Cell death is accompanied by the dissipation of electrochemical gradients of monovalent ions across the plasma membrane that, in turn, affects cell volume via modulation of intracellular osmolyte content. In numerous cell types, apoptotic and necrotic stimuli caused cell shrinkage and swelling, respectively. Thermodynamics predicts a cell type-specific rather than an ubiquitous impact of monova...

As a building material, earth is known to be natural humidity regulator and improve comfort inside buildings, making it good choice for indoor plastering. The clayey phase ensures the sorption capacity of material its global cohesion by acting as binder sand grain skeleton. However, clay also induces drying shrinkage mortar, leading cracking plaster. Additives or stabilizers are typically used ...

The serous acini of airway submucosal glands are important for fluid secretion in the lung. Serous cells are also sites of expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channel. However, the mechanisms of serous cell fluid secretion remain poorly defined. In this study, serous acinar cells were isolated from porcine bronchi and studied using optical techniqu...

Activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition may contribute to excitotoxic neuronal death (Ankarcrona et al., 1996; Dubinsky and Levi, 1998). However, cyclosporin A (CsA), a potent inhibitor of the permeability transition in liver mitochondria, only protects against neuronal injury by limited doses of glutamate and selected ischemic paradigms. The lack of consistent CsA inhibition of...

The nucleated high K, low Na red blood cells of the winter flounder demonstrated a volume regulatory response subsequent to osmotic swelling or shrinkage. During volume regulation the net water flow was secondary to net inorganic cation flux. Volume regulation the net water flow was secondary to net inorganic cation flux. Volume regulation after osmotic swelling is referred to as regulatory vol...

Phenylboronic acids are a class of compounds that bind glucose and other sugars. When polymerized into hydrogels, they provide a convenient nonenzymatic means for sensing glucose concentration, provided competing sugars are present at negligible concentrations. In this paper we provide a comprehensive study of swelling of hydrogels containing methacrylamidophenylboronic acid (MPBA), as a functi...

Wood, as a biological material, is sensitive to environmental conditions and microorganisms; therefore, wood products require protective measures extend their service life in outdoor applications. Several modification processes are available for the improvement of properties, including commercially solutions. Among chemical treatments, acetylation by acetic anhydride one most effective methods ...

objective: potato is the fourth important food crop after wheat, rice and maize. shrinkage  of  food  materials  has  a negative  consequence  on  the  quality  of  the dehydrated product. the main objective pursued in this paper is to investigate the shrinkage amount of potato slices during drying process using vacuum-infrared method. methods: in this work, the effect of the infrared radiation...