• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.166-176
• /
• 2022

Objective: Sperm is particularly susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) stress. Glutathione (GSH) is an endogenous antioxidant that regulates sperm redox homeostasis. However, it is not clear whether boar sperm could utilize cysteine for synthesis GSH to protect sperm quality from ROS damage. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of how cysteine is involved in protecting boar sperm quality during liquid storage. Methods: Sperm motility, membrane integrity, lipid peroxidation, 4-hydroxyIlonenal (4-HNE) modifications, mitochondrial membrane potential, as well as the levels of ROS, GSH, and, ATP were evaluated. Moreover, the enzymes (GCLC: glutamate cysteine ligase; GSS: glutathione synthetase) that are involved in glutathione synthesis from cysteine precursor were detected by western blotting. Results: Compared to the control, addition of 1.25 mM cysteine to the liquid storage significantly increased boar sperm progressive motility, straight-line velocity, curvilinear velocity, beat-cross frequency, membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP level, acrosome integrity, activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and GSH level, while reducing the ROS level, lipid peroxidation and 4-HNE modifications. It was also observed that the GCLC and GSS were expressed in boar sperm. Interestingly, when we used menadione to induce sperm with ROS stress, the menadione associated damages were observed to be reduced by the cysteine supplementation. Moreover, compared to the cysteine treatment, the γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) activity, GSH level, mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP level, membrane integrity and progressive motility in boar sperm were decreased by supplementing with an inhibitor of GSH synthesis, buthionine sulfoximine. Conclusion: These data suggest that boar sperm could biosynthesize the GSH from cysteine in vitro. Therefore, during storage, addition of cysteine improves boar sperm quality via enhancing the GSH synthesis to resist ROS stress.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.157-174
• /
• 2013

The present study is devoted to the validation of a new method for in line electrokinetic characterisation of deposits on membrane surfaces. This method is based upon simultaneous measurements of transversal streaming potential and permeates flux at constant pressure before and during the deposit formation. Dead-end filtration experiments were conducted with negative flat membranes forming a narrow slit channel, negative hollow fiber membranes and mono-dispersed suspensions of (negatively charged) polystyrene latex and (positively charged) melamine particles at various concentrations. It was observed that the overall streaming potential coefficient increased in absolute value with the deposited latex quantity, whereas it decreased and changed of sign during the filtration of melamine suspensions. By considering a resistance-in-series model, the streaming potential coefficient of the single deposit ($SP_d$) was deduced from the electrokinetic and hydraulic measurements. The independence of $SP_d$ with respect to growth kinetics validates the measurement method and the reliability of the proposed procedure for calculating $SP_d$. It was found that $SP_d$ levelled off much more quickly when filtration was performed through the slit channel. This different behaviour could result from a non-uniform distribution of the deposit thickness along the membrane given that the position of measuring electrodes is different between the two cells.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.291-298
• /
• 1988

The effect of Vanadate on the isometric contraction, membrane potential and intracellular calcium ion activities of rabbit myocardial cells were investigated, using calcium selective microelectrode, filled with neutral calcium ion carrier, ETH-1001. The resting tension, the membrane potential and the intracellular calcium ion activities were recorded in normal Tyrode solution and compared with those in the contracture induced by 10 mM Vanadate. The following results were obtained: 1. The dose-response relationship between the contraction of Vanadate and twitch tension showed near-maximum response in 5mM with no corresponding changes in action potential. 2. The resting tension increased up to the amplitude of a control twitch in 10mM Vanadate with resting membrane potential, hyperpolarized. 3. Increase in intracellular calcium ion activities proceeded the contracture by 10mM Vanadate which were restored to the control level in accordance with a decrease of intracellular calcium ion activities. 4. The amplitude of contractures by 10mM Vanadate were 90-120% of the control twitch tension in which the intracellular calcium ion activities were increased about 70 times from p Ca, 7.1 in the control to p Ca, 5.8 in contractures.

• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.47-50
• /
• 2002

Raft is a distinctive membrane domain enriched in a certain class of lipids, cholesterol, and proteins observed on the plasma membrane. Growing evidence has revealed that such membrane domains play key roles in signal transduction, fertilization, development, transmitter release, and so on. Recently, we have isolated raft-like detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) fraction from bovine photoreceptor rod outer segments. Transducin and its effecter, cGMP-phosphodiesterase, elicited stimulus-dependent translocation between detergent-soluble membrane and DRM. This suggested potential importance of such distinct membrane domains in vertebrate phototransduction. Here, we will discuss physiological meaning of the translocation of major components of cGMP cascade to raft-like membrane in phototransduction. We would like to propose a hypothesis that raft-like membrane domains on the disk membrane are the place where cGMP cascade system could be quenched.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.307-328
• /
• 2015

