Effects of O 2 and N 2/H 2 plasma treatments on the neuronal cell growth on single-walled carbon nanotube paper scaffolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Ok Ja; Lee, Hyun Jung; Jang, Yeong Mi; Kim, Hyun Woo; Lee, Won Bok; Kim, Sung Su; Lee, Nae-Eung

2011-08-01

The O 2 and N 2/H 2 plasma treatments of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) papers as scaffolds for enhanced neuronal cell growth were conducted to functionalize their surfaces with different functional groups and to roughen their surfaces. To evaluate the effects of the surface roughness and functionalization modifications of the SWCNT papers, we investigated the neuronal morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential, and acetylcholine/acetylcholinesterase levels of human neuroblastoma during SH-SY5Y cell growth on the treated SWCNT papers. Our results demonstrated that the plasma-chemical functionalization caused changes in the surface charge states with functional groups with negative and positive charges and then the increased surface roughness enhanced neuronal cell adhesion, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the level of neurotransmitter in vitro. The cell adhesion and mitochondrial membrane potential on the negatively charged SWCNT papers were improved more than on the positively charged SWCNT papers. Also, measurements of the neurotransmitter level showed an enhanced acetylcholine level on the negatively charged SWCNT papers compared to the positively charged SWCNT papers.

The effect of surface charge, negative and bipolar ionization on the deposition of airborne bacteria.

PubMed

Meschke, S; Smith, B D; Yost, M; Miksch, R R; Gefter, P; Gehlke, S; Halpin, H A

2009-04-01

A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of surface charge and air ionization on the deposition of airborne bacteria. The interaction between surface electrostatic potential and the deposition of airborne bacteria in an indoor environment was investigated using settle plates charged with electric potentials of 0, +/-2.5kV and +/-5kV. Results showed that bacterial deposition on the plates increased proportionally with increased potential to over twice the gravitational sedimentation rate at +5kV. Experiments were repeated under similar conditions in the presence of either negative or bipolar air ionization. Bipolar air ionization resulted in reduction of bacterial deposition onto the charged surfaces to levels nearly equal to gravitational sedimentation. In contrast, diffusion charging appears to have occurred during negative air ionization, resulting in an even greater deposition onto the oppositely charged surface than observed without ionization. Static charges on fomitic surfaces may attract bacteria resulting in deposition in excess of that expected by gravitational sedimentation or simple diffusion. Implementation of bipolar ionization may result in reduction of bacterial deposition. Fomitic surfaces are important vehicles for the transmission of infectious organisms. This study has demonstrated a simple strategy for minimizing charge related deposition of bacteria on surfaces.

Process for the formation of wear- and scuff-resistant carbon coatings

DOEpatents

Malaczynski, Gerard W.; Qiu, Xiaohong; Mantese, Joseph V.; Elmoursi, Alaa A.; Hamdi, Aboud H.; Wood, Blake P.; Walter, Kevin C.; Nastasi, Michael A.

1995-01-01

A process for forming an adherent diamond-like carbon coating on a workpiece of suitable material such as an aluminum alloy is disclosed. The workpiece is successively immersed in different plasma atmospheres and subjected to short duration, high voltage, negative electrical potential pulses or constant negative electrical potentials or the like so as to clean the surface of oxygen atoms, implant carbon atoms into the surface of the alloy to form carbide compounds while codepositing a carbonaceous layer on the surface, bombard and remove the carbonaceous layer, and to thereafter deposit a generally amorphous hydrogen-containing carbon layer on the surface of the article.

Apparatus and procedure to characterize the surface quality of conductors by measuring the rate of cathode emission as a function of surface electric field strength

DOEpatents

Mestayer, Mac; Christo, Steve; Taylor, Mark

2014-10-21

A device and method for characterizing quality of a conducting surface. The device including a gaseous ionizing chamber having centrally located inside the chamber a conducting sample to be tested to which a negative potential is applied, a plurality of anode or "sense" wires spaced regularly about the central test wire, a plurality of "field wires" at a negative potential are spaced regularly around the sense, and a plurality of "guard wires" at a positive potential are spaced regularly around the field wires in the chamber. The method utilizing the device to measure emission currents from the conductor.

Laboratory studies of magnetic anomaly effects on electric potential distributions near the lunar surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Robertson, S. H.; Horanyi, M.; NASA Lunar Science Institute: Colorado CenterLunar Dust; Atmospheric Studies

2011-12-01

The Moon does not have a global magnetic field, unlike the Earth, rather it has strong crustal magnetic anomalies. Data from Lunar Prospector and SELENE (Kaguya) observed strong interactions between the solar wind and these localized magnetic fields. In the laboratory, a configuration of a horseshoe permanent magnet below an insulating surface is used as an analogue of lunar crustal magnetic anomalies. Plasmas are created above the surface by a hot filament discharge. Potential distributions are measured with an emissive probe and show complex spatial structures. In our experiments, electrons are magnetized with gyro-radii r smaller than the distance from the surface d (r < d) and ions are un-magnetized with r > d. Unlike negative charging on surfaces with no magnetic fields, the surface potential at the center of the magnetic dipole is found close to the plasma bulk potential. The surface charging is dominated by the cold unmagnetized ions, while the electrons are shielded away. A potential minimum is formed between the center of the surface and the bulk plasma, most likely caused by the trapped electrons between the two magnetic mirrors at the cusps. The value of the potential minimum with respect to the bulk plasma potential decreases with increasing plasma density and neutral pressure, indicating that the mirror-trapped electrons are scattered by electron-electron and electron-neutral collisions. The potential at the two cusps are found to be more negative due to the electrons following the magnetic field lines onto the surface.

Positive zeta potential of a negatively charged semi-permeable plasma membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Shayandev; Jing, Haoyuan; Das, Siddhartha

2017-08-01

The negative charge of the plasma membrane (PM) severely affects the nature of moieties that may enter or leave the cells and controls a large number of ion-interaction-mediated intracellular and extracellular events. In this letter, we report our discovery of a most fascinating scenario, where one interface (e.g., membrane-cytosol interface) of the negatively charged PM shows a positive surface (or ζ) potential, while the other interface (e.g., membrane-electrolyte interface) still shows a negative ζ potential. Therefore, we encounter a completely unexpected situation where an interface (e.g., membrane-cytosol interface) that has a negative surface charge density demonstrates a positive ζ potential. We establish that the attainment of such a property by the membrane can be ascribed to an interplay of the nature of the membrane semi-permeability and the electrostatics of the electric double layer established on either side of the charged membrane. We anticipate that such a membrane property can lead to such capabilities of the cell (in terms of accepting or releasing certain kinds of moieties as well regulating cellular signaling) that was hitherto inconceivable.

Cesium injection system for negative ion duoplasmatrons

DOEpatents

Kobayashi, Maasaki; Prelec, Krsto; Sluyters, Theodorus J

1978-01-01

Longitudinally extending, foraminous cartridge means having a cylindrical side wall forming one flat, circular, tip end surface and an opposite end; an open-ended cavity, and uniformly spaced orifices for venting the cavity through the side wall in the annulus of a plasma ring for uniformly ejecting cesium for coating the flat, circular, surface. To this end, the cavity is filled with a cesium containing substance and attached to a heater in a hollow-discharge duoplasmatron. By coating the flat circular surface with a uniform monolayer of cesium and locating it in an electrical potential well at the end of a hollow-discharge, ion duoplasmatron source of an annular hydrogen plasma ring, the negative hydrogen production from the duoplasmatron is increased. The negative hydrogen is produced on the flat surface of the cartridge and extracted by the electrical potential well along a trajectory coaxial with the axis of the plasma ring.

Artificial Niches for Stromal Stem Cells as a Potential Instrument for the Design of the Surface of Biomimetic Osteogenic Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khlusov, I. A.; Khlusova, M. Yu.; Pichugin, V. F.; Sharkeev, Yu. P.; Legostaeva, E. V.

2014-02-01

A relationship between the topography of rough calcium phosphate surfaces having osteogenic niche-reliefs and the electrostatic potential of these surfaces as a possible instrument to control stromal stem cells has been investigated. The in vitro culture of human lung prenatal stromal cells on nanostructured/ultrafine-grained VT1.0 titanium alloy plates with bilateral rough calcium phosphate (CaP) microarc coating was used. It was established that the amplitude of the electret CaP surface potential linearly increased with increasing area of valleys (sockets), and the negative charge is formed on the socket surface. The area of alkaline phosphatase staining (the marker of osteoblast maturation and differentiation) of adherent CD34- CD44+ cells increases linearly with increasing area of artificial microterritory (socket) of the CaP surface occupied with each cell. The negative electret potential in valleys (sockets) of microarc CaP coatings can be the physical mechanism mediating the influence of the surface topography on osteogenic maturation and differentiation of cells in vitro. This mechanism can be called "niche-potential" and can be used as an instrument for biomimetic modification of smooth CaP surfaces to strengthen their integration with the bone tissue.

Visualizing the Positive-Negative Interface of Molecular Electrostatic Potentials as an Educational Tool for Assigning Chemical Polarity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonborn, Konrad; Host, Gunnar; Palmerius, Karljohan

2010-01-01

To help in interpreting the polarity of a molecule, charge separation can be visualized by mapping the electrostatic potential at the van der Waals surface using a color gradient or by indicating positive and negative regions of the electrostatic potential using different colored isosurfaces. Although these visualizations capture the molecular…

Detection of a strongly negative surface potential at Saturn's moon Hyperion.

PubMed

Nordheim, T A; Jones, G H; Roussos, E; Leisner, J S; Coates, A J; Kurth, W S; Khurana, K K; Krupp, N; Dougherty, M K; Waite, J H

2014-10-28

On 26 September 2005, Cassini conducted its only close targeted flyby of Saturn's small, irregularly shaped moon Hyperion. Approximately 6 min before the closest approach, the electron spectrometer (ELS), part of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) detected a field-aligned electron population originating from the direction of the moon's surface. Plasma wave activity detected by the Radio and Plasma Wave instrument suggests electron beam activity. A dropout in energetic electrons was observed by both CAPS-ELS and the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument Low-Energy Magnetospheric Measurement System, indicating that the moon and the spacecraft were magnetically connected when the field-aligned electron population was observed. We show that this constitutes a remote detection of a strongly negative (∼ -200 V) surface potential on Hyperion, consistent with the predicted surface potential in regions near the solar terminator.

Analysis of microscopic parameters of surface charging in polymer caused by defocused electron beam irradiation.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Zhang, Hai-Bo

2014-12-01

The relationship between microscopic parameters and polymer charging caused by defocused electron beam irradiation is investigated using a dynamic scattering-transport model. The dynamic charging process of an irradiated polymer using a defocused 30 keV electron beam is conducted. In this study, the space charge distribution with a 30 keV non-penetrating e-beam is negative and supported by some existing experimental data. The internal potential is negative, but relatively high near the surface, and it decreases to a maximum negative value at z=6 μm and finally tend to 0 at the bottom of film. The leakage current and the surface potential behave similarly, and the secondary electron and leakage currents follow the charging equilibrium condition. The surface potential decreases with increasing beam current density, trap concentration, capture cross section, film thickness and electron-hole recombination rate, but with decreasing electron mobility and electron energy. The total charge density increases with increasing beam current density, trap concentration, capture cross section, film thickness and electron-hole recombination rate, but with decreasing electron mobility and electron energy. This study shows a comprehensive analysis of microscopic factors of surface charging characteristics in an electron-based surface microscopy and analysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of EMI generated by negative metal-positive dielectric voltage stresses due to spacecraft charging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaky, R. C.; Inouye, G. T.

1985-01-01

Charging of spacecraft surfaces by the environmental plasma can result in differential potentials between metallic structure and adjacent dielectric surfaces in which the relative polarity of the voltage stress is either negative dielectric/positive metal or negative metal/positive dielectric. Negative metal/positive dielectric is a stress condition that may arise if relatively large areas of spacecraft surface metals are shadowed from solar UV and/or if the UV intensity is reduced as in the situation in which the spacecraft is entering into or leaving eclipse. The results of experimental studies of negative metal/positive dielectric systems are given. Information is given on: enhanced electron emission I-V curves; e(3) corona noise vs e(3) steady-state current; the localized nature of e(3) and negative metal arc discharge currents; negative metal arc discharges at stress thresholds below 1 kilovolt; negative metal arc discharge characteristics; dependence of blowoff arc discharge current on spacecraft capacitance to space (linear dimension); and damage to second surface mirrors due to negative metal arcs.

Negative-hydrogen-ion production from a nanoporous 12CaO • 7Al2O3 electride surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasao, Mamiko; Moussaoui, Roba; Kogut, Dmitry; Ellis, James; Cartry, Gilles; Wada, Motoi; Tsumori, Katsuyoshi; Hosono, Hideo

2018-06-01

A high production rate of negative hydrogen ions (H‑) was observed from a nanoporous 12CaO • 7Al2O3 (C12A7) electride surface immersed in hydrogen/deuterium low-pressure plasmas. The target was negatively biased at 20–130 V, and the target surface was bombarded by H3 + ions from the plasma. The production rate was compared with that from a clean molybdenum surface. Using the pseudo-exponential work-function dependence of the H‑ production rate, the total H‑ yield from the C12A7 electride surface bombarded at 80 V was evaluated to be 25% of that from a cesiated molybdenum surface with the lowest work-function. The measured H‑ energy spectrum indicates that the major production mechanism is desorption by sputtering. This material has potential to be used as a production surface of cesium-free negative ion sources for accelerators, heating beams in nuclear fusion, and surface modification for industrial applications.

Interaction of divalent cations with basal planes and edge surfaces of phyllosilicate minerals: muscovite and talc.

PubMed

Yan, Lujie; Masliyah, Jacob H; Xu, Zhenghe

2013-08-15

Smooth basal plane and edge surfaces of two platy phyllosilicate minerals (muscovite and talc) were prepared successfully to allow accurate colloidal force measurement using an atomic force microscope (AFM), which allowed us to probe independently interactions of divalent cations with phyllosilicate basal planes and edge surfaces. The Stern potential of basal planes and edge surfaces was obtained by fitting the measured force profiles with the classical DLVO theory. The fitted Stern potential of the muscovite basal plane became less negative with increasing Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) concentration but did not reverse its sign even at Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) concentrations up to 5 mM. In contrast, the Stern potential of the muscovite edge surface reversed at Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) concentrations as low as 0.1 mM. The Stern potential of the talc basal plane became less negative with 0.1 mM Ca(2+) addition and nearly zero with 1 mM Ca(2+) addition. The Stern potential of talc edge surface became reversed with 0.1 mM Ca(2+) or 1 mM Mg(2+) addition, showing not only a different binding mechanism of talc basal planes and edge surfaces with Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), but also different binding mechanism between Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions with basal planes and edge surfaces. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling the Acid-Base Properties of Montmorillonite Edge Surfaces.

PubMed

Tournassat, Christophe; Davis, James A; Chiaberge, Christophe; Grangeon, Sylvain; Bourg, Ian C

2016-12-20

The surface reactivity of clay minerals remains challenging to characterize because of a duality of adsorption surfaces and mechanisms that does not exist in the case of simple oxide surfaces: edge surfaces of clay minerals have a variable proton surface charge arising from hydroxyl functional groups, whereas basal surfaces have a permanent negative charge arising from isomorphic substitutions. Hence, the relationship between surface charge and surface potential on edge surfaces cannot be described using the Gouy-Chapman relation, because of a spillover of negative electrostatic potential from the basal surface onto the edge surface. While surface complexation models can be modified to account for these features, a predictive fit of experimental data was not possible until recently, because of uncertainty regarding the densities and intrinsic pK a values of edge functional groups. Here, we reexamine this problem in light of new knowledge on intrinsic pK a values obtained over the past decade using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and we propose a new formalism to describe edge functional groups. Our simulation results yield reasonable predictions of the best available experimental acid-base titration data.

Floating potential of emitting surfaces in plasmas with respect to the space potential

DOE PAGES

Kraus, B. F.; Raitses, Y.

2018-03-19

The potential difference between a floating emitting surface and the plasma surrounding it has been described by several sheath models, including the space-charge-limited sheath, the electron sheath with high emission current, and the inverse sheath produced by charge-exchange ion trapping. Our measurements reveal that each of these models has its own regime of validity. We determine the potential of an emissive filament relative to the plasma potential, emphasizing variations in emitted current density and neutral particle density. The potential of a filament in a diffuse plasma is first shown to vanish, consistent with the electron sheath model and increasing electronmore » emission. In a denser plasma with ample neutral pressure, the floating filament potential is positive, as predicted by a derived ion trapping condition. In conclusion, the filament floated negatively in a third plasma, where flowing ions and electrons and nonnegligible electric fields may have disrupted ion trapping. Depending on the regime chosen, emitting surfaces can float positively or negatively with respect to the plasma potential.« less

The effects of ion adsorption on the potential of zero charge and the differential capacitance of charged aqueous interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uematsu, Yuki; Netz, Roland R.; Bonthuis, Douwe Jan

2018-02-01

Using a box profile approximation for the non-electrostatic surface adsorption potentials of anions and cations, we calculate the differential capacitance of aqueous electrolyte interfaces from a numerical solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, including steric interactions between the ions and an inhomogeneous dielectric profile. Preferential adsorption of the positive (negative) ion shifts the minimum of the differential capacitance to positive (negative) surface potential values. The trends are similar for the potential of zero charge; however, the potential of zero charge does not correspond to the minimum of the differential capacitance in the case of asymmetric ion adsorption, contrary to the assumption commonly used to determine the potential of zero charge. Our model can be used to obtain more accurate estimates of ion adsorption properties from differential capacitance or electrocapillary measurements. Asymmetric ion adsorption also affects the relative heights of the characteristic maxima in the differential capacitance curves as a function of the surface potential, but even for strong adsorption potentials the effect is small, making it difficult to reliably determine the adsorption properties from the peak heights.

Floating potential of emitting surfaces in plasmas with respect to the space potential

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

Kraus, B. F.; Raitses, Y.

The potential difference between a floating emitting surface and the plasma surrounding it has been described by several sheath models, including the space-charge-limited sheath, the electron sheath with high emission current, and the inverse sheath produced by charge-exchange ion trapping. Our measurements reveal that each of these models has its own regime of validity. We determine the potential of an emissive filament relative to the plasma potential, emphasizing variations in emitted current density and neutral particle density. The potential of a filament in a diffuse plasma is first shown to vanish, consistent with the electron sheath model and increasing electronmore » emission. In a denser plasma with ample neutral pressure, the floating filament potential is positive, as predicted by a derived ion trapping condition. In conclusion, the filament floated negatively in a third plasma, where flowing ions and electrons and nonnegligible electric fields may have disrupted ion trapping. Depending on the regime chosen, emitting surfaces can float positively or negatively with respect to the plasma potential.« less

THE EFFECTS OF CRACKING ON THE SURFACE POTENTIAL OF ICY GRAINS IN SATURN’S E-RING: LABORATORY STUDIES

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

Bu, Caixia; Bahr, David A.; Dukes, Catherine A.

2016-07-10

Within Saturn's E-ring, dust grains are coated by water vapor co-released with ice grains from the geyser-like eruptions of Enceladus. These ice-coated grains have intrinsic surface potential and interact synergistically with the ions and electrons of Saturn's magnetospheric plasmas. We perform laboratory experiments to investigate the effects of water-ice growth on the surface potential, using amorphous solid water (ASW) films. We estimate the growth of the surface potential to be ∼ 2.5 mV (Earth) yr{sup 1} and 112 mV yr{sup 1} for E-ring grains at ∼4.5 R {sub s} and 3.95 R {sub s} outside Enceladus’s plume, respectively. In addition,more » our measurements show that the linear relationship between the surface potential and the film thickness, as described in previous studies, has an upper limit, where the film spontaneously cracks above a porosity-dependent critical thickness. Heating of the cracked films with (and without) deposited charge shows that significant positive (and negative) surface potentials are retained at temperatures above 110 K, contrary to the minimal values (roughly zero) for thin, transparent ASW films. The significant surface potentials observed on micron-scale cracked ice films after thermal cycling, (5–20) V, are consistent with Cassini measurements, which indicate a negative charge of up to 5 V for E-ring dust particles at ∼5 R {sub s}. Therefore, the native grain surface potential resulting from water-vapor coating must be included in modeling studies of interactions between E-ring icy surfaces and Saturn's magnetospheric plasma.« less

Spacecraft charging and ion wake formation in the near-Sun environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ergun, R. E.; Malaspina, D. M.; Bale, S. D.; McFadden, J. P.; Larson, D. E.; Mozer, F. S.; Meyer-Vernet, N.; Maksimovic, M.; Kellogg, P. J.; Wygant, J. R.

2010-07-01

A three-dimensional, self-consistent code is employed to solve for the static potential structure surrounding a spacecraft in a high photoelectron environment. The numerical solutions show that, under certain conditions, a spacecraft can take on a negative potential in spite of strong photoelectron currents. The negative potential is due to an electrostatic barrier near the surface of the spacecraft that can reflect a large fraction of the photoelectron flux back to the spacecraft. This electrostatic barrier forms if (1) the photoelectron density at the surface of the spacecraft greatly exceeds the ambient plasma density, (2) the spacecraft size is significantly larger than local Debye length of the photoelectrons, and (3) the thermal electron energy is much larger than the characteristic energy of the escaping photoelectrons. All of these conditions are present near the Sun. The numerical solutions also show that the spacecraft's negative potential can be amplified by an ion wake. The negative potential of the ion wake prevents secondary electrons from escaping the part of spacecraft in contact with the wake. These findings may be important for future spacecraft missions that go nearer to the Sun, such as Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus.

Lunar Surface Charging during Solar Energetic Particle Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halekas, Jasper S.; Delory, G. T.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Lin, R. P.; Fillingim, M. O.; Brain, D. A.; Lee, C. O.; Stubbs, T. J.; Farrell, W. M.; Hudson, M. K.

2006-09-01

The surface of the Moon, not protected by any substantial atmosphere, is directly exposed to the impact of both solar UV and solar wind plasma and energetic particles. This creates a complex lunar electrostatic environment, with the surface typically charging slightly positive in sunlight, and negative in shadow. Observations from the Apollo era and theoretical considerations strongly suggest that surface charging leads to dust electrification and transport, posing a potentially significant hazard for exploration. The most significant charging effects should occur when the Moon is exposed to high-temperature plasmas like those encountered in the terrestrial plasmasheet or in solar storms. We now present evidence for kilovolt-scale negative charging of the shadowed lunar surface during solar energetic particle (SEP) events, utilizing data from the Lunar Prospector Electron Reflectometer (LP ER). We find that SEP events are associated with the most extreme lunar surface charging observed during the LP mission - rivaled only by previously reported charging during traversals of the terrestrial plasmasheet. The largest charging event observed by LP is a 4 kV negative surface potential (as compared to typical values of V) during a SEP event in May 1998. We characterize lunar surface charging during several SEP events, and compare to energetic particle measurements from ACE, Wind, and SOHO in order to determine the relationship between SEP events and extreme lunar surface charging. Space weather events are already considered by NASA to be a significant hazard to lunar exploration, due to high-energy ionizing radiation. Our observations demonstrate that plasma interactions with the lunar surface during SEP events, causing extreme surface charging and potentially significant dust electrification and transport, represent an additional hazard associated with space weather.

FY04 LDRD Final Report: Interaction of Viruses with Membranes and Soil Materials

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

Schaldach, C M

2005-02-08

The influence of ionic strength on the electrostatic interaction of viruses with environmentally relevant surfaces was determined for three viruses, MS2, Q{beta} and Norwalk. The environmental surface is modeled as charged Gouy-Chapman plane with and without a finite atomistic region (patch) of opposite charge. The virus is modeled as a particle comprised of ionizable amino acid residues in a shell surrounding a spherical RNA core of negative charge, these charges being compensated for by a Coulomb screening due to intercalated ions. Surface potential calculations for each of the viruses show excellent agreement with electrophoretic mobility and zeta potential measurements asmore » a function of pH. The results indicate that the electrostatic interaction between the virus and the planar surface, mitigated by the ionic strength of the solute, is dependent upon the spatial distribution of the amino acid residues in the different viruses. Specifically, the order of interaction energies with the patch (MS2 greatest at 5 mM; Norwalk greatest at 20 mM) is dependent upon the ionic strength of the fluid as a direct result of the viral coat amino acid distributions. We have developed an atomistic-scale method of calculation of the binding energy of viruses to surfaces including electrostatic, van der Waals, electron-overlap repulsion, surface charge polarization (images), and hydrophobic effects. The surface is treated as a Gouy-Chapman plane allowing inclusion of pH and ionic strength effects on the electrostatic potential at each amino acid charge. Van der Waals parameters are obtained from the DREIDING force field and from Hamaker constant measurements. We applied this method to the calculation of the Cowpea Mosaic Virus (CPMV), a negatively charged virus at a pH of 7.0, and find that the viral-gold surface interaction is very long range for both signs of surface potential, a result due to the electrostatic forces. For a negative (Au) surface potential of -0.05 volts, a nearly 4 eV barrier must be overcome to reach 1 nm from the surface.« less

The Lunar Dust Pendulum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuntz, Kip; Collier, Michael R.; Stubbs, Timothy J.; Farrell, William M.

2011-01-01

Shadowed regions on the lunar surface acquire a negative potential. In particular, shadowed craters can have a negative potential with respect to the surrounding lunar regolith in sunlight, especially near the terminator regions. Here we analyze the motion of a positively charged lnnar dust grain in the presence of a shadowed crater at a negative potential in vacuum. Previous models describing the transport of charged lunar dust close to the surface have typically been limited to one-dimensional motion in the vertical direction, e.g. electrostatic levitation; however. the electric fields in the vicinity of shadowed craters will also have significant components in the horizontal directions. We propose a model that includes both the horizontal and vertical motion of charged dust grains near shadowed craters. We show that the dust grains execute oscillatory trajectories and present an expression for the period of oscillation drawing an analogy to the motion of a pendulum.

The Lunar Dust Pendulum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collier, Michael R.; Stubbs, Timothy J.; Farrell, William M.

2011-01-01

Shadowed regions on the lunar surface acquire a negative potential. In particular, shadowed craters can have a negative potential with respect to the surrounding lunar regolith in sunlight, especially near the terminator regions. Here we analyze the motion of a positively charged lunar dust grain in the presence of a shadowed crater at a negative potential in vacuum. Previous models describing the transport of charged lunar dust close to the surface have typically been limited to one-dimensional motion in the vertical direction, e.g. electrostatic levitation; however, the electric fields in the vicinity of shadowed craters will also have significant components in the horizontal directions. We propose a model that includes both the horizontal and vertical motion of charged dust grains near shadowed craters. We show that the dust grains execute oscillatory trajectories and present an expression for the period of oscillation drawing an analogy to the motion of a pendulum.

Effects of surface charges of gold nanoclusters on long-term in vivo biodistribution, toxicity, and cancer radiation therapy.

PubMed

Wang, Jun-Ying; Chen, Jie; Yang, Jiang; Wang, Hao; Shen, Xiu; Sun, Yuan-Ming; Guo, Meili; Zhang, Xiao-Dong

2016-01-01

Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) have exhibited great advantages in medical diagnostics and therapies due to their efficient renal clearance and high tumor uptake. The in vivo effects of the surface chemistry of Au NCs are important for the development of both nanobiological interfaces and potential clinical contrast reagents, but these properties are yet to be fully investigated. In this study, we prepared glutathione-protected Au NCs of a similar hydrodynamic size but with three different surface charges: positive, negative, and neutral. Their in vivo biodistribution, excretion, and toxicity were investigated over a 90-day period, and tumor uptake and potential application to radiation therapy were also evaluated. The results showed that the surface charge greatly influenced pharmacokinetics, particularly renal excretion and accumulation in kidney, liver, spleen, and testis. Negatively charged Au NCs displayed lower excretion and increased tumor uptake, indicating a potential for NC-based therapeutics, whereas positively charged clusters caused transient side effects on the peripheral blood system.

The influence of space charge shielding on dielectric multipactor

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

Chang, C.; Liu, G. Z.; Tang, C. X.

2009-05-15

A model of space charge influenced by multipactor electrons and plasma has been established. The positive space charge potential/field for vacuum dielectric multipactor is analytically studied. After considering the plasma, the positive space charge field is further shielded, and multipactor saturates at higher surface accumulated field, compared with that for only considering multipactor electrons. The negative space charge potential/field for dielectric breakdown at high pressure is analyzed. It is found that the negative potential can be nonmonotonously varied, forming a minimum potential well.

Fabrication of Biocompatible Potassium Sodium Niobate Piezoelectric Ceramic as an Electroactive Implant

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei; Yu, Zunxiong; Pang, Jinshan; Yu, Peng; Tan, Guoxin; Ning, Chengyun

2017-01-01

The discovery of piezoelectricity in natural bone has attracted extensive research in emulating biological electricity for various tissue regeneration. Here, we carried out experiments to build biocompatible potassium sodium niobate (KNN) ceramics. Then, influence substrate surface charges on bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein adsorption and cell proliferation on KNN ceramics surfaces was investigated. KNN ceramics with piezoelectric constant of ~93 pC/N and relative density of ~93% were fabricated. The adsorption of protein on the positive surfaces (Ps) and negative surfaces (Ns) of KNN ceramics with piezoelectric constant of ~93 pC/N showed greater protein adsorption capacity than that on non-polarized surfaces (NPs). Biocompatibility of KNN ceramics was verified through cell culturing and live/dead cell staining of MC3T3. The cells experiment showed enhanced cell growth on the positive surfaces (Ps) and negative surfaces (Ns) compared to non-polarized surfaces (NPs). These results revealed that KNN ceramics had great potential to be used to understand the effect of surface potential on cells processes and would benefit future research in designing piezoelectric materials for tissue regeneration. PMID:28772704

Fabrication of Biocompatible Potassium Sodium Niobate Piezoelectric Ceramic as an Electroactive Implant.

PubMed

Chen, Wei; Yu, Zunxiong; Pang, Jinshan; Yu, Peng; Tan, Guoxin; Ning, Chengyun

2017-03-26

The discovery of piezoelectricity in natural bone has attracted extensive research in emulating biological electricity for various tissue regeneration. Here, we carried out experiments to build biocompatible potassium sodium niobate (KNN) ceramics. Then, influence substrate surface charges on bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein adsorption and cell proliferation on KNN ceramics surfaces was investigated. KNN ceramics with piezoelectric constant of ~93 pC/N and relative density of ~93% were fabricated. The adsorption of protein on the positive surfaces (Ps) and negative surfaces (Ns) of KNN ceramics with piezoelectric constant of ~93 pC/N showed greater protein adsorption capacity than that on non-polarized surfaces (NPs). Biocompatibility of KNN ceramics was verified through cell culturing and live/dead cell staining of MC3T3. The cells experiment showed enhanced cell growth on the positive surfaces (Ps) and negative surfaces (Ns) compared to non-polarized surfaces (NPs). These results revealed that KNN ceramics had great potential to be used to understand the effect of surface potential on cells processes and would benefit future research in designing piezoelectric materials for tissue regeneration.

Photosensitized electron transfer processes in SiO2 colloids and sodium lauryl sulfate micellar systems: Correlation of quantum yields with interfacial surface potentials

PubMed Central

Laane, Colja; Willner, Itamar; Otvos, John W.; Calvin, Melvin

1981-01-01

The effectiveness of negatively charged colloidal SiO2 particles in controlling photosensitized electron transfer reactions has been studied and compared with that of the negatively charged sodium lauryl sulfate (NaLauSO4) micellar system. In particular, the photosensitized reduction of the zwitterionic electron acceptor propylviologen sulfonate (PVS0) with tris(2,2′-bipyridinium)ruthenium(II) [Ru(bipy)32+] as the sensitizer and triethanolamine as the electron donor is found to have a quantum yield of 0.033 for formation of the radical anion (PVS[unk]) in the SiO2 colloid compared with 0.005 in the homogeneous system and 0.0086 in a NaLauSO4 micellar solution. The higher quantum yields obtained with the SiO2 colloidal system are attributed to substantial stabilization against back reaction of the intermediate photoproducts—i.e., Ru(bipy)33+ and PVS[unk]—by electrostatic repulsion of the reduced electron acceptor from the negatively charged particle surface. The binding properties of the SiO2 particles and NaLauSO4 micelles were investigated by flow dialysis. The results show that the sensitizer binds to both interfaces and that the SiO2 interface is characterized by a much higher surface potential than the micellar interface (≈-170 mV vs. -85 mV). The effect of ionic strength on the surface potential was estimated from the Gouy-Chapman theory, and the measured quantum yields of photosensitized electron transfer were correlated with surface potential at different ionic strengths. This correlation shows that the quantum yield is not affected by surface potentials smaller than ≈-40 mV. At larger potentials, the quantum yield increases rapidly. The quantum yield obtained in the micellar system at different strengths fits nicely on the correlation curve for the colloid SiO2 system. These results indicate that the surface potential is the dominant factor in the quantum yield improvement for PVS0 reduction. PMID:16593095

Vibrational spectroscopic study of pH dependent solvation at a Ge(100)-water interface during an electrode potential triggered surface termination transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Fang; Rabe, Martin; Nayak, Simantini; Erbe, Andreas

2018-06-01

The charge-dependent structure of interfacial water at the n-Ge(100)-aqueous perchlorate interface was studied by controlling the electrode potential. Specifically, a joint attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy and electrochemical experiment was used in 0.1M NaClO4 at pH ≈ 1-10. The germanium surface transformation to an H-terminated surface followed the thermodynamic Nernstian pH dependence and was observed throughout the entire pH range. A singular value decomposition-based spectra deconvolution technique coupled to a sigmoidal transition model for the potential dependence of the main components in the spectra shows the surface transformation to be a two-stage process. The first stage was observed together with the first appearance of Ge-H stretching modes in the spectra and is attributed to the formation of a mixed surface termination. This transition was reversible. The second stage occurs at potentials ≈0.1-0.3 V negative of the first one, shows a hysteresis in potential, and is attributed to the formation of a surface with maximum Ge-H coverage. During the surface transformation, the surface becomes hydrophobic, and an effective desolvation layer, a "hydrophobic gap," developed with a thickness ≈1-3 Å. The largest thickness was observed near neutral pH. Interfacial water IR spectra show a loss of strongly hydrogen-bound water molecules compared to bulk water after the surface transformation, and the appearance of "free," non-hydrogen bound OH groups, throughout the entire pH range. Near neutral pH at negative electrode potentials, large changes at wavenumbers below 1000 cm-1 were observed. Librational modes of water contribute to the observed changes, indicating large changes in the water structure.

Effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on bacterial membrane.

PubMed

Oncul, Sule; Cuce, Esra M; Aksu, Burak; Inhan Garip, Ayse

2016-01-01

The effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) on bacteria has attracted attention due to its potential for beneficial uses. This research aimed to determine the effect of ELF-EMF on bacterial membrane namely the membrane potential, surface potential, hydrophobicity, respiratory activity and growth. Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli were subjected to ELF-EMF, 50 Hz, 1 mT for 2 h. Membrane potential was determined by fluorescence spectroscopy with or without EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) with DisC3(5) (3,3-dipropylthiacarbocyanine iodide), zeta potential measurements were performed by electrophoretic mobility, hydrophobicity of the membrane was measured with MATH (Microbial Adhesion to Hydrocarbons) test, respiratory activity was determined with CTC (5-Cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride), colony forming unit (CFU) and DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, dihydrochloride) was used for growth determinations. ELF-EMF caused changes in physicochemical properties of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Hyperpolarization was seen in S. aureus and EDTA-treated E. coli. Surface potential showed a positive shift in S. aureus contrariwise to the negative shift seen in EDTA-untreated E. coli. Respiratory activity increased in both bacteria. A slight decrease in growth was observed. These results show that ELF-EMF affects the crucial physicochemical processes in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria which need further research.

Experimental verification of ‘waveguide’ plasmonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudêncio, Filipa R.; Costa, Jorge R.; Fernandes, Carlos A.; Engheta, Nader; Silveirinha, Mário G.

2017-12-01

Surface plasmons polaritons are collective excitations of an electron gas that occur at an interface between negative-ɛ and positive-ɛ media. Here, we report the experimental observation of such surface waves using simple waveguide metamaterials filled only with available positive-ɛ media at microwave frequencies. In contrast to optical designs, in our setup the propagation length of the surface plasmons can be rather long as low loss conventional dielectrics are chosen to avoid typical losses from negative-ɛ media. Plasmonic phenomena have potential applications in enhancing light-matter interactions, implementing nanoscale photonic circuits and integrated photonics.

Regarding the Possible Generation of a Lunar Nightside Exo-Ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, W. M.; Halekas, J. S.; Stubbs, T. J.; Delory, G. T.; Killen, R. M.; Hartle, R. E.; Collier, M. R.

2011-01-01

The non-condensing neutral helium exosphere is at its most concentrated levels on the cold lunar nightside. We show herein that these He atoms are susceptible to impact ionization from primary and secondary electrons flowing in the vicinity of the negatively-charged nightside lunar surface. The secondary electron beams are a relatively recent discovery and are found to be emitted from the nightside surface at energies consistent with the negative surface potential. The effect is to create an electron impact-created ionosphere in nightside regions. possibly especially potent within polar craters.

Particle size, charge and colloidal stability of humic acids coprecipitated with Ferrihydrite.

PubMed

Angelico, Ruggero; Ceglie, Andrea; He, Ji-Zheng; Liu, Yu-Rong; Palumbo, Giuseppe; Colombo, Claudio

2014-03-01

Humic acids (HA) have a colloidal character whose size and negative charge are strictly dependent on surface functional groups. They are able to complex large amount of poorly ordered iron (hydr)oxides in soil as a function of pH and other environmental conditions. Accordingly, with the present study we intend to assess the colloidal properties of Fe(II) coprecipitated with humic acids (HA) and their effect on Fe hydroxide crystallinity under abiotic oxidation and order of addition of both Fe(II) and HA. TEM, XRD and DRS experiments showed that Fe-HA consisted of Ferrihydrite with important structural variations. DLS data of Fe-HA at acidic pH showed a bimodal size distribution, while at very low pH a slow aggregation process was observed. Electrophoretic zeta-potential measurements revealed a negative surface charge for Fe-HA macromolecules, providing a strong electrostatic barrier against aggregation. Under alkaline conditions HA chains swelled, which resulted in an enhanced stabilization of the colloid particles. The increasing of zeta potential and size of the Fe-HA macromolecules, reflects a linear dependence of both with pH. The increase in the size and negative charge of the Fe-HA precipitate seems to be more affected by the ionization of the phenolic acid groups, than by the carboxylic acid groups. The main cause of negative charge generation of Fe/HA is due to increased dissociation of phenolic groups in more expanded structure. The increased net negative surface potential induced by coprecipitation with Ferrihydrite and the correspondent changes in configuration of the HA could trigger the inter-particle aggregation with the formation of new negative surface. The Fe-HA coprecipitation can reduce electrosteric repulsive forces, which in turn may inhibit the aggregation process at different pH. Therefore, coprecipitation of Ferrihydrite would be expected to play an important role in the carbon stabilization and persistence not only in organic soils, but also in waters containing dissolved organic matter. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo wave packet study of negative ion mediated vibrationally inelastic scattering of NO from the metal surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shenmin; Guo, Hua

2002-09-01

The scattering dynamics of vibrationally excited NO from a metal surface is investigated theoretically using a dissipative model that includes both the neutral and negative ion states. The Liouville-von Neumann equation is solved numerically by a Monte Carlo wave packet method, in which the wave packet is allowed to "jump" between the neutral and negative ion states in a stochastic fashion. It is shown that the temporary population of the negative ion state results in significant changes in vibrational dynamics, which eventually lead to vibrationally inelastic scattering of NO. Reasonable agreement with experiment is obtained with empirical potential energy surfaces. In particular, the experimentally observed facile multiquantum relaxation of the vibrationally highly excited NO is reproduced. The simulation also provides interesting insight into the scattering dynamics.

Bacterial migration along solid surfaces.

PubMed Central

Harkes, G; Dankert, J; Feijen, J

1992-01-01

An in vitro system was developed to study the migration of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains. In this system an aqueous agar gel is placed against a solid surface, allowing the bacteria to migrate along the gel/solid surface interface. Bacterial strains as well as solid surfaces were characterized by means of water contact angle and zeta potential measurements. When glass was used as the solid surface, significantly different migration times for the strains investigated were observed. Relationships among the observed migration times of six strains, their contact angles, and their zeta potentials were found. Relatively hydrophobic strains exhibited migration times shorter than those of hydrophilic strains. For highly negatively charged strains shorter migration times were found than were found for less negatively charged strains. When the fastest-migrating strain with respect to glass was allowed to migrate along solid surfaces differing in hydrophobicity and charge, no differences in migration times were found. Our findings indicate that strategies to prevent catheter-associated bacteriuria should be based on inhibition of bacterial growth rather than on modifying the physicochemical character of the catheter surface. PMID:1622217

A Comparison of ARTEMIS Observations and Particle-in-cell Modeling of the Lunar Photoelectron Sheath in the Terrestrial Magnetotail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poppe, A. R.; Halekas, J. S.; Delory, G. T.; Farrell, W. M.; Angelopoulos, V.; McFadden, J. P.; Bonnell, J. W.; Ergun, R. E.

2012-01-01

As an airless body in space with no global magnetic field, the Moon is exposed to both solar ultraviolet radiation and ambient plasmas. Photoemission from solar UV radiation and collection of ambient plasma are typically opposing charging currents and simple charging current balance predicts that the lunar dayside surface should charge positively; however, the two ARTEMIS probes have observed energydependent loss cones and high-energy, surface-originating electron beams above the dayside lunar surface for extended periods in the magnetosphere, which are indicative of negative surface potentials. In this paper, we compare observations by the ARTEMIS P1 spacecraft with a one dimensional particle-in-cell simulation and show that the energy-dependent loss cones and electron beams are due to the presence of stable, non-monotonic, negative potentials above the lunar surface. The simulations also show that while the magnitude of the non-monotonic potential is mainly driven by the incoming electron temperature, the incoming ion temperature can alter this magnitude, especially for periods in the plasma sheet when the ion temperature is more than twenty times the electron temperature. Finally, we note several other plasma phenomena associated with these non-monotonic potentials, such as broadband electrostatic noise and electron cyclotron harmonic emissions, and offer possible generation mechanisms for these phenomena.

The role of Proteus mirabilis cell wall features in biofilm formation.

PubMed

Czerwonka, Grzegorz; Guzy, Anna; Kałuża, Klaudia; Grosicka, Michalina; Dańczuk, Magdalena; Lechowicz, Łukasz; Gmiter, Dawid; Kowalczyk, Paweł; Kaca, Wiesław

2016-11-01

Biofilms formed by Proteus mirabilis strains are a serious medical problem, especially in the case of urinary tract infections. Early stages of biofilm formation, such as reversible and irreversible adhesion, are essential for bacteria to form biofilm and avoid eradication by antibiotic therapy. Adhesion to solid surfaces is a complex process where numerous factors play a role, where hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions with solid surface seem to be substantial. Cell surface hydrophobicity and electrokinetic potential of bacterial cells depend on their surface composition and structure, where lipopolysaccharide, in Gram-negative bacteria, is prevailing. Our studies focused on clinical and laboratory P. mirabilis strains, where laboratory strains have determined LPS structures. Adherence and biofilm formation tests revealed significant differences between strains adhered in early stages of biofilm formation. Amounts of formed biofilm were expressed by the absorption of crystal violet. Higher biofilm amounts were formed by the strains with more negative values of zeta potential. In contrast, high cell surface hydrophobicity correlated with low biofilm amount.

Advances in wound healing: topical negative pressure therapy

PubMed Central

Jones, S; Banwell, P; Shakespeare, P

2005-01-01

In clinical practice many wounds are slow to heal and difficult to manage. The recently introduced technique of topical negative pressure therapy (TNP) has been developed to try to overcome some of these difficulties. TNP applies a controlled negative pressure to the surface of a wound that has potential advantages for wound treatment and management. Although the concept itself, of using suction in wound management is not new, the technique of applying a negative pressure at the surface of the wound is. This paper explores the origins and proposed mechanisms of action of TNP therapy and discusses the types of wounds that are thought to benefit most from use of this system. PMID:15937199

Improved repeatability of nasal potential difference with a larger surface catheter.

PubMed

Vermeulen, François; Proesmans, Marijke; Boon, Mieke; De Boeck, Kris

2015-05-01

To increase the power of nasal potential difference (NPD) as a biomarker of CFTR function, improvement of its repeatability is needed. We evaluated the improvement in repeatability resulting from measuring NPD (1) over a larger surface area and (2) at a fixed location. To assess repeatability, NPD was measured on two occasions with a new method using a larger surface catheter at fixed locations on the nasal floor (LSC-floor(5cm) and LSC-floor(3cm)) or at the most negative basal potential (LSC-floor(max)); with a sidehole catheter on the nasal floor at 5 cm) from the nasal margin (SHC-floor(5cm)) or at the most negative potential (SHC-floor(max)); and with an endhole catheter below the inferior surface of the lower turbinate at the most negative potential (EHC-turb(max)). The within-subject standard deviation (S(w)) for repeated measurements of the total chloride response in the controls was smallest with the LSC-floor at a fixed location (LSC-floor(5cm) 3.1 mV; 95% CI 2.3-4.6 mV) and highest with the SHC-floor (SHC-floor(max) 14.6 mV; 95% CI 10.9-22.2 mV) or the EHC-turbinate (EHC-turb(max) 12.5 mV; 95% CI 10.7-23.0 mV) at the most negative basal potential. Measuring with the LSC-floor at the maximal potential increased the Sw (LSC-floor(max) 8.8 mV, 95% CI 6.0-16.1 mV, p=0.009 vs LSC-floor(5cm)), while measuring with the SHC-floor at a fixed location slightly decreased the Sw (SHC-floor(5cm) 9.8 mV, 95% CI 8.9-20.6 mV, p=0.06 vs SHC-floor(max)). In patients with cystic fibrosis, the S(w) was comparable, between 2.2 mV and 4.3 mV. Sample size calculations for trials using NPD to assess changes in ion transport showed that the number of subjects to be included could be approximately halved measuring with the larger surface catheter at a fixed location vs SHC or EHC at fixed locations. Measuring the NPD at a fixed location and over a larger surface resulted in increased repeatability and thereby also power as a biomarker of CFTR modulation. Copyright © 2014 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterizing the effects of regolith surface roughness on photoemission from surfaces in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dove, A.; Horanyi, M.; Wang, X.

2017-12-01

Surfaces of airless bodies and spacecraft in space are exposed to a variety of charging environments. A balance of currents due to plasma bombardment, photoemission, electron and ion emission and collection, and secondary electron emission determines the surface's charge. Photoelectron emission is the dominant charging process on sunlit surfaces in the inner solar system due to the intense solar UV radiation. This can result in a net positive surface potential, with a cloud of photoelectrons immediately above the surface, called the photoelectron sheath. Conversely, the unlit side of the body will charge negatively due the collection of the fast-moving solar wind electrons. The interaction of charged dust grains with these positively and negatively charged surfaces, and within the photoelectron and plasma sheaths may explain the occurrence of dust lofting, levitation and transport above the lunar surface. The surface potential of exposed objects is also dependent on the material properties of their surfaces. Composition and particle size primarily affect the quantum efficiency of photoelectron generation; however, surface roughness can also control the charging process. In order to characterize these effects, we have conducted laboratory experiments to examine the role of surface roughness in generating photoelectrons in dedicated laboratory experiments using solid and dusty surfaces of the same composition (CeO2), and initial comparisons with JSC-1 lunar simulant. Using Langmuir probe measurements, we explore the measured potentials above insulating surfaces exposed to UV and an electric field, and we show that the photoemission current from a dusty surface is largely reduced due to its higher surface roughness, which causes a significant fraction of the emitted photoelectrons to be re-absorbed within the surface. We will discuss these results in context of similar situations on planetary surfaces.

Influence of Adsorbed Hydroxyl and Carbon Monoxide on Potential-Induced Reconstruction of Au(100) as Examined by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-02-01

years have witnessed substantial advances in our knowledge of metal reconstruction in electrochemical systems, primarily for low-index gold surfaces in...index gold surfaces, reconstruction can be formed or removed by applying electrode potentials corresponding to negative or positive electronic charge...potential and gold oxidation regions, for Au(100) in 0.1 M KOH, obtained in a conventional electrochemical cell (solid trace). The voltammetric

Elucidating Complex Surface Reconstructions with Atomic-Resolution Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Au(100)-Aqueous Electrochemical Interface

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-01

that unusually high-quality STM data of this type 5-7can be obtained at ordered gold -aqueous interfaces. Reconstruction is seen 2 to be triggered on...all three low-index gold surfaces by altering the potential to values corresponding to small (10-15 pC cm-2 ) negative surface electronic 5-7 charges...connections. The former was platinum and the latter was a freshly electrooxidized gold wire. All electrode potentials quoted here, however, are

Influence of electrochemical potential on the displacement of aqueous electrolyte from a copper surface by oil

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

Kendig, M.W.; Fadner, T.A.

1985-02-01

The forces responsible for the meniscus formed during the dynamic displacement of a 0.1 M H/sub 3/BO/sub 3/ + 0.5 M NaClO/sub 4/ solution by oil from a copper surface depend on the electrochemical potential of the copper and on an active component in the oil. For a nonpolar mineral oil containing oleic acid, a negative potential applied to copper produces hydrophilic behavior of the copper surface in the aqueous phase. This result is attribute largely to electrochemical destabilization of metallic soaps and possibly to electroosmotic transport.

Dispersion stability of a ceramic glaze achieved through ionic surfactant adsorption.

PubMed

Panya, Preecha; Arquero, Orn-anong; Franks, George V; Wanless, Erica J

2004-11-01

The adsorption of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) onto a ceramic glaze mixture composed of limestone, feldspar, quartz, and kaolin has been investigated. Both adsorption isotherms and the average particle zeta potential have been studied in order to understand the suspension stability as a function of pH, ionic strength, and surfactant concentration. The adsorption of small amounts of cationic CPC onto the primarily negatively charged surfaces of the particles at pH 7 and 9 results in strong attraction and flocculation due to hydrophobic interactions. At higher surfactant concentrations a zeta potential of more than +60 mV results from the bilayered adsorbed surfactant, providing stability at salt concentrations < or = 0.01 M. At 0.1 M salt poor stability results despite substantial zeta potential values. Three mechanisms for SDBS adsorption have been identified. When anionic SDBS monomers either adsorb by electrostatic interactions with the few positive surface sites at high pH or adsorb onto like charged negative surface sites due to dispersion or hydrophobic interactions, the magnitude of the negative zeta potential increases slightly. At pH 9 this increase is enough to promote stability with an average zeta potential of more than -55 mV, whereas at pH 7 the zeta potential is lower at about -45 mV. The stability of suspensions at pH 7 is additionally due to steric repulsion caused by the adsorption of thick layers of neutrally charged Ca(DBS)2 complexes created when the surfactant interacts with dissolved calcium ions from the calcium carbonate component.

Modulation of Silica Nanoparticle Uptake into Human Osteoblast Cells by Variation of the Ratio of Amino and Sulfonate Surface Groups: Effects of Serum

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

To study the importance of the surface charge for cellular uptake of silica nanoparticles (NPs), we synthesized five different single- or multifunctionalized fluorescent silica NPs (FFSNPs) by introducing various ratios of amino and sulfonate groups into their surface. The zeta potential values of these FFSNPs were customized from highly positive to highly negative, while other physicochemical properties remained almost constant. Irrespective of the original surface charge, serum proteins adsorbed onto the surface, neutralized the zeta potential values, and prevented the aggregation of the tailor-made FFSNPs. Depending on the surface charge and on the absence or presence of serum, two opposite trends were found concerning the cellular uptake of FFSNPs. In the absence of serum, positively charged NPs were more strongly accumulated by human osteoblast (HOB) cells than negatively charged NPs. In contrast, in serum-containing medium, anionic FFSNPs were internalized by HOB cells more strongly, despite the similar size and surface charge of all types of protein-covered FFSNPs. Thus, at physiological condition, when the presence of proteins is inevitable, sulfonate-functionalized silica NPs are the favorite choice to achieve a desired high rate of NP internalization. PMID:26030456

A three-dimensional He-CO potential energy surface with improved long-range behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBane, George C.

2016-12-01

A weakness of the "CBS + corr" He-CO potential energy surface (Peterson and McBane, 2005) has been rectified by constraining the potential to adopt accurate long-range behavior for He-CO distances well beyond 15a0 . The resulting surface is very similar to the original in the main part of the interaction. Comparison with accurately known bound-state energies indicates that the surface is slightly improved in the region sampled by the highest lying bound states. The positions of shape and Feshbach resonances within a few cm-1 of the j = 1 excitation threshold are essentially unchanged. The low-energy scattering lengths changed noticeably. The revised surface generates a small negative limiting scattering length for collisions with 4He, while the original surface gave a small positive one. Both surfaces yield scattering lengths quite different from the widely used surface of Heijmen et al. (1997) for both He isotopes.

Photovoltaic healing of non-uniformities in semiconductor devices

DOEpatents

Karpov, Victor G.; Roussillon, Yann; Shvydka, Diana; Compaan, Alvin D.; Giolando, Dean M.

2006-08-29

A method of making a photovoltaic device using light energy and a solution to normalize electric potential variations in the device. A semiconductor layer having nonuniformities comprising areas of aberrant electric potential deviating from the electric potential of the top surface of the semiconductor is deposited onto a substrate layer. A solution containing an electrolyte, at least one bonding material, and positive and negative ions is applied over the top surface of the semiconductor. Light energy is applied to generate photovoltage in the semiconductor, causing a redistribution of the ions and the bonding material to the areas of aberrant electric potential. The bonding material selectively bonds to the nonuniformities in a manner such that the electric potential of the nonuniformities is normalized relative to the electric potential of the top surface of the semiconductor layer. A conductive electrode layer is then deposited over the top surface of the semiconductor layer.

Effect of Applied Potential on Fatigue Life of Electropolished Nitinol Wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivan, Shiril; Di Prima, Matthew; Weaver, Jason D.

2017-09-01

Nitinol is used as a metallic biomaterial in medical devices due to its shape memory and pseudoelastic properties. The clinical performance of nitinol depends on factors which include the surface finish, the local environment, and the mechanical loads to which the device is subjected. Preclinical evaluations of device durability are performed with fatigue tests while electrochemical characterization methods such as ASTM F2129 are employed to evaluate corrosion susceptibility by determining the rest potential and breakdown potential. However, it is well established that the rest potential of a metal surface can vary with the local environment. Very little is known regarding the influence of voltage on fatigue life of nitinol. In this study, we developed a fatigue testing method in which an electrochemical system was integrated with a rotary bend wire fatigue tester. Samples were fatigued at various strain levels at electropotentials anodic and cathodic to the rest potential to determine if it could influence fatigue life. Wires at potentials negative to the rest potential had a significantly higher number of cycles to fracture than wires held at potentials above the breakdown potential. For wires for which no potential was applied, they had fatigue life similar to wires at negative potentials.

Reversal of the asymmetry in a cylindrical coaxial capacitively coupled Ar/Cl 2 plasma

DOE PAGES

Upadhyay, Janardan; Im, Do; Popović, Svetozar; ...

2015-10-08

The reduction of the asymmetry in the plasma sheath voltages of a cylindrical coaxial capacitively coupled plasma is crucial for efficient surface modification of the inner surfaces of concave three-dimensional structures, including superconducting radio frequency cavities. One critical asymmetry effect is the negative dc self-bias, formed across the inner electrode plasma sheath due to its lower surface area compared to the outer electrode. The effect on the self-bias potential with the surface enhancement by geometric modification on the inner electrode structure is studied. The shapes of the inner electrodes are chosen as cylindrical tube, large and small pitch bellows, andmore » disc-loaded corrugated structure (DLCS). The dc self-bias measurements for all these shapes were taken at different process parameters in Ar/Cl 2 discharge. Lastly, the reversal of the negative dc self-bias potential to become positive for a DLCS inner electrode was observed and the best etch rate is achieved due to the reduction in plasma asymmetry.« less

Interactions of microbicide nanoparticles with a simulated vaginal fluid.

PubMed

das Neves, José; Rocha, Cristina M R; Gonçalves, Maria Pilar; Carrier, Rebecca L; Amiji, Mansoor; Bahia, Maria Fernanda; Sarmento, Bruno

2012-11-05

The interaction with cervicovaginal mucus presents the potential to impact the performance of drug nanocarriers. These systems must migrate through this biological fluid in order to deliver their drug payload to the underlying mucosal surface. We studied the ability of dapivirine-loaded polycaprolactone (PCL)-based nanoparticles (NPs) to interact with a simulated vaginal fluid (SVF) incorporating mucin. Different surface modifiers were used to produce NPs with either negative (poloxamer 338 NF and sodium lauryl sulfate) or positive (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) surface charge. Studies were performed using the mucin particle method, rheological measurements, and real-time multiple particle tracking. Results showed that SVF presented rheological properties similar to those of human cervicovaginal mucus. Analysis of NP transport indicated mild interactions with mucin and low adhesive potential. In general, negatively charged NPs underwent subdiffusive transport in SVF, i.e., hindered as compared to their diffusion in water, but faster than for positively charged NPs. These differences were increased when the pH of SVF was changed from 4.2 to 7.0. Diffusivity was 50- and 172-fold lower in SVF at pH 4.2 than in water for negatively charged and positively charged NPs, respectively. At pH 7.0, this decrease was around 20- and 385-fold, respectively. The estimated times required to cross a layer of SVF were equal to or lower than 1.7 h for negatively charged NPs, while for positively charged NPs these values were equal to or higher than 7 h. Overall, our results suggest that negatively charged PCL NPs may be suitable to be used as carriers in order to deliver dapivirine and potentially other antiretroviral drugs to the cervicovaginal mucosal lining. Also, they further reinforce the importance in characterizing the interactions of nanosystems with mucus fluids or surrogates when considering mucosal drug delivery.

Improvement of charge separation in TiO{sub 2} by its modification with different tungsten compounds

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

Tryba, B., E-mail: beata.tryba@zut.edu.pl; Tygielska, M.; Grzeskowiak, M.

2016-04-15

Highlights: • Ammonium m-tungstate doped to TiO{sub 2} highly improved charge separation in TiO{sub 2}. • Negative electrokinetic potential of TiO{sub 2} facilitates holes migration to its surface. • Fast migration of holes to TiO{sub 2} surfaces increased yield of OH radicals formation. • Adsorption of dyes on photocatalyst increased its decomposition under visible light. - Abstract: Three different tungsten precursors were used for TiO{sub 2} modification: H{sub 2}WO{sub 4}, WO{sub 2}, and ammonium m-tungstate. It was proved that modification of TiO{sub 2} with tungsten compounds enhanced its photocatalytic activity through the improvement of charge separation. This effect was obtainedmore » by coating of TiO{sub 2} particles with tungsten compound, which changed their surficial electrokinetical potential from positive onto negative. The most efficient tungsten compound, which caused enhanced separation of free carriers was ammonium m-tungstate (AMT). Two dyes with different ionic potential were used for the photocatalytic decomposition. It appeared that cationic dye—Methylene Blue was highly adsorbed on the negatively charged surface of TiO{sub 2} modified by AMT and decomposed, however this photocatalyst was quickly deactivated whereas anionic dye—acid red was better adsorbed on the less acidic surface of TiO{sub 2} and was rapidly decomposed with almost the same rate in the five following cycles.« less

Probing Anisotropic Surface Properties of Molybdenite by Direct Force Measurements.

PubMed

Lu, Zhenzhen; Liu, Qingxia; Xu, Zhenghe; Zeng, Hongbo

2015-10-27

Probing anisotropic surface properties of layer-type mineral is fundamentally important in understanding its surface charge and wettability for a variety of applications. In this study, the surface properties of the face and the edge surfaces of natural molybdenite (MoS2) were investigated by direct surface force measurements using atomic force microscope (AFM). The interaction forces between the AFM tip (Si3N4) and face or edge surface of molybdenite were measured in 10 mM NaCl solutions at various pHs. The force profiles were well-fitted with classical DLVO (Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek) theory to determine the surface potentials of the face and the edge surfaces of molybdenite. The surface potentials of both the face and edge surfaces become more negative with increasing pH. At neutral and alkaline conditions, the edge surface exhibits more negative surface potential than the face surface, which is possibly due to molybdate and hydromolybdate ions on the edge surface. The point of zero charge (PZC) of the edge surface was determined around pH 3 while PZC of the face surface was not observed in the range of pH 3-11. The interaction forces between octadecyltrichlorosilane-treated AFM tip (OTS-tip) and face or edge surface of molybdenite were also measured at various pHs to study the wettability of molybdenite surfaces. An attractive force between the OTS-tip and the face surface was detected. The force profiles were well-fitted by considering DLVO forces and additional hydrophobic force. Our results suggest the hydrophobic feature of the face surface of molybdenite. In contrast, no attractive force between the OTS-tip and the edge surface was detected. This is the first study in directly measuring surface charge and wettability of the pristine face and edge surfaces of molybdenite through surface force measurements.

Molecular insight into the electrostatic membrane surface potential by 14n/31p MAS NMR spectroscopy: nociceptin-lipid association.

PubMed

Lindström, Fredrick; Williamson, Philip T F; Gröbner, Gerhard

2005-05-11

Exploiting naturally abundant (14)N and (31)P nuclei by high-resolution MAS NMR (magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance) provides a molecular view of the electrostatic potential present at the surface of biological model membranes, the electrostatic charge distribution across the membrane interface, and changes that occur upon peptide association. The spectral resolution in (31)P and (14)N MAS NMR spectra is sufficient to probe directly the negatively charged phosphate and positively charged choline segment of the electrostatic P(-)-O-CH(2)-CH(2)-N(+)(CH(3))(3) headgroup dipole of zwitterionic DMPC (dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine) in mixed-lipid systems. The isotropic shifts report on the size of the potential existing at the phosphate and ammonium group within the lipid headgroup while the chemical shielding anisotropy ((31)P) and anisotropic quadrupolar interaction ((14)N) characterize changes in headgroup orientation in response to surface potential. The (31)P/(14)N isotropic chemical shifts for DMPC show opposing systematic changes in response to changing membrane potential, reflecting the size of the electrostatic potential at opposing ends of the P(-)-N(+) dipole. The orientational response of the DMPC lipid headgroup to electrostatic surface variations is visible in the anisotropic features of (14)N and (31)P NMR spectra. These features are analyzed in terms of a modified "molecular voltmeter" model, with changes in dynamic averaging reflecting the tilt of the C(beta)-N(+)(CH)(3) choline and PO(4)(-) segment. These properties have been exploited to characterize the changes in surface potential upon the binding of nociceptin to negatively charged membranes, a process assumed to proceed its agonistic binding to its opoid G-protein coupled receptor.

Negative ion mode evolution of potential buildup and mapping of potential gradients within the electrospray emitter.

PubMed

Pozniak, Boguslaw P; Cole, Richard B

2004-12-01

Differential electrospray emitter potential (DEEP) maps, displaying variations in potential in the electrospray (ES) capillary and in the Taylor cone, have been generated in the negative ion mode of ES operation. In all examples, measured potential was found to be the highest at the points furthest into the Taylor cone, and values descended to zero at distances beyond approximately 15 mm within the ES capillary. In agreement with results obtained previously in the positive ion mode, negative mode data show a strong influence of electrolyte concentration on measured potentials. Weakly conductive solutions exhibited the highest values, and the steepest gradients, at points furthest into the Taylor cone. However, these same low conductivity solutions did not yield nonzero measured potentials to as deep a distance into the ES capillary as was possible from their higher conductivity counterparts. Addition of a readily reducible compound lowered measured potentials at all points near the ES capillary exit, in accordance with the description of the ES device as a controlled-current electrolytic cell. The development of potential inside the ES capillary upon the onset of ES was also studied, and initial results are presented. Potential waves are observed that can require 15 min or longer, to stabilize. The slow drift to steady potentials is evidence of upstream movement of electrochemically-produced species and follow-up reaction products; low conductivity solutions require longer intervals to reach a steady state. Potentials measured along the central ES axis reflect those at the ES capillary surface, although equipotential lines can be considered to be more compressed at the latter surface.

Cathodic Corrosion at the Bismuth-Ionic Liquid Electrolyte Interface under Conditions for CO 2 Reduction

DOE PAGES

Medina Ramos, Jonnathan; Zhang, Weiwei; Yoon, Kichul; ...

2018-03-08

Bismuth electrodes undergo distinctive electrochemically induced structural changes in nonaqueous imidazolium ([Im])(+))-based ionic liquid solutions under cathodic polarization. In situ X-ray reflectivity (XR) studies have been undertaken to probe well-ordered Bi (001) films which originally contain a native Bi 2O 3 layer. This oxide layer gets reduced to Bi(0)during the first cyclic voltammetry (CV) scan in acetonitrile solutions containing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([BMIM](+)) electrolytes. Approximately 60% of the Bi (001) Bragg peak reflectivity is lost during a potential sweep between -1.5 and -1.9 V vs Ag/AgCI due to a similar to 4-10% thinning and a similar to 40% decrease in lateral sizemore » of Bi (001) domains, which are mostly reversed during the anodic scan. Repeated potential cycling enhances the thinning and roughening of the films, suggesting that partial dissolution of Bi ensues during negative polarization. The mechanism of this behavior is understood through molecular dynamics simulations using ReaxFF and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Both approaches indicate that [Im] + cations bind to the metal surface more strongly than tetrabutylammonium (TBA +) as the potential and the charge on the Bi surface become more negative. ReaxFF simulations predict a higher degree of disorder for a negatively charged Bi (001) slab in the presence of the [Im](+)cations and substantial migration of Bi atoms from the surface. DFT simulations show the formation of Bi center dot center dot center dot[Im] + complexes that lead to the dissolution of Bi atoms from step edges on the Bi (001) surface at potentials between -1.65 and -1.95 V. Bi desorption from a flat terrace requires a potential of approximately -2.25 V. Together, these results suggest the formation of a Bi center dot center dot center dot[Im] + complex through partial cathodic corrosion of the Bi film under conditions (potential and electrolyte composition) that favor the catalytic reduction of CO 2 .« less

Cathodic Corrosion at the Bismuth-Ionic Liquid Electrolyte Interface under Conditions for CO 2 Reduction

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

Medina Ramos, Jonnathan; Zhang, Weiwei; Yoon, Kichul

Bismuth electrodes undergo distinctive electrochemically induced structural changes in nonaqueous imidazolium ([Im])(+))-based ionic liquid solutions under cathodic polarization. In situ X-ray reflectivity (XR) studies have been undertaken to probe well-ordered Bi (001) films which originally contain a native Bi 2O 3 layer. This oxide layer gets reduced to Bi(0)during the first cyclic voltammetry (CV) scan in acetonitrile solutions containing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([BMIM](+)) electrolytes. Approximately 60% of the Bi (001) Bragg peak reflectivity is lost during a potential sweep between -1.5 and -1.9 V vs Ag/AgCI due to a similar to 4-10% thinning and a similar to 40% decrease in lateral sizemore » of Bi (001) domains, which are mostly reversed during the anodic scan. Repeated potential cycling enhances the thinning and roughening of the films, suggesting that partial dissolution of Bi ensues during negative polarization. The mechanism of this behavior is understood through molecular dynamics simulations using ReaxFF and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Both approaches indicate that [Im] + cations bind to the metal surface more strongly than tetrabutylammonium (TBA +) as the potential and the charge on the Bi surface become more negative. ReaxFF simulations predict a higher degree of disorder for a negatively charged Bi (001) slab in the presence of the [Im](+)cations and substantial migration of Bi atoms from the surface. DFT simulations show the formation of Bi center dot center dot center dot[Im] + complexes that lead to the dissolution of Bi atoms from step edges on the Bi (001) surface at potentials between -1.65 and -1.95 V. Bi desorption from a flat terrace requires a potential of approximately -2.25 V. Together, these results suggest the formation of a Bi center dot center dot center dot[Im] + complex through partial cathodic corrosion of the Bi film under conditions (potential and electrolyte composition) that favor the catalytic reduction of CO 2 .« less

A comparative study on carbon, boron-nitride, boron-phosphide and silicon-carbide nanotubes based on surface electrostatic potentials and average local ionization energies.

PubMed

Esrafili, Mehdi D; Behzadi, Hadi

2013-06-01

A density functional theory study was carried out to predict the electrostatic potentials as well as average local ionization energies on both the outer and the inner surfaces of carbon, boron-nitride (BN), boron-phosphide (BP) and silicon-carbide (SiC) single-walled nanotubes. For each nanotube, the effect of tube radius on the surface potentials and calculated average local ionization energies was investigated. It is found that SiC and BN nanotubes have much stronger and more variable surface potentials than do carbon and BP nanotubes. For the SiC, BN and BP nanotubes, there are characteristic patterns of positive and negative sites on the outer lateral surfaces. On the other hand, a general feature of all of the systems studied is that stronger potentials are associated with regions of higher curvature. According to the evaluated surface electrostatic potentials, it is concluded that, for the narrowest tubes, the water solubility of BN tubes is slightly greater than that of SiC followed by carbon and BP nanotubes.

Relating Silica Scaling in Reverse Osmosis to Membrane Surface Properties.

PubMed

Tong, Tiezheng; Zhao, Song; Boo, Chanhee; Hashmi, Sara M; Elimelech, Menachem

2017-04-18

We investigated the relationship between membrane surface properties and silica scaling in reverse osmosis (RO). The effects of membrane hydrophilicity, free energy for heterogeneous nucleation, and surface charge on silica scaling were examined by comparing thin-film composite polyamide membranes grafted with a variety of polymers. Results show that the rate of silica scaling was independent of both membrane hydrophilicity and free energy for heterogeneous nucleation. In contrast, membrane surface charge demonstrated a strong correlation with the extent of silica scaling (R 2 > 0.95, p < 0.001). Positively charged membranes significantly facilitated silica scaling, whereas a more negative membrane surface charge led to reduced scaling. This observation suggests that deposition of negatively charged silica species on the membrane surface plays a critical role in silica scale formation. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the mechanisms governing silica scaling in reverse osmosis and highlight the potential of membrane surface modification as a strategy to reduce silica scaling.

The effect of some general anaesthetics on the surface potential of lipid monolayers

PubMed Central

Bangham, A.D.; Mason, W.

1979-01-01

1 This study sought to investigate the report by Ginsberg (1978) that 0.7 M ethanol brought about a + 100 mV change (ΔΔV) in the surface potential of glyceryl monooleate (GMO) monolayers formed on KCl, although he predicted that a ΔΔV of -10 mV should have been found. 2 The effect of general anaesthetics such as n-alkyl alcohols and pentobarbitone on surface potential (ΔV) and surface tension (γ) of lipid monolayers formed on 145 mM KCl from either glyceryl monooleate (GMO) or phosphatidyl choline (PC) was examined with an Americium-241 air electrode assembly (ΔV) and a platinized platinum dipping plate and force balance (γ). 3 It was found that, as predicted by Ginsberg (1978), addition of 0.7 M ethanol to the aqueous phase bathing either PC or GMO monolayers brings about a negative-going change in interfacial potential (ΔΔV). 4 The magnitude of ΔΔV is dependent in a linear fashion on ethanol concentration. 5 Longer chain length alcohols up to n-decanol also bring about a negative going change in ΔΔV, and the dependence of ΔΔV on anaesthetic activity, with respect to increasing chain length of anaesthetic, is consistent with Traube's law. 6 Pentobarbitone added to the aqueous phase bathing the monolayer also elicits a negative ΔΔV, a finding which rules out the possibility of adsorption of the volatile alcohols to the measuring electrode. 7 The findings are discussed in terms of the proposition that increasing disorder in an array of fixed dipoles, such as might occur in a bilayer exposed to anaesthetic, would result in a lowering of the electrostatic barrier to the predominantly impermeable cation. PMID:465879

Autotransporter-based cell surface display in Gram-negative bacteria.

PubMed

Nicolay, Toon; Vanderleyden, Jos; Spaepen, Stijn

2015-02-01

Cell surface display of proteins can be used for several biotechnological applications such as the screening of protein libraries, whole cell biocatalysis and live vaccine development. Amongst all secretion systems and surface appendages of Gram-negative bacteria, the autotransporter secretion pathway holds great potential for surface display because of its modular structure and apparent simplicity. Autotransporters are polypeptides made up of an N-terminal signal peptide, a secreted or surface-displayed passenger domain and a membrane-anchored C-terminal translocation unit. Genetic replacement of the passenger domain allows for the surface display of heterologous passengers. An autotransporter-based surface expression module essentially consists of an application-dependent promoter system, a signal peptide, a passenger domain of interest and the autotransporter translocation unit. The passenger domain needs to be compatible with surface translocation although till now no general rules have been determined to test this compatibility. The autotransporter technology for surface display of heterologous passenger domains is critically discussed for various applications.

An evaluation of the utility and limitations of counting motor unit action potentials in the surface electromyogram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ping; Zev Rymer, William

2004-12-01

The number of motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) appearing in the surface electromyogram (EMG) signal is directly related to motor unit recruitment and firing rates and therefore offers potentially valuable information about the level of activation of the motoneuron pool. In this paper, based on morphological features of the surface MUAPs, we try to estimate the number of MUAPs present in the surface EMG by counting the negative peaks in the signal. Several signal processing procedures are applied to the surface EMG to facilitate this peak counting process. The MUAP number estimation performance by this approach is first illustrated using the surface EMG simulations. Then, by evaluating the peak counting results from the EMG records detected by a very selective surface electrode, at different contraction levels of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscles, the utility and limitations of such direct peak counts for MUAP number estimation in surface EMG are further explored.

ELECTRICAL PHENOMENA IN NERVE

PubMed Central

Shanes, Abraham M.

1949-01-01

The action of a number of agents, which may be classified as "stabilizers" and "unstabilizers" on the electrical oscillations and after-potentials in the squid giant axon has been examined. The effects on the spike, "positive overshoot," and "potassium potential" were also observed, but where possible concentrations were employed which left these phenomena unaltered. Veratrine augmented the oscillations and the negative after-potential, particularly with repetitive stimulation. Yohimbine caused a small long lasting positive after-potential and depressed the oscillations, effects also enhanced with repetitive activity. Cocaine and procaine suppressed the oscillations and the negative after-potential but DDT was completely inert. An elevation in the medium calcium depressed the oscillations and the naturally occurring negative after-potential; negative after-potentials induced with veratrine were increased by calcium. A decrease in the potassium augmented the oscillations and the negative after-potential. A hypothesis is presented in which these effects are interpreted in terms of potassium concentration at the fiber surface as regulated by a labile permeability and metabolism. This is discussed in relation to the available evidence for these factors. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the author's indebtedness to Dr. D. E. S. Brown, Director, and to his staff at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research for the cooperation and special facilities provided during the initiation of this work. Dr. T. Baylor of Princeton University very kindly provided the camera and film used in Bermuda. PMID:18139008

Analysis of Static Spacecraft Floating Potential at Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herr, Joel L.; Hwang, K. S.; Wu, S. T.

1995-01-01

Spacecraft floating potential is the charge on the external surfaces of orbiting spacecraft relative to the space. Charging is caused by unequal negative and positive currents to spacecraft surfaces. The charging process continues until the accelerated particles can be collected rapidly enough to balance the currents at which point the spacecraft has reached its equilibrium or floating potential. In low inclination. Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the collection of positive ion and negative electrons. in a particular direction. are typically not equal. The level of charging required for equilibrium to be established is influenced by the characteristics of the ambient plasma environment. by the spacecraft motion, and by the geometry of the spacecraft. Using the kinetic theory, a statistical approach for studying the interaction is developed. The approach used to study the spacecraft floating potential depends on which phenomena are being applied. and on the properties of the plasma. especially the density and temperature. The results from kinetic theory derivation are applied to determine the charging level and the electric potential distribution at an infinite flat plate perpendicular to a streaming plasma using finite-difference scheme.

