Immunoregulatory functions of paf-acether. VI. Dual effect on human B cell proliferation

The role of paf-acether (paf), a phospholipid cytokine, in the modulation of human B cell function was investigated. Paf, from 1×10⁻⁵ M to 10⁻⁶ M, decreased B cell proliferation induced by both phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and anti-IgM antibodies (anti-IgM Ab). By contrast, 1×10⁻⁷ M to 1×10⁻⁹ M paf enhanced PMA triggered, but not anti-IgM triggered B cell proliferation. B cell proliferation was modulated between 24 and 72 hr of culture indicating that the effect of paf did not merely reflect a shift in proliferation kinetics. Interestingly, paf also enhanced the spontaneous proliferation of a Burkitt lymphoma-derived B cell line, Raji, which suggests that paf can directly act on B cells. The modulatory effect of paf on peripheral blood B cells was independent of PMA concentration, yet the effect on Raji cells was dependent upon cell density. The data suggest that paf is a potent modulator of B cell function, and may be involved in the control of humoral immune response. Based on a paper presented at the Third International Conference on Platelet-Activating Factor and Structurally Related Alkyl Ether Lipids, Tokyo, Japan, May 1989.     

Moisture absorption into ultrathin hydrophilic polymer films on different substrate surfaces

Moisture absorption into ultrathin poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) films with varying thickness was examined using X-ray reflectivity (XR) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements. Two different surfaces were used for the substrate: a hydrophilic silicon oxide (SiO_x) and a hydrophobic hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) treated silicon oxide surface. The total equilibrium moisture absorption (solubility) was insensitive to the surface treatment in the thickest films (≈150 nm). However, strong reductions in the equilibrium uptake with decreasing PVP film thickness were observed on the HMDS surfaces, while the SiO_x surface exhibited thickness independent equilibrium absorption. The decreased absorption with decreasing film thickness is attributed a depletion layer of water near the polymer/HMDS interface, arising from hydrophobic interactions between the surface and water. The diffusivity of water decreased when the film thickness was less than 60 nm, independent of the surface treatment. Changes in the properties of ultrathin polymer films occur even in plasticized films containing nearly 50% water.     

Heavy-fuel flame radiation in gas turbine combustors—exploratory results

With lower costs and greater availability, heavy fuel oil appears as an attractive alternative to the conventional gas oil used in industrial gas turbines. However, higher levels of radiation and smoke are expected, and this note reports on some preliminary tests made with a combustion chamber burning fuels of different carbon content, ranging from kerosine to a 25% blend of residual fuel oil in gas oil, at a chamber pressure of 10 atm^*. The combustion rig was equipped with a total-radiation pyrometer and black-body furnace capable of measurement at different axial stations along the spray-stabilized flame. The presence of the residual fuel oil in the gas oil was found to promote significant increases in the mean levels of radiation, emissivity and smoke density, with a modest increase in liner temperature.     

Microstructure and its relationship to deformation processes in amorphous polymer glasses

The microdeformation morphology of a number of vinyl polymers with bulky side chains (type I) and arylene polymers with flexible oxygen linkages (type II) was studied by electron microscopy. The polyarylenes crazed only near the glass transition while the polyvinyls exhibited a crazing regime that extended to liquid nitrogen temperatures. In addition significantly less plastic strain was localized in type II glass crazes relative to those in type I glasses. In compatible blends of polystyrene (PS) and 2,6-dimethyl poly(phenylene oxide) (2MPPO), ca. 30% 2MPPO was sufficient to induce a transition from type I to type II crazing behavior. Small amounts of PS suppressed the low-temperature 2MPPO β relaxation but enhanced the intermediate transition of 2MPPO at higher temperatures. Blending increased the conformational energy of the 2MPPO chain and improved interchain packing. The propensity for the polymer glass to form sharp shear bands at the expense of diffuse bands was increased by a decrease in the conformation energy of the polymer chain and an improvement in the glassy state packing.     

Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) queen feces: Source of a pheromone that repels worker bees

When placed in a small observation arena with workers, most young virgin honeybee queens released fecal (hindgut) material during agonistic interactions with workers and with each other. On release of this material, workers moved to the sides of the arena and groomed themselves. Bioassays of virgin queen fecal material demonstrated that it contains pheromone that repels workers and stimulates grooming behavior. Pheromone was present only in the feces of virgin queens that were more than 24 hr old and less than 2 weeks old. Feces of 2- to 4-day-old workers and virgin queens more than 2 weeks old did not elicit an avoidance response by workers. Moreover, the feces of young virgin queens had a strong fragrance, while that of older queens had a rancid odor and that of young workers had no detectable odor.     

