The Mai-distribution of Weeping from a Distillation Tray and Its Effect on Tray Efficiency

Experiments demonstrated that the weeping is mal-distributed and occurs mainly in a region of tray deck next to the inlet weir. The amount of weeping in this region depends on the weeping rate. On this basis, three types of weeping distribution are proposed. The effect of mal-distributed weeping on the Murphree tray efficiency is evaluated by using the three-dimensional non-equilibrium mixing pool model, where the influences of the flow pattern and the variation of Murphree point efficiency on a tray are taken into account. The calculated results reveal that the extent of Murphree tray efficiency drop depends chiefly on the degree of mal-distribution and the percentage of weeping. It is also demonstrated that in the determination of the lowest operating limit of vapor velocity, the unfavorable effect of mal-distributed weeping should be considered as an important factor and cannot be ignored.     

The Effect of Foreign Ions on Separation of Hafnium from Zirconium on Diphonix® Resin

The weight distribution coefficients (λ_M) of the most often occurring in zirconium salts ions (M(II), M(III) and M(IV)) have been determined in established earlier optimal conditions for separation of zirconium from hafnium by means of Diphonix® resin. Their values range from 21 (λ_Zn(II)) to 1830 (λ_Ti(IV)) and depend on the charge of M ion as well as on its radius. For ions of the highest λ_M (Ti(IV) and Fe(III)) their influence on hafnium – zirconium separation has been studied. Ti(IV) ions at concentration of 1% (in relation to Zr) has been found to noticeably affect separation of hafnium from zirconium by means of Diphonix® resin.     

Cloning and Characterization of Surface-Localized α-Enolase of Streptococcus iniae,an Effective Protective Antigen in Mice

Streptococcus iniae is a major fish pathogen that can also cause human bacteremia, cellulitis and meningitis. Screening for and identification of protective antigens plays an important role in developing therapies against S. iniae infections. In this study, we indicated that the α-enolase of S. iniae was not only distributed in the cytoplasm and associated to cell walls, but was also secreted to the bacterial cell surface. The functional identity of the purified recombinant α-enolase protein was verified by its ability to catalyze the conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PGE) to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), and both the recombinant and native proteins interacted with human plasminogen. The rabbit anti-rENO serum blockade assay shows that α-enolase participates in S. iniae adhesion to and invasion of BHK-21 cells. In addition, the recombinant α-enolase can confer effective protection against S. iniae infection in mice, which suggests that α-enolase has potential as a vaccine candidate in mammals. We conclude that S. iniae α-enolase is a moonlighting protein that also associates with the bacterial outer surface and functions as a protective antigen in mice.     

The Effect of 5′-Adenylic Acid on Hepatic Proteome of Mice Radiated by 60Co γ-ray

Understanding the protection mechanism of 5′-AMP requires comprehensive knowledge of the proteins expressed during the period that the body is exposed to irradiation. Proteomics provides the tools for such analyses. Here, the experimental ICR mice were divided into three groups (normal group, model group and 5′-AMP + irradiation group). After different treatment, the hepatic total protein of each animal in three groups was separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). 2-DE analysis revealed fifty-eight protein spots were differentially expressed in comparison to three groups. From 58 protein spots, we selected nine spots to identify by MALDI-TOF-MS and received credible results. They were determined to be type I arginase, annexin A5, regucalcin, catalase, Tpm3 protein, Pdia4 protein, 14-3-3 protein epsilon, NAD-Malate dehydrogenase and heat shock protein 90. Considering the characteristic of these proteins, we proposed a possible protection pathway.     

The Effect of Temperature on Silicon Nucleation from Melt in Seed-assisted Growth — a Molecular Dynamics Study

Silicon - Based on the Tersoff potential, we investigated the process of silicon nucleation and crystal growth from melt assisted by silicon carbide seed through molecular dynamics simulations. The...     