Effects of poultry litter placement on seedling and early-stage growth of corn and cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interest in using poultry litter (PL) as a nutrient source for row crop production within the Southeastern U.S. has increased. Poultry litter is generally broadcast on the soil surface. This practice exposes the litter’s N to volatilization and P to surface water runoff, potentially negatively impac...

The Regional Influence of the Arctic Oscillation and Arctic Dipole on the Wintertime Arctic Surface Radiation Budget and Sea Ice Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hegyi, Bradley M.; Taylor, Patrick C.

2017-01-01

An analysis of 2000-2015 monthly Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System-Energy Balanced and Filled (CERES-EBAF) and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA2) data reveals statistically significant fall and wintertime relationships between Arctic surface longwave (LW) radiative flux anomalies and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Arctic Dipole (AD). Signifying a substantial regional imprint, a negative AD index corresponds with positive downwelling clear-sky LW flux anomalies (greater than10W m(exp -2)) north of western Eurasia (0 deg E-120 deg E) and reduced sea ice growth in the Barents and Kara Seas in November-February. Conversely, a positive AO index coincides with negative clear-sky LW flux anomalies and minimal sea ice growth change in October-November across the Arctic. Increased (decreased) atmospheric temperature and water vapor coincide with the largest positive (negative) clear-sky flux anomalies. Positive surface LW cloud radiative effect anomalies also accompany the negative AD index in December-February. The results highlight a potential pathway by which Arctic atmospheric variability influences the regional surface radiation budget over areas of Arctic sea ice growth.

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

Kim, Moonsoo; Kim, Jongmin; Cho, Jaehee

Graphical abstract: The presence of Chlorine in the outer surface resulted in a highly electro-negative surface states and an increase in the vacuum energy level. - Highlights: • We investigated the influence of chlorine surface treatment on ITO properties. • Chlorination induced the change of the electro-static potential in the outer surface. • Chlorine electro-chemical treatment of ITO is a simple, fast and effective technique. - Abstract: In this work, we investigate the influence of a chlorine-based electro-chemical surface treatment on the characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) including the work function, chemical composition, and phase transition. The treated ITOsmore » were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), 4-point probe measurements, and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD). We confirmed a change of the chemical composition in the near-surface region of the ITO and the formation of indium-chlorine (In-Cl) bonds and surface dipoles (via XPS). In particular, the change of the electro-static potential in the outer surface was caused by chlorination. Due to the vacuum-level shift after the electro-chemical treatment in a dilute hydrochloric acid, the ITO work function was increased by ∼0.43 eV (via UPS); furthermore, the electro-negativity of the chlorine anions attracted electrons to emit them from the hole transport layer (HTL) to the ITO anodes, resulting in an increase of the hole-injection efficiency.« less

Polymer Coatings Reduce Electro-osmosis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herren, Blair J.; Snyder, Robert; Shafer, Steven G.; Harris, J. Milton; Van Alstine, James M.

1989-01-01

Poly(ethylene glycol) film controls electrostatic potential. Electro-osmosis in quartz or glass chambers reduced or reversed by coating inside surface of chambers with monomacromolecular layers of poly(ethylene glycol). Stable over long times. Electrostatic potential across surface of untreated glass or plastic chamber used in electro-phoresis is negative and attracts cations in aqueous electrolyte. Cations solvated, entrains flow of electrolyte migrating toward cathode. Electro-osmotic flow interferes with desired electrophoresis of particles suspended in electrolyte. Polymer coats nontoxic, transparent, and neutral, advantageous for use in electrophoresis.

Effect of Leaf Water Potential on Internal Humidity and CO 2 Dissolution: Reverse Transpiration and Improved Water Use Efficiency under Negative Pressure

DOE PAGES

Vesala, Timo; Sevanto, Sanna; Grönholm, Tiia; ...

2017-02-06

The pull of water from the soil to the leaves causes water in the transpiration stream to be under negative pressure decreasing the water potential below zero. The osmotic concentration also contributes to the decrease in leaf water potential but with much lesser extent. Thus, the surface tension force is approximately balanced by a force induced by negative water potential resulting in concavely curved water-air interfaces in leaves. The lowered water potential causes a reduction in the equilibrium water vapor pressure in internal (sub-stomatal/intercellular) cavities in relation to that over water with the potential of zero, i.e., over the flatmore » surface. The curved surface causes a reduction also in the equilibrium vapor pressure of dissolved CO 2, thus enhancing its physical solubility to water. Although the water vapor reduction is acknowledged by plant physiologists its consequences for water vapor exchange at low water potential values have received very little attention. Consequences of the enhanced CO 2 solubility to a leaf water-carbon budget have not been considered at all before this study. We use theoretical calculations and modeling to show how the reduction in the vapor pressures affects transpiration and carbon assimilation rates. Here, our results indicate that the reduction in vapor pressures of water and CO 2 could enhance plant water use efficiency up to about 10% at a leaf water potential of -2 MPa, and much more when water potential decreases further. The low water potential allows for a direct stomatal water vapor uptake from the ambient air even at sub-100% relative humidity values. This alone could explain the observed rates of foliar water uptake by e.g., the coastal redwood in the fog belt region of coastal California provided the stomata are sufficiently open. Lastly, the omission of the reduction in the water vapor pressure causes a bias in the estimates of the stomatal conductance and leaf internal CO 2 concentration based on leaf gas exchange measurements. Manufactures of leaf gas exchange measurement systems should incorporate leaf water potentials in measurement set-ups.« less

Effect of Leaf Water Potential on Internal Humidity and CO 2 Dissolution: Reverse Transpiration and Improved Water Use Efficiency under Negative Pressure

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

Vesala, Timo; Sevanto, Sanna; Grönholm, Tiia

The pull of water from the soil to the leaves causes water in the transpiration stream to be under negative pressure decreasing the water potential below zero. The osmotic concentration also contributes to the decrease in leaf water potential but with much lesser extent. Thus, the surface tension force is approximately balanced by a force induced by negative water potential resulting in concavely curved water-air interfaces in leaves. The lowered water potential causes a reduction in the equilibrium water vapor pressure in internal (sub-stomatal/intercellular) cavities in relation to that over water with the potential of zero, i.e., over the flatmore » surface. The curved surface causes a reduction also in the equilibrium vapor pressure of dissolved CO 2, thus enhancing its physical solubility to water. Although the water vapor reduction is acknowledged by plant physiologists its consequences for water vapor exchange at low water potential values have received very little attention. Consequences of the enhanced CO 2 solubility to a leaf water-carbon budget have not been considered at all before this study. We use theoretical calculations and modeling to show how the reduction in the vapor pressures affects transpiration and carbon assimilation rates. Here, our results indicate that the reduction in vapor pressures of water and CO 2 could enhance plant water use efficiency up to about 10% at a leaf water potential of -2 MPa, and much more when water potential decreases further. The low water potential allows for a direct stomatal water vapor uptake from the ambient air even at sub-100% relative humidity values. This alone could explain the observed rates of foliar water uptake by e.g., the coastal redwood in the fog belt region of coastal California provided the stomata are sufficiently open. Lastly, the omission of the reduction in the water vapor pressure causes a bias in the estimates of the stomatal conductance and leaf internal CO 2 concentration based on leaf gas exchange measurements. Manufactures of leaf gas exchange measurement systems should incorporate leaf water potentials in measurement set-ups.« less

Effect of Leaf Water Potential on Internal Humidity and CO2 Dissolution: Reverse Transpiration and Improved Water Use Efficiency under Negative Pressure

PubMed Central

Vesala, Timo; Sevanto, Sanna; Grönholm, Tiia; Salmon, Yann; Nikinmaa, Eero; Hari, Pertti; Hölttä, Teemu

2017-01-01

The pull of water from the soil to the leaves causes water in the transpiration stream to be under negative pressure decreasing the water potential below zero. The osmotic concentration also contributes to the decrease in leaf water potential but with much lesser extent. Thus, the surface tension force is approximately balanced by a force induced by negative water potential resulting in concavely curved water-air interfaces in leaves. The lowered water potential causes a reduction in the equilibrium water vapor pressure in internal (sub-stomatal/intercellular) cavities in relation to that over water with the potential of zero, i.e., over the flat surface. The curved surface causes a reduction also in the equilibrium vapor pressure of dissolved CO2, thus enhancing its physical solubility to water. Although the water vapor reduction is acknowledged by plant physiologists its consequences for water vapor exchange at low water potential values have received very little attention. Consequences of the enhanced CO2 solubility to a leaf water-carbon budget have not been considered at all before this study. We use theoretical calculations and modeling to show how the reduction in the vapor pressures affects transpiration and carbon assimilation rates. Our results indicate that the reduction in vapor pressures of water and CO2 could enhance plant water use efficiency up to about 10% at a leaf water potential of −2 MPa, and much more when water potential decreases further. The low water potential allows for a direct stomatal water vapor uptake from the ambient air even at sub-100% relative humidity values. This alone could explain the observed rates of foliar water uptake by e.g., the coastal redwood in the fog belt region of coastal California provided the stomata are sufficiently open. The omission of the reduction in the water vapor pressure causes a bias in the estimates of the stomatal conductance and leaf internal CO2 concentration based on leaf gas exchange measurements. Manufactures of leaf gas exchange measurement systems should incorporate leaf water potentials in measurement set-ups. PMID:28220128

Effect of Leaf Water Potential on Internal Humidity and CO2 Dissolution: Reverse Transpiration and Improved Water Use Efficiency under Negative Pressure.

PubMed

Vesala, Timo; Sevanto, Sanna; Grönholm, Tiia; Salmon, Yann; Nikinmaa, Eero; Hari, Pertti; Hölttä, Teemu

2017-01-01

The pull of water from the soil to the leaves causes water in the transpiration stream to be under negative pressure decreasing the water potential below zero. The osmotic concentration also contributes to the decrease in leaf water potential but with much lesser extent. Thus, the surface tension force is approximately balanced by a force induced by negative water potential resulting in concavely curved water-air interfaces in leaves. The lowered water potential causes a reduction in the equilibrium water vapor pressure in internal (sub-stomatal/intercellular) cavities in relation to that over water with the potential of zero, i.e., over the flat surface. The curved surface causes a reduction also in the equilibrium vapor pressure of dissolved CO 2 , thus enhancing its physical solubility to water. Although the water vapor reduction is acknowledged by plant physiologists its consequences for water vapor exchange at low water potential values have received very little attention. Consequences of the enhanced CO 2 solubility to a leaf water-carbon budget have not been considered at all before this study. We use theoretical calculations and modeling to show how the reduction in the vapor pressures affects transpiration and carbon assimilation rates. Our results indicate that the reduction in vapor pressures of water and CO 2 could enhance plant water use efficiency up to about 10% at a leaf water potential of -2 MPa, and much more when water potential decreases further. The low water potential allows for a direct stomatal water vapor uptake from the ambient air even at sub-100% relative humidity values. This alone could explain the observed rates of foliar water uptake by e.g., the coastal redwood in the fog belt region of coastal California provided the stomata are sufficiently open. The omission of the reduction in the water vapor pressure causes a bias in the estimates of the stomatal conductance and leaf internal CO 2 concentration based on leaf gas exchange measurements. Manufactures of leaf gas exchange measurement systems should incorporate leaf water potentials in measurement set-ups.

Influence of surface charge on the potential toxicity of PLGA nanoparticles towards Calu-3 cells

PubMed Central

Mura, Simona; Hillaireau, Herve; Nicolas, Julien; Le Droumaguet, Benjamin; Gueutin, Claire; Zanna, Sandrine; Tsapis, Nicolas; Fattal, Elias

2011-01-01

Background Because of the described hazards related to inhalation of manufactured nanoparticles, we investigated the lung toxicity of biodegradable poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles displaying various surface properties on human bronchial Calu-3 cells. Methods Positively and negatively charged as well as neutral nanoparticles were tailored by coating their surface with chitosan, Poloxamer, or poly (vinyl alcohol), respectively. Nanoparticles were characterized in terms of size, zeta potential, and surface chemical composition, confirming modifications provided by hydrophilic polymers. Results Although nanoparticle internalization by lung cells was clearly demonstrated, the cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was very limited, with an absence of inflammatory response, regardless of the surface properties of the PLGA nanoparticles. Conclusion These in vitro results highlight the safety of biodegradable PLGA nanoparticles in the bronchial epithelium and provide initial data on their potential effects and the risks associated with their use as nanomedicines. PMID:22114491

High volume hydraulic fracturing operations: potential impacts on surface water and human health.

PubMed

Mrdjen, Igor; Lee, Jiyoung

2016-08-01

High volume, hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) processes, used to extract natural gas and oil from underground shale deposits, pose many potential hazards to the environment and human health. HVHF can negatively affect the environment by contaminating soil, water, and air matrices with potential pollutants. Due to the relatively novel nature of the process, hazards to surface waters and human health are not well known. The purpose of this article is to link the impacts of HVHF operations on surface water integrity, with human health consequences. Surface water contamination risks include: increased structural failure rates of unconventional wells, issues with wastewater treatment, and accidental discharge of contaminated fluids. Human health risks associated with exposure to surface water contaminated with HVHF chemicals include increased cancer risk and turbidity of water, leading to increased pathogen survival time. Future research should focus on modeling contamination spread throughout the environment, and minimizing occupational exposure to harmful chemicals.

Ordered adsorption of coagulation factor XII on negatively charged polymer surfaces probed by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaoyun; Wang, Jie; Paszti, Zoltan; Wang, Fulin; Schrauben, Joel N; Tarabara, Volodymyr V; Schmaier, Alvin H; Chen, Zhan

2007-05-01

Electrostatic interactions between negatively charged polymer surfaces and factor XII (FXII), a blood coagulation factor, were investigated by sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, supplemented by several analytical techniques including attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), zeta-potential measurement, and chromogenic assay. A series of sulfonated polystyrenes (sPS) with different sulfonation levels were synthesized as model surfaces with different surface charge densities. SFG spectra collected from FXII adsorbed onto PS and sPS surfaces with different surface charge densities showed remarkable differences in spectral features and especially in spectral intensity. Chromogenic assay experiments showed that highly charged sPS surfaces induced FXII autoactivation. ATR-FTIR and QCM results indicated that adsorption amounts on the PS and sPS surfaces were similar even though the surface charge densities were different. No significant conformational change was observed from FXII adsorbed onto surfaces studied. Using theoretical calculations, the possible contribution from the third-order nonlinear optical effect induced by the surface electric field was evaluated, and it was found to be unable to yield the SFG signal enhancement observed. Therefore it was concluded that the adsorbed FXII orientation and ordering were the main reasons for the remarkable SFG amide I signal increase on sPS surfaces. These investigations indicate that negatively charged surfaces facilitate or induce FXII autoactivation on the molecular level by imposing specific orientation and ordering on the adsorbed protein molecules.

Buffering the negative effects of employee surface acting: the moderating role of employee-customer relationship strength and personalized services.

PubMed

Wang, Karyn L; Groth, Markus

2014-03-01

The impact of emotional labor on customer outcomes is gaining considerable attention in the literature, with research suggesting that the authenticity of emotional displays may positively impact customer outcomes. However, research investigating the impact of more inauthentic emotions on service delivery outcomes is mixed (see Chi, Grandey, Diamond, & Krimmel, 2011). This study explores 2 potential reasons for why the service outcomes of inauthentic emotions are largely inconsistent: the impact of distinct surface acting strategies and the role of service delivery context. Drawing on social-functional theories of emotions, we surveyed 243 dyads of employees and customers from a wide variety of services to examine the links between employee surface acting and customer service satisfaction, and whether this relationship is moderated by relationship strength and service personalization. Our findings suggest that faking positive emotions has no bearing on service satisfaction, but suppressing negative emotions interacts with contextual factors to predict customers' service satisfaction, in line with social-functional theories of emotions. Specifically, customers who know the employee well are less sensitive to the negative effects of suppressed negative emotions, and customers in highly personalized service encounters are more sensitive to the negative effects of suppressed negative emotions. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications.

Bimolecular reaction dynamics from photoelectron spectroscopy of negative ions

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

Bradforth, S.E.

1992-11-01

The transition state region of a neutral bimolecular reaction may be experimentally investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy of an appropriate negative ion. The photoelectron spectrum provides information on the spectroscopy and dynamics of the short lived transition state and may be used to develop model potential energy surfaces that are semi-quantitative in this important region. The principles of bound [yields] bound negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy are illustrated by way of an example: a full analysis of the photoelectron bands of CN[sup [minus

Effect of negative air ions on the potential for bacterial contamination of plastic medical equipment.

PubMed

Shepherd, Simon J; Beggs, Clive B; Smith, Caroline F; Kerr, Kevin G; Noakes, Catherine J; Sleigh, P Andrew

2010-04-12

In recent years there has been renewed interest in the use of air ionizers to control the spread of infection in hospitals and a number of researchers have investigated the biocidal action of ions in both air and nitrogen. By comparison, the physical action of air ions on bacterial dissemination and deposition has largely been ignored. However, there is clinical evidence that air ions might play an important role in preventing the transmission of Acinetobacter infection. Although the reasons for this are unclear, it is hypothesized that a physical effect may be responsible: the production of air ions may negatively charge items of plastic medical equipment so that they repel, rather than attract, airborne bacteria. By negatively charging both particles in the air and items of plastic equipment, the ionizers minimize electrostatic deposition on these items. In so doing they may help to interrupt the transmission of Acinetobacter infection in certain healthcare settings such as intensive care units. A study was undertaken in a mechanically ventilated room under ambient conditions to accurately measure changes in surface potential exhibited by items of plastic medical equipment in the presence of negative air ions. Plastic items were suspended on nylon threads, either in free space or in contact with a table surface, and exposed to negative ions produced by an air ionizer. The charge build-up on the specimens was measured using an electric field mill while the ion concentration in the room air was recorded using a portable ion counter. The results of the study demonstrated that common items of equipment such as ventilator tubes rapidly developed a large negative charge (i.e. generally >-100V) in the presence of a negative air ionizer. While most items of equipment tested behaved in a similar manner to this, one item, a box from a urological collection and monitoring system (the only item made from styrene acrylonitrile), did however develop a positive charge in the presence of the ionizer. The findings of the study suggest that the action of negative air ionizers significantly alters the electrostatic landscape of the clinical environment, and that this has the potential to cause any Acinetobacter-bearing particles in the air to be strongly repelled from some plastic surfaces and attracted to others. In so doing, this may prevent critical items of equipment from becoming contaminated with the bacterium.

Hepatitis B virus DNA-positive, hepatitis B surface antigen-negative blood donations intercepted by anti-hepatitis B core antigen testing: the Canadian Blood Services experience.

PubMed

O'Brien, Sheila F; Fearon, Margaret A; Yi, Qi-Long; Fan, Wenli; Scalia, Vito; Muntz, Irene R; Vamvakas, Eleftherios C

2007-10-01

The benefit of introducing anti-hepatitis B core antigen (HBc) screening for intercepting potentially infectious donations missed by hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) screening in Canada was studied. Anti-HBc testing of all donations was implemented in April 2005, along with antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA supplemental testing of anti-HBc repeat-reactive, HBsAg-negative donations. The proportion of potentially infectious donations intercepted by anti-HBc over the initial 18 months of testing was calculated based on three assumptions relating infectivity of HBV DNA-positive units to anti-HBs levels. Lookback was conducted for all DNA-positive donations. Of 493,344 donors, 5,585 (1.13%) were repeat-reactive for the presence of anti-HBc, with 29 (0.52%) being HBV DNA-positive and HBsAg-negative. The proportion of potentially infectious donations intercepted by anti-HBc screening was 1 in 17,800 if all HBV DNA-positive donations were infectious, 1 in 26,900 if infectivity was limited to donations with an anti-HBs level of not more than 100 mIU per mL, and 1 in 69,300 if only donations with undetectable anti-HBs were infectious. For 279 components in the lookback study, no traced recipients were HBsAg-positive and 7 recipients were anti-HBc-reactive in association with 4 donors, 3 of whom had an anti-HBs level of more than 100 mIU per mL and 1 of whom had a level of 61 mIU per mL. Implementation of anti-HBc screening reduced the risk of transfusing potentially infectious units by at least as much as had been expected based on the literature. The lookback did not provide proof of transfusion transmission of HBV from HBV DNA-positive, anti-HBc-reactive, HBsAg-negative donors but it did not establish lack of transmission either.

Ultra-high-vacuum electrical feedthrough

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gavaler, J. R.; Janocko, M. A.

1976-01-01

Device for cathodic sputtering utilizes cathode dark-space region adjacent to high negative-potential surfaces. Feedthrough is made of metal and glass, is helium leaktight, and is bakeable; it can be incorporated into any vacuum apparatus.

Positive and negative ZnO micropatterning on functionalized polymer surfaces.

PubMed

Yang, Peng; Zou, Shengli; Yang, Wantai

2008-09-01

Patterned ZnO deposition on substrates has received increasing attention because of its great potential in photocatalysis, energy conversion, and electro-optical techniques. Chemical solution growth is especially promising for organic substrates due to its very mild reaction conditions. Here this method is used on functionality-patterned polymer surfaces in order to fabricate positive and negative ZnO micropatterns. A ZnO film made of arrayed rods, typically 500-750 nm in diameter and 2.5 microm in length, is selectively obtained on sulfated and hydroxylated regions of biaxially oriented poly(propylene), giving rise to positive patterns. For reactive polyesters such as poly(ethylene terephthalate), the ZnO rods selectively remain on the unmodified original regions, creating negative patterns. Unlike complex photolithography procedures, the irradiation and patterning processes do not require the use of positive or negative photoresists, and possible damage from acidic solutions on the underlying substrate during the chemical etching process is avoided. The process thus proves to be a simple, creditable, and low-cost method, which could be easily applied on a variety of inert and reactive polymer surfaces.

Negative collision energy dependence of Br formation in the OH + HBr reaction.

PubMed

Che, Dock-Chil; Matsuo, Takashi; Yano, Yuya; Bonnet, Laurent; Kasai, Toshio

2008-03-14

The reaction between HBr and OH leading to H(2)O and Br in its ground state is studied by means of a crossed molecular beam experiment for a collision energy varying from 0.05 to 0.26 eV, the initial OH being selected in the state |JOmega> = |3/2 3/2> by an electrostatic hexapole field. The reaction cross-section is found to decrease with increasing collision energy. This negative dependence suggests that there is no barrier on the potential energy surface for the formation pathway considered. The experimental results are compared with the previously reported quantum scattering calculations of Clary et al. (D. C. Clary, G. Nyman and R. Hernandez, J. Phys. Chem., 1994, 101, 3704), and briefly discussed in the light of skewed potential energy surfaces associated with heavy-light-heavy type reactions.

Light-induced negative differential resistance in gate-controlled graphene-silicon photodiode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Guo, Hongwei; Li, Wei; Wan, Xia; Bodepudi, Srikrishna Chanakya; Shehzad, Khurram; Xu, Yang

2018-05-01

In this letter, we investigated light-induced negative differential resistance (L-NDR) effects in a hybrid photodiode formed by a graphene-silicon (GS) junction and a neighboring graphene-oxide-Si (GOS) capacitor. We observed two distinct L-NDR effects originating from the gate-dependent surface recombination and the potential-well-induced confinement of photo-carriers in the GOS region. We verified this by studying the gate-controlled GS diode, which can distinguish the photocurrent from the GS region with that from the GOS region (gate). A large peak-to-valley ratio of up to 12.1 has been obtained for the L-NDR due to gate-dependent surface recombination. Such strong L-NDR effect provides an opportunity to further engineer the optoelectronic properties of GS junctions along with exploring its potential applications in photodetectors, photo-memories, and position sensitive devices.

Adhesion signals of phospholipid vesicles at an electrified interface.

PubMed

DeNardis, Nadica Ivošević; Žutić, Vera; Svetličić, Vesna; Frkanec, Ruža

2012-09-01

General adhesion behavior of phospholipid vesicles was examined in a wide range of potentials at the mercury electrode by recording time-resolved adhesion signals. It was demonstrated that adhesion-based detection is sensitive to polar headgroups in phospholipid vesicles. We identified a narrow potential window around the point of zero charge of the electrode where the interaction of polar headgroups of phosphatidylcholine vesicles with the substrate is manifested in the form of bidirectional signals. The bidirectional signal is composed of the charge flow due to the nonspecific interaction of vesicle adhesion and spreading and of the charge flow due to a specific interaction of the negatively charged electrode and the most exposed positively charged choline headgroups. These signals are expected to appear only when the electrode surface charge density is less than the surface charge density of the choline groups at the contact interface. In comparison, for the negatively charged phosphatidylserine vesicles, we identified the potential window at the mercury electrode where charge compensation takes place, and bidirectional signals were not detected.

Anionic and cationic drug sorption on interpolyelectrolyte complexes.

PubMed

de Lima, C R M; Gomes, D N; de Morais Filho, J R; Pereira, M R; Fonseca, J L C

2018-06-15

Interpolyelectrolyte complexes of chitosan and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) [NaPSS] were synthesized and obtained in the form of solid particles, with two different sulfonate to aminium molar ratios: 0.7, resulting in particles with positive zeta potential (IPEC + ), and 1.4, yielding particles with negative zeta potential (IPEC - ). Both particles were characterized as potential drug sorbents using differently charged drugs: sodium cromoglycate (negatively charged), and tetracycline hydrochloride (positively charged). The adsorption isotherm for cromoglycate and tetracycline on IPEC + was adequately described by the Langmuir model, while the IPEC - sorption of tetracycline followed the Redlich-Peterson isotherm without the occurrence of cromoglycate sorption. The sorption kinetics consisted of two processes, one fast and the other slow, which were correlated to purely surface-related interactions and processes that resulted in diffusion and/or destruction/rearrangement on the particle surface and subsurface, respectively. Charge build up equilibrium and kinetics were also monitored via zeta potential measurements, and the differences between mass drug uptake and particle charging were used to propose adsorption mechanisms for the systems studied in this work. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Convergence of the Quasi-static Antenna Design Algorithm

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

conductor is the same as an equipotential surface . A line of constant charge on the z-axis, with an image, will generate the ACD antenna design...satisfies this boundary condition. The multipole moments have negative potentials, which can cause the equipotential surface to terminate on the disk or...feed wire. This requires an addition step in the solution process; the equipotential surface is sampled to verify that the charge is enclosed by the

Comparison of ONIX simulation results with experimental data from the BATMAN testbed for the study of negative ion extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochalskyy, Serhiy; Fantz, Ursel; Wünderlich, Dirk; Minea, Tiberiu

2016-10-01

The development of negative ion (NI) sources for the ITER neutral beam injector is strongly accompanied by modelling activities. The ONIX (Orsay Negative Ion eXtraction) code simulates the formation and extraction of negative hydrogen ions and co-extracted electrons produced in caesiated sources. In this paper the 3D geometry of the BATMAN extraction system, and the source characteristics such as the extraction and bias potential, and the 3D magnetic field were integrated in the model. Calculations were performed using plasma parameters experimentally obtained on BATMAN. The comparison of the ONIX calculated extracted NI density with the experimental results suggests that predictive calculations of the extraction of NIs are possible. The results show that for an ideal status of the Cs conditioning the extracted hydrogen NI current density could reach ~30 mA cm-2 at 10 kV and ~20 mA cm-2 at 5 kV extraction potential, with an electron/NI current density ratio of about 1, as measured in the experiments under the same plasma and source conditions. The dependency of the extracted NI current on the NI density in the bulk plasma region from both the modeling and the experiment was investigated. The separate distributions composing the NI beam originating from the plasma bulk region and the PG surface are presented for different NI plasma volume densities and NI emission rates from the plasma grid (PG) wall, respectively. The extracted current from the NIs produced at the Cs covered PG surface, initially moving towards the bulk plasma and then being bent towards the extraction surfaces, is lower compared to the extracted NI current from directly extracted surface produced ions.

On the possibility of negative activation energies in bimolecular reactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jaffe, R. L.

1978-01-01

The temperature dependence of the rate constants for model reacting systems was studied to understand some recent experimental measurements which imply the existence of negative activation energies. A collision theory model and classical trajectory calculations are used to demonstrate that the reaction probability can vary inversely with collision energy for bimolecular reactions occurring on attractive potential energy surfaces. However, this is not a sufficient condition to ensure that the rate constant has a negative temperature dependence. On the basis of these calculations, it seems unlikely that a true bimolecular reaction between neutral molecules will have a negative activation energy.

Hydroxy-Al and cell-surface negativity are responsible for the enhanced sensitivity of Rhodotorula taiwanensis to aluminum by increased medium pH.

PubMed

Zhao, Xue Qiang; Bao, Xue Min; Wang, Chao; Xiao, Zuo Yi; Hu, Zhen Min; Zheng, Chun Li; Shen, Ren Fang

2017-10-01

Aluminum (Al) is ubiquitous and toxic to microbes. High Al 3+ concentration and low pH are two key factors responsible for Al toxicity, but our present results contradict this idea. Here, an Al-tolerant yeast strain Rhodotorula taiwanensis RS1 was incubated in glucose media containing Al with a continuous pH gradient from pH 3.1-4.2. The cells became more sensitive to Al and accumulated more Al when pH increased. Calculations using an electrostatic model Speciation Gouy Chapman Stern indicated that, the increased Al sensitivity of cells was associated with AlOH 2+ and Al(OH) 2 + rather than Al 3+ . The alcian blue (a positively charged dye) adsorption and zeta potential determination of cell surface indicated that, higher pH than 3.1 increased the negative charge and Al adsorption at the cell surface. Taken together, the enhanced sensitivity of R. taiwanensis RS1 to Al from pH 3.1-4.2 was associated with increased hydroxy-Al and cell-surface negativity.

Effect of Strong Acid Functional Groups on Electrode Rise Potential in Capacitive Mixing by Double Layer Expansion

DOE PAGES

Hatzell, Marta C.; Raju, Muralikrishna; Watson, Valerie J.; ...

2014-11-03

We report that the amount of salinity-gradient energy that can be obtained through capacitive mixing based on double layer expansion depends on the extent the electric double layer (EDL) is altered in a low salt concentration (LC) electrolyte (e.g., river water). We show that the electrode-rise potential, which is a measure of the EDL perturbation process, was significantly (P = 10 –5) correlated to the concentration of strong acid surface functional groups using five types of activated carbon. Electrodes with the lowest concentration of strong acids (0.05 mmol g –1) had a positive rise potential of 59 ± 4 mVmore » in the LC solution, whereas the carbon with the highest concentration (0.36 mmol g –1) had a negative rise potential (₋31 ± 5 mV). Chemical oxidation of a carbon (YP50) using nitric acid decreased the electrode rise potential from 46 ± 2 mV (unaltered) to ₋6 ± 0.5 mV (oxidized), producing a whole cell potential (53 ± 1.7 mV) that was 4.4 times larger than that obtained with identical electrode materials (from 12 ± 1 mV). Changes in the EDL were linked to the behavior of specific ions in a LC solution using molecular dynamics and metadynamics simulations. The EDL expanded in the LC solution when a carbon surface (pristine graphene) lacked strong acid functional groups, producing a positive-rise potential at the electrode. In contrast, the EDL was compressed for an oxidized surface (graphene oxide), producing a negative-rise electrode potential. In conclusion, these results established the linkage between rise potentials and specific surface functional groups (strong acids) and demonstrated on a molecular scale changes in the EDL using oxidized or pristine carbons.« less

Antibody-immobilized column for quick cell separation based on cell rolling.

PubMed

Mahara, Atsushi; Yamaoka, Tetsuji

2010-01-01

Cell separation using methodological standards that ensure high purity is a very important step in cell transplantation for regenerative medicine and for stem cell research. A separation protocol using magnetic beads has been widely used for cell separation to isolate negative and positive cells. However, not only the surface marker pattern, e.g., negative or positive, but also the density of a cell depends on its developmental stage and differentiation ability. Rapid and label-free separation procedures based on surface marker density are the focus of our interest. In this study, we have successfully developed an antiCD34 antibody-immobilized cell-rolling column, that can separate cells depending on the CD34 density of the cell surfaces. Various conditions for the cell-rolling column were optimized including graft copolymerization, and adjustment of the column tilt angle, and medium flow rate. Using CD34-positive and -negative cell lines, the cell separation potential of the column was established. We observed a difference in the rolling velocities between CD34-positive and CD34-negative cells on antibody-immobilized microfluidic device. Cell separation was achieved by tilting the surface 20 degrees and the increasing medium flow. Surface marker characteristics of the isolated cells in each fraction were analyzed using a cell-sorting system, and it was found that populations containing high density of CD34 were eluted in the delayed fractions. These results demonstrate that cells with a given surface marker density can be continuously separated using the cell rolling column.

Investigation of the boundary layer during the transition from volume to surface dominated H- production at the BATMAN test facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wimmer, C.; Schiesko, L.; Fantz, U.

2016-02-01

BATMAN (Bavarian Test Machine for Negative ions) is a test facility equipped with a 1/8 scale H- source for the ITER heating neutral beam injection. Several diagnostics in the boundary layer close to the plasma grid (first grid of the accelerator system) followed the transition from volume to surface dominated H- production starting with a Cs-free, cleaned source and subsequent evaporation of caesium, while the source has been operated at ITER relevant pressure of 0.3 Pa: Langmuir probes are used to determine the plasma potential, optical emission spectroscopy is used to follow the caesiation process, and cavity ring-down spectroscopy allows for the measurement of the H- density. The influence on the plasma during the transition from an electron-ion plasma towards an ion-ion plasma, in which negative hydrogen ions become the dominant negatively charged particle species, is seen in a strong increase of the H- density combined with a reduction of the plasma potential. A clear correlation of the extracted current densities (jH-, je) exists with the Cs emission.

Investigation of the boundary layer during the transition from volume to surface dominated H⁻ production at the BATMAN test facility.

PubMed

Wimmer, C; Schiesko, L; Fantz, U

2016-02-01

BATMAN (Bavarian Test Machine for Negative ions) is a test facility equipped with a 18 scale H(-) source for the ITER heating neutral beam injection. Several diagnostics in the boundary layer close to the plasma grid (first grid of the accelerator system) followed the transition from volume to surface dominated H(-) production starting with a Cs-free, cleaned source and subsequent evaporation of caesium, while the source has been operated at ITER relevant pressure of 0.3 Pa: Langmuir probes are used to determine the plasma potential, optical emission spectroscopy is used to follow the caesiation process, and cavity ring-down spectroscopy allows for the measurement of the H(-) density. The influence on the plasma during the transition from an electron-ion plasma towards an ion-ion plasma, in which negative hydrogen ions become the dominant negatively charged particle species, is seen in a strong increase of the H(-) density combined with a reduction of the plasma potential. A clear correlation of the extracted current densities (j(H(-)), j(e)) exists with the Cs emission.

Effect of Alternating Current on the Cathodic Protection and Interface Structure of X80 Steel.

PubMed

Wang, Huiru; Du, Cuiwei; Liu, Zhiyong; Wang, Luntao; Ding, De

2017-07-25

This study employs potential-monitoring techniques, cyclic voltammetry tests, alternating current (AC) voltammetry methods, and surface characterization to investigate the AC corrosion of cathodically protected X80 pipeline steel. In a non-passive neutral solution at pH 7.2, a sufficiently negative potential completely protects steel at an AC current density of 100 A/m². In an alkaline solution at pH 9.6, more serious AC corrosion occurs at more negative cathodic protection (CP) potential, whereas without CP the steel suffers negligible corrosion. In addition, the interface capacitance increases with AC amplitude. Based on these results, the AC corrosion mechanisms that function under various conditions are analyzed and described.

Surface-modified silk hydrogel containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticle with hyaluronic acid-dopamine conjugate.

PubMed

Kim, Hyung Hwan; Park, Jong Bo; Kang, Min Ji; Park, Young Hwan

2014-09-01

Silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite (SF/HAp) composite hydrogels were fabricated in this study, having different HAp contents (0-33 wt%) in SF matrix hydrogel. Surface modification of HAp nanoparticle with hyaluronic acid (HA)-dopamine (DA) conjugate improved a dispersibility of HAp in aqueous SF solution due to its negatively charged surface and therefore, fabrication of the SF composite hydrogel having HAp nanoparticles inside could be possible. Zeta potential of surface-modified HAP was examined by ELS. It demonstrates that surface of HAp was well modified to a negative charge with HA-DA. Morphological structure of SF hydrogel containing surface-modified HAp was examined by FE-SEM for analyzing pore structure of hydrogel and deposition of HAp nanoparticle in SF hydrogel. It was found that HAp nanoparticles were uniformly deposited on the pore wall of SF hydrogel. Structural characteristics of SF/HAp composite hydrogel was performed using X-ray diffraction and FT-IR analysis. It was found that β-sheet crystal conformation of SF was significantly influenced by the HAp content during gelation of a mixture of SF and HAp. As a result of MTT assay, the SF/HAp composite hydrogel showed excellent cell proliferation ability. Therefore, it is expected that SF hydrogel containing HAp nanoparticles has a high potential as bone regeneration scaffold. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Finite element modeling of self-potential signals over conduits and fractures in covered karst terrain Peter Bumpus and Sarah Kruse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bumpus, P. B.; Kruse, S. E.

2013-12-01

A year of continuous monitoring with two grids of 12-15 electrodes each measured self-potential (SP) over two small covered-karst conduits in Tampa, Florida. Positive and negative SP anomalies episodically manifested over conduits, suggesting that conduit flow is dynamic, not static. Various SP flow regimes in the conduits are postulated: flow in the conduit is faster than through surrounding surficial sediment, flow in the conduit is slower than through surrounding sediment, and conduit flow rates match those through the surrounding sediments. It is further postulated that conduits change permeability with inflow and washing out of sediment, especially associated with rain events. Numerical simulations of the postulated flow regimes were run with 2D simulations using the Comsol finite element modeling code. Simulations show that each regime produces different SP patterns. Models simulate the Tampa field setting in which a 1-2 meter-thick high permeability sand layer overlies a low-permeability clay-rich layer. A funnel-shaped conduit breaches both layers. In the models, when the permeability of the conduit sands is equal to surrounding surficial sands, a small (several mV) negative anomaly manifests locally at the conduit. This negative anomaly can be explained as the result of the depression of the SPS surface (the first sediment surface with a change in conductance or streaming potential coefficient) in the conduit. However a permeability difference of as little as 5 to 20 percent between conduit and background can cause an SP anomaly of tens to several hundred millivolts, either positive or negative. When the permeability is higher in the conduit than the surficial sands, lateral flow into the conduit within the sand layer and through the conduit to the underlying aquifer are both high, and the SP signal over the conduit is positive. This may contradict the concept exemplified in other studies that downward flow creates a negative anomaly. In our case the positive voltage is the result of high lateral flow toward a high flux conduit. As a result, the horizontal dimension of the conduit plays a role in whether a positive or negative anomaly is observed locally near the surface, depending on the degree to which the terminus of the inward lateral flow affects voltage over the conduit center. When the conduit has lower permeability than surrounding surficial sediment, models show that the SP anomaly is negative. In this case lateral flow is small to a low-flux conduit and there is little build-up of positive SP to overcome the negative potential associated with the SPS trough.

Ionic electrodeposition of II-VI and III-V compounds. III. Computer simulation of quasi-rest potentials for M/sub 1/X/sub 1/ compounds analogous to CdTe

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

Engelken, R.D.

1987-04-01

The quasi-rest potential (QRP) has been proposed as a key quantity in characterizing compound semiconductor (e.g. CdTe) electrodeposition. This article expands the modeling/simulation representative of Cd/sub x/Te in chemical equilibrium to calculate two ''QRP's'': E/sub M/1/sub /, the mixed potential occurring immediately after current interruption and before any relaxation in double layer ion concentration and significant ion exchange/surface stoichiometry change occur, and E/sub M/2/sub /, another mixed potential occurring after the double layer ion concentrations have relaxed to their bulk values but still before any significant surface composition change occurs. Significant predictions include existence of a dramatic negative transition inmore » QRP, with negative-going deposition potential, centered on the potential of perfect stoichiometry (PPS), inequality, in general, between the PPS and E/sub M/1/sub / unless the deposit remains in equilibrium with the electrolyte (no ion exchange at open circuit), negligible sensitivity of QRP-E curves to the activity coefficient parameter implying the importance of the PPS in characterizing compound deposition, and disappearance of the transition structure for sufficiently positive Gibbs free energies.« less

Electron spin resonance and electron spin echo modulation studies of N,N,N prime ,N prime -tetramethylbenzidine photoionization adsorbed at the interface of polymeric latices

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

Baglioni, P.; Rivara-Minten, E.; Kevan, L.

1989-02-23

Electron spin resonance (ESR) and electron spin echo modulation (ESEM) of photoionized N,N,N{prime},N{prime}-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) cation adsorbed at the interface of butadiene-acrylonitrile-methacrylic acid and butadiene-styrene-acrylic acid polymeric latices have been studied as a function of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentration adsorbed at the latex interface. The photoionization yield of TMB in frozen latices mainly depends on the strength of TMB{sup +}-water interactions, which are enhanced by added SDS as measured by ESEM. An increase in the negative surface potential of the latex particles, due to the adsorption of SDS at the latex surface, does not affect the photoionization yield, showing thatmore » the particle surface potential has, for negatively charged systems, a secondary role in promoting the photoionization yield. Differences in the TMB{sup +} yield are found for the two polymeric latices and are attributed to the different latex compositions and/or different interfacial structures.« less

Electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman scattering measurement on ligand capped PbS quantum dots at gap of Au nanodimer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaowei; Minamimoto, Hiro; Murakoshi, Kei

2018-05-01

The vibrational characteristics of ligand-capped lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots (QDs) were clarified via electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-SERS) using a hybridized system of gold (Au) nanodimers and PbS QDs under electrochemical potential control. Enhanced electromagnetic field caused by the coupling of QDs with plasmonic Au nanodimers allowed the characteristic behavior of the ligand oleic acid (OA) on the PbS QD surface to be detected under electrochemical potential control. Binding modes between the QDs and OA molecules were characterized using synchronous two-dimensional correlation spectra at distinct electrochemical potentials, confirming that the bidentate bridging mode was probably the most stable mode even under relatively negative potential polarization. Changes in binding modes and molecular orientations resulted in fluctuations in EC-SERS spectra. The present observations strongly recommend the validity of the QD-plasmonic nanostructure coupled system for sensitive molecular detection via EC-SERS.

Dust Grain Charge above the Lunar terminator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaverka, Jakub; Richterova, Ivana; Nemecek, Zdenek; Safrankova, Jana; Pavlu, Jiri; Vysinka, Marek

Interaction of a lunar surface with the solar wind and magnetosphere leads to its charging by several processes as photoemission, a collection of primary particles, and secondary electron emission. Nevertheless, charging of the lunar surface is complicated by a shielding of solar light and solar wind ions by hills, craters, and boulders that can locally influence the surface potential. Moreover, a presence of a plasma wake can strongly affect this potential at the night side of the Moon. A typical surface potential varies from slightly positive (dayside) to negative values of the order of several hundred volts (night side). An electric field above the charged surface can lead to a levitation of dust grains as it has been observed by several spacecraft and by astronauts during Apollo missions. Although charging and transport of dust grains above the lunar surface are in the center of interest for many years, these phenomena are not still completely understood. We present calculation of an equilibrium potential of dust grains above the lunar surface. We focus on a terminator area during the Earth’s plasma sheet crossing. We use the secondary electron emission model for dust grains which takes into account an influence of the grain size, material, and surface roughness and findings from laboratory experiments with charging of lunar dust simulants by an electron beam.

Amine-Rich Organic Thin Films for Cell Culture: Possible Electrostatic Effects in Cell-Surface Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wertheimer, Michael R.; St-Georges-Robillard, Amélie; Lerouge, Sophie; Mwale, Fackson; Elkin, Bentsian; Oehr, Christian; Wirges, Werner; Gerhard, Reimund

2012-11-01

In recent communications from these laboratories, we observed that amine-rich thin organic layers are very efficient surfaces for the adhesion of mammalian cells. We prepare such deposits by plasma polymerization at low pressure, atmospheric pressure, or by vacuum-ultraviolet photo-polymerization. More recently, we have also investigated a commercially available material, Parylene diX AM. In this article we first briefly introduce literature relating to electrostatic interactions between cells, proteins, and charged surfaces. We then present certain selected cell-response results that pertain to applications in orthopedic and cardiovascular medicine: we discuss the influence of surface properties on the observed behaviors of two particular cell lines, human U937 monocytes, and Chinese hamster ovary cells. Particular emphasis is placed on possible electrostatic attractive forces due to positively charged R-NH3+ groups and negatively charged proteins and cells, respectively. Experiments carried out with electrets, polymers with high positive or negative surface potentials are added for comparison.

Numerical modelling of needle-grid electrodes for negative surface corona charging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Y.; Chen, G.; Rotaru, M.

2011-08-01

Surface potential decay measurement is a simple and low cost tool to examine electrical properties of insulation materials. During the corona charging stage, a needle-grid electrodes system is often used to achieve uniform charge distribution on the surface of the sample. In this paper, a model using COMSOL Multiphysics has been developed to simulate the gas discharge. A well-known hydrodynamic drift-diffusion model was used. The model consists of a set of continuity equations accounting for the movement, generation and loss of charge carriers (electrons, positive and negative ions) coupled with Poisson's equation to take into account the effect of space and surface charges on the electric field. Four models with the grid electrode in different positions and several mesh sizes are compared with a model that only has the needle electrode. The results for impulse current and surface charge density on the sample clearly show the effect of the extra grid electrode with various positions.

Control of Nanoscale Friction on Gold in an Ionic Liquid by a Potential-Dependent Ionic Lubricant Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweeney, James; Hausen, Florian; Hayes, Robert; Webber, Grant B.; Endres, Frank; Rutland, Mark W.; Bennewitz, Roland; Atkin, Rob

2012-10-01

The lubricating properties of an ionic liquid on gold surfaces can be controlled through application of an electric potential to the sliding contact. A nanotribology approach has been used to study the frictional behavior of 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl) trifluorophosphate ([Py1,4]FAP) confined between silica colloid probes or sharp silica tips and a Au(111) substrate using atomic force microscopy. Friction forces vary with potential because the composition of a confined ion layer between the two surfaces changes from cation-enriched (at negative potentials) to anion-enriched (at positive potentials). This offers a new approach to tuning frictional forces reversibly at the molecular level without changing the substrates, employing a self-replenishing boundary lubricant of low vapor pressure.

Role of Transmembrane Potential and Defects on the Permeabilization of Lipid Bilayers by Alamethicin, an Ion-Channel-Forming Peptide.

PubMed

Su, ZhangFei; Shodiev, Muzaffar; Leitch, J Jay; Abbasi, Fatemeh; Lipkowski, Jacek

2018-05-29

The insertion and ion-conducting channel properties of alamethicin reconstituted into a 1,2-di- O-phytanyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine bilayer floating on the surface of a gold (111) electrode modified with a 1-thio-β-d-glucose (β-Tg) self-assembled monolayer were investigated using a combination of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). The hydrophilic β-Tg monolayer separated the bilayer from the gold substrate and created a water-rich spacer region, which better represents natural cell membranes. The EIS measurements acquired information about the membrane resistivity (a measure of membrane porosity), and the PM-IRRAS experiments provided insight into the conformation and orientation of the membrane constituents as a function of the transmembrane potential. The results showed that the presence of alamethicin had a small effect on the conformation and orientation of phospholipid molecules within the bilayer for all studied potentials. In contrast, the alamethicin peptides assumed a surface state, where the helical axes adopted a large tilt angle with respect to the surface normal, at small transmembrane potentials, and inserted into the bilayer at sufficiently negative transmembrane potentials forming pores, which behaved as barrel-stave ion channels for ionic transport across the membrane. The results indicated that insertion of alamethincin peptides into the bilayer was driven by the dipole-field interactions and that the transitions between the inserted and surface states were electrochemically reversible. Additionally, the EIS measurements performed on phospholipid bilayers without alamethicin also showed that the application of negative transmembrane potentials introduces defects into the bilayer. The membrane resistances measured in both the absence and presence of alamethicin show similar dependencies on the electrode potential, suggesting that the insertion of the peptide may also be assisted by the electroporation of the membrane. The findings in this study provide new insights into the mechanism of alamethicin insertion into phospholipid bilayers.

Wakes and differential charging of large bodies in low Earth orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, L. W.

1985-01-01

Highlights of earlier results using the Inside-Out WAKE code on wake structures of LEO spacecraft are reviewed. For conducting bodies of radius large compared with the Debye length, a high Mach number wake develops a negative potential well. Quasineutrality is violated in the very near wake region, and the wake is relatively empty for a distance downstream of about one half of a Mach number of radii. There is also a suggestion of a core of high density along the axis. A comparison of rigorous numerical solutions with in situ wake data from the AE-C satellite suggests that the so called neutral approximation for ions (straight line trajectories, independent of fields) may be a reasonable approximation except near the center of the near wake. This approximation is adopted for very large bodies. Work concerned with the wake point potential of very large nonconducting bodies such as the shuttle orbiter is described. Using a cylindrical model for bodies of this size or larger in LEO (body radius up to 10 to the 5th power Debye lengths), approximate solutions are presented based on the neutral approximation (but with rigorous trajectory calculations for surface current balance). There is a negative potential well if the body is conducting, and no well if the body is nonconducting. In the latter case the wake surface itself becomes highly negative. The wake point potential is governed by the ion drift energy.

Effect of Alternating Current on the Cathodic Protection and Interface Structure of X80 Steel

PubMed Central

Wang, Huiru; Du, Cuiwei; Liu, Zhiyong; Wang, Luntao; Ding, De

2017-01-01

This study employs potential-monitoring techniques, cyclic voltammetry tests, alternating current (AC) voltammetry methods, and surface characterization to investigate the AC corrosion of cathodically protected X80 pipeline steel. In a non-passive neutral solution at pH 7.2, a sufficiently negative potential completely protects steel at an AC current density of 100 A/m2. In an alkaline solution at pH 9.6, more serious AC corrosion occurs at more negative cathodic protection (CP) potential, whereas without CP the steel suffers negligible corrosion. In addition, the interface capacitance increases with AC amplitude. Based on these results, the AC corrosion mechanisms that function under various conditions are analyzed and described. PMID:28773211

Constructing a multidimensional free energy surface like a spider weaving a web.

PubMed

Chen, Changjun

2017-10-15

Complete free energy surface in the collective variable space provides important information of the reaction mechanisms of the molecules. But, sufficient sampling in the collective variable space is not easy. The space expands quickly with the number of the collective variables. To solve the problem, many methods utilize artificial biasing potentials to flatten out the original free energy surface of the molecule in the simulation. Their performances are sensitive to the definitions of the biasing potentials. Fast-growing biasing potential accelerates the sampling speed but decreases the accuracy of the free energy result. Slow-growing biasing potential gives an optimized result but needs more simulation time. In this article, we propose an alternative method. It adds the biasing potential to a representative point of the molecule in the collective variable space to improve the conformational sampling. And the free energy surface is calculated from the free energy gradient in the constrained simulation, not given by the negative of the biasing potential as previous methods. So the presented method does not require the biasing potential to remove all the barriers and basins on the free energy surface exactly. Practical applications show that the method in this work is able to produce the accurate free energy surfaces for different molecules in a short time period. The free energy errors are small in the cases of various biasing potentials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Research progress on ionic plasmas generated in an intense hydrogen negative ion source

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

Takeiri, Y., E-mail: takeiri@nifs.ac.jp; Tsumori, K.; Nagaoka, K.

2015-04-08

Characteristics of ionic plasmas, observed in a high-density hydrogen negative ion source, are investigated with a multi-diagnostics system. The ionic plasma, which consists of hydrogen positive- and negative-ions with a significantly low-density of electrons, is generated in the ion extraction region, from which the negative ions are extracted through the plasma grid. The negative ion density, i.e., the ionic plasma density, as high as the order of 1×10{sup 17}m{sup −3}, is measured with cavity ring-down spectroscopy, while the electron density is lower than 1×10{sup 16}m{sup −3}, which is confirmed with millimeter-wave interferometer. Reduction of the negative ion density is observedmore » at the negative ion extraction, and at that time the electron flow into the ionic plasma region is observed to conserve the charge neutrality. Distribution of the plasma potential is measured in the extraction region in the direction normal to the plasma grid surface with a Langmuir probe, and the results suggest that the sheath is formed at the plasma boundary to the plasma grid to which the bias voltage is applied. The beam extraction should drive the negative ion transport in the ionic plasma across the sheath formed on the extraction surface. Larger reduction of the negative ions at the beam extraction is observed in a region above the extraction aperture on the plasma grid, which is confirmed with 2D image measurement of the Hα emission and cavity ring-down spectroscopy. The electron distribution is also measured near the plasma grid surface. These various properties observed in the ionic plasma are discussed.« less

Interaction of gold and silver nanoparticles with human plasma: Analysis of protein corona reveals specific binding patterns.

PubMed

Lai, Wenjia; Wang, Qingsong; Li, Lumeng; Hu, Zhiyuan; Chen, Jiankui; Fang, Qiaojun

2017-04-01

Determining how nanomaterials interact with plasma will assist in understanding their effects on the biological system. This work presents a systematic study of the protein corona formed from human plasma on 20nm silver and gold nanoparticles with three different surface modifications, including positive and negative surface charges. The results show that all nanoparticles, even those with positive surface modifications, acquire negative charges after interacting with plasma. Approximately 300 proteins are identified on the coronas, while 99 are commonly found on each nanomaterial. The 20 most abundant proteins account for over 80% of the total proteins abundance. Remarkably, the surface charge and core of the nanoparticles, as well as the isoelectric point of the plasma proteins, are found to play significant roles in determining the nanoparticle coronas. Albumin and globulins are present at levels of less than 2% on these nanoparticle coronas. Fibrinogen, which presents in the plasma but not in the serum, preferably binds to negatively charged gold nanoparticles. These observations demonstrate the specific plasma protein binding pattern of silver and gold nanoparticles, as well as the importance of the surface charge and core in determining the protein corona compositions. The potential downstream biological impacts of the corona proteins were also investigated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrophysiological mapping of the accessory olfactory bulb of the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

PubMed

van Groen, T; Ruardy, L; da Silva, F H

1986-07-01

Field potentials elicited by electrical stimulation of the vomeronasal nerve were measured in the accessory olfactory bulb of the rabbit. Maps were made of the distribution of surface field potentials and of the corresponding depth profiles. The surface maps followed closely the contours of the accessory olfactory bulb: at the frontal border the field potential tended to zero and at the center of the structure the field potential attained a maximum. Depth profiles of the field potentials through the accessory olfactory bulb presented a surface-negative wave and, in depth, a positive wave. The polarity reversal occurred at the deep part of the granule cell layer. The zero equipotential line followed closely the curvature of the granule cell layer. Current source density analysis of the depth profiles revealed a main sink at the external plexiform and granule cell layers. This indicates that the main activity in the accessory olfactory bulb is generated by the synapses between the mitral cells and the granule cells as is found in the main olfactory bulb.

In situ SERS spectroelectrochemical analysis of antioxidants deposited on copper substrates: What is the effect of applied potential on sorption behavior?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dendisova-Vyskovska, Marcela; Broncova, Gabriela; Clupek, Martin; Prokopec, Vadym; Matejka, Pavel

2012-12-01

The detection of p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid using a combined in situ electrochemical and surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopic technique in specially made electrode cell is described. New in situ spectroelectrochemical cell was designed as the three-electrode arrangement connected via positioning device to fiber-optic probe of Raman spectrometer Dimension P2 (excitation wavelength 785 nm). In situ SERS spectra of p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid were recorded at varying applied negative potentials to copper substrates. The spectral intensities and shapes of bands as well as spatial orientation of molecules on the surface depend significantly on varying values of the applied electrode potential. The change of electrode potential influences analyte adsorption/desorption behavior on the surface of copper substrates, affecting the reversibility of the whole process and overall spectral enhancement level. Principal component analysis is used to distinguish several stages of spectral variations on potential changes.

Aquifer modification: an approach to improve the mobility of nanoscale zero-valent iron particles used for in situ groundwater remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MicicBatka, Vesna; Schmid, Doris; Marko, Florian; Velimirovic, Milica; Wagner, Stephan; von der Kammer, Frank; Hofmann, Thilo

2015-04-01

Successful emplacement of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) within the contaminated source zone is a prerequisite for the use of nZVI technology in groundwater remediation. Emplacement of nZVI is influenced i.e., by the injection technique and the injection velocity applied, as well as by the mobility of nZVI in the subsurface. Whereas processes linked to the injection can be controlled by the remediation practitioners, the mobility of nZVI in the subsurface remains limited. Even though mobility of nZVI is somewhat improved by surface coating with polyelectrolytes, it is still greatly affected by the groundwater composition and physical and chemical heterogeneities of aquifer grains. In order to promote mobility of nZVI it is needed to alter the surface charge heterogeneities of aquifer grains. Modifying the aquifer grain's surfaces by means of polyelectrolyte coating is an approach proposed to increase the overall negative surface charge of the aquifer grain surfaces, hinder deposition of nZVI onto aquifer grains, and finally promote nZVI mobility. In this study the effect of different polyelectrolytes on the nZVI mobility is tested in natural sands deriving from real brownfield sites that are proposed to be remediated using the nZVI technology. Sands collected from brownfield sites were characterized in terms of grain size distribution, mineralogical and chemical composition, and organic carbon content. Furthermore, surface charge of these sands was determined in both, low- and high ionic strength background solutions. Finally, changes of the sand's surface charges were examined after addition of the proposed aquifer modifiers, lignin sulfonate and humic acid. Surface charge of brownfield sands in low ionic strength background solution is more negative compared to that in high ionic strength background solution. An increase in negative surface potential of brownfield sand was recorded when aquifer modifiers were applied in a background solution with low ionic strength, indicating their potential to improve nZVI mobility under comparable environmental conditions. In contrast, no significant change of the surface potential of brownfield sand was observed when aquifer modifiers were applied in a background solution with high ionic strength. The potential of the aquifer modifiers to promote the mobility of nZVI was furthermore tested in flow-through columns, starting with the one filled with natural quartz sand with rough surface, low ionic strength background solutions and pre-injecting lignin sulfonate in concentration of 50 mg/L. The preliminary results showed that the pre-injection of lignin sulfonate does increase mobility of nZVI under this experimental condition. Further mobility tests will be carried out in order to elucidate the potential of the aquifer modifiers to promote the mobility of nZVI in sands with a complex mineralogy and in the background solutions with varying ionic strength, in order to account for the condition that resemble those at polluted sites. This research receives funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement n°309517.

Femtosecond laser induced surface modification for prevention of bacterial adhesion on 45S5 bioactive glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaikh, Shazia; Singh, Deepti; Subramanian, Mahesh; Kedia, Sunita; Singh, Anil Kumar; Singh, Kulwant; Gupta, Nidhi; Sinha, Sucharita

2018-02-01

Bacterial attachment and biofilm formation on implant surface has been a major concern in hospital and industrial environment. Prevention of bacterial infections of implant surface through surface treatment could be a potential solution and hence this has become a key area of research. In the present study, the antibacterial and biocompatible properties of femtosecond laser surface treated 45S5 bioactive glass (BG) have been investigated. Adhesion and sustainability of both gram positive S. aureus and gram negative P.aeruginosa and E. coli nosocomial bacteria on untreated and laser treated BG samples has been explored. An imprint method has been used to visualize the growth of bacteria on the sample surface. We observed complete bacterial rejection potentially reducing risk of biofilm formation on laser treated surface. This was correlated with surface roughness, wettability and change in surface chemical composition of the samples before and after laser treatment. Biocompatibility of the laser treated BG was demonstrated by studying the anchoring and growth of human cervix cell line INT407. Our results demonstrate that, laser surface modification of BG enables enhanced bacterial rejection without affecting its biocompatibility towards growth of human cells on it. These results open a significantly potential approach towards use of laser in successfully imparting desirable characteristics to BG based bio-implants and devices.

A program of data synthesis from the ALSEP/CPLEE ALSEP/SIDE, and Explorer 35 magnetometer to investigate lunar terminator and nightside particle fluxes and surface interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reasoner, D. L.

1976-01-01

Lunar nightside electron fluxes were studied with the aid of the ALSEP/CPLEE and other instruments. The flux events were shown to be due to (a) electrons propagating upstream from the earth's bow shock, (b) electrons thermalized and scattered to the lunar surface by disturbances along the boundary of the lunar solarwind cavity, and (c) solar wind electrons scattered to the lunar surface by lunar limb shocks and/or compressional disturbances. These electrons were identified as a cause of the high night surface negative potentials observed in tha ALSEP/SIDE ion data. A study was also made of the shadowing of magnetotail plasma sheet electrons by interactions between the lunar body and the ambient magnetic field and by interactions between charged particles and lunar remnant magnetic fields. These shadowing effects were shown to modify lunar surface and near-lunar potential distributions.

Potentiostatic current and galvanostatic potential oscillations during electrodeposition of cadmium.

PubMed

López-Sauri, D A; Veleva, L; Pérez-Ángel, G

2015-09-14

Cathodic current and potential oscillations were observed during electrodeposition of cadmium from a cyanide electrolyte on a vertical platinum electrode, in potentiostatic and galvanostatic experiments. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments revealed a region of negative real impedance in a range of non-zero frequencies, in the second descending branch with a positive slope of the N-shape current-potential curve. This kind of dynamical behaviour is characteristic of the HN-NDR oscillators (oscillators with the N-Shape current-potential curve and hidden negative differential resistance). The oscillations could be mainly attributed to the changes in the real active cathodic area, due to the adsorption of hydrogen molecules and their detachment from the surface. The instabilities of the electrochemical processes were characterized by time series, Fast Fourier Transforms and 2-D phase portraits showing quasi-periodic oscillations.

Composition of Plasma Formed from Hypervelocity Dust Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, N.; Close, S.; Rymer, A. M.; Mocker, A.

2012-12-01

Dust impacts can occur on all solar system bodies but are especially prevalent in the case of the Saturnian moons that are near or within the dust torus produced by Enceladus's plumes. Depending on the mass and charge on these plume particles, they will be influenced by both gravitational and electrodynamic forces, resulting in a range of possible impact speeds on the moons. The plasma formed upon impact can have very different characteristics depending on impact speed and on the electric field due to surface charging at the impact point. Through recent tests conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics using a Van de Graaff dust accelerator, iron dust particles were electrostatically accelerated to speeds of 3-65 km/s and impacted on a variety of target materials including metallic and glassy surfaces. The target surfaces were connected to a biasing supply to represent surface charging effects. Because of the high specific kinetic energy of the dust particles, upon impact they vaporize along with part of the target surface and a fraction of this material is ionized forming a dense plasma. The impacts produced both positive and negative ions. We made measurements of the net current imparted by this expanding plasma at a distance of several centimeters from the impact point. By setting the bias of the target, we impose an electric field on the charge population, allowing a measurement of plasma composition through time of flight analysis. The figure shows representative measurements of the net current measured by a retarding potential analyzer (RPA) from separate 18 and 19 km/s impacts of 7 fg particles on a glassy surface that was negatively and positively biased, respectively. This target was an optical solar reflector donated by J. Likar of Lockheed Martin for these experiments. These results show that ions of both positive and negative charge can be formed through the mechanism of dust impacts, and has implications on the surface plasma environment at Enceladus and other airless bodies in the solar system. Measurements of net current from impact plasmas. The horizontal axis is normalized to particle mass based on time of flight. The red trace is from an impact on a positively biased surface, ejecting positive ions toward the sensor. The blue trace is from an impact on a negatively biased surface, ejecting electrons and negative ions toward the sensor. The first positive peak is from electrons causing secondary emission off the sensor. The subsequent negative peaks are from negative ions.

Negative emissions from stopping deforestation and forest degradation, globally.

PubMed

Houghton, Richard A; Nassikas, Alexander A

2018-01-01

Forest growth provides negative emissions of carbon that could help keep the earth's surface temperature from exceeding 2°C, but the global potential is uncertain. Here we use land-use information from the FAO and a bookkeeping model to calculate the potential negative emissions that would result from allowing secondary forests to recover. We find the current gross carbon sink in forests recovering from harvests and abandoned agriculture to be -4.4 PgC/year, globally. The sink represents the potential for negative emissions if positive emissions from deforestation and wood harvest were eliminated. However, the sink is largely offset by emissions from wood products built up over the last century. Accounting for these committed emissions, we estimate that stopping deforestation and allowing secondary forests to grow would yield cumulative negative emissions between 2016 and 2100 of about 120 PgC, globally. Extending the lifetimes of wood products could potentially remove another 10 PgC from the atmosphere, for a total of approximately 130 PgC, or about 13 years of fossil fuel use at today's rate. As an upper limit, the estimate is conservative. It is based largely on past and current practices. But if greater negative emissions are to be realized, they will require an expansion of forest area, greater efficiencies in converting harvested wood to long-lasting products and sources of energy, and novel approaches for sequestering carbon in soils. That is, they will require current management practices to change. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Process and kinetics of bonelike apatite formation on sintered hydroxyapatite in a simulated body fluid.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Min; Himeno, Teruyuki; Kokubo, Tadashi; Nakamura, Takashi

2005-07-01

The surfaces of two hydroxyapatites (HA), which have been sintered at different temperatures of 800 and 1200 degrees C, was investigated as a function of soaking time in simulated body fluid (SBF) using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) attached with energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDX) and laser electrophoresis spectroscopy. The TEM-EDX indicated that after soaking in SBF, both the HAs form bonelike apatite by undergoing the same surface structural change, i.e., formations of a Ca-rich amorphous or nano-crystalline calcium phosphate (ACP) and a Ca-poor ACP, which eventually crystallized into bonelike apatite. Zeta potential characterized by the electrophoresis indicated that during exposure to SBF, the HA surfaces reveal negative surface charge, thereby interacting with the positive calcium ions in the fluid to form the Ca-rich ACP, which gains positive surface charge. The Ca-rich ACP on the HAs then interacts with the negative phosphate ions in the fluid to form the Ca-poor ACP, which stabilizes by being crystallized into bonelike apatite with a low solubility in the SBF. The exposure times for formations of these phases of the Ca-rich ACP, the Ca-poor ACP as well as the apatite were, however, all late on HA sintered at 1200 degrees C, compared with the HA sintered at 800 degrees C. This phenomenon was attributed to a lower initial negative surface charge of the HA sintered at 800 degrees C than of that one sintered at 1200 degrees C, owing to poverty in surface hydroxyl and phosphate groups which are responsible for the surface negativity of the HA. These indicate that sintered temperature of HA might influence not in terms of the process but in terms of the rate of formation of biologically active bonelike apatite on its surface, through which the HA integrates with living bone.

Catalytic Micromotors Moving Near Polyelectrolyte-Modified Substrates: The Roles of Surface Charges, Morphology, and Released Ions.

PubMed

Wei, Mengshi; Zhou, Chao; Tang, Jinyao; Wang, Wei

2018-01-24

Synthetic microswimmers, or micromotors, are finding potential uses in a wide range of applications, most of which involve boundaries. However, subtle yet important effects beyond physical confinement on the motor dynamics remain less understood. In this letter, glass substrates were functionalized with positively and negatively charged polyelectrolytes, and the dynamics of micromotors moving close to the modified surfaces was examined. Using acoustic levitation and numerical simulation, we reveal how the speed of a chemically propelled micromotor slows down significantly near a polyelectrolyte-modified surface by the combined effects of surface charges, surface morphology, and ions released from the films.

High-touch surfaces: microbial neighbours at hand.

PubMed

Cobrado, L; Silva-Dias, A; Azevedo, M M; Rodrigues, A G

2017-11-01

Despite considerable efforts, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to be globally responsible for serious morbidity, increased costs and prolonged length of stay. Among potentially preventable sources of microbial pathogens causing HAIs, patient care items and environmental surfaces frequently touched play an important role in the chain of transmission. Microorganisms contaminating such high-touch surfaces include Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, viruses, yeasts and parasites, with improved cleaning and disinfection effectively decreasing the rate of HAIs. Manual and automated surface cleaning strategies used in the control of infectious outbreaks are discussed and current trends concerning the prevention of contamination by the use of antimicrobial surfaces are taken into consideration in this manuscript.

Electric potential of the moon in the magnetosheath and in the geomagnetic tail

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

Moskalenko, A.M.

1995-03-01

A layer of charged particles near the lunar surface is investigated. It is shown that in the magnetosheath and in the tail lobes, where secondary electronic emission of lunar soil in the plasma sheet is low, the electrostatic potential as a function of the height over the subsolar region of the surface is nonmonotone. As the terminator is approached, the potential becomes a negative monotone function. For most temperatures of the primary electrons that exist in the plasma sheet, secondary electron emission is high. In the case of high secondary electron emission, the electric potential is nonmonotone, and the variationmore » of the potential in the double layer is determined by the secondary electron emission and varies weakly in the passage from the dark side to the bright side.« less

The Applicability of Nonlinear Systems Dynamics Chaos Measures to Cardiovascular Physiology Variables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooker, John C.

1991-01-01

Three measures of nonlinear chaos (fractal dimension, Approximate Entropy (ApEn), and Lyapunov exponents) were studied as potential measures of cardiovascular condition. It is suggested that these measures have potential in the assessment of cardiovascular condition in environments of normal cardiovascular stress (normal gravity on the Earth surface), cardiovascular deconditioning (microgravity of space), and increased cardiovascular stress (lower body negative pressure (LBNP) treatments).

Ecohydrology of the wetland-forestland interface: hydrophobicity in leaf litter and its potential effect on surface evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Probert, Samantha; Kettridge, Nicholas; Devito, Kevin; Hurley, Alexander

2017-04-01

Riparian wetlands represent an important ecotone at the interface of peatlands and forests within the Western Boreal Plain of Canada. Water storage and negative feedbacks to evaporation in these systems is crucial for the conservation and redistribution of water during dry periods and providing ecosystem resilience to disturbance. Litter cover can alter the relative importance of the physical processes that drive soil evaporation. Negative feedbacks to drying are created as the hydrophysical properties of the litter and soil override atmospheric controls on evaporation in dry conditions, subsequently dampening the effects of external forcings on the wetland moisture balance. In this study, water repellency in leaf litter has been shown to significantly correlate with surface-atmosphere interactions, whereby severely hydrophobic leaf litter is linked to the highest surface resistances to evaporation, and therefore lowest instantaneous evaporation. Decreasing moisture is associated with increasing hydrophobicity, which may reduce the evaporative flux further as the dry hydrophobic litter creates a hydrological disconnect between soil moisture and the atmosphere. In contrast, hydrophilic litter layers exhibited higher litter moistures, which is associated with reduced resistances to evaporation and enhanced evaporative fluxes. Water repellency of the litter layer has a greater control on evaporation than the presence or absence of litter itself. Litter removal had no significant effect on instantaneous evaporation or surface resistance to evaporation except under the highest evaporation conditions, where litter layers produced higher resistance values than bare peat soils. However, litter removal modified the dominant physical controls on evaporation: moisture loss in plots with leaf litter was driven by leaf and soil hydrophysical properties. Contrastingly, bare peat soils following litter removal exhibited cooler, wetter surfaces and were more strongly correlated to atmospheric controls. The interaction between evaporation, hydrophobicity and moisture of the soil surface, or litter, presents a potentially significant negative feedback to drying across wetland-forestland interfaces.

Electrochemical formation and characterization of Au nanostructures on a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, José J. Arroyo; Zubieta, Carolina; Ferullo, Ricardo M.; García, Silvana G.

2016-02-01

The electrochemical formation of Au nanoparticles on a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate using conventional electrochemical techniques and ex-situ AFM is reported. From the potentiostatic current transients studies, the Au electrodeposition process on HOPG surfaces was described, within the potential range considered, by a model involving instantaneous nucleation and diffusion controlled 3D growth, which was corroborated by the microscopic analysis. Initially, three-dimensional (3D) hemispherical nanoparticles distributed on surface defects (step edges) of the substrate were observed, with increasing particle size at more negative potentials. The double potential pulse technique allowed the formation of rounded deposits at low deposition potentials, which tend to form lines of nuclei aligned in defined directions leading to 3D ordered structures. By choosing suitable nucleation and growth pulses, one-dimensional (1D) deposits were possible, preferentially located on step edges of the HOPG substrate. Quantum-mechanical calculations confirmed the tendency of Au atoms to join selectively on surface defects, such as the HOPG step edges, at the early stages of Au electrodeposition.

Quasisaddles as relevant points of the potential energy surface in the dynamics of supercooled liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angelani, L.; Di Leonardo, R.; Ruocco, G.; Scala, A.; Sciortino, F.

2002-06-01

The supercooled dynamics of a Lennard-Jones model liquid is numerically investigated studying relevant points of the potential energy surface, i.e., the minima of the square gradient of total potential energy V. The main findings are (i) the number of negative curvatures n of these sampled points appears to extrapolate to zero at the mode coupling critical temperature Tc; (ii) the temperature behavior of n(T) has a close relationship with the temperature behavior of the diffusivity; (iii) the potential energy landscape shows a high regularity in the distances among the relevant points and in their energy location. Finally we discuss a model of the landscape, previously introduced by Madan and Keyes [J. Chem. Phys. 98, 3342 (1993)], able to reproduce the previous findings.

NEOTEC: Negative-CO2-Emissions Marine Energy With Direct Mitigation of Global Warming, Sea-Level Rise and Ocean Acidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, G. H.; Baird, J.; Noland, G.

2016-12-01

The vertical thermal energy potential in the ocean is a massive renewable energy resource that is growing due to anthropogenic warming of the surface and near-surface ocean. The conversion of this thermal energy to useful forms via Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) has been demonstrated over the past century, albeit at small scales. Because OTEC removes heat from the surface ocean, this could help directly counter ongoing, deleterious ocean/atmosphere warming. The only other climate intervention that could do this is solar radiation "geoengineering". Conventional OTEC requires energy intensive, vertical movement of seawater resulting in ocean and atmospheric chemistry alteration, but this can be avoided via more energy efficient, vertical closed-cycle heating and cooling of working fluid like CO2 or NH3. An energy carrier such as H2 is required to transport energy optimally extracted far offshore, and methods of electrochemically generating H2 while also consuming CO2 and converting it to ocean alkalinity have been demonstrated. The addition of such alkalinity to the ocean would provide vast, stable, carbon storage, while also helping chemically counter the effects of ocean acidification. The process might currently be profitable given the >$100/tonne CO2 credit offered by California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard for transportation fuels like H2. Negative-Emissions OTEC, NEOTEC, thus can potentially provide constant, cost effective, high capacity, negative-emissions energy while: a) reducing surface ocean heat load, b) reducing thermal ocean expansion and sea-level rise, c) utilizing a very large, natural marine carbon storage reservoir, and d) helping mitigate ocean acidification. The technology also avoids the biophysical and land use limitations posed by negative emissions methods that rely on terrestrial biology, such as afforestation and BECCS. NEOTEC and other marine-based, renewable energy and CO2 removal approaches could therefore greatly increase the likelihood of satisfying growing global energy demand while helping to stabilize or reduce atmospheric CO2 and its impacts. Policies supporting the search and evaluation of renewable energy and negative emissions options beyond biotic- and land-based methods are needed.

Effects of Coal Fly Ash Particulate Matter on the Antimicrobial Activity of Airway Surface Liquid

PubMed Central

Vargas Buonfiglio, Luis G.; Mudunkotuwa, Imali A.; Abou Alaiwa, Mahmoud H.; Vanegas Calderón, Oriana G.; Borcherding, Jennifer A.; Gerke, Alicia K.; Zabner, Joseph; Grassian, Vicki H.

