Production of Sodium Borohydride by Using Dynamic Behaviors of Protide at the Extreme Surface of Magnesium Particles

Abstract An advanced process for the production of sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) as a hydrogen storage material was developed, which applied the dynamic hydriding and dehydriding behaviors of protide (H − ) in Mg-H system under transitional temperature conditions. An abundant natural resource named borax (Na 2 B 4 O 7 ·10H 2 O) and the anhydrous sodium metaborate (NaBO 2 ) recovered from the "spent fuel" as NaBO 2 ·4H 2 O were used as the starting material in the present process. Powder-state Mg played an important role in the transitional hydriding and dehydriding process where the gaseous hydrogen was converted to protide at the extreme surface of Mg to form NaBH 4 in exchange with the simultaneous transition of oxygen in NaBO 2 to form MgO. In the present process, the protide as the most reactive state among the four states of hydrogen is applied for the synthesis of NaBH 4 , which can exist in metal-hydrogen complexes, such as NaAlH 4 and NaBH 4 . The NaBH 4 yield was reached higher than 90% by a single batch process but was found to be largely dependent on the rate of temperature change and the particle size, i.e., the specific surface area of Mg particles

Assessment of protein allergenicity on the basis of immune reactivity: animal models.

Because of the public concern surrounding the issue of the safety of genetically modified organisms, it is critical to have appropriate methodologies to aid investigators in identifying potential hazards associated with consumption of foods produced with these materials. A recent panel of experts convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization suggested there is scientific evidence that using data from animal studies will contribute important information regarding the allergenicity of foods derived from biotechnology. This view has given further impetus to the development of suitable animal models for allergenicity assessment. This article is a review of what has been achieved and what still has to be accomplished regarding several different animal models. Progress made in the design and evaluation of models in the rat, the mouse, the dog and in swine is reviewed and discussed

Wsh3/Tea4 is a novel cell-end factor essential for bipolar distribution of Tea1 and protects cell polarity under environmental stress in S. pombe

Background: The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has a cylindrical cell shape, for which growth is strictly limited to both ends, and serves as an excellent model system for genetic analysis of cell-polarity determination. Previous studies identified a cell-end marker protein, Teal, that is transported by cytoplasmic microtubules to cell tips and recruits other cell-end factors, including the Dyrk-family Pom1 kinase. The Delta tea1 mutant cells cannot grow in a bipolar fashion and show T-shaped morphology after heat shock. Results: We identified Wsh3/Tea4 as a novel protein that interacts with Win1 MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) of the stress-activated MAP kinase cascade. Wsh3 forms a complex with Teal and is transported to cell tips by growing microtubules. The Delta wsh3 mutant shows monopolar growth with abnormal Teal aggregate at the non-growing cell end; this abnormal aggregate fails to recruit Pom1 kinase. Consistent with the observed interaction between Win and Wsh3, cells lacking Wsh3 or Teal show more severe cell-polarity defects under osmolarity and heat-stress stimuli that are known to activate the stress MAPK cascade. Furthermore, mutants of the stress MAPK also exhibit cell-polarity defects when exposed to the same stress. Conclusions: Wsh3/Tea4 is an essential component of the Teal cell-end complex. In addition to its role in bipolar growth during the normal cell cycle, the Wsh3-Tea1 complex, together with the stress-signaling MAPK cascade, contributes to cell-polarity maintenance under stress conditions