Effect of Nitric Acid Distribution on Extraction Behavior of Trivalent F‐Elements in a TRUEX System

Abstract

The extraction characteristics of nitric acid with a typical TRUEX (transuranic elements extraction) solvent, the mixture of octyl(phenyl)‐N,N‐ diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphosphine oxide and tri‐n‐butyl phosphate dissolved in n‐dodecane, were studied. From the extraction results of lanthanum, the concentration of CMPO, which was not bound to metal ions or nitric acid, were estimated. The estimated concentration was appropriate in comparison with the extraction results of nitric acid. The applicability of the determined effective CMPO concentration to the formulation of the distribution equilibrium of other f‐elements was confirmed.     

The Effect of Surface Roughness and Composition on Wetting and Corrosion of Al−Si Alloys

This paper presents results of wetting and corrosion of cast Al−Si alloys with composition varying from 7–50 wt% Si in contact with water. The dependency of the wetting angle and corrosion properties on the alloy composition, surface roughness, size of water droplets, and microstructure were studied. An increase in the Silicon content reduced the water contact angle (WCA) while an increase in the roughness and/or droplet size increased the WCA. No systematic variation in corrosion was found due to change in the Silicon content. The results are of interest for the development of lightweight (Al−Si) alloys with non-wetting and corrosion-resistant properties.     

Effect of TiO2 on the Sinterability and Microstructure of Mullite Sythesized from Al（OH）3 and SiO2

1IntroductionAs an ideal raw material for refractories produc-tion,mullite has been widely used in refractories in-dustry.But little amount of natural mullite has beenfound so that almost all of the mullite used now has tobe synthesized from natural miner…     

Effect of Receiving Phase Anion on Macrocycle-Mediated Cation Transport Rates and Selectivities in Water—Toluene—Water Emulsion Membranes

Abstract

Relative transport rates of metal nitrates (Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺, Ag⁺, T1⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Pb²⁺) were measured alone and in combination with either Pb²⁺, Ag⁺, or T1⁺ in a water-toluene-water emulsion membrane system. The toluene phase contained the surfactant Span 80 and the crown ether dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DC18C6). The aqueous receiving phase contained the lithium salt of one of the following anions: pyrophosphate, thiosulfate, hydroxide, chloride, formate, nitrate. In the case of the metal combinations, chloride and formate ions were not studied. Unless significant complexation occurred both between the transported cation and the anion in the receiving phase and between the cation and DC18C6 in the membrane phase, there was little or no transport of the cation from the source phase to the receiving phase. Selective removal of Pb²⁺ and of Ag⁺ from binary mixtures of these cations with each of the cations listed was demonstrated using the emulsion membrane.     

Capture of Viral Particles in Soft X-Ray–Enhanced Corona Systems: Charge Distribution and Transport Characteristics

The charge distribution of airborne MS2 bacteriophage nanoparticles and the efficiency of electrical-mobility–based capture mechanisms with bipolar charging were studied. MS2 virions form large agglomerated particles in a suspension. The average charge on airborne MS2 virions can be as high as one unit charge (negatively charged). The application of both soft X-ray irradiation and alpha rays from a Po-210 bipolar charger was shown to not only reduce the average charge on MS2 virion particles but also partially fragment the larger MS2 virion agglomerates, thereby increasing the number of ultrafine MS2 virion particles. A cylindrical electrostatic precipitator with a mounted soft X-ray emitter was used to determine the effectiveness of electrical capture methods for virus particles. At low applied voltages, it was found that the capture efficiency of ultrafine virus particles can be increased by applying in situ soft X-ray irradiation with electrostatic precipitation. It has also been shown that in the presence of both a positive and negative corona, virus particles are readily captured with log removal values exceeding 4. The unit developed and demonstrated in this work is a compact, low-pressure drop system that can be readily mounted in ventilation ducts or air supply systems to remove ultrafine particles such as viruses.     