2017-01-01

Background: Sustained exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is a global cause of mortality. Coal fly ash (CFA) is a byproduct of coal combustion and is a source of anthropogenic PM with worldwide health relevance. The airway epithelia are lined with fluid called airway surface liquid (ASL), which contains antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPs). Cationic AMPs bind negatively charged bacteria to exert their antimicrobial activity. PM arriving in the airways could potentially interact with AMPs in the ASL to affect their antimicrobial activity. Objectives: We hypothesized that PM can interact with ASL AMPs to impair their antimicrobial activity. Methods: We exposed pig and human airway explants, pig and human ASL, and the human cationic AMPs β-defensin-3, LL-37, and lysozyme to CFA or control. Thereafter, we assessed the antimicrobial activity of exposed airway samples using both bioluminescence and standard colony-forming unit assays. We investigated PM-AMP electrostatic interaction by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and measuring the zeta potential. We also studied the adsorption of AMPs on PM. Results: We found increased bacterial survival in CFA-exposed airway explants, ASL, and AMPs. In addition, we report that PM with a negative surface charge can adsorb cationic AMPs and form negative particle–protein complexes. Conclusion: We propose that when CFA arrives at the airway, it rapidly adsorbs AMPs and creates negative complexes, thereby decreasing the functional amount of AMPs capable of killing pathogens. These results provide a novel translational insight into an early mechanism for how ambient PM increases the susceptibility of the airways to bacterial infection. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP876 PMID:28696208

Lipids and topological rules of membrane protein assembly: balance between long and short range lipid-protein interactions.

PubMed

Vitrac, Heidi; Bogdanov, Mikhail; Heacock, Phil; Dowhan, William

2011-04-29

The N-terminal six-transmembrane domain (TM) bundle of lactose permease of Escherichia coli is uniformly inverted when assembled in membranes lacking phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Inversion is dependent on the net charge of cytoplasmically exposed protein domains containing positive and negative residues, net charge of the membrane surface, and low hydrophobicity of TM VII acting as a molecular hinge between the two halves of lactose permease (Bogdanov, M., Xie, J., Heacock, P., and Dowhan, W. (2008) J. Cell Biol. 182, 925-935). Net neutral lipids suppress the membrane translocation potential of negatively charged amino acids, thus increasing the cytoplasmic retention potential of positively charged amino acids. Herein, TM organization of sucrose permease (CscB) and phenylalanine permease (PheP) as a function of membrane lipid composition was investigated to extend these principles to other proteins. For CscB, topological dependence on PE only becomes evident after a significant increase in the net negative charge of the cytoplasmic surface of the N-terminal TM bundle. High negative charge is required to overcome the thermodynamic block to inversion due to the high hydrophobicity of TM VII. Increasing the positive charge of the cytoplasmic surface of the N-terminal TM hairpin of PheP, which is misoriented in PE-lacking cells, favors native orientation in the absence of PE. PheP and CscB also display co-existing dual topologies dependent on changes in the charge balance between protein domains and the membrane lipids. Therefore, the topology of both permeases is dependent on PE. However, CscB topology is governed by thermodynamic balance between opposing lipid-dependent electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions.

Characterizing ISS Charging Environments with On-Board Ionospheric Plasma Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Jospeh I.; Craven, Paul D.; Coffey, Victoria N.; Schneider, Todd A.; Vaughn, Jason A.; Wright Jr, Kenneth; Parker, Paul D.; Mikatarian, Ronald R.; Kramer, Leonard; Hartman, William A.;

The role of surface charge on the uptake and biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with osteoblast cells

PubMed Central

Chen, Liang; Mccrate, Joseph M.; Lee, James C-M.; Li, Hao

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles with different surface charges on the cellular uptake behavior and in vitro cell viability and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cell lines (osteoblast). The nanoparticles surface charge was varied by the surface modification with two carboxylic acids: 12-aminododecanoic acid (positive) and dodecanedioic acid (negative). The untreated HAP nanoparticles and dodecanoic acid modified HAP nanoparticles (neutral) were used as the control. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that surface modifications by the three carboxylic acids did not change the crystal structure of HAP nanoparticles; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the adsorption and binding of the carboxylic acids on HAP nanoparticle surface; and zeta potential measurement confirmed that the chemicals successfully modified the surface charge of HAP nanoparticles in water based solution. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that positively charged, negatively charged and untreated HAP nanoparticles, with similar size and shape, all penetrated into the cells and cells had more uptake of HAP nanoparticles with positive charge compared to those with negative charge, which might be attributed to the attractive or repulsive interaction between the negatively charged cell membrane and positively/negatively charged HAP nanoparticles. The neutral HAP nanoparticles could not penetrate cell membrane due to the larger size. MTT assay and LDH assay results indicated that as compared with the polystyrene control, greater cell viability and cell proliferation were measured on MC3T3-E1 cells treated with the three kinds of the HAP nanoparticles (neutral, positive, and untreated), among which positively charged HAP nanoparticles shows strongest improvement for cell viability and cell proliferation. In summary, the surface charge of HAP nanoparticles can be modified to influence the cellular uptake of HAP nanoparticles and the different uptake also influence the behavior of cells. These in-vitro results may also provide useful information for investigations of HAP nanoparticles applications in the gene delivery and intracellular drug delivery. PMID:21289408

An assessment of mean-field mixed semiclassical approaches: Equilibrium populations and algorithm stability

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

Bellonzi, Nicole; Jain, Amber; Subotnik, Joseph E.

2016-04-21

We study several recent mean-field semiclassical dynamics methods, focusing on the ability to recover detailed balance for long time (equilibrium) populations. We focus especially on Miller and Cotton’s [J. Phys. Chem. A 117, 7190 (2013)] suggestion to include both zero point electronic energy and windowing on top of Ehrenfest dynamics. We investigate three regimes: harmonic surfaces with weak electronic coupling, harmonic surfaces with strong electronic coupling, and anharmonic surfaces with weak electronic coupling. In most cases, recent additions to Ehrenfest dynamics are a strong improvement upon mean-field theory. However, for methods that include zero point electronic energy, we show thatmore » anharmonic potential energy surfaces often lead to numerical instabilities, as caused by negative populations and forces. We also show that, though the effect of negative forces can appear hidden in harmonic systems, the resulting equilibrium limits do remain dependent on any windowing and zero point energy parameters.« less

Surface potential on gold nanodisc arrays fabricated on silicon under light irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezaki, Tomotarou; Matsutani, Akihiro; Nishioka, Kunio; Shoji, Dai; Sato, Mina; Okamoto, Takayuki; Isobe, Toshihiro; Nakajima, Akira; Matsushita, Sachiko

2018-06-01

This paper proposes Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM) as a new measurement method of plasmon phenomenon. The surface potential of two arrays, namely, a monomeric array and a tetrameric array, of gold nanodiscs (600 nm diameter) on a silicon substrate fabricated by electron beam lithography was investigated by KFM with the view point of irradiation light wavelength change. In terms of the value of the surface potential, contrasting behaviour, a negative shift in the monomeric disc array and a positive shift in the tetrameric disc array, was observed by light irradiation. This interesting behaviour is thought to be related to a difference in localised plasmons caused by the disc arrangement and was investigated from various viewpoints, including Rayleigh anomalies. Finally, this paper reveals that KFM is powerful not only to investigate the plasmonic behaviour but also to predict the electron transportation.

Environmental Assessment for Demolition of SAC Alert Facility

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

the installation and may improve the quality of storm water leaving the installation. No negative impact to storm water quality is anticipated...and drainage and storm water quality would be anticipated to Improve. Implementing the proposed action would have the potential to impact surface

Blowing bubbles in Lennard-Jonesium along the saturation curve.

PubMed

Ashbaugh, Henry S

2009-05-28

Extensive molecular simulations of the Lennard-Jones fluid have been performed to determine its liquid-vapor coexistence properties and solvent contact densities with cavities up to ten times the diameter of the solvent from the triple point to the critical point. These simulations are analyzed using a revised scaled-particle theory [H. S. Ashbaugh and L. R. Pratt, Rev. Mod. Phys. 78, 159 (2006)] to evaluate the thermodynamics of cavity solvation and curvature dependent interfacial properties along the saturation curve. While the thermodynamic signatures of cavity solvation are distinct from those in water, exhibiting a chemical potential dominated by a large temperature independent enthalpy, the solvent dewets cavities of increasing size similar with water near coexistence. The interfacial tension for forming a liquid-wall interface is found to be consistently greater than the liquid-vapor surface tension of the Lennard-Jones fluid by up to 10% and potentially reflects the suppression of high amplitude fluctuations at the cavity surface. The first-order curvature correction for the surface tension is negative and appears to diverge to negative infinity at temperatures approaching the critical point. Our results point to the success of the revised scaled-particle theory at bridging molecular and macroscopic descriptions of cavity solvation.

Homoepitaxial electrodeposition on reconstructed and unreconstructed Au(100): An in-situ STM study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Shakran, Mohammad; Kibler, Ludwig A.; Jacob, Timo

2015-01-01

A study of homoepitaxial electrodeposition on reconstructed and unreconstructed Au(100) surfaces is presented. The growth behavior has been investigated by in-situ scanning tunneling microscopy for Au(100) in contact with 0.1 M H2SO4 + 5 μM K[AuCl4]. It is shown that the initial surface structure is decisive for the emerging Au structures, giving rise to clearly different surface morphologies for electro-crystallization of Au on the unreconstructed and on the reconstructed Au(100) surface. A layer-by-layer growth is observed at more positive potentials for unreconstructed Au(100). The electrodeposition proceeds initially by the formation of Au islands followed by island coalescence due to the high mobility of surface atoms. Monatomic recessed stripes are formed as a result of the coalescence of deposited Au islands. At more negative potentials, the growth of Au proceeds strongly anisotropic on the reconstructed surface by the formation of reconstructed elongated islands.

Bio-fabricated silver nanoparticles preferentially targets Gram positive depending on cell surface charge.

PubMed

Mandal, Debasis; Kumar Dash, Sandeep; Das, Balaram; Chattopadhyay, Sourav; Ghosh, Totan; Das, Debasis; Roy, Somenath

2016-10-01

Recently bio-inspired experimental processes for synthesis of nanoparticles are receiving significant attention in nanobiotechnology. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been used very frequently in recent times to the wounds, burns and bacterial infections caused by drug-resistant microorganisms. Though, the antibacterial effects of Ag NPs on some multi drug-resistant bacteria specially against Gram positive bacteria has been established, but further investigation is needed to elicit its effectiveness against Gram negatives and to identify the probable mechanism of action. Thus, the present study was conducted to synthesize Ag NPs using Andrographis paniculata leaf extract and to investigate its antibacterial efficacy. After synthesis process the biosynthesized nanoparticles were purified and characterized with the help of various physical measurement techniques which raveled their purity, stability and small size range. The antimicrobial activity of Ag NPs was determined against both Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis and Gram-negative Proteus vulgaris. Results showed comparatively higher antibacterial efficacy of Ag NPs against Gram positive Enterococcus faecalis strains. It was found that greater difference in zeta potential values between Gram positive bacteria and Ag NPs triggers better internalization of the particles. Thus the cell surface charge played vital role in cell killing which was confirmed by surface zeta potential study. Finally it may be concluded that green synthesized Ag NPs using Andrographis paniculata leaf extract can be very useful against both multi drug resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Observation and measurement of negative differential resistance on PtSi Schottky junctions on porous silicon.

PubMed

Banihashemian, Seyedeh Maryam; Hajghassem, Hassan; Erfanian, Alireza; Aliahmadi, Majidreza; Mohtashamifar, Mansor; Mosakazemi, Seyed Mohamadhosein

2010-01-01

Nanosize porous Si is made by two step controlled etching of Si. The first etching step is carried on the Si surface and the second is performed after deposition of 75 Å of platinum on the formed surface. A platinum silicide structure with a size of less than 25 nm is formed on the porous Si surface, as measured with an Atomic Forced Microscope (AFM). Differential resistance curve as a function of voltage in 77 K and 100 K shows a negative differential resistance and indicates the effect of quantum tunneling. In general form, the ratio of maximum to minimum tunneling current (PVR) and the number of peaks in I-V curves reduces by increasing the temperature. However, due to accumulation of carriers behind the potential barrier and superposition of several peaks, it is observed that the PVR increases at 100 K and the maximum PVR at 100 K is 189.6.

Negative effects of divalent mineral cations on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids from plant food matrices and related physical properties of gastro-intestinal fluids.

PubMed

Corte-Real, Joana; Bertucci, Marie; Soukoulis, Christos; Desmarchelier, Charles; Borel, Patrick; Richling, Elke; Hoffmann, Lucien; Bohn, Torsten

2017-03-22

Carotenoid intake and tissue levels have been frequently associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases. However, their bioavailability is low and influenced by many dietary related parameters. Divalent mineral cations have been suggested to interfere with carotenoid digestion and to hamper micellarization, a prerequisite for their uptake, via complexation of bile salts and precipitation of fatty acids. In the present investigation, we have evaluated the effects of increasing concentrations of magnesium (0-300 mg L -1 ), calcium (0-1500 mg L -1 ), zinc (0-200 mg L -1 ), and sodium (0-1500 mg L -1 ; control monovalent cation), on carotenoid bioaccessibility from frequently consumed food items rich in carotenoids (tomato juice, carrot juice, apricot nectar, spinach and field salad), following simulated gastro-intestinal digestion. In addition, physicochemical parameters of digesta (macroviscosity, surface tension), micelle size, and zeta-potential were evaluated. All divalent minerals (DM) reduced bioaccessibility of total carotenoids (P < 0.01), as well as of individual carotenoids. Calcium and magnesium led to reductions of up to 100% at the 2 highest concentrations. Curiously, sodium increased (P < 0.01) carotenoid bioaccessiblity of most investigated matrices. The absolute value of the zeta-potential decreased with increasing concentrations of DM, suggesting a decreased stability of the colloidal digesta dispersion. Viscosity decreased, except for apricot nectar samples, while surface tension increased with DM concentration (P < 0.05). Thus, at physiological ranges, calcium and magnesium could negatively impact carotenoid bioavailability, while for zinc, negative effects were only seen at supplemental concentrations. The potential negative effects of DM on carotenoid bioavailability should be further studied in vivo.

Zeta potential in oil-brine-sandstone system and its role in oil recovery during controlled salinity waterflooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S.; Jackson, M.

2017-12-01

Wettability alteration is widely recognised as a primary role in improved oil recovery (IOR) during controlled salinity waterflooding (CSW) by modifying brine composition. The change of wettability of core sample depends on adsorption of polar oil compounds into the mineral surface which influences its surface charge density and zeta potential. It has been proved that zeta potentials can be useful to quantify the wettability and incremental oil recovery in natural carbonates. However, the study of zeta potential in oil-brine-sandstone system has not investigated yet. In this experimental study, the zeta potential is used to examine the controlled salinity effects on IOR in nature sandstone (Doddington) aged with two types of crude oils (Oil T and Oil D) over 4 weeks at 80 °C. Results show that the zeta potential measured in the Oil T-brine-sandstone system following primary waterflooding decreases compared to that in fully water saturation, which is consistent with the negative oil found in carbonates study, and IOR response during secondary waterflooding using diluted seawater was observed. In the case of negative oil, the injected low salinity brine induces a more repulsive electrostatic force between the mineral-brine interface and oil-brine interface, which results in an increase disjoining pressure and alters the rock surface to be more water-wet. For Oil D with a positive oil-brine interface, the zeta potential becomes more positive compared to that under single phase condition. The conventional waterflooding fails to observe the IOR in Oil D-brine-sandstone system due to a less repulsive electrostatic force built up between the two interfaces. After switching the injection brine from low salinity brine to formation brine, the IOR was observed. Measured zeta potentials shed some light on the mechanism of wettability alteration in the oil-brine-sandstone system and oil recovery during CSW.

Measurements and theoretical interpretation of points of zero charge/potential of BSA protein.

PubMed

Salis, Andrea; Boström, Mathias; Medda, Luca; Cugia, Francesca; Barse, Brajesh; Parsons, Drew F; Ninham, Barry W; Monduzzi, Maura

2011-09-20

The points of zero charge/potential of proteins depend not only on pH but also on how they are measured. They depend also on background salt solution type and concentration. The protein isoelectric point (IEP) is determined by electrokinetical measurements, whereas the isoionic point (IIP) is determined by potentiometric titrations. Here we use potentiometric titration and zeta potential (ζ) measurements at different NaCl concentrations to study systematically the effect of ionic strength on the IEP and IIP of bovine serum albumin (BSA) aqueous solutions. It is found that high ionic strengths produce a shift of both points toward lower (IEP) and higher (IIP) pH values. This result was already reported more than 60 years ago. At that time, the only available theory was the purely electrostatic Debye-Hückel theory. It was not able to predict the opposite trends of IIP and IEP with ionic strength increase. Here, we extend that theory to admit both electrostatic and nonelectrostatic (NES) dispersion interactions. The use of a modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation for a simple model system (a charge regulated spherical colloidal particle in NaCl salt solutions), that includes these ion specific interactions, allows us to explain the opposite trends observed for isoelectric point (zero zeta potential) and isoionic point (zero protein charge) of BSA. At higher concentrations, an excess of the anion (with stronger NES interactions than the cation) is adsorbed at the surface due to an attractive ionic NES potential. This makes the potential relatively more negative. Consequently, the IEP is pushed toward lower pH. But the charge regulation condition means that the surface charge becomes relatively more positive as the surface potential becomes more negative. Consequently, the IIP (measuring charge) shifts toward higher pH as concentration increases, in the opposite direction from the IEP (measuring potential). © 2011 American Chemical Society

Charged Rényi entropies in CFTs with Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet holographic duals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastras, Georgios; Manolopoulos, Dimitrios

2014-11-01

We calculate the Rényi entropy S q ( μ, λ), for spherical entangling surfaces in CFT's with Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet-Maxwell holographic duals. Rényi entropies must obey some interesting inequalities by definition. However, for Gauss-Bonnet couplings λ, larger than specific value, but still allowed by causality, we observe a violation of the inequality , which is related to the existence of negative entropy black holes, providing interesting restrictions in the bulk theory. Moreover, we find an interesting distinction of the behaviour of the analytic continuation of S q ( μ, λ) for imaginary chemical potential, between negative and non-negative λ.

Neutralization by a Corona Discharge Ionizer in Nitrogen Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeuchi, Toru; Takahashi, Kazunori; Ohkubo, Takahiro; Fujiwara, Tamiya

An electrostatic neutralization of multilayer-loading silicon wafers is demonstrated using a corona discharge ionizer in nitrogen atmosphere, where ac and dc voltages are applied to two needle electrodes for generation of the negative- and positive-charged particles, respectively. We observe a surface potential of the silicon wafer decreases from ±1kV to ±20V within three seconds. Moreover, the density profiles of the charged particles generated by the electrodes are experimentally and theoretically investigated in nitrogen and air atmospheres. Our results show the possibility that the negative-charged particles contributing to the electrostatic neutralization are electrons and negative ions in nitrogen and air atmospheres, respectively.

Electro-osmotic flow of semidilute polyelectrolyte solutions.

PubMed

Uematsu, Yuki; Araki, Takeaki

2013-09-07

We investigate electro-osmosis in aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes using mean-field equations. A solution of positively charged polyelectrolytes is confined between two negatively charged planar surfaces, and an electric field is applied parallel to the surfaces. When electrostatic attraction between the polymer and the surface is strong, the polymers adhere to the surface, forming a highly viscous adsorption layer that greatly suppresses the electro-osmosis. Conversely, electro-osmosis is enhanced by depleting the polymers from the surfaces. We also found that the electro-osmotic flow is invertible when the electrostatic potential decays to its bulk value with the opposite sign. These behaviors are well explained by a simple mathematical form of the electro-osmotic coefficient.

Adsorption and spectroscopic characterization of lactoferrin on hydroxyapatite nanocrystals.

PubMed

Iafisco, Michele; Di Foggia, Michele; Bonora, Sergio; Prat, Maria; Roveri, Norberto

2011-01-28

Lactoferrin (LF), a well-characterized protein of blood plasma and milk with antioxidant, cariostatic, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties, has been adsorbed onto biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals at two different pH values (7.4 and 9.0). The interaction was herein investigated by spectroscopic, thermal and microscopic techniques. The positive electrostatic surface potential of LF at pH 7.4 allows a strong surface interaction with the slightly negative HA nanocrystals and avoids the protein-protein interaction, leading to the formation of a coating protein monolayer. In contrast, at pH 9.0 the surface potential of LF is a mix of negative and positive zones favouring the protein-protein interaction and reducing the interaction with HA nanocrystals; as a result a double layer of coating protein was formed. These experimental findings are supported by the good fittings of the adsorption isotherms by different theoretical models according to Langmuir, Freundlich and Langmuir-Freundlich models. The nanosized HA does not appreciably affect the conformation of the adsorbed protein. In fact, using FT-Raman and FT-IR, we found that after adsorption the protein was only slightly unfolded with a small fraction of the α-helix structure being converted into turn, while the β-sheet content remained almost unchanged. The bioactive surface of HA functionalized with LF could be utilized to improve the material performance towards the biological environment for biomedical applications.

Electron energy recovery system for negative ion sources

DOEpatents

Dagenhart, William K.; Stirling, William L.

1982-01-01

An electron energy recovery system for negative ion sources is provided. The system, employs crossed electric and magnetic fields to separate the electrons from ions as they are extracted from a negative ion source plasma generator and before the ions are accelerated to their full kinetic energy. With the electric and magnetic fields oriented 90.degree. to each other, the electrons are separated from the plasma and remain at approximately the electrical potential of the generator in which they were generated. The electrons migrate from the ion beam path in a precessing motion out of the ion accelerating field region into an electron recovery region provided by a specially designed electron collector electrode. The electron collector electrode is uniformly spaced from a surface of the ion generator which is transverse to the direction of migration of the electrons and the two surfaces are contoured in a matching relationship which departs from a planar configuration to provide an electric field component in the recovery region which is parallel to the magnetic field thereby forcing the electrons to be directed into and collected by the electron collector electrode. The collector electrode is maintained at a potential slightly positive with respect to the ion generator so that the electrons are collected at a small fraction of the full accelerating supply voltage energy.

Insights into the extremotolerance of Acinetobacter radioresistens 50v1, a gram-negative bacterium isolated from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

PubMed

McCoy, K B; Derecho, I; Wong, T; Tran, H M; Huynh, T D; La Duc, M T; Venkateswaran, K; Mogul, R

2012-09-01

The microbiology of the spacecraft assembly process is of paramount importance to planetary exploration, as the biological contamination that can result from remote-enabled spacecraft carries the potential to impact both life-detection experiments and extraterrestrial evolution. Accordingly, insights into the mechanisms and range of extremotolerance of Acinetobacter radioresistens 50v1, a Gram-negative bacterium isolated from the surface of the preflight Mars Odyssey orbiter, were gained by using a combination of microbiological, enzymatic, and proteomic methods. In summary, A. radioresistens 50v1 displayed a remarkable range of survival against hydrogen peroxide and the sequential exposures of desiccation, vapor and plasma phase hydrogen peroxide, and ultraviolet irradiation. The survival is among the highest reported for non-spore-forming and Gram-negative bacteria and is based upon contributions from the enzyme-based degradation of H(2)O(2) (catalase and alkyl hydroperoxide reductase), energy management (ATP synthase and alcohol dehydrogenase), and modulation of the membrane composition. Together, the biochemical and survival features of A. radioresistens 50v1 support a potential persistence on Mars (given an unintended or planned surface landing of the Mars Odyssey orbiter), which in turn may compromise the scientific integrity of future life-detection missions.

Bimolecular reaction dynamics from photoelectron spectroscopy of negative ions

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

Bradforth, Stephen Edmund

1992-11-01

The transition state region of a neutral bimolecular reaction may be experimentally investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy of an appropriate negative ion. The photoelectron spectrum provides information on the spectroscopy and dynamics of the short lived transition state and may be used to develop model potential energy surfaces that are semi-quantitative in this important region. The principles of bound {yields} bound negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy are illustrated by way of an example: a full analysis of the photoelectron bands of CN -, NCO - and NCS -. Transition state photoelectron spectra are presented for the following systems Br + HI, Clmore » + HI, F + HI, F + CH 30H,F + C 2H 5OH,F + OH and F + H 2. A time dependent framework for the simulation and interpretation of the bound → free transition state photoelectron spectra is subsequently developed and applied to the hydrogen transfer reactions Br + HI, F + OH → O( 3P, 1D) + HF and F + H 2. The theoretical approach for the simulations is a fully quantum-mechanical wave packet propagation on a collinear model reaction potential surface. The connection between the wavepacket time evolution and the photoelectron spectrum is given by the time autocorrelation function. For the benchmark F + H 2 system, comparisons with three-dimensional quantum calculations are made.« less

An evaluation of likely environmental benefits of a time-dependent green routing system in the greater Buffalo-Niagara Region : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-03-01

Currently, strategies are being examined with regard to their potential for mitigating the negative impacts of the surface transportation sector on the environment. The focus of this study is to evaluate an ITS (intelligent transportation systems)-ba...

Fluorescence quenching studies of potential-dependent DNA reorientation dynamics at glassy carbon electrode surfaces.

PubMed

Li, Qin; Cui, Chenchen; Higgins, Daniel A; Li, Jun

2012-09-05

The potential-dependent reorientation dynamics of double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) attached to planar glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surfaces were investigated. The orientation state of surface-bound ds-DNA was followed by monitoring the fluorescence from a 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM6) fluorophore covalently linked to the distal end of the DNA. Positive potentials (i.e., +0.2 V vs open circuit potential, OCP) caused the ds-DNA to align parallel to the electrode surface, resulting in strong dipole-electrode quenching of FAM6 fluorescence. Switching of the GCE potential to negative values (i.e., -0.2 V vs OCP) caused the ds-DNA to reorient perpendicular to the electrode surface, with a concomitant increase in FAM6 fluorescence. In addition to the very fast (submilliseconds) dynamics of the initial reorientation process, slow (0.1-0.9 s) relaxation of FAM6 fluorescence to intermediate levels was also observed after potential switching. These dynamics have not been previously described in the literature. They are too slow to be explained by double layer charging, and chronoamperometry data showed no evidence of such effects. Both the amplitude and rate of the dynamics were found to depend upon buffer concentration, and ds-DNA length, demonstrating a dependence on the double layer field. The dynamics are concluded to arise from previously undetected complexities in the mechanism of potential-dependent ds-DNA reorientation. The possible origins of these dynamics are discussed. A better understanding of these dynamics will lead to improved models for potential-dependent ds-DNA reorientation at electrode surfaces and will facilitate the development of advanced electrochemical devices for detection of target DNAs.

A program of data synthesis from the ALSEP/CPLEE ALSEP/SIDE, and Explorer 35 magnetometer to investigate lunar terminator and nightside particle fluxes and surface interactions. Final technical report

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

Reasoner, D.L.

1976-02-02

Lunar nightside electron fluxes were studied with the aid of the ALSEP/CPLEE and other instruments. The flux events were shown to be due to (a) electrons propagating upstream from the earth's bow shock, (b) electrons thermalized and scattered to the lunar surface by disturbances along the boundary of the lunar solarwind cavity, and (c) solar wind electrons scattered to the lunar surface by lunar limb shocks and/or compressional disturbances. These electrons were identified as a cause of the high night surface negative potentials observed in tha ALSEP/SIDE ion data. A study was also made of the shadowing of magnetotail plasmamore » sheet electrons by interactions between the lunar body and the ambient magnetic field and by interactions between charged particles and lunar remnant magnetic fields. These shadowing effects were shown to modify lunar surface and near-lunar potential distributions. (Author) (GRA)« less

Rational Design of Multilayer Collagen Nanosheets with Compositional and Structural Control.

PubMed

Jiang, Tao; Vail, Owen A; Jiang, Zhigang; Zuo, Xiaobing; Conticello, Vincent P

2015-06-24

Two collagen-mimetic peptides, CP(+) and CP(-), are reported in which the sequences comprise a multiblock architecture having positively charged N-terminal (Pro-Arg-Gly)3 and negatively charged C-terminal (Glu-Hyp-Gly)3 triad extensions, respectively. CP(+) rapidly self-associates into positively charged nanosheets based on a monolayer structure. In contrast, CP(-) self-assembles to form negatively charged monolayer nanosheets at a much slower rate, which can be accelerated in the presence of calcium(II) ion. A 2:1 mixture of unassociated CP(-) peptide with preformed CP(+) nanosheets generates structurally defined triple-layer nanosheets in which two CP(-) monolayers have formed on the identical surfaces of the CP(+) nanosheet template. Experimental data from electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) image analysis, zeta potential measurements, and charged nanoparticle binding assays support a negative surface charge state for the triple-layer nanosheets, which is the reverse of the positive surface charge state observed for the CP(+) monolayer nanosheets. The electrostatic complementarity between the CP(+) and CP(-) triple helical cohesive ends at the layer interfaces promotes a (CP(-)/CP(+)/CP(-)) compositional gradient along the z-direction of the nanosheet. This structurally informed approach represents an attractive strategy for the fabrication of two-dimensional nanostructures with compositional control.

Using supramolecular binding motifs to provide precise control over the ratio and distribution of species in multiple component films grafted on surfaces: demonstration using electrochemical assembly from aryl diazonium salts.

PubMed

Gui, Alicia L; Yau, Hon Man; Thomas, Donald S; Chockalingam, Muthukumar; Harper, Jason B; Gooding, J Justin

2013-04-16

Supramolecular interactions between two surface modification species are explored to control the ratio and distribution of these species on the resultant surface. A binary mixture of aryl diazonium salts bearing oppositely charged para-substituents (either -SO3(-) or -N(+)(Me)3), which also reduce at different potentials, has been examined on glassy carbon surfaces using cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Striking features were observed: (1) the two aryl diazonium salts in the mixed solution undergo reductive adsorption at the same potential which is distinctively less negative than the potential required for the reduction of either of the two aryl diazonium salts alone; (2) the surface ratio of the two phenyl derivatives is consistently 1:1 regardless of the ratio of the two aryl diazonium salts in the modification solutions. Homogeneous distribution of the two oppositely charged phenyl species on the modified surface has also been suggested by XPS survey spectra. Diffusion coefficient measurements by DOSY NMR and DFT based computation have indicated the association of the two aryl diazonium species in the solution, which has led to changes in the molecular orbital energies of the two species. This study highlights the potential of using intermolecular interactions to control the assembly of multicomponent thin layers.

Conference on Surfaces of Biomaterials Biotechnology - Biointeractions 󈨛 Held in Cambridge, United Kingdom on 6-8 July 1987

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-15

interactions (ac- either positive or negative surface cording to Bakker), occurred for all charge and ]inked this to OB bchavior. tested btomaterinls, but were...an~d 10 weeks. treated for edentulousuesa an excellent At t*e end of the test period, the imp- function can be a-intained for decades. plants vers...covotiers and tested in tjtmro as probably collagen) rather than synovium potential intestinal bloadhesives. The is the sperific target for microbial ad

Soil pH on mobility of imazaquin in oxisols with positive balance of charges.

PubMed

Regitano, Jussara B; da Rocha, Wadson S D; Alleoni, Luís R F

2005-05-18

The influence of soil pH on the leaching potential of the ionizable herbicide imazaquin was assessed on the profile of two highly weathered soils having a net positive charge in the B horizon, in contrast to a soil having a net negative charge in the whole profile, using packed soil column experiments. Imazaquin leached to a large extent and faster at Kd values lower than 1.0 L kg(-1), a much more lenient limit than usually proposed for pesticides in the literature (Kd < 5.0 L kg(-1)). The amount of imazaquin leached increased with soil pH. As the soil pH increased, the percentage of imazaquin in the anionic forms, the negative surface potential of the soils, as well as imazaquin water solubility also increased, thus reducing sorption because of repulsive electrostatic forces (hydrophilic interactions). For all surface samples (0-0.2 m), imazaquin did not leach at soil pH values lower than pKa (3.8) and more than 80% of the applied amount was leached at pH values higher than 5.5. For subsurface samples from the acric soils, imazaquin only began to leach at soil pH values > zero point of salt effects (ZPSE > 5.7). In conclusion, the use of surface K(oc) values to predict the amount of imazaquin leached within soil profiles having a positive balance of charges may greatly overestimate its actual leaching potential.

Negative differential electrolyte resistance in a solid-state nanopore resulting from electroosmotic flow bistability.

PubMed

Luo, Long; Holden, Deric A; White, Henry S

2014-03-25

A solid-state nanopore separating two aqueous solutions containing different concentrations of KCl is demonstrated to exhibit negative differential resistance (NDR) when a constant pressure is applied across the nanopore. NDR refers to a decrease in electrical current when the voltage applied across the nanopore is increased. NDR results from the interdependence of solution flow (electroosmotic and pressure-engendered) with the distributions of K+ and Cl- within the nanopore. A switch from a high-conductivity state to a low-conductivity state occurs over a very narrow voltage window (<2 mV) that depends on the nanopore geometry, electrolyte concentration, and nanopore surface charge density. Finite element simulations based on a simultaneous solution of the Navier-Stokes, Poisson, and Nernst-Planck equations demonstrate that NDR results from a positive feedback mechanism between the ion distributions and electroosmotic flow, yielding a true bistability in fluid flow and electrical current at a critical applied voltage, i.e., the NDR "switching potential". Solution pH and Ca2+ were separately employed as chemical stimuli to investigate the dependence of the NDR on the surface charge density. The NDR switching potential is remarkably sensitive to the surface charge density, and thus to pH and the presence of Ca2+, suggesting possible applications in chemical sensing.

Femtosecond laser fabricated spike structures for selective control of cellular behavior.

PubMed

Schlie, Sabrina; Fadeeva, Elena; Koch, Jürgen; Ngezahayo, Anaclet; Chichkov, Boris N

2010-09-01

In this study we investigate the potential of femtosecond laser generated micrometer sized spike structures as functional surfaces for selective cell controlling. The spike dimensions as well as the average spike to spike distance can be easily tuned by varying the process parameters. Moreover, negative replications in soft materials such as silicone elastomer can be produced. This allows tailoring of wetting properties of the spike structures and their negative replicas representing a reduced surface contact area. Furthermore, we investigated material effects on cellular behavior. By comparing human fibroblasts and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells we found that the influence of the material was cell specific. The cells not only changed their morphology, but also the cell growth was affected. Whereas, neuroblastoma cells proliferated at the same rate on the spike structures as on the control surfaces, the proliferation of fibroblasts was reduced by the spike structures. These effects can result from the cell specific adhesion patterns as shown in this work. These findings show a possibility to design defined surface microstructures, which could control cellular behavior in a cell specific manner.

Heterogeneous surface charge enhanced micromixing for electrokinetic flows.

PubMed

Biddiss, Elaine; Erickson, David; Li, Dongqing

2004-06-01

Enhancing the species mixing in microfluidic applications is key to reducing analysis time and increasing device portability. The mixing in electroosmotic flow is usually diffusion-dominated. Recent numerical studies have indicated that the introduction of electrically charged surface heterogeneities may augment mixing efficiencies by creating localized regions of flow circulation. In this study, we experimentally visualized the effects of surface charge patterning and developed an optimized electrokinetic micromixer applicable to the low Reynolds number regime. Using the optimized micromixer, mixing efficiencies were improved between 22 and 68% for the applied potentials ranging from 70 to 555 V/cm when compared with the negatively charged homogeneous case. For producing a 95% mixture, this equates to a potential decrease in the required mixing channel length of up to 88% for flows with Péclet numbers between 190 and 1500.

Radiative Forcing Due to Enhancements in Tropospheric Ozone and Carbonaceous Aerosols Caused by Asian Fires During Spring 2008

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Natarajan, Murali; Pierce, R. Bradley; Lenzen, Allen J.; Al-Saadi, Jassim A.; Soja, Amber J.; Charlock, Thomas P.; Rose, Fred G.; Winker, David M.; Worden, John R.

2012-01-01

Simulations of tropospheric ozone and carbonaceous aerosol distributions, conducted with the Real-time Air Quality Modeling System (RAQMS), are used to study the effects of major outbreaks of fires that occurred in three regions of Asia, namely Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Siberia, during spring 2008. RAQMS is a global scale meteorological and chemical modeling system. Results from these simulations, averaged over April 2008, indicate that tropospheric ozone column increases by more than 10 Dobson units (DU) near the Thailand region, and by lesser amounts in the other regions due to the fires. Widespread increases in the optical depths of organic and black carbon aerosols are also noted. We have used an off-line radiative transfer model to evaluate the direct radiative forcing due to the fire-induced changes in atmospheric composition. For clear sky, the monthly averaged radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) is mostly negative with peak values less than -12 W/sq m occurring near the fire regions. The negative forcing represents the increased outgoing shortwave radiation caused by scattering due to carbonaceous aerosols. At high latitudes, the radiative forcing is positive due to the presence of absorbing aerosols over regions of high surface albedo. Regions of positive forcing at TOA are more pronounced under total sky conditions. The monthly averaged radiative forcing at the surface is mostly negative, and peak values of less than -30 W/sq m occur near the fire regions. Persistently large negative forcing at the surface could alter the surface energy budget and potentially weaken the hydrological cycle.

First principles calculations on the influence of solute elements and chlorine adsorption on the anodic corrosion behavior of Mg (0001) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Zhe; Zhu, Hong; Ying, Tao; Li, Dejiang; Zeng, Xiaoqin

2018-06-01

The influences of solute atoms (Li, Al, Mn, Zn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Y, Zr) and Cl adsorption on the anodic corrosion performance on Mg (0001) surface have been investigated based on first-principles calculations, which might be useful for the design of corrosion-resistant Mg alloys. Work function and local electrode potential shift are chosen as descriptors since they quantify the barrier for charge transfer and anodic stability. We found that at 25% surface doping rate, Y decreased the work function of Mg, while the impact of remaining doping elements on the work function of Mg was trivial due to the small surface dipole moment change. The adsorption of Cl destabilized the Mg atoms at surface by weakening the bonding between surface Mg atoms. We find that a stronger hybridization of d orbits of alloying elements (e.g. Zr) with the orbits of Mg can greatly increase the local electrode potential,which even overbalances the negative effect introduced by Cl adsorbates and hence improves the corrosion resistance of Mg alloys.

Investigating protein-protein interaction surfaces using a reduced stereochemical and electrostatic model.

PubMed

Warwicker, J

1989-03-20

A method of calculating the electrostatic potential energy between two molecules, using finite difference potential, is presented. A reduced charge set is used so that the interaction energy can be calculated as the two static molecules explore their full six-dimensional configurational space. The energies are contoured over surfaces fixed to each molecule with an interactive computer graphics program. For two crystal structures (trypsin-trypsin inhibitor and anti-lysozyme Fab-lysozyme), it is found that the complex corresponds to highly favourable interacting regions in the contour plots. These matches arise from a small number of protruding basic residues interacting with enhanced negative potential in each case. The redox pair cytochrome c peroxidase-cytochrome c exhibits an extensive favourably interacting surface within which a possible electron transfer complex may be defined by an increased electrostatic complementarity, but a decreased electrostatic energy. A possible substrate transfer configuration for the glycolytic enzyme pair glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase-phosphoglycerate kinase is presented.

Physicochemical properties of surface charge-modified ZnO nanoparticles with different particle sizes

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyoung-Min; Choi, Mun-Hyoung; Lee, Jong-Kwon; Jeong, Jayoung; Kim, Yu-Ri; Kim, Meyoung-Kon; Paek, Seung-Min; Oh, Jae-Min

2014-01-01

In this study, four types of standardized ZnO nanoparticles were prepared for assessment of their potential biological risk. Powder-phased ZnO nanoparticles with different particle sizes (20 nm and 100 nm) were coated with citrate or L-serine to induce a negative or positive surface charge, respectively. The four types of coated ZnO nanoparticles were subjected to physicochemical evaluation according to the guidelines published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. All four samples had a well crystallized Wurtzite phase, with particle sizes of ∼30 nm and ∼70 nm after coating with organic molecules. The coating agents were determined to have attached to the ZnO surfaces through either electrostatic interaction or partial coordination bonding. Electrokinetic measurements showed that the surface charges of the ZnO nanoparticles were successfully modified to be negative (about −40 mV) or positive (about +25 mV). Although all the four types of ZnO nanoparticles showed some agglomeration when suspended in water according to dynamic light scattering analysis, they had clearly distinguishable particle size and surface charge parameters and well defined physicochemical properties. PMID:25565825

Nitrogen sustainability and beef cattle feedyards: introduction and influence of pen surface conditions and diet

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Greater public awareness of the potential effects of agriculture on the environment calls for beef production systems that are sustainable with regard to the environment, society, and the economy. Reactive nitrogen (N) from feedyards could negatively influence air and water quality in the event of v...

Footprint (A Screening Model for Estimating the Area of a Plume Produced from Gasoline Containing Ethanol

EPA Science Inventory

FOOTPRINT is a simple and user-friendly screening model to estimate the length and surface area of BTEX plumes in ground water produced from a spill of gasoline that contains ethanol. Ethanol has a potential negative impact on the natural biodegradation of BTEX compounds in groun...

Bioassay of estrogenicity and chemical analyses of estrogens in streams across the United States associated with livestock operations

EPA Science Inventory

Animal manures, used as a nitrogen source for crop production, are often associated with negative impacts on nutrient levels in surface water. The concentration of estrogens in streams from these manures is of concern due to potential endocrine disruption in aquatic species. S...

Toward the detection of the triatomic negative ion SPN-: Spectroscopy and potential energy surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trabelsi, Tarek; Hochlaf, Majdi; Francisco, Joseph S.

2018-04-01

High level theoretical calculations using coupled-cluster theory were performed to provide an accurate description of the electronic structure, spectroscopic properties, and stability of the triatomic negative ion comprising S, N, and P. The adiabatic electron affinities (AEAs) and vertical detachment energies (VDEs) of PNS, SPN, PSN, and cyc-PSN were calculated. The predicted AEA and VDE of the linear SPN isomer are large: 2.24 and 3.04 eV, respectively. The potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the lowest-lying electronic states of the SPN- isomer along the PN and SP bond lengths and bond angle were mapped. A set of spectroscopic parameters for SPN-, PNS-, and PSN- in their electronic ground states is obtained from the 3D PESs to help detect these species in the gas phase. The electronic excited state SPN-(12A″) is predicted to be stable with a long lifetime calculated to be 189.7 μs. The formation of SPN- in its electronic ground state through the bimolecular collision between S- + PN and N + PS- is also discussed.

Serum albumin and globulin analysis for hepatocellular carcinoma detection avoiding false-negative results from alpha-fetoprotein test negative subjects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jing; Feng, Shangyuan; Lin, Juqiang; Zeng, Yongyi; Li, Ling; Huang, Zufang; Li, Buhong; Zeng, Haishan; Chen, Rong

2013-11-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of serum albumin and globulin were employed to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tentative assignments of SERS bands show specific biomolecular changes associated with cancer development. These changes include a decrease in relative amounts of tryptophan, glutamine, glycine, and serine, indicating excessive consumption of amino acids for protein duplication. Principal component analysis was also introduced to analyze the obtained spectra, resulting in both diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100%. More importantly, it reveals that this method can detect HCC patients with alpha-fetoprotein negative test results, suggesting its great potential as a new alternative to detect HCC.

Progress of the ELISE test facility: towards one hour pulses in hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wünderlich, D.; Fantz, U.; Heinemann, B.; Kraus, W.; Riedl, R.; Wimmer, C.; the NNBI Team

2016-10-01

In order to fulfil the ITER requirements, the negative hydrogen ion source used for NBI has to deliver a high source performance, i.e. a high extracted negative ion current and simultaneously a low co-extracted electron current over a pulse length up to 1 h. Negative ions will be generated by the surface process in a low-temperature low-pressure hydrogen or deuterium plasma. Therefore, a certain amount of caesium has to be deposited on the plasma grid in order to obtain a low surface work function and consequently a high negative ion production yield. This caesium is re-distributed by the influence of the plasma, resulting in temporal instabilities of the extracted negative ion current and the co-extracted electrons over long pulses. This paper describes experiments performed in hydrogen operation at the half-ITER-size NNBI test facility ELISE in order to develop a caesium conditioning technique for more stable long pulses at an ITER relevant filling pressure of 0.3 Pa. A significant improvement of the long pulse stability is achieved. Together with different plasma diagnostics it is demonstrated that this improvement is correlated to the interplay of very small variations of parameters like the electrostatic potential and the particle densities close to the extraction system.

Hydroxyapatite formation on titania-based materials in a solution mimicking body fluid: Effects of manganese and iron addition in anatase.

PubMed

Shin, Euisup; Kim, Ill Yong; Cho, Sung Baek; Ohtsuki, Chikara

2015-03-01

Hydroxyapatite formation on the surfaces of implanted materials plays an important role in osteoconduction of bone substitutes in bone tissues. Titania hydrogels are known to instigate hydroxyapatite formation in a solution mimicking human blood plasma. To date, the relationship between the surface characteristics of titania and hydroxyapatite formation on its surface remains unclear. In this study, titania powders with varying surface characteristics were prepared by addition of manganese or iron to examine hydroxyapatite formation in a type of simulated body fluid (Kokubo solution). Hydroxyapatite formation was monitored by observation of deposited particles with scale-like morphology on the prepared titania powders. The effect of the titania surface characteristics, i.e., crystal structure, zeta potential, hydroxy group content, and specific surface area, on hydroxyapatite formation was examined. Hydroxyapatite formation was observed on the surface of titania powders that were primarily anatase, and featured a negative zeta potential and low specific surface areas irrespective of the hydroxy group content. High specific surface areas inhibited the formation of hydroxyapatite because calcium and phosphate ions were mostly consumed by adsorption on the titania surface. Thus, these surface characteristics of titania determine its osteoconductivity following exposure to body fluid. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the cobalt and cobalt oxide electrodeposition from a glyceline deep eutectic solvent.

PubMed

Sakita, Alan M P; Della Noce, Rodrigo; Fugivara, Cecílio S; Benedetti, Assis V

2016-09-14

The electrodeposition of cobalt and cobalt oxides from a glyceline deep eutectic solvent is reported. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy are employed to study the Co deposition processes. Surface analysis reveals that metallic cobalt is deposited at potentials less negative than the current peak potential whereas cobalt oxides are detected and electrochemically observed when the deposition is done at more negative potentials. i-t transients are analyzed by applying the Scharifker and Hills (SH) theoretical model. It is concluded that cobalt deposition occurs via a progressive nucleation and growth mechanism for concentrations higher than 0.05 mol L -1 cobalt ions. For concentrations ≤0.025 mol L -1 cobalt ions and low overpotentials, the mechanism changes to instantaneous nucleation. The i m -t m relationships of the SH model are used to determine the values of the kinetic parameters and the cobalt ion diffusion coefficient.

Analytical Methods to Distinguish the Positive and Negative Spectra of Mineral and Environmental Elements Using Deep Ablation Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS).

PubMed

Kim, Dongyoung; Yang, Jun-Ho; Choi, Soojin; Yoh, Jack J

2018-01-01

Environments affect mineral surfaces, and the surface contamination or alteration can provide potential information to understanding their regional environments. However, when investigating mineral surfaces, mineral and environmental elements appear mixed in data. This makes it difficult to determine their atomic compositions independently. In this research, we developed four analytical methods to distinguish mineral and environmental elements into positive and negative spectra based on depth profiling data using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The principle of the methods is to utilize how intensity varied with depth for creating a new spectrum. The methods were applied to five mineral samples exposed to four environmental conditions including seawater, crude oil, sulfuric acid, and air as control. The proposed methods are then validated by applying the resultant spectra to principal component analysis and data were classified by the environmental conditions and atomic compositions of mineral. By applying the methods, the atomic information of minerals and environmental conditions were successfully inferred in the resultant spectrum.

Fabrication, characterization and antimicrobial activities of thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles stabilized by sodium caseinate-chitosan hydrochloride double layers.

PubMed

Zhang, Yaqiong; Niu, Yuge; Luo, Yangchao; Ge, Mei; Yang, Tian; Yu, Liangli Lucy; Wang, Qin

2014-01-01

Thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles stabilized with sodium caseinate (SC) and chitosan hydrochloride (CHC) were prepared and characterized. The SC stabilized nanoparticles had well-defined size range and negatively charged surface. Due to the presence of SC, the stabilized zein nanoparticles showed a shift of isoelectric point from 6.18 to 5.05, and had a desirable redispersibility in water at neutral pH after lyophilization. Coating with CHC onto the SC stabilized zein nanoparticles resulted in increased particle size, reversal of zeta potential value from negative to positive, and improved encapsulation efficiency. Both thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles and SC stabilized zein nanoparticles had a spherical shape and smooth surface, while the surfaces of CHC-SC stabilized zein nanoparticles seemed rough and had some clumps. Encapsulated thymol was more effective in suppressing gram-positive bacterium than un-encapsulated thymol for a longer time period. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies on surface morphology and electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS thin films in presence of gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhowal, Ashim Chandra; Kundu, Sarathi

2018-04-01

PEDOT:PSS is a water soluble conducting polymer consists of positively charged PEDOT and negatively charged PSS. However, this polymer suffers low conductivity problem which restrict its use. In this paper, electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS thin films is improved by using charged gold nanoparticles. The nanoparticles used are synthesized using lysozyme protein. The nanoparticles coated with lysozyme protein possess positive zeta potential. In the presence of gold nanoparticles due to electrostatic interaction between positively charged nanoparticles and negatively charged PSS chains, modification takes place in the surface morphology and electrical behaviors of PEDOT:PSS thin films. The changes in the polymer matrix conformations in the presence of nanoparticles are studied by Fourier transformed Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, whereas the surface morphology of prepared thin films before and after interaction with nanoparticles is investigated through atomic force microscopy (AFM). Four probe method is used to measure the variation of electrical conductivity from I-V characteristics curves.

Negative ion kinetics in RF glow discharges

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

Gottscho, R.A.; Gacbe, C.E.

1986-04-01

Using temporally and spatially resolved laser spectroscopy, the authors have determined the identities, approximate concentrations, effects on the local field, and kinetics of formation and loss of negative ions in RF discharges. CI/sup -/ and BCI/sub 3//sup -/ are the dominant negative ions found in low-frequency discharges through CI/sub 2/ and BCI/sub 3/, respectively. The electron affinity for CI is measured to be 3.6118 +- 0.0005 eV. Negative ion kinetics are strongly affected by application of the RF field. Formation of negative ions by attachment of slow electrons in RF discharges is governed by the extent and duration of electronmore » energy relaxation. Similarly, destruction of negative ions by collisional detachment and field extraction is dependent upon ion energy modulation. Thus, at low frequency, the anion density peaks at the beginning of the anodic and cathodic half-cycles after electrons have attached but before detachment and extraction have had time to occur. At higher frequencies, electrons have insufficient time to attach before they are reheated and the instantaneous anion density in the sheath is greatly reduced. When the negative ion density is comparable to the positive ion density, the plasma potential is observed to lie below the anode potential, double layers form between sheath and plasma, and anions and electrons are accelerated by large sheath fields to electrode surfaces.« less

Escherichia coli Cell Surface Perturbation and Disruption Induced by Antimicrobial Peptides BP100 and pepR*

PubMed Central

Alves, Carla S.; Melo, Manuel N.; Franquelim, Henri G.; Ferre, Rafael; Planas, Marta; Feliu, Lidia; Bardají, Eduard; Kowalczyk, Wioleta; Andreu, David; Santos, Nuno C.; Fernandes, Miguel X.; Castanho, Miguel A. R. B.

2010-01-01

The potential of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as an alternative to conventional therapies is well recognized. Insights into the biological and biophysical properties of AMPs are thus key to understanding their mode of action. In this study, the mechanisms adopted by two AMPs in disrupting the Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacterial envelope were explored. BP100 is a short cecropin A-melittin hybrid peptide known to inhibit the growth of phytopathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. pepR, on the other hand, is a novel AMP derived from the dengue virus capsid protein. Both BP100 and pepR were found to inhibit the growth of E. coli at micromolar concentrations. Zeta potential measurements of E. coli incubated with increasing peptide concentrations allowed for the establishment of a correlation between the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each AMP and membrane surface charge neutralization. While a neutralization-mediated killing mechanism adopted by either AMP is not necessarily implied, the hypothesis that surface neutralization occurs close to MIC values was confirmed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was then employed to visualize the structural effect of the interaction of each AMP with the E. coli cell envelope. At their MICs, BP100 and pepR progressively destroyed the bacterial envelope, with extensive damage already occurring 2 h after peptide addition to the bacteria. A similar effect was observed for each AMP in the concentration-dependent studies. At peptide concentrations below MIC values, only minor disruptions of the bacterial surface occurred. PMID:20566635

Evidence for decoupled electron and proton transfer in the electrochemical oxidation of ammonia on Pt(100)

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

Katsounaros, Ioannis; Chen, Ting; Gewirth, Andrew A.

The two traditional mechanisms of the electrochemical ammonia oxidation consider only concerted proton-electron transfer elementary steps and thus they predict that the rate–potential relationship is independent of the pH on the pH-corrected RHE potential scale. In this letter we show that this is not the case: the increase of the solution pH shifts the onset of the NH 3-to-N 2 oxidation on Pt(100) to lower potentials and also leads to higher surface concentration of formed N Oad before the latter is oxidized to nitrite. Therefore, we present a new mechanism for the ammonia oxidation which incorporates a deprotonation step occurringmore » prior to the electron transfer. The deprotonation step yields a negatively charged surface-adsorbed species which is discharged in a subsequent electron transfer step before the N–N bond formation. The negatively charged species is thus a precursor for the formation of N 2 and NO. The new mechanism should be a future guide for computational studies aiming at the identification of intermediates and corresponding activation barriers for the elementary steps. As a result, ammonia oxidation is a new example of a bond-forming reaction on (100) terraces which involves decoupled proton-electron transfer.« less

Evidence for decoupled electron and proton transfer in the electrochemical oxidation of ammonia on Pt(100)

DOE PAGES

Katsounaros, Ioannis; Chen, Ting; Gewirth, Andrew A.; ...

2016-01-12

The two traditional mechanisms of the electrochemical ammonia oxidation consider only concerted proton-electron transfer elementary steps and thus they predict that the rate–potential relationship is independent of the pH on the pH-corrected RHE potential scale. In this letter we show that this is not the case: the increase of the solution pH shifts the onset of the NH 3-to-N 2 oxidation on Pt(100) to lower potentials and also leads to higher surface concentration of formed N Oad before the latter is oxidized to nitrite. Therefore, we present a new mechanism for the ammonia oxidation which incorporates a deprotonation step occurringmore » prior to the electron transfer. The deprotonation step yields a negatively charged surface-adsorbed species which is discharged in a subsequent electron transfer step before the N–N bond formation. The negatively charged species is thus a precursor for the formation of N 2 and NO. The new mechanism should be a future guide for computational studies aiming at the identification of intermediates and corresponding activation barriers for the elementary steps. As a result, ammonia oxidation is a new example of a bond-forming reaction on (100) terraces which involves decoupled proton-electron transfer.« less

Surface study of films formed on copper and brass at open circuit potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Procaccini, R.; Schreiner, W. H.; Vázquez, M.; Ceré, S.

2013-03-01

The corrosion resistance of Cu-Zn alloys strongly depends on the quality of the protective passive film. This study focuses on the influence of Zn on the composition of oxide films on copper and brass (Cu77Zn21Al2) in borax 0.1 mol L-1 (pH 9.2) solution, where the solubility of copper oxides is minimal. The effect of the presence of chloride ions at low concentration (0.01 mol L-1) in the electrolyte was also evaluated. Both conditions were studied using a set of different electrochemical, optical and surface techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, differential reflectance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. A duplex Cu2O/CuO layer forms on copper at potentials positive to the open circuit potential (OCP), while in the case of brass, zinc compounds are also incorporated to the surface film. It also became evident that a surface film can be formed on these materials even at potentials negative to the OCP. Zn(II) species are the main constituents of the films growing on brass, while copper oxides are incorporated to the surface film when approaching the OCP. The presence of chloride ions at low concentrations contributes to the dissolution of the oxo-hydroxides formed during the early stages of the aging process at open circuit potential. Also, copper chloro-compounds are formed, as shown by Raman spectroscopy for both copper and brass electrodes.

Peripheral temperature drop in response to anticipation and consumption of a signaled palatable reward in laying hens (Gallus domesticus).

PubMed

Moe, Randi Oppermann; Stubsjøen, Solveig Marie; Bohlin, Jon; Flø, Andreas; Bakken, Morten

2012-06-25

The present study describes effects of anticipation and consumption of a palatable reward on comb surface temperature. The purpose was to investigate temperature responses as a potential physiological indicator of positive emotional states in laying hens. A rise in body temperature in response to stimuli predictive of or during exposure to unpleasant events has been interpreted as evidence of emotions in mammals and avians. However, this phenomenon has so far only been studied during anticipation of or exposure to negative events; i.e., emotions of a negative valence. Infrared thermography was used to record potential alterations in comb surface temperature to a conditioned cue signaling a reward (mealworms) and during reward delivery. On average, comb temperature dropped 1.5 °C (95% CI: +/-1.2 °C) after exposure to CS and consumption of reward (p~0.0014) when initial comb temperature was above 30 °C. Such temperature drop indicates a peripheral vasoconstriction and has clear resemblances to emotional fever as seen during negative emotional states. Thus, we propose that a drop in peripheral temperature reflects emotional arousal more than emotional valence. Substantial temperature responses due to diet-induced thermogenesis were found, further emphasizing a cautious interpretation of altered comb temperature in studies of animal welfare. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Guided selective deposition of nanoparticles by tuning of the surface potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eklöf, J.; Stolaś, A.; Herzberg, M.; Pekkari, A.; Tebikachew, B.; Gschneidtner, T.; Lara-Avila, S.; Hassenkam, T.; Moth-Poulsen, K.

2017-07-01

Guided deposition of nanoparticles onto different substrates is of great importance for a variety of applications such as biosensing, targeted cancer therapy, anti-bacterial coatings and single molecular electronics. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of what parameters are involved in the deposition of nanoparticles. In this work we have deposited 60 nm, negatively charged, citrate stabilized gold nanoparticles onto microstructures consisting of six different materials, (vanadium (V), silicon dioxide (SiO2), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni)). The samples have then been investigated by scanning electron microscopy to extract the particle density. The surface potential was calculated from the measured surface charge density maps measured by atomic force microscopy while the samples were submerged in a KCl water solution. These values were compared with literature values of the isoelectric points (IEP) of different oxides formed on the metals in an ambient environment. According to measurements, Al had the highest surface potential followed by Ni and Cu. The same trend was observed for the nanoparticle densities. No particles were found on V, SiO2 and Au. The literature values of the IEP showed a different trend compared to the surface potential measurements concluding that IEP is not a reliable parameter for the prediction of NP deposition. Contribution to the Focus Issue Self-assemblies of Inorganic and Organic Nanomaterials edited by Marie-Paule Pileni.

Towards a realistic 3D simulation of the extraction region in ITER NBI relevant ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-03-01

The development of negative ion (NI) sources for ITER is strongly accompanied by modelling activities. The ONIX code addresses the physics of formation and extraction of negative hydrogen ions at caesiated sources as well as the amount of co-extracted electrons. In order to be closer to the experimental conditions the code has been improved. It includes now the bias potential applied to first grid (plasma grid) of the extraction system, and the presence of Cs+ ions in the plasma. The simulation results show that such aspects play an important role for the formation of an ion-ion plasma in the boundary region by reducing the depth of the negative potential well in vicinity to the plasma grid that limits the extraction of the NIs produced at the Cs covered plasma grid surface. The influence of the initial temperature of the surface produced NI and its emission rate on the NI density in the bulk plasma that in turn affects the beam formation region was analysed. The formation of the plasma meniscus, the boundary between the plasma and the beam, was investigated for the extraction potentials of 5 and 10 kV. At the smaller extraction potential the meniscus moves closer to the plasma grid but as in the case of 10 kV the deepest meniscus bend point is still outside of the aperture. Finally, a plasma containing the same amount of NI and electrons (nH- =ne =1017 m-3) , representing good source conditioning, was simulated. It is shown that at such conditions the extracted NI current can reach values of ˜32 mA cm-2 using ITER-relevant extraction potential of 10 kV and ˜19 mA cm-2 at 5 kV. These results are in good agreement with experimental measurements performed at the small scale ITER prototype source at the test facility BATMAN.

Catalyst surfaces for the chromous/chromic redox couple

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giner, J. D.; Cahill, K. J. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

An electricity producing cell of the reduction-oxidation (REDOX) type divided into two compartments by a membrane is disclosed. A ferrous/ferric couple in a chloride solution serves as a cathode fluid to produce a positive electric potential. A chromic/chromous couple in a chloride solution serves as an anode fluid to produce a negative potential. The electrode is an electrically conductive, inert material plated with copper, silver or gold. A thin layer of lead plates onto the copper, silver or gold layer when the cell is being charged, the lead ions being available from lead chloride which has been added to the anode fluid. If the REDOX cell is then discharged, the lead deplates from the negative electrode and the metal coating on the electrode acts as a catalyst to increase current density.

Probing the influence of cell surface polysaccharides on nanodendrimer binding to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria using single-nanoparticle force spectroscopy.

PubMed

Beaussart, Audrey; Beloin, Christophe; Ghigo, Jean-Marc; Chapot-Chartier, Marie-Pierre; Kulakauskas, Saulius; Duval, Jérôme F L

2018-06-27

The safe use and design of nanoparticles (NPs) ask for a comprehensive interpretation of their potentially adverse effects on (micro)organisms. In this respect, the prior assessment of the interactions experienced by NPs in the vicinity of - and in contact with - complex biological surfaces is mandatory. It requires the development of suitable techniques for deciphering the processes that govern nano-bio interactions when a single organism is exposed to an extremely low dose of NPs. Here, we used atomic force spectroscopy (AFM)-based force measurements to investigate at the nanoscale the interactions between carboxylate-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) nanodendrimers (radius ca. 4.5 nm) and two bacteria with very distinct surface properties, Escherichia coli and Lactococcus lactis. The zwitterionic nanodendrimers exhibit a negative peripheral surface charge and/or a positive intraparticulate core depending on the solution pH and salt concentration. Following an original strategy according to which a single dendrimer NP is grafted at the very apex of the AFM tip, the density and localization of NP binding sites are probed at the surface of E. coli and L. lactis mutants expressing different cell surface structures (presence/absence of the O-antigen of the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or of a polysaccharide pellicle). In line with electrokinetic analysis, AFM force measurements evidence that adhesion of NPs onto pellicle-decorated L. lactis is governed by their underlying electrostatic interactions as controlled by the pH-dependent charge of the peripheral and internal NP components, and the negatively-charged cell surface. In contrast, the presence of the O-antigen on E. coli systematically suppresses the adhesion of nanodendrimers onto cells, may the apparent NP surface charge be determined by the peripheral carboxylate groups or by the internal amine functions. Altogether, this work highlights the differentiated roles played by surface polysaccharides in mediating NP attachment to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It further demonstrates that the assessment of NP bioadhesion features requires a critical analysis of the electrostatic contributions stemming from the various structures composing the stratified cell envelope, and those originating from the bulk and surface NP components. The joint use of electrokinetics and AFM provides a valuable option for rapidly addressing the binding propensity of NPs to microorganisms, as urgently needed in NP risk assessments.

Solar array/spacecraft biasing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitzgerald, D. J.

1981-01-01

Biasing techniques and their application to the control of spacecraft potential is discussed. Normally when a spacecraft is operated with ion thrusters, the spacecraft will be 10-20 volts negative of the surrounding plasma. This will affect scientific measurements and will allow ions from the charge-exchange plasma to bombard the spacecraft surfaces with a few tens of volts of energy. This condition may not be tolerable. A proper bias system is described that can bring the spacecraft to or near the potential of the surrounding plasma.

Surface-binding through polyfunction groups of Rhodamine B on composite surface and its high performance photodegradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Yiqun; Wang, Xiaofen; Gu, Yun; Guo, Lan; Xu, Zhaodi

2016-03-01

A kind of novel composite ZnS/In(OH)3/In2S3 is synthesized using zinc oxide nanoplates as zinc raw material during hydrothermal process. Although the obtained samples are composited of ZnS and In(OH)3 and In2S3 phase, the samples possess different structure, morphology and optical absorption property depending on molar ratio of raw materials. Zeta potential analysis indicates different surface electrical property since various content and particle size of the phases. The equilibrium adsorption study confirms the composite ZnS/In(OH)3/In2S3 with surface negative charge is good adsorbent for Rhodamine B (Rh B) dye. In addition, the degradation of Rh B over the samples with surface negative charge under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm) is more effective than the samples with surface positive charge. The samples before and after adsorbing Rh B molecule are examined by FTIR spectra and Zetasizer. It is found that the three function groups of Rh B molecule, especially carboxyl group anchors to surface of the sample through electrostatic adsorption, coordination and hydrogen-bond. It contributes to rapid transformation of photogenerated electron to conduction band of In(OH)3 and suppresses the recombination of photogenerated carrier. The possible adsorption modes of Rh B are discussed on the basis of the experiment results.

Investigation of dust transport on the lunar surface in laboratory plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Horanyi, M.; Robertson, S. H.

2009-12-01

There has been much evidence indicating dust levitation and transport on or near the lunar surface. Dust mobilization is likely to be caused by electrostatic forces acting on small lunar dust particles that are charged by UV radiation and solar wind plasma. To learn about the basic physical process, we investigated the dynamics of dust grains on a conducting surface in laboratory plasmas. The first experiment was conducted with a dust pile (JSC-Mars-1) sitting on a negatively biased surface in plasma. The dust pile spread and formed a diffusing dust ring. Dust hopping was confirmed by noticing grains on protruding surfaces. The electrostatic potential distributions measured above the dust pile show an outward pointing electrostatic force and a non-monotonic sheath above the dust pile, indicating a localized upward electrostatic force responsible for lifting dust off the surface. The second experiment was conducted with a dust pile sitting on an electrically floating conducting surface in plasma with an electron beam. Potential measurements show a horizontal electric field at the dust/surface boundary and an enhanced vertical electric field in the sheath above the dust pile when the electron beam current is set to be comparable to the Bohm ion current. Secondary electrons emitted from the surfaces play an important role in this case.

Effects of the guard electrode on the photoelectron distribution around an electric field sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyake, Y.; Usui, H.; Kojima, H.

2011-05-01

We have developed a numerical model of a double-probe electric field sensor equipped with a photoelectron guard electrode for the particle-in-cell simulation. The model includes typical elements of modern double-probe sensors on, e.g., BepiColombo/MMO, Cluster, and THEMIS spacecraft, such as a conducting boom and a preamplifier housing called a puck. The puck is also used for the guard electrode, and its potential is negatively biased by reference to the floating spacecraft potential. We apply the proposed model to an analysis of an equilibrium plasma environment around the sensor by assuming that the sun illuminates the spacecraft from the direction perpendicular to the sensor deployment axis. As a simulation result, it is confirmed that a substantial number of spacecraft-originating photoelectrons are once emitted sunward and then fall onto the puck and sensing element positions. In order to effectively repel such photoelectrons coming from the sun direction, a potential hump for electrons, i.e., a negative potential region, should be created in a plasma region around the sunlit side of the guard electrode surface. The simulation results reveal the significance of the guard electrode potential being not only lower than the spacecraft body but also lower than the background plasma potential of the region surrounding the puck and the sensing element. One solution for realizing such an operational condition is to bias the guard potential negatively by reference to the sensor potential because the sensor is usually operated nearly at the background plasma potential.

Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide on electrodeposited tin-based surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alba, Bianca Christina S.; Camayang, John Carl A.; Mopon, Marlon L.; del Rosario, Julie Anne D.

2017-08-01

The electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to small organic molecular compounds provides a means of generating alternative fuel source while suppressing climate change. Suitable catalysts, however, are necessary to optimize its reaction kinetics towards more valuable products. Consequently, in this study, electrodeposited Sn electrodes have been developed as catalysts for CO2 electroreduction. Deposition potential was varied to produce different Sn catalysts. SEM showed varying morphologies and increasing amount as the applied potential becomes more negative. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry showed that the activity and stability of the catalysts towards CO2 reduction depend on the morphology and presence of tin oxides. These results provide a better understanding on the performance of electrodeposited Sn-based surfaces as catalysts for CO2 reduction.

Sorption of lead ions on diatomite and manganese oxides modified diatomite.

PubMed

Al-Degs, Y; Khraisheh, M A; Tutunji, M F

2001-10-01

Naturally occurring diatomaceous earth (diatomite) has been tested as a potential sorbent for Pb(II) ions. The intrinsic exchange properties were further improved by modification with manganese oxides. Modified adsorbent (referred to as Mn-diatomite) showed a higher tendency for adsorbing lead ions from solution at pH 4. The high performance exhibited by Mn-diatomite was attributed to increased surface area and higher negative surface charge after modification. Scanning electron microscope pictures revealed a birnessite structure of manganese oxides, which was featured by a plate-like-crystal structure. Diatomite filtration quality was improved after modification by manganese oxides. Good filtration qualities combined with high exchange capacity emphasised the potential use of Mn-diatomite in filtration systems.

Electrolyte effects in a model of proton discharge on charged electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiebe, Johannes; Kravchenko, Kateryna; Spohr, Eckhard

2015-01-01

We report results on the influence of NaCl electrolyte dissolved in water on proton discharge reactions from aqueous solution to charged platinum electrodes. We have extended a recently developed combined proton transfer/proton discharge model on the basis of empirical valence bond theory to include NaCl solutions with several different concentrations of cations and anions, both stoichiometric (1:1) compositions and non-stoichiometric ones with an excess of cations. The latter solutions partially screen the electrostatic potential from the surface charge of the negatively charged electrode. 500-1000 trajectories of a discharging proton were integrated by molecular dynamics simulations until discharge occurred, or for at most 1.5 ns. The results show a strong dependence on ionic strength, but only a weak dependence on the screening behavior, when comparing stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric solutions. Overall, the Na+ cations exert a more dominant effect on the discharge reaction, which we argue is likely due to the very rigid arrangements of the cations on the negatively polarized electrode surface. Thus, our model predicts, for the given and very high negative surface charge densities, the fastest discharge reaction for pure water, but obviously cannot take into account the fact that such high charge densities are even more out of reach experimentally than for higher electrolyte concentrations.

Electrostatic attraction between overall neutral surfaces.

PubMed

Adar, Ram M; Andelman, David; Diamant, Haim

2016-08-01

Two overall neutral surfaces with positively and negatively charged domains ("patches") have been shown in recent experiments to exhibit long-range attraction when immersed in an ionic solution. Motivated by the experiments, we calculate analytically the osmotic pressure between such surfaces within the Poisson-Boltzmann framework, using a variational principle for the surface-averaged free energy. The electrostatic potential, calculated beyond the linear Debye-Hückel theory, yields an overall attraction at large intersurface separations, over a wide range of the system's controlled length scales. In particular, the attraction is stronger and occurs at smaller separations for surface patches of larger size and charge density. In this large patch limit, we find that the attraction-repulsion crossover separation is inversely proportional to the square of the patch-charge density and to the Debye screening length.

Weakening effect of cell permeabilizers on gram-negative bacteria causing biodeterioration.

PubMed

Alakomi, H-L; Paananen, A; Suihko, M-L; Helander, I M; Saarela, M

2006-07-01

Gram-negative bacteria play an important role in the formation and stabilization of biofilm structures on stone surfaces. Therefore, the control of growth of gram-negative bacteria offers a way to diminish biodeterioration of stone materials. The effect of potential permeabilizers on the outer membrane (OM) properties of gram-negative bacteria was investigated and further characterized. In addition, efficacy of the agents in enhancing the activity of a biocide (benzalkonium chloride) was assessed. EDTA, polyethylenimine (PEI), and succimer (meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic) were shown to be efficient permeabilizers of the members of Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas genera, as indicated by an increase in the uptake of a hydrophobic probe (1-N-phenylnaphthylamine) and sensitization to hydrophobic antibiotics. Visualization of Pseudomonas cells treated with EDTA or PEI by atomic force microscopy revealed damage in the outer membrane structure. PEI especially increased the surface area and bulges of the cells. Topographic images of EDTA-treated cells were compatible with events assigned for the effect of EDTA on outer membranes, i.e., release of lipopolysaccharide and disintegration of OM structure. In addition, the effect of EDTA treatment was visualized in phase-contrast images as large areas with varying hydrophilicity on cell surfaces. In liquid culture tests, EDTA and PEI supplementation enhanced the activity of benzalkonium chloride toward the target strains. Use of permeabilizers in biocide formulations would enable the use of decreased concentrations of the active biocide ingredient, thereby providing environmentally friendlier products.

Mobile colloid generation induced by a cementitious plume: mineral surface-charge controls on mobilization.

PubMed

Li, Dien; Kaplan, Daniel I; Roberts, Kimberly A; Seaman, John C

2012-03-06

Cementitious materials are increasingly used as engineered barriers and waste forms for radiological waste disposal. Yet their potential effect on mobile colloid generation is not well-known, especially as it may influence colloid-facilitated contaminant transport. Whereas previous papers have studied the introduction of cement colloids into sediments, this study examined the influence of cement leachate chemistry on the mobilization of colloids from a subsurface sediment collected from the Savannah River Site, USA. A sharp mobile colloid plume formed with the introduction of a cement leachate simulant. Colloid concentrations decreased to background concentrations even though the aqueous chemical conditions (pH and ionic strength) remained unchanged. Mobile colloids were mainly goethite and to a lesser extent kaolinite. The released colloids had negative surface charges and the mean particle sizes ranged primarily from 200 to 470 nm. Inherent mineralogical electrostatic forces appeared to be the controlling colloid removal mechanism in this system. In the background pH of ~6.0, goethite had a positive surface charge, whereas quartz (the dominant mineral in the immobile sediment) and kaolinite had negative surface charges. Goethite acted as a cementing agent, holding kaolinite and itself onto the quartz surfaces due to the electrostatic attraction. Once the pH of the system was elevated, as in the cementitious high pH plume front, the goethite reversed to a negative charge, along with quartz and kaolinite, then goethite and kaolinite colloids were mobilized and a sharp spike in turbidity was observed. Simulating conditions away from the cementitious source, essentially no colloids were mobilized at 1:1000 dilution of the cement leachate or when the leachate pH was ≤ 8. Extreme alkaline pH environments of cementitious leachate may change mineral surface charges, temporarily promoting the formation of mobile colloids.

Direct electrical control of IgG conformation and functional activity at surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghisellini, Paola; Caiazzo, Marialuisa; Alessandrini, Andrea; Eggenhöffner, Roberto; Vassalli, Massimo; Facci, Paolo

2016-11-01

We have devised a supramolecular edifice involving His-tagged protein A and antibodies to yield surface immobilized, uniformly oriented, IgG-type, antibody layers with Fab fragments exposed off an electrode surface. We demonstrate here that we can affect the conformation of IgGs, likely pushing/pulling electrostatically Fab fragments towards/from the electrode surface. A potential difference between electrode and solution acts on IgGs’ charged aminoacids modulating the accessibility of the specific recognition regions of Fab fragments by antigens in solution. Consequently, antibody-antigen affinity is affected by the sign of the applied potential: a positive potential enables an effective capture of antigens; a negative one pulls the fragments towards the electrode, where steric hindrance caused by neighboring molecules largely hampers the capture of antigens. Different experimental techniques (electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, fluorescence confocal microscopy and electrochemical atomic force spectroscopy) were used to evaluate binding kinetics, surface coverage, effect of the applied electric field on IgGs, and role of charged residues on the phenomenon described. These findings expand the concept of electrical control of biological reactions and can be used to gate electrically specific recognition reactions with impact in biosensors, bioactuators, smart biodevices, nanomedicine, and fundamental studies related to chemical reaction kinetics.

