for simulation of sequences of helicity and angular momentum transfer in turbid tissue-like scattering medium (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doronin, Alexander; Meglinski, Igor

2017-02-01

Current report considers development of a unified Monte Carlo (MC) -based computational model for simulation of propagation of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams in turbid tissue-like scattering medium. With a primary goal to proof the concept of using complex light for tissue diagnosis we explore propagation of LG beams in comparison with Gaussian beams for both linear and circular polarization. MC simulations of radially and azimuthally polarized LG beams in turbid media have been performed, classic phenomena such as preservation of the orbital angular momentum, optical memory and helicity flip are observed, detailed comparison is presented and discussed.

Optimization of culture conditions and medium composition for the production of micrococcin GO5 by Micrococcus sp. GO5.

PubMed

Kim, Mi-Hee; Kong, Yoon-Jung; Baek, Hong; Hyun, Hyung-Hwan

2006-01-02

To enhance the production of micrococcin GO5, a bacteriocin produced by Micrococcus sp. GO5, cultivation conditions and medium composition were optimized. The optimal initial pH and temperature for bacteriocin production were 7.0-9.0 and 37 degrees C, respectively. Micrococcus sp. GO5 displayed the highest micrococcin GO5 activity when grown in modified MRS medium that contained lactose or sucrose, rather than glucose, as a carbon source. The maximum bacteriocin activity was obtained in modified MRS medium containing 0.5% tryptone and 1.0% yeast extract as nitrogen sources instead of the other nitrogen sources present in MRS medium. Bacteriocin production was greatly affected by the concentration of K(2)HPO(4); strain GO5 produced eight-fold more bacteriocin in medium containing 2.0-2.5% K(2)HPO(4) than in medium containing 0.2% K(2)HPO(4). The optimal concentration of MgSO(4).7H(2)O for bacteriocin production was 0.5%. The production of micrococcin GO5 was increased 32-fold in shake flask culture and 16-fold in a bioreactor using the optimized medium (TY medium), compared with culturing in MRS medium.

Antifeedant activity of xanthohumol and supercritical carbon dioxide extract of spent hops against stored product pests.

PubMed

Jackowski, J; Hurej, M; Rój, E; Popłoński, J; Kośny, L; Huszcza, E

2015-08-01

Xanthohumol, a prenylated flavonoid from hops, and a supercritical carbon dioxide extract of spent hops were studied for their antifeedant activity against stored product insect pests: Sitophilus granarius L., Tribolium confusum Duv. and Trogoderma granarium Everts. Xanthohumol exhibited medium deterrent activity against the adults of S. granarius L. and larvae of T. confusum Duv. The spent hops extract was more active than xanthohumol towards the adults of T. confusum Duv. The potential application of the crude spent hops extract as a feeding deterrent against the stored product pests is proposed.

3D numerical simulations of negative hydrogen ion extraction using realistic plasma parameters, geometry of the extraction aperture and full 3D magnetic field map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochalskyy, S.; Wünderlich, D.; Ruf, B.; Franzen, P.; Fantz, U.; Minea, T.

2014-02-01

Decreasing the co-extracted electron current while simultaneously keeping negative ion (NI) current sufficiently high is a crucial issue on the development plasma source system for ITER Neutral Beam Injector. To support finding the best extraction conditions the 3D Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo Collision electrostatic code ONIX (Orsay Negative Ion eXtraction) has been developed. Close collaboration with experiments and other numerical models allows performing realistic simulations with relevant input parameters: plasma properties, geometry of the extraction aperture, full 3D magnetic field map, etc. For the first time ONIX has been benchmarked with commercial positive ions tracing code KOBRA3D. A very good agreement in terms of the meniscus position and depth has been found. Simulation of NI extraction with different e/NI ratio in bulk plasma shows high relevance of the direct negative ion extraction from the surface produced NI in order to obtain extracted NI current as in the experimental results from BATMAN testbed.

Educational Validity of Business Gaming Simulation: A Research Methodology Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stainton, Andrew J.; Johnson, Johnnie E.; Borodzicz, Edward P.

2010-01-01

Many past educational validity studies of business gaming simulation, and more specifically total enterprise simulation, have been inconclusive. Studies have focused on the weaknesses of business gaming simulation; which is often regarded as an educational medium that has limitations regarding learning effectiveness. However, no attempts have been…

Collective Lamb Shift of a Nanoscale Atomic Vapor Layer within a Sapphire Cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peyrot, T.; Sortais, Y. R. P.; Browaeys, A.; Sargsyan, A.; Sarkisyan, D.; Keaveney, J.; Hughes, I. G.; Adams, C. S.

2018-06-01

We measure the near-resonant transmission of light through a dense medium of potassium vapor confined in a cell with nanometer thickness in order to investigate the origin and validity of the collective Lamb shift. A complete model including the multiple reflections in the nanocell reproduces accurately the observed line shape. It allows the extraction of a density-dependent shift and width of the bulk atomic medium resonance, deconvolved from the cavity effect. We observe an additional, unexpected dependence of the shift with the thickness of the medium. This extra dependence demands further experimental and theoretical investigations.

Identification of phanerosporic acid in birch degraded by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Treesearch

Michael D. Mozuch; Philip J. Kersten

2003-01-01

Extracts of Phanerochaete chrysosporium cultures grown on birch or on a malt extract-peptone-glucose agar medium were analysed by HPLC. A major component from the two sources appears to be identical by HPLC and UV- visible spectrometry. The product isolated from agar-grown cultures was purified to apparent homogeneity and structure analysis by NMR indicates that the...

RECOVERY OF ACTINIDES FROM AQUEOUS NITRIC ACID SOLUTIONS

DOEpatents

Ader, M.

1963-11-19

A process of recovering actinides is presented. Tetravalent actinides are extracted from rare earths in an aqueous nitric acid solution with a ketone and back-extracted from the ketone into an aqueous medium. The aqueous actinide solution thus obtained, prior to concentration by boiling, is sparged with steam to reduce its ketone to a maximum content of 3 grams per liter. (AEC)

RESOLVE: Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinn, Jacqueline; Baird, Scott; Colaprete, Anthony; Larson, William; Sanders, Gerald; Picard, Martin

2011-01-01

Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) is an internationally developed payload that is intended to prospect for resources on other planetary bodies. RESOLVE is a miniature drilling and chemistry plant packaged onto a medium-sized rover to collect and analyze soil for volatile components such as water or hydrogen that could be used in human exploration efforts.

Use of corn steep liquor as an economical nitrogen source for biosuccinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, J. P.; Jahim, J. M.; Wu, T. Y.; Harun, S.; Mumtaz, T.

2016-06-01

Expensive raw materials are the driving force that leads to the shifting of the petroleum-based succinic acid production into bio-based succinic acid production by microorganisms. Cost of fermentation medium is among the main factors contributing to the total production cost of bio-succinic acid. After carbon source, nitrogen source is the second largest component of the fermentation medium, the cost of which has been overlooked for the past years. The current study aimed at replacing yeast extract- a costly nitrogen source with corn steep liquor for economical production of bio-succinic acid by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z. In this study, a final succinic acid concentration of 20.6 g/L was obtained from the use of corn steep liquor as the nitrogen source, which was comparable with the use of yeast extract as the nitrogen source that had a final succinate concentration of 21.4 g/l. In terms of economical wise, corn steep liquor was priced at 200 /ton, which was one fifth of the cost of yeast extract at 1000 /ton. Therefore, corn steep liquor can be considered as a potential nitrogen source in biochemical industries instead of the costly yeast extract.

Mycelial antineoplastic activity of Agaricus blazei.

PubMed

Bertéli, Míria Benetati Delgado; Umeo, Suzana Harue; Bertéli, André; do Valle, Juliana Silveira; Linde, Giani Andrea; Colauto, Nelson Barros

2014-08-01

Basidiocarp of Agaricus blazei (=Agaricus brasiliensis; =Agaricus subrufescens) is used as teas or capsules due to its antineoplastic effect but there are few reports of using mycelium for this purpose. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antineoplastic activity on sarcoma 180 cells implanted in mice of two forms of preparation of the mycelium from two A. blazei strains grown in culture medium with different concentrations of isolated soy protein. Mycelia were grown in Pontecorvo medium with different concentrations of isolated soybean protein (ISP). Mycelial hot water extract, moistened mycelial powder, hot water extract of green tea, Ifosfamida(®) (ifosfamide drug), and saline solution were administered daily by gavage in mice with sarcoma 180 cells to evaluate antineoplastic activity. It was concluded that antineoplastic activity was the same for both strains, except when used as moistened mycelial powder, which rules out the use of mycelial powder in capsules. Mycelial hot water extract had high antineoplastic activity with lower metabolic demand on the spleen and maintenance of normal blood parameters. Mycelial growth in different ISP concentrations had the same antineoplastic activity. Also the vegetative mycelium was as effective as the basidiocarp for sarcoma 180 tumor inhibition. Green tea was as effective as mycelial hot water extract.

Selected phytotoxins and organic extracts from endophytic fungus Edenia gomezpompae as light reaction of photosynthesis inhibitors.

PubMed

Macías-Rubalcava, Martha Lydia; Ruiz-Velasco Sobrino, María Emma; Meléndez-González, Claudio; King-Díaz, Beatriz; Lotina-Hennsen, Blas

2014-09-05

In a search for natural herbicides, we investigated the action mechanism of the naphthoquinone spiroketals, isolated from the endophytic fungus Edenia gomezpompae: preussomerins EG1 (1) and EG4 (2), and palmarumycins CP17 (3), and CP2 (4) on the photosynthesis light reactions. The naphthoquinone spiroketals 1-4 inhibited the ATP synthesis in freshly lysed spinach thylakoids from water to MV, and they also inhibited the non-cyclic electron transport in the basal, phosphorylating and uncoupled conditions from water to MV. Therefore, they act as Hill reaction inhibitors. The results suggested that naphthoquinone spiroketals 1-4 have two interactions and inhibition site on the PSII electron transport chain. The first one involves the water splitting enzyme inhibition; and, the second on the acceptor site of PSII in a similar way that herbicide Diuron, studied by polaroghaphy and corroborated by fluorescence of the chlorophyll a of PSII. The culture medium and mycelium organic extracts from four morphological variants of E. gomezpompae were phytotoxic, and the culture medium extracts were more potent than mycelium extracts. They also act as Hill reaction inhibitors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biopolymer - A beginning towards back to nature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gautam, S.; Gautam, A.

2018-05-01

Biopolymer is regarded as a polymer which can be biodegradable. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is one of the biopolymer which can be recovered from biomass. PHAs are naturally conserved in the cytoplasm of the bacterial cell during the growth. Bacteria/microbes store their energy from carbon sources in the form of hydrocarbons. Intracellular stored compounds are tightly linked with entire cell resulting difficulty of separation. The work aims to extract PHAs from biomass effectively. Chemical and mechanical separation of PHA can be done from biomass. A pretreatment of cells before chemical and mechanical separation is also effective for separation of PHA and has been carried out. Chemical extraction of PHA includes digestion of cell wall in acidic or alkaline medium and releasing PHA in broth, later sedimentation recovers PHA. In recent work different chemical methods were carried out to extract PHA of medium chain length. In one of these, sodium hypochlorite was used to denature the protein and chloroform was used for extraction of purified PHA. A recovery upto 96.6%, PHA by dried weight of cell, was obtained which is quite high comparing to reported literature. Other chemical disruption by sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide with and without pretreatment have also been carried out.

Extracts from black carrot tissue culture as potent anticancer agents.

PubMed

Sevimli-Gur, Canan; Cetin, Burcu; Akay, Seref; Gulce-Iz, Sultan; Yesil-Celiktas, Ozlem

2013-09-01

Black carrots contain anthocyanins possessing enhanced physiological activities. Explants of young black carrot shoots were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium for callus initiation and were transferred to new MS medium supplemented with four different combinations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and kinetin. Subsequently, the lyophilized calli and black carrot harvested from fields were subjected to ultrasound extraction with ethanol at a ratio of 1:15 (w:v). Obtained extracts were applied to various human cancer cell lines including MCF-7 SK-BR-3 and MDA-MB-231 (human breast adenocarcinomas), HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma), PC-3 (human prostate adenocarcinoma), Neuro 2A (Musmusculus neuroblastoma) cancer cell lines and VERO (African green monkey kidney) normal cell line by MTT assay. The highest cytotoxic activity was achieved against Neuro-2A cell lines exhibiting viability of 38-46% at 6.25 μg/ml concentration for all calli and natural extracts. However, a significantly high IC50 value of 170.13 μg/ml was attained in normal cell line VERO indicating that its natural counterpart is an ideal candidate for treatment of brain cancer without causing negative effects to normal healthy cells.

Apoptotic Effect of Nigella sativa on Human Lymphoma U937 Cells.

PubMed

Arslan, Belkis Atasever; Isik, Fatma Busra; Gur, Hazal; Ozen, Fatih; Catal, Tunc

2017-10-01

Nigella sativa is from botanical Ranunculaceae family and commonly known as black seed. Apoptotic effect of N. sativa and its apoptotic signaling pathways on U937 lymphoma cells are unknown. In this study, we investigated selective cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of N. sativa extract and its apoptotic mechanisms on U937 cells. In addition, we also studied selective cytotoxic activity of thymoquinone that is the most active essential oil of N. sativa . Our results showed that N. sativa extract has selective cytotoxicity and apoptotic effects on U937 cells but not ECV304 control cells. However, thymoquinone had no significant cytotoxicity against on both cells. N. sativa extract increased significantly caspase-3, BAD, and p53 gene expressions in U937 cells. N. sativa may have anticancer drug potential and trigger p53-induced apoptosis in U937 lymphoma cells. This is the first study showing the apoptotic effect of Nigella sativa extract on U937 cells. Abbreviations used: CI: Cytotoxicity index, DMEM: Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium, HL: Hodgkin's lymphoma, MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethy lthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, RPMI: Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium.

Simulation and study of small numbers of random events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shelton, R. D.

1986-01-01

Random events were simulated by computer and subjected to various statistical methods to extract important parameters. Various forms of curve fitting were explored, such as least squares, least distance from a line, maximum likelihood. Problems considered were dead time, exponential decay, and spectrum extraction from cosmic ray data using binned data and data from individual events. Computer programs, mostly of an iterative nature, were developed to do these simulations and extractions and are partially listed as appendices. The mathematical basis for the compuer programs is given.

Endosulfan induced alteration in bacterial protein profile and RNA yield of Klebsiella sp. M3, Achromobacter sp. M6, and Rhodococcus sp. M2.

PubMed

Singh, Madhu; Singh, Dileep Kumar

2014-01-30

Three bacterial strains identified as Klebsiella sp. M3, Achromobacter sp. M6 and Rhodococcus sp. M2 were isolated by soil enrichment with endosulfan followed by shake flask enrichment technique. They were efficiently degrading endosulfan in the NSM (non sulfur medium) broth. Degradation of endosulfan was faster with the cell free extract of bacterial cells grown in the sulfur deficient medium (NSM) supplemented with endosulfan than that of nutrient rich medium (Luria Bertani). In the cell free extract of NSM supplemented with endosulfan as sole sulfur source, a unique band was visualized on SDS-PAGE but not with magnesium sulfate as the sole sulfur source in NSM and LB with endosulfan. Expression of a unique polypeptide band was speculated to be induced by endosulfan under sulfur starved condition. These unique polypeptide bands were identified as OmpK35 protein, sulfate binding protein and outer membrane porin protein, respectively, in Klebsiella sp. M3, Achromobacter sp. M6 and Rhodococcus sp. M2. Endosulfan showed dose dependent negative effect on total RNA yield of bacterial strains in nutrient rich medium. Absence of plasmid DNA indicated the presence of endosulfan metabolizing gene on genomic DNA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of culturing condition and medium composition for the production of alginate lyase by a marine Vibrio sp. YKW-34

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Xiaoting; Lin, Hong; Kim, Sang Moo

2008-02-01

Carbohydrases secreted by marine Vibrio sp. YKW-34 with strong Laminaria cell wall degrading ability were screened, and among them alginate lyase was found to be dominant. The effects of medium composition and culturing condition on the production of alginate lyase by marine Vibrio sp. YKW-34 in flask were investigated in this study. In the culture medium of marine broth, no alginate lyase was produced. The activity of the alginate lyase, after being induced, reached 5 UmL-1. The best inoculum volume and inoculum age were 10% and 12 h, respectively. The optimal temperature for alginate lyase production was 25°C. The fermentation medium was composed of 0.5% of Laminaria powder and 0.2% of KNO3 with an initial acidity of pH 8.0. Alginate could induce alginate lyase production but not as efficiently as Laminaria powder did. The addition of fucoidan, cellulose and glucose had negative effect on the alginate lyase production. Other kinds of nitrogen sources, such as yeast extract, beef extract and peptone, had positive effect on the growth of the microorganism and negative effect on alginate lyase production. In addition, the time course of alginate lyase production under the optimized condition was described. The optimal harvest time was 48 h.

Possible mechanism of the stimulatory effect of Artemisia leaf extract on the proliferation of cultured endothelial cells: involvement of basic fibroblast growth factor.

PubMed

Kaji, T; Kaga, K; Miezi, N; Hayashi, T; Ejiri, N; Sakuragawa, N

1990-09-01

To investigate the possible mechanism of the stimulatory effect of a hot water extract from Artemisia leaf (Artemisia princeps PANPANINI) (AFE) on the proliferation of endothelial cells, cells from bovine aorta were cultured for 72 h in RPMI1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum in the presence of 5 micrograms/ml AFE. The AFE treatment significantly increased the cell number after culture, while in the presence of 10 micrograms/ml unfractionated heparin, AFE conversely decreased it. This implied that AFE enhanced the cell growth promotion by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The accumulation of bFGF was significantly increased in the culture medium, in the low-affinity (glycosaminoglycans-binding) fraction, and in the cell extract fraction, but was unchanged in the high-affinity (receptor-binding) fraction. The contents of [35S]sulfate-labeled glycosaminoglycans in both cell layer and the medium were not increased by AFE treatment. The proliferation of A10 cells, an established cell line of smooth muscle cells from murine aorta, was not stimulated by AFE. A10 cells did not produce a significant amount of bFGF in the presence or absence of AFE. Thus, the production of bFGF was considered to be involved in AFE stimulation of cell proliferation. In conclusion, it was suggested that AFE stimulated endothelial cell proliferation by increasing the production of bFGF rather than by an increase in the number of bFGF receptors and the content of glycosaminoglycans in the cell layer. The enhanced reserve of bFGF in the low-affinity fraction of cell layer and in the medium would cause the AFE-stimulated proliferation of endothelial cells.

The role of acyl carrier protein isoforms from Cuphea lanceolata seeds in the de-novo biosynthesis of medium-chain fatty acids.

PubMed

Schütt, B S; Brummel, M; Schuch, R; Spener, F

1998-06-01

To investigate the role of acyl carrier protein (ACP) in determining the fate of the acyl moieties linked to it in the course of de-novo fatty acid biosynthesis in higher plants, we carried out in vitro experiments to reconstitute the fatty acid synthase (FAS) reaction in extracts of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves, rape (Brassica napus L.) seeds and Cuphea lanceolata Ait. seeds. The action of two major C. lanceolata ACP isoforms (ACP 1 and ACP 2) compared to ACP from Escherichia coli was monitored by saponification of the corresponding FAS products with subsequent analysis of the liberated fatty acids by high-performance liquid chromatography. In a second approach the preference of the medium-chain acyl-ACP-specific thioesterase (EC 3.1.2.14) of C. lanceolata seeds for the hydrolysis of acyl-ACPs prepared from the three ACP types was investigated. Both ACP isoforms from C. lanceolata seeds supported the synthesis of medium-chain fatty acids in a reconstituted FAS reaction of spinach leaf extracts. Compared to the isoform ACP 1, ACP 2 was more effective in supporting the synthesis of such fatty acids in the FAS reaction of rape seed extracts and caused a higher accumulation of FAS products in all experiments. No preference of the medium-chain thioesterase for one specific ACP isoform was observed. The results indicate that the presence of ACP 2 is essential for the synthesis of decanoic acid in C. lanceolata seeds, and its expression in the phase of accumulation of high levels of this fatty acid provides an additional and highly efficient cofactor for stimulating the FAS reaction.

Controlling the wave propagation through the medium designed by linear coordinate transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yicheng; He, Chengdong; Wang, Yuzhuo; Liu, Xuan; Zhou, Jing

2015-01-01

Based on the principle of transformation optics, we propose to control the wave propagating direction through the homogenous anisotropic medium designed by linear coordinate transformation. The material parameters of the medium are derived from the linear coordinate transformation applied. Keeping the space area unchanged during the linear transformation, the polarization-dependent wave control through a non-magnetic homogeneous medium can be realized. Beam benders, polarization splitter, and object illusion devices are designed, which have application prospects in micro-optics and nano-optics. The simulation results demonstrate the feasibilities and the flexibilities of the method and the properties of these devices. Design details and full-wave simulation results are provided. The work in this paper comprehensively applies the fundamental theories of electromagnetism and mathematics. The method of obtaining a new solution of the Maxwell equations in a medium from a vacuum plane wave solution and a linear coordinate transformation is introduced. These have a pedagogical value and are methodologically and motivationally appropriate for physics students and teachers at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Rat medium-term multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay of Agaricus blazei Murrill fruit-body extract.

PubMed

Doi, Yuko; Furukawa, Fumio; Suguro, Mayuko; Ito, Hikaru; Imai, Norio; Nabae, Kyoko; Toda, Yosuke; Inatomi, Satoshi; Kinugasa, Satomi; Kobayashi, Hitoshi

2010-01-01

The modifying potential of Agaricus blazei Murrill fruit-body extract (ABFE) on tumor development was investigated in a medium-term multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay. Male 6-week-old F344 rats were treated with N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN), N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH), N-butyl-N-(hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine (BBN), and diisopropanolnitrosamine (DHPN) for initiation (DMBDD treatment). After a 1-week withdrawal period, the animals received distilled water (vehicle control) or ABFE A, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) at 0.8 mg/kg, ABFE B (GABA level of 3.0mg/kg) or ABFE C (GABA level of 12.0mg/kg) by gavage for 24 weeks. There were no effects of ABFE on survival rate, general condition, body weight, food and water consumption, and organ weights. The multiplicity of large intestinal nodules, smaller than 2mm was significantly increased in the ABFE C group with DMBDD treatment. However, there were no significantly inter-group differences in incidences of hyperplastic or neoplastic lesions in colon or other organs, or in immunohistochemically identified preneoplastic lesions in the liver. In conclusion, A. blazei Murrill fruit-body extract, even at a GABA level up to 12 mg/kg, did not exert modifying potential in the present medium-term multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay in male F344 rats (DMBDD method). Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The MUSIC of galaxy clusters - II. X-ray global properties and scaling relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biffi, V.; Sembolini, F.; De Petris, M.; Valdarnini, R.; Yepes, G.; Gottlöber, S.

2014-03-01

We present the X-ray properties and scaling relations of a large sample of clusters extracted from the Marenostrum MUltidark SImulations of galaxy Clusters (MUSIC) data set. We focus on a sub-sample of 179 clusters at redshift z ˜ 0.11, with 3.2 × 1014 h-1 M⊙ < Mvir < 2 × 1015 h-1 M⊙, complete in mass. We employed the X-ray photon simulator PHOX to obtain synthetic Chandra observations and derive observable-like global properties of the intracluster medium (ICM), as X-ray temperature (TX) and luminosity (LX). TX is found to slightly underestimate the true mass-weighted temperature, although tracing fairly well the cluster total mass. We also study the effects of TX on scaling relations with cluster intrinsic properties: total (M500 and gas Mg,500 mass; integrated Compton parameter (YSZ) of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) thermal effect; YX = Mg,500 TX. We confirm that YX is a very good mass proxy, with a scatter on M500-YX and YSZ-YX lower than 5 per cent. The study of scaling relations among X-ray, intrinsic and SZ properties indicates that simulated MUSIC clusters reasonably resemble the self-similar prediction, especially for correlations involving TX. The observational approach also allows for a more direct comparison with real clusters, from which we find deviations mainly due to the physical description of the ICM, affecting TX and, particularly, LX.

Response surface optimization of culture medium for enhanced docosahexaenoic acid production by a Malaysian thraustochytrid

PubMed Central

Manikan, Vidyah; Kalil, Mohd Sahaid; Hamid, Aidil Abdul

2015-01-01

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) plays a vital role in the enhancement of human health, particularly for cognitive, neurological, and visual functions. Marine microalgae, such as members of the genus Aurantiochytrium, are rich in DHA and represent a promising source of omega-3 fatty acids. In this study, levels of glucose, yeast extract, sodium glutamate and sea salt were optimized for enhanced lipid and DHA production by a Malaysian isolate of thraustochytrid, Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1, using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized medium contained 60 g/L glucose, 2 g/L yeast extract, 24 g/L sodium glutamate and 6 g/L sea salt. This combination produced 17.8 g/L biomass containing 53.9% lipid (9.6 g/L) which contained 44.07% DHA (4.23 g/L). The optimized medium was used in a scale-up run, where a 5 L bench-top bioreactor was employed to verify the applicability of the medium at larger scale. This produced 24.46 g/L biomass containing 38.43% lipid (9.4 g/L), of which 47.87% was DHA (4.5 g/L). The total amount of DHA produced was 25% higher than that produced in the original medium prior to optimization. This result suggests that Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1 could be developed for industrial application as a commercial DHA-producing microorganism. PMID:25721623

Method for optical pumping of thin laser media at high average power

DOEpatents

Zapata, Luis E [Livermore, CA; Beach, Raymond J [Livermore, CA; Honea, Eric C [Sunol, CA; Payne, Stephen A [Castro Valley, CA

2004-07-13

A thin, planar laser material is bonded to a light guide of an index-matched material forming a composite disk. Diode array or other pump light is introduced into the composite disk through the edges of the disk. Pump light trapped within the composite disk depletes as it multi-passes the laser medium before reaching an opposing edge of the disk. The resulting compound optical structure efficiently delivers concentrated pump light and to a laser medium of minimum thickness. The external face of the laser medium is used for cooling. A high performance cooler attached to the external face of the laser medium rejects heat. Laser beam extraction is parallel to the heat flux to minimize optical distortions.

Calculations of a wideband metamaterial absorber using equivalent medium theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xiaojun; Yang, Helin; Wang, Danqi; Yu, Shengqing; Lou, Yanchao; Guo, Ling

2016-08-01

Metamaterial absorbers (MMAs) have drawn increasing attention in many areas due to the fact that they can achieve electromagnetic (EM) waves with unity absorptivity. We demonstrate the design, simulation, experiment and calculation of a wideband MMA based on a loaded double-square-loop (DSL) array of chip resisters. For a normal incidence EM wave, the simulated results show that the absorption of the full width at half maximum is about 9.1 GHz, and the relative bandwidth is 87.1%. Experimental results are in agreement with the simulations. More importantly, equivalent medium theory (EMT) is utilized to calculate the absorptions of the DSL MMA, and the calculated absorptions based on EMT agree with the simulated and measured results. The method based on EMT provides a new way to analysis the mechanism of MMAs.

Effect of utilization of tomato extract and foliar fertilizer as media on shoots multiplication of banana cv Ambon in vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bidhari, L. A.; Purwanto, E.; Yunus, A.

2018-03-01

The good quality banana seeds are still difficult to obtain. There are two ways to provide seeds, namely conventional and tissue culture (in vitro). Tomato extract contains natural ZPT or phytohormone which can be utilized in modification of banana tissue culture media. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of media types and tomato extracts in various concentrations for multiplication of banana cv. Ambon in vitro. The study was conducted from October - December 2016 at the Tissue Culture Laboratory of Horticulture Seed Center, Salaman, Magelang. The experimental design used was completely randomized design with two treatment factors. The firs factor was media type with the addition of foliar fertilizer, the second factor was modification of tomato extract with 4 levels. The results showed that the different of the treated media treatment did not affect the emerge of leaf and leaf length, the number of roots and root length. The emerge of the leaves of all treatments occurred at 6 days after planting with the highest average length was obtained in MS treatment with a combination of tomato extract 50 ml/l (10.3 cm). The use of MS medium with a combination of tomato extract 50 ml/l generated the average root number 15.5 with a root lengths 7.5 cm. Substitution of MS medium with tomato extract and foliar fertilizer did not show better results compared to the use of MS media in the multiplication of banana shoots in tissue culture.

Use of FTA gene guard filter paper for the storage and transportation of tumor cells for molecular testing.

PubMed

Dobbs, Larry J; Madigan, Merle N; Carter, Alexis B; Earls, Lori

2002-01-01

Efficient methods of storing tumor specimens for molecular testing are needed in the modern surgical pathology laboratory. The FTA Gene Guard system is a novel method for the collection and room temperature storage of blood samples for DNA testing. The method uses index card-sized filter papers that provide an ideal medium on which to store tumor specimens for DNA testing. To determine whether FTA filter paper can be used in the surgical pathology laboratory to store tumor cells for DNA testing. Cell suspensions were prepared from 60 surgical specimens, and DNA was extracted either immediately or after storage on FTA paper. The DNA extracted by each method was tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the beta-globin and interferon gamma genes, and the results were compared. Fifteen lymph node specimens stored on FTA paper were then tested for immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement by PCR, and these results were compared with those obtained for immediately extracted DNA. University medical center. The DNA extracted from cells stored on FTA paper performed as well in the PCR as the freshly extracted DNA in nearly all cases (>95%). The results of tests for IgH gene rearrangements showed 100% concordance between the 2 methods of DNA extraction.Conclusion.-Cells from surgical specimens can be stored on FTA paper for extended lengths of time, and DNA can be extracted from these cells for PCR-based testing. FTA filter paper is a reliable medium for the storage and/or transport of tumor cells for PCR-based DNA analysis.

Headspace single drop microextraction coupled with microwave extraction of essential oil from plant materials.

PubMed

Zhai, Yujuan; Sun, Shuo; Wang, Ziming; Zhang, Yupu; Liu, He; Sun, Ye; Zhang, Hanqi; Yu, Aimin

2011-05-01

Headspace single drop microextraction (HS-SDME) coupled with microwave extraction (ME) was developed and applied to the extraction of the essential oil from dried Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. et Perry and Cuminum cyminum L. The operational parameters, such as microdrop volume, microwave absorption medium (MAM), extraction time, and microwave power were optimized. Ten microliters of decane was used as the microextraction solvent. Ionic liquid and carbonyl iron powder were used as MAM. The extraction time was less than 7 min at the microwave power of 440 W. The proposed method was compared with hydrodistillation (HD). There were no obvious differences in the constituents of essential oils obtained by the two methods.

