Grafting onto polyester fibers. III. Electrokinetic properties of acrylic acid and acrylonitrile-grafted polyester fibers in the presence of cationic dyes

The electrokinetic properties such as zeta potential, surface charge density, and surface conductivity of polyester fibers grafted with acrylic acid and acrylonitrile were measured when cationic dye solutions were streamed through. The presence of the cationic dyes on the surface of the fibers and their specific adsorption at the carboxylic groups in the acrylic acid graft copolymer produce lowering of zeta potential. The decrease in surface charge density as the percent graft increases is due to the decrease in surface area of the fibers due to the adsorption of the cationic dyes. The same trend is observed with acrylonitrile-grafted fibers. The surface conductivity of the acrylonitrile-grafted polyester fibers increases with increase in dye concentration of the streaming solution. The results for the 27.4% grafted sample differed from those of the 7.32% and 12.1% grafts, which is indicative of the formation of a three-dimensional network causing change in both the physical structure as well as the chemical nature of the surface of the substrate.     

Cellulose triacetate membranes for seawater desalination

Experimental data on reverse osmosis using a sodium chloride solution by cellulose triacetate membranes are presented. The investigation involved studies on the composition of membrane casting solutions and their effects on the performance. A higher polymer concentration (11–13%) is found suitable for production of a uniform and highly salt rejecting membrane. Salt rejection of 99.0% and 4–5 GFD product water flux were obtained at 1000 psi operating pressure using 30,000 ppm TDS seawater in the initial experiments.     

A note on pressure drop for the cross-flow of power-law liquids and air/power law liquid mixtures past a bundle of circular rods

The steady flow of non-Newtonian polymer solutions on their own and together with air transverse to a bundle of circular rods, has been studied experimentally. In particular, the frictional pressure drop has been measured as a function of non-Newtonian power-law constants, flow rates, voidage of bundles and the input fraction of air over wide ranges of conditions as: power-law flow behaviour index, 0.5 to 1; voidage values of 0.78 and 0.87-0.88; air velocity (superficial), 0.09 to 0.28 m/s and liquid velocity (superficial) 0.018 to 0.5 m/s. While the single phase flow results for power-law liquids are in excellent agreement with an existing equation, the two-phase pressure drop results are also in accordance with the form of the well-known Lockhart-Martinelli correlation. Based on these results, it is suggested that a value of 5-10 for the Reynolds number based on rod diameter marks the limit of the laminar flow in such systems.     

Effect of prenatal and postnatal exposure to ethanol on rat central nervous system gangliosides and glycosidases

We investigated the effect of maternal alcohol consumption on cell number, gangliosides and ganglioside catabolizing enzymes in the central nervous system (CNS) of the offspring. Virgin female rats of the Charles Foster strain were given 15% (v/v) ethanol in drinking water one month prior to conception and during gestation and lactation. At 21 days postnatal age, the offspring were sacrificed and the brains were separated into cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem to investigate possible regional variations. Compared to controls, wet weight of cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem, and of spinal cord was decreased in the pups exposed to alcohol. DNA and protein contents were also found to be lowered in all the CNS regions of the pups exposed to alcohol. Conversely, maternal alcohol consumption was found to increase the concentration and the content of total gangliosideN-acetylneuraminic (NANA) in CNS of the pups. In addition, alcohol treatment was found to induce alterations in the proportions of individual ganglioside fractions. Interestingly, these alterations are somewhat different than those observed in the neonatal brain and spinal cord of the pups subjected to prenatal alcohol exposure. The alterations in the proportions of ganglioside fractions were shown to be region-specific. Maternal alcohol consumption resulted in decreased activities of sialidase, β-galactosidase, β-glucosidase and β-hexosaminidase. The results suggest that the alcohol-associated increases in ganglioside concentration may be at least partly due to the decreased activities of ganglioside catabolizing enzymes.     

Blend membranes of chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) in pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol and tetrahydrofuran

Blend membranes of a natural polymer, chitosan, with a synthetic polymer, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), were prepared by solution casting and crosslinked with a urea formaldehyde/sulfuric acid (UFS) mixture. Chitosan was used as the base component in the blend system, whereas PVA concentration was varied from 20 to 60 wt %. Blend compatibility was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to study membrane crosslinking. Membranes were tested for pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol and tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 30°C in close proximity to their azeotropic compositions. Membrane performance was assessed by calculating flux and selectivity. Swelling experiments performed in water + organic mixtures at 30°C were used to explain the pervaporation results. The blend membrane containing 20 wt % PVA when tested for 5 and 10 wt % water–containing THF and isopropanol feeds exhibited selectivity of 4203 and 17,991, respectively. Flux increased with increasing concentration of water in the feed. Selectivity was highest for the 20 wt % PVA‐containing blend membrane. The results of this study are unique in the sense that the crosslinking agent used—the UFS mixture—was novel. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1918–1926, 2007     