Probing the interaction of ionic liquids with graphene using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Mahurin, Shannon Mark; Dai, Sheng; Surwade, Sumedh P.; ...

2015-12-17

We report an in situ measurement of the interaction of an imidazolium-based room temperature ionic liquid with both pure silver and a graphene-over-silver electrode under an applied electrochemical potential. At a negative applied potential, overall signal intensity increased indicating enhanced ionic liquid concentration at both silver and graphene electrodes. Vibrational modes associated with the imidazolium ring exhibited greater intensity enhancements and larger peak shifts compared with the anion indicating that the cation adsorbs with the ring and alkyl chain parallel to the electrode surface for both silver and graphene. In contrast to the silver, the surface enhanced Raman spectra ofmore » the ionic liquid near graphene showed shifts in the cation peaks even at no applied potential because of the strong π–π interaction between the ionic liquid and the graphene. Furthermore, the intensity of the graphene peak decreased in the presence of ionic liquid possibly due to the interaction between the ionic liquid and graphene. In conclusion, these results illustrate the effectiveness of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to investigate electrolyte interactions with graphene at the liquid/electrode interface.« less

Scattering of Light and Surface Plasmon Polaritons from Rough Surfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-14

Scattering of an electromagnetic wave from a slightly random dielectric surface: Yoneda peak and Brewster angle in incoherent scattering.” Waves...device applications. Thus, the negative refraction of a surface plasmon polariton was studied in two papers. In the first [1], all- angle negative... angle of incidence, measured counterclockwise from the negative x1 axis, is . The surface plasmon polariton of frequency transmitted through the

Electrostatic Power Generation from Negatively Charged, Simulated Lunar Regolith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Sang H.; King, Glen C.; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Park, Yeonjoon

2010-01-01

Research was conducted to develop an electrostatic power generator for future lunar missions that facilitate the utilization of lunar resources. The lunar surface is known to be negatively charged from the constant bombardment of electrons and protons from the solar wind. The resulting negative electrostatic charge on the dust particles, in the lunar vacuum, causes them to repel each other minimizing the potential. The result is a layer of suspended dust about one meter above the lunar surface. This phenomenon was observed by both Clementine and Surveyor spacecrafts. During the Apollo 17 lunar landing, the charged dust was a major hindrance, as it was attracted to the astronauts' spacesuits, equipment, and the lunar buggies. The dust accumulated on the spacesuits caused reduced visibility for the astronauts, and was unavoidably transported inside the spacecraft where it caused breathing irritation [1]. In the lunar vacuum, the maximum charge on the particles can be extremely high. An article in the journal "Nature", titled "Moon too static for astronauts?" (Feb 2, 2007) estimates that the lunar surface is charged with up to several thousand volts [2]. The electrostatic power generator was devised to alleviate the hazardous effects of negatively charged lunar soil by neutralizing the charged particles through capacitive coupling and thereby simultaneously harnessing power through electric charging [3]. The amount of power generated or collected is dependent on the areal coverage of the device and hovering speed over the lunar soil surface. A thin-film array of capacitors can be continuously charged and sequentially discharged using a time-differentiated trigger discharge process to produce a pulse train of discharge for DC mode output. By controlling the pulse interval, the DC mode power can be modulated for powering devices and equipment. In conjunction with a power storage system, the electrostatic power generator can be a power source for a lunar rover or other systems. The negatively charged lunar soil would also be neutralized mitigating some of the adverse effects resulting from lunar dust.

Method of adhesion between an oxide layer and a metal layer

DOEpatents

Jennison, Dwight R.; Bogicevic, Alexander; Kelber, Jeffry A.; Chambers, Scott A.

2004-09-14

A method of controlling the wetting characteristics and increasing the adhesion between a metal and an oxide layer. By introducing a negatively-charged species to the surface of an oxide layer, layer-by-layer growth of metal deposited onto the oxide surface is promoted, increasing the adhesion strength of the metal-oxide interface. The negatively-charged species can either be deposited onto the oxide surface or a compound can be deposited that dissociates on, or reacts with, the surface to form the negatively-charged species. The deposited metal adatoms can thereby bond laterally to the negatively-charged species as well as vertically to the oxide surface as well as react with the negatively charged species, be oxidized, and incorporated on or into the surface of the oxide.

Instantaneous Normal Modes and the Protein Glass Transition

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

Schulz, Roland; Krishnan, Marimuthu; Daidone, Isabella

2009-01-01

In the instantaneous normal mode method, normal mode analysis is performed at instantaneous configurations of a condensed-phase system, leading to modes with negative eigenvalues. These negative modes provide a means of characterizing local anharmonicities of the potential energy surface. Here, we apply instantaneous normal mode to analyze temperature-dependent diffusive dynamics in molecular dynamics simulations of a small protein (a scorpion toxin). Those characteristics of the negative modes are determined that correlate with the dynamical (or glass) transition behavior of the protein, as manifested as an increase in the gradient with T of the average atomic mean-square displacement at ~ 220more » K. The number of negative eigenvalues shows no transition with temperature. Further, although filtering the negative modes to retain only those with eigenvectors corresponding to double-well potentials does reveal a transition in the hydration water, again, no transition in the protein is seen. However, additional filtering of the protein double-well modes, so as to retain only those that, on energy minimization, escape to different regions of configurational space, finally leads to clear protein dynamical transition behavior. Partial minimization of instantaneous configurations is also found to remove nondiffusive imaginary modes. In summary, examination of the form of negative instantaneous normal modes is shown to furnish a physical picture of local diffusive dynamics accompanying the protein glass transition.« less

Instantaneous Normal Modes and the Protein Glass Transition

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

Schultz, Roland; Krishnan, Marimuthu; Daidone, Isabella

2009-01-01

In the instantaneous normal mode method, normal mode analysis is performed at instantaneous configurations of a condensed-phase system, leading to modes with negative eigenvalues. These negative modes provide a means of characterizing local anharmonicities of the potential energy surface. Here, we apply instantaneous normal mode to analyze temperature-dependent diffusive dynamics in molecular dynamics simulations of a small protein (a scorpion toxin). Those characteristics of the negative modes are determined that correlate with the dynamical (or glass) transition behavior of the protein, as manifested as an increase in the gradient with T of the average atomic mean-square displacement at 220 K.more » The number of negative eigenvalues shows no transition with temperature. Further, although filtering the negative modes to retain only those with eigenvectors corresponding to double-well potentials does reveal a transition in the hydration water, again, no transition in the protein is seen. However, additional filtering of the protein double-well modes, so as to retain only those that, on energy minimization, escape to different regions of configurational space, finally leads to clear protein dynamical transition behavior. Partial minimization of instantaneous configurations is also found to remove nondiffusive imaginary modes. In summary, examination of the form of negative instantaneous normal modes is shown to furnish a physical picture of local diffusive dynamics accompanying the protein glass transition.« less

Synergistic influence of polyoxometalate surface corona towards enhancing the antibacterial performance of tyrosine-capped Ag nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daima, Hemant K.; Selvakannan, P. R.; Kandjani, Ahmad E.; Shukla, Ravi; Bhargava, Suresh K.; Bansal, Vipul

2013-12-01

We illustrate a new strategy to improve the antibacterial potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by their surface modification with the surface corona of biologically active polyoxometalates (POMs). The stable POM surface corona was achieved by utilising zwitterionic tyrosine amino acid as a pH-switchable reducing and capping agent of AgNPs. The general applicability of this approach was demonstrated by developing surface coronas of phosphotungstic acid (PTA) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) around AgNPs. Our investigations on Gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli demonstrate that in conjugation with AgNPs, the surface corona of POMs enhances the physical damage to the bacterial cells due to synergistic antibacterial action of AgNPs and POMs, and the ability of tyrosine-reduced AgNPs (AgNPsY) to act as an excellent carrier and stabiliser for the POMs. The further extension of this study towards Gram positive bacterium Staphylococcus albus showed a similar toxicity pattern, whereas these nanomaterials were found to be biocompatible for PC3 epithelial mammalian cells, suggesting the potential of these materials towards specific antimicrobial targeting for topical wound healing applications. The outcomes of this work show that facile tailorability of nanostructured surfaces may play a considerable role in controlling the biological activities of different nanomaterials.We illustrate a new strategy to improve the antibacterial potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by their surface modification with the surface corona of biologically active polyoxometalates (POMs). The stable POM surface corona was achieved by utilising zwitterionic tyrosine amino acid as a pH-switchable reducing and capping agent of AgNPs. The general applicability of this approach was demonstrated by developing surface coronas of phosphotungstic acid (PTA) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) around AgNPs. Our investigations on Gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli demonstrate that in conjugation with AgNPs, the surface corona of POMs enhances the physical damage to the bacterial cells due to synergistic antibacterial action of AgNPs and POMs, and the ability of tyrosine-reduced AgNPs (AgNPsY) to act as an excellent carrier and stabiliser for the POMs. The further extension of this study towards Gram positive bacterium Staphylococcus albus showed a similar toxicity pattern, whereas these nanomaterials were found to be biocompatible for PC3 epithelial mammalian cells, suggesting the potential of these materials towards specific antimicrobial targeting for topical wound healing applications. The outcomes of this work show that facile tailorability of nanostructured surfaces may play a considerable role in controlling the biological activities of different nanomaterials. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: XRD analysis (Fig. S1); cytotoxicity profile (Fig. S2) and optical images of human PC3 cells (Fig. S3) treated with nanomaterials; FTIR vibrational modes arising from different materials (Table S1); and relative concentrations of Ag and POMs present in modified AgNPs used for biological studies (Table S2). See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03806h

Electronic Interactions of Size-Selected Oxide Clusters on Metallic and Thin Film Oxide Supports

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

Xue, Meng; Nakayama, Miki; Liu, Ping

The interfacial electronic structure of various size-selected metal oxide nanoclusters (M 3O x; M = Mo, Nb, Ti) on Cu(111) and a thin film of Cu 2O supports were investigated in this paper by a combination of experimental methods and density functional theory (DFT). These systems explore electron transfer at the metal–metal oxide interface which can modify surface structure, metal oxidation states, and catalytic activity. Electron transfer was probed by measurements of surface dipoles derived from coverage dependent work function measurements using two-photon photoemission (2PPE) and metal core level binding energy spectra from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The measured surfacemore » dipoles are negative for all clusters on Cu(111) and Cu 2O/Cu(111), but those on the Cu 2O surface are much larger in magnitude. In addition, sub-stoichiometric or “reduced” clusters exhibit smaller surface dipoles on both the Cu(111) and Cu 2O surfaces. Negative surface dipoles for clusters on Cu(111) suggest Cu → cluster electron transfer, which is generally supported by DFT-calculated Bader charge distributions. For Cu 2O/Cu(111), calculations of the surface electrostatic potentials show that the charge distributions associated with cluster adsorption structures or distortions at the cluster–Cu 2O–Cu(111) interface are largely responsible for the observed negative surface dipoles. Changes observed in the XPS spectra for the Mo 3d, Nb 3d, and Ti 2p core levels of the clusters on Cu(111) and Cu 2O/Cu(111) are interpreted with help from the calculated Bader charges and cluster adsorption structures, the latter providing information about the presence of inequivalent cation sites. Finally, the results presented in this work illustrate how the combined use of different experimental probes along with theoretical calculations can result in a more realistic picture of cluster–support interactions and bonding.« less

Electronic Interactions of Size-Selected Oxide Clusters on Metallic and Thin Film Oxide Supports

DOE PAGES

Xue, Meng; Nakayama, Miki; Liu, Ping; ...

2017-09-13

The interfacial electronic structure of various size-selected metal oxide nanoclusters (M 3O x; M = Mo, Nb, Ti) on Cu(111) and a thin film of Cu 2O supports were investigated in this paper by a combination of experimental methods and density functional theory (DFT). These systems explore electron transfer at the metal–metal oxide interface which can modify surface structure, metal oxidation states, and catalytic activity. Electron transfer was probed by measurements of surface dipoles derived from coverage dependent work function measurements using two-photon photoemission (2PPE) and metal core level binding energy spectra from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The measured surfacemore » dipoles are negative for all clusters on Cu(111) and Cu 2O/Cu(111), but those on the Cu 2O surface are much larger in magnitude. In addition, sub-stoichiometric or “reduced” clusters exhibit smaller surface dipoles on both the Cu(111) and Cu 2O surfaces. Negative surface dipoles for clusters on Cu(111) suggest Cu → cluster electron transfer, which is generally supported by DFT-calculated Bader charge distributions. For Cu 2O/Cu(111), calculations of the surface electrostatic potentials show that the charge distributions associated with cluster adsorption structures or distortions at the cluster–Cu 2O–Cu(111) interface are largely responsible for the observed negative surface dipoles. Changes observed in the XPS spectra for the Mo 3d, Nb 3d, and Ti 2p core levels of the clusters on Cu(111) and Cu 2O/Cu(111) are interpreted with help from the calculated Bader charges and cluster adsorption structures, the latter providing information about the presence of inequivalent cation sites. Finally, the results presented in this work illustrate how the combined use of different experimental probes along with theoretical calculations can result in a more realistic picture of cluster–support interactions and bonding.« less

Possible ecological role of pseudopterosins G and P-U and seco-pseudopterosins J and K from the gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae from Providencia Island (SW Caribbean) in regulating microbial surface communities.

PubMed

Correa, Hebelin; Zorro, Pamela; Arevalo-Ferro, Catalina; Puyana, Monica; Duque, Carmenza

2012-09-01

The gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae collected at Providencia Island (Colombia) has an unfouled surface, free of obvious algal and invertebrate growth. This gorgonian produces significant amounts of the glycosilated diterpenes pseudopterosins and seco-pseudopterosins (Ps and seco-Ps). Our previous experiments have shown activity of these compounds against eukaryotic (human cancer cell lines and Candida albicans) and prokaryotic cells (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis). However, the potential role of pseudopterosins on the regulation of the fouling process is still under study. We evaluated the activity of these compounds against bacteria isolated from heavily fouled marine surfaces as an indicator of antifouling activity. Additionally, we assessed their activity against bacteria isolated from P. elisabethae to determine whether potentially they play a role in preventing surface bacterial colonization, thus impairing presumptively the establishment of further successional stages of fouling communities. Results showed that Ps and seco-Ps seem to modulate bacterial growth (controlling Gram-positive bacterial growth and inducing Gram-negative bacterial associations). We thus hypothesized that Ps and seco-Ps may play a role in controlling microbial fouling communities on the surface of this gorgonian. By using bTEFAP and FISH we showed that the most abundant bacteria present in the microbial communities associated with P. elisabethae are Gram-negative bacteria, with Proteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria the most representative. To evaluate whether Ps and seco-Ps have a direct effect on the structure of the bacterial community associated with P. elisabethae, we tested these compounds against culturable bacteria associated with the surface of P. elisabethae, finding remarkable selectivity against Gram-positive bacteria. The evidence presented here suggests that Ps and seco-Ps might have a role in the selection of organisms associated with the gorgonian surface and in the regulation of the associated bacterial community composition.

Effects of Particle Hydrophobicity, Surface Charge, Media pH Value and Complexation with Human Serum Albumin on Drug Release Behavior of Mitoxantrone-Loaded Pullulan Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Tao, Xiaojun; Jin, Shu; Wu, Dehong; Ling, Kai; Yuan, Liming; Lin, Pingfa; Xie, Yongchao; Yang, Xiaoping

2015-01-01

We prepared two types of cholesterol hydrophobically modified pullulan nanoparticles (CHP) and carboxyethyl hydrophobically modified pullulan nanoparticles (CHCP) substituted with various degrees of cholesterol, including 3.11, 6.03, 6.91 and 3.46 per polymer, and named CHP−3.11, CHP−6.03, CHP−6.91 and CHCP−3.46. Dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) showed that the pullulan nanoparticles were 80–120 nm depending on the degree of cholesterol substitution. The mean size of CHCP nanoparticles was about 160 nm, with zeta potential −19.9 mV, larger than CHP because of the carboxyethyl group. A greater degree of cholesterol substitution conferred greater nanoparticle hydrophobicity. Drug-loading efficiency depended on nanoparticle hydrophobicity, that is, nanoparticles with the greatest degree of cholesterol substitution (6.91) showed the most drug encapsulation efficiency (90.2%). The amount of drug loading increased and that of drug release decreased with enhanced nanoparticle hydrophobicity. Nanoparticle surface-negative charge disturbed the amount of drug loading and drug release, for an opposite effect relative to nanoparticle hydrophobicity. The drug release in pullulan nanoparticles was higher pH 4.0 than pH 6.8 media. However, the changed drug release amount was not larger for negative-surface nanoparticles than CHP nanoparticles in the acid release media. Drug release of pullulan nanoparticles was further slowed with human serum albumin complexation and was little affected by nanoparticle hydrophobicity and surface negative charge. PMID:28344259

Field effect sensors for PCR applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taing, Meng-Houit; Sweatman, Denis R.

2004-03-01

The use of field effect sensors for biological and chemical sensing is widely employed due to its ability to make detections based on charge and surface potential. Because proteins and DNA almost always carry a charge [1], silicon can be used to micro fabricate such a sensor. The EIS structure (Electrolyte on Insulator on Silicon) provides a novel, label-free and simple to fabricate way to make a field effect DNA detection sensor. The sensor responds to fluctuating capacitance caused by a depletion layer thickness change at the surface of the silicon substrate through DNA adsorption onto the dielectric oxide/PLL (Poly-L-Lysine) surface. As DNA molecules diffuse to the sensor surface, they are bound to their complimentary capture probes deposited on the surface. The negative charge exhibited by the DNA forces negative charge carriers in the substrate to move away from the surface. This causes an n-type depletion layer substrate to thicken and a p-type to thin. The depletion layer thickness can be measured by its capacitance using an LCR meter. This experiment is conducted using the ConVolt (constant voltage) approach. Nucleic acids are amplified by an on chip PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) system and then fed into the sensor. The low ionic solution strength will ensure that counter-ions do not affect the sensor measurements. The sensor surface contains capture probes that bind to the pathogen. The types of pathogens we"ll be detecting include salmonella, campylobacter and E.Coli DNA. They are held onto the sensor surface by the positively charged Poly-L-Lysine layer. The electrolyte is biased through a pseudo-reference electrode. Pseudo reference electrodes are usually made from metals such as Platinum or Silver. The problem associated with "floating" biasing electrodes is they cannot provide stable biasing potentials [2]. They drift due to surface charging effects and trapped charges on the surface. To eliminate this, a differential system consisting of 2 sensors that share a common pseudo-reference electrode is used to cancel out this effect. This paper will look at a differential system for multi-arrayed biosensors fabricated on silicon.

Effects of subclinical footpad dermatitis and emotional arousal on surface foot temperature recorded with infrared thermography in turkey toms (Meleagris gallopavo).

PubMed

Moe, R O; Bohlin, J; Flø, A; Vasdal, G; Erlandsen, H; Guneriussen, E; Sjökvist, E C; Stubsjøen, S M

2018-04-17

Footpad dermatitis is a condition that causes lesions on the plantar surface of the footpads in growing turkeys. Potential inflammatory processes and pain associated with increasing severity of footpad dermatitis raise animal welfare concerns. This study investigated whether the temperature of the plantar surface of the foot (the footpads and the entire plantar foot including interdigital membranes) assessed with infrared thermography reflects severity of mild footpad dermatitis as assessed with a Visual Analogue Scale in 80 turkey toms at 10 weeks of age. In order to study effects of a potential emotional arousal due to the testing procedures, effects of sequential testing order and duration of handling of the turkeys was included in the model. Footpad temperatures were significantly lower than foot temperatures (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.57, -3.36°C ± 0.28°C), and higher visual analogue scale scores were anti-correlated with footpad (-0.06°C ± 0.037°C) and foot temperatures (-0.07°C ± 0.066°C). Furthermore, a negative association between footpad temperature and handling time (-0.02 ± 0.0227, P = 0.048), and a non-linear association between foot and footpad temperatures and sequential testing order, were found (P<0.001). The results indicate that severity of mild footpad dermatitis as scored visually was associated with the temperatures of the plantar surface of the foot and footpads, and that thermal imaging therefore represents a novel tool for the reliable and non-invasive early detection of subclinical foot pathologies in turkeys. The association was negative, and the findings therefore indicate that potential inflammatory processes in the epidermis at this early stage of footpad dermatitis are negligible, and/or that the hyperkeratosis of the surface keratin shielded heat emission from the footpads. The associations between surface temperatures, handling time, and sequential testing order suggest an emotional arousal in response to the experimental procedures, and these factors need to be considered when applying infrared thermography in future studies of leg health in turkeys.

Kinetic analysis of the interaction between poly(amidoamine) dendrimers and model lipid membranes.

PubMed

Tiriveedhi, Venkataswarup; Kitchens, Kelly M; Nevels, Kerrick J; Ghandehari, Hamidreza; Butko, Peter

2011-01-01

We used fluorescence spectroscopy and surface tensiometry to study the interaction between low-generation (G1 and G4) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers, potential vehicles for intracellular drug delivery, and model lipid bilayers. Membrane association of fluorescently labeled dendrimers, measured by fluorescence anisotropy, increased with increasing size of the dendrimer and with increasing negative charge density in the membrane, indicating the electrostatic nature of the interaction. When the membrane was doped with pyrene-labeled phosphatidyl glycerol (pyrene-PG), pyrene excimer fluorescence demonstrated a dendrimer-induced selective aggregation of negatively charged lipids when the membrane was in the liquid crystalline state. A nonlinear Stern-Volmer quenching of dendrimer fluorescence with cobalt bromide suggested a dendrimer-induced aggregation of lipid vesicles, which increased with the dendrimer's generation number. Surface tensiometry measurements showed that dendrimers penetrated into the lipid monolayer only at subphysiologic surface pressures (<30mN/m). We conclude that the low-generation PAMAM dendrimers associate with lipid membranes predominantly electrostatically, without significantly compromising the bilayer integrity. They bind stronger to membranes with higher fluidity and lower surface pressure, which are characteristic of rapidly dividing cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoinduced Field-Effect Passivation from Negative Carrier Accumulation for High-Efficiency Silicon/Organic Heterojunction Solar Cells.

PubMed

Liu, Zhaolang; Yang, Zhenhai; Wu, Sudong; Zhu, Juye; Guo, Wei; Sheng, Jiang; Ye, Jichun; Cui, Yi

2017-12-26

Carrier recombination and light management of the dopant-free silicon/organic heterojunction solar cells (HSCs) based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are the critical factors in developing high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. However, the traditional passivation technologies can hardly provide efficient surface passivation on the front surface of Si. In this study, a photoinduced electric field was induced in a bilayer antireflective coating (ARC) of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) films, due to formation of an accumulation layer of negative carriers (O 2 - species) under UV (sunlight) illumination. This photoinduced field not only suppressed the silicon surface recombination but also enhanced the built-in potential of HSCs with 84 mV increment. In addition, this photoactive ARC also displayed the outstanding light-trapping capability. The front PEDOT:PSS/Si HSC with the saturated O 2 - received a champion PCE of 15.51% under AM 1.5 simulated sunlight illumination. It was clearly demonstrated that the photoinduced electric field was a simple, efficient, and low-cost method for the surface passivation and contributed to achieve a high efficiency when applied in the Si/PEDOT:PSS HSCs.

Surface-charge-dependent cell localization and cytotoxicity of cerium oxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Asati, Atul; Santra, Santimukul; Kaittanis, Charalambos; Perez, J Manuel

2010-09-28

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) have shown great potential as antioxidant and radioprotective agents for applications in cancer therapy. Recently, various polymer-coated nanoceria preparations have been developed to improve their aqueous solubility and allow for surface functionalization of these nanoparticles. However, the interaction of polymer-coated nanoceria with cells, their uptake mechanism, and subcellular localization are poorly understood. Herein, we engineered polymer-coated cerium oxide nanoparticles with different surface charges (positive, negative, and neutral) and studied their internalization and toxicity in normal and cancer cell lines. The results showed that nanoceria with a positive or neutral charge enters most of the cell lines studied, while nanoceria with a negative charge internalizes mostly in the cancer cell lines. Moreover, upon entry into the cells, nanoceria is localized to different cell compartments (e.g., cytoplasm and lysosomes) depending on the nanoparticle's surface charge. The internalization and subcellular localization of nanoceria plays a key role in the nanoparticles' cytotoxicity profile, exhibiting significant toxicity when they localize in the lysosomes of the cancer cells. In contrast, minimal toxicity is observed when they localize into the cytoplasm or do not enter the cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the differential surface-charge-dependent localization of nanoceria in normal and cancer cells plays a critical role in the nanoparticles' toxicity profile.

Antagonistic effects of drought and sand burial enable the survival of the biocrust moss Bryum argenteum in an arid sandy desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Rongliang; Zhao, Yun; Gao, Yanhong; Hui, Rong; Yang, Haotian; Wang, Zenru; Li, Yixuan

2018-02-01

Biocrust moss is an essential soil surface bio-cover. It can represent the latest succession stage among the diverse range of surface-dwelling cryptogams (e.g., cyanobacteria, green algae, and lichen, which are also referred to as biocrusts), and it can make a major contribution to soil stability and fertility in many arid sandy desert ecosystems. The soil surface represents a very large ecological niche that is poikilohydric in nature. Biocrust moss is therefore highly susceptible to drought and sand burial, which are two ubiquitous stressors in arid sandy deserts. However, little information is available regarding the mechanism by which biocrust moss can survive and flourish in these habitats when stressed simultaneously by the two stressors. The combined effects of drought and sand burial were evaluated in a field experiment using the predominant biocrust moss, Bryum argenteum Hedw., in the Tengger Desert, China. Drought was simulated by applying distilled water in three artificial rainfall regimes at 8-day intervals in spring and autumn: 4 and 6 mm (average rainfall, control), 2 and 3 mm (double drought), and 1 and 1.5 mm (4-fold drought), respectively. The effect of sand burial was determined by applying six treatments, i.e., sand depths of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 10 mm. The four parameters of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, regeneration potential, and shoot upgrowth were evaluated in the moss. It was found that the combined effects of drought and sand burial did not exacerbate the single negative effects of the four parameters tested. Drought significantly ameliorated the negative effects of deep-sand burial on the retention of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, and the regeneration potential of B. argenteum. Sand burial diminished and even reversed the negative effects of drought on the maintenance of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, and regeneration potential. Although drought and sand burial imposed an additive negative effect on shoot upgrowth, which suggested a trade-off between growth ability and stress tolerance, their mutually antagonistic effect on the physiological vigor of B. argenteum provided an opportunity for the biocrust moss to overcome the two co-occurring stressors. In addition to providing a strong stress tolerance, drought and sand burial may provide an important mechanism for the biodiversity maintenance of biocrust mosses in arid sandy ecosystems.

Interface bonding in silicon oxide nanocontacts: interaction potentials and force measurements.

PubMed

Wierez-Kien, M; Craciun, A D; Pinon, A V; Roux, S Le; Gallani, J L; Rastei, M V

2018-04-01

The interface bonding between two silicon-oxide nanoscale surfaces has been studied as a function of atomic nature and size of contacting asperities. The binding forces obtained using various interaction potentials are compared with experimental force curves measured in vacuum with an atomic force microscope. In the limit of small nanocontacts (typically <10 3 nm 2 ) measured with sensitive probes the bonding is found to be influenced by thermal-induced fluctuations. Using interface interactions described by Morse, embedded atom model, or Lennard-Jones potential within reaction rate theory, we investigate three bonding types of covalent and van der Waals nature. The comparison of numerical and experimental results reveals that a Lennard-Jones-like potential originating from van der Waals interactions captures the binding characteristics of dry silicon oxide nanocontacts, and likely of other nanoscale materials adsorbed on silicon oxide surfaces. The analyses reveal the importance of the dispersive surface energy and of the effective contact area which is altered by stretching speeds. The mean unbinding force is found to decrease as the contact spends time in the attractive regime. This contact weakening is featured by a negative aging coefficient which broadens and shifts the thermal-induced force distribution at low stretching speeds.

Interface bonding in silicon oxide nanocontacts: interaction potentials and force measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wierez-Kien, M.; Craciun, A. D.; Pinon, A. V.; Le Roux, S.; Gallani, J. L.; Rastei, M. V.

2018-04-01

The interface bonding between two silicon-oxide nanoscale surfaces has been studied as a function of atomic nature and size of contacting asperities. The binding forces obtained using various interaction potentials are compared with experimental force curves measured in vacuum with an atomic force microscope. In the limit of small nanocontacts (typically <103 nm2) measured with sensitive probes the bonding is found to be influenced by thermal-induced fluctuations. Using interface interactions described by Morse, embedded atom model, or Lennard-Jones potential within reaction rate theory, we investigate three bonding types of covalent and van der Waals nature. The comparison of numerical and experimental results reveals that a Lennard-Jones-like potential originating from van der Waals interactions captures the binding characteristics of dry silicon oxide nanocontacts, and likely of other nanoscale materials adsorbed on silicon oxide surfaces. The analyses reveal the importance of the dispersive surface energy and of the effective contact area which is altered by stretching speeds. The mean unbinding force is found to decrease as the contact spends time in the attractive regime. This contact weakening is featured by a negative aging coefficient which broadens and shifts the thermal-induced force distribution at low stretching speeds.

Water movement through a thick unsaturated zone underlying an intermittent stream in the western Mojave Desert, southern California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, J.A.; Radyk, J.; Michel, R.L.

2000-01-01

Previous studies indicated that small amounts of recharge occur as infiltration of intermittent streamflow in washes in the upper Mojave River basin, in the western Mojave Desert, near Victorville, California. These washes flow only a few days each year after large storms. To reach the water table, water must pass through an unsaturated zone that is more than 130 m thick. Results of this study, done in 1994-1998, showy that infiltration to depths below the root zone did not occur at control sites away from the wash. At these sites, volumetric water contents were as low as 0.01 and water potentials (measured as the combination of solute and matric potentials using a water activity meter) were as negative as -14,000 kPa. Water-vapor movement was controlled by highly negative solute potentials associated with the accumulation of soluble salts in the unsaturated zone. Highly negative matric potentials above and below the zone of maximum solute accumulation result from movement of water vapor toward the highly negative solute potentials at that depth. The ??18O and ??D (delta oxygen-18 and delta deuterium) isotopic composition of water in coarse-grained deposits plots along a Rayleigh distillation line consistent with removal of water in coarse-grained layers by vapor transport. Beneath Oro Grande Wash, water moved to depths below the root zone and, presumably, to the water table about 130 m below land surface. Underneath Oro Grande Wash, volumetric water contents were as high as 0.27 and water potentials (measured as matric potential using tensiometers) were between -1.8 and -50 kPa. On the basis of tritium data, water requires at least 180-260 years to infiltrate to the water table. Clay layers impede the downward movement of water. Seasonal changes in water vapor composition underneath the wash are consistent with the rapid infiltration of a small quantity of water to great depths and subsequent equilibration of vapor with water in the surrounding material. It may be possible to supplement natural recharge from the wash with imported water. Recharge to the wash may be advantageous because the unsaturated zone is not as dry as most areas in the desert and concentrations of soluble salts are generally lower underneath the wash.Previous studies indicated that small amounts of recharge occur as infiltration of intermittent streamflow in washes in the upper Mojave River basin, in the western Mojave Desert, near Victorville, California. These washes flow only a few days each year after large storms. To reach the water table, water must pass through an unsaturated zone that is more than 130 m thick. Results of this study, done in 1994-1998, show that infiltration to depths below the root zone did not occur at control sites away from the wash. At these sites, volumetric water contents were as low as 0.01 and water potentials (measured as the combination of solute and matric potentials using a water activity meter) were as negative as -14,000 kPa. Water-vapor movement was controlled by highly negative solute potentials associated with the accumulation of soluble salts in the unsaturated zone. Highly negative matric potentials above and below the zone of maximum solute accumulation result from movement of water vapor toward the highly negative solute potentials at that depth. The ??18O and ??D (delta oxygen-18 and delta deuterium) isotopic composition of water in coarse-grained deposits plots along a Rayleigh distillation line consistent with removal of water in coarse-grained layers by vapor transport. Beneath Oro Grande Wash, water moved to depths below the root zone and, presumably, to the water table about 130 m below land surface. Underneath Oro Grande Wash, volumetric water contents were as high as 0.27 and water potentials (measured as matric potential using tensiometers) were between -1.8 and -50 kPa. On the basis of tritium data, water requires at least 180-260 years to infiltrate to the water table. Clay layers impede the downwa

Effect of photoelectric emission on blunt probe conductivity measurements in the stratosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

John, Thomas; Chopra, P.; Garg, S. C.

2009-06-01

Two identical planar blunt probes of stainless steel material, biased with a bipolar ramp voltage, are used to measure the stratospheric polar conductivities to altitudes of 34 km. One probe (DP) is mounted closer to the gondola, looking downwards and shielded from sunlight, while the other (SP) is mounted looking sideways, away from the gondola. The daytime observations of positive ions in the 29-34 km altitude range with SP, and of negative ions at 34 km with DP, show photoelectric contaminations induced by solar UV radiations in the 190-230 nm band. These contaminations are found to be due to photoemissions from the SP probe steel surface and from the carbon paint that coats the surface of the gondola, respectively. It is found that, a segment of the photocurrent contaminated I-V curve, recorded with SP at higher negative probe potentials, is linear, and it can give the ambient positive polar conductivity.

Nanofilms of hyaluronan/chitosan assembled layer-by-layer: An antibacterial surface for Xylella fastidiosa.

PubMed

Hernández-Montelongo, Jacobo; Nascimento, Vicente F; Murillo, Duber; Taketa, Thiago B; Sahoo, Prasana; de Souza, Alessandra A; Beppu, Marisa M; Cotta, Monica A

2016-01-20

In this work, nanofilms of hyaluronan/chitosan (HA/CHI) assembled layer by layer were synthesized; their application as a potential antimicrobial material was demonstrated for the phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa, a gram-negative bacterium, here used as a model. For the synthesis, the influence of pH and ionic strength of these natural polymer stem-solutions on final characteristics of the HA/CHI nanofilms was studied in detail. The antibacterial effect was evaluated using widefield fluorescence microscopy. These results were correlated with the chemical properties of the nanofilms, studied by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, as well as with their morphology and surface properties characterized using SEM and AFM. The present findings can be extended to design and optimize HA/CHI nanofilms with enhanced antimicrobial behavior for other type of phytopathogenic gram-negative bacteria species, such as Xanthomonas citri, Xanthomas campestri and Ralstonia solanacearum. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of chemical etching and aging in boiling water on the corrosion resistance of Nitinol wires with black oxide resulting from manufacturing process.

PubMed

Shabalovskaya, S; Rondelli, G; Anderegg, J; Simpson, B; Budko, S

2003-07-15

The effect of chemical etching in a HF/HNO(3) acid solution and aging in boiling water on the corrosion resistance of Nitinol wires with black oxide has been evaluated with the use of potentiodynamic, modified potentiostatic ASTM F746, and scratch tests. Scanning-electron microscopy, elemental XPS, and Auger analysis were employed to characterize surface alterations induced by surface treatment and corrosion testing. The effect of aging in boiling water on the temperatures of martensitic transformations and shape recovery was evaluated by means of measuring the wire electroresistance. After corrosion tests, as-received wires revealed uniformly cracked surfaces reminiscent of the stress-corrosion-cracking phenomenon. These wires exhibited negative breakdown potentials in potentiostatic tests and variable breakdown potentials in potentiodynamic tests (- 100 mV to + 400 mV versus SCE). Wires with treated surfaces did not reveal cracking or other traces of corrosion attacks in potentiodynamic tests up to + 900-1400-mV potentials and no pitting after stimulation at + 800 mV in potentiostatic tests. They exhibited corrosion behavior satisfactory for medical applications. Significant improvement of corrosion parameters was observed on the reverse scans in potentiodynamic tests after exposure of treated wires to potentials > 1000 mV. In scratch tests, the prepared surfaces repassivated only at low potentials, comparable to that of stainless steel. Tremendous improvement of the corrosion behavior of treated Nitinol wires is associated with the removal of defect surface material and the growth of stable TiO(2) oxide. The role of precipitates in the corrosion resistance of Nitinol-scratch repassivation capacity in particular-is emphasized in the discussion. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 66B: 331-340, 2003

R-Index Measure of Microencapsulated Tributyrin in Gamma-Cyclodextrin Influenced by Drying Method.

PubMed

Donovan, Joseph D; Lee, Soo-Yeun; Lee, Youngsoo

2016-09-01

Microencapsulation is commonly used in the food industry for a variety of purposes including added ingredient functionally and taste-masking for those ingredients with negative sensory qualities. Tributyrin (TB), a source intestinally-essential butyric acid, possesses negative aroma (cheesy, fecal) and taste (bitter) qualities. This has significantly limited its use in food applications for the potential improvement of intestinal health. Utilizing spray drying and low-temperature oven drying, microcapsules containing TB were produced using whey (WPI), WPI and inulin, and gamma-cyclodextrin (GCD). To determine how microcapsule formulation and drying method affected the perception of TB relative to a control, microencapsulated and free TB were added to an infant formula system and evaluated using the rating method to determine R-index measures. Pooled R-index measures (α = 0.01, 2-tailed, and n = 170) indicated that the only microcapsule not significantly different from the control (R-index below 57.95%) was the GCD and TB oven dried (GCT OD) microcapsule. All other WPI, WPI-inulin, and GCD and TB spray-dried (GCT SD) microcapsules were all significantly different from the control. Average individual R-index results indicated that all microcapsules in infant formula, except for GCT OD, were significantly different (P < 0.01) from the control formula but not from free TB. Spray drying may create microcapsules with surface TB and disturb the GCD-TB complex, allowing free, and surface TB to be perceived by the panelists. The GCT OD microcapsule has the potential to be used for the potential oral treatment of intestinal disorders in functional food applications without the negative sensory qualities of TB. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Physicochemical controls on absorbed water film thickness in unsaturated geological media

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

Tokunaga, T.

2011-06-14

Adsorbed water films commonly coat mineral surfaces in unsaturated soils and rocks, reducing flow and transport rates. Therefore, it is important to understand how adsorbed film thickness depends on matric potential, surface chemistry, and solution chemistry. Here, the problem of adsorbed water film thickness is examined through combining capillary scaling with the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. Novel aspects of this analysis include determining capillary influences on film thicknesses, and incorporating solution chemistry-dependent electrostatic potential at air-water interfaces. Capillary analysis of monodisperse packings of spherical grains provided estimated ranges of matric potentials where adsorbed films are stable, and showed that pendular ringsmore » within drained porous media retain most of the 'residual' water except under very low matric potentials. Within drained pores, capillary contributions to thinning of adsorbed films on spherical grains are shown to be small, such that DLVO calculations for flat surfaces are suitable approximations. Hamaker constants of common soil minerals were obtained to determine ranges of the dispersion component to matric potential-dependent film thickness. The pressure component associated with electrical double layer forces was estimated using the compression and linear superposition approximations. The pH-dependent electrical double layer pressure component is the dominant contribution to film thicknesses at intermediate values of matric potential, especially in lower ionic strength solutions (< 10 mol m{sup -3}) on surfaces with higher magnitude electrostatic potentials (more negative than - 50 mV). Adsorbed water films are predicted to usually range in thickness from 1 to 20 nm in drained pores and fractures of unsaturated environments.« less

Physicochemical controls on adsorbed water film thickness in unsaturated geological media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokunaga, Tetsu K.

2011-08-01

Adsorbed water films commonly coat mineral surfaces in unsaturated soils and rocks, reducing flow and transport rates. Therefore, it is important to understand how adsorbed film thickness depends on matric potential, surface chemistry, and solution chemistry. Here the problem of adsorbed water film thickness is examined by combining capillary scaling with the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. Novel aspects of this analysis include determining capillary influences on film thicknesses and incorporating solution chemistry-dependent electrostatic potential at air-water interfaces. Capillary analysis of monodisperse packings of spherical grains provided estimated ranges of matric potentials where adsorbed films are stable and showed that pendular rings within drained porous media retain most of the "residual" water except under very low matric potentials. Within drained pores, capillary contributions to thinning of adsorbed films on spherical grains are shown to be small, such that DLVO calculations for flat surfaces are suitable approximations. Hamaker constants of common soil minerals were obtained to determine ranges of the dispersion component to matric potential-dependent film thickness. The pressure component associated with electrical double-layer forces was estimated using the compression and linear superposition approximations. The pH-dependent electrical double-layer pressure component is the dominant contribution to film thicknesses at intermediate values of matric potential, especially in lower ionic strength solutions (<10 mol m-3) on surfaces with higher-magnitude electrostatic potentials (more negative than ≈-50 mV). Adsorbed water films are predicted to usually range in thickness from ≈1 to 20 nm in drained pores and fractures of unsaturated environments.

[Effect of porcelain firing cycle on microstructure and corrosion resistance of 4 metal ceramic alloys].

PubMed

Chen, Lei; Cai, Hui; Xu, Guo-fu; Fang, Chang-yun

2006-06-01

To determine the effect of porcelain firing cycle on microstructure of 4 metal ceramic alloys, and to analyze the changes of their corrosion resistance in the artificial saliva. We simulated the process of firing and repolishing when fabricating porcelain-fused-to-metal restoration in clinic,and then observed the microstructures of Ni-Cr, Ni-Cr-Ti, Co-Cr alloys and high gold alloy by field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The electrochemical corrosion behavior of alloys in artificial saliva was analyzed by polarization curves and corrview 2 corrosion analysis software. The data of self-corrosion potential and transpassive potential were obtained and analyzed. After the porcelain firing cycle, the surface composition changed slightly, and the morphological in the 3 predominate base metal alloys also changed. The self-corrosion potential turned to more negative, and the transpassive potential declined. The procedure of porcelain firing cycle can affect the surface microstructure and increase the corrosion of 4 metal-ceramic alloys.

Perchlorate adsorption and desorption on activated carbon and anion exchange resin.

PubMed

Yoon, In-Ho; Meng, Xiaoguang; Wang, Chao; Kim, Kyoung-Woong; Bang, Sunbaek; Choe, Eunyoung; Lippincott, Lee

2009-05-15

The mechanisms of perchlorate adsorption on activated carbon (AC) and anion exchange resin (SR-7 resin) were investigated using Raman, FTIR, and zeta potential analyses. Batch adsorption and desorption results demonstrated that the adsorption of perchlorate by AC and SR-7 resin was reversible. The reversibility of perchlorate adsorption by the resin was also proved by column regeneration test. Solution pH significantly affected perchlorate adsorption and the zeta potential of AC, while it did not influence perchlorate adsorption and the zeta potential of resin. Zeta potential measurements showed that perchlorate was adsorbed on the negatively charged AC surface. Raman spectra indicated the adsorption resulted in an obvious position shift of the perchlorate peak, suggesting that perchlorate was associated with functional groups on AC at neutral pH through interactions stronger than electrostatic interaction. The adsorbed perchlorate on the resin exhibited a Raman peak at similar position as the aqueous perchlorate, indicating that perchlorate was adsorbed on the resin through electrostatic attraction between the anion and positively charged surface sites.

Quantum Dynamics Study of the Potential Energy Minima Effect on Energy Efficiency for the F- + CH3Cl → FCH3 + Cl- Reaction.

PubMed

Li, Yida; Wang, Yuping; Wang, Dunyou

2017-04-13

The Polanyi rules on the energy efficiency on reactivity are summarized solely from the locations of barriers on the potential energy surfaces. Here, our quantum dynamics study for the F - + CH 3 Cl → FCH 3 + Cl - reaction shows that the two potential energy minima in the entrance channel on the potential energy surface play an essential role in energy efficiency on reactivity. The reactivity of this reaction is dominated by the low collision energies where two distinctive reaction mechanisms involve the two minima in the entrance channel. Overall, the Cl-CH 3 stretching motion and C-H 3 umbrella motion both are more efficient than the translational motion in promoting this reaction. Although this reaction has a negative energy barrier, our study shows that it is the minima in the entrance channel, together with the energy barrier relative to these minima, that determine the energy efficacy on reactivity.

Composition and potential origin of marine debris stranded in the Western Indian Ocean on remote Alphonse Island, Seychelles.

PubMed

Duhec, Aurélie V; Jeanne, Richard F; Maximenko, Nikolai; Hafner, Jan

2015-07-15

The abundance, composition, and potential sources of marine debris were investigated on remote Alphonse Island, during the austral winter 2013. A total of 4743 items, weighing 142 kg, were removed from 1 km of windward beach, facing the prevailing southeasterly trade winds. Our study demonstrates the prevalence of plastic debris as a world-wide marine contaminant. Characteristics of the debris suggest it originated primarily from land-based sources. To determine their potential geographic sources we used the Surface Current from Diagnostic model of near-surface ocean currents, forced by satellite sea level and wind data. While preliminary evidence indicated the Southeast Asia to be the main source of the flotsam, the model highlighted Somalia as another potential primary source. Our study concludes that most of the collected debris entered the sea as a result of inadequate waste management and demonstrates how anthropogenic waste can negatively impact even the most remote environments. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Weak competing interactions control assembly of strongly bonded TCNQ ionic acceptor molecules on silver surfaces

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

Park, Changwon; Rojas, Geoffrey A.; Jeon, Seokmin

2014-09-19

The energy scales of interactions that control molecular adsorption and assembly on surfaces can vary by several orders of magnitude, yet the importance of each contributing interaction is not apparent a priori. Tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) is an archetypal electron acceptor molecule and it is a key component of organic metals. On metal surfaces, this molecule also acts as an electron acceptor, producing negatively charged adsorbates. It is therefore rather intriguing to observe attractive molecular interactions in this system that were reported previously for copper and silver surfaces. In this paper, our experiments compared TCNQ adsorption on noble metal surfaces of Ag(100)more » and Ag(111). In both cases we found net attractive interactions down to the lowest coverage. However, the morphology of the assemblies was strikingly different, with two-dimensional islands on Ag(100) and one-dimensional chains on Ag(111) surfaces. This observation suggests that the registry effect governed by the molecular interaction with the underlying lattice potential is critical in determining the dimensionality of the molecular assembly. Using first-principles density functional calculations with a van der Waals correction scheme, we revealed that the strengths of major interactions (i.e., lattice potential corrugation, intermolecular attraction, and charge-transfer-induced repulsion) are all similar in energy. The van der Waals interactions, in particular, almost double the strength of attractive interactions, making the intermolecular potential comparable in strength to the diffusion potential and promoting self-assembly. However, it is the anisotropy of local intermolecular interactions that is primarily responsible for the difference in the topology of the molecular islands on Ag(100) and Ag(111) surfaces. Finally, we anticipate that the intermolecular potential will become more attractive and dominant over the diffusion potential with increasing molecular size, providing new design strategies for the structure and charge transfer within molecular layers.« less

Antibacterial surface design - Contact kill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Rajbir; Liu, Song

2016-08-01

Designing antibacterial surfaces has become extremely important to minimize Healthcare Associated Infections which are a major cause of mortality worldwide. A previous biocide-releasing approach is based on leaching of encapsulated biocides such as silver and triclosan which exerts negative impacts on the environment and potentially contributes to the development of bacterial resistance. This drawback of leachable compounds led to the shift of interest towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach: contact-killing surfaces. Biocides that can be bound onto surfaces to give the substrates contact-active antibacterial activity include quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), quaternary phosphoniums (QPs), carbon nanotubes, antibacterial peptides, and N-chloramines. Among the above, QACs and N-chloramines are the most researched contact-active biocides. We review the engineering of contact-active surfaces using QACs or N-chloramines, the modes of actions as well as the test methods. The charge-density threshold of cationic surfaces for desired antibacterial efficacy and attempts to combine various biocides for the generation of new contact-active surfaces are discussed in detail. Surface positive charge density is identified as a key parameter to define antibacterial efficacy. We expect that this research field will continue to attract more research interest in view of the potential impact of self-disinfective surfaces on healthcare-associated infections, food safety and corrosion/fouling resistance required on industrial surfaces such as oil pipes and ship hulls.

Energy levels of a quantum particle on a cylindrical surface with non-circular cross-section in electric and magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz, Philip Christopher S.; Bernardo, Reginald Christian S.; Esguerra, Jose Perico H.

2017-04-01

We calculate the energy levels of a quantum particle on a cylindrical surface with non-circular cross-section in uniform electric and magnetic fields. Using separation of variables method and a change of independent variable, we show that the problem can be reduced to a one-dimensional Schrödinger equation for a periodic potential. The effects of varying the shape of the cross-section while keeping the same perimeter and the strengths of the electric and magnetic fields are investigated for elliptical, corrugated, and nearly-rectangular tubes with radial dimensions of the order of a nanometer. The geometric potential has minima at the angular positions where there is a significant amount of curvature. For the elliptical and corrugated tubes, it is shown that as the tube departs from the circular shape of cross-section the double-degeneracy between the energy levels is lifted. For the nearly-rectangular tube, it is shown that energy level crossings occur as the horizontal dimension of the tube is varied while keeping the same perimeter and radius of circular corners. The interplay between the curvature and the strength of the electric and magnetic fields determines the overall behavior of the energy levels. As the strength of the electric field increases, the overall potential gets skewed creating a potential well on the side corresponding to the more negative electric potential. The energy levels of the first few excited states approach more positive values while the ground state energy level approaches a more negative value. For large electric fields, all bound state energy levels tend to more negative values. The contribution of weak magnetic fields to the overall potential behaves in the same way as the electric field contribution but with its sign depending on the direction of the component of the momentum parallel to the cylindrical axis. Large magnetic fields lead to pairing of energy levels reminiscent of 2D Landau levels for the elliptical and nearly-rectangular tubes.

Energy levels of a quantum particle on a cylindrical surface with non-circular cross-section in electric and magnetic fields

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

Cruz, Philip Christopher S., E-mail: pscruz1@up.edu.ph; Bernardo, Reginald Christian S., E-mail: rcbernardo@nip.upd.edu.ph; Esguerra, Jose Perico H., E-mail: jesguerra@nip.upd.edu.ph

We calculate the energy levels of a quantum particle on a cylindrical surface with non-circular cross-section in uniform electric and magnetic fields. Using separation of variables method and a change of independent variable, we show that the problem can be reduced to a one-dimensional Schrödinger equation for a periodic potential. The effects of varying the shape of the cross-section while keeping the same perimeter and the strengths of the electric and magnetic fields are investigated for elliptical, corrugated, and nearly-rectangular tubes with radial dimensions of the order of a nanometer. The geometric potential has minima at the angular positions wheremore » there is a significant amount of curvature. For the elliptical and corrugated tubes, it is shown that as the tube departs from the circular shape of cross-section the double-degeneracy between the energy levels is lifted. For the nearly-rectangular tube, it is shown that energy level crossings occur as the horizontal dimension of the tube is varied while keeping the same perimeter and radius of circular corners. The interplay between the curvature and the strength of the electric and magnetic fields determines the overall behavior of the energy levels. As the strength of the electric field increases, the overall potential gets skewed creating a potential well on the side corresponding to the more negative electric potential. The energy levels of the first few excited states approach more positive values while the ground state energy level approaches a more negative value. For large electric fields, all bound state energy levels tend to more negative values. The contribution of weak magnetic fields to the overall potential behaves in the same way as the electric field contribution but with its sign depending on the direction of the component of the momentum parallel to the cylindrical axis. Large magnetic fields lead to pairing of energy levels reminiscent of 2D Landau levels for the elliptical and nearly-rectangular tubes.« less

Photoinduced Br Desorption from CsBr Thin Films Grown on Cu(100)

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

Halliday, Matthew T.; Joly, Alan G.; Hess, Wayne P.

2015-10-22

Thin films of CsBr deposited onto metals such as copper are potential photocathode materials for light sources and other applications. We investigate desorption dynamics of Br atoms from CsBr films grown on insulator (KBr, LiF) and metal (Cu) substrates induced by sub-bandgap 6.4 eV laser pulses. The experimental results demonstrate that the peak kinetic energy of Br atoms desorbed from CsBr/Cu films is much lower than that for the hyperthermal desorption from CsBr/LiF films. Kelvin probe measurements indicate negative charge at the surface following Br desorption from CsBr/Cu films. Our ab initio calculations of excitons at CsBr surfaces demonstrate thatmore » this behavior can be explained by an exciton model of desorption including electron trapping at the CsBr surface. Trapped negative charges reduce the energy of surface excitons available for Br desorption. We examine the electron-trapping characteristics of low-coordinated sites at the surface, in particular, divacancies and kink sites. We also provide a model of cation desorption caused by Franck-Hertz excitation of F centers at the surface in the course of irradiation of CsBr/Cu films. These results provide new insights into the mechanisms of photoinduced structural evolution of alkali halide films on metal substrates and activation of metal photocathodes coated with CsBr.« less

A multi-directional in vitro investigation into friction, damage and wear of innovative chondroplasty materials against articular cartilage.

PubMed

Northwood, Ewen; Fisher, John

2007-08-01

The wear of the biomaterial/cartilage interface is vital for the development of innovative chondroplasty therapies. The aim of this study was to investigate potential chondroplasty biomaterials when sliding against natural articular cartilage under uniaxial reciprocating and multi-directional rotation/reciprocating motions. Three biphasic hydrogels were compared to articular cartilage (negative control) and stainless steel (positive control). Friction was measured by means of a simple geometry friction and wear simulator. All tests were completed in 25% bovine serum at 20 degrees C. Mechanical alterations to the surface structure were quantified using surface topography. Articular cartilage produced a constant friction value of 0.05 (confidence interval=0.015) with and without rotation. Stainless steel against articular cartilage produced an increase in friction over time resulting in a peak value of 0.7 (confidence interval=0.02) without rotation, increasing to 0.88 (confidence interval=0.03) with rotation. All biphasic hydrogels produced peak friction values lower than the positive control and demonstrated no difference between uni- and multi-directional motion. Degradation of the opposing cartilage surface showed a significant difference between the positive and negative controls, with the greater cartilage damage when sliding against stainless steel under uni-directional motion. The lower friction and reduction of opposing cartilage surface degradation with the potential chondroplasty biomaterials can be attributed to their biphasic properties. This study illustrated the importance of biphasic properties within the tribology of cartilage substitution materials and future work will focus on the optimisation of biphasic properties such that materials more closely mimic natural cartilage.

Effects of applying anchovy (Stolephorus insularis) substrates on the microhardness of tooth enamel in Sprague-Dawley rats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendrik, Y. C.; Puspitawati, R.; Gunawan, H. A.

2017-08-01

Anchovies (Stolephorus insularis) contain high levels of fluor in the form of CaF2. The aim of this study is to analyze changes in tooth enamel microhardness after application of anchovy substrates by feeding or as a topical fluoridation material. An in vivo study of the lower left incisors of nine Sprague-Dawley rats was conducted. The sample was comprised of baseline and treatment groups, including feeding application, topical application, negative control feeding, and negative control topical groups. The treatment groups were given 5% anchovy substrates through feeding and topical applications. After treatment, tooth samples were extracted from each of the rats for examination, and statistical analyses were performed after determining hardness numbers for enamel surfaces using Vickers microhardness tester. Vickers hardness numbers (VHNs) for anchovy substrate application and consumption by feeding (440.3 ± 24.72) were higher than for the negative control (315.80 ± 17.51). VHNs for the topical application group were higher than for the negative control (347.28 ± 28.56) and for the feeding group. The use of anchovy as a fluoridation material in form of topical application is potentially an effective method for increasing the microhardness of the tooth enamel surface

Assessment of the Extent of Land Deformation Associated with Salt Domes within the Jazan City and Surroundings, Saudi Arabia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pankratz, H. G.; Sultan, M.; Fathy, K.; AlMogren, S. M.; Harbi, H.; Sefry, S.; Emil, M.; Elkadiri, R.; Ahmed, M.; Othman, A.; Chouinard, K.

2016-12-01

The Jazan city in the Jazan Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a vibrant and rapidly growing economic center and port. The old city of Jazan is centered over a salt dome (diaper) that crops out over an area, 3-4 km wide and 20 to 40 m above surroundings. The intrusion of the diaper into the overlying cap rock causes uneven surfaces, compromises building foundations, and causes infrastructural problems. Our study is aimed at the assessment of the salt dome-related land deformation. Using observations acquired over known locations of salt domes in Jazan and neighboring Farsan Islands, we identified criteria by which previously unidentified, near-surface salt domes, could be mapped. The selected criteria and/or applied methodologies included: (1) deformation over potential salt dome locations detected from Envisat, ERS-2, and Sentinel-1 scenes using the Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers [StaMPs] and SARscape software. Uplift rates of about 3 mm/yr were observed over the salt dome outcrop in Jazan with increasing rates towards the center, indicating continuous rise of the salt diaper. (2) Local elevation highs over potential, near surface, salt dome intrusions observed in high spatial resolution (12.5 m), PALSAR digital elevation model (DEM). The elevation the Jazan dome is 45m high, whereas its surroundings are 15-30m high. (3) Negative Bouguer gravity anomalies over potential salt dome locations (Bouguer maps generated from 714 m interval airborne gravity data). Negative Bouguer anomalies were observed over the salt domes in Jazan (-3 mGal) and in Farsan (-30 mGal). (4) Boundaries of the potential salt domes extracted from zero tilt contour values on tilt derivative maps. (5) Shallow (< 2km) modeled depth to identified potential salt dome locations (software: Grav2dc 2-D modeling software). Zero contour values and 2-D modeling was used to identify the location and depth of the source anomaly (depth: Jazan = 0 m). (6) Spatial correlation (in a GIS platform) of observations extracted from remote sensing, geophysical, GPS, and DEM datasets (items 1 through 5). Eight previously unidentified locations of potential near-surface salt domes were identified along the Red Sea coastline within the scene extent, five of which were north of the salt dome outcrop and three to the south.

Piezoelectric modulation of surface voltage in GaN and AlGaN/GaN: charge screening effects and 2DEG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Marshall; Schrayer, Bret; Savtchouk, Alexandre; Hillard, Bob; Lagowski, Jacek

2017-02-01

Surface voltage response to pulses of piezoelectric polarization is measured with a Kelvin-probe providing a unique means for investigation of the dynamics of polarization induced sheet charge and 2DEG. Combined with biasing of the surface with a corona-deposited charge from accumulation to deep depletion and corresponding non-contact C-V type characterization, the technique identifies surface band bending and interface traps as key factors that affect the magnitude and time decay of piezoelectric polarization. For 2DEG structures, surface potential pinning is observed when the 2DEG is fully populated. Pinning is released by negative corona charging to fully deplete the 2DEG. These results are consistent with the role of surface states. Presently demonstrated polarization modulation and wafer scale measurements shall impact the in-depth characterization and fundamental understanding of AlGaN/GaN 2DEG structures.

Solar Wind Access to Lunar Polar Craters: Feedback Between Surface Charging and Plasma Expansion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, M. I.; Farrell, W. M.; Stubbs, T. J.; Halekas, J. S.; Jackson, T. L.

2011-01-01

Determining the plasma environment within permanently shadowed lunar craters is critical to understanding local processes such as surface charging, electrostatic dust transport, volatile sequestration, and space weathering. In order to investigate the nature of this plasma environment, the first two-dimensional kinetic simulations of solar wind expansion into a lunar crater with a self-consistent plasma-surface interaction have been undertaken. The present results reveal how the plasma expansion into a crater couples with the electrically-charged lunar surface to produce a quasi-steady wake structure. In particular, there is a negative feedback between surface charging and ambipolar wake potential that allows an equilibrium to be achieved, with secondary electron emission strongly moderating the process. A range of secondary electron yields is explored, and two distinct limits are highlighted in which either surface charging or ambipoiar expansion is responsible for determining the overall wake structure.

Validation of a Laboratory Method for Evaluating Dynamic Properties of Reconstructed Equine Racetrack Surfaces

PubMed Central

Setterbo, Jacob J.; Chau, Anh; Fyhrie, Patricia B.; Hubbard, Mont; Upadhyaya, Shrini K.; Symons, Jennifer E.; Stover, Susan M.

2012-01-01

Background Racetrack surface is a risk factor for racehorse injuries and fatalities. Current research indicates that race surface mechanical properties may be influenced by material composition, moisture content, temperature, and maintenance. Race surface mechanical testing in a controlled laboratory setting would allow for objective evaluation of dynamic properties of surface and factors that affect surface behavior. Objective To develop a method for reconstruction of race surfaces in the laboratory and validate the method by comparison with racetrack measurements of dynamic surface properties. Methods Track-testing device (TTD) impact tests were conducted to simulate equine hoof impact on dirt and synthetic race surfaces; tests were performed both in situ (racetrack) and using laboratory reconstructions of harvested surface materials. Clegg Hammer in situ measurements were used to guide surface reconstruction in the laboratory. Dynamic surface properties were compared between in situ and laboratory settings. Relationships between racetrack TTD and Clegg Hammer measurements were analyzed using stepwise multiple linear regression. Results Most dynamic surface property setting differences (racetrack-laboratory) were small relative to surface material type differences (dirt-synthetic). Clegg Hammer measurements were more strongly correlated with TTD measurements on the synthetic surface than the dirt surface. On the dirt surface, Clegg Hammer decelerations were negatively correlated with TTD forces. Conclusions Laboratory reconstruction of racetrack surfaces guided by Clegg Hammer measurements yielded TTD impact measurements similar to in situ values. The negative correlation between TTD and Clegg Hammer measurements confirms the importance of instrument mass when drawing conclusions from testing results. Lighter impact devices may be less appropriate for assessing dynamic surface properties compared to testing equipment designed to simulate hoof impact (TTD). Potential Relevance Dynamic impact properties of race surfaces can be evaluated in a laboratory setting, allowing for further study of factors affecting surface behavior under controlled conditions. PMID:23227183

Initiation of arcing on tungsten surface exposed to steady state He plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajita, Shin; Noiri, Yasuyuki; Ohno, Noriyasu

2015-09-01

Arcing was initiated in steady state helium plasmas by negatively biasing a tungsten electrode to around -500 V. On the tungsten electrode, nanostructures were grown by the plasma irradiation. In this study, we characterized the property of the initiated arcing by measuring the temporal evolutions of the electrode potential and the arc current. The ignition frequency and duration of arcing were presented from the potential measurements; the arc duration was in the range of <10 ms and the distribution altered when changing the biasing voltage. The behavior of arc spots was observed with a fast framing camera. It was shown that the spots split frequently, and sometimes, they run on the surface independently. From the fluctuation of the arc current, the fractal feature of arcing was revealed.

Potential-dependent recombination kinetics of photogenerated electrons in n- and p-type GaN photoelectrodes studied by time-resolved IR absorption spectroscopy.

PubMed

Yamakata, Akira; Yoshida, Masaaki; Kubota, Jun; Osawa, Masatoshi; Domen, Kazunari

2011-07-27

Recombination kinetics of photogenerated electrons in n-type and p-type GaN photoelectrodes active for H(2) and O(2) evolution, respectively, from water was examined by time-resolved IR absorption (TR-IR) spectroscopy. Illumination of a GaN film with UV pulse (355 nm and 6 ns in duration) gives transient interference spectra in both transmittance and reflection modes. Simulation shows that the interference spectra are caused by photogenerated electrons. We observed that recombination in the microsecond region is greatly affected by the applied potentials, the lifetime becoming longer at negative and positive potentials for n- and p-type GaN electrodes, respectively. There is a good correlation between potential dependence of the steady-state reaction efficiency and that of the number of surviving electrons in the millisecond region. We also performed potential jump measurement to examine the shift in Fermi level by photogenerated charge carriers. In the case of n-type GaN, the electrode potential jumps to the negative side by accumulation of electrons in the bulk. However, in the case of p-type GaN, the electrode potential first jumps to the negative side within 20 μs and gradually shifts to the positive side in a few milliseconds, while the number of charge carriers is constant at >0.2 ms. This two-step process is ascribed to electron transport from the bulk to the surface of GaN, because the electrode potential is sensitive to the number of electrons in the bulk. The results confirm that TR-IR combined with potential jump measurement provides useful information for understanding the behavior of charge carriers in photoelectrochemical systems.

LUNAR SURFACE AND DUST GRAIN POTENTIALS DURING THE EARTH’S MAGNETOSPHERE CROSSING

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

Vaverka, J.; Richterová, I.; Pavlu, J.

2016-07-10

Interaction between the lunar surface and the solar UV radiation and surrounding plasma environment leads to its charging by different processes like photoemission, collection of charged particles, or secondary electron emission (SEE). Whereas the photoemission depends only on the angle between the surface and direction to the Sun and varies only slowly, plasma parameters can change rapidly as the Moon orbits around the Earth. This paper presents numerical simulations of one Moon pass through the magnetospheric tail including the real plasma parameters measured by THEMIS as an input. The calculations are concentrated on different charges of the lunar surface itselfmore » and a dust grain lifted above this surface. Our estimations show that (1) the SEE leads to a positive charging of parts of the lunar surface even in the magnetosphere, where a high negative potential is expected; (2) the SEE is generally more important for isolated dust grains than for the lunar surface covered by these grains; and (3) the time constant of charging of dust grains depends on their diameter being of the order of hours for sub-micrometer grains. In view of these results, we discuss the conditions under which and the areas where a levitation of the lifted dust grains could be observed.« less

Synergistic influence of polyoxometalate surface corona towards enhancing the antibacterial performance of tyrosine-capped Ag nanoparticles.

PubMed

Daima, Hemant K; Selvakannan, P R; Kandjani, Ahmad E; Shukla, Ravi; Bhargava, Suresh K; Bansal, Vipul

2014-01-21

We illustrate a new strategy to improve the antibacterial potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by their surface modification with the surface corona of biologically active polyoxometalates (POMs). The stable POM surface corona was achieved by utilising zwitterionic tyrosine amino acid as a pH-switchable reducing and capping agent of AgNPs. The general applicability of this approach was demonstrated by developing surface coronas of phosphotungstic acid (PTA) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) around AgNPs. Our investigations on Gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli demonstrate that in conjugation with AgNPs, the surface corona of POMs enhances the physical damage to the bacterial cells due to synergistic antibacterial action of AgNPs and POMs, and the ability of tyrosine-reduced AgNPs (AgNPs(Y)) to act as an excellent carrier and stabiliser for the POMs. The further extension of this study towards Gram positive bacterium Staphylococcus albus showed a similar toxicity pattern, whereas these nanomaterials were found to be biocompatible for PC3 epithelial mammalian cells, suggesting the potential of these materials towards specific antimicrobial targeting for topical wound healing applications. The outcomes of this work show that facile tailorability of nanostructured surfaces may play a considerable role in controlling the biological activities of different nanomaterials.

Use of a chemical equilibrium model to describe surface properties and uptake of cadmium, strontium, and lead by Chlorella (UTEX 252)

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

Hassett, J.M.

1988-01-01

Metal-aquatic biota interactions are important in both natural and engineered systems. In this study, the uptake of cadmium, strontium and lead by the unicellular green alga Chlorella (UTEX 252) was investigated. Variables included metal concentration, pH, and ionic strength. Data gathered included dry weights (mg/l), cell counts (cells/ml), electrophoretic mobilities (EPMs, {mu}m/sec/V/cm) of metal-free and metal-exposed cells, and metal uptake - difference in concentration in filtrate of cell-metal and cell-free metal solutions. Derived data included cell volumes and surface area, uptake on a {mu}M/m{sup 2} basis, {zeta}-potentials, diffuse layer potentials and charge densities. Typical uptake values were 1.1, 5.2, andmore » 6 {mu}M/m{sup 2} for Cd, Pb, and Sr, respectively, from solutions of pH 6, ionic strength 0.02M, and metal concentration 10{sup {minus}4} M. Cell EPMs were insensitive to metal; under certain conditions, however, (pM > 4, pH > 8), cadmium exposed cells exhibited a reversal in surface charge from negative to positive. The chemical equilibrium model MINEQL1 + STANFORD was used to model algal surface properties and metal uptake. Input data included site pK, density, and {Delta}pK, estimated from EPM-pH data. The model described surface properties of Chlorella (UTEX 252) as judged by a close fit of {zeta}-potentials and model-derived diffuse layer potentials. Metal uptake was modelled by adjusting site density and/or metal-surface site equilibrium constants. Attempts to model surface properties and metal uptake simultaneously were not successful.« less

[Linking optical properties of dissolved organic matter with NDMA formation potential in the Huangpu River].

PubMed

Dong, Qian-Qian; Zhang, Ai; Li, Yong-Mei; Chen, Ling; Huang, Qing-Hui

2014-03-01

Surface water samples from the Huangpu River were filtered to measure the UV absorption and fluorescence spectrum. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), and its formation potential (NDMA-FP) were also analyzed to explore relationships between the properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the formation potential of disinfection byproducts-NDMA in the Huangpu River. The study found that: NDMA-FP concentration increased with the increasing of DOC concentration (r = 0.487, P < 0.01), but it had negative relationships with SUVA254 and HIX (r = -0.605, P < 0.01; r = -0.396, P < 0.01). NDMA-FP concentration had positive relationships with the fluorescence intensity of protein-like substances such as low-molecular-weight (LMW) tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like substances (r = 0.421, P < 0.01; r = 0.426, P < 0.01), but had a negative relationship with humic-like substance (r = -0.422, P < 0.01). Therefore, NDMA formation potential increases with the increasing DOM content in the Huangpu River, which is significantly related with the protein-like substances, but decreases with the increasing aromaticity and humification of DOM.

Differential effects of DEAE negative mode chromatography and gel-filtration chromatography on the charge status of Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein

PubMed Central

Pan, Timothy; Tzeng, Huey-Fen

2017-01-01

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein (HP-NAP) is involved in H. pylori-associated gastric inflammation. HP-NAP is also a vaccine candidate, a possible drug target, and a potential diagnostic marker for H. pylori-associated diseases. Previously, we purified recombinant HP-NAP by one-step diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) negative mode chromatography by collecting the unbound fraction at pH 8.0 at 4°C. It remains unclear why HP-NAP does not bind to DEAE resins at the pH above its isoelectric point during the purification. To investigate how pH affects the surface net charge of HP-NAP and its binding to DEAE resins during the purification, recombinant HP-NAP expressed in Escherichia coli was subjected to DEAE negative mode chromatography at pH ranging from 7.0 to 9.0 at 25°C and the surface charge of purified HP-NAP was determined by capillary electrophoresis. A minimal amount of HP-NAP was detected in the elution fraction of DEAE Sepharose resin at pH 8.5, whereas recombinant HP-NAP was detected in the elution fraction of DEAE Sephadex resin only at pH 7.0 and 8.0. The purified recombinant HP-NAP obtained from the unbound fractions was not able to bind to DEAE resins at pH 7.0 to 9.0. In addition, the surface charge of the purified HP-NAP was neutral at pH 7.0 to 8.0 and was either neutral or slightly negative at pH 8.5 and 9.0. However, recombinant HP-NAP purified from gel-filtration chromatography was able to bind to DEAE Sepharose resin at pH 7.0 to 9.0 and DEAE Sephadex resin at pH 7.0. At pH 8.5 and 9.0, only the negatively charged species of HP-NAP were found. Thus, recombinant HP-NAP with different charge status can be differentially purified by DEAE negative mode chromatography and gel-filtration chromatography. Furthermore, the charge distribution on the surface of HP-NAP, the presence of impure proteins, and the overall net charge of the resins all affect the binding of HP-NAP to DEAE resins during the negative purification. PMID:28328957

Differential effects of DEAE negative mode chromatography and gel-filtration chromatography on the charge status of Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein.

PubMed

Hong, Zhi-Wei; Yang, Yu-Chi; Pan, Timothy; Tzeng, Huey-Fen; Fu, Hua-Wen

2017-01-01

Helicobacter pylori neutrophil-activating protein (HP-NAP) is involved in H. pylori-associated gastric inflammation. HP-NAP is also a vaccine candidate, a possible drug target, and a potential diagnostic marker for H. pylori-associated diseases. Previously, we purified recombinant HP-NAP by one-step diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) negative mode chromatography by collecting the unbound fraction at pH 8.0 at 4°C. It remains unclear why HP-NAP does not bind to DEAE resins at the pH above its isoelectric point during the purification. To investigate how pH affects the surface net charge of HP-NAP and its binding to DEAE resins during the purification, recombinant HP-NAP expressed in Escherichia coli was subjected to DEAE negative mode chromatography at pH ranging from 7.0 to 9.0 at 25°C and the surface charge of purified HP-NAP was determined by capillary electrophoresis. A minimal amount of HP-NAP was detected in the elution fraction of DEAE Sepharose resin at pH 8.5, whereas recombinant HP-NAP was detected in the elution fraction of DEAE Sephadex resin only at pH 7.0 and 8.0. The purified recombinant HP-NAP obtained from the unbound fractions was not able to bind to DEAE resins at pH 7.0 to 9.0. In addition, the surface charge of the purified HP-NAP was neutral at pH 7.0 to 8.0 and was either neutral or slightly negative at pH 8.5 and 9.0. However, recombinant HP-NAP purified from gel-filtration chromatography was able to bind to DEAE Sepharose resin at pH 7.0 to 9.0 and DEAE Sephadex resin at pH 7.0. At pH 8.5 and 9.0, only the negatively charged species of HP-NAP were found. Thus, recombinant HP-NAP with different charge status can be differentially purified by DEAE negative mode chromatography and gel-filtration chromatography. Furthermore, the charge distribution on the surface of HP-NAP, the presence of impure proteins, and the overall net charge of the resins all affect the binding of HP-NAP to DEAE resins during the negative purification.

Binding of plasma proteins to titanium dioxide nanotubes with different diameters

PubMed Central

Kulkarni, Mukta; Flašker, Ajda; Lokar, Maruša; Mrak-Poljšak, Katjuša; Mazare, Anca; Artenjak, Andrej; Čučnik, Saša; Kralj, Slavko; Velikonja, Aljaž; Schmuki, Patrik; Kralj-Iglič, Veronika; Sodin-Semrl, Snezna; Iglič, Aleš

2015-01-01

Titanium and titanium alloys are considered to be one of the most applicable materials in medical devices because of their suitable properties, most importantly high corrosion resistance and the specific combination of strength with biocompatibility. In order to improve the biocompatibility of titanium surfaces, the current report initially focuses on specifying the topography of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes (NTs) by electrochemical anodization. The zeta potential (ζ-potential) of NTs showed a negative value and confirmed the agreement between the measured and theoretically predicted dependence of ζ-potential on salt concentration, whereby the absolute value of ζ-potential diminished with increasing salt concentrations. We investigated binding of various plasma proteins with different sizes and charges using the bicinchoninic acid assay and immunofluorescence microscopy. Results showed effective and comparatively higher protein binding to NTs with 100 nm diameters (compared to 50 or 15 nm). We also showed a dose-dependent effect of serum amyloid A protein binding to NTs. These results and theoretical calculations of total available surface area for binding of proteins indicate that the largest surface area (also considering the NT lengths) is available for 100 nm NTs, with decreasing surface area for 50 and 15 nm NTs. These current investigations will have an impact on increasing the binding ability of biomedical devices in the body leading to increased durability of biomedical devices. PMID:25733829

Surface colonized silver nano particles over chitosan poly-electrolyte micro-spheres and their multi-functional behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, B.; Asha, S.; Nimrodh Ananth, A.; Vanithakumari, G.; Okram, G. S.; Jose, Sujin P.; Jothi Rajan, M. A.

2018-02-01

Chitosan/tripolyphosphate polyelectrolyte (TPP) microspheres, decorated and surface functionalized with silver nanoparticles (NPs) of average diameter of 15 nm, were synthesized following a simple two-step procedure. These Ag NP-functionalized polyelectrolyte microspheres (Ag-CSPMs) are found to be biocompatible and enhancing the reactive oxygen species in curcumin with excellent anti-bacterial activity for selected Gram-positive and negative bacterial strains, making them much attractive relative to bare surface counterparts; the well-stabilized silver NPs do not form any agglomerations on the surface of the chitosan microspheres. They also show excellent cytotoxic behavior towards MCF7 cell lines, showing a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 32 μg ml-1. Therefore, Ag-CSPMs exhibit multi-functional ability having potential towards theranostics applications.

