Desorption of polymers: role of the stagnant layer

The desorption of polymers is studied theoretically and with Monte Carlo simulations. Two regimes can be distinguished: in one regime the detachment of the polymer from the surface is the slowest process, and in the other it is the diffusion of the polymer away from the surface. In both regimes the desorption rate depends on the thickness H of the stagnant layer, i.e. the layer in which the polymer movement is dominated by diffusion. In the diffusion-limited regime the desorption rate scales as H ^{? 2}, as expected for diffusive processes. In the detachment-limited regime the desorption rate scales as H ^{? 1}. The importance of the thickness of the stagnant layer in the detachment-limited regime is due to the fact that the polymer, after it has detached, will most likely readsorb soon after: the probability that the polymer does not readsorb, but crosses the stagnant layer, is inversely proportional to the thickness of the stagnant layer.     

Large-scale purification of factor VIII by affinity chromatography: optimization of process parameters

The optimization of a new process for the extraction of human coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) from plasma with the tailor-made affinity matrix dimethylamino-propylcarbamylpentyl-Sepharose CL-4B (C3-C5 matrix) is described. First, plasma is applied to DEAE-Sephadex A-50 anion exchanger in order to separate a number of proteins, including coagulation factors II, IX and X (prothrombin complex), from FVIII. Subsequently, the unbound fraction of the ion exchanger, containing FVIII, is contacted with the C3-C5 affinity matrix. Optimization of the FVIII affinity chromatographic procedure is accomplished in terms of the ligand density of the matrix, adsorption mode (batch-wise versus column-wise adsorption and matrix to plasma ratio), and conditions of pH and conductivity to be applied on washing and desorption. In scale-up experiments, by processing 20 l of plasma, the recovery (340 U VIII:C/kg plasma) and the specific activity (s.a.) (1.2 U VIII:C/mg protein) are better than those obtained by cryoprecipitation (recovery 300 U VIII:C/kg plasma, s.a. 0.3 U VIII:C/mg protein). The newly developed process using the specially designed C3-C5 affinity matrix has potential application in the process-scale purification of FVIII.     

Effects of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation on expression of growth-associated genes by corticospinal neurons

Background  

Inflammation around cell bodies of primary sensory neurons and retinal ganglion cells enhances expression of neuronal growth-associated genes and stimulates axonal regeneration. We have asked if inflammation would have similar effects on corticospinal neurons, which normally show little response to spinal cord injury. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was applied onto the pial surface of the motor cortex of adult rats with or without concomitant injury of the corticospinal tract at C4. Inflammation around corticospinal tract cell bodies in the motor cortex was assessed by immunohistochemistry for OX42 (a microglia and macrophage marker). Expression of growth-associated genes c-jun, ATF3, SCG10 and GAP-43 was investigated by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridisation.     

Luminescence decay of lead tungstate and lead molybdate

The temperature dependence of the luminescence decay of PbWO₄ and PbMoO₄ has been investigated as part of an attempt to identify the nature of the unknown emitting centres. This dependence is found to be anomalous.     

Passage times for unbiased polymer translocation through a narrow pore

We study the translocation process of a polymer in the absence of external fields for various pore diameters b and membrane thickness L. The polymer performs Rouse and reptation dynamics. The mean translocation time (tau(t)) that the polymer needs to escape from a cell and the mean dwell time (tau(d)) that the polymer spends in the pore during the translocation process obey scaling relations in terms of the polymer length N, L, and b/R(g), where R(g) is the radius of gyration for the polymer. We explain these relations using simple arguments based on polymer dynamics and the equilibrium properties of polymers.     

Beta-delayed proton emitter kr

The nucleide ⁷³Kr has been identified by on-line mass separation as a precursor of β-delayed proton emission. The proton branch is (6.8 ±1.2) × 10⁻³ proton/decay. The protons populate the ground state and also the first excited 2⁺ state at 866 keV in ⁷²Se with a relative intensity of (35±9) %. The value of Q_EC−B_p, where B_p is the proton separation energy for the nucleus ⁷³Br, is found to be 4.85 ±0.30 MeV based on the fraction of proton events preceded by positron decay.