Red blood cell membrane viscoelasticity, agglutination and zeta potential measurements with double optical tweezers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontes, Adriana; Fernandes, Heloise P.; Barjas-Castro, Maria L.; de Thomaz, André A.; de Ysasa Pozzo, Liliana; Barbosa, Luiz C.; Cesar, Carlos L.

2006-02-01

The red blood cell (RBC) viscoelastic membrane contains proteins and glycolproteins embedded in, or attached, to a fluid lipid bilayer and are negatively charged, which creates a repulsive electric (zeta) potential between the cells and prevents their aggregation in the blood stream. There are techniques, however, to decrease the zeta potential to allow cell agglutination which are the basis of most of the tests of antigen-antibody interactions in blood banks. This report shows the use of a double optical tweezers to measure RBC membrane viscosity, agglutination and zeta potential. In our technique one of the optical tweezers trap a silica bead that binds strongly to a RBC at the end of a RBCs rouleaux and, at the same time, acts as a pico-Newton force transducer, after calibration through its displacement from the equilibrium position. The other optical tweezers trap the RBC at the other end. To measure the membrane viscosity the optical force is measured as a function of the velocity between the RBCs. To measure the adhesion the tweezers are slowly displaced apart until the RBCs disagglutination happens. The RBC zeta potential is measured in two complimentary ways, by the force on the silica bead attached to a single RBC in response to an applied electric field, and the conventional way, by the measurement of terminal velocity of the RBC after released from the optical trap. These two measurements provide information about the RBC charges and, also, electrolytic solution properties. We believe this can improve the methods of diagnosis in blood banks.

Surface Complexation Modeling of Calcite Zeta Potential Measurement in Mixed Brines for Carbonate Wettability Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, J.; Zeng, Y.; Biswal, S. L.; Hirasaki, G. J.

2017-12-01

We presents zeta potential measurements and surface complexation modeling (SCM) of synthetic calcite in various conditions. The systematic zeta potential measurement and the proposed SCM provide insight into the role of four potential determining cations (Mg2+, SO42- , Ca2+ and CO32-) and CO2 partial pressure in calcite surface charge formation and facilitate the revealing of calcite wettability alteration induced by brines with designed ionic composition ("smart water"). Brines with varying potential determining ions (PDI) concentration in two different CO2 partial pressure (PCO2) are investigated in experiments. Then, a double layer SCM is developed to model the zeta potential measurements. Moreover, we propose a definition for contribution of charged surface species and quantitatively analyze the variation of charged species contribution when changing brine composition. After showing our model can accurately predict calcite zeta potential in brines containing mixed PDIs, we apply it to predict zeta potential in ultra-low and pressurized CO2 environments for potential applications in carbonate enhanced oil recovery including miscible CO2 flooding and CO2 sequestration in carbonate reservoirs. Model prediction reveals that pure calcite surface will be positively charged in all investigated brines in pressurized CO2 environment (>1atm). Moreover, the sensitivity of calcite zeta potential to CO2 partial pressure in the various brine is found to be in the sequence of Na2CO3 > Na2SO4 > NaCl > MgCl2 > CaCl2 (Ionic strength=0.1M).

Measurement of Zeta-Potential at Microchannel Wall by a Nanoscale Laser Induced Fluorescence Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazoe, Yutaka; Sato, Yohei

A nanoscale laser induced fluorescence imaging was proposed by using fluorescent dye and the evanescent wave with total internal reflection of a laser beam. The present study focused on the two-dimensional measurement of zeta-potential at the microchannel wall, which is an electrostatic potential at the wall surface and a dominant parameter of electroosmotic flow. The evanescent wave, which decays exponentially from the wall, was used as an excitation light of the fluorescent dye. The fluorescent intensity detected by a CCD camera is closely related to the zeta-potential. Two kinds of fluorescent dye solution at different ionic concentrations were injected into a T-shaped microchannel, and formed a mixing flow field in the junction area. The two-dimensional distribution of zeta-potential at the microchannel wall in the pressure-driven flow field was measured. The obtained zeta-potential distribution has a transverse gradient toward the mixing flow field and was changed by the difference in the averaged velocity of pressure-driven flow. To understand the ion motion in the mixing flow field, the three-dimensional flow structure was analyzed by the velocity measurement using micron-resolution particle image velocimetry and the numerical simulation. It is concluded that the two-dimensional distribution of zeta-potential at the microchannel wall was dependent on the ion motion in the flow field, which was governed by the convection and molecular diffusion.

Cursory examination of the zeta potential behaviors of two optical materials

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

Tesar, A.; Oja, T.

1992-01-02

When an oxide surface is placed in water, a difference in potential across the interface occurs due to dipole orientation. Hydroxyl groups or bound oxygen atoms on the oxide surface will orient adjacent water molecules which balance the dipole charge. This occurs over some small distance called the electrical double layer. Trace amounts of high field strength ions present in the vicinity of the double layer can have significant effects on the double layer. When there is movement of the oxide surface with respect to the water, a shearing of the double layer occurs. The electrical potential at this surfacemore » of shear is termed the zeta potential. The impetus for this study was to document the zeta potential behavior in water of two optical materials. (1) a multicomponent phosphate glass; and (2) Zerodur, a silicate glass-ceramic.« less

Zeta potential in ceramic industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lecuit, M.

1984-01-01

Deflocculation, electrical conductivity and zeta potential (ZP) are studied for the addition of 0 to 10000 ppm Na2SiO3 deflocculator to slips obtained from three argillaceous materials (kaolin d'Arvor, ball clay Hyplas 64, and/or Granger Clay No. 10). The quantity of Na2SO3 required to deflocculate a slip is independent of the density but differes for each clay. The ZP is directly related to the density of the slip. The higher the ZP the more stable a slip is; the value of the ZP of a mixture does not follow a simple law but the electrical resistance of a mixture does follow a simple additive law. The ZP appears to have linear relation with the specific surface of the argillaceous material.

Zeta potential orientation dependence of sapphire substrates.

PubMed

Kershner, Ryan J; Bullard, Joseph W; Cima, Michael J

2004-05-11

The zeta potential of planar sapphire substrates for three different crystallographic orientations was measured by a streaming potential technique in the presence of KCl and (CH3)4NCl electrolytes. The streaming potential was measured for large single crystalline C-plane (0001), A-plane (1120), and R-plane (1102) wafers over a full pH range at three or more ionic strengths ranging from 1 to 100 mM. The roughness of the epi-polished wafers was verified using atomic force microscopy to be on the order of atomic scale, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to ensure that the samples were free of silica and other contaminants. The results reveal a shift in the isoelectric point (iep) of the three samples by as much as two pH units, with the R-plane surface exhibiting the most acidic behavior and the C-plane samples having the highest iep. The iep at all ionic strengths was tightly centered around a single pH for each wafer. These values of iep are substantially different from the range of pH 8-10 consistently reported in the literature for alpha-Al2O3 particles. Particle zeta potential measurements were performed on a model powder using phase analysis light scattering, and the iep was confirmed to occur at pH 8. Modified Auger parameters (MAP) were calculated from XPS spectra of a monolayer of iridium metal deposited on the sapphire by electron beam deposition. A shift in MAP consistent with the observed differences in iep of the surfaces confirms the effect of surface structure on the transfer of charge between the Ir and sapphire, hence accounting for the changes in acidity as a function of crystallographic orientation.

Electrokinetically driven active micro-mixers utilizing zeta potential variation induced by field effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chia-Yen; Lee, Gwo-Bin; Fu, Lung-Ming; Lee, Kuo-Hoong; Yang, Ruey-Jen

2004-10-01

This paper presents a new electrokinetically driven active micro-mixer which uses localized capacitance effects to induce zeta potential variations along the surface of silica-based microchannels. The mixer is fabricated by etching bulk flow and shielding electrode channels into glass substrates and then depositing Au/Cr thin films within the latter to form capacitor electrodes, which establish localized zeta potential variations near the electrical double layer (EDL) region of the electroosmotic flow (EOF) within the microchannels. The potential variations induce flow velocity changes within a homogeneous fluid and a rapid mixing effect if an alternating electric field is provided. The current experimental data confirm that the fluid velocity can be actively controlled by using the capacitance effect of the buried shielding electrodes to vary the zeta potential along the channel walls. While compared with commonly used planar electrodes across the microchannels, the buried shielding electrodes prevent current leakage caused by bad bonding and allow direct optical observation during operation. It also shows that the buried shielding electrodes can significantly induce the field effect, resulting in higher variations of zeta potential. Computational fluid dynamic simulations are also used to study the fluid characteristics of the developed active mixers. The numerical and experimental results demonstrate that the developed microfluidic device permits a high degree of control over the fluid flow and an efficient mixing effect. Moreover, the developed device could be used as a pumping device as well. The development of the active electrokinetically driven micro-mixer could be crucial for micro-total-analysis-systems.

Coagulation-flocculation mechanisms in wastewater treatment plants through zeta potential measurements.

PubMed

López-Maldonado, E A; Oropeza-Guzman, M T; Jurado-Baizaval, J L; Ochoa-Terán, A

2014-08-30

Based on the polyelectrolyte-contaminant physical and chemical interactions at the molecular level, this article analyzed and discussed the coagulation-flocculation and chemical precipitation processes in order to improve their efficiency. Bench experiments indicate that water pH, polyelectrolyte (PE) dosing strategy and cationic polyelectrolyte addition are key parameters for the stability of metal-PE complexes. The coagulation-flocculation mechanism is proposed based on zeta potential (ζ) measurement as the criteria to define the electrostatic interaction between pollutants and coagulant-flocculant agents. Polyelectrolyte and wastewater dispersions are exposed to an electrophoretic effect to determine ζ. Finally, zeta potential values are compared at pH 9, suggesting the optimum coagulant dose at 162mg/L polydadmac and 67mg/L of flocculant, since a complete removal of TSS and turbidity is achieved. Based on the concentration of heavy metals (0.931mg/L Sn, 0.7mg/L Fe and 0.63mg/L Pb), treated water met the Mexican maximum permissible limits. In addition, the treated water has 45mg O2/L chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 45mg C/L total organic carbon (TOC). The coagulation-flocculation mechanism is proposed taking into account both: zeta potential (ζ)-pH measurement and chemical affinity, as the criteria to define the electrostatic and chemical interaction between pollutants and polyelectrolytes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis for Determination of Hydrodynamic Diameter, Concentration, and Zeta-Potential of Polyplex Nanoparticles.

PubMed

Wilson, David R; Green, Jordan J

2017-01-01

Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) is a recently developed nanoparticle characterization technique that offers certain advantages over dynamic light scattering for characterizing polyplex nanoparticles in particular. Dynamic light scattering results in intensity-weighted average measurements of nanoparticle characteristics. In contrast, NTA directly tracks individual particles, enabling concentration measurements as well as the direct determination of number-weighted particle size and zeta-potential. A direct number-weighted assessment of nanoparticle characteristics is particularly useful for polydisperse samples of particles, including many varieties of gene delivery particles that can be prone to aggregation. Here, we describe the synthesis of poly(beta-amino ester)/deoxyribonucleic acid (PBAE/DNA) polyplex nanoparticles and their characterization using NTA to determine hydrodynamic diameter, zeta-potential, and concentration. Additionally, we detail methods of labeling nucleic acids with fluorophores to assess only those polyplex nanoparticles containing plasmids via NTA. Polymeric gene delivery of exogenous plasmid DNA has great potential for treating a wide variety of diseases by inducing cells to express a gene of interest.

Optimal aluminum/zirconium: Protein interactions for predicting antiperspirant efficacy using zeta potential measurements.

PubMed

Yuan, Shaotang; Vaughn, John; Pappas, Iraklis; Fitzgerald, Michael; Masters, James G; Pan, Long

2015-01-01

The interactions between commercial antiperspirant (AP) salts [aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH), activated ACH, aluminum sesquichlorohydrate (ASCH), zirconium aluminum glycine (ZAG), activated ZAG), pure aluminum polyoxocations (Al13-mer, Al30-mer), and the zirconium(IV)-glycine complex Zr6 (O)4 (OH)4 (H2O)8 (Gly)8]12+(-) (CP-2 or ZG) with Bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied using zeta potential and turbidity measurements. The maximal turbidity, which revealed the optimal interactions between protein and metal salts, for all protein-metal salt samples was observed at the isoelectric point (IEP), where the zeta potential of the solution was zero. Efficacy of AP salts was determined via three parameters: the amount of salt required to flocculate BSA to reach IEP, the turbidity of solution at the IEP, and the pH range over which the turbidity of the solution remains sufficiently high. By comparing active salt performance from this work to traditional prescreening methods, this methodology was able to provide a consistent efficacy assessment for metal actives in APs or in water treatment.

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.

Chitosan-magnesium aluminum silicate composite dispersions: characterization of rheology, flocculate size and zeta potential.

PubMed

Khunawattanakul, Wanwisa; Puttipipatkhachorn, Satit; Rades, Thomas; Pongjanyakul, Thaned

2008-03-03

Composite dispersions of chitosan (CS), a positively charged polymer, and magnesium aluminum silicate (MAS), a negatively charged clay, were prepared and rheology, flocculate size and zeta potential of the CS-MAS dispersions were investigated. High and low molecular weights of CS (HCS and LCS, respectively) were used in this study. Moreover, the effects of heat treatment at 60 degrees C on the characteristics of the CS-MAS dispersions and the zeta potential of MAS upon addition of CS at different pHs were examined. Incorporation of MAS into CS dispersions caused an increase in viscosity and a shift of CS flow type from Newtonian to pseudoplastic flow with thixotropic properties. Heat treatment brought about a significant decrease in viscosity and hysteresis area of the composite dispersions. Microscopic studies showed that flocculation of MAS occurred after mixing with CS. The size and polydispersity index of the HCS-MAS flocculate were greater than those of the LCS-MAS flocculate. However, a narrower size distribution and the smaller size of the HCS-MAS flocculate were found after heating at 60 degrees C. Zeta potentials of the CS-MAS flocculates were positive and slightly increased with increasing MAS content. In the zeta potential studies, the negative charge of the MAS could be neutralized by the addition of CS. Increasing the pH and molecular weight of CS resulted in higher CS concentrations required to neutralize the charge of MAS. These findings suggest that the electrostatic interaction between CS and MAS caused a change in flow behavior and flocculation of the composite dispersions, depending on the molecular weight of CS. Heat treatment affected the rheological properties and the flocculate size of the composite dispersions. Moreover, pH of medium and molecular weight of CS influence the zeta potential of MAS.

Zeta potential in oil-water-carbonate systems and its impact on oil recovery during controlled salinity water-flooding

PubMed Central

Jackson, Matthew D.; Al-Mahrouqi, Dawoud; Vinogradov, Jan

2016-01-01

Laboratory experiments and field trials have shown that oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs can be increased by modifying the brine composition injected during recovery in a process termed controlled salinity water-flooding (CSW). However, CSW remains poorly understood and there is no method to predict the optimum CSW composition. This work demonstrates for the first time that improved oil recovery (IOR) during CSW is strongly correlated to changes in zeta potential at both the mineral-water and oil-water interfaces. We report experiments in which IOR during CSW occurs only when the change in brine composition induces a repulsive electrostatic force between the oil-brine and mineral-brine interfaces. The polarity of the zeta potential at both interfaces must be determined when designing the optimum CSW composition. A new experimental method is presented that allows this. Results also show for the first time that the zeta potential at the oil-water interface may be positive at conditions relevant to carbonate reservoirs. A key challenge for any model of CSW is to explain why IOR is not always observed. Here we suggest that failures using the conventional (dilution) approach to CSW may have been caused by a positively charged oil-water interface that had not been identified. PMID:27876833

The zeta potential of extended dielectrics and conductors in terms of streaming potential and streaming current measurements.

PubMed

Gallardo-Moreno, Amparo M; Vadillo-Rodríguez, Virginia; Perera-Núñez, Julia; Bruque, José M; González-Martín, M Luisa

2012-07-21

The electrical characterization of surfaces in terms of the zeta potential (ζ), i.e., the electric potential contributing to the interaction potential energy, is of major importance in a wide variety of industrial, environmental and biomedical applications in which the integration of any material with the surrounding media is initially mediated by the physico-chemical properties of its outer surface layer. Among the different existing electrokinetic techniques for obtaining ζ, streaming potential (V(str)) and streaming current (I(str)) are important when dealing with flat-extended samples. Mostly dielectric materials have been subjected to this type of analysis and only a few papers can be found in the literature regarding the electrokinetic characterization of conducting materials. Nevertheless, a standardized procedure is typically followed to calculate ζ from the measured data and, importantly, it is shown in this paper that such a procedure leads to incorrect zeta potential values when conductors are investigated. In any case, assessment of a reliable numerical value of ζ requires careful consideration of the origin of the input data and the characteristics of the experimental setup. In particular, it is shown that the cell resistance (R) typically obtained through a.c. signals (R(a.c.)), and needed for the calculations of ζ, always underestimates the zeta potential values obtained from streaming potential measurements. The consideration of R(EK), derived from the V(str)/I(str) ratio, leads to reliable values of ζ when dielectrics are investigated. For metals, the contribution of conductivity of the sample to the cell resistance provokes an underestimation of R(EK), which leads to unrealistic values of ζ. For the electrical characterization of conducting samples I(str) measurements constitute a better choice. In general, the findings gathered in this manuscript establish a measurement protocol for obtaining reliable zeta potentials of dielectrics and

Effects of image charges, interfacial charge discreteness, and surface roughness on the zeta potential of spherical electric double layers.

PubMed

Gan, Zecheng; Xing, Xiangjun; Xu, Zhenli

2012-07-21

We investigate the effects of image charges, interfacial charge discreteness, and surface roughness on spherical electric double layer structures in electrolyte solutions with divalent counterions in the setting of the primitive model. By using Monte Carlo simulations and the image charge method, the zeta potential profile and the integrated charge distribution function are computed for varying surface charge strengths and salt concentrations. Systematic comparisons were carried out between three distinct models for interfacial charges: (1) SURF1 with uniform surface charges, (2) SURF2 with discrete point charges on the interface, and (3) SURF3 with discrete interfacial charges and finite excluded volume. By comparing the integrated charge distribution function and the zeta potential profile, we argue that the potential at the distance of one ion diameter from the macroion surface is a suitable location to define the zeta potential. In SURF2 model, we find that image charge effects strongly enhance charge inversion for monovalent interfacial charges, and strongly suppress charge inversion for multivalent interfacial charges. For SURF3, the image charge effect becomes much smaller. Finally, with image charges in action, we find that excluded volumes (in SURF3) suppress charge inversion for monovalent interfacial charges and enhance charge inversion for multivalent interfacial charges. Overall, our results demonstrate that all these aspects, i.e., image charges, interfacial charge discreteness, their excluding volumes, have significant impacts on zeta potentials of electric double layers.

Stimulation and inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis by organosolv lignins as determined by zeta potential and hydrophobicity.

PubMed

Huang, Yang; Sun, Shaolong; Huang, Chen; Yong, Qiang; Elder, Thomas; Tu, Maobing

2017-01-01

Lignin typically inhibits enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass, but certain organosolv lignins or lignosulfonates enhance enzymatic hydrolysis. The hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between lignin and cellulases play critical roles in the enzymatic hydrolysis process. However, how to incorporate these two interactions into the consideration of lignin effects has not been investigated. We examined the physicochemical properties and the structures of ethanol organosolv lignins (EOL) from hardwood and softwood and ascertained the association between lignin properties and their inhibitory and stimulatory effects on enzymatic hydrolysis. The zeta potential and hydrophobicity of EOL lignin samples, isolated from organosolv pretreatment of cottonwood (CW), black willow (BW), aspen (AS), eucalyptus (EH), and loblolly pine (LP), were determined and correlated with their effects on enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel. EOLs from CW, BW, and AS improved the 72 h hydrolysis yield by 8-12%, while EOLs from EH and LP decreased the 72 h hydrolysis yield by 6 and 16%, respectively. The results showed a strong correlation between the 72 h hydrolysis yield with hydrophobicity and zeta potential. The correlation indicated that the hydrophobicity of EOL had a negative effect and the negative zeta potential of EOL had a positive effect. HSQC NMR spectra showed that β- O -4 linkages in lignin react with ethanol to form an α -ethoxylated β- O -4' substructure (A') during organosolv pretreatment. Considerable amounts of C 2,6 -H 2,6 correlation in p -hydroxybenzoate (PB) units were observed for EOL-CW, EOL-BW, and EOL-AS, but not for EOL-EH and EOL-LP. This study revealed that the effect of lignin on enzymatic hydrolysis is a function of both hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic repulsions. The lignin inhibition is controlled by lignin hydrophobicity and the lignin stimulation is governed by the negative zeta potential. The net effect of lignin depends on the combined

Investigating the clinical potential for 14-3-3 zeta protein to serve as a biomarker for epithelial ovarian cancer

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objective Recently, 14-3-3 zeta protein was identified as a potential serum biomarker of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The goal of this study was to investigate the clinical potential of 14-3-3 zeta protein for monitoring EOC progression compared with CA-125 and HE4. Design Prospective follow-up study. Setting University of Pecs Medical Center Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Oncology (Pecs, Hungary). Population Thirteen EOC patients with advanced stage (FIGO IIb-IIIc) epithelial ovarian cancer that underwent radical surgery and received six consecutive cycles of first line chemotherapy (paclitaxel, carboplatin) in 21-day intervals. Methods Pre- and post-chemotherapy computed tomography (CT) scans were performed. Serum levels of CA-125, HE4, and 14-3-3 zeta protein were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative electrochemiluminescence assay (ECLIA). Main outcome measures Serum levels of CA-125, HE4, and 14-3-3 zeta protein, as well as lesion size according to pre- and post-chemotherapy CT scans. Results Serum levels of CA-125 and HE4 were found to significantly decrease following chemotherapy, and this was consistent with the decrease in lesion size detected post-chemotherapy. In contrast, 14-3-3 zeta protein levels did not significantly differ in healthy postmenopausal patients versus EOC patients. Conclusions Determination of CA-125 and HE4 serum levels for the determination of the risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA) represents a useful tool for the prediction of chemotherapy efficacy for EOC patients. However, levels of 14-3-3 zeta protein were not found to vary significantly as a consequence of treatment. Therefore we question if 14-3-3 zeta protein is a reliable biomarker, which correlates with the clinical behavior of EOC. PMID:24238270

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.

Interlaboratory comparison for the measurement of particle size and zeta potential of silica nanoparticles in an aqueous suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamberty, Andrée; Franks, Katrin; Braun, Adelina; Kestens, Vikram; Roebben, Gert; Linsinger, Thomas P. J.

2011-12-01

The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements has organised an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) to allow the participating laboratories to demonstrate their proficiency in particle size and zeta potential measurements on monomodal aqueous suspensions of silica nanoparticles in the 10-100 nm size range. The main goal of this ILC was to identify competent collaborators for the production of certified nanoparticle reference materials. 38 laboratories from four different continents participated in the ILC with different methods for particle sizing and determination of zeta potential. Most of the laboratories submitted particle size results obtained with centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS), dynamic light scattering (DLS) or electron microscopy (EM), or zeta potential values obtained via electrophoretic light scattering (ELS). The results of the laboratories were evaluated using method-specific z scores, calculated on the basis of consensus values from the ILC. For CLS (13 results) and EM (13 results), all reported values were within the ±2 | z| interval. For DLS, 25 of the 27 results reported were within the ±2 | z| interval, the two other results were within the ±3 | z| interval. The standard deviations of the corresponding laboratory mean values varied between 3.7 and 6.5%, which demonstrates satisfactory interlaboratory comparability of CLS, DLS and EM particle size values. From the received test reports, a large discrepancy was observed in terms of the laboratory's quality assurance systems, which are equally important for the selection of collaborators in reference material certification projects. Only a minority of the participating laboratories is aware of all the items that are mandatory in test reports compliant to ISO/IEC 17025 (ISO General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. International Organisation for Standardization, Geneva, 2005b). The absence of measurement uncertainty values in the reports, for

Hydrodynamic dispersion in a combined magnetohydrodynamic- electroosmotic-driven flow through a microchannel with slowly varying wall zeta potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, C.; Arcos, J.; Bautista, O.; Méndez, F.

2017-09-01

The effective dispersion coefficient of a neutral solute in the combined electroosmotic (EO) and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-driven flow of a Newtonian fluid through a parallel flat plate microchannel is studied. The walls of the microchannel are assumed to have modulated and low zeta potentials that vary slowly in the axial direction in a sinusoidal manner. The flow field required to obtain the dispersion coefficient is solved using the lubrication approximation theory. The solution of the electrical potential is based on the Debye-Hückel approximation for a symmetric (Z :Z ) electrolyte solution. The EO and MHD effects, together with the variations in the zeta potentials of the walls, are observed to notably modify the axial distribution of the effective dispersion coefficient. The problem is formulated for two cases of the zeta potential function. Note that the dispersion coefficient primarily depends on the Hartmann number, on the ratio of the half height of the microchannel to the Debye length, and on the assumed variation in the zeta potentials of the walls.

Binding of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-zeta (PLC-zeta) to phospholipid membranes: potential role of an unstructured cluster of basic residues.

PubMed

Nomikos, Michail; Mulgrew-Nesbitt, Anna; Pallavi, Payal; Mihalyne, Gyongyi; Zaitseva, Irina; Swann, Karl; Lai, F Anthony; Murray, Diana; McLaughlin, Stuart

2007-06-01

Phospholipase C-zeta (PLC-zeta) is a sperm-specific enzyme that initiates the Ca2+ oscillations in mammalian eggs that activate embryo development. It shares considerable sequence homology with PLC-delta1, but lacks the PH domain that anchors PLC-delta1 to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, PIP2. Thus it is unclear how PLC-zeta interacts with membranes. The linker region between the X and Y catalytic domains of PLC-zeta, however, contains a cluster of basic residues not present in PLC-delta1. Application of electrostatic theory to a homology model of PLC-zeta suggests this basic cluster could interact with acidic lipids. We measured the binding of catalytically competent mouse PLC-zeta to phospholipid vesicles: for 2:1 phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine (PC/PS) vesicles, the molar partition coefficient, K, is too weak to be of physiological significance. Incorporating 1% PIP2 into the 2:1 PC/PS vesicles increases K about 10-fold, to 5x10(3) M-1, a biologically relevant value. Expressed fragments corresponding to the PLC-zeta X-Y linker region also bind with higher affinity to polyvalent than monovalent phosphoinositides on nitrocellulose filters. A peptide corresponding to the basic cluster (charge=+7) within the linker region, PLC-zeta-(374-385), binds to PC/PS vesicles with higher affinity than PLC-zeta, but its binding is less sensitive to incorporating PIP2. The acidic residues flanking this basic cluster in PLC-zeta may account for both these phenomena. FRET experiments suggest the basic cluster could not only anchor the protein to the membrane, but also enhance the local concentration of PIP2 adjacent to the catalytic domain.

Effective flocculation of Chlorella vulgaris using chitosan with zeta potential measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Low, Y. J.; Lau, S. W.

2017-06-01

Microalgae are considered as one promising source of third-generation biofuels due to their fast growth rates, potentially higher yield rates and wide ranges of growth conditions. However, the extremely low biomass concentration in microalgae cultures presents a great challenge to the harvesting of microalgae because a large volume of water needs to be removed to obtain dry microalgal cells for the subsequent oil extraction process. In this study, the fresh water microalgae Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) was effectively harvested using both low molecular weight (MW) and high MW chitosan flocculants. The flocculation efficiency was evaluated by physical appearance, supernatant absorbance, zeta potential and solids content after centrifugal dewatering. High flocculation efficiency of 98.0-99.0% was achieved at the optimal dosage of 30-40 mg/g with formation of large microalgae flocs. This study suggests that the polymer bridging mechanism was governing the flocculation behaviour of C. vulgaris using high MW chitosan. Besides, charge patch neutralisation mechanism prevailed at low MW chitosan where lower dosage was sufficient to reach near-zero zeta potential compared with the high MW chitosan. The amount of chitosan polymer present in the culture may also affect the mechanism of flocculation.

Zeta potentials of the rare earth element fluorcarbonate minerals focusing on bastnäsite and parisite.

PubMed

Owens, C L; Nash, G R; Hadler, K; Fitzpatrick, R S; Anderson, C G; Wall, F

2018-06-01

Rare earth elements (REE) are critical to a wide range of technologies ranging from mobile phones to wind turbines. Processing and extraction of REE minerals from ore bodies is, however, both challenging and relatively poorly understood, as the majority of deposits contain only limited enrichment of REEs. An improved understanding of the surface properties of the minerals is important in informing and optimising their processing, in particular for separation by froth flotation. The measurement of zeta potential can be used to extract information regarding the electrical double layer, and hence surface properties of these minerals. There are over 34 REE fluorcarbonate minerals currently identified, however bastnäsite, synchysite and parisite are of most economic importance. Bastnäsite-(Ce), the most common REE fluorcarbonate, supplies over 50% of the world's REE. Previous studies of bastnäsite have showed a wide range of surface behaviour, with the iso-electric point (IEP), being measured between pH values of 4.6 and 9.3. In contrast, no values of IEP have been reported for parisite or synchysite. In this work, we review previous studies of the zeta potentials of bastnäsite to investigate the effects of different methodologies and sample preparation. In addition, measurements of zeta potentials of parisite under water, collector and supernatant conditions were conducted, the first to be reported. These results showed an iso-electric point for parisite of 5.6 under water, with a shift to a more negative zeta potential with both collector (hydroxamic and fatty acids) and supernatant conditions. The IEP with collectors and supernatant was <3.5. As zeta potential measurements in the presence of reagents and supernatants are the most rigorous way of determining the efficiency of a flotation reagent, the agreement between parisite zeta potentials obtained here and previous work on bastnäsite suggests that parisite may be processed using similar reagent schemes to

Rheological behavior, zeta potential, and accelerated stability tests of Buriti oil (Mauritia flexuosa) emulsions containing lyotropic liquid crystals.

PubMed

Zanatta, Cinthia Fernanda; de Faria Sato, Anne Miwa Callejón; de Camargo, Flavio Bueno; Campos, Patrícia Maria Berardo Gonçalves Maia; Rocha-Filho, Pedro Alves

2010-01-01

It is well known that the Amazon region presents a huge biodiversity; therefore, countless natural resources are being employed in the production of phytocosmetics and phytomedicines. The purpose of this work was to obtain emulsions produced with Buriti oil and non-ionic surfactants. Two surfactant systems were employed (Steareth-2 associated to Ceteareth-5 and to Ceteareth-20) to produce the emulsions using phase diagram method. Emulsions were obtained by echo-planar imaging method at 75°C. Rheological behavior and zeta potential were evaluated, and accelerated stability tests were performed. All emulsions analyzed presented pseudoplastic behavior. Zeta potential values were obtained between -14.2 and -53.3 mV. The formulations did not show changes in either physical stability, pH, or rheological behavior after accelerated stability tests. Significant differences were observed only after temperature cycling test. Based on these results, the emulsions obtained could be considered as promising delivery systems.

Entrapment of ovalbumin into liposomes--factors affecting entrapment efficiency, liposome size, and zeta potential.

PubMed

Brgles, Marija; Jurasin, Darija; Sikirić, Maja Dutour; Frkanec, Ruza; Tomasić, Jelka

2008-01-01

Various amounts of Ovalbumin (OVA) were encapsulated into positively and negatively charged multilamellar liposomes, with the aim to investigate the entrapment efficiency in different buffers and to study their effects on the liposome size and zeta potential. Results showed that the entrapment efficiency of OVA in anionic liposomes was the same in 10 mM Phosphate Buffer (PB) as in Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS; PB + 0.15 M NaCl). Also, liposome size was approximately 1200 nm for all anionic liposomes incorporating OVA. The entrapment efficiency of OVA in cationic liposomes was highly dependent on ionic strength. The size of cationic liposomes was approximately 1200 nm in PBS, regardless of protein content, but increased with the amount of the incorporated protein in PB. Aggregation of cationic liposomes in PB was observed when the mass of the protein was 2.5 mg or greater. The zeta potential of anionic liposomes was negative and of cationic liposomes positive in the whole range of protein mass tested. These results show how different compositions of lipid and aqueous phases can be used to vary the entrapment efficiency, liposome size, and zeta potential--the factors that are of great importance for the use of liposomes as drug carriers.

Electroosmotic flow of Phan-Thien-Tanner fluids at high zeta potentials: An exact analytical solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarma, Rajkumar; Deka, Nabajit; Sarma, Kuldeep; Mondal, Pranab Kumar

2018-06-01

We present a mathematical model to study the electroosmotic flow of a viscoelastic fluid in a parallel plate microchannel with a high zeta potential, taking hydrodynamic slippage at the walls into account in the underlying analysis. We use the simplified Phan-Thien-Tanner (s-PTT) constitutive relationships to describe the rheological behavior of the viscoelastic fluid, while Navier's slip law is employed to model the interfacial hydrodynamic slip. Here, we derive analytical solutions for the potential distribution, flow velocity, and volumetric flow rate based on the complete Poisson-Boltzmann equation (without considering the frequently used Debye-Hückel linear approximation). For the underlying electrokinetic transport, this investigation primarily reveals the influence of fluid rheology, wall zeta potential as modulated by the interfacial electrochemistry and interfacial slip on the velocity distribution, volumetric flow rate, and fluid stress, as well as the apparent viscosity. We show that combined with the viscoelasticity of the fluid, a higher wall zeta potential and slip coefficient lead to a phenomenal enhancement in the volumetric flow rate. We believe that this analysis, besides providing a deep theoretical insight to interpret the transport process, will also serve as a fundamental design tool for microfluidic devices/systems under electrokinetic influence.

Study of a binary interpenetrated polymeric complex by correlation of rheological parameters with zeta potential and conductivity.

PubMed

Nita, Loredana Elena; Chiriac, Aurica P; Neamtu, Iordana; Bercea, Maria

2010-03-01

The interpenetrated macromolecular chains complexation between poly(aspartic acid) and poly(vinyl alcohol) in aqueous solution it was investigated. The interpolymer complexation process was evaluated through dynamic rheology. The aspects concerning the stability of the tested homopolymers and the prepared interpolymeric complex there were achieved from the evaluation of the aqueous solutions'zeta potential and also by determining the pH influence upon the zeta potential and the conductivity. The data obtained through the rheological dynamic measurements were correlated with the composition of the polymeric mixture, the dependence of zeta potential and conductivity. The study reveals the conditions for the formation of interpenetrated polymeric complex as being a ratio of 70wt.% PAS to 30wt.% PVA at 22 degrees C and 50/50 PAS/PVA ratio at 37 degrees C temperature. From the pH influence upon the zeta potential values it was evidenced the PAS aqueous solution does not reach the isoelectric point. At the same time, PVA solution and the complex PAS/PVA reaches the isoelectric point at strongly acid pH. The better stability of PAS, PVA and their mixture in solution is recorded in the alkaline domain (7.5or=12). The conductivity increases with the rising of the PAS content, pH and temperature. Other characteristics of the prepared interpenetrated polymeric structure, as for example thermal stability, there are also presented.

Retention of membrane charge attributes by cryopreserved-thawed sperm and zeta selection.

PubMed

Kam, Tricia L; Jacobson, John D; Patton, William C; Corselli, Johannah U; Chan, Philip J

2007-09-01

Mature sperm can be selected based on their negative zeta electrokinetic potential. The zeta selection of cryopreserved sperm is unknown. The objective was to study the effect of zeta processing on the morphology and kinematic parameters of cryopreserved-thawed sperm. Colloid-washed sperm (N = 9 cases) were cryopreserved for 24 h, thawed and diluted in serum-free medium in positive-charged tubes. After centrifugation, the tubes were decanted, serum-supplemented medium was added and the resuspended sperm were analyzed. Untreated sperm and fresh sperm served as the controls. There were improvements in strict normal morphology in fresh (11.8 +/- 0.3 versus control 8.8 +/- 0.3 %, mean +/- SEM) and thawed (8.7 +/- 0.2 versus control 5.4 +/- 0.2%) sperm after zeta processing. Percent sperm necrosis was reduced after zeta processing (66.0 +/- 0.6 versus unprocessed 74.6 +/- 0.3%). Progression decreased by 50% but not total motility after zeta processing of thawed sperm. The results suggested that the cryopreservation process did not impact the sperm membrane net zeta potential and higher percentages of sperm with normal strict morphology, acrosome integrity and reduced necrosis were recovered. The zeta method was simple and improved the selection of quality sperm after cryopreservation but more studies would be needed before routine clinical application.

EFFECT OF AQUEOUS PHASE PROPERTIES ON CLAY PARTICLE ZETA POTENTIAL AND ELECTRO-OSMOTIC PERMEABILITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR ELECTRO-KINETIC SOIL REMEDIATION PROCESSES

EPA Science Inventory

The influence of aqueous phase properties (pH, ionic strength and divalent metal ion concentration) on clay particle zeta potential and packed-bed electro-osmotic permeability was quantified. Although pH strongly altered the zeta potential of a Georgia kaolinite, it did not signi...

Generation of nanobubbles by ceramic membrane filters: The dependence of bubble size and zeta potential on surface coating, pore size and injected gas pressure.

PubMed

Ahmed, Ahmed Khaled Abdella; Sun, Cuizhen; Hua, Likun; Zhang, Zhibin; Zhang, Yanhao; Zhang, Wen; Marhaba, Taha

2018-07-01

Generation of gaseous nanobubbles (NBs) by simple, efficient, and scalable methods is critical for industrialization and applications of nanobubbles. Traditional generation methods mainly rely on hydrodynamic, acoustic, particle, and optical cavitation. These generation processes render issues such as high energy consumption, non-flexibility, and complexity. This research investigated the use of tubular ceramic nanofiltration membranes to generate NBs in water with air, nitrogen and oxygen gases. This system injects pressurized gases through a tubular ceramic membrane with nanopores to create NBs. The effects of membrane pores size, surface energy, and the injected gas pressures on the bubble size and zeta potential were examined. The results show that the gas injection pressure had considerable effects on the bubble size, zeta potential, pH, and dissolved oxygen of the produced NBs. For example, increasing the injection air pressure from 69 kPa to 414 kPa, the air bubble size was reduced from 600 to 340 nm respectively. Membrane pores size and surface energy also had significant effects on sizes and zeta potentials of NBs. The results presented here aim to fill out the gaps of fundamental knowledge about NBs and development of efficient generation methods. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the influence of the zeta-potential on the filtration rate in the presence of collectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Provirnina, E. V.; Barbin, M. B.

1984-01-01

The value of the zeta-potential does not have an explicit effect, which is expressed by a simple math correlation, on filtration rate when a solution of the tested collector is filtered through a cake prepared under standard conditions from the examined particulate material. The zeta-potential measurements and filtration tests were carried out on silica and galena with solutions contg. a cationic container ANP and Et xanthane, resp. at PH = 6.5, varying concentration of the agent (0-2500 g/ton), and under a vacuum of 100 to 600 mm Hg.

Development of a novel in silico model of zeta potential for metal oxide nanoparticles: a nano-QSPR approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyrzykowska, Ewelina; Mikolajczyk, Alicja; Sikorska, Celina; Puzyn, Tomasz

2016-11-01

Once released into the aquatic environment, nanoparticles (NPs) are expected to interact (e.g. dissolve, agglomerate/aggregate, settle), with important consequences for NP fate and toxicity. A clear understanding of how internal and environmental factors influence the NP toxicity and fate in the environment is still in its infancy. In this study, a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) approach was employed to systematically explore factors that affect surface charge (zeta potential) under environmentally realistic conditions. The nano-QSPR model developed with multiple linear regression (MLR) was characterized by high robustness ({{{Q}}{{2}}}{{CV}}=0.90) and external predictivity ({{{Q}}{{2}}}{{EXT}}=0.93). The results clearly showed that zeta potential values varied markedly as functions of the ionic radius of the metal atom in the metal oxides, confirming that agglomeration and the extent of release of free MexOy largely depend on their intrinsic properties. A developed nano-QSPR model was successfully applied to predict zeta potential in an ionized solution of NPs for which experimentally determined values of response have been unavailable. Hence, the application of our model is possible when the values of zeta potential in the ionized solution for metal oxide nanoparticles are undetermined, without the necessity of performing more time consuming and expensive experiments. We believe that our studies will be helpful in predicting the conditions under which MexOy is likely to become problematic for the environment and human health.

Directional flow induced by synchronized longitudinal and zeta-potential controlling AC-electrical fields.

PubMed

van der Wouden, E J; Hermes, D C; Gardeniers, J G E; van den Berg, A

2006-10-01

Electroosmotic flow (EOF) in a microchannel can be controlled by electronic control of the surface charge using an electrode embedded in the wall of the channel. By setting a voltage to the electrode, the zeta-potential at the wall can be changed locally. Thus, the electrode acts as a "gate" for liquid flow, in analogy with a gate in a field-effect transistor. In this paper we will show three aspects of a Field Effect Flow Control (FEFC) structure. We demonstrate the induction of directional flow by the synchronized switching of the gate potential with the channel axial potential. The advantage of this procedure is that potential gas formation by electrolysis at the electrodes that provide the axial electric field is suppressed at sufficiently large switching frequencies, while the direction and magnitude of the EOF can be maintained. Furthermore we will give an analysis of the time constants involved in the charging of the insulator, and thus the switching of the zeta potential, in order to predict the maximum operating frequency. For this purpose an equivalent electrical circuit is presented and analyzed. It is shown that in order to accurately describe the charging dynamics and pH dependency the traditionally used three capacitor model should be expanded with an element describing the buffer capacitance of the silica wall surface.

Stability of fenbendazole suspensions for veterinary use. Correlation between zeta potential and sedimentation.

PubMed

Arias, José L; López-Viota, Margarita; Clares, Beatriz; Ruiz, Ma Adolfina

2008-08-07

In this paper we have carried out a detailed investigation of the stability and redispersibility characteristics of fenbendazole aqueous suspensions, through a thermodynamic and electrokinetic characterization, considering the effect of both pH and ionic strength. The hydrophobic character of the drug, and the surface charge and electrical double-layer thickness play an essential role in the stability of the system, hence the need for a full characterization of fenbendazole. It was found that the drug suspensions displays "delayed" or "hindered" sedimentation, determined by their hydrophobic character and their low zeta potential (indicating a small electrokinetic charge on the particles). The electrostatic repulsion between the particles is responsible for the low sedimentation volume and poor redispersibility of the drug. However, only low concentrations of AlCl(3) induced a significant effect on both the zeta potential and stability of the drug, leading to a "free-layered" sedimentation and a very easy redispersion which could be of great interest in the design of an oral pharmaceutical dosage form for veterinary.

zeta 1 and zeta 2 Reticuli and the existence of the zeta Herculis group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Peloso, E. F.; da Silva, L.; Porto de Mello, G. F.

2000-06-01

We report the detailed analysis of the solar type stars zeta 1 and zeta 2 Reticuli. We obtained accurate effective temperatures (T_eff = 5746 +/- 27 K and 5859 +/- 27 K respectively) and surface gravities (log g = 4.54 +/- 0.02 and 4.46 +/- 0.01 respectively). Both stars are slightly metal deficient ([Fe/H] = -0.22 +/- 0.05) and their element abundance patterns are compatible with one another and with the Sun. The hypothesis, suggested by previous detailed analyses, that these stars could be helium rich relative to the Sun, was investigated. The stars were found to have a normal, solar helium abundance. We analysed the stars' membership of the zeta Herculis stellar kinematic group (SKG). Some probable members have nearly the same galactic orbital parameters, chemical composition and evolutionary states, which confirm the existence of a metal deficient SKG. Since we determined that zeta Herculis does not belong to this group, we propose it be renamed zeta Reticuli SKG. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile, and at the Observatório do Pico dos Dias, operated by the Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica, CNPq, Brazil.

Zeta-potential and particle size studies of silver sulphide nanoparticles

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

Sharma, Vikash, E-mail: vikash@csr.res.in; Tarachand,; Ganesan, V.

Silver sulfide (Ag{sub 2}S) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared successfully for the first time using diethylene glycol (DEG) as a surfactant. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data revealed single phase nature of the compound and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) confirmed its nominal composition. Their sizes were 43 nm from XRD, 50 nm from atomic force microscopy (AFM) and 19 nm & 213 nm from dynamic light scattering (DLS); their differences have been discussed. Autotitration study of zeta potential of these NPs in deionized water by DLS at different pH values confirmed an isoelectric point at pH = 5.14 and their very unstable nature in deionized water.

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

Molecular origins of the zeta potential

DOE PAGES

Predota, Milan; Machesky, Michael L.; Wesolowski, David J.

2016-09-19

The zeta potential (ZP) is an oft-reported measure of the macroscopic charge state of solid surfaces and colloidal particles in contact with solvents. However, the origin of this readily measurable parameter has remained divorced from the molecular-level processes governing the underlying electrokinetic phenomena, which limits its usefulness. Here, we connect the macroscopic measure to the microscopic realm through nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of electroosmotic flow between parallel slabs of the hydroxylated (110) rutile (TiO 2) surface. These simulations provided streaming mobilities, which were converted to ZP via the commonly used Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation. A range of rutile surface charge densities (0.1more » to –0.4 C/m 2), corresponding to pH values between about 2.8 and 9.4, in RbCl, NaCl, and SrCl 2 aqueous solutions, were modeled and compared to experimental ZPs for TiO 2 particle suspensions. Simulated ZPs qualitatively agree with experiment and show that “anomalous” ZP values and inequalities between the point of zero charge derived from electrokinetic versus pH titration measurements both arise from differing co- and counterion sorption affinities. We show that at the molecular level the ZP arises from the delicate interplay of spatially varying dynamics, structure, and electrostatics in a narrow interfacial region within about 15 Å of the surface, even in dilute salt solutions. This contrasts fundamentally with continuum descriptions of such interfaces, which predict the ZP response region to be inversely related to ionic strength. In reality the properties of this interfacial region are dominated by relatively immobile and structured water. Furthermore, viscosity values are substantially greater than in the bulk, and electrostatic potential profiles are oscillatory in nature.« less

Influence of temperature, anions and size distribution on the zeta potential of DMPC, DPPC and DMPE lipid vesicles.

PubMed

Morini, M A; Sierra, M B; Pedroni, V I; Alarcon, L M; Appignanesi, G A; Disalvo, E A

2015-07-01

The purpose of the work is to compare the influence of the multilamellarity, phase state, lipid head groups and ionic media on the origin of the surface potential of lipid membranes. With this aim, we present a new analysis of the zeta potential of multilamellar and unilamellar vesicles composed by phosphatidylcholines (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) dispersed in water and ionic solutions of polarizable anions, at temperatures below and above the phase transition. In general, the adsorption of anions seems to explain the origin of the zeta potential in vesicles only above the transition temperature (Tc). In this case, the sign of the surface potential is ascribed to a partial orientation of head group moiety toward the aqueous phase. This is noticeable in PC head groups but not in PEs, due to the strong lateral interaction between PO and NH group in PE. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface electrochemical properties of red mud (bauxite residue): zeta potential and surface charge density.

PubMed

Liu, Yanju; Naidu, Ravendra; Ming, Hui

2013-03-15

The surface electrochemical properties of red mud (bauxite residue) from different alumina refineries in Australia and China were studied by electrophoresis and measuring surface charge density obtained from acid/base potentiometric titrations. The electrophoretic properties were measured from zeta potentials obtained in the presence of 0.01 and 0.001 M KNO(3) over a wide pH range (3.5-10) by titration. The isoelectric point (IEP) values were found to vary from 6.35 to 8.70 for the red mud samples. Further investigation into the surface charge density of one sample (RRM) by acid/base potentiometric titration showed similar results for pH(PZC) with pH(IEP) obtained from electrokinetic measurements. The pH(IEP) determined from zeta potential measurements can be used as a characteristic property of red mud. The minerals contained in red mud contributed to the different values of pH(IEP) of samples obtained from different refineries. Different relationships of pH(IEP) with Al/Fe and Al/Si ratios (molar basis) were also found for different red mud samples. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reduced Zeta potential through use of cationic adhesion promoter for improved resist process performance and minimizing material consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodgson, Lorna; Thompson, Andrew

2012-03-01

This paper presents the results of a non-HMDS (non-silane) adhesion promoter that was used to reduce the zeta potential for very thin (proprietary) polymer on silicon. By reducing the zeta potential, as measured by the minimum sample required to fully coat a wafer, the amount of polymer required to coat silicon substrates was significantly reduced in the manufacture of X-ray windows used for high transmission of low-energy X-rays. Moreover, this approach used aqueous based adhesion promoter described as a cationic surface active agent that has been shown to improve adhesion of photoresists (positive, negative, epoxy [SU8], e-beam and dry film). As well as reducing the amount of polymer required to coat substrates, this aqueous adhesion promoter is nonhazardous, and contains non-volatile solvents.

Protein adsorption on dopamine-melanin films: role of electrostatic interactions inferred from zeta-potential measurements versus chemisorption.

PubMed

Bernsmann, Falk; Frisch, Benoît; Ringwald, Christian; Ball, Vincent

2010-04-01

We recently showed the possibility to build dopamine-melanin films of controlled thickness by successive immersions of a substrate in alkaline solutions of dopamine [F. Bernsmann, A. Ponche, C. Ringwald, J. Hemmerlé, J. Raya, B. Bechinger, J.-C. Voegel, P. Schaaf, V. Ball, J. Phys. Chem. C 113 (2009) 8234-8242]. In this work the structure and properties of such films are further explored. The zeta-potential of dopamine-melanin films is measured as a function of the total immersion time to build the film. It appears that the film bears a constant zeta-potential of (-39+/-3) mV after 12 immersion steps. These data are used to calculate the surface density of charged groups of the dopamine-melanin films at pH 8.5 that are mostly catechol or quinone imine chemical groups. Furthermore the zeta-potential is used to explain the adsorption of three model proteins (lysozyme, myoglobin, alpha-lactalbumin), which is monitored by quartz crystal microbalance. We come to the conclusion that protein adsorption on dopamine-melanin is not only determined by possible covalent binding between amino groups of the proteins and catechol groups of dopamine-melanin but that electrostatic interactions contribute to protein binding. Part of the adsorbed proteins can be desorbed by sodium dodecylsulfate solutions at the critical micellar concentration. The fraction of weakly bound proteins decreases with their isoelectric point. Additionally the number of available sites for covalent binding of amino groups on melanin grains is quantified. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flotation of algae for water reuse and biomass production: role of zeta potential and surfactant to separate algal particles.

PubMed

Kwak, Dong-Heui; Kim, Mi-Sug

2015-01-01

The effect of chemical coagulation and biological auto-flocculation relative to zeta potential was examined to compare flotation and sedimentation separation processes for algae harvesting. Experiments revealed that microalgae separation is related to auto-flocculation of Anabaena spp. and requires chemical coagulation for the whole period of microalgae cultivation. In addition, microalgae separation characteristics which are associated with surfactants demonstrated optimal microalgae cultivation time and separation efficiency of dissolved CO2 flotation (DCF) as an alternative to dissolved air flotation (DAF). Microalgae were significantly separated in response to anionic surfactant rather than cationic surfactant as a function of bubble size and zeta potential. DAF and DCF both showed slightly efficient flotation; however, application of anionic surfactant was required when using DCF.

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.

A zeta potential value determines the aggregate's size of penta-substituted [60]fullerene derivatives in aqueous suspension whereas positive charge is required for toxicity against bacterial cells.

PubMed

Deryabin, Dmitry G; Efremova, Ludmila V; Vasilchenko, Alexey S; Saidakova, Evgeniya V; Sizova, Elena A; Troshin, Pavel A; Zhilenkov, Alexander V; Khakina, Ekaterina A; Khakina, Ekaterina E

2015-08-08

The cause-effect relationships between physicochemical properties of amphiphilic [60]fullerene derivatives and their toxicity against bacterial cells have not yet been clarified. In this study, we report how the differences in the chemical structure of organic addends in 10 originally synthesized penta-substituted [60]fullerene derivatives modulate their zeta potential and aggregate's size in salt-free and salt-added aqueous suspensions as well as how these physicochemical characteristics affect the bioenergetics of freshwater Escherichia coli and marine Photobacterium phosphoreum bacteria. Dynamic light scattering, laser Doppler micro-electrophoresis, agarose gel electrophoresis, atomic force microscopy, and bioluminescence inhibition assay were used to characterize the fullerene aggregation behavior in aqueous solution and their interaction with the bacterial cell surface, following zeta potential changes and toxic effects. Dynamic light scattering results indicated the formation of self-assembled [60]fullerene aggregates in aqueous suspensions. The measurement of the zeta potential of the particles revealed that they have different surface charges. The relationship between these physicochemical characteristics was presented as an exponential regression that correctly described the dependence of the aggregate's size of penta-substituted [60]fullerene derivatives in salt-free aqueous suspension from zeta potential value. The prevalence of DLVO-related effects was shown in salt-added aqueous suspension that decreased zeta potential values and affected the aggregation of [60]fullerene derivatives expressed differently for individual compounds. A bioluminescence inhibition assay demonstrated that the toxic effect of [60]fullerene derivatives against E. coli cells was strictly determined by their positive zeta potential charge value being weakened against P. phosphoreum cells in an aquatic system of high salinity. Atomic force microscopy data suggested that the

Estimation of Nanodiamond Surface Charge Density from Zeta Potential and Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

PubMed

Ge, Zhenpeng; Wang, Yi

2017-04-20

Molecular dynamics simulations of nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used to study their interactions with various biological macromolecules. Such simulations generally require detailed knowledge of the surface composition of the NP under investigation. Even for some well-characterized nanoparticles, however, this knowledge is not always available. An example is nanodiamond, a nanoscale diamond particle with surface dominated by oxygen-containing functional groups. In this work, we explore using the harmonic restraint method developed by Venable et al., to estimate the surface charge density (σ) of nanodiamonds. Based on the Gouy-Chapman theory, we convert the experimentally determined zeta potential of a nanodiamond to an effective charge density (σ eff ), and then use the latter to estimate σ via molecular dynamics simulations. Through scanning a series of nanodiamond models, we show that the above method provides a straightforward protocol to determine the surface charge density of relatively large (> ∼100 nm) NPs. Overall, our results suggest that despite certain limitation, the above protocol can be readily employed to guide the model construction for MD simulations, which is particularly useful when only limited experimental information on the NP surface composition is available to a modeler.

Zeta potentials in the flotation of oxide and silicate minerals.

PubMed

Fuerstenau, D W; Pradip

2005-06-30

Adsorption of collectors and modifying reagents in the flotation of oxide and silicate minerals is controlled by the electrical double layer at the mineral-water interface. In systems where the collector is physically adsorbed, flotation with anionic or cationic collectors depends on the mineral surface being charged oppositely. Adjusting the pH of the system can enhance or prevent the flotation of a mineral. Thus, the point of zero charge (PZC) of the mineral is the most important property of a mineral in such systems. The length of the hydrocarbon chain of the collector is important because of chain-chain association enhances the adsorption once the surfactant ions aggregate to form hemimicelles at the surface. Strongly chemisorbing collectors are able to induce flotation even when collector and the mineral surface are charged similarly, but raising the pH sufficiently above the PZC can repel chemisorbing collectors from the mineral surface. Zeta potentials can be used to delineate interfacial phenomena in these various systems.

Effective charges and zeta potentials of oil in water microemulsions in the presence of Hofmeister salts.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Alexandre P; Levin, Yan

2018-06-14

We present a theory which allows us to calculate the effective charge and zeta potential of oil droplets in microemulsions containing Hofmeister salts. A modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation is used to account for the surface and ion polarizations and hydrophobic and dispersion interactions. The ions are classified as kosmotropes and chaotropes according to their Jones-Dole viscosity B coefficient. Kosmotropes stay hydrated and do not enter into the oil phase, while chaotropes can adsorb to the oil-water interface. The effective interaction potentials between ions and oil-water interface are parametrized so as to accurately account for the excess interfacial tension.

Effective charges and zeta potentials of oil in water microemulsions in the presence of Hofmeister salts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos, Alexandre P.; Levin, Yan

2018-06-01

We present a theory which allows us to calculate the effective charge and zeta potential of oil droplets in microemulsions containing Hofmeister salts. A modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation is used to account for the surface and ion polarizations and hydrophobic and dispersion interactions. The ions are classified as kosmotropes and chaotropes according to their Jones-Dole viscosity B coefficient. Kosmotropes stay hydrated and do not enter into the oil phase, while chaotropes can adsorb to the oil-water interface. The effective interaction potentials between ions and oil-water interface are parametrized so as to accurately account for the excess interfacial tension.

Interrelationship between the zeta potential and viscoelastic properties in coacervates complexes.

PubMed

Espinosa-Andrews, Hugo; Enríquez-Ramírez, Karina Esmeralda; García-Márquez, Eristeo; Ramírez-Santiago, Cesar; Lobato-Calleros, Consuelo; Vernon-Carter, Jaime

2013-06-05

The formation of the complex coacervate (CC) phases between gum Arabic (GA) and low molecular weight chitosan (Ch) and the interrelationship between the zeta-potential and viscoelastic properties of the coacervate phase were investigated. The maximum charge difference of biopolymers stock dispersion was displayed in a range of pH between 4.0 and 5.5. Titration experiment between the oppositely charged biopolymers showed that the isoelectric point was found at a biopolymers mass ratio (R[GA:Ch]) of R[5.5:1]. Turbidity, size and ζ-potential of the soluble complexes (SC) showed an interrelation with the complex coacervate yield (CCY). Higher CCY values (82.2-88.1%) were obtained in the range from R[3:1] to R[5.5:1]. Change the R[GA:Ch] in dispersion, make possible to produce CC's phases exhibiting cationic (R[1:1] and R[3:1]), neutral (R[5.5:1]) or anionic (R[9:1] and R[7:1]) charged. All CC's exhibited liquid-viscoelastic behavior at lower frequencies and a crossover between G″ and G' at higher frequencies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen bonding and interparticle forces in platelet alpha-Al2O3 dispersions: yield stress and zeta potential.