A study on air bubble wetting: Role of surface wettability, surface tension, and ionic surfactants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Jijo Easo; Chidangil, Santhosh; George, Sajan D.

2017-07-01

Fabrication of hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces by biomimicking nature has attracted significant attention recently due to their potential usage in technologies, ranging from self-cleaning to DNA condensation. Despite the potential applications, compared to surfaces of tailored wettability, less attention has been paid towards development and understanding of air bubble adhesion and its dynamics on surfaces with varying wettability. In this manuscript, following the commonly used approach of oxygen plasma treatment, polydimethylsiloxane surfaces with tunable wettability are prepared. The role of plasma treatment conditions on the surface hydrophilicity and the consequent effect on adhesion dynamics of an underwater air bubble is explored for the first time. The ATR-FTIR spectroscopic analysis reveals that the change in hydrophilicity arises from the chemical modification of the surface, manifested as Si-OH vibrations in the spectra. The thickness of the formed thin liquid film at the surface responsible for the experimentally observed air bubble repellency is estimated from the augmented Young-Laplace equation. The concentration dependent studies using cationic as well as anionic surfactant elucidate that the reduced surface tension of the aqueous solution results in a stable thicker film and causes non-adherence of air bubble to the aerophilic surface. Furthermore, the study carried out to understand the combined effect of plasma treatment and surfactants reveals that even below critical micelle concentration, a negatively charged surface results in air bubble repellency for the anionic surfactant, whereas only enhanced air bubble contact angle is observed for the cationic surfactant.

Electrokinetic motion of a spherical micro particle at an oil-water interface in microchannel.

PubMed

Wang, Chengfa; Li, Mengqi; Song, Yongxin; Pan, Xinxiang; Li, Dongqing

2018-03-01

The electrokinetic motion of a negatively charged spherical particle at an oil-water interface in a microchannel is numerically investigated and analyzed in this paper. A three-dimensional (3D) transient numerical model is developed to simulate the particle electrokinetic motion. The channel wall, the surface of the particle and the oil-water interface are all considered negatively charged. The effects of the direct current (DC) electric field, the zeta potentials of the particle-water interface and the oil-water interface, and the dynamic viscosity ratio of oil to water on the velocity of the particle are studied in this paper. In addition, the influences of the particle size are also discussed. The simulation results show that the micro-particle with a small value of negative zeta potential moves in the same direction of the external electric field. However, if the zeta potential value of the particle-water interface is large enough, the moving direction of the particle is opposite to that of the electric field. The velocity of the particle at the interface increases with the increase in the electric field strength and the particle size, but decreases with the increase in the dynamic viscosity ratio of oil to water, and the absolute value of the negative zeta potentials of both the particle-water interface and the oil-water interface. This work is the first numerical study of the electrokinetic motion of a charged particle at an oil-water interface in a microchannel. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Analysis of the present and future winter Pacific-North American teleconnection in the ECHAM5 global and RegCM3 regional climate models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allan, Andrea M.; Hostetler, Steven W.; Alder, Jay R.

2014-01-01

We use the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis (NCEP) and the MPI/ECHAM5 general circulation model to drive the RegCM3 regional climate model to assess the ability of the models to reproduce the spatiotemporal aspects of the Pacific-North American teleconnection (PNA) pattern. Composite anomalies of the NCEP-driven RegCM3 simulations for 1982–2000 indicate that the regional model is capable of accurately simulating the key features (500-hPa heights, surface temperature, and precipitation) of the positive and negative phases of the PNA with little loss of information in the downscaling process. The basic structure of the PNA is captured in both the ECHAM5 global and ECHAM5-driven RegCM3 simulations. The 1950–2000 ECHAM5 simulation displays similar temporal and spatial variability in the PNA index as that of NCEP; however, the magnitudes of the positive and negative phases are weaker than those of NCEP. The RegCM3 simulations clearly differentiate the climatology and associated anomalies of snow water equivalent and soil moisture of the positive and negative PNA phases. In the RegCM3 simulations of the future (2050–2100), changes in the location and extent of the Aleutian low and the continental high over North America alter the dominant flow patterns associated with positive and negative PNA modes. The future projections display a shift in the patterns of the relationship between the PNA and surface climate variables, which suggest the potential for changes in the PNA-related surface hydrology of North America.

Model simulations of the adsorption of statherin to solid surfaces: Effects of surface charge and hydrophobicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skepö, M.

2008-11-01

The structural properties of the salivary protein statherin upon adsorption have been examined using a coarse-grained model and Monte Carlo simulation. A simple model system with focus on electrostatic interactions and short-ranged attractions among the uncharged amino acids has been used. To mimic hydrophobically modified surfaces, an extra short-ranged interaction was implemented between the amino acids and the surface. It has been shown that the adsorption and the thickness of the adsorbed layer are determined by (i) the affinity for the surface, i.e., denser layer with an extrashort-ranged potential, and (ii) the distribution of the charges along the chain. If all the amino acids have a high affinity for the surface, the protein adsorbs in a train conformation, if the surface is negatively charged the protein adsorbs in a tail-train conformation, whereas if the surface is positively charged the protein adsorbs in a loop conformation. The latter gives rise to a more confined adsorbed layer.

Sanitary quality, occurrence and identification of Staphylococcus sp. in food services.

PubMed

de Mello, Jozi Fagundes; da Rocha, Laura Braga; Lopes, Ester Souza; Frazzon, Jeverson; da Costa, Marisa

2014-01-01

Sanitary conditions are essential for the production of meals and control of the presence of pathogensis important to guarantee the health of customers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sanitary quality of food services by checking the presence of thermotolerant coliforms, Staphylococcus sp. and evaluate the toxigenic potential from the latter. The analysis was performed on water, surfaces, equipment, ready-to-eat foods, hands and nasal cavity of handlers in seven food services. The water used in food services proved to be suitable for the production of meals. Most food, equipment and surfaces showed poor sanitary conditions due to the presence of thermotolerant coliforms (60.6%). Twenty-six Staphylococcus species were identified from the 121 Staphylococcus isolates tested. Staphylococci coagulase-negative species were predominant in the foods, equipment and surfaces. In food handlers and foods, the predominant species was Staphylococcus epidermidis. Twelve different genotypes were found after PCR for the classical enterotoxin genes. The seb gene (19.8%) was the most prevalent among all Staphylococcus sp. Both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative Staphylococci showed some of the genes of the enterotoxins tested. We conclude that there are hygienic and sanitary deficiencies in the food services analyzed. Although coagulase-positive Staphylococci have not been present in foods there is a wide dispersion of enterotoxigenic coagulase-negative Staphylococci in the environment and in the foods analyzed, indicating a risk to consumer health.

Sanitary quality, occurrence and identification of Staphylococcus sp. in food services

PubMed Central

de Mello, Jozi Fagundes; da Rocha, Laura Braga; Lopes, Ester Souza; Frazzon, Jeverson; da Costa, Marisa

2014-01-01

Sanitary conditions are essential for the production of meals and control of the presence of pathogensis important to guarantee the health of customers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sanitary quality of food services by checking the presence of thermotolerant coliforms, Staphylococcus sp. and evaluate the toxigenic potential from the latter. The analysis was performed on water, surfaces, equipment, ready-to-eat foods, hands and nasal cavity of handlers in seven food services. The water used in food services proved to be suitable for the production of meals. Most food, equipment and surfaces showed poor sanitary conditions due to the presence of thermotolerant coliforms (60.6%). Twenty-six Staphylococcus species were identified from the 121 Staphylococcus isolates tested. Staphylococci coagulase-negative species were predominant in the foods, equipment and surfaces. In food handlers and foods, the predominant species was Staphylococcus epidermidis. Twelve different genotypes were found after PCR for the classical enterotoxin genes. The seb gene (19.8%) was the most prevalent among all Staphylococcus sp. Both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative Staphylococci showed some of the genes of the enterotoxins tested. We conclude that there are hygienic and sanitary deficiencies in the food services analyzed. Although coagulase-positive Staphylococci have not been present in foods there is a wide dispersion of enterotoxigenic coagulase-negative Staphylococci in the environment and in the foods analyzed, indicating a risk to consumer health. PMID:25477940

Self-Assembled Structures of Benzoic Acid on Au(111) Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vu, Thu-Hien; Wandlowski, Thomas

2017-06-01

Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy combined with cyclic voltammetry were employed to explore the self-assembly of benzoic acid (BA) on a Au(111) substrate surface in a 0.1-M HClO4 solution. At the negatively charged surface, BA molecules form two highly ordered physisorbed adlayers with their phenyl rings parallel to the substrate surface. High-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy images reveal the packing arrangement and internal molecular structures. The striped pattern and zigzag structure of the BA adlayers are composed of parallel rows of dimers, in which two BA molecules are bound through a pair of O-H···O hydrogen bonds. Increasing the electrode potential further to positive charge densities of Au(111) leads to the desorption of the physisorbed hydrogen-bonded networks and the formation of a chemisorbed adlayer. BA molecules change their orientation from planar to upright fashion, which is accompanied by the deprotonation of the carboxyl group. Furthermore, potential-induced formation and dissolution of BA adlayers were also investigated. Structural transitions between the various types of ordered adlayers occur according to a nucleation and growth mechanism.

The Nickel(111)/Alkaline Electrolyte Interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Kuilong; Chottiner, G. S.; Scherson, D. A.; Reid, Margaret A.

1991-01-01

The electrochemical properties of Ni (111) prepared and characterized in ultra high vacuum, UHV, by surface analytical techniques have been examined in alkaline media by cyclic voltammetry using an UHV-electrochemical cell transfer system designed and built in this laboratory. Prior to the transfer, the Ni(111) surfaces were exposed to saturation coverages of CO in UHV in an attempt to protect the surface from possible contamination with other gases during the transfer. Temperature Programmed Desorption, TPD, of CO-dosed Ni (111) surfaces displaying sharp c(4x2), LEED patterns, subsequently exposed to water-saturated Ar at atmospheric pressure in an auxiliary UHV compatible chamber and finally transferred back to the main UHV chamber, yielded CO2 and water as the only detectable products. This indicates that the CO-dosed surfaces react with water and/or bicarbonate and hydroxide as the most likely products. Based on the integration of the TPD peaks, the combined amounts of H2O and CO2 were found to be on the order of a single monolayer. The reacted c(4x2)CO/Ni(111) layer seems to protect the surface from undergoing spontaneous oxidation in strongly alkaline solutions. This was evidenced by the fact that the open circuit potential observed immediately after contact with deaerated 0.1 M KOH was about 0.38 V vs. DHE, drifting slightly towards more negative values prior to initiating the voltametric scans. The average ratio of the integrated charge obtained in the first positive linear scan in the range of 0.35 to 1.5 V vs. DHE (initiated at the open circuit potential) and the first (and subsequent) linear negative scans in the same solution yielded for various independent runs a value of 3.5 +/- 0.3. Coulometric analysis of the cyclic voltammetry curves indicate that the electrochemically formed oxyhydroxide layer involves a charge equivalent to 3.2 +/- 0.4 layers of Ni metal.

Single Layer Surface-Grafted PMMA as a Negative-Tone e-Beam Resist.

PubMed

Yamada, Hirotaka; Aydinoglu, Ferhat; Liu, Yaoze; Dey, Ripon K; Cui, Bo

2017-12-05

One of the important challenges in electron beam lithography is nanofabrication on nonflat or irregular surfaces. Although spin coating is the most popular technique for resist coating, it is not suitable for nonflat, irregular substrates because a uniform film cannot be achieved on those surfaces. Here, it is demonstrated that single layer surface-grafted PMMA can be used as a negative-tone e-beam resist, and it can be applied to nonflat, irregular surfaces as well as flat, conventional surfaces. Although it is well known that heavily exposed PMMA undergoes cross-linking and works as a negative-tone e-beam resist when developed by solvent, solvent does not work as a developer for negative-tone single-layer surface-grafted PMMA. Instead, thermal treatment at 360 °C for 1 min is used to develop PMMA.

Measurements of the streaming potential of clay soils from tropical and subtropical regions using self-made apparatus.

PubMed

Li, Zhong-Yi; Li, Jiu-Yu; Liu, Yuan; Xu, Ren-Kou

2014-09-01

The streaming potential has been wildly used in charged parallel plates, capillaries, and porous media. However, there have been few studies involving the ζ potential of clay soils based on streaming potential measurements. A laboratory apparatus was developed in this study to measure the streaming potential (ΔE) of bulk clay soils' coupling coefficient (C) and cell resistance (R) of saturated granular soil samples. Excellent linearity of ΔE versus liquid pressure (ΔP) ensured the validity of measurements. The obtained parameters of C and R can be used to calculate the ζ potential of bulk soils. The results indicated that the ζ potentials measured by streaming potential method were significantly correlated with the ζ potentials of soil colloids determined by electrophoresis (r (2) = 0.960**). Therefore, the streaming potential method can be used to study the ζ potentials of bulk clay soils. The absolute values of the ζ potentials of four soils followed the order: Ultisol from Jiangxi > Ultisol from Anhui > Oxisol from Guangdong > Oxisol from Hainan, and this was consistent with the cation exchange capacities of these soils. The type and concentration of electrolytes affected soil ζ potentials. The ζ potential became less negative with increased electrolyte concentration. The ζ potentials were more negative in monovalent than in divalent cationic electrolyte solutions because more divalent cations were distributed in the shear plane of the diffuse layer as counter-cations on the soil surfaces than monovalent cations at the same electrolyte concentration.

Effect of softening precipitate composition and surface characteristics on natural organic matter adsorption.

PubMed

Russell, Caroline G; Lawler, Desmond F; Speitel, Gerald E; Katz, Lynn E

2009-10-15

Natural organic matter (NOM) removal during water softening is thought to occur through adsorption onto or coprecipitation with calcium and magnesium solids. However, details of precipitate composition and surface chemistry and subsequent interactions with NOM are relatively unknown. In this study, zeta potentiometry analyses of precipitates formed from inorganic solutions under varying conditions (e.g., Ca-only, Mg-only, Ca + Mg, increasing lime or NaOH dose) indicated that both CaCO3 and Mg(OH)2 were positively charged at higher lime (Ca(OH)2) and NaOH doses (associated with pH values above 11.5), potentially yielding a greater affinity for adsorbing negatively charged organic molecules. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) images of CaCO3 solids illustrated the rhombohedral shape characteristic of calcite. In the presence of increasing concentrations of magnesium, the CaCO3 rhombs shifted to more elongated crystals. The CaCO3 solids also exhibited increasingly positive surface charge from Mg incorporation into the crystal lattice, potentially creating more favorable conditions for adsorption of organic matter. NOM adsorption experiments using humic substances extracted from Lake Austin and Missouri River water elucidated the role of surface charge and surface area on adsorption.

Ground-Based High-Power Microwave Decoy Discrimination System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-23

understanding of plasma instabilities, self-induced magnetic effects , space - charge considerations, production of ion currents, etc. 3.3.4 Cross-Field...breakdown, due to small potential differences. Interaction volumes can therefore be large, avoiding breakdown and space - charge effects (at the price...the interference of the incident and reflected wave, and by the electrostatic forces of the surface (positive) and space charge (negative) trapped in

Electron Emission Properties of Insulator Materials Pertinent to the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomson, C. D.; Zavyalov, V.; Dennison, J. R.; Corbridge, Jodie

2004-01-01

We present the results of our measurements of the electron emission properties of selected insulating and conducting materials used on the International Space Station (ISS). Utah State University (USU) has performed measurements of the electron-, ion-, and photon-induced electron emission properties of conductors for a few years, and has recently extended our capabilities to measure electron yields of insulators, allowing us to significantly expand current spacecraft material charging databases. These ISS materials data are used here to illustrate our various insulator measurement techniques that include: i) Studies of electron-induced secondary and backscattered electron yield curves using pulsed, low current electron beams to minimize deleterious affects of insulator charging. ii) Comparison of several methods used to determine the insulator 1st and 2nd crossover energies. These incident electron energies induce unity total yield at the transition between yields greater than and less than one with either negative or positive charging, respectively. The crossover energies are very important in determining both the polarity and magnitude of spacecraft surface potentials. iii) Evolution of electron emission energy spectra as a function of insulator charging used to determine the surface potential of insulators. iv) Surface potential evolution as a function of pulsed-electron fluence to determine how quickly insulators charge, and how this can affect subsequent electron yields. v) Critical incident electron energies resulting in electrical breakdown of insulator materials and the effect of breakdown on subsequent emission, charging and conduction. vi) Charge-neutralization techniques such as low-energy electron flooding and UV light irradiation to dissipate both positive and negative surface potentials during yield measurements. Specific ISS materials being tested at USU include chromic and sulfuric anodized aluminum, RTV-silicone solar array adhesives, solar cell cover glasses, Kapton, and gold. Further details of the USU testing facilities, the instrumentation used for insulator measurements, and the NASA/SEE Charge Collector materials database are provided in other Spacecraft Charging Conference presentations (Dennison, 2003b). The work presented was supported in part by the NASA Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program, the Boeing Corporation, and a NASA Graduate Fellowship. Samples were supplied by Boeing, the Environmental Effects Group at Marshall Space Flight Center, and Sheldahl, Inc.

Simulations of Solar Wind Plasma Flow Around a Simple Solar Sail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garrett, Henry B.; Wang, Joseph

2004-01-01

In recent years, a number of solar sail missions of various designs and sizes have been proposed (e.g., Geostorm). Of importance to these missions is the interaction between the ambient solar wind plasma environment and the sail. Assuming a typical 1 AU solar wind environment of 400 km/s velocity, 3.5 cu cm density, ion temperature of approx.10 eV, electron temperature of 40 eV, and an ambient magnetic field strength of 10(exp -4) G, a first order estimate of the plasma interaction with square solar sails on the order of the sizes being considered for a Geostorm mission (50 m x 50 m and 75 m x 75 m corresponding to approx.2 and approx.3 times the Debye length in the plasma) is carried out. First, a crude current balance for the sail surface immersed in the plasma environment and in sunlight was used to estimate the surface potential of the model sails. This gave surface potentials of approx.10 V positive relative to the solar wind plasma. A 3-D, Electrostatic Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code was then used to simulate the solar wind flowing around the solar sail. It is assumed in the code that the solar wind protons can be treated as particles while the electrons follow a Boltzmann distribution. Next, the electric field and particle trajectories are solved self-consistently to give the proton flow field, the electrostatic field around the sail, and the plasma density in 3-D. The model sail was found to be surrounded by a plasma sheath within which the potential is positive compared to the ambient plasma and followed by a separate plasma wake which is negative relative to the plasma. This structure departs dramatically from a negatively charged plate such as might be found in the Earth s ionosphere on the night side where both the plate and its negative wake are contiguous. The implications of these findings are discussed as they apply to the proposed Geostorm solar sail mission.

Red mud carbonation using carbon dioxide: Effects of carbonate and calcium ions on goethite surface properties and settling.

PubMed

Liang, Gaojie; Chen, Wenmi; Nguyen, Anh V; Nguyen, Tuan A H

2018-05-01

Carbonation using CO 2 appears as an attractive solution for disposing of red mud suspensions, an aluminum industry hazardous waste since it also offers an option for CO 2 sequestration. Here we report the novel findings that CO 3 2- together with Ca 2+ can significantly affect the surface properties and settling of goethite, a major component of red mud. Specifically, their effects on the goethite surface chemistry, colloidal interaction forces and settling in alkaline solutions are investigated. The surface potential becomes more negative by the formation of carbonate inner-sphere complexes on goethite surface. It is consistent with the strong repulsion, decreased particle size and settling velocity with increased carbonate concentrations as measured by atomic force microscopy, particle size analysis, and particle settling. Adding Ca 2+ that forms outer-sphere complexes with pre-adsorbed carbonate changes goethite surface charge negligibly. Changing repulsion to the attraction between goethite surfaces by increasing calcium dosage indicates the surface bridging, in accordance with the increased settling velocity. The adverse effect of carbonate on goethite flocculation is probably due to its specific chemisorption and competition with flocculants. By forming outer-sphere complexes together with the flocculant-calcium bridging effect, calcium ions can eliminate the negative influence of carbonate and improve the flocculation of goethite particles. These findings contribute to a better understanding of goethite particle interaction with salt ions and flocculants in controlling the particle behavior in the handling processes, including the red mud carbonation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of rayon swab surface sample collection method for Bacillus spores from nonporous surfaces.

PubMed

Brown, G S; Betty, R G; Brockmann, J E; Lucero, D A; Souza, C A; Walsh, K S; Boucher, R M; Tezak, M S; Wilson, M C; Rudolph, T; Lindquist, H D A; Martinez, K F

2007-10-01

To evaluate US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended swab surface sample collection method for recovery efficiency and limit of detection for powdered Bacillus spores from nonporous surfaces. Stainless steel and painted wallboard surface coupons were seeded with dry aerosolized Bacillus atrophaeus spores and surface concentrations determined. The observed mean rayon swab recovery efficiency from stainless steel was 0.41 with a standard deviation (SD) of +/-0.17 and for painted wallboard was 0.41 with an SD of +/-0.23. Evaluation of a sonication extraction method for the rayon swabs produced a mean extraction efficiency of 0.76 with an SD of +/-0.12. Swab recovery quantitative limits of detection were estimated at 25 colony forming units (CFU) per sample area for both stainless steel and painted wallboard. The swab sample collection method may be appropriate for small area sampling (10 -25 cm2) with a high agent concentration, but has limited value for large surface areas with a low agent concentration. The results of this study provide information necessary for the interpretation of swab environmental sample collection data, that is, positive swab samples are indicative of high surface concentrations and may imply a potential for exposure, whereas negative swab samples do not assure that organisms are absent from the surfaces sampled and may not assure the absence of the potential for exposure. It is critical from a public health perspective that the information obtained is accurate and reproducible. The consequence of an inappropriate public health response founded on information gathered using an ineffective or unreliable sample collection method has the potential for undesired social and economic impact.

Scalable graphene coatings for enhanced condensation heat transfer.

PubMed

Preston, Daniel J; Mafra, Daniela L; Miljkovic, Nenad; Kong, Jing; Wang, Evelyn N

2015-05-13

Water vapor condensation is commonly observed in nature and routinely used as an effective means of transferring heat with dropwise condensation on nonwetting surfaces exhibiting heat transfer improvement compared to filmwise condensation on wetting surfaces. However, state-of-the-art techniques to promote dropwise condensation rely on functional hydrophobic coatings that either have challenges with chemical stability or are so thick that any potential heat transfer improvement is negated due to the added thermal resistance of the coating. In this work, we show the effectiveness of ultrathin scalable chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene coatings to promote dropwise condensation while offering robust chemical stability and maintaining low thermal resistance. Heat transfer enhancements of 4× were demonstrated compared to filmwise condensation, and the robustness of these CVD coatings was superior to typical hydrophobic monolayer coatings. Our results indicate that graphene is a promising surface coating to promote dropwise condensation of water in industrial conditions with the potential for scalable application via CVD.

Informed Source Separation of Atmospheric and Surface Signal Contributions in Shortwave Hyperspectral Imagery using Non-negative Matrix Factorization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, L.; Coddington, O.; Pilewskie, P.

2015-12-01

Current challenges in Earth remote sensing require improved instrument spectral resolution, spectral coverage, and radiometric accuracy. Hyperspectral instruments, deployed on both aircraft and spacecraft, are a growing class of Earth observing sensors designed to meet these challenges. They collect large amounts of spectral data, allowing thorough characterization of both atmospheric and surface properties. The higher accuracy and increased spectral and spatial resolutions of new imagers require new numerical approaches for processing imagery and separating surface and atmospheric signals. One potential approach is source separation, which allows us to determine the underlying physical causes of observed changes. Improved signal separation will allow hyperspectral instruments to better address key science questions relevant to climate change, including land-use changes, trends in clouds and atmospheric water vapor, and aerosol characteristics. In this work, we investigate a Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) method for the separation of atmospheric and land surface signal sources. NMF offers marked benefits over other commonly employed techniques, including non-negativity, which avoids physically impossible results, and adaptability, which allows the method to be tailored to hyperspectral source separation. We adapt our NMF algorithm to distinguish between contributions from different physically distinct sources by introducing constraints on spectral and spatial variability and by using library spectra to inform separation. We evaluate our NMF algorithm with simulated hyperspectral images as well as hyperspectral imagery from several instruments including, the NASA Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), NASA Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) and National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Imaging Spectrometer.

Facile polyol synthesis of CoFe2O4 nanosphere clusters and investigation of their electrochemical behavior in different aqueous electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malaie, K.; Ganjali, M. R.; Alizadeh, T.; Norouzi, P.

2018-04-01

CoFe2O4 nanosphere clusters (CFNCs) with good crystallinity were synthesized through a facile polyol process without using any surfactant or template. FESEM images show cobalt ferrite clusters with a diameter of 200-400 nm with nanospheres grown on the surface. The electrochemical behavior of the CFNCs was investigated in different electrolytes of KOH, K2SO4, and Na2SO3 in the negative potential window of - 0.3 to - 1.3 V for possible application in supercapacitor electrodes. CFNCs exhibited best performance in KOH electrolyte with a specific capacitance of 151 F g-1 in 5 mV s-1 and a cycling stability of 87% over 1000 voltammetric cycles. These studies indicate the potential application of the as-obtained CFNCs as negative electrodes in alkaline supercapacitors.

A Three-Dimensional Human Atrial Model with Fiber Orientation. Electrograms and Arrhythmic Activation Patterns Relationship

PubMed Central

Tobón, Catalina; Ruiz-Villa, Carlos A.; Heidenreich, Elvio; Romero, Lucia; Hornero, Fernando; Saiz, Javier

2013-01-01

The most common sustained cardiac arrhythmias in humans are atrial tachyarrhythmias, mainly atrial fibrillation. Areas of complex fractionated atrial electrograms and high dominant frequency have been proposed as critical regions for maintaining atrial fibrillation; however, there is a paucity of data on the relationship between the characteristics of electrograms and the propagation pattern underlying them. In this study, a realistic 3D computer model of the human atria has been developed to investigate this relationship. The model includes a realistic geometry with fiber orientation, anisotropic conductivity and electrophysiological heterogeneity. We simulated different tachyarrhythmic episodes applying both transient and continuous ectopic activity. Electrograms and their dominant frequency and organization index values were calculated over the entire atrial surface. Our simulations show electrograms with simple potentials, with little or no cycle length variations, narrow frequency peaks and high organization index values during stable and regular activity as the observed in atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia (except in areas of conduction block) and in areas closer to ectopic activity during focal atrial fibrillation. By contrast, cycle length variations and polymorphic electrograms with single, double and fragmented potentials were observed in areas of irregular and unstable activity during atrial fibrillation episodes. Our results also show: 1) electrograms with potentials without negative deflection related to spiral or curved wavefronts that pass over the recording point and move away, 2) potentials with a much greater proportion of positive deflection than negative in areas of wave collisions, 3) double potentials related with wave fragmentations or blocking lines and 4) fragmented electrograms associated with pivot points. Our model is the first human atrial model with realistic fiber orientation used to investigate the relationship between different atrial arrhythmic propagation patterns and the electrograms observed at more than 43000 points on the atrial surface. PMID:23408928

Surface ozone concentrations in Europe: Links with the regional-scale atmospheric circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, T. D.; Kelly, P. M.; Low, P. S.; Pierce, C. E.

1992-06-01

Daily surface ozone observations from 1978 (1976 for some analyses) to 1988 for Bottesford (United Kingdom), Cabauw, Kloosterburen (The Netherlands), Hohenpeissenberg, Neuglobsow, Hamburg, and Arkona (Germany) are used to analyze links between surface ozone variations and the atmospheric circulation. A daily Europe-wide synoptic classification highlights marked differences between surface ozone/meteorology relationships in summer and winter. These relationships are characterized by correlations between daily surface ozone concentrations at each station and a local subregional surface pressure gradient (a wind speed index). Although there are geographical variations, which are explicable in terms of regional climatology, there are distinct annual cycles. In summer, the surface ozone/wind speed relationship exhibits the expected negative sign; however, in winter, the relationship is, in the main, strongly positive, especially at those stations which are more influenced by the vigorous westerlies. Spring and autumn exhibit negative, positive, or transitional (between summer and winter) behavior, depending on geographical position. It is suggested that these relationships reflect the importance of vertical exchange from the free troposphere to the surface in the nonsummer months. Composite surface pressure patterns and surface pressure anomaly (from the long-term mean) patterns associated with high surface ozone concentrations on daily and seasonal time scales are consistent with the surface ozone/wind speed relationships. Moreover, they demonstrate that high surface ozone concentrations, in a climatological time frame, can be associated with mean surface pressure patterns which have a synoptic reality and are robust. Such an approach may be useful in interpreting past variations in surface ozone and may help to isolate the effect of human activity. It is also possible that assessments can be made of the effect of projected future changes in the atmospheric circulation. This potential is illustrated by the fact that up to 65% of the interannual variance in 6-month mean surface ozone concentrations can be explained by the subregional wind speed index.

Polydopamine-coated nanocomposites of Angelica gigas Nakai extract and their therapeutic potential for triple-negative breast cancer cells.

PubMed

Nam, Suyeong; Lee, Song Yi; Kim, Jung-Jin; Kang, Wie-Soo; Yoon, In-Soo; Cho, Hyun-Jong

2018-05-01

Polydopamine (PD)-coated nanocomposites (NCs) based on the ethanol extract of Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN EtOH ext) were fabricated and evaluated for breast cancer therapy. AGN NCs were prepared using a modified emulsification-solvent evaporation method and were further incubated in dopamine solution (at pH 8.6) to be covered with the PD layer. PD-AGN NCs with a 213-nm mean diameter, narrow size distribution, and negative zeta potential values were fabricated in this study. Less negative (close to zero) zeta potential value of PD-AGN NCs than that of AGN NCs implied the existence of the PD layer in the outer surface of NCs. The PD layer in PD-AGN NCs was also identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet (UV)/visible absorption analyses. The sustained release of decursin (D) and decursinol angelate (DA), as major active pharmacological components of AGN, was observed in both AGN NCs and PD-AGN NCs. Enhanced cellular binding property of PD-AGN NCs, compared to AGN NCs, in MDA-MB-231 (human breast adenocarcinoma; triple-negative breast cancer) cells was observed. Improved anticancer activities of PD-AGN NCs compared with those of AGN EtOH ext and AGN NCs were also shown in MDA-MB-231 cells. The developed PD-AGN NCs may be used as remarkable platform nanocarriers for efficient breast cancer therapy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Predicting Fish Growth Potential and Identifying Water Quality Constraints: A Spatially-Explicit Bioenergetics Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budy, Phaedra; Baker, Matthew; Dahle, Samuel K.

2011-10-01

Anthropogenic impairment of water bodies represents a global environmental concern, yet few attempts have successfully linked fish performance to thermal habitat suitability and fewer have distinguished co-varying water quality constraints. We interfaced fish bioenergetics, field measurements, and Thermal Remote Imaging to generate a spatially-explicit, high-resolution surface of fish growth potential, and next employed a structured hypothesis to detect relationships among measures of fish performance and co-varying water quality constraints. Our thermal surface of fish performance captured the amount and spatial-temporal arrangement of thermally-suitable habitat for three focal species in an extremely heterogeneous reservoir, but interpretation of this pattern was initially confounded by seasonal covariation of water residence time and water quality. Subsequent path analysis revealed that in terms of seasonal patterns in growth potential, catfish and walleye responded to temperature, positively and negatively, respectively; crappie and walleye responded to eutrophy (negatively). At the high eutrophy levels observed in this system, some desired fishes appear to suffer from excessive cultural eutrophication within the context of elevated temperatures whereas others appear to be largely unaffected or even enhanced. Our overall findings do not lead to the conclusion that this system is degraded by pollution; however, they do highlight the need to use a sensitive focal species in the process of determining allowable nutrient loading and as integrators of habitat suitability across multiple spatial and temporal scales. We provide an integrated approach useful for quantifying fish growth potential and identifying water quality constraints on fish performance at spatial scales appropriate for whole-system management.

Risk factors for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infection in burn patients.

PubMed

Vickers, Mark L; Dulhunty, Joel M; Ballard, Emma; Chapman, Paul; Muller, Michael; Roberts, Jason A; Cotta, Menino O

2018-05-01

Infection with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative organisms leads to poorer outcomes in the critically ill burn patient. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for MDR Gram-negative pathogen infection in critically ill burn patients admitted to a major tertiary referral intensive care unit (ICU) in Australia. A retrospective case-control study of all adult burn patients admitted over a 7-year period was conducted. Twenty-one cases that cultured an MDR Gram-negative organism were matched with 21 controls of similar age, gender, burn size and ICU stay. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to individually assess risk factors after adjusting for Acute Burn Severity Index. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were reported. P-values < 0.25 were considered as potentially important risk factors. Factors increasing the risk of MDR Gram-negative infection included superficial partial thickness burn size (OR: 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.16; P-value: 0.034), prior meropenem exposure (OR: 10.39; 95% CI: 0.96-112.00; P-value: 0.054), Gram-negative colonization on admission (OR: 9.23; 95% CI: 0.65-130.15; P-value: 0.10) and escharotomy (OR: 2.66; 95% CI: 0.52-13.65; P-value: 0.24). For cases, mean age was 41 (SD: 13) years, mean total body surface area burned was 47% (SD: 18) and mean days in ICU until MDR specimen collection was 17 (SD: 10) days. Prior meropenem exposure, Gram-negative colonization on admission, escharotomy and superficial partial thickness burn size may be potentially important factors for increasing the risk of MDR Gram-negative infection in the critically ill burn patient. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Mechanisms of Polyelectrolyte Enhanced Surfactant Adsorption at the Air-Water Interface

PubMed Central

Stenger, Patrick C.; Palazoglu, Omer A.; Zasadzinski, Joseph A.

2009-01-01

Chitosan, a naturally occurring cationic polyelectrolyte, restores the adsorption of the clinical lung surfactant Survanta to the air-water interface in the presence of albumin at much lower concentrations than uncharged polymers such as polyethylene glycol. This is consistent with the positively charged chitosan forming ion pairs with negative charges on the albumin and lung surfactant particles, reducing the net charge in the double-layer, and decreasing the electrostatic energy barrier to adsorption to the air-water interface. However, chitosan, like other polyelectrolytes, cannot perfectly match the charge distribution on the surfactant, which leads to patches of positive and negative charge at net neutrality. Increasing the chitosan concentration further leads to a reduction in the rate of surfactant adsorption consistent with an over-compensation of the negative charge on the surfactant and albumin surfaces, which creates a new repulsive electrostatic potential between the now cationic surfaces. This charge neutralization followed by charge inversion explains the window of polyelectrolyte concentration that enhances surfactant adsorption; the same physical mechanism is observed in flocculation and re-stabilization of anionic colloids by chitosan and in alternate layer deposition of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes on charged colloids. PMID:19366599

Mechanisms of polyelectrolyte enhanced surfactant adsorption at the air-water interface.

PubMed

Stenger, Patrick C; Palazoglu, Omer A; Zasadzinski, Joseph A

2009-05-01

Chitosan, a naturally occurring cationic polyelectrolyte, restores the adsorption of the clinical lung surfactant Survanta to the air-water interface in the presence of albumin at much lower concentrations than uncharged polymers such as polyethylene glycol. This is consistent with the positively charged chitosan forming ion pairs with negative charges on the albumin and lung surfactant particles, reducing the net charge in the double-layer, and decreasing the electrostatic energy barrier to adsorption to the air-water interface. However, chitosan, like other polyelectrolytes, cannot perfectly match the charge distribution on the surfactant, which leads to patches of positive and negative charge at net neutrality. Increasing the chitosan concentration further leads to a reduction in the rate of surfactant adsorption consistent with an over-compensation of the negative charge on the surfactant and albumin surfaces, which creates a new repulsive electrostatic potential between the now cationic surfaces. This charge neutralization followed by charge inversion explains the window of polyelectrolyte concentration that enhances surfactant adsorption; the same physical mechanism is observed in flocculation and re-stabilization of anionic colloids by chitosan and in alternate layer deposition of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes on charged colloids.

Charging of dust grains in a plasma with negative ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Su-Hyun; Merlino, Robert L.

2006-05-01

The effect of negative ions on the charging of dust particles in a plasma is investigated experimentally. A plasma containing a very low percentage of electrons is formed in a single-ended SF6 is admitted into the vacuum system. The relatively cold (Te≈0.2eV ) readily attach to SF6 molecules to form SF6- negative ions. Calculations of the dust charge indicate that for electrons, negative ions, and positive ions of comparable temperatures, the charge (or surface potential) of the dust can be positive if the positive ion mass is smaller than the negative ion mass and if ɛ, the ratio of the electron to positive ion density, is sufficiently small. The K+ positive ions (mass 39amu) and SF6- negative ions (mass 146amu), and also utilizes a rotating cylinder to dispense dust into the plasma column. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of a Langmuir probe in the dusty plasma shows evidence for the reduction in the (magnitude) of the negative dust charge and the transition to positively charged dust as the relative concentration of the residual electrons is reduced. Some remarks are offered concerning experiments that could become possible in a dusty plasma with positive grains.

Effect of surface charge on the colloidal stability and in vitro uptake of carboxymethyl dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Ayala, Vanessa; Herrera, Adriana P.; Latorre-Esteves, Magda; Torres-Lugo, Madeline

2013-01-01

Nanoparticle physicochemical properties such as surface charge are considered to play an important role in cellular uptake and particle–cell interactions. In order to systematically evaluate the role of surface charge on the uptake of iron oxide nanoparticles, we prepared carboxymethyl-substituted dextrans with different degrees of substitution, ranging from 38 to 5 groups per chain, and reacted them using carbodiimide chemistry with amine–silane-coated iron oxide nanoparticles with narrow size distributions in the range of 33–45 nm. Surface charge of carboxymethyl-substituted dextran-coated nano-particles ranged from −50 to 5 mV as determined by zeta potential measurements, and was dependent on the number of carboxymethyl groups incorporated in the dextran chains. Nanoparticles were incubated with CaCo-2 human colon cancer cells. Nanoparticle–cell interactions were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and uptake was quantified by elemental analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Mechanisms of internalization were inferred using pharmacological inhibitors for fluid-phase, clathrin-mediated, and caveola-mediated endocytosis. Results showed increased uptake for nanoparticles with greater negative charge. Internalization patterns suggest that uptake of the most negatively charged particles occurs via non-specific interactions. PMID:24470787

Regulating Biocompatibility of Carbon Spheres via Defined Nanoscale Chemistry and a Careful Selection of Surface Functionalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, Santosh K.; Chang, Huei-Huei; Mukherjee, Prabuddha; Tiwari, Saumya; Ohoka, Ayako; Pan, Dipanjan

2015-10-01

A plethora of nanoarchitectures have been evaluated preclincially for applications in early detection and treatment of diseases at molecular and cellular levels resulted in limited success of their clinical translation. It is important to identify the factors that directly or indirectly affect their use in human. We bring a fundamental understanding of how to adjust the biocompatibility of carbon based spherical nanoparticles (CNPs) through defined chemistry and a vigilant choice of surface functionalities. CNPs of various size are designed by tweaking size (2-250 nm), surface chemistries (positive, or negatively charged), molecular chemistries (linear, dendritic, hyperbranched) and the molecular weight of the coating agents (MW 400-20 kDa). A combination of in vitro assays as tools were performed to determine the critical parameters that may trigger toxicity. Results indicated that hydrodynamic sizes are potentially not a risk factor for triggering cellular and systemic toxicity, whereas the presence of a highly positive surface charge and increasing molecular weight enhance the chance of inducing complement activation. Bare and carboxyl-terminated CNPs did present some toxicity at the cellular level which, however, is not comparable to those caused by positively charged CNPs. Similarly, negatively charged CNPs with hydroxyl and carboxylic functionalities did not cause any hemolysis.

The adsorption of cationic and amphoteric copolymers on glass surfaces: zeta potential measurements, adsorption isotherm determination, and FT Raman characterization.

PubMed

Tartakovsky, Alla; Drutis, Dane M; Carnali, Joseph O

2003-07-15

The adsorption of cationic and amphoteric copolymers onto controlled pore glass (CPG) powders has been studied by measurement of the powder particle zeta (zeta) potential, by determination of the adsorption isotherm, and by FT Raman measurements of the polymer-coated powder. The cationic polymers consisted chiefly of homopolymers of dimethyldiallylammonium chloride (DMDAAC) or copolymers of DMDAAC and acrylamide. The amphoteric polymers studied included copolymers of DMDAAC and acrylic acid. The comonomer ratio was varied to explore the dependence of cationic charge density on the extent and effect of adsorption. Both types of polymers adsorb onto the anionic glass surface via an ion-exchange mechanism. Consequently, a correspondingly higher mass of a low-charge-density copolymer adsorbs than of a cationic homopolymer. The presence of the anionic portion in the amphoteric polymers does not significantly alter this picture. The zeta potential, however, reflects the overall nature of the polymer. Cationic polymers effectively neutralize the glass surface, while amphoteric polymers leave the zeta potential net negative. Adsorption isotherms, determined via the depletion technique using colloidal titration, were used to "calibrate" a FT Raman method. The latter was used to determined the amount of adsorbed polymer under solution conditions in which colloidal titration could not be performed.

Estimating relative sea-level rise and submergence potential at a coastal wetland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cahoon, Donald R.

2015-01-01

A tide gauge records a combined signal of the vertical change (positive or negative) in the level of both the sea and the land to which the gauge is affixed; or relative sea-level change, which is typically referred to as relative sea-level rise (RSLR). Complicating this situation, coastal wetlands exhibit dynamic surface elevation change (both positive and negative), as revealed by surface elevation table (SET) measurements, that is not recorded at tide gauges. Because the usefulness of RSLR is in the ability to tie the change in sea level to the local topography, it is important that RSLR be calculated at a wetland that reflects these local dynamic surface elevation changes in order to better estimate wetland submergence potential. A rationale is described for calculating wetland RSLR (RSLRwet) by subtracting the SET wetland elevation change from the tide gauge RSLR. The calculation is possible because the SET and tide gauge independently measure vertical land motion in different portions of the substrate. For 89 wetlands where RSLRwet was evaluated, wetland elevation change differed significantly from zero for 80 % of them, indicating that RSLRwet at these wetlands differed from the local tide gauge RSLR. When compared to tide gauge RSLR, about 39 % of wetlands experienced an elevation rate surplus and 58 % an elevation rate deficit (i.e., sea level becoming lower and higher, respectively, relative to the wetland surface). These proportions were consistent across saltmarsh, mangrove, and freshwater wetland types. Comparison of wetland elevation change and RSLR is confounded by high levels of temporal and spatial variability, and would be improved by co-locating tide gauge and SET stations near each other and obtaining long-term records for both.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea contamination of clinic surfaces.

PubMed

Lewis, Natasha; Dube, Gail; Carter, Christine; Pitt, Rachel; Alexander, Sarah; Ison, Catherine A; Harding, Jan; Brown, Louise; Fryer, John; Hodson, James; Ross, Jonathan

2012-10-01

Nucleic acid amplification tests, with their ability to detect very small amounts of nucleic acid, have become the principle diagnostic tests for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) in many sexual health clinics. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of surface contamination with CT and GC within a city centre sexual health clinic and to evaluate the potential for contamination of containers used for the collection of self-taken swabs. Surface contamination with CT and GC was assessed by systematically sampling 154 different sites within one clinic using transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), quantitative PCR and culture. The caps of containers used by patients to collect self-taken samples were also tested for CT and GC using TMA. Of the 154 sites sampled, 20 (13.0%) tested positive on TMA. Of these, five (3.2%) were positive for CT alone, 11 (7.1%) for GC alone and four (2.6%) for both CT and GC. The proportion of GC TMA-positive test results differed by gender, with 11 (18.3%) positive results from the male patient clinic area compared with one (1.6%) from the female area (p=0.002). Positive samples were obtained from a variety of locations in the clinic, but the patient toilets were more likely to be contaminated than examination rooms (p=0.015). Quantitative PCR and culture assays were negative for all samples. 46 caps of the containers used for self-taken swabs were negative for both CT and GC on TMA testing. Surface contamination with chlamydial and gonococcal rRNA can occur within sexual health clinics, but the quantity of nucleic acid detected is low and infection risk to patients and staff is small. There remains a potential risk of contamination of patient samples leading to false-positive results.

Nonmagnetic impurity resonances as a signature of sign-reversal pairing in FeAs-based superconductors.

PubMed

Zhang, Degang

2009-10-30

The energy band structure of FeAs-based superconductors is fitted by a tight-binding model with two Fe ions per unit cell and two degenerate orbitals per Fe ion. Based on this, superconductivity with extended s-wave pairing symmetry of the form cosk(x)+cosk(y) is examined. The local density of states near an impurity is also investigated by using the T-matrix approach. For the nonmagnetic scattering potential, we found that there exist two major resonances inside the gap. The height of the resonance peaks depends on the strength of the impurity potential. These in-gap resonances are originated in the Andreev's bound states due to the quasiparticle scattering between the hole Fermi surfaces around Gamma point with positive order parameter and the electron Fermi surfaces around M point with negative order parameter.

Review on α-Fe2O3 based negative electrode for high performance supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nithya, V. D.; Arul, N. Sabari

2016-09-01

Supercapacitor is an electrochemical energy storage device which has drawn attention of the researchers in recent years due to its high power density and long cycle life. Recently, an enormous effort has been imposed to improve the energy density of supercapacitor and might be attained through asymmetric cell configuration that offer wider potential window. Until now, a significant advancement has been achieved in the fabrication of positive electrodes for asymmetric cell. Nevertheless, the electrochemical performance of negative electrode materials is less explored, especially Hematite (α-Fe2O3). The α-Fe2O3 has been proved to be a promising negative electrode in supercapacitor application due to its wide operating potential, high redox activity, low cost, abundant availability and eco-friendliness. In this review, we have chosen α-Fe2O3 as the negative electrode and discussed its latest research progress with emphasis on various surface engineering synthesis strategies such as, carbon, polymer, metal-metal oxide, and ternary based α-Fe2O3 composites for supercapacitor. Besides, the importance of their synergistic effects over the supercapacitive performance in terms of specific capacitance, energy density, power density, cycling life and rate capability are highlighted. Also, an extensive analysis of the literature about its symmetric/asymmetric cell performance is explored.

Synthesis, bioactivity and zeta potential investigations of chlorine and fluorine substituted hydroxyapatite.

PubMed

Fahami, Abbas; Beall, Gary W; Betancourt, Tania

2016-02-01

Chlorine and fluorine substituted hydroxyapatites (HA-Cl-F) with different degrees of ion replacement were successfully prepared by the one step mechanochemical activation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FT-IR spectra indicated that substitution of these anions in milled powders resulted in the formation of pure hydroxyapatite phase except for the small observed change in the lattice parameters and unit cell volumes of the resultant hydroxyapatite. Microscopic observations showed that the milled product had a cluster-like structure made up of polygonal and spherical particles with an average particle size of approximately ranged from 20±5 to 70±5nm. The zeta potential of milled samples was performed at three different pH (5, 7.4, and 9). The obtained zeta potential values were negative for all three pH values. Negative zeta potential was described to favor osseointegration, apatite nucleation, and bone regeneration. The bioactivity of samples was investigated on sintered pellets soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution and apatite crystals formed on the surface of the pellets after being incubated for 14days. Zeta potential analysis and bioactivity experiment suggested that HA-Cl-F will lead to the formation of new apatite particles and therefore be a potential implant material. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SH3-like motif-containing C-terminal domain of staphylococcal teichoic acid transporter suggests possible function.

PubMed

Ko, Tzu-Ping; Tseng, Shih-Ting; Lai, Shu-Jung; Chen, Sheng-Chia; Guan, Hong-Hsiang; Shin Yang, Chia; Jung Chen, Chun; Chen, Yeh

2016-09-01

The negatively charged bacterial polysaccharides-wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are synthesized intracellularly and exported by a two-component transporter, TagGH, comprising a transmembrane subunit TagG and an ATPase subunit TagH. We determined the crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of TagH (TagH-C) to investigate its function. The structure shows an N-terminal SH3-like subdomain wrapped by a C-terminal subdomain with an anti-parallel β-sheet and an outer shell of α-helices. A stretch of positively charged surface across the subdomain interface is flanked by two negatively charged regions, suggesting a potential binding site for negatively charged polymers, such as WTAs or acidic peptide chains. Proteins 2016; 84:1328-1332. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of adhesions of amorphous Fe and Al hydroxides on surface charge and adsorption of K+ and Cd2+ on rice roots.

PubMed

Liu, Zhao-Dong; Wang, Hai-Cui; Zhou, Qin; Xu, Ren-Kou

2017-11-01

Iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) hydroxides in variable charge soils attached to rice roots may affect surface-charge properties and subsequently the adsorption and uptake of nutrients and toxic metals by the roots. Adhesion of amorphous Fe and Al hydroxides onto rice roots and their effects on zeta potential of roots and adsorption of potassium (K + ) and cadmium (Cd 2+ ) by roots were investigated. Rice roots adsorbed more Al hydroxide than Fe hydroxide because of the greater positive charge on Al hydroxide. Adhesion of Fe and Al hydroxides decreased the negative charge on rice roots, and a greater effect of the Al hydroxide. Consequently, adhesion of Fe and Al hydroxides reduced the K + and Cd 2+ adsorption by rice roots. The results of attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and desorption of K + and Cd 2+ from rice roots indicated that physical masking by Fe and Al hydroxides and diffuse-layer overlapping between the positively-charged hydroxides and negatively-charged roots were responsible for the reduction of negative charge on roots induced by adhesion of the hydroxides. Therefore, the interaction between Fe and Al hydroxides and rice roots reduced negative charge on roots and thus inhibited their adsorption of nutrient and toxic cations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential drug - nanosensor conjugates: Raman, infrared absorption, surface - enhanced Raman, and density functional theory investigations of indolic molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pięta, Ewa; Paluszkiewicz, Czesława; Oćwieja, Magdalena; Kwiatek, Wojciech M.

2017-05-01

An extremely important aspect of planning cancer treatment is not only the drug efficiency but also a number of challenges associated with the side effects and control of this process. That is why it is worth paying attention to the promising potential of the gold nanoparticles combined with a compound treated as a potential drug. This work presents Raman (RS), infrared absorption (IR) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopic investigations of N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine (melatonin) and α-methyl-DL-tryptophan, regarding as anti breast cancer agents. The experimental spectroscopic analysis was supported by the quantum-chemical calculations based on the B3LYP hybrid density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP 6-311G(d,p) level of theory. The studied compounds were adsorbed onto two colloidal gold nanosensors synthesized by a chemical reduction method using sodium borohydride (SB) and trisodium citrate (TC), respectively. Its morphology characteristics were obtained using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It has been suggested that the NH moiety from the aromatic ring, a well-known proton donor, causes the formation of hydrogen bonds with the negatively charged gold surface.

Synthesis and characterization of core-shell gold nanoparticles with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) from a new precursor salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behera, M.; Ram, S.

2013-02-01

In this article, we report a facile one-step chemical synthesis of gold (Au) nanoparticles (GNPs) from a new precursor salt i.e., gold hydroxide in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) polymer. The non-aqueous dispersion of GNPs was comprehensively characterized by UV-Visible, FTIR, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). A strong surface plasmon resonance band at 529 nm in the UV-Visible spectrum confirms the formation of GNPs in the Au colloid. The FTIR spectroscopic results showed that PVP molecules get chemisorbed onto the surface of GNP via O-atom of carbonyl group. A negative zeta potential of (-)16 mV reveals accumulation of nonbonding electrons of O-atom of carbonyl group of PVP molecules on the nanosurface of GNP. TEM images demonstrate a core-shell nanostructure with an Au-crystalline core covered by a thin amorphous PVP-shell. PVP-capped GNPs could be a potential candidate for bio-sensing, catalysis, and other applications.

Carbohydrate Microarrays Identify Blood Group Precursor Cryptic Epitopes as Potential Immunological Targets of Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Wang, Denong; Tang, Jin; Liu, Shaoyi

2015-01-01

Using carbohydrate microarrays, we explored potential natural ligands of antitumor monoclonal antibody HAE3. This antibody was raised against a murine mammary tumor antigen but was found to cross-react with a number of human epithelial tumors in tissues. Our carbohydrate microarray analysis reveals that HAE3 is specific for an O-glycan cryptic epitope that is normally hidden in the cores of blood group substances. Using HAE3 to screen tumor cell surface markers by flow cytometry, we found that the HAE3 glycoepitope, gpHAE3, was highly expressed by a number of human breast cancer cell lines, including some triple-negative cancers that lack the estrogen, progesterone, and Her2/neu receptors. Taken together, we demonstrate that HAE3 recognizes a conserved cryptic glycoepitope of blood group precursors, which is nevertheless selectively expressed and surface-exposed in certain breast tumor cells. The potential of this class of O-glycan cryptic antigens in breast cancer subtyping and targeted immunotherapy warrants further investigation. PMID:26539555

An assessment of forest cover and impervious surface area on family forests in the New York City Watershed

Treesearch

Nathaniel M. Anderson; Rene H. Germain; Myrna H. Hall

2012-01-01

Between 1984 and 2000, the parcelization of family forests in the New York City Watershed caused a decline in average parcel size from 19 to 16 ac. However, little is known about the timing and intensity of development on subdivided parcels, which has the potential to negatively affect water quality by increasing nonpoint source pollution associated with nutrient...

Influence of organic matter on the transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in a ferric oxyhydroxide-coated quartz sand saturated porous medium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abudalo, R.A.; Ryan, J.N.; Harvey, R.W.; Metge, D.W.; Landkamer, Lee L.

2010-01-01

To assess the effect of organic matter on the transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in a geochemically heterogeneous saturated porous medium, we measured the breakthrough and collision efficiencies of oocysts as a function of dissolved organic matter concentration in a flow-through column containing ferric oxyhydroxide-coated sand. We characterized the surface properties of the oocysts and ferric oxyhydroxide-coated sand using microelectrophoresis and streaming potential, respectively, and the amount of organic matter adsorbed on the ferric oxyhydroxide-coated sand as a function of the concentration of dissolved organic matter (a fulvic acid isolated from Florida Everglades water). The dissolved organic matter had no significant effect on the zeta potential of the oocysts. Low concentrations of dissolved organic matter were responsible for reversing the charge of the ferric oxyhydroxide-coated sand surface from positive to negative. The charge reversal and accumulation of negative charge on the ferric oxyhydroxide-coated sand led to increases in oocyst breakthrough and decreases in oocyst collision efficiency with increasing dissolved organic matter concentration. The increase in dissolved organic matter concentration from 0 to 20 mg L-1 resulted in a two-fold decrease in the collision efficiency. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

CO2 controlled flocculation of microalgae using pH responsive cellulose nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyley, Samuel; Vandamme, Dries; Lama, Sanjaya; van den Mooter, Guy; Muylaert, Koenraad; Thielemans, Wim

2015-08-01

Cellulose nanocrystals were grafted with imidazole functionalities up to DS 0.06 using a one-pot functionalization strategy. The resulting nanocrystals were shown to have a pH responsive surface charge which was found to be positive below pH 6 and negative above pH 7. These imidazolyl cellulose nanocrystals were tested for flocculation of Chlorella vulgaris using CO2 to induce flocculation. Up to 90% flocculation efficiency was achieved with 200 mg L-1 dose. Furthermore, the modified cellulose nanocrystals showed good compatibility with the microalgae during cultivation, giving potential for the production of reversible flocculation systems.Cellulose nanocrystals were grafted with imidazole functionalities up to DS 0.06 using a one-pot functionalization strategy. The resulting nanocrystals were shown to have a pH responsive surface charge which was found to be positive below pH 6 and negative above pH 7. These imidazolyl cellulose nanocrystals were tested for flocculation of Chlorella vulgaris using CO2 to induce flocculation. Up to 90% flocculation efficiency was achieved with 200 mg L-1 dose. Furthermore, the modified cellulose nanocrystals showed good compatibility with the microalgae during cultivation, giving potential for the production of reversible flocculation systems. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Spectra for all products. See DOI: 10.1039/C5NR03853G

Self-consistent field calculations of conductance through conjugated molecules at finite bias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulsson, Magnus; Stafström, Sven

2001-03-01

Conductance through conjugated molecules have previously been calculated for a large number of systems using the Landauer formula but only a few calculations have included charging effects. In this study we present calculations in the mean field approximation of the conductance of metal-molecule-metal systems using two different kinds of molecules for a large number of configurations and applied biases. The molecules are described in the Pariser-Parr Pople model. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and charge distribution of the molecule connected by one dimensional leads to reservoirs is solved within the Hartree-Fock approximation. Charging of the molecule occurs when the chemical potential of the reservoirs approach the resonant tunneling levels. The ensuing potential difference, due to the charging, shifts the tunneling peaks which affects the I-V curves considerably. Asymmetrical interaction with the metal leads, e.g. molecule on a metal surface contacted with an STM-tip, also give asymmetrical I-V curves where the potential of the molecule is shown to more closely follow the potential of the surface. Negative differential conductance is discussed in systems consisting of two weakly coupled molecules.

Augmenting responses evoked in area 17 of the cat by intracortical axon collaterals of cortico-geniculate cells.

PubMed Central

Ferster, D; Lindström, S

1985-01-01

Evoked potentials were recorded in the visual cortex of the cat after electrical stimulation of the lateral geniculate nucleus (l.g.n.). The primary response, mediated by geniculo-cortical fibres, was depressed at stimulation frequencies above 7 Hz and replaced by a late potential, the incremental response, which gradually increased in amplitude with successive stimuli. The incremental response was a negative-positive potential in the depth of the cortex with the negative component having maximal amplitude in layer 4. The response reversed polarity in layer 1 to become a positive-negative potential at the surface. The latency of the negative component of the incremental response was about 3.5-4 ms in layer 4, compared to about 1.5 and 2.5 ms for the mono- and disynaptic components of the primary response. The incremental response could only be evoked from the l.g.n. and the optic radiation, not from the optic tract, superior colliculus or other surrounding structures. Within the l.g.n., the effect was only evoked from stimulation sites in approximate retinotopic register with the recording site in the cortex. Low threshold points were found in the A laminae, completely overlapping with the low threshold points for the primary response. Thresholds increased steeply when the stimulation electrode was lowered into the C laminae. The incremental response could still be evoked ten days after the destruction of all cells in the l.g.n. complex by kainic acid. It is concluded that the described incremental response is identical to the augmenting response of Dempsey & Morison (1943) and is mediated by intracortical axon collaterals of antidromically activated cortico-geniculate neurones. Images Plate 1 PMID:4057097

Surface and adsorptive properties of Moringa oleifera bark for removal of V(V) from aqueous solutions.

PubMed

Mnisi, Robert Londi; Ndibewu, Peter Papoh

2017-11-04

The bark of Moringa oleifera, a cheap and readily available natural biopolymeric resource material, found to significantly reduce coliform load and turbidity in contaminated water is investigated in this paper. Its surface and adsorptive properties are investigated to explore its adsorptive potential in removing V(V) from aqueous solutions. Surface properties were investigated using FTIR, HRSEM/EDS, IC, and BET-N 2 adsorption techniques. Adsorptive properties were investigated by optimizing adsorption parameters such as pH, temperature, initial metal concentration, and adsorbent dosage, using V(V) as an adsorbate. The adsorption-desorption isotherms are typical of type II with a H3 hysteresis loop and is characteristic of a largely macroporous material. Bottle ink pores are observed, which can provide good accessibility of the active sites, even though the internal BET surface area is typically low (1.79 g/m 2 ). Solution pH significantly influences the adsorptive potential of the material. The low surface area negatively impacts on the adsorption capacity, but is compensated for by the exchangeable anions (Cl - , F - , PO 4 3- , NO 3 - , and SO 4 2- ) and cations (Ca 2+ , K + , Mg 2+ , and Al 3+ ) at the surface and the accessibility of the active sites. Adsorption isotherm modeling show that the surface is largely heterogeneous with complex multiple sites and adsorption is not limited to monolayer.

Effects of the surface mobility on the oxidation of adsorbed CO on platinum electrodes in alkaline media. The role of the adlayer and surface defects.

PubMed

Herrero, Enrique; Chen, Qing-Song; Hernández, Javier; Sun, Shi-Gang; Feliu, Juan M

2011-10-06

The oxidation of adsorbed CO on Pt single crystal electrodes has been studied in alkaline media. The surfaces used in this study were the Pt(111) electrode and vicinal stepped and kinked surfaces with (111) terraces. The kinked surfaces have either (110) steps broken by (100) kinks or (100) steps broken by (110) kinks and different kink densities. The voltammetric profiles for the CO stripping on those electrodes show peaks corresponding to the oxidation of CO on the (111) terraces, on the (100) steps/kinks and on the (110) steps/kinks at very distinctive potentials. Additionally, the stripping voltammograms always present a prewave. The analysis of the results with the different stepped and kinked surfaces indicates that the presence of the prewave is not associated with defects or kinks in the electrode surface. Also, the clear separation of the CO stripping process in different peak contributions indicates that the mobility of CO on the surface is very low. Using partial CO stripping experiments and studies at different pH, it has been proposed that the low mobility is a consequence of the negative absolute potential at which the adlayers are formed in alkaline media. Also, the surface diffusion coefficient for CO in these media has been estimated from the dependence of the stripping charge of the peaks with the scan rate of the voltammetry.

Lunar Electric Fields: Observations and Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halekas, J. S.; Delory, G. T.; Stubbs, T. J.; Farrell, W. M.; Vondrak, R. R.

2006-12-01

Alhough the Moon is typically thought of as having a relatively dormant environment, it is in fact very electrically active. The lunar surface, not protected by any substantial atmosphere, is directly exposed to solar UV and X-rays as well as solar wind plasma and energetic particles. This creates a complex electrodynamic environment, with the surface typically charging positive in sunlight and negative in shadow, and surface potentials varying over orders of magnitude in response to changing solar illumination and plasma conditions. Observations from the Apollo era and theoretical considerations strongly suggest that surface charging also drives dust electrification and horizontal and vertical dust transport. We present a survey of the lunar electric field environment, utilizing both newly interpreted Lunar Prospector (LP) orbital observations and older Apollo surface observations, and comparing to theoretical predictions. We focus in particular on time periods when the most significant surface charging was observed by LP - namely plasmasheet crossings (when the Moon is in the Earth's magnetosphere) and space weather events. During these time periods, kV-scale potentials are observed, and enhanced surface electric fields can be expected to drive significant horizontal and vertical dust transport. Both dust and electric fields can have serious effects on habitability and operation of machinery, so understanding the coupled dust-plasma-electric field system around the Moon is critically important for planning exploration efforts, in situ resource utilization, and scientific observations on the lunar surface. Furthermore, from a pure science perspective, this represents an excellent opportunity to study fundamental surface-plasma interactions.

Positive Voltage Hazard to EMU Crewman from Currents through Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, Leonard; Hamilton, Doug; Mikatarian, Ronald; Thomas, Joseph; Koontz, Steven

2010-09-01

The International Space Station(ISS) in its transit through the ionosphere experiences a variable electrical potential between its bonded structure and the overlying ionospheric plasma. The 160 volt solar arrays on ISS are grounded negative and drive structure to negative floating potential(FP) relative to plasma. This potential is a result of the asymmetric collection properties of currents from ions and electrons moderated by geomagnetic; so called v Å~ B induction distributing an additional 20 volts both positive and negative across ISS’s main structural truss element. Since the space suit or extravehicular mobility unit(EMU) does not protect the crewperson from electrical shock, during extra vehicular activity(EVA) the person is exposed to a hazard from the potential when any of the several metallic suit penetrations come in direct contact with ISS structure. The moisture soaked garment worn by the crewperson and the large interior metal contact areas facilitate currents through the crewperson’s body. There are two hazards; Negative and Positive FP. The Negative hazard is the better known risk created by a shock hazard from arcing of anodized material on the EMU. Negative hazard has been controlled by plasma contactor units(PCU) containing a reserve of Xenon gas which is expelled from ISS. The PCU provide a ground path for the negative charge from the structure to flow to exterior plasma bringing ISS FP closer to zero. The understanding has now emerged that the operation of PCUs to protect the crewmen from negative voltage exposes him to low to moderate positive voltage(≤15V). Positive voltage is also a hazard as it focuses electrons onto exposed metal EMU penetrations completing a circuit from plasma through interior contact with the moist crewman’s body and on to ISS ground through any of several secondary isolated metal penetrations. The resulting direct current from positive voltage exposure is now identified as an electrical shock hazard. This paper describes the model of the EMU with a human body in the circuit that has been used by NASA to evaluate the low positive voltage hazard. The model utilizes the electron collection characterization from on orbit Langmuir probe data as representative of electron collection to a positive charged surface with a wide range of on orbit plasma temperature and density conditions. The data has been unified according to nonlinear theoretical temperature and density variation of the electron saturated probe current collection theory and used as a model for the electron collection at EMU surfaces. Vulnerable paths through the EMU connecting through the crewman’s body have been identified along with electrical impedance of the exposed body parts. The body impedance information is merged with the electron collection characteristics in circuit simulation software known as SPICE. The assessment shows that currents can be on the order of 20 mA for a 15 V exposure and of order 4 mA at 3V. These currents formally violate NASA protocol for electric current exposures. However the human factors associated with subjective consequences of noxious stimuli from low voltage exposure during the stressful conditions of EVA are an area of active inquiry.

Probing lipid membrane electrostatics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yi

The electrostatic properties of lipid bilayer membranes play a significant role in many biological processes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is highly sensitive to membrane surface potential in electrolyte solutions. With fully characterized probe tips, AFM can perform quantitative electrostatic analysis of lipid membranes. Electrostatic interactions between Silicon nitride probes and supported zwitterionic dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) bilayer with a variable fraction of anionic dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) were measured by AFM. Classical Gouy-Chapman theory was used to model the membrane electrostatics. The nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation was numerically solved with finite element method to provide the potential distribution around the AFM tips. Theoretical tip-sample electrostatic interactions were calculated with the surface integral of both Maxwell and osmotic stress tensors on tip surface. The measured forces were interpreted with theoretical forces and the resulting surface charge densities of the membrane surfaces were in quantitative agreement with the Gouy-Chapman-Stern model of membrane charge regulation. It was demonstrated that the AFM can quantitatively detect membrane surface potential at a separation of several screening lengths, and that the AFM probe only perturbs the membrane surface potential by <2%. One important application of this technique is to estimate the dipole density of lipid membrane. Electrostatic analysis of DOPC lipid bilayers with the AFM reveals a repulsive force between the negatively charged probe tips and the zwitterionic lipid bilayers. This unexpected interaction has been analyzed quantitatively to reveal that the repulsion is due to a weak external field created by the internai membrane dipole moment. The analysis yields a dipole moment of 1.5 Debye per lipid with a dipole potential of +275 mV for supported DOPC membranes. This new ability to quantitatively measure the membrane dipole density in a noninvasive manner will be useful in identifying the biological effects of the dipole potential. Finally, heterogeneous model membranes were studied with fluid electric force microscopy (FEFM). Electrostatic mapping was demonstrated with 50 nm resolution. The capabilities of quantitative electrostatic measurement and lateral charge density mapping make AFM a unique and powerful probe of membrane electrostatics.

Surface charge tunability as a powerful strategy to control electrostatic interaction for high efficiency silencing, using tailored oligopeptide-modified poly(beta-amino ester)s (PBAEs).

PubMed

Dosta, Pere; Segovia, Nathaly; Cascante, Anna; Ramos, Victor; Borrós, Salvador

2015-07-01

Here we present an extended family of pBAEs that incorporate terminal oligopeptide moieties synthesized from both positive and negative amino acids. Polymer formulations of mixtures of negative and positive oligopeptide-modified pBAEs are capable of condensing siRNA into discrete nanoparticles. We have demonstrated that efficient delivery of nucleic acids in a cell-type dependent manner can be achieved by careful control of the pBAE formulation. In addition, our approach of adding differently charged oligopeptides to the termini of poly(β-amino ester)s is of great interest for the design of tailored complexes having specific features, such as tuneable zeta potential. We anticipate that this surface charge tunability may be a powerful strategy to control unwanted electrostatic interactions, while preserving high silencing efficiency and reduced toxicity. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mesopores induced zero thermal expansion in single-crystal ferroelectrics.

PubMed

Ren, Zhaohui; Zhao, Ruoyu; Chen, Xing; Li, Ming; Li, Xiang; Tian, He; Zhang, Ze; Han, Gaorong

2018-04-24

For many decades, zero thermal expansion materials have been the focus of numerous investigations because of their intriguing physical properties and potential applications in high-precision instruments. Different strategies, such as composites, solid solution and doping, have been developed as promising approaches to obtain zero thermal expansion materials. However, microstructure controlled zero thermal expansion behavior via interface or surface has not been realized. Here we report the observation of an impressive zero thermal expansion (volumetric thermal expansion coefficient, -1.41 × 10 -6  K -1 , 293-623 K) in single-crystal ferroelectric PbTiO 3 fibers with large-scale faceted and enclosed mesopores. The zero thermal expansion behavior is attributed to a synergetic effect of positive thermal expansion near the mesopores due to the oxygen-based polarization screening and negative thermal expansion from an intrinsic ferroelectricity. Our results show that a fascinating surface construction in negative thermal expansion ferroelectric materials could be a promising strategy to realize zero thermal expansion.

Quality Control Testing for Tracking Endotoxin-Producing Gram-Negative Bacteria during the Preparation of Polyvalent Snake Antivenom Immunoglobulin.

PubMed

Sheraba, Norhan S; Diab, Mohamed R; Yassin, Aymen S; Amin, Magdy A; Zedan, Hamdallah H

2015-01-01

Snake bites represent a serious public health problem, particularly in rural areas worldwide. Antitoxic sera preparations are antibodies from immunized animals and are considered to be the only treatment option. The purification of antivenom antibodies should aim at obtaining products of consistent quality, safety, efficacy, and adherence to good manufacturing practice principles. Endotoxins are an integral component of the outer cell surface of Gram-negative bacteria. They are common contaminates of the raw materials and processing equipment used in the manufacturing of antivenoms. In this work, and as a part of quality control testing, we establish and examine an environmental monitoring program for identification of potential sources of endotoxin-producing Gram-negative bacteria throughout the whole steps of antivenom preparation. In addition, we follow all the steps of preparation starting from crude plasma till finished product using a validated sterility and endotoxin testing.Samples from air, surface, and personnel were collected and examined through various stages of manufacturing for the potential presence of Gram-negative bacteria. A validated sterility and endotoxin test was carried out in parallel at the different production steps. The results showed that air contributed to the majority of bacterial isolates detected (48.43%), followed by surfaces (37.5%) and then personnel (14%). The most common bacterial isolates detected were Achromobacter xylosoxidans, Ochrobactrum anthropi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which together with Burkholderia cepacia were both also detected in cleaning water and certain equipment parts. A heavy bacterial growth with no fungal contamination was observed in all stages of antivenom manufacturing excluding the formulation stage. All samples were positive for endotoxin including the finished product.Implementation and continued evaluation of quality assurance and quality improvement programs in aseptic preparation is essential in ensuring the safety and quality of these products. Antitoxic sera preparations are the only treatment option for snake bites worldwide. They are prepared by immunizing animals, usually horses, with snake venom and collecting horse plasma, which is then subjected to several purification steps in order to finally prepare the purified immunoglobulins. Components of the bacterial cell wall known as endotoxins can constitute a potential hazardous contamination known as pyrogen in antisera, which can lead to fever and many other adverse reactions to the person subjected to it.In this work, we monitored the environment associated with the different steps of production and purification of snake antivenom prepared from immunized horses. We examined the air quality, surface, and personnel for possible sources of contamination, particularly the presence of Gram-negative bacteria, which is the major source of endotoxin presence. We also monitored all stages of preparation by sterility and endotoxin testing. Our results showed that air contributed to the majority of bacterial isolates. Sterility testing revealed the presence of bacterial contamination in all the intermediate steps, as only the final preparation after filtration was sterile. Endotoxin was present in all tested samples and the final product. Good manufacturing practice procedures are essential in any facility involved in antisera production. © PDA, Inc. 2015.

Impact of water chemistry on surface charge and aggregation of polystyrene microspheres suspensions.

PubMed

Lu, Songhua; Zhu, Kairuo; Song, Wencheng; Song, Gang; Chen, Diyun; Hayat, Tasawar; Alharbi, Njud S; Chen, Changlun; Sun, Yubing

2018-07-15

The discharge of microplastics into aquatic environment poses the potential threat to the hydrocoles and human health. The fate and transport of microplastics in aqueous solutions are significantly influenced by water chemistry. In this study, the effect of water chemistry (i.e., pH, foreign salts and humic acid) on the surface charge and aggregation of polystyrene microsphere in aqueous solutions was conducted by batch, zeta potentials, hydrodynamic diameters, FT-IR and XPS analysis. Compared to Na + and K + , the lower negative zeta potentials and larger hydrodynamic diameters of polystyrene microspheres after introduction of Mg 2+ were observed within a wide range of pH (2.0-11.0) and ionic strength (IS, 0.01-500mmol/L). No effect of Cl - , HCO 3 - and SO 4 2- on the zeta potentials and hydrodynamic diameters of polystyrene microspheres was observed at low IS concentrations (<5mmol/L), whereas the zeta potentials and hydrodynamic diameters of polystyrene microspheres after addition of SO 4 2- were higher than that of Cl - and HCO 3 - at high IS concentrations (>10mmol/L). The zeta potentials of polystyrene microspheres after HA addition were decreased at pH2.0-11.0, whereas the lower hydrodynamic diameters were observed at pH<4.0. According to FT-IR and XPS analysis, the change in surface properties of polystyrene microspheres after addition of hydrated Mg 2+ and HA was attributed to surface electrostatic and/or steric repulsions. These investigations are crucial for understanding the effect of water chemistry on colloidal stability of microplastics in aquatic environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dust motions in quasi-statically charged binary asteroid systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maruskin, Jared M.; Bellerose, Julie; Wong, Macken; Mitchell, Lara; Richardson, David; Mathews, Douglas; Nguyen, Tri; Ganeshalingam, Usha; Ma, Gina

2013-03-01

In this paper, we discuss dust motion and investigate possible mass transfer of charged particles in a binary asteroid system, in which the asteroids are electrically charged due to solar radiation. The surface potential of the asteroids is assumed to be a piecewise function, with positive potential on the sunlit half and negative potential on the shadow half. We derive the nonautonomous equations of motion for charged particles and an analytic representation for their lofting conditions. Particle trajectories and temporary relative equilibria are examined in relation to their moving forbidden regions, a concept we define and discuss. Finally, we use a Monte Carlo simulation for a case study on mass transfer and loss rates between the asteroids.

Nonenzymatic Wearable Sensor for Electrochemical Analysis of Perspiration Glucose.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiaofei; Ju, Yinhui; Chen, Jian; Liu, Deye; Liu, Hong

2018-05-25

We report a nonenzymatic wearable sensor for electrochemical analysis of perspiration glucose. Multipotential steps are applied on a Au electrode, including a high negative pretreatment potential step for proton reduction which produces a localized alkaline condition, a moderate potential step for electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose under the alkaline condition, and a positive potential step to clean and reactivate the electrode surface for the next detection. Fluorocarbon-based materials were coated on the Au electrode for improving the selectivity and robustness of the sensor. A fully integrated wristband is developed for continuous real-time monitoring of perspiration glucose during physical activities, and uploading the test result to a smartphone app via Bluetooth.

