Sample records for mixtures

  1. Global concentration additivity and prediction of mixture toxicities, taking nitrobenzene derivatives as an example.

    PubMed

    Li, Tong; Liu, Shu-Shen; Qu, Rui; Liu, Hai-Ling

    2017-10-01

    The toxicity of a mixture depends not only on the mixture concentration level but also on the mixture ratio. For a multiple-component mixture (MCM) system with a definite chemical composition, the mixture toxicity can be predicted only if the global concentration additivity (GCA) is validated. The so-called GCA means that the toxicity of any mixture in the MCM system is the concentration additive, regardless of what its mixture ratio and concentration level. However, many mixture toxicity reports have usually employed one mixture ratio (such as the EC 50 ratio), the equivalent effect concentration ratio (EECR) design, to specify several mixtures. EECR mixtures cannot simulate the concentration diversity and mixture ratio diversity of mixtures in the real environment, and it is impossible to validate the GCA. Therefore, in this paper, the uniform design ray (UD-Ray) was used to select nine mixture ratios (rays) in the mixture system of five nitrobenzene derivatives (NBDs). The representative UD-Ray mixtures can effectively and rationally describe the diversity in the NBD mixture system. The toxicities of the mixtures to Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67 were determined by the microplate toxicity analysis (MTA). For each UD-Ray mixture, the concentration addition (CA) model was used to validate whether the mixture toxicity is additive. All of the UD-Ray mixtures of five NBDs are global concentration additive. Afterwards, the CA is employed to predict the toxicities of the external mixtures from three EECR mixture rays with the NOEC, EC 30 , and EC 70 ratios. The predictive toxicities are in good agreement with the experimental toxicities, which testifies to the predictability of the mixture toxicity of the NBDs. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Modeling and analysis of personal exposures to VOC mixtures using copulas

    PubMed Central

    Su, Feng-Chiao; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Batterman, Stuart

    2014-01-01

    Environmental exposures typically involve mixtures of pollutants, which must be understood to evaluate cumulative risks, that is, the likelihood of adverse health effects arising from two or more chemicals. This study uses several powerful techniques to characterize dependency structures of mixture components in personal exposure measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with aims of advancing the understanding of environmental mixtures, improving the ability to model mixture components in a statistically valid manner, and demonstrating broadly applicable techniques. We first describe characteristics of mixtures and introduce several terms, including the mixture fraction which represents a mixture component's share of the total concentration of the mixture. Next, using VOC exposure data collected in the Relationship of Indoor Outdoor and Personal Air (RIOPA) study, mixtures are identified using positive matrix factorization (PMF) and by toxicological mode of action. Dependency structures of mixture components are examined using mixture fractions and modeled using copulas, which address dependencies of multiple variables across the entire distribution. Five candidate copulas (Gaussian, t, Gumbel, Clayton, and Frank) are evaluated, and the performance of fitted models was evaluated using simulation and mixture fractions. Cumulative cancer risks are calculated for mixtures, and results from copulas and multivariate lognormal models are compared to risks calculated using the observed data. Results obtained using the RIOPA dataset showed four VOC mixtures, representing gasoline vapor, vehicle exhaust, chlorinated solvents and disinfection by-products, and cleaning products and odorants. Often, a single compound dominated the mixture, however, mixture fractions were generally heterogeneous in that the VOC composition of the mixture changed with concentration. Three mixtures were identified by mode of action, representing VOCs associated with hematopoietic, liver and renal tumors. Estimated lifetime cumulative cancer risks exceeded 10−3 for about 10% of RIOPA participants. Factors affecting the likelihood of high concentration mixtures included city, participant ethnicity, and house air exchange rates. The dependency structures of the VOC mixtures fitted Gumbel (two mixtures) and t (four mixtures) copulas, types that emphasize tail dependencies. Significantly, the copulas reproduced both risk predictions and exposure fractions with a high degree of accuracy, and performed better than multivariate lognormal distributions. Copulas may be the method of choice for VOC mixtures, particularly for the highest exposures or extreme events, cases that poorly fit lognormal distributions and that represent the greatest risks. PMID:24333991

  3. Simulation of mixture microstructures via particle packing models and their direct comparison with real mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gulliver, Eric A.

    The objective of this thesis to identify and develop techniques providing direct comparison between simulated and real packed particle mixture microstructures containing submicron-sized particles. This entailed devising techniques for simulating powder mixtures, producing real mixtures with known powder characteristics, sectioning real mixtures, interrogating mixture cross-sections, evaluating and quantifying the mixture interrogation process and for comparing interrogation results between mixtures. A drop and roll-type particle-packing model was used to generate simulations of random mixtures. The simulated mixtures were then evaluated to establish that they were not segregated and free from gross defects. A powder processing protocol was established to provide real mixtures for direct comparison and for use in evaluating the simulation. The powder processing protocol was designed to minimize differences between measured particle size distributions and the particle size distributions in the mixture. A sectioning technique was developed that was capable of producing distortion free cross-sections of fine scale particulate mixtures. Tessellation analysis was used to interrogate mixture cross sections and statistical quality control charts were used to evaluate different types of tessellation analysis and to establish the importance of differences between simulated and real mixtures. The particle-packing program generated crescent shaped pores below large particles but realistic looking mixture microstructures otherwise. Focused ion beam milling was the only technique capable of sectioning particle compacts in a manner suitable for stereological analysis. Johnson-Mehl and Voronoi tessellation of the same cross-sections produced tessellation tiles with different the-area populations. Control charts analysis showed Johnson-Mehl tessellation measurements are superior to Voronoi tessellation measurements for detecting variations in mixture microstructure, such as altered particle-size distributions or mixture composition. Control charts based on tessellation measurements were used for direct, quantitative comparisons between real and simulated mixtures. Four sets of simulated and real mixtures were examined. Data from real mixture was matched with simulated data when the samples were well mixed and the particle size distributions and volume fractions of the components were identical. Analysis of mixture components that occupied less than approximately 10 vol% of the mixture was not practical unless the particle size of the component was extremely small and excellent quality high-resolution compositional micrographs of the real sample are available. These methods of analysis should allow future researchers to systematically evaluate and predict the impact and importance of variables such as component volume fraction and component particle size distribution as they pertain to the uniformity of powder mixture microstructures.

  4. Mixture risk assessment: a case study of Monsanto experiences.

    PubMed

    Nair, R S; Dudek, B R; Grothe, D R; Johannsen, F R; Lamb, I C; Martens, M A; Sherman, J H; Stevens, M W

    1996-01-01

    Monsanto employs several pragmatic approaches for evaluating the toxicity of mixtures. These approaches are similar to those recommended by many national and international agencies. When conducting hazard and risk assessments, priority is always given to using data collected directly on the mixture of concern. To provide an example of the first tier of evaluation, actual data on acute respiratory irritation studies on mixtures were evaluated to determine whether the principle of additivity was applicable to the mixture evaluated. If actual data on the mixture are unavailable, extrapolation across similar mixtures is considered. Because many formulations are quite similar in composition, the toxicity data from one mixture can be extended to a closely related mixture in a scientifically justifiable manner. An example of a family of products where such extrapolations have been made is presented to exemplify this second approach. Lastly, if data on similar mixtures are unavailable, data on component fractions are used to predict the toxicity of the mixture. In this third approach, process knowledge and scientific judgement are used to determine how the known toxicological properties of the individual fractions affect toxicity of the mixture. Three examples of plant effluents where toxicological data on fractions were used to predict the toxicity of the mixture are discussed. The results of the analysis are used to discuss the predictive value of each of the above mentioned toxicological approaches for evaluating chemical mixtures.

  5. Evaluating the similarity of complex drinking-water disinfection by-product mixtures: overview of the issues.

    PubMed

    Rice, Glenn E; Teuschler, Linda K; Bull, Richard J; Simmons, Jane E; Feder, Paul I

    2009-01-01

    Humans are exposed daily to complex mixtures of environmental chemical contaminants, which arise as releases from sources such as engineering procedures, degradation processes, and emissions from mobile or stationary sources. When dose-response data are available for the actual environmental mixture to which individuals are exposed (i.e., the mixture of concern), these data provide the best information for dose-response assessment of the mixture. When suitable data on the mixture itself are not available, surrogate data might be used from a sufficiently similar mixture or a group of similar mixtures. Consequently, the determination of whether the mixture of concern is "sufficiently similar" to a tested mixture or a group of tested mixtures is central to the use of whole mixture methods. This article provides an overview for a series of companion articles whose purpose is to develop a set of biostatistical, chemical, and toxicological criteria and approaches for evaluating the similarity of drinking-water disinfection by-product (DBPs) complex mixtures. Together, the five articles in this series serve as a case study whose techniques will be relevant to assessing similarity for other classes of complex mixtures of environmental chemicals. Schenck et al. (2009) describe the chemistry and mutagenicity of a set of DBP mixtures concentrated from five different drinking-water treatment plants. Bull et al. (2009a, 2009b) describe how the variables that impact the formation of DBP affect the chemical composition and, subsequently, the expected toxicity of the mixture. Feder et al. (2009a, 2009b) evaluate the similarity of DBP mixture concentrates by applying two biostatistical approaches, principal components analysis, and a nonparametric "bootstrap" analysis. Important factors for determining sufficient similarity of DBP mixtures found in this research include disinfectant used; source water characteristics, including the concentrations of bromide and total organic carbon; concentrations and proportions of individual DBPs with known toxicity data on the same endpoint; magnitude of the unidentified fraction of total organic halides; similar toxicity outcomes for whole mixture testing (e.g., mutagenicity); and summary chemical measures such as total trihalomethanes, total haloacetic acids, total haloacetonitriles, and the levels of bromide incorporation in the DBP classes.

  6. Effects of defined mixtures of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on multiple cellular responses in the human hepatocarcinoma cell line, HepG2, using high content analysis screening

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

    Wilson, Jodie; Berntsen, Hanne Friis; Zimmer, Karin Elisabeth

    Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic substances, highly resistant to environmental degradation, which can bio-accumulate and have long-range atmospheric transport potential. Most studies focus on single compound effects, however as humans are exposed to several POPs simultaneously, investigating exposure effects of real life POP mixtures on human health is necessary. A defined mixture of POPs was used, where the compound concentration reflected its contribution to the levels seen in Scandinavian human serum (total mix). Several sub mixtures representing different classes of POPs were also constructed. The perfluorinated (PFC) mixture contained six perfluorinated compounds, brominated (Br) mixture contained seven brominated compounds,more » chlorinated (Cl) mixture contained polychlorinated biphenyls and also p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, hexachlorobenzene, three chlordanes, three hexachlorocyclohexanes and dieldrin. Human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells were used for 2 h and 48 h exposures to the seven mixtures and analysis on a CellInsight™ NXT High Content Screening platform. Multiple cytotoxic endpoints were investigated: cell number, nuclear intensity and area, mitochondrial mass and membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both the Br and Cl mixtures induced ROS production but did not lead to apoptosis. The PFC mixture induced ROS production and likely induced cell apoptosis accompanied by the dissipation of MMP. Synergistic effects were evident for ROS induction when cells were exposed to the PFC + Br mixture in comparison to the effects of the individual mixtures. No significant effects were detected in the Br + Cl, PFC + Cl or total mixtures, which contain the same concentrations of chlorinated compounds as the Cl mixture plus additional compounds; highlighting the need for further exploration of POP mixtures in risk assessment. - Highlights: • High content analysis (HCA) is a novel approach for determining toxicity of complex mixtures. • Multiple cytotoxic endpoints were investigated for defined mixtures of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). • POP mixtures are based on levels relevant to human exposure. • POP mixtures can increase ROS induction and impact mitochondrial health, which could result in apoptosis. • HCA can detect pre-lethal and reversible signs of cellular stress.« less

  7. Pumpable/injectable phosphate-bonded ceramics

    DOEpatents

    Singh, Dileep; Wagh, Arun S.; Perry, Lamar; Jeong, Seung-Young

    2001-01-01

    A pumpable ceramic composition is provided comprising an inorganic oxide, potassium phosphate, and an oxide coating material. Also provided is a method for preparing pumpable ceramic-based waste forms comprising selecting inorganic oxides based on solubility, surface area and morphology criteria; mixing the selected oxides with phosphate solution and waste to form a first mixture; combining an additive to the first mixture to create a second mixture; adding water to the second mixture to create a reactive mixture; homogenizing the reactive mixture; and allowing the reactive mixture to cure.

  8. Honeybees Learn Odour Mixtures via a Selection of Key Odorants

    PubMed Central

    Reinhard, Judith; Sinclair, Michael; Srinivasan, Mandyam V.; Claudianos, Charles

    2010-01-01

    Background The honeybee has to detect, process and learn numerous complex odours from her natural environment on a daily basis. Most of these odours are floral scents, which are mixtures of dozens of different odorants. To date, it is still unclear how the bee brain unravels the complex information contained in scent mixtures. Methodology/Principal Findings This study investigates learning of complex odour mixtures in honeybees using a simple olfactory conditioning procedure, the Proboscis-Extension-Reflex (PER) paradigm. Restrained honeybees were trained to three scent mixtures composed of 14 floral odorants each, and then tested with the individual odorants of each mixture. Bees did not respond to all odorants of a mixture equally: They responded well to a selection of key odorants, which were unique for each of the three scent mixtures. Bees showed less or very little response to the other odorants of the mixtures. The bees' response to mixtures composed of only the key odorants was as good as to the original mixtures of 14 odorants. A mixture composed of the other, non-key-odorants elicited a significantly lower response. Neither an odorant's volatility or molecular structure, nor learning efficiencies for individual odorants affected whether an odorant became a key odorant for a particular mixture. Odorant concentration had a positive effect, with odorants at high concentration likely to become key odorants. Conclusions/Significance Our study suggests that the brain processes complex scent mixtures by predominantly learning information from selected key odorants. Our observations on key odorant learning lend significant support to previous work on olfactory learning and mixture processing in honeybees. PMID:20161714

  9. A Statistical Approach for Judging Stability of Whole Mixture Chemical Composition over Time for Highly Complex Disinfection By-Product Mixtures from EPA's Four Lab Study

    EPA Science Inventory

    Chemical characterization of complex mixtures and assessment of stability over time of the characterized chemicals is crucial both to characterize exposure and to use data from one mixture as a surrogate for other similar mixtures. The chemical composition of test mixtures can va...

  10. Rabbit Neonates and Human Adults Perceive a Blending 6-Component Odor Mixture in a Comparable Manner

    PubMed Central

    Sinding, Charlotte; Thomas-Danguin, Thierry; Chambault, Adeline; Béno, Noelle; Dosne, Thibaut; Chabanet, Claire; Schaal, Benoist; Coureaud, Gérard

    2013-01-01

    Young and adult mammals are constantly exposed to chemically complex stimuli. The olfactory system allows for a dual processing of relevant information from the environment either as single odorants in mixtures (elemental perception) or as mixtures of odorants as a whole (configural perception). However, it seems that human adults have certain limits in elemental perception of odor mixtures, as suggested by their inability to identify each odorant in mixtures of more than 4 components. Here, we explored some of these limits by evaluating the perception of three 6-odorant mixtures in human adults and newborn rabbits. Using free-sorting tasks in humans, we investigated the configural or elemental perception of these mixtures, or of 5-component sub-mixtures, or of the 6-odorant mixtures with modified odorants' proportion. In rabbit pups, the perception of the same mixtures was evaluated by measuring the orocephalic sucking response to the mixtures or their components after conditioning to one of these stimuli. The results revealed that one mixture, previously shown to carry the specific odor of red cordial in humans, was indeed configurally processed in humans and in rabbits while the two other 6-component mixtures were not. Moreover, in both species, such configural perception was specific not only to the 6 odorants included in the mixture but also to their respective proportion. Interestingly, rabbit neonates also responded to each odorant after conditioning to the red cordial mixture, which demonstrates their ability to perceive elements in addition to configuration in this complex mixture. Taken together, the results provide new insights related to the processing of relatively complex odor mixtures in mammals and the inter-species conservation of certain perceptual mechanisms; the results also revealed some differences in the expression of these capacities between species putatively linked to developmental and ecological constraints. PMID:23341948

  11. ADDITIVITY ASSESSMENT OF TRIHALOMETHANE MIXTURES BY PROPORTIONAL RESPONSE ADDITION

    EPA Science Inventory

    If additivity is known or assumed, the toxicity of a chemical mixture may be predicted from the dose response curves of the individual chemicals comprising the mixture. As single chemical data are abundant and mixture data sparse, mixture risk methods that utilize single chemical...

  12. Viscosities of nonelectrolyte liquid mixtures. III. Selected binary and quaternary mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wakefield, D. L.

    1988-05-01

    This paper is the final in a series of three viscosity and density studies of pure n-alkanes and selected binary and quaternary mixtures. A standard U-tube viscometer was used for viscosity measurements, and a Pyrex flask-type pycnometer was used for density determinations. Results are given here for pure alkane and selected binary mixtures of n-tetradecane + n-octane, for selected quaternary mixtures of n-hexadecane + n-dodecane + n-decane + n-hexane, and for pure and selected quaternary mixtures of n-hexadecane + n-dodecane + n-nonane + n-heptane at 303.16 and 308.16 K. The principle of congruence was tested, as was the Grunberg and Nissan equation, as they have been shown to be useful as prediction techniques for other n-alkane binary mixtures. Comparisons were made between the two groups of quaternary alkane mixtures and the binary n-tetradecane + n-octane mixtures of the same “pseudo” composition to understand better the dependence of mixture viscosities on the composition parameter.

  13. METHODS AND TECHNIQUES FOR DEALING WITH THE UNIDENTIFIED FRACTION OF COMPLEX MIXTURES

    EPA Science Inventory

    For the vast majority of highly complex environmental mixtures to which humans are exposed, significant portions of the mixture are unidentified. Although toxicological data on the mixture itself are desired for risk assessment, such data, even on a similar mixture, are rarely a...

  14. 21 CFR 1310.12 - Exempt chemical mixtures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Exempt chemical mixtures. 1310.12 Section 1310.12... CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.12 Exempt chemical mixtures. (a) The chemical mixtures meeting the... importation of listed chemicals contained in the exempt chemical mixture or the civil liability for unlawful...

  15. 21 CFR 1310.12 - Exempt chemical mixtures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Exempt chemical mixtures. 1310.12 Section 1310.12... CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.12 Exempt chemical mixtures. (a) The chemical mixtures meeting the... importation of listed chemicals contained in the exempt chemical mixture or the civil liability for unlawful...

  16. Productivity, botanical composition, and nutritive value of commercial pasture mixtures

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pastures in the northeastern USA often are planted to mixtures of grasses and legumes. There is limited public sector information on the performance of commercial forage mixtures. We evaluated a range of commercial pasture mixtures to determine if the number of species in a mixture affected yield an...

  17. 21 CFR 1310.12 - Exempt chemical mixtures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Exempt chemical mixtures. 1310.12 Section 1310.12... CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.12 Exempt chemical mixtures. (a) The chemical mixtures meeting the..., or importation of listed chemicals contained in the exempt chemical mixture or the civil liability...

  18. 21 CFR 1310.12 - Exempt chemical mixtures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Exempt chemical mixtures. 1310.12 Section 1310.12... CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.12 Exempt chemical mixtures. (a) The chemical mixtures meeting the..., or importation of listed chemicals contained in the exempt chemical mixture or the civil liability...

  19. 21 CFR 1310.12 - Exempt chemical mixtures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Exempt chemical mixtures. 1310.12 Section 1310.12... CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.12 Exempt chemical mixtures. (a) The chemical mixtures meeting the..., or importation of listed chemicals contained in the exempt chemical mixture or the civil liability...

  20. THE FORMATION OF DETONATION IN SATURATED MIXTURES OF KNALLGAS-STEAM AND IN STOICHIOMETRIC MIXTURES OF DEUTERIUM-OXYGEN (HEAVY WATER). Final Report

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

    Luker, J.A.; Adler, L.B.; Hobaica, E.C.

    1959-01-23

    The purpose of this investigation was to determine the reaction characteristics of satuated mixtures of knall gas (stoichiometric mixture of hydrogen and oxygen) --steam and mixtures of heavy knall gas (stoichm-ometric mixture of deuterion and oxygen) saturated with heavy water. These mixtues were studied experimentally over composition ranges from no reaction limit to enriched compositions which supported detonations. (auth)

  1. Using special additions to preparation of the moulding mixture for casting steel parts of drive wheel type

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Josan, A.; Pinca Bretotean, C.

    2015-06-01

    The paper presents the possibility of using special additions to the execution of moulding mixtures for steel castings, drive wheel type. Critical analysis of moulding technology leads to the idea that most defects appear due to using improper moulding mixture. Using a improper moulding mixture leads to penetration of steel in moulding mixture, resulting in the formation of adherences, due to inadequate refractarity of the mould and core mixtures. Using only the unique mixture to the moulding leads to increasing consumption of new sand, respectively to the increase of price of piece. Acording to the dates registered in the industrial practice is necessary to use the special additions to obtain the moulding mixtures, carbonaceous materials respectively.

  2. SGC Tests for Influence of Material Composition on Compaction Characteristic of Asphalt Mixtures

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Qun

    2013-01-01

    Compaction characteristic of the surface layer asphalt mixture (13-type gradation mixture) was studied using Superpave gyratory compactor (SGC) simulative compaction tests. Based on analysis of densification curve of gyratory compaction, influence rules of the contents of mineral aggregates of all sizes and asphalt on compaction characteristic of asphalt mixtures were obtained. SGC Tests show that, for the mixture with a bigger content of asphalt, its density increases faster, that there is an optimal amount of fine aggregates for optimal compaction and that an appropriate amount of mineral powder will improve workability of mixtures, but overmuch mineral powder will make mixtures dry and hard. Conclusions based on SGC tests can provide basis for how to adjust material composition for improving compaction performance of asphalt mixtures, and for the designed asphalt mixture, its compaction performance can be predicted through these conclusions, which also contributes to the choice of compaction schemes. PMID:23818830

  3. Variable mixture ratio performance through nitrogen augmentation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beichel, R.; Obrien, C. J.; Bair, E. K.

    1988-01-01

    High/variable mixture ratio O2/H2 candidate engine cycles are examined for earth-to-orbit vehicle application. Engine performance and power balance information are presented for the candidate cycles relative to chamber pressure, bulk density, and mixture ratio. Included in the cycle screening are concepts where a third fluid (liquid nitrogen) is used to achieve a variable mixture ratio over the trajectory from liftoff to earth orbit. The third fluid cycles offer a very low risk, fully reusable, low operation cost alternative to high/variable mixture ratio bipropellant cycles. Variable mixture ratio engines with extendible nozzle are slightly lower performing than a single mixture ratio engine (MR = 7:1) with extendible nozzle. Dual expander engines (MR = 7:1) have slightly better performance than the single mixture ratio engine. Dual fuel dual expander engines offer a 16 percent improvement over the single mixture ratio engine.

  4. SGC tests for influence of material composition on compaction characteristic of asphalt mixtures.

    PubMed

    Chen, Qun; Li, Yuzhi

    2013-01-01

    Compaction characteristic of the surface layer asphalt mixture (13-type gradation mixture) was studied using Superpave gyratory compactor (SGC) simulative compaction tests. Based on analysis of densification curve of gyratory compaction, influence rules of the contents of mineral aggregates of all sizes and asphalt on compaction characteristic of asphalt mixtures were obtained. SGC Tests show that, for the mixture with a bigger content of asphalt, its density increases faster, that there is an optimal amount of fine aggregates for optimal compaction and that an appropriate amount of mineral powder will improve workability of mixtures, but overmuch mineral powder will make mixtures dry and hard. Conclusions based on SGC tests can provide basis for how to adjust material composition for improving compaction performance of asphalt mixtures, and for the designed asphalt mixture, its compaction performance can be predicted through these conclusions, which also contributes to the choice of compaction schemes.

  5. Selection for niche differentiation in plant communities increases biodiversity effects.

    PubMed

    Zuppinger-Dingley, Debra; Schmid, Bernhard; Petermann, Jana S; Yadav, Varuna; De Deyn, Gerlinde B; Flynn, Dan F B

    2014-11-06

    In experimental plant communities, relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning have been found to strengthen over time, a fact often attributed to increased resource complementarity between species in mixtures and negative plant-soil feedbacks in monocultures. Here we show that selection for niche differentiation between species can drive this increasing biodiversity effect. Growing 12 grassland species in test monocultures and mixtures, we found character displacement between species and increased biodiversity effects when plants had been selected over 8 years in species mixtures rather than in monocultures. When grown in mixtures, relative differences in height and specific leaf area between plant species selected in mixtures (mixture types) were greater than between species selected in monocultures (monoculture types). Furthermore, net biodiversity and complementarity effects were greater in mixtures of mixture types than in mixtures of monoculture types. Our study demonstrates a novel mechanism for the increase in biodiversity effects: selection for increased niche differentiation through character displacement. Selection in diverse mixtures may therefore increase species coexistence and ecosystem functioning in natural communities and may also allow increased mixture yields in agriculture or forestry. However, loss of biodiversity and prolonged selection of crops in monoculture may compromise this potential for selection in the longer term.

  6. Environmentally relevant chemical mixtures of concern in waters of United States tributaries to the Great Lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Elliott, Sarah M.; Brigham, Mark E.; Kiesling, Richard L.; Schoenfuss, Heiko L.; Jorgenson, Zachary G.

    2018-01-01

    The North American Great Lakes are a vital natural resource that provide fish and wildlife habitat, as well as drinking water and waste assimilation services for millions of people. Tributaries to the Great Lakes receive chemical inputs from various point and nonpoint sources, and thus are expected to have complex mixtures of chemicals. However, our understanding of the co‐occurrence of specific chemicals in complex mixtures is limited. To better understand the occurrence of specific chemical mixtures in the US Great Lakes Basin, surface water from 24 US tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes was collected and analyzed for diverse suites of organic chemicals, primarily focused on chemicals of concern (e.g., pharmaceuticals, personal care products, fragrances). A total of 181 samples and 21 chemical classes were assessed for mixture compositions. Basin wide, 1664 mixtures occurred in at least 25% of sites. The most complex mixtures identified comprised 9 chemical classes and occurred in 58% of sampled tributaries. Pharmaceuticals typically occurred in complex mixtures, reflecting pharmaceutical‐use patterns and wastewater facility outfall influences. Fewer mixtures were identified at lake or lake‐influenced sites than at riverine sites. As mixture complexity increased, the probability of a specific mixture occurring more often than by chance greatly increased, highlighting the importance of understanding source contributions to the environment. This empirically based analysis of mixture composition and occurrence may be used to focus future sampling efforts or mixture toxicity assessments. 

  7. The Hb A variant (beta73 Asp-->Leu) disrupts Hb S polymerization by a novel mechanism.

    PubMed

    Adachi, Kazuhiko; Ding, Min; Surrey, Saul; Rotter, Maria; Aprelev, Alexey; Zakharov, Mikhail; Weng, Weijun; Ferrone, Frank A

    2006-09-22

    Polymerization of a 1:1 mixture of hemoglobin S (Hb S) and the artificial mutant HbAbeta73Leu produces a dramatic morphological change in the polymer domains in 1.0 M phosphate buffer that are a characteristic feature of polymer formation. Instead of feathery domains with quasi 2-fold symmetry that characterize polymerization of Hb S and all previously known mixtures such as Hb A/S and Hb F/S mixtures, these domains are compact structures of quasi-spherical symmetry. Solubility of Hb S/Abeta73Leu mixtures was similar to that of Hb S/F mixtures. Kinetics of polymerization indicated that homogeneous nucleation rates of Hb S/Abeta73Leu mixtures were the same as those of Hb S/F mixtures, while exponential polymer growth (B) of Hb S/Abeta73Leu mixtures were about three times slower than those of Hb S/F mixtures. Differential interference contrast (DIC) image analysis also showed that fibers in the mixture appear to elongate between three and five times more slowly than in equivalent Hb S/F mixtures by direct measurements of exponential growth of mass of polymer in a domain. We propose that these results of Hb S/Abeta73Leu mixtures arise from a non-productive binding of the hybrid species of this mixture to the end of the growing polymer. This "cap" prohibits growth of polymers, but by nature is temporary, so that the net effect is a lowered growth rate of polymers. Such a cap is consistent with known features of the structure of the Hb S polymer. Domains would be more spherulitic because slower growth provides more opportunity for fiber bending to spread domains from their initial 2-fold symmetry. Moreover, since monomer depletion proceeds more slowly in this mixture, more homogeneous nucleation events occur, and the resulting gel has a far more granular character than normally seen in mixtures of non-polymerizing hemoglobins with Hb S. This mixture is likely to be less stiff than polymerized mixtures of other hybrids such as Hb S with HbF, potentially providing a novel approach to therapy.

  8. Mixtures Research at NIEHS: An Evolving Program

    PubMed Central

    Rider, Cynthia V; Carlin, Danielle J; DeVito, Micheal J; Thompson, Claudia L; Walker, Nigel J

    2014-01-01

    The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has a rich history in evaluating the toxicity of mixtures. The types of mixtures assessed by the Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP) and the extramural community (through the Division of Extramural Research and Training (DERT)) have included a broad range of chemicals and toxicants, with each study having a unique set of questions and design considerations. Some examples of the types of mixtures studied include: groundwater contaminants, pesticides/fertilizers, dioxin-like chemicals (assessing the toxic equivalency approach), drug combinations, air pollution, metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, technical mixtures (e.g. pentachlorophenol, flame retardants), and mixed entities (e.g. herbals, asbestos). These endeavors have provided excellent data on the toxicity of specific mixtures and have been informative to the human health risk assessment process in general (e.g. providing data on low dose exposures to environmental chemicals). However, the mixtures research effort at NIEHS, to date, has been driven by test article nominations to the DNTP or by investigator-initiated research through DERT. Recently, the NIEHS has embarked upon an effort to coordinate mixtures research across both intramural and extramural divisions in order to maximize mixtures research results. A path forward for NIEHS mixtures research will be based on feedback from a Request for Information (RFI) designed to gather up-to-date views on the knowledge gaps and roadblocks to evaluating mixtures and performing cumulative risk assessment, and a workshop organized to bring together mixtures experts from risk assessment, exposure science, biology, epidemiology, and statistics. The future of mixtures research at NIEHS will include projects from nominations to DNTP, studies by extramural investigators, and collaborations across government agencies that address high-priority questions in the field of mixtures research. PMID:23146757

  9. Cumulative toxicity of neonicotinoid insecticide mixtures to Chironomus dilutus under acute exposure scenarios.

    PubMed

    Maloney, Erin M; Morrissey, Christy A; Headley, John V; Peru, Kerry M; Liber, Karsten

    2017-11-01

    Extensive agricultural use of neonicotinoid insecticide products has resulted in the presence of neonicotinoid mixtures in surface waters worldwide. Although many aquatic insect species are known to be sensitive to neonicotinoids, the impact of neonicotinoid mixtures is poorly understood. In the present study, the cumulative toxicities of binary and ternary mixtures of select neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam) were characterized under acute (96-h) exposure scenarios using the larval midge Chironomus dilutus as a representative aquatic insect species. Using the MIXTOX approach, predictive parametric models were fitted and statistically compared with observed toxicity in subsequent mixture tests. Single-compound toxicity tests yielded median lethal concentration (LC50) values of 4.63, 5.93, and 55.34 μg/L for imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam, respectively. Because of the similar modes of action of neonicotinoids, concentration-additive cumulative mixture toxicity was the predicted model. However, we found that imidacloprid-clothianidin mixtures demonstrated response-additive dose-level-dependent synergism, clothianidin-thiamethoxam mixtures demonstrated concentration-additive synergism, and imidacloprid-thiamethoxam mixtures demonstrated response-additive dose-ratio-dependent synergism, with toxicity shifting from antagonism to synergism as the relative concentration of thiamethoxam increased. Imidacloprid-clothianidin-thiamethoxam ternary mixtures demonstrated response-additive synergism. These results indicate that, under acute exposure scenarios, the toxicity of neonicotinoid mixtures to C. dilutus cannot be predicted using the common assumption of additive joint activity. Indeed, the overarching trend of synergistic deviation emphasizes the need for further research into the ecotoxicological effects of neonicotinoid insecticide mixtures in field settings, the development of better toxicity models for neonicotinoid mixture exposures, and the consideration of mixture effects when setting water quality guidelines for this class of pesticides. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3091-3101. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

  10. Chemical mixtures in untreated water from public-supply wells in the U.S. — Occurrence, composition, and potential toxicity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Toccalino, Patricia L.; Norman, Julia E.; Scott, Jonathon C.

    2012-01-01

    Chemical mixtures are prevalent in groundwater used for public water supply, but little is known about their potential health effects. As part of a large-scale ambient groundwater study, we evaluated chemical mixtures across multiple chemical classes, and included more chemical contaminants than in previous studies of mixtures in public-supply wells. We (1) assessed the occurrence of chemical mixtures in untreated source-water samples from public-supply wells, (2) determined the composition of the most frequently occurring mixtures, and (3) characterized the potential toxicity of mixtures using a new screening approach. The U.S. Geological Survey collected one untreated water sample from each of 383 public wells distributed across 35 states, and analyzed the samples for as many as 91 chemical contaminants. Concentrations of mixture components were compared to individual human-health benchmarks; the potential toxicity of mixtures was characterized by addition of benchmark-normalized component concentrations. Most samples (84%) contained mixtures of two or more contaminants, each at concentrations greater than one-tenth of individual benchmarks. The chemical mixtures that most frequently occurred and had the greatest potential toxicity primarily were composed of trace elements (including arsenic, strontium, or uranium), radon, or nitrate. Herbicides, disinfection by-products, and solvents were the most common organic contaminants in mixtures. The sum of benchmark-normalized concentrations was greater than 1 for 58% of samples, suggesting that there could be potential for mixtures toxicity in more than half of the public-well samples. Our findings can be used to help set priorities for groundwater monitoring and suggest future research directions for drinking-water treatment studies and for toxicity assessments of chemical mixtures in water resources.

  11. Assessment and prediction of joint algal toxicity of binary mixtures of graphene and ionic liquids.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhuang; Zhang, Fan; Wang, Se; Peijnenburg, Willie J G M

    2017-10-01

    Graphene and ionic liquids (ILs) released into the environment will interact with each other. So far however, the risks associated with the concurrent exposure of biota to graphene and ILs in the environment have received little attention. The research reported here focused on observing and predicting the joint toxicity effects in the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus exposed to binary mixtures of intrinsic graphene (iG)/graphene oxide (GO) and five ILs of varying anionic and cationic types. The isolated ILs in the binary mixtures were the main contributors to toxicity. The binary GO-IL mixtures resulted in more severe joint toxicity than the binary iG-IL mixtures, irrespective of mixture ratios. The mechanism of the joint toxicity may be associated with the adsorption capability of the graphenes for the ILs, the dispersion stability of the graphenes in aquatic media, and modulation of the binary mixtures-induced oxidative stress. A toxic unit assessment showed that the graphene and IL toxicities were additive at low concentration of the mixtures but antagonistic at high concentration of the mixtures. Predictions made using the concentration addition and independent action models were close to the observed joint toxicities regardless of mixture types and mixture ratios. These findings provide new insights that are of use in the risk assessment of mixtures of engineered nanoparticles and other environmentally relevant contaminants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Braze material for joining ceramic to metal and ceramic to ceramic surfaces and joined ceramic to metal and ceramic to ceramic article

    DOEpatents

    Hunt, T.K.; Novak, R.F.

    1991-05-07

    An improved active metal braze filler material is provided in which the coefficient of thermal expansion of the braze filler is more closely matched with that of the ceramic and metal, or two ceramics, to provide ceramic to metal, or ceramic to ceramic, sealed joints and articles which can withstand both high temperatures and repeated thermal cycling without failing. The braze filler material comprises a mixture of a material, preferably in the form of a powder, selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, silicon carbide and mixtures thereof, and an active metal filler material selected from the group consisting of alloys or mixtures of nickel and titanium, alloys or mixtures of nickel and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of nickel, titanium, and copper, alloys or mixtures of nickel, titanium, and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of niobium and nickel, alloys or mixtures of niobium and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of niobium and titanium, alloys or mixtures of niobium, titanium, and nickel, alloys or mixtures of niobium, zirconium, and nickel, and alloys or mixtures of niobium, titanium, zirconium, and nickel. The powder component is selected such that its coefficient of thermal expansion will effect the overall coefficient of thermal expansion of the braze material so that it more closely matches the coefficients of thermal expansion of the ceramic and metal parts to be joined. 3 figures.

  13. Braze material for joining ceramic to metal and ceramic to ceramic surfaces and joined ceramic to metal and ceramic to ceramic article

    DOEpatents

    Hunt, Thomas K.; Novak, Robert F.

    1991-01-01

    An improved active metal braze filler material is provided in which the coefficient of thermal expansion of the braze filler is more closely matched with that of the ceramic and metal, or two ceramics, to provide ceramic to metal, or ceramic to ceramic, sealed joints and articles which can withstand both high temperatures and repeated thermal cycling without failing. The braze filler material comprises a mixture of a material, preferably in the form of a powder, selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, silicon carbide and mixtures thereof, and an active metal filler material selected from the group consisting of alloys or mixtures of nickel and titanium, alloys or mixtures of nickel and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of nickel, titanium, and copper, alloys or mixtures of nickel, titanium, and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of niobium and nickel, alloys or mixtures of niobium and zirconium, alloys or mixtures of niobium and titanium, alloys or mixtures of niobium, titanium, and nickel, alloys or mixtures of niobium, zirconium, and nickel, and alloys or mixtures of niobium, titanium, zirconium, and nickel. The powder component is selected such that its coefficient of thermal expansion will effect the overall coefficient of thermal expansion of the braze material so that it more closely matches the coefficients of thermal expansion of the ceramic and metal parts to be joined.

  14. The effect of binary mixtures of zinc, copper, cadmium, and nickel on the growth of the freshwater diatom Navicula pelliculosa and comparison with mixture toxicity model predictions.

    PubMed

    Nagai, Takashi; De Schamphelaere, Karel A C

    2016-11-01

    The authors investigated the effect of binary mixtures of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni) on the growth of a freshwater diatom, Navicula pelliculosa. A 7 × 7 full factorial experimental design (49 combinations in total) was used to test each binary metal mixture. A 3-d fluorescence microplate toxicity assay was used to test each combination. Mixture effects were predicted by concentration addition and independent action models based on a single-metal concentration-response relationship between the relative growth rate and the calculated free metal ion activity. Although the concentration addition model predicted the observed mixture toxicity significantly better than the independent action model for the Zn-Cu mixture, the independent action model predicted the observed mixture toxicity significantly better than the concentration addition model for the Cd-Zn, Cd-Ni, and Cd-Cu mixtures. For the Zn-Ni and Cu-Ni mixtures, it was unclear which of the 2 models was better. Statistical analysis concerning antagonistic/synergistic interactions showed that the concentration addition model is generally conservative (with the Zn-Ni mixture being the sole exception), indicating that the concentration addition model would be useful as a method for a conservative first-tier screening-level risk analysis of metal mixtures. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2765-2773. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

  15. Separation of certain carboxylic acids utilizing cation exchange membranes

    DOEpatents

    Chum, H.L.; Sopher, D.W.

    1983-05-09

    A method of substantially separating monofunctional lower carboxylic acids from a liquid mixture containing the acids wherein the pH of the mixture is adjusted to a value in the range of from about 1 to about 5 to form protonated acids. The mixture is heated to an elevated temperature not greater than about 100/sup 0/C and brought in contact with one side of a perfluorinated cation exchange membrane having sulfonate or carboxylate groups or mixtures thereof with the mixture containing the protonated acids. A pressure gradient can be established across the membrane with the mixture being under higher pressure, so that protonated monofunctional lower carboxylic acids pass through the membrane at a substantially faster rate than the remainder of the mixture thereby substantially separating the acids from the mixture.

  16. Separation of certain carboxylic acids utilizing cation exchange membranes

    DOEpatents

    Chum, Helena L.; Sopher, David W.

    1984-01-01

    A method of substantially separating monofunctional lower carboxylic acids from a liquid mixture containing the acids wherein the pH of the mixture is adjusted to a value in the range of from about 1 to about 5 to form protonated acids. The mixture is heated to an elevated temperature not greater than about 100.degree. C. and brought in contact with one side of a perfluorinated cation exchange membrane having sulfonate or carboxylate groups or mixtures thereof with the mixture containing the protonated acids. A pressure gradient can be established across the membrane with the mixture being under higher pressure, so that protonated monofunctional lower carboxylic acids pass through the membrane at a substantially faster rate than the remainder of the mixture thereby substantially separating the acids from the mixture.

  17. Concentration Addition, Independent Action and Generalized Concentration Addition Models for Mixture Effect Prediction of Sex Hormone Synthesis In Vitro

    PubMed Central

    Hadrup, Niels; Taxvig, Camilla; Pedersen, Mikael; Nellemann, Christine; Hass, Ulla; Vinggaard, Anne Marie

    2013-01-01

    Humans are concomitantly exposed to numerous chemicals. An infinite number of combinations and doses thereof can be imagined. For toxicological risk assessment the mathematical prediction of mixture effects, using knowledge on single chemicals, is therefore desirable. We investigated pros and cons of the concentration addition (CA), independent action (IA) and generalized concentration addition (GCA) models. First we measured effects of single chemicals and mixtures thereof on steroid synthesis in H295R cells. Then single chemical data were applied to the models; predictions of mixture effects were calculated and compared to the experimental mixture data. Mixture 1 contained environmental chemicals adjusted in ratio according to human exposure levels. Mixture 2 was a potency adjusted mixture containing five pesticides. Prediction of testosterone effects coincided with the experimental Mixture 1 data. In contrast, antagonism was observed for effects of Mixture 2 on this hormone. The mixtures contained chemicals exerting only limited maximal effects. This hampered prediction by the CA and IA models, whereas the GCA model could be used to predict a full dose response curve. Regarding effects on progesterone and estradiol, some chemicals were having stimulatory effects whereas others had inhibitory effects. The three models were not applicable in this situation and no predictions could be performed. Finally, the expected contributions of single chemicals to the mixture effects were calculated. Prochloraz was the predominant but not sole driver of the mixtures, suggesting that one chemical alone was not responsible for the mixture effects. In conclusion, the GCA model seemed to be superior to the CA and IA models for the prediction of testosterone effects. A situation with chemicals exerting opposing effects, for which the models could not be applied, was identified. In addition, the data indicate that in non-potency adjusted mixtures the effects cannot always be accounted for by single chemicals. PMID:23990906

  18. Performance evaluation of Louisiana superpave mixtures.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-12-01

    This report documents the performance of Louisiana Superpave mixtures through laboratory mechanistic tests, mixture : volumetric properties, gradation analysis, and early field performance. Thirty Superpave mixtures were evaluated in this : study. Fo...

  19. Binary and ternary gas mixtures for use in glow discharge closing switches

    DOEpatents

    Hunter, Scott R.; Christophorou, Loucas G.

    1990-01-01

    Highly efficient binary and ternary gas mixtures for use in diffuse glow discharge closing switches are disclosed. The binary mixtures are combinations of helium or neon and selected perfluorides. The ternary mixtures are combinations of helium, neon, or argon, a selected perfluoride, and a small amount of gas that exhibits enhanced ionization characteristics. These mixtures are shown to be the optimum choices for use in diffuse glow discharge closing switches by virtue of the combined physio-electric properties of the mixture components.

  20. Processing of odor mixtures in the zebrafish olfactory bulb.

    PubMed

    Tabor, Rico; Yaksi, Emre; Weislogel, Jan-Marek; Friedrich, Rainer W

    2004-07-21

    Components of odor mixtures often are not perceived individually, suggesting that neural representations of mixtures are not simple combinations of the representations of the components. We studied odor responses to binary mixtures of amino acids and food extracts at different processing stages in the olfactory bulb (OB) of zebrafish. Odor-evoked input to the OB was measured by imaging Ca2+ signals in afferents to olfactory glomeruli. Activity patterns evoked by mixtures were predictable within narrow limits from the component patterns, indicating that mixture interactions in the peripheral olfactory system are weak. OB output neurons, the mitral cells (MCs), were recorded extra- and intracellularly and responded to odors with stimulus-dependent temporal firing rate modulations. Responses to mixtures of amino acids often were dominated by one of the component responses. Responses to mixtures of food extracts, in contrast, were more distinct from both component responses. These results show that mixture interactions can result from processing in the OB. Moreover, our data indicate that mixture interactions in the OB become more pronounced with increasing overlap of input activity patterns evoked by the components. Emerging from these results are rules of mixture interactions that may explain behavioral data and provide a basis for understanding the processing of natural odor stimuli in the OB.

  1. Bituminous Mixtures Lab

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-07-25

    The Bituminous Mixtures Laboratory (BML) specializes in the research of asphalt pavement mixtures. This lab supports FHWA's efforts to develop, evaluate and improve materials, mixture design technology and performance-based tests for asphalt paving m...

  2. Function evaluation of asphalt mixture with industrially produced BOF slag aggregate.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Meiling; Wu, Shaopeng; Chen, Zongwu; Li, Chao

    2016-07-04

    Laboratory research suggested that basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag-based asphalt mixture was a functional material. However, the BOF slag aggregate's quality was difficult to control when it was heavily used in entity engineering. The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the functional performances of asphalt mixture containing BOF slag coarse aggregate (BSCA), which was from an industrialized production line. Limestone mixture was a control group. The Marshall method was first adopted to design asphalt mixtures. The performances of limestone asphalt mixture and BOF slag asphalt mixture including fatigue failure resistance and moisture stability were then evaluated and compared. Results showed that the asphalt mixture containing BSCA possessed better durability, which meant the quality of BSCA from industrialized production lines was well controlled and this BSCA can be heavily used in entity engineering.

  3. Concentration addition and independent action model: Which is better in predicting the toxicity for metal mixtures on zebrafish larvae.

    PubMed

    Gao, Yongfei; Feng, Jianfeng; Kang, Lili; Xu, Xin; Zhu, Lin

    2018-01-01

    The joint toxicity of chemical mixtures has emerged as a popular topic, particularly on the additive and potential synergistic actions of environmental mixtures. We investigated the 24h toxicity of Cu-Zn, Cu-Cd, and Cu-Pb and 96h toxicity of Cd-Pb binary mixtures on the survival of zebrafish larvae. Joint toxicity was predicted and compared using the concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) models with different assumptions in the toxic action mode in toxicodynamic processes through single and binary metal mixture tests. Results showed that the CA and IA models presented varying predictive abilities for different metal combinations. For the Cu-Cd and Cd-Pb mixtures, the CA model simulated the observed survival rates better than the IA model. By contrast, the IA model simulated the observed survival rates better than the CA model for the Cu-Zn and Cu-Pb mixtures. These findings revealed that the toxic action mode may depend on the combinations and concentrations of tested metal mixtures. Statistical analysis of the antagonistic or synergistic interactions indicated that synergistic interactions were observed for the Cu-Cd and Cu-Pb mixtures, non-interactions were observed for the Cd-Pb mixtures, and slight antagonistic interactions for the Cu-Zn mixtures. These results illustrated that the CA and IA models are consistent in specifying the interaction patterns of binary metal mixtures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The ignition delay times of hydrogen/silan/air mixtures at low temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tropin, D. A.; Bochenkov, E. S.; Fedorov, A. V.

    2018-03-01

    In the paper the ignition delay times of hydrogen-silane-air mixtures at low pressures from 0.4 atm to 1 atm and mixture temperatures from 300 K to 900 K using the detailed kinetic mechanisms were calculated. It was shown that dependencies of ignition delay time on temperature are non-monotonic. In these dependences a region of "negative temperature coefficient" is presented. The effect of the mixture pressure and the silane concentration in the mixture on the length of this region was revealed. It was shown that the increasing of the silane concentration in the mixture, as well as the increasing the mixture pressure, leads to increasing of the "negative temperature coefficient" region length.

  5. Signal Partitioning Algorithm for Highly Efficient Gaussian Mixture Modeling in Mass Spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    Polanski, Andrzej; Marczyk, Michal; Pietrowska, Monika; Widlak, Piotr; Polanska, Joanna

    2015-01-01

    Mixture - modeling of mass spectra is an approach with many potential applications including peak detection and quantification, smoothing, de-noising, feature extraction and spectral signal compression. However, existing algorithms do not allow for automated analyses of whole spectra. Therefore, despite highlighting potential advantages of mixture modeling of mass spectra of peptide/protein mixtures and some preliminary results presented in several papers, the mixture modeling approach was so far not developed to the stage enabling systematic comparisons with existing software packages for proteomic mass spectra analyses. In this paper we present an efficient algorithm for Gaussian mixture modeling of proteomic mass spectra of different types (e.g., MALDI-ToF profiling, MALDI-IMS). The main idea is automated partitioning of protein mass spectral signal into fragments. The obtained fragments are separately decomposed into Gaussian mixture models. The parameters of the mixture models of fragments are then aggregated to form the mixture model of the whole spectrum. We compare the elaborated algorithm to existing algorithms for peak detection and we demonstrate improvements of peak detection efficiency obtained by using Gaussian mixture modeling. We also show applications of the elaborated algorithm to real proteomic datasets of low and high resolution. PMID:26230717

  6. CuInS2/ZnS QD-ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures for faster electro-optical devices and their energy storage aspects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Dharmendra Pratap; Vimal, Tripti; Mange, Yatin J.; Varia, Mahesh C.; Nann, Thomas; Pandey, K. K.; Manohar, Rajiv; Douali, Redouane

    2018-01-01

    CuInS2/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (CIS/ZnS QDs) dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) mixtures have been characterized for their application in electro-optical devices, energy storage, and solar cells. Physical properties of the CIS/ZnS QD-FLC (ferroelectric liquid crystal) mixtures have also been investigated with varying QD concentrations in order to optimize the critical concentration of QDs in mixtures. The presence of QDs breaks the geometrical symmetry in the FLC matrix, which results in a change in the physical properties of the mixtures. We observed the reduced values of primary and secondary order parameters (tilt angle and spontaneous polarization, respectively) for mixtures, which also depend on the concentration of QDs. The reduction of spontaneous polarization in QDs-FLC mixtures is attributed to the adverse role of flexoelectric contribution in the mixtures. The 92% faster electro-optic response and enhanced capacitance indicate the possible application of these mixtures in electro-optical devices and solar cells. Photoluminescence emission of pure FLC and QDs-FLC mixtures has been thermally tailored, which is explained by suitable models.

  7. Effect of the Key Mixture Parameters on Shrinkage of Reactive Powder Concrete

    PubMed Central

    Zubair, Ahmed

    2014-01-01

    Reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixtures are reported to have excellent mechanical and durability characteristics. However, such concrete mixtures having high amount of cementitious materials may have high early shrinkage causing cracking of concrete. In the present work, an attempt has been made to study the simultaneous effects of three key mixture parameters on shrinkage of the RPC mixtures. Considering three different levels of the three key mixture factors, a total of 27 mixtures of RPC were prepared according to 33 factorial experiment design. The specimens belonging to all 27 mixtures were monitored for shrinkage at different ages over a total period of 90 days. The test results were plotted to observe the variation of shrinkage with time and to see the effects of the key mixture factors. The experimental data pertaining to 90-day shrinkage were used to conduct analysis of variance to identify significance of each factor and to obtain an empirical equation correlating the shrinkage of RPC with the three key mixture factors. The rate of development of shrinkage at early ages was higher. The water to binder ratio was found to be the most prominent factor followed by cement content with the least effect of silica fume content. PMID:25050395

  8. Effect of the key mixture parameters on shrinkage of reactive powder concrete.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Shamsad; Zubair, Ahmed; Maslehuddin, Mohammed

    2014-01-01

    Reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixtures are reported to have excellent mechanical and durability characteristics. However, such concrete mixtures having high amount of cementitious materials may have high early shrinkage causing cracking of concrete. In the present work, an attempt has been made to study the simultaneous effects of three key mixture parameters on shrinkage of the RPC mixtures. Considering three different levels of the three key mixture factors, a total of 27 mixtures of RPC were prepared according to 3(3) factorial experiment design. The specimens belonging to all 27 mixtures were monitored for shrinkage at different ages over a total period of 90 days. The test results were plotted to observe the variation of shrinkage with time and to see the effects of the key mixture factors. The experimental data pertaining to 90-day shrinkage were used to conduct analysis of variance to identify significance of each factor and to obtain an empirical equation correlating the shrinkage of RPC with the three key mixture factors. The rate of development of shrinkage at early ages was higher. The water to binder ratio was found to be the most prominent factor followed by cement content with the least effect of silica fume content.

  9. Microheterogeneity in binary mixtures of water with CH3OH and CD3OH: ATR-IR spectroscopic, chemometric and DFT studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tomza, Paweł; Wrzeszcz, Władysław; Mazurek, Sylwester; Szostak, Roman; Czarnecki, Mirosław Antoni

    2018-05-01

    Here we report ATR-IR spectroscopic study on the separation at a molecular level (microheterogeneity) and the degree of deviation of H2O/CH3OH and H2O/CD3OH mixtures from the ideal mixture. Of particular interest is the effect of isotopic substitution in methyl group on molecular structure and interactions in both mixtures. To obtain comprehensive information from the multivariate data we applied the excess molar absorptivity spectra together with two-dimensional correlation analysis (2DCOS) and chemometric methods. In addition, the experimental results were compared and discussed with the structures of various model clusters obtained from theoretical (DFT) calculations. Our results evidence the presence of separation at a molecular level and deviation from the ideal mixture for both mixtures. The experimental and theoretical results show that the maximum of these deviations appears at equimolar mixture. Both mixtures consist of three kinds of species: homoclusters of water and methanol and mixed clusters (heteroclusters). The heteroclusters exist in the whole range of mole fractions with the maximum close to the equimolar mixture. At this mixture composition near 55-60% of molecules are involved in heteroclusters. In contrast, the homoclusters of water occur in a limited range of mole fractions (XME < 0.85-0.9). Upon mixing the molecules of methanol form weaker hydrogen bonding as compared with the pure alcohol. In contrast, the molecules of water in the mixture are involved in stronger hydrogen bonding than those in bulk water. All these results indicate that both mixtures have similar degree of deviation from the ideal mixture.

  10. Microheterogeneity in binary mixtures of water with CH3OH and CD3OH: ATR-IR spectroscopic, chemometric and DFT studies.

    PubMed

    Tomza, Paweł; Wrzeszcz, Władysław; Mazurek, Sylwester; Szostak, Roman; Czarnecki, Mirosław Antoni

    2018-05-15

    Here we report ATR-IR spectroscopic study on the separation at a molecular level (microheterogeneity) and the degree of deviation of H 2 O/CH 3 OH and H 2 O/CD 3 OH mixtures from the ideal mixture. Of particular interest is the effect of isotopic substitution in methyl group on molecular structure and interactions in both mixtures. To obtain comprehensive information from the multivariate data we applied the excess molar absorptivity spectra together with two-dimensional correlation analysis (2DCOS) and chemometric methods. In addition, the experimental results were compared and discussed with the structures of various model clusters obtained from theoretical (DFT) calculations. Our results evidence the presence of separation at a molecular level and deviation from the ideal mixture for both mixtures. The experimental and theoretical results show that the maximum of these deviations appears at equimolar mixture. Both mixtures consist of three kinds of species: homoclusters of water and methanol and mixed clusters (heteroclusters). The heteroclusters exist in the whole range of mole fractions with the maximum close to the equimolar mixture. At this mixture composition near 55-60% of molecules are involved in heteroclusters. In contrast, the homoclusters of water occur in a limited range of mole fractions (X ME  < 0.85-0.9). Upon mixing the molecules of methanol form weaker hydrogen bonding as compared with the pure alcohol. In contrast, the molecules of water in the mixture are involved in stronger hydrogen bonding than those in bulk water. All these results indicate that both mixtures have similar degree of deviation from the ideal mixture. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Novel anisole mixture and gasoline containing the same

    DOEpatents

    Singerman, Gary M.

    1982-01-26

    A novel anisole mixture containing anisole and a mixture of alkyl anisoles and liquid hydrocarbon fuels containing said novel anisole mixture in an amount sufficient to increase the octane number of said liquid fuel composition.

  12. Binary and ternary gas mixtures for use in glow discharge closing switches

    DOEpatents

    Hunter, S.R.; Christophorou, L.G.

    1988-04-27

    Highly efficient binary and ternary gas mixtures for use in diffuse glow discharge closing switches are disclosed. The binary mixtures are combinations of helium or neon and selected perfluorides. The ternary mixtures are combinations of helium, neon, or argon, a selected perfluoride, and a small amount of gas that exhibits enhanced ionization characteristics. These mixtures are shown to be the optimum choices for use in diffuse glow discharge closing switches by virtue if the combines physio-electric properties of the mixture components. 9 figs.

  13. Cosolvent effect on the dynamics of water in aqueous binary mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xia; Zhang, Lu; Jin, Tan; Zhang, Qiang; Zhuang, Wei

    2018-04-01

    Water rotational dynamics in the mixtures of water and amphiphilic molecules, such as acetone and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), measured by femtosecond infrared, often vary non-monotonically as the amphiphilic molecule's molar fraction changes from 0 to 1. Recent study has attributed the non-ideal water rotation with concentration in DMSO-water mixtures to different microscopic hydrophilic-hydrophobic segregation structure in water-rich and water-poor mixtures. Interestingly, the acetone molecule has very similar molecular structure to DMSO, but the extremum of the water rotational time in the DMSO-water mixtures significantly shifts to lower concentration and the rotation of water is much faster than those in acetone-water mixtures. The simulation results here shows that the non-ideal rotational dynamics of water in both mixtures are due to the frame rotation during the interval of hydrogen bond (HB) switchings. A turnover of the frame rotation with concentration takes place as the structure transition of mixture from the hydrogen bond percolation structure to the hydrophobic percolation structure. The weak acetone-water hydrogen bond strengthens the hydrophobic aggregation and accelerates the relaxation of the hydrogen bond, so that the structure transition takes places at lower concentration and the rotation of water is faster in acetone-water mixture than in DMSO-water mixture. A generally microscopic picture on the mixing effect on the water dynamics in binary aqueous mixtures is presented here.

  14. Influence factors of multicomponent mixtures containing reactive chemicals and their joint effects.

    PubMed

    Tian, Dayong; Lin, Zhifen; Yu, Jianqiao; Yin, Daqiang

    2012-08-01

    Organic chemicals usually coexist as a mixture in the environment, and the mixture toxicity of organic chemicals has received increased attention. However, research regarding the joint effects of reactive chemicals is lacking. In this study, we examined two kinds of reactive chemicals, cyanogenic toxicants and aldehydes and determined their joint effects on Photobacterium phosphoreum. Three factors were found to influence the joint effects of multicomponent mixtures containing reactive chemicals, including the number of components, the dominating components and the toxic ratios. With an increased number of components, the synergistic or antagonistic effects (interactions) will weaken to the additive effects (non-interactions) if the added component cannot yield a much stronger joint effect with an existing component. Contrarily, the joint effect of the mixture may become stronger instead of weaker if the added components can yield a much stronger joint effect than the existing joint effect of the multicomponent mixture. The components that yield the strongest interactions in their binary mixture can be considered the dominating components. These components contribute more to the interactions of multicomponent mixtures than other components. Moreover, the toxic ratios also influence the joint effects of the mixtures. This study provides an insight into what are the main factors and how they influence the joint effects of multicomponent mixtures containing reactive chemicals, and thus, the findings are beneficial to the study of mixture toxicology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Apparatus and method for burning a lean, premixed fuel/air mixture with low NOx emission

    DOEpatents

    Kostiuk, Larry W.; Cheng, Robert K.

    1996-01-01

    An apparatus for enabling a burner to stably burn a lean fuel/air mixture. The burner directs the lean fuel/air mixture in a stream. The apparatus comprises an annular flame stabilizer; and a device for mounting the flame stabilizer in the fuel/air mixture stream. The burner may include a body having an internal bore, in which case, the annular flame stabilizer is shaped to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the bore, is spaced from the bore by a distance greater than about 0.5 mm, and the mounting device mounts the flame stabilizer in the bore. An apparatus for burning a gaseous fuel with low NOx emissions comprises a device for premixing air with the fuel to provide a lean fuel/air mixture; a nozzle having an internal bore through which the lean fuel/air mixture passes in a stream; and a flame stabilizer mounted in the stream of the lean fuel/air mixture. The flame stabilizer may be mounted in the internal bore, in which case, it is shaped and is spaced from the bore as just described. In a method of burning a lean fuel/air mixture, a lean fuel/air mixture is provided, and is directed in a stream; an annular eddy is created in the stream of the lean fuel/air mixture; and the lean fuel/air mixture is ignited at the eddy.

  16. Evaluation of superpave mixtures containing hydrated lime.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-07-01

    The use of hydrated lime in Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixtures can reduce permanent deformation, long-term aging, and moisture : susceptibility of mixtures. In addition, hydrated lime increases the stiffness and fatigue resistance of mixtures. This study...

  17. Method for producing catalysis from coal

    DOEpatents

    Farcasiu, Malvina; Derbyshire, Frank; Kaufman, Phillip B.; Jagtoyen, Marit

    1998-01-01

    A method for producing catalysts from coal is provided comprising mixing an aqueous alkali solution with the coal, heating the aqueous mixture to treat the coal, drying the now-heated aqueous mixture, reheating the mixture to form carbonized material, cooling the mixture, removing excess alkali from the carbonized material, and recovering the carbonized material, wherein the entire process is carried out in controlled atmospheres, and the carbonized material is a hydrocracking or hydrodehalogenation catalyst for liquid phase reactions. The invention also provides for a one-step method for producing catalysts from coal comprising mixing an aqueous alkali solution with the coal to create a mixture, heating the aqueous mixture from an ambient temperature to a predetermined temperature at a predetermined rate, cooling the mixture, and washing the mixture to remove excess alkali from the treated and carbonized material, wherein the entire process is carried out in a controlled atmosphere.

  18. Method for producing catalysts from coal

    DOEpatents

    Farcasiu, M.; Derbyshire, F.; Kaufman, P.B.; Jagtoyen, M.

    1998-02-24

    A method for producing catalysts from coal is provided comprising mixing an aqueous alkali solution with the coal, heating the aqueous mixture to treat the coal, drying the now-heated aqueous mixture, reheating the mixture to form carbonized material, cooling the mixture, removing excess alkali from the carbonized material, and recovering the carbonized material, wherein the entire process is carried out in controlled atmospheres, and the carbonized material is a hydrocracking or hydrodehalogenation catalyst for liquid phase reactions. The invention also provides for a one-step method for producing catalysts from coal comprising mixing an aqueous alkali solution with the coal to create a mixture, heating the aqueous mixture from an ambient temperature to a predetermined temperature at a predetermined rate, cooling the mixture, and washing the mixture to remove excess alkali from the treated and carbonized material, wherein the entire process is carried out in a controlled atmosphere. 1 fig.

  19. The effect of particle morphology on the physical stability of pharmaceutical powder mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swaminathan, Vidya

    Pharmaceutical powder mixtures are composed of particles that physically interact, precluding the formation of random mixtures. Mixtures based on particle interactions are termed ordered mixtures. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the morphological characteristics of the components, surface texture and shape, along with size, on the formation of stable mixtures. Morphological parameters were obtained from image analysis measurements. Surface roughness was quantified using the ratio of the perimeter of the particle to that of an ideal shape (circle or square) having the same area; shape was described using the aspect ratio. The stability of mixtures of micronized aspirin with carriers of different surface roughness was determined by measuring the extent of drug adhering to the carrier after subjecting the mixtures to vibration. A lesser extent of segregation of drug from highly textured carriers relative to smoother textured carriers was observed. This was postulated to be due to a larger concentration of surface asperities on the coarser carriers which constitute potentially strong adhesion sites. The electrostatic charge on the powders was measured; differences in the response of the mixtures to the addition of magnesium stearate were attributed to electrostatic charge effects. The effect of varying the aspect ratio of the carrier and drug on segregation in polydisperse mixtures was determined from the coefficient of variation of the drug in the mixture as a function of mixing time. Reducing the size of the carrier resulted in poor homogeneity due to weak carrier-drug interactions. The variation in drug content resulting from a change in the shape of the carriers was smaller than that caused by size differences. The segregation rate constant in mixtures having dissimilarly shaped components was larger than in mixtures having components of similar shape. The effects of magnesium stearate concentration and lubrication time on the content uniformity of polydisperse mixtures were evaluated from a full factorial experiment. The segregation response of ordered and random mixtures to the addition of magnesium stearate was compared. The moisture sorption behavior of commercial magnesium stearate and the resulting morphological changes were evaluated.