PubMed

Khoo, Kay-Sen; Teh, E-Jen; Leong, Yee-Kwong; Ong, Ban Choon

2009-04-09

Adsorbed phosphate on smooth platelet alpha-Al2O3 particles at saturation surface coverage gives rise to strong interparticle attractive forces in dispersion. The maximum yield stress at the point of zero charge was increased by 2-fold. This was attributed to a high density of intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the adsorbed phosphate layers of the interacting particles. Adsorbed citrate at saturation surface coverage, however, reduced the maximum yield stress by 50%. It adsorbed to form a very effective steric barrier as intramolecular hydrogen bonding between -OH and the free terminal carboxylic group prevented strong interactions with other adsorbed citrate molecules residing on the second interacting particle. This steric barrier kept the interacting platelet particles further apart, thereby weakening the van der Waals attraction. The platelet alpha-Al2O3 dispersions were flocculated at all pH level. These dispersions displayed a maximum yield stress at the point of zero zeta potential at the pH approximately 8.0. They also obeyed the yield stress-DLVO force model as characterized by a linear decrease in the yield stress with the square of the zeta potential.

Effect of zeta potential on the performance of a ring-type electroosmotic mixer.

PubMed

Kim, T A; Koo, K H; Kim, Y J

2009-12-01

In order to achieve faster mixing, a new type of electrokinetic mixer with a T-type channel is introduced. The proposed mixer takes two fluids from different inlets and combines them into a single channel. The fluids then enter a mixing chamber with different inner and outer radii. Four microelectrodes are positioned on the outer wall of the mixing chamber. The electric potentials on the four microelectrodes are sinusoidal with respect to time and have various maximum voltages, zeta potentials and frequency values. The working fluid is water and each inlet has a different initial concentration values. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equation is solved in the channel, with a slip boundary condition on the inner and outer walls of the mixing chamber. The convection-diffusion equation is used to describe the concentration of the dissolved substances in the fluid. The pressure, concentration and flow fields in the channel are calculated and the results are graphically depicted for various flow and electric conditions.

Surfactants, not size or zeta-potential influence blood-brain barrier passage of polymeric nanoparticles.

PubMed

Voigt, Nadine; Henrich-Noack, Petra; Kockentiedt, Sarah; Hintz, Werner; Tomas, Jürgen; Sabel, Bernhard A

2014-05-01

Nanoparticles (NP) can deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), but little is known which of the factors surfactant, size and zeta-potential are essential for allowing BBB passage. To this end we designed purpose-built fluorescent polybutylcyanoacrylate (PBCA) NP and imaged the NP's passage over the blood-retina barrier - which is a model of the BBB - in live animals. Rats received intravenous injections of fluorescent PBCA-NP fabricated by mini-emulsion polymerisation to obtain various NP's compositions that varied in surfactants (non-ionic, anionic, cationic), size (67-464nm) and zeta-potential. Real-time imaging of retinal blood vessels and retinal tissue was carried out with in vivo confocal neuroimaging (ICON) before, during and after NP's injection. Successful BBB passage with subsequent cellular labelling was achieved if NP were fabricated with non-ionic surfactants or cationic stabilizers but not when anionic compounds were added. NP's size and charge had no influence on BBB passage and cell labelling. This transport was not caused by an unspecific opening of the BBB because control experiments with injections of unlabelled NP and fluorescent dye (to test a "door-opener" effect) did not lead to parenchymal labelling. Thus, neither NP's size nor chemo-electric charge, but particle surface is the key factor determining BBB passage. This result has important implications for NP engineering in medicine: depending on the surfactant, NP can serve one of two opposite functions: while non-ionic tensides enhance brain up-take, addition of anionic tensides prevents it. NP can now be designed to specifically enhance drug delivery to the brain or, alternatively, to prevent brain penetration so to reduce unwanted psychoactive effects of drugs or prevent environmental nanoparticles from entering tissue of the central nervous system. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The use of zeta potential as a tool to study phase transitions in binary phosphatidylcholines mixtures.

PubMed

Sierra, M B; Pedroni, V I; Buffo, F E; Disalvo, E A; Morini, M A

2016-06-01

Temperature dependence of the zeta potential (ZP) is proposed as a tool to analyze the thermotropic behavior of unilamellar liposomes prepared from binary mixtures of phosphatidylcholines in the absence or presence of ions in aqueous suspensions. Since the lipid phase transition influences the surface potential of the liposome reflecting a sharp change in the ZP during the transition, it is proposed as a screening method for transition temperatures in complex systems, given its high sensitivity and small amount of sample required, that is, 70% less than that required in the use of conventional calorimeters. The sensitivity is also reflected in the pre-transition detection in the presence of ions. Plots of phase boundaries for these mixed-lipid vesicles were constructed by plotting the delimiting temperatures of both main phase transition and pre-transition vs. the lipid composition of the vesicle. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies, although subject to uncertainties in interpretation due to broad bands in lipid mixtures, allowed the validation of the temperature dependence of the ZP method for determining the phase transition and pre-transition temperatures. The system chosen was dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC/DPPC), the most common combination in biological membranes. This work may be considered as a starting point for further research into more complex lipid mixtures with functional biological importance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cellular internalization of polycation-coated microparticles and its dependence on their zeta potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, Noritaka; Kondo, Ryosuke

2018-03-01

By applying microparticles to HeLa cells, the number of particles adhered on the cell and that of the ones internalized in the cells were evaluated. Three-dimensional tomographic images of the cells with the particles were obtained by multiphoton excitation laser scanning microscopy, and the adhered and internalized particles were counted separately. When the surface charge of the particles was reversed from negative to positive by coating the particles with polycations, both numbers significantly increased owing to the electrostatic attraction between the cells and the polycation-coated particles. Four different positively charged particles were prepared using four different polycations, and the numbers of adhered and internalized particles were compared. Our results suggest that these numbers depended on the zeta potential rather than the molecular structure of the polycation.

Zeta Potential Measurements on Solid Surfaces for in Vitro Biomaterials Testing: Surface Charge, Reactivity Upon Contact With Fluids and Protein Absorption

PubMed Central

Ferraris, Sara; Cazzola, Martina; Peretti, Veronica; Stella, Barbara; Spriano, Silvia

2018-01-01

Surface properties of biomaterials (e.g., roughness, chemical composition, charge, wettability, and hydroxylation degree) are key features to understand and control the complex interface phenomena that happens upon contact with physiological fluids. Numerous physico-chemical techniques can be used in order to investigate in depth these crucial material features. Among them, zeta potential measurements are widely used for the characterization of colloidal suspensions, but actually poorly explored in the study of solid surfaces, even if they can give significant information about surface charge in function of pH and indirectly about surface functional groups and reactivity. The aim of the present research is application of zeta potential measurements of solid surfaces for the in vitro testing of biomaterials. In particular, bare and surface modified Ti6Al4V samples have been compared in order to evaluate their isoelectric points (IEPs), surface charge at physiological pH, in vitro bioactivity [in simulated body fluid (SBF)] and protein absorption. Zeta potential titration was demonstrated as a suitable technique for the surface characterization of surface treated Ti6Al4V substrates. Significant shift of the isoelectric point was recorded after a chemical surface treatment (because of the exposition of hydroxyl groups), SBF soaking (because of apatite precipitation IEP moves close to apatite one) and protein absorption (IEP moves close to protein ones). Moreover, the shape of the curve gives information about exposed functional groups (e.g., a plateau in the basic range appears due to the exposition of acidic OH groups and in the acidic range due to exposition of basic NH2 groups). PMID:29868575

The Isolation of DNA by Polycharged Magnetic Particles: An Analysis of the Interaction by Zeta Potential and Particle Size

PubMed Central

Haddad, Yazan; Xhaxhiu, Kledi; Kopel, Pavel; Hynek, David; Zitka, Ondrej; Adam, Vojtech

2016-01-01

Magnetic isolation of biological targets is in major demand in the biotechnology industry today. This study considers the interaction of four surface-modified magnetic micro- and nanoparticles with selected DNA fragments. Different surface modifications of nanomaghemite precursors were investigated: MAN37 (silica-coated), MAN127 (polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated), MAN158 (phosphate-coated), and MAN164 (tripolyphosphate-coated). All particles were positive polycharged agglomerated monodispersed systems. Mean particle sizes were 0.48, 2.97, 2.93, and 3.67 μm for MAN37, MAN127, MAN164, and MAN158, respectively. DNA fragments exhibited negative zeta potential of −0.22 mV under binding conditions (high ionic strength, low pH, and dehydration). A decrease in zeta potential of particles upon exposure to DNA was observed with exception of MAN158 particles. The measured particle size of MAN164 particles increased by nearly twofold upon exposure to DNA. Quantitative PCR isolation of DNA with a high retrieval rate was observed by magnetic particles MAN127 and MAN164. Interaction between polycharged magnetic particles and DNA is mediated by various binding mechanisms such as hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Future development of DNA isolation technology requires an understanding of the physical and biochemical conditions of this process. PMID:27104527

Joule heating effects on electromagnetohydrodynamic flow through a peristaltically induced micro-channel with different zeta potential and wall slip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjit, N. K.; Shit, G. C.

2017-09-01

This paper aims to develop a mathematical model for magnetohydrodynamic flow of biofluids through a hydrophobic micro-channel with periodically contracting and expanding walls under the influence of an axially applied electric field. The velocity slip effects have been taken into account at the channel walls by employing different slip lengths due to hydrophobic gating. Different temperature jump factors have also been used to investigate the thermomechanical interactions at the fluid-solid interface. The electromagnetohydrodynamic flow in a microchannel is simplified under the framework of Debye-Hückel linearization approximation. We have derived the closed-form solutions for the linearized dimensionless boundary value problem under the assumptions of long wave length and low Reynolds number. The axial velocity, temperature, pressure distribution, stream function, wall shear stress and the Nusselt number have been appraised for diverse values of the parameters approaching into the problem. Our main focus is to determine the effects of different zeta potential on the axial velocity and temperature distribution under electromagnetic environment. This study puts forward an important observation that the different zeta potential plays an important role in controlling fluid velocity. The study further reveals that the temperature increases significantly with the Joule heating parameter and the Brinkman number (arises due to the dissipation of energy).

The Isolation of DNA by Polycharged Magnetic Particles: An Analysis of the Interaction by Zeta Potential and Particle Size.

PubMed

Haddad, Yazan; Xhaxhiu, Kledi; Kopel, Pavel; Hynek, David; Zitka, Ondrej; Adam, Vojtech

2016-04-20

Magnetic isolation of biological targets is in major demand in the biotechnology industry today. This study considers the interaction of four surface-modified magnetic micro- and nanoparticles with selected DNA fragments. Different surface modifications of nanomaghemite precursors were investigated: MAN37 (silica-coated), MAN127 (polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated), MAN158 (phosphate-coated), and MAN164 (tripolyphosphate-coated). All particles were positive polycharged agglomerated monodispersed systems. Mean particle sizes were 0.48, 2.97, 2.93, and 3.67 μm for MAN37, MAN127, MAN164, and MAN158, respectively. DNA fragments exhibited negative zeta potential of -0.22 mV under binding conditions (high ionic strength, low pH, and dehydration). A decrease in zeta potential of particles upon exposure to DNA was observed with exception of MAN158 particles. The measured particle size of MAN164 particles increased by nearly twofold upon exposure to DNA. Quantitative PCR isolation of DNA with a high retrieval rate was observed by magnetic particles MAN127 and MAN164. Interaction between polycharged magnetic particles and DNA is mediated by various binding mechanisms such as hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Future development of DNA isolation technology requires an understanding of the physical and biochemical conditions of this process.

A new biphasic osteoinductive calcium composite material with a negative Zeta potential for bone augmentation

PubMed Central

Smeets, Ralf; Kolk, Andreas; Gerressen, Marcus; Driemel, Oliver; Maciejewski, Oliver; Hermanns-Sachweh, Benita; Riediger, Dieter; Stein, Jamal M

2009-01-01

The aim of the present study was to analyze the osteogenic potential of a biphasic calcium composite material (BCC) with a negative surface charge for maxillary sinus floor augmentation. In a 61 year old patient, the BCC material was used in a bilateral sinus floor augmentation procedure. Six months postoperative, a bone sample was taken from the augmented regions before two titanium implants were inserted at each side. We analyzed bone neoformation by histology, bone density by computed tomography, and measured the activity of voltage-activated calcium currents of osteoblasts and surface charge effects. Control orthopantomograms were carried out five months after implant insertion. The BCC was biocompatible and replaced by new mineralized bone after being resorbed completely. The material demonstrated a negative surface charge (negative Zeta potential) which was found to be favorable for bone regeneration and osseointegration of dental implants. PMID:19523239

Optimal MEMS device for mobility and zeta potential measurements using DC electrophoresis.

PubMed

Karam, Pascal R; Dukhin, Andrei; Pennathur, Sumita

2017-05-01

We have developed a novel microchannel geometry that allows us to perform simple DC electrophoresis to measure the electrophoretic mobility and zeta potential of analytes and particles. In standard capillary geometries, mobility measurements using DC fields are difficult to perform. Specifically, measurements in open capillaries require knowledge of the hard to measure and often dynamic wall surface potential. Although measurements in closed capillaries eliminate this requirement, the measurements must be performed at infinitesimally small regions of zero flow where the pressure driven-flow completely cancels the electroosmotic flow (Komagata Planes). Furthermore, applied DC fields lead to electrode polarization, further questioning the reliability and accuracy of the measurement. In contrast, our geometry expands and moves the Komagata planes to where velocity gradients are at a minimum, and thus knowledge of the precise location of a Komagata plane is not necessary. Additionally, our microfluidic device prevents electrode polarization because of fluid recirculation around the electrodes. We fabricated our device using standard MEMS fabrication techniques and performed electrophoretic mobility measurements on 500 nm fluorescently tagged polystyrene particles at various buffer concentrations. Results are comparable to two different commercial dynamic light scattering based particle sizing instruments. We conclude with guidelines to further develop this robust electrophoretic tool that allows for facile and efficient particle characterization. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Design and assembly of ternary Pt/Re/SnO2 NPs by controlling the zeta potential of individual Pt, Re, and SnO2 NPs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drzymała, Elżbieta; Gruzeł, Grzegorz; Pajor-Świerzy, Anna; Depciuch, Joanna; Socha, Robert; Kowal, Andrzej; Warszyński, Piotr; Parlinska-Wojtan, Magdalena

2018-05-01

In this study Pt, Re, and SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were combined in a controlled manner into binary and ternary combinations for a possible application for ethanol oxidation. For this purpose, zeta potentials as a function of the pH of the individual NPs solutions were measured. In order to successfully combine the NPs into Pt/SnO2 and Re/SnO2 NPs, the solutions were mixed together at a pH guaranteeing opposite zeta potentials of the metal and oxide NPs. The individually synthesized NPs and their binary/ternary combinations were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. FTIR and XPS spectroscopy showed that the individually synthesized Pt and Re NPs are metallic and the Sn component was oxidized to SnO2. STEM showed that all NPs are well crystallized and the sizes of the Pt, Re, and SnO2 NPs were 2.2, 1.0, and 3.4 nm, respectively. Moreover, EDS analysis confirmed the successful formation of binary Pt/SnO2 and Re/SnO2 NP, as well as ternary Pt/Re/SnO2 NP combinations. This study shows that by controlling the zeta potential of individual metal and oxide NPs, it is possible to assemble them into binary and ternary combinations. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Variability in Bioreactivity Linked to Changes in Size and Zeta Potential of Diesel Exhaust Particles in Human Immune Cells

PubMed Central

Sarkar, Srijata; Zhang, Lin; Subramaniam, Prasad; Lee, Ki-Bum; Garfunkel, Eric; Strickland, Pamela A. Ohman.; Mainelis, Gediminas; Lioy, Paul J.; Tetley, Teresa D.; Chung, Kian Fan; Zhang, Junfeng; Ryan, Mary; Porter, Alex; Schwander, Stephan

2014-01-01

Acting as fuel combustion catalysts to increase fuel economy, cerium dioxide (ceria, CeO2) nanoparticles have been used in Europe as diesel fuel additives (Envirox™). We attempted to examine the effects of particles emitted from a diesel engine burning either diesel (diesel exhaust particles, DEP) or diesel doped with various concentrations of CeO2 (DEP-Env) on innate immune responses in THP-1 and primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Batches of DEP and DEP-Env were obtained on three separate occasions using identical collection and extraction protocols with the aim of determining the reproducibility of particles generated at different times. However, we observed significant differences in size and surface charge (zeta potential) of the DEP and DEP-Env across the three batches. We also observed that exposure of THP-1 cells and PBMC to identical concentrations of DEP and DEP-Env from the three batches resulted in statistically significant differences in bioreactivity as determined by IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-12p40 mRNA (by qRT-PCR) and protein expression (by ELISPOT assays). Importantly, bioreactivity was noted in very tight ranges of DEP size (60 to 120 nm) and zeta potential (−37 to −41 mV). Thus, these physical properties of DEP and DEP-Env were found to be the primary determinants of the bioreactivity measured in this study. Our findings also point to the potential risk of over- or under- estimation of expected bioreactivity effects (and by inference of public health risks) from bulk DEP use without taking into account potential batch-to-batch variations in physical (and possibly chemical) properties. PMID:24825358

Computational strategies for the Riemann zeta function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borwein, Jonathan M.; Bradley, David M.; Crandall, Richard E.

2000-09-01

We provide a compendium of evaluation methods for the Riemann zeta function, presenting formulae ranging from historical attempts to recently found convergent series to curious oddities old and new. We concentrate primarily on practical computational issues, such issues depending on the domain of the argument, the desired speed of computation, and the incidence of what we call "value recycling".

Characterization of gold nanoparticles with different hydrophilic coatings via capillary electrophoresis and Taylor dispersion analysis. Part I: determination of the zeta potential employing a modified analytic approximation.

PubMed

Pyell, Ute; Jalil, Alaa H; Pfeiffer, Christian; Pelaz, Beatriz; Parak, Wolfgang J

2015-07-15

Taking gold nanoparticles with different hydrophilic coatings as an example, it is investigated whether capillary electrophoresis in combination with Taylor dispersion analysis allows for the precise determination of mean electrophoretic mobilities, electrophoretic mobility distributions, and zeta potentials in a matrix of exactly known composition and the calibration-free determination of number-weighted mean hydrodynamic radii. Our experimental data confirm that the calculation of the zeta potential for colloidal nanoparticles with ζ>25 mV requires to take the relaxation effect into account. Because of the requirement to avoid particle-wall interactions, a solution of disodiumtetraborate decahydrate (borax) in deionized water had been selected as suitable electrolyte. Measurements of the electrophoretic mobility at different ionic strength and application of the analytic approximation developed by Ohshima show that in the present case of a buffered solution with a weak electrolyte co-ion and a strong electrolyte counterion, the effective ionic drag coefficient should be approximated with the ionic drag coefficient of the counterion. The obtained results are in good agreement with theoretical expectations regarding the dependence of the zeta potential and the electrokinetic surface charge density on the ionic strength. We also show that Taylor dispersion analysis (besides estimation of the number-weighted mean hydrodynamic radius) provides additional information on the type and width of the number-weighted particle distribution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Zeta Function Regularization in Casimir Effect Calculations and J. S. DOWKER's Contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elizalde, Emilio

2012-06-01

A summary of relevant contributions, ordered in time, to the subject of operator zeta functions and their application to physical issues is provided. The description ends with the seminal contributions of Stephen Hawking and Stuart Dowker and collaborators, considered by many authors as the actual starting point of the introduction of zeta function regularization methods in theoretical physics, in particular, for quantum vacuum fluctuation and Casimir effect calculations. After recalling a number of the strengths of this powerful and elegant method, some of its limitations are discussed. Finally, recent results of the so-called operator regularization procedure are presented.

Zeta Function Regularization in Casimir Effect Calculations and J. S. Dowker's Contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elizalde, Emilio

2012-07-01

A summary of relevant contributions, ordered in time, to the subject of operator zeta functions and their application to physical issues is provided. The description ends with the seminal contributions of Stephen Hawking and Stuart Dowker and collaborators, considered by many authors as the actual starting point of the introduction of zeta function regularization methods in theoretical physics, in particular, for quantum vacuum fluctuation and Casimir effect calculations. After recalling a number of the strengths of this powerful and elegant method, some of its limitations are discussed. Finally, recent results of the so called operator regularization procedure are presented.

The receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP){beta}/{zeta} is expressed in different subtypes of human breast cancer

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

Perez-Pinera, Pablo; Garcia-Suarez, Olivia; Instituto Universitario de Oncologia del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo

2007-10-12

Increasing evidence suggests mutations in human breast cancer cells that induce inappropriate expression of the 18-kDa cytokine pleiotrophin (PTN, Ptn) initiate progression of breast cancers to a more malignant phenotype. Pleiotrophin signals through inactivating its receptor, the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP){beta}/{zeta}, leading to increased tyrosine phosphorylation of different substrate proteins of RPTP{beta}/{zeta}, including {beta}-catenin, {beta}-adducin, Fyn, GIT1/Cat-1, and P190RhoGAP. PTN signaling thus has wide impact on different important cellular systems. Recently, PTN was found to activate anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) through the PTN/RPTP{beta}/{zeta} signaling pathway; this discovery potentially is very important, since constitutive ALK activity of nucleophosmin (NPM)-ALK fusionmore » protein is causative of anaplastic large cell lymphomas, and, activated ALK is found in other malignant cancers. Recently ALK was identified in each of 63 human breast cancers from 22 subjects. We now demonstrate that RPTP{beta}/{zeta} is expressed in each of these same 63 human breast cancers that previously were found to express ALK and in 10 additional samples of human breast cancer. RPTP{beta}/{zeta} furthermore was localized not only in its normal association with the cell membrane but also scattered in cytoplasm and in nuclei in different breast cancer cells and, in the case of infiltrating ductal carcinomas, the distribution of RPTP{beta}/{zeta} changes as the breast cancer become more malignant. The data suggest that the PTN/RPTP{beta}/{zeta} signaling pathway may be constitutively activated and potentially function to constitutively activate ALK in human breast cancer.« less

Zeta Ophiuchi -- Runaway Star Plowing through Space Dust

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-24

The blue star near the center of this image is Zeta Ophiuchi. Zeta Ophiuchi is actually a very massive, hot, bright blue star plowing its way through a large cloud of interstellar dust and gas in this image from NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.

Characterization of the startup transient electrokinetic flow in rectangular channels of arbitrary dimensions, zeta potential distribution, and time-varying pressure gradient.

PubMed

Miller, Andrew; Villegas, Arturo; Diez, F Javier

2015-03-01

The solution to the startup transient EOF in an arbitrary rectangular microchannel is derived analytically and validated experimentally. This full 2D transient solution describes the evolution of the flow through five distinct periods until reaching a final steady state. The derived analytical velocity solution is validated experimentally for different channel sizes and aspect ratios under time-varying pressure gradients. The experiments used a time resolved micro particle image velocimetry technique to calculate the startup transient velocity profiles. The measurements captured the effect of time-varying pressure gradient fields derived in the analytical solutions. This is tested by using small reservoirs at both ends of the channel which allowed a time-varying pressure gradient to develop with a time scale on the order of the transient EOF. Results showed that under these common conditions, the effect of the pressure build up in the reservoirs on the temporal development of the transient startup EOF in the channels cannot be neglected. The measurements also captured the analytical predictions for channel walls made of different materials (i.e., zeta potentials). This was tested in channels that had three PDMS and one quartz wall, resulting in a flow with an asymmetric velocity profile due to variations in the zeta potential between the walls. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The interstellar line spectra of zeta Ophiuchi and zeta Persei and their relation to the short wavelength microwave background radiation. Ph.D. Thesis - N. Y. Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bortolot, V. J., Jr.

1972-01-01

Thirty-one high dispersion Coude spectrograms of zeta Ophiuchi and seven of zeta Persei were numerically synthesized to produce high resolution, low noise spectra in the interval 3650 A to 4350 that yield data on atomic and molecular absorption in well-defined regions of the interstellar medium. The detection threshold is improved by as much as a factor 5 over single plates. Several interstellar lines were discovered in the zeta Oph - 15km/sec cloud and the zeta Per + 13 km/sec cloud.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Fractal diffusion coefficient from dynamical zeta functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristadoro, Giampaolo

2006-03-01

Dynamical zeta functions provide a powerful method to analyse low-dimensional dynamical systems when the underlying symbolic dynamics is under control. On the other hand, even simple one-dimensional maps can show an intricate structure of the grammar rules that may lead to a non-smooth dependence of global observables on parameters changes. A paradigmatic example is the fractal diffusion coefficient arising in a simple piecewise linear one-dimensional map of the real line. Using the Baladi-Ruelle generalization of the Milnor-Thurnston kneading determinant, we provide the exact dynamical zeta function for such a map and compute the diffusion coefficient from its smallest zero.

Can Eccentric Debris Disks Be Long-lived? A First Numerical Investigation and Application to Zeta(exp 2) Reticuli

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faramaz, V.; Beust, H.; Thebault, P.; Augereau, J.-C.; Bonsor, A.; delBurgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Marshall, J. P.; Milli, J.; Montesinos, B.;

Zeta Sperm Selection Improves Pregnancy Rate and Alters Sex Ratio in Male Factor Infertility Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Nasr Esfahani, Mohammad Hossein; Deemeh, Mohammad Reza; Tavalaee, Marziyeh; Sekhavati, Mohammad Hadi; Gourabi, Hamid

2016-01-01

Background Selection of sperm for intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is usually considered as the ultimate technique to alleviate male-factor infertility. In routine ICSI, selection is based on morphology and viability which does not necessarily preclude the chance injection of DNA-damaged or apoptotic sperm into the oocyte. Sperm with high negative surface electrical charge, named “Zeta potential”, are mature and more likely to have intact chromatin. In addition, X-bearing spermatozoa carry more negative charge. Therefore, we aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of Zeta procedure with routine sperm selection in infertile men candidate for ICSI. Materials and Methods From a total of 203 ICSI cycles studied, 101 cycles were allocated to density gradient centrifugation (DGC)/Zeta group and the remaining 102 were included in the DGC group in this prospective study. Clinical outcomes were com- pared between the two groups. The ratios of Xand Y bearing sperm were assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods in 17 independent semen samples. Results In the present double-blind randomized clinical trial, a significant increase in top quality embryos and pregnancy rate were observed in DGC/Zeta group compared to DGC group. Moreover, sex ratio (XY/XX) at birth significantly was lower in the DGC/Zeta group compared to DGC group despite similar ratio of X/Y bearings sper- matozoa following Zeta selection. Conclusion Zeta method not only improves the percentage of top embryo quality and pregnancy outcome but also alters the sex ratio compared to the conventional DGC method, despite no significant change in the ratio of Xand Ybearing sperm population (Registration number: IRCT201108047223N1). PMID:27441060

Activation-induced proteolysis of cytoplasmic domain of zeta in T cell receptors and Fc receptors.

PubMed

Taupin, J L; Anderson, P

1994-12-01

The CD3-T cell receptor (TCR) complex on T cells and the Fc gamma receptor type III (Fc gamma RIII)-zeta-gamma complex on natural killer cells are functionally analogous activation receptors that associate with a family of disulfide-linked dimers composed of the related subunits zeta and gamma. Immunochemical analysis of receptor complexes separated on two-dimensional diagonal gels allowed the identification of a previously uncharacterized zeta-p14 heterodimer. zeta-p14 is a component of both CD3-TCR and Fc gamma RIII-zeta-gamma. Peptide mapping analysis shows that p14 is structurally related to zeta, suggesting that it is either: (i) derived from zeta proteolytically or (ii) the product of an alternatively spliced mRNA. The observation that COS cells transformed with a cDNA encoding zeta express zeta-p14 supports the former possibility. The expression of CD3-TCR complexes including zeta-p14 increases following activation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or concanavalin A, suggesting that proteolysis of zeta may contribute to receptor modulation or desensitization.

Predicting the influence of liposomal lipid composition on liposome size, zeta potential and liposome-induced dendritic cell maturation using a design of experiments approach.

PubMed

Soema, Peter C; Willems, Geert-Jan; Jiskoot, Wim; Amorij, Jean-Pierre; Kersten, Gideon F

2015-08-01

In this study, the effect of liposomal lipid composition on the physicochemical characteristics and adjuvanticity of liposomes was investigated. Using a design of experiments (DoE) approach, peptide-containing liposomes containing various lipids (EPC, DOPE, DOTAP and DC-Chol) and peptide concentrations were formulated. Liposome size and zeta potential were determined for each formulation. Moreover, the adjuvanticity of the liposomes was assessed in an in vitro dendritic cell (DC) model, by quantifying the expression of DC maturation markers CD40, CD80, CD83 and CD86. The acquired data of these liposome characteristics were successfully fitted with regression models, and response contour plots were generated for each response factor. These models were applied to predict a lipid composition that resulted in a liposome with a target zeta potential. Subsequently, the expression of the DC maturation factors for this lipid composition was predicted and tested in vitro; the acquired maturation responses corresponded well with the predicted ones. These results show that a DoE approach can be used to screen various lipids and lipid compositions, and to predict their impact on liposome size, charge and adjuvanticity. Using such an approach may accelerate the formulation development of liposomal vaccine adjuvants. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of the RGO/Al2O3 core-shell nanocomposite flakes and characterization of their unique electrostatic properties using zeta potential measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jastrzębska, A. M.; Karcz, J.; Letmanowski, R.; Zabost, D.; Ciecierska, E.; Zdunek, J.; Karwowska, E.; Siekierski, M.; Olszyna, A.; Kunicki, A.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the influence of the modification of electrostatic properties of RGO/Al2O3 core-shell nanocomposite flakes. The amount of crystalline form of aluminum oxide was very small. It existed mostly in amorphous phase in the form of covalently bonded to GO surface. The morphological, structural and physicochemical investigations results showed that spherical Al2O3 nanoparticles (ca. 41 nm) in gamma phase completely covered the surface of curly-shaped RGO flakes and acted as a spreader between individual flakes. The high BET specific surface area of the analyzed composite (119.71 m2/g) together with very low open porosity (0.479 cm3/g) indicated that RGO/Al2O3 nanocomposite flakes showed low tendency to agglomeration. The zeta potential curves obtained for RGO/Al2O3 core-shell nanocomposite flakes were differing from curves obtained for GO and Al2O3 suspensions in distilled water and neutral environment. The specific electrostatic properties of the core-shell system of RGO/Al2O3 flakes had an influence on its surface charge (zeta potential) which was measured by applying an external electric field. The FTIR and Raman investigations results also confirmed that the Cdbnd O species were not taking part in the surface amphoteric reactions resulting in the formation of electrostatic surface charge.

Mixtures of latex particles and the surfactant of opposite charge used as interface stabilizers--influence of particle contact angle, zeta potential, flocculation and shear energy.

PubMed

Deleurence, Rémi; Parneix, Caroline; Monteux, Cécile

2014-09-28

We investigate the stabilization of air-water interfaces by mixtures of negatively charged latex particles (sulfate polystyrene) and cationic surfactants (alkyl trimethylammonium bromides). First we report results concerning the binding of surfactant molecules to the latex particles. As the surfactant concentration increases, the charge of the particles reverses, from negative to positive, because CnTAB first binds electrostatically to the latex particles and then through hydrophobic interaction with the monolayer already adsorbed on the particles as well as directly with the hydrophobic surface of the latex. Over a large range of surfactant concentrations around the charge inversion, a strong flocculation is observed and 100 μm large aggregates form in the suspension. Unlike previous studies published on mixtures of inorganic particles with oppositely charged surfactants, we show that we can vary the sign of the zeta potential of the particles without changing the contact angle of the particles over a large range of surfactant concentrations. Indeed, the latex particles that we study are more hydrophobic than inorganic particles, hence adding moderate concentrations of the surfactant results in a weak variation of the contact angle while the charge of the particles can be reversed. This enables decoupling of the effect of zeta potential and contact angle on the interfacial properties of the mixtures. Our study shows that the contact angle and the charge of the particles are not sufficient parameters to control the foam properties, and the key-parameters are the flocculation state and the shear energy applied to produce the foam. Indeed, flocculated samples, whatever the sign of the zeta potential, enable production of a stable armour at the interface. The large aggregates do not adsorb spontaneously at the interface because of their large size, however when a large shear energy is used to produce the foam very stable foam is obtained, where particles are trapped

A gene variation of 14-3-3 zeta isoform in rat hippocampus.

PubMed

Murakami, K; Situ, S Y; Eshete, F

1996-11-14

A variant form of 14-3-3 zeta was isolated from the rat hippocampal cDNA library. The cloned cDNA is 1687 bp in length and it contains an entire ORF (nt = 63-797) with 245 amino acids that is characteristic to 14-3-3 zeta subtype. By comparing with reported sequences of 14-3-3 zeta, we found three nucleotide substitutions within the coding sequence in our clone; C<-->T transition at nt = 325 and G<-->C transversions at nt = 387 and 388. Both are missense mutations, leading ACG (Thr) to ATG (Met) and CGT (Arg) to GCT (Ala) conversions at residue 88 and 109, respectively. Our results show that at least three different genetic variants of 14-3-3 zeta are present in rat species which results in protein variations. Such mutation in the amino acid sequence is an important indication of the diverse functions of this protein and may also contribute to the recent contradictory observations regarding the role of the 14-3-3 zeta subtype.

Zeta Potential Measurements on Three Clays from Turkey and Effects of Clays on Coal Flotation

PubMed

Hussain; Dem&idot;rc&idot;; özbayoğlu

1996-12-25

There is a growing trend of characterizing coal and coal wastes in order to study the effect of clays present in them during coal washing. Coarse wastes from the Zonguldak Coal Washery, Turkey, were characterized and found to contain kaolinite, illite, and chlorite. These three clays, obtained in almost pure form from various locations in Turkey, have been subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to assess their purity and zeta potential measurements in order to evaluate their properties in terms of their surface charge and point of zero charge (pzc) values. It was found from XRD data that these clays were almost pure and their electrokinetic potential should therefore be representative of their colloidal behavior. All three clay minerals were negatively charged over the range from pH 2.5 to 11. Chlorite and illite have pzc at pH 3 and pH 2.5, respectively, whereas kaolinite has no pzc. The effect of these clays in Zonguldak coal, wastes, and black waters on coal flotation was studied by floating artificial mixtures of Zonguldak clean coal (4.5% ash) and individual clay. The flotation tests on coal/individual clay revealed that each clay influences coal flotation differently according to its type and amount. Illite had the worst effect on coal floated, followed by chlorite and kaolinite. The loss of yield in coal was found to be 18% for kaolinite, 20% for chlorite, and 28% for illite, indicating the worst effect of illite and least for kaolinite during coal flotation.

pH Effects on solubility, zeta potential, and correlation between antibacterial activity and molecular weight of chitosan.

PubMed

Chang, Shun-Hsien; Lin, Hong-Ting Victor; Wu, Guan-James; Tsai, Guo Jane

2015-12-10

Six chitosans with molecular weights (MWs) of 300, 156, 72.1, 29.2, 7.1, and 3.3 kDa were prepared by cellulase degradation of chitosan (300 kDa) and ultrafiltration techniques. We examined the correlation between activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and chitosan MW, and provided the underlying explanation. In acidic pH conditions, the chitosan activity increased with increasing MW, irrespective of the temperature and bacteria tested. However, at neutral pH, chitosan activity increased as the MW decreased, and little activity was observed for chitosans with MW >29.2 kDa. At pH 5.0 and 6.0, chitosans exhibited good water solubility and zeta potential (ZP) decreased with the MW, whereas the solubility and ZP of the chitosans decreased with increasing MW at pH 7.0. Particularly, low solubility and negative ZP values were determined for chitosans with MW >29.2 kDa, which may explain the loss of their antibacterial activity at pH 7.0. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chromospheric Structure and Wind Acceleration in Zeta Aur Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, Philip D.

2001-01-01

This NASA grant supported an analysis of the variability of the wind of the supergiant primary star (K4 Ib) in the eclipsing binary Zeta Aurigae (Zeta Aur). In the ultraviolet, the main-sequence companion star (B5 V) dominates the observed flux, and therefore serves as a convenient probe of the cool supergiant's wind. This study utilized the extensive set of (100+) ultraviolet spectroscopic observations obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite over its operational lifetime of 1978-1995. Although the resolution of IUE is limited (about 25 km/s), it is adequate to resolve variability in the wind features in Zeta Aur's ultraviolet spectrum, which are blueshifted 70 km/s from line center. Our analysis used the tau-v technique of Cardelli and Savage, which makes full use of the available line profile information. We find that the wind column densities vary by up to an order of magnitude over time. These results are being written up for submission to the Astrophysical Journal as the third paper of a series on the chromosphere and wind of Zeta Aurigae. The first two papers report on the construction of mean chromosphere and wind models respectively, based on HST/GHRS observations and funded by STScI. The third paper - this research - reports on variability of the Zeta Aur wind as determined from our analysis of the long IUE time series. This paper will be completed within the next three months; the delay in publication was to allow the completion of Papers 1 and 2, which logically precede the present work. Therefore, an additional no-cost extension was requested in order to ensure budgeted funds remain available for publication of this work. Unfortunately, this request was denied, and so I am forced to write this final report before publication of Paper 3. Regardless, this paper will be submitted for publication within the next three months.

Group entropies, correlation laws, and zeta functions.

PubMed

Tempesta, Piergiulio

2011-08-01

The notion of group entropy is proposed. It enables the unification and generaliztion of many different definitions of entropy known in the literature, such as those of Boltzmann-Gibbs, Tsallis, Abe, and Kaniadakis. Other entropic functionals are introduced, related to nontrivial correlation laws characterizing universality classes of systems out of equilibrium when the dynamics is weakly chaotic. The associated thermostatistics are discussed. The mathematical structure underlying our construction is that of formal group theory, which provides the general structure of the correlations among particles and dictates the associated entropic functionals. As an example of application, the role of group entropies in information theory is illustrated and generalizations of the Kullback-Leibler divergence are proposed. A new connection between statistical mechanics and zeta functions is established. In particular, Tsallis entropy is related to the classical Riemann zeta function.

Rotationally excited HD toward Zeta Ophiuchi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, E. L.; Morton, D. C.

1979-01-01

Copernicus satellite measurements of HD in J-double prime = 1 and J-double prime = 0 toward Zeta Oph are reported. The ratio of the number densities of HD in the J = 0 and J = 1 states is determined to be 0.15 + or - 0.02 at the 1-sigma level. A value of approximately 24 x 10 to the -17th erg/cu cm per A at 1000 A is obtained for the UV energy density at the Zeta Oph cloud, and the mechanisms for excitation of HD are examined. A tight upper limit is derived for the abundance of HCl, which has been predicted to be present due to the interaction of ionized chlorine with neutral hydrogen. A calculation is performed which indicates that the cloud is 28 pc from the star. It is shown that the two-component cloud model of Black and Dalgarno (1977) with densities of 500 and 2500 H nuclei per cu cm for the outer regions and core, respectively, is in excellent agreement with the observations.

Dynamic interaction between 14-3-3zeta and bax during TNF-α-induced apoptosis in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xuejuan; Xing, Da; Chen, Tongsheng

2006-09-01

Bax, a proapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, localizes largely in the cytoplasm but redistributes to mitochondria and undergoes oligomerization to induce the release of apoptogenic factors such as cytochrome c in response to apoptotic stimuli. Cytoplasmic protein 14-3-3zeta binds to Bax and, upon apoptotic stimulation, releases Bax by a caspase-independent mechanism. However, the direct interaction of the cytoplasmic 14-3-3zeta and Bax in living cells has not been observed. In present study, to monitor the dynamic interaction between 14-3-3zeta and Bax in living cells in real time during apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), DsRed-14-3-3zeta plasmid is constructed. By cotransfecting DsRed- 14-3-3zeta and GFP-Bax plasmids into human lung adenocarcinoma cells (ASTC-a-1), we observe the dynamic interaction between Bax and 14-3-3zeta using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique on laser scanning confocal microscope. The results show that 14-3-3zeta remains in the cytoplasm but GFP-Bax translocates to mitochondria completely after TNF-α stimulation. These results reveal that 14-3-3zeta binds directly to Bax in healthy cells, and that 14-3-3zeta negatively regulates Bax translocation to mitochondria during TNF-α-induced apoptosis.

Three proposed B-associations in the vicinity of zeta puppis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Upton, E. K. L.

1971-01-01

There appear to be three loose B associations in the general vicinity of zeta Puppis, all at distances of approximately 300 to 400 parsecs from the sun. Their diameters, perpendicular to the line of sight, are 20 to 50 parsecs, and their separations are of similar size. All three are situated in bright areas of the Gum nebula. The proposed associations A and C lie in the two brightest parts of the nebula. The three associations are not all of the same age. Association C is about 50 million years old, whereas A and B are decidedly younger. The ages of A and B cannot be determined from the present data, as their color-magnitude diagrams show no clear turnoff from the main sequence. Association A may be young enough to qualify as the birthplace of zeta Puppis. There is no other identifiable association in which zeta Puppis can have originated, unless its age is substantially greater than the 3 million years assumed.

Elucidation of the mechanisms of action of Bacteriophage K/nano-emulsion formulations against S. aureus via measurement of particle size and zeta potential.

PubMed

Esteban, Patricia Perez; Jenkins, A Toby A; Arnot, Tom C

2016-03-01

In earlier work we have demonstrated the effect that nano-emulsions have on bacterial growth, and most importantly the enhanced bacteriophage infectivity against Staphylococcus aureus in planktonic culture when phage are carried in nano-emulsions. However, the mechanisms of enhancement of the bacteriophage killing effect are not specifically understood. This work focuses on the investigation of the possible interactions between emulsion droplets and bacterial cells, between emulsion droplets and bacteriophages, and finally interactions between all three components: nano-emulsion droplets, bacteria, and bacteriophages. The first approach consists of simple calculations to determine the spatial distribution of the components, based on measurements of particle size. It was found that nano-emulsion droplets are much more numerous than bacteria or bacteriophage, and due to their size and surface area they must be covering the surface of both cells and bacteriophage particles. Stabilisation of bacteriophages due to electrostatic forces and interaction with nano-emulsion droplets is suspected, since bacteriophages may be protected against inactivation due to 'charge shielding'. Zeta potential was measured for the individual components in the system, and for all of them combined. It was concluded that the presence of nano-emulsions could be reducing electrostatic repulsion between bacterial cells and bacteriophage, both of which are very negatively 'charged'. Moreover, nano-emulsions lead to more favourable interaction between bacteriophages and bacteria, enhancing the anti-microbial or killing effect. These findings are relevant since the physicochemical properties of nano-emulsions (i.e. particle size distribution and zeta potential) are key in determining the efficacy of the formulation against infection in the context of responsive burn wound dressings-which is the main target for this work. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electroosmotic flow in a rectangular channel with variable wall zeta-potential: comparison of numerical simulation with asymptotic theory.

PubMed

Datta, Subhra; Ghosal, Sandip; Patankar, Neelesh A

2006-02-01

Electroosmotic flow in a straight micro-channel of rectangular cross-section is computed numerically for several situations where the wall zeta-potential is not constant but has a specified spatial variation. The results of the computation are compared with an earlier published asymptotic theory based on the lubrication approximation: the assumption that any axial variations take place on a long length scale compared to a characteristic channel width. The computational results are found to be in excellent agreement with the theory even when the scale of axial variations is comparable to the channel width. In the opposite limit when the wavelength of fluctuations is much shorter than the channel width, the lubrication theory fails to describe the solution either qualitatively or quantitatively. In this short wave limit the solution is well described by Ajdari's theory for electroosmotic flow between infinite parallel plates (Ajdari, A., Phys. Rev. E 1996, 53, 4996-5005.) The infinitely thin electric double layer limit is assumed in the theory as well as in the simulation.

Observations of H II regions around Zeta OPH and other O-B stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shestakova, L. I.; Kutirev, A. S.; Ataev, A. Sh.

1988-01-01

A Fabry-Perot spectrometer was used to measure the emission intensities in H-beta near Zeta Oph, Alpha Vir, Alpha Cam, and HD 188209. The spectrometer sensitivity is 0.2 rayleighs, the intensity measurement accuracy is 20 percent. Ionization zone boundaries are determined for Zeta Oph and Alpha Vir; the angular diameters of both regions are about 15 deg. The contour of the H II region near Zeta Oph on the level of the double background in the southwest does not close; instead, it expands again and incorporates the region associated with the B-association II Sco.

Relating zeta functions of discrete and quantum graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Jonathan; Weyand, Tracy

2018-02-01

We write the spectral zeta function of the Laplace operator on an equilateral metric graph in terms of the spectral zeta function of the normalized Laplace operator on the corresponding discrete graph. To do this, we apply a relation between the spectrum of the Laplacian on a discrete graph and that of the Laplacian on an equilateral metric graph. As a by-product, we determine how the multiplicity of eigenvalues of the quantum graph, that are also in the spectrum of the graph with Dirichlet conditions at the vertices, depends on the graph geometry. Finally we apply the result to calculate the vacuum energy and spectral determinant of a complete bipartite graph and compare our results with those for a star graph, a graph in which all vertices are connected to a central vertex by a single edge.

Zeta Pegasi: An SPB Variable Star

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goebel, John H.

2007-01-01

Broadband photometric observations of the bright star Zeta Pegasi are presented that display brightness variability of 488.2 +/- 6.6 micromag (ppm) range with a period of 22.952 +/- 0.804 hr (f approx. equals 1.04566 c/d). The variation is monosinusoidal, so the star is recommended for membership in the class of small-amplitude Slowly Pulsating B-Stars (SPB) variables oscillating in a non-radial g-mode.

Relations between elliptic multiple zeta values and a special derivation algebra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broedel, Johannes; Matthes, Nils; Schlotterer, Oliver

2016-04-01

We investigate relations between elliptic multiple zeta values (eMZVs) and describe a method to derive the number of indecomposable elements of given weight and length. Our method is based on representing eMZVs as iterated integrals over Eisenstein series and exploiting the connection with a special derivation algebra. Its commutator relations give rise to constraints on the iterated integrals over Eisenstein series relevant for eMZVs and thereby allow to count the indecomposable representatives. Conversely, the above connection suggests apparently new relations in the derivation algebra. Under https://tools.aei.mpg.de/emzv we provide relations for eMZVs over a wide range of weights and lengths.

The Structural Evolution of Milky-Way-Like Star-Forming Galaxies zeta is approximately 1.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patel, Shannon G.; Fumagalli, Mattia; Franx, Marun; VanDokkum, Pieter G.; VanDerWel, Arjen; Leja, Joel; Labbe, Ivo; Brammr, Gabriel; Whitaker, Katherine E.; Skelton, Rosalind E.;

Implementation of the Baldwin-Barth turbulence model into the ZETA code and its diagnosis. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Low, Scott L.

1993-01-01

The Baldwin-Barth turbulence model was implemented into Zeta, a time-accurate, zonal, integro-differential code for incompressible laminar and turbulent flows. The implementation procedure is patterned after the model subroutine in ARC2D. The results of ZETA with the Baldwin-Barth turbulence model were compared with experimental data, with ZETA using Baldwin-Lomax model, and with ARC2D using the Baldwin-Barth model. The Baldwin-Barth model subroutine was tested by inputting an ARC2D velocity solution of an NACA-0012 airfoil at R(sub e) = 3.9 x 10(exp 6) and alpha = 5 deg. The resultant turbulent viscosity and Reynolds stresses compared favorably with the original data. For the same grid having grid points inside the laminar sublayer, which is necessary due to the one-equation nature of the model, ZETA however predicts early separation. It was found that the current ZETA has problem with such a fine grid. Further work is in progress to solve this problem.

Effect of the adsorption of lithium and borate species on the zeta potential of particles of cobalt ferrite, nickel ferrite, and magnetite.

PubMed

Barale, M; Lefèvre, G; Carrette, F; Catalette, H; Fédoroff, M; Cote, G

2008-12-01

Zetametric measurements on suspensions of oxide particles (cobalt ferrite, nickel ferrite, and magnetite) representative of corrosion products from primary circuits of pressurized water reactors were performed at 25 and 70 degrees C in the presence of lithium and borate species. No effect of lithium ions was observed. Borate species cause a decrease of the isoelectric point (IEP), attributed to the sorption of borate as a negative complex MOB(OH)3(-). A predictive model based on thermodynamic calculations (2-pK and diffuse layer models) of the surface acidity constants from the data of acid-base titrations combined with an empirical relationship between the surface potential Psi 0 and the zeta potential determined by zetametry was developed. A whole set of parameters valid at 25 degrees C, in a range of ionic strength between 10(-4) and 10(-2) molL(-1) and in a range of pH between 4 and 8, was determined for this model. Increase of temperature to 70 degrees C in the presence of borate results in a decrease of IEP for cobalt ferrite and an increase of the IEP for nickel ferrite.

Line identifications in the ultraviolet spectra of Tau Herculis, B5 IV, and Zeta Draconis, B6 III

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Underhill, A. B.; Adelman, S. J.

1976-01-01

Tables of the lines found on two tracings each of the ultraviolet spectrum of Tau Her, B5 IV, and Zeta Dra, B6 III, made by the Copernicus satellite and possible identifications are given. The ranges 1025-1451A for Tau Her and 1035 to 1425A for Zeta Dra are covered by the U2 spectrometer at a resolution of 0.2A; the ranges 2028 to 2959A for Tau Her and 2000 to 3000A for Zeta Dra are covered by the V2 spectrometer at a resolution of 0.4A. The observed density of lines in the U2 region is 1.1 lines/A for Tau Her and 1.7 lines/A for Zeta Dra. In the V2 region it is 0.8 lines/A for Tau Her and 0.9 lines/A for Zeta Dra.

Adhesion Potential of Intestinal Microbes Predicted by Physico-Chemical Characterization Methods

PubMed Central

Niederberger, Tobias; Fischer, Peter; Rühs, Patrick Alberto

2015-01-01

Bacterial adhesion to epithelial surfaces affects retention time in the human gastro-intestinal tract and therefore significantly contributes to interactions between bacteria and their hosts. Bacterial adhesion among other factors is strongly influenced by physico-chemical factors. The accurate quantification of these physico-chemical factors in adhesion is however limited by the available measuring techniques. We evaluated surface charge, interfacial rheology and tensiometry (interfacial tension) as novel approaches to quantify these interactions and evaluated their biological significance via an adhesion assay using intestinal epithelial surface molecules (IESM) for a set of model organisms present in the human gastrointestinal tract. Strain pairs of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 with its sortase knockout mutant Lb. plantarum NZ7114 and Lb. rhamnosus GG with Lb. rhamnosus DSM 20021T were used with Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 as control organism. Intra-species comparison revealed significantly higher abilities for Lb. plantarum WCSF1 and Lb. rhamnosus GG vs. Lb. plantarum NZ7114 and Lb. rhamnosus DSM 20021T to dynamically increase interfacial elasticity (10−2 vs. 10−3 Pa*m) and reduce interfacial tension (32 vs. 38 mN/m). This further correlated for Lb. plantarum WCSF1 and Lb. rhamnosus GG vs. Lb. plantarum NZ7114 and Lb. rhamnosus DSM 20021T with the decrease of relative hydrophobicity (80–85% vs. 57–63%), Zeta potential (-2.9 to -4.5 mV vs. -8.0 to -13.8 mV) and higher relative adhesion capacity to IESM (3.0–5.0 vs 1.5–2.2). Highest adhesion to the IESM collagen I and fibronectin was found for Lb. plantarum WCFS1 (5.0) and E. faecalis JH2-2 (4.2) whereas Lb. rhamnosus GG showed highest adhesion to type II mucus (3.8). Significantly reduced adhesion (2 fold) to the tested IESM was observed for Lb. plantarum NZ7114 and Lb. rhamnosus DSM 20021T corresponding with lower relative hydrophobicity, Zeta potential and abilities to modify interfacial

Streaming potential method for characterizing interaction of electrical double layers between rice roots and Fe/Al oxide-coated quartz in situ.

PubMed

Liu, Zhao-Dong; Wang, Hai-Cui; Li, Jiu-Yu; Xu, Ren-Kou

2017-10-01

The interaction between rice roots and Fe/Al oxide-coated quartz was investigated through zeta potential measurements and column leaching experiments in present study. The zeta potentials of rice roots, Fe/Al oxide-coated quartz, and the binary systems containing rice roots and Fe/Al oxide-coated quartz were measured by a specially constructed streaming potential apparatus. The interactions between rice roots and Fe/Al oxide-coated quartz particles were evaluated/deduced based on the differences of zeta potentials between the binary systems and the single system of rice roots. The zeta potentials of the binary systems moved in positive directions compared with that of rice roots, suggesting that there were overlapping of diffuse layers of electric double layers on positively charged Fe/Al oxide-coated quartz and negatively charged rice roots and neutralization of positive charge on Fe/Al oxide-coated quartz with negative charge on rice roots. The greater amount of positive charges on Al oxide led to the stronger interaction of Al oxide-coated quartz with rice roots and the more shift of zeta potential compared with Fe oxide. The overlapping of diffuse layers on Fe/Al oxide-coated quartz and rice roots was confirmed by column leaching experiments. The greater overlapping of diffuse layers on Al oxide and rice roots led to more simultaneous adsorptions of K + and NO 3 - and greater reduction in leachate electric conductivity when the column containing Al oxide-coated quartz and rice roots was leached with KNO 3 solution, compared with the columns containing rice roots and Fe oxide-coated quartz or quartz. When the KNO 3 solution was replaced with deionized water to flush the columns, more K + and NO 3 - were desorbed from the binary system containing Al oxide-coated quartz and rice roots than from other two binary systems, suggesting that the stronger electrostatic interaction between Al oxide and rice roots promoted the desorption of K + and NO 3 - from the binary

Tunnel determinants from spectral zeta functions. Instanton effects in quantum mechanics

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

Izquierdo, A. Alonso; Guilarte, J. Mateos

2014-07-23

In this paper we develop an spectral zeta function regularization procedure on the determinants of instanton fluctuation operators that describe the semi-classical order of tunnel effects between degenerate vacua.

Zeta functions on tori using contour integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elizalde, Emilio; Kirsten, Klaus; Robles, Nicolas; Williams, Floyd

2015-12-01

A new, seemingly useful presentation of zeta functions on complex tori is derived by using contour integration. It is shown to agree with the one obtained by using the Chowla-Selberg series formula, for which an alternative proof is thereby given. In addition, a new proof of the functional determinant on the torus results, which does not use the Kronecker first limit formula nor the functional equation of the non-holomorphic Eisenstein series. As a bonus, several identities involving the Dedekind eta function are obtained as well.

Mapping Protein-Protein Interactions of the Resistance-Related Bacterial Zeta Toxin-Epsilon Antitoxin Complex (ε₂ζ₂) with High Affinity Peptide Ligands Using Fluorescence Polarization.

PubMed

Fernández-Bachiller, María Isabel; Brzozowska, Iwona; Odolczyk, Norbert; Zielenkiewicz, Urszula; Zielenkiewicz, Piotr; Rademann, Jörg

2016-07-16

Toxin-antitoxin systems constitute a native survival strategy of pathogenic bacteria and thus are potential targets of antibiotic drugs. Here, we target the Zeta-Epsilon toxin-antitoxin system, which is responsible for the stable maintenance of certain multiresistance plasmids in Gram-positive bacteria. Peptide ligands were designed on the basis of the ε₂ζ₂ complex. Three α helices of Zeta forming the protein-protein interaction (PPI) site were selected and peptides were designed conserving the residues interacting with Epsilon antitoxin while substituting residues binding intramolecularly to other parts of Zeta. Designed peptides were synthesized with an N-terminal fluoresceinyl-carboxy-residue for binding assays and provided active ligands, which were used to define the hot spots of the ε₂ζ₂ complex. Further shortening and modification of the binding peptides provided ligands with affinities <100 nM, allowing us to determine the most relevant PPIs and implement a robust competition binding assay.

Differential interaction and aggregation of 3-repeat and 4-repeat tau isoforms with 14-3-3{zeta} protein

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

Sadik, Golam; Tanaka, Toshihisa, E-mail: tanaka@psy.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Kato, Kiyoko

2009-05-22

Tau isoforms, 3-repeat (3R) and 4-repeat tau (4R), are differentially involved in neuronal development and in several tauopathies. 14-3-3 protein binds to tau and 14-3-3/tau association has been found both in the development and in tauopathies. To understand the role of 14-3-3 in the differential regulation of tau isoforms, we have performed studies on the interaction and aggregation of 3R-tau and 4R-tau, either phosphorylated or unphosphorylated, with 14-3-3{zeta}. We show by surface plasmon resonance studies that the interaction between unphosphorylated 3R-tau and 14-3-3{zeta} is {approx}3-folds higher than that between unphosphorylated 4R-tau and 14-3-3{zeta}. Phosphorylation of tau by protein kinase Amore » (PKA) increases the affinity of both 3R- and 4R-tau for 14-3-3{zeta} to a similar level. An in vitro aggregation assay employing both transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed the aggregation of unphosphorylated 4R-tau to be significantly higher than that of unphosphorylated 3R-tau following the induction of 14-3-3{zeta}. The filaments formed from 3R- and 4R-tau were almost similar in morphology. In contrast, the aggregation of both 3R- and 4R-tau was reduced to a similar low level after phosphorylation with PKA. Taken together, these results suggest that 14-3-3{zeta} exhibits a similar role for tau isoforms after PKA-phosphorylation, but a differential role for unphosphorylated tau. The significant aggregation of 4R-tau by 14-3-3{zeta} suggests that 14-3-3 may act as an inducer in the generation of 4R-tau-predominant neurofibrillary tangles in tauopathies.« less

Carbon and nitrogen abundances in the supergiants HD 93840 and zeta Per

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Massa, Derck; Altner, Bruce; Wynne, David; Lamers, H. J. G. L. M.

