Monovalent cation transporters at the plasma membrane in yeasts

Maintenance of proper intracellular concentrations of monovalent cations, mainly sodium and potassium, is a requirement for survival of any cell. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, monovalent cation homeostasis is determined by the active extrusion of protons through the Pma1 H⁺-ATPase (reviewed in another chapter of this issue), the influx and efflux of these cations through the plasma membrane transporters (reviewed in this chapter), and the sequestration of toxic cations into the vacuoles. Here, we will describe the structure, function, and regulation of the plasma membrane transporters Trk1, Trk2, Tok1, Nha1, and Ena1, which play a key role in maintaining physiological intracellular concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, and H⁺, both under normal growth conditions and in response to stress.     

Complex-domain Design and Robustness Analysis for the Control of SSCI in DFIG-based Wind Farms

International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems - The paper proposes a complex domain control and robustness analysis approach to damping of Sub-Synchronous Control Interactions (SSCI) in...     

The use of the internet by older adults in Poland

Universal Access in the Information Society - It is generally accepted that it is young people who are particularly interested in information and communication technologies (ICT). Older adults...     

Occurrence of gossypol in dried bract of the cotton plant

Gossypol has been identified as a component of bract (FDB) from frost-killed, field-grown cotton by its chromatographic behavior on films of silica and cellulose (four eluents and five methods of detection). In addition, a derivative of gossypol was detected, and it was shown chromatographically that gossypol was removed from extracts of FDB by a divalent metal and by aniline. The total gossypol content, by spectrophotometric determination of gossypol-aniline complex, of FDB was 0.93%, but for a sample of bract from a cotton plant that had been grown in a hothouse it was only 0.048%. However the free gossypol contents in both were similar (0.065% and 0.044%, respectively). Both bract samples were from glanded cotton varieties. It is worthwhile to investigate the effect of gossypol on lung tissue to see if it can contribute to the acute response of byssinosis. In addition, it is noted that the waste from ginned cotton which is sometimes used as livestock feed may contain gossypol.     

Poly(HEMA) hydrogels with controlled pore architecture for tissue regeneration applications

The technique for fabrication of soft porous hydrogels, in which both the size and the orientation of inner pores can be controlled, was developed. Three-dimensional hydrophilic gels based on poly[2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate] are designed as scaffolds for regeneration of soft tissues, e.g., nerve tissue. Anisotropic macropores of the size ranging from 10 to 50 μm were formed (1) by using a porogen-leaching method with a solid organic porogen, (2) by phase-separation during gelation in solvent-nonsolvent mixture, or (3) by combination of solid porogen elimination and phase-separation. As a porogen, poly(l-lactide) fibers were applied and consequently washed away under mild conditions to obtain desired spatial orientation of pores. Highly water-swollen polymer gels were characterized with high pressure (low vacuum) scanning electron microscopy (AquaSEM). The morphology of voids remaining after removing the solid PLLA porogen (the macropores) was clearly shown.     

Non-destructive Real Time Monitoring of the Laser Welding Process

Laser welding is a high power density technology of materials joining that has many advantages in comparison with conventional fusion welding methods, for example, high accuracy, flexibility, repeatability and especially very narrow heat-affected zone which results in minimal workpiece distortions. Since it is still quite expensive technology, minimal spoilage is required. Effective system of quality control and processing parameters optimization must be established to reduce total costs, which is particularly required in industrial production. In this article some results of pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding process monitoring based on the measurement of plasma electron temperature are presented. The ability of designed sensor to detect weld penetration depth has been demonstrated. Plasma spectral lines intensities measurement can discover gap instabilities as well as local sheet thickness reduction.