Surface properties and graphitization of polyacrylonitrile based fiber electrodes affecting the negative half-cell reaction in vanadium redox flow batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langner, J.; Bruns, M.; Dixon, D.; Nefedov, A.; Wöll, Ch.; Scheiba, F.; Ehrenberg, H.; Roth, C.; Melke, J.

2016-07-01

Carbon felt electrodes for vanadium redox flow batteries are obtained by the graphitization of polyacrylonitrile based felts at different temperatures. Subsequently, the surface of the felts is modified via thermal oxidation at various temperatures. A single-cell experiment shows that the voltage efficiency is increased by this treatment. Electrode potentials measured with reference electrode setup show that this voltage efficiency increase is caused mainly by a reduction of the overpotential of the negative half-cell reaction. Consequently, this reaction is investigated further by cyclic voltammetry and the electrode activity is correlated with structural and surface chemical properties of the carbon fibers. By Raman, X-ray photoelectron and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy the role of edge sites and oxygen containing functional groups (OCFs) for the electrochemical activity are elucidated. A significant activity increase is observed in correlation with these two characteristics. The amount of OCFs is correlated with structural defects (e.g. edge sites) of the carbon fibers and therefore decreases with an increasing graphitization degree. Thus, for the same thermal oxidation temperature carbon fibers graphitized at a lower temperature show higher activities than those graphitized at a higher temperature.

Active species delivered by dielectric barrier discharge filaments to bacteria biofilms on the surface of apple

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, He; Liu, Xin; Lu, Xinpei; Liu, Dawei

2016-07-01

The atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma has shown a significant potential as a novel food decontamination technology. In this paper, we report a computational study of the intersection of negative streamer produced by air dielectric barrier discharge with bacteria biofilm on an apple surface. The structure, conductivities, and permittivities of bacteria biofilm have been considered in the Poisson's equations and transportation equations of charge and neutral species to realize self-consistent transportation of plasma between electrode and charging surfaces of apple. We find that the ionization near the biofilm facilitates the propagation of negative streamer when the streamer head is 1 mm from the biofilm. The structure of the biofilm results in the non-uniform distribution of ROS and RNS captured by flux and time fluence of these reactive species. The mean free path of charged species in μm scale permitted the plasma penetrate into the cavity of the biofilm, therefore, although the density of ROS and RNS decrease by 6-7 order of magnitude, the diffusion results in the uniform distribution of ROS and RNS inside the cavity during the pulse off period.

A novel reverse osmosis membrane by ferrous sulfate assisted controlled oxidation of polyamide layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raval, Hiren D.; Raviya, Mayur R.; Gauswami, Maulik V.

2017-11-01

With growing desalination capacity, it is very important to evaluate the performance of thin film composite reverse osmosis (TFC RO) membrane in terms of energy consumption for desalination. There is a trade-off between salt rejection and water-flux of TFC RO membrane. This article presents a novel approach of analyzing the effect of mixture of an oxidizing agent sodium hypochlorite and a reducing agent ferrous sulfate on virgin TFC RO membrane. Experiments were carried out by varying the concentrations of both sodium hypochlorite and ferrous sulfate. The negative charge was induced on the membrane due to the treatment of combination of sodium hypochlorite and ferrous sulfate, thereby resulting in higher rejection of negative ions due to repulsive force. Membrane treated with 1000 mg l-1 sodium hypochlorite and 2000 mg l-1 ferrous sulfate showed the best salt rejection i.e. 96.23%. The characterization was carried out to understand the charge on the membrane surface by Zeta potential, morphology of membrane surface by scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface roughness features by atomic force microscope (AFM) and chemical structural changes by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis.

Effect of Temperature on the Physico-Chemical Properties of a Room Temperature Ionic Liquid (1-Methyl-3-pentylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate) with Polyethylene Glycol Oligomer

PubMed Central

Wu, Tzi-Yi; Chen, Bor-Kuan; Hao, Lin; Peng, Yu-Chun; Sun, I-Wen

2011-01-01

A systematic study of the effect of composition on the thermo-physical properties of the binary mixtures of 1-methyl-3-pentyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate [MPI][PF6] with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) [Mw = 400] is presented. The excess molar volume, refractive index deviation, viscosity deviation, and surface tension deviation values were calculated from these experimental density, ρ, refractive index, n, viscosity, η, and surface tension, γ, over the whole concentration range, respectively. The excess molar volumes are negative and continue to become increasingly negative with increasing temperature; whereas the viscosity and surface tension deviation are negative and become less negative with increasing temperature. The surface thermodynamic functions, such as surface entropy, enthalpy, as well as standard molar entropy, Parachor, and molar enthalpy of vaporization for pure ionic liquid, have been derived from the temperature dependence of the surface tension values. PMID:21731460

Acid base properties of cyanobacterial surfaces I: Influences of growth phase and nitrogen metabolism on cell surface reactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lalonde, S. V.; Smith, D. S.; Owttrim, G. W.; Konhauser, K. O.

2008-03-01

Significant efforts have been made to elucidate the chemical properties of bacterial surfaces for the purposes of refining surface complexation models that can account for their metal sorptive behavior under diverse conditions. However, the influence of culturing conditions on surface chemical parameters that are modeled from the potentiometric titration of bacterial surfaces has received little regard. While culture age and metabolic pathway have been considered as factors potentially influencing cell surface reactivity, statistical treatments have been incomplete and variability has remained unconfirmed. In this study, we employ potentiometric titrations to evaluate variations in bacterial surface ligand distributions using live cells of the sheathless cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, grown under a variety of batch culture conditions. We evaluate the ability for a single set of modeled parameters, describing acid-base surface properties averaged over all culture conditions tested, to accurately account for the ligand distributions modeled for each individual culture condition. In addition to considering growth phase, we assess the role of the various assimilatory nitrogen metabolisms available to this organism as potential determinants of surface reactivity. We observe statistically significant variability in site distribution between the majority of conditions assessed. By employing post hoc Tukey-Kramer analysis for all possible pair-wise condition comparisons, we conclude that the average parameters are inadequate for the accurate chemical description of this cyanobacterial surface. It was determined that for this Gram-negative bacterium in batch culture, ligand distributions were influenced to a greater extent by nitrogen assimilation pathway than by growth phase.

Adhesion of osteoblasts to a nanorough titanium implant surface

PubMed Central

Gongadze, Ekaterina; Kabaso, Doron; Bauer, Sebastian; Slivnik, Tomaž; Schmuki, Patrik; van Rienen, Ursula; Iglič, Aleš

2011-01-01

This work considers the adhesion of cells to a nanorough titanium implant surface with sharp edges. The basic assumption was that the attraction between the negatively charged titanium surface and a negatively charged osteoblast is mediated by charged proteins with a distinctive quadrupolar internal charge distribution. Similarly, cation-mediated attraction between fibronectin molecules and the titanium surface is expected to be more efficient for a high surface charge density, resulting in facilitated integrin mediated osteoblast adhesion. We suggest that osteoblasts are most strongly bound along the sharp convex edges or spikes of nanorough titanium surfaces where the magnitude of the negative surface charge density is the highest. It is therefore plausible that nanorough regions of titanium surfaces with sharp edges and spikes promote the adhesion of osteoblasts. PMID:21931478

Assessment of Biomarkers Associated with Joint Injury and Subsequent Post-Traumatic Arthritis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Studio, Research Triangle Park, NC). Changes in cartilage thickness between post -operative and 18-month follow-up images were quantified using an in...surface were measured, and defined as the distance to a test surface ( post -fx bone surface) that was either outside (positive) or inside (negative) of... test surface ( post -fx bone surface) that was either outside (positive) or inside (negative) of the reference surface (pre-fx bone surface). A

Activation of Phospholipase C Increases Intramembrane Electric Fields in N1E-115 Neuroblastoma Cells

PubMed Central

Xu, Chang; Loew, Leslie M.

2003-01-01

We imaged the intramembrane potential (a combination of transmembrane, surface, and dipole potential) on N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells with a voltage-sensitive dye. After activation of the B2 bradykinin receptor, the electric field sensed by the dye increased by an amount equivalent to a depolarization of 83 mV. The increase in intramembrane potential was blocked by the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitors U-73122 and neomycin, and was invariably accompanied by a transient rise of [Ca2+]i. A depolarized inner surface potential, as the membrane loses negative charges via phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis, and an increase in the dipole potential, as PIP2 is hydrolyzed to 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG), can each account for a small portion of the change in intramembrane potential. The primary contribution to the measured change in intramembrane potential may arise from an increased dipole potential, as DAG molecules are generated from hydrolysis of other phospholipids. We found bradykinin produced an inhibition of a M-type voltage-dependent K+ current (IK(M)). This inhibition was also blocked by the PLC inhibitors and had similar kinetics as the bradykinin-induced modulation of intramembrane potential. Our results suggest that the change in the local intramembrane potential induced by bradykinin may play a role in mediating the IK(M) inhibition. PMID:12770917

Exploring the correlation between annual precipitation and potential evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Buchberger, S. G.

2017-12-01

The interdependence between precipitation and potential evaporation is closely related to the classic Budyko framework. In this study, a systematic investigation of the correlation between precipitation and potential evaporation at the annual time step is conducted at both point scale and watershed scale. The point scale precipitation and potential evaporation data over the period of 1984-2015 are collected from 259 weather stations across the United States. The watershed scale precipitation data of 203 watersheds across the United States are obtained from the Model Parameter Estimation Experiment (MOPEX) dataset from 1983 to 2002; and potential evaporation data of these 203 watersheds in the same period are obtained from a remote-sensing algorithm. The results show that majority of the weather stations (77%) and watersheds (79%) exhibit a statistically significant negative correlation between annual precipitation and annual potential evaporation. The aggregated data cloud of precipitation versus potential evaporation follows a curve based on the combination of the Budyko-type equation and Bouchet's complementary relationship. Our result suggests that annual precipitation and potential evaporation are not independent when both Budyko's hypothesis and Bouchet's hypothesis are valid. Furthermore, we find that the wet surface evaporation, which is controlled primarily by short wave radiation as defined in Bouchet's hypothesis, exhibits less dependence on precipitation than the potential evaporation. As a result, we suggest that wet surface evaporation is a better representation of energy supply than potential evaporation in the Budyko framework.

Gravikinesis in Stylonychia mytilus is based on membrane potential changes.

PubMed

Krause, Martin; Bräucker, Richard; Hemmersbach, Ruth

2010-01-01

The graviperception of the hypotrichous ciliate Stylonychia mytilus was investigated using electrophysiological methods and behavioural analysis. It is shown that Stylonychia can sense gravity and thereby compensates sedimentation rate by a negative gravikinesis. The graviresponse consists of a velocity-regulating physiological component (negative gravikinesis) and an additional orientational component. The latter is largely based on a physical mechanism but might, in addition, be affected by the frequency of ciliary reversals, which is under physiological control. We show that the external stimulus of gravity is transformed to a physiological signal, activating mechanosensitive calcium and potassium channels. Earlier electrophysiological experiments revealed that these ion channels are distributed in the manner of two opposing gradients over the surface membrane. Here, we show, for the first time, records of gravireceptor potentials in Stylonychia that are presumably based on this two-gradient system of ion channels. The gravireceptor potentials had maximum amplitudes of approximately 4 mV and slow activation characteristics (0.03 mV s(-1)). The presumptive number of involved graviperceptive ion channels was calculated and correlates with the analysis of the locomotive behaviour.

Surface sensitization mechanism on negative electron affinity p-GaN nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diao, Yu; Liu, Lei; Xia, Sihao; Feng, Shu; Lu, Feifei

2018-03-01

The surface sensitization is the key to prepare negative electron affinity photocathode. The thesis emphasizes on the study of surface sensitization mechanism of p-type doping GaN nanowires utilizing first principles based on density function theory. The adsorption energy, work function, dipole moment, geometry structure, electronic structure and optical properties of Mg-doped GaN nanowires surfaces with various coverages of Cs atoms are investigated. The GaN nanowire with Mg doped in core position is taken as the sensitization base. At the initial stage of sensitization, the best adsorption site for Cs atom on GaN nanowire surface is BN, the bridge site of two adjacent N atoms. Surface sensitization generates a p-type internal surface with an n-type surface state, introducing a band bending region which can help reduce surface barrier and work function. With increasing Cs coverage, work functions decrease monotonously and the "Cs-kill" phenomenon disappears. For Cs coverage of 0.75 ML and 1 ML, the corresponding sensitization systems reach negative electron affinity state. Through surface sensitization, the absorption curves are red shifted and the absorption coefficient is cut down. All theoretical calculations can guide the design of negative electron affinity Mg doped GaN nanowires photocathode.

Increasing binding density of yeast cells by control of surface charge with allylamine grafting to ion modified polymer surfaces.

PubMed

Tran, Clara T H; Kondyurin, Alexey; Chrzanowski, Wojciech; Bilek, Marcela M M; McKenzie, David R

2014-10-01

Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) treatment of polymers creates a biointerface capable of direct covalent immobilization of biomolecules. The immobilization of protein molecules is achieved by covalent bonds formed between embedded radicals on the treated surface and amino acid side chains and cells can be immobilized through cell-wall proteins. The attachment density of negatively charged entities on a PIII treated surface is inhibited by its negative surface charge at neutral pH. To reduce the negative charge of PIII treated surfaces in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4, 11mM), we develop an effective approach of grafting allylamine monomers onto the treated surface. The results reveal reactions between allylamine and radicals on the PIII treated surface. One of these triggers polymerization, increasing the number of amine groups grafted. As a consequence, the PIII treated polystyrene surface after allylamine exposure becomes more hydrophobic and less negatively charged in phosphate buffer. Using yeast cells as an example, we have shown a significant improvement (6-15 times) of cell density immobilized on the PIII treated surface after exposure to allylamine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrostatic lipid-protein interactions sequester the curli amyloid fold on the lipopolysaccharide membrane surface.

PubMed

Swasthi, Hema M; Mukhopadhyay, Samrat

2017-12-01

Curli is a functional amyloid protein in the extracellular matrix of enteric Gram-negative bacteria. Curli is assembled at the cell surface and consists of CsgA, the major subunit of curli, and a membrane-associated nucleator protein, CsgB. Oligomeric intermediates that accumulate during the lag phase of amyloidogenesis are generally toxic, but the underlying mechanism by which bacterial cells overcome this toxicity during curli assembly at the surface remains elusive. Here, we elucidated the mechanism of curli amyloidogenesis and provide molecular insights into the strategy by which bacteria can potentially bypass the detrimental consequences of toxic amyloid intermediates. Using a diverse range of biochemical and biophysical tools involving circular dichroism, fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy imaging, we characterized the molecular basis of the interaction of CsgB with a membrane-mimetic anionic surfactant as well as with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) constituting the outer leaflet of Gram-negative bacteria. Aggregation studies revealed that the electrostatic interaction of the positively charged C-terminal region of the protein with a negatively charged head group of surfactant/LPS promotes a protein-protein interaction that results in facile amyloid formation without a detectable lag phase. We also show that CsgB, in the presence of surfactant/LPS, accelerates the fibrillation rate of CsgA by circumventing the lag phase during nucleation. Our findings suggest that the electrostatic interactions between lipid and protein molecules play a pivotal role in efficiently sequestering the amyloid fold of curli on the membrane surface without significant accumulation of toxic oligomeric intermediates. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Development of Functional Thin Polymer Films Using a Layer-by-Layer Deposition Technique.

PubMed

Yoshida, Kentaro

2017-01-01

Functional thin films containing insulin were prepared using layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of insulin and negatively- or positively-charged polymers on the surface of solid substrates. LbL films composed of insulin and negatively-charged polymers such as poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(vinylsulfate) (PVS), and dextran sulfate (DS) were prepared through electrostatic affinity between the materials. The insulin/PAA, insulin/PVS, and insulin/DS films were stable in acidic solutions, whereas they decomposed under physiological conditions as a result of a change in the net electric charge of insulin from positive to negative. Interestingly, the insulin-containing LbL films were stable even in the presence of a digestive-enzyme (pepcin) at pH 1.4 (stomach pH). In contrast, LbL films consisting of insulin and positively-charged polymers such as poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) decomposed in acidic solutions due to the positive charges of insulin generated in acidic media. The insulin-containing LbL films can be prepared not only on the surface of flat substrates, such as quartz slides, but also on the surface of microparticles, such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) microbeads. Thus, insulin-containing LbL film-coated PLA microbeads can be handled as a powder. In addition, insulin-containing microcapsules were prepared by coating LbL films on the surface of insulin-doped calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) microparticles, followed by dissolution of the CaCO 3 core. The release of insulin from the microcapsules was accelerated at pH 7.4, whereas it was suppressed in acidic solutions. These results suggest the potential use of insulin-containing microcapsules in the development of oral formulations of insulin.

Effects of Offshore Wind Turbines on Ocean Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wimer, Nicholas; Churchfield, Matthew; Hamlington, Peter

2014-11-01

Wakes from horizontal axis wind turbines create large downstream velocity deficits, thus reducing the available energy for downstream turbines while simultaneously increasing turbulent loading. Along with this deficit, however, comes a local increase in the velocity around the turbine rotor, resulting in increased surface wind speeds. For offshore turbines, these increased speeds can result in changes to the properties of wind-induced waves at the ocean surface. In this study, the characteristics and implications of such waves are explored by coupling a wave simulation code to the Simulator for Offshore Wind Farm Applications (SOWFA) developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The wave simulator and SOWFA are bi-directionally coupled using the surface wind field produced by an offshore wind farm to drive an ocean wave field, which is used to calculate a wave-dependent surface roughness that is fed back into SOWFA. The details of this combined framework are outlined. The potential for using the wave field created at offshore wind farms as an additional energy resource through the installation of on-site wave converters is discussed. Potential negative impacts of the turbine-induced wave field are also discussed, including increased oscillation of floating turbines.

BSA adsorption onto nanospheres: Influence of surface curvature as probed by electrophoretic light scattering and UV/vis spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Pérez, Julio A.; Gallardo-Moreno, Amparo M.; González-Martín, M. Luisa; Vadillo-Rodríguez, Virginia

2015-10-01

The influence of surface curvature on the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was evaluated through the combination of two fairly simple techniques: electrophoretic light scattering and UV/vis spectroscopy. Measurements were carried out for a range of protein concentrations (0-320 μg/ml) at pH 3.5, 4.5 and 7 using hydrophobic polystyrene nanospheres of 38.8, 82 and 220 nm in diameter. The results obtained demonstrate that the charge of the BSA molecules in solution dictates the pH-dependent behavior of the protein-coated nanospheres, indicating in all cases a significant adsorption of BSA molecules. At a fixed pH, however, it is the zeta potential that characterizes the uncoated nanospheres normalized by their surface area that primarily controls protein adsorption. In particular, it is found that the rate at which BSA interact with the different nanospheres increases as their negative zeta potential per unit area (or diameter) increases (decreases) regardless of the pH. Moreover, provided that adsorption occurs away from the isoelectric point of the protein, highly curved surfaces are found to stabilize the native-like conformation of BSA upon adsorption by likely reducing lateral interactions between adsorbed molecules.

Calculations of the electrostatic potential adjacent to model phospholipid bilayers.

PubMed

Peitzsch, R M; Eisenberg, M; Sharp, K A; McLaughlin, S

1995-03-01

We used the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation to calculate electrostatic potentials in the aqueous phase adjacent to model phospholipid bilayers containing mixtures of zwitterionic lipids (phosphatidylcholine) and acidic lipids (phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylglycerol). The aqueous phase (relative permittivity, epsilon r = 80) contains 0.1 M monovalent salt. When the bilayers contain < 11% acidic lipid, the -25 mV equipotential surfaces are discrete domes centered over the negatively charged lipids and are approximately twice the value calculated using Debye-Hückel theory. When the bilayers contain > 25% acidic lipid, the -25 mV equipotential profiles are essentially flat and agree well with the values calculated using Gouy-Chapman theory. When the bilayers contain 100% acidic lipid, all of the equipotential surfaces are flat and agree with Gouy-Chapman predictions (including the -100 mV surface, which is located only 1 A from the outermost atoms). Even our model bilayers are not simple systems: the charge on each lipid is distributed over several atoms, these partial charges are non-coplanar, there is a 2 A ion-exclusion region (epsilon r = 80) adjacent to the polar headgroups, and the molecular surface is rough. We investigated the effect of these four factors using smooth (or bumpy) epsilon r = 2 slabs with embedded point charges: these factors had only minor effects on the potential in the aqueous phase.

Calculations of the electrostatic potential adjacent to model phospholipid bilayers.

PubMed Central

Peitzsch, R M; Eisenberg, M; Sharp, K A; McLaughlin, S

1995-01-01

We used the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation to calculate electrostatic potentials in the aqueous phase adjacent to model phospholipid bilayers containing mixtures of zwitterionic lipids (phosphatidylcholine) and acidic lipids (phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylglycerol). The aqueous phase (relative permittivity, epsilon r = 80) contains 0.1 M monovalent salt. When the bilayers contain < 11% acidic lipid, the -25 mV equipotential surfaces are discrete domes centered over the negatively charged lipids and are approximately twice the value calculated using Debye-Hückel theory. When the bilayers contain > 25% acidic lipid, the -25 mV equipotential profiles are essentially flat and agree well with the values calculated using Gouy-Chapman theory. When the bilayers contain 100% acidic lipid, all of the equipotential surfaces are flat and agree with Gouy-Chapman predictions (including the -100 mV surface, which is located only 1 A from the outermost atoms). Even our model bilayers are not simple systems: the charge on each lipid is distributed over several atoms, these partial charges are non-coplanar, there is a 2 A ion-exclusion region (epsilon r = 80) adjacent to the polar headgroups, and the molecular surface is rough. We investigated the effect of these four factors using smooth (or bumpy) epsilon r = 2 slabs with embedded point charges: these factors had only minor effects on the potential in the aqueous phase. Images FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 PMID:7756540

A double-layer based model of ion confinement in electron cyclotron resonance ion source.

PubMed

Mascali, D; Neri, L; Celona, L; Castro, G; Torrisi, G; Gammino, S; Sorbello, G; Ciavola, G

2014-02-01

The paper proposes a new model of ion confinement in ECRIS, which can be easily generalized to any magnetic configuration characterized by closed magnetic surfaces. Traditionally, ion confinement in B-min configurations is ascribed to a negative potential dip due to superhot electrons, adiabatically confined by the magneto-static field. However, kinetic simulations including RF heating affected by cavity modes structures indicate that high energy electrons populate just a thin slab overlapping the ECR layer, while their density drops down of more than one order of magnitude outside. Ions, instead, diffuse across the electron layer due to their high collisionality. This is the proper physical condition to establish a double-layer (DL) configuration which self-consistently originates a potential barrier; this "barrier" confines the ions inside the plasma core surrounded by the ECR surface. The paper will describe a simplified ion confinement model based on plasma density non-homogeneity and DL formation.

Cholesterol Promotes Protein Binding by Affecting Membrane Electrostatics and Solvation Properties

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

Doktorova, Milka; Heberle, Frederick A.; Kingston, Richard L.

Binding of the retroviral structural protein Gag to the cellular plasma membrane is mediated by the protein’s matrix (MA) domain. Prominent among MA-PM interactions is electrostatic attraction between the positively charged MA domain and the negatively charged plasma membrane inner leaflet. Previously, we reported that membrane association of HIV-1 Gag, as well as purified Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) MA and Gag, depends strongly on the presence of acidic lipids and is enhanced by cholesterol (Chol). The mechanism underlying this enhancement was unclear. Here in this paper, using a broad set of in vitro and in silico techniques we addressed molecularmore » mechanisms of association between RSV MA and model membranes, and investigated how Chol enhances this association. In neutron scattering experiments with liposomes in the presence or absence of Chol, MA preferentially interacted with preexisting POPS-rich clusters formed by nonideal lipid mixing, binding peripherally to the lipid headgroups with minimal perturbation to the bilayer structure. Molecular dynamics simulations showed a stronger MA-bilayer interaction in the presence of Chol, and a large Chol-driven increase in lipid packing and membrane surface charge density. Although in vitro MA-liposome association is influenced by disparate variables, including ionic strength and concentrations of Chol and charged lipids, continuum electrostatic theory revealed an underlying dependence on membrane surface potential. Together, these results conclusively show that Chol affects RSV MA-membrane association by making the electrostatic potential at the membrane surface more negative, while decreasing the penalty for lipid headgroup desolvation. The presented approach can be applied to other viral and nonviral proteins.« less

Cholesterol Promotes Protein Binding by Affecting Membrane Electrostatics and Solvation Properties

DOE PAGES

Doktorova, Milka; Heberle, Frederick A.; Kingston, Richard L.; ...

2017-11-07

Binding of the retroviral structural protein Gag to the cellular plasma membrane is mediated by the protein’s matrix (MA) domain. Prominent among MA-PM interactions is electrostatic attraction between the positively charged MA domain and the negatively charged plasma membrane inner leaflet. Previously, we reported that membrane association of HIV-1 Gag, as well as purified Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) MA and Gag, depends strongly on the presence of acidic lipids and is enhanced by cholesterol (Chol). The mechanism underlying this enhancement was unclear. Here in this paper, using a broad set of in vitro and in silico techniques we addressed molecularmore » mechanisms of association between RSV MA and model membranes, and investigated how Chol enhances this association. In neutron scattering experiments with liposomes in the presence or absence of Chol, MA preferentially interacted with preexisting POPS-rich clusters formed by nonideal lipid mixing, binding peripherally to the lipid headgroups with minimal perturbation to the bilayer structure. Molecular dynamics simulations showed a stronger MA-bilayer interaction in the presence of Chol, and a large Chol-driven increase in lipid packing and membrane surface charge density. Although in vitro MA-liposome association is influenced by disparate variables, including ionic strength and concentrations of Chol and charged lipids, continuum electrostatic theory revealed an underlying dependence on membrane surface potential. Together, these results conclusively show that Chol affects RSV MA-membrane association by making the electrostatic potential at the membrane surface more negative, while decreasing the penalty for lipid headgroup desolvation. The presented approach can be applied to other viral and nonviral proteins.« less

Study of ion-ion plasma formation in negative ion sources by a three-dimensional in real space and three-dimensional in velocity space particle in cell model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishioka, S.; Goto, I.; Miyamoto, K.; Hatayama, A.; Fukano, A.

2016-01-01

Recently, in large-scale hydrogen negative ion sources, the experimental results have shown that ion-ion plasma is formed in the vicinity of the extraction hole under the surface negative ion production case. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the mechanism of the ion-ion plasma formation by our three dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. In the present model, the electron loss along the magnetic filter field is taken into account by the " √{τ///τ⊥ } model." The simulation results show that the ion-ion plasma formation is due to the electron loss along the magnetic filter field. Moreover, the potential profile for the ion-ion plasma case has been looked into carefully in order to discuss the ion-ion plasma formation. Our present results show that the potential drop of the virtual cathode in front of the plasma grid is large when the ion-ion plasma is formed. This tendency has been explained by a relationship between the virtual cathode depth and the net particle flux density at the virtual cathode.

Effects of limiter biasing on the ATF torsatron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uckan, T.; Aceto, S. C.; Baylor, L. R.; Bell, J. D.; Bigelow, T. S.; England, A. C.; Harris, J. H.; Isler, R. C.; Jernigan, T. C.; Lyon, J. F.; Ma, C. H.; Mioduszewski, P. K.; Murakami, M.; Rasmussen, D. A.; Wilgen, J. B.; Zielinski, J. J.

1992-12-01

Positive limiter biasing on the currentless ATF torsatron produces a significant increase in the particle confinement with no improvement in the energy confinement. Experiments have been carried out in 1-T plasmas with ˜400 kW of ECH. Two rail limiters located at the last closed flux surface (LCFS), one at the top and one at the bottom of the device, are biased at positive and negative potentials with respect to the vessel. When the limiters are positively biased at up to 300 V, the density increases sharply to the ECH cutoff value. At the same time, the H α radiation drops, indicating that the particle confinement improves. When the density is kept constant, the H α radiation is further reduced and there is almost no change of plasma stored energy. Under these conditions, the density profiles become peaked and the electric field becomes outward-pointing outside the LCFS and more negative inside the LCFS. In contrast, negative biasing yields some reduction of the density and stored energy at constant gas feed, and the plasma potential profile remains the same. Biasing has almost no effect on the intrinsic impurity levels in the plasma.

Ocean Carbon Cycle Feedbacks Under Negative Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwinger, Jörg; Tjiputra, Jerry

2018-05-01

Negative emissions will most likely be needed to achieve ambitious climate targets, such as limiting global warming to 1.5°. Here we analyze the ocean carbon-concentration and carbon-climate feedback in an Earth system model under an idealized strong CO2 peak and decline scenario. We find that the ocean carbon-climate feedback is not reversible by means of negative emissions on decadal to centennial timescales. When preindustrial surface climate is restored, the oceans, due to the carbon-climate feedback, still contain about 110 Pg less carbon compared to a simulation without climate change. This result is unsurprising but highlights an issue with a widely used carbon cycle feedback metric. We show that this metric can be greatly improved by using ocean potential temperature as a proxy for climate change. The nonlinearity (nonadditivity) of climate and CO2-driven feedbacks continues to grow after the atmospheric CO2 peak.

Synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial activity and theoretical studies of new thiophene-based tripodal ligands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harit, Tarik; Bellaouchi, Reda; Asehraou, Abdeslam; Rahal, Mahmoud; Bouabdallah, Ibrahim; Malek, Fouad

2017-04-01

The synthesis of new thiophene-tripods with different side arms was reported. These compounds were obtained in good yields and their structures were confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of these products were screened against Gram positive bacteria (Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus subtilis), Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and fungi (Candida pelliculosa). The obtained results showed that tripods containing a hydroxyl group in the side arm inhibited both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, while the tripod with an isopropyl side arm inhibited only the Gram-negative bacteria. DFT calculations with B3LYP/6-31G* level have been used to analyze the electronic and geometric characteristics. The molecular electrostatic potential surface (MEPS) indicated that the presence of electrophile site in the side arm could be responsible for activities against Gram-positive bacteria.

Light-Induced Surface Reactions at the Bismuth Vanadate/Potassium Phosphate Interface.

PubMed

Favaro, Marco; Abdi, Fatwa F; Lamers, Marlene; Crumlin, Ethan J; Liu, Zhi; van de Krol, Roel; Starr, David E

2018-01-18

Bismuth vanadate has recently drawn significant research attention as a light-absorbing photoanode due to its performance for photoelectrochemical water splitting. In this study, we use in situ ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with "tender" X-rays (4.0 keV) to investigate a polycrystalline bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) electrode in contact with an aqueous potassium phosphate (KPi) solution at open circuit potential under both dark and light conditions. This is facilitated by the creation of a 25 to 30 nm thick electrolyte layer using the "dip-and-pull" method. We observe that under illumination bismuth phosphate forms on the BiVO 4 surface leading to an increase of the surface negative charge. The bismuth phosphate layer may act to passivate surface states observed in photoelectrochemical measurements. The repulsive interaction between the negatively charged surface under illumination and the phosphate ions in solution causes a shift in the distribution of ions in the thin aqueous electrolyte film, which is observed as an increase in their photoelectron signals. Interestingly, we find that such changes at the BiVO 4 /KPi electrolyte interface are reversible upon returning to dark conditions. By measuring the oxygen 1s photoelectron peak intensities from the phosphate ions and liquid water as a function of time under dark and light conditions, we determine the time scales for the forward and reverse reactions. Our results provide direct evidence for light-induced chemical modification of the BiVO 4 /KPi electrolyte interface.

A general method for the derivation of the functional forms of the effective energy terms in coarse-grained energy functions of polymers. II. Backbone-local potentials of coarse-grained O 1 →4 -bonded polyglucose chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubecka, Emilia A.; Liwo, Adam

2017-09-01

Based on the theory of the construction of coarse-grained force fields for polymer chains described in our recent work [A. K. Sieradzan et al., J. Chem. Phys. 146, 124106 (2017)], in this work effective coarse-grained potentials, to be used in the SUGRES-1P model of polysaccharides that is being developed in our laboratory, have been determined for the O ⋯O ⋯O virtual-bond angles (θ ) and for the dihedral angles for rotation about the O ⋯O virtual bonds (γ ) of 1 → 4 -linked glucosyl polysaccharides, for all possible combinations of [α ,β ]-[d,l]-glucose. The potentials of mean force corresponding to the virtual-bond angles and the virtual-bond dihedral angles were calculated from the free-energy surfaces of [α ,β ]-[d,l]-glucose pairs, determined by umbrella-sampling molecular-dynamics simulations with the AMBER12 force field, or combinations of the surfaces of two pairs sharing the overlapping residue, respectively, by integrating the respective Boltzmann factor over the dihedral angles λ for the rotation of the sugar units about the O ⋯O virtual bonds. Analytical expressions were subsequently fitted to the potentials of mean force. The virtual-bond-torsional potentials depend on both virtual-bond-dihedral angles and virtual-bond angles. The virtual-bond-angle potentials contain a single minimum at about θ =14 0° for all pairs except β -d-[α ,β ] -l-glucose, where the global minimum is shifted to θ =150° and a secondary minimum appears at θ =90°. The torsional potentials favor small negative γ angles for the α -d-glucose and extended negative angles γ for the β -d-glucose chains, as observed in the experimental structures of starch and cellulose, respectively. It was also demonstrated that the approximate expression derived based on Kubo's cluster-cumulant theory, whose coefficients depend on the identity of the disugar units comprising a trisugar unit that defines a torsional potential, fits simultaneously all torsional potentials very well, thus reducing the number of parameters significantly.

Constructing superhydrophobic WO3@TiO2 nanoflake surface beyond amorphous alloy against electrochemical corrosion on iron steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, S. Q.; Ling, Y. H.; Wang, R. G.; Zhang, J.; Qin, F.; Zhang, Z. J.

2018-04-01

To eliminate harmful localized corrosion, a new approach by constructing superhydrophobic WO3@TiO2 hierarchical nanoflake surface beyond FeW amorphous alloy formed on stainless steel was proposed. Facile dealloying and liquid deposition was employed at low temperature to form a nanostructured layer composing inner WO3 nanoflakes coated with TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) layer. After further deposition of PFDS on nanoflakes, the contact angle reached 162° while the corrosion potential showed a negative shift of 230 mV under illumination, resulting in high corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The tradeoff between superhydrophobic surface and photo-electro response was investigated. It was found that this surface feature makes 316 SS be immune to localized corrosion and a pronounced photo-induced process of electron storage/release as well as the stability of the functional layer were detected with or without illumination, and the mechanism behind this may be related to the increase of surface potential due to water repellence and the delayed cathodic protection of semiconducting coating derived mainly from the valence state changes of WO3. This study demonstrates a simple and low-cost electrochemical approach for protection of steel and novel means to produce superhydrophobic surface and cathodic protection with controllable electron storage/release on engineering scale.

SPARCLE: Electrostatic Dust Control Tool Proof of Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, P. E.; Curtis, S. A.; Minetto, F.; Marshall, J.; Nuth, J.; Calle, C.

2010-01-01

Successful exploration of most planetary surfaces, with their impact-generated dusty regoliths, will depend on the capabilities to keep surfaces free of the performance-compromising dust. Once in contact with surfaces, whether set in motion by natural or mechanical means, regolith fines, or dust, behave like abrasive Velcro, coating surfaces, clogging mechanisms, making movement progressively more difticult, and being almost impossible to remove by mechanical mcans (brushing). The successful dust removal strategy will deal with dust dynamics resulting from interaction between Van der Waals and Coulombic forces. Here, proof of concept for an electrostatically-based concept for dust control tool is described and demonstrated. A low power focused electron beam is used in the presence of a small electrical field to increase the negative charge to mass ratio of a dusty surface until dust repulsion and attraction to a lower potential surface, acting as a dust collector, occurred. Our goal is a compact device of less than 5 kg mass and using less than 5 watts of power to be operational in less than 5 years with heritage from ionic sweepers for active spacecraft potential control (e.g ., on POLAR). Rovers could be fitted with devices that could hamess the removal of dust for sampling as part of the extended exploration process on Mercury, Mars, asteroids or outer solar system satellites, as well as the Moon.

Improved mucoadhesion and cell uptake of chitosan and chitosan oligosaccharide surface-modified polymer nanoparticles for mucosal delivery of proteins.

PubMed

Dyawanapelly, Sathish; Koli, Uday; Dharamdasani, Vimisha; Jain, Ratnesh; Dandekar, Prajakta

2016-08-01

The main aim of the present study was to compare mucoadhesion and cellular uptake efficiency of chitosan (CS) and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) surface-modified polymer nanoparticles (NPs) for mucosal delivery of proteins. We have developed poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) NPs, surface-modified COS-PLGA NPs and CS-PLGA NPs, by using double emulsion solvent evaporation method, for encapsulating bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. Surface modification of NPs was confirmed using physicochemical characterization methods such as particle size and zeta potential, SEM, TEM and FTIR analysis. Both surface-modified PLGA NPs displayed a slow release of protein compared to PLGA NPs. Furthermore, we have explored the mucoadhesive property of COS as a material for modifying the surface of polymeric NPs. During in vitro mucoadhesion test, positively charged COS-PLGA NPs and CS-PLGA NPs exhibited enhanced mucoadhesion, compared to negatively charged PLGA NPs. This interaction was anticipated to improve the cell interaction and uptake of NPs, which is an important requirement for mucosal delivery of proteins. All nanoformulations were found to be safe for cellular delivery when evaluated in A549 cells. Moreover, intracellular uptake behaviour of FITC-BSA loaded NPs was extensively investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry. As we hypothesized, positively charged COS-PLGA NPs and CS-PLGA NPs displayed enhanced intracellular uptake compared to negatively charged PLGA NPs. Our results demonstrated that CS- and COS-modified polymer NPs could be promising carriers for proteins, drugs and nucleic acids via nasal, oral, buccal, ocular and vaginal mucosal routes.

Modeling the Impact of Forest and Peat Fires on Carbon-Isotopic Compositions of Cretaceous Atmosphere and Vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, D. B.; Pratt, L. M.

2004-12-01

Prevalence of wildfires or peat fires associated with seasonally dry conditions in the Cretaceous is supported by recent studies documenting the widespread presence of pyrolytic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fusinite. Potential roles of CO2 emissions from fire have been overlooked in many discussions of Cretaceous carbon-isotope excursions (excluding K-P boundary discussions). Enhanced atmospheric CO2 levels could increase fire frequency through elevated lightning activity. When biomass or peat is combusted, emissions of CO2 are more negative than atmospheric CO2. Five reservoirs (atmosphere, vegetation, soil, and shallow and deep oceans), and five fluxes (productivity, respiration, litter fall, atmosphere-ocean exchange, and surface-deep ocean exchange) were modeled as a closed system. The size of the Cretaceous peat reservoir was estimated by compilation of published early Cretaceous coal resources. Initial pCO2 was assumed to be 2x pre-industrial atmospheric levels (P.A.L.). Critical variables in the model are burning efficiency and post-fire growth rates. Assuming 1% of standing terrestrial biomass is consumed by wildfires each year for ten years (without combustion of peat), an increase of atmospheric CO2 (from 2.0 to 2.2x P.A.L.) and a negative carbon isotope excursion (-1.2 ‰ ) are recorded by both atmosphere and new growth. Net primary productivity linked to the residence time of the vegetation and soil reservoirs results in a negative isotope shift followed by a broad positive isotope excursion. Decreasing the rate of re-growth dampens this trailing positive shift and increases the duration of the excursion. Post-fire pCO2 and new growth returned to initial values after 72 years. Both negative and positive isotope excursions are recorded in the model in surface ocean waters. Exchange of CO2 with the surface- and deep-ocean dampens the isotopic shift of the atmosphere. Excursions are first recorded in the atmosphere (and new growth), followed by the ocean, vegetation, and soil reservoirs. Ten to twenty five-year cycles of drought and fire are not recorded as individual excursions in the soil reservoir as the rate of transfer between the vegetation and soil reservoirs homogenizes the signal. A wildfire-modeled excursion does not propagate a geologically significant excursion through time. Combustion of a peat reservoir is necessary to drive and validate a geologically and isotopically significant excursion. Assuming 0.5% of the standing early Cretaceous peat reservoir is consumed by fire for each year for ten years coupled with the earlier scenario, the atmospheric CO2 increases from 2.0 to 3.1x P.A.L., atmosphere, vegetation, and the surface ocean record a negative carbon isotope excursion of -5.1 ‰ , -3.8 ‰ and -1.8 ‰ respectively, with a duration of 741 years. Increasing the size of the vegetation reservoir translates the excursions from the centennial to millennial scale. For example, doubling the vegetation reservoir (from 1.4 to 2.8E+16 gC) for a 25 year global peat conflagration (0.5% combusted each year) results in a CO2 increase from 2.0 to 4.0x P.A.L., and the atmosphere, vegetation, and the surface ocean reservoirs with a negative carbon isotope excursion of -5.7 ‰ , -8.7 ‰ and -2.3 ‰ respectively. Addition of carbonaceous aerosols (black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) to pelagic marine sediments could potentially serve as a high-resolution record of ancient fires and firmly tie isotopic shifts to paleofires.

Combined geophysical methods for mapping infiltration pathways at the Aurora Water Aquifer recharge and recovery site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasper, Cameron A.

Although aquifer recharge and recovery systems are a sustainable, decentralized, low cost, and low energy approach for the reclamation, treatment, and storage of post- treatment wastewater, they can suffer from poor infiltration rates and the development of a near-surface clogging layer within infiltration ponds. One such aquifer recharge and recovery system, the Aurora Water site in Colorado, U.S.A, functions at about 25% of its predicted capacity to recharge floodplain deposits by flooding infiltration ponds with post-treatment wastewater extracted from river bank aquifers along the South Platte River. The underwater self-potential method was developed to survey self-potential signals at the ground surface in a flooded infiltration pond for mapping infiltration pathways. A method for using heat as a groundwater tracer within the infiltration pond used an array of in situ high-resolution temperature sensing probes. Both relatively positive and negative underwater self-potential anomalies are consistent with observed recovery well pumping rates and specific discharge estimates from temperature data. Results from electrical resistivity tomography and electromagnetics surveys provide consistent electrical conductivity distributions associated with sediment textures. A lab method was developed for resistivity tests of near-surface sediment samples. Forward numerical modeling synthesizes the geophysical information to best match observed self- potential anomalies and provide permeability distributions, which is important for effective aquifer recharge and recovery system design, and optimization strategy development.

Marginal sea surface temperature variation as a pre-cursor of heat waves over the Korean Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ham, Yoo-Geun; Na, Hye-Yun

2017-11-01

This study examines the role of the marginal sea surface temperature (SST) on heat waves over Korea. It is found that sea surface warming in the south sea of Korea/Japan (122-138°E, 24- 33°N) causes heat waves after about a week. Due to the frictional force, the positive geopotential height anomalies associated with the south sea warming induce divergent flows over the boundary layer. This divergent flow induces the southerly in Korea, which leads to a positive temperature advection. On the other hand, over the freeatmosphere, the geostrophic wind around high-pressure anomalies flows in a westerly direction over Korea during the south sea warming, which is not effective in temperature advection. Therefore, the positive temperature advection in Korea due to the south sea warming decreases with height. This reduces the vertical potential temperature gradient, which indicates a negative potential vorticity (PV) tendency over Korea. Therefore, the high-pressure anomaly over the south sea of Korea is propagated northward, which results in heat waves due to more incoming solar radiation.

Effect of casein and inulin addition on physico-chemical characteristics of low fat camel dairy cream.

PubMed

Ziaeifar, Leila; Labbafi Mazrae Shahi, Mohsen; Salami, Maryam; Askari, Gholam R

2018-05-21

The effect of the addition of the camel casein fraction on some physico-chemical properties of low fat camel milk cream was studied. Oil-in-water emulsions, 25, 30, and 35 (w/w) fat, were prepared using inulin, camel skim milk, milk fat and variable percentages of casein (1, 2, and 3% w/w). The droplet size, ζ-potential, surface protein concentration, viscosity and surface tension of low fat dairy creams was measured. Cream containing 2% (w/w) casein had better stability. The modifications in physico-chemical properties appeared to be driven by changes in particle size distribution caused by droplet aggregation. The cream containing 2% casein leads to a gradual decrease in droplet size, as the particle size decreased, apparent viscosity increased. When casein concentration increased, ζ-potential decreased due to combination of c terminal (negative charge) with the surface of fat particles but steric repulsion improved textural properties. Cream with 30% fat and 2% casein had the best result. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of volcanic and anthropogenic aerosols in the recent global surface warming slowdown

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Doug M.; Booth, Ben B. B.; Dunstone, Nick J.; Eade, Rosie; Hermanson, Leon; Jones, Gareth S.; Scaife, Adam A.; Sheen, Katy L.; Thompson, Vikki

2016-10-01

The rate of global mean surface temperature (GMST) warming has slowed this century despite the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases. Climate model experiments show that this slowdown was largely driven by a negative phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), with a smaller external contribution from solar variability, and volcanic and anthropogenic aerosols. The prevailing view is that this negative PDO occurred through internal variability. However, here we show that coupled models from the Fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project robustly simulate a negative PDO in response to anthropogenic aerosols implying a potentially important role for external human influences. The recovery from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 also contributed to the slowdown in GMST trends. Our results suggest that a slowdown in GMST trends could have been predicted in advance, and that future reduction of anthropogenic aerosol emissions, particularly from China, would promote a positive PDO and increased GMST trends over the coming years. Furthermore, the overestimation of the magnitude of recent warming by models is substantially reduced by using detection and attribution analysis to rescale their response to external factors, especially cooling following volcanic eruptions. Improved understanding of external influences on climate is therefore crucial to constrain near-term climate predictions.

Surface microbial consortia from Livarot, a French smear-ripened cheese.

PubMed

Larpin-Laborde, Sandra; Imran, Muhammad; Bonaïti, Catherine; Bora, Nagamani; Gelsomino, Roberto; Goerges, Stefanie; Irlinger, Françoise; Goodfellow, Michael; Ward, Alan C; Vancanneyt, Marc; Swings, Jean; Scherer, Siegfried; Guéguen, Micheline; Desmasures, Nathalie

2011-08-01

The surface microflora (902 isolates) of Livarot cheeses from three dairies was investigated during ripening. Yeasts were mainly identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Geotrichum candidum was the dominating yeast among 10 species. Bacteria were identified using Biotype 100 strips, dereplicated by repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (rep-PCR); 156 representative strains were identified by either BOX-PCR or (GTG)(5)-PCR, and when appropriate by 16S rDNA sequencing and SDS-PAGE analysis. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 65% of the isolates and were mainly assigned to the genera Arthrobacter , Brevibacterium , Corynebacterium , and Staphylococcus . New taxa related to the genera Agrococcus and Leucobacter were found. Yeast and Gram-positive bacteria strains deliberately added as smearing agents were sometimes undetected during ripening. Thirty-two percent of the isolates were Gram-negative bacteria, which showed a high level of diversity and mainly included members of the genera Alcaligenes , Hafnia , Proteus , Pseudomonas , and Psychrobacter . Whatever the milk used (pasteurized or unpasteurized), similar levels of biodiversity were observed in the three dairies, all of which had efficient cleaning procedures and good manufacturing practices. It appears that some of the Gram-negative bacteria identified should now be regarded as potentially useful in some cheese technologies. The assessment of their positive versus negative role should be objectively examined.

Mechanistic study of wettability alteration of oil-wet sandstone surface using different surfactants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Bao-feng; Wang, Ye-fei; Huang, Yong

2015-03-01

Different analytical methods including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), zeta potential measurements, contact angle measurements and spontaneous imbibition tests were utilized to make clear the mechanism for wettability alteration of oil-wet sandstone surface using different surfactants. Results show that among three types of surfactants including cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants, the cationic surfactant CTAB demonstrates the best effect on the wettability alteration of oil-wet sandstone surface. The positively charged head groups of CTAB molecules and carboxylic acid groups from crude oil could interact to form ion pairs, which could be desorbed from the solid surface and solubilized into the micelle formed by CTAB. Thus, the water-wetness of the solid surface is improved. Nonionic surfactant TX-100 could be adsorbed on oil-wet sandstone surface through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interaction to alter the wettability of oil-wet solid surface. The wettability alteration of oil-wet sandstone surface using the anionic surfactant POE(1) is caused by hydrophobic interaction. Due to the electrostatic repulsion between the anionic surfactant and the negatively charged surface, POE(1) shows less effect on the wettability alteration of oil-wet sandstone surface.

Salinity Trends within the Upper Layers of the Subpolar North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesdal, J. E.; Abernathey, R.; Goes, J. I.; Gordon, A. L.; Haine, T. W. N.

2017-12-01

Examination of a range of salinity products collectively suggest widespread freshening of the North Atlantic from the mid-2000 to the present. Monthly salinity fields reveal negative trends that differ in magnitude and significance between western and eastern regions of the North Atlantic. These differences can be attributed to the large negative interannual excursions in salinity in the western subpolar gyre and the Labrador Sea, which are not apparent in the central or eastern subpolar gyre. This study demonstrates that temporal trends in salinity in the northwest (including the Labrador Sea) are subject to mechanisms that are distinct from those responsible for the salinity trends in central and eastern North Atlantic. In the western subpolar gyre a negative correlation between near surface salinity and the circulation strength of the subpolar gyre suggests that negative salinity anomalies are connected to an intensification of the subpolar gyre, which is causing increased flux of freshwater from the East Greenland Current and subsequent transport into the Labrador Sea during the melting season. Analyses of sea surface wind fields suggest that the strength of the subpolar gyre is linked to the North Atlantic Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation-driven changes in wind stress curl in the eastern subpolar gyre. If this trend of decreasing salinity continues, it has the potential to enhance water column stratification, reduce vertical fluxes of nutrients and cause a decline in biological production and carbon export in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Silver nanoparticle-human hemoglobin interface: time evolution of the corona formation and interaction phenomenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhunia, A. K.; Kamilya, T.; Saha, S.

2017-10-01

In this paper, we have used spectroscopic and electron microscopic analysis to monitor the time evolution of the silver nanoparticles (Ag NP)-human hemoglobin (Hb) corona formation and to characterize the interaction of the Ag NPs with Hb. The time constants for surface plasmon resonance binding and reorganization are found to be 9.51 and 118.48 min, respectively. The drop of surface charge and the increase of the hydrodynamic diameter indicated the corona of Hb on the Ag NP surface. The auto correlation function is found to broaden with the increasing time of the corona formation. Surface zeta potential revealed that positively charged Hb interact electrostatically with negatively charged Ag NP surfaces. The change in α helix and β sheet depends on the corona formation time. The visualization of the Hb corona from HRTEM showed large number of Hb domains aggregate containing essentially Ag NPs and without Ag NPs. Emission study showed the tertiary deformation, energy transfer, nature of interaction and quenching under three different temperatures.

Silver nanoparticle-human hemoglobin interface: time evolution of the corona formation and interaction phenomenon.

PubMed

Bhunia, A K; Kamilya, T; Saha, S

2017-01-01

In this paper, we have used spectroscopic and electron microscopic analysis to monitor the time evolution of the silver nanoparticles (Ag NP)-human hemoglobin (Hb) corona formation and to characterize the interaction of the Ag NPs with Hb. The time constants for surface plasmon resonance binding and reorganization are found to be 9.51 and 118.48 min, respectively. The drop of surface charge and the increase of the hydrodynamic diameter indicated the corona of Hb on the Ag NP surface. The auto correlation function is found to broaden with the increasing time of the corona formation. Surface zeta potential revealed that positively charged Hb interact electrostatically with negatively charged Ag NP surfaces. The change in α helix and β sheet depends on the corona formation time. The visualization of the Hb corona from HRTEM showed large number of Hb domains aggregate containing essentially Ag NPs and without Ag NPs. Emission study showed the tertiary deformation, energy transfer, nature of interaction and quenching under three different temperatures.

Activation of Mechanosensitive Transient Receptor Potential/Piezo Channels in Odontoblasts Generates Action Potentials in Cocultured Isolectin B4-negative Medium-sized Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons.

PubMed

Sato, Masaki; Ogura, Kazuhiro; Kimura, Maki; Nishi, Koichi; Ando, Masayuki; Tazaki, Masakazu; Shibukawa, Yoshiyuki

2018-06-01

Various stimuli to the dentin surface elicit dentinal pain by inducing dentinal fluid movement causing cellular deformation in odontoblasts. Although odontoblasts detect deformation by the activation of mechanosensitive ionic channels, it is still unclear whether odontoblasts are capable of establishing neurotransmission with myelinated A delta (Aδ) neurons. Additionally, it is still unclear whether these neurons evoke action potentials by neurotransmitters from odontoblasts to mediate sensory transduction in dentin. Thus, we investigated evoked inward currents and evoked action potentials form trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons after odontoblast mechanical stimulation. We used patch clamp recordings to identify electrophysiological properties and record evoked responses in TG neurons. We classified TG cells into small-sized and medium-sized neurons. In both types of neurons, we observed voltage-dependent inward currents. The currents from medium-sized neurons showed fast inactivation kinetics. When mechanical stimuli were applied to odontoblasts, evoked inward currents were recorded from medium-sized neurons. Antagonists for the ionotropic adenosine triphosphate receptor (P2X 3 ), transient receptor potential channel subfamilies, and Piezo1 channel significantly inhibited these inward currents. Mechanical stimulation to odontoblasts also generated action potentials in the isolectin B 4 -negative medium-sized neurons. Action potentials in these isolectin B 4 -negative medium-sized neurons showed a short duration. Overall, electrophysiological properties of neurons indicate that the TG neurons with recorded evoked responses after odontoblast mechanical stimulation were myelinated Aδ neurons. Odontoblasts established neurotransmission with myelinated Aδ neurons via P2X 3 receptor activation. The results also indicated that mechanosensitive TRP/Piezo1 channels were functionally expressed in odontoblasts. The activation of P2X 3 receptors induced an action potential in the Aδ neurons, underlying a sensory generation mechanism of dentinal pain. Copyright © 2018 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Puncture discharges in surface dielectrics as contaminant sources in spacecraft environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yadlowsky, E. J.; Hazelton, R. C.; Churchill, R. J.

1978-01-01

Spacecraft in geosynchronous orbits are known to become charged to large negative potentials during the local midnight region of the satellite orbit. Such discharges have been studied by the electron beam irradiation of dielectric samples in a vacuum environment. In addition to static measurements and photographic examination of the puncture discharges in Teflon samples, the transient characteristics of the electrical discharges are determined from oscillographs of voltage and current and by charged particle measurements employing a biased Faraday cup and a retarding potential analyzer. Using these latter techniques, studies of angular and energy distributions of charged particles have indicated an initial burst of high energy electrons (5 x 10 to the 13th power per discharge at energies greater than 300 eV) followed by a less intense burst of lower energy negative particles. Positive ions are emitted from the discharge site in an initial high velocity burst followed by a lower velocity burst tentatively identified as carbon.

Catalyst surfaces for the chromous/chromic redox couple

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giner, J. D.; Cahill, K. J. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

An electricity producing cell of the reduction-oxidation (REDOX) type is described. The cell is divided into two compartments by a membrane, each compartment containing a solid inert electrode. A ferrous/ferric couple in a chloride solution serves as a cathode fluid which is circulated through one of the compartments to produce a positive electric potential disposed therein. A chromic/chromous couple in a chloride solution serves as an anode fluid which is circulated through the second compartment to produce a negative potential on an electrode disposed therein. The electrode is an electrically conductive, inert material plated with copper, silver or gold. A thin layer of lead plates onto the copper, silver or gold layer when the cell is being charged, the lead ions being available from lead chloride which was added to the anode fluid. If the REDOX cell is then discharged, the current flows between the electrodes causing the lead to deplate from the negative electrode and the metal coating on the electrode will act as a catalyst to cause increased current density.

Potential Biomarker of Myofibrillar Protein Oxidation in Raw and Cooked Ham: 3-Nitrotyrosine Formed by Nitrosation.

PubMed

Feng, Xianchao; Li, Chenyi; Ullah, Niamat; Hackman, Robert M; Chen, Lin; Zhou, Guanghong

2015-12-30

The stability of cured meat products is increased by the protection of its proteins from oxidation by sodium nitrite (NaNO2) during processing. This study investigated the effects of NaNO2 (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) on the physiochemical and structural characteristics of myofibrillar protein (MP) in raw and cooked ham. The NaNO2 showed a dose-dependent antioxidant effect, by inhibiting carbonyl formation, dityrosine formation, and denaturation of MP, and a nitrosative effect, through the formation of 3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NT). The 3-NT content within MP of raw ham had distinct negative correlations with sulfhydryl content and surface hydrophobicity. The 3-NT content within MP of cooked ham had significantly negative correlations with carbonyl, sulfhydryl content and turbidity and had significantly positive correlations with disulfide content. These results indicated that 3-NT may be a potential marker for protein oxidation in raw and cooked cured meat products.

Influence of alkyl chain length and anion species on ionic liquid structure at the graphite interface as a function of applied potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hua; Wood, Ross J.; Endres, Frank; Atkin, Rob

2014-07-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) force measurements elucidate the effect of cation alkyl chain length and the anion species on ionic liquid (IL) interfacial structure at highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surfaces as a function of potential. Three ILs are examined: 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([HMIM] FAP), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([EMIM] FAP), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM] TFSA). The step-wise force-distance profiles indicate the ILs adopt a multilayered morphology near the surface. When the surface is biased positively or negatively versus Pt quasireference electrode, both the number of steps, and the force required to rupture each step increase, indicating stronger interfacial structure. At all potentials, push-through forces for [HMIM] FAP are the highest, because the long alkyl chain results in strong cohesive interactions between cations, leading to well-formed layers that resist the AFM tip. The most layers are observed for [EMIM] FAP, because the C2 chains are relatively rigid and the dimensions of the cation and anion are similar, facilitating neat packing. [EMIM] TFSA has the smallest push-through forces and fewest layers, and thus the weakest interfacial structure. Surface-tip attractive forces are measured for all ILs. At the same potential, the attractions are the strongest for [EMIM] TFSA and the weakest for [HMIM] FAP because the interfacial layers are better formed for the longer alkyl chain cation. This means interfacial forces are stronger, which masks the weak attractive forces.

Clinical characteristics of Staphylococcus epidermidis: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Namvar, Amirmorteza Ebrahimzadeh; Bastarahang, Sara; Abbasi, Niloufar; Ghehi, Ghazaleh Sheikhi; Farhadbakhtiarian, Sara; Arezi, Parastoo; Hosseini, Mahsa; Baravati, Sholeh Zaeemi; Jokar, Zahra; Chermahin, Sara Ganji

2014-01-01

Staphylococci are known as clustering Gram-positive cocci, nonmotile, non-spore forming facultatively anaerobic that classified in two main groups, coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative. Staphylococcus epidermidis with the highest percentage has the prominent role among coagulase-negative Staphylococci that is the most important reason of clinical infections. Due to various virulence factors and unique features, this microorganism is respected as a common cause of nosocomial infections. Because of potential ability in biofilm formation and colonization in different surfaces, also using of medical implant devices in immunocompromised and hospitalized patients the related infections have been increased. In recent decades the clinical importance and the emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis strains have created many challenges in the treatment process. PMID:25285267

Biologic properties and vaccine potential of the staphylococcal poly-N-acetyl glucosamine surface polysaccharide.

PubMed

Maira-Litran, Tomas; Kropec, Andrea; Goldmann, Donald; Pier, Gerald B

2004-02-17

Staphylococci have become the most common causes of nosocomial bacterial infections, and this fact, along with increasing problems associated with antimicrobial resistance, spurs the need for finding immunotherapeutic alternatives to prevent and possibly treat these infections. Most virulent, clinical isolates of both coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) and Staphylococcus aureus carry the ica locus which encodes proteins that synthesize a polymer of beta-1-6 linked N-acetyl glucosamine residues (PNAG). Animal studies have shown purified PNAG can elicit protective immunity against both CoNS and S. aureus, suggesting its potential as a broadly protective vaccine for many clinically important strains of staphylococci.

The permeability of endplate channels to monovalent and divalent metal cations

PubMed Central

1980-01-01

The relative permeability of endplate channels to monovalent and divalent metal ions was determined from reversal potentials. Thallium is the most permeant ion with a permeability ratio relative to Na+ of 2.5. The selectivity among alkali metals is weak with a sequence, Cs+ greater than Rb+ greater than K+ greater than Na+ greater than Li+, and permeability ratios of 1.4, 1.3, 1.1, 1.0, and 0.9. The selectivity among divalent ions is also weak, with a sequence for alkaline earths of Mg++ greater than Ca++ greater than Ba++ greater than Sr++. The transition metal ions Mn++, Co++, Ni++, Zn++, and Cd++ are also permeant. Permeability ratios for divalent ions decreased as the concentration of divalent ion was increased in a manner consistent with the negative surface potential theory of Lewis (1979 J. Physiol. (Lond.). 286: 417--445). With 20 mM XCl2 and 85.5 mM glucosamine.HCl in the external solution, the apparent permeability ratios for the alkaline earth cations (X++) are in the range 0.18--0.25. Alkali metal ions see the endplate channel as a water-filled, neutral pore without high-field-strength sites inside. Their permeability sequence is the same as their aqueous mobility sequence. Divalent ions, however, have a permeability sequence almost opposite from their mobility sequence and must experience some interaction with groups in the channel. In addition, the concentrations of monovalent and divalent ions are increased near the channel mouth by a weak negative surface potential. PMID:6247423

La prospection geothermique de surface au Maroc: hydrodynamisme, anomalies thermiques et indices de surfaceGeothermal prospecting in Morocco: hydrodynamics, thermal anomalies and surface indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarhloule, Y.; Lahrache, A.; Ben Abidate, L.; Khattach, D.; Bouri, S.; Boukdir, A.; Ben Dhia, H.

2001-05-01

Shallow geothermal prospecting ( < 700 m) has been performed in four zones in Morocco for which few deep data are available: northwestern basin, northeastern basin, Tadla Basin and Agadir Basin. These areas are different geologically and hydrogeologically. The temperature data from 250 wells at depths between 15 and 500 m have been analysed in order to estimate the natural geothermal gradient in these areas, to determine the principal thermal anomalies, to identify the main thermal indices and to characterise the recharge, discharge and potential mixing limits of the aquifers. The hydrostratigraphical study of each basin revealed several potential reservoir layers in which the Turonian carbonate aquifer (Tadal and Agadir Basins) and Liassic acquifer (Moroccan northwestern and northeastern basins) are the most important hot water reservoirs in Morocco. The recharge zones of each aquifer are characterised by high topography, high water potential, shallow cold water, low geothermal gradient and negative anomalies. The discharge zones are characterized by low topography, low piezometric level, high geothermal gradient, high temperature with hot springs and positive anomalies. The main thermal indices and the principal thermal anomalies that coincide with the artesian zones of the Turonian and Liassic aquifers have been identified.

Effect of tetracalcium phosphate/monetite toothpaste on dentin remineralization and tubule occlusion in vitro.

PubMed

Medvecky, L; Stulajterova, R; Giretova, M; Mincik, J; Vojtko, M; Balko, J; Briancin, J

2018-03-01

To investigate the tubule occlusion and remineralization potential of a novel toothpaste with active tetracalcium phosphate/monetite mixtures under de/remineralization cycling. Dentin de/remineralization cycling protocol consisted of demineralization in 1% citric acid at pH 4.6 with following remineralization with toothpastes and soaking in artificial saliva. Effectiveness of toothpastes to promote remineralization was evaluated by measurement of microhardness recovery, analysis of surface roughness, thickness of coating and scanning electron microscopy. The novel tetracalcium phosphate/monetite dentifrice had comparable remineralization potential as commercial calcium silicate/phosphate (SENSODYNE ® ) and magnesium aluminum silicate (Colgate ® ) toothpastes and significantly higher than control saliva (p<0.02). Surface roughness was significantly lower after treatment with prepared and SENSODYNE ® dentifirice (p<0.05). The coatings on dentin surfaces was significantly thicker after applying toothpastes as compared to negative control (p<0.001). The new fluoride toothpaste formulation with bioactive tetracalcium phosphate/monetite calcium phosphate mixture effectively occluded dentin tubules and showed good dentin remineralization potential under de/remineralization cycling. It could replace professional powder preparation based on this mixture. It was demonstrated that prepared dentifrice had comparable properties with commercial fluoride calcium silicate/phosphate or magnesium aluminum silicate dentifrices. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of highly monodisperse particles composed of a magnetic core and fluorescent shell.

PubMed

Nagao, Daisuke; Yokoyama, Mikio; Yamauchi, Noriko; Matsumoto, Hideki; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Konno, Mikio

2008-09-02

Highly monodisperse particles composed of a magnetic silica core and fluorescent polymer shell were synthesized with a combined technique of heterocoagulation and soap-free emulsion polymerization. Prior to heterocoagulation, monodisperse, submicrometer-sized silica particles were prepared with the Stober method, and magnetic nanoparticles were prepared with a modified Massart method in which a cationic silane coupling agent of N-trimethoxysilylpropyl- N, N, N-trimethylammonium chloride was added just after coprecipitation of Fe (2+) and Fe (3+). The silica particles with negative surface potential were heterocoagulated with the magnetic nanoparticles with positive surface potential. The magnetic silica particles obtained with the heterocoagulation were treated with sodium silicate to modify their surfaces with silica. In the formation of a fluorescent polymer shell onto the silica-coated magnetic silica cores, an amphoteric initiator of 2,2'-azobis[ N-(2-carboxyethyl)-2-2-methylpropionamidine] (VA-057) was used to control the colloidal stability of the magnetic cores during the polymer coating. The polymerization of St in the presence of a hydrophobic fluorophore of pyrene could coat the cores with fluorescent polymer shells, resulting in monodisperse particles with a magnetic silica core and fluorescent polymer shell. Measurements of zeta potential for the composite particles in different pH values indicated that the composite particles had an amphoteric property originating from VA-057 initiator.

Direct electronic probing of biological complexes formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macchia, Eleonora; Magliulo, Maria; Manoli, Kyriaki; Giordano, Francesco; Palazzo, Gerardo; Torsi, Luisa

2014-10-01

Functional bio-interlayer organic field - effect transistors (FBI-OFET), embedding streptavidin, avidin and neutravidin as bio-recognition element, have been studied to probe the electronic properties of protein complexes. The threshold voltage control has been achieved modifying the SiO2 gate diaelectric surface by means of the deposition of an interlayer of bio-recognition elements. A threshold voltage shift with respect to the unmodified dielectric surface toward more negative potential values has been found for the three different proteins, in agreement with their isoelectric points. The relative responses in terms of source - drain current, mobility and threshold voltage upon exposure to biotin of the FBI-OFET devices have been compared for the three bio-recognition elements.

Measurements of Charging of Apollo 17 Lunar Dust Grains by Electron Impact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbas, Mian M.; Tankosic, Dragana; Spann, James F.; Dube, Michael J.

2008-01-01

It is well known since the Apollo missions that the lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of micron size dust grains with unusually high adhesive characteristics. The dust grains observed to be levitated and transported on the lunar surface are believed to have a hazardous impact on the robotic and human missions to the Moon. The observed dust phenomena are attributed to the lunar dust being charged positively during the day by UV photoelectric emissions, and negatively during the night by the solar wind electrons. The current dust charging and the levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena, with the uncertainty of dust charging processes and the equilibrium potentials of the individual dust grains. It is well recognized that the charging properties of individual dust grains are substantially different from those determined from measurements made on bulk materials that are currently available. An experimental facility has been developed in the Dusty Plasma Laboratory at MSFC for investigating the charging and optical properties of individual micron/sub-micron size positively or negatively charged dust grains by levitating them in an electrodynamic balance in simulated space environments. In this paper, we present the laboratory measurements on charging of Apollo 17 individual lunar dust grains by a low energy electron beam. The charging rates and the equilibrium potentials produced by direct electron impact and by secondary electron emission process are discussed.

Grid-Free 2D Plasma Simulations of the Complex Interaction Between the Solar Wind and Small, Near-Earth Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, M. I.; Farrell, W. M.; Poppe, A. R.

2014-01-01

We present results from a new grid-free 2D plasma simulation code applied to a small, unmagnetized body immersed in the streaming solar wind plasma. The body was purposely modeled as an irregular shape in order to examine photoemission and solar wind plasma flow in high detail on the dayside, night-side, terminator and surface-depressed 'pocket' regions. Our objective is to examine the overall morphology of the various plasma interaction regions that form around a small body like a small near-Earth asteroid (NEA). We find that the object obstructs the solar wind flow and creates a trailing wake region downstream, which involves the interplay between surface charging and ambipolar plasma expansion. Photoemission is modeled as a steady outflow of electrons from illuminated portions of the surface, and under direct illumination the surface forms a non-monotonic or ''double-sheath'' electric potential upstream of the body, which is important for understanding trajectories and equilibria of lofted dust grains in the presence of a complex asteroid geometry. The largest electric fields are found at the terminators, where ambipolar plasma expansion in the body-sized night-side wake merges seamlessly with the thin photoelectric sheath on the dayside. The pocket regions are found to be especially complex, with nearby sunlit regions of positive potential electrically connected to unlit negative potentials and forming adjacent natural electric dipoles. For objects near the surface, we find electrical dissipation times (through collection of local environmental solar wind currents) that vary over at least 5 orders of magnitude: from 39 Micro(s) inside the near-surface photoelectron cloud under direct sunlight to less than 1 s inside the particle-depleted night-side wake and shadowed pocket regions

Biochemical Study of Anti-Inflammatory Proteins vCCI and vMIP-II

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-17

protein ), where we showed that vCCI is able to bind so many different chemokines due to its general negatively charged surface , allowing it to bind...sample of these competition curves. Our conclusion from the data in Table 1 and Figure 1 is that the negatively charged surface of vCCI allows it to...Similar to our mutagenesis results, the overall data indicate that vCCI uses a negatively charged surface to bind positive charges on the chemokine

Front gardens to car parks: changes in garden permeability and effects on flood regulation.

PubMed

Warhurst, Jennifer R; Parks, Katherine E; McCulloch, Lindsay; Hudson, Malcolm D

2014-07-01

This study addresses the consequences of widespread conversion of permeable front gardens to hard standing car parking surfaces, and the potential consequences in high-risk urban flooding hotspots, in the city of Southampton. The last two decades has seen a trend for domestic front gardens in urban areas to be converted for parking, driven by the lack of space and increased car ownership. Despite media and political attention, the effects of this change are unknown, but increased and more intense rainfall, potentially linked to climate change, could generate negative consequences as runoff from impermeable surfaces increases. Information is limited on garden permeability change, despite the consequences for ecosystem services, especially flood regulation. We focused on eight flooding hotspots identified by the local council as part of a wider urban flooding policy response. Aerial photographs from 1991, 2004 and 2011 were used to estimate changes in surface cover and to analyse permeability change within a digital surface model in a GIS environment. The 1, 30 and 100 year required attenuation storage volumes were estimated, which are the temporary storage required to reduce the peak flow rate given surface permeability. Within our study areas, impermeable cover in domestic front gardens increased by 22.47% over the 20-year study period (1991-2011) and required attenuation storage volumes increased by 26.23% on average. These increases suggest that a consequence of the conversion of gardens to parking areas will be a potential increase in flooding frequency and severity - a situation which is likely to occur in urban locations worldwide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anomalous Seebeck coefficient observed in silicon nanowire micro thermoelectric generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, S.; Asada, S.; Xu, T.; Oba, S.; Himeda, Y.; Yamato, R.; Matsukawa, T.; Matsuki, T.; Watanabe, T.

2017-07-01

We have found experimentally an anomalous thermoelectric characteristic of an n-type Si nanowire micro thermoelectric generator (μTEG). The μTEG is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator wafer by electron beam lithography and dry etching, and its surface is covered with a thermally grown silicon dioxide film. The observed thermoelectric current is opposite to what is expected from the Seebeck coefficient of n-type Si. The result is understandable by considering a potential barrier in the nanowire. Upon the application of the temperature gradient across the nanowire, the potential barrier impedes the diffusion of thermally activated majority carriers into the nanowire, and it rather stimulates the injection of thermally generated minority carriers. The most plausible origin of the potential barrier is negative charges trapped at the interface between the Si nanowire and the oxide film. We practically confirmed that the normal Seebeck coefficient of the n-type Si nanowire is recovered after the hydrogen forming gas annealing. This implies that the interface traps are diminished by the hydrogen termination of bonding defects. The present results show the importance of the surface inactivation treatment of μTEGs to suppress the potential barrier and unfavorable contribution of minority carriers.

Investigating electrochemical removal of bacterial biofilms from stainless steel substrates.

PubMed

Dargahi, Mahdi; Hosseinidoust, Zeinab; Tufenkji, Nathalie; Omanovic, Sasha

2014-05-01

Electrochemical removal of biofilms deserves attention because of its ease of use and environmentally friendly nature. We investigated the influence of electrode potential and treatment time on the removal of a 10-day old Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formed on stainless steel 316 L substrates. At electrode potentials more positive than -1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl, lower removal rates were observed and only partial removal of the biofilm was achieved during a 1-min time interval. Electrostatic repulsion between the film and electrode surface is believed to drive biofilm detachment under these conditions. However, when the biofilm-coated substrates were treated at potentials negative of -1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl, complete removal of a biofilm was achieved within seconds. Under these conditions, vigorous evolution of hydrogen gas is believed to be responsible for the film removal, mechanically detaching the bacteria and extracellular polymeric matrix from the substrate. Stainless steel substrates were also subjected to repeated cycles of biofilm formation and electrochemical removal. High removal efficiencies were maintained throughout this process suggesting the potential of the proposed technology for application on conductive surfaces in various industrial settings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ionic strength effects on silicic acid (H4SiO4) sorption and oligomerization on an iron oxide surface: an interesting interplay between electrostatic and chemical forces.

PubMed

Hamid, Rossuriati Dol; Swedlund, Peter J; Song, Yantao; Miskelly, Gordon M

2011-11-01

The effect of ionic strength on reactions at aqueous interfaces can provide insights into the nature of the chemistry involved. The adsorption of H(4)SiO(4) on iron oxides at low surface silicate concentration (Γ(Si)) forms monomeric silicate complexes with Fe-O-Si linkages, but as Γ(Si) increases silicate oligomers with Si-O-Si linkages become increasingly prevalent. In this paper, the effect of ionic strength (I) on both Γ(Si) and the extent of silicate oligomerization on the ferrihydrite surface is determined at pH 4, 7, and 10, where the surface is, respectively, positive, nearly neutral, and negatively charged. At pH 4, an increase in ionic strength causes Γ(Si) to decrease at a given H(4)SiO(4) solution concentration, while the proportion of oligomers on the surface at a given Γ(Si) increases. At pH 10, the opposite is observed; Γ(Si) increases as I increases, while the proportion of surface oligomers at a given Γ(Si) decreases. Ionic strength has only a small effect on the surface chemistry of H(4)SiO(4) at pH 7, but at low Γ(Si) this effect is in the direction observed at pH 4 while at high Γ(Si) the effect is in the direction observed at pH 10. The pH where the surface has zero charge decreases from ≈8 to 6 as Γ(Si) increases so that the surface potential (Ψ) is positive at pH 4 for all Γ(Si) and at pH 7 with low Γ(Si). Likewise, Ψ < 0 at pH 10 for all Γ(Si) and at pH 7 with high Γ(Si). The diffuse layer model is used to unravel the complex and subtle interactions between surface potential (Ψ) and chemical parameters that influence interfacial silicate chemistry. This analysis reveals that the decrease in the absolute value of Ψ as I increases causes Γ(Si) to decrease or increase where Ψ is, respectively, positive or negative. Therefore, at a given Γ(Si), the solution H(4)SiO(4) concentration changes with I, and because oligomerization has a higher H(4)SiO(4) stoichiometry coefficient than monomer adsorption, this results in the observed dependence of the extent of silicate oligomerization on I.

