Formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers and polyelectrolyte complexes in dual polymer treatment of papermaking pulp

The goal of this study was to find a new approach to modify chemically the properties of paper by improving fiber quality. This Master’s thesis includes the multiple polymer treatment in general and themeasurement methods with which the formation of multilayers and complexes can be noticed. The treatment by an oppositely charged dual polymer system is a good approach to increase paper strength. In this work, starch, a cationic polymer, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), an anionic polymer, were used step-by-step to improve paper strength. The adsorption of cationic starch and CMC on cellulose fibers were analyzed via polyelectrolyte titration. The results showed that paper strength was enhanced slightly with a layer-by-layer assembly of the polymers. However, if the washing stage, which was required for layer-by-layer assembly, was eliminated, the starch/CMC complex was deposited on fibers more efficiently, and the paper strength was improved more significantly.

El Proyecto Spectrum

Resumen tomado del autor. Resumen en castellano e ingl??s. Notas a pie de p??gina. Este art??culo se incluye en el monogr??fico 'Did??cticas espec??ficas'

double-struck D signn-forced symmetry breaking of double-struck O sign (2)-equivariant problems

We use singularity theory to classify forced symmetry-breaking bifurcation problems f(z, λ, μ) = f1 (z, λ) + μf2(z, λ, μ) = 0, where f1 is double-struck O sign (2)-equivariant and f2 is double-struck D sign n-equivariant with the orthogonal group actions on z ∈ ℝ2. Forced symmetry breaking occurs when the symmetry of the equation changes when parameters are varied. We explicitly apply our results to the branching of subharmonic solutions in a model periodic perturbation of an autonomous equation and sketch further applications.

The teleostean liver as an immunological organ: Intrahepatic immune cells (IHICs) in healthy and benzo[a]pyrene challenged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The existence of a resident population of intrahepatic immune cells (IHICs) is well documented for mammalian vertebrates, however, it is uncertain whether IHICs are present in the liver of teleostean fish. In the present study we investigated whether trout liver contains an IHIC population, and if so, what the relative cellular composition of this population is. The results provide clear evidence for the existence of an IHIC population in trout liver, which constitutes 15-29% of the non-hepatocytes in the liver, and with a cellular composition different to that of the blood leukocyte population. We also analyzed the response of IHICs to a non-infectious liver challenge with the hepatotoxic and immunotoxic chemical, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). Juvenile trout were treated with BaP (25 or 100mg/kgbw) at levels sufficient to induce the molecular pathway of BaP metabolism while not causing pathological and inflammatory liver changes. The IHIC population responded to the BaP treatments in a way that differed from the responses of the leukocyte populations in trout blood and spleen, suggesting that IHICs are an independently regulated immune cell population.