The increasing demand for materials, energy and products drives chemical engineers to propose new solutions everyday able to promote development while supporting sustainable industrial growth. Membrane engineering can offer significant assets to this development. Here, they are identified the most interesting aspects of membrane engineering in strategic industrial sectors such as water treatment, energy production and depletion and reuse of raw materials. The opportunity to integrate membrane units with innovative systems to exploit the potential advantages derived from their synergic uses is also emphasized. The analysis of the potentialities of these new technologies is supported by the introduction of process intensification metrics which provide an alternative and innovative point of view regarding the unit performance, highlighting important aspects characterizing the technology and not identified by the conventional analysis of the unit performance.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.34-43
• /
• 2005

The poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based thin film composite nanofiltration (NF) membranes were prepared by coating polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes, sulfonated polyethersulfone and polyamide NF membranes with aqueous PVA solution by a pressurizing method. The PVA was cross-linked with aqueous glutaraldehyde solution. The NF membranes coated with a very low concentration of PVA on all the support membranes was successfully prepared. With increasing the hydrophilicity of the support membranes, the water flux increased. Especially, ζ-potential of negatively charged polyamide NF membrane was reduced by coating the membrane with PVA. A fouling experiment was carried out with positively charged surfactant, humic acid, complex of humic acid and calcium ion and bovine serum albumin. A non-coated polyamide NF membrane was significantly fouled by various foulants. The fouling process when using humic acid and protein occurred at the isoelectric point. There was severe fouling when using humic acid and adding bivalent cations. By coating the polyamide NF membrane with aqueous PVA solution, fouling was reduced. The polyamide NF membrane coated with PVA was resistant to the acidic and basic solution.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.257-265
• /
• 2001

Placing a hydrogen conducting, methanol impermeable metallic barrier like palladium (Pd) is a well-known method for preventing methanol crossover through solid polymer electrolyte for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). Applying a bias potential between the anode and the barrier can further develop this concept so that the hydrogen transfer rate is enhanced. Since hydrogen diffuses in Pd as atomic form while it moves through nafion electrolyte as ion, it has to be reduced or oxidized whenever it passes the interface formed by Pd and the electrolyte. We performed experiments to measure the hydrogen transport through the Pd membrane placed in Nafion electrolyte of hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell (PEMFC). Applying a bias potential between the hydrogen electrode of the cell and the Pd membrane facilitated the hydrogen passage through the Pd membrane. The results show that the cell current measured with the Pd membrane placed reached almost 40 % the value measured with the cell without Pd membrane. It was found that the current flown through the bias path is only a few percent of the cell current.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2010.05a
• /
• pp.38.1-38.1
• /
• 2010

Nanofibers have a large potential in air filtration applications. In this work, we have developed a photocatalytic polyvinyl alcohol PVA/$TiO_2$ nanofibers membrane for the treatment of air filtration by using electrospinning method. PVA were electrospun into nanofibrous membranes and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles were loaded in PVA nanofibers in various contents from 10% (w/w) to 50% (w/w). The UV-Vis spectra were conducted for testing the existence of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles in PVA fibers. SEM analysis indicated that $TiO_2$ nanoparticles were loaded on the surface of PVA fibers and dispersed linearly along the fiber direction, which originated from the effect of polarization and orientation caused by high electric field. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine the crystalline of the membrane. Tensile strength was measured to evaluate the physical properties of the membrane. Therefore, our work suggested that PVA/$TiO_2$ nanofiber membrane has a potential application in air filtration area.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 1992.10a
• /
• pp.15-33
• /
• 1992

Synthetic membrane processes are being increasingly integrated into existing reaction, isolation, and recovery schemes for the production of valuable biological molecules. In many cases they are replacing traditional unit processes. The properties of membrane systems which are most often exploited for both upstream and downstream processing are their permselectivity, high surface area per unit volume, and their potential for controlling the level of contact and/or mixing between two separate phases. Advances in both membrane materials and module design and operation have led to better control of concentration polarization and membrane fouling. After presenting some recent advances in membrane materials and fluid mechanics, we demonstrate how membranes have been integrated into cellular and enzymatic reaction schemes. This is followed by a review of established and emerging membrane separation processes. Several examples are used to emphasize the synergism between biological processes and synthetic membranes.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.313-320
• /
• 2019

Extraction/separation of cobalt by supported liquid membrane has been reviewed. The review discusses various directions associated with the supported liquid membrane process, such as the kind of supported liquid membrane, the principle of supported liquid membrane, transport mechanism involved, and the advantages and disadvantages of the supported liquid. Finally, extraction and separation of cobalt from other metals using extractant through supported liquid membrane have been reviewed. Separation of cobalt using various reagents and cobalt recovery from scrap using commercial extractant can be a potential perspective from the application of supported liquid membrane application.