Yield performance of Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (W.Curt.:Fr.) P. Karst. (higher Basidiomycetes), using different waste materials as substrates.

PubMed

Azizi, Majid; Tavana, Maryam; Farsi, Mohammad; Oroojalian, Fatemeh

2012-01-01

In this research the effect of sawdust, malt extract, and wheat bran on yield, biological efficiency (BE), and mycelia growth of Ganoderma lucidum was investigated. Three kinds of sawdust (beech, poplar, and hornbeam) as basal medium were mixed with two levels of wheat bran (5% and 10% w/w) and malt extract (2.5% and 5% w/w) as medium supplement for production of G. lucidum in factorial experiments on the basis of completely randomized design with three replications. The results showed that various kinds of sawdust affect fruiting body yield, BE, and mycelia growth rate significantly. The highest fruiting body yield and BE (102.58 g/kg and 12.89%, respectively) were found using hornbeam sawdust. The beech sawdust promotes the mycelia growth rate more than other sawdust. Analysis of variance showed that there is a significant interaction between the sawdust type and wheat bran, sawdust type and malt extract, and wheat bran and malt extract as far as yield and BE of G. lucidum was concerned. A final comparison of the different formulae indicated that the best combinations for high yield (142.44 g/kg) and BE (18.68%) were obtained in a combination of poplar sawdust with 5% malt extract and 10% wheat bran. The highest mycelia growth rate (10.6 mm/day) was obtained in a combination of beech sawdust with 2.5% malt extract and 10% wheat bran.

Ichthyotoxicity studies of milkfish Chanos chanos fingerlings exposed to a harmful dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum.

PubMed

Chen, C -Y.; Chou, H -N.

2001-07-30

Milkfish (Chanos chanos Forsskal) fingerlings were treated with toxic, nontoxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum cells or toxic algal extract in the water medium without any aeration. Mortality of fish increased with increasing concentrations of toxic, nontoxic algal cells and water-soluble toxic algae extract. Milkfish fingerlings, which were exposed to toxic algae (1.5x10(4)-3.0x10(4) cells/ml) or algal extract [5.13x10(3)-2.05x10(4) cells/ml, 0.195 MU/10(4) cells (toxin concentration)] for 24 h, revealed by light microscopic observations a noticeable edema, hyperplasia and necrosis of secondary gill lamellae. The same toxicological symptom was observed in fish exposed to pure saxitoxin (STX) (6.475x10(-2) &mgr;g/ml) in the water medium. A higher critical oxygen pressure and oxygen consumption rate were also found in the milkfish fingerlings exposed to toxic algae extract (5.13x10(3)-2.05x10(4) cells/ml) and STX (6.475x10(-2) &mgr;g/ml). The cells of nontoxic A. minutum did not cause the gill damage to milkfish, and the extract of nontoxic algae did not cause an increase in oxygen consumption rate or critical oxygen demand of milkfish. From these results, we infer that toxic cells and its extract cause nonspecific response in gill tissues of milkfish. An instant increase in oxygen consumption rate and oxygen demand may be one of the major causes of fish death.

Effect of Punica granatum L. Flower Water Extract on Five Common Oral Bacteria and Bacterial Biofilm Formation on Orthodontic Wire

PubMed Central

VAHID DASTJERDI, Elahe; ABDOLAZIMI, Zahra; GHAZANFARIAN, Marzieh; AMDJADI, Parisa; KAMALINEJAD, Mohammad; MAHBOUBI, Arash

2014-01-01

Background: Use of herbal extracts and essences as natural antibacterial compounds has become increasingly popular for the control of oral infectious diseases. Therefore, finding natural antimicrobial products with the lowest side effects seems necessary. The present study sought to assess the effect of Punica granatum L. water extract on five oral bacteria and bacterial biofilm formation on orthodontic wire. Methods: Antibacterial property of P. granatum L. water extract was primarily evaluated in brain heart infusion agar medium using well-plate method. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined by macro-dilution method. The inhibitory effect on orthodontic wire bacterial biofilm formation was evaluated using viable cell count in biofilm medium. At the final phase, samples were fixed and analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Results: The growth inhibition zone diameter was proportional to the extract concentration. The water extract demonstrated the maximum antibacterial effect on Streptococcus sanguinis ATCC 10556 with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 6.25 mg/ml and maximum bactericidal effect on S. sanguinis ATCC 10556 and S. sobrinus ATCC 27607 with minimum bactericidal concentration of 25 mg/ml. The water extract decreased bacterial biofilm formation by S. sanguinis, S. sobrinus, S. salivarius, S. mutans ATCC 35608 and E. faecalis CIP 55142 by 93.7–100%, 40.6–99.9%, 85.2–86.5%, 66.4–84.4% and 35.5–56.3% respectively. Conclusion: Punica granatum L. water extract had significant antibacterial properties against 5 oral bacteria and prevented orthodontic wire bacterial biofilm formation. However, further investigations are required to generalize these results to the clinical setting. PMID:26171362

Microwave-assisted enhancement of milkweed (Calotropis procera L.) leaves as an eco-friendly source of natural colorants for textile.

PubMed

Hussaan, Muhammad; Iqbal, Naeem; Adeel, Shahid; Azeem, Muhammad; Tariq Javed, M; Raza, Ali

2017-02-01

Application of natural colorants to textile fabrics has gained worldwide public acceptance due to the hazardous nature of synthetic dyes. Present study investigated the microwave's mediated extraction of natural colorants from leaves of milkweed (Calotropis procera L.) as well as their application to cotton fabrics assisted with biochemical mordants. Dye extraction from C. procera leaves was carried out in various mediums (alkali and aqueous), and the extracted dye as well as cotton fabrics was irradiated with microwaves for 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 min. Effect of various temperature regimes and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations was also evaluated on the color strength of dyed cotton fabrics. The results revealed that extraction of natural colorants was enhanced when microwave radiations were applied for 4 min by using alkali as an extraction medium as compared to aqueous one. Optimum dyeing of cotton fabrics was achieved by using NaCl at a temperature of 55 °C. Among the chemical mordants, iron was effective for better color strength when used as pre- and post-mordant. Among the studied bio-mordants, extract of Acacia nilotica bark significantly improved the color strength and fastness properties as pre-mordant and Curcuma longa tuber as post-mordant. It was concluded that extract of C. procera leaves was a potential source of natural colorants and a high level of dye was obtained upon irradiation of alkali-solubilized extract for 4 min. Application of NaCl at concentration of 3 g/100 mL and temperature treatment of 55 °C significantly improved the color strength of dyed cotton fabrics.

New three-dimensional modeling technique for studying porous media

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

Quiblier, J.A.

A great deal of research has been done on the relationships between the structure of porous media on the microscopic level and their overall properties. A short bibliographic survey is attempted, with special attention being paid to the use of models. The limitations of such research are outlined. A three-dimensional simulation process is proposed. On the basis of measurements of characteristics using thin sections of porous media, the aim is to simulate, through a random process, a porous medium which is at the same time geometrically realistic and fully determined (i.e., the coordinates of a point in the medium fullymore » determine whether this point belongs to the matrix or to the pores). Simulation opens the way to further studies of the porous medium, some of which are outlined. It is clear that a good deal of research remains to be done in this field, and some ideas are suggested for this research. 78 references.« less

Phytochemical study of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don: Spectroscopic elucidation of unusual amino-phlorogucinols and antimicrobial assessment of secondary metabolites from medium-polar extract.

PubMed

D'Abrosca, Brigida; Buommino, Elisabetta; Caputo, Pina; Scognamiglio, Monica; Chambery, Angela; Donnarumma, Giovanna; Fiorentino, Antonio

2016-12-01

Three unusual amino-phloroglucinols, named helichrytalicines A-C, along with seventeen known compounds including acetophenones, tremetrone derivatives, low-molecular weight phenols, flavonol glucosides, have been isolated from the medium-polar extract of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don, a medicinal plant typical of the Mediterranean vegetation. The structures of the compounds have been elucidated based on extensive 2D-NMR spectroscopic analyses, including COSY, TOCSY, HSQC, CIGAR-HMBC, H2BC and HSQC-TOCSY, along with Q-TOF HRMS 2 analysis. Stereostructure of the new compounds has been elucidated by Mosher's method and NOESY experiment. Antimicrobial properties against Staphylococcus epidermidis of selected compounds have been evaluated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth of Desulfovibrio on the Surface of Agar Media

PubMed Central

Iverson, Warren P.

1966-01-01

Growth of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (API strain) was found to take place in an atmosphere of hydrogen on the agar surface of complex media, including yeast extract (Difco), and Trypticase Soy Agar (BBL) without any added reducing agents. For growth on a 2% yeast extract-agar surface in the absence of hydrogen (nitrogen atmosphere), sodium lactate was required in the medium. Growth on the surface of Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA) under nitrogen took place readily in the absence of an added hydrogen donor. A medium (TSA plus salts) is described based upon the addition of sodium lactate (4 ml per liter), magnesium sulfate (2 g per liter), and ferrous ammonium sulfate (0.05%) to TSA, which appears suitable for the isolation and growth of Desulfovibrio on the surface of agar plates in an atmosphere of hydrogen. Sodium lactate does not appear to be essential in this medium for good growth and sulfate reduction in a hydrogen atmosphere, but is essential in a nitrogen atmosphere. Growth of Desulfovibrio (hydrogen atmosphere) on the agar surface of media commonly used for its cultivation as well as on an inorganic medium containing bicarbonate as a source of carbon is poor and erratic unless inoculated (Desulfovibrio) plates of TSA plus salts are incubated in the same container with plates of these media. This stimulatory effect of incubation with inoculated plates of TSA plus salts medium appears to be due to as yet unidentified volatile material produced by D. desulfuricans when growing on this medium. Another volatile material, or possibly the identical material, appears to act similarly to a hydrogen donor. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 PMID:5955798

Numerical and physical modeling of cutoff walls against saltwater intrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crestani, Elena; Camporese, Matteo; Salandin, Paolo

2017-04-01

Seawater intrusion is a relevant problem for many communities living in small islands, where the amount of fresh water available for human consumption depends on the delicate equilibrium between the natural groundwater recharge from rainfall and the surrounding sea. However, it can represent a significant issue also for coastal regions where groundwater is extracted for water supply: an excessive extraction to meet growing demands for drinking water and irrigation purposes leads to a decrease of seaward flows of fresh water and consequently to an increase of seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers. Cutoff walls represent one of the possible strategies that can be adopted to reduce seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers and to limit the inland progression of the saltwater wedge. In this study, on the basis of several preliminary simulations developed by the SUTRA code, a cutoff wall occluding 70% of the aquifer depth is designed for a physical experiment, whose setup details are reported as follows. The physical model represents the terminal part of a coastal aquifer and consists of a flume 500 cm long, 30 cm wide and 60 cm high, filled for an height of 49 cm with glass beads with a d50 of 0.6 mm and a uniformity coefficient d60/d10 1.5. The resulting porous medium is homogeneous, with porosity of about 0.37 and hydraulic conductivity of about 1.3 10-3 m/s. Upstream from the sandbox, a tank filled by freshwater provides recharge for the aquifer. The downstream tank simulates the sea and red food dye is added to the saltwater to easily visualize the salt wedge. The volume of the downstream tank is about five times the upstream one, and, due to the small filtration discharge, minimizing salt concentration variations due to the incoming freshwater flow. The hydraulic gradient during the tests is constant, due to the fixed water level in the tanks. Water levels and discharged flow rate are continuously monitored. The cutoff wall was realized with sodium bentonite, characterized by a hydraulic conductivity of about 10-9 m/s, and an electrical resistivity comparable to that of the porous medium. The experiment presented here had a duration of 36 h. For the first 28 h, the saltwater wedge was let to evolve until quasi-stationary conditions were obtained. In the last 8 h, water withdrawal was carried out at a distance of about 50 cm from the downstream tank by means of a draining trench. The experiment was monitored by means of photos collected with regular frequency as well as ERT (electrical resistivity tomography) with a joint surface and cross-borehole configuration, specifically designed for the laboratory flume. The results show that the cutoff wall is effective in reducing the vertical extent of the salt wedge even if a large amount of incoming freshwater is extracted from the draining trench. On the other hand, a considerable increase of the diffuse front affects the portion of aquifer between the cutoff wall and the seaward boundary. Visual inspection and ERT results are substantially in agreement with the results obtained by the numerical simulations.

Development of a helicon ion source: Simulations and preliminary experiments.

PubMed

Afsharmanesh, M; Habibi, M

2018-03-01

In the present context, the extraction system of a helicon ion source has been simulated and constructed. Results of the ion source commissioning at up to 20 kV are presented as well as simulations of an ion beam extraction system. Argon current of more than 200 μA at up to 20 kV is extracted and is characterized with a Faraday cup and beam profile monitoring grid. By changing different ion source parameters such as RF power, extraction voltage, and working pressure, an ion beam with current distribution exhibiting a central core has been detected. Jump transition of ion beam current emerges at the RF power near to 700 W, which reveals that the helicon mode excitation has reached this power. Furthermore, measuring the emission line intensity of Ar ii at 434.8 nm is the other way we have used for demonstrating the mode transition from inductively coupled plasma to helicon. Due to asymmetrical longitudinal power absorption of a half-helix helicon antenna, it is used for the ion source development. The modeling of the plasma part of the ion source has been carried out using a code, HELIC. Simulations are carried out by taking into account a Gaussian radial plasma density profile and for plasma densities in range of 10 18 -10 19 m -3 . Power absorption spectrum and the excited helicon mode number are obtained. Longitudinal RF power absorption for two different antenna positions is compared. Our results indicate that positioning the antenna near to the plasma electrode is desirable for the ion beam extraction. The simulation of the extraction system was performed with the ion optical code IBSimu, making it the first helicon ion source extraction designed with the code. Ion beam emittance and Twiss parameters of the ellipse emittance are calculated at different iterations and mesh sizes, and the best values of the mesh size and iteration number have been obtained for the calculations. The simulated ion beam extraction system has been evaluated using optimized parameters such as the gap distance between electrodes, electrodes aperture, and extraction voltage. The gap distance, ground electrode aperture, and extraction voltage have been changed between 3 and 9 mm, 2-6.5 mm, and 10-35 kV in the simulations, respectively.

Development of a helicon ion source: Simulations and preliminary experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afsharmanesh, M.; Habibi, M.

2018-03-01

In the present context, the extraction system of a helicon ion source has been simulated and constructed. Results of the ion source commissioning at up to 20 kV are presented as well as simulations of an ion beam extraction system. Argon current of more than 200 μA at up to 20 kV is extracted and is characterized with a Faraday cup and beam profile monitoring grid. By changing different ion source parameters such as RF power, extraction voltage, and working pressure, an ion beam with current distribution exhibiting a central core has been detected. Jump transition of ion beam current emerges at the RF power near to 700 W, which reveals that the helicon mode excitation has reached this power. Furthermore, measuring the emission line intensity of Ar ii at 434.8 nm is the other way we have used for demonstrating the mode transition from inductively coupled plasma to helicon. Due to asymmetrical longitudinal power absorption of a half-helix helicon antenna, it is used for the ion source development. The modeling of the plasma part of the ion source has been carried out using a code, HELIC. Simulations are carried out by taking into account a Gaussian radial plasma density profile and for plasma densities in range of 1018-1019 m-3. Power absorption spectrum and the excited helicon mode number are obtained. Longitudinal RF power absorption for two different antenna positions is compared. Our results indicate that positioning the antenna near to the plasma electrode is desirable for the ion beam extraction. The simulation of the extraction system was performed with the ion optical code IBSimu, making it the first helicon ion source extraction designed with the code. Ion beam emittance and Twiss parameters of the ellipse emittance are calculated at different iterations and mesh sizes, and the best values of the mesh size and iteration number have been obtained for the calculations. The simulated ion beam extraction system has been evaluated using optimized parameters such as the gap distance between electrodes, electrodes aperture, and extraction voltage. The gap distance, ground electrode aperture, and extraction voltage have been changed between 3 and 9 mm, 2-6.5 mm, and 10-35 kV in the simulations, respectively.

Characterization of the hrpZ gene from Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola M2.

PubMed

Álvarez-Mejía, César; Rodríguez-Ríos, Dalia; Hernández-Guzmán, Gustavo; López-Ramírez, Varinia; Valenzuela-Soto, Humberto; Marsch, Rodolfo

2015-01-01

Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola is a natural pathogen of members of the Brassicaceae plant family. Using a transposon-based mutagenesis strategy in Pseudomonas syringaepv. maculicola M2 (PsmM2), we conducted a genetic screen to identify mutants that were capable of growing in M9 medium supplemented with a crude extract from the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. A mutant containing a transposon insertion in the hrpZ gene (PsmMut8) was unable to infect adult plants from Arabidopsis thaliana or Brassica oleracea, suggesting a loss of pathogenicity. The promotorless cat reporter present in the gene trap was expressed if PsmMut8 was grown in minimal medium (M9) supplemented with the leaf extract but not if grown in normal rich medium (KB). We conducted phylogenetic analysis using hrpAZB genes, showing the classical 5-clade distribution, and nucleotide diversity analysis, showing the putative position for selective pressure in this operon. Our results indicate that the hrpAZB operon from Pseudomonas syringaepv. maculicola M2 is necessary for its pathogenicity and that its diversity would be under host-mediated diversifying selection.

Characterization of the hrpZ gene from Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicolaM2

PubMed Central

Álvarez-Mejía, César; Rodríguez-Ríos, Dalia; Hernández-Guzmán, Gustavo; López-Ramírez, Varinia; Valenzuela-Soto, Humberto; Marsch, Rodolfo

2015-01-01

Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola is a natural pathogen of members of the Brassicaceae plant family. Using a transposon-based mutagenesis strategy in Pseudomonas syringaepv. maculicola M2 (PsmM2), we conducted a genetic screen to identify mutants that were capable of growing in M9 medium supplemented with a crude extract from the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. A mutant containing a transposon insertion in the hrpZ gene (PsmMut8) was unable to infect adult plants from Arabidopsis thaliana or Brassica oleracea, suggesting a loss of pathogenicity. The promotorless cat reporter present in the gene trap was expressed if PsmMut8 was grown in minimal medium (M9) supplemented with the leaf extract but not if grown in normal rich medium (KB). We conducted phylogenetic analysis using hrpAZB genes, showing the classical 5-clade distribution, and nucleotide diversity analysis, showing the putative position for selective pressure in this operon. Our results indicate that the hrpAZB operon from Pseudomonas syringaepv. maculicola M2 is necessary for its pathogenicity and that its diversity would be under host-mediated diversifying selection. PMID:26413080

Sensory and instrumental analysis of medium and long shelf-life Charentais cantaloupe melons (Cucumis melo L.) harvested at different maturities.

PubMed

Lignou, Stella; Parker, Jane K; Baxter, Charles; Mottram, Donald S

2014-04-01

The flavour profiles of two genotypes of Charentais cantaloupe melons (medium shelf-life and long shelf-life), harvested at two distinct maturities (immature and mature fruit), were investigated. Dynamic headspace extraction (DHE), solid-phase extraction (SPE), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-olfactometry/mass spectrometry (GC-O/MS) were used to determine volatile and semi-volatile compounds. Qualitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was used to assess the organoleptic impact of the different melons and the sensory data were correlated with the chemical analysis. There were significant, consistent and substantial differences between the mature and immature fruit for the medium shelf-life genotype, the less mature giving a green, cucumber character and lacking the sweet, fruity character of the mature fruit. However, maturity at harvest had a much smaller impact on the long shelf-life melons and fewer differences were detected. These long shelf-life melons tasted sweet, but lacked fruity flavours, instead exhibiting a musty, earthy character. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Kluyveromyces marxianus FII 510700 grown on a lactose-based medium as a source of a natural bioemulsifier.

PubMed

Lukondeh, Tredwell; Ashbolt, Nicholas J; Rogers, Peter L

2003-12-01

Mannoprotein with emulsification properties was extracted from the cell walls of Kluyveromyces marxianus grown on a lactose-based medium by autoclaving cells in a citrate buffer at pH 7. The purified product was evaluated for chemical and physical stability to establish its potential use as a natural emulsifier in processed foods. The yield of purified bioemulsifier from this strain of K. marxianus was 4-7% of the original dry cell weight. The purified product, at a concentration of 12 g l(-1), formed emulsions that were stable for 3 months when subjected to a range of pH (3-11) and NaCl concentrations (2-50 g l(-1)). The composition of this mannoprotein was 90% carbohydrate (mannan) and 4-6% protein. These values are similar to mannoprotein extracted from cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is the traditional source. Consequently K. marxianus cultivated on a low-cost lactose-based medium such as whey, a lactose-rich clean waste of the dairy industry, could be developed as a source of bioemulsifier for use in the food industry.

Fumonisins B, A and C profile and masking in Fusarium verticillioides strains on fumonisin-inducing and maize-based media.

PubMed

Lazzaro, Irene; Falavigna, Claudia; Dall'asta, Chiara; Proctor, Robert H; Galaverna, Gianni; Battilani, Paola

2012-10-01

The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence was investigated in 3 strains of Fusarium verticillioides isolated from maize, cultured for 21-45days on malt extract medium at 25°C and 0.955-0.990 water activity (a(w)). Fumonisin A-B and C series were produced by all the strains in all conditions studied, with B-fumonisin≫C-fumonisin>A-fumonisin following a similar trend. The dynamic of fumonisin production was significantly influenced by factors considered and their interaction, with a(w)=0.990 as favourable condition in ITEM 10026 and ITEM 10027. All fumonisins were maximised at 30days incubation in ITEM 10027 and ITEM 1744 and at 45days incubation in ITEM 10026. Partially hydrolysed fumonisins were detected only for the B-group. Hidden fumonisins were never observed in Fusarium cultures grown on malt extract medium but were detected in the additional trial on maize-based medium, suggesting that the masking phenomenon can occur only in a complex matrix. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Purification of inulinases by changing the ionic strength of the medium and precipitation with alcohols.

PubMed

Golunski, Simone; Silva, Marceli F; Marques, Camila T; Rosseto, Vanusa; Kaizer, Rosilene R; Mossi, Altemir J; Rigo, Diane; Dallago, Rogério M; DI Luccio, Marco; Treichel, Helen

2017-01-01

The present study evaluated the purification of inulinase by changing the ionic strength of the medium by addition of NaCl and CaCl2 followed by precipitation with n-propyl alcohol or iso-propyl alcohol. The effects of the concentration of alcohols and the rate of addition of alcohols in the crude extract on the purification yield and purification factor were evaluated. Precipitation caused an activation of enzyme and allowed purification factors up to 2.4-fold for both alcohols. The purification factor was affected positively by the modification of the ionic strength of the medium to 0.5 mol.L-1 NaCl before precipitation with the alcohol (n-propyl or iso-propyl). A purification factor of 4.8-fold and an enzyme yield of 78.1 % could be achieved by the addition of 0.5 mol.L-1 of NaCl to the crude extract, followed by the precipitation with 50 % (v/v) of n-propyl alcohol, added at a flow rate of 19.9 mL/min.

[Laboratory simulation study on the influence of resuspension on the release of mercury from Yangtze estuarine tidal flat].

PubMed

Li, Meng; Bi, Chun-Juan; Zhang, Jing-Jing; Lü, Jin-Gang; Chen, Zhen-Lou

2011-11-01

Using a Particle Environment Simulator, laboratory simulation experiment on the influence of resuspension on the release of mercury from sediments collected from medium tidal flat and low tidal flat in Chongming Dongtan was conducted. Results indicated that the conditions of overlying water changed significantly during resuspension. The concentrations of HgD and HgP were mainly in the rang of 0.152-2.657 microg x L(-1), 0.080-2.722 microg x L(-1) separately. In the resuspension processes, mercury was released from the medium intertidal sediments under the salinity condition of 4.1 per thousand, 8.0 per thousand, 10.0 per thousand, 13.0 per thousand, and from the low intertidal sediments under the salinity condition of 13.0 per thousand. However, the release of mercury from the medium intertidal sediments is not significant under the salinity condition of 4.1 per thousand, 8.0 per thousand, 10.0 per thousand. The salinity of overlying water had an important effect on resuspension. In different salinity condition, the release of mercury was different. And the release of mercury from medium tidal flat and low tidal flat was different during the resuspension periods, the release of mercury from the medium intertidal sediment was significantly higher than the release from the low intertidal sediment. When the rotate speed was (210 +/- 5) r x min(-1), the desorption of mercury significantly increased, thereby the rotate speed had an effect on the release of mercury.

Simulation of fluorescent measurements in the human skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meglinski, Igor V.; Sinichkin, Yurii P.; Utz, Sergei R.; Pilipenko, Helena A.

1995-05-01

Reflectance and fluorescence spectroscopy are successfully used for skin disease diagnostics. Human skin optical parameters are defined by its turbid, scattering properties with nonuniform absorption and fluorescence chromophores distribution, its multilayered structure, and variability under different physiological and pathological conditions. Theoretical modeling of light propagation in skin could improve the understanding of these condition and may be useful in the interpretation of in vivo reflectance and autofluorescence (AF) spectra. Laser application in medical optical tomography, tissue spectroscopy, and phototherapy stimulates the development of optical and mathematical light-tissue interaction models allowing to account the specific features of laser beam and tissue inhomogeneities. This paper presents the version of a Monte Carlo method for simulating of optical radiation propagation in biotissue and highly scattering media, allowing for 3D geometry of a medium. The simulation is based on use of Green's function of medium response to single external pulse. The process of radiation propagation is studied in the area with given boundary conditions, taking into account the processes of reflection and refraction at the boundaries of layers inside the medium under study. Results of Monte Carlo simulation were compared with experimental investigations and demonstrated good agreement.

The partitioning of copper among selected phases of geologic media of two porphyry copper districts, Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Learned, R.E.; Chao, T.T.; Sanzolone, R.F.

1981-01-01

In experiments designed to determine the manner in which copper is partitioned among selected phases that constitute geologic media, we have applied the five-step sequential extraction procedure of Chao and Theobald to the analysis of drill core, soils, and stream sediments of the Rio Vivi and Rio Tanama porphyry copper districts of Puerto Rico. The extraction procedure affords a convenient means of determining the trace-metal content of the following fractions: (1) Mn oxides and "reactive" Fe oxides; (2) "amorphous" Fe oxides; (3) "crystalline" Fe oxides; (4) sulfides and magnetite; and (5) silicates. An additional extraction between steps (1) and (2) was performed to determine organic-related copper in stream sediments. The experimental results indicate that apportionment of copper among phases constituting geologic media is a function of geochemical environment. Distinctive partitioning patterns were derived from the analysis of drill core from each of three geochemical zones: (a) the supergene zone of oxidation; (b) the supergene zone of enrichment; and (c) the hypogene zone; and similarly, from the analysis of; (d) soils on a weakly leached capping; (e) soils on a strongly leached capping; and (f) active stream sediment. The experimental results also show that geochemical contrasts (anomaly-to-background ratios) vary widely among the five fractions of each sampling medium investigated, and that at least one fraction of each medium provides substantially stronger contrast than does the bulk medium. Fraction (1) provides optimal contrast for stream sediments of the district; fraction (2) provides optimal contrast for soils on a weakly leached capping; fraction (3) provides optimal contrast for soils on a strongly leached capping. Selective extraction procedures appear to have important applications to the orientation and interpretive stages of geochemical exploration. Further investigation and testing of a similar nature are recommended. ?? 1981.

A Citrus bergamia Extract Decreases Adipogenesis and Increases Lipolysis by Modulating PPAR Levels in Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Adipose Tissue

PubMed Central

Lo Furno, Debora; Avola, Rosanna; Bonina, Francesco; Mannino, Giuliana

2016-01-01

The aim of this research was to assess the impact of a well-characterized extract from Citrus bergamia juice on adipogenesis and/or lipolysis using mesenchymal stem cells from human adipose tissue as a cell model. To evaluate the effects on adipogenesis, some cell cultures were treated with adipogenic medium plus 10 or 100 μg/mL of extract. To determine the properties on lipolysis, additional mesenchymal stem cells were cultured with adipogenic medium for 14 days and after this time added with Citrus bergamia for further 14 days. To verify adipogenic differentiation, oil red O staining at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days was performed. Moreover, the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ), adipocytes fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP), adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), monoglyceride lipase (MGL), 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)α1/2, and pAMPKα1/2 was evaluated by Western blot analysis and the release of glycerol by colorimetric assay. Citrus bergamia extract suppressed the accumulation of intracellular lipids in mesenchymal stem cells during adipogenic differentiation and promoted lipolysis by repressing the expression of adipogenic genes and activating lipolytic genes. Citrus bergamia extract could be a useful natural product for improving adipose mobilization in obesity-related disorders. PMID:27403151

Identification of the protective effects of traditional medicinal plants against SDS-induced Drosophila gut damage.

PubMed

Zhou, Yang; Liu, Zonglin; Chen, Yuchen; Jin, Li Hua

2016-10-01

Traditional medicinal plants are widely used as immunomodulatory medicines that help improve health. A total of 50 different plants used for the treatment of toxicity were screened for their in vivo protective effects. Flies were fed a standard cornmeal-yeast medium (control group) or the standard medium containing medicinal plant extracts (experimental groups). Assessment of the survival rate was performed by feeding flies with toxic compounds. Gut epithelial cells were analyzed for cell proliferation and death by green fluorescent protein antibodies and 7-aminoactinomycin D staining under the microscope. The expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) was evaluated by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction and the results revealed that after feeding the flies with toxic compounds, aqueous extracts from Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf ( C. pilosula ), Saussurea lappa (Decne.) C.B.Clarke ( S. lappa ), Imperata cylindrica Beauv.var. major (Nees) C.E. Hubb. ( I. cylindrical var. major ) and Melia toosendan Sied. Et Zucc. ( M.toosendan ) increased the fly survival rate, reduced epithelial cell death and improved gut morphology. In addition, C. pilosula extracts induced the antimicrobial peptide levels (Dpt and Mtk) following treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). However, these extracts were not observed to increase SDS-induced cell proliferation in vivo . These results indicate that there are strong protective effects in extracts of C. pilosula , S. lappa , I. cylindrical var. major and M. toosendan on Drosophila intestinal cells among 50 medicinal plants.

Changes in the chemical composition and spectroscopy of loblolly pine medium density fiberboard furnish as a function of age and refining pressure

Treesearch

Stephen S. Kelley; Thomas Elder; Leslie H. Groom

2005-01-01

Loblolly pine wood between the ages of 5-35 was refined into medium density fiberboard furnish at steam pressures from 2 to 18 bar, The effect of age and processing conditions on the properties of the fibers was assessed by wet chemical analyses, Near Infared Spectroscopy (NIR) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD).In general ,the percentages of extractives and glucose...