1990-01-01

The BN supergiant HD 93840 is shown to have the same temperature and surface gravity as the normal Bi Ib zeta Per. Differential abundance analysis of their C 4 and N 5 wind line profiles are found. The results are independent of the usual model atmosphere analyses and, therefore, a valuable check on them. Ratios for the C and N surface abundances in HD 93840 compared to Per of 1:10 and 4.6:1 are found respectively. By introducing a simple model for the compositions of both atmospheres the fraction of material in each atmosphere which has undergone CNO processing, more than 90 percent for HD 93840 and less than about 15 percent for zeta Per, is derived.

In vitro phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 by protein kinase C-zeta: functional analysis and identification of novel phosphorylation sites.

PubMed

Sommerfeld, Mark R; Metzger, Sabine; Stosik, Magdalene; Tennagels, Norbert; Eckel, Jürgen

2004-05-18

Protein kinase C-zeta (PKC-zeta) participates both in downstream insulin signaling and in the negative feedback control of insulin action. Here we used an in vitro approach to identify PKC-zeta phosphorylation sites within insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and to characterize the functional implications. A recombinant IRS-1 fragment (rIRS-1(449)(-)(664)) containing major tyrosine motifs for interaction with phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase strongly associated to the p85alpha subunit of PI 3-kinase after Tyr phosphorylation by the insulin receptor. Phosphorylation of rIRS-1(449)(-)(664) by PKC-zeta induced a prominent inhibition of this process with a mixture of classical PKC isoforms being less effective. Both PKC-zeta and the classical isoforms phosphorylated rIRS-1(449)(-)(664) on Ser(612). However, modification of this residue did not reduce the affinity of p85alpha binding to pTyr-containing peptides (amino acids 605-615 of rat IRS-1), as determined by surface plasmon resonance. rIRS-1(449)(-)(664) was then phosphorylated by PKC-zeta using [(32)P]ATP and subjected to tryptic phosphopeptide mapping based on two-dimensional HPLC coupled to mass spectrometry. Ser(498) and Ser(570) were identified as novel phosphoserine sites targeted by PKC-zeta. Both sites were additionally confirmed by phosphopeptide mapping of the corresponding Ser --> Ala mutants of rIRS-1(449)(-)(664). Ser(570) was specifically targeted by PKC-zeta, as shown by immunoblotting with a phosphospecific antiserum against Ser(570) of IRS-1. Binding of p85alpha to the S570A mutant was less susceptible to inhibition by PKC-zeta, when compared to the S612A mutant. In conclusion, our in vitro data demonstrate a strong inhibitory action of PKC-zeta at the level of IRS-1/PI 3-kinase interaction involving multiple serine phosphorylation sites. Whereas Ser(612) appears not to participate in the negative control of insulin signaling, Ser(570) may at least partly contribute to this process.

Catalytic properties of an expressed and purified higher plant type zeta-carotene desaturase from Capsicum annuum.

PubMed

Breitenbach, J; Kuntz, M; Takaichi, S; Sandmann, G

1999-10-01

The zeta-carotene desaturase from Capsicum annuum (EC 1.14.99.-) was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized biochemically. The enzyme acts as a monomer with lipophilic quinones as cofactors. Km values for the substrate zeta-carotene or the intermediate neurosporene in the two-step desaturation reaction are almost identical. Product analysis showed that different lycopene isomers are formed, including substantial amounts of the all-trans form, together with 7,7',9,9'-tetracis prolycopene via the corresponding neurosporene isomers. The application of different geometric isomers as substrates revealed that the zeta-carotene desaturase has no preference for certain isomers and that the nature of the isomers formed during catalysis depends strictly on the isomeric composition of the substrate.

Asymptotic analysis on a pseudo-Hermitian Riemann-zeta Hamiltonian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Carl M.; Brody, Dorje C.

2018-04-01

The differential-equation eigenvalue problem associated with a recently-introduced Hamiltonian, whose eigenvalues correspond to the zeros of the Riemann zeta function, is analyzed using Fourier and WKB analysis. The Fourier analysis leads to a challenging open problem concerning the formulation of the eigenvalue problem in the momentum space. The WKB analysis gives the exact asymptotic behavior of the eigenfunction.

Analyte preconcentration in nanofluidic channels with nonuniform zeta potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eden, A.; McCallum, C.; Storey, B. D.; Pennathur, S.; Meinhart, C. D.

2017-12-01

It is well known that charged analytes in the presence of nonuniform electric fields concentrate at locations where the relevant driving forces balance, and a wide range of ionic stacking and focusing methods are commonly employed to leverage these physical mechanisms in order to improve signal levels in biosensing applications. In particular, nanofluidic channels with spatially varying conductivity distributions have been shown to provide increased preconcentration of charged analytes due to the existence of a finite electric double layer (EDL), in which electrostatic attraction and repulsion from charged surfaces produce nonuniform transverse ion distributions. In this work, we use numerical simulations to show that one can achieve greater levels of sample accumulation by using field-effect control via wall-embedded electrodes to tailor the surface potential heterogeneity in a nanochannel with overlapped EDLs. In addition to previously demonstrated stacking and focusing mechanisms, we find that the coupling between two-dimensional ion distributions and the axial electric field under overlapped EDL conditions can generate an ion concentration polarization interface in the middle of the channel. Under an applied electric field, this interface can be used to concentrate sample ions between two stationary regions of different surface potential and charge density. Our numerical model uses the Poisson-Nernst-Planck system of equations coupled with the Stokes equation to demonstrate the phenomenon, and we discuss in detail the driving forces behind the predicted sample enhancement. The numerical velocity and salt concentration profiles exhibit good agreement with analytical results from a simplified one-dimensional area-averaged model for several limiting cases, and we show predicted amplification ratios of up to 105.

Thickness determination of biological samples with a zeta-calibrated scanning tunneling microscope.

PubMed Central

Wang, Z H; Hartmann, T; Baumeister, W; Guckenberger, R

1990-01-01

A single-tube scanning tunneling microscope has been zeta-calibrated by using atomic steps of crystalline gold and was used for measuring the thickness of two biological samples, metal-coated as well as uncoated. The hexagonal surface layer of the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans with an open network-type structure shows thickness values that are strongly influenced by the substrate and the preparation method. In contrast, the thickness of the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium with its densely packed less-corrugated structure exhibits very little variation in thickness in coated preparations and the values obtained are in good agreement with x-ray data. Images PMID:2251276

Fuzzy-PI-based centralised control of semi-isolated FP-SEPIC/ZETA BDC in a PV/battery hybrid system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahendran, Venmathi; Ramabadran, Ramaprabha

2016-11-01

Multiport converters with centralised controller have been most commonly used in stand-alone photovoltaic (PV)/battery hybrid system to supply the load smoothly without any disturbances. This study presents the performance analysis of four-port SEPIC/ZETA bidirectional converter (FP-SEPIC/ZETA BDC) using various types of centralised control schemes like Fuzzy tuned proportional integral controller (Fuzzy-PI), fuzzy logic controller (FLC) and conventional proportional integral (PI) controller. The proposed FP-SEPIC/ZETA BDC with various control strategy is derived for simultaneous power management of a PV source using distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT) algorithm, a rechargeable battery, and a load by means of centralised controller. The steady state and the dynamic response of the FP-SEPIC/ZETA BDC are analysed using three different types of controllers under line and load regulation. The Fuzzy-PI-based control scheme improves the dynamic response of the system when compared with the FLC and the conventional PI controller. The power balance between the ports is achieved by pseudorandom carrier modulation scheme. The response of the FP-SEPIC/ZETA BDC is also validated experimentally using hardware prototype model of 500 W system. The effectiveness of the control strategy is validated using simulation and experimental results.

Cell surface groups of two picocyanobacteria strains studied by zeta potential investigations, potentiometric titration, and infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Dittrich, Maria; Sibler, Sabine

2005-06-15

In order to clarify the role of picocyanobacteria in aquatic biogeochemical processes (e.g., calcite precipitation), cell surface properties need to be investigated. An experimental study of the cell surface characteristics of two Synechococcus-type unicellular autotrophic picocyanobacterial strains was carried out. One strain was isolated from Lake Plon and contained phycocyanin, the other strain came from Lago Maggiore and was rich in phycoerythrin. Potentiometric titrations were conducted to determine the different types of sites present on the bacteria cell walls. Infrared spectroscopy allowed characterization of the various functional groups (RNH(2), RCOOH, ROH, RPO(2)) and investigations of zeta potential provided insight into the isoelectrical points of the strains. Titrations reveal three distinct sites on the bacterial surfaces of phycocyanin- and phycoerythrin-rich strains with pK values of 4.8+/-0.3/5.0+/-0.2, 6.6+/-0.2/6.7+/-0.4, and 8.8+/-0.1/8.7+/-0.2, corresponding to carboxyl, phosphate, and amine groups with surface densities of 2.6+/-0.4/7.4+/-1.6 x 10(-4), 1.9+/-0.5/4.4+/-0.8 x 10(-4), and 2.5+/-0.4/4.8+/-0.7 x 10(-4) mol/g of dry bacteria. The deprotonation constants are similar to those of bacterial strains and site densities are also within an order of magnitude of other strains. The phycoerythrin-rich strain had a higher number of binding sites than the phycocyanin-rich strain. The results showed that picocyanobacteria may adsorb either calcium cations or carbonate anions and therefore strongly influence the biogeochemical cycling of calcite in pelagic systems.

p62 modulates Akt activity via association with PKC{zeta} in neuronal survival and differentiation

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

Joung, Insil; Kim, Hak Jae; Kwon, Yunhee Kim

2005-08-26

p62 is a ubiquitously expressed phosphoprotein that interacts with a number of signaling molecules and a major component of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. It has been implicated in important cellular functions such as cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic pathways. In this study, we have addressed the potential role of p62 during neuronal differentiation and survival using HiB5, a rat neuronal progenitor cell. We generated a recombinant adenovirus encoding T7-epitope tagged p62 to reliably transfer p62 cDNA into the neuronal cells. The results show that an overexpression of p62 led not only to neuronal differentiation, but alsomore » to decreased cell death induced by serum withdrawal in HiB5 cells. In this process p62-dependent Akt phosphorylation occurred via the release of Akt from PKC{zeta} by association of p62 and PKC{zeta}, which is known as a negative regulator of Akt activation. These findings indicate that p62 facilitates cell survival through novel signaling cascades that result in Akt activation. Furthermore, we found that p62 expression was induced during neuronal differentiation. Taken together, the data suggest p62 is a regulator of neuronal cell survival and differentiation.« less

GRANULATION IN THE PHOTOSPHERE OF {zeta} CYGNI

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

Gray, David F., E-mail: dfgray@uwo.ca

2012-05-15

A series of 35 high-resolution spectra are used to measure the third-signature plot of the G8 III star, {zeta} Cygni, which shows convective velocities only 8% larger than the Sun. Bisector mapping yields a flux deficit, a measure of granulation contrast, typical of other giants. The observations also give radial velocities with errors {approx}30 m s{sup -1} and allow the orbit to be refined. Velocity excursions relative to the smooth orbital motion, possibly from the granulation, have values exceeding 200 m s{sup -1}. Temperature variations were looked for using line-depth ratios, but none were found.

The spectral energy distribution of Zeta Puppis and HD 50896

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holm, A. V.; Cassinelli, J. P.

1977-01-01

The ultraviolet spectral energy distribution of the O5f star Zeta Pup and the WN5 star HD 50896 are derived from OAO-2 observations with the calibration of Bless, Code, and Fairchild (1976). An estimate of the interstellar reddening (0.12 magnitude) of the Wolf-Rayet star is determined from the size of the characteristic interstellar extinction bump at 4.6 inverse microns. After correction for extinction, both stars show a flat energy distribution in the ultraviolet. The distribution of HD 50896 from 1100 A to 2 microns is in good agreement with results of extended model atmospheres, but some uncertainty remains because of the interstellar-extinction correction. The absolute energy distribution of Zeta Pup is fitted by a 42,000-K plane-parallel model if the model's flux is adjusted for the effects of electron scattering in the stellar wind and for UV line blanketing that was determined empirically from high-resolution Copernicus satellite observations. To achieve this fit, it is necessary to push both the spectroscopically determined temperature and the ultraviolet calibration to the limits of their probable errors.

Organization of the human [zeta]-crystallin/quinone reductase gene (CRYZ)

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

Gonzalez, P.; Rao, P.V.; Zigler, J.S. Jr.

1994-05-15

[zeta]-Crystallin is a protein highly expressed in the lens of guinea pigs and camels, where it comprises about 10% of the total soluble protein. It has recently been characterized as a novel quinone oxidoreductase present in a variety of mammalian tissues. The authors report here the isolation and characterization of the human [zeta]-crystallin gene (CRYZ) and its processed pseudogene. The functional gene is composed of nine exons and spans about 20 kb. The 5[prime]-flanking region of the gene is rich in G and C (58%) and lacks TATA and CAAT boxes. Previous analysis of the guinea pig gene revealed themore » presence of two different promoters, one responsible for the high lens-specific expression and the other for expression at the enzymatic level in numerous tissues. Comparative analysis with the guinea pig gene shows that a region of [approximately]2.5 kb that includes the promoter responsible for the high expression in the lens in guinea pig is not present in the human gene. 34 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.« less

Molecular basis of length polymorphism in the human zeta-globin gene complex.

PubMed Central

Goodbourn, S E; Higgs, D R; Clegg, J B; Weatherall, D J

1983-01-01

The length polymorphism between the human zeta-globin gene and its pseudogene is caused by an allele-specific variation in the copy number of a tandemly repeating 36-base-pair sequence. This sequence is related to a tandemly repeated 14-base-pair sequence in the 5' flanking region of the human insulin gene, which is known to cause length polymorphism, and to a repetitive sequence in intervening sequence (IVS) 1 of the pseudo-zeta-globin gene. Evidence is presented that the latter is also of variable length, probably because of differences in the copy number of the tandem repeat. The homology between the three length polymorphisms may be an indication of the presence of a more widespread group of related sequences in the human genome, which might be useful for generalized linkage studies. PMID:6308667

Averages of ratios of the Riemann zeta-function and correlations of divisor sums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrey, Brian; Keating, Jonathan P.

2017-10-01

Nonlinearity has published articles containing a significant number-theoretic component since the journal was first established. We examine one thread, concerning the statistics of the zeros of the Riemann zeta function. We extend this by establishing a connection between the ratios conjecture for the Riemann zeta-function and a conjecture concerning correlations of convolutions of Möbius and divisor functions. Specifically, we prove that the ratios conjecture and an arithmetic correlations conjecture imply the same result. This provides new support for the ratios conjecture, which previously had been motivated by analogy with formulae in random matrix theory and by a heuristic recipe. Our main theorem generalises a recent calculation pertaining to the special case of two-over-two ratios.

High mobility group box-1 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C zeta and secreted in colon cancer cells

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

Lee, Hanna; Park, Minhee; Shin, Nara

2012-07-27

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Specific enzyme for HMGB1 phosphorylation and its secretion is proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Inhibition of PKC-{zeta} leads to significant reduction of the secreted HMGB1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Phosphorylation of specific site of HMGB1 redirects its secretion in cancer cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Activation of PKC-{zeta} in cancers explains the enhanced HMGB1 secretion. -- Abstract: High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), a nuclear protein, is overexpressed and secreted in cancer cells. Phosphorylation on two different nuclear localization signal regions are known to be important for the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic transport and secretion of HMGB1. However, little is known about the biochemical mechanism of HMGB1 modifications and its subsequentmore » secretion from cancer cells. To identify the specific enzyme and important sites for HMGB1 phosphorylation, we screened the protein kinase C (PKC) family in a colon cancer cell line (HCT116) for HMGB1 binding by pull-down experiments using a 3XFLAG-HMGB1 construct. Strong interactions between atypical PKCs (PKC-{zeta}, {lambda}, and {iota}) and cytoplasmic HMGB1 were observed in HCT116 cells. We further identified the most critical PKC isotype that regulates HMGB1 secretion is PKC-{zeta} by using PKC inhibitors and siRNA experiments. The serine residues at S39, S53 and S181 of HMGB1 were related to enhancing HMGB1 secretion. We also demonstrated overexpression and activation of PKC-{zeta} in colon cancer tissues. Our findings suggest that PKC-{zeta} is involved in the phosphorylation of HMGB1, and the phosphorylation of specific serine residues in the nuclear localization signal regions is related to enhanced HMGB1 secretion in colon cancer cells.« less

The preparation, surface structure, zeta potential, surface charge density and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanostructures of different shapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grover, Inderpreet Singh; Singh, Satnam; Pal, Bonamali

2013-09-01

Titania based nanocatalysts such as sodium titanates of different morphology having superior surface properties are getting wide importance in photocatalysis research. Despite having sodium (Na) contents and its high temperature synthesis (that generally deteriorate the photoreactivity), these Na-titanates often exhibit better photoactivity than P25-TiO2 catalyst. Hence, this work demonstrated the influence of crystal structure, BET surface area, surface charge, zeta potential (ζ) and metal loading on the photocatalytic activity of as-prepared sodium titanate nanotube (TNT) and titania nanorod (TNR). Straw like hollow orthorhombic-TNT (Na2Ti2O5·H2O) particles (W = 9-12 nm and L = 82-115 nm) and rice like pure anatase-TNR particles (W = 8-13 nm and L = 81-134 nm) are obtained by the hydrothermal treatment of P25-TiO2 with NaOH, which in fact, altered the net surface charge of TNT and TNR particles. The observed ζ = -2.82 (P25-TiO2), -13.5 (TNT) and -22.5 mV (TNR) are significantly altered by the Ag and Cu deposition. It has been found here that TNT displayed best photocatalytic activity for the imidacloprid insecticide (C9H10ClN5O2) degradation to CO2 formation under UV irradiation because of its largest surface area 176 m2 g-1 among the catalysts studied.

Density-functional theory of spherical electric double layers and zeta potentials of colloidal particles in restricted-primitive-model electrolyte solutions.

PubMed

Yu, Yang-Xin; Wu, Jianzhong; Gao, Guang-Hua

2004-04-15

A density-functional theory is proposed to describe the density profiles of small ions around an isolated colloidal particle in the framework of the restricted primitive model where the small ions have uniform size and the solvent is represented by a dielectric continuum. The excess Helmholtz energy functional is derived from a modified fundamental measure theory for the hard-sphere repulsion and a quadratic functional Taylor expansion for the electrostatic interactions. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the results from Monte Carlo simulations and from previous investigations using integral-equation theory for the ionic density profiles and the zeta potentials of spherical particles at a variety of solution conditions. Like the integral-equation approaches, the density-functional theory is able to capture the oscillatory density profiles of small ions and the charge inversion (overcharging) phenomena for particles with elevated charge density. In particular, our density-functional theory predicts the formation of a second counterion layer near the surface of highly charged spherical particle. Conversely, the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann theory and its variations are unable to represent the oscillatory behavior of small ion distributions and charge inversion. Finally, our density-functional theory predicts charge inversion even in a 1:1 electrolyte solution as long as the salt concentration is sufficiently high. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

14-3-3 sigma and 14-3-3 zeta plays an opposite role in cell growth inhibition mediated by transforming growth factor-beta 1.

PubMed

Hong, Hye-Young; Jeon, Woo-Kwang; Bae, Eun-Jin; Kim, Shin-Tae; Lee, Ho-Jae; Kim, Seong-Jin; Kim, Byung-Chul

2010-03-01

The expression of 14-3-3 proteins is dysregulated in various types of cancer. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of 14-3-3 zeta and 14-3-3 sigma on cell growth inhibition mediated by transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1). Mouse mammary epithelial cells (Eph4) that are transformed with oncogenic c-H-Ras (EpRas) and no longer sensitive to TGF-beta1-mediated growth inhibition displayed increased expression of 14-3-3 zeta and decreased expression of 14-3-3 sigma compared with parental Eph4 cells. Using small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown and overexpression of 14-3-3 sigma or 14-3-3 zeta, we showed that 14-3-3 sigma is required for TGF-beta1-mediated growth inhibition whereas 14-3-3 zeta negatively modulates this growth inhibitory response. Notably, overexpression of 14-3-3 zeta increased the level of Smad3 protein that is phosphorylated at linker regions and cannot mediate the TGF-beta1 growth inhibitory response. Consistent with this finding, mutation of the 14-3-3 zeta phosphorylation sites in Smad3 markedly reduced the 14-3-3 zeta-mediated inhibition of TGF-beta1-induced p15 promoter-reporter activity and cell cycle arrest, suggesting that these residues are critical targets of 14-3-3 zeta in the suppression of TGF-beta1-mediated growth. Taken together, our findings indicate that dysregulation of 14-3-3 sigma or 14-3-3 zeta contributes to TGF-beta1 resistance in cancer cells.

Toxicity and Metabolism of Zeta-Cypermethrin in Field-Collected and Laboratory Strains of the Neotropical Predator Chrysoperla externa Hagen (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

PubMed

Haramboure, M; Smagghe, G; Niu, J; Christiaens, O; Spanoghe, P; Alzogaray, R A

2017-06-01

Resistance to pesticides has been studied in several insect pests, but information on the natural enemies of pests-including the Neotropical predator Chrysoperla externa Hagen (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), a major biological control agent in South America-is lacking. We report here a comparative study between a field-collected strain of C. externa subjected to monthly sprayings of pyrethroids and neonicotinoids and a laboratory strain without exposure to pesticides. The tolerance of both strains against zeta-cypermethrin was similar, and addition of the synergist piperonyl butoxide increased the toxicity by 30% in both strains. Gas-chromatography analyses and mixed-function-oxidase measurements indicated similar values in both strains and also confirmed the key role of oxidative metabolism in this species. Because C. externa has maintained a tolerance to zeta-cypermethrin without previous pesticide exposure, this species could potentially be mass-reared and released in fields in the presence of pesticide pressure.

The ng_ζ1 toxin of the gonococcal epsilon/zeta toxin/antitoxin system drains precursors for cell wall synthesis.

PubMed

Rocker, Andrea; Peschke, Madeleine; Kittilä, Tiia; Sakson, Roman; Brieke, Clara; Meinhart, Anton

2018-04-27

Bacterial toxin-antitoxin complexes are emerging as key players modulating bacterial physiology as activation of toxins induces stasis or programmed cell death by interference with vital cellular processes. Zeta toxins, which are prevalent in many bacterial genomes, were shown to interfere with cell wall formation by perturbing peptidoglycan synthesis in Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we characterize the epsilon/zeta toxin-antitoxin (TA) homologue from the Gram-negative pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae termed ng_ɛ1 / ng_ζ1. Contrary to previously studied streptococcal epsilon/zeta TA systems, ng_ɛ1 has an epsilon-unrelated fold and ng_ζ1 displays broader substrate specificity and phosphorylates multiple UDP-activated sugars that are precursors of peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide synthesis. Moreover, the phosphorylation site is different from the streptococcal zeta toxins, resulting in a different interference with cell wall synthesis. This difference most likely reflects adaptation to the individual cell wall composition of Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms but also the distinct involvement of cell wall components in virulence.

Detailed study of the water trimer potential energy surface

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

Fowler, J.E.; Schaefer, H.F. III

The potential energy surface of the water trimer has been studied through the use of ab initio quantum mechanical methods. Five stationary points were located, including one minimum and two transition states. All geometries were optimized at levels up to the double-[Zeta] plus polarization plus diffuse (DZP + diff) single and double excitation coupled cluster (CCSD) level of theory. CCSD single energy points were obtained for the minimum, two transition states, and the water monomer using the triple-[Zeta] plus double polarization plus diffuse (TZ2P + diff) basis at the geometries predicted by the DZP + diff CCSD method. Reported aremore » the following: geometrical parameters, total and relative energies, harmonic vibrational frequencies and infrared intensities for the minimum, and zero point vibrational energies for the minimum, two transition states, and three separated water molecules. 27 refs., 5 figs., 10 tabs.« less

Local zeta factors and geometries under Spec Z

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manin, Yu I.

2016-08-01

The first part of this note shows that the odd-period polynomial of each Hecke cusp eigenform for the full modular group produces via the Rodriguez-Villegas transform ([1]) a polynomial satisfying the functional equation of zeta type and having non-trivial zeros only in the middle line of its critical strip. The second part discusses the Chebyshev lambda-structure of the polynomial ring as Borger's descent data to \\mathbf{F}_1 and suggests its role in a possible relation of the Γ\\mathbf{R}-factor to 'real geometry over \\mathbf{F}_1' (cf. [2]).

The white dwarf companion of the B a 2 star zeta Cap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boehm-Vitense, E.

1981-01-01

The Ba II star zeta Cap has a white dwarf companion. Its T (sub eff) is determined to be 22000 K, its mass is approximately one solar mass. The importance of this finding for the explanation of abundance peculiarities is discussed.

Evanescent-wave particle velocimetry measurements of zeta-potentials in fused-silica microchannels.

PubMed

Cevheri, Necmettin; Yoda, Minami

2013-07-01

The wall ζ-potential ζ(w), the potential at the shear plane of the electric double layer, depends on the properties of the BGE solution such as the valence and type of electrolyte, the pH and the ionic strength. Most of the methods estimate ζ(w) from measurements of the EOF velocity magnitude ueo , usually spatially averaged over the entire capillary. In these initial studies, evanescent-wave particle velocimetry was used to measure ueo in steady EOF for a variety of monovalent aqueous solutions to evaluate the effect of small amounts of divalent cations, as well as the pH and ionic strength of BGE solutions. In brief, the magnitude of the EOF velocity of NaCl-NaOH and borate buffer-NaOH solutions was estimated from the measured velocities of radius α = 104 nm fluorescent polystyrene particles in 33 μm fused-silica microchannels. The particle ζ-potentials were measured separately using laser-Doppler micro-electrophoresis; ζ(w) was then determined from ueo. The results suggest that evanescent-wave particle velocimetry can be used to estimate ζ(w) for a variety of BGE solutions, and that it can be used in the future to estimate local wall ζ-potential, and hence spatial variations in ζ(w). © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation and characterization of methacrylate hydrogels for zeta potential control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregonis, D. E.; Ma, S. M.; Vanwagenen, R.; Andrade, J. D.

1976-01-01

A technique based on the measurement of streaming potentials has been developed to evaluate the effects of hydrophilic coatings on electroosmotic flow. The apparatus and procedure are described as well as some results concerning the electrokinetic potential of glass capillaries as a function of ionic strength, pH, and temperature. The effect that turbulence and entrance flow conditions have on accurate streaming potential measurements is discussed. Various silane adhesion promoters exhibited only a slight decrease in streaming potential. A coating utilizing a glycidoxy silane base upon which methylcellulose is applied affords a six-fold decrease over uncoated tubes. Hydrophilic methacrylate gels show similar streaming potential behavior, independent of the water content of the gel. By introduction of positive or negative groups into the hydrophilic methacrylate gels, a range of streaming potential values are obtained having absolute positive or negative signs.

On small values of the Riemann zeta-function at Gram points

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

Korolev, M A

In this paper, we prove the existence of a large set of Gram points t{sub n} such that the values ζ(0.5+it{sub n}) are 'anomalously' close to zero. A lower bound for the negative 'discrete' moment of the Riemann zeta-function on the critical line is also given. Bibliography: 13 titles.

A variable pressure method for characterizing nanoparticle surface charge using pore sensors.

PubMed

Vogel, Robert; Anderson, Will; Eldridge, James; Glossop, Ben; Willmott, Geoff

2012-04-03

A novel method using resistive pulse sensors for electrokinetic surface charge measurements of nanoparticles is presented. This method involves recording the particle blockade rate while the pressure applied across a pore sensor is varied. This applied pressure acts in a direction which opposes transport due to the combination of electro-osmosis, electrophoresis, and inherent pressure. The blockade rate reaches a minimum when the velocity of nanoparticles in the vicinity of the pore approaches zero, and the forces on typical nanoparticles are in equilibrium. The pressure applied at this minimum rate can be used to calculate the zeta potential of the nanoparticles. The efficacy of this variable pressure method was demonstrated for a range of carboxylated 200 nm polystyrene nanoparticles with different surface charge densities. Results were of the same order as phase analysis light scattering (PALS) measurements. Unlike PALS results, the sequence of increasing zeta potential for different particle types agreed with conductometric titration.

IUE observations of the atmospheric eclipsing binary system Zeta Aurigae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champman, R. D.

1980-01-01

IUE observations of the eclipsing binary system Zeta Aurigae made prior to and during the eclipse of the relatively small B8 V star by the cool supergiant star (spectral type K2 II) are reported. Spectral lines produced by the absorption of B star radiation in the atmosphere of the K star during eclipse can be used as a probe of the extended K star atmosphere, due to the negligible cool star continuum in the 1200-3200 A region. Spectra taken prior to eclipse are found to be similar to those of the single B8 V star 64 Ori, with the exception of very strong multi-component absorption lines of Si II, Si IV, C IV and the Mg resonance doublet with strong P Cygni profiles, indicating a double shell. Absorption lines including those corresponding to Al II, Al III, Cr II, Mn II, Fe II, Ni II and Ca II are observed to increase in strength and number as the eclipse progresses, with high-ionization-potential lines formed far from the K star, possibly in a shock wave, and low-ionization potential lines, formed in cool plasma, probably a cool wind, nearer to the K star. Finally, an emission-line spectra with lines corresponding to those previously observed in absorption is noted at the time the B-star continuum had disappeared.

Radio and submillimetre observations of wind structure in zeta Puppis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blomme, R.; van de Steene, G. C.; Prinja, R. K.; Runacres, M. C.; Clark, J. S.

2003-09-01

We present radio and submillimetre observations of the O4I(n)f star zeta Pup, and discuss structure in the outer region of its wind ( ~ 10-100 R_*). The properties of bremsstrahlung, the dominant emission process at these wavelengths, make it sensitive to structure and allow us to study how the amount of structure changes in the wind by comparing the fluxes at different wavelengths. Possible forms of structure at these distances include Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs), stochastic clumping, a disk or a polar enhancement. As the CIRs are azimuthally asymmetric, they should result in variability at submillimetre or radio wavelengths. To look for this variability, we acquired 3.6 and 6 cm observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), covering about two rotational periods of the star. We supplemented these with archive observations from the NRAO Very Large Array (VLA), which cover a much longer time scale. We did not find variability at more than the +/-20% level. The long integration time does allow an accurate determination of the fluxes at 3.6 and 6 cm. Converting these fluxes into a mass loss rate, we find dot {M} = 3.5 x 10-6 Msun/yr. This value confirms the significant discrepancy with the mass loss rate derived from the Hα profile, making zeta Pup an exception to the usually good agreement between the Hα and radio mass loss rates. To study the run of structure as a function of distance, we supplemented the ATCA data by observing zeta Pup at 850 mu m with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and at 20 cm with the VLA. A smooth wind model shows that the millimetre fluxes are too high compared to the radio fluxes. While recombination of helium in the outer wind cannot be discounted as an explanation, the wealth of evidence for structure strongly suggests this as the explanation for the discrepancy. Model calculations show that the structure needs to be present in the inner ~ 70 R_* of the wind, but that it decays significantly, or maybe

Boundary Conditions for the Maintenance of Memory by PKM[zeta] in Neocortex

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shema, Reul; Hazvi, Shoshi; Sacktor, Todd C.; Dudai, Yadin

2009-01-01

We report here that ZIP, a selective inhibitor of the atypical protein kinase C isoform PKM[zeta], abolishes very long-term conditioned taste aversion (CTA) associations in the insular cortex of the behaving rat, at least 3 mo after encoding. The effect of ZIP is not replicated by a general serine/threonine protein kinase inhibitor that is…

Effect of contact angle, zeta potential and particles size on the in vitro studies of Al2O3 and SiO2 nanoparticles.

PubMed

Karunakaran, Gopalu; Suriyaprabha, Rangaraj; Rajendran, Venkatachalam; Kannan, Narayanasamy

2015-02-01

Currently, nanometal oxides find their role in different biological applications such as tissue engineering, implant and bone replacement materials. Owing to the increased use of nanoparticles, it is necessary to understand their release and toxicity in the biological system. In this regard, three independent studies such as in vitro cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity and biocompatibility of nano- and micrometal oxide particles such as alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2) are evaluated. It is evident from cell viability study that nanoAl2O3 and SiO2 particles are less toxic when compared with microAl2O3 and SiO2 to NIH 3T3 cell lines up to 200 µg/ml. Antioxidant properties of micro- and nanoAl2O3 in terms of radical scavenging percentage for micro- and nanoAl2O3 are 59.1% and 72.1%, respectively, at 100 mg. Similarly, the radical scavenging percentage of nano- and bulk SiO2 are 81.0% and 67.2%, respectively. The present study reveals that the cellular behaviour, interaction and biocompatibility of metal oxides differ with dose, particle size, contact angle and zeta potential. The present study opens up a new strategy to analyse in vitro nanotoxicity.

High-resolution ultraviolet observations of interstellar lines toward Zeta Persei observed with the balloon-borne ultraviolet stellar spectrometer

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

Snow, T.P.; Lamers, H.J.G.L.M.; Joseph, C.L.

1987-10-01

The balloon-borne ultraviolet stellar spectrometer payload has been used to obtain high-resolution data on interstellar absorption lines toward Zeta Per. The only lines clearly present in the 2150-2450 region were several Fe II features, which show double structure. The two velocity components were sufficiently well separated that it was possible to construct separate curves of growth to derive the Fe II column densities for the individual components. These column densities and the component velocity separation were then used to compute a realistic two-component curve of growth for the line of sight to Zeta Per, which was then used to reanalyzemore » existing ultraviolet data from Copernicus. The results were generally similar to an earlier two-component analysis of the Copernicus data, with the important exception that the silicon depletion increased from near zero to about 1 dex. This makes the Zeta Per depletion pattern quite similar to those derived for other reddened lines of sight, supporting the viewpoint that the general diffuse interstellar medium has a nearly constant pattern of depletions. 31 references.« less

HST-WFC3 Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Quenched Galaxies at zeta approx 1.5 from the WISP Survey: Stellar Populations Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bedregal, A. G.; Scarlata, C.; Henry, A. L.; Atek, H.; Rafelski, M.; Teplitz, H. I.; Dominguez, A.; Siana, B.; Colbert, J. W.; Malkan, M.;

Vector potential methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hafez, M.

1989-01-01

Vector potential and related methods, for the simulation of both inviscid and viscous flows over aerodynamic configurations, are briefly reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of several formulations are discussed and alternate strategies are recommended. Scalar potential, modified potential, alternate formulations of Euler equations, least-squares formulation, variational principles, iterative techniques and related methods, and viscous flow simulation are discussed.

Determination of the Navier slip coefficient of microchannels exploiting the streaming potential.

PubMed

Park, Hung Mok

2012-03-01

For most microchannels made of hydrophobic materials such as polymers, velocity slip occurs at the wall, affecting volumetric flow rate of electroosmotic flow Q(eof) and streaming potential (∂ϕ(str)/∂z). Since most techniques exploit Q(eof) or (∂ϕ(str)/∂z) to determine the zeta potential, ζ, it is very difficult to measure ζ of hydrophobic walls, if the slip coefficient b is not found a priori. Until now, Q(eof) and (∂ϕ(str)/∂z) are known to depend on ζ and b in a same functional form, which makes it impossible to estimate ζ or b separately using measurements of Q(eof) and (∂ϕ(str)/∂z). However, exploiting the analytic formula for Q(eof) and (∂ϕ(str)/∂z) derived in the present work, it is found that the effect of ζ and that of b on Q(eof) and (∂ϕ(str)/∂z) can be separated from each other by varying the bulk ionic concentration. Thus, the slip coefficient as well as the zeta potential of hydrophobic microchannels can be found with reasonable accuracy by means of a nonlinear curve fitting method using measured data of Q(eof) and (∂ϕ(str)/∂z) at various bulk ionic concentrations. The present method allows an accurate estimation of slip coefficient of hydrophobic microchannels, which is quite simple and cheap compared with methods employing microparticle velocimetry. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

14-3-3 zeta is a molecular target in guggulsterone induced apoptosis in head and neck cancer cells.

PubMed

Macha, Muzafar A; Matta, Ajay; Chauhan, Ss; Siu, Kw Michael; Ralhan, Ranju

2010-11-30

The five-year survival rates for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients are less than 50%, and the prognosis has not improved, despite advancements in standard multi-modality therapies. Hence major emphasis is being laid on identification of novel molecular targets and development of multi-targeted therapies. 14-3-3 zeta, a multifunctional phospho-serine/phospho-threonine binding protein, is emerging as an effector of pro-survival signaling by binding to several proteins involved in apoptosis (Bad, FKHRL1 and ASK1) and may serve as an appropriate target for head and neck cancer therapy. Herein, we determined effect of guggulsterone (GS), a farnesoid X receptor antagonist, on 14-3-3 zeta associated molecular pathways for abrogation of apoptosis in head and neck cancer cells. Head and neck cancer cells were treated with guggulsterone (GS). Effect of GS-treatment was evaluated using cell viability (MTT) assay and apoptosis was verified by annexin V, DNA fragmentation and M30 CytoDeath antibody assay. Mechanism of GS-induced apoptosis was determined by western blotting and co-IP assays using specific antibodies. Using in vitro models of head and neck cancer, we showed 14-3-3 zeta as a key player regulating apoptosis in GS treated SCC4 cells. Treatment with GS releases BAD from the inhibitory action of 14-3-3 zeta in proliferating HNSCC cells by activating protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). These events initiate the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, as revealed by increased levels of cytochrome c in cytoplasmic extracts of GS-treated SCC4 cells. In addition, GS treatment significantly reduced the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-2, xIAP, Mcl1, survivin, cyclin D1 and c-myc, thus committing cells to apoptosis. These events were followed by activation of caspase 9, caspase 8 and caspase 3 leading to cleavage of its downstream target, poly-ADP-ribose phosphate (PARP). GS targets 14-3-3 zeta associated cellular pathways for reducing

Mapping Protein–Protein Interactions of the Resistance-Related Bacterial Zeta Toxin–Epsilon Antitoxin Complex (ε2ζ2) with High Affinity Peptide Ligands Using Fluorescence Polarization

PubMed Central

Fernández-Bachiller, María Isabel; Brzozowska, Iwona; Odolczyk, Norbert; Zielenkiewicz, Urszula; Zielenkiewicz, Piotr; Rademann, Jörg

2016-01-01

Toxin–antitoxin systems constitute a native survival strategy of pathogenic bacteria and thus are potential targets of antibiotic drugs. Here, we target the Zeta–Epsilon toxin–antitoxin system, which is responsible for the stable maintenance of certain multiresistance plasmids in Gram-positive bacteria. Peptide ligands were designed on the basis of the ε2ζ2 complex. Three α helices of Zeta forming the protein–protein interaction (PPI) site were selected and peptides were designed conserving the residues interacting with Epsilon antitoxin while substituting residues binding intramolecularly to other parts of Zeta. Designed peptides were synthesized with an N-terminal fluoresceinyl-carboxy-residue for binding assays and provided active ligands, which were used to define the hot spots of the ε2ζ2 complex. Further shortening and modification of the binding peptides provided ligands with affinities <100 nM, allowing us to determine the most relevant PPIs and implement a robust competition binding assay. PMID:27438853

Zeta potential response of human erythrocyte membranes to the modulators of Gardos channel activity under low rate β-radiation.

PubMed

Zhirnov, V V; Iakovenko, I N; Voitsitskiy, V M; Khyzhnyak, S V; Zubrikova-Chugainova, O G; Gorobetz, V A

2015-12-01

Study of human erythrocyte DP response under modification by activators and blockers of the functional state of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels under low rate β-radiation. Erythrocytes were isolated from the donor blood. The zeta potential was computed from the value of the cell electrophoretic mobility. The investigated drugs preliminary introduced in cellular suspensions, and then aliquote of 90Sr(NO3)2 solution to get the final activity concentration of 44,4kBq⋅l-1. The radioisotope radiation of 90Sr/90Y (RR, 15 μGy⋅h-1) increases an absolute value of erythrocyte membranes DP (DPab), and its action is reversible. It specifies the effect is mediated by non-ionizing part of the RR. Dibutyril-cAMP dose-independent increases DPab of erythrocyte membranes in the concentration range of 1-100 мкМ, but RR does not amplify this effect. Anaprilin increases dose-independent DPab in concentrations 10 and 100 μМ. The effect of maximal concentration of anaprilin (100 μМ) decreases by RR. Clotrimazol increases DPab of erythrocyte membranes in the concentration range of 0,1-10 μМ relatively control, while its maximal concentration - decreases, and the minimal level does not reliably influence on this index The action of сlotrimazol on DP in concentrations of 10-100 μМ is abolished by RR, and is not changed in the range of 0,1-1,0 μМ. Nitrendipine raises DPab of erythrocyte membranes in all of range of concentrations, and RR amplifies the effect of the drug. 1. There is a threshold of the biological action on cells for the ionizing component of radioisotope radiation determined by efficiency of operation their antioxidant system.2. At dose rates below a threshold, the action of ionizing radiation is mediated by its non-ionizing component, and is reversible, and therefore is determined only in the field of radiation. V. V. Zhirnov, I. N. Iakovenko, V.M. Voitsitskiy, S. V. Khyzhnyak, О. G. Zubrikova-Chugainova, V.A. Gorobetz.

An interstellar cloud density from Copernicus observations of CO in the spectrum of Zeta Ophiuchi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, A. M.; Stecher, T. P.; Krishna Swamy, K. S.

1978-01-01

Interstellar CO absorption bands in Copernicus spectra of Zeta Oph have been studied. Absorption profiles, computed under the assumption that excitation is due to collisions with H2 molecules and interaction with the 3-K background radiation field, were fitted to the reduced data of nine bands. When a gas kinetic temperature of 56 K is assumed, the best-fit condition implies a hydrogen-nucleus density of 120 per cu cm, a CO column density of 1.2 by 10 to the 15th power per sq cm, and a radial-velocity dispersion of 0.9 km/s. The relevance of these results to existing ideas concerning the Zeta Oph interstellar clouds is discussed. It is suggested that the strongest interstellar component is not circumstellar in origin but is instead part of a supernova remnant. Simple calculations are made to establish the plausibility of the supernova-remnant identification. This suggestion is also supported by Heiles's (1976) 21-cm pictures.

Interstellar detection of the intersystem line Si II lambda 2335 toward zeta Ophiuchi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardelli, Jason A.; Sofia, Ulysses J.; Savage, Blair D.; Keenan, Francis P.; Dufton, Philip L.

1994-01-01

We report on the detection of the weak intersystem transistion of Si II lambda 2335 A in the sight line toward zeta Oph using the Ech-B mode (3.5 km/s resolution) of the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph. The high-quality spectrum is characterized by an empirically measured signal-to-noise of 450, in excellent agreement with that expected from photon-statistics. The measured equivalent width of the Si II line is W(sub lambda) = 0.48 +/- 0.12 mA. Using the new experimental f-value of Calamai, Smith, and Bergeson, we find a Si II column density of 2.34 (+/- 0.58) x 10(exp 15) atoms/sq cm and (Si/H)(sub zeta Oph) = 1.78 (+/- 0.44) x 10(exp -6) for the principal absorbing component(s) at v(sub sun) approx. = -15 km/s. Analysis of the Si II lambda 1808 absorption over the same velocity range using the new experimental f-value of Bergeson & Lawler yields a column density (corrected for saturation) that is consistent within the weak line errors and confirms the relative accuracies of these new f-values. Furthermore, these results indicate that accurate abundances can now be derived for Si II, particularly from the weak Si II lambda 2335 A since it is free of saturation effects. For the zeta Oph v(sub sun) approx. = -15 km/s component(s), we find that greater than 95% of the available cosmic abundance (i.e. the 1989 meteoritic abundances of Anders & Grevesse) of Mg, Fe, and Si is 'missing' from the gas phase and is presumably locked up in the dust. These elements are present in the dust grains in ratios of Fe/Si approximately equals 0.9 and Mg/Si approximately equals 1.1, consistent with the ratio of their cosmic abundances. These ratios are in sharp contrast to more diffuse clouds like those seen toward the high-latitude halo star HD 93521 where in the dust Fe/Si approximately equals 1.8 and Mg/Si approximately equals 2.1.

HD 93521, zeta Ophiuchi, and the effects of rapid rotation on the atmospheres and winds of 09.5 V stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Massa, Derck

1995-01-01

Both low- and high-resolution IUE spectra of the rapidly rotating 09.5 V stars HD 93521 and zeta Oph are used to develop a coherent picture of the effects of rapid rotation on the atmospheres and winds of late, main-sequence O stars. The observational consequences are by far the strongest on HD 93521, most likely because it is being viewed nearly equator-on. In particular, it is shown that HD 93521 (1) a much smaller UV optical flux ratio than expected, (2) UV photospheric lines indicative of a BO supergiant, (3) an abnormally strong N v wind doublet, and (4) wind profiles suggesting that its wind has latitudinally dependent properties. Because HD 93521 has a larger observed v sin i than zeta Oph and yet its H-alpha emission is no stronger than in zeta Oph, it is speculated that zeta Oph actually rotates as fast or faster than HD 93521, but has a smaller sin i. Because zeta Oph is significantly reddened, nothing can be determined about its intrinsic UV energy distribution. However, it is shown that its UV photospheric lines are a bit peculiar and that its C IV and N V wind doublets are abnormally strong and have unusual profiles. The C IV profile agrees with models of a rotationally distorted wind similar to the one in HD 93521, except viewed at an angle i approximately 60 deg-80 deg. The spectral peculiarities of both stars are attributed to the combined effects of gravity darkening of their atmospheres and rotational distortion of their winds. The differences between their spectra are interpreted as the result of being viewed at different inclination angles. Because of the gravity darkening, atmospheric analyses of either star based on single temperature and surface gravity model atmospheres are probably unreliable. Finally, I describe how different effects conspire to make the spectroscopic signatures of gravity darkening so pronounced at 09.5 V.

Preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of glutathione transferase zeta 1 (GSTZ1a-1a)

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

Boone, Christopher D.; Zhong, Guo; Smeltz, Marci

2014-01-21

Crystals of glutathione transferase zeta 1 were grown and shown to diffract X-rays to 3.1 Å resolution. They belonged to space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 42.0, b = 49.6, c = 54.6 Å, α = 82.9, β = 69.9, γ = 73.4°.

Alginate nanoparticles protect ferrous from oxidation: Potential iron delivery system.

PubMed

Katuwavila, Nuwanthi P; Perera, A D L C; Dahanayake, Damayanthi; Karunaratne, V; Amaratunga, Gehan A J; Karunaratne, D Nedra

2016-11-20

A novel, efficient delivery system for iron (Fe 2+ ) was developed using the alginate biopolymer. Iron loaded alginate nanoparticles were synthesized by a controlled ionic gelation method and was characterized with respect to particle size, zeta potential, morphology and encapsulation efficiency. Successful loading was confirmed with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric Analysis. Electron energy loss spectroscopy study corroborated the loading of ferrous into the alginate nanoparticles. Iron encapsulation (70%) was optimized at 0.06% Fe (w/v) leading to the formation of iron loaded alginate nanoparticles with a size range of 15-30nm and with a negative zeta potential (-38mV). The in vitro release studies showed a prolonged release profile for 96h. Release of iron was around 65-70% at pH of 6 and 7.4 whereas it was less than 20% at pH 2.The initial burst release upto 8h followed zero order kinetics at all three pH values. All the release profiles beyond 8h best fitted the Korsmeyer-Peppas model of diffusion. Non Fickian diffusion was observed at pH 6 and 7.4 while at pH 2 Fickian diffusion was observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Casimir force in brane worlds: Coinciding results from Green's and zeta function approaches

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

Linares, Roman; Morales-Tecotl, Hugo A.; Pedraza, Omar

2010-06-15

Casimir force encodes the structure of the field modes as vacuum fluctuations and so it is sensitive to the extra dimensions of brane worlds. Now, in flat spacetimes of arbitrary dimension the two standard approaches to the Casimir force, Green's function, and zeta function yield the same result, but for brane world models this was only assumed. In this work we show that both approaches yield the same Casimir force in the case of universal extra dimensions and Randall-Sundrum scenarios with one and two branes added by p compact dimensions. Essentially, the details of the mode eigenfunctions that enter themore » Casimir force in the Green's function approach get removed due to their orthogonality relations with a measure involving the right hypervolume of the plates, and this leaves just the contribution coming from the zeta function approach. The present analysis corrects previous results showing a difference between the two approaches for the single brane Randall-Sundrum; this was due to an erroneous hypervolume of the plates introduced by the authors when using the Green's function. For all the models we discuss here, the resulting Casimir force can be neatly expressed in terms of two four-dimensional Casimir force contributions: one for the massless mode and the other for a tower of massive modes associated with the extra dimensions.« less

The 1979-1980 eclipse of Zeta Aurigae. I - The circumstellar envelope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, R. D.

1981-01-01

A model of the K-star wind far from the K star, and its interaction with the B star, has been derived from a study of Mg(+) and C(+++) resonance lines in the spectrum of Zeta Aurigae during 1979 and 1980. A mass loss rate from the K star of 2 x 10 to the -8th solar masses/year is suggested by the data; the rate of accretion of the K supergiant's material by the B star then being such that the matter accreted over a period of ten years is of the order of the total mass of the photosphere of the B star.

Rocket spectroscopy of zeta Orionis.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, A. M.

1972-01-01

Analysis of a spectrum of zeta Ori extending from 922 to 1453 A with approximately 0.8 A resolution recorded at rocket altitudes. All lines used in existing models of stellar atmospheres appear in the recorded spectrum with the exception of those masked by telluric N2 or strong P Cygni-type profiles and by an O V line at 1371.29 A. Fifteen multiplets of subordinate lines have been reliably identified, indicating an approximate range of excitation from 0 to 50 eV. Transitions in C III (1176 A), N III (991 A), N V (1239, 1243 A), O VI (1032, 1038 A), Si IV (1394, 1403 A), S IV (1063, 1074 A), and S VI (933, 944 A) have been observed as P Cygni-type profiles presumably arising in a circumstellar envelope. The degree of ionization, transitions present, and mean radial velocities are all consistent with viewing the envelope as a hot (about 100,000 K), rarefied plasma in which collisional ionization is important. Interstellar lines in C I (1277, 1280 A), C II (1036, 1334 A), N I (1134-1135 A), N I (1200-1201 A), N II (1084-1086 A), O I (1302, 1305 A), Si II (1190, 1193 A), Si II (1260 A), and Si II (1304 A) have been definitely identified. Other transitions in Ar II, S I, C I, and Fe II are tentatively identified. The equivalent width of the L alpha line is found to be 10.4 plus or minus 1.6 A, corresponding to a columnar density of 2.0 plus or minus 0.7 x 10 to the 20th per cu cm.

Detection of GRB 060927 at zeta = 5.47: Implications for the Use of Gamma-Ray Bursts as Probes of the End of the Dark Ages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruiz-Velasco, A. E.; Swan, H.; Troja, E.; Malesani, D.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Sterling, R. L. C.; Xu, D.; Aharonian, F.; Akerlof, C.; Andersen, M. I.;

Sulfacetamide loaded Eudragit® RL100 nanosuspension with potential for ocular delivery.

PubMed

Mandal, Bivash; Alexander, Kenneth S; Riga, Alan T

2010-01-01

Polymeric nanosuspension was prepared from an inert polymer resin (Eudragit® RL100) with the aim of improving the availability of sulfacetamide at the intraocular level to combat bacterial infections. Nanosuspensions were prepared by the solvent displacement method using acetone and Pluronic® F108 solution. Drug to polymer ratio was selected as formulation variable. Characterization of the nanosupension was performed by measuring particle size, zeta potential, Fourier Transform infrared spectra (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), drug entrapment efficiency and in vitro release. In addition, freeze drying, redispersibility and short term stability study at room temperature and at 4(0)C were performed. Spherical, uniform particles (size below 500 nm) with positive zeta potential were obtained. No significant chemical interactions between drug and polymer were observed in the solid state characterization of the freeze dried nanosuspension (FDN). Drug entrapment efficiency of the selected batch was increased by changing the pH of the external phase and addition of polymethyl methacrylate in the formulation. The prepared nanosuspension exhibited good stability after storage at room temperature and at 4(0)C. Sucrose and Mannitol were used as cryoprotectants and exhibited good water redispersibility of the FDN. The results indicate that the formulation of sulfacetamide in Eudragit® RL100 nanosuspension could be utilized as potential delivery system for treating ocular bacterial infections.

Expression of the growth factor pleiotrophin and its receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta in the serum, cartilage and subchondral bone of patients with osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Kaspiris, Angelos; Mikelis, Constantinos; Heroult, Melanie; Khaldi, Lubna; Grivas, Theodoros B; Kouvaras, Ioannis; Dangas, Spyridon; Vasiliadis, Elias; Lioté, Frédéric; Courty, José; Papadimitriou, Evangelia

2013-07-01

Pleiotrophin is a heparin-binding growth factor expressed in embryonic but not mature cartilage, suggesting a role in cartilage development. Elucidation of the molecular changes observed during the remodelling process in osteoarthritis is of paramount importance. This study aimed to investigate serum pleiotrophin levels and expression of pleiotrophin and its receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta in the cartilage and subchondral bone of osteoarthritis patients. Serum samples derived from 16 osteoarthritis patients and 18 healthy donors. Pleiotrophin and receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta in the cartilage and subchondral bone were studied in 29 patients who had undergone total knee or hip replacement for primary osteoarthritis and in 10 control patients without macroscopic osteoarthritis changes. Serum pleiotrophin levels and expression of pleiotrophin in chondrocytes and subchondral bone osteocytes significantly increased in osteoarthritis patients graded Ahlback II to III. Receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta was mainly detected in the subchondral bone osteocytes of patients with moderate osteoarthritis and as disease severity increased, in the osteocytes and bone lining cells of the distant trabeculae. These data render pleiotrophin and receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta promising candidates for further studies towards developing targeted therapeutic schemes for osteoarthritis. Copyright © 2012 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Relationship between phospholipase C-zeta, semen parameters, and chromatin status.

PubMed

Tavalaee, Marziyeh; Kiani-Esfahani, Abbas; Nasr-Esfahani, Mohammad H

2017-08-01

The need for additional tests to complement basic sperm analysis in clinics is well appreciated. In this regard, a number of tests such as sperm DNA integrity test as a tool in diagnosis and treatment of infertility are suggested. But recent studies have focused on main sperm factors involved in oocyte activation such as phospholipase C-zeta (PLCζ) that initiate intracellular Ca 2+ signaling and embryogenesis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between PLCζ, basic semen parameters, sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), and protamine deficiency in men with normal (n=32) and abnormal (n=23) semen parameters. Unlike SDF and protamine deficiency, as negative factors related to fertility, the mean value of PLCζ as positive factor related to infertility was significantly lower in men with abnormal semen parameters compared to men with normal semen parameters. Significant correlations were also observed between sperm concentration, motility, and abnormal morphology with the percentage of PLCζ positive spermatozoa. In addition, logistic regression analysis revealed that sperm morphology is more predictive than sperm motility and concentration for PLCζ presence. In addition, a statistically significant negative relationship was observed between the percentage of PLCζ positive spermatozoa and SDF. These findings suggested during ICSI, selection of sperm based on morphology has a profound effect on its ability to induce oocyte activation based on the likelihood of PLCζ expression. Therefore, assessment of PLCζ as an index for fertilization potential of a semen sample in men with severe teratozoospermia may define individuals who are candidates for artificial oocyte activation (AOA) and may avoid failed fertilization post ICSI.

Water quality monitoring: A comparative case study of municipal and Curtin Sarawak's lake samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anand Kumar, A.; Jaison, J.; Prabakaran, K.; Nagarajan, R.; Chan, Y. S.

2016-03-01

In this study, particle size distribution and zeta potential of the suspended particles in municipal water and lake surface water of Curtin Sarawak's lake were compared and the samples were analysed using dynamic light scattering method. High concentration of suspended particles affects the water quality as well as suppresses the aquatic photosynthetic systems. A new approach has been carried out in the current work to determine the particle size distribution and zeta potential of the suspended particles present in the water samples. The results for the lake samples showed that the particle size ranges from 180nm to 1345nm and the zeta potential values ranges from -8.58 mV to -26.1 mV. High zeta potential value was observed in the surface water samples of Curtin Sarawak's lake compared to the municipal water. The zeta potential values represent that the suspended particles are stable and chances of agglomeration is lower in lake water samples. Moreover, the effects of physico-chemical parameters on zeta potential of the water samples were also discussed.

Hippocampal Infusion of Zeta Inhibitory Peptide Impairs Recent, but Not Remote, Recognition Memory in Rats

PubMed Central

Hales, Jena B.; Ocampo, Amber C.; Broadbent, Nicola J.; Clark, Robert E.

