Analysis of Corrosion Products Transported through Secondary Side of Candu Steam Generator Using GIXRD

To verify the chemistry of secondary side of CANDU steam generators, Millipore filters are used to sampling from condensing extraction pump, feed water header and blow down of steam generator. These filters retain the corrosion products as very fine particles and are used as samples in chemistry water control. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) is the most used technique that can provide information about the phase composition of analyzed samples. Because the crud layers on the Millipore filters are very thin, to identify the corrosion products Grazing Incidence X-Ray diffraction (GIXRD) technique was used. The following compounds have identified: magnetite (Fe3O4), hematite (Fe2O3), and iron oxide hydroxide (FeOOH). It was observed a brown-reddish background specific to hematite and iron oxide hydroxide, especially for filters extracted from condensing extraction pump. The black colour of crud present on filters extracted from feed water header and blow down of steam generator shows the presence of magnetite.

Differences in the profile of cytokine expression induced by implantation of oncogenic and non-oncogenic millipore filters

Background. Clarification of the mechanisms of carcinogenesis induced by foreign bodies is one of the urgent problems of modern oncology. This is due to the fact that there is a relationship between the processes of inflammation and carcinogenesis. Today, there is no doubt the fact that cytokines and signal molecules in the focus of inflammation (products of inflammation) can contribute to the initiation of carcinogenesis, as well as stimulate tumor progression. In the case of carcinogenesis induced by foreign bodies, the key issue is understanding the differences in the body’s response to the implantation of foreign bodies that can cause tumor formation and do not have this ability. One of the phenomena of this type of carcinogenesis is the occurrence of sarcoma after the subcutaneous implantation in mice of hydrophilic millipore filters with a pore diameter not exceeding 0.1 μm and the inability to induce tumors of one’s with a pore diameter greater than or equal to 0.22 μm.The objective of our work was to study the differences between oncogenic and non-oncogenic filters at the molecular level.Materials and methods. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method was used to study the expression of a number of cytokines that are products of macrophage cells that live on the surface of implanted filters and in the surrounding capsule. Filters with pore diameters of 0.025 μm (carcinogenic) and 0.45 μm (non-carcinogenic) were compared in 8, 35 days and 5.5 months after implantation.Results and conclusion. After 8 days we observed significant (p <0.01) excess of expression of two cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β) by cells around oncogenic filters (with pore of 0.025 μm) compared to non-oncogenic one’s (with pore of 0.45 μm) After 35 days, significant (p <0.01) excess of expression of IL-1β, Tnf-α, iNOS (induced nitric oxide synthase), and IL-6 by cells around the oncogenic filters (0.025 μm) compared to non-oncogenic one’s (0.45 μm) was observed. There was no quantitative difference in the expression of Nf-κB1 and Nf-κB2 (nuclear factor κ-B1, κ-B2), Tgf-β (transforming growth factor β), IL-10. After 5.5 months the expression of IL-1β by cells on oncogenic filters was still significant; for Tnf-α, iNOS, IL-6 and IL-10 there was no practically difference in expression. For Nf-κB1 and Nf-κB2, Tgf-β and COX-2 (cyclooxygenase 2) the difference was significant, cells on non-oncogenic filters are expressed more then on oncogenic one’s.

TISSUE CULTURE OF MICE KIDNEYS FOR THE TOXICITY EVALUATION OF SOME CYTOSTATICS

The rationale for the present study is explained by a high risk of the development of side effects, including nephrotoxic, in patients that receive the treatment with cytostatics bleocin, lastet, and cisplatin for oncologic diseases. The present article focuses on the evaluation of the toxicity of the mentioned drugs. The method of plasma-free renal tissue cultures in mice on the perforated millipore filters was used. The identification of the toxicity of different doses of the drugs was performed by the comparison of the areas of the grown colonies. The authors presented the data that the inhibition of the growth of renal tissue cultures (by 50%) required a 4.3-fold increase in the dose of lastet in comparison with bleocin. The inhibition of the tissue culture colony growth with cisplatin by 85% was registered in the dose of the drug that corresponded to a 3% solution. The materials of the article have significant practical value because a rational indication of cytostatics bleocin, lastet, and cisplatin with regard to their nephrotoxic effect will allow the specialists to improve the treatment outcome and will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of patients.

Qualitative analysis of the behavior of the seedlings of sugarcane of different varieties using the method of temporary immersion

Sugar cane is a culture of great importance worldwide due to the fact it is the raw material needed for the production of sugar, ethanol, and biomass, among other products. The micro-propagation of seedlings in a lab generates superior production when compared to the conventional process of propagation in the field. Therefore, it is seen as an alternative to produce healthy seedlings that present the same genetic load of the matrices. A disadvantage of micro-propagation is the high cost of workforce used in the process. The System of Temporary Immersion (SIT) was createdwith the goal of solving this issue. At the bio-factory Governador Miguel Arraes of the Center of Strategic Technology of the Northeast (CETENE), this system consists of 2 PET bottles of 5L (Bioreactors – BITs), a group of hoses and two Millipore filters of 0.22µm as well as automated controllers. Within the BITs it is possible to multiply a higher quantity of plants decreasing, this way, the time within the lab. Theobjective of this study is the qualitative analysis of the behavior of the System of Temporary Immersion using seedlings of different varieties of sugar cane. The methodology consisted of transferring the content of 1 or 3 pots, depending on the test, to the bioreactor with 200ml and 500ml of culture mean respectively. The varieties used were RB 86 3129 and B 8008 because there are fewer studies about them and of great interest to the Bio-factory. The variety RB 86 3129, on the first pricking, presented a better response than the B 8008, and days later the majority presented loss through contamination.

The impact of humic acid fractions on swelling and germination of ‘Progres’ and ‘Nawiko’ soybean seeds under salt and water deficit stresses

A laboratory research was carried out to examine the impact of humic acids (HA) on swelling and germination of ‘Nawiko’ and ‘Progres’ soybean seeds under salt stress (50 mM dm⁻³ NaCl) and water deficit stress (−0.5 MPa) induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000. HA in the form of a dry preparation was obtained from peat using the IHSS method. Tests on swelling and germination used non-fractionate preparation (NFHA) and two of its molecular fractions obtained using Millipore filters with a 30 kDa cut-off point. This enabled us to obtain two fractions: with a higher molecular weight, above 30 kDa (HMHA), and a lower molecular weight, below 30 kDa (LMHA). The carbon concentration in HA solutions, used in all tests, was 0.005 g C<span>_HA</span> dm⁻³. The results showed that HA mitigate the negative impact of salinity and water deficit on swelling and germination of soybean seeds.

The removal of trace metals at the wastewater treatment plant of Psyttalia

The present study investigates the levels of trace metals in the input and output of the Psyttalia wastewater treatment plant, as well as the removal of the various trace metal forms (dissolved, particulate) during primary sedimentation. The trace metals determined were: Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, and Ni. The experimental procedure included the collection and analysis of inflow and outflow samples. Dissolved and particulate forms were separated by filtration through 0.45 and 8 Μm Millipore filters and trace metals were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. The results indicate that particulate matter consists mainly of large particles (> 8 &micro; m ) and the sedimentation process is more effective in their removal in contrast to smaller particles. The removal of trace metals during primary sedimentation follows the decreasing sequence: Particulate metal in large particles > Particulate metal in small particles > Dissolved metal. Concerning the various metals the removal follows the sequence: Pb ~= Cu>Zn ~= Cr>Cd>Ni. The quantities of trace metals that are discharged to the sea through the outflow pipes of the Psyttalia treatment plant follow the decreasing sequence: Zn >> Cr > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cd.