In vitro biocompatibility of EPM and EPDM rubbers.

PubMed

Mast, F; Hoschtitzky, J A; Van Blitterswijk, C A; Huysmans, H A

1997-01-01

The in vitro toxicity of two EPDM rubbers (K 778 and K 4802) and one EPM rubber (K 740) was tested using human fibroblasts. The modulus of elasticity of each rubber was varied by exposure to different amounts of electron-beam radiation (0, 5 and 10 Mrad). The short-term in vitro toxicity was tested by culturing cells on polymer films. The long-term effect of ageing was simulated by growing fibroblasts in nutrient media prepared from extracts of heat-exposed materials. Cell cultures were studied both quantitatively and (ultra) structurally. Growth curves obtained in the toxicity test did not differ significantly from control values at any day of observation, and also showed that electron-beam radiation did not alter the biocompatibility. The same results were found for all but one material in the artificial ageing test. The number of cells in the K4802/10 Mrad extraction medium was decreased. Ultrastructurally no gross deviations from normal morphology were observed, either in the direct contact test or in the artificial ageing test. The most characteristic feature was a somewhat dilated endoplasmic reticulum. In summary, the in vitro biocompatibility of EPDM-rubbers as observed in this study is satisfactory and motivates further investigation of their biocompatibility in animal experiments.

Representational analysis of extended disorder in atomistic ensembles derived from total scattering data

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

Neilson, James R.; McQueen, Tyrel M.

With the increased availability of high-intensity time-of-flight neutron and synchrotron X-ray scattering sources that can access wide ranges of momentum transfer, the pair distribution function method has become a standard analysis technique for studying disorder of local coordination spheres and at intermediate atomic separations. In some cases, rational modeling of the total scattering data (Bragg and diffuse) becomes intractable with least-squares approaches, necessitating reverse Monte Carlo simulations using large atomistic ensembles. However, the extraction of meaningful information from the resulting atomistic ensembles is challenging, especially at intermediate length scales. Representational analysis is used here to describe the displacements of atomsmore » in reverse Monte Carlo ensembles from an ideal crystallographic structure in an approach analogous to tight-binding methods. Rewriting the displacements in terms of a local basis that is descriptive of the ideal crystallographic symmetry provides a robust approach to characterizing medium-range order (and disorder) and symmetry breaking in complex and disordered crystalline materials. Lastly, this method enables the extraction of statistically relevant displacement modes (orientation, amplitude and distribution) of the crystalline disorder and provides directly meaningful information in a locally symmetry-adapted basis set that is most descriptive of the crystal chemistry and physics.« less

Representational analysis of extended disorder in atomistic ensembles derived from total scattering data

DOE PAGES

Neilson, James R.; McQueen, Tyrel M.

2015-09-20

With the increased availability of high-intensity time-of-flight neutron and synchrotron X-ray scattering sources that can access wide ranges of momentum transfer, the pair distribution function method has become a standard analysis technique for studying disorder of local coordination spheres and at intermediate atomic separations. In some cases, rational modeling of the total scattering data (Bragg and diffuse) becomes intractable with least-squares approaches, necessitating reverse Monte Carlo simulations using large atomistic ensembles. However, the extraction of meaningful information from the resulting atomistic ensembles is challenging, especially at intermediate length scales. Representational analysis is used here to describe the displacements of atomsmore » in reverse Monte Carlo ensembles from an ideal crystallographic structure in an approach analogous to tight-binding methods. Rewriting the displacements in terms of a local basis that is descriptive of the ideal crystallographic symmetry provides a robust approach to characterizing medium-range order (and disorder) and symmetry breaking in complex and disordered crystalline materials. Lastly, this method enables the extraction of statistically relevant displacement modes (orientation, amplitude and distribution) of the crystalline disorder and provides directly meaningful information in a locally symmetry-adapted basis set that is most descriptive of the crystal chemistry and physics.« less

Nitrogen Sources Screening for Ethanol Production Using Carob Industrial Wastes.

PubMed

Raposo, S; Constantino, A; Rodrigues, F; Rodrigues, B; Lima-Costa, M E

2017-02-01

Nowadays, bioethanol production is one of the most important technologies by the necessity to identify alternative energy resources, principally when based on inexpensive renewable resources. However, the costs of 2nd-generation bioethanol production using current biotechnologies are still high compared to fossil fuels. The feasibility of bioethanol production, by obtaining high yields and concentrations of ethanol, using low-cost medium, is the primary goal, leading the research done today. Batch Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation of high-density sugar from carob residues with different organic (yeast extract, peptone, urea) and inorganic nitrogen sources (ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate) was performed for evaluating a cost-effective ethanol production, with high ethanol yield and productivity. In STR batch fermentation, urea has proved to be a very promising nitrogen source in large-scale production of bioethanol, reaching an ethanol yield of 44 % (w/w), close to theoretical maximum yield value and an ethanol production of 115 g/l. Urea at 3 g/l as nitrogen source could be an economical alternative with a great advantage in the sustainability of ethanol production from carbohydrates extracted from carob. Simulation studies, with experimental data using SuperPro Design software, have shown that the bioethanol production biorefinery from carob wastes could be a very promising way to the valorization of an endogenous resource, with a competitive cost.

Phytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds from the endophyte Hypoxylon anthochroum strain Blaci isolated from Bursera lancifolia (Burseraceae).

PubMed

Ulloa-Benítez, Á; Medina-Romero, Y M; Sánchez-Fernández, R E; Lappe-Oliveras, P; Roque-Flores, G; Duarte Lisci, G; Herrera Suárez, T; Macías-Rubalcava, M L

2016-08-01

To evaluate the phytotoxic, antifungal and antioomycete activity; and, determine the chemical composition of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile metabolites produced by the endophyte Hypoxylon anthochroum strain Blaci isolated from Bursera lancifolia. Based on its macro- and micro-morphological features, the strain Blaci was identified as Nodulisporium sp.; partial analysis of its ITS1-5.8-ITS2 ribosomal gene sequence revealed the identity of the teleomorphic stage of the fungus as H. anthochroum. Phytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of VOCs, and culture medium and mycelium organic extracts from H. anthochroum Blaci were determined by simple and multiple antagonism bioassays, and gas phase and agar dilution bioassays respectively. The volatile and semi-volatile metabolites were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. VOCs from a 5-day H. anthochroum strain Blaci culture caused the inhibition of seed germination, root elongation and seedling respiration on Amaranthus hypochondriacus, Panicum miliaceum, Trifolium pratense and Medicago sativa. In addition, extracts, phenylethyl alcohol and eucalyptol main compounds present in the VOCs and extract displayed a high phytotoxic activity, inhibiting the three physiological processes on the four test plants in a concentration-dependent manner. The results revealed that H. anthochroum strain Blaci produces a mixture of VOCs. These VOCs showed a strong phytotoxic activity on seed germination, root elongation, and seedling respiration of four plants and slightly affected the growth of phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes. Also, the culture medium and mycelium extracts of H. anthochroum showed a high phytotoxic activity on the four test plants and, generally, the culture medium extract was more phytotoxic than the mycelium extracts. This work firstly reports the phytotoxic activity of volatile and semi-volatile compounds produced by the endophyte H. anthochroum strain Blaci on seed germination, root elongation, and seedling respiration of four different plants; consequently, these compounds could be useful in biocontrol of weeds and plant pathogens. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Pump having pistons and valves made of electroactive actuators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor)

1997-01-01

The present invention provides a pump for inducing a displacement of a fluid from a first medium to a second medium, including a conduit coupled to the first and second media, a transducing material piston defining a pump chamber in the conduit and being transversely displaceable for increasing a volume of the chamber to extract the fluid from the first medium to the chamber and for decreasing the chamber volume to force the fluid from the chamber to the second medium, a first transducing material valve mounted in the conduit between the piston and the first medium and being transversely displaceable from a closed position to an open position to admit the fluid to the chamber, and control means for changing a first field applied to the piston to displace the piston for changing the chamber volume and for changing a second field applied to the first valve to change the position of the first valve.

Medium modified two-body scattering amplitude from proton-nucleus total cross-sections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Wilson, J. W.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2001-01-01

Recently (R.K. Tripathi, J.W. Wilson, F.A. Cucinotta, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 145 (1998) 277; R.K. Tripathi, F.A. Cucinotta, J.W. Wilson, NASA-TP-1998-208438), we have extracted nucleon-nucleon (N-N) cross-sections in the medium directly from experiment. The in-medium N-N cross-sections form the basic ingredients of several heavy-ion scattering approaches including the coupled-channel approach developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. Here, we investigate the ratio of real to imaginary part of the two-body scattering amplitude in the medium. These ratios are used in combination with the in-medium N-N cross-sections to calculate total proton-nucleus cross-sections. The agreement is excellent with the available experimental data. These cross-sections are needed for the radiation risk assessment of space missions. c2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

High peak-power kilohertz laser system employing single-stage multi-pass amplification

DOEpatents

Shan, Bing; Wang, Chun; Chang, Zenghu

2006-05-23

The present invention describes a technique for achieving high peak power output in a laser employing single-stage, multi-pass amplification. High gain is achieved by employing a very small "seed" beam diameter in gain medium, and maintaining the small beam diameter for multiple high-gain pre-amplification passes through a pumped gain medium, then leading the beam out of the amplifier cavity, changing the beam diameter and sending it back to the amplifier cavity for additional, high-power amplification passes through the gain medium. In these power amplification passes, the beam diameter in gain medium is increased and carefully matched to the pump laser's beam diameter for high efficiency extraction of energy from the pumped gain medium. A method of "grooming" the beam by means of a far-field spatial filter in the process of changing the beam size within the single-stage amplifier is also described.

Purity and Cleanness of Aeorgel as a Cosmic Dust Capture Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsou, P.; Fleming, R.; Lindley, P.; Craig, A.; Blake, D.

1994-01-01

The capability for capturing micrometeoroids intact through laboratory simulations [Tsou 1988] and in space [Tsou 1993] in passive underdense silica aerogel offers a valuable tool for cosmic dust research. The integrity of the sample handling medium can substantially modify the integrity of the sample. Intact capture is a violent hypervelocity event: the integrity of the capturing medium can cause even greater modification of the sample.

Antioxidant effects of clove bud (Syzygium aromaticum) extract used with different extenders on ram spermatozoa during cryopreservation.

PubMed

Baghshahi, H; Riasi, A; Mahdavi, A H; Shirazi, A

2014-12-01

Clove bud (Syzygium aromaticum) extract was added at concentrations of 0, 35, 75, and 115 μg/ml to ovine semen extenders in order to investigate the antioxidant activities of clove bud extract and its effects on semen quality parameters after cryopreservation of ram spermatozoa. The basic extender was composed of Tris, egg yolk, and glycerol. Two other extenders were prepared by substitution of egg yolk with either LDL or egg yolk+SDS. The DPPH inhibition test was employed to assess the antioxidant activity of clove bud extract. Results showed that, compared to vitamin E, clove bud extract had a higher antioxidant activity. Better sperm motility and movement characteristics (P<0.05) were observed in the semen diluted with medium containing egg yolk+SDS than in that containing egg yolk and LDL. Progressive motility and movement characteristics of the sperm were significantly improved (P<0.05) by adding 35 and/or 75 μg/ml of clove bud extract to semen extenders. Sperm viability and plasma membrane integrity were also higher (P<0.05) in the semen exposed to medium containing egg yolk+SDS and 75 μg of clove buds extract after cryopreservation processes. Higher levels of clove bud extract, however, had adverse effects on all the sperm quality parameters and significantly reduced (P<0.05) the motility, movement parameters, viability, and plasma membrane integrity of ovine sperm. It was concluded that the clove bud extract had an antioxidant potential that makes it useful for addition to semen extenders and that the best results are obtained with a maximum clove bud extract of 75 μg/ml. Moreover, the combination of egg yolk and a detergent was found to improve sperm quality after the cooling and freeze-thawing processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulations of AGN jets: magnetic kink instability versus conical shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barniol Duran, Rodolfo; Tchekhovskoy, Alexander; Giannios, Dimitrios

2017-08-01

Relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) convert as much as half of their energy into radiation. To explore the poorly understood processes that are responsible for this conversion, we carry out fully 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of relativistic magnetized jets. Unlike the standard approach of injecting the jets at large radii, our simulated jets self-consistently form at the source and propagate and accelerate outwards for several orders of magnitude in distance before they interact with the ambient medium. We find that this interaction can trigger strong energy dissipation of two kinds inside the jets, depending on the properties of the ambient medium. Those jets that form in a new outburst and drill a fresh hole through the ambient medium fall victim to a 3D magnetic kink instability and dissipate their energy primarily through magnetic reconnection in the current sheets formed by the instability. On the other hand, those jets that form during repeated cycles of AGN activity and escape through a pre-existing hole in the ambient medium maintain their stability and dissipate their energy primarily at MHD recollimation shocks. In both cases, the dissipation region can be associated with a change in the density profile of the ambient gas. The Bondi radius in AGN jets serves as such a location.

Numerical simulation of the heat transfer at cooling a high-temperature metal cylinder by a flow of a gas-liquid medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarov, S. S.; Lipanov, A. M.; Karpov, A. I.

2017-10-01

The numerical modeling results for the heat transfer during cooling a metal cylinder by a gas-liquid medium flow in an annular channel are presented. The results are obtained on the basis of the mathematical model of the conjugate heat transfer of the gas-liquid flow and the metal cylinder in a two-dimensional nonstationary formulation accounting for the axisymmetry of the cooling medium flow relative to the cylinder longitudinal axis. To solve the system of differential equations the control volume approach is used. The flow field parameters are calculated by the SIMPLE algorithm. To solve iteratively the systems of linear algebraic equations the Gauss-Seidel method with under-relaxation is used. The results of the numerical simulation are verified by comparing the results of the numerical simulation with the results of the field experiment. The calculation results for the heat transfer parameters at cooling the high-temperature metal cylinder by the gas-liquid flow are obtained with accounting for evaporation. The values of the rate of cooling the cylinder by the laminar flow of the cooling medium are determined. The temperature change intensity for the metal cylinder is analyzed depending on the initial velocity of the liquid flow and the time of the cooling process.

Phenotyping the quality of complex medium components by simple online-monitored shake flask experiments.

PubMed

Diederichs, Sylvia; Korona, Anna; Staaden, Antje; Kroutil, Wolfgang; Honda, Kohsuke; Ohtake, Hisao; Büchs, Jochen

2014-11-07

Media containing yeast extracts and other complex raw materials are widely used for the cultivation of microorganisms. However, variations in the specific nutrient composition can occur, due to differences in the complex raw material ingredients and in the production of these components. These lot-to-lot variations can affect growth rate, product yield and product quality in laboratory investigations and biopharmaceutical production processes. In the FDA's Process Analytical Technology (PAT) initiative, the control and assessment of the quality of critical raw materials is one key aspect to maintain product quality and consistency. In this study, the Respiration Activity Monitoring System (RAMOS) was used to evaluate the impact of different yeast extracts and commercial complex auto-induction medium lots on metabolic activity and product yield of four recombinant Escherichia coli variants encoding different enzymes. Under non-induced conditions, the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) of E. coli was not affected by a variation of the supplemented yeast extract lot. The comparison of E. coli cultivations under induced conditions exhibited tremendous differences in OTR profiles and volumetric activity for all investigated yeast extract lots of different suppliers as well as lots of the same supplier independent of the E. coli variant. Cultivation in the commercial auto-induction medium lots revealed the same reproducible variations. In cultivations with parallel offline analysis, the highest volumetric activity was found at different cultivation times. Only by online monitoring of the cultures, a distinct cultivation phase (e.g. glycerol depletion) could be detected and chosen for comparable and reproducible offline analysis of the yield of functional product. This work proves that cultivations conducted in complex media may be prone to significant variation in final product quality and quantity if the quality of the raw material for medium preparation is not thoroughly checked. In this study, the RAMOS technique enabled a reliable and reproducible screening and phenotyping of complex raw material lots by online measurement of the respiration activity. Consequently, complex raw material lots can efficiently be assessed if the distinct effects on culture behavior and final product quality and quantity are visualized.

Jet-induced medium excitation in γ-hadron correlation at RHIC

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

Chen, Wei; Cao, Shanshan; Luo, Tan

Both jet transport and jet-induced medium excitation are investigated simultaneously within the coupled Linear Boltzmann Transport and hydro (CoLBT-hydro) model. In this coupled approach, energy-momentum deposition from propagating jet shower partons in the elastic and radiation processes is taken as a source term in hydrodynamics and the hydro background for LBT simulation is updated for next time step. We use CoLBT-hydro model to simulate γ-jet events of Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Hadron spectra from both the hadronization of jet shower partons and jet-induced medium excitation are calculated and compared to experimental data. Parton energy loss of jet shower partons leadsmore » to the suppression of hadron yields at large z T = p h T/p γ T while medium excitations leads to enhancement of hadron yields at small z T. Meanwhile, a significant broadening of low p T hadron yields and the depletion of soft hadrons in the γ direction are observed in the calculation of γ-hadron angular correlation.« less

Simulation of the modulation transfer function dependent on the partial Fourier fraction in dynamic contrast enhancement magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Takatsu, Yasuo; Ueyama, Tsuyoshi; Miyati, Tosiaki; Yamamura, Kenichirou

2016-12-01

The image characteristics in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) depend on the partial Fourier fraction and contrast medium concentration. These characteristics were assessed and the modulation transfer function (MTF) was calculated by computer simulation. A digital phantom was created from signal intensity data acquired at different contrast medium concentrations on a breast model. The frequency images [created by fast Fourier transform (FFT)] were divided into 512 parts and rearranged to form a new image. The inverse FFT of this image yielded the MTF. From the reference data, three linear models (low, medium, and high) and three exponential models (slow, medium, and rapid) of the signal intensity were created. Smaller partial Fourier fractions, and higher gradients in the linear models, corresponded to faster MTF decline. The MTF more gradually decreased in the exponential models than in the linear models. The MTF, which reflects the image characteristics in DCE-MRI, was more degraded as the partial Fourier fraction decreased.

Jet-induced medium excitation in γ-hadron correlation at RHIC

DOE PAGES

Chen, Wei; Cao, Shanshan; Luo, Tan; ...

2017-09-25

Both jet transport and jet-induced medium excitation are investigated simultaneously within the coupled Linear Boltzmann Transport and hydro (CoLBT-hydro) model. In this coupled approach, energy-momentum deposition from propagating jet shower partons in the elastic and radiation processes is taken as a source term in hydrodynamics and the hydro background for LBT simulation is updated for next time step. We use CoLBT-hydro model to simulate γ-jet events of Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Hadron spectra from both the hadronization of jet shower partons and jet-induced medium excitation are calculated and compared to experimental data. Parton energy loss of jet shower partons leadsmore » to the suppression of hadron yields at large z T = p h T/p γ T while medium excitations leads to enhancement of hadron yields at small z T. Meanwhile, a significant broadening of low p T hadron yields and the depletion of soft hadrons in the γ direction are observed in the calculation of γ-hadron angular correlation.« less

Analysis of simulated angiographic procedures. Part 2: extracting efficiency data from audio and video recordings.

PubMed

Duncan, James R; Kline, Benjamin; Glaiberman, Craig B

2007-04-01

To create and test methods of extracting efficiency data from recordings of simulated renal stent procedures. Task analysis was performed and used to design a standardized testing protocol. Five experienced angiographers then performed 16 renal stent simulations using the Simbionix AngioMentor angiographic simulator. Audio and video recordings of these simulations were captured from multiple vantage points. The recordings were synchronized and compiled. A series of efficiency metrics (procedure time, contrast volume, and tool use) were then extracted from the recordings. The intraobserver and interobserver variability of these individual metrics was also assessed. The metrics were converted to costs and aggregated to determine the fixed and variable costs of a procedure segment or the entire procedure. Task analysis and pilot testing led to a standardized testing protocol suitable for performance assessment. Task analysis also identified seven checkpoints that divided the renal stent simulations into six segments. Efficiency metrics for these different segments were extracted from the recordings and showed excellent intra- and interobserver correlations. Analysis of the individual and aggregated efficiency metrics demonstrated large differences between segments as well as between different angiographers. These differences persisted when efficiency was expressed as either total or variable costs. Task analysis facilitated both protocol development and data analysis. Efficiency metrics were readily extracted from recordings of simulated procedures. Aggregating the metrics and dividing the procedure into segments revealed potential insights that could be easily overlooked because the simulator currently does not attempt to aggregate the metrics and only provides data derived from the entire procedure. The data indicate that analysis of simulated angiographic procedures will be a powerful method of assessing performance in interventional radiology.

Regulation of lipoprotein lipase in primary cultures of isolated human adipocytes

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

Kern, P.A.; Marshall, S.; Eckel, R.H.

1985-01-01

To study the regulation of adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in human adipocytes, omental adipose tissue was obtained from healthy subjects and digested in collagenase. The isolated adipocytes thus obtained were suspended in Medium 199 and cultured at 37 degrees C. Cell viability was demonstrated in adipocytes cultured for up to 72 h by constancy of cell number, cell size, trypan-blue exclusion, and specific /sup 125/I-insulin binding. In addition, chloroquine induced an increase in cell-associated /sup 125/I-insulin at 24, 48, and 72 h after preparation. Thus, isolated adipocytes retained their ability to bind, internalize, and degrade insulin. LPL was measuredmore » as activity secreted into the culture medium (CM), released from cells by heparin (HR), and extracted from cell digests. A broad range of heparin concentrations produced a prompt release of LPL from a rapidly replenishable pool of cellular activity. When cells were cultured in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum, there was a marked stimulation of CM and HR. The secretory response to serum (CM) correlated strongly with HR 24 h after preparation. In addition, HR was found to correlate logarithmically and inversely with body mass index. Insulin, at 400 ng/ml only, increased HR by 36 +/- 10%, an effect simulated by lower concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1). Thus, LPL is produced and regulated in isolated human adipocytes. The degree of adiposity and serum are important regulators of HR activity, whereas insulin is stimulatory only at a pharmacologic concentration. This effect of insulin may be mediated through the IGF1 receptor. Isolated human adipocytes represent a novel and useful system for the study of LPL and lipid metabolism as well as for other aspects of adipocyte biology.« less

Practicing DSAM in aberrant domain: use of multi-disciplinary techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, S.; Samanta, S.; Bhattacharjee, R.; Raut, R.; Ghugre, S. S.; Sinha, A. K.; Garg, U.; Chakrabarti, R.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Madhavan, N.; Muralithar, S.; Singh, R. P.; Sethi, J.; Saha, S.; Palit, R.

2016-10-01

Measurement of level lifetime of nuclear states is of relevance in nuclear structure research as it provides us with an unique probe into the underlying microscopic structure of these states. Of the several experimental techniques for lifetime measurements, the Doppler Shift Attenuation Method (DSAM) is the one adopted for measuring lifetimes typically in the range of few tens of fs to few ps. The technique is based on the analysis of the observed Doppler affected gamma rays emitted by the recoils in flight. The crucial component in the related analysis is the simulation of the stopping process, of the residues of interest, in the target and the backing media. This requires calculation of the corresponding stopping powers and the same has been identified as one of the principal uncertainties in the extracted lifetime in DSAM. Traditionally the method is pursued with a thin target, for production of nuclei of interest, on a thick elemental backing wherein stopping process is perceived to occur. The present work in light of it's objectives uses a setup which is in sharp variance with the conventional scenario, such as the use of a thick molecular target, which contributes both to the production of the residues as well as their subsequent slowing down. This demanded extensive developments in the analysis procedure particularly in the domain of simulating the stopping process with due incorporation of the nuances of nuclear reaction kinematics besides subjecting the molecular medium to a detailed structural characterization, routinely carried out in the domain of material science. These developments have been used to extract the level lifetimes of nuclei at the interface of the sd & pf shells such as 26Mg, 29Si, and 32P.

In vitro digestion of curcuminoid-loaded lipid nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noack, Andreas; Oidtmann, Johannes; Kutza, Johannes; Mäder, Karsten

2012-09-01

Curcuminoid-loaded lipid nanoparticles were produced by melt homogenization. The used lipid matrices were medium chain triglycerides, trimyristin (TM), and tristearin. The mean particle size of the preparations was between 130 and 180 nm. The incorporated curcuminoids revealed a good stability over a period of 12 months. The curcuminoid-loaded lipid nanoparticles were intended for the oral delivery of curcuminoids. Therefore, the fate of the triglyceride matrix in simulated gastric and simulated intestinal media under the influence of pepsin and pancreatin, respectively, was assessed. The degradation of the triglycerides was monitored by the pH-stat method and with high performance thin layer chromatography in connection with spectrodensitometry to quantify the different lipid fractions. The TM nanoparticles were not degraded in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), but the decomposition of the triglyceride matrix was rapid in the intestinal media. The digestion process was faster in the simulated fed state medium compared to the simulated fasted state medium. Additionally, the stability of the incorporated drug was tested in the respective physiological media. The curcuminoids showed an overall good stability in the different test media. The release of the curcuminoids from the lipid nanoparticles was determined by fluorescence imaging techniques. A slow release of the drug was found in phosphate buffer. In contrast, a more distinct release of the curcuminoids was verifiable in SGF and in simulated intestinal fluids. Overall, it was considered that the transfer of the drug into the outer media was mainly triggered by the lipid degradation and not by drug release.

Covariant kaon dynamics and kaon flow in heavy ion collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yu-Ming; Fuchs, C.; Faessler, Amand; Shekhter, K.; Yan, Yu-Peng; Kobdaj, Chinorat

2004-03-01

The influence of the chiral mean field on the K+ transverse flow in heavy ion collisions at SIS energy is investigated within covariant kaon dynamics. For the kaon mesons inside the nuclear medium a quasiparticle picture including scalar and vector fields is adopted and compared to the standard treatment with a static potential. It is confirmed that a Lorentz force from spatial component of the vector field provides an important contribution to the in-medium kaon dynamics and strongly counterbalances the influence of the vector potential on the K+ in-plane flow. The FOPI data can be reasonably described using in-medium kaon potentials based on effective chiral models. The information on the in-medium K+ potential extracted from kaon flow is consistent with the knowledge from other sources.

Culture medium optimization for osmotolerant yeasts by use of a parallel fermenter system and rapid microbiological testing.

PubMed

Pfannebecker, Jens; Schiffer-Hetz, Claudia; Fröhlich, Jürgen; Becker, Barbara

2016-11-01

In the present study, a culture medium for qualitative detection of osmotolerant yeasts, named OM, was developed. For the development, culture media with different concentrations of glucose, fructose, potassium chloride and glycerin were analyzed in a Biolumix™ test incubator. Selectivity for osmotolerant yeasts was guaranteed by a water activity (a w )-value of 0.91. The best results regarding fast growth of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii (WH 1002) were achieved in a culture medium consisting of 45% glucose, 5% fructose and 0.5% yeast extract and in a medium with 30% glucose, 10% glycerin, 5% potassium chloride and 0.5% yeast extract. Substances to stimulate yeast fermentation rates were analyzed in a RAMOS ® parallel fermenter system, enabling online measurement of the carbon dioxide transfer rate (CTR) in shaking flasks. Significant increases of the CTR was achieved by adding especially 0.1-0.2% ammonium salts ((NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 or NH 4 NO 3 ), 0.5% meat peptone and 1% malt extract. Detection times and the CTR of 23 food-borne yeast strains of the genera Zygosaccharomyces, Torulaspora, Schizosaccharomyces, Candida and Wickerhamomyces were analyzed in OM bouillon in comparison to the selective culture media YEG50, MYG50 and DG18 in the parallel fermenter system. The OM culture medium enabled the detection of 10 2 CFU/g within a time period of 2-3days, depending on the analyzed yeast species. Compared with YEG50 and MYG50 the detection times could be reduced. As an example, W. anomalus (WH 1021) was detected after 124h in YEG50, 95.5h in MYG50 and 55h in OM bouillon. Compared to YEG50 the maximum CO 2 transfer rates for Z. rouxii (WH 1001), T. delbrueckii (DSM 70526), S. pombe (DSM 70576) and W. anomalus (WH 1016) increased by a factor ≥2.6. Furthermore, enrichment cultures of inoculated high-sugar products in OM culture medium were analyzed in the Biolumix™ system. The results proved that detection times of 3days for Z. rouxii and T. delbrueckii can be realized by using OM in combination with the automated test system even if low initial counts (10 1 CFU/g) are present in the products. In conclusion, the presented data suggest that the OM culture medium is appropriate for the enrichment of osmotolerant yeasts from high-sugar food products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of a Lyophilized Drug Product to Other Solid and Liquid Media for the Extraction of Elastomeric Oligomers from a Butyl Rubber Stopper.

PubMed

Zdravkovic, Steven A

2017-01-01

Lyophilization is commonly used to extend the shelf life of pharmaceutical products that are otherwise unstable when stored as a liquid formulation. However, the ability of a lyophilized drug, or other solid medium, to leach or extract substances from a pharmaceutical packaging material is not well characterized. To provide insight into this area of uncertainty, the extraction properties of a lyophilized drug product, the lyophilized drug product reconstituted in water, and several other solid and liquid media of varying polarity were determined using a glass vial with a butyl rubber stopper as a representative pharmaceutical packaging system. The results obtained in this study show that the extracting power of a medium, whether solid or liquid, was primarily a function of polarity. Thus, the amount of each extractable observed for the lyophilized and reconstituted drug product were in trend with the other solid and liquid media, respectively. Nevertheless, it was notable that the lyophilized drug product was able to leach substances from the stopper in quantifiable amounts, whereas the reconstituted drug product contained no detectable leachables. Using a mathematical relationship, it was determined that the extraction power of the lyophilized drug product was equivalent to a 50/50 isopropanol/water solution. LAY ABSTRACT: Freeze drying is commonly used to extend the shelf life of pharmaceutical products that are otherwise unstable when stored as a liquid formulation. However, the propensity for substances to migrate from a pharmaceutical packaging material and into a solid drug formulation is not well characterized. To provide insight into this area of uncertainty, the migration of substances from a glass vial with a butyl rubber stopper and into a lyophilized drug product, the drug product reconstituted with water, as well as several solid and liquid media of varying polarity were assessed. The results obtained in this study show that the extracting power of a medium, whether solid or liquid, was primarily a function of polarity and thus could be related to one another. Furthermore, the results for the freeze-dried and reconstituted drug products were in trend with the other solid and liquid media tested, respectively, and showed that the freeze-dried drug was able to leach substances from the stopper in measureable amounts, whereas the reconstituted drug product contained no substances that had originated from the stopper. © PDA, Inc. 2017.

