Sample records for include temperature ph

  1. Modelling lamb carcase pH and temperature decline parameters: relationship to shear force and abattoir variation.

    PubMed

    Hopkins, David L; Holman, Benjamin W B; van de Ven, Remy J

    2015-02-01

    Carcase pH and temperature decline rates influence lamb tenderness; therefore pH decline parameters are beneficial when modelling tenderness. These include pH at temperature 18 °C (pH@Temp18), temperature when pH is 6 (Temp@pH6), and pH at 24 h post-mortem (pH24). This study aimed to establish a relationship between shear force (SF) as a proxy for tenderness and carcase pH decline parameters estimated using both linear and spline estimation models for the m. longissimus lumborum (LL). The study also compared abattoirs regarding their achievement of ideal pH decline, indicative of optimal tenderness. Based on SF measurements of LL and m. semimembranosus collected as part of the Information Nucleus slaughter programme (CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation) this study found significant relationships between tenderness and pH24LL, consistent across the meat cuts and ageing periods examined. Achievement of ideal pH decline was shown not to have significantly differed across abattoirs, although rates of pH decline varied significantly across years within abattoirs.

  2. Development of an autonomous, wireless pH and temperature sensing system for monitoring pig meat quality.

    PubMed

    Frisby, June; Raftery, Declan; Kerry, Joe P; Diamond, Dermot

    2005-06-01

    This paper focuses on the development of a unique wireless pH and temperature monitoring system to assess pig meat quality. Pale, soft and exudative (PSE) pig meat continues to be a major problem in the pig meat industry today. The PSE condition in pork is related to a number of factors including genetics, pre-slaughter stress and insufficient chilling of pig carcasses, which cause a rapid rate of glycolysis post-mortem (<1h). As a result the pH drops to low levels while the muscle temperature is still high. A wireless dual channel system that monitors pH and temperature simultaneously has been developed to provide pH and temperature data of the carcass during the first 24h after slaughter. We have demonstrated that this approach can distinguish in real time, pH and temperature profiles that are 'non-normal', and identify carcasses that are PSE positive quickly and easily.

  3. Advanced Biotelemetry Systems for Space Life Sciences: PH Telemetry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hines, John W.; Somps, Chris; Ricks, Robert; Kim, Lynn; Connolly, John P. (Technical Monitor)

    1995-01-01

    The SENSORS 2000! (S2K!) program at NASA's Ames Research Center is currently developing a biotelemetry system for monitoring pH and temperature in unrestrained subjects. This activity is part of a broader scope effort to provide an Advanced Biotelemetry System (ABTS) for use in future space life sciences research. Many anticipated research endeavors will require biomedical and biochemical sensors and related instrumentation to make continuous inflight measurements in a variable-gravity environment. Since crew time is limited, automated data acquisition, data processing, data storage, and subject health monitoring are required. An automated biochemical and physiological data acquisition system based on non invasive or implantable biotelemetry technology will meet these requirements. The ABTS will ultimately acquire a variety of physiological measurands including temperature, biopotentials (e.g. ECG, EEG, EMG, EOG), blood pressure, flow and dimensions, as well as chemical and biological parameters including pH. Development activities are planned in evolutionary, leveraged steps. Near-term activities include 1) development of a dual channel pH/temperature telemetry system, and 2) development of a low bandwidth, 4-channel telemetry system, that measures temperature, heart rate, pressure, and pH. This abstract describes the pH/temperature telemeter.

  4. Sensor capsule for diagnosis of gastric disorders

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holen, J. T.

    1972-01-01

    Motility and pH sensor capsule is developed to monitor gastric acidity, pressure, and temperature. Capsule does not interfere with digestion. Sensor is capsule which includes pH electrode, Pitran pressure transducer, and thermistor temperature sensor all potted in epoxy and enclosed in high density polyethylene sheath.

  5. Spectrophotometric analysis of flavonoid-DNA binding interactions at physiological conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Janjua, Naveed Kausar; Siddiqa, Asima; Yaqub, Azra; Sabahat, Sana; Qureshi, Rumana; Haque, Sayed ul

    2009-12-01

    Mode of interactions of three flavonoids [morin (M), quercetin (Q), and rutin (R)] with chicken blood ds.DNA (ck.DNA) has been investigated spectrophotometrically at different temperatures including body temperature (310 K) and at two physiological pH values, i.e. 7.4 (human blood pH) and 4.7 (stomach pH). The binding constants, Kf, evaluated using Benesi-Hildebrand equation showed that the flavonoids bind effectively through intercalation at both pH values and body temperature. Quercetin, somehow, showed greater binding capabilities with DNA. The free energies of flavonoid-DNA complexes indicated the spontaneity of their binding. The order of binding constants of three flavonoids at both pH values were found to be Kf(Q) > Kf(R) > Kf(M) and at 310 K.

  6. Lithium Sorption from Simulated Geothermal Brine: Impact of pH, Temperature, and Brine Chemistry

    DOE Data Explorer

    Jay Renew

    2016-02-06

    Lithium sorption information from experiments. Data includes the effects of pH, temperature and brine chemistry on the sorption of Lithium from a simulated geothermal brine. The sorbent used in the experiments is "hydrothermally produced, Spinel-LiMn2O4". The sorbent was produced by Carus Corporation.

  7. Adult acclimation to combined temperature and pH stressors significantly enhances reproductive outcomes compared to short-term exposures.

    PubMed

    Suckling, Coleen C; Clark, Melody S; Richard, Joelle; Morley, Simon A; Thorne, Michael A S; Harper, Elizabeth M; Peck, Lloyd S

    2015-05-01

    This study examined the effects of long-term culture under altered conditions on the Antarctic sea urchin, Sterechinus neumayeri. Sterechinus neumayeri was cultured under the combined environmental stressors of lowered pH (-0.3 and -0.5 pH units) and increased temperature (+2 °C) for 2 years. This time-scale covered two full reproductive cycles in this species and analyses included studies on both adult metabolism and larval development. Adults took at least 6-8 months to acclimate to the altered conditions, but beyond this, there was no detectable effect of temperature or pH. Animals were spawned after 6 and 17 months exposure to altered conditions, with markedly different outcomes. At 6 months, the percentage hatching and larval survival rates were greatest in the animals kept at 0 °C under current pH conditions, whilst those under lowered pH and +2 °C performed significantly less well. After 17 months, performance was not significantly different across treatments, including controls. However, under the altered conditions urchins produced larger eggs compared with control animals. These data show that under long-term culture adult S. neumayeri appear to acclimate their metabolic and reproductive physiology to the combined stressors of altered pH and increased temperature, with relatively little measureable effect. They also emphasize the importance of long-term studies in evaluating effects of altered pH, particularly in slow developing marine species with long gonad maturation times, as the effects of altered conditions cannot be accurately evaluated unless gonads have fully matured under the new conditions. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

  8. Sporulation boundaries and spore formation kinetics of Bacillus spp. as a function of temperature, pH and a(w).

    PubMed

    Baril, Eugénie; Coroller, Louis; Couvert, Olivier; El Jabri, Mohammed; Leguerinel, Ivan; Postollec, Florence; Boulais, Christophe; Carlin, Frédéric; Mafart, Pierre

    2012-10-01

    Sporulation niches in the food chain are considered as a source of hazard and are not clearly identified. Determining the sporulation environmental boundaries could contribute to identify potential sporulation niches. Spore formation was determined in a Sporulation Mineral Buffer. The effect of incubation temperature, pH and water activity on time to one spore per mL, maximum sporulation rate and final spore concentration was investigated for a Bacillus weihenstephanensis and a Bacillus licheniformis strain. Sporulation boundaries of B. weihenstephanensis and of B. licheniformis were similar to, or included within, the range of temperatures, pH and water activities supporting growth. For instance, sporulation boundaries of B. weihenstephanensis were evaluated at 5°C, 35°C, pH 5.2 and a(w) 0.960 while growth boundaries were observed at 5°C, 37°C, pH 4.9 and a(w) 0.950. Optimum spore formation was determined at 30°C pH 7.2 for B. weihenstephanensis and at 45°C pH 7.2 for B. licheniformis. Lower temperatures and pH delayed the sporulation process. For instance, the time to one spore per mL was tenfold longer when sporulation occurred at 10°C and 20°C, for each strain respectively, than at optimum sporulation temperature. The relative effect of temperature and pH on sporulation rates and on growth rates is similar. This work suggests that the influence of environmental factors on the quantitative changes in sporulation boundaries and rates was similar to their influence on changes in growth rate. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Temperature and pH effects on feeding and growth of Antarctic krill

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saba, G.; Bockus, A.; Fantasia, R. L.; Shaw, C.; Sugla, M.; Seibel, B.

    2016-02-01

    Rapid warming in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) region is occurring, and is associated with an overall decline in primary, secondary, and higher trophic levels, including Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), a key species in Antarctic food webs. Additionally, there are predictions that by the end of this century the Southern Ocean will be one of the first regions to be affected by seawater chemistry changes associated with enhanced CO2. Ocean acidification and warming may act synergistically to impair animal performance, which may negatively impact Antarctic krill. We assessed the effects of temperature (ambient temperature, ambient +3 degrees C) and pH (Experiment 1 = 8.0, 7.7; Experiment 2 = 8.0, 7.5, 7.1) on juvenile Antarctic krill feeding and growth (growth increment and intermolt period) during incubation experiments at Palmer Station, Antarctica. Food intake was lower in krill exposed to reduced pH. Krill intermolt period (IMP) was significantly lower in the elevated temperature treatments (16.9 days) compared to those at 0 degrees (22.8 days). Within the elevated temperature treatment, minor increases in IMP occurred in krill exposed reduced pH. Growth increment (GI) was lower with decreased pH at the first molt, and this was exacerbated at elevated temperature. However, differences in GI were eliminated between the first and second molts suggesting potential ability of Antarctic krill to acclimate to changes in temperature and pH. Reductions in juvenile krill growth and feeding under elevated temperature and reduced pH are likely caused by higher demands for internal acid-base regulation or a metabolic suppression. However, the subtlety of these feeding and growth responses leaves an open question as to how krill populations will tolerate prolonged future climate change in the Antarctic.

  10. Diurnal variation of intraoral pH and temperature.

    PubMed

    Choi, Jung Eun; Lyons, Karl M; Kieser, Jules A; Waddell, Neil J

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to measure continuously the intraoral pH and temperature of healthy individuals to investigate their diurnal variations. Seventeen participants (mean age, 31±9 years) wore a custom-made intraoral appliance fitted with a pH probe and thermocouple for two sets of 24 h, while carrying out normal daily activities including sleep. The continuous changes in intraoral pH and temperature were captured using a sensor placed on the palatal aspect of the upper central incisors. The collected data were categorised into different status (awake and sleep) and periods (morning, afternoon, evening and night). Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. The intraoral pH change was found to show a distinctive daily rhythm, showing a 12-h interval between maximum (7.73) and minimum (6.6) pH values. The maximum and minimum values were found to repeat after 24 h. The mean pH over 48 h (two sets of 24 h) was found to be 7.27 (±0.74). There was significant difference found in pH when subjects were awake and asleep and different periods during the day ( P <0.001). The mean intraoral temperature was 33.99 °C (±4.9), with less distinctive daily rhythm compared with pH. There was a significant difference found in temperature depending on the time of the day, except between morning and afternoon ( P =0.78). Our results showed that there is a distinctive daily, circadian-like pattern in intraoral pH variation over a 24-h period, which has been considered as one of the risk factors in sleep-related dental diseases.

  11. Plant Habitat (PH)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Onate, Bryan

    2016-01-01

    The International Space Station (ISS) will soon have a platform for conducting fundamental research of Large Plants. Plant Habitat (PH) is designed to be a fully controllable environment for high-quality plant physiological research. PH will control light quality, level, and timing, temperature, CO2, relative humidity, and irrigation, while scrubbing ethylene. Additional capabilities include leaf temperature and root zone moisture and oxygen sensing. The light cap will have red (630 nm), blue (450 nm), green (525 nm), far red (730 nm) and broad spectrum white LEDs. There will be several internal cameras (visible and IR) to monitor and record plant growth and operations.

  12. Fine-particle water and pH in the southeastern United States

    EPA Science Inventory

    Particle water and pH are predicted using meteorological observations (relative humidity (RH), temperature (T)), gas/particle composition, and thermodynamic modeling (ISORROPIA-II). A comprehensive uncertainty analysis is included, and the model is validated. We investigate mass ...

  13. Collaborative Study of Daphnia magna Static Renewal Assays.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-01-01

    established that for acceptable results and practicality, the standardized medium would be a modification of Marking’s and Dawson’s formulation for hard ...by SBI personnel included the results of physical - - 12 measurements (pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, lighting regime, hardness and alkalinity...oxygen (D.O.), temperature, hardness and alkalinity (Tables 3-6). For all four tests at each laboratory and among all laboratories, pH’s ranged from 7.3

  14. In vivo oxygen, temperature and pH dynamics in the female reproductive tract and their importance in human conception: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Ng, Ka Ying Bonnie; Mingels, Roel; Morgan, Hywel; Macklon, Nick; Cheong, Ying

    2018-01-01

    Despite advances in ART, implantation and pregnancy rates per embryo transfer still remain low. IVF laboratories strive to ensure that the process of handling gametes in vitro closely mimics the in vivo environment. However, there remains a lack of knowledge regarding the in vivo regulation and dynamic variation in biophysical parameters such as oxygen concentration, pH and temperature within the reproductive tract. To undertake a systematic review of the current understanding of the physico-chemical parameters of oxygen tension (pO2), pH and temperature within the female reproductive tract, and their potential implications in clinical and pathological processes related to fertility and those pertaining to limited reproductive capacity. A comprehensive literature search was performed using electronic databases including Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Pubmed to identify original and review articles addressing the biophysical parameters (pO2, pH and temperature) in the female reproductive tract of any species. The search included all studies published between 1946 and November 2015. Search terms included 'oxygen', 'pH', 'hydrogen ion concentration', 'acid base' and others terms. We also used special features and truncations to identify synonyms and broaden the search. Studies were excluded if they only assessed embryo culture conditions, fetal acid-base status, oxidative stress, outcomes of pregnancy and measurements of these parameters in non-reproductive organs. Our search generated 18 685 records and 60 articles were included. pO2 within the female reproductive tract shows cyclical variation and minute-to-minute oscillations, which may be influenced by uterine contractility, hormones, the autonomic system, cardiac pulsatility, and myometrial and smooth muscle integrity. Fine balanced control of pO2 and avoidance of overwhelming oxidative stress is crucial for embryogenesis and implantation. The pH in the female reproductive tract is graduated, with lowest pH in the vagina (~pH 4.42) increasing toward the Fallopian tubes (FTs) (~pH 7.94), reflecting variation in the site-specific microbiome and acid-base buffering at the tissue/cellular level. The temperature variation in humans is cyclical by day and month. In humans, it is biphasic, increasing in the luteal phase; with the caudal region of the oviduct 1-2 degrees cooler than the cranial portion. Temperature variation is influenced by hormones, density of pelvic/uterine vascular beds and effectiveness of heat exchange locally, crucial for sperm motility and embryo development. We have identified significant deficiencies and inconsistencies in the methods used to assess these biophysical factors within the reproductive tract. We have suggested that the technological solutions including the development of methods and models for real time, in vivo recordings of biophysical parameters. The notion of 'back to nature' in assisted conception suggested 20 years ago has yet to be translated into clinical practice. While the findings from this systematic review do not provide evidence to change current in vitro protocols, it highlights our current inability to assess the in vivo reproductive tract environment in real time. Data made available through future development of sensing technology in utero may help to provide new insights into how best to optimize the in vitro embryo environment and allow for more precise and personalized fertility treatment. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  15. Climate-water quality relationships in Texas reservoirs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gelca, Rodica; Hayhoe, Katharine; Scott-Fleming, Ian; Crow, Caleb; Dawson, D.; Patino, Reynaldo

    2015-01-01

    Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and concentrations of salts in surface water bodies can be affected by the natural environment, local human activities such as surface and ground water withdrawals, land use, and energy extraction, and variability and long-term trends in atmospheric conditions including temperature and precipitation. Here, we quantify the relationship between 121 indicators of mean and extreme temperature and precipitation and 24 water quality parameters in 57 Texas reservoirs using observational data records covering the period 1960 to 2010. We find that water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, chloride, sulfate, and phosphorus all show consistent correlations with atmospheric predictors, including high and low temperature extremes, dry days, heavy precipitation events, and mean temperature and precipitation over time scales ranging from one week to two years. Based on this analysis and published future projections for this region, we expect climate change to increase water temperatures, decrease dissolved oxygen levels, decrease pH, increase specific conductance, and increase levels of sulfate, chloride in Texas reservoirs. Over decadal time scales, this may affect aquatic ecosystems in the reservoirs, including altering the risk of conditions conducive to algae occurrence, as well as affecting the quality of water available for human consumption and recreation.

  16. Impacts of temperature and pH on the distribution of archaeal lipids in Yunnan hot springs, China

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Weiyan; Zhang, Chuanlun L.; Wang, Huanye; He, Liu; Li, Wenjun; Dong, Hailiang

    2013-01-01

    In culture experiments and many low temperature environments, the distribution of isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) commonly shows a strong correlation with temperature; however, this is often not the case in hot springs. We studied 26 hot springs in Yunnan, China, in order to determine whether temperature or other factors control the distribution of GDGTs in these environments. The hot springs ranged in temperature from 39.0 to 94.0°C, and in pH from 2.35 to 9.11. Water chemistry including nitrogen-, sulfur-, and iron species was also determined. Lipids from the samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). Distributions of GDGTs in these hot springs were examined using cluster analysis, which resulted in two major groups. Group 1 was characterized by the lack of dominance of any individual GDGTs, while Group 2 was defined by the dominance of GDGT-0 or thaumarchaeol. Temperature was the main control on GDGT distribution in Group 1, whereas pH played an important role in the distribution of GDGTs in Group 2. However, no correlations were found between the distribution of GDGTs and any of the nitrogen-, sulfur-, or iron species. Results of this study indicate the dominance of temperature or pH control on archaeal lipid distribution, which can be better evaluated in the context of lipid classification. PMID:24194734

  17. Cell Membrane Fatty Acid Composition of Chryseobacterium frigidisoli PB4T, Isolated from Antarctic Glacier Forefield Soils, in Response to Changing Temperature and pH Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Bajerski, Felizitas; Wagner, Dirk; Mangelsdorf, Kai

    2017-01-01

    Microorganisms in Antarctic glacier forefields are directly exposed to the hostile environment of their habitat characterized by extremely low temperatures and changing geochemical conditions. To survive under those stress conditions microorganisms adapt, among others, their cell membrane fatty acid inventory. However, only little is known about the adaptation potential of microorganisms from Antarctic soil environments. In this study, we examined the adaptation of the cell membrane polar lipid fatty acid inventory of Chryseobacterium frigidisoli PB4T in response to changing temperature (0°C to 20°C) and pH (5.5 to 8.5) regimes, because this new strain isolated from an Antarctic glacier forefield showed specific adaptation mechanisms during its detailed physiological characterization. Flavobacteriaceae including Chryseobacterium species occur frequently in extreme habitats such as ice-free oases in Antarctica. C. frigidisoli shows a complex restructuring of membrane derived fatty acids in response to different stress levels. Thus, from 20°C to 10°C a change from less iso-C15:0 to more iso-C17:1ω7 is observed. Below 10°C temperature adaptation is regulated by a constant increase of anteiso-FAs and decrease of iso-FAs. An anteiso- and bis-unsaturated fatty acid, anteiso-heptadeca-9,13-dienoic acid, shows a continuous increase with decreasing cultivation temperatures underlining the particular importance of this fatty acid for temperature adaptation in C. frigidisoli. Concerning adaptation to changing pH conditions, most of the dominant fatty acids reveal constant relative proportions around neutral pH (pH 6–8). Strong variations are mainly observed at the pH extremes (pH 5.5 and 8.5). At high pH short chain saturated iso- and anteiso-FAs increase while longer chain unsaturated iso- and anteiso-FAs decrease. At low pH the opposite trend is observed. The study shows a complex interplay of different membrane components and provides, therefore, deep insights into adaptation strategies of microorganisms from extreme habitats to changing environmental conditions. PMID:28469614

  18. Seawater Acidification and Elevated Temperature Affect Gene Expression Patterns of the Pearl Oyster Pinctada fucata

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Wenguang; Huang, Xiande; Lin, Jianshi; He, Maoxian

    2012-01-01

    Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide results in decrease in seawater pH and increase in temperature. In this study, we demonstrated the synergistic effects of elevated seawater temperature and declined seawater pH on gene expression patterns of aspein, calmodulin, nacrein, she-7-F10 and hsp70 in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. Under ‘business-as-usual’ scenarios, four treatments were examined: (1) ambient pH (8.10) and ambient temperature (27°C) (control condition), (2) ambient pH and elevated temperature (+3°C), (3) declined pH (7.70) and ambient temperature, (4) declined pH and elevated temperature. The results showed that under warming and acidic seawater conditions, expression of aspein and calmodulin showed no significant differences among different time point in condition 8.10 T. But the levels of aspein and calmodulin in conditions 8.10 T+3, 7.70 T and 7.70 T+3, and levels of nacrein, she-7-F10 in all the four treatments changed significantly. Low pH and pH×temperature interaction influenced the expression of aspein and calmodulin significantly after hours 48 and 96. Significant effects of low pH and pH×temperature interaction on the expression of nacrein were observed at hour 96. The expression level of she-7-F10 was affected significantly by pH after hours 48 and 96. The expression of hsp70 was significantly affected by temperature, pH, temperature×pH interaction at hour 6, and by temperature×pH interaction at hour 24. This study suggested that declined pH and pH×temperature interaction induced down regulation of calcification related genes, and the interaction between declined seawater pH and elevated temperature caused up regulation of hsp70 in P. facata. These results demonstrate that the declined seawater pH and elevated temperature will impact the physiological process, and potentially the adaptability of P. fucata to future warming and acidified ocean. PMID:22438983

  19. Evaluation of Low-Temperature Phosphine Fumigation for Control of Oriental Fruit Fly in Loquat Fruit.

    PubMed

    Liu, Tao; Li, Li; Li, Baishu; Zhan, Guoping; Wang, Yuejin

    2018-05-28

    Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel; Diptera: Tephritidae), is recognized as a quarantine pest and a threat to Chinese loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) fruit exports. Since loquat fruit is very sensitive to methyl bromide (MB) fumigation and cold treatment, in this study, low-temperature phosphine (PH3) fumigation was investigated to develop an alternative phytosanitary treatment method. Tolerance tests showed that the third instar was the most tolerant of all life stages of B dorsalis to PH3 gas at 8°C. Toxicity assay with 500-3000 ppm PH3 and subsequent probit analysis showed that 2000 ppm PH3 was optimal for fumigation and 152.75 h of treatment duration were required to achieve 99.9968% mortality. In the verification test, 144 and 168 h of treatment duration with 2000 ppm PH3 completely killed 35,277 and 35,134 B. dorsalis third instars, respectively. However, 13 live larvae were found after 120 h of treatment. Furthermore, these treatments reduced fruit respiration rates while causing no adverse effects on other fruit quality parameters, including firmness, soluble solid content, and titratable acidity over 192 h storage at 8°C. The results strongly suggest that low-temperature PH3 fumigation could be used for the postharvest control of B. dorsalis in loquat fruit.

  20. Flexible high-temperature pH probe

    DOEpatents

    Bielawski, John C.; Outwater, John O.; Halbfinger, George P.

    2003-04-22

    A flexible pH probe device is provided for use in hot water and other high temperature environments up to about 590.degree. F. The pH probe includes a flexible, inert tubular probe member, an oxygen anion conducting, solid state electrolyte plug located at the distal end of the tubular member, oxide powder disposed at the distal end of the tubular member; a metal wire extending along the tubular member and having a distal end in contact with the oxide powder so as to form therewith an internal reference electrode; and a compression fitting forming a pressure boundary seal around a portion of the tubular member remote from the distal end thereof. Preferably, the tubular member is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, and the solid state electrolyte plug is made of stabilized zirconia. The flexibility of the probe member enables placement of the electrode into the area of interest, including around corners, into confined areas and the like.

  1. Processed dairy beverages pH evaluation: consequences of temperature variation.

    PubMed

    Ferreira, Fabiana Vargas; Pozzobon, Roselaine Terezinha

    2009-01-01

    This study assessed the pH from processed dairy beverages as well as eventual consequences deriving from different ingestion temperatures. 50 adults who accompanied children attended to at the Dentistry School were randomly selected and they answered a questionnaire on beverages. The beverages were divided into 4 groups: yogurt (GI) fermented milk (GII), chocolate-based products (GIII) and fermented dairy beverages (GIV). They were asked which type, flavor and temperature. The most popular beverages were selected, and these made up the sample. A pH meter Quimis 400A device was used to verify pH. The average pH from each beverage was calculated and submitted to statistical analysis (Variance and Tukey test with a 5% significance level). for groups I, II and III beverages, type x temperature interaction was significant, showing the pH averages were influenced by temperature variation. At iced temperatures, they presented lower pH values, which were considered statistically significant when compared to the values found for the same beverages at room temperature. All dairy beverages, with the exception of the chocolate-based type presented pH below critical level for enamel and present corrosive potential; as to ingestion temperature, iced temperature influenced pH reducing its values, in vitro.

  2. The effect of processing conditions on the stability of fructooligosaccharides in acidic food products.

    PubMed

    Vega, Roberto; Zuniga-Hansen, M E

    2015-04-15

    The effect of processing conditions (temperature and degree of polymerisation, DP) on the stability of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (sc-FOS) was investigated in three reaction media (sodium citrate buffer and orange and tomato juices) in a kinetic study at pH 3.5. In addition, kinetic equations as a function of temperature and pH were developed, using published data. Pentasaccharides were more stable to heat treatment than were trisaccharides under all of the conditions tested. In addition, the sc-FOS were more stable in orange juice, followed by tomato juice and citrate buffer. The results showed that, in addition to temperature and pH, the DP and food matrix, including the type of pasteurisation, must be considered when processing foods enriched with sc-FOS. Furthermore, the continuous thermal processing simulation for each of the equivalent processes at 90 °C revealed that the percent retention of sc-FOS is greater than 95% at temperatures above 95 °C. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Research on the River.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steckelberg, Marie L.; Hoadley, Michael R.; Thompson, Ray; Martin, Patricia; Bormann, Gene

    2000-01-01

    Introduces a research project on water quality in which students from two different high schools collaborate with university science methods students. Includes the analyses of air temperature, water temperature, fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, phosphate level, turbidity, and pH level. Integrates biology, environmental sciences, physical…

  4. Use of aluminum sulfate (alum) to decrease ammonia emissions from beef cattle bedded manure packs

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Confined cattle facilities are an increasingly common housing system in the Northern Great Plains of the United States. Ammonia volatilization from the surface of the floor and bedding in these confined facilities depends on several variables including pH, temperature, and moisture content. When pH ...

  5. Preparation of dual-stimuli-responsive liposomes using methacrylate-based copolymers with pH and temperature sensitivities for precisely controlled release.

    PubMed

    Sugimoto, Takumi; Yamazaki, Naoko; Hayashi, Takaaki; Yuba, Eiji; Harada, Atsushi; Kotaka, Aki; Shinde, Chiharu; Kumei, Takayuki; Sumida, Yasushi; Fukushima, Mitsuhiro; Munekata, Yuki; Maruyama, Keiichi; Kono, Kenji

    2017-07-01

    Dual-signal-sensitive copolymers were synthesized by copolymerization of methoxy diethylene glycol methacrylate, methacrylic acid, and lauroxy tetraethylene glycol methacrylate, which respectively provide temperature sensitivity, pH sensitivity, and anchoring to liposome surfaces. These novel copolymers, with water solubility that differs depending on temperature and pH, are soluble in water under neutral pH and low-temperature conditions, but they become water-insoluble and form aggregates under acidic pH and high-temperature conditions. Liposomes modified with these copolymers exhibited enhanced content release at weakly acidic pH with increasing temperature, although no temperature-dependent content release was observed in neutral conditions. Interaction between the copolymers and the lipid monolayer at the air-water interface revealed that the copolymer chains penetrate more deeply into the monolayer with increasing temperature at acidic pH than at neutral pH, where the penetration of copolymer chains was moderate and temperature-independent at neutral pH. Interaction of the copolymer-modified liposomes with HeLa cells demonstrated that the copolymer-modified liposomes were adsorbed quickly and efficiently onto the cell surface and that they were internalized more gradually than the unmodified liposomes through endocytosis. Furthermore, the copolymer-modified liposomes enhanced the content release in endosomes with increasing temperature, but no such temperature-dependent enhancement of content release was observed for unmodified liposomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Molecular Orientation in Two Component Vapor-Deposited Glasses: Effect of Substrate Temperature and Molecular Shape

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powell, Charles; Jiang, Jing; Walters, Diane; Ediger, Mark

    Vapor-deposited glasses are widely investigated for use in organic electronics including the emitting layers of OLED devices. These materials, while macroscopically homogenous, have anisotropic packing and molecular orientation. By controlling this orientation, outcoupling efficiency can be increased by aligning the transition dipole moment of the light-emitting molecules parallel to the substrate. Light-emitting molecules are typically dispersed in a host matrix, as such, it is imperative to understand molecular orientation in two-component systems. In this study we examine two-component vapor-deposited films and the orientations of the constituent molecules using spectroscopic ellipsometry, UV-vis and IR spectroscopy. The role of temperature, composition and molecular shape as it effects molecular orientation is examined for mixtures of DSA-Ph in Alq3 and in TPD. Deposition temperature relative to the glass transition temperature of the two-component mixture is the primary controlling factor for molecular orientation. In mixtures of DSA-Ph in Alq3, the linear DSA-Ph has a horizontal orientation at low temperatures and slight vertical orientation maximized at 0.96Tg,mixture, analogous to one-component films.

  7. A temperature, pH and sugar triple-stimuli-responsive nanofluidic diode.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Yu-Bin; Zhao, Shuang; Cao, Shuo-Hui; Cai, Sheng-Lin; Cai, Xiu-Hong; Li, Yao-Qun

    2017-01-07

    In this article, we have demonstrated for the first time a triple stimuli-responsive nanofluidic diode that can rectify ionic current under multiple external stimuli including temperature, pH, and sugar. This diode was fabricated by immobilizing poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]-co-[4-vinyl phenylboronic acid] (P(DMAEMA-co-VPBA)) onto the wall of a single glass conical nanopore channel via surface-initiator atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). The copolymer brushes contain functional groups sensitive to pH, temperature and sugar that can induce charge and configuration change to affect the status of the pore wall. The experimental results confirmed that the P(DMAEMA-co-VPBA) brush modified nanochannel regulated the ionic current rectification successfully under three different external stimuli. This biomimetically inspired research simulates the complex biological multi-functions of ion channels and promotes the development of "smart" biomimetic nanochannel systems for actuating and sensing applications.

  8. Destabilization of emulsions by natural minerals.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Songhu; Tong, Man; Wu, Gaoming

    2011-09-15

    This study developed a novel method to destabilize emulsions and recycle oils, particularly for emulsified wastewater treatment. Natural minerals were used as demulsifying agents, two kinds of emulsions collected from medical and steel industry were treated. The addition of natural minerals, including artificial zeolite, natural zeolite, diatomite, bentonite and natural soil, could effectively destabilize both emulsions at pH 1 and 60 °C. Over 90% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) can be removed after treatment. Medical emulsion can be even destabilized by artificial zeolite at ambient temperature. The mechanism for emulsion destabilization by minerals was suggested as the decreased electrostatic repulsion at low pH, the enhanced gathering of oil microdroplets at elevated temperature, and the further decreased surface potential by the addition of minerals. Both flocculation and coalescence were enhanced by the addition of minerals at low pH and elevated temperature. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Impacts of ocean acidification on sea urchin growth across the juvenile to mature adult life-stage transition is mitigated by warming.

    PubMed

    Dworjanyn, Symon A; Byrne, Maria

    2018-04-11

    Understanding how growth trajectories of calcifying invertebrates are affected by changing climate requires acclimation experiments that follow development across life-history transitions. In a long-term acclimation study, the effects of increased acidification and temperature on survival and growth of the tropical sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla from the early juvenile (5 mm test diameter-TD) through the developmental transition to the mature adult (60 mm TD) were investigated. Juveniles were reared in a combination of three temperature and three pH/ p CO 2 treatments, including treatments commensurate with global change projections. Elevated temperature and p CO 2 /pH both affected growth, but there was no interaction between these factors. The urchins grew more slowly at pH 7.6, but not at pH 7.8. Slow growth may be influenced by the inability to compensate coelomic fluid acid-base balance at pH 7.6. Growth was faster at +3 and +6°C compared to that in ambient temperature. Acidification and warming had strong and interactive effects on reproductive potential. Warming increased the gonad index, but acidification decreased it. At pH 7.6 there were virtually no gonads in any urchins regardless of temperature. The T. gratilla were larger at maturity under combined near-future warming and acidification scenarios (+3°C/pH 7.8). Although the juveniles grew and survived in near-future warming and acidification conditions, chronic exposure to these stressors from an early stage altered allocation to somatic and gonad growth. In the absence of phenotypic adjustment, the interactive effects of warming and acidification on the benthic life phases of sea urchins may compromise reproductive fitness and population maintenance as global climatic change unfolds. © 2018 The Author(s).

  10. Pork Quality Traits According to Postmortem pH and Temperature in Berkshire

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Tae Wan; Kim, Chul Wook; Yang, Mi Ra; No, Gun Ryoung; Kim, Il-Suk

    2016-01-01

    This study was performed to investigate the role of pH and temperature postmortem, and to demonstrate the importance of these factors in determining meat quality. Postmortem pH45min (pH at 45 min postmortem or initial pH) via analysis of Pearson’s correlation showed high positive correlation with pH change pHc24 (pH change from pH45min to pH24h postmortem). However, postmortem pH after 24 h (pH24h or ultimate pH) had a high negative correlation with pH change, pHc24, CIE L*, and protein content. Initial temperature postmortem (T1h ) was positively associated with a change in temperature from 45 min to 24 h postmortem (Tc24) and cooking loss, but negatively correlated with water holding capacity. Temperature at 24 h postmortem (T24h) was negatively associated with Tc24. Collectively, these results indicate that higher initial pH was associated with higher pHc24, T1h, and Tc24. However, higher initial pH was associated with a reduction in carcass weight, backfat thickness, CIE a* and b*, water holding capacity, collagen and fat content, drip loss, and cooking loss as well as decreased shear force. In contrast, CIE a* and b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in higher ultimate pH was showed by a similar pattern to higher initial pH, whereas pHc24, carcass weight, backfat thickness, water holding capacity, fat content, moisture content, protein content, T1h, T24h, and Tc24 were exhibited by completely differential patterns (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that initial pH, ultimate pH, and temperatures postmortem are important factors in determining the meat quality of pork. PMID:27499661

  11. Removal of fluoride from water with powdered corn cobs.

    PubMed

    Parmar, S; Patel, Jignesh B; Sudhakar, Padmaja; Koshy, V J

    2006-04-01

    The adsorption of fluoride on corn cobs powder was investigated in the present study. Neat powdered corn cobs did not show remarkable adsorption but aluminium treated corn cobs had good adsorption capacity. The parameters studied include the contact time, concentration, temperature and pH. Near neutral pH was identified as the optimum condition of the medium, and 90 to 120 minutes was the best contact time for maximum fluoride adsorption. The adsorption process was found to follow Freundlich isotherm. The adsorption process was found to be exothermic as adsorption decreased with increasing temperature.

  12. The Influence of pH on Prokaryotic Cell Size and Temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sundararajan, D.; Gutierrez, F.; Heim, N. A.; Payne, J.

    2015-12-01

    The pH of a habitat is essential to an organism's growth and success in its environment. Although most organisms maintain a neutral internal pH, their environmental pH can vary greatly. However, little research has been done concerning an organism's environmental pH across a wide range of taxa. We studied pH tolerance in prokaryotes and its relationship with biovolume, taxonomic classification, and ideal temperature. We had three hypotheses: pH and temperature are not correlated; pH tolerance is similar within taxonomic groups; and extremophiles have small cell sizes. To test these hypotheses, we used pH, size, and taxonomic data from The Prokaryotes. We found that the mean optimum external pH was neutral for prokaryotes as a whole and when divided by domain, phylum, and class. Using ANOVA to test for pH within and among group variances, we found that variation of pH in domains, phyla, classes, and families was greater than between them. pH and size did not show much of a correlation, except that the largest and smallest sized prokaryotes had nearly neutral pH. This seems significant because extremophiles need to divert more of their energy from growth to maintain a neutral internal pH. Acidophiles showed a larger range of optimum pH values than alkaliphiles. A similar result was seen with the minimum and maximum pH values of acidophiles and alkaliphiles. While acidophiles were spread out and had some alkaline maximum values, alkaliphiles had smaller ranges, and unlike some acidophiles that had pH minimums close to zero, alkaliphile pH maximums did not go beyond a pH of 12. No statistically significant differences were found between sizes of acidophiles and alkaliphiles. However, optimum temperatures of acidophiles and alkaliphiles did have a statistically significant difference. pH and temperature had a negative correlation. Therefore, pH seems to have a correlation with cell size, temperature, and taxonomy to some extent.

  13. Stability studies on florfenicol using developed derivative spectrophotometric methods.

    PubMed

    Elimam, M M; Shantier, S W; Gadkariem, E A; Mohamed, M A; Osman, Z

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to investigate the stability of florfenicol using previously developed derivative spectrophotometric methods (D 1 and D 2 ). The studied stability-indicating pararmeters included alkali (NaOH, 1M), acid (HCl, 1M), pH changes (buffer pH 2.2-11), temperature (80°C and 100°C at pH 10) and light. A constructed pH profile for the drug degradation rate revealed a significant effect of pH on the drug stability between pH ranges 8 and 11. The obtained profile indicated first order dependence of K obs on [OH - ]. Arrhenius plot at pH 10 was found linear at temperatures 80°C and 100°C with estimated activation energy of 19.35kcal/mol. The calculated rate constant (K obs ), t ½ and t 90 at 25°C were found to be 1.8×10 -3 h, 385h and 58.3h, respectively. The photostability of florfenicol was also studied by exposing the drug solution to direct sunlight during mid-day time. The obtained results reflected the instability of florfenicol under the study conditions. Copyright © 2016 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. Measurement of pH, exudate composition and temperature in wound healing: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Power, G; Moore, Z; O'Connor, T

    2017-07-02

    To assess the potential of measurements of pH, exudate composition and temperature in wounds to predict healing outcomes and to identify the methods that are employed to measure them. A systematic review based on the outcomes of a search strategy of quantitative primary research published in the English language was conducted. Inclusion criteria limited studies to those involving in vivo and human participants with an existing or intentionally provoked wound, defined as 'a break in the epithelial integrity of the skin', and excluded in vitro and animal studies. Data synthesis and analysis was performed using structured narrative summaries of each included study arranged by concept, pH, exudate composition and temperature. The Evidence Based Literature (EBL) Critical Appraisal Checklist was implemented to appraise the quality of the included studies. A total of 23 studies, three for pH (mean quality score 54.48%), 12 for exudate composition (mean quality score 46.54%) and eight for temperature (mean quality score 36.66%), were assessed as eligible for inclusion in this review. Findings suggest that reduced pH levels in wounds, from alkaline towards acidic, are associated with improvements in wound condition. Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP), neutrophil elastase (NE) and albumin, in descending order, were the most frequently measured analytes in wounds. MMP-9 emerged as the analyte which offers the most potential as a biomarker of wound healing, with elevated levels observed in acute or non-healing wounds and decreasing levels in wounds progressing in healing. Combined measures of different exudate components, such as MMP/TIMP ratios, also appeared to offer substantial potential to indicate wound healing. Finally, temperature measurements are highest in non-healing, worsening or acute wounds and decrease as wounds progress towards healing. Methods used to measure pH, exudate composition and temperature varied greatly and, despite noting some similarities, the studies often yielded significantly contrasting results. Furthermore, a limitation to the generalisability of the findings was the overall quality scores of the research studies, which appeared suboptimal. Despite some promising findings, there was insufficient evidence to confidently recommend the use of any of these measures as predictors of wound healing. pH measurement appeared as the most practical method for use in clinical practice to indicate wound healing outcomes. Further research is required to increase the strength of evidence and develop a greater understanding of wound healing dynamics.

  15. Novel Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment System for Energy Generation at Forward Operating Bases

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-01

    every 5 minutes). Other automation features that come with the Bioflo include wet/dry level sensors, dissolved oxygen , pH, temperature and mixing...38 3.4.1 Operation at mesophilic temperature (35oC...38 ERDC/CERL TR-16-13 iv 3.4.2 Operation at ambient temperature (20 oC) ............................................................. 46

  16. New Method for Electrical Conductivity Temperature Compensation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCleskey, R. Blaine

    2013-01-01

    Electrical conductivity (κ) measurements of natural waters are typically referenced to 25 °C (κ25) using standard temperature compensation factors (α). For acidic waters (pH < 4), this can result in a large κ25 error (δκ25). The more the sample temperature departs from 25 °C, the larger the potential δκ25. For pH < 4, the hydrogen ion transport number becomes substantial and its mode of transport is different from most other ions resulting in a different α. A new method for determining α as a function of pH and temperature is presented. Samples with varying amounts of H2SO4 and NaCl were used to develop the new α, which was then applied to 65 natural water samples including acid mine waters, geothermal waters, seawater, and stream waters. For each sample, the κ and pH were measured at several temperatures from 5 to 90 °C and κ25 was calculated. The δκ25 ranged from −11 to 9% for the new method as compared to −42 to 25% and −53 to 27% for the constant α (0.019) and ISO-7888 methods, respectively. The new method for determining α is a substantial improvement for acidic waters and performs as well as or better than the standard methods for circumneutral waters.

  17. Sponge erosion under acidification and warming scenarios: differential impacts on living and dead coral.

    PubMed

    Stubler, Amber D; Furman, Bradley T; Peterson, Bradley J

    2015-11-01

    Ocean acidification will disproportionately impact the growth of calcifying organisms in coral reef ecosystems. Simultaneously, sponge bioerosion rates have been shown to increase as seawater pH decreases. We conducted a 20-week experiment that included a 4-week acclimation period with a high number of replicate tanks and a fully orthogonal design with two levels of temperature (ambient and +1 °C), three levels of pH (8.1, 7.8, and 7.6), and two levels of boring sponge (Cliona varians, present and absent) to account for differences in sponge attachment and carbonate change for both living and dead coral substrate (Porites furcata). Net coral calcification, net dissolution/bioerosion, coral and sponge survival, sponge attachment, and sponge symbiont health were evaluated. Additionally, we used the empirical data from the experiment to develop a stochastic simulation of carbonate change for small coral clusters (i.e., simulated reefs). Our findings suggest differential impacts of temperature, pH and sponge presence for living and dead corals. Net coral calcification (mg CaCO3  cm(-2)  day(-1) ) was significantly reduced in treatments with increased temperature (+1 °C) and when sponges were present; acidification had no significant effect on coral calcification. Net dissolution of dead coral was primarily driven by pH, regardless of sponge presence or seawater temperature. A reevaluation of the current paradigm of coral carbonate change under future acidification and warming scenarios should include ecologically relevant timescales, species interactions, and community organization to more accurately predict ecosystem-level response to future conditions. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. The initial freezing point temperature of beef rises with the rise in pH: a short communication.

    PubMed

    Farouk, M M; Kemp, R M; Cartwright, S; North, M

    2013-05-01

    This study tested the hypothesis that the initial freezing point temperature of meat is affected by pH. Sixty four bovine M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum were classified into two ultimate pH groups: low (<5.8) and high pH (>6.2) and their cooling and freezing point temperatures were determined. The initial freezing temperatures for beef ranged from -0.9 to -1.5°C (∆=0.6°C) with the higher and lower temperatures associated with high and low ultimate pH respectively. There was a significant correlation (r=+0.73, P<0.01) between beef pH and freezing point temperature in the present study. The outcome of this study has implications for the meat industry where evidence of freezing (ice formation) in a shipment as a result of high pH meat could result in a container load of valuable chilled product being downgraded to a lower value frozen product. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Temperature and pH effects on plant uptake of benzotriazoles by sunflowers in hydroponic culture.

    PubMed

    Castro, Sigifredo; Davis, Lawrence C; Erickson, Larry E

    2004-01-01

    This article describes a systematic approach to understanding the effect of environmental variables on plant uptake (phyto-uptake) of organic contaminants. Uptake (and possibly phytotransformation) of xenobiotics is a complex process that may differ from nutrient uptake. A specific group of xenobiotics (benzotriazoles) were studied using sunflowers grown hydroponically with changes of environmental conditions including solution volume, temperature, pH, and mixing. The response of plants to these stimuli was evaluated and compared using physiological changes (biomass production and water uptake) and estimated uptake rates (influx into plants), which define the uptake characteristics for the xenobiotic. Stirring of the hydroponic solution had a significant impact on plant growth and water uptake. Plants were healthier, probably because of a combination of factors such as improved aeration and increase in temperature. Uptake and possibly phytotransformation of benzotriazoles was increased accordingly. Experiments at different temperatures allowed us to estimate an activation energy for the reaction leading to triazole disappearance from the solution. The estimated activation energy was 43 kJ/mol, which indicates that the uptake process is kinetically limited. Culturing plants in triazole-amended hydroponic solutions at different pH values did not strongly affect the biomass production, water uptake, and benzotriazole uptake characteristics. The sunflowers showed an unexpected capacity to buffer the solution pH.

  20. Extraction of indirectly captured information for use in a comparison of offline pH measurement technologies.

    PubMed

    Ritchie, Elspeth K; Martin, Elaine B; Racher, Andy; Jaques, Colin

    2017-06-10

    Understanding the causes of discrepancies in pH readings of a sample can allow more robust pH control strategies to be implemented. It was found that 59.4% of differences between two offline pH measurement technologies for an historical dataset lay outside an expected instrument error range of ±0.02pH. A new variable, Osmo Res , was created using multiple linear regression (MLR) to extract information indirectly captured in the recorded measurements for osmolality. Principal component analysis and time series analysis were used to validate the expansion of the historical dataset with the new variable Osmo Res . MLR was used to identify variables strongly correlated (p<0.05) with differences in pH readings by the two offline pH measurement technologies. These included concentrations of specific chemicals (e.g. glucose) and Osmo Res, indicating culture medium and bolus feed additions as possible causes of discrepancies between the offline pH measurement technologies. Temperature was also identified as statistically significant. It is suggested that this was a result of differences in pH-temperature compensations employed by the pH measurement technologies. In summary, a method for extracting indirectly captured information has been demonstrated, and it has been shown that competing pH measurement technologies were not necessarily interchangeable at the desired level of control (±0.02pH). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Effects of ionic strength, temperature, and pH on degradation of selected antibiotics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Loftin, K.A.; Adams, C.D.; Meyer, M.T.; Surampalli, R.

    2008-01-01

    Aqueous degradation rates, which include hydrolysis and epimerization, for chlorretracycline (CTC), oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TET), lincomycin (LNC), sulfachlorpyridazine (SCP), sulfadimethoxine (SDM), sulfathiazole (STZ), trimethoprim (TRM), and tylosin A (TYL) were studied as a function of ionic strength (0.0015, 0.050, or 0.084 mg/L as Na2HPO4), temperature (7, 22, and 35??C), and pH (2, 5, 7, 9, and 11). Multiple linear regression revealed that ionic strength did not significantly affect (?? = 0.05) degradation rates for all compounds, but temperature and pH affected rates for CTC, OTC, and TET significandy (?? = 0.05). Degradation also was observed for TYL at pH 2 and 11. No significant degradation was observed for LNC, SCR SDM, STZ, TRM, and TYL (pH 5, 7, and 9) under study conditions. Pseudo first-order rate constants, half-lives, and Arrhenius coefficients were calculated where appropriate. In general, hydrolysis rates for CTC, OTC, and TET increased as pH and temperature increased following Arrhenius relationships. Known degradation products were used to confirm that degradation had occurred, but these products were not quantified. Half-lives ranged from less than 6 h up to 9.7 wk for the tetracyclines and for TYL (pH 2 and 11), but no degradation of LIN, the sulfonamides, or TRM was observed during the study period. These results indicate that tetracyclines and TYL at pH 2 and 11 are prone to pH-mediated transformation and hydrolysis in some cases, but not the sulfonamides, LIN nor TRM are inclined to degrade under study conditions. This indicates that with the exception of CTC OTC, and TET, pH-mediated reactions such as hydrolysis and epimerization are not likely removal mechanisms in surface water, anaerobic swine lagoons, wastewater, and ground water. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

  2. Tetragonal Chicken Egg White Lysozyme Solubility in Sodium Chloride Solutions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Forsythe, Elizabeth L.; Judge, Russell A.; Pusey, Marc L.

    1998-01-01

    The solubility of chicken egg white lysozyme, crystallized in the tetragonal form was measured in sodium chloride solutions from 1.6 to 30.7 C, using a miniature column solubility apparatus. Sodium chloride solution concentrations ranged from 1 to 7% (w/v). The solutions were buffered with 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer with the solubility being measured at pH values in 0.2 pH unit increments in the range pH 4.0 to 5.4, with data also included at pH 4.5. Lysozyme solubility was found to increase with increases in temperature and decreasing salt concentration. Solution pH has a varied and unpredictable effect on solubility.

  3. Effect of heat treatment, pH, sugar concentration, and metal addition on green color retention in homogenized puree of Thompson seedless grape

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Homogenized puree of Thompson seedless (Vitis vinifera ‘Thompson Seedless’) grape was treated under different conditions, including heating time (5-30 min), temperature (20-80°C) and pH (2-10). Treatments with separate additions of glucose, fructose, and sucrose at concentrations of 100-600 g/L and ...

  4. A gold nanocluster-based fluorescent probe for simultaneous pH and temperature sensing and its application to cellular imaging and logic gates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Yun-Tse; Shanmugam, Chandirasekar; Tseng, Wei-Bin; Hiseh, Ming-Mu; Tseng, Wei-Lung

    2016-05-01

    Metal nanocluster-based nanomaterials for the simultaneous determination of temperature and pH variations in micro-environments are still a challenge. In this study, we develop a dual-emission fluorescent probe consisting of bovine serum albumin-stabilized gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) and fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) as temperature- and pH-responsive fluorescence signals. Under single wavelength excitation the FITC/BSA-AuNCs exhibited well-separated dual emission bands at 525 and 670 nm. When FITC was used as a reference fluorophore, FITC/BSA-AuNCs showed a good linear response over the temperature range 1-71 °C and offered temperature-independent spectral shifts, temperature accuracy, activation energy, and reusability. The possible mechanism for high temperature-induced fluorescence quenching of FITC/BSA-AuNCs could be attributed to a weakening of the Au-S bond, thereby lowering the charge transfer from BSA to AuNCs. Additionally, the pH- and temperature-responsive properties of FITC/BSA-AuNCs allow simultaneous temperature sensing from 21 to 41 °C (at intervals of 5 °C) and pH from 6.0 to 8.0 (at intervals of 0.5 pH unit), facilitating the construction of two-input AND logic gates. Three-input AND logic gates were also designed using temperature, pH, and trypsin as inputs. The practicality of using FITC/BSA-AuNCs to determine the temperature and pH changes in HeLa cells is also validated.Metal nanocluster-based nanomaterials for the simultaneous determination of temperature and pH variations in micro-environments are still a challenge. In this study, we develop a dual-emission fluorescent probe consisting of bovine serum albumin-stabilized gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) and fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) as temperature- and pH-responsive fluorescence signals. Under single wavelength excitation the FITC/BSA-AuNCs exhibited well-separated dual emission bands at 525 and 670 nm. When FITC was used as a reference fluorophore, FITC/BSA-AuNCs showed a good linear response over the temperature range 1-71 °C and offered temperature-independent spectral shifts, temperature accuracy, activation energy, and reusability. The possible mechanism for high temperature-induced fluorescence quenching of FITC/BSA-AuNCs could be attributed to a weakening of the Au-S bond, thereby lowering the charge transfer from BSA to AuNCs. Additionally, the pH- and temperature-responsive properties of FITC/BSA-AuNCs allow simultaneous temperature sensing from 21 to 41 °C (at intervals of 5 °C) and pH from 6.0 to 8.0 (at intervals of 0.5 pH unit), facilitating the construction of two-input AND logic gates. Three-input AND logic gates were also designed using temperature, pH, and trypsin as inputs. The practicality of using FITC/BSA-AuNCs to determine the temperature and pH changes in HeLa cells is also validated. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02341j

  5. Passive Biobarrier for Treating Co-mingled Perchlorate and RDX in Groundwater at an Active Range

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-05-12

    and Groundwater Temperature ............................. 102 6.1.2 Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP...22 or equivalent). Parameters, including temperature , conductivity, dissolved oxygen , oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), turbidity, and pH were...3% for temperature and specific conductivity, and ᝺% for dissolved oxygen , ORP, and turbidity. When parameters were stable according to the above

  6. Catalog of thermal waters in New Mexico. Hydrologic report 4

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Summers, W.K.

    1976-01-01

    Waters at 67 locations in New Mexico discharge at anomalous temperatures. Details on these thermal water resources such as the location, temperature, discharge rate, field pH, and specific conductance are presented in 29 tables and 47 figures. Included also are 244 chemical analyses of water from 38 areas.

  7. Six Month In Situ High-Resolution Carbonate Chemistry and Temperature Study on a Coral Reef Flat Reveals Asynchronous pH and Temperature Anomalies.

    PubMed

    Kline, David I; Teneva, Lida; Hauri, Claudine; Schneider, Kenneth; Miard, Thomas; Chai, Aaron; Marker, Malcolm; Dunbar, Rob; Caldeira, Ken; Lazar, Boaz; Rivlin, Tanya; Mitchell, Brian Gregory; Dove, Sophie; Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove

    2015-01-01

    Understanding the temporal dynamics of present thermal and pH exposure on coral reefs is crucial for elucidating reef response to future global change. Diel ranges in temperature and carbonate chemistry parameters coupled with seasonal changes in the mean conditions define periods during the year when a reef habitat is exposed to anomalous thermal and/or pH exposure. Anomalous conditions are defined as values that exceed an empirically estimated threshold for each variable. We present a 200-day time series from June through December 2010 of carbonate chemistry and environmental parameters measured on the Heron Island reef flat. These data reveal that aragonite saturation state, pH, and pCO2 were primarily modulated by biologically-driven changes in dissolved organic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA), rather than salinity and temperature. The largest diel temperature ranges occurred in austral spring, in October (1.5 - 6.6°C) and lowest diel ranges (0.9 - 3.2°C) were observed in July, at the peak of winter. We observed large diel total pH variability, with a maximum range of 7.7 - 8.5 total pH units, with minimum diel average pH values occurring during spring and maximum during fall. As with many other reefs, the nighttime pH minima on the reef flat were far lower than pH values predicted for the open ocean by 2100. DIC and TA both increased from June (end of Fall) to December (end of Spring). Using this high-resolution dataset, we developed exposure metrics of pH and temperature individually for intensity, duration, and severity of low pH and high temperature events, as well as a combined metric. Periods of anomalous temperature and pH exposure were asynchronous on the Heron Island reef flat, which underlines the importance of understanding the dynamics of co-occurrence of multiple stressors on coastal ecosystems.

  8. Six Month In Situ High-Resolution Carbonate Chemistry and Temperature Study on a Coral Reef Flat Reveals Asynchronous pH and Temperature Anomalies

    PubMed Central

    Kline, David I.; Teneva, Lida; Hauri, Claudine; Schneider, Kenneth; Miard, Thomas; Chai, Aaron; Marker, Malcolm; Dunbar, Rob; Caldeira, Ken; Lazar, Boaz; Rivlin, Tanya; Mitchell, Brian Gregory; Dove, Sophie; Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove

    2015-01-01

    Understanding the temporal dynamics of present thermal and pH exposure on coral reefs is crucial for elucidating reef response to future global change. Diel ranges in temperature and carbonate chemistry parameters coupled with seasonal changes in the mean conditions define periods during the year when a reef habitat is exposed to anomalous thermal and/or pH exposure. Anomalous conditions are defined as values that exceed an empirically estimated threshold for each variable. We present a 200-day time series from June through December 2010 of carbonate chemistry and environmental parameters measured on the Heron Island reef flat. These data reveal that aragonite saturation state, pH, and pCO2 were primarily modulated by biologically-driven changes in dissolved organic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA), rather than salinity and temperature. The largest diel temperature ranges occurred in austral spring, in October (1.5 – 6.6°C) and lowest diel ranges (0.9 – 3.2°C) were observed in July, at the peak of winter. We observed large diel total pH variability, with a maximum range of 7.7 – 8.5 total pH units, with minimum diel average pH values occurring during spring and maximum during fall. As with many other reefs, the nighttime pH minima on the reef flat were far lower than pH values predicted for the open ocean by 2100. DIC and TA both increased from June (end of Fall) to December (end of Spring). Using this high-resolution dataset, we developed exposure metrics of pH and temperature individually for intensity, duration, and severity of low pH and high temperature events, as well as a combined metric. Periods of anomalous temperature and pH exposure were asynchronous on the Heron Island reef flat, which underlines the importance of understanding the dynamics of co-occurrence of multiple stressors on coastal ecosystems. PMID:26039687

  9. Resilience to temperature and pH changes in a future climate change scenario in six strains of the polar diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pančić, M.; Hansen, P. J.; Tammilehto, A.; Lundholm, N.