The Lack of Cytotoxic Effect and Radioadaptive Response in Splenocytes of Mice Exposed to Low Level Internal β-Particle Irradiation through Tritiated Drinking Water in Vivo

Health effects of tritium, a β-emitter and a by-product of the nuclear industry, is a subject of significant controversy. This mouse in vivo study was undertaken to monitor biological effects of low level tritium exposure. Mice were exposed to tritiated drinking water (HTO) at 10 KBq/L, 1 MBq/L and 20 MBq/L concentrations for one month. The treatment did not result in a significant increase of apoptosis in splenocytes. To examine if this low level tritium exposure alters radiosensitivity, the extracted splenocytes were challenged in vitro with 2 Gy γ-radiation, and apoptotic responses at 1 and 24 h were measured. No alterations in the radiosensitivity were detected in cells from mice exposed to tritium compared to sham-treated mice. In contrast, low dose γ-irradiation at 20 or 100 mGy, resulted in a significant increase in resistance to apoptotic cell death after 2 Gy irradiation; an indication of the radioadaptive response. Overall, our data suggest that low concentrations of tritium given to mice as HTO in drinking water do not exert cytotoxic effect in splenocytes, nor do they change cellular sensitivity to additional high dose γ-radiation. The latter may be considered as the lack of a radioadaptive response, typically observed after low dose γ-irradiation.     

The Effect of γ Phosphate Modified Deoxynucleotide Substrates on PCR Activity and Fidelity

Controlling PCR fidelity is an important issue for molecular biology and high-fidelity PCR is essential for gene cloning. In general, fidelity control is achieved by protein engineering of polymerases. In contrast, only a few studies have reported controlling fidelity using chemically modified nucleotide substrates. In this report, we synthesized nucleotide substrates possessing a modification on P_γ and evaluated the effect of this modification on PCR fidelity. One of the substrates, nucleotide tetraphosphate, caused a modest decrease in Taq DNA polymerase activity and the effect on PCR fidelity was dependent on the type of mutation. The use of deoxyadenosine tetraphosphate enhanced the A : T→G : C mutation dramatically, which is common when using Taq polymerase. Conversely, deoxyguanosine tetraphosphate (dG4P) suppressed this mutation but increased the G : C→A : T mutation during PCR. Using an excess amount of dG4P suppressed both mutations successfully and total fidelity was improved.     

The Effect of Nanoparticles on the Mass Transfer in Liquid–Liquid Extraction

This article investigates the effect of nanoparticles on mass transfer in the liquid–liquid extraction for the chemical system of n-butanol–succinic acid–water. For this purpose, nanofluids containing various concentrations of ZnO, carbon nanotubes (CNT), and TiO₂ nanoparticles in water, as base fluid, were prepared. To examine the flow mode effect on mass transfer rate, different fluid modes including dropping and jetting were employed in the process. Results show that mass transfer rate enhancement depends on the kinds and the concentration of nanoparticles and the modes of flow. It was observed that after adding nanoparticles, the mass transfer rate significantly increases up to two-fold for ZnO nanoparticles. Furthermore, the results indicate that under the circumstances in which the mass flow rate is high enough, the effect of nanoparticles on the mass transfer phenomenon is too slight.     

The Cluster [Re6Se8I6]3? Induces Low Hemolysis of Human Erythrocytes in Vitro: Protective Effect of Albumin

The cluster Re₆Se₈I₆³⁻ has been shown to induce preferential cell death of a hepatic carcinoma cell line, thus becoming a promising anti-cancer drug. Whether this cluster induces acute hemolysis or if it interacts with albumin remains unclear. The effect of acute exposure of human red blood cells to different concentrations of the cluster with and without albumin is described. Red blood cells from healthy donors were isolated, diluted at 1% hematocrit and exposed to the cluster (25–150 µM) at 37 °C, under agitation. Hemolysis and morphology were analyzed at 1 and 24 h. The potential protection of 0.1% albumin was also evaluated. Exposition to therapeutic doses of the cluster did not induce acute hemolysis. Similar results were observed following 24 h of exposition, and albumin slightly reduced hemolysis levels. Furthermore, the cluster induced alteration in the morphology of red blood cells, and this was prevented by albumin. Together, these results indicate that the cluster Re₆Se₈I₆³⁻ is not a hemolytic component and induces moderate morphological alterations of red blood cells at high doses, which are prevented by co-incubation with albumin. In conclusion, the cluster Re₆Se₈I₆³⁻ could be intravenously administered in animals at therapeutic doses for in vivo studies.     

