Adsorption of trace metals on aluminium oxide: A simulation of processes in freshwater systems by close approximation to natural conditions

The interaction of the trace metals Cu, Co, Zn, Ni, Pb and Cd with aluminium hydroxide precipitated in-situ from homogeneous solution was studied. Using total concentrations of 10⁻⁴ M Al, 10⁻⁷ M Zn, Cu, Co, Ni and 10⁻⁸ M Pb and Cd a removal of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd from solution occurred together with Al, while Co and Ni concentrations in solution remained unchanged. The binding of Cu, Pb and Zn, Cd is in agreement with the effect predicted by using published (resp. evaluated for Zn and Cd), values for stability constants of surface complexes on preformed Al₂O₃-suspension. The different behaviour of these elements and of Co and Ni is expected from the hydrolysis and adsorption tendencies. The experimental conditions correspond to natural conditions in lake waters, where due to the pH-dependent solubility of aluminium hydroxide, in-situ precipitation may occur and cause the scavenging of trace elements.     

Synthesis and properties of new polyurethane ionomers. I. Photosensitive cationomers with triazene units

New bifunctional triazene compounds 1‐(m‐ hydroxymethyl)phenyl‐3‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐3‐methyltriaz(1)ene and l‐p‐nitrophenyl‐3,3‐di(2‐hydroxyethyl)triaz(1)ene as intermediates in polyurethane synthesis were prepared. Photosensitive polyetherurethane cationomers based on poly(tetramethylene oxide) diol of 2,000 average molecular weight, tolylene‐2,4‐diisocyanate, and N‐methyldiethanolamine/triazene diols, as cochain extender, followed by a quaternization with benzyl chloride, were synthesized and characterized. Upon UV irradiation, feniltriazene chromophore in monomer and both polymers (ionomeric or nonionomeric type) is irreversibly cleaved, as evidenced in photolytic and kinetic studies. The rate constant of photolysis in ionomer film was lower than for the corresponding nonionic film. A positive pattern can then be developed by treatment with CHCl₃ that dissolves the exposed zone, while the unexposed area remains resistant and insoluble. By incorporating side nitrofeniltriazene groups, photostable polyurethanes were obtained. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1203–1210, 2003     

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Modify Leaf Micromorphology,Chloroplast Ultrastructure and Photosynthetic Activity of Pea Plants

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) emerge as promising novel carbon-based nanoparticles for use in biomedicine, pharmacology and precision agriculture. They were shown to penetrate cell walls and membranes and to physically interact and exchange electrons with photosynthetic complexes in vitro. Here, for the first time, we studied the concentration-dependent effect of foliar application of copolymer-grafted SWCNTs on the structural and functional characteristics of intact pea plants. The lowest used concentration of 10 mg L⁻¹ did not cause any harmful effects on the studied leaf characteristics, while abundant epicuticular wax generation on both leaf surfaces was observed after 300 mg L⁻¹ treatment. Swelling of both the granal and the stromal regions of thylakoid membranes was detected after application of 100 mg L⁻¹ and was most pronounced after 300 mg L⁻¹. Higher SWCNT doses lead to impaired photosynthesis in terms of lower proton motive force generation, slower generation of non-photochemical quenching and reduced zeaxanthin content; however, the photosystem II function was largely preserved. Our results clearly indicate that SWCNTs affect the photosynthetic apparatus in a concentration-dependent manner. Low doses (10 mg L⁻¹) of SWCNTs appear to be a safe suitable object for future development of nanocarriers for substances that are beneficial for plant growth.     

Interfaces for parallel numerical linear algebra libraries in high level languages

In many high performance engineering and scientific applications there is a need to use parallel software libraries. Researchers behind these applications find it difficult to understand the interfaces to these libraries because they carry arguments that are related to the parallel environment and performance in addition to arguments related to the problem at hand. In this paper we introduce the use of high level user interfaces for ScaLAPACK. Concretely, a Python-based interface to ScaLAPACK is proposed. Numerical experiments comparing traditional programming practices with our proposed approach are presented. These experiments evaluate not only the performance of the Python interfaces but also how user friendlier they are, compared to the original calls, and show that PyScaLAPACK does not hinder the performance deliverance of ScaLAPACK. Finally, an example of a real scientific application code, whose functionality can be prototyped or extended with the use of PyScaLAPACK, is presented.     

