Design of high-capacity,reversible polymeric adsorbents for acidic gases

Polyethyleneimine (PEIM) samples crosslinked by a commercial epoxy resin (Epon 828) were prepared, and their adsorption capacity for acidic gases was studied. The swelling and deswelling characteristics of the crosslinked samples were also examined as part of this program. Reactivation of these adsorbents could be carried out by heat, or by a combination of heat and treatment in dilute alkalies.     

A new approach to the design of surface treatments for reinforcing agents

A new approach for design of improved interfacial bonding between carbon fibers and polymeric matrices is described. In this method the affinity of surface-treated carbon fibers to various polymer matrices is simulated by analyzing the adsorption characteristics of model compounds, typical of the polymer units, onto very high surface area carbon fibers. The affinity can be evaluated by the use of Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) to measure adsorption–desorption characteristics. Since high surface area, activated carbon fibers (ACF) can be chemically treated to obtain acidic, basic, nonpolar or highly polar surfaces, it should be possible to assess the interactions of chemically modified surfaces with model compounds such as methanol (MeOH), acetone, dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylether, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and water. Some preliminary results are presented, indicating that surface treatments for carbon fibers other than oxidation may lead to enhanced bonding with polymeric matrices.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">parkin</Emphasis> counteracts symptoms in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis> model of Parkinson's disease

Background

Parkinson's disease, a prevalent neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the reduction of dopaminergic neurons resulting in the loss of motor control, resting tremor, the formation of neuronal inclusions and ultimately premature death. Two inherited forms of PD have been linked to mutations in the α-synuclein and parkin genes. The parkin protein functions as an ubiquitin ligase targeting specific proteins for degradation. Expression of human α-synuclein in Drosophila neurons recapitulates the loss of motor control, the development of neuronal inclusions, degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and the ommatidial array to provide an excellent genetic model of PD.

Results

To investigate the role of parkin, we have generated transgenic Drosophila that conditionally express parkin under the control of the yeast UAS enhancer. While expression of parkin has little consequence, co-expression of parkin with α-synuclein in the dopaminergic neurons suppresses the α-synuclein-induced premature loss of climbing ability. In addition directed expression of parkin in the eye counteracts the α-synuclein-induced degeneration of the ommatidial array. These results show that parkin suppresses the PD-like symptoms observed in the α-synuclein-dependent Drosophila model of PD.

Conclusion

The highly conserved parkin E3 ubiquitin ligase can suppress the damaging effects of human α-synuclein. These results are consistent with a role for parkin in targeting α-synuclein to the proteasome. If this relationship is conserved in humans, this suggests that up-regulation of parkin should suppress α-synucleinopathic PD. The development of therapies that regulate parkin activity may be crucial in the treatment of PD.

     

Liquid-crystalline phase behavior of a colloidal rod-plate mixture

The phase behavior of rod-plate mixtures was investigated using model systems containing unambiguously rod- and plate-shaped colloids. We find that the theoretically disputed biaxial nematic phase is unstable with respect to demixing into an isotropic and two uniaxial nematic phases. The phase behavior at very high densities is exceptionally rich and includes the coexistence of up to four different liquid crystalline phases, which stem from the coupling between the employed particle shapes and polydispersity.     

Moving shocks through metallic grids: their interaction and potential for blast wave mitigation

Numerical simulations and laboratory measurements have been used to illuminate the interaction of a moving shock wave impacting on metallic grids at various shock strengths and grid solidities. The experimental work was carried out in a large scale shock tube facility while computational work simulated the flow field with a time-dependent inviscid and a time-dependent viscous model. The pressure drop measured across the grids is a result of two phenomena which are associated with the impact of the shock on the metallic grids. First are the reflection and refraction of the incoming shock on the grid itself. This appears to be the main inviscid mechanism associated with the reduction of the strength of the transmitted shock. Second, viscous phenomena are present during the reflection and refraction of the wave as well as during the passage of the induced flow of the air through the grid. The experimental data of pressure drop across the grid obtained in the present investigation are compared with those obtained from computations. The numerical results slightly overpredict the experimental data of relative pressure drop which increases substantially with grid solidity at fixed flow Mach numbers. The processes of shock reflection and refraction are continuous and they can be extended in duration by using thicker grids that will result in lower compression rates of the structural loading and increase the viscous losses associated with these phenomena which will further attenuate the impacting shock. Preliminary theoretical analysis suggests that the use of a graded porosity/solidity material will result in higher pressure drop than a constant porosity/solidity material and thus provide effective blast mitigation.      

Measurement of the neutrino mass splitting and flavor mixing by MINOS

Measurements of neutrino oscillations using the disappearance of muon neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI neutrino beam as observed by the two MINOS detectors are reported. New analysis methods have been applied to an enlarged data sample from an exposure of 7.25×10(20) protons on target. A fit to neutrino oscillations yields values of |Δm(2)|=(2.32(-0.08)(+0.12))×10(-3) eV(2) for the atmospheric mass splitting and sin(2)(2θ)>0.90 (90% C.L.) for the mixing angle. Pure neutrino decay and quantum decoherence hypotheses are excluded at 7 and 9 standard deviations, respectively.     

Vorticity and velocity alignment in compressible flows: An experimental study of helicity density in turbulence and vortices

A nearly homogeneous and isotropic decaying compressible turbulence and a vortex flow have been investigated experimentally in a large-scale shock tube facility. Rectangular grids of various mesh sizes were used to generate turbulence with Reynolds numbers based on Taylor’s microscale ranging from 260 to 1300. Measurements of the three-dimensional velocity and vorticity vectors, the full velocity gradient and rate-of-strain tensors with instrumentation of high temporal and spatial resolution have been carried out. This allowed estimates of dilatation, compressible dissipation and dilatational stretching to be obtained. The time-dependent signals of enstrophy, vortex stretching/tilting vector and helicity were found to exhibit a rather strong intermittent behavior which is characterized by high amplitude bursts with values up to 8 times their r.m.s. within periods of less violent and longer lived events. Several of these bursts are evident in all the signals suggesting the existence of a dynamical flow phenomenon as a common cause. Further interpretation of the results was obtained by considering the decomposition of the velocity field into a solenoidal contribution and a potential part. The effect of the Mach number is to increase the influence of the solenoidal part of the contribution and therefore make the flow more “vortex-dominated”. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 422–428. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Cross-sections for deuteron photo-disintegration from 139 to 832 MeV

The cross-sections for deuteron photo-disintegration have been measured at nine c.m. angles from 37 to 143 degrees. The minimum and maximum photon energies have been 139 and 832 MeV respectively. The results are in agreement with earlier data above 300 MeV, but are significantly larger below 200 MeV, the discrepancies being up to 50% at the lowest energies measured.