Mixed Matrix Carbon Molecular Sieve and Alumina (CMS-Al₂O₃) Membranes

This work shows mixed matrix inorganic membranes prepared by the vacuum-assisted impregnation method, where phenolic resin precursors filled the pore of a-alumina substrates. Upon carbonisation, the phenolic resin decomposed into several fragments derived from the backbone of the resin matrix. The final stages of decomposition (>650 degrees C) led to a formation of carbon molecular sieve (CMS) structures, reaching the lowest average pore sizes of similar to 5 angstrom at carbonisation temperatures of 700 degrees C. The combination of vacuum-assisted impregnation and carbonisation led to the formation of mixed matrix of CMS and a-alumina particles (CMS-Al2O3) in a single membrane. These membranes were tested for pervaporative desalination and gave very high water fluxes of up to 25 kg m(-2) h(-1) for seawater (NaCl 3.5 wt%) at 75 degrees C. Salt rejection was also very high varying between 93-99% depending on temperature and feed salt concentration. Interestingly, the water fluxes remained almost constant and were not affected as feed salt concentration increased from 0.3, 1 and 3.5 wt%

Changes in concentration of isoflavonoids after cis-jasmone spraying in the leaves of two soybean cultivars.

cis-jasmone is a naturally-occurring compound in plants that activates direct and indirect defence in model and crop plants'". Exogenous application of cis-jasmone increases flavonoid concentrations in soybean and affects negatively Anticarsia gemmatalis weight gain. Here, foliar isoflavonoid concentrations were evaluated after cis-jasmone spraying on soybean cultivars BRS l34 and lAC 100, grown at Embrapa Soybean greenhouse facilities. At V) development stage, plants were sprayed with water, Tween 20 + water or cis-jasmone + tween 20 + water. For flavonoid extraction, leaves were collected 12, 24, 48, 96, and 120h after spraying, and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen, ground in a mortar and extracted in MeOH 90% or EtOH 80% + HCI (0.001 M). Isoflavonoid concentrations were estimated by HPLC analysis. The extracts obtained from leaves of both genotypes of 24 h cis-jasmone treated plants presented higher quantities of daidzin, malonyl-daidzin, glycitin, malonyl-glycitin, glycitein and genistin, when compared to water and Tween 20 + water treated plants. Daidzein was present in hígh concentration, in both cultivars, 24 h and 48 h after cis-jasmone spraying, but no longer detected in samples collected 120 h after treatment. Coumesterol was detected, but only from samples collected 48 h after spraying. It is possible that such increases may be related to the decrease in daidzein concentration, considering that this compound is involved in coumesterol synthesis. Comparing solvent efficiencies, EtOH 80% + HCI (0.001 M) presented higher extraction capacity than MeOH 90%; coumestrol concentration in ethanolic extracts was approximately twice as high as in methanolic extracts. Our results indicated that cis-jasmone induces the production of non-volatile compounds in soybean such as isoflavonoids, and that EtOH 80% + HCI (O.OOIM)extraction is more efficient when compared to MeOH 90%

Long term and performance testing of NaMg double salts for H2/CO2 separation

This work investigates the synthesis and performance of double salts for H/CO separation. A series of NaMg double salts were prepared based on xMg(NO): yNaCO: zHO and characterised. The best sorbents reached CO uptake of 17.9\ua0wt% at 0.62\ua0MPa and 375\ua0°C. The NaMg double salts preferentially sorbed CO as determined by breakthrough tests. The NaMg double salts were packed in a sorbent bed and tested for H/CO separation at the back end of a water gas shift reactor. The space velocity had the largest impact on the performance of the sorbent bed, as increasing the space velocity from 2.16\ua0×\ua010 to 9.51\ua0×\ua010\ua0s sped up the breakthrough time by 84%. Increasing the feed gas pressure from 0.3 to 0.6\ua0MPa reduced the breakthrough time by ∼45%. The NaMg double salt sorbents were exposed for over 1000\ua0h of continuous temperature including 28 cycles of sorption and desorption, and proved to be stable during changes of operating conditions such as flow rates and pressures

