22 research outputs found
Simplified analytic formulae for magneto-optical Kerr effects in ultrathin magnetic films
No full textExpressions are presented for various magneto-optical Kerr effects in the ultrathin film limit with arbitrary magnetization direction by considering the multiple reflections within an optically thin film. The Kerr effect of p- and s-polarization consists of products of two factors: the prefactor, dependent only on the optical parameters of the system, and the main factor of the polar Kerr effect for normal incidence in the ultrathin limit. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.This work was supported by the Creative Research Initiatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea, and
one author (CYY) wishes to acknowledge the financial support of the Korea Research Foundation made in program
Year 1997, and the hospitality of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne was supported by the US Department of
Energy, BES-Material Science, under contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38
The Cytokine response of rat macrophages to lipopolysaccharide is modulated by adrenomedullin
No full textpublished_or_final_versio
Adrenomedullin expression and cytokine response in experimentally induced endotoxaemia
No full textBACKGROUND: Adrenomedullin (AM) is a potent vasodilatory peptide involved in cardiovascular homeostasis and in inflammation. To study the effect of septicaemia, we examined the temporal changes in tissue AM and preproAM mRNA levels, and cytokine response in a rat model of endotoxaemia. METHOD: Male Sprague–Dawley rats received intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 10 mg/kg weight, or saline as control. Rats were sacrificed at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after injection. Concentrations of AM and proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IL-1b and IL-6) in the plasma and various tissues were measured. PreproAM mRNA levels were determined using solution hybridization-RNase protection assay. RESULTS: Plasma AM was raised at 3, 6, and 12 h. There were significant increases in preproAM mRNA levels in the lung at 3 and 6 h, in the liver at 3 h, and in the kidney at 1 and 3 h; while there was no change in preproAM mRNA levels in the spleen and adrenal gland. Immunoreactive AM concentration was increased in the lung at 3, 6, and 12 h, but not changed in the liver or the kidney. Concentrations of TNF-a were raised in the plasma at 1, 3 and 6 h, in the lung at 1 h, in the spleen at 1–3 h, and the liver at 1 h. Concentrations of IL-1b were increased in the plasma at 3 and 6 h, in the lung at 3–12 h, in the spleen at 1–12 h, and the kidney at 6 h. Concentrations of IL-6 were increased in the plasma at 3–12 h. However, there was no significant change in IL-6 levels in the tissue extracts tested. CONCLUSIONS: Endotoxin stimulates the expression of AM and proinflammatory cytokines in systemic circulatory and localized tissues. AM may be involved in the systemic response to sepsis
Hamiltonian simulation with optimal sample complexity
No full text© 2017 Author(s). We investigate the sample complexity of Hamiltonian simulation: how many copies of an unknown quantum state are required to simulate a Hamiltonian encoded by the density matrix of that state? We show that the procedure proposed by Lloyd, Mohseni, and Rebentrost [Nat. Phys., 10(9):631-633, 2014] is optimal for this task. We further extend their method to the case of multiple input states, showing how to simulate any Hermitian polynomial of the states provided. As applications, we derive optimal algorithms for commutator simulation and orthogonality testing, and we give a protocol for creating a coherent superposition of pure states, when given sample access to those states. We also show that this sample-based Hamiltonian simulation can be used as the basis of a universal model of quantum computation that requires only partial swap operations and simple single-qubit states
Membrane fouling in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor: Differences in relative abundance of bacterial species in the membrane foulant layer and in suspension
No full textA laboratory anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) (10L volume) was operated at 30°C and fed with artificial sewage containing 30% protein at COD loading rate 5.1kg/m3-d to investigate membrane fouling with two membranes. Biomass attached to the membrane surface and formed a foulant layer on the membrane. The foulant layers from polyvinylidene fluoride ultrafiltration membranes coated with PEBAX (cPVDF) and an uncoated polyetherimide (PEI) ultrafiltration membranes were analyzed and compared to suspended biomass in the reactor, using terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs) of the 16S rRNA gene and a clone library. One species of OP11 bacteria was present at high relative abundance in the foulant layers of both membranes. By contrast, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes (LGC) species were present at low relative abundance in the foulant layers but high relative abundance in the suspended biomass. Similar differences were observed for other species. The results suggest that some minority species like OP11 play a direct role in fouling by attaching to the membrane surface while others, including some that likely play a major role in the metabolism of influent organics, play a less important or indirect role. In the AnMBR, the EPS was predominately proteinaceous. EPS and microbial cells of the foulant layer contributed to membrane fouling. The results also indicate that fouling of PEI was faster than cPVDF and this reaffirm the importance of the membrane material in fouling. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.link_to_subscribed_fulltex
Increased adrenomedullin expression in lungs in endotoxaemia
No full textAdrenomedullin (AM) is a peptide involved in cardiovascular homeostasis and in inflammation. We examined its expression in a rat model of endotoxaemia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal injection of 5 or 10 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or saline as control. Rats were killed at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after injection. LPS at 5 mg/kg, but not saline, increased plasma AM significantly at 3 h. At 10 mg/kg, plasma AM was raised at 3, 6 and 12 h. Immunoreactive AM concentration in lung increased after 5 or 10 mg/kg LPS, but not saline. PreproAM mRNA level in lung was significantly increased at 3 and 6 h. In conclusion, endotoxin stimulates the expression of AM in the lungs and increases its circulatory concentration. AM may be involved in the systemic response to sepsis. © 2004 Society for Endocrinology.link_to_OA_fulltex
Does Surface Roughness Necessarily Increase the Fouling Propensity of Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membranes by Humic Acid?
No full textSurface roughness has crucial influence on the fouling propensity of thin film composite (TFC) polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. A common wisdom is that rougher membranes tend to experience more severe fouling. In this study, we compared the fouling behaviors of a smooth polyamide membrane (RO-s) and a nanovoid-containing rough polyamide membrane (RO-r). Contrary to the traditional belief, we observed more severe fouling for RO-s, which can be ascribed to its uneven flux distribution caused by the "funnel effect". Additional tracer filtration tests using gold nanoparticles revealed a more patchlike particle deposition pattern, confirming the adverse impact of "funnel effect" on membrane water transport. In contrast, the experimentally observed lower fouling propensity of the nanovoid-containing rough membrane can be explained by: (1) the weakened "funnel effect" thanks to the presence of nanovoids, which can regulate the water transport pathway through the membrane and (2) the decreased average localized flux over the membrane surface due to the increased effective filtration area for the nanovoid-induced roughness features. The current study provides fundamental insights into the critical role of surface roughness in membrane fouling, which may have important implications for the future development of high-performance antifouling membranes.</p
Cardiovascular benefts of SGLT2 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes, interaction with metformin and role of erythrocytosis: a self-controlled case series study
No full textSodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have proven cardiovascular benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). This self-controlled case series study aims to evaluate whether metformin use and SGLT2i-associated erythrocytosis influence its cardiovascular benefits
Enhanced water permeability in nanofiltration membranes using 3D accordion-like MXene particles with random orientation of 2D nanochannels
No full textIncorporating 2D nanochannels of stacked nanosheets into a polyamide membrane has great potential to improve membrane permeability. However, reported 2D nanochannels are usually perpendicularly aligned to the water transport path direction, which results in an extremely tortuous water flow path and limits membrane performance. Herein, we demonstrated that the 2D nanochannels in 3D accordion-like MXene (AMXene) particles could be facilely incorporated in a polyamide matrix in a random orientation by continuous vacuum assisted assembly and interfacial polymerization on a porous substrate. The incorporation of the AMXene particles can significantly increase the effective area for water collection below the PA layer. In addition, the 2D nanochannel orientation endowed the membrane with much straighter water transport paths. These effects contribute to an ultra-higher membrane water permeance of 24.1 L m(-2) h(-1) bar(-1), which was 210% that of the control membrane without AMXene, and maintaining a higher Na2SO4 rejection of 97.1%. This study provided new insights into rationally engineering nanochannels in polyamide membranes for water treatment.</p
