The Commodification of International Education

Published by the Center of the Study of Ethics in Society Western Michigan University

Mechanism and theory of d-glucopyranose homogeneous acid catalysis in the aqueous solution phase

peer-reviewedA detailed systematic theoretical study of the mechanism of the homogeneous Brønsted -acid catalysis of D-glucose in aqueous solution phase ("acid hydrolysis") is reported. G4MP2 with the SMD solvation model at B3LYP/6-31G(2df,p) are employed to compute the free energies of the molecular and ionic species pertaining to the isomerization, protonation, hydrogen cation transfer and decomposition processes of D-glucopyranose in aqueous solution phase. This information is used to hypothesise a reaction mechanism that is of improved accuracy and completeness from the existing art. It is found that rotation of the D-glucose alkyl carbon-carbon bond is a facile process and is very important to the subsequent catalytic mechanism. This rotation produces two rotameric isomers which are of notably different thermodynamic stability and reactivity, even with regard to the products of this acid catalysis. As a low energy process =E2 = ~3.8 6.7 kcal/mol), the alkyl carbon-carbon bond may rotate toward the hydroxyl group at the adjacent "4" position reducing the energy required to protonate that position by 3.0 7.2 kcal/mol (or 15 30 %). The combination of two rotomeric isomers with the six structural isomers owing to the oxygen atoms, means that protonated D-glucose cations embark on a complex competition of interconversion and decomposition that is both thermodynamically and kinetically influenced. The calculations support the hypothesis that the acid-catalysed hydrolysis of D-glucose may yield a number of platform chemicals that have not previously been suggested. These include the prospect of three isomers of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF); 5- (hydroxymethyl)furan-2-carbaldehyde, 5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-3-carbaldehyde and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-4- carbaldehyde. Vibrational spectra of these HMF isomers are also computed and compared to experimentally determined infrared spectra of "humins". On this basis, it is cautiously speculated that the alternative HMF isomers, may be monomeric constituent of the polymeric "humins"

The Use of Software Design Patterns to Teach Secure Software Design: An Integrated Approach

Part 2: Software Security EducationInternational audienceDuring software development, security is often dealt with as an add-on. This means that security considerations are not necessarily seen as an integral part of the overall solution and might even be left out of a design. For many security problems, the approach towards secure development has recurring elements. Software design patterns are often used to address a commonly occurring problem through a “generic” approach towards this problem. The design pattern provides a conceptual model of a best-practices solution, which in turn is used by developers to create a concrete implementation for their specific problem. Most software design patterns do not include security best-practices as part of the generic solution towards the commonly occurring problem. This paper proposes an extension to the widely used MVC pattern that includes current security principles in order to teach secure software design in an integrated fashion

A study on reduced chemical mechanisms of ammonia/methane combustion under gas turbine conditions

As an alternative fuel and hydrogen carrier, ammonia is believed to have good potential for future power generation. To explore the feasibility of co-firing ammonia with methane, studies involving robust numerical analyses with detailed chemistry are required to progress towards industrial implementation. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine a reduced mechanism for simulation studies of ammonia/methane combustion in practical gas turbine combustor conditions. Firstly, five different sized reduced mechanisms of the well-known Konnov’s mechanism were compared. The reduced mechanisms were tested for ignition delay time validation (0D) using ammonia/methane mixtures at high pressure conditions relevant to gas turbine devices. Furthermore, the combustion products of ammonia/methane premixed laminar flames (1D) were validated with the results from the full Konnov’s mechanism. Finally, CFD simulations of a turbulent flame (2D) with all the reduced mechanisms were performed under high temperature and high pressure conditions representative of industrial systems. Results show that several of the reduced mechanisms utilized performed reasonably well in combustion simulation studies under gas turbine conditions. Hence a reaction mechanism with 48 species and 500 elementary reactions is recommended for future studies

Infection control and the significance of sputum and other respiratory secretions from adult patients with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: There is limited data available on the environmental and public health impact of the microbiological hazards associated with sputa from patients with cystic fibrosis [CF]. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cenocepacia (formerly Burkholderia cepacia genomovar III), Staphylococcus aureus and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia are bacterial pathogens which are commonly found in the sputum of CF patients. A study was performed to ascertain the amount of sputum produced relating to microbial loading, as well as the diversity of bacteria present in a population of adult patients, with particular attention to pathogenic organisms. METHODS: Sputum from adult [>18 years old] CF patients [n = 20], chosen randomly from a population of 138 CF patients, was collected over a 24 h period on admission to the in-patient CF unit and enumerated quantitatively, as well as the sputa from 138 adult CF patients was examined qualitatively for the presence of infecting microflora. In addition, all different phenotypes from the sputum of each patient were identified phenotypically employing a combination of conventional identification methods [e.g. oxidase], as well as the API Identification schemes [API 20 NE, API 20 E]. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that patients with cystic fibrosis generate large numbers of bacteria in their sputum, approximating to 10(9 )organisms per patient per day. Although these organisms are introduced to the environment from the respiratory tract mainly via sputum, relatively few represent true bacterial pathogens and therefore are not clinically important to the general public who are immunocompotent. The greatest risk of such environmental microbial loading is to other patients with CF and therefore CF patients should be made aware of the hazards of acquiring such organisms from the environment, as well as socializing with other CF patients with certain transmissible types, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cenocepacia. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental health professionals should therefore be aware that CF patients are a greater risk to their peer grouping rather than to the general public or health care workers and that good personal hygiene practices with CF patients should be encouraged to minimize environmental contamination and potential acquistion

Chlamydia Hijacks ARF GTPases To Coordinate Microtubule Posttranslational Modifications and Golgi Complex Positioning.

The intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis develops in a parasitic compartment called the inclusion. Posttranslationally modified microtubules encase the inclusion, controlling the positioning of Golgi complex fragments around the inclusion. The molecular mechanisms by which Chlamydia coopts the host cytoskeleton and the Golgi complex to sustain its infectious compartment are unknown. Here, using a genetically modified Chlamydia strain, we discovered that both posttranslationally modified microtubules and Golgi complex positioning around the inclusion are controlled by the chlamydial inclusion protein CT813/CTL0184/InaC and host ARF GTPases. CT813 recruits ARF1 and ARF4 to the inclusion membrane, where they induce posttranslationally modified microtubules. Similarly, both ARF isoforms are required for the repositioning of Golgi complex fragments around the inclusion. We demonstrate that CT813 directly recruits ARF GTPases on the inclusion membrane and plays a pivotal role in their activation. Together, these results reveal that Chlamydia uses CT813 to hijack ARF GTPases to couple posttranslationally modified microtubules and Golgi complex repositioning at the inclusion.IMPORTANCEChlamydia trachomatis is an important cause of morbidity and a significant economic burden in the world. However, how Chlamydia develops its intracellular compartment, the so-called inclusion, is poorly understood. Using genetically engineered Chlamydia mutants, we discovered that the effector protein CT813 recruits and activates host ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) and ARF4 to regulate microtubules. In this context, CT813 acts as a molecular platform that induces the posttranslational modification of microtubules around the inclusion. These cages are then used to reposition the Golgi complex during infection and promote the development of the inclusion. This study provides the first evidence that ARF1 and ARF4 play critical roles in controlling posttranslationally modified microtubules around the inclusion and that Chlamydia trachomatis hijacks this novel function of ARF to reposition the Golgi complex

Writing in Britain and Ireland, c. 400 to c. 800

No abstract available