Long term and performance testing of NaMg double salts for H2/CO2 separation

This work investigates the synthesis and performance of double salts for H/CO separation. A series of NaMg double salts were prepared based on xMg(NO): yNaCO: zHO and characterised. The best sorbents reached CO uptake of 17.9\ua0wt% at 0.62\ua0MPa and 375\ua0°C. The NaMg double salts preferentially sorbed CO as determined by breakthrough tests. The NaMg double salts were packed in a sorbent bed and tested for H/CO separation at the back end of a water gas shift reactor. The space velocity had the largest impact on the performance of the sorbent bed, as increasing the space velocity from 2.16\ua0×\ua010 to 9.51\ua0×\ua010\ua0s sped up the breakthrough time by 84%. Increasing the feed gas pressure from 0.3 to 0.6\ua0MPa reduced the breakthrough time by ∼45%. The NaMg double salt sorbents were exposed for over 1000\ua0h of continuous temperature including 28 cycles of sorption and desorption, and proved to be stable during changes of operating conditions such as flow rates and pressures

The natural plant stress elicitor cis-jasmone causes cultivar-dependent reduction in growth of the stink bug, Euschistus heros and associated changes in flavonoid concentrations in soybean, Glycine max.

To test the hypothesis that the plant stress related elicitor cis-jasmone (cJ) provides protection in soybean pods against the seed-sucking stink bug pest, Euschistus heros, the growth of E. heros on cJ-treated pods was investigated using three soybean cultivars differing in insect susceptibility, i.e. BRS 134 (susceptible), IAC 100 (resistant) and Dowling (resistant). E. heros showed reduced weight gain when fed cJ-treated Dowling, whereas no effect on weight gain was observed when fed other treated cultivars. Using analysis of variance, a three factor (cultivar x treatment x time) interaction was observed with concentrations of the flavonoid glycosides daidzin and genistin, and their corresponding aglycones, daidzein and genistein. There were increases in genistein and genistin concentrations in cJ-treated Dowling at 144 and 120 h post treatment, respectively. Higher concentrations of malonyldaidzin and malonylgenistin in Dowling, compared to BRS 134 and IAC 100, were observed independently of time, the highest concentrations being observed in cJ-treated seeds. Levels of glycitin and malonylglycitin were higher in BRS 134 and IAC 100 compared to Dowling. Canonical variate analysis indicated daidzein (in the first two canonical variates) and genistein (in the first only) as important discriminatory variables. These results suggest that cJ treatment leads to an increase in the levels of potentially defensive isoflavonoids in immature soybean seeds, but the negative effect upon E. heros performance is cultivar-dependent

A randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness evaluation of "booster" interventions to sustain increases in physical activity in middle-aged adults in deprived urban neighbourhoods

Background: Systematic reviews have identified a range of brief interventions which increase physical activity in previously sedentary people. There is an absence of evidence about whether follow up beyond three months can maintain long term physical activity. This study assesses whether it is worth providing motivational interviews, three months after giving initial advice, to those who have become more active. Methods/Design: Study candidates (n = 1500) will initially be given an interactive DVD and receive two telephone follow ups at monthly intervals checking on receipt and use of the DVD. Only those that have increased their physical activity after three months (n = 600) will be randomised into the study. These participants will receive either a "mini booster" (n = 200), "full booster" (n = 200) or no booster (n = 200). The "mini booster" consists of two telephone calls one month apart to discuss physical activity and maintenance strategies. The "full booster" consists of a face-to-face meeting with the facilitator at the same intervals. The purpose of these booster sessions is to help the individual maintain their increase in physical activity. Differences in physical activity, quality of life and costs associated with the booster interventions, will be measured three and nine months from randomisation. The research will be conducted in 20 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Sheffield, which have large, ethnically diverse populations, high levels of economic deprivation, low levels of physical activity, poorer health and shorter life expectancy. Participants will be recruited through general practices and community groups, as well as by postal invitation, to ensure the participation of minority ethnic groups and those with lower levels of literacy. Sheffield City Council and Primary Care Trust fund a range of facilities and activities to promote physical activity and variations in access to these between neighbourhoods will make it possible to examine whether the effectiveness of the intervention is modified by access to community facilities. A one-year integrated feasibility study will confirm that recruitment targets are achievable based on a 10% sample.Discussion: The choice of study population, study interventions, brief intervention preceding the study, and outcome measure are discussed

