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190 records · Page 11

Role of dietary fatty acids in liver injury caused by vinyl chloride metabolites in mice

Background: Vinyl chloride (VC) causes toxicant-associated steatohepatitis at high exposure levels. Recent work by this group suggests that underlying liver disease may predispose the liver to VC hepatotoxicity at lower exposure levels. The most common form of underlying liver disease in the developed world is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is well-known that the type of dietary fat can play an important role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. However, whether the combination of dietary fat and VC/metabolites promotes liver injury has not been studied. Methods: Mice were administered chloroethanol (CE - a VC metabolite) or vehicle once, 10 weeks after being fed diets rich in saturated fatty acids (HSFA), rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acids (HPUFA), or the respective low-fat control diets (LSFA; LPUFA). Results: In control mice, chloroethanol caused no detectable liver injury, as determined by plasma transaminases and histologic indices of damage. In HSFA-fed mice, chloroethanol increased HSFA-induced liver damage, steatosis, infiltrating inflammatory cells, hepatic expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and markers of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Moreover, markers of inflammasome activation were increased, while markers of inflammasome inhibition were downregulated. In mice fed HPUFA all of these effects were significantly attenuated. Conclusions: Chloroethanol promotes inflammatory liver injury caused by dietary fatty acids. This effect is far more exacerbated with saturated fat, versus poly-unsaturated fat; and strongly correlates with a robust activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the saturated fed animals only. Taken together these data support the hypothesis that environmental toxicant exposure can exacerbate the severity of NAFLD/NASH. - Highlights: • CE promotes inflammatory liver injury caused by dietary fatty acids. • This effect is stronger with saturated than with unsaturated fatty acids. • Damage caused by saturated fat and CE correlates with inflammasome activation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Occupational exposures at a polyvinyl chloride production facility are associated with significant changes to the plasma metabolome

Background: Occupational vinyl chloride (VC) exposures have been associated with toxicant-associated steatohepatitis and liver cancer. Metabolomics has been used to clarify mode of action in drug-induced liver injury but has not been performed following VC exposures. Methods: Plasma samples from 17 highly exposed VC workers without liver cancer and 27 unexposed healthy volunteers were obtained for metabolite extraction and GC/MS and LC/MS{sup 2} analysis. Following ion identification/quantification, Ingenuity pathway analysis was performed. Results: 613 unique named metabolites were identified. Of these, 189 metabolites were increased in the VC exposure group while 94 metabolites were decreased. Random Forest analysis indicated that the metabolite signature could separate the groups with 94% accuracy. VC exposures were associated with increased long chain (including arachidonic acid) and essential (including linoleic acid) fatty acids. Occupational exposure increased lipid peroxidation products including monohydroxy fatty acids (including 13-HODE); fatty acid dicarboxylates; and oxidized arachidonic acid products (including 5,9, and 15-HETE). Carnitine and carnitine esters were decreased, suggesting peroxisomal/mitochondrial dysfunction and alternate modes of lipid oxidation. Differentially regulated metabolites were shown to interact with extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), Akt, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and the N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. The top canonical pathways affected by occupational exposure included tRNA charging, nucleotide degradation, amino acid synthesis/degradation and urea cycle. Methionine and homocysteine was increased with decreased cysteine, suggesting altered 1-carbon metabolism. Conclusions: Occupational exposure generated a distinct plasma metabolome with markedly altered lipid and amino acid metabolites. ERK1/2, Akt, AMPK, and NMDA were identified as protein targets for vinyl chloride toxicity. - Highlights: • Occupational vinyl chloride exposure is linked to toxicant-associated steatohepatitis, liver cancer, and other diseases. • Vinyl chloride exposure led to a distinct plasma metabolome with markedly altered lipid and amino acid metabolites. • A metabolomics approach can provide useful information regarding exposure in chemical workers.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Separation of polyethylene terephthalate from municipal waste plastics by froth flotation for recycling industry

Highlights: • Factors of NaOH treatment were studied by orthogonal and single factor experiments. • Mechanism of alkaline treatment for facilitating flotation was manifested. • Flotation separation of PET was achieved with high purity and efficiency. • A flow sheet of purification PET from MWP was designed. - Abstract: Recycling is an effective way to manage plastic wastes and receives considerable attention. Since plastic mixtures are difficult to recycle because of their intrinsic characteristics, separation of mixed plastics is the key problem for recycling. Separation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from municipal waste plastics (MWP) by froth flotation combined with alkaline pretreatment was investigated for recycling industry. The effect of process variables was estimated by L{sub 9} (3{sup 4}) orthogonal array of experiments and single factor experiments. The optimum conditions of alkaline pretreatment are 10 wt% sodium hydroxide, 20 min and 70 °C. After alkaline pretreatment under optimum conditions, flotation separation PET from acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene, polystyrene, polycarbonate or polyvinyl chloride was achieved with high purity and efficiency. The purity of PET is up to 98.46% and the recovery is above 92.47%. A flow sheet of separation PET from MWP by a combination of froth flotation and sink float separation was designed. This study facilitates industrial application of plastics flotation and provides technical insights into recycling of waste plastics.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Effects of TiO{sub 2} addition on ionic conductivity of PVC/PEMA blend based composite polymer electrolyte

PVC/PEMA blend based polymer electrolytes with lithium bistrifluoromethane sulfonimide (LiN(CF{sub 3}SO{sub 2}){sub 2}) and PVC/PEMA/(LiN(CF{sub 3}SO{sub 2}){sub 2}-TiO{sub 2} films were prepared by solution cast technique. The sample containing 35 wt. % LiN(CF{sub 3}SO{sub 2}){sub 2} exhibited the highest conductivity of 1.75 × 10{sup −5} Scm{sup −1}. The conductivity of the sample increased to 2.12 × 10{sup −5} Scm{sup −1} and 4.61 × 10{sup −5} Scm{sup −1} when 4 wt. % and 10 wt. % of titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) was added to the sample at 65 wt. % PVC/PEMA-35 wt. % LiN(CF{sub 3}SO{sub 2}){sub 2} composition respectively. The low increase in conductivity is attributed to two competing factors: increase in crystallinity as accounted by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and decrease in glass transition temperature as accounted by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Open ISEmeter: An open hardware high-impedance interface for potentiometric detection

In this work, a new open hardware interface based on Arduino to read electromotive force (emf) from potentiometric detectors is presented. The interface has been fully designed with the open code philosophy and all documentation will be accessible on web. The paper describes a comprehensive project including the electronic design, the firmware loaded on Arduino, and the Java-coded graphical user interface to load data in a computer (PC or Mac) for processing. The prototype was tested by measuring the calibration curve of a detector. As detection element, an active poly(vinyl chloride)-based membrane was used, doped with cetyltrimethylammonium dodecylsulphate (CTA{sup +}-DS{sup −}). The experimental measures of emf indicate Nernstian behaviour with the CTA{sup +} content of test solutions, as it was described in the literature, proving the validity of the developed prototype. A comparative analysis of performance was made by using the same chemical detector but changing the measurement instrumentation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Optical Properties of CdSe/ZnS Nanoparticles in Heat-Treated Polyvinylchloride Films

Composites based on polyvinylchloride with incorporated CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles are produced. The optical and electrical properties of the polymer composites containing CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles are studied. The absorption and photoluminescence spectra of the composites are recorded, and their bulk resistivities are measured. The CdSe nanoparticle dimensions are determined. It is established that, upon short-term heat treatment, the photoluminescence intensity increases, whereas upon heating for a long time, the photoluminescence intensity substantially decreases.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

SDU6 Interior Liner Testing & Evaluation

Two liner materials (Marseal® M-3500 and REMA Chemoline® 4CN) proposed for use as a liner inside the Saltstone Disposal Unit 6 (SDU6) were subjected to specific ASTM tests (tensile and lap-shear) after immersion in 50% and 100% simulant solutions for 1000 hours at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Both liner materials exhibited good resistance to the simulant chemistry, at least based on the tests performed and the test duration/conditions imposed. In lap-shear tests, both materials failed in the base material rather than peeling apart, confirming good adhesion. The REMA 4CN bromobutyl elastomer showed superior bonding characteristics and absence of warping or delamination at the conditions tested. The Marseal M-3500 material (PVC/EVA blend with polyester reinforcement) exhibited deformation and debonding in some locations. The cause of the deformation and delamination observed in the Marseal M-3500 material is not fully known, but possibly attributed to thermomechanical stress at immersion temperatures, and the thermoplastic nature of the material. The immersion temperature (68 °C) is slightly greater than the maximum use temperature limit quoted for the Marseal M- 3500 liner (65 °C), though the basis for the service limit is unknown. The testing performed was limited in scope and only for these two liner materials. These tests were primarily performed to screen for severe incompatibility or short-term degradation in Saltstone bleedwater simulants at bounding solution temperatures. Additional testing is recommended to assess long-term performance and the overall service life of the liner.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Evaluation of Pad 18 Spent Mercury Gold Trap Stainless Steel Container Failure

Failure of the Pad 18 spent mercury gold trap stainless steel waste container is principally attributed to corrosion induced by degradation of plasticized polyvinyl chloride (pPVC) waste packaging material. Dehydrochlorination of pPVC polymer by thermal and/or radiolytic degradation is well-known to evolve HCl gas, which is highly corrosive to stainless steel and other metals in the presence of moisture. Degradation of the pPVC packaging material was likely caused by radiolysis in the presence of tritium gas within the waste container, though other degradation mechanisms (aging, thermo-oxidation, plasticizer migration) over 30 years storage may have contributed. Corrosion was also likely enhanced by the crevice in the container weld design, and may have been enhanced by the presence of tritiated water. Similar non-failed spent mercury gold trap waste containers did not show radiographic evidence of plastic packaging or trapped free liquid within the container. Therefore, those containers are not expected to exhibit similar failures. Halogenated polymers such as pPVC subject to degradation can evolve halide gases such as HCl, which is corrosive in the presence of moisture and can generate pressure in sealed systems.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Polymer Lifetime in Plutonium Storage Containers - 18508

The plutonium facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory utilizes stainless steel containers for interim storage of plutonium compounds, metals, alloys, and process residues. Various polymer materials are used in these containers, including neoprene rubber gaskets, Viton O-rings, polytetrafluoroethylene membranes, and polyvinyl chloride bags. The DOE Manual, M441.1-1, requires storage containers to have a technically justified design life, and these polymer components play a key role in the determination of the overall design life for the containers. The capabilities at Los Alamos for monitoring degradation and estimating the design life of polymer materials used in plutonium storage containers will be described, along with the results of the lifetime determination studies for the polymer components used in SAVY-4000 and Hagan containers and some proposed alternatives. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