  20. Thermal Signature Measurements for Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Mixtures by Laser Heating.

    PubMed

    Nazarian, Ashot; Presser, Cary

    2016-01-10

    Measurements were carried out to obtain thermal signatures of several ammonium nitrate/fuel (ANF) mixtures, using a laser-heating technique referred to as the laser-driven thermal reactor (LDTR). The mixtures were ammonium nitrate (AN)/kerosene, AN/ethylene glycol, AN/paraffin wax, AN/petroleum jelly, AN/confectioner's sugar, AN/cellulose (tissue paper), nitromethane/cellulose, nitrobenzene/cellulose, AN/cellulose/nitromethane, AN/cellulose/nitrobenzene. These mixtures were also compared with AN/nitromethane and AN/diesel fuel oil, obtained from an earlier investigation. Thermograms for the mixtures, as well as individual constituents, were compared to better understand how the sample thermal signature changes with mixture composition. This is the first step in development of a thermal-signature database, to be used along with other signature databases, to improve identification of energetic substances of unknown composition. The results indicated that each individual thermal signature was associated unambiguously with a particular mixture composition. The signature features of a particular mixture were shaped by the individual constituent signatures. It was also uncovered that the baseline signature was modified after an experiment due to coating of unreacted residue on the substrate surface and a change in the reactor sphere oxide layer. Thus, care was required to pre-oxidize the sphere prior to an experiment. A minimum sample mass (which was dependent on composition) was required to detect the signature characteristics. Increased laser power served to magnify signal strength while preserving the signature features. For the mixtures examined, the thermal response of each ANF mixture was found to be different, which was based on the mixture composition and the thermal behavior of each mixture constituent.

  1. Solubility enhancement of miconazole nitrate: binary and ternary mixture approach.

    PubMed

    Rai, Vineet Kumar; Dwivedi, Harinath; Yadav, Narayan Prasad; Chanotiya, Chandan Singh; Saraf, Shubhini A

    2014-08-01

    Enhancement of aqueous solubility of very slightly soluble Miconazole Nitrate (MN) is required to widen its application from topical formulation to oral/mucoadhesive formulations. Aim of the present investigation was to enhance the aqueous solubility of MN using binary and ternary mixture approach. Binary mixtures such as solvent deposition, inclusion complexation and solid dispersion were adopted to enhance solubility using different polymers like lactose, beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and polyethylene-glycol 6000 (PEG 6000), respectively. Batches of binary mixtures with highest solubility enhancement potentials were further mixed to form ternary mixture by a simple kneading method. Drug polymer interaction and mixture morphology was studied using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the scanning electron microscopy, respectively along with their saturation solubility studies and drug release. An excellent solubility enhancement, i.e. up to 72 folds and 316 folds of MN was seen by binary and ternary mixture, respectively. Up to 99.5% drug was released in 2 h from the mixtures of MN and polymers. RESULTS revealed that solubility enhancement by binary mixtures is achieved due to surface modification and by increasing wettability of MN. Tremendous increase in solubility of MN by ternary mixture could possibly be due to blending of water soluble polymers, i.e. lactose and PEG 6000 with β-CD which was found to enhance the solubilizing nature of β-CD. Owing to the excellent solubility enhancement potential of ternary mixtures in enhancing MN solubility from 110.4 μg/ml to 57640.0 μg/ml, ternary mixture approach could prove to be promising in the development of oral/mucoadhesive formulations.

  2. Nature and prevalence of non-additive toxic effects in industrially relevant mixtures of organic chemicals.

    PubMed

    Parvez, Shahid; Venkataraman, Chandra; Mukherji, Suparna

    2009-06-01

    The concentration addition (CA) and the independent action (IA) models are widely used for predicting mixture toxicity based on its composition and individual component dose-response profiles. However, the prediction based on these models may be inaccurate due to interaction among mixture components. In this work, the nature and prevalence of non-additive effects were explored for binary, ternary and quaternary mixtures composed of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs). The toxicity of each individual component and mixture was determined using the Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assay. For each combination of chemicals specified by the 2(n) factorial design, the percent deviation of the predicted toxic effect from the measured value was used to characterize mixtures as synergistic (positive deviation) and antagonistic (negative deviation). An arbitrary classification scheme was proposed based on the magnitude of deviation (d) as: additive (< or =10%, class-I) and moderately (10< d < or =30 %, class-II), highly (30< d < or =50%, class-III) and very highly (>50%, class-IV) antagonistic/synergistic. Naphthalene, n-butanol, o-xylene, catechol and p-cresol led to synergism in mixtures while 1, 2, 4-trimethylbenzene and 1, 3-dimethylnaphthalene contributed to antagonism. Most of the mixtures depicted additive or antagonistic effect. Synergism was prominent in some of the mixtures, such as, pulp and paper, textile dyes, and a mixture composed of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. The organic chemical industry mixture depicted the highest abundance of antagonism and least synergism. Mixture toxicity was found to depend on partition coefficient, molecular connectivity index and relative concentration of the components.

  3. An approach of characterizing the degree of spatial color mixture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Miao; Tian, Shaohui

    2017-07-01

    The digital camouflage technology arranges different color mosaics according to a certain rules, compared with traditional camouflage, it has more outstanding results deal with different distance reconnaissance. The better result of digital camouflage is mainly attributed to spatial color mixture, and is also a key factor to improve digital camouflage design. However, the research of space color mixture is relatively lack, cannot provide inadequate support for digital camouflage design. Therefore, according to the process of spatial color mixture, this paper proposes an effective parameter, spatial-color-mixture ratio, to characterize the degree of spatial color mixture. The experimental results show that spatial-color-mixture ratio is feasible and effective in practice, which could provide a new direction for further research on digital camouflage.

  4. Wisconsin mixture characterization using the asphalt mixture performance tester (AMPT) on historical aggregate structures.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-01-01

    This research evaluated the stiffness and permanent deformation properties of typical Wisconsin Department of : Transportation (WisDOT) asphalt mixtures using the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) and associated test and : analysis procedures...

  5. Using Big Data Analytics to Address Mixtures Exposure

    EPA Science Inventory

    The assessment of chemical mixtures is a complex issue for regulators and health scientists. We propose that assessing chemical co-occurrence patterns and prevalence rates is a relatively simple yet powerful approach in characterizing environmental mixtures and mixtures exposure...

  6. Optimization of Asphalt Mixture Design for the Louisiana ALF Test Sections

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2018-05-01

    This research presents an extensive study on the design and characterization of asphalt mixtures used in road pavements. Both mixture volumetrics and physical properties obtained from several laboratory tests were considered in optimizing the mixture...

  7. Health benefits of probiotics: are mixtures more effective than single strains?

    PubMed

    Chapman, C M C; Gibson, G R; Rowland, I

    2011-02-01

    Most studies on probiotics utilise single strains, sometimes incorporated into yoghurts. There are fewer studies on efficacy of mixtures of probiotic strains. This review examines the evidence that (a) probiotic mixtures are beneficial for a range of health-related outcomes and (b) mixtures are more or less effective than their component strains administered separately. Mixtures of probiotics had beneficial effects on the end points including irritable bowel syndrome and gut function, diarrhoea, atopic disease, immune function and respiratory tract infections, gut microbiota modulation, inflammatory bowel disease and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. However, only 16 studies compared the effect of a mixture with that of its component strains separately, although in 12 cases (75%), the mixture was more effective. Probiotic mixtures appear to be effective against a wide range of end points. Based on a limited number of studies, multi-strain probiotics appear to show greater efficacy than single strains, including strains that are components of the mixtures themselves. However, whether this is due to synergistic interactions between strains or a consequence of the higher probiotic dose used in some studies is at present unclear.

  8. Mixture optimization for mixed gas Joule-Thomson cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Detlor, J.; Pfotenhauer, J.; Nellis, G.

    2017-12-01

    An appropriate gas mixture can provide lower temperatures and higher cooling power when used in a Joule-Thomson (JT) cycle than is possible with a pure fluid. However, selecting gas mixtures to meet specific cooling loads and cycle parameters is a challenging design problem. This study focuses on the development of a computational tool to optimize gas mixture compositions for specific operating parameters. This study expands on prior research by exploring higher heat rejection temperatures and lower pressure ratios. A mixture optimization model has been developed which determines an optimal three-component mixture based on the analysis of the maximum value of the minimum value of isothermal enthalpy change, ΔhT , that occurs over the temperature range. This allows optimal mixture compositions to be determined for a mixed gas JT system with load temperatures down to 110 K and supply temperatures above room temperature for pressure ratios as small as 3:1. The mixture optimization model has been paired with a separate evaluation of the percent of the heat exchanger that exists in a two-phase range in order to begin the process of selecting a mixture for experimental investigation.

  9. Cumulative effects of antiandrogenic chemical mixtures and their relevance to human health risk assessment.

    PubMed

    Howdeshell, Kembra L; Hotchkiss, Andrew K; Gray, L Earl

    2017-03-01

    Toxicological studies of defined chemical mixtures assist human health risk assessment by establishing how chemicals interact with one another to induce an effect. This paper reviews how antiandrogenic chemical mixtures can alter reproductive tract development in rats with a focus on the reproductive toxicant phthalates. The reviewed studies compare observed mixture data to mathematical mixture model predictions based on dose addition or response addition to determine how the individual chemicals in a mixture interact (e.g., additive, greater, or less than additive). Phthalate mixtures were observed to act in a dose additive manner based on the relative potency of the individual phthalates to suppress fetal testosterone production. Similar dose additive effects have been reported for mixtures of phthalates with antiandrogenic pesticides of differing mechanisms of action. Overall, data from these phthalate experiments in rats can be used in conjunction with human biomonitoring data to determine individual hazard indices, and recent cumulative risk assessments in humans indicate an excess risk to antiandrogenic chemical mixtures that include phthalates only or phthalates in combination with other antiandrogenic chemicals. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  10. Near-infrared reflectance spectra of mixtures of kaolin-group minerals: Use in clay mineral studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Crowley, James K.; Vergo, Norma

    1988-01-01

    Near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectra for mixtures of ordered kaolinite and ordered dickite have been found to simulate the spectral response of disordered kaolinite. The amount of octahedral vacancy disorder in nine disordered kaolinite samples was estimated by comparing the sample spectra to the spectra of reference mixtures. The resulting estimates are consistent with previously published estimates of vacancy disorder for similar kaolin minerals that were modeled from calculated X-ray diffraction patterns. The ordered kaolinite and dickite samples used in the reference mixtures were carefully selected to avoid undesirable particle size effects that could bias the spectral results.NIR spectra were also recorded for laboratory mixtures of ordered kaolinite and halloysite to assess whether the spectra could be potentially useful for determining mineral proportions in natural physical mixtures of these two clays. Although the kaolinite-halloysite proportions could only be roughly estimated from the mixture spectra, the halloysite component was evident even when halloysite was present in only minor amounts. A similar approach using NIR spectra for laboratory mixtures may have applications in other studies of natural clay mixtures.

  11. Hierarchical Analytical Approaches for Unraveling the Composition of Proprietary Mixtures

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The composition of commercial mixtures including pesticide inert ingredients, aircraft deicers, and aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulations, and by analogy, fracking fluids, are proprietary. Quantitative analytical methodologies can only be developed for mixture components once their identities are known. Because proprietary mixtures may contain volatile and non-volatile components, a hierarchy of analytical methods is often required for the full identification of all proprietary mixture components.

  12. Improving Students' Understanding of the Connections between the Concepts of Real-Gas Mixtures, Gas Ideal-Solutions, and Perfect-Gas Mixtures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Privat, Romain; Jaubert, Jean-Noël; Moine, Edouard

    2016-01-01

    In many textbooks of chemical-engineering thermodynamics, a gas mixture obeying the fundamental law pV[subscript m] = RT is most often called ideal-gas mixture (in some rare cases, the term perfect-gas mixture can be found). These textbooks also define the fundamental concept of ideal solution which in theory, can be applied indifferently to…

  13. Using Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi tessellation to predict the toxicities of binary mixtures containing hormetic compound

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qu, Rui; Liu, Shu-Shen; Zheng, Qiao-Feng; Li, Tong

    2017-03-01

    Concentration addition (CA) was proposed as a reasonable default approach for the ecological risk assessment of chemical mixtures. However, CA cannot predict the toxicity of mixture at some effect zones if not all components have definite effective concentrations at the given effect, such as some compounds induce hormesis. In this paper, we developed a new method for the toxicity prediction of various types of binary mixtures, an interpolation method based on the Delaunay triangulation (DT) and Voronoi tessellation (VT) as well as the training set of direct equipartition ray design (EquRay) mixtures, simply IDVequ. At first, the EquRay was employed to design the basic concentration compositions of five binary mixture rays. The toxic effects of single components and mixture rays at different times and various concentrations were determined by the time-dependent microplate toxicity analysis. Secondly, the concentration-toxicity data of the pure components and various mixture rays were acted as a training set. The DT triangles and VT polygons were constructed by various vertices of concentrations in the training set. The toxicities of unknown mixtures were predicted by the linear interpolation and natural neighbor interpolation of vertices. The IDVequ successfully predicted the toxicities of various types of binary mixtures.

  14. Characterization of Mixtures. Part 2: QSPR Models for Prediction of Excess Molar Volume and Liquid Density Using Neural Networks.

    PubMed

    Ajmani, Subhash; Rogers, Stephen C; Barley, Mark H; Burgess, Andrew N; Livingstone, David J

    2010-09-17

    In our earlier work, we have demonstrated that it is possible to characterize binary mixtures using single component descriptors by applying various mixing rules. We also showed that these methods were successful in building predictive QSPR models to study various mixture properties of interest. Here in, we developed a QSPR model of an excess thermodynamic property of binary mixtures i.e. excess molar volume (V(E) ). In the present study, we use a set of mixture descriptors which we earlier designed to specifically account for intermolecular interactions between the components of a mixture and applied successfully to the prediction of infinite-dilution activity coefficients using neural networks (part 1 of this series). We obtain a significant QSPR model for the prediction of excess molar volume (V(E) ) using consensus neural networks and five mixture descriptors. We find that hydrogen bond and thermodynamic descriptors are the most important in determining excess molar volume (V(E) ), which is in line with the theory of intermolecular forces governing excess mixture properties. The results also suggest that the mixture descriptors utilized herein may be sufficient to model a wide variety of properties of binary and possibly even more complex mixtures. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Development of reversible jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm in the Bayesian mixture modeling for microarray data in Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Astuti, Ani Budi; Iriawan, Nur; Irhamah, Kuswanto, Heri

    2017-12-01

    In the Bayesian mixture modeling requires stages the identification number of the most appropriate mixture components thus obtained mixture models fit the data through data driven concept. Reversible Jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) is a combination of the reversible jump (RJ) concept and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) concept used by some researchers to solve the problem of identifying the number of mixture components which are not known with certainty number. In its application, RJMCMC using the concept of the birth/death and the split-merge with six types of movement, that are w updating, θ updating, z updating, hyperparameter β updating, split-merge for components and birth/death from blank components. The development of the RJMCMC algorithm needs to be done according to the observed case. The purpose of this study is to know the performance of RJMCMC algorithm development in identifying the number of mixture components which are not known with certainty number in the Bayesian mixture modeling for microarray data in Indonesia. The results of this study represent that the concept RJMCMC algorithm development able to properly identify the number of mixture components in the Bayesian normal mixture model wherein the component mixture in the case of microarray data in Indonesia is not known for certain number.

  16. Thermodynamics and structural transition of binary atomic Bose-Fermi mixtures in box or harmonic potentials: A path-integral study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Tom; Chien, Chih-Chun

    2018-03-01

    Experimental realizations of a variety of atomic binary Bose-Fermi mixtures have brought opportunities for studying composite quantum systems with different spin statistics. The binary atomic mixtures can exhibit a structural transition from a mixture into phase separation as the boson-fermion interaction increases. By using a path-integral formalism to evaluate the grand partition function and the thermodynamic grand potential, we obtain the effective potential of binary Bose-Fermi mixtures. Thermodynamic quantities in a broad range of temperatures and interactions are also derived. The structural transition can be identified as a loop of the effective potential curve, and the volume fraction of phase separation can be determined by the lever rule. For 6Li-7Li and 6Li-41K mixtures, we present the phase diagrams of the mixtures in a box potential at zero and finite temperatures. Due to the flexible densities of atomic gases, the construction of phase separation is more complicated when compared to conventional liquid or solid mixtures where the individual densities are fixed. For harmonically trapped mixtures, we use the local density approximation to map out the finite-temperature density profiles and present typical trap structures, including the mixture, partially separated phases, and fully separated phases.

  17. Using Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi tessellation to predict the toxicities of binary mixtures containing hormetic compound

    PubMed Central

    Qu, Rui; Liu, Shu-Shen; Zheng, Qiao-Feng; Li, Tong

    2017-01-01

    Concentration addition (CA) was proposed as a reasonable default approach for the ecological risk assessment of chemical mixtures. However, CA cannot predict the toxicity of mixture at some effect zones if not all components have definite effective concentrations at the given effect, such as some compounds induce hormesis. In this paper, we developed a new method for the toxicity prediction of various types of binary mixtures, an interpolation method based on the Delaunay triangulation (DT) and Voronoi tessellation (VT) as well as the training set of direct equipartition ray design (EquRay) mixtures, simply IDVequ. At first, the EquRay was employed to design the basic concentration compositions of five binary mixture rays. The toxic effects of single components and mixture rays at different times and various concentrations were determined by the time-dependent microplate toxicity analysis. Secondly, the concentration-toxicity data of the pure components and various mixture rays were acted as a training set. The DT triangles and VT polygons were constructed by various vertices of concentrations in the training set. The toxicities of unknown mixtures were predicted by the linear interpolation and natural neighbor interpolation of vertices. The IDVequ successfully predicted the toxicities of various types of binary mixtures. PMID:28287626

  18. Adsorption properties of biologically active derivatives of quaternary ammonium surfactants and their mixtures at aqueous/air interface II. Dynamics of adsorption, micelles dissociation and cytotoxicity of QDLS.

    PubMed

    Rojewska, Monika; Prochaska, Krystyna; Olejnik, Anna; Rychlik, Joanna

    2014-07-01

    The main aim of our study was analysis of adsorption dynamics of mixtures containing quaternary derivatives of lysosomotropic substance (QDLS). Two types of equimolar mixtures were considered: the ones containing two derivatives of lysosomotropic substances (DMALM-12 and DMGM-12) as well as the catanionic mixtures i.e. the systems containing QDLS and DBSNa. Dynamic surface tension measurements of surfactant mixtures were made. The results suggested that the diffusivity of the mixed system could be treated as the average value of rates of diffusion of individual components, micelles and ion pairs, which are present in the mixtures studied. Moreover, an attempt was made to explain the influence of the presence of micelles in the mixtures on their adsorption dynamics. The compounds examined show interesting biological properties which can be useful, especially for drug delivery in medical treatment. In vitro cytotoxic activities of the mixtures studied towards human cancer cells were evaluated. Most of the mixtures showed a high antiproliferative potential, especially the ones containing DMALM-12. Each cancer cell line used demonstrated different sensitivity to the same dose of the mixtures tested. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Mixture effects in samples of multiple contaminants - An inter-laboratory study with manifold bioassays.

    PubMed

    Altenburger, Rolf; Scholze, Martin; Busch, Wibke; Escher, Beate I; Jakobs, Gianina; Krauss, Martin; Krüger, Janet; Neale, Peta A; Ait-Aissa, Selim; Almeida, Ana Catarina; Seiler, Thomas-Benjamin; Brion, François; Hilscherová, Klára; Hollert, Henner; Novák, Jiří; Schlichting, Rita; Serra, Hélène; Shao, Ying; Tindall, Andrew; Tolefsen, Knut-Erik; Umbuzeiro, Gisela; Williams, Tim D; Kortenkamp, Andreas

    2018-05-01

    Chemicals in the environment occur in mixtures rather than as individual entities. Environmental quality monitoring thus faces the challenge to comprehensively assess a multitude of contaminants and potential adverse effects. Effect-based methods have been suggested as complements to chemical analytical characterisation of complex pollution patterns. The regularly observed discrepancy between chemical and biological assessments of adverse effects due to contaminants in the field may be either due to unidentified contaminants or result from interactions of compounds in mixtures. Here, we present an interlaboratory study where individual compounds and their mixtures were investigated by extensive concentration-effect analysis using 19 different bioassays. The assay panel consisted of 5 whole organism assays measuring apical effects and 14 cell- and organism-based bioassays with more specific effect observations. Twelve organic water pollutants of diverse structure and unique known modes of action were studied individually and as mixtures mirroring exposure scenarios in freshwaters. We compared the observed mixture effects against component-based mixture effect predictions derived from additivity expectations (assumption of non-interaction). Most of the assays detected the mixture response of the active components as predicted even against a background of other inactive contaminants. When none of the mixture components showed any activity by themselves then the mixture also was without effects. The mixture effects observed using apical endpoints fell in the middle of a prediction window defined by the additivity predictions for concentration addition and independent action, reflecting well the diversity of the anticipated modes of action. In one case, an unexpectedly reduced solubility of one of the mixture components led to mixture responses that fell short of the predictions of both additivity mixture models. The majority of the specific cell- and organism-based endpoints produced mixture responses in agreement with the additivity expectation of concentration addition. Exceptionally, expected (additive) mixture response did not occur due to masking effects such as general toxicity from other compounds. Generally, deviations from an additivity expectation could be explained due to experimental factors, specific limitations of the effect endpoint or masking side effects such as cytotoxicity in in vitro assays. The majority of bioassays were able to quantitatively detect the predicted non-interactive, additive combined effect of the specifically bioactive compounds against a background of complex mixture of other chemicals in the sample. This supports the use of a combination of chemical and bioanalytical monitoring tools for the identification of chemicals that drive a specific mixture effect. Furthermore, we demonstrated that a panel of bioassays can provide a diverse profile of effect responses to a complex contaminated sample. This could be extended towards representing mixture adverse outcome pathways. Our findings support the ongoing development of bioanalytical tools for (i) compiling comprehensive effect-based batteries for water quality assessment, (ii) designing tailored surveillance methods to safeguard specific water uses, and (iii) devising strategies for effect-based diagnosis of complex contamination. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  20. Self-healing properties of recycled asphalt mixtures containing metal waste: An approach through microwave radiation heating.

    PubMed

    González, A; Norambuena-Contreras, J; Storey, L; Schlangen, E

    2018-05-15

    The concept of self-healing asphalt mixtures by bitumen temperature increase has been used by researchers to create an asphalt mixture with crack-healing properties by microwave or induction heating. Metals, normally steel wool fibers (SWF), are added to asphalt mixtures prepared with virgin materials to absorb and conduct thermal energy. Metal shavings, a waste material from the metal industry, could be used to replace SWF. In addition, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) could be added to these mixtures to make a more sustainable road material. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of adding metal shavings and RAP on the properties of asphalt mixtures with crack-healing capabilities by microwave heating. The research indicates that metal shavings have an irregular shape with widths larger than typical SWF used with asphalt self-healing purposes. The general effect of adding metal shavings was an improvement in the crack-healing of asphalt mixtures, while adding RAP to mixtures with metal shavings reduced the healing. The average surface temperature of the asphalt samples after microwave heating was higher than temperatures obtained by induction heating, indicating that shavings are more efficient when mixtures are heated by microwave radiation. CT scan analysis showed that shavings uniformly distribute in the mixture, and the addition of metal shavings increases the air voids. Overall, it is concluded that asphalt mixtures with RAP and waste metal shavings have the potential of being crack-healed by microwave heating. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters

    DOEpatents

    Knize, R.J.; Cecchi, J.L.

    1991-08-20

    Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can be continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen. 4 figures.

  2. Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters

    DOEpatents

    Knize, Randall J.; Cecchi, Joseph L.

    1991-01-01

    Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can be continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen.

  3. Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters

    DOEpatents

    Knize, Randall J.; Cecchi, Joseph L.

    1990-01-01

    Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can be continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen.

  4. NGS-based likelihood ratio for identifying contributors in two- and three-person DNA mixtures.

    PubMed

    Chan Mun Wei, Joshua; Zhao, Zicheng; Li, Shuai Cheng; Ng, Yen Kaow

    2018-06-01

    DNA fingerprinting, also known as DNA profiling, serves as a standard procedure in forensics to identify a person by the short tandem repeat (STR) loci in their DNA. By comparing the STR loci between DNA samples, practitioners can calculate a probability of match to identity the contributors of a DNA mixture. Most existing methods are based on 13 core STR loci which were identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Analyses based on these loci of DNA mixture for forensic purposes are highly variable in procedures, and suffer from subjectivity as well as bias in complex mixture interpretation. With the emergence of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, the sequencing of billions of DNA molecules can be parallelized, thus greatly increasing throughput and reducing the associated costs. This allows the creation of new techniques that incorporate more loci to enable complex mixture interpretation. In this paper, we propose a computation for likelihood ratio that uses NGS (next generation sequencing) data for DNA testing on mixed samples. We have applied the method to 4480 simulated DNA mixtures, which consist of various mixture proportions of 8 unrelated whole-genome sequencing data. The results confirm the feasibility of utilizing NGS data in DNA mixture interpretations. We observed an average likelihood ratio as high as 285,978 for two-person mixtures. Using our method, all 224 identity tests for two-person mixtures and three-person mixtures were correctly identified. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Toward the Rational Use of Exposure Information in Mixtures Toxicology

    EPA Science Inventory

    Of all the disciplines of toxicology, perhaps none is as dependent on exposure information as Mixtures Toxicology. Identifying real world mixtures and replicating them in the laboratory (or in silico) is critical to understanding their risks. Complex mixtures such as cigarett...

  6. Lessons learned in managing alfalfa-grass mixtures

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Grass-alfalfa mixtures have a number of benefits that make them attractive to producers. However, they can be problematic to establish and maintain. Research programs have made progress in understanding the benefits and challenges of alfalfa-grass mixtures. Mixtures may have greater winter survival ...

  7. Nuclear fuel alloys or mixtures and method of making thereof

    DOEpatents

    Mariani, Robert Dominick; Porter, Douglas Lloyd

    2016-04-05

    Nuclear fuel alloys or mixtures and methods of making nuclear fuel mixtures are provided. Pseudo-binary actinide-M fuel mixtures form alloys and exhibit: body-centered cubic solid phases at low temperatures; high solidus temperatures; and/or minimal or no reaction or inter-diffusion with steel and other cladding materials. Methods described herein through metallurgical and thermodynamics advancements guide the selection of amounts of fuel mixture components by use of phase diagrams. Weight percentages for components of a metallic additive to an actinide fuel are selected in a solid phase region of an isothermal phase diagram taken at a temperature below an upper temperature limit for the resulting fuel mixture in reactor use. Fuel mixtures include uranium-molybdenum-tungsten, uranium-molybdenum-tantalum, molybdenum-titanium-zirconium, and uranium-molybdenum-titanium systems.

  8. Effects of three veterinary antibiotics and their binary mixtures on two green alga species.

    PubMed

    Carusso, S; Juárez, A B; Moretton, J; Magdaleno, A

    2018-03-01

    The individual and combined toxicities of chlortetracycline (CTC), oxytetracycline (OTC) and enrofloxacin (ENF) have been examined in two green algae representative of the freshwater environment, the international standard strain Pseudokichneriella subcapitata and the native strain Ankistrodesmus fusiformis. The toxicities of the three antibiotics and their mixtures were similar in both strains, although low concentrations of ENF and CTC + ENF were more toxic in A. fusiformis than in the standard strain. The toxicological interactions of binary mixtures were predicted using the two classical models of additivity: Concentration Addition (CA) and Independent Action (IA), and compared to the experimentally determined toxicities over a range of concentrations between 0.1 and 10 mg L -1 . The CA model predicted the inhibition of algal growth in the three mixtures in P. subcapitata, and in the CTC + OTC and CTC + ENF mixtures in A. fusiformis. However, this model underestimated the experimental results obtained in the OTC + ENF mixture in A. fusiformis. The IA model did not predict the experimental toxicological effects of the three mixtures in either strain. The sum of the toxic units (TU) for the mixtures was calculated. According to these values, the binary mixtures CTC + ENF and OTC + ENF showed an additive effect, and the CTC + OTC mixture showed antagonism in P. subcapitata, whereas the three mixtures showed synergistic effects in A. fusiformis. Although A. fusiformis was isolated from a polluted river, it showed a similar sensitivity with respect to P. subcapitata when it was exposed to binary mixtures of antibiotics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Thermal Signature Measurements for Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Mixtures by Laser Heating

    PubMed Central

    Nazarian, Ashot; Presser, Cary

    2016-01-01

    Measurements were carried out to obtain thermal signatures of several ammonium nitrate/fuel (ANF) mixtures, using a laser-heating technique referred to as the laser-driven thermal reactor (LDTR). The mixtures were ammonium nitrate (AN)/kerosene, AN/ethylene glycol, AN/paraffin wax, AN/petroleum jelly, AN/confectioner’s sugar, AN/cellulose (tissue paper), nitromethane/cellulose, nitrobenzene/cellulose, AN/cellulose/nitromethane, AN/cellulose/nitrobenzene. These mixtures were also compared with AN/nitromethane and AN/diesel fuel oil, obtained from an earlier investigation. Thermograms for the mixtures, as well as individual constituents, were compared to better understand how the sample thermal signature changes with mixture composition. This is the first step in development of a thermal-signature database, to be used along with other signature databases, to improve identification of energetic substances of unknown composition. The results indicated that each individual thermal signature was associated unambiguously with a particular mixture composition. The signature features of a particular mixture were shaped by the individual constituent signatures. It was also uncovered that the baseline signature was modified after an experiment due to coating of unreacted residue on the substrate surface and a change in the reactor sphere oxide layer. Thus, care was required to pre-oxidize the sphere prior to an experiment. A minimum sample mass (which was dependent on composition) was required to detect the signature characteristics. Increased laser power served to magnify signal strength while preserving the signature features. For the mixtures examined, the thermal response of each ANF mixture was found to be different, which was based on the mixture composition and the thermal behavior of each mixture constituent. PMID:26955190

  10. Differential gene expression patterns in developing sexually dimorphic rat brain regions exposed to antiandrogenic, estrogenic, or complex endocrine disruptor mixtures: glutamatergic synapses as target.

    PubMed

    Lichtensteiger, Walter; Bassetti-Gaille, Catherine; Faass, Oliver; Axelstad, Marta; Boberg, Julie; Christiansen, Sofie; Rehrauer, Hubert; Georgijevic, Jelena Kühn; Hass, Ulla; Kortenkamp, Andreas; Schlumpf, Margret

    2015-04-01

    The study addressed the question whether gene expression patterns induced by different mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) administered in a higher dose range, corresponding to 450×, 200×, and 100× high-end human exposure levels, could be characterized in developing brain with respect to endocrine activity of mixture components, and which developmental processes were preferentially targeted. Three EDC mixtures, A-Mix (anti-androgenic mixture) with 8 antiandrogenic chemicals (di-n-butylphthalate, diethylhexylphthalate, vinclozolin, prochloraz, procymidone, linuron, epoxiconazole, and DDE), E-Mix (estrogenic mixture) with 4 estrogenic chemicals (bisphenol A, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate, and butylparaben), a complex mixture, AEP-Mix, containing the components of A-Mix and E-Mix plus paracetamol, and paracetamol alone, were administered by oral gavage to rat dams from gestation day 7 until weaning. General developmental endpoints were not affected by EDC mixtures or paracetamol. Gene expression was analyzed on postnatal day 6, during sexual brain differentiation, by exon microarray in medial preoptic area in the high-dose group, and by real-time RT-PCR in medial preoptic area and ventromedial hypothalamus in all dose groups. Expression patterns were mixture, sex, and region specific. Effects of the analgesic drug paracetamol, which exhibits antiandrogenic activity in peripheral systems, differed from those of A-Mix. All mixtures had a strong, mixture-specific impact on genes encoding for components of excitatory glutamatergic synapses and genes controlling migration and pathfinding of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, as well as genes linked with increased risk of autism spectrum disorders. Because development of glutamatergic synapses is regulated by sex steroids also in hippocampus, this may represent a general target of ECD mixtures.

  11. Toxicity interactions between manganese (Mn) and lead (Pb) or cadmium (Cd) in a model organism the nematode C. elegans.

    PubMed

    Lu, Cailing; Svoboda, Kurt R; Lenz, Kade A; Pattison, Claire; Ma, Hongbo

    2018-06-01

    Manganese (Mn) is considered as an emerging metal contaminant in the environment. However, its potential interactions with companying toxic metals and the associated mixture effects are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the toxicity interactions between Mn and two commonly seen co-occurring toxic metals, Pb and Cd, in a model organism the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The acute lethal toxicity of mixtures of Mn+Pb and Mn+Cd were first assessed using a toxic unit model. Multiple toxicity endpoints including reproduction, lifespan, stress response, and neurotoxicity were then examined to evaluate the mixture effects at sublethal concentrations. Stress response was assessed using a daf-16::GFP transgenic strain that expresses GFP under the control of DAF-16 promotor. Neurotoxicity was assessed using a dat-1::GFP transgenic strain that expresses GFP in dopaminergic neurons. The mixture of Mn+Pb induced a more-than-additive (synergistic) lethal toxicity in the worm whereas the mixture of Mn+Cd induced a less-than-additive (antagonistic) toxicity. Mixture effects on sublethal toxicity showed more complex patterns and were dependent on the toxicity endpoints as well as the modes of toxic action of the metals. The mixture of Mn+Pb induced additive effects on both reproduction and lifespan, whereas the mixture of Mn+Cd induced additive effects on lifespan but not reproduction. Both mixtures seemed to induce additive effects on stress response and neurotoxicity, although a quantitative assessment was not possible due to the single concentrations used in mixture tests. Our findings demonstrate the complexity of metal interactions and the associated mixture effects. Assessment of metal mixture toxicity should take into consideration the unique property of individual metals, their potential toxicity mechanisms, and the toxicity endpoints examined.

  12. Liquid class predictor for liquid handling of complex mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Seglke, Brent W [San Ramon, CA; Lekin, Timothy P [Livermore, CA

    2008-12-09

    A method of establishing liquid classes of complex mixtures for liquid handling equipment. The mixtures are composed of components and the equipment has equipment parameters. The first step comprises preparing a response curve for the components. The next step comprises using the response curve to prepare a response indicator for the mixtures. The next step comprises deriving a model that relates the components and the mixtures to establish the liquid classes.

  13. Acute toxicity to goldfish of mixtures of chloramines, copper, and linear alkylate sulfonate

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

    Tsai, C.F.; McKee, J.A.

    1980-01-01

    The toxicity to goldfish (Carassius auratus) of mixtures of chloramines, copper, and linear alkylate sulfonate (LAS) was studied by continuous-flow toxicity tests during an exposure period of 96 hours. The individual toxicities of these three chemicals are either additive or synergistic in mixtures, depending on the rate of toxic action of the individual chemical, the toxicity ratio of the chemicals in the mixtures, and the concentration of the mixtures.

  14. Chronic toxicity of a mixture of chlorinated alkanes and alkenes in ICR mice.

    PubMed

    Wang, Fun-In; Kuo, Min-Liang; Shun, Chia-Tung; Ma, Yee-Chung; Wang, Jung-Der; Ueng, Tzuu-Huei

    2002-02-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the chronic toxicity of a mixture of chlorinated alkanes and alkenes (CA) consisting of chloroform, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene. These chlorinated organic solvents were present in the underground water near an electronic appliances manufactory in Taoyuan, Taiwan. Male and female weanling ICR mice were treated with low-, medium-, and high-dose CA mixtures in drinking water for 16 and 18 mo, respectively. A significant number of male mice treated with the high-dose CA mixture developed tail alopecia and deformation, which was not prominent in CA-treated female mice. Medium- and high-dose CA mixtures induced marginal increases of liver and lung weights, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine levels in male mice. In female mice, the high-dose CA mixture increased liver, kidney, and uterus and ovary total weights, without affecting serum biochemistry parameters. CA mixtures had no effects on the total glutathione content or the level of glutathione S-transferase activity in the livers and kid- neys of male and female mice. Treatments with CA mixtures produced a trend of increasing frequency of hepatocelluar neoplasms in male mice, compared to male and female controls and CA-treated female mice. The high-dose CA mixture induced a significantly higher incidence of mammary adenocarcinoma in female mice. The calculated odds ratios of mammary adenocarcinoma in female mice induced by low-, medium-, and high-dose CA mixtures were 1.14, 1.37, and 3.53 times that of the controls, respectively. The low-dose CA mixture induced a higher incidence of cysts and inflammation in and around the ovaries. This study has demonstrated that the CA mixture is a potential carcinogen to male and female mice. These animal toxicology data may be important in assessing the health effects of individuals exposed to the CA mixture.

  15. Antiandrogenic activity of phthalate mixtures: Validity of concentration addition

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

    Christen, Verena; Crettaz, Pierre; Oberli-Schrämmli, Aurelia

    2012-03-01

    Phthalates and bisphenol A have very widespread use leading to significant exposure of humans. They are suspected to interfere with the endocrine system, including the androgen, estrogen and the thyroid hormone system. Here we analyzed the antiandrogenic activity of six binary, and one ternary mixture of phthalates exhibiting complete antiandrogenic dose–response curves, and binary mixtures of phthalates and bisphenol A at equi-effective concentrations of EC{sub 10}, EC{sub 25} and EC{sub 50} in MDA-kb2 cells. Mixture activity followed the concentration addition (CA) model with a tendency to synergism at high and antagonism at low concentrations. Isoboles and the toxic unit approachmore » (TUA) confirmed the additive to synergistic activity of the binary mixtures BBP + DBP, DBP + DEP and DEP + BPA at high concentrations. Both methods indicate a tendency to antagonism for the EC{sub 10} mixtures BBP + DBP, BBP + DEP and DBP + DEP, and the EC{sub 25} mixture of DBP + BPA. A ternary mixture revealed synergism at the EC{sub 50}, and weak antagonistic activity at the EC{sub 25} level by the TUA. A mixture of five phthalates representing a human urine composition and reflecting exposure to corresponding parent compounds showed no antiandrogenic activity. Our study demonstrates that CA is an appropriate concept to account for mixture effects of antiandrogenic phthalates and bisphenol A. The interaction indicates a departure from additivity to antagonism at low concentrations, probably due to interaction with the androgen receptor and/or cofactors. This study emphasizes that a risk assessment of phthalates should account for mixture effects by applying the CA concept. -- Highlights: ► Antiandrogenic activity of mixtures of 2 and 3 phthalates are assessed in MDA-kb2 cells. ► Mixture activities followed the concentration addition model. ► A tendency to synergism at high and antagonism at low levels occurred.« less

  16. Microheterogeneity in CH3OH/CD3OH mixture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wrzeszcz, Władysław; Mazurek, Sylwester; Szostak, Roman; Tomza, Paweł; Czarnecki, Mirosław A.

    2018-01-01

    Recently, we demonstrated the presence of microheterogeneity in binary mixtures of unlike alcohols. [RSC Adv. 2016, 6, 37195-37202] The aim of this work was examination if this phenomenon occurs also in the mixture of very similar alcohols like CH3OH and CD3OH. Theoretical calculations suggest that the isotopic substitution in methyl group influences properties of the OH group. Hence, one can expect that this effect may lead to partial separation of CH3OH and CD3OH at a molecular level and it contributes to deviation from the ideal mixture. This work evidences that CH3OH/CD3OH mixture also deviates from the ideal one, but the extent of this deviation is much smaller as compared with the mixtures of other alcohols. It is of particular note that this deviation results mainly from the difference between the CH3 and CD3 groups, while the contribution from the OH groups is small. The structure of CH3OH/CD3OH mixture at a molecular level is similar to the structure of binary mixtures of other alcohols. The mixture is composed of the homoclusters of both alcohols and the mixed clusters. The homoclusters existing in the mixture are similar to those present in bulk alcohols. The highest population of the heteroclusters and the largest deviation from the ideal mixture were observed at equimolar mixture. Both the experimental and theoretical results reveal that in CH3OH/CD3OH mixture dominate the cyclic tetramers and larger clusters, while the population of the linear clusters is negligible. Though the extent and strength of hydrogen bonding in both alcohols are the same, the position and intensity of the 2ν(OH) band for CH3OH and CD3OH are different. We propose possible explanation of this observation.

  17. Microheterogeneity in CH3OH/CD3OH mixture.

    PubMed

    Wrzeszcz, Władysław; Mazurek, Sylwester; Szostak, Roman; Tomza, Paweł; Czarnecki, Mirosław A

    2018-01-05

    Recently, we demonstrated the presence of microheterogeneity in binary mixtures of unlike alcohols. [RSC Adv. 2016, 6, 37195-37202] The aim of this work was examination if this phenomenon occurs also in the mixture of very similar alcohols like CH 3 OH and CD 3 OH. Theoretical calculations suggest that the isotopic substitution in methyl group influences properties of the OH group. Hence, one can expect that this effect may lead to partial separation of CH 3 OH and CD 3 OH at a molecular level and it contributes to deviation from the ideal mixture. This work evidences that CH 3 OH/CD 3 OH mixture also deviates from the ideal one, but the extent of this deviation is much smaller as compared with the mixtures of other alcohols. It is of particular note that this deviation results mainly from the difference between the CH 3 and CD 3 groups, while the contribution from the OH groups is small. The structure of CH 3 OH/CD 3 OH mixture at a molecular level is similar to the structure of binary mixtures of other alcohols. The mixture is composed of the homoclusters of both alcohols and the mixed clusters. The homoclusters existing in the mixture are similar to those present in bulk alcohols. The highest population of the heteroclusters and the largest deviation from the ideal mixture were observed at equimolar mixture. Both the experimental and theoretical results reveal that in CH 3 OH/CD 3 OH mixture dominate the cyclic tetramers and larger clusters, while the population of the linear clusters is negligible. Though the extent and strength of hydrogen bonding in both alcohols are the same, the position and intensity of the 2ν(OH) band for CH 3 OH and CD 3 OH are different. We propose possible explanation of this observation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts reproduction in F1 female mice

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

    Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying; Flaws, Jodi A., E-ma

    Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, such as building materials, medical devices, and personal care products. Most previous studies on the toxicity of phthalates have focused on single phthalates, but it is also important to study the effects of phthalate mixtures because humans are exposed to phthalate mixtures. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture adversely affects female reproduction in mice. To test this hypothesis, pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200 μg/kg/day, 200 and 500 mg/kg/day) daily frommore » gestational day 10 to birth. The mixture was based on the composition of phthalates detected in urine samples from pregnant women in Illinois. The mixture included 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% diisononyl phthalate, 8% diisobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate. Female mice born to the exposed dams were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests at different ages. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture significantly increased uterine weight and decreased anogenital distance on postnatal days 8 and 60, induced cystic ovaries at 13 months, disrupted estrous cyclicity, reduced fertility-related indices, and caused some breeding complications at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Collectively, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts aspects of female reproduction in mice. - Highlights: • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture disrupts F1 estrous cyclicity. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture induces F1 ovarian cysts. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture decreases F1 female fertility-related indices. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture induces F1 breeding complications.« less

  19. Research notes : evaluation of open-graded "F" mixtures for water sensitivity.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1993-12-01

    In 1992, many "F" mixtures failed the Index of Retained Strength (IRS) used by ODOT to evaluate the water damage potential of asphalt concrete mixtures. Although "F" mixtures had difficulty passing the IRS test, ODOT engineers felt that the problem w...

  20. Concrete pavement mixture design and analysis (MDA) : an innovative approach to proportioning concrete mixtures.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-03-01

    Mixture proportioning is routinely a matter of using a recipe based on a previously produced concrete, rather than adjusting the : proportions based on the needs of the mixture and the locally available materials. As budgets grow tighter and increasi...

  1. Optimizing laboratory mixture design as it relates to field compaction to improve asphalt mixture durability.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-11-01

    Most departments of transportation, including Indiana, currently use the Superpave mixture design method to design asphalt mixtures. : This method specifies that the optimum asphalt content for a given gradation be selected at 4 percent air voids. Du...

  2. Mechanical properties of steel/kenaf (hybrid) fibers added into concrete mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baarimah, A. O.; Syed Mohsin, S. M.

    2018-04-01

    This paper investigates the potential advantages of adding hybrid steel-kenaf fibers to concrete mixtures. Compression and flexural test were conducted on six concrete mixtures at 28 days to investigate the mechanical properties of the concrete. The experimental work consists of six concrete mixtures, in which the first mixture was a control mixture without adding any fiber. The following five concrete mixtures contain a total of 1% of volume fraction for steel, kenaf and a mixture of steel-kenaf (hybrid) fibers. Three ratios were considered for hybrid fibers with the ratios of 0.25/0.75, 0.5/0.5 and 0.75/0.25 for steel and kenaf fibers, respectively. From the investigation, it was observed that fibers have minimal effect on compressive strength of the concrete. However, the findings suggest promising improvement on the flexural strength of the concrete added with hybrid fiber (up to 86%) as well as manages to change the mode of failure of the beam from brittle to a more ductile manner.

  3. Predicting mixture toxicity of seven phenolic compounds with similar and dissimilar action mechanisms to Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.nov.Q67.

    PubMed

    Huang, Wei Ying; Liu, Fei; Liu, Shu Shen; Ge, Hui Lin; Chen, Hong Han

    2011-09-01

    The predictions of mixture toxicity for chemicals are commonly based on two models: concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA). Whether the CA and IA can predict mixture toxicity of phenolic compounds with similar and dissimilar action mechanisms was studied. The mixture toxicity was predicted on the basis of the concentration-response data of individual compounds. Test mixtures at different concentration ratios and concentration levels were designed using two methods. The results showed that the Weibull function fit well with the concentration-response data of all the components and their mixtures, with all relative coefficients (Rs) greater than 0.99 and root mean squared errors (RMSEs) less than 0.04. The predicted values from CA and IA models conformed to observed values of the mixtures. Therefore, it can be concluded that both CA and IA can predict reliable results for the mixture toxicity of the phenolic compounds with similar and dissimilar action mechanisms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Poisson Mixture Regression Models for Heart Disease Prediction.

    PubMed

    Mufudza, Chipo; Erol, Hamza

    2016-01-01

    Early heart disease control can be achieved by high disease prediction and diagnosis efficiency. This paper focuses on the use of model based clustering techniques to predict and diagnose heart disease via Poisson mixture regression models. Analysis and application of Poisson mixture regression models is here addressed under two different classes: standard and concomitant variable mixture regression models. Results show that a two-component concomitant variable Poisson mixture regression model predicts heart disease better than both the standard Poisson mixture regression model and the ordinary general linear Poisson regression model due to its low Bayesian Information Criteria value. Furthermore, a Zero Inflated Poisson Mixture Regression model turned out to be the best model for heart prediction over all models as it both clusters individuals into high or low risk category and predicts rate to heart disease componentwise given clusters available. It is deduced that heart disease prediction can be effectively done by identifying the major risks componentwise using Poisson mixture regression model.

  5. Poisson Mixture Regression Models for Heart Disease Prediction

    PubMed Central

    Erol, Hamza

    2016-01-01

    Early heart disease control can be achieved by high disease prediction and diagnosis efficiency. This paper focuses on the use of model based clustering techniques to predict and diagnose heart disease via Poisson mixture regression models. Analysis and application of Poisson mixture regression models is here addressed under two different classes: standard and concomitant variable mixture regression models. Results show that a two-component concomitant variable Poisson mixture regression model predicts heart disease better than both the standard Poisson mixture regression model and the ordinary general linear Poisson regression model due to its low Bayesian Information Criteria value. Furthermore, a Zero Inflated Poisson Mixture Regression model turned out to be the best model for heart prediction over all models as it both clusters individuals into high or low risk category and predicts rate to heart disease componentwise given clusters available. It is deduced that heart disease prediction can be effectively done by identifying the major risks componentwise using Poisson mixture regression model. PMID:27999611

  6. Method of separating short half-life radionuclides from a mixture of radionuclides

    DOEpatents

    Bray, Lane A.; Ryan, Jack L.

    1999-01-01

    The present invention is a method of removing an impurity of plutonium, lead or a combination thereof from a mixture of radionuclides that contains the impurity and at least one parent radionuclide. The method has the steps of (a) insuring that the mixture is a hydrochloric acid mixture; (b) oxidizing the acidic mixture and specifically oxidizing the impurity to its highest oxidation state; and (c) passing the oxidized mixture through a chloride form anion exchange column whereupon the oxidized impurity absorbs to the chloride form anion exchange column and the 22.sup.9 Th or 2.sup.27 Ac "cow" radionuclide passes through the chloride form anion exchange column. The plutonium is removed for the purpose of obtaining other alpha emitting radionuclides in a highly purified form suitable for medical therapy. In addition to plutonium; lead, iron, cobalt, copper, uranium, and other metallic cations that form chloride anionic complexes that may be present in the mixture; are removed from the mixture on the chloride form anion exchange column.

  7. Method of separating short half-life radionuclides from a mixture of radionuclides

    DOEpatents

    Bray, L.A.; Ryan, J.L.

    1999-03-23

    The present invention is a method of removing an impurity of plutonium, lead or a combination thereof from a mixture of radionuclides that contains the impurity and at least one parent radionuclide. The method has the steps of (a) insuring that the mixture is a hydrochloric acid mixture; (b) oxidizing the acidic mixture and specifically oxidizing the impurity to its highest oxidation state; and (c) passing the oxidized mixture through a chloride form anion exchange column whereupon the oxidized impurity absorbs to the chloride form anion exchange column and the {sup 229}Th or {sup 227}Ac ``cow`` radionuclide passes through the chloride form anion exchange column. The plutonium is removed for the purpose of obtaining other alpha emitting radionuclides in a highly purified form suitable for medical therapy. In addition to plutonium, lead, iron, cobalt, copper, uranium, and other metallic cations that form chloride anionic complexes that may be present in the mixture are removed from the mixture on the chloride form anion exchange column. 8 figs.

  8. Analytic Complexity and Challenges in Identifying Mixtures of Exposures Associated with Phenotypes in the Exposome Era.

    PubMed

    Patel, Chirag J

    2017-01-01

    Mixtures, or combinations and interactions between multiple environmental exposures, are hypothesized to be causally linked with disease and health-related phenotypes. Established and emerging molecular measurement technologies to assay the exposome , the comprehensive battery of exposures encountered from birth to death, promise a new way of identifying mixtures in disease in the epidemiological setting. In this opinion, we describe the analytic complexity and challenges in identifying mixtures associated with phenotype and disease. Existing and emerging machine-learning methods and data analytic approaches (e.g., "environment-wide association studies" [EWASs]), as well as large cohorts may enhance possibilities to identify mixtures of correlated exposures associated with phenotypes; however, the analytic complexity of identifying mixtures is immense. If the exposome concept is realized, new analytical methods and large sample sizes will be required to ascertain how mixtures are associated with disease. The author recommends documenting prevalent correlated exposures and replicated main effects prior to identifying mixtures.

  9. Turbulent Burning Velocities of Two-Component Fuel Mixtures of Methane, Propane and Hydrogen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kido, Hiroyuki; Nakahara, Masaya; Hashimoto, Jun; Barat, Dilmurat

    In order to clarify the turbulent burning velocity of multi-component fuel mixtures, both lean and rich two-component fuel mixtures, in which methane, propane and hydrogen were used as fuels, were prepared while maintaining the laminar burning velocity approximately constant. A distinct difference in the measured turbulent burning velocity at the same turbulence intensity is observed for two-component fuel mixtures having different addition rates of fuel, even the laminar burning velocities are approximately the same. The burning velocities of lean mixtures change almost constantly as the rate of addition changes, whereas the burning velocities of the rich mixtures show no such tendency. This trend can be explained qualitatively based on the mean local burning velocity, which is estimated by taking into account the preferential diffusion effect for each fuel component. In addition, a model of turbulent burning velocity proposed for single-component fuel mixtures may be applied to two-component fuel mixtures by considering the estimated mean local burning velocity of each fuel.

  10. Evaluation of ternary blended cements for use in transportation concrete structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilliland, Amanda Louise

    This thesis investigates the use of ternary blended cement concrete mixtures for transportation structures. The study documents technical properties of three concrete mixtures used in federally funded transportation projects in Utah, Kansas, and Michigan that used ternary blended cement concrete mixtures. Data were also collected from laboratory trial batches of ternary blended cement concrete mixtures with mixture designs similar to those of the field projects. The study presents the technical, economic, and environmental advantages of ternary blended cement mixtures. Different barriers of implementation for using ternary blended cement concrete mixtures in transportation projects are addressed. It was concluded that there are no technical, economic, or environmental barriers that exist when using most ternary blended cement concrete mixtures. The technical performance of the ternary blended concrete mixtures that were studied was always better than ordinary portland cement concrete mixtures. The ternary blended cements showed increased durability against chloride ion penetration, alkali silica reaction, and reaction to sulfates. These blends also had less linear shrinkage than ordinary portland cement concrete and met all strength requirements. The increased durability would likely reduce life cycle costs associated with concrete pavement and concrete bridge decks. The initial cost of ternary mixtures can be higher or lower than ordinary portland cement, depending on the supplementary cementitious materials used. Ternary blended cement concrete mixtures produce less carbon dioxide emissions than ordinary portland cement mixtures. This reduces the carbon footprint of construction projects. The barriers associated with implementing ternary blended cement concrete for transportation projects are not significant. Supplying fly ash returns any investment costs for the ready mix plant, including silos and other associated equipment. State specifications can make designing ternary blended cements more acceptable by eliminating arbitrary limitations for supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) use and changing to performance-based standards. Performance-based standards require trial batching of concrete mixture designs, which can be used to optimize ternary combinations of portland cement and SCMs. States should be aware of various SCMs that are appropriate for the project type and its environment.

  11. Sensitivity of the immature rat uterotrophic assay to mixtures of estrogens.

    PubMed Central

    Tinwell, Helen; Ashby, John

    2004-01-01

    We have evaluated whether mixtures of estrogens, present in the mix at doses that are individually inactive in the immature rat uterotrophic assay, can give a uterotrophic response. Seven chemicals were evaluated: nonylphenol, bisphenol A (BPA), methoxychlor, genistein (GEN), estradiol, diethylstilbestrol, and ethinyl estradiol. Dose responses in the uterotrophic assay were constructed for each chemical. The first series of experiments involved evaluating binary mixtures of BPA and GEN at dose levels that gave moderate uterotrophic responses when tested individually. The mixtures generally showed an intermediate or reduced uterotrophic effect compared with when the components of the mixture were tested alone at the dose used in the mixture. The next series of experiments used a multicomponent (complex) mixture of all seven chemicals evaluated at doses that gave either weakly positive or inactive uterotrophic responses when tested individually in the assay. Doses that were nominally equi-uterotrophic ranged over approximately six orders of magnitude for the seven chemicals. Doses of agents that gave a weak uterotrophic response when tested individually gave a marginally enhanced positive response in the assay when tested combined as a mixture. Doses of agents that gave a negative uterotrophic response when tested individually gave a positive response when tested as a mixture. These data indicate that a variety of different estrogen receptor (ER) agonists, present individually at subeffective doses, can act simultaneously to evoke an ER-regulated response. However, translating these findings into the process of environmental hazard assessment will be difficult. The simple addition of the observed, or predicted, activities for the components of a mixture is confirmed here to be inappropriate and to overestimate the actual effect induced by the mixture. Equally, isobole analysis is only suitable for two- or three-component mixtures, and concentration addition requires access to dose-response data and EC50 values (concentration giving 50% of the maximum response) for the individual components of the mixture--requirements that will rarely be fulfilled for complex environmental samples. Given these uncertainties, we conclude that it may be most expedient to select and bioassay whole environmental mixtures of potential concern. PMID:15064164

  12. Method for destroying hazardous organics and other combustible materials in a subcritical/supercritical reactor

    DOEpatents

    Janikowski, Stuart K.

    2000-01-01

    A waste destruction method using a reactor vessel to combust and destroy organic and combustible waste, including the steps of introducing a supply of waste into the reactor vessel, introducing a supply of an oxidant into the reactor vessel to mix with the waste forming a waste and oxidant mixture, introducing a supply of water into the reactor vessel to mix with the waste and oxidant mixture forming a waste, water and oxidant mixture, reciprocatingly compressing the waste, water and oxidant mixture forming a compressed mixture, igniting the compressed mixture forming a exhaust gas, and venting the exhaust gas into the surrounding atmosphere.

  13. A competitive binding model predicts the response of mammalian olfactory receptors to mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Vijay; Murphy, Nicolle; Mainland, Joel; Balasubramanian, Vijay

    Most natural odors are complex mixtures of many odorants, but due to the large number of possible mixtures only a small fraction can be studied experimentally. To get a realistic understanding of the olfactory system we need methods to predict responses to complex mixtures from single odorant responses. Focusing on mammalian olfactory receptors (ORs in mouse and human), we propose a simple biophysical model for odor-receptor interactions where only one odor molecule can bind to a receptor at a time. The resulting competition for occupancy of the receptor accounts for the experimentally observed nonlinear mixture responses. We first fit a dose-response relationship to individual odor responses and then use those parameters in a competitive binding model to predict mixture responses. With no additional parameters, the model predicts responses of 15 (of 18 tested) receptors to within 10 - 30 % of the observed values, for mixtures with 2, 3 and 12 odorants chosen from a panel of 30. Extensions of our basic model with odorant interactions lead to additional nonlinearities observed in mixture response like suppression, cooperativity, and overshadowing. Our model provides a systematic framework for characterizing and parameterizing such mixing nonlinearities from mixture response data.

  14. Widom Lines in Binary Mixtures of Supercritical Fluids.

    PubMed

    Raju, Muralikrishna; Banuti, Daniel T; Ma, Peter C; Ihme, Matthias

    2017-06-08

    Recent experiments on pure fluids have identified distinct liquid-like and gas-like regimes even under supercritical conditions. The supercritical liquid-gas transition is marked by maxima in response functions that define a line emanating from the critical point, referred to as Widom line. However, the structure of analogous state transitions in mixtures of supercritical fluids has not been determined, and it is not clear whether a Widom line can be identified for binary mixtures. Here, we present first evidence for the existence of multiple Widom lines in binary mixtures from molecular dynamics simulations. By considering mixtures of noble gases, we show that, depending on the phase behavior, mixtures transition from a liquid-like to a gas-like regime via distinctly different pathways, leading to phase relationships of surprising complexity and variety. Specifically, we show that miscible binary mixtures have behavior analogous to a pure fluid and the supercritical state space is characterized by a single liquid-gas transition. In contrast, immiscible binary mixture undergo a phase separation in which the clusters transition separately at different temperatures, resulting in multiple distinct Widom lines. The presence of this unique transition behavior emphasizes the complexity of the supercritical state to be expected in high-order mixtures of practical relevance.

  15. QSAR prediction of additive and non-additive mixture toxicities of antibiotics and pesticide.

    PubMed

    Qin, Li-Tang; Chen, Yu-Han; Zhang, Xin; Mo, Ling-Yun; Zeng, Hong-Hu; Liang, Yan-Peng

    2018-05-01

    Antibiotics and pesticides may exist as a mixture in real environment. The combined effect of mixture can either be additive or non-additive (synergism and antagonism). However, no effective predictive approach exists on predicting the synergistic and antagonistic toxicities of mixtures. In this study, we developed a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model for the toxicities (half effect concentration, EC 50 ) of 45 binary and multi-component mixtures composed of two antibiotics and four pesticides. The acute toxicities of single compound and mixtures toward Aliivibrio fischeri were tested. A genetic algorithm was used to obtain the optimized model with three theoretical descriptors. Various internal and external validation techniques indicated that the coefficient of determination of 0.9366 and root mean square error of 0.1345 for the QSAR model predicted that 45 mixture toxicities presented additive, synergistic, and antagonistic effects. Compared with the traditional concentration additive and independent action models, the QSAR model exhibited an advantage in predicting mixture toxicity. Thus, the presented approach may be able to fill the gaps in predicting non-additive toxicities of binary and multi-component mixtures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Biodegradation and toxicity of a maize herbicide mixture: mesotrione, nicosulfuron and S-metolachlor.

    PubMed

    Carles, Louis; Joly, Muriel; Bonnemoy, Frédérique; Leremboure, Martin; Donnadieu, Florence; Batisson, Isabelle; Besse-Hoggan, Pascale

    2018-04-21

    The prediction of chemical mixture toxicity is a major concern regarding unintentional mixture of pesticides from agricultural lands treated with various such compounds. We focused our work on a mixture of three herbicides commonly applied on maize crops within a fortnight, namely mesotrione (β-triketone), nicosulfuron (sulfonylurea) and S-metolachlor (chloroacetanilide). The metabolic pathways of mesotrione and nicosulfuron were qualitatively and quantitatively determined with a bacterial strain (Bacillus megaterium Mes11). This strain was isolated from an agricultural soil and able to biotransform both these herbicides. Although these pathways were unaffected in the case of binary or ternary herbicide mixtures, kinetics of nicosulfuron disappearance and also of mesotrione and nicosulfuron metabolite formation was strongly modulated. The toxicity of the parent compounds and metabolites was evaluated for individual compounds and mixtures with the standardized Microtox® test. Synergistic interactions were evidenced for all the parent compound mixtures. Synergistic, antagonistic or additive toxicity was obtained depending on the metabolite mixture. Overall, these results emphasize the need to take into account the active ingredient and metabolites all together for the determination of environmental fate and toxicity of pesticide mixtures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Mixture distributions of wind speed in the UAE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shin, J.; Ouarda, T.; Lee, T. S.

    2013-12-01

    Wind speed probability distribution is commonly used to estimate potential wind energy. The 2-parameter Weibull distribution has been most widely used to characterize the distribution of wind speed. However, it is unable to properly model wind speed regimes when wind speed distribution presents bimodal and kurtotic shapes. Several studies have concluded that the Weibull distribution should not be used for frequency analysis of wind speed without investigation of wind speed distribution. Due to these mixture distributional characteristics of wind speed data, the application of mixture distributions should be further investigated in the frequency analysis of wind speed. A number of studies have investigated the potential wind energy in different parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Mixture distributional characteristics of wind speed were detected from some of these studies. Nevertheless, mixture distributions have not been employed for wind speed modeling in the Arabian Peninsula. In order to improve our understanding of wind energy potential in Arabian Peninsula, mixture distributions should be tested for the frequency analysis of wind speed. The aim of the current study is to assess the suitability of mixture distributions for the frequency analysis of wind speed in the UAE. Hourly mean wind speed data at 10-m height from 7 stations were used in the current study. The Weibull and Kappa distributions were employed as representatives of the conventional non-mixture distributions. 10 mixture distributions are used and constructed by mixing four probability distributions such as Normal, Gamma, Weibull and Extreme value type-one (EV-1) distributions. Three parameter estimation methods such as Expectation Maximization algorithm, Least Squares method and Meta-Heuristic Maximum Likelihood (MHML) method were employed to estimate the parameters of the mixture distributions. In order to compare the goodness-of-fit of tested distributions and parameter estimation methods for sample wind data, the adjusted coefficient of determination, Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) and Chi-squared statistics were computed. Results indicate that MHML presents the best performance of parameter estimation for the used mixture distributions. In most of the employed 7 stations, mixture distributions give the best fit. When the wind speed regime shows mixture distributional characteristics, most of these regimes present the kurtotic statistical characteristic. Particularly, applications of mixture distributions for these stations show a significant improvement in explaining the whole wind speed regime. In addition, the Weibull-Weibull mixture distribution presents the best fit for the wind speed data in the UAE.

  18. Comparison of Chemical Composition of Complex Disinfection Byproduct (DBP) Mixtures Produced by Different Treatment Methods - slides

    EPA Science Inventory

    Analyses of the chemical composition of complex DBP mixtures, produced by different drinking water treatment processes, are essential to generate toxicity data required for assessing their risks to humans. For mixture risk assessments, whole mixture toxicology studies generally a...

  19. Comparison of Chemical Composition of Complex Disinfection Byproduct (DBP) Mixtures Produced by Different Treatment Methods

    EPA Science Inventory

    Analyses of the chemical composition of complex DBP mixtures, produced by different drinking water treatment processes, are essential to generate toxicity data required for assessing their risks to humans. For mixture risk assessments, whole mixture toxicology studies generally a...

  20. 14 CFR 23.1147 - Mixture controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Mixture controls. 23.1147 Section 23.1147... STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Powerplant Powerplant Controls and Accessories § 23.1147 Mixture controls. (a) If there are mixture controls, each engine must have a separate...

  1. 14 CFR 23.1147 - Mixture controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Mixture controls. 23.1147 Section 23.1147... STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Powerplant Powerplant Controls and Accessories § 23.1147 Mixture controls. (a) If there are mixture controls, each engine must have a separate...