A hard x-ray photoemission study of transparent conducting fluorine-doped tin dioxide

Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) is a commercially successful transparent conducting oxide with very good electrical (resistivities < 1×103 Ω·cm) and optical properties (transmittance > 85%). These properties coupled with cheap and large-scale deposition on float-glass lines means FTO has found commercial use in, for example, low emissivity windows and solar cells. However, despite its widespread application, a detailed understanding is lacking of the doping and defects in FTO. Recent work [1] has suggested that the fluorine interstitial plays a major role in limiting the conductivity of FTO. Here we present synchrotron radiation high energy x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) of the fluorine 1s core level of FTO films without in situ surface preparation. This probes deeper than standard XPS and shows that the fluorine interstitial is present not just at the surface of the films and is not an artefact of argon ion sputtering for surface preparation

Use of the analysis of the volatile faecal metabolome in screening for colorectal cancer

Diagnosis of colorectal cancer is an invasive and expensive colonoscopy, which is usually carried out after a positive screening test. Unfortunately, existing screening tests lack specificity and sensitivity, hence many unnecessary colonoscopies are performed. Here we report on a potential new screening test for colorectal cancer based on the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace of faecal samples. Faecal samples were obtained from subjects who had a positive faecal occult blood sample (FOBT). Subjects subsequently had colonoscopies performed to classify them into low risk (non-cancer) and high risk (colorectal cancer) groups. Volatile organic compounds were analysed by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) and then data were analysed using both univariate and multivariate statistical methods. Ions most likely from hydrogen sulphide, dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl disulphide are statistically significantly higher in samples from high risk rather than low risk subjects. Results using multivariate methods show that the test gives a correct classification of 75% with 78% specificity and 72% sensitivity on FOBT positive samples, offering a potentially effective alternative to FOBT

P. falciparum and P. vivax Epitope-Focused VLPs Elicit Sterile Immunity to Blood Stage Infections

In order to design P. falciparum preerythrocytic vaccine candidates, a library of circumsporozoite (CS) T and B cell epitopes displayed on the woodchuck hepatitis virus core antigen (WHcAg) VLP platform was produced. To test the protective efficacy of the WHcAg-CS VLPs, hybrid CS P. berghei/P. falciparum (Pb/Pf) sporozoites were used to challenge immunized mice. VLPs carrying 1 or 2 different CS repeat B cell epitopes and 3 VLPs carrying different CS non-repeat B cell epitopes elicited high levels of anti-insert antibodies (Abs). Whereas, VLPs carrying CS repeat B cell epitopes conferred 98% protection of the liver against a 10,000 Pb/Pf sporozoite challenge, VLPs carrying the CS non-repeat B cell eptiopes were minimally-to-non-protective. One-to-three CS-specific CD4/CD8 T cell sites were also fused to VLPs, which primed CS-specific as well as WHcAg-specific T cells. However, a VLP carrying only the 3 T cell domains failed to protect against a sporozoite challenge, indicating a requirement for anti-CS repeat Abs. A VLP carrying 2 CS repeat B cell epitopes and 3 CS T cell sites in alum adjuvant elicited high titer anti-CS Abs (endpoint dilution titer \u3e1x106) and provided 80–100% protection against blood stage malaria. Using a similar strategy, VLPs were constructed carrying P. vivax CS repeat B cell epitopes (WHc-Pv-78), which elicited high levels of anti-CS Abs and conferred 99% protection of the liver against a 10,000 Pb/Pv sporozoite challenge and elicited sterile immunity to blood stage infection. These results indicate that immunization with epitope-focused VLPs carrying selected B and T cell epitopes from the P.falciparum and P. vivax CS proteins can elicit sterile immunity against blood stage malaria. Hybrid WHcAg-CS VLPs could provide the basis for a bivalent P. falciparum/P. vivax malaria vaccine