346 research outputs found
SONOLYTICAL PRODUCTION OF BIO-DIESEL FUEL FROM NON-EDIBLE VEGETABLE OIL
Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart
Separation of VUV/UV photons and reactive particles in the effluent of a He/O2 atmospheric pressure plasma jet
Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas can be used for treatment of living tissues
or for inactivation of bacteria or biological macromolecules. The treatment is
usually characterized by a combined effect of UV and VUV radiation, reactive
species, and ions. This combination is usually beneficial for the effectiveness
of the treatment but it makes the study of fundamental interaction mechanisms
very difficult. Here we report on an effective separation of VUV/UV photons and
heavy reactive species in the effluent of a micro scale atmospheric pressure
plasma jet (-APPJ). The separation is realized by an additional flow of
helium gas under well-defined flow conditions, which deflects heavy particles
in the effluent without affecting the VUV and UV photons. Both components of
the effluent, the photons and the reactive species, can be used separately or
in combination for sample treatment. The results of treatment of a model plasma
polymer film and vegetative Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli cells are
shown and discussed. A simple model of the He gas flow and reaction kinetics of
oxygen atoms in the gas phase and at the surface is used to provide a better
understanding of the processes in the plasma effluent. The new jet
modification, called X-Jet for its appearance, will simplify the investigation
of interaction mechanisms of atmospheric pressure plasmas with biological
samples.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Journal of Physics D: Applied
Physic
Proteomic response of Bacillus subtilis to lantibiotics reflects differences in interaction with the cytoplasmic membrane
Low frequency Raman studies of multi-wall carbon nanotubes: experiments and theory
In this paper, we investigate the low frequency Raman spectra of multi-wall
carbon nanotubes (MWNT) prepared by the electric arc method. Low frequency
Raman modes are unambiguously identified on purified samples thanks to the
small internal diameter of the MWNT. We propose a model to describe these
modes. They originate from the radial breathing vibrations of the individual
walls coupled through the Van der Waals interaction between adjacent concentric
walls. The intensity of the modes is described in the framework of bond
polarization theory. Using this model and the structural characteristics of the
nanotubes obtained from transmission electron microscopy allows to simulate the
experimental low frequency Raman spectra with an excellent agreement. It
suggests that Raman spectroscopy can be as useful regarding the
characterization of MWNT as it is in the case of single-wall nanotubes.Comment: 4 pages, 2 eps fig., 2 jpeg fig., RevTex, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Unconventional magnetism in all-carbon nanofoam
We report production of nanostructured carbon foam by a high-repetition-rate,
high-power laser ablation of glassy carbon in Ar atmosphere. A combination of
characterization techniques revealed that the system contains both sp2 and sp3
bonded carbon atoms. The material is a novel form of carbon in which
graphite-like sheets fill space at very low density due to strong hyperbolic
curvature, as proposed for ?schwarzite?. The foam exhibits ferromagnetic-like
behaviour up to 90 K, with a narrow hysteresis curve and a high saturation
magnetization. Such magnetic properties are very unusual for a carbon
allotrope. Detailed analysis excludes impurities as the origin of the magnetic
signal. We postulate that localized unpaired spins occur because of topological
and bonding defects associated with the sheet curvature, and that these spins
are stabilized due to the steric protection offered by the convoluted sheets.Comment: 14 pages, including 2 tables and 7 figs. Submitted to Phys Rev B 10
September 200
Electronic states and quantum transport in double-wall carbon nanotubes
Electronic states and transport properties of double-wall carbon nanotubes
without impurities are studied in a systematic manner. It is revealed that
scattering in the bulk is negligible and the number of channels determines the
average conductance. In the case of general incommensurate tubes, separation of
degenerated energy levels due to intertube transfer is suppressed in the energy
region higher than the Fermi energy but not in the energy region lower than
that. Accordingly, in the former case, there are few effects of intertube
transfer on the conductance, while in the latter case, separation of
degenerated energy levels leads to large reduction of the conductance. It is
also found that in some cases antiresonance with edge states in inner tubes
causes an anomalous conductance quantization, , near the Fermi
energy.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, to be published in Physical Review
Nanomechanical Properties and Phase Transitions in a Double-Walled (5,5)@(10,10) Carbon Nanotube: ab initio Calculations
The structure and elastic properties of (5,5) and (10,10) nanotubes, as well
as barriers for relative rotation of the walls and their relative sliding along