  2. Knock-limited performance of several internal coolants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bellman, Donald R; Evvard, John C

    1945-01-01

    The effect of internal cooling on the knock-limited performance of an-f-28 fuel was investigated in a CFR engine, and the following internal coolants were used: (1) water, (2), methyl alcohol-water mixture, (3) ammonia-methyl alcohol-water mixture, (4) monomethylamine-water mixture, (5) dimethylamine-water mixture, and (6) trimethylamine-water mixture. Tests were run at inlet-air temperatures of 150 degrees and 250 degrees F. to indicate the temperature sensitivity of the internal-coolant solutions.

  3. Determining inert content in coal dust/rock dust mixture

    DOEpatents

    Sapko, Michael J.; Ward, Jr., Jack A.

    1989-01-01

    A method and apparatus for determining the inert content of a coal dust and rock dust mixture uses a transparent window pressed against the mixture. An infrared light beam is directed through the window such that a portion of the infrared light beam is reflected from the mixture. The concentration of the reflected light is detected and a signal indicative of the reflected light is generated. A normalized value for the generated signal is determined according to the relationship .phi.=(log i.sub.c `log i.sub.co) / (log i.sub.c100 -log i.sub.co) where i.sub.co =measured signal at 0% rock dust i.sub.c100 =measured signal at 100% rock dust i.sub.c =measured signal of the mixture. This normalized value is then correlated to a predetermined relationship of .phi. to rock dust percentage to determine the rock dust content of the mixture. The rock dust content is displayed where the percentage is between 30 and 100%, and an indication of out-of-range is displayed where the rock dust percent is less than 30%. Preferably, the rock dust percentage (RD%) is calculated from the predetermined relationship RD%=100+30 log .phi.. where the dust mixture initially includes moisture, the dust mixture is dried before measuring by use of 8 to 12 mesh molecular-sieves which are shaken with the dust mixture and subsequently screened from the dust mixture.

  4. Explosion characteristics of flammable organic vapors in nitrous oxide atmosphere.

    PubMed

    Koshiba, Yusuke; Takigawa, Tomihisa; Matsuoka, Yusaku; Ohtani, Hideo

    2010-11-15

    Despite unexpected explosion accidents caused by nitrous oxide have occurred, few systematic studies have been reported on explosion characteristics of flammable gases in nitrous oxide atmosphere compared to those in air or oxygen. The objective of this paper is to characterize explosion properties of mixtures of n-pentane, diethyl ether, diethylamine, or n-butyraldehyde with nitrous oxide and nitrogen using three parameters: explosion limit, peak explosion pressure, and time to the peak explosion pressure. Then, similar mixtures of n-pentane, diethyl ether, diethylamine, or n-butyraldehyde with oxygen and nitrogen were prepared to compare their explosion characteristics with the mixtures containing nitrous oxide. The explosion experiments were performed in a cylindrical vessel at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. The measurements showed that explosion ranges of the mixtures containing nitrous oxide were narrow compared to those of the mixtures containing oxygen. On the other hand, the maximum explosion pressures of the mixtures containing nitrous oxide were higher than those of the mixtures containing oxygen. Moreover, our experiments revealed that these mixtures differed in equivalence ratios at which the maximum explosion pressures were observed: the pressures of the mixtures containing nitrous oxide were observed at stoichiometry; in contrast, those of the mixtures containing oxygen were found at fuel-rich area. Chemical equilibrium calculations confirmed these behaviors. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Metal-Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Mixture Toxicity in Hyalella azteca. 1. Response Surfaces and Isoboles To Measure Non-additive Mixture Toxicity and Ecological Risk.

    PubMed

    Gauthier, Patrick T; Norwood, Warren P; Prepas, Ellie E; Pyle, Greg G

    2015-10-06

    Mixtures of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) occur ubiquitously in aquatic environments, yet relatively little is known regarding their potential to produce non-additive toxicity (i.e., antagonism or potentiation). A review of the lethality of metal-PAH mixtures in aquatic biota revealed that more-than-additive lethality is as common as strictly additive effects. Approaches to ecological risk assessment do not consider non-additive toxicity of metal-PAH mixtures. Forty-eight-hour water-only binary mixture toxicity experiments were conducted to determine the additive toxic nature of mixtures of Cu, Cd, V, or Ni with phenanthrene (PHE) or phenanthrenequinone (PHQ) using the aquatic amphipod Hyalella azteca. In cases where more-than-additive toxicity was observed, we calculated the possible mortality rates at Canada's environmental water quality guideline concentrations. We used a three-dimensional response surface isobole model-based approach to compare the observed co-toxicity in juvenile amphipods to predicted outcomes based on concentration addition or effects addition mixtures models. More-than-additive lethality was observed for all Cu-PHE, Cu-PHQ, and several Cd-PHE, Cd-PHQ, and Ni-PHE mixtures. Our analysis predicts Cu-PHE, Cu-PHQ, Cd-PHE, and Cd-PHQ mixtures at the Canadian Water Quality Guideline concentrations would produce 7.5%, 3.7%, 4.4% and 1.4% mortality, respectively.

  6. Effect of CMC addition on steady and dynamic shear rheological properties of binary systems of xanthan gum and guar gum.

    PubMed

    Bak, J H; Yoo, B

    2018-04-12

    The effect of CMC on the steady and dynamic shear rheological properties of binary mixtures of XG and GG was examined at different mixing ratios. All XG-GG-CMC ternary mixtures had high shear-thinning behavior and the n value of the sample with 5% CMC was the smallest compared with those of other samples. A marked increase in K and η a,50 values was observed for ternary mixtures at a lower content (5%) of CMC, indicating that the synergistic interactions of the XG-GG binary mixture were affected by the content of CMC. The effect of temperature on the η a,50 was well described by the Arrhenius equation for all samples. The activation energy values of all ternary gum mixtures are higher than that of binary gum mixture, and these values also decreased with an increase in CMC content from 5 to 15%. The dynamic moduli of ternary gum mixtures decreased with an increase in CMC content. The tan δ value of the ternary gum mixture with 5% CMC was much lower than those of other ternary mixtures. In general, these results suggest that the flow and dynamic shear rheological properties of XG-GG binary mixtures are strongly influenced by a small addition of CMC. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Effects of binary taste stimuli on the neural activity of the hamster chorda tympani

    PubMed Central

    1980-01-01

    Binary mixtures of taste stimuli were applied to the tongue of the hamster and the reaction of the whole corda tympani was recorded. Some of the chemicals that were paired in mixtures (HCl, NH4Cl, NaCl, CaCl2, sucrose, and D-phenylalanine) have similar tastes to human and/or hamster, and/or common stimulatory effects on individual fibers of the hamster chorda tympani; other pairs of these chemicals have dissimilar tastes and/or distinct neural stimulatory effects. The molarity of each chemical with approximately the same effect on the activity of the nerve as 0.01 M NaCl was selected, and an established relation between stimulus concentration and response allowed estimation of the effect of a "mixture" of two concentrations of one chemical. Each mixture elicited a response that was smaller than the sum of the responses to its components. However, responses to some mixtures approached this sum, and responses to other mixtures closely approached the response to a "mixture" of two concentrations of one chemical. Responses of the former variety were generated by mixtures of an electrolyte and a nonelectrolyte and the latter by mixtures of two electrolytes or two nonelectrolytes. But, beyond the distinction between electrolytes and nonelectrolytes, the whole-nerve response to a mixture could not be predicted from the known neural or psychophysical effects of its components. PMID:7411114

  8. Mixture theory-based poroelasticity as a model of interstitial tissue growth

    PubMed Central

    Cowin, Stephen C.; Cardoso, Luis

    2011-01-01

    This contribution presents an alternative approach to mixture theory-based poroelasticity by transferring some poroelastic concepts developed by Maurice Biot to mixture theory. These concepts are a larger RVE and the subRVE-RVE velocity average tensor, which Biot called the micro-macro velocity average tensor. This velocity average tensor is assumed here to depend upon the pore structure fabric. The formulation of mixture theory presented is directed toward the modeling of interstitial growth, that is to say changing mass and changing density of an organism. Traditional mixture theory considers constituents to be open systems, but the entire mixture is a closed system. In this development the mixture is also considered to be an open system as an alternative method of modeling growth. Growth is slow and accelerations are neglected in the applications. The velocity of a solid constituent is employed as the main reference velocity in preference to the mean velocity concept from the original formulation of mixture theory. The standard development of statements of the conservation principles and entropy inequality employed in mixture theory are modified to account for these kinematic changes and to allow for supplies of mass, momentum and energy to each constituent and to the mixture as a whole. The objective is to establish a basis for the development of constitutive equations for growth of tissues. PMID:22184481

  9. Mixture theory-based poroelasticity as a model of interstitial tissue growth.

    PubMed

    Cowin, Stephen C; Cardoso, Luis

    2012-01-01

    This contribution presents an alternative approach to mixture theory-based poroelasticity by transferring some poroelastic concepts developed by Maurice Biot to mixture theory. These concepts are a larger RVE and the subRVE-RVE velocity average tensor, which Biot called the micro-macro velocity average tensor. This velocity average tensor is assumed here to depend upon the pore structure fabric. The formulation of mixture theory presented is directed toward the modeling of interstitial growth, that is to say changing mass and changing density of an organism. Traditional mixture theory considers constituents to be open systems, but the entire mixture is a closed system. In this development the mixture is also considered to be an open system as an alternative method of modeling growth. Growth is slow and accelerations are neglected in the applications. The velocity of a solid constituent is employed as the main reference velocity in preference to the mean velocity concept from the original formulation of mixture theory. The standard development of statements of the conservation principles and entropy inequality employed in mixture theory are modified to account for these kinematic changes and to allow for supplies of mass, momentum and energy to each constituent and to the mixture as a whole. The objective is to establish a basis for the development of constitutive equations for growth of tissues.

  10. Differential effects of a complex organochlorine mixture on the proliferation of breast cancer cell lines

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

    Aube, Michel, E-mail: 4aubem@videotron.ca; Larochelle, Christian, E-mail: christian.larochelle@inspq.qc.ca; Ayotte, Pierre, E-mail: pierre.ayotte@inspq.qc.ca

    2011-04-15

    Organochlorine compounds (OCs) are a group of persistent chemicals that accumulate in fatty tissues with age. Although OCs has been tested individually for their capacity to induce breast cancer cell proliferation, few studies examined the effect of complex mixtures that comprise compounds frequently detected in the serum of women. We constituted such an OC mixture containing 15 different components in environmentally relevant proportions and assessed its proliferative effects in four breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47D, CAMA-1, MDAMB231) and in non-cancerous CV-1 cells. We also determined the capacity of the mixture to modulate cell cycle stage of breast cancer cellsmore » and to induce estrogenic and antiandrogenic effects using gene reporter assays. We observed that low concentrations of the mixture (100x10{sup 3} and 50x10{sup 3} dilutions) stimulated the proliferation of MCF-7 cells while higher concentrations (10x10{sup 3} and 5x10{sup 3} dilutions) had the opposite effect. In contrast, the mixture inhibited the proliferation of non-hormone-dependent cell lines. The mixture significantly increased the number of MCF-7 cells entering the S phase, an effect that was blocked by the antiestrogen ICI 182,780. Low concentrations of the mixture also caused an increase in CAMA-1 cell proliferation but only in the presence estradiol and dihydrotestosterone (p<0.05 at the 50x10{sup 3} dilution). DDT analogs and polychlorinated biphenyls all had the capacity to stimulate the proliferation of CAMA-1 cells in the presence of sex steroids. Reporter gene assays further revealed that the mixture and several of its constituents (DDT analogs, aldrin, dieldrin, {beta}-hexachlorocyclohexane, toxaphene) induced estrogenic effects, whereas the mixture and several components (DDT analogs, aldrin, dieldrin and PCBs) inhibited the androgen signaling pathway. Our results indicate that the complex OC mixture increases the proliferation of MCF-7 cells due to its estrogenic potential. The proliferative effect of the mixture on CAMA-1 cells in the presence of sex steroids appears mostly due to the antiandrogenic properties of p,p'-DDE, a major constituent of the mixture. Other mixtures of contaminants that include emerging compounds of interest such as brominated flame retardants and perfluoroalkyl compounds should be tested for their capacity to induce breast cancer cell proliferation. - Research highlights: {yields} We studied effects of a complex organochlorine mixture on breast cancer cell growth. {yields} Weak xenoestrogens in the mixture stimulated the proliferation of MCF-7 cells. {yields} Antiandrogens increased the proliferation CAMA-1 cells grown with sex steroids. {yields} High concentrations of the mixture decreased the proliferation of all cell lines.« less

  11. Influence of protein size on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra in binary protein mixtures.

    PubMed

    Avci, Ertug; Culha, Mustafa

    2014-01-01

    The size-dependent interactions of eight blood proteins with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in their binary mixtures were investigated using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the SERS spectra of each binary mixture, and the differentiation ability of the mixtures was tested. It was found that the effect of relative concentration change on the SERS spectra of the binary mixtures of small proteins could be detected using PCA. However, this change was not observed with the binary mixtures of large proteins. This study demonstrated that the relative interactions of the smaller proteins with an average size of 50 nm AgNPs smaller than the large proteins could be monitored, and this information can be used for the detection of proteins in protein mixtures.

  12. Experimental thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat values for mixtures of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perkins, R. A.; Cieszkiewicz, M. T.

    1991-01-01

    Experimental measurements of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity obtained with a transient hot-wire apparatus are reported for three mixtures of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. Values of the specific heat, Cp, are calculated from these measured values and the density calculated with an equation of state. The measurements were made at temperatures between 65 and 303 K with pressures between 0.1 and 70 MPa. The data cover the vapor, liquid, and supercritical gas phases for the three mixtures. The total reported points are 1066 for the air mixture (78.11 percent nitrogen, 20.97 percent oxygen, and 0.92 percent argon), 1058 for the 50 percent nitrogen, 50 percent oxygen mixture, and 864 for the 25 percent nitrogen, 75 oxygen mixture. Empirical thermal conductivity correlations are provided for the three mixtures.

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

    Khinkis, Mark J.; Kozlov, Aleksandr P.

    A radiant, non-catalytic recuperative reformer has a flue gas flow path for conducting hot exhaust gas from a thermal process and a reforming mixture flow path for conducting a reforming mixture. At least a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is positioned adjacent to the flue gas flow path to permit heat transfer from the hot exhaust gas to the reforming mixture. The reforming mixture flow path contains substantially no material commonly used as a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbon fuel (e.g., nickel oxide, platinum group elements or rhenium), but instead the reforming mixture is reformed into a higher calorificmore » fuel via reactions due to the heat transfer and residence time. In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is positioned outside of flue gas flow path for a relatively large residence time.« less

  14. Genetic Evidence for Recent Population Mixture in India

    PubMed Central

    Moorjani, Priya; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; Patterson, Nick; Lipson, Mark; Loh, Po-Ru; Govindaraj, Periyasamy; Berger, Bonnie; Reich, David; Singh, Lalji

    2013-01-01

    Most Indian groups descend from a mixture of two genetically divergent populations: Ancestral North Indians (ANI) related to Central Asians, Middle Easterners, Caucasians, and Europeans; and Ancestral South Indians (ASI) not closely related to groups outside the subcontinent. The date of mixture is unknown but has implications for understanding Indian history. We report genome-wide data from 73 groups from the Indian subcontinent and analyze linkage disequilibrium to estimate ANI-ASI mixture dates ranging from about 1,900 to 4,200 years ago. In a subset of groups, 100% of the mixture is consistent with having occurred during this period. These results show that India experienced a demographic transformation several thousand years ago, from a region in which major population mixture was common to one in which mixture even between closely related groups became rare because of a shift to endogamy. PMID:23932107

  15. Non-catalytic recuperative reformer

    DOEpatents

    Khinkis, Mark J.; Kozlov, Aleksandr P.; Kurek, Harry

    2015-12-22

    A non-catalytic recuperative reformer has a flue gas flow path for conducting hot flue gas from a thermal process and a reforming mixture flow path for conducting a reforming mixture. At least a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is embedded in the flue gas flow path to permit heat transfer from the hot flue gas to the reforming mixture. The reforming mixture flow path contains substantially no material commonly used as a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbon fuel (e.g., nickel oxide, platinum group elements or rhenium), but instead the reforming mixture is reformed into a higher calorific fuel via reactions due to the heat transfer and residence time. In a preferred embodiment, extended surfaces of metal material such as stainless steel or metal alloy that are high in nickel content are included within at least a portion of the reforming mixture flow path.

  16. Mixture Rasch Models with Joint Maximum Likelihood Estimation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willse, John T.

    2011-01-01

    This research provides a demonstration of the utility of mixture Rasch models. Specifically, a model capable of estimating a mixture partial credit model using joint maximum likelihood is presented. Like the partial credit model, the mixture partial credit model has the beneficial feature of being appropriate for analysis of assessment data…

  17. 33 CFR 126.28 - Ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. 126.28 Section 126..., ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. (a) When any item of ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

  18. Biochar-compost mixtures added to simulated golf greens increase creeping bentgrass growth

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Mixtures of 85% sand and 15% mixtures of peat (control), a commercial biochar, a commercial biochar-compost product (CarbonizPN), and seven biochar-commercial compost mixtures were tested on the growth of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. "007") in simulated golf greens. Physical properti...

  19. A Four Step Approach to Evaluate Mixtures for Consistency with Dose Addition

    EPA Science Inventory

    We developed a four step approach for evaluating chemical mixture data for consistency with dose addition for use in environmental health risk assessment. Following the concepts in the U.S. EPA mixture risk guidance (EPA 2000a,b), toxicological interaction for a defined mixture (...

  20. High Energy Density Solid and Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-02-01

    affording a mixture of alcohols, 6a and 6b. The resulting mixture of alcohols was oxidized subsequently by using pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) in...was added pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC, 3.00 g, 13.9 mmol), and the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1.5 h. The reaction mixture

  1. 46 CFR 162.050-3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ...-water mixture to provide a resulting mixture that has an oil concentration of 15 ppm or less. Bilge alarm means an instrument that is designed to measure the oil content of oily mixtures from machinery... and oily mixtures combined with these residues. PPM means parts per million by volume of oil in water...

  2. 46 CFR 162.050-3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ...-water mixture to provide a resulting mixture that has an oil concentration of 15 ppm or less. Bilge alarm means an instrument that is designed to measure the oil content of oily mixtures from machinery... and oily mixtures combined with these residues. PPM means parts per million by volume of oil in water...

  3. 46 CFR 162.050-3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...-water mixture to provide a resulting mixture that has an oil concentration of 15 ppm or less. Bilge alarm means an instrument that is designed to measure the oil content of oily mixtures from machinery... and oily mixtures combined with these residues. PPM means parts per million by volume of oil in water...

  4. 46 CFR 162.050-3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...-water mixture to provide a resulting mixture that has an oil concentration of 15 ppm or less. Bilge alarm means an instrument that is designed to measure the oil content of oily mixtures from machinery... and oily mixtures combined with these residues. PPM means parts per million by volume of oil in water...

  5. 21 CFR 864.8625 - Hematology quality control mixture.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hematology quality control mixture. 864.8625 Section 864.8625 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... quality control mixture. (a) Identification. A hematology quality control mixture is a device used to...

  6. A DOSE-RESPONSE STUDY OF THE TOXICITY OF A MIXTURE OF 7N-METHYL CARBAMATE PESTICIDES IN ADULT, MALE RATS.

    EPA Science Inventory

    There is scarce knowledge regarding the toxicity of pesticide mixtures, especially mixtures of the anticholinesterase N-methyl carbamates. A mixture study was conducted using 7 N-methyl carbamates (carbaryl, carbofuran, formetanate HCl, methiocarb, methomyl, oxamyl, and propoxur...

  7. 33 CFR 126.28 - Ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. 126.28 Section 126..., ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. (a) When any item of ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

  8. 33 CFR 126.28 - Ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. 126.28 Section 126..., ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. (a) When any item of ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

  9. 33 CFR 126.28 - Ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. 126.28 Section 126..., ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. (a) When any item of ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

  10. 33 CFR 126.28 - Ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. 126.28 Section 126..., ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate; general provisions. (a) When any item of ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, fertilizer mixtures, or nitro carbo nitrate...

  11. 21 CFR 80.35 - Color additive mixtures; certification and exemption from certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Color additive mixtures; certification and... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL COLOR ADDITIVE CERTIFICATION Certification Procedures § 80.35 Color additive mixtures; certification and exemption from certification. (a) Color additive mixtures to be...

  12. 21 CFR 80.35 - Color additive mixtures; certification and exemption from certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Color additive mixtures; certification and... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL COLOR ADDITIVE CERTIFICATION Certification Procedures § 80.35 Color additive mixtures; certification and exemption from certification. (a) Color additive mixtures to be...

  13. 21 CFR 80.35 - Color additive mixtures; certification and exemption from certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Color additive mixtures; certification and... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL COLOR ADDITIVE CERTIFICATION Certification Procedures § 80.35 Color additive mixtures; certification and exemption from certification. (a) Color additive mixtures to be...

  14. Chemical Mixtures Health Risk Assessment: Overview of Exposure Assessment, Whole Mixtures Assessments; Basic Concepts

    EPA Science Inventory

    This problems-based, half-day, introductory workshop focuses on methods to assess health risks posed by exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment. Chemical mixtures health risk assessment methods continue to be developed and evolve to address concerns over health risks f...

  15. 14 CFR 25.1147 - Mixture controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Mixture controls. 25.1147 Section 25.1147... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Powerplant Powerplant Controls and Accessories § 25.1147 Mixture controls. (a) If there are mixture controls, each engine must have a separate control. The controls must be...

  16. 14 CFR 27.1147 - Mixture controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Mixture controls. 27.1147 Section 27.1147... STANDARDS: NORMAL CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Powerplant Controls and Accessories § 27.1147 Mixture controls. If there are mixture controls, each engine must have a separate control and the controls must be...

  17. 14 CFR 25.1147 - Mixture controls.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Mixture controls. 25.1147 Section 25.1147... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Powerplant Powerplant Controls and Accessories § 25.1147 Mixture controls. (a) If there are mixture controls, each engine must have a separate control. The controls must be...

  18. Measurement and Structural Model Class Separation in Mixture CFA: ML/EM versus MCMC

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Depaoli, Sarah

    2012-01-01

    Parameter recovery was assessed within mixture confirmatory factor analysis across multiple estimator conditions under different simulated levels of mixture class separation. Mixture class separation was defined in the measurement model (through factor loadings) and the structural model (through factor variances). Maximum likelihood (ML) via the…

  19. 49 CFR 173.193 - Bromoacetone, methyl bromide, chloropicrin and methyl bromide or methyl chloride mixtures, etc.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... methyl bromide or methyl chloride mixtures, etc. 173.193 Section 173.193 Transportation Other Regulations... bromide, chloropicrin and methyl bromide or methyl chloride mixtures, etc. (a) Bromoacetone must be...) Bromoacetone, methyl bromide, chloropicrin and methyl bromide mixtures, chloropicrin and methyl chloride...

  20. Dielectric gas mixtures containing sulfur hexafluoride

    DOEpatents

    Cooke, Chathan M.

    1979-01-01

    Electrically insulating gaseous media of unexpectedly high dielectric strength comprised of mixtures of two or more dielectric gases are disclosed wherein the dielectric strength of at least one gas in each mixture increases at less than a linear rate with increasing pressure and the mixture gases are present in such proportions that the sum of their electrical discharge voltages at their respective partial pressures exceeds the electrical discharge voltage of each individual gas at the same temperature and pressure as that of the mixture.

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

    Socha, Aaron; Singh, Seema; Simmons, Blake A.

    Methods and compositions are provided for synthesizing ionic liquids from lignin derived compounds comprising: contacting a starting material comprising lignin with a depolymerization agent to depolymerize the lignin and form a mixture of aldehyde containing compounds; contacting the mixture of aldehyde containing compounds with an amine under conditions suitable to convert the mixture of aldehyde containing compounds to a mixture of amine containing compounds; and contacting the mixture of amine containing compounds with an acid under conditions suitable to form an ammonium salt, thereby preparing the ionic liquid.

  2. Transparent ceramics and methods of preparation thereof

    DOEpatents

    Hollingsworth, Joel P.; Kuntz, Joshua D.; Seeley, Zachary M.; Soules, Thomas F.

    2012-12-25

    A method for forming a transparent ceramic preform in one embodiment includes forming a suspension of oxide particles in a solvent, wherein the suspension includes a dispersant, with the proviso that the suspension does not include a gelling agent; and uniformly curing the suspension for forming a preform of gelled suspension. A method according to another embodiment includes creating a mixture of inorganic particles, a solvent and a dispersant, the inorganic particles having a mean diameter of less than about 2000 nm; agitating the mixture; adding the mixture to a mold; and curing the mixture in the mold for gelling the mixture, with the proviso that no gelling agent is added to the mixture.

  3. On studies of 3He and isobutane mixture as neutron proportional counter gas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desai, S. S.; Shaikh, A. M.

    2006-02-01

    The performance of neutron detectors filled with 3He+iC 4H 10 (isobutane) gas mixtures has been studied and compared with the performance of detectors filled with 3He+Kr gas mixtures. The investigations are made to determine suitable concentration of isobutane in the gas mixture to design neutron proportional counters and linear position sensitive neutron detectors (1-D PSDs). Energy resolution, range of proportionality, plateau and gas gain characteristics are studied for various gas mixtures of 3He and isobutane. The values for various gas constants are determined by fitting the gas gains to Diethorn and Bateman's equations and their variation with isobutane concentration in the fill gas mixture is studied.

  4. Using chromatography – desorption method of manufacturing gas mixtures for analytical instruments calibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Platonov, I. A.; Kolesnichenko, I. N.; Lange, P. K.

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, the chromatography desorption method of obtaining gas mixtures of known compositions stable for a time sufficient to calibrate analytical instruments is considered. The comparative analysis results of the preparation accuracy of gas mixtures with volatile organic compounds using diffusion, polyabarbotage and chromatography desorption methods are presented. It is shown that the application of chromatography desorption devices allows one to obtain gas mixtures that are stable for 10...60 hours in a dynamic condition. These gas mixtures contain volatile aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons with a concentration error of no more than 7%. It is shown that it is expedient to use such gas mixtures for analytical instruments calibration (chromatographs, spectrophotometers, etc.)

  5. Method for increasing the rate of compressive strength gain in hardenable mixtures containing fly ash

    DOEpatents

    Liskowitz, J.W.; Wecharatana, M.; Jaturapitakkul, C.; Cerkanowicz, A.E.

    1997-10-28

    The present invention relates to concrete, mortar and other hardenable mixtures comprising cement and fly ash for use in construction. The invention provides a method for increasing the rate of strength gain of a hardenable mixture containing fly ash by exposing the fly ash to an aqueous slurry of calcium oxide (lime) prior to its incorporation into the hardenable mixture. The invention further relates to such hardenable mixtures, e.g., concrete and mortar, that contain fly ash pre-reacted with calcium oxide. In particular, the fly ash is added to a slurry of calcium oxide in water, prior to incorporating the fly ash in a hardenable mixture. The hardenable mixture may be concrete or mortar. In a specific embodiment, mortar containing fly ash treated by exposure to an aqueous lime slurry are prepared and tested for compressive strength at early time points. 2 figs.

  6. Method for increasing the rate of compressive strength gain in hardenable mixtures containing fly ash

    DOEpatents

    Liskowitz, John W.; Wecharatana, Methi; Jaturapitakkul, Chai; Cerkanowicz, deceased, Anthony E.

    1997-01-01

    The present invention relates to concrete, mortar and other hardenable mixtures comprising cement and fly ash for use in construction. The invention provides a method for increasing the rate of strength gain of a hardenable mixture containing fly ash by exposing the fly ash to an aqueous slurry of calcium oxide (lime) prior to its incorporation into the hardenable mixture. The invention further relates to such hardenable mixtures, e.g., concrete and mortar, that contain fly ash pre-reacted with calcium oxide. In particular, the fly ash is added to a slurry of calcium oxide in water, prior to incorporating the fly ash in a hardenable mixture. The hardenable mixture may be concrete or mortar. In a specific embodiment, mortar containing fly ash treated by exposure to an aqueous lime slurry are prepared and tested for compressive strength at early time points.

  7. Direct regeneration of recycled cathode material mixture from scrapped LiFePO4 batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xuelei; Zhang, Jin; Song, Dawei; Song, Jishun; Zhang, Lianqi

    2017-03-01

    A new green recycling process (named as direct regeneration process) of cathode material mixture from scrapped LiFePO4 batteries is designed for the first time. Through this direct regeneration process, high purity cathode material mixture (LiFePO4 + acetylene black), anode material mixture (graphite + acetylene black) and other by-products (shell, Al foil, Cu foil and electrolyte solvent, etc.) are recycled from scrapped LiFePO4 batteries with high yield. Subsequently, recycled cathode material mixture without acid leaching is further directly regenerated with Li2CO3. Direct regeneration procedure of recycled cathode material mixture from 600 to 800 °C is investigated in detail. Cathode material mixture regenerated at 650 °C display excellent physical, chemical and electrochemical performances, which meet the reuse requirement for middle-end Li-ion batteries. The results indicate the green direct regeneration process with low-cost and high added-value is feasible.

  8. Mixtures and their risk assessment in toxicology.

    PubMed

    Mumtaz, Moiz M; Hansen, Hugh; Pohl, Hana R

    2011-01-01

    For communities generally and for persons living in the vicinity of waste sites specifically, potential exposures to chemical mixtures are genuine concerns. Such concerns often arise from perceptions of a site's higher than anticipated toxicity due to synergistic interactions among chemicals. This chapter outlines some historical approaches to mixtures risk assessment. It also outlines ATSDR's current approach to toxicity risk assessment. The ATSDR's joint toxicity assessment guidance for chemical mixtures addresses interactions among components of chemical mixtures. The guidance recommends a series of steps that include simple calculations for a systematic analysis of data leading to conclusions regarding any hazards chemical mixtures might pose. These conclusions can, in turn, lead to recommendations such as targeted research to fill data gaps, development of new methods using current science, and health education to raise awareness of residents and health care providers. The chapter also provides examples of future trends in chemical mixtures assessment.

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

    None

    A system for removing components of a gaseous mixture is provided comprising: a reactor fluid containing vessel having conduits extending therefrom, aqueous fluid within the reactor, the fluid containing a ligand and a metal, and at least one reactive surface within the vessel coupled to a power source. A method for removing a component from a gaseous mixture is provided comprising exposing the gaseous mixture to a fluid containing a ligand and a reactive metal, the exposing chemically binding the component of the gaseous mixture to the ligand. A method of capturing a component of a gaseous mixture is providedmore » comprising: exposing the gaseous mixture to a fluid containing a ligand and a reactive metal, the exposing chemically binding the component of the gaseous mixture to the ligand, altering the oxidation state of the metal, the altering unbinding the component from the ligand, and capturing the component.« less

  10. 21 CFR 1310.13 - Exemption of chemical mixtures; application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. 1310... REPORTS OF LISTED CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.13 Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. (a... application of all or any part of the Act a chemical mixture consisting of two or more chemical components, at...

  11. 21 CFR 1310.13 - Exemption of chemical mixtures; application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. 1310... REPORTS OF LISTED CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.13 Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. (a... application of all or any part of the Act a chemical mixture consisting of two or more chemical components, at...

  12. ThermoData Engine Database - Pure Compounds and Binary Mixtures

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    SRD 103b NIST ThermoData Engine Version 6.0 - Pure CompoThermoData Engine Database - Pure Compounds and Binary Mixtures (PC database for purchase)   This database contains property data for more than 21,000 pure compounds, 37,500 binary mixtures, 10,000 ternary mixtures, and 6,000 chemical reactions.

  13. Improved wire chamber

    DOEpatents

    Atac, M.

    1987-05-12

    An improved gas mixture for use with proportional counter devices, such as Geiger-Mueller tubes and drift chambers. The improved gas mixture provides a stable drift velocity while eliminating wire aging caused by prior art gas mixtures. The new gas mixture is comprised of equal parts argon and ethane gas and having approximately 0.25% isopropyl alcohol vapor. 2 figs.

  14. 21 CFR 1310.13 - Exemption of chemical mixtures; application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. 1310... REPORTS OF LISTED CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.13 Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. (a... application of all or any part of the Act a chemical mixture consisting of two or more chemical components, at...

  15. 21 CFR 1310.13 - Exemption of chemical mixtures; application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. 1310... REPORTS OF LISTED CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.13 Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. (a... application of all or any part of the Act a chemical mixture consisting of two or more chemical components, at...

  16. 21 CFR 1310.13 - Exemption of chemical mixtures; application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. 1310... REPORTS OF LISTED CHEMICALS AND CERTAIN MACHINES § 1310.13 Exemption of chemical mixtures; application. (a... application of all or any part of the Act a chemical mixture consisting of two or more chemical components, at...

  17. Evaluate the contribution of the mixture components on the longevity and performance of FC-5.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-05-01

    The focus of the project was to evaluate how to improve the longevity of FDOTs FC-5 mixtures. In particular, what FC-5 mixture : components have the greatest impact on improving the cracking and durability of the FC-5 mixture. The data mining of F...

  18. Improving the Scientific Foundation for Mixtures Joint Toxicity and Risk Assessment: Contributions from the SOT Mixtures Project

    EPA Science Inventory

    This paper summarizes the activities of the SOT (Society of Toxicology) Mixtures Program and the SOT Task Force. As such it provides the history leading to the formation of the SOT Mixtures Project, including its early activity and results and the 2005 Contemporary Concepts in T...

  19. THE COMBINED CARCINOGENIC RISK FOR EXPOSURE TO MIXTURES OF DRINKING WATER DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS MAY BE LESS THAN ADDITIVE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Combined Carcinogenic Risk for Exposure to Mixtures of Drinking Water Disinfection By-Products May be Less Than Additive

    Risk assessment methods for chemical mixtures in drinking water are not well defined. Current default risk assessments for chemical mixtures assume...

  20. 9 CFR 319.703 - Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof... INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION DEFINITIONS AND STANDARDS OF IDENTITY OR COMPOSITION Fats, Oils, Shortenings § 319.703 Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof. “Rendered Animal Fat,” or any mixture of fats...

  1. 9 CFR 319.703 - Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof... INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION DEFINITIONS AND STANDARDS OF IDENTITY OR COMPOSITION Fats, Oils, Shortenings § 319.703 Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof. “Rendered Animal Fat,” or any mixture of fats...

  2. 9 CFR 319.703 - Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof... INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION DEFINITIONS AND STANDARDS OF IDENTITY OR COMPOSITION Fats, Oils, Shortenings § 319.703 Rendered animal fat or mixture thereof. “Rendered Animal Fat,” or any mixture of fats...

  3. A FLEXIBLE APPROACH FOR EVALUATING FIXED RATIO MIXTURES OF FULL AND PARTIAL AGONISTS FOR MIXTURES OF MANY CHEMICALS.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Detecting interaction in chemical mixtures can be complicated by differences in the shapes of the dose-response curves of the individual components (e.g. mixtures of full and partial agonists with differing response maxima). We present an analysis scheme where flexible single che...

  4. 75 FR 69662 - Workshop: Cumulative Mixtures Risk of Six Selected Phthalates in Support of Summary Information...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-15

    ...: Cumulative Mixtures Risk of Six Selected Phthalates in Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk... Workshop on the Cumulative Mixtures Risk of Six Selected Phthalates; Request for Public Comments. SUMMARY...) Review the recommendations for evaluation of the cumulative mixtures risk of phthalates as set forth in...

  5. Gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors

    DOEpatents

    Christophorou, Loucas G.; McCorkle, Dennis L.; Maxey, David V.; Carter, James G.

    1982-01-05

    Improved binary and ternary gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one molecular gas or mixture of two molecular gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a noble gas having a very small cross section at and below about 1.0 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electric field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

  6. Gas mixtures for gas-filled particle detectors

    DOEpatents

    Christophorou, Loucas G.; McCorkle, Dennis L.; Maxey, David V.; Carter, James G.

    1980-01-01

    Improved binary and tertiary gas mixtures for gas-filled particle detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one gas or mixture of two gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a gas (Ar) having a very small cross section at and below aout 0.5 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electron field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

  7. Improved gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors

    DOEpatents

    Christophorou, L.G.; McCorkle, D.L.; Maxey, D.V.; Carter, J.G.

    1980-03-28

    Improved binary and ternary gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one molecular gas or mixture of two molecular gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a noble gas having a very small cross section at and below about 1.0 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electric field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

  8. Improved gas mixtures for gas-filled particle detectors

    DOEpatents

    Christophorou, L.G.; McCorkle, D.L.; Maxey, D.V.; Carter, J.G.

    Improved binary and tertiary gas mixture for gas-filled particle detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one gas or mixture of two gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a gas (Ar) having a very small cross section at and below about 0.5 eV; whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electron field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

  9. Protective and therapeutic effects of an extract mixture of alder tree, labiate herb, milk thistle green bean-rice bran fermentation, and turnip against ethanol-induced toxicity in the rat

    PubMed Central

    Baek, Min-Won; Seok, Seung-Hyeok; Lee, Hui-Young; Kim, Dong Jae; Lee, Byoung-Hee; Ahn, Young-Tae; Lim, Kwang-Sei; Huh, Chul-Sung

    2008-01-01

    An herbal extract mixture and yogurt added to the herbal extract mixture were tested for their protective and therapeutic effects on ethanol-induced liver injury. The herbal extract mixture, yogurt and commercial drugs were used for treatment for two weeks prior to administering a single oral dose of ethanol (3 g/kg body weight). The herbal extract mixture and yogurt added to the herbal extract mixture were found to provide protection against ethanol-induced toxicity comparable to the commercial drug treatment, according to the serum and histopathological analysis. It was also shown that co-treatment with herbal extract mixture and yogurt against a triple oral dose of ethanol (2 g/kg body weight, over one week) provided protection against ethanol toxicity. After the initial set of experiments, the herbal extract mixture and yogurt treatments were extended for three more weeks. When compared to the positive control, further treatment with both the herbal extract and yogurt significantly reduced liver injury and resulted in a lower grade of lipid deposition. PMID:18296886

  10. Parameters of Solidifying Mixtures Transporting at Underground Ore Mining

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golik, Vladimir; Dmitrak, Yury

    2017-11-01

    The article is devoted to the problem of providing mining enterprises with solidifying filling mixtures at underground mining. The results of analytical studies using the data of foreign and domestic practice of solidifying mixtures delivery to stopes are given. On the basis of experimental practice the parameters of transportation of solidifying filling mixtures are given with an increase in their quality due to the effect of vibration in the pipeline. The mechanism of the delivery process and the procedure for determining the parameters of the forced oscillations of the pipeline, the characteristics of the transporting processes, the rigidity of the elastic elements of pipeline section supports and the magnitude of vibrator' driving force are detailed. It is determined that the quality of solidifying filling mixtures can be increased due to the rational use of technical resources during the transportation of mixtures, and as a result the mixtures are characterized by a more even distribution of the aggregate. The algorithm for calculating the parameters of the pipe vibro-transport of solidifying filling mixtures can be in demand in the design of mineral deposits underground mining technology.

  11. Anthracene + Pyrene Solid Mixtures: Eutectic and Azeotropic Character

    PubMed Central

    Rice, James W.; Fu, Jinxia; Suuberg, Eric M.

    2010-01-01

    To better characterize the thermodynamic behavior of a binary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixture, thermochemical and vapor pressure experiments were used to examine the phase behavior of the anthracene (1) + pyrene (2) system. A solid-liquid phase diagram was mapped for the mixture. A eutectic point occurs at 404 K at x1 = 0.22. A model based on eutectic formation can be used to predict the enthalpy of fusion associated with the mixture. For mixtures that contain x1 < 0.90, the enthalpy of fusion is near that of pure pyrene. This and X-ray diffraction results indicate that mixtures of anthracene and pyrene have pyrene-like crystal structures and energetics until the composition nears that of pure anthracene. Solid-vapor equilibrium studies show that mixtures of anthracene and pyrene form solid azeotropes at x1 of 0.03 and 0.14. Additionally, mixtures at x1 = 0.99 sublime at the vapor pressure of pure anthracene, suggesting that anthracene behavior is not significantly influenced by x2 = 0.01 in the crystal structure. PMID:21116474

  12. Excited-state proton transfer dynamics of firefly's chromophore D-luciferin in DMSO-water binary mixture.

    PubMed

    Kuchlyan, Jagannath; Banik, Debasis; Roy, Arpita; Kundu, Niloy; Sarkar, Nilmoni

    2014-12-04

    In this article we have investigated intermolecular excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) of firefly's chromophore D-luciferin in DMSO-water binary mixtures using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The unusual behavior of DMSO-water binary mixture as reported by Bagchi et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B 2010, 114, 12875-12882) was also found using D-luciferin as intermolecular ESPT probe. The binary mixture has given evidence of its anomalous nature at low mole fractions of DMSO (below XD = 0.4) in our systematic investigation. Upon excitation of neutral D-luciferin molecule, dual fluorescence emissions (protonated and deprotonated form) are observed in DMSO-water binary mixture. A clear isoemissive point in the time-resolved area normalized emission spectra further indicates two emissive species in the excited state of D-luciferin in DMSO-water binary mixture. DMSO-water binary mixtures of different compositions are fascinating hydrogen bonding systems. Therefore, we have observed unusual changes in the fluorescence emission intensity, fluorescence quantum yield, and fluorescence lifetime of more hydrogen bonding sensitive anionic form of D-luciferin in low DMSO content of DMSO-water binary mixture.

  13. A study of nonflammable ArCO 2-hydrocarbon gas mixtures for limited streamer tubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cartwright, S.; Schneekloth, U.; Alpat, B.; Artemi, C.; Battiston, R.; Bilei, G.; Italiani, M.; Pauluzzi, M.; Servoli, L.; Messner, R.; Wyss, J.; Zdarko, R.; Johnson, J.

    1989-04-01

    The gas mixtures generally used until now in limited streamer tube detectors (Ar+C 4H 10 or Ar+CO 2+C 5H 12) are very flammable when leaked into air. The safety issues are therefore very relevant for large-volume underground experiments. We have found a set of completely safe (i.e. nonflammable) ternary mixtures of the kind Ar + hydrocarbon + CO 2 containing less than ˜ 5% of Ar and less than ˜ 10% of hydrocarbon. We tested C 4H 10, C 5H 12 and C 6H 14 as quenching agents. The main characteristics of the various mixtures have been measured: singles (untriggered) counting rate versus high voltage and with different dead times, and average charge. The stability of these mixtures is good, and their spurious streamer activity is compared with the standard binary or ternary mixture. We studied in particular the combination Ar(2.5%) + C 4H 10(9.5%) + CO 2(88%). All the data suggest that this or a similar gas mixture can successfully replace standard flammable mixtures both in tracking devices and hadron calorimeters.

  14. Adsorption of hydrophobin/β-casein mixtures at the solid-liquid interface.

    PubMed

    Tucker, I M; Petkov, J T; Penfold, J; Thomas, R K; Cox, A R; Hedges, N

    2016-09-15

    The adsorption behaviour of mixtures of the proteins β-casein and hydrophobin at the hydrophilic solid-liquid surface have been studied by neutron reflectivity. The results of measurements from sequential adsorption and co-adsorption from solution are contrasted. The adsorption properties of protein mixtures are important for a wide range of applications. Because of competing factors the adsorption behaviour of protein mixtures at interfaces is often difficult to predict. This is particularly true for mixtures containing hydrophobin as hydrophobin possesses some unusual surface properties. At β-casein concentrations ⩾0.1wt% β-casein largely displaces a pre-adsorbed layer of hydrophobin at the interface, similar to that observed in hydrophobin-surfactant mixtures. In the composition and concentration range studied here for the co-adsorption of β-casein-hydrophobin mixtures the adsorption is dominated by the β-casein adsorption. The results provide an important insight into how the competitive adsorption in protein mixtures of hydrophobin and β-casein can impact upon the modification of solid surface properties and the potential for a wide range of colloid stabilisation applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. New approach in direct-simulation of gas mixtures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chung, Chan-Hong; De Witt, Kenneth J.; Jeng, Duen-Ren

    1991-01-01

    Results are reported for an investigation of a new direct-simulation Monte Carlo method by which energy transfer and chemical reactions are calculated. The new method, which reduces to the variable cross-section hard sphere model as a special case, allows different viscosity-temperature exponents for each species in a gas mixture when combined with a modified Larsen-Borgnakke phenomenological model. This removes the most serious limitation of the usefulness of the model for engineering simulations. The necessary kinetic theory for the application of the new method to mixtures of monatomic or polyatomic gases is presented, including gas mixtures involving chemical reactions. Calculations are made for the relaxation of a diatomic gas mixture, a plane shock wave in a gas mixture, and a chemically reacting gas flow along the stagnation streamline in front of a hypersonic vehicle. Calculated results show that the introduction of different molecular interactions for each species in a gas mixture produces significant differences in comparison with a common molecular interaction for all species in the mixture. This effect should not be neglected for accurate DSMC simulations in an engineering context.

  16. Maximum workplace concentration values and carcinogenicity classification for mixtures.

    PubMed Central

    Bartsch, R; Forderkunz, S; Reuter, U; Sterzl-Eckert, H; Greim, H

    1998-01-01

    In Germany, the Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area (MAK Commission) generally sets maximum workplace concentration values (i.e., a proposed occupational exposure level [OEL]) for single substances, not for mixtures. For mixtures containing substances with a genotoxic and carcinogenic potential, the commission considered it scientifically inappropriate to establish a safe threshold. This approach is currently under discussion. Carcinogenic mixtures are categorized according to either the carcinogenicity of the mixture or the classification of the carcinogenic substances included. In regulating exposure to mixtures, an approach similar to that used by the American Conference of Governmental Hygienists is proposed: For components with the same target organ and mode of action or interfering metabolism, synergistic effects must be expected and the respective OELs must be lowered. However, if there is proof that the components act independently, the OELs of the individual compounds are not considered to be modified. In the view of the commission, calculating OELs for solvent mixtures according to their liquid phase composition is not justified, and the setting of scientifically based OELs for complex mixtures is not possible. PMID:9860883

  17. Mixture and odorant processing in the olfactory systems of insects: a comparative perspective.

    PubMed

    Clifford, Marie R; Riffell, Jeffrey A

    2013-11-01

    Natural olfactory stimuli are often complex mixtures of volatiles, of which the identities and ratios of constituents are important for odor-mediated behaviors. Despite this importance, the mechanism by which the olfactory system processes this complex information remains an area of active study. In this review, we describe recent progress in how odorants and mixtures are processed in the brain of insects. We use a comparative approach toward contrasting olfactory coding and the behavioral efficacy of mixtures in different insect species, and organize these topics around four sections: (1) Examples of the behavioral efficacy of odor mixtures and the olfactory environment; (2) mixture processing in the periphery; (3) mixture coding in the antennal lobe; and (4) evolutionary implications and adaptations for olfactory processing. We also include pertinent background information about the processing of individual odorants and comparative differences in wiring and anatomy, as these topics have been richly investigated and inform the processing of mixtures in the insect olfactory system. Finally, we describe exciting studies that have begun to elucidate the role of the processing of complex olfactory information in evolution and speciation.

  18. Process for removing cadmium from scrap metal

    DOEpatents

    Kronberg, J.W.

    1995-04-11

    A process is described for the recovery of a metal, in particular, cadmium contained in scrap, in a stable form. The process comprises the steps of mixing the cadmium-containing scrap with an ammonium carbonate solution, preferably at least a stoichiometric amount of ammonium carbonate, and/or free ammonia, and an oxidizing agent to form a first mixture so that the cadmium will react with the ammonium carbonate to form a water-soluble ammine complex; evaporating the first mixture so that ammine complex dissociates from the first mixture leaving carbonate ions to react with the cadmium and form a second mixture that includes cadmium carbonate; optionally adding water to the second mixture to form a third mixture; adjusting the pH of the third mixture to the acid range whereby the cadmium carbonate will dissolve; and adding at least a stoichiometric amount of sulfide, preferably in the form of hydrogen sulfide or an aqueous ammonium sulfide solution, to the third mixture to precipitate cadmium sulfide. This mixture of sulfide is then preferably digested by heating to facilitate precipitation of large particles of cadmium sulfide. The scrap may be divided by shredding or breaking up to expose additional surface area. Finally, the precipitated cadmium sulfide can be mixed with glass formers and vitrified for permanent disposal. 2 figures.

  19. Process for removing cadmium from scrap metal

    DOEpatents

    Kronberg, J.W.

    1994-01-01

    A process for the recovery of a metal, in particular, cadmium contained in scrap, in a stable form. The process comprises the steps of mixing the cadmium-containing scrap with an ammonium carbonate solution, preferably at least a stoichiometric amount of ammonium carbonate, and/or free ammonia, and an oxidizing agent to form a first mixture so that the cadmium will react with the ammonium carbonate to form a water-soluble ammine complex; evaporating the first mixture so that ammine complex dissociates from the first mixture leaving carbonate ions to react with the cadmium and form a second mixture that includes cadmium carbonate; optionally adding water to the second mixture to form a third mixture; adjusting the pH of the third mixture to the acid range whereby the cadmium carbonate will dissolve; and adding at least a stoichiometric amount of sulfide, preferably in the form of hydrogen sulfide or an aqueous ammonium sulfide solution, to the third mixture to precipitate cadmium sulfide. This mixture of sulfide is then preferably digested by heating to facilitate precipitation of large particles of cadmium sulfide. The scrap may be divided by shredding or breaking up to exposure additional surface area. Finally, the precipitated cadmium sulfide can be mixed with glass formers and vitrified for permanent disposal.

  20. Identifiability in N-mixture models: a large-scale screening test with bird data.

    PubMed

    Kéry, Marc

    2018-02-01

    Binomial N-mixture models have proven very useful in ecology, conservation, and monitoring: they allow estimation and modeling of abundance separately from detection probability using simple counts. Recently, doubts about parameter identifiability have been voiced. I conducted a large-scale screening test with 137 bird data sets from 2,037 sites. I found virtually no identifiability problems for Poisson and zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) binomial N-mixture models, but negative-binomial (NB) models had problems in 25% of all data sets. The corresponding multinomial N-mixture models had no problems. Parameter estimates under Poisson and ZIP binomial and multinomial N-mixture models were extremely similar. Identifiability problems became a little more frequent with smaller sample sizes (267 and 50 sites), but were unaffected by whether the models did or did not include covariates. Hence, binomial N-mixture model parameters with Poisson and ZIP mixtures typically appeared identifiable. In contrast, NB mixtures were often unidentifiable, which is worrying since these were often selected by Akaike's information criterion. Identifiability of binomial N-mixture models should always be checked. If problems are found, simpler models, integrated models that combine different observation models or the use of external information via informative priors or penalized likelihoods, may help. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

  1. Cumulative effects of anti-androgenic chemical mixtures and ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Kembra L. Howdeshell and L. Earl Gray, Jr.Toxicological studies of defined chemical mixtures assist human health risk assessment by characterizing the joint action of chemicals. This presentation will review the effects of anti-androgenic chemical mixtures on reproductive tract development in rats with a special focus on the reproductive toxicant phthalates. Observed mixture data are compared to mathematical mixture model predictions to determine how the individual chemicals in a mixture interact (e.g., response addition – probabilities of response for each individual chemical are added; dose-addition – the doses of each individual chemical at a given mixture dose are combined together based on the relative potency of the individual chemicals). Phthalate mixtures are observed to act in a dose-additive manner based on the relative potency of the individual phthalates to suppress fetal testosterone production. Similar dose-additive effects have been reported for mixtures of phthalates with anti-androgenic pesticides of differing mechanisms. Data from these phthalate experiments in rats can be used in conjunction with human biomonitoring data to determine individual hazard ratios. Furthermore, data from the toxicological studies can inform the analysis of human biomonitoring data on the association of detected chemicals and their metabolites with measured health outcomes. Data from phthalate experiments in rats can be used in conjunction with human biomonit

  2. Process for removing cadmium from scrap metal

    DOEpatents

    Kronberg, James W.

    1995-01-01

    A process for the recovery of a metal, in particular, cadmium contained in scrap, in a stable form. The process comprises the steps of mixing the cadmium-containing scrap with an ammonium carbonate solution, preferably at least a stoichiometric amount of ammonium carbonate, and/or free ammonia, and an oxidizing agent to form a first mixture so that the cadmium will react with the ammonium carbonate to form a water-soluble ammine complex; evaporating the first mixture so that ammine complex dissociates from the first mixture leaving carbonate ions to react with the cadmium and form a second mixture that includes cadmium carbonate; optionally adding water to the second mixture to form a third mixture; adjusting the pH of the third mixture to the acid range whereby the cadmium carbonate will dissolve; and adding at least a stoichiometric amount of sulfide, preferably in the form of hydrogen sulfide or an aqueous ammonium sulfide solution, to the third mixture to precipitate cadmium sulfide. This mixture of sulfide is then preferably digested by heating to facilitate precipitation of large particles of cadmium sulfide. The scrap may be divided by shredding or breaking up to expose additional surface area. Finally, the precipitated cadmium sulfide can be mixed with glass formers and vitrified for permanent disposal.

  3. Method of dehydrating natural gas

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

    Wells, R. E.

    1985-01-01

    A method for dehydration of natural gas is provided wherein well head gas is supplied to a three-phase inlet separator, the vapor mixture of natural gas and water removed from that inlet separator means is supplied to a turboexpander, and the resulting refrigerated mixture of natural gas and condensed water vapor is supplied to a multi-phase outlet separator. The turboexpander may have integral means for subsequent compression of the refrigerated mixture and may be coupled through reduction gears to a means for generating electricity. A portion of the refrigerated mixture may be connected to a heat exchanger for cooling themore » well head natural gas prior to entry into the inlet separator. The flow of refrigerated mixture to this heat exchanger may be controlled by a temperature sensitive valve downstream of the heat exchanger. Methanol may be injected into the vapor mixture prior to entry into the turboexpander. The flow of methanol into the vapor mixture may be controlled by a valve sensitive to the flow rate of the vapor mixture and the water vapor content of the refrigerated mixture. Natural gas vapor from the outlet separator may be recirculated through the turboexpander if the output water vapor content of the natural gas vapor stream is too high.« less

  4. Performance characterizations of asphalt binders and mixtures incorporating silane additive ZycoTherm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasan, Mohd Rosli Mohd; Hamzah, Meor Othman; Yee, Teh Sek

    2017-10-01

    Experimental works were conducted to evaluate the properties of asphalt binders and mixtures produced using a relatively new silane additive, named ZycoTherm. In this study, 0.1wt% ZycoTherm was blended with asphalt binder to enable production of asphalt mixture at lower than normal temperatures, as well as improve mix workability and compactability. Asphalt mixture performances towards pavement distresses in tropical climate region were also investigated. The properties of control asphalt binders (60/70 and 80/10 penetration grade) and asphalt binders incorporating 0.1% ZycoTherm were reported based on the penetration, softening point, rotational viscosity, complex modulus and phase angle. Subsequently, to compare the performance of asphalt mixture incorporating ZycoTherm with the control asphalt mixture, cylindrical samples were prepared at recommended temperatures and air voids depending on the binder types and test requirements. The samples were tested for indirect tensile strength (ITS), resilient modulus, dynamic creep, Hamburg wheel tracking and moisture induced damage. From compaction data using the Servopak gyratory compactor, specimen prepared using ZycoTherm exhibit higher workability and compactability compared to the conventional mixture. From the mixture performance test results, mixtures prepared with ZycoTherm showed comparable if not better performance than the control sample in terms of the resistance to moisture damage, permanent deformation and cracking.

  5. Taste Mixture Interactions: Suppression, Additivity, and the Predominance of Sweetness

    PubMed Central

    Green, Barry G.; Lim, Juyun; Osterhoff, Floor; Blacher, Karen; Nachtigal, Danielle

    2010-01-01

    Most of what is known about taste interactions has come from studies of binary mixtures. The primary goal of this study was to determine whether asymmetries in suppression between stimuli in binary mixtures predict the perception of tastes in more complex mixtures (e.g., ternary, quaternary mixtures). Also of interest was the longstanding question of whether overall taste intensity derives from the sum of the tastes perceived within a mixture (perceptual additivity) or from the sum of the perceived intensities of the individual stimuli (stimulus additivity). Using the general Labeled Magnitude Scale together with a sip-and-spit procedure, we asked subjects to rate overall taste intensity and the sweetness, sourness, saltiness and bitterness of approximately equi- intense sucrose, NaCl, citric acid and QSO4 stimuli presented alone and in all possible binary, ternary and quaternary mixtures. The results showed a consistent pattern of mixture suppression in which sucrose sweetness tended to be both the least suppressed quality and the strongest suppressor of other tastes. The overall intensity of mixtures was found to be predicted best by perceptual additivity. A second experiment that was designed to rule out potentially confounding effects of the order of taste ratings and the temperature of taste solutions replicated the main findings of the first experiment. Overall, the results imply that mixture suppression favors perception of sweet carbohydrates in foods at the expense of other potentially harmful ingredients, such as high levels of sodium (saltiness) and potential poisons or spoilage (bitterness, sourness). PMID:20800076

  6. A role of low dose chemical mixtures in adipose tissue in carcinogenesis.

    PubMed

    Lee, Duk-Hee; Jacobs, David R; Park, Ho Yong; Carpenter, David O

    2017-11-01

    The Halifax project recently hypothesized a composite carcinogenic potential of the mixture of low dose chemicals which are commonly encountered environmentally, yet which are not classified as human carcinogens. A long neglected but important fact is that adipose tissue is an important exposure source for chemical mixtures. In fact, findings from human studies based on several persistent organic pollutants in general populations with only background exposure should be interpreted from the viewpoint of chemical mixtures because serum concentrations of these chemicals can be seen as surrogates for chemical mixtures in adipose tissue. Furthermore, in conditions such as obesity with dysfunctional adipocytes or weight loss in which lipolysis is increased, the amount of the chemical mixture released from adipose tissue to circulation is increased. Thus, both obesity and weight loss can enhance the chance of chemical mixtures reaching critical organs, however paradoxical this idea may be when fat mass is the only factor considered. The complicated, interrelated dynamics of adipocytes and chemical mixtures can explain puzzling findings related to body weight among cancer patients, including the obesity paradox. The contamination of fat in human diet with chemical mixtures, occurring for reasons similar to contamination of human adipose tissue, may be a missing factor which affects the association between dietary fat intake and cancer. The presence of chemical mixtures in adipose tissue should be considered in future cancer research, including clinical trials on weight management among cancer survivors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Investigation of thermal and optical properties of some quartet mixed hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Okumuş, Mustafa

    2017-11-01

    In this study, the thermal and optical properties of quartet mixtures formed at different weight ratios (1:1:1:1 and 1.5:1:1:1) from liquid crystals 4-octyloxy-4‧-cyanobiphenyl (8OCB), 4-hexylbenzoic acid, 4-(octyloxy)benzoic acid and 4-(decyloxy)benzoic acid were investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and polarized optic microscopy (POM). The phase transition temperatures of the novel quartet mixtures measured in the DSC experiments are in line with the POM experiments. The experimental results clearly show that the novel liquid crystal mixtures have displayed pure liquid crystalline properties. According to the phase diagram drawn from DSC results, the nematic range of the novel mixture at the eutectic point is larger than the nematic ranges of the components. The mesomorphic structures of produced homolog complex mixtures are found to be smectic and nematic phases. But the smectic phase cannot be observed in the novel complex 1.5:1:1:1 mixture during continuous cooling. The nematic range of the novel complex 1.5:1:1:1 mixture is bigger than the nematic range of the novel complex 1:1:1:1 mixture with increasing 8OCB. Also, the nematic-to-isotropic phase transition temperature decreases with increasing the weight ratio of 8OCB in the complex quartet mixture. Another interesting result is that the produced mixtures are to be like a medical cream at room temperatures. Furthermore, order parameter and thermal stability factor of the transitions are also calculated.

  8. Toxicity of inorganic contaminants, individually and in environmental mixtures, to three endangered fishes (Colorado squawfish, bonytail, and razorback sucker)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Buhl, Kevin J.; Hamilton, S.J.

    1996-01-01

    Two life stages of three federally-listed endangered fishes, Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius), bonytail (Gila elegans), and razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) were exposed to copper, selenate, selenite, and zinc individually, and to mixtures of nine inorganics in a reconstituted water that simulated the water quality of the middle Green River, Utah. The mixtures simulated environmental ratios of arsenate, boron, copper, molybdenum, selenate, selenite, uranium, vanadium, and zinc in two tributaries, Ashley Creek and Stewart Lake outlet, of the middle Green River. The rank order of toxicity of the individual inorganics, from most to least toxic, was: copper > zinc > selenite > selenate. Colorado squawfish larvae were more sensitive to all four inorganics and the two mixtures than the juveniles, whereas there was no consistent response between the two life stages for the other two species. There was no consistent difference in sensitivity to the inorganics among the three endangered fishes. Both mixtures exhibited either additive or greater than additive toxicity to these fishes. The primary toxic components in the mixtures, based on toxic units, were copper and zinc. Acute toxicity values were compared to measured environmental concentrations in the two tributaries to derive margins of uncertainty. Margins of uncertainty were low for both mixtures (9–22 for the Stewart Lake outlet mixture, and 12–32 for the Ashley Creek mixture), indicating that mixtures of inorganics derived from irrigation activities may pose a hazard to endangered fishes in the Green River.

  9. Neutronics Benchmarks for the Utilization of Mixed-Oxide Fuel: Joint U.S./ Russian Progress Report for Fiscal Year 1997, Volume 4, Part 8 - Neutron Poison Plates in Assemblies Containing Homogeneous Mixtures of Polystyrene-Moderated Plutonium and Uranium Oxides

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

    Yavuz, M.

    1999-05-01

    In the 1970s at the Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), a series of critical experiments using a remotely operated Split-Table Machine was performed with homogeneous mixtures of (Pu-U)O{sub 2}-polystyrene fuels in the form of square compacts having different heights. The experiments determined the critical geometric configurations of MOX fuel assemblies with and without neutron poison plates. With respect to PuO{sub 2} content and moderation [H/(Pu+U)atomic] ratio (MR), two different homogeneous (Pu-U) O{sub 2}-polystyrene mixtures were considered: Mixture (1) 14.62 wt% PuO{sub 2} with 30.6 MR, and Mixture (2) 30.3 wt% PuO{sub 2} with 2.8 MR. In all mixtures, the uraniummore » was depleted to about O.151 wt% U{sup 235}. Assemblies contained copper, copper-cadmium or aluminum neutron poison plates having thicknesses up to {approximately}2.5 cm. This evaluation contains 22 experiments for Mixture 1, and 10 for Mixture 2 compacts. For Mixture 1, there are 10 configurations with copper plates, 6 with aluminum, and 5 with copper-cadmium. One experiment contained no poison plate. For Mixture 2 compacts, there are 3 configurations with copper, 3 with aluminum, and 3 with copper-cadmium poison plates. One experiment contained no poison plate.« less

  10. Predicting herbicide mixture effects on multiple algal species using mixture toxicity models.

    PubMed

    Nagai, Takashi

    2017-10-01

    The validity of the application of mixture toxicity models, concentration addition and independent action, to a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) for calculation of a multisubstance potentially affected fraction was examined in laboratory experiments. Toxicity assays of herbicide mixtures using 5 species of periphytic algae were conducted. Two mixture experiments were designed: a mixture of 5 herbicides with similar modes of action and a mixture of 5 herbicides with dissimilar modes of action, corresponding to the assumptions of the concentration addition and independent action models, respectively. Experimentally obtained mixture effects on 5 algal species were converted to the fraction of affected (>50% effect on growth rate) species. The predictive ability of the concentration addition and independent action models with direct application to SSD depended on the mode of action of chemicals. That is, prediction was better for the concentration addition model than the independent action model for the mixture of herbicides with similar modes of action. In contrast, prediction was better for the independent action model than the concentration addition model for the mixture of herbicides with dissimilar modes of action. Thus, the concentration addition and independent action models could be applied to SSD in the same manner as for a single-species effect. The present study to validate the application of the concentration addition and independent action models to SSD supports the usefulness of the multisubstance potentially affected fraction as the index of ecological risk. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2624-2630. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

  11. Comparison studies on the percolation thresholds of binary mixture tablets containing excipients of plastic/brittle and plastic/plastic deformation properties.

