Rheological and mechanical performance of ethyl‐vinyl acetate/poly(vinyl chloride) formulations

A range of powdered ethyl‐vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) formulations were compounded at PVC:EVA ratios of 100:0, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, and 0:100. Two grades of EVA with 20% and 27% of vinyl acetate (VAc) (EVA I and EVA II) and two grades of PVC with K values of 56 and 71 (PVC I and PVC II) were used in the investigation. Mechanical analysis was performed on injection molded samples of these blends, and the results showed that the tensile and flexural moduli decreased significantly with increasing EVA concentration. Rheological analysis was performed by using dual capillary rheometry, and the results showed only slight changes in shear viscosity with increasing EVA content, even at lower shear rates. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis showed partial miscib lity of the PVC and EVA over the range of concentrations studied.     

Putative Steroidal Pheromones in the Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus: Olfactory and Behavioral Responses

To identify potential hormonal pheromones of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), a species recently introduced to the Great Lakes, we used electro-olfactogram (EOG) recording to examine olfactory responsiveness to more than 100 steroids and prostaglandins. Neogobius detected free and conjugated 18-, 19- and 21-carbon steroids, but did not detect prostaglandins. EOG cross-adaptation, used to determine if Neogobius can discriminate the detected compounds at the sensory level, suggested that the detected steroids act on four classes of olfactory receptor mechanisms named (according to the most potent ligand for each): estrone, 17 beta-estradiol-3 beta-glucuronide, etiocholanolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone-3-sulfate. Although none of the detected steroids induced reproductive behaviors, exposure to steroids from three of the four receptor classes (estrone, 17 beta-estradiol-3 beta-glucuronide, or etiocholanolone) increased ventilation rate in males, whereas only etiocholanolone increased ventilation rate in females. Using the ventilation increase as a behavioral bioassay of steroid detection, behavioral cross-adaptation studies in males demonstrated that steroids discriminated at the sensory level are also discriminated behaviorally. These findings suggest the round goby may use steroids as putative pheromones.     

Glycosylation in Indolent,Significant and Aggressive Prostate Cancer by Automated High-Throughput N-Glycan Profiling

The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) is a major health-care concern worldwide. This cancer can manifest itself in many distinct forms and the transition from clinically indolent PCa to the more invasive aggressive form remains poorly understood. It is now universally accepted that glycan expression patterns change with the cellular modifications that accompany the onset of tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate if differential glycosylation patterns could distinguish between indolent, significant, and aggressive PCa. Whole serum N-glycan profiling was carried out on 117 prostate cancer patients’ serum using our automated, high-throughput analysis platform for glycan-profiling which utilizes ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) to obtain high resolution separation of N-linked glycans released from the serum glycoproteins. We observed increases in hybrid, oligomannose, and biantennary digalactosylated monosialylated glycans (M5A1G1S1, M8, and A2G2S1), bisecting glycans (A2B, A2(6)BG1) and monoantennary glycans (A1), and decreases in triantennary trigalactosylated trisialylated glycans with and without core fucose (A3G3S3 and FA3G3S3) with PCa progression from indolent through significant and aggressive disease. These changes give us an insight into the disease pathogenesis and identify potential biomarkers for monitoring the PCa progression, however these need further confirmation studies.     

Diffuse color patterning using blended electrochromic polymers for proof‐of‐concept adaptive camouflage plaques

A study using three different pairs of electrochromic polymers (ECPs) synthesized onto plaques by means of a modified vapor phase polymerization (VPP) technique is presented. Restriction of the respective polymerization times, allowed both faster and slower polymerizing monomers to be controlled, and produced blended plaques with visually diffuse interfaces. The ECPs within the blended plaques retain their individual electrochromic behavior and when encapsulated into an electrochromic device, show outstanding optical switching performance with little degradation evident over 10,000 cycles, coupled with a switching time of the order of 1 second. Blends also allow multiple diffuse color changes within an electrochromic device, due to the difference in oxidation potentials of the individual ECPs, making them candidates for adaptive camouflage use. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42158.     

New PCR Assays for the Identification of Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium subglutinans, and Other Species of the Gibberella fujikuroi Complex

Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium subglutinans are important fungal pathogens of maize and other cereals worldwide. In this study, we developed PCR-based protocols for the identification of these pathogens targeting the gaoB gene, which codes for galactose oxidase. The designed primers recognized isolates of F. verticillioides and F. subglutinans that were obtained from maize seeds from several producing regions of Brazil but did not recognize other Fusarium spp. or other fungal genera that were either obtained from fungal collections or isolated from maize seeds. A multiplex PCR protocol was established to simultaneously detect the genomic DNA from F. verticillioides and F. subglutinans. This protocol could detect the DNA from these fungi growing in artificially or naturally infected maize seeds. Another multiplex reaction with a pair of primers developed in this work combined with a pre-existing pair of primers has allowed identifying F. subglutinans, F. konzum, and F. thapsinum. In addition, the identification of F. nygamai was also possible using a combination of two PCR reactions described in this work, and another described in the literature.     

Recovery and Functional Properties of Soy Storage Proteins from Lab- and Pilot-Plant Scale Oleosome Production

The aim of this study was to investigate soy protein recovery feasibility after lab- and pilot-plant scale oleosome isolation. The proteins were isolated by isoelectric precipitation and by ultrafiltration. The functional properties of the recovered proteins were compared to soy protein isolate produced in our laboratory. The residual lipid content in the aqueous supernatant affected the protein recovery yields and purities. Ethanol precipitation and ultrafiltration resulted in the best protein yields, which were 25 and 26% greater than protein yield obtained by isoelectric precipitation with distilled water dilution. The protein content of the isoelectric precipitated pilot-plant supernatant was higher (98%) than the protein content of ethanol-precipitated proteins (80%). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed similar peptide profiles for laboratory and pilot-plant supernatants. Protein solubility curves between pH 3 and 8 were typical for soy protein isolate with higher solubilities for proteins obtained from pilot-plant supernatant. The soy protein isolate and ethanol-precipitated protein had the highest emulsification capacity on a dry-weight basis. These desirable functional properties of proteins recovered as co-products after oleosome isolation suggest they are highly suitable for industrial application as food ingredients and their recovery would contribute to the economics of the overall oleosome fractionation process.     