the axis in a double-walled (5,5)@(10,10) carbon nanotube, are calculated using
the density functional method. The results of these calculations are the basis
for estimating the following physical quantities: shear strengths and diffusion
coefficients for relative sliding along the axis and rotation of the walls, as
well as frequencies of relative rotational and translational oscillations of
the walls. The commensurability-incommensurability phase transition is
analyzed. The length of the incommensurability defect is estimated on the basis
of ab initio calculations. It is proposed that (5,5)@(10,10) double-walled
carbon nanotube be used as a plain bearing. The possibility of experimental
verification of the results is discussed.Comment: 14 page
A walk in the PARC:developing and implementing 21st century chemical risk assessment in Europe
Current approaches for the assessment of environmental and human health risks due to exposure to chemical substances have served their purpose reasonably well. Nevertheless, the systems in place for different uses of chemicals are faced with various challenges, ranging from a growing number of chemicals to changes in the types of chemicals and materials produced. This has triggered global awareness of the need for a paradigm shift, which in turn has led to the publication of new concepts for chemical risk assessment and explorations of how to translate these concepts into pragmatic approaches. As a result, next-generation risk assessment (NGRA) is generally seen as the way forward. However, incorporating new scientific insights and innovative approaches into hazard and exposure assessments in such a way that regulatory needs are adequately met has appeared to be challenging. The European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) has been designed to address various challenges associated with innovating chemical risk assessment. Its overall goal is to consolidate and strengthen the European research and innovation capacity for chemical risk assessment to protect human health and the environment. With around 200 participating organisations from all over Europe, including three European agencies, and a total budget of over 400 million euro, PARC is one of the largest projects of its kind. It has a duration of seven years and is coordinated by ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety
Grafting of 4-(2,4,6-Trimethylphenoxy)benzoyl onto Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Poly(phosphoric acid) via Amide Function
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), which were commercial grade containing 60–70 wt% impurity, were treated in a mild poly(phosphoric acid) (PPA). The purity of PPA treated SWCNTs was greatly improved with or without little damage to SWCNTs framework and stable crystalline carbon particles. An amide model compound, 4-(2,4,6-trimethylphenoxy)benzamide (TMPBA), was reacted with SWCNTs in PPA with additional phosphorous pentoxide as “direct” Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction to afford TMPBA functionalized SWCNTs. All evidences obtained from Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microcopy, and transmission electron microscopy strongly supported that the functionalization of SWCNTs with benzamide was indeed feasible
Comprehensive analysis of temporal alterations in cellular proteome of bacillus subtilis under curcumin treatment
Curcumin is a natural dietary compound with antimicrobial activity against various gram positive and negative bacteria. This study aims to investigate the proteome level alterations in Bacillus subtilis due to curcumin treatment and identification of its molecular/cellular targets to understand the mechanism of action. We have performed a comprehensive proteomic analysis of B. subtilis AH75 strain at different time intervals of curcumin treatment (20, 60 and 120 min after the drug exposure, three replicates) to compare the protein expression profiles using two complementary quantitative proteomic techniques, 2D-DIGE and iTRAQ. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive longitudinal investigation describing the effect of curcumin treatment on B. subtilis proteome. The proteomics analysis revealed several interesting targets such UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyltransferase 1, putative septation protein SpoVG and ATP-dependent Clp protease proteolytic subunit. Further, in silico pathway analysis using DAVID and KOBAS has revealed modulation of pathways related to the fatty acid metabolism and cell wall synthesis, which are crucial for cell viability. Our findings revealed that curcumin treatment lead to inhibition of the cell wall and fatty acid synthesis in addition to differential expression of many crucial proteins involved in modulation of bacterial metabolism. Findings obtained from proteomics analysis were further validated using 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride (CTC) assay for respiratory activity, resazurin assay for metabolic activity and membrane integrity assay by potassium and inorganic phosphate leakage measurement. The gene expression analysis of selected cell wall biosynthesis enzymes has strengthened the proteomics findings and indicated the major effect of curcumin on cell division
- …