    PubMed

    Amin, Mohd C I; Fell, John T

    2004-01-01

    Percolation theory has been used with great interest in understanding the design and characterization of dosage forms. In this study, work has been carried out to investigate the behavior of binary mixture tablets containing excipients of similar and different deformation properties. The binary mixture tablets were prepared by direct compression using lactose, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Eudragit RS 100, and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). The application of percolation theory on the relationships between compactibility, Pmax, or compression susceptibility (compressibility), gamma, and mixture compositions reveals the presence of percolation thresholds even for mixtures of similar deformation properties. The results showed that all mixture compositions exhibited at least one discreet change in the slope, which was referred to as the percolation threshold. The PVC/Eudragit RS100 mixture compositions showed significant percolation threshold at 80% (w/w) PVC loading. Two percolation thresholds were observed from a series of binary mixtures containing similar plastic deformation materials (PVC/MCC). The percolation thresholds were determined at 20% (w/w) and 80% (w/w) PVC loading. These are areas where one of the components percolates throughout the system and the properties of the tablets are expected to experience a sudden change. Experimental results, however, showed that total disruption of the tablet physical properties at the specified percolation thresholds can be observed for PVC/lactose mixtures at 20-30% (w/w) loading while only minor changes in the tablets' strength for PVC/MCC or PVC/Eudragit RS 100 mixtures were observed.

  12. Single- and mixture toxicity of three organic UV-filters, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, and avobenzone on Daphnia magna.

    PubMed

    Park, Chang-Beom; Jang, Jiyi; Kim, Sanghun; Kim, Young Jun

    2017-03-01

    In freshwater environments, aquatic organisms are generally exposed to mixtures of various chemical substances. In this study, we tested the toxicity of three organic UV-filters (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, and avobenzone) to Daphnia magna in order to evaluate the combined toxicity of these substances when in they occur in a mixture. The values of effective concentrations (ECx) for each UV-filter were calculated by concentration-response curves; concentration-combinations of three different UV-filters in a mixture were determined by the fraction of components based on EC 25 values predicted by concentration addition (CA) model. The interaction between the UV-filters were also assessed by model deviation ratio (MDR) using observed and predicted toxicity values obtained from mixture-exposure tests and CA model. The results from this study indicated that observed ECx mix (e.g., EC 10mix , EC 25mix , or EC 50mix ) values obtained from mixture-exposure tests were higher than predicted ECx mix (e.g., EC 10mix , EC 25mix , or EC 50mix ) values calculated by CA model. MDR values were also less than a factor of 1.0 in a mixtures of three different UV-filters. Based on these results, we suggest for the first time a reduction of toxic effects in the mixtures of three UV-filters, caused by antagonistic action of the components. Our findings from this study will provide important information for hazard or risk assessment of organic UV-filters, when they existed together in the aquatic environment. To better understand the mixture toxicity and the interaction of components in a mixture, further studies for various combinations of mixture components are also required. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Differential gene expression pattern in human mammary epithelial cells induced by realistic organochlorine mixtures described in healthy women and in women diagnosed with breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Rivero, Javier; Henríquez-Hernández, Luis Alberto; Luzardo, Octavio P; Pestano, José; Zumbado, Manuel; Boada, Luis D; Valerón, Pilar F

    2016-03-30

    Organochlorine pesticides (OCs) have been associated with breast cancer development and progression, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not well known. In this work, we evaluated the effects exerted on normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) by the OC mixtures most frequently detected in healthy women (H-mixture) and in women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC-mixture), as identified in a previous case-control study developed in Spain. Cytotoxicity and gene expression profile of human kinases (n=68) and non-kinases (n=26) were tested at concentrations similar to those described in the serum of those cases and controls. Although both mixtures caused a down-regulation of genes involved in the ATP binding process, our results clearly indicate that both mixtures may exert a very different effect on the gene expression profile of HMEC. Thus, while BC-mixture up-regulated the expression of oncogenes associated to breast cancer (GFRA1 and BHLHB8), the H-mixture down-regulated the expression of tumor suppressor genes (EPHA4 and EPHB2). Our results indicate that the composition of the OC mixture could play a role in the initiation processes of breast cancer. In addition, the present results suggest that subtle changes in the composition and levels of pollutants involved in environmentally relevant mixtures might induce very different biological effects, which explain, at least partially, why some mixtures seem to be more carcinogenic than others. Nonetheless, our findings confirm that environmentally relevant pollutants may modulate the expression of genes closely related to carcinogenic processes in the breast, reinforcing the role exerted by environment in the regulation of genes involved in breast carcinogenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Some critical issues and concerns related to research advances on toxicology of chemical mixtures.

    PubMed Central

    Yang, R S

    1998-01-01

    This paper addresses some of the issues and concerns on research advances on the toxicology of chemical mixtures. Emphases will be selectively given to the following questions and answers: Can mechanistic studies be conducted on chemical mixtures? The fact that any studies, including mechanistic studies, of single chemicals are really the study of the parent chemical plus its metabolites underscores the relevance of mechanistic studies on chemical mixtures. Can predictions be made on the health effects of chemical mixtures? Some successes are already evident in the literature on simpler chemical mixtures. For more complex mixtures, it is possible and we propose an approach here. What can we learn from other disciplines (the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration)? Two aspects, the knowledge and methodologies available in clinical pharmacology and the latest advances in structure-oriented lumping in chemical engineering, are discussed in detail. Unrepeatable results: The possibility of magnification of biologic variability because of low-level exposures to chemical mixtures is suggested with special reference to some known examples, including the controversial study on synergistic interactions of endocrine disruptors. Is the driving force for scientific investigations on chemical mixtures the legislative and regulatory atmosphere? Two laws with chemical mixtures specifically in the language are quoted and discussed. Their implications regarding research funding and activities are described. What are the pitfalls of applying for research funding on investigating chemical mixtures? The dilemma at least one investigator faces in pursuing research funding is elaborated. The questions and issues listed above are not all inclusive, but they represent some of the aspects that need to be brought into the open in the scientific community for discussion and/or debate. Thus, the primary objective of this paper is to provide some momentum for the beginning of a fruitful and stimulating discussion. PMID:9703493

  15. Impact of chemical proportions on the acute neurotoxicity of a mixture of seven carbamates in preweanling and adult rats.

    PubMed

    Moser, Virginia C; Padilla, Stephanie; Simmons, Jane Ellen; Haber, Lynne T; Hertzberg, Richard C

    2012-09-01

    Statistical design and environmental relevance are important aspects of studies of chemical mixtures, such as pesticides. We used a dose-additivity model to test experimentally the default assumptions of dose additivity for two mixtures of seven N-methylcarbamates (carbaryl, carbofuran, formetanate, methomyl, methiocarb, oxamyl, and propoxur). The best-fitting models were selected for the single-chemical dose-response data and used to develop a combined prediction model, which was then compared with the experimental mixture data. We evaluated behavioral (motor activity) and cholinesterase (ChE)-inhibitory (brain, red blood cells) outcomes at the time of peak acute effects following oral gavage in adult and preweanling (17 days old) Long-Evans male rats. The mixtures varied only in their mixing ratios. In the relative potency mixture, proportions of each carbamate were set at equitoxic component doses. A California environmental mixture was based on the 2005 sales of each carbamate in California. In adult rats, the relative potency mixture showed dose additivity for red blood cell ChE and motor activity, and brain ChE inhibition showed a modest greater-than additive (synergistic) response, but only at a middle dose. In rat pups, the relative potency mixture was either dose-additive (brain ChE inhibition, motor activity) or slightly less-than additive (red blood cell ChE inhibition). On the other hand, at both ages, the environmental mixture showed greater-than additive responses on all three endpoints, with significant deviations from predicted at most to all doses tested. Thus, we observed different interactive properties for different mixing ratios of these chemicals. These approaches for studying pesticide mixtures can improve evaluations of potential toxicity under varying experimental conditions that may mimic human exposures.

  16. Comparison of Saccharina japonica-Undaria pinnatifida Mixture and Minoxidil on Hair Growth Promoting Effect in Mice.

    PubMed

    Park, Ki Soo; Park, Dae Hwan

    2016-11-01

    Algae have traditionally been used for promotion of hair growth. Use of hair regrowth drugs, such as minoxidil, is limited due to side effects. The aim of this study was to examine a mixture of Saccharina japonica and Undaria pinnatifida (L-U mixture) on hair growth and to compare the promoting effect of hair growth by a 3% minoxidil and a L-U mixture. To evaluate the hair growth-promoting activity, saline, 50% ethanol, 3% minoxidil, and the L-U mixture were applied 2 times a day for a total of 14 days on the dorsal skin of C57BL/6 mice after depilation. Analysis was determined by using a high-resolution hair analysis system, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and H&E staining. On day 14, the hair growth effect of the L-U mixture was the same as that of the 3% minoxidil treatment. The L-U mixture significantly (P<0.05) stimulated hair growth-promoting genes, as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor -1. Increase of VEGF was observed in the L-U mixture group compared with minoxidil and the negative control. In contrast, the L-U mixture suppressed the expression of transforming growth factor-β1, which is the hair loss-related gene. In histological examination in the L-U mixture and minoxidil groups, the induction of an anagen stage of hair follicles was faster than that of control groups. This study provides evidence that the L-U mixture can promote hair growth in mice, similar to the effect from minoxidil, and suggests that there is potential application for hair loss treatments.

  17. Relationship between the cohesion of guest particles on the flow behaviour of interactive mixtures.

    PubMed

    Mangal, Sharad; Gengenbach, Thomas; Millington-Smith, Doug; Armstrong, Brian; Morton, David A V; Larson, Ian

    2016-05-01

    In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects cohesion of small surface-engineered guest binder particles on the flow behaviour of interactive mixtures. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) - a model pharmaceutical binder - was spray-dried with varying l-leucine feed concentrations to create small surface-engineered binder particles with varying cohesion. These spray-dried formulations were characterised by their particle size distribution, morphology and cohesion. Interactive mixtures were produced by blending these spray-dried formulations with paracetamol. The resultant blends were visualised under scanning electron microscope to confirm formation of interactive mixtures. Surface coverage of paracetamol by guest particles as well as the flow behaviour of these mixtures were examined. The flow performance of interactive mixtures was evaluated using measurements of conditioned bulk density, basic flowability energy, aeration energy and compressibility. With higher feed l-leucine concentrations, the surface roughness of small binder particles increased, while their cohesion decreased. Visual inspection of the SEM images of the blends indicated that the guest particles adhered to the surface of paracetamol resulting in effective formation of interactive mixtures. These images also showed that the low-cohesion guest particles were better de-agglomerated that consequently formed a more homogeneous interactive mixture with paracetamol compared with high-cohesion formulations. The flow performance of interactive mixtures changed as a function of the cohesion of the guest particles. Interactive mixtures with low-cohesion guest binder particles showed notably improved bulk flow performance compared with those containing high-cohesion guest binder particles. Thus, our study suggests that the cohesion of guest particles dictates the flow performance of interactive mixtures. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. The underlying toxicological mechanism of chemical mixtures: A case study on mixture toxicity of cyanogenic toxicants and aldehydes to Photobacterium phosphoreum

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

    Tian, Dayong; Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang 455000; Lin, Zhifen, E-mail: lzhifen@tongji.edu.cn

    Intracellular chemical reaction of chemical mixtures is one of the main reasons that cause synergistic or antagonistic effects. However, it still remains unclear what the influencing factors on the intracellular chemical reaction are, and how they influence on the toxicological mechanism of chemical mixtures. To reveal this underlying toxicological mechanism of chemical mixtures, a case study on mixture toxicity of cyanogenic toxicants and aldehydes to Photobacterium phosphoreum was employed, and both their joint effects and mixture toxicity were observed. Then series of two-step linear regressions were performed to describe the relationships between joint effects, the expected additive toxicities and descriptorsmore » of individual chemicals (including concentrations, binding affinity to receptors, octanol/water partition coefficients). Based on the quantitative relationships, the underlying joint toxicological mechanisms were revealed. The result shows that, for mixtures with their joint effects resulting from intracellular chemical reaction, their underlying toxicological mechanism depends on not only their interaction with target proteins, but also their transmembrane actions and their concentrations. In addition, two generic points of toxicological mechanism were proposed including the influencing factors on intracellular chemical reaction and the difference of the toxicological mechanism between single reactive chemicals and their mixtures. This study provided an insight into the understanding of the underlying toxicological mechanism for chemical mixtures with intracellular chemical reaction. - Highlights: • Joint effects of nitriles and aldehydes at non-equitoxic ratios were determined. • A novel descriptor, ligand–receptor interaction energy (E{sub binding}), was employed. • Quantitative relationships for mixtures were developed based on a novel descriptor. • The underlying toxic mechanism was revealed based on quantitative relationships. • Two generic points of toxicological mechanism were elucidated.« less

  19. Fingerprinting selection for agroenvironmental catchment studies: EDXRF analysis for solving complex artificial mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torres Astorga, Romina; Velasco, Hugo; Dercon, Gerd; Mabit, Lionel

    2017-04-01

    Soil erosion and associated sediment transportation and deposition processes are key environmental problems in Central Argentinian watersheds. Several land use practices - such as intensive grazing and crop cultivation - are considered likely to increase significantly land degradation and soil/sediment erosion processes. Characterized by highly erodible soils, the sub catchment Estancia Grande (12.3 km2) located 23 km north east of San Luis has been investigated by using sediment source fingerprinting techniques to identify critical hot spots of land degradation. The authors created 4 artificial mixtures using known quantities of the most representative sediment sources of the studied catchment. The first mixture was made using four rotation crop soil sources. The second and the third mixture were created using different proportions of 4 different soil sources including soils from a feedlot, a rotation crop, a walnut forest and a grazing soil. The last tested mixture contained the same sources as the third mixture but with the addition of a fifth soil source (i.e. a native bank soil). The Energy Dispersive X Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) analytical technique has been used to reconstruct the source sediment proportion of the original mixtures. Besides using a traditional method of fingerprint selection such as Kruskal-Wallis H-test and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA), the authors used the actual source proportions in the mixtures and selected from the subset of tracers that passed the statistical tests specific elemental tracers that were in agreement with the expected mixture contents. The selection process ended with testing in a mixing model all possible combinations of the reduced number of tracers obtained. Alkaline earth metals especially Strontium (Sr) and Barium (Ba) were identified as the most effective fingerprints and provided a reduced Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of approximately 2% when reconstructing the 4 artificial mixtures. This study demonstrates that the EDXRF fingerprinting approach performed very well in reconstructing our original mixtures especially in identifying and quantifying the contribution of the 4 rotation crop soil sources in the first mixture.

  20. Additive and synergistic antiandrogenic activities of mixtures of azol fungicides and vinclozolin

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

    Christen, Verena; Crettaz, Pierre; Fent, Karl, E-mail: karl.fent@fhnw.ch

    Objective: Many pesticides including pyrethroids and azole fungicides are suspected to have an endocrine disrupting property. At present, the joint activity of compound mixtures is only marginally known. Here we tested the hypothesis that the antiandrogenic activity of mixtures of azole fungicides can be predicted by the concentration addition (CA) model. Methods: The antiandrogenic activity was assessed in MDA-kb2 cells. Following assessing single compounds activities mixtures of azole fungicides and vinclozolin were investigated. Interactions were analyzed by direct comparison between experimental and estimated dose–response curves assuming CA, followed by an analysis by the isobole method and the toxic unit approach.more » Results: The antiandrogenic activity of pyrethroids deltamethrin, cypermethrin, fenvalerate and permethrin was weak, while the azole fungicides tebuconazole, propiconazole, epoxiconazole, econazole and vinclozolin exhibited strong antiandrogenic activity. Ten binary and one ternary mixture combinations of five antiandrogenic fungicides were assessed at equi-effective concentrations of EC{sub 25} and EC{sub 50}. Isoboles indicated that about 50% of the binary mixtures were additive and 50% synergistic. Synergism was even more frequently indicated by the toxic unit approach. Conclusion: Our data lead to the conclusion that interactions in mixtures follow the CA model. However, a surprisingly high percentage of synergistic interactions occurred. Therefore, the mixture activity of antiandrogenic azole fungicides is at least additive. Practice: Mixtures should also be considered for additive antiandrogenic activity in hazard and risk assessment. Implications: Our evaluation provides an appropriate “proof of concept”, but whether it equally translates to in vivo effects should further be investigated. - Highlights: • Humans are exposed to pesticide mixtures such as pyrethroids and azole fungicides. • We assessed the antiandrogenicity of pyrethroids and azole fungizides. • Many azole fungicides showed significant antiandrogenic activity . • Many binary mixtures of antiandrogenic azole fungicides showed synergistic interactions. • Concentration addition of pesticides in mixtures should be considered.« less

  1. Automatic NMR-Based Identification of Chemical Reaction Types in Mixtures of Co-Occurring Reactions

    PubMed Central

    Latino, Diogo A. R. S.; Aires-de-Sousa, João

    2014-01-01

    The combination of chemoinformatics approaches with NMR techniques and the increasing availability of data allow the resolution of problems far beyond the original application of NMR in structure elucidation/verification. The diversity of applications can range from process monitoring, metabolic profiling, authentication of products, to quality control. An application related to the automatic analysis of complex mixtures concerns mixtures of chemical reactions. We encoded mixtures of chemical reactions with the difference between the 1H NMR spectra of the products and the reactants. All the signals arising from all the reactants of the co-occurring reactions were taken together (a simulated spectrum of the mixture of reactants) and the same was done for products. The difference spectrum is taken as the representation of the mixture of chemical reactions. A data set of 181 chemical reactions was used, each reaction manually assigned to one of 6 types. From this dataset, we simulated mixtures where two reactions of different types would occur simultaneously. Automatic learning methods were trained to classify the reactions occurring in a mixture from the 1H NMR-based descriptor of the mixture. Unsupervised learning methods (self-organizing maps) produced a reasonable clustering of the mixtures by reaction type, and allowed the correct classification of 80% and 63% of the mixtures in two independent test sets of different similarity to the training set. With random forests (RF), the percentage of correct classifications was increased to 99% and 80% for the same test sets. The RF probability associated to the predictions yielded a robust indication of their reliability. This study demonstrates the possibility of applying machine learning methods to automatically identify types of co-occurring chemical reactions from NMR data. Using no explicit structural information about the reactions participants, reaction elucidation is performed without structure elucidation of the molecules in the mixtures. PMID:24551112

  2. Automatic NMR-based identification of chemical reaction types in mixtures of co-occurring reactions.

    PubMed

    Latino, Diogo A R S; Aires-de-Sousa, João

    2014-01-01

    The combination of chemoinformatics approaches with NMR techniques and the increasing availability of data allow the resolution of problems far beyond the original application of NMR in structure elucidation/verification. The diversity of applications can range from process monitoring, metabolic profiling, authentication of products, to quality control. An application related to the automatic analysis of complex mixtures concerns mixtures of chemical reactions. We encoded mixtures of chemical reactions with the difference between the (1)H NMR spectra of the products and the reactants. All the signals arising from all the reactants of the co-occurring reactions were taken together (a simulated spectrum of the mixture of reactants) and the same was done for products. The difference spectrum is taken as the representation of the mixture of chemical reactions. A data set of 181 chemical reactions was used, each reaction manually assigned to one of 6 types. From this dataset, we simulated mixtures where two reactions of different types would occur simultaneously. Automatic learning methods were trained to classify the reactions occurring in a mixture from the (1)H NMR-based descriptor of the mixture. Unsupervised learning methods (self-organizing maps) produced a reasonable clustering of the mixtures by reaction type, and allowed the correct classification of 80% and 63% of the mixtures in two independent test sets of different similarity to the training set. With random forests (RF), the percentage of correct classifications was increased to 99% and 80% for the same test sets. The RF probability associated to the predictions yielded a robust indication of their reliability. This study demonstrates the possibility of applying machine learning methods to automatically identify types of co-occurring chemical reactions from NMR data. Using no explicit structural information about the reactions participants, reaction elucidation is performed without structure elucidation of the molecules in the mixtures.

  3. Additive mixture effects of estrogenic chemicals in human cell-based assays can be influenced by inclusion of chemicals with differing effect profiles.

    PubMed

    Evans, Richard Mark; Scholze, Martin; Kortenkamp, Andreas

    2012-01-01

    A growing body of experimental evidence indicates that the in vitro effects of mixtures of estrogenic chemicals can be well predicted from the estrogenicity of their components by the concentration addition (CA) concept. However, some studies have observed small deviations from CA. Factors affecting the presence or observation of deviations could include: the type of chemical tested; number of mixture components; mixture design; and assay choice. We designed mixture experiments that address these factors, using mixtures with high numbers of components, chemicals from diverse chemical groups, assays with different in vitro endpoints and different mixture designs and ratios. Firstly, the effects of mixtures composed of up to 17 estrogenic chemicals were examined using estrogenicity assays with reporter-gene (ERLUX) and cell proliferation (ESCREEN) endpoints. Two mixture designs were used: 1) a 'balanced' design with components present in proportion to a common effect concentration (e.g. an EC(10)) and 2) a 'non-balanced' design with components in proportion to potential human tissue concentrations. Secondly, the individual and simultaneous ability of 16 potential modulator chemicals (each with minimal estrogenicity) to influence the assay outcome produced by a reference mixture of estrogenic chemicals was examined. Test chemicals included plasticizers, phthalates, metals, PCBs, phytoestrogens, PAHs, heterocyclic amines, antioxidants, UV filters, musks, PBDEs and parabens. In all the scenarios tested, the CA concept provided a good prediction of mixture effects. Modulation studies revealed that chemicals possessing minimal estrogenicity themselves could reduce (negatively modulate) the effect of a mixture of estrogenic chemicals. Whether the type of modulation we observed occurs in practice most likely depends on the chemical concentrations involved, and better information is required on likely human tissue concentrations of estrogens and of potential modulators. Successful prediction of the effects of diverse chemical combinations might be more likely if chemical profiling included consideration of effect modulation.

  4. Additive Mixture Effects of Estrogenic Chemicals in Human Cell-Based Assays Can Be Influenced by Inclusion of Chemicals with Differing Effect Profiles

    PubMed Central

    Evans, Richard Mark; Scholze, Martin; Kortenkamp, Andreas

    2012-01-01

    A growing body of experimental evidence indicates that the in vitro effects of mixtures of estrogenic chemicals can be well predicted from the estrogenicity of their components by the concentration addition (CA) concept. However, some studies have observed small deviations from CA. Factors affecting the presence or observation of deviations could include: the type of chemical tested; number of mixture components; mixture design; and assay choice. We designed mixture experiments that address these factors, using mixtures with high numbers of components, chemicals from diverse chemical groups, assays with different in vitro endpoints and different mixture designs and ratios. Firstly, the effects of mixtures composed of up to 17 estrogenic chemicals were examined using estrogenicity assays with reporter-gene (ERLUX) and cell proliferation (ESCREEN) endpoints. Two mixture designs were used: 1) a ‘balanced’ design with components present in proportion to a common effect concentration (e.g. an EC10) and 2) a ‘non-balanced’ design with components in proportion to potential human tissue concentrations. Secondly, the individual and simultaneous ability of 16 potential modulator chemicals (each with minimal estrogenicity) to influence the assay outcome produced by a reference mixture of estrogenic chemicals was examined. Test chemicals included plasticizers, phthalates, metals, PCBs, phytoestrogens, PAHs, heterocyclic amines, antioxidants, UV filters, musks, PBDEs and parabens. In all the scenarios tested, the CA concept provided a good prediction of mixture effects. Modulation studies revealed that chemicals possessing minimal estrogenicity themselves could reduce (negatively modulate) the effect of a mixture of estrogenic chemicals. Whether the type of modulation we observed occurs in practice most likely depends on the chemical concentrations involved, and better information is required on likely human tissue concentrations of estrogens and of potential modulators. Successful prediction of the effects of diverse chemical combinations might be more likely if chemical profiling included consideration of effect modulation. PMID:22912892

  5. The predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis does not perceive odor mixtures as strictly elemental objects.

    PubMed

    van Wijk, Michiel; de Bruijn, Paulien J A; Sabelis, Maurice W

    2010-11-01

    Phytoseiulus persimilis is a predatory mite that in absence of vision relies on the detection of herbivore-induced plant odors to locate its prey, the two-spotted spider-mite Tetranychus urticae. This herbivorous prey is feeding on leaves of a wide variety of plant species in different families. The predatory mites respond to numerous structurally different compounds. However, typical spider-mite induced plant compounds do not attract more predatory mites than plant compounds not associated with prey. Because the mites are sensitive to many compounds, components of odor mixtures may affect each other's perception. Although the response to pure compounds has been well documented, little is known how interactions among compounds affect the response to odor mixtures. We assessed the relation between the mites' responses elicited by simple mixtures of two compounds and by the single components of these mixtures. The preference for the mixture was compared to predictions under three conceptual models, each based on one of the following assumptions: (1) the responses elicited by each of the individual components can be added to each other; (2) they can be averaged; or (3) one response overshadows the other. The observed response differed significantly from the response predicted under the additive response, average response, and overshadowing response model in 52, 36, and 32% of the experimental tests, respectively. Moreover, the behavioral responses elicited by individual compounds and their binary mixtures were determined as a function of the odor concentration. The relative contribution of each component to the behavioral response elicited by the mixture varied with the odor concentration, even though the ratio of both compounds in the mixture was kept constant. Our experiments revealed that compounds that elicited no response had an effect on the response elicited by binary mixtures that they were part of. The results are not consistent with the hypothesis that P. persimilis perceives odor mixtures as a collection of strictly elemental objects. They suggest that odor mixtures rather are perceived as one synthetic whole.

  6. Thermal behavior of crumb-rubber modified asphalt concrete mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Epps, Amy Louise

    Thermal cracking is one of the primary forms of distress in asphalt concrete pavements, resulting from either a single drop in temperature to an extreme low or from multiple temperature cycles above the fracture temperature of the asphalt-aggregate mixture. The first mode described is low temperature cracking; the second is thermal fatigue. The addition of crumb-rubber, manufactured from scrap tires, to the binder in asphalt concrete pavements has been suggested to minimize both types of thermal cracking. Four experiments were designed and completed to evaluate the thermal behavior of crumb-rubber modified (CRM) asphalt-aggregate mixtures. Modified and unmodified mixture response to thermal stresses was measured in four laboratory tests. The Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test (TSRST) and the Indirect Tensile Test (IDT) were used to compare mixture resistance to low temperature cracking. Modified mixtures showed improved performance, and cooling rate did not affect mixture resistance according to the statistical analysis. Therefore results from tests with faster rates can predict performance under slower field rates. In comparison, predicted fracture temperatures and stresses (IDT) were generally higher than measured values (TSRST). In addition, predicted fracture temperatures from binder test results demonstrated that binder testing alone is not sufficient to evaluate CRM mixtures. Thermal fatigue was explored in the third experiment using conventional load-induced fatigue tests with conditions selected to simulate daily temperature fluctuations. Test results indicated that thermal fatigue may contribute to transverse cracking in asphalt pavements. Both unmodified and modified mixtures had a finite capacity to withstand daily temperature fluctuations coupled with cold temperatures. Modified mixtures again exhibited improved performance. The fourth experiment examined fracture properties of modified and unmodified mixtures using a common fracture toughness test. Results showed no effect from modification, but the small experiment size may have masked this effect. Reliability concepts were introduced to include risk and uncertainty in a comparison of mixture response measured in the laboratory and estimated environmental conditions. This comparison provided evidence that CRM mixtures exhibit improved resistance to both types of thermal cracking at high levels of reliability. In conclusion, a mix design and analysis framework for evaluating thermal behavior was recommended.

  7. Establishment of three permanent cover crop seed mixtures in Hungarian vineyards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miglécz, Tamas; Valkó, Orsolya; Donkó, Ádám; Deák, Balázs; Török, Péter; Kelemen, András; Drexler, Dóra; Tóthmérész, Béla

    2015-04-01

    In organic vineyard farming sowing high diversity cover crop seed mixtures offers a great opportunity to overcome high-priority problems mitigating vineyard cultivation, such as gain erosion control, save soil fertility, improve soil microbial activity and control weeds. Furthermore, we can also improve the biodiversity and ecosystem services of vineyards. Mainly non-native or low diversity seed mixtures are used for cover cropping containing some grass, grain or Fabaceae species. We studied vegetation development after sowing native high-diversity seed mixtures in four vineyards in an on farm field trial. We compared the effects of 4 treatments: (i) Biocont-Ecowin mixture (12 species), (ii) Fabaceae mixture (9 species), (iii) Grass-forb mixture (16 species) and control (no seed sowing). Study sites were located in Tokaj wine region, East Hungary. Seed mixtures were sown in March, 2012. After sowing, we recorded the percentage cover of vascular plant species in the end of June 2012, 2013 and 2014 in altogether 80 permanent plots. In the first year the establishment and weed control of Biocont-Ecowin and Legume seed mixture was the best. For the second year in inter-rows sown with Grass-herb and Legume seed mixtures we detected decreasing weed cover scores, while in inter-rows sown with Biocont-Ecowin seed mixture and in control inter-rows we detected higher weed cover scores. In the third year we still detected lower weed cover scores in inter-rows sown with Grass-forb and Legume seed mixtures, however on several sites we also detected decreasing cover of sown species. All sown species were detected in our plots during the time of the study, however some species were present only with low cover scores or only in a few plots. Out of the sown species Lotus corniculatus, Medicago lupulina, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium repens, T. pratense and Coronilla varia established the most successfully, and had high cover scores on most sites even in the second and third year. Our trial to develop species rich cover crops was successful. According to our findings sowing high-diversity seed mixtures in cover cropping offers a good opportunity to gain weed control.

  8. Composition, distribution, and potential toxicity of organochlorine mixtures in bed sediments of streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Phillips, Patrick J.; Nowell, Lisa H.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Murray, Karen; VanAlstyne, Carolyn

    2010-01-01

    Mixtures of organochlorine compounds have the potential for additive or interactive toxicity to organisms exposed in the stream. This study uses a variety of methods to identify mixtures and a modified concentration-addition approach to estimate their potential toxicity at 845 stream sites across the United States sampled between 1992 and 2001 for organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in bed sediment. Principal-component (PC) analysis identified five PCs that account for 77% of the total variance in 14 organochlorine compounds in the original dataset. The five PCs represent: (1) chlordane-related compounds and dieldrin; (2) p,p′-DDT and its degradates; (3) o,p′-DDT and its degradates; (4) the pesticide degradates oxychlordane and heptachlor epoxide; and (5) PCBs. The PC analysis grouped compounds that have similar chemical structure (such as parent compound and degradate), common origin (in the same technical pesticide mixture), and(or) similar relation of concentrations to land use. For example, the highest concentrations of chlordane compounds and dieldrin occurred at urban sites, reflecting past use of parent pesticides for termite control. Two approaches to characterizing mixtures—PC-based mixtures and unique mixtures—were applied to all 299 samples with a detection of two or more organochlorine compounds. PC-based mixtures are defined by the presence (in the sample) of one or more compounds associated with that PC. Unique mixtures are defined as a specific combination of two or more compounds detected in a sample, regardless of how many other compounds were also detected in that sample. The simplest PC-based mixtures (containing compounds from 1 or 2 PCs) commonly occurred in a variety of land use settings. Complex mixtures (containing compounds from 3 or more PCs) were most common in samples from urban and mixed/urban sites, especially in the Northeast, reflecting high concentrations of multiple chlordane, dieldrin, DDT-related compounds, and(or) PCBs. The most commonly occurring unique mixture (p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD) occurred in both simple and complex PC-based mixtures, and at both urban and agricultural sites. Mean Probable Effect Concentration Quotients (PEC-Q) values, which estimate the potential toxicity of organochlorine contaminant mixtures, were highest for complex mixtures. Mean PEC-Q values were highest for urban sites in the Northeast, followed by mixed/urban sites in the Northeast and agricultural sites in cotton growing areas. These results demonstrate that the PEC-Q approach can be used in combination with PC-based and unique mixture analyses to relate potential aquatic toxicity of contaminant mixtures to mixture complexity, land use, and other surrogates for contaminant sources.

  9. Folk medicinal plant mixtures: Establishing a protocol for further studies.

    PubMed

    Gras, Airy; Parada, Montse; Rigat, Montse; Vallès, Joan; Garnatje, Teresa

    2018-03-25

    Most ethnobotanical research bases its analyses on individual taxa catalogues and their uses, rather than on mixtures. However, mixtures constitute an important chapter of our different lines of research and they represent a large volume of information. The relevance of these data in folk medicine could be explained as a response to the cure of multicausal etiology diseases or by a possible polyvalent effect of the mixture as opposed to the effect of each taxon alone. The main goals are: i) to perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of these mixtures; ii) to carry out a comparison among the mixtures in two Catalan territories and their floristic composition; iii) to assess the worth of families association; and, iv) to evaluate whether the plants claimed to be used in mixtures have contraindications or possible negative interactions according to phytopharmaceutical literature. The ultimate goal is to test a protocol that can be implemented in similar studies. We have used data on medicinal plant mixtures obtained from two extensive ethnobotanical field studies carried out in two Catalan districts, Alt Empordà and Ripollès. The quantitative analyses by means of descriptive statistics were carried out with Excel. New contributions like the implementation of the Shannon index to quantify the diversity of families in plant combinations, the creation of a new index to calculate the taxon importance in mixtures, or the use of a social network analysis to study the connection between botanical families have been employed in this work. In total, a set of 484 mixtures from Alt Empordà and Ripollès (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula) have been analysed: 462 for human use and 22 for veterinary. Thymus vulgaris and Rosmarinus officinalis are among the most commonly used species in mixtures. The aerial part of the plant is the most used, and the anticatarrhal usage is the most frequent in both territories. A wide diversity of families has been observed in mixtures and reflects a strong bond between the number of taxa and the number of families in each mixture, being almost equal to one. The Shannon diversity index applied to mixtures has the maximum value at 0.86. No exclusive plants are used in mixtures, as reflected on the index of taxon usefulness in mixtures (ITUM), proposed in the present work. The association of families is strong between Lamiaceae (12.12%) and Asteraceae with Lamiaceae (11.69%). Finally, the informant consensus factor (0.85) reflects the strong consistency of data reported by the interviewees. The present analysis has confirmed that it is possible to study the data of plants in mixtures as thoroughly as when they are considered in isolation in an ethnofloristic catalogue, and maybe this kind of ethnobotanical investigation could be a first step for future pharmacological studies that may result in a relevant complement to the current phytotherapy market. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Extracting Spurious Latent Classes in Growth Mixture Modeling with Nonnormal Errors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guerra-Peña, Kiero; Steinley, Douglas

    2016-01-01

    Growth mixture modeling is generally used for two purposes: (1) to identify mixtures of normal subgroups and (2) to approximate oddly shaped distributions by a mixture of normal components. Often in applied research this methodology is applied to both of these situations indistinctly: using the same fit statistics and likelihood ratio tests. This…

  11. Detecting Mixtures from Structural Model Differences Using Latent Variable Mixture Modeling: A Comparison of Relative Model Fit Statistics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henson, James M.; Reise, Steven P.; Kim, Kevin H.

    2007-01-01

    The accuracy of structural model parameter estimates in latent variable mixture modeling was explored with a 3 (sample size) [times] 3 (exogenous latent mean difference) [times] 3 (endogenous latent mean difference) [times] 3 (correlation between factors) [times] 3 (mixture proportions) factorial design. In addition, the efficacy of several…

  12. Dispersion toughened silicon carbon ceramics

    DOEpatents

    Wei, G.C.

    1984-01-01

    Fracture resistant silicon carbide ceramics are provided by incorporating therein a particulate dispersoid selected from the group consisting of (a) a mixture of boron, carbon and tungsten, (b) a mixture of boron, carbon and molybdenum, (c) a mixture of boron, carbon and titanium carbide, (d) a mixture of aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide, and (e) boron nitride. 4 figures.

  13. 40 CFR 721.6220 - Aryl sulfonate of a fatty acid mixture, polyamine condensate.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Aryl sulfonate of a fatty acid mixture... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6220 Aryl sulfonate of a fatty acid mixture, polyamine condensate. (a... generically as an aryl sulfonate of a fatty acid mixture, polyamine condensate (PMN P-91-584) is subject to...

  14. 33 CFR 157.37 - Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... recent year must be retained on board the vessel. (e) Ballast water containing an oily mixture may be... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Discharge of oily mixtures from... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Vessel Operation § 157.37 Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes. (a) A tank...

  15. 33 CFR 157.37 - Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... recent year must be retained on board the vessel. (e) Ballast water containing an oily mixture may be... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Discharge of oily mixtures from... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Vessel Operation § 157.37 Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes. (a) A tank...

  16. 33 CFR 157.37 - Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... recent year must be retained on board the vessel. (e) Ballast water containing an oily mixture may be... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Discharge of oily mixtures from... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Vessel Operation § 157.37 Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes. (a) A tank...

  17. 33 CFR 157.37 - Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... recent year must be retained on board the vessel. (e) Ballast water containing an oily mixture may be... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Discharge of oily mixtures from... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Vessel Operation § 157.37 Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes. (a) A tank...

  18. 33 CFR 157.37 - Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... recent year must be retained on board the vessel. (e) Ballast water containing an oily mixture may be... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Discharge of oily mixtures from... CARRYING OIL IN BULK Vessel Operation § 157.37 Discharge of oily mixtures from oil cargoes. (a) A tank...

  19. COMPONENT-BASED AND WHOLE-MIXTURE ASSESSMENTS IN ADDRESSING THE UNIDENTIFIED FRACTION OF COMPLEX MIXTURES: DRINKING WATER AS AN EXAMPLE

    EPA Science Inventory


    Component-Based and Whole-Mixtures Assessments in Addressing the Unidentified Fraction of Complex Mixtures: Drinking Water as an Example

    J. E. Simmons; L. K. Teuschler; C. Gennings; T. F. Speth; S. D. Richardson; R. J. Miltner; M. G. Narotsky; K. D. Schenck; G. Rice

  20. 40 CFR 721.6220 - Aryl sulfonate of a fatty acid mixture, polyamine condensate.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Aryl sulfonate of a fatty acid mixture... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.6220 Aryl sulfonate of a fatty acid mixture, polyamine condensate. (a... generically as an aryl sulfonate of a fatty acid mixture, polyamine condensate (PMN P-91-584) is subject to...

  1. Sandia National Laboratories Small-Scale Sensitivity Testing (SSST) Report: Calcium Nitrate Mixtures with Various Fuels.

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

    Phillips, Jason Joe

    Based upon the presented sensitivity data for the examined calcium nitrate mixtures using sugar and sawdust, contact handling/mixing of these materials does not present hazards greater than those occurring during handling of dry PETN powder. The aluminized calcium nitrate mixtures present a known ESD fire hazard due to the fine aluminum powder fuel. These mixtures may yet present an ESD explosion hazard, though this has not been investigated at this time. The detonability of these mixtures will be investigated during Phase III testing.

  2. Slurried solid media for simultaneous water purification and carbon dioxide removal from gas mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Aines, Roger D.; Bourcier, William L.; Viani, Brian

    2013-01-29

    A slurried solid media for simultaneous water purification and carbon dioxide removal from gas mixtures includes the steps of dissolving the gas mixture and carbon dioxide in water providing a gas, carbon dioxide, water mixture; adding a porous solid media to the gas, carbon dioxide, water mixture forming a slurry of gas, carbon dioxide, water, and porous solid media; heating the slurry of gas, carbon dioxide, water, and porous solid media producing steam; and cooling the steam to produce purified water and carbon dioxide.

  3. Some comments on thermodynamic consistency for equilibrium mixture equations of state

    DOE PAGES

    Grove, John W.

    2018-03-28

    We investigate sufficient conditions for thermodynamic consistency for equilibrium mixtures. Such models assume that the mass fraction average of the material component equations of state, when closed by a suitable equilibrium condition, provide a composite equation of state for the mixture. Here, we show that the two common equilibrium models of component pressure/temperature equilibrium and volume/temperature equilibrium (Dalton, 1808) define thermodynamically consistent mixture equations of state and that other equilibrium conditions can be thermodynamically consistent provided appropriate values are used for the mixture specific entropy and pressure.

  4. Cluster kinetics model for mixtures of glassformers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brenskelle, Lisa A.; McCoy, Benjamin J.

    2007-10-01

    For glassformers we propose a binary mixture relation for parameters in a cluster kinetics model previously shown to represent pure compound data for viscosity and dielectric relaxation as functions of either temperature or pressure. The model parameters are based on activation energies and activation volumes for cluster association-dissociation processes. With the mixture parameters, we calculated dielectric relaxation times and compared the results to experimental values for binary mixtures. Mixtures of sorbitol and glycerol (seven compositions), sorbitol and xylitol (three compositions), and polychloroepihydrin and polyvinylmethylether (three compositions) were studied.

  5. Synthesis of highly phase pure BSCCO superconductors

    DOEpatents

    Dorris, S.E.; Poeppel, R.B.; Prorok, B.C.; Lanagan, M.T.; Maroni, V.A.

    1995-11-21

    An article and method of manufacture (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor are disclosed. The superconductor is manufactured by preparing a first powdered mixture of bismuth oxide, lead oxide, strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. A second powdered mixture is then prepared of strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. The mixtures are calcined separately with the two mixtures then combined. The resulting combined mixture is then subjected to a powder in tube deformation and thermal processing to produce a substantially phase pure (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor. 5 figs.

  6. Synthesis of highly phase pure BSCCO superconductors

    DOEpatents

    Dorris, Stephen E.; Poeppel, Roger B.; Prorok, Barton C.; Lanagan, Michael T.; Maroni, Victor A.

    1995-01-01

    An article and method of manufacture of (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor. The superconductor is manufactured by preparing a first powdered mixture of bismuth oxide, lead oxide, strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. A second powdered mixture is then prepared of strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. The mixtures are calcined separately with the two mixtures then combined. The resulting combined mixture is then subjected to a powder in tube deformation and thermal processing to produce a substantially phase pure (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor.

  7. Continuous spin detonation of poorly detonable fuel-air mixtures in annular combustors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bykovskii, F. A.; Zhdan, S. A.

    2017-09-01

    This paper reports on the results of experimental investigations of continuous spin detonation of three fuel-air mixtures (syngas-air, CH4/H2-air, and kerosene/H2-air in a flow-type annular cylindrical combustor 503 mm in diameter. The limits of existence of continuous detonation in terms of the specific flow rates of the mixtures (minimum values) are determined. It is found that all gas mixtures, including the least detonable methane-air mixture, with addition of hydrogen can be burned in the continuous spin detonation regime.

  8. Synthesis of highly phase pure (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor

    DOEpatents

    Dorris, Stephen E.; Poeppel, Roger B.; Prorok, Barton C.; Lanagan, Michael T.; Maroni, Victor A.

    1994-01-01

    An article and method of manufacture of (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor. The superconductor is manufactured by preparing a first powdered mixture of bismuth oxide, lead oxide, strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. A second powdered mixture is then prepared of strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. The mixtures are calcined separately with the two mixtures then combined. The resulting combined mixture is then subjected to a powder in tube deformation and thermal processing to produce a substantially phase pure (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor.

  9. Near azeotropic mixture substitute for dichlorodifluoromethane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Jack A. (Inventor)

    1998-01-01

    A refrigerant and a process of formulating thereof that consists of a mixture of a first mole fraction of CH.sub.2 FCF.sub.3 and a second mole fraction of a component selected from the group consisting of a mixture of CHClFCF.sub.3 and CH.sub.3 CClF.sub.2 ; a mixture of CHF.sub.2 CH.sub.3 and CH.sub.3 CClF.sub.2 ; and a mixture of CHClFCF.sub.3, CH.sub.3 CClF.sub.2 and CHF.sub.2 CH.sub.3.

  10. Mixture-Fraction Measurements with Femtosecond-Laser Electronic-Excitation Tagging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Halls, Benjamin R.; Jiang, Naibo; Gord, James R.; Danehy, Paul M.; Roy, Sukesh

    2017-01-01

    Tracer-free mixture-fraction measurements were demonstrated in a jet using femtosecond-laser electronic-excitation tagging. Measurements were conducted across a turbulent jet at several downstream locations both in a pure-nitrogen jet exiting into an air-nitrogen mixture and in a jet containing an air-nitrogen mixture exiting into pure nitrogen. The signal was calibrated with known concentrations of oxygen in nitrogen. The spatial resolution of the measurement was approx.180 microns. The measurement uncertainty ranged from 5% to 15%, depending on the mixture fraction and location within the beam, under constant temperature and pressure conditions. The measurements agree with a mixture fraction of unity within the potential core of the jet and transition to the self-similar region.

  11. Innovative aspects of protein stability in ionic liquid mixtures.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Awanish; Venkatesu, Pannuru

    2018-06-01

    Mixtures of ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted our attention because of their extraordinary performances in extraction technologies and in absorbing large amount of CO 2 gas. It has been observed that when two or more ILs are mixed in different proportions, a new solvent is obtained which is much better than that of each component of ILs from which the mixture is obtained. Within a mixture of ILs, several unidentified interactions occur among several ions which give rise to unique solvent properties to the mixture. Herein, in this review, we have highlighted the utilization of the advantageous properties of the IL mixtures in protein stability studies. This approach is exceptional and opens new directions to the use of ILs in biotechnology.

  12. Supercritical separation process for complex organic mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Chum, Helena L.; Filardo, Giuseppe

    1990-01-01

    A process is disclosed for separating low molecular weight components from complex aqueous organic mixtures. The process includes preparing a separation solution of supercritical carbon dioxide with an effective amount of an entrainer to modify the solvation power of the supercritical carbon dioxide and extract preselected low molecular weight components. The separation solution is maintained at a temperature of at least about 70.degree. C. and a pressure of at least about 1,500 psi. The separation solution is then contacted with the organic mixtures while maintaining the temperature and pressure as above until the mixtures and solution reach equilibrium to extract the preselected low molecular weight components from the organic mixtures. Finally, the entrainer/extracted components portion of the equilibrium mixture is isolated from the separation solution.

  13. An Approach for Peptide Identification by De Novo Sequencing of Mixture Spectra.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yi; Ma, Bin; Zhang, Kaizhong; Lajoie, Gilles

    2017-01-01

    Mixture spectra occur quite frequently in a typical wet-lab mass spectrometry experiment, which result from the concurrent fragmentation of multiple precursors. The ability to efficiently and confidently identify mixture spectra is essential to alleviate the existent bottleneck of low mass spectra identification rate. However, most of the traditional computational methods are not suitable for interpreting mixture spectra, because they still take the assumption that the acquired spectra come from the fragmentation of a single precursor. In this manuscript, we formulate the mixture spectra de novo sequencing problem mathematically, and propose a dynamic programming algorithm for the problem. Additionally, we use both simulated and real mixture spectra data sets to verify the merits of the proposed algorithm.

  14. Processes of Heat Transfer in Rheologically Unstable Mixtures of Organic Origin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tkachenko, S. I.; Pishenina, N. V.; Rumyantseva, T. Yu.

    2014-05-01

    The dependence of the coefficient of heat transfer from the heat-exchange surface to a rheologically unstable organic mixture on the thermohydrodynamic state of the mixture and its prehistory has been established. A method for multivariant investigation of the process of heat transfer in compound organic mixtures has been proposed; this method makes it possible to evaluate the character and peculiarities of change in the rheological structure of the mixture as functions of the thermohydrodynamic conditions of its treatment. The possibility of evaluating the intensity of heat transfer in a biotechnological system for production of energy carriers at the step of its designing by multivariant investigation of the heat-transfer intensity in rheologically unstable organic mixtures with account of their prehistory has been shown.

  15. Near azeotropic mixture substitute

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Jack A. (Inventor)

    1996-01-01

    The present invention comprises a refrigerant mixture consisting of a first mole fraction of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R134a) and a second mole fraction of a component selected from the group consisting of a mixture of CHClFCF.sub.3 (R124) and CH.sub.3 CClF.sub.2 (R142b); a mixture of CHF.sub.2 CH.sub.3 (R152a) and CHClFCF.sub.3 (R124); a mixture of CHF.sub.2 CH.sub.3 (R152a) and CH.sub.3 CClF.sub.2 (R142b); and a mixture of CHClFCF.sub.3 (R124), CH.sub.3 CClF.sub.2 (R142b) and CHF.sub.2 CH.sub.3 (R152a).

  16. Software for analysis of chemical mixtures--composition, occurrence, distribution, and possible toxicity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Scott, Jonathon C.; Skach, Kenneth A.; Toccalino, Patricia L.

    2013-01-01

    The composition, occurrence, distribution, and possible toxicity of chemical mixtures in the environment are research concerns of the U.S. Geological Survey and others. The presence of specific chemical mixtures may serve as indicators of natural phenomena or human-caused events. Chemical mixtures may also have ecological, industrial, geochemical, or toxicological effects. Chemical-mixture occurrences vary by analyte composition and concentration. Four related computer programs have been developed by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey for research of chemical-mixture compositions, occurrences, distributions, and possible toxicities. The compositions and occurrences are identified for the user-supplied data, and therefore the resultant counts are constrained by the user’s choices for the selection of chemicals, reporting limits for the analytical methods, spatial coverage, and time span for the data supplied. The distribution of chemical mixtures may be spatial, temporal, and (or) related to some other variable, such as chemical usage. Possible toxicities optionally are estimated from user-supplied benchmark data. The software for the analysis of chemical mixtures described in this report is designed to work with chemical-analysis data files retrieved from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System but can also be used with appropriately formatted data from other sources. Installation and usage of the mixture software are documented. This mixture software was designed to function with minimal changes on a variety of computer-operating systems. To obtain the software described herein and other U.S. Geological Survey software, visit http://water.usgs.gov/software/.

  17. Effect of the addition of mixture of plant components on the mechanical properties of wheat bread

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wójcik, Monika; Dziki, Dariusz; Biernacka, Beata; Różyło, Renata; Miś, Antoni; Hassoon, Waleed H.

    2017-10-01

    Instrumental methods of measuring the mechanical properties of bread can be used to determine changes in the properties of it during storage, as well as to determine the effect of various additives on the bread texture. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the mixture of plant components on the physical properties of wheat bread. In particular, the mechanical properties of the crumb and crust were studied. A sensory evaluation of the end product was also performed. The mixture of plant components included: carob fiber, milled grain red quinoa and black oat (1:2:2) - added at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 % - into wheat flour. The results showed that the increase of the addition of the proposed additive significantly increased the water absorption of flour mixtures. Moreover, the use of the mixture of plant components above 5% resulted in the increase of bread volume and decrease of crumb density. Furthermore, the addition of the mixture of plant components significantly affected the mechanical properties of bread crumb. The hardness of crumb also decreased as a result of the mixture of plant components addition. The highest cohesiveness was obtained for bread with 10% of additive and the lowest for bread with 25% of mixture of plant components. Most importantly, the enrichment of wheat flour with the mixture of plant components significantly reduced the crust failure force and crust failure work. The results of sensory evaluation showed that the addition of the mixture of plant components of up to 10% had little effect on bread quality.

  18. Understanding the human health effects of chemical mixtures.

    PubMed Central

    Carpenter, David O; Arcaro, Kathleen; Spink, David C

    2002-01-01

    Most research on the effects of chemicals on biologic systems is conducted on one chemical at a time. However, in the real world people are exposed to mixtures, not single chemicals. Although various substances may have totally independent actions, in many cases two substances may act at the same site in ways that can be either additive or nonadditive. Many even more complex interactions may occur if two chemicals act at different but related targets. In the extreme case there may be synergistic effects, in which case the effects of two substances together are greater than the sum of either effect alone. In reality, most persons are exposed to many chemicals, not just one or two, and therefore the effects of a chemical mixture are extremely complex and may differ for each mixture depending on the chemical composition. This complexity is a major reason why mixtures have not been well studied. In this review we attempt to illustrate some of the principles and approaches that can be used to study effects of mixtures. By the nature of the state of the science, this discussion is more a presentation of what we do not know than of what we do know about mixtures. We approach the study of mixtures at three levels, using specific examples. First, we discuss several human diseases in relation to a variety of environmental agents believed to influence the development and progression of the disease. We present results of selected cellular and animal studies in which simple mixtures have been investigated. Finally, we discuss some of the effects of mixtures at a molecular level. PMID:11834461

  19. Screening level mixture risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in STP effluents.

    PubMed

    Backhaus, Thomas; Karlsson, Maja

    2014-02-01

    We modeled the ecotoxicological risks of the pharmaceutical mixtures emitted from STP effluents into the environment. The classic mixture toxicity concept of Concentration Addition was used to calculate the total expected risk of the analytically determined mixtures, compare the expected impact of seven effluent streams and pinpoint the most sensitive group of species. The risk quotient of a single, randomly selected pharmaceutical is often more than a factor of 1000 lower than the mixture risk, clearly indicating the need to systematically analyse the overall risk of all pharmaceuticals present. The MCR, which is the ratio between the most risky compound and the total mixture risk, varies between 1.2 and 4.2, depending on the actual scenario and species group under consideration. The mixture risk quotients, based on acute data and an assessment factor of 1000, regularly exceed 1, indicating a potential risk for the environment, depending on the dilution in the recipient stream. The top 10 mixture components explain more than 95% of the mixture risk in all cases. A mixture toxicity assessment cannot go beyond the underlying single substance data. The lack of data on the chronic toxicity of most pharmaceuticals as well as the very few data available for in vivo fish toxicity has to be regarded as a major knowledge gap in this context. On the other hand, ignoring Independent Action or even using the sum of individual risk quotients as a rough approximation of Concentration Addition does not have a major impact on the final risk estimate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Evaluation of forensic DNA mixture evidence: protocol for evaluation, interpretation, and statistical calculations using the combined probability of inclusion.

    PubMed

    Bieber, Frederick R; Buckleton, John S; Budowle, Bruce; Butler, John M; Coble, Michael D

    2016-08-31

    The evaluation and interpretation of forensic DNA mixture evidence faces greater interpretational challenges due to increasingly complex mixture evidence. Such challenges include: casework involving low quantity or degraded evidence leading to allele and locus dropout; allele sharing of contributors leading to allele stacking; and differentiation of PCR stutter artifacts from true alleles. There is variation in statistical approaches used to evaluate the strength of the evidence when inclusion of a specific known individual(s) is determined, and the approaches used must be supportable. There are concerns that methods utilized for interpretation of complex forensic DNA mixtures may not be implemented properly in some casework. Similar questions are being raised in a number of U.S. jurisdictions, leading to some confusion about mixture interpretation for current and previous casework. Key elements necessary for the interpretation and statistical evaluation of forensic DNA mixtures are described. Given the most common method for statistical evaluation of DNA mixtures in many parts of the world, including the USA, is the Combined Probability of Inclusion/Exclusion (CPI/CPE). Exposition and elucidation of this method and a protocol for use is the focus of this article. Formulae and other supporting materials are provided. Guidance and details of a DNA mixture interpretation protocol is provided for application of the CPI/CPE method in the analysis of more complex forensic DNA mixtures. This description, in turn, should help reduce the variability of interpretation with application of this methodology and thereby improve the quality of DNA mixture interpretation throughout the forensic community.

  1. High/variable mixture ratio O2/H2 engine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adams, A.; Parsley, R. C.

    1988-01-01

    Vehicle/engine analysis studies have identified the High/Dual Mixture Ratio O2/H2 Engine cycle as a leading candidate for an advanced Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) propulsion system. This cycle is designed to allow operation at a higher than normal O/F ratio of 12 during liftoff and then transition to a more optimum O/F ratio of 6 at altitude. While operation at high mixture ratios lowers specific impulse, the resultant high propellant bulk density and high power density combine to minimize the influence of atmospheric drag and low altitude gravitational forces. Transition to a lower mixture ratio at altitude then provides improved specific impulse relative to a single mixture ratio engine that must select a mixture ratio that is balanced for both low and high altitude operation. This combination of increased altitude specific impulse and high propellant bulk density more than offsets the compromised low altitude performance and results in an overall mission benefit. Two areas of technical concern relative to the execution of this dual mixture ratio cycle concept are addressed. First, actions required to transition from high to low mixture ratio are examined, including an assessment of the main chamber environment as the main chamber mixture ratio passes through stoichiometric. Secondly, two approaches to meet a requirement for high turbine power at high mixture ratio condition are examined. One approach uses high turbine temperature to produce the power and requires cooled turbines. The other approach incorporates an oxidizer-rich preburner to increase turbine work capability via increased turbine mass flow.

  2. Getting More Ecologically Relevant Information from Laboratory Tests: Recovery of Lemna minor After Exposure to Herbicides and Their Mixtures.

    PubMed

    Knežević, Varja; Tunić, Tanja; Gajić, Pero; Marjan, Patricija; Savić, Danko; Tenji, Dina; Teodorović, Ivana

    2016-11-01

    Recovery after exposure to herbicides-atrazine, isoproturon, and trifluralin-their binary and ternary mixtures, was studied under laboratory conditions using a slightly adapted standard protocol for Lemna minor. The objectives of the present study were (1) to compare empirical to predicted toxicity of selected herbicide mixtures; (2) to assess L. minor recovery potential after exposure to selected individual herbicides and their mixtures; and (3) to suggest an appropriate recovery potential assessment approach and endpoint in a modified laboratory growth inhibition test. The deviation of empirical from predicted toxicity was highest in binary mixtures of dissimilarly acting herbicides. The concentration addition model slightly underestimated mixture effects, indicating potential synergistic interactions between photosynthetic inhibitors (atrazine and isoproturon) and a cell mitosis inhibitor (trifluralin). Recovery after exposure to the binary mixture of atrazine and isoproturon was fast and concentration-independent: no significant differences between relative growth rates (RGRs) in any of the mixtures (IC10 Mix , 25 Mix , and 50 Mix ) versus control level were recorded in the last interval of the recovery phase. The recovery of the plants exposed to binary and ternary mixtures of dissimilarly acting herbicides was strictly concentration-dependent. Only plants exposed to IC10 Mix , regardless of the herbicides, recovered RGRs close to control level in the last interval of the recovery phase. The inhibition of the RGRs in the last interval of the recovery phase compared with the control level is a proposed endpoint that could inform on reversibility of the effects and indicate possible mixture effects on plant population recovery potential.

  3. Predictive performance and inter-laboratory reproducibility in assessing eye irritation potential of water- and oil-soluble mixtures using the Short Time Exposure test method.

    PubMed

    Abo, Takayuki; Hilberer, Allison; Behle-Wagner, Christine; Watanabe, Mika; Cameron, David; Kirst, Annette; Nukada, Yuko; Yuki, Takuo; Araki, Daisuke; Sakaguchi, Hitoshi; Itagaki, Hiroshi

    2018-04-01

    The Short Time Exposure (STE) test method is an alternative method for assessing eye irritation potential using Statens Seruminstitut Rabbit Cornea cells and has been adopted as test guideline 491 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its good predictive performance in identifying the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) No Category (NC) or Irritant Category has been demonstrated in evaluations of water-soluble substances, oil-soluble substances, and water-soluble mixtures. However, the predictive performance for oil-soluble mixtures was not evaluated. Twenty-four oil-soluble mixtures were evaluated using the STE test method. The GHS NC or Irritant Category of 22 oil-soluble mixtures were consistent with that of a Reconstructed human Cornea-like Epithelium (RhCE) test method. Inter-laboratory reproducibility was then confirmed using 20 water- and oil-soluble mixtures blind-coded. The concordance in GHS NC or Irritant Category among four laboratories was 90%-100%. In conclusion, the concordance in comparison with the results of RhCE test method using 24 oil-soluble mixtures and inter-laboratory reproducibility using 20 water- and oil-soluble mixtures blind-coded were good, indicating that the STE test method is a suitable alternative for predicting the eye irritation potential of both substances and mixtures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Physicochemical determinants of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) disposition in skin exposed to aqueous cutting fluid mixtures.

    PubMed

    Baynes, Ronald E; Brooks, James D; Barlow, Beth M; Riviere, Jim E

    2002-06-01

    Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is added to cutting fluid formulations to enhance the performance of metal machining operations, but this surfactant can cause contact dermatitis in workers involved in these operations. The purpose of this study was to determine how cutting fluid additives influence dermal disposition of 14C-LAS in mineral oil- or polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG)-based mixtures when topically applied to silastic membranes and porcine skin in an in vitro flow-through diffusion cell system. 14C-LAS mixtures were formulated with three commonly used cutting fluid additives; 0 or 2% triazine (TRI), 0 or 5% triethanolamine (TEA), and 0 or 5% sulfurized ricinoleic acid (SRA). LAS absorption was limited to less than a 0.5% dose and the additives in various combinations influenced the physicochemical characteristics of the dosing mixture. LAS was more likely to partition into the stratum corneum (SC) in mineral oil mixtures, and LAS absorption was significantly greater in the complete mixture. TRI enhanced LAS transport, and the presence of SRA decreased LAS critical micelle concentration (CMC) which reduced LAS monomers available for transport. TEA increased mixture viscosity, and this may have negated the apparent enhancing properties of TRI in several mixtures. In summary, physicochemical interactions in these mixtures influenced availability of LAS for absorption and distribution in skin, and could ultimately influence toxicological responses in skin.

  5. Separation of organic azeotropic mixtures by pervaporation. Final technical report

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

    Baker, R.W.

    1991-12-01

    Distillation is a commonly used separation technique in the petroleum refining and chemical processing industries. However, there are a number of potential separations involving azetropic and close-boiling organic mixtures that cannot be separated efficiently by distillation. Pervaporation is a membrane-based process that uses selective permeation through membranes to separate liquid mixtures. Because the separation process is not affected by the relative volatility of the mixture components being separated, pervaporation can be used to separate azetropes and close-boiling mixtures. Our results showed that pervaporation membranes can be used to separate azeotropic mixtures efficiently, a result that is not achievable with simplemore » distillation. The membranes were 5--10 times more permeable to one of the components of the mixture, concentrating it in the permeate stream. For example, the membrane was 10 times more permeable to ethanol than methyl ethyl ketone, producing 60% ethanol permeate from an azeotropic mixture of ethanol and methyl ethyl ketone containing 18% ethanol. For the ethyl acetate/water mixture, the membranes showed a very high selectivity to water (> 300) and the permeate was 50--100 times enriched in water relative to the feed. The membranes had permeate fluxes on the order of 0.1--1 kg/m{sup 2}{center_dot}h in the operating range of 55--70{degrees}C. Higher fluxes were obtained by increasing the operating temperature.« less

  6. Separation of organic azeotropic mixtures by pervaporation

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

    Baker, R.W.

    1991-12-01

    Distillation is a commonly used separation technique in the petroleum refining and chemical processing industries. However, there are a number of potential separations involving azetropic and close-boiling organic mixtures that cannot be separated efficiently by distillation. Pervaporation is a membrane-based process that uses selective permeation through membranes to separate liquid mixtures. Because the separation process is not affected by the relative volatility of the mixture components being separated, pervaporation can be used to separate azetropes and close-boiling mixtures. Our results showed that pervaporation membranes can be used to separate azeotropic mixtures efficiently, a result that is not achievable with simplemore » distillation. The membranes were 5--10 times more permeable to one of the components of the mixture, concentrating it in the permeate stream. For example, the membrane was 10 times more permeable to ethanol than methyl ethyl ketone, producing 60% ethanol permeate from an azeotropic mixture of ethanol and methyl ethyl ketone containing 18% ethanol. For the ethyl acetate/water mixture, the membranes showed a very high selectivity to water (> 300) and the permeate was 50--100 times enriched in water relative to the feed. The membranes had permeate fluxes on the order of 0.1--1 kg/m{sup 2}{center dot}h in the operating range of 55--70{degrees}C. Higher fluxes were obtained by increasing the operating temperature.« less

  7. Effect of stirring on the safety of flammable liquid mixtures.

    PubMed

    Liaw, Horng-Jang; Gerbaud, Vincent; Chen, Chan-Cheng; Shu, Chi-Min

    2010-05-15

    Flash point is the most important variable employed to characterize fire and explosion hazard of liquids. The models developed for predicting the flash point of partially miscible mixtures in the literature to date are all based on the assumption of liquid-liquid equilibrium. In real-world environments, however, the liquid-liquid equilibrium assumption does not always hold, such as the collection or accumulation of waste solvents without stirring, where complete stirring for a period of time is usually used to ensure the liquid phases being in equilibrium. This study investigated the effect of stirring on the flash-point behavior of binary partially miscible mixtures. Two series of partially miscible binary mixtures were employed to elucidate the effect of stirring. The first series was aqueous-organic mixtures, including water+1-butanol, water+2-butanol, water+isobutanol, water+1-pentanol, and water+octane; the second series was the mixtures of two flammable solvents, which included methanol+decane, methanol+2,2,4-trimethylpentane, and methanol+octane. Results reveal that for binary aqueous-organic solutions the flash-point values of unstirred mixtures were located between those of the completely stirred mixtures and those of the flammable component. Therefore, risk assessment could be done based on the flammable component flash-point value. However, for the assurance of safety, it is suggested to completely stir those mixtures before handling to reduce the risk. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Herbicide mixtures at high doses slow the evolution of resistance in experimentally evolving populations of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

    PubMed

    Lagator, Mato; Vogwill, Tom; Mead, Andrew; Colegrave, Nick; Neve, Paul

    2013-05-01

    The widespread evolution of resistance to herbicides is a pressing issue in global agriculture. Evolutionary principles and practices are key to the management of this threat to global food security. The application of mixtures of herbicides has been advocated as an anti-resistance strategy, without substantial empirical support for its validation. We evolved experimentally populations of the unicellular green chlorophyte, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, to minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of single-herbicide modes of action and to pair-wise and three-way mixtures between different herbicides at various total combined doses. Herbicide mixtures were most effective when each component was applied at or close to its MIC. When doses were high, increasing the number of mixture components was also effective in reducing the evolution of resistance. Employing mixtures at low combined doses did not retard resistance evolution, even accelerating the evolution of resistance to some components. At low doses, increasing the number of herbicides in the mixture tended to select for more generalist resistance (cross-resistance). Our results reinforce findings from the antibiotic resistance literature and confirm that herbicide mixtures can be very effective for resistance management, but that mixtures should only be employed where the economic and environmental context permits the applications of high combined doses. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

  9. Development and validation of chemometrics-assisted spectrophotometric and liquid chromatographic methods for the simultaneous determination of two multicomponent mixtures containing bronchodilator drugs.

