Activation of waste tire char by cyclic liquid-phase oxidation

Activation of waste tire char was performed by successive cycles of liquid-phase oxidation followed by desorption in inert atmosphere at 650 °C. Significant differences in porosity development were found for the three oxidizing agents evaluated: nitric acid > hydrogen peroxide > ammonium persulfate. A linear increase of burn-off with the number of cycles was observed, reaching values between 63 and 90% after 15 activation cycles. Within the range tested, a higher concentration of the oxidizing agent (15 vs 30% v) led to higher burn-off, especially in the case of H2O2, however no differences were observed in terms of BET surface area (S BET) developed per unit of burn-off. SBET values around 750-400 m2/g were obtained by activation with HNO3 and H2O2, respectively. The activated carbons prepared by activation with HNO3 showed much higher mesopore volume (0.47-0.60 cm3/g) and some contribution of microporosity (0.03-15 cm 3/g). The mesopore size distribution in the samples activated with HNO3 (2-7 nm) was displaced to lower values than in the case of H2O2 (4-10 nm). The comparison with cyclic activation with air shows that liquid-phase oxidation provides higher porosity development, especially in the mesopore region but at the expense of higher burn-offThe authors greatly appreciate financial support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (CTQ2009-09983) and the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CTQ2012-32821

The selectivity, voltage-dependence and acid sensitivity of the tandem pore potassium channel TASK-1 : contributions of the pore domains

We have investigated the contribution to ionic selectivity of residues in the selectivity filter and pore helices of the P1 and P2 domains in the acid sensitive potassium channel TASK-1. We used site directed mutagenesis and electrophysiological studies, assisted by structural models built through computational methods. We have measured selectivity in channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes, using voltage clamp to measure shifts in reversal potential and current amplitudes when Rb+ or Na+ replaced extracellular K+. Both P1 and P2 contribute to selectivity, and most mutations, including mutation of residues in the triplets GYG and GFG in P1 and P2, made channels nonselective. We interpret the effects of these—and of other mutations—in terms of the way the pore is likely to be stabilised structurally. We show also that residues in the outer pore mouth contribute to selectivity in TASK-1. Mutations resulting in loss of selectivity (e.g. I94S, G95A) were associated with slowing of the response of channels to depolarisation. More important physiologically, pH sensitivity is also lost or altered by such mutations. Mutations that retained selectivity (e.g. I94L, I94V) also retained their response to acidification. It is likely that responses both to voltage and pH changes involve gating at the selectivity filter

Connection Between Type A and E Factorizations and Construction of Satellite Algebras

Recently, we introduced a new class of symmetry algebras, called satellite algebras, which connect with one another wavefunctions belonging to different potentials of a given family, and corresponding to different energy eigenvalues. Here the role of the factorization method in the construction of such algebras is investigated. A general procedure for determining an so(2,2) or so(2,1) satellite algebra for all the Hamiltonians that admit a type E factorization is proposed. Such a procedure is based on the known relationship between type A and E factorizations, combined with an algebraization similar to that used in the construction of potential algebras. It is illustrated with the examples of the generalized Morse potential, the Rosen-Morse potential, the Kepler problem in a space of constant negative curvature, and, in each case, the conserved quantity is identified. It should be stressed that the method proposed is fairly general since the other factorization types may be considered as limiting cases of type A or E factorizations.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX, no figure, to be published in J. Phys.

Linoleic Acid Improves Piezo2 Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Angelman Syndrome

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability and atypical behaviors. AS results from loss of expression of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase UBE3A from the maternal allele in neurons. Individuals with AS display impaired coordination, poor balance, and gait ataxia. PIEZO2 is a mechanosensitive ion channel essential for coordination and balance. Here, we report that PIEZO2 activity is reduced in Ube3a deficient male and female mouse sensory neurons, a human Merkel cell carcinoma cell line and female human iPSC-derived sensory neurons with UBE3A knock-down, and de-identified stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We find that loss of UBE3A decreases actin filaments and reduces PIEZO2 expression and function. A linoleic acid (LA)-enriched diet increases PIEZO2 activity, mechano-excitability, and improves gait in male AS mice. Finally, LA supplementation increases PIEZO2 function in stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We propose a mechanism whereby loss of UBE3A expression reduces PIEZO2 function and identified a fatty acid that enhances channel activity and ameliorates AS-associated mechano-sensory deficits

