Search results for "Engineering sciences"
showing 10 items of 2347 documents
Damage in Escherichia coli Cells Treated with a Combination of High Hydrostatic Pressure and Subzero Temperature
2007
ABSTRACT The relationship between membrane permeability, changes in ultrastructure, and inactivation in Escherichia coli strain K-12TG1 cells subjected to high hydrostatic pressure treatment at room and subzero temperatures was studied. Propidium iodide staining performed before and after pressure treatment made it possible to distinguish between reversible and irreversible pressure-mediated cell membrane permeabilization. Changes in cell ultrastructure were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which showed noticeable condensation of nucleoids and aggregation of cytosolic proteins in cells fixed after decompression. A novel technique used to mix fixation reagents with the c…
Nanoscale Mapping of the Physical Surface Properties of Human Buccal Cells and Changes Induced by Saliva
2019
International audience; The mucosal pellicle, also called salivary pellicle, is a thin biological layer made of salivary and epithelial constituents, lining oral mucosae. It contributes to their protection against microbiological, chemical, or mechanical insults. Pellicle formation depends on the cells’ surface properties, and in turn the pellicle deeply modifies such properties. It has been reported that the expression of the transmembrane mucin MUC1 in oral epithelial cells improves the formation of the mucosal pellicle. Here, we describe an approach combining classical and functionalized tip atomic force microscopy and scanning microwave microscopy to characterize how MUC1 induces change…
Simulations of a Graphene Nanoflake as a Nanovector To Improve ZnPc Phototherapy Toxicity: From Vacuum to Cell Membrane
2017
International audience; We propose a new approach to improving photodynamic therapy (PDT) by transporting zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) in biological systems via a graphene nanoflake, to increase its targeting. Indeed, by means of time-dependent density functional theory simulations, we show that the ZnPc molecule in interaction with a graphene nanoflake preserves its optical properties not only in a vacuum but also in water. Moreover, molecular dynamic simulations demonstrate that the graphene nanoflake/ZnPc association, as a carrier, permits one to stabilize the ZnPc/graphene nanoflake system on the cellular membrane, which was not possible when using ZnPc alone. We finally conclude that the…
Experimental Investigation on Water Loss and Stiffness of CBTM Using Different RA Sources
2021
Cold recycling of reclaimed asphalt (RA) is a promising technique to build or to maintain roads, combining performance and environmental advantages. Although this technique has been extensively used worldwide, there is no unique and internationally-shared method to characterize cold recycled mixtures. The previous work of the RILEM TC 237-SIB TG6 successfully attempted to characterize different RA sources with both traditional parameters (gradation, bitumen content and geometrical properties) and non-conventional properties (fragmentation and strength testing). The current RILEM TC 264-RAP TG1 mainly focuses on the influence of different RA sources on physical and mechanical characteristics…
SHORT-TERM PROCESSES OF RADIONUCLIDE IMMOBILIZATION IN CEMENT - A CHEMICAL APPROACH
1992
Abstract The ions released in solution by the constituents of cement (principally silicate, aluminate, OH and Ca ions) can combine with the anions and cations from nuclear wastes present in the mixing water to give very insoluble compounds that can fix these ions in the concrete matrix. In order to understand some of the particular physico-chemical processes involved in cement hydration in the presence of analogue elements, tricalcium silicate (C 3 S) was used instead of cement, which is too complex a mixture. It was found that the salt of a chemical analogue, a lanthanide salt, showed some accelerating effects when present in dilute amounts but resulted in large accelerating effects on QS …
Experimental study and physical modeling of simultaneous heat and moisture transfer in bio-sourced insulating materials.
2019
The conventional heat transfer models are not sufficiently suitable for thermal characterization of bio-sourced thermal insulating materials due to their strongly hydrophilic nature. The proposed work in this PhD thesis aims to answer this problem with experimental and theoretical approaches of coupled heat-moisture transfers. In the experimental approach, a thermal insulating material based on Flax Fiber Felt (FFF) is developed and then characterized at different hygrometric conditions with an asymmetric hot plate device. The humidity diffusion characterization of the samples is done using the GAB, GDW and Park theoretical moisture adsorption isotherm models. In the theoretical approach, a…
Inflammatory cytokines decrease viability and alter ganglioside profile in retinal pigment epithelium cells
2013
Purpose Early stages of Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are characterized by dysfunction and degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, which participate in the death of the overlying photoreceptors ultimately leading to loss of vision. Gangliosides (GG) make a wide and heterogeneous family of sialic-acid-containing glycosphingolipids, composed of a sugar chain branched on a ceramide. They are major components of cellular membranes, particularly abundant in the brain and nervous tissue, including retina. While their developmental and neuroprotective actions have been demonstrated, their precise role in retina’s function and its pathologies is still poorly understood.…
An Adaptive Combination of Dark and Bright Channel Priors for Single Image Dehazing
2017
Dehazing methods based on prior assumptions derived from statistical image properties fail when these properties do not hold. This is most likely to happen when the scene contains large bright areas, such as snow and sky, due to the ambiguity between the airlight and the depth information. This is the case for the popular dehazing method Dark Channel Prior. In order to improve its performance, the authors propose to combine it with the recent multiscale STRESS, which serves to estimate Bright Channel Prior. Visual and quantitative evaluations show that this method outperforms Dark Channel Prior and competes with the most robust dehazing methods, since it separates bright and dark areas and …
Understanding retention and metabolization of aroma compounds using an in vitro model of oral mucosa.
2020
International audience; The mechanism leading to aroma persistence during eating is not fully described. This study aims at better understanding the role of the oral mucosa in this phenomenon. Release of 14 volatile compounds from different chemical classes was studied after exposure to in vitro models of oral mucosa, at equilibrium by Gas-Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) and in dynamic conditions by Proton Transfer Reaction- Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS). Measurements at equilibrium showed that mucosal hydration reduced the release of only two compounds, pentan-2-one and linalool (p < 0.05), and suggested that cells could metabolize aroma compounds from different chemical fa…
Evaluation of olfactory intensity : comparative study of two methods
2004
Two experimental procedures recommended for the evaluation of the psychophysical characteristics of odorous compounds, olfactory matching with the 1-butanol scale and cross-modality matching with the finger span are compared. The intensity of ethyl butyrate and guaiacol solutions presented at four different concentration levels was evaluated by a panel of sixteen subjects over five repetitions using the two methods. Each stimulus was delivered to the subject from a Teflon bag through a nose-shaped glass sniffing port. The discrimination ability, repeatability, panel homogeneity and within-subject variability of the methods were assessed. Results indicate that with both methods, subjects wer…