Microfluidic immobilization and subcellular imaging of developing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caenorhabditis elegans</Emphasis>

Caenorhabditis elegans has been an essential model organism in the fields of developmental biology, neuroscience, and aging. However, these areas have been limited by our ability to visualize and track individual C. elegans worms, especially at the subcellular scale, over the course of their lifetime. Here we present a microfluidic device to culture individual C. elegans in parallel throughout post-embryonic development. The device allows for periodic mechanical immobilization of the worm, enabling 3D imaging at subcellular precision. The immobilization is sufficient to enable fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements on organelles and other substructures within the same specific cells throughout larval development, without the use of chemical anesthetics. Using this device, we measure FRAP recovery of two nucleolar proteins in specific intestinal cells within the same worms during larval development. We show that these proteins exhibit different fluorescence recovery as the worm grows, suggesting differential protein interactions during development. We anticipate that this device will help expand the possible uses of C. elegans as a model organism, enabling its use in addressing fundamental questions at the subcellular scale.     

Preparation,characterization, and performance evaluation of LTA zeolite–ceramic composite membrane by separation of BSA from aqueous solution

Using low-cost clay supports as substrates, ceramic–LTA zeolite composite membranes (Z1–Z4) were fabricated with hydrothermal crystallization. The composite membranes were achieved with variations in the sequential zeolite depositional steps. For Z1–Z4 membranes, various characterization techniques such as thermogravimetric (TG), particle size distribution (PSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) analysis were applied. For the Z1–Z4 membranes, the pure water permeability, porosity, and average pore size varied from 1.22 × 10^?7 to 1.19 × 10^?8 m³/m²s kPa, 30–23%, and 215–76 nm, respectively. For the Z4 membrane, ultrafiltration experiments were conducted at a pH of 2.5 and transmembrane pressure differential of 207 kPa using aqueous bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions. The optimal flux and rejection correspond to 4.54 × 10^?7 m³/m²s and 80%, respectively.     

Optimization of Heat Fluxes on the Heater and the Design Surfaces of a Radiating-Conducting Medium

In a radiating-conducting planar medium with a boundary as the heater surface using an inverse analysis, this work deals with the design methodologies to understand the inherent relationship between heater surface temperature/flux, design surface temperature/flux, and medium properties. The heat flux on the heater surface is chosen as the fitness function. Subsequently, to achieve maximum and minimum design surface heat fluxes, an optimization was done to evaluate the zone of operation of the heater. In addition, the effect of medium properties on the temperature-flux relationships on both surfaces has been studied. The distance between the two surfaces is also considered a parameter. The medium properties, the distance between the surfaces, and the heater surface temperature have been found to have a great impact on the design surface heat flux. The inverse mixed boundary problem has been solved using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the finite-volume method (FVM), and the genetic algorithm (GA). Results of the present study provide a guideline towards the efficient design of a heater in which conduction and radiation are the dominant modes of heat transfer.     

Use of a robotic sampling platform to assess young children's exposure to indoor bioaerosols