The modification at CSNS ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, S.; Ouyang, H.; Huang, T.; Xiao, Y.; Cao, X.; Lv, Y.; Xue, K.; Chen, W.

2017-08-01

The commissioning of CSNS front end has been finished. Above 15 mA beam intensity is obtained at the end of RFQ. For CSNS ion source, it is a type of penning surface plasma ion source, similar to ISIS ion source. To improve the operation stability and reduce spark rate, some modifications have been performed, including Penning field, extraction optics and post acceleration. PBGUNS is applied to optimize beam extraction. The co-extraction electrons are considered at PBGUNS simulation and various extracted structure are simulated aiming to make the beam through the extracted electrode without loss. The stability of ion source is improved further.

Trident: A Universal Tool for Generating Synthetic Absorption Spectra from Astrophysical Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hummels, Cameron B.; Smith, Britton D.; Silvia, Devin W.

2017-09-01

Hydrodynamical simulations are increasingly able to accurately model physical systems on stellar, galactic, and cosmological scales; however, the utility of these simulations is often limited by our ability to directly compare them with the data sets produced by observers: spectra, photometry, etc. To address this problem, we have created trident, a Python-based open-source tool for post-processing hydrodynamical simulations to produce synthetic absorption spectra and related data. trident can (I) create absorption-line spectra for any trajectory through a simulated data set mimicking both background quasar and down-the-barrel configurations; (II) reproduce the spectral characteristics of common instruments like the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph; (III) operate across the ultraviolet, optical, and infrared using customizable absorption-line lists; (IV) trace simulated physical structures directly to spectral features; (v) approximate the presence of ion species absent from the simulation outputs; (VI) generate column density maps for any ion; and (vii) provide support for all major astrophysical hydrodynamical codes. trident was originally developed to aid in the interpretation of observations of the circumgalactic medium and intergalactic medium, but it remains a general tool applicable in other contexts.

Individual based simulations of bacterial growth on agar plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginovart, M.; López, D.; Valls, J.; Silbert, M.

2002-03-01

The individual based simulator, INDividual DIScrete SIMulations (INDISIM) has been used to study the behaviour of the growth of bacterial colonies on a finite dish. The simulations reproduce the qualitative trends of pattern formation that appear during the growth of Bacillus subtilis on an agar plate under different initial conditions of nutrient peptone concentration, the amount of agar on the plate, and the temperature. The simulations are carried out by imposing closed boundary conditions on a square lattice divided into square spatial cells. The simulator studies the temporal evolution of the bacterial population possible by setting rules of behaviour for each bacterium, such as its uptake, metabolism and reproduction, as well as rules for the medium in which the bacterial cells grow, such as concentration of nutrient particles and their diffusion. The determining factors that characterize the structure of the bacterial colony patterns in the presents simulations, are the initial concentrations of nutrient particles, that mimic the amount of peptone in the experiments, and the set of values for the microscopic diffusion parameter related, in the experiments, to the amount of the agar medium.

Tetravalent uranium extraction by HDEHP in kerosene from phosphate medium

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

Daoud, J.A.; Zeid, M.M.; Aly, H.F.

1997-03-01

The extraction of U(IV) by di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in kerosene from phosphoric acid was measured spectrophotometrically. The effect of extractant, phosphoric acid, uranium, Fe(II) and Fe(III) concentrations on the extraction process were separately investigated. The effect of different reagents and temperature on the stripping of U(IV) were also tested. The results obtained showed that the extraction increases with the increase in HDEHP and Fe(III) concentrations while it decreases with the increase in phosphoric acid, uranium and Fe(II) concentration. The use of high phosphoric acid concentration as strip solutions at low temperature was found to give good stripping results. 11more » refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Inhibitory Effect of Algal Extracts on Mycelial Growth of the Tomato-Wilt Pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici

PubMed Central

Kim, Jiyoung

2008-01-01

The present study was undertaken to explore the inhibitory effect of cyanobacterial extracts of Nostoc commune FA-103 against the tomato-wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. In an optimal medium, cell growth, antifungal activity, and antifungal compound production could be increased 2.7-fold, 4.1-fold, and 13.4-fold, respectively. A crude algal extract had a similar effect as mancozeb at the recommended dose, both in laboratory and pot tests. In vitro and in vivo fungal growth, spore sporulation and fungal infection of wilt pathogen in tomato seeds were significantly inhibited by cyanobacterial extracts. Nostoc commune FA-103 extracts have potential for the suppression of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. PMID:23997634

Sorption of Cationic Surfactants to Artificial Cell Membranes: Comparing Phospholipid Bilayers with Monolayer Coatings and Molecular Simulations.

PubMed

Timmer, Niels; Droge, Steven T J

2017-03-07

This study reports the distribution coefficient between phospholipid bilayer membranes and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) medium (D MW,PBS ) for 19 cationic surfactants. The method used a sorbent dilution series with solid supported lipid membranes (SSLMs). The existing SSLM protocol, applying a 96 well plate setup, was adapted to use 1.5 mL glass autosampler vials instead, which facilitated sampling and circumvented several confounding loss processes for some of the cationic surfactants. About 1% of the phospholipids were found to be detached from the SSLM beads, resulting in nonlinear sorption isotherms for compounds with log D MW values above 4. Renewal of the medium resulted in linear sorption isotherms. D MW values determined at pH 5.4 demonstrated that cationic surfactant species account for the observed D MW,PBS . Log D MW,PBS values above 5.5 are only experimentally feasible with lower LC-MS/MS detection limits and/or concentrated extracts of the aqueous samples. Based on the number of carbon atoms, dialkylamines showed a considerably lower sorption affinity than linear alkylamine analogues. These SSLM results closely overlapped with measurements on a chromatographic tool based on immobilized artificial membranes (IAM-HPLC) and with quantum-chemistry based calculations with COSMOmic. The SSLM data suggest that IAM-HPLC underestimates the D MW of ionized primary and secondary alkylamines by 0.8 and 0.5 log units, respectively.

Complex path flows in geological media imaged by X-Ray computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuville, Amélie; Ebner, Marcus; Toussaint, Renaud; Renard, François; Koehn, Daniel; Flekkøy, Eirik; Cochard, Alain

2013-04-01

Stylolites as well as fractures are reported as major conduits in geological media (1, 2). The flow circulation has a strong influence on hydro-mecanico-chemical processes, in particular on crystallization and dissolution (3, 4). For instance hydrothermal ore deposits are frequently located in stylolites and fractures at depth. The fluid pressure also intervenes as a thermodynamic parameter in chemical reactions, and is in addition responsible for elastic deformations of the medium. Using tridimensional numerical simulations, we aim at better characterizing the flow circulation in complex structures, and at investigating on how the flow modifies the geological medium. First, X-Ray computed tomography scans of a complete stylolite structure (i.e. calcareous matrix, clay layering in the aperture, and the very thin aperture itself), and that of a fractured sandstone sample were performed. Then, image processing is required in order to extract the geometry of the porous medium of each sample. The geometries are actually more complicated than that of classical fractures, because of the existence of non connected -- or barely connected -- void spaces. We report on the influence of this image processing on the aperture geometry and on the computed permeability. This is addressed by first performing a numerical simulation of the tridimensional velocity field, using a coupled lattice Boltzmann method that solves the complete Navier-Stokes equation. After calculating the velocity field we then question the link between the geometry of complex stylolites and fractures, and the spatial auto-correlation of the velocity field. This correlation might indeed be important for dispersion processes. A first approach is to compute this correlation from the simulated velocity field. Another approach is to compute analytically the correlation function, from the knowledge of the aperture correlation. This is however developed in the perturbative limit of small aperture variations, that may not hold for the apertures found in stylolites. We then present the pressure field obtained within these complex structures, and give preliminary tracks on how variations of the pressure might be responsible for transformations of the medium, that affect its mechanical and transport properties. 1 A Neuville, R Toussaint, and J Schmittbuhl (2010) Hydro-thermal flows in a self-affine rough fracture. Physical Review E, 82, 036317 2 André G., C. Hibsch, S. Fourcade, M. Cathelineau and S. Buschaert (2010) Chronology of fracture sealing under a meteoric fluid environment: Microtectonic and isotopic evidence of major Cainozoic events in the eastern Paris Basin (France). Tectonophysics, 490, 214-228 3 Laronne Ben-Itzhak, L., E. Aharonov, R. Toussaint and A. Sagy (2012) Upper bound on stylolite roughness as indicator for the duration and amount of dissolution. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 337-338, 186-196 4 Angheluta, L., J. Mathiesen, E. Aharonov (2012) Compaction of porous rock by dissolution on discrete stylolites: A one-dimensional model. Journal of Geophysical Research -- Solid Earth, 117, B08203

Antioxidant capacity of 3D human skin EpiDerm model: effects of skin moisturizers.

PubMed

Grazul-Bilska, A T; Bilski, J J; Redmer, D A; Reynolds, L P; Abdullah, K M; Abdullah, A

2009-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of skin moisturizers on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of human skin using EpiDerm model. Three different skin moisturizers containing antioxidant ingredients (samples 1-3) or aloe vera extract were topically applied to EpiDerm units and incubated for 2 and 24 h to determine acute and longer-term effects of applied samples on TAC and glutathione peroxidase activity in medium and/or homogenized skin tissues. Total antioxidant capacity in medium and skin homogenates was enhanced (P < 0.0001) by gel containing antioxidant ingredients (sample 2) after 2 and 24 h of incubation. Total antioxidant capacity in medium was also enhanced (P < 0.001) by cream containing antioxidant ingredients (sample 3) after 24 h of incubation. Overall, TAC in medium was greater (P < 0.02) after 24 h than 2 h of incubation. Skin moisturizer cream with high antioxidant levels determined by using oxygen radical absorbance capacity testing (sample 1) and aloe vera extract did not affect TAC. Glutathione peroxidase activity was enhanced (P < 0.0001) in medium and skin homogenates by sample 2 but not by any other sample. These data demonstrate high potential of gel and cream (samples 2 and 3) containing antioxidant ingredients in enhancing antioxidant capacity of EpiDerm which will likely contribute to overall skin health. Results of this experiment will help to better understand mechanisms of effects of skin moisturizers containing antioxidant ingredients on skin function at the tissue level and to establish effective strategies for skin protection and clinical treatments of skin disorders and possibly healing wounds.

Speciation and bioaccessibility of mercury in adobe bricks and dirt floors in Huancavelica, Peru.

PubMed

Hagan, Nicole; Robins, Nicholas; Gonzales, Ruben Dario Espinoza; Hsu-Kim, Heileen

2015-04-01

Huancavelica, Peru, a historic cinnabar refining site, is one of the most mercury (Hg)-contaminated urban areas in the world. Exposure is amplified because residents build their adobe brick homes from contaminated soil. The objectives of this study were to compare two Hg-leaching procedures, and their application as risk-assessment screening tools in Hg-contaminated adobe brick homes in Huancavelica. The purpose was to evaluate potential health implications, particularly for children, after ingestion of Hg-contaminated particles. Hg was measured in adobe brick and dirt floor samples from 60 households by total Hg extraction, simulated gastric fluid (GF) extraction, and sequential selective extraction (SSE), which provides more detailed data but is resource-intensive. Most of the Hg present in samples was relatively insoluble, although in some households soluble Hg species were present at concentrations that may be of concern after ingestion. A strong correlation was identified between results from simulated GF extraction of adobe bricks and dirt floors and the more soluble fractions of Hg from SSE. Simulated GF extraction data were combined with ingestion and body mass characteristics for small children to compare potential risk of ingestion of Hg-contaminated soil with current health standards. Simulated GF extraction can be used as a risk assessment screening tool for effective allocation of time and resources to households that have measurable concentrations of bioaccessible Hg. Combining simulated GF extraction data with health standards enables intervention strategies targeted at households with the greatest potential health threat from ingestion of Hg-contaminated particles.

Investigation of the Klinkenberg effect in a micro/nanoporous medium by direct simulation Monte Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Guang; Weigand, Bernhard

2018-04-01

The pressure-driven gas transport characteristics through a porous medium consisting of arrays of discrete elements is investigated by using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. Different porous structures are considered, accounting for both two- and three-dimensional arrangements of basic microscale and nanoscale elements. The pore scale flow patterns in the porous medium are obtained, and the Knudsen diffusion in the pores is studied in detail for slip and transition flow regimes. A new effective pore size of the porous medium is defined, which is a function of the porosity, the tortuosity, the contraction factor, and the intrinsic permeability of the porous medium. It is found that the Klinkenberg effect in different porous structures can be fully described by the Knudsen number characterized by the effective pore size. The accuracies of some widely used Klinkenberg correlations are evaluated by the present DSMC results. It is also found that the available correlations for apparent permeability, most of which are derived from simple pipe or channel flows, can still be applicative for more complex porous media flows, by using the effective pore size defined in this study.

Supplemental Student Support: Detection and Identification of Buried Targets using Time Reversal Acoustics

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-04

simulated result generated from the partial wave series model described in Chapter 2. Finally, the acoustic properties of the sediment phantom...the appropriate acoustic properties and propagation models for the sediment medium, that is, whether to assume the sediment is a fluid, an elastic...viscoelastic medium, or a poroelastic medium. 141 In this study, the sediment phantom employed is treated as a fluid. Its acoustic properties are

Adjusting membrane lipids under salt stress: the case of the moderate halophilic organism Halobacillus halophilus.

PubMed

Lopalco, Patrizia; Angelini, Roberto; Lobasso, Simona; Köcher, Saskia; Thompson, Melanie; Müller, Volker; Corcelli, Angela

2013-04-01

The lipid composition of Halobacillus halophilus was investigated by combined thin-layer chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analyses of the total lipid extract. Main polar lipids were found to be sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol, while cardiolipin was a minor lipid together with phosphatidic acid, alanyl-phosphatidylglycerol and two not yet fully identified lipid components. In addition the analyses of residual lipids, associated with denatured proteins after the lipid extraction, revealed the presence of significant amounts of cardiolipin, indicating that it is a not readily extractable phospholipid. Post decay source mass spectrometry analyses allowed the determination of acyl chains of main lipid components. On increasing the culture medium salinity, an increase in the shorter chains and the presence of chain unsaturations were observed. These changes in the lipid core structures might compensate for the increase in packing and rigidity of phospholipid and sulfoglycolipid polar heads in high-salt medium, therefore contributing to the homeostasis of membrane fluidity and permeability in salt stress conditions. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Transcription analysis of pilS and xpsEL genes from Xylella fastidiosa.

PubMed

Coltri, Patricia P; Rosato, Yoko B

2005-04-01

Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited phytopathogen responsible for diseases in several plants such as citrus and coffee. Analysis of the bacterial genome revealed some putative pathogenicity-related genes that could help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of plant-pathogen interactions. In the present work, the transcription of three genes of the bacterium, grown in defined and rich media and also in media containing host plant extracts (sweet orange, 'ponkan' and coffee) was analyzed by RT-PCR. The pilS gene, which encodes a sensor histidine kinase responsible for the biosynthesis of fimbriae, was transcribed when the bacterium was grown in more complex media such as PW and in medium containing plant extracts. The xps genes (xpsL and xpsE) which are related to the type II secretion system were also detected when the bacterium was grown in rich media and media with 'ponkan' and coffee extracts. It was thus observed that pilS and xpsEL genes of X. fastidiosa can be modulated by environmental factors and their expression is dependent on the nutritional status of the growth medium.

Preventive effect of Zea mays L. (purple waxy corn) on experimental diabetic cataract.

PubMed

Thiraphatthanavong, Paphaphat; Wattanathorn, Jintanaporn; Muchimapura, Supaporn; Wipawee, Thukham-mee; Wannanon, Panakaporn; Terdthai, Tong-un; Suriharn, Bhalang; Lertrat, Kamol

2014-01-01

Recently, substances possessing antioxidant can prevent cataractogenesis of diabetic cataract. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the anticataract effect of Zea mays L. (purple waxy corn), a flavonoids rich plant, in experimental diabetic cataract. Enucleated rat lenses were incubated in artificial aqueous humor containing 55 mM glucose with various concentrations of Zea mays L. (purple waxy corn) ranging between 2, 10, and 50 mg/mL at room temperature for 72 h. At the end of the incubation period, the evaluation of lens opacification, MDA level, and the activities of SOD, CAT, GPx, and AR in lens were performed. The results showed that both medium and high doses of extract decreased lens opacity together with the decreased MDA level. In addition, medium dose of extract increased GPx activity while the high dose decreased AR activity. No other significant changes were observed. The purple waxy corn seeds extract is the potential candidate to protect against diabetic cataract. The mechanism of action may occur via the decreased oxidative stress and the suppression of AR. However, further research in vivo is still essential.

Antibacterial Activity Symbiotic Fungi of Marine Sponge Axinella sp., Aspergillus Sydowii on Four Growth Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widyaningsih, S.; Trianto, A.; Radjasa, OK; Wittriansyah, K.

2018-02-01

Many infectious diseases caused by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus which turned into a resistant pathogen. A symbiotic fungi of marine sponge Axinella sp., Aspergillus sydowii from the waters of Riung, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia showed antibacterial activity, cultured on the four media, MEB (ST), Noni Juice Media (MG), avocado leaves media (AL), and Soursop leaves media (SR). The symbiotic fungi was cultured for 14 days on each media. The largest weight of symbiotic fungi biomass on ST media 138,95gr and at least 99,12gr of AL media. Purification of bioactive compound is carried out using separatory funnel, and column chromatography. The highest rendemen of extracts on SR media was 3,67%, while the lowest in ST media was 1,22%. The bioactive test used diffusion agar method. Fungi extracts from four mediums have bioactivity against, E. coli and S. aureus. The biggest inhibition zone obtained from the extract of MG KN-15-3-1-3, with inhibition zone 10.71mm and 10.98mm against E. coli and S. aureus.

Plant Closings and Capital Flight: A Computer-Assisted Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Stanley; Breitbart, Myrna M.

1989-01-01

A course at Hampshire College was designed to simulate the decision-making environment in which constituencies in a medium-sized city would respond to the closing and relocation of a major corporate plant. The project, constructed as a role simulation with a computer component, is described. (MLW)

Green synthesis of the Cu/Fe3O4 nanoparticles using Morinda morindoides leaf aqueous extract: A highly efficient magnetically separable catalyst for the reduction of organic dyes in aqueous medium at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasrollahzadeh, Mahmoud; Atarod, Monireh; Sajadi, S. Mohammad

2016-02-01

This paper reports the green and in-situ preparation of the Cu/Fe3O4 magnetic nanocatalyst synthesized using Morinda morindoides leaf extract without stabilizers or surfactants. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, UV-visible, TEM, VSM and TGA-DTA. The catalytic performance of the resulting nanocatalyst was examined for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), Congo red (CR) and Rhodamine B (RhB) in an environmental friendly medium at room temperature. The catalyst was recovered using an external magnet and reused several times without appreciable loss of its catalytic activity. In addition, the stability of the recycled catalyst has been proved by SEM and EDS techniques.

An efficient absorbing system for spectrophotometric determination of nitrogen dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaveeshwar, Rachana; Amlathe, Sulbha; Gupta, V. K.

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method for determination of atmospheric nitrogen dioxide using o-nitroaniline as an efficient absorbing, as well as diazotizing, reagent is described. o-Nitroaniline present in the absorbing medium is diazotized by the absorbed nitrite ion to form diazonium compound. This is later coupled with 1-amino-2-naphthalene sulphonic acid (ANSA) in acidic medium to give red-violet-coloured dye,having λmax = 545 nm. The isoamyl extract of the red azo dye has λmax = 530 nm. The proposed reagents has ≈ 100% collection efficiency and the stoichiometric ratio of NO 2:NO 2- is 0.74. The other important analytical parameters have been investigated. By employing solvent extraction the sensitivity of the reaction was increased and up to 0.03 mg m -3 nitrogen dioxide could be estimated.

Antioxidant Potential of Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Higher Basidiomycetes) Cultivated on Artocarpus heterophyllus Sawdust Substrate in India.

PubMed

Rani, P; Lal, Merlin Rajesh; Maheshwari, Uma; Krishnan, Sreeram

2015-01-01

The artificial cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum (MTCC1039) using Artocarpus heterophyllus as sawdust substrate was optimized and free radical scavenging activities of the generated fruiting bodies were investigated. The choice of A. heterophyllus as substrate was due to its easy availability in South India. Sawdust supplemented with dextrose medium yielded better spawn hyphae and early fruiting body initiation (15 days). The biological yield obtained was 42.06 ± 2.14 g/packet and the biological efficiency was 8.41 ± 0.48%. Both aqueous and methanolic extracts of fruiting body were analyzed for radical scavenging activity. Methanolic extract showed maximum scavenging activity for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (IC50 = 290 μg/ml) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline- 6-sulphonic acid (IC50 = 580 μg/ml), whereas aqueous extract had better scavenging for ferric reducing antioxidant power (IC50 = 5 μg/ml). Total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity were significantly higher in methanolic extract (p < 0.01). A positive correlation existed between the phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Our results indicated that fruiting bodies of G. lucidum cultivated in sawdust medium possess antioxidant property, which can be exploited for therapeutic application.

Oviposition and Embryotoxicity of Indigofera suffruticosa on Early Development of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

PubMed Central

Vieira, Jeymesson Raphael Cardoso; Leite, Roberta Maria Pereira; Lima, Izabela Rangel; Navarro, Daniela do Amaral Ferraz; Bianco, Everson Miguel; Leite, Sônia Pereira

2012-01-01

Aqueous extract of Indigofera suffruticosa leaves obtained by infusion was used to evaluate the oviposition, its effect on development of eggs and larvae, and morphological changes in larvae of Aedes aegypti. The bioassays were carried out with aqueous extract in different concentrations on eggs, larvae, and female mosquitoes, and the morphological changes were observed in midgut of larvae. The extract showed repellent activity on A. aegypti mosquitoes, reducing significantly the egg laying by females with control substrate (343 (185–406)) compared with the treated substrate (88 (13–210)). No eclosion of A. aegypti eggs at different concentrations studied was observed. The controleclodedin 35%. At concentration of 250 μg/mL, 93.3% of larvae remained in the second instar of development and at concentrations of 500, 750, and 1000 μg/mL the inhibitory effect was lower with percentages of 20%, 53.3%, and 46.6%, respectively. Morphological changes like disruption on the peritrophic envelope (PE), discontinued underlying epithelium, increased gut lumen, and segments with hypertrophic aspects were observed in anterior region of medium midgut of larvae of A. aegypti. The results showed repellent activity, specific embryotoxicity, and general growth retardation in A. aegypti by medium containing aqueous extract of I. suffruticosa leaves. PMID:21822443

Optimization of lipids production by Cryptococcus laurentii 11 using cheese whey with molasses.

PubMed

Castanha, Rodrigo Fernandes; Mariano, Adriano Pinto; de Morais, Lilia Aparecida Salgado; Scramin, Shirlei; Monteiro, Regina Teresa Rosim

2014-01-01

This study aimed the optimization of culture condition and composition for production of Cryptococcus laurentii 11 biomass and lipids in cheese whey medium supplemented with sugarcane molasses. The optimization of pH, fermentation time, and molasses concentration according to a full factorial statistical experimental design was followed by a Plackett-Burman experimental design, which was used to determine whether the supplementation of the culture medium by yeast extract and inorganic salts could provide a further enhancement of lipids production. The following conditions and composition of the culture medium were found to optimize biomass and lipids production: 360 h fermentation, 6.5 pH and supplementation of (g L(-1)): 50 molasses, 0.5 yeast extract, 4 KH2PO4, 1 Na2HPO4, 0.75 MgSO4 · 7H2O and 0.002 ZnSO4 · H2O. Additional supplementation with inorganic salts and yeast extract was essential to optimize the production, in terms of product concentration and productivity, of neutral lipids by C. laurentii 11. Under this optimized condition, the production of total lipids increased by 133% in relation to control experiment (from 1.27 to 2.96 g L(-1)). The total lipids indicated a predominant (86%) presence of neutral lipids with high content of 16- and 18-carbon-chain saturated and monosaturated fatty acids. This class of lipids is considered especially suitable for the production of biodiesel.

Rational and Efficient Preparative Isolation of Natural Products by MPLC-UV-ELSD based on HPLC to MPLC Gradient Transfer.

PubMed

Challal, Soura; Queiroz, Emerson Ferreira; Debrus, Benjamin; Kloeti, Werner; Guillarme, Davy; Gupta, Mahabir Prashad; Wolfender, Jean-Luc

2015-11-01

In natural product research, the isolation of biomarkers or bioactive compounds from complex natural extracts represents an essential step for de novo identification and bioactivity assessment. When pure natural products have to be obtained in milligram quantities, the chromatographic steps are generally labourious and time-consuming. In this respect, an efficient method has been developed for the reversed-phase gradient transfer from high-performance liquid chromatography to medium-performance liquid chromatography for the isolation of pure natural products at the level of tens of milligrams from complex crude natural extracts. The proposed method provides a rational way to predict retention behaviour and resolution at the analytical scale prior to medium-performance liquid chromatography, and guarantees similar performances at both analytical and preparative scales. The optimisation of the high-performance liquid chromatography separation and system characterisation allows for the prediction of the gradient at the medium-performance liquid chromatography scale by using identical stationary phase chemistries. The samples were introduced in medium-performance liquid chromatography using a pressure-resistant aluminium dry load cell especially designed for this study to allow high sample loading while maintaining a maximum achievable flow rate for the separation. The method has been validated with a mixture of eight natural product standards. Ultraviolet and evaporative light scattering detections were used in parallel for a comprehensive monitoring. In addition, post-chromatographic mass spectrometry detection was provided by high-throughput ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry analyses of all fractions. The processing of all liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data in the form of an medium-performance liquid chromatography x ultra high-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry matrix enabled an efficient localisation of the compounds of interest in the generated fractions. The methodology was successfully applied for the separation of three different plant extracts that contain many diverse secondary metabolites. The advantages and limitations of this approach and the theoretical chromatographic background that rules such as liquid chromatography gradient transfer are presented from a practical viewpoint. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Effects of simulated weightlessness on the kinase activity of MEK1 induced by bone morphogenetic protein-2 in rat osteosarcoma cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, S.; Wang, B.; Cao, X. S.; Yang, Z.

Objective The mRNA expression of alpha 1 chain of type I collagen COL-I alpha 1 in rat osteosarcoma ROS17 2 8 cells induced by bone morphogenetic protein-2 BMP-2 was reduced under simulated microgravity The protein kinase MEK1 of MAPK signal pathway plays an important role in the expression of COL-I alpha 1 mRNA The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of simulated weightlessness on the activity of MEK1 induced by BMP-2 in ROS17 2 8 cells Methods ROS17 2 8 cells were cultured in 1G control and rotating clinostat simulated weightlessness for 24 h 48 h and 72 h BMP-2 500 ng ml was added into the medium 1 h before the culture ended There was a control group in which ROS17 2 8 cells were cultured in 1G condition without BMP-2 Then the total protein of cells was extracted and the expression of phosphated-ERK1 2 p-ERK1 2 protein was detected by means of Western Blotting to show the kinase activity of MEK1 Results There were no significant differences in the expression of total ERK1 2 among all groups The expression of p-ERK1 2 was unconspicuous in the control group without BMP-2 but increased significantly when BMP-2 was added P 0 01 The level of p-ERK1 2 in simulated weightlessness group was much more lower than that in 1G group in every time point P 0 01 The expression of p-ERK1 2 gradually decreased along with the time of weightlessness simulation P 0 01 Conclusions The kinase activity of MEK1 induced by BMP-2 in rat osteosarcoma cells was reduced under simulated weightlessness

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF EUCALYPTUS SPP. AND PISTASCIA LENTISCUS LEAF EXTRACTS.

PubMed

Qabaha, Khaled; Ras, Sari Abu; Abbadi, Jehad; Al-Rimawi, Fuad

2016-01-01

Eucalyptus spp. and Pistascia lentiscus are among the Palestinian trees that are traditionally used in folkloric medicine in treating many diseases; leaves of which are thought to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant effects. The goal of this study is to evaluate the in vitro inhibitory effect of Eucalyptus spp . and Pistascia lentiscus extracts on Lipopolysacaride (LPS)-induced Interlukin-6 (Il-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) by polymorphonuclear Cells (PMNCs). Polymorphonuclear cells were isolated from the whole blood using Histopaque (Ficol-1077) method and then cultured in an enriched Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RBMI) medium. Supernatants' Interlukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α) levels were determined 24 hour after LPS stimulation. HPLC was employed to determine the concentration of phenolic compounds in the extracts. The concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 were compared using paired-samples t test. Eucalyptus spp . and Pistascia lentiscus leaves extracts have shown significant reduction in the levels of both Il-6 and TNF-α Gallic acid; a strong anti-inflammatory agent was found to be the major phenolic compound in both leaf extracts. However, other anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds were detected in Pitascia lentiscus extract including syringic acid and p-coumaric acid, while chlorogenic acid was detected in Eucalyptus spp . leaf extract. Reduction in the levels of Il-6 and TNF-α upon the effect of both Eucalyptus spp . and Pistascia lentiscus extract is an indication of their anti-inflammatory effects. Our results may also indicate that the observed anti-inflammatory effect of the above extracts may be due to the presence of gallic acid and other phenolic compounds. List of Abbreviations and Nomenclature: LPS: Lipopolysacaride, Il-6: Interlukin-6, TNF-α: Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, PMNCs: Polymorphonuclear Cells, HPLC: High Performance Liquid Chromatography, ELISA: Enzyme Linked Immune Sorbent Assay, EDTA: Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid, PBS: phosphate buffered saline, RPMI: Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium FBS: Fetal Bovine Serum.

