Transfer of lymphocytic choriomeningitis disease in beta 2-microglobulin-deficient mice by CD4+ T cells

In this study we have investigated the role of CD4+, MHC class II-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in the disease caused by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in beta 2-microglobulin deficient (beta 2m-) mice. Intracranial (i.c.) infection with LCMV resulted in death of six out of 11 beta 2m- mice. Mice that survived showed a marked loss in body weight. Death and loss of body weight could be prevented by immunosuppressing the mice with irradiation or cyclosporine prior to i.c. injection of LCMV. This treatment also prevented induction of virus-specific, MHC class II-restricted CTL following peripheral inoculation with LCMV. In vivo depletion of CD4+ cells with antibody also prevented death following i.c. injection whereas in vivo depletion of CD8+ cells had no effect. Disease could be transferred to recipient beta 2m- mice by adoptive transfer of beta 2m- derived immune spleen cells. Transfer of non-immune spleen cells did not result in illness. In vitro treatment of immune spleen cells with anti-CD4 antibody and complement eliminated class II-restricted CTL activity and also prevented mortality of recipients after adoptive transfer. Treatment with anti-CD8 antibody had no effect. We were unable to transfer LCM disease to beta 2m- recipients by adoptive transfer of immune spleen cells from C57BL/6 mice. These results suggest that, unlike normal mice, the pathology of LCM disease in beta 2m- mice is dependent upon virus-specific, CD4+CD8-, MHC class II-restricted T cells.     

Simulation of Temperature Distribution in Stored Wheat without Aeration

A neural-deterministic simulation model applied for calculating distributions of temperatures and moisture content in a bed of wheat stored in a steel silo without aeration is presented in the article. The model consists of differential equations of heat and moisture transfer, initial and boundary conditions, and three artificial neural networks used during simulated ambient air conditions. Experiments and computer simulations were carried out in order to determine temperature fields in wheat grain stored in a steel silo for two months. The computer simulations were carried using MATLAB and FEMLAB software. The difference between measured and simulated temperature in grain near the silo wall at a height of 2.5 m from the bottom was less than 3.0°C. On the basis of the analysis performed it was concluded that the temperature distributions obtained with the model were consistent with the measured results obtained for grain stored in a steel silo without aeration.     

The effect of the framework structure on the chemical properties of the vanadium oxide species incorporated within zeolites

V-silicalite catalysts (VS-1 and VS-2) prepared by hydrothermal synthesis have been studied by ESR, XAFS (XANES and EXAFS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The in situ characterization of these V-silicalites shows that vanadium is present within the zeolitic framework as a highly dispersed tetrahedrally coordinated V-oxides, VO₄ unit, having a short V=O bond length. Photoluminescence spectroscopy in static and dynamic mode, as well as XAFS studies allow to detect in the V-silicalites different V species than that present in V-HMS or V/SiO₂, in terms of V=O bond length, vibrational energy, bond angle and lifetime of the excited triplet state. It is suggested that the combined contribution of the neighboring Si---OH group attached to the VO₄ unit and the zeolitic rigid framework structure of V-silicalites cause a more significant and pronounced effect on the chemical properties of the VO₄ unit than the flexible structure of V-HMS or V/SiO₂. Moreover, the dynamic quenching of the phosphorescence by the addition of reactant molecules such as NO or propane indicates that the V species in the excited triplet state can be expected to be the active sites for the photocatalytic reactions.     

The kinetics of hydrogen transport through amorphous Pd82−yNiySi18 alloys (y=0-32) by analysis of anodic current transient

Hydrogen transport through amorphous Pd_82−yNi_ySi₁₈ alloys (y=0-32) was investigated in 0.1 M NaOH solution by analysis of the anodic current transient. It was found that the anodic current transient shows the non-Cottrell behaviour, but its shape and value remain nearly constant regardless of the hydrogen discharging potential. From the coincidence of the anodic current transient theoretically calculated with that experimentally measured, it is suggested that the change in surface concentration of hydrogen with time is uniquely given by the rate of hydrogen transfer from absorbed state at the electrode sub-surface to adsorbed state on the electrode surface. This means that neither the ‘constraint of constant concentration’ nor the ‘constraint by Butler-Volmer behaviour’ is effective at the electrode surface during hydrogen extraction. On the basis of the theoretical current-time relation under the ‘constraint by hydrogen transfer of absorbed state to adsorbed state’, the hydrogen diffusivity was determined to have an almost constant value of (1.3±0.4)×10⁻⁸ cm² s⁻¹, irrespective of the Ni content and in the absence of Ni. On the other hand, it is inferred that the rate constant of hydrogen transfer decreases markedly with increasing Ni content due to the Ni(OH)₂ layer formed on the electrode surface.     

