Glass Bead Columns Research Articles

Transport and Retention of Nanoscale C60Aggregates in Water-Saturated Porous Media

Experimental and mathematical modeling studies were performed to investigate the transport and retention of nanoscale fullerene aggregates (nC60) in water-saturated porous media. Aqueous suspensions of nC60 aggregates (95 nm diameter, 1 to 3 mg/L) were introduced into columns packed with either glass beads or Ottawa sand at a Darcy velocity of 2.8 m/d. In the presence of 1.0 mM CaCl2, nC60 effluent breakthrough curves (BTCs) gradually increased to a maximum value and then declined sharply upon reintroduction of nC60-free solution. Retention of nC60 in glass bead columns ranged from 8 to 49% of the introduced mass, while up to 77% of the mass was retained in Ottawa sand columns. When nC60 suspensions were prepared in deionized water alone, effluent nC60 BTCs coincided with those of a nonreactive tracer (Br-), with minimal nC60 retention. Observed differences in nC60 transport and retention behavior in glass beads and Ottawa sand were consistent with independent batch retention data and theoretical calculations of electrostatic interactions between nC60 and the solid surfaces. Effluent concentration and retention profile data were accurately simulated using a numerical model that accounted for nC60 attachment kinetics and a limiting retention capacity.

Biodegradation of six haloacetic acids in drinking water

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are produced by the reaction of chlorine with natural organic matter and are regulated disinfection by-products of health concern. Biofilms in drinking water distribution systems and in filter beds have been associated with the removal of some HAAs, however the removal of all six routinely monitored species (HAA(6)) has not been previously reported. In this study, bench-scale glass bead columns were used to investigate the ability of a drinking water biofilm to degrade HAA(6). Monochloroacetic acid (MCAA) and monobromoacetic acid (MBAA) were the most readily degraded of the halogenated acetic acids. Trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) was not removed biologically when examined at a 90% confidence level. In general, di-halogenated species were removed to a lesser extent than the mono-halogenated compounds. The order of biodegradability by the biofilm was found to be monobromo > monochloro > bromochloro > dichloro > dibromo > trichloroacetic acid.

MRNA expression levels of tight junction protein genes in mouse brain capillary endothelial cells highly purified by magnetic cell sorting

Tight junctions (TJs) are an important component of the blood-brain barrier, and claudin-1, -3, -5 and -12 have been reported to be localized at the TJs of brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs). To understand the contribution of each claudin subtype to TJ formation, we have measured the mRNA expression levels of claudin subtypes (claudin-1 to -23) and other relevant proteins in highly purified mouse BCECs. Mouse BCECs were labeled with anti-platelet endothelial cellular adhesion molecule-1 antibody and 2.3 x 10(6) cells were isolated from 15 mice by magnetic cell sorting. Expression of Tie-2, Mdr1a and GLUT1 mRNAs was concentrated in the isolated fraction, and contamination with neurons and astrocytes was substantially less than in the brain capillary fraction prepared by the standard glass-beads column method. Expression of occludin, junctional adhesion molecule and endothelial-specific adhesion molecule mRNAs was concentrated in the isolated fraction, suggesting that the corresponding proteins are selectively expressed in mouse BCECs. Among claudin subtypes, claudin-5 was most highly expressed, at a level which was at least 593-fold greater that that of claudin-1, -3 or -12. Expression of mRNAs of claudin-8, -10, -15, -17, -19, -20, -22 or -23 was also concentrated in the isolated fraction, suggesting these subtypes are expressed in mouse BCECs. The levels of claudin-10 and -22 mRNAs were comparable with that of occludin mRNA. These results indicate that claudin-5 is the most abundant claudin subtype in mouse BCECs, and are consistent with the idea that claudin-10 and -22 are involved in TJ formation at the blood-brain barrier in cooperation with claudin-5.

Establishing a Method to Isolate Rat Brain Capillary Endothelial Cells by Magnetic Cell Sorting and Dominant mRNA Expression of Multidrug Resistance-associated Protein 1 and 4 in Highly Purified Rat Brain Capillary Endothelial Cells

To establish a method for isolating highly purified brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) from rat brain by using magnetic cell sorting, and clarify the expression levels of multidrug resistance-associated protein (Mrp) subtypes in these highly purified BCECs. The cells were prepared from the capillary enriched-fraction by enzyme digestion, and reacted with anti-PECAM-1 antibody. The cell sorting was performed by autoMACS. The mRNA levels were measured by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. From five rats, 2.3 x 10(6) cells were isolated in the PECAM-1(+) fraction and the percentage of labeled cells in this was 85.9%. PECAM-1, claudin-5 and Tie-2 mRNA were concentrated in the PECAM-1(+) fraction compared with rat brain. The contamination by neurons and astrocytes was markedly less than in the brain capillary fraction prepared by the glass bead column method. Mrp1 and 4 were predominantly expressed in the PECAM-1(+) fraction at similar levels to Mdr1a. The mRNA levels of Mrp5 and 3 were 10.6 and 7.60% of that of Mrp1, respectively. This new purification method provides BCECs with less contamination by neural cells. In the isolated BCECs, Mrp1 and 4 are predominantly expressed, suggesting that they play an important role at the rat blood-brain barrier.

Filtration in a Porous Granular Medium: 2. Application of Bubble Model to 1-D Column Experiments

This paper describes the formulation of a quasi-1-D network model, referred to as the ‘bubble model’, and its application for simulating particle transport and filtration through a granular filter bed. The model comprises a series of homogeneous sites linked through bundles of cylindrical bonds that represent flow pathways through distributions of pores and pore throats. This model incorporates pore scale processes of particle sieving and infiltration are based on numerical simulations described in a companion paper. The modeling of infiltration is further refined based on detailed experimental observations and measurements of the filtration of a dilute suspension of acrylic particles through a column of glass beads reported by Yoon et al. (2005 Water Resour. Res., to appear). Their data distinguish (a) between the collection of particles on grain surfaces and at grain-to-grain contact points, and (b) between particles that are fully entrapped and those that are hindered (temporarily collected) and can later become detached. These effects are represented by two parameters that characterize the probability of attachment and are linked to the surface roughness of the grains; one that describes the minimum particle size that can be fully entrapped, and one that describes the detachment rate. These parameters can be readily calibrated from conventional measurements of effluent concentration and effluent particle size distribution. Detailed comparisons with the data reported by Yoon et al. show that the proposed bubble model is able to achieve reliable predictions of the spatial distribution of particles within the filter bed following phases of particle injection and washing.

Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity from nuclear magnetic resonance measurements

Gravity‐driven drainage of water from a column of glass beads of uniform size is studied using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The evolution of proton magnetization and its spin‐spin relaxation time is measured as a function of drainage time at different locations within the column. On the basis of these measurements a model for calculating water relative permeability directly from relaxation time data at various saturations, originally proposed by Chen et al. (1994), is successfully tested for the first time.

Tomographical Imaging and Mathematical Description of Porous Media Used for the Prediction of Fluid Distribution

Flow and transport processes in porous media depend on the geometric properties of their pores, where the diameters typically range from micrometers to millimeters. In this study, we mapped the pore structure of glass bead and sand columns using tomography with X‐rays, thermal neutrons, and synchrotron radiation. Utilizing X‐rays from tubes, we mapped two 2.5‐ and 5.3‐cm‐diam. sand samples that contained particles with sizes ranging from 0.08 to 1.25 mm. The resulting voxels (i.e., the unit of a three‐dimensional image, the smallest distinguishable box‐shaped part of a three‐dimensional image) were cubes of 60‐μm length in the case of microfocus X‐rays, and 70 μm in case of industrial X‐rays. In the latter case, each voxel represented the material density of a rectangular parallelepiped with side lengths of 70 μm and a height of 210 μm. The material density of cubes of 70 μm was reconstructed by applying an optimized filter in Fourier space. Columns with diameters of 4.0 and 5.3 cm containing glass beads with diameters of 3.0 and 2.0 mm were scanned with thermal neutrons. The voxel size was 167 μm. Because this technique is sensitive to the presence of water, it was possible to measure the water table in a partially water‐filled sample. Two sand columns were scanned with synchrotron X‐rays, and the resulting voxel sizes were 11.5 and 3.5 μm. In the first case, the sample with a diameter of 15 mm contained particles of sizes ranging from 300 to 900 μm. In the second case, a sample with a diameter of 5 mm was filled with 100‐ to 200‐μm particles. In a numerical analysis of the sphere packings, we computed various geometric properties of the porous media as a function of the resolution. The pore‐size distribution and the Minkowski functionals (quantities that define the morphology of a structure) were used to describe changes in the imaged pore space as a function of voxel size. We found that the geometric properties of the mapped pore space converged to true values for a voxel size of 10 to 20% of the mean particle radius. Based on this analysis, we postulate that the resolution of a tomographic measurement must be in the range of 10% of the mean particle radius for repacked media to reconstruct the characteristic features of the pore space. This condition was fulfilled for the tomography with synchrotron light. Using the images of the sand samples measured with synchrotron light, we predicted the amount of water and air for a drainage process. For the pore space mapped with tube X‐rays, it was possible to make qualitative predictions of the hysteretic water and air distribution.

Combined effect of Bond and capillary numbers on hydrocarbon mobility in water saturated porous media

The mobilization of an oil bank under the combined effect of Bond ( N B) and capillary ( N C) numbers, in a packed bed column of glass beads saturated with water, has been investigated. In order to reach the irreducible saturation the experiments have been run with sweeping water velocities outside the range of validity of the Darcy's law. The size of the glass beads was varied in the range between 2 mm and 5 mm. The oils used for the tests are hexadecane and hexane with viscosities different for an order of magnitude and densities smaller than that of water, and α-methylnaphthalene, which has a density very close to that of water, in order to single out the effect of the capillary number on the mobilization process. The plots of oil saturation as function of the trapping number ( N T), which is the vectorial sum of N B and N C, are reported and a mobilization diagram is drawn. Furthermore, a few tests in a basin, simulating an aquifer at a laboratory scale, have proved that the results obtained in the packed column are useful for determining the fate of a spill of oil above an aquifer. For these experiments also perchloroethylene (PCE), which has a density greater than that of water, has been used.

Platelet function tests during major operation for gastro-intestinal carcinoma.

Platelet function tests were performed on 15 patients undergoing major operation preoperatively, during anaesthesia and 30 minutes and 3 hours after the beginning of operation. It was found that during anaesthesia platelet retention in a glass bead column and platelet aggregation were slightly reduced. During operation the bleeding time and the delay period of the collagen-induced aggregation were progressively prolonged, and the aggregation induced by ADP at a final concentration of 1 and 2 micrometer and by adrenaline was progressively reduced.

Stationary state volume fluctuations in a granular medium

A statistical description of static granular material requires ergodic sampling of the phase space spanned by the different configurations of the particles. We periodically fluidize a column of glass beads and find that the sequence of volume fractions phi of postfluidized states is history independent and Gaussian distributed about a stationary state. The standard deviation of phi exhibits, as a function of phi, a minimum corresponding to a maximum in the number of statistically independent regions. Measurements of the fluctuations enable us to determine the compactivity X , a temperaturelike state variable introduced in the statistical theory of Edwards and Oakeshott [Physica A 157, 1080 (1989)].

Freezability of equine semen after glass beads column separation

The success rate of artificial insemination following the freezing of stallion semen is limited; therefore, improving the stallion semen quality after the freezing and thawing process is a necessary objective. To investigate the influence of glass bead column separation on the freezability of stallion semen. Glass beads in a column separator remove damaged and dead spermatozoa in the ejaculate during centrifugation. In total, 50 ejaculates from 6 Lipizzaner stallions were studied. Each ejaculate was divided into 2 parts, one half processed following standard procedure and the second half used for the column separation procedure. After freezing, semen quality was evaluated using standard tests for motility, morphology and viability of semen. Motility and progressive motility of the column-separated (CS) semen were significantly higher (P < 0.001) before freezing and immediately, 24 and 48 h after thawing. A significant increase (P < 0.001) in the percentage of hypoosmotic positive spermatozoa was observed in CS samples. The percentage of total morphological changes in the separated samples before and after freezing was significantly lower (P < 0.001) compared with samples prepared using the standard procedure. A substantial decrease (P < 0.001) was found in the percentage of spermatozoa with damaged acrosomes. However, the percentage of spermatozoa with coiled tails was increased in the separated samples (P < 0.001). Column separation before freezing has a positive effect on the quality of thawed equine semen. The quality of CS frozen/thawed samples indicates their potential use for increasing insemination success in mares.

Interfacial area measurements for unsaturated flow through a porous medium

Multiphase flow and contaminant transport in porous media are strongly influenced by the presence of fluid‐fluid interfaces. Recent theoretical work based on conservation laws and the second law of thermodynamics has demonstrated the need for quantitative interfacial area information to be incorporated into multiphase flow models. We have used synchrotron based X‐ray microtomography to investigate unsaturated flow through a glass bead column. Fully three‐dimensional images were collected at points on the primary drainage curve and on the secondary imbibition and drainage loops. Analysis of the high‐resolution images (17 micron voxels) allows for computation of interfacial areas and saturation. Corresponding pressure measurements are made during the course of the experiments. Results show the fluid‐fluid interfacial area increasing as saturation decreases, reaching a maximum at saturations ranging from 20 to 35% and then decreasing as the saturation continues to zero. The findings support results of numerical studies reported in the literature.

Mechanisms of platelet retention in the collagen-coated–bead column

Although the glass-bead column has been used to measure platelet adhesion, whether platelet interaction with glass beads represents physiologic processes remains unsettled. In an attempt to obtain more physiologic platelet responses, plastic beads coated with type I collagen have been recently developed to replace glass beads. In this study, we analyzed the factors responsible for platelet retention in the collagen-coated–bead column and investigated its possible clinical applications. We pumped citrated whole-blood samples into columns at a fixed speed with an injection pump and calculated platelet-retention rates by measuring platelet counts before and after passage through the columns. The platelet-retention rates, which were highly reproducible with samples from healthy donors, were reduced in a patient with glycoprotein (GP) VI deficiency but not in patients with type III von Willebrand disease. Anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody and GRGDS peptide markedly inhibited platelet retention, whereas inhibition of the GPIb–von Willebrand factor or GPIa/IIa-collagen interaction had no effect. Data on the effects of various antiplatelet agents (including the antithrombin agent argatroban, prostacyclin, acetylsalicylic acid, and the ADP scavenger creatine phosphate/creatine phosphokinase) support the usefulness of this assay method in clinical application. Our findings suggest that GPVI and GPIIb/IIIa but not the GPIb–von Willebrand factor interaction are mainly involved in platelet retention in this column.

Linker‐modified microemulsions for a variety of oils and surfactants

AbstractPreviously, we reported on the use of hydrophilic and lipophilic linker molecules to enhance the solubilization capacity of chlorinated hydrocarbons using sodium dihexyl sulfosuccinate (SDHS). In this work we extend the use of linker molecules to a wider range of oils and surfactants. The data show that the linker effect works for all the systems studied and that linker‐based systems are even more economical than surfactant‐only systems for more hydrophobic oils. Using a more hydrophobic surfactant, such as sodium bis(2‐ethyl)dihexyl sulfosuccinate (Aerosol‐OT), requires a formulation enriched with a hydrophilic linker, whereas the formulation for the more hydrophilic SDHS requires the use of a more lipophilic linker. By considering the properties and appearance of the formulation before contacting with the oil, and by evaluation the coalescence dynamics, we found that hydrophilic linker‐rich formulations were preferred. These formulations were tested as fabric pretreatments for removing motor oil and hexadecane from cotton, and as flushing solutions for glass bead columns contaminated with these oils. The cleaning performance of these linker‐based systems was superior to common surfactant and pretreatment formulations in the detergency tests, achieving more than 80% removal of motor oil and hexadecane trapped in the packed‐column flushing tests.

Systematic Approach to Quantify Adsorption and Biodegradation Capacities on Biological Activated Carbon Following Ozonation

The goal of this research was to develop a systematic approach to quantify adsorption and biodegradation capacities on biological activated carbon (BAC). The role of absorption and biodegradation on BAC was studied using a continuous column. Several media, i.e., granular activated carbon (GAC), seeded glass bead and seeded GAC, and a target compound (p-hydroxybenzoic acid) were selected. Before breakthrough, the effluent of the GAC column contained a small amount of p-hydroxybenzoic acid that contributed the greatest amount of organic carbon to the effluent of the glass bead column, which suggests that adsorption should be the prevailing mechanism for removal the p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and biodegradation should be responsible for reducing the ozonation intermediates. Also, the bioactivity approach (biomass respiration potential, BRP) of BAC can not only reveal the importance of biodegradation mechanisms for the intermediates of ozonation, but also quantify the extent of the adsorption or biodegradation reaction occurring on BAC.

Effect of depletion interactions on transport of colloidal particles in porous media

The influence of depletion interactions on the transport of micrometer-sized, negatively charged polystyrene latex particles through porous media was studied by analysis of particle breakthrough curves as a response to short-pulse particle injections to the inlet of a packed column of glass beads. The column outlet latex particle concentration profiles and the total amount of particles exiting the column were determined as a function of the concentration of small, silica nanoparticles in the solution and the bulk flow rate. Because of similar charges, the silica particles do not adsorb to either the latex particles or glass beads and thus induce an attractive depletion force between the latex particles and glass bead collectors. The total column outlet latex particle amount was calculated by integrating the measured breakthrough concentration curve and compared to the known amount of injected particles at the column inlet. It was found that the particle recovery was a decreasing function of the silica nanoparticle concentration and the carrier fluid residence time, and an increasing function of the velocity in the bed. In addition, removing the silica nanoparticles from the flowing solution caused a second outlet peak to appear, suggesting that some of the polystyrene particles were captured in secondary energy wells. The experimental data were interpreted using the predicted potential energy profile between a single particle and a glass bead, which was assumed to consist of electrostatic, van der Waals, and depletion components. The results indicate that secondary energy wells significantly affect particle transport behavior through porous media.

Surface modification of nonporous glass beads with chitosan and their adsorption property for transition metal ions

A new hybrid material that adsorbs transition metal ions was prepared by immobilizing chitosan on the surface of nonporous glass beads. The glass beads, prepared by etching in aqueous NaOH at 100°C, were first reacted with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APES) to introduce amino groups on the surface. Subsequently, the resulting aminated beads were treated with glutaraldehyde at 25°C to change the amino groups into aldehyde groups. Finally, chitosan of average molecular weight 40,000 was introduced via the aldehyde groups through a Schiff's reaction. After complete acid-hydrolysis of the immobilized chitosan, the Svennerholm method for glucosamine analysis showed that 0.3% (w/w) chitosan had been successfully introduced on the glass beads. Atomic absorption spectroscopic analysis of eluants of a column of the chitosan-modified glass beads showed that metal ions such as Cu 2+, Ag +, Pb 2+, Fe 3+, and Cd 2+ were more than 90% entrapped on a column of beads prepared in this manner.

VEGF mRNA expressed in microvessels of neonatal and adult rat cerebral cortex

We measured mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its Flk-1/KDR receptor in isolated cerebral cortical microvessels and in the cerebral cortex of neonatal (1 week) and adult (11 week) rats using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cerebral microvessels were isolated by density centrifugation, mesh filtration and passage through glass bead columns. The dominant cell types in this preparation are endothelial cells and pericytes. Among the four isoforms of VEGF mRNA expressed in these tissues, VEGF 165 was dominant (67% higher than VEGF 189 or VEGF 206). All isoforms of VEGF were higher in adult cortical microvessels than in cortical homogenates. In isolated microvessels, VEGF mRNA for all isoforms combined was 70% higher in the neonate than in the adult. VEGF receptor Flk-1/KDR mRNA was also present in cortical microvessels and was higher in neonatal than in adult microvessels. The results suggest that VEGF is normally expressed in cerebral microvessels of both neonates and adults. Whether the source of VEGF is the endothelial cell or pericyte, will determine if VEGF has autocrine or paracrine actions. The results also support the hypothesis that microvascular cell turnover continues in the adult brain.

UV-irradiated DNA matrixes selectively bind endocrine disruptors with a planar structure.

DNA has unique chemical properties and is readily purified from salmon milts and shellfish gonads. DNA has few commercial uses and is generally discarded as an industrial waste. Recently, we prepared water-insoluble and nuclease-resistant DNA-films by UV irradiation. The DNA-films removed DNA-intercalating compounds. Here, we immobilized double-stranded DNA onto porous glass beads by UV irradiation and prepared DNA-immobilized glass bead columns. The DNA-immobilized columns effectively accumulated more DNA-intercalating materials than the DNA-films. The DNA-immobilized columns bound endocrine disruptors with a planar structure, such as dioxin-derivatives, polychlorobiphenyl (PCB)-derivatives, and benzo[a]pyrene. Bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol, which lack a planar structure, did not bind to the DNA-immobilized columns. These results suggest that DNA-immobilized glass bead columns could selectively remove chemical compounds with a planar structure by intercalation into the double-stranded DNA. DNA-immobilized glass beads and DNA-films prepared by UV irradiation have the potential to serve as useful biomaterials for medical, engineering, and environmental applications.

113Sn-113mIn generator with a glass beads column

The adsorption characteristics of 113Sn(IV) and 113mIn(III) on glass beads from NaCl solutions have been studied. On the basis of these studies, 113Sn-113mIn generator has been prepared by adsorbing 113Sn on the glass beads column. 113mIn has been eluted by the 0.16M NaCl solution with pH 3.0, remaining 113Sn adsorbed on the glass beads. The yield of 113mIn has been about 73% in the first 6 ml of eluate, while the breakthrough of 113Sn has been about 0.042%.