Study of the Solvent Extraction of V(V) from Nitrate Medium by Tri- n-Octylamine Dissolved in Kerosene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, Ranjit Kumar; Karmakar, Aneek Krishna; Mottakin, Mohammad

2017-10-01

The liquid-liquid extraction of V(V) from a nitrate medium by tri- n-Octylamine [( n-C8H17)3N; abbreviated as TOA] dissolved in distilled colorless kerosene has been investigated as a function of various experimental parameters. The equilibration time is less than 10 min. It is observed that the extraction ratio increases with increasing [V(V)] in the aqueous phase, which is possibly a result of the formation of V10O26(OH) 2 4- (via reaction: 10 VO2 + + 8 H2O → V10O26(OH) 2 4- + 14 H+) with increasing concentration in the aqueous phase. The nature of the species extracted into the organic phase depends on the existing aqueous species prevailing at a certain pH. At lower pH values, the extraction of VO2 + occurs via cation (H+) exchange of (C8H17)3NHNO3. On the other hand, at higher pH values, anionic V(V) species such as V10O26(OH) 2 4- , V10O27(OH)5-, V10O28 6- etc. are extracted by solvated ion-pair formation mechanism. The TOA concentration dependence varies from 2 at a lower pH region ( 2.3) to 1 at a higher pH region ( 5.7). The extraction is also found to be favored by a rise of nitrate concentration in the aqueous phase. Temperature has a pronounced effect with Δ H < -58 kJ/mol. Kerosene is demonstrated as the best diluent for this system. Increased organic to aqueous phase volume ratio (O/A) enhances extraction ratio. The extracted species can be stripped by 0.75 mol/L NH4OH solution to the extent of 72% in a single stage. But stage-wise stripping is not so effective. It is observed a very high loading, of the order of 2.3 mol V(V) per mol TOA.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF EUCALYPTUS SPP. AND PISTASCIA LENTISCUS LEAF EXTRACTS

PubMed Central

Qabaha, Khaled; Ras, Sari Abu; Abbadi, Jehad; Al-Rimawi, Fuad

2016-01-01

Background: Eucalyptus spp. and Pistascia lentiscus are among the Palestinian trees that are traditionally used in folkloric medicine in treating many diseases; leaves of which are thought to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant effects. The goal of this study is to evaluate the in vitro inhibitory effect of Eucalyptus spp. and Pistascia lentiscus extracts on Lipopolysacaride (LPS)-induced Interlukin-6 (Il-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) by polymorphonuclear Cells (PMNCs). Materials and Methods: Polymorphonuclear cells were isolated from the whole blood using Histopaque (Ficol-1077) method and then cultured in an enriched Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RBMI) medium. Supernatants’ Interlukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α) levels were determined 24 hour after LPS stimulation. HPLC was employed to determine the concentration of phenolic compounds in the extracts. The concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 were compared using paired-samples t test. Results: Eucalyptus spp. and Pistascia lentiscus leaves extracts have shown significant reduction in the levels of both Il-6 and TNF-α Gallic acid; a strong anti-inflammatory agent was found to be the major phenolic compound in both leaf extracts. However, other anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds were detected in Pitascia lentiscus extract including syringic acid and p-coumaric acid, while chlorogenic acid was detected in Eucalyptus spp. leaf extract. Conclusion: Reduction in the levels of Il-6 and TNF-α upon the effect of both Eucalyptus spp. and Pistascia lentiscus extract is an indication of their anti-inflammatory effects. Our results may also indicate that the observed anti-inflammatory effect of the above extracts may be due to the presence of gallic acid and other phenolic compounds. List of Abbreviations and Nomenclature: LPS: Lipopolysacaride, Il-6: Interlukin-6, TNF-α: Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, PMNCs: Polymorphonuclear Cells, HPLC: High Performance Liquid Chromatography, ELISA: Enzyme Linked Immune Sorbent Assay, EDTA: Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid, PBS: phosphate buffered saline, RPMI: Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium FBS: Fetal Bovine Serum. PMID:28487887

Ultra-trace analysis of furanic compounds in transformer/rectifier oils with water extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Lin, Monica; Lin, Kham; Lin, Amanda; Gras, Ronda; Luong, Jim

2016-07-01

A novel approach for the determination of parts-per-billion level of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde, furfuryl alcohol, furfural, 2-furyl methyl ketone, and 5-methylfurfural in transformer or rectifier oils has been successfully innovated and implemented. Various extraction methods including solid-phase extraction, liquid-liquid extraction using methanol, acetonitrile, and water were studied. Water was by far the most efficient solvent for use as an extraction medium. Separation of the analytes was conducted using a 4.6 mm × 250 mm × 3.5 μm Agilent Zorbax column while detection and quantitation were conducted with a variable wavelength UV detector. Detection limits of all furans were at 1 ppb v/v with linear ranges range from 5 to 1000 ppb v/v with correlation coefficients of 0.997 or better. A relative standard deviation of at most 2.4% at 1000 ppb v/v and 7.3% at 5 ppb v/v and a recovery from 43% to 90% depending on the analyte monitored were obtained. The method was purposely designed to be environmental friendly with water as an extraction medium. Also, the method uses 80% water and 20% acetonitrile with a mere 0.2 mL/min of acetonitrile in an acetonitrile/water mixture as mobile phase. The analytical technique has been demonstrated to be highly reliable with low cost of ownership, suitable for deployment in quality control labs or in regions where available analytical resources and solvents are difficult to procure. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Determination of the bioaccessible fraction of metals in urban aerosol using simulated lung fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coufalík, Pavel; Mikuška, Pavel; Matoušek, Tomáš; Večeřa, Zbyněk

2016-09-01

Determination of the bioaccessible fraction of metals in atmospheric aerosol is a significant issue with respect to air pollution in the urban environment. The aim of this work was to compare of metal bioaccessibility determined according to the extraction yields of six simulated lung fluids. Aerosol samples of the PM1 fraction were collected in Brno, Czech Republic. The total contents of Cd, Ce, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn in the samples were determined and their enrichment factors were calculated. The bioaccessible proportions of elements were determined by means of extraction in Gamble's solution, Gamble's solution with dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC), artificial lysosomal fluid, saline, water, and in a newly proposed solution based on DPPC, referred to as "Simulated Alveoli Fluid" (SAF). The chemical composition and surface tension of the simulated lung fluids were the main parameters influencing extraction yields. Gamble's solutions and the newly designed solution of SAF exhibited the lowest extraction efficiency, and also had the lowest surface tensions. The bioaccessibility of particulate metals should be assessed by synthetic lung fluids with a low surface tension, which simulate better the behavior and composition of native lung surfactant. The bioaccessibility of metals in aerosol assessed by means of the extraction in water or artificial lysosomal fluid can be overestimated.

Advanced Diagnostics for the Study of Linearly Polarized Emission. II. Application to Diffuse Interstellar Radio Synchrotron Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herron, C. A.; Burkhart, Blakesley; Gaensler, B. M.; Lewis, G. F.; McClure-Griffiths, N. M.; Bernardi, G.; Carretti, E.; Haverkorn, M.; Kesteven, M.; Poppi, S.; Staveley-Smith, L.

2018-03-01

Diagnostics of polarized emission provide us with valuable information on the Galactic magnetic field and the state of turbulence in the interstellar medium, which cannot be obtained from synchrotron intensity alone. In Paper I, we derived polarization diagnostics that are rotationally and translationally invariant in the Q–U plane, similar to the polarization gradient. In this paper, we apply these diagnostics to simulations of ideal magnetohydrodynamic turbulence that have a range of sonic and Alfvénic Mach numbers. We generate synthetic images of Stokes Q and U for these simulations for the cases where the turbulence is illuminated from behind by uniform polarized emission and where the polarized emission originates from within the turbulent volume. From these simulated images, we calculate the polarization diagnostics derived in Paper I for different lines of sight relative to the mean magnetic field and for a range of frequencies. For all of our simulations, we find that the polarization gradient is very similar to the generalized polarization gradient and that both trace spatial variations in the magnetoionic medium for the case where emission originates within the turbulent volume, provided that the medium is not supersonic. We propose a method for distinguishing the cases of emission coming from behind or within a turbulent, Faraday rotating medium and a method to partly map the rotation measure of the observed region. We also speculate on statistics of these diagnostics that may allow us to constrain the physical properties of an observed turbulent region.

Constraining the physics of jet quenching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renk, Thorsten

2012-04-01

Hard probes in the context of ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions represent a key class of observables studied to gain information about the QCD medium created in such collisions. However, in practice, the so-called jet tomography has turned out to be more difficult than expected initially. One of the major obstacles in extracting reliable tomographic information from the data is that neither the parton-medium interaction nor the medium geometry are known with great precision, and thus a difference in model assumptions in the hard perturbative Quantum Choromdynamics (pQCD) modeling can usually be compensated by a corresponding change of assumptions in the soft bulk medium sector and vice versa. The only way to overcome this problem is to study the full systematics of combinations of parton-medium interaction and bulk medium evolution models. This work presents a meta-analysis summarizing results from a number of such systematical studies and discusses in detail how certain data sets provide specific constraints for models. Combining all available information, only a small group of models exhibiting certain characteristic features consistent with a pQCD picture of parton-medium interaction is found to be viable given the data. In this picture, the dominant mechanism is medium-induced radiation combined with a surprisingly small component of elastic energy transfer into the medium.

Semantic World Modelling and Data Management in a 4d Forest Simulation and Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roßmann, J.; Hoppen, M.; Bücken, A.

2013-08-01

Various types of 3D simulation applications benefit from realistic forest models. They range from flight simulators for entertainment to harvester simulators for training and tree growth simulations for research and planning. Our 4D forest simulation and information system integrates the necessary methods for data extraction, modelling and management. Using modern methods of semantic world modelling, tree data can efficiently be extracted from remote sensing data. The derived forest models contain position, height, crown volume, type and diameter of each tree. This data is modelled using GML-based data models to assure compatibility and exchangeability. A flexible approach for database synchronization is used to manage the data and provide caching, persistence, a central communication hub for change distribution, and a versioning mechanism. Combining various simulation techniques and data versioning, the 4D forest simulation and information system can provide applications with "both directions" of the fourth dimension. Our paper outlines the current state, new developments, and integration of tree extraction, data modelling, and data management. It also shows several applications realized with the system.

Blackbody emission from light interacting with an effective moving dispersive medium.

PubMed

Petev, M; Westerberg, N; Moss, D; Rubino, E; Rimoldi, C; Cacciatori, S L; Belgiorno, F; Faccio, D

2013-07-26

Intense laser pulses excite a nonlinear polarization response that may create an effective flowing medium and, under appropriate conditions, a blocking horizon for light. Here, we analyze in detail the interaction of light with such laser-induced flowing media, fully accounting for the medium dispersion properties. An analytical model based on a first Born approximation is found to be in excellent agreement with numerical simulations based on Maxwell's equations and shows that when a blocking horizon is formed, the stimulated medium scatters light with a blackbody emission spectrum. Based on these results, diamond is proposed as a promising candidate medium for future studies of Hawking emission from artificial, dispersive horizons.

Numerical Investigations of Moisture Distribution in a Selected Anisotropic Soil Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwanek, M.

2018-01-01

The moisture of soil profile changes both in time and space and depends on many factors. Changes of the quantity of water in soil can be determined on the basis of in situ measurements, but numerical methods are increasingly used for this purpose. The quality of the results obtained using pertinent software packages depends on appropriate description and parameterization of soil medium. Thus, the issue of providing for the soil anisotropy phenomenon gains a big importance. Although anisotropy can be taken into account in many numerical models, isotopic soil is often assumed in the research process. However, this assumption can be a reason for incorrect results in the simulations of water changes in soil medium. In this article, results of numerical simulations of moisture distribution in the selected soil profile were presented. The calculations were conducted assuming isotropic and anisotropic conditions. Empirical verification of the results obtained in the numerical investigations indicated statistical essential discrepancies for the both analyzed conditions. However, better fitting measured and calculated moisture values was obtained for the case of providing for anisotropy in the simulation model.

The Cosmic Baryon Cycle in the FIRE Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anglés-Alcázar, Daniel

2017-07-01

The exchange of mass, energy, and metals between galaxies and their surrounding circumgalactic medium represents an integral part of the modern paradigm of galaxy formation. In this talk, I will present recent progress in understanding the cosmic baryon cycle using cosmological hydrodynamic simulations from the Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE) project. Local stellar feedback processes regulate star formation in galaxies and shape the multi-phase structure of the interstellar medium while driving large-scale outflows that connect galaxies with the circumgalactic medium. I will discuss the efficiency of winds evacuating gas from galaxies, the ubiquity and properties of wind recycling, and the importance of intergalactic transfer, i.e. the exchange of gas between galaxies via winds. I will show that intergalactic transfer can dominate late time gas accretion onto Milky Way-mass galaxies over fresh accretion and standard wind recycling.

Investigation of a Plasma Edge Cathode Under High Current Density Electron Extraction

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-05

simu- lation using the MAGIC code confirmed the expected features of the scheme. SLTMMARY .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 1 I...description. An electron temperature of 1 eV was mea- sured in the extraction region without extraction turned on. The plasma from the plasma gun was...jet is reduced if the time between shots is reduced to below I min. The numerical simulation with MAGIC gave confirming results. The simulated current

Anti-inflammatory, cyclooxygenase inhibitory and antioxidant activities of standardized extracts of Tridax procumbens L.

PubMed

Jachak, Sanjay M; Gautam, Raju; Selvam, C; Madhan, Himanshu; Srivastava, Amit; Khan, Taj

2011-03-01

The standardized EtOAc, MeOH and 70% EtOH extracts of Tridax procumbens aerial parts showed significant inhibition of rat paw edema at a medium dose of 200mg/kg and the EtOAC extract was the most active. These extracts were standardized by HPLC with the help of chemical markers. Further, the extracts were evaluated for COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activity and EtOAc extract exhibited the highest inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 at 50 μg/mL. Cent aurein, centaureidin and bergenin were isolated as COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory principles from the EtOAc extract. The extracts also exhibited antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals. The anti-inflammatory activity of T. procumbens aerial parts could be at least in part due to COX-1, COX-2 enzyme inhibition and free radical-scavenging activities which may be attributed to the presence of flavonoids and other polyphenols in the extracts. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioavailability of Bioactive Molecules from Olive Leaf Extracts and its Functional Value.

PubMed

Martín-Vertedor, Daniel; Garrido, María; Pariente, José Antonio; Espino, Javier; Delgado-Adámez, Jonathan

2016-07-01

Olive leaves are an important low-cost source of bioactive compounds. The present study aimed to examine the effect of in vitro digestibility of an olive leaf aqueous extract so as to prove the availability of its phenolic compounds as well as its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity after a simulated digestion process. The total phenolic content was significantly higher in the pure lyophilized extract. Phenolic compounds, however, decreased by 60% and 90% in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), respectively. Regarding antioxidant activity, it was reduced by 10% and 50% after gastric and intestinal digestion, respectively; despite this fact, high antioxidant capacity was found in both SGF and SIF. Moreover, the olive leaf extract showed an unusual combined antimicrobial action at low concentration, which suggested their great potential as nutraceuticals, particularly as a source of phenolic compounds. Finally, olive leaf extracts produced a general dose-dependent cytotoxic effect against U937 cells. To sum up, these findings suggest that the olive leaf aqueous extract maintains its beneficial properties after a simulated digestion process, and therefore its regular consumption could be helpful in the management and the prevention of oxidative stress-related chronic disease, bacterial infection, or even cancer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ARRAY OPTIMIZATION FOR TIDAL ENERGY EXTRACTION IN A TIDAL CHANNEL – A NUMERICAL MODELING ANALYSIS

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

Yang, Zhaoqing; Wang, Taiping; Copping, Andrea

This paper presents an application of a hydrodynamic model to simulate tidal energy extraction in a tidal dominated estuary in the Pacific Northwest coast. A series of numerical experiments were carried out to simulate tidal energy extraction with different turbine array configurations, including location, spacing and array size. Preliminary model results suggest that array optimization for tidal energy extraction in a real-world site is a very complex process that requires consideration of multiple factors. Numerical models can be used effectively to assist turbine siting and array arrangement in a tidal turbine farm for tidal energy extraction.

Image-based numerical modeling of HIFU-induced lesions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almekkaway, Mohamed K.; Shehata, Islam A.; Haritonova, Alyona; Ballard, John; Casper, Andrew; Ebbini, Emad

2017-03-01

Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular disease affecting large and medium sized arteries. Several treatment options are already available for treatment of this disease. Targeting atherosclerotic plaques by high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) using dual mode ultrasound arrays (DMUA) was recently introduced in literature. We present a finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation modeling of the wave propagation in heterogeneous medium from the surface of a 3.5 MHz array prototype with 32-elements. After segmentation of the ultrasound image obtained for the treatment region in-vivo, we integrated this anatomical information into our simulation to account for different parameters that may be caused by these multi-region anatomical complexities. The simulation program showed that HIFU was able to induce damage in the prefocal region instead of the target area. The HIFU lesions, as predicted by our simulation, were well correlated with the actual damage detected in histology.

Massively parallel simulator of optical coherence tomography of inhomogeneous turbid media.

PubMed

Malektaji, Siavash; Lima, Ivan T; Escobar I, Mauricio R; Sherif, Sherif S

2017-10-01

An accurate and practical simulator for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) could be an important tool to study the underlying physical phenomena in OCT such as multiple light scattering. Recently, many researchers have investigated simulation of OCT of turbid media, e.g., tissue, using Monte Carlo methods. The main drawback of these earlier simulators is the long computational time required to produce accurate results. We developed a massively parallel simulator of OCT of inhomogeneous turbid media that obtains both Class I diffusive reflectivity, due to ballistic and quasi-ballistic scattered photons, and Class II diffusive reflectivity due to multiply scattered photons. This Monte Carlo-based simulator is implemented on graphic processing units (GPUs), using the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) platform and programming model, to exploit the parallel nature of propagation of photons in tissue. It models an arbitrary shaped sample medium as a tetrahedron-based mesh and uses an advanced importance sampling scheme. This new simulator speeds up simulations of OCT of inhomogeneous turbid media by about two orders of magnitude. To demonstrate this result, we have compared the computation times of our new parallel simulator and its serial counterpart using two samples of inhomogeneous turbid media. We have shown that our parallel implementation reduced simulation time of OCT of the first sample medium from 407 min to 92 min by using a single GPU card, to 12 min by using 8 GPU cards and to 7 min by using 16 GPU cards. For the second sample medium, the OCT simulation time was reduced from 209 h to 35.6 h by using a single GPU card, and to 4.65 h by using 8 GPU cards, and to only 2 h by using 16 GPU cards. Therefore our new parallel simulator is considerably more practical to use than its central processing unit (CPU)-based counterpart. Our new parallel OCT simulator could be a practical tool to study the different physical phenomena underlying OCT, or to design OCT systems with improved performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SEPARATION OF CURIUM AND AMERICIUM

DOEpatents

Fields, P.R.; Isaac, N.M.

1962-02-20

Curium and americium are contained in an anhydrous molten salt medium having a low melting point. Curium is preferentially extracted from the molten salt by a hot organic solvent containing preferably less than 10% alkyl phosphate. (AEC)

Effects of culture medium compositions on antidiabetic activity and anticancer activity of marine endophitic bacteria isolated from sponge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryani, Faiza; Mulyani, Hani; Artanti, Nina; Udin, Linar Zalinar; Dewi, Rizna Triana; Hanafi, Muhammad; Murniasih, Tutik

2017-01-01

High diversity of Indonesia marine spesies and their ability in producing secondary metabolite that can be used as a drug candidate cause this fascinating topic need to explore. Most of marine organisms explored to discover drug is macroorganism whereas microorganism (such as Indonesia marine bacteria) is very limited. Therefore, in this report, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of Indonesia marine bacteria isolated from Sponges's extract have been studied. Bacteria strain 8.9 which are collection of Research Center for Oseanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences were from Barrang Lompo Island, Makasar, Indonesia. Bacteria were cultured in different culture medium compositions (such as: different pH, source of glucose and water) for 48 hours on a shaker, then they were extracted with ethyl asetate. Extracts of bacteria were tested by DPPH method (antioxidant activity), alpha glucosidase inhibitory activity method (antidiabetic activity), and Alamar Blue assay (anticancer activity) at 200 ppm. According to result, extract of bacteria in pH 8.0 exhibited the greatest antioxidant (19.27% inhibition), antidiabetic (63.95% inhibition) and anticancer activity of T47D cell line (44.62% cell viability) compared to other extracts. However, effect of addition of sugar sources (such as: glucose, sucrose, and soluble starch) and effect of addition of water/sea water exhibited less influence on their bioactivities. In conclusion, Indonesia marine bacteria isolated from sponge have potential a source of bioactive compound in drug discovery field.

Identification of the protective effects of traditional medicinal plants against SDS-induced Drosophila gut damage

PubMed Central

Zhou, Yang; Liu, Zonglin; Chen, Yuchen; Jin, Li Hua

2016-01-01

Traditional medicinal plants are widely used as immunomodulatory medicines that help improve health. A total of 50 different plants used for the treatment of toxicity were screened for their in vivo protective effects. Flies were fed a standard cornmeal-yeast medium (control group) or the standard medium containing medicinal plant extracts (experimental groups). Assessment of the survival rate was performed by feeding flies with toxic compounds. Gut epithelial cells were analyzed for cell proliferation and death by green fluorescent protein antibodies and 7-aminoactinomycin D staining under the microscope. The expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) was evaluated by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction and the results revealed that after feeding the flies with toxic compounds, aqueous extracts from Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf (C. pilosula), Saussurea lappa (Decne.) C.B.Clarke (S. lappa), Imperata cylindrica Beauv.var.major (Nees) C.E. Hubb. (I. cylindrical var. major) and Melia toosendan Sied. Et Zucc. (M.toosendan) increased the fly survival rate, reduced epithelial cell death and improved gut morphology. In addition, C. pilosula extracts induced the antimicrobial peptide levels (Dpt and Mtk) following treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). However, these extracts were not observed to increase SDS-induced cell proliferation in vivo. These results indicate that there are strong protective effects in extracts of C. pilosula, S. lappa, I. cylindrical var. major and M. toosendan on Drosophila intestinal cells among 50 medicinal plants. PMID:27698771

Antimycobacterial activity assessment of three ethnobotanical plants against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: An In Vitro study.

PubMed

Arjomandzadegan, Mohammad; Emami, Navid; Habibi, Ghasem; Farazi, Ali Asghar; Kahbazi, Manijeh; Sarmadian, Hossein; Jabbari, Mansooreh; Hosseini, Hossein; Ramezani, Mona

2016-12-01

Resistances to herbal medicines are still not defined and finding natural remedies against drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) has research priority. The antimycobacterial susceptibility method for herbal extracts is unclearly defined and there is no standard method for assessment of the materials against bacteria. In the present study, time kill of three medicinal plants was determined against MTB. The clinical isolate of MTB from a patient who harbored confirmed tuberculosis was used in the study. Aqueous extracts of Aloe vera leaves, mint, and Hypericum perforatum were prepared using reflux distillation. Disk diffusion methods were conducted in Petri dishes and McCartney bottles containing Löwenstein-Jensen medium to measure the sensitivity of plant extracts in serial concentrations of 0.25-8mg/mL. A pour plate method was performed by mixing 0.7mL of each concentration of extract in 5mL Löwenstein-Jensen medium followed by surface culturing of MTB fresh cells. The time kill method was conducted by bacterial suspension in equal amounts of the extract and viable evaluation in fresh culture at the beginning, and at 24-h, 48-h, 72-h, and 1-week intervals. All cultures were incubated at 37°C for 4weeks. Inoculum concentrations were considered as a variable. The zones of inhibition of A. vera, H. perforatum, and mint extracts in the disk diffusion method in McCartney bottles were 60mm, 41mm, and zero, respectively, but Petri dishes did not have repeatable results. In the pour plate method, an extract concentration up to 1mg/mL could inhibit cell growth. In mint extract, colony forming was four times more than the others at 0.5mg/mL. Time kill of 95% of cells occurred when exposed to extracts of A. vera and H. perforatum separately, but was 50% in 24 h and 20% in 10 min. The time kill for mint was 95% in 1week. The results give some scientific basis to the use of plant extracts for growth control of MTB cells. Clinical trials are recommended for assessment of the extract as complementary medicine, as well as for antisepsis. Copyright © 2016.

Extraction of diffuse correlation spectroscopy flow index by integration of Nth-order linear model with Monte Carlo simulation

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

Shang, Yu; Lin, Yu; Yu, Guoqiang, E-mail: guoqiang.yu@uky.edu

2014-05-12

Conventional semi-infinite solution for extracting blood flow index (BFI) from diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) measurements may cause errors in estimation of BFI (αD{sub B}) in tissues with small volume and large curvature. We proposed an algorithm integrating Nth-order linear model of autocorrelation function with the Monte Carlo simulation of photon migrations in tissue for the extraction of αD{sub B}. The volume and geometry of the measured tissue were incorporated in the Monte Carlo simulation, which overcome the semi-infinite restrictions. The algorithm was tested using computer simulations on four tissue models with varied volumes/geometries and applied on an in vivo strokemore » model of mouse. Computer simulations shows that the high-order (N ≥ 5) linear algorithm was more accurate in extracting αD{sub B} (errors < ±2%) from the noise-free DCS data than the semi-infinite solution (errors: −5.3% to −18.0%) for different tissue models. Although adding random noises to DCS data resulted in αD{sub B} variations, the mean values of errors in extracting αD{sub B} were similar to those reconstructed from the noise-free DCS data. In addition, the errors in extracting the relative changes of αD{sub B} using both linear algorithm and semi-infinite solution were fairly small (errors < ±2.0%) and did not rely on the tissue volume/geometry. The experimental results from the in vivo stroke mice agreed with those in simulations, demonstrating the robustness of the linear algorithm. DCS with the high-order linear algorithm shows the potential for the inter-subject comparison and longitudinal monitoring of absolute BFI in a variety of tissues/organs with different volumes/geometries.« less

Glycine Betaine: Reserve Form of Choline in Penicillium fellutanum in Low-Sulfate Medium

PubMed Central

Park, Yong-Il; Buszko, Marian L.; Gander, John E.

1999-01-01

In spite of choline’s importance in fungal metabolism, its sources in cytoplasm have not been fully established. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of mycelial extracts from day-5 Penicillium fellutanum cultures showed that, as well as choline-O-sulfate, intracellular glycine betaine is another reserve form of choline, depending on the availability of sulfate in the culture medium. These observations are discussed relative to the multiple roles of choline and its precursors in P. fellutanum. PMID:10049905

Improved method of screening for aflatoxin with a coconut agar medium.

PubMed Central

Davis, N D; Iyer, S K; Diener, U L

1987-01-01

Nine isolates of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus were screened for aflatoxin production on a coconut extract agar medium. Aflatoxin-producing colonies were detected under long-wave UV light (365 nm) by blue fluorescence on the reverse side after 2 to 5 days of growth. Aflatoxin production was verified by chemical analysis. Several types of shredded coconut available in the United States were tested and found to be satisfactory. No additives were required. Various parameters affecting the test were investigated. PMID:3116928

Exploring Interprofessional Education through a High-Fidelity Human Patient Simulation Scenario: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossler, Kelly Lynn

2013-01-01

High-fidelity human patient simulation has emerged as a valuable medium to reinforce educational content within programs of nursing. As simulation learning experiences have been identified as augmenting both didactic lecture content and clinical learning, these experiences have expanded to incorporate interprofessional education. Review of…

A Lattice-Boltzmann model to simulate diffractive nonlinear ultrasound beam propagation in a dissipative fluid medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdi, Mohamad; Hajihasani, Mojtaba; Gharibzadeh, Shahriar; Tavakkoli, Jahan

2012-12-01

Ultrasound waves have been widely used in diagnostic and therapeutic medical applications. Accurate and effective simulation of ultrasound beam propagation and its interaction with tissue has been proved to be important. The nonlinear nature of the ultrasound beam propagation, especially in the therapeutic regime, plays an important role in the mechanisms of interaction with tissue. There are three main approaches in current computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods to model and simulate nonlinear ultrasound beams: macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic approaches. In this work, a mesoscopic CFD method based on the Lattice-Boltzmann model (LBM) was investigated. In the developed method, the Boltzmann equation is evolved to simulate the flow of a Newtonian fluid with the collision model instead of solving the Navier-Stokes, continuity and state equations which are used in conventional CFD methods. The LBM has some prominent advantages over conventional CFD methods, including: (1) its parallel computational nature; (2) taking microscopic boundaries into account; and (3) capability of simulating in porous and inhomogeneous media. In our proposed method, the propagating medium is discretized with a square grid in 2 dimensions with 9 velocity vectors for each node. Using the developed model, the nonlinear distortion and shock front development of a finiteamplitude diffractive ultrasonic beam in a dissipative fluid medium was computed and validated against the published data. The results confirm that the LBM is an accurate and effective approach to model and simulate nonlinearity in finite-amplitude ultrasound beams with Mach numbers of up to 0.01 which, among others, falls within the range of therapeutic ultrasound regime such as high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) beams. A comparison between the HIFU nonlinear beam simulations using the proposed model and pseudospectral methods in a 2D geometry is presented.

Patulin Production by Penicillium urticae Bainier in Batch Culture1

PubMed Central

Norstadt, Fred A.; McCalla, T. M.

1969-01-01

A still, batch-culture method, with potato dextrose medium and Penicillium urticae Bainier, produced patulin yields of 1.2 to 1.7 g/liter of medium. Incubation was at 25 C for 14 days. Ethyl acetate extraction of condensed culture filtrate and drying with anhydrous MgSO4, followed by solvent change to dry ethyl ether and purification on alumina (pH 4.5), produced pure crystalline patulin. The use of 2-liter, round-bottom flasks and a rotating vacuum evaporator provided versatile equipment and easy manipulation in the operations. Soil from wheat fields provided a convenient natural P. urticae source. Potato dextrose medium was superior to potato sucrose or Raulin-Thom media. Images PMID:5775903

Biosensor method and system based on feature vector extraction

DOEpatents

Greenbaum, Elias; Rodriguez, Jr., Miguel; Qi, Hairong; Wang, Xiaoling

2013-07-02

A system for biosensor-based detection of toxins includes providing at least one time-dependent control signal generated by a biosensor in a gas or liquid medium, and obtaining a time-dependent biosensor signal from the biosensor in the gas or liquid medium to be monitored or analyzed for the presence of one or more toxins selected from chemical, biological or radiological agents. The time-dependent biosensor signal is processed to obtain a plurality of feature vectors using at least one of amplitude statistics and a time-frequency analysis. At least one parameter relating to toxicity of the gas or liquid medium is then determined from the feature vectors based on reference to the control signal.

Effect of medium components on the production of a biosurfactant from Candida tropicalis applied to the removal of hydrophobic contaminants in soil.

PubMed

Batista, Ranielly M; Rufino, Raquel D; Luna, Juliana M; de Souza, José Edson G; Sarubbo, Leonie A

2010-05-01

The influence of medium constituents on the production of biosurfactants by Candida tropicalis cultivated in waste frying oil was investigated according to a fractional factorial 2(5-1) design. The combined effect of the C/N(inorganic), C/Fe, C/Mg, and C/P ratios and yeast extract on surface tension reduction, biosurfactant yield, emulsification activity, and biomass were studied. The highest biosurfactant yield was reached when low C/Mg and low C/P ratio variables were combined, while the cell growth was favored by increasing the nitrogen concentration. The highest surface tension net decrease, on the other hand, was observed at low yeast extract concentration, low C/Fe, and high C/P ratios. Emulsification indices against lubrication and automobile waste oil of approximately 65 to 95% were observed. The crude biosurfactant produced in the medium--formulated with 2% waste frying oil, 0.067% NH4Cl, 0.025% MgSO4.7H2O, 0.067% KH2PO4, and 0.0026% FeCl3.6H2O--removed approximately 78 to 97% of the petroleum and motor oil adsorbed in sand samples.