    PubMed

    El-Gindy, Alaa; Emara, Samy; Shaaban, Heba

    2007-02-19

    Three methods are developed for the determination of two multicomponent mixtures containing guaiphenesine (GU) with salbutamol sulfate (SL), methylparaben (MP) and propylparaben (PP) [mixture 1]; and acephylline piperazine (AC) with bromhexine hydrochloride (BX), methylparaben (MP) and propylparaben (PP) [mixture 2]. The resolution of the two multicomponent mixtures has been accomplished by using numerical spectrophotometric methods such as partial least squares (PLS-1) and principal component regression (PCR) applied to UV absorption spectra of the two mixtures. In addition HPLC method was developed using a RP 18 column at ambient temperature with mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-0.05 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate, pH 4.3 (60:40, v/v), with UV detection at 243 nm for mixture 1, and mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-0.05 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate, pH 3 (50:50, v/v), with UV detection at 245 nm for mixture 2. The methods were validated in terms of accuracy, specificity, precision and linearity in the range of 20-60 microg ml(-1) for GU, 1-3 microg ml(-1) for SL, 20-80 microg ml(-1) for AC, 0.2-1.8 microgml(-1) for PP and 1-5 microg ml(-1) for BX and MP. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of the two multicomponent combinations in laboratory prepared mixtures and commercial syrups.

  10. Predicting the apparent viscosity and yield stress of mixtures of primary, secondary and anaerobically digested sewage sludge: Simulating anaerobic digesters.

    PubMed

    Markis, Flora; Baudez, Jean-Christophe; Parthasarathy, Rajarathinam; Slatter, Paul; Eshtiaghi, Nicky

    2016-09-01

    Predicting the flow behaviour, most notably, the apparent viscosity and yield stress of sludge mixtures inside the anaerobic digester is essential because it helps optimize the mixing system in digesters. This paper investigates the rheology of sludge mixtures as a function of digested sludge volume fraction. Sludge mixtures exhibited non-Newtonian, shear thinning, yield stress behaviour. The apparent viscosity and yield stress of sludge mixtures prepared at the same total solids concentration was influenced by the interactions within the digested sludge and increased with the volume fraction of digested sludge - highlighted using shear compliance and shear modulus of sludge mixtures. However, when a thickened primary - secondary sludge mixture was mixed with dilute digested sludge, the apparent viscosity and yield stress decreased with increasing the volume fraction of digested sludge. This was caused by the dilution effect leading to a reduction in the hydrodynamic and non-hydrodynamic interactions when dilute digested sludge was added. Correlations were developed to predict the apparent viscosity and yield stress of the mixtures as a function of the digested sludge volume fraction and total solids concentration of the mixtures. The parameters of correlations can be estimated using pH of sludge. The shear and complex modulus were also modelled and they followed an exponential relationship with increasing digested sludge volume fraction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Odourant dominance in olfactory mixture processing: what makes a strong odourant?

    PubMed Central

    Schubert, Marco; Sandoz, Jean-Christophe; Galizia, Giovanni; Giurfa, Martin

    2015-01-01

    The question of how animals process stimulus mixtures remains controversial as opposing views propose that mixtures are processed analytically, as the sum of their elements, or holistically, as unique entities different from their elements. Overshadowing is a widespread phenomenon that can help decide between these alternatives. In overshadowing, an individual trained with a binary mixture learns one element better at the expense of the other. Although element salience (learning success) has been suggested as a main explanation for overshadowing, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. We studied olfactory overshadowing in honeybees to uncover the mechanisms underlying olfactory-mixture processing. We provide, to our knowledge, the most comprehensive dataset on overshadowing to date based on 90 experimental groups involving more than 2700 bees trained either with six odourants or with their resulting 15 binary mixtures. We found that bees process olfactory mixtures analytically and that salience alone cannot predict overshadowing. After normalizing learning success, we found that an unexpected feature, the generalization profile of an odourant, was determinant for overshadowing. Odourants that induced less generalization enhanced their distinctiveness and became dominant in the mixture. Our study thus uncovers features that determine odourant dominance within olfactory mixtures and allows the referring of this phenomenon to differences in neural activity both at the receptor and the central level in the insect nervous system. PMID:25652840

  12. Recognition of the Component Odors in Mixtures

    PubMed Central

    Fletcher, Dane B; Hettinger, Thomas P

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Natural olfactory stimuli are volatile-chemical mixtures in which relative perceptual saliencies determine which odor-components are identified. Odor identification also depends on rapid selective adaptation, as shown for 4 odor stimuli in an earlier experimental simulation of natural conditions. Adapt-test pairs of mixtures of water-soluble, distinct odor stimuli with chemical features in common were studied. Identification decreased for adapted components but increased for unadapted mixture-suppressed components, showing compound identities were retained, not degraded to individual molecular features. Four additional odor stimuli, 1 with 2 perceptible odor notes, and an added “water-adapted” control tested whether this finding would generalize to other 4-compound sets. Selective adaptation of mixtures of the compounds (odors): 3 mM benzaldehyde (cherry), 5 mM maltol (caramel), 1 mM guaiacol (smoke), and 4 mM methyl anthranilate (grape-smoke) again reciprocally unmasked odors of mixture-suppressed components in 2-, 3-, and 4-component mixtures with 2 exceptions. The cherry note of “benzaldehyde” (itself) and the shared note of “methyl anthranilate and guaiacol” (together) were more readily identified. The pervasive mixture-component dominance and dynamic perceptual salience may be mediated through peripheral adaptation and central mutual inhibition of neural responses. Originating in individual olfactory receptor variants, it limits odor identification and provides analytic properties for momentary recognition of a few remaining mixture-components. PMID:28641388

  13. Mixture experiment methods in the development and optimization of microemulsion formulations

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

    Furlanetto, Sandra; Cirri, Marzia; Piepel, Gregory F.

    2011-06-25

    Microemulsion formulations represent an interesting delivery vehicle for lipophilic drugs, allowing for improving their solubility and dissolution properties. This work developed effective microemulsion formulations using glyburide (a very poorly-water-soluble hypoglycaemic agent) as a model drug. First, the area of stable microemulsion (ME) formations was identified using a new approach based on mixture experiment methods. A 13-run mixture design was carried out in an experimental region defined by constraints on three components: aqueous, oil, and surfactant/cosurfactant. The transmittance percentage (at 550 nm) of ME formulations (indicative of their transparency and thus of their stability) was chosen as the response variable. Themore » results obtained using the mixture experiment approach corresponded well with those obtained using the traditional approach based on pseudo-ternary phase diagrams. However, the mixture experiment approach required far less experimental effort than the traditional approach. A subsequent 13-run mixture experiment, in the region of stable MEs, was then performed to identify the optimal formulation (i.e., having the best glyburide dissolution properties). Percent drug dissolved and dissolution efficiency were selected as the responses to be maximized. The ME formulation optimized via the mixture experiment approach consisted of 78% surfactant/cosurfacant (a mixture of Tween 20 and Transcutol, 1:1 v/v), 5% oil (Labrafac Hydro) and 17% aqueous (water). The stable region of MEs was identified using mixture experiment methods for the first time.« less

  14. Approximation of the breast height diameter distribution of two-cohort stands by mixture models I Parameter estimation

    Treesearch

    Rafal Podlaski; Francis A. Roesch

    2013-01-01

    Study assessed the usefulness of various methods for choosing the initial values for the numerical procedures for estimating the parameters of mixture distributions and analysed variety of mixture models to approximate empirical diameter at breast height (dbh) distributions. Two-component mixtures of either the Weibull distribution or the gamma distribution were...

  15. Sodium nitrate containing mixture for producing ceramic-glass-ceramic seal by microwave heating

    DOEpatents

    Blake, R.D.; Meek, T.T.

    1984-10-10

    A mixture for, and method of using such a mixture, for producing a ceramic-glass-ceramic seal by the use of microwave energy are disclosed, wherein the mixture comprises a glass sealing material, a coupling agent, and an oxidizer. The seal produced exhibits greater strength due to its different microstructure. Sodium nitrate is the most preferred oxidizer.

  16. Development of guidelines and specifications for use of WMA technology in delivering HMA products inclusive of non-conventional mixtures such as SMA's, and mixtures with high RAP and RAS content.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-08-01

    This report documents the work completed in WHRP Project 0092-12-02, Development of Guidelines and Specifications : for Use of WMA Technology in Delivering HMA Products Inclusive of Non-Conventional Mixtures Such as SMAs, and : Mixtures with High ...

  17. Toxicity of natural mixtures of organic pollutants in temperate and polar marine phytoplankton.

    PubMed

    Echeveste, Pedro; Galbán-Malagón, Cristóbal; Dachs, Jordi; Berrojalbiz, Naiara; Agustí, Susana

    2016-11-15

    Semivolatile and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) undergo atmospheric transport before being deposited to the oceans, where they partition to phytoplankton organic matter. The goal of this study was to determine the toxicity of naturally occurring complex mixtures of organic pollutants to temperate and polar phytoplankton communities from the Mediterranean Sea, the North East (NE) Atlantic, and Southern Oceans. The cell abundance of the different phytoplankton groups, chlorophyll a concentrations, viability of the cells, and growth and decay constants were monitored in response to addition of a range of concentrations of mixtures of organic pollutants obtained from seawater extracts. Almost all of the phytoplankton groups were significantly affected by the complex mixtures of non-polar and polar organic pollutants, with toxicity being greater for these mixtures than for single POPs or simple POP mixtures. Cocktails' toxicity arose at concentrations as low as tenfold the field oceanic levels, probably due to a higher chemical activity of the mixture than of simple POPs mixtures. Overall, smaller cells were the most affected, although Mediterranean picophytoplankton was significantly more tolerant to non-polar POPs than picophytoplankton from the Atlantic Ocean or the Bellingshausen Sea microphytoplankton. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Change of hydrogen bonding structure in ionic liquid mixtures by anion type

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cha, Seoncheol; Kim, Doseok

    2018-05-01

    Ionic liquid mixtures have gained attention as a way of tuning material properties continuously with composition changes. For some mixture systems, physicochemical properties such as excess molar volume have been found to be significantly different from the value expected by linear interpolation, but the origin of this deviation is not well understood yet. The microstructure of the mixture, which can range from an ideal mixture of two initial consisting ionic liquids to a different structure from those of pure materials, has been suggested as the origin of the observed deviation. The structures of several different ionic liquid mixtures are studied by IR spectroscopy to confirm this suggestion, as a particular IR absorption band (νC(2)-D) for the moiety participating in the hydrogen bonding changes sensitively with the change of the anion in the ionic liquid. The absorbance of νC(2)-D changes proportionally with the composition, and a relatively small excess molar volume is observed for the mixtures containing an electronegative halide anion. By contrast, the absorbance changes nonlinearly, and the excess molar volumes are larger for the mixtures of which one of the anions has multiple interaction sites.

  19. Toxicity of Pesticide Tank Mixtures from Rice Crops Against Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae).

    PubMed

    de B Pazini, J; Pasini, R A; Rakes, M; de Armas, F S; Seidel, E J; da S Martins, J F; Grützmacher, A D

    2017-08-01

    The use of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides commonly occurs in mixtures in tanks in order to control phytosanitary problems in crops. However, there is no information regarding the effects of these mixtures on non-target organisms associated to the rice agroecosystem. The aim of this study was to know the toxicity of pesticide tank mixtures from rice crops against Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae). Based on the methods adapted from the International Organisation for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC), adults of T. podisi were exposed to residues of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, individually or in mixture commonly used by growers, in laboratory and on rice plants in a greenhouse. The mixture between fungicides tebuconazole, triclyclazole, and azoxystrobin and the mixture between herbicides cyhalofop-butyl, imazethapyr, imazapyr/imazapic, and penoxsulam are harmless to T. podisi and can be used in irrigated rice crops without harming the natural biological control. The insecticides cypermethin, thiamethoxam, and bifenthrin/carbosulfan increase the toxicity of the mixtures in tank with herbicides and fungicides, being more toxic to T. podisi and less preferred for use in phytosanitary treatments in the rice crop protection.

  20. [A study of the properties of tablets from mixtures of two size degrees of alpha-lactose monohydrate and microcrystalline cellulose].

    PubMed

    Muzíková, J

    2006-03-01

    The paper examines the strength and disintegration time of compacts from the mixtures of two types of Tablettosas. Tablettosa 70 and Tablettosa 100 with microcrystalline cellulose represented by Vivapur 102. The mixtures of dry binders were prepared in the ratios of 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3. The effect of two concentrations of the lubricant magnesium stearate on the strength and disintegration time of compacts was also examined. Tablet strength increased with higher representation of microcrystalline cellulose in the mixture, and decreased with higher stearate concentration. The compacts from the mixtures with Tablettosa 100 showed higher strength. Disintegration time was highest in the compacts with the largest perccintage of microcrystalline cellulose, and longer in the case of the mixtures with Tablettosa 100. Stearate did not exert a negative effect on disintegration time. In the mixtures of Tablettosas with Vivapur 102 in a ratio of 1:1, the effect of the model active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid on the above-mentioned properties of tablets was tested. acetylsalicylic acid produced a further decrease in the strength of compacts and shortened the disintegration time in more instances in the cased of the mixtures with Tahlettosa 100.

  1. Environmental Risk Assessment of Pharmaceutical Mixtures: Demands, Gaps, and Possible Bridges.

    PubMed

    Backhaus, Thomas

    2016-07-01

    The ecotoxicological risk of pharmaceutical mixtures typically exceeds the risk of each individual compound, which calls specific attention to the fact that monitoring surveys routinely find complex pharmaceutical mixtures in various environmental compartments. However, although the body of evidence on the ecotoxicology of pharmaceutical mixtures is quite consistent, the current guidelines for the environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals often do not explicitly address mixture effects. Data availability and acceptable methods often limit such assessments. A tiered approach that begins with summing up individual risk quotients, i.e., the ratio between the predicted or measured environmental concentration and the predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) is therefore suggested in this paper, in order to improve the realism of the environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, the use of a mixture-specific assessment factor, as well as the classical mixture toxicity concepts of concentration addition and independent action is explored. Finally, specific attention is given to the exposure-based waiving of environmental risk assessments, as currently implemented in screening or pre-screening phases (tier 0 in Europe, categorical exclusion in the USA), since even low, individually non-toxic concentrations might combine to produce substantial mixture effects.

  2. An analysis of lethal and sublethal interactions among type I and type II pyrethroid pesticide mixtures using standard Hyalella azteca water column toxicity tests.

    PubMed

    Hoffmann, Krista Callinan; Deanovic, Linda; Werner, Inge; Stillway, Marie; Fong, Stephanie; Teh, Swee

    2016-10-01

    A novel 2-tiered analytical approach was used to characterize and quantify interactions between type I and type II pyrethroids in Hyalella azteca using standardized water column toxicity tests. Bifenthrin, permethrin, cyfluthrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin were tested in all possible binary combinations across 6 experiments. All mixtures were analyzed for 4-d lethality, and 2 of the 6 mixtures (permethrin-bifenthrin and permethrin-cyfluthrin) were tested for subchronic 10-d lethality and sublethal effects on swimming motility and growth. Mixtures were initially analyzed for interactions using regression analyses, and subsequently compared with the additive models of concentration addition and independent action to further characterize mixture responses. Negative interactions (antagonistic) were significant in 2 of the 6 mixtures tested, including cyfluthrin-bifenthrin and cyfluthrin-permethrin, but only on the acute 4-d lethality endpoint. In both cases mixture responses fell between the additive models of concentration addition and independent action. All other mixtures were additive across 4-d lethality, and bifenthrin-permethrin and cyfluthrin-permethrin were also additive in terms of subchronic 10-d lethality and sublethal responses. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2542-2549. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

  3. Spectroscopic Analysis of 10MAG/LDAO Reverse Micelles to Determine Characteristic Properties and Behavioral Extrema

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berg, Joshua; Mawson, Cara; Norris, Zach; Nucci, Nathaniel

    Reverse micelles are spontaneously organizing complexes of surfactant that encapsulate a nanoscale pool of water in a bulk non-polar solvent. Reverse micelle (RM) mixtures have a wide range of applications, including biophysical investigation of protein systems. A new RM mixture composed of decyl-1-monoglycerol (10MAG) and lauryldimethylammonium-N-oxide (LDAO) was recently described. This mixture has the potential to prove more widely applicable for use of RMs in applications that involve encapsulation of macromolecules, yet little is known about the phase behavior or size of reverse micelles created by this mixture. Data describing such behaviors for this mixture are presented here. We have used dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the size and partitioning behavior of RMs in varying mixtures of 10MAG, LDAO, water, pentane, and hexanol. These data demonstrate that the 10MAG/LDAO RM mixture exhibits markedly different phase and RM size behavior than that of commonly used RM surfactant mixtures. The implications of these findings for use of the 10MAG/LDAO mix for RM applications will also be addressed. Funding provided by Rowan University.

  4. Heat transfer during condensation of steam from steam-gas mixtures in the passive safety systems of nuclear power plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Portnova, N. M.; Smirnov, Yu B.

    2017-11-01

    A theoretical model for calculation of heat transfer during condensation of multicomponent vapor-gas mixtures on vertical surfaces, based on film theory and heat and mass transfer analogy is proposed. Calculations were performed for the conditions implemented in experimental studies of heat transfer during condensation of steam-gas mixtures in the passive safety systems of PWR-type reactors of different designs. Calculated values of heat transfer coefficients for condensation of steam-air, steam-air-helium and steam-air-hydrogen mixtures at pressures of 0.2 to 0.6 MPa and of steam-nitrogen mixture at the pressures of 0.4 to 2.6 MPa were obtained. The composition of mixtures and vapor-to-surface temperature difference were varied within wide limits. Tube length ranged from 0.65 to 9.79m. The condensation of all steam-gas mixtures took place in a laminar-wave flow mode of condensate film and turbulent free convection in the diffusion boundary layer. The heat transfer coefficients obtained by calculation using the proposed model are in good agreement with the considered experimental data for both the binary and ternary mixtures.

  5. Combining measurements to estimate properties and characterization extent of complex biochemical mixtures; applications to Heparan Sulfate

    PubMed Central

    Pradines, Joël R.; Beccati, Daniela; Lech, Miroslaw; Ozug, Jennifer; Farutin, Victor; Huang, Yongqing; Gunay, Nur Sibel; Capila, Ishan

    2016-01-01

    Complex mixtures of molecular species, such as glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans, have important biological and therapeutic functions. Characterization of these mixtures with analytical chemistry measurements is an important step when developing generic drugs such as biosimilars. Recent developments have focused on analytical methods and statistical approaches to test similarity between mixtures. The question of how much uncertainty on mixture composition is reduced by combining several measurements still remains mostly unexplored. Mathematical frameworks to combine measurements, estimate mixture properties, and quantify remaining uncertainty, i.e. a characterization extent, are introduced here. Constrained optimization and mathematical modeling are applied to a set of twenty-three experimental measurements on heparan sulfate, a mixture of linear chains of disaccharides having different levels of sulfation. While this mixture has potentially over two million molecular species, mathematical modeling and the small set of measurements establish the existence of nonhomogeneity of sulfate level along chains and the presence of abundant sulfate repeats. Constrained optimization yields not only estimations of sulfate repeats and sulfate level at each position in the chains but also bounds on these levels, thereby estimating the extent of characterization of the sulfation pattern which is achieved by the set of measurements. PMID:27112127

  6. Combining measurements to estimate properties and characterization extent of complex biochemical mixtures; applications to Heparan Sulfate.

    PubMed

    Pradines, Joël R; Beccati, Daniela; Lech, Miroslaw; Ozug, Jennifer; Farutin, Victor; Huang, Yongqing; Gunay, Nur Sibel; Capila, Ishan

    2016-04-26

    Complex mixtures of molecular species, such as glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans, have important biological and therapeutic functions. Characterization of these mixtures with analytical chemistry measurements is an important step when developing generic drugs such as biosimilars. Recent developments have focused on analytical methods and statistical approaches to test similarity between mixtures. The question of how much uncertainty on mixture composition is reduced by combining several measurements still remains mostly unexplored. Mathematical frameworks to combine measurements, estimate mixture properties, and quantify remaining uncertainty, i.e. a characterization extent, are introduced here. Constrained optimization and mathematical modeling are applied to a set of twenty-three experimental measurements on heparan sulfate, a mixture of linear chains of disaccharides having different levels of sulfation. While this mixture has potentially over two million molecular species, mathematical modeling and the small set of measurements establish the existence of nonhomogeneity of sulfate level along chains and the presence of abundant sulfate repeats. Constrained optimization yields not only estimations of sulfate repeats and sulfate level at each position in the chains but also bounds on these levels, thereby estimating the extent of characterization of the sulfation pattern which is achieved by the set of measurements.

  7. Combining measurements to estimate properties and characterization extent of complex biochemical mixtures; applications to Heparan Sulfate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pradines, Joël R.; Beccati, Daniela; Lech, Miroslaw; Ozug, Jennifer; Farutin, Victor; Huang, Yongqing; Gunay, Nur Sibel; Capila, Ishan

    2016-04-01

    Complex mixtures of molecular species, such as glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans, have important biological and therapeutic functions. Characterization of these mixtures with analytical chemistry measurements is an important step when developing generic drugs such as biosimilars. Recent developments have focused on analytical methods and statistical approaches to test similarity between mixtures. The question of how much uncertainty on mixture composition is reduced by combining several measurements still remains mostly unexplored. Mathematical frameworks to combine measurements, estimate mixture properties, and quantify remaining uncertainty, i.e. a characterization extent, are introduced here. Constrained optimization and mathematical modeling are applied to a set of twenty-three experimental measurements on heparan sulfate, a mixture of linear chains of disaccharides having different levels of sulfation. While this mixture has potentially over two million molecular species, mathematical modeling and the small set of measurements establish the existence of nonhomogeneity of sulfate level along chains and the presence of abundant sulfate repeats. Constrained optimization yields not only estimations of sulfate repeats and sulfate level at each position in the chains but also bounds on these levels, thereby estimating the extent of characterization of the sulfation pattern which is achieved by the set of measurements.

  8. Changes in Brain Monoamines Underlie Behavioural Disruptions after Zebrafish Diet Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Environmental Mixtures

    PubMed Central

    Vignet, Caroline; Trenkel, Verena M.; Vouillarmet, Annick; Bricca, Giampiero; Bégout, Marie-Laure; Cousin, Xavier

    2017-01-01

    Zebrafish were exposed through diet to two environmentally relevant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) mixtures of contrasted compositions, one of pyrolytic (PY) origin and one from light crude oil (LO). Monoamine concentrations were quantified in the brains of the fish after six month of exposure. A significant decrease in noradrenaline (NA) was observed in fish exposed to both mixtures, while a decrease in serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) was observed only in LO-exposed fish. A decrease in metabolites of 5HT and DA was observed in fish exposed to both mixtures. Several behavioural disruptions were observed that depended on mixtures, and parallels were made with changes in monoamine concentrations. Indeed, we observed an increase in anxiety in fish exposed to both mixtures, which could be related to the decrease in 5HT and/or NA, while disruptions of daily activity rhythms were observed in LO fish, which could be related to the decrease in DA. Taken together, these results showed that (i) chronic exposures to PAHs mixtures disrupted brain monoamine contents, which could underlie behavioural disruptions, and that (ii) the biological responses depended on mixture compositions. PMID:28273853

  9. Increased yield stability of field-grown winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varietal mixtures through ecological processes

    PubMed Central

    Creissen, Henry E.; Jorgensen, Tove H.; Brown, James K.M.

    2016-01-01

    Crop variety mixtures have the potential to increase yield stability in highly variable and unpredictable environments, yet knowledge of the specific mechanisms underlying enhanced yield stability has been limited. Ecological processes in genetically diverse crops were investigated by conducting field trials with winter barley varieties (Hordeum vulgare), grown as monocultures or as three-way mixtures in fungicide treated and untreated plots at three sites. Mixtures achieved yields comparable to the best performing monocultures whilst enhancing yield stability despite being subject to multiple predicted and unpredicted abiotic and biotic stresses including brown rust (Puccinia hordei) and lodging. There was compensation through competitive release because the most competitive variety overyielded in mixtures thereby compensating for less competitive varieties. Facilitation was also identified as an important ecological process within mixtures by reducing lodging. This study indicates that crop varietal mixtures have the capacity to stabilise productivity even when environmental conditions and stresses are not predicted in advance. Varietal mixtures provide a means of increasing crop genetic diversity without the need for extensive breeding efforts. They may confer enhanced resilience to environmental stresses and thus be a desirable component of future cropping systems for sustainable arable farming. PMID:27375312

  10. Two stage catalytic combustor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alvin, Mary Anne (Inventor); Bachovchin, Dennis (Inventor); Smeltzer, Eugene E. (Inventor); Lippert, Thomas E. (Inventor); Bruck, Gerald J. (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    A catalytic combustor (14) includes a first catalytic stage (30), a second catalytic stage (40), and an oxidation completion stage (49). The first catalytic stage receives an oxidizer (e.g., 20) and a fuel (26) and discharges a partially oxidized fuel/oxidizer mixture (36). The second catalytic stage receives the partially oxidized fuel/oxidizer mixture and further oxidizes the mixture. The second catalytic stage may include a passageway (47) for conducting a bypass portion (46) of the mixture past a catalyst (e.g., 41) disposed therein. The second catalytic stage may have an outlet temperature elevated sufficiently to complete oxidation of the mixture without using a separate ignition source. The oxidation completion stage is disposed downstream of the second catalytic stage and may recombine the bypass portion with a catalyst exposed portion (48) of the mixture and complete oxidation of the mixture. The second catalytic stage may also include a reticulated foam support (50), a honeycomb support, a tube support or a plate support.

  11. Thermophysical Properties of Fluid Latent Heat Storage Material using Urea-Water Mixture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hokamura, Taku; Ohkubo, Hidetoshi; Ashizawa, Kiyonori

    This study is concerned with the measurement of thermophysical properties of a urea-water mixture with the aim of adopting the mixture as a latent heat storage material for air-conditioning systems. The urea-water mixture is made of natural substances and has a good fluidity. The urea concentration in the mixture was controlled by measuring the refractive index of the mixture. Being a multi-component substance, a urea-water solution has a liquid-solid co-existent phase on a phase-diagram. Therefore, the liquidus temperature was measured to establish a relationship between the fraction of the solid-phase and temperature. Furthermore, apparent values of specific heat and coefficient of viscosity were measured in the two-phase region where the solid phase is ice. The apparent specific heat and coefficient of viscosity were measure by using an adiabatic calorimeter and a stirring torque meter respectively. The results revealed that the urea-water mixture can probably be used as a latent heat storage material of good fluidity.

  12. Modeling abundance using multinomial N-mixture models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Royle, Andy

    2016-01-01

    Multinomial N-mixture models are a generalization of the binomial N-mixture models described in Chapter 6 to allow for more complex and informative sampling protocols beyond simple counts. Many commonly used protocols such as multiple observer sampling, removal sampling, and capture-recapture produce a multivariate count frequency that has a multinomial distribution and for which multinomial N-mixture models can be developed. Such protocols typically result in more precise estimates than binomial mixture models because they provide direct information about parameters of the observation process. We demonstrate the analysis of these models in BUGS using several distinct formulations that afford great flexibility in the types of models that can be developed, and we demonstrate likelihood analysis using the unmarked package. Spatially stratified capture-recapture models are one class of models that fall into the multinomial N-mixture framework, and we discuss analysis of stratified versions of classical models such as model Mb, Mh and other classes of models that are only possible to describe within the multinomial N-mixture framework.

  13. Applicability study of classical and contemporary models for effective complex permittivity of metal powders.

    PubMed

    Kiley, Erin M; Yakovlev, Vadim V; Ishizaki, Kotaro; Vaucher, Sebastien

    2012-01-01

    Microwave thermal processing of metal powders has recently been a topic of a substantial interest; however, experimental data on the physical properties of mixtures involving metal particles are often unavailable. In this paper, we perform a systematic analysis of classical and contemporary models of complex permittivity of mixtures and discuss the use of these models for determining effective permittivity of dielectric matrices with metal inclusions. Results from various mixture and core-shell mixture models are compared to experimental data for a titanium/stearic acid mixture and a boron nitride/graphite mixture (both obtained through the original measurements), and for a tungsten/Teflon mixture (from literature). We find that for certain experiments, the average error in determining the effective complex permittivity using Lichtenecker's, Maxwell Garnett's, Bruggeman's, Buchelnikov's, and Ignatenko's models is about 10%. This suggests that, for multiphysics computer models describing the processing of metal powder in the full temperature range, input data on effective complex permittivity obtained from direct measurement has, up to now, no substitute.

  14. Maximum likelihood estimation of finite mixture model for economic data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phoong, Seuk-Yen; Ismail, Mohd Tahir

    2014-06-01

    Finite mixture model is a mixture model with finite-dimension. This models are provides a natural representation of heterogeneity in a finite number of latent classes. In addition, finite mixture models also known as latent class models or unsupervised learning models. Recently, maximum likelihood estimation fitted finite mixture models has greatly drawn statistician's attention. The main reason is because maximum likelihood estimation is a powerful statistical method which provides consistent findings as the sample sizes increases to infinity. Thus, the application of maximum likelihood estimation is used to fit finite mixture model in the present paper in order to explore the relationship between nonlinear economic data. In this paper, a two-component normal mixture model is fitted by maximum likelihood estimation in order to investigate the relationship among stock market price and rubber price for sampled countries. Results described that there is a negative effect among rubber price and stock market price for Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia.

  15. A study of finite mixture model: Bayesian approach on financial time series data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phoong, Seuk-Yen; Ismail, Mohd Tahir

    2014-07-01

    Recently, statistician have emphasized on the fitting finite mixture model by using Bayesian method. Finite mixture model is a mixture of distributions in modeling a statistical distribution meanwhile Bayesian method is a statistical method that use to fit the mixture model. Bayesian method is being used widely because it has asymptotic properties which provide remarkable result. In addition, Bayesian method also shows consistency characteristic which means the parameter estimates are close to the predictive distributions. In the present paper, the number of components for mixture model is studied by using Bayesian Information Criterion. Identify the number of component is important because it may lead to an invalid result. Later, the Bayesian method is utilized to fit the k-component mixture model in order to explore the relationship between rubber price and stock market price for Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia. Lastly, the results showed that there is a negative effect among rubber price and stock market price for all selected countries.

  16. Structure investigations on assembled astaxanthin molecules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Köpsel, Christian; Möltgen, Holger; Schuch, Horst; Auweter, Helmut; Kleinermanns, Karl; Martin, Hans-Dieter; Bettermann, Hans

    2005-08-01

    The carotenoid r,r-astaxanthin (3R,3‧R-dihydroxy-4,4‧-diketo-β-carotene) forms different types of aggregates in acetone-water mixtures. H-type aggregates were found in mixtures with a high part of water (e.g. 1:9 acetone-water mixture) whereas two different types of J-aggregates were identified in mixtures with a lower part of water (3:7 acetone-water mixture). These aggregates were characterized by recording UV/vis-absorption spectra, CD-spectra and fluorescence emissions. The sizes of the molecular assemblies were determined by dynamic light scattering experiments. The hydrodynamic diameter of the assemblies amounts 40 nm in 1:9 acetone-water mixtures and exceeds up to 1 μm in 3:7 acetone-water mixtures. Scanning tunneling microscopy monitored astaxanthin aggregates on graphite surfaces. The structure of the H-aggregate was obtained by molecular modeling calculations. The structure was confirmed by calculating the electronic absorption spectrum and the CD-spectrum where the molecular modeling structure was used as input.

  17. Ideal gas solubilities and solubility selectivities in a binary mixture of room-temperature ionic liquids.

    PubMed

    Finotello, Alexia; Bara, Jason E; Narayan, Suguna; Camper, Dean; Noble, Richard D

    2008-02-28

    This study focuses on the solubility behaviors of CO2, CH4, and N2 gases in binary mixtures of imidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C2mim][Tf2N]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C2mim][BF4]) at 40 degrees C and low pressures (approximately 1 atm). The mixtures tested were 0, 25, 50, 75, 90, 95, and 100 mol % [C2mim][BF4] in [C2mim][Tf2N]. Results show that regular solution theory (RST) can be used to describe the gas solubility and selectivity behaviors in RTIL mixtures using an average mixture solubility parameter or an average measured mixture molar volume. Interestingly, the solubility selectivity, defined as the ratio of gas mole fractions in the RTIL mixture, of CO2 with N2 or CH4 in pure [C2mim][BF4] can be enhanced by adding 5 mol % [C2mim][Tf2N].

  18. Optimization of soy isoflavone extraction with different solvents using the simplex-centroid mixture design.

    PubMed

    Yoshiara, Luciane Yuri; Madeira, Tiago Bervelieri; Delaroza, Fernanda; da Silva, Josemeyre Bonifácio; Ida, Elza Iouko

    2012-12-01

    The objective of this study was to optimize the extraction of different isoflavone forms (glycosidic, malonyl-glycosidic, aglycone and total) from defatted cotyledon soy flour using the simplex-centroid experimental design with four solvents of varying polarity (water, acetone, ethanol and acetonitrile). The obtained extracts were then analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The profile of the different soy isoflavones forms varied with different extractions solvents. Varying the solvent or mixture used, the extraction of different isoflavones was optimized using the centroid-simplex mixture design. The special cubic model best fitted to the four solvents and its combination for soy isoflavones extraction. For glycosidic isoflavones extraction, the polar ternary mixture (water, acetone and acetonitrile) achieved the best extraction; malonyl-glycosidic forms were better extracted with mixtures of water, acetone and ethanol. Aglycone isoflavones, water and acetone mixture were best extracted and total isoflavones, the best solvents were ternary mixture of water, acetone and ethanol.

  19. A new hybrid double divisor ratio spectra method for the analysis of ternary mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Youssef, Rasha M.; Maher, Hadir M.

    2008-10-01

    A new spectrophotometric method was developed for the simultaneous determination of ternary mixtures, without prior separation steps. This method is based on convolution of the double divisor ratio spectra, obtained by dividing the absorption spectrum of the ternary mixture by a standard spectrum of two of the three compounds in the mixture, using combined trigonometric Fourier functions. The magnitude of the Fourier function coefficients, at either maximum or minimum points, is related to the concentration of each drug in the mixture. The mathematical explanation of the procedure is illustrated. The method was applied for the assay of a model mixture consisting of isoniazid (ISN), rifampicin (RIF) and pyrazinamide (PYZ) in synthetic mixtures, commercial tablets and human urine samples. The developed method was compared with the double divisor ratio spectra derivative method (DDRD) and derivative ratio spectra-zero-crossing method (DRSZ). Linearity, validation, accuracy, precision, limits of detection, limits of quantitation, and other aspects of analytical validation are included in the text.

  20. Assessment of combined antiandrogenic effects of binary parabens mixtures in a yeast-based reporter assay.

    PubMed

    Ma, Dehua; Chen, Lujun; Zhu, Xiaobiao; Li, Feifei; Liu, Cong; Liu, Rui

    2014-05-01

    To date, toxicological studies of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have typically focused on single chemical exposures and associated effects. However, exposure to EDCs mixtures in the environment is common. Antiandrogens represent a group of EDCs, which draw increasing attention due to their resultant demasculinization and sexual disruption of aquatic organisms. Although there are a number of in vivo and in vitro studies investigating the combined effects of antiandrogen mixtures, these studies are mainly on selected model compounds such as flutamide, procymidone, and vinclozolin. The aim of the present study is to investigate the combined antiandrogenic effects of parabens, which are widely used antiandrogens in industrial and domestic commodities. A yeast-based human androgen receptor (hAR) assay (YAS) was applied to assess the antiandrogenic activities of n-propylparaben (nPrP), iso-propylparaben (iPrP), methylparaben (MeP), and 4-n-pentylphenol (PeP), as well as the binary mixtures of nPrP with each of the other three antiandrogens. All of the four compounds could exhibit antiandrogenic activity via the hAR. A linear interaction model was applied to quantitatively analyze the interaction between nPrP and each of the other three antiandrogens. The isoboles method was modified to show the variation of combined effects as the concentrations of mixed antiandrogens were changed. Graphs were constructed to show isoeffective curves of three binary mixtures based on the fitted linear interaction model and to evaluate the interaction of the mixed antiandrogens (synergism or antagonism). The combined effect of equimolar combinations of the three mixtures was also considered with the nonlinear isoboles method. The main effect parameters and interaction effect parameters in the linear interaction models of the three mixtures were different from zero. The results showed that any two antiandrogens in their binary mixtures tended to exert equal antiandrogenic activity in the linear concentration ranges. The antiandrogenicity of the binary mixture and the concentration of nPrP were fitted to a sigmoidal model if the concentrations of the other antiandrogens (iPrP, MeP, and PeP) in the mixture were lower than the AR saturation concentrations. Some concave isoboles above the additivity line appeared in all the three mixtures. There were some synergistic effects of the binary mixture of nPrP and MeP at low concentrations in the linear concentration ranges. Interesting, when the antiandrogens concentrations approached the saturation, the interaction between chemicals were antagonistic for all the three mixtures tested. When the toxicity of the three mixtures was assessed using nonlinear isoboles, only antagonism was observed for equimolar combinations of nPrP and iPrP as the concentrations were increased from the no-observed-effect-concentration (NOEC) to effective concentration of 80%. In addition, the interactions were changed from synergistic to antagonistic as effective concentrations were increased in the equimolar combinations of nPrP and MeP, as well as nPrP and PeP. The combined effects of three binary antiandrogens mixtures in the linear ranges were successfully evaluated by curve fitting and isoboles. The combined effects of specific binary mixtures varied depending on the concentrations of the chemicals in the mixtures. At low concentrations in the linear concentration ranges, there was synergistic interaction existing in the binary mixture of nPrP and MeP. The interaction tended to be antagonistic as the antiandrogens approached saturation concentrations in mixtures of nPrP with each of the other three antiandrogens. The synergistic interaction was also found in the equimolar combinations of nPrP and MeP, as well as nPrP and PeP, at low concentrations with another method of nonlinear isoboles. The mixture activities of binary antiandrogens had a tendency towards antagonism at high concentrations and synergism at low concentrations.

  1. Combuster. [low nitrogen oxide formation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mckay, R. A. (Inventor)

    1978-01-01

    A combuster is provided for utilizing a combustible mixture containing fuel and air, to heat a load fluid such as water or air, in a manner that minimizes the formation of nitrogen oxide. The combustible mixture passes through a small diameter tube where the mixture is heated to its combustion temperature, while the load fluid flows past the outside of the tube to receive heat. The tube is of a diameter small enough that the combustible mixture cannot form a flame, and yet is not subject to wall quench, so that combustion occurs, but at a temperature less than under free flame conditions. Most of the heat required for heating the combustible mixture to its combustion temperature, is obtained from heat flow through the walls of the pipe to the mixture.

  2. Superfluid and Insulating Phases of Fermion Mixtures in Optical Lattices

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

    Iskin, M.; Sa de Melo, C. A. R.

    2007-08-24

    The ground state phase diagram of fermion mixtures in optical lattices is analyzed as a function of interaction strength, fermion filling factor, and tunneling parameters. In addition to standard superfluid, phase-separated or coexisting superfluid-excess-fermion phases found in homogeneous or harmonically trapped systems, fermions in optical lattices have several insulating phases, including a molecular Bose-Mott insulator (BMI), a Fermi-Pauli (band) insulator (FPI), a phase-separated BMI-FPI mixture or a Bose-Fermi checkerboard (BFC). The molecular BMI phase is the fermion mixture counterpart of the atomic BMI found in atomic Bose systems, the BFC or BMI-FPI phases exist in Bose-Fermi mixtures, and lastly themore » FPI phase is particular to the Fermi nature of the constituent atoms of the mixture.« less

  3. Supercritical separation process for complex organic mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Chum, H.L.; Filardo, G.

    1990-10-23

    A process is disclosed for separating low molecular weight components from complex aqueous organic mixtures. The process includes preparing a separation solution of supercritical carbon dioxide with an effective amount of an entrainer to modify the solvation power of the supercritical carbon dioxide and extract preselected low molecular weight components. The separation solution is maintained at a temperature of at least about 70 C and a pressure of at least about 1,500 psi. The separation solution is then contacted with the organic mixtures while maintaining the temperature and pressure as above until the mixtures and solution reach equilibrium to extract the preselected low molecular weight components from the organic mixtures. Finally, the entrainer/extracted components portion of the equilibrium mixture is isolated from the separation solution. 1 fig.

  4. ZnO-based regenerable sulfur sorbents for fluid-bed/transport reactor applications

    DOEpatents

    Slimane, Rachid B.; Abbasian, Javad; Williams, Brett E.

    2004-09-21

    A method for producing regenerable sulfur sorbents in which a support material precursor is mixed with isopropanol and a first portion of deionized water at an elevated temperature to form a sol mixture. A metal oxide precursor comprising a metal suitable for use as a sulfur sorbent is dissolved in a second portion of deionized water, forming a metal salt solution. The metal salt solution and the sol mixture are mixed with a sol peptizing agent while heating and stirring, resulting in formation of a peptized sol mixture. The metal oxide precursor is dispersed substantially throughout the peptized sol mixture, which is then dried, forming a dry peptized sol mixture. The dry peptized sol mixture is then calcined and the resulting calcined material is then converted to particles.

  5. Optimization of marine waste based-growth media for microbial lipase production using mixture design methodology.

    PubMed

    Sellami, Mohamed; Kedachi, Samiha; Frikha, Fakher; Miled, Nabil; Ben Rebah, Faouzi

    2013-01-01

    Lipase production by Staphylococcus xylosus and Rhizopus oryzae was investigated using a culture medium based on a mixture of synthetic medium and supernatants generated from tuna by-products and Ulva rigida biomass. The proportion of the three medium components was optimized using the simplex-centroid mixture design method (SCMD). Results indicated that the experimental data were in good agreement with predicted values, indicating that SCMD was a reliable method for determining the optimum mixture proportion of the growth medium. Maximal lipase activities of 12.5 and 23.5 IU/mL were obtained with a 50:50 (v:v) mixture of synthetic medium and tuna by-product supernatant for Staphylococcus xylosus and Rhizopus oryzae, respectively. The predicted responses from these mixture proportions were also validated experimentally.

  6. Statistical mixture design selective extraction of compounds with antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content from Trichilia catigua.

    PubMed

    Lonni, Audrey Alesandra Stinghen Garcia; Longhini, Renata; Lopes, Gisely Cristiny; de Mello, João Carlos Palazzo; Scarminio, Ieda Spacino

    2012-03-16

    Statistical design mixtures of water, methanol, acetone and ethanol were used to extract material from Trichilia catigua (Meliaceae) barks to study the effects of different solvents and their mixtures on its yield, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. The experimental results and their response surface models showed that quaternary mixtures with approximately equal proportions of all four solvents provided the highest yields, total polyphenol contents and antioxidant activities of the crude extracts followed by ternary design mixtures. Principal component and hierarchical clustering analysis of the HPLC-DAD spectra of the chromatographic peaks of 1:1:1:1 water-methanol-acetone-ethanol mixture extracts indicate the presence of cinchonains, gallic acid derivatives, natural polyphenols, flavanoids, catechins, and epicatechins. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Phase behaviour of the symmetric binary mixture from thermodynamic perturbation theory.

    PubMed

    Dorsaz, N; Foffi, G

    2010-03-17

    We study the phase behaviour of symmetric binary mixtures of hard core Yukawa (HCY) particles via thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT). We show that all the topologies of phase diagram reported for the symmetric binary mixtures are correctly reproduced within the TPT approach. In a second step we use the capability of TPT to be straightforwardly extended to mixtures that are nonsymmetric in size. Starting from mixtures that belong to the different topologies of symmetric binary mixtures we investigate the effect on the phase behaviour when an asymmetry in the diameters of the two components is introduced. Interestingly, when the energy of interaction between unlike particles is weaker than the interaction between like particles, the propensity for the solution to demix is found to increase strongly with size asymmetry.

  8. Dielectric and spectroscopic study of binary mixture of Acrylonitrile with Chlorobenzene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deshmukh, Snehal D.; Pattebahadur, K. L.; Mohod, A. G.; Undre, P. B.; Patil, S. S.; Khirade, P. W.

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, study of binary mixture of Acrylonitrile (ACN) with Chlorobenzene (CBZ) has been carried out at eleven concentrations at room temperature. The determined Dielectric Constant (ɛ0) Density (ρ) and Refractive index (nD) values of binary mixture are used to calculate the excess properties of mixture over the entire composition range and fitted to the Redlich-Kister equation. From the above parameters, intermolecular interaction and dynamics of molecules of binary mixture at molecular level are discussed. The Conformational analysis of the intermolecular interaction between Acrylonitrile and Chlorobenzene is supported by the FTIR spectra.

  9. Method for producing redox shuttles

    DOEpatents

    Pupek, Krzysztof Z.; Dzwiniel, Trevor L.; Krumdick, Gregory K.

    2015-03-03

    A single step method for producing a redox shuttle having the formula 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-phenylene tetraethyl bis(phosphate) is provided, the method comprising phosphorylating tert butyl hydroquinone with a phosphate-containing reagent. Also provided is method for producing 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-phenylene tetraethyl bis(phosphate), the method comprising solubilizing tert-butyl hydroquinone and tetrabutylammonium bromide with methyltetrahydrofuran to create a mixture; heating the mixture while adding base to the mixture in an amount to turn the mixture orange; and adding diethyl chlorophosphate to the orange mixture in an amount to phosphorylate the hydroquinone.

  10. Synthesis of highly phase pure (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor

    DOEpatents

    Dorris, S.E.; Poeppel, R.B.; Prorok, B.C.; Lanagan, M.T.; Maroni, V.A.

    1994-10-11

    An article and method of manufacture of (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor are disclosed. The superconductor is manufactured by preparing a first powdered mixture of bismuth oxide, lead oxide, strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. A second powdered mixture is then prepared of strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. The mixtures are calcined separately with the two mixtures then combined. The resulting combined mixture is then subjected to a powder in tube deformation and thermal processing to produce a substantially phase pure (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor. 5 figs.

  11. Production and delivery of a fluid mixture to an annular volume of a wellbore

    DOEpatents

    Hermes, Robert E [Los Alamos, NM; Bland, Ronald Gene [Houston, TX; Foley, Ron Lee [Magnolia, TX; Bloys, James B [Katy, TX; Gonzalez, Manuel E [Kingwood, NM; Daniel, John M [Germantown, TN; Robinson, Ian M [Guisborough, GB; Carpenter, Robert B [Tomball, TX

    2012-01-24

    The methods described herein generally relate to preparing and delivering a fluid mixture to a confined volume, specifically an annular volume located between two concentrically oriented casing strings within a hydrocarbon fluid producing well. The fluid mixtures disclosed herein are useful in controlling pressure in localized volumes. The fluid mixtures comprise at least one polymerizable monomer and at least one inhibitor. The processes and methods disclosed herein allow the fluid mixture to be stored, shipped and/or injected into localized volumes, for example, an annular volume defined by concentric well casing strings.

  12. Evaluating forensic DNA mixtures with contributors of different structured ethnic origins: a computer software.

    PubMed

    Hu, Yue-Qing; Fung, Wing K

    2003-08-01

    The effect of a structured population on the likelihood ratio of a DNA mixture has been studied by the current authors and others. In practice, contributors of a DNA mixture may belong to different ethnic/racial origins, a situation especially common in multi-racial countries such as the USA and Singapore. We have developed a computer software which is available on the web for evaluating DNA mixtures in multi-structured populations. The software can deal with various DNA mixture problems that cannot be handled by the methods given in a recent article of Fung and Hu.

  13. Lack of promotional effects of groundwater contaminant mixtures on the induction of preneoplastic foci in rat liver.

    PubMed

    Benjamin, S A; Yang, R S; Tessari, J D; Chubb, L W; Brown, M D; Dean, C E; Keefe, T J

    1999-10-01

    F344 rats were exposed to drinking water mixtures of seven of the most common groundwater contaminants associated with hazardous waste sites [arsenic, benzene, chloroform, chromium, lead, phenol, and trichloroethylene (TCE)] as the full mixture or submixtures of the organic and/or inorganic chemicals. The lowest concentrations (1x) of the individual chemicals were environmentally realistic and below what would be expected to induce significant short-term toxicity. This study was intended to determine if previously reported increases in localized hepatocellular proliferation in response to these chemicals might be correlated with increased risk for hepatocarcinogenesis. Rats were exposed via a drinking water solution to the full seven- chemical mixture (at 1x and 10x concentrations), submixtures of the organic or inorganic chemicals (at 10x concentrations), a mixture of TCE, lead, and chloroform (TLC submixture at 10x and 100x concentrations), or deionized water as a control. The rats were evaluated for promotion of placental glutathione-S-transferase (GST-P) positive preneoplastic liver cell foci after diethylnitrosamine (DEN) initiation and partial hepatectomy. Focus formation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were evaluated after exposure to DEN or saline controls, the chemical mixtures or deionized water controls, or combinations of these treatments. The total number and area of GST-P positive foci in DEN-treated rats exposed to the full seven-chemical mixture was increased as compared with the DEN-water controls, but this was statistically significant only for total focus area in the 1x dose group. In DEN-treated rats, the inorganic or TLC submixtures resulted in a significant reduction in number and area of GST-P positive foci. Focus area also was decreased in the organic submixture-treated group, but not significantly. Hepatocellular proliferation was not significantly changed in the chemical mixture saline groups as compared with the mixture water controls. After DEN treatment, however, cell proliferation was significantly decreased after the 10x seven-chemical and organic mixture treatments and the 100x TLC mixture treatment. Different groups showed either increased or decreased apoptotic rates which did not correlate well with proliferation rates or focus formation. Mixtures of these seven chemicals, therefore, did not appear to act as promoters of hepatic foci at environmentally relevant concentrations, and some mixture combinations appeared to decrease promotional activity.

  14. Chemical Mixture Risk Assessment Additivity-Based Approaches

    EPA Science Inventory

    Powerpoint presentation includes additivity-based chemical mixture risk assessment methods. Basic concepts, theory and example calculations are included. Several slides discuss the use of "common adverse outcomes" in analyzing phthalate mixtures.

  15. 33 CFR 155.330 - Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel oil tank ballast water discharges on U.S. non-oceangoing ships.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel... MATERIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS FOR VESSELS Vessel Equipment § 155.330 Oily mixture (bilge slops.... (b) A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil...

  16. 33 CFR 155.330 - Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel oil tank ballast water discharges on U.S. non-oceangoing ships.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel... MATERIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS FOR VESSELS Vessel Equipment § 155.330 Oily mixture (bilge slops.... (b) A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil...

  17. 33 CFR 155.330 - Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel oil tank ballast water discharges on U.S. non-oceangoing ships.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel... MATERIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS FOR VESSELS Vessel Equipment § 155.330 Oily mixture (bilge slops.... (b) A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil...

  18. 33 CFR 155.330 - Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel oil tank ballast water discharges on U.S. non-oceangoing ships.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel... MATERIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS FOR VESSELS Vessel Equipment § 155.330 Oily mixture (bilge slops.... (b) A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil...

  19. Simultaneous resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization and electron avalanche ionization in gas mixtures

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

    Shneider, Mikhail N.; Zhang Zhili; Miles, Richard B.

    2008-07-15

    Resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) and electron avalanche ionization (EAI) are measured simultaneously in Ar:Xe mixtures at different partial pressures of mixture components. A simple theory for combined REMPI+EAI in gas mixture is developed. It is shown that the REMPI electrons seed the avalanche process, and thus the avalanche process amplifies the REMPI signal. Possible applications are discussed.

  20. 21 CFR 102.37 - Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil. 102... for Specific Nonstandardized Foods § 102.37 Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil. The common or usual name of a mixture of edible fats and oils containing less than 100 percent and more than 0 percent...

  1. 21 CFR 102.37 - Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil. 102... for Specific Nonstandardized Foods § 102.37 Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil. The common or usual name of a mixture of edible fats and oils containing less than 100 percent and more than 0 percent...

  2. 21 CFR 102.37 - Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil. 102... for Specific Nonstandardized Foods § 102.37 Mixtures of edible fat or oil and olive oil. The common or usual name of a mixture of edible fats and oils containing less than 100 percent and more than 0 percent...

  3. Toxicological responses of environmental mixtures: Environmental metal mixtures display synergistic induction of metal-responsive and oxidative stress genes in placental cells

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

    Adebambo, Oluwadamilare A.; Ray, Paul D.; Shea, Damian

    Exposure to elevated levels of the toxic metals inorganic arsenic (iAs) and cadmium (Cd) represents a major global health problem. These metals often occur as mixtures in the environment, creating the potential for interactive or synergistic biological effects different from those observed in single exposure conditions. In the present study, environmental mixtures collected from two waste sites in China and comparable mixtures prepared in the laboratory were tested for toxicogenomic response in placental JEG-3 cells. These cells serve as a model for evaluating cellular responses to exposures during pregnancy. One of the mixtures was predominated by iAs and one bymore » Cd. Six gene biomarkers were measured in order to evaluate the effects from the metal mixtures using dose and time-course experiments including: heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and metallothionein isoforms (MT1A, MT1F and MT1G) previously shown to be preferentially induced by exposure to either iAs or Cd, and metal transporter genes aquaporin-9 (AQP9) and ATPase, Cu{sup 2+} transporting, beta polypeptide (ATP7B). There was a significant increase in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7B, HO-1, MT1A, MT1F, and MT1G in mixture-treated cells compared to the iAs or Cd only-treated cells. Notably, the genomic responses were observed at concentrations significantly lower than levels found at the environmental collection sites. These data demonstrate that metal mixtures increase the expression of gene biomarkers in placental JEG-3 cells in a synergistic manner. Taken together, the data suggest that toxic metals that co-occur may induce detrimental health effects that are currently underestimated when analyzed as single metals. - Highlights: • Toxicogenomic responses of environmental metal mixtures assessed • Induction of ATP7B, HO-1, MT1A, MT1F and MT1G by metal mixtures observed in placental cells • Higher gene induction in response to metal mixtures versus single metal treatments.« less

  4. Evaluation and improvement of micro-surfacing mix design method and modelling of asphalt emulsion mastic in terms of filler-emulsion interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robati, Masoud

    This Doctorate program focuses on the evaluation and improving the rutting resistance of micro-surfacing mixtures. There are many research problems related to the rutting resistance of micro-surfacing mixtures that still require further research to be solved. The main objective of this Ph.D. program is to experimentally and analytically study and improve rutting resistance of micro-surfacing mixtures. During this Ph.D. program major aspects related to the rutting resistance of micro-surfacing mixtures are investigated and presented as follow: 1) evaluation of a modification of current micro-surfacing mix design procedures: On the basis of this effort, a new mix design procedure is proposed for type III micro-surfacing mixtures as rut-fill materials on the road surface. Unlike the current mix design guidelines and specification, the new mix design is capable of selecting the optimum mix proportions for micro-surfacing mixtures; 2) evaluation of test methods and selection of aggregate grading for type III application of micro-surfacing: Within the term of this study, a new specification for selection of aggregate grading for type III application of micro-surfacing is proposed; 3) evaluation of repeatability and reproducibility of micro-surfacing mixture design tests: In this study, limits for repeatability and reproducibility of micro-surfacing mix design tests are presented; 4) a new conceptual model for filler stiffening effect on asphalt mastic of micro-surfacing: A new model is proposed, which is able to establish limits for minimum and maximum filler concentrations in the micro-surfacing mixture base on only the filler important physical and chemical properties; 5) incorporation of reclaimed asphalt pavement and post-fabrication asphalt shingles in micro-surfacing mixture: The effectiveness of newly developed mix design procedure for micro-surfacing mixtures is further validated using recycled materials. The results present the limits for the use of RAP and RAS amount in micro-surfacing mixtures; 6) new colored micro-surfacing formulations with improved durability and performance: The significant improvement of around 45% in rutting resistance of colored and conventional micro-surfacing mixtures is achieved through employing low penetration grade bitumen polymer modified asphalt emulsion stabilized using nanoparticles.

  5. Accounting for non-independent detection when estimating abundance of organisms with a Bayesian approach

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Martin, Julien; Royle, J. Andrew; MacKenzie, Darryl I.; Edwards, Holly H.; Kery, Marc; Gardner, Beth

    2011-01-01

    Summary 1. Binomial mixture models use repeated count data to estimate abundance. They are becoming increasingly popular because they provide a simple and cost-effective way to account for imperfect detection. However, these models assume that individuals are detected independently of each other. This assumption may often be violated in the field. For instance, manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) may surface in turbid water (i.e. become available for detection during aerial surveys) in a correlated manner (i.e. in groups). However, correlated behaviour, affecting the non-independence of individual detections, may also be relevant in other systems (e.g. correlated patterns of singing in birds and amphibians). 2. We extend binomial mixture models to account for correlated behaviour and therefore to account for non-independent detection of individuals. We simulated correlated behaviour using beta-binomial random variables. Our approach can be used to simultaneously estimate abundance, detection probability and a correlation parameter. 3. Fitting binomial mixture models to data that followed a beta-binomial distribution resulted in an overestimation of abundance even for moderate levels of correlation. In contrast, the beta-binomial mixture model performed considerably better in our simulation scenarios. We also present a goodness-of-fit procedure to evaluate the fit of beta-binomial mixture models. 4. We illustrate our approach by fitting both binomial and beta-binomial mixture models to aerial survey data of manatees in Florida. We found that the binomial mixture model did not fit the data, whereas there was no evidence of lack of fit for the beta-binomial mixture model. This example helps illustrate the importance of using simulations and assessing goodness-of-fit when analysing ecological data with N-mixture models. Indeed, both the simulations and the goodness-of-fit procedure highlighted the limitations of the standard binomial mixture model for aerial manatee surveys. 5. Overestimation of abundance by binomial mixture models owing to non-independent detections is problematic for ecological studies, but also for conservation. For example, in the case of endangered species, it could lead to inappropriate management decisions, such as downlisting. These issues will be increasingly relevant as more ecologists apply flexible N-mixture models to ecological data.

  6. Weed suppression greatly increased by plant diversity in intensively managed grasslands: A continental-scale experiment.

    PubMed

    Connolly, John; Sebastià, Maria-Teresa; Kirwan, Laura; Finn, John Anthony; Llurba, Rosa; Suter, Matthias; Collins, Rosemary P; Porqueddu, Claudio; Helgadóttir, Áslaug; Baadshaug, Ole H; Bélanger, Gilles; Black, Alistair; Brophy, Caroline; Čop, Jure; Dalmannsdóttir, Sigridur; Delgado, Ignacio; Elgersma, Anjo; Fothergill, Michael; Frankow-Lindberg, Bodil E; Ghesquiere, An; Golinski, Piotr; Grieu, Philippe; Gustavsson, Anne-Maj; Höglind, Mats; Huguenin-Elie, Olivier; Jørgensen, Marit; Kadziuliene, Zydre; Lunnan, Tor; Nykanen-Kurki, Paivi; Ribas, Angela; Taube, Friedhelm; Thumm, Ulrich; De Vliegher, Alex; Lüscher, Andreas

    2018-03-01

    Grassland diversity can support sustainable intensification of grassland production through increased yields, reduced inputs and limited weed invasion. We report the effects of diversity on weed suppression from 3 years of a 31-site continental-scale field experiment.At each site, 15 grassland communities comprising four monocultures and 11 four-species mixtures based on a wide range of species' proportions were sown at two densities and managed by cutting. Forage species were selected according to two crossed functional traits, "method of nitrogen acquisition" and "pattern of temporal development".Across sites, years and sown densities, annual weed biomass in mixtures and monocultures was 0.5 and 2.0 t  DM ha -1 (7% and 33% of total biomass respectively). Over 95% of mixtures had weed biomass lower than the average of monocultures, and in two-thirds of cases, lower than in the most suppressive monoculture (transgressive suppression). Suppression was significantly transgressive for 58% of site-years. Transgressive suppression by mixtures was maintained across years, independent of site productivity.Based on models, average weed biomass in mixture over the whole experiment was 52% less (95% confidence interval: 30%-75%) than in the most suppressive monoculture. Transgressive suppression of weed biomass was significant at each year across all mixtures and for each mixture.Weed biomass was consistently low across all mixtures and years and was in some cases significantly but not largely different from that in the equiproportional mixture. The average variability (standard deviation) of annual weed biomass within a site was much lower for mixtures (0.42) than for monocultures (1.77). Synthesis and applications . Weed invasion can be diminished through a combination of forage species selected for complementarity and persistence traits in systems designed to reduce reliance on fertiliser nitrogen. In this study, effects of diversity on weed suppression were consistently strong across mixtures varying widely in species' proportions and over time. The level of weed biomass did not vary greatly across mixtures varying widely in proportions of sown species. These diversity benefits in intensively managed grasslands are relevant for the sustainable intensification of agriculture and, importantly, are achievable through practical farm-scale actions.

  7. Development and validation of a metal mixture bioavailability model (MMBM) to predict chronic toxicity of Ni-Zn-Pb mixtures to Ceriodaphnia dubia.

    PubMed

    Nys, Charlotte; Janssen, Colin R; De Schamphelaere, Karel A C

    2017-01-01

    Recently, several bioavailability-based models have been shown to predict acute metal mixture toxicity with reasonable accuracy. However, the application of such models to chronic mixture toxicity is less well established. Therefore, we developed in the present study a chronic metal mixture bioavailability model (MMBM) by combining the existing chronic daphnid bioavailability models for Ni, Zn, and Pb with the independent action (IA) model, assuming strict non-interaction between the metals for binding at the metal-specific biotic ligand sites. To evaluate the predictive capacity of the MMBM, chronic (7d) reproductive toxicity of Ni-Zn-Pb mixtures to Ceriodaphnia dubia was investigated in four different natural waters (pH range: 7-8; Ca range: 1-2 mM; Dissolved Organic Carbon range: 5-12 mg/L). In each water, mixture toxicity was investigated at equitoxic metal concentration ratios as well as at environmental (i.e. realistic) metal concentration ratios. Statistical analysis of mixture effects revealed that observed interactive effects depended on the metal concentration ratio investigated when evaluated relative to the concentration addition (CA) model, but not when evaluated relative to the IA model. This indicates that interactive effects observed in an equitoxic experimental design cannot always be simply extrapolated to environmentally realistic exposure situations. Generally, the IA model predicted Ni-Zn-Pb mixture toxicity more accurately than the CA model. Overall, the MMBM predicted Ni-Zn-Pb mixture toxicity (expressed as % reproductive inhibition relative to a control) in 85% of the treatments with less than 20% error. Moreover, the MMBM predicted chronic toxicity of the ternary Ni-Zn-Pb mixture at least equally accurately as the toxicity of the individual metal treatments (RMSE Mix  = 16; RMSE Zn only  = 18; RMSE Ni only  = 17; RMSE Pb only  = 23). Based on the present study, we believe MMBMs can be a promising tool to account for the effects of water chemistry on metal mixture toxicity during chronic exposure and could be used in metal risk assessment frameworks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The Predatory Mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Does Not Perceive Odor Mixtures As Strictly Elemental Objects

    PubMed Central

    de Bruijn, Paulien J. A.; Sabelis, Maurice W.