Theoretical surface core-level shifts for Be(0001)

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

Feibelman, P.J.

1994-05-15

Core-ionization potentials (CIP's) are computed for Be(0001). Three core features are observed in corresponding photoelectron spectra, with CIP's shifted relative to the bulk core level by [minus]0.825, [minus]0.570, and [minus]0.265 eV. The computed CIP shifts for the outer and subsurface layers, [minus]0.60 and [minus]0.29 eV, respectively, agree with the latter two of these. It is surmised that the [minus]0.825-eV shift is associated with a surface defect. The negative signs of the Be(0001) surface core-level shifts do not fit into the thermochemical picture widely used to explain CIP shifts. The reason is that a core-ionized Be atom is too small tomore » bond effectively to the remainder of the unrelaxed Be lattice.« less

Antimicrobial-Coated Granules for Disinfecting Water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akse, James R.; Holtsnider, John T.; Kliestik, Helen

2011-01-01

Methods of preparing antimicrobialcoated granules for disinfecting flowing potable water have been developed. Like the methods reported in the immediately preceding article, these methods involve chemical preparation of substrate surfaces (in this case, the surfaces of granules) to enable attachment of antimicrobial molecules to the surfaces via covalent bonds. A variety of granular materials have been coated with a variety of antimicrobial agents that include antibiotics, bacteriocins, enzymes, bactericides, and fungicides. When employed in packed beds in flowing water, these antimicrobial-coated granules have been proven effective against gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Composite beds, consisting of multiple layers containing different granular antimicrobial media, have proven particularly effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. These media have also proven effective in enhancing or potentiating the biocidal effects of in-line iodinated resins and of very low levels of dissolved elemental iodine.

Hydrothermal circulation at Mount St. Helens determined by self-potential measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedrosian, P.A.; Unsworth, M.J.; Johnston, M.J.S.

2007-01-01

The distribution of hydrothermal circulation within active volcanoes is of importance in identifying regions of hydrothermal alteration which may in turn control explosivity, slope stability and sector collapse. Self-potential measurements, indicative of fluid circulation, were made within the crater of Mount St. Helens in 2000 and 2001. A strong dipolar anomaly in the self-potential field was detected on the north face of the 1980-86 lava dome. This anomaly reaches a value of negative one volt on the lower flanks of the dome and reverses sign toward the dome summit. The anomaly pattern is believed to result from a combination of thermoelectric, electrokinetic, and fluid disruption effects within and surrounding the dome. Heat supplied from a cooling dacite magma very likely drives a shallow hydrothermal convection cell within the dome. The temporal stability of the SP field, low surface recharge rate, and magmatic component to fumarole condensates and thermal waters suggest the hydrothermal system is maintained by water vapor exsolved from the magma and modulated on short time scales by surface recharge. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Negative ion source with hollow cathode discharge plasma

DOEpatents

Hershcovitch, Ady; Prelec, Krsto

1983-01-01

A negative ion source of the type where negative ions are formed by bombarding a low-work-function surface with positive ions and neutral particles from a plasma, wherein a highly ionized plasma is injected into an anode space containing the low-work-function surface. The plasma is formed by hollow cathode discharge and injected into the anode space along the magnetic field lines. Preferably, the negative ion source is of the magnetron type.

Antibacterial and anticancer PDMS surface for mammalian cell growth using the Chinese herb extract paeonol(4-methoxy-2-hydroxyacetophenone)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Jiajia; Sun, Lili; Guo, Zaiyu; Hou, Sen; Holyst, Robert; Lu, Yun; Feng, Xizeng

2016-12-01

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used as a cell culture platform to produce micro- and nano-technology based microdevices. However, the native PDMS surface is not suitable for cell adhesion and is always subject to bacterial pollution and cancer cell invasion. Coating the PDMS surface with antibacterial or anticancer materials often causes considerable harm to the non-cancer mammalian cells on it. We have developed a method to fabricate a biocompatible PDMS surface which not only promotes non-cancer mammalian cell growth but also has antibacterial and anticancer activities, by coating the PDMS surface with a Chinese herb extract, paeonol. Coating changes the wettability and the elemental composition of the PDMS surface. Molecular dynamic simulation indicates that the absorption of paeonol onto the PDMS surface is an energy favourable process. The paeonol-coated PDMS surface exhibits good antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover considerable antibacterial activity is maintained after the coated surface is rinsed or incubated in water. The coated PDMS surface inhibits bacterial growth on the contact surface and promotes non-cancer mammalian cell growth with low cell toxicity; meanwhile the growth of cancer cells is significantly inhibited. Our study will potentially guide PDMS surface modification approaches to produce biomedical devices.

Ultrathin multi-slit metamaterial as excellent sound absorber: Influence of micro-structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, S. W.; Meng, H.; Xin, F. X.; Lu, T. J.

2016-01-01

An ultrathin (subwavelength) hierarchy multi-slit metamaterial with simultaneous negative effective density and negative compressibility is proposed to absorb sound over a wide frequency range. Different from conventional acoustic metamaterials having only negative real parts of acoustic parameters, the imaginary parts of effective density and compressibility are both negative for the proposed metamaterial, which result in superior viscous and thermal dissipation of sound energy. By combining the slit theory of sound absorption with the double porosity theory for porous media, a theoretical model is developed to investigate the sound absorption performance of the metamaterial. To verify the model, a finite element model is established to calculate the effective density, compressibility, and sound absorption of the metamaterial. It is theoretically and numerically confirmed that, upon introducing micro-slits into the meso-slits matrix, the multi-slit metamaterial possesses indeed negative imaginary parts of effective density and compressibility. The influence of micro-slits on the acoustical performance of the metamaterial is analyzed in the context of its specific surface area and static flow resistivity. This work shows great potential of multi-slit metamaterials in noise control applications that require both small volume and small weight of sound-absorbing materials.

Peptide:lipid ratio and membrane surface charge determine the mechanism of action of the antimicrobial peptide BP100. Conformational and functional studies.

PubMed

Manzini, Mariana C; Perez, Katia R; Riske, Karin A; Bozelli, José C; Santos, Talita L; da Silva, Marcia A; Saraiva, Greice K V; Politi, Mario J; Valente, Ana P; Almeida, Fábio C L; Chaimovich, Hernan; Rodrigues, Magali A; Bemquerer, Marcelo P; Schreier, Shirley; Cuccovia, Iolanda M

2014-07-01

The cecropin-melittin hybrid antimicrobial peptide BP100 (H-KKLFKKILKYL-NH2) is selective for Gram-negative bacteria, negatively charged membranes, and weakly hemolytic. We studied BP100 conformational and functional properties upon interaction with large unilamellar vesicles, LUVs, and giant unilamellar vesicles, GUVs, containing variable proportions of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and negatively charged phosphatidylglycerol (PG). CD and NMR spectra showed that upon binding to PG-containing LUVs BP100 acquires α-helical conformation, the helix spanning residues 3-11. Theoretical analyses indicated that the helix is amphipathic and surface-seeking. CD and dynamic light scattering data evinced peptide and/or vesicle aggregation, modulated by peptide:lipid ratio and PG content. BP100 decreased the absolute value of the zeta potential (ζ) of LUVs with low PG contents; for higher PG, binding was analyzed as an ion-exchange process. At high salt, BP100-induced LUVS leakage requires higher peptide concentration, indicating that both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions contribute to peptide binding. While a gradual release took place at low peptide:lipid ratios, instantaneous loss occurred at high ratios, suggesting vesicle disruption. Optical microscopy of GUVs confirmed BP100-promoted disruption of negatively charged membranes. The mechanism of action of BP100 is determined by both peptide:lipid ratio and negatively charged lipid content. While gradual release results from membrane perturbation by a small number of peptide molecules giving rise to changes in acyl chain packing, lipid clustering (leading to membrane defects), and/or membrane thinning, membrane disruption results from a sequence of events - large-scale peptide and lipid clustering, giving rise to peptide-lipid patches that eventually would leave the membrane in a carpet-like mechanism. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of a premature stop codon in the surface gene of hepatitis B virus from an HBsAg and antiHBc negative blood donor.

PubMed

Datta, Sibnarayan; Banerjee, Arup; Chandra, Partha K; Chakraborty, Subhasis; Basu, Subir Kumar; Chakravarty, Runu

2007-11-01

In blood donors, HBV infection is detected by the presence of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). However, some mutations in the surface gene region may result in altered or truncated HBsAg that can escape from immunoassay-based diagnosis. Such diagnostic escape mutants pose a potential risk for blood transfusion services. In the present study, we report a blood donor seronegative for HBsAg and antiHBc, but positive for antiHBs who was HBV DNA positive by PCR. Sequencing of the HBsAg gene revealed presence of a point mutation (T-A) at 207th nucleotide of the HBsAg ORF, which resulted in a premature stop codon at position 69. This results in a truncated HBsAg gene lacking the entire 'a' determinant region. However, follow-up of the donor after 2 years revealed clearance of HBV DNA from the serum. The case illustrates an unusual mutation, which causes HBsAg negativity. The finding emphasizes the importance of molecular assays in reducing the possibility of HBV transmission through blood transfusion. However, developing more sensitive serological assays, capable of detecting HBV mutants, is an alternative to expensive and complex amplification-based assays for developing countries.

Particle-in-cell simulation of multipactor discharge on a dielectric in a parallel-plate waveguide

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

Sakharov, A. S., E-mail: sakharov-as@mail.ru; Ivanov, V. A.; Konyzhev, M. E.

2016-06-15

An original 2D3V (two-dimensional in coordinate space and three-dimensional in velocity space) particle-in-cell code has been developed for simulation of multipactor discharge on a dielectric in a parallelplate metal waveguide with allowance for secondary electron emission (SEE) from the dielectric surface and waveguide walls, finite temperature of secondary electrons, electron space charge, and elastic and inelastic scattering of electrons from the dielectric and metal surfaces. The code allows one to simulate all stages of the multipactor discharge, from the onset of the electron avalanche to saturation. It is shown that the threshold for the excitation of a single-surface multipactor onmore » a dielectric placed in a low-profile waveguide with absorbing walls increases as compared to that in the case of an unbounded dielectric surface due to escape of electrons onto the waveguide walls. It is found that, depending on the microwave field amplitude and the SEE characteristics of the waveguide walls, the multipactor may operate in two modes. In the first mode, which takes place at relatively low microwave amplitudes, a single-surface multipactor develops only on the dielectric, the surface of which acquires a positively potential with respect to the waveguide walls. In the second mode, which occurs at sufficiently high microwave intensities, a single-surface multipactor on the dielectric and a two-surface multipactor between the waveguide walls operate simultaneously. In this case, both the dielectric surface and the interwall space acquire a negative potential. It is shown that electron scattering from the dielectric surface and waveguide walls results in the appearance of high-energy tails in the electron distribution function.« less

Optogenetic micro-electrocorticography for modulating and localizing cerebral cortex activity

PubMed Central

Richner, Thomas J.; Thongpang, Sanitta; Brodnick, Sarah K.; Schendel, Amelia A.; Falk, Ryan W.; Krugner-Higby, Lisa A.; Pashaie, Ramin; Williams, Justin C.

2014-01-01

Objective Spatial localization of neural activity from within the brain with electrocorticography (ECoG) and electroencephalography (EEG) remains a challenge in clinical and research settings, and while microfabricated ECoG (micro-ECoG) array technology continues to improve, complimentary methods to simultaneously modulate cortical activity while recording are needed. Approach We developed a neural interface utilizing optogenetics, cranial windowing, and micro-ECoG arrays fabricated on a transparent polymer. This approach enabled us to directly modulate neural activity at known locations around micro-ECoG arrays in mice expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). We applied photostimuli varying in time, space and frequency to the cortical surface, and we targeted multiple depths within the cortex using an optical fiber while recording micro-ECoG signals. Main Results Negative potentials of up to 1.5 mV were evoked by photostimuli applied to the entire cortical window, while focally applied photostimuli evoked spatially localized micro-ECoG potentials. Two simultaneously applied focal stimuli could be separated, depending on the distance between them. Photostimuli applied within the cortex with an optical fiber evoked more complex micro-ECoG potentials with multiple positive and negative peaks whose relative amplitudes depended on the depth of the fiber. Significance Optogenetic ECoG has potential applications in the study of epilepsy, cortical dynamics, and neuroprostheses. PMID:24445482

Divergent surface and total soil moisture projections under global warming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berg, Alexis; Sheffield, Justin; Milly, Paul C.D.

2017-01-01

Land aridity has been projected to increase with global warming. Such projections are mostly based on off-line aridity and drought metrics applied to climate model outputs but also are supported by climate-model projections of decreased surface soil moisture. Here we comprehensively analyze soil moisture projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5, including surface, total, and layer-by-layer soil moisture. We identify a robust vertical gradient of projected mean soil moisture changes, with more negative changes near the surface. Some regions of the northern middle to high latitudes exhibit negative annual surface changes but positive total changes. We interpret this behavior in the context of seasonal changes in the surface water budget. This vertical pattern implies that the extensive drying predicted by off-line drought metrics, while consistent with the projected decline in surface soil moisture, will tend to overestimate (negatively) changes in total soil water availability.

Effects of the plasma-facing materials on the negative ion H ‑ density in an ECR (2.45 GHz) plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bentounes, J.; Béchu, S.; Biggins, F.; Michau, A.; Gavilan, L.; Menu, J.; Bonny, L.; Fombaron, D.; Bès, A.; Lebedev, Yu A.; Shakhatov, V. A.; Svarnas, P.; Hassaine, T.; Lemaire, J. L.; Lacoste, A.

2018-05-01

Within the framework of fundamental research, the present work focuses on the role of surface material in the production of H ‑ negative ion, with a potential application of designing cesium-free H ‑ negative ion sources oriented to fusion application. It is widely accepted that the main reaction leading to H ‑ production, in the plasma volume, is the dissociative attachment of low-energy electrons (T e ≤ 1 eV) on highly ro-vibrationally excited hydrogen molecules. In parallel with other mechanisms, the density of these excited molecules may be enhanced by means of the recombinative desorption, i.e. the interaction between surface absorbed atoms with other atoms (surface adsorbed or not) through the path {H}{{ads}}+{H}{{gas}/{{ads}}}\\to {H}2{(v,J)}{{gas}}+{{Δ }}E. Accordingly, a systematic study on the role played by the surface in this reaction, with respect to the production of H ‑ ion in the plasma volume, is here performed. Thus, tantalum and tungsten (already known as H ‑ enhancers) and quartz (inert surface) materials are employed as inner surfaces of a test bench chamber. The plasma inside the chamber is produced by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) driving and it is characterized with conventional electrostatic probes, laser photodetachment, and emission and absorption spectroscopy. Two different positions (close to and away from the ECR driving zone) are investigated under various conditions of pressure and power. The experimental results are supported by numerical data generated by a 1D model. The latter couples continuity and electron energy balance equations in the presence of magnetic field, and incorporates vibrational kinetics, H2 molecular reactions, H electronically excited states and ground-state species kinetics. In the light of this study, recombinative desorption has been evidenced as the most probable mechanism, among others, responsible for an enhancement by a factor of about 3.4, at 1.6 Pa and 175 W of microwave power, in the case of tantalum.

Modeling of negative ion extraction from a magnetized plasma source: Derivation of scaling laws and description of the origins of aberrations in the ion beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fubiani, G.; Garrigues, L.; Boeuf, J. P.

2018-02-01

We model the extraction of negative ions from a high brightness high power magnetized negative ion source. The model is a Particle-In-Cell (PIC) algorithm with Monte-Carlo Collisions. The negative ions are generated only on the plasma grid surface (which separates the plasma from the electrostatic accelerator downstream). The scope of this work is to derive scaling laws for the negative ion beam properties versus the extraction voltage (potential of the first grid of the accelerator) and plasma density and investigate the origins of aberrations on the ion beam. We show that a given value of the negative ion beam perveance correlates rather well with the beam profile on the extraction grid independent of the simulated plasma density. Furthermore, the extracted beam current may be scaled to any value of the plasma density. The scaling factor must be derived numerically but the overall gain of computational cost compared to performing a PIC simulation at the real plasma density is significant. Aberrations appear for a meniscus curvature radius of the order of the radius of the grid aperture. These aberrations cannot be cancelled out by switching to a chamfered grid aperture (as in the case of positive ions).

Paradigms for Assessing Hedonic Processing and Motivation in Humans: Relevance to Understanding Negative Symptoms in Psychopathology.

PubMed

Barch, Deanna M; Gold, James M; Kring, Ann M

2017-07-01

Clinicians and researchers have long known that one of the debilitating aspects of psychotic disorders is the presence of "negative symptoms," which involve impairments in hedonic and motivational function, and/or alterations in expressive affect. We have a number of excellent clinical tools available for assessing the presence and severity of negative symptoms. However, to better understand the mechanisms that may give rise to negative symptoms, we need tools and methods that can help distinguish among different potential contributing causes, as a means to develop more targeted intervention pathways. Using such paradigms is particularly important if we wish to understand whether the causes are the same or different across disorders that may share surface features of negative symptoms. This approach is in line with the goals of the Research Diagnostic Criteria Initiative, which advocates understanding the nature of core dimensions of brain-behavior relationships transdiagnostically. Here we highlight some of the emerging measures and paradigms that may help us to parse the nature and causes of negative symptoms, illustrating both the research approaches from which they emerge and the types of constructs that they can help elucidate. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of buildings on surface solar radiation over urban Beijing

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

Zhao, Bin; Liou, Kuo-Nan; Gu, Yu

The rugged surface of an urban area due to varying buildings can interact with solar beams and affect both the magnitude and spatiotemporal distribution of surface solar fluxes. Here we systematically examine the impact of buildings on downward surface solar fluxes over urban Beijing by using a 3-D radiation parameterization that accounts for 3-D building structures vs. the conventional plane-parallel scheme. We find that the resulting downward surface solar flux deviations between the 3-D and the plane-parallel schemes are generally ±1–10 W m -2 at 800 m grid resolution and within ±1 W m -2 at 4 km resolution. Pairsmore » of positive–negative flux deviations on different sides of buildings are resolved at 800 m resolution, while they offset each other at 4 km resolution. Flux deviations from the unobstructed horizontal surface at 4 km resolution are positive around noon but negative in the early morning and late afternoon. The corresponding deviations at 800 m resolution, in contrast, show diurnal variations that are strongly dependent on the location of the grids relative to the buildings. Both the magnitude and spatiotemporal variations of flux deviations are largely dominated by the direct flux. Furthermore, we find that flux deviations can potentially be an order of magnitude larger by using a finer grid resolution. Atmospheric aerosols can reduce the magnitude of downward surface solar flux deviations by 10–65 %, while the surface albedo generally has a rather moderate impact on flux deviations. The results imply that the effect of buildings on downward surface solar fluxes may not be critically significant in mesoscale atmospheric models with a grid resolution of 4 km or coarser. However, the effect can play a crucial role in meso-urban atmospheric models as well as microscale urban dispersion models with resolutions of 1 m to 1 km.« less

Dominant-Negative Regulation of Cell Surface Expression by a Pentapeptide Motif at the Extreme COOH Terminus of an Slo1 Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel Splice Variant

PubMed Central

Chiu, Yu-Hsin; Alvarez-Baron, Claudia; Kim, Eun Young

2010-01-01

Large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels regulate the physiology of many cell types. A single vertebrate gene variously known as Slo1, KCa1.1, or KCNMA1 encodes the pore-forming subunits of BKCa channel but is expressed in a potentially very large number of alternative splice variants. Two splice variants of Slo1, Slo1VEDEC and Slo1QEERL, which differ at the extreme COOH terminus, show markedly different steady-state expression levels on the cell surface. Here we show that Slo1VEDEC and Slo1QEERL can reciprocally coimmunoprecipitate, indicating that they form heteromeric complexes. Moreover, coexpression of even small amounts of Slo1VEDEC markedly reduces surface expression of Slo1QEERL and total Slo1 as indicated by cell-surface biotinylation assays. The effects of Slo1VEDEC on steady-state surface expression can be attributed primarily to the last five residues of the protein based on surface expression of motif-swapped constructs of Slo1 in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cells. In addition, the presence of the VEDEC motif at the COOH terminus of Slo1 channels is sufficient to confer a dominant-negative effect on cell surface expression of itself or other types of Slo1 subunits. Treating cells with short peptides containing the VEDEC motif increased surface expression of Slo1VEDEC channels transiently expressed in HEK293T cells and increased current through endogenous BKCa channels in mouse podocytes. Slo1VEDEC and Slo1QEERL channels are removed from the HEK293T cell surface with similar kinetics and to a similar extent, which suggests that the inhibitory effect of the VEDEC motif is exerted primarily on forward trafficking into the plasma membrane. PMID:20051533

Electrochemical behavior of negative electrode of lead-acid cells based on reticulated vitreous carbon carrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czerwiński, A.; Obrębowski, S.; Kotowski, J.; Rogulski, Z.; Skowroński, J. M.; Krawczyk, P.; Rozmanowski, T.; Bajsert, M.; Przystałowski, M.; Buczkowska-Biniecka, M.; Jankowska, E.; Baraniak, M.

Reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC ®) and RVC ® plated with lead were investigated as carriers for the negative electrode of lead-acid cell. The RVC ® and Pb/RVC ® carriers were pasted with active paste (received from JENOX Ltd., Polish producer of lead-acid batteries) and prepared to be used in lead-acid cell. Comparative study of electrodes based on RVC ® and Pb/RVC ® has been done using constant-current charging/discharging, constant-potential discharging and cycling voltammetry measurements. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to determine the morphology of the lead layer deposited on the RVC surface. Hybrid flooded single lead-acid cells containing one negative electrode, based on new type of carrier (RVC ® or Pb/RVC ®), sandwiched between two positive electrodes, based on the Pb-Ca grids, were assembled and subjected to electrochemical tests. It has been found that both materials, RVC ® and Pb/RVC ®, can be used as carriers of negative electrode, but the latter seems to have better influence on the discharge performance.

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

Cheng, He; Liu, Xin; Lu, Xinpei

The atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma has shown a significant potential as a novel food decontamination technology. In this paper, we report a computational study of the intersection of negative streamer produced by air dielectric barrier discharge with bacteria biofilm on an apple surface. The structure, conductivities, and permittivities of bacteria biofilm have been considered in the Poisson's equations and transportation equations of charge and neutral species to realize self-consistent transportation of plasma between electrode and charging surfaces of apple. We find that the ionization near the biofilm facilitates the propagation of negative streamer when the streamer head is 1 mm frommore » the biofilm. The structure of the biofilm results in the non-uniform distribution of ROS and RNS captured by flux and time fluence of these reactive species. The mean free path of charged species in μm scale permitted the plasma penetrate into the cavity of the biofilm, therefore, although the density of ROS and RNS decrease by 6–7 order of magnitude, the diffusion results in the uniform distribution of ROS and RNS inside the cavity during the pulse off period.« less

Bartonella Species, an Emerging Cause of Blood-Culture-Negative Endocarditis.

PubMed

Okaro, Udoka; Addisu, Anteneh; Casanas, Beata; Anderson, Burt

2017-07-01

Since the reclassification of the genus Bartonella in 1993, the number of species has grown from 1 to 45 currently designated members. Likewise, the association of different Bartonella species with human disease continues to grow, as does the range of clinical presentations associated with these bacteria. Among these, blood-culture-negative endocarditis stands out as a common, often undiagnosed, clinical presentation of infection with several different Bartonella species. The limitations of laboratory tests resulting in this underdiagnosis of Bartonella endocarditis are discussed. The varied clinical picture of Bartonella infection and a review of clinical aspects of endocarditis caused by Bartonella are presented. We also summarize the current knowledge of the molecular basis of Bartonella pathogenesis, focusing on surface adhesins in the two Bartonella species that most commonly cause endocarditis, B. henselae and B. quintana . We discuss evidence that surface adhesins are important factors for autoaggregation and biofilm formation by Bartonella species. Finally, we propose that biofilm formation is a critical step in the formation of vegetative masses during Bartonella -mediated endocarditis and represents a potential reservoir for persistence by these bacteria. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Sensitivity of cyclone tracks to the initial moisture distribution: A moist potential vorticity perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Zuohao; Zhang, Da-Lin

2005-11-01

In this study, the characteristics of moist potential vorticity (MPV) in the vicinity of a surface cyclone center and their physical processes are investigated. A prognostic equation of surface absolute vorticity is then used to examine the relationship between the cyclone tracks and negative MPV (NMPV) using numerical simulations of the life cycle of an extratropical cyclone. It is shown that the MPV approach developed herein, i.e., by tracing the peak NMPV, can be used to help trace surface cyclones during their development and mature stages. Sensitivity experiments are conducted to investigate the impact of different initial moisture fields on the effectiveness of the MPV approach. It is found that the lifetime of NMPV depends mainly on the initial moisture field, the magnitude of condensational heating, and the advection of NMPV. When NMPV moves into a saturated environment at or near a cyclone center, it can trace better the evolution of the surface cyclone due to the conservative property of MPV. It is also shown that the NMPV generation is closely associated with the coupling of large potential temperature and moisture gradients as a result of frontogenesis processes. Analyses indicate that condensation, confluence and tilting play important but different roles in determining the NMPV generation. NMPV is generated mainly through the changes in the strength of baroclinicity and in the direction of the moisture gradient due to moist and/or dry air mass intrusion into the baroclinic zone.

Climate Response to Negative Greenhouse Gas Radiative Forcing in Polar Winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flanner, M. G.; Huang, X.; Chen, X.; Krinner, G.

2018-02-01

Greenhouse gas (GHG) additions to Earth's atmosphere initially reduce global outgoing longwave radiation, thereby warming the planet. In select environments with temperature inversions, however, increased GHG concentrations can actually increase local outgoing longwave radiation. Negative top of atmosphere and effective radiative forcing (ERF) from this situation give the impression that local surface temperatures could cool in response to GHG increases. Here we consider an extreme scenario in which GHG concentrations are increased only within the warmest layers of winter near-surface inversions of the Arctic and Antarctic. We find, using a fully coupled Earth system model, that the underlying surface warms despite the GHG addition exerting negative ERF and cooling the troposphere in the vicinity of the GHG increase. This unique radiative forcing and thermal response is facilitated by the high stability of the polar winter atmosphere, which inhibit thermal mixing and amplify the impact of surface radiative forcing on surface temperature. These findings also suggest that strategies to exploit negative ERF via injections of short-lived GHGs into inversion layers would likely be unsuccessful in cooling the planetary surface.

Water organization between oppositely charged surfaces: Implications for protein sliding along DNA a)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcovitz, Amir; Naftaly, Aviv; Levy, Yaakov

2015-02-01

Water molecules are abundant in protein-DNA interfaces, especially in their nonspecific complexes. In this study, we investigated the organization and energetics of the interfacial water by simplifying the geometries of the proteins and the DNA to represent them as two equally and oppositely charged planar surfaces immersed in water. We found that the potential of mean force for bringing the two parallel surfaces into close proximity comprises energetic barriers whose properties strongly depend on the charge density of the surfaces. We demonstrated how the organization of the water molecules into discretized layers and the corresponding energetic barriers to dehydration can be modulated by the charge density on the surfaces, salt, and the structure of the surfaces. The 1-2 layers of ordered water are tightly bound to the charged surfaces representing the nonspecific protein-DNA complex. This suggests that water might mediate one-dimensional diffusion of proteins along DNA (sliding) by screening attractive electrostatic interactions between the positively charged molecular surface on the protein and the negatively charged DNA backbone and, in doing so, reduce intermolecular friction in a manner that smoothens the energetic landscape for sliding, and facilitates the 1D diffusion of the protein.

Role of the electric field in selective ion filtration in nanostructures.

PubMed

Park, Yong; Kim, Sueon; Jang, In Hyuk; Nam, Young Suk; Hong, Hiki; Choi, Dukhyun; Lee, Won Gu

2016-02-21

Nafion has received great attention as a proton conductor that can block negative ions. Here, we report the effect of a Nafion coating on an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) nanoporous membrane on its function of ion rejection and filtering depending on the electric field. In our experiments, Nafion, once coated, was used to repel the negative ions (anions) from the coated surface, and then selectively allowed positive ions (cations) to pass through the nanopores in the presence of an electric field. To demonstrate the proof-of-concept validation, we coated Nafion solution onto the surface of AAO membranes with 20 nm nanopores average diameter at different solution concentration levels. Vacuum filtration methods for Nafion coating were vertically applied to the plane of an AAO membrane. An electric field was then applied to the upper surface of the Nafion-coated AAO membrane to investigate if ion rejection and filtering was affected by the presence of the electric field. Both anions and cations could pass through the AAO nanopores without an electric field applied. However, only cations could well pass through the AAO nanopores under an electric field, thus effectively blocking anions from passing through the nanopores. This result shows that ion filtration of electrons has been selectively performed while the system also works as a vital catalyst in reactivating Nafion via electrolysis. A saturated viscosity ratio of Nafion solution for the coating was also determined. We believe that this approach is potentially beneficial for better understanding the fundamentals of selective ion filtration in nanostructures and for promoting the use of nanostructures in potential applications such as ion-based water purification and desalination system at the nanoscale in a massively electrically integrated format.

Cholesterol Promotes Protein Binding by Affecting Membrane Electrostatics and Solvation Properties.

PubMed

Doktorova, Milka; Heberle, Frederick A; Kingston, Richard L; Khelashvili, George; Cuendet, Michel A; Wen, Yi; Katsaras, John; Feigenson, Gerald W; Vogt, Volker M; Dick, Robert A

2017-11-07

Binding of the retroviral structural protein Gag to the cellular plasma membrane is mediated by the protein's matrix (MA) domain. Prominent among MA-PM interactions is electrostatic attraction between the positively charged MA domain and the negatively charged plasma membrane inner leaflet. Previously, we reported that membrane association of HIV-1 Gag, as well as purified Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) MA and Gag, depends strongly on the presence of acidic lipids and is enhanced by cholesterol (Chol). The mechanism underlying this enhancement was unclear. Here, using a broad set of in vitro and in silico techniques we addressed molecular mechanisms of association between RSV MA and model membranes, and investigated how Chol enhances this association. In neutron scattering experiments with liposomes in the presence or absence of Chol, MA preferentially interacted with preexisting POPS-rich clusters formed by nonideal lipid mixing, binding peripherally to the lipid headgroups with minimal perturbation to the bilayer structure. Molecular dynamics simulations showed a stronger MA-bilayer interaction in the presence of Chol, and a large Chol-driven increase in lipid packing and membrane surface charge density. Although in vitro MA-liposome association is influenced by disparate variables, including ionic strength and concentrations of Chol and charged lipids, continuum electrostatic theory revealed an underlying dependence on membrane surface potential. Together, these results conclusively show that Chol affects RSV MA-membrane association by making the electrostatic potential at the membrane surface more negative, while decreasing the penalty for lipid headgroup desolvation. The presented approach can be applied to other viral and nonviral proteins. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancing the Bioactivity of Yttria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Ceramics via Grain-Boundary Activation.

PubMed

Ke, Jinhuan; He, Fupo; Ye, Jiandong

2017-05-17

Yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP) has been proposed as a potential dental implant because of its good biocompatibility, excellent mechanical properties, and distinctive aesthetic effect. However, Y-TZP cannot form chemical bonds with bone tissue because of its biological inertness, which affects the reliability and long-term efficacy of Y-TZP implants. In this study, to improve the bioactivity of Y-TZP ceramics while maintaining their good mechanical performance, Y-TZP was modified by grain-boundary activation via the infiltration of a bioactive glass (BG) sol into the surface layers of Y-TZP ceramics under different negative pressures (atmospheric pressure, -0.05 kPa, and -0.1 kPa), followed by gelling and sintering. The in vitro bioactivity, mechanical properties, and cell behavior of the Y-TZP with improved bioactivity were systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and Raman spectroscopy. The results of the bioactivity test conducted by immersing Y-TZP in simulated body fluid (SBF) showed that a bonelike apatite layer was produced on the entire surface. The mechanical properties of the modified Y-TZP decreased as the negative pressure in the BG-infiltration process increased relative to those of the Y-TZP blank group. However, the samples infiltrated with the BG sol under -0.05 kPa and atmospheric pressure still retained good mechanical performance. The cell-culture results revealed that the bioactive surface modification of Y-TZP could promote cell adhesion and differentiation. The present work demonstrates that the bioactivity of Y-TZP can be enhanced by grain-boundary activation, and the bioactive Y-TZP is expected to be a potential candidate for use as a dental implant material.

Silicon Photoelectrode Thermodynamics and Hydrogen Evolution Kinetics Measured by Intensity-Modulated High-Frequency Resistivity Impedance Spectroscopy

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

Anderson, Nicholas C.; Carroll, Gerard M.; Pekarek, Ryan T.

Here, we present an impedance technique based on light intensity-modulated high-frequency resistivity (IMHFR) that provides a new way to elucidate both the thermodynamics and kinetics in complex semiconductor photoelectrodes. We apply IMHFR to probe electrode interfacial energetics on oxide-modified semiconductor surfaces frequently used to improve the stability and efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting systems. Combined with current density-voltage measurements, the technique quantifies the overpotential for proton reduction relative to its thermodynamic potential in Si photocathodes coated with three oxides (SiO x, TiO 2, and Al 2O 3) and a Pt catalyst. In pH 7 electrolyte, the flatband potentials of TiOmore » 2- and Al 2O 3-coated Si electrodes are negative relative to samples with native SiO x, indicating that SiO x is a better protective layer against oxidative electrochemical corrosion than ALD-deposited crystalline TiO 2 or Al 2O 3. Adding a Pt catalyst to SiO x/Si minimizes proton reduction overpotential losses but at the expense of a reduction in available energy characterized by a more negative flatband potential relative to catalyst-free SiO x/Si.« less

Silicon Photoelectrode Thermodynamics and Hydrogen Evolution Kinetics Measured by Intensity-Modulated High-Frequency Resistivity Impedance Spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Anderson, Nicholas C.; Carroll, Gerard M.; Pekarek, Ryan T.; ...

2017-10-05

Here, we present an impedance technique based on light intensity-modulated high-frequency resistivity (IMHFR) that provides a new way to elucidate both the thermodynamics and kinetics in complex semiconductor photoelectrodes. We apply IMHFR to probe electrode interfacial energetics on oxide-modified semiconductor surfaces frequently used to improve the stability and efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting systems. Combined with current density-voltage measurements, the technique quantifies the overpotential for proton reduction relative to its thermodynamic potential in Si photocathodes coated with three oxides (SiO x, TiO 2, and Al 2O 3) and a Pt catalyst. In pH 7 electrolyte, the flatband potentials of TiOmore » 2- and Al 2O 3-coated Si electrodes are negative relative to samples with native SiO x, indicating that SiO x is a better protective layer against oxidative electrochemical corrosion than ALD-deposited crystalline TiO 2 or Al 2O 3. Adding a Pt catalyst to SiO x/Si minimizes proton reduction overpotential losses but at the expense of a reduction in available energy characterized by a more negative flatband potential relative to catalyst-free SiO x/Si.« less

Negative ion source with hollow cathode discharge plasma

DOEpatents

Hershcovitch, A.; Prelec, K.

1980-12-12

A negative ion source of the type where negative ions are formed by bombarding a low-work-function surface with positive ions and neutral particles from a plasma, wherein a highly ionized plasma is injected into an anode space containing the low-work-function surface is described. The plasma is formed by hollow cathode discharge and injected into the anode space along the magnetic field lines. Preferably, the negative ion source is of the magnetron type.

Characterization of the surface charge distribution on kaolinite particles using high resolution atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Naveen; Zhao, Cunlu; Klaassen, Aram; van den Ende, Dirk; Mugele, Frieder; Siretanu, Igor

2016-02-01

Most solid surfaces, in particular clay minerals and rock surfaces, acquire a surface charge upon exposure to an aqueous environment due to adsorption and/or desorption of ionic species. Macroscopic techniques such as titration and electrokinetic measurements are commonly used to determine the surface charge and ζ -potential of these surfaces. However, because of the macroscopic averaging character these techniques cannot do justice to the role of local heterogeneities on the surfaces. In this work, we use dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine the distribution of surface charge on the two (gibbsite-like and silica-like) basal planes of kaolinite nanoparticles immersed in aqueous electrolyte with a lateral resolution of approximately 30 nm. The surface charge density is extracted from force-distance curves using DLVO theory in combination with surface complexation modeling. While the gibbsite-like and the silica-like facet display on average positive and negative surface charge values as expected, our measurements reveal lateral variations of more than a factor of two on seemingly atomically smooth terraces, even if high resolution AFM images clearly reveal the atomic lattice on the surface. These results suggest that simple surface complexation models of clays that attribute a unique surface chemistry and hence homogeneous surface charge densities to basal planes may miss important aspects of real clay surfaces.

Effect of the charge surface distribution on the flow field induced by a dielectric barrier discharge actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristofolini, Andrea; Neretti, Gabriele; Borghi, Carlo A.

2013-08-01

The Electro-Hydro-Dynamics (EHD) interaction induced by a surface dielectric barrier discharge in the aerodynamic boundary layer at one atmosphere still air has been investigated. Three different geometrical configurations of the actuator have been utilized. In the first configuration, an electrode pair separated by a 2 mm dielectric sheet has been used. The second and the third configurations have been obtained by adding a third electrode on the upper side of the dielectric surface. This electrode has been placed downstream of the upper electrode and has been connected to ground or has been left floating. Three different dielectric materials have been utilized. The high voltage upper electrode was fed by an a.c. electric tension. Measurements of the dielectric surface potential generated by the charge deposition have been done. The discharge has been switched off after positive and negative phases of the plasma current (the current phase was characterized by a positive or a negative value, respectively). The measurements have been carried out after both phases. The charge distribution strongly depended on the switching off phase and was heavily affected by the geometrical configuration. A remarkable decrease of the charge deposited on the dielectric surface has been detected when the third electrode was connected to ground. Velocity profiles were obtained by using a Pitot probe. They showed that the presence of the third electrode limits the fluid dynamics performance of the actuator. A relation between the charge surface distribution and the EHD interaction phenomenon has been found. Imaging of the plasma has been done to evaluate the discharge structure and the extension of the plasma in the configurations investigated.

Electric breakdowns of the "plasma capacitors" occurs on insulation coating of the ISS surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homin, Taras; Korsun, Anatolii

High electric fields and currents are occurred in the spacecrafts plasma environment by onboard electric generators. Thus the high voltage solar array (SA) of the American segment of International Space Station (ISS) generates potential 160 V. Its negative pole is shorted to the frames of all the ISS segments. There is electric current between the SA and the frame through the plasma environment, i.e. electric discharge occurs. As a result a potential drop exists between the frames of all the ISS segments and the environmental plasma [1], which is cathode drop potential varphi _{c} defined. When ISS orbiting, the φc varies greatly in the range 0-100 V. A large area of the ISS frames and SA surface is coated with a thin dielectric film. Because of cathode drop potential the frame surfaces accumulate ion charges and the SA surfaces accumulate electron charges. These surfaces become plasma capacitors, which accumulate much charge and energy. Micrometeorite impacts or buildup of potential drop in excess of breakdown threshold varphi_{b} (varphi _{c} > varphi _{b} = 60 V) may cause breakdowns of these capacitors. Following a breakdown, the charge collected at the surfaces disperses and transforms into a layer of dense plasma [2]. This plasma environment of the spacecraft produces great pulsed electric fields E at the frame surfaces as well as heavy currents between construction elements which in turn induce great magnetic fields H. Therefore the conductive frame and the environmental plasma is plasma inductors. We have calculated that the densities of these pulsing and high-frequency fields E and H generated in the plasma environment of the spacecraft may exceed values hazardous to human. Besides, these fields must induce large electromagnetic impulses in the space-suit and in the power supply and control circuits of onboard systems. During astronaut’s space-suit activity, these fields will penetrate the space-suit and the human body with possible hazardous effects. These effects need to be studied, and appropriate remedies are to be developed. References 1. Mikatarian, R., et al., «Electrical Charging of the International Space Station», AIAA Paper No. 2003-1079, 41th. Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, January 2003. 2. A.G. Korsun, «Electric discharge processes intensification mechanisms on International Space Station surface». Astronautics and rocket production, 1, 2011 (in Russian).

Docetaxel immunonanocarriers as targeted delivery systems for HER 2-positive tumor cells: preparation, characterization, and cytotoxicity studies.

PubMed

Koopaei, Mona Noori; Dinarvand, Rassoul; Amini, Mohsen; Rabbani, Hojatollah; Emami, Shaghayegh; Ostad, Seyed Nasser; Atyabi, Fatemeh

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop pegylated poly lactide-co-glycolide acid (PLGA) immunonanocarriers for targeting delivery of docetaxel to human breast cancer cells. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) groups on the surface of the PLGA nanoparticles were functionalized using maleimide groups. Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody against human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) antigens of cancer cells, used as the targeting moiety, was attached to the maleimide groups on the surface of pegylated PLGA nanoparticles. Nanoparticles prepared by a nanoprecipitation method were characterized for their size, size distribution, surface charge, surface morphology, drug-loading, and in vitro drug release profile. The average size of the trastuzumab-decorated nanoparticles was 254 ± 16.4 nm and their zeta potential was -11.5 ± 1.4 mV. The average size of the nontargeted PLGA nanoparticles was 183 ± 22 nm and their zeta potential was -2.6 ± 0.34 mV. The cellular uptake of nanoparticles was studied using both HER2-positive (SKBR3 and BT-474) and HER2-negative (Calu-6) cell lines. The cytotoxicity of the immunonanocarriers against HER2-positive cell lines was significantly higher than that of nontargeted PLGA nanoparticles and free docetaxel.

Effect of laundry surfactants on surface charge and colloidal stability of silver nanoparticles.

PubMed

Skoglund, Sara; Lowe, Troy A; Hedberg, Jonas; Blomberg, Eva; Wallinder, Inger Odnevall; Wold, Susanna; Lundin, Maria

2013-07-16

The stability of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) potentially released from clothing during a laundry cycle and their interactions with laundry-relevant surfactants [anionic (LAS), cationic (DTAC), and nonionic (Berol)] have been investigated. Surface interactions between Ag NPs and surfactants influence their speciation and stability. In the absence of surfactants as well as in the presence of LAS, the negatively charged Ag NPs were stable in solution for more than 1 day. At low DTAC concentrations (≤1 mM), DTAC-Ag NP interactions resulted in charge neutralization and formation of agglomerates. The surface charge of the particles became positive at higher concentrations due to a bilayer type formation of DTAC that prevents from agglomeration due to repulsive electrostatic forces between the positively charged colloids. The adsorption of Berol was enhanced when above its critical micelle concentration (cmc). This resulted in a surface charge close to zero and subsequent agglomeration. Extended DLVO theory calculations were in compliance with observed findings. The stability of the Ag NPs was shown to depend on the charge and concentration of the adsorbed surfactants. Such knowledge is important as it may influence the subsequent transport of Ag NPs through different chemical transients and thus their potential bioavailability and toxicity.

Thiol-reactive amphiphilic block copolymer for coating gold nanoparticles with neutral and functionable surfaces

PubMed Central

Chen, Hongwei; Zou, Hao; Paholak, Hayley J.; Ito, Masayuki; Qian, Wei; Che, Yong; Sun, Duxin

2014-01-01

Nanoparticles designed for biomedical applications are often coated with polymers containing reactive functional groups, such as –COOH and –NH2, to conjugate targeting ligands or drugs. However, introducing highly charged surfaces promotes binding of the nanoparticles to biomolecules in biological systems through ionic interactions, causing the nanoparticles to aggregate in biological environments and consequently undergo strong non-specific binding to off-target cells and tissues. Developing a unique polymer with neutral surfaces that can be further functionalized directly would be critical to develop suitable nanomaterials for nanomedicine. Here, we report a thiol-reactive amphiphilic block copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(pyridyldisulfide ethylmeth acrylate) (PEO-b-PPDSM) for coating gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The resultant polymer-coated AuNPs have almost neutral surfaces with slightly negative zeta potentials from -10 to 0 mV over a wide pH range from 2 to 12. Although the zeta potential is close to zero we show that the PEO-b-PPDSM copolymer-coated AuNPs have both good stability in various physiological conditions and reduced non-specific adsorption of proteins/biomolecules. Because of the multiple pyridyldisulfide groups on the PPDSM block, these individually dispersed nanocomplexes with an overall hydrodynamic size around 43.8 nm can be directly functionalized via disulfide-thiol exchange chemistry. PMID:24729795

Nitrogen electroreduction and hydrogen evolution on cubic molybdenum carbide: a density functional study

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

Matanovic, Ivana; Garzon, Fernando H.

We report in this paper a density functional theory study of the nitrogen electroreduction and hydrogen evolution reactions on cubic molybdenum carbide (MoC) in order to investigate the viability of using this material as an electro-catalyst for ammonia synthesis. Free energy diagrams for associative and dissociative Heyrovsky mechanisms showed that nitrogen reduction on cubic MoC(111) can proceed via an associative mechanism and that small negative potentials of -0.3 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode can onset the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia. Kinetic volcano plots for hydrogen evolution showed that the MoC[110] surface is expected to have a high rate formore » the hydrogen evolution reaction, which could compete with the reduction of nitrogen on cubic MoC. The comparison between the adsorption energies of H-adatoms and N-adatoms also shows that at low potentials adsorption of hydrogen atoms competes with nitrogen adsorption on all the MoC surfaces except the MoC(111) surface. Finally, the hydrogen evolution and accumulation of H-adatoms can be mitigated by introducing carbon vacancies i.e. increasing the ratio of metal to carbon atoms, which will significantly increase the affinity of the catalytic surface for both nitrogen molecules and N-adatoms.« less

Nitrogen electroreduction and hydrogen evolution on cubic molybdenum carbide: a density functional study

DOE PAGES

Matanovic, Ivana; Garzon, Fernando H.

2018-04-26

We report in this paper a density functional theory study of the nitrogen electroreduction and hydrogen evolution reactions on cubic molybdenum carbide (MoC) in order to investigate the viability of using this material as an electro-catalyst for ammonia synthesis. Free energy diagrams for associative and dissociative Heyrovsky mechanisms showed that nitrogen reduction on cubic MoC(111) can proceed via an associative mechanism and that small negative potentials of -0.3 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode can onset the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia. Kinetic volcano plots for hydrogen evolution showed that the MoC[110] surface is expected to have a high rate formore » the hydrogen evolution reaction, which could compete with the reduction of nitrogen on cubic MoC. The comparison between the adsorption energies of H-adatoms and N-adatoms also shows that at low potentials adsorption of hydrogen atoms competes with nitrogen adsorption on all the MoC surfaces except the MoC(111) surface. Finally, the hydrogen evolution and accumulation of H-adatoms can be mitigated by introducing carbon vacancies i.e. increasing the ratio of metal to carbon atoms, which will significantly increase the affinity of the catalytic surface for both nitrogen molecules and N-adatoms.« less

Role of protein surface charge in monellin sweetness.

PubMed

Xue, Wei-Feng; Szczepankiewicz, Olga; Thulin, Eva; Linse, Sara; Carey, Jannette

2009-03-01

A small number of proteins have the unusual property of tasting intensely sweet. Despite many studies aimed at identifying their sweet taste determinants, the molecular basis of protein sweetness is not fully understood. Recent mutational studies of monellin have implicated positively charged residues in sweetness. In the present work, the effect of overall net charge was investigated using the complementary approach of negative charge alterations. Multiple substitutions of Asp/Asn and Glu/Gln residues radically altered the surface charge of single-chain monellin by removing six negative charges or adding four negative charges. Biophysical characterization using circular dichroism, fluorescence, and two-dimensional NMR demonstrates that the native fold of monellin is preserved in the variant proteins under physiological solution conditions although their stability toward chemical denaturation is altered. A human taste test was employed to determine the sweetness detection threshold of the variants. Removal of negative charges preserves monellin sweetness, whereas added negative charge has a large negative impact on sweetness. Meta-analysis of published charge variants of monellin and other sweet proteins reveals a general trend toward increasing sweetness with increasing positive net charge. Structural mapping of monellin variants identifies a hydrophobic surface predicted to face the receptor where introduced positive or negative charge reduces sweetness, and a polar surface where charges modulate long-range electrostatic complementarity.

Characterization and cell behavior of titanium surfaces with PLL/DNA modification via a layer-by-layer technique.

PubMed

Gao, Wenli; Feng, Bo; Lu, Xiong; Wang, Jianxin; Qu, Shuxin; Weng, Jie

2012-08-01

This study describes the fabrication of two types of multilayered films onto titanium by layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly, using poly-L-lysine (PLL) as the cationic polyelectrolyte and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the anionic polyelectrolyte. The assembling process of each component was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and quartz crystal balance (QCM). Zeta potential of the LBL-coated microparticles was measured by dynamic light scattering. Titanium substrates with or without multilayered films were used in osteoblast cell culture experiments to study cell proliferation, viability, differentiation, and morphology. Results of AFM and QCM indicated the progressive build-up of the multilayered coatings. The surface morphology of three types of multilayered films showed elevations in the nanoscale range. The data of zeta potential showed that the surface terminated with PLL displayed positive charge while the surface terminated with DNA displayed negative charge. The proliferation of osteoblasts on modified titanium films was found to be greater than that on control (p < 0.05) after 3 and 7 days culture, respectively. Alamar blue measurement showed that the PLL/DNA-modified films have higher cell viability (p < 0.05) than the control. Still, the alkaline phosphatase activity assay revealed a better differentiated phenotype on three types of multilayered surfaces compared to noncoated controls. Collectively our results suggest that PLL/DNA were successfully used to surface engineer titanium via LBL technique, and enhanced its cell biocompatibility. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Regional scale estimates of baseflow and factors influencing baseflow in the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rumsey, Christine; Miller, Matthew P.; Susong, David D.; Tillman, Fred D.; Anning, David W.

2015-01-01

Results suggest that approximately half of the streamflow in the UCRB is baseflow derived from groundwater discharge to streams. Higher baseflow yields typically occur in upper elevation areas of the UCRB. PCA identified precipitation, snow, sand content of soils, elevation, land surface slope, percent grasslands, and percent natural barren lands as being positively correlated with baseflow yield; whereas temperature, potential evapotranspiration, silt and clay content of soils, percent agriculture, and percent shrublands were negatively correlated with baseflow yield.

Antiandrogenic steroidal sulfonyl heterocycles. Utility of electrostatic complementarity in defining bioisosteric sulfonyl heterocycles.

PubMed

Mallamo, J P; Pilling, G M; Wetzel, J R; Kowalczyk, P J; Bell, M R; Kullnig, R K; Batzold, F H; Juniewicz, P E; Winneker, R C; Luss, H R

1992-05-15

Complementarity of electrostatic potential surface maps was utilized in defining bioisosteric steroidal androgen receptor antagonists. Semiempirical and ab initio level calculations performed on a series of methanesulfonyl heterocycles indicated the requirement for a partial negative charge at the heteroatom attached to C-3 of the steroid nucleus to attain androgen receptor affinity. Synthesis and testing of six heterocycle A-ring-fused dihydroethisterone derivatives support this hypothesis, and we have identified two new androgen receptor antagonists of this class.

Polythiophene biosensor for rapid detection of microbial particles in water.

PubMed

Plante, Marie-Pier; Bérubé, Eve; Bissonnette, Luc; Bergeron, Michel G; Leclerc, Mario

2013-06-12

Most microbial particles have a negatively charged surface and in this work, we describe a water quality monitoring application of a cationic polythiophene derivative (AH-35) for the rapid assessment of microbial contamination of water. Using E. coli as a prototype microbial particle, we demonstrate that the AH-35 polymer can provide a qualitative assessment of water if exposed to more than 500 CFU/mL, thereby paving the way to a new family of biosensors potentially useful for monitoring drinking water distribution systems.

The complete general secretory pathway in gram-negative bacteria.

PubMed Central

Pugsley, A P

1993-01-01

The unifying feature of all proteins that are transported out of the cytoplasm of gram-negative bacteria by the general secretory pathway (GSP) is the presence of a long stretch of predominantly hydrophobic amino acids, the signal sequence. The interaction between signal sequence-bearing proteins and the cytoplasmic membrane may be a spontaneous event driven by the electrochemical energy potential across the cytoplasmic membrane, leading to membrane integration. The translocation of large, hydrophilic polypeptide segments to the periplasmic side of this membrane almost always requires at least six different proteins encoded by the sec genes and is dependent on both ATP hydrolysis and the electrochemical energy potential. Signal peptidases process precursors with a single, amino-terminal signal sequence, allowing them to be released into the periplasm, where they may remain or whence they may be inserted into the outer membrane. Selected proteins may also be transported across this membrane for assembly into cell surface appendages or for release into the extracellular medium. Many bacteria secrete a variety of structurally different proteins by a common pathway, referred to here as the main terminal branch of the GSP. This recently discovered branch pathway comprises at least 14 gene products. Other, simpler terminal branches of the GSP are also used by gram-negative bacteria to secrete a more limited range of extracellular proteins. PMID:8096622

The electrostatic characteristics of G·U wobble base pairs

PubMed Central

Xu, Darui; Landon, Theresa; Greenbaum, Nancy L.; Fenley, Marcia O.

2007-01-01

G·U wobble base pairs are the most common and highly conserved non-Watson–Crick base pairs in RNA. Previous surface maps imply uniformly negative electrostatic potential at the major groove of G·U wobble base pairs embedded in RNA helices, suitable for entrapment of cationic ligands. In this work, we have used a Poisson–Boltzmann approach to gain a more detailed and accurate characterization of the electrostatic profile. We found that the major groove edge of an isolated G·U wobble displays distinctly enhanced negativity compared with standard GC or AU base pairs; however, in the context of different helical motifs, the electrostatic pattern varies. G·U wobbles with distinct widening have similar major groove electrostatic potentials to their canonical counterparts, whereas those with minimal widening exhibit significantly enhanced electronegativity, ranging from 0.8 to 2.5 kT/e, depending upon structural features. We propose that the negativity at the major groove of G·U wobble base pairs is determined by the combined effect of the base atoms and the sugar-phosphate backbone, which is impacted by stacking pattern and groove width as a result of base sequence. These findings are significant in that they provide predictive power with respect to which G·U sites in RNA are most likely to bind cationic ligands. PMID:17526525

Anticipated Electrical Environment Within Permanently Shadowed Lunar Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, W. M.; Stubbs, T. J.; Halekas, J. S.; Killen, R. M.; Delory, G. T.; Collier, M. R.; Vondrak, R. R.

2010-01-01

Shadowed locations ncar the lunar poles arc almost certainly electrically complex regions. At these locations near the terminator, the local solar wind flows nearly tangential to the surface and interacts with large-scale topographic features such as mountains and deep large craters, In this work, we study the solar wind orographic effects from topographic obstructions along a rough lunar surface, On the leeward side of large obstructions, plasma voids are formed in the solar wind because of the absorption of plasma on the upstream surface of these obstacles, Solar wind plasma expands into such voids) producing an ambipolar potential that diverts ion flow into the void region. A surface potential is established on these leeward surfaces in order to balance the currents from the expansion-limited electron and ion populations, Wc find that there arc regions ncar the leeward wall of the craters and leeward mountain faces where solar wind ions cannot access the surface, leaving an electron-rich plasma previously identified as an "electron cloud." In this case, some new current is required to complete the closure for current balance at the surface, and we propose herein that lofted negatively charged dust is one possible (nonunique) compensating current source. Given models for both ambipolar and surface plasma processes, we consider the electrical environment around the large topographic features of the south pole (including Shoemaker crater and the highly varied terrain near Nobile crater), as derived from Goldstone radar data, We also apply our model to moving and stationary objects of differing compositions located on the surface and consider the impact of the deflected ion flow on possible hydrogen resources within the craters

Flatland Photonics: Circumventing Diffraction with Planar Plasmonic Architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dionne, Jennifer Anne

On subwavelength scales, photon-matter interactions are limited by diffraction. The diffraction limit restricts the size of optical devices and the resolution of conventional microscopes to wavelength-scale dimensions, severely hampering our ability to control and probe subwavelength-scale optical phenomena. Circumventing diffraction is now a principle focus of integrated nanophotonics. Surface plasmons provide a particularly promising approach to sub-diffraction-limited photonics. Surface plasmons are hybrid electron-photon modes confined to the interface between conductors and transparent materials. Combining the high localization of electronic waves with the propagation properties of optical waves, plasmons can achieve extremely small mode wavelengths and large local electromagnetic field intensities. Through their unique dispersion, surface plasmons provide access to an enormous phase space of refractive indices and propagation constants that can be readily tuned with material or geometry. In this thesis, we explore both the theory and applications of dispersion in planar plasmonic architectures. Particular attention is given to the modes of metallic core and plasmon slot waveguides, which can span positive, near-zero, and even negative indices. We demonstrate how such basic plasmonic geometries can be used to develop a suite of passive and active plasmonic components, including subwavelength waveguides, color filters, negative index metamaterials, and optical MOS field effect modulators. Positive index modes are probed by near- and far-field techniques, revealing plasmon wavelengths as small as one-tenth of the excitation wavelength. Negative index modes are characterized through direct visualization of negative refraction. By fabricating prisms comprised of gold, silicon nitride, and silver multilayers, we achieve the first experimental demonstration of a negative index material at visible frequencies, with potential applications for sub-diffraction-limited microscopy and electromagnetic cloaking. We exploit this tunability of complex plasmon mode indices to create a compact metal-oxide-Si (MOS) field effect plasmonic modulator (or plasMOStor). By transforming the MOS gate oxide into an optical channel, amplitude modulation depths of 11.2 dB are achieved in device volumes as small as one one-fifth of a cubic wavelength. Our results indicate the accessibility of tunable refractive indices over a wide frequency band, facilitating design of a new materials class with extraordinary optical properties and applications.

Large divalent cations and electrostatic potentials adjacent to membranes. Experimental results with hexamethonium.

PubMed Central

Alvarez, O; Brodwick, M; Latorre, R; McLaughlin, A; McLaughlin, S; Szabo, G

1983-01-01

A simple extension of the Gouy-Chapman theory predicts that the ability of a divalent cation to screen charges at a membrane-solution interface decreases significantly if the distance between the charges on the cation is comparable with the Debye length. We tested this prediction by investigating the effect of hexamethonium on the electrostatic potential adjacent to negatively charged phospholipid bilayer membranes. The distance between the two charges of an extended hexamethonium molecule is approximately 1 nm, which is the Debye length in the 0.1 M monovalent salt solutions used in these experiments. Six different experimental approaches were utilized. We measured the electrophoretic mobility of multilamellar vesicles to determine the zeta potential, the line width of the 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal from sonicated vesicles to calculate the change in potential at the phosphodiester moiety of the lipid, and the conductance of planar bilayer membranes exposed to either carriers (nonactin) or pore formers (gramicidin) to estimate the change in potential within the membrane. We also measured directly the effect of hexamethonium on the potential above a monolayer formed from negative lipids, and attempted to calculate the change in the surface potential of a bilayer membrane from capacitance measurements. With the exception of the capacitance calculations, each of the techniques gave comparable results: hexamethonium exerts a smaller effect on the potential than that predicted by the classic screening theory. The results are consistent with the predictions of the extended Gouy-Chapman theory and are relevant to the interpretation of physiological and pharmacological experiments that utilize hexamethonium and other large divalent cations. PMID:6198001

DFT study of adsorption of picric acid molecule on the surface of single-walled ZnO nanotube; as potential new chemical sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farmanzadeh, Davood; Tabari, Leila

2015-01-01

Using density functional theory (DFT), we have investigated the adsorption of picric acid (PA) molecule on the surface of (8,0) single-walled ZnO nanotube (ZnONT). The results show that the PA molecule can be chemisorbed on the surface of ZnONT with adsorption energies of -82.01 and -75.26 kJ/mol in gas and aqueous phase, respectively. Frontier molecular orbital analysis show that HOMO/LUMO gap of ZnONT reduces from 1.66 and 1.75 eV in the pristine nanotube to 0.83 and 0.72 eV in PA-adsorbed form in gas and aqueous phase, respectively. It suggests that the process can affect the electronic properties of the studied nanotube which would lead to its conductance change upon the adsorption of PA molecule. The modifying effect on the electrical conductance of ZnONT underlies the working mechanism of gas sensors for detecting the PA molecules. Analyses of the adsorption behavior of the electrically charged ZnONT toward PA molecule in the gas phase show that the PA molecule can be strongly adsorbed on the negatively charged ZnONT surface with significant adsorption energy (-135.1 kJ/mol). However, from the HOMO/LUMO gap changes, it can be concluded that the positive ZnONT might sensitively detect the PA molecule in comparison to the negative tube. These results can provide helpful information for experimental investigation to develop novel nanotube-based sensors.

Influence of Epicuticular Physicochemical Properties on Porcine Rotavirus Adsorption to 24 Leafy Green Vegetables and Tomatoes

PubMed Central

Palma-Salgado, Sindy Paola; Storm, Andrew Page; Feng, Hao; Juvik, John A.; Nguyen, Thanh H.

2015-01-01

Foodborne diseases are a persistent problem in the United States and worldwide. Fresh produce, especially those used as raw foods like salad vegetables, can be contaminated, causing illness. In this study, we determined the number of rotaviruses adsorbed on produce surfaces using group A porcine rotaviruses and 24 cultivars of leafy vegetables and tomato fruits. We also characterized the physicochemical properties of each produce’s outermost surface layer, known as the epicuticle. The number of rotaviruses found on produce surfaces varied among cultivars. Three-dimensional crystalline wax structures on the epicuticular surfaces were found to significantly contribute to the inhibition of viral adsorption to the produce surfaces (p = 0.01). We found significant negative correlations between the number of rotaviruses adsorbed on the epicuticular surfaces and the concentrations of alkanes, fatty acids, and total waxes on the epicuticular surfaces. Partial least square model fitting results suggest that alkanes, ketones, fatty acids, alcohols, contact angle and surface roughness together can explain 60% of the variation in viral adsorption. The results suggest that various fresh produce surface properties need to be collectively considered for efficient sanitation treatments. Up to 10.8% of the originally applied rotaviruses were found on the produce surfaces after three washing treatments, suggesting a potential public health concern regarding rotavirus contamination. PMID:26181904

Effects of Applied Potential and Water Intercalation on the Surface Chemistry of Ti 2C and Mo 2C MXenes

DOE PAGES

Fredrickson, Kurt D.; Anasori, Babak; Seh, Zhi Wei; ...

2016-12-09

Here, two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, also known as MXenes, represent an attractive class of materials for a multitude of electrochemical and other applications. While single sheets of MXenes have been widely studied theoretically, there have been much fewer studies on layered bulk MXenes, which are more representative of multi- or few-layer MXenes used in actual applications. Herein, we investigate the structural and electronic effects of water intercalation, multiple functional groups and applied potential on layered bulk Ti 2C and Mo 2C MXenes using density functional theory. The out-of plane lattice parameter, c, was found to vary significantly withmore » the functional group, and is greatly increased upon intercalation of water. Experimental results confirm the change in lattice constant due to addition or removal of intercalated water. Under zero applied potential, both Ti 2C and Mo 2C were found to be functionalized by one monolayer of O; bare MXenes were never found to be stable, regardless of the applied potential. Applying a potential changed the adsorbate coverage, changing the systems from O covered to H covered at negative potentials and, in some cases, giving rise to a metal–insulator transition. Understanding of the effects of surface functionalization and water intercalation of MXenes provides a better insight of their use for catalytic and electronic applications.« less

Characterization of Chlorhexidine-Loaded Calcium-Hydroxide Microparticles as a Potential Dental Pulp-Capping Material.

PubMed

Priyadarshini, Balasankar M; Selvan, Subramanian T; Narayanan, Karthikeyan; Fawzy, Amr S

2017-06-22

This study explores the delivery of novel calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)₂] microparticles loaded with chlorhexidine (CHX) for potential dental therapeutic and preventive applications. Herein, we introduce a new approach for drug-delivery to deep dentin-surfaces in the form of drug-loaded microparticles. Unloaded Ca(OH)₂ [Ca(OH)₂/Blank] and CHX-loaded/Ca(OH)₂ microparticles were fabricated by aqueous chemical-precipitation technique. The synthesized-microparticles were characterized in vitro for determination of surface-morphology, crystalline-features and thermal-properties examined by energy-dispersive X-ray scanning and transmission electron-microscopy (EDX-SEM/TEM), Fourier-transform infrared-spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning-calorimetry (DSC). Time-related pH changes, initial antibacterial/biofilm-abilities and cytotoxicity of CHX-loaded/Ca(OH)₂ microparticles were evaluated. Microparticles were delivered to dentin-surfaces with subsequent SEM examination of treated dentin-substrates. The in vitro and ex vivo CHX-release profiles were characterized. Ca(OH)₂/Blank were hexagonal-shaped with highest z -average diameter whereas CHX-inclusion evidenced micro-metric spheres with distinguishable surface "rounded deposits" and a negative-shift in diameter. CHX:Ca(OH)₂/50 mg exhibited maximum encapsulation-efficiency with good antibacterial and cytocompatible properties. SEM examination revealed an intact layer of microparticles on exposed dentin-surfaces with retention of spherical shape and smooth texture. Microparticles loaded on dentin-surfaces showed prolonged release of CHX indicating substantial retention on dentin-substrates. This study validated the inherent-applicability of this novel drug-delivery approach to dentin-surfaces using micro-metric CHX-loaded/Ca(OH)₂ microparticles.

STM investigations of Au(1 1 1) electrodes coated with vitamin B 12 derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szőcs, E.; Durrer, L.; Luginbühl, R.; Simic, N.; Viana, A. S.; Abrantes, L. M.; Keese, R.; Siegenthaler, H.

2006-01-01

Vitamin B 12 derivatives immobilized at flame-annealed Au(1 1 1) electrode surfaces have been investigated in close correlation with their structural properties and spatial arrangement at the electrode substrate by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in air and in aqueous 0.1 M NaClO 4 solution. The investigated compounds were symmetrical (B 12C 10S-SC 10B 12) and nonsymmetrical (B 12C 10S-SC 10) dialkyl disulfide derivatives of vitamin B 12, attached to the electrode surfaces by the S-Au bond. The ex situ and in situ STM experiments show the formation of a surface layer, whose packing density and structure is presumably controlled by the spatial arrangement of the large cobyrinate head groups. In presence of the symmetrical B 12 compound, a disordered surface layer is observed. Voltammetric investigations show that, in 0.1 M NaClO 4, this layer becomes unstable at potentials approximately ⩽ -1000 mV vs. MSE and is almost completely removed at more negative potentials. The STM imaging properties of the nonsymmetrical B 12 surface layer show a significant dependence on the tunneling distance. In particular, at small tunneling distances, a highly regular hexagonal surface pattern is observed that suggests strongly the presence of an ordered surface assembly. Modeling of the B 12 head group has been performed to provide information for a structure-related interpretation of the high-resolution STM images. The investigations are first STM results obtained at such B 12 modified electrodes.

Influence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic hepatitis C outcomes

PubMed Central

Fernandez-Rodriguez, Conrado M; Gutierrez, Maria Luisa; Lledó, José Luis; Casas, Maria Luisa

2011-01-01

Persistence of hepatitis B virus-DNA in the sera, peripheral blood mononuclear cells or in the liver of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients with or without serological markers of previous exposure (antibodies to HBsAg and/or to HB-core antigen) defines the entity called occult hepatitis B infection (OBI). Co-infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses is frequent in highly endemic areas. While this co-infection increases the risk of liver disease progression, development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and also increases the rate of therapeutic failure to interferon-based treatments than either virus alone, a potentially negative effect of OBI on clinical outcomes and of therapeutic response to current antiviral regimes of patients with chronic hepatitis C remains inconclusive. PMID:21472121

Plasmonic Nanoholes in a Multi-Channel Microarray Format for Parallel Kinetic Assays and Differential Sensing

PubMed Central

Im, Hyungsoon; Lesuffleur, Antoine; Lindquist, Nathan C.; Oh, Sang-Hyun

2009-01-01

We present nanohole arrays in a gold film integrated with a 6-channel microfluidic chip for parallel measurements of molecular binding kinetics. Surface plasmon resonance effects in the nanohole arrays enable real-time label-free measurements of molecular binding events in each channel, while adjacent negative reference channels can record measurement artifacts such as bulk solution index changes, temperature variations, or changing light absorption in the liquid. Using this platform, streptavidin-biotin specific binding kinetics are measured at various concentrations with negative controls. A high-density microarray of 252 biosensing pixels is also demonstrated with a packing density of 106 sensing elements/cm2, which can potentially be coupled with a massively parallel array of microfluidic channels for protein microarray applications. PMID:19284776

Electrocatalytic oxidation of dopamine based on non-covalent functionalization of manganese tetraphenylporphyrin/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite.

PubMed

Sakthinathan, Subramanian; Lee, Hsin Fang; Chen, Shen-Ming; Tamizhdurai, P

2016-04-15

In the present work, a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) supported manganese tetraphenylporphyrin (Mn-TPP) nanocomposite was electrochemically synthesized and used for the highly selective and sensitive detection of dopamine (DA). The nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis were confirmed the successful formation of RGO/Mn-TPP nanocomposite. The prepared RGO/Mn-TPP nanocomposite modified electrode exhibited an enhanced electrochemical response to DA with less oxidation potential and enhanced response current. The electrochemical studies revealed that the oxidation of the DA at the composite electrode is a surface controlled process. The cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry methods were enable to detect DA. The working linear range of the electrode was observed from 0.3 to 188.8 μM, limit of detection was 8 nM and the sensitivity was 2.606 μA μM(-1) cm(-2). Here, the positively charged DA and negatively charged porphyrin modified RGO can accelerate the electrocatalysis of DA via electrostatic attraction, while the negatively charged ascorbic acid (AA) repulsed by the negatively charged electrode surface which supported for good selectivity. The good recovery results obtained for the determination of DA present in DA injection samples and human pathological sample further revealed the good practicality of RGO/Mn-TPP nanocomposite film modified electrode. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High flux and antifouling properties of negatively charged membrane for dyeing wastewater treatment by membrane distillation.

PubMed

An, Alicia Kyoungjin; Guo, Jiaxin; Jeong, Sanghyun; Lee, Eui-Jong; Tabatabai, S Assiyeh Alizadeh; Leiknes, TorOve

2016-10-15

This study investigated the applicability of membrane distillation (MD) to treat dyeing wastewater discharged by the textile industry. Four different dyes containing methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV), acid red 18 (AR18), and acid yellow 36 (AY36) were tested. Two types of hydrophobic membranes made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were used. The membranes were characterized by testing against each dye (foulant-foulant) and the membrane-dye (membrane-foulant) interfacial interactions and their mechanisms were identified. The MD membranes possessed negative charges, which facilitated the treatment of acid and azo dyes of the same charge and showed higher fluxes. In addition, PTFE membrane reduced the wettability with higher hydrophobicity of the membrane surface. The PTFE membrane evidenced especially its resistant to dye absorption, as its strong negative charge and chemical structure caused a flake-like (loose) dye-dye structure to form on the membrane surface rather than in the membrane pores. This also enabled the recovery of flux and membrane properties by water flushing (WF), thereby direct-contact MD with PTFE membrane treating 100 mg/L of dye mixtures showed stable flux and superior color removal during five days operation. Thus, MD shows a potential for stable long-term operation in conjunction with a simple membrane cleaning process, and its suitability in dyeing wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The behaviour of entrainment defects formed in commercial purity Mg alloy cast under a cover gas of SF6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, T.; Griffiths, W. D.

2016-03-01

In the casting of light alloys, the oxidised film on the melt surface can be folded due to surface turbulence, thus forming entrainment defects that have a significant negative effect on the mechanical properties of castings. Previous researchers reported that the surface film of Mg alloys formed in an atmosphere containing SF6 had a complicated structure composed of MgO and MgF2. The work reported here aims to investigate the behaviour of entrainment defects formed in magnesium alloys protected by SF6-containing atmospheres. Tensile test bars of commercial purity Mg were cast in an unsealed environment under a cover gas of pure SF6. 34Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fracture surface of the test bars indicated entrainment defects that consisted of symmetrical films containing MgO, but also sulphur and fluorine. The results of these examinations of the symmetrical films were used to infer the potential formation and development of entrainment defects in commercial purity Mg alloy.

Quantum oscillations and nodal pockets from Fermi surface reconstruction in the underdoped cuprates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Neil

2012-02-01

Fermiology in the underdoped high Tc cuprates presents us with unique challenges, requiring experimentalists to look deeper into the data than is normally required for clues. Recent measurements of an oscillatory chemical potential affecting the oscillations at high magnetic fields provide a strong indication of a single type of carrier pocket. When considered in conjunction with photoemission and specific heat measurements, a Fermi surface comprised almost entirely of nodal pockets is suggested. The mystery of the Fermi surface is deepened, however, by a near doping-independent Fermi surface cross-sectional area and negative Hall and Seebeck coefficients. We explore ways in which these findings can be reconciled, taking an important hint from the diverging effective mass yielded by quantum oscillations at low dopings. The author wishes to thank Suchitra Sebastian, Moaz Atarawneh, Doug Bonn, Walter Hardy, Ruixing Liang, Charles Mielke and Gilbert Lonzarich who have contributed to this work. The work is supported by the NSF through the NHMFL and by the DOE project ``Science at 100 tesla.''

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

Wu, Chunya; Skelton, Adam A.; Chen, Mingjun

Here the binding of a negatively charged residue, aspartic acid (Asp) in tripeptide arginine-glycine-aspartic acid, onto a negatively charged hydroxylated rutile (110) surface in aqueous solution, containing divalent (Mg 2+, Ca 2+, or Sr 2+) or monovalent (Na +, K +, or Rb +) cations, was studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results indicate that ionic radii and charges will significantly affect the hydration, adsorption geometry, and distance of cations from the rutile surface, thereby regulating the Asp/rutile binding mode. The adsorption strength of monovalent cations on the rutile surface in the order Na + > K + >more » Rb + shows a “reverse” lyotropic trend, while the divalent cations on the same surface exhibit a “regular” lyotropic behavior with decreasing crystallographic radii (the adsorption strength of divalent cations: Sr 2+ > Ca 2+ > Mg 2+). The Asp side chain in NaCl, KCl, and RbCl solutions remains stably H-bonded to the surface hydroxyls and the inner-sphere adsorbed compensating monovalent cations act as a bridge between the COO – group and the rutile, helping to “trap” the negatively charged Asp side chain on the negatively charged surface. In contrast, the mediating divalent cations actively participate in linking the COO– group to the rutile surface; thus the Asp side chain can remain stably on the rutile (110) surface, even if it is not involved in any hydrogen bonds with the surface hydroxyls. Inner- and outer-sphere geometries are all possible mediation modes for divalent cations in bridging the peptide to the rutile surface.« less

Cellular generators of the cortical auditory evoked potential initial component.

PubMed

Steinschneider, M; Tenke, C E; Schroeder, C E; Javitt, D C; Simpson, G V; Arezzo, J C; Vaughan, H G

1992-01-01

Cellular generators of the initial cortical auditory evoked potential (AEP) component were determined by analyzing laminar profiles of click-evoked AEPs, current source density, and multiple unit activity (MUA) in primary auditory cortex of awake monkeys. The initial AEP component is a surface-negative wave, N8, that peaks at 8-9 msec and inverts in polarity below lamina 4. N8 is generated by a lamina 4 current sink and a deeper current source. Simultaneous MUA is present from lower lamina 3 to the subjacent white matter. Findings indicate that thalamocortical afferents are a generator of N8 and support a role for lamina 4 stellate cells. Relationships to the human AEP are discussed.

