Search results for "UMIC"
showing 10 items of 183 documents
Multiple actions of fenamates and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on GABAA receptors
2019
The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) niflumic acid, a fenamate in structure, has many molecular targets, one of them being specific subtypes of the main inhibitory ligand-gated anion channel, the GABA(A) receptor. Here, we report on the effects of other fenamates and other classes of NSAIDs on brain picrotoxinin-sensitive GABA A receptors, using an autoradiographic assay with [S-35]TBPS as a ligand on mouse brain sections. We found that the other fenamates studied (flufenamic acid, meclofenamic acid, mefenamic acid and tolfenamic acid) affected the autoradiographic signal at low micromolar concentrations in a facilitatory-like allosteric fashion, i.e., without having affinity to …
An overview of the methods used in the characterisation of natural organic matter (NOM) in relation to drinking water treatment
2010
Natural organic matter (NOM) is found in all surface, ground and soil waters. During recent decades, reports worldwide show a continuing increase in the color and NOM of the surface water, which has an adverse affect on drinking water purification. For several practical and hygienic reasons, the presence of NOM is undesirable in drinking water. Various technologies have been proposed for NOM removal with varying degrees of success. The properties and amount of NOM, however, can significantly affect the process efficiency. In order to improve and optimise these processes, the characterisation and quantification of NOM at different purification and treatment processes stages is important. It …
Water dynamics and its role in structural hysteresis of dissolved organic matter
2016
Knowledge of structural dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is of paramount importance for understanding DOM stability and role in the fate of solubilized organic and inorganic compounds (e.g., nutrients and pollutants), either in soils or aquatic systems. In this study, fast field cycling (FFC) (1)H NMR relaxometry was applied to elucidate structural dynamics of terrestrial DOM, represented by two structurally contrasting DOM models such as Suwanee River (SRFA) and Pahokee peat (PPFA) fulvic acids purchased by the International Humic Substance Society. Measurement of NMR relaxation rate of water protons in heating-cooling cycles revealed structural hysteresis in both fulvic acids. I…
Plasma adiponectin: a contributing factor for cardiac changes in visceral obesity-associated hypertension.
2013
This study has been designed to evaluate the impact of adiponectin levels on left ventricular geometry and function in visceral obesity-associated hypertension. 94 consecutive subjects, 53 of them were hypertensives and 41 normotensives with age <= 65 years, subgrouped according to the presence or absence of visceral obesity, were studied. Total adiponectin levels were measured by a validated competitive radioimmunoassay. Left ventricular telediastolic internal diameter, interventricular septum, posterior wall thickness, total left ventricular mass (LVM) and normalized for height to the 2.7 power (LVM/h(2.7)), relative wall thickness, left ventricular ejection fraction by echocardiography a…
Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of soil organic matter extracted from a Brazilian mangrove and Spanish salt marshes
2009
The soil organic matter (SOM) extracted under different vegetation types from a Brazilian mangrove (Pai Matos Island, São Paulo State) and from three Spanish salt marshes (Betanzos Ría and Corrubedo Natural Parks, Galícia, and the Albufera Natural Park, Valencia) was investigated by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The chemical variation was larger in SOM from the Spanish marshes than in the SOM of the Brazilian mangroves, possibly because the marshes included sites with both tidal and nontidal variation, whereas the mangrove forest underwent just tidal variation. Thus, plant-derived organic matter was better preserved under permanently anoxic environments. Moreove…
Alkali activated materials using pumice from the Aeolian Islands (Sicily, Italy) and their potentiality for cultural heritage applications: Prelimina…
2020
Abstract In this paper, the potentialities of pumice-based geopolymers have been explored with the aim to evaluate their use as restoration materials. In particular, the behaviour of Aeolian pumice during alkali activation process, either alone or in binary mixtures with metakaolin, has been assessed using sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate activators. Hardened products were characterized by: X-ray diffraction; infrared spectroscopy; thermo gravimetry and electron microscopy. Furthermore, Hg-intrusion porosimetry, water absorption, compressive strength and colorimetric measurements were carried out in order to define the technical features of the produced geopolymers. The results reveal t…
Mechanical properties of steel fibre reinforced lightweight concrete with pumice stone or expanded clay aggregates
2001
This paper presents basic information on the mechanical properties of steel fibre-reinforced light-weight concrete, manufactured using pumice stone or expanded clay aggregates. Results are presented for standard compressive tests and indirect tensile tests (splitting tests on cylinder specimens and flexure tests on prismatic beams using a three-point loading arrangement) under monotonically increasing or cyclically varying loads. The influence of steel fibres and aggregate types on modulus of elasticity, compressive and tensile strength and post-peak behaviour is evaluated. Test results show that compressive strength does not change for pumice stone aggregates, while an increase is observed…
Pumice concrete for structural wall panels
2003
Some properties of lightweight pumice stone concrete (LWPSC) are discussed, on account of a possible structural use of this material. Then the results of an experimental investigation are described, in order to show that pumice can really be considered an alternative to common artificial lightweight aggregates, taking into account the performance pointed out by loading tests carried out on structural systems made of LWPSC. Three different kinds of reinforced wall panels were made using LWPSC, lightweight expanded clay concrete and normal weight concrete; then their structural responses under horizontal cyclic and constant vertical forces were compared, above all with reference to lateral st…
Evolution of grain-size distribution of pumice sands in 1-D compression
2016
Abstract Crushing is one of the micromechanisms that govern the mechanical behaviour of sands at medium-high stresses. It depends on mineralogy, form and strength of single particle, mean stress level, coordination number, time, etc.. It causes changes of grain-size distribution, porosity, number and type of grain contacts, fabric, structure of the material, etc.. Results of an experimental research on the crushing of pumice sands compressed under 1-D conditions to vertical effective stresses σ′v up to 100MPa are reported here. They show marked crushing already at σ′v of about 200kPa. The evolution of the grain-size distribution can be represented by ΔDi= h/(K(1+C exp(–hlgσ′v))) in which ΔD…
XPS study of pumice-supported palladium and platinum catalysts
1992
An XPS study has been performed on samples of monometallic of palladium and platinum and on bimetallic Pd-Pt catalysts supported on pumice. A negative shift of about 0.5 eV in the Pd 3d and Pt 4f binding energies of the catalysis relative to the energies of the same levels in the pure metals suggested an increase in the electron density in both metals. A quantitative XPS analysis indicated that the supported metals did not modify the surface atomic composition of pumice