The mechanism of pleural inflammation by long carbon nanotubes: interaction of long fibres with macrophages stimulates them to amplify pro-inflammatory responses in mesothelial cells

Background

Little is known of how the toxicity of nanoparticles is affected by the incorporation in complex matrices. We compared the toxic effects of the titanium dioxide nanoparticle UV-Titan L181 (NanoTiO₂), pure or embedded in a paint matrix. We also compared the effects of the same paint with and without NanoTiO₂.

Methods

Mice received a single intratracheal instillation of 18, 54 and 162 μg of NanoTiO₂ or 54, 162 and 486 μg of the sanding dust from paint with and without NanoTiO₂. DNA damage in broncheoalveolar lavage cells and liver, lung inflammation and liver histology were evaluated 1, 3 and 28 days after intratracheal instillation. Printex 90 was included as positive control.

Results

There was no additive effect of adding NanoTiO₂ to paints: Therefore the toxicity of NanoTiO₂ was reduced by inclusion into a paint matrix. NanoTiO₂ induced inflammation in mice with severity similar to Printex 90. The inflammatory response of NanoTiO₂ and Printex 90 correlated with the instilled surface area. None of the materials, except of Printex 90, induced DNA damage in lung lining fluid cells. The highest dose of NanoTiO₂ caused DNA damage in hepatic tissue 1 day after intratracheal instillation. Exposure of mice to the dust from paints with and without TiO₂ was not associated with hepatic histopathological changes. Exposure to NanoTiO₂ or to Printex 90 caused slight histopathological changes in the liver in some of the mice at different time points.

Conclusions

Pulmonary inflammation and DNA damage and hepatic histopathology were not changed in mice instilled with sanding dust from NanoTiO₂ paint compared to paint without NanoTiO₂. However, pure NanoTiO₂ caused greater inflammation than NanoTiO₂ embedded in the paint matrix.     

Stable phase-modulated fiber-optic sensors for senior electricalengineering laboratory curricula

A set of fiber-optic sensing experiments that can be performed by senior undergraduates in a fiber optics laboratory is presented. The experiments are based on two stable phase-modulated sensors: a miniaturized Michelson-type fiber-optic interferometer that is relatively insensitive to temperature drifts; and a two-mode fiber used in a differential interferometric sensing scheme. Methods of construction are described, and several possible experiments are presented. These experiments introduce or strengthen the ideas of interference, elliptical-core fibers, and electromagnetic field propagation in fibers     

Liver and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein expression increases phospholipid content and alters phospholipid fatty acid composition in L-cell fibroblasts

Although fatty acid-binding proteins (FABP) differentially affect fatty acid uptake, nothing is known regarding their role(s) in determining cellular phospholipid levels and phospholipid fatty acid composition. The effects of liver (L)- and intestinal (I)-FABP expression on these parameters were determined using stably transfected L-cells. Expression of L- and I-FABP increased cellular total phospholipid mass (nmol/mg protein) 1.7- and 1.3-fold relative to controls, respectively. L-FABP expression increased the masses of choline glycerophospholipids (ChoGpl) 1.5-fold, phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) 5.6-fold, ethanolamine glycerophospholipids 1.4-fold, sphingomyelin 1.7-fold, and phosphatidylinositol 2.6-fold. In contrast, I-FABP expression only increased the masses of ChoGpl and PtdSer, 1.2- and 3.1-fold, respectively. Surprisingly, both L- and I-FABP expression increased ethanolamine plasmalogen mass 1.6- and 1.1-fold, respectively, while choline plasmalogen mass was increased 2.3- and 1.7-fold, respectively. The increase in phospholipid levels resulted in dramatic 48 and 33% decreases in the cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio in L- and I-FABP expressing cells, respectively. L-FABP expression generally increased polyunsaturated fatty acids, primarily by increasing 20∶4n−6 and 22∶6n−3, while decreasing 18∶1n−9 and 16∶1n−7. I-FABP expression generally increased only 20∶4n−6 proportions. Hence, expression of both I- and L-FABP differentially affected phospholipid mass, class composition, and acyl chain composition. Although both proteins enhanced phospholipid synthesis, the effect of L-FABP was much greater, consistent with previous work suggesting that these two FABP differentially affect lipid metabolism.     

Effect of Stent Radial Force on Stress Pattern After Deployment: A Finite Element Study

The present article presents a method for assessing the radial stiffness of nitinol stents. An idealized stent model was created, and its radial stiffness was calculated by means of finite element modeling. The calculations were validated against experimental measurements. The variation of radial stiffness with geometrical dimensions was calculated, and the effect of increasing radial stiffness on endovascular deployment was analyzed. Peak tensile and compressive stresses as well as stent penetration were calculated in the case of an idealized pulmonary artery model having realistic dimensions as well as stiffness. The results of stress calculations were compared with a second set of simulations, where an idealized behavior of the stent (uniform expansion to a theoretical contact diameter) was modeled. The results show how in reality nitinol stents behave in a non-ideal way, having a non-uniform expansion and exerting non-uniform pressure on the contact areas with the artery. Such non-ideality decreases though with the increase in radial stiffness. The radial force alone may be insufficient in describing the stent-artery interaction, and numerical modeling proves to be necessary for capturing such complexity.