NITRIFICATION BY ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS1

PubMed Central

Marshall, K. C.; Alexander, M.

1962-01-01

Marshall, K. C. (Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.) and M. Alexander. Nitrification by Aspergillus flavus. J. Bacteriol. 83:572–578. 1962.—Aspergillus flavus has been shown to produce bound hydroxylamine, nitrite, and nitrate when grown in peptone, amino acid, or buffered ammonium media. Free hydroxylamine was not detected in these cultures, but it was found in an unbuffered ammonium medium in which neither nitrite nor nitrate was formed. Evidence was obtained for the presence of β-nitropropionic acid in the filtrate of an actively nitrifying culture. Alumina treatment of an ammonium medium prevented the formation by growing cultures of nitrite and nitrate but not bound hydroxylamine. The effect of alumina treatment was reversed by the addition of 10−3m CeCl3 to the medium. Extracts of the fungus contained peroxidase and an enzyme capable of catalyzing the production of nitrite from β-nitropropionic acid. The nitrite-forming enzyme is apparently specific for β-nitropropionate; no activity was found with nitromethane, nitroethane, and nitropropane as substrates. Nitrate was not reduced to nitrite nor was nitrite oxidized to nitrate by the hyphal extracts. The significance of these observations in nitrification by A. flavus is discussed. PMID:14470254

Direct organogenesis of Mandevilla illustris (Vell) Woodson and effects of its aqueous extract on the enzymatic and toxic activities of Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom.

PubMed

Biondo, R; Soares, A M; Bertoni, B W; França, S C; Pereira, A M S

2004-03-01

In order to produce explants of Mandevilla illustris (Vell) Woodson for the "Cerrado in vitro", the Germplasm Bank of UNAERP, we carried out a micropropagation protocol using MS or MS/3 medium supplemented with different concentrations of 6-benzyladeninepurine (BA), Zeatin or 2-isopentenyladenine for nodal segment growth, and alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or 1,4 dithiothreitol for rooting. For nodal segments, all the cytokinins tested yielded similar results. However, 2.22 micro M BA is more economical to use. MS/3 medium supplemented with 0.49 micro M IBA was the most appropriate medium for rooting, resulting in 29% rooted explants. The crude aqueous extract from the subterranean system (SS) of M. illustris was assayed for its inhibitory action on the enzymatic activity of Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom, isolated basic phospholipase A2 (CB) and crotoxin. It totally inhibited the phospholipase activity of crude Cdt venom and CB toxin and inhibited the phospholipase activity of crotoxin by 49%. The toxic action of both the crude venom and crotoxin was partially inhibited-there was a prolonged survival time and a 40.0% decrease in lethality.

A scene model of exosolar systems for use in planetary detection and characterisation simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belu, A.; Thiébaut, E.; Ollivier, M.; Lagache, G.; Selsis, F.; Vakili, F.

2007-12-01

Context: Instrumental projects that will improve the direct optical finding and characterisation of exoplanets have advanced sufficiently to trigger organized investigation and development of corresponding signal processing algorithms. The first step is the availability of field-of-view (FOV) models. These can then be submitted to various instrumental models, which in turn produce simulated data, enabling the testing of processing algorithms. Aims: We aim to set the specifications of a physical model for typical FOVs of these instruments. Methods: The dynamic in resolution and flux between the various sources present in such a FOV imposes a multiscale, independent layer approach. From review of current literature and through extrapolations from currently available data and models, we derive the features of each source-type in the field of view likely to pass the instrumental filter at exo-Earth level. Results: Stellar limb darkening is shown to cause bias in leakage calibration if unaccounted for. Occurrence of perturbing background stars or galaxies in the typical FOV is unlikely. We extract galactic interstellar medium background emissions for current target lists. Galactic background can be considered uniform over the FOV, and it should show no significant drift with parallax. Our model specifications have been embedded into a Java simulator, soon to be made open-source. We have also designed an associated FITS input/output format standard that we present here. Work supported in part by the ESA/ESTEC contract 18701/04/NL/HB, led by Thales Alenia Space.

The behavior and importance of lactic acid complexation in Talspeak extraction systems

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

Grimes, Travis S.; Nilsson, Mikael; Nash, Kenneth L.

2008-07-01

Advanced partitioning of spent nuclear fuel in the UREX +la process relies on the TALSPEAK process for separation of fission-product lanthanides from trivalent actinides. The classic TALSPEAK utilizes an aqueous medium of both lactic acid and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and the extraction reagent di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid in an aromatic diluent. In this study, the specific role of lactic acid and the complexes involved in the extraction of the trivalent actinides and lanthanides have been investigated using {sup 14}C-labeled lactic acid. Our results show that lactic acid partitions between the phases in a complex fashion. (authors)

Runoff simulation sensitivity to remotely sensed initial soil water content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodrich, D. C.; Schmugge, T. J.; Jackson, T. J.; Unkrich, C. L.; Keefer, T. O.; Parry, R.; Bach, L. B.; Amer, S. A.

1994-05-01

A variety of aircraft remotely sensed and conventional ground-based measurements of volumetric soil water content (SW) were made over two subwatersheds (4.4 and 631 ha) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service Walnut Gulch experimental watershed during the 1990 monsoon season. Spatially distributed soil water contents estimated remotely from the NASA push broom microwave radiometer (PBMR), an Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics (IRE) multifrequency radiometer, and three ground-based point methods were used to define prestorm initial SW for a distributed rainfall-runoff model (KINEROS; Woolhiser et al., 1990) at a small catchment scale (4.4 ha). At a medium catchment scale (631 ha or 6.31 km2) spatially distributed PBMR SW data were aggregated via stream order reduction. The impacts of the various spatial averages of SW on runoff simulations are discussed and are compared to runoff simulations using SW estimates derived from a simple daily water balance model. It was found that at the small catchment scale the SW data obtained from any of the measurement methods could be used to obtain reasonable runoff predictions. At the medium catchment scale, a basin-wide remotely sensed average of initial water content was sufficient for runoff simulations. This has important implications for the possible use of satellite-based microwave soil moisture data to define prestorm SW because the low spatial resolutions of such sensors may not seriously impact runoff simulations under the conditions examined. However, at both the small and medium basin scale, adequate resources must be devoted to proper definition of the input rainfall to achieve reasonable runoff simulations.

On the accuracy and precision of numerical waveforms: effect of waveform extraction methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Tony; Fong, Heather; Kumar, Prayush; Pfeiffer, Harald P.; Boyle, Michael; Hemberger, Daniel A.; Kidder, Lawrence E.; Scheel, Mark A.; Szilagyi, Bela

2016-08-01

We present a new set of 95 numerical relativity simulations of non-precessing binary black holes (BBHs). The simulations sample comprehensively both black-hole spins up to spin magnitude of 0.9, and cover mass ratios 1-3. The simulations cover on average 24 inspiral orbits, plus merger and ringdown, with low initial orbital eccentricities e\\lt {10}-4. A subset of the simulations extends the coverage of non-spinning BBHs up to mass ratio q = 10. Gravitational waveforms at asymptotic infinity are computed with two independent techniques: extrapolation and Cauchy characteristic extraction. An error analysis based on noise-weighted inner products is performed. We find that numerical truncation error, error due to gravitational wave extraction, and errors due to the Fourier transformation of signals with finite length of the numerical waveforms are of similar magnitude, with gravitational wave extraction errors dominating at noise-weighted mismatches of ˜ 3× {10}-4. This set of waveforms will serve to validate and improve aligned-spin waveform models for gravitational wave science.

Determination of gold, indium, tellurium and thallium in the same sample digest of geological materials by atomic-absorption spectroscopy and two-step solvent extraction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hubert, A.E.; Chao, T.T.

1985-01-01

A rock, soil, or stream-sediment sample is decomposed with hydrofluoric acid, aqua regia, and hydrobromic acid-bromine solution. Gold, thallium, indium and tellurium are separated and concentrated from the sample digest by a two-step MIBK extraction at two concentrations of hydrobromic add. Gold and thallium are first extracted from 0.1M hydrobromic acid medium, then indium and tellurium are extracted from 3M hydrobromic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid to eliminate iron interference. The elements are then determined by flame atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. The two-step solvent extraction can also be used in conjunction with electrothermal atomic-absorption methods to lower the detection limits for all four metals in geological materials. ?? 1985.

CHROMagar Orientation Medium Reduces Urine Culture Workload

PubMed Central

Manickam, Kanchana; Karlowsky, James A.; Adam, Heather; Lagacé-Wiens, Philippe R. S.; Rendina, Assunta; Pang, Paulette; Murray, Brenda-Lee

2013-01-01

Microbiology laboratories continually strive to streamline and improve their urine culture algorithms because of the high volumes of urine specimens they receive and the modest numbers of those specimens that are ultimately considered clinically significant. In the current study, we quantitatively measured the impact of the introduction of CHROMagar Orientation (CO) medium into routine use in two hospital laboratories and compared it to conventional culture on blood and MacConkey agars. Based on data extracted from our Laboratory Information System from 2006 to 2011, the use of CO medium resulted in a 28% reduction in workload for additional procedures such as Gram stains, subcultures, identification panels, agglutination tests, and biochemical tests. The average number of workload units (one workload unit equals 1 min of hands-on labor) per urine specimen was significantly reduced (P < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5326 to 1.047) from 2.67 in 2006 (preimplementation of CO medium) to 1.88 in 2011 (postimplementation of CO medium). We conclude that the use of CO medium streamlined the urine culture process and increased bench throughput by reducing both workload and turnaround time in our laboratories. PMID:23363839

Growth kinetics and physiological behavior of co-cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis, fermenting carob sugars extracted with whey.

PubMed

Rodrigues, B; Lima-Costa, M E; Constantino, A; Raposo, S; Felizardo, C; Gonçalves, D; Fernandes, T; Dionísio, L; Peinado, J M

2016-10-01

Alcoholic fermentation of carob waste sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) extracted with cheese whey, by co-cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis has been analyzed. Growth and fermentation of S. cerevisiae in the carob-whey medium showed an inhibition of about 30% in comparison with water-extracted carob. The inhibition of K. lactis on carob-whey was greater (70%) when compared with the whey medium alone, due to osmolarity problems. Oxygen availability was a very important factor for K. lactis, influencing its fermentation performance. When K. lactis was grown alone on carob-whey medium, lactose was always consumed first, and glucose and fructose were consumed afterwards, only at high aeration conditions. In co-culture with S. cerevisiae, K. lactis was completely inhibited and, at low aeration, died after 3 days; at high aeration this culture could survive but growth and lactose fermentation were only recovered after S. cerevisiae became stationary. To overcome the osmolarity and K. lactis' oxygen problems, the medium had to be diluted and a sequential fermentative process was designed in a STR-3l reactor. K. lactis was inoculated first and, with low aeration (0.13vvm), consumed all the lactose in 48h. Then S. cerevisiae was inoculated, consuming the total of the carob sugars, and producing ethanol in a fed-batch regime. The established co-culture with K. lactis increased S. cerevisiae ethanol tolerance. This fermentation process produced ethanol with good efficiency (80g/l final concentration and a conversion factor of 0.4g ethanol/g sugar), eliminating all the sugars of the mixed waste. These efficient fermentative results pointed to a new joint treatment of agro-industrial wastes which may be implemented successfully, with economic and environmental sustainability for a bioethanol industrial proposal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of urease activity in the urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus.

PubMed

Loes, A N; Ruyle, L; Arvizu, M; Gresko, K E; Wilson, A L; Deutch, C E

2014-01-01

Urease is a virulence factor for the Gram-positive urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus. The susceptibility of this enzyme to chemical inhibition was determined using soluble extracts of Staph. saprophyticus strain ATCC 15305. Acetohydroxamic acid (Ki = 8.2 μg ml(-1) = 0.106 mmol l(-1) ) and DL-phenylalanine hydroxamic acid (Ki = 21 μg ml(-1) = 0.116 mmol l(-1) ) inhibited urease activity competitively. The phosphorodiamidate fluorofamide also caused competitive inhibition (Ki = 0.12 μg ml(-1) = 0.553 μmol l(-1) = 0.000553 mmol l(-1) ), but the imidazole omeprazole had no effect. Two flavonoids found in green tea extract [(+)-catechin hydrate (Ki = 357 μg ml(-1) = 1.23 mmol l(-1) ) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (Ki = 210 μg ml(-1) = 0.460 mmol l(-1) )] gave mixed inhibition. Acetohydroxamic acid, DL-phenylalanine hydroxamic acid, fluorofamide, (+)-catechin hydrate and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate also inhibited urease activity in whole cells of strains ATCC 15305, ATCC 35552 and ATCC 49907 grown in a rich medium or an artificial urine medium. Addition of acetohydroxamic acid or fluorofamide to cultures of Staph. saprophyticus in an artificial urine medium delayed the increase in pH that normally occurs during growth. These results suggest that urease inhibitors may be useful for treating urinary tract infections caused by Staph. saprophyticus. The enzyme urease is a virulence factor for the Gram-positive urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus. We have shown that urease activity in cell-free extracts and whole bacterial cells is susceptible to inhibition by hydroxamates, phosphorodiamidates and flavonoids, but not by imidazoles. Acetohydroxamic acid and fluorofamide in particular can temporarily delay the increase in pH that occurs when Staph. saprophyticus is grown in an artificial urine medium. These results suggest that urease inhibitors may be useful as chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of urinary tract infections caused by this micro-organism. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Determination of atomic hydrogen in non-thermal hydrogen plasmas by means of molecular beam threshold ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Guo; Xu, Yong; Yang, Xue-Feng; Wang, Wen-Chun; Zhu, Ai-Min

2005-01-01

Atomic hydrogen plays important roles in chemical vapor deposition of functional materials, plasma etching and new approaches to chemical synthesis of hydrogen-containing compounds. The present work reports experimental determinations of atomic hydrogen near the grounded electrode in medium-pressure dielectric barrier discharge hydrogen plasmas by means of molecular beam threshold ionization mass spectrometry (MB-TIMS). At certain discharge conditions (a.c. frequency of 24 kHz, 28 kV of peak-to-peak voltage), the measured hydrogen dissociation fraction is decreased from approximately 0.83% to approximately 0.14% as the hydrogen pressure increases from 2.0 to 14.0 Torr. A simulation method for extraction of the approximate electron beam energy distribution function in the mass spectrometer ionizer and a semi-quantitative approach to calibrate the mass discrimination effect caused by the supersonic beam formation and the mass spectrometer measurement are reported. Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

iMODFIT: efficient and robust flexible fitting based on vibrational analysis in internal coordinates.

PubMed

Lopéz-Blanco, José Ramón; Chacón, Pablo

2013-11-01

Here, we employed the collective motions extracted from Normal Mode Analysis (NMA) in internal coordinates (torsional space) for the flexible fitting of atomic-resolution structures into electron microscopy (EM) density maps. The proposed methodology was validated using a benchmark of simulated cases, highlighting its robustness over the full range of EM resolutions and even over coarse-grained representations. A systematic comparison with other methods further showcased the advantages of this proposed methodology, especially at medium to lower resolutions. Using this method, computational costs and potential overfitting problems are naturally reduced by constraining the search in low-frequency NMA space, where covalent geometry is implicitly maintained. This method also effectively captures the macromolecular changes of a representative set of experimental test cases. We believe that this novel approach will extend the currently available EM hybrid methods to the atomic-level interpretation of large conformational changes and their functional implications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lead-iron phosphate glass as a containment medium for the disposal of high-level nuclear wastes

DOEpatents

Boatner, L.A.; Sales, B.C.

1984-04-11

Disclosed are lead-iron phosphate glasses containing a high level of Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ for use as a storage medium for high-level radioactive nuclear waste. By combining lead-iron phosphate glass with various types of simulated high-level nuclear waste

Transient radiative transfer in a scattering slab considering polarization.

PubMed

Yi, Hongliang; Ben, Xun; Tan, Heping

2013-11-04

The characteristics of the transient and polarization must be considered for a complete and correct description of short-pulse laser transfer in a scattering medium. A Monte Carlo (MC) method combined with a time shift and superposition principle is developed to simulate transient vector (polarized) radiative transfer in a scattering medium. The transient vector radiative transfer matrix (TVRTM) is defined to describe the transient polarization behavior of short-pulse laser propagating in the scattering medium. According to the definition of reflectivity, a new criterion of reflection at Fresnel surface is presented. In order to improve the computational efficiency and accuracy, a time shift and superposition principle is applied to the MC model for transient vector radiative transfer. The results for transient scalar radiative transfer and steady-state vector radiative transfer are compared with those in published literatures, respectively, and an excellent agreement between them is observed, which validates the correctness of the present model. Finally, transient radiative transfer is simulated considering the polarization effect of short-pulse laser in a scattering medium, and the distributions of Stokes vector in angular and temporal space are presented.

Stimulation of insulin secretion by medium-chain triglycerides in patients with cirrhosis 1

PubMed Central

McCullough, Frank S.; Tzagournis, Manuel; Greenberger, Norton J.; Linscheer, Willem G.

1971-01-01

Oral medium-chain triglycerides were given to 10 normal volunteers, 12 cirrhotics (group I) without and 28 cirrhotics (group II) with abnormal portal systemic communications (ascites, splenomegaly, oesophageal varices, or surgically-created portacaval shunts). After 30 ml of medium-chain triglyceride oil there was no appreciable change in serum glucose levels in any of the three groups nor in serum insulin levels in the normals and in cirrhotics in group I. However, there was a significant increase in serum insulin levels in the cirrhotic patients in group II. It is suggested that the rise in serum insulin levels after medium-chain triglycerides noted in the cirrhotics with shunts is due to shunting of insulin-containing portal blood around the liver (anatomical shunts) and to a diminished hepatic cell mass capable of extracting insulin (functional shunt). This differential response of serum insulin levels to medium-chain triglycerides may prove to be of value in detecting the presence of abnormal portal systemic communications in cirrhotic patients. PMID:5548559

Delamination propensity of pharmaceutical glass containers by accelerated testing with different extraction media.

PubMed

Guadagnino, Emanuel; Zuccato, Daniele

2012-01-01

The delamination of pharmaceutical glass is a serious issue, as it can cause glass particles to appear in vials, a problem that has forced a number of drug product recalls in recent years. In Type I pharmaceutical glass vials, delamination occurs generally at the bottom and shoulder, where extensive flaming during the conversion process can favor a strong evaporation of alkali and borate species and the formation of heavily enriched silica layers. The contact with parenteral preparations dissolved in an alkaline medium increases the rate of glass corrosion, while the differential hydration of these layers can cause the detachment of flakes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the pH and the composition of the extraction solutions on the propensity of different glass types to delaminate. Repeated autoclave extractions at 121 °C were carried out on different glass types with different extraction media, including organic extractants like citric and glutaric acid. When vials were in contact with alkaline solutions and similarly aggressive media, an increase in silica extraction values indicated glass corrosion and an increasing risk for further delamination. Under such conditions expansion 33 glass is extensively corroded, showing high silica concentration and heavy flaking as compared to other glass types. Sulfur-treated glass also showed early flaking, even if SiO(2) concentration was very low. A similar ranking was observed with extractions carried out with glutaric and citric acids, but at far much higher SiO(2) concentration levels. Extractions with 0.9% KCl solution can be used as an accelerated test to highlight the propensity of a glass to delaminate, but in no case it can be taken as a guarantee that the glass will not delaminate when exposed to the pharmaceutical drug, whose extraction ability requires case-by-case study. How can injectable drug manufacturers prevent glass delamination? The issue of delamination is a serious one, as it can cause glass particles to appear in vials, a problem that has forced a number of drug product recalls in recent years. To combat this, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers need to understand the reasons for glass delamination. The most recent cases of product recall due to the presence of particles in the filling liquid have involved borosilicate glass containers carrying drugs made of active components with known ability to corrode glass and to dissolve the silica matrix. Sometimes these ingredients are dissolved in an alkaline medium that dramatically increases the glass corrosion and potentially causes the issue. As this action is strongly affected by time and temperature, flaking may become visible only after a long incubation during storage and requires systematic monitoring to be detected at its early stage. If the nature of the filling liquid is the driving force of the phenomenon, other factors are of primary importance. The surface morphology created during vial forming is a key issue, being a function of the forming temperature that is higher in the cutting step and the forming of the bottom. Delamination occurs generally on the vial's bottom and shoulder, where extensive flaming can favor a strong evaporation of alkali and borate species and the formation of heavily enriched silica layers. When these layers are in contact with a solution, they are subject to a differential re-hydration that may result in cracking and detachment of scales. The purpose of this investigation is to identify testing conditions and parameters that can be used as indicators of an incipient delamination process. Extractions with 0.9% KCl solution for 1 h at 121 °C can be used to simulate a long-term contact with aggressive pharmaceutical preparations, while SiO(2) concentration in the extract solution can be taken as an index of glass dissolution. The conclusions developed by this study can provide pharmaceutical manufacturers with information needed to help prevent glass delamination in their processes.

Trident: A Universal Tool for Generating Synthetic Absorption Spectra from Astrophysical Simulations

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

Hummels, Cameron B.; Smith, Britton D.; Silvia, Devin W.

Hydrodynamical simulations are increasingly able to accurately model physical systems on stellar, galactic, and cosmological scales; however, the utility of these simulations is often limited by our ability to directly compare them with the data sets produced by observers: spectra, photometry, etc. To address this problem, we have created trident, a Python-based open-source tool for post-processing hydrodynamical simulations to produce synthetic absorption spectra and related data. trident can (i) create absorption-line spectra for any trajectory through a simulated data set mimicking both background quasar and down-the-barrel configurations; (ii) reproduce the spectral characteristics of common instruments like the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph;more » (iii) operate across the ultraviolet, optical, and infrared using customizable absorption-line lists; (iv) trace simulated physical structures directly to spectral features; (v) approximate the presence of ion species absent from the simulation outputs; (vi) generate column density maps for any ion; and (vii) provide support for all major astrophysical hydrodynamical codes. trident was originally developed to aid in the interpretation of observations of the circumgalactic medium and intergalactic medium, but it remains a general tool applicable in other contexts.« less

Preliminary investigation of groundwater flow and trichloroethene transport in the Surficial Aquifer System, Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant, Fridley, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, Jeffrey N.; Davis, J. Hal

2016-05-16

The August 20, 2001, groundwater flow model simulator and the 2001 trichloroethene transport simulator were applied to a groundwater extraction and treatment system that existed in 2011. Furnished trichloroethene source areas and concentrations in the 2001 simulator were replaced with different, furnished, hypothetical source areas and concentrations. Forcing in 2001 was replaced with forcing in 2011. No trichloroethene concentrations greater than 3 µg/L were simulated as discharging to the Mississippi River during applications of the 2001 simulator to the 2011 groundwater extraction and treatment system. These applications were not intended to represent historical conditions. Differences between furnished and actual trichloroethene sources may explain differences between measurements and simulation results for the 2001 trichloroethene transport simulator. Causes of differences between furnished and actual trichloroethene sources may cause differences between hypothetical application results and the performance of the actual U.S. Department of the Navy groundwater extraction and treatment system at the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant. Other limitations may also cause differences between application results and performance.

Solvent Dependence of Double Proton Transfer in the Formic Acid-Formamidine Complex: Path Integral Molecular Dynamics Investigation.

PubMed

Kungwan, Nawee; Ngaojampa, Chanisorn; Ogata, Yudai; Kawatsu, Tsutomu; Oba, Yuki; Kawashima, Yukio; Tachikawa, Masanori

2017-10-05

Solvent dependence of double proton transfer in the formic acid-formamidine (FA-FN) complex at room temperature was investigated by means of ab initio path integral molecular dynamics (AIPIMD) simulation with taking nuclear quantum and thermal effects into account. The conductor-like screening model (COSMO) was applied for solvent effect. In comparison with gas phase, double proton delocalization between two heavy atoms (O and N) in FA-FN were observed with reduced proton transfer barrier height in low dielectric constant medium (<4.8). For dielectric constant medium at 4.8, the chance of finding these two protons are more pronounced due to the solvent effect which completely washes out the proton transfer barrier. In the case of higher dielectric constant medium (>4.8), the ionic species becomes more stable than the neutral ones and the formate anion and formamidium cation are thermodynamically stable. For ab initio molecular dynamics simulation, in low dielectric constant medium (<4.8) a reduction of proton transfer barrier with solvent effect is found to be less pronounced than the AIPIMD due to the absence of nuclear quantum effect. Moreover, the motions of FA-FN complex are significantly different with increasing dielectric constant medium. Such a difference is revealed in detail by the principal component analysis.

Virtual-source diffusion approximation for enhanced near-field modeling of photon-migration in low-albedo medium.

PubMed

Jia, Mengyu; Chen, Xueying; Zhao, Huijuan; Cui, Shanshan; Liu, Ming; Liu, Lingling; Gao, Feng

2015-01-26

Most analytical methods for describing light propagation in turbid medium exhibit low effectiveness in the near-field of a collimated source. Motivated by the Charge Simulation Method in electromagnetic theory as well as the established discrete source based modeling, we herein report on an improved explicit model for a semi-infinite geometry, referred to as "Virtual Source" (VS) diffuse approximation (DA), to fit for low-albedo medium and short source-detector separation. In this model, the collimated light in the standard DA is analogously approximated as multiple isotropic point sources (VS) distributed along the incident direction. For performance enhancement, a fitting procedure between the calculated and realistic reflectances is adopted in the near-field to optimize the VS parameters (intensities and locations). To be practically applicable, an explicit 2VS-DA model is established based on close-form derivations of the VS parameters for the typical ranges of the optical parameters. This parameterized scheme is proved to inherit the mathematical simplicity of the DA approximation while considerably extending its validity in modeling the near-field photon migration in low-albedo medium. The superiority of the proposed VS-DA method to the established ones is demonstrated in comparison with Monte-Carlo simulations over wide ranges of the source-detector separation and the medium optical properties.

Development of new critical fluid-based processing methods for nutraceuticals and natural products

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

King, J. W.

2004-01-01

The development of new supercritical fluid processing technology as applied to nutraceuticals and natural products is no longer confined to using just supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO{sub 2}). Recently reported advances have been focused on modifying natural products and improving functionality of an end product using newer experimental techniques and fluid phases. In this presentation four focus areas will be emphasized: (1) control of particle size/morphology and encapsulation of the nutraceutical ingredients, (2) the use of combinatorial methodology to optimize critical fluid processing, (3) application of sub-critical water as a complementary medium for processing natural products,more » and (4) an assessment of the current state of products and processing which use critical fluid to produce nutraceutical and natural products for the food and cosmetic marketplace. Application of the various particle fomiation processes conducted in the presence of critical fluid media, such as: CPF, SAS, DELOS, RESS, PGSS, and GAS, can be used to produce particles of small and uniform distribution, having unique morphologies, that facilitate rapid dissolution or sustained release of many nutraceutical ingredients. These substances have included: therapeutic spices, phystosterols, vitamins, phospholpids, and carotenoids. Accelerating the development of critical fluid processing has been the application of combinatorial methodology to optimize extraction, fractionation, and/or reactions in near-, SC-, or subcritical fluid media. This is frequently accomplished by using sequential or multichannel automated instrumentation that was originally designed for analytical purposes. Several examples will be provided of rapidly assessing the extraction of anthocyanins with sub-critical water and the SFE of natural products. However, differences do exist in conducting experiments on the above instrumentation vs. scaled-up continuous processes, which will be noted. Sub-critical water is finding increase use as an extraction/fractionation or reaction medium. The literature reports applications for the extraction spices, natural antioxidants (rosemary, anthocyanins, etc.), and herbal components (tea and coffee ingredients), Our studies and the literature provide adequate correlations of solute solubility in sub-critical water as well as models for the kinetics of extraction in this medium. Finally, the current state of critical fluid technology as applied to natural products and nutraceuticals will be assessed; noting specific processes, organizations, and products that exist.« less

Test drivers in the Daimler-Benz driving simulator with drivers under diphenhydramine

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-01-01

The research project investigated the influence of diphenhydramine on the driving performance measured in the Daimler-Benz driving simulator. Test subjects were male students; 20 received a medium, and 20 received a high dosage of diphenhydramine. A ...

Numerical simulation of terahertz transmission of bilayer metallic meshes with different thickness of substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Gaohui; Zhao, Guozhong; Zhang, Shengbo

2012-12-01

The terahertz transmission characteristics of bilayer metallic meshes are studied based on the finite difference time domain method. The bilayer well-shaped grid, the array of complementary square metallic pill and the cross wire-hole array were investigated. The results show that the bilayer well-shaped grid achieves a high-pass of filter function, while the bilayer array of complementary square metallic pill achieves a low-pass of filter function, the bilayer cross wire-hole array achieves a band-pass of filter function. Between two metallic microstructures, the medium need to be deposited. Obviously, medium thicknesses have an influence on the terahertz transmission characteristics of metallic microstructures. Simulation results show that with increasing the thicknesses of the medium the cut-off frequency of high-pass filter and low-pass filter move to low frequency. But the bilayer cross wire-hole array possesses two transmission peaks which display competition effect.

Validation of GPU-accelerated superposition-convolution dose computations for the Small Animal Radiation Research Platform.

PubMed

Cho, Nathan; Tsiamas, Panagiotis; Velarde, Esteban; Tryggestad, Erik; Jacques, Robert; Berbeco, Ross; McNutt, Todd; Kazanzides, Peter; Wong, John

2018-05-01

The Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) has been developed for conformal microirradiation with on-board cone beam CT (CBCT) guidance. The graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated Superposition-Convolution (SC) method for dose computation has been integrated into the treatment planning system (TPS) for SARRP. This paper describes the validation of the SC method for the kilovoltage energy by comparing with EBT2 film measurements and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. MC data were simulated by EGSnrc code with 3 × 10 8 -1.5 × 10 9 histories, while 21 photon energy bins were used to model the 220 kVp x-rays in the SC method. Various types of phantoms including plastic water, cork, graphite, and aluminum were used to encompass the range of densities of mouse organs. For the comparison, percentage depth dose (PDD) of SC, MC, and film measurements were analyzed. Cross beam (x,y) dosimetric profiles of SC and film measurements are also presented. Correction factors (CFz) to convert SC to MC dose-to-medium are derived from the SC and MC simulations in homogeneous phantoms of aluminum and graphite to improve the estimation. The SC method produces dose values that are within 5% of film measurements and MC simulations in the flat regions of the profile. The dose is less accurate at the edges, due to factors such as geometric uncertainties of film placement and difference in dose calculation grids. The GPU-accelerated Superposition-Convolution dose computation method was successfully validated with EBT2 film measurements and MC calculations. The SC method offers much faster computation speed than MC and provides calculations of both dose-to-water in medium and dose-to-medium in medium. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Removal of iron interferences by solvent extraction for geochemical analysis by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhou, L.; Chao, T.T.; Sanzolone, R.F.