2015-01-01

Spatial memory in rodents can be erased following the infusion of zeta inhibitory peptide (ZIP) into the dorsal hippocampus via indwelling guide cannulas. It is believed that ZIP impairs spatial memory by reversing established late-phase long-term potentiation (LTP). However, it is unclear whether other forms of hippocampus-dependent memory, such as recognition memory, are also supported by hippocampal LTP. In the current study, we tested recognition memory in rats following hippocampal ZIP infusion. In order to combat the limited targeting of infusions via cannula, we implemented a stereotaxic approach for infusing ZIP throughout the dorsal, intermediate, and ventral hippocampus. Rats infused with ZIP 3–7 days after training on the novel object recognition task exhibited impaired object recognition memory compared to control rats (those infused with aCSF). In contrast, rats infused with ZIP 1 month after training performed similar to control rats. The ability to form new memories after ZIP infusions remained intact. We suggest that enhanced recognition memory for recent events is supported by hippocampal LTP, which can be reversed by hippocampal ZIP infusion. PMID:26380123

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

PubMed

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

2006-01-01

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

A novel conductivity mechanism of highly disordered carbon systems based on an investigation of graph zeta function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsutani, Shigeki; Sato, Iwao

2017-09-01

In the previous report (Matsutani and Suzuki, 2000 [21]), by proposing the mechanism under which electric conductivity is caused by the activational hopping conduction with the Wigner surmise of the level statistics, the temperature-dependent of electronic conductivity of a highly disordered carbon system was evaluated including apparent metal-insulator transition. Since the system consists of small pieces of graphite, it was assumed that the reason why the level statistics appears is due to the behavior of the quantum chaos in each granular graphite. In this article, we revise the assumption and show another origin of the Wigner surmise, which is more natural for the carbon system based on a recent investigation of graph zeta function in graph theory. Our method can be applied to the statistical treatment of the electronic properties of the randomized molecular system in general.

Vincristine-sulphate-loaded liposome-templated calcium phosphate nanoshell as potential tumor-targeting delivery system.

PubMed

Thakkar, Hetal Paresh; Baser, Amit Kumar; Parmar, Mayur Prakashbhai; Patel, Ketul Harshadbhai; Ramachandra Murthy, Rayasa

2012-06-01

Vincristine-sulfate-loaded liposomes were prepared with an aim to improve stability, reduce drug leakage during systemic circulation, and increase intracellular uptake. Liposomes were prepared by the thin-film hydration method, followed by coating with calcium phosphate, using the sequential addition approach. Prepared formulations were characterized for size, zeta potential, drug-entrapment efficiency, morphology by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in vitro drug-release profile, and in vitro cell cytotoxicity study. Effect of formulation variables, such as drug:lipid ratio as well as nature and volume of hydration media, were found to affect drug entrapment, and the concentration of calcium chloride in coating was found to affect size and coating efficiency. Size, zeta potential, and TEM images confirmed that the liposomes were effectively coated with calcium phosphate. The calcium phosphate nanoshell exhibited pH-dependent drug release, showing significantly lower release at pH 7.4, compared to the release at pH 4.5, which is the pH of the tumor interstitium. The in vitro cytotoxicity study done on the lung cancer cell line indicated that coated liposomes are more cytotoxic than plain liposomes and drug solution, indicating their potential for intracellular drug delivery. The cell-uptake study done on the lung cancer cell line indicated that calcium-phosphate-coated liposomes show higher cell uptake than uncoated liposomes.

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

PubMed

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

2006-01-01

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

Lysine N[superscript zeta]-Decarboxylation Switch and Activation of the [beta]-Lactam Sensor Domain of BlaR1 Protein of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

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

Borbulevych, Oleg; Kumarasiri, Malika; Wilson, Brian

The integral membrane protein BlaR1 of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus senses the presence of {beta}-lactam antibiotics in the milieu and transduces the information to the cytoplasm, where the biochemical events that unleash induction of antibiotic resistance mechanisms take place. We report herein by two-dimensional and three-dimensional NMR experiments of the sensor domain of BlaR1 in solution and by determination of an x-ray structure for the apo protein that Lys-392 of the antibiotic-binding site is posttranslationally modified by N{sup {zeta}}-carboxylation. Additional crystallographic and NMR data reveal that on acylation of Ser-389 by antibiotics, Lys-392 experiences N{sup {zeta}}-decarboxylation. This unique process, termed themore » lysine N{sup {zeta}}-decarboxylation switch, arrests the sensor domain in the activated ('on') state, necessary for signal transduction and all the subsequent biochemical processes. We present structural information on how this receptor activation process takes place, imparting longevity to the antibiotic-receptor complex that is needed for the induction of the antibiotic-resistant phenotype in methicillin-resistant S. aureus.« less

Functional Role of Tyr12 in the Catalytic Activity of Novel Zeta-like Glutathione S-transferase from Acidovorax sp. KKS102.

PubMed

Shehu, Dayyabu; Alias, Zazali

2018-05-19

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a family of enzymes that function in the detoxification of variety of electrophilic substrates. In the present work, we report a novel zeta-like GST (designated as KKSG9) from the biphenyl/polychlorobiphenyl degrading organism Acidovorax sp. KKS102. KKSG9 possessed low sequence similarity but similar biochemical properties to zeta class GSTs. Functional analysis showed that the enzyme exhibits wider substrate specificity compared to most zeta class GSTs by reacting with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), p-nitrobenzyl chloride (NBC), ethacrynic acid (EA), hydrogen peroxide, and cumene hydroperoxide. The enzyme also displayed dehalogenation function against dichloroacetate, permethrin, and dieldrin. The functional role of Tyr12 was also investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutant (Y12C) displayed low catalytic activity and dehalogenation function against all the substrates when compared with the wild type. Kinetic analysis using NBC and GSH as substrates showed that the mutant (Y12C) displayed a higher affinity for NBC when compared with the wild type, however, no significant change in GSH affinity was observed. These findings suggest that the presence of tyrosine residue in the motif might represent an evolutionary trend toward improving the catalytic activity of the enzyme. The enzyme as well could be useful in the bioremediation of various types of organochlorine pollutants.

FT-IR and Zeta potential measurements on TiO nanoparticles

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

Singh, Jaiveer; Rathore, Ravi; Kaurav, Netram, E-mail: netramkaurav@yahoo.co.uk

2016-05-23

In the present investigation, ultrafine TiO particles have been synthesized successfully by thermal decomposition method. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. As-synthesized TiO nanoparticles have a cubic structure as characterized by power X-ray diffraction (XRD), which shows that TiO nanoparticles have narrow size distribution with particle size 11.5 nm. FTIR data shows a strong peak at 1300 cm{sup −1}, assignable to the Ti-O stretching vibrations mode.

The structure of a zeta class glutathione S-transferase from Arabidopsis thaliana: characterisation of a GST with novel active-site architecture and a putative role in tyrosine catabolism.

PubMed

Thom, R; Dixon, D P; Edwards, R; Cole, D J; Lapthorn, A J

2001-05-18

The cis-trans isomerisation of maleylacetoacetate to fumarylacetoacetate is the penultimate step in the tyrosine/phenylalanine catabolic pathway and has recently been shown to be catalysed by glutathione S-transferase enzymes belonging to the zeta class. Given this primary metabolic role it is unsurprising that zeta class glutathione S-transferases are well conserved over a considerable period of evolution, being found in vertebrates, plants, insects and fungi. The structure of this glutathione S-transferase, cloned from Arabidopsis thaliana, has been solved by single isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering and refined to a final crystallographic R-factor of 19.6% using data from 25.0 A to 1.65 A. The zeta class enzyme adopts the canonical glutathione S-transferase fold and forms a homodimer with each subunit consisting of 221 residues. In agreement with structures of glutathione S-transferases from the theta and phi classes, a serine residue (Ser17) is present in the active site, at a position that would allow it to stabilise the thiolate anion of glutathione. Site-directed mutagenesis of this residue confirms its importance in catalysis. In addition, the role of a highly conserved cysteine residue (Cys19) present in the active site of the zeta class glutathione S-transferase enzymes is discussed. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

First insights into a type II toxin-antitoxin system from the clinical isolate Mycobacterium sp. MHSD3, similar to epsilon/zeta systems.

PubMed

Jaén-Luchoro, Daniel; Aliaga-Lozano, Francisco; Gomila, Rosa Maria; Gomila, Margarita; Salvà-Serra, Francisco; Lalucat, Jorge; Bennasar-Figueras, Antoni

2017-01-01

A putative type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) system was found in the clinical isolate Mycobacterium sp. MHSD3, a strain closely related to Mycobacterium chelonae. Further analyses of the protein sequences of the two genes revealed the presence of domains related to a TA system. BLAST analyses indicated the presence of closely related proteins in the genomes of other recently published M. chelonae strains. The functionality of both elements of the TA system was demonstrated when expressed in Escherichia coli cells, and the predicted structure of the toxin is very similar to those of well-known zeta-toxins, leading to the definition of a type II TA system similar to epsilon/zeta TA systems in strains that are closely related to M. chelonae.

Clinical Trials Using Anti-CD19/CD28/CD3zeta CAR Gammaretroviral Vector-transduced Autologous T Lymphocytes KTE-C19

Cancer.gov

NCI supports clinical trials that test new and more effective ways to treat cancer. Find clinical trials studying anti-cd19/cd28/cd3zeta car gammaretroviral vector-transduced autologous t lymphocytes kte-c19.

Microencapsulation of β-Carotene Based on Casein/Guar Gum Blend Using Zeta Potential-Yield Stress Phenomenon: an Approach to Enhance Photo-stability and Retention of Functionality.

PubMed

Thakur, Deepika; Jain, Ashay; Ghoshal, Gargi; Shivhare, U S; Katare, O P

2017-07-01

β-Carotene, abundant majorly in carrot, pink guava yams, spinach, kale, sweet potato, and palm oil, is an important nutrient for human health due to its scavenging action upon reactive free radicals wherever produced in the body. Inclusion of liposoluble β-carotene in foods and food ingredients is a challenging aspect due to its labile nature and low absorption from natural sources. This fact has led to the application of encapsulation of β-carotene to improve stability and bioavailability. The present work was aimed to fabricate microcapsules (MCs) of β-carotene oily dispersion using the complex coacervation technique with casein (CA) and guar gum (GG) blend. The ratio of CA:GG was found to be 1:0.5 (w/v) when optimized on the basis of zeta potential-yield stress phenomenon. These possessed a higher percentage yield (71.34 ± 0.55%), lower particle size (176.47 ± 4.65 μm), higher encapsulation efficiency (65.95 ± 5.33%), and in general, a uniform surface morphology was observed with particles showing optimized release behavior. Prepared MCs manifested effective and controlled release (up to 98%) following zero-order kinetics which was adequately explained by the Korseymer-Peppas model. The stability of the freeze-dried MCs was established in simulated gastrointestinal fluids (SGF, SIF) for 8 h. Antioxidant activity of the MCs was studied and revealed the retention of the functional architecture of β-carotene in freeze-dried MCs. Minimal photolytic degradation upon encapsulation of β-carotene addressed the challenge regarding photo-stability of β-carotene as confirmed via mass spectroscopy.

Moments of zeta functions associated to hyperelliptic curves over finite fields

PubMed Central

Rubinstein, Michael O.; Wu, Kaiyu

2015-01-01

Let q be an odd prime power, and denote the set of square-free monic polynomials D(x)∈Fq[x] of degree d. Katz and Sarnak showed that the moments, over , of the zeta functions associated to the curves y2=D(x), evaluated at the central point, tend, as , to the moments of characteristic polynomials, evaluated at the central point, of matrices in USp(2⌊(d−1)/2⌋). Using techniques that were originally developed for studying moments of L-functions over number fields, Andrade and Keating conjectured an asymptotic formula for the moments for q fixed and . We provide theoretical and numerical evidence in favour of their conjecture. In some cases, we are able to work out exact formulae for the moments and use these to precisely determine the size of the remainder term in the predicted moments. PMID:25802418

Design of a potentially prebiotic and responsive encapsulation material for probiotic bacteria based on chitosan and sulfated β-glucan.

PubMed

Yucel Falco, Cigdem; Sotres, Javier; Rascón, Ana; Risbo, Jens; Cárdenas, Marité

2017-02-01

Chitosan and sulfated oat β-glucan are materials suitable to create a prebiotic coating for targeted delivery to gastrointestinal system, using the layer by layer technology. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to assess the multilayer formation capacity and characterize the resulting coatings in terms of morphology and material properties such as structure and rigidity. The coating of colloidal materials was proven, specifically on L. acidophilus bacteria as measured by changes in the bacterial suspension zeta potential. Viability of coated cells was shown using plate counting method. The coatings on solid surfaces were examined after exposure to mimics of gastrointestinal fluids and a commercially available β-glucanase. Successful build-up of multilayers was confirmed with QCM-D and SE. Zeta potential values proved the coating of cells. There was 2 log CFU/mL decrease after coating cells with four alternating layers of chitosan and sulfated β-glucan when compared to viability of uncoated cells. The coatings were partially degraded after exposure to simulated intestinal fluid and restructured as a result of β-glucanase treatment, mimicking enzymes present in the microflora of the human gut, but seemed to resist acidic gastric conditions. Therefore, coatings of chitosan and sulfated β-glucan can potentially be exploited as carriers for probiotics and delicate nutraceuticals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tc Trends and Terrestrial Planet Formation: The Case of Zeta Reticuli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adibekyan, Vardan; Delgado-Mena, Elisa; Figueira, Pedro; Sousa, Sergio; Santos, Nuno; Faria, Joao; González Hernández, Jonay; Israelian, Garik; Harutyunyan, Gohar; Suárez-Andrés, Lucia; Hakobyan, Artur

2016-11-01

During the last decade astronomers have been trying to search for chemical signatures of terrestrial planet formation in the atmospheres of the hosting stars. Several studies suggested that the chemical abundance trend with the condensation temperature, Tc, is a signature of rocky planet formation. In particular, it was suggested that the Sun shows 'peculiar' chemical abundances due to the presence of the terrestrial planets in our solar-system. However, the rocky material accretion or the trap of rocky materials in terrestrial planets is not the only explanation for the chemical 'peculiarity' of the Sun, or other Sun-like stars with planets. In this talk I madea very brief review of this topic, and presented our last results for the particular case of Zeta Reticuli binary system: A very interesting and well-known system (known in science fiction and ufology as the world of Grey Aliens, or Reticulans) where one of the components hosts an exo-Kuiper belt, and the other component is a 'single', 'lonely' star.

Copernicus studies of interstellar material in the Perseus II complex. III - The line of sight to Zeta Persei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snow, T. P., Jr.

1977-01-01

Ultraviolet spectrophotometric data obtained with Copernicus are used to analyze the distribution, composition, density, temperature, and kinematics of the interstellar material along the line of sight to Zeta Persei. The far-UV extinction curve for the star is evaluated along with the kinematics of the interstellar gas, observations of atomic and molecular hydrogen, curves of growth for neutral and ionized species, atomic abundances and depletions, ionization equilibria, and observations of CO and OH lines. The results show that there are apparently three clouds along the line of sight to Zeta Persei: a main cloud at approximately +13 km/s which contains most of the material and forms all the neutral and molecular lines as well as most of the ionic lines, a second component at +22 km/s which must contribute to the strong UV lines of most ions, and a third component at roughly +2 km/s which gives rise to a strong Si III line at 1206 A. It is also found that the UV extinction curve has a somewhat steep far-UV rise, indicating the presence of a substantial number of small grains, and that about 30% of the hydrogen nuclei over the entire line of sight are in molecular form.

Detection of boron, cobalt, and other weak interstellar lines toward Zeta Ophiuchi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Federman, S. R.; Sheffer, Y.; Lambert, D. L.; Gilliland, R. L.

1993-01-01

Numerous weak lines from interstellar atomic species toward Zeta Ophiuchi were observed with the Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph. Of particular note are the first interstellar detection of cobalt and the detection of boron in this sight line. These measurements provide estimates for the amount of depletion for the two elements. Boron, a volatile, and cobalt, a refractory element, display the depletion pattern found by Savage et al. (1992). The abundance of phosphorus in the H II region associated with the star was obtained from a detection of P III. Additional weak lines from S I, C I, Ni II, and Cu II were detected for the first time; these lines provide the basis for refinements in oscillator strength and column density. Analysis of the neutral sulfur data indicates that the atomic gas is more widely distributed than the molecular material in the main component.

Biopharmaceutical Assessment and Irritation Potential of Microemulsions and Conventional Systems Containing Oil from Syagrus cearensis for Topical Delivery of Amphotericin B Using Alternative Methods.

PubMed

Sousa, Giovana D; Kishishita, Juliana; Aquino, Kátia A S; Presgrave, Octávio A F; Leal, Leila B; Santana, Davi P

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare the biopharmaceutical characteristics and irritation potentials of microemulsions (MEs) and conventional systems (CSs) containing oil from Syagrus cearensis for topical delivery of Amphotericin B (AmB). Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed using a water titration method to develop the MEs, and the CSs were prepared according to the classical technique of phase inversion. In the skin permeation and retention study, dermatomed pig skin without stratum corneum was used as an alternative disturbed skin model. The irritation potential was evaluated using three different methods, chorioallantoic membrane assays (HET-CAM and CAM-TBS), and bovine corneal opacity and permeability (BCOP) test. The optimized formulation (ME1) consisting of 0.1% (w/w) Amphotericin B, 9.1% (w/w) catolé oil, 81% (w/w) Smix (1:1, Tween 20 and Kolliphor EL) possessed droplet size of 31.02 ± 0.9 nm, zeta potential of -23.4 mV, and viscosity 0.63 ± 0.1 Pa.s. ME1 exhibited greater retention of AmB in to skin layers (84.79 ± 2.08 μg cm -2 ) than all the others formulations. In general, MEs showed higher drug release and retention than CSs and all of the formulations showed greater retentivity than permeability. Only MEs developed using Labrasol/Plurol Oleique (L/PO) as the surfactant and co-surfactant exhibited a moderate irritation potential; all other MEs and CSs were classified as non-irritants or slight irritants. The results indicate that formulations containing oil from S. cearensis are promising alternatives for the delivery of AmB targeting the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Nifedipine-loaded polymeric nanocapsules: validation of a stability-indicating HPLC method to evaluate the drug entrapment efficiency and in vitro release profiles.

PubMed

Granada, Andréa; Tagliari, Monika Piazzon; Soldi, Valdir; Silva, Marcos António Segatto; Zanetti-Ramos, Betina Ghiel; Fernandes, Daniel; Stulzer, Hellen Karine

2013-01-01

A simple stability-indicating analytical method was developed and validated to quantify nifedipine in polymeric nanocapsule suspensions; an in vitro drug release study was then carried out. The analysis was performed using an RP C18 column, UV-Vis detection at 262 nm, and methanol-water (70 + 30, v/v) mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity and range, LOQ, accuracy, precision, and robustness. The results obtained were within the acceptable ranges. The nanocapsules, made of poly(epsilon-caprolactone), were prepared by the solvent displacement technique and showed high entrapment efficiency. The entrapment efficiency was 97.6 and 98.2% for the nifedipine-loaded polymeric nanocapsules prepared from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Pluronic F68 (PF68), respectively. The particle size and zeta potential of nanocapsules were found to be influenced by the nature of the stabilizer used. The mean diameter and zeta potential for nanocapsules with PVA and PF68 were 290.9 and 179.9 nm, and -17.7 mV and -32.7 mV, respectively. The two formulations prepared showed a drug release of up to 70% over 4 days. This behavior indicates the viability of this drug delivery system for use as a controlled-release system.

DNA polymerase zeta cooperates with polymerases kappa and iota in translesion DNA synthesis across pyrimidine photodimers in cells from XPV patients.

PubMed

Ziv, Omer; Geacintov, Nicholas; Nakajima, Satoshi; Yasui, Akira; Livneh, Zvi

2009-07-14

Human cells tolerate UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) by translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), carried out by DNA polymerase eta, the POLH gene product. A deficiency in DNA polymerase eta due to germ-line mutations in POLH causes the hereditary disease xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV), which is characterized by sunlight sensitivity and extreme predisposition to sunlight-induced skin cancer. XPV cells are UV hypermutable due to the activity of mutagenic TLS across CPD, which explains the cancer predisposition of the patients. However, the identity of the backup polymerase that carries out this mutagenic TLS was unclear. Here, we show that DNA polymerase zeta cooperates with DNA polymerases kappa and iota to carry out error-prone TLS across a TT CPD. Moreover, DNA polymerases zeta and kappa, but not iota, protect XPV cells against UV cytotoxicity, independently of nucleotide excision repair. This presents an extreme example of benefit-risk balance in the activity of TLS polymerases, which provide protection against UV cytotoxicity at the cost of increased mutagenic load.

Antiholomorphic perturbations of Weierstrass Zeta functions and Green’s function on tori

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogdanov, Konstantin; Mamayusupov, Khudoyor; Mukherjee, Sabyasachi; Schleicher, Dierk

2017-08-01

In Bergweiler and Eremenko (2016 Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 144 2911-22), Bergweiler and Eremenko computed the number of critical points of the Green’s function on a torus by investigating the dynamics of a certain family of antiholomorphic meromorphic functions on tori. They also observed that hyperbolic maps are dense in this family of meromorphic functions in a rather trivial way. In this paper, we study the parameter space of this family of meromorphic functions, which can be written as antiholomorphic perturbations of Weierstrass Zeta functions. On the one hand, we give a complete topological description of the hyperbolic components and their boundaries, and on the other hand, we show that these sets admit natural parametrizations by associated dynamical invariants. This settles a conjecture, made in Lin and Wang (2010 Ann. Math. 172 911-54), on the topology of the regions in the upper half plane {H} where the number of critical points of the Green’s function remains constant.

Identification and clarification of the role of key active site residues in bacterial glutathione S-transferase zeta/maleylpyruvate isomerase

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

Fang, Ti; Li, De-Feng; Zhou, Ning-Yi, E-mail: n.zhou@pentium.whiov.ac.cn

2011-07-08

Highlights: {yields} Application of site-directed mutagenesis to probe the active site residues of glutathione-dependent maleylpyruvate isomerase. {yields} Two conserved residues, Arg8 and Arg176, in zeta class glutathione S-transferases are critical for maleylpyruvate orientation and enolization. {yields} Arg109, found exclusively in NagL, participates in k{sub cat} regulation. {yields} The T11A mutant exhibited a significantly decreased K{sub m} value for glutathione with little impact on maleylpyruvate kinetics. {yields} The Thr11 residue appears to have significance in the evolution of glutathione S-transferase classes. -- Abstract: The maleylpyruvate isomerase NagL from Ralstonia sp. strain U2, which has been structurally characterized previously, catalyzes the isomerizationmore » of maleylpyruvate to fumarylpyruvate. It belongs to the class zeta glutathione S-transferases (GSTZs), part of the cytosolic GST family (cGSTs). In this study, site-directed mutagenesis was conducted to probe the functions of 13 putative active site residues. Steady-state kinetic information for mutants in the reduced glutathione (GSH) binding site, suggested that (a) Gln64 and Asp102 interact directly with the glutamyl moiety of glutathione, (b) Gln49 and Gln64 are involved in a potential electron-sharing network that influences the ionization of the GSH thiol. The information also suggests that (c) His38, Asn108 and Arg109 interact with the GSH glycine moiety, (d) His104 has a role in the ionization of the GSH sulfur and the stabilization of the maleyl terminal carboxyl group in the reaction intermediate and (e) Arg110 influences the electron distribution in the active site and therefore the ionization of the GSH thiolate. Kinetic data for mutants altered in the substrate-binding site imply that (a) Arg8 and Arg176 are critical for maleylpyruvate orientation and enolization, and (b) Arg109 (exclusive to NagL) participates in k{sub cat} regulation. Surprisingly, the T11A mutant

Homogeneous synthesis of quaternized chitin in NaOH/urea aqueous solution as a potential gene vector.

PubMed

Peng, Na; Ai, Ziye; Fang, Zehong; Wang, Yanfeng; Xia, Zhiping; Zhong, Zibiao; Fan, Xiaoli; Ye, Qifa

2016-10-05

Water-soluble quaternized chitins (QCs) were homogeneously synthesized by reacting chitin with (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) in 8wt% NaOH/4wt% urea aqueous solutions. The chemical structure and solution properties of the quaternized chitins were characterized by (1)H NMR, FT-IR, elemental analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements. The results demonstrated that the water-soluble QCs, with a degree of substitution (DS) values of 0.27-0.54, could be obtained by varying the concentration of chitin, the molar ratio of CHPTAC to chitin unit, and the reaction time at room temperature (25°C). Two QCs (DS=0.36 and 0.54) were selected and studied as gene carriers. Agarose gel retardation assay revealed that both QCs could condense DNA efficiently when N/P ratio>3. The results of particle size and zeta potential indicated that both QCs had a good ability of condensing plasmid DNA into compact nanoparticles with the size of 100-200nm and zeta potential of +18 to +36mV. Compared to polyethylenimine (PEI, 25kDa), the QCs exhibited outstanding low cytotoxicity. Transfection efficiencies of the QCs/DNA complexes were measured using pGL-3 encoding luciferase as the foreign DNA, and the QCs/DNA complexes showed effective transfection efficiencies in 293T cells. These results revealed that the QCs prepared in NaOH/urea aqueous solutions could be used as promising non-viral gene carriers owing to their excellent characteristics. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Electro-osmosis of non-Newtonian fluids in porous media using lattice Poisson-Boltzmann method.

PubMed

Chen, Simeng; He, Xinting; Bertola, Volfango; Wang, Moran

2014-12-15

Electro-osmosis in porous media has many important applications in various areas such as oil and gas exploitation and biomedical detection. Very often, fluids relevant to these applications are non-Newtonian because of the shear-rate dependent viscosity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the behaviors and physical mechanism of electro-osmosis of non-Newtonian fluids in porous media. Model porous microstructures (granular, fibrous, and network) were created by a random generation-growth method. The nonlinear governing equations of electro-kinetic transport for a power-law fluid were solved by the lattice Poisson-Boltzmann method (LPBM). The model results indicate that: (i) the electro-osmosis of non-Newtonian fluids exhibits distinct nonlinear behaviors compared to that of Newtonian fluids; (ii) when the bulk ion concentration or zeta potential is high enough, shear-thinning fluids exhibit higher electro-osmotic permeability, while shear-thickening fluids lead to the higher electro-osmotic permeability for very low bulk ion concentration or zeta potential; (iii) the effect of the porous medium structure depends significantly on the constitutive parameters: for fluids with large constitutive coefficients strongly dependent on the power-law index, the network structure shows the highest electro-osmotic permeability while the granular structure exhibits the lowest permeability on the entire range of power law indices considered; when the dependence of the constitutive coefficient on the power law index is weaker, different behaviors can be observed especially in case of strong shear thinning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

System and method for altering characteristics of materials using an electrohydraulic discharge

DOEpatents

Banerjee, Sujit

2003-06-03

System and method for oxidizing contaminants to alter specific properties, such as tack, of contaminants. The present invention reduces the tack of the stickies and pitch by exposing the materials for a short duration to low-energy pulsed electrical discharges between a pair of electrodes that are submerged in a liquid medium, such as a fiber stream, water, a pulp slurry, or whitewater. An electrical discharge in the liquid medium oxidizes materials, which may be dissolved or suspended therein, such as stickies, pitch, sulfide, ink, toner, and other substances, thereby reducing tack, odor, and/or zeta potential, as well as producing other desirable effect.

Characterisation of the protein corona using tunable resistive pulse sensing: determining the change and distribution of a particle's surface charge.

PubMed

Blundell, Emma L C J; Healey, Matthew J; Holton, Elizabeth; Sivakumaran, Muttuswamy; Manstana, Sarabjit; Platt, Mark

2016-08-01

The zeta potential of the protein corona around carboxyl particles has been measured using tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS). A simple and rapid assay for characterising zeta potentials within buffer, serum and plasma is presented monitoring the change, magnitude and distribution of proteins on the particle surface. First, we measure the change in zeta potential of carboxyl-functionalised nanoparticles in solutions that contain biologically relevant concentrations of individual proteins, typically constituted in plasma and serum, and observe a significant difference in distributions and zeta values between room temperature and 37 °C assays. The effect is protein dependent, and the largest difference between the two temperatures is recorded for the γ-globulin protein where the mean zeta potential changes from -16.7 to -9.0 mV for 25 and 37 °C, respectively. This method is further applied to monitor particles placed into serum and/or plasma. A temperature-dependent change is again observed with serum showing a 4.9 mV difference in zeta potential between samples incubated at 25 and 37 °C; this shift was larger than that observed for samples in plasma (0.4 mV). Finally, we monitor the kinetics of the corona reorientation for particles initially placed into serum and then adding 5 % (V/V) plasma. The technology presented offers an interesting insight into protein corona structure and kinetics of formation measured in biologically relevant solutions, i.e. high protein, high salt levels, and its particle-by-particle analysis gives a measure of the distribution of particle zeta potential that may offer a better understanding of the behaviour of nanoparticles in solution. Graphical Abstract The relative velocity of a nanoparticle as it traverses a nanopore can be used to determine its zeta potential. Monitoring the changes in translocation speeds can therefore be used to follow changes to the surface chemistry/composition of 210 nm particles that were placed

Transonic Flow Computations Using Nonlinear Potential Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holst, Terry L.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This presentation describes the state of transonic flow simulation using nonlinear potential methods for external aerodynamic applications. The presentation begins with a review of the various potential equation forms (with emphasis on the full potential equation) and includes a discussion of pertinent mathematical characteristics and all derivation assumptions. Impact of the derivation assumptions on simulation accuracy, especially with respect to shock wave capture, is discussed. Key characteristics of all numerical algorithm types used for solving nonlinear potential equations, including steady, unsteady, space marching, and design methods, are described. Both spatial discretization and iteration scheme characteristics are examined. Numerical results for various aerodynamic applications are included throughout the presentation to highlight key discussion points. The presentation ends with concluding remarks and recommendations for future work. Overall. nonlinear potential solvers are efficient, highly developed and routinely used in the aerodynamic design environment for cruise conditions. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of four different size reduction methods on the particle size, solubility enhancement and physical stability of nicergoline nanocrystals.

PubMed

Martena, Valentina; Shegokar, Ranjita; Di Martino, Piera; Müller, Rainer H

2014-09-01

Nicergoline, a poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredient, possesses vaso-active properties which causes peripheral and central vasodilatation. In this study, nanocrystals of nicergoline were prepared in an aqueous solution of polysorbate 80 (nanosuspension) by using four different laboratory scale size reduction techniques: high pressure homogenization (HPH), bead milling (BM) and combination techniques (high pressure homogenization followed by bead milling HPH + BM, and bead milling followed by high pressure homogenization BM + HPH). Nanocrystals were investigated regarding to their mean particles size, zeta potential and particle dissolution. A short term physical stability study on nanocrystals stored at three different temperatures (4, 20 and 40 °C) was performed to evaluate the tendency to change in particle size, aggregation and zeta potential. The size reduction technique and the process parameters like milling time, number of homogenization cycles and pressure greatly affected the size of nanocrystals. Among the techniques used, the combination techniques showed superior and consistent particle size reduction compared to the other two methods, HPH + BM and BM + HPH giving nanocrystals of a mean particle size of 260 and 353 nm, respectively. The particle dissolution was increased for any nanocrystals samples, but it was particularly increased by HPH and combination techniques. Independently to the production method, nicergoline nanocrystals showed slight increase in particle size over the time, but remained below 500 nm at 20 °C and refrigeration conditions.

A set-up for simultaneous measurement of second harmonic generation and streaming potential and some test applications.

PubMed

Lützenkirchen, Johannes; Scharnweber, Tim; Ho, Tuan; Striolo, Alberto; Sulpizi, Marialore; Abdelmonem, Ahmed

2018-06-15

We present a measurement cell that allows simultaneous measurement of second harmonic generation (SHG) and streaming potential (SP) at mineral-water interfaces with flat specimen that are suitable for non-linear optical (NLO) studies. The set-up directly yields SHG data for the interface of interest and can also be used to obtain information concerning the influence of flow on NLO signals from that interface. The streaming potential is at present measured against a reference substrate (PTFE). The properties of this inert reference can be independently determined for the same conditions. With the new cell, for the first time the SHG signal and the SP for flat surfaces have been simultaneously measured on the same surface. This can in turn be used to unambiguously relate the two observations for identical solution composition. The SHG test of the cell with a fluorite sample confirmed previously observed differences in NLO signal under flow vs. no flow conditions in sum frequency generation (SFG) investigations. As a second test surface, an inert ("hydrophobic") OTS covered sapphire-c electrolyte interface was studied to verify the zeta-potential measurements with the new cell. For this system we obtained combined zeta-potential/SHG data in the vicinity of the point of zero charge, which were found to be proportional to each other as expected. Furthermore, on the accessible time scales of the SHG measurements no effects of flow, flow velocity and stopped flow occurred on the interfacial water structure. This insensitivity to flow for the inert surface was corroborated by concomitant molecular dynamics simulations. Finally, the set-up was used for simultaneous measurements of the two properties as a function of pH in automated titrations with an oxidic surface. Different polarization combinations obtained in two separate titrations, yielded clearly different SHG data, while under identical conditions zeta-potentials were exactly reproduced. The polarization combination

Total levels, localization patterns, and proportions of sperm exhibiting phospholipase C zeta are significantly correlated with fertilization rates after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

PubMed

Yelumalai, Suseela; Yeste, Marc; Jones, Celine; Amdani, Siti N; Kashir, Junaid; Mounce, Ginny; Da Silva, Sarah J Martins; Barratt, Christopher L; McVeigh, Enda; Coward, Kevin

2015-09-01

To study the relationship of total levels, localization patterns, and proportions of sperm exhibiting phospholipase C zeta, with fertilization rates after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Laboratory study; controls vs. patients after IVF (n = 27) or ICSI (n = 17) treatment. Fertility center. A total of 44 semen samples, subjected to either IVF or ICSI treatment. Oocyte collection, ICSI or IVF, determination of sperm concentration and motility, and immunocytochemical analyses of phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ). None. Percentages of sperm exhibiting PLCζ. Significant positive correlation between ICSI fertilization rates and total levels, localization patterns, and the proportion (percentage) of sperm exhibiting PLCζ. Total levels, localization patterns, and the proportion of sperm exhibiting PLCζ are correlated with fertilization rates for ICSI, but not for IVF. Evaluating total levels, localization patterns, and proportions of PLCζ may represent a useful diagnostic tool for clinical purposes in men for whom IVF is not advised or has previously failed. This clinical study further supports the fundamental role of PLCζ in the oocyte activation process. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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.

Multiwavelength Characterization of an ACT-Selected, Lensed Dusty Star-Forming Galaxy at zeta 2.64

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts-Borsani, G. W.; Jimenez-Donaire, M. J.; Dapra, M.; Alatalo, K.; Aretxaga, I.; Alvarez-Marquez, J.; Baker, A. J.; Fujimoto, S.; Gallardo, P. A.; Gralla, M.;

Segmented all-electron Gaussian basis sets of double and triple zeta qualities for Fr, Ra, and Ac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, C. T.; de Oliveira, A. Z.; Ferreira, I. B.; Jorge, F. E.; Martins, L. S. C.

2017-05-01

Segmented all-electron basis sets of valence double and triple zeta qualities plus polarization functions for the elements Fr, Ra, and Ac are generated using non-relativistic and Douglas-Kroll-Hess (DKH) Hamiltonians. The sets are augmented with diffuse functions with the purpose to describe appropriately the electrons far from the nuclei. At the DKH-B3LYP level, first atomic ionization energies and bond lengths, dissociation energies, and polarizabilities of a sample of diatomics are calculated. Comparison with theoretical and experimental data available in the literature is carried out. It is verified that despite the small sizes of the basis sets, they are yet reliable.

Kinetic temperature in the interior of the zeta Ophiuchi cloud from Copernicus observations of interstellar C/sub 2/

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

Snow, T.P. Jr.

1978-03-15

The Copernicus ultraviolet telescope-spectrometer has been used to carry out sensitive scans of the D/sup 1/..sigma../sub u//sup +/-X/sup 1/..sigma../sup +/ (0-0) transition of C/sub 2/ at 2312 A in the spectrum of zeta Ophiuchi. An absorption feature was detected at the 4sigma level of significance at the position of the R(0) line, implying a column density of 1.22 x 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -2/ for the J=0 level. An upper limit on the R(2) line of 2.6 mA, yielding N(J=2) < or =1.66 x 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -2/ implies a rotational temperature of at most 22 K, with a high probabilitymore » that T/sub rot/< or =16 K. This represents the limit on the kinetic temperature of the ambient gas because radiative transitions between the rotational levels of this homonuclear molecule are forbidden. The total column density of C/sub 2/ is estimated to be at most 3.2 x 10/sup 12/, a factor of approx.4 below the abundance expected from a recent model calculation for the zeta Oph cloud. The discrepancy may be due to an incorrect branching ratio for the reaction CH)..-->..CH/sub 2/+H ..-->..+H/sub 2/, to the presence of greater depletion of carbon in the cloud core than assumed, to an underestimate of the photodissociation rate for C/sub 2/, or to an incorrect oscillator strength.« less

A PARADOXICAL RELATION BETWEEN ZETA POTENTIAL AND SUSPENSION STABILITY IN S AND R VARIANTS OF INTESTINAL BACTERIA

PubMed Central

Joffe, Eleanore W.; Mudd, Stuart

1935-01-01

The relation between electrokinetic potential and suspension stability of four strains of non-flagellate intestinal bacteria has been studied. The smooth forms have ζ-potentials which approximate zero over a wide range of pH and salt concentration, yet nevertheless form stable suspensions. The rough variants have ζ-potentials which vary with pH and electrolyte concentration in the familiar way. The rough forms have values of ζ-potential critical for their suspension stability. PMID:19872869

Safranal-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles: evaluation of sunscreen and moisturizing potential for topical applications

PubMed Central

Khameneh, Bahman; Halimi, Vahid; Jaafari, Mahmoud Reza; Golmohammadzadeh, Shiva

2015-01-01

Objective(s): In the current study, sunscreen and moisturizing properties of solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN)-safranal formulations were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Series of SLN were prepared using glyceryl monostearate, Tween 80 and different amounts of safranal by high shear homogenization, and ultrasound and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) methods. SLN formulations were characterized for size, zeta potential, morphology, thermal properties, and encapsulation efficacy. The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of the products was determined in vitro using transpore tape. The moisturizing activity of the products was also evaluated by corneometer. Results: The SPF of SLN-safranal formulations was increased when the amount of safranal increased. Mean particle size for all formulas was approximately 106 nm by probe sonication and 233 nm using HPH method. The encapsulation efficiency of safranal was around 70% for all SLN-safranal formulations. Conclusion: The results conclude that SLN-safranal formulations were found to be effective for topical delivery of safranal and succeeded in providing appropriate sunscreen properties. PMID:25810877

The ClpXP protease is responsible for the degradation of the Epsilon antidote to the Zeta toxin of the streptococcal pSM19035 plasmid.

PubMed

Brzozowska, Iwona; Zielenkiewicz, Urszula

2014-03-14

Most bacterial genomes contain different types of toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems. The ω-ε-ζ proteinaceous type II TA cassette from the streptococcal pSM19035 plasmid is a member of the ε/ζ family, which is commonly found in multiresistance plasmids and chromosomes of various human pathogens. Regulation of type II TA systems relies on the proteolysis of antitoxin proteins. Under normal conditions, the Epsilon antidote neutralizes the Zeta toxin through the formation of a tight complex. In this study, we show, using both in vivo and in vitro analyses, that the ClpXP protease is responsible for Epsilon antitoxin degradation. Using in vivo studies, we examined the stability of the plasmids with active or inactive ω-ε-ζ TA cassettes in B. subtilis mutants that were defective for different proteases. Using in vitro assays, the degradation of purified His6-Epsilon by the His6-LonBs, ClpPBs, and ClpXBs proteases from B. subtilis was analyzed. Additionally, we showed that purified Zeta toxin protects the Epsilon protein from rapid ClpXP-catalyzed degradation.

Formulation of Nanoliposomal Vitamin D3 for Potential Application in Beverage Fortification

PubMed Central

Mohammadi, Maryam; Ghanbarzadeh, Babak; Hamishehkar, Hamed

2014-01-01

Purpose: Vitamin D, a liposoluble vitamin has many benefits on health. Encapsulation of bioactives in lipid-based carrier systems like nanoliposomes preserves their native properties against oxidation over time along with providing its stable aqueous dispersion. Methods: In the current study, vitamin D3 nanoliposomes were prepared using thin-film hydration-sonication method and fully characterized by different instrumental techniques. Results: According to FTIR and DSC results, no interaction was observed between encapsulated nutraceutical and liposome constituents. The particle size and size distribution (Span value) were calculated 82–90 nm and 0.70–0.85, respectively. TEM analysis showed nano sized globular and bilayer vesicles. In all formations, the encapsulation efficiency of vitamin D3 was calculated more than 93%. Addition of cholesterol to lecithin bilayer increased the negative zeta potential from -29 to -43mV. Conclusion: The results of this study concluded that the liposomal nanoparticles may be introduced as a suitable carrier for fortification of beverages with vitamin D3. PMID:25671191

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

Inhibition of hydroxyapatite growth by casein, a potential salivary phosphoprotein homologue.

PubMed

Romero, Maria J R H; Nakashima, Syozi; Nikaido, Toru; Ichinose, Shizuko; Sadr, Alireza; Tagami, Junji

2015-08-01

Salivary phosphoproteins are essential in tooth mineral regulation but are often overlooked in vitro. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of casein, as a salivary phosphoprotein homologue, on the deposition and growth of hydroxyapatite (HA) on tooth surfaces. Hydroxyapatite growth was quantified using seeded crystal systems. Artificial saliva (AS) containing HA powder and 0, 10, 20, 50, or 100 μg ml(-1) of casein, or 100 μg ml(-1) of dephosphorylated casein (Dcasein), was incubated for 0-8 h at 37°C, pH 7.2. Calcium concentrations were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Surface precipitation of HA on bovine enamel and dentine blocks, incubated in similar conditions for 7 d, was examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Casein adsorption was assessed using modified Lowry assays and zeta-potential measurements. The AAS results revealed a concentration-dependent inhibition of calcium consumption. Hydroxyapatite precipitation occurred when no casein was present, whereas precipitation of HA was apparently completely inhibited in casein-containing groups. Adsorption data demonstrated increasingly negative zeta-potential with increased casein concentration and an affinity constant similar to proline-rich proteins with Langmuir modelling. Casein inhibited the deposition and growth of HA primarily through the binding of esterized phosphate to HA active sites, indicating its potential as a mineral-regulating salivary phosphoprotein homologue in vitro. © 2015 Eur J Oral Sci.

The Italian cross-sectional survey of the management of bone metastasis: ZeTa study

PubMed Central

Santini, Daniele; Bertoldo, Francesco; Dell'Aquila, Emanuela; Cecchini, Isabella; Fregosi, Stefania; Bortolussi, Paolo

2012-01-01

Background Several studies have emphasized the importance of the maintenance of bone health in a comprehensive cancer care. However, no survey about approach to bone metastasis care is currently available. The ZeTa study provides a picture of the Italian oncologists' therapeutics habits in this area, in a real clinical-practice scenario. Design This study was based on online questionnaire-based interviews to Italian oncologists that included 145 questions. The aim was to collect information on the treatment of bone metastasis, the current use of bisphosphonates, the awareness of guidelines and the concerns about ONJ, the use of vitamin D supplementation. Results 445 oncologists were contacted, 283 agreed to participate. The results show that the current management of bone metastasis is still sub-optimal, as the recommendations from current clinical guidelines are not completely followed by all specialists. Conclusions This survey highlights the urgent need to improve management of bone metastasis in cancer patients. PMID:26909253

Propagation-of-uncertainty from contact angle and streaming potential measurements to XDLVO model assessments of membrane-colloid interactions.

PubMed

Muthu, Satish; Childress, Amy; Brant, Jonathan

2014-08-15

Membrane fouling assessed from a fundamental standpoint within the context of the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) model. The DLVO model requires that the properties of the membrane and foulant(s) be quantified. Membrane surface charge (zeta potential) and free energy values are characterized using streaming potential and contact angle measurements, respectively. Comparing theoretical assessments for membrane-colloid interactions between research groups requires that the variability of the measured inputs be established. The impact that such variability in input values on the outcome from interfacial models must be quantified to determine an acceptable variance in inputs. An interlaboratory study was conducted to quantify the variability in streaming potential and contact angle measurements when using standard protocols. The propagation of uncertainty from these errors was evaluated in terms of their impact on the quantitative and qualitative conclusions on extended DLVO (XDLVO) calculated interaction terms. The error introduced into XDLVO calculated values was of the same magnitude as the calculated free energy values at contact and at any given separation distance. For two independent laboratories to draw similar quantitative conclusions regarding membrane-foulant interfacial interactions the standard error in contact angle values must be⩽2.5°, while that for the zeta potential values must be⩽7 mV. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generalized zeta function representation of groups and 2-dimensional topological Yang-Mills theory: The example of GL(2, #Mathematical Double-Struck Capital F#{sub q}) and PGL(2, #Mathematical Double-Struck Capital F#{sub q})

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

Roche, Ph., E-mail: philippe.roche@univ-montp2.fr

We recall the relation between zeta function representation of groups and two-dimensional topological Yang-Mills theory through Mednikh formula. We prove various generalisations of Mednikh formulas and define generalization of zeta function representations of groups. We compute some of these functions in the case of the finite group GL(2, #Mathematical Double-Struck Capital F#{sub q}) and PGL(2, #Mathematical Double-Struck Capital F#{sub q}). We recall the table characters of these groups for any q, compute the Frobenius-Schur indicator of their irreducible representations, and give the explicit structure of their fusion rings.

Baryon interactions in lattice QCD: the direct method vs. the HAL QCD potential method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iritani, T.; HAL QCD Collaboration

We make a detailed comparison between the direct method and the HAL QCD potential method for the baryon-baryon interactions, taking the $\\Xi\\Xi$ system at $m_\\pi= 0.51$ GeV in 2+1 flavor QCD and using both smeared and wall quark sources. The energy shift $\\Delta E_\\mathrm{eff}(t)$ in the direct method shows the strong dependence on the choice of quark source operators, which means that the results with either (or both) source are false. The time-dependent HAL QCD method, on the other hand, gives the quark source independent $\\Xi\\Xi$ potential, thanks to the derivative expansion of the potential, which absorbs the source dependence to the next leading order correction. The HAL QCD potential predicts the absence of the bound state in the $\\Xi\\Xi$($^1$S$_0$) channel at $m_\\pi= 0.51$ GeV, which is also confirmed by the volume dependence of finite volume energy from the potential. We also demonstrate that the origin of the fake plateau in the effective energy shift $\\Delta E_\\mathrm{eff}(t)$ at $t \\sim 1$ fm can be clarified by a few low-lying eigenfunctions and eigenvalues on the finite volume derived from the HAL QCD potential, which implies that the ground state saturation of $\\Xi\\Xi$($^1$S$_0$) requires $t \\sim 10$ fm in the direct method for the smeared source on $(4.3 \\ \\mathrm{fm})^3$ lattice, while the HAL QCD method does not suffer from such a problem.

A comparative study of finite element and finite difference methods for Cauchy-Riemann type equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fix, G. J.; Rose, M. E.

1983-01-01

A least squares formulation of the system divu = rho, curlu = zeta is surveyed from the viewpoint of both finite element and finite difference methods. Closely related arguments are shown to establish convergence estimates.

Antibacterial properties of Ag-doped hydroxyapatite layers prepared by PLD method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelínek, Miroslav; Kocourek, Tomáš; Jurek, Karel; Remsa, Jan; Mikšovský, Jan; Weiserová, Marie; Strnad, Jakub; Luxbacher, Thomas

2010-12-01

Thin hydroxyapatite (HA), silver-doped HA and silver layers were prepared using a pulsed laser deposition method. Doped layers were ablated from silver/HA targets. Amorphous and crystalline films of silver concentrations of 0.06 at.%, 1.2 at.%, 4.4 at.%, 8.3 at.% and 13.7 at.% were synthesized. Topology was studied using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Contact angle and zeta potential measurements were conducted to determine the wettability, surface free energy and electric surface properties. In vivo measurement (using Escherichia coli cells) of antibacterial properties of the HA, silver-doped HA and silver layers was carried out. The best antibacterial results were achieved for silver-doped HA layers of silver concentration higher than 1.2 at.%.

The Effect of Sericin from Various Extraction Methods on Cell Viability and Collagen Production

PubMed Central

Aramwit, Pornanong; Kanokpanont, Sorada; Nakpheng, Titpawan; Srichana, Teerapol

2010-01-01

Silk sericin (SS) can accelerate cell proliferation and attachment; however, SS can be extracted by various methods, which result in SS exhibiting different physical and biological properties. We found that SS produced from various extraction methods has different molecular weights, zeta potential, particle size and amino acid content. The MTT assay indicated that SS from all extraction methods had no toxicity to mouse fibroblast cells at concentrations up to 40 μg/mL after 24 h incubation, but SS obtained from some extraction methods can be toxic at higher concentrations. Heat-degraded SS was the least toxic to cells and activated the highest collagen production, while urea-extracted SS showed the lowest cell viability and collagen production. SS from urea extraction was severely harmful to cells at concentrations higher than 100 μg/mL. SS from all extraction methods could still promote collagen production in a concentration-dependent manner, even at high concentrations that are toxic to cells. PMID:20559510

Application of the method of images on electrostatic phenomena in aqueous Al2O3 and ZrO2 suspensions.

PubMed

Cordelair, Jens; Greil, Peter

2003-09-15

A new solution for the Poisson equation for the diffuse part of the double layer around spherical particles will be presented. The numerical results are compared with the solution of the well-known DLVO theory. The range of the diffuse layer differs considerably in the two theories. Also, the inconsistent representation of the surface and diffuse layer charge in the DLVO theory do not occur in the new theory. Experimental zeta potential measurements were used to determine the charge of colloidal Al2O3 and ZrO2 particles. It is shown that the calculated charge can be interpreted as a superposition of independent H+ and OH- adsorption isotherms. The corresponding Langmuir adsorption isotherms are taken to model the zeta potential dependence on pH. In the vicinity of the isoelectric point the model fits well with the experimental data, but at higher ion concentrations considerable deviations occur. The deviations are discussed. Furthermore, the numerical results for the run of the potential in the diffuse part of the double layer were used to determine the electrostatic interaction potential between the particles in correlation with the zeta potential measurements. The corresponding total interaction potentials, including the van der Waals attraction, were taken to calculate the coagulation half-life for a suspension with a particle loading of 2 vol%. It is shown that stability against coagulation is maintained for Al2O3 particles in the pH region between 3.3 and 7 and for ZrO2 only around pH 5. Stability against flocculation can be achieved in the pH regime between 4.5 and 7 for Al2O3, while the examined ZrO2 particles are not stable against flocculation in aqueous suspensions.

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

LEAKAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF BASE OF RIVERBANK BY SELF POTENTIAL METHOD AND EXAMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS OF SELF POTENTIAL METHOD TO HEALTH MONITORING OF BASE OF RIVERBANK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Kensaku; Okada, Takashi; Takeuchi, Atsuo; Yazawa, Masato; Uchibori, Sumio; Shimizu, Yoshihiko

Field Measurement of Self Potential Method using Copper Sulfate Electrode was performed in base of riverbank in WATARASE River, where has leakage problem to examine leakage characteristics. Measurement results showed typical S-shape what indicates existence of flow groundwater. The results agreed with measurement results by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport with good accuracy. Results of 1m depth ground temperature detection and Chain-Array detection showed good agreement with results of the Self Potential Method. Correlation between Self Potential value and groundwater velocity was examined model experiment. The result showed apparent correlation. These results indicate that the Self Potential Method was effective method to examine the characteristics of ground water of base of riverbank in leakage problem.

Supersonic full-potential methods for missile body analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pittman, James L.

1992-01-01

Accounts are presented of representative applications to missile bodies of arbitrary shape of methods based on the steady form of the full potential equation. The NCOREL and SIMP full-potential codes are compared, and their results are evaluated for the cases of an arrow wing and a wing-body configuration. Attention is given to the effect of cross-sectional and longitudinal geometries. Comparisons of surface pressure and longitudinal force and moment data for circular and elliptic bodies have shown that the full-potential methods yielded excellent results in attached-flow conditions. Results are presented for a conical star body, waveriders, the Shuttle Orbiter, and a highly swept wing-body cruising at Mach 4.

Dual stage potential field method for robotic path planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Pradyumna Kumar; Parida, Pramod Kumar

2018-04-01

Path planning for autonomous mobile robots are the root for all autonomous mobile systems. Various methods are used for optimization of path to be followed by the autonomous mobile robots. Artificial potential field based path planning method is one of the most used methods for the researchers. Various algorithms have been proposed using the potential field approach. But in most of the common problems are encounters while heading towards the goal or target. i.e. local minima problem, zero potential regions problem, complex shaped obstacles problem, target near obstacle problem. In this paper we provide a new algorithm in which two types of potential functions are used one after another. The former one is to use to get the probable points and later one for getting the optimum path. In this algorithm we consider only the static obstacle and goal.

Miscellaneous methods for measuring matric or water potential

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Andraski, Brian J.; Bilskie, Jim; Dane, Jacob H.; Topp, G. Clarke

2002-01-01

A variety of techniques to measure matric potential or water potential in the laboratory and in the field are described in this section. The techniques described herein require equilibration of some medium whose matric or water potential can be determined from previous calibration or can be measured directly. Under equilibrium conditions the matric or water potential of the medium is equal to that of the soil. The techniques can be divided into: (i) those that measure matric potential and (ii) those that measure water potential (sum of matric and osmotic potentials). Matric potential is determined when the sensor matrix is in direct contact with the soil, so salts are free to diffuse in or out of the sensor matrix, and the equilibrium measurement therefore reflects matric forces acting on the water. Water potential is determined when the sensor is separated from the soil by a vapor gap, so salts are not free to move in or out of the sensor, and the equilibrium measurement reflects the sum of the matric and osmotic forces acting on the water.Seven different techniques are described in this section. Those that measure matric potential include (i) heat dissipation sensors, (ii) electrical resistance sensors, (iii) frequency domain and time domain sensors, and (iv) electro-optical switches. A method that can be used to measure matric potential or water potential is the (v) filter paper method. Techniques that measure water potential include (vi) the Dew Point Potentiameter (Decagon Devices, Inc., Pullman, WA1) (water activity meter) and (vii) vapor equilibration.The first four techniques are electronically based methods for measuring matric potential. Heat dissipation sensors and electrical resistance sensors infer matric potential from previously determined calibration relations between sensor heat dissipation or electrical resistance and matric potential. Frequency-domain and timedomain matric potential sensors measure water content, which is related to matric

Interstellar gas phase abundance of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, copper, gallium, germanium, and krypton toward Zeta Ophiuchi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardelli, Jason A.; Savage, Blair D.; Ebbets, Dennis C.

1991-01-01

An analysis of weak (less than 10 mA) UV interstellar absorption line data obtained for the line of sight to the O9.5 IV star Zeta Oph is presented. Measurements of weak semiforbidden lines of N I, O I, Cu II, and a new UV detection of Na I are reported along with a small upper limit for C II. Interstellar detections of Ga II, Ge II, and Kr I are also presented. Ga, Ge, and Kr represent the heaviest elements detected in the ISM. A comparison of the derived column densities to cosmic abundances shows Ga to be depleted by about -1.2 dex while Ge is overabundant by +0.2 dex. Assuming Kr to be undepleted, a logarithmic cosmic abundance of Kr/H = 2.95 is obtained on the scale where H = 12.00.

Methods for functionalization of microsized polystyrene beads with titania nanoparticles for cathodic electrophoretic deposition.

PubMed

Radice, S; Kern, P; Dietsch, H; Mischler, S; Michler, J

2008-02-15

Functionalization of colloidal particles based on the use of polyelectrolytes and heterocoagulation was combined with electrophoretic deposition (EPD), with the aim of depositing titania-polystyrene (TiO(2)-PS) composite particles on Ti6Al4V substrates. The composite particles were obtained by heterocoagulation of TiO(2) nanoparticles on the surface of monosized polystyrene beads of 4.6 microm in diameter. Two alternative methods were developed for the preparation of the TiO(2)-PS suspensions in organic fluids for cathodic electrodeposition. The first method was carried out in alkaline aqueous medium with the use of polyelectrolytes and intermediate control measurements of zeta potential, conductivity, and pH; the second one was carried out directly in the organic solvent used for EPD, typically isopropanol. Examples of deposits obtained by EPD in both suspensions and a comparative analysis between the two methods are presented.

Surface charge control for zwitterionic polymer brushes: Tailoring surface properties to antifouling applications.