Interaction between dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide-modified PLGA microspheres and hyaluronic acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulia, Kamarza; Devi, Krisanti, Elsa

2017-02-01

In application of intravitreal injection, an extended drug delivery system is desired so that the frequency of injection to treat diabetic retinopathy may be reduced. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) polymer (PLGA) was used to encapsulate a model drug in the form of microspheres. The zeta potential of dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB)-modified PLGA microspheres in water was proportional to the DDAB concentration used in the preparation step, up to +57.8 mV. The scanning electron microscope pictures and the zeta potential data (SEM) confirmed that the surface of the PLGA has been modified by the cationic surfactant and that electrostatic interaction between the positively charged microspheres and the negatively charged vitreous were present.

[Study on electrochemical mechanism of coronary stent used austenitic stainless steel in flowing artificial body fluid].

PubMed

Liang, Chenghao; Guo, Liang; Chen, Wan; Wang, Hua

2005-08-01

The electrochemical mechanism of austenitic stainless steel (SUS316L and SUS317L) coronary stents in flowing artificial body fluid has been investigated with electrochemical technologies. The results indicated that the flowing medium coursed the samples' pitting potential Eb shift negatively, increased the pitting corrosion sensitivity, accelerated its anodic dissolution, but had little effects on repassivated potential. The flowing environment had great effects on cathodic process. The oxygen reaction on the samples' surface became faster as the cathodic process was not controlled by oxygen diffusion but by mixed diffusion and electrochemical process. With the increase of velocity of solution, the pitting corrosion becomes liable to occur under this circumstance.

Experiments in charge control at geosynchronous orbit - ATS-5 and ATS-6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, R. C.

1985-01-01

In connection with existing theoretical concepts, it was difficult to explain the negative potentials found in sunlight, first on Applied Technology Satellite-5 (ATS-5) and then on ATS-6. The problem became important when an association between spacecraft charging and anomalies in spacecraft behavior was observed. A study of daylight charging phenomena on ATS-6 was conducted, and an investigation was performed with the objective to determine effective methods of charge control, taking into account the feasibility to utilize the ATS-5 and ATS-6 ion engines as current sources. In the present paper, data and analysis for the ion engine experiments on ATS-5 and ATS-6 are presented. It is shown that electron emission from a satellite with insulating surfaces is not an effective method of charge control because the increase in differential charging which results limits the effectiveness of electron emitters and increases the possibility of electrostatic discharges between surfaces at different potentials.

Dissociation coefficients of protein adsorption to nanoparticles as quantitative metrics for description of the protein corona: A comparison of experimental techniques and methodological relevance.

PubMed

Hühn, Jonas; Fedeli, Chiara; Zhang, Qian; Masood, Atif; Del Pino, Pablo; Khashab, Niveen M; Papini, Emanuele; Parak, Wolfgang J

2016-06-01

Protein adsorption to nanoparticles is described as a chemical reaction in which proteins attach to binding sites on the nanoparticle surface. This process is defined by a dissociation coefficient, which tells how many proteins are adsorbed per nanoparticle in dependence of the protein concentration. Different techniques to experimentally determine dissociation coefficients of protein adsorption to nanoparticles are reviewed. Results of more than 130 experiments in which dissociation coefficients have been determined are compared. Data show that different methods, nanoparticle systems, and proteins can lead to significantly different dissociation coefficients. However, we observed a clear tendency of smaller dissociation coefficients upon less negative towards more positive zeta potentials of the nanoparticles. The zeta potential thus is a key parameter influencing protein adsorption to the surface of nanoparticles. Our analysis highlights the importance of the characterization of the parameters governing protein-nanoparticle interaction for quantitative evaluation and objective literature comparison. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wedge disclination dipole in an embedded nanowire within the surface/interface elasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shodja, Hossein M.; Rezazadeh-Kalehbasti, Shaghayegh; Gutkin, Mikhail Yu

2013-12-01

The elastic behavior of an arbitrary oriented wedge disclination dipole located inside a nanowire, which in turn is embedded in an infinite matrix, is studied within the surface/interface theory of elasticity. The corresponding boundary value problem is provided using complex potential functions. The potential functions are defined through modeling the wedge disclination in terms of an equivalent distribution of edge dislocations. The interface effects on the stress field and strain energy of the disclination dipole and image forces acting on it, the influence of relative shear moduli of the nanowire and the matrix, as well as the different characteristics of the interface are studied thoroughly. It is shown that the positive interface modulus leads to increased strain energy and extra repulsive forces on the disclination dipole. The noticeable effect of the negative interface modulus is the non-classical oscillations in the stress field of the disclination dipole and an extra attractive image force on it.

Mechanical assessment of grit blasting surface treatments of dental implants.

PubMed

Shemtov-Yona, K; Rittel, D; Dorogoy, A

2014-11-01

This paper investigates the influence of surface preparation treatments of dental implants on their potential (mechanical) fatigue failure, with emphasis on grit-blasting. The investigation includes limited fatigue testing of implants, showing the relationship between fatigue life and surface damage condition. Those observations are corroborated by a detailed failure analysis of retrieved fracture dental implants. In both cases, the negative effect of embedded alumina particles related to the grit-blasting process is identified. The study also comprises a numerical simulation part of the grit blasting process that reveals, for a given implant material and particle size, the existence of a velocity threshold, below which the rough surface is obtained without damage, and beyond which the creation of significant surface damage will severely reduce the fatigue life, thus increasing fracture probability. The main outcome of this work is that the overall performance of dental implants comprises, in addition to the biological considerations, mechanical reliability aspects. Fatigue fracture is a central issue, and this study shows that uncontrolled surface roughening grit-blasting treatments can induce significant surface damage which accelerate fatigue fracture under certain conditions, even if those treatments are beneficial to the osseointegration process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying tips for intramolecular NC-AFM imaging via in situ fingerprinting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sang, Hongqian; Jarvis, Samuel P.; Zhou, Zhichao; Sharp, Peter; Moriarty, Philip; Wang, Jianbo; Wang, Yu; Kantorovich, Lev

2014-10-01

A practical experimental strategy is proposed that could potentially enable greater control of the tip apex in non-contact atomic force microscopy experiments. It is based on a preparation of a structure of interest alongside a reference surface reconstruction on the same sample. Our proposed strategy is as follows. Spectroscopy measurements are first performed on the reference surface to identify the tip apex structure using a previously collected database of responses of different tips to this surface. Next, immediately following the tip identification protocol, the surface of interest is studied (imaging, manipulation and/or spectroscopy). The prototype system we choose is the mixed Si(111)-7×7 and surface which can be prepared on the same sample with a controlled ratio of reactive and passivated regions. Using an ``in silico'' approach based on ab initio density functional calculations and a set of tips with varying chemical reactivities, we show how one can perform tip fingerprinting using the Si(111)-7×7 reference surface. Then it is found by examining the imaging of a naphthalene tetracarboxylic diimide (NTCDI) molecule adsorbed on surface that negatively charged tips produce the best intramolecular contrast attributed to the enhancement of repulsive interactions.

Controlled Contamination of Epoxy Composites with PDMS and Removal by Laser Ablation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmieri, Frank; Ledesma, Rodolfo; Cataldo, Daniel; Lin, Yi; Wohl, Christopher; Gupta, Mool; Connell, John

2016-01-01

Surface preparation is critical to the performance of adhesively bonded composites. During manufacturing, minute quantities of mold release compounds are inevitably deposited on faying surfaces and may compromise bond performance. To ensure safety, mechanical fasteners and other crack arrest features must be installed in the bondlines of primary structures, which negates some advantages of adhesively bonded construction. Laser ablation is an automated, repeatable, and scalable process with high potential for the surface preparation of metals and composites in critical applications such as primary airframe structures. In this study, laser ablation is evaluated on composite surfaces for the removal of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a common mold release material. Composite panels were contaminated uniformly with PDMS film thicknesses as low as 6.0 nm as measured by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. Bond performance was assessed by mechanical testing using a 250 F cure, epoxy adhesive and compared with pre-bond surface inspection results. Water contact angle, optically stimulated electron emission, and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy were used to characterize contaminated and laser ablated surfaces. The failure mode obtained from double cantilever beam tests correlated well with surface characterization data. The test results indicated that even low levels of PDMS were not completely removed by laser ablation.

Hazardous particle binder, coagulant and re-aerosolization inhibitor

DOEpatents

Krauter, Paula [Livermore, CA; Zalk, David [San Jose, CA; Hoffman, D Mark [Livermore, CA

2011-04-12

A copolymer and water/ethanol solvent solution capable of binding with airborne contaminants or potential airborne contaminants, such as biological weapon agents or toxic particulates, coagulating as the solvent evaporates, and adhering the contaminants to a surface so as to inhibit the re-suspension of such contaminants. The solution uses a water or ethanol/water mixture for the solvent, and a copolymer having one of several functional group sets so as to have physical and chemical characteristics of high adhesion, low viscosity, low surface tension, negative electrostatic charge, substantially neutral pH, and a low pKa. Use of the copolymer solution prevents re-aerosolization and transport of unwanted, reactive species thus increasing health and safety for personnel charged with decontamination of contaminated buildings and areas.

Hazardous particle binder, coagulant and re-aerosolization inhibitor

DOEpatents

Krauter, Paula; Zalk, David; Hoffman, D. Mark

2012-07-10

A copolymer and water/ethanol solvent solution capable of binding with airborne contaminants or potential airborne contaminants, such as biological weapon agents or toxic particulates, coagulating as the solvent evaporates, and adhering the contaminants to a surface so as to inhibit the re-suspension of such contaminants. The solution uses a water or ethanol/water mixture for the solvent, and a copolymer having one of several functional group sets so as to have physical and chemical characteristics of high adhesion, low viscosity, low surface tension, negative electrostatic charge, substantially neutral pH, and a low pKa. Use of the copolymer solution prevents re-aerosolization and transport of unwanted, reactive species thus increasing health and safety for personnel charged with decontamination of contaminated buildings and areas.

Dissolution of Pt during Oxygen Reduction Reaction Produces Pt Nanoparticles

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

Bae, Je Hyun; Brocenschi, Ricardo F.; Kisslinger, Kim

The loss of Pt during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) affects the performance and economic viability of fuel cells and sensors. Our group previously observed the dissolution of Pt nanoelectrodes at moderately negative potentials during the ORR. Here we report a more detailed study of this process and identify its product. The nanoporous Pt surface formed during the ORR was visualized by AFM and high-resolution SEM, which also showed ~5 nm sized Pt particles on the glass surface surrounding the electrode. Furthermore, the release of these nanoparticles into the solution was confirmed by monitoring their catalytically amplified collisions with amore » Hg-coated microelectrode used as the tip in the scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM).« less

Plasma treatment for producing electron emitters

DOEpatents

Coates, Don Mayo; Walter, Kevin Carl

2001-01-01

Plasma treatment for producing carbonaceous field emission electron emitters is disclosed. A plasma of ions is generated in a closed chamber and used to surround the exposed surface of a carbonaceous material. A voltage is applied to an electrode that is in contact with the carbonaceous material. This voltage has a negative potential relative to a second electrode in the chamber and serves to accelerate the ions toward the carbonaceous material and provide an ion energy sufficient to etch the exposed surface of the carbonaceous material but not sufficient to result in the implantation of the ions within the carbonaceous material. Preferably, the ions used are those of an inert gas or an inert gas with a small amount of added nitrogen.

Dissolution of Pt during Oxygen Reduction Reaction Produces Pt Nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Bae, Je Hyun; Brocenschi, Ricardo F.; Kisslinger, Kim; ...

2017-11-15

The loss of Pt during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) affects the performance and economic viability of fuel cells and sensors. Our group previously observed the dissolution of Pt nanoelectrodes at moderately negative potentials during the ORR. Here we report a more detailed study of this process and identify its product. The nanoporous Pt surface formed during the ORR was visualized by AFM and high-resolution SEM, which also showed ~5 nm sized Pt particles on the glass surface surrounding the electrode. Furthermore, the release of these nanoparticles into the solution was confirmed by monitoring their catalytically amplified collisions with amore » Hg-coated microelectrode used as the tip in the scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM).« less

A universal sample manipulator with 50 kV negative bias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenny, M. J.; Wielunski, L. S.; Scott, M. D.; Clissold, R. A.; Stevenson, D.; Baxter, G.

1991-04-01

A manipulator incorporating a number of novel features has been built for a research ion implanter. The system is designed to enable uniform dose implantation of both planar and nonplanar surfaces by incorporating one translational and two rotational degrees of freedom. Negative target bias of up to 50 kV may be applied to the target, thus increasing the ion energy by this amount. The target chamber and all external manipulator controls are grounded. With the exception of the high voltage power supply, cable and feedthrough, all high voltage components are within the vacuum system. A secondary electron suppression cage which can be held at a negative bias of up to 60 kV relative to the chamber (i.e. 10 kV relative to the manipulator) surrounds the manipulator. Performance has been evaluated using 15N ions and nuclear reaction analysis through 15N(p,α) 12C to profile ion concentrations for dose uniformity and for ion depth at elevated target potentials.

Ab-initio modeling of electromechanical coupling at Si surfaces

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

Hoppe, Sandra; Müller, Stefan, E-mail: stefan.mueller@tuhh.de; Michl, Anja

The electromechanical coupling at the silicon (100) and (111) surfaces was studied via density functional theory by calculating the response of the ionization potential and the electron affinity to different types of strain. We find a branched strain response of those two quantities with different coupling coefficients for negative and positive strain values. This can be attributed to the reduced crystal symmetry due to anisotropic strain, which partially lifts the degeneracy of the valence and conduction bands. Only the Si(111) electron affinity exhibits a monotonously linear strain response, as the conduction band valleys remain degenerate under strain. The strain responsemore » of the surface dipole is linear and seems to be dominated by volume changes. Our results may help to understand the mechanisms behind electromechanical coupling at an atomic level in greater detail and for different electronic and atomic structures.« less

Hyperbolic spoof plasmonic metasurfaces

DOE PAGES

Yang, Yihao; Jing, Liqiao; Shen, Lian; ...

2017-08-25

Hyperbolic metasurfaces have recently emerged as a new research frontier because of the unprecedented capabilities to manipulate surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and many potential applications. But, thus far, the existence of hyperbolic metasurfaces has neither been observed nor predicted at low frequencies because noble metals cannot support SPPs at longer wavelengths. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate spoof plasmonic metasurfaces with a hyperbolic dispersion, where the spoof SPPs propagate on complementary H-shaped, perfectly conducting surfaces at low frequencies. Therefore, non-divergent diffractions, negative refraction and dispersion-dependent spin-momentum locking are observed as the spoof SPPs travel over the hyperbolic spoof plasmonic metasurfacesmore » (HSPMs). The HSPMs provide fundamental new platforms to explore the propagation and spin of spoof SPPs. They show great capabilities for designing advanced surface wave devices such as spatial multiplexers, focusing and imaging devices, planar hyperlenses, and dispersion-dependent directional couplers, at both microwave and terahertz frequencies.« less

Environmental effects on lunar astronomical observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Stewart W.; Taylor, G. Jeffrey; Wetzel, John P.

1992-01-01

The Moon offers a stable platform with excellent seeing conditions for astronomical observations. Some troublesome aspects of the lunar environment will need to be overcome to realize the full potential of the Moon as an observatory site. Mitigation of negative effects of vacuum, thermal radiation, dust, and micrometeorite impact is feasible with careful engineering and operational planning. Shields against impact, dust, and solar radiation need to be developed. Means of restoring degraded surfaces are probably essential for optical and thermal control surfaces deployed in long-lifetime lunar facilities. Precursor missions should be planned to validate and enhance the understanding of the lunar environment (e.g., dust behavior without and with human presence) and to determine environmental effects on surfaces and components. Precursor missions should generate data useful in establishing keepout zones around observatory facilities where rocket launches and landings, mining, and vehicular traffic could be detrimental to observatory operation.

Environmental effects on an optical-UV-IR synthesis array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Stewart W.; Taylor, G. Jeffrey; Wetzel, John P.

1992-01-01

The Moon offers a stable platform with excellent seeing conditions for the Lunar Optical-UV-IR Synthesis Array (LOUISA). Some troublesome aspects of the lunar environment will need to be overcome to realize the full potential of the Moon as an observatory site. Mitigation of negative effects of vacuum, thermal radiation, dust, and micrometeorite impact is feasible with careful engineering and operational planning. Shields against impact, dust, and solar radiation need to be developed. Means of restoring degraded surfaces are probably essential for optical and thermal control surfaces deployed in long-lifetime lunar facilities. Precursor missions should be planned to validate and enhance the understanding of the lunar environment (e.g., dust behavior without and with human presence and to determine environmental effects on surfaces and components. Precursor missions should generate data useful in establishing keepout zones around observatory facilities while rocket launches and landings, mining, and vehicular traffic could be detrimental to observatory operation.

Model for thickness dependence of radiation charging in MOS structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Viswanathan, C. R.; Maserjian, J.

1976-01-01

The model considers charge buildup in MOS structures due to hole trapping in the oxide and the creation of sheet charge at the silicon interface. The contribution of hole trapping causes the flatband voltage to increase with thickness in a manner in which square and cube dependences are limiting cases. Experimental measurements on samples covering a 200 - 1000 A range of oxide thickness are consistent with the model, using independently obtained values of hole-trapping parameters. An important finding of our experimental results is that a negative interface charge contribution due to surface states created during irradiation compensates most of the positive charge in the oxide at flatband. The tendency of the surface states to 'track' the positive charge buildup in the oxide, for all thicknesses, applies both in creation during irradiation and in annihilation during annealing. An explanation is proposed based on the common defect origin of hole traps and potential surface states.

Label-free CMOS bio sensor with on-chip noise reduction scheme for real-time quantitative monitoring of biomolecules.

PubMed

Seong-Jin Kim; Euisik Yoon

2012-06-01

We present a label-free CMOS field-effect transistor sensing array to detect the surface potential change affected by the negative charge in DNA molecules for real-time monitoring and quantification. The proposed CMOS bio sensor includes a new sensing pixel architecture implemented with correlated double sampling for reducing offset fixed pattern noise and 1/f noise of the sensing devices. We incorporated non-surface binding detection which allows real-time continuous monitoring of DNA concentrations without immobilizing them on the sensing surface. Various concentrations of 19-bp oligonucleotides solution can be discriminated using the prototype device fabricated in 1- μm double-poly double-metal standard CMOS process. The detection limit was measured as 1.1 ng/μl with a dynamic range of 40 dB and the transient response time was measured less than 20 seconds.

Single helically folded aromatic oligoamides that mimic the charge surface of double-stranded B-DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziach, Krzysztof; Chollet, Céline; Parissi, Vincent; Prabhakaran, Panchami; Marchivie, Mathieu; Corvaglia, Valentina; Bose, Partha Pratim; Laxmi-Reddy, Katta; Godde, Frédéric; Schmitter, Jean-Marie; Chaignepain, Stéphane; Pourquier, Philippe; Huc, Ivan

2018-05-01

Numerous essential biomolecular processes require the recognition of DNA surface features by proteins. Molecules mimicking these features could potentially act as decoys and interfere with pharmacologically or therapeutically relevant protein-DNA interactions. Although naturally occurring DNA-mimicking proteins have been described, synthetic tunable molecules that mimic the charge surface of double-stranded DNA are not known. Here, we report the design, synthesis and structural characterization of aromatic oligoamides that fold into single helical conformations and display a double helical array of negatively charged residues in positions that match the phosphate moieties in B-DNA. These molecules were able to inhibit several enzymes possessing non-sequence-selective DNA-binding properties, including topoisomerase 1 and HIV-1 integrase, presumably through specific foldamer-protein interactions, whereas sequence-selective enzymes were not inhibited. Such modular and synthetically accessible DNA mimics provide a versatile platform to design novel inhibitors of protein-DNA interactions.

Surface properties of hydrogenated nanodiamonds: a chemical investigation.

PubMed

Girard, H A; Petit, T; Perruchas, S; Gacoin, T; Gesset, C; Arnault, J C; Bergonzo, P

2011-06-28

Hydrogen terminations (C-H) confer to diamond layers specific surface properties such as a negative electron affinity and a superficial conductive layer, opening the way to specific functionalization routes. For example, efficient covalent bonding of diazonium salts or of alkene moieties can be performed on hydrogenated diamond thin films, owing to electronic exchanges at the interface. Here, we report on the chemical reactivity of fully hydrogenated High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) nanodiamonds (H-NDs) towards such grafting, with respect to the reactivity of as-received NDs. Chemical characterizations such as FTIR, XPS analysis and Zeta potential measurements reveal a clear selectivity of such couplings on H-NDs, suggesting that C-H related surface properties remain dominant even on particles at the nanoscale. These results on hydrogenated NDs open up the route to a broad range of new functionalizations for innovative NDs applications development. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

High resolution imaging of latent fingerprints by localized corrosion on brass surfaces.

PubMed

Goddard, Alex J; Hillman, A Robert; Bond, John W

2010-01-01

The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is capable of imaging fingerprint ridges on polished brass substrates at an unprecedented level of detail. While exposure to elevated humidity at ambient or slightly raised temperatures does not change the image appreciably, subsequent brief heating in a flame results in complete loss of the sweat deposit and the appearance of pits and trenches. Localized elemental analysis (using EDAX, coupled with SEM imaging) shows the presence of the constituents of salt in the initial deposits. Together with water and atmospheric oxygen--and with thermal enhancement--these are capable of driving a surface corrosion process. This process is sufficiently localized that it has the potential to generate a durable negative topographical image of the fingerprint. AFM examination of surface regions between ridges revealed small deposits (probably microscopic "spatter" of sweat components or transferred particulates) that may ultimately limit the level of ridge detail analysis.

Surface interactions and fouling properties of Micrococcus luteus with microfiltration membranes.

PubMed

Feng, Lei; Li, Xiufen; Song, Ping; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

2011-11-01

This study was conducted to investigate microbial adhesion of Micrococcus luteus to polypropylene (PP) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes in relation to the variation of the interfacial energies in the membrane-bacteria systems, for revealing effects of short-range surface interactions on filtration behavior. Both the membranes and M. luteus showed typical strong electron donors and hydrophilic properties. The AB component was dominant in the interfacial energies of the two membrane-bacteria systems. M. luteus presented larger negative U(mlb)(XDLVO) to the PP membrane than to the PVDF membrane. The adhesion experiments also proved that M. luteus had higher adhesion percentage to the PP membrane. This study demonstrated that the adhesion potentials of M. luteus to the PP and PVDF membranes might be explained in terms of bacterium, membrane, and intervening medium surface properties, which are mainly determined by the interfacial energies in the systems according to the XDLVO theory.

Superlensing effect for surface acoustic waves in a pillar-based phononic crystal with negative refractive index

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

Addouche, Mahmoud, E-mail: mamoud.addouche@femto-st.fr; Al-Lethawe, Mohammed A., E-mail: mohammed.abdulridha@femto-st.fr; Choujaa, Abdelkrim, E-mail: achoujaa@femto-st.fr

2014-07-14

We demonstrate super resolution imaging for surface acoustic waves using a phononic structure displaying negative refractive index. This phononic structure is made of a monolithic square lattice of cylindrical pillars standing on a semi-infinite medium. The pillars act as acoustic resonator and induce a surface propagating wave with unusual dispersion. We found, under specific geometrical parameters, one propagating mode that exhibits negative refraction effect with negative effective index close to −1. Furthermore, a flat lens with finite number of pillars is designed to allow the focusing of an acoustic point source into an image with a resolution of (λ)/3 ,more » overcoming the Rayleigh diffraction limit.« less

Geohydrologic data from test hole USW UZ-7, Yucca Mountain area, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kume, Jack; Hammermeister, D.P.

1990-01-01

This report contains a description of the methods used in drilling and coring of the test-hole USW UZ-7, a description of the methods used in collecting, handling, and testing of test-hole samples; Lithologic information from the test hole; and water-content, water-potential, bulk-density, grain-density, porosity, and tritium data for the test hole. Test-hole USW UZ-7 was drilled and cored to a total depth of 62.94 m. The drilling was done using air as a drilling fluid to minimize disturbance to the water content of cores, drill-bit cuttings, and borehole wall-rock. Beginning at the land surface, the unsaturated-zone rock that was penetrated consisted of alluvium; welded and partially to nonwelded ash-flow tuff; bedded and reworked ash-fall tuff; nonwelded ash-flow tuff; and welded ash-flow tuff. Values of gravimetric water content and water potential of alluvium were intermediate between the extreme values in welded and nonwelded units of tuff. Gravimetric water content was largest in bedded and nonwelded ash-fall tuffs and was smallest in welded ash-flow tuff. Values of water potential were more negative in densely welded ash-flow tuffs and were less negative in bedded and nonwelded ash-fall tuffs. Bulk density was largest in densely welded ash-flow tuffs and smallest in nonwelded and bedded ash-fall tuffs. Grain density was uniform but was slightly larger in nonwelded and bedded ash-fall tuffs than in welded ash-flow tuffs. Porosity trends were opposite to bulk-density trends. Tritium content in alluvium was smallest near the alluvium-bedrock contact, markedly increased in the middle of the deposit, and decreased in the near-surface zone of the deposit. (Author 's abstract)

Adsorptive properties of alluvial soil for arsenic(V) and its potential for protection of the shallow groundwater among Changsha, Zhuzhou, and Xiangtan cities, China.

PubMed

Chen, Hongwei; Mei, Jinhua; Luo, Yueping; Qiu, Anni; Wang, Huan

2017-02-01

The study area is among Changsha, Zhuzhou, and Xiangtan cities, which was under agricultural use and natural conditions about 10 years ago and now is becoming part of the metropolis because of the urban expansion. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms and capabilities of the local alluvial soil layer for protecting the local shallow groundwater from arsenic pollution by field surveys and batch experiments. The field surveys showed that there was an acidic tendency of the groundwater, and phosphate, nitrate, and arsenic in the groundwater significantly increased comparing to their reference values. It indicates that the disturbance of the former agricultural land due to the change of land use may be responsible for these changes. From the experimental results, the maximum adsorption capacity of the soil for As(V) was as low as 0.334 mg/g, and lower As(V) adsorption capacities were obtained at higher As(V) concentration, higher pH, and lower temperature. The presence of H 2 PO 4 - and SiO 3 2- posed negative, while HCO 3 - slight positive, and SO 4 2- , NO 3 - and Cl - negligible influences on the As(V) adsorption. The surface-derived organic matter played a negative role in the adsorption process, and low specific surface area influenced adsorption capacity of the soil. The study reveals that the local soil layer shows poor potential for protection of the local shallow groundwater from As(V) pollution, and the change trends of the groundwater environments due to more intensive anthropogenic activities will further weaken this potential and increase the risk of the groundwater contamination.

Analyzing the molecular mechanism of lipoprotein localization in Brucella

PubMed Central

Goolab, Shivani; Roth, Robyn L.; van Heerden, Henriette; Crampton, Michael C.

2015-01-01

Bacterial lipoproteins possess diverse structure and functionality, ranging from bacterial physiology to pathogenic processes. As such many lipoproteins, originating from Brucella are exploited as potential vaccines to countermeasure brucellosis infection in the host. These membrane proteins are translocated from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane where they are anchored peripherally by a multifaceted targeting mechanism. Although much research has focused on the identification and classification of Brucella lipoproteins and their potential use as vaccine candidates for the treatment of Brucellosis, the underlying route for the translocation of these lipoproteins to the outer surface of the Brucella (and other pathogens) outer membrane (OM) remains mostly unknown. This is partly due to the complexity of the organism and evasive tactics used to escape the host immune system, the variation in biological structure and activity of lipoproteins, combined with the complex nature of the translocation machinery. The biosynthetic pathway of Brucella lipoproteins involves a distinct secretion system aiding translocation from the cytoplasm, where they are modified by lipidation, sorted by the lipoprotein localization machinery pathway and thereafter equipped for export to the OM. Surface localized lipoproteins in Brucella may employ a lipoprotein flippase or the β-barrel assembly complex for translocation. This review provides an overview of the characterized Brucella OM proteins that form part of the OM, including a handful of other characterized bacterial lipoproteins and their mechanisms of translocation. Lipoprotein localization pathways in gram negative bacteria will be used as a model to identify gaps in Brucella lipoprotein localization and infer a potential pathway. Of particular interest are the dual topology lipoproteins identified in Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenza. The localization and topology of these lipoproteins from other gram negative bacteria are well characterized and may be useful to infer a solution to better understand the translocation process in Brucella. PMID:26579096

Dynamic Light Scattering and Zeta Potential of Colloidal Mixtures of Amelogenin and Hydroxyapatite in Calcium and Phosphate Rich Ionic Milieus

PubMed Central

Uskoković, Vuk; Odsinada, Roselyn; Djordjevic, Sonia; Habelitz, Stefan

2011-01-01

The concept of zeta-potential has been used for more than a century as a basic parameter in controlling the stability of colloidal suspensions, irrespective of the nature of their particulate ingredients – organic or inorganic. There are prospects that self-assembly of peptide species and the protein-mineral interactions related to biomineralization may be controlled using this fundamental physicochemical parameter. In this study, we have analyzed the particle size and zeta-potential of the full-length recombinant human amelogenin (rH174), the main protein of the developing enamel matrix, in the presence of calcium and phosphate ions and hydroxyapatite (HAP) particles. As calcium and phosphate salts are introduced to rH174 sols in increments, zeta-potential of the rH174 nanospheres is more affected by negatively charged ions, suggesting their tendency to locate within the double charge layer. Phosphate ions have a more pronounced effect on both the zeta-potential and aggregation propensity of rH174 nanospheres compared to calcium ions. The isoelectric point of amelogenin was independent on the ionic strength of the solution and the concentration of calcium and/or phosphate ions. Whereas rH174 shows a higher affinity for phosphate than for calcium, HAP attracts both of these ions to the shear plane of the double layer. The parallel size and zeta-potential analysis of HAP and rH174 colloidal mixtures indicated that at pH 7.4, despite both HAP and rH174 particles being negatively charged, rH174 adsorbs well onto HAP particles. The process is slower at pH 7.4 than at pH 4.5 when the HAP surface is negatively charged and the rH174 nanosphere carries an overall positive charge. The results presented hereby demonstrate that electrostatic interactions can affect the kinetics of the adsorption of rH174 onto HAP. PMID:21146151

Potential impacts of global warming on water resources in southern California.

PubMed

Beuhler, M

2003-01-01

Global warming will have a significant impact on water resources within the 20 to 90-year planning period of many water projects. Arid and semi-arid regions such as Southern California are especially vulnerable to anticipated negative impacts of global warming on water resources. Long-range water facility planning must consider global climate change in the recommended mix of new facilities needed to meet future water requirements. The generally accepted impacts of global warming include temperature, rising sea levels, more frequent and severe floods and droughts, and a shift from snowfall to rain. Precipitation changes are more difficult to predict. For Southern California, these impacts will be especially severe on surface water supplies. Additionally, rising sea levels will exacerbate salt-water intrusion into freshwater and impact the quality of surface water supplies. Integrated water resources planning is emerging as a tool to develop water supplies and demand management strategies that are less vulnerable to the impacts of global warming. These tools include water conservation, conjunctive use of surface and groundwater and desalination of brackish water and possibly seawater. Additionally, planning for future water needs should include explicit consideration of the potential range of global warming impacts through techniques such as scenario planning.

Cell surface reactivity of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002: Implications for metal sorption from seawater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yuxia; Alessi, D. S.; Owttrim, G. W.; Petrash, D. A.; Mloszewska, A. M.; Lalonde, S. V.; Martinez, R. E.; Zhou, Qixing; Konhauser, K. O.

2015-11-01

The past two decades have seen a significant advancement in our understanding of bacterial surface chemistry and the ability of microbes to bind metals from aqueous solutions. Much of this work has been aimed at benthic, mat-forming species in an effort to model the mechanisms by which microbes may exert control over metal contaminant transport in soils and groundwater. However, there is a distinct paucity of information pertaining to the surface chemistry of marine planktonic species, and their ability to bind trace metals from the ocean's photic zone. To this end, the surface properties of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 were studied as this genus is one of the dominant marine phytoplankton, and as such, contributes significantly to metal cycling in the ocean's photic zone. Zeta potential measurement indicates that the cell surfaces display a net negative charge. This was supported by potentiometric titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses demonstrating that the cells are dominated by surface proton releasing ligands, including carboxyl, phosphoryl and amino functional groups, with a total ligand density of 34.18 ± 1.62 mmol/g (dry biomass). Cd adsorption experiments further reveal that carboxyl groups play a primary role in metal adsorption, with 1.0 g of dry biomass binding an equivalent of 7.05 × 10-5 M of Cd from solution at pH = 8. To put this value into context, in 1 L of seawater, and with an open-ocean population of Synechococcus of 105 cells/mL in the photic zone, approximately 10 nmol of Cd could potentially be adsorbed by the cyanobacteria; an amount equivalent to seawater Cd concentrations. Although we have only focused on one microbial species and one metal cation, and we have not considered trace element assimilation, our results highlight the potential role of surface sorption by phytoplankton in the cycling of metals in the ocean.

Effects of negatively and positively charged Ti metal surfaces on ceramic coating adhesion and cell response.

PubMed

do Nascimento, Rodney Marcelo; de Carvalho, Vanessa Rafaela; Govone, José Silvio; Hernandes, Antônio Carlos; da Cruz, Nilson Cristino

2017-02-01

This manuscript reports an evaluation of the effects of simple chemical-heat treatments on the deposition of different ceramic coatings, i.e., TiO 2 , CaTiO 3 and CaP, on commercially pure titanium (cp-Ti) and Ti6Al4V and the influence of the coatings on cells interaction with the surfaces. The ceramic materials were prepared by the sol-gel method and the coating adhesion was analyzed by pull-off bending tests. The wettability of positively or negatively charged surfaces was characterized by contact angle measurements, which also enabled the calculation of the surface free energy through the polar-apolar liquids approach. Both acid and alkaline treatments activated the cp-Ti, whereas Ti6Al4V was only activated by the alkaline treatment. Such treatment led to increased hydrophilicity with inhibition of the fibroblastic response on Ti6Al4V. On the other hand, osteoblastic cells adhered to and proliferated on the positively and negatively charged surfaces. The maximum adhesion strength (~ 3400 N) was obtained with a negative Ti6Al4V-CaTiO 3 -CaP multilayer surface.

Bactericidal effects of negative air ions on airborne and surface Salmonella enteritidis from an artificially generated aerosol.

PubMed

Seo, K H; Mitchell, B W; Holt, P S; Gast, R K

2001-01-01

The bactericidal effect of high levels of negative ions was studied using a custom-built electrostatic space charge device. To investigate whether the ion-enriched air exerted a bactericidal effect, an aerosol containing Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) was pumped into a sealed plastic chamber. Plates of XLT4 agar were attached to the walls, top, and bottom of the chamber and exposed to the aerosol for 3 h with and without the ionizer treatment. The plates were then removed from the chamber, incubated at 37 degrees C for 24 h, and colonies were counted. An average of greater than 10(3) CFU/plate were observed on plates exposed to the aerosol without the ionizer treatment (control) compared with an average of less than 53 CFU/plate on the ionizer-treated plates. In another series of experiments, the SE aerosol was pumped for 3 h into an empty chamber containing only the ionizer and allowed to collect on the internal surfaces. The inside surfaces of the chamber were then rinsed with 100 ml phosphate-buffered saline that was then plated onto XLT4 plates. While the rinse from the control chamber contained colony counts greater than 400 CFU/ml of wash, no colonies were found in the rinse from the ionizer-treatment chamber. These results indicate that high levels of negative air ions can have a significant impact on the airborne microbial load, and that most of this effect is through direct killing of the organisms. This technology, which also causes significant reduction in airborne dust, has already been successfully applied for poultry hatching cabinets and caged layer rooms. Other potential applications include any enclosed space such as food processing areas, medical institutions, the workplace, and the home, where reduction of airborne and surface pathogens is desired.

Spectroscopic studies of conformational changes of β-lactoglobulin adsorbed on gold nanoparticle surfaces.

PubMed

Winuprasith, Thunnalin; Suphantharika, Manop; McClements, David Julian; He, Lili

2014-02-15

In this work, we investigated the conformational changes of a globular protein (β-lactoglobulin, β-lg) coated on the surface of 200 nm gold nanoparticles (GNPs) using a number of analytical techniques: dynamic light scattering (DLS); particle electrophoresis (ζ-potential); localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectroscopy; transmission electron microscopy (TEM); and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The β-lg (pH 3) concentration had a pronounced effect on the aggregation and surface charge of β-lg-coated GNPs. The surface charge of GNPs changed from negative to positive as increasing amounts of β-lg molecule were added, indicating that the globular protein molecules adsorbed to the surfaces of the particles. Extensive particle aggregation occurred when β-lg did not saturate the GNP surfaces, which was attributed to electrostatic bridging flocculation. Modifications in LSPR and SERS spectra after addition of β-lg to the GNP suspensions supported the adsorption of β-lg to the particle surfaces. Moreover, SERS highlighted the importance of a number of specific molecular groups in the binding interaction, and suggested conformational changes of the globular protein after adsorption. This research provides useful information for characterizing and understanding the interactions between globular proteins and colloidal particles. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface-independent antibacterial coating using silver nanoparticle-generating engineered mussel glue.

PubMed

Jo, Yun Kee; Seo, Jeong Hyun; Choi, Bong-Hyuk; Kim, Bum Jin; Shin, Hwa Hui; Hwang, Byeong Hee; Cha, Hyung Joon

2014-11-26

During implant surgeries, antibacterial agents are needed to prevent bacterial infections, which can cause the formation of biofilms between implanted materials and tissue. Mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) derived from marine mussels are bioadhesives that show strong adhesion and coating ability on various surfaces even in wet environment. Here, we proposed a novel surface-independent antibacterial coating strategy based on the fusion of MAP to a silver-binding peptide, which can synthesize silver nanoparticles having broad antibacterial activity. This sticky recombinant fusion protein enabled the efficient coating on target surface and the easy generation of silver nanoparticles on the coated-surface under mild condition. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles showed excellent antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and also revealed good cytocompatibility with mammalian cells. In this coating strategy, MAP-silver binding peptide fusion proteins provide hybrid environment incorporating inorganic silver nanoparticle and simultaneously mediate the interaction of silver nanoparticle with surroundings. Moreover, the silver nanoparticles were fully synthesized on various surfaces including metal, plastic, and glass by a simple, surface-independent coating manner, and they were also successfully synthesized on a nanofiber surface fabricated by electrospinning of the fusion protein. Thus, this facile surface-independent silver nanoparticle-generating antibacterial coating has great potential to be used for the prevention of bacterial infection in diverse biomedical fields.

Replication of surface features from a master model to an amorphous metallic article

DOEpatents

Johnson, William L.; Bakke, Eric; Peker, Atakan

1999-01-01

The surface features of an article are replicated by preparing a master model having a preselected surface feature thereon which is to be replicated, and replicating the preselected surface feature of the master model. The replication is accomplished by providing a piece of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy, contacting the piece of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy to the surface of the master model at an elevated replication temperature to transfer a negative copy of the preselected surface feature of the master model to the piece, and separating the piece having the negative copy of the preselected surface feature from the master model.

Disinfection potential of electrolyzed solutions containing sodium chloride at low concentrations.

PubMed

Morita, C; Sano, K; Morimatsu, S; Kiura, H; Goto, T; Kohno, T; Hong, W U; Miyoshi, H; Iwasawa, A; Nakamura, Y; Tagawa, M; Yokosuka, O; Saisho, H; Maeda, T; Katsuoka, Y

2000-03-01

Electrolyzed products of sodium chloride solution were examined for their disinfection potential against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro. Electrolysis of 0.05% NaCl in tap water was carried out for 45 min at room temperature using a 3 A electric current in separate wells installed with positive and negative electrodes. The electrolyzed products were obtained from the positive well. The oxidation reduction potential (ORP), pH and free chlorine content of the product were 1053 mV, pH 2.34 and 4.20 ppm, respectively. The products modified the antigenicity of the surface protein of HBV as well as the infectivity of HIV in time- and concentration-dependent manner. Although the inactivating potential was decreased by the addition of contaminating protein, recycling of the product or continuous addition of fresh product may restore the complete disinfection against bloodborne pathogens.

Characterization of a Self-Assembled Monolayer of 1-Thio-β-D-Glucose with Electrochemical Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Using a Nanoparticle Modified Gold Electrode.

PubMed

Smith, Scott R; Seenath, Ryan; Kulak, Monika R; Lipkowski, Jacek

2015-09-15

Preparation of a nanoparticle modified gold substrate designed for characterization of hydrophilic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 1-thio-β-D-glucose (TG) with electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-SERS) is presented. Citrate stabilized gold nanoparticles were deposited on a polycrystalline gold electrode and subjected to an electrochemical desorption procedure to completely remove all traces of adsorbed citrate. Complete desorption of citrate was confirmed by recording cyclic voltammetry curves and SERS spectra. The citrate-free nanoparticle modified gold electrode was then incubated in a 1 mg mL(-1) aqueous solution of TG for 16 h prior to being characterized by EC-SERS. The SERS spectra confirmed that at potentials more negative than -0.10 V vs SCE thioglucose forms a monolayer in which the majority of the molecules preserve their lactol ring structure and only a small fraction of molecules appear to be oxidized. At potentials more positive than -0.10 V, the oxidation of TG molecules becomes prominent, and at potentials more positive than 0.20 V vs SCE, the monolayer of TG consists chiefly of oxidized product. The SERS spectra collected in the double layer region suggest the SAM of TG is well hydrated and hence can be used for hydrophilic modifications of a gold surface.

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY OF ELECTRIC ORGAN IN GYMNOTUS CARAPO

PubMed Central

Bennett, Michael V. L.; Grundfest, Harry

1959-01-01

The electric organ of G. carapo is formed by linearly arrayed electroplaques which lie in four tubes on each side of the fish. In one tube the electroplaques are innervated on their rostral surfaces, in the others on the caudal. Both surfaces of each electroplaque produce spikes, and either can be excited alone by a suitably oriented externally applied stimulating current. The innervated surface, however, has a lower threshold, and in the normal organ activity, which is a continuous discharge at 35 to 60/sec., it is always fired first by the large neurally evoked postsynaptic potential. The spike of the innervated face then fires the opposite face. The potential recorded external to the innervated face is initially negative and becomes positive when the other face fires. The potential outside the other face is inverted. The p.s.p.'s are electrically inexcitable, have short duration, and are augmented by hyperpolarization. A single electroplaque is innervated by several nerve fibers, which produce summative p.s.p.'s. Homosynaptic facilitation of p.s.p.'s is common. The synapses are cholinoceptive. The organ discharge begins with synchronized activity in the rostrally innervated electroplaques. After a brief interval, the electroplaques in the other three tubes fire. The organ discharge therefore is triphasic, resulting from the summation of the two diphasic components that are oppositely directed and asynchronous. Observations on the sensory role of the organ are included. PMID:13654750

Adhesion, Vitality and Osteogenic Differentiation Capacity of Adipose Derived Stem Cells Seeded on Nitinol Nanoparticle Coatings

PubMed Central

Strauß, Sarah; Neumeister, Anne; Barcikowski, Stephan; Kracht, Dietmar; Kuhbier, Jörn W.; Radtke, Christine; Reimers, Kerstin; Vogt, Peter M.

2013-01-01

Autologous cells can be used for a bioactivation of osteoimplants to enhance osseointegration. In this regard, adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) offer interesting perspectives in implantology because they are fast and easy to isolate. However, not all materials licensed for bone implants are equally suited for cell adhesion. Surface modifications are under investigation to promote cytocompatibility and cell growth. The presented study focused on influences of a Nitinol-nanoparticle coating on ASCs. Possible toxic effects as well as influences on the osteogenic differentiation potential of ASCs were evaluated by viability assays, scanning electron microscopy, immunofluorescence and alizarin red staining. It was previously shown that Nitinol-nanoparticles exert no cell toxic effects to ASCs either in soluble form or as surface coating. Here we could demonstrate that a Nitinol-nanoparticle surface coating enhances cell adherence and growth on Nitinol-surfaces. No negative influence on the osteogenic differentiation was observed. Nitinol-nanoparticle coatings offer new possibilities in implantology research regarding bioactivation by autologous ASCs, respectively enhancement of surface attraction to cells. PMID:23308190

The surface charge of trypanosomatids.

PubMed

Souto-Padrón, Thaïs

2002-12-01

The surface charge of trypanosomatids was evaluated by means of the binding of cationic particles, as visualized by electron microscopy and by direct measurements of the electrophoretic mobility of cells. The results obtained indicate that most of the trypanosomatids exhibit a negatively charged surface whose value is species specific and varies according to the developmental stages. Sialic acids associated with glycoproteins, glycolipids and phosphate groups are the major components responsible for the net negative surface charge of the trypanosomatids.

Hydration and Thermal Expansion in Anatase Nanoparticles

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

Zhu, He; Li, Qiang; Ren, Yang

A tunable thermal expansion is reported in nanosized anatase by taking advantage of surface hydration. The coefficient of thermal expansion of 4 nm TiO2 along a-axis is negative with a hydrated surface and is positive without a hydrated surface. High-energy synchrotron X-ray pair distribution function analysis combined with ab initio calculations on the specific hydrated surface are carried out to reveal the local structure distortion that is responsible for the unusual negative thermal expansion.

Anti-hepatitis B core antigen testing with detection and characterization of occult hepatitis B virus by an in-house nucleic acid testing among blood donors in Behrampur, Ganjam, Orissa in southeastern India: implications for transfusion

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection might transmit viremic units into the public blood supply if only hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) testing is used for donor screening. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of occult HBV infection among the HBsAg negative/antiHBc positive donations from a highly HIV prevalent region of India. Methods A total of 729 HBsAg negative donor units were included in this study. Surface gene and precore region were amplified by in house nucleic acid test (NAT) for detection of occult HBV infection and surface gene was analyzed after direct sequencing. Results A total of 220 (30.1%) HBsAg negative donors were antiHBc positive, of them 66 (30%) were HBV DNA positive by NAT. HBV DNA positivity among 164 antiHBc only group, was 27.1% and among 40 antiHBs positive group was 30.0%. HBV/D (93.3%) was predominant and prevalence of both HBV/C and HBV/A was 3.3%. Single or multiple amino acids substitutions were found in 95% samples. Conclusion Thus, a considerable number of HBV infected donors remain undiagnosed, if only HBsAg is used for screening. Addition of antiHBc testing for donor screening, although will lead to rejection of a large number of donor units, will definitely eliminate HBV infected donations and help in reducing HBV transmission with its potential consequences, especially among the immunocompromised population. The HBV genetic diversity found in this donor population are in accordance with other parts of India. PMID:20799931

Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive and HBsAg-negative hepatitis B virus infection among mother-teenager pairs 13 years after neonatal hepatitis B virus vaccination.

PubMed

Yao, Qing-Qing; Dong, Xiao-Lian; Wang, Xue-Cai; Ge, Sheng-Xiang; Hu, An-Qun; Liu, Hai-Yan; Wang, Yueping Alex; Yuan, Quan; Zheng, Ying-Jie

2013-02-01

It is unclear whether a mother who is negative for hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) but positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) is at potential risk for mother-to-child transmission of HBV. This study, using a paired mother-teenager population, aimed to assess whether maternal HBsAg-negative HBV infection ((hn)HBI) is a significant source of child HBV infection (HBI). A follow-up study with blood collection has been conducted on the 93 mother-teenager pairs from the initial 135 pregnant woman-newborn pairs 13 years after neonatal HBV vaccination. Serological and viral markers of HBV have been tested, and phylogenetic analysis of HBV isolates has been done. The HBI prevalence was 1.9% (1 (hn)HBI/53) for teenage children of non-HBI mothers, compared with 16.7% (1 (hn)HBI/6) for those of (hn)HBI mothers and 2.9% (1 HBsAg-positive HBV infection [(hp)HBI]/34) for those of (hp)HBI mothers. Similar viral sequences have been found in one pair of whom both the mother and teenager have had (hn)HBI. In comparison with the (hp)HBI cases, those with (hn)HBI had a lower level of HBV load and a higher proportion of genotype-C strains, which were accompanied by differentiated mutations (Q129R, K141E, and Y161N) of the "a" determinant of the HBV surface gene. Our findings suggest that mother-to-teenager transmission of (hn)HBI can occur among those in the neonatal HBV vaccination program.

Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen (HBsAg)-Positive and HBsAg-Negative Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Mother-Teenager Pairs 13 Years after Neonatal Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination

PubMed Central

Yao, Qing-Qing; Dong, Xiao-Lian; Wang, Xue-Cai; Ge, Sheng-Xiang; Hu, An-Qun; Liu, Hai-Yan; Wang, Yueping Alex

2013-01-01

It is unclear whether a mother who is negative for hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) but positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) is at potential risk for mother-to-child transmission of HBV. This study, using a paired mother-teenager population, aimed to assess whether maternal HBsAg-negative HBV infection (hnHBI) is a significant source of child HBV infection (HBI). A follow-up study with blood collection has been conducted on the 93 mother-teenager pairs from the initial 135 pregnant woman-newborn pairs 13 years after neonatal HBV vaccination. Serological and viral markers of HBV have been tested, and phylogenetic analysis of HBV isolates has been done. The HBI prevalence was 1.9% (1 hnHBI/53) for teenage children of non-HBI mothers, compared with 16.7% (1 hnHBI/6) for those of hnHBI mothers and 2.9% (1 HBsAg-positive HBV infection [hpHBI]/34) for those of hpHBI mothers. Similar viral sequences have been found in one pair of whom both the mother and teenager have had hnHBI. In comparison with the hpHBI cases, those with hnHBI had a lower level of HBV load and a higher proportion of genotype-C strains, which were accompanied by differentiated mutations (Q129R, K141E, and Y161N) of the “a” determinant of the HBV surface gene. Our findings suggest that mother-to-teenager transmission of hnHBI can occur among those in the neonatal HBV vaccination program. PMID:23254298

Effects of amine fluoride on biofilm growth and salivary pellicles.

PubMed

van der Mei, H C; Engels, E; de Vries, J; Busscher, H J

2008-01-01

The amine fluoride (AmF) N'-octadecyl-trimethylene-diamine-N,N,N'-tris(2-ethanol)-dihydro-fluoride is a cationic antimicrobial which can have beneficial effects on plaque formation. Here, we determine changes in pellicle and bacterial cell surface properties of the strains Actinomyces naeslundii HM1, Streptococcus mutans NS, S.mutans ATCC 700610, S. sobrinus HG1025 and S. oralis HM1 upon adsorption of this AmF and accompanying effects on bacterial adhesion and biofilm growth. In vitro pellicles had a zeta potential of -12 mV that became less negative upon adsorption of AmF. The chemical functionalities in which carbon and oxygen were involved changed after AmF adsorption and AmF-treated pellicles had a greater surface roughness than untreated pellicles. Water contact angles in vitro decreased from 56 to 45 degrees upon AmF treatment, which corresponded with water contact angles (44 degrees ) measured intraorally on the front incisors of volunteers immediately after using an AmF-containing toothpaste. All bacterial strains were negatively charged and their isoelectric points (IEP) increased upon AmF adsorption. Minimal inhibitory concentrations were smallest for strains exhibiting the largest increase in IEP. Adhesion to salivary pellicles and biofilm growth of the mutans streptococcal strains were significantly reduced after AmF treatment, but not of A. naeslundii or S. oralis. However, regardless of the strain involved, biofilm viability decreased significantly after AmF treatment. The electrostatic interaction between cationic AmF and negatively charged bacterial cell surfaces is pivotal in establishing reduced biofilm formation by AmF through a combination of effects on initial adhesion and killing. The major effect of AmF treatment, however, was a reduction brought about in biofilm viability.

Anti-hepatitis B core antigen testing with detection and characterization of occult hepatitis B virus by an in-house nucleic acid testing among blood donors in Behrampur, Ganjam, Orissa in southeastern India: implications for transfusion.

PubMed

Panigrahi, Rajesh; Biswas, Avik; Datta, Sibnarayan; Banerjee, Arup; Chandra, Partha K; Mahapatra, Pradip K; Patnaik, Bharat; Chakrabarti, Sekhar; Chakravarty, Runu

2010-08-27

Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection might transmit viremic units into the public blood supply if only hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) testing is used for donor screening. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of occult HBV infection among the HBsAg negative/antiHBc positive donations from a highly HIV prevalent region of India. A total of 729 HBsAg negative donor units were included in this study. Surface gene and precore region were amplified by in house nucleic acid test (NAT) for detection of occult HBV infection and surface gene was analyzed after direct sequencing. A total of 220 (30.1%) HBsAg negative donors were antiHBc positive, of them 66 (30%) were HBV DNA positive by NAT. HBV DNA positivity among 164 antiHBc only group, was 27.1% and among 40 antiHBs positive group was 30.0%. HBV/D (93.3%) was predominant and prevalence of both HBV/C and HBV/A was 3.3%. Single or multiple amino acids substitutions were found in 95% samples. Thus, a considerable number of HBV infected donors remain undiagnosed, if only HBsAg is used for screening. Addition of antiHBc testing for donor screening, although will lead to rejection of a large number of donor units, will definitely eliminate HBV infected donations and help in reducing HBV transmission with its potential consequences, especially among the immunocompromised population. The HBV genetic diversity found in this donor population are in accordance with other parts of India.

Negative refraction, surface modes, and superlensing effect via homogenization near resonances for a finite array of split-ring resonators.

PubMed

Farhat, M; Guenneau, S; Enoch, S; Movchan, A B

2009-10-01

We present a theoretical and numerical analysis of liquid surface waves (LSWs) localized at the boundary of a phononic crystal consisting of split-ring resonators (SRRs). We first derive the homogenized parameters of the fluid-filled structure using a three-scale asymptotic expansion in the linearized Navier-Stokes equations. In the limit when the wavelength of the LSW is much larger than the typical heterogeneity size of the phononic crystal, we show that it behaves as an artificial fluid with an anisotropic effective shear modulus and a dispersive effective-mass density. We then analyze dispersion diagrams associated with LSW propagating within an infinite array of SRR, for which eigensolutions are sought in the form of Floquet-Bloch waves. The main emphasis is given to the study of localized modes within such a periodic fluid-filled structure and to the control of low-frequency stop bands associated with resonances of SRRs. Considering a macrocell, we are able to compute the dispersion of LSW supported by a semi-infinite phononic crystal of SRRs. We find that the dispersion of this evanescent mode nearly sits within the first stop band of the doubly periodic structure. We further discover that it is linked to the frequency at which the effective-mass density of the homogenized phononic crystal becomes negative. We demonstrate that this surface mode displays the hallmarks of all-angle negative refraction and it leads to a superlensing effect. Last, we note that our homogenization results for the velocity potential can be applied mutatis mutandis to designs of electromagnetic and acoustic superlenses for transverse electric waves propagating in arrays of infinite conducting SRRs and antiplane shear waves in arrays of cracks shaped as SRRs.

Cellulose and Lignin Carbon Isotope Signatures in Sphagnum Moss Reveal Complementary Environmental Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loisel, J.; Nichols, J. E.; Kaiser, K.; Beilman, D. W.; Yu, Z.

2016-12-01

The carbon isotope signature (δ13C) of Sphagnum moss is increasingly used as a proxy for past surface wetness in peatlands. However, conflicting interpretations of these carbon isotope records have recently been published. While the water film hypothesis suggests that the presence of a thick (thin) water film around hollow (hummock) mosses leads to less (more) negative δ13C values, the carbon source hypothesis poses that a significant (insignificant) amount of CH4 assimilation by hollow (hummock) mosses leads to more (less) negative δ13C values. To evaluate these competing mechanisms and their impact on moss δ13C, we gathered 30 moss samples from 6 peatlands in southern Patagonia. Samples were collected along a strong hydrological gradient, from very dry hummocks (80 cm above water table depth) to submerged hollows (5 cm below water surface). These peat bogs have the advantage of being colonized by a single cosmopolitan moss species, Sphagnum magellanicum, limiting potential biases introduced by species-specific carbon discrimination. We measured δ13C from stem cellulose and leaf waxes on the same samples to quantify compound-specific carbon signatures. We found that stem cellulose and leaf-wax lipids were both strongly negatively correlated with moss water content, suggesting a primary role of water film thickness on carbon assimilation. In addition, isotopic fractionation during wax synthesis was greater than for cellulose. This offset decreases as conditions get drier, due to (i) a more effective carbon assimilation, or (ii) CH4 uptake through symbiosis with methanotrophic bacteria within the leaves of wet mosses. Biochemical analysis (carbohydrates, amino acids, hydrophenols, cutin acids) of surface moss are currently being conducted to characterize moss carbon allocation under different hydrological conditions. Overall, this modern calibration work should be of use for interpreting carbon isotope records from peatlands.

Current advances in biomarkers for targeted therapy in triple-negative breast cancer

PubMed Central

Fleisher, Brett; Clarke, Charlotte; Ait-Oudhia, Sihem

2016-01-01

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a complex heterogeneous disease characterized by the absence of three hallmark receptors: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor. Compared to other breast cancer subtypes, TNBC is more aggressive, has a higher prevalence in African-Americans, and more frequently affects younger patients. Currently, TNBC lacks clinically accepted targets for tailored therapy, warranting the need for candidate biomarkers. BiomarkerBase, an online platform used to find biomarkers reported in clinical trials, was utilized to screen all potential biomarkers for TNBC and select only the ones registered in completed TNBC trials through clinicaltrials.gov. The selected candidate biomarkers were classified as surrogate, prognostic, predictive, or pharmacodynamic (PD) and organized by location in the blood, on the cell surface, in the cytoplasm, or in the nucleus. Blood biomarkers include vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and interleukin-8 (IL-8); cell surface biomarkers include EGFR, insulin-like growth factor binding protein, c-Kit, c-Met, and PD-L1; cytoplasm biomarkers include PIK3CA, pAKT/S6/p4E-BP1, PTEN, ALDH1, and the PIK3CA/AKT/mTOR-related metabolites; and nucleus biomarkers include BRCA1, the gluco-corticoid receptor, TP53, and Ki67. Candidate biomarkers were further organized into a “cellular protein network” that demonstrates potential connectivity. This review provides an inventory and reference point for promising biomarkers for breakthrough targeted therapies in TNBC. PMID:27785100

Analyte concentration at the tip of a nanopipette.

PubMed

Calander, Nils

2009-10-15

Concentration of molecules within the tips of nanopipettes when applying a DC voltage is herein investigated using finite-element simulations. The ion concentrations and fluxes due to diffusion, electro-migration, and electro-osmotic flow, and the electric potential are determined by the simultaneous solution of the Nernst-Planck, Poisson, and Navier-Stokes equations within the water solution containing sodium and chloride ions and negatively charged molecules. The electric potential within the pipette glass wall is at the same time determined by the Poisson equation together with appropriate boundary conditions and accounts for a field effect through the wall. Fixed negative surface charge on both the internal and external glass surfaces of the nanopipette is included together with the field effect through the glass wall to account for the electric double layer and the electro-osmosis. The inclusion of the field effect through the pipette wall is new compared to previous modeling of similar structures and is shown to be crucial for the behavior at the tip. It is demonstrated that the concentration of molecules is a consequence of ionic charge accumulation at the tip screening the electric field, thereby slowing down the electrophoretic motion of the molecules, which is further slowed down or stopped by the oppositely directed electro-osmosis. It is also shown that the trapping is very sensitive to the properties of the molecule, that is, its electrophoretic mobility and diffusion coefficient, the properties of the pipette, the ionic strength of the solution, and the applied electric field.

Brownian dynamics simulations of interactions between aldolase and G- or F-actin.

PubMed Central

Ouporov, I V; Knull, H R; Thomasson, K A

1999-01-01

Compartmentation of proteins in cells is important to proper cell function. Interactions of F-actin and glycolytic enzymes is one mechanism by which glycolytic enzymes can compartment. Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations of the binding of the muscle form of the glycolytic enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (aldolase) to F- or G-actin provide first-encounter snapshots of these interactions. Using x-ray structures of aldolase, G-actin, and three-dimensional models of F-actin, the electrostatic potential about each protein was predicted by solving the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation for use in BD simulations. The BD simulations provided solution complexes of aldolase with F- or G-actin. All complexes demonstrate the close contacts between oppositely charged regions of the protein surfaces. Positively charged surface regions of aldolase (residues Lys 13, 27, 288, 293, and 341 and Arg 257) are attracted to the negatively charged amino terminus (Asp 1 and Glu 2 and 4) and other patches (Asp 24, 25, and 363 and Glu 361, 364, 99, and 100) of actin subunits. According to BD results, the most important factor for aldolase binding to actin is the quaternary structure of aldolase and actin. Two pairs of adjacent aldolase subunits greatly add to the positive electrostatic potential of each other creating a region of attraction for the negatively charged subdomain 1 of the actin subunit that is exposed to solvent in the quaternary F-actin structure. PMID:9876119

Expression of a Broad Array of Negative Costimulatory Molecules and Blimp-1 in T Cells following Priming by HIV-1 Pulsed Dendritic Cells

PubMed Central

Shankar, Esaki Muthu; Che, Karlhans Fru; Messmer, Davorka; Lifson, Jeffrey D; Larsson, Marie

2011-01-01

Accumulating evidence indicates that immune impairment in persistent viral infections could lead to T-cell exhaustion. To evaluate the potential contribution of induction of negative costimulatory molecules to impaired T-cell responses, we primed naïve T cells with mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) pulsed with HIV-1 in vitro. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry, respectively, to compare the gene and surface-protein expression profiles of naïve T cells primed with HIV-pulsed or mock-pulsed DCs. We detected elevated expressions of negative costimulatory molecules, including lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), CD160, cytolytic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-containing domain-3 (TIM-3), programmed death-1 (PD-1) and TRAIL (tumor necrosis-factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand) in T cells primed by HIV-pulsed DCs. The PD-1+ T-cell population also coexpressed TIM-3, LAG-3, and CTLA-4. Interestingly, we also found an increase in gene expression of the transcriptional repressors Blimp-1 (B-lymphocyte–induced maturation protein-1) and Foxp3 (forkhead transcription factor) in T-cells primed by HIV-pulsed DCs; Blimp-1 expression was directly proportional to the expression of the negative costimulatory molecules. Furthermore, levels of the effector cytokines interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ, and perforin and granzyme B were decreased in T-cell populations primed by HIV-pulsed DCs. In conclusion, in vitro priming of naïve T-cells with HIV-pulsed DC leads to expansion of T cells with coexpression of a broad array of negative costimulatory molecules and Blimp-1, with potential deleterious consequences for T-cell responses. PMID:21103670

Rapid feedback processing in human nucleus accumbens and motor thalamus.

PubMed

Schüller, Thomas; Gruendler, Theo O J; Jocham, Gerhard; Klein, Tilmann A; Timmermann, Lars; Visser-Vandewalle, Veerle; Kuhn, Jens; Ullsperger, Markus

2015-04-01

The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and thalamus are integral parts in models of feedback processing. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been successfully employed to alleviate symptoms of psychiatric conditions including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's syndrome (TS). Common target structures are the NAcc and the ventral anterior and ventro-lateral nuclei (VA/VL) of the thalamus, for OCD and TS, respectively. The feedback related negativity (FRN) is an event-related potential associated with feedback processing reflecting posterior medial frontal cortex (pMFC) activity. Here we report on three cases where we recorded scalp EEG and local field potentials (LFP) from externalized electrodes located in the NAcc or thalamus (VA/VL) while patients engaged in a modified time estimation task, known to engage feedback processing and elicit the FRN. Additionally, scalp EEG were recorded from 29 healthy participants (HP) engaged in the same task. The signal in all structures (pMFC, NAcc, and thalamus) was differently modulated by positive and negative feedback. LFP activity in the NAcc showed a biphasic time course after positive feedback during the FRN time interval. Negative feedback elicited a much weaker and later response. In the thalamus a monophasic modulation was recorded during the FRN time interval. Again, this modulation was more pronounced after positive performance feedback compared to negative feedback. In channels outside the target area no modulation was observed. The surface-FRN was reliably elicited on a group level in HP and showed no significant difference following negative feedback between patients and HP. German Clinical Trial Register: Neurocognitive specification of dysfunctions within basal ganglia-cortex loops and their therapeutic modulation by deep brain stimulation in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome, http://www.drks.de/DRKS00005316. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Character of the opposition effect and negative polarization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pieters, Carle M.; Shkuratov, Yu. G.; Stankevich, D. G.

1991-01-01

Photometric and polarimetric properties at small phase angles were measured for silicates with controlled surface properties in order to distinguish properties that are associated with surface reflection from those that are associated with multiple scattering from internal grain boundaries. These data provide insight into the causes and conditions of photometric properties observed at small phase angles for dark bodies of the solar system. Obsidian was chosen to represent a silicate dielectric with no internal scattering boundaries. Because obsidian is free of internal scatterers, light reflected from both the rough and smooth obsidian samples is almost entirely single and multiple Fresnel reflections form surface facets with no body component. Surface structure alone cannot produce an opposition effect. Comparison of the obsidian and basalt results indicates that for an opposition effect to occur, surface texture must be both rough and contain internal scattering interfaces. Although the negative polarization observed for the obsidian samples indicates single and multiple reflections are part of negative polarization, the longer inversion angle of the multigrain inversion samples implies that internal reflections must also contribute a significant negative polarization component.

Secondary electron emission from lunar soil by solar wind type ion impact: Laboratory measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dukes, Catherine; Bu, Caixia; Baragiola, Raul A.

2015-11-01

Introduction: The lunar surface potential is determined by time-varying fluxes of electrons and ions from the solar wind, photoelectrons ejected by UV photons, cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts. Solar wind ions have a dual role in the charging process, adding positive charge to the lunar regolith upon impact and ejecting negative secondary electrons (SE). Electron emission occurs when the energy from the impacting ion is transferred to the solid, ionizing and damaging the material; electrons with kinetic energy greater than the ionization potential (band gap + electron affinity) are ejected from the solid[1].Experiment: We investigate the energy distribution of secondary electrons ejected from Apollo soils of varying maturity and lunar analogs by 4 keV He+. Soils are placed into a shallow Al cup and compressed. In-situ low-energy oxygen plasma is used to clean atmospheric contaminants from the soil before analysis[2]. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ascertains that the sample surface is clean. Experiments are conducted in a PHI 560 system (<10-9 Torr), equipped with a double-pass, cylindrical-mirror electron energy analyzer (CMA) and μ-metal shield. The spectrometer is used to measure SE distributions, as well as for in situ surface characterization. A small negative bias (~5V) with respect to the grounded entrance grid of the CMA may be placed on the sample holder in order to expose the low energy cutoff.To measure SE energy distributions, primary ions rastered over a ~6 x 6 mm2 area are incident on the sample at ~40° relative to the surface normal, while SE emitted with an angle of 42.3°± 3.5° in a cone are analyzed.Results: The energy distribution of SE ejected from 4 keV He ion irradiation of albite with no bias applied shows positive charging of the surface. The general shape and distribution peak (~4 eV) are consistent with spectra for low energy ions on insulating material[1].Acknowledgements: We thank the NASA LASER program for support.References: [1]P. Riccardi, R. Baragiola et al. (2004); Surf. Science 57, L305-L310. [2]C.A. Dukes & R.A. Baragiola (2010) Surface Interface Anal. 42, 40-44.

Precise control of surface electrostatic forces on polymer brush layers with opposite charges for resistance to protein adsorption.

PubMed

Sakata, Sho; Inoue, Yuuki; Ishihara, Kazuhiko

2016-10-01

Various molecular interaction forces are generated during protein adsorption process on material surfaces. Thus, it is necessary to control them to suppress protein adsorption and the subsequent cell and tissue responses. A series of binary copolymer brush layers were prepared via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization, by mixing the cationic monomer unit and anionic monomer unit randomly in various ratios. Surface characterization revealed that the constructed copolymer brush layers exhibited an uniform super-hydrophilic nature and different surface potentials. The strength of the electrostatic interaction forces operating on these mixed-charge copolymer brush surfaces was evaluated quantitatively using force-versus-distance (f-d) curve measurements by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and probes modified by negatively charged carboxyl groups or positively charged amino groups. The electrostatic interaction forces were determined based on the charge ratios of the copolymer brush layers. Notably, the surface containing equivalent cationic/anionic monomer units hardly interacted with both the charged groups. Furthermore, the protein adsorption force and the protein adsorption mass on these surfaces were examined by AFM f-d curve measurement and surface plasmon resonance measurement, respectively. To clarify the influence of the electrostatic interaction on the protein adsorption behavior on the surface, three kinds of proteins having negative, positive, and relatively neutral net charges under physiological conditions were used in this study. We quantitatively demonstrated that the amount of adsorbed proteins on the surfaces would have a strong correlation with the strength of surface-protein interaction forces, and that the strength of surface-protein interaction forces would be determined from the combination between the properties of the electrostatic interaction forces on the surfaces and the charge properties of the proteins. Especially, the copolymer brush surface composed of equivalent cationic/anionic monomer units exhibited no significant interaction forces, and dramatically suppressed the adsorption of proteins regardless of their charge properties. We conclude that the established methodology could elucidate relationship between the protein adsorption behavior and molecular interaction, especially the electrostatic interaction forces, and demonstrated that the suppression of the electrostatic interactions with the ionic functional groups would be important for the development of new polymeric biomaterials with a high repellency of protein adsorption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional properties of internalization-deficient P2X4 receptors reveal a novel mechanism of ligand-gated channel facilitation by ivermectin.

PubMed

Toulmé, Estelle; Soto, Florentina; Garret, Maurice; Boué-Grabot, Eric

2006-02-01

Although P2X receptors within the central nervous system mediate excitatory ATP synaptic transmission, the identity of central ATP-gated channels has not yet been elucidated. P2X(4), the most widely expressed subunit in the brain, was previously shown to undergo clathrin-dependent constitutive internalization by direct interaction between activator protein (AP)2 adaptors and a tyrosine-based sorting signal specifically present in the cytosolic C-terminal tail of mammalian P2X(4) sequences. In this study, we first used internalization-deficient P2X(4) receptor mutants to show that suppression of the endocytosis motif significantly increased the apparent sensitivity to ATP and the ionic permeability of P2X(4) channels. These unique properties, observed at low channel density, suggest that interactions with AP2 complexes may modulate the function of P2X(4) receptors. In addition, ivermectin, an allosteric modulator of several receptor channels, including mammalian P2X(4), did not potentiate the maximal current of internalization-deficient rat or human P2X(4) receptors. We demonstrated that binding of ivermectin onto wild-type P2X(4) channels increased the fraction of plasma membrane P2X(4) receptors, whereas surface expression of internalization-deficient P2X(4) receptors remained unchanged. Disruption of the clathrin-mediated endocytosis with the dominant-negative mutants Eps15 or AP-50 abolished the ivermectin potentiation of wild-type P2X(4) channel currents. Likewise, ivermectin increased the membrane fraction of nicotinic alpha7 acetylcholine (nalpha7ACh) receptors and the potentiation of acetylcholine current by ivermectin was suppressed when the same dominant-negative mutants were expressed. These data showed that potentiation by ivermectin of both P2X(4) and nalpha7ACh receptors was primarily caused by an increase in the number of cell surface receptors resulting from a mechanism dependent on clathrin/AP2-mediated endocytosis.

The role of zeta potential in the adhesion of E. coli to suspended intertidal sediments.

PubMed

Wyness, Adam J; Paterson, David M; Defew, Emma C; Stutter, Marc I; Avery, Lisa M

2018-05-29

The extent of pathogen transport to and within aquatic systems depends heavily on whether the bacterial cells are freely suspended or in association with suspended particles. The surface charge of both bacterial cells and suspended particles affects cell-particle adhesion and subsequent transport and exposure pathways through settling and resuspension cycles. This study investigated the adhesion of Faecal Indicator Organisms (FIOs) to natural suspended intertidal sediments over the salinity gradient encountered at the transition zone from freshwater to marine environments. Phenotypic characteristics of three E. coli strains, and the zeta potential (surface charge) of the E. coli strains and 3 physically different types of intertidal sediments was measured over a salinity gradient from 0 to 5 Practical Salinity Units (PSU). A batch adhesion microcosm experiment was constructed with each combination of E. coli strain, intertidal sediment and 0, 2, 3.5 and 5 PSU. The zeta potential profile of one E. coli strain had a low negative charge and did not change in response to an increase in salinity, and the remaining E. coli strains and the sediments exhibited a more negative charge that decreased with an increase in salinity. Strain type was the most important factor in explaining cell-particle adhesion, however adhesion was also dependant on sediment type and salinity (2, 3.5 PSU > 0, 5 PSU). Contrary to traditional colloidal (Derjaguin, Landau, Vervey, and Overbeek (DLVO)) theory, zeta potential of strain or sediment did not correlate with cell-particle adhesion. E. coli strain characteristics were the defining factor in cell-particle adhesion, implying that diverse strain-specific transport and exposure pathways may exist. Further research applying these findings on a catchment scale is necessary to elucidate these pathways in order to improve accuracy of FIO fate and transport models. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Central Charges and the Sign of Entanglement in 4D Conformal Field Theories.

PubMed

Perlmutter, Eric; Rangamani, Mukund; Rota, Massimiliano

2015-10-23

We explore properties of the universal terms in the entanglement entropy and logarithmic negativity in 4D conformal field theories, aiming to clarify the ways in which they behave like the analogous entanglement measures in quantum mechanics. We show that, unlike entanglement entropy in finite-dimensional systems, the sign of the universal part of entanglement entropy is indeterminate. In particular, if and only if the central charges obey a>c, the entanglement across certain classes of entangling surfaces can become arbitrarily negative, depending on the geometry and topology of the surface. The negative contribution is proportional to the product of a-c and the genus of the surface. Similarly, we show that in a>c theories, the logarithmic negativity does not always exceed the entanglement entropy.

Engineering negative differential conductance with the Cu(111) surface state.

PubMed

Heinrich, B W; Rastei, M V; Choi, D-J; Frederiksen, T; Limot, L

2011-12-09

Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy are employed to investigate electron tunneling from a C60-terminated tip into a Cu(111) surface. Tunneling between a C60 orbital and the Shockley surface states of copper is shown to produce negative differential conductance (NDC) contrary to conventional expectations. NDC can be tuned through barrier thickness or C60 orientation up to complete extinction. The orientation dependence of NDC is a result of a symmetry matching between the molecular tip and the surface states.

Vibrational fingerprinting of bacterial pathogens by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Premasiri, W. Ranjith; Moir, D. T.; Ziegler, Lawrence D.

2005-05-01

The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of vegetative whole-cell bacteria were obtained using in-situ grown gold nanoparticle cluster-covered silicon dioxide substrates excited at 785 nm. SERS spectra of Gram-negative bacteria; E. coli and S. typhimurium, and Gram-positive bacteria; B. subtilis, B. cereus, B. thuringeinsis and B. anthracis Sterne, have been observed. Raman enhancement factors of ~104-105 per cell are found for both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria on this novel SERS substrate. The bacterial SERS spectra are species specific and exhibit greater species differentiation and reduced spectral congestion than their corresponding non-SERS (bulk) Raman spectra. Fluorescence observed in the 785 nm excited bulk Raman emission of Bacillus species is not apparent in the corresponding SERS spectra. The surface enhancement effect allows the observation of Raman spectra at the single cell level excited by low incident laser powers (< 3 mW) and short data acquisition times (~20 sec.). Comparison with previous SERS studies suggests that these SERS vibrational signatures are sensitively dependent on the specific morphology and nature of the SERS active substrate. Exposure to biological environments, such as human blood serum, has an observable effect on the bacterial SERS spectra. However, reproducible, species specific SERS vibrational fingerprints are still obtained. The potential of SERS for detection and identification of bacteria with species specificity on these gold nanoparticle coated substrates is demonstrated by these results.