Pore structure analysis of purified,sodium hydroxide-treated and liquid ammonia-treated cotton celluloses

To characterize the pore structures of purified cotton, NaOH-treated cotton, and liquid-NH₃-treated cotton, we have (1) investigated the feasibility of preparing useful chromatographic columns from whole cotton fibers and (2) studied the elution behavior (penetration) of three selected classes of water-soluble solutes from columns of the three types of cotton fibers. The solutes were series of common oligomeric sugars, oxyethylene glycols, and oxyethylene glycol dimethyl ethers having molecular weights or dimensions in the range of conventional dyes and finishing agents. Substantial differences in dyeing performance and in resilience have been reported for the cottons under study. Differences in performance qualities of these fibers in fabric form are explained in terms of the substantial differences in sizes and abundance of pores in the fibers.     

Taxing North Sea oil profits in the UK: Special needs and the effects of petroleum revenue tax

The long lead times, high risks and excess profits that characterize offshore oil production set the North Sea aside from other UK industries. This paper shows how these characteristics also impair the incidence and effects of standard profits taxation achieved via Corporation Tax. At first glance Petroleum Revenue Tax appears to resolve these problems. But the empirical evidence presented here suggests that the Petroleum Revenue Tax burden is not well placed. In short the least profitable fields suffer while the more profitable projects receive favourable tax treatment.     

Field and Laboratory Studies of the Toxicity to Phytoplankton of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Desorbed from Fine Clays and Natural Suspended Particulates

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs; Aroclor 1254) were adsorbed to natural (Hudson River and New York Bight) and commercial (illite) particles in the laboratory, then allowed to desorb for several hours into the surrounding aqueous medium in the presence of either of two laboratory strains of diatom species or a complete natural phytoplankton assemblage. Cell density, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll a concentration in the cultures were followed for 2 to 3 days. In two experiments, PCB-carrying natural particles were removed after desorption and prior to the introduction of algae. All incubations were carried out in the laboratory or in dialysis membrane bags suspended in the tidal channel of an estuarine marsh.Cultures containing 90 μg of illite-bound Aroclor 1254/L of water were severely damaged within 4 hours, by which time 72% of the PCBs had desorbed from particles and become available to the diatoms. Similarly, a natural phytoplankton community, incubated under natural conditions in the presence of 50 μg of Hudson River sediment-associated PCB/L of water, registered significant reductions of photosynthesis and chlorophyll a content for at least 3 days. When PCB-bearing New York Bight particles were removed from the medium prior to the introduction of algae, sufficient desorbed PCBs remained to reduce growth rates and chlorophyll a content of the culture. The latter experiment clearly demonstrates particle to water to cell transfer of desorbed PCBs.     

Hepatic structure-pharmacokinetic relationships: the hepatic disposition and metabolite kinetics of a homologous series of O-acyl derivatives of salicylic acid

1. The hepatic disposition and metabolite kinetics of a homologous series of O-acyl (acetyl, propionyl, butanoyl, pentanoyl, hexanoyl and octanoyl) esters of salicylic acid (C2SA, C3SA, C4SA, C5SA, C6SA and C8SA, respectively) was determined using a single-pass, in-situ rat liver preparation. 2. The hepatic venous outflow profiles for the parent esters and the generated metabolite, salicylic acid (SA) were analysed by HPLC. Non-parametric moments analysis was used to determine the area under the curve (AUC'), mean transit time (MTT) and normalized variance (CV2) for the parent esters and generated SA. 3. Pregenerated SA ([14C]-salicylic acid) was injected into each liver with the parent ester to determine its distribution characteristics. 4. The overall recovery of ester plus metabolite was 89% of the ester dose injected and independent of the ester carbon number, suggesting that ester extraction was due to hepatic metabolism to salicylic acid. 5. The metabolite AUC' value increased directly with the lipophilicity of the parent ester (from 0.12 for C2SA to 0.95 for C8SA). By contrast, the parent AUC' decreased with the lipophilicity (from 0.85 for C2SA to zero for C8SA). The metabolite MTT value also showed a trend to increase with the lipophilicity of the parent ester (from 15.72 s for C3SA to 61.97 s for C8SA). However, the parent MTT value shows no significant change across the series. 6. The two-compartment dispersion model was used to derive the kinetic parameters for parent ester, pregenerated SA and generated SA. Consequently, these parameters were used to estimate the values of AUC', MTT and CV2 for the parent ester and metabolite. The moments values obtained using the two-compartment dispersion model show similar trends to the corresponding moments values obtained from the outflow profiles using a non-parametric approach. 7. The more lipophilic aspirin analogues are more confined to the portal circulation after oral administration than aspirin due to their more extensive hepatic elimination avoiding systemic prostacyclin inhibition. Given that aspirin's selectivity as an anti-thrombotic agent has been postulated to be due to selective anti-platelet effects in the portal circulation, the more lipophilic and highly extracted analogues are potentially more selective anti-thrombotic agents than aspirin.     

Transmission & Pipelines: Avoidance,Conservation, and Mitigation of Biological Resources on Linear Projects

There are many factors to be considered during the process of determining the best route for a linear project to most effectively link a generation facility or resource extraction site to a market or end-user.     

Computational Study of Nonadiabatic Wave Patterns in Smouldering Combustion under Microgravity

We numerically study a thermal-diffusive model for smouldering combustion under microgravity with convective heat losses. In accordance with previous experimental observations, it is well known that porous materials burning against a gaseous oxidiser under microgravity exhibit various finger-like char patterns due to the destabilising effect of oxidiser transport. There is a close resemblance between the pattern-forming dynamics observed in the experiments with the mechanism of thermal-diffusive instability, similar to that occurring in low Lewis number premixtures. At large values of the Lewis number, the finger-like pattern coalesces and propagates as a stable front reminiscent of the pattern behaviour at large Péclet numbers in diffusion-limited systems. The significance of the order of the chemical kinetics for the coexistence of both upstream and downstream smoulder waves is also considered.     

Allergic and immunologic skin disorders

The skin represents a unique immunologic organ poised to protect the host from invading organisms and environmental antigens. The skin is also an important target for a variety of allergic and autoimmune responses. Mast cells are key to the pathogenesis of urticaria, angioedema, and mastocytosis. Atopic dermatitis is the consequence of an immunoregulatory abnormality resulting in a skin-directed T helper type 2 response. Allergic contact dermatitis is an example of classic delayed type hypersensitivity. Circulating autoantibodies against the epidermis are a key mechanism by which bullous skin diseases occur.