1985-01-01

Iron is a common interferent in the determination of many elements in geochemical samples. Two approaches for its removal have been taken. The first involves removal of iron by extraction with methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) from hydrochloric acid medium, leaving the analytes in the aqueous phase. The second consists of reduction of iron(III) to iron(II) by ascorbic acid to minimize its extraction into MIBK, so that the analytes may be isolated by extraction. Elements of interest can then be determined using the aqueous solution or the organic extract, as appropriate. Operating factors such as the concentration of hydrochloric acid, amounts of iron present, number of extractions, the presence or absence of a salting-out agent, and the optimum ratio of ascorbic acid to iron have been determined. These factors have general applications in geochemical analysis by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. ?? 1985.

Fatty acids from high rate algal pond's microalgal biomass and osmotic stress effects.

PubMed

Drira, Neila; Dhouibi, Nedra; Hammami, Saoussen; Piras, Alessandra; Rosa, Antonella; Porcedda, Silvia; Dhaouadi, Hatem

2017-11-01

The extraction of oil from a wild microalgae biomass collected from a domestic wastewater treatment facility's high rate algal pond (HRAP) was investigated. An experiment plan was used to determine the most efficient extraction method, the optimal temperature, time and solvent system based on total lipids yield. Microwave-assisted extraction was the most efficient method whether in n-hexane or in a mixture of chloroform/methanol compared to Soxhlet, homogenization, and ultrasounds assisted extractions. This same wild biomass was cultivated in a photobioreactor (PBR) and the effect of osmotic stress was studied. The lipids extraction yield after 3days of stress increased by more than four folds without any significant loss of biomass, however, the quality of extracted total lipids in terms of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids was not affected by salinity change in the culture medium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Green procedure with a green solvent for fats and oils' determination. Microwave-integrated Soxhlet using limonene followed by microwave Clevenger distillation.

PubMed

Virot, Matthieu; Tomao, Valérie; Ginies, Christian; Visinoni, Franco; Chemat, Farid

2008-07-04

Here is described a green and original alternative procedure for fats and oils' determination in oleaginous seeds. Extractions were carried out using a by-product of the citrus industry as extraction solvent, namely d-limonene, instead of hazardous petroleum solvents such as n-hexane. The described method is achieved in two steps using microwave energy: at first, extractions are attained using microwave-integrated Soxhlet, followed by the elimination of the solvent from the medium using a microwave Clevenger distillation in the second step. Oils extracted from olive seeds were compared with both conventional Soxhlet and microwave-integrated Soxhlet extraction procedures performed with n-hexane in terms of qualitative and quantitative determination. No significant difference was obtained between each extract allowing us to conclude that the proposed method is effective and valuable.

Senna leaf extracts induced Ca(+2) homeostasis in a zoonotic tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta.

PubMed

Roy, Saptarshi; Kundu, Suman; Lyndem, Larisha M

2016-10-01

Context Plants and plant products have been used in traditional medicine as anthelmintic agents in human and veterinary medicine. Three species of Senna plant, S. alata (L), S. alexandrina (M) and S. occidentalis (L.) Link (Fabaceae) have been shown to have a vermicidal/vermifugal effect on a zoonotic tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta (Rudolphi) (Cyclophyllidean). Objective The present study validates the mode of action of these Senna plants on the parasite. The alcoholic leaf extract was determined to obtain information on the intracellular free calcium concentration level. Materials and methods Hymenolepis diminuta was maintained in Sprague-Dawley rat model for 2 months. Live parasites collected from infected rat intestine were exposed to 40 mg/mL concentration of each plant extracts prepared in phosphate buffer saline at 37 °C, till parasite gets paralyzed. The rate of efflux of calcium from the parasite tissue to the medium and the level of intracellular Ca(2+ )concentration were determined by an atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results This study revealed that exposure of the worms to the plant extract leads to disruption in intracellular calcium homeostasis. A significant increase (44.6% and 25%) of efflux in Ca(2+ )from the tissue to the incubated medium was observed. Senna alata showed high rate of efflux (5.32 mg/g) followed by S. alexandria and S. occidentalis (both 4.6 mg/g) compared with control (3.68 mg/g). Discussion and conclusion These results suggest that leaf extracts caused membrane permeability to Ca(2+ )after vacuolization of the tegument under stress and the extracts may contain compound that can be used as a chemotherapeutic agent.

Selective and cost-effective protocol to separate bioactive triterpene acids from plant matrices using alkalinized ethanol: Application to leaves of Myrtaceae species

PubMed Central

Lima, Adélia M. Belem; Siani, Antonio Carlos; Nakamura, Marcos Jun; D’Avila, Luiz Antonio

2015-01-01

Background: Triterpenes as betulinic (BA), oleanolic (OA) and ursolic acids (UA) have increasingly gained therapeutic relevance due to their wide scope of pharmacological activities. To fit large-scale demands, exploitable sources of these compounds have to be found and simple, cost-effective methods to extract them developed. Leaf material represents the best plant sustainable raw material. To obtain triterpene acid-rich extracts from leaves of Eugenia, Psidium and Syzygium species (Myrtaceae) by directly treating the dry plant material with alkalinized hydrated ethanol. This procedure was adapted from earlier methods to effect depolymerization of the leaf cutin. Materials and Methods: Extracts were prepared by shaking the milled dry leaves in freshly prepared 2% NaOH in 95% EtOH solution (1:4 w/v) at room temperature for 6 h. Working up the product in acidic aqueous medium led to clear precipitates in which BA, OA and UA were quantified by gas chromatography. Results: Pigment-free and low-polyphenol content extracts (1.2–2.8%) containing 6–50% of total triterpene acids were obtained for the six species assayed. UA (7–20%) predominated in most extracts, but BA preponderated in Eugenia florida (39%). Carried out in parallel, n-hexane defatted leaves led to up to 9% enhancement of total acids in the extracts. The hydroalcoholate treatment of Myrtaceae species dry leaves proved to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method to obtain triterpene acids, providing them be resistant to alkaline medium. These combined techniques might be applicable to other plant species and tissues. PMID:26246721

Potential Angiogenic Role of Platelet-Activating Factor in Human Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Montrucchio, Giuseppe; Sapino, Anna; Bussolati, Benedetta; Ghisolfi, Gianpiero; Rizea-Savu, Simona; Silvestro, Luigi; Lupia, Enrico; Camussi, Giovanni

1998-01-01

This study investigated the presence of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in the lipid extracts of 18 primary breast carcinomas and 20 control breast tissues. The amount of PAF detected in breast carcinomas was significantly higher than in controls. The mass spectrometric analysis of PAF-bioactive lipid extract from breast carcinomas showed the presence of several molecular species of PAF, including C16-alkylPAF, C18-lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), C16-LPC, lyso-PAF, and C16-acylPAF. The amount of bioactive PAF extracted from breast specimens significantly correlated with tumor vascularization revealed by the number of CD34- and CD31-positive cells. As C16-alkylPAF was previously shown to induce angiogenesis in vivo, we evaluated whether the thin layer chromatography-purified lipid extracts of breast specimens elicited neoangiogenesis in a murine model of subcutaneous Matrigel injection. The lipid extracts from specimens of breast carcinoma containing high levels of PAF bioactivity, but not from breast carcinomas containing low levels of PAF bioactivity or from normal breast tissue, induced a significant angiogenic response. This angiogenic response was significantly inhibited by the PAF receptor antagonist WEB 2170. T47D and MCF7 breast cancer cell lines, but not an immortalized nontumor breast cell line (MCF10), released PAF in the culture medium. A significant in vivo neoangiogenic response, inhibited by WEB 2170, was elicited by T47D and MCF7 but not by MCF10 culture medium. These results indicate that an increased concentration of PAF is present in tumors with high microvessel density and that PAF may account for the neoangiogenic activity induced in mice by the lipid extracts obtained from breast cancer. A contribution of PAF in the neovascularization of human breast cancer is suggested. PMID:9811351

The Determinants of the Technical Efficiency of Acute Inpatient Care in Canada.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Grignon, Michel; Perry, Sheril; Chen, Xi-Kuan; Ytsma, Alison; Allin, Sara; Gapanenko, Katerina

2018-04-17

To evaluate the technical efficiency of acute inpatient care at the pan-Canadian level and to explore the factors associated with inefficiency-why hospitals are not on their production frontier. Canadian Management Information System (MIS) database (CMDB) and Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) for the fiscal year of 2012-2013. We use a nonparametric approach (data envelopment analysis) applied to three peer groups (teaching, large, and medium hospitals, focusing on their acute inpatient care only). The double bootstrap procedure (Simar and Wilson 2007) is adopted in the regression. Information on inpatient episodes of care (number and quality of outcomes) was extracted from the DAD. The cost of the inpatient care was extracted from the CMDB. On average, acute hospitals in Canada are operating at about 75 percent efficiency, and this could thus potentially increase their level of outcomes (quantity and quality) by addressing inefficiencies. In some cases, such as for teaching hospitals, the factors significantly correlated with efficiency scores were not related to management but to the social composition of the caseload. In contrast, for large and medium nonteaching hospitals, efficiency related more to the ability to discharge patients to postacute care facilities. The efficiency of medium hospitals is also positively related to treating more clinically noncomplex patients. The main drivers of efficiency of acute inpatient care vary by hospital peer groups. Thus, the results provide different policy and managerial implications for teaching, large, and medium hospitals to achieve efficiency gains. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

a Probability-Based Statistical Method to Extract Water Body of TM Images with Missing Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lian, Shizhong; Chen, Jiangping; Luo, Minghai

2016-06-01

Water information cannot be accurately extracted using TM images because true information is lost in some images because of blocking clouds and missing data stripes, thereby water information cannot be accurately extracted. Water is continuously distributed in natural conditions; thus, this paper proposed a new method of water body extraction based on probability statistics to improve the accuracy of water information extraction of TM images with missing information. Different disturbing information of clouds and missing data stripes are simulated. Water information is extracted using global histogram matching, local histogram matching, and the probability-based statistical method in the simulated images. Experiments show that smaller Areal Error and higher Boundary Recall can be obtained using this method compared with the conventional methods.

Application of Response Surface Methodology for Optimization of Extracellular Glucoamylase Production by Candida guilliermondii.

PubMed

Mohamed, Lagzouli; Kettani, Youssfi El; Ali, Aitounejjar; Mohamed, Elyachioui; Mohamed, Jadal

2017-01-01

Glucoamylase is among the most important enzymes in biotechnology. The present study aims to determine better conditions for growth and glucoamylase production by Candida guilliermondii and to reduce the overall cost of the medium using Box-Behnken design with one central point and response surface methodology. Box-Behnken factorial design based on three levels was carried out to obtain optimal medium combination of five independent variables such as initial pH, soluble starch, CH4N2O, yeast extract and MgSO4. Forty one randomized mediums were incubated in flask on a rotary shaker at 105 rpm for 72 h at 30°C. The production of biomass was found to be pH and starch dependent, maximum production when the starch concentration was 8 g L-1 and the initial pH was 6, while maximum glucoamylase production was found at 6.5 of initial pH, 4 g L-1 yeast extract and 6 g L-1 starch, whereas yeast extract and urea were highly significant, but interacted negatively. Box-Behnken factorial design used for the analysis of treatment combinations gave a second-order polynomial regression model with R2 = 0.976 for Biomass and R2 = 0.981 for glucoamylase. The final biomass and glucoamylase activity obtained was very close to the calculated parameters according to the p-values (p<0.001), the predicted optimal parameters were confirmed and provides a basis for further studies in baking additives and in the valuation of starch waste products.

The effect of growth medium on B. anthracis Sterne spore carbohydrate content.

PubMed

Colburn, Heather A; Wunschel, David S; Antolick, Kathryn C; Melville, Angela M; Valentine, Nancy B

2011-06-01

The expressed characteristics of biothreat agents may be impacted by variations in the culture environment, including growth medium formulation. The carbohydrate composition of B. anthracis spores has been well studied, particularly for the exosporium, which is the outermost spore structure. The carbohydrate composition of the exosporium has been demonstrated to be distinct from the vegetative form containing unique monosaccharides. We have investigated the carbohydrate composition of B. anthracis Sterne spores produced using four different medium types formulated with different sources of medium components. The amount of rhamnose, 3-O-methyl rhamnose and galactosamine was found to vary significantly between spores cultured using different medium formulations. The relative abundance of these monosaccharides compared to other monosaccharides such as mannosamine was also found to vary with medium type. Specific medium components were also found to impact the carbohydrate profile. Xylose has not been previously described in B. anthracis spores but was detected at low levels in two media. This may represent residual material from the brewery yeast extract used to formulate these two media. These results illustrate the utility of this method to capture the impact of growth medium on carbohydrate variation in spores. Detecting carbohydrate profiles in B. anthracis evidentiary material may provide useful forensic information on the growth medium used for sporulation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acoustic characteristics of the medium with gradient change of impedance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Bo; Yang, Desen; Sun, Yu; Shi, Jie; Shi, Shengguo; Zhang, Haoyang

2015-10-01

The medium with gradient change of acoustic impedance is a new acoustic structure which developed from multiple layer structures. In this paper, the inclusion is introduced and a new set of equations is developed. It can obtain better acoustic properties based on the medium with gradient change of acoustic impedance. Theoretical formulation has been systematically addressed which demonstrates how the idea of utilizing this method. The sound reflection and absorption coefficients were obtained. At last, the validity and the correctness of this method are assessed by simulations. The results show that appropriate design of parameters of the medium can improve underwater acoustic properties.

Suitability of peracetic acid for sterilization of media for mycoplasma cultures.

PubMed Central

Wutzler, P; Sprössig, M; Peterseim, H

1975-01-01

The utility of peracetic acid for sterilization of serum and yeast extract additions to mycoplasma medium was studied by culturing six Mycoplasma species. Culture media containing additions that had been sterilized with peracetic acid proved to be as good as filtered components. The use of 0.05 to 0.1% peracetic acid is recommended to sterilize the serum and yeast extract additions since savings in time and equipment can be accomplished. PMID:1100656

Supersaturation of zafirlukast in fasted and fed state intestinal media with and without precipitation inhibitors.

PubMed

Madsen, Cecilie Maria; Boyd, Ben; Rades, Thomas; Müllertz, Anette

2016-08-25

Poor water solubility is a bottle neck in the development of many new drug candidates, and understanding and circumventing this is essential for a more effective drug development. Zafirlukast (ZA) is a leukotriene antagonist marketed for the treatment of asthma (Accolate®). ZA is poorly water soluble, and is formulated in an amorphous form (aZA) to improve its solubility and oral bioavailability. It has been shown that upon dissolution of aZa, the concentration of ZA in solution is supersaturated with respect to its stable crystalline form (ZA monohydrate), and thus, in theory, the bioavailability increases upon amorphization of ZA. The polymers hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), often used as stabilizers of the supersaturated state, are in the excipient list of Accolate®. It is not recommended to take Accolate® with food, as this reduces the bioavailability by 40%. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of simulated fasted and fed state intestinal media as well as the effect of HPMC and PVP on the supersaturation and precipitation of ZA in vitro. Supersaturation of aZA was studied in vitro in a small scale setup using the μDiss Profiler™. Several media were used for this study: One medium simulating the fasted state intestinal fluids and three media simulating different fed state intestinal fluids. Solid state changes of the drug were investigated by small angle x-ray scattering. The duration wherein aZA was maintained at a supersaturated state was prolonged in the presence of HPMC and lasted more than 20h in the presence of PVP in a fasted state intestinal medium. The presence of PVP increased the concentration of drug dissolved in the supersaturated state. The duration of supersaturation was shorter in fed than in a fasted state simulated intestinal media, but the concentration during supersaturation was higher. It was thus not possible to predict any positive or negative food effects from the dissolution/precipitation curves from different media. Lipolysis products in the fed state simulated media seemed to cause both a negative effect on the duration of supersaturation, and an increased drug concentration during supersaturation. In contrast, when testing the effect of a fed state simulated medium compared to the fasted state medium, in the presence of PVP, a clear negative effect was seen on the dissolution/precipitation curved of the fed state medium. The drug concentration during supersaturation was marginally different in the two media, but a precipitation of ZA was seen in the fed state medium, which was not observed in the fasted state medium. Solid state transformation from aZA to ZA monohydrate (mhZA) upon precipitation of the supersaturated solutions was confirmed by small angle x-ray scattering. All of these results can explain the described in vivo behavior of ZA. For ZA simple dissolution experiments in vitro can be used to examine supersaturation, effectiveness of PI and potential food effects on these. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Influence of liquid or solid culture conditions on the volatile components of mycelia of Isariacateinannulata].

PubMed

Zhang, Delong; Wang, Xiaodong; Lu, Ruili; Li, Kangle; Hu, Fenglin

2011-12-01

To determine the volatile components of mycelia of Isaria cateinannulata cultured under different culture conditions, and to analyze the relationships between the culture conditions and volatile metabolites. Mycelia were cultured in solid plates with SDAY medium and liquid shake flasks with SDY medium. The culture conditions were at 25 degrees C and 8 days. Volatile components in the mycelia of I. cateinannulata were extracted with simultaneous distillation extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Alkenes, alkanes, heterocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were existed abundantly both in the mycelia of liquid and solid cultures, but the kinds and relative concentrations of the volatile components in mycelia of liquid and solid cultures were very different. Forty-one compounds were identified from the mycelia of solid culture and 32 compounds were identified from the mycelia of liquid culture. Esters, quinones and oximes were only found in solid cultured mycelia whereas carboxylic acids were only discovered in the mycelia of liquid culture. At the same time, mycelia of liquid culture contained much more phenols. The most abundant compounds in mycelia of liquid and solid cultures were hydrocarbons. The volatile extracts of solid cultured mycelia contained 57.6% alkenes and 9.19% alkanes. The volatile extracts of liquid cultured mycelia contained 7.85% alkenes and 22.4% alkanes. Liquid or solid culture conditions influenced the volatile components of mycelia of I. cateinannulata.

Selective anti-proliferative activities of Carica papaya leaf juice extracts against prostate cancer.

PubMed

Pandey, Saurabh; Walpole, Carina; Cabot, Peter J; Shaw, Paul N; Batra, Jyotsna; Hewavitharana, Amitha K

2017-05-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in men. Carica papaya is a popular tropical plant that has been traditionally used for its nutritional and medicinal properties. We investigated the anti-proliferative responses of papaya leaf juice (LJP) and its various extracts ("biological"- in vitro digested, "physical"- size exclusion, and "chemical"-solvent extraction) on a range of cell lines representing benign hyperplasia, tumorigenic and normal cells of prostate origin. Time course analysis (by 24h, 48h and 72h) of LJP (1-0.1mg/mL) before and after in vitro digestion, and of molecular weight based fractions of LJP showed anti-proliferative responses. The medium polarity fraction of LJP (0.03-0.003mg/mL) after 72h exposure showed potent growth inhibitory (IC 50 =0.02-0.07mg/mL) and cytotoxic activities on all prostate cells, with the exception of the normal (RWPE-1 and WPMY-1) cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed S phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis as a possible mechanism for these activities. Medium polar fraction of LJP also inhibited migration and adhesion of metastatic PC-3 cells. This is the first report suggesting selective anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic attributes of LJP extract against prostatic diseases, including PCa. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The protective effects of Rhodiola crenulata extracts on Drosophila melanogaster gut immunity induced by bacteria and SDS toxicity.

PubMed

Zhu, Caixia; Guan, Fachun; Wang, Chao; Jin, Li Hua

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to observe the effect of the Rhodiola crenulata extracts on gut immunity of Drosophila melanogaster. Wild-type flies fed standard cornmeal-yeast medium were used as controls. Experimental groups were supplemented with 2.5% R. crenulata aqueous extracts in standard medium. Survival rate was determined by feeding pathogenic microorganisms and toxic compounds. The levels of reactive oxygen species and dead cells were detected by dihydroethidium and 7-amino-actinomycin D staining, respectively. The expression of antimicrobial peptides was evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and morphological change of the intestine was imaged by an Axioskop 2 plus microscope. The results demonstrate that R. crenulata increased the survival rates of adult flies and expression of antimicrobial peptide genes after pathogen or toxic compound ingestion. Moreover, decreased levels of reactive oxygen species and epithelial cell death were associated with results in improved intestinal morphology. The pharmacological action of R. crenulata from Tibet was greater than that from Sichuan. These results indicate that the R. crenulata extracts from Tibet had better pharmacological effect on D. melanogaster gut immunity after ingestion of pathogens and toxic compounds. These results may provide the pharmacological basis for prevention of inflammatory diseases of the intestine. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aqueous biphasic plutonium oxide extraction process with pH and particle control

DOEpatents

Chaiko, D.J.; Mensah-Biney, R.

1997-04-29

A method is described for simultaneously partitioning a metal oxide and silica from a material containing silica and the metal oxide, using a biphasic aqueous medium having immiscible salt and polymer phases. 2 figs.

Characterizing fluorotelomer and polyfluoroalkyl substances in new and aged fluorotelomer-based polymers for degradation studies with GC/MS and LC/MS/MS.

PubMed

Washington, John W; Naile, Jonathan E; Jenkins, Thomas M; Lynch, David G

2014-05-20

Fluorotelomer-based polymers (FTPs), the dominant product of the fluorotelomer industry, are antistaining and antiwetting agents that permeate the products and surfaces of modern society. However, the degree to which these materials expose humans and the environment to fluorotelomer and perfluorinated compounds, including recalcitrant and toxic compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), is ill-defined. The design intent of FTPs, to minimize interaction with other substances, including solvents, heretofore has stymied efforts to develop robust methods to characterize the content of monomers and associated compounds of new commercial FTPs, as well as commercial FTPs that have been aged in environmental media for degradation testing. Here we show that FTPs can be exhausted of these compounds and quantitated by (i) drying the FTP on a suitable substrate at elevated temperature to achieve low, constant monomer concentrations; (ii) serial extraction with MTBE for fluorotelomer-monomer analysis by GC/MS in PCI mode; followed by (iii) serial extraction with 90/10 ACN/H2O for polyfluorocompound analysis by LC/MS/MS in negative ESI mode. This approach yields exhaustive, internally consistent accounting of monomers and associated compounds for FTPs, either alone or in a soil matrix (representing an environmental medium), for both new and simulated-aged FTPs to allow degradation testing, and for fluorinated compounds at least as long as C12.

Characterization and modelling of a microstrip line loaded with complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) and its application to highpass filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, C.; Li, Fang

2007-06-01

A method to characterize and model a microstrip line coupled with complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) is investigated. The detailed parameter extraction approach based on three characteristic frequencies is presented. Good agreement between the results of the equivalent circuit model and the full wave simulations supports the effectiveness of the proposed modelling methodology. In particular, it is found that the shunt capacitance in the equivalent circuit has a negative value which appears to contradict the general physical perception. The physical rationality of the problem is discussed and justified. It is found that the negative capacitance is a natural part required to approximate more closely the distributed nature of the CSRR-loaded microstrip line and the whole equivalent circuit still satisfies Foster's reactance theorem. To extract the effective permittivity of the CSRR-loaded microstrip, the dielectric window concept and the effective medium theory are both applied. Both their results show the negative permittivity at the vicinity of the resonance. Finally, the application of the CSRRs in microstip highpass filters is presented to highlight the unique features of the CSRRs and the validity of their equivalent circuit descriptions. Compared with conventional structures, the proposed highpass filters not only have via free structure but also exhibit extremely steep out-of-band rejection. This may lead to useful applications.

High-resolution Monte Carlo simulation of flow and conservative transport in heterogeneous porous media: 2. Transport results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naff, R.L.; Haley, D.F.; Sudicky, E.A.

1998-01-01

In this, the second of two papers concerned with the use of numerical simulation to examine flow and transport parameters in heterogeneous porous media via Monte Carlo methods, results from the transport aspect of these simulations are reported on. Transport simulations contained herein assume a finite pulse input of conservative tracer, and the numerical technique endeavors to realistically simulate tracer spreading as the cloud moves through a heterogeneous medium. Medium heterogeneity is limited to the hydraulic conductivity field, and generation of this field assumes that the hydraulic-conductivity process is second-order stationary. Methods of estimating cloud moments, and the interpretation of these moments, are discussed. Techniques for estimation of large-time macrodispersivities from cloud second-moment data, and for the approximation of the standard errors associated with these macrodispersivities, are also presented. These moment and macrodispersivity estimation techniques were applied to tracer clouds resulting from transport scenarios generated by specific Monte Carlo simulations. Where feasible, moments and macrodispersivities resulting from the Monte Carlo simulations are compared with first- and second-order perturbation analyses. Some limited results concerning the possible ergodic nature of these simulations, and the presence of non-Gaussian behavior of the mean cloud, are reported on as well.

A Global Optimization Method to Calculate Water Retention Curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maggi, S.; Caputo, M. C.; Turturro, A. C.

2013-12-01

Water retention curves (WRC) have a key role for the hydraulic characterization of soils and rocks. The behaviour of the medium is defined by relating the unsaturated water content to the matric potential. The experimental determination of WRCs requires an accurate and detailed measurement of the dependence of matric potential on water content, a time-consuming and error-prone process, in particular for rocky media. A complete experimental WRC needs at least a few tens of data points, distributed more or less uniformly from full saturation to oven dryness. Since each measurement requires to wait to reach steady state conditions (i.e., between a few tens of minutes for soils and up to several hours or days for rocks or clays), the whole process can even take a few months. The experimental data are fitted to the most appropriate parametric model, such as the widely used models of Van Genuchten, Brooks and Corey and Rossi-Nimmo, to obtain the analytic WRC. We present here a new method for the determination of the parameters that best fit the models to the available experimental data. The method is based on differential evolution, an evolutionary computation algorithm particularly useful for multidimensional real-valued global optimization problems. With this method it is possible to strongly reduce the number of measurements necessary to optimize the model parameters that accurately describe the WRC of the samples, allowing to decrease the time needed to adequately characterize the medium. In the present work, we have applied our method to calculate the WRCs of sedimentary carbonatic rocks of marine origin, belonging to 'Calcarenite di Gravina' Formation (Middle Pliocene - Early Pleistocene) and coming from two different quarry districts in Southern Italy. WRC curves calculated using the Van Genuchten model by simulated annealing (dashed curve) and differential evolution (solid curve). The curves are calculated using 10 experimental data points randomly extracted from the full experimental dataset. Simulated annealing is not able to find the optimal solution with this reduced data set.

SU-E-T-477: An Efficient Dose Correction Algorithm Accounting for Tissue Heterogeneities in LDR Brachytherapy

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

Mashouf, S; Lai, P; Karotki, A

2014-06-01

Purpose: Seed brachytherapy is currently used for adjuvant radiotherapy of early stage prostate and breast cancer patients. The current standard for calculation of dose surrounding the brachytherapy seeds is based on American Association of Physicist in Medicine Task Group No. 43 (TG-43 formalism) which generates the dose in homogeneous water medium. Recently, AAPM Task Group No. 186 emphasized the importance of accounting for tissue heterogeneities. This can be done using Monte Carlo (MC) methods, but it requires knowing the source structure and tissue atomic composition accurately. In this work we describe an efficient analytical dose inhomogeneity correction algorithm implemented usingmore » MIM Symphony treatment planning platform to calculate dose distributions in heterogeneous media. Methods: An Inhomogeneity Correction Factor (ICF) is introduced as the ratio of absorbed dose in tissue to that in water medium. ICF is a function of tissue properties and independent of source structure. The ICF is extracted using CT images and the absorbed dose in tissue can then be calculated by multiplying the dose as calculated by the TG-43 formalism times ICF. To evaluate the methodology, we compared our results with Monte Carlo simulations as well as experiments in phantoms with known density and atomic compositions. Results: The dose distributions obtained through applying ICF to TG-43 protocol agreed very well with those of Monte Carlo simulations as well as experiments in all phantoms. In all cases, the mean relative error was reduced by at least 50% when ICF correction factor was applied to the TG-43 protocol. Conclusion: We have developed a new analytical dose calculation method which enables personalized dose calculations in heterogeneous media. The advantages over stochastic methods are computational efficiency and the ease of integration into clinical setting as detailed source structure and tissue segmentation are not needed. University of Toronto, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.« less

[Effects of applying Sophora alopecuroids extracts and emamectin on the growth, development, and fecundity of diamondback moth plutella xylostella].

PubMed

Yu, Tian-Cong; Luo, Wan-Chun; Ding, Jun; Yan, Lei; Xiao, Ting; Niu, Hong-Tao

2007-12-01

In this paper, the methanol- and water extracts of Sophora alopecuroids were applied respectively with emamectin, to study their effects on the growth, development, and fecundity of diamondback moth Plutella xylostella. The results showed that the oral toxicity of the mixtures to the 3rd larvae of P. xylostella was much higher than that of emamectin, with the medium lethal concentration (LC50) of methanol extract plus emamectin, water extract plus emamectin, and emamectin being 0.19, 0.32 and 0.51 mg L(-1), respectively. The pupated percentage, emergence percentage, and fecundity of P. xylotella were obviously negatively affected after treated the 3rd larvae with sub-lethal dosage of the mixtures and emamectin.

Studies on the use of supercritical ammonia for ceramic nitride synthesis and fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornell, Linda; Lin, Y. C.; Philipp, Warren H.

1990-01-01

The extractability of ammonia halides (including ammonium thiocyanate) formed as byproducts from the synthesis of Si(NH)2 via ammonolysis of the corresponding silicon tetrahalides using supercritical NH3 as the extraction medium was investigated. It was found that the NH4SCN byproduct of ammonolysis of Si(SCN)4 can be almost completely extracted from the insoluble Si(NH)2 forming a promising system for the synthesis of pure Si(NH)2, one of the best precursors for Si3N4. In addition it was found that Si3N4, AlN, BN, and Si(NH)2 are insoluble in SC ammonia. Also discussed are design considerations for a supercritical ammonia extraction unit.

Optimization of culture medium for anaerobic production of rhamnolipid by recombinant Pseudomonas stutzeri Rhl for microbial enhanced oil recovery.