    2015-07-01

    The effects of ocean acidification and increased temperature on physiology of six strains of the polar diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus from Greenland were investigated. Experiments were performed under manipulated pH levels (8.0, 7.7, 7.4, and 7.1) and different temperatures (1, 5, and 8 °C) to simulate changes from present to plausible future levels. Each of the 12 scenarios was run for 7 days, and a significant interaction between temperature and pH on growth was detected. By combining increased temperature and acidification, the two factors counterbalanced each other, and therefore no effect on the growth rates was found. However, the growth rates increased with elevated temperatures by ~ 20-50 % depending on the strain. In addition, a general negative effect of increasing acidification on growth was observed. At pH 7.7 and 7.4, the growth response varied considerably among strains. However, a more uniform response was detected at pH 7.1 with most of the strains exhibiting reduced growth rates by 20-37 % compared to pH 8.0. It should be emphasized that a significant interaction between temperature and pH was found, meaning that the combination of the two parameters affected growth differently than when considering one at a time. Based on these results, we anticipate that the polar diatom F. cylindrus will be unaffected by changes in temperature and pH within the range expected by the end of the century. In each simulated scenario, the variation in growth rates among the strains was larger than the variation observed due to the whole range of changes in either pH or temperature. Climate change may therefore not affect the species as such, but may lead to changes in the population structure of the species, with the strains exhibiting high phenotypic plasticity, in terms of temperature and pH tolerance towards future conditions, dominating the population.

  10. Resilience to temperature and pH changes in a future climate change scenario in six strains of the polar diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pančić, M.; Hansen, P. J.; Tammilehto, A.; Lundholm, N.

    2015-03-01

    The effects of ocean acidification and increased temperature on physiology of six strains of the polar diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus from Greenland were investigated. Experiments were performed under manipulated pH levels (8.0, 7.7, 7.4, and 7.1) and different temperatures (1, 5 and 8 °C) to simulate changes from present to plausible future levels. Each of the 12 scenarios was run for 7 days, and a significant interaction between temperature and pH on growth was detected. By combining increased temperature and acidification, the two factors counterbalanced each other, and therefore no effect on the growth rates was found. However, the growth rates increased with elevated temperatures by ∼20-50% depending on the strain. In addition, a general negative effect of increasing acidification on growth was observed. At pH 7.7 and 7.4, the growth response varied considerably among strains. However, a more uniform response was detected at pH 7.1 with most of the strains exhibiting reduced growth rates by 20-37% compared to pH 8.0. It should be emphasized that a significant interaction between temperature and pH was found, meaning that the combination of the two parameters affected growth differently than when considering one at a time. Based on these results, we anticipate that the polar diatom F. cylindrus will be unaffected by changes in temperature and pH within the range expected by the end of the century. In each simulated scenario, the variation in growth rates among the strains was larger than the variation observed due to the whole range of changes in either pH or temperature. Climate change may therefore not affect the species as such, but may lead to changes in the population structure of the species, with the strains exhibiting high phenotypic plasticity, in terms of temperature and pH tolerance towards future conditions, dominating the population.

  11. A gold nanocluster-based fluorescent probe for simultaneous pH and temperature sensing and its application to cellular imaging and logic gates.

    PubMed

    Wu, Yun-Tse; Shanmugam, Chandirasekar; Tseng, Wei-Bin; Hiseh, Ming-Mu; Tseng, Wei-Lung

    2016-06-07

    Metal nanocluster-based nanomaterials for the simultaneous determination of temperature and pH variations in micro-environments are still a challenge. In this study, we develop a dual-emission fluorescent probe consisting of bovine serum albumin-stabilized gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) and fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) as temperature- and pH-responsive fluorescence signals. Under single wavelength excitation the FITC/BSA-AuNCs exhibited well-separated dual emission bands at 525 and 670 nm. When FITC was used as a reference fluorophore, FITC/BSA-AuNCs showed a good linear response over the temperature range 1-71 °C and offered temperature-independent spectral shifts, temperature accuracy, activation energy, and reusability. The possible mechanism for high temperature-induced fluorescence quenching of FITC/BSA-AuNCs could be attributed to a weakening of the Au-S bond, thereby lowering the charge transfer from BSA to AuNCs. Additionally, the pH- and temperature-responsive properties of FITC/BSA-AuNCs allow simultaneous temperature sensing from 21 to 41 °C (at intervals of 5 °C) and pH from 6.0 to 8.0 (at intervals of 0.5 pH unit), facilitating the construction of two-input AND logic gates. Three-input AND logic gates were also designed using temperature, pH, and trypsin as inputs. The practicality of using FITC/BSA-AuNCs to determine the temperature and pH changes in HeLa cells is also validated.

  12. Sulfur geochemistry of hydrothermal waters in Yellowstone National Park: IV Acid-sulfate waters

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nordstrom, D. Kirk; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Ball, J.W.

    2009-01-01

    Many waters sampled in Yellowstone National Park, both high-temperature (30-94 ??C) and low-temperature (0-30 ??C), are acid-sulfate type with pH values of 1-5. Sulfuric acid is the dominant component, especially as pH values decrease below 3, and it forms from the oxidation of elemental S whose origin is H2S in hot gases derived from boiling of hydrothermal waters at depth. Four determinations of pH were obtained: (1) field pH at field temperature, (2) laboratory pH at laboratory temperature, (3) pH based on acidity titration, and (4) pH based on charge imbalance (at both laboratory and field temperatures). Laboratory pH, charge imbalance pH (at laboratory temperature), and acidity pH were in close agreement for pH ??10%, a selection process was used to compare acidity, laboratory, and charge balance pH to arrive at the best estimate. Differences between laboratory and field pH can be explained based on Fe oxidation, H2S or S2O3 oxidation, CO2 degassing, and the temperature-dependence of pK2 for H2SO4. Charge imbalances are shown to be dependent on a speciation model for pH values 350 mg/L Cl) decrease as the Cl- concentration increases from boiling which appears inconsistent with the hypothesis of H2S oxidation as a source of hydrothermal SO4. This trend is consistent with the alternate hypothesis of anhydrite solubility equilibrium. Acid-sulfate water analyses are occasionally high in As, Hg, and NH3 concentrations but in contrast to acid mine waters they are low to below detection in Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb concentrations. Even concentrations of SO4, Fe, and Al are much lower in thermal waters than acid mine waters of the same pH. This difference in water chemistry may explain why certain species of fly larvae live comfortably in Yellowstone's acid waters but have not been observed in acid rock drainage of the same pH.

  13. pH- and Temperature-Sensitive Hydrogel Nanoparticles with Dual Photoluminescence for Bioprobes.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Yue; Shi, Ce; Yang, Xudong; Shen, Bowen; Sun, Yuanqing; Chen, Yang; Xu, Xiaowei; Sun, Hongchen; Yu, Kui; Yang, Bai; Lin, Quan

    2016-06-28

    This study demonstrates high contrast and sensitivity by designing a dual-emissive hydrogel particle system, whose two emissions respond to pH and temperature strongly and independently. It describes the photoluminescence (PL) response of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based core/shell hydrogel nanoparticles with dual emission, which is obtained by emulsion polymerization with potassium persulfate, consisting of the thermo- and pH-responsive copolymers of PNIPAM and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). A red-emission rare-earth complex and a blue-emission quaternary ammonium tetraphenylethylene derivative (d-TPE) with similar excitation wavelengths are inserted into the core and shell of the hydrogel nanoparticles, respectively. The PL intensities of the nanoparticles exhibit a linear temperature response in the range from 10 to 80 °C with a change as large as a factor of 5. In addition, the blue emission from the shell exhibits a linear pH response between pH 6.5 and 7.6 with a resolution of 0.1 unit, while the red emission from the core is pH-independent. These stimuli-responsive PL nanoparticles have potential applications in biology and chemistry, including bio- and chemosensors, biological imaging, cancer diagnosis, and externally activated release of anticancer drugs.

  14. Optimal experimental condition for hemicellulosic hydrolyzate treatment with activated charcoal for xylitol production.

    PubMed

    Mussatto, Solange I; Roberto, Inês C

    2004-01-01

    Rice straw was hydrolyzed into a mixture of sugars using diluted H(2)SO(4). During hydrolysis, a variety of inhibitors was also produced, including acetic acid, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, and lignin degradation products (several aromatic and phenolic compounds). To reduce the toxic compounds concentration in the hydrolyzate and to improve the xylitol yield and volumetric productivity, rice straw hemicellulosic hydrolyzate was treated with activated charcoal under different pH values, stirring rates, contact times, and temperatures, employing a 2(4) full-factorial design. Fermentative assays were conducted with treated hydrolyzates containing 90 g/L xylose. The results indicated that temperature, pH, and stirring rate strongly influenced the hydrolyzate treatment, temperature and pH interfering with all of the responses analyzed (removal of color and lignin degradation products, xylitol yield factor, and volumetric productivity). The combination of pH 2.0, 150 rpm, 45 degrees C, and 60 min was considered an optimal condition, providing significant removal rates of color (48.9%) and lignin degradation products (25.8%), as well as a xylitol production of 66 g/L, a volumetric productivity of 0.57 g/L.h, and a yield factor of 0.72 g/g.

  15. Unfolding studies of the cysteine protease baupain, a papain-like enzyme from leaves of Bauhinia forficata: effect of pH, guanidine hydrochloride and temperature.

    PubMed

    Silva-Lucca, Rosemeire A; Andrade, Sheila S; Ferreira, Rodrigo Silva; Sampaio, Misako U; Oliva, Maria Luiza V

    2013-12-24

    Baupain belongs to the α+β class of proteins with a secondary structure-content of 44% α-helix, 16% β-sheet and 12% β-turn. The structural transition induced by pH was found to be noncooperative, with no important differences observed in the pH range from 3.0 to 10.5. At pH 2.0 the protein presented substantial non-native structure with strong ANS binding. Guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl)-induced unfolding did not change the protein structure significantly until 4.0 M, indicating the high rigidity of the molecule. The unfolding was cooperative, as seen by the sigmoidal transition curves with midpoints at 4.7±0.2 M and 5.0±0.2 M GdnHCl, as measured by CD and fluorescence spectroscopy. A red shift of 7 nm in intrinsic fluorescence was observed with 6.0 M GdnHCl. Temperature-induced unfolding of baupain was incomplete, and at least 35% of the native structure of the protein was retained, even at high temperature (90 °C). Baupain showed characteristics of a molten globule state, due to preferential ANS binding at pH 2.0 in comparison to the native form (pH 7.0) and completely unfolded (6.0 M GdnHCl) state. Combined with information about N-terminal sequence similarity, these results allow us to include baupain in the papain superfamily.

  16. Influence of the hydrothermal temperature and pH on the crystallinity of a sputtered hydroxyapatite film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ozeki, K.; Aoki, H.; Masuzawa, T.

    2010-09-01

    Hydroxyapatite (HA) was coated onto titanium substrates using radio frequency sputtering, and the sputtered films were crystallized under hydrothermal conditions at 110-170 °C at pH values of 7.0 and 9.5. The crystallite size, the remnant film thickness, and the surface morphology of the films were observed using X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The crystallite size increased with the process temperature, and reached 123.6 nm (pH 9.5 and 170 °C) after 24 h. All of the crystallite sizes of the film treated at pH 9.5 were higher than those treated at pH 7.0 at each process temperature. The film treated at pH 9.5 retained more than 90% of the initial film thickness at any process temperature. The ratio of the film treated at pH 7.0 did not reached 90% at less than 150 °C, and tended to increase with the process temperature.

  17. Monitoring the Environment: The Use of Electronic Meters and Chemical or Bacteriological Tests.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crellin, J. R.; Tranter, J.

    1978-01-01

    A review is given of electronic environmental meters available for use in schools. Included are conductivity, oxygen, pH, and temperature meters. Chemical test papers and kits for use in environmental studies are included. (BB)

  18. Use of solid phosphorus fractionation data to evaluate phosphorus release from waste activated sludge.

    PubMed

    Pokhrel, S P; Milke, M W; Bello-Mendoza, R; Buitrón, G; Thiele, J

    2018-06-01

    Waste activated sludge (WAS) can become an important source of phosphorus (P). P speciation was examined under anaerobic conditions, with different pH (4, 6 and 8) and temperatures (10, 20 and 35 °C). Aqueous P was measured and an extraction protocol was used to find three solid phosphorus fractions. A pH of 4 and a temperature of 35 °C gave a maximum of 51% of total P solubilized in 22 days with 50% of total P solubilized in 7 days. Batch tests indicate that little pH depression is needed to release non-apatite inorganic P (including microbial polyphosphate), while a pH of 4 rather than 6 will release more apatite inorganic P, and that organic P is relatively more difficult to release from WAS. Fractionation analysis of P in WAS can aid in design of more efficient methods for P recovery from WAS. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Empirical algorithms to estimate water column pH in the Southern Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, N. L.; Juranek, L. W.; Johnson, K. S.; Feely, R. A.; Riser, S. C.; Talley, L. D.; Russell, J. L.; Sarmiento, J. L.; Wanninkhof, R.

    2016-04-01

    Empirical algorithms are developed using high-quality GO-SHIP hydrographic measurements of commonly measured parameters (temperature, salinity, pressure, nitrate, and oxygen) that estimate pH in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. The coefficients of determination, R2, are 0.98 for pH from nitrate (pHN) and 0.97 for pH from oxygen (pHOx) with RMS errors of 0.010 and 0.008, respectively. These algorithms are applied to Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) biogeochemical profiling floats, which include novel sensors (pH, nitrate, oxygen, fluorescence, and backscatter). These algorithms are used to estimate pH on floats with no pH sensors and to validate and adjust pH sensor data from floats with pH sensors. The adjusted float data provide, for the first time, seasonal cycles in surface pH on weekly resolution that range from 0.05 to 0.08 on weekly resolution for the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean.

  20. Water-quality data for aquifers, streams, and lakes in the vicinity of Keechi, Mount Sylvan, Oakwood, and Palestine salt domes, northeast Texas salt-dome basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carr, Jerry E.; Halasz, Stephen J.; Liscum, Fred

    1980-01-01

    This report contains water-quality data for aquifers, streams, and lakes in the vicinity of Keechi, Mount Sylvan, Oakwood, and Palestine Salt Domes, in the northeast Texas salt-dome basin. Water-quality data were compiled for aquifers in the Wilcox Group, the Carrizo Sand, and the Queen City Sand. The data include analyses for dissolved solids, pH, temperature, hardness, calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. Water-quality and streamflow data were obtained from 63 surface-water sites in the vicinity of the domes. These data include water discharge, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Samples were collected at selected sites for analysis of principal and selected minor dissolved constituents.

  1. Initial steps in defining the environment of the prepuce of the bull by measuring pH and temperature.

    PubMed

    Koziol, J H; Fraser, N S; Passler, T; Wolfe, D F

    2017-12-01

    To determine the baseline pH and temperature of the preputial cavity of bulls. We enrolled 55 bulls ranging in age from 15 to 84 months. The preputial temperature and pH were measured by insertion of temperature and pH probes, respectively, into the preputial orifice prior to routine breeding soundness examinations. Information was obtained from owners regarding the diet of each bull and categorised as one of three categories: forage only, grain supplemented or silage supplemented. The average temperature of the prepuce was 37.81°C ± 1.76 and the median pH of the prepuce was 8.45 (6.35-9.46). Preputial temperatures of the bull weakly correlated with ambient temperatures (r s  = -0.29, P = 0.028). The preputial pH of silage-fed bulls was significantly lower than that of bulls fed forage only (P = 0.025) or grain-supplemented diets (P = 0.002). The median preputial pH of bulls fed a silage-based diet was 7.6 (6.3-8.9) compared with a median pH 8.7 (7.8-9.1) for bulls fed forage-based diets or a median of 8.5 (7.7-9.4) for those given grain-supplemented diets. Diet and ambient temperature can, respectively, affect pH and the temperature in the prepuce. Further studies to describe and understand the microbiota of the prepuce and penis may assist in developing treatments for diseases of the genital tract in bulls. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

  2. Modeling hot spring chemistries with applications to martian silica formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marion, G. M.; Catling, D. C.; Crowley, J. K.; Kargel, J. S.

    2011-04-01

    Many recent studies have implicated hydrothermal systems as the origin of martian minerals across a wide range of martian sites. Particular support for hydrothermal systems include silica (SiO 2) deposits, in some cases >90% silica, in the Gusev Crater region, especially in the Columbia Hills and at Home Plate. We have developed a model called CHEMCHAU that can be used up to 100 °C to simulate hot springs associated with hydrothermal systems. The model was partially derived from FREZCHEM, which is a colder temperature model parameterized for broad ranges of temperature (<-70 to 25 °C), pressure (1-1000 bars), and chemical composition. We demonstrate the validity of Pitzer parameters, volumetric parameters, and equilibrium constants in the CHEMCHAU model for the Na-K-Mg-Ca-H-Cl-ClO 4-SO 4-OH-HCO 3-CO 3-CO 2-O 2-CH 4-Si-H 2O system up to 100 °C and apply the model to hot springs and silica deposits. A theoretical simulation of silica and calcite equilibrium shows how calcite is least soluble with high pH and high temperatures, while silica behaves oppositely. Such influences imply that differences in temperature and pH on Mars could lead to very distinct mineral assemblages. Using measured solution chemistries of Yellowstone hot springs and Icelandic hot springs, we simulate salts formed during the evaporation of two low pH cases (high and low temperatures) and a high temperature, alkaline (high pH) sodic water. Simulation of an acid-sulfate case leads to precipitation of Fe and Al minerals along with silica. Consistency with martian mineral assemblages suggests that hot, acidic sulfate solutions are plausibility progenitors of minerals in the past on Mars. In the alkaline pH (8.45) simulation, formation of silica at high temperatures (355 K) led to precipitation of anhydrous minerals (CaSO 4, Na 2SO 4) that was also the case for the high temperature (353 K) low pH case where anhydrous minerals (NaCl, CaSO 4) also precipitated. Thus we predict that secondary minerals associated with massive silica deposits are plausible indicators on Mars of precipitation environments and aqueous chemistry. Theoretical model calculations are in reasonable agreement with independent experimental silica concentrations, which strengthens the validity of the new CHEMCHAU model.

  3. Modeling hot spring chemistries with applications to martian silica formation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marion, G.M.; Catling, D.C.; Crowley, J.K.; Kargel, J.S.

    2011-01-01

    Many recent studies have implicated hydrothermal systems as the origin of martian minerals across a wide range of martian sites. Particular support for hydrothermal systems include silica (SiO2) deposits, in some cases >90% silica, in the Gusev Crater region, especially in the Columbia Hills and at Home Plate. We have developed a model called CHEMCHAU that can be used up to 100??C to simulate hot springs associated with hydrothermal systems. The model was partially derived from FREZCHEM, which is a colder temperature model parameterized for broad ranges of temperature (<-70 to 25??C), pressure (1-1000 bars), and chemical composition. We demonstrate the validity of Pitzer parameters, volumetric parameters, and equilibrium constants in the CHEMCHAU model for the Na-K-Mg-Ca-H-Cl-ClO4-SO4-OH-HCO3-CO3-CO2-O2-CH4-Si-H2O system up to 100??C and apply the model to hot springs and silica deposits.A theoretical simulation of silica and calcite equilibrium shows how calcite is least soluble with high pH and high temperatures, while silica behaves oppositely. Such influences imply that differences in temperature and pH on Mars could lead to very distinct mineral assemblages. Using measured solution chemistries of Yellowstone hot springs and Icelandic hot springs, we simulate salts formed during the evaporation of two low pH cases (high and low temperatures) and a high temperature, alkaline (high pH) sodic water. Simulation of an acid-sulfate case leads to precipitation of Fe and Al minerals along with silica. Consistency with martian mineral assemblages suggests that hot, acidic sulfate solutions are plausibility progenitors of minerals in the past on Mars. In the alkaline pH (8.45) simulation, formation of silica at high temperatures (355K) led to precipitation of anhydrous minerals (CaSO4, Na2SO4) that was also the case for the high temperature (353K) low pH case where anhydrous minerals (NaCl, CaSO4) also precipitated. Thus we predict that secondary minerals associated with massive silica deposits are plausible indicators on Mars of precipitation environments and aqueous chemistry. Theoretical model calculations are in reasonable agreement with independent experimental silica concentrations, which strengthens the validity of the new CHEMCHAU model. ?? 2011 Elsevier Inc.

  4. Simultaneous wireless assessment of intra-oral pH and temperature.

    PubMed

    Farella, M; Loke, C; Sander, S; Songini, A; Allen, M; Mei, L; Cannon, R D

    2016-08-01

    Intra-oral pH plays an important role in the pathogenesis of tooth erosion and decay, but there is limited information about its variation in real life settings. The aims of this research were to: 1) develop a wireless device, which can be used to continuously monitor intra-oral pH and temperature in real-time; 2) test and validate the device under controlled laboratory conditions; and 3) collect data in a natural environment in a sample of healthy volunteers. A wireless device for measuring pH and temperature simultaneously was developed, calibrated and validated against the gold standard glass electrode pH meter. A smart phone was used as data logger. The wireless device was embedded in an oral appliance and worn by eleven participants (mean age 31.1±6.9years) for 24h, while conducting standardised drinking tasks and regular daily activities. The wireless device could accurately measure pH and temperature both in vitro and in vivo. The recovery time following the swallow of a standard acidic drink varied markedly among individuals (mean=1.3±0.9min). The intra-oral pH and temperature recorded in the natural environment also showed a large inter- and intra-individual variability. The average intra-oral pH when asleep (6.7±0.5) was lower (p<0.001) than when awake (7.2±0.5). The average intra-oral temperature during sleep (35.6±0.5°C) was higher (p<0.001) than when awake (34.5±0.7°C). Intra-oral pH and temperature can be continuously and wirelessly assessed in real-life settings, and show individual-specific patterns with circadian variations. Intra-oral pH becomes slightly acidic during sleep while intra-oral temperature increases and fluctuates less. We propose a wireless device that is capable of measuring intra-oral pH over a 24-h period. We found marked inter-individual variation after acidic stimuli, and day to sleep time variation of both intra-oral temperature and pH. Our approach may provide new insight into the relationship between oral pH, tooth wear and decay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Basic mechanism of button battery ingestion injuries and novel mitigation strategies after diagnosis and removal.

    PubMed

    Jatana, Kris R; Rhoades, Keith; Milkovich, Scott; Jacobs, Ian N

    2017-06-01

    Button battery (BB) injuries continue to be a significant source of morbidity and mortality, and there is a need to confirm the mechanism of injury for development of additional mitigation strategies. Cadaveric piglet esophageal model. Lithium, silver oxide, alkaline, and zinc-air BBs were placed in thawed sections of cadaveric piglet esophagus, bathed in normal saline. Severity of gross visual burn, pH, and temperature were recorded every 30 minutes for 6 hours. In other esophageal tissue specimens, the lithium BB was removed after 24, 36, and 48 hours and the site was irrigated with either 0.25% or 3% acetic acid. Separately, ReaLemon® juice, orange juice, Coke®, Dasani® water, Pepsi®, and saline were infused over a vertically suspended esophagus with a CR2032 lithium battery every 5 minutes for 2 hours while tissue temperature and pH were measured. A gradual rise in tissue pH and minimal change in temperature was noted for all BBs. ReaLemon® and orange juice applied every 5 minutes were most effective at neutralization of tissue pH with minimal change in tissue temperature. After BB removal (24, 36, 48 hours), irrigation of esophageal tissue specimens with 50-150 mL 0.25% acetic acid neutralized the highly alkaline tissue pH. BB appear to cause an isothermic hydrolysis reaction resulting in an alkaline caustic injury. Potential new mitigation strategies include application of neutralizing weakly acidic solutions that may reduce esophageal injury progression. NA Laryngoscope, 127:1276-1282, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  6. Water pH and temperature in Lake Biwa from MBT'/CBT indices during the last 282 000 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajioka, T.; Yamamoto, M.; Takemura, K.; Hayashida, A.

    2014-03-01

    We generated a 282 000-year record of water pH and temperature in Lake Biwa, central Japan, by analysing the methylation index (MBT') and cyclisation ratio (CBT) of branched tetraethers in sediments from piston and borehole cores to understand the responses of precipitation and air temperature in central Japan to the East Asian monsoon variability on the orbital timescale. Because water pH in Lake Biwa is determined by phosphorus input driven by precipitation, the record of water pH should indicate changes in summer precipitation in central Japan. The estimated pH showed significant periodicity at 19 and 23 ka (precession) and at 41 ka (obliquity). The variation in the estimated pH agrees with variation in the pollen temperature index. This indicates synchronous variation in summer air temperature and precipitation in central Japan, which contradicts the conclusions of previous studies. The variation in estimated pH was also synchronous with the variation of oxygen isotopes in stalagmites in China, suggesting that East Asian summer monsoon precipitation was governed by Northern Hemisphere summer insolation on orbital timescales. However, the estimated winter temperatures were higher during interglacials and lower during glacials, showing an eccentricity cycle. This suggests that the temperature variation reflected winter monsoon variability.

  7. Modeling and predicting the biofilm formation of Salmonella Virchow with respect to temperature and pH.

    PubMed

    Ariafar, M Nima; Buzrul, Sencer; Akçelik, Nefise

    2016-03-01

    Biofilm formation of Salmonella Virchow was monitored with respect to time at three different temperature (20, 25 and 27.5 °C) and pH (5.2, 5.9 and 6.6) values. As the temperature increased at a constant pH level, biofilm formation decreased while as the pH level increased at a constant temperature, biofilm formation increased. Modified Gompertz equation with high adjusted determination coefficient (Radj(2)) and low mean square error (MSE) values produced reasonable fits for the biofilm formation under all conditions. Parameters of the modified Gompertz equation could be described in terms of temperature and pH by use of a second order polynomial function. In general, as temperature increased maximum biofilm quantity, maximum biofilm formation rate and time of acceleration of biofilm formation decreased; whereas, as pH increased; maximum biofilm quantity, maximum biofilm formation rate and time of acceleration of biofilm formation increased. Two temperature (23 and 26 °C) and pH (5.3 and 6.3) values were used up to 24 h to predict the biofilm formation of S. Virchow. Although the predictions did not perfectly match with the data, reasonable estimates were obtained. In principle, modeling and predicting the biofilm formation of different microorganisms on different surfaces under various conditions could be possible.

  8. The activity of TcCYS4 modified by variations in pH and temperature can affect symptoms of witches' broom disease of cocoa, caused by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa.

    PubMed

    Freitas, Ana Camila Oliveira; Souza, Cristiane Ferreira; Monzani, Paulo Sérgio; Garcia, Wanius; de Almeida, Alex Alan Furtado; Costa, Marcio Gilberto Cardoso; Pirovani, Carlos Priminho

    2015-01-01

    The phytocystatins regulate various physiological processes in plants, including responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, mainly because they act as inhibitors of cysteine proteases. In this study, we have analyzed four cystatins from Theobroma cacao L. previously identified in ESTs libraries of the interaction with the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa and named TcCYS1, TcCYS2, TcCYS3 and TcCYS4. The recombinant cystatins were purified and subjected to the heat treatment, at different temperatures, and their thermostabilities were monitored using their ability to inhibit papain protease. TcCYS1 was sensitive to temperatures above 50°C, while TcCYS2, TcCYS3, and TcCYS4 were thermostable. TcCYS4 presented a decrease of inhibitory activity when it was treated at temperatures between 60 and 70°C, with the greater decrease occurring at 65°C. Analyses by native gel electrophoresis and size-exclusion chromatography showed that TcCYS4 forms oligomers at temperatures between 60 and 70°C, condition where reduction of inhibitory activity was observed. TcCYS4 oligomers remain stable for up to 20 days after heat treatment and are undone after treatment at 80°C. TcCYS4 presented approximately 90% of inhibitory activity at pH values between 5 and 9. This protein treated at temperatures above 45°C and pH 5 presented reduced inhibitory activity against papain, suggesting that the pH 5 enhances the formation of TcCYS4 oligomers. A variation in the titratable acidity was observed in tissues of T. cacao during the symptoms of witches' broom disease. Our findings suggest that the oligomerization of TcCYS4, favored by variations in pH, is an endergonic process. We speculate that this process can be involved in the development of the symptoms of witches' broom disease in cocoa.

  9. The Activity of TcCYS4 Modified by Variations in pH and Temperature Can Affect Symptoms of Witches’ Broom Disease of Cocoa, Caused by the Fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa

    PubMed Central

    Freitas, Ana Camila Oliveira; Souza, Cristiane Ferreira; Monzani, Paulo Sérgio; Garcia, Wanius; de Almeida, Alex Alan Furtado; Costa, Marcio Gilberto Cardoso; Pirovani, Carlos Priminho

    2015-01-01

    The phytocystatins regulate various physiological processes in plants, including responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, mainly because they act as inhibitors of cysteine proteases. In this study, we have analyzed four cystatins from Theobroma cacao L. previously identified in ESTs libraries of the interaction with the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa and named TcCYS1, TcCYS2, TcCYS3 and TcCYS4. The recombinant cystatins were purified and subjected to the heat treatment, at different temperatures, and their thermostabilities were monitored using their ability to inhibit papain protease. TcCYS1 was sensitive to temperatures above 50°C, while TcCYS2, TcCYS3, and TcCYS4 were thermostable. TcCYS4 presented a decrease of inhibitory activity when it was treated at temperatures between 60 and 70°C, with the greater decrease occurring at 65°C. Analyses by native gel electrophoresis and size-exclusion chromatography showed that TcCYS4 forms oligomers at temperatures between 60 and 70°C, condition where reduction of inhibitory activity was observed. TcCYS4 oligomers remain stable for up to 20 days after heat treatment and are undone after treatment at 80°C. TcCYS4 presented approximately 90% of inhibitory activity at pH values between 5 and 9. This protein treated at temperatures above 45°C and pH 5 presented reduced inhibitory activity against papain, suggesting that the pH 5 enhances the formation of TcCYS4 oligomers. A variation in the titratable acidity was observed in tissues of T. cacao during the symptoms of witches’ broom disease. Our findings suggest that the oligomerization of TcCYS4, favored by variations in pH, is an endergonic process. We speculate that this process can be involved in the development of the symptoms of witches’ broom disease in cocoa. PMID:25830226

  10. Novel application of bacteriophage for controlling foaming in wastewater treatment plant- an eco-friendly approach

    PubMed Central

    Khairnar, Krishna; Chandekar, Rajshree; Nair, Aparna; Pal, Preeti; Paunikar, Waman N.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT This addendum to “Novel application of bacteriophage for controlling foaming in wastewater treatment plant- an eco-friendly approach “ includes characteristics of the phages NOC1, NOC2 and NOC3 not discussed in the previous paper. The phage adsorption and host interaction properties, their sensitivity to pH and temperature are inferred. NOC2 is seen to be more temperature resistant while others are not. All the phages show pH sensitivity. There is a variance observed in the behavior of these phages. Also, applicability of the phage based system to large scale reactors is studied and discussed here. PMID:26890996

  11. Novel application of bacteriophage for controlling foaming in wastewater treatment plant- an eco-friendly approach.

    PubMed

    Khairnar, Krishna; Chandekar, Rajshree; Nair, Aparna; Pal, Preeti; Paunikar, Waman N

    2016-01-01

    This addendum to "Novel application of bacteriophage for controlling foaming in wastewater treatment plant- an eco-friendly approach " includes characteristics of the phages NOC1, NOC2 and NOC3 not discussed in the previous paper. The phage adsorption and host interaction properties, their sensitivity to pH and temperature are inferred. NOC2 is seen to be more temperature resistant while others are not. All the phages show pH sensitivity. There is a variance observed in the behavior of these phages. Also, applicability of the phage based system to large scale reactors is studied and discussed here.

  12. Activation of Phosphorylase Kinase by Physiological Temperature.

    PubMed

    Herrera, Julio E; Thompson, Jackie A; Rimmer, Mary Ashley; Nadeau, Owen W; Carlson, Gerald M

    2015-12-29

    In the six decades since its discovery, phosphorylase kinase (PhK) from rabbit skeletal muscle has usually been studied at 30 °C; in fact, not a single study has examined functions of PhK at a rabbit's body temperature, which is nearly 10 °C greater. Thus, we have examined aspects of the activity, regulation, and structure of PhK at temperatures between 0 and 40 °C. Between 0 and 30 °C, the activity at pH 6.8 of nonphosphorylated PhK predictably increased; however, between 30 and 40 °C, there was a dramatic jump in its activity, resulting in the nonactivated enzyme having a far greater activity at body temperature than was previously realized. This anomalous change in properties between 30 and 40 °C was observed for multiple functions, and both stimulation (by ADP and phosphorylation) and inhibition (by orthophosphate) were considerably less pronounced at 40 °C than at 30 °C. In general, the allosteric control of PhK's activity is definitely more subtle at body temperature. Changes in behavior related to activity at 40 °C and its control can be explained by the near disappearance of hysteresis at physiological temperature. In important ways, the picture of PhK that has emerged from six decades of study at temperatures of ≤30 °C does not coincide with that of the enzyme studied at physiological temperature. The probable underlying mechanism for the dramatic increase in PhK's activity between 30 and 40 °C is an abrupt change in the conformations of the regulatory β and catalytic γ subunits between these two temperatures.

  13. Impact of reaction conditions on the laccase-catalyzed conversion of bisphenol A.

    PubMed

    Kim, Young-Jin; Nicell, James A

    2006-08-01

    The oxidative conversion of aqueous BPA catalyzed by laccase from Trametes versicolor was conducted in a closed, temperature-controlled system containing buffer for pH control. The effects of medium pH, buffer concentration, temperature and mediators and the impacts of dissolved wastewater constituents on BPA conversion were investigated. The optimal pH for BPA conversion was approximately 5, with greater than half maximal conversion and good enzyme stability in the range of 4-7. The stability of the enzyme was not impacted by buffer concentration, nor was BPA conversion. Despite the observation that the enzyme tended to be inactivated at elevated temperatures, enhanced conversion of BPA was observed up until a reaction temperature of 45 degrees C. Of the mediators studied, ABTS was most successful at enhancing the conversion of BPA. Dissolved wastewater constituents that were studied included various inorganic salts, organic compounds and heavy metal ions. BPA conversion was inhibited in the presence of anions such as sulfite, thiosulfate, sulfide, nitrite and cyanide. The metal ions Fe(III) and Cu(II) and the halogens chloride and fluoride substantially suppressed BPA conversion, but the presence of selected organic compounds did not significantly reduce the conversion of BPA.

  14. Acid-base balance and metabolic response of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to different seawater pH and temperatures.

    PubMed

    Catarino, Ana I; Bauwens, Mathieu; Dubois, Philippe

    2012-07-01

    In order to better understand if the metabolic responses of echinoids could be related to their acid-base status in an ocean acidification context, we studied the response of an intertidal sea urchin species, Paracentrotus lividus, submitted to low pH at two different temperatures. Individuals were submitted to control (8.0) and low pH (7.7 and 7.4) at 10°C and 16°C (19 days). The relation between the coelomic fluid acid-base status, the RNA/DNA ratio of gonads and the individual oxygen uptake were studied. The coelomic fluid pH decreased with the aquarium seawater, independently of temperature, but this explained only 13% of the pH variation. The coelomic fluid showed though a partial buffer capacity that was not related to skeleton dissolution ([Mg(2+)] and [Ca(2+)] did not differ between pH treatments). There was an interaction between temperature and pH on the oxygen uptake (V (O2)) which was increased at pH 7.7 and 7.4 at 10°C in comparison with controls, but not at 16°C, indicating an upregulation of the metabolism at low temperature and pH. However, gonad RNA/DNA ratios did not differ according to pH and temperature treatments, indicating that even if maintenance of physiological activities has an elevated metabolic cost when individuals are exposed to stress, they are not directly affected during short-term exposure. Long-term studies are needed in order to verify if gonad production/growth will be affected by low pH seawaters exposure.

  15. Continuous measurement of intra-oral pH and temperature: development, validation of an appliance and a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Choi, J E; Loke, C; Waddell, J N; Lyons, K M; Kieser, J A; Farella, M

    2015-08-01

    To describe a novel approach for continuous measurement of intra-oral pH and temperature in individuals carrying out normal daily activities over 24 h. We designed, validated and constructed a custom-made appliance fitted with a pH probe and a thermocouple. Six subjects wore the appliance over a 24-h period for two non-consecutive days, while the intra-oral pH and temperature were measured continuously and recorded. Intra-oral pH and temperature were very similar across different recording days, the difference being not statistically significant (P ≥ 0.14). There was a noticeable difference in the pattern of variation of pH between day and night. During the day, the mean pH was 7.3 (±0.4) and dropped markedly only after consumption of acidic food and drinks. The intra-oral pH decreased slowly during sleep with an average pH of 6.6 (±0.4) being recorded. The difference between day and night was statistically significant (P = 0.002). The mean intra-oral temperature was 33.9 °C (±0.9) during daytime and 35·9 °C (±0·5) during sleep (P = 0.013) with minor fluctuations occurring over 24 h. The continuous and simultaneous intra-oral pH and temperature measurement system described in this report is reliable, easy to construct, able to measure variables over a sustained period and may serve as a future diagnostic tool in a number of applications. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Effective Control of Bioelectricity Generation from a Microbial Fuel Cell by Logical Combinations of pH and Temperature

    PubMed Central

    Tang, Jiahuan; Liu, Ting; Yuan, Yong

    2014-01-01

    In this study, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) with switchable power release is designed, which can be logically controlled by combinations of the most physiologically important parameters such as “temperature” and “pH.” Changes in voltage output in response to temperature and pH changes were significant in which voltage output decreased sharply when temperature was lowered from 30°C to 10°C or pH was decreased from 7.0 to 5.0. The switchability of the MFC comes from the microbial anode whose activity is affected by the combined medium temperature and pH. Changes in temperature and pH cause reversible activation-inactivation of the bioanode, thus affecting the activity of the entire MFC. With temperature and pH as input signals, an AND logic operation is constructed for the MFC whose power density is controlled. The developed system has the potential to meet the requirement of power supplies producing electrical power on-demand for self-powered biosensors or biomedical devices. PMID:24741343

  17. Zr/ZrO2 sensors for in situ measurement of pH in high-temperature and -pressure aqueous solutions.

    PubMed

    Zhang, R H; Zhang, X T; Hu, S M

    2008-04-15

    The aim of this study is to develop new pH sensors that can be used to test and monitor hydrogen ion activity in hydrothermal conditions. A Zr/ZrO2 oxidation electrode is fabricated for in situ pH measurement of high-temperature aqueous solutions. This sensor responds rapidly and precisely to pH over a wide range of temperature and pressure. The Zr/ZrO2 electrode was made by oxidizing zirconium metal wire with Na2CO3 melt, which produced a thin film of ZrO2 on its surface. Thus, an oxidation-reduction electrode was produced. The Zr/ZrO2 electrode has a good electrochemical stability over a wide range of pH in high-temperature aqueous solutions when used with a Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Measurements of the Zr/ZrO2 sensor potential against a Ag/AgCl reference electrode is shown to vary linearly with pH between temperatures 20 and 200 degrees C. The slope of the potential versus pH at high temperature is slightly below the theoretical value indicated by the Nernst equation; such deviation is attributed to the fact that the sensor is not strictly at equilibrium with the solution to be tested in a short period of time. The Zr/ZrO2 sensor can be calibrated over the conditions that exist in the natural deep-seawater. Our studies showed that the Zr/ZrO2 electrode is a suitable pH sensor for the hydrothermal systems at midocean ridge or other geothermal systems with the high-temperature environment. Yttria-stabilized zirconia sensors have also been used to investigate the pH of hydrothermal fluids in hot springs vents at midocean ridge. These sensors, however, are not sensitive below 200 degrees C. Zr/ZrO2 sensors have wider temperature range and can be severed as good alternative sensors for measuring the pH of hydrothermal fluids.

  18. Water pH and temperature in Lake Biwa from MBT'/CBT indices during the last 280 000 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajioka, T.; Yamamoto, M.; Takemura, K.; Hayashida, A.; Kitagawa, H.

    2014-10-01

    We generated a 280 000 yr record of water pH and temperature in Lake Biwa, central Japan, by analysing the methylation index (MBT') and cyclisation ratio (CBT) of branched tetraethers in sediments from piston and borehole cores. Our aim was to understand the responses of precipitation and air temperature in central Japan to the East Asian monsoon variability on orbital timescales. Because the water pH in Lake Biwa is determined by phosphorus and alkali cation inputs, the record of water pH should indicate the changes in precipitation and temperature in central Japan. Comparison with a pollen assemblage in a Lake Biwa core suggests that lake water pH was determined by summer temperature in the low-eccentricity period before 55 ka, while it was determined by summer precipitation in the high-eccentricity period after 55 ka. From 130 to 55 ka, the variation in lake pH (summer precipitation) lagged behind that in summer temperature by several thousand years. This perspective is consistent with the conclusions of previous studies (Igarashi and Oba, 2006; Yamamoto, 2009), in that the temperature variation preceded the precipitation variation in central Japan.

  19. Optimization of protein solution by a novel experimental design method using thermodynamic properties.

    PubMed

    Kim, Nam Ah; An, In Bok; Lee, Sang Yeol; Park, Eun-Seok; Jeong, Seong Hoon

    2012-09-01

    In this study, the structural stability of hen egg white lysozyme in solution at various pH levels and in different types of buffers, including acetate, phosphate, histidine, and Tris, was investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Reasonable pH values were selected from the buffer ranges and were analyzed statistically through design of experiment (DoE). Four factors were used to characterize the thermograms: calorimetric enthalpy (ΔH), temperature at maximum heat flux (T( m )), van't Hoff enthalpy (ΔH( V )), and apparent activation energy of protein solution (E(app)). It was possible to calculate E(app) through mathematical elaboration from the Lumry-Eyring model by changing the scan rate. The transition temperature of protein solution, T( m ), increased when the scan rate was faster. When comparing the T( m ), ΔH( V ), ΔH, and E(app) of lysozyme in various pH ranges and buffers with different priorities, lysozyme in acetate buffer at pH 4.767 (scenario 9) to pH 4.969 (scenario 11) exhibited the highest thermodynamic stability. Through this experiment, we found a significant difference in the thermal stability of lysozyme in various pH ranges and buffers and also a new approach to investigate the physical stability of protein by DoE.

  20. Effects of temperature, pH and NaCl on protease activity in digestive tract of young turbot, Scophthalmus maximus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Muyan; Zhang, Xiumei; Gao, Tianxiang; Chen, Chao

    2006-09-01

    The protease activity in digestive tract of young turbot Scophthalmus maximum was studied, and the optimal pH, temperature and NaCl concentration were determined for different portions of the fish's internal organs. The optimal activity in the fish's stomach was at pH of 2.2, while that in the intestinal extracts was within the alkaline range from 9.5 to 10.0. In hepatopancreas, the optimal pH was in low alkalinity at 8.5. The optimal reaction temperature was above 40°C in stomach, intestine and hepatopancreas. With increasing temperature, the pH value increased in stomach, while in the intestine, an opposite tendency was observed due to combined effect of pH and temperature. NaCl concentration showed inhibitory impact on protein digestion in hepatopancreas. The main protease for protein digestion in turbot seemed to be pepsin. Moreover, the maximum protease activity in different segments of intestine existed in the hindgut.

  1. Effect of digestion temperature and pH on treatment efficiency and evolution of volatile fatty acids during thermophilic aerobic digestion of model high strength agricultural waste.

    PubMed

    Ugwuanyi, J Obeta; Harvey, L M; McNeil, B

    2005-04-01

    Thermophilic aerobic digestion (TAD) of a model agricultural waste, potato peel slurry, at soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) load equivalent to approximately 8.0 gl(-1), was carried out under batch conditions at 0.5 vvm aeration rate. Digestions were carried out at temperatures of 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65 degrees C (or left unregulated) without pH control to study the effect of digestion temperatures on TAD. The effects of digestion pH on the process were studied at pH 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 9.5 (and in unregulated control) all at 55 degrees C. Except for digestion at 65 degrees C, which was inoculated extraneously using culture of Bacillus strearothermophilus all reactions were carried out using the populations indigenous to the waste. During digestion at different temperatures, the removal of soluble COD increased with temperature to reach a peak at 60 degrees C before declining slightly, removal of soluble solid (SS) followed similar pattern and reached peak at 65 degrees C being the highest temperature studied, while the degradation of TSS and TS (TSS + TS) decreased with an increase in temperature. Digestion at pH 7.0 was more efficient than at other pH values. Acetate was the predominant volatile fatty acid (VFA) in all the reactions and accounted for up to 90% of the total. Digestion at 60 degrees C led to the greatest accumulation of acetate, and this coincided with the period of highest oxygen uptake, and rapid consumption of soluble carbohydrate. Iso-valerate was also produced at all pH values. Digestion at 55 degrees C and also at pH 7.0 led to rapid and efficient processes with least accumulation of VFA and should be of interest in full-scale processes whenever it is practicable to regulate the digestion pH and temperature. The result of digestion at unregulated pH indicates that gradual adaptation may be used to achieve efficient treatment at elevated pH values. This would be of interest in full-scale processes where it is not practicable to tightly regulate digestion pH, and where the waste is produced at a pH value much higher than neutral.

  2. Water-quality data for aquifers, streams, and lakes in the vicinity of Keechi, Mount Sylvan, Oakwood, and Palestine salt domes, northeast Texas salt-dome basin

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carr, J.E.; Halasz, S.J.; Liscum, F.

    1980-11-01

    This report contains water-quality data for aquifers, streams, and lakes in the vicinity of Keechi, Mount Sylvan, Oakwood, and Palestine Salt Domes in the northeast Texas salt-dome basin. Water-quality data were compiled for aquifers in the Wilcox Group, the Carrizo Sand, and the Queen City Sand. The data include analyses for dissolved solids, pH, temperature, hardness, calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. Water-quality and streamflow data were obtained from 63 surface-water sites in the vicinity of the domes. These data include water discharge, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Samples were collected at selected sites for analysismore » of principal and selected minor dissolved constituents.« less

  3. Additive effects of pCO2 and temperature on respiration rates of the Antarctic pteropod Limacina helicina antarctica.

    PubMed

    Hoshijima, Umihiko; Wong, Juliet M; Hofmann, Gretchen E

    2017-01-01

    The Antarctic pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica , is a dominant member of the zooplankton in the Ross Sea and supports the vast diversity of marine megafauna that designates this region as an internationally protected area. Here, we observed the response of respiration rate to abiotic stressors associated with global change-environmentally relevant temperature treatments (-0.8°C, 4°C) and pH treatments reflecting current-day and future modeled extremes (8.2, 7.95 and 7.7 pH at -0.8°C; 8.11, 7.95 and 7.7 pH at 4°C). Sampling repeatedly over a 14-day period in laboratory experiments and using microplate respirometry techniques, we found that the metabolic rate of juvenile pteropods increased in response to low-pH exposure (pH 7.7) at -0.8°C, a near-ambient temperature. Similarly, metabolic rate increased when pteropods were exposed simultaneously to multiple stressors: lowered pH conditions (pH 7.7) and a high temperature (4°C). Overall, the results showed that p CO 2 and temperature interact additively to affect metabolic rates in pteropods. Furthermore, we found that L. h. antarctica can tolerate acute exposure to temperatures far beyond its maximal habitat temperature. Overall, L. h. antarctica appears to be susceptible to pH and temperature stress, two abiotic stressors which are expected to be especially deleterious for ectothermic marine metazoans in polar seas.

  4. Additive effects of pCO2 and temperature on respiration rates of the Antarctic pteropod Limacina helicina antarctica

    PubMed Central

    Hoshijima, Umihiko; Wong, Juliet M

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The Antarctic pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica, is a dominant member of the zooplankton in the Ross Sea and supports the vast diversity of marine megafauna that designates this region as an internationally protected area. Here, we observed the response of respiration rate to abiotic stressors associated with global change—environmentally relevant temperature treatments (−0.8°C, 4°C) and pH treatments reflecting current-day and future modeled extremes (8.2, 7.95 and 7.7 pH at −0.8°C; 8.11, 7.95 and 7.7 pH at 4°C). Sampling repeatedly over a 14-day period in laboratory experiments and using microplate respirometry techniques, we found that the metabolic rate of juvenile pteropods increased in response to low-pH exposure (pH 7.7) at −0.8°C, a near-ambient temperature. Similarly, metabolic rate increased when pteropods were exposed simultaneously to multiple stressors: lowered pH conditions (pH 7.7) and a high temperature (4°C). Overall, the results showed that pCO2 and temperature interact additively to affect metabolic rates in pteropods. Furthermore, we found that L. h. antarctica can tolerate acute exposure to temperatures far beyond its maximal habitat temperature. Overall, L. h. antarctica appears to be susceptible to pH and temperature stress, two abiotic stressors which are expected to be especially deleterious for ectothermic marine metazoans in polar seas. PMID:29218223

  5. Kinetic model to explain the effect of ocean warming and acidification on the Fe(II) oxidation rate in oligotrophic and eutrophic natural waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    González-Dávila, M.; Samperio-Ramos, G.; Santana-Casiano, J. M.; Gonzallez, A. G.; Pérez-Almeida, N.

    2016-12-01

    The speciation of inorganic Fe(II) as a function of the pH and temperature have been modeled in order to elucidate the inorganic Fe(II) redox behavior over a wide range of scenarios of acidification and global warming of the upper ocean, as well as, changes due to natural ambient fluctuations of pH and temperature. In addition, a kinetic modeling approach has been carried out to elucidate the fractional contribution of most kinetically active Fe(II) species to the overall oxidation rate to improve our future and present knowledge with respect to redox iron chemistry in the marine systems. The kinetic model considers the interactions of Fe(II) with the major ions in seawater, including phosphate and silicate and the competition with copper with the ROS. The model has been applied to the experimental results in order to describe the effect of temperature and pH in the speciation of Fe(II) and to compute the fractional contribution of each Fe(II)-specie to the overall oxidation rate. The oxidation rates (kapp) of nanomolar levels of Fe(II) have been studied in seawater enriched with nutrients (SWEN) in air saturated conditions. The nutrient effect (nitrate, phosphate and silicate), on the oxidation of Fe(II), has been evaluated as a function of pH (7.2-8.2), temperature (5-35 ºC) and salinity (10-37.09). The oxidation of Fe(II) was faster in the presence of nutrient with the change in the Fe(II) oxidation rates (Δlogkapp) more intensive at higher temperatures over the entire pH range studied. From the model it can be observed that the inorganic speciation of Fe(II) is controlled largely by pH, either in SW or in SWEN. A greater presence of Fe-nutrient reactive species (FeH3SiO4+ and FePO4-) in SWEN at higher temperatures explained the changes in the oxidation process. The individual oxidation rates by oxygen, for the Fe(II) most kinetically active species (Fe2+, FeOH+, Fe(OH)2, FeCO3(OH)-, FeCO3, Fe(CO3)22-, FeH3SiO3+, FePO4-), were fitted as a function of the temperature.

  6. BioPhotonics workstation: A versatile setup for simultaneous optical manipulation, heat stress, and intracellular pH measurements of a live yeast cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aabo, Thomas; Banás, Andrew Raphael; Glückstad, Jesper; Siegumfeldt, Henrik; Arneborg, Nils

    2011-08-01

    In this study we have modified the BioPhotonics workstation (BWS), which allows for using long working distance objective for optical trapping, to include traditional epi-fluorescence microscopy, using the trapping objectives. We have also added temperature regulation of sample stage, allowing for fast temperature variations while trapping. Using this modified BWS setup, we investigated the internal pH (pHi) response and membrane integrity of an optically trapped Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell at 5 mW subject to increasing temperatures. The pHi of the cell is obtained from the emission of 5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein diacetate, succinimidyl ester, at 435 and 485 nm wavelengths, while the permeability is indicated by the fluorescence of propidium iodide. We present images mapping the pHi and permeability of the cell at different temperatures and with enough spatial resolution to localize these attributes within the cell. The combined capability of optical trapping, fluorescence microscopy and temperature regulation offers a versatile tool for biological research.

  7. Nitrogen removal via nitrite from seawater contained sewage.

    PubMed

    Peng, Yongzhen; Yu, De-Shuang; Liang, Dawei; Zhu, Guibing

    2004-01-01

    Under the control of both pH and the concentration of free ammonia (FA), the nitrification-denitrification via nitrite pathway was accomplished in SBR to achieve enhanced biological nitrogen removal from seawater contained wastewater, which is used to flush toilet, under relatively high salinity. Several parameters including salinity, temperature, pH, and NH4+-N loading rate were studied to evaluate their effects. The results indicate that at different salinity the nitrogen removal efficiency is relative to ammonia-nitrogen loading rate. The nitrogen removal efficiency reaches above 90% when the NH4+-N loading does not exceed 0.15 kg NH4+-N/kg MLSS d. With the salinity increasing, the ammonia-nitrogen loading rate should be lowered to obtain high removal efficiency. The evaluation of temperature effect shows that nitrogen removal efficiency is promoted twice when reaction temperature is elevated from 20 to 30 degrees C. Moderately high pH in the range of 7.5-8.5 has advantage to achieve effective nitrification-denitrification via nitrite, the process of which is caused by the selective inhibition of free ammonia (FA).

  8. Stability of Tranexamic Acid after 12-Week Storage at Temperatures from -20 deg C to 50 deg C

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-07-01

    PRELIMINARY REPORTS STABILITY OF TRANEXAMIC ACID AFTER 12-WEEK STORAGE AT TEMPERATURES FROM –20◦C TO 50◦C Rodolfo de Guzman, Jr., MT, I. Amy...Polykratis, BS, Jill L. Sondeen, PhD, Daniel N. Darlington, PhD, Andrew P. Cap, MD, PhD, Michael A. Dubick, PhD ABSTRACT Background. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is... tranexamic acid ; temperature stability; HPLC; thromboelastography; storage PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE 2013;17:394–400 BACKGROUND Hemorrhage is the leading

  9. Response surface methodology as an approach to determine optimal activities of lipase entrapped in sol-gel matrix using different vegetable oils.

    PubMed

    Pinheiro, Rubiane C; Soares, Cleide M F; de Castro, Heizir F; Moraes, Flavio F; Zanin, Gisella M

    2008-03-01

    The conditions for maximization of the enzymatic activity of lipase entrapped in sol-gel matrix were determined for different vegetable oils using an experimental design. The effects of pH, temperature, and biocatalyst loading on lipase activity were verified using a central composite experimental design leading to a set of 13 assays and the surface response analysis. For canola oil and entrapped lipase, statistical analyses showed significant effects for pH and temperature and also the interactions between pH and temperature and temperature and biocatalyst loading. For the olive oil and entrapped lipase, it was verified that the pH was the only variable statistically significant. This study demonstrated that response surface analysis is a methodology appropriate for the maximization of the percentage of hydrolysis, as a function of pH, temperature, and lipase loading.

  10. Immunomodulatory effects of temperature and pH of water in an Indian freshwater sponge.

    PubMed

    Mukherjee, Soumalya; Bhunia, Anindya Sundar; Bhunia, Niladri Sekhar; Ray, Mitali; Ray, Sajal

    2016-07-01

    Eunapius carteri, a freshwater sponge of India, inhabits the ponds and lakes and experiences variations of temperature and pH of water throughout the year. Sponges bear evolutionary and ecological importance with limited information on their immunological attribute and adaptational resilience in a changing environment. This paper reports temperature and pH specific responses of immune related parameters in sponge maintained in the experimental conditions of laboratory. Innate immunological parameters like phagocytosis and generation of cytotoxic molecules like superoxide anion, nitric oxide and phenoloxidase activity were estimated in E. carteri at different environmentally realistic water temperatures (10, 20, 30 and 40°C) and pH (6.4, 7.4 and 8.4). Phagocytosis and cytotoxicity are established as important immune parameters of invertebrates. Calalase, an antioxidant enzyme and phosphatases are involved in pathogen destruction and are considered as components of innate immunity. Activities of catalase, acid and alkaline phosphatases were estimated in E. carteri at different thermal regimes and pH. Modulation of phagocytic and cytotoxic responses and the activities of catalase and phosphatases at different water temperatures and pH indicated temperature and pH specific immunological status of E. carteri. Present investigation deals with the effects of selected hydrological parameters on the fundamental immune related parameters in sponge indicating its adaptational plasticity. Immunological resilience of this species in the face of variation of water temperature and pH is thought to be a special adaptive feature of sponge, a reported "living fossil". Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Systematic variations in sinter mineralogy, microtexture and diagenesis in modern siliceous hot springs: Clues for interpreting depositional conditions in ancient deposits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mills, V. W.; Farmer, J. D.; Ruff, S. W.; Nunez, J.; Jahnke, L. L.

    2011-12-01

    The deposits of siliceous hydrothermal springs are known to capture and preserve a wide range of microbial fossil information. The recent discovery of hydrothermal silica at Home Plate, Columbia Hills, Mars has once again raised interest in the potential importance of ancient spring sinters as targets for future astrobiological mission to Mars. To create additional context information to support future in situ missions to Mars, we have documented systematic changes in the mineralogy and microtexture of modern siliceous hot spring deposits, observed along gradients in temperature, pH and flow velocity. Specific objectives are to: 1) identify chemical and physical factors that promote early diagenetic transformations of amorphous silica (opal-A), to progressively more ordered and crystalline phases (cristobalite, tridymite and quartz); 2) determine the composition and abundance of minor mineral phases, especially clays, in relationship to pH, temperature and paragenesis; and 3) to assess the usefulness of sinter mineralogy and microtexture in reconstructing the paleoenvironmental records preserved in ancient deposits. Study sites for acidic (pH 2-5) sinters included Nymph Creek, located in the Norris Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Active alkaline (pH 7-10) springs included Rabbit Creek, Steep Cone and Mound Spring located in the Lower Geyser Basin, YNP. Field measurements in active springs included pH, temperature and flow velocity, along with general microfacies assignments. To better constrain types and rates of silica diagenesis, the study also sampled older (Holocene-Pleistocene-aged) deposits. Laboratory analyses included X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), thermal infrared spectroscopy (TIR) and thin section petrography for characterizing sinter microtextures and for placing mineral phases (identified by XRPD and TIR) into a time-ordered diagenetic framework. In analyzing the phyllosilicates present in sinters, we applied clay separation and glycolization methods, with XRPD. Results indicate that all of the acidic sinters we studied showed more extensive early diagenetic ordering of silica phases (opal-A to cristobalite and quartz) than the comparable microfacies of alkaline-neutral sinters. Clay analyses showed no evidence for smectitic (expansive) clays, but kaolin family clays (dickite, kaolinite and halloysite) were present in both acidic and alkaline sinters. The microfacies distribution observed for clays suggests: 1) dickite being more abundant in higher temperature (near-vent) microfacies, 2) kaolinite dominating mid-temperature outflow channels, slope and upper distal apron microfacies, and 3) halloysite being restricted to lower distal apron-marsh microfacies transitions. Future work will expand clay analyses to apply near-IR spectroscopy to a broader range of samples to assess the consistency with patterns suggested from XRPD.