On Hypotheses Testing for the Selection of Spatio‐Temporal Models

Abstract. Several models have been proposed in recent years for analysing spatial data and also, to some extent, spatio‐temporal data. One of the important problems, namely the choice of an appropriate model for describing real data sets, remains unsolved. Here we consider the analysis of spatio‐temporal processes from which observations over space and time are available. We propose statistical tests for discriminating between space–time autoregressive processes and multivariate autoregressive processes. The sampling properties of the proposed tests are considered. We illustrate the methods with a real example. We use the above tests to find the best model to describe spatio‐temporal variations of hourly carbon monoxide measurements at four locations in London in January 2004.     

pH-responsive gelatin microspheres for oral delivery of anticancer drug methotrexate

Multiple unit delivery dosage forms of biodegradable gelatin microspheres containing the anticancer drug methotrexate (GMM) of various mean particle sizes (1–5, 5–10, and 15–20 μm) were prepared by the polymer dispersion technique and were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. The GMM were coated with biodegradable natural polymers, namely alginate (AGMM) and chitosan (CGMM), which differ in their pH sensitivity, to obtain two different types of pH dependent delivery systems for oral delivery of methotrexate (MTX). The in vitro release profiles of MTX from AGMM and CGMM were determined in simulated gastric medium, intestinal medium, and in media simulating gastrointestinal tract conditions. The effect of the concentration of coating polymer and particle size on the release rate of MTX from both AGMM and CGMM were also studied. Both AGMM and CGMM provided controlled release of MTX following a zero-order release pattern in gastric and intestinal fluids for prolonged periods of time. The release rate of MTX decreased with an increase in concentration of the coating polymer as well as an increase in particle size of the microspheres. Both AGMM and CGMM showed good potential as pH dependent multiple unit delivery systems for the controlled release of MTX in oral administration. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Free energy perturbation studies on binding of A-74704 and its diester analog to HIV-1 protease

Free energy simulations have been employed to rationalize thebinding differences between A-74704, a pseudo C₂- symmetricinhibitor of HIV-1 protease and its diester analog. The diesteranalog inhibitor, which misses two hydrogen bonds with the enzymeactive site, is surprisingly only 10-fold weaker. The calculatedfree energy difference of 1.7 ± 0.6 kcal/mol is in agreementwith the experimental result. Further, the simulations showthat such a small difference in binding free energies is dueto (1) weaker hydrogen bond interactions between the two (P₁and P₁) NH groups of A-74704 with Gly27/Gly27' carbonyls ofthe enzyme and (2) the higher desolvation free energy of A-74704compared with its ester analog. The results of these calculationsand their implications for design of HIV-1 protease inhibitorsare discussed.     

Water Desalination a perspective for membrane processes in India

A crying need of the day in India is to supply safe drinking water to its villages, towns and cities. Though the urban needs are partially met by organized water supply schemes, acute water shortages are felt at various times in this sector also with the expanding industrialization of the country. In many areas of arid and semi-arid regions, only brackish waters are available which are unfit for human consumption.Research and development effort at CSMCRI on the two membrane processes, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, during the past decade has been reviewed. Some of the current activities in the rural sector and the future potential for these two processes in tackling the pressing needs of potable water to the rural masses in India are outlined. In the industrial sector, these two processes have immense potentialities in pollution abatement and water reuse.     

Characteristics and compositions ofCarissa spinarum,Leucaena leucocephala andPhysalis minima seeds and oils

The seeds and extracted oils ofCarissa spinarum (Apocynaceae), (I),Leucaena leucocephala (Leguminosae) (II) andPhysalis minima (Solanaceae) (III) were analyzed for characteristics and compositions. The seeds of I, II and III contained 22.4, 6.4 and 40.0% oil and 10.1, 27.6 and 17.9% protein, respectively. The oils of I, II and III had, respectively, iodine values 70.1, 113.5 and 122.5; saponification values 186, 188 and 189; unsaponifiable matter 5.2, 2.5 and 0.8%, and the following fatty acid compositions (area %): palmitic 12.6, 14.2, 10.5; stearic 7.6, 6.1, 8.6; oleic 72.7, 20.1, 17.3; linoleic 5.2, 53.8, 61.4; linolenic 0.9, 1.8, 0.0, and arachidic 1.0, 2.3, 0.0. II contained 1.7% lignoceric acid. III contained small amounts of hexadecenoic (0.1%), epoxy (0.6%) and hydroxy (1.5%) fatty acids.