    2010-01-01

    Phytoseiulus persimilis is a predatory mite that in absence of vision relies on the detection of herbivore-induced plant odors to locate its prey, the two-spotted spider-mite Tetranychus urticae. This herbivorous prey is feeding on leaves of a wide variety of plant species in different families. The predatory mites respond to numerous structurally different compounds. However, typical spider-mite induced plant compounds do not attract more predatory mites than plant compounds not associated with prey. Because the mites are sensitive to many compounds, components of odor mixtures may affect each other’s perception. Although the response to pure compounds has been well documented, little is known how interactions among compounds affect the response to odor mixtures. We assessed the relation between the mites’ responses elicited by simple mixtures of two compounds and by the single components of these mixtures. The preference for the mixture was compared to predictions under three conceptual models, each based on one of the following assumptions: (1) the responses elicited by each of the individual components can be added to each other; (2) they can be averaged; or (3) one response overshadows the other. The observed response differed significantly from the response predicted under the additive response, average response, and overshadowing response model in 52, 36, and 32% of the experimental tests, respectively. Moreover, the behavioral responses elicited by individual compounds and their binary mixtures were determined as a function of the odor concentration. The relative contribution of each component to the behavioral response elicited by the mixture varied with the odor concentration, even though the ratio of both compounds in the mixture was kept constant. Our experiments revealed that compounds that elicited no response had an effect on the response elicited by binary mixtures that they were part of. The results are not consistent with the hypothesis that P. persimilis perceives odor mixtures as a collection of strictly elemental objects. They suggest that odor mixtures rather are perceived as one synthetic whole. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10886-010-9858-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:20872172

  9. Changes in the Abundance of Grassland Species in Monocultures versus Mixtures and Their Relation to Biodiversity Effects

    PubMed Central

    Marquard, Elisabeth; Schmid, Bernhard; Roscher, Christiane; De Luca, Enrica; Nadrowski, Karin; Weisser, Wolfgang W.; Weigelt, Alexandra

    2013-01-01

    Numerous studies have reported positive effects of species richness on plant community productivity. Such biodiversity effects are usually quantified by comparing the performance of plant mixtures with reference monocultures. However, several mechanisms, such as the lack of resource complementarity and facilitation or the accumulation of detrimental agents, suggest that monocultures are more likely than mixtures to deteriorate over time. Increasing biodiversity effects over time could therefore result from declining monocultures instead of reflecting increases in the functioning of mixtures. Commonly, the latter is assumed when positive trends in biodiversity effects occur. Here, we analysed the performance of 60 grassland species growing in monocultures and mixtures over 9 years in a biodiversity experiment to clarify whether their temporal biomass dynamics differed and whether a potential decline of monocultures contributed significantly to the positive net biodiversity effect observed. Surprisingly, individual species’ populations produced, on average, significantly more biomass per unit area when growing in monoculture than when growing in mixture. Over time, productivity of species decreased at a rate that was, on average, slightly more negative in monocultures than in mixtures. The mean net biodiversity effect across all mixtures was continuously positive and ranged between 64–217 g per m2. Short-term increases in the mean net biodiversity effect were only partly due to deteriorating monocultures and were strongly affected by particular species gaining dominance in mixtures in the respective years. We conclude that our species performed, on average, comparably in monocultures and mixtures; monoculture populations being slightly more productive than mixture populations but this trend decreased over time. This suggested that negative feedbacks had not yet affected monocultures strongly but could potentially become more evident in the future. Positive biodiversity effects on aboveground productivity were heavily driven by a small, but changing, set of species that behaved differently from the average species. PMID:24098704

  10. The potential of three different PCR-related approaches for the authentication of mixtures of herbal substances and finished herbal medicinal products.

    PubMed

    Doganay-Knapp, Kirsten; Orland, Annika; König, Gabriele M; Knöss, Werner

    2018-04-01

    Herbal substances and preparations thereof play an important role in healthcare systems worldwide. Due to the variety of these products regarding origin, composition and processing procedures, appropriate methodologies for quality assessment need to be considered. A majority of herbal substances is administered as multicomponent mixtures, especially in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine and ayurvedic medicine, but also in finished medicinal products. Quality assessment of complex mixtures of herbal substances with conventional methods is challenging. Thus, emphasis of the present work was directed on the development of complementary methods to elucidate the composition of mixtures of herbal substances and finished herbal medicinal products. An indispensable prerequisite for the safe and effective use of herbal medicines is the unequivocal authentication of the medicinal plants used therein. In this context, we investigated the potential of three different PCR-related methods in the characterization and authentication of herbal substances. A multiplex PCR assay and a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay were established to analyze defined mixtures of the herbal substances Quercus cortex, Juglandis folium, Aristolochiae herba, Matricariae flos and Salviae miltiorrhizae radix et rhizoma and a finished herbal medicinal product. Furthermore, a standard cloning approach using universal primers targeting the ITS region was established in order to allow the investigation of herbal mixtures with unknown content. The cloning approach had some limitations regarding the detection/recovery of the components in defined mixtures of herbal substances, but the complementary use of two sets of universal primer pairs increased the detection of components out of the mixture. While the multiplex PCR did not retrace all components in the defined mixtures of herbal substances, the established qPCR resulted in simultaneous and specific detection of the five target sequences in all defined mixtures. These data indicate that for authentication purposes, complementary PCR-related methods are highly recommendable for the analysis of herbal mixtures in parallel. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  11. PACE: Probabilistic Assessment for Contributor Estimation- A machine learning-based assessment of the number of contributors in DNA mixtures.

    PubMed

    Marciano, Michael A; Adelman, Jonathan D

    2017-03-01

    The deconvolution of DNA mixtures remains one of the most critical challenges in the field of forensic DNA analysis. In addition, of all the data features required to perform such deconvolution, the number of contributors in the sample is widely considered the most important, and, if incorrectly chosen, the most likely to negatively influence the mixture interpretation of a DNA profile. Unfortunately, most current approaches to mixture deconvolution require the assumption that the number of contributors is known by the analyst, an assumption that can prove to be especially faulty when faced with increasingly complex mixtures of 3 or more contributors. In this study, we propose a probabilistic approach for estimating the number of contributors in a DNA mixture that leverages the strengths of machine learning. To assess this approach, we compare classification performances of six machine learning algorithms and evaluate the model from the top-performing algorithm against the current state of the art in the field of contributor number classification. Overall results show over 98% accuracy in identifying the number of contributors in a DNA mixture of up to 4 contributors. Comparative results showed 3-person mixtures had a classification accuracy improvement of over 6% compared to the current best-in-field methodology, and that 4-person mixtures had a classification accuracy improvement of over 20%. The Probabilistic Assessment for Contributor Estimation (PACE) also accomplishes classification of mixtures of up to 4 contributors in less than 1s using a standard laptop or desktop computer. Considering the high classification accuracy rates, as well as the significant time commitment required by the current state of the art model versus seconds required by a machine learning-derived model, the approach described herein provides a promising means of estimating the number of contributors and, subsequently, will lead to improved DNA mixture interpretation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Toxicity effects of an environmental realistic herbicide mixture on the seagrass Zostera noltei.

    PubMed

    Diepens, Noël J; Buffan-Dubau, Evelyne; Budzinski, Hélène; Kallerhoff, Jean; Merlina, Georges; Silvestre, Jérome; Auby, Isabelle; Nathalie Tapie; Elger, Arnaud

    2017-03-01

    Worldwide seagrass declines have been observed due to multiple stressors. One of them is the mixture of pesticides used in intensive agriculture and boat antifouling paints in coastal areas. Effects of mixture toxicity are complex and poorly understood. However, consideration of mixture toxicity is more realistic and ecologically relevant for environmental risk assessment (ERA). The first aim of this study was to determine short-term effects of realistic herbicide mixture exposure on physiological endpoints of Zostera noltei. The second aim was to assess the environmental risks of this mixture, by comparing the results to previously published data. Z. noltei was exposed to a mixture of four herbicides: atrazine, diuron, irgarol and S-metolachlor, simulating the composition of typical cocktail of contaminants in the Arcachon bay (Atlantic coast, France). Three stress biomarkers were measured: enzymatic activity of glutathione reductase, effective quantum yield (EQY) and photosynthetic pigment composition after 6, 24 and 96 h. Short term exposure to realistic herbicide mixtures affected EQY, with almost 100% inhibition for the two highest concentrations, and photosynthetic pigments. Effect on pigment composition was detected after 6 h with a no observed effect concentration (NOEC) of 1 μg/L total mixture concentration. The lowest EQY effect concentration at 10% (EC 10 ) (2 μg/L) and pigment composition NOEC with an assessment factor of 10 were above the maximal field concentrations along the French Atlantic coast, suggesting that there are no potential short term adverse effects of this particular mixture on Z. noltei. However, chronic effects on photosynthesis may lead to reduced energy reserves, which could thus lead to effects at whole plant and population level. Understanding the consequences of chemical mixtures could help to improve ERA and enhance management strategies to prevent further declines of seagrass meadows worldwide. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Changes in the abundance of grassland species in monocultures versus mixtures and their relation to biodiversity effects.

    PubMed

    Marquard, Elisabeth; Schmid, Bernhard; Roscher, Christiane; De Luca, Enrica; Nadrowski, Karin; Weisser, Wolfgang W; Weigelt, Alexandra

    2013-01-01

    Numerous studies have reported positive effects of species richness on plant community productivity. Such biodiversity effects are usually quantified by comparing the performance of plant mixtures with reference monocultures. However, several mechanisms, such as the lack of resource complementarity and facilitation or the accumulation of detrimental agents, suggest that monocultures are more likely than mixtures to deteriorate over time. Increasing biodiversity effects over time could therefore result from declining monocultures instead of reflecting increases in the functioning of mixtures. Commonly, the latter is assumed when positive trends in biodiversity effects occur. Here, we analysed the performance of 60 grassland species growing in monocultures and mixtures over 9 years in a biodiversity experiment to clarify whether their temporal biomass dynamics differed and whether a potential decline of monocultures contributed significantly to the positive net biodiversity effect observed. Surprisingly, individual species' populations produced, on average, significantly more biomass per unit area when growing in monoculture than when growing in mixture. Over time, productivity of species decreased at a rate that was, on average, slightly more negative in monocultures than in mixtures. The mean net biodiversity effect across all mixtures was continuously positive and ranged between 64-217 g per m(2). Short-term increases in the mean net biodiversity effect were only partly due to deteriorating monocultures and were strongly affected by particular species gaining dominance in mixtures in the respective years. We conclude that our species performed, on average, comparably in monocultures and mixtures; monoculture populations being slightly more productive than mixture populations but this trend decreased over time. This suggested that negative feedbacks had not yet affected monocultures strongly but could potentially become more evident in the future. Positive biodiversity effects on aboveground productivity were heavily driven by a small, but changing, set of species that behaved differently from the average species.

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

    Perera, Aurélien; Mazighi, Redha

    Computer simulation studies of aqueous dimethyl sulfoxyde (DMSO) mixtures show micro-heterogeneous structures, just like aqueous alcohol mixtures. However, there is a marked difference in the aggregate structure of water between the two types of systems. While water molecules form multiconnected globular clusters in alcohols, we report herein that the typical water aggregates in aqueous DMSO mixtures are linear, favouring a 2 hydrogen bond structure per water molecule, and for all DMSO mole fractions ranging from 0.1 to 0.9. This linear-aggregate structure produces a particular signature in the water site-site structure factors, in the form of a pre-peak at k ≈more » 0.2–0.8 Å{sup −1}, depending on DMSO concentration. This pre-peak is either absent in other aqueous mixtures, such as aqueous methanol mixtures, or very difficult to see through computer simulations, such as in aqueous-t-butanol mixtures. This difference in the topology of the aggregates explains why the Kirkwood-Buff integrals of aqueous-DMSO mixture look nearly ideal, in contrast with those of aqueous alcohol mixtures, suggesting a connection between the shape of the water aggregates, its fluctuations, and the concentration fluctuations. In order to further study this discrepancy between aqueous DMSO and aqueous alcohol mixture, two models of pseudo-DMSO are introduced, where the size of the sulfur atom is increased by a factor 1.6 and 1.7, respectively, hence increasing the hydrophobicity of the molecule. The study shows that these mixtures become closer to the emulsion type seen in aqueous alcohol mixtures, with more globular clustering of the water molecules, long range domain oscillations in the water-water correlations and increased water-water Kirkwood-Buff integrals. It demonstrates that the local ordering of the water molecules is influenced by the nature of the solute molecules, with very different consequences for structural properties and related thermodynamic quantities. This study illustrates the unique plasticity of water in presence of different types of solutes.« less

  15. Effects of short-term exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of different pharmaceutical mixtures on the immune response of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis.

    PubMed

    Gust, M; Fortier, M; Garric, J; Fournier, M; Gagné, F

    2013-02-15

    Pharmaceuticals are pollutants of potential concern in the aquatic environment where they are commonly introduced as complex mixtures via municipal effluents. Many reports underline the effects of pharmaceuticals on immune system of non target species. Four drug mixtures were tested, and regrouped pharmaceuticals by main therapeutic use: psychiatric (venlafaxine, carbamazepine, diazepam), antibiotic (ciprofloxacine, erythromycin, novobiocin, oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim), hypolipemic (atorvastatin, gemfibrozil, benzafibrate) and antihypertensive (atenolol, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril). Their effects were then compared with a treated municipal effluent known for its contamination, and its effects on the immune response of Lymnaea stagnalis. Adult L. stagnalis were exposed for 3 days to an environmentally relevant concentration of the four mixtures individually and as a global mixture. Effects on immunocompetence (hemocyte viability and count, ROS and thiol levels, phagocytosis) and gene expression were related to the immune response and oxidative stress: catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), Selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGPx), two isoforms of the nitric oxide synthetase gene (NOS1 and NOS2), molluscan defensive molecule (MDM), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF) and heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70). Immunocompetence was differently affected by the therapeutic class mixtures compared to the global mixture, which increased hemocyte count, ROS levels and phagocytosis, and decreased intracellular thiol levels. TLR4 gene expression was the most strongly increased, especially by psychiatric mixture (19-fold), while AIF-1, GR and CAT genes were downregulated. A decision tree analysis revealed that the immunotoxic responses caused by the municipal effluent were comparable to those obtained with the global pharmaceutical mixture, and the latter shared similarity with the antibiotic mixture. This suggests that pharmaceutical mixtures in municipal effluents represent a risk for gastropods at the immunocompetence levels and the antibiotic group could represent a model therapeutic class for municipal effluent toxicity studies in L. stagnalis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. REFLEAK: NIST Leak/Recharge Simulation Program for Refrigerant Mixtures

    National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

    SRD 73 NIST REFLEAK: NIST Leak/Recharge Simulation Program for Refrigerant Mixtures (PC database for purchase)   REFLEAK estimates composition changes of zeotropic mixtures in leak and recharge processes.

  17. Evidence for Dose-Additive Effects of Pyrethroids on Motor Activity in Rats

    PubMed Central

    Wolansky, Marcelo J.; Gennings, Chris; DeVito, Michael J.; Crofton, Kevin M.

    2009-01-01

    Background Pyrethroids are neurotoxic insecticides used in a variety of indoor and outdoor applications. Previous research characterized the acute dose–effect functions for 11 pyrethroids administered orally in corn oil (1 mL/kg) based on assessment of motor activity. Objectives We used a mixture of these 11 pyrethroids and the same testing paradigm used in single-compound assays to test the hypothesis that cumulative neurotoxic effects of pyrethroid mixtures can be predicted using the default dose–addition theory. Methods Mixing ratios of the 11 pyrethroids in the tested mixture were based on the ED30 (effective dose that produces a 30% decrease in response) of the individual chemical (i.e., the mixture comprised equipotent amounts of each pyrethroid). The highest concentration of each individual chemical in the mixture was less than the threshold for inducing behavioral effects. Adult male rats received acute oral exposure to corn oil (control) or dilutions of the stock mixture solution. The mixture of 11 pyrethroids was administered either simultaneously (2 hr before testing) or after a sequence based on times of peak effect for the individual chemicals (4, 2, and 1 hr before testing). A threshold additivity model was fit to the single-chemical data to predict the theoretical dose–effect relationship for the mixture under the assumption of dose additivity. Results When subthreshold doses of individual chemicals were combined in the mixtures, we found significant dose-related decreases in motor activity. Further, we found no departure from the predicted dose-additive curve regardless of the mixture dosing protocol used. Conclusion In this article we present the first in vivo evidence on pyrethroid cumulative effects supporting the default assumption of dose addition. PMID:20019907

  18. Exploring the Potential of Mesquite Gum-Nopal Mucilage Mixtures: Physicochemical and Functional Properties.

    PubMed

    Cortés-Camargo, Stefani; Gallardo-Rivera, Raquel; Barragán-Huerta, Blanca E; Dublán-García, Octavio; Román-Guerrero, Angélica; Pérez-Alonso, César

    2018-01-01

    In this work the physicochemical and functional properties of mesquite gum (MG) and nopal mucilage (NM) mixtures (75-25, 50-50, 25-75) were evaluated and compared with those of the individual biopolymers. MG-NM mixtures exhibited more negative zeta potential (ZP) values than those displayed by MG and NM, with 75-25 MG-NM showing the most negative value (-14.92 mV at pH = 7.0), indicative that this biopolymer mixture had the highest electrostatic stability in aqueous dispersions. Viscosity curves and strain amplitude sweep of aqueous dispersions (30% w/w) of the individual gums and their mixtures revealed that all exhibited shear thinning behavior, with NM having higher viscosity than MG, and all displaying fluid-like viscoelastic behavior where the loss modulus predominated over the storage modulus (G″>G'). Differential Scanning Calorimetry revealed that MG, NM, and MG-NM mixtures were thermally stable with decomposition peaks in a range from 303.1 to 319.6 °C. From the functional properties viewpoint, MG (98.4 ± 0.7%) had better emulsifying capacity than NM (51.9 ± 2.0%), while NM (43.0 ± 1.4%) had better foaming capacity than MG. MG-NM mixtures acquired additional functional properties (emulsifying and foaming) regarding the individual biopolymers. Therefore, MG-NM mixtures represent interesting alternatives for their application as emulsifying and foaming agents in food formulations. Mesquite gum (MG) and nopal mucilage (NM) are promising raw materials with excellent functional properties whose use has been largely neglected by the food industry. This work demonstrates MG-NM mixtures acquired additional functional properties regarding the individual biopolymers, making these mixtures multifunctional ingredients for the food industry. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  19. Hazard evaluation of inorganics, singly and in mixtures, to Flannelmouth Sucker Catostomus latipinnis in the San Juan River, New Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hamilton, S.J.; Buhl, K.J.

    1997-01-01

    Larval flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis) were exposed to arsenate, boron, copper, molybdenum, selenate, selenite, uranium, vanadium, and zinc singly, and to five mixtures of five to nine inorganics. The exposures were conducted in reconstituted water representative of the San Juan River near Shiprock, New Mexico. The mixtures simulated environmental ratios reported for sites along the San Juan River (San Juan River backwater, Fruitland marsh, Hogback East Drain, Mancos River, and McElmo Creek). The rank order of the individual inorganics, from most to least toxic, was: copper > zinc > vanadium > selenite > selenate > arsenate > uranium > boron > molybdenum. All five mixtures exhibited additive toxicity to flannelmouth sucker. In a limited number of tests, 44-day-old and 13-day-old larvae exhibited no difference in sensitivity to three mixtures. Copper was the major toxic component in four mixtures (San Juan backwater, Hogback East Drain, Mancos River, and McElmo Creek), whereas zinc was the major toxic component in the Fruitland marsh mixture, which did not contain copper. The Hogback East Drain was the most toxic mixture tested. Comparison of 96-h LC50values with reported environmental water concentrations from the San Juan River revealed low hazard ratios for arsenic, boron, molybdenum, selenate, selenite, uranium, and vanadium, moderate hazard ratios for zinc and the Fruitland marsh mixture, and high hazard ratios for copper at three sites and four environmental mixtures representing a San Juan backwater, Hogback East Drain, Mancos River, and McElmo Creek. The high hazard ratios suggest that inorganic contaminants could adversely affect larval flannelmouth sucker in the San Juan River at four sites receiving elevated inorganics.

  20. Determination of Specific Heat Capacity on Composite Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials and Asphalt Mixtures by Heat Exchange System

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Biao; Zhou, Xue-yan; Liu, Jiang; You, Zhanping; Wei, Kun; Huang, Xiao-feng

    2016-01-01

    Previous research has shown that composite shape-stabilized phase change material (CPCM) has a remarkable capacity for thermal storage and stabilization, and it can be directly applied to highway construction without leakage. However, recent studies on temperature changing behaviors of CPCM and asphalt mixture cannot intuitively reflect the thermoregulation mechanism and efficiency of CPCM on asphalt mixture. The objective of this paper is to determine the specific heat capacity of CPCM and asphalt mixtures mixed with CPCM using the heat exchange system and the data acquisition system. Studies have shown that the temperature-rise curve of 5 °C CPCM has an obvious temperature plateau, while an asphalt mixture mixed with 5 °C CPCM does not; with increasing temperature, the specific heat capacities of both 5 °C CPCM and asphalt mixture first increase and then decrease, while the variation rate of 5 °C CPCM is larger than that of the asphalt mixture, and the maximum specific heat capacity of 5 °C CPCM appears around the initial phase change temperature. It is concluded that the temperature intervals of 5 °C CPCM are −18 °C–7 °C, 7 °C–25 °C and 25 °C–44 °C, respectively, and that of the asphalt mixture are −18 °C~10 °C, −10 °C~5 °C and 5 °C~28 °C. A low dosage of 5 °C CPCM has little influence on the specific heat capacity of asphalt mixture. Finally, the functions of specific heat capacities and temperature for CPCM and asphalt mixture mixed with CPCM were recommended by the sectional regression method. PMID:28773510

  1. A deeper insight into an intriguing acetonitrile-water binary mixture: synergistic effect, dynamic Stokes shift, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and NMR studies.

    PubMed

    Koley, Somnath; Ghosh, Subhadip

    2016-11-30

    An insight study reveals the strong synergistic solvation behaviours from reporter dye molecules within the acetonitrile (ACN)-water (WT) binary mixture. Synergism of a binary mixture refers to some unique changes of the physical and thermodynamic properties of the solvent mixture, originating from the interactions among its cosolvents, which are absent within the pure cosolvents. Synergistic solvation of a binary mixture is likely to be fundamental for greater stabilization of an excited state solute dipole; at least to some extent greater as compared to one stabilized by any of its cosolvents alone. A dynamic Stokes shift due to the solvation of an excited dipole in the ACN-WT binary mixture is found to be highly relevant to the ground state physical properties of the solute molecule (polarity, hydrophilicity, acidity, etc.). Largely different solvation times in the ACN-WT mixture are observed from different dye molecules with widely varying polarities. However, earlier study shows that dye molecules, irrespective of their varying polarities, exhibit very similar solvation times within a pure solvent (J. Phys. Chem. B, 2014, 118, 7577-7785). On further study with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) we observed that, unlike the translational diffusion coefficient (D t ) of a dye molecule within a pure solvent, which remains the same irrespective of the location of the dye molecule inside the solvent, a broad distribution among the D t values of a dye molecule is obtained from different locations within the ACN-WT binary mixture. Lastly our 1 H NMR study in the ACN-WT binary mixture shows the existence of strong hydrogen bond interactions among the cosolvents in the ACN-WT mixture.

  2. Determination of Specific Heat Capacity on Composite Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials and Asphalt Mixtures by Heat Exchange System.

    PubMed

    Ma, Biao; Zhou, Xue-Yan; Liu, Jiang; You, Zhanping; Wei, Kun; Huang, Xiao-Feng

    2016-05-19

    Previous research has shown that composite shape-stabilized phase change material (CPCM) has a remarkable capacity for thermal storage and stabilization, and it can be directly applied to highway construction without leakage. However, recent studies on temperature changing behaviors of CPCM and asphalt mixture cannot intuitively reflect the thermoregulation mechanism and efficiency of CPCM on asphalt mixture. The objective of this paper is to determine the specific heat capacity of CPCM and asphalt mixtures mixed with CPCM using the heat exchange system and the data acquisition system. Studies have shown that the temperature-rise curve of 5 °C CPCM has an obvious temperature plateau, while an asphalt mixture mixed with 5 °C CPCM does not; with increasing temperature, the specific heat capacities of both 5 °C CPCM and asphalt mixture first increase and then decrease, while the variation rate of 5 °C CPCM is larger than that of the asphalt mixture, and the maximum specific heat capacity of 5 °C CPCM appears around the initial phase change temperature. It is concluded that the temperature intervals of 5 °C CPCM are -18 °C-7 °C, 7 °C-25 °C and 25 °C-44 °C, respectively, and that of the asphalt mixture are -18 °C~10 °C, -10 °C~5 °C and 5 °C~28 °C. A low dosage of 5 °C CPCM has little influence on the specific heat capacity of asphalt mixture. Finally, the functions of specific heat capacities and temperature for CPCM and asphalt mixture mixed with CPCM were recommended by the sectional regression method.

  3. Evidence for dose-additive effects of pyrethroids on motor activity in rats.

    PubMed

    Wolansky, Marcelo J; Gennings, Chris; DeVito, Michael J; Crofton, Kevin M

    2009-10-01

    Pyrethroids are neurotoxic insecticides used in a variety of indoor and outdoor applications. Previous research characterized the acute dose-effect functions for 11 pyrethroids administered orally in corn oil (1 mL/kg) based on assessment of motor activity. We used a mixture of these 11 pyrethroids and the same testing paradigm used in single-compound assays to test the hypothesis that cumulative neurotoxic effects of pyrethroid mixtures can be predicted using the default dose-addition theory. Mixing ratios of the 11 pyrethroids in the tested mixture were based on the ED30 (effective dose that produces a 30% decrease in response) of the individual chemical (i.e., the mixture comprised equipotent amounts of each pyrethroid). The highest concentration of each individual chemical in the mixture was less than the threshold for inducing behavioral effects. Adult male rats received acute oral exposure to corn oil (control) or dilutions of the stock mixture solution. The mixture of 11 pyrethroids was administered either simultaneously (2 hr before testing) or after a sequence based on times of peak effect for the individual chemicals (4, 2, and 1 hr before testing). A threshold additivity model was fit to the single-chemical data to predict the theoretical dose-effect relationship for the mixture under the assumption of dose additivity. When subthreshold doses of individual chemicals were combined in the mixtures, we found significant dose-related decreases in motor activity. Further, we found no departure from the predicted dose-additive curve regardless of the mixture dosing protocol used. In this article we present the first in vivo evidence on pyrethroid cumulative effects supporting the default assumption of dose addition.

  4. Equivalence of truncated count mixture distributions and mixtures of truncated count distributions.

    PubMed

    Böhning, Dankmar; Kuhnert, Ronny

    2006-12-01

    This article is about modeling count data with zero truncation. A parametric count density family is considered. The truncated mixture of densities from this family is different from the mixture of truncated densities from the same family. Whereas the former model is more natural to formulate and to interpret, the latter model is theoretically easier to treat. It is shown that for any mixing distribution leading to a truncated mixture, a (usually different) mixing distribution can be found so that the associated mixture of truncated densities equals the truncated mixture, and vice versa. This implies that the likelihood surfaces for both situations agree, and in this sense both models are equivalent. Zero-truncated count data models are used frequently in the capture-recapture setting to estimate population size, and it can be shown that the two Horvitz-Thompson estimators, associated with the two models, agree. In particular, it is possible to achieve strong results for mixtures of truncated Poisson densities, including reliable, global construction of the unique NPMLE (nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator) of the mixing distribution, implying a unique estimator for the population size. The benefit of these results lies in the fact that it is valid to work with the mixture of truncated count densities, which is less appealing for the practitioner but theoretically easier. Mixtures of truncated count densities form a convex linear model, for which a developed theory exists, including global maximum likelihood theory as well as algorithmic approaches. Once the problem has been solved in this class, it might readily be transformed back to the original problem by means of an explicitly given mapping. Applications of these ideas are given, particularly in the case of the truncated Poisson family.

  5. A traceable reference for direct comparative assessment of total naphthenic acid concentrations in commercial and acid extractable organic mixtures derived from oil sands process water.

    PubMed

    Brunswick, Pamela; Hewitt, L Mark; Frank, Richard A; Kim, Marcus; van Aggelen, Graham; Shang, Dayue

    2017-02-23

    The advantage of using naphthenic acid (NA) mixtures for the determination of total NA lies in their chemical characteristics and identification of retention times distinct from isobaric interferences. However, the differing homolog profiles and unknown chemical structures of NA mixtures do not allow them to be considered a traceable reference material. The current study provides a new tool for the comparative assessment of different NA mixtures by direct reference to a single, well-defined and traceable compound, decanoic-d 19 acid. The method employed an established liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/QToF) procedure that was applicable both to the classic O2 NA species dominating commercial mixtures and additionally to the O4 species known to be present in acid extractable organics (AEOs) derived from oil sands process water (OSPW). Four different commercial NA mixtures and one OSPW-derived AEOs mixture were comparatively assessed. Results showed significant difference among Merichem Technical, Aldrich, Acros, and Kodak commercial NA mixtures with respect to "equivalent to decanoic-d 19 acid" concentration ratios to nominal. Furthermore, different lot numbers of single commercial NA mixtures were found to be inconsistent with respect to their homolog content by percent response. Differences in the observed homolog content varied significantly, particularly at the lower (n = 9-14) and higher (n = 20-23) carbon number ranges. Results highlighted the problem between using NA mixtures from different sources and different lot numbers but offered a solution to the problem from a concentration perspective. It is anticipated that this tool may be utilized in review of historical data in addition to future studies, such as the study of OSPW derived acid extractable organics (AEOs) and fractions employed during toxicological studies.

  6. Performance evaluation of Louisiana superpave mixtures : tech summary.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-12-01

    The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the fundamental engineering : properties and mixture performance of Superpave hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures : in Louisiana through laboratory mechanistic tests, aggregate gradation analysis, and...

  7. Evaluation of HMA mixtures containing Sasobit.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-07-01

    This limited study provided a laboratory and field comparative evaluation of PG 76-22 HMA : hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixture and a mixture containing the additive Sasobit. The : fundamental material characterization testing (asphalt cement binde...

  8. Alternatives to type II cement : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1978-01-01

    Concrete mixtures incorporating fly ash were investigated as possible alternatives to mixtures utilizing Type II cements. The mixture characteristics considered were strength, resistance to freezing and thawing and sulfates, heat of hydration, and vo...

  9. Broad Feshbach resonance in the 6Li-40K mixture.

    PubMed

    Tiecke, T G; Goosen, M R; Ludewig, A; Gensemer, S D; Kraft, S; Kokkelmans, S J J M F; Walraven, J T M

    2010-02-05

    We study the widths of interspecies Feshbach resonances in a mixture of the fermionic quantum gases 6Li and 40K. We develop a model to calculate the width and position of all available Feshbach resonances for a system. Using the model, we select the optimal resonance to study the {6}Li/{40}K mixture. Experimentally, we obtain the asymmetric Fano line shape of the interspecies elastic cross section by measuring the distillation rate of 6Li atoms from a potassium-rich 6Li/{40}K mixture as a function of magnetic field. This provides us with the first experimental determination of the width of a resonance in this mixture, DeltaB=1.5(5) G. Our results offer good perspectives for the observation of universal crossover physics using this mass-imbalanced fermionic mixture.

  10. Investigation of Asphalt Mixture Creep Behavior Using Thin Beam Specimens

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

    Zofka, Adam; Marasteanu, Mihai; Turos, Mugur

    2008-02-15

    The asphalt pavement layer consists of two or more lifts of compacted asphalt mixture; the top of the layer is also exposed to aging, a factor that significantly affects the mixture properties. The current testing specifications use rather thick specimens that cannot be used to investigate the gradual change in properties with pavement depth. This paper investigates the feasibility of using the 3-point bending test with thin asphalt mixture beams (127x12.7x6.35 mm) to determine the low-temperature creep compliance of the mixtures. Several theoretical and semi-empirical models, from the theory of composites, are reviewed and evaluated using numerical and experimental data.more » Preliminary results show that this method can be used for low-temperature mixture characterization but several crucial factors need further inspection and interpretation.« less

  11. Kirkwood–Buff integrals for ideal solutions

    PubMed Central

    Ploetz, Elizabeth A.; Bentenitis, Nikolaos; Smith, Paul E.

    2010-01-01

    The Kirkwood–Buff (KB) theory of solutions is a rigorous theory of solution mixtures which relates the molecular distributions between the solution components to the thermodynamic properties of the mixture. Ideal solutions represent a useful reference for understanding the properties of real solutions. Here, we derive expressions for the KB integrals, the central components of KB theory, in ideal solutions of any number of components corresponding to the three main concentration scales. The results are illustrated by use of molecular dynamics simulations for two binary solutions mixtures, benzene with toluene, and methanethiol with dimethylsulfide, which closely approach ideal behavior, and a binary mixture of benzene and methanol which is nonideal. Simulations of a quaternary mixture containing benzene, toluene, methanethiol, and dimethylsulfide suggest this system displays ideal behavior and that ideal behavior is not limited to mixtures containing a small number of components. PMID:20441282

  12. Method and compositions for the degradation of tributyl phosphate in chemical waste mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Stoner, Daphne L.; Tien, Albert J.

    1995-01-01

    A method and process for the degradation of tributyl phosphate in an organic waste mixture and a biologically pure, novel bacteria culture for accomplishing the same. A newly-discovered bacteria (a strain of Acinetobacter sp. ATCC 55587) is provided which is combined in a reactor vessel with a liquid waste mixture containing tributyl phosphate and one or more organic waste compounds capable of functioning as growth substrates for the bacteria. The bacteria is thereafter allowed to incubate within the waste mixture. As a result, the tributyl phosphate and organic compounds within the waste mixture are metabolized (degraded) by the bacteria, thereby eliminating such materials which are environmentally hazardous. In addition, the bacteria is capable of degrading waste mixtures containing high quantities of tributyl phosphate (e.g. up to about 1.0% by weight tributyl phosphate).

  13. Sol-gel derived sorbents

    DOEpatents

    Sigman, Michael E.; Dindal, Amy B.

    2003-11-11

    Described is a method for producing copolymerized sol-gel derived sorbent particles for the production of copolymerized sol-gel derived sorbent material. The method for producing copolymerized sol-gel derived sorbent particles comprises adding a basic solution to an aqueous metal alkoxide mixture for a pH.ltoreq.8 to hydrolyze the metal alkoxides. Then, allowing the mixture to react at room temperature for a precalculated period of time for the mixture to undergo an increased in viscosity to obtain a desired pore size and surface area. The copolymerized mixture is then added to an immiscible, nonpolar solvent that has been heated to a sufficient temperature wherein the copolymerized mixture forms a solid upon the addition. The solid is recovered from the mixture, and is ready for use in an active sampling trap or activated for use in a passive sampling trap.

  14. Experimental evaluation of drying characteristics of sewage sludge and hazelnut shell mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pehlivan, Hüseyin; Ateş, Asude; Özdemir, Mustafa

    2016-11-01

    In this study the drying behavior of organic and agricultural waste mixtures has been experimentally investigated. The usability of sewage sludge as an organic waste and hazelnut shell as an agricultural waste was assessed in different mixture range. The paper discusses the applicability of these mixtures as a recovery energy source. Moisture content of mixtures has been calculated in laboratory and plant conditions. Indoor and outdoor solar sludge drying plants were constructed in pilot scale for experimental purposes. Dry solids and climatic conditions were constantly measured. A total more than 140 samples including for drying has been carried out to build up results. Indoor and outdoor weather conditions are taken into consideration in winter and summer. The most effective drying capacity is obtained in mixture of 20 % hazelnut shell and 80 % sewage sludge.

  15. Silo discharge of binary granular mixtures.

    PubMed

    Madrid, M; Asencio, K; Maza, D

    2017-08-01

    We present numerical and experimental results on the mass flow rate during the discharge of three-dimensional silos filled with a bidisperse mixture of grains of different sizes. We analyzed the influence of the ratio between coarse and fine particles on the profile of volume fraction and velocity across the orifice. By using numerical simulations, we have shown that the velocity profile has the same shape as that in the monodisperse case and is insensitive to the composition of the mixture. On the contrary, the volume fraction profile is strongly affected by the composition of the mixture. Assuming that an effective particle size can be introduced to characterize the mixture, we have shown that previous expression for the mass flow rate of monodisperse particles can be used for binary mixtures. A comparison with Beverloo's correlation is also presented.

  16. New Alcohol and Onyx Mixture for Embolization: Feasibility and Proof of Concept in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Models

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

    Saeed Kilani, Mohammad, E-mail: msaeedkilani@gmail.com, E-mail: mohammadalikilani@yahoo.com; Zehtabi, Fatemeh, E-mail: fatemeh.zehtabi@gmail.com; Lerouge, Sophie, E-mail: Sophie.Lerouge@etsmtl.ca

    IntroductionOnyx and ethanol are well-known embolic and sclerotic agents that are frequently used in embolization. These agents present advantages and disadvantages regarding visibility, injection control and penetration depth. Mixing both products might yield a new product with different characteristics. The aim of this study is to evaluate the injectability, radiopacity, and mechanical and occlusive properties of different mixtures of Onyx 18 and ethanol in vitro and in vivo (in a swine model).Materials and MethodsVarious Onyx 18 and ethanol formulations were prepared and tested in vitro for their injectability, solidification rate and shrinkage, cohesion and occlusive properties. In vivo tests weremore » performed using 3 swine. Ease of injection, radiopacity, cohesiveness and penetration were analyzed using fluoroscopy and high-resolution CT.ResultsAll mixtures were easy to inject through a microcatheter with no resistance or blockage in vitro and in vivo. The 50%-ethanol mixture showed delayed copolymerization with fragmentation and proximal occlusion. The 75%-ethanol mixture showed poor radiopacity in vivo and was not tested in vitro. The 25%-ethanol mixture showed good occlusive properties and accepted penetration and radiopacity.ConclusionMixing Onyx and ethanol is feasible. The mixture of 25% of ethanol and 75% of Onyx 18 could be a new sclero-embolic agent. Further research is needed to study the chemical changes of the mixture, to confirm the significance of the added sclerotic effect and to find out the ideal mixture percentages.« less

  17. New Alcohol and Onyx Mixture for Embolization: Feasibility and Proof of Concept in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Models.

    PubMed

    Saeed Kilani, Mohammad; Zehtabi, Fatemeh; Lerouge, Sophie; Soulez, Gilles; Bartoli, Jean Michel; Vidal, Vincent; Badran, Mohammad F

    2017-05-01

    Onyx and ethanol are well-known embolic and sclerotic agents that are frequently used in embolization. These agents present advantages and disadvantages regarding visibility, injection control and penetration depth. Mixing both products might yield a new product with different characteristics. The aim of this study is to evaluate the injectability, radiopacity, and mechanical and occlusive properties of different mixtures of Onyx 18 and ethanol in vitro and in vivo (in a swine model). Various Onyx 18 and ethanol formulations were prepared and tested in vitro for their injectability, solidification rate and shrinkage, cohesion and occlusive properties. In vivo tests were performed using 3 swine. Ease of injection, radiopacity, cohesiveness and penetration were analyzed using fluoroscopy and high-resolution CT. All mixtures were easy to inject through a microcatheter with no resistance or blockage in vitro and in vivo. The 50%-ethanol mixture showed delayed copolymerization with fragmentation and proximal occlusion. The 75%-ethanol mixture showed poor radiopacity in vivo and was not tested in vitro. The 25%-ethanol mixture showed good occlusive properties and accepted penetration and radiopacity. Mixing Onyx and ethanol is feasible. The mixture of 25% of ethanol and 75% of Onyx 18 could be a new sclero-embolic agent. Further research is needed to study the chemical changes of the mixture, to confirm the significance of the added sclerotic effect and to find out the ideal mixture percentages.

  18. The Kirkwood-Buff theory of solutions and the local composition of liquid mixtures.

    PubMed

    Shulgin, Ivan L; Ruckenstein, Eli

    2006-06-29

    The present paper is devoted to the local composition of liquid mixtures calculated in the framework of the Kirkwood-Buff theory of solutions. A new method is suggested to calculate the excess (or deficit) number of various molecules around a selected (central) molecule in binary and multicomponent liquid mixtures in terms of measurable macroscopic thermodynamic quantities, such as the derivatives of the chemical potentials with respect to concentrations, the isothermal compressibility, and the partial molar volumes. This method accounts for an inaccessible volume due to the presence of a central molecule and is applied to binary and ternary mixtures. For the ideal binary mixture it is shown that because of the difference in the volumes of the pure components there is an excess (or deficit) number of different molecules around a central molecule. The excess (or deficit) becomes zero when the components of the ideal binary mixture have the same volume. The new method is also applied to methanol + water and 2-propanol + water mixtures. In the case of the 2-propanol + water mixture, the new method, in contrast to the other ones, indicates that clusters dominated by 2-propanol disappear at high alcohol mole fractions, in agreement with experimental observations. Finally, it is shown that the application of the new procedure to the ternary mixture water/protein/cosolvent at infinite dilution of the protein led to almost the same results as the methods involving a reference state.

  19. Prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts reproduction in F1 female mice

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying; Flaws, Jodi A.

    2017-01-01

    Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, such as building materials, medical devices, and personal care products. Most previous studies on the toxicity of phthalates have focused on single phthalates, but it is also important to study the effects of phthalate mixtures because humans are exposed to phthalate mixtures. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture adversely affects female reproduction in mice. To test this hypothesis, pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200 μg/kg/day, 200 and 500 mg/kg/day) daily from gestational day 10 to birth. The mixture was based on the composition of phthalates detected in urine samples from pregnant women in Illinois. The mixture included 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% diisononyl phthalate, 8% diisobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate. Female mice born to the exposed dams were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests at different ages. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture significantly increased uterine weight and decreased anogenital distance on postnatal days 8 and 60, induced cystic ovaries at 13 months, disrupted estrous cyclicity, reduced fertility-related indices, and caused some breeding complications at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Collectively, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts aspects of female reproduction in mice. PMID:28126412

  20. Chronic toxicity of an environmentally relevant mixture of pharmaceuticals to three aquatic organisms (alga, daphnid, and fish).

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Haruna; Tamura, Ikumi; Abe, Ryoko; Takanobu, Hitomi; Nakamura, Ataru; Suzuki, Toshinari; Hirose, Akihiko; Nishimura, Tetsuji; Tatarazako, Norihisa

    2016-04-01

    Principles of concentration addition and independent action have been used as effective tools to predict mixture toxicity based on individual component toxicity. The authors investigated the toxicity of a pharmaceutical mixture composed of the top 10 detected active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the Tama River (Tokyo, Japan) in a relevant concentration ratio. Both individual and mixture toxicities of the 10 APIs were evaluated by 3 short-term chronic toxicity tests using the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, the daphnid Ceriodaphnia dubia, and the zebrafish Danio rerio. With the exception of clarithromycin toxicity to alga, the no-observed-effect concentration of individual APIs for each test species was dramatically higher than the highest concentration of APIs found in the environment. The mixture of 10 APIs resulted in toxicity to alga, daphnid, and fish at 6.25 times, 100 times, and 15,000 times higher concentrations, respectively, than the environmental concentrations of individual APIs. Predictions by concentration addition and independent action were nearly identical for alga, as clarithromycin was the predominant toxicant in the mixture. Both predictions described the observed mixture toxicity to alga fairly well, whereas they slightly underestimated the observed mixture toxicity in the daphnid test. In the fish embryo test, the observed toxicity fell between the predicted toxicity by concentration addition and independent action. These results suggested that the toxicity of environmentally relevant pharmaceutical mixtures could be predicted by individual toxicity using either concentration addition or independent action. © 2015 SETAC.

  1. Calculation and characteristic analysis on synergistic effect of CF3I gas mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, ZHAO; Yunkun, DENG; Yuhao, GAO; Dengming, XIAO

    2018-06-01

    CF3I is a potential SF6 alternative gas. In order to study the insulation properties and synergistic effects of CF3I/N2 and CF3I/CO2 gas mixtures, two-term approximate Boltzmann equations were used to obtain the ionization coefficient α, attachment coefficient η and the critical equivalent electrical field strength (E/N)cr. The results show that the (E/N)cr of CF3I gas at 300 K is 1.2 times that of SF6 gas, and CF3I/N2 and CF3I/CO2 gas mixtures both have synergistic effect occurred. The synergistic effect coefficient of CF3I/CO2 gas mixture was higher than that of CF3I/N2 gas mixture. But the (E/N)cr of CF3I/N2 is higher than that of CF3I/CO2 under the same conditions. When the content of CF3I exceeds 20%, the (E/N)cr of CF3I/N2 and CF3I/CO2 gas mixture increase linearly with the increasing of CF3I gas content. The breakdown voltage of CF3I/N2 gas mixture is also higher than that of CF3I/CO2 gas mixture in slightly non-uniform electrical field under power frequency voltage, but the synergistic effect coefficients of the two gas mixtures are basically the same.

  2. Mixture experiment methods in the development and optimization of microemulsion formulations.

    PubMed

    Furlanetto, S; Cirri, M; Piepel, G; Mennini, N; Mura, P

    2011-06-25

    Microemulsion formulations represent an interesting delivery vehicle for lipophilic drugs, allowing for improving their solubility and dissolution properties. This work developed effective microemulsion formulations using glyburide (a very poorly-water-soluble hypoglycaemic agent) as a model drug. First, the area of stable microemulsion (ME) formations was identified using a new approach based on mixture experiment methods. A 13-run mixture design was carried out in an experimental region defined by constraints on three components: aqueous, oil and surfactant/cosurfactant. The transmittance percentage (at 550 nm) of ME formulations (indicative of their transparency and thus of their stability) was chosen as the response variable. The results obtained using the mixture experiment approach corresponded well with those obtained using the traditional approach based on pseudo-ternary phase diagrams. However, the mixture experiment approach required far less experimental effort than the traditional approach. A subsequent 13-run mixture experiment, in the region of stable MEs, was then performed to identify the optimal formulation (i.e., having the best glyburide dissolution properties). Percent drug dissolved and dissolution efficiency were selected as the responses to be maximized. The ME formulation optimized via the mixture experiment approach consisted of 78% surfactant/cosurfacant (a mixture of Tween 20 and Transcutol, 1:1, v/v), 5% oil (Labrafac Hydro) and 17% aqueous phase (water). The stable region of MEs was identified using mixture experiment methods for the first time. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. An Innovative Concept for Testing Rutting Susceptibility of Asphalt Mixture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohseni, Alaeddin; Azari, Haleh

    Currently, flow number (FN) is being used for measuring permanent deformation resistance of asphalt mixtures. The provisional AASHTO TP 79-10 test method specifies the requirements of the FN test; however, there are undefined levels of test variables, such as temperature, axial stress, and confinement. Therefore, agreeable FN criteria that can reliably discriminate between various mixtures have not been established yet. As the asphalt industry continues to develop more sophisticated mixtures (Warm Mix, RAP and RAS), the FN value has failed to capture the true complexity of the asphalt mixtures. These shortcomings and the unpredictable testing time of the FN test have affected its usefulness for evaluating high temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. A new test procedure for evaluation of rutting susceptibility of asphalt mixtures is being proposed. The new procedure is conducted at one temperature and multiple stresses on the same replicate in three increments of 500 cycles, which only takes 33 minutes to complete. The property of the test is the permanent strain due to the last cycle of each test increment (Minimum Strain Rate, or MSR). A master curve is developed by plotting the MSR values versus parameter TP, which is a product of Temperature and Pressure. The MSR master curve represents the unit rutting damage (rut per axle) of asphalt mixtures at any stress and temperature and can be used in laboratory for material characterization, mix design verification, ranking of the mixtures, or for pavement design applications to predict rut depth for project climate and design traffic.

  4. Negative Ion Drift Velocity and Longitudinal Diffusion in Mixtures of Carbon Disulfide and Methane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dion, Michael P.; Son, S.; Hunter, S. D.; deNolfo, G. A.

    2011-01-01

    Negative ion drift velocity and longitudinal diffusion has been measured for gas mixtures of carbon disulfide (CS2) and methane (CH4)' Measurements were made as a function of total pressure, CS2 partial pressure and electric field. Constant mobility and thermal-limit longitudinal diffusion is observed for all gas mixtures tested. Gas gain for some of the mixtures is also included.

  5. Nonparametric Fine Tuning of Mixtures: Application to Non-Life Insurance Claims Distribution Estimation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sardet, Laure; Patilea, Valentin

    When pricing a specific insurance premium, actuary needs to evaluate the claims cost distribution for the warranty. Traditional actuarial methods use parametric specifications to model claims distribution, like lognormal, Weibull and Pareto laws. Mixtures of such distributions allow to improve the flexibility of the parametric approach and seem to be quite well-adapted to capture the skewness, the long tails as well as the unobserved heterogeneity among the claims. In this paper, instead of looking for a finely tuned mixture with many components, we choose a parsimonious mixture modeling, typically a two or three-component mixture. Next, we use the mixture cumulative distribution function (CDF) to transform data into the unit interval where we apply a beta-kernel smoothing procedure. A bandwidth rule adapted to our methodology is proposed. Finally, the beta-kernel density estimate is back-transformed to recover an estimate of the original claims density. The beta-kernel smoothing provides an automatic fine-tuning of the parsimonious mixture and thus avoids inference in more complex mixture models with many parameters. We investigate the empirical performance of the new method in the estimation of the quantiles with simulated nonnegative data and the quantiles of the individual claims distribution in a non-life insurance application.

  6. Development of UHPC Mixtures Utilizing Natural and Industrial Waste Materials as Partial Replacements of Silica Fume and Sand

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    In the exploratory study presented in this paper, an attempt was made to develop different mixtures of ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) using various locally available natural and industrial waste materials as partial replacements of silica fume and sand. Materials such as natural pozzolana (NP), fly ash (FA), limestone powder (LSP), cement kiln dust (CKD), and pulverized steel slag (PSS), all of which are abundantly available in Saudi Arabia at little or no cost, were employed in the development of the UHPC mixtures. A base mixture of UHPC without replacement of silica fume or sand was selected and a total of 24 trial mixtures of UHPC were prepared using different percentages of NP, FA, LSP, CKD, and PSS, partially replacing the silica fume and sand. Flow and 28-d compressive strength of each UHPC mixture were determined to finally select those mixtures, which satisfied the minimum flow and strength criteria of UHPC. The test results showed that the utilization of NP, FA, LSP, CKD, and PSS in production of UHPC is possible with acceptable flow and strength. A total of 10 UHPC mixtures were identified with flow and strength equal to or more than the minimum required. PMID:25197709

  7. C, N and P fertilization in an Amazonian rainforest supports stoichiometric dissimilarity as a driver of litter diversity effects on decomposition

    PubMed Central

    Barantal, Sandra; Schimann, Heidy; Fromin, Nathalie; Hättenschwiler, Stephan

    2014-01-01

    Plant leaf litter generally decomposes faster as a group of different species than when individual species decompose alone, but underlying mechanisms of these diversity effects remain poorly understood. Because resource C : N : P stoichiometry (i.e. the ratios of these key elements) exhibits strong control on consumers, we supposed that stoichiometric dissimilarity of litter mixtures (i.e. the divergence in C : N : P ratios among species) improves resource complementarity to decomposers leading to faster mixture decomposition. We tested this hypothesis with: (i) a wide range of leaf litter mixtures of neotropical tree species varying in C : N : P dissimilarity, and (ii) a nutrient addition experiment (C, N and P) to create stoichiometric similarity. Litter mixtures decomposed in the field using two different types of litterbags allowing or preventing access to soil fauna. Litter mixture mass loss was higher than expected from species decomposing singly, especially in presence of soil fauna. With fauna, synergistic litter mixture effects increased with increasing stoichiometric dissimilarity of litter mixtures and this positive relationship disappeared with fertilizer addition. Our results indicate that litter stoichiometric dissimilarity drives mixture effects via the nutritional requirements of soil fauna. Incorporating ecological stoichiometry in biodiversity research allows refinement of the underlying mechanisms of how changing biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning. PMID:25320173

  8. Spray drying of poorly soluble drugs from aqueous arginine solution.

    PubMed

    Ojarinta, Rami; Lerminiaux, Louise; Laitinen, Riikka

    2017-10-30

    Co-amorphous drug-amino acid mixtures have shown potential for improving the solid-state stability and dissolution behavior of amorphous drugs. In previous studies, however these mixtures have been produced mainly with small-scale preparation methods, or with methods that have required the use of organic solvents or other dissolution enhancers. In the present study, co-amorphous ibuprofen-arginine and indomethacin-arginine mixtures were spray dried from water. The mixtures were prepared at two drug-arginine molar ratios (1:1 and 1:2). The properties of the prepared mixtures were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffractometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and a 24h, non-sink, dissolution study. All mixtures exhibited a single glass transition temperature (T g ), evidence of the formation of homogenous single-phase systems. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed strong interactions (mainly salt formation) that account for the positive deviation between measured and estimated T g values. No crystallization was observed during a 1-year stability study in either 1:1 or 1:2 mixtures, but in the presence of moisture, handling difficulties were encountered. The formation of co-amorphous salts led to improved dissolution characteristics when compared to the corresponding physical mixtures or to pure crystalline drugs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Theory and methodology for utilizing genes as biomarkers to determine potential biological mixtures.

    PubMed

    Shrestha, Sadeep; Smith, Michael W; Beaty, Terri H; Strathdee, Steffanie A

    2005-01-01

    Genetically determined mixture information can be used as a surrogate for physical or behavioral characteristics in epidemiological studies examining research questions related to socially stigmatized behaviors and horizontally transmitted infections. A new measure, the probability of mixture discrimination (PMD), was developed to aid mixture analysis that estimates the ability to differentiate single from multiple genomes in biological mixtures. Four autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) were identified, genotyped and evaluated in African American, European American, Hispanic, and Chinese individuals to estimate PMD. Theoretical PMD frameworks were also developed for autosomal and sex-linked (X and Y) STR markers in potential male/male, male/female and female/female mixtures. Autosomal STRs genetically determine the presence of multiple genomes in mixture samples of unknown genders with more power than the apparently simpler X and Y chromosome STRs. Evaluation of four autosomal STR loci enables the detection of mixtures of DNA from multiple sources with above 99% probability in all four racial/ethnic populations. The genetic-based approach has applications in epidemiology that provide viable alternatives to survey-based study designs. The analysis of genes as biomarkers can be used as a gold standard for validating measurements from self-reported behaviors that tend to be sensitive or socially stigmatizing, such as those involving sex and drugs.

  10. Solubility modeling of refrigerant/lubricant mixtures

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

    Michels, H.H.; Sienel, T.H.

    1996-12-31

    A general model for predicting the solubility properties of refrigerant/lubricant mixtures has been developed based on applicable theory for the excess Gibbs energy of non-ideal solutions. In our approach, flexible thermodynamic forms are chosen to describe the properties of both the gas and liquid phases of refrigerant/lubricant mixtures. After an extensive study of models for describing non-ideal liquid effects, the Wohl-suffix equations, which have been extensively utilized in the analysis of hydrocarbon mixtures, have been developed into a general form applicable to mixtures where one component is a POE lubricant. In the present study we have analyzed several POEs wheremore » structural and thermophysical property data were available. Data were also collected from several sources on the solubility of refrigerant/lubricant binary pairs. We have developed a computer code (NISC), based on the Wohl model, that predicts dew point or bubble point conditions over a wide range of composition and temperature. Our present analysis covers mixtures containing up to three refrigerant molecules and one lubricant. The present code can be used to analyze the properties of R-410a and R-407c in mixtures with a POE lubricant. Comparisons with other models, such as the Wilson or modified Wilson equations, indicate that the Wohl-suffix equations yield more reliable predictions for HFC/POE mixtures.« less

  11. Perception of trigeminal mixtures.

    PubMed

    Filiou, Renée-Pier; Lepore, Franco; Bryant, Bruce; Lundström, Johan N; Frasnelli, Johannes

    2015-01-01

    The trigeminal system is a chemical sense allowing for the perception of chemosensory information in our environment. However, contrary to smell and taste, we lack a thorough understanding of the trigeminal processing of mixtures. We, therefore, investigated trigeminal perception using mixtures of 3 relatively receptor-specific agonists together with one control odor in different proportions to determine basic perceptual dimensions of trigeminal perception. We found that 4 main dimensions were linked to trigeminal perception: sensations of intensity, warmth, coldness, and pain. We subsequently investigated perception of binary mixtures of trigeminal stimuli by means of these 4 perceptual dimensions using different concentrations of a cooling stimulus (eucalyptol) mixed with a stimulus that evokes warmth perception (cinnamaldehyde). To determine if sensory interactions are mainly of central or peripheral origin, we presented stimuli in a physical "mixture" or as a "combination" presented separately to individual nostrils. Results showed that mixtures generally yielded higher ratings than combinations on the trigeminal dimensions "intensity," "warm," and "painful," whereas combinations yielded higher ratings than mixtures on the trigeminal dimension "cold." These results suggest dimension-specific interactions in the perception of trigeminal mixtures, which may be explained by particular interactions that may take place on peripheral or central levels. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Weaker Ligands Can Dominate an Odor Blend due to Syntopic Interactions

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Most odors in natural environments are mixtures of several compounds. Perceptually, these can blend into a new “perfume,” or some components may dominate as elements of the mixture. In order to understand such mixture interactions, it is necessary to study the events at the olfactory periphery, down to the level of single-odorant receptor cells. Does a strong ligand present at a low concentration outweigh the effect of weak ligands present at high concentrations? We used the fruit fly receptor dOr22a and a banana-like odor mixture as a model system. We show that an intermediate ligand at an intermediate concentration alone elicits the neuron’s blend response, despite the presence of both weaker ligands at higher concentration, and of better ligands at lower concentration in the mixture. Because all of these components, when given alone, elicited significant responses, this reveals specific mixture processing already at the periphery. By measuring complete dose–response curves we show that these mixture effects can be fully explained by a model of syntopic interaction at a single-receptor binding site. Our data have important implications for how odor mixtures are processed in general, and what preprocessing occurs before the information reaches the brain. PMID:23315042

  13. Dielectric constant of liquid alkanes and hydrocarbon mixtures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sen, A. D.; Anicich, V. G.; Arakelian, T.

    1992-01-01

    The complex dielectric constants of n-alkanes with two to seven carbon atoms have been measured. The measurements were conducted using a slotted-line technique at 1.2 GHz and at atmospheric pressure. The temperature was varied from the melting point to the boiling point of the respective alkanes. The real part of the dielectric constant was found to decrease with increasing temperature and correlate with the change in the molar volume. An upper limit to all the loss tangents was established at 0.001. The complex dielectric constants of a few mixtures of liquid alkanes were also measured at room temperature. For a pentane-octane mixture the real part of the dielectric constant could be explained by the Clausius-Mosotti theory. For the mixtures of n-hexane-ethylacetate and n-hexane-acetone the real part of the dielectric constants could be explained by the Onsager theory extended to mixtures. The dielectric constant of the n-hexane-acetone mixture displayed deviations from the Onsager theory at the highest fractions of acetone. The dipole moments of ethylacetate and acetone were determined for dilute mixtures using the Onsager theory and were found to be in agreement with their accepted gas-phase values. The loss tangents of the mixtures exhibited a linear relationship with the volume fraction for low concentrations of the polar liquids.

  14. Open-cycle magnetohydrodynamic power plant with CO.sub.2 recycling

    DOEpatents

    Berry, Gregory F.

    1991-01-01

    A method of converting the chemical energy of fossil fuel to electrical and mechanical energy with a MHD generator. The fossil fuel is mixed with preheated oxygen and carbon dioxide and a conducting seed of potassium carbonate to form a combustive and electrically conductive mixture which is burned in a combustion chamber. The burned combustion mixture is passed through a MHD generator to generate electrical energy. The burned combustion mixture is passed through a diffuser to restore the mixture approximately to atmospheric pressure, leaving a spent combustion mixture which is used to heat oxygen from an air separation plant and recycled carbon dioxide for combustion in a high temperature oxygen preheater and for heating water/steam for producing superheated steam. Relatively pure carbon dioxide is separated from the spent combustion mixture for further purification or for exhaust, while the remainder of the carbon dioxide is recycled from the spent combustion mixture to a carbon dioxide purification plant for removal of water and any nitrous oxides present, leaving a greater than 98% pure carbon dioxide. A portion of the greater then 98% pure carbon dioxide stream is recovered and the remainder is recycled to combine with the oxygen for preheating and combination with the fossil fuel to form a combustion mixture.

  15. Evaluating differential effects using regression interactions and regression mixture models

    PubMed Central

    Van Horn, M. Lee; Jaki, Thomas; Masyn, Katherine; Howe, George; Feaster, Daniel J.; Lamont, Andrea E.; George, Melissa R. W.; Kim, Minjung

    2015-01-01

    Research increasingly emphasizes understanding differential effects. This paper focuses on understanding regression mixture models, a relatively new statistical methods for assessing differential effects by comparing results to using an interactive term in linear regression. The research questions which each model answers, their formulation, and their assumptions are compared using Monte Carlo simulations and real data analysis. The capabilities of regression mixture models are described and specific issues to be addressed when conducting regression mixtures are proposed. The paper aims to clarify the role that regression mixtures can take in the estimation of differential effects and increase awareness of the benefits and potential pitfalls of this approach. Regression mixture models are shown to be a potentially effective exploratory method for finding differential effects when these effects can be defined by a small number of classes of respondents who share a typical relationship between a predictor and an outcome. It is also shown that the comparison between regression mixture models and interactions becomes substantially more complex as the number of classes increases. It is argued that regression interactions are well suited for direct tests of specific hypotheses about differential effects and regression mixtures provide a useful approach for exploring effect heterogeneity given adequate samples and study design. PMID:26556903

  16. Assessing joint toxicity of four organophosphate and carbamate insecticides in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) using acetylcholinesterase activity as an endpoint.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yanhua; Chen, Chen; Zhao, Xueping; Wang, Qiang; Qian, Yongzhong

    2015-07-01

    Mixtures of organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CB) pesticides are commonly detected in freshwater ecosystems. These pesticides inhibit the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and have potential to interfere with behaviors that may be essential for the survival of species. Although the effects of individual anticholinesterase insecticides on aquatic species have been studied for decades, the neurotoxicity of mixtures is still poorly understood. In the present study, brain AChE inhibition in carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to a series of concentrations of the organophosphates (malathion and triazophos) as well as the carbamates (fenobucarb and carbosulfan) was measured. In equitoxic mixtures, the observed AChE activity inhibition of the malathion plus triazophos, and triazophos plus carbosulfan mixtures, was synergism. In equivalent concentration mixtures, the combination of malathion plus fenobucarb mixture conformed to synergism, while the observed AChE activity inhibition of the remaining pairings was less than additive. Single pesticide risk assessments are likely to underestimate the impacts of these insecticides on carps in aquatic environment where mixtures occur. Moreover, mixtures of pesticides that have been commonly reported in aquatic ecosystems may pose a more important challenge than previously anticipated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Investigation of intermolecular interaction of binary mixture of acrylonitrile with bromobenzene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deshmukh, S. D.; Pattebahadur, K. L.; Mohod, A. G.; Patil, S. S.; Khirade, P. W.

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, study of binary mixture of Acrylonitrile (ACN)with Bromobenzene(BB) has been carried out at eleven concentrations at room temperature. The determined density(ρ) and refractive index (nD) values of binary mixture are used to calculate the excess properties of mixture over the entire composition range. The aforesaid parameters are used to calculate excess parameters and fitted to the Redlich-Kister equation to determine the bj coefficients. From the above parameters, intermolecular interaction and dynamics of molecules of binary mixture at molecular level are discussed. The Conformational analysis of the intermolecular interaction between Acrylonitrile and Bromobenzene is supported by the FTIR spectra.

  18. Chemistry of Aviation Fuels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knepper, Bryan; Hwang, Soon Muk; DeWitt, Kenneth J.

    2004-01-01

    Minimum ignition energies of various methanol/air mixtures were measured in a temperature controlled constant volume combustion vessel using a spark ignition method with a spark gap distance of 2 mm. The minimum ignition energies decrease rapidly as the mixture composition (equivalence ratio, Phi) changes from lean to stoichiometric, reach a minimum value, and then increase rather slowly with Phi. The minimum of the minimum ignition energy (MIE) and the corresponding mixture composition were determined to be 0.137 mJ and Phi = 1.16, a slightly rich mixture. The variation of minimum ignition energy with respect to the mixture composition is explained in terms of changes in reaction chemistry.

  19. Effect of the NACA Injection Impeller on the Mixture Distribution of a Double-row Radial Aircraft Engine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marble, Frank E.; Ritter, William K.; Miller, Mahlon A.

