strate for the resist. After spin-coating, the polymer was gently softbaked at 40 °C to evaporate the solvent. The SU-8 was then structured by UV lithography (k= 365 nm) and post-exposure-baked at 40 °C to polymerize the exposed material. Three-dimensional microsystems were achieved by adding further SU-8 layers and repeating the resist processing steps. The microdevices were finally developed ...

Herein, we report on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for detecting formaldehyde vapors in air streams. A copolymer thin film consisting of styrene, methacrylic acid, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) yielded a detection limit of 500 ppb formaldehyde in dry air. Surprisingly, these MIPs showed specific behavior when tested against a range of volatile o...

The surface chemistry of iodomethane is studied in ultrahigh vacuum using X-ray and Auger spectroscopies and temperature-programmed desorption, on a MoAl alloy film formed by reacting molybdenum hexacarbonyl with dehydroxylated alumina. The alloy is grown by reacting Mo(CO)6 with a thin alumina film on a molybdenum substrate at 700 K and heating to 1500 K. A portion of the iodomethane dissociat...

Over the past decade, many applications were intended for filtration by membrane technology especially the thin film composite (TFC) membranes. In advanced developments of thin film membranes, an attempt was made to spread a new generation of membranes called thin film nano composite (TFN) membranes. However, in the last generation of TFNs, an ultrathin selective film of nanoparticles is coated...

The SV40 small t antigen (ST) is a potent oncoprotein that perturbs the function of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). ST directly interacts with the PP2A scaffolding A subunit and alters PP2A activity by displacing regulatory B subunits from the A subunit. We have determined the crystal structure of full-length ST in complex with PP2A A subunit at 3.1 Å resolution. ST consists of an N-terminal J d...

BACKGROUND Increasing cell membrane permeability to water and cryoprotectants is critical for the successful cryopreservation of cells with large volumes. Artificial expression of water-selective aquaporins or aquaglyceroporins (GLPs), such as mammalian aquaporin-3 (AQP3), enhances cell permeability to water and cryoprotectants, but it is known that AQP3-mediated water and solute permeation is ...

This paper presents the experimental results of utilizing a flexible thin-film membrane as a passive barrier to radon gas diffusion. Nine commercially available membranes of various compositions and thicknesses were evaluated as retardant to radon gas diffusion. The radon gas concentration ratios across the thin-film membranes alone and in combination with an adjacent concrete sample (effective...

This chapter describes basic parameters, such as surface forces and film elasticity, affecting the stability of foams (two-phase froths). I used the thin film pressure balance (TFPB) technique to measure the surface forces in foam films stabilized with various frothers such as pentanol, octanol, methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), and polypropylene glycol (PPG). The results were compared with the ...

Biophysical characteristics of the plasma membrane, such as osmotic sensitivity and water and cryoprotectant permeability are important determinants of the function of spermatozoa after cryopreservation. A series of experiments was conducted with rhesus macaque spermatozoa at 23 degrees C to determine their: (1) cell volume and osmotically inactive fraction of the cell volume; (2) permeability ...