Linoleic acid improves PIEZO2 dysfunction in a mouse model of Angelman Syndrome

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability and atypical behaviors. AS results from loss of expression of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase UBE3A from the maternal allele in neurons. Individuals with AS display impaired coordination, poor balance, and gait ataxia. PIEZO2 is a mechanosensitive ion channel essential for coordination and balance. Here, we report that PIEZO2 activity is reduced in Ube3a deficient male and female mouse sensory neurons, a human Merkel cell carcinoma cell line and female human iPSC-derived sensory neurons with UBE3A knock-down, and de-identified stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We find that loss of UBE3A decreases actin filaments and reduces PIEZO2 expression and function. A linoleic acid (LA)-enriched diet increases PIEZO2 activity, mechano-excitability, and improves gait in male AS mice. Finally, LA supplementation increases PIEZO2 function in stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We propose a mechanism whereby loss of UBE3A expression reduces PIEZO2 function and identified a fatty acid that enhances channel activity and ameliorates AS-associated mechano-sensory deficits.This work was supported by the Neuroscience Institute at UTHSC (Research Associate Matching Salary Support to J.L.), the Federico Baur endowed chair in Nanotechnology (to F.J.S.-V., 0020206BA1), a pilot research award from the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (to L.T.R.), the Neuroscience Institute Research Supports Grant 2020 program (to V.V., and J.F.C.-M.), and the National Institutes of Health (R01GM133845 to V.V. and R01GM125629 to J.F.C.-M.)

The response of the tandem pore potassium channel TASK-3 (K2P9.1) to voltage : gating at the cytoplasmic mouth

Although the tandem pore potassium channel TASK-3 is thought to open and shut at its selectivity filter in response to changes of extracellular pH, it is currently unknown whether the channel also shows gating at its inner, cytoplasmic mouth through movements of membrane helices M2 and M4.We used two electrode voltage clamp and single channel recording to show that TASK-3 responds to voltage in a way that reveals such gating. In wild-type channels, Popen was very low at negative voltages, but increased with depolarisation. The effect of voltage was relatively weak and the gating charge small, ∼0.17.Mutants A237T (in M4) and N133A (in M2) increased Popen at a given voltage, increasing mean open time and the number of openings per burst. In addition, the relationship between Popen andvoltagewas shifted to lesspositive voltages. Mutation of putative hinge glycines (G117A, G231A), residues that are conserved throughout the tandem pore channel family, reduced Popen at a given voltage, shifting the relationship with voltage to a more positive potential range. None of these mutants substantially affected the response of the channel to extracellular acidification. We have used the results from single channel recording to develop a simple kinetic model to show how gating occurs through two classes of conformation change, with two routes out of the open state, as expected if gating occurs both at the selectivity filter and at its cytoplasmic mouth

New planetary systems from the Calan–Hertfordshire Extrasolar Planet Search

We report the discovery of eight new giant planets, and updated orbits for four known planets, orbiting dwarf and subgiant stars using the CORALIE, HARPS, and MIKE instruments as part of the Calan–Hertfordshire Extrasolar Planet Search. The planets have masses in the range 1.1–5.4 MJ’s, orbital periods from 40 to 2900 d, and eccentricities from 0.0 to 0.6. They include a double-planet system orbiting the most massive star in our sample (HD147873), two eccentric giant planets (HD128356b and HD154672b), and a rare 14 Herculis analogue (HD224538b). We highlight some population correlations from the sample of radial velocity detected planets orbiting nearby stars, including the mass function exponential distribution, confirmation of the growing body of evidence that low-mass planets tend to be found orbiting more metal-poor stars than giant planets, and a possible period–metallicity correlation for planets with masses >0.1 MJ, based on a metallicity difference of 0.16 dex between the population of planets with orbital periods less than 100 d and those with orbital periods greater than 100 d

Anisotropy and chemical composition of ultra-high energy cosmic rays using arrival directions measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Collaboration has reported evidence for anisotropy in the distribution of arrival directions of the cosmic rays with energies $E>E_{th}=5.5\times 10^{19}$ eV. These show a correlation with the distribution of nearby extragalactic objects, including an apparent excess around the direction of Centaurus A. If the particles responsible for these excesses at $E>E_{th}$ are heavy nuclei with charge $Z$, the proton component of the sources should lead to excesses in the same regions at energies $E/Z$. We here report the lack of anisotropies in these directions at energies above $E_{th}/Z$ (for illustrative values of $Z=6,\ 13,\ 26$). If the anisotropies above $E_{th}$ are due to nuclei with charge $Z$, and under reasonable assumptions about the acceleration process, these observations imply stringent constraints on the allowed proton fraction at the lower energies