Effect of SrTiO3 concentration and sintering temperature on microstructure and dielectric constant of Ba1−xSrxTiO3

The Ba_1−xSr_xTiO₃ materials have received increased attention as one of the most important materials for electroceramic components, such as high dielectric ceramic capacitors, tunable phase shifters and PTCR. In this paper, the effect of SrTiO₃ concentration and sintering temperature on the microstructure and dielectric constant of Ba_1−xSr_xTiO₃ materials at the Curie temperature have been investigated. When Ba_1−xSr_xTiO₃ materials were sintered at 1350 °C, the peak value of the dielectric constant, ϵ_max, monotonically decreased with increasing SrTiO₃ concentration. At the sintering temperature of 1400 °C the dielectric constant maximum at the T_C increased with an increase in the x value, reaching the highest value at around x=0.4 and then decreased. As sintering temperature increased to 1450 °C, ϵ_max increased with increasing SrTiO₃ concentration up to x=0.6. The dielectric properties of Ba_1−xSr_xTiO₃ materials were discussed in terms of SrTiO₃ concentration and microstructure.     

Protective Effect of Caffeic Acid on Paclitaxel Induced Anti-Proliferation and Apoptosis of Lung Cancer Cells Involves NF-κB Pathway

Caffeic acid (CA), a natural phenolic compound, is abundant in medicinal plants. CA possesses multiple biological effects such as anti-bacterial and anti-cancer growth. CA was also reported to induce fore stomach and kidney tumors in a mouse model. Here we used two human lung cancer cell lines, A549 and H1299, to clarify the role of CA in cancer cell proliferation. The growth assay showed that CA moderately promoted the proliferation of the lung cancer cells. Furthermore, pre-treatment of CA rescues the proliferation inhibition induced by a sub-IC(50) dose of paclitaxel (PTX), an anticancer drug. Western blot showed that CA up-regulated the pro-survival proteins survivin and Bcl-2, the down-stream targets of NF-κB. This is consistent with the observation that CA induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. Our study suggested that the pro-survival effect of CA on PTX-treated lung cancer cells is mediated through a NF-κB signaling pathway. This may provide mechanistic insights into the chemoresistance of cancer calls.     

The Effect of Seasonal Variations,Covariations with Minerals and Forage Value on Itchgrass’ Foliar Silicification from Sudanian Benin

Silica (SiO ₂) in forage grasses has been found in reducing cell-wall digestibility. This study investigates whether: (i) the seasonal variability affects the silica and minerals accumulation and forage values of leaves of R. cochinchinensis and (ii) silica concentration is correlated with minerals and fodder value. In an itchgrass population selected in the W Biosphere Reserve, leaves were collected on 90 marked plants from May to October 2003 and 2004, at 15 days intervals except May, June and October. Some 300 g of fresh blades from the 3 ^rd most recently expanded leaves were oven dried and analyzed for dry mass, SiO ₂, ash, N, Na, Ca, P, K, and Mg. Digestible Nitrogen Matter (DNM) and Fodder Energetic Value (FEV) were calculated using the Demarquilly formula. Apart from SiO ₂, ash and forage value, data were log-transformed to restore homoscedasticity before statistical analyses. SiO ₂ ranges from 5.69 % to 9.95 %, i.e. varying 1.4 fold between May and October, reaching 1.75 fold at mid-September. SiO ₂ is positively related to Ca but negatively to K, P, N, DNM and FEV. The negative correlations suggest that SiO ₂ concentration in R. cochinchinensis could be reduced with a significant increase in energy and accumulation of important nutrients such as N, P and K. Therefore, leaf silicification and nutritive value relationship should be conclusive in the case of itchgrass.