    1946-01-01

    For the normal range of engine power the impeller provided marked improvement over the standard spray-bar injection system. Mixture distribution at cruising was excellent, maximum cylinder temperatures were reduced about 30 degrees F, and general temperature distribution was improved. The uniform mixture distribution restored the normal response of cylinder temperature to mixture enrichment and it reduced the possibility of carburetor icing, while no serious loss in supercharger pressure rise resulted from injection of fuel near the impeller outlet. The injection impeller also furnished a convenient means of adding water to the charge mixture for internal cooling.

  20. Method for simulating paint mixing on computer monitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carabott, Ferdinand; Lewis, Garth; Piehl, Simon

    2002-06-01

    Computer programs like Adobe Photoshop can generate a mixture of two 'computer' colors by using the Gradient control. However, the resulting colors diverge from the equivalent paint mixtures in both hue and value. This study examines why programs like Photoshop are unable to simulate paint or pigment mixtures, and offers a solution using Photoshops existing tools. The article discusses how a library of colors, simulating paint mixtures, is created from 13 artists' colors. The mixtures can be imported into Photoshop as a color swatch palette of 1248 colors and as 78 continuous or stepped gradient files, all accessed in a new software package, Chromafile.

  1. Communication: Modeling electrolyte mixtures with concentration dependent dielectric permittivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Hsieh; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.

    2018-01-01

    We report a new implicit-solvent simulation model for electrolyte mixtures based on the concept of concentration dependent dielectric permittivity. A combining rule is found to predict the dielectric permittivity of electrolyte mixtures based on the experimentally measured dielectric permittivity for pure electrolytes as well as the mole fractions of the electrolytes in mixtures. Using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that this approach allows us to accurately reproduce the mean ionic activity coefficients of NaCl in NaCl-CaCl2 mixtures at ionic strengths up to I = 3M. These results are important for thermodynamic studies of geologically relevant brines and physiological fluids.

  2. Evaluation of HMA mixtures containing Sasobit.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-07-01

    This limited study provided a laboratory and field comparative evaluation of PG 76-22 HMA hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixture and a mixture containing the additive Sasobit. The fundamental material characterization testing (asphalt cement binder rh...

  3. Scale Mixture Models with Applications to Bayesian Inference

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Zhaohui S.; Damien, Paul; Walker, Stephen

    2003-11-01

    Scale mixtures of uniform distributions are used to model non-normal data in time series and econometrics in a Bayesian framework. Heteroscedastic and skewed data models are also tackled using scale mixture of uniform distributions.

  4. PhD Dissertation Proposal - Introduction to Dark Mix Concept: Gamma Measurements of Capsule Mixture

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

    Meaney, Kevin Daniel

    Presentation slides: Intro to Inertial Confinement Fusion; Types of Mixture in ICF capsules; Previous mixture experiments; Dark Mix Concept; Measuring Dark Mix with Gamma Cherenkov Detector; Dissertation Outline.

  5. Application of a constant hole volume Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state to mixtures relevant to polymeric foaming.

    PubMed

    von Konigslow, Kier; Park, Chul B; Thompson, Russell B

    2018-06-06

    A variant of the Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state is applied to several polymers, blowing agents, and saturated mixtures of interest to the polymer foaming industry. These are low-density polyethylene-carbon dioxide and polylactide-carbon dioxide saturated mixtures as well as polystyrene-carbon dioxide-dimethyl ether and polystyrene-carbon dioxide-nitrogen ternary saturated mixtures. Good agreement is achieved between theoretically predicted and experimentally determined solubilities, both for binary and ternary mixtures. Acceptable agreement with swelling ratios is found with no free parameters. Up-to-date pure component Sanchez-Lacombe characteristic parameters are provided for carbon dioxide, dimethyl ether, low-density polyethylene, nitrogen, polylactide, linear and branched polypropylene, and polystyrene. Pure fluid low-density polyethylene and nitrogen parameters exhibit more moderate success while still providing acceptable quantitative estimations. Mixture estimations are found to have more moderate success where pure components are not as well represented. The Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state is found to correctly predict the anomalous reversal of solubility temperature dependence for low critical point fluids through the observation of this behaviour in polystyrene nitrogen mixtures.

  6. Theoretical analysis for condensation heat transfer of binary refrigerant mixtures with annular flow in horizontal mini-tubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hui-Yong; Li, Jun-Ming; Sun, Ji-Liang; Wang, Bu-Xuan

    2016-01-01

    A theoretical model is developed for condensation heat transfer of binary refrigerant mixtures in mini-tubes with diameter about 1.0 mm. Condensation heat transfer of R410A and R32/R134a mixtures at different mass fluxes and saturated temperatures are analyzed, assuming that the phase flow pattern is annular flow. The results indicate that there exists a maximum interface temperature at the beginning of condensation process for azeotropic and zeotropic mixtures and the corresponding vapor quality to the maximum value increases with mass flux. The effects of mass flux, heat flux, surface tension and tube diameter are analyzed. As expected, the condensation heat transfer coefficients increase with mass flux and vapor quality, and increase faster in high vapor quality region. It is found that the effects of heat flux and surface tension are not so obvious as that of tube diameter. The characteristics of condensation heat transfer of zeotropic mixtures are consistent to those of azeotropic refrigerant mixtures. The condensation heat transfer coefficients increase with the concentration of the less volatile component in binary mixtures.

  7. High temperature impact on fatigue life of asphalt mixture in Slovakia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mandula, Ján; Olexa, Tomáš

    2017-09-01

    Temperature dependence of materials bonded with bitumen is a well-known fact. The impact of temperature changes the behaviour of asphalt mixtures from elastic to viscous state, and it also influences the complex modulus, phase angle and other properties of asphalt mixtures. This study observed the summer temperature influence on fatigue behaviour of an asphalt mixture for the surface course of roads in conditions of Slovakia. Measurements were made using the four-point bending method on the asphalt mixture with maximum grain size of 11 mm bonded with polymer modified bitumen. Summer conditions were represented by environmental temperature of 27 °C according to the Slovakian pavement design method. Ordinary temperatures for fatigue measurements are 10 °C, 15 °C and 20 °C according to European standards for asphalt mixture testing. Structural changes in the material were observed by dissipation energy calculations for each loading cycle. The aim of the study was to find out if the influence of high environmental temperature is positive or negative for the lifespan of asphalt mixtures.

  8. Application of Recycled Ceramic Aggregates for the Production of Mineral-Asphalt Mixtures.

    PubMed

    Andrzejuk, Wojciech; Barnat-Hunek, Danuta; Siddique, Rafat; Zegardło, Bartosz; Łagód, Grzegorz

    2018-04-24

    This paper describes a method of designing and producing innovative mineral⁻asphalt mixtures, which utilize waste aggregate from the recycling of sanitary ceramics. The work presents the basic properties of the ceramic material, the investigation concerning the microstructure of the aggregate obtained from the grinding of waste, and a comparison with the images obtained for the aggregates usually employed in mineral⁻asphalt mixtures. The mixtures were designed for the application in the wearing course. Four series of mixtures were prepared. In the first and second, the ceramic aggregate constituted a partial substitute for dolomite, whereas in the third, we substituted granodiorite, and the fourth series contained only dolomite. The mixtures were examined for the content of soluble binder, the bulk density of samples, the presence of voids, the space filled with binder, and the susceptibility to water and frost corrosion. The obtained results were compared with the standard requirements. The microstructure as well as the contact zone in the considered mineral⁻asphalt mixtures are presented based on research conducted by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

  9. Stoichiometry and possible mechanism of SiH/sub 4/-O/sub 2/ explosions

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

    Hartman, J.R.; Famil-Ghiriha, J.; Ring, M.A.

    1987-04-01

    The products of silane-O/sub 2/ mixture explosions vary with mixture composition. For O/sub 2/-rich mixtures (>70% O/sub 2/), the products are H/sub 2/O and SiO/sub 2/. As the mixtures become richer in silane, H/sub 2/ replaces H/sub 2/O as a final product. For very SiH/sub 4/-rich mixtures (>70% SiH/sub 4/), the products are H/sub 2/, SiO/sub x/, and Si. The fact that silane is totally consumed in silane-rich mixtures (70-90% silane) demonstrates that solid particle formation (SiO/sub 2/, SiO, and Si) occurs very rapidly and that the accompanying heat release is essential to drive the reactions to completion. It ismore » also clear that the explosion of a silane-rich mixture is primarily a thermal explosion of silane. Effects due to problems associated with upper pressure limit measurements and mechanistic aspects of the SiH/sub 4/-O/sub 2/ explosion reaction are discussed.« less

  10. Application of Recycled Ceramic Aggregates for the Production of Mineral-Asphalt Mixtures

    PubMed Central

    Andrzejuk, Wojciech; Barnat-Hunek, Danuta; Siddique, Rafat; Zegardło, Bartosz; Łagód, Grzegorz

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes a method of designing and producing innovative mineral–asphalt mixtures, which utilize waste aggregate from the recycling of sanitary ceramics. The work presents the basic properties of the ceramic material, the investigation concerning the microstructure of the aggregate obtained from the grinding of waste, and a comparison with the images obtained for the aggregates usually employed in mineral–asphalt mixtures. The mixtures were designed for the application in the wearing course. Four series of mixtures were prepared. In the first and second, the ceramic aggregate constituted a partial substitute for dolomite, whereas in the third, we substituted granodiorite, and the fourth series contained only dolomite. The mixtures were examined for the content of soluble binder, the bulk density of samples, the presence of voids, the space filled with binder, and the susceptibility to water and frost corrosion. The obtained results were compared with the standard requirements. The microstructure as well as the contact zone in the considered mineral–asphalt mixtures are presented based on research conducted by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). PMID:29695115

  11. Estimation of value at risk and conditional value at risk using normal mixture distributions model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamaruzzaman, Zetty Ain; Isa, Zaidi

    2013-04-01

    Normal mixture distributions model has been successfully applied in financial time series analysis. In this paper, we estimate the return distribution, value at risk (VaR) and conditional value at risk (CVaR) for monthly and weekly rates of returns for FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (FBMKLCI) from July 1990 until July 2010 using the two component univariate normal mixture distributions model. First, we present the application of normal mixture distributions model in empirical finance where we fit our real data. Second, we present the application of normal mixture distributions model in risk analysis where we apply the normal mixture distributions model to evaluate the value at risk (VaR) and conditional value at risk (CVaR) with model validation for both risk measures. The empirical results provide evidence that using the two components normal mixture distributions model can fit the data well and can perform better in estimating value at risk (VaR) and conditional value at risk (CVaR) where it can capture the stylized facts of non-normality and leptokurtosis in returns distribution.

  12. Surface tensions of solutions containing dicarboxylic acid mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jae Young; Hildemann, Lynn M.

    2014-06-01

    Organic solutes tend to lower the surface tension of cloud condensation nuclei, allowing them to more readily activate. The surface tension of various dicarboxylic acid aerosol mixtures was measured at 20 °C using the Wilhelmy plate method. At lower concentrations, the surface tension of a solution with equi-molar mixtures of dicarboxylic acids closely followed that of a solution with the most surface-active organic component alone. Measurements of surface tension for these mixtures were lower than predictions using Henning's model and the modified Szyszkowski equation, by ˜1-2%. The calculated maximum surface excess (Γmax) and inverse Langmuir adsorption coefficient (β) from the modified Szyszkowski equation were both larger than measured values for 6 of the 7 mixtures tested. Accounting for the reduction in surface tension in the Köhler equation reduced the critical saturation ratio for these multi-component mixtures - changes were negligible for dry diameters of 0.1 and 0.5 μm, but a reduction from 1.0068 to 1.0063 was seen for the 4-dicarboxylic acid mixture with a dry diameter of 0.05 μm.

  13. Potential Prebiotic Oligosaccharide Mixtures from Acidic Hydrolysis of Rice Bran and Cassava Pulp.

    PubMed

    Hansawasdi, Chanida; Kurdi, Peter

    2017-12-01

    Two agricultural wastes, rice bran and cassava pulp were subjected to acidic hydrolysis by 2 M sulfuric acid which resulted in hemicellulosic oligosaccharide mixtures. Monosaccharide component analysis of these mixtures revealed that the oligosaccharides of rice bran acid hydrolysate (RAHF) composed of glucose and arabinose while cassava pulp acid hydrolysate (CAHF) was found to be comprised of glucose, galactose and arabinose. Both RAHF and CAHF were able to fuel all of the tested three Lactobacillus, five Bifidobacterium and three Bacteroides strains indicating the prebiotic potential of these oligosaccharide mixtures. Moreover, Lb. gasseri grew significantly better on RAHF than on inulin, a benchmark prebiotic oligo- and polysaccharide mixture. When the digestibility of RAHF and CAHF were tested it was found that these oligosaccharide mixtures were only slightly hydrolyzed upon exposure to simulated human gastric (by less than 8%) and pancreatic juices (by less than 3%). Additionally, most sensory attributes of the above obtained oligosaccharide mixtures supplemented two model cereal drink formulations were generally not different from those of the control, while the overall acceptance was not affected significantly in one cereal drink formulation.

  14. Thermal Characterization of Lauric-Stearic Acid/Expanded Graphite Eutectic Mixture as Phase Change Materials.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Hua; Zhang, Peng; Meng, Zhaonan; Li, Ming

    2015-04-01

    The eutectic mixture of lauric acid (LA) and stearic acid (SA) is a desirable phase change material (PCM) due to the constant melting temperature and large latent heat. However, its poor thermal conductivity has hampered its broad utilization. In the present study, pure LA, SA and the mixtures with various mass fractions of LA-SA were used as the basic PCMs, and 10 wt% expanded graphite (EG) was added to enhance the thermal conductivities. The phase change behaviors, microstructural analysis, thermal conductivities and thermal stabilities of the mixtures of PCMs were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), transient plane source (TPS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The results show that the LA-SA binary mixture of mixture ratio of 76.3 wt%: 23.7 wt% forms an eutectic mixture, which melts at 38.99 °C and has a latent heat of 159.94 J/g. The melted fatty acids are well absorbed by the porous network of EG and they have a good thermal stability. Furthermore, poor thermal conductivities can be well enhanced by the addition of EG.

  15. On the Post-Compaction Evolution of Tensile Strength of Sodium Chloride-Starch Mixture Tablets.

    PubMed

    Radojevic, Jovana; Zavaliangos, Antonios

    2017-08-01

    This study focuses on the evolution of mechanical behavior of starch and sodium chloride (NaCl) mixture tablets after compaction. This type of mixture has attracted attention in the past because such tablets exhibit lower tensile strengths than the ones of its individual components. Here we demonstrate that the strengths of NaCl-starch mixtures and NaCl tablets evolve after compaction in an opposite way. When stored at relative humidity of 60%, NaCl tablets strengthen with time, whereas NaCl-starch mixtures weaken. To explain this behavior, we propose that in the NaCl-starch mixture, the presence of 2 materials with significantly different elastic moduli leads to creation of tensile stresses at the stiffer NaCl-NaCl contacts. Such tensile stresses lead to a reduction in strength of the compacted mixtures by negating a local dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism, which strengthens the NaCl-NaCl in pure NaCl tablet. This effect is proven by experimental results from NaCl specimens diametrically loaded during storage. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Measuring the Densities of Aqueous Glasses at Cryogenic Temperatures.

    PubMed

    Shen, Chen; Julius, Ethan F; Tyree, Timothy J; Dan, Ritwik; Moreau, David W; Thorne, Robert

    2017-06-28

    We demonstrate a method for determining the vitreous phase cryogenic temperature densities of aqueous mixtures, and other samples that require rapid cooling, to prepare the desired cryogenic temperature phase. Microliter to picoliter size drops are cooled by projection into a liquid nitrogen-argon (N2-Ar) mixture. The cryogenic temperature phase of the drop is evaluated using a visual assay that correlates with X-ray diffraction measurements. The density of the liquid N2-Ar mixture is adjusted by adding N2 or Ar until the drop becomes neutrally buoyant. The density of this mixture and thus of the drop is determined using a test mass and Archimedes principle. With appropriate care in drop preparation, management of gas above the liquid cryogen mixture to minimize icing, and regular mixing of the cryogenic mixture to prevent density stratification and phase separation, densities accurate to <0.5% of drops as small as 50 pL can readily be determined. Measurements on aqueous cryoprotectant mixtures provide insight into cryoprotectant action, and provide quantitative data to facilitate thermal contraction matching in biological cryopreservation.

  17. Combustion system for hybrid solar fossil fuel receiver

    DOEpatents

    Mehos, Mark S.; Anselmo, Kenneth M.; Moreno, James B.; Andraka, Charles E.; Rawlinson, K. Scott; Corey, John; Bohn, Mark S.

    2004-05-25

    A combustion system for a hybrid solar receiver comprises a pre-mixer which combines air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture. The mixture is introduced tangentially into a cooling jacket. A burner plenum is fluidically connected to the cooling jacket such that the burner plenum and the cooling jacket are arranged in thermal contact with one another. The air-fuel mixture flows through the cooling jacket cooling the burner plenum to reduce pre-ignition of the air-fuel mixture in the burner plenum. A combustion chamber is operatively associated with and open to the burner plenum to receive the air-fuel mixture from the burner plenum. An igniter is operatively positioned in the combustion chamber to combust the air-fuel mixture, releasing heat. A recuperator is operatively associated with the burner plenum and the combustion chamber and pre-heats the air-fuel mixture in the burner plenum with heat from the combustion chamber. A heat-exchanger is operatively associated and in thermal contact with the combustion chamber. The heat-exchanger provides heat for the hybrid solar receiver.

  18. Perceptual and processing differences between physical and dichorhinic odor mixtures.

    PubMed

    Schütze, M; Negoias, S; Olsson, M J; Hummel, T

    2014-01-31

    Perceptual integration of sensory input from our two nostrils has received little attention in comparison to lateralized inputs for vision and hearing. Here, we investigated whether a binary odor mixture of eugenol and l-carvone (smells of cloves and caraway) would be perceived differently if presented as a mixture in one nostril (physical mixture), vs. the same two odorants in separate nostrils (dichorhinic mixture). In parallel, we investigated whether the different types of presentation resulted in differences in olfactory event-related potentials (OERP). Psychophysical ratings showed that the dichorhinic mixtures were perceived as more intense than the physical mixtures. A tendency for shift in perceived quality was also observed. In line with these perceptual changes, the OERP showed a shift in latencies and amplitudes for early (more "sensory") peaks P1 and N1 whereas no significant differences were observed for the later (more "cognitive") peak P2. The results altogether suggest that the peripheral level is a site of interaction between odorants. Both psychophysical ratings and, for the first time, electrophysiological measurements converge on this conclusion. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Evaluation of the nephrotoxicity of complex mixtures containing organics and metals: advantages and disadvantages of the use of real-world complex mixtures.

    PubMed

    Simmons, J E; Yang, R S; Berman, E

    1995-02-01

    As part of a multidisciplinary health effects study, the nephrotoxicity of complex industrial waste mixtures was assessed. Adult, male Fischer 344 rats were gavaged with samples of complex industrial waste and nephrotoxicity evaluated 24 hr later. Of the 10 tested samples, 4 produced increased absolute or relative kidney weight, or both, coupled with a statistically significant alteration in at least one of the measured serum parameters (urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CREAT), and BUN/CREAT ratio). Although the waste samples had been analyzed for a number of organic chemicals and 7 of the 10 samples were analyzed also for 12 elemental metals and metalloids, their nephrotoxicity was not readily predicted from the partial chemical characterization data. Because the chemical form or speciation of the metals was unknown, it was not possible to estimate their contribution to the observed biological response. Various experimental approaches, including use of real-world complex mixtures, chemically defined synthetic mixtures, and simple mixtures, will be necessary to adequately determine the potential human health risk from exposure to complex chemical mixtures.

  20. Lifshitz phase: the microscopic structure of aqueous and ethanol mixtures of 1,n-diols.

    PubMed

    Požar, Martina; Perera, Aurélien

    2017-06-14

    We study binary mixtures of ethylene glycol and 1,3-propandiol with water or ethanol using computer simulations. Despite strong hydrogen bonding tendencies between all these molecules, we find that these mixtures are surprisingly homogeneous, in contrast to the strong micro-heterogeneity found in aqueous ethanol mixtures. The aqueous diol mixtures are found to be close to ideal mixtures, with near-ideal Kirkwood-Buff integrals. Ethanol-diol mixtures show weak non-ideality. The origin of this unexpected randomness is due to the fact that the two hydrogen bonding hydroxyl groups of the 1,n-diol are bound by the neutral alkyl bond, which prevents the micro-segregation of the different types of hydroxyl groups. These findings suggest that random disorder can arise in the presence of strong interactions - in contrast to the usual picture of random disorder due to weak interactions between the components. They point to the important role of molecular topology in tuning concentration fluctuations in complex liquids. We propose and justify herein the name of Lifshitz phases to designate such types of disordered systems.

  1. Experimental study on thermal storage performance of binary mixtures of fatty acids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Quanying; Zhang, Jing; Liu, Chao; Liu, Sha; Sun, Xiangyu

    2018-02-01

    We selected five kinds of fatty acids including the capric acid, stearic acid, lauric acid, palmitic acid and myristic acid and mixed them to prepare10 kinds of binary mixtures of fatty acids according to the predetermined proportion,tested the phase change temperature and latent heat of mixtures by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). In order to find the fatty acid mixture which has suitable phase change temperature, the larger phase change latent heat and can be used for phase change wall. The results showed that the phase change temperature and latent heats of the binary mixtures of fatty acids decreased compared with the single component;The phase change temperature of the binary mixtures of fatty acids containing capric acid were lower, the range was roughly 20∼30°C,and latent heat is large,which are ideal phase change materials for phase change wall energy storage;The phase change temperature of the binary mixtures consisting of other fatty acids were still high,didn’t meet the temperature requirements of the wall energy storage.

  2. Structure-reactivity modeling using mixture-based representation of chemical reactions.

    PubMed

    Polishchuk, Pavel; Madzhidov, Timur; Gimadiev, Timur; Bodrov, Andrey; Nugmanov, Ramil; Varnek, Alexandre

    2017-09-01

    We describe a novel approach of reaction representation as a combination of two mixtures: a mixture of reactants and a mixture of products. In turn, each mixture can be encoded using an earlier reported approach involving simplex descriptors (SiRMS). The feature vector representing these two mixtures results from either concatenated product and reactant descriptors or the difference between descriptors of products and reactants. This reaction representation doesn't need an explicit labeling of a reaction center. The rigorous "product-out" cross-validation (CV) strategy has been suggested. Unlike the naïve "reaction-out" CV approach based on a random selection of items, the proposed one provides with more realistic estimation of prediction accuracy for reactions resulting in novel products. The new methodology has been applied to model rate constants of E2 reactions. It has been demonstrated that the use of the fragment control domain applicability approach significantly increases prediction accuracy of the models. The models obtained with new "mixture" approach performed better than those required either explicit (Condensed Graph of Reaction) or implicit (reaction fingerprints) reaction center labeling.

  3. Solvent effects on the polar network of ionic liquid solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernardes, Carlos E. S.; Shimizu, Karina; Canongia Lopes, José N.

    2015-05-01

    Molecular dynamics simulations were used to probe mixtures of ionic liquids (ILs) with common molecular solvents. Four types of systems were considered: (i) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide plus benzene, hexafluorobenzene or 1,2-difluorobenzene mixtures; (ii) choline-based ILs plus ether mixtures (iii) choline-based ILs plus n-alkanol mixtures; and (iv) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate aqueous mixtures. The results produced a wealth of structural and aggregation information that highlight the resilience of the polar network of the ILs (formed by clusters of alternating ions and counter-ions) to the addition of different types of molecular solvent. The analysis of the MD data also shows that the intricate balance between different types of interaction (electrostatic, van der Waals, H-bond-like) between the different species present in the mixtures has a profound effect on the morphology of the mixtures at a mesoscopic scale. In the case of the IL aqueous solutions, the present results suggest an alternative interpretation for very recently published x-ray and neutron diffraction data on similar systems.

  4. Characterization of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Miscible Lactose-Sugars Systems.

    PubMed

    Li, Runjing; Roos, Yrjö H; Miao, Song

    2017-09-01

    Lactose-sugars systems were produced by spray drying. They were lactose, lactose-glucose (4:1) mixtures, lactose-maltose (4:1) mixtures, lactose-sucrose (4:1) mixtures, lactose-trehalose (4:1) mixtures, and lactose-corn syrup solids (CSS) (4:1) mixtures. The physical characteristics, water sorption behavior, glass transition, and mechanical properties of miscible lactose-sugars systems were investigated. Lactose-glucose mixtures had larger particle size than other lactose-sugars systems after spray drying. The presence of glucose or sucrose in lactose-sugars mixtures decreased the glass transition temperatures of amorphous systems, while the presence of maltose and trehalose had only minor impact on the glass transition temperatures. Moreover, glucose accelerated the crystallization of amorphous system at 0.44 a w , but its presence delayed the loss of sorbed water at higher water activities (≥0.54 a w ). Mechanical property study indicated that glucose and sucrose in amorphous system could result in an increase of molecular mobility, while the presence of CSS could decrease the free volume and maintain the stiffness of the miscible systems. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  5. Characterisation of aerosol combustible mixtures generated using condensation process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saat, Aminuddin; Dutta, Nilabza; Wahid, Mazlan A.

    2012-06-01

    An accidental release of a liquid flammable substance might be formed as an aerosol (droplet and vapour mixture). This phenomenon might be due to high pressure sprays, pressurised liquid leaks and through condensation when hot vapour is rapidly cooled. Such phenomena require a fundamental investigation of mixture characterisation prior to any subsequent process such as evaporation and combustion. This paper describes characterisation study of droplet and vapour mixtures generated in a fan stirred vessel using condensation technique. Aerosol of isooctane mixtures were generated by expansion from initially a premixed gaseous fuel-air mixture. The distribution of droplets within the mixture was characterised using laser diagnostics. Nearly monosized droplet clouds were generated and the droplet diameter was defined as a function of expansion time. The effect of changes in pressure, temperature, fuel-air fraction and expansion ratio on droplet diameter was evaluated. It is shown that aerosol generation by expansion was influenced by the initial pressure and temperature, equivalence ratio and expansion rates. All these parameters affected the onset of condensation which in turn affected the variation in droplet diameter.

  6. Alternatives to type II cement : Part I, Preliminary laboratory studies.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1977-01-01

    In this study concrete mixtures incorporating fly ash are being investigated as possible alternatives to mixtures utilizing Type II cements. The mixture characteristics being considered are strength, resistance to freezing and thawing and sulfates, h...

  7. Evaluating the Similarity of Complex Drinking-Water Disinfection By-Product Mixtures: Overview of the Issues

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Presentation describes the advantages and challenges of working with Whole Mixtures, discusses an exploratory approach for evaluating sufficient similarity, and challenges of applying such approaches to other environmental mixtures.

  8. Tantalum-containing catalyst useful for producing alcohols from synthesis gas

    DOEpatents

    Kinkade, Nancy E.

    1991-01-01

    A catalyst useful for selectively converting a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen to a mixture of lower alkanols consisting essentially of a mixture of molybdenum sulfide, an alkali metal compound and a tantalum compound.

  9. Tantalum-containing catalyst useful for producing alcohols from synthesis gas

    DOEpatents

    Kinkade, Nancy E.

    1992-01-01

    A catalyst useful for selectively converting a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen to a mixture of lower alkanols consisting essentially of a mixture of molybdenum sulfide, an alkali metal compound and a tantalum compound.

  10. Asphalt mixture performance characterization using small-scale cylindrical specimens.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-06-01

    The results of dynamic modulus testing have become one of the primarily used performance criteria to evaluate the : laboratory properties of asphalt mixtures. This test is commonly conducted to characterize asphalt mixtures mechanistically : using an...

  11. Field Monitoring of Experimental Hot Mix Asphalt Projects Placed in Massachusetts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-06-30

    Since 2000, Massachusetts has been involved with numerous field trials of experimental hot mix asphalt mixtures. These experimental mixtures included several pilot projects using the Superpave mixture design methodology, utilization of warm mix aspha...

  12. Investigation on Constrained Matrix Factorization for Hyperspectral Image Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-07-25

    analysis. Keywords: matrix factorization; nonnegative matrix factorization; linear mixture model ; unsupervised linear unmixing; hyperspectral imagery...spatial resolution permits different materials present in the area covered by a single pixel. The linear mixture model says that a pixel reflectance in...in r. In the linear mixture model , r is considered as the linear mixture of m1, m2, …, mP as nMαr += (1) where n is included to account for

  13. Membrane permeation process for dehydration of organic liquid mixtures using sulfonated ion-exchange polyalkene membranes

    DOEpatents

    Cabasso, Israel; Korngold, Emmanuel

    1988-01-01

    A membrane permeation process for dehydrating a mixture of organic liquids, such as alcohols or close boiling, heat sensitive mixtures. The process comprises causing a component of the mixture to selectively sorb into one side of sulfonated ion-exchange polyalkene (e.g., polyethylene) membranes and selectively diffuse or flow therethrough, and then desorbing the component into a gas or liquid phase on the other side of the membranes.

  14. Evaluating the aquatic toxicity of complex organic chemical mixtures: lessons learned from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and petroleum hydrocarbon case studies.

    PubMed

    Landrum, Peter F; Chapman, Peter M; Neff, Jerry; Page, David S

    2012-04-01

    Experimental designs for evaluating complex mixture toxicity in aquatic environments can be highly variable and, if not appropriate, can produce and have produced data that are difficult or impossible to interpret accurately. We build on and synthesize recent critical reviews of mixture toxicity using lessons learned from 4 case studies, ranging from binary to more complex mixtures of primarily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons, to provide guidance for evaluating the aquatic toxicity of complex mixtures of organic chemicals. Two fundamental requirements include establishing a dose-response relationship and determining the causative agent (or agents) of any observed toxicity. Meeting these 2 requirements involves ensuring appropriate exposure conditions and measurement endpoints, considering modifying factors (e.g., test conditions, test organism life stages and feeding behavior, chemical transformations, mixture dilutions, sorbing phases), and correctly interpreting dose-response relationships. Specific recommendations are provided. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

  15. Role of Oxidative Stress in Transformation Induced by Metal Mixture

    PubMed Central

    Martín, Silva-Aguilar; Emilio, Rojas; Mahara, Valverde

    2011-01-01

    Metals are ubiquitous pollutants present as mixtures. In particular, mixture of arsenic-cadmium-lead is among the leading toxic agents detected in the environment. These metals have carcinogenic and cell-transforming potential. In this study, we used a two step cell transformation model, to determine the role of oxidative stress in transformation induced by a mixture of arsenic-cadmium-lead. Oxidative damage and antioxidant response were determined. Metal mixture treatment induces the increase of damage markers and the antioxidant response. Loss of cell viability and increased transforming potential were observed during the promotion phase. This finding correlated significantly with generation of reactive oxygen species. Cotreatment with N-acetyl-cysteine induces effect on the transforming capacity; while a diminution was found in initiation, in promotion phase a total block of the transforming capacity was observed. Our results suggest that oxidative stress generated by metal mixture plays an important role only in promotion phase promoting transforming capacity. PMID:22191014

  16. The scent of mixtures: rules of odour processing in ants

    PubMed Central

    Perez, Margot; Giurfa, Martin; d'Ettorre, Patrizia

    2015-01-01

    Natural odours are complex blends of numerous components. Understanding how animals perceive odour mixtures is central to multiple disciplines. Here we focused on carpenter ants, which rely on odours in various behavioural contexts. We studied overshadowing, a phenomenon that occurs when animals having learnt a binary mixture respond less to one component than to the other, and less than when this component was learnt alone. Ants were trained individually with alcohols and aldehydes varying in carbon-chain length, either as single odours or binary mixtures. They were then tested with the mixture and the components. Overshadowing resulted from the interaction between chain length and functional group: alcohols overshadowed aldehydes, and longer chain lengths overshadowed shorter ones; yet, combinations of these factors could cancel each other and suppress overshadowing. Our results show how ants treat binary olfactory mixtures and set the basis for predictive analyses of odour perception in insects. PMID:25726692

  17. Thermal insulation for high temperature microwave sintering operations and method thereof

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.; Morrow, Marvin S.

    1995-01-01

    Superior microwave transparent thermal insulations for high temperature microwave sintering operations were prepared. One embodiment of the thermal insulation comprises granules of boron nitride coated with a very thin layer of glassy carbon made by preparing a glassy carbon precursor and blending it with boron nitride powder to form a mixture. The blended mixture is granulated to form a grit which is dried and heated to form the granules of boron nitride coated with a glassy carbon. Alternatively, grains of glassy carbon are coated with boron nitride by blending a mixture of a slurry comprising boron nitride, boric acid binder, and methyl alcohol with glassy carbon grains to form a blended mixture. The blended mixture is dried to form grains of glassy carbon coated with boron nitride. In addition, a physical mixture of boron nitride powder and glassy carbon grains has also been shown to be an excellent thermal insulation material for microwave processing and sintering.

  18. Method of preparing thermal insulation for high temperature microwave sintering operations

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.; Morrow, Marvin S.

    1996-01-01

    Superior microwave transparent thermal insulations for high temperature microwave sintering operations were prepared. One embodiment of the thermal insulation comprises granules of boron nitride coated with a very thin layer of glassy carbon made by preparing a glassy carbon precursor and blending it with boron nitride powder to form a mixture. The blended mixture is granulated to form a grit which is dried and heated to form the granules of boron nitride coated with a glassy carbon. Alternatively, grains of glassy carbon are coated with boron nitride by blending a mixture of a slurry comprising boron nitride, boric acid binder, and methyl alcohol with glassy carbon grains to form a blended mixture. The blended mixture is dried to form grains of glassy carbon coated with boron nitride. In addition, a physical mixture of boron nitride powder and glassy carbon grains has also been shown to be an excellent thermal insulation material for microwave processing and sintering.

  19. Thermodynamic study of (anthracene + benzo[a]pyrene) solid mixtures

    PubMed Central

    Rice, James W.; Suuberg, Eric M.

    2010-01-01

    To characterize better the thermodynamic behavior of a binary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixture, thermochemical and vapor pressure experiments were used to examine the phase behavior of the {anthracene (1) + benzo[a]pyrene (2)} system. A solid-liquid phase diagram was mapped for the mixture. A eutectic point occurs at x1 = 0.26. The eutectic mixture is an amorphous solid that lacks organized crystal structure and melts between T = (414 and 420) K. For mixtures that contain 0.10 < x1 < 0.90, the enthalpy of fusion is dominated by that of the eutectic. Solid-vapor equilibrium studies show that mixtures of anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene at x1 < 0.10 sublime at the vapor pressure of pure benzo[a]pyrene. These results suggest that the solid-vapor equilibrium of benzo[a]pyrene is not significantly influenced by moderate levels of anthracene in the crystal structure. PMID:20814451

  20. Similarity measure and domain adaptation in multiple mixture model clustering: An application to image processing.

    PubMed

    Leong, Siow Hoo; Ong, Seng Huat

    2017-01-01

    This paper considers three crucial issues in processing scaled down image, the representation of partial image, similarity measure and domain adaptation. Two Gaussian mixture model based algorithms are proposed to effectively preserve image details and avoids image degradation. Multiple partial images are clustered separately through Gaussian mixture model clustering with a scan and select procedure to enhance the inclusion of small image details. The local image features, represented by maximum likelihood estimates of the mixture components, are classified by using the modified Bayes factor (MBF) as a similarity measure. The detection of novel local features from MBF will suggest domain adaptation, which is changing the number of components of the Gaussian mixture model. The performance of the proposed algorithms are evaluated with simulated data and real images and it is shown to perform much better than existing Gaussian mixture model based algorithms in reproducing images with higher structural similarity index.

  1. Elimination of exemptions for chemical mixtures containing the list I chemicals ephedrine and/or pseudoephedrine. Final rule.

    PubMed

    2008-07-10

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is finalizing, without change, the Interim Rule with Request for Comment published in the Federal Register on July 25, 2007 (72 FR 40738). The Interim Rule removed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) exemptions for chemical mixtures containing ephedrine and/or pseudoephedrine with concentration limits at or below five percent. Upon the effective date of the Interim Rule, all ephedrine and pseudoephedrine chemical mixtures, regardless of concentration and form, became subject to the regulatory provisions of the CSA. DEA regulated the importation, exportation, manufacture, and distribution of these chemical mixtures by requiring persons who handle these chemical mixtures to register with DEA, maintain certain records common to business practice, and file certain reports, regarding these chemical mixtures. No comments to the Interim Rule were received. This Final Rule finalizes the Interim Rule without change.

  2. Method for producing dustless graphite spheres from waste graphite fines

    DOEpatents

    Pappano, Peter J [Oak Ridge, TN; Rogers, Michael R [Clinton, TN

    2012-05-08

    A method for producing graphite spheres from graphite fines by charging a quantity of spherical media into a rotatable cylindrical overcoater, charging a quantity of graphite fines into the overcoater thereby forming a first mixture of spherical media and graphite fines, rotating the overcoater at a speed such that the first mixture climbs the wall of the overcoater before rolling back down to the bottom thereby forming a second mixture of spherical media, graphite fines, and graphite spheres, removing the second mixture from the overcoater, sieving the second mixture to separate graphite spheres, charging the first mixture back into the overcoater, charging an additional quantity of graphite fines into the overcoater, adjusting processing parameters like overcoater dimensions, graphite fines charge, overcoater rotation speed, overcoater angle of rotation, and overcoater time of rotation, before repeating the steps until graphite fines are converted to graphite spheres.

  3. Similarity measure and domain adaptation in multiple mixture model clustering: An application to image processing

    PubMed Central

    Leong, Siow Hoo

    2017-01-01

    This paper considers three crucial issues in processing scaled down image, the representation of partial image, similarity measure and domain adaptation. Two Gaussian mixture model based algorithms are proposed to effectively preserve image details and avoids image degradation. Multiple partial images are clustered separately through Gaussian mixture model clustering with a scan and select procedure to enhance the inclusion of small image details. The local image features, represented by maximum likelihood estimates of the mixture components, are classified by using the modified Bayes factor (MBF) as a similarity measure. The detection of novel local features from MBF will suggest domain adaptation, which is changing the number of components of the Gaussian mixture model. The performance of the proposed algorithms are evaluated with simulated data and real images and it is shown to perform much better than existing Gaussian mixture model based algorithms in reproducing images with higher structural similarity index. PMID:28686634

  4. Shock Reactivity of Non-Porous Mixtures of Manganese and Sulfur

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jetté, F. X.; Goroshin, S.; Higgins, A. J.

    2007-12-01

    Equimolar mixtures of manganese powder and sulfur were melt-cast into solid pellets in order to study the mechanism of shock-enhanced reactivity in non-porous heterogeneous mixtures. This mixture was selected due to the large exothermic heat release of the manganese-sulfur reaction (214 kJ/mol), which causes the reaction to be self-sustaining once initiated. The test samples were placed in planar recovery ampoules and a strong shock was delivered via the detonation of a charge of amine-sensitized nitromethane. Various shock strengths were achieved by placing different thicknesses of PMMA attenuator discs between the explosive charge and the ampoule. The results confirmed that shock-induced reactions can be produced in highly non-porous mixtures. Indeed, the critical shock pressure that caused ignition of the mixture in the ampoule was found to be in the range 2.2-3.0 GPa (pressures were estimated using LS-DYNA simulations of samples with 100% TMD).

  5. Method for identifying known materials within a mixture of unknowns

    DOEpatents

    Wagner, John S.

    2000-01-01

    One or both of two methods and systems are used to determine concentration of a known material in an unknown mixture on the basis of the measured interaction of electromagnetic waves upon the mixture. One technique is to utilize a multivariate analysis patch technique to develop a library of optimized patches of spectral signatures of known materials containing only those pixels most descriptive of the known materials by an evolutionary algorithm. Identity and concentration of the known materials within the unknown mixture is then determined by minimizing the residuals between the measurements from the library of optimized patches and the measurements from the same pixels from the unknown mixture. Another technique is to train a neural network by the genetic algorithm to determine the identity and concentration of known materials in the unknown mixture. The two techniques may be combined into an expert system providing cross checks for accuracy.

  6. System for identifying known materials within a mixture of unknowns

    DOEpatents

    Wagner, John S.

    1999-01-01

    One or both of two methods and systems are used to determine concentration of a known material in an unknown mixture on the basis of the measured interaction of electromagnetic waves upon the mixture. One technique is to utilize a multivariate analysis patch technique to develop a library of optimized patches of spectral signatures of known materials containing only those pixels most descriptive of the known materials by an evolutionary algorithm. Identity and concentration of the known materials within the unknown mixture is then determined by minimizing the residuals between the measurements from the library of optimized patches and the measurements from the same pixels from the unknown mixture. Another technique is to train a neural network by the genetic algorithm to determine the identity and concentration of known materials in the unknown mixture. The two techniques may be combined into an expert system providing cross checks for accuracy.

  7. The nonlinear model for emergence of stable conditions in gas mixture in force field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalutskov, Oleg; Uvarova, Liudmila

    2016-06-01

    The case of M-component liquid evaporation from the straight cylindrical capillary into N - component gas mixture in presence of external forces was reviewed. It is assumed that the gas mixture is not ideal. The stable states in gas phase can be formed during the evaporation process for the certain model parameter valuesbecause of the mass transfer initial equationsnonlinearity. The critical concentrations of the resulting gas mixture components (the critical component concentrations at which the stable states occur in mixture) were determined mathematically for the case of single-component fluid evaporation into two-component atmosphere. It was concluded that this equilibrium concentration ratio of the mixture components can be achieved by external force influence on the mass transfer processes. It is one of the ways to create sustainable gas clusters that can be used effectively in modern nanotechnology.

  8. Cermet electrode

    DOEpatents

    Maskalick, Nicholas J.

    1988-08-30

    Disclosed is a cermet electrode consisting of metal particles of nickel, cobalt, iron, or alloys or mixtures thereof immobilized by zirconia stabilized in cubic form which contains discrete deposits of about 0.1 to about 5% by weight of praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, or a mixture thereof. The solid oxide electrode can be made by covering a substrate with particles of nickel, cobalt, iron, or mixtures thereof, growing a stabilized zirconia solid oxide skeleton around the particles thereby immobilizing them, contacting the skeleton with a compound of praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, or a mixture thereof, and heating the skeleton to a temperature of at least 500.degree. C. The electrode can also be made by preparing a slurry of nickel, cobalt, iron, or mixture and a compound of praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, or a mixture thereof, depositing the slurry on a substrate, heating the slurry to dryness, and growing a stabilized zirconia skeleton around the metal particles.

  9. Densities and viscosities of solutions of monoethanolamine + N-Methyldiethanolamine + water and monoethanolamine + 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol + water

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

    Li, M.H.; Lie, Y.C.

    1994-07-01

    The densities and viscosities of aqueous mixtures of monoethanolamine (MEA) with N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and MEA with 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) have been studied at temperatures from 30 to 80 C. For density measurements, four MEA + MDEA (a total of 20 mass %) + H[sub 2]O mixtures and eight MEA + AMP (20 and 30 mass %) + H[sub 2]O mixtures were studied. For viscosity measurements, ten MEA + MDEA + H[sub 2]O mixtures and eight MEA + AMP + H[sub 2]O mixtures were measured. A Redlich-Kister equation of the excess volume was applied to represent the density of the liquid mixtures.more » The equation of Grunberg and Nissan of liquid viscosity was used to correlate the viscosity data. Both density and viscosity calculations show satisfactory results.« less

  10. Method and compositions for the degradation of tributyl phosphate in chemical waste mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Stoner, D.L.; Tien, A.J.

    1995-09-26

    A method and process are disclosed for the degradation of tributyl phosphate in an organic waste mixture and a biologically pure, novel bacteria culture for accomplishing the same. A newly-discovered bacteria (a strain of Acinetobacter sp. ATCC 55587) is provided which is combined in a reactor vessel with a liquid waste mixture containing tributyl phosphate and one or more organic waste compounds capable of functioning as growth substrates for the bacteria. The bacteria is thereafter allowed to incubate within the waste mixture. As a result, the tributyl phosphate and organic compounds within the waste mixture are metabolized (degraded) by the bacteria, thereby eliminating such materials which are environmentally hazardous. In addition, the bacteria is capable of degrading waste mixtures containing high quantities of tributyl phosphate (e.g. up to about 1.0% by weight tributyl phosphate). 6 figs.

  11. A general mixture theory. I. Mixtures of spherical molecules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamad, Esam Z.

    1996-08-01

    We present a new general theory for obtaining mixture properties from the pure species equations of state. The theory addresses the composition and the unlike interactions dependence of mixture equation of state. The density expansion of the mixture equation gives the exact composition dependence of all virial coefficients. The theory introduces multiple-index parameters that can be calculated from binary unlike interaction parameters. In this first part of the work, details are presented for the first and second levels of approximations for spherical molecules. The second order model is simple and very accurate. It predicts the compressibility factor of additive hard spheres within simulation uncertainty (equimolar with size ratio of three). For nonadditive hard spheres, comparison with compressibility factor simulation data over a wide range of density, composition, and nonadditivity parameter, gave an average error of 2%. For mixtures of Lennard-Jones molecules, the model predictions are better than the Weeks-Chandler-Anderson perturbation theory.

  12. Reduced chemical kinetic model of detonation combustion of one- and multi-fuel gaseous mixtures with air

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fomin, P. A.

    2018-03-01

    Two-step approximate models of chemical kinetics of detonation combustion of (i) one hydrocarbon fuel CnHm (for example, methane, propane, cyclohexane etc.) and (ii) multi-fuel gaseous mixtures (∑aiCniHmi) (for example, mixture of methane and propane, synthesis gas, benzene and kerosene) are presented for the first time. The models can be used for any stoichiometry, including fuel/fuels-rich mixtures, when reaction products contain molecules of carbon. Owing to the simplicity and high accuracy, the models can be used in multi-dimensional numerical calculations of detonation waves in corresponding gaseous mixtures. The models are in consistent with the second law of thermodynamics and Le Chatelier's principle. Constants of the models have a clear physical meaning. The models can be used for calculation thermodynamic parameters of the mixture in a state of chemical equilibrium.

  13. Simplex-centroid mixture formulation for optimised composting of kitchen waste.

    PubMed

    Abdullah, N; Chin, N L

    2010-11-01

    Composting is a good recycling method to fully utilise all the organic wastes present in kitchen waste due to its high nutritious matter within the waste. In this present study, the optimised mixture proportions of kitchen waste containing vegetable scraps (V), fish processing waste (F) and newspaper (N) or onion peels (O) were determined by applying the simplex-centroid mixture design method to achieve the desired initial moisture content and carbon-to-nitrogen (CN) ratio for effective composting process. The best mixture was at 48.5% V, 17.7% F and 33.7% N for blends with newspaper while for blends with onion peels, the mixture proportion was 44.0% V, 19.7% F and 36.2% O. The predicted responses from these mixture proportions fall in the acceptable limits of moisture content of 50% to 65% and CN ratio of 20-40 and were also validated experimentally. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Prediction of vapour-liquid and vapour-liquid-liquid equilibria of nitrogen-hydrocarbon mixtures used in J-T refrigerators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narayanan, Vineed; Venkatarathnam, G.

    2018-03-01

    Nitrogen-hydrocarbon mixtures are widely used as refrigerants in J-T refrigerators operating with mixtures, as well as in natural gas liquefiers. The Peng-Robinson equation of state has traditionally been used to simulate the above cryogenic process. Multi parameter Helmholtz energy equations are now preferred for determining the properties of natural gas. They have, however, been used only to predict vapour-liquid equilibria, and not vapour-liquid-liquid equilibria that can occur in mixtures used in cryogenic mixed refrigerant processes. In this paper the vapour-liquid equilibrium of binary mixtures of nitrogen-methane, nitrogen-ethane, nitrogen-propane, nitrogen-isobutane and three component mixtures of nitrogen-methane-ethane and nitrogen-methane-propane have been studied with the Peng-Robinson and the Helmholtz energy equations of state of NIST REFPROP and compared with experimental data available in the literature.

  15. Use of an Amino Acid Mixture in Treatment of Phenylketonuria

    PubMed Central

    Bentovim, A.; Clayton, Barbara E.; Francis, Dorothy E. M.; Shepherd, Jean; Wolff, O. H.

    1970-01-01

    Twelve children with phenylketonuria diagnosed and treated from the first few weeks of life were grouped into pairs. Before the trial all of them were receiving a commercial preparation containing a protein hydrolysate low in phenylalanine (Cymogran, Allen and Hanburys Ltd.) as a substitute for natural protein. One of each pair was given an amino acid mixture instead of Cymogran for about 6 months. Use of the mixture involved considerable modification of the diet, and in particular the inclusion of greater amounts of phenylalanine-free foods. All six accepted the new mixture without difficulty, food problems were greatly reduced, parents welcomed the new preparation, and the quality of family life improved. Normal growth was maintained and with a mixture of l amino acids the plasma and urinary amino acid levels were normal. Further studies are needed before the mixture can be recommended for children under 20 months of age. PMID:5477678

  16. System for identifying known materials within a mixture of unknowns

    DOEpatents

    Wagner, J.S.

    1999-07-20

    One or both of two methods and systems are used to determine concentration of a known material in an unknown mixture on the basis of the measured interaction of electromagnetic waves upon the mixture. One technique is to utilize a multivariate analysis patch technique to develop a library of optimized patches of spectral signatures of known materials containing only those pixels most descriptive of the known materials by an evolutionary algorithm. Identity and concentration of the known materials within the unknown mixture is then determined by minimizing the residuals between the measurements from the library of optimized patches and the measurements from the same pixels from the unknown mixture. Another technique is to train a neural network by the genetic algorithm to determine the identity and concentration of known materials in the unknown mixture. The two techniques may be combined into an expert system providing cross checks for accuracy. 37 figs.

  17. NTP technical report on the toxicity studies of Pesticide/Fertilizer Mixtures Administered in Drinking Water to F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice.

    PubMed

    Yang, R.

    1993-08-01

    Toxicity studies were performed with pesticide and fertilizer mixtures representative of groundwater contamination found in California and Iowa. The California mixture was composed of aldicarb, atrazine, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, 1,2- dichloropropane, ethylene dibromide, simazine, and ammonium nitrate. The Iowa mixture contained alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, metribuzin, and ammonium nitrate. The mixtures were administered in drinking water (with 512 ppm propylene glycol) to F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice of each sex at concentrations ranging from 0.1x to 100x, where 1x represented the median concentrations of the individual chemicals found in studies of groundwater contamination from normal agricultural activities. This report focuses primarily on 26-week toxicity studies describing histopathology, clinical pathology, neurobehavior/neuropathology, and reproductive system effects. The genetic toxicity of the mixtures was assessed by determining the frequency of micronuclei in peripheral blood of mice and evaluating micronuclei and sister chromatid exchanges in splenocytes from female mice and male rats. Additional studies with these mixtures that are briefly reviewed in this report include teratology studies with Sprague-Dawley rats and continuous breeding studies with CD-1 Swiss mice. In 26-week drinking water studies of the California and the Iowa mixtures, all rats (10 per sex and group) survived to the end of the studies, and there were no significant effects on body weight gains. Water consumption was not affected by the pesticide/fertilizer contaminants, and there were no clinical signs of toxicity or neurobehavioral effects as measured by a functional observational battery, motor activity evaluations, thermal sensitivity evaluations, and startle response. There were no clear adverse effects noted in clinical pathology (including serum cholinesterase activity), organ weight, reproductive system, or histopathologic evaluations, although absolute and relative liver weights were marginally increased with increasing exposure concentration in both male and female rats consuming the Iowa mixture. In 26-week drinking water studies in mice, one male receiving the California mixture at 100x died during the study, and one control female and one female in the 100x group in the Iowa mixture study also died early. It could not be determined if the death of either of the mice in the 100x groups was related to consumption of the pesticide/fertilizer mixtures. Water consumption and body weight gains were not affected in these studies, and no signs of toxicity were noted in clinical observations or in neurobehavioral assessments. No clear adverse effects were noted in clinical pathology, reproductive system, organ weight, or histopathologic evaluations of exposed mice. The pesticide/fertilizer mixtures, when tested over a concentration range similar to that used in the 26-week studies, were found to have no effects in teratology studies or in a continuous breeding assay examining reproductive and developmental toxicity. The California and Iowa pesticide mixtures were tested for induction of micronuclei in peripheral blood erythrocytes of female mice. Results of tests with the California mixture were negative. Significant increases in micronucleated normochromatic erythrocytes were seen at the two-highest concentrations (10x and 100x) of the Iowa mixture, but the increases were within the normal range of micronuclei in historical control animals. Splenocytes of male rats and female mice exposed to these mixtures were examined for micronucleus and sister chromatid exchange frequencies. Sister chromatid exchange frequencies were marginally increased in rats and mice receiving the California mixture, but neither species exhibited increased frequencies of micronucleated splenocytes. None of these changes were considered to have biological importance. In summary, studies of potential toxicity associated with the consumption of mixtures of pesticides and a fertilizer representative of groundwater contamination in agriculturative of groundwater contamination in agricultural areas of Iowa and California failed to demonstrate any significant adverse effects in rats or mice receiving the mixtures in drinking water at concentrations as high as 100 times the median concentrations of the individual chemicals determined by groundwater surveys. NOTE: These studies were supported in part by funds from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act trust fund (Superfund) by an interagency agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Public Health Service.

  18. Lethal and sublethal effects of chlorine, phenol, and chlorine-phenol mixtures on the mud crab, Panopeus herbstii.

    PubMed

    Key, P B; Scott, G I

    1986-11-01

    The mud crab, Panopeus herbstii, was acutely exposed (96-hr) to chlorine-produced oxidants (CPO), phenol, and a CPO-phenolic mixture (1:1) to determine lethal and sublethal effects. The 96-hr (LC50) values were determined for each individual compound and mixture. Additionally, whole-animal respiration rates were measured following acute exposure to sublethal concentrations of each compound or mixture. Phenol uptake/depuration rates were measured in the phenol and CPO-phenol mixture concentrations. Results indicated 96-hr LC50 values of 1.06 mg/L for CPO (fiducial limits (FL) = 0.53-2.01 mg/L), 52.8 mg/L for phenol (FL = 45.6-64.5 mg/L), and 184.7 mg/L total toxicant units (TTU) for the CPO-phenol mixture (FL = 143.7-250.2 mg/L TTU). Statistical analysis indicated that the acute toxicity of the CPO-phenol mixture was less than additive. Sublethal studies indicated that only acute exposure to sublethal concentrations of CPO caused altered respiration rates. After 96-hr depuration, metabolic rates in all CPO-exposure crabs generally returned to control rates. Uptake/depuration rate studies indicated significantly lower phenol uptake rates in crabs exposed to the CPO-phenol mixture. These findings suggest that the less-than-additive toxicity of the CPO-phenol mixture may result from lowered uptake/depuration rate kinetics and indicate that the discharge of chlorinated-phenolic waste may not result in additive and/or synergistic interactions, but rather in less-than-additive effects on decapod aquatic species.

  19. Transferring mixtures of chemicals from sediment to a bioassay using silicone-based passive sampling and dosing.

    PubMed

    Mustajärvi, Lukas; Eriksson-Wiklund, Ann-Kristin; Gorokhova, Elena; Jahnke, Annika; Sobek, Anna

    2017-11-15

    Environmental mixtures of chemicals consist of a countless number of compounds with unknown identity and quantity. Yet, chemical regulation is mainly built around the assessment of single chemicals. Existing frameworks for assessing the toxicity of mixtures require that both the chemical composition and quantity are known. Quantitative analyses of the chemical composition of environmental mixtures are however extremely challenging and resource-demanding. Bioassays may therefore serve as a useful approach for investigating the combined toxicity of environmental mixtures of chemicals in a cost-efficient and holistic manner. In this study, an unknown environmental mixture of bioavailable semi-hydrophobic to hydrophobic chemicals was sampled from a contaminated sediment in a coastal Baltic Sea area using silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as an equilibrium passive sampler. The chemical mixture was transferred to a PDMS-based passive dosing system, and its applicability was demonstrated using green algae Tetraselmis suecica in a cell viability assay. The proportion of dead cells increased significantly with increasing exposure level and in a dose-response manner. At an ambient concentration, the proportion of dead cells in the population was nearly doubled compared to the control; however, the difference was non-significant due to high inter-replicate variability and a low number of replicates. The validation of the test system regarding equilibrium sampling, loading efficiency into the passive dosing polymer, stability of the mixture composition, and low algal mortality in control treatments demonstrates that combining equilibrium passive sampling and passive dosing is a promising tool for investigating the toxicity of bioavailable semi-hydrophobic and hydrophobic chemicals in complex environmental mixtures.

  20. Additive and synergistic antiandrogenic activities of mixtures of azol fungicides and vinclozolin.

    PubMed

    Christen, Verena; Crettaz, Pierre; Fent, Karl

    2014-09-15

    Many pesticides including pyrethroids and azole fungicides are suspected to have an endocrine disrupting property. At present, the joint activity of compound mixtures is only marginally known. Here we tested the hypothesis that the antiandrogenic activity of mixtures of azole fungicides can be predicted by the concentration addition (CA) model. The antiandrogenic activity was assessed in MDA-kb2 cells. Following assessing single compounds activities mixtures of azole fungicides and vinclozolin were investigated. Interactions were analyzed by direct comparison between experimental and estimated dose-response curves assuming CA, followed by an analysis by the isobole method and the toxic unit approach. The antiandrogenic activity of pyrethroids deltamethrin, cypermethrin, fenvalerate and permethrin was weak, while the azole fungicides tebuconazole, propiconazole, epoxiconazole, econazole and vinclozolin exhibited strong antiandrogenic activity. Ten binary and one ternary mixture combinations of five antiandrogenic fungicides were assessed at equi-effective concentrations of EC25 and EC50. Isoboles indicated that about 50% of the binary mixtures were additive and 50% synergistic. Synergism was even more frequently indicated by the toxic unit approach. Our data lead to the conclusion that interactions in mixtures follow the CA model. However, a surprisingly high percentage of synergistic interactions occurred. Therefore, the mixture activity of antiandrogenic azole fungicides is at least additive. Mixtures should also be considered for additive antiandrogenic activity in hazard and risk assessment. Our evaluation provides an appropriate "proof of concept", but whether it equally translates to in vivo effects should further be investigated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. The Regular Interaction Pattern among Odorants of the Same Type and Its Application in Odor Intensity Assessment.

    PubMed

    Yan, Luchun; Liu, Jiemin; Jiang, Shen; Wu, Chuandong; Gao, Kewei

    2017-07-13

    The olfactory evaluation function (e.g., odor intensity rating) of e-nose is always one of the most challenging issues in researches about odor pollution monitoring. But odor is normally produced by a set of stimuli, and odor interactions among constituents significantly influenced their mixture's odor intensity. This study investigated the odor interaction principle in odor mixtures of aldehydes and esters, respectively. Then, a modified vector model (MVM) was proposed and it successfully demonstrated the similarity of the odor interaction pattern among odorants of the same type. Based on the regular interaction pattern, unlike a determined empirical model only fit for a specific odor mixture in conventional approaches, the MVM distinctly simplified the odor intensity prediction of odor mixtures. Furthermore, the MVM also provided a way of directly converting constituents' chemical concentrations to their mixture's odor intensity. By combining the MVM with usual data-processing algorithm of e-nose, a new e-nose system was established for an odor intensity rating. Compared with instrumental analysis and human assessor, it exhibited accuracy well in both quantitative analysis (Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.999 for individual aldehydes ( n = 12), 0.996 for their binary mixtures ( n = 36) and 0.990 for their ternary mixtures ( n = 60)) and odor intensity assessment (Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.980 for individual aldehydes ( n = 15), 0.973 for their binary mixtures ( n = 24), and 0.888 for their ternary mixtures ( n = 25)). Thus, the observed regular interaction pattern is considered an important foundation for accelerating extensive application of olfactory evaluation in odor pollution monitoring.

  2. The importance of botellas and other plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine

    PubMed Central

    Vandebroek, Ina; Balick, Michael J.; Ososki, Andreana; Kronenberg, Fredi; Yukes, Jolene; Wade, Christine; Jiménez, Francisco; Peguero, Brígido; Castillo, Daisy

    2010-01-01

    Ethnopharmacological relevance Plant mixtures are understudied in ethnobotanical research Aim of the study To investigate the importance of plant mixtures (remedies consisting of at least two plants) in Dominican traditional medicine. Materials and Methods A Spanish language questionnaire was administered to 174 Dominicans living in New York City (NYC) and 145 Dominicans living in the Dominican Republic (DR), including lay persons (who self-medicate with plants) and specialists (traditional healers). Plants were identified through specimens purchased in NYC botánica shops and Latino grocery shops, and from voucher collections. Results The percentage of mixtures as compared to single plants in plant use reports varied between 32 to 41%, depending on the geographic location (NYC or DR) and participant status (lay person or specialist). Respiratory conditions, reproductive health and genitourinary conditions were the main categories for which Dominicans use plant mixtures. Lay persons reported significantly more mixtures prepared as teas, mainly used in NYC to treat respiratory conditions. Specialists mentioned significantly more botellas (bottled herbal mixtures), used most frequently in the DR to treat reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Cluster analysis demonstrated that different plant species are used to treat respiratory conditions as compared to reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Interview participants believed that combining plants in mixtures increases their potency and versatility as medicines. Conclusions The present study demonstrates the importance and complexity of plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine and the variation in its practices influenced by migration from the DR to NYC, shedding new light on the foundations of a particular ethnomedical system. PMID:20006697

  3. The importance of botellas and other plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine.

    PubMed

    Vandebroek, Ina; Balick, Michael J; Ososki, Andreana; Kronenberg, Fredi; Yukes, Jolene; Wade, Christine; Jiménez, Francisco; Peguero, Brígido; Castillo, Daisy

    2010-03-02

    Plant mixtures are understudied in ethnobotanical research. To investigate the importance of plant mixtures (remedies consisting of at least two plants) in Dominican traditional medicine. A Spanish language questionnaire was administered to 174 Dominicans living in New York City (NYC) and 145 Dominicans living in the Dominican Republic (DR), including lay persons (who self-medicate with plants) and specialists (traditional healers). Plants were identified through specimens purchased in NYC botánica shops and Latino grocery shops, and from voucher collections. The percentage of mixtures as compared to single plants in plant use reports varied between 32 and 41%, depending on the geographic location (NYC or DR) and participant status (lay person or specialist). Respiratory conditions, reproductive health and genitourinary conditions were the main categories for which Dominicans use plant mixtures. Lay persons reported significantly more mixtures prepared as teas, mainly used in NYC to treat respiratory conditions. Specialists mentioned significantly more botellas (bottled herbal mixtures), used most frequently in the DR to treat reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Cluster analysis demonstrated that different plant species are used to treat respiratory conditions as compared to reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Interview participants believed that combining plants in mixtures increases their potency and versatility as medicines. The present study demonstrates the importance and complexity of plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine and the variation in its practices influenced by migration from the DR to NYC, shedding new light on the foundations of a particular ethnomedical system. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts reproduction in F1 female mice.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying; Flaws, Jodi A

    2017-03-01

    Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, such as building materials, medical devices, and personal care products. Most previous studies on the toxicity of phthalates have focused on single phthalates, but it is also important to study the effects of phthalate mixtures because humans are exposed to phthalate mixtures. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture adversely affects female reproduction in mice. To test this hypothesis, pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200μg/kg/day, 200 and 500mg/kg/day) daily from gestational day 10 to birth. The mixture was based on the composition of phthalates detected in urine samples from pregnant women in Illinois. The mixture included 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% diisononyl phthalate, 8% diisobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate. Female mice born to the exposed dams were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests at different ages. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture significantly increased uterine weight and decreased anogenital distance on postnatal days 8 and 60, induced cystic ovaries at 13months, disrupted estrous cyclicity, reduced fertility-related indices, and caused some breeding complications at 3, 6, and 9months of age. Collectively, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts aspects of female reproduction in mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Effects of grinding and humidification on the transformation of conglomerate to racemic compound in optically active drugs.

    PubMed

    Piyarom, S; Yonemochi, E; Oguchi, T; Yamamoto, K

    1997-04-01

    The effects of grinding and humidification on the transformation of conglomerate to racemic compound have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy for leucine, norleucine, valine, serine, tartaric acid and malic acid. Racemic physical mixtures were prepared by physical mixing of equimolar quantities of D and I. crystals using a mortar and pestle. Ground mixtures were obtained by grinding the physical mixtures with a vibrational mill. Humidification was performed by storing the physical mixtures and the ground mixtures in a desiccator containing saturated aqueous salt solutions at 40 degrees C. When physical mixtures of malic acid, tartaric acid and serine were ground, the XPD peaks of the racemic compounds were observed. The XPD patterns of humidified physical mixtures of these compounds also showed the formation of the racemic compounds. This indicated that grinding or humidification of malic acid, tartaric acid and serine induced the transformation of conglomerate to racemic compound crystals. When, on the other hand, the physical mixtures of valine, leucine and norleucine were ground, peaks of racemic compounds were not detected in the XPD pattern. After humidification of the ground mixtures of valine, leucine and norleucine, however, the XPD peaks of racemic compounds were observed. DSC and IR studies revealed consistent results. We concluded that grinding or humidification of malic acid, tartaric acid and serine could induce the transformation of a conglomerate to racemic compound. In contrast, humidifying after grinding was needed to bring about the transformation in leucine, norleucine and valine.