PubMed

Guo, Shanshan; Jańczewski, Dominik; Zhu, Xiaoying; Quintana, Robert; He, Tao; Neoh, Koon Gee

2015-08-15

Electrostatic interactions play an important role in adhesion phenomena particularly for biomacromolecules and microorganisms. Zero charge valence of zwitterions has been claimed as the key to their antifouling properties. However, due to the differences in the relative strength of their acid and base components, zwitterionic materials may not be charge neutral in aqueous environments. Thus, their charge on surfaces should be further adjusted for a specific pH environment, e.g. physiological pH typical in biomedical applications. Surface zeta potential for thin polymeric films composed of polysulfobetaine methacrylate (pSBMA) brushes is controlled through copolymerizing zwitterionic SBMA and cationic methacryloyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (METAC) via surface-initiated atom transfer polymerization. Surface properties including zeta potential, roughness, free energy and thickness are measured and the antifouling performance of these surfaces is assessed. The zeta potential of pSBMA brushes is -40 mV across a broad pH range. By adding 2% METAC, the zeta potential of pSBMA can be tuned to zero at physiological pH while minimally affecting other physicochemical properties including dry brush thickness, surface free energy and surface roughness. Surfaces with zero and negative zeta potential best resist fouling by bovine serum albumin, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Surfaces with zero zeta potential also reduce fouling by lysozyme more effectively than surfaces with negative and positive zeta potential. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A particle tracking method for analyzing chaotic electroosmotic flow mixing in 3D microchannels with patterned charged surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chih-Chang; Yang, Ruey-Jen

2006-08-01

This paper presents a numerical simulation investigation into electroosmotic flow mixing in three-dimensional microchannels with patterned non-uniform surface zeta potentials. Three types of micromixers are investigated, namely a straight diagonal strip mixer (i.e. the non-uniform surface zeta potential is applied along straight, diagonal strips on the lower wall of the mixing channel), a staggered asymmetric herringbone strip mixer and a straight diagonal/symmetric herringbone strip mixer. A particle tracing algorithm is used to visualize and evaluate the mixing performance of the various mixers. The particle trajectories and Poincaré maps of the various mixers are calculated from the three-dimensional flow fields. The surface charge patterns on the lower walls of the microchannels induce electroosmotic chaotic advection in the low Reynolds number flow regime, and hence enhance the passive mixing effect in the microfluidic devices. A quantitative measure of the mixing performance based on Shannon entropy is employed to quantify the mixing of two miscible fluids. The results show that the mixing efficiency increases as the magnitude of the heterogeneous zeta potential ratio (|ζR|) is increased, but decreases as the aspect ratio (H/W) is increased. The mixing efficiency of the straight diagonal strip mixer with a length ratio of l/W = 0.5 is slightly higher than that obtained from the same mixer with l/W = 1.0. Finally, the staggered asymmetric herringbone strip mixer with θ = 45°, ζR = -1, l/W = 0.5 and H/W = 0.2 provides the optimal mixing performance of all the mixers presented in this study.

A study of EUV emission from the O4f star Zeta Puppis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waldron, Wayne L.; Vallerga, John

1995-01-01

Our 20 ks observation did not allow us to carry out our primary objective, i.e., to test the limitations of deeply embedded EUV and X-ray sources. However, it did provide a very useful constraint in our analysis of a newly acquired high S/N ROSAT PSPC X-ray spectrum of Zeta Pup. In addition, modifications to our stellar wind opacity code have been preformed to investigate the sensitivity of the EUV opacity energy range to different photospheric model flux inputs and different wind structures. These analyses provided the justification for a 140 ks follow up EUVE Cycle III observation of this star. We have recently been informed that our requested observation has been accepted as a Type 1 target for Cycle III. The remainder of this report focuses on the following: (1) a brief background on the status of X-ray emission from OB stars; (2) a discussion on the importance of EUV observations; (3) a discussion of our scientific objectives; and (4) a summary of our technical approach for our Cycle III observation (including the predicted EUV counts for various lines.)

A new ab initio potential energy surface for the Ne-H 2 interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lique, François

2009-03-01

A new accurate three-dimensional potential energy surface for the Ne-H 2 system, which explicitly takes into account the r-dependence of the H 2 vibration, was determined from ab initio calculations. It was obtained with the single and double excitation coupled-cluster method with noniterative perturbational treatment of triple excitation [CCSD(T)]. Calculations was been performed using the augmented correlation-consistent polarized quintuple zeta basis set (aug-cc-pV5Z) for the three atoms. We checked the accuracy of the present ab initio calculations. We have determined, using the new Ne-H 2 potential energy surface, differential cross-sections for the rotational excitation of the H 2 and D 2 molecules in collision with Ne and we have compared them with experimental results of Faubel et al. [M. Faubel, F.A. Gianturco, F. Ragnetti, L.Y. Rusin, F. Sondermann, U. Tappe, J.P. Toennies, J. Chem. Phys. 101 (1994) 8800]. The overall agreement confirms that the new potential energy surface can be used for the simulation of molecular collisions and/or molecular spectroscopy of the van der Waals complex Ne-H 2.

Electrophoretic Study of the SnO2/Aqueous Solution Interface up to 260 degrees C.

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

Rodriguez-Santiago, V; Fedkin, Mark V.; Wesolowski, David J

2009-01-01

An electrophoresis cell developed in our laboratory was utilized to determine the zeta potential at the SnO{sub 2} (cassiterite)/aqueous solution (10{sup -3} mol kg{sup -1} NaCl) interface over the temperature range from 25 to 260 C. Experimental techniques and methods for the calculation of zeta potential at elevated temperature are described. From the obtained zeta potential data as a function of pH, the isoelectric points (IEPs) of SnO{sub 2} were obtained for the first time. From these IEP values, the standard thermodynamic functions were calculated for the protonation-deprotonation equilibrium at the SnO{sub 2} surface, using the 1-pK surface complexation model.more » It was found that the IEP values for SnO{sub 2} decrease with increasing temperature, and this behavior is compared to the predicted values by the multisite complexation (MUSIC) model and other semitheoretical treatments, and were found to be in excellent agreement.« less

Electrokinetic properties of PMAA functionalized NiFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by thermal plasma route

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhosale, Shivaji V.; Mhaske, Pravin; Kanhe, N.; Navale, A. B.; Bhoraskar, S. V.; Mathe, V. L.; Bhatt, S. K.

2014-04-01

The magnetic nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) nanoparticles with an average size of 30nm were synthesised by Transferred arc DC Thermal Plasma route. The synthesized nickel ferrite nanoparticles were characterized by TEM and FTIR techniques. The synthesized nickel ferrite nanoparticles were further functionalized with PMAA (polymethacrylic acid) by self emulsion polymerization method and subsequently were characterized by FTIR and Zeta Analyzer. The variation of zeta potential with pH was systematically studied for both PMAA functionalized (PNFO) and uncoated nickel ferrite nanoparticles (NFO). The IEP (isoelectric points) for PNFO and NFO was determined from the graph of zeta potential vs pH. It was observed that the IEP for NFO was at 7.20 and for PNFO it was 2.52. The decrease in IEP of PNFO was attributed to the COOH functional group of PMAA.

Phosphorylated Protein Kinase C (Zeta/Lambda) Expression in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma and Its Correlation with Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognosis.

PubMed

Yeo, Min-Kyung; Kim, Ji Yeon; Seong, In-Ock; Kim, Jin-Man; Kim, Kyung-Hee

2017-01-01

Background: Protein kinase C zeta/lambda (PKCζ/λ) is a family of protein kinase enzymes that contributes to cell proliferation and regulation, which are important for cancer development. PKCζ/λ has been shown to be an important regulator of tumorigenesis in intestinal cancer. The phosphorylated form of PKCζ/λ, p-PKCζ/λ, is suggested as an active form of PKCζ/λ. However, p-PKCζ/λ expression and its clinicopathologic implication in colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRAC) are unclear. Methods: Seven whole-tissue sections of malignant polyps containing both non-neoplastic and neoplastic mucosa, 11 adenomas with low-grade dysplasia, and 173 CRACs were examined by immunohistochemistry and western blot assay for p-PKCζ/λ protein expression. The association of p-PKCζ/λ expression with clinicopathologic factors including patient survival was studied. Results: In non-neoplastic epithelia, p-PKCζ/λ showed a weak cytoplasmic immunostaining. Adenomas and CRACs demonstrated up-regulated p-PKCζ/λ detection. Cytoplasmic p-PKCζ/λ expression was higher in CRAC than in adenoma. In CRACs, p-PKCζ/λ expression was inversely correlated with pathologic TNM stage (I-II versus III-IV) and poor differentiation. Statistical correlations between low expression of p-PKCζ/λ with shortened overall survival and disease-free survival were seen (p=0.004 and p=0.034, respectively). Conclusions: P-PKCζ/λ overexpression is implicated in tumorigenesis but down-regulation was a poor prognostic factor in CRAC.

Path Planning for Robot based on Chaotic Artificial Potential Field Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Cheng

2018-03-01

Robot path planning in unknown environments is one of the hot research topics in the field of robot control. Aiming at the shortcomings of traditional artificial potential field methods, we propose a new path planning for Robot based on chaotic artificial potential field method. The path planning adopts the potential function as the objective function and introduces the robot direction of movement as the control variables, which combines the improved artificial potential field method with chaotic optimization algorithm. Simulations have been carried out and the results demonstrate that the superior practicality and high efficiency of the proposed method.

Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as potential release modulators and oral bioavailability enhancers of vardenafil hydrochloride.

PubMed

Tawfik, Mai Ahmed; Tadros, Mina Ibrahim; Mohamed, Magdy Ibrahim

2018-05-21

Vardenafil hydrochloride (VAR) is an erectile dysfunction treating drug. VAR has a short elimination half-life (4-5 h) and suffers low oral bioavailability (15%). This work aimed to explore the dual potential of VAR-dendrimer complexes as drug release modulators and oral bioavailability enhancers. VAR-dendrimer complexes were prepared by solvent evaporation technique using four dendrimer generations (G4.5, G5, G5.5 and G6) at three concentrations (190 nM, 380 nM and 950 nM). The systems were evaluated for intermolecular interactions, particle size, zeta potential, drug entrapment efficiency percentages (EE%) and drug released percentages after 2 h (Q 2h ) and 24 h (Q 24h ). The results were statistically analyzed, and the system showing the highest desirability was selected for further pharmacokinetic studies in rabbits, in comparison to Levitra ® tablets. The highest desirability (0.82) was achieved with D10 system comprising VAR (10 mg) and G6 (190 nM). It possessed small particle size (113.85 nm), low PDI (0.19), positive zeta potential (+21.53), high EE% (75.24%), promising Q 2 h (41.45%) and Q 24 h (74.05%). Compared to Levitra ® tablets, the significantly (p < 0.01) delayed T max , prolonged MRT (0-∞) and higher relative bioavailability (3.7-fold) could clarify the dual potential of D10 as a sustained release system capable of enhancing VAR oral bioavailability.

Complete sequence of Enterococcus faecium pVEF3 and the detection of an omega-epsilon-zeta toxin-antitoxin module and an ABC transporter.

PubMed

Sletvold, H; Johnsen, P J; Hamre, I; Simonsen, G S; Sundsfjord, A; Nielsen, K M

2008-07-01

Glycopeptide resistant Enterococcus faecium (GREF) persists on Norwegian poultry farms despite the ban on the growth promoter avoparcin. The biological basis for long-term persistence of avoparcin resistance is not fully understood. This study presents the complete DNA sequence of the E. faecium R-plasmid pVEF3 and functional studies of some plasmid-encoded traits (a toxin-antitoxin (TA) system and an ABC transporter) that may be of importance for plasmid persistence. The pVEF3 (63.1 kbp), isolated from an E. faecium strain of poultry origin sampled in Norway in 1999, has 71 coding sequences including the vanA avoparcin/vancomycin resistance encoding gene cluster. pVEF3 encodes the TA system omega-epsilon-zeta, and plasmid stability tests and transcription analysis show that omega-epsilon-zeta is functional in Enterococcus faecalis OGIX, although with decreasing effect over time. The predicted ABC transporter was not found to confer reduced susceptibility to any of the 28 substances tested. The TA system identified in the pVEF-type plasmids may contribute to vanA plasmid persistence on Norwegian poultry farms. However, size and compositional heterogeneity among E. faecium vanA plasmids suggest that additional plasmid maintenance systems in combination with host specific factors and frequent horizontal gene transfer and rearrangement causes the observed plasmid composition and distribution patterns.

Accurate virial coefficients of gaseous krypton from state-of-the-art ab initio potential and polarizability of the krypton dimer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Bo; Waldrop, Jonathan M.; Wang, Xiaopo; Patkowski, Konrad

2018-01-01

We have developed a new krypton-krypton interaction-induced isotropic dipole polarizability curve based on high-level ab initio methods. The determination was carried out using the coupled-cluster singles and doubles plus perturbative triples method with very large basis sets up to augmented correlation-consistent sextuple zeta as well as the corrections for core-core and core-valence correlation and relativistic effects. The analytical function of polarizability and our recently constructed reference interatomic potential [J. M. Waldrop et al., J. Chem. Phys. 142, 204307 (2015)] were used to predict the thermophysical and electromagnetic properties of krypton gas. The second pressure, acoustic, and dielectric virial coefficients were computed for the temperature range of 116 K-5000 K using classical statistical mechanics supplemented with high-order quantum corrections. The virial coefficients calculated were compared with the generally less precise available experimental data as well as with values computed from other potentials in the literature {in particular, the recent highly accurate potential of Jäger et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 144, 114304 (2016)]}. The detailed examination in this work suggests that the present theoretical prediction can be applied as reference values in disciplines involving thermophysical and electromagnetic properties of krypton gas.

Preparation and physico-chemical characterization of β-cyclodextrin incorporated chitosan biosorbent beads with potential environmental applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munim, Somayyah Abdul; Tahir Saddique, Muhammad; Raza, Zulfiqar Ali; Majeed, Muhammad Irfan

2018-06-01

Biosorption is one of the most efficient and feasible methods for eliminating noxious wastes from the aqueous systems. The use of non-hazardous, low-cost and biodegradable chitosan as a biosorbent is of significant importance in the above context. Present study was aimed to develop a β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) incorporated chitosan biosorbent in the form of beads. The prepared biosorbent beads were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The values of point of zero charge (PZC) of chitosan and β-CD incorporated chitosan beads were determined in the presence of an electrolyte by means of different methods including mass titration, salt addition and zeta potential ones. The SEM images exhibited roughened and porous morphologies which could enhance the adsorption of metal ions. The values of PZC of chitosan and β-CD incorporated chitosan biosorbent beads were found to be 6.38 and 7.12, respectively.

Random Walk Method for Potential Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishnamurthy, T.; Raju, I. S.

2002-01-01

A local Random Walk Method (RWM) for potential problems governed by Lapalace's and Paragon's equations is developed for two- and three-dimensional problems. The RWM is implemented and demonstrated in a multiprocessor parallel environment on a Beowulf cluster of computers. A speed gain of 16 is achieved as the number of processors is increased from 1 to 23.

Biocompatible silver nanoparticles prepared with amino acids and a green method.

PubMed

de Matos, Ricardo Almeida; Courrol, Lilia Coronato

2017-02-01

The synthesis of nanoparticles is usually carried out by chemical reduction, which is effective but uses many toxic substances, making the process potentially harmful to the environment. Hence, as part of the search for environmentally friendly or green synthetic methods, this study aimed to produce silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using only AgNO 3 , Milli-Q water, white light from a xenon lamp (Xe) and amino acids. Nanoparticles were synthetized using 21 amino acids, and the shapes and sizes of the resultant nanoparticles were evaluated. The products were characterized by UV-Vis, zeta potential measurements and transmission electron microscopy. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles with tryptophan and tyrosine, methionine, cystine and histidine was possible through photoreduction method. Spherical nanoparticles were produced, with sizes ranging from 15 to 30 nm. Tryptophan does not require illumination nor heating, and the solution color changes immediately after the mixing of reagents if sodium hydroxide is added to the solution (pH = 10). The Xe illumination acts as sodium hydroxide in the nanoparticles synthesis, releases H + and allows the reduction of silver ions (Ag + ) in metallic silver (Ag 0 ).

Electrokinetic pump

DOEpatents

Patel, Kamlesh D.

2007-11-20

A method for altering the surface properties of a particle bed. In application, the method pertains particularly to an electrokinetic pump configuration where nanoparticles are bonded to the surface of the stationary phase to alter the surface properties of the stationary phase including the surface area and/or the zeta potential and thus improve the efficiency and operating range of these pumps. By functionalizing the nanoparticles to change the zeta potential the electrokinetic pump is rendered capable of operating with working fluids having pH values that can range from 2-10 generally and acidic working fluids in particular. For applications in which the pump is intended to handle highly acidic solutions latex nanoparticles that are quaternary amine functionalized can be used.

Free energy calculations: an efficient adaptive biasing potential method.

PubMed

Dickson, Bradley M; Legoll, Frédéric; Lelièvre, Tony; Stoltz, Gabriel; Fleurat-Lessard, Paul

2010-05-06

We develop an efficient sampling and free energy calculation technique within the adaptive biasing potential (ABP) framework. By mollifying the density of states we obtain an approximate free energy and an adaptive bias potential that is computed directly from the population along the coordinates of the free energy. Because of the mollifier, the bias potential is "nonlocal", and its gradient admits a simple analytic expression. A single observation of the reaction coordinate can thus be used to update the approximate free energy at every point within a neighborhood of the observation. This greatly reduces the equilibration time of the adaptive bias potential. This approximation introduces two parameters: strength of mollification and the zero of energy of the bias potential. While we observe that the approximate free energy is a very good estimate of the actual free energy for a large range of mollification strength, we demonstrate that the errors associated with the mollification may be removed via deconvolution. The zero of energy of the bias potential, which is easy to choose, influences the speed of convergence but not the limiting accuracy. This method is simple to apply to free energy or mean force computation in multiple dimensions and does not involve second derivatives of the reaction coordinates, matrix manipulations nor on-the-fly adaptation of parameters. For the alanine dipeptide test case, the new method is found to gain as much as a factor of 10 in efficiency as compared to two basic implementations of the adaptive biasing force methods, and it is shown to be as efficient as well-tempered metadynamics with the postprocess deconvolution giving a clear advantage to the mollified density of states method.

The effective local potential method: Implementation for molecules and relation to approximate optimized effective potential techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izmaylov, Artur F.; Staroverov, Viktor N.; Scuseria, Gustavo E.; Davidson, Ernest R.; Stoltz, Gabriel; Cancès, Eric

2007-02-01

We have recently formulated a new approach, named the effective local potential (ELP) method, for calculating local exchange-correlation potentials for orbital-dependent functionals based on minimizing the variance of the difference between a given nonlocal potential and its desired local counterpart [V. N. Staroverov et al., J. Chem. Phys. 125, 081104 (2006)]. Here we show that under a mildly simplifying assumption of frozen molecular orbitals, the equation defining the ELP has a unique analytic solution which is identical with the expression arising in the localized Hartree-Fock (LHF) and common energy denominator approximations (CEDA) to the optimized effective potential. The ELP procedure differs from the CEDA and LHF in that it yields the target potential as an expansion in auxiliary basis functions. We report extensive calculations of atomic and molecular properties using the frozen-orbital ELP method and its iterative generalization to prove that ELP results agree with the corresponding LHF and CEDA values, as they should. Finally, we make the case for extending the iterative frozen-orbital ELP method to full orbital relaxation.

Collisional rates based on the first potential energy surface of the NeH+ -He system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bop, Cheikh T.; Hammami, K.; Faye, N. A. B.

2017-09-01

The potential energy surface is computed at the explicitly correlated coupled cluster with simple, second and perturbative triple excitation method (CCSD(T)-F12) in connection with the augmented-correlation consistent-polarized valence triple zeta (aug-cc-pVTZ) Gaussian basis set for the NeH+ -He system. The calculations were performed by first taking into account the vibration of the molecule and then averaging the so-obtained three-dimensional potential. From this average interaction potential, cross-sections among the 11 first rotational levels of NeH+ induced by collision with He are calculated for energies up to 4000 cm-1 using the quantum mechanical close coupling (CC) approach. Collisional rate coefficients are obtained by thermally averaging these cross-sections at low temperature (T ≤ 300 K). The propensity rules of the rotational transitions obtained in this paper are discussed and compared with those of HeH+ and ArH+ in collision with electron. This work may be helpful for the eventual investigations, both theoretical and experimental, focused to detect the key cationic noble gas hydride NeH+ in the interstellar and circumstellar media as well as in laboratory experiments.

Lactosaminated- N-succinyl chitosan nanoparticles for hepatocyte-targeted delivery of acyclovir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Nivrati; Rajoriya, Vaibhav; Jain, Prateek Kumar; Jain, Ashish Kumar

2014-01-01

The present study discusses lactose-acyclovir- N-succinyl chitosan nanoparticles (Lac- N-Suc-CSNP) using lactose as an asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) ligand for hepatic parenchymatic cells targeting. For this purpose, N-succinyl chitosan nanoparticles ( N-Suc-CSNP) were prepared previously by ionotropic gelation method and lactose was conjugated to the free amino terminal group of chitosan. Lactose conjugation with N-Suc-CSNP was confirmed by FT-IR and zeta potential measurements. The Lac- N-Suc-CSNP obtained were characterized for their morphology, particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential. The Lac- N-Suc-CSNP showed spherical in shape with 220.3 ± 5.0 nm size range, +4.1 ± 0.2 mV zeta potential, 62.5 ± 1.2 % acyclovir entrapment efficiency and showed 27.3 ± 0.9 % cumulative acyclovir release up to 72 h. The acyclovir concentration from Lac- N-Suc-CSNP was found to be 19.9 ± 1.62 μg/g after 24 h administration revealed remarkably targeting potential to the hepatocytes and keep at a high level during the experiment. These results suggest that Lac- N-Suc-CSNP are potentially vector for hepatocytes targeting.

Theoretical Investigation of Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Carbon Nanotube-Based Composites Using the Integral Transform Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawloski, Janice S.

2001-01-01

This project uses the integral transform technique to model the problem of nanotube behavior as an axially symmetric system of shells. Assuming that the nanotube behavior can be described by the equations of elasticity, we seek a stress function x which satisfies the biharmonic equation: del(exp 4) chi = [partial deriv(r(exp 2)) + partial deriv(r) + partial deriv(z(exp 2))] chi = 0. The method of integral transformations is used to transform the differential equation. The symmetry with respect to the z-axis indicates that we only need to consider the sine transform of the stress function: X(bar)(r,zeta) = integral(from 0 to infinity) chi(r,z)sin(zeta,z) dz.

Multipole moments in the effective fragment potential method

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

Bertoni, Colleen; Slipchenko, Lyudmila V.; Misquitta, Alston J.

In the effective fragment potential (EFP) method the Coulomb potential is represented using a set of multipole moments generated by the distributed multipole analysis (DMA) method. Misquitta, Stone, and Fazeli recently developed a basis space-iterated stockholder atom (BS-ISA) method to generate multipole moments. This study assesses the accuracy of the EFP interaction energies using sets of multipole moments generated from the BS-ISA method, and from several versions of the DMA method (such as analytic and numeric grid-based), with varying basis sets. Both methods lead to reasonable results, although using certain implementations of the DMA method can result in large errors.more » With respect to the CCSD(T)/CBS interaction energies, the mean unsigned error (MUE) of the EFP method for the S22 data set using BS-ISA–generated multipole moments and DMA-generated multipole moments (using a small basis set and the analytic DMA procedure) is 0.78 and 0.72 kcal/mol, respectively. Here, the MUE accuracy is on the same order as MP2 and SCS-MP2. The MUEs are lower than in a previous study benchmarking the EFP method without the EFP charge transfer term, demonstrating that the charge transfer term increases the accuracy of the EFP method. Regardless of the multipole moment method used, it is likely that much of the error is due to an insufficient short-range electrostatic term (i.e., charge penetration term), as shown by comparisons with symmetry-adapted perturbation theory.« less

Multipole moments in the effective fragment potential method

DOE PAGES

Bertoni, Colleen; Slipchenko, Lyudmila V.; Misquitta, Alston J.; ...

2017-02-17

In the effective fragment potential (EFP) method the Coulomb potential is represented using a set of multipole moments generated by the distributed multipole analysis (DMA) method. Misquitta, Stone, and Fazeli recently developed a basis space-iterated stockholder atom (BS-ISA) method to generate multipole moments. This study assesses the accuracy of the EFP interaction energies using sets of multipole moments generated from the BS-ISA method, and from several versions of the DMA method (such as analytic and numeric grid-based), with varying basis sets. Both methods lead to reasonable results, although using certain implementations of the DMA method can result in large errors.more » With respect to the CCSD(T)/CBS interaction energies, the mean unsigned error (MUE) of the EFP method for the S22 data set using BS-ISA–generated multipole moments and DMA-generated multipole moments (using a small basis set and the analytic DMA procedure) is 0.78 and 0.72 kcal/mol, respectively. Here, the MUE accuracy is on the same order as MP2 and SCS-MP2. The MUEs are lower than in a previous study benchmarking the EFP method without the EFP charge transfer term, demonstrating that the charge transfer term increases the accuracy of the EFP method. Regardless of the multipole moment method used, it is likely that much of the error is due to an insufficient short-range electrostatic term (i.e., charge penetration term), as shown by comparisons with symmetry-adapted perturbation theory.« less

Pleiotrophin and its receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta as regulators of angiogenesis and cancer.

PubMed

Papadimitriou, Evangelia; Pantazaka, Evangelia; Castana, Penelope; Tsalios, Thomas; Polyzos, Alexandros; Beis, Dimitris

2016-12-01

Pleiotrophin (PTN) is a secreted heparin-binding growth factor that through its receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta (RPTPβ/ζ) has a significant regulatory effect on angiogenesis and cancer. PTN and RPTPβ/ζ are over-expressed in several types of human cancers and regulate important cancer cell functions in vitro and cancer growth in vivo. This review begins with a brief introduction of PTN and the regulation of its expression. PTN receptors are described with special emphasis on RPTPβ/ζ, which also interacts with and/or affects the function of other important targets for cancer therapy, such as vascular endothelial growth factor A, α ν β 3 and cell surface nucleolin. PTN biological activities related to angiogenesis and cancer are extensively discussed. Finally, up to date approaches of targeting PTN or RPTPβ/ζ for cancer treatment are presented. Insights into the regulatory role of PTN/RPTPβ/ζ on angiogenesis will be extremely beneficial for future development of alternative anti-angiogenic approaches in cancer therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A constructive model potential method for atomic interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bottcher, C.; Dalgarno, A.

1974-01-01

A model potential method is presented that can be applied to many electron single centre and two centre systems. The development leads to a Hamiltonian with terms arising from core polarization that depend parametrically upon the positions of the valence electrons. Some of the terms have been introduced empirically in previous studies. Their significance is clarified by an analysis of a similar model in classical electrostatics. The explicit forms of the expectation values of operators at large separations of two atoms given by the model potential method are shown to be equivalent to the exact forms when the assumption is made that the energy level differences of one atom are negligible compared to those of the other.

Direct simulation of electroosmosis around a spherical particle with inhomogeneously acquired surface charge.

PubMed

Alizadeh, Amer; Wang, Moran

2017-03-01

Uncovering electroosmosis around an inhomogeneously acquired charge spherical particle in a confined space could provide detailed insights into its broad applications from biology to geology. In the present study, we developed a direct simulation method with the effects of inhomogeneously acquired charges on the particle surface considered, which has been validated by the available analytical and experimental data. Modeling results reveal that the surface charge and zeta potential, which are acquired through chemical interactions, strongly depend on the local solution properties and the particle size. The surface charge and zeta potential of the particle would significantly vary with the tangential positions on the particle surface by increasing the particle radius. Moreover, regarding the streaming potential for a particle-fluid tube system, our results uncover that the streaming potential has a reverse relation with the particle size in a micro or nanotube. To explain this phenomenon, we present a simple relation that bridges the streaming potential with the particle size and tube radius, zeta potential, bulk and surface conductivity. This relation could predict good results specifically for higher ion concentrations and provide deeper understanding of the particle size effects on the streaming potential measurements of the particle fluid tube system. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A direct potential fitting RKR method: Semiclassical vs. quantal comparisons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tellinghuisen, Joel

2016-12-01

Quantal and semiclassical (SC) eigenvalues are compared for three diatomic molecular potential curves: the X state of CO, the X state of Rb2, and the A state of I2. The comparisons show higher levels of agreement than generally recognized, when the SC calculations incorporate a quantum defect correction to the vibrational quantum number, in keeping with the Kaiser modification. One particular aspect of this is better agreement between quantal and SC estimates of the zero-point vibrational energy, supporting the need for the Y00 correction in this context. The pursuit of a direct-potential-fitting (DPF) RKR method is motivated by the notion that some of the limitations of RKR potentials may be innate, from their generation by an exact inversion of approximate quantities: the vibrational energy Gυ and rotational constant Bυ from least-squares analysis of spectroscopic data. In contrast, the DPF RKR method resembles the quantal DPF methods now increasingly used to analyze diatomic spectral data, but with the eigenvalues obtained from SC phase integrals. Application of this method to the analysis of 9500 assigned lines in the I2A ← X spectrum fails to alter the quantal-SC disparities found for the A-state RKR curve from a previous analysis. On the other hand, the SC method can be much faster than the quantal method in exploratory work with different potential functions, where it is convenient to use finite-difference methods to evaluate the partial derivatives required in nonlinear fitting.

A surface-charge study on cellular-uptake behavior of F3-peptide-conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu; Yang, Mo; Park, Ji-Ho; Singelyn, Jennifer; Ma, Huiqing; Sailor, Michael J; Ruoslahti, Erkki; Ozkan, Mihrimah; Ozkan, Cengiz

2009-09-01

Surface-charge measurements of mammalian cells in terms of Zeta potential are demonstrated as a useful biological characteristic in identifying cellular interactions with specific nanomaterials. A theoretical model of the changes in Zeta potential of cells after incubation with nanoparticles is established to predict the possible patterns of Zeta-potential change to reveal the binding and internalization effects. The experimental results show a distinct pattern of Zeta-potential change that allows the discrimination of human normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) from human cancer breast epithelial cells (MCF-7) when the cells are incubated with dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles that contain tumor-homing F3 peptides, where the tumor-homing F3 peptide specifically bound to nucleolin receptors that are overexpressed in cancer breast cells.

Kinetics and dynamics of the C(3P) + H2O reaction on a full-dimensional accurate triplet state potential energy surface.

PubMed

Li, Jun; Xie, Changjian; Guo, Hua

2017-08-30

A full dimensional accurate potential energy surface (PES) for the C( 3 P) and H 2 O reaction is developed based on ∼34 000 data points calculated at the level of the explicitly correlated unrestricted coupled cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations with the augmented correlation-consistent polarized triple zeta basis set (CCSD(T)-F12a/AVTZ). The PES is invariant with respect to the permutation of the two hydrogen atoms and the total root mean square error (RMSE) of the fit is only 0.31 kcal mol -1 . The PES features two barriers in the entrance channel and several potential minima, as well as multiple product channels. The rate coefficients of this reaction calculated using a transition-state theory and quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) method are small near room temperature, consistent with experiments. The reaction dynamics is also investigated with QCT on the new PES, which found that the reactivity is constrained by the entrance barriers and the final product branching is not statistical.

Flotation removal of the microalga Nannochloropsis sp. using Moringa protein-oil emulsion: A novel green approach.

PubMed

Kandasamy, Ganesan; Shaleh, Sitti Raehanah Muhamad

2018-01-01

A new approach to recover microalgae from aqueous medium using a bio-flotation method is reported. The method involves utilizing a Moringa protein extract - oil emulsion (MPOE) for flotation removal of Nannochloropsis sp. The effect of various factors has been assessed using this method, including operating parameters such as pH, MPOE dose, algae concentration and mixing time. A maximum flotation efficiency of 86.5% was achieved without changing the pH condition of algal medium. Moreover, zeta potential analysis showed a marked difference in the zeta potential values when increase the MPOE dose concentration. An optimum condition of MPOE dosage of 50ml/L, pH 8, mixing time 4min, and a flotation efficiency of greater than 86% was accomplished. The morphology of algal flocs produced by protein-oil emulsion flocculant were characterized by microscopy. This flotation method is not only simple, but also an efficient method for harvesting microalgae from culture medium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Streaming potential generated by a pressure-driven flow over a super-hydrophobic surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Hui

2010-11-01

The streaming potential generated by a pressured-driven flow over a weakly charged striped slip-stick surface (the zeta potential of the surface is smaller than the thermal potential (25 mV) with an arbitrary double layer thickness is theoretically studied by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation and Stokes equation. A series solution of the streaming potential is derived. Approximate expressions for the streaming potential in the limits of thin double layers and thick double layers are also presented, in excellent agreement with the full solution. The streaming potential is compared against that over a homogenously charged smooth surface. Our results indicate that the streaming potential over a super-hydrophobic surface only can be enhanced when the liquid-gas interface is charged. In addition, as the double layer thickness increases, the advantage of the super-hydrophobic surface diminishes. The impact of a slip-stick surface on the streaming potential might provide guidance for designing novel and efficient microfludic energy conversion devices using a super-hydrophobic surface.

A regularization method for extrapolation of solar potential magnetic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gary, G. A.; Musielak, Z. E.

1992-01-01

The mathematical basis of a Tikhonov regularization method for extrapolating the chromospheric-coronal magnetic field using photospheric vector magnetograms is discussed. The basic techniques show that the Cauchy initial value problem can be formulated for potential magnetic fields. The potential field analysis considers a set of linear, elliptic partial differential equations. It is found that, by introducing an appropriate smoothing of the initial data of the Cauchy potential problem, an approximate Fourier integral solution is found, and an upper bound to the error in the solution is derived. This specific regularization technique, which is a function of magnetograph measurement sensitivities, provides a method to extrapolate the potential magnetic field above an active region into the chromosphere and low corona.

Solution of Dirac equation for Eckart potential and trigonometric Manning Rosen potential using asymptotic iteration method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Resita Arum, Sari; A, Suparmi; C, Cari

2016-01-01

The Dirac equation for Eckart potential and trigonometric Manning Rosen potential with exact spin symmetry is obtained using an asymptotic iteration method. The combination of the two potentials is substituted into the Dirac equation, then the variables are separated into radial and angular parts. The Dirac equation is solved by using an asymptotic iteration method that can reduce the second order differential equation into a differential equation with substitution variables of hypergeometry type. The relativistic energy is calculated using Matlab 2011. This study is limited to the case of spin symmetry. With the asymptotic iteration method, the energy spectra of the relativistic equations and equations of orbital quantum number l can be obtained, where both are interrelated between quantum numbers. The energy spectrum is also numerically solved using the Matlab software, where the increase in the radial quantum number nr causes the energy to decrease. The radial part and the angular part of the wave function are defined as hypergeometry functions and visualized with Matlab 2011. The results show that the disturbance of a combination of the Eckart potential and trigonometric Manning Rosen potential can change the radial part and the angular part of the wave function. Project supported by the Higher Education Project (Grant No. 698/UN27.11/PN/2015).

Magnetic Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Nanocomposites: Effect of Preparation Method on Antibacterial Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Nhung H. A.; Darwish, Mohamed S. A.; Stibor, Ivan; Kejzlar, Pavel; Ševců, Alena

2017-10-01

The most challenging task in the preparation of magnetic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (Fe3O4-PNIPAAm) nanocomposites for bio-applications is to maximise their reactivity and stability. Emulsion polymerisation, in situ precipitation and physical addition were used to produce Fe3O4-PNIPAAm-1, Fe3O4-PNIPAAm-2 and Fe3O4-PNIPAAm-3, respectively. Their properties were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (morphology), zeta-potential (surface charge), thermogravimetric analysis (stability), vibrating sample magnetometry (magnetisation) and dynamic light scattering. Moreover, we investigated the antibacterial effect of each nanocomposite against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Both Fe3O4-PNIPAAm-1 and Fe3O4-PNIPAAm-2 nanocomposites displayed high thermal stability, zeta potential and magnetisation values, suggesting stable colloidal systems. Overall, the presence of Fe3O4-PNIPAAm nanocomposites, even at lower concentrations, caused significant damage to both E. coli and S. aureus DNA and led to a decrease in cell viability. Fe3O4-PNIPAAm-1 displayed a stronger antimicrobial effect against both bacterial strains than Fe3O4-PNIPAAm-2 and Fe3O4-PNIPAAm-3. Staphylococcus aureus was more sensitive than E. coli to all three magnetic PNIPAAm nanocomposites.

Impact of welan gum on tricalcium aluminate-gypsum hydration

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

Ma Lei, E-mail: malei198713@163.com; Zhao Qinglin, E-mail: zhaoqinglin@whut.edu.cn; Yao Chukang

The retarding effect of welan gum on tricalcium aluminate-gypsum hydration, as a partial system of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) hydration, was investigated with several methods. The tricalcium aluminate-gypsum hydration behavior in the presence or absence of welan gum was researched by field emission gun scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and zeta potential analysis. Meanwhile, we studied the surface electrochemical properties and adsorption characteristics of welan gum by utilizing a zeta potential analyzer and UV-VIS absorption spectrophotometer. By adding welan gum, the morphology change of ettringite and retardation of hydration stages in tricalcium aluminate-gypsum system was observed. Moreover, we detected themore » adsorption behavior and zeta potential inversion of tricalcium aluminate and ettringite, as well as a rapid decrease in the zeta potential of tricalcium aluminate-gypsum system. The reduction on nucleation rate of ettringite and hydration activity of C{sub 3}A was also demonstrated. Thus, through the adsorption effect, welan gum induces a retarding behavior in tricalcium aluminate-gypsum hydration. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Adsorption characteristics of welan gum on C{sub 3}A and ettringite have been studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer C{sub 3}A-gypsum hydration behavior and the hydration products are examined in L/S = 3. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Welan gum retards the process of C{sub 3}A-gypsum hydration. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The addition of welan gum changes the nucleation growth of ettringite.« less

Electrical Methods: Self-Potential (SP) Method

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Various potentials are produced in native ground or within the subsurface altered by our actions. Natural potentials occur about dissimilar materials, near varying concentrations of electrolytic solutions, and due to the flow of fluids.

Assembly dynamics and stability of the pneumococcal epsilon zeta antitoxin toxin (PezAT) system from Streptococcus pneumoniae.

PubMed

Mutschler, Hannes; Reinstein, Jochen; Meinhart, Anton

2010-07-09

The pneumococcal epsilon zeta antitoxin toxin (PezAT) system is a chromosomally encoded, class II toxin antitoxin system from the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumnoniae. Neutralization of the bacteriotoxic protein PezT is carried out by complex formation with its cognate antitoxin PezA. Here we study the stability of the inhibitory complex in vivo and in vitro. We found that toxin release is impeded in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis due to the proteolytic resistance of PezA once bound to PezT. These findings are supported by in vitro experiments demonstrating a strong thermodynamic stabilization of both proteins upon binding. A detailed kinetic analysis of PezAT assembly revealed that these particular features of PezAT are based on a strong, electrostatically guided binding mechanism leading to a stable toxin antitoxin complex with femtomolar affinity. Our data show that PezAT complex formation is distinct to all other conventional toxin antitoxin modules and a controlled mode of toxin release is required for activation.

An entropy correction method for unsteady full potential flows with strong shocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlow, W., Jr.; Hafez, M. M.; Osher, S. J.

1986-01-01

An entropy correction method for the unsteady full potential equation is presented. The unsteady potential equation is modified to account for entropy jumps across shock waves. The conservative form of the modified equation is solved in generalized coordinates using an implicit, approximate factorization method. A flux-biasing differencing method, which generates the proper amounts of artificial viscosity in supersonic regions, is used to discretize the flow equations in space. Comparisons between the present method and solutions of the Euler equations and between the present method and experimental data are presented. The comparisons show that the present method more accurately models solutions of the Euler equations and experiment than does the isentropic potential formulation.

Development and analytical characterization of vitamin(s)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles for potential food packaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aresta, Antonella; Calvano, Cosima Damiana; Trapani, Adriana; Cellamare, Saverio; Zambonin, Carlo Giorgio; De Giglio, Elvira

2013-04-01

Most vitamins are well-known natural antioxidant agents which can be usefully employed for foods preservation to increase their shelf life. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential of vitamin-based chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) for novel food packaging application. In particular, Vitamin C- and/or E-loaded CSNPs were formulated following the ionic gelation technique and using sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin as cross-linking agent. The obtained CSNPs were characterized in terms of size and zeta potential measurements, leading to size range of 375-503 nm and zeta range values from +16.0 to +33.8 mV. At the solid-state, the same particles were subjected to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Then, the antioxidant potential of the produced vitamin(s) nanoparticulate formulations has been evaluated through 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl test, a rapid spectrophotometric assay. The standardized procedure was used on vitamin(s)-modified CSNPs systems to determine both the amount of active vitamin(s) loaded in CSNPs and their release performances by in vitro release studies. Of all, high vitamins association efficiency along with an improvement of their shelf life (also under light exposure up to 7 days) were achieved. Altogether, the results suggest that Vitamin E is available in a hydrophilic delivery system able to replace organic solvents usually used for the solubilization of this antioxidant agent. In conclusion, these nanocarriers represent a promising strategy for the co-administration of Vitamin E and Vitamin C in packaging materials intended for a better storage of hydrophilic and/or lipophilic food.

Development and Characterization of Nisin Nanoparticles as Potential Alternative for the Recurrent Vaginal Candidiasis Treatment.

PubMed

de Abreu, Letícia Coli Louvisse; Todaro, Valerio; Sathler, Plinio Cunha; da Silva, Luiz Cláudio Rodrigues Pereira; do Carmo, Flávia Almada; Costa, Cleonice Marques; Toma, Helena Keiko; Castro, Helena Carla; Rodrigues, Carlos Rangel; de Sousa, Valeria Pereira; Cabral, Lucio Mendes

2016-12-01

The aim of this work was the development and characterization of nisin-loaded nanoparticles and the evaluation of its potential antifungal activity. Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by Candida sp. considered as one of the major public health problem currently. The discovery of antifungal agents that present a reduced or null resistance of Candida sp. and the development of more efficient drug release mechanisms are necessary for the improvement of candidiasis treatment. Nisin, a bacteriocin commercially available for more than 50 years, exhibits antibacterial action in food products with potential antifungal activity. Among several alternatives used to modulate antifungal activity of bacteriocins, polymeric nanoparticles have received great attention due to an effective drug release control and reduction of therapeutic dose, besides the minimization of adverse effects by the preferential accumulation in specific tissues. The nisin nanoparticles were prepared by double emulsification and solvent evaporation methods. Nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Antifungal activity was accessed by pour plate method and cell counting using Candida albicans strains. The in vitro release profile and in vitro permeation studies were performed using dialysis bag method and pig vaginal mucosa in Franz diffusion cell, respectively. The results revealed nisin nanoparticles (300 nm) with spherical shape and high loading efficiency (93.88 ± 3.26%). In vitro test results suggest a promising application of these nanosystems as a prophylactic agent in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and other gynecological diseases.

New Methods for Estimating Seasonal Potential Climate Predictability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xia

This study develops two new statistical approaches to assess the seasonal potential predictability of the observed climate variables. One is the univariate analysis of covariance (ANOCOVA) model, a combination of autoregressive (AR) model and analysis of variance (ANOVA). It has the advantage of taking into account the uncertainty of the estimated parameter due to sampling errors in statistical test, which is often neglected in AR based methods, and accounting for daily autocorrelation that is not considered in traditional ANOVA. In the ANOCOVA model, the seasonal signals arising from external forcing are determined to be identical or not to assess any interannual variability that may exist is potentially predictable. The bootstrap is an attractive alternative method that requires no hypothesis model and is available no matter how mathematically complicated the parameter estimator. This method builds up the empirical distribution of the interannual variance from the resamplings drawn with replacement from the given sample, in which the only predictability in seasonal means arises from the weather noise. These two methods are applied to temperature and water cycle components including precipitation and evaporation, to measure the extent to which the interannual variance of seasonal means exceeds the unpredictable weather noise compared with the previous methods, including Leith-Shukla-Gutzler (LSG), Madden, and Katz. The potential predictability of temperature from ANOCOVA model, bootstrap, LSG and Madden exhibits a pronounced tropical-extratropical contrast with much larger predictability in the tropics dominated by El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) than in higher latitudes where strong internal variability lowers predictability. Bootstrap tends to display highest predictability of the four methods, ANOCOVA lies in the middle, while LSG and Madden appear to generate lower predictability. Seasonal precipitation from ANOCOVA, bootstrap, and Katz, resembling that

Organic particulate matter formation at varying relative humidity using surrogate secondary and primary organic compounds with activity corrections in the condensed phase obtained using a method based on the Wilson equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, E. I.; Pankow, J. F.

2008-01-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in the atmosphere is currently often modeled using a multiple lumped "two-product" (N·2p) approach. The N·2p approach neglects: 1) variation of activity coefficient (&zeta;i) values and mean molecular weight MW in the particulate matter (PM) phase; 2) water uptake into the PM; and 3) the possibility of phase separation in the PM. This study considers these effects by adopting an (N·2p)&zeta;, MW ,θ approach (θ is a phase index). Specific chemical structures are assigned to 25 lumped SOA compounds and to 15 representative primary organic aerosol (POA) compounds to allow calculation of &zeta;i and MW values. The SOA structure assignments are based on chamber-derived 2p gas/particle partition coefficient values coupled with known effects of structure on vapor pressure pL,i° (atm). To facilitate adoption of the (N·2p)&zeta;, MW, θ approach in large-scale models, this study also develops CP-Wilson.1, a group-contribution &zeta;i-prediction method that is more computationally economical than the UNIFAC model of Fredenslund et al. (1975). Group parameter values required by CP-Wilson.1 are obtained by fitting &zeta;i values to predictions from UNIFAC. The (N·2p)&zeta;,MW, θ approach is applied (using CP-Wilson.1) to several real α-pinene/O3 chamber cases for high reacted hydrocarbon levels (ΔHC≍400 to 1000 μg m-3) when relative humidity (RH) ≍50%. Good agreement between the chamber and predicted results is obtained using both the (N·2p)&zeta;, MW, θ and N·2p approaches, indicating relatively small water effects under these conditions. However, for a hypothetical α-pinene/O3 case at �

Synthesis and characterization of polyethylene glycol mediated silver nanoparticles by the green method.

PubMed

Shameli, Kamyar; Ahmad, Mansor Bin; Jazayeri, Seyed Davoud; Sedaghat, Sajjad; Shabanzadeh, Parvaneh; Jahangirian, Hossein; Mahdavi, Mahnaz; Abdollahi, Yadollah

2012-01-01

The roles of green chemistry in nanotechnology and nanoscience fields are very significant in the synthesis of diverse nanomaterials. Herein, we report a green chemistry method for synthesized colloidal silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in polymeric media. The colloidal Ag NPs were synthesized in an aqueous solution using silver nitrate, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and β-D-glucose as a silver precursor, stabilizer, and reducing agent, respectively. The properties of synthesized colloidal Ag NPs were studied at different reaction times. The ultraviolet-visible spectra were in excellent agreement with the obtained nanostructure studies performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and their size distributions. The Ag NPs were characterized by utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). The use of green chemistry reagents, such as glucose, provides green and economic features to this work.

Preparation and optical properties of iron-modified titanium dioxide obtained by sol-gel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hreniak, Agnieszka; Gryzło, Katarzyna; Boharewicz, Bartosz; Sikora, Andrzej; Chmielowiec, Jacek; Iwan, Agnieszka

2015-08-01

In this paper twelve TiO2:Fe powders prepared by sol-gel method were analyzed being into consideration the kind of iron compound applied. As a precursor titanium (IV) isopropoxide (TIPO) was used, while as source of iron Fe(NO3)3 or FeCl3 were tested. Fe doped TiO2 was obtained using two methods of synthesis, where different amount of iron was added (1, 5 or 10% w/w). The size of obtained TiO2:Fe particles depends on the iron compound applied and was found in the range 80-300 nm as it was confirmed by SEM technique. TiO2:Fe particles were additionally investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. Additionally, for the TiO2:Fe particles UV-vis absorption and the zeta potential were analyzed. Selected powders were additionally investigated by magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and X-ray diffraction techniques. Photocatalytic ability of Fe doped TiO2 powders was evaluated by means of cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHOL) degradation experiment conducted under the 30 min irradiation of simulated solar light.

Stabilizing potentials in bound state analytic continuation methods for electronic resonances in polyatomic molecules

DOE PAGES

White, Alec F.; Head-Gordon, Martin; McCurdy, C. William

2017-01-30

The computation of Siegert energies by analytic continuation of bound state energies has recently been applied to shape resonances in polyatomic molecules by several authors. Here, we critically evaluate a recently proposed analytic continuation method based on low order (type III) Padé approximants as well as an analytic continuation method based on high order (type II) Padé approximants. We compare three classes of stabilizing potentials: Coulomb potentials, Gaussian potentials, and attenuated Coulomb potentials. These methods are applied to a model potential where the correct answer is known exactly and to the 2Π g shape resonance of N 2 - whichmore » has been studied extensively by other methods. Both the choice of stabilizing potential and method of analytic continuation prove to be important to the accuracy of the results. We then conclude that an attenuated Coulomb potential is the most effective of the three for bound state analytic continuation methods. With the proper potential, such methods show promise for algorithmic determination of the positions and widths of molecular shape resonances.« less

Stabilizing potentials in bound state analytic continuation methods for electronic resonances in polyatomic molecules

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

White, Alec F.; Head-Gordon, Martin; McCurdy, C. William

The computation of Siegert energies by analytic continuation of bound state energies has recently been applied to shape resonances in polyatomic molecules by several authors. Here, we critically evaluate a recently proposed analytic continuation method based on low order (type III) Padé approximants as well as an analytic continuation method based on high order (type II) Padé approximants. We compare three classes of stabilizing potentials: Coulomb potentials, Gaussian potentials, and attenuated Coulomb potentials. These methods are applied to a model potential where the correct answer is known exactly and to the 2Π g shape resonance of N 2 - whichmore » has been studied extensively by other methods. Both the choice of stabilizing potential and method of analytic continuation prove to be important to the accuracy of the results. We then conclude that an attenuated Coulomb potential is the most effective of the three for bound state analytic continuation methods. With the proper potential, such methods show promise for algorithmic determination of the positions and widths of molecular shape resonances.« less

A Search for EUV Emission from the O4f Star Zeta Puppis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waldron, Wayne L.; Vallerga, John

1996-01-01

We obtained a 140 ks EUVE observation of the O4f star, zeta Puppis. Because of its low ISM column density and highly ionized stellar wind, a unique EUV window is accessible for viewing between 128 to 140 A, suggesting that this star may he the only O star observable with the EUVE. Although no SW spectrometer wavelength bin had a signal to noise greater than 3, a bin at 136 A had a signal to noise of 2.4. This bin is where models predict the brightest line due to OV emission should occur. We present several EUV line emission models. These models were constrained by fitting the ROSAT PSPC X-ray data and our EUVE data. If the OV emission is real, the best fits to the data suggest that there are discrepancies in our current understanding of EUV/X-ray production mechanisms. In particular, the emission measure of the EUV source is found to be much greater than the total wind emission measure, suggesting that the EUV shock must produce a very large density enhancement. In addition, the location of the EUV and X-ray shocks are found to be separated by approx. 0.3 stellar radii, but the EUV emission region is found to be approx. 400 times larger than the X-ray emission region. We also discuss the implications of a null detection and present relevant upper limits.

Clinical Trials Methods for Evaluation of Potential Reduced Exposure Products

PubMed Central

Hatsukami, Dorothy K.; Hanson, Karen; Briggs, Anna; Parascandola, Mark; Genkinger, Jeanine M.; O'Connor, Richard; Shields, Peter

2009-01-01

Potential reduced exposure tobacco products (PREPs) may have promise in reducing tobacco-related morbidity or mortality or may promote greater harm to individuals or the population. Critical to determining the risks or benefits from these products are valid human clinical trial PREP assessment methods. Assessment involves determining the effects of these products on biomarkers of exposure and of effect, which serve as proxies for harm, and assessing the potential for consumer uptake and abuse of the product. This article raises the critical methodological issues associated with PREP assessment, reviews the methods that have been used to assess PREPs, and describes the strengths and limitations of these methods. Additionally, recommendations for clinical trials PREP assessment methods and future research directions in this area based on this review and on the deliberations from a National Cancer Institute sponsored Clinical Trials PREP Methods Workshop are provided. PMID:19959672

Local discretization method for overdamped Brownian motion on a potential with multiple deep wells.

PubMed

Nguyen, P T T; Challis, K J; Jack, M W

2016-11-01

We present a general method for transforming the continuous diffusion equation describing overdamped Brownian motion on a time-independent potential with multiple deep wells to a discrete master equation. The method is based on an expansion in localized basis states of local metastable potentials that match the full potential in the region of each potential well. Unlike previous basis methods for discretizing Brownian motion on a potential, this approach is valid for periodic potentials with varying multiple deep wells per period and can also be applied to nonperiodic systems. We apply the method to a range of potentials and find that potential wells that are deep compared to five times the thermal energy can be associated with a discrete localized state while shallower wells are better incorporated into the local metastable potentials of neighboring deep potential wells.

Local discretization method for overdamped Brownian motion on a potential with multiple deep wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, P. T. T.; Challis, K. J.; Jack, M. W.

2016-11-01

We present a general method for transforming the continuous diffusion equation describing overdamped Brownian motion on a time-independent potential with multiple deep wells to a discrete master equation. The method is based on an expansion in localized basis states of local metastable potentials that match the full potential in the region of each potential well. Unlike previous basis methods for discretizing Brownian motion on a potential, this approach is valid for periodic potentials with varying multiple deep wells per period and can also be applied to nonperiodic systems. We apply the method to a range of potentials and find that potential wells that are deep compared to five times the thermal energy can be associated with a discrete localized state while shallower wells are better incorporated into the local metastable potentials of neighboring deep potential wells.

Comparison of the dye method with the thermocouple psychrometer for measuring leaf water potentials.

PubMed

Knipling, E B; Kramer, P J

1967-10-01

The dye method for measuring water potential was examined and compared with the thermocouple psychrometer method in order to evaluate its usefulness for measuring leaf water potentials of forest trees and common laboratory plants. Psychrometer measurements are assumed to represent the true leaf water potentials. Because of the contamination of test solutions by cell sap and leaf surface residues, dye method values of most species varied about 1 to 5 bars from psychrometer values over the leaf water potential range of 0 to -30 bars. The dye method is useful for measuring changes and relative values in leaf potential. Because of species differences in the relationships of dye method values to true leaf water potentials, dye method values should be interpreted with caution when comparing different species or the same species growing in widely different environments. Despite its limitations the dye method has a usefulness to many workers because it is simple, requires no elaborate equipment, and can be used in both the laboratory and field.

A joint sparse representation-based method for double-trial evoked potentials estimation.

PubMed

Yu, Nannan; Liu, Haikuan; Wang, Xiaoyan; Lu, Hanbing

2013-12-01

In this paper, we present a novel approach to solving an evoked potentials estimating problem. Generally, the evoked potentials in two consecutive trials obtained by repeated identical stimuli of the nerves are extremely similar. In order to trace evoked potentials, we propose a joint sparse representation-based double-trial evoked potentials estimation method, taking full advantage of this similarity. The estimation process is performed in three stages: first, according to the similarity of evoked potentials and the randomness of a spontaneous electroencephalogram, the two consecutive observations of evoked potentials are considered as superpositions of the common component and the unique components; second, making use of their characteristics, the two sparse dictionaries are constructed; and finally, we apply the joint sparse representation method in order to extract the common component of double-trial observations, instead of the evoked potential in each trial. A series of experiments carried out on simulated and human test responses confirmed the superior performance of our method. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A combined vector potential-scalar potential method for FE computation of 3D magnetic fields in electrical devices with iron cores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, R.; Demerdash, N. A.

1991-01-01

A method of combined use of magnetic vector potential based finite-element (FE) formulations and magnetic scalar potential (MSP) based formulations for computation of three-dimensional magnetostatic fields is introduced. In this method, the curl-component of the magnetic field intensity is computed by a reduced magnetic vector potential. This field intensity forms the basic of a forcing function for a global magnetic scalar potential solution over the entire volume of the region. This method allows one to include iron portions sandwiched in between conductors within partitioned current-carrying subregions. The method is most suited for large-scale global-type 3-D magnetostatic field computations in electrical devices, and in particular rotating electric machinery.

Enhancement of Skin Penetration of Hydrophilic and Lipophilic Compounds by pH-sensitive Liposomes.

PubMed

Tokudome, Yoshihiro; Nakamura, Kaoru; Itaya, Yurina; Hashimoto, Fumie

2015-01-01

Enhance skin penetration of hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds using liposomes that are responsible to the pH of the skin surface. pH-sensitive liposomes were prepared by a thin layer and freeze-thaw method with dioleoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine and cholesteryl hemisuccinate. Liposomal fusion with stratum corneum lipid liposomes was measured using fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Particle diameter and zeta potential of the liposomes after fusion were measured by dynamic light scattering and electrophoresis. Under neutral pH conditions, the diameter of the pH-sensitive liposomes was 130 nm and their zeta potential was -70 mV. In weakly acidic conditions, the diameter was larger than 3,000 nm and the zeta potential was -50 mV. In contrast, the particle diameter and the zeta potential of the non-pH-sensitive liposomes remained constant under various pH conditions. A skin penetration study was performed on hairless mice skin using vertical diffusion cells, showing that the fusion ability of pH-sensitive liposomes was higher than that of non-pH-sensitive liposomes. In the skin penetration study was carried out using hydrophilic (calcein) and lipophilic (N-(7-nitrobenz- 2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4yl)-PE) (NBD-PE) model compounds which were applied to the skin with pH-sensitive liposomes as carrier. The fluorescent compounds contained within the pH-sensitive liposomes permeated the skin more effectively than those within non-pH-sensitive liposomes, and this ability was further enhanced with the lipophilic compound. These studies suggest that pH-sensitive liposomes have potential as an important tool for delivery of compounds into the skin.

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.

Using the Screened Coulomb Potential to Illustrate the Variational Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuniga, Jose; Bastida, Adolfo; Requena, Alberto

2012-01-01

The screened Coulomb potential, or Yukawa potential, is used to illustrate the application of the single and linear variational methods. The trial variational functions are expressed in terms of Slater-type functions, for which the integrals needed to carry out the variational calculations are easily evaluated in closed form. The variational…

Potential effect of cationic liposomes on interactions with oral bacterial cells and biofilms.