  12. Effect of pH, temperature, humic acid and coexisting anions on reduction of Cr(Ⅵ) in the soil leachate by nZVI/Ni bimetal material.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Fang; Li, Luwei; Ren, Wentao; Deng, Xiaoqiang; Liu, Tao

    2017-08-01

    Nano zero valent iron/Ni bimetal materials (nZVI/Ni) were prepared by borohydride reduction method to remediate toxic Cr(Ⅵ) contaminated in soil leachate. nZVI/Ni was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Different factors including pH value of soil leachate, reaction time, temperature, humic acid and coexisting anions (SO 4 2- , NO 3 - , HCO 3 - , CO 3 2- ) were studied to analyze the reduction rate. Results showed that the reduction rate of Cr(Ⅵ) could reach 99.84% under the condition of pH of 5 and temperature of 303 K. pH values and temperature of soil leachate had a significant effect on the reduction efficiency, while humic acid had inhibition effect for the reduction reaction. SO 4 2- , HCO 3 - and CO 3 2- had inhibition effect for reduction rate, while NO 3 - barely influenced the reduction process of nZVI/Ni. Moreover, Langumir-Hinshelwood first order kinetic model was studied and could describe the reduction process well. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the reaction process was endothermic and spontaneous. Activation energy was 143.80 kJ mol -1 , showing that the reaction occurred easily. Therefore, the study provides an idea for nZVI/Ni further research and practical application of nZVI/Ni in soil remediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Sensitivity of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) to pH and heat treatment in the presence or absence of porcine plasma.

    PubMed

    Quist-Rybachuk, G V; Nauwynck, H J; Kalmar, I D

    2015-12-31

    Emergence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) resulted in massive neonatal mortality in the North-American and Asian pork industry. Measures to prevent its geographical spread are of utmost importance to safeguard susceptible porcine populations. The major infection route is direct or indirect faecal-oral contact. Adequate biosafety measures should be in place at all levels of the swine production chain, including feed and feed ingredients. Present study aimed to investigate the sensitivity of PEDV to thermal inactivation at neutral and alkaline pH in presence or absence of porcine plasma. Cell culture medium and porcine plasma at different pH (7.2, 9.2, 10.2) and temperature conditions (4 °C, 40 °C, 44 °C, 48 °C) were inoculated to a final titer of 5.5 log10 TCID50 PEDV/ml, incubated for up to 120 min and the residual infectivity was determined by endpoint dilution assay. Irrespective of presence of plasma, PEDV was not sensitive to pH 7.2-10.2 at 4 °C. At moderate temperatures (≥40 °C), both alkaline pH and presence of plasma potentiated thermal inactivation. Inactivation of 8 log10 TCID50/ml plasma within 30 min (8D value<30 min) by moderate pH and temperature would denote potential industrial processing conditions that ensure safety towards PEDV while limiting denaturation of bioactive components. Virus-spiked plasma required heat treatment of 40 °C and alkalinization to pH 9.2 to achieve 8 log10 reduction within such time. At pH 10.2 and 48 °C, the 8D value was 4.6 min in plasma and 15.2 min in MEM. Here we propose heat-alkalinity-time (HAT) pasteurization as a highly efficient method to inactivate PEDV during industrial processing of porcine plasma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Milk pH as a function of CO2 concentration, temperature, and pressure in a heat exchanger.

    PubMed

    Ma, Y; Barbano, D M

    2003-12-01

    Raw skim milk, with or without added CO2, was heated, held, and cooled in a small pilot-scale tubular heat exchanger (372 ml/min). The experiment was replicated twice, and, for each replication, milk was first carbonated at 0 to 1 degree C to contain 0 (control), 600, 1200, 1800, and 2400 ppm added CO2 using a continuous carbonation unit. After storage at 0 to 1 degree C, portions of milk at each CO2 concentration were heated to 40, 56, 72, and 80 degrees C, held at the desired temperature for 30 s (except 80 degrees C, holding 20 s) and cooled to 0 to 1 degree C. At each temperature, five pressures were applied: 69, 138, 207, 276, and 345 kPa. Pressure was controlled with a needle valve at the heat exchanger exit. Both the pressure gauge and pH probe were inline at the end of the holding section. Milk pH during heating depended on CO2 concentration, temperature, and pressure. During heating of milk without added CO2, pH decreased linearly as a function of increasing temperature but was independent of pressure. In general, the pH of milk with added CO2 decreased with increasing CO2 concentration and pressure. For milk with added CO2, at a fixed CO2 concentration, the effect of pressure on pH decrease was greater at a higher temperature. At a fixed temperature, the effect of pressure on pH decrease was greater for milk with a higher CO2 concentration. Thermal death of bacteria during pasteurization of milk without added CO2 is probably due not only to temperature but also to the decrease in pH that occurs during the process. Increasing milk CO2 concentration and pressure decreases the milk pH even further during heating and may further enhance the microbial killing power of pasteurization.

  15. Evaluation of Eurasian Watermilfoil Control Techniques Using Aquatic Herbicides in Fort Peck Lake, Montana

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-07-01

    19 Table 3. Temperature , dissolved oxygen , pH, and wind...21 Table 4. Temperature , dissolved oxygen , and pH measured in the study plots following treatment, Fort Peck Lake, MT, 2012...quality, particularly temperature , pH, dissolved oxygen , and nutrient cycling (Prentki et al. 1979; Carpenter and Lodge 1986, Frodge et al. 1990; Boylen

  16. Electronic conductance of a poly(p-phenylene)-like nanowire in the presence of thermal atomic vibrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shariati, Ashrafalsadat; Rabani, Hassan; Mardaani, Mohammad

    2017-10-01

    We present a theoretical method based on Green’s function technique and tight-binding approach as well as harmonic approximation in order to calculate the coherent electronic conductance of an extended poly(p-phenylene) oligomer in the presence of thermal atomic vibrations. We study two proposed mass-spring models for atomic vibrations: one, including rigid benzene rings connected to each other by vibrating bonds; and in another, the bonds along the oligomer vibrate even in the benzene rings. The electron-phonon (e-ph) interaction influences the electron hopping energies linearly with respect to atomic displacements. The model shows that the conductance spectra exhibit some new energy gaps in the presence of e-ph interaction even at zero temperature. The conductance is more affected by e-ph interaction when the atomic vibrations are supposed to be present in the benzene rings. At the edges of the band energy and central gap, the phonon-assisted phenomena can be observed. Generally, the increasing e-ph interaction strength as well as temperature destroys the electronic conductance especially in the resonance region.

  17. Temperature modulates the response of the thermophilous sea urchin Arbacia lixula early life stages to CO2-driven acidification.

    PubMed

    Gianguzza, Paola; Visconti, Giulia; Gianguzza, Fabrizio; Vizzini, Salvatrice; Sarà, Gianluca; Dupont, Sam

    2014-02-01

    The increasing abundances of the thermophilous black sea urchin Arbacia lixula in the Mediterranean Sea are attributed to the Western Mediterranean warming. However, few data are available on the potential impact of this warming on A. lixula in combination with other global stressors such as ocean acidification. The aim of this study is to investigate the interactive effects of increased temperature and of decreased pH on fertilization and early development of A. lixula. This was tested using a fully crossed design with four temperatures (20, 24, 26 and 27 °C) and two pH levels (pHNBS 8.2 and 7.9). Temperature and pH had no significant effect on fertilization and larval survival (2d) for temperature <27 °C. At 27 °C, the fertilization success was very low (<1%) and all larvae died within 2d. Both temperature and pH had effects on the developmental dynamics. Temperature appeared to modulate the impact of decreasing pH on the % of larvae reaching the pluteus stage leading to a positive effect (faster growth compared to pH 8.2) of low pH at 20 °C, a neutral effect at 24 °C and a negative effect (slower growth) at 26 °C. These results highlight the importance of considering a range of temperatures covering today and the future environmental variability in any experiment aiming at studying the impact of ocean acidification. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Hg2+-reactive double hydrophilic block copolymer assemblies as novel multifunctional fluorescent probes with improved performance.

    PubMed

    Hu, Jinming; Li, Changhua; Liu, Shiyong

    2010-01-19

    We report on novel type of responsive double hydrophilic block copolymer (DHBC)-based multifunctional chemosensors to Hg(2+) ions, pH, and temperatures and investigate the effects of thermo-induced micellization on the detection sensitivity. Well-defined DHBCs bearing rhodamine B-based Hg(2+)-reactive moieties (RhBHA) in the thermo-responsive block, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-RhBHA) (PEO-b-P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA)), were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Nonfluorescent RhBHA moieties are subjected to selective ring-opening reaction upon addition of Hg(2+) ions or lowering solution pH, producing highly fluorescent acyclic species. Thus, at room temperature PEO-b-P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA) DHBCs can serve as water-soluble multifunctional and efficient fluorescent chemosensors to Hg(2+) ions and pH. Upon heating above the lower critical solution temperature (approximately 36 degrees C) of the PNIPAM block, they self-assemble into micelles possessing P(NIPAM-co-RhBHA) cores and well-solvated PEO coronas, which were fully characterized by dynamic and static laser light scattering. It was found that the detection sensitivity to Hg(2+) ions and pH could be dramatically improved at elevated temperatures due to fluorescence enhancement of RhBHA residues in the acyclic form, which were embedded within hydrophobic cores of thermo-induced micellar aggregates. This work represents a proof-of-concept example of responsive DHBC-based multifunctional fluorescent chemosensors for the highly efficient detection of Hg(2+) ions, pH, and temperatures with tunable detection sensitivity. Compared to reaction-based small molecule Hg(2+) probes in previous literature reports, the integration of stimuli-responsive block copolymers with well-developed small molecule-based selective sensing moieties in the current study are expected to exhibit preferred advantages including enhanced detection sensitivity, water dispersibility, biocompatibility, facile incorporation into devices, and the ability of further functionalization for targeted imaging and detection.

  19. The tunable wettability in multistimuli-responsive smart graphene surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wan, Shanhong; Pu, Jibin; Zhang, Xiaoqian; Wang, Liping; Xue, Qunji

    2013-01-01

    The tunable wettability of smart graphene films onto stainless steel substrates with a multi-response to different environmental stimuli has been investigated including light irradiation, pH, electric field, and annealing temperature. Conductive graphene film exhibited the controllable transition from water-repellent to water-loving characteristic in response to different environment fields, which primarily resulted from the morpho-chemically synergistic effect as well as the restoration of electronic stucture. Based on the fundamental theories of wettability, mechanisms in switching from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity for smart graphene surface including thermal chemistry, electrostatic, photo-induced surface chemistry, solvent, and pH methods were presented.

  20. Temperature influences neuronal activity and CO2/pH sensitivity of locus coeruleus neurons in the bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus.

    PubMed

    Santin, Joseph M; Watters, Kayla C; Putnam, Robert W; Hartzler, Lynn K

    2013-12-15

    The locus coeruleus (LC) is a chemoreceptive brain stem region in anuran amphibians and contains neurons sensitive to physiological changes in CO2/pH. The ventilatory and central sensitivity to CO2/pH is proportional to the temperature in amphibians, i.e., sensitivity increases with increasing temperature. We hypothesized that LC neurons from bullfrogs, Lithobates catesbeianus, would increase CO2/pH sensitivity with increasing temperature and decrease CO2/pH sensitivity with decreasing temperature. Further, we hypothesized that cooling would decrease, while warming would increase, normocapnic firing rates of LC neurons. To test these hypotheses, we used whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiology to measure firing rate, membrane potential (V(m)), and input resistance (R(in)) in LC neurons in brain stem slices from adult bullfrogs over a physiological range of temperatures during normocapnia and hypercapnia. We found that cooling reduced chemosensitive responses of LC neurons as temperature decreased until elimination of CO2/pH sensitivity at 10°C. Chemosensitive responses increased at elevated temperatures. Surprisingly, chemosensitive LC neurons increased normocapnic firing rate and underwent membrane depolarization when cooled and decreased normocapnic firing rate and underwent membrane hyperpolarization when warmed. These responses to temperature were not observed in nonchemosensitive LC neurons or neurons in a brain stem slice 500 μm rostral to the LC. Our results indicate that modulation of cellular chemosensitivity within the LC during temperature changes may influence temperature-dependent respiratory drive during acid-base disturbances in amphibians. Additionally, cold-activated/warm-inhibited LC neurons introduce paradoxical temperature sensitivity in respiratory control neurons of amphibians.

  1. Temperature sensitivity of organic substrate decay varies with pH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Min, K.; Lehmeier, C.; Ballantyne, F.; Billings, S. A.

    2012-12-01

    Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in soils and globally ubiquitous. It serves as a primary carbon source for myriad microbes able to release cellulases which cleave the cellulose into smaller molecules. For example, β-glucosidase, one type of cellulase, breaks down a terminal β-glycosidic bond of cellulose. The carbon of the liberated glucose becomes available for microbial uptake, after which it can then be mineralized and returned to the atmosphere via heterotrophic respiration. Thus, exoenzymes play an important role in the global cycling of carbon. Numerous studies suggest that global warming potentially increases the rate at which β-glucosidase breaks down cellulose, but it is not known how pH of the soil solution influences the effect of temperature on cellulose decomposition rates; this is important given the globally wide range of soil pH. Using fluorescence enzyme assay techniques, we studied the effect of temperature and pH on the reaction rate at which purified β-Glucosidase decays β-D-cellobioside (a compound often employed to simulate cellulose). We evaluated the temperature sensitivity of this reaction at five temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C) and six pH values (3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, and 8.5)encompassing the naturally occurring range in soils, in a full-factorial design. First, we determined Vmax at 25°C and pH 6.5, standard conditions for measuring enzyme activities in many studies. The Vmax was 858.65 μmol h-1mg-1and was achieved at substrate concentration of 270 μM. At all pH values, the reaction rate slowed down at lower temperatures; at a pH of 3.5, no enzymatic activity was detected. The enzyme activity was significantly different between pH 4.5 and higher pHs. For example, enzyme reactivity at pH 4.5 was significantly lower than that at 7.5 at 20 and 25°C (Bonferroni-corrected P =0.0006, 0.0004, respectively), but not at lower temperatures. Similarly, enzyme reactivity at pH 4.5 was lower than that at pH 8.5 at 10, 15, and 25°C (P=0.0009, 0.0007, 0.0005, respectively), with a near-significant trend at 20°C (P=0.0023), and exhibited a nearly significant depression in response to temperature at 25°C compared to that at pH 6.5 (P=0.0015). Our results suggest that exoenzymatic cellulose decomposition with warming may be more enhanced in soil systems exhibiting higher pH. This work highlights the importance of soil solution pH as a driver of temperature sensitivity of substrate decay, and adds a level of complexity for developing accurate predictions of soil carbon cycling with climate change.

  2. Prolonged Laccase Production by a Cold and pH Tolerant Strain of Penicillium pinophilum (MCC 1049) Isolated from a Low Temperature Environment

    PubMed Central

    Jain, Rahul; Tamta, Sushma

    2014-01-01

    Production of laccase by a cold and pH tolerant strain of Penicillium pinophilum has been investigated under different cultural conditions for up to 35 days of incubation. The fungus was originally isolated from a low temperature environment under mountain ecosystem of Indian Himalaya. The estimations were conducted at 3 temperatures (15, 25, and 35°C), a range of pH (3.5–11.5), and in presence of supplements including carbon and nitrogen sources, vitamins, and antibiotics. Optimum production of laccase was recorded at 25°C (optimum temperature for fungal growth) and 7.5 pH. The production of enzyme was recorded maximum on day 28 (11.6 ± 0.52 U/L) following a slow decline at day 35 of incubation (10.6 ± 0.80 U/L). Fructose and potassium nitrate (0.2%) among nutritional supplements, chloramphenicol (0.1%) among antibiotics, and folic acid (0.1%) among vitamins were found to be the best enhancers for production of laccase. Relatively lower but consistent production of laccase for a longer period is likely to be an ecologically important phenomenon under low temperature environment. Further, enhancement in production of enzyme using various supplements will be useful for its use in specific biotechnological applications. PMID:24734172

  3. Metagenomic analysis reveals adaptations to a cold-adapted lifestyle in a low-temperature acid mine drainage stream.

    PubMed

    Liljeqvist, Maria; Ossandon, Francisco J; González, Carolina; Rajan, Sukithar; Stell, Adam; Valdes, Jorge; Holmes, David S; Dopson, Mark

    2015-04-01

    An acid mine drainage (pH 2.5-2.7) stream biofilm situated 250 m below ground in the low-temperature (6-10°C) Kristineberg mine, northern Sweden, contained a microbial community equipped for growth at low temperature and acidic pH. Metagenomic sequencing of the biofilm and planktonic fractions identified the most abundant microorganism to be similar to the psychrotolerant acidophile, Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans. In addition, metagenome contigs were most similar to other Acidithiobacillus species, an Acidobacteria-like species, and a Gallionellaceae-like species. Analyses of the metagenomes indicated functional characteristics previously characterized as related to growth at low temperature including cold-shock proteins, several pathways for the production of compatible solutes and an anti-freeze protein. In addition, genes were predicted to encode functions related to pH homeostasis and metal resistance related to growth in the acidic metal-containing mine water. Metagenome analyses identified microorganisms capable of nitrogen fixation and exhibiting a primarily autotrophic lifestyle driven by the oxidation of the ferrous iron and inorganic sulfur compounds contained in the sulfidic mine waters. The study identified a low diversity of abundant microorganisms adapted to a low-temperature acidic environment as well as identifying some of the strategies the microorganisms employ to grow in this extreme environment. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Flocculation of copper(II) and tetracycline from water using a novel pH- and temperature-responsive flocculants.

    PubMed

    Yang, Zhen; Jia, Shuying; Zhuo, Ning; Yang, Weiben; Wang, Yuping

    2015-12-01

    Insufficient research is available on flocculation of combined pollutants of heavy metals and antibiotics, which widely exist in livestock wastewaters. Aiming at solving difficulties in flocculation of this sort of combined pollution, a novel pH- and temperature-responsive biomass-based flocculant, carboxymethyl chitosan-graft-poly(N-isoproyl acrylamide-co-diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (denoted as CND) with two responsive switches [lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and isoelectric point (IEP)], was designed and synthesized. Its flocculation performance at different temperatures and pHs was evaluated using copper(II) and tetracycline (TC) as model contaminants. CND exhibited high efficiency for coremoval of both contaminants, whereas two commercial flocculants (polyaluminum chloride and polyacrylamide) did not. Especially, flocculation performance of the dual-responsive flocculant under conditions of temperature>LCST and IEP(contaminants)

  5. 31P and 13C NMR analyses of the energy metabolism of the thermophilic anaerobe Clostridium thermocellum.

    PubMed

    Tolman, C J; Kanodia, S; Roberts, M F

    1987-08-15

    The energy metabolism of an anaerobic obligate thermophile, Clostridium thermocellum, has been examined as a function of incubation temperature using 31P NMR spectroscopy. Specifically investigated were the generation and availability of ATP as a function of temperature, activation energies for key processes in energy metabolism including formation of a pH gradient across the cell membrane, transport of key nutrients, and initial steps in glycolysis, and the existence of a membrane phase transition in the intact organism. Cells generate ATP via glycolysis at all temperatures examined; hence, limitation of the energy supply is not directly responsible for the lack of growth of this organism at low temperatures. Estimations of activation energies show a distinct hierarchy in the ATP-utilizing reactions examined. Conservation of ATP hydrolysis energy as delta pH has the lowest activation energy (less than or equal to 4 kcal/mol), two transport processes exhibit 10 kcal/mol activation energies, and early phosphorylation steps in glycolysis have significantly higher activation energies (approximately 25 kcal/mol). Neither the membrane-bound ATPase responsible for formation of the pH gradient nor the permease involved in phosphate transport shows evidence of a change in behavior around the phase transition temperature determined for extracted lipids of C. thermocellum. Line widths of inorganic phosphate do show a break in behavior around 35-40 degrees C. Possible explanations for this behavior are discussed.

  6. Combined effects of ocean acidification and temperature on planula larvae of the moon jellyfish Aurelia coerulea.

    PubMed

    Dong, Zhijun; Sun, Tingting

    2018-08-01

    Rapidly rising levels of atmospheric CO 2 have caused two environmental stressors, ocean acidification and seawater temperature increases, which represent major abiotic threats to marine organisms. Here, we investigated for the first time the combined effects of ocean acidification and seawater temperature increases on the behavior, survival, and settlement of the planula larvae of Aurelia coerulea, which is considered a nuisance species around the world. Three pH levels (8.1, 7.7 and 7.3) and two temperature levels (24 °C and 27 °C) were used in the present study. There were no interactive effects of temperature and pH on the behavior, survival, and settlement of planula larvae of A. coerulea. We found that the swimming speed and mortality of the planula larvae of A. coerulea were significantly affected by temperature, and low pH significantly affected settlement. Planula larvae of A. coerulea from the elevated temperature treatment moved faster and showed higher mortality than those at the control temperature. The settlement rate of A. coerulea planulae was significantly higher at the pH level of 7.3 than at other pH levels. These results suggest that seawater temperature increase, rather than reduced pH, was the main stress factor affecting the survival of A. coerulea planulae. Overall, the planula larvae of the common jellyfish A. coerulea appeared to be resistant to ocean acidification, but may be negatively affected by future seawater temperature increases. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. How pH, Temperature, and Time of Incubation Affect False-Positive Responses and Uncertainty of the LAL Gel-Clot Test.

    PubMed

    Lourenço, Felipe Rebello; Botelho, Túlia De Souza; Pinto, Terezinha De Jesus Andreoli

    2012-01-01

    The limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test is the simplest and most widely used procedure for detection of endotoxin in parenteral drugs. The LAL test demands optimal pH, ionic strength, temperature, and time of incubation. Slight changes in these parameters may increase the frequency of false-positive responses and the estimated uncertainty of the LAL test. The aim of this paper is to evaluate how changes in the pH, temperature, and time of incubation affect the occurrence of false-positive responses in the LAL test. LAL tests were performed in nominal conditions (37 °C, 60 min, and pH 7) and in different conditions of temperature (36 °C and 38 °C), time of incubation (58 and 62 min), and pH (6 and 8). Slight differences in pH increase the frequency of false-positive responses 5-fold (relative risk 5.0), resulting in an estimated of uncertainty 7.6%. Temperature and time of incubation affect the LAL test less, showing relative risks of 1.5 and 1.0, respectively. Estimated uncertainties in 36 °C or 38 °C temperatures and 58 or 62 min of incubation were found to be 2.0% and 1.0%, respectively. Simultaneous differences in these parameters significantly increase the frequency of false-positive responses. The limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) gel-clot test is a simple test for detection of endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria. The test is based on a gel formation when a certain amount of endotoxin is present; it is a pass/fail test. The LAL test requires optimal pH, ionic strength, temperature, and time of incubation. Slight difference in these parameters may increase the frequency of false-positive responses. The aim of this paper is to evaluate how changes in the pH, temperature, and time of incubation affect the occurrence of false-positive responses in the LAL test. We find that slight differences in pH increase the frequency of false-positive responses 5-fold. Temperature and time of incubation affect the LAL test less. Simultaneous differences in these parameters significantly increase the frequency of false-positive responses.

  8. The role of graphene oxide and graphene oxide-based nanomaterials in the removal of pharmaceuticals from aqueous media: a review.

    PubMed

    Khan, Ayub; Wang, Jian; Li, Jun; Wang, Xiangxue; Chen, Zhongshan; Alsaedi, Ahmed; Hayat, Tasawar; Chen, Yuantao; Wang, Xiangke

    2017-03-01

    In this review paper, the ill effects of pharmaceuticals (PhAs) on the environment and their adsorption on graphene oxide (GO) and graphene oxide-based (GO-based) nanomaterials have been summarised and discussed. The adsorption of prominent PhAs discussed herein includes beta-blockers (atenolol and propranolol), antibiotics (tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole), pharmaceutically active compounds (carbamazepine) and analgesics such as diclofenac. The adsorption of PhAs strictly depends upon the experimental conditions such as pH, adsorbent and adsorbate concentrations, temperature, ionic strength, etc. To understand the adsorption mechanism and feasibility of the adsorption process, the adsorption isotherms, thermodynamics and kinetic studies were also considered. Except for some cases, GO and its derivatives show excellent adsorption capacities for PhAs, which is crucial for their applications in the environmental pollution cleanup.

  9. Effects of niacin supplementation and dietary concentrate proportion on body temperature, ruminal pH and milk performance of primiparous dairy cows.

    PubMed

    Lohölter, Malte; Meyer, Ulrich; Rauls, Caroline; Rehage, Jürgen; Dänicke, Sven

    2013-06-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of niacin and dietary concentrate proportion on body temperature, ruminal pH and milk production of dairy cows. In a 2 × 2 factorial design, 20 primiparous Holstein cows (179 ± 12 days in milk) were assigned to four dietary treatments aimed to receive either 0 or 24 g niacin and 30% (low) or 60% (high) concentrate with the rest being a partial mixed ration (PMR) composed of 60% corn and 40% grass silage (on dry matter basis). Ambient temperature and relative humidity were determined and combined by the calculation of temperature humidity index. Respiration rates, rectal, skin and subcutaneous temperatures were measured. Milk production and composition were determined. Ruminal pH and temperature were recorded at a frequency of 5 min using wireless devices for continuous intra-ruminal measurement (boluses). pH values were corrected for pH sensor drift. The climatic conditions varied considerably but temporarily indicated mild heat stress. Niacin did not affect skin, rectal and subcutaneous temperatures but tended to increase respiration rates. High concentrate reduced skin temperatures at rump, thigh and neck by 0.1-0.3°C. Due to the technical disturbances, not all bolus data could be subjected to statistical evaluation. However, both niacin and high concentrate influenced mean ruminal pH. High concentrate increased the time spent with a pH below 5.6 and ruminal temperatures (0.2-0.3°C). Niacin and high concentrate enhanced milk, protein and lactose yield but reduced milk fat and protein content. Milk fat yield was slightly reduced by high concentrate but increased due to niacin supplementation. In conclusion, niacin did not affect body temperature but stimulated milk performance. High concentrate partially influenced body temperatures and had beneficial effects on milk production.

  10. Reducible oxide based catalysts

    DOEpatents

    Thompson, Levi T.; Kim, Chang Hwan; Bej, Shyamal K.

    2010-04-06

    A catalyst is disclosed herein. The catalyst includes a reducible oxide support and at least one noble metal fixed on the reducible oxide support. The noble metal(s) is loaded on the support at a substantially constant temperature and pH.

  11. Escherichia albertii Inactivation following l-Lactic Acid Exposure or Cooking in Ground Beef.

    PubMed

    Jones-Ibarra, Amie M; Wall, Kayley R; Vuia-Riser, Jennifer; Kerth, Chris R; Castillo, Alejandro; Taylor, T Matthew

    2016-09-01

    Escherichia albertii is an emerging foodborne pathogen recovered from young children and adults exhibiting symptoms of gastroenteritis via pathogenesis factors including attaching and effacing lesions, cytolethal distending toxin, and Shiga toxin variants. Study objectives were to determine E. albertii survival following (i) exposure to lactic acid as a function of solution pH and incubation period and (ii) cooking ground beef patties to different endpoint temperatures. E. albertii was incubated in phosphate buffer containing 3.0% l-lactic acid adjusted to pH 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, or 7.0; survivors were determined every 30 min for 150 min. Ground beef patties (80% lean) were cooked to temperature endpoints simulating undercooking (62°C), the minimum temperature for safe cooking (71.1°C), and cooking to well done (76°C). Maximal pathogen reduction was observed after a 30-min exposure to pH 3.0 l-lactic acid. Reductions of 3.9, 4.4, and 4.9 log CFU/g were obtained following cooking ground beef patties to 62, 71.1, and 76°C, respectively, but the reductions did not differ as a function of the endpoint cooking temperature (P ≥ 0.05). E. albertii may be controlled on beef through the proper application of antimicrobial interventions and cooking.

  12. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tang, Guoping; Zheng, Jianqiu; Xu, Xiaofeng

    Soil organic carbon turnover to CO 2 and CH 4 is sensitive to soil redox potential and pH conditions. But, land surface models do not consider redox and pH in the aqueous phase explicitly, thereby limiting their use for making predictions in anoxic environments. Using recent data from incubations of Arctic soils, we extend the Community Land Model with coupled carbon and nitrogen (CLM-CN) decomposition cascade to include simple organic substrate turnover, fermentation, Fe(III) reduction, and methanogenesis reactions, and assess the efficacy of various temperature and pH response functions. Incorporating the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model (WHAM) enables us to approximatelymore » describe the observed pH evolution without additional parameterization. Though Fe(III) reduction is normally assumed to compete with methanogenesis, the model predicts that Fe(III) reduction raises the pH from acidic to neutral, thereby reducing environmental stress to methanogens and accelerating methane production when substrates are not limiting. Furthermore, the equilibrium speciation predicts a substantial increase in CO 2 solubility as pH increases, and taking into account CO 2 adsorption to surface sites of metal oxides further decreases the predicted headspace gas-phase fraction at low pH. Without adequate representation of these speciation reactions, as well as the impacts of pH, temperature, and pressure, the CO 2 production from closed microcosms can be substantially underestimated based on headspace CO 2 measurements only. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of geochemical models for simulating soil biogeochemistry and provide predictive understanding and mechanistic representations that can be incorporated into land surface models to improve climate predictions.« less

  13. Biogeochemical modeling of CO2 and CH4 production in anoxic Arctic soil microcosms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Guoping; Zheng, Jianqiu; Xu, Xiaofeng; Yang, Ziming; Graham, David E.; Gu, Baohua; Painter, Scott L.; Thornton, Peter E.

    2016-09-01

    Soil organic carbon turnover to CO2 and CH4 is sensitive to soil redox potential and pH conditions. However, land surface models do not consider redox and pH in the aqueous phase explicitly, thereby limiting their use for making predictions in anoxic environments. Using recent data from incubations of Arctic soils, we extend the Community Land Model with coupled carbon and nitrogen (CLM-CN) decomposition cascade to include simple organic substrate turnover, fermentation, Fe(III) reduction, and methanogenesis reactions, and assess the efficacy of various temperature and pH response functions. Incorporating the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model (WHAM) enables us to approximately describe the observed pH evolution without additional parameterization. Although Fe(III) reduction is normally assumed to compete with methanogenesis, the model predicts that Fe(III) reduction raises the pH from acidic to neutral, thereby reducing environmental stress to methanogens and accelerating methane production when substrates are not limiting. The equilibrium speciation predicts a substantial increase in CO2 solubility as pH increases, and taking into account CO2 adsorption to surface sites of metal oxides further decreases the predicted headspace gas-phase fraction at low pH. Without adequate representation of these speciation reactions, as well as the impacts of pH, temperature, and pressure, the CO2 production from closed microcosms can be substantially underestimated based on headspace CO2 measurements only. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of geochemical models for simulating soil biogeochemistry and provide predictive understanding and mechanistic representations that can be incorporated into land surface models to improve climate predictions.

  14. Metagenomes from High-Temperature Chemotrophic Systems Reveal Geochemical Controls on Microbial Community Structure and Function

    PubMed Central

    Inskeep, William P.; Rusch, Douglas B.; Jay, Zackary J.; Herrgard, Markus J.; Kozubal, Mark A.; Richardson, Toby H.; Macur, Richard E.; Hamamura, Natsuko; Jennings, Ryan deM.; Fouke, Bruce W.; Reysenbach, Anna-Louise; Roberto, Frank; Young, Mark; Schwartz, Ariel; Boyd, Eric S.; Badger, Jonathan H.; Mathur, Eric J.; Ortmann, Alice C.; Bateson, Mary; Geesey, Gill; Frazier, Marvin

    2010-01-01

    The Yellowstone caldera contains the most numerous and diverse geothermal systems on Earth, yielding an extensive array of unique high-temperature environments that host a variety of deeply-rooted and understudied Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya. The combination of extreme temperature and chemical conditions encountered in geothermal environments often results in considerably less microbial diversity than other terrestrial habitats and offers a tremendous opportunity for studying the structure and function of indigenous microbial communities and for establishing linkages between putative metabolisms and element cycling. Metagenome sequence (14–15,000 Sanger reads per site) was obtained for five high-temperature (>65°C) chemotrophic microbial communities sampled from geothermal springs (or pools) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) that exhibit a wide range in geochemistry including pH, dissolved sulfide, dissolved oxygen and ferrous iron. Metagenome data revealed significant differences in the predominant phyla associated with each of these geochemical environments. Novel members of the Sulfolobales are dominant in low pH environments, while other Crenarchaeota including distantly-related Thermoproteales and Desulfurococcales populations dominate in suboxic sulfidic sediments. Several novel archaeal groups are well represented in an acidic (pH 3) Fe-oxyhydroxide mat, where a higher O2 influx is accompanied with an increase in archaeal diversity. The presence or absence of genes and pathways important in S oxidation-reduction, H2-oxidation, and aerobic respiration (terminal oxidation) provide insight regarding the metabolic strategies of indigenous organisms present in geothermal systems. Multiple-pathway and protein-specific functional analysis of metagenome sequence data corroborated results from phylogenetic analyses and clearly demonstrate major differences in metabolic potential across sites. The distribution of functional genes involved in electron transport is consistent with the hypothesis that geochemical parameters (e.g., pH, sulfide, Fe, O2) control microbial community structure and function in YNP geothermal springs. PMID:20333304

  15. Yield and cold storage of Trichoderma conidia is influenced by substrate pH and storage temperature.

    PubMed

    Steyaert, Johanna M; Chomic, Anastasia; Nieto-Jacobo, Maria; Mendoza-Mendoza, Artemio; Hay, Amanda J; Braithwaite, Mark; Stewart, Alison

    2017-05-01

    In this study we examined the influence of the ambient pH during morphogenesis on conidial yield of Trichoderma sp. "atroviride B" LU132 and T. hamatum LU593 and storage at low temperatures. The ambient pH of the growth media had a dramatic influence on the level of Trichoderma conidiation and this was dependent on the strain and growth media. On malt-extract agar, LU593 yield decreased with increasing pH (3-6), whereas yield increased with increasing pH for LU132. During solid substrate production the reverse was true for LU132 whereby yield decreased with increasing pH. The germination potential of the conidia decreased significantly over time in cold storage and the rate of decline was a factor of the strain, pH during morphogenesis, growth media, and storage temperature. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Ab initio determination of effective electron-phonon coupling factor in copper

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ji, Pengfei; Zhang, Yuwen

    2016-04-01

    The electron temperature Te dependent electron density of states g (ε), Fermi-Dirac distribution f (ε), and electron-phonon spectral function α2 F (Ω) are computed as prerequisites before achieving effective electron-phonon coupling factor Ge-ph. The obtained Ge-ph is implemented into a molecular dynamics (MD) and two-temperature model (TTM) coupled simulation of femtosecond laser heating. By monitoring temperature evolutions of electron and lattice subsystems, the result utilizing Ge-ph from ab initio calculation shows a faster decrease of Te and increase of Tl than those using Ge-ph from phenomenological treatment. The approach of calculating Ge-ph and its implementation into MD-TTM simulation is applicable to other metals.

  17. Physiological changes induced in bacteria following pH stress as a model for space research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baatout, Sarah; Leys, Natalie; Hendrickx, Larissa; Dams, Annik; Mergeay, Max

    2007-02-01

    The physiology of the environmental bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 (previously Ralstonia metallidurans) is being studied in comparison to the clinical model bacterium Escherichia coli in order to understand its behaviour and resistance under extreme conditions (pH, temperature, etc.). This knowledge is of importance in the light of the potential use and interest of this strain for space biology and bioremediation. Flow cytometry provides powerful means to measure a wide range of cell characteristics in microbiological research. In order to estimate physiological changes associated with pH stress, flow cytometry was employed to estimate the extent of damage on cell size, membrane integrity and potential, and production of superoxides in the two bacterial strains. Suspensions of C. metallidurans and E. coli were submitted to a 1-h pH stress (2 to 12). For flow cytometry, fluorochromes, including propidium iodide, 3, 3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide and hydroethidine were chosen as analytical parameters for identifying the physiological state and the overall fitness of individual cells. A physiologic state of the bacterial population was assessed with a Coulter EPICS XL analyser based on the differential uptakes of these fluorescent stains. C. metallidurans cells exhibited a different staining intensity than E. coli cells. For both bacterial strains, the physiological status was only slightly affected between pH 6 and 8 in comparison with pH 7 which represents the reference pH. Moderate physiological damage could be observed at pH 4 and 5 as well as at pH 9 in both strains. At pH 2, 10 and 12, membrane permeability and potential and superoxide anion production were increased to high levels showing dramatic physiological changes. It is apparent that a range of significant physiological alterations occurs after pH stress. Fluorescent staining methods coupled with flow cytometry are useful and complementary for monitoring physiological changes induced not only by pH stress but also temperature and oxidative stress, radiation, pressure as well as space stress.

  18. A novel approach for stabilizing fresh urine by calcium hydroxide addition

    PubMed Central

    Randall, Dyllon G.; Krähenbühl, Manuel; Köpping, Isabell; Larsen, Tove A.; Udert, Kai M.

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we investigated the prevention of enzymatic urea hydrolysis in fresh urine by increasing the pH with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) powder. The amount of Ca(OH)2 dissolving in fresh urine depends significantly on the composition of the urine. The different urine compositions used in our simulations showed that between 4.3 and 5.8 g Ca(OH)2 dissolved in 1 L of urine at 25 °C. At this temperature, the pH at saturation is 12.5 and is far above the pH of 11, which we identified as the upper limit for enzymatic urea hydrolysis. However, temperature has a strong effect on the saturation pH, with higher values being achieved at lower temperatures. Based on our results, we recommend a dosage of 10 g Ca(OH)2 L−1 of fresh urine to ensure solid Ca(OH)2 always remains in the urine reactor which ensures sufficiently high pH values. Besides providing sufficient Ca(OH)2, the temperature has to be kept in a certain range to prevent chemical urea hydrolysis. At temperatures below 14 °C, the saturation pH is higher than 13, which favors chemical urea hydrolysis. We chose a precautionary upper temperature of 40 °C because the rate of chemical urea hydrolysis increases at higher temperatures but this should be confirmed with kinetic studies. By considering the boundaries for pH and temperature developed in this study, urine can be stabilized effectively with Ca(OH)2 thereby simplifying later treatment processes or making direct use easier. PMID:27055084

  19. Temperature range and degree of acidity growth of isolate of indigenous bacteria on fermented feed “fermege”

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Isnawati; Trimulyono, G.

    2018-01-01

    Fermege is a fermented feed of ruminants, especially goats made from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Temperature range and pH need to know in making starter formula for acceleration of fermentation process at making ruminant feed made from this materials. The starter formula expired period can be extended by adjusting starter storage temperature and pH of the starter. This research was aimed to find the temperature and pH range for the growth of isolate of indigenous bacteria “fermege.” This research is an explorative research conducted by growing bacteria isolate indigenous fermege in liquid medium with various pH and incubation in various temperature. Bacterial population was calculated based on turbidity of bacterial suspension with turbidometer. The stages of this research were to isolate the bacteria present in the fermege, purify the isolates found, and then grow the isolates in a liquid medium with various pH values. The isolated bacterials were incubated at different temperature variations. The cell population density of the isolates was calculated after incubation for 24 hours. The results showed there were eight indigenous bacterial isolates. All isolates can grow in the pH range 6 and 7. Two isolates (Bacillus subtilis and B. pumilus) can grow at 4°C. All isolates obtained can grow at a temperature of 30°C. Isolates Bacillus badius, B. subtilis, B. cereus, Pseudomonas stutzeri and P. diminuta can grow at 50°C. Based on research indicates that indigenous fermege bacterial isolates have the ability to grow in the neutral pH range and temperature range between 4°C and 50°C.

  20. Finding stable cellulase and xylanase: evaluation of the synergistic effect of pH and temperature.

    PubMed

    Farinas, Cristiane S; Loyo, Marcel Moitas; Baraldo, Anderson; Tardioli, Paulo W; Neto, Victor Bertucci; Couri, Sonia

    2010-12-31

    Ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass has been recognized as one of the most promising alternatives for the production of renewable and sustainable energy. However, one of the major bottlenecks holding back its commercialization is the high costs of the enzymes needed for biomass conversion. In this work, we studied the enzymes produced from a selected strain of Aspergillus niger under solid state fermentation. The cellulase and xylanase enzymatic cocktail was characterized in terms of pH and temperature by using response surface methodology. Thermostability and kinetic parameters were also determined. The statistical analysis of pH and temperature effects on enzymatic activity showed a synergistic interaction of these two variables, thus enabling to find a pH and temperature range in which the enzymes have a higher activity. The results obtained allowed the construction of mathematical models used to predict endoglucanase, β-glucosidase and xylanase activities under different pH and temperature conditions. Optimum temperature values for all three enzymes were found to be in the range between 35°C and 60°C, and the optimum pH range was found between 4 and 5.5. The methodology employed here was very effective in estimating enzyme behavior under different process conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Using ozone to reduce recalcitrant compounds and to enhance biodegradability of pulp and paper effluents.

    PubMed

    Bijan, L; Mohseni, M

    2004-01-01

    The effect of ozone based oxidation on removing recalcitrant organic matter (ROM) and enhancing the biodegradability of alkaline bleach plant effluent was investigated. A bubble column ozonation tower was used in the study. The experiments were carried out at different temperatures (20 degrees C and 60 degrees C) and pH (9 and 11), with a number of biological and chemical parameters being monitored including BOD5, COD, TC, pH, color, and molecular weight distribution of organics (nominal cut off of 1,000 Da). Biodegradability of the effluent was determined based on BOD5/COD of the wastewater throughout the process. For all the experiments, ozonation enhanced the biodegradability of the effluent by 30-40%, which was associated with noticeable removal of ROM including high molecular weight (HMW) and color-causing organics by about 30% and 60%, respectively. While the biodegradability of HMW fraction increased by about 50%, there was no biodegradability improvement for low molecular weight (LMW) portion, which was originally readily biodegradable (with BOD5/COD of about 0.5). Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed neither pH nor temperature played significant role on the ozonation process at 95% confidence level.

  2. Effect of Equilibrated pH and Indigenous Spoilage Microorganisms on the Inhibition of Proteolytic Clostridium botulinum Toxin Production in Experimental Meals under Temperature Abuse.

    PubMed

    Golden, Max C; Wanless, Brandon J; David, Jairus R D; Lineback, D Scott; Talley, Ryan J; Kottapalli, Bala; Glass, Kathleen A

    2017-08-01

    Clostridium botulinum is a foreseeable biological hazard in prepared refrigerated meals that needs to be addressed in food safety plans. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of product composition and storage temperature on the inhibition of botulinum toxin formation in nine experimental meals (meat, vegetable, or carbohydrate based). Treatments were inoculated with proteolytic C. botulinum, vacuum packaged, cooked at 90°C for 10 min, and assayed for botulinum toxin in samples stored at 25°C for up to 96 h for phase 1, or at 25°C for 12 h and then transferred to 12.5°C for up to 12 and 6 weeks in phases 1 and 2, respectively. For phase 1, none of the treatments (equilibrated pH 5.8) supported toxin production when stored at 25°C for 48 h, but toxin production was observed in all treatments at 72 h. For the remaining experiments with storage at 12.5°C, toxin production was dependent on equilibrated pH, storage time, and growth of indigenous spoilage microorganisms. In phase 1, no gross spoilage and no botulinum toxin was detected for any treatment (pH ≤5.8) stored at 12.5°C for 12 weeks. In phase 2, gross spoilage varied by commodity, with the brussels sprouts meal with pH 6.5 showing the most rapid spoilage within 2 weeks and botulinum toxin detected at 5 and 6 weeks for the control and cultured celery juice treatments, respectively. In contrast, spoilage microbes decreased the pH of a pH 5.9 beef treatment by 1.0 unit, potentially inhibiting C. botulinum through 6 weeks at 12.5°C. None of the other treatments with pH 5.8 or below supported toxin production or spoilage. This study provides validation for preventive controls in refrigerated meals. These include equilibrated product pH and storage temperature and time to inhibit toxin formation by proteolytic C. botulinum, but the impact of indigenous microflora on safety and interpretation of challenge studies is also highlighted.

  3. Stream water temperature limits occupancy of salamanders in mid-Atlantic protected areas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Grant, Evan H. Campbell; Wiewel, Amber N. M.; Rice, Karen C.

    2014-01-01

    Stream ecosystems are particularly sensitive to urbanization, and tolerance of water-quality parameters is likely important to population persistence of stream salamanders. Forecasted climate and landscape changes may lead to significant changes in stream flow, chemical composition, and temperatures in coming decades. Protected areas where landscape alterations are minimized will therefore become increasingly important for salamander populations. We surveyed 29 streams at three national parks in the highly urbanized greater metropolitan area of Washington, DC. We investigated relationships among water-quality variables and occupancy of three species of stream salamanders (Desmognathus fuscus, Eurycea bislineata, and Pseudotriton ruber). With the use of a set of site-occupancy models, and accounting for imperfect detection, we found that stream-water temperature limits salamander occupancy. There was substantial uncertainty about the effects of the other water-quality variables, although both specific conductance (SC) and pH were included in competitive models. Our estimates of occupancy suggest that temperature, SC, and pH have some importance in structuring stream salamander distribution.

  4. Interacting Effects of pH, Temperature, and Salt Concentration on Growth and Survival of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

    PubMed Central

    Beuchat, L. R.

    1973-01-01

    Thermal resistance and minimal pH and temperature conditions for growth of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in artificial media containing 3 and 7% sodium chloride were studied. Growth was observed at pH 4.8 and at 5 C. PMID:4715562

  5. Predictive microbiology in food packaging applications

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Predictive microbiology including growth, inactivation, surface transfer (or cross-contamination), and survival, plays important roles in understanding microbial food safety. Growth models may involve the growth potential of a specified pathogen under different stresses, e.g., temperature, pH, wate...

  6. Macroalgal response to a warmer ocean with higher CO2 concentration.

    PubMed

    Hernández, Celso A; Sangil, Carlos; Fanai, Alessandra; Hernández, José Carlos

    2018-05-01

    Primary production and respiration rates were studied for six seaweed species (Cystoseira abies-marina, Lobophora variegata, Pterocladiella capillacea, Canistrocarpus cervicornis, Padina pavonica and Corallina caespitosa) from Subtropical North-East Atlantic, to estimate the combined effects of different pH and temperature levels. Macroalgal samples were cultured at temperature and pH combinations ranging from current levels to those predicted for the next century (19, 21, 23, 25 °C, pH: 8.1, 7.7 and 7.4). Decreased pH had a positive effect on short-term production of the studied species. Raised temperatures had a more varied and species dependent effect on short term primary production. Thermophilic algae increased their production at higher temperatures, while temperate species were more productive at lower or present temperature conditions. Temperature also affected algal respiration rates, which were higher at low temperature levels. The results suggest that biomass and productivity of the more tropical species in coastal ecosystems would be enhanced by future ocean conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Post-deposition annealing temperature dependence TiO{sub 2}-based EGFET pH sensor sensitivity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zulkefle, M. A., E-mail: alhadizulkefle@gmail.com; Rahman, R. A., E-mail: rohanieza.abdrahman@gmail.com; Yusoff, K. A., E-mail: khairul.aimi.yusof@gmail.com

    EGFET pH sensor is one type of pH sensor that is used to measure and determine pH of a solution. The sensing membrane of EGFET pH sensor plays vital role in the overall performance of the sensor. This paper studies the effects of different annealing temperature of the TiO{sub 2} sensing membranes towards sensitivity of EGFET pH sensor. Sol-gel spin coating was chosen as TiO{sub 2} deposition techniques since it is cost-effective and produces thin film with uniform thickness. Deposited TiO{sub 2} thin films were then annealed at different annealing temperatures and then were connected to the gate of MOSFETmore » as a part of the EGFET pH sensor structure. The thin films now act as sensing membranes of the EGFET pH sensor and sensitivity of each sensing membrane towards pH was measured. From the results it was determined that sensing membrane annealed at 300 °C gave the highest sensitivity followed by sample annealed at 400 °C and 500 °C.« less

  8. Rheological behavior and Ibuprofen delivery applications of pH responsive composite alginate hydrogels.

    PubMed

    Jabeen, Suraya; Maswal, Masrat; Chat, Oyais Ahmad; Rather, Ghulam Mohammad; Dar, Aijaz Ahmad

    2016-03-01

    Synthesis and structural characterization of hydrogels composed of sodium alginate, polyethylene oxide and acrylic acid with cyclodextrin as the hydrocolloid prepared at different pH values is presented. The hydrogels synthesized show significant variations in rheological properties, drug encapsulation capability and release kinetics. The hydrogels prepared at lower pH (pH 1) are more elastic, have high tensile strength and remain almost unaffected by varying temperature or frequency. Further, their Ibuprofen encapsulation capacity is low and releases it slowly. The hydrogel prepared at neutral pH (pH 7) is viscoelastic, thermo-reversible and also exhibits sol-gel transition on applying frequency and changing temperature. It shows highest Ibuprofen encapsulation capacity and also optimum drug release kinetics. The hydrogel prepared at higher pH (pH 12) is more viscous, has low tensile strength, is unstable to change in temperature and has fast drug release rate. The study highlights the pH responsiveness of three composite alginate hydrogels prepared under different conditions to be employed in drug delivery applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Thermophysical properties of carboxylic and amino acid buffers at subzero temperatures: relevance to frozen state stabilization.

    PubMed

    Sundaramurthi, Prakash; Suryanarayanan, Raj

    2011-06-02

    Macromolecules and other thermolabile biologicals are often buffered and stored in frozen or dried (freeze-dried) state. Crystallization of buffer components in frozen aqueous solutions and the consequent pH shifts were studied in carboxylic (succinic, malic, citric, tartaric acid) and amino acid (glycine, histidine) buffers. Aqueous buffer solutions were cooled from room temperature (RT) to -25 °C and the pH of the solution was measured as a function of temperature. The thermal behavior of frozen solutions was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the crystallized phases were identified by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Based on the solubility of the neutral species of each buffer system over a range of temperatures, it was possible to estimate its degree of supersaturation at the subambient temperature of interest. This enabled us to predict its crystallization propensity in frozen systems. The experimental and the predicted rank orderings were in excellent agreement. The malate buffer system was robust with no evidence of buffer component crystallization and hence negligible pH shift. In the citrate and tartrate systems, at initial pH < pK(a)(2), only the most acidic buffer component (neutral form) crystallized on cooling, causing an increase in the freeze-concentrate pH. In glycine buffer solutions, when the initial pH was ∼3 units < isoelectric pH (pI = 5.9), β-glycine crystallization caused a small decrease in pH, while a similar effect but in the opposite direction was observed when the initial pH was ∼3 units > pI. In the histidine buffer system, depending on the initial pH, either histidine or histidine HCl crystallized.

  10. Liquid-liquid phase separation causes high turbidity and pressure during low pH elution process in Protein A chromatography.

    PubMed

    Luo, Haibin; Lee, Nacole; Wang, Xiangyang; Li, Yuling; Schmelzer, Albert; Hunter, Alan K; Pabst, Timothy; Wang, William K

    2017-03-10

    Turbid elution pools and high column back pressure are common during elution of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by acidic pH in Protein A chromatography. This phenomenon has been historically attributed to acid-induced precipitation of incorrectly folded or pH-sensitive mAbs and host cell proteins (HCPs). In this work, we propose a new mechanism that may account for some observations of elution turbidity in Protein A chromatography. We report several examples of turbidity and high column back pressure occurring transiently under a short course of neutral conditions during Protein A elution. A systematic study of three mAbs displaying this behavior revealed phase separation characterized by liquid drops under certain conditions including neutral pH, low ionic strength, and high protein concentration. These liquid droplets caused solution turbidity and exhibited extremely high viscosity, resulting in high column back pressure. We found out that the droplets were formed through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) as a result of protein self-association. We also found multiple factors, including pH, temperature, ionic strength, and protein concentration can affect LLPS behaviors. Careful selection of process parameters during protein A elution, including temperature, flow rate, buffer, and salt can inhibit formation of a dense liquid phase, reducing both turbidity (by 90%) and column back pressure (below 20 pounds per square inch). These findings provide both mechanistic insight and practical mitigation strategies for Protein A chromatography induced LLPS. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Investigation of pH and Temperature Profiles in the GI Tract of Fasted Human Subjects Using the Intellicap(®) System.

    PubMed

    Koziolek, Mirko; Grimm, Michael; Becker, Dieter; Iordanov, Ventzeslav; Zou, Hans; Shimizu, Jeff; Wanke, Christoph; Garbacz, Grzegorz; Weitschies, Werner

    2015-09-01

    Gastrointestinal (GI) pH and temperature profiles under fasted-state conditions were investigated in two studies with each 10 healthy human subjects using the IntelliCap(®) system. This telemetric drug delivery device enabled the determination of gastric emptying time, small bowel transit time, and colon arrival time by significant pH and temperature changes. The study results revealed high variability of GI pH and transit times. The gastric transit of IntelliCap(®) was characterized by high fluctuations of the pH with mean values ranging from pH 1.7 to pH 4.7. Gastric emptying was observed after 7-202 min (median: 30 min). During small bowel transit, which had a duration of 67-532 min (median: 247 min), pH values increased slightly from pH 5.9-6.3 in proximal parts to pH 7.4-7.8 in distal parts. Colonic pH conditions were characterized by values fluctuating mainly between pH 5 and pH 8. The pH profiles and transit times described in this work are highly relevant for the comprehension of drug delivery of solid oral dosage forms comprising ionizable drugs and excipients with pH-dependent solubility. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

  12. Kinetics and mechanism of imazosulfuron hydrolysis.

    PubMed

    Morrica, P; Barbato, F; Della Iacovo, R; Seccia, S; Ungaro, F

    2001-08-01

    Knowledge of the kinetics and pathways of hydrolytic degradation is crucial to the prediction of the fate and transport mechanism of chemicals. This work first describes the kinetics of the chemical hydrolysis of imazosulfuron, a new sulfonylurea herbicide, and evaluates the results to propose a degradation pathway. The hydrolysis of imazosulfuron has been studied in aqueous buffers both within the pH range 1.9-12.3 at ambient temperature (thermostated at 25 +/- 2 degrees C) and at pH 3.6 within the temperature range of 15-55 degrees C. The hydrolysis rate of imazosulfuron was characterized by a first-order kinetics, pH- and temperature-dependent, and accelerated by acidic conditions and higher temperatures. The calculated half-lives at pH 4.5 and 5.9 were 36.5 and 578 days, respectively. At pH 6.6, 7.4, 9.2, and 12.3 no significant change in imazosulfuron concentration was observed after 150 days. Half-lives were much lower at pH <4 (= imazosulfuron pK(a)), at which they ranged from 3.3 to 6.3 days. Moreover, a change in temperature from 15 to 25 degrees C in acidic conditions (pH 3.6) decreased the half-life of imazosulfuron by a factor of approximately 4.0; in any case, a 3-5-fold increase in the rate of hydrolysis was found for each 10 degrees C increase in temperature. In acidic conditions the only hydrolysis products were the two molecules resulting from the cleavage of the sulfonylurea bridge.

  13. Modeling of thermal degradation kinetics of the C-glucosyl xanthone mangiferin in an aqueous model solution as a function of pH and temperature and protective effect of honeybush extract matrix.

    PubMed

    Beelders, Theresa; de Beer, Dalene; Kidd, Martin; Joubert, Elizabeth

    2018-01-01

    Mangiferin, a C-glucosyl xanthone, abundant in mango and honeybush, is increasingly targeted for its bioactive properties and thus to enhance functional properties of food. The thermal degradation kinetics of mangiferin at pH3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were each modeled at five temperatures ranging between 60 and 140°C. First-order reaction models were fitted to the data using non-linear regression to determine the reaction rate constant at each pH-temperature combination. The reaction rate constant increased with increasing temperature and pH. Comparison of the reaction rate constants at 100°C revealed an exponential relationship between the reaction rate constant and pH. The data for each pH were also modeled with the Arrhenius equation using non-linear and linear regression to determine the activation energy and pre-exponential factor. Activation energies decreased slightly with increasing pH. Finally, a multi-linear model taking into account both temperature and pH was developed for mangiferin degradation. Sterilization (121°C for 4min) of honeybush extracts dissolved at pH4, 5 and 7 did not cause noticeable degradation of mangiferin, although the multi-linear model predicted 34% degradation at pH7. The extract matrix is postulated to exert a protective effect as changes in potential precursor content could not fully explain the stability of mangiferin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. [Immobilized ammonia-oxidizing bacteria Comamonas aquatic LNL3 and its partial nitrification characterization].

    PubMed

    Li, Zheng-kui; Shi, Lu-na; Yang, Zhu-you; Zhang, Xiao-jiao; Wang, Yue-ming; Chen, Qi-chun; Wu, Kai

    2009-10-15

    A new kind of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)-Comamonas aquatic LNL3 was screened out and immobilized by Poly (HEA)-Poly (HEMA) copolymer carrier using irradiation techniques. Four kinds of impact factors on short-cut nitrification, including temperature, pH, DO and free ammonia (FA) concentration had been investigated. The result showed that AOB-Comamonas aquatic LNL3 had short-cut nitrification capability and the optimal temperature, pH, DO and FA concentration were 30 degrees C, 8.5, 4.03 mg/L and 9 mg/L respectively. Corresponding to above results, ammonia nitrogen removal rate and short-cut nitrification efficiency were 93.52%, 94.73%; 79.74%, 94.67%; 91.17%, 94.66% and 90%, 94.4% respectively.

  15. A dual pH and temperature responsive polymeric fluorescent sensor and its imaging application in living cells.

    PubMed

    Yin, Liyan; He, Chunsheng; Huang, Chusen; Zhu, Weiping; Wang, Xin; Xu, Yufang; Qian, Xuhong

    2012-05-11

    A polymeric fluorescent sensor PNME, consisting of A4 and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) units, was synthesized. PNME exhibited dual responses to pH and temperature, and could be used as an intracellular pH sensor for lysosomes imaging. Moreover, it also could sense different temperature change in living cells at 25 and 37 °C, respectively. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  16. Uniform Corrosion and General Dissolution of Aluminum Alloys 2024-T3, 6061-T6, and 7075-T6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, I.-Wen

    Uniform corrosion and general dissolution of aluminum alloys was not as well-studied in the past, although it was known for causing significant amount of weight loss. This work comprises four chapters to understand uniform corrosion of aluminum alloys 2024-T3, 6061-T6, and 7075-T6. A preliminary weight loss experiment was performed for distinguishing corrosion induced weight loss attributed to uniform corrosion and pitting corrosion. The result suggested that uniform corrosion generated a greater mass loss than pitting corrosion. First, to understand uniform corrosion mechanism and kinetics in different environments, a series of static immersion tests in NaCl solutions were performed to provide quantitative measurement of uniform corrosion. Thereafter, uniform corrosion development as a function of temperature, pH, Cl-, and time was investigated to understand the influence of environmental factors. Faster uniform corrosion rate has been found at lower temperature (20 and 40°C) than at higher temperature (60 and 80°C) due to accelerated corrosion product formation at high temperatures inhibiting corrosion reactions. Electrochemical tests including along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to study the temperature effect. Second, in order to further understand the uniform corrosion influence on pit growth kinetics, a long term exposures for 180 days in both immersion and ASTM-B117 test were performed. Uniform corrosion induced surface recession was found to have limited impact on pit geometry regardless of exposure methods. It was also found that the competition for limited cathodic current from uniform corrosion the primary rate limiting factor for pit growth. Very large pits were found after uniform corrosion growth reached a plateau due to corrosion product coverage. Also, optical microscopy and focused ion beam (FIB) imaging has provided more insights of distinctive pitting geometry and subsurface damages found from immersion samples and B117 samples. Although uniform corrosion was studied in various electrolytes, the pH impact was still difficult to discern due to ongoing cathodic reactions that changed electrolyte pH with time. Therefore, buffered pH electrolytes with pH values of 3, 5, 8, and 10 were prepared static immersion tests. Electrochemical experiments were performed in each buffered pH conditions for understanding corrosion mechanisms. Uniform corrosion was found exhibiting higher corrosion rate in buffered acidic and alkaline electrolytes due to pH- and temperature-dependent corrosion product precipitation. Observations were supported by electrochemical, SEM, and EDS observations. Due to the complexity of corrosion data, a reliable corrosion prediction based on empirical observations could be challenging. Artificial neural network (ANN) modeling was used for corrosion data pattern recognition by mimicking human neural network systems. Predictive models were developed based on corrosion data acquired in this study. The model was adaptable through iteratively update its prediction by error minimization during the training phase. Trained ANN model can predict uniform corrosion successfully. In addition to ANN, fuzzy curve analysis was utilized to rank the influence of each input (temperature, pH, Cl-, and time). For example, temperature and pH were found to be the most influential parameters to uniform corrosion. This information can provide feedback for ANN improvement, also known as "data pruning".

  17. Production of fibrinolytic protease from Streptomyces lusitanus isolated from marine sediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    SudeshWarma, S.; Merlyn keziah, S.; Subathra Devi, C.

    2017-11-01

    This study aim was to isolate, screen, characterize and optimize marine Streptomyces for fibrinolytic enzyme production. The potent actinomycete isolate was subjected to optimization. The parameters for optimization included pH, temperature, carbon, nitrogen sources. The crude supernatant produced was purified using size exclusion gel filtration chromatography. The optimized parameters for maximum productivity were found to be pH 7, 37°C, maltose and peptone respectively. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was found to be 21kDa.

  18. Rapid development of xylanase assay conditions using Taguchi methodology.

    PubMed

    Prasad Uday, Uma Shankar; Bandyopadhyay, Tarun Kanti; Bhunia, Biswanath

    2016-11-01

    The present investigation is mainly concerned with the rapid development of extracellular xylanase assay conditions by using Taguchi methodology. The extracellular xylanase was produced from Aspergillus niger (KP874102.1), a new strain isolated from a soil sample of the Baramura forest, Tripura West, India. Four physical parameters including temperature, pH, buffer concentration and incubation time were considered as key factors for xylanase activity and were optimized using Taguchi robust design methodology for enhanced xylanase activity. The main effect, interaction effects and optimal levels of the process factors were determined using signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. The Taguchi method recommends the use of S/N ratio to measure quality characteristics. Based on analysis of the S/N ratio, optimal levels of the process factors were determined. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to evaluate statistically significant process factors. ANOVA results showed that temperature contributed the maximum impact (62.58%) on xylanase activity, followed by pH (22.69%), buffer concentration (9.55%) and incubation time (5.16%). Predicted results showed that enhanced xylanase activity (81.47%) can be achieved with pH 2, temperature 50°C, buffer concentration 50 Mm and incubation time 10 min.

  19. Effect of temperature and pH on polygalacturonase production by pectinolytic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis strain GD2a in submerged medium from Raja Nangka (Musa paradisiaca var. formatypica) banana peel waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Widowati, E.; Utami, R.; Mahadjoeno, E.; Saputro, G. P.

    2017-04-01

    The aim of this research were to determine the effect of temperature (45°C, 55°C, 65°C) and pH (5.0; 6.0; 7.0) on the increase of total cell count and polygalacturonase enzyme activity produced from raja nangka banana (Musa paradisiaca var. formatypica) peel waste by pectinolytic bacterial Bacillus licheniformis strain GD2a. This research applied two sample repetition and one analysis repetition. The result showed temperature and pH affect total cell count. The total cell count on 45°C and pH 7 recorded the highest number at 9.469 log cell/ml. Temperature and pH also affected pectin concentration at the end of fermentation. The lowest pectin concentration recorded at 45°C and pH 7 was 0.425 %. The highest enzyme activity recorded at 65°C and pH 7 was 0.204 U/ml. The highest enzyme protein concentration was recorded at 65°C and resulted as 0.310 mg/ml on pH 6. The highest specific activity was 19.527 U/mg at 65°C and pH 7. By this result, could be concluded that optimum condition process on polygalacturonase production was at 65°C and pH 7 because it gave highest enzyme activity result (0,204 U/ml).

  20. Novel inexpensive fungi proteases: Production by solid state fermentation and characterization.

    PubMed

    Novelli, Paula Kern; Barros, Margarida Maria; Fleuri, Luciana Francisco

    2016-05-01

    A comparative study was carried out for proteases production using agroindustrial residues as substrate for solid state fermentation (SSF) of several fungal strains. High protease production was observed for most of the microorganisms studied, as well as very different biochemical characteristics, including activities at specific temperatures and a wide range of pH values. The enzymes produced were very different regarding optimum pH and they showed stability at 50 °C. Aspergillus oryzae showed stability at all pH values studied. Penicillium roquefortii and Aspergillus flavipes presented optimum activity at temperatures of 50 °C and 90 °C, respectively. Lyophilized protease from A. oryzae reached 1251.60 U/g and yield of 155010.66 U/kg of substrate. Therefore, the substrate as well as the microorganism strain can modify the biochemical character of the enzyme produced. The high protease activity and stability established plus the low cost of substrates, make these fungal proteases potential alternatives for the biotechnological industry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Superconductivity in Hydrides Doped with Main Group Elements Under Pressure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shamp, Andrew; Zurek, Eva

    2017-01-01

    A priori crystal structure prediction techniques have been used to explore the phase diagrams of hydrides of main group elements under pressure. A number of novel phases with the chemical formulas MHn, n > 1 and M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs; MHn, n > 2 and M= Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba; HnI with n > 1 and PH, PH2, PH3 have been predicted to be stable at pressures achievable in diamond anvil cells. The hydrogenic lattices within these phases display a number of structural motifs including H2δ- , H-, H-3 , as well as one-dimensional and three-dimensional extended structures. A wide range of superconducting critical temperatures, Tcs, are predicted for these hydrides. The mechanism of metallization and the propensity for superconductivity are dependent upon the structural motifs present in these phases, and in particular on their hydrogenic sublattices. Phases that are thermodynamically unstable, but dynamically stable, are accessible experimentally. The observed trends provide insight on how to design hydrides that are superconducting at high temperatures.

  2. Analysis of the spatio-temporal variability of seawater quality in the southeastern Arabian Gulf.

    PubMed

    Mezhoud, Nahla; Temimi, Marouane; Zhao, Jun; Al Shehhi, Maryam Rashed; Ghedira, Hosni

    2016-05-15

    In this study, seawater quality measurements, including salinity, sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), Secchi disk depth (SDD), pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO), were made from June 2013 to November 2014 at 52 stations in the southeastern Arabian Gulf. Significant variability was noticed for all collected parameters. Salinity showed a decreasing trend, and Chl-a, DO, pH, and SDD demonstrated increasing trends from shallow onshore stations to deep offshore ones, which could be attributed to variations of ocean circulation and meteorological conditions from onshore to offshore waters, and the likely effects of desalination plants along the coast. Salinity and temperature were high in summer and low in winter while Chl-a, SDD, pH, and DO indicated an opposite trend. The CTD profiles showed vertically well-mixed structures. Qualitative analysis of phytoplankton showed a high diversity of species without anomalous species found except in Ras Al Khaimah stations where diatoms were the dominating ones. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Anatomy of an amyloidogenic intermediate: conversion of beta-sheet to alpha-sheet structure in transthyretin at acidic pH.

    PubMed

    Armen, Roger S; Alonso, Darwin O V; Daggett, Valerie

    2004-10-01

    The homotetramer of transthyretin (TTR) dissociates into a monomeric amyloidogenic intermediate that self-assembles into amyloid fibrils at low pH. We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of monomeric TTR at neutral and low pH at physiological (310 K) and very elevated temperature (498 K). In the low-pH simulations at both temperatures, one of the two beta-sheets (strands CBEF) becomes disrupted, and alpha-sheet structure forms in the other sheet (strands DAGH). alpha-sheet is formed by alternating alphaL and alphaR residues, and it was first proposed by Pauling and Corey. Overall, the simulations are in agreement with the available experimental observations, including solid-state NMR results for a TTR-peptide amyloid. In addition, they provide a unique explanation for the results of hydrogen exchange experiments of the amyloidogenic intermediate-results that are difficult to explain with beta-structure. We propose that alpha-sheet may represent a key pathological conformation during amyloidogenesis. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Humboldt's spa: microbial diversity is controlled by temperature in geothermal environments.

    PubMed

    Sharp, Christine E; Brady, Allyson L; Sharp, Glen H; Grasby, Stephen E; Stott, Matthew B; Dunfield, Peter F

    2014-06-01

    Over 200 years ago Alexander von Humboldt (1808) observed that plant and animal diversity peaks at tropical latitudes and decreases toward the poles, a trend he attributed to more favorable temperatures in the tropics. Studies to date suggest that this temperature-diversity gradient is weak or nonexistent for Bacteria and Archaea. To test the impacts of temperature as well as pH on bacterial and archaeal diversity, we performed pyrotag sequencing of 16S rRNA genes retrieved from 165 soil, sediment and biomat samples of 36 geothermal areas in Canada and New Zealand, covering a temperature range of 7.5-99 °C and a pH range of 1.8-9.0. This represents the widest ranges of temperature and pH yet examined in a single microbial diversity study. Species richness and diversity indices were strongly correlated to temperature, with R(2) values up to 0.62 for neutral-alkaline springs. The distributions were unimodal, with peak diversity at 24 °C and decreasing diversity at higher and lower temperature extremes. There was also a significant pH effect on diversity; however, in contrast to previous studies of soil microbial diversity, pH explained less of the variability (13-20%) than temperature in the geothermal samples. No correlation was observed between diversity values and latitude from the equator, and we therefore infer a direct temperature effect in our data set. These results demonstrate that temperature exerts a strong control on microbial diversity when considered over most of the temperature range within which life is possible.

  5. Micro CSI: A Microbial Citizen Science Initiative in Urban Watersheds

    EPA Science Inventory

    Across the Nation, a number of citizen science efforts have been conducted to monitor water quality. Efforts have included monitoring of bacteriological parameters (E. coli, enterococci, and fecal coliforms) and/or physicochemical parameters (temperature, turbidity, pH, conducti...

  6. Effect of pH and temperature on the stability of UV-induced repairable pyrimidine hydrates in DNA.

    PubMed

    O'Donnell, R E; Boorstein, R J; Cunningham, R P; Teebor, G W

    1994-08-23

    UV irradiation of cytosine yields 6-hydroxy-5,6-dihydrocytosine (cytosine hydrate) whether the cytosine is in solution as base, nucleoside, or nucleotide or on the DNA backbone. Cytosine hydrate decomposes by elimination of water, yielding cytosine, or by irreversible deamination, yielding uracil hydrate, which, in turn, decomposes by dehydration yielding uracil. To determine how pH and temperature affect these decomposition reactions, alternating poly(dG-[3H]dC) copolymer was irradiated at 254 nm and incubated under different conditions of pH and temperature. The cytosine hydrate and uracil hydrate content of the DNA was determined by the use of Escherichia coli endonuclease III, which releases pyrimidine hydrates from DNA by virtue of its DNA glycosylase activity. Uracil content was determined by using uracil-DNA glycosylase. The rate of decomposition of cytosine hydrate to cytosine was determined at 4 temperatures at pH 3.1, 5.4, and 7.4. The Ea was determined from the rates by using the Arrhenius equation and proved to be the same at pH 5.4 and 7.4, although the decomposition rate at pH 5.4 was faster at all temperatures. At pH 3.1, the Ea was reduced. These results suggest that the dehydration reaction is affected by two discrete protonations, most probably of the N-3 and the OH group of C-6 of cytosine hydrate. The deamination of cytosine hydrate to uracil hydrate was maximal at pH 3.1 at all temperatures. The doubly protonated cytosine hydrate probably is the common intermediate for both competing decomposition reactions, explaining why cytosine hydrate is prone to deamination at acid pH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  7. Regulation of Serratia marcescens ompF and ompC porin genes in response to osmotic stress, salicylate, temperature and pH.

    PubMed

    Begic, Sanela; Worobec, Elizabeth A

    2006-02-01

    Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative enterobacterium that has become an important opportunistic pathogen, largely due to its high degree of natural antibiotic resistance. One factor contributing to this natural antibiotic resistance is reduced outer membrane permeability, which is controlled in part by OmpC and OmpF porin proteins. OmpF expression is regulated by micF, an RNA transcript encoded upstream of the ompC gene, which hybridizes with the ompF transcript to inhibit its translation. Regulation of S. marcescens porin gene expression, as well as that of micF, was investigated using beta-galactosidase reporter gene fusions in response to 5, 8 and 10 % sucrose, 1, 5 and 8 mM salicylate, and different pH and temperature values. beta-Galactosidase activity assays revealed that a lower growth temperature (28 degrees C), a more basic pH (pH 8), and an absence of sucrose and salicylate induce the transcription of the ompF gene, whereas the induction of ompC is stimulated at a higher growth temperature (42 degrees C), acidic pH (pH 6), and maximum concentrations of sucrose (10 %) and salicylate (8 mM). In addition, when multiple conditions were tested, temperature had the predominant effect, followed by pH. In this study, it was found that the MicF regulatory mechanism does not play a role in the osmoregulation of the ompF and ompC genes, whereas MicF does repress OmpF expression in the presence of salicylate and high growth temperature, and under low pH conditions.

  8. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF IRRADIATED STAINLESS STEELS. A Compilation of Data in the Literature

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schreiber, R.E.

    1961-09-01

    Changes in the mechanical properties of stainless steels that are caused by fast neutron irradiation are presented aphic form. These data were abstracted from classified and unclassified reports published since 1948 by USAEC, AECL, and AERE. Data are included for the following stainless steels: AM- 350, Boron stainless, 301, 302, 43l, 440C, 442, 446, Armco 17-4PH (AMS5643), Armco 177PH, and Stainless W. The mechanical properties for which data are reported include hardness, yield strength, tensile strength, total elongation, reduction of area, elastic modulus, fatigue strength, notch factor, creep, stress relaxation, impact energy, and transition temperature. (auth)

  9. Investigation Into Shelf Life of Fresh Dates and Pistachios in a Package Modified With Nano-Silver.

    PubMed

    Mousavi, Fateme Peyro; Pour, Hasan Hashemi; Nasab, Amir Heidari; Rajabalipour, Ali A; Barouni, Mohsen

    2015-09-18

    The aim of this study was to apply polymer films containing silver nanoparticles as a new method for increasing the shelf life and preserving the quality of export/commercial products of Kerman Province and determine the ideal temperature for preserving these products. After preparing nano-composite films containing silver nanoparticles (3% and 5% by weight), Mazafati dates were packed in them and stored with their control samples under four temperatures. In the second series, the films were filled with fresh pistachios and stored at four temperatures. In date samples, after 2, 7, 21 and 53 days of storing the samples were examined under the certified test of Iran Institute of Industrial Standard for Dates, which includes pH, TSS, acidity and reducing sugars tests. In pistachio samples the color values and market-friendly quality were evaluated after 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 days of storage. In date samples, the pH value decreased with increasing acidity in 3 and 5 wt% of nano-silver and their control samples. In addition, in 5 wt% samples the acidity was higher than that in 3% samples, with pH being lower in the controls at almost all the intervals. Furthermore, pH values in 5% samples were higher in comparison with 3 wt% samples and controls. The amount of reducing sugars in the control samples was lower than those in 3 and 5 wt% samples. In relation to pistachio samples, the damage over time was greater in sample stored under higher temperatures. The maximum shelf life of the dates packaged in 5 wt% of silver nano-powder was 53 days and the best temperature to store samples was determined at 4°C. Packages containing nano-silver increased shelf life of fresh pistachios, with the best temperatures being 25°C and 0°C.

  10. Investigation Into Shelf Life of Fresh Dates and Pistachios in a Package Modified With Nano-Silver

    PubMed Central

    Mousavi, Fateme Peyro; Pour, Hasan Hashemi; Nasab, Amir Heidari; Rajabalipour, Ali A.; Barouni, Mohsen

    2016-01-01

    Aims: The aim of this study was to apply polymer films containing silver nanoparticles as a new method for increasing the shelf life and preserving the quality of export/commercial products of Kerman Province and determine the ideal temperature for preserving these products. Methods: After preparing nano-composite films containing silver nanoparticles (3% and 5% by weight), Mazafati dates were packed in them and stored with their control samples under four temperatures. In the second series, the films were filled with fresh pistachios and stored at four temperatures. In date samples, after 2, 7, 21 and 53 days of storing the samples were examined under the certified test of Iran Institute of Industrial Standard for Dates, which includes pH, TSS, acidity and reducing sugars tests. In pistachio samples the color values and market-friendly quality were evaluated after 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 days of storage. Results: In date samples, the pH value decreased with increasing acidity in 3 and 5 wt% of nano-silver and their control samples. In addition, in 5 wt% samples the acidity was higher than that in 3% samples, with pH being lower in the controls at almost all the intervals. Furthermore, pH values in 5% samples were higher in comparison with 3 wt% samples and controls. The amount of reducing sugars in the control samples was lower than those in 3 and 5 wt% samples. In relation to pistachio samples, the damage over time was greater in sample stored under higher temperatures. Conclusion: The maximum shelf life of the dates packaged in 5 wt% of silver nano-powder was 53 days and the best temperature to store samples was determined at 4°C. Packages containing nano-silver increased shelf life of fresh pistachios, with the best temperatures being 25°C and 0°C. PMID:26652097

  11. Structural stability of E. coli transketolase to temperature and pH denaturation.

    PubMed

    Jahromi, Raha R F; Morris, Phattaraporn; Martinez-Torres, Ruben J; Dalby, Paul A

    2011-09-10

    We have previously shown that the denaturation of TK with urea follows a non-aggregating though irreversible denaturation pathway in which the cofactor binding appears to become altered but without dissociating, then followed at higher urea by partial denaturation of the homodimer prior to any further unfolding or dissociation of the two monomers. Urea is not typically present during biocatalysis, whereas access to TK enzymes that retain activity at increased temperature and extreme pH would be useful for operation under conditions that increase substrate and product stability or solubility. To provide further insight into the underlying causes of its deactivation in process conditions, we have characterised the effects of temperature and pH on the structure, stability, aggregation and activity of Escherichia coli transketolase. The activity of TK was initially found to progressively improve after pre-incubation at increasing temperatures. Loss of activity at higher temperature and low pH resulted primarily from protein denaturation and subsequent irreversible aggregation. By contrast, high pH resulted in the formation of a native-like state that was only partially inactive. The apo-TK enzyme structure content also increased at pH 9 to converge on that of the holo-TK. While cofactor dissociation was previously proposed for high pH deactivation, the observed structural changes in apo-TK but not holo-TK indicate a more complex mechanism. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Surface sulfonamide modification of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based block copolymer micelles to alter pH and temperature responsive properties for controlled intracellular uptake.

    PubMed

    Cyphert, Erika L; von Recum, Horst A; Yamato, Masayuki; Nakayama, Masamichi

    2018-06-01

    Two different surface sulfonamide-functionalized poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based polymeric micelles were designed as pH-/temperature-responsive vehicles. Both sulfadimethoxine- and sulfamethazine-surface functionalized micelles were characterized to determine physicochemical properties, hydrodynamic diameters, zeta potentials, temperature-dependent size changes, and lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) in both pH 7.4 and 6.8 solutions (simulating both physiological and mild low pH conditions), and tested in the incorporation of a proof-of-concept hydrophobic antiproliferative drug, paclitaxel. Cellular uptake studies were conducted using bovine carotid endothelial cells and fluorescently labeled micelles to evaluate if there was enhanced cellular uptake of the micelles in a low pH environment. Both variations of micelles showed enhanced intracellular uptake under mildly acidic (pH 6.8) conditions at temperatures slightly above their LCST and minimal uptake at physiological (pH 7.4) conditions. Due to the less negative zeta potential of the sulfamethazine-surface micelles compared to sulfadimethoxine-surface micelles, and the proximity of their LCST to physiological temperature (37°C), the sulfamethazine variation was deemed more amenable for clinically relevant temperature and pH-stimulated applications. Nevertheless, we believe both polymeric micelle variations have the capacity to be implemented as an intracellular drug or gene delivery system in response to mildly acidic conditions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1552-1560, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Modulators of actin-myosin dissociation: basis for muscle type functional differences during fatigue

    PubMed Central

    Karatzaferi, Christina; Adamek, Nancy

    2017-01-01

    The muscle types present with variable fatigue tolerance, in part due to the myosin isoform expressed. However, the critical steps that define “fatigability” in vivo of fast vs. slow myosin isoforms, at the molecular level, are not yet fully understood. We examined the modulation of the ATP-induced myosin subfragment 1 (S1) dissociation from pyrene-actin by inorganic phosphate (Pi), pH, and temperature using a specially modified stopped-flow system that allowed fast kinetics measurements at physiological temperature. We contrasted the properties of rabbit psoas (fast) and bovine masseter (slow) myosins (obtained from samples collected from New Zealand rabbits and from a licensed abattoir, respectively, according to institutional and national ethics permits). To identify ATP cycling biochemical intermediates, we assessed ATP binding to a preequilibrated mixture of actomyosin and variable [ADP], pH (pH 7 vs. pH 6.2), and Pi (zero, 15, or 30 added mM Pi) in a range of temperatures (5 to 45°C). Temperature and pH variations had little, if any, effect on the ADP dissociation constant (KADP) for fast S1, but for slow S1, KADP was weakened with increasing temperature or low pH. In the absence of ADP, the dissociation constant for phosphate (KPi) was weakened with increasing temperature for fast S1. In the presence of ADP, myosin type differences were revealed at the apparent phosphate affinity, depending on pH and temperature. Overall, the newly revealed kinetic differences between myosin types could help explain the in vivo observed muscle type functional differences at rest and during fatigue. PMID:28931538

  14. Temperature Dependent Effects of Elevated CO2 on Shell Composition and Mechanical Properties of Hydroides elegans: Insights from a Multiple Stressor Experiment

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Vera B. S.; Thiyagarajan, Vengatesen; Lu, Xing Wen; Zhang, Tong; Shih, Kaimin

    2013-01-01

    The majority of marine benthic invertebrates protect themselves from predators by producing calcareous tubes or shells that have remarkable mechanical strength. An elevation of CO2 or a decrease in pH in the environment can reduce intracellular pH at the site of calcification and thus interfere with animal’s ability to accrete CaCO3. In nature, decreased pH in combination with stressors associated with climate change may result in the animal producing severely damaged and mechanically weak tubes. This study investigated how the interaction of environmental drivers affects production of calcareous tubes by the serpulid tubeworm, Hydroides elegans. In a factorial manipulative experiment, we analyzed the effects of pH (8.1 and 7.8), salinity (34 and 27‰), and temperature (23°C and 29°C) on the biomineral composition, ultrastructure and mechanical properties of the tubes. At an elevated temperature of 29°C, the tube calcite/aragonite ratio and Mg/Ca ratio were both increased, the Sr/Ca ratio was decreased, and the amorphous CaCO3 content was reduced. Notably, at elevated temperature with decreased pH and reduced salinity, the constructed tubes had a more compact ultrastructure with enhanced hardness and elasticity compared to decreased pH at ambient temperature. Thus, elevated temperature rescued the decreased pH-induced tube impairments. This indicates that tubeworms are likely to thrive in early subtropical summer climate. In the context of climate change, tubeworms could be resilient to the projected near-future decreased pH or salinity as long as surface seawater temperature rise at least by 4°C. PMID:24265732

  15. Combined effects of fermentation temperature and pH on kinetic changes of chemical constituents of durian wine fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Lu, Yuyun; Voon, Marilyn Kai Wen; Huang, Dejian; Lee, Pin-Rou; Liu, Shao-Quan

    2017-04-01

    This study investigated the effects of temperature (20 and 30 °C) and pH (pH 3.1, 3.9) on kinetic changes of chemical constituents of the durian wine fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Temperature significantly affected growth of S. cerevisiae EC-1118 regardless of pH with a higher temperature leading to a faster cell death. The pH had a more significant effect on ethanol production than temperature with higher production at 20 °C (5.95%, v/v) and 30 °C (5.56%, v/v) at pH 3.9, relative to that at pH 3.1 (5.25 and 5.01%, v/v). However, relatively higher levels of isobutyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol up to 64.52 ± 6.39 and 56.27 ± 3.00 mg/L, respectively, were produced at pH 3.1 than at pH 3.9 regardless of temperature. In contrast, production of esters was more affected by temperature than pH, where levels of ethyl esters (ethyl esters of octanoate, nonanoate, and decanoate) and acetate esters (ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate) were significantly higher up to 2.13 ± 0.23 and 4.61 ± 0.22 mg/L, respectively, at 20 °C than at 30 °C. On the other hand, higher temperature improved the reduction of volatile sulfur compounds. This study illustrated that temperature control would be a more effective tool than pH in modulating the resulting aroma compound profile of durian wine.

  16. Modeling heat resistance of Bacillus weihenstephanensis and Bacillus licheniformis spores as function of sporulation temperature and pH.

    PubMed

    Baril, Eugénie; Coroller, Louis; Couvert, Olivier; Leguérinel, Ivan; Postollec, Florence; Boulais, Christophe; Carlin, Frédéric; Mafart, Pierre

    2012-05-01

    Although sporulation environmental factors are known to impact on Bacillus spore heat resistance, they are not integrated into predictive models used to calculate the efficiency of heating processes. This work reports the influence of temperature and pH encountered during sporulation on heat resistance of Bacillus weihenstephanensis KBAB4 and Bacillus licheniformis AD978 spores. A decrease in heat resistance (δ) was observed for spores produced either at low temperature, at high temperature or at acidic pH. Sporulation temperature and pH maximizing the spore heat resistance were identified. Heat sensitivity (z) was not modified whatever the sporulation environmental factors were. A resistance secondary model inspired by the Rosso model was proposed. Sporulation temperatures and pHs minimizing or maximizing the spore heat resistance (T(min(R)), T(opt(R)), T(max(R)), pH(min(R)) and pH(opt(R))) were estimated. The goodness of the model fit was assessed for both studied strains and literature data. The estimation of the sporulation temperature and pH maximizing the spore heat resistance is of great interest to produce spores assessing the spore inactivation in the heating processes applied by the food industry. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Evaluation of High Temperature Properties and Microstructural Characterization of Resistance Spot Welded Steel Lap Shear Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, R. K.; Anil Kumar, V.; Panicker, Paul G.

    2016-02-01

    Joining of thin sheets (0.5 mm) of stainless steel 304 and 17-4PH through resistance spot welding is highly challenging especially when joint is used for high temperature applications. Various combinations of stainless steel sheets of thickness 0.5 mm are spot welded and tested at room temperature as well as at high temperatures (800 K, 1,000 K, 1,200 K). Parent metal as well as spot welded joints are tested and characterized. It is observed that joint strength of 17-4PH steel is highest and then dissimilar steel joint of 17-4PH with SS-304 is moderate and of SS-304 is lowest at all the temperatures. Joint strength of 17-4PH steel is found to be >80% of parent metal properties up to 1,000 K then drastic reduction in strength is noted at 1,200 K. Gradual reduction in strength of SS-304 joint with increase in temperature from 800 to 1,200 K is noted. At 1,200 K, joint strength of all combinations of joints is found to be nearly same. Microstructural evaluation of weld nugget after testing at different temperatures shows presence of tempered martensite in 17-4PH containing welds and homogenized structure in stainless steel 304 weld.

  18. Impacts of Ocean Acidification and Temperature Change on Zooxanthellae Density in Coral Stylophora pistillata

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pantaleo, G. E.; Martínez Fernández, A.; Paytan, A.

    2016-12-01

    As ocean conditions continue to change, marine ecosystems are significantly impacted. Many calcifying organisms are being affected by the gradual changes in ocean pH and temperature that continue to occur over time. Corals are organisms that engage in a symbiotic relationship with Symbiodinium dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae). Symbiodinium are responsible for photosynthetic activity within oligotrophic waters. Corals depend on high levels of aragonite saturation state of seawater in order to build their skeletal structure. Most corals have a relatively narrow optimal range of temperature and pH in which they thrive. However, it is thought that corals residing in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) are resilient to the effects of increasing temperature. Stylophora pistillata's response to environmental impacts was tested via a simulation of ocean conditions at a high temperature and high CO2 emission scenario (pH 7.65) and lower CO2 emission scenario (pH 7.85) that are predicted for the end of this century. We present the difference in zooxanthellae density following a short term experiment where corals were placed in seawater tanks at pH 7.65, 7.85 and 8.1 and temperature was increased by 4 degrees C above seawater temperature in order to measure the response of Stylophora pistillata to potential future ocean conditions.

  19. [Kinetics of Cu crossing human erythrocyte membrane].

    PubMed

    Dun, Zhu Ci Ren

    2014-12-01

    This study was aimed to investigate various factors influencing the proceduction of Cu(II) crossing human erythrocyte membrane, including concentration of Cu²⁺, pH value of the medium, temperature and time of incubation, and to derive kinetic equation of Cu(II) crossing human erythrocyte membrane. Suspension red blood cells were incubated by Cu²⁺, then content of Cu²⁺ crossed human erythrocyte membrane was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry under various conditions after digestion. The results showed that content of Cu²⁺ crossed human erythrocyte membrane increased with the increase of extracellular Cu²⁺ and enhancement of incubation temperature, and the content of Cu²⁺ crossed human erythrocyte membrane showed a increasing tendency when pH reached to 6.2-7.4, and to maximum at pH 7.4, then gradually decreased at range of pH 7.4-9.2. It is concluded that the Cu²⁺ crossing human erythrocyte has been confirmed to be the first order kinetics characteristics within 120 min, and the linear equation is 10³ × Y = 0.0497t +6.5992.

  20. Oxidative versus Non-oxidative Decarboxylation of Amino Acids: Conditions for the Preferential Formation of Either Strecker Aldehydes or Amines in Amino Acid/Lipid-Derived Reactive Carbonyl Model Systems.

    PubMed

    Zamora, Rosario; León, M Mercedes; Hidalgo, Francisco J

    2015-09-16

    Comparative formation of both 2-phenylethylamine and phenylacetaldehyde as a consequence of phenylalanine degradation by carbonyl compounds was studied in an attempt to understand if the amine/aldehyde ratio can be changed as a function of reaction conditions. The assayed carbonyl compounds were selected because of the presence in the chain of both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups and included alkenals, alkadienals, epoxyalkenals, oxoalkenals, and hydroxyalkenals as well as lipid hydroperoxides. The obtained results showed that the 2-phenylethylamine/phenylacetaldehyde ratio depended upon both the carbonyls and the reaction conditions. Thus, it can be increased using electron-donating groups in the chain of the carbonyl compound, small amounts of carbonyl compound, low oxygen content, increasing the pH, or increasing the temperature at pH 6. Opposed conditions (use of electron-withdrawing groups in the chain of the carbonyl compound, large amounts of carbonyl compound, high oxygen contents, low pH values, and increasing temperatures at low pH values) would decrease the 2-phenylethylamine/phenylacetaldehyde ratio, and the formation of aldehydes over amines in amino acid degradations would be favored.

  1. [Degradation Kinetics and Formation of Disinfection By-products During Linuron Chlorination in Drinking Water].

    PubMed

    Ling, Xiao; Hu, Chen-yan; Cheng, Ming; Gu, Jian

    2015-05-01

    Chlorination degradation of linuron was studied using the common disinfectant sodium hypochlorite, the effects of chlorine dosage, pH value, bromine ion concentrationand temperature were systematically investigated, and the formation characteristics of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during the chlorination reaction was analyzed. The results showed that the chlorination degradation kinetics of linuron by sodium hypochlorite could be well described by the second-order kinetic model. Moreover, pH values had a great impact on the degradation reaction, and the rate constant reached the maximum level at pH 7, and the base elementary reaction rate constants of HOCl and OCl- with linuron were 4.84 x 10(2) L · (mol · h)(-1) and 3.80 x 10(2) L · (mol · h)(-1), respectively. The reaction rate decreased with the addition of bromide ion and increased with increasing temperature. Furthermore, many kinds of disinfection by- products were produced during the chlorination degradation of linuron, including CF, DCAN, TCNM and halogen acetone. Under conditions of different solution pH and different bromide ion concentrations, there would be significant difference in the types and concentrations of disinfection by-products.

  2. Element mobilization from Bakken shales as a function of water chemistry.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lin; Burns, Scott; Giammar, Daniel E; Fortner, John D

    2016-04-01

    Waters that return to the surface after injection of a hydraulic fracturing fluid for gas and oil production contain elements, including regulated metals and metalloids, which are mobilized through interactions between the fracturing fluid and the shale formation. The rate and extent of mobilization depends on the geochemistry of the formation and the chemical characteristics of the fracturing fluid. In this work, laboratory scale experiments investigated the influence of water chemistry on element mobilization from core samples taken from the Bakken formation, one of the most productive shale oil plays in the US. Fluid properties were systematically varied and evaluated with regard to pH, oxidant level, solid:water ratio, temperature, and chemical additives. Element mobilization strongly depended on solution pH and redox conditions and to a lesser extent on the temperature and solid:water ratio. The presence of oxygen and addition of hydrogen peroxide or ammonium persulfate led to pyrite oxidation, resulting in elevated sulfate concentrations. Further, depending on the mineral carbonates available to buffer the system pH, pyrite oxidation could lower the system pH and enhance the mobility of several metals and metalloids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Acclimatization to high-variance habitats does not enhance physiological tolerance of two key Caribbean corals to future temperature and pH.

    PubMed

    Camp, Emma F; Smith, David J; Evenhuis, Chris; Enochs, Ian; Manzello, Derek; Woodcock, Stephen; Suggett, David J

    2016-05-25

    Corals are acclimatized to populate dynamic habitats that neighbour coral reefs. Habitats such as seagrass beds exhibit broad diel changes in temperature and pH that routinely expose corals to conditions predicted for reefs over the next 50-100 years. However, whether such acclimatization effectively enhances physiological tolerance to, and hence provides refuge against, future climate scenarios remains unknown. Also, whether corals living in low-variance habitats can tolerate present-day high-variance conditions remains untested. We experimentally examined how pH and temperature predicted for the year 2100 affects the growth and physiology of two dominant Caribbean corals (Acropora palmata and Porites astreoides) native to habitats with intrinsically low (outer-reef terrace, LV) and/or high (neighbouring seagrass, HV) environmental variance. Under present-day temperature and pH, growth and metabolic rates (calcification, respiration and photosynthesis) were unchanged for HV versus LV populations. Superimposing future climate scenarios onto the HV and LV conditions did not result in any enhanced tolerance to colonies native to HV. Calcification rates were always lower for elevated temperature and/or reduced pH. Together, these results suggest that seagrass habitats may not serve as refugia against climate change if the magnitude of future temperature and pH changes is equivalent to neighbouring reef habitats. © 2016 The Author(s).

  4. Acclimatization to high-variance habitats does not enhance physiological tolerance of two key Caribbean corals to future temperature and pH

    PubMed Central

    Smith, David J.; Evenhuis, Chris; Enochs, Ian; Manzello, Derek; Woodcock, Stephen; Suggett, David J.

    2016-01-01

    Corals are acclimatized to populate dynamic habitats that neighbour coral reefs. Habitats such as seagrass beds exhibit broad diel changes in temperature and pH that routinely expose corals to conditions predicted for reefs over the next 50–100 years. However, whether such acclimatization effectively enhances physiological tolerance to, and hence provides refuge against, future climate scenarios remains unknown. Also, whether corals living in low-variance habitats can tolerate present-day high-variance conditions remains untested. We experimentally examined how pH and temperature predicted for the year 2100 affects the growth and physiology of two dominant Caribbean corals (Acropora palmata and Porites astreoides) native to habitats with intrinsically low (outer-reef terrace, LV) and/or high (neighbouring seagrass, HV) environmental variance. Under present-day temperature and pH, growth and metabolic rates (calcification, respiration and photosynthesis) were unchanged for HV versus LV populations. Superimposing future climate scenarios onto the HV and LV conditions did not result in any enhanced tolerance to colonies native to HV. Calcification rates were always lower for elevated temperature and/or reduced pH. Together, these results suggest that seagrass habitats may not serve as refugia against climate change if the magnitude of future temperature and pH changes is equivalent to neighbouring reef habitats. PMID:27194698

  5. Optimisation of the reaction conditions for the production of cross-linked starch with high resistant starch content.

    PubMed

    Kahraman, Kevser; Koksel, Hamit; Ng, Perry K W

    2015-05-01

    The optimum reaction conditions (temperature and pH) for the preparation of cross-linked (CL) corn and wheat starches with maximum resistant starch (RS) content were investigated by using response surface methodology (RSM). According to the preliminary results, five levels were selected for reaction temperature (38-70 °C) and pH (10-12) in the main study. RS contents of the CL corn and wheat starch samples increased with increasing temperature and pH, and pH had a greater influence on RS content than had temperature. The maximum RS content (with a maximum p value of 0.4%) was obtained in wheat starch cross-linked at 38 °C and pH 12. In the case of CL corn starch, the optimum condition was 70 °C and pH 12. CL corn and wheat starch samples were also produced separately under the optimum conditions and their RS contents were 80.4% and 83.9%, respectively. These results were also in agreement with the values predicted by RSM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Optimization study of ethanolic fermentation from oil palm trunk, rubberwood and mixed hardwood hydrolysates using Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Chin, K L; H'ng, P S; Wong, L J; Tey, B T; Paridah, M T

    2010-05-01

    Ethanolic fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae was carried out on three types of hydrolysates produced from lignocelulosic biomass which are commonly found in Malaysia such as oil palm trunk, rubberwood and mixed hardwood. The effect of fermentation temperature and pH of hydrolysate was evaluated to optimize the fermentation efficiency which defined as maximum ethanol yield in minimum fermentation time. The fermentation process using different temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, 30 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius were performed on the prepared fermentation medium adjusted to pH 4, pH 6 and pH 7, respectively. Results showed that the fermentation time was significantly reduced with the increase of temperature but an adverse reduction in ethanol yield was observed using temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. As the pH of hydrolysate became more acidic, the ethanol yield increased. Optimum fermentation efficiency for ethanolic fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates using S. cerevisiae can be obtained using 33.2 degrees Celsius and pH 5.3. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Alkaline hydrothermal liquefaction of swine carcasses to bio-oil.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Ji-Lu; Zhu, Ming-Qiang; Wu, Hai-tang

    2015-09-01

    It is imperative that swine carcasses are disposed of safely, practically and economically. Alkaline hydrothermal liquefaction of swine carcasses to bio-oil was performed. Firstly, the effects of temperature, reaction time and pH value on the yield of each liquefaction product were determined. Secondly, liquefaction products, including bio-oil and solid residue, were characterized. Finally, the energy recovery ratio (ERR), which was defined as the energy of the resultant products compared to the energy input of the material, was investigated. Our experiment shows that reaction time had certain influence on the yield of liquefaction products, but temperature and pH value had bigger influence on the yield of liquefaction products. Yields of 62.2wt% bio-oil, having a high heating value of 32.35MJ/kg and a viscosity of 305cp, and 22wt% solid residue were realized at a liquefaction temperature of 250°C, a reaction time of 60min and a pH value of 9.0. The bio-oil contained up to hundreds of different chemical components that may be classified according to functional groups. Typical compound classes in the bio-oil were hydrocarbons, organic acids, esters, ketones and heterocyclics. The energy recovery ratio (ERR) reached 93.63%. The bio-oil is expected to contribute to fossil fuel replacement in stationary applications, including boilers and furnaces, and upgrading processes for the bio-oil may be used to obtain liquid transport fuels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Hydrothermal Reactivity of Amines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, K.; Shock, E.; Hartnett, H. E.; Williams, L. B.; Gould, I.

    2013-12-01

    The reactivity of aqueous amines depends on temperature, pH, and redox state [1], all of which are highly variable in hydrothermal systems. Temperature and pH affect the ratio of protonated to unprotonated amines (R-NH2 + H+ = R-NH3+), which act as nucleophiles and electrophiles, respectively. We hypothesize that this dual nature can explain the pH dependence of reaction rates, and predict that rates will approach a maximum at pH = pKa where the ratio of protonated and unprotonated amines approaches one and the two compounds are poised to react with one another. Higher temperatures in hydrothermal systems allow for more rapid reaction rates, readily reversible reactions, and unique carbon-nitrogen chemistry in which water acts as a reagent in addition to being the solvent. In this study, aqueous benzylamine was used as a model compound to explore the reaction mechanisms, kinetics, and equilibria of amines under hydrothermal conditions. Experiments were carried out in anoxic silica glass tubes at 250°C (Psat) using phosphate-buffered solutions to observe changes in reaction rates and product distributions as a function of pH. The rate of decomposition of benzylamine was much faster at pH 4 than at pH 9, consistent with the prediction that benzylamine acts as both nucleophile and an electrophile, and our estimate that the pKa of benzylamine is ~5 at 250°C and Psat. Accordingly, dibenzylamine is the primary product of the reaction of two benzylamine molecules, and this reaction is readily reversible under hydrothermal conditions. Extremely acidic or basic pH can be used to suppress dibenzylamine production, which also suppresses the formation of all other major products, including toluene, benzyl alcohol, dibenzylimine, and tribenzylamine. This suggests that dibenzylamine is the lone primary product that then itself reacts as a precursor to produce the above compounds. Analog experiments performed with ring-substituted benzylamine derivatives and chiral methylbenzylamine suggest an SN2 mechanism for the formation of dibenzylamine. These results show the interdependence of pH and speciation with amine reaction rates. We predict the distribution of primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary amines in hydrothermal solutions can be used to solve for the pH of subsurface reaction zones in hydrothermal systems. [1] McCollom, T.M. (2013) The influence of minerals on decomposition of the n-alkyl-α-amino acid norvaline under hydrothermal conditions. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 104, 330-357.

  9. Toxicity evaluation of pH dependent stable Achyranthes aspera herbal gold nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tripathi, Alok; Kumari, Sarika; Kumar, Arvind

    2016-01-01

    Nanoparticles have gained substantial attention for the control of various diseases. However, any adverse effect of herbal gold nanoparticles (HGNPs) on animals including human being has not been investigated in details. The objectives of current study are to assess the cytotoxicity of HGNPs synthesized by using leaf extract of Achyranthes aspera, and long epoch stability. The protocol deals with stability of HGNPs in pH dependent manner. Visually, HGNPs formation is characterized by colour change of extract from dark brown to dark purple after adding gold chloride solution (1 mM). The 100 μg/ml HGNPs concentration has been found nontoxic to the cultured spleenocyte cells. Spectrophotometric analysis of nanoparticles solution gave a peak at 540 nm which corresponds to surface plasmon resonance absorption band. As per scanning electron microscopy and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), size of HGNPs are in the range of 50-80 nm (average size 70 nm) with spherical morphology. TEM-selected area electron diffraction observation showed hexagonal texture. HGNPs showed substantial stability at higher temperature (85 °C), pH 10 and salt concentration (5 M). The zeta potential value of HGNPs is -35.9 mV at temperature 25 °C, pH 10 showing its good quality with better stability in comparison to pH 6 and pH 7. The findings advocate that the protocol for the synthesis of HGNPs is easy and quick with good quality and long epoch stability at pH 10. Moreover, non-toxic dose could be widely applicable for human health as a potential nano-medicine in the future to cure diseases.

  10. Biogeochemical modeling of CO 2 and CH 4 production in anoxic Arctic soil microcosms

    DOE PAGES

    Tang, Guoping; Zheng, Jianqiu; Xu, Xiaofeng; ...

    2016-09-12

    Soil organic carbon turnover to CO 2 and CH 4 is sensitive to soil redox potential and pH conditions. But, land surface models do not consider redox and pH in the aqueous phase explicitly, thereby limiting their use for making predictions in anoxic environments. Using recent data from incubations of Arctic soils, we extend the Community Land Model with coupled carbon and nitrogen (CLM-CN) decomposition cascade to include simple organic substrate turnover, fermentation, Fe(III) reduction, and methanogenesis reactions, and assess the efficacy of various temperature and pH response functions. Incorporating the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model (WHAM) enables us to approximatelymore » describe the observed pH evolution without additional parameterization. Though Fe(III) reduction is normally assumed to compete with methanogenesis, the model predicts that Fe(III) reduction raises the pH from acidic to neutral, thereby reducing environmental stress to methanogens and accelerating methane production when substrates are not limiting. Furthermore, the equilibrium speciation predicts a substantial increase in CO 2 solubility as pH increases, and taking into account CO 2 adsorption to surface sites of metal oxides further decreases the predicted headspace gas-phase fraction at low pH. Without adequate representation of these speciation reactions, as well as the impacts of pH, temperature, and pressure, the CO 2 production from closed microcosms can be substantially underestimated based on headspace CO 2 measurements only. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of geochemical models for simulating soil biogeochemistry and provide predictive understanding and mechanistic representations that can be incorporated into land surface models to improve climate predictions.« less

  11. Structural, morphological and steady state photoluminescence spectroscopy studies of red Eu(3+)-doped Y2O3 nanophosphors prepared by the sol-gel method.

    PubMed

    Lamiri, Lyes; Guerbous, Lakhdar; Samah, Madani; Boukerika, Allaoua; Ouhenia, Salim

    2015-12-01

    Europium trivalent (Eu(3+))-doped Y2O3 nanopowders of different concentrations (0.5, 2.5, 5 or 7 at.%) were synthesized by the sol-gel method, at different pH values (pH 2, 5 or 8) and annealing temperatures (600 °C, 800 °C or 1000 °C). The nanopowders samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and steady state photoluminescence spectroscopy. The effect of pH of solution and annealing temperatures on structural, morphological and photoluminescence properties of Eu(3+)-doped Y2O3 were studied and are discussed. It was found that the average crystallite size of the nanopowders increased with increasing pH and annealing temperature values. The Y2O3:Eu(3+) material presented different morphology and its evolution depended on the pH value and the annealing temperature. Activation energies at different pH values were determined and are discussed. Under ultraviolet (UV) light excitation, Y2O3:Eu(3+) showed narrow emission peaks corresponding to the (5)D0- (7) FJ (J = 0, 1, 2 and 3) transitions of the Eu(3+) ion, with the most intense red emission at 611 assigned to forced electric dipole (5)D0 → (7)F2. The emission intensity became more intense with increasing annealing temperature and pH values, related to the improvement of crystalline quality. For the 1000 °C annealing temperature, the emission intensity presented a maximum at pH 5 related to the uniform cubic-shaped particles. It was found that for lower annealing temperatures (small crystallite size) the CTB (charge transfer band) position presented a red shift. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. Hyperthermophilic archaeal prefoldin shows refolding activity at low temperature.

    PubMed

    Zako, Tamotsu; Banba, Shinya; Sahlan, Muhamad; Sakono, Masafumi; Terada, Naofumi; Yohda, Masafumi; Maeda, Mizuo

    2010-01-01

    Prefoldin is a molecular chaperone that captures a protein-folding intermediate and transfers it to a group II chaperonin for correct folding. Previous studies of archaeal prefoldins have shown that prefoldin only possesses holdase activity and is unable to fold unfolded proteins by itself. In this study, we have demonstrated for the first time that a prefoldin from hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 (PhPFD), exhibits refolding activity for denatured lysozyme at temperatures relatively lower than physiologically active temperatures. The interaction between PhPFD and denatured lysozyme was investigated by use of a surface plasmon resonance sensor at various temperatures. Although PhPFD showed strong affinity for denatured lysozyme at high temperature, it exhibited relatively weak interactions at lower temperature. The protein-folding seems to occur through binding and release from PhPFD by virtue of the weak affinity. Our results also imply that prefoldin might be able to contribute to the folding of some cellular proteins whose affinity with prefoldin is weak. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Humboldt's spa: microbial diversity is controlled by temperature in geothermal environments

    PubMed Central

    Sharp, Christine E; Brady, Allyson L; Sharp, Glen H; Grasby, Stephen E; Stott, Matthew B; Dunfield, Peter F

    2014-01-01

    Over 200 years ago Alexander von Humboldt (1808) observed that plant and animal diversity peaks at tropical latitudes and decreases toward the poles, a trend he attributed to more favorable temperatures in the tropics. Studies to date suggest that this temperature–diversity gradient is weak or nonexistent for Bacteria and Archaea. To test the impacts of temperature as well as pH on bacterial and archaeal diversity, we performed pyrotag sequencing of 16S rRNA genes retrieved from 165 soil, sediment and biomat samples of 36 geothermal areas in Canada and New Zealand, covering a temperature range of 7.5–99 °C and a pH range of 1.8–9.0. This represents the widest ranges of temperature and pH yet examined in a single microbial diversity study. Species richness and diversity indices were strongly correlated to temperature, with R2 values up to 0.62 for neutral–alkaline springs. The distributions were unimodal, with peak diversity at 24 °C and decreasing diversity at higher and lower temperature extremes. There was also a significant pH effect on diversity; however, in contrast to previous studies of soil microbial diversity, pH explained less of the variability (13–20%) than temperature in the geothermal samples. No correlation was observed between diversity values and latitude from the equator, and we therefore infer a direct temperature effect in our data set. These results demonstrate that temperature exerts a strong control on microbial diversity when considered over most of the temperature range within which life is possible. PMID:24430481

  14. Measured solubilities and speciations from oversaturation experiments of neptunium, plutonium, and americium in UE-25p No. 1 well water from the Yucca Mountain region: Milestone report 3329-WBS1.2.3.4.1.3.1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nitsche, H.; Roberts, K.; Prussin, T.

    1994-04-01

    Solubility and speciation are important in understanding aqueous radionuclide transport through the geosphere. They define the source term for transport retardation processes such as sorption and colloid formation. Solubility and speciation data are useful in verifying the validity of geochemical codes that are a part of predictive transport models. Results are presented from solubility and speciation experiments of {sup 237}NpO{sub 2}{sup +}, {sup 239}Pu{sup 4+}, and {sup 241}Am{sup 3+}/Nd{sup 3+} in a modified UE-25p No. 1 groundwater (from the Yucca Mountain region, Nevada, which is being investigated as a potential high-level nuclear waste disposal site) at two different temperatures (25{degree}more » and 60{degree}C) and three pH values (6.0, 7.0, 8.5). The solubility-controlling steady-state solids were identified and the speciation and/or oxidation states present in the supernatant solutions were determined. The neptunium solubility decreased with increasing temperature and pH. Plutonium concentrations significantly decreased with increasing temperature at pH 6 and 7. The concentration at pH 8.5 hardly decreased at all with increasing temperature. At both temperatures the concentrations were highest at pH 8.5, lowest at pH 7, and in between at pH 6. For the americium/neodymium solutions, the solubility decreased significantly with increasing temperature and increased somewhat with increasing pH.« less

  15. Photobleaching of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Yangtze River estuary: kinetics and effects of temperature, pH, and salinity.

    PubMed

    Song, Guisheng; Li, Yijie; Hu, Suzheng; Li, Guiju; Zhao, Ruihua; Sun, Xin; Xie, Huixiang

    2017-06-21

    The kinetics and temperature-, pH- and salinity-dependences of photobleaching of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Yangtze River estuary (YRE) were evaluated using laboratory solar-simulated irradiation and compared to those of Suwannee River humic substances (SRHSs). Nearly all CDOM in water at the head of the estuary (headwater herein) was photobleachable in both summer and winter, while significant fractions of CDOM (13-29%) were resistant to photobleaching in saltier waters. The photobleaching rate constant in the headwater was 25% higher in summer than that in winter. The absorbed photon-based photobleaching efficiency (PE) increased with temperature following the linear Arrhenius equation. For a 20 °C increase in temperature, PE increased by ∼45% in the headwater and by 70-81% in the saltier waters. PE for YRE samples exhibited minima at pH from 6 to 7 and increased with both lower and higher pH values, contrasting the consistent increase in PE with pH shown by SRHSs. No consistent effect of salinity on PE was observed for both SRHSs and YRE samples. Photobleaching increased the spectral slope coefficient between 275 nm and 295 nm in summer, consistent with the behavior of SRHSs, but decreased it in winter, implying a difference in the molecular composition of chromophores between the two seasons. Temperature, salinity, and pH modified the photoalteration of the spectral shape but their effects varied spatially and seasonally. This study demonstrates that CDOM quality, temperature, and pH should be incorporated into models involving quantification of photobleaching.

  16. Validation of a portable, waterproof blood pH analyser for elasmobranchs.

    PubMed

    Talwar, Brendan; Bouyoucos, Ian A; Shipley, Oliver; Rummer, Jodie L; Mandelman, John W; Brooks, Edward J; Grubbs, R Dean

    2017-01-01

    Quantifying changes in blood chemistry in elasmobranchs can provide insights into the physiological insults caused by anthropogenic stress, and can ultimately inform conservation and management strategies. Current methods for analysing elasmobranch blood chemistry in the field are often costly and logistically challenging. We compared blood pH values measured using a portable, waterproof pH meter (Hanna Instruments HI 99161) with blood pH values measured by an i-STAT system (CG4+ cartridges), which was previously validated for teleost and elasmobranch fishes, to gauge the accuracy of the pH meter in determining whole blood pH for the Cuban dogfish ( Squalus cubensis ) and lemon shark ( Negaprion brevirostris ). There was a significant linear relationship between values derived via the pH meter and the i-STAT for both species across a wide range of pH values and temperatures (Cuban dogfish: 6.8-7.1 pH 24-30°C; lemon sharks: 7.0-7.45 pH 25-31°C). The relative error in the pH meter's measurements was ~±2.7%. Using this device with appropriate correction factors and consideration of calibration temperatures can result in both a rapid and accurate assessment of whole blood pH, at least for the two elasmobranch species examined here. Additional species should be examined in the future across a wide range of temperatures to determine whether correction factors are universal.

  17. Microbiological Characterization of Wet Wheat Distillers' Grain, with Focus on Isolation of Lactobacilli with Potential as Probiotics

    PubMed Central

    Pedersen, C.; Jonsson, H.; Lindberg, J. E.; Roos, S.

    2004-01-01

    Wet wheat distillers' grain (WWDG), a residue from ethanol fermentation, was examined from a microbiological perspective. After storage, WWDG was characterized by a high content of lactobacilli, nondetectable levels of other bacteria, occasional occurrence of yeasts, and a pH of about 3.6 and contained a mixture of lactic acid, acetic acid, and ethanol. The composition of lactobacilli in WWDG was simple, including primarily the species Lactobacillus amylolyticus, Lactobacillus panis, and Lactobacillus pontis, as determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Since the use of WWDG as pig feed has indicated a health-promoting function, some relevant characteristics of three strains of each of these species were examined together with basal physiological parameters, such as carbohydrate utilization and growth temperature. Seven of the strains were isolated from WWDG, and two strains from pig feces were included for comparison. It was clear that all three species could grow at temperatures of 45 to 50°C, with L. amylolyticus being able to grow at temperatures as high as 54°C. This finding could be the explanation for the simple microflora of WWDG, where a low pH together with a high temperature during storage would select for these organisms. Some strains of L. panis and L. pontis showed prolonged survival at pH 2.5 in synthetic stomach juice and good growth in the presence of porcine bile salt. In addition, members of all three species were able to bind to immobilized mucus material in vitro. Especially the isolates from pig feces but, interestingly, some isolates from WWDG as well possessed properties that might be of importance for colonization of the gastrointestinal tracts of pigs. PMID:15006774

  18. Yeast Acid Phosphatase in a Student Laboratory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barbaric, Sloeodan; Ries, Blanka

    1988-01-01

    Examines the influence of enzyme and substrate concentrations, pH, temperature, and inhibitors on catalytic activity. Follows the influence of different phosphate concentrations in the growth medium on enzyme activity. Studies regulation of enzyme synthesis by repression. Includes methodology for six experiments. (MVL)

  19. 40 CFR 265.347 - Monitoring and inspections.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... minutes. Appropriate corrections to maintain steady state combustion conditions must be made immediately... would normally include those measuring waste feed, auxiliary fuel feed, air flow, in-ciner-a-tor temperature, scrubber flow, scrubber pH, and relevant level -controls. (b) The complete incinerator and...

  20. Temperature and pH sensors based on graphenic materials.

    PubMed

    Salvo, P; Calisi, N; Melai, B; Cortigiani, B; Mannini, M; Caneschi, A; Lorenzetti, G; Paoletti, C; Lomonaco, T; Paolicchi, A; Scataglini, I; Dini, V; Romanelli, M; Fuoco, R; Di Francesco, F

    2017-05-15

    Point-of-care applications and patients' real-time monitoring outside a clinical setting would require disposable and durable sensors to provide better therapies and quality of life for patients. This paper describes the fabrication and performances of a temperature and a pH sensor on a biocompatible and wearable board for healthcare applications. The temperature sensor was based on a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer that changed its electrical resistivity with the temperature. When tested in a human serum sample between 25 and 43°C, the sensor had a sensitivity of 110±10Ω/°C and an error of 0.4±0.1°C compared with the reference value set in a thermostatic bath. The pH sensor, based on a graphene oxide (GO) sensitive layer, had a sensitivity of 40±4mV/pH in the pH range between 4 and 10. Five sensor prototypes were tested in a human serum sample over one week and the maximum deviation of the average response from reference values obtained by a glass electrode was 0.2pH units. For biological applications, the temperature and pH sensors were successfully tested for in vitro cytotoxicity with human fibroblast cells (MRC-5) over 24h. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Vulnerability of the calcifying larval stage of the Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri to near-future ocean acidification and warming.

    PubMed

    Byrne, Maria; Ho, Melanie A; Koleits, Lucas; Price, Casandra; King, Catherine K; Virtue, Patti; Tilbrook, Bronte; Lamare, Miles

    2013-07-01

    Stenothermal polar benthic marine invertebrates are highly sensitive to environmental perturbations but little is known about potential synergistic effects of concurrent ocean warming and acidification on development of their embryos and larvae. We examined the effects of these stressors on development to the calcifying larval stage in the Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri in embryos reared in present and future (2100+) ocean conditions from fertilization. Embryos were reared in 2 temperature (ambient: -1.0 °C, + 2 °C : 1.0 °C) and 3 pH (ambient: pH 8.0, -0.2-0.4 pH units: 7.8,7.6) levels. Principle coordinates analysis on five larval metrics showed a significant effect of temperature and pH on the pattern of growth. Within each temperature, larvae were separated by pH treatment, a pattern primarily influenced by larval arm and body length. Growth was accelerated by temperature with a 20-28% increase in postoral (PO) length at +2 °C across all pH levels. Growth was strongly depressed by reduced pH with a 8-19% decrease in PO length at pH 7.6-7.8 at both temperatures. The boost in growth caused by warming resulted in larvae that were larger than would be observed if acidification was examined in the absence of warming. However, there was no significant interaction between these stressors. The increase in left-right asymmetry and altered body allometry indicated that decreased pH disrupted developmental patterning and acted as a teratogen (agent causing developmental malformation). Decreased developmental success with just a 2 °C warming indicates that development in S. neumayeri is particularly sensitive to increased temperature. Increased temperature also altered larval allometry. Altered body shape impairs swimming and feeding in echinoplutei. In the absence of adaptation, it appears that the larval phase may be a bottleneck for survivorship of S. neumayeri in a changing ocean in a location where poleward migration to escape inhospitable conditions is not possible. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  2. 40 CFR 411.15 - Standards of performance for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. English units (lb/1,000 lb of product) TSS 0.005. Temperature (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the...

  3. 40 CFR 411.15 - Standards of performance for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. English units (lb/1,000 lb of product) TSS 0.005. Temperature (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the...

  4. Nanoparticle-based measurements of pH and O2 dynamics in the rhizosphere of Zostera marina L.: effects of temperature elevation and light-dark transitions.

    PubMed

    Elgetti Brodersen, Kasper; Koren, Klaus; Lichtenberg, Mads; Kühl, Michael

    2016-07-01

    Seagrasses can modulate the geochemical conditions in their immediate rhizosphere through the release of chemical compounds from their below-ground tissue. This is a vital chemical defence mechanism, whereby the plants detoxify the surrounding sediment. Using novel nanoparticle-based optical O2 and pH sensors incorporated in reduced and transparent artificial sediment, we investigated the spatio-temporal dynamics of pH and O2 within the entire rhizosphere of Zostera marina L. during experimental manipulations of light and temperature. We combined such measurements with O2 microsensor measurements of the photosynthetic productivity and respiration of seagrass leaves. We found pronounced pH and O2 microheterogeneity within the immediate rhizosphere of Z. marina, with higher below-ground tissue oxidation capability and rhizoplane pH levels during both light exposure of the leaf canopy and elevated temperature, where the temperature-mediated stimuli of biogeochemical processes seemed to predominate. Low rhizosphere pH microenvironments appeared to correlate with plant-derived oxic microzones stimulating local sulphide oxidation and thus driving local proton generation, although the rhizoplane pH levels generally where much higher than the bulk sediment pH. Our data show that Z. marina can actively alter its rhizosphere pH microenvironment alleviating the local H2 S toxicity and enhancing nutrient availability in the adjacent sediment via geochemical speciation shift. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Effects of Mo Content on Microstructure and Mechanical Property of PH13-8Mo Martensitic Precipitation-Hardened Stainless Steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yubing, Pei; Tianjian, Wang; Zhenhuan, Gao; Hua, Fan; Gongxian, Yang

    This paper introduces the effects of Mo content on microstructure and mechanical property of PH13-8Mo martensitic precipitation-hardened stainless steel which is used for LP last stage blade in steam turbine. Thermodynamic software Thermo-Calc has been used to calculate precipitation temperature and the mass fraction of precipitated phases in PH13-8Mo steel with different Mo content. The result shows that when the mass of Mo is below 0.6wt.%, chi-phase mu-phase and sigma-phase could disappear. The microstructure and mechanical property of high Mo PH13-8Mo (Mo=0.57wt.%) and low Mo PH13-8Mo (Mo=2.15wt.%)have been investigated in different heat treatments. The investigations reveal that austenitizing temperature decrease with the reduce of Mo content, so the optimum solution temperature for low Mo PH13-8Mo is lower than that for high Mo PH13-8Mo.The influence of solution temperature on grain size is weakened with the increase of Mo content, Mo rich carbides could retard coarsening of grain. An enormous amount of nano-size uniformly distributed β-NiAl particles are found in both kinds of steels using transmission electron microscopy, they are the most important strengthening phase in PH13-8Mo.

  6. Impact of alternative antimicrobial commercial egg washes on reducing Salmonella contamination

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Introduction: Table eggs are washed with an alkaline detergent at approximately pH 11 and at a temperature at least 32°C, followed by a chlorine rinse. Both wash temperature and an antimicrobial rinse are required by regulation, but wash pH is not specified. At this pH, little, if any, free chlorine...

  7. Modeling carbon dioxide effect in a controlled atmosphere and its interactions with temperature and pH on the growth of L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens.

    PubMed

    Couvert, Olivier; Guégan, Stéphanie; Hézard, Bernard; Huchet, Véronique; Lintz, Adrienne; Thuault, Dominique; Stahl, Valérie

    2017-12-01

    The effect of carbon dioxide, temperature, and pH on growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fluorescens was studied, following a protocol to monitor microbial growth under a constant gas composition. In this way, the CO 2 dissolution didn't modify the partial pressures in the gas phase. Growth curves were acquired at different temperatures (8, 12, 22 and 37 °C), pH (5.5 and 7) and CO 2 concentration in the gas phase (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100% of the atmospheric pressure, and over 1 bar). These three factors greatly influenced the growth rate of L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens, and significant interactions have been observed between the carbon dioxide and the temperature effects. Results showed no significant effect of the CO 2 concentration at 37 °C, which may be attributed to low CO2 solubility at high temperature. An inhibitory effect of CO 2 appeared at lower temperatures (8 and 12 °C). Regardless of the temperature, the gaseous CO 2 is sparingly soluble at acid pH. However, the CO 2 inhibition was not significantly different between pH 5.5 and pH 7. Considering the pKa of the carbonic acid, these results showed the dissolved carbon under HCO 3 - form didn't affect the bacterial inhibition. Finally, a global model was proposed to estimate the growth rate vs. CO 2 concentration in the aqueous phase. This dissolved concentration is calculated according to the physical equations related to the CO 2 equilibriums, involving temperature and pH interactions. This developed model is a new tool available to manage the food safety of MAP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Activation Energy of the Low-pH-Induced Lamellar to Bicontinuous Cubic Phase Transition in Dioleoylphosphatidylserine/Monoolein.

    PubMed

    Oka, Toshihiko; Saiki, Takahiro; Alam, Jahangir Md; Yamazaki, Masahito

    2016-02-09

    Electrostatic interaction is an important factor for phase transitions between lamellar liquid-crystalline (Lα) and inverse bicontinuous cubic (QII) phases. We investigated the effect of temperature on the low-pH-induced Lα to double-diamond cubic (QII(D)) phase transition in dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS)/monoolein (MO) using time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering with a stopped-flow apparatus. Under all conditions of temperature and pH, the Lα phase was directly transformed into an intermediate inverse hexagonal (HII) phase, and subsequently the HII phase slowly converted to the QII(D) phase. We obtained the rate constants of the initial step (i.e., the Lα to HII phase transition) and of the second step (i.e., the HII to QII(D) phase transition) using the non-negative matrix factorization method. The rate constant of the initial step increased with temperature. By analyzing this result, we obtained the values of its apparent activation energy, Ea (Lα → HII), which did not change with temperature but increased with an increase in pH. In contrast, the rate constant of the second step decreased with temperature at pH 2.6, although it increased with temperature at pH 2.7 and 2.8. These results indicate that the value of Ea (HII → QII(D)) at pH 2.6 increased with temperature, but the values of Ea (HII → QII(D)) at pH 2.7 and 2.8 were constant with temperature. The values of Ea (HII → QII(D)) were smaller than those of Ea (Lα → HII) at the same pH. We analyzed these results using a modified quantitative theory on the activation energy of phase transitions of lipid membranes proposed initially by Squires et al. (Squires, A. M.; Conn, C. E.; Seddon, J. M.; Templer, R. H. Soft Matter 2009, 5, 4773). On the basis of these results, we discuss the mechanism of this phase transition.

  9. Effects of pH and Temperature on the Stability of Fumonisins in Maize Products.

    PubMed

    Bryła, Marcin; Waśkiewicz, Agnieszka; Szymczyk, Krystyna; Jędrzejczak, Renata

    2017-03-01

    This paper is a study of the stability of fumonisins in dough based on maize flour prepared in a phosphate buffer with a pH of 3.5, 5.5 or 7.5 and baked at a temperature within the range of 100-250 °C. Buffers with various pH values were tested, since it is well-known that pH may significantly influence interactions of fumonisins with other substances. A standard analytical procedure was used to determine the concentration of free fumonisins. Hydrolysis in an alkaline medium was then applied to reveal the hidden forms, while the total fumonisins concentations was determined in another measurement. The total concentration of fumonisins was statistically higher in pH = 3.5 and pH = 5.5 than the concentration of free fumonisins; no similar difference was found at pH = 7.5. The applied phosphate buffer pH 7.5 may enhance solubility of fumonisins, which would increase extraction efficiency of free analytes, thereby decreasing the difference between concentrations of total and free fumonisins. Hydrolysed B₁ fumonisin (HFB₁) and partially hydrolysed B₁ fumonisin (isomers a and b: PHFB 1a and PHFB 1b , respectively) were the main investigated substances. For baking temperatures below 220 °C, fumonisins were slightly more stable for pH = 5.5 than for pH = 3.5 and pH = 7.5. In both of these latter cases, the concentration of partially hydrolysed fumonisins grew initially (up to 200 °C) with an increase in the baking temperature, and then dropped. Similar behaviour was observed for free HFB₁, which may suggest the following fumonisin degradation mechanism: initially, the tricarballylic acid (TCA) groups are removed from the molecules, and next, the HFB₁ molecules disintegrate.

  10. Effects of pH and Temperature on the Stability of Fumonisins in Maize Products

    PubMed Central

    Bryła, Marcin; Waśkiewicz, Agnieszka; Szymczyk, Krystyna; Jędrzejczak, Renata

    2017-01-01

    This paper is a study of the stability of fumonisins in dough based on maize flour prepared in a phosphate buffer with a pH of 3.5, 5.5 or 7.5 and baked at a temperature within the range of 100–250 °C. Buffers with various pH values were tested, since it is well-known that pH may significantly influence interactions of fumonisins with other substances. A standard analytical procedure was used to determine the concentration of free fumonisins. Hydrolysis in an alkaline medium was then applied to reveal the hidden forms, while the total fumonisins concentations was determined in another measurement. The total concentration of fumonisins was statistically higher in pH = 3.5 and pH = 5.5 than the concentration of free fumonisins; no similar difference was found at pH = 7.5. The applied phosphate buffer pH 7.5 may enhance solubility of fumonisins, which would increase extraction efficiency of free analytes, thereby decreasing the difference between concentrations of total and free fumonisins. Hydrolysed B1 fumonisin (HFB1) and partially hydrolysed B1 fumonisin (isomers a and b: PHFB1a and PHFB1b, respectively) were the main investigated substances. For baking temperatures below 220 °C, fumonisins were slightly more stable for pH = 5.5 than for pH = 3.5 and pH = 7.5. In both of these latter cases, the concentration of partially hydrolysed fumonisins grew initially (up to 200 °C) with an increase in the baking temperature, and then dropped. Similar behaviour was observed for free HFB1, which may suggest the following fumonisin degradation mechanism: initially, the tricarballylic acid (TCA) groups are removed from the molecules, and next, the HFB1 molecules disintegrate. PMID:28257053

  11. Sperm motility in fishes. I. Effects of temperature and pH: a review.

    PubMed

    Alavi, Sayyed Mohammad Hadi; Cosson, Jacky

    2005-02-01

    Sperm motility is a key factor in allowing us to determine semen quality and fertilizing capacity. Motility in semen is mainly controlled by K+ in salmonids, and probably also in sturgeons, and by osmotic pressure in other freshwater and seawater fish species, but other factors, such as concentration of surrounding metabolites and ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, etc.), pH and temperature also influence motility characteristics. In the present study, we have mainly reviewed and summarized the effects of temperature and pH on the motility of spermatozoa in three fish species: salmonids, cyprinids and sturgeons. Data in the literature show that motility, fertilizing ability and velocity of spermatozoa, as well as the duration of the motility period, depend on the temperature of the assay medium and also of that of the brood fish holding tank. In contrast, the pH of the swimming medium, and thus the intracellular pH of spermatozoa, has less influence on sperm motility parameters in cyprinids, salmonids and sturgeons.

  12. Degradation of Zearalenone by Essential Oils under In vitro Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Perczak, Adam; Juś, Krzysztof; Marchwińska, Katarzyna; Gwiazdowska, Daniela; Waśkiewicz, Agnieszka; Goliński, Piotr

    2016-01-01

    Essential oils are volatile compounds, extracted from plants, which have a strong odor. These compounds are known for their antibacterial and antifungal properties. However, data concerning degradation of mycotoxins by these metabolites are very limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of essential oils (cedarwood, cinnamon leaf, cinnamon bark, white grapefruit, pink grapefruit, lemon, eucalyptus, palmarosa, mint, thymic, and rosemary) on zearalenone (ZEA) reduction under various in vitro conditions, including the influence of temperature, pH, incubation time and mycotoxin and essential oil concentrations. The degree of ZEA reduction was determined by HPLC method. It was found that the kind of essential oil influences the effectiveness of toxin level reduction, the highest being observed for lemon, grapefruit, eucalyptus and palmarosa oils, while lavender, thymic and rosemary oils did not degrade the toxin. In addition, the decrease in ZEA content was temperature, pH as well as toxin and essential oil concentration dependent. Generally, higher reduction was observed at higher temperature in a wide range of pH, with clear evidence that the degradation rate increased gradually with time. In some combinations (e.g., palmarosa oil at pH 6 and 4 or 20°C) a toxin degradation rate higher than 99% was observed. It was concluded that some of the tested essential oils may be effective in detoxification of ZEA. We suggested that essential oils should be recognized as an interesting and effective means of ZEA decontamination and/or detoxification. PMID:27563298

  13. Partial characterisation of digestive proteases of the Mayan cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus.

    PubMed

    Cuenca-Soria, C A; Álvarez-González, C A; Ortiz-Galindo, J L; Nolasco-Soria, H; Tovar-Ramírez, D; Guerrero-Zárate, R; Castillo-Domínguez, A; Perera-García, M A; Hernández-Gómez, R; Gisbert, E

    2014-06-01

    The characterisation of digestive proteases in native freshwater fish such as the Mayan cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus provides scientific elements that may be used to design balanced feed that matches with the digestive capacity of the fish. The purpose of this study was to characterise the digestive proteases, including the effect of the pH and the temperature on enzyme activity and stability, as well as the effect of inhibitors using multienzymatic extracts of the stomach and intestine of C. urophthalmus juveniles. Results showed that the optimum activities of the acid and alkaline proteases occurred at pH values of 3 and 9, respectively, whereas their optimum temperatures were 55 and 65 °C, respectively. The acid proteases were most stable at pH values of 2–3 and at temperatures of 35–45 °C, whereas the alkaline proteases were most stable at pH values of 6–9 and at 25–55 °C. The inhibition assays recorded a residual activity of 4% with pepstatin A for the acid proteases. The inhibition of the alkaline proteases was greater than 80% with TPCK, TLCK, EDTA and ovalbumin, and of 60 and 43.8% with PMSF and SBT1, respectively. The results obtained in this study make it possible to state that C. urophthalmus has a sufficiently complete digestive enzyme machinery to degrade food items characteristic of an omnivorous fish species, although specimens showed a tendency to carnivory.

  14. The stability of water- and fat-soluble vitamin in dentifrices according to pH level and storage type.

    PubMed

    Park, Jung-Eun; Kim, Ki-Eun; Choi, Yong-Jun; Park, Yong-Duk; Kwon, Ha-Jeong

    2016-02-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the vitamin stabilities in dentifrices by analyzing various vitamins according to the level and storage temperature. The stabilities of water- and fat-soluble vitamins were investigated in buffer solution at different pH values (4, 7, 8, 10 and 11) for 14 days and in dentifrices at different pH (7 and 10) for 5 months at two temperature conditions (room and refrigeration temperature) by analyzing the remaining amounts using HPLC methods. In the buffer solution, the stability of vitamins B1 , B6 and C was increased as the pH values increased. Vitamins E and K showed poor stability at pH 4, and vitamin B3 showed poor stability at pH 11. In dentifrices, the storage temperature highly influenced vitamin stability, especially vitamins C and E, but the stabilities of vitamins B1 and C according to pH values did not correspond to the buffer solution tests. Vitamin B group was relatively stable in dentifrices, but vitamin C completely disappeared after 5 months. Vitamin K showed the least initial preservation rates. Vitamins were not detected in commercial dentifrices for adults and detected amounts were less than the advertised contents in dentifrices for children. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Influence of culture media, pH and temperature on growth and bacteriocin production of bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria.

    PubMed

    Yang, En; Fan, Lihua; Yan, Jinping; Jiang, Yueming; Doucette, Craig; Fillmore, Sherry; Walker, Bradley

    2018-01-24

    There has been continued interest in bacteriocins research from an applied perspective as bacteriocins have potential to be used as natural preservative. Four bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains of Lactobacillus curvatus (Arla-10), Enterococcus faecium (JFR-1), Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei (JFR-5) and Streptococcus thermophilus (TSB-8) were previously isolated and identified in our lab. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal growth conditions for both LAB growth and bacteriocins production. In this study, various growth conditions including culture media (MRS and BHI), initial pH of culture media (4.5, 5.5, 6.2, 7.4 and 8.5), and incubation temperatures (20, 37 and 44 °C) were investigated for LAB growth measured as optical density (OD), bacteriocin activity determined as arbitrary unit and viability of LAB expressed as log CFU ml -1 . Growth curves of the bacteriocinogenic LAB were generated using a Bioscreen C. Our results indicated that Arla-10, JFR-1, and JFR-5 strains grew well on both MRS and BHI media at growth temperature tested whereas TSB-8 strain, unable to grow at 20 °C. LAB growth was significantly affected by the initial pH of culture media (p < 0.001) and the optimal pH was found ranging from 6.2 to 8.5. Bacteriocin activity was significantly different in MRS versus BHI (p < 0.001), and the optimal condition for LAB to produce bacteriocins was determined in MRS broth, pH 6.2 at 37 °C. This study provides useful information on potential application of bacteriocinogenic LAB in food fermentation processes.

  16. Chemical crosslinking of acrylic acid to form biocompatible pH sensitive hydrogel reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lim, Lim Sze; Ahmad, Ishak; Lazim, Mohd Azwani Shah Mat

    2014-09-03

    The purpose of this study is to produce a novel pH and temperature sensitive hydrogel, composed of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC). CNC was extracted from kenaf fiber through a series of alkali and bleaching treatments followed by acid hydrolysis. The PAA was then subjected to chemical cross-linking using the cross-linking agent (N,N-methylenebisacrylamide) with CNC entrapped in PAA matrix. The mixture was casted onto petri dish to obtain disc shape hydrogel. The effects of reaction conditions such as the ratio of PAA and CNC on the swelling behavior of the hydrogel obtained towards pH and temperature were studied.more » The obtained hydrogel was further subjected to different tests such swelling test for swelling behaviour at different pH and temperature along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology analysis. The hydrogel obtained showed excellent pH sensitivity and obtained maximum swelling at pH 7. Besides that, hydrogel obtained showed significant increase in swelling ratio when temperature of swelling medium was increased from 25°C to 37°C. SEM micrograph showed that the pore size of the hydrogel decreases with increase of CNC content proving that the hydrogel structure became more rigid with addition of CNC. The PAA/CNC hydrogel with such excellent sensitivity towards pH and temperature can be developed further as drug carrier.« less

  17. Implication of global environmental changes on chemical toxicity-effect of water temperature, pH, and ultraviolet B irradiation on acute toxicity of several pharmaceuticals in Daphnia magna.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jungkon; Park, Jeongim; Kim, Pan-Gyi; Lee, Chulwoo; Choi, Kyunghee; Choi, Kyungho

    2010-04-01

    Global environmental change poses emerging environmental health challenges throughout the world. One of such threats could be found in chemical safety in aquatic ecosystem. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of several environmental factors, such as water pH, temperature and ultraviolet light on the toxicity of pharmaceutical compounds in water, using freshwater invertebrate Daphnia magna. Seven pharmaceuticals including ibuprofen, acetaminophen, lincomycin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, chlortetracycline and sulfathiazole were chosen as test compounds based on their frequent detection in water. The experimental conditions of environmental parameters were selected within the ranges that could be encountered in temperate environment, i.e., water temperature (15, 21, and 25 degrees C), pH (7.4, 8.3, and 9.2), and UV-B light intensity (continuous irradiation of 15.0 microW/cm(2)). For acetaminophen, enrofloxacin and sulfathiazole, decrease in water pH generally led to increase of acute lethal toxicity, which could be explained by the unionized fraction of pharmaceuticals. Increase of water temperature enhanced the acute toxicity of the acetaminophen, enrofloxacin and chlortetracycline, potentially due to alteration in toxicokinetics of chemicals as well as impact on physiological mechanisms of the test organism. The presence of UV-B light significantly increased the toxicity of sulfathiazole, which could be explained by photo-modification of this chemical that lead to oxidative stress. Under the UV light, however, acute toxicity of enrofloxacin decreased, which might be due to photo-degradation. Since changing environmental conditions could affect exposure and concentration-response profile of environmental contaminants, such conditions should be identified and evaluated in order to better manage ecosystem health under changing global environment.

  18. Deciphering the Effect of Polymer-Assisted Doping on the Optoelectronic Properties of Block Copolymer-Anchored Graphene Oxide.

    PubMed

    Maity, Nabasmita; Kuila, Atanu; Nandi, Arun K

    2017-02-14

    Doping facilitates the tuning of band gap, providing an opportunity to tailor the optoelectronic properties of graphene in a simple way, and polymer-assisted doping is a new route to combine the optoelectronic properties of graphene with the properties of a polymer. In this endeavor, a linear diblock copolymer, polycaprolactone-block-poly(dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate) (PCL 13 -b-PDMAEMA 117 ) (GPCLD) is grafted from the graphene oxide (GO) surface via consecutive ring opening and atom transfer radical polymerization. GPCLD is characterized using proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The phase transition behavior of the GPCLD solution with varying temperature and pH is monitored using fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. Temperature-dependent 1 H NMR spectra at pH 9.2 indicate the influence of temperature on the interaction between GPCLD and solvent (water) molecules causing the phase separation. Fluorescence spectra at pH 4 and 9.2 give the evidence of localized p- and n-type doping of graphene assisted by the pendent PDMAEMA chains. In the impedance spectra of GPCLD films, the Nyquist plots vary with pH; at pH 4, they exhibit a semicircle at higher frequencies and a spike at lower frequencies; at pH 7.0, the spike is replaced by an arc; and at pH 9.2, the semicircle at higher frequencies vanishes and only a spike is noticed, all of these suggesting different types of doping of graphene at different pH values. The dc-conductivity also varies with pH and temperature because of the different types of doping. The current (I)-voltage (V) property of GPCLD at different pH values is very unique: at pH 9.2, an interesting feature of negative differential resistance (NDR) is observed; at pH 7, the rectification property is observed; and at pH 4, again the NDR property is observed. The temperature-dependent I-V property at pH 7 and 9.2 clearly indicates a signature of doping, dedoping, and redoping because of the change in the interaction of GO with the grafted polymer arising from coiling and decoiling of polymer chains.

  19. Stability of Secondary and Tertiary Structures of Virus-Like Particles Representing Noroviruses: Effects of pH, Ionic Strength, and Temperature and Implications for Adhesion to Surfaces.

    PubMed

    Samandoulgou, Idrissa; Hammami, Riadh; Morales Rayas, Rocio; Fliss, Ismail; Jean, Julie

    2015-11-01

    Loss of ordered molecular structure in proteins is known to increase their adhesion to surfaces. The aim of this work was to study the stability of norovirus secondary and tertiary structures and its implications for viral adhesion to fresh foods and agrifood surfaces. The pH, ionic strength, and temperature conditions studied correspond to those prevalent in the principal vehicles of viral transmission (vomit and feces) and in the food processing and handling environment (pasteurization and refrigeration). The structures of virus-like particles representing GI.1, GII.4, and feline calicivirus (FCV) were studied using circular dichroism and intrinsic UV fluorescence. The particles were remarkably stable under most of the conditions. However, heating to 65°C caused losses of β-strand structure, notably in GI.1 and FCV, while at 75°C the α-helix content of GII.4 and FCV decreased and tertiary structures unfolded in all three cases. Combining temperature with pH or ionic strength caused variable losses of structure depending on the particle type. Regardless of pH, heating to pasteurization temperatures or higher would be required to increase GII.4 and FCV adhesion, while either low or high temperatures would favor GI.1 adhesion. Regardless of temperature, increased ionic strength would increase GII.4 adhesion but would decrease GI.1 adhesion. FCV adsorption would be greater at refrigeration, pasteurization, or high temperature combined with a low salt concentration or at a higher NaCl concentration regardless of temperature. Norovirus adhesion mediated by hydrophobic interaction may depend on hydrophobic residues normally exposed on the capsid surface at pH 3, pH 8, physiological ionic strength, and low temperature, while at pasteurization temperatures it may rely more on buried hydrophobic residues exposed upon structural rearrangement. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  20. Implications of the pH and temperature of diluted, cooled boar semen on fresh and frozen-thawed sperm motility characteristics.

    PubMed

    Purdy, P H; Tharp, N; Stewart, T; Spiller, S F; Blackburn, H D

    2010-10-15

    Boar semen is typically collected, diluted and cooled for AI use over numerous days, or frozen immediately after shipping to capable laboratories. The storage temperature and pH of the diluted, cooled boar semen could influence the fertility of boar sperm. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of pH and storage temperature on fresh and frozen-thawed boar sperm motility end points. Semen samples (n = 199) were collected, diluted, cooled and shipped overnight to the National Animal Germplasm Program laboratory for freezing and analysis from four boar stud facilities. The temperature, pH and motility characteristics, determined using computer automated semen analysis, were measured at arrival. Samples were then cryopreserved and post-thaw motility determined. The commercial stud was a significant source of variation for mean semen temperature and pH, as well as total and progressive motility, and numerous other sperm motility characteristics. Based on multiple regression analysis, pH was not a significant source of variation for fresh or frozen-thawed boar sperm motility end points. However, significant models were derived which demonstrated that storage temperature, boar, and the commercial stud influenced sperm motility end points and the potential success for surviving cryopreservation. We inferred that maintaining cooled boar semen at approximately 16 °C during storage will result in higher fresh and frozen-thawed boar sperm quality, which should result in greater fertility. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Oxidation Behavior of Carbon Steel: Effect of Formation Temperature and pH of the Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubey, Vivekanand; Kain, Vivekanand

    2017-11-01

    The nature of surface oxide formed on carbon steel piping used in nuclear power plants affects flow-accelerated corrosion. In this investigation, carbon steel specimens were oxidized in an autoclave using demineralized water at various temperatures (150-300 °C) and at pH levels (neutral, 9.5). At low temperatures (< 240 °C), weight loss of specimens due to dissolution of iron in water occurred to a greater extent than weight gain due to oxide formation. With the increase in temperature, the extent of iron dissolution reduced and weight gain due to oxide formation increased. A similar trend was observed with the increase in pH as was observed with the increase in temperature. XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of magnetite. The oxide film formed by precipitation process was negligible at temperatures from 150 to 240 °C compared to that at higher temperatures (> 240 °C) as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Electrochemical impedance measurement followed by Mott-Schottky analysis indicated an increase in defect density with exposure duration at 150 °C at neutral pH but a low and stable defect density in alkaline environment. The defect density of the oxide formed at neutral pH at 150-300 °C was always higher than that formed in alkaline environment as reported in the literature.

  2. Assembly properties of the Bacillus subtilis actin, MreB.

    PubMed

    Mayer, Joshua A; Amann, Kurt J

    2009-02-01

    The bacterial actin MreB has been implicated in a variety of cellular roles including cell shape determination, cell wall synthesis, chromosome condensation and segregation, and the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. Toward elucidating a clearer understanding of how MreB functions inside the bacterial cell, we investigated biochemically the polymerization of MreB from Bacillus subtilis. Light scattering and sedimentation assays revealed pH-, ionic-, cationic-, and temperature-dependent behavior. B. subtilis MreB polymerizes in the presence of millimolar divalent cations in a protein concentration-dependent manner. Polymerization is favored by decreasing pH and inhibited by monovalent salts and low temperatures. Although B. subtilis MreB binds and hydrolyzes both ATP and GTP, it does not require a bound nucleotide for assembly and polymerizes indistinguishably regardless of the nucleotide species bound, with a critical concentration of approximately 900 nM. A number of the presently reported properties of B. subtilis MreB differ significantly from those of T. maritima MreB1 (Bean and Amann [2008]: Biochemistry 47: 826-835), including the nucleotide requirements and temperature and ionic effects on polymerization state. These observations collectively suggest that additional factors interact with MreB to account for its complex dynamic behavior in cells.

  3. Effects of elevated temperature and mobile phase composition on a novel C18 silica column.

    PubMed

    Lippert, J Andreas; Johnson, Todd M; Lloyd, Jarem B; Smith, Jared P; Johnson, Bryce T; Furlow, Jason; Proctor, Angela; Marin, Stephanie J

    2007-05-01

    A novel polydentate C18 silica column was evaluated at an elevated temperature under acidic, basic, and neutral mobile phase conditions using ACN and methanol as the mobile phase organic modifier. The temperature range was 40-200 degrees C. The mobile phase compositions were from 0 to 80% organic-aqueous v/v and the mobile phase pH levels were between 2 and 12. The maximum operating temperature of the column was affected by the amount and type of organic modifier used in the mobile phase. Under neutral conditions, the column showed good column thermal stability at temperatures ranging between 120 and 200 degrees C in methanol-water and ACN-water solvent systems. At pH 2 and 3, the column performed well up to about 160 degrees C at two fixed ACN-buffer compositions. Under basic conditions at elevated temperatures, the column material deteriorated more quickly, but still remained stable up to 100 degrees C at pH 9 and 60 degrees C at pH 10. The results of this study indicate that this novel C18 silica-based column represents a significant advancement in RPLC column technology with enhanced thermal and pH stability when compared to traditional bonded phase silica columns.

  4. A monitor for continuous measurement of temperature, pH, and conductance of wet precipitation: Preliminary results from the Adirondack Mountains, New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnsson, P.A.; Reddy, M.M.

    1990-01-01

    This report describes a continuous wet-only precipitation monitor designed by the U.S. Geological Survey to record variations in rainfall temperature, pH, and specific conductance at 1-min intervals over the course of storms. Initial sampling in the Adirondack Mountains showed that rainfall acidity varied over the course of summer storms, with low initial pH values increasing as storm intensity increased.This report describes a continuous wet-only precipitation monitor designed by the U.S. Geological Survey to record variations in rainfall temperature, pH, and specific conductance at 1-min intervals over the course of storms. Initial sampling in the Adirondack Mountains showed that rainfall acidity varied over the course of summer storms, with low initial pH values increasing as storm intensity increased.

  5. Renewable Energy Production from DoD Installation Solid Wastes By Anaerobic Digestion

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-06

    favorable environmental conditions including a mesophilic (37 oC) or thermophilic (55 oC) temperature , the absence of oxygen , and a pH between 6.5...a high temperature process that uses oxygen -starved combustion to convert dry organic matter to a syngas. Syngas is a low BTU fuel that can be used...production rates are at the 36.7 °C digester temperature . Parameter Units 7gCOD/L-d 12gCOD/L-d Effective SRT days 18.5 10.8 COD Conversion Efficiency % 67

  6. Renewable Energy Production from DoD Installation Solid Wastes by Anaerobic Digestion

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-06-01

    favorable environmental conditions including a mesophilic (37 oC) or thermophilic (55 oC) temperature , the absence of oxygen , and a pH between 6.5...a high temperature process that uses oxygen -starved combustion to convert dry organic matter to a syngas. Syngas is a low BTU fuel that can be used...production rates are at the 36.7 °C digester temperature . Parameter Units 7gCOD/L-d 12gCOD/L-d Effective SRT days 18.5 10.8 COD Conversion Efficiency % 67

  7. Water Resources Data for California, 1965; Part 2: Water Quality Records

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    1965-01-01

    Water quality information is presented for chemical quality, fluvial sediment, and water temperatures. The chemical quality includes concentrations of individual dissolved constituents and certain properties or characteristics such as hardness, sodium-adsorption-ratio, specific conductance, and pH. Fluvial sediment information is given for suspended-sediment discharges and concentrations and for particle-size distribution of suspended sediment and bed material. Water temperature data represent once-daily observations except for stations where a continuous temperature recorder furnishes information from which daily minimums and maximums are obtained.

  8. Water Resources Data for California, 1966; Part 2: Water Quality Records

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    1967-01-01

    Water-quality information is presented for chemical quality, fluvial sediment, and water temperatures. The chemical quality includes concentrations of individual dissolved constituents and certain properties or characteristics such as hardness, sodium-adsorption ratio, specific conductance, and pH. Fluvial-sediment information is given for suspended-sediment discharges and concentrations and for particle-size distribution of suspended sediment and bed material. Water-temperature data represent once-daily observations except for stations where a continuous temperature recorder furnishes information from which daily minimums and maximums are obtained.

  9. Influence of pH, Salt and Temperature on Pressure Inactivation of Hepatitis A virus

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The effects of pH (3-7), NaCl (0-6%), and temperature on pressure inactivation of hepatitis A virus (HAV) were determined. The HAV samples were treated at 400 MPa for 1 min at 5, 20, and 50C. Decreasing solution pH enhanced pressure inactivation of HAV. This enhanced inactivation effect was most e...

  10. Thermal relaxation behavior of residual stress in laser hardened 17-4PH steel after shot peening treatment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhou; Chen, Yanhua; Jiang, Chuanhai

    2011-09-01

    In order to investigate the residual stress relaxations of shot peened layer, isothermal annealing treatments were carried out on tempered and laser hardened 17-4PH steel after shot peening with different temperatures from 300 °C to 600 °C. The results showed that the residual stresses were relaxed in the whole deformation layer especially under higher temperature. The maximum rates of stress relaxation took place at the initial stage of annealing process in all conditions. The relaxation process during isothermal annealing could be described by Zener-Wert-Avrami function. The thermal stability of residual stress in tempered 17-4PH was higher than that in laser hardened 17-4PH as well as that in α-iron, which was due to the pinning effects of ɛ-Cu precipitates on the dislocation movement. As massive ɛ-Cu precipitates formed in the temperature about 480 °C, the activation enthalpies for stress relaxation in laser hardened 17-4PH were the same as that in tempered 17-4PH in the conditions of isothermal annealing temperatures of 500 °C and 600 °C.

  11. Characterization of polyphenol oxidase from the Manzanilla cultivar (Olea europaea pomiformis) and prevention of browning reactions in bruised olive fruits.

    PubMed

    Segovia-Bravo, Kharla A; Jarén-Galan, Manuel; García-García, Pedro; Garrido-Fernandez, Antonio

    2007-08-08

    The crude extract of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme from the Manzanilla cultivar (Olea europaea pomiformis) was obtained, and its properties were characterized. The browning reaction followed a zero-order kinetic model. Its maximum activity was at pH 6.0. This activity was completely inhibited at a pH below 3.0 regardless of temperature; however, in alkaline conditions, pH inhibition depended on temperature and was observed at values above 9.0 and 11.0 at 8 and 25 degrees C, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters of substrate oxidation depended on pH within the range in which activity was observed. The reaction occurred according to an isokinetic system because pH affected the enzymatic reaction rate but not the energy required to carry out the reaction. In the alkaline pH region, browning was due to a combination of enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions that occurred in parallel. These results correlated well with the browning behavior observed in intentionally bruised fruits at different temperatures and in different storage solutions. The use of a low temperature ( approximately 8 degrees C) was very effective for preventing browning regardless of the cover solution used.

  12. Water-quality data from lakes and streams in the Grand Portage Reservation, Minnesota, 1997-98

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Winterstein, Thomas A.

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of this report is to present the data collected by the USGS from the study during 1997-98. Water-quality data include temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, and concentrations of major ions, nutrients, and trace metals. Lake sediment data include concentrations of trace metals and selected organic compounds.

  13. Short communication: Urea hydrolysis in dairy cattle manure under different temperature, urea, and pH conditions.

    PubMed

    Moraes, L E; Burgos, S A; DePeters, E J; Zhang, R; Fadel, J G

    2017-03-01

    The objective of the study was to quantify the rate of urea hydrolysis in dairy cattle manure under different initial urea concentration, temperature, and pH conditions. In particular, by varying all 3 factors simultaneously, the interactions between them could also be determined. Fresh feces and artificial urine solutions were combined into a slurry to characterize the rate of urea hydrolysis under 2 temperatures (15°C and 35°C), 3 urea concentrations in urine solutions (500, 1,000, and 1,500 mg of urea-N/dL), and 3 pH levels (6, 7, and 8). Urea N concentration in slurry was analyzed at 0.0167, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 h after initial mixing. A nonlinear mixed effects model was used to determine the effects of urea concentration, pH, and temperature treatments on the exponential rate of urea hydrolysis and to predict the hydrolysis rate for each treatment combination. We detected a significant interaction between pH and initial urea level. Increasing urea concentration from 1,000 to 1,500 mg of urea-N/dL decreased the rate of urea hydrolysis across all pH levels. Across all pH and initial urea levels, the rate of urea hydrolysis increased with temperature, but the effect of pH was only observed for pH 6 versus pH 8 at the intermediate initial urea concentration. The fast rates of urea hydrolysis indicate that urea was almost completely hydrolyzed within a few hours of urine mixing with feces. The estimated urea hydrolysis rates from this study are likely maximum rates because of the thorough mixing before each sampling. Although considerable mixing of feces and urine occurs on the barn floor of commercial dairy operations from cattle walking through the manure, such mixing may be not as quick and thorough as in this study. Consequently, the urea hydrolysis rates from this study indicate the maximum loss of urea and should be accounted for in management aimed at mitigating ammonia emissions from dairy cattle manure under similar urea concentration, pH, and temperature conditions reported in this experiment. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Validation of a portable, waterproof blood pH analyser for elasmobranchs

    PubMed Central

    Bouyoucos, Ian A.; Shipley, Oliver; Rummer, Jodie L.; Mandelman, John W.; Brooks, Edward J.; Grubbs, R. Dean

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Quantifying changes in blood chemistry in elasmobranchs can provide insights into the physiological insults caused by anthropogenic stress, and can ultimately inform conservation and management strategies. Current methods for analysing elasmobranch blood chemistry in the field are often costly and logistically challenging. We compared blood pH values measured using a portable, waterproof pH meter (Hanna Instruments HI 99161) with blood pH values measured by an i-STAT system (CG4+ cartridges), which was previously validated for teleost and elasmobranch fishes, to gauge the accuracy of the pH meter in determining whole blood pH for the Cuban dogfish (Squalus cubensis) and lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris). There was a significant linear relationship between values derived via the pH meter and the i-STAT for both species across a wide range of pH values and temperatures (Cuban dogfish: 6.8–7.1 pH 24–30°C; lemon sharks: 7.0–7.45 pH 25–31°C). The relative error in the pH meter's measurements was ~±2.7%. Using this device with appropriate correction factors and consideration of calibration temperatures can result in both a rapid and accurate assessment of whole blood pH, at least for the two elasmobranch species examined here. Additional species should be examined in the future across a wide range of temperatures to determine whether correction factors are universal. PMID:28616238

  15. Influence of prebiotics on Lactobacillus reuteri death kinetics under sub-optimal temperatures and pH.

    PubMed

    Altieri, Clelia; Iorio, Maria Clara; Bevilacqua, Antonio; Sinigaglia, Milena

    2016-01-01

    Eaten foodstuffs are usually fortified with prebiotic ingredients, such as inulin and oligofructose (FOS). The main goal of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of inulin and FOS with either suboptimal pH or storage temperature on the viability of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 20016. Data were modeled through Weibull equation for the evaluation of the microbiological shelf life and the survival time. Prebiotics enhanced the microbiological shelf life and enhanced the survival time of the target bacterium. The use of the factorial ANOVA highlighted that inulin and FOS exerted a different effect as a function of pH and temperature. Inulin prolonged survival time under acidic conditions, while the effect of glucose + FOS was significant at pH 8. Finally, temperature could act by increasing or decreasing the effect of prebiotics, as they could exert a protective effect at 30 °C but not at 44 °C. As the main output of this research, we could suggest that the effect of prebiotics on L. reuteri could be significantly affected by pH and temperature, thus pinpointing that the design of a symbiotic food should also rely on these factors.

  16. Final report of the key comparison APMP.QM-K9: APMP comparison on pH measurement of phosphate buffer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hioki, Akiharu; Ohata, Masaki; Cherdchu, Chainarong; Tangpaisarnkul, Nongluck

    2011-01-01

    The APMP.QM-K9 was organised by TCQM of APMP to test the abilities of the national metrology institutes in the APMP region to measure a pH value of a phosphate buffer. This APMP comparison on pH measurement was proposed by the National Metrology Institute of Japan, NMIJ, and the National Institute of Metrology of Thailand, NIMT, in August 2009. After approval by TCQM, the comparison has been conducted by NMIJ and NIMT. The comparison is a key comparison following CCQM-K9, CCQM-K9.1 and CCQM-K9.2. The comparison material was a phosphate buffer of pH around 6.86 and the measurement temperatures were 15 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C. This is the first APMP key comparison on pH measurement and the third APMP comparison on pH measurement following APMP.QM-P06 (two phosphate buffers) in 2004 and APMP.QM-P09 (a phthalate buffer) in 2006. The results can be used further by any participant to support its CMC claim for a phosphate buffer. That claim will concern the pH method employed by the participant during this comparison and will cover the temperature(s) used or the full temperature range between 15 °C and 37 °C for the participant which measured pH values at the three temperatures. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).

  17. Heat-induced gelation of casein micelles in aqueous suspensions at different pH.

    PubMed

    Thomar, Peggy; Nicolai, Taco

    2016-10-01

    Heat-induced gelation of casein micelles in aqueous solution was investigated between pH 5.2 and pH 6.7 over a wide range of protein concentrations (C=25-160gL(-1)). For C≥40gL(-1) the casein micelles rapidly formed a self-supporting gel above a critical temperature (Tc). At C=160gL(-1), Tc decreased from 90°C at pH 6.5 to 30°C at pH 5.4 and increased with decreasing protein concentration. Oscillatory shear measurements during heating showed that the elastic modulus (Gel) of the gels increased strongly with increasing protein concentration, but was insensitive to the pH and the heating temperature except close to Tc where Gel decreased sharply with decreasing temperature. The microstructure of the gels was observed by confocal scanning laser microscopy. Heat-induced gelation of casein micelles was compared with that of sodium caseinate solutions free of calcium phosphate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. The vulvar skin microenvironment: influence of different panty liners on temperature, pH and microflora.

    PubMed

    Runeman, Bo; Rybo, Göran; Forsgren-Brusk, Ulla; Larkö, Olle; Larsson, Peter; Faergemann, Jan

    2004-01-01

    The aim of this study was to confirm findings that vapour-impermeable panty liners might impair skin climate, and to assess their impact on the skin microflora. Temperature, surface pH and aerobic microflora were measured on vulvar skin of 102 women. The mean skin temperature was 1.1 degrees C higher when using a vapour-impermeable panty liner compared with not using one. Use of panty liners with vapour-permeable back sheets and acidic cores resulted in skin temperature, pH and microflora levels that were very close to those observed in persons not using liners. The temperature, pH and total number of microorganisms were significantly lower for users of vapour-permeable panty liners than for users of vapour-impermeable ones (p <0.05, p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The microorganism densities were usually higher when using the vapour-impermeable panty liner, but mean differences were minor. The use of panty liners seems not to imply a microbial risk for normal, healthy women.

  19. A miniature integrated multimodal sensor for measuring pH, EC and temperature for precision agriculture.

    PubMed

    Futagawa, Masato; Iwasaki, Taichi; Murata, Hiroaki; Ishida, Makoto; Sawada, Kazuaki

    2012-01-01

    Making several simultaneous measurements with different kinds of sensors at the same location in a solution is difficult because of crosstalk between the sensors. In addition, because the conditions at different locations in plant beds differ, in situ measurements in agriculture need to be done in small localized areas. We have fabricated a multimodal sensor on a small Si chip in which a pH sensor was integrated with electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature sensors. An ISFET with a Si(3)N(4) membrane was used for the pH sensor. For the EC sensor, the electrical conductivity between platinum electrodes was measured, and the temperature sensor was a p-n junction diode. These are some of the most important measurements required for controlling the conditions in plant beds. The multimodal sensor can be inserted into a plant bed for in situ monitoring. To confirm the absence of crosstalk between the sensors, we made simultaneous measurements of pH, EC, and temperature of a pH buffer solution in a plant bed. When the solution was diluted with hot or cold water, the real time measurements showed changes to the EC and temperature, but no change in pH. We also demonstrated that our sensor was capable of simultaneous in situ measurements in rock wool without being affected by crosstalk.

  20. A Miniature Integrated Multimodal Sensor for Measuring pH, EC and Temperature for Precision Agriculture

    PubMed Central

    Futagawa, Masato; Iwasaki, Taichi; Murata, Hiroaki; Ishida, Makoto; Sawada, Kazuaki

    2012-01-01

    Making several simultaneous measurements with different kinds of sensors at the same location in a solution is difficult because of crosstalk between the sensors. In addition, because the conditions at different locations in plant beds differ, in situ measurements in agriculture need to be done in small localized areas. We have fabricated a multimodal sensor on a small Si chip in which a pH sensor was integrated with electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature sensors. An ISFET with a Si3N4 membrane was used for the pH sensor. For the EC sensor, the electrical conductivity between platinum electrodes was measured, and the temperature sensor was a p-n junction diode. These are some of the most important measurements required for controlling the conditions in plant beds. The multimodal sensor can be inserted into a plant bed for in situ monitoring. To confirm the absence of crosstalk between the sensors, we made simultaneous measurements of pH, EC, and temperature of a pH buffer solution in a plant bed. When the solution was diluted with hot or cold water, the real time measurements showed changes to the EC and temperature, but no change in pH. We also demonstrated that our sensor was capable of simultaneous in situ measurements in rock wool without being affected by crosstalk. PMID:22969403

  1. Determining pH at elevated pressure and temperature using in situ ¹³C NMR.

    PubMed

    Surface, J Andrew; Wang, Fei; Zhu, Yanzhe; Hayes, Sophia E; Giammar, Daniel E; Conradi, Mark S

    2015-02-03

    We have developed an approach for determining pH at elevated pressures and temperatures by using (13)C NMR measurements of inorganic carbon species together with a geochemical equilibrium model. The approach can determine in situ pH with precision better than 0.1 pH units at pressures, temperatures, and ionic strengths typical of geologic carbon sequestration systems. A custom-built high pressure NMR probe was used to collect (13)C NMR spectra of (13)C-labeled CO2 reactions with NaOH solutions and Mg(OH)2 suspensions at pressures up to 107 bar and temperatures of 80 °C. The quantitative nature of NMR spectroscopy allows the concentration ratio [CO2]/[HCO3(-)] to be experimentally determined. This ratio is then used with equilibrium constants calculated for the specific pressure and temperature conditions and appropriate activity coefficients for the solutes to calculate the in situ pH. The experimentally determined [CO2]/[HCO3(-)] ratios agree well with the predicted values for experiments performed with three different concentrations of NaOH and equilibration with multiple pressures of CO2. The approach was then applied to experiments with Mg(OH)2 slurries in which the change in pH could track the dissolution of CO2 into solution, rapid initial Mg(OH)2 dissolution, and onset of magnesium carbonate precipitation.

  2. Was Ferrocyanide a Prebiotic Reagent?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Keefe, Anthony D.; Miller, Stanley L.

    1996-01-01

    Hydrogen cyanide is the starting material for a diverse array of prebiotic syntheses, including those of amino acids and purines. Hydrogen cyanide also reacts with ferrous ions to give ferrocyanide, and so it is possible that ferrocyanide was common in the early ocean. This can only be true if the hydrogen cyanide concentration was high enough and the rate of reaction of cyanide with ferrous ions was fast enough. We show experimentally that the rate of formation of ferrocyanide is rapid even at low concentrations of hydrogen cyanide in the pH range 6-8, and therefore an equilibrium calculation is valid. The equilibrium concentrations of ferrocyanide are calculated as a function of hydrogen cyanide concentration, pH and temperature. The steady state concentration of hydrogen cyanide depends on the rate of synthesis by electric discharges and ultraviolet light and the rate of hydrolysis, which depends on pH and temperature. Our conclusions show that ferrocyanide was a major species in the prebiotic ocean only at the highest production rates of hydrogen cyanide in a strongly reducing atmosphere and at temperatures of 0 C or less, although small amounts would have been present at lower hydrogen cyanide production rates. The prebiotic application of ferrocyanide as a source of hydrated electrons, as a photochemical replication process, and in semi-permeable membranes is discussed.

  3. Effects of environmental conditions on aerobic degradation of a commercial naphthenic acid.

    PubMed

    Kinley, Ciera M; Gaspari, Daniel P; McQueen, Andrew D; Rodgers, John H; Castle, James W; Friesen, Vanessa; Haakensen, Monique

    2016-10-01

    Naphthenic acids (NAs) are problematic constituents in energy-derived waters, and aerobic degradation may provide a strategy for mitigating risks to aquatic organisms. The overall objective of this study was to determine the influence of concentrations of N (as ammonia) and P (as phosphate), and DO, as well as pH and temperatures on degradation of a commercial NA in bench-scale reactors. Commercial NAs provided replicable compounds necessary to compare influences of environmental conditions on degradation. NAs were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. Microbial diversity and relative abundance were measured in treatments as explanatory parameters for potential effects of environmental conditions on microbial populations to support analytically measured NA degradation. Environmental conditions that positively influenced degradation rates of Fluka NAs included nutrients (C:N 10:1-500:1, C:P 100:1-5000:1), DO (4.76-8.43 mg L(-1)), pH (6-8), and temperature (5-25 °C). Approximately 50% removal of 61 ± 8 mg L(-1) was achieved in less than 2 d after NA introduction, achieving the method detection limit (5 mg L(-1)) by day 6 of the experiment in treatments with a C:N:P ratio of 100:10:1, DO > 8 mg L(-1), pH ∼8-9, and temperatures >23 °C. Microbial diversity was lowest in lower temperature treatments (6-16 °C), which may have resulted in observed slower NA degradation. Based on results from this study, when macro- and micronutrients were available, DO, pH, and temperature (within environmentally relevant ranges) influenced rates of aerobic degradation of Fluka NAs. This study could serve as a model for systematically evaluating environmental factors that influence NA degradation in field scenarios. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Protection of Pyruvate,Pi Dikinase from Maize against Cold Lability by Compatible Solutes 1

    PubMed Central

    Krall, John P.; Edwards, Gerald E.; Andreo, Carlos S.

    1989-01-01

    Most C4 species are chilling sensitive and certain enzymes like pyruvate,Pi dikinase of the C4 pathway are also cold labile. The ability of cations and compatible solutes to protect maize (Zea mays) dikinase against cold lability was examined. The enzyme in desalted extracts at pH 8 from preilluminated leaves could be protected against cold lability (at 0°C) by the divalent cations Mn2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. There was substantial protection by sulfate based salts but little protection by chloride based salts of potassium or ammonium (concentration 250 millimolar). The degree of protection against cold lability under limiting MgCl2 (5 millimolar) was pH sensitive (maximum protection at pH 8), but independent of ionic strength (up to 250 millimolar by addition of KCl). In catalysis Mg2+ is required and Mn2+ could not substitute as a cofactor. Several compatible solutes reduced or prevented the cold inactivation of dikinase (in desalted extracts and the partially purified enzyme), including glycerol, proline, glycinebetaine and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO and Mg2+ had an additive effect in protecting dikinase against cold inactivation. TMAO could largely substitute for the divalent cation and addition of TMAO during cold treatment prevented further inactivation. Cold inactivation was partially reversed by incubation at room temperature; with addition of TMAO reversal was complete. The temperature dependence of inactivation at pH 8 and 3 millimolar MgCl2 was evaluated by incubation at 2 to 17°C for 45 minutes, followed by assay at room temperature. At preincubation temperatures below 11°C there was a progressive inactivation which could be prevented by TMAO (450 millimolar). The results are discussed relative to possible effects of the solutes on the quaternary structure of this enzyme, which is known to dissociate at low temperatures. PMID:16666527

  5. Removal Efficiency of the Heavy Metals Zn(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) by Saprolegnia delica and Trichoderma viride at Different pH Values and Temperature Degrees

    PubMed Central

    Hashem, Mohamed

    2007-01-01

    The removal efficiency of the heavy metals Zn, Pb and Cd by the zoosporic fungal species Saprolegnia delica and the terrestrial fungus Trichoderma viride, isolated from polluted water drainages in the Delta of Nile in Egypt, as affected by various ranges of pH values and different temperature degrees,was extensively investigated. The maximum removal efficiency of S. delica for Zn(II) and Cd(II) was obtained at pH 8 and for Pb(II) was at pH 6 whilst the removal efficiency of T. viride was found to be optimum at pH 6 for the three applied heavy metals. Regardless the median lethal doses of the three heavy metals, Zn recorded the highest bioaccumulation potency by S. delica at all pH values except at pH 4, followed by Pb whereas Cd showed the lowest removal potency by the fungal species and vice versa in case of T. viride. The optimum biomass dry weight production by S. delica was found when the fungus was grown in the medium treated with the heavy metal Pb at pH 6, followed by Zn at pH 8 and Cd at pH 8. The optimum biomass dry weight yield by T. viride amended with Zn,Pb and Cd was obtained at pH 6 for the three heavy metals with the maximum value at Zn. The highest yield of biomass dry weight was found when T. viride treated with Cd at all different pH values followed by Pb whilst Zn output was the lowest and this result was reversed in case of S. delica. The maximum removal efficiency and the biomass dry weight production for the three tested heavy metals was obtained at the incubation temperature 20℃ in case of S. delica while it was 25℃ for T. viride. Incubation of T. viride at higher temperatures (30℃ and 35℃) enhanced the removal efficiency of Pb and Cd than low temperatures (15℃ and 20℃) and vice versa in case of Zn removal. At all tested incubation temperatures, the maximum yield of biomass dry weight was attained at Zn treatment by the two tested fungal species. The bioaccumulation potency of S. delica for Zn was higher than that for Pb at all temperature degrees of incubation and Cd bioaccumulation was the lowest whereas T. viride showed the highest removal efficiency for Pb followed by Cd and Zn was the minor of the heavy metals. PMID:24015084

  6. Calorimetric and Diffractometric Evidence for the Sequential Crystallization of Buffer Components and the Consequential pH Swing in Frozen Solutions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sundaramurthi, Prakash; Shalaev, Evgenyi; Suryanarayanan, Raj

    2010-06-22

    Sequential crystallization of succinate buffer components in the frozen solution has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry (both laboratory and synchrotron sources). The consequential pH shifts were monitored using a low-temperature electrode. When a solution buffered to pH < pK{sub a2} was cooled from room temperature (RT), the freeze-concentrate pH first increased and then decreased. This was attributed to the sequential crystallization of succinic acid, monosodium succinate, and finally disodium succinate. When buffered to pH > pK{sub a2}, the freeze-concentrate pH first decreased and then increased due to the sequential crystallization of the basic (disodium succinate) followedmore » by the acidic (monosodium succinate and succinic acid) buffer components. XRD provided direct evidence of the crystallization events in the frozen buffer solutions, including the formation of disodium succinate hexahydrate [Na{sub 2}(CH{sub 2}COO){sub 2} {center_dot} 6H{sub 2}O]. When the frozen solution was warmed in a differential scanning calorimeter, multiple endotherms attributable to the melting of buffer components and ice were observed. When the frozen solutions were dried under reduced pressure, ice sublimation was followed by dehydration of the crystalline hexahydrate to a poorly crystalline anhydrate. However, crystalline succinic acid and monosodium succinate were retained in the final lyophiles. The pH and the buffer salt concentration of the prelyo solution influenced the crystalline salt content in the final lyophile. The direction and magnitude of the pH shift in the frozen solution depended on both the initial pH and the buffer concentration. In light of the pH-sensitive nature of a significant fraction of pharmaceuticals (especially proteins), extreme care is needed in both the buffer selection and its concentration.« less

  7. Assessment of tomato and wine processing solid wastes as soil amendments for biosolarization.

    PubMed

    Achmon, Yigal; Harrold, Duff R; Claypool, Joshua T; Stapleton, James J; VanderGheynst, Jean S; Simmons, Christopher W

    2016-02-01

    Pomaces from tomato paste and wine production are the most abundant fruit processing residues in California. These residues were examined as soil amendments for solarization to promote conditions conducive to soil disinfestation (biosolarization). Simulated biosolarization studies were performed in both aerobic and anaerobic soil environments and soil temperature elevation, pH, and evolution of CO2, H2 and CH4 gases were measured as metrics of soil microbial activity. Tomato pomace amendment induced conditions associated with soil pest inactivation, including elevation of soil temperature by up to 2°C for a duration of 4days under aerobic conditions and a reduction of soil pH from 6.5 to 4.68 under anaerobic conditions. White wine grape pomace amendment showed similar trends but to a lesser extent. Red wine grape pomace was generally less suitable for biosolarization due to significantly lower soil temperature elevations, reduced acidification relative to the other pomaces and induction of methanogenesis in the soil. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Pre-slaughter rectal temperature as an indicator of pork meat quality.

    PubMed

    Vermeulen, L; Van de Perre, V; Permentier, L; De Bie, S; Geers, R

    2015-07-01

    This study investigates whether rectal temperature of pigs, prior to slaughter, can give an indication of the risk of developing pork with PSE characteristics. A total of 1203 pigs were examined, measuring the rectal temperature just before stunning, of which 794 rectal temperatures were measured immediately after stunning. pH30LT (M. Longissimus thoracis) and temperature of the ham (Temp30Ham) were collected from about 530 carcasses, 30 min after sticking. The results present a significant positive linear correlation between rectal temperature just before and after slaughter, and Temp30Ham. Moreover, pH30LT is negatively correlated with rectal temperature and Temp30Ham. Finally, a linear mixed model for pH30LT was established with the rectal temperature of the pigs just before stunning and the lairage time. This model defines that measuring rectal temperature of pigs just before slaughter allows discovery of pork with PSE traits, taking into account pre-slaughter conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Effect of fire-retardant treatment on plywood pH and the relationship of pH to strength properties

    Treesearch

    S. T. Lebow; J. E. Winandy

    1999-01-01

    This paper investigates the relationship between wood pH and the strength properties of fire-retardant-treated (FRT) plywood, as it is affected by fire-retardant (FR) formulations, processing variables, and extended high temperature exposure conditions. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify the effect of post-treatment kiln-drying temperature, followed by...

  10. A survey of water activity and pH values in fresh pasta packed under modified atmosphere manufactured in Argentina and Uruguay.

    PubMed

    Schebor, C; Chirife, J

    2000-07-01

    The water activity (a(w)) and pH values of commercially available filled fresh pasta and gnocchi packed under modified atmosphere and manufactured in Argentina and Uruguay were examined. The retail survey included 58 samples (several brands) of filled pasta and 11 samples of gnocchi. Fillings consisted of different combinations of cheese (various types), beef, ricotta, ham, chicken, and spinach. The survey revealed that the a(w) values of the 58 samples of filled pasta ranged from 0.916 to 0.973, and their pH values ranged from 5.2 to 7.0. The a(w) of gnocchi was consistently higher and ranged from 0.936 to 0.983, with pH values from 4.8 to 6.4. Some samples of filled pasta and most gnocchi samples were found to have a(w) and pH values that would support growth of spores of Clostridium botulinum, if present, under conditions of temperature abuse (i.e., 30 degrees C).

  11. Effects of increased pCO2 and temperature on trace element (Ag, Cd and Zn) bioaccumulation in the eggs of the common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lacoue-Labarthe, T.; Martin, S.; Oberhänsli, F.; Teyssié, J.-L.; Markich, S.; Jeffree, R.; Bustamante, P.

    2009-05-01

    Cephalopods play a key role in many marine trophic networks and constitute alternative fisheries resources, especially given the ongoing decline in finfish stocks. Along the European coast, the eggs of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis are characterized by an increasing permeability of the eggshell during development, which leads to selective accumulation of essential and non-essential elements in the embryo. Temperature and pH are two critical factors that affect the metabolism of marine organisms in the coastal shallow waters. In this study, we are testing the effects of pH and temperature through a crossed (3×2) laboratory experiment. Seawater pH showed a strong effect on the egg weight and non-significant impact on the hatchlings weight at the end of development implying egg swelling process and embryo growth disturbances. The lower pH of incubation seawater of eggs, the more the hatchlings accumulated 110m Ag in their tissues. The 109Cd CF decreased with increasing pH and 65Zn CF reached the maximal values pH 7.85, independent of temperature. Our results suggest that pH and temperature affected both the permeability properties of the eggshell and the embryo metabolism. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies on the ocean acidification and ocean warming consequences on the metal uptake in marine organisms, stimulating further interest to evaluate the likely ecotoxicological impact of the global change on the early-life stage of the cuttlefish.

  12. Alternative Antimicrobial Commercial Egg Washing Procedures.

    PubMed

    Hudson, Lauren K; Harrison, Mark A; Berrang, Mark E; Jones, Deana R

    2016-07-01

    Commercial table eggs are washed prior to packaging. Standard wash procedures use an alkaline pH and warm water. If a cool water method could be developed that would still provide a microbiologically safe egg, the industry may save energy costs associated with water heating. Four wash procedures were evaluated for Salmonella reduction: pH 11 at 48.9°C (industry standard), pH 11 at ambient temperature (∼20°C), pH 6 at 48.9°C, and pH 6 at ambient temperature. Alkaline washes contained potassium hydroxide-based detergent, while pH 6 washes contained approximately 200 ppm of chlorine and a proprietary chlorine stabilizer (T-128). When eggs were inoculated by immersion in a cell suspension of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium, all treatments resulted in a slight and similar reduction of Salmonella numbers (approximately 0.77 log CFU/ml of shell emulsion reduction). When eggs were inoculated by droplet on the shell surface, Salmonella counts were reduced by approximately 5 log CFU when washed with chlorine plus the chlorine stabilizer at both temperatures and with the alkaline wash at the high temperature. The reductions in Salmonella by these treatments were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from each other but were significantly (P < 0.05) more than the reduction observed for the 20°C alkaline treatment and 20°C control water treatments. Ambient temperature acidic washes reduced Salmonella contamination to the same degree as the standard pH 11 warm water wash and may be a viable option to reduce cost, increase shelf life, and slow pathogen growth in and on shell eggs.

  13. pH and temperature dual-sensitive liposome gel based on novel cleavable mPEG-Hz-CHEMS polymeric vaginal delivery system

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Daquan; Sun, Kaoxiang; Mu, Hongjie; Tang, Mingtan; Liang, Rongcai; Wang, Aiping; Zhou, Shasha; Sun, Haijun; Zhao, Feng; Yao, Jianwen; Liu, Wanhui

    2012-01-01

    Background In this study, a pH and temperature dual-sensitive liposome gel based on a novel cleavable hydrazone-based pH-sensitive methoxy polyethylene glycol 2000-hydrazone-cholesteryl hemisuccinate (mPEG-Hz-CHEMS) polymer was used for vaginal administration. Methods The pH-sensitive, cleavable mPEG-Hz-CHEMS was designed as a modified pH-sensitive liposome that would selectively degrade under locally acidic vaginal conditions. The novel pH-sensitive liposome was engineered to form a thermogel at body temperature and to degrade in an acidic environment. Results A dual-sensitive liposome gel with a high encapsulation efficiency of arctigenin was formed and improved the solubility of arctigenin characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The dual-sensitive liposome gel with a sol-gel transition at body temperature was degraded in a pH-dependent manner, and was stable for a long period of time at neutral and basic pH, but cleavable under acidic conditions (pH 5.0). Arctigenin encapsulated in a dual-sensitive liposome gel was more stable and less toxic than arctigenin loaded into pH-sensitive liposomes. In vitro drug release results indicated that dual-sensitive liposome gels showed constant release of arctigenin over 3 days, but showed sustained release of arctigenin in buffers at pH 7.4 and pH 9.0. Conclusion This research has shed some light on a pH and temperature dual-sensitive liposome gel using a cleavable mPEG-Hz-CHEMS polymer for vaginal delivery. PMID:22679372

  14. High-Pressure-High-Temperature Processing Reduces Maillard Reaction and Viscosity in Whey Protein-Sugar Solutions.

    PubMed

    Avila Ruiz, Geraldine; Xi, Bingyan; Minor, Marcel; Sala, Guido; van Boekel, Martinus; Fogliano, Vincenzo; Stieger, Markus

    2016-09-28

    The aim of the study was to determine the influence of pressure in high-pressure-high-temperature (HPHT) processing on Maillard reactions and protein aggregation of whey protein-sugar solutions. Solutions of whey protein isolate containing either glucose or trehalose at pH 6, 7, and 9 were treated by HPHT processing or conventional high-temperature (HT) treatments. Browning was reduced, and early and advanced Maillard reactions were retarded under HPHT processing at all pH values compared to HT treatment. HPHT induced a larger pH drop than HT treatments, especially at pH 9, which was not associated with Maillard reactions. After HPHT processing at pH 7, protein aggregation and viscosity of whey protein isolate-glucose/trehalose solutions remained unchanged. It was concluded that HPHT processing can potentially improve the quality of protein-sugar-containing foods, for which browning and high viscosities are undesired, such as high-protein beverages.

  15. Daytime Changes of Skin Biophysical Characteristics: A Study of Hydration, Transepidermal Water Loss, pH, Sebum, Elasticity, Erythema, and Color Index on Middle Eastern Skin.

    PubMed

    Firooz, Alireza; Zartab, Hamed; Sadr, Bardia; Bagherpour, Leili Naraghi; Masoudi, Aidin; Fanian, Ferial; Dowlati, Yahya; Ehsani, Amir Hooshang; Samadi, Aniseh

    2016-01-01

    The exposure of skin to ultraviolet radiation and temperature differs significantly during the day. It is reasonable that biophysical parameters of human skin have periodic daily fluctuation. The objective of this study was to study the fluctuations of various biophysical characteristics of Middle Eastern skin in standardized experimental conditions. Seven biophysical parameters of skin including stratum corneum hydration, transepidermal water loss, pH, sebum, elasticity, skin color, and erythema index were measured at three time points (8 a.m., 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.) on the forearm of 12 healthy participants (mean age of 28.4 years) without any ongoing skin disease using the CK MPA 580 device in standard temperature and humidity conditions. A significant difference was observed between means of skin color index at 8 a.m. (175.42 ± 13.92) and 4 p.m. (164.44 ± 13.72, P = 0.025), between the pH at 8 a.m. (5.72 ± 0.48) and 4 p.m. (5.33 ± 0.55, P = 0.001) and pH at 12 p.m. (5.60 ± 0.48) and 4 p.m. (5.33 ± 0.55, P = 0.001). Other comparisons between the means of these parameters at different time points resulted in nonsignificant P values. There are daytime changes in skin color index and pH. Skin color index might be higher and cutaneous pH more basic in the early morning compared to later of the day.

  16. Raman spectroscopic approach to monitor the in vitro cyclization of creatine → creatinine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gangopadhyay, Debraj; Sharma, Poornima; Singh, Sachin Kumar; Singh, Pushkar; Tarcea, Nicolae; Deckert, Volker; Popp, Jürgen; Singh, Ranjan K.

    2015-01-01

    The creatine → creatinine cyclization, an important metabolic phenomenon has been initiated in vitro at acidic pH and studied through Raman spectroscopic and DFT approach. The equilibrium composition of neutral, zwitterionic and protonated microspecies of creatine has been monitored with time as the reaction proceeds. Time series Raman spectra show clear signature of creatinine formation at pH 3 after ∼240 min at room temperature and reaction is faster at higher temperature. The spectra at pH 1 and pH 5 do not show such signature up to 270 min implying faster reaction rate at pH 3.

  17. Modeling the Effect of pH and Temperature for Cellulases Immobilized on Enzymogel Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Samaratunga, Ashani; Kudina, Olena; Nahar, Nurun; Zakharchenko, Andrey; Minko, Sergiy; Voronov, Andriy; Pryor, Scott W

    2015-06-01

    Production costs of cellulosic biofuels can be lowered if cellulases are recovered and reused using particulate carriers that can be extracted after biomass hydrolysis. Such enzyme recovery was recently demonstrated using enzymogel nanoparticles with grafted polymer brushes loaded with cellulases. In this work, cellulase (NS50013) and β-glucosidase (Novozyme 188) were immobilized on enzymogels made of poly(acrylic acid) polymer brushes grafted to the surface of silica nanoparticles. Response surface methodology was used to model effects of pH and temperature on hydrolysis and recovery of free and attached enzymes. Hydrolysis yields using both enzymogels and free cellulase and β-glucosidase were highest at the maximum temperature tested, 50 °C. The optimal pH for cellulase enzymogels and free enzyme was 5.0 and 4.4, respectively, while both free β-glucosidase and enzymogels had an optimal pH near 4.4. Highest hydrolysis sugar concentrations with cellulase and β-glucosidase enzymogels were 69 and 53 % of those with free enzymes, respectively. Enzyme recovery using enzymogels decreased with increasing pH, but cellulase recovery remained greater than 88 % throughout the operating range of pH values less than 5.0 and was greater than 95 % at pH values below 4.3. Recovery of β-glucosidase enzymogels was not affected by temperature and had little impact on cellulase recovery.

  18. Effects of salinity, pH and temperature on the re-establishment of bioluminescence and copper or SDS toxicity in the marine dinoflagellate Pyrocystis lunula using bioluminescence as an endpoint

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Craig, J.M.; Klerks, P.L.; Heimann, K.; Waits, J.L.

    2003-01-01

    Pyrocystis lunula is a unicellular, marine, photoautotrophic, bioluminescent dinoflagellate. This organism is used in the Lumitox ?? bioassay with inhibition of bioluminescence re-establishment as the endpoint. Experiments determined if acute changes in pH, salinity, or temperature had an effect on the organisms' ability to re-establish bioluminescence, or on the bioassay's potential to detect sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and copper toxicity. The re-establishment of bioluminescence itself was not very sensitive to changes in pH within the pH 6-10 range, though reducing pH from 8 to levels below 6 decreased this capacity. Increasing the pH had little effect on Cu or SDS toxicity, but decreasing the pH below 7 virtually eliminated the toxicity of either compound in the bioassay. Lowering the salinity from 33 to 27??? or less resulted in a substantial decrease in re-establishment of bioluminescence, while increasing the salinity to 43 or 48 ??? resulted in a small decline. Salinity had little influence on the bioassay's quantification of Cu toxicity, while the data showed a weak negative relationship between SDS toxicity and salinity. Re-establishment of bioluminescence showed a direct dependence on temperature, but only at 10??C did temperature have an obvious effect on the toxicity of Cu in this bioassay. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Tagatose production with pH control in a stirred tank reactor containing immobilized L-arabinose rom Thermotoga neapolitana.

    PubMed

    Lim, Byung-Chul; Kim, Hye-Jung; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2008-06-01

    Chitopearl beads were used as immobilization supports for D-tagatose production from D-galactose by L-arabinose isomerase from Thermotoga neapolitana because chitopearl beads were more stable than alginate beads at temperatures above 60 degrees C. The pH and temperature for the maximum isomerization of galactose were 7.5 and 90 degrees C, respectively. In thermostability experiments, the half-lives of the immobilized enzyme at 70, 75, 80, 85, and 90 degrees C were 388, 106, 54, 36, and 22 h, respectively. The reaction temperature was determined to be 70 degrees C because the enzyme is highly stable up to 70 degrees C during the reaction. When the reaction time, galactose concentration, and temperature were increased, the pH of a mixture containing enzyme and galactose decreased by the Maillard reaction, resulting in decreased tagatose production. With pH control at 7.5, tagatose production (138 g/L) at 70 degrees C in a stirred tank reactor containing immobilized enzyme and 300 g/L galactose increased two times higher, comparing that without pH control.

  20. Effect of Aging Temperature on Corrosion Behavior of Sintered 17-4 PH Stainless Steel in Dilute Sulfuric Acid Solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szewczyk-Nykiel, Aneta; Kazior, Jan

    2017-07-01

    The general corrosion behavior of sintered 17-4 PH stainless steel processed under different processing conditions in dilute sulfuric acid solution at 25 °C was studied by open-circuit potential measurement and potentiodynamic polarization technique. The corrosion resistance was evaluated based on electrochemical parameters, such as polarization resistance, corrosion potential, corrosion current density as well as corrosion rate. The results showed that the precipitation-hardening treatment could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of the sintered 17-4 PH stainless steel in studied environment. As far as the influence of aging temperature on corrosion behavior of the sintered 17-4 PH stainless steel is concerned, polarization resistance and corrosion rate are reduced with increasing aging temperature from 480 up to 500 °C regardless of the temperature of solution treatment. It can be concluded that the highest corrosion resistance in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution exhibits 17-4 PH after solution treatment at 1040 °C followed by aging at 480 °C.

  1. Optimization of furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural production from wheat straw by a microwave-assisted process.

    PubMed

    Yemiş, Oktay; Mazza, Giuseppe

    2012-04-01

    Optimization of acid-catalyzed conversion conditions of wheat straw into furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), glucose, and xylose was studied by response surface methodology (RSM). A central composite design (CCD) was used to determine the effects of independent variables, including reaction temperature (140-200 °C), residence time (1-41 min), pH (0.1-2.1), and liquid:solid ratio (15-195 mL/g) on furan and sugar production. The surface response analysis revealed that temperature, time and pH had a strong influence on the furfural, HMF, xylose and glucose yield, whereas liquid to solid ratio was found not to be significant. The initial pH of solution was the most important variable in acid-catalyzed conversion of wheat straw to furans. The maximum predicted furfural, HMF, xylose and glucose yields were 66%, 3.4%, 100%, and 65%, respectively. This study demonstrated that the microwave-assisted process was a very effective method for the xylose production from wheat straw by diluted acid catalysis. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Bromine incorporation into five DBP classes upon chlorination of water with extremely low SUVA values.

    PubMed

    Hong, Huachang; Yan, Xiaoqing; Song, Xuhui; Qin, Yanyan; Sun, Hongjie; Lin, Hongjun; Chen, Jianrong; Liang, Yan

    2017-07-15

    The main objective of this study was to assess the effects of disinfection conditions on bromine incorporation into disinfection by-products (DBPs) during chlorination of water with low specific UV absorbance (SUVA). Five classes of DBPs were included: trihalomethanes (THMs), dihaloacetic acids (di-HAAs), trihaloacetic acids (tri-HAAs), dihaloacetonitriles (DHANs) and trihalonitromethanes (THNMs). Results showed that the bromine utilization in DBPs formation was positive related with reaction time, pH and temperature. On the other hand, the bromine substitution factors (BSFs) of DBPs were generally increased with pH (except tri-HAAs) and bromide concentration, but decreased with the reaction time, temperature and chlorine dose. Moreover, the BSFs values varied with DBP classes with the ranking being as following: THNMs≫DHANs≫tri-HAAs>THM≈di-HAAs. These results were mostly similar with the references, yet the pH effect on BSFs as well as the rank of BSFs for different DBP classes may differ with the specific UV absorbance of organic matter. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Thermodynamic and transport properties of frozen and reacting pH2-oH2 mixtures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carter, H. G.; Bullock, R. E.

    1972-01-01

    Application of experimental state data and spectroscopic term values shows that the thermodynamic and transport properties of reacting pH2-oH2 mixtures are considerably different than those of chemically frozen pH2 at temperatures below 300 R. Calculated H-S data also show that radiation-induced pH2-oH2 equilibration at constant enthalpy produces a temperature drop of at least 28 R, corresponding to an ideal shaft work loss of 15% or more for a turbine operating downstream from the point of conversion. Aside from differences in thermodynamic and transport properties, frozen pH2-oH2 mixtures may differ from pure pH2 on a purely hydrodynamical basis.

  4. 40 CFR 411.25 - Standards of performance for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... (maximum for any 1 day) Metric units (kg/kkg of dust leached) TSS 0.4. Temperature (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. English units (lb/1,000 lb of dust leached) TSS 0.4. Temperature (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range...

  5. 40 CFR 411.25 - Standards of performance for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... (maximum for any 1 day) Metric units (kg/kkg of dust leached) TSS 0.4. Temperature (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. English units (lb/1,000 lb of dust leached) TSS 0.4. Temperature (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range...

  6. A Pathway-based Approach to Predicting Interactions between Chemical and Non-chemical Stressors: Applications to Global Climate Change

    EPA Science Inventory

    A variety of environmental variables influenced by global climate change (GCC) can directly or indirectly affect the health of organisms. These variables may include temperature, salinity, pH, and penetration of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in aquatic environments, and water shor...

  7. The Impact of Hexametaphosphate, Orthophosphate, and Temperature on Copper Corrosion and Release

    EPA Science Inventory

    Excessive corrosion of copper plumbing can lead to elevated copper levels at consumer’s tap or pinhole leaks. Corrosion control solutions include pH adjustment or phosphate addition. Orthophosphate has been shown to reduce copper levels in some cases while the role of polyphosp...

  8. Graphic Representation of Carbon Dioxide Equilibria in Biological Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kindig, Neal B.; Filley, Giles F.

    1983-01-01

    The log C-pH diagram is a useful means of displaying quantitatively the many variables (including temperature) that determine acid-base equilibria in biological systems. Presents the diagram as extended to open/closed biological systems and derives a new water-ion balance method for determining equilibrium pH. (JN)

  9. Enhancement of 2,3-Butanediol Production by Klebsiella oxytoca PTCC 1402

    PubMed Central

    Anvari, Maesomeh; Safari Motlagh, Mohammad Reza

    2011-01-01

    Optimal operating parameters of 2,3-Butanediol production using Klebsiella oxytoca under submerged culture conditions are determined by using Taguchi method. The effect of different factors including medium composition, pH, temperature, mixing intensity, and inoculum size on 2,3-butanediol production was analyzed using the Taguchi method in three levels. Based on these analyses the optimum concentrations of glucose, acetic acid, and succinic acid were found to be 6, 0.5, and 1.0 (% w/v), respectively. Furthermore, optimum values for temperature, inoculum size, pH, and the shaking speed were determined as 37°C, 8 (g/L), 6.1, and 150 rpm, respectively. The optimal combinations of factors obtained from the proposed DOE methodology was further validated by conducting fermentation experiments and the obtained results revealed an enhanced 2,3-Butanediol yield of 44%. PMID:21318172

  10. Water-quality data for selected sites on Reversed, Rush, and Alger Creeks and Gull and Silver Lakes, Mono County, California, April 1994 to March 1995

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wang, Bronwen; Rockwell, G.L.; Blodgett, J.C.

    1995-01-01

    Water-quality data for selected sites on Reversed, Rush, and Alger Creeks and Gull and Silver Lakes, Mono County, California, were collected from April 1994 to March 1995. Water samples were analyzed for major ions and trace elements, nutrients, methylene blue active substances, and oil and grease. Field measurements were made for discharge, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, barometric pressure, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity. Additional data collected include vertical water profiles of specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen collected at 3.3-foot intervals for Gull and Silver Lakes; chlorophyll-a and -b concentrations and Secchi depth for Gull and Silver Lakes; sediment interstitial- water nutrient concentrations in cores from Gull Lake; and lake surface and volume of Gull and Silver Lakes.

  11. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, J.W.; Hwang, K.J.; Shim, W.G.

    Regulations on the removal of trinitrotoluene (TNT) from wastewater have become increasingly more stringent, demanding faster, less expensive, and more efficient treatment. This study focuses on the adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of TNT on powered activated carbons (PAC). Three types of PACs (i.e., wood based, coal based, and coconut-shell based) were studied as functions of temperature and pH. Thermodynamic properties including Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy, were evaluated by applying the Van't Hoff equation. In addition, the adsorption energy distribution functions which describe heterogeneous characteristics of porous solid sorbents were calculated by using the generalized nonlinear regularization method. Adsorptionmore » kinetic studies were carried out in batch adsorber under important conditions such as PAC types, temperature, pH, and concentration. We found that fast and efficient removal of TNT dissolved in water can be successfully achieved by PAC adsorption.« less

  12. The Effect of Different Oceanic Abiotic Factors on Prokaryotic Body Sizes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pidathala, S.; Bellon, M.; Heim, N.; Payne, J.

    2016-12-01

    We are studying the impact of abiotic factors in the Pacific and Atlantic on prokaryotic body sizes and genome sizes because we are interested in the manner in which abiotic factors influence genome sizes independent of their influence on body sizes. Some research has been done in the past on marine bacterial evolution, including data collection on marine ecology in relation to bacterial body sizes (Straza 2009). We are using the abiotic factors: temperature, salinity, and pH to compare the biovolumes/genome sizes of different phyla by using R. We made 9 scatter plots to model these relationships. Regardless of the phyla or the ocean, we found that there is no relation between pH, temperature, and body size, with several exceptions: Deinococcus. thermus has an indirect relationship with size in respect to temperature; size only correlates to temperature for phyla that are thermophiles. We also found that bacteria like D. thermus and Thermotogae are taxa only found in higher temperatures. Additionally, almost all phyla have genome sizes restricted by certain pH levels:, Proteobacteria only reach genomes with acidity levels greater than 6. In terms of salinity levels, certain bacteria are only found within a small range, and others, like Proteobacteria, can only reach genomes at low salinity levels. Finally, Proteobacteria have large genome sizes between 30 and 40 °, and Crenarchaeota have constant genome sizes in higher temperatures. Conclusively, we discovered that these abiotic factors generally do not affect body size, with the exception of D. thermus' indirect relationship to temperature due to its small biovolume in high temperatures. However, we determined that these abiotic factors have a great impact on genome sizes. This is due to genome size independence from body size. Also, genome size could have served as an adaptive feature for bacteria in marine environments, explaining why different phyla may have diverged to accommodate their lifestyles.

  13. Discovery of hydrothermally active and extinct talc mounds on the Mid-Cayman Rise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hodgkinson, M.; Murton, B. J.; Roberts, S.

    2013-12-01

    Since 1977, hydrothermal vents have been the subject of intense scientific interest due to their role in cooling the oceanic crust and global geochemical cycles. Until now, two types of hydrothermal system have been identified: one, driven by magmatic heat extruding ';black smoker' fluids; and another, involving serpentinisation of ultramafic rocks and the precipitation of carbonate/brucite chimneys. Here, we present details of a new, off-axis type of hydrothermal system consisting of mounds of predominately botryoidal talc (a magnesium-silicate) with accessory silica and copper sulphides, and chimneys exhaling fluids of moderate temperature and pH. Discovered on the Mid-Cayman Rise (MCR) in 2010, the Von Damm Vent Field (VDVF) features a NNW-ESE-trending line of four overlapping cones, the largest of which is 75 m high by 150 m in diameter. The VDVF is hosted in the gabbroic footwall of the Mount Dent Oceanic Core Complex (MDOCC), which includes serpentinised peridotite at depth. The largest cone vents clear fluids from two main orifices at its summit, with primary temperatures of 215°C. Elsewhere, both focussed and diffuse flow areas emit fluids with temperatures of up to 150°C. The surrounding ~1 m thick pelagic sediment contains abundant pockmarks that emit methane-rich fluids at temperatures of less than 10°C. During the return to the MCR in early 2013, several other talc mounds were discovered within a kilometre of the active VDVF. These inactive mounds also comprise an assemblage of botryoidal talc, silica, disseminated sulphides (including chalcopyrite) and sulphates. One of these mounds (Mystic Mount) is double the volume of the active VDVF. The unique dominance of talc as the major mineral forming the hydrothermal structures indicates unusual vent fluid compositions that are able to carry both copper (at high-temperatures) and precipitate magnesium silicate. Thermodynamic modelling indicates that talc precipitates on mixing a moderately acidic, silica rich fluid (e.g. the primary VDVF fluids) with only 2% of seawater. At lower pH (e.g. typical ';black smoker' fluids), the ratio jumps to over 90% while at high pH (e.g. ';Lost City' fluids) brucite and carbonate dominate. Estimates using recently measured vent temperatures and fluid fluxes indicate a heat flux of ~800 MW for the active VDVF. Assuming the primary vent fluid has remained largely unchanged, the VDVF could have grown in under 1000 years and Mystic Mount in ~2000 years. Both the hydrothermal mounds and faults in the surrounding gabbro share a NNW-ESE orientation that is consistent with a brittle structural control imposed by the flexural curvature of the MDOCC in response to the uplift of the lower oceanic crust along a low-angle detachment fault. We propose that these flexural faults provide pathways for fluids to ingress deep into the MDOCC where they react with both mafic rocks (producing high-temperature, low pH, sulphide and copper-bearing fluids), peridotites and carbonates (increasing the pH) resulting in a moderate pH, silica-rich fluid that precipitates talc on mixing with seawater. The presence of further, inactive, talc mounds within 1 km of the VDVF indicates hydrothermal activity on OCCs has been widespread and represents a significant but hitherto overlooked mechanism of crustal heat loss and chemical interaction with the ocean at slow-spreading ridges.

  14. Weaving Common Threads: Reaching out to American Indians and Native Peoples of Alaska and the Pacific Islands

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    This report outlines the activities of the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Train-the-Trainer Workshop. Educators were introduced to the GLOBE protocols for Atmosphere, Hydrology, Soil and Land Cover. These protocols included measurement of pH, temperature, precipitation, salinity, and soil moisture content. Each topic included implementation plans and learning activities.

  15. Suitable Water Flow and Water Temperature Difference of Blast Furnace

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuo, Hai-bin; Li, Qian; Zhang, Jian-liang; Shen, Meng; Tie, Jin-yan; Jiao, Ke-xin

    This paper designs three factors such as temperature, pH, conductivity and three levels of orthogonal test. Temperature is a significant factor. However PH and conductivity are not significant through poor analysis. Further research is conducted on the temperature. Temperature stability is 50°C. Suitable water velocity is 2.3m/s, which is calculated based on the largest part of the heat flux intensity and the corresponding water temperature should be controlled with 1.5°C. Meanwhile, water velocity increased has little effect on the heat transfer capabilities.

  16. Design of aquaponics water monitoring system using Arduino microcontroller

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murad, S. A. Z.; Harun, A.; Mohyar, S. N.; Sapawi, R.; Ten, S. Y.

    2017-09-01

    This paper describes the design of aquaponics water monitoring system using Arduino microcontroller. Arduino Development Environment (IDE) software is used to develop a program for the microcontroller to communicate with multiple sensors and other hardware. The circuit of pH sensor, temperature sensor, water sensor, servo, liquid crystal displays (LCD), peristaltic pump, solar and Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) are constructed and connected to the system. The system powered by a rechargeable battery using solar energy. When the results of pH, temperature and water sensor are out of range, a notification message will be sent to a mobile phone through GSM. If the pH of water is out of range, peristaltic pump is automatic on to maintain back the pH value of water. The water sensor is fixed in the siphon outlet water flow to detect water flow from grow bed to the fish tank. In addition, servo is used to auto feeding the fish for every 12 hours. Meanwhile, the LCD is indicated the pH, temperature, siphon outlet water flow and remaining time for the next feeding cycle. The pH and temperature of water are set in the ranges of 6 to 7 and 25 °C to 30 °C, respectively.

  17. Development of a solid-state fermentation process for production of an alpha amylase with potentially interesting properties.

    PubMed

    Hashemi, Maryam; Razavi, Seyed Hadi; Shojaosadati, Seyed Abbas; Mousavi, Seyyed Mohammad; Khajeh, Khosro; Safari, Mohammad

    2010-09-01

    Ca-independency with potential activity and stability at low pH are among the most interesting characteristics of alpha-amylase in starch industry. In this attempt the synergetic effect of low pH on activity of crude Ca-independent alpha-amylase isolated from a native Bacillus sp. KR-8104 in solid-state fermentation (SSF) was studied using wheat bran (WB) as a substrate. The effects of different parameters including moisturizing agents, solid substrate to moisture ratio, particle size, incubation temperature and period, inoculum (v/w) and supplementation with 1% (w/w) different carbon and nitrogen sources on enzyme production were investigated. Maximum enzyme production of 140U/g dry fermented substrate was obtained from wheat bran moistened with tap water at a ratio of 1:1.5 and supplemented with 1% (w/w) NH(4)NO(3) and 1% (w/w) lactose after 48h incubation at 37 degrees C. Even though the production of alpha-amylase was lower at 40 and 45 degrees C, the viable cell count was higher. In addition response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to find optimum conditions of temperature and pH on crude amylase activity. Using central composite design (CCD) a quadratic mathematical model equation was derived for the prediction of enzyme activity. The results showed that the model was in good agreement with experimental results, with R(2)=0.90 (p<0.0001) and the low pH has a synergetic effect on enzyme activity at higher temperature. Copyright 2010 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Optimizing isothiocyanate formation during enzymatic glucosinolate breakdown by adjusting pH value, temperature and dilution in Brassica vegetables and Arabidopsis thaliana

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanschen, Franziska S.; Klopsch, Rebecca; Oliviero, Teresa; Schreiner, Monika; Verkerk, Ruud; Dekker, Matthijs

    2017-01-01

    Consumption of glucosinolate-rich Brassicales vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of cancer with enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates playing a key role. However, formation of health-promoting isothiocyanates is inhibited by the epithiospecifier protein in favour of nitriles and epithionitriles. Domestic processing conditions, such as changes in pH value, temperature or dilution, might also affect isothiocyanate formation. Therefore, the influences of these three factors were evaluated in accessions of Brassica rapa, Brassica oleracea, and Arabidopsis thaliana. Mathematical modelling was performed to determine optimal isothiocyanate formation conditions and to obtain knowledge on the kinetics of the reactions. At 22 °C and endogenous plant pH, nearly all investigated plants formed nitriles and epithionitriles instead of health-promoting isothiocyanates. Response surface models, however, clearly demonstrated that upon change in pH to domestic acidic (pH 4) or basic pH values (pH 8), isothiocyanate formation considerably increases. While temperature also affects this process, the pH value has the greatest impact. Further, a kinetic model showed that isothiocyanate formation strongly increases due to dilution. Finally, the results show that isothiocyanate intake can be strongly increased by optimizing the conditions of preparation of Brassicales vegetables.

  19. Sudden collapse of vacuoles in Saintpaulia sp. palisade cells induced by a rapid temperature decrease.

    PubMed

    Kadohama, Noriaki; Goh, Tatsuaki; Ohnishi, Miwa; Fukaki, Hidehiro; Mimura, Tetsuro; Suzuki, Yoshihiro

    2013-01-01

    It is well known that saintpaulia leaf is damaged by the rapid temperature decrease when cold water is irrigated onto the leaf surface. We investigated this temperature sensitivity and the mechanisms of leaf damage in saintpaulia (Saintpaulia sp. cv. 'Iceberg') and other Gesneriaceae plants. Saintpaulia leaves were damaged and discolored when subjected to a rapid decrease in temperature, but not when the temperature was decreased gradually. Sensitivity to rapid temperature decrease increased within 10 to 20 min during pre-incubation at higher temperature. Injury was restricted to the palisade mesophyll cells, where there was an obvious change in the color of the chloroplasts. During a rapid temperature decrease, chlorophyll fluorescence monitored by a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer diminished and did not recover even after rewarming to the initial temperature. Isolated chloroplasts were not directly affected by the rapid temperature decrease. Intracellular pH was monitored with a pH-dependent fluorescent dye. In palisade mesophyll cells damaged by rapid temperature decrease, the cytosolic pH decreased and the vacuolar membrane collapsed soon after a temperature decrease. In isolated chloroplasts, chlorophyll fluorescence declined when the pH of the medium was lowered. These results suggest that a rapid temperature decrease directly or indirectly affects the vacuolar membrane, resulting in a pH change in the cytosol that subsequently affects the chloroplasts in palisade mesophyll cells. We further confirmed that the same physiological damage occurs in other Gesneriaceae plants. These results strongly suggested that the vacuoles of palisade mesophyll cells collapsed during the initial phase of leaf injury.

  20. Sudden Collapse of Vacuoles in Saintpaulia sp. Palisade Cells Induced by a Rapid Temperature Decrease

    PubMed Central

    Kadohama, Noriaki; Goh, Tatsuaki; Ohnishi, Miwa; Fukaki, Hidehiro; Mimura, Tetsuro; Suzuki, Yoshihiro

    2013-01-01

    It is well known that saintpaulia leaf is damaged by the rapid temperature decrease when cold water is irrigated onto the leaf surface. We investigated this temperature sensitivity and the mechanisms of leaf damage in saintpaulia (Saintpaulia sp. cv. ‘Iceberg’) and other Gesneriaceae plants. Saintpaulia leaves were damaged and discolored when subjected to a rapid decrease in temperature, but not when the temperature was decreased gradually. Sensitivity to rapid temperature decrease increased within 10 to 20 min during pre-incubation at higher temperature. Injury was restricted to the palisade mesophyll cells, where there was an obvious change in the color of the chloroplasts. During a rapid temperature decrease, chlorophyll fluorescence monitored by a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer diminished and did not recover even after rewarming to the initial temperature. Isolated chloroplasts were not directly affected by the rapid temperature decrease. Intracellular pH was monitored with a pH-dependent fluorescent dye. In palisade mesophyll cells damaged by rapid temperature decrease, the cytosolic pH decreased and the vacuolar membrane collapsed soon after a temperature decrease. In isolated chloroplasts, chlorophyll fluorescence declined when the pH of the medium was lowered. These results suggest that a rapid temperature decrease directly or indirectly affects the vacuolar membrane, resulting in a pH change in the cytosol that subsequently affects the chloroplasts in palisade mesophyll cells. We further confirmed that the same physiological damage occurs in other Gesneriaceae plants. These results strongly suggested that the vacuoles of palisade mesophyll cells collapsed during the initial phase of leaf injury. PMID:23451194

  1. An experimental study of the electronic absorption and fluorescence spectral properties of new p-substituted-N-phenylpyrroles and their electrosynthesized polymers.

    PubMed

    Diaw, A K D; Gningue-Sall, D; Yassar, A; Brochon, J-C; Henry, E; Aaron, J-J

    2015-01-25

    Electronic absorption and fluorescence spectral properties of new p-substituted-N-phenylpyrroles (N-PhPys), including HOPhPy, MeOPhPy, ThPhPy, PhDPy, DPhDPy, PyPhThThPhPy, and their available, electrosynthesized polymers were investigated. Electronic absorption spectra, fluorescence excitation and emission spectra, fluorescence quantum yields (ΦF) and lifetimes (τF), and other photophysical parameters of these N-PhPy derivatives and their polymers were measured in DMF, DMSO diluted solutions and/or solid state at room temperature. The electronic absorption spectra of N-PhPy derivatives and their polymers included one to several bands, located in the 270-395 nm region, according to the p-phenyl substituent electron-donating effect and conjugated heteroaromatic system length. The fluorescence excitation spectra were characterized by one broad main peak, with, in most cases, one (or more) poorly resolved shoulder (s), appearing in the 270-405 nm region, and their emission spectra were generally constituted of several bands located in the 330-480 nm region. No significant shift of the absorption, fluorescence excitation and emission spectra wavelengths was found upon going from the monomers to the corresponding polymers. ΦF values were high, varying between 0.11 and 0.63, according to the nature of substituents(s) and to the conjugated system extension. Fluorescence decays were mono-exponential for the monomers and poly-exponential for PyPhThThPhPy and for polymers. τF values were relatively short (0.35-5.17 ns), and markedly decreased with the electron-donor character of the phenyl group p-substituent and the conjugated system extension. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Effect of pH and temperature on the uptake of cadmium by Lemna minor L

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chawla, G.; Singh, J.; Viswanathan, P.N.

    1991-07-01

    Many aquatic macrophytes have the capacity to take up toxic heavy metals from polluted water and accumulate them. Cut leaves and intact plants have been suggested for clearing polluted water bodies of heavy metals. However, uptake of metal ion from water is dependent on concentration, pH, temperature, presence of other substances and functional and morphological status of the biotic species. In an attempt to understand any correlation between metal bioconcentration, pH and temperature, the optimal conditions for the removal of cadmium ions by duckweed, Lemna minor (L.) were studied.

  3. Exploring the process-structure-function relationship of horseradish peroxidase through investigation of pH- and heat induced conformational changes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stănciuc, Nicoleta; Aprodu, Iuliana; Ioniță, Elena; Bahrim, Gabriela; Râpeanu, Gabriela

    2015-08-01

    Given the importance of peroxidase as an indicator for the preservation of vegetables by heat treatment, the present study is focused on enzyme behavior under different pH and temperature conditions, in terms of process-structure-function relationships. Thus, the process-structure-function relationship of peroxidase was investigated by combining fluorescence spectroscopy, in silico prediction methods and inactivation kinetic studies. The fluorescence spectra indicated that at optimum pH value, the Trp117 residue is not located in the hydrophobic core of the protein. Significant blue- and red-shifts were obtained at different pH values, whereas the heat-treatment did not cause significant changes in Trp and Tyr environment. The ANS and quenching experiments demonstrated a more flexible conformation at lower pH and respectively at higher temperature. On the other hand molecular dynamics simulations at different temperatures highlighted that the secondary structure appeared better preserved against temperature, whereas the tertiary structure around the heme was more affected. Temperature dependent changes in the hydrogen bonding and ion paring involving amino acids from the heme-binding region (His170 and Asp247) might trigger miss-coordination of the heme iron atom by His170 residue and further enzyme activity loss.

  4. Ruminal temperature may aid in the detection of subacute ruminal acidosis.

    PubMed

    AlZahal, O; Kebreab, E; France, J; Froetschel, M; McBride, B W

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between ruminal pH and ruminal temperature and to develop a predictive equation that can aid in the diagnosis of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). Six rumen-fistulated lactating Holstein dairy cows (639 +/- 51 kg body weight) were used in the study. Cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 dietary treatments: control (% of dry matter, 40% corn silage, 27% mixed haylage, 7% alfalfa hay, 18% protein supplement, 4% ground corn, and 4% wheat bran) or SARA total mixed ration (% of dry matter, 31% corn silage, 20% mixed haylage, 5% alfalfa hay, 15% protein supplement, 19% ground wheat, and 10% ground barley) and were fed daily at 0700 and 1300 h. The experiment consisted of 1 wk of adaptation followed by 1 wk of treatment. Ruminal pH and ruminal temperature were simultaneously and continuously recorded every minute for 4 d per week using the same indwelling electrode. Subacute-acidotic cows spent more time (min/d) below ruminal pH 5.6 and a greater time above 39.2 degrees C than control cows. Ruminal pH nadir had a negative relationship with its corresponding ruminal temperature (R2 = 0.77). Therefore, ruminal temperature may have potential to predict ruminal pH and thus aid in the diagnosis of SARA.

  5. Stability of urea in solution and pharmaceutical preparations.

    PubMed

    Panyachariwat, Nattakan; Steckel, Hartwig

    2014-01-01

    The stability of urea in solution and pharmaceutical preparations was analyzed as a function of temperature (25°-60°C), pH (3.11-9.67), and initial urea concentration (2.5%-20%). This study was undertaken to (i) obtain more extensive, quantitative information relative to the degradation of urea in both aqueous and non-aqueous solutions and in pharmaceutical preparations, and (ii) test the effects of initial urea concentration, pH, buffer, and temperature values on urea degradation. The stability analysis shows that urea is more stable at the pH range of 4-8 and the stability of urea decreases by increase in temperature for all pH values. Within the experimental range of temperature and initial urea concentration values, the lowest urea degradation was found with lactate buffer pH 6.0. The urea decomposition rate in solution and pharmaceutical preparations shows the dependence of the initial urea concentrations. At higher initial urea concentrations, the rate of degradation is a decreasing function with time. This suggests that the reverse reaction is a factor in the degradation of concentrated urea solution. For non-aqueous solvents, isopropanol showed the best effort in retarding the decomposition of urea. Since the losses in urea is directly influenced by its stability at a given temperature and pH, the stability analysis of urea by the proposed model can be used to prevent the loss and optimize the operating condition for urea-containing pharmaceutical preparations.

  6. The Influence of Virus Infection on the Extracellular pH of the Host Cell Detected on Cell Membrane.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hengjun; Maruyama, Hisataka; Masuda, Taisuke; Honda, Ayae; Arai, Fumihito

    2016-01-01

    Influenza virus infection can result in changes in the cellular ion levels at 2-3 h post-infection. More H(+) is produced by glycolysis, and the viral M2 proton channel also plays a role in the capture and release of H(+) during both viral entry and egress. Then the cells might regulate the intracellular pH by increasing the export of H(+) from the intracellular compartment. Increased H(+) export could lead indirectly to increased extracellular acidity. To detect changes in extracellular pH of both virus-infected and uninfected cells, pH sensors were synthesized using polystyrene beads (ϕ1 μm) containing Rhodamine B and Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). The fluorescence intensity of FITC can respond to both pH and temperature. So Rhodamine B was also introduced in the sensor for temperature compensation. Then the pH can be measured after temperature compensation. The sensor was adhered to cell membrane for extracellular pH measurement. The results showed that the multiplication of influenza virus in host cell decreased extracellular pH of the host cell by 0.5-0.6 in 4 h after the virus bound to the cell membrane, compared to that in uninfected cells. Immunostaining revealed the presence of viral PB1 protein in the nucleus of virus-bound cells that exhibited extracellular pH changes, but no PB1 protein are detected in virus-unbound cells where the extracellular pH remained constant.

  7. Effects of Temperature and pH on Reduction of Bacteria in a Point-of-Use Drinking Water Treatment Product for Emergency Relief

    PubMed Central

    Marois-Fiset, Jean-Thomas; Carabin, Anne; Lavoie, Audrey

    2013-01-01

    The effects of temperature and pH on the water treatment performance of a point-of-use (POU) coagulant/disinfectant product were evaluated. Cold temperatures (∼5°C) reduced the bactericidal efficiency of the product with regard to Escherichia coli and total coliform log10 reductions. PMID:23335762

  8. Communication: H-atom reactivity as a function of temperature in solid parahydrogen: The H + N2O reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mutunga, Fredrick M.; Follett, Shelby E.; Anderson, David T.

    2013-10-01

    We present low temperature kinetic measurements for the H + N2O association reaction in solid parahydrogen (pH2) at liquid helium temperatures (1-5 K). We synthesize 15N218O doped pH2 solids via rapid vapor deposition onto an optical substrate attached to the cold tip of a liquid helium bath cryostat. We then subject the solids to short duration 193 nm irradiations to generate H-atoms produced as byproducts of the in situ N2O photodissociation, and monitor the subsequent reaction kinetics using rapid scan FTIR. For reactions initiated in solid pH2 at 4.3 K we observe little to no reaction; however, if we then slowly reduce the temperature of the solid we observe an abrupt onset to the H + N2O → cis-HNNO reaction at temperatures below 2.4 K. This abrupt change in the reaction kinetics is fully reversible as the temperature of the solid pH2 is repeatedly cycled. We speculate that the observed non-Arrhenius behavior (negative activation energy) is related to the stability of the pre-reactive complex between the H-atom and 15N218O reagents.

  9. Effects of temperature, pH, and ionic strength on the Henry's law constant of triethylamine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leng, Chun-Bo; Roberts, Jason E.; Zeng, Guang; Zhang, Yun-Hong; Liu, Yong

    2015-05-01

    The Henry's law constants (KH) of triethylamine (TEA) in pure water and in 1-octanol were measured for the temperatures pertinent to the lower troposphere (278-298 K) using a bubble column system coupled to a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The KH values of TEA in water and 1-octanol at 298 K are 5.75 ± 0.86 mol L-1 atm-1 and 115.62 ± 5.78 mol L-1 atm-1. The KH values display strong dependence on temperature, pH, and ionic strength. The characteristic times for TEA to establish an equilibrium between gas and droplet with a size of 5.6 µm are ~33 s (298 K, pH = 5.6); ~8.9 × 102 s (278 K, pH = 5.6); ~1.3 × 103 s (298 K, pH = 4.0); and 3.6 × 104 s (278 K, pH = 4.0). The evaluation of TEA partitioning between gas phase and condensed phase implies that TEA predominantly resides in rainwater, and TEA loss to organic aerosol is negligible.

  10. Low-temperature solution processing of palladium/palladium oxide films and their pH sensing performance.

    PubMed

    Qin, Yiheng; Alam, Arif U; Pan, Si; Howlader, Matiar M R; Ghosh, Raja; Selvaganapathy, P Ravi; Wu, Yiliang; Deen, M Jamal

    2016-01-01

    Highly sensitive, easy-to-fabricate, and low-cost pH sensors with small dimensions are required to monitor human bodily fluids, drinking water quality and chemical/biological processes. In this study, a low-temperature, solution-based process is developed to prepare palladium/palladium oxide (Pd/PdO) thin films for pH sensing. A precursor solution for Pd is spin coated onto pre-cleaned glass substrates and annealed at low temperature to generate Pd and PdO. The percentages of PdO at the surface and in the bulk of the electrodes are correlated to their sensing performance, which was studied by using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. Large amounts of PdO introduced by prolonged annealing improve the electrode's sensitivity and long-term stability. Atomic force microscopy study showed that the low-temperature annealing results in a smooth electrode surface, which contributes to a fast response. Nano-voids at the electrode surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscope, indicating a reason for the long-term degradation of the pH sensitivity. Using the optimized annealing parameters of 200°C for 48 h, a linear pH response with sensitivity of 64.71±0.56 mV/pH is obtained for pH between 2 and 12. These electrodes show a response time shorter than 18 s, hysteresis less than 8 mV and stability over 60 days. High reproducibility in the sensing performance is achieved. This low-temperature solution-processed sensing electrode shows the potential for the development of pH sensing systems on flexible substrates over a large area at low cost without using vacuum equipment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Distribution of ether lipids and composition of the archaeal community in terrestrial geothermal springs: impact of environmental variables.

    PubMed

    Xie, Wei; Zhang, Chuanlun L; Wang, Jinxiang; Chen, Yufei; Zhu, Yuanqing; de la Torre, José R; Dong, Hailiang; Hartnett, Hilairy E; Hedlund, Brian P; Klotz, Martin G

    2015-05-01

    Archaea can respond to changes in the environment by altering the composition of their membrane lipids, for example, by modification of the abundance and composition of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs). Here, we investigated the abundance and proportions of polar GDGTs (P-GDGTs) and core GDGTs (C-GDGTs) sampled in different seasons from Tengchong hot springs (Yunnan, China), which encompassed a pH range of 2.5-10.1 and a temperature range of 43.7-93.6°C. The phylogenetic composition of the archaeal community (reanalysed from published work) divided the Archaea in spring sediment samples into three major groups that corresponded with spring pH: acidic, circumneutral and alkaline. Cluster analysis showed correlation between spring pH and the composition of P- and C-GDGTs and archaeal 16S rRNA genes, indicating an intimate link between resident Archaea and the distribution of P- and C-GDGTs in Tengchong hot springs. The distribution of GDGTs in Tengchong springs was also significantly affected by temperature; however, the relationship was weaker than with pH. Analysis of published datasets including samples from Tibet, Yellowstone and the US Great Basin hot springs revealed a similar relationship between pH and GDGT content. Specifically, low pH springs had higher concentrations of GDGTs with high numbers of cyclopentyl rings than neutral and alkaline springs, which is consistent with the predominance of high cyclopentyl ring-characterized Sulfolobales and Thermoplasmatales present in some of the low pH springs. Our study suggests that the resident Archaea in these hot springs are acclimated if not adapted to low pH by their genetic capacity to effect the packing density of their membranes by increasing cyclopentyl rings in GDGTs at the rank of community. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Engineering a highly active thermophilic β-glucosidase to enhance its pH stability and saccharification performance.

    PubMed

    Xia, Wei; Xu, Xinxin; Qian, Lichun; Shi, Pengjun; Bai, Yingguo; Luo, Huiying; Ma, Rui; Yao, Bin

    2016-01-01

    β-Glucosidase is an important member of the biomass-degrading enzyme system, and plays vital roles in enzymatic saccharification for biofuels production. Candidates with high activity and great stability over high temperature and varied pHs are always preferred in industrial practice. To achieve cost-effective biomass conversion, exploring natural enzymes, developing high level expression systems and engineering superior mutants are effective approaches commonly used. A newly identified β-glucosidase of GH3, Bgl3A, from Talaromyces leycettanus JCM12802, was overexpressed in yeast strain Pichia pastoris GS115, yielding a crude enzyme activity of 6000 U/ml in a 3 L fermentation tank. The purified enzyme exhibited outstanding enzymatic properties, including favorable temperature and pH optima (75 °C and pH 4.5), good thermostability (maintaining stable at 60 °C), and high catalytic performance (with a specific activity and catalytic efficiency of 905 U/mg and 9096/s/mM on pNPG, respectively). However, the narrow stability of Bgl3A at pH 4.0-5.0 would limit its industrial applications. Further site-directed mutagenesis indicated the role of excessive O-glycosylation in pH liability. By removing the potential O-glycosylation sites, two mutants showed improved pH stability over a broader pH range (3.0-10.0). Besides, with better stability under pH 5.0 and 50 °C compared with wild type Bgl3A, saccharification efficiency of mutant M1 was improved substantially cooperating with cellulase Celluclast 1.5L. And mutant M1 reached approximately equivalent saccharification performance to commercial β-glucosidase Novozyme 188 with identical β-glucosidase activity, suggesting its great prospect in biofuels production. In this study, we overexpressed a novel β-glucosidase Bgl3A with high specific activity and high catalytic efficiency in P. pastoris. We further proved the negative effect of excessive O-glycosylation on the pH stability of Bgl3A, and enhanced the pH stability by reducing the O-glycosylation. And the enhanced mutants showed much better application prospect with substantially improved saccharification efficiency on cellulosic materials.

  13. Relative Abundance of Nitrotoga spp. in a Biofilter of a Cold-Freshwater Aquaculture Plant Appears To Be Stimulated by Slightly Acidic pH

    PubMed Central

    Hüpeden, Jennifer; Wegen, Simone; Off, Sandra; Lücker, Sebastian; Bedarf, Yvonne; Daims, Holger; Kühn, Carsten

    2016-01-01

    The functioning of recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) is essential to maintain water quality for fish health, and one crucial process here is nitrification. The investigated RAS was connected to a rainbow trout production system and operated at an average temperature of 13°C and pH 6.8. Community analyses of the nitrifying biofilm revealed a coexistence of Nitrospira and Nitrotoga, and it is hypothesized that a slightly acidic pH in combination with lower temperatures favors the growth of the latter. Modification of the standard cultivation approach toward lower pH values of 5.7 to 6.0 resulted in the successful enrichment (99% purity) of Nitrotoga sp. strain HW29, which had a 16S rRNA sequence similarity of 99.0% to Nitrotoga arctica. Reference cultures of Nitrospira defluvii and the novel Nitrotoga sp. HW29 were used to confirm differentiation of these nitrite oxidizers in distinct ecological niches. Nitrotoga sp. HW29 revealed pH and temperature optima of 6.8 and 22°C, respectively, whereas Nitrospira defluvii displayed the highest nitrite oxidation rate at pH 7.3 and 32°C. We report here the occurrence of Nitrotoga as one of the main nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in freshwater aquaculture systems and indicate that a slightly acidic pH, in addition to temperatures below 20°C, can be applied as a selective isolation criterion for this microorganism. PMID:26746710

  14. Pressure and Heat Transfer Measurements on Large Indented Nosetips.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-06-01

    thickness of 0.025 inch were machined from billets of 17 - 4PH stainless steel, following specifications regarding the outer contour of the models...after roughening are shown in Figures 2 through 5, respectively. Roughened samples of 17 - 4PH stainless steel were sectioned and photomicrographs were...temperature = wind tunnel supply temperature The wall thicknesses used in the data reduction should be accurate to +0.001 inch. The density of 17 - 4PH

  15. Optimum Disinfection Properties and Commercially Available Disinfectants

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-07-01

    organic constituents that display a chlorine demand.) d. Upon addition to water, the agent should dissolve quickly and release its active ingredient(s...trione pH dependence alkaline pH favored Temperature dependence high at low residual Palatability Taste and odor claimed to be lartgly absent Color...CryptosgortdLjM at various temperature and pH levels. 2. A field procedwu for masueing disinfectant residual is ".eded for chlorin dioaide. 3. Stability

  16. Genomic and exoproteomic analyses of cold- and alkaline-adapted bacteria reveal an abundance of secreted subtilisin-like proteases.

    PubMed

    Lylloff, Jeanette E; Hansen, Lea B S; Jepsen, Morten; Sanggaard, Kristian W; Vester, Jan K; Enghild, Jan J; Sørensen, Søren J; Stougaard, Peter; Glaring, Mikkel A

    2016-03-01

    Proteases active at low temperature or high pH are used in many commercial applications, including the detergent, food and feed industries, and bacteria specifically adapted to these conditions are a potential source of novel proteases. Environments combining these two extremes are very rare, but offer the promise of proteases ideally suited to work at both high pH and low temperature. In this report, bacteria from two cold and alkaline environments, the ikaite columns in Greenland and alkaline ponds in the McMurdo Dry Valley region, Antarctica, were screened for extracellular protease activity. Two isolates, Arsukibacterium ikkense from Greenland and a related strain, Arsukibacterium sp. MJ3, from Antarctica, were further characterized with respect to protease production. Genome sequencing identified a range of potential extracellular proteases including a number of putative secreted subtilisins. An extensive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of proteins secreted by A. ikkense identified six subtilisin-like proteases as abundant components of the exoproteome in addition to other peptidases potentially involved in complete degradation of extracellular protein. Screening of Arsukibacterium genome libraries in Escherichia coli identified two orthologous secreted subtilisins active at pH 10 and 20 °C, which were also present in the A. ikkense exoproteome. Recombinant production of both proteases confirmed the observed activity. © 2016 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  17. Biphasic cultivation strategy to avoid Epo-Fc aggregation and optimize protein expression.

    PubMed

    Kaisermayer, Christian; Reinhart, David; Gili, Andreas; Chang, Martina; Aberg, Per-Mikael; Castan, Andreas; Kunert, Renate

    2016-06-10

    In biphasic cultivations, the culture conditions are initially kept at an optimum for rapid cell growth and biomass accumulation. In the second phase, the culture is shifted to conditions ensuring maximum specific protein production and the protein quality required. The influence of specific culture parameters is cell line dependent and their impact on product quality needs to be investigated. In this study, a biphasic cultivation strategy for a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line expressing an erythropoietin fusion protein (Epo-Fc) was developed. Cultures were run in batch mode and after an initial growth phase, cultivation temperature and pH were shifted. Applying a DoE (Design of Experiments) approach, a fractional factorial design was used to systematically evaluate the influence of cultivation temperature and pH as well as their synergistic effect on cell growth as well as on recombinant protein production and aggregation. All three responses were influenced by the cultivation temperature. Additionally, an interaction between pH and temperature was found to be related to protein aggregation. Compared with the initial standard conditions of 37°C and pH 7.05, a parameter shift to low temperature and acidic pH resulted in a decrease in the aggregate fraction from 75% to less than 1%. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of temperature and pH substantially lowered the cell-specific rates of glucose and glutamine consumption as well as lactate and ammonium production. The optimized culture conditions also led to an increase of the cell-specific rates of recombinant Epo-Fc production, thus resulting in a more economic bioprocess. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. High temperature hydrothermal vent fluids in Yellowstone Lake: Observations and insights from in-situ pH and redox measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Chunyang; Cino, Christie D.; Ding, Kang; Seyfried, William E.

    2017-09-01

    ROV investigation of hydrothermal fluids issuing from vents on the floor of Yellowstone lake revealed temperatures in excess of 170 °C - the highest temperature yet reported for vent fluids within Yellowstone National Park (YNP). The study site is east of Stevenson Island at depth of approximately 100-125 m. In-situ pH and redox measurements of vent fluids were made using solid state sensors designed to sustain the elevated temperatures and pressures. YSZ membrane electrode with Ag/Ag2O internal element and internal pressure balanced Ag/AgCl reference electrode were used to measure pH, while a platinum electrode provided redox constraints. Lab verification of the pH sensor confirmed excellent agreement with Nernst law predictions, especially at temperatures in excess of 120 °C. In-situ pH values of between 4.2 and 4.5 were measured for the vent fluids at temperatures of 120 to 150 °C. The slightly acidic vent fluids are likely caused by CO2 enrichment in association with magmatic degassing effects that occur throughout YNP. This is consistent with results of simple model calculations and direct observation of CO2 bubbles in the immediate vicinity of the lake floor vents. Simultaneous redox measurements indicated moderate to highly reducing conditions (- 0.2 to - 0.3 V). As typical of measurements of this kind, internal and external redox disequilibria likely preclude unambiguous determination of redox controlling reactions. Redox disequilibria, however, can be expected to drive microbial metabolism and diversity in the near vent environment. Thus, the combination of in-situ pH and redox sensor deployments may ultimately provide the requisite framework to better understand the microbiology of the newly discovered hot vents on Yellowstone lake floor.

  19. Targeted Delivery of Carbon Nanotubes to Cancer Cells

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-01

    were thiolated by incubation for 1 h at room temperature with a 20:1 molar excess of Traut’s reagent. After incubation, the reaction was quenched...0.1 mM EDTA, pH 7.4. The thiolated MAb was conjugated to the activated NA at a molar ratio of 1:2 for 2 h at room temperature with gentle shaking...previous reports, this was achieved by coating CNTs with biocompatible compounds, such as hydrophilic uncharged polymers including poly-(ethylene glycol

  20. Temperature and frequency characteristics of low-loss MnZn ferrite in a wide temperature range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Ke; Lan, Zhongwen; Yu, Zhong; Xu, Zhiyong; Jiang, Xiaona; Wang, Zihui; Liu, Zhi; Luo, Ming

    2011-05-01

    A low-loss Mn0.7Zn0.24Fe2.06O4 ferrite has been prepared by a solid-state reaction method. The MnZn ferrite has a high initial permeability, μi (3097), a high saturation induction, Bs (526 mT), a high Curie temperature, Tc (220 °C), and a low core loss, PL (≤ 415 kW/m3) in a wide temperature (25-120 °C) and frequency (10-100 kHz) range. As the temperature increases, an initial decrease followed by a subsequent increase of hysteresis loss, Ph, and eddy current loss, Pe is observed. Both Ph and Pe increase with increasing frequency. When f ≥ 300 kHz, a residual loss, Pr, appears. Pe increases with increasing temperature and frequency. The temperature and frequency dependence of Ph can be explained by irreversible domain wall movements, Pe by the skin effect, and Pr by domain wall resonance, respectively.

  1. Beyond temperature: Clumped isotope signatures in dissolved inorganic carbon species and the influence of solution chemistry on carbonate mineral composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tripati, Aradhna K.; Hill, Pamela S.; Eagle, Robert A.; Mosenfelder, Jed L.; Tang, Jianwu; Schauble, Edwin A.; Eiler, John M.; Zeebe, Richard E.; Uchikawa, Joji; Coplen, Tyler B.; Ries, Justin B.; Henry, Drew

    2015-10-01

    ;Clumped-isotope; thermometry is an emerging tool to probe the temperature history of surface and subsurface environments based on measurements of the proportion of 13C and 18O isotopes bound to each other within carbonate minerals in 13C18O16O22- groups (heavy isotope ;clumps;). Although most clumped isotope geothermometry implicitly presumes carbonate crystals have attained lattice equilibrium (i.e., thermodynamic equilibrium for a mineral, which is independent of solution chemistry), several factors other than temperature, including dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) speciation may influence mineral isotopic signatures. Therefore we used a combination of approaches to understand the potential influence of different variables on the clumped isotope (and oxygen isotope) composition of minerals. We conducted witherite precipitation experiments at a single temperature and at varied pH to empirically determine 13C-18O bond ordering (Δ47) and δ18O of CO32- and HCO3- molecules at a 25 °C equilibrium. Ab initio cluster models based on density functional theory were used to predict equilibrium 13C-18O bond abundances and δ18O of different DIC species and minerals as a function of temperature. Experiments and theory indicate Δ47 and δ18O compositions of CO32- and HCO3- ions are significantly different from each other. Experiments constrain the Δ47-δ18O slope for a pH effect (0.011 ± 0.001; 12 ⩾ pH ⩾ 7). Rapidly-growing temperate corals exhibit disequilibrium mineral isotopic signatures with a Δ47-δ18O slope of 0.011 ± 0.003, consistent with a pH effect. Our theoretical calculations for carbonate minerals indicate equilibrium lattice calcite values for Δ47 and δ18O are intermediate between HCO3- and CO32-. We analyzed synthetic calcites grown at temperatures ranging from 0.5 to 50 °C with and without the enzyme carbonic anhydrase present. This enzyme catalyzes oxygen isotopic exchange between DIC species and is present in many natural systems. The two types of experiments yielded statistically indistinguishable results, and these measurements yield a calibration that overlaps with our theoretical predictions for calcite at equilibrium. The slow-growing Devils Hole calcite exhibits Δ47 and δ18O values consistent with lattice equilibrium. Factors influencing DIC speciation (pH, salinity) and the timescale for DIC equilibration, as well as reactions at the mineral-solution interface, have the potential to influence clumped-isotope signatures and the δ18O of carbonate minerals. In fast-growing carbonate minerals, solution chemistry may be an important factor, particularly over extremes of pH and salinity. If a crystal grows too rapidly to reach an internal equilibrium (i.e., achieve the value for the temperature-dependent mineral lattice equilibrium), it may record the clumped-isotope signature of a DIC species (e.g., the temperature-dependent equilibrium of HCO3-) or a mixture of DIC species, and hence record a disequilibrium mineral composition. For extremely slow-growing crystals, and for rapidly-grown samples grown at a pH where HCO3- dominates the DIC pool at equilibrium, effects of solution chemistry are likely to be relatively small or negligible. In summary, growth environment, solution chemistry, surface equilibria, and precipitation rate may all play a role in dictating whether a crystal achieves equilibrium or disequilibrium clumped-isotope signatures.

  2. Influences of the Tonga Subduction Zone on seafloor massive sulfide deposits along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center and Valu Fa Ridge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, Guy N.; Tivey, Margaret K.; Seewald, Jeffrey S.; Wheat, C. Geoff

    2017-10-01

    This study investigates the morphology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits from six back-arc hydrothermal vent fields along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC) and Valu Fa Ridge (VFR) in the context of endmember vent fluid chemistry and proximity to the Tonga Subduction Zone. To complement deposit geochemistry, vent fluid analyses of Cu, Zn, Ba, Pb and H2,(aq) were completed to supplement existing data and enable thermodynamic calculations of mineral saturation states at in situ conditions. Results document southward increases in the abundance of mantle-incompatible elements in hydrothermal fluids (Ba and Pb) and SMS deposits (Ba, Pb, As, and Sb), which is also expressed in the abundance of barite (BaSO4) and galena (PbS) in SMS deposits. These increases correspond to a decrease in distance between the ELSC/VFR and the Tonga Subduction Zone that correlates with a change in crustal lithology from back-arc basin basalt in the north to mixed andesite, rhyolite, and dacite in the south. Barite influences deposit morphology, contributing to the formation of horizontal flanges and squat terraces. Results are also consistent with a regional-scale lowering of hydrothermal reaction zone temperatures from north to south (except at the southernmost Mariner vent field) that leads to lower-temperature, higher-pH vent fluids relative to mid-ocean ridges of similar spreading rates (Mottl et al., 2011). These fluids are Cu- and Zn-poor and the deposits formed from these fluids are Cu-poor but Zn-rich. In contrast, at the Mariner vent field, higher-temperature and lower pH vent fluids are hypothesized to result from higher reaction zone temperatures and the localized addition of acidic magmatic volatiles (Mottl et al., 2011). The Mariner fluids are Cu- and Zn-rich and vent from SMS deposits that are rich in Cu but poor in Zn with moderate amounts of Pb. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that the contrasting metal contents of vent fluids and SMS deposits can be accounted for by vent fluid pH. Wurtzite/sphalerite ((Zn, Fe)S) and galena (PbS) are saturated at higher temperatures in higher-pH, Zn-, Cu-, and Pb-poor ELSC/VFR vent fluids, but are undersaturated at similar temperatures in low-pH, Zn-, Cu-, and Pb-rich vent fluids from the Mariner vent field. Indicators of pH in the ELSC and VFR SMS deposits include the presence of co-precipitated wurtzite and chalcopyrite along conduit linings in deposits formed from higher pH fluids, and different correlations between concentrations of Zn and Ag in bulk geochemical analyses. Significant positive bulk geochemical Zn:Ag correlations occur for deposits at vent fields where hydrothermal fluids have a minimum pH (at 25 °C) < 3.3, while correlations of Zn:Ag are weak or negative for deposits at vent fields where the minimum vent fluid pH (at 25 °C) > 3.6. Data show that the compositions of the mineral linings of open conduit chimneys (minerals present, mol% FeS in (Zn,Fe)S) that precipitate directly from hydrothermal fluids closely reflect the temperature and sulfur fugacity of sampled hydrothermal fluids. These mineral lining compositions thus can be used as indicators of hydrothermal fluid temperature and composition (pH, metal content, sulfur fugacity).

  3. A critical evaluation of automated blood gas measurements in comparative respiratory physiology.

    PubMed

    Malte, Christian Lind; Jakobsen, Sashia Lindhøj; Wang, Tobias

    2014-12-01

    Precise measurements of blood gases and pH are of pivotal importance to respiratory physiology. However, the traditional electrodes that could be calibrated and maintained at the same temperature as the experimental animal are increasingly being replaced by new automated blood gas analyzers. These are typically designed for clinical use and automatically heat the blood sample to 37°C for measurements. While most blood gas analyzers allow for temperature corrections of the measurements, the underlying algorithms are based on temperature-effects for human blood, and any discrepancies in the temperature dependency between the blood sample from a given species and human samples will bias measurements. In this study we review the effects of temperature on blood gases and pH and evaluate the performance of an automated blood gas analyzer (GEM Premier 3500). Whole blood obtained from pythons and freshwater turtles was equilibrated in rotating Eschweiler tonometers to a variety of known P(O2)'s and P(CO2)'s in gas mixtures prepared by Wösthoff gas mixing pumps and blood samples were measured immediately on the GEM Premier 3500. The pH measurements were compared to measurements using a Radiometer BMS glass capillary pH electrode kept and calibrated at the experimental temperature. We show that while the blood gas analyzer provides reliable temperature-corrections for P(CO2) and pH, P(O2) measurements were substantially biased. This was in agreement with the theoretical considerations and emphasizes the need for critical calibrations/corrections when using automated blood gas analyzers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. A Comprehensive Census of Microbial Diversity in Hot Springs of Tengchong, Yunnan Province China Using 16S rRNA Gene Pyrosequencing

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Hailiang; Jiang, Hongchen; Briggs, Brandon R.; Peacock, Joseph P.; Huang, Qiuyuan; Huang, Liuqin; Wu, Geng; Zhi, Xiaoyang; Li, Wenjun; Dodsworth, Jeremy A.; Hedlund, Brian P.; Zhang, Chuanlun; Hartnett, Hilairy E.; Dijkstra, Paul; Hungate, Bruce A.

    2013-01-01

    The Rehai and Ruidian geothermal fields, located in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, China, host a variety of geochemically distinct hot springs. In this study, we report a comprehensive, cultivation-independent census of microbial communities in 37 samples collected from these geothermal fields, encompassing sites ranging in temperature from 55.1 to 93.6°C, in pH from 2.5 to 9.4, and in mineralogy from silicates in Rehai to carbonates in Ruidian. Richness was low in all samples, with 21–123 species-level OTUs detected. The bacterial phylum Aquificae or archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota were dominant in Rehai samples, yet the dominant taxa within those phyla depended on temperature, pH, and geochemistry. Rehai springs with low pH (2.5–2.6), high temperature (85.1–89.1°C), and high sulfur contents favored the crenarchaeal order Sulfolobales, whereas those with low pH (2.6–4.8) and cooler temperature (55.1–64.5°C) favored the Aquificae genus Hydrogenobaculum. Rehai springs with neutral-alkaline pH (7.2–9.4) and high temperature (>80°C) with high concentrations of silica and salt ions (Na, K, and Cl) favored the Aquificae genus Hydrogenobacter and crenarchaeal orders Desulfurococcales and Thermoproteales. Desulfurococcales and Thermoproteales became predominant in springs with pH much higher than the optimum and even the maximum pH known for these orders. Ruidian water samples harbored a single Aquificae genus Hydrogenobacter, whereas microbial communities in Ruidian sediment samples were more diverse at the phylum level and distinctly different from those in Rehai and Ruidian water samples, with a higher abundance of uncultivated lineages, close relatives of the ammonia-oxidizing archaeon “Candidatus Nitrosocaldus yellowstonii”, and candidate division O1aA90 and OP1. These differences between Ruidian sediments and Rehai samples were likely caused by temperature, pH, and sediment mineralogy. The results of this study significantly expand the current understanding of the microbiology in Tengchong hot springs and provide a basis for comparison with other geothermal systems around the world. PMID:23326417

  5. A comprehensive census of microbial diversity in hot springs of Tengchong, Yunnan Province China using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing.

    PubMed

    Hou, Weiguo; Wang, Shang; Dong, Hailiang; Jiang, Hongchen; Briggs, Brandon R; Peacock, Joseph P; Huang, Qiuyuan; Huang, Liuqin; Wu, Geng; Zhi, Xiaoyang; Li, Wenjun; Dodsworth, Jeremy A; Hedlund, Brian P; Zhang, Chuanlun; Hartnett, Hilairy E; Dijkstra, Paul; Hungate, Bruce A

    2013-01-01

    The Rehai and Ruidian geothermal fields, located in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, China, host a variety of geochemically distinct hot springs. In this study, we report a comprehensive, cultivation-independent census of microbial communities in 37 samples collected from these geothermal fields, encompassing sites ranging in temperature from 55.1 to 93.6°C, in pH from 2.5 to 9.4, and in mineralogy from silicates in Rehai to carbonates in Ruidian. Richness was low in all samples, with 21-123 species-level OTUs detected. The bacterial phylum Aquificae or archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota were dominant in Rehai samples, yet the dominant taxa within those phyla depended on temperature, pH, and geochemistry. Rehai springs with low pH (2.5-2.6), high temperature (85.1-89.1°C), and high sulfur contents favored the crenarchaeal order Sulfolobales, whereas those with low pH (2.6-4.8) and cooler temperature (55.1-64.5°C) favored the Aquificae genus Hydrogenobaculum. Rehai springs with neutral-alkaline pH (7.2-9.4) and high temperature (>80°C) with high concentrations of silica and salt ions (Na, K, and Cl) favored the Aquificae genus Hydrogenobacter and crenarchaeal orders Desulfurococcales and Thermoproteales. Desulfurococcales and Thermoproteales became predominant in springs with pH much higher than the optimum and even the maximum pH known for these orders. Ruidian water samples harbored a single Aquificae genus Hydrogenobacter, whereas microbial communities in Ruidian sediment samples were more diverse at the phylum level and distinctly different from those in Rehai and Ruidian water samples, with a higher abundance of uncultivated lineages, close relatives of the ammonia-oxidizing archaeon "Candidatus Nitrosocaldus yellowstonii", and candidate division O1aA90 and OP1. These differences between Ruidian sediments and Rehai samples were likely caused by temperature, pH, and sediment mineralogy. The results of this study significantly expand the current understanding of the microbiology in Tengchong hot springs and provide a basis for comparison with other geothermal systems around the world.

  6. Multiple heat priming enhances thermo-tolerance to a later high temperature stress via improving subcellular antioxidant activities in wheat seedlings.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiao; Cai, Jian; Liu, Fulai; Dai, Tingbo; Cao, Weixing; Wollenweber, Bernd; Jiang, Dong

    2014-01-01

    Seedlings of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were firstly twice heat-primed at 32/24 °C, and subsequently subjected to a more severe high temperature stress at 35/27 °C. The later high temperature stress significantly decreased plant biomass and leaf total soluble sugars concentration. However, plants experienced priming (PH) up-regulated the Rubisco activase B encoding gene RcaB, which was in accordance with the higher photosynthesis rate in relation to the non-primed plants (NH) under the later high temperature stress. In relation to NH, the major chlorophyll a/b-binding protein gene Cab was down-regulated in PH plants, implying a reduction of the light absorption to protect the photosystem II from excitation energy under high temperature stress. At the same time, under the later high temperature stress PH plants showed significantly higher actual photochemical efficiency, indicating an improvement of light use efficiency due to the priming pre-treatment. Under the later high temperature stress, PH could be maintained a better redox homeostasis than NH, as exemplified by the higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in chloroplasts and glutathione reductase (GR), and of peroxidase (POD) in mitochondria, which contributed to the lower superoxide radical production rate and malondialdehyde concentration in both chloroplasts and mitochondria. The improved antioxidant capacity in chloroplasts and mitochondria was related to the up-regulated expressions of Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD and GR in PH. Collectively, heat priming effectively improved thermo-tolerance of wheat seedlings subjected to a later high temperature stress, which could be largely ascribed to the enhanced anti-oxidation at the subcellular level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Final report of the key comparison APMP.QM-K91: APMP comparison on pH measurement of phthalate buffer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hioki, Akiharu; Asakai, Toshiaki; Maksimov, Igor; Suzuki, Toshihiro; Miura, Tsutomu; Ketrin, Rosi; Nuryatini; Thanh, Ngo Huy; Truong Chinh, Nguyen; Vospelova, Alena; Bastkowski, Frank; Sander, Beatrice; Matzke, Jessica; Prokunin, Sergey; Frolov, Dmitry; Aprelev, Alexey; Dobrovolskiy, Vladimir; Uysal, Emrah; Liv, Lokman; Velina Lara-Manzano, Judith; Montero-Ruiz, Jazmin; Ortiz-Aparicio, JosÉ Luis; Ticona Canaza, Galia; Anuar Mohd Amin, Khirul; Abd Kadir, Haslina; Bakovets, Nickolay; Wong, Siu-Kay; Lam, Wai-Hing

    2017-01-01

    The APMP.QM-K91 was organised by TCQM of APMP to test the abilities of the national metrology institutes in the APMP region to measure a pH value of a phthalate buffer. This APMP comparison on pH measurement was proposed by the National Metrology Institute of Japan at the APMP-TCQM meeting held September 22-23, 2014. After approval by TCQM, the comparison has been conducted by NMIJ. The comparison is a key comparison following CCQM-K91. The comparison material was a phthalate buffer of pH around 4.0 and the measurement temperatures were 15 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C. This is the third APMP key comparison on pH measurement and the fifth APMP comparison on pH measurement following APMP.QM-P06 (two phosphate buffers) in 2004, APMP.QM-P09 (a phthalate buffer) in 2006, APMP.QM-K9/APMP.QM-P16 (a phosphate buffer) in 2010-2011 and APMP.QM-K19/APMP.QM-P25 (a borate buffer) in 2013-2014. The results can be used further by any participant to support its CMC claim at least for a phthalate buffer. That claim will concern the pH method employed by the participant during this comparison and will cover the used temperature(s) or the full temperature range between 15°C and 37 °C for the participant which measured pH values at the three temperatures. Main text To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

  8. Report of the key comparison APMP.QM-K19. APMP comparison on pH measurement of borate buffer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hioki, Akiharu; Asakai, Toshiaki; Maksimov, Igor; Suzuki, Toshihiro; Miura, Tsutomu; Obromsook, Krairerk; Tangpaisarnkul, Nongluck; Rodruangthum, Patumporn; Wong, Siu-Kay; Lam, Wai-Hing; Zakaria, Osman; Anuar Mohd. Amin, Khirul; Thanh, Ngo Huy; Máriássy, Michal; Vyskocil, Leos; Hankova, Zuzana; Fisicaro, Paola; Stoica, Daniela; Singh, Nahar; Soni, Daya; Ticona Canaza, Galia; Kutovoy, Viatcheslav; Barbieri Gonzaga, Fabiano; Dias, Júlio Cesar; Vospelova, Alena; Bakovets, Nickolay; Zhanasbayeva, Bibinur

    2015-01-01

    The APMP.QM-K19 was organised by TCQM of APMP to test the abilities of the national metrology institutes in the APMP region to measure a pH value of a borate buffer. This APMP comparison on pH measurement was proposed by the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) and the National Institute of Metrology (Thailand) (NIMT) at the APMP-TCQM meeting held 26-27 November 2012. After approval by TCQM, the comparison has been conducted by NMIJ and NIMT. The comparison is a key comparison following CCQM-K19 and CCQM-K19.1. The comparison material was a borate buffer of pH around 9.2 and the measurement temperatures were 15 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C. This is the second APMP key comparison on pH measurement and the fourth APMP comparison on pH measurement following APMP.QM-P06 (two phosphate buffers) in 2004, APMP.QM-P09 (a phthalate buffer) in 2006 and APMP.QM-K9/APMP.QM-P16 (a phosphate buffer) in 2010-2011. The results can be used further by any participant to support its CMC claim at least for a borate buffer. That claim will concern the pH method employed by the participant during this comparison and will cover the used temperature(s) or the full temperature range between 15°C and 37 °C for the participant which measured pH values at the three temperatures. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

  9. Silica Precipitation from Geothermal Brines: Effects of Iron Addition, Kinetics, Temperature, pH, and Brine Concentration

    DOE Data Explorer

    Jay Renew

    2016-02-06

    This document provides results of experiments aimed at removing silica from geothermal brines. All experiments were conducted with simulated brines. The data presented shows the effect of iron addition, kinetics, temperature, pH and brine concentration.

  10. Leaching behavior of total organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from banana peel.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Ruixue; Sun, Shujuan; Xu, Yan; Qiu, Xiudong; Yang, Jili; Li, Xiaochen

    2015-01-01

    The leaching behavior of organic carbon and nutrient compounds from banana peel (BP) was investigated in batch assays with respect to particle size, contact time, pH value, and temperature. The granularity, contact time, pH, and temperature caused no significant effects on the leaching of total phosphorus (TP) from the BP. The maximum leached total nitrogen (TN) content was found at pH 5.0 and 90 minutes, while no significant effects were caused by the granularity and temperature. The maximum leached total organic carbon (TOC) content was found by using a powder of 40 mesh, 150 minutes and at pH 6.0, while the temperature had no effect on the TOC leaching. The proportions of the TN, TP, and TOC contents leached from the dried BP ranged from 33.6% to 40.9%, 60.4% to 72.7%, and 8.2% to 9.9%, respectively, indicating that BP could be a potential pollution source for surface and ground water if discharged as domestic waste or reutilized without pretreatment.

  11. The Effect of Temperature and Solution pH on the Nucleation of Tetragonal Lysozyme Crystals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Judge, Russell A.; Jacobs, Randolph S.; Frazier, Tyralynn; Snell, Edward H.; Pusey, Marc L.

    1999-01-01

    Part of the challenge of macromolecular crystal growth for structure determination is obtaining crystals with a volume suitable for x-ray analysis. In this respect an understanding of the effect of solution conditions on macromolecule nucleation rates is advantageous. This study investigated the effects of supersaturation, temperature, and pH on the nucleation rate of tetragonal lysozyme crystals. Batch crystallization plates were prepared at given solution concentrations and incubated at set temperatures over 1 week. The number of crystals per well with their size and axial ratios were recorded and correlated with solution conditions. Crystal numbers were found to increase with increasing supersaturation and temperature. The most significant variable, however, was pH; crystal numbers changed by two orders of magnitude over the pH range 4.0-5.2. Crystal size also varied with solution conditions, with the largest crystals obtained at pH 5.2. Having optimized the crystallization conditions, we prepared a batch of crystals under the same initial conditions, and 50 of these crystals were analyzed by x-ray diffraction techniques. The results indicate that even under the same crystallization conditions, a marked variation in crystal properties exists.

  12. Temperature and pH effect on glucose production from pretreated bagasse by a novel species of Citrobacter and other bacteria.

    PubMed

    Jones, Jamila A D; Kerr, R G; Haltli, B A; Tinto, Winston F

    2018-06-01

    Cellulolytic bacteria that produce cellulases, which are active over a range of pH and temperatures, can be used to catalyze hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic material. This is important in the production of second generation biofuels among other biotechnological applications. In this investigation, bacteria isolated from sugarcane bagasse were identified as strains of Enterobacter xiangfangensis , Serratia rubidaea , Klebsiella pneumoniae and a novel species of Citrobacter designated Citrobacter sp. UWIBGS10. The glucose production potential of these strains was studied on thermally and solvent pretreated sugarcane bagasse. This was performed at 24-hour intervals up to 168 hours in the range of pH 5-9 and temperature range 25-40 °C. Maximal concentrations of glucose for Citrobacter sp. UWIBGS10 occurred at pH 6 and 25 °C. For E. xiangfangensis , S. rubidaea , K. pneumoniae glucose concentrations were consistent across the pH and temperature ranges examined. From these results it could be concluded that the bacteria demonstrated ability for lignocellulolytic hydrolysis for the production of glucose and could be further explored for the characterization of commercial cellulolytic enzymes.

  13. Natural red dyes extraction on roselle petals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inggrid, H. M.; Jaka; Santoso, H.

    2016-11-01

    Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) has a high quantity of anthocyanin pigment and is a good colorant. The anthocyanin pigment can be used as a natural colorant and antioxidant. An antioxidant is an organic compound that has the ability to inhibit free radical reactions in the human body. The objective of this research is to study the effect of pH and temperature on total anthocyanin and antioxidant activity in roselle extract, and to evaluate the effect of temperature and sunlight on the stability of the red color from roselle. Dried roselle petals were extracted with solid liquid extraction method using water as solvent. The variables in this study are temperature (5°C, 30°C, and 55°C) and pH (2, 7, and 12). Total anthocyanin was analysed using the pH differential method. The antioxidant activities were determined using the DPPH method. The highest total anthocyanin in the roselle petals was 80.4 mg/L at a temperature of 5°C and pH 2. The highest antioxidant activity and yield content in the roselle were 90.4% and 71.6 % respectively, obtained at 55°C and pH 2.

  14. Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of Urea Assisted Pristine LiMn2O4 Cathode for Li Ion Batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iqbal, Azhar; Iqbal, Yousaf; Khan, Abdul Majeed; Ahmed, Safeer

    2017-12-01

    We report the synthesis of electrochemically active LiMn2O4 nanoparticles at varied temperature and pH values by sol-gel method using urea as a chelating and combusting agent. The effect of pH and annealing temperature on the structure, morphology and electrochemical performance was evaluated. The results obtained by XRD, SEM, TEM, and FTIR show that LiMn2O4 has uniform porous morphology and highly crystalline particles that can be obtained at pH 7.0 and 8.0 and at a relatively lower temperature of 600°C. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed reversible redox reactions with fast kinetics corresponding to Li ions intercalation/deintercalation at 600°C at neutral pH 7.0. Charge/discharge studies carried out at a current rate of 40 mA g-1 reveal that LiMn2O4 synthesized at 600°C and pH 7.0 has the best structural stability and excellent cycling performance.

  15. Environmental Habitat Conditions Associated with Freshwater Dreissenids

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-12-01

    Figure 1. Important biological effects of temperature on dreissenids. Temperature effects . Ambient temperature regulates metabolic rate in...is often reported separately because of its effect on osmoregulation and shell formation in zebra mussels (Vinogradov et al. 1993; McMahon 1996...Ramcharan et al. 1992; Mellina and Rasmussen 1994). As with pH, zebra mussels demonstrate less effective osmoregulation at moderate or low pH levels than

  16. Different efficiency of ozonated water washing to inactivate Salmonella enterica typhimurium on green onions, grape tomatoes, and green leaf lettuces.

    PubMed

    Xu, Wenqing; Wu, Changqing

    2014-03-01

    Ozonated water washing is one of the emerging techniques to inactivate foodborne pathogens on produce, and limited information is available to optimize processing parameters (treatment time, temperature, and pH) to improve ozone efficacy on Salmonella inactivation for different produce. The efficacy of ozonated water washing for inactivation of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium on green onions, grape tomatoes and green leaf lettuces were studied in our research. Surface inoculated fresh produce were washed by ozonated water for 1, 5, or 10 min at room temperature and pH 5.60 ± 0.03. Then efficacy of ozonated water washing at mild heated (50 °C) and refrigerated (4 °C) temperature for 5 min with pH 5.60 ± 0.03 was investigated. Salmonella inactivation efficacy under pH 5.60 ± 0.03 and 2.64 ± 0.02 with 5 min washing at room temperature were also compared. Our results showed that Salmonella inactivation by ozonated water was time-dependent for 3 fresh produce. Mild heated temperature (50 °C) and pH 2.64 ± 0.02 improved efficacy of ozonated water to inactivate Salmonella on tomatoes and lettuces, but not on green onions. It is suggested that different surface structures of fresh produce significantly impact the antimicrobial efficacy of ozonated water washing operated under various parameters (time, temperature, and pH). Washing is the essential step for green onions and lettuces in the packinghouse and grape tomatoes in the restaurants and grocery stores having salad bars. Ozonated water can be used as disinfectant to reduce microbial contamination (FDA). The effectiveness of this disinfectant depends on the type of product and treatment conditions, such as water temperature, acidity, contact time. Our study showed that Salmonella inactivation by ozonated water washing was time-dependent. Mild heat and low pH improved inactivation efficacy on tomatoes and lettuces, but not on green onions. Processors should consider adjustments that are most appropriate for their produce. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

  17. Larvae of the coral eating crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci in a warmer-high CO2 ocean.

    PubMed

    Kamya, Pamela Z; Dworjanyn, Symon A; Hardy, Natasha; Mos, Benjamin; Uthicke, Sven; Byrne, Maria

    2014-11-01

    Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), Acanthaster planci, contribute to major declines of coral reef ecosystems throughout the Indo-Pacific. As the oceans warm and decrease in pH due to increased anthropogenic CO2 production, coral reefs are also susceptible to bleaching, disease and reduced calcification. The impacts of ocean acidification and warming may be exacerbated by COTS predation, but it is not known how this major predator will fare in a changing ocean. Because larval success is a key driver of population outbreaks, we investigated the sensitivities of larval A. planci to increased temperature (2-4 °C above ambient) and acidification (0.3-0.5 pH units below ambient) in flow-through cross-factorial experiments (3 temperature × 3 pH/pCO2 levels). There was no effect of increased temperature or acidification on fertilization or very early development. Larvae reared in the optimal temperature (28 °C) were the largest across all pH treatments. Development to advanced larva was negatively affected by the high temperature treatment (30 °C) and by both experimental pH levels (pH 7.6, 7.8). Thus, planktonic life stages of A. planci may be negatively impacted by near-future global change. Increased temperature and reduced pH had an additive negative effect on reducing larval size. The 30 °C treatment exceeded larval tolerance regardless of pH. As 30 °C sea surface temperatures may become the norm in low latitude tropical regions, poleward migration of A. planci may be expected as they follow optimal isotherms. In the absence of acclimation or adaptation, declines in low latitude populations may occur. Poleward migration will be facilitated by strong western boundary currents, with possible negative flow-on effects on high latitude coral reefs. The contrasting responses of the larvae of A. planci and those of its coral prey to ocean acidification and warming are considered in context with potential future change in tropical reef ecosystems. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. [Determination of penicillin intermediate and three penicillins in milk by high performance capillary electrophoresis].

    PubMed

    Tian, Chunqiu; Tan, Huarong; Gao, Liping; Shen, Huqin; Qi, Kezong

    2011-11-01

    A high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of penicillin intermediate and penicillins in milk, including 6-amino-penicillanic acid (6-APA), penicillin G (PEN), ampicillin (AMP) and amoxicillin (AMO). The main parameters including the ion concentration and pH value of running buffer, separation voltage and column temperature were optimized systematically by orthogonal test. The four penicillins (PENs) were baseline separated within 4.5 min with the running buffer of 40 mmol/L potassium dihydrogen phosphate-20 mmol/L borax solution (pH 7.8), separation voltage of 28 kV and column temperature of 30 degrees C. The calibration curves showed good linearity in the range of 1.56 - 100 mg/L, and the correlation coefficients (r2) were between 0.9979 and 0.9998. The average recoveries at three spiked levels were in the range of 84.91% - 96.72% with acceptable relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.11% - 9.11%. The method is simple, fast, accurate and suitable for the determination of penicillins in real samples.

  19. Synthesis and characterization of crystalline structures based on phenylboronate ligands bound to alkaline earth cations.

    PubMed

    Reinholdt, Marc; Croissant, Jonas; Di Carlo, Lidia; Granier, Dominique; Gaveau, Philippe; Bégu, Sylvie; Devoisselle, Jean-Marie; Mutin, P Hubert; Smith, Mark E; Bonhomme, Christian; Gervais, Christel; van der Lee, Arie; Laurencin, Danielle

    2011-08-15

    We describe the preparation of the first crystalline compounds based on arylboronate ligands PhB(OH)(3)(-) coordinated to metal cations: [Ca(PhB(OH)(3))(2)], [Sr(PhB(OH)(3))(2)]·H(2)O, and [Ba(PhB(OH)(3))(2)]. The calcium and strontium structures were solved using powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, respectively. In both cases, the structures are composed of chains of cations connected through phenylboronate ligands, which interact one with each other to form a 2D lamellar structure. The temperature and pH conditions necessary for the formation of phase-pure compounds were investigated: changes in temperature were found to mainly affect the morphology of the crystallites, whereas strong variations in pH were found to affect the formation of pure phases. All three compounds were characterized using a wide range of analytical techniques (TGA, IR, Raman, XRD, and high resolution (1)H, (11)B, and (13)C solid-state NMR), and the different coordination modes of phenylboronate ligands were analyzed. Two different kinds of hydroxyl groups were identified in the structures: those involved in hydrogen bonds, and those that are effectively "free" and not involved in hydrogen bonds of any significant strength. To position precisely the OH protons within the structures, an NMR-crystallography approach was used: the comparison of experimental and calculated NMR parameters (determined using the Gauge Including Projector Augmented Wave method, GIPAW) allowed the most accurate positions to be identified. In the case of the calcium compound, it was found that it is the (43)Ca NMR data that are critical to help identify the best model of the structure. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  20. Daytime Changes of Skin Biophysical Characteristics: A Study of Hydration, Transepidermal Water Loss, pH, Sebum, Elasticity, Erythema, and Color Index on Middle Eastern Skin

    PubMed Central

    Firooz, Alireza; Zartab, Hamed; Sadr, Bardia; Bagherpour, Leili Naraghi; Masoudi, Aidin; Fanian, Ferial; Dowlati, Yahya; Ehsani, Amir Hooshang; Samadi, Aniseh

    2016-01-01

    Background: The exposure of skin to ultraviolet radiation and temperature differs significantly during the day. It is reasonable that biophysical parameters of human skin have periodic daily fluctuation. The objective of this study was to study the fluctuations of various biophysical characteristics of Middle Eastern skin in standardized experimental conditions. Materials and Methods: Seven biophysical parameters of skin including stratum corneum hydration, transepidermal water loss, pH, sebum, elasticity, skin color, and erythema index were measured at three time points (8 a.m., 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.) on the forearm of 12 healthy participants (mean age of 28.4 years) without any ongoing skin disease using the CK MPA 580 device in standard temperature and humidity conditions. Results: A significant difference was observed between means of skin color index at 8 a.m. (175.42 ± 13.92) and 4 p.m. (164.44 ± 13.72, P = 0.025), between the pH at 8 a.m. (5.72 ± 0.48) and 4 p.m. (5.33 ± 0.55, P = 0.001) and pH at 12 p.m. (5.60 ± 0.48) and 4 p.m. (5.33 ± 0.55, P = 0.001). Other comparisons between the means of these parameters at different time points resulted in nonsignificant P values. Conclusion: There are daytime changes in skin color index and pH. Skin color index might be higher and cutaneous pH more basic in the early morning compared to later of the day. PMID:27904203

  1. Bayesian belief network modelling of chlorine disinfection for human pathogenic viruses in municipal wastewater.

    PubMed

    Carvajal, Guido; Roser, David J; Sisson, Scott A; Keegan, Alexandra; Khan, Stuart J

    2017-02-01

    Chlorine disinfection of biologically treated wastewater is practiced in many locations prior to environmental discharge or beneficial reuse. The effectiveness of chlorine disinfection processes may be influenced by several factors, such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, organic carbon concentration, and suspended solids. We investigated the use of Bayesian multilayer perceptron (BMLP) models as efficient and practical tools for compiling and analysing free chlorine and monochloramine virus disinfection performance as a multivariate problem. Corresponding to their relative susceptibility, Adenovirus 2 was used to assess disinfection by monochloramine and Coxsackievirus B5 was used for free chlorine. A BMLP model was constructed to relate key disinfection conditions (CT, pH, turbidity) to observed Log Reduction Values (LRVs) for these viruses at constant temperature. The models proved to be valuable for incorporating uncertainty in the chlor(am)ination performance estimation and interpolating between operating conditions. Various types of queries could be performed with this model including the identification of target CT for a particular combination of LRV, pH and turbidity. Similarly, it was possible to derive achievable LRVs for combinations of CT, pH and turbidity. These queries yielded probability density functions for the target variable reflecting the uncertainty in the model parameters and variability of the input variables. The disinfection efficacy was greatly impacted by pH and to a lesser extent by turbidity for both types of disinfections. Non-linear relationships were observed between pH and target CT, and turbidity and target CT, with compound effects on target CT also evidenced. This work demonstrated that the use of BMLP models had considerable ability to improve the resolution and understanding of the multivariate relationships between operational parameters and disinfection outcomes for wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Physicochemical characteristics of Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposites based on Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) for anti-cancer drug delivery.

    PubMed

    Davaran, Soodabeh; Alimirzalu, Samira; Nejati-Koshki, Kazem; Nasrabadi, Hamid Tayef; Akbarzadeh, Abolfazl; Khandaghi, Amir Ahmad; Abbasian, Mojtaba; Alimohammadi, Somayeh

    2014-01-01

    Hydrogels are a class of polymers that can absorb water or biological fluids and swell to several times their dry volume, dependent on changes in the external environment. In recent years, hydrogels and hydrogel nanocomposites have found a variety of biomedical applications, including drug delivery and cancer treatment. The incorporation of nanoparticulates into a hydrogel matrix can result in unique material characteristics such as enhanced mechanical properties, swelling response, and capability of remote controlled actuation. In this work, synthesis of hydrogel nanocomposites containing magnetic nanoparticles are studied. At first, magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) with an average size 10 nm were prepared. At second approach, thermo and pH-sensitive poly (N-isopropylacrylamide -co-methacrylic acid-co-vinyl pyrrolidone) (NIPAAm-MAA- VP) were prepared. Swelling behavior of co-polymer was studied in buffer solutions with different pH values (pH=5.8, pH=7.4) at 37 °C. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4) and doxorubicin were incorporated into copolymer and drug loading was studied. The release of drug, carried out at different pH and temperatures. Finally, chemical composition, magnetic properties and morphology of doxorubicin-loaded magnetic hydrogel nanocomposites were analyzed by FT- IR, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that drug loading efficiency was increased by increasing the drug ratio to polymer. Doxorubicin was released more at 40 °C and in acidic pH compared to that 37 °C and basic pH. This study suggested that the poly (NIPAAm-MAA-VP) magnetic hydrogel nanocomposite could be an effective carrier for targeting drug delivery systems of anti-cancer drugs due to its temperature sensitive properties.

  3. Light Scattering Characterization of Elastin-Like Polypeptide Trimer Micelles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsuper, Ilona; Terrano, Daniel; Maraschky, Adam; Holland, Nolan; Streletzky, Kiril

    The elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) nanoparticles are composed of three-armed star polypeptides connected by a negatively charged foldon. Each of the three arms extending from the foldon domain includes 20 repeats of the (GVGVP) amino acid sequence. The ELP polymer chains are soluble at room temperature and become insoluble at the transition temperature (close to 50 ° C), forming micelles. The size and shape of the micelle are dependent on the temperature and the pH of the solution, and on the concentration of the phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The depolarized dynamic light scattering (DDLS) was employed to study the structure and dynamics of micelles at 62 ° C. The solution was maintained at an approximate pH level of 7.3 - 7.5, while varying PBS concentration. At low salt concentrations (<15 mM), the micelle radius was about 10nm but not very reproducible on account of unstable pH levels arising from low buffer concentrations. At intermediate salt concentrations (15 - 60 mM), the system formed spherically-shaped micelles, exhibiting a steady growth in the hydrodynamic radius (Rh) from 10 to 21 nm, with increasing PBS concentration. Interestingly, higher salt concentrations (>60 mM) displayed an apparent elongation of the micelles evident by a significant VH signal, along with a surge in the apparent Rh. A model of micelle growth (and potential elongation) with increase in salt concentration is considered.

  4. Cloning and high-level expression of β-xylosidase from Selenomonas ruminantium in Pichia pastoris by optimizing of pH, methanol concentration and temperature conditions.

    PubMed

    Dehnavi, Ehsan; Ranaei Siadat, Seyed Omid; Fathi Roudsari, Mehrnoosh; Khajeh, Khosro

    2016-08-01

    β-xylosidase and several other glycoside hydrolase family members, including xylanase, cooperate together to degrade hemicelluloses, a commonly found xylan polymer of plant-cell wall. β-d-xylosidase/α-l-arabinofuranosidase from the ruminal anaerobic bacterium Selenomonas ruminantium (SXA) has potential utility in industrial processes such as production of fuel ethanol and other bioproducts. The optimized synthetic SXA gene was overexpressed in methylotrophic Pichia pastoris under the control of alcohol oxidase I (AOX1) promoter and secreted into the medium. Recombinant protein showed an optimum pH 4.8 and optimum temperature 50 °C. Furthermore, optimization of growth and induction conditions in shake flask was carried out. Using the optimum expression condition (pH 6, temperature 20 °C and 1% methanol induction), protein production was increased by about three times in comparison to the control. The recombinant SXA we have expressed here showed higher turnover frequency using ρ-nitrophenyl β-xylopyranoside (PNPX) substrate, in contrast to most xylosidase experiments reported previously. This is the first report on the cloning and expression of a β-xylosidase gene from glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 43 in Pichia pastoris. Our results confirm that P. pastoris is an appropriate host for high level expression and production of SXA for industrial applications. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  5. Optimized production of vanillin from green vanilla pods by enzyme-assisted extraction combined with pre-freezing and thawing.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yanjun; Mo, Limei; Chen, Feng; Lu, Minquan; Dong, Wenjiang; Wang, Qinghuang; Xu, Fei; Gu, Fenglin

    2014-02-19

    Production of vanillin from natural green vanilla pods was carried out by enzyme-assisted extraction combined with pre-freezing and thawing. In the first step the green vanilla pods were pre-frozen and then thawed to destroy cellular compartmentation. In the second step pectinase from Aspergillus niger was used to hydrolyze the pectin between the glucovanillin substrate and β-glucosidase. Four main variables, including enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time and pH, which were of significance for the vanillin content were studied and a central composite design (CCD) based on the results of a single-factor tests was used. Response surface methodology based on CCD was employed to optimize the combination of enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time, and pH for maximum vanillin production. This resulted in the optimal condition in regards of the enzyme amount, reaction temperature, time, and pH at 84.2 mg, 49.5 °C, 7.1 h, and 4.2, respectively. Under the optimal condition, the experimental yield of vanillin was 4.63% ± 0.11% (dwb), which was in good agreement with the value predicted by the model. Compared to the traditional curing process (1.98%) and viscozyme extract (2.36%), the optimized method for the vanillin production significantly increased the yield by 133.85% and 96%, respectively.

  6. Life under Multiple Extreme Conditions: Diversity and Physiology of the Halophilic Alkalithermophiles

    PubMed Central

    Wiegel, Juergen

    2012-01-01

    Around the world, there are numerous alkaline, hypersaline environments that are heated either geothermally or through intense solar radiation. It was once thought that such harsh environments were inhospitable and incapable of supporting a variety of life. However, numerous culture-dependent and -independent studies revealed the presence of an extensive diversity of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and archaea that survive and grow under these multiple harsh conditions. This diversity includes the halophilic alkalithermophiles, a novel group of polyextremophiles that require for growth and proliferation the multiple extremes of high salinity, alkaline pH, and elevated temperature. Life under these conditions undoubtedly involves the development of unique physiological characteristics, phenotypic properties, and adaptive mechanisms that enable control of membrane permeability, control of intracellular osmotic balance, and stability of the cell wall, intracellular proteins, and other cellular constituents. This minireview highlights the ecology and growth characteristics of the extremely halophilic alkalithermophiles that have been isolated thus far. Biochemical, metabolic, and physiological properties of the extremely halophilic alkalithermophiles are described, and their roles in resistance to the combined stressors of high salinity, alkaline pH, and high temperature are discussed. The isolation of halophilic alkalithermophiles broadens the physicochemical boundaries for life and extends the boundaries for the combinations of the maximum salinity, pH, and temperature that can support microbial growth. PMID:22492435

  7. Release rate of diazinon from microcapsule based on melamine formaldehyde

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noviana Utami C., S.; Rochmadi

    2018-04-01

    The microcapsule containing diazinon as the core material and melamine formaldehyde as the membrane material have been synthesized by in situ polymerization method. The microcapsule membrane in this research is melamine formaldehyde (MF). This research aims to study the effect of pH and temperature on the release rate of diazinon from microcapsule based on melamine formaldehyde in aqueous medium. The results showed that pH and temperature has little effect on the release rate of diazinon from microcapsule based on melamine formaldehyde. This is due to the diffusion through the microcapsule membrane is not influenced by the pH and temperature of the solution outside of microcapsule.

  8. Radiolabelling of isopeptide N epsilon-(gamma-glutamyl)-L-lysine by conjugation with N-succinimidyl-4-[18F]fluorobenzoate.

    PubMed

    Wüst, F; Hultsch, C; Bergmann, R; Johannsen, B; Henle, T

    2003-07-01

    The isopeptide N(epsilon)-(gamma-glutamyl)-L-lysine 4 was labelled with 18F via N-succinimidyl-4-[18F]fluorobenzoate ([18F]SFB). A modified approach for the convenient synthesis of [18F]SFB was used, and [18F]SFB could be obtained in decay-corrected radiochemical yields of 44-53% (n = 20) and radiochemical purity >95% within 40 min after EOB. For labelling N(epsilon)-(gamma-glutamyl)-L-lysine with [18F]SFB the effects of isopeptide concentration, temperature, and pH were studied to determine the optimum reaction conditions. The coupling reaction was shown to be temperature and pH independent while being strongly affected by the isopeptide concentration. Using the optimized labelling conditions, in a typical experiment 1.3GBq of [18F]SFB could be converted into 447MBq (46%, decay-corrected) of [18F]fluorobenzoylated isopeptide within 45 min, including HPLC purification.

  9. Macro-/micro-environment-sensitive chemosensing and biological imaging.

    PubMed

    Yang, Zhigang; Cao, Jianfang; He, Yanxia; Yang, Jung Ho; Kim, Taeyoung; Peng, Xiaojun; Kim, Jong Seung

    2014-07-07

    Environment-related parameters, including viscosity, polarity, temperature, hypoxia, and pH, play pivotal roles in controlling the physical or chemical behaviors of local molecules. In particular, in a biological environment, such factors predominantly determine the biological properties of the local environment or reflect corresponding status alterations. Abnormal changes in these factors would cause cellular malfunction or become a hallmark of the occurrence of severe diseases. Therefore, in recent years, they have increasingly attracted research interest from the fields of chemistry and biological chemistry. With the emergence of fluorescence sensing and imaging technology, several fluorescent chemosensors have been designed to respond to such parameters and to further map their distributions and variations in vitro/in vivo. In this work, we have reviewed a number of various environment-responsive chemosensors related to fluorescent recognition of viscosity, polarity, temperature, hypoxia, and pH that have been reported thus far.

  10. In situ-forming hydrogels for sustained ophthalmic drug delivery.

    PubMed

    Nanjawade, Basavaraj K; Manvi, F V; Manjappa, A S

    2007-09-26

    Ophthalmic drug delivery is one of the most interesting and challenging endeavors facing the pharmaceutical scientist. The conventional ocular drug delivery systems like solutions, suspensions, and ointments show drawbacks such as increased precorneal elimination, high variability in efficiency, and blurred vision respectively. In situ-forming hydrogels are liquid upon instillation and undergo phase transition in the ocular cul-de-sac to form visco-elastic gel and this provides a response to environmental changes. In the past few years, an impressive number of novel temperature, pH, and ion induced in situ-forming systems have been reported for sustain ophthalmic drug delivery. Each system has its own advantages and drawbacks. The choice of a particular hydrogel depends on its intrinsic properties and envisaged therapeutic use. This review includes various temperature, pH, and ion induced in situ-forming polymeric systems used to achieve prolonged contact time of drugs with the cornea and increase their bioavailability.

  11. 21 CFR 114.90 - Methodology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... buffer. First standardize the electrodes using a pH 4.0 buffer at or near 25 °C. Standardization control..., the optimum being 25 °C. Any temperature determinations made without meter compensation may affect pH... approximately ±0.01 pH unit and a reproducibility of ±0.005 pH units. (4) General procedure for determining pH...

  12. 21 CFR 114.90 - Methodology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... buffer. First standardize the electrodes using a pH 4.0 buffer at or near 25 °C. Standardization control..., the optimum being 25 °C. Any temperature determinations made without meter compensation may affect pH... approximately ±0.01 pH unit and a reproducibility of ±0.005 pH units. (4) General procedure for determining pH...

  13. Polyhydroxyalkanoate accumulation ability and associated microbial community in activated sludge-derived acetate-fed microbial cultures enriched under different temperature and pH conditions.

    PubMed

    Inoue, Daisuke; Suzuki, Yuta; Sawada, Kazuko; Sei, Kazunari

    2018-03-01

    The influence of temperature and pH during enrichment on the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation ability and composition of PHA-accumulating microorganisms (PHAAMOs) in enrichment cultures was investigated. Enrichment of PHAAMOs from activated sludge was conducted in acetate-fed sequencing batch reactors using a feast-famine regime under different temperature (20°C, 28°C, and 36°C) and pH (controlled at 7.2 or not) conditions. PHA accumulation ability, which was evaluated in nitrogen- and phosphorus-deficient 24-h single-batch cultures, was greatly enhanced by enrichment, irrespective of the temperature and pH. Enrichment at 20°C or 28°C and without pH control seemed most appropriate for strong PHA accumulation. Analyses of the PHAAMO composition by the clone library method targeting phaC genes, which encode the class I and II PHA synthases, revealed that Burkholderiales were the dominant PHAAMOs in the seed sludge, while Rhodocyclales, specifically Azoarcus spp. and Thauera spp., were dominant after enrichment without pH control, showing a strong ability to accumulate PHA. The results indicated that Azoarcus spp. and Thauera spp. are key PHAAMOs in an enrichment culture based on the feast-famine method, with high PHA accumulation ability. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. The Molecular Composition of Dissolved Organic Matter in Forest Soils as a Function of pH and Temperature

    PubMed Central

    Roth, Vanessa-Nina; Dittmar, Thorsten; Gaupp, Reinhard; Gleixner, Gerd

    2015-01-01

    We examined the molecular composition of forest soil water during three different seasons at three different sites, using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR-MS). We examined oxic soils and tested the hypothesis that pH and season correlate with the molecular composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM). We used molecular formulae and their relative intensity from ESI-FT-ICR-MS for statistical analysis. Applying unconstrained and constrained ordination methods, we observed that pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and season were the main factors correlating with DOM molecular composition. This result is consistent with a previous study where pH was a main driver of the molecular differences between DOM from oxic rivers and anoxic bog systems in the Yenisei River catchment. At a higher pH, the molecular formulae had a lower degree of unsaturation and oxygenation, lower molecular size and a higher abundance of nitrogen-containing compounds. These characteristics suggest a higher abundance of tannin connected to lower pH that possibly inhibited biological decomposition. Higher biological activity at a higher pH might also be related to the higher abundance of nitrogen-containing compounds. Comparing the seasons, we observed a decrease in unsaturation, molecular diversity and the number of nitrogen-containing compounds in the course of the year from March to November. Temperature possibly inhibited biological degradation during winter, which could cause the accumulation of a more diverse compound spectrum until the temperature increased again. Our findings suggest that the molecular composition of DOM in soil pore waters is dynamic and a function of ecosystem activity, pH and temperature. PMID:25793306

  15. Respiratory properties of blood and arterial blood gases in the tegu lizard: effects of temperature and hypercapnia.

    PubMed

    Wood, S C; Glass, M L; Andersen, N A; Heisler, N

    1987-01-01

    The effects of body temperature and hypercapnia (7% inspired CO2) on arterial blood gases, plasma pH, and the characteristics of the blood oxygen dissociation curve were determined in Tegu lizards (Tupinambis nigropunctatus). Arterial pH fell from 7.59 to 7.50 when body temperature was increased from 25 to 35 degrees C. The pH/temperature coefficient (delta pH/delta t = -0.009 U/degrees C) was half of that predicted on the basis of 'constant relative alkalinity' and the alphastat hypothesis. The fall in plasma pH resulted from a decrease in plasma [HCO3-], and a rise in plasma Pco2. The O2 affinity of Tegu blood, expressed by the partial pressure at half saturation (P50), decreased with temperature in vitro from 42.3 to 49.6 torr at pH 7.4. The apparent enthalpy (delta H = -3.1 kcal/mol) is about 1/4 of that of human blood. In vivo, the arterial blood oxygen saturation decreased from 89% at 25 degrees to 82% at 35 degrees C. Arterial Po2 increased from 61 to 71 torr as expected from the right-shift of the oxygen dissociation curve. During environmental hypercapnia (7% CO2, 21% O2, 72% N2 inspired concentrations), arterial pH decreased to 7.28. Arterial O2 saturation remained constant and arterial Po2 increased from 61 to 85 torr due to the right-shift of the oxygen dissociation curve. The comparatively small effect of changes in temperature on the oxygen affinity of Tegu blood (directly according to the delta H value, and indirectly via changes in blood pH) results in a relatively small right shift of the oxygen dissociation curve, and accordingly in relatively high arterial and tissue Po2 values also at higher temperatures.

  16. Effects of ocean warming and acidification on survival, growth and skeletal development in the early benthic juvenile sea urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma).

    PubMed

    Wolfe, Kennedy; Dworjanyn, Symon A; Byrne, Maria

    2013-09-01

    Co-occurring ocean warming, acidification and reduced carbonate mineral saturation have significant impacts on marine biota, especially calcifying organisms. The effects of these stressors on development and calcification in newly metamorphosed juveniles (ca. 0.5 mm test diameter) of the intertidal sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, an ecologically important species in temperate Australia, were investigated in context with present and projected future conditions. Habitat temperature and pH/pCO2 were documented to place experiments in a biologically and ecologically relevant context. These parameters fluctuated diurnally up to 10 °C and 0.45 pH units. The juveniles were exposed to three temperature (21, 23 and 25 °C) and four pH (8.1, 7.8, 7.6 and 7.4) treatments in all combinations, representing ambient sea surface conditions (21 °C, pH 8.1; pCO2 397; ΩCa 4.7; ΩAr 3.1), near-future projected change (+2-4 °C, -0.3-0.5 pH units; pCO2 400-1820; ΩCa 5.0-1.6; ΩAr 3.3-1.1), and extreme conditions experienced at low tide (+4 °C, -0.3-0.7 pH units; pCO2 2850-2967; ΩCa 1.1-1.0; ΩAr 0.7-0.6). The lowest pH treatment (pH 7.4) was used to assess tolerance levels. Juvenile survival and test growth were resilient to current and near-future warming and acidification. Spine development, however, was negatively affected by near-future increased temperature (+2-4 °C) and extreme acidification (pH 7.4), with a complex interaction between stressors. Near-future warming was the more significant stressor. Spine tips were dissolved in the pH 7.4 treatments. Adaptation to fluctuating temperature-pH conditions in the intertidal may convey resilience to juvenile H. erythrogramma to changing ocean conditions, however, ocean warming and acidification may shift baseline intertidal temperature and pH/pCO2 to levels that exceed tolerance limits. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Tensile Stress Rupture Behavior of a Woven Ceramic Matrix Composite in Humid Environments at Intermediate Temperature — Part I

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larochelle, K. J.; Morscher, G. N.

    2006-05-01

    The stress rupture strength of the SYL-iBN/BN/SiC composite was evaluated at 550 and 750 °C with moisture content levels of 0.0, 0.2, and 0.6 atm partial pressure of water vapor, pH2O. The stress rupture strengths decreased with respect to time with the rate of decrease related to the temperature and the amount of moisture content. In all cases the degradation was more severe initially and then approached a run-out threshold level. The thresholds were reached at approximately 100+, 60, 80 h for the 550 °C with 0.0, 0.2, and 0.6 pH2O, respectively. The thresholds were reached at approximately 40, 20, and 10 h for the 750 °C cases. The interpolated stress rupture strengths at 100 h for 0.0, 0.2, and 0.6 pH2O at 550 °C were 82%, 68%, and 51% of the room temperature monotonic tensile strength. At 750 °C these strengths were 67%, 51%, and 50%. Analysis of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy images showed evidence of embrittlement of the fiber/matrix interphase. Little to no embrittlement was observed at both temperatures with 0.0 pH2O. At both 550 and 750 °C with 0.2 and 0.6 pH2O, evidence of embrittlement increased with temperature and test duration with the most extensive embrittlement observed at 750 °C with 0.6 pH2O.

  18. Environmental setting of fixed sites in the western Lake Michigan drainages, Michigan and Wisconsin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sullivan, D.J.; Peterson, E.M.; Richards, K.D.

    1995-01-01

    This report describes selected environmental- setting features for 11 fixed surface-water sites in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages study unit of the National Water-Quality Assessment Pro- gram. The study unit, which includes 10 major river systems draining to Lake Michigan, is bounded on the south by the Illinois State line and extends north to about 31 miles north of Escanaba, Mich. The fixed sites are on the following streams: Peshekee River, Popple River, Menominee River, Pensaukee River, Duck Creek, Tomorrow River, East River, Fox River, North Branch Milwaukee River, Lincoln Creek, and Milwaukee River. Drainage basins above these sites receive runoff from land uses and land covers, bedrock types, and surficial deposits representative of the main types of each of these characteristics in the study unit. Data types collected at the fixed sites include water chemistry; organic compounds and trace elements in streambed sediment and biological tissues; algal, benthic-invertebrate, and fish communities; and aquatic habitat. Field measurements include water temperature, pH, specific conductance, alkalinity, and dissolved oxygen. Results of water- quality field measurements indicate little variation in temperature among the fixed sites. Specific conductance and alkalinity were generally higher at sites underlain by carbonate bedrock than at sites underlain by igneous/metamorphic bedrock. Differences in pH among the fixed sites were less than those for specific conductance and alkalinity, but pH seemed to increase slightly from north to south. Dissolved-oxygen concentration varied more at agricultural sites than at forested and urban sites, perhaps because of higher nutrient inputs at agricultural sites. The information included in this report has been assembled as reference material for ongoing studies at the fixed sites.

  19. Release kinetics of vanadium from vanadium (III, IV and V) oxides: Effect of pH, temperature and oxide dose.

    PubMed

    Hu, Xingyun; Yue, Yuyan; Peng, Xianjia

    2018-05-01

    Batch experiments were performed to derive the rate laws for the proton-promoted dissolution of the main vanadium (III, IV and V) oxides at pH 3.1-10.0. The release rates of vanadium are closely related to the aqueous pH, and several obvious differences were observed in the release behavior of vanadium from the dissolution of V 2 O 5 and vanadium(III, IV) oxides. In the first 2hr, the release rates of vanadium from V 2 O 3 were r=1.14·([H + ]) 0.269 at pH 3.0-6.0 and r=0.016·([H + ]) -0.048 at pH 6.0-10.0; the release rates from VO 2 were r=0.362·([H + ]) 0.129 at pH 3.0-6.0 and r=0.017·([H + ]) -0.097 at pH 6.0-10.0; and the release rates from V 2 O 5 were r=0.131·([H + ]) -0.104 at pH 3.1-10.0. The release rates of vanadium from the three oxides increased with increasing temperature, and the effect of temperature was different at pH 3.8, pH 6.0 and pH 7.7. The activation energies of vanadium (III, IV and V) oxides (33.4-87.5kJ/mol) were determined at pH 3.8, pH6.0 and pH 7.7, showing that the release of vanadium from dissolution of vanadium oxides follows a surface-controlled reaction mechanism. The release rates of vanadium increased with increasing vanadium oxides dose, albeit not proportionally. This study, as part of a broader study of the release behavior of vanadium, can help to elucidate the pollution problem of vanadium and to clarify the fate of vanadium in the environment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. [Chemotaxis response of Erwinia carotovora on sugars and amino acids of root exudates of Panax ginseng].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ai-Hua; An, Ning-Bo; Lei, Feng-Jie; Ma, Wen-Li; Chi, Kun; Zhang, Lian-Xue

    2016-11-01

    The chemotaxis response of Erwinia carotovora to different sugars and amino acids in four kinds of chemotactic parameters (concentration, time, temperature and pH ) was determined by capillary method. The results showed that when pH was 8, concentration was 0.025 mg•L ⁻¹, culture temperature was 25 ℃ and the duration was 60 minutes, the optimal chemotaxis rate of lysine was 2.509,when pH was 6, concentration was 0.25 mg•L ⁻¹, culture temperature was 25 ℃ and the duration was 60 minutes, the optimal chemotaxis rate of arginine was 2.218 8,when pH was 7, concentration was 0.25 mg•L ⁻¹, culture temperature was 30 ℃ and the duration was 60 minutes, the optimal chemotaxis rate of L-rhamnose was 3.091 2, when pH was 6, concentration was 0.25 mg•L ⁻¹, culture temperature was 30 ℃ and the duration was 45 minutes, the optimal chemotaxis rate of D-arabinose was 3.026 3. Sugars and amino acids had obvious chemotaxis with E. carotovora,the high concentration of carbohydrate and amino acid exited an inhibitory effect on chemotaxis response of E. carotovora, and the chemotaxis response decreased with the increase of concentration of carbohydrates and amino acids. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  1. Metabolic Microenvironmental Control by Photosynthetic Biofilms under Changing Macroenvironmental Temperature and pH Conditions▿ †

    PubMed Central

    Bissett, Andrew; Reimer, Andreas; de Beer, Dirk; Shiraishi, Fumito; Arp, Gernot

    2008-01-01

    Ex situ microelectrode experiments, using cyanobacterial biofilms from karst water creeks, were conducted under various pH, temperature, and constant-alkalinity conditions to investigate the effects of changing environmental parameters on cyanobacterial photosynthesis-induced calcification. Microenvironmental chemical conditions around calcifying sites were controlled by metabolic activity over a wide range of photosynthesis and respiration rates, with little influence from overlying water conditions. Regardless of overlying water pH levels (from 7.8 to 8.9), pH at the biofilm surface was approximately 9.4 in the light and 7.8 in the dark. The same trend was observed at various temperatures (4°C and 17°C). Biological processes control the calcium carbonate saturation state (Ω) in these and similar systems and are able to maintain Ω at approximately constant levels over relatively wide environmental fluctuations. Temperature did, however, have an effect on calcification rate. Calcium flux in this system is limited by its diffusion coefficient, resulting in a higher calcium flux (calcification and dissolution) at higher temperatures, despite the constant, biologically mediated pH. The ability of biological systems to mitigate the effects of environmental perturbation is an important factor that must be considered when attempting to predict the effects of increased atmospheric partial CO2 pressure on processes such as calcification and in interpreting microfossils in the fossil record. PMID:18689512

  2. THE NATURE AND CONTROL OF REACTIONS IN BIOLUMINESCENCE

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, F. H.; Eyring, H.; Steblay, R.; Chaplin, H.; Huber, C.; Gherardi, G.

    1945-01-01

    On the basis of available data with regard to the chemical and physical properties of the "substrate" luciferin (LH2) and enzyme, luciferase (A), and of kinetic data derived both from the reaction in extracts of Cypridina, and from the luminescence of intact bacteria, the fundamental reactions involved in the phenomenon of bioluminescence have been schematized. These reactions provide a satisfactory basis for interpreting the known characteristics of the system, as well as the theoretical chemistry with regard to the control of its over-all velocity in relation to various factors. These factors, here studied experimentally wholly with bacteria, Photobacterium phosphoreum in particular, include pH, temperature, pressure, and the drugs sulfanilamide, urethane, and alcohol, separately and in relation to each other. Under steady state conditions of bacterial luminescence, with excess of oxidizable substrate and with oxygen not limiting, the data indicate that the chief effects of these agents center around the pace setting reactions, which may be designated by the equation: A + LH2 → ALH2 following which light emission is assumed proportional to the amount of the excited molecule, AL*. The relation between pH and luminescence intensity varies with (a), the buffer mixture and concentration, (b), the temperature, and (c), the hydrostatic pressure. At an optimum temperature for luminescence of about 22° C. in P. phosphoreum, the effects of increasing or decreasing the hydrogen ion concentration are largely reversible over the range between pH 3.6 and pH 8.8. The relation between luminescence intensity and pH, under the experimental conditions employed, is given by the following equation, in which I 1 represents the maximum intensity, occurring about pH 6.5; I 2 the intensity at any other given pH; K 5 the equilibrium constant between hydrogen ions and the AL-; and K 6 the corresponding constant with respect to hydroxyl ions: See PDF for Equation The value of K 5, as indicated by the data, amounts to 4.84 x 104, while that of K 6 amounts to 4.8 x 105. Beyond the range between approximately pH 3.8 and 8.8, destructive effects of the hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, respectively, were increasingly apparent. By raising the temperature above the optimum, the destructive effects were apparent at all pH, and the intensity of the luminescence diminished logarithmically with time. With respect to pH, the rate of destruction of the light-emitting system at temperatures above the optimum was slowest between pH 6.5 and 7.0, and increased rapidly with more acid or more alkaline reactions of the medium. The reversible effects of slightly acid pH vary with the temperature in the manner of an inhibitor (Type I) that acts independently of the normal, reversible denaturation equilibrium (K 1) of the enzyme. The per cent inhibition caused by a given acid pH in relation to the luminescence intensity at optimum pH, is much greater at low temperatures, and decreases as the temperature is raised towards the optimum temperature. The observed maximum intensity of luminescence is thus shifted to slightly higher temperatures by increase in (H+). The apparent activation energy of luminescence is increased by a decrease in pH. The value of ΔH‡ at pH 5.05 was calculated to be 40,900 calories, in comparison with 20,700 at a pH of 6.92. The difference of 20,200 is taken to represent an estimate of the heat of ionization of ALH in the activation process, and compares roughtly with the 14,000 calories estimated for the same process, by analyzing the data from the point of view of hydrogen ions as an inhibitor. The decreasing temperature coefficient for luminescence in proceeding from low temperatures towards the optimum is accounted for in part by the greater degree of ionization of ALH. At the optimum temperature and acid reactions, pressures up to about 500 atmospheres retard the velocity of the luminescent oxidation. At the same temperature, with decrease in hydrogen ion concentration, the pressure effect is much less, indicating a considerable volume increase in the process of ionization and activation. In the extremely alkaline range, beyond pH 9, luminescence is greatly reduced, as compared with the intensity at neutrality, and under these conditions pressure causes a pronounced increase in intensity, presumably by acting upon the reversible denaturation equilibrium of the protein enzyme, A. Sulfanilamide, in neutral solutions, acts on luminescence in a manner very much resembling that of hydrogen ions at acidities between pH 4.0 and pH 6.5. Like the hydrogen ion equilibrium, the sulfanilamide equilibrium involves a ratio of approximately one inhibitor molecule to one enzyme molecule. The heat of reaction amounts to about 11,600 calories or more in a reversible combination that evidently evolves heat. Like the action of H ions, sulfanilamide causes a slight shifting of maximum luminescence intensity in the direction of higher temperatures, and an increase in the energy of activation. The effect of sulfanilamide on the growth of broth cultures of eight species of luminous bacteria indicates that there is no regular relationship among the different organisms between the concentration of the drug that prevents growth, and that which prevents luminescence in the cells which develop in the presence of sulfanilamide. p-Aminobenzoic acid (PAB) antagonizes the sulfanilamide inhibition of growth in luminous bacteria, and the cultures that develop are luminous. When (PAB) is added to cells from fully developed cultures, it has no effect on luminescence, or causes a slight inhibition, depending on the concentration. With luminescence partly inhibited by sulfanilamide, the addition of PAB has no effect, or has an inhibitory effect which adds to that caused by sulfanilamide. Two different, though possibly related, enzyme systems thus appear to limit growth and luminescence, respectively. The possible mechanism through which both the inhibitions and the antagonism take place is discussed. The irreversible destruction of the luminescent system at temperatures above that of the maximum luminescence, in a medium of favorable pH to which no inhibitors have been added, proceeds logarithmically with time at both normal and increased hydrostatic pressures. Pressure retards the rate of the destruction, and the analysis of the data indicates that a volume increase of roughly 71 cc. per gm. molecule at 32° C. takes place in going from the normal to the activated state in this reaction. At normal pressure, the rate of destruction has a temperature coefficient of approximately 90,000 calories, or about 20,000 calories more than the heat of reaction in the reversible denaturation equilibrium. The data indicate that the equilibrium and the rate process are two distinct reactions. The equation for luminescence intensity, taking into account both the reversible and irreversible phases of the reaction is given below. In the equation b is a proportionality constant; k' the rate constant of the luminescent reaction; A0 the total luciferase; A0i the total initial luciferase at time t equals 0; kn the rate constant for the destruction of the native, active form of the enzyme; kd the rate constant for the destruction of the reversibly denatured, inactive form; t the time; and the other symbols are as indicated above: See PDF for Equation For reasons cited in the text, kn evidently equals kd. Urethane and alcohol, respectively, act in a manner (Type II) that promotes the breaking of the type of bonds broken in both the reversible and irreversible reactions and so promotes the irreversible denaturation. This result is in contrast to the effects of sulfanilamide, which at appropriate concentrations may give rise to the same initial inhibition as that caused by urethane, but remains constant with time. The inhibition caused by urethane and alcohol, respectively, increases as the temperature is raised. As a result, the apparent optimum is shifted to lower temperatures, and the activation energy for the over-all process of luminescence diminishes. An analysis for the approximate heat of reaction in the equilibrium between these drugs and the enzyme, indicates 65,000 calories for urethane, and 37,000 for alcohol. A similar analysis with respect to the effect of hydroxyl ions as the inhibitor gives 60,300 calories. The effects of alcohol and urethane are sensitive to hydrostatic pressure. Moderate inhibitions at optimum temperature and pH, caused by relatively small concentrations of either drug, are completely abolished by pressures of 3,000 to 4,000 pounds per square inch. At optimum temperature and pH, increasing concentrations of alcohol caused the apparent optimum pressure for luminescence to shift markedly in the direction of higher pressures. Analysis of the data with respect to concentration of alcohol at different pressures indicated that the ratio of alcohol to enzyme molecules amounted to approximately 4, at 7,000 pounds, but only about 2.8 at normal pressures. This phenomenon was taken to indicate that more than one equilibrium is established between the alcohol and the protein. A similar interpretation was suggested in connection with the fact that analysis of the relation between concentration of urethane and amount of inhibition at different temperatures also indicated a ratio of urethane to enzyme molecules that increased with temperature in the equilibria involved. Analysis of the data with respect to pressure and the inhibition caused by a given concentration of alcohol at different temperatures indicated that the volume change involved in the combination of alcohol with the enzyme must be very small, while the actual effect of pressure is apparently mediated through the reversible denaturation of the protein enzyme, which is promoted by alcohol, urethane, and drugs of similar type. PMID:19873433

  3. Dynamics of Hexavalent Chromium in Four Types of Aquaculture Ponds and Its Effects on the Morphology and Behavior of Cultured Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822).

    PubMed

    Mustapha, Moshood Keke

    2017-04-01

    Hexavalent chromium is a bio accumulative toxic metal in water and fish. It enters aquaculture ponds mainly through anthropogenic sources. Hexavalent chromium concentrations and its effects on the morphology and behavior of Clarias gariepinus were investigated from four aquaculture ponds for 12 weeks. Chromium was measured using diphenyl carbohdrazide method; alkalinity and hardness were measured using colometric method and analyzed with Bench Photometer. Temperature and pH were measured using pH/EC/TDS/Temp combined tester. Temporal and spatial replications of samples were done with triplicates morphological and behavioural effects of the metal on fish were observed visually. Chromium ranged from no detection to 0.05 mg/L, alkalinity 105 to 245 mg/L, hardness 80 to 165 mg/L, pH 6.35 to 8.03 and temperature 29.1 to 35.9°C. Trend in the chromium concentrations in the ponds is natural > earthen > concrete > collapsible. There was a significant difference ( P < 0.05) in chromium, alkalinity, water hardness, pH and temperature among the four ponds. Significant positive correlation also existed between alkalinity, water hardness, pH, with chromium. Morphological and behavioural changes observed in the fish include irregular swimming, frequent coming to the surface, dark body colouration, mucous secretion on the body, erosion of gill epithelium, fin disintegration, abdominal distension and lethargy. High chromium concentration in natural pond was due to anthropogenic run-off of materials in to the pond. Acidic pH, low alkalinity, low water hardness also contributed to the high chromium concentration. Morphological and behavioural changes observed were attributed to the high concentrations, toxicity and bio accumulative effect of the metal. Toxicity of chromium to fish in aquaculture could threaten food security. Watershed best management practices and remediation could be adopted to reduce the effects of toxicity of chromium on pond water quality, fish flesh quality and fish welfare.

  4. Corrosion Behavior of Titanium Grade 7 in Fluoride-Containing NaCl Brines

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NA

    2004-05-18

    Titanium Grade 7 (UNS R52400) is a titanium-based alloy with 0.12-0.25% Pd. The addition of the small amount of palladium is to ennoble the corrosion potential of Ti, thus improving the corrosion resistance of titanium in reducing environments. In most aqueous environments, Ti and Ti alloys demonstrate excellent corrosion resistance due to the protective oxide film that forms spontaneously and remains stable on the surface. However, Ti and Ti alloys are susceptible to corrosion in fluoride-containing environments due to the formation of complexes such as TiF{sub 6}{sup 2-} and TiF{sub 6}{sup 3-}, which are stable and soluble in electrolyte solutions.more » Without the presence of fluoride, only slight effects from [Cl{sup -}], pH and temperature have been reported [1]. It has been reported that the kinetics of passive corrosion of titanium in neutral solutions and controlled by the migration of the defects in the oxide across the surface film [2]. Thus, the increase in thickness and improvement in film properties, by thermal oxidation, would lead to a significant decrease in the susceptibility to film breakdown and in the passive corrosion rate. This report summarizes recent experiment results in studies of the environmental influence on the corrosion behavior of Titanium Grade 7 (Ti-7) in NaCl brines containing fluoride. The environmental factors to be studied include temperature, pH, chloride and fluoride concentration. This report also includes the effects of oxide film, formed during an anneal treatment, on the corrosion behavior of Ti-7. Polarization measurement techniques including potentiodynamic and potentiostatic scans were use3d to characterize corrosion kinetics and susceptibility. Due to the unique alloying in Titanium Grade 7, the long-term corrosion behavior is heavily influenced by the surface enrichment of Pd. Use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in conjunction with a potentiostatic scan will reveal the transformation in the corrosion behavior as a function of Pd enrichment on the metal surface. Surface characterization was done using various analytical techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of fluoride ion on the corrosion behavior of Ti-7 is strongly dependent on the solution pH. In neutral (pH 8) and alkaline (pH 11) solutions, fluoride did not affect the corrosion rate significantly even though it altered the anodic polarization curve drastically. With pH decreased to 4, the corrosion rate of Ti-7 was increased significantly by the presence of fluoride.« less

  5. Reversible clustering of pH- and temperature-responsive Janus magnetic nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Isojima, Tatsushi; Lattuada, Marco; Vander Sande, John B; Hatton, T Alan

    2008-09-23

    Janus nanoparticles have been synthesized consisting of approximately 5 nm magnetite nanoparticles coated on one side with a pH-dependent and temperature-independent polymer (poly(acrylic acid), PAA), and functionalized on the other side by a second (tail) polymer that is either a pH-independent polymer (polystyrene sodium sulfonate, PSSNa) or a temperature-dependent polymer (poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide), PNIPAM). These Janus nanoparticles are dispersed stably as individual particles at high pH values and low temperatures, but can self-assemble at low pH values (PSSNa) or at high temperatures (>31 degrees C) (PNIPAM) to form stable dispersions of clusters of approximately 80-100 nm in hydrodynamic diameter. The Janus nanoparticle compositions were verified using FTIR and XPS, and their structures observed directly by TEM. Their clustering behavior is analyzed by dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurements.

  6. SPRUCE Deep Peat Microbial Diversity, CO2 and CH4 Production in Response to Nutrient, Temperature, and pH Treatments during Incubation Studies.

    DOE Data Explorer

    A., Kluber Laurel [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Allen, Samantha A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hendershot, Nicholas [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hanson, Paul J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Schadt, Christopher W. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

    2014-09-01

    This data set contains the results of a microcosm incubation study on deep peat collected from the SPRUCE experimental site in the S1 Bog in September 2014. Microcosms were monitored for CO2 and CH4 production, and microbial community dynamics were assessed using qPCR and amplicon sequencing.The experiment was designed with a full factorial design with elevated temperature, nitrogen (N), (P), and pH treatments was used with samples from each transect serving replicates. In all, 96 microcosms were constructed to account for the 16 treatment combinations (N x P x pH x temperature), 2 time points, and 3 replicates. Temperature treatments were 6 °C, to mimic the SPRUCE ambient plot temperatures, and 15 °C to mimic the SPRUCE +9 °C treatment.

  7. A microbiological survey of Montserrat Island hydrothermal biotopes.

    PubMed

    Atkinson, T; Cairns, S; Cowan, D A; Danson, M J; Hough, D W; Johnson, D B; Norris, P R; Raven, N; Robinson, C; Robson, R; Sharp, R J

    2000-10-01

    In March 1996, a survey of hydrothermal sites on the island of Montserrat was carried out. Six sites (Galway's Soufrière. Gages Upper and Lower Soufrières, Hot Water Pond, Hot River, and Tar River Soufrière) were mapped and sampled for chemical, ATP, and microbial analyses. The hydrothermal Soufrière sites on the slopes of the active Chances Peak volcano exhibited temperatures up to almost 100 degrees C and were generally either mildly acidic at pH 5-7 or strongly acidic at pH 1.5-3, but with some hot streams and pools of low redox potential at pH 7-8. Hot Water Pond sites, comprising a series of heated pools near the western shoreline of the island. were neutral and saline, consistent with subsurface heating of entrained seawater. Biological activity shown by ATP analyses was greatest in near-neutral pH samples and generally decreased as acidity increased. A variety of heterotrophic and chemolithotrophic thermophilic organisms were isolated or observed in enrichment cultures. Most of the bacteria that were obtained in pure culture were familiar acidophiles and neutrophiles, but novel, iron-oxidizing species of Sulfobacillus were revealed. These species included the first mesophilic iron-oxidizing Sulfobacillus strains to be isolated and a strain with a higher maximum growth temperature (65 degrees C) than the previously described moderately thermophilic Sulfobacillus species.

  8. The Influence of Formulation and Manufacturing Process Parameters on the Characteristics of Lyophilized Orally Disintegrating Tablets

    PubMed Central

    Jones, Rhys J.; Rajabi-Siahboomi, Ali; Levina, Marina; Perrie, Yvonne; Mohammed, Afzal R.

    2011-01-01

    Gelatin is a principal excipient used as a binder in the formulation of lyophilized orally disintegrating tablets. The current study focuses on exploiting the physicochemical properties of gelatin by varying formulation parameters to determine their influence on orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) characteristics. Process parameters, namely pH and ionic strength of the formulations, and ball milling were investigated to observe their effects on excipient characteristics and tablet formation. The properties and characteristics of the formulations and tablets which were investigated included: glass transition temperature, wettability, porosity, mechanical properties, disintegration time, morphology of the internal structure of the freeze-dried tablets, and drug dissolution. The results from the pH study revealed that adjusting the pH of the formulation away from the isoelectric point of gelatin, resulted in an improvement in tablet disintegration time possibly due to increase in gelatin swelling resulting in greater tablet porosity. The results from the ionic strength study revealed that the inclusion of sodium chloride influenced tablet porosity, tablet morphology and the glass transition temperature of the formulations. Data from the milling study showed that milling the excipients influenced formulation characteristics, namely wettability and powder porosity. The study concludes that alterations of simple parameters such as pH and salt concentration have a significant influence on formulation of ODT. PMID:24310589

  9. Analysis of SAT Type Foot-And-Mouth Disease Virus Capsid Proteins and the Identification of Putative Amino Acid Residues Affecting Virus Stability

    PubMed Central

    Maree, Francois F.; Blignaut, Belinda; de Beer, Tjaart A. P.; Rieder, Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) initiates infection by adhering to integrin receptors on target cells, followed by cell entry and disassembly of the virion through acidification within endosomes. Mild heating of the virions also leads to irreversible dissociation into pentamers, a characteristic linked to reduced vaccine efficacy. In this study, the structural stability of intra- and inter-serotype chimeric SAT2 and SAT3 virus particles to various conditions including low pH, mild temperatures or high ionic strength, was compared. Our results demonstrated that while both the SAT2 and SAT3 infectious capsids displayed different sensitivities in a series of low pH buffers, their stability profiles were comparable at high temperatures or high ionic strength conditions. Recombinant vSAT2 and intra-serotype chimeric viruses were used to map the amino acid differences in the capsid proteins of viruses with disparate low pH stabilities. Four His residues at the inter-pentamer interface were identified that change protonation states at pH 6.0. Of these, the H145 of VP3 appears to be involved in interactions with A141 in VP3 and K63 in VP2, and may be involved in orientating H142 of VP3 for interaction at the inter-pentamer interfaces. PMID:23717387

  10. Two Stage Anaerobic Reactor Design and Treatment To Produce Biogas From Mixed Liquor of Vegetable Waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Budiastuti, H.; Ghozali, M.; Wicaksono, H. K.; Hadiansyah, R.

    2018-01-01

    Municipal solid waste has become a common challenged problem to be solved for developing countries including Indonesia. Municipal solid waste generating is always bigger than its treatment to reduce affect of environmental pollution. This research tries to contribute to provide an alternative solution to treat municipal solid waste to produce biogas. Vegetable waste was obtained from Gedebage Market, Bandung and starter as a source of anaerobic microorganisms was cow dung obtained from a cow farm in Lembang. A two stage anaerobic reactor was designed and built to treat the vegetable waste in a batch run. The capacity of each reactor is 20 liters but its active volume in each reactor is 15 liters. Reactor 1 (R1) was fed up with mixture of filtered blended vegetable waste and water at ratio of 1:1 whereas Reactor 2 (R2) was filled with filtered mixed liquor of cow dung and water at ratio of 1:1. Both mixtures were left overnight before use. Into R1 it was added EM-4 at concentration of 10%. pH in R1 was maintained at 5 - 6.5 whereas pH in R1 was maintained at 6.5 - 7.5. Temperature of reactors was not maintained to imitate the real environmental temperature. Parameters taken during experiment were pH, temperature, COD, MLVSS, and composition of biogas. The performance of reactor built was shown from COD efficiencies reduction obtained of about 60% both in R1 and R2, pH average in R1 of 4.5 ± 1 and R2 of 7 ± 0.6, average temperature in both reactors of 25 ± 2°C. About 1L gas produced was obtained during the last 6 days of experiment in which CH4 obtained was 8.951 ppm and CO2 of 1.087 ppm. The maximum increase of MLVSS in R1 reached 156% and R2 reached 89%.

  11. The isolation of the temperature effect on branched GDGT distribution in an elevation transect of the Eastern Cordillera, Colombia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, V. J.; Shanahan, T. M.; Saylor, J.; Horton, B. K.

    2012-12-01

    Recently, the distribution of branched GDGT's (glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers) has been proposed as a proxy for temperature and pH in soils via the MBT/CBT index, and has been used to reconstruct past temperature variations in a number of settings ranging from marine sediments to loess deposits and paleosols. However, empirical calibrations of the MBT/CBT index against temperature show significant scatter, leading to uncertainties as large as ±2 degrees C . In this study we seek to add to and improve upon the existing soil calibration using a new set of samples spanning a large elevation (and temperature) gradient in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. At each site we buried temperature loggers to constrain the diurnal and seasonal temperature experienced by each soil sample. Located only 5 degrees north of the equator, our sites experience a very small seasonal temperature variation - most sites display an annual range of less than 4 degrees C. In addition, the pH of all of the soils is almost invariant across the transect, with the vast majority of samples having pH's between 4 and 5. This dataset represents a "best-case" scenario - small variations in seasonal temperature, pH, and well-constrained instrumental data - which allow us to examine the brGDGT-temperature relationship in the absence of major confounding factors such as seasonality and soil chemistry. Interestingly, the relationship between temperature and the MBT/CBT index is not improved using this dataset, suggesting that these factors are not the cause of the anomalous scatter in the calibration dataset. However, we find that using other parameterizations for the regression equation instead of the MBT and CBT indices, the errors in our temperature estimates are significantly reduced.

  12. Explaining the variation in the shear force of lamb meat using sarcomere length, the rate of rigor onset and pH.

    PubMed

    Hopkins, D L; Toohey, E S; Lamb, T A; Kerr, M J; van de Ven, R; Refshauge, G

    2011-08-01

    The temperature when the pH=6.0 (temp@pH6) impacts on the tenderness and eating quality of sheep meat. Due to the expense, sarcomere length is not routinely measured as a variable to explain variation in shear force, but whether measures such as temp@pH6 are as useful a parameter needs to be established. Measures of rigor onset in 261 carcases, including the temp@pH6, were evaluated in this study for their ability to explain some of the variation in shear force. The results show that for 1 day aged product combinations of the temp@pH6, the pH at 18 °C and the pH at 24 h provided a larger reduction (almost double) in total shear force variation than sarcomere length alone, with pH at 24 h being the single best measure. For 5 day aged product, pH at 18 °C was the single best measure. Inclusion of sarcomere length did represent some improvement, but the marginal increase would not be cost effective. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Thermal inactivation kinetics of Bacillus coagulans spores in tomato juice.

    PubMed

    Peng, Jing; Mah, Jae-Hyung; Somavat, Romel; Mohamed, Hussein; Sastry, Sudhir; Tang, Juming

    2012-07-01

    The thermal characteristics of the spores and vegetative cells of three strains of Bacillus coagulans (ATCC 8038, ATCC 7050, and 185A) in tomato juice were evaluated. B. coagulans ATCC 8038 was chosen as the target microorganism for thermal processing of tomato products due to its spores having the highest thermal resistance among the three strains. The thermal inactivation kinetics of B. coagulans ATCC 8038 spores in tomato juice between 95 and 115°C were determined independently in two different laboratories using two different heating setups. The results obtained from both laboratories were in general agreement, with z-values (z-value is defined as the change in temperature required for a 10-fold reduction of the D-value, which is defined as the time required at a certain temperature for a 1-log reduction of the target microorganisms) of 8.3 and 8.7°C, respectively. The z-value of B. coagulans 185A spores in tomato juice (pH 4.3) was found to be 10.2°C. The influence of environmental factors, including cold storage time, pH, and preconditioning, upon the thermal resistance of these bacterial spores is discussed. The results obtained showed that a storage temperature of 4°C was appropriate for maintaining the viability and thermal resistance of B. coagulans ATCC 8038 spores. Acidifying the pH of tomato juice decreased the thermal resistance of these spores. A 1-h exposure at room temperature was considered optimal for preconditioning B. coagulans ATCC 8038 spores in tomato juice.

  14. Mapping as a tool for predicting the risk of anthrax outbreaks in Northern Region of Ghana.

    PubMed

    Nsoh, Ayamdooh Evans; Kenu, Ernest; Forson, Eric Kofi; Afari, Edwin; Sackey, Samuel; Nyarko, Kofi Mensah; Yebuah, Nathaniel

    2016-01-01

    Anthrax is a febrile soil-born infectious disease that can affect all warm-blooded animals including man. Outbreaks of anthrax have been reported in northern region of Ghana but no concerted effort has been made to implement risk-based surveillance systems to document outbreaks so as to implement policies to address the disease. We generated predictive maps using soil pH, temperature and rainfall as predictor variables to identify hotspot areas for the outbreaks. A 10-year secondary data records on soil pH, temperature and rainfall were used to create climate-based risk maps using ArcGIS 10.2. The monthly mean values of rainfall and temperature for ten years were calculated and anthrax related evidence based constant raster values were created as weights for the three factors. All maps were generated using the Kriging interpolation method. There were 43 confirmed outbreaks. The deaths involved were 131 cattle, 44 sheep, 15 goats, 562 pigs with 6 human deaths and 22 developed cutaneous anthrax. We found three strata of well delineated distribution pattern indicating levels of risk due to suitability of area for anthrax spore survival. The likelihood of outbreaks occurrence and reoccurrence was higher in Strata I, Strata II and strata III respectively in descending order, due to the suitability of soil pH, temperature and rainfall for the survival and dispersal of B. anthracis spore. The eastern corridor of Northern region is a Hots spot area. Policy makers can develop risk based surveillance system and focus on this area to mitigate anthrax outbreaks and reoccurrence.

  15. How Geochemistry Provides Habitability: A Case Study of Iron Oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    St Clair, B.; Shock, E.

    2016-12-01

    Two things have to be true for chemotrophic microbes to gain chemical energy from their environment. First, there must be a source of energy, provided by compounds in differing oxidation states that are out of thermodynamic equilibrium with one another. Second, there must be mechanistic difficulties that are keeping those compounds from reacting, preventing chemical energy from dissipating on its own. Using this energetic reference frame, geochemical habitability requires the combined presence of energy sources and kinetic barriers, which are determined by numerous variables including temperature, pH, and concentrations of reactants and products. Here we present habitable geochemical space visually as habitability diagrams. As an example, the pH and temperature ranges that can sustain life for a specific reaction can be delineated by the aforementioned kinetic and energetic boundaries, together with commonly attainable pH / temperatures of environments at Earth's surface. Other habitability diagrams can be constructed for any combination of relevant geochemical variables to better illustrate the inherently multidimensional problem. We have chosen iron oxidation reactions to illustrate this point, as kinetic and energetic boundaries can be found at conditions readily attainable in natural systems. By calculating energy availability (as affinity, A) in each system from compositional data where concentrations of all reactants and products are known, the energy boundary is defined by A=0. Evaluating the kinetic boundary means measuring the relative rates of the biotic and abiotic processes in situ, which we have done in Yellowstone hot springs, acid mine drainage in Arizona, and cold springs in the Swiss Alps. Many experiments have yielded biological rates, and all have yielded abiotic rates, which range from inconsequential to rates too rapid for biology to compete. These results encompass both sides of the kinetic boundary, defining its trajectory. When plotted in pH and T space, this boundary is pH 7.7 at 10°C but decreases to pH 5.5 at 90°C. This tool for visualizing habitability helps quantify extreme environments as those near the kinetic or thermodynamic limits.

  16. Phytolacca americana from contaminated and noncontaminated soils of South Korea: Effects of elevated temperature, CO2 and simulated acid rain on plant growth response

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kim, Y.-O.; Rodriguez, R.J.; Lee, E.J.; Redman, R.S.

    2008-01-01

    Chemical analyses performed on the invasive weed Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) growing in industrially contaminated (Ulsan) and noncontaminated (Suwon) sites in South Korea indicated that the levels of phenolic compounds and various elements that include some heavy metals (Al, As, B, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were statistically higher in Ulsan soils compared to Suwon soils with Al being the highest (>1,116 mg/l compared to 432 mg/l). Analysis of metals and nutrients (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Cl, NH4, N, P, S) in plant tissues indicated that accumulation occurred dominantly in plant leaves with Al levels being 33.8 times higher in Ulsan plants (PaU) compared to Suwon plants (PaS). The ability of PaU and PaS to tolerate stress was evaluated under controlled conditions by varying atmospheric CO2 and temperature and soil pH. When grown in pH 6.4 soils, the highest growth rate of PaU and PaS plants occurred at elevated (30??C) and non-elevated (25??C) temperatures, respectively. Both PaU and PaS plants showed the highest and lowest growth rates when exposed to atmospheric CO2 levels of 360 and 650 ppm, respectively. The impact of soil pH (2-6.4) on seed germination rates, plant growth, chlorophyll content, and the accumulation of phenolics were measured to assess the effects of industrial pollution and global-warming-related stresses on plants. The highest seed germination rate and chlorophyll content occurred at pH 2.0 for both PaU and PaS plants. Increased pH from 2-5 correlated to increased phenolic compounds and decreased chlorophyll content. However, at pH 6.4, a marked decrease in phenolic compounds, was observed and chlorophyll content increased. These results suggest that although plants from Ulsan and Suwon sites are the same species, they differ in the ability to deal with various stresses. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

  17. Changes in activation energy and kinetics of heat-activated persulfate oxidation of phenol in response to changes in pH and temperature.

    PubMed

    Ma, Jie; Li, Haiyan; Chi, Liping; Chen, Hongkun; Chen, Changzhao

    2017-12-01

    Persulfate (peroxydisulfate, S 2 O 8 2- ) is the newest oxidant used for the in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) remediation of soil and groundwater. The present study investigated impacts of solution pH, temperature, and persulfate concentration on the reaction rate constant (k 1 ), activation energy (E a ), and reaction order of the heat-activated persulfate process. Phenol was chosen as the model organic contaminant. As temperature increased from 30 °C to 70 °C, k 1 exhibited a significant increase from 0.003 h -1 ∼0.962 h -1 (pH 1.3-13.9) to 1.184 h -1 ∼9.91 h -1 (pH 1.3-13.9), which corroborated with the activation of persulfate using heat. As pH increased from 1.3 to 13.9, k 1 exhibited a 4.3-fold increase at 70 °C and a 320-fold increase at 30 °C, thereby suggesting that: 1) the phenol oxidation rate increased under alkaline conditions, and 2) the enhancement of reaction rate due to alkaline activation was more pronounced at a lower temperature. Increasing pH significantly reduced E a from 139.7 ± 1.3 kJ/mol at pH 1.3 to 52.0 ± 3.3 kJ/mol at pH 13.9. In contrast to changing pH, increasing persulfate concentration from 20 to 320 mM significantly increased k 1 but did not affect E a . Changes in E a suggest that persulfate oxidation of phenol experienced different reaction pathways or elementary reaction sequences as the pH changed from 1.3 to 13.9. In addition, the k 1 and E a data also suggest that a minimal pH threshold of ∼11 was required for the effective alkaline activation of persulfate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. pH Shifting alters solubility characteristics and thermal stability of soy protein isolate and its globulin fractions in different pH, salt concentration, and temperature conditions.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Jiang; Xiong, Youling L; Chen, Jie

    2010-07-14

    Soy protein isolate (SPI), beta-conglycinin (7S), and glycinin (11S) were subjected to pH-shifting treatments, that is, unfolding at pH 1.5 or 12.0 followed by refolding at pH 7.0, to induce molten globule structures. Treated samples were analyzed for protein solubility, thermal stability, and aggregation in 0, 0.1, and 0.6 M NaCl solutions at pH 2.0-8.0. The pH(12) shifting resulted in drastic increases (up to 2.5-fold) in SPI solubility in the pH 6.0-7.0 range, especially at 0 M NaCl. The pH(1.5) shifting had a generally lesser effect on solubility. 11S exhibited a solubility pattern similar to that of SPI, but the solubility of 7S was unaffected by pH shifting except at 0.6 M NaCl. The pH shifting, notably at pH 12.0, produced soluble, disulfide-linked polymers from 11S and reduced (P < 0.05) its enthalpy but not its temperature of denaturation. Soy proteins structurally altered by pH shifting had a reduced sensitivity to thermal aggregation.

  19. Influence of pH Adjustment Parameter for Sol-Gel Modification on Structural, Microstructure, and Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Strontium Ferrite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azis, Raba'ah Syahidah; Sulaiman, Sakinah; Ibrahim, Idza Riati; Zakaria, Azmi; Hassan, Jumiah; Muda, Nor Nadhirah Che; Nazlan, Rodziah; Saiden, Norlaily M.; Fen, Yap Wing; Mustaffa, Muhammad Syazwan; Matori, Khamirul Amin

    2018-05-01

    Synthesis of nanocrystalline strontium ferrite (SrFe12O19) via sol-gel is sensitive to its modification parameters. Therefore, in this study, an attempt of regulating the pH as a sol-gel modification parameter during preparation of SrFe12O19 nanoparticles sintered at a low sintering temperature of 900 °C has been presented. The relationship of varying pH (pH 0 to 8) on structural, microstructures, and magnetic behaviors of SrFe12O19 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning microscope (FESEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Varying the pH of precursor exhibited a strong effect on the sintered density, crystal structure and magnetic properties of the SrFe12O19 nanoparticles. As the pH is 0, the SrFe12O19 produced relatively largest density, saturation magnetization, M s, and coercivity, H c, at a low sintering temperature of 900 °C. The grain size of SrFe12O19 is obtained in the range of 73.6 to 133.3 nm. The porosity of the sample affected the density and the magnetic properties of the SrFe12O19 ferrite. It is suggested that the low-temperature sintered SrFe12O19 at pH 0 displayed M s of 44.19 emu/g and H c of 6403.6 Oe, possessing a significant potential for applying in low-temperature co-fired ceramic permanent magnet.

  20. Single temperature liquefaction process at different operating pHs to improve ethanol production from Indian rice and corn feedstock.

    PubMed

    Gohel, V; Ranganathan, K; Duan, G

    2017-04-21

    Conventional grain ethanol manufacturing is a high-temperature energy-intensive process comprising of multiple-unit operations when combined with lower ethanol recovery results in higher production cost. In liquefaction, jet cooking accounts for significant energy cost, while strong acid or base used for pH adjustment presents a safety hazard. A need is felt for sustainable ethanol manufacturing process that is less hazardous, consumes lower energy, and operates in a low pH range of 4.50-5.50. A single temperature liquefaction (STL) process that could efficiently operate at lower liquefaction temperature over a pH range of 4.50-5.50 was developed using rice and corn feedstock. Ethanol recovery witnessed at pH 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 are 481.2 ± 1.5, 492.4 ± 1.5, and 493.6 ± 1.5 L MT -1 rice, respectively. Similarly, ethanol recovery witnessed at pH 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 are 404.6 ± 1.3, 413.9 ± 0.8, and 412.4 ± 1.8 L MT -1 corn, respectively. The improvement in ethanol recovery is attributed to higher starch conversion by alpha-amylase even at pH as low as 4.50. Thus, the STL process operated at pH lower than 5.20 is poised to enhance sustainability by offering dual advantage of energy as well as chemical saving.

  1. Casein micelle dissociation in skim milk during high-pressure treatment: effects of pressure, pH, and temperature.

    PubMed

    Orlien, V; Boserup, L; Olsen, K

    2010-01-01

    The effect of pH (from 5.5 to 7.5) and temperature (from 5 to 40 degrees C) on the turbidity of reconstituted skim milk powder was investigated at ambient pressure and in situ under pressure (up to 500MPa) by measurement of light scattering. High-pressure treatment reduced the turbidity of milk for all combinations of pH and temperature due to micelle dissociation. The turbidity profiles had a characteristic sigmoidal shape in which almost no effect on turbidity was observed at low pressures (100MPa), followed by a stronger pressure dependency over a pressure range of 150MPa during which turbidity decreased extremely. From the turbidity profiles, the threshold pressure for disruption of micelle integrity was determined and ranged from 150MPa at low pH to 350-400MPa at high pH. The threshold pressure diagram clearly showed a relationship between the barostability of casein micelles and pH, whereas almost no effect of temperature was shown. This remarkable pH effect was a consequence of pressure-induced changes in the electrostatic interactions between colloidal calcium phosphate and the caseins responsible for maintaining micellar structure and was explained by a shift in the calcium phosphate balance in the micelle-serum system. Accordingly, a mechanism for high pressure-induced disruption of micelle integrity is suggested in which the state of calcium plays a crucial role in the micelle dissociation process. Copyright 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Cation hydrolysis and the regulation of trace metal composition in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, M. Dileep

    1987-08-01

    Thermodynamic calculations have been performed for cation hydrolysis, including temperatures from 2°C to the high values of significance near Mid-Oceanic Ridge Systems (MORS). Eighteen elements with wide range of residence times ( t) in seawater (Mn, Th, Al, Bi, Ce, Co, Cr(III), Fe, Nd, Pb, Sc, Sm, Ag, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni and Zn) have been considered. A model for the regulation of trace metal composition in seawater by cation hydrolytic processes, including those at MORS, is presented. Results show an increase in the abundance of neutral metal hydroxyl species with increase in temperature. During hydrothermal mixing, as the temperature increases, transformation from lower positive hydroxyl complexes to higher or neutral complexes would occur for Cd, Ce, Co, Cr(III), Cu, Mn, Nd, Ni, Pb, Sm and Zn. pH values for adsorption of the metal ion onto solid surfaces have direct relation with pH values of hydrolysis. Co, Mn and Pb could be oxidized to higher states (at Mn-oxide surfaces) that would occur even at MORS. Ce can also be oxidized at 25°C. Solubility calculations show that Al, Bi, Cr(III), Sc, Fe and Th are saturated while Ce, Nd and Sm are not with respect to their oxyhydroxide solids at their concentrations in seawater at 25°C. Cu, Hg, Ni and Zn reach saturation equilibrium at 250°C, whereas Co, Mn and Pb exhibit unsaturation. The results suggest an increase in scavenging capacity of a cation with rise in temperature.

  3. Distribution and characteristics of endogenous digestive enzymes in the red-eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jian-Yi; Du, Jie; Qian, Li-Chun; Jing, Ming-Yan; Weng, Xiao-Yan

    2007-08-01

    Distribution and properties of the main digestive enzymes including protease and amylase, from stomach, pancreas and the anterior, middle and posterior intestine of the adult red-eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta elegans were studied at various pHs and temperatures. The optimum temperature and pH for protease in stomach, pancreas and the anterior, middle and posterior intestine were 40 degrees C, 2.5; 50 degrees C, 8.0; 50 degrees C, 7.0; 50 degrees C, 8.0; and 50 degrees C, 8.5; respectively. The optimum temperature and pH for amylase in stomach, pancreas and anterior, middle and posterior intestine were 40 degrees C, 8.0; 30 degrees C, 7.5; 40 degrees C, 7.0; 50 degrees C, 8.0; and 50 degrees C, 8.0; respectively. Under the optimum conditions, the order of protease activity from high to low was of pancreas, stomach and the anterior, posterior and middle intestine; the activity of amylase in descending order was of anterior intestine, pancreas, posterior intestine, middle intestine and stomach.

  4. Optimization of γ-aminobutyric acid production by Lactobacillus plantarum Taj-Apis362 from honeybees.

    PubMed

    Tajabadi, Naser; Ebrahimpour, Afshin; Baradaran, Ali; Rahim, Raha Abdul; Mahyudin, Nor Ainy; Manap, Mohd Yazid Abdul; Bakar, Fatimah Abu; Saari, Nazamid

    2015-04-15

    Dominant strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from honey bees were evaluated for their γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing ability. Out of 24 strains, strain Taj-Apis362 showed the highest GABA-producing ability (1.76 mM) in MRS broth containing 50 mM initial glutamic acid cultured for 60 h. Effects of fermentation parameters, including initial glutamic acid level, culture temperature, initial pH and incubation time on GABA production were investigated via a single parameter optimization strategy. The optimal fermentation condition for GABA production was modeled using response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that the culture temperature was the most significant factor for GABA production. The optimum conditions for maximum GABA production by Lactobacillus plantarum Taj-Apis362 were an initial glutamic acid concentration of 497.97 mM, culture temperature of 36 °C, initial pH of 5.31 and incubation time of 60 h, which produced 7.15 mM of GABA. The value is comparable with the predicted value of 7.21 mM.

  5. Incubation temperature effects on physical characteristics of normal, dark, firm and dry, and halothane-carrier pork longissimus.

    PubMed

    McCaw, J; Ellis, M; Brewer, M S; McKeith, F K

    1997-06-01

    Pigs (n = 18) were selected to represent three different muscle conditions (six pigs per condition): normal: dark, firm, and dry; and halothane carrier. A 45-cm-long longissimus section was excised from each side of the carcass at 30 min postmortem and cut into six sections. Right side sections were assigned to the intermediate temperature incubation (23 degrees C), and left side sections were designated high temperature incubation (40 degrees C). Sections were randomly assigned to incubation times (0, 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8 h). The 0 h section from each incubation treatment was designated as a control and was placed directly into a 4 degree C cooler. Temperature and pH were evaluated on the control section and for each loin section a the end of the incubation time. Color (L*, a*, and b* values), percentage of purge loss, water-holding capacity, and drip loss were determined. Incubation treatment did not alter pH decline in dark, firm, and dry muscle; however, high temperature increased pH decline in normal and halothane carrier samples. Results suggest that there is a strong interaction between pH and temperature that affects pork quality attributes. High incubation temperature had a negative effect on most quality variables; however, muscle condition (normal or halothane carrier) had limited effects on muscle quality.

  6. Glow discharge electrolysis plasma initiated preparation of temperature/pH dual sensitivity reed hemicellulose-based hydrogels.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Wenming; Zhu, Sha; Bai, Yunping; Xi, Ning; Wang, Shaoyang; Bian, Yang; Li, Xiaowei; Zhang, Yucang

    2015-05-20

    The temperature/pH dual sensitivity reed hemicellulose-based hydrogels have been prepared through glow discharge electrolysis plasma (GDEP). The effect of different discharge voltages on the temperature and pH response performance of reed hemicellulose-based hydrogels was inspected, and the formation mechanism, deswelling behaviors of reed hemicellulose-based hydrogels were also discussed. At the same time, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning differential thermal analysis (DSC) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were adopted to characterize the structure, phase transformation behaviors and microstructure of hydrogels. It turned out to be that all reed hemicellulose-based hydrogels had a double sensitivity to temperature and pH, and their phase transition temperatures were all approximately 33 °C, as well as the deswelling dynamics met the first model. In addition, the hydrogel (TPRH-3), under discharge voltage 600 V, was more sensitive to temperature and pH and had higher deswelling ratio. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Chemical quality of water in abandoned zinc mines in northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Playton, Stephen J.; Davis, Robert Ellis; McClaflin, Roger G.

    1978-01-01

    Onsite measurements of pH, specific conductance, and water temperature show that water temperatures in seven mine shafts in northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas is stratified. With increasing sampling depth, specific conductance and water temperature tend to increase, and pH tends to decrease. Concentrations of dissolved solids and chemical constituents in mine-shaft water, such as total, and dissolved metals and dissolved sulfate also increase with depth. The apparently unstable condition created by cooler, denser water overlying warmer, less-dense water is offset by the greater density of the lower water strata due to higher dissolved solids content.Correlation analysis showed that several chemical constituents and properties of mine-shaft water, including dissolved solids, total hardness, and dissolved sulfate, calcium, magnesium, and lithium, are linearly related to specific conductance. None of the constituents or properties of mine-shaft water tested had a significant linear relationship to pH. However, when values of dissolved aluminum, zinc, and nickel were transformed to natural or Napierian logarithms, significant linear correlation to pH resulted. During the course of the study - September 1975 to June 1977 - the water level in a well penetrating the mine workings rose at an average rate of 1.2 feet per month.  Usually, the rate of water-level rise was greater than average after periods of relatively high rainfall, and lower than average during periods of relatively low rainfall.Water in the mine shafts is unsuited for most uses without treatment.  The inability of current domestic water treatment practices to remove high concentrations of toxic metals, such as cadmium and lead, precludes use of the water for a public supply.

  8. Regional acidification trends in Florida shellfish estuaries: A 20+ year look at pH, oxygen, temperature, and salinity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robbins, Lisa L.; Lisle, John T.

    2018-01-01

    Increasing global CO2 and local land use changes coupled with increased nutrient pollution are threatening estuaries worldwide. Local changes of estuarine chemistry have been documented, but regional associations and trends comparing multiple estuaries latitudinally have not been evaluated. Rapid climate change has impacted the annual and decadal chemical trends in estuaries, with local ecosystem processes enhancing or mitigating the responses. Here, we compare pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity data from 10 Florida shellfish estuaries and hundreds of shellfish bed stations. Over 80,000 measurements, spanning from 1980 to 2008, taken on Atlantic Ocean and West Florida coast showed significant regional trends of consistent pH decreases in 8 out of the 10 estuaries, with an average rate of decrease on the Gulf of Mexico side estuaries of Florida of 7.3 × 10−4 pH units year−1, and average decrease on the Atlantic Coast estuaries of 5.0 × 10−4 pH units year−1. The rates are approximately 2–3.4 times slower than observed in pH decreases associated with ocean acidification in the Atlantic and Pacific. Other significant trends observed include decreasing dissolved oxygen in 9 out of the 10 estuaries, increasing salinity in 6 out of the 10, and temperature increases in 3 out of the 10 estuaries. The data provide a synoptic regional view of Florida estuary trends which reflect the complexity of changing climate and coastal ocean acidification superimposed on local conditions. These data provide context for understanding, and interpreting the past and predicting future of regional water quality health of shellfish and other organisms of commercial and ecological significance along Florida’s coasts.

  9. Factors Controlling the Distribution of Archaeal Tetraethers in Terrestrial Hot Springs▿

    PubMed Central

    Pearson, Ann; Pi, Yundan; Zhao, Weidong; Li, WenJun; Li, Yiliang; Inskeep, William; Perevalova, Anna; Romanek, Christopher; Li, Shuguang; Zhang, Chuanlun L.

    2008-01-01

    Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) found in hot springs reflect the abundance and community structure of Archaea in these extreme environments. The relationships between GDGTs, archaeal communities, and physical or geochemical variables are underexamined to date and when reported often result in conflicting interpretations. Here, we examined profiles of GDGTs from pure cultures of Crenarchaeota and from terrestrial geothermal springs representing a wide distribution of locations, including Yellowstone National Park (United States), the Great Basin of Nevada and California (United States), Kamchatka (Russia), Tengchong thermal field (China), and Thailand. These samples had temperatures of 36.5 to 87°C and pH values of 3.0 to 9.2. GDGT abundances also were determined for three soil samples adjacent to some of the hot springs. Principal component analysis identified four factors that accounted for most of the variance among nine individual GDGTs, temperature, and pH. Significant correlations were observed between pH and the GDGTs crenarchaeol and GDGT-4 (four cyclopentane rings, m/z 1,294); pH correlated positively with crenarchaeol and inversely with GDGT-4. Weaker correlations were observed between temperature and the four factors. Three of the four GDGTs used in the marine TEX86 paleotemperature index (GDGT-1 to -3, but not crenarchaeol isomer) were associated with a single factor. No correlation was observed for GDGT-0 (acyclic caldarchaeol): it is effectively its own variable. The biosynthetic mechanisms and exact archaeal community structures leading to these relationships remain unknown. However, the data in general show promise for the continued development of GDGT lipid-based physiochemical proxies for archaeal evolution and for paleo-ecology or paleoclimate studies. PMID:18390673

  10. Factors controlling the distribution of archaeal tetraethers in terrestrial hot springs.

    PubMed

    Pearson, Ann; Pi, Yundan; Zhao, Weidong; Li, WenJun; Li, Yiliang; Inskeep, William; Perevalova, Anna; Romanek, Christopher; Li, Shuguang; Zhang, Chuanlun L

    2008-06-01

    Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) found in hot springs reflect the abundance and community structure of Archaea in these extreme environments. The relationships between GDGTs, archaeal communities, and physical or geochemical variables are underexamined to date and when reported often result in conflicting interpretations. Here, we examined profiles of GDGTs from pure cultures of Crenarchaeota and from terrestrial geothermal springs representing a wide distribution of locations, including Yellowstone National Park (United States), the Great Basin of Nevada and California (United States), Kamchatka (Russia), Tengchong thermal field (China), and Thailand. These samples had temperatures of 36.5 to 87 degrees C and pH values of 3.0 to 9.2. GDGT abundances also were determined for three soil samples adjacent to some of the hot springs. Principal component analysis identified four factors that accounted for most of the variance among nine individual GDGTs, temperature, and pH. Significant correlations were observed between pH and the GDGTs crenarchaeol and GDGT-4 (four cyclopentane rings, m/z 1,294); pH correlated positively with crenarchaeol and inversely with GDGT-4. Weaker correlations were observed between temperature and the four factors. Three of the four GDGTs used in the marine TEX(86) paleotemperature index (GDGT-1 to -3, but not crenarchaeol isomer) were associated with a single factor. No correlation was observed for GDGT-0 (acyclic caldarchaeol): it is effectively its own variable. The biosynthetic mechanisms and exact archaeal community structures leading to these relationships remain unknown. However, the data in general show promise for the continued development of GDGT lipid-based physiochemical proxies for archaeal evolution and for paleo-ecology or paleoclimate studies.

  11. Warming and surface ocean acidification over the last deglaciation: implications for foraminiferal assemblages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dyez, K. A.; Hoenisch, B.; deMenocal, P. B.

    2017-12-01

    Although plankton drift with ocean currents, their presence and relative abundance varies across latitudes and environmental seawater conditions (e.g. temperature, pH, salinity). While earlier studies have focused on temperature as the primary factor for determining the regional species composition of planktic foraminiferal communities, evidence has recently been presented that foraminiferal shell thickness varies with ocean pH, and it remains unclear whether ongoing ocean acidification will cause ecological shifts within this plankton group. The transition from the last glacial maximum (LGM; 19,000-23,000 years B.P.) to the late Holocene (0-5,000 years B.P.) was characterized by both warming and acidification of the surface ocean, and thus provides an opportunity to study ecosystem shifts in response to these environmental changