We have investigated the formation of 10-50 mm long “ice spikes” that sometimes appear on the free surface of water when it solidifies. By freezing water under different conditions, we measured the probability of ice spike formation as a function of: 1) the air temperature in the freezing chamber, 2) air motion in the freezing chamber (which promotes evaporative cooling), 3) the quantity of dis...

We report on the preparation of both porous and non-porous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels that can be used as carriers to release proteins. Non-porous gels were prepared by freezing and thawing of aqueous PVA solutions, while porous gels were formed by adding porosigens such as NaCl or ammonium carbamate into aqueous PVA solutions. Bovine serum albumin, a model protein, was loaded into non...

OBJECTIVES To document and characterize freezing temperatures in the Indonesian vaccine cold chain and to evaluate the feasibility of changes designed to reduce the occurrence of freezing. METHODS Data loggers were used to measure temperatures of shipments of hepatitis B vaccine from manufacturer to point of use. Baseline conditions and three intervention phases were monitored. During each of...

Contrary to the increasing amount of knowledge regarding the functional roles of glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins (GRPs) in Arabidopsis thaliana in stress responses, the physiological functions of GRPs in rice (Oryza sativa) currently remain largely unknown. In this study, the functional roles of six OsGRPs from rice on the growth of E. coli and plants under cold or freezing stress conditions ...

Bilateral amygdala (AM) lesions prevent the acquisition of fear-related conditional responses (CRs) in rats, a result that is most commonly concluded to reflect a learning or memory deficit. An alternative hypothesis is that AM-lesioned animals fail to acquire certain fear CRs simply because they cannot perform these behaviors. This performance-deficit hypothesis is usually invoked in regard to...

The stability of asphalt concrete under the effects of freezing and thawing was studied experimentally, and the experimental test results were modelled using fuzzy logic and statistical methods. The stability was investigated experimentally using the Marshall and ultrasound methods. Asphalt core samples 10 cm in diameter were alternately frozen (–20°C for 16 hr) and thawed (16°C for 8 hr) for 5...

Plants grown through the winter are subject to selective pressures that vary with each year's unique conditions, necessitating tolerance of numerous abiotic and biotic stress factors. The objective of this study was to identify molecular markers in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) associated with tolerance of two of these stresses, freezing temperatures and snow mold-a fungal disease complex...

A mathematical model has been developed to study the process of freezing in biological organs. The model consists of a repetitive unit structure comprising a cylinder of tissue with an axial blood vessel (Krogh cylinder) and it is analysed by the methods of irreversible thermodynamics. The mathematical simulation of the freezing process in liver tissue compares remarkably well with experimental...