Mines ParisTech

About: Mines ParisTech is a education organization based out in Paris, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Finite element method & Microstructure. The organization has 6564 authors who have published 11676 publications receiving 359898 citations. The organization is also known as: École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris & École des mines de Paris.

Palladium sorption on glutaraldehyde-crosslinked chitosan

Abstract: The high nitrogen content of chitosan is the main reason for its ability to sorb metal ions through several mechanisms including ion-exchange or chelation, depending on the metal and the pH of the solution. Glutaraldehyde is used to crosslink chitosan through imine linkage between amine groups of chitosan and aldehyde groups of the crosslinking agent. This modified biosorbent was studied for palladium recovery in acidic medium (around pH 2). The influence of several parameters such as pH and competitor anions were studied with respect to sorption equilibrium. Sorption isotherms were obtained and modeled using the Langmuir and the Freundlich model. This study also examines the effect of palladium concentration, particle size, sorbent dosage, and the extent of crosslinking on sorption kinetics. Kinetic curves are modeled using single diffusion model equations to evaluate the predominance of either external or intraparticle mass transfer resistance. The influence of the acid used to control the pH of the solution was examined in conjunction with the influence of competitor anions. Sulfuric acid proves to be unfavorable to palladium sorption, in comparison with hydrochloric acid. However, the addition of chloride anions in a palladium solution, whose pH is controlled with sulfuric acid, enhances metal anion sorption: results are interpreted with reference to chloropalladate speciation.

miR-181a and miR-630 Regulate Cisplatin-Induced Cancer Cell Death

Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are noncoding RNAs that regulate multiple cellular processes, including proliferation and apoptosis. We used microarray technology to identify miRNAs that were upregulated by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells in response to cisplatin (CDDP). The corresponding synthetic miRNA precursors (pre-miRNAs) per se were not lethal when transfected into A549 cells yet affected cell death induction by CDDP, C2-ceramide, cadmium, etoposide, and mitoxantrone in an inducer-specific fashion. Whereas synthetic miRNA inhibitors (anti-miRNAs) targeting miR-181a and miR-630 failed to modulate the response of A549 to CDDP, pre-miR-181a and pre-miR-630 enhanced and reduced CDDP-triggered cell death, respectively. Pre-miR-181a and pre-miR-630 consistently modulated mitochondrial/postmitochondrial steps of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, including Bax oligomerization, mitochondrial transmembrane potential dissipation, and the proteolytic maturation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. In addition, pre-miR-630 blocked early manifestations of the DNA damage response, including the phosphorylation of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase and of two ATM substrates, histone H2AX and p53. Pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of p53 corroborated the hypothesis that pre-miR-630 (but not pre-miR-181a) blocks the upstream signaling pathways that are ignited by DNA damage and converge on p53 activation. Pre-miR-630 arrested A549 cells in the G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle, correlating with increased levels of the cell cycle inhibitor p27(Kip1) as well as with reduced proliferation rates and resulting in greatly diminished sensitivity of A549 cells to the late S-G2-M cell cycle arrest mediated by CDDP. Altogether, these results identify miR-181a and miR-630 as novel modulators of the CDDP response in NSCLC.

Characterization and analysis of torrefied wood

Abstract: Physicochemical analysis are carried out on samples of torrefied pine obtained at 260°C in inert atmosphere. Gaseous effluents which evolve in the first moments of the pyrolysis as well as liquid phase are analyzed by gas-chromatography. It appears from the solid analysis, that the chemical structure of pine is strongly altered by the process. The roasted wood exhibits particular properties: pronounced hydrophobic character, improved energetic power, a noticeable increase in ash content, a decrease of the volatile components and a decrease of those extracted by neutral solvents. It is shown that the more substantial change occurs at the beginning of heating.

McClear: a new model estimating downwelling solar radiation at ground level in clear-sky conditions

Abstract: . A new fast clear-sky model called McClear was developed to estimate the downwelling shortwave direct and global irradiances received at ground level under clear skies. It is a fully physical model replacing empirical relations or simpler models used before. It exploits the recent results on aerosol properties, and total column content in water vapour and ozone produced by the MACC project (Monitoring Atmosphere Composition and Climate). It accurately reproduces the irradiance computed by the libRadtran reference radiative transfer model with a computational speed approximately 105 times greater by adopting the abaci, or look-up table, approach combined with interpolation functions. It is therefore suited for geostationary satellite retrievals or numerical weather prediction schemes with many pixels or grid points, respectively. McClear irradiances were compared to 1 min measurements made in clear-sky conditions at several stations within the Baseline Surface Radiation Network in various climates. The bias for global irradiance comprises between −6 and 25 W m−2. The RMSE ranges from 20 W m−2 (3% of the mean observed irradiance) to 36 W m−2 (5%) and the correlation coefficient ranges between 0.95 and 0.99. The bias for the direct irradiance comprises between −48 and +33 W m−2. The root mean square error (RMSE) ranges from 33 W m−2 (5%) to 64 W m−2 (10%). The correlation coefficient ranges between 0.84 and 0.98. This work demonstrates the quality of the McClear model combined with MACC products, and indirectly the quality of the aerosol properties modelled by the MACC reanalysis.

The DNA methyltransferase DNMT3C protects male germ cells from transposon activity.

Abstract: DNA methylation is prevalent in mammalian genomes and plays a central role in the epigenetic control of development. The mammalian DNA methylation machinery is thought to be composed of three DNA methyltransferase enzymes (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) and one cofactor (DNMT3L). Here, we describe the discovery of Dnmt3C, a de novo DNA methyltransferase gene that evolved via a duplication of Dnmt3B in rodent genomes and was previously annotated as a pseudogene. We show that DNMT3C is the enzyme responsible for methylating the promoters of evolutionarily young retrotransposons in the male germ line and that this specialized activity is required for mouse fertility. DNMT3C reveals the plasticity of the mammalian DNA methylation system and expands the scope of the mechanisms involved in the epigenetic control of retrotransposons.