Influence of chitosan characteristics on coagulation and flocculation of organic suspensions

Several samples of chitosan with different degrees of deacetylation and of different molecular weights were tested for the coagulation–flocculation of organic suspensions. Organic suspensions were prepared by mixing mushroom powder with tap water. Experiments were carried out at pH 5, pH 7, and pH 9. Because decreasing the pH reduced the amount of chitosan required to reach the required turbidity, at pH 9, a high concentration of chitosan was required to achieve the required treatment levels, whereas the difference was less significant between pH 7 and pH 5 (the required concentration of chitosan was halved). Though viscosity, correlated to the molecular weight of chitosan, affected treatment performance, its influence on the efficiency of coagulation–flocculation could be substantially reduced by slightly increasing the concentration of the polymer. This is of importance in the processing of industrial effluents: the aging of a chitosan solution, which may cause partial depolymerization, and loss of viscosity, will have a limited impact on process efficiency. The degree of deacetylation also has a limited effect on treatment performance, especially when the degree of deacetylation exceeds 90%. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 2070–2079, 2005     

Alumina Grown during Deposition of Thermal Barrier Coatings on NiCrAlY

The microstructure of Al₂O₃ formed by oxidation of a model NiCrAlY alloy during electron-beam physical vapor deposition of ZrO₂–7.6 mol% YO_1.5 is examined and compared with that formed on the bare substrate. The growth rate, morphology, and chemical composition of the oxide vary among the different constituents of the alloy surface and are further influenced by the O₂ partial pressure and the physical presence of the thermal barrier coating (TBC) layer. These differences, however, are largely limited to the outer oxide layer. The interplay between the TBC and the growing oxide leads to the formation of a fine-grain Al₂O₃–ZrO₂"mixed zone" within the thermally grown oxide. A mechanism is outlined to explain this behavior, based on the dissolution of ZrO₂ in a transient Al₂O₃ structure growing by outward diffusion of Al, and its subsequent reprecipitation when the metastable phase transforms to the stable α-Al₂O₃ form.     

Alcohol-induced changes of {beta}-lactoglobulin - retinol-binding stoichiometry

It has been demonstrated using CD that ethanol induces importantsecondary structure changes of ß-lactoglobulin. CDspectra indicate that ß-lactoglobulin secondary structure,which is mainly composed of ß-strands, becomes mostly-helical under the influence of the solvent polarity changes.The midpoint of ß-strand/-helix transition in ß-lactoglobulinis observed at dielectric constant {small tilde}60 (35% ethanol;v/v). According to CD measurements, the ethanol-dependent secondarystructure changes are reversible. The alkylation of lysines-NH₂ in ß-lactoglobulin weakens the central ß-barrelstructure, since the ß-strand/-helix transition midpointof alkylated ß-lactoglobulin is shifted to lower ethanolconcentration (25% ethanol; v/v). ß-Lactoglobulinstructural changes are triggering the dissociation of the ß-lactoglobulin- retinol complex as judged from complete quenching of its fluorescencein ethanol concentration >30% (v/v). However, in 20% ethanol(v/v), ß-lactoglobulin still retains most of its nativesecondary structure as shown by CD and, in this condition, oneß-lactoglobulin molecule binds an additional secondretinol molecule. This suggests that the highly populated speciesobserved around 20% ethanol (v/v) might represent an intermediatestate able to bind two molecules of retinol.     

Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of polysiloxanes with pendant 4-(3-pyridinyl)butyl and 4-(1-oxypyridin-3-yl)butyl groups

New silane monomers with the pendant 4-(3-pyridine)butyl group have been synthesized by hydrosilation of 3-(3-butenyl)pyridine with Me _n Si(OEt)_3-n H (n=0, 1) using a platinum catalyst. Only -addition products were observed. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared,¹H- and¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Hydrolysis-polycondensation of the difunctional monomer with a basic catalyst, Me₄NOH, gave a mixture of cyclic oligomers, principally cyclic tetramer, and linear homopolymer. Under similar reaction conditions, the trifunctional monomer gave crosslinked material which was soluble in common organic solvents. The linear homopolymer and crosslinked polymer were trimethylsilyl end-blocked with hexamethyldisilazane. The cyclic and end-blocked polymers were characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods. Molecular weights of the polymers were obtained by end-group analysis using¹H-NMR spectral data, size exclusion chromatography, and direct insertion-probe mass spectrometry. The cyclic, linear, and crosslinked materials were N-oxidized withm-chloroperoxybenzoic acid and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The polymeric N-oxide derivatives were shown to be effective transacylation catalysts in the synthesis of mixed carboxylic acid anhydrides in immiscible solvents (H₂O/CH₂Cl₂) under phase-transfer conditions. The implications of the results on the mechanism of catalysis are discussed.     

Retrograde Densification of Calcined and Glass Precursors of Approximate (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 Stoichiometry

Retrograde densification of pelletized calcines and glasses having an approximate (Bi,Pb)₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ starting stoichiometry and sintered at ∼850°C can be described by first-order rate equations. Retrograde densification in the calcine precursors was largely due to the development of open pores, and was approximately proportional to the concentration of the (Bi,Pb)₂Sr₂CaCu₃O₁₀ phase. In the glasses, retrograde densification is mainly caused by porosity accompanying the growth of a needlelike Sr─Ca─Cu─O phase, together with (Bi,Pb)₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ and (Bi,Pb)₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈.