Influence of vanillic acid immobilization in Nafion membranes on intramembrane diffusion and structural properties

Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR in combination with quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) was used to investigate self-diffusion of water and acetone in Nafion membranes with and without immobilized vanillic acid (VA). Complementary characterization of these membranes was performed by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and NMR relaxometry. This study was motivated by the recent data showing that an organic acid, such as VA, in Nafion can preserve its catalytic activity in the presence of water even at high intra-polymer water concentrations corresponding up to 100% ambient relative humidity. However, there is currently no clear understanding of how immobilized organic acid molecules influence the microscopic transport properties and related structural properties of Nafion. Microscopic diffusion data measured by PFG NMR and QENS are compared for Nafion with and without VA. For displacements smaller than the micrometer-sized domains previously reported for Nafion, the VA addition was not observed to lead to any significant changes in the water and/or acetone self-diffusivity measured by each technique inside Nafion. However, the reported PFG NMR data present evidence of a different influence of acetone concentration in the membranes with and without VA on the water permeance of the interfaces between neighboring micrometer-sized domains. The reported diffusion data are correlated with the results of SAXS structural characterization and NMR relaxation data for water and acetone.

Unblocking A Rigid Purine MOF for Kinetic Separation of Xylenes

The separation of xylene isomers still remains an industrially challenging task. Here, porous purine-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been synthesized and studied for their potential in xylene separations. In particular,...

Self-diffusion of pure and mixed gases in mixed-linker zeolitic imidazolate framework-7-8 by high field diffusion NMR

Self-diffusion of pure gases including carbon dioxide, methane, ethylene, ethane, and xenon as well as selected two-component mixtures was studied in hybrid zeolitic imidazolate framework-7-8 (ZIF-7-8) crystals using pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR. This material was formed by mixing 2-methylimidazolate (ZIF-8 linker) and bulkier benzimidazolate (ZIF-7 linker) in the same framework. The intracrystalline diffusion data measured in mixed-linker ZIF-7-8 was compared with the corresponding data in the parent ZIF-8 material. It was found that under the same or comparable experimental conditions the intracrystalline gas diffusion was always slower in ZIF-7-8 than in ZIF-8. This observation is consistent with the expected lower pore aperture size in ZIF-7-8 than in ZIF-8. At the same time, the ethane/ethylene diffusion selectivity was found to be similar in both ZIFs. It was also observed that for the pure studied gases larger than carbon dioxide the diffusivity ratios in ZIF-8 and ZIF-7-8 do not increase with increasing gas size at all loading pressures used. All these data are attributed to greater framework flexibility effects in ZIF-7-8 than ZIF-8. Such effects manifest themselves in a distortion and/or increase in the aperture size in the presence of large sorbates due to linker flexibility.

Single-crystal-to-single-crystal guest exchange in columnar assembled brominated triphenylamine bis-urea macrocycles

Crystals of brominated triphenylamine bis-urea macrocycles are robust materials which can undergo single-crystal-to-single-crystal guest exchange inside 1-dimensional columns.

Ethane diffusion in mixed linker zeolitic imidazolate framework-7-8 by pulsed field gradient NMR in combination with single crystal IR microscopy

Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR was used in combination with single crystal IR microscopy (IRM) to study diffusion of ethane inside crystals of a mixed linker zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) of the type ZIF-7-8 under comparable experimental conditions. These crystals contain 2-methylimidazolate (ZIF-8 linker) and benzimidazolate (ZIF-7 linker). It was observed that the PFG NMR attenuation curves measured for ethane in ZIF-7-8 exhibit deviations from the monoexponential behaviour, thereby indicating that the ethane self-diffusivity in different crystals of a crystal bed can be different. Measurements of the ethane uptake curves performed by IRM under the same conditions in different ZIF-7-8 crystals of the bed yield different transport diffusivities thus confirming that the rate of ethane diffusion is different in different ZIF-7-8 crystals. The IRM observation that the fractions of ZIF-8 and ZIF-7 linkers are different in different ZIF-7-8 crystals allowed attributing the observed heterogeneity in diffusivities to the heterogeneity in the linker fraction. The quantitative comparison of the average ethane self-diffusivities measured by PFG NMR in ZIF-7-8 with the corresponding data on corrected diffusivities from IRM measurements revealed a good agreement between the results obtained by the two techniques. In agreement with the expectation of smaller aperture sizes in ZIF-7-8 than in ZIF-8, the average ethane self-diffusivities in ZIF-7-8 were found to be significantly lower than the corresponding self-diffusivities in ZIF-8.

Pilot-RCT of an integrative group therapy for patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome (ISRCTN02977330)

OBJECTIVE

Different forms of psychotherapeutic treatments have been proven effective in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but disorder-oriented and integrative concepts are still rare. Therefore, we implemented and evaluated an integrative group therapeutic concept within an interdisciplinary tertiary care clinic for functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs).

AIMS

present our integrative group concept, assess feasibility issues, and evaluate efficacy.

METHODS

A pilot-RCT with a randomized controlled wait-listed group design was conducted. The treatment concept was a disorder-oriented multicomponent group therapy (12 90-min weekly sessions) integrating interactive psychoeducation, gut-directed hypnotherapy, and open group phases. All patients received enhanced medical care and completed a short online diary as an active wait-listed control condition.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

refractory IBS diagnosed as somatoform autonomic dysfunction of the lower gastrointestinal tract (SAD).

PRIMARY OUTCOME

IBS symptom severity (IBS-SSS).

RESULTS

Of 294 patients, 220 had IBS (ROME III), 144 were diagnosed as SAD (ICD-10), 51 were eligible regarding inclusion/exclusion criteria, and 30 consented to participate (group intervention: n=16, wait-listed control condition: n=14). Only 1 patient dropped out. Intention-to-treat-analysis with repeated-measures mixed ANOVA showed that the group intervention was not significantly superior to the wait-listed control condition. Nevertheless, the calculated effect size for the between-group difference in IBS-SSS at the end of treatment (post) was moderate (d=0.539).

CONCLUSION

Our disorder-oriented integrative group intervention for IBS proved to be acceptable and feasible in an interdisciplinary tertiary care setting. There is promise in this intervention, but a larger RCT may be needed to investigate efficacy.

Purification and characterization of two different xylanases from the thermophilic actinomycete Microtetraspora flexuosa SIIX

Two endoxylanases were isolated from the xylanolytic enzyme system of the thermophilic actinomycete Microtetraspora flexuosa SIIX, and purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sepharose chromatography, gel filtration on Sephacryl S 200 and fast protein liquid chromatography on Q-Sepharose. The molecular masses of xylanase I and II were 26.3 and 16.8 kDa, and isoelectric points were 8.4 and 9.45, respectively. Optimal enzyme activities were obtained at 80 degrees C and pH 6.0. The thermostability of both xylanases was greatly diminished during purification but could be restored by preincubation of the purified enzymes in the presence of xylan. The half-lives at 80 degrees C were approximately 25 min. The kinetic constants of xylanases I and II determined with Remazol-brilliant-blue xylan were Vmax of 1537 and 353 mumol.min-1.mg protein-1 and K(m) values of 2.44 and 1.07 mg.ml-1, respectively. Purified xylanases utilized xylan as well as small oligosaccharides such as xylotriose as substrate. They did not exhibit xylobiase or debranching activities. The predominant products of arabinoxylan hydrolysis were xylobiose and xylotriose, the latter being hydrolysed to xylobiose and xylose upon further incubation. In addition, fragments containing arabinose side chains accumulated. The xylanases did not act on crystalline or amorphous cellulose indicating a possible application in biobleaching processes.

A lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-based immunoassay for detection of cell surface antigens and its application to the study of MHC class I-binding peptides

A lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-based immunoassay, referred to as CPEIA (cell panning enzyme immunoassay), has been developed for the detection of cell-surface antigens. CPEIA is similar to a panning assay, in that it is based on the capture of cells bearing an antigen of interest by means of an antibody immobilized to a 96-well microtiter plate. Attachment of the cells is then measured by addition of a substrate for the intracellular enzyme lactate dehydrogenase. The substrate solution also contains the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 to lyse the cells and release LDH, which converts the substrate p-iodonitrotetrazolium violet (INT) from yellow to red. The intensity of the color resulting from the LDH-catalyzed reaction is proportional to the number of cells bound to the plate. The procedure does not require fixation of the cells, centrifugation, and blocking steps, resulting in a more convenient assay. CPEIA has been used for the detection of MHC class I antigens and other molecules on the surfaces of mouse cell lines and concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated T lymphocytes. In addition, the assay has been used to detect peptide binding to Db and Kb MHC class I molecules on the surface of the mutant cell line RMA-S. The half-maximal responses for peptide-MHC class I interactions at different peptide concentrations can be determined with the assay, allowing the apparent dissociation constants to be calculated.