PubMed

Sugano, Marika; Morisaki, Hirobumi; Negishi, Yoichi; Endo-Takahashi, Yoko; Kuwata, Hirotaka; Miyazaki, Takashi; Yamamoto, Matsuo

2016-01-01

Although oral infectious diseases have been attributed to bacteria, drug treatments remain ineffective because bacteria and their products exist as biofilms. Cationic liposomes have been suggested to electrostatically interact with the negative charge on the bacterial surface, thereby improving the effects of conventional drug therapies. However, the electrostatic interaction between oral bacteria and cationic liposomes has not yet been examined in detail. The aim of the present study was to examine the behavior of cationic liposomes and Streptococcus mutans in planktonic cells and biofilms. Liposomes with or without cationic lipid were prepared using a reverse-phase evaporation method. The zeta potentials of conventional liposomes (without cationic lipid) and cationic liposomes were -13 and 8 mV, respectively, and both had a mean particle size of approximately 180 nm. We first assessed the interaction between liposomes and planktonic bacterial cells with a flow cytometer. We then used a surface plasmon resonance method to examine the binding of liposomes to biofilms. We confirmed the binding behavior of liposomes with biofilms using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The interactions between cationic liposomes and S. mutans cells and biofilms were stronger than those of conventional liposomes. Microscopic observations revealed that many cationic liposomes interacted with the bacterial mass and penetrated the deep layers of biofilms. In this study, we demonstrated that cationic liposomes had higher affinity not only to oral bacterial cells, but also biofilms than conventional liposomes. This electrostatic interaction may be useful as a potential drug delivery system to biofilms.

Etude des trois molecules H 2P-NH 2, ClHP-NH 2, H 2P-NHCl au moyen d'une methode de pseudopotentiels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthelat, M.; Mathis, R.; Mathis, F.

The three molecules H 2P-NH 2, ClHP-NH 2 and H 2P-NHCl have been studied by a pseudo-potential method, with a minimal basis of quality mono-zeta, with 3 d functions on the phosphorus atom. The geometry of each molecule was optimized and the phosphorus-nitrogen rotation barrier calculated. The results of the calculations confirm that the polarity of the phosphorus-nitrogen bond is P +-N -. Three weak interactions appear: a partial coordinative bond between the nitrogen doublet and a 3 d orbital of the phosphorus atom, hyperconjugation between the nitrogen doublet and the P-H bonds, and participation of the 3 d orbital of phosphorus in the P-N bond.

Preparation of solid lipid nanoparticles as drug carriers for levothyroxine sodium with in vitro drug delivery kinetic characterization.

PubMed

Rostami, E; Kashanian, S; Azandaryani, A H

2014-05-01

The aim of this work was to produce and characterize solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) containing levothyroxine sodium for oral administration, and to evaluate the kinetic release of these colloidal carriers. SLNs were prepared by microemulsion method. The particle size and zeta potential of levothyroxine sodium-loaded SLNs were determined to be around 153 nm,-43 mV (negatively charged), respectively by photon correlation spectroscopy. The levothyroxine entrapment efficiency was over 98%. Shape and surface morphology were determined by TEM and SEM. They revealed fairly spherical shape of nanoparticles.SLN formulation was stable over a period of 6 months. There were no significant changes in particle size, zeta potential and polydispersity index and entrapment efficiency, indicating that the developed SLNs were fairly stable.

The analytical transfer matrix method for PT-symmetric complex potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naceri, Leila; Hammou, Amine B.

2017-07-01

We have extended the analytical transfer matrix (ATM) method to solve quantum mechanical bound state problems with complex PT-symmetric potentials. Our work focuses on a class of models studied by Bender and Jones, we calculate the energy eigenvalues, discuss the critical values of g and compare the results with those obtained from other methods such as exact numerical computation and WKB approximation method.

Thermophysical properties of krypton-helium gas mixtures from ab initio pair potentials

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

A new potential energy curve for the krypton-helium atom pair was developed using supermolecular ab initio computations for 34 interatomic distances. Values for the interaction energies at the complete basis set limit were obtained from calculations with the coupled-cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations and correlation consistent basis sets up to sextuple-zeta quality augmented with mid-bond functions. Higher-order coupled-cluster excitations up to the full quadruple level were accounted for in a scheme of successive correction terms. Core-core and core-valence correlation effects were included. Relativistic corrections were considered not only at the scalar relativistic level but also using full four-component Dirac–Coulomb and Dirac–Coulomb–Gaunt calculations. The fitted analytical pair potential function is characterized by a well depth of 31.42 K with an estimated standard uncertainty of 0.08 K. Statistical thermodynamics was applied to compute the krypton-helium cross second virial coefficients. The results show a very good agreement with the best experimental data. Kinetic theory calculations based on classical and quantum-mechanical approaches for the underlying collision dynamics were utilized to compute the transport properties of krypton-helium mixtures in the dilute-gas limit for a large temperature range. The results were analyzed with respect to the orders of approximation of kinetic theory and compared with experimental data. Especially the data for the binary diffusion coefficient confirm the predictive quality of the new potential. Furthermore, inconsistencies between two empirical pair potential functions for the krypton-helium system from the literature could be resolved. PMID:28595411

Thermophysical properties of krypton-helium gas mixtures from ab initio pair potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jäger, Benjamin; Bich, Eckard

2017-06-01

A new potential energy curve for the krypton-helium atom pair was developed using supermolecular ab initio computations for 34 interatomic distances. Values for the interaction energies at the complete basis set limit were obtained from calculations with the coupled-cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations and correlation consistent basis sets up to sextuple-zeta quality augmented with mid-bond functions. Higher-order coupled-cluster excitations up to the full quadruple level were accounted for in a scheme of successive correction terms. Core-core and core-valence correlation effects were included. Relativistic corrections were considered not only at the scalar relativistic level but also using full four-component Dirac-Coulomb and Dirac-Coulomb-Gaunt calculations. The fitted analytical pair potential function is characterized by a well depth of 31.42 K with an estimated standard uncertainty of 0.08 K. Statistical thermodynamics was applied to compute the krypton-helium cross second virial coefficients. The results show a very good agreement with the best experimental data. Kinetic theory calculations based on classical and quantum-mechanical approaches for the underlying collision dynamics were utilized to compute the transport properties of krypton-helium mixtures in the dilute-gas limit for a large temperature range. The results were analyzed with respect to the orders of approximation of kinetic theory and compared with experimental data. Especially the data for the binary diffusion coefficient confirm the predictive quality of the new potential. Furthermore, inconsistencies between two empirical pair potential functions for the krypton-helium system from the literature could be resolved.

A facile method for preparation superhydrophobic paper with enhanced physical strength and moisture-proofing property.

PubMed

Li, Hui; Yang, Jin; Li, Pan; Lan, Tianqing; Peng, Lincai

2017-03-15

We proposed a green and facile method to fabricate superhydrophobic paper in this study, which is layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of TiO 2 nanoparticles/sodium alginate (ALG) multilayers on paper surface followed by an adsorption treatment of colloidal carnauba wax. The formation of TiO 2 /ALG multilayers on paper surface was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), zeta potential measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The wetting property of modified paper was investigated by water contact angle (WCA) measurement. Moreover, the modified paper tensile strength has been evaluated. The results showed that WCA of paper modified with a wax-treated (TiO 2 /ALG) 3.5 multilayer reached up to 151.5°, and this obtained superhydrophobic paper exhibited improved tensile strength (increased by 4.1% compared to the pristine paper), excellent moisture-proofing property and high strength stability under high relative humidity condition, which might has a great potential for use in the liquid paper packaging and moisture-proof paper packaging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel, eco-friendly technique for covalent functionalization of graphene nanoplatelets and the potential of their nanofluids for heat transfer applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadri, Rad; Hosseini, Maryam; Kazi, S. N.; Bagheri, Samira; Zubir, Nashrul; Ahmadi, Goodarz; Dahari, Mahidzal; Zaharinie, Tuan

2017-05-01

In this study, a facile and eco-friendly covalent functionalization technique is developed to synthesize highly stable graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in aqueous media. This technique involves free radical grafting of gallic acid onto the surface of GNPs rather than corrosive inorganic acids. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy are used to confirm the covalent functionalization of GNPs with gallic acid (GAGNPs). The solubility of the GAGNPs in aqueous media is verified using zeta potential and UV-vis spectra measurements. The nanofluid shows significant improvement in thermo-physical properties, indicating its superb potential for various thermal applications.

Finite difference methods for the solution of unsteady potential flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caradonna, F. X.

1982-01-01

Various problems which are confronted in the development of an unsteady finite difference potential code are reviewed mainly in the context of what is done for a typical small disturbance and full potential method. The issues discussed include choice of equations, linearization and conservation, differencing schemes, and algorithm development. A number of applications, including unsteady three dimensional rotor calculations, are demonstrated.

Potential application of SERS for arsenic speciation in biological matrices.

PubMed

Yang, Mingwei; Matulis, Shannon; Boise, Lawrence H; McGoron, Anthony J; Cai, Yong

2017-08-01

Speciation of arsenic is usually carried out using chromatography-based methods coupled with spectroscopic determination; however, the inevitable procedures involving sample preparation and separation could potentially alter the integrity of the arsenic metabolites present in biological samples. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) could be a promising alternative for providing a reliable arsenic analysis under the influence of a cellular matrix. A method for arsenic speciation using SERS in cellular matrix was developed in this study and four arsenicals were selected, including arsenite (As III ), arsenate (As V ), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA V ) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA V ). Silver nanoparticles in the form of colliodal suspension with different surface charges, i.e., coated with citrate (AgNPs-Citrate) and spermine (AgNPs-Spermine) were employed as SERS substrates. Adsorption of arsenicals on nanoparticles in colloidal suspensions and the cellular matrix and the pH, size, and zeta potential of the colloidal suspensions were investigated for a better understanding of the SERS signal response of arsenicals in the colloidal suspensions or under the influence of cellular matrix. Arsenicals showed substantially different SERS responses in the two colloidal suspensions, mainly because of the distinct difference in the interaction between the arsenicals and the nanoparticles. Arsenic speciation in cell lysate could be successfully carried out in AgNPs-Spermine suspension, while AgNPs-Citrate could not yield significant SERS signals under the experimental conditions. This study proved that AgNPs-Spermine colloidal suspension could be a promising SERS substrate for studying arsenic metabolism in a biological matrix, reducing the bias caused by traditional techniques that involve sample extraction and pretreatment.

Influence of basis-set size on the X Σ 1 /2 +2 , A Π 1 /2 2 , A Π 3 /2 2 , and B Σ 1 /2 +2 potential-energy curves, A Π 3 /2 2 vibrational energies, and D1 and D2 line shapes of Rb+He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blank, L. Aaron; Sharma, Amit R.; Weeks, David E.

2018-03-01

The X Σ 1 /2 +2 , A Π 1 /2 2 , A Π 3 /2 2 , and B2Σ1/2 + potential-energy curves for Rb+He are computed at the spin-orbit multireference configuration interaction level of theory using a hierarchy of Gaussian basis sets at the double-zeta (DZ), triple-zeta (TZ), and quadruple-zeta (QZ) levels of valence quality. Counterpoise and Davidson-Silver corrections are employed to remove basis-set superposition error and ameliorate size-consistency error. An extrapolation is performed to obtain a final set of potential-energy curves in the complete basis-set (CBS) limit. This yields four sets of systematically improved X Σ 1 /2 +2 , A Π 1 /2 2 , A Π 3 /2 2 , and B2Σ1/2 + potential-energy curves that are used to compute the A Π 3 /2 2 bound vibrational energies, the position of the D2 blue satellite peak, and the D1 and D2 pressure broadening and shifting coefficients, at the DZ, TZ, QZ, and CBS levels. Results are compared with previous calculations and experimental observation.

A full-dimensional ab initio potential energy surface and rovibrational energies of the Ar–HF complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jing; Zhou, Yanzi; Xie, Daiqian

2018-04-01

We report a new full-dimensional ab initio potential energy surface for the Ar-HF van der Waals complex at the level of coupled-cluster singles and doubles with noniterative inclusion of connected triples levels [CCSD(T)] using augmented correlation-consistent quintuple-zeta basis set (aV5Z) plus bond functions. Full counterpoise correction was employed to correct the basis-set superposition error. The hypersurface was fitted using artificial neural network method with a root mean square error of 0.1085 cm-1 for more than 8000 ab initio points. The complex was found to prefer a linear Ar-H-F equilibrium structure. The three-dimensional discrete variable representation method and the Lanczos propagation algorithm were then employed to calculate the rovibrational states without separating inter- and intra- molecular nuclear motions. The calculated vibrational energies of Ar-HF differ from the experiment values within about 1 cm-1 on the first four HF vibrational states, and the predicted pure rotational energies on (0000) and (1000) vibrational states are deviated from the observed value by about 1%, which shows the accuracy of our new PES.

Multilaboratory study of the shifts in the IEP of anatase at high ionic strengths.

PubMed

Kosmulski, Marek; Dukhin, Andrei S; Priester, Torsten; Rosenholm, Jarl B

2003-07-01

The zeta-potentials of anatase at pH 2-11 in 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1 moldm(-3) NaI were studied using the DT 1200 in three laboratories. At [NaI]=1 moldm(-3) the zeta-potentials were positive over the entire pH range. The previously observed tendency of the isoelectric point of anatase to shift to high pH at high ionic strength (M. Kosmulski, J.B. Rosenholm, J. Phys. Chem. 100 (1996) 11681) and the salt specificity of this effect were confirmed. The zeta-potentials obtained in different laboratories using DT 1200 are consistent within 3 mV.

In situ preparation of high relaxivity iron oxide nanoparticles by coating with chitosan: A potential MRI contrast agent useful for cell tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Zei-Tsan; Wang, Jen-Fei; Kuo, Hsiao-Yun; Shen, Chia-Rui; Wang, Jiun-Jie; Yen, Tzu-Chen

2010-01-01

Iron oxide nanocrystals are of considerable interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology because of their nanoscale dimensions, nontoxic nature, and superior magnetic properties. Colloidal solutions of magnetic nanoparticles (ferrofluids) with a high magnetite content are highly desirable for most molecular imaging applications. In this paper, we present a method for in situ coating of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) with chitosan in order to increase the content of magnetite. Iron chloride salts (Fe 3+ and Fe 2+) were directly coprecipitated inside a porous matrix of chitosan by Co-60 γ-ray irradiation in an aqueous solution of acetic acid. Following sonication, iron oxide nanoparticles were formed inside the chitosan matrix at a pH value of 9.5 and a temperature of 50 °C. The [Fe 3+]:[Fe 2+]:[NH 4OH] molar ratio was 1.6:1:15.8. The final ferrofluid was formed with a pH adjustment to approximately 2.0/3.0, alongside with the addition of mannitol and lactic acid. We subsequently characterized the particle size, the zeta potential, the iron concentration, the magnetic contrast, and the cellular uptake of our ferrofluid. Results showed a z-average diameter of 87.2 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.251, a zeta potential of 47.9 mV, and an iron concentration of 10.4 mg Fe/mL. The MRI parameters included an R1 value of 22.0 mM -1 s -1, an R2 value of 202.6 mM -1 s -1, and a R2/R1 ratio of 9.2. An uptake of the ferrofluid by mouse macrophages was observed. Altogether, our data show that Co-60 γ-ray radiation on solid chitosan may improve chitosan coating of iron oxide nanoparticles and tackle its aqueous solubility at pH 7. Additionally, our methodology allowed to obtain a ferrofluid with a higher content of magnetite and a fairly unimodal distribution of monodisperse clusters. Finally, MRI and cell experiments demonstrated the potential usefulness of this product as a potential MRI contrast agent that might be used for cell tracking.

Simulation of electric double-layer capacitors: evaluation of constant potential method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhenxing; Laird, Brian; Yang, Yang; Olmsted, David; Asta, Mark

2014-03-01

Atomistic simulations can play an important role in understanding electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) at a molecular level. In such simulations, typically the electrode surface is modeled using fixed surface charges, which ignores the charge fluctuation induced by local fluctuations in the electrolyte solution. In this work we evaluate an explicit treatment of charges, namely constant potential method (CPM)[1], in which the electrode charges are dynamically updated to maintain constant electrode potential. We employ a model system with a graphite electrode and a LiClO4/acetonitrile electrolyte, examined as a function of electrode potential differences. Using various molecular and macroscopic properties as metrics, we compare CPM simulations on this system to results using fixed surface charges. Specifically, results for predicted capacity, electric potential gradient and solvent density profile are identical between the two methods; However, ion density profiles and solvation structure yield significantly different results.

Biocompatible Polyelectrolyte Complex Nanoparticles from Lactoferrin and Pectin as Potential Vehicles for Antioxidative Curcumin.

PubMed

Yan, Jing-Kun; Qiu, Wen-Yi; Wang, Yao-Yao; Wu, Jian-Yong

2017-07-19

Polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles (PEC NPs) were fabricated via electrostatic interactions between positively charged heat-denatured lactoferrin (LF) particles and negatively charged pectin. The obtained PEC NPs were then utilized as curcumin carriers. PEC NPs were prepared by mixing 1.0 mg/mL solutions of heat-denatured LF and pectin at a mass ratio of 1:1 (w/w) in the absence of NaCl at pH 4.50. PEC NPs that were prepared under optimized conditions were spherical in shape with a particle size of ∼208 nm and zeta potential of ∼-32 mV. Hydrophobic curcumin was successfully encapsulated into LF/pectin PEC NPs with high encapsulation efficiency (∼85.3%) and loading content (∼13.4%). The in vitro controlled release and prominent antioxidant activities of curcumin from LF/pectin PEC NPs were observed. The present work provides a facile and fast method to synthesize nanoscale food-grade delivery systems for the improved water solubility, controlled release, and antioxidant activity of hydrophobic curcumin.

A DC electrophoresis method for determining electrophoretic mobility through the pressure driven negation of electro osmosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karam, Pascal; Pennathur, Sumita

2016-11-01

Characterization of the electrophoretic mobility and zeta potential of micro and nanoparticles is important for assessing properties such as stability, charge and size. In electrophoretic techniques for such characterization, the bulk fluid motion due to the interaction between the fluid and the charged surface must be accounted for. Unlike current industrial systems which rely on DLS and oscillating potentials to mitigate electroosmotic flow (EOF), we propose a simple alternative electrophoretic method for optically determining electrophoretic mobility using a DC electric fields. Specifically, we create a system where an adverse pressure gradient counters EOF, and design the geometry of the channel so that the flow profile of the pressure driven flow matches that of the EOF in large regions of the channel (ie. where we observe particle flow). Our specific COMSOL-optimized geometry is two large cross sectional areas adjacent to a central, high aspect ratio channel. We show that this effectively removes EOF from a large region of the channel and allows for the accurate optical characterization of electrophoretic particle mobility, no matter the wall charge or particle size.

Comparison of the Dye Method with the Thermocouple Psychrometer for Measuring Leaf Water Potentials 1

PubMed Central

Knipling, Edward B.; Kramer, Paul J.

1967-01-01

The dye method for measuring water potential was examined and compared with the thermocouple psychrometer method in order to evaluate its usefulness for measuring leaf water potentials of forest trees and common laboratory plants. Psychrometer measurements are assumed to represent the true leaf water potentials. Because of the contamination of test solutions by cell sap and leaf surface residues, dye method values of most species varied about 1 to 5 bars from psychrometer values over the leaf water potential range of 0 to −30 bars. The dye method is useful for measuring changes and relative values in leaf potential. Because of species differences in the relationships of dye method values to true leaf water potentials, dye method values should be interpreted with caution when comparing different species or the same species growing in widely different environments. Despite its limitations the dye method has a usefulness to many workers because it is simple, requires no elaborate equipment, and can be used in both the laboratory and field. PMID:16656657

Inverse scattering theory: Inverse scattering series method for one dimensional non-compact support potential

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

Yao, Jie, E-mail: yjie2@uh.edu; Lesage, Anne-Cécile; Hussain, Fazle

2014-12-15

The reversion of the Born-Neumann series of the Lippmann-Schwinger equation is one of the standard ways to solve the inverse acoustic scattering problem. One limitation of the current inversion methods based on the reversion of the Born-Neumann series is that the velocity potential should have compact support. However, this assumption cannot be satisfied in certain cases, especially in seismic inversion. Based on the idea of distorted wave scattering, we explore an inverse scattering method for velocity potentials without compact support. The strategy is to decompose the actual medium as a known single interface reference medium, which has the same asymptoticmore » form as the actual medium and a perturbative scattering potential with compact support. After introducing the method to calculate the Green’s function for the known reference potential, the inverse scattering series and Volterra inverse scattering series are derived for the perturbative potential. Analytical and numerical examples demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this method. Besides, to ensure stability of the numerical computation, the Lanczos averaging method is employed as a filter to reduce the Gibbs oscillations for the truncated discrete inverse Fourier transform of each order. Our method provides a rigorous mathematical framework for inverse acoustic scattering with a non-compact support velocity potential.« less

Singularity embedding method in potential flow calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jou, W. H.; Huynh, H.

1982-01-01

The so-called H-type mesh is used in a finite-element (or finite-volume) calculation of the potential flow past an airfoil. Due to coordinate singularity at the leading edge, a special singular trial function is used for the elements neighboring the leading edge. The results using the special singular elements are compared to those using the regular elements. It is found that the unreasonable pressure distribution obtained by the latter is removed by the embedding of the singular element. Suggestions to extend the present method to transonic cases are given.

Finite difference methods for the solution of unsteady potential flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caradonna, F. X.

1985-01-01

A brief review is presented of various problems which are confronted in the development of an unsteady finite difference potential code. This review is conducted mainly in the context of what is done for a typical small disturbance and full potential methods. The issues discussed include choice of equation, linearization and conservation, differencing schemes, and algorithm development. A number of applications including unsteady three-dimensional rotor calculation, are demonstrated.

Quantitative method of measuring cancer cell urokinase and metastatic potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Dennis R. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

The metastatic potential of tumors can be evaluated by the quantitative detection of urokinase and DNA. The cell sample selected for examination is analyzed for the presence of high levels of urokinase and abnormal DNA using analytical flow cytometry and digital image analysis. Other factors such as membrane associated urokinase, increased DNA synthesis rates and certain receptors can be used in the method for detection of potentially invasive tumors.

Green synthesis and spectral characterization of silver nanoparticles from Lakshmi tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subba Rao, Y.; Kotakadi, Venkata S.; Prasad, T. N. V. K. V.; Reddy, A. V.; Sai Gopal, D. V. R.

2013-02-01

A simple method for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous extract of Lakshmi tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf as a reducing and stabilizing agent. AgNPs were rapidly synthesized using aqueous extract of tulasi leaf with AgNO3 solution within 15 min. The green synthesized AgNPs were characterized using physic-chemical techniques viz., UV-Vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Characterization data reveals that the particles were crystalline in nature and triangle shaped with an average size of 42 nm. The zeta potential of AgNPs were found to be -55.0 mV. This large negative zeta potential value indicates repulsion among AgNPs and their dispersion stability.

Optimal synthesis and characterization of Ag nanofluids by electrical explosion of wires in liquids

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Silver nanoparticles were produced by electrical explosion of wires in liquids with no additive. In this study, we optimized the fabrication method and examined the effects of manufacturing process parameters. Morphology and size of the Ag nanoparticles were determined using transmission electron microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Size and zeta potential were analyzed using dynamic light scattering. A response optimization technique showed that optimal conditions were achieved when capacitance was 30 μF, wire length was 38 mm, liquid volume was 500 mL, and the liquid type was deionized water. The average Ag nanoparticle size in water was 118.9 nm and the zeta potential was -42.5 mV. The critical heat flux of the 0.001-vol.% Ag nanofluid was higher than pure water. PMID:21711757

[Orthogonal experiments for optimizing the formulation and preparation conditions of temozolomide solid lipid nanoparticles].

PubMed

Dou, Mingjin; Huang, Guihua; Xi, Yanwei; Zhang, Na

2008-10-01

TMZ-SLN were prepared by emulsification-low temperature solidification method with stearic acid. The formulation and the preparation conditions were optimized by orthogonal experiments using entrapment efficiency as the evaluation index. The morphology was detected by transmission electron microscope. The Zeta potentials and the particle size distribution were evaluated by Laser Doppler Anemometry. The entrapment efficiencies and the drug release characteristics in vitro were assessed. The result showed that TMZ-SLN were concinnous and spherical in shape. The mean diameter (d(av) ) was 65.0 +/- 6.2 nm and the Zeta potential was -37.2 mV. The average entrapment efficiency was 58.9% +/- 1.21 %. The drug release behavior in vitro conformed to Higuchi Equation. The formation of a new material phase was testified by analysis of differential scanning calorimetry.

Comparison of potential method in analytic hierarchy process for multi-attribute of catering service companies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamat, Siti Salwana; Ahmad, Tahir; Awang, Siti Rahmah

2017-08-01

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a method used in structuring, measuring and synthesizing criteria, in particular ranking of multiple criteria in decision making problems. On the other hand, Potential Method is a ranking procedure in which utilizes preference graph ς (V, A). Two nodes are adjacent if they are compared in a pairwise comparison whereby the assigned arc is oriented towards the more preferred node. In this paper Potential Method is used to solve problem on a catering service selection. The comparison of result by using Potential method is made with Extent Analysis. The Potential Method is found to produce the same rank as Extent Analysis in AHP.

The dimension split element-free Galerkin method for three-dimensional potential problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Z. J.; Cheng, H.; Ma, L. D.; Cheng, Y. M.

2018-06-01

This paper presents the dimension split element-free Galerkin (DSEFG) method for three-dimensional potential problems, and the corresponding formulae are obtained. The main idea of the DSEFG method is that a three-dimensional potential problem can be transformed into a series of two-dimensional problems. For these two-dimensional problems, the improved moving least-squares (IMLS) approximation is applied to construct the shape function, which uses an orthogonal function system with a weight function as the basis functions. The Galerkin weak form is applied to obtain a discretized system equation, and the penalty method is employed to impose the essential boundary condition. The finite difference method is selected in the splitting direction. For the purposes of demonstration, some selected numerical examples are solved using the DSEFG method. The convergence study and error analysis of the DSEFG method are presented. The numerical examples show that the DSEFG method has greater computational precision and computational efficiency than the IEFG method.

Effects of age condition on the distribution and integrity of inorganic fillers in dental resin composites.

PubMed

D'Alpino, Paulo Henrique Perlatti; Svizero, Nádia da Rocha; Bim Júnior, Odair; Valduga, Claudete Justina; Graeff, Carlos Frederico de Oliveira; Sauro, Salvatore

2016-06-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the distribution of the filler size along with the zeta potential, and the integrity of silane-bonded filler surface in different types of restorative dental composites as a function of the material age condition. Filtek P60 (hybrid composite), Filtek Z250 (small-particle filled composite), Filtek Z350XT (nanofilled composite), and Filtek Silorane (silorane composite) (3M ESPE) were tested at different stage condition (i.e., fresh/new, aged, and expired). Composites were submitted to an accelerated aging protocol (Arrhenius model). Specimens were obtained by first diluting each composite specimen in ethanol and then dispersed in potassium chloride solution (0.001 mol%). Composite fillers were characterized for their zeta potential, mean particle size, size distribution, via poly-dispersion dynamic light scattering. The integrity of the silane-bonded surface of the fillers was characterized by FTIR. The material age influenced significantly the outcomes; Zeta potential, filler characteristics, and silane integrity varied both after aging and expiration. Silorane presented the broadest filler distribution and lowest zeta potential. Nanofilled and silorane composites exhibited decreased peak intensities in the FTIR analysis, indicating a deficiency of the silane integrity after aging or expiry time. Regardless to the material condition, the hybrid and the small-particle-filled composites were more stable overtime as no significant alteration in filler size distribution, diameter, and zeta potential occurred. A deficiency in the silane integrity in the nanofilled and silorane composites seems to be affected by the material stage condition. The materials conditions tested in this study influenced the filler size distribution, the zeta potential, and integrity of the silane adsorbed on fillers in the nanofilled and silorane composites. Thus, this may result in a decrease of the clinical performance of aforementioned composites, in

Characterization of core/shell Cu/Ag nanopowders synthesized by electrochemistry and assessment of their impact on hemolysis, platelet aggregation, and coagulation on human blood for potential wound dressing use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laloy, Julie; Haguet, Hélène; Alpan, Lutfiye; Mancier, Valérie; Mejia, Jorge; Levi, Samuel; Dogné, Jean-Michel; Lucas, Stéphane; Rousse, Céline; Fricoteaux, Patrick

2017-08-01

Copper/silver core/shell nanopowders with different metal ratio have been elaborated by electrochemistry (ultrasound-assisted electrolysis followed by a displacement reaction). Characterization was performed by several methods (X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, centrifugal liquid sedimentation, and zeta potential measurements). The mean diameter of all nanoparticles is around 10 nm. The impact of each nanopowder on hemolysis, platelet aggregation, and coagulation has been studied on whole human blood. Hemolysis assays were performed with spectrophotometric measurement and platelet aggregation, with light transmission aggregometry and was compared to Cu/Pt core/shell nanoparticles with similar size as negative control. Calibrated thrombin generation test has been used for a coagulation study. They neither impact platelet aggregation nor hemolysis and have a procoagulant effect whatever their composition (i.e., metal ratio). These results highlight that such nanopowders have a potential use in medical applications (e.g., wound dressing).

Methods for finding transition states on reduced potential energy surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burger, Steven K.; Ayers, Paul W.

2010-06-01

Three new algorithms are presented for determining transition state (TS) structures on the reduced potential energy surface, that is, for problems in which a few important degrees of freedom can be isolated. All three methods use constrained optimization to rapidly find the TS without an initial Hessian evaluation. The algorithms highlight how efficiently the TS can be located on a reduced surface, where the rest of the degrees of freedom are minimized. The first method uses a nonpositive definite quasi-Newton update for the reduced degrees of freedom. The second uses Shepard interpolation to fit the Hessian and starts from a set of points that bound the TS. The third directly uses a finite difference scheme to calculate the reduced degrees of freedom of the Hessian of the entire system, and searches for the TS on the full potential energy surface. All three methods are tested on an epoxide hydrolase cluster, and the ring formations of cyclohexane and cyclobutenone. The results indicate that all the methods are able to converge quite rapidly to the correct TS, but that the finite difference approach is the most efficient.

Methods for finding transition states on reduced potential energy surfaces.

PubMed

Burger, Steven K; Ayers, Paul W

2010-06-21

Three new algorithms are presented for determining transition state (TS) structures on the reduced potential energy surface, that is, for problems in which a few important degrees of freedom can be isolated. All three methods use constrained optimization to rapidly find the TS without an initial Hessian evaluation. The algorithms highlight how efficiently the TS can be located on a reduced surface, where the rest of the degrees of freedom are minimized. The first method uses a nonpositive definite quasi-Newton update for the reduced degrees of freedom. The second uses Shepard interpolation to fit the Hessian and starts from a set of points that bound the TS. The third directly uses a finite difference scheme to calculate the reduced degrees of freedom of the Hessian of the entire system, and searches for the TS on the full potential energy surface. All three methods are tested on an epoxide hydrolase cluster, and the ring formations of cyclohexane and cyclobutenone. The results indicate that all the methods are able to converge quite rapidly to the correct TS, but that the finite difference approach is the most efficient.

Effect of sonication on the colloidal stability of iron oxide nanoparticles

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

Sodipo, Bashiru Kayode; Aziz, Azlan Abdul

2015-04-24

Colloidal stability of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles’ (SPION) suspensions, ultrasonically irradiated at various pH was studied. Electrophoresis measurement of the sonicated SPION showed that the shock waves and other unique conditions generated from the acoustic cavitation process (formation, growth and collapse of bubbles) affect the zeta potential value of the suspension. In this work, stabled colloidal suspensions of SPION were prepared and their pH is varied between 3 and 5. Prior to ultrasonic irradiation of the suspensions, their initial zeta potential values were determined. After ultrasonic irradiation of the suspensions, we observed that the sonication process interacts with colloidal stabilitymore » of the nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that only suspensions with pH less 4 were found stable and able to retain more than 90% of its initial zeta potential value. However, at pH greater than 4, the suspensions were found unstable. The result implies that good zeta potential value of SPION can be sustained in sonochemical process as long as the pH of the mixture is kept below 4.« less

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.

Comparison of ZetaPlus 60S and nitrocellulose membrane filters for the simultaneous concentration of F-RNA coliphages, porcine teschovirus and porcine adenovirus from river water.

PubMed

Jones, T H; Muehlhauser, V; Thériault, G

2014-09-01

Increasing attention is being paid to the impact of agricultural activities on water quality to understand the impact on public health. F-RNA coliphages have been proposed as viral indicators of fecal contamination while porcine teschovirus (PTV) and porcine adenovirus (PAdV) are proposed indicators of fecal contamination of swine origin. Viruses and coliphages are present in water in very low concentrations and must be concentrated to permit their detection. There is little information comparing the effectiveness of the methods for concentrating F-RNA coliphages with concentration methods for other viruses and vice versa. The objective of this study was to compare 5 current published methods for recovering F-RNA coliphages, PTV and PAdV from river water samples concentrated by electronegative nitrocellulose membrane filters (methods A and B) or electropositive Zeta Plus 60S filters (methods C-E). Method A is used routinely for the detection of coliphages (Méndez et al., 2004) and method C (Brassard et al., 2005) is the official method in Health Canada's compendium for the detection of viruses in bottled mineral or spring water. When river water was inoculated with stocks of F-RNA MS2, PAdV, and PTV to final concentrations of 1×10(6) PFU/100 mL, 1×10(5) gc/100 mL and 3×10(5) gc/100 mL, respectively, a significantly higher recovery for each virus was consistently obtained for method A with recoveries of 52% for MS2, 95% for PAdV, and 1.5% for PTV. When method A was compared with method C for the detection of F-coliphages, PAdV and PTV in river water samples, viruses were detected with higher frequencies and at higher mean numbers with method A than with method C. With method A, F-coliphages were detected in 11/12 samples (5-154 PFU/100 mL), PTV in 12/12 samples (397-10,951 gc/100 mL), PAdV in 1/12 samples (15 gc/100 mL), and F-RNA GIII in 1/12 samples (750 gc/100 mL) while F-RNA genotypes I, II, and IV were not detected by qRT-PCR. Crown Copyright © 2014

Cashew gum and gelatin blend for food packaging application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cashew gum (CG) and gelatin (G) films were developed using the casting method and response surface methodology. The objective was produce packaging films from CG/G blends that exhibit effective barrier properties. A study of zeta potential versus pH was first carried out to determine the isoelectric...

Formation and stability of manganese-doped ZnS quantum dot monolayers determined by QCM-D and streaming potential measurements.

PubMed

Oćwieja, Magdalena; Matras-Postołek, Katarzyna; Maciejewska-Prończuk, Julia; Morga, Maria; Adamczyk, Zbigniew; Sovinska, Svitlana; Żaba, Adam; Gajewska, Marta; Król, Tomasz; Cupiał, Klaudia; Bredol, Michael

2017-10-01

Manganese-doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) stabilized by cysteamine hydrochloride were successfully synthesized. Their thorough physicochemical characteristics were acquired using UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The average particle size, derived from HR-TEM, was 3.1nm, which agrees with the hydrodynamic diameter acquired by DLS, that was equal to 3-4nm, depending on ionic strength. The quantum dots also exhibited a large positive zeta potential varying between 75 and 36mV for ionic strength of 10 -4 and 10 -2 M, respectively (at pH 6.2) and an intense luminescent emission at 590nm. The quantum yield was equal to 31% and the optical band gap energy was equal to 4.26eV. The kinetics of QD monolayer formation on silica substrates (silica sensors and oxidized silicon wafers) under convection-controlled transport was quantitatively evaluated by the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and the streaming potential measurements. A high stability of the monolayer for ionic strength 10 -4 and 10 -2 M was confirmed in these measurements. The experimental data were adequately reflected by the extended random sequential adsorption model (eRSA). Additionally, thorough electrokinetic characteristics of the QD monolayers and their stability for various ionic strengths and pH were acquired by streaming potential measurements carried out under in situ conditions. These results were quantitatively interpreted in terms of the three-dimensional (3D) electrokinetic model that furnished bulk zeta potential of particles for high ionic strengths that is impractical by other experimental techniques. It is concluded that these results can be used for designing of biosensors of controlled monolayer structure capable to bind various ligands via covalent as well as electrostatic interactions

New methods in the Newtonian potential theory. I - The representation of the potential energy of homogeneous gravitating bodies by converging bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondrat'ev, B. P.

1993-06-01

A method is developed for the representation of the potential energy of homogeneous gravitating, as well as electrically charged, bodies in the form of special series. These series contain members consisting of products of the corresponding coefficients appearing in the expansion of external and internal Newtonian potentials in Legendre polynomial series. Several versions of the representation of potential energy through these series are possible. A formula which expresses potential energy not as a volume integral, as is the convention, but as an integral over the body surface is derived. The method is tested for the particular cases of sphere and ellipsoid, and the convergence of the found series is shown.

The Rapid-Heat LAMPellet Method: A Potential Diagnostic Method for Human Urogenital Schistosomiasis

PubMed Central

Carranza-Rodríguez, Cristina; Pérez-Arellano, José Luis; Vicente, Belén; López-Abán, Julio; Muro, Antonio

2015-01-01

Background Urogenital schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma haematobium is a serious underestimated public health problem affecting 112 million people - particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Microscopic examination of urine samples to detect parasite eggs still remains as definitive diagnosis. This work was focussed on developing a novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for detection of S. haematobium DNA in human urine samples as a high-throughput, simple, accurate and affordable diagnostic tool to use in diagnosis of urogenital schistosomiasis. Methodology/Principal Findings A LAMP assay targeting a species specific sequence of S. haematobium ribosomal intergenic spacer was designed. The effectiveness of our LAMP was assessed in a number of patients´ urine samples with microscopy confirmed S. haematobium infection. For potentially large-scale application in field conditions, different DNA extraction methods, including a commercial kit, a modified NaOH extraction method and a rapid heating method were tested using small volumes of urine fractions (whole urine, supernatants and pellets). The heating of pellets from clinical samples was the most efficient method to obtain good-quality DNA detectable by LAMP. The detection limit of our LAMP was 1 fg/µL of S. haematobium DNA in urine samples. When testing all patients´ urine samples included in our study, diagnostic parameters for sensitivity and specificity were calculated for LAMP assay, 100% sensitivity (95% CI: 81.32%-100%) and 86.67% specificity (95% CI: 75.40%-94.05%), and also for microscopy detection of eggs in urine samples, 69.23% sensitivity (95% CI: 48.21% -85.63%) and 100% specificity (95% CI: 93.08%-100%). Conclusions/Significance We have developed and evaluated, for the first time, a LAMP assay for detection of S. haematobium DNA in heated pellets from patients´ urine samples using no complicated requirement procedure for DNA extraction. The procedure has been named the Rapid

Surface calculations with asymptotically long-ranged potentials in the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Lin-Hui

2015-09-01

Although the supercell method has been widely used for surface calculations, it only works well with short-ranged potentials, but meets difficulty when the potential decays very slowly into the vacuum. Unfortunately, the exact exchange-correlation potential of the density functional theory is asymptotically long ranged, and therefore is not easily handled by use of supercells. This paper illustrates that the authentic slab geometry, another technique for surface calculations, is not affected by this issue: It works equally well with both short- and long-ranged potentials, with the computational cost and the convergence speed being essentially the same. Using the asymptotically long-ranged Becke-Roussel'89 exchange potential as an example, we have calculated six surfaces of various types. We found that accurate potential values can be obtained even in extremely low density regions of more than 100 Å away from the surface. This high performance allows us to explore the asymptotic region, and prove with clean numerical evidence that the Becke-Roussel'89 potential satisfies the correct asymptotic behavior for slab surfaces, as it does for finite systems. Our finding further implies that the Slater component of the exact exchange optimized effective potential is responsible for the asymptotic behavior, not only for jellium slabs, but for slabs of any type. The Becke-Roussel'89 potential may therefore be used to build asymptotically correct model exchange potentials applicable to both finite systems and slab surfaces.

Potential energy surface and rate coefficients of protonated cyanogen (HNCCN+) induced by collision with helium (He) at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bop, Cheikh T.; Faye, N. AB; Hammami, K.

2018-05-01

Nitriles have been identified in space. Accurately modeling their abundance requires calculations of collisional rate coefficients. These data are obtained by first computing potential energy surfaces (PES) and cross-sections using high accurate quantum methods. In this paper, we report the first interaction potential of the HNCCN+-He collisional system along with downward rate coefficients among the 11 lowest rotational levels of HNCCN+. The PES was calculated using the explicitly correlated coupled cluster approach with simple, second and non-iterative triple excitation (CCSD(T)-F12) in conjunction with the augmented-correlation consistent-polarized valence triple zeta (aug-cc-pVTZ) Gaussian basis set. It presents two local minima of ˜283 and ˜136 cm-1, the deeper one is located at R = 9 a0 towards the H end (HeṡṡṡHNCCN+). Using the so-computed PES, we calculated rotational cross-sections of HNCCN+ induced by collision with He for energies ranging up to 500 cm-1 with the exact quantum mechanical close coupling (CC) method. Downward rate coefficients were then worked out by thermally averaging the cross-sections at low temperature (T ≤ 100 K). The discussion on propensity rules showed that the odd Δj transitions were favored. The results obtained in this work may be crucially needed to accurately model the abundance of cyanogen and its protonated form in space.

Comparative study of (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome prepared using pre-insertion and post-insertion methods for bone targeting in vivo.

PubMed

Zhang, Lijing; Cao, Hua; Zhang, Jiaxin; Yang, Chengli; Hu, Tingting; Li, Huili; Yang, Wu; He, Gu; Song, Xiangrong; Tong, Aiping; Guo, Gang; Li, Rui; Jiang, Yu; Liu, Jiyan; Cai, Lulu; Zheng, Yu

2017-02-01

Specific delivery of drugs to bone tissue is very challenging due to the architecture and structure of bone tissue. A seven-repeat sequence of aspartate, a representative bone-targeting oligopeptide, is preferentially used for targeted therapy for bone diseases. In this study, Asp7-cholesterol((Asp)7-CHOL) was synthesized and (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) was successfully prepared using both pre-insertion (pre-L) and post-insertion (post-L) methods. The formulation was optimized according to particle size, zeta potential and the drug-loading efficiency of the liposome. In addition, the bone affinity of the (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome was evaluated using a hydroxyapatite (HA) absorption method. The results suggested that (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome show excellent HA absorption; pre-L showed slightly higher HA binding than post-L. However, post-L had a higher DOX entrapment efficiency than pre-L. In vivo imaging further demonstrated that pre-L showed a higher bone-targeting efficiency than post-L, which was consistent with in vitro results. In all, (Asp)7-CHOL-modified liposome showed excellent bone-targeting activity, suggesting their potential for use as a drug delivery system for bone disease-targeted therapies.

Benchmark calculations with correlated molecular wavefunctions. XIII. Potential energy curves for He2, Ne2 and Ar2 using correlation consistent basis sets through augmented sextuple zeta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Mourik, Tanja

1999-02-01

The potential energy curves of the rare gas dimers He2, Ne2, and Ar2 have been computed using correlation consistent basis sets ranging from singly augmented aug-cc-pVDZ sets through triply augmented t-aug-cc-pV6Z sets, with the augmented sextuple basis sets being reported herein. Several methods for including electron correlation were investigated, namely Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2, MP3 and MP4) and coupled cluster theory [CCSD and CCSD(T)]. For He2CCSD(T)/d-aug-cc-pV6Z calculations yield a well depth of 7.35cm-1 (10.58K), with an estimated complete basis set (CBS) limit of 7.40cm-1 (10.65K). The latter is smaller than the 'exact' well depth (Aziz, R. A., Janzen, A. R., and Moldover, M. R., 1995, Phys. Rev. Lett., 74, 1586) by about 0.2cm-1 (0.35K). The Ne well depth, computed with the CCSD(T)/d-aug-cc-pV6Z method, is 28.31cm-1 and the estimated CBS limit is 28.4cm-1, approximately 1cm-1 smaller than the empirical potential of Aziz, R. A., and Slaman, M., J., 1989, Chem. Phys., 130, 187. Inclusion of core and core-valence correlation effects has a negligible effect on the Ne well depth, decreasing it by only 0.04cm-1. For Ar2, CCSD(T)/ d-aug-cc-pV6Z calculations yield a well depth of 96.2cm-1. The corresponding HFDID potential of Aziz, R. A., 1993, J. chem. Phys., 99, 4518 predicts of D of 99.7cm-1. Inclusion of core and core-valence effects in Ar increases the well depth and decreases the discrepancy by approximately 1cm-1.

Extraction and characterization of oil bodies from soy beans: a natural source of pre-emulsified soybean oil.

PubMed

Iwanaga, Daigo; Gray, David A; Fisk, Ian D; Decker, Eric Andrew; Weiss, Jochen; McClements, David Julian

2007-10-17

Soybeans contain oil bodies that are coated by a layer of oleosin proteins. In nature, this protein coating protects the oil bodies from environmental stresses and may be utilized by food manufacturers for the same purpose. In this study, oil bodies were extracted from soybean using an aqueous extraction method that involved blending, dispersion (pH 8.6), filtration, and centrifugation steps. The influence of NaCl (0-250 mM), thermal processing (30-90 degrees C, 20 min) and pH (2-8) on the properties and stability of the oil bodies was analyzed using zeta-potential, particle size, and creaming stability measurements. The extracted oil bodies were relatively small ( d 32 approximately 250 nm), and their zeta-potential went from around +12 mV to -20 mV as the pH was increased from 2 to 8, with an isoelectric point around pH 4. The oil bodies were stable to aggregation and creaming at low (pH = 2) and high (pH >/= 6) pH values but were unstable at intermediate values (3 zeta-potential. The oil bodies were stable to aggregation and creaming at relatively low salt concentrations (NaCl zeta-potential) at temperatures exceeding 60 degrees C. These results suggest that oil bodies extracted from soybeans have similar or improved stability compared to soybean oil emulsions produced from bulk ingredients and may provide a new way of creating functional soy products for the food industry.

FINITE EXPANSION METHOD FOR THE CALCULATION AND INTERPRETATION OF MOLECULAR ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIALS

EPA Science Inventory

Because it is useful to have the molecular electrostatic potential as an element in a complex scheme to assess the toxicity of large molecules, efficient and reliable methods are needed for the calculation and characterization of these potentials. A multicenter multipole expansio...

A method to assess the potential effects of air pollution mitigation on healthcare costs.

PubMed

Sætterstrøm, Bjørn; Kruse, Marie; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Bønløkke, Jakob Hjort; Flachs, Esben Meulengracht; Sørensen, Jan

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a method to assess the potential effects of air pollution mitigation on healthcare costs and to apply this method to assess the potential savings related to a reduction in fine particle matter in Denmark. The effects of air pollution on health were used to identify "exposed" individuals (i.e., cases). Coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer were considered to be associated with air pollution. We used propensity score matching, two-part estimation, and Lin's method to estimate healthcare costs. Subsequently, we multiplied the number of saved cases due to mitigation with the healthcare costs to arrive to an expression for healthcare cost savings. The potential cost saving in the healthcare system arising from a modelled reduction in air pollution was estimated at €0.1-2.6 million per 100,000 inhabitants for the four diseases. We have illustrated an application of a method to assess the potential changes in healthcare costs due to a reduction in air pollution. The method relies on a large volume of administrative data and combines a number of established methods for epidemiological analysis.

The CD3-Zeta Chimeric Antigen Receptor Overcomes TCR Hypo-Responsiveness of Human Terminal Late-Stage T Cells

PubMed Central

Awerkiew, Sabine; Schmidt, Annette; Hombach, Andreas A.; Pfister, Herbert; Abken, Hinrich

2012-01-01

Adoptive therapy of malignant diseases with tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells showed remarkable efficacy in recent trials. Repetitive T cell receptor (TCR) engagement of target antigen, however, inevitably ends up in hypo-responsive cells with terminally differentiated KLRG-1+ CD57+ CD7− phenotype limiting their therapeutic efficacy. We here revealed that hypo-responsiveness of CMV-specific late-stage CD8+ T cells is due to reduced TCR synapse formation compared to younger cells. Membrane anchoring of TCR components contributes to T cell hypo-responsiveness since dislocation of galectin-3 from the synapse by swainsonine restored both TCR synapse formation and T cell response. Transgenic expression of a CD3-zeta signaling chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) recovered hypo-responsive T cells to full effector functions indicating that the defect is restricted to TCR membrane components while synapse formation of the transgenic CAR was not blocked. CAR engineered late-stage T cells released cytokines and mediated redirected cytotoxicity as efficiently as younger effector T cells. Our data provide a rationale for TCR independent, CAR mediated activation in the adoptive cell therapy to avoid hypo-responsiveness of late-stage T cells upon repetitive antigen encounter. PMID:22292024

The Calculation of Potential Energy Curves of Diatomic Molecules: The RKR Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castano, F.; And Others

1983-01-01

The RKR method for determining accurate potential energy curves is described. Advantages of using the method (compared to Morse procedure) and a TRS-80 computer program which calculates the classical turning points by an RKR method are also described. The computer program is available from the author upon request. (Author/JN)

Harmonizing multiple methods for reconstructing historical potential and reference evapotranspiration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belaineh, Getachew; Sumner, David; Carter, Edward; Clapp, David

2013-01-01

Potential evapotranspiration (PET) and reference evapotranspiration (RET) data are usually critical components of hydrologic analysis. Many different equations are available to estimate PET and RET. Most of these equations, such as the Priestley-Taylor and Penman- Monteith methods, rely on detailed meteorological data collected at ground-based weather stations. Few weather stations collect enough data to estimate PET or RET using one of the more complex evapotranspiration equations. Currently, satellite data integrated with ground meteorological data are used with one of these evapotranspiration equations to accurately estimate PET and RET. However, earlier than the last few decades, historical reconstructions of PET and RET needed for many hydrologic analyses are limited by the paucity of satellite data and of some types of ground data. Air temperature stands out as the most generally available meteorological ground data type over the last century. Temperature-based approaches used with readily available historical temperature data offer the potential for long period-of-record PET and RET historical reconstructions. A challenge is the inconsistency between the more accurate, but more data intensive, methods appropriate for more recent periods and the less accurate, but less data intensive, methods appropriate to the more distant past. In this study, multiple methods are harmonized in a seamless reconstruction of historical PET and RET by quantifying and eliminating the biases of the simple Hargreaves-Samani method relative to the more complex and accurate Priestley-Taylor and Penman-Monteith methods. This harmonization process is used to generate long-term, internally consistent, spatiotemporal databases of PET and RET.

Potential energy surface fitting by a statistically localized, permutationally invariant, local interpolating moving least squares method for the many-body potential: Method and application to N{sub 4}

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

Bender, Jason D.; Doraiswamy, Sriram; Candler, Graham V., E-mail: truhlar@umn.edu, E-mail: candler@aem.umn.edu

2014-02-07

Fitting potential energy surfaces to analytic forms is an important first step for efficient molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we present an improved version of the local interpolating moving least squares method (L-IMLS) for such fitting. Our method has three key improvements. First, pairwise interactions are modeled separately from many-body interactions. Second, permutational invariance is incorporated in the basis functions, using permutationally invariant polynomials in Morse variables, and in the weight functions. Third, computational cost is reduced by statistical localization, in which we statistically correlate the cutoff radius with data point density. We motivate our discussion in this paper with amore » review of global and local least-squares-based fitting methods in one dimension. Then, we develop our method in six dimensions, and we note that it allows the analytic evaluation of gradients, a feature that is important for molecular dynamics. The approach, which we call statistically localized, permutationally invariant, local interpolating moving least squares fitting of the many-body potential (SL-PI-L-IMLS-MP, or, more simply, L-IMLS-G2), is used to fit a potential energy surface to an electronic structure dataset for N{sub 4}. We discuss its performance on the dataset and give directions for further research, including applications to trajectory calculations.« less

Analytical Method to Evaluate Failure Potential During High-Risk Component Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tumer, Irem Y.; Stone, Robert B.; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Communicating failure mode information during design and manufacturing is a crucial task for failure prevention. Most processes use Failure Modes and Effects types of analyses, as well as prior knowledge and experience, to determine the potential modes of failures a product might encounter during its lifetime. When new products are being considered and designed, this knowledge and information is expanded upon to help designers extrapolate based on their similarity with existing products and the potential design tradeoffs. This paper makes use of similarities and tradeoffs that exist between different failure modes based on the functionality of each component/product. In this light, a function-failure method is developed to help the design of new products with solutions for functions that eliminate or reduce the potential of a failure mode. The method is applied to a simplified rotating machinery example in this paper, and is proposed as a means to account for helicopter failure modes during design and production, addressing stringent safety and performance requirements for NASA applications.

Studying red blood cell agglutination by measuring electrical and mechanical properties with a double optical tweezers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontes, Adriana; Fernandes, Heloise P.; de Thomaz, André A.; Barbosa, Luiz C.; Barjas-Castro, Maria L.; Cesar, Carlos L.

2007-07-01

The red blood cell (RBC) viscoelastic membrane contains proteins and glycolproteins embedded in, or attached, to a fluid lipid bilayer and are negatively charged, which creates a repulsive electric (zeta) potential between the cells and prevents their aggregation in the blood stream. The basis of the immunohematologic tests is the interaction between antigens and antibodies that causes hemagglutination. The identification of antibodies and antigens is of fundamental importance for the transfusional routine. This agglutination is induced by decreasing the zeta-potential through the introduction of artificial potential substances. This report proposes the use of the optical tweezers to measure the membrane viscosity, the cell adhesion, the zeta-potential and the size of the double layer of charges (CLC) formed around the cell in an electrolytic solution. The adhesion was quantified by slowly displacing two RBCs apart until the disagglutination. The CLC was measured using the force on the bead attached to a single RBC in response to an applied voltage. The zeta-potential was obtained by measuring the terminal velocity after releasing the RBC from the optical trap at the last applied voltage. For the membrane viscosity experiment, we trapped a bead attached to RBCs and measured the force to slide one RBC over the other as a function of the relative velocity. After we tested the methodology, we performed measurements using antibody and potential substances. We observed that this experiment can provide information about cell agglutination that helps to improve the tests usually performed in blood banks. We also believe that this methodology can be applied for measurements of zeta-potentials in other kind of samples.

Design and synthesis of a novel multifunctional stabilizer for highly stable uc(dl)-tetrahydropalmatine nanosuspensions and in vitro study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Beibei; Wang, Yancai; Wang, Lulu; Zhou, Yuqi; Shang, Xueyun; Zhao, Juan; Liu, Yangyang; Du, Juan

2018-05-01

The present study aimed to prepare stable uc(dl)-tetrahydropalmatine (uc(dl)-THP) nanosuspensions of optimized formulation with PEGylated chitosan as a multifunctional stabilizer using the antisolvent precipitation method. A central composite design project of three factors and five-level full factorial (53) was applied to design the experimental program, and response surface methodology analysis was used to optimize the experimental conditions. The effects of critical influencing factors such as PEGylated chitosan concentration, operational temperature, and ultrasonic energy on particle size and zeta potential were investigated. Under the optimization nanosuspension formulation, the particle size was 269 nm and zeta potential was at 37.4 mV. Also, the uc(dl)-THP nanosuspensions maintained good physical stability after 2 months, indicating the potential ability of the multifunctional stabilizer for stable nanosuspension formulation. Hence, the present findings indicated that PEGylated chitosan could be used as the ideal stabilizer to form a physically stable nanosuspension formulation.

Vibrational properties of TaW alloy using modified embedded atom method potential

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

Chand, Manesh, E-mail: maneshchand@gmail.com; Uniyal, Shweta; Joshi, Subodh

2016-05-06

Force-constants up to second neighbours of pure transition metal Ta and TaW alloy are determined using the modified embedded atom method (MEAM) potential. The obtained force-constants are used to calculate the phonon dispersion of pure Ta and TaW alloy. As a further application of MEAM potential, the force-constants are used to calculate the local vibrational density of states and mean square thermal displacements of pure Ta and W impurity atoms with Green’s function method. The calculated results are found to be in agreement with the experimental measurements.

Charge-transfer modified embedded atom method dynamic charge potential for Li-Co-O system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Fantai; Longo, Roberto C.; Liang, Chaoping; Nie, Yifan; Zheng, Yongping; Zhang, Chenxi; Cho, Kyeongjae

2017-11-01

To overcome the limitation of conventional fixed charge potential methods for the study of Li-ion battery cathode materials, a dynamic charge potential method, charge-transfer modified embedded atom method (CT-MEAM), has been developed and applied to the Li-Co-O ternary system. The accuracy of the potential has been tested and validated by reproducing a variety of structural and electrochemical properties of LiCoO2. A detailed analysis on the local charge distribution confirmed the capability of this potential for dynamic charge modeling. The transferability of the potential is also demonstrated by its reliability in describing Li-rich Li2CoO2 and Li-deficient LiCo2O4 compounds, including their phase stability, equilibrium volume, charge states and cathode voltages. These results demonstrate that the CT-MEAM dynamic charge potential could help to overcome the challenge of modeling complex ternary transition metal oxides. This work can promote molecular dynamics studies of Li ion cathode materials and other important transition metal oxides systems that involve complex electrochemical and catalytic reactions.

Charge-transfer modified embedded atom method dynamic charge potential for Li-Co-O system.