Indoor exposures to allergens, mold spores, and endotoxin have been suggested as etiological agents of asthma; therefore, accurate determination of those exposures, especially in young children (6-36 months), is important for understanding the development of asthma. Because use of personal sampling equipment in this population is difficult, and in children <1 year of age impossible, we developed a personal sampling surrogate: the Pretoddler Inhalable Particulate Environmental Robotic (PIPER) sampler to better estimate their exposures. During sampling, PIPER simulates the activity patterns, speed of motion, and the height of the breathing zones of young children, and mechanically resuspends the deposited dust just as a young child does during running and crawling. The concentrations of allergens, mold spores, and endotoxin measured by PIPER were compared to those measured using traditional stationary air sampling method in 75 homes in central New Jersey, United States. Endotoxin was detected in all homes with median concentrations of 1.0 and 0.55 EU/m(3) for PIPER and stationary sampler, respectively. The difference in median concentrations obtained using the two methods was statistically significant for homes with carpeted floors (P = 0.0001) in the heating season. For such homes, the average ratio of endotoxin concentration measured by PIPER to the stationary sampler was 2.96 (95% CI 2.29-3.63). Fungal spores were detected in all homes, with median fungal concentrations of 316 and 380 spores/m(3) for PIPER and stationary sampler, respectively. For fungi, the difference between the two sampling methods was not statistically significant. For both sampling methods, the total airborne mold levels were statistically significantly higher in the non-heating season than in the heating season. Allergens were detected in ~15% of investigated homes. The data indicate that the traditional stationary air-sampling methods may substantially underestimate personal exposures to endotoxin, especially due to resuspension of dust from carpeted floor surfaces. A personal sampling surrogate, such as PIPER, is a feasible approach to estimate personal exposures in young children. PIPER should be seriously considered as the sampling platform for future exposure studies in young children. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study investigated potential indoor bioaerosol exposure of young children using a Pretoddler Inhalable Particulate Environmental Robotic (PIPER) sampler platform. The results show that the traditional stationary air-sampling methods can substantially underestimate personal exposures to resuspended material, and that a personal sampling surrogate, such as PIPER, offers a feasible surrogate for measuring personal inhalation exposures of young children.     

Revamp study of crude distillation unit heat exchanger network: Energy integration potential of delayed coking unit free hot streams

This work addresses the revamp study of the crude distillation unit (CDU) heat exchanger network (HEN) of a typical refinery with and without the consideration of the free hot streams available in the delayed coking unit (DCU). Based on pinch design method, two sub-cases of revamp study have been considered namely (a) installation of new heat exchangers for the entire network and (b) reutilization of existing heat exchangers. Based on the study, it has been evaluated that the revamp design of existing CDU HEN without considering the DCU free hot streams allows the enhancement of heat integration by 4.73% with respect to that available for the base case. On the other hand, the heat integration potential of DCU free hot streams is evaluated to enhance energy integration by 15.66% (with respect to the base case) with a simultaneous reduction of furnace duty by 37.1% and cooling water duties by 89.8%. Of various cases considered, the most attractive option corresponds to the partial revamp of CDU HEN along with DCU free hot streams that involve the reutilization of existing heat exchangers. The profitability analysis of this option concludes that the revamp design needs an additional investment of 2.68 M$ to enhance annual profit by 1.58 M$ with a payback period of 1.9 years. Thereby, the heat integration potential of DCU free hot streams is inferred to be significant and marks an important choice amongst different key revamp parameters associated to heat exchanger networks.     

Retrieval of thermal properties in a transient conduction–radiation problem with variable thermal conductivity

This article reports an inverse analysis of a transient conduction–radiation problem with variable thermal conductivity. Simultaneous retrieval of parameters is accomplished by minimizing the objective function represented by the square of the difference between the measured and the assumed temperature fields. The measured temperature field is calculated from the direct method involving the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and the finite volume method (FVM). In the direct method, the FVM is used to obtain the radiative information and the LBM is used to solve the energy equation. With perturbations imposed on the measured temperature data, minimization of the objective function is achieved with the help of the genetic algorithm (GA). The accuracies of the retrieved parameters have been studied for the effects of the genetic parameters such as the crossover and the mutation rates, the population size, the number of generations and the effect of noise on the measured temperature data. A good estimation of parameters has been obtained.     

An Analytically Defined Fire‐Suppressing Foam Formulation for Evaluation of Fluorosurfactant Replacement