Kinetics and mechanism of ?-caprolactone and l,l-lactide polymerization coinitiated with zinc octoate or aluminum acetylacetonate: The next proofs for the general alkoxide mechanism and synthetic applications

Following our previous papers on mechanism of cyclic esters' polymerization coinitiated by tin(II) octoate [tin(II) bis-(2-ethylhexanoate), (Sn(Oct)₂)] in the presence of either the low molar mass coinitiator (an alcohol, hydroxy acid, or H₂O) or a macromolecule fitted with a hydroxy end group (ROH), the present work deals with ?-caprolactone (CL) and l,l-lactide (LA) polymerizations coinitiated with zinc octoate (Zn(Oct)₂) or aluminum acetylacetonate (Al(Acac)₃). A series of kinetic measurements revealed that similarly as in the Sn(Oct)₂ coinitiated process, these polymerizations proceed by simple monomer insertion into the …Mt-OR bond, reversibly formed in the reaction -Mt-L + ROH ? …-Mt-OR + LH (where Mt = Sn, Zn or Al; L = Oct or Acac), taking place throughout the whole polymerization process. MtL_n itself does not play an active role in the polymerization. Applicability of the commercially available Zn(Oct)₂ or Al(Acac)₃ for the aliphatic polyester (10³ ≤ M_n ≤ 4 × 10⁵) synthesis is also discussed.     

Direct conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons via an oxygen free,low-temperature route

The direct conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons over a silica-supported Ru catalyst has been investigated via an oxygen free, two-step route. The reaction consists of decomposition of methane over a 3% silica-supp orted Ru catalyst at temperatures between 400 and 800 K to produce surface carbonaceous species followed by rehydrogenation of these species to higher hydrocarbons at of 368 K. It was found that the Ru/SiO₂ catalyst exhibits a trend similar to that for single-crystal Ru catalysts. However, the temperature at which a maximum in ethane selectivity occurs shifts toward a higher temperature. It was also found that the ethane yield can be optimized by changing the surface carbon coverage. Under optimum conditions a net ethane yield of about 13–15% has been realized. For this two-step reaction sequence, only a few reaction cycles could be operated without intermediate high temperature rehydrogenation and without significant loss in ethane yield. This is attributed to large amounts of inactive carbon that could not be hydrogenated at 368 K. Higher methane partial pressures were found to be desirable for this reaction. The activity of the catalyst could also be maintained at total pressures up to 10 atm.     

Structure generation and performance comparison of elliptic Gm‐C filters

Starting from a set of matrices describing a general G_m‐C filter topology, a procedure is developed for generating structures of lowpass filters. As the matrices and the filter topologies have a one‐to‐one correspondence, an algebraic method is used to identify filter topologies with desired properties, here, transfer functions with finite jω‐axis transmission zeros, specifically elliptic filters. Sensitivity expressions for these structures are derived and a performance comparison based on a set of chosen criteria is made. For a specified elliptic transfer function, filters with only grounded capacitors and those containing also floating capacitors emerge as alternative realizations, as are filters with a single input and those with distributed inputs. For third‐order functions, a detailed comparison is performed of leapfrog (LF) and inverse follow‐the‐leader‐feedback (IFLF), the most popular special cases, and of topologies that have also floating capacitors (LF_f, IFLF_f), as well as of a novel configuration that uses also distributed inputs (DI_f) and leads to a reduced element count. Design guidelines and restrictions are given, which follow from the derived results with focus on the circuits' sensitivity performance and other properties important for IC implementation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbon fibers modified with carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes were used to modify a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer solution before the manufacture of the carbon fiber precursor. The modified PAN fibers were spun from a dimethylformamide solution containing a small amount of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The fibers were characterized by thermogravimetry and optical and scanning electron microscopy. Structure, morphology, and selected properties of the composite polymeric fibers and the fibers after carbonization are characterized. The mechanical properties of the fibers are examined. It is found that nanotubes in the PAN solution have a strong tendency to form agglomerates that inhibit suitable macromolecular chain orientation of the carbon fiber precursor. Fibers manufactured from such a solution have similar mechanical properties to those from a pure PAN precursor, and after carbonization the resultant carbon fibers are very weak. A comparison of pure carbon fibers and those containing nanotubes reveals slight differences in their structural ordering.