PubMed

Zhao, F; Mandlaa, M; Hao, J; Liang, X; Shi, R; Han, S; Zhang, Y

2014-08-01

Response surface methodology was employed to enhance the anaerobic production of rhamnolipid by recombinant Pseudomonas stutzeri Rhl. Glycerol is a promising carbon source used to anaerobically produce rhamnolipid. In a Plackett-Burman design, glycerol, KH2 PO4 and yeast extract were significant factors. The proposed optimized medium contained the following: 46·55 g l(-1) glycerol; 3 g l(-1) NaNO3 ; 5·25 g l(-1) K2 HPO4 ·3H2 O; 5·71 g l(-1) KH2 PO4 ; 0·40 g l(-1) MgSO4 ·7H2 O; 0·13 g l(-1) CaCl2 ; 1·0 g l(-1) KCl; 1·0 g l(-1) NaCl; and 2·69 g l(-1) yeast extract. Using this optimized medium, we obtained an anaerobic yield of rhamnolipid of 3·12 ± 0·11 g l(-1) with a 0·85-fold increase. Core flooding test results also revealed that Ps. stutzeri Rhl grown in an optimized medium enhanced the oil recovery efficiency by 15·7%, which was 6·6% higher than in the initial medium. Results suggested that the optimized medium is a promising nutrient source that could effectively mobilize oil by enhancing the in situ production of rhamnolipid. The ex situ application of rhamnolipid for microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is costly and complex in terms of rhamnolipid production, purification and transportation. Compared with ex situ applications, the in situ production of rhamnolipid in anaerobic oil reservoir is more advantageous for MEOR. This study is the first to report the anaerobic production optimization of rhamnolipid. Results showed that the optimized medium enhanced not only the anaerobic production of rhamnolipid but also crude oil recovery. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

[Cytocompatibility of two porous bioactive glass-ceramic in vitro].

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Jiang, Xinquan; Zhang, Xiuli; Wang, Deping; Zhen, Lei

2013-06-01

To compare the cytocompatibility of two kinds porous bioactive glass-ceramic made by same raw materials. Apatite/wollastonite bioactive glass-ceramic (4006) were prepared by sol-gel method, and bioactive glass (45S5) were prepared by melting method. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were cultivated, differentiated and proliferated into osteoblasts, from a rabbit's marrow in the differentiatiofn culture medium with active function. The viability of BMSCs cultivated with extraction of these two kinds of biomaterial, which could represent the cytotoxicity effect of 4006 and 45S5 against BMSCs, was evaluated by the MTp assay. BMSCs were seeded and cocultivated with two kinds of biomaterial scaffolds respectively in vitro. The proliferation and biological properties of cells adhered to scaffolds were observed by inverted phase contrast microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), and a suitable cell amount for seeding on the scaffold was searched. There was no difference on the viability of BMSCs only cultured for one day by complete extract of 4006 and culture medium (P>0.05), but there was significant difference between them when the cells had been cultured for 3 days(P<0.01). The extract of 45S5 had significantly higher cytotoxicity than extract of culture medium (P<0.01). The BMSCs adhered, spread, and proliferated throughout the pores of the scaffold 4006, and the amount of cells adhered to 4006 was more than to 45S5. The adhered cells to 4006 increased with the rising amount of cells seeded. And 2 x 10(7) cells.mL-1 suspension resulted inthe highest cell adherence during the comparative cells adherence test. Apatite/woolastonite bioac tive glass-ceramic has good bioactivity and cytocompatibility. Therefore, it may have the potential to be a new cell vehicle for bone tissue engineering. And the suitable seeding cell amount of apatite/wollastonite bioactive glass-ceramic should be 2x10(7) cells.mL-1 or even more than that.

Microvolume trace environmental analysis using peak-focusing online solid-phase extraction-nano-liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Stravs, Michael A; Mechelke, Jonas; Ferguson, P Lee; Singer, Heinz; Hollender, Juliane

2016-03-01

Online solid-phase extraction was combined with nano-liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) for the analysis of micropollutants in environmental samples from small volumes. The method was validated in surface water, Microcystis aeruginosa cell lysate, and spent Microcystis growth medium. For 41 analytes, quantification limits of 0.1-28 ng/L (surface water) and 0.1-32 ng/L (growth medium) were obtained from only 88 μL of sample. In cell lysate, quantification limits ranged from 0.1-143 ng/L or 0.33-476 ng/g dry weight from a sample of 88 μL, or 26 μg dry weight, respectively. The method matches the sensitivity of established online and offline solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods but requires only a fraction of the sample used by those techniques, and is among the first applications of nano-LC-MS for environmental analysis. The method was applied to the determination of bioconcentration in Microcystis aeruginosa in a laboratory experiment, and the benefit of coupling to HRMS was demonstrated in a transformation product screening.

Antioxidant and antiedema properties of solid-state cultured honey mushroom, Armillaria mellea (higher Basidiomycetes), extracts and their polysaccharide and polyphenol contents.

PubMed

Lai, Min-Nan; Ng, Lean Teik

2013-01-01

Culinary-medicinal honey mushroom or Mi-Huan-Ku, Armillaria mellea (AM), is a popular ingredient in the traditional Chinese medicine for treating diseases of geriatric patients. This study aimed to examine the effect of cultured substrates on the mycelial growth of AM and evaluate its antioxidant and antiedema activities as well as its total polysaccharide and polyphenol contents. Results showed that AM grew best on the maize medium and worst on the potato medium. AM ethanol extract (AM-EtOH) showed stronger DPPH radical scavenging activity than AM aqueous extract (AM-H₂O). However, they were weak in metal chelation and reducing power. AM-EtOH but not AM-H₂O at 200 mg/kg showed antiedema activity in rats. The total β-glucan content of AM-H₂O and AM-EtOH was 21.95% and 3.50%, respectively. AM-EtOH showed higher phenol but lower flavonoid content than AM-H₂O. These results indicate that maize is a good source of substrate for mass production of AM mycelia, and its potency of DPPH radical scavenging and antiedema activities was contributed mainly by the phenolic compounds, not the level of polysaccharide content.

Medium optimization by orthogonal array and response surface methodology for cholesterol oxidase production by Streptomyces lavendulae NCIM 2499.

PubMed

Chauhan, Awadesh K; Survase, Shrikant A; Kishenkumar, Jyoti; Annapure, Uday S

2009-06-01

This paper deals with the optimization of culture conditions for the production of cholesterol oxidase (COD) by Streptomyces lavendulae NCIM 2499 using the one-factor-at-a-time method, orthogonal array method and response surface methodology (RSM) approaches. The one-factor-at-a-time method was adopted to investigate the effects of medium components (i.e. carbon and nitrogen) and environmental factors (i.e. initial pH) on biomass growth and COD production. Subsequently, an L12 orthogonal matrix was used to evaluate the significance of glycerol, soyabean meal, malt extract, K2HPO4, MgSO4 and NaCl. The effects of media components were ranked according to their effects on the production of COD as malt extract > soyabean meal > K2HPO4 > NaCl > MgSO4 > glycerol. The subsequent optimization of the four most significant factors viz. malt extract, soyabean meal, K2HPO4 and NaCl, was carried out by employing a central composite rotatable design (CCRD) of RSM. There was a 2.48-fold increase in productivity of COD as compared to the unoptimized media by using these statistical approaches.

Preventive Effect of Zea mays L. (Purple Waxy Corn) on Experimental Diabetic Cataract

PubMed Central

Thiraphatthanavong, Paphaphat; Wattanathorn, Jintanaporn; Muchimapura, Supaporn; Thukham-mee, Wipawee; Wannanon, Panakaporn; Tong-un, Terdthai; Suriharn, Bhalang; Lertrat, Kamol

2014-01-01

Recently, substances possessing antioxidant can prevent cataractogenesis of diabetic cataract. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the anticataract effect of Zea mays L. (purple waxy corn), a flavonoids rich plant, in experimental diabetic cataract. Enucleated rat lenses were incubated in artificial aqueous humor containing 55 mM glucose with various concentrations of Zea mays L. (purple waxy corn) ranging between 2, 10, and 50 mg/mL at room temperature for 72 h. At the end of the incubation period, the evaluation of lens opacification, MDA level, and the activities of SOD, CAT, GPx, and AR in lens were performed. The results showed that both medium and high doses of extract decreased lens opacity together with the decreased MDA level. In addition, medium dose of extract increased GPx activity while the high dose decreased AR activity. No other significant changes were observed. The purple waxy corn seeds extract is the potential candidate to protect against diabetic cataract. The mechanism of action may occur via the decreased oxidative stress and the suppression of AR. However, further research in vivo is still essential. PMID:24527449

A Comparative Study on Formability of the Third-Generation Automotive Medium-Mn Steel and 22MnB5 Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Guojun; Li, Xiaodong; Chang, Ying; Wang, Cunyu; Dong, Han

2018-02-01

Third-generation advanced automotive medium-Mn steel, which can replace 22MnB5 steel, was newly developed to improve the lightweight and crashworthiness of automobile. Studies on the formability and simulation method of medium-Mn steel have just been initiated. In this study, finite element simulation models of square-cup deep drawing were established based on various material property experiments and validated by experiments. The effects of blank holder force (BHF), fillet radii of tools (die and punch) on the maximum drawing depth (MDD), thickness distribution of the formed products, and the microstructure before and after forming were investigated and compared with those on 22MnB5 steel. Results show that the MDD of the two steels decreased with increased BHF but increased with the fillet radius of punch; however, the fillet radius of die showed no significant effect on the MDD for both steels. Compared with hot-formed 22MnB5 steel, the martensitic transformation of the hot-formed medium-Mn steel is rarely influenced by the process parameters; thus, it holds the complete, fine-grained, and uniform martensitic microstructure. Moreover, the medium-Mn has better formability, lower initial blank temperature, and smaller impact of BHF and fillet radius of tools on the hot-formed product. Thus, a theoretical basis for the replacement of 22MnB5 steel by medium-Mn steel in hot forming process is provided.

Experimental interstellar organic chemistry - Preliminary findings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khare, B. N.; Sagan, C.

1973-01-01

Review of the results of some explicit experimental simulation of interstellar organic chemistry consisting in low-temperature high-vacuum UV irradiation of condensed simple gases known or suspected to be present in the interstellar medium. The results include the finding that acetonitrile may be present in the interstellar medium. The implication of this and other findings are discussed.

An absorbing microwave micro-solid-phase extraction device used in non-polar solvent microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides.

PubMed

Wang, Ziming; Zhao, Xin; Xu, Xu; Wu, Lijie; Su, Rui; Zhao, Yajing; Jiang, Chengfei; Zhang, Hanqi; Ma, Qiang; Lu, Chunmei; Dong, Deming

2013-01-14

A single-step extraction-cleanup method, including microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE), was developed for the extraction of ten organophosphorus pesticides in vegetable and fruit samples. Without adding any polar solvent, only one kind of non-polar solvent (hexane) was used as extraction solvent in the whole extraction step. Absorbing microwave μ-SPE device, was prepared by packing activated carbon with microporous polypropylene membrane envelope, and used as not only the sorbent in μ-SPE, but also the microwave absorption medium. Some experimental parameters effecting on extraction efficiency was investigated and optimized. 1.0 g of sample, 8 mL of hexane and three absorbing microwave μ-SPE devices were added in the microwave extraction vessel, the extraction was carried out under 400 W irradiation power at 60°C for 10 min. The extracts obtained by MAE-μ-SPE were directly analyzed by GC-MS without any clean-up process. The recoveries were in the range of 93.5-104.6%, and the relative standard deviations were lower than 8.7%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of thermally controlled HALNA DPSSL for inertial fusion energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Osamu; Yasuhara, Ryo; Kurita, Takashi; Ikegawa, Tadashi; Sekine, Takashi; Kawashima, Toshiyuki; Kawanaka, Junji; Norimatsu, Takayoshi; Miyanaga, Noriaki; Izawa, Yasukazu; Nakatsuka, Masahiro; Miyamoto, Masahiro; Kan, Hirofumi; Furukawa, Hiroyuki; Motokoshi, Shinji

2006-02-01

We have been developing a high average-power laser system for science and industry applications that can generate an output of 20 J per pulse at 10-Hz operation. Water-cooled Nd:glass zig-zag slab is pumped with 803-nm AlGaAs laser-diode modules. To efficiently extract energy from the laser medium, the laser beam alternately passes through dual zig-zag slab amplifier modules. Twin LD modules equipped on each slab amplifier module pump the laser medium with a peak power density of 2.5 kW/cm2. In high power laser system, thermal load in the laser medium causes serious thermal effects. We arranged cladding glasses on the top and bottom of the laser slab to reduce thermal effects.

Biosensor method and system based on feature vector extraction

DOEpatents

Greenbaum, Elias [Knoxville, TN; Rodriguez, Jr., Miguel; Qi, Hairong [Knoxville, TN; Wang, Xiaoling [San Jose, CA

2012-04-17

A method of biosensor-based detection of toxins comprises the steps of providing at least one time-dependent control signal generated by a biosensor in a gas or liquid medium, and obtaining a time-dependent biosensor signal from the biosensor in the gas or liquid medium to be monitored or analyzed for the presence of one or more toxins selected from chemical, biological or radiological agents. The time-dependent biosensor signal is processed to obtain a plurality of feature vectors using at least one of amplitude statistics and a time-frequency analysis. At least one parameter relating to toxicity of the gas or liquid medium is then determined from the feature vectors based on reference to the control signal.

Computing Radiative Transfer in a 3D Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Allmen, Paul; Lee, Seungwon

2012-01-01

A package of software computes the time-dependent propagation of a narrow laser beam in an arbitrary three- dimensional (3D) medium with absorption and scattering, using the transient-discrete-ordinates method and a direct integration method. Unlike prior software that utilizes a Monte Carlo method, this software enables simulation at very small signal-to-noise ratios. The ability to simulate propagation of a narrow laser beam in a 3D medium is an improvement over other discrete-ordinate software. Unlike other direct-integration software, this software is not limited to simulation of propagation of thermal radiation with broad angular spread in three dimensions or of a laser pulse with narrow angular spread in two dimensions. Uses for this software include (1) computing scattering of a pulsed laser beam on a material having given elastic scattering and absorption profiles, and (2) evaluating concepts for laser-based instruments for sensing oceanic turbulence and related measurements of oceanic mixed-layer depths. With suitable augmentation, this software could be used to compute radiative transfer in ultrasound imaging in biological tissues, radiative transfer in the upper Earth crust for oil exploration, and propagation of laser pulses in telecommunication applications.

Coincidences between O VI and O VII Lines: Insights from High-resolution Simulations of the Warm-hot Intergalactic Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cen, Renyue

2012-07-01

With high-resolution (0.46 h -1 kpc), large-scale, adaptive mesh-refinement Eulerian cosmological hydrodynamic simulations we compute properties of O VI and O VII absorbers from the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) at z = 0. Our new simulations are in broad agreement with previous simulations with ~40% of the intergalactic medium being in the WHIM. Our simulations are in agreement with observed properties of O VI absorbers with respect to the line incidence rate and Doppler-width-column-density relation. It is found that the amount of gas in the WHIM below and above 106 K is roughly equal. Strong O VI absorbers are found to be predominantly collisionally ionized. It is found that (61%, 57%, 39%) of O VI absorbers of log N(O VI) cm2 = (12.5-13, 13-14, > 14) have T < 105 K. Cross correlations between galaxies and strong [N(O VI) > 1014 cm-2] O VI absorbers on ~100-300 kpc scales are suggested as a potential differentiator between collisional ionization and photoionization models. Quantitative prediction is made for the presence of broad and shallow O VI lines that are largely missed by current observations but will be detectable by Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observations. The reported 3σ upper limit on the mean column density of coincidental O VII lines at the location of detected O VI lines by Yao et al. is above our predicted value by a factor of 2.5-4. The claimed observational detection of O VII lines by Nicastro et al., if true, is 2σ above what our simulations predict.

Improved mathematical and computational tools for modeling photon propagation in tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calabro, Katherine Weaver

Light interacts with biological tissue through two predominant mechanisms: scattering and absorption, which are sensitive to the size and density of cellular organelles, and to biochemical composition (ex. hemoglobin), respectively. During the progression of disease, tissues undergo a predictable set of changes in cell morphology and vascularization, which directly affect their scattering and absorption properties. Hence, quantification of these optical property differences can be used to identify the physiological biomarkers of disease with interest often focused on cancer. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is a diagnostic tool, wherein broadband visible light is transmitted through a fiber optic probe into a turbid medium, and after propagating through the sample, a fraction of the light is collected at the surface as reflectance. The measured reflectance spectrum can be analyzed with appropriate mathematical models to extract the optical properties of the tissue, and from these, a set of physiological properties. A number of models have been developed for this purpose using a variety of approaches -- from diffusion theory, to computational simulations, and empirical observations. However, these models are generally limited to narrow ranges of tissue and probe geometries. In this thesis, reflectance models were developed for a much wider range of measurement parameters, and influences such as the scattering phase function and probe design were investigated rigorously for the first time. The results provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence reflectance, with novel insights that, in some cases, challenge current assumptions in the field. An improved Monte Carlo simulation program, designed to run on a graphics processing unit (GPU), was built to simulate the data used in the development of the reflectance models. Rigorous error analysis was performed to identify how inaccuracies in modeling assumptions can be expected to affect the accuracy of extracted optical property values from experimentally-acquired reflectance spectra. From this analysis, probe geometries that offer the best robustness against error in estimation of physiological properties from tissue, are presented. Finally, several in vivo studies demonstrating the use of reflectance spectroscopy for both research and clinical applications are presented.

Sperm DNA fragmentation induced by cryopreservation: new insights and effect of a natural extract from Opuntia ficus-indica.

PubMed

Meamar, Mehrdad; Zribi, Nassira; Cambi, Marta; Tamburrino, Lara; Marchiani, Sara; Filimberti, Erminio; Fino, Maria Grazia; Biggeri, Annibale; Menezo, Yves; Forti, Gianni; Baldi, Elisabetta; Muratori, Monica

2012-08-01

To analyze the effect of cryopreservation on sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in two cytometric sperm populations, PI(brighter) and PI(dimmer), and to test the effects of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) extracts, which contain antioxidants and flavanoids, and of resveratrol on cryopreservation of human semen. In vitro prospective study. Institutional study. Twenty-one normozoospermic men undergoing semen analysis for couple infertility. Cryopreservation using the routine method in the presence of OFI extracts or resveratrol. Measurement of SDF by TUNEL/PI flow cytometric method to evaluate sperm motility (by automated motion analysis, CASA system) and viability (by eosin/nigrosin staining) in the two populations of sperm PI(br) and PI(dim). Cryopreservation induced an increase of SDF only in the PI(br) sperm population. The increase was negatively dependent on the basal values of SDF in the same population. Addition of OFI extracts and resveratrol to the cryopreservation medium slightly but statistically significantly reduced SDF in the PI(br) population without affecting the deleterious effect of cryopreservation on sperm motion parameters or viability. The increase of SDF in the PI(br) population, which is unrelated to semen quality, suggests that caution must be taken in using cryopreserved semen, as morphologically normal and motile sperm may be damaged. The addition of substances with multifunctional properties such as OFI extracts to cryopreservation medium is only slightly effective in preventing the dramatic effects on SDF. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Density-Gradient Mediated Band Extraction of Leukocytes from Whole Blood Using Centrifugo-Pneumatic Siphon Valving on Centrifugal Microfluidic Discs

PubMed Central

Kearney, Sinéad M.; Kilcawley, Niamh A.; Early, Philip L.; Glynn, Macdara T.; Ducrée, Jens

2016-01-01

Here we present retrieval of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells by density-gradient medium based centrifugation for subsequent analysis of the leukocytes on an integrated microfluidic “Lab-on-a-Disc” cartridge. Isolation of white blood cells constitutes a critical sample preparation step for many bioassays. Centrifugo-pneumatic siphon valves are particularly suited for blood processing as they function without need of surface treatment and are ‘low-pass’, i.e., holding at high centrifugation speeds and opening upon reduction of the spin rate. Both ‘hydrostatically’ and ‘hydrodynamically’ triggered centrifugo-pneumatic siphon valving schemes are presented. Firstly, the geometry of the pneumatic chamber of hydrostatically primed centrifugo-pneumatic siphon valves is optimised to enable smooth and uniform layering of blood on top of the density-gradient medium; this feature proves to be key for efficient Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell extraction. A theoretical analysis of hydrostatically primed valves is also presented which determines the optimum priming pressure for the individual valves. Next, ‘dual siphon’ configurations for both hydrostatically and hydrodynamically primed centrifugo-pneumatic siphon valves are introduced; here plasma and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells are extracted through a distinct siphon valve. This work represents a first step towards enabling on disc multi-parameter analysis. Finally, the efficiency of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells extraction in these structures is characterised using a simplified design. A microfluidic mechanism, which we termed phase switching, is identified which affects the efficiency of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell extraction. PMID:27167376

Novel sample preparation technique with needle-type micro-extraction device for volatile organic compounds in indoor air samples.

PubMed

Ueta, Ikuo; Mizuguchi, Ayako; Fujimura, Koji; Kawakubo, Susumu; Saito, Yoshihiro

2012-10-09

A novel needle-type sample preparation device was developed for the effective preconcentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air before gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. To develop a device for extracting a wide range of VOCs typically found in indoor air, several types of particulate sorbents were tested as the extraction medium in the needle-type extraction device. To determine the content of these VOCs, air samples were collected for 30min with the packed sorbent(s) in the extraction needle, and the extracted VOCs were thermally desorbed in a GC injection port by the direct insertion of the needle. A double-bed sorbent consisting of a needle packed with divinylbenzene and activated carbon particles exhibited excellent extraction and desorption performance and adequate extraction capacity for all the investigated VOCs. The results also clearly demonstrated that the proposed sample preparation method is a more rapid, simpler extraction/desorption technique than traditional sample preparation methods. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the influence of white grape seed extracts as copigment sources on the anthocyanin extraction from grape skins previously classified by near infrared hyperspectral tools.

PubMed

Nogales-Bueno, Julio; Baca-Bocanegra, Berta; Jara-Palacios, María José; Hernández-Hierro, José Miguel; Heredia, Francisco José

2017-04-15

Hyperspectral imaging has been used to classify red grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) according to their predicted extractable total anthocyanin content (i.e. extractable total anthocyanin content determined by a hyperspectral method). Low, medium and high levels of predicted extractable total anthocyanin content were established. Then, grape skins were split into three parts and each part was macerated into a different model wine solution for a three-day period. Wine model solutions were made up with different concentration of copigments coming from white grape seeds. Aqueous supernatants were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and extractable anthocyanin contents were obtained. Principal component analyses and analyses of variance were carried out with the aim of studying trends related to the extractable anthocyanin contents. Significant differences were found among grapes with different levels of predicted extractable anthocyanin contents. Moreover, no significant differences were found on the extractable anthocyanin contents using different copigment concentrations in grape skin macerations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonequilibrium forces following quenches in active and thermal matter.

PubMed

Rohwer, Christian M; Solon, Alexandre; Kardar, Mehran; Krüger, Matthias

2018-03-01

Nonequilibrium systems with conserved quantities like density or momentum are known to exhibit long-ranged correlations. This, in turn, leads to long-ranged fluctuation-induced (Casimir) forces, predicted to arise in a variety of nonequilibrium settings. Here, we study such forces, which arise transiently between parallel plates or compact inclusions in a gas of particles, following a change ("quench") in temperature or activity of the medium. Analytical calculations, as well as numerical simulations of passive or active Brownian particles, indicate two distinct forces: (i) The immediate effect of the quench is adsorption or desorption of particles of the medium to the immersed objects, which in turn initiates a front of relaxing (mean) density. This leads to time-dependent density-induced forces. (ii) A long-term effect of the quench is that density fluctuations are modified, manifested as transient (long-ranged) (pair-)correlations that relax diffusively to their (short-ranged) steady-state limit. As a result, transient fluctuation-induced forces emerge. We discuss the properties of fluctuation-induced and density-induced forces as regards universality, relaxation as a function of time, and scaling with distance between objects. Their distinct signatures allow us to distinguish the two types of forces in simulation data. Our simulations also show that a quench of the effective temperature of an active medium gives rise to qualitatively similar effects to a temperature quench in a passive medium. Based on this insight, we propose several scenarios for the experimental observation of the forces described here.

Nonequilibrium forces following quenches in active and thermal matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohwer, Christian M.; Solon, Alexandre; Kardar, Mehran; Krüger, Matthias

2018-03-01

Nonequilibrium systems with conserved quantities like density or momentum are known to exhibit long-ranged correlations. This, in turn, leads to long-ranged fluctuation-induced (Casimir) forces, predicted to arise in a variety of nonequilibrium settings. Here, we study such forces, which arise transiently between parallel plates or compact inclusions in a gas of particles, following a change ("quench") in temperature or activity of the medium. Analytical calculations, as well as numerical simulations of passive or active Brownian particles, indicate two distinct forces: (i) The immediate effect of the quench is adsorption or desorption of particles of the medium to the immersed objects, which in turn initiates a front of relaxing (mean) density. This leads to time-dependent density-induced forces. (ii) A long-term effect of the quench is that density fluctuations are modified, manifested as transient (long-ranged) (pair-)correlations that relax diffusively to their (short-ranged) steady-state limit. As a result, transient fluctuation-induced forces emerge. We discuss the properties of fluctuation-induced and density-induced forces as regards universality, relaxation as a function of time, and scaling with distance between objects. Their distinct signatures allow us to distinguish the two types of forces in simulation data. Our simulations also show that a quench of the effective temperature of an active medium gives rise to qualitatively similar effects to a temperature quench in a passive medium. Based on this insight, we propose several scenarios for the experimental observation of the forces described here.

Biosynthesis of flat silver nanoflowers: from Flos Magnoliae Officinalis extract to simulation solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Xiaolian; Huang, Jiale; Wu, Lingfeng; Sun, Daohua; Li, Qingbiao

2014-03-01

Flat Ag nanoflowers were directly synthesized from the bioreduction of AgNO3 using Flos Magnoliae Officinalis extract without any additional stabilizer or protective agent at room temperature. Effects of concentrations of the Flos Magnoliae Officinalis extract on the Ag nanostructures were investigated. The main components containing flavone, polyphenol, protein, and reducing sugar in the plant extract were thoroughly determined before and after the reaction, and the dialysis experiments were also conducted. The results of components analysis and dialysis showed that gallic acid representing polyphenols played an important role in the biosynthesis of silver nanoplates. Trisodium citrate combined gallic acid solution, instead of Flos Magnoliae Officinalis extract, was employed and successfully simulated the biosynthesis process of the flat Ag nanoflowers.

Dynamic microwave assisted extraction coupled with dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction of herbicides in soybeans.

PubMed

Li, Na; Wu, Lijie; Nian, Li; Song, Ying; Lei, Lei; Yang, Xiao; Wang, Kun; Wang, Zhibing; Zhang, Liyuan; Zhang, Hanqi; Yu, Aimin; Zhang, Ziwei

2015-09-01

Non-polar solvent dynamic microwave assisted extraction was firstly applied to the treatment of high-fat soybean samples. In the dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (D-µ-SPE), the herbicides in the high-fat extract were directly adsorbed on metal-organic frameworks MIL-101(Cr). The effects of several experimental parameters, including extraction solvent, microwave absorption medium, microwave power, volume and flow rate of extraction solvent, amount of MIL-101(Cr), and D-µ-SPE time, were investigated. At the optimal conditions, the limits of detection for the herbicides ranged from 1.56 to 2.00 μg kg(-1). The relative recoveries of the herbicides were in the range of 91.1-106.7%, and relative standard deviations were equal to or lower than 6.7%. The present method was simple, rapid and effective. A large amount of fat was also removed. This method was demonstrated to be suitable for treatment of high-fat samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of a magnetic solid-phase extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography method for the simultaneous determination of amphetamine and methadone in urine.

PubMed

Taghvimi, Arezou; Hamishehkar, Hamed; Ebrahimi, Mahmoud

2016-06-01

The simultaneous determination of amphetamine and methadone was carried out by magnetic graphene oxide nanoparticles, a magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbent, as a new sample treatment technique. The main factors (the amounts of sample volume, amount of adsorbent, type and amount of extraction organic solvent, time of extraction and desorption, pH, the ionic strength of extraction medium, and agitation rate) influencing the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity was observed in the range of 100-1500 ng/mL for amphetamine and 100-1000 ng/mL for methadone. The method was evaluated for determination of AM and methadone in positive urine samples, satisfactory results were obtained, therefore magnetic solid-phase extraction can be applied as a novel method for the determination of drugs of abuse in forensic laboratories. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Comparison of the activities of extracts of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium in amino acid incorporation.

PubMed

Bassel, B A; Curry, M E

1973-11-01

We have compared the amino acid incorporating activities of extracts of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium in in vitro protein-synthesizing systems directed by bacterial messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) of both species and by the genomes of coliphages Qbeta and f2. E. coli and S. typhimurium extracts translate both homologous and heterologous bacterial mRNAs at comparable rates. S. typhimurium extracts translate phage RNAs only 10 to 15% as fast as E. coli extracts do. The presence of glucose in the growth medium increases the activity of S. typhimurium extracts three- to fourfold in the phage RNA-directed systems. Glucose has a much more limited effect on the activities of E. coli extracts. We show that similar amounts of phage RNA-ribosome complexes are formed in both the E. coli and the S. typhimurium systems, indicating that the different activities observed may be attributed to different rates of peptide elongation or to the formation of complexes at different sites on the RNA strand.

Chemical analysis and biological testing of a polar fraction of ambient air, diesel engine, and gasoline engine particulate extracts.

PubMed Central

Strandell, M; Zakrisson, S; Alsberg, T; Westerholm, R; Winquist, L; Rannug, U

1994-01-01

Extracts of gasoline and diesel vehicle exhaust and ambient air particles were fractionated into five fractions according to polarity on a silica gel column. Two medium polar fractions showing high genotoxic activity in the Ames test were further subfractionated, using normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Chemical analyses were performed by means of gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry and flame ionization and detection. The crude extracts, fractions, and subfractions were assayed with the Ames test, with and without S9, and the most abundant compounds in the subfractions are reported. PMID:7529708

Simulating the interaction of the heliosphere with the local interstellar medium: MHD results from a finite volume approach, first bidimensional results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chanteur, G.; Khanfir, R.

1995-01-01

We have designed a full compressible MHD code working on unstructured meshes in order to be able to compute accurately sharp structures embedded in large scale simulations. The code is based on a finite volume method making use of a kinetic flux splitting. A bidimensional version of the code has been used to simulate the interaction of a moving interstellar medium, magnetized or unmagnetized with a rotating and magnetized heliopspheric plasma source. Being aware that these computations are not realistic due to the restriction to two dimensions, we present it to demonstrate the ability of this new code to handle this problem. An axisymetric version, now under development, will be operational in a few months. Ultimately we plan to run a full 3d version.