A 4‐component, analytically defined, reference fluorosurfactant formulation (Ref‐aqueous film forming foam [AFFF]) composed of 0.3% fluorocarbon‐surfactant concentrate (Capstone 1157), 0.2% hydrocarbon‐surfactant concentrate (Glucopon 215 UP), and 0.5% diethylene glycol mono butyl ether by volume in distilled water was found to have rapid fire extinction comparable to a commercial AFFF in tests conducted on a bench scale and a large scale (28 ft², part of US Military Specification, MIL‐F‐24385F). The Ref‐AFFF was analytically characterized to provide the identity and quantity of the chemical structures of the surfactant molecules that were lacking for commercial AFFF formulations. To arrive at an acceptable Ref‐AFFF formulation, 3 candidate formulations containing different hydrocarbon surfactants in varying amounts were evaluated and ranked relative to a commercial AFFF using a bench‐scale fire‐extinction apparatus; varying the hydrocarbon surfactant was found to affect the fire‐extinction time. The ranking was confirmed by the large‐scale tests suggesting that the bench‐scale apparatus is a reasonable research tool for identifying surfactants likely to succeed in the large‐scale test. In the future, replacing the fluorocarbon surfactant with an alternative surfactant in the Ref‐AFFF enables a direct comparison of fire extinction and environmental impact to identify an acceptable fluorine‐free formulation.     

Mechanical,thermal, and morphological properties of maleic anhydride‐g‐polypropylene compatibilized and chemically modified banana‐fiber‐reinforced polypropylene composites

Composites were prepared with chemically modified banana fibers in polypropylene (PP). The effects of 40‐mm fiber loading and resin modification on the physical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the composites were evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and so on. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MA‐g‐PP) compatibilizer was used to improve the fiber‐matrix adhesion. SEM studies carried out on fractured specimens indicated poor dispersion in the unmodified fiber composites and improved adhesion and uniform dispersion in the treated composites. A fiber loading of 15 vol % in the treated composites was optimum, with maximum mechanical properties and thermal stability evident. The composite with 5% MA‐g‐PP concentration at a 15% fiber volume showed an 80% increase in impact strength, a 48% increase in flexural strength, a 125% increase in flexural modulus, a 33% increase in tensile strength, and an 82% increase in tensile modulus, whereas the heat deflection temperature increased by 18°C. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Influence of varying fiber lengths on mechanical,thermal, and morphological properties of MA‐g‐PP compatibilized and chemically modified short pineapple leaf fiber reinforced polypropylene composites

Environmentally benign, low cost and abundantly available short pineapple leaf fibers (PALF), found mostly in the Tropical rain forest climates are ideal materials for manufacture of thermoplastic polymer‐matrix composites. Here, mechanical and thermal properties of composites of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MA‐g‐PP) and chemically modified short PALF are studied as a function of different fiber lengths at 10 vol % fibers loading with fiber orientation in the longitudinal direction. The effects of fiber lengths and fiber loading on the morphological properties are assessed via observations by scanning electron microscopy. Fiber length of 6 mm oriented longitudinally at 10 vol % fibers loading in PP is the optimum and recommended composition, where 73% increase in impact properties, 37% increase in the flexural modulus, 33% increase in flexural strength, and 14% increase in vicat softening temperature are observed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Hemoconcentration as an early risk factor for necrotizing pancreatitis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine whether measurement of serum hematocrit during the first 24 h helps in distinguishing necrotizing from mild pancreatitis. METHODS: From May 1992 to June 1996, a case-control study was performed with cases of patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. We selected as a control the next patient admitted with mild pancreatitis. RESULTS: There were 32 patients in each group. Logistic regression identified an admission hematocrit of > or = 47% and a failure of admission hematocrit to decrease at 24 h as the best binary risk factors for necrotizing pancreatitis. At admission, more patients with necrotizing pancreatitis than with mild pancreatitis had a hematocrit > or = 47% (11/32 vs 3/32; p = 0.03). At 24 h, 15 additional patients with necrotizing pancreatitis versus only one with mild pancreatitis showed no decrease in admission hematocrit (p < 0.01). Thus, by 24 h, 26 of 32 patients with necrotizing pancreatitis versus only four of 32 patients with mild pancreatitis met one or the other criterion (p < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity at admission were 34% and 91%; at 24 h, 81% and 88%. CONCLUSIONS: Hemoconcentration with an admission hematocrit > or = 47% or failure of admission hematocrit to decrease at approximately 24 h were strong risk factors for the development of pancreatic necrosis.