Parallel relaxed and extrapolated algorithms for computing PageRank

In this paper, parallel Relaxed and Extrapolated algorithms based on the Power method for accelerating the PageRank computation are presented. Different parallel implementations of the Power method and the proposed variants are analyzed using different data distribution strategies. The reported experiments show the behavior and effectiveness of the designed algorithms for realistic test data using either OpenMP, MPI or an hybrid OpenMP/MPI approach to exploit the benefits of shared memory inside the nodes of current SMP supercomputers.     

Semantic enhancement for media asset management systems

The socio-economic development of the World Wide Web gathered a large momentum through Web 2.0 and currently, the Web of Data is adding a further technological driver to this. The tremendous growth of media data combined with structured (linked) data promises further opportunities for digital market places. Although the integration of media content with linked data is only beginning there are already working groups and projects addressing this issue. We show how media and existing data sets can be seamlessly integrated and thus give possibilities for an extended user experience while interacting with media content on the web. We focus on automatic semantic enhancement services that can link arbitrary and open accessible data and introduce opportunities for media annotation, fragmentation and presentation. Our use case scenario is based on the Red Bull Content Pool, a media management system for videos, images and articles about Red Bull related content covering a multitude of sports events.     

Anticorrosive epoxy/clay nanocomposite coatings: rheological and protective properties

The preparation of epoxy/clay nanocomposites (NCs) and their insertion into coatings are of great importance since the NCs could enhance the protective performances. In this study, epoxy NCs with 1–10 wt% of nanoclay Cloisite 30B (C30B) were prepared by the sonication-assisted solution method. The rheological measurements of epoxy/C30B suspensions revealed non-Newtonian, shear-thinning behavior of the uncured NCs, with an increase in the viscosity, yield stress, and shear modules with increasing organoclay content, while the dispersion effectiveness of C30B decreased. A significant enhancement of the rheological parameters was observed at the second percolation threshold (4.1 vol%) due to the formation of a continuous network of 45-layer-thick tactoids. Although NCs with 1–3 wt% C30B exhibited slightly reduced mechanical and adhesion properties compared with the cured reference epoxy resin, the epoxy primer and topcoat based on NC with 1 wt% C30B generally displayed improved impact resistance and maintained flexibility, pendulum hardness, and good adhesion properties. Two-layer coating systems, i.e., NC-based primers and topcoats, had higher corrosion stability in a salt spray chamber compared to the unmodified system.     

Effects of different vanilla extraction methods on sensory and colour properties of vanilla ice creams during storage

The effects of enzyme assisted vanilla extract (EAVE), traditional vanilla extract made from the same mature vanilla beans and commercial vanilla extract, adjusted to 0.1% vanillin concentration, on the sensory and colour properties of vanilla ice cream were studied. For the production of 1 kg of ice cream, vanilla extracts contributed 5 mg of vanillin but each extract contributed different amounts of non‐vanillin flavour compounds. Flavour and odour parameters of ice creams did not show changes during 3 weeks of storage while colour parameters decreased in ice cream made with EAVE from the first day of manufacture. When EAVE was used, it produced a whiter colour in the ice cream, which was found to be less stable from the second week of storage. This observation was confirmed with the measurement of L and chroma colour parameters.     

K2 Transfection System Boosts the Adenoviral Transduction of Murine Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Adenoviral vectors are important vehicles for delivering therapeutic genes into mammalian cells. However, the yield of the adenoviral transduction of murine mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) is low. Here, we aimed to improve the adenoviral transduction efficiency of bone marrow-derived MSC. Our data showed that among all the potential transduction boosters that we tested, the K2 Transfection System (K2TS) greatly increased the transduction efficiency. After optimization of both K2TS components, the yield of the adenoviral transduction increased from 18% to 96% for non-obese diabetic (NOD)-derived MSC, from 30% to 86% for C57BL/6-derived MSC, and from 0.6% to 63% for BALB/c-derived MSC, when 250 transduction units/cell were used. We found that MSC derived from these mouse strains expressed different levels of the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptors (MSC from C57BL/6≥NOD>>>BALB/c). K2TS did not increase the level of the receptor expression, but desensitized the cells to foreign DNA and facilitated the virus entry into the cell. The expression of Stem cells antigen-1 (Sca-1) and 5′-nucleotidase (CD73) MSC markers, the adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential, and the immunosuppressive capacity were preserved after the adenoviral transduction of MSC in the presence of the K2TS. In conclusion, K2TS significantly enhanced the adenoviral transduction of MSC, without interfering with their main characteristics and properties.