PubMed

Kong, Fantai; Longo, Roberto C; Liang, Chaoping; Nie, Yifan; Zheng, Yongping; Zhang, Chenxi; Cho, Kyeongjae

2017-11-29

To overcome the limitation of conventional fixed charge potential methods for the study of Li-ion battery cathode materials, a dynamic charge potential method, charge-transfer modified embedded atom method (CT-MEAM), has been developed and applied to the Li-Co-O ternary system. The accuracy of the potential has been tested and validated by reproducing a variety of structural and electrochemical properties of LiCoO 2 . A detailed analysis on the local charge distribution confirmed the capability of this potential for dynamic charge modeling. The transferability of the potential is also demonstrated by its reliability in describing Li-rich Li 2 CoO 2 and Li-deficient LiCo 2 O 4 compounds, including their phase stability, equilibrium volume, charge states and cathode voltages. These results demonstrate that the CT-MEAM dynamic charge potential could help to overcome the challenge of modeling complex ternary transition metal oxides. This work can promote molecular dynamics studies of Li ion cathode materials and other important transition metal oxides systems that involve complex electrochemical and catalytic reactions.

Embedded-atom-method interatomic potentials from lattice inversion.

PubMed

Yuan, Xiao-Jian; Chen, Nan-Xian; Shen, Jiang; Hu, Wangyu

2010-09-22

The present work develops a physically reliable procedure for building the embedded-atom-method (EAM) interatomic potentials for the metals with fcc, bcc and hcp structures. This is mainly based on Chen-Möbius lattice inversion (Chen et al 1997 Phys. Rev. E 55 R5) and first-principles calculations. Following Baskes (Baskes et al 2007 Phys. Rev. B 75 094113), this new version of the EAM eliminates all of the prior arbitrary choices in the determination of the atomic electron density and pair potential functions. Parameterizing the universal form deduced from the calculations within the density-functional scheme for homogeneous electron gas as the embedding function, the new-type EAM potentials for Cu, Fe and Ti metals have successfully been constructed by considering interatomic interactions up to the fifth neighbor, the third neighbor and the seventh neighbor, respectively. The predictions of elastic constants, structural energy difference, vacancy formation energy and migration energy, activation energy of vacancy diffusion, latent heat of melting and relative volume change on melting all satisfactorily agree with the experimental results available or first-principles calculations. The predicted surface energies for low-index crystal faces and the melting point are in agreement with the experimental data to the same extent as those calculated by other EAM-type potentials such as the FBD-EAM, 2NN MEAM and MS-EAM. In addition, the order among the predicted low-index surface energies is also consistent with the experimental information.

Cellular delivery of PEGylated PLGA nanoparticles.

PubMed

Pamujula, Sarala; Hazari, Sidhartha; Bolden, Gevoni; Graves, Richard A; Chinta, Dakshinamurthy Devanga; Dash, Srikanta; Kishore, Vimal; Mandal, Tarun K

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficiency of uptake of PEGylated polylactide-co-gycolide (PLGA) nanoparticles by breast cancer cells. Nanoparticles of PLGA containing various amounts of polyethylene glycol (PEG, 5%-15%) were prepared using a double emulsion solvent evaporation method. The nanoparticles were loaded with coumarin-6 (C6) as a fluorescence marker. The particles were characterized for surface morphology, particle size, zeta potential, and for cellular uptake by 4T1 murine breast cancer cells. Irrespective of the amount of PEG, all formulations yielded smooth spherical particles. However, a comparison of the particle size of various formulations showed bimodal distribution of particles. Each formulation was later passed through a 1.2 µm filter to obtain target size particles (114-335 nm) with zeta potentials ranging from -2.8 mV to -26.2 mV. While PLGA-PEG di-block (15% PEG) formulation showed significantly higher 4T1 cellular uptake than all other formulations, there was no statistical difference in cellular uptake among PLGA, PLGA-PEG-PLGA tri-block (10% PEG), PLGA-PEG di-block (5% PEG) and PLGA-PEG di-block (10% PEG) nanoparticles. These preliminary findings indicated that the nanoparticle formulation prepared with 15% PEGylated PLGA showed maximum cellular uptake due to it having the smallest particle size and lowest zeta potential. © 2011 The Authors. JPP © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Microcanonical ensemble simulation method applied to discrete potential fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sastre, Francisco; Benavides, Ana Laura; Torres-Arenas, José; Gil-Villegas, Alejandro

2015-09-01

In this work we extend the applicability of the microcanonical ensemble simulation method, originally proposed to study the Ising model [A. Hüller and M. Pleimling, Int. J. Mod. Phys. C 13, 947 (2002), 10.1142/S0129183102003693], to the case of simple fluids. An algorithm is developed by measuring the transition rates probabilities between macroscopic states, that has as advantage with respect to conventional Monte Carlo NVT (MC-NVT) simulations that a continuous range of temperatures are covered in a single run. For a given density, this new algorithm provides the inverse temperature, that can be parametrized as a function of the internal energy, and the isochoric heat capacity is then evaluated through a numerical derivative. As an illustrative example we consider a fluid composed of particles interacting via a square-well (SW) pair potential of variable range. Equilibrium internal energies and isochoric heat capacities are obtained with very high accuracy compared with data obtained from MC-NVT simulations. These results are important in the context of the application of the Hüller-Pleimling method to discrete-potential systems, that are based on a generalization of the SW and square-shoulder fluids properties.

Adsorption Analysis of Lactoferrin to Titanium, Stainless Steel, Zirconia, and Polymethyl Methacrylate Using the Quartz Crystal Microbalance Method

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Eiji; Hayakawa, Tohru

2016-01-01

It is postulated that biofilm formation in the oral cavity causes some oral diseases. Lactoferrin is an antibacterial protein in saliva and an important defense factor against biofilm development. We analyzed the adsorbed amount of lactoferrin and the dissociation constant (K d) of lactoferrin to the surface of different dental materials using an equilibrium analysis technique in a 27 MHz quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurement. Four different materials, titanium (Ti), stainless steel (SUS), zirconia (ZrO2) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), were evaluated. These materials were coated onto QCM sensors and the surfaces characterized by atomic force microscopic observation, measurements of surface roughness, contact angles of water, and zeta potential. QCM measurements revealed that Ti and SUS showed a greater amount of lactoferrin adsorption than ZrO2 and PMMA. Surface roughness and zeta potential influenced the lactoferrin adsorption. On the contrary, the K d value analysis indicated that the adsorbed lactoferrin bound less tightly to the Ti and SUS surfaces than to the ZrO2 and PMMA surfaces. The hydrophobic interaction between lactoferrin and ZrO2 and PMMA is presumed to participate in better binding of lactoferrin to ZrO2 and PMMA surfaces. It was revealed that lactoferrin adsorption behavior was influenced by the characteristics of the material surface. PMID:26998486

Computing wave functions in multichannel collisions with non-local potentials using the R-matrix method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonitati, Joey; Slimmer, Ben; Li, Weichuan; Potel, Gregory; Nunes, Filomena

2017-09-01

The calculable form of the R-matrix method has been previously shown to be a useful tool in approximately solving the Schrodinger equation in nuclear scattering problems. We use this technique combined with the Gauss quadrature for the Lagrange-mesh method to efficiently solve for the wave functions of projectile nuclei in low energy collisions (1-100 MeV) involving an arbitrary number of channels. We include the local Woods-Saxon potential, the non-local potential of Perey and Buck, a Coulomb potential, and a coupling potential to computationally solve for the wave function of two nuclei at short distances. Object oriented programming is used to increase modularity, and parallel programming techniques are introduced to reduce computation time. We conclude that the R-matrix method is an effective method to predict the wave functions of nuclei in scattering problems involving both multiple channels and non-local potentials. Michigan State University iCER ACRES REU.

Continuous Control Artificial Potential Function Methods and Optimal Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

21 CW Clohessy - Wiltshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 CV Chase Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 TV Target... Clohessy - Wiltshire equa- tions2) until the time rate of change of potential became nonnegative. At that time, a thrust impulse was applied to make the...3.2. 2The Clohessy - Wiltshire equations are introduced in Section 3.5. 7 to eliminate oscillation around the goal point [8, 9]. Such a method is

Methods for the physical characterization and quantification of extracellular vesicles in biological samples.

PubMed

Rupert, Déborah L M; Claudio, Virginia; Lässer, Cecilia; Bally, Marta

2017-01-01

Our body fluids contain a multitude of cell-derived vesicles, secreted by most cell types, commonly referred to as extracellular vesicles. They have attracted considerable attention for their function as intercellular communication vehicles in a broad range of physiological processes and pathological conditions. Extracellular vesicles and especially the smallest type, exosomes, have also generated a lot of excitement in view of their potential as disease biomarkers or as carriers for drug delivery. In this context, state-of-the-art techniques capable of comprehensively characterizing vesicles in biological fluids are urgently needed. This review presents the arsenal of techniques available for quantification and characterization of physical properties of extracellular vesicles, summarizes their working principles, discusses their advantages and limitations and further illustrates their implementation in extracellular vesicle research. The small size and physicochemical heterogeneity of extracellular vesicles make their physical characterization and quantification an extremely challenging task. Currently, structure, size, buoyant density, optical properties and zeta potential have most commonly been studied. The concentration of vesicles in suspension can be expressed in terms of biomolecular or particle content depending on the method at hand. In addition, common quantification methods may either provide a direct quantitative measurement of vesicle concentration or solely allow for relative comparison between samples. The combination of complementary methods capable of detecting, characterizing and quantifying extracellular vesicles at a single particle level promises to provide new exciting insights into their modes of action and to reveal the existence of vesicle subpopulations fulfilling key biological tasks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A method to obtain static potential for electron-molecule scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Rajesh; Das, Tapasi; Stauffer, Allan

2014-05-01

Electron scattering from molecules is complicated by the fact that molecules are a multi-centered target with the nuclei of the constituent atoms being a center of charge. One of the most important parts of a scattering calculation is to obtain the static potential which represents the interaction of the incident electron with the unperturbed charge distribution of the molecule. A common way to represent the charge distribution of molecules is with Gaussian orbitals centered on the various nuclei. We have derived a way to calculate spherically-averaged molecular static potentials using this form of molecular wave function which is mostly analytic. This method has been applied to elastic electron scattering from water molecules and we obtained differential cross sections which are compared with previous experimental and theoretical results. The method can be extended to more complex molecules. One of us (RS) is thankful to IAEA, Vienna, Austria and DAE-BRNS, Mumbai, India for financial support.

A vortex wake capturing method for potential flow calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murman, E. M.; Stremel, P. M.

1982-01-01

A method is presented for modifying finite difference solutions of the potential equation to include the calculation of non-planar vortex wake features. The approach is an adaptation of Baker's 'cloud in cell' algorithm developed for the stream function-vorticity equations. The vortex wake is tracked in a Lagrangian frame of reference as a group of discrete vortex filaments. These are distributed to the Eulerian mesh system on which the velocity is calculated by a finite difference solution of the potential equation. An artificial viscosity introduced by the finite difference equations removes the singular nature of the vortex filaments. Computed examples are given for the two-dimensional time dependent roll-up of vortex wakes generated by wings with different spanwise loading distributions.

Preparation of graphene oxide modified poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) nanofiltration membrane with improved water flux and antifouling property

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Mei; Zhao, Changwei; Zhang, Shaofeng; Li, Pei; Hou, Deyin

2017-02-01

Poly (m-phenylene isophthalamide)/graphene oxide (PMIA/GO) composite nanofiltartion (NF) membranes were prepared via a facile phase inversion method. Structures, surface properties and hydrophilicities of the membrane were analyzed using FT-IR, XPS, AFM, SEM, water contact angle and Zeta-potential measurements. FTIR spectra indicated the existence of hydrophilic carboxylic acid and hydroxyl groups in the GO molecules. SEM pictures revealed the large and finger-like micro-voids formed in the sublayer of the NF membranes after adding GO. The zeta-potential and water contact angle results proved that PMIA/GO composite membranes had more negatively charged and greater hydrophilic surfaces. The pure water flux of the PMIA/GO (0.3 wt% GO) composite membrane (125.2 (L/m2/h)) was 2.6 times as high as that of the pristine PMIA NF membrane (48.3 (L/m2/h)) at 0.8 MPa with slightly higher rejections to all tested dyes and better fouling resistance to bovine serum albumin (BSA). This study gave an effective method for preparing composite PMIA NF membranes with high water flux and excellent antifouling property, which showed potential application in water treatment.

The potential use of novel chitosan-coated deformable liposomes in an ocular drug delivery system.

PubMed

Chen, Hongdan; Pan, Hao; Li, Panpan; Wang, Hui; Wang, Xin; Pan, Weisan; Yuan, Yue

2016-07-01

In this study, novel chitosan-coated deformable liposomes (DL-CS) were proposed as an ocular drug delivery system to prolong pre-corneal retention, and improve transcorneal penetration and absorption. Flurbiprofen-loaded deformable liposomes (FP-DL) were prepared by a modified ethanol injection method and then coated with chitosan. Both DL and DL-CS exhibited a homogeneous particle size distribution, high encapsulation efficiency and good stability. After coating with 0.1% CS, the zeta potential was shifted from negative to positive. The apparent permeability coefficient of FP-DL-0.1% CS evaluated using isolated rabbit corneas was 1.29-, 1.95- and 4.59- fold greater than that of uncoated FP-DL, conventional liposomes and FP solution (P<0.01), respectively. The in vivo pre-corneal retention time and elimination dynamics were assessed using gamma scintigraphy technology. The area under the remaining activity-time of FP-DL-0.1% CS was prolonged 2.84- and 1.53-fold compared with that of the FP solution and FP-DL groups, respectively. Moreover, the ocular irritation test in vivo revealed that DL-0.1% CS produced no ocular damage or abnormal clinical signs. These results indicate that DL-CS appears to be a novel ophthalmic drug delivery strategy with the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional eye drops. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Characterization and stability studies of a novel liposomal cyclosporin A prepared using the supercritical fluid method: comparison with the modified conventional Bangham method

PubMed Central

Karn, Pankaj Ranjan; Cho, Wonkyung; Park, Hee-Jun; Park, Jeong-Sook; Hwang, Sung-Joo

2013-01-01

A novel method to prepare cyclosporin A encapsulated liposomes was introduced using supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide (SCF-CO2) as an antisolvent. To investigate the strength of the newly developed SCF-CO2 method compared with the modified conventional Bangham method, particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index (PDI) of both liposomal formulations were characterized and compared. In addition, entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL) characteristics were analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Significantly larger particle size and PDI were revealed from the conventional method, while EE (%) and DL (%) did not exhibit any significant differences. The SCF-CO2 liposomes were found to be relatively smaller, multilamellar, and spherical with a smoother surface as determined by transmission electron microscopy. SCF-CO2 liposomes showed no significant differences in their particle size and PDI after more than 3 months, whereas conventional liposomes exhibited significant changes in their particle size. The initial yield (%), EE (%), and DL (%) of SCF-CO2 liposomes and conventional liposomes were 90.98 ± 2.94, 92.20 ± 1.36, 20.99 ± 0.84 and 90.72 ± 2.83, 90.24 ± 1.37, 20.47 ± 0.94, respectively, which changed after 14 weeks to 86.65 ± 0.30, 87.63 ± 0.72, 18.98 ± 0.22 and 75.04 ± 8.80, 84.59 ± 5.13, 15.94 ± 2.80, respectively. Therefore, the newly developed SCF-CO2 method could be a better alternative compared with the conventional method and may provide a promising approach for large-scale production of liposomes. PMID:23378759

Effect of Na4O7P2 on Cu powder preparation from Cu2O-water slurry system.

PubMed

Ahn, J G; Hoang, T H; Kim, D J; Kim, M S; Kim, C O; Chung, H S

2008-03-01

A unique approach is presented for preparing highly dispersed ultrafine copper particles from cuprous oxide slurry using a wet chemical reaction with hydrazine (N2H4) as a reductant along with an appropriate addition of sodium pyrophosphate (Na4O7P2) as a surfactant. It was found that very thin oxidized surfaces on the copper particles are formed during the reaction in the solution and subsequently sodium pyrophosphate plays an important role in the zeta potential of the particles, affecting their dispersion and growth significantly. The copper particles at low zeta potential easily aggregate and grow to bigger ones, whereas they at high zeta potential keep away each other and grew individually to ultrafine size. Additionally, a model for the copper particles growth in accordance with dispersion is proposed.

Effect of polymer viscosity on physicochemical properties and ocular tolerance of FB-loaded PLGA nanospheres.

PubMed

Araújo, J; Vega, E; Lopes, C; Egea, M A; Garcia, M L; Souto, E B

2009-08-01

Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) nanospheres incorporating flurbiprofen (FB) were produced by the solvent displacement technique, for ocular applications aiming to avoid/minimize inflammation induced by surgical trauma. In this work, a PLGA of low viscosity has been tested and the results obtained were compared with those previously reported by Vega et al. The physicochemical properties of the developed formulations were evaluated by measuring particle size, zeta potential and FB entrapment efficiency, showing no significant differences. Release studies demonstrated that the formulation produced with PLGA of higher viscosity revealed a slower drug release rate. Stability analysis, for a period of 75 days, was performed using three complementary methods: (i) turbidity experiments using a Turbiscan optical analyzer, (ii) particle size measurements, and (iii) zeta potential analysis. The results revealed long-term physicochemical stability suitability for ophthalmic use, being independent from the polymer viscosity. The ocular tolerance was assessed by an alternative in vitro method to animal experimentation, the HET-CAM. For all developed formulations no ocular irritancy has been detected.

Phospholipid hydrolysis in a pharmaceutical emulsion assessed by physicochemical parameters and a new analytical method.

PubMed

Rabinovich-Guilatt, Laura; Dubernet, Catherine; Gaudin, Karen; Lambert, Gregory; Couvreur, Patrick; Chaminade, Pierre

2005-09-01

The aim of this work was to develop a simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) for the separation and quantification of the major phospholipid (PL) and lysophospholipid (LPL) classes contained in a pharmaceutical phospholipid-based emulsion. In the established method, phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), sphingomyeline (SM), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) were separated with a PVA-Sil stationary phase and a binary gradient from pure chloroform to methanol:water (94:6 v/v) at 3.4%/min. The ELSD detection was enhanced using 0.1% triethylamine and formic acid in each gradient mobile phases. Factors such as stationary phase and ELSD drift tube temperature were optimized, concluding in optimal temperatures of 25 degrees C for separation and 50 degrees C for evaporation. This HPLC-ELSD method was then applied to a PL-emulsion exposed to autoclaving and accelerated thermal conditions at 50 degrees C. Hydrolysis of PC and PE followed first-order kinetics, representing only 45% of the total lipid mass after 3 months. The chemical stability was correlated to commonly measured formulation physical and physico-chemical parameters such as droplet size, emulsion pH and zeta-potential.

Environmental Enrichment Increases Glucocorticoid Receptors and Decreases GluA2 and Protein Kinase M Zeta (PKMζ) Trafficking During Chronic Stress: A Protective Mechanism?

PubMed Central

Zanca, Roseanna M.; Braren, Stephen H.; Maloney, Brigid; Schrott, Lisa M.; Luine, Victoria N.; Serrano, Peter A.

2015-01-01

Environmental enrichment (EE) housing paradigms have long been shown beneficial for brain function involving neural growth and activity, learning and memory capacity, and for developing stress resiliency. The expression of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit GluA2, which is important for synaptic plasticity and memory, is increased with corticosterone (CORT), undermining synaptic plasticity and memory. Thus, we determined the effect of EE and stress on modulating GluA2 expression in Sprague-Dawley male rats. Several markers were evaluated which include: plasma CORT, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), GluA2, and the atypical protein kinase M zeta (PKMζ). For 1 week standard-(ST) or EE-housed animals were treated with one of the following four conditions: (1) no stress; (2) acute stress (forced swim test, FST; on day 7); (3) chronic restraint stress (6 h/day for 7 days); and (4) chronic + acute stress (restraint stress 6 h/day for 7 days + FST on day 7). Hippocampi were collected on day 7. Our results show that EE animals had reduced time immobile on the FST across all conditions. After chronic + acute stress EE animals showed increased GR levels with no change in synaptic GluA2/PKMζ. ST-housed animals showed the reverse pattern with decreased GR levels and a significant increase in synaptic GluA2/PKMζ. These results suggest that EE produces an adaptive response to chronic stress allowing for increased GR levels, which lowers neuronal excitability reducing GluA2/PKMζ trafficking. We discuss this EE adaptive response to stress as a potential underlying mechanism that is protective for retaining synaptic plasticity and memory function. PMID:26617502

High temperature microelectrophoresis studies of the solid oxide/water interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedkin, Mark Valentinovich

Metal oxides are abundant components of geo-environmental systems and are widely used materials in industry. Many practical applications of oxide materials require the knowledge of their surface properties at both ambient and elevated temperatures. Due to substantial technical challenges associated with experimental studies of solid/water interfaces at elevated temperatures, consistent data on adsorption, surface charge, and zeta potential for most oxide materials are limited to temperatures less than 100°C. A high temperature microelectrophoresis technique, developed in this study, made it possible to extend the zeta potential measurements at the solid oxide/water interface to 200°C. The design of the high temperature electrophoresis cell allowed for the visual microscopic observation of the electrophoretic movement of suspended particles through pressure-tight sapphire windows. The electrophoretic mobilities of metal oxide particles suspended in aqueous solutions were measured in a DC electric field as a function of pH, ionic strength, and temperature. The experimental procedure and methods for evaluation of the main experimental parameters (electrophoretic mobility, electric field strength, high temperature pH, and cell constant) have been developed. Zeta potentials were calculated from the experimental data using O'Brien and White's (1978) numerical solution for electrophoretic mobility equation. Zeta potentials and isoelectric points (IEP) of the metal oxide/aqueous solution interface were experimentally determined for ZrO2, TiO 2(rutile), and alphaAl2O3 at 25, 120, and 200°C. The background solutions used for the preparation of suspensions were pure H2O, NaCl(aq) (10-4--10-2 mol.kg-1), and SrCl2 (10-4 mol.kg, for TiO2). For all studied materials, the IEPs were found to regularly decrease with increasing temperature, which agrees with available theoretical predictions. Thermodynamic functions, including Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and heat capacity, were

First Generation College Student Leadership Potential: A Mixed Methods Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hojan-Clark, Jane M.

2010-01-01

This mixed methods research compared the leadership potential of traditionally aged first generation college students to that of college students whose parents are college educated. A college education provides advantages to those who can obtain it (Baum & Payea, 2004; Black Issues in Higher Education, 2005; Education and the Value of…

Vectorized schemes for conical potential flow using the artificial density method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradley, P. F.; Dwoyer, D. L.; South, J. C., Jr.; Keen, J. M.

1984-01-01

A method is developed to determine solutions to the full-potential equation for steady supersonic conical flow using the artificial density method. Various update schemes used generally for transonic potential solutions are investigated. The schemes are compared for speed and robustness. All versions of the computer code have been vectorized and are currently running on the CYBER-203 computer. The update schemes are vectorized, where possible, either fully (explicit schemes) or partially (implicit schemes). Since each version of the code differs only by the update scheme and elements other than the update scheme are completely vectorizable, comparisons of computational effort and convergence rate among schemes are a measure of the specific scheme's performance. Results are presented for circular and elliptical cones at angle of attack for subcritical and supercritical crossflows.

Investigation of North Pond crustal fluids by poised potential methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, R. M.; Orcutt, B.

2017-12-01

Microbes are present in the deep subsurface but their rates of activity, potential metabolisms and roles in the environment are still largely unknown. The marine deep crustal subsurface accounts for approximately 2.3x1018 m2 of the earth's volume, making this environment potentially significant to earth processes despite low productivity inherent in resource limited conditions. This has implications for geochemical cycling and exploring limits of life, linking to the `follow the energy' approach for defining habitability on earth and further afield. Most resources for life in the marine deep crust originate from rock. One subset of lithotrophic interactions involves direct transfer between electron acceptors and donors embedded in minerals and microbes. In this investigation, poised potential methods such as chronoamperometry were used to investigate mineral-microbe electron transfer interactions in the context of North Pond, a Mid-Atlantic ridge site representative of cool, sediment-covered basalts that make up the majority of the deep marine subsurface. Electrodes were poised at potentials corresponding approximately to particular lithotrophic oxidation reactions to enrich for sub-sections of North Pond deep subsurface fluid communities that were associated with direct electron transfer at these potentials.

Dispersed gold nanoparticles potentially ruin gold barley yellow dwarf virus and eliminate virus infectivity hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alkubaisi, Noorah A.; Aref, Nagwa M. A.

2017-02-01

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) application melted barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) spherical nanoparticle capsids. Synergistic therapeutic effects for plant virus resistance were induced by interaction with binding units of prepared AuNPs in a water solution which was characterized and evaluated by zeta sizer, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The yield of purified nanoparticles of BYDV-PAV was obtained from Hordeum vulgare (Barley) cultivars, local and Giza 121/Justo. It was 0.62 mg/ml from 27.30 g of infected leaves at an A260/A280 ratio. Virus nanoparticle has a spherical shape 30 nm in size by TEM. BYDV-PAV combined with AuNPs to challenge virus function in vivo and in vitro. Dual AuNPs existence in vivo and in vitro affected compacted configuration of viral capsid protein in the interior surface of capsomers, the outer surface, or between the interface of coat protein subunits for 24 and 48 h incubation period in vitro at room temperature. The sizes of AuNPs that had a potentially dramatic deteriorated effect are 3.151 and 31.67 nm with a different intensity of 75.3% for the former and 24.7% for the latter, which enhances optical sensing applications to eliminate virus infectivity. Damages of capsid protein due to AuNPs on the surface of virus subunits caused variable performance in four different types of TEM named puffed, deteriorated and decorated, ruined and vanished. Viral yield showed remarkably high-intensity degree of particle symmetry and uniformity in the local cultivar greater than in Giza 121/Justo cultivar. A high yield of ruined VLPs in the local cultivar than Justo cultivar was noticed. AuNPs indicated complete lysed VLPs and some deteriorated VLPs at 48 h.

Bio-field array: a dielectrophoretic electromagnetic toroidal excitation to restore and maintain the golden ratio in human erythrocytes.

PubMed

Purnell, Marcy C; Butawan, Matthew B A; Ramsey, Risa D

2018-06-01

Erythrocytes must maintain a biconcave discoid shape in order to efficiently deliver oxygen (O 2 ) molecules and to recycle carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) molecules. The erythrocyte is a small toroidal dielectrophoretic (DEP) electromagnetic field (EMF) driven cell that maintains its zeta potential (ζ) with a dielectric constant (ԑ) between a negatively charged plasma membrane surface and the positively charged adjacent Stern layer. Here, we propose that zeta potential is also driven by both ferroelectric influences (chloride ion) and ferromagnetic influences (serum iron driven). The Golden Ratio, a function of Phi φ, offers a geometrical mathematical measure within the distinct and desired curvature of the red blood cell that is governed by this zeta potential and is required for the efficient recycling of CO 2 in our bodies. The Bio-Field Array (BFA) shows potential to both drive/fuel the zeta potential and restore the Golden Ratio in human erythrocytes thereby leading to more efficient recycling of CO 2 . Live Blood Analyses and serum CO 2 levels from twenty human subjects that participated in immersion therapy sessions with the BFA for 2 weeks (six sessions) were analyzed. Live Blood Analyses (LBA) and serum blood analyses performed before and after the BFA immersion therapy sessions in the BFA pilot study participants showed reversal of erythrocyte rheological alterations (per RBC metric; P = 0.00000075), a morphological return to the Golden Ratio and a significant decrease in serum CO 2 (P = 0.017) in these participants. Immersion therapy sessions with the BFA show potential to modulate zeta potential, restore this newly defined Golden Ratio and reduce rheological alterations in human erythrocytes. © 2018 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

General design method for three-dimensional potential flow fields. 1: Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanitz, J. D.

1980-01-01

A general design method was developed for steady, three dimensional, potential, incompressible or subsonic-compressible flow. In this design method, the flow field, including the shape of its boundary, was determined for arbitrarily specified, continuous distributions of velocity as a function of arc length along the boundary streamlines. The method applied to the design of both internal and external flow fields, including, in both cases, fields with planar symmetry. The analytic problems associated with stagnation points, closure of bodies in external flow fields, and prediction of turning angles in three dimensional ducts were reviewed.

Potential Landslide Early Detection Near Wenchuan by a Qualitatively Multi-Baseline Dinsar Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, K.; Chen, G.; Xu, Q.; Li, Z.; Qu, T.; Hu, L.; Lu, H.

2018-04-01

Early detection of landslides is important for disaster prevention, which was still very hard work with traditional surveying methods. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology provided us the ability to monitor displacements along the slope with wide coverage and high accuracy. In this paper, we proposed a qualitatively multi-baseline DInSAR method to early detect and map the potential landslides. Two sections of China National Highway 317 and 213 were selected as study area. With this method 10 potential landslide areas were early detected and mapped in a quick and effective way. One of them (i.e. Shidaguan landslide) collapsed on August 2017, which was coincident with our results, suggesting that this method could become an effective way to acquire the landslide early detection map to assist the future disaster prevention work.

Eigenenergies of a Relativistic Particle in an Infinite Range Linear Potential Using WKB Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shivalingaswamy, T.; Kagali, B. A.

2011-01-01

Energy eigenvalues for a non-relativistic particle in a linear potential well are available. In this paper we obtain the eigenenergies for a relativistic spin less particle in a similar potential using an extension of the well-known WKB method treating the potential as the time component of a four-vector potential. Since genuine bound states do…

An Excel‐based implementation of the spectral method of action potential alternans analysis

PubMed Central

Pearman, Charles M.

2014-01-01

Abstract Action potential (AP) alternans has been well established as a mechanism of arrhythmogenesis and sudden cardiac death. Proper interpretation of AP alternans requires a robust method of alternans quantification. Traditional methods of alternans analysis neglect higher order periodicities that may have greater pro‐arrhythmic potential than classical 2:1 alternans. The spectral method of alternans analysis, already widely used in the related study of microvolt T‐wave alternans, has also been used to study AP alternans. Software to meet the specific needs of AP alternans analysis is not currently available in the public domain. An AP analysis tool is implemented here, written in Visual Basic for Applications and using Microsoft Excel as a shell. This performs a sophisticated analysis of alternans behavior allowing reliable distinction of alternans from random fluctuations, quantification of alternans magnitude, and identification of which phases of the AP are most affected. In addition, the spectral method has been adapted to allow detection and quantification of higher order regular oscillations. Analysis of action potential morphology is also performed. A simple user interface enables easy import, analysis, and export of collated results. PMID:25501439

Does PKM(zeta) maintain memory?

PubMed

Kwapis, Janine L; Helmstetter, Fred J

2014-06-01

Work on the long-term stability of memory has identified a potentially critical role for protein kinase Mzeta (PKMζ) in maintaining established memory. PKMζ, an autonomously active isoform of PKC, is hypothesized to sustain those changes that occurred during memory formation in order to preserve the memory engram over time. Initial studies investigating the role of PKMζ were largely successful in demonstrating a role for the kinase in memory maintenance; disrupting PKMζ activity with ζ-inhibitory peptide (ZIP) was successful in disrupting a variety of established associations in a number of key brain regions. More recent work, however, has questioned both the role of PKMζ in memory maintenance and the effectiveness of ZIP as a specific inhibitor of PKMζ activity. Here, we outline the research both for and against the idea that PKMζ is a memory maintenance mechanism and discuss how these two lines of research can be reconciled. We conclude by proposing a number of studies that would help to clarify the role of PKMζ in memory and define other mechanisms the brain may use to maintain memory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A potential method for lift evaluation from velocity field data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Guyon-Crozier, Guillaume; Mulleners, Karen

2017-11-01

Computing forces from velocity field measurements is one of the challenges in experimental aerodynamics. This work focuses on low Reynolds flows, where the dynamics of the leading and trailing edge vortices play a major role in lift production. Recent developments in 2D potential flow theory, using discrete vortex models, have shown good results for unsteady wing motions. A method is presented to calculate lift from experimental velocity field data using a discrete vortex potential flow model. The model continuously adds new point vortices at leading and trailing edges whose circulations are set directly from vorticity measurements. Forces are computed using the unsteady Blasius equation and compared with measured loads.

Systematic Convergence in Applying Variational Method to Double-Well Potential

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mei, Wai-Ning

2016-01-01

In this work, we demonstrate the application of the variational method by computing the ground- and first-excited state energies of a double-well potential. We start with the proper choice of the trial wave functions using optimized parameters, and notice that accurate expectation values in excellent agreement with the numerical results can be…

Calculation of smooth potential energy surfaces using local electron correlation methods

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

Mata, Ricardo A.; Werner, Hans-Joachim

2006-11-14

The geometry dependence of excitation domains in local correlation methods can lead to noncontinuous potential energy surfaces. We propose a simple domain merging procedure which eliminates this problem in many situations. The method is applied to heterolytic bond dissociations of ketene and propadienone, to SN2 reactions of Cl{sup -} with alkylchlorides, and in a quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical study of the chorismate mutase enzyme. It is demonstrated that smooth potentials are obtained in all cases. Furthermore, basis set superposition error effects are reduced in local calculations, and it is found that this leads to better basis set convergence when computing barriermore » heights or weak interactions. When the electronic structure strongly changes between reactants or products and the transition state, the domain merging procedure leads to a balanced description of all structures and accurate barrier heights.« less

Recursion-transform method and potential formulae of the m × n cobweb and fan networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Zhi-Zhong

2017-08-01

In this paper, we made a new breakthrough, which proposes a new Recursion-Transform (RT) method with potential parameters to evaluate the nodal potential in arbitrary resistor networks. For the first time, we found the exact potential formulae of arbitrary m× n cobweb and fan networks by the RT method, and the potential formulae of infinite and semi-infinite networks are derived. As applications, a series of interesting corollaries of potential formulae are given by using the general formula, the equivalent resistance formula is deduced by using the potential formula, and we find a new trigonometric identity by comparing two equivalence results with different forms. Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. BK20161278).

Potential energy surfaces related to the ion-molecule reaction C/sup +/ + H/sub 2/

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

Liskow, D.H.; Bender, C.F.; Schaefer, H.F. III

1974-10-01

The C/sup +/ + H/sub 2/ ion-molecule reaction has been studied by several experimental groups and appears likely to become the focal point of much experimental and theoretical activity. Ab initio self-consistent-field and configuration interaction calculations have accordingly been carried out for this system. A double zeta basis set of contracted Gaussian functions was employed and as many as 648 configurations included. For isosceles triangle configurations (C/sub 2V/ point group) the /sup 2/A/sub 1/, /sup 2/B/sub 1/, and /sup 2/B/sub 2/ potential surfaces were considered, while for linear geometries (C/sub infinity V) the /sup 2/..sigma../sup +/ and /sup 2/PI surfacesmore » were studied. For general (C/sub S/) geometry, the lowest /sup 2/A' potential surface was considered. Properties reported include minimum energy paths and energy profiles for the various processes considered. The intuitive correlation diagram of Mahan and Sloane is given qualitative reliability. Pathways to CH/sub 2//sup +/ complex formation are shown to depend crucially on the C/sub S/ potential surface.« less

Evaluation method for the potential functionome harbored in the genome and metagenome

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background One of the main goals of genomic analysis is to elucidate the comprehensive functions (functionome) in individual organisms or a whole community in various environments. However, a standard evaluation method for discerning the functional potentials harbored within the genome or metagenome has not yet been established. We have developed a new evaluation method for the potential functionome, based on the completion ratio of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional modules. Results Distribution of the completion ratio of the KEGG functional modules in 768 prokaryotic species varied greatly with the kind of module, and all modules primarily fell into 4 patterns (universal, restricted, diversified and non-prokaryotic modules), indicating the universal and unique nature of each module, and also the versatility of the KEGG Orthology (KO) identifiers mapped to each one. The module completion ratio in 8 phenotypically different bacilli revealed that some modules were shared only in phenotypically similar species. Metagenomes of human gut microbiomes from 13 healthy individuals previously determined by the Sanger method were analyzed based on the module completion ratio. Results led to new discoveries in the nutritional preferences of gut microbes, believed to be one of the mutualistic representations of gut microbiomes to avoid nutritional competition with the host. Conclusions The method developed in this study could characterize the functionome harbored in genomes and metagenomes. As this method also provided taxonomical information from KEGG modules as well as the gene hosts constructing the modules, interpretation of completion profiles was simplified and we could identify the complementarity between biochemical functions in human hosts and the nutritional preferences in human gut microbiomes. Thus, our method has the potential to be a powerful tool for comparative functional analysis in genomics and metagenomics, able to target unknown

Evaluation method for the potential functionome harbored in the genome and metagenome.

PubMed

Takami, Hideto; Taniguchi, Takeaki; Moriya, Yuki; Kuwahara, Tomomi; Kanehisa, Minoru; Goto, Susumu

2012-12-12

One of the main goals of genomic analysis is to elucidate the comprehensive functions (functionome) in individual organisms or a whole community in various environments. However, a standard evaluation method for discerning the functional potentials harbored within the genome or metagenome has not yet been established. We have developed a new evaluation method for the potential functionome, based on the completion ratio of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional modules. Distribution of the completion ratio of the KEGG functional modules in 768 prokaryotic species varied greatly with the kind of module, and all modules primarily fell into 4 patterns (universal, restricted, diversified and non-prokaryotic modules), indicating the universal and unique nature of each module, and also the versatility of the KEGG Orthology (KO) identifiers mapped to each one. The module completion ratio in 8 phenotypically different bacilli revealed that some modules were shared only in phenotypically similar species. Metagenomes of human gut microbiomes from 13 healthy individuals previously determined by the Sanger method were analyzed based on the module completion ratio. Results led to new discoveries in the nutritional preferences of gut microbes, believed to be one of the mutualistic representations of gut microbiomes to avoid nutritional competition with the host. The method developed in this study could characterize the functionome harbored in genomes and metagenomes. As this method also provided taxonomical information from KEGG modules as well as the gene hosts constructing the modules, interpretation of completion profiles was simplified and we could identify the complementarity between biochemical functions in human hosts and the nutritional preferences in human gut microbiomes. Thus, our method has the potential to be a powerful tool for comparative functional analysis in genomics and metagenomics, able to target unknown environments containing various

Current matrix element in HAL QCD's wavefunction-equivalent potential method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Kai; Ishii, Noriyoshi

2018-04-01

We give a formula to calculate a matrix element of a conserved current in the effective quantum mechanics defined by the wavefunction-equivalent potentials proposed by the HAL QCD collaboration. As a first step, a non-relativistic field theory with two-channel coupling is considered as the original theory, with which a wavefunction-equivalent HAL QCD potential is obtained in a closed analytic form. The external field method is used to derive the formula by demanding that the result should agree with the original theory. With this formula, the matrix element is obtained by sandwiching the effective current operator between the left and right eigenfunctions of the effective Hamiltonian associated with the HAL QCD potential. In addition to the naive one-body current, the effective current operator contains an additional two-body term emerging from the degrees of freedom which has been integrated out.

Work function measurements by the field emission retarding potential method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, L. W.; Strayer, R. W.; Mackie, W. A.

1971-01-01

Using the field emission retarding potential method true work functions have been measured for the following monocrystalline substrates: W(110), W(111), W(100), Nb(100), Ni(100), Cu(100), Ir(110) and Ir(111). The electron elastic and inelastic reflection coefficients from several of these surfaces have also been examined near zero primary beam energy.

Fabricating TiO2 nanocolloids by electric spark discharge method at normal temperature and pressure.

PubMed

Tseng, Kuo-Hsiung; Chang, Chaur-Yang; Chung, Meng-Yun; Cheng, Ting-Shou

2017-11-17

In this study, TiO 2 nanocolloids were successfully fabricated in deionized water without using suspending agents through using the electric spark discharge method at room temperature and under normal atmospheric pressure. This method was exceptional because it did not create nanoparticle dispersion and the produced colloids contained no derivatives. The proposed method requires only traditional electrical discharge machines (EDMs), self-made magnetic stirrers, and Ti wires (purity, 99.99%). The EDM pulse on time (T on ) and pulse off time (T off ) were respectively set at 50 and 100 μs, 100 and 100 μs, 150 and 100 μs, and 200 and 100 μs to produce four types of TiO 2 nanocolloids. Zetasizer analysis of the nanocolloids showed that a decrease in T on increased the suspension stability, but there were no significant correlations between T on and particle size. Colloids produced from the four production configurations showed a minimum particle size between 29.39 and 52.85 nm and a zeta-potential between -51.2 and -46.8 mV, confirming that the method introduced in this study can be used to produce TiO 2 nanocolloids with excellent suspension stability. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy also indicated that the TiO 2 colloids did not contain elements other than Ti and oxygen.

Methods to preserve potentially toxigenic fungi.

PubMed

Guimarães, Lucas Costa; Fernandes, Ana Paula; Chalfoun, Sara Maria; Batista, Luís Roberto

2014-01-01

Microorganisms are a source of many high-value compounds which are useful to every living being, such as humans, plants and animals. Since the process of isolating and improving a microorganism can be lengthy and expensive, preserving the obtained characteristic is of paramount importance, so the process does not need to be repeated. Fungi are eukaryotic, achlorophyllous, heterotrophic organisms, usually filamentous, absorb their food, can be either macro or microscopic, propagate themselves by means of spores and store glycogen as a source of storage. Fungi, while infesting food, may produce toxic substances such as mycotoxins. The great genetic diversity of the Kingdom Fungi renders the preservation of fungal cultures for many years relevant. Several international reference mycological culture collections are maintained in many countries. The methodologies that are most fit for preserving microorganisms for extended periods are based on lowering the metabolism until it reaches a stage of artificial dormancy. The goal of this study was to analyze three methods for potentially toxigenic fungal conservation (Castellani's, continuous subculture and lyophilization) and to identify the best among them.

Green synthesis, characterization and anticancer potential of platinum nanoparticles Bioplatin.

PubMed

Bendale, Yogesh; Bendale, Vineeta; Paul, Saili; Bhattacharyya, Soumya Sundar

2012-06-01

In the present study, the anticancer potential of platinum nanoparticles Bioplatin is explored and the mode of interactions of Bioplatin with calf thymus DNA and honey was analyzed. Bioplatin was synthesized with the help of green nanotechnology and characterized by particle size, zeta potential and surface morphology. The interaction of Bioplatin with DNA and honey was also checked with the help of circular dichroism spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The anticancer potential of Bioplatin was evaluated on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and A375 cells in vitro by analyzing results of MTT (3-(4,5)-dimethyl-thiahiazo-(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide), fluorescence microscopic studies and DNA fragmentation assay. Bioplatin exhibited a small particle size of 137.5 nm and a surface charge of -35.8 mV. Bioplatin interacted with DNA and brought in effective changes in structure and conformation of DNA, and formed a new complex that increased its stability of DNA intercalated with the base pair of DNA. In vitro studies demonstrated that Bioplatin arrested cell proliferation, and induced chromatin condensation and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Bioplatin induces apoptosis in cancer cells and may have some beneficial effect against human carcinoma. It interacts with DNA, brings stabilization to DNA, and thus prevents the replication of DNA.

Evaluation of the constant potential method in simulating electric double-layer capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhenxing; Yang, Yang; Olmsted, David L.; Asta, Mark; Laird, Brian B.

2014-11-01

A major challenge in the molecular simulation of electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) is the choice of an appropriate model for the electrode. Typically, in such simulations the electrode surface is modeled using a uniform fixed charge on each of the electrode atoms, which ignores the electrode response to local charge fluctuations in the electrolyte solution. In this work, we evaluate and compare this Fixed Charge Method (FCM) with the more realistic Constant Potential Method (CPM), [S. K. Reed et al., J. Chem. Phys. 126, 084704 (2007)], in which the electrode charges fluctuate in order to maintain constant electric potential in each electrode. For this comparison, we utilize a simplified LiClO4-acetonitrile/graphite EDLC. At low potential difference (ΔΨ ⩽ 2 V), the two methods yield essentially identical results for ion and solvent density profiles; however, significant differences appear at higher ΔΨ. At ΔΨ ⩾ 4 V, the CPM ion density profiles show significant enhancement (over FCM) of "inner-sphere adsorbed" Li+ ions very close to the electrode surface. The ability of the CPM electrode to respond to local charge fluctuations in the electrolyte is seen to significantly lower the energy (and barrier) for the approach of Li+ ions to the electrode surface.

Numerical solution of a multi-ion one-potential model for electroosmotic flow in two-dimensional rectangular microchannels.

PubMed

Van Theemsche, Achim; Deconinck, Johan; Van den Bossche, Bart; Bortels, Leslie

2002-10-01

A new more general numerical model for the simulation of electrokinetic flow in rectangular microchannels is presented. The model is based on the dilute solution model and the Navier-Stokes equations and has been implemented in a finite-element-based C++ code. The model includes the ion distribution in the Helmholtz double layer and considers only one single electrical' potential field variable throughout the domain. On a charged surface(s) the surface charge density, which is proportional to the local electrical field, is imposed. The zeta potential results, then, from this boundary condition and depends on concentrations, temperature, ion valence, molecular diffusion coefficients, and geometric conditions. Validation cases show that the model predicts accurately known analytical results, also for geometries having dimensions comparable to the Debye length. As a final study, the electro-osmotic flow in a controlled cross channel is investigated.

A Floating Potential Method for Determining Ion Density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, John D.; Chen, Francis F.

2001-10-01

The density n in partially ionized discharges is often found from the saturation ion current Ii of a cylindrical Langmuir probe. Collisionless probe theories, however, disagree with measured I - V curves probably because of collisions^1. We use a heuristic method that yields n from probe data agreeing with microwave interferometry. Probe current I is raised to the 4/3 power and fitted to a straight line on an I^4/3-V plot. The line is extrapolated to the floating potential V_f, thus approximating I_i(V_f). The sheath thickness d_sh for V = Vf is calculated from the Child-Langmuir (CL) law, and applying the Bohm sheath criterion to the surface at r_sh = Rp + d_sh yields n when Ii = I_i(V_f). This method works, but it cannot be justified by theory. Neglected are (a) cylindrical convergence of the ion charge, (b) finite ion energy at r = r_sh, (c) ions orbiting the probe, and (d) escape of ions axially. The Allen-Boyd-Reynolds theory, which treats (a) and (b) and neglects (c) and (d), gives too low n's. Apparently the errors self-cancel, and the simple Vf method gives the right result. ^1 F.F. Chen, Phys. Plasmas 8, 3029 (2001).

Method of Analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey California District Sacramento Laboratory?Determination of Trihalomethane Formation Potential, Method Validation, and Quality-Control Practices

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crepeau, Kathryn L.; Fram, Miranda S.; Bush, Noel

2004-01-01

An analytical method for the determination of the trihalomethane formation potential of water samples has been developed. The trihalomethane formation potential is measured by dosing samples with chlorine under specified conditions of pH, temperature, incubation time, darkness, and residual-free chlorine, and then analyzing the resulting trihalomethanes by purge and trap/gas chromatography equipped with an electron capture detector. Detailed explanations of the method and quality-control practices are provided. Method validation experiments showed that the trihalomethane formation potential varies as a function of time between sample collection and analysis, residual-free chlorine concentration, method of sample dilution, and the concentration of bromide in the sample.

Essential role of protein kinase C zeta in transducing a motility signal induced by superoxide and a chemotactic peptide, fMLP.

PubMed

Kuribayashi, Kageaki; Nakamura, Kiminori; Tanaka, Maki; Sato, Tsutomu; Kato, Junji; Sasaki, Katsunori; Takimoto, Rishu; Kogawa, Katsuhisa; Terui, Takeshi; Takayama, Tetsuji; Onuma, Takayuki; Matsunaga, Takuya; Niitsu, Yoshiro

2007-03-26

Under various pathological conditions, including infection, malignancy, and autoimmune diseases, tissues are incessantly exposed to reactive oxygen species produced by infiltrating inflammatory cells. We show augmentation of motility associated with morphological changes of human squamous carcinoma SASH1 cells, human peripheral monocytes (hPMs), and murine macrophage-like cell line J774.1 by superoxide stimulation. We also disclose that motility of hPMs and J774.1 induced by a chemotactic peptide (N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine [fMLP]) was inhibited by superoxide dismutase or N-acetylcystein, indicating stimulation of motility by superoxide generated by fMLP stimulation. In these cells, protein kinase C (PKC) zeta was activated to phosphorylate RhoGDI-1, which liberated RhoGTPases, leading to their activation. These events were inhibited by dominant-negative PKCzeta in SASH1 cells, myristoylated PKCzeta peptides in hPMs and J774.1, or a specific inhibitor of RhoGTPase in SASH1, hPMs, and J774.1. These results suggest a new approach for manipulation of inflammation as well as tumor cell invasion by targeting this novel signaling pathway.

An ab initio global potential-energy surface for NH2(A(2)A') and vibrational spectrum of the Renner-Teller A(2)A'-X(2)A" system.

PubMed

Zhou, Shulan; Li, Zheng; Xie, Daiqian; Lin, Shi Ying; Guo, Hua

2009-05-14

A global potential-energy surface for the first excited electronic state of NH(2)(A(2)A(')) has been constructed by three-dimensional cubic spline interpolation of more than 20,000 ab initio points, which were calculated at the multireference configuration-interaction level with the Davidson correction using the augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple-zeta basis set. The (J=0) vibrational energy levels for the ground (X(2)A(")) and excited (A(2)A(')) electronic states of NH(2) were calculated on our potential-energy surfaces with the diagonal Renner-Teller terms. The results show a good agreement with the experimental vibrational frequencies of NH(2) and its isotopomers.

Full potential methods for analysis/design of complex aerospace configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shankar, Vijaya; Szema, Kuo-Yen; Bonner, Ellwood

1986-01-01

The steady form of the full potential equation, in conservative form, is employed to analyze and design a wide variety of complex aerodynamic shapes. The nonlinear method is based on the theory of characteristic signal propagation coupled with novel flux biasing concepts and body-fitted mapping procedures. The resulting codes are vectorized for the CRAY XMP and the VPS-32 supercomputers. Use of the full potential nonlinear theory is demonstrated for a single-point supersonic wing design and a multipoint design for transonic maneuver/supersonic cruise/maneuver conditions. Achievement of high aerodynamic efficiency through numerical design is verified by wind tunnel tests. Other studies reported include analyses of a canard/wing/nacelle fighter geometry.

The potential of cashew gum functionalization as building blocks for layer-by-layer films.

PubMed

Leite, Álvaro J; Costa, Rui R; Costa, Ana M S; Maciel, Jeanny S; Costa, José F G; de Paula, Regina C M; Mano, João F

2017-10-15

Cashew gum (CG), an exudate polysaccharide from Anacardium occidentale trees, was carboxymethylated (CGCm) and oxidized (CGO). These derivatives were characterized by FTIR and zeta potential measurements confirming the success of carboxymethylation and oxidation reactions. Nanostructured multilayered films were then produced through layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly in conjugation with chitosan via electrostatic interactions or Schiff bases covalent bonds. The films were analyzed by QCM-D and AFM. CG functionalization increased the film thickness, with the highest thickness being achieved for the lowest oxidation degree. The roughest surface was obtained for the CGO with the highest oxidation degree due to the predominance of covalent Schiff bases. This work shows that nanostructured films can be assembled and stabilized by covalent bonds in alternative to the conventional electrostatic ones. Moreover, the functionalization of CG can increase its feasibility in multilayers films, widening its potential in biomedical, food industry, or environmental applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inversion of potential field data using the finite element method on parallel computers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, L.; Altinay, C.; Shaw, S.

2015-11-01

In this paper we present a formulation of the joint inversion of potential field anomaly data as an optimization problem with partial differential equation (PDE) constraints. The problem is solved using the iterative Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) method with the Hessian operator of the regularization and cross-gradient component of the cost function as preconditioner. We will show that each iterative step requires the solution of several PDEs namely for the potential fields, for the adjoint defects and for the application of the preconditioner. In extension to the traditional discrete formulation the BFGS method is applied to continuous descriptions of the unknown physical properties in combination with an appropriate integral form of the dot product. The PDEs can easily be solved using standard conforming finite element methods (FEMs) with potentially different resolutions. For two examples we demonstrate that the number of PDE solutions required to reach a given tolerance in the BFGS iteration is controlled by weighting regularization and cross-gradient but is independent of the resolution of PDE discretization and that as a consequence the method is weakly scalable with the number of cells on parallel computers. We also show a comparison with the UBC-GIF GRAV3D code.

An Excel-based implementation of the spectral method of action potential alternans analysis.

PubMed

Pearman, Charles M

2014-12-01

Action potential (AP) alternans has been well established as a mechanism of arrhythmogenesis and sudden cardiac death. Proper interpretation of AP alternans requires a robust method of alternans quantification. Traditional methods of alternans analysis neglect higher order periodicities that may have greater pro-arrhythmic potential than classical 2:1 alternans. The spectral method of alternans analysis, already widely used in the related study of microvolt T-wave alternans, has also been used to study AP alternans. Software to meet the specific needs of AP alternans analysis is not currently available in the public domain. An AP analysis tool is implemented here, written in Visual Basic for Applications and using Microsoft Excel as a shell. This performs a sophisticated analysis of alternans behavior allowing reliable distinction of alternans from random fluctuations, quantification of alternans magnitude, and identification of which phases of the AP are most affected. In addition, the spectral method has been adapted to allow detection and quantification of higher order regular oscillations. Analysis of action potential morphology is also performed. A simple user interface enables easy import, analysis, and export of collated results. © 2014 The Author. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

A modified Embedded-Atom Method interatomic potential for uranium-silicide

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

Beeler, Benjamin; Baskes, Michael; Andersson, David

Uranium-silicide (U-Si) fuels are being pursued as a possible accident tolerant fuel (ATF). This uranium alloy fuel bene ts from higher thermal conductivity and higher ssile density compared to uranium dioxide (UO 2). In order to perform engineering scale nuclear fuel performance simulations, the material properties of the fuel must be known. Currently, the experimental data available for U-Si fuels is rather limited. Thus, multiscale modeling e orts are underway to address this gap in knowledge. In this study, a semi-empirical modi ed Embedded-Atom Method (MEAM) potential is presented for the description of the U-Si system. The potential is ttedmore » to the formation energy, defect energies and structural properties of U 3Si 2. The primary phase of interest (U 3Si 2) is accurately described over a wide temperature range and displays good behavior under irradiation and with free surfaces. The potential can also describe a variety of U-Si phases across the composition spectrum.« less

A modified Embedded-Atom Method interatomic potential for uranium-silicide

DOE PAGES

Beeler, Benjamin; Baskes, Michael; Andersson, David; ...

2017-08-18

Uranium-silicide (U-Si) fuels are being pursued as a possible accident tolerant fuel (ATF). This uranium alloy fuel bene ts from higher thermal conductivity and higher ssile density compared to uranium dioxide (UO 2). In order to perform engineering scale nuclear fuel performance simulations, the material properties of the fuel must be known. Currently, the experimental data available for U-Si fuels is rather limited. Thus, multiscale modeling e orts are underway to address this gap in knowledge. In this study, a semi-empirical modi ed Embedded-Atom Method (MEAM) potential is presented for the description of the U-Si system. The potential is ttedmore » to the formation energy, defect energies and structural properties of U 3Si 2. The primary phase of interest (U 3Si 2) is accurately described over a wide temperature range and displays good behavior under irradiation and with free surfaces. The potential can also describe a variety of U-Si phases across the composition spectrum.« less

A modified Embedded-Atom Method interatomic potential for uranium-silicide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beeler, Benjamin; Baskes, Michael; Andersson, David; Cooper, Michael W. D.; Zhang, Yongfeng

2017-11-01

Uranium-silicide (U-Si) fuels are being pursued as a possible accident tolerant fuel (ATF). This uranium alloy fuel benefits from higher thermal conductivity and higher fissile density compared to uranium dioxide (UO2). In order to perform engineering scale nuclear fuel performance simulations, the material properties of the fuel must be known. Currently, the experimental data available for U-Si fuels is rather limited. Thus, multiscale modeling efforts are underway to address this gap in knowledge. In this study, a semi-empirical modified Embedded-Atom Method (MEAM) potential is presented for the description of the U-Si system. The potential is fitted to the formation energy, defect energies and structural properties of U3Si2. The primary phase of interest (U3Si2) is accurately described over a wide temperature range and displays good behavior under irradiation and with free surfaces. The potential can also describe a variety of U-Si phases across the composition spectrum.

DNA-magnetic Particle Binding Analysis by Dynamic and Electrophoretic Light Scattering.

PubMed

Haddad, Yazan; Dostalova, Simona; Kudr, Jiri; Zitka, Ondrej; Heger, Zbynek; Adam, Vojtech

2017-11-09

Isolation of DNA using magnetic particles is a field of high importance in biotechnology and molecular biology research. This protocol describes the evaluation of DNA-magnetic particles binding via dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electrophoretic light scattering (ELS). Analysis by DLS provides valuable information on the physicochemical properties of particles including particle size, polydispersity, and zeta potential. The latter describes the surface charge of the particle which plays major role in electrostatic binding of materials such as DNA. Here, a comparative analysis exploits three chemical modifications of nanoparticles and microparticles and their effects on DNA binding and elution. Chemical modifications by branched polyethylenimine, tetraethyl orthosilicate and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane are investigated. Since DNA exhibits a negative charge, it is expected that zeta potential of particle surface will decrease upon binding of DNA. Forming of clusters should also affect particle size. In order to investigate the efficiency of these particles in isolation and elution of DNA, the particles are mixed with DNA in low pH (~6), high ionic strength and dehydration environment. Particles are washed on magnet and then DNA is eluted by Tris-HCl buffer (pH = 8). DNA copy number is estimated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Zeta potential, particle size, polydispersity and quantitative PCR data are evaluated and compared. DLS is an insightful and supporting method of analysis that adds a new perspective to the process of screening of particles for DNA isolation.

Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of a cationic polymer in aqueous solution with a convenient electrochemical method.

PubMed

Wang, Yihong; Guo, Qing; Wang, Huafu; Qian, Kun; Tian, Liang; Yao, Chen; Song, Wei; Shu, Weixia; Chen, Ping; Qi, Jinxu

2017-02-01

Quaternized chitosan is a cationic biopolymer with good antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, and it has been widely applied in many fields. We have developed a convenient method to evaluate the antibacterial activity of hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) with a nonionic surfactant poloxamer in aqueous solution by monitoring the change of the oxidation peak current in cyclic voltammetry. Increasing values of the oxidation peak current were positively correlated with the antibacterial activity of HACC-poloxamer solutions. Optical microscope images, the zeta potential, and fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the aggregation state of HACC-poloxamer was related to the ratio of the two polymers and also to the antibacterial activity and oxidation peak current. At an HACC-to-poloxamer ratio of 1:0.75, the maximum surface charge density and the smooth edge of HACC-poloxamer aggregates can accelerate diffusion in aqueous solution. It is expected that this convenient method can be applied for a quick evaluation of the antibacterial activity of cationic biopolymers in aqueous solution. Graphical Abstract The cyclic voltammograms of MB in HACC/poloxamer solution, and the antibacterial efficiency against S. aureus after incubated with HACC (a) and 1/0.75 of HACC/poloxamer (b).

Arginine-based cationic liposomes for efficient in vitro plasmid DNA delivery with low cytotoxicity

PubMed Central

Sarker, Satya Ranjan; Aoshima, Yumiko; Hokama, Ryosuke; Inoue, Takafumi; Sou, Keitaro; Takeoka, Shinji

2013-01-01

Background Currently available gene delivery vehicles have many limitations such as low gene delivery efficiency and high cytotoxicity. To overcome these drawbacks, we designed and synthesized two cationic lipids comprised of n-tetradecyl alcohol as the hydrophobic moiety, 3-hydrocarbon chain as the spacer, and different counterions (eg, hydrogen chloride [HCl] salt or trifluoroacetic acid [TFA] salt) in the arginine head group. Methods Cationic lipids were hydrated in 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffer to prepare cationic liposomes and characterized in terms of their size, zeta potential, phase transition temperature, and morphology. Lipoplexes were then prepared and characterized in terms of their size and zeta potential in the absence or presence of serum. The morphology of the lipoplexes was determined using transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The gene delivery efficiency was evaluated in neuronal cells and HeLa cells and compared with that of lysine-based cationic assemblies and Lipofectamine™ 2000. The cytotoxicity level of the cationic lipids was investigated and compared with that of Lipofectamine™ 2000. Results We synthesized arginine-based cationic lipids having different counterions (ie, HCl-salt or TFA-salt) that formed cationic liposomes of around 100 nm in size. In the absence of serum, lipoplexes prepared from the arginine-based cationic liposomes and plasmid (p) DNA formed large aggregates and attained a positive zeta potential. However, in the presence of serum, the lipoplexes were smaller in size and negative in zeta potential. The morphology of the lipoplexes was vesicular. Arginine-based cationic liposomes with HCl-salt showed the highest transfection efficiency in PC-12 cells. However, arginine-based cationic liposomes with TFA salt showed the highest transfection efficiency in HeLa cells, regardless of the presence of serum, with very low associated cytotoxicity. Conclusion The gene

A method for evaluating photovoltaic potential in China based on GIS platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L. Z.; Tan, H. W.; Ji, L.; Wang, D.

2017-11-01

Solar photovoltaic systems are commonly utilized in China. However, the associated research is still lack of its resource potential analysis in all regions in China. Based on the existed data about solar radiation and system conversion efficiency data, a new method for distributed photovoltaic potential assessment has been presented. The experiment of three kinds of solar photovoltaic system has been set up for the purpose of analyzing the relationship between conversion efficiency and environmental parameters. This paper fits the relationship between conversion efficiency and solar radiation intensity. This method takes into account the amount of solar radiation that is effectively generated and drives away the weak values. With the spatial analysis function of geographic information system (GIS) platform, frequency distribution of solar radiation intensity and PV potential in China can be derived. Furthermore, analytical results show that monocrystalline-silicon PV generation in the north-western and northern areas have reached a level of more than 200 kWh/(m2.a), making those areas be suitable for the development of PV system. However, the potential for southwest areas reaches a level of only 130 kWh/(m2.a). This paper can provide the baseline reference for solar energy development planning.

Compensating for Electrode Polarization in Dielectric Spectroscopy Studies of Colloidal Suspensions: Theoretical Assessment of Existing Methods

PubMed Central

Chassagne, Claire; Dubois, Emmanuelle; Jiménez, María L.; van der Ploeg, J. P. M; van Turnhout, Jan

2016-01-01

Dielectric spectroscopy can be used to determine the dipole moment of colloidal particles from which important interfacial electrokinetic properties, for instance their zeta potential, can be deduced. Unfortunately, dielectric spectroscopy measurements are hampered by electrode polarization (EP). In this article, we review several procedures to compensate for this effect. First EP in electrolyte solutions is described: the complex conductivity is derived as function of frequency, for two cell geometries (planar and cylindrical) with blocking electrodes. The corresponding equivalent circuit for the electrolyte solution is given for each geometry. This equivalent circuit model is extended to suspensions. The complex conductivity of a suspension, in the presence of EP, is then calculated from the impedance. Different methods for compensating for EP are critically assessed, with the help of the theoretical findings. Their limit of validity is given in terms of characteristic frequencies. We can identify with one of these frequencies the frequency range within which data uncorrected for EP may be used to assess the dipole moment of colloidal particles. In order to extract this dipole moment from the measured data, two methods are reviewed: one is based on the use of existing models for the complex conductivity of suspensions, the other is the logarithmic derivative method. An extension to multiple relaxations of the logarithmic derivative method is proposed. PMID:27486575

Optimization of ultrasonication period for better dispersion and stability of TiO2-water nanofluid.

PubMed

Mahbubul, I M; Elcioglu, Elif Begum; Saidur, R; Amalina, M A

2017-07-01

Nanofluids are promising in many fields, including engineering and medicine. Stability deterioration may be a critical constraint for potential applications of nanofluids. Proper ultrasonication can improve the stability, and possibility of the safe use of nanofluids in different applications. In this study, stability properties of TiO 2 -H 2 O nanofluid for varying ultrasonication durations were tested. The nanofluids were prepared through two-step method; and electron microscopies, with particle size distribution and zeta potential analyses were conducted for the evaluation of their stability. Results showed the positive impact of ultrasonication on nanofluid dispersion properties up to some extent. Ultrasonication longer than 150min resulted in re-agglomeration of nanoparticles. Therefore, ultrasonication for 150min was the optimum period yielding highest stability. A regression analysis was also done in order to relate the average cluster size and ultrasonication time to zeta potential. It can be concluded that performing analytical imaging and colloidal property evaluation during and after the sample preparation leads to reliable insights. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of geothermal energy potential by geophysical methods: Nevşehir Region, Central Anatolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kıyak, Alper; Karavul, Can; Gülen, Levent; Pekşen, Ertan; Kılıç, A. Rıza

2015-03-01

In this study, geothermal potential of the Nevşehir region (Central Anatolia) was assessed by using vertical electrical sounding (VES), self-potential (SP), magnetotelluric (MT), gravity and gravity 3D Euler deconvolution structure analysis methods. Extensive volcanic activity occurred in this region from Upper Miocene to Holocene time. Due to the young volcanic activity Nevşehir region can be viewed as a potential geothermal area. We collected data from 54 VES points along 5 profiles, from 28 MT measurement points along 2 profiles (at frequency range between 320 and 0.0001 Hz), and from 4 SP profiles (total 19 km long). The obtained results based on different geophysical methods are consistent with each other. Joint interpretation of all geological and geophysical data suggests that this region has geothermal potential and an exploration well validated this assessment beyond doubt.

Work function measurements by the field emission retarding potential method.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strayer, R. W.; Mackie, W.; Swanson, L. W.

1973-01-01

Description of the theoretical foundation of the field electron retarding potential method, and review of its experimental application to the measurement of single crystal face work functions. The results obtained from several substrates are discussed. An interesting and useful fallout from the experimental approach described is the ability to accurately measure the elastic and inelastic reflection coefficient for impinging electrons to near zero-volt energy.

Cadmium-free aqueous synthesis of ZnSe and ZnSe@ZnS core-shell quantum dots and their differential bioanalyte sensing potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mir, Irshad Ahmad; Rawat, Kamla; Bohidar, H. B.

2016-10-01

Herein we report a facile and cadmium-free approach to prepare water-soluble fluorescent ZnSe@ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs), using thioglycolic acid (TGA) ligand as a stabilizer and thiourea as a sulfur source. The optical properties and morphology of the obtained core-shell QDs were characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD), electrophoresis and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. TEM analysis, and electrophoresis data showed that ZnSe core had an average size of 3.60 ± 0.12 nm and zeta potential of -38 mV; and for ZnSe@ZnS QDs, the mean size was 4.80 ± 0.20 nm and zeta potential was -45 mV. Compared to the core ZnSe QDs, the quantum yield of these core-shell structures was higher (13% versus 32%). These were interacted with five common bioanalytes such as, ascorbic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, glucose and cholesterol which revealed fluorescence quenching due to concentration dependent binding of analytes to the core only, and core-shell QDs. The binding pattern followed the sequence: cholesterol < glucose < ascorbic acid < oxalic acid < citric acid for ZnSe, and cholesterol < glucose < oxalic acid < ascorbic acid < citric acid for core-shell QDs. Thus, enhanced binding was noticed for the analyte citric acid which may facilitate development of a fluorescence-based sensor based on the ZnSe core-only quantum dot platform. Further, the hydrophilic core-shell structure may find use in cell imaging applications.

Does advancing male age influence the expression levels and localisation patterns of phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) in human sperm?

PubMed Central

Yeste, Marc; Jones, Celine; Amdani, Siti Nornadhirah; Yelumalai, Suseela; Mounce, Ginny; da Silva, Sarah J. Martins; Child, Tim; Coward, Kevin

2016-01-01

Socio-economic factors have led to an increasing trend for couples to delay parenthood. However, advancing age exerts detrimental effects upon gametes which can have serious consequences upon embryo viability. While such effects are well documented for the oocyte, relatively little is known with regard to the sperm. One fundamental role of sperm is to activate the oocyte at fertilisation, a process initiated by phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ), a sperm-specific protein. While PLCζ deficiency can lead to oocyte activation deficiency and infertility, it is currently unknown whether the expression or function of PLCζ is compromised by advancing male age. Here, we evaluate sperm motility and the proportion of sperm expressing PLCζ in 71 males (22–54 years; 44 fertile controls and 27 infertile patients), along with total levels and localisation patterns of PLCζ within the sperm head. Three different statistical approaches were deployed with male age considered both as a categorical and a continuous factor. While progressive motility was negatively correlated with male age, all three statistical models concurred that no PLCζ–related parameter was associated with male age, suggesting that advancing male age is unlikely to cause problems in terms of the sperm’s fundamental ability to activate an oocyte. PMID:27270687

Assessment of formulated amodiaquine microparticles in Leishmania donovani infected rats.

PubMed

Nettey, Henry; Allotey-Babington, Grace Lovia; Somuah, Isaac; Banga, N'guessan Benoit; Afrane, Barima; Amponsah, Seth Kwabena; Annor, Henrietta; Darko, Henry; Hanson, Kwame; Aidoo, Anoa; Broni, Marisa Nyarkoa; Sasu, Clement; Nyarko, Alexander

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to formulate, characterise and evaluate the activity of amodiaquine microparticles against Leishmania donovani. Microparticles were formulated by encapsulating the drug in bovine serum albumin using the spray-dryer method. The microparticles were evaluated for size, zeta potential, drug content, encapsulation efficiency and in vitro release profile. The size range of the microparticles formulated was between 1.9 and 10 μm with an average zeta potential of -25.5 mV. Of the expected 20% drug loading, an average of 18.27% was obtained giving an encapsulation efficiency of 91.35%. Pharmacokinetic profile of amodiaquine improved with microencapsulation of the drug with C max , AUC 0→48 and t 1//2 all significantly higher than amodiaquine solution. Amodiaquine microparticles showed an overall higher bioavailability and hence were more effective in eliminating intra-tissue parasites than the drug solution. It would therefore be expected that the formulated microparticles will be more effective in treating visceral leishmaniasis.

Formulation and evaluation of chitosan solid lipid nanoparticles of carbamazepine.

PubMed

Nair, Rahul; Kumar, Ashok C K; Priya, Vishnu K; Yadav, Chakrapani M; Raju, Prasanna Y

2012-06-13

The present work aims at preparing aqueous suspension of Solid lipid Nanoparticles containing Chitosan (CT) which is a biopolymer that exhibits a number of interesting properties which include controlled drug delivery. Carbamezapine (CBZ) is a lipophilic drug which shows it antiepileptic activity by inactivating sodium channels. The solid lipid Nanoparticles (SLN) of Chitosan-CBZ were prepared by using solvent injection method using ethanol as organic solvent. The prepared SLN formulations exhibited high encapsulation efficiency, high physical stability. The drug incorporated SLNs have demonstrated that the controlled release patterns of the drug for prolonged period. The prepared SLNs were characterized for surface morphology by SEM analysis, entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, FTIR, DSC and In-vitro diffusion studies. The hydrodynamic mean diameter and zeta potential were 168.7 ± 1.8 nm and -28.9 ± 2.0 mV for SLN-chitosan-CBZ respectively. Therefore chitosan-SLN can be good candidates to encapsulate CBZ and to increase its therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of Epilepsy.

[Analysis on preparation and characterization of asiaticoside-loaded flexible nanoliposomes].

PubMed

Ren, Yan; He, Xing-Dong; Shang, Bei-Cheng; Bao, Xiu-Kun; Wang, Yan-Fang; Ma, Ji-Sheng

2013-10-01

Asiaticoside is a compound extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Centella asiatica, and mainly used in wound healing and scar repair in clinical, with notable efficacy. However, its poor transdermal absorption and short action time restrict its wide application. In this experiment, the reserve-phase-extrusion-lyophilization method was conducted to prepare the lyophilized asiaticoside-loaded flexible nanoliposomes (LAFL). Its characteristics including electron microscope structure, particle size, Zeta potential, entrapment rate, drug-loading rate, stability and drug release were determined with the intelligent transdermal absorption instrument. LAFL were white spheroids, with pH, particle size and zeta potential of 7. 03, 70. 14 nm and - 36. 5 mV, respectively. The average entrapment rate of the 3 batch samples were 31. 43% , and the average asiaticoside content in 1 mg lyophilized simple was 0. 134 mg. The results indicated that LAFL have good physicochemical properties and pharmaceutical characteristics, with an improved transdermal performance.

Fabrication of hydroxyapatite ceramics with controlled pore characteristics by slip casting.

PubMed

Yao, Xiumin; Tan, Shouhong; Jiang, Dongliang

2005-02-01

Porous hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics with controlled pore characteristics were fabricated using slip casting method by mixing PMMA with HAp powder. The optimum conditions of HAp slip for slip casting was achieved by employing various experimental techniques, zeta potential and sedimentation, as a function of pH of the slips in the pH range of 4-12. HAp suspensions displayed an absolute maximum in zeta potential values and a minimum in sedimentation height at pH 11.5. The optimal amount of dispersant for the HAp suspensions was found at 1.0 wt% according to the viscosity of 25 vol% HAp slurry. The rheological behaviour of HAp slurry displays a shear-thinning behavior without thixotropy, which is needed in slip casting processing. The pore characteristics of sintered porous hydroxyapatite bioceramics can be controlled by added PMMA particle size and volume. The obtained ceramics exhibit higher strength than those obtained by dry pressing.

Preparation and characterization of silver nanoparticles homogenous thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hegazy, Maroof A.; Borham, E.

2018-06-01

The wet chemical method by metal salt reduction has been widely used to synthesize nanoparticles. Accordingly the silver nitrate used as silver precursor and sodium borohydrate as reduction agent. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by different characterization techniques including UV-VIS spectrometry, Transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Zeta potential technique. Thin films of the colloidal solution were fabricated using direct precipitation technique on ITO glass, silicon substrate and commercial glass substrate and characterized by imaging technique. The absorption peak of the silver nanoparticles colloidal solution was around 400 nm. The TEM images indicate that the silver nanoparticles had spherical shape and their sizes were from 10 to 17 nm. The particle size of the silver nanoparticles was confirmed by Zeta potential technique. The imaging technique indicated that the homogeneous distribution of the colloidal silver solution thin film on the silicon substrate was stronger than the ITO glass and inhomogeneous film was emerged on the commercial glass.

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.

Alkaline flocculation of Phaeodactylum tricornutum induced by brucite and calcite

DOE PAGES

Vandamme, Dries; Pohl, Philip I.; Beuckels, Annelies; ...

2015-08-20

Alkaline flocculation holds great potential as a low-cost harvesting method for marine microalgae biomass production. Alkaline flocculation is induced by an increase in pH and is related to precipitation of calcium and magnesium salts. In this study, we used the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as model organism to study alkaline flocculation of marine microalgae cultured in seawater medium. Flocculation started when pH was increased to 10 and flocculation efficiency reached 90% when pH was 10.5, which was consistent with precipitation modeling for brucite or Mg(OH) 2. Compared to freshwater species, more magnesium is needed to achieve flocculation (>7.5 mM). Zeta potentialmore » measurements suggest that brucite precipitation caused flocculation by charge neutralization. When calcium concentration was 12.5 mM, flocculation was also observed at a pH of 10. Furthermore, zeta potential remained negative up to pH 11.5, suggesting that precipitated calcite caused flocculation by a sweeping coagulation mechanism.« less

Relaxation and approximate factorization methods for the unsteady full potential equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shankar, V.; Ide, H.; Gorski, J.

1984-01-01

The unsteady form of the full potential equation is solved in conservation form, using implicit methods based on approximate factorization and relaxation schemes. A local time linearization for density is introduced to enable solution to the equation in terms of phi, the velocity potential. A novel flux-biasing technique is applied to generate proper forms of the artificial viscosity, to treat hyperbolic regions with shocks and sonic lines present. The wake is properly modeled by accounting not only for jumps in phi, but also for jumps in higher derivatives of phi obtained from requirements of density continuity. The far field is modeled using the Riemann invariants to simulate nonreflecting boundary conditions. Results are presented for flows over airfoils, cylinders, and spheres. Comparisons are made with available Euler and full potential results.

Landslide potential zonation in Baleghlu watershed (NW Iran) using AHP Fuzzy method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jananeh, Keristineh; Roostai, Shahram

2017-04-01

Landslides and slope instabilities are among the important natural hazards, which cause human and financial casualties and loss of economic resources every year. These hazards mostly occur in natural slopes or those manipulated by human. Zonation of areas with regard to landslide potential is one of the means to identify areas prone to produce landslide and so, to conduct plannings and management based on the prepared zonation maps in order to reduce the casualties. This contribution investigates on the landslide potential zonation within the Baleghlu watershed. This watershed is located in the southeast of Sabalan volcano (NW Iran) within the longitudes of 47° 48` and 48° 12` E and northern latitudes of 37° 51` and 38° 16` N. Its main river is Baleghlu, which is later connected to the Arax river through the Qarasu and Dareh Roud rivers, and is finally terminated to the Caspian sea. The method of investigation is Fuzzy AHP in the GIS environment. First, the main factors including the slope and its direction, geology, soil, climate, distance from the road and river and land usage were investigated and then, after preparing data layers based on the above-mentioned parameters and giving weights to them in the GIS environment, the landslide potential map was prepared by Fuzzy AHP method. It was revealed that the slope factor with the value of 0.3882 has the highest weight, while the land usage factor with the value of 0.0287 has the lowest weight. According to the final zonation map of the landslide potential, the watershed was divided into 5 classes, ranging from very high potential class to the very low potential. The obtained results showed that the largest part of the watershed (32.21%) has low landslide potential, while about 13.5% of it has very high potential. Areas with very high and high landslide potential (327.39 km2 area) are mainly located in the northwest of the watershed, with some small areas distributed in the south and east, while areas with very

Transforming high-dimensional potential energy surfaces into sum-of-products form using Monte Carlo methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schröder, Markus; Meyer, Hans-Dieter

2017-08-01

We propose a Monte Carlo method, "Monte Carlo Potfit," for transforming high-dimensional potential energy surfaces evaluated on discrete grid points into a sum-of-products form, more precisely into a Tucker form. To this end we use a variational ansatz in which we replace numerically exact integrals with Monte Carlo integrals. This largely reduces the numerical cost by avoiding the evaluation of the potential on all grid points and allows a treatment of surfaces up to 15-18 degrees of freedom. We furthermore show that the error made with this ansatz can be controlled and vanishes in certain limits. We present calculations on the potential of HFCO to demonstrate the features of the algorithm. To demonstrate the power of the method, we transformed a 15D potential of the protonated water dimer (Zundel cation) in a sum-of-products form and calculated the ground and lowest 26 vibrationally excited states of the Zundel cation with the multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree method.

Composition of PLGA and PEI/DNA nanoparticles improves ultrasound-mediated gene delivery in solid tumors in vivo.

PubMed

Chumakova, Olga V; Liopo, Anton V; Andreev, Valery G; Cicenaite, Inga; Evers, B Mark; Chakrabarty, Shilla; Pappas, Todd C; Esenaliev, Rinat O

2008-03-18

The goal of this study was to enhance gene delivery and tumor cell transfection in vivo by using a combination of ultrasonication with complex nanoparticles consisting of two types of nanoparticles: PEI/DNA beta-gal plasmid with highly positive zeta-potential and air-filled poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particles (with negative zeta-potential) manufactured in our laboratory. The PLGA/PEI/DNA nanoparticles were a colloid with positive zeta-potential and injected i.v. in nude mice with DU145 human prostate tumors. We found that the combination of PLGA/PEI/DNA nanoparticles with ultrasonication substantially enhanced tumor cell transfection in vivo. The overexpression of beta-gal gene was evaluated histochemically and by Western blot analysis. At least an 8-fold increase of the cell transfection efficacy was obtained in irradiated tumors compared to non-irradiated controls, while little to no cell death was produced by ultrasonication.

Properties of nanocomposite PP fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2005-06-01

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

Relativistic extension of the Kay-Moses method for constructing transparent potentials in quantum mechanics

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

Toyama, F.M.; Nogami, Y.; Zhao, Z.

1993-02-01

For the Dirac equation in one space dimension with a potential of the Lorentz scalar type, we present a complete solution for the problem of constructing a transparent potential. This is a relativistic extension of the Kay-Moses method which was developed for the nonrelativistic Schroedinger equation. There is an infinite family of transparent potentials. The potentials are all related to solutions of a class of coupled, nonlinear Dirac equations. In addition, it is argued that an admixture of a Lorentz vector component in the potential impairs perfect transparency.

Spatially selective modification of PLLA surface: From hydrophobic to hydrophilic or to repellent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastekova, Kristina; Guselnikova, Olga; Postnikov, Pavel; Elashnikov, Roman; Kunes, Martin; Kolska, Zdenka; Švorčík, Vaclav; Lyutakov, Oleksiy

2017-03-01

A universal approach to controlled surface modification of polylactic acid (PLLA) films using diazonium chemistry was proposed. The multistep procedure includes surface activation of PLLA by argon plasma treatment and chemical activation of arenediazonium tosylates by NaBH4. The surface of PLLA film was grafted with different functional organic groups (OFGs), changing the PLLA surface properties (wettability, morphology, zeta potential, chemical composition, and mechanical response). Three approaches of OFG grafting were examined: (i) plasma treatment following by PLLA immersion into diazonium salt aqueous solution; (ii) grafting of PLLA surface through the reaction with chemically created aryl radicals; (iii) mutual combination of both methods The best results were achieved in the last case, where the previous plasma treatment was combined with further reaction of PLLA surface with generated aryl radicals. Using this method PLLA surface was successfully grafted with amino, carboxyl, aliphatic and fluorinated OFGs. Further investigation of surface properties from potential biological and medical points of view was performed using zeta potential, biodegradation and biofouling tests. It was shown that proposed technique allows preparation of biorepellent or bioabsorptive surfaces, tuning of PLLA biodegradation rate and nanomechanical properties, as well as the introduction of inverse properties (such as hydrophilic and hydrophobic) on both sides of PLLA films.

On the use of the exact exchange optimized effective potential method for static response properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krykunov, Mykhaylo; Ziegler, Tom

In the present work, we question the notion that the modified Kohn-Sham orbital energies and smaller HOMO-LUMO gaps, produced from the exact exchange optimized effective potential (EXX-OEP) method, might significantly improve the paramagnetic contribution to the NMR chemical shifts compared with the regular Hartree-Fock (HF) scheme. First of all, it is shown analytically that if there is such a local potential that produces the HF energy, and the Kohn-Sham orbitals are obtained as a result of separate rotations of the occupied and virtual HF orbitals, any static magnetic property obtained from the coupled perturbed HF method will be identical to that obtained from the EXX-OEP approach. In fact the EXX-OEP method is equivalent to the improved virtual orbitals (IVO) scheme in which the energies of the virtual orbitals are modified by an effective potential. It is shown that the IVO procedure leaves static response properties unchanged. To test our analysis numerically we have employed several variants of the EXX-OEP method, based on the expansion of the local exchange potential into a linear combination of fit functions. The different EXX-OEP schemes have been used to calculate the NMR chemical shifts for a set of small molecules containing C, H, N, O, and F atoms. Comparison of the deviation between experimental and calculated chemical shifts from the HF, the EXX-OEP, and the common energy denominator approximation (CEDA) approximation to the EXX-OEP methods has shown that for carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine the EXX-OEP methods do not yield any improvement over the HF method. For nitrogen and oxygen we have found that the EXX-OEP performs better than the HF method. However, in the limit of infinite fit basis set and, as a consequence of it, a perfect fit of the HF potential the EXX-OEP and the HF methods would afford the same chemical shifts according to our theoretical analysis. Unfortunately, without a perfect fit the chemical shifts from the EXX-OEP method

Extraction, isolation and characterisation of oil bodies from pumpkin seeds for therapeutic use.

PubMed

Adams, Gary G; Imran, Shahwar; Wang, Sheng; Mohammad, Abubaker; Kok, M Samil; Gray, David A; Channell, Guy A; Harding, Stephen E

2012-10-15

Pumpkin, a member of the Cucurbitaceae family has been used frequently as functional medicines for therapeutic use. Several phytochemicals such as polysaccharides, phenolic glycosides, 13-hydroxy-9Z, 11E-octadecatrienoic acid from the leaves of pumpkin, proteins from germinated seeds, have been isolated. Here the influence of pH, ionic strength, and temperature on the properties and stability of oil bodies from pumpkin (Cucurbita) were determined with a view to patterning oil body size and structure for future therapeutic intervention. Oil bodies from pumpkin seeds were extracted, isolated, characterised using optical microscopy, zeta potential and particle size distribution obtained. During microscopic analysis, the oil bodies were more intact and in an integrated form at the time of extraction but were ruptured with time. Water extracted oil bodies were spherical for all four layers where cream had larger oil bodies then upper curd. Lower curd and supernatant had considerably smaller size with lower curd densely packed and seemed to be rich in oil bodies than any of the four layers. At pH 3, in the absence of salt, the zeta potential is approximately +30 mV, but as the salt concentration increases, the ζ potential rises at 10 mM but then decreases over the salt range. This trend continues for the upper curd, lower curd and the supernatant and the degree of the reduction (mV) in zeta potential is of the order creamzeta potential significantly across all layers such that increased salt concentrations induce negative potentials. Increasing the salt concentrations still further, however, does not make the ζ potential more negative. However, at pH 9 the zeta potential falls from 0 to -50 mV as the salt concentration increases with the largest reduction shown with 100 mM salt. Particle size distribution at increasing pH salt concentration

Streaming Potential Modeling to Understand the Identification of Hydraulically Active Fractures and Fracture-Matrix Fluid Interactions Using the Self-Potential Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jougnot, D.; Roubinet, D.; Linde, N.; Irving, J.

2016-12-01

Quantifying fluid flow in fractured media is a critical challenge in a wide variety of research fields and applications. To this end, geophysics offers a variety of tools that can provide important information on subsurface physical properties in a noninvasive manner. Most geophysical techniques infer fluid flow by data or model differencing in time or space (i.e., they are not directly sensitive to flow occurring at the time of the measurements). An exception is the self-potential (SP) method. When water flows in the subsurface, an excess of charge in the pore water that counterbalances electric charges at the mineral-pore water interface gives rise to a streaming current and an associated streaming potential. The latter can be measured with the SP technique, meaning that the method is directly sensitive to fluid flow. Whereas numerous field experiments suggest that the SP method may allow for the detection of hydraulically active fractures, suitable tools for numerically modeling streaming potentials in fractured media do not exist. Here, we present a highly efficient two-dimensional discrete-dual-porosity approach for solving the fluid-flow and associated self-potential problems in fractured domains. Our approach is specifically designed for complex fracture networks that cannot be investigated using standard numerical methods due to computational limitations. We then simulate SP signals associated with pumping conditions for a number of examples to show that (i) accounting for matrix fluid flow is essential for accurate SP modeling and (ii) the sensitivity of SP to hydraulically active fractures is intimately linked with fracture-matrix fluid interactions. This implies that fractures associated with strong SP amplitudes are likely to be hydraulically conductive, attracting fluid flow from the surrounding matrix.

A Comparison between Survey and Verbal Choice Methods of Identifying Potential Reinforcers among Employees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilder, David A; Therrien, Kelly; Wine, Byron

2006-01-01

Two methods of assessing preference for stimuli (i.e., potential reinforcers) were compared for adult administrative assistant employees. During Phase 1, a survey method and a verbal choice method of assessing preference for 6 stimuli were administered. During Phase 2, a coupon system was used to determine which categories of stimuli actually…

A new field method to characterise the runoff generation potential of burned hillslopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheridan, Gary; Lane, Patrick; Langhans, Christoph

2016-04-01

The prediction of post fire runoff generation is critical for the estimation of post fire erosion processes and rates. Typical field measures for determining infiltration model parameters include ring infiltrometers, tension infiltrometers, rainfall simulators and natural runoff plots. However predicting the runoff generating potential of post-fire hillslopes is difficult due to the high spatial variability of soil properties relative to the size of the measurement method, the poorly understood relationship between water repellence and runoff generation, known scaling issues with all the above hydraulic measurements, and logistical limitations for measurements in remote environments. In this study we tested a new field method for characterizing surface runoff generation potential that overcomes these limitations and is quick, simple and cheap to apply in the field. The new field method involves the manual application of a 40mm depth of Brilliant Blue FCF food dye along a 10cm wide and 5m long transect along the contour under slightly-ponded conditions. After 24 hours the transect is excavated to a depth of 10cm and the percentage dyed area within the soil profile recorded manually. The dyed area is an index of infiltration potential of the soil during intense rainfall events, and captures both spatial variability and water repellence effects. The dye measurements were made adjacent to long term instrumented post fire rainfall-runoff plots on 7 contrasting soil types over a 6 month period, and the results show surprisingly strong correlations (r2 = 0.9) between the runoff-ratio from the plots and the dyed area. The results are used to develop an initial conceptual model that links the dye index with an infiltration model and parameters suited to burnt hillslopes. The capacity of this method to provide a simple, and reliable indicator of post fire runoff potential from different fire severities, soil types and treatments is explored in this presentation.

Method for detecting the reactivity of chemicals towards peptides as an alternative test method for assessing skin sensitization potential.

PubMed

Cho, Sun-A; Jeong, Yun Hyeok; Kim, Ji Hoon; Kim, Seoyoung; Cho, Jun-Cheol; Heo, Yong; Heo, Young; Suh, Kyung-Do; Shin, Kyeho; An, Susun

2014-02-10

Cosmetics are normally composed of various ingredients. Some cosmetic ingredients can act as chemical haptens reacting toward proteins or peptides of human skin and they can provoke an immunologic reaction, called as skin sensitization. This haptenation process is very important step of inducing skin sensitization and evaluating the sensitizing potentials of cosmetic ingredients is very important for consumer safety. Therefore, animal alternative methods focusing on monitoring haptenation potential are undergoing vigorous research. To examine the further usefulness of spectrophotometric methods to monitor reactivity of chemicals toward peptides for cosmetic ingredients. Forty chemicals (25 sensitizers and 15 non-sensitizers) were reacted with 2 synthetic peptides, e.g., the cysteine peptides (Ac-RFAACAA-COOH) with free thiol group and the lysine peptides (Ac-RFAAKAA-COOH) with free amine group. Unreacted peptides can be detected after incubating with 5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid or fluorescamine™ as detection reagents for free thiol and amine group, respectively. Chemicals were categorized as sensitizers when they induced more than 10% depletion of cysteine peptides or more than 30% depletion of lysine peptides. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 80.0%, 86.7% and 82.5%, respectively. These results demonstrate that spectrophotometric methods can be an easy, fast, and high-throughput screening tools predicting the skin sensitization potential of chemical including cosmetic ingredient. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid and Automated Analytical Methods for Redox Species Based on Potentiometric Flow Injection Analysis Using Potential Buffers

PubMed Central

Ohura, Hiroki; Imato, Toshihiko

2011-01-01

Two analytical methods, which prove the utility of a potentiometric flow injection technique for determining various redox species, based on the use of some redox potential buffers, are reviewed. The first is a potentiometric flow injection method in which a redox couple such as Fe(III)-Fe(II), Fe(CN)6 3−-Fe(CN)(CN)6 4−, and bromide-bromine and a redox electrode or a combined platinum-bromide ion selective electrode are used. The analytical principle and advantages of the method are discussed, and several examples of its application are reported. Another example is a highly sensitive potentiometric flow injection method, in which a large transient potential change due to bromine or chlorine as an intermediate, generated during the reaction of the oxidative species with an Fe(III)-Fe(II) potential buffer containing bromide or chloride, is utilized. The analytical principle and details of the proposed method are described, and examples of several applications are described. The determination of trace amounts of hydrazine, based on the detection of a transient change in potential caused by the reaction with a Ce(IV)-Ce(III) potential buffer, is also described. PMID:21584280

Efficient chemical potential evaluation with kinetic Monte Carlo method and non-uniform external potential: Lennard-Jones fluid, liquid, and solid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustinov, E. A.

2017-07-01

The aim of this paper is to present a method of a direct evaluation of the chemical potential of fluid, liquid, and solid with kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. The method is illustrated with the 12-6 Lennard-Jones (LJ) system over a wide range of density and temperature. A distinctive feature of the methodology used in the present study is imposing an external potential on the elongated simulation box to split the system into two equilibrium phases, one of which is substantially diluted. This technique provides a reliable direct evaluation of the chemical potential of the whole non-uniform system (including that of the uniformly distributed dense phase in the central zone of the box), which, for example, is impossible in simulation of the uniform crystalline phase. The parameters of the vapor-liquid, liquid-solid, and fluid-solid transitions have been reliably determined. The chemical potential and the pressure are defined as thermodynamically consistent functions of density and temperature separately for the liquid and the solid (FCC) phases. It has been shown that in two-phase systems separated by a flat interface, the crystal melting always occurs at equilibrium conditions. It is also proved that in the limit of zero temperature, the specific heat capacity of an LJ crystal at constant volume is exactly 3Rg (where Rg is the gas constant) without resorting to harmonic oscillators.

A general method for constructing multidimensional molecular potential energy surfaces from {ital ab} {ital initio} calculations

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

Ho, T.; Rabitz, H.

1996-02-01

A general interpolation method for constructing smooth molecular potential energy surfaces (PES{close_quote}s) from {ital ab} {ital initio} data are proposed within the framework of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space and the inverse problem theory. The general expression for an {ital a} {ital posteriori} error bound of the constructed PES is derived. It is shown that the method yields globally smooth potential energy surfaces that are continuous and possess derivatives up to second order or higher. Moreover, the method is amenable to correct symmetry properties and asymptotic behavior of the molecular system. Finally, the method is generic and can be easilymore » extended from low dimensional problems involving two and three atoms to high dimensional problems involving four or more atoms. Basic properties of the method are illustrated by the construction of a one-dimensional potential energy curve of the He{endash}He van der Waals dimer using the exact quantum Monte Carlo calculations of Anderson {ital et} {ital al}. [J. Chem. Phys. {bold 99}, 345 (1993)], a two-dimensional potential energy surface of the HeCO van der Waals molecule using recent {ital ab} {ital initio} calculations by Tao {ital et} {ital al}. [J. Chem. Phys. {bold 101}, 8680 (1994)], and a three-dimensional potential energy surface of the H{sup +}{sub 3} molecular ion using highly accurate {ital ab} {ital initio} calculations of R{umlt o}hse {ital et} {ital al}. [J. Chem. Phys. {bold 101}, 2231 (1994)]. In the first two cases the constructed potentials clearly exhibit the correct asymptotic forms, while in the last case the constructed potential energy surface is in excellent agreement with that constructed by R{umlt o}hse {ital et} {ital al}. using a low order polynomial fitting procedure. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Realizing the Potential of Mobile Mental Health: New Methods for New Data in Psychiatry

PubMed Central

Staples, Patrick; Onnela, Jukka-Pekka

2015-01-01

Smartphones are now ubiquitous and can be harnessed to offer psychiatry a wealth of real-time data regarding patient behavior, self-reported symptoms, and even physiology. The data collected from smartphones meet the three criteria of big data: velocity, volume, and variety. Although these data have tremendous potential, transforming them into clinically valid and useful information requires using new tools and methods as a part of assessment in psychiatry. In this paper, we introduce and explore numerous analytical methods and tools from the computational and statistical sciences that appear readily applicable to psychiatric data collected using smartphones. By matching smartphone data with appropriate statistical methods, psychiatry can better realize the potential of mobile mental health and empower both patients and providers with novel clinical tools. PMID:26073363

Generalized alternating stimulation: a novel method to reduce stimulus artifact in electrically evoked compound action potentials.

PubMed

Alvarez, Isaac; de la Torre, Angel; Sainz, Manuel; Roldan, Cristina; Schoesser, Hansjoerg; Spitzer, Philipp

2007-09-15

Stimulus artifact is one of the main limitations when considering electrically evoked compound action potential for clinical applications. Alternating stimulation (average of recordings obtained with anodic-cathodic and cathodic-anodic bipolar stimulation pulses) is an effective method to reduce stimulus artifact when evoked potentials are recorded. In this paper we extend the concept of alternating stimulation by combining anodic-cathodic and cathodic-anodic recordings with a weight in general different to 0.5. We also provide an automatic method to obtain an estimation of the optimal weights. Comparison with conventional alternating, triphasic stimulation and masker-probe paradigm shows that the generalized alternating method improves the quality of electrically evoked compound action potential responses.

A method for assessing the intrinsic value and management potentials of geomorphosites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynard, Emmanuel; Amandine, Perret; Marco, Buchmann; Jonathan, Bussard; Lucien, Grangier; Simon, Martin

2014-05-01

In 2007, we have proposed a method for assessing the scientific and additional values of geomorphosites (Reynard et al., 2007). The evaluation methodology was divided in two steps: the evaluation of the scientific value of pre-selected sites, based on several criteria (rareness, integrity, representativeness, interest for reconstructing the regional morphogenesis), and the assessment of a set of so-called additional values (aesthetic, economic, ecological, and cultural). The method has proved to be quite robust and easy to use. The tests carried out in several geomorphological contexts allowed us to improve the implementation process of the method, by precising the criteria used to assess the various values of selected sites. Nevertheless, two main problems remained unsolved: (1) the selection of sites was not clear and not really systematic; (2) some additional values - in particular the economic value - were difficult to assess, and others, not considered in the method, could be evaluated (e.g. the educational value of sites). These were the factors for launching a series of modifications of the method that are presented in this poster. First of all, the assessment procedure was divided in two main steps: (1) the evaluation of the intrinsic value, in two parts (the scientific and additional values, limited to three kinds of values - cultural, ecological, aesthetic); (2) the documentation of the present use and management of the site, also divided in two parts: the sensitivity of the site (allowing us to assess the need for protection), and a series of factors influencing the (tourist) use of the site (visit conditions, educational interest, economic value). Secondly, a procedure was developed to select the potential geomorphosites - that is the sites worth to be assessed using the evaluation method. The method was then tested in four regions in the Swiss and French Alps: the Chablais area (Switzerland, France), the Hérens valley (Switzerland), the Moesano valley

Preparation of nanocellulose from Imperata brasiliensis grass using Taguchi method.

PubMed

Benini, Kelly Cristina Coelho de Carvalho; Voorwald, Herman Jacobus Cornelis; Cioffi, Maria Odila Hilário; Rezende, Mirabel Cerqueira; Arantes, Valdeir

2018-07-15

Cellulose nanoparticles (CNs) were prepared by acid hydrolysis of the cellulose pulp extracted from the Brazilian satintail (Imperata Brasiliensis) plant using a conventional and a total chlorine free method. Initially, a statistical design of experiment was carried out using Taguchi orthogonal array to study the hydrolysis parameters, and the main properties (crystallinity, thermal stability, morphology, and sizes) of the nanocellulose. X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were carried out to characterize the physical-chemical properties of the CNs obtained. Cellulose nanoparticles with diameter ranging from 10 to 60 nm and length between 150 and 250 nm were successfully obtained at sulfuric acid concentration of 64% (m/m), temperature 35 °C, reaction time 75 min, and a 1:20 (g/mL) pulp-to-solution ratio. Under this condition, the Imperata Brasiliensis CNs showed good stability in suspension, crystallinity index of 65%, and a cellulose degradation temperature of about 117 °C. Considering that these properties are similar to those of nanocelluloses from other lignocellulosics feedstocks, Imperata grass seems also to be a suitable source for nanocellulose production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GENERAL: Scattering Phase Correction for Semiclassical Quantization Rules in Multi-Dimensional Quantum Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wen-Min; Mou, Chung-Yu; Chang, Cheng-Hung

2010-02-01

While the scattering phase for several one-dimensional potentials can be exactly derived, less is known in multi-dimensional quantum systems. This work provides a method to extend the one-dimensional phase knowledge to multi-dimensional quantization rules. The extension is illustrated in the example of Bogomolny's transfer operator method applied in two quantum wells bounded by step potentials of different heights. This generalized semiclassical method accurately determines the energy spectrum of the systems, which indicates the substantial role of the proposed phase correction. Theoretically, the result can be extended to other semiclassical methods, such as Gutzwiller trace formula, dynamical zeta functions, and semiclassical Landauer-Büttiker formula. In practice, this recipe enhances the applicability of semiclassical methods to multi-dimensional quantum systems bounded by general soft potentials.

A comparison of methods of estimating potential evapotranspiration from climatological data in arid and subhumid environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cruff, R.W.; Thompson, T.H.

1967-01-01

This study compared potential evapotranspiration, computed from climatological data by each of six empirical methods, with pan evaporation adjusted to equivalent lake evaporation by regional coefficients. The six methods tested were the Thornthwaite, U.S. Weather Bureau (a modification of the Permian method), Lowry-Johnson, Blaney-Criddle, Lane, and Hamon methods. The test was limited to 25 sites in the arid and subhumid parts of Arizona, California, and Nevada, where pan evaporation and concurrent climatological data were available. However, some of the sites lacked complete climatological data for the application of all six methods. Average values of adjusted pan evaporation and computed potential evapotransp4ration were compared for two periods---the calendar year and the 6-month period from May 1 through October 31. The 25 sites sampled a wide range of climatic conditions. Ten sites (group 1) were in a highly arid environment and four (group 2) were in an arid environment that was modified by extensive irrigation. The remaining 11 sites (group 3) were in a subhumid environment. Only the Weather Bureau method gave estimates of potential evapotranspiration that closely agreed with the adjusted pan evaporation at all sites where the method was used. However, lack of climatological data restricted the use of the Weather Bureau method to seven sites. Results obtained by use of the Thornthwaite, Lowry-Johnson, and Hamon methods were consistently low. Results obtained by use of the Lane method agreed with adjusted pan evaporation at the group 1 sites but were consistently high at the group 2 and 3 sites. During the analysis it became apparent that adjusted pan evaporation in an arid environment (group 1 sites) was a spurious standard for evaluating the reliability of .the methods that were tested. Group 1 data were accordingly not considered when making conclusions as ,to which of the six methods tested was best. The results of this study for group 2 and 3 data

Hydrogel increases localized transport regions and skin permeability during low frequency ultrasound treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Tatiana Aparecida; Ramos, Danielle Nishida; Lopez, Renata F. V.

2017-03-01

Low frequency ultrasound (LFU) enhances skin permeability via the formation of heterogeneous localized transport regions (LTRs). In this work, hydrogels with different zeta potentials were used as the coupling medium for LFU to investigate their contribution to LTR patterns and to the skin penetration of two model drugs, calcein and doxorubicin (DOX). When hydrogels were used, LTRs covering at least a 3-fold greater skin area were observed compared to those resulting from traditional LFU treatment and sodium lauryl sulfate. More LTRs resulted in an enhancement of calcein skin permeation. The zeta potential of the hydrogels affected the skin penetration of the positively charged DOX; the cationic coupling medium decreased the DOX recovered from the viable epidermis by 2.8-fold, whereas the anionic coupling medium increased the DOX accumulation in the stratum corneum by 4.4-fold. Therefore, LFU/hydrogel treatment increases LTRs areas and can target ionized drugs to specific skin layers depending on the zeta potential of the coupling medium.

Physicochemical characterization and study of in vitro interactions of pH-sensitive liposomes with the complement system.

PubMed

Carmo, Vildete A S; De Oliveira, Mônica C; Reis, Eduardo C O; Guimarães, Tânia M P D; Vilela, José M C; Andrade, Margareth S; Michalick, Marilene S M; Cardoso, Valbert N

2008-01-01

Complement activation is an important step in the acceleration of liposome clearance. The anaphylatoxins released following complement activation may motivate a wide variety of physiologic changes. We performed physicochemical characterization and in vitro studies of the interaction of complement system with both noncirculating and long-circulating pH-sensitive and nonpH-sensitive liposomes. The liposomes were characterized by diameter, zeta potential, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The study of liposome interactions with complement system was conducted using hemolytic assay in rat serum. All liposomes presented a similar mean diameter (between 99.8 and 124.3 nm). The zeta potential was negative in all liposome preparations, except in liposomes modified with aminopoly (ethyleneglycol) 2000-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (aPEG(2000)-DSPE), which presented positive zeta potential. Atomic force microscopy images showed that non-long-circulating pH-sensitive liposomes are prone to vesicles aggregation. Non-pH-sensitive liposomes complement system activates, while pH-sensitive liposomes showed to be poor complement activators in rat serum.

Improved flotation performance of hematite fines using citric acid as a dispersant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Xi-mei; Yin, Wan-zhong; Sun, Chuan-yao; Wang, Nai-ling; Ma, Ying-qiang; Wang, Yun-fan

2016-10-01

In this study, citric acid was used as a dispersant to improve the flotation performance of hematite fines. The effect and mechanism of citric acid on the reverse flotation of hematite fines were investigated by flotation tests, sedimentation experiments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta-potential measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of SEM analysis and flotation tests reveal that a strong heterocoagulation in the form of slime coating or coagulation in hematite fine slurry affects the beneficiation of hematite ores by froth flotation. The addition of a small amount of citric acid (less than 300 g/t) favorably affects the reverse flotation of hematite fines by improving particle dispersion. The results of sedimentation experiments, zeta-potential measurements, and XPS measurements demonstrate that citric acid adsorbs onto hematite and quartz surfaces via hydrogen bonding, thereby reducing the zeta potentials of mineral surfaces, strengthening the electrical double-layer repulsion between mineral particles, and dispersing the pulp particles.

Stabilization of Gold Nanorods (GNRs) in Aqueous and Organic Environments by Select Surface Functionalization

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1...SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/ AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 13...is confirmed by ultraviolet-visible and zeta-potential measurements. Additionally, 3 different methods are applied to achieve self-assembly of GNRs

Lysine-functionalized nanodiamonds: synthesis, physiochemical characterization, and nucleic acid binding studies

PubMed Central

Kaur, Randeep; Chitanda, Jackson M; Michel, Deborah; Maley, Jason; Borondics, Ferenc; Yang, Peng; Verrall, Ronald E; Badea, Ildiko

2012-01-01

Purpose: Detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) are carbon-based nanomaterials that, because of their size (4–5 nm), stable inert core, alterable surface chemistry, fluorescence, and biocompatibility, are emerging as bioimaging agents and promising tools for the delivery of biochemical molecules into cellular systems. However, diamond particles possess a strong propensity to aggregate in liquid formulation media, restricting their applicability in biomedical sciences. Here, the authors describe the covalent functionalization of NDs with lysine in an attempt to develop nanoparticles able to act as suitable nonviral vectors for transferring genetic materials across cellular membranes. Methods: NDs were oxidized and functionalized by binding lysine moieties attached to a three-carbon-length linker (1,3-diaminopropane) to their surfaces through amide bonds. Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential measurement, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopic imaging, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the lysine-functionalized NDs. Finally, the ability of the functionalized diamonds to bind plasmid DNA and small interfering RNA was investigated by gel electrophoresis assay and through size and zeta potential measurements. Results: NDs were successfully functionalized with the lysine linker, producing surface loading of 1.7 mmol g−1 of ND. These modified NDs formed highly stable aqueous dispersions with a zeta potential of 49 mV and particle size of approximately 20 nm. The functionalized NDs were found to be able to bind plasmid DNA and small interfering RNA by forming nanosized “diamoplexes”. Conclusion: The lysine-substituted ND particles generated in this study exhibit stable aqueous formulations and show potential for use as carriers for genetic materials. PMID:22904623

Characterization and Expression Pattern Analysis of the T-Complex Protein-1 Zeta Subunit in Musca domestica L (Diptera).

PubMed

Zhao, Xuejun; Xiu, Jiangfan; Li, Yan; Ma, Huiling; Wu, Jianwei; Wang, Bo; Guo, Guo

2017-07-01

Chaperonins, belonging to the T-complex protein-1 (TCP-1) family, assist in the correct folding of nascent and misfolded proteins. It is well-known that in mammals, the zeta subunit of the TCP-1 complex (TCP-1ζ) plays a vital role in the folding and assembly of cytoskeleta proteins. This study reported for the first time the cloning, characterization and expression pattern analysis of the TCP-1ζ from Musca domestica, which was named as MdTCP-1ζ. The MdTCP-1ζ cDNA is 1,803 bp long with a 1,596 bp open reading frame that encodes a protein with 531 bp amino acids. The analysis of the transcriptional profile of MdTCP-1ζ using qRT-PCR revealed relatively high expression in the salivary glands and trachea at the tissues while among the developmental stages. The highest expression was observed only in the eggs suggesting that the MdTCP-1ζ may play a role in embryonic development. The expression of MdTCP-1ζ was also significantly induced after exposure to short-term heat shock and infection by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, or Candida albicans. This suggested that MdTCP-1ζ may take part in the immune responses of housefly and perhaps contribute to the protection against cellular injury. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

A Comparison of the Predictive Capabilities of the Embedded-Atom Method and Modified Embedded-Atom Method Potentials for Lithium

DOE PAGES

Vella, Joseph R.; Stillinger, Frank H.; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.; ...

2015-07-23

Here, we compare six lithium potentials by examining their ability to predict coexistence properties and liquid structure using molecular dynamics. All potentials are of the embedded-atom-method (EAM) type. The coexistence properties we focus on are the melting curve, vapor pressure, saturated liquid density, and vapor-liquid surface tension. For each property studied, the simulation results are compared to available experimental data in order to properly assess the accuracy of each potential. We find that the Cui 2NN MEAM is the most robust potential, giving adequate agreement with most of the properties examined. For example, the zero-pressure melting point of this potentialmore » is shown to be around 443 K, while experimentally is it about 454 K. This potential also gives excellent agreement with saturated liquid densities, even though no liquid properties were used in the fitting procedure. Our study allows us to conclude that the Cui 2NN MEAM should be used for further simulations of lithiums.« less

Measuring electrical and mechanical properties of red blood cells with a double optical tweezers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontes, Adriana; Fernandes, Heloise P.; Barjas-Castro, Maria L.; de Thomaz, André A.; Pozzo, Liliana d. Y.; Barbosa, Luiz C.; Cesar, Carlos L.

2006-08-01

The fluid lipid bilayer viscoelastic membrane of red blood cells (RBC) contains antigen glycolproteins and proteins which can interact with antibodies to cause cell agglutination. This is the basis of most of the immunohematologic tests in blood banks and the identification of the antibodies against the erythrocyte antigens is of fundamental importance for transfusional routines. The negative charges of the RBCs creates a repulsive electric (zeta) potential between the cells and prevents their aggregation in the blood stream. The first counterions cloud strongly binded moving together with the RBC is called the compact layer. This report proposes the use of a double optical tweezers for a new procedure for measuring: (1) the apparent membrane viscosity, (2) the cell adhesion, (3) the zeta potential and (4) the compact layer's size of the charges formed around the cell in the electrolytic solution. To measure the membrane viscosity we trapped silica beads strongly attached to agglutinated RBCs and measured the force to slide one RBC over the other as a function of the relative velocity. The RBC adhesion was measured by slowly displacing two RBCs apart until the disagglutination happens. The compact layer's size was measured using the force on the silica bead attached to a single RBC in response to an applied voltage and the zeta potential was obtained by measuring the terminal velocity after releasing the RBC from the optical trap at the last applied voltage. We believe that the methodology here proposed can improve the methods of diagnosis in blood banks.

Coupling Finite Element and Meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin Methods for Two-Dimensional Potential Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, T.; Raju, I. S.

2002-01-01

A coupled finite element (FE) method and meshless local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method for analyzing two-dimensional potential problems is presented in this paper. The analysis domain is subdivided into two regions, a finite element (FE) region and a meshless (MM) region. A single weighted residual form is written for the entire domain. Independent trial and test functions are assumed in the FE and MM regions. A transition region is created between the two regions. The transition region blends the trial and test functions of the FE and MM regions. The trial function blending is achieved using a technique similar to the 'Coons patch' method that is widely used in computer-aided geometric design. The test function blending is achieved by using either FE or MM test functions on the nodes in the transition element. The technique was evaluated by applying the coupled method to two potential problems governed by the Poisson equation. The coupled method passed all the patch test problems and gave accurate solutions for the problems studied.

Embedded atom method potential for studying mechanical properties of binary Cu–Au alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gola, Adrien; Pastewka, Lars

2018-07-01

We present an embedded atom method (EAM) potential for the binary Cu–Au system. The unary phases are described by two well-tested unary EAM potentials for Cu and Au. We fitted the interaction between Cu and Au to experimental properties of the binary intermetallic phases Cu3Au, CuAu and CuAu3. Particular attention has been paid to reproducing stacking fault energies in order to obtain a potential suitable for studying deformation in this binary system. The resulting energies, lattice constant, elastic properties and melting points are in good agreement with available experimental data. We use nested sampling to show that our potential reproduces the phase boundaries between intermetallic phases and the disordered face-centered cubic solid solution. We benchmark our potential against four popular Cu–Au EAM parameterizations and density-functional theory calculations.

Collisional excitation of interstellar PO(X2Π) by He: new ab initio potential energy surfaces and scattering calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lique, François; Jiménez-Serra, Izaskun; Viti, Serena; Marinakis, Sarantos

2018-01-01

We present the first ab initio potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the PO(X2Π)-He van der Waals system. The PESs were obtained using the open-shell partially spin-restricted coupled cluster approach with single, double and perturbative triple excitations [UCCSD(T)]. The augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence triple-zeta (aug-cc-pVTZ) basis set was employed supplemented by mid-bond functions. Integral and differential cross sections for the rotational excitation in PO-He collisions were calculated using the new PES and compared with results in similar systems. Finally, our work presents the first hyperfine-resolved cross sections for this system that are needed for accurate modelling in astrophysical environments.

A Global Sensitivity Analysis Method on Maximum Tsunami Wave Heights to Potential Seismic Source Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Luchuan

2015-04-01

A Global Sensitivity Analysis Method on Maximum Tsunami Wave Heights to Potential Seismic Source Parameters Luchuan Ren, Jianwei Tian, Mingli Hong Institute of Disaster Prevention, Sanhe, Heibei Province, 065201, P.R. China It is obvious that the uncertainties of the maximum tsunami wave heights in offshore area are partly from uncertainties of the potential seismic tsunami source parameters. A global sensitivity analysis method on the maximum tsunami wave heights to the potential seismic source parameters is put forward in this paper. The tsunami wave heights are calculated by COMCOT ( the Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami Model), on the assumption that an earthquake with magnitude MW8.0 occurred at the northern fault segment along the Manila Trench and triggered a tsunami in the South China Sea. We select the simulated results of maximum tsunami wave heights at specific sites in offshore area to verify the validity of the method proposed in this paper. For ranking importance order of the uncertainties of potential seismic source parameters (the earthquake's magnitude, the focal depth, the strike angle, dip angle and slip angle etc..) in generating uncertainties of the maximum tsunami wave heights, we chose Morris method to analyze the sensitivity of the maximum tsunami wave heights to the aforementioned parameters, and give several qualitative descriptions of nonlinear or linear effects of them on the maximum tsunami wave heights. We quantitatively analyze the sensitivity of the maximum tsunami wave heights to these parameters and the interaction effects among these parameters on the maximum tsunami wave heights by means of the extended FAST method afterward. The results shows that the maximum tsunami wave heights are very sensitive to the earthquake magnitude, followed successively by the epicenter location, the strike angle and dip angle, the interactions effect between the sensitive parameters are very obvious at specific site in offshore area, and there