Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Chemical Engineering”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources

PbSe nanocrystal solids for n- and p-channel thin film field-effect transistors.

Initially poorly conducting PbSe nanocrystal solids (quantum dot arrays or superlattices) can be chemically "activated" to fabricate n- and p-channel field effect transistors with electron and hole mobilities of 0.9 and 0.2 square centimeters per volt-second, respectively; with current modulations of about 10(3) to 10(4); and with current density approaching 3 x 10(4) amperes per square centimeter. Chemical treatments engineer the interparticle spacing, electronic coupling, and doping while passivating electronic traps. These nanocrystal field-effect transistors allow reversible switching between n- and p-transport, providing options for complementary metal oxide semiconductor circuits and enabling a range of low-cost, large-area electronic, optoelectronic, thermoelectric, and sensing applications.

Journal Article↗

Occurrence of lung cancer in workers producing chromium pigments.

The results of a follow-up study on the incidence of lung cancer in 133 workers producing zinc chromate pigments are presented. By the end of 1972 three cases of lung cancer had occurred in a sub-cohort of 24 workers who had been employed for over three years. The same group of workers has now been followed up to December 1980 and three further cases of lung cancer were found. The observed/expected ratio was 44 in this group, virtually the same as at the end of 1972. Five of the six patients smoked. Only one had been exposed to chromates other than zinc chromates.

Aged↗

Effect of alcohol on the kinetics of mandelic acid excretion in volunteers exposed to styrene vapour.

The effect of a dose of alcohol on the kinetics of mandelic acid excretion in four volunteers exposed to 220 mg/m3 styrene has been investigated under controlled exposure chamber conditions. Ethanol inhibited the excretion of mandelic acid, so that the peak excretion was delayed from the end of the exposure period until three hours afterwards. One hour after administration of ethanol blood mandelic acid concentrations were 56% of the levels found during the alcohol-free control exposure, and this was paralleled by a 15-fold rise in phenylethane 1,2 diol, the metabolic precursor of mandelic acid. It is suggested that the inhibition of the oxidation of this diol is related to the change in NAD +/NADH ratio produced by ethanol metabolism. The implications of this ethanol effect on the interpretation of urinary mandelic acid excretion when monitoring workers exposed to styrene are discussed.

Adult↗

New strategies for protein crystal growth.

Protein crystallization is the most difficult and time-consuming step in the determination of a protein's atomic structure. As X-ray diffraction becomes a commonly available tool in structural biology, the necessity for rational methodologies and protocols to produce single, high-quality protein crystals has come to the forefront. The basics of protein crystallization conform to the classical understanding of crystallization of small molecules. Understanding the effect of solution variables such as pH, temperature, pressure, and ionicity on protein solubility allows the proper evaluation of the degree of supersaturation present in protein crystallization experiments. Physicochemical measurements such as laser light scattering, X-ray scattering, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy provide a clearer picture of protein crystal nucleation and growth. This ever deepening knowledge base is generating rational methods to produce protein crystals as well as means to improve the diffraction quality of such protein crystals. Yet, much remains unclear, and the protein crystallization research community will be quite active for many years to come.

Biomedical Engineering↗

Physicochemical foundations and structural design of hydrogels in medicine and biology.

Hydrogels are cross-linked hydrophilic polymers that can imbibe water or biological fluids. Their biomedical and pharmaceutical applications include a very wide range of systems and processes that utilize several molecular design characteristics. This review discusses the molecular structure, dynamic behavior, and structural modifications of hydrogels as well as the various applications of these biohydrogels. Recent advances in the preparation of three-dimensional structures with exact chain conformations, as well as tethering of functional groups, allow for the preparation of promising new hydrogels. Meanwhile, intelligent biohydrogels with pH- or temperature-sensitivity continue to be important materials in medical applications.

Biomedical Engineering↗

Murine models of polycystic kidney disease: molecular and therapeutic insights.

Numerous murine (mouse and rat) models of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) have been described in which the mutant phenotype results from a spontaneous mutation or engineering via chemical mutagenesis, transgenic technologies, or gene-specific targeting in mouse orthologs of human PKD genes. These murine phenotypes closely resemble human PKD, with common abnormalities observed in tubular epithelia, the interstitial compartment, and the extracellular matrix of cystic kidneys. In both human and murine PKD, genetic background appears to modulate the renal cystic phenotype. In murine models, these putative modifying effects have been dissected into discrete factors called quantitative trait loci and genetically mapped. Several lines of experimental evidence support the hypothesis that PKD genes and their modifiers may define pathways involved in cystogenesis and PKD progression. Among the various pathway abnormalities described in murine PKD, recent provocative data indicate that structural and/or functional defects in the primary apical cilia of tubular epithelia may play a key role in PKD pathogenesis. This review describes the most widely studied murine models; highlights the data regarding specific gene defects and genetic modifiers; summarizes the data from these models that have advanced our understanding of PKD pathogenesis; and examines the effect of various therapeutic interventions in murine PKD.

Animals↗

Use of the orthogonal projection approach (OPA) to monitor batch processes.

The orthogonal projection approach (OPA) and multivariate curve resolution (MCR) are presented as a way to monitor batch processes using spectroscopic data. Curve resolution allows one to look within a batch and predict on-line real concentration profiles of the different species appearing during reactions. Taking into account the variations of the process by using an augmented matrix of complete batches, the procedure explained here calculates some prediction coefficients that can afterwards be applied for a new batch.

Algorithms↗

Severity function describing the hydrolysis of xylan using carbonic acid.

Beech wood derived xylan to hydrolyzed to predominantly xylose monomer units after exposure to hot, compressed liquid water saturated with carbon dioxide. Similar treatment without CO2 saturation resulted in only minor hydrolysis and a smaller fraction of monomers among the hydrolysis products. Severity of the hydrolysis reaction was correlated to reaction time, temperature, and carbon dioxide partial pressure and followed a function similar to those used to characterize mineral acid systems. Results from parallel hydrolysis experiments with an aqueous system and a very dilute sulfuric acid system allowed an approximation of the dissociation constant of carbonic acid in the temperature range of 170-230 degrees C. Results suggest that carbonic acid may be a viable reagent for promoting hydrolysis without mineral acids, especially in the case of a bioprocessing plant that produces carbon dioxide.

Biomass↗

Oxidative lime pretreatment of high-lignin biomass: poplar wood and newspaper.

Lime (Ca[OH]2) and oxygen (O2) were used to enhance the enzymatic digestibility of two kinds of high-lignin biomass: poplar wood and newspaper. The recommended pretreatment conditions for poplar wood are 150 degrees C, 6 h, 0.1 g of Ca(OH)2/g of dry biomass, 9 mL of water/g of dry biomass, 14.0 bar absolute oxygen, and a particle size of -10 mesh. Under these conditions, the 3-d reducing sugar yield of poplar wood using a cellulase loading of 5 filter paper units (FPU)/g of raw dry biomass increased from 62 to 565 mg of eq. glucose/g of raw dry biomass, and the 3-d total sugar (glucose + xylose) conversion increased from 6 to 77% of raw total sugars. At high cellulase loadings (e.g., 75 FPU/g of raw dry biomass), the 3-d total sugar conversion reached 97%. In a trial run with newspaper, using conditions of 140 degrees C, 3 h, 0.3 g of Ca(OH)2/g of dry biomass, 16 mL of water/g of dry biomass, and 7.1 bar absolute oxygen, the 3-d reducing sugar yield using a cellulase loading of 5 FPU/g of raw dry biomass increased from 240 to 565 mg of eq. glucose/g of raw dry biomass. A material balance study on poplar wood shows that oxidative lime pretreatment solubilized 38% of total biomass, including 78% of lignin and 49% of xylan; no glucan was removed. Ash increased because calcium was incorporated into biomass during the pretreatment. After oxidative lime pretreatment, about 21% of added lime could be recovered by CO2 carbonation.

Biomass↗