  6. Sensitivities of single nerve fibers in the hamster chorda tympani to mixtures of taste stimuli

    PubMed Central

    1980-01-01

    Responses of three groups of neural fibers from the chorda tympani of the hamster to binary mixtures of taste stimuli applied to the tongue were analyzed. The groups displayed different sensitivities to six chemicals at concentrations that had approximately equal effects on the whole nerve. Sucrose-best fibers responded strongly only to sucrose and D-phenylalanine. NaCl-best and HCl-best fibers, responded to four electrolytes: equally to CaCl2 and nearly equally to HCl, but the former responded more to NaCl, and the latter responded more to NH4Cl. The groups of fibers dealt differently with binary mixtures. Sucrose- best fibers responded to a mixture of sucrose and D-phenylalanine as if one of the chemicals had been appropriately increased in concentration, but they responded to a mixture of either one and an electrolyte as if the concentration of sucrose or D-phenylalanine had been reduced. NaCl- best fibers responded to a mixture as if it were a "mixture" of two appropriate concentrations of one chemical, or somewhat less. But, responses of HCl-best fibers to mixtures were greater than that, approaching a sum of responses to components. These results explain effects on the whole nerve, suggest that the sensitivity of a mammalian taste receptor to one chemical can be affected by a second, which may or may not be a stimulus for that receptor, and suggest that some effects of taste mixtures in humans may be the result of peripheral processes. PMID:7190997

  7. Reactions of aqueous L-methionine, L-phenylalanine, L-methionyl-L-phenylalanine, L-phenylalanyl-L-methionine and their mixtures with H atoms during steady radiolysis at pH 6. 5. [Gamma radiation

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

    Mee, L.K.; Adelstein, S.J.; Steinhart, C.M.

    Phenylalanine, methionine, and their mixtures, methionyl phenylalanine, phenylalnyl methionine, and mixtures of each dipeptide with phenylalanine were reacted with radiolytically generated H atoms in aqueous solution at pH 6.5. When methionine is irradiated alone, G(-methionine) = 2.0; the principal amino acid product is ..cap alpha..-amino-n-butyric acid. The initial destruction of phenylalanine, irradiated alone, is very low, G(-phenylalanine) approximately 0.15, and it decreases with dose. In mixtures of phenylalanine and methionine, radiolytic destruction of phenylalanine is potentiated, with a maximum potentiation at a phenylalanine:methionine ratio of 2 : 1. Repair reactions are postulated to account for the low initial yield ofmore » phenylalanine, its decrease with dose, and potentiation of destruction in mixtures with methionine. The destruction of the phenylalanyl and methionyl residues in the irradiated dipeptides is similar to that found for the loss of phenylalanine and methionine in 1 : 1 mixtures of the free amino acids; the destruction of residues in 1 : 1 mixtures of either dipeptide with phenylalanine is similar to that found in mixtures of phenylalanine:methionine at a ratio of 2 : 1. Thus, it is apparent already in simple mixtures of the divalent sulfur-containing methionine and the aromatic phenylalanine that kinetic interactions occur between these two kinds of amino acids which are not revealed by irradiation of these residues separately. The behavior of the dipeptides does not provide any evidence for intramolecular transfer of radical site.« less

  8. Cultivar Mixture Cropping Increased Water Use Efficiency in Winter Wheat under Limited Irrigation Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yunqi; Zhang, Yinghua; Ji, Wei; Yu, Peng; Wang, Bin; Li, Jinpeng; Han, Meikun; Xu, Xuexin; Wang, Zhimin

    2016-01-01

    The effects of cultivar mixture cropping on yield, biomass, and water use efficiency (WUE) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were investigated under non-irrigation (W0, no irrigation during growth stage), one time irrigation (W1, irrigation applied at stem elongation) and two times irrigation (W2, irrigation applied at stem elongation and anthesis) conditions. Nearly 90% of cultivar mixture cropping treatments experienced an increase in grain yield as compared with the mean of the pure stands under W0, those for W1 and W2 were 80% and 85%, respectively. Over 75% of cultivar mixture cropping treatments got greater biomass than the mean of the pure stands under the three irrigation conditions. Cultivar mixture cropping cost more water than pure stands under W0 and W1, whereas the water consumption under W2 decreased by 5.9%–6.8% as compared with pure stands. Approximately 90% of cultivar mixtures showed an increase of 5.4%–34.5% in WUE as compared with the mean of the pure stands, and about 75% of cultivar mixtures had 0.8%–28.5% higher WUE than the better pure stands under W0. Similarly, there were a majority of mixture cropping treatments with higher WUE than the mean and the better one of the pure stands under W1 and W2. On the whole, proper cultivar mixture cropping could increase yield and WUE, and a higher increase in WUE occurred under limited irrigation condition. PMID:27362563

  9. The design of an environmentally relevant mixture of persistent organic pollutants for use in in vivo and in vitro studies.

    PubMed

    Berntsen, Hanne Friis; Berg, Vidar; Thomsen, Cathrine; Ropstad, Erik; Zimmer, Karin Elisabeth

    2017-01-01

    Amongst the substances listed as persistent organic pollutants (POP) under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (SCPOP) are chlorinated, brominated, and fluorinated compounds. Most experimental studies investigating effects of POP employ single compounds. Studies focusing on effects of POP mixtures are limited, and often conducted using extracts from collected specimens. Confounding effects of unmeasured substances in such extracts may bias the estimates of presumed causal relationships being examined. The aim of this investigation was to design a model of an environmentally relevant mixture of POP for use in experimental studies, containing 29 different chlorinated, brominated, and perfluorinated compounds. POP listed under the SCPOP and reported to occur at the highest levels in Scandinavian food, blood, or breast milk prior to 2012 were selected, and two different mixtures representing varying exposure scenarios constructed. The in vivo mixture contained POP concentrations based upon human estimated daily intakes (EDIs), whereas the in vitro mixture was based upon levels in human blood. In addition to total in vitro mixture, 6 submixtures containing the same concentration of chlorinated + brominated, chlorinated + perfluorinated, brominated + perfluorinated, or chlorinated, brominated or perfluorinated compounds only were constructed. Using submixtures enables investigating the effect of adding or removing one or more chemical groups. Concentrations of compounds included in feed and in vitro mixtures were verified by chemical analysis. It is suggested that this method may be utilized to construct realistic mixtures of environmental contaminants for toxicity studies based upon the relative levels of POP to which individuals are exposed.

  10. A Concentration Addition Model to Assess Activation of the Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) by Pesticide Mixtures Found in the French Diet

    PubMed Central

    de Sousa, Georges; Nawaz, Ahmad; Cravedi, Jean-Pierre; Rahmani, Roger

    2014-01-01

    French consumers are exposed to mixtures of pesticide residues in part through food consumption. As a xenosensor, the pregnane X receptor (hPXR) is activated by numerous pesticides, the combined effect of which is currently unknown. We examined the activation of hPXR by seven pesticide mixtures most likely found in the French diet and their individual components. The mixture's effect was estimated using the concentration addition (CA) model. PXR transactivation was measured by monitoring luciferase activity in hPXR/HepG2 cells and CYP3A4 expression in human hepatocytes. The three mixtures with the highest potency were evaluated using the CA model, at equimolar concentrations and at their relative proportion in the diet. The seven mixtures significantly activated hPXR and induced the expression of CYP3A4 in human hepatocytes. Of the 14 pesticides which constitute the three most active mixtures, four were found to be strong hPXR agonists, four medium, and six weak. Depending on the mixture and pesticide proportions, additive, greater than additive or less than additive effects between compounds were demonstrated. Predictions of the combined effects were obtained with both real-life and equimolar proportions at low concentrations. Pesticides act mostly additively to activate hPXR, when present in a mixture. Modulation of hPXR activation and its target genes induction may represent a risk factor contributing to exacerbate the physiological response of the hPXR signaling pathways and to explain some adverse effects in humans. PMID:25028461

  11. Experimental and modeling study on effects of N2 and CO2 on ignition characteristics of methane/air mixture

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Wen; Ma, Hongan; Liang, Yuntao; Hu, Erjiang

    2014-01-01

    The ignition delay times of methane/air mixture diluted by N2 and CO2 were experimentally measured in a chemical shock tube. The experiments were performed over the temperature range of 1300–2100 K, pressure range of 0.1–1.0 MPa, equivalence ratio range of 0.5–2.0 and for the dilution coefficients of 0%, 20% and 50%. The results suggest that a linear relationship exists between the reciprocal of temperature and the logarithm of the ignition delay times. Meanwhile, with ignition temperature and pressure increasing, the measured ignition delay times of methane/air mixture are decreasing. Furthermore, an increase in the dilution coefficient of N2 or CO2 results in increasing ignition delays and the inhibition effect of CO2 on methane/air mixture ignition is stronger than that of N2. Simulated ignition delays of methane/air mixture using three kinetic models were compared to the experimental data. Results show that GRI_3.0 mechanism gives the best prediction on ignition delays of methane/air mixture and it was selected to identify the effects of N2 and CO2 on ignition delays and the key elementary reactions in the ignition chemistry of methane/air mixture. Comparisons of the calculated ignition delays with the experimental data of methane/air mixture diluted by N2 and CO2 show excellent agreement, and sensitivity coefficients of chain branching reactions which promote mixture ignition decrease with increasing dilution coefficient of N2 or CO2. PMID:25750753

  12. [Product development on the basis of cereal and leguminous flours to coeliac disease in children aged 6-24 months; II: properties of the mixtures].

    PubMed

    Cerezal Mezquita, P; Urtuvia Gatica, V; Ramírez Quintanilla, V; Arcos Zavala, R

    2011-01-01

    The nutritional formulations of high protein content, provided by a flour mixture from two Andean cultures, quinua (Chenopodium quinua Willd) and lupino (Lupinus albus L), with two traditional cereals, maize (Zea mays L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.), entailed to the preparation of a "sweet mixture" for the elaboration of "queques" and another "dessert mixture" flavoured with banana, that can be prepared with water or milk, constituted a good alternative as food supplement for the nutrition of children aged 6-24 months who suffer from celiac disease, since they contribute to the quality improvement of the protein, by essential amino acids compensation, they are of low cost and allow an increase in availability of products for gluten-intolerant children. Some physical, chemical, rheological, mechanical and fluidity properties, as well as the color of these mixtures for a period of conservation of 90 days were evaluated. At the end of the storage, the sweet mixture turned out to be of "little flow" and the dessert mixture changed from "little flow" to "easy flow". Viscosity for the dessert mixture, with its two types of dilutions, water and milk, presented a behavior of pseudoplastic fluid. It was possible to guess that the time of shelf life of the mixtures would be of 9 months before achieving the rancidity limit (10 mEq of oxigen/kg of fat, which would disqualify the product for consumption). The CIEL*a*b* color coordinates did not show significant differences keeping the colour in "a beige" tonality.

  13. Testing and analysis of LWT and SCB properties of asphalt concrete mixtures.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-04-01

    Currently, Louisianas Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QC/QA) practice for asphalt mixtures in : pavement construction is mainly based on controlling properties of plant produced mixtures that include : gradation and asphalt content, voids f...

  14. Implementation of warm-mix asphalt mixtures in Nebraska pavements.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-07-01

    The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of several WMA mixtures as potential asphalt paving : mixtures for Nebraska pavements. To that end, three well-known WMA additives (i.e., Sasobit, Evotherm, and Advera : synthetic ...

  15. Comparison of Laboratory and Field Density of Asphalt Mixtures

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1991-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationships between the measured density of the mixture obtained in the mix design, during quality control of the mixture (laboratory compaction of field produced mix), after initial compaction (cor...

  16. Characterization of Alaskan HMA mixtures with the simple performance tester.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-05-01

    Material characterization provides basic and essential information for pavement design and the evaluation of hot mix asphalt (HMA). : This study focused on the accurate characterization of an Alaskan HMA mixture using an asphalt mixture performance t...

  17. Properties of asphalt mixtures containing RAP.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-12-01

    A typical NHDOT Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) concrete mixture contains at least 15% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). The increasing cost of virgin asphalt and aggregate has increased the interest in using higher percentages of RAP in HMA mixtures. The purp...

  18. The development of a lower heat concrete mixture for mass concrete placement conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crowley, Aaron Martin

    The hydration process of portland cement (PC) is exothermic; therefore, the thermal behavior of concrete has to be taken into consideration when placed in a large mass. The research presented involves a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Class S (seal) portland cement concrete (PCC) which is used as a foundation seal during construction of bridge abutments and piers. A Class S PCC mixture meeting the 2006 TDOT specifications has the potential to generate excessive amounts of heat and induce thermal cracking in structural elements. The purpose of the study is to reduce the heat generation of a Class S PCC while maintaining adequate values of other engineering properties. Due to the possibility of underwater placement of a Class S PCC, reduction in the total cementing materials content were not considered in this study. Five candidate mixtures were used to compare against a typical TDOT Class S mixture. The five candidate Class S-LH (lower heat) mixtures were 45, 60, 70% Grade 120 slag substitutions for PC as well as two ternary mixtures containing Grade 120 slag and Class F fly ash. Ten batches of each mixture were produced. All plastic and hardened properties met TDOT 604.03 Class S requirements for analytical comparison. The 70% Grade 120 slag Class S-LH mixture was analytically superior for all hardened properties and at reducing heat generation. Since the 70% Grade 120 slag Class S-LH mixture proved to be superior in laboratory conditions; it was selected for further evaluation in the field testing portion of the research. The 70% Grade 120 slag mixture produced a significantly lower maximum temperature as well as a significantly lower maximum differential temperature than a TDOT Class S mixture with 20% Class C fly ash in side-by-side 18 cubic yard cube field placements. Research results and literature recommend that engineers should decide when mass concrete conditions are appropriate during construction practices. When mass concrete conditions are considered, contractors should be responsible for monitoring and limiting maximum internal temperature to 150°F and the maximum differential temperature to 35°F. A temperature control plan should be established using various methods, and not limited to only PCC mixture design.

  19. Estimation of affinities of ligands in mixtures via magnetic recovery of target-ligand complexes and chromatographic analyses: chemometrics and an experimental model

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Background The combinatorial library strategy of using multiple candidate ligands in mixtures as library members is ideal in terms of cost and efficiency, but needs special screening methods to estimate the affinities of candidate ligands in such mixtures. Herein, a new method to screen candidate ligands present in unknown molar quantities in mixtures was investigated. Results The proposed method involves preparing a processed-mixture-for-screening (PMFS) with each mixture sample and an exogenous reference ligand, initiating competitive binding among ligands from the PMFS to a target immobilized on magnetic particles, recovering target-ligand complexes in equilibrium by magnetic force, extracting and concentrating bound ligands, and analyzing ligands in the PMFS and the concentrated extract by chromatography. The relative affinity of each candidate ligand to its reference ligand is estimated via an approximation equation assuming (a) the candidate ligand and its reference ligand bind to the same site(s) on the target, (b) their chromatographic peak areas are over five times their intercepts of linear response but within their linear ranges, (c) their binding ratios are below 10%. These prerequisites are met by optimizing primarily the quantity of the target used and the PMFS composition ratio. The new method was tested using the competitive binding of biotin derivatives from mixtures to streptavidin immobilized on magnetic particles as a model. Each mixture sample containing a limited number of candidate biotin derivatives with moderate differences in their molar quantities were prepared via parallel-combinatorial-synthesis (PCS) without purification, or via the pooling of individual compounds. Some purified biotin derivatives were used as reference ligands. This method showed resistance to variations in chromatographic quantification sensitivity and concentration ratios; optimized conditions to validate the approximation equation could be applied to different mixture samples. Relative affinities of candidate biotin derivatives with unknown molar quantities in each mixture sample were consistent with those estimated by a homogenous method using their purified counterparts as samples. Conclusions This new method is robust and effective for each mixture possessing a limited number of candidate ligands whose molar quantities have moderate differences, and its integration with PCS has promise to routinely practice the mixture-based library strategy. PMID:21545719

  20. Biomimetic materials for protein storage and transport

    DOEpatents

    Firestone, Millicent A [Elmhurst, IL; Laible, Philip D [Villa Park, IL

    2012-05-01

    The invention provides a method for the insertion of protein in storage vehicles and the recovery of the proteins from the vehicles, the method comprising supplying isolated protein; mixing the isolated protein with a fluid so as to form a mixture, the fluid comprising saturated phospholipids, lipopolymers, and a surfactant; cycling the mixture between a first temperature and a second temperature; maintaining the mixture as a solid for an indefinite period of time; diluting the mixture in detergent buffer so as to disrupt the composition of the mixture, and diluting to disrupt the fluid in its low viscosity state for removal of the guest molecules by, for example, dialysis, filtering or chromatography dialyzing/filtering the emulsified solid.

  1. Process of making carbon-carbon composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kowbel, Witold (Inventor); Withers, James C. (Inventor); Bruce, Calvin (Inventor); Vaidyanathan, Ranji (Inventor); Loutfy, Raouf O. (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A carbon composite structure, for example, an automotive engine piston, is made by preparing a matrix including of a mixture of non crystalline carbon particulate soluble in an organic solvent and a binder that has a liquid phase. The non crystalline particulate also contains residual carbon hydrogen bonding. An uncured structure is formed by combining the matrix mixture, for example, carbon fibers such as graphite dispersed in the mixture and/or graphite cloth imbedded in the mixture. The uncured structure is cured by pyrolyzing it in an inert atmosphere such as argon. Advantageously, the graphite reinforcement material is whiskered prior to combining it with the matrix mixture by a novel method involving passing a gaseous metal suboxide over the graphite surface.

  2. Synergism and Combinatorial Coding for Binary Odor Mixture Perception in Drosophila

    PubMed Central

    Chakraborty, Tuhin Subhra; Siddiqi, Obaid

    2016-01-01

    Most odors in the natural environment are mixtures of several compounds. Olfactory receptors housed in the olfactory sensory neurons detect these odors and transmit the information to the brain, leading to decision-making. But whether the olfactory system detects the ingredients of a mixture separately or treats mixtures as different entities is not well understood. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system, we have demonstrated that fruit flies perceive binary odor mixtures in a manner that is heavily dependent on both the proportion and the degree of dilution of the components, suggesting a combinatorial coding at the peripheral level. This coding strategy appears to be receptor specific and is independent of interneuronal interactions. PMID:27588303

  3. Ceramic composite coating

    DOEpatents

    Wicks, George G.

    1997-01-01

    A thin, room-temperature-curing, ceramic composite for coating and patching etal substrates comprises a sol gel silica glass matrix filled with finely ground particles or fibers, preferably alumina. The sol gel glass is made by adding ethanol to water to form a first mixture, then separately adding ethanol to tetraethyl orthosilicate to form a second mixture, then slowly adding the first to the second mixture to make a third mixture, and making a slurry by adding the finely ground particles or fibers to the third mixture. The composite can be applied by spraying, brushing or trowelling. If applied to patch fine cracks, densification of the ceramic composite may be obtained to enhance sealing by applying heat during curing.

  4. Ceramic composite coating

    DOEpatents

    Wicks, G.G.

    1997-01-21

    A thin, room-temperature-curing, ceramic composite for coating and patching metal substrates comprises a sol gel silica glass matrix filled with finely ground particles or fibers, preferably alumina. The sol gel glass is made by adding ethanol to water to form a first mixture, then separately adding ethanol to tetraethyl orthosilicate to form a second mixture, then slowly adding the first to the second mixture to make a third mixture, and making a slurry by adding the finely ground particles or fibers to the third mixture. The composite can be applied by spraying, brushing or trowelling. If applied to patch fine cracks, densification of the ceramic composite may be obtained to enhance sealing by applying heat during curing.

  5. Influence of coal particles on ignition delay times of methane-air mixture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fedorov, A. V.; Tropin, D. A.

    2018-03-01

    The results of numerical investigation of the ignition of a stoichiometric methane-air mixture in the presence of carbon particles with diameters of 20-52 μm in the temperature range 950-1150 K and pressures of 1.5-2.0 MPa are presented. The calculated data of the ignition delay times of coal particles in the coal particles/air mixture and of the ignition delay times of methane and coal particles in the methane/coal particles /air mixture are compared with the experimental ones. A satisfactory agreement of the data on the coal particles ignition delay times and methane ignition delay times in all the mixtures considered is shown.

  6. VARIATION OF THE VISCOSITY OF CERTAIN GAS-OXYGEN MIXTURES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MAGNETIC FIELD; Variatia Viscozitatii unor Amestecuri de Gaze cu Oxigen sub Influenta unui Cimp Magnetic

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

    Ursu, I.

    1958-01-01

    The paramagnetic effects of oxygen and gas-oxygen mixtures are discussed. One of the paramagnetic effect the varistion of viscosity during the viscous flow in a magnetic field. The viscosity of gaseous oxygen and certain gas-oxygen mixtures decreased when the flow occurred in a magnetic field. The dependence of this effect on the size of the capillaries and porous materials was investigated. The viscosity was also found to vary with the concentration of oxygen and the other components forming the mixture. The results of the investigations with various gas mixtures are graphically shown. (A.C.)

  7. Electrolyte membrane, methods of manufacture thereof and articles comprising the same

    DOEpatents

    Tamaki, Ryo; Rice, Steven Thomas; Yeager, Gary William

    2013-11-05

    Disclosed herein is a method of forming an electrolyte membrane comprising forming a mixture; the mixture comprising a polyhydroxy compound, an aromatic polyhalide compound and an alkali metal hydroxide; disposing the mixture on a porous substrate; reacting the mixture to form a crosslinked proton conductor; and sulfonating the proton conductor. Disclosed herein too is an article comprising a porous substrate; and a sulfonated crosslinked proton conductor disposed within pores of the porous substrate.

  8. Design of AC - 25 asphalt mixture proportioning on the taxiway of Shenzhen Baoan International Airport

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Shuaituan; Ye, Song; Luo, Min

    2017-12-01

    According to the growing demand for air transport industry, an extension of the associated taxiway is required, so the Shenzhen Airport runway west of the taxiway expansion is imperative. Combined with the taxiway of Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, we design the lower layer type of AC-25 modified asphalt mixture ratio. We analysis from raw material selection, mixture gradation design and admixture added, and finally choose the excellent performance of asphalt mixture.

  9. Liquid for absorption of solar heat

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

    Nakamura, T.; Iwamoto, Y.; Kadotani, K.

    A liquid for the absorption of solar heat, useful as an heat-absorbing medium in water heaters and heat collectors comprises: a dispersing medium selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, mixture of propylene glycol with water, mixture of propylene glycol with water and glycerin, and mixture of glycerin with water, a dispersant selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone, caramel, and mixture of polyvinylpyrrolidone with caramel, and a powdered activated carbon as a black coloring material.

  10. Alumina-based ceramic composite

    DOEpatents

    Alexander, Kathleen B.; Tiegs, Terry N.; Becher, Paul F.; Waters, Shirley B.

    1996-01-01

    An improved ceramic composite comprising oxide ceramic particulates, nonoxide ceramic particulates selected from the group consisting of carbides, borides, nitrides of silicon and transition metals and mixtures thereof, and a ductile binder selected from the group consisting of metallic, intermetallic alloys and mixtures thereof is described. The ceramic composite is made by blending powders of the ceramic particulates and the ductile to form a mixture and consolidating the mixture of under conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to produce a densified ceramic composite.

  11. Unusual solvatochromic absorbance probe behaviour within mixtures of poly(ethylene glycol)-400 + ionic liquid, [bmim][Tf2N

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, Anwar; Ali, Maroof; Malik, Nisar Ahmad; Uzair, Sahar

    2014-03-01

    The potentially green solvents made up of ionic liquids (ILs) and poly(ethylene glycols) may have wide range of the applications in many chemical and biochemical fields. In the present work, solvatochromic absorbance probe behaviour is used to assess the physicochemical properties of the mixtures composed of PEG-400 + IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [bmim][Tf2N]. Lowest energy intramolecular charge-transfer absorbance maxima of a betaine dye, i.e., ETN , indicates the dipolarity/polarizability and/or hydrogen-bond donating (HBD) acidity of the [bmim][Tf2N] + PEG-400 mixtures to be even higher than that of neat [bmim][Tf2N], the solution component with higher dipolarity/polarizability and/or HBD acidity. Dipolarity/polarizability (π∗) obtained separately from the electronic absorbance response of probe N,N-diethyl-4-nitroaniline, and the HBD acidity (α) of PEG-400 + [bmim][Tf2N] mixtures are also observed to be anomalously high. A comparative study of the PEG + IL mixtures has also been done with PEG-400 + molecular organic solvents (protic polar [methanol], aprotic polar [N,N-dimethylformamide], and non polar, [benzene]) mixtures, but these mixtures do not show this type of unusual behaviour. A four-parameter simplified combined nearly ideal binary solvent/Redlich-Kister (CNIBS/R-K) equation is shown to satisfactorily predict the solvatochromic parameters within PEG-400 + different solvent mixtures.

  12. High electrical resistivity Nd-Fe-B die-upset magnet doped with eutectic DyF3-LiF salt mixture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, K. M.; Kim, J. Y.; Kwon, H. W.; Kim, D. H.; Lee, J. G.; Yu, J. H.

    2017-05-01

    Nd-Fe-B-type die-upset magnet with high electrical resistivity was prepared by doping of eutectic DyF3-LiF salt mixture. Mixture of melt-spun Nd-Fe-B flakes (MQU-F: Nd13.6Fe73.6Co6.6Ga0.6B5.6) and eutectic binary (DyF3-LiF) salt (25 mol% DyF3 - 75 mol% LiF) was hot-pressed and then die-upset. By adding the eutectic salt mixture (> 4 wt%), electrical resistivity of the die-upset magnet was enhanced to over 400 μ Ω .cm compared to 190 μ Ω .cm of the un-doped magnet. Remarkable enhancement of the electrical resistivity was attributed to homogeneous and continuous coverage of the interface between flakes by the easily melted eutectic salt dielectric mixture. It was revealed that active substitution of the Nd atoms in neighboring flakes by the Dy atoms from the added (DyF3-LiF) salt mixture had occurred during such a quick thermal processing of hot-pressing and die-upsetting. This Dy substitution led to coercivity enhancement in the die-upset magnet doped with the eutectic (DyF3-LiF) salt mixture. Coercivity and remanence of the die-upset magnet doped with (DyF3-LiF) salt mixture was as good as those of the DyF3-doped magnet.

  13. A framework for evaluating mixture analysis algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dasaratha, Sridhar; Vignesh, T. S.; Shanmukh, Sarat; Yarra, Malathi; Botonjic-Sehic, Edita; Grassi, James; Boudries, Hacene; Freeman, Ivan; Lee, Young K.; Sutherland, Scott

    2010-04-01

    In recent years, several sensing devices capable of identifying unknown chemical and biological substances have been commercialized. The success of these devices in analyzing real world samples is dependent on the ability of the on-board identification algorithm to de-convolve spectra of substances that are mixtures. To develop effective de-convolution algorithms, it is critical to characterize the relationship between the spectral features of a substance and its probability of detection within a mixture, as these features may be similar to or overlap with other substances in the mixture and in the library. While it has been recognized that these aspects pose challenges to mixture analysis, a systematic effort to quantify spectral characteristics and their impact, is generally lacking. In this paper, we propose metrics that can be used to quantify these spectral features. Some of these metrics, such as a modification of variance inflation factor, are derived from classical statistical measures used in regression diagnostics. We demonstrate that these metrics can be correlated to the accuracy of the substance's identification in a mixture. We also develop a framework for characterizing mixture analysis algorithms, using these metrics. Experimental results are then provided to show the application of this framework to the evaluation of various algorithms, including one that has been developed for a commercial device. The illustration is based on synthetic mixtures that are created from pure component Raman spectra measured on a portable device.

  14. An in vitro cytotoxic approach to assess the toxicity of heavy metals and their binary mixtures on hippocampal HT-22 cell line.

    PubMed

    Karri, Venkatanaidu; Kumar, Vikas; Ramos, David; Oliveira, Eliandre; Schuhmacher, Marta

    2018-01-05

    Humans are exposed to a cocktail of heavy metal toxicants in the environment. Though heavy metals are deleterious, there is a paucity of information on the toxicity of mixtures. In this study, four common neurotoxicity heavy metals lead (Pb) cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and methylmercury (MeHg) were exposed individually and as mixtures to HT-22 cell line for 8days. The study established that low dose exposures induced toxicity to the HT-22 cell line during 8days. The results indicates potency dependent response, the toxicity of single metals on the HT-22 cells; MeHg > As > Cd > Pb. The cytotoxicity data of single metals were used to determine the mixtures interaction profile by using the dose additivity and effect additivity method. Metal mixtures showed higher toxicities compared to individual metals. Synergistic, antagonistic or additive effects of the toxicity were observed in different mixtures in low dose exposure. The interactive responses of mixtures depend on the co-exposure metal and their respective concentration. We concluded that the combined effects should be considered in the risk assessment of heavy metal co-exposure and potency. In future, comprehensive mechanistic based investigations needed for understanding the real interactive mixtures effects at molecular level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Activities of mixtures of soil-applied herbicides with different molecular targets.

    PubMed

    Kaushik, Shalini; Streibig, Jens Carl; Cedergreen, Nina

    2006-11-01

    The joint action of soil-applied herbicide mixtures with similar or different modes of action has been assessed by using the additive dose model (ADM). The herbicides chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, pendimethalin and pretilachlor, applied either singly or in binary mixtures, were used on rice (Oryza sativa L.). The growth (shoot) response curves were described by a logistic dose-response model. The ED50 values and their corresponding standard errors obtained from the response curves were used to test statistically if the shape of the isoboles differed from the reference model (ADM). Results showed that mixtures of herbicides with similar molecular targets, i.e. chlorsulfuron and metsulfuron (acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors), and with different molecular targets, i.e. pendimethalin (microtubule assembly inhibitor) and pretilachlor (very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) inhibitor), followed the ADM. Mixing herbicides with different molecular targets gave different results depending on whether pretilachlor or pendimethalin was involved. In general, mixtures of pretilachlor and sulfonylureas showed synergistic interactions, whereas mixtures of pendimethalin and sulfonylureas exhibited either antagonistic or additive activities. Hence, there is a large potential for both increasing the specificity of herbicides by using mixtures and lowering the total dose for weed control, while at the same time delaying the development of herbicide resistance by using mixtures with different molecular targets. Copyright (c) 2006 Society of Chemical Industry.

  16. ODE constrained mixture modelling: a method for unraveling subpopulation structures and dynamics.

    PubMed

    Hasenauer, Jan; Hasenauer, Christine; Hucho, Tim; Theis, Fabian J

    2014-07-01

    Functional cell-to-cell variability is ubiquitous in multicellular organisms as well as bacterial populations. Even genetically identical cells of the same cell type can respond differently to identical stimuli. Methods have been developed to analyse heterogeneous populations, e.g., mixture models and stochastic population models. The available methods are, however, either incapable of simultaneously analysing different experimental conditions or are computationally demanding and difficult to apply. Furthermore, they do not account for biological information available in the literature. To overcome disadvantages of existing methods, we combine mixture models and ordinary differential equation (ODE) models. The ODE models provide a mechanistic description of the underlying processes while mixture models provide an easy way to capture variability. In a simulation study, we show that the class of ODE constrained mixture models can unravel the subpopulation structure and determine the sources of cell-to-cell variability. In addition, the method provides reliable estimates for kinetic rates and subpopulation characteristics. We use ODE constrained mixture modelling to study NGF-induced Erk1/2 phosphorylation in primary sensory neurones, a process relevant in inflammatory and neuropathic pain. We propose a mechanistic pathway model for this process and reconstructed static and dynamical subpopulation characteristics across experimental conditions. We validate the model predictions experimentally, which verifies the capabilities of ODE constrained mixture models. These results illustrate that ODE constrained mixture models can reveal novel mechanistic insights and possess a high sensitivity.

  17. [Deep frying snack product of legume/cereal mixture based on corn and three varieties of beans].

    PubMed

    Hurtado, M L; Escobar, B; Estévez, A M

    2001-09-01

    To increase legume consumption and give a better protein quality in the snack products, mixtures of fried beans-corn were formulate in different proportions: 60:40 (A); 50:50 (B) and 40:60 (C). Fried corn used in mixtures was previously soaked in a predetermined solution (NaOH/EDTA) and then blanched. Three beans varieties (Pinto 114, Suave 85 and Tórtola Inia) were mixed with fried yellow dent corn in the above described proportions, obtaining nine mixtures whose physical, chemical and sensorial characteristics were evaluated. The mixtures were very homogeneous in all the analyzed characteristics. The protein content for the A mix was the greatest, nevertheless the sensorial analysis showed the last acceptance. The moisture content and water activity of these mixtures was low assuring a good microbiological stability under storage conditions. The protein contribution of each species in different prepared mixtures determined the selection of the best cereal/legume mix. From a nutritional stand point the best results were obtained when the 50% of protein was supplied by bans and the 50% by corn. From the mixtures tried in this study, mix C with bean Pinto 114 one closed to the recommended conditions. Nevertheless, for each cereal/legume mix, the best proportion was C, due to its better acceptability, even though it had less nutritional value.

  18. Initiation and structures of gaseous detonation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vasil'ev, A. A.; Vasiliev, V. A.

    2018-03-01

    The analysis of the initiation of a detonation wave (DW) and the emergence of a multi-front structure of the DW-front are presented. It is shown that the structure of the DW arises spontaneously at the stage of a strong overdriven of the wave. The hypothesis of the gradual enhancement of small perturbations on an initially smooth initiating blast wave, traditionally used in the numerical simulation of multi-front detonation, does not agree with the experimental data. The instability of the DW is due to the chemical energy release of the combustible mixture Q. A technique for determining the Q-value of mixture was proposed, based on reconstruction of the trajectory of the expanding wave from the position of the strong explosion model. The wave trajectory at the critical initiation of a multifront detonation in a combustible mixture is compared with the trajectory of an explosive wave from the same initiator in an inert mixture whose gas-dynamic parameters are equivalent to the parameters of the combustible mixture. The energy release of a mixture is defined as the difference in the joint energy release of the initiator and the fuel mixture during the critical initiation and energy release of the initiator when the blast wave is excited in an inert mixture. Observable deviations of the experimental profile of Q from existing model representations were found.

  19. Analysis of the Angle of Maximal Stability and Flow Regime Transitions in Different Proportions of Bi-phasic Granular Matter Mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maquiling, Joel Tiu; Visaga, Shane Marie

    This study investigates the dependence of the critical angle θc of stability on different mass ratios γ of layered bi-phasic granular matter mixtures and on the critical angle of its mono-disperse individual components. It also aims to investigate and explain regime transitions of granular matter flowing down a tilted rough inclined plane. Critical angles and flow regimes for a bi-phasic mixture of sago spheres and bi-phasic pepper mixture of fine powder and rough spheres were observed and measured using video analysis. The critical angles θc MD of mono-disperse granular matter and θc BP of biphasic granular matter mixtures were observed and compared. All types of flow regimes and a supramaximal critical angle of stability exist at mass ratio γ = 0.5 for all biphasic granular matter mixtures. The θc BP of sago spheres was higher than the θc MD of sago spheres. Moreover, the θc BP of the pepper mixture was in between the θc MD of fine pepper and θc MD of rough pepper spheres. Comparison of different granular material shows that θc MD is not simply a function of particle diameter but of particle roughness as well. Results point to a superposition mechanism of the critical angles of biphasic sphere mixtures.

  20. C, N and P fertilization in an Amazonian rainforest supports stoichiometric dissimilarity as a driver of litter diversity effects on decomposition.

    PubMed

    Barantal, Sandra; Schimann, Heidy; Fromin, Nathalie; Hättenschwiler, Stephan

    2014-12-07

    Plant leaf litter generally decomposes faster as a group of different species than when individual species decompose alone, but underlying mechanisms of these diversity effects remain poorly understood. Because resource C : N : P stoichiometry (i.e. the ratios of these key elements) exhibits strong control on consumers, we supposed that stoichiometric dissimilarity of litter mixtures (i.e. the divergence in C : N : P ratios among species) improves resource complementarity to decomposers leading to faster mixture decomposition. We tested this hypothesis with: (i) a wide range of leaf litter mixtures of neotropical tree species varying in C : N : P dissimilarity, and (ii) a nutrient addition experiment (C, N and P) to create stoichiometric similarity. Litter mixtures decomposed in the field using two different types of litterbags allowing or preventing access to soil fauna. Litter mixture mass loss was higher than expected from species decomposing singly, especially in presence of soil fauna. With fauna, synergistic litter mixture effects increased with increasing stoichiometric dissimilarity of litter mixtures and this positive relationship disappeared with fertilizer addition. Our results indicate that litter stoichiometric dissimilarity drives mixture effects via the nutritional requirements of soil fauna. Incorporating ecological stoichiometry in biodiversity research allows refinement of the underlying mechanisms of how changing biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  1. Design and verification of bituminous mixtures with the increased content of reclaimed asphalt pavement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bańkowski, Wojciech; Król, Jan; Gałązka, Karol; Liphardt, Adam; Horodecka, Renata

    2018-05-01

    Recycling of bituminous pavements is an issue increasingly being discussed in Poland. The analysis of domestic and foreign experience indicates a need to develop this technology in our country, in particular the hot feeding and production technologies. Various steps are being taken in this direction, including research projects. One of them is the InnGA project entitled: “Reclaimed asphalt pavement: Innovative technology of bituminous mixtures using material from reclaimed asphalt pavement”. The paper presents the results of research involving the design of bituminous mixtures in accordance with the required properties and in excess of the content of reclaimed asphalt permitted by the technical guidelines. It presents selected bituminous mixtures with the content of RAP of up to 50% and the results of tests from verification of industrial production of those mixtures. The article discusses the details of the design process of mixtures with a high content of reclaimed asphalt, the carried out production tests and discusses the results of tests under the verification of industrial production. Testing included basic tests according to the Polish technical requirements of WT- 2 and the extended functional testing. The conducted tests and analyses helped to determine the usefulness of the developed bituminous mixtures for use in experimental sections and confirmed the possibility of using an increased amount of reclaimed asphalt up to 50% in mixtures intended for construction of national roads.

  2. Electro-olfactogram and multiunit olfactory receptor responses to binary and trinary mixtures of amino acids in the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

    PubMed Central

    1989-01-01

    In vivo electrophysiological recordings from populations of olfactory receptor neurons in the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, clearly showed that responses to binary and trinary mixtures of amino acids were predictable with knowledge obtained from previous cross-adaptation studies of the relative independence of the respective binding sites of the component stimuli. All component stimuli, from which equal aliquots were drawn to form the mixtures, were adjusted in concentration to provide for approximately equal response magnitudes. The magnitude of the response to a mixture whose component amino acids showed significant cross-reactivity was equivalent to the response to any single component used to form that mixture. A mixture whose component amino acids showed minimal cross-adaptation produced a significantly larger relative response than a mixture whose components exhibited considerable cross-reactivity. This larger response approached the sum of the responses to the individual component amino acids tested at the resulting concentrations in the mixture, even though olfactory receptor dose-response functions for amino acids in this species are characterized by extreme sensory compression (i.e., successive concentration increments produce progressively smaller physiological responses). Thus, the present study indicates that the response to sensory stimulation of olfactory receptor sites is more enhanced by the activation of different receptor site types than by stimulus interaction at a single site type. PMID:2703818

  3. Uniform phases in fluids of hard isosceles triangles: One-component fluid and binary mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez-Ratón, Yuri; Díaz-De Armas, Ariel; Velasco, Enrique

    2018-05-01

    We formulate the scaled particle theory for a general mixture of hard isosceles triangles and calculate different phase diagrams for the one-component fluid and for certain binary mixtures. The fluid of hard triangles exhibits a complex phase behavior: (i) the presence of a triatic phase with sixfold symmetry, (ii) the isotropic-uniaxial nematic transition is of first order for certain ranges of aspect ratios, and (iii) the one-component system exhibits nematic-nematic transitions ending in critical points. We found the triatic phase to be stable not only for equilateral triangles but also for triangles of similar aspect ratios. We focus the study of binary mixtures on the case of symmetric mixtures: equal particle areas with aspect ratios (κi) symmetric with respect to the equilateral one, κ1κ2=3 . For these mixtures we found, aside from first-order isotropic-nematic and nematic-nematic transitions (the latter ending in a critical point): (i) a region of triatic phase stability even for mixtures made of particles that do not form this phase at the one-component limit, and (ii) the presence of a Landau point at which two triatic-nematic first-order transitions and a nematic-nematic demixing transition coalesce. This phase behavior is analogous to that of a symmetric three-dimensional mixture of rods and plates.

  4. Passive dosing of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mixtures to terrestrial springtails: linking mixture toxicity to chemical activities, equilibrium lipid concentrations, and toxic units.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Stine N; Holmstrup, Martin; Smith, Kilian E C; Mayer, Philipp

    2013-07-02

    A 7-day mixture toxicity experiment with the terrestrial springtail Folsomia candida was conducted, and the effects were linked to three different mixture exposure parameters. Passive dosing from silicone was applied to tightly control exposure levels and compositions of 12 mixture treatments, containing the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. Springtail lethality was then linked to sum chemical activities (∑a), sum equilibrium lipid concentrations (∑C(lipid eq.)), and sum toxic units (∑TU). In each case, the effects of all 12 mixture treatments could be fitted to one sigmoidal exposure-response relationship. The effective lethal chemical activity (La50) of 0.027 was well within the expected range for baseline toxicity of 0.01-0.1. Linking the effects to the lipid-based exposure parameter yielded an effective lethal concentration (LC(lipid eq 50)) of 133 mmol kg(-1) lipid in good correspondence with the lethal membrane burden for baseline toxicity (40-160 mmol kg(-1) lipid). Finally, the effective lethal toxic unit (LTU50) of 1.20 was rather close to the expected value of 1. Altogether, passive dosing provided tightly controlled mixture exposure in terms of both level and composition, while ∑a, ∑C(lipid eq.), and ∑TU allowed baseline toxicity to be linked to mixture exposure.

  5. Automatic Control of the Concrete Mixture Homogeneity in Cycling Mixers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anatoly Fedorovich, Tikhonov; Drozdov, Anatoly

    2018-03-01

    The article describes the factors affecting the concrete mixture quality related to the moisture content of aggregates, since the effectiveness of the concrete mixture production is largely determined by the availability of quality management tools at all stages of the technological process. It is established that the unaccounted moisture of aggregates adversely affects the concrete mixture homogeneity and, accordingly, the strength of building structures. A new control method and the automatic control system of the concrete mixture homogeneity in the technological process of mixing components have been proposed, since the tasks of providing a concrete mixture are performed by the automatic control system of processing kneading-and-mixing machinery with operational automatic control of homogeneity. Theoretical underpinnings of the control of the mixture homogeneity are presented, which are related to a change in the frequency of vibrodynamic vibrations of the mixer body. The structure of the technical means of the automatic control system for regulating the supply of water is determined depending on the change in the concrete mixture homogeneity during the continuous mixing of components. The following technical means for establishing automatic control have been chosen: vibro-acoustic sensors, remote terminal units, electropneumatic control actuators, etc. To identify the quality indicator of automatic control, the system offers a structure flowchart with transfer functions that determine the ACS operation in transient dynamic mode.

  6. Complex organochlorine pesticide mixtures as determinant factor for breast cancer risk: a population-based case–control study in the Canary Islands (Spain)

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background All the relevant risk factors contributing to breast cancer etiology are not fully known. Exposure to organochlorine pesticides has been linked to an increased incidence of the disease, although not all data have been consistent. Most published studies evaluated the exposure to organochlorines individually, ignoring the potential effects exerted by the mixtures of chemicals. Methods This population-based study was designed to evaluate the profile of mixtures of organochlorines detected in 103 healthy women and 121 women diagnosed with breast cancer from Gran Canaria Island, and the relation between the exposure to these compounds and breast cancer risk. Results The most prevalent mixture of organochlorines among healthy women was the combination of lindane and endrin, and this mixture was not detected in any affected women. Breast cancer patients presented more frequently a combination of aldrin, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD), and this mixture was not found in any healthy woman. After adjusting for covariables, the risk of breast cancer was moderately associated with DDD (OR = 1.008, confidence interval 95% 1.001-1.015, p = 0.024). Conclusions This study indicates that healthy women show a very different profile of organochlorine pesticide mixtures than breast cancer patients, suggesting that organochlorine pesticide mixtures could play a relevant role in breast cancer risk. PMID:22534004

  7. Evaluation of Skid Resistance of Wearing Course Made Of Stone Mastic Asphalt Mixture in Laboratory Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wasilewska, Marta

    2017-10-01

    This paper presents the comparison of skid resistance of wearing course made of SMA (Stone Mastic Asphalt) mixtures which differ in resistance to polishing of coarse aggregate. Dolomite, limestone, granite and trachybasalt were taken for investigation. SMA mixtures have the same nominal size of aggregate (11 mm) and very similar aggregate particle-size distribution in mineral mixtures. Tested SMA11 mixtures were designed according to EN 13108-5 and Polish National Specification WT-2: 2014. Evaluation of the skid resistance has been performed using the FAP (Friction After Polishing) test equipment also known as the Wehner/Schulze machine. Laboratory method enables to compare the skid resistance of different types of mixtures under specified conditions simulating polishing processes. Tests were performed on both the specimens made of each coarse aggregate and SMA11 mixtures containing these aggregates. Measuring of friction coefficient μm was conducted before and during polishing process up to 180 0000 passes of polishing head. Comparison of the results showed differences in sensitivity to polishing among particular mixtures which depend on the petrographic properties of rock used to produce aggregate. Limestone and dolomite tend to have a fairly uniform texture with low hardness which makes these rock types susceptible to rapid polishing. This caused lower coefficient of friction for SMA11 mixtures with limestone and dolomite in comparison with other test mixtures. These significant differences were already registered at the beginning of the polishing process. Limestone aggregate had lower value of μm before starting the process than trachybasalt and granite aggregate after its completion. Despite the differences in structure and mineralogical composition between the granite and trachybasalt, slightly different values of the friction coefficient at the end of polishing were obtained. Images of the surface were taken with the optical microscope for better understanding of the phenomena occurring on the surface of specimen. Results may be valuable information when selecting aggregate to asphalt mixtures at the stage of its design and maintenance of existing road pavements.

  8. Toxicokinetics and oral bioavailability of halogenated acetic acids mixtures in naïve and GSTzeta-depleted rats.

    PubMed

    Saghir, Shakil A; Schultz, Irvin R

    2005-04-01

    Disinfection of drinking water typically produces a mixture of mono-, di-, and tri-halogenated acetic acids (HAAs). In this study, we investigated the toxicokinetics of HAA mixtures in naive and glutathione transferase zeta 1 (GSTzeta)-depleted male F344 rats administered orally or iv to Mixture-1 (monobromo [MBAA]- dichloro- [DCAA], chlorodibromo- [CDBAA], tribromo- [TBAA] acetic acids) or Mixture-2 (bromochloro- [BCAA], dibromo- [DBAA], trichloro- [TCAA] bromodichloro- [BDCAA] acetic acids) at a dose of 25 micromol/kg HAA. Serial blood samples were collected at various times up to 36 h, and the plasma concentrations of each HAA quantified by GC-ECD. Rats were pretreated for 7 d with drinking water containing 0.2 g/l DCAA to deplete the GSTzeta (GSTZ1-1) activity in the liver. An additional group of GSTzeta-depleted rats were orally dosed with each mixture and euthanized at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h to determine tissue distribution of mixture components. In both mixtures, GSTzeta depletion primarily affected the toxicokinetics of di-HAAs (DCAA, BCAA, and DBAA), with the total body clearance (Cl b) decreasing 3- to 10-fold. Interestingly, DCAA pretreatment appeared to increase the elimination of Mixture-2 tri-HAAs (TCAA and BDCAA). After oral administration, DCAA exhibited a complex time-course plasma profile with secondary peaks appearing long after completion of the initial absorption phase. This phenomenon coincided with elevated DCA levels in the lower portion of the GI tract compared to CDBAA and TBAA. Comparison of the results with previous studies employing similar or higher doses of individual HAAs indicated the primary difference in HAA toxicokinetics when administered as mixture was a reduction in Cl b. These results suggest competitive interactions between tri- and di-HAAs beyond what would be predicted from individual HAA studies. For di-HAAs, the total dose is important, as clearance is dose dependent due to competition for GSTzeta. When considering HAA dosimetry, importance should be placed on both the components of the mixture and prior exposure history to di-HAAs.

  9. PLASMA PROTEIN AND HEMOGLOBIN PRODUCTION : DELETION OF INDIVIDUAL AMINO ACIDS FROM GROWTH MIXTURE OF TEN ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN URINARY NITROGEN.

    PubMed

    Robscheit-Robbins, F S; Miller, L L; Whipple, G H

    1947-02-28

    Given healthy dogs fed abundant iron and protein-free or low protein diets with sustained anemia and hypoproteinemia, we can study the capacity of these animals to produce simultaneously new hemoglobin and plasma protein. Reserve stores of blood protein-building materials are measurably depleted and levels of 6 to 8 gm. per cent for hemoglobin and 4 to 5 gm. per cent for plasma protein can be maintained for weeks or months depending upon the intake of food proteins or amino acid mixtures. These dogs are very susceptible to infection and various poisons. Dogs tire of these diets and loss of appetite terminates many experiments. Under these conditions (double depletion) standard growth mixtures of essential amino acids are tested to show the response in blood protein output and urinary nitrogen balance. As a part of each tabulated experiment one of the essential amino acids is deleted from the complete growth mixture to compare such response with that of the whole mixture. Methionine, threonine, phenylalanine, and tryptophane when singly eliminated from the complete amino acid mixture do effect a sharp rise in urinary nitrogen. This loss of urinary nitrogen is corrected when the individual amino acid is replaced in the mixture. Histidine, lysine, and valine have a moderate influence upon urinary nitrogen balance toward nitrogen conservation. Leucine, isoleucine, and arginine have minimal or no effect upon urinary nitrogen balance when these individual amino acids are deleted from the complete growth mixture of amino acids during 3 to 4 week periods. Tryptophane and to a less extent phenylalanine and threonine when returned to the amino acid mixture are associated with a conspicuous preponderance of plasma protein output over the hemoglobin output (Table 4). Arginine, lysine, and histidine when returned to the amino acid mixture are associated with a large preponderance of hemoglobin output. Various amino acid mixtures under these conditions may give a positive urinary nitrogen balance and a liberal output of blood proteins but there is always weight loss, however we may choose to explain this loss. These experiments touch on the complex problems of parenteral nutrition, experimental and clinical.

  10. Presence of Trifolium repens Promotes Complementarity of Water Use and N Facilitation in Diverse Grass Mixtures.

    PubMed

    Hernandez, Pauline; Picon-Cochard, Catherine

    2016-01-01

    Legume species promote productivity and increase the digestibility of herbage in grasslands. Considerable experimental data also indicate that communities with legumes produce more above-ground biomass than is expected from monocultures. While it has been attributed to N facilitation, evidence to identify the mechanisms involved is still lacking and the role of complementarity in soil water acquisition by vertical root differentiation remains unclear. We used a 20-months mesocosm experiment to investigate the effects of species richness (single species, two- and five-species mixtures) and functional diversity (presence of the legume Trifolium repens) on a set of traits related to light, N and water use and measured at community level. We found a positive effect of Trifolium presence and abundance on biomass production and complementarity effects in the two-species mixtures from the second year. In addition the community traits related to water and N acquisition and use (leaf area, N, water-use efficiency, and deep root growth) were higher in the presence of Trifolium. With a multiple regression approach, we showed that the traits related to water acquisition and use were with N the main determinants of biomass production and complementarity effects in diverse mixtures. At shallow soil layers, lower root mass of Trifolium and higher soil moisture should increase soil water availability for the associated grass species. Conversely at deep soil layer, higher root growth and lower soil moisture mirror soil resource use increase of mixtures. Altogether, these results highlight N facilitation but almost soil vertical differentiation and thus complementarity for water acquisition and use in mixtures with Trifolium. Contrary to grass-Trifolium mixtures, no significant over-yielding was measured for grass mixtures even those having complementary traits (short and shallow vs. tall and deep). Thus, vertical complementarity for soil resources uptake in mixtures was not only dependant on the inherent root system architecture but also on root plasticity. We also observed a time-dependence for positive complementarity effects due to the slow development of Trifolium in mixtures, possibly induced by competition with grasses. Overall, our data underlined that soil water resource was an important driver of over-yielding and complementarity effects in Trifolium-grass mixtures.

  11. Evaluation of open-graded "F" mixtures for water sensitivity : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1993-07-01

    The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has increased their use of open-graded paving mixtures. During the last five years, ODOT has constructed several hundred miles of highways with open-graded "F" asphalt concrete mixtures. These pavements ...

  12. Characterization of Wisconsin mixture low temperature properties for the AASHTO mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-12-01

    This research evaluated the low temperature creep compliance and tensile strength properties of Wisconsin mixtures. : Creep compliance and tensile strength data were collected for 16 Wisconsin mixtures representing commonly used : aggregate sources a...

  13. Design of a high-binder--high-modulus asphalt mixture.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-01-01

    Recent studies on long-life flexible pavements indicate that it may be advantageous to design and construct asphalt mixtures comprising the underlying layers in such a manner that very dense mixtures are produced. This will improve not only the fatig...

  14. Ground tire rubber (GTR) as a component material in concrete mixtures for paving concrete, phase 2 : [summary].

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-02-01

    Using ground tire rubber (GTR) in : concrete mixtures is a possible solution : to mitigating flexibility and thermal : expansion issues with high-strength : concrete pavements. Florida State : University researchers designed concrete : mixtures using...

  15. Systematic developmental neurotoxicity assessment of a representative PAH Superfund mixture using zebrafish

    DOE PAGES

    Geier, Mitra C.; James Minick, D.; Truong, Lisa; ...

    2018-04-01

    Superfund sites often consist of complex mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It is widely recognized that PAHs pose risks to human and environmental health, but the risks posed by exposure to PAH mixtures are unclear. Here, we constructed an environmentally relevant PAH mixture with the top 10 most prevalent PAHs (SM10) from a Superfund site derived from environmental passive sampling data. Using the zebrafish model, we measured body burden at 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) and evaluated the developmental and neurotoxicity of SM10 and the 10 individual constituents at 24 hours post fertilization (hpf) and 5 days post fertilizationmore » (dpf). Zebrafish embryos were exposed from 6 to 120 hpf to (1) the SM10 mixture, (2) a variety of individual PAHs: pyrene, fluoranthene, retene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, naphthalene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene, fluorene, and 2-methylnaphthalene. We demonstrated that SM10 and only 3 of the individual PAHs were developmentally toxic. Subsequently, we constructed and exposed developing zebrafish to two sub-mixtures: SM3 (comprised of 3 of the developmentally toxicity PAHs) and SM7 (7 non-developmentally toxic PAHs). We found that the SM3 toxicity profile was similar to SM10, and SM7 unexpectedly elicited developmental toxicity unlike that seen with its individual components. The results demonstrated that the overall developmental toxicity in the mixtures could be explained using the general concentration addition model. To determine if exposures activated the AHR pathway, spatial expression of CYP1A was evaluated in the 10 individual PAHs and the 3 mixtures at 5 dpf. Results showed activation of AHR in the liver and vasculature for the mixtures and some individual PAHs. Embryos exposed to SM10 during development and raised in chemical-free water into adulthood exhibited decreased learning and responses to startle stimulus indicating that developmental SM10 exposures affect neurobehavior. Collectively, these results exemplify the utility of zebrafish to investigate the developmental and neurotoxicity of complex mixtures.« less

  16. A neural network-based estimator for the mixture ratio of the Space Shuttle Main Engine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, T. H.; Musgrave, J.

    1992-11-01

    In order to properly utilize the available fuel and oxidizer of a liquid propellant rocket engine, the mixture ratio is closed loop controlled during main stage (65 percent - 109 percent power) operation. However, because of the lack of flight-capable instrumentation for measuring mixture ratio, the value of mixture ratio in the control loop is estimated using available sensor measurements such as the combustion chamber pressure and the volumetric flow, and the temperature and pressure at the exit duct on the low pressure fuel pump. This estimation scheme has two limitations. First, the estimation formula is based on an empirical curve fitting which is accurate only within a narrow operating range. Second, the mixture ratio estimate relies on a few sensor measurements and loss of any of these measurements will make the estimate invalid. In this paper, we propose a neural network-based estimator for the mixture ratio of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. The estimator is an extension of a previously developed neural network based sensor failure detection and recovery algorithm (sensor validation). This neural network uses an auto associative structure which utilizes the redundant information of dissimilar sensors to detect inconsistent measurements. Two approaches have been identified for synthesizing mixture ratio from measurement data using a neural network. The first approach uses an auto associative neural network for sensor validation which is modified to include the mixture ratio as an additional output. The second uses a new network for the mixture ratio estimation in addition to the sensor validation network. Although mixture ratio is not directly measured in flight, it is generally available in simulation and in test bed firing data from facility measurements of fuel and oxidizer volumetric flows. The pros and cons of these two approaches will be discussed in terms of robustness to sensor failures and accuracy of the estimate during typical transients using simulation data.

  17. Chemical mixtures in potable water in the U.S.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ryker, Sarah J.

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, regulators have devoted increasing attention to health risks from exposure to multiple chemicals. In 1996, the US Congress directed the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study mixtures of chemicals in drinking water, with a particular focus on potential interactions affecting chemicals' joint toxicity. The task is complicated by the number of possible mixtures in drinking water and lack of toxicological data for combinations of chemicals. As one step toward risk assessment and regulation of mixtures, the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have proposed to estimate mixtures' toxicity based on the interactions of individual component chemicals. This approach permits the use of existing toxicological data on individual chemicals, but still requires additional information on interactions between chemicals and environmental data on the public's exposure to combinations of chemicals. Large compilations of water-quality data have recently become available from federal and state agencies. This chapter demonstrates the use of these environmental data, in combination with the available toxicological data, to explore scenarios for mixture toxicity and develop priorities for future research and regulation. Occurrence data on binary and ternary mixtures of arsenic, cadmium, and manganese are used to parameterize the EPA and ATSDR models for each drinking water source in the dataset. The models' outputs are then mapped at county scale to illustrate the implications of the proposed models for risk assessment and rulemaking. For example, according to the EPA's interaction model, the levels of arsenic and cadmium found in US groundwater are unlikely to have synergistic cardiovascular effects in most areas of the country, but the same mixture's potential for synergistic neurological effects merits further study. Similar analysis could, in future, be used to explore the implications of alternative risk models for the toxicity and interaction of complex mixtures, and to identify the communities with the highest and lowest expected value for regulation of chemical mixtures.

  18. New theoretical framework for designing nonionic surfactant mixtures that exhibit a desired adsorption kinetics behavior.

    PubMed

    Moorkanikkara, Srinivas Nageswaran; Blankschtein, Daniel

    2010-12-21

    How does one design a surfactant mixture using a set of available surfactants such that it exhibits a desired adsorption kinetics behavior? The traditional approach used to address this design problem involves conducting trial-and-error experiments with specific surfactant mixtures. This approach is typically time-consuming and resource-intensive and becomes increasingly challenging when the number of surfactants that can be mixed increases. In this article, we propose a new theoretical framework to identify a surfactant mixture that most closely meets a desired adsorption kinetics behavior. Specifically, the new theoretical framework involves (a) formulating the surfactant mixture design problem as an optimization problem using an adsorption kinetics model and (b) solving the optimization problem using a commercial optimization package. The proposed framework aims to identify the surfactant mixture that most closely satisfies the desired adsorption kinetics behavior subject to the predictive capabilities of the chosen adsorption kinetics model. Experiments can then be conducted at the identified surfactant mixture condition to validate the predictions. We demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed theoretical framework through a realistic case study by identifying a nonionic surfactant mixture consisting of up to four alkyl poly(ethylene oxide) surfactants (C(10)E(4), C(12)E(5), C(12)E(6), and C(10)E(8)) such that it most closely exhibits a desired dynamic surface tension (DST) profile. Specifically, we use the Mulqueen-Stebe-Blankschtein (MSB) adsorption kinetics model (Mulqueen, M.; Stebe, K. J.; Blankschtein, D. Langmuir 2001, 17, 5196-5207) to formulate the optimization problem as well as the SNOPT commercial optimization solver to identify a surfactant mixture consisting of these four surfactants that most closely exhibits the desired DST profile. Finally, we compare the experimental DST profile measured at the surfactant mixture condition identified by the new theoretical framework with the desired DST profile and find good agreement between the two profiles.

  19. Adsorption of sophorolipid biosurfactants on their own and mixed with sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, at the air/water interface.

    PubMed

    Chen, Minglei; Dong, Chuchuan; Penfold, Jeff; Thomas, Robert K; Smyth, Thomas J P; Perfumo, Amedea; Marchant, Roger; Banat, Ibrahim M; Stevenson, Paul; Parry, Alyn; Tucker, Ian; Campbell, Richard A

    2011-07-19

    The adsorption of the lactonic (LS) and acidic (AS) forms of sophorolipid and their mixtures with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) has been measured at the air/water interface by neutron reflectivity, NR. The AS and LS sophorolipids adsorb with Langmuir-like adsorption isotherms. The more hydrophobic LS is more surface active than the AS, with a lower critical micellar concentration, CMC, and stronger surface adsorption, with an area/molecule ∼70 Å(2) compared with 85 Å(2) for the AS. The acidic sophorolipid shows a maximum in its adsorption at the CMC which appears to be associated with a mixture of different isomeric forms. The binary LS/AS and LS/LAS mixtures show a strong surface partitioning in favor of the more surface active and hydrophobic LS component but are nevertheless consistent with ideal mixing at the interface. In contrast, the surface composition of the AS/LAS mixture is much closer to the solution composition, but the surface mixing is nonideal and can be accounted for by regular solution theory, RST. In the AS/LS/LAS ternary mixtures, the surface adsorption is dominated by the sophorolipid, and especially the LS component, in a way that is not consistent with the observations for the binary mixtures. The extreme partitioning in favor of the sophorolipid for the LAS/LS/AS (1:2) mixtures is attributed to a reduction in the packing constraints at the surface due to the AS component. Measurements of the surface structure reveal a compact monolayer for LS and a narrow solvent region for LS, LS/AS, and LS/LAS mixtures, consistent with the more hydrophobic nature of the LS component. The results highlight the importance of the relative packing constraints on the adsorption of multicomponent mixtures, and the impact of the lactonic form of the sophorolipid on the adsorption of the sophorolipid/LAS mixtures.

  20. Nanomechanical characterization of heterogeneous and hierarchical biomaterials and tissues using nanoindentation: the role of finite mixture models.

    PubMed

    Zadpoor, Amir A

    2015-03-01

    Mechanical characterization of biological tissues and biomaterials at the nano-scale is often performed using nanoindentation experiments. The different constituents of the characterized materials will then appear in the histogram that shows the probability of measuring a certain range of mechanical properties. An objective technique is needed to separate the probability distributions that are mixed together in such a histogram. In this paper, finite mixture models (FMMs) are proposed as a tool capable of performing such types of analysis. Finite Gaussian mixture models assume that the measured probability distribution is a weighted combination of a finite number of Gaussian distributions with separate mean and standard deviation values. Dedicated optimization algorithms are available for fitting such a weighted mixture model to experimental data. Moreover, certain objective criteria are available to determine the optimum number of Gaussian distributions. In this paper, FMMs are used for interpreting the probability distribution functions representing the distributions of the elastic moduli of osteoarthritic human cartilage and co-polymeric microspheres. As for cartilage experiments, FMMs indicate that at least three mixture components are needed for describing the measured histogram. While the mechanical properties of the softer mixture components, often assumed to be associated with Glycosaminoglycans, were found to be more or less constant regardless of whether two or three mixture components were used, those of the second mixture component (i.e. collagen network) considerably changed depending on the number of mixture components. Regarding the co-polymeric microspheres, the optimum number of mixture components estimated by the FMM theory, i.e. 3, nicely matches the number of co-polymeric components used in the structure of the polymer. The computer programs used for the presented analyses are made freely available online for other researchers to use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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