Lipidomic Analysis of Plasma from Healthy Men and Women Shows Phospholipid Class and Molecular Species Differences between Sexes

The phospholipid composition of lipoproteins is determined by the specificity of hepatic phospholipid biosynthesis. Plasma phospholipid 20:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 concentrations are higher in women than in men. We used this sex difference in a lipidomics analysis of the impact of endocrine factors on the phospholipid class and molecular species composition of fasting plasma from young men and women. Diester species predominated in all lipid classes measured. 20/54 Phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) species were alkyl ester, 15/48 phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) species were alkyl ester, and 12/48 PtdEtn species were alkenyl ester. There were no significant differences between sexes in the proportions of alkyl PtdCho species. The proportion of alkyl ester PtdEtn species was greater in women than men, while the proportion of alkenyl ester PtdEtn species was greater in men than women. None of the phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) or phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) molecular species contained ether-linked fatty acids. The proportion of PtdCho16:0_22:6, and the proportions of PtdEtn O-16:0_20:4 and PtdEtn O-18:2_20:4 were greater in women than men. There were no sex differences in PtdIns and PtdSer molecular species compositions. These findings show that plasma phospholipids can be modified by sex. Such differences in lipoprotein phospholipid composition could contribute to sexual dimorphism in patterns of health and disease.     

In situ measurements of human cough aerosol hygroscopicity

The airborne dynamics of respiratory droplets, and the transmission routes of pathogens embedded within them, are governed primarily by the diameter of the particles. These particles are composed of the fluid which lines the respiratory tract, and is primarily mucins and salts, which will interact with the atmosphere and evaporate to reach an equilibrium diameter. Measuring organic volume fraction (OVF) of cough aerosol has proved challenging due to large variability and low material volume produced after coughing. Here, the diametric hygroscopic growth factors (GF) of the cough aerosol produced by healthy participants were measured in situ using a rotating aerosol suspension chamber and a humidification tandem differential mobility analyser. Using hygroscopicity models, it was estimated that the average OVF in the evaporated cough aerosol was 0.88 ± 0.07 and the average GF at 90% relative humidity (RH) was 1.31 ± 0.03. To reach equilibrium in dry air the droplets will reduce in diameter by a factor of approximately 2.8 with an evaporation factor of 0.36 ± 0.05. Hysteresis was observed in cough aerosol at RH = ∼35% and RH = ∼65% for efflorescence and deliquescence, respectively, and may depend on the OVF. The same behaviour and GF were observed in nebulized bovine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.     

pH-Responsive Charge-Conversion Progelator Peptides

A simple strategy for generating stimuli-responsive peptide-based hydrogels via charge-conversion of a self-assembling peptide (SAP) is described. These materials are formulated as soluble, polyanionic peptides, containing maleic acid, citraconic acid, or dimethylmaleic acid amide masking groups on each lysine residue, which do not form assemblies, but instead flow easily through high gauge needles and catheters. Acid-induced mask hydrolysis renews the zwitterionic nature of the peptides with concomitant and rapid self-assembly via β-sheet formation into rehealable hydrogels. The use of different masks enables one to tune pH responsiveness and assembly kinetics. In anticipation of their potential for in vivo hydrogel delivery and use, progelators exhibit hemocompatibility in whole human blood, and their peptide components are shown to be noncytotoxic. Finally, demonstration of stimuli-induced self-assembly for dye sequestration suggests a simple, non-covalent strategy for small molecule encapsulation in a degradable scaffold. In summary, this simple, scalable masking strategy allows for preparation of responsive, dynamic self-assembling biomaterials. This work sets the stage for implementing biodegradable therapeutic hydrogels that assemble in response to physiological, disease-relevant states of acidosis.     

Characterizing physical habitat preferences and thermal refuge occupancy of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at high river temperatures

Anthropogenic influences, including climate change, are increasing river temperatures in northern and temperate regions and threatening the thermal habitats of native salmonids. When river temperatures exceed the tolerance levels of brook trout and Atlantic salmon, individuals exhibit behavioural thermoregulation by seeking out cold‐water refugia – often created by tributaries and groundwater discharge. Thermal infrared (TIR) imagery was used to map cold‐water anomalies along a 53 km reach of the Cains River, New Brunswick. Trout and salmon parr did not use all identified thermal anomalies as refugia during higher river temperature periods (>21°C). Most small‐bodied trout (8–30 cm) were observed in 80% of the thermal anomalies sampled. Large‐bodied trout (>35 cm) required a more specific set of physical habitat conditions for suitable refugia, that is, 100% of observed large trout used 30% of the anomalies sampled and required water depths >65 cm within or adjacent to the anomaly. Densities of trout were significantly higher within anomalies compared with areas of ambient river temperature. Salmon parr were less aligned with thermal anomalies at the observed temperatures, that is, 59% were found in 65% of the sampled anomalies; and densities were not significantly different within/ outside anomalies. Salmon parr appeared to aggregate at 27°C, and after several events over 27°C variability in aggregation behaviour was observed – some fish aggregated at 25°C, others did not. We stipulate this is due to variances of thermal fatigue. Habitat suitability curves were developed for velocity, temperature, depth, substrate, and deep water availability to characterize conditions preferred by fish during high‐temperature events. These findings are useful for managers as our climate warms, and can potentially be used as a tool to help conserve and enhance thermal refugia for brook trout and Atlantic salmon in similar systems.     

Molecular structure and granule morphology of native and heat‐moisture‐treated pinhão starch

Pinhão seed is an unconventional source of starch and the pines grow up in native forests of southern Latin America. In this study, pinhão starch was adjusted at 15, 20 and 25% moisture content and heated to 100, 110 and 120 °C for 1 h. A decrease in λ max (starch/iodine complex) was observed as a result of increase in temperature and moisture content of HMT. The ratio of crystalline to amorphous phase in pinhão starch was determined via Fourier transform infra red by taking 1045/1022 band ratio. A decrease in crystallinity occurred as a result of HMT. Polarised light microscopy indicated a loss of birefringence of starch granules under 120 °C at 25% moisture content. Granule size distribution was further confirmed via scanning electron microscopy which showed the HMT effects. These results increased the understanding on molecular and structural properties of HMT pinhão starch and broadened its food and nonfood industrial applications.     

Self‐assembled centimetre‐sized rods obtained in the oxidation of o‐phenylenediamine and aniline

Morphologically well‐defined rods of approximately 1 cm in length are effectively and economically obtained by mixing ortho‐phenylenediamine (30 mmol L^?1) with ammonium persulfate (12.5 mmol L^?1) in an acidic solution (0.37 mol L^?1 HCl) at room temperature with and without the presence of 50 mmol L^?1 aniline. These self‐assembled, morphologically uniform products can be potentially scaled up and used as morphological templates to fabricate well‐defined structures of other materials such as conducting polymers. The products were characterized using Raman, UV‐visible, high‐resolution NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and mass spectroscopies, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis. Apart from certain differences in visual appearance and in X‐ray diffractograms, other analytical data suggest that there are no structural changes upon addition of aniline into the reaction mixture. NMR and mass spectra imply that all syntheses carried out either with or without aniline result in a mixture of two products, attributed to 2,3‐phenazinediamine and 3‐aminophenazin‐2‐ol. A formation mechanism based on hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking has been proposed. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

Vaporization of Protective Oxide Films into Different Gas Atmospheres

Oxidation of Metals - Vaporization often accompanies high-temperature oxidation and corrosion. In this review, vaporization under a vacuum as well as static gas and flowing gas conditions is...     

Thermodynamics of high-temperature aluminum,zirconium, and yttrium hydroxide and oxyhydroxide vapor species

Thermodynamic parameters are reported for gaseous hydroxides and oxyhydroxides of Al, Zr, and Y. The structures and vibrational frequencies are calculated using density functional theory with the B3LYP functional. This yields entropies at 298.15 K and heat capacities. The enthalpies are calculated from appropriate reactions and the CCSD(T) (Coupled Cluster, Singles, Doubles, and perturbative Triples) approach. The hydroxide groups are treated as hindered rotors for all species. The results are compared to the limited experimental and theoretical calculations for these species. Finally, the data are put into a database for a free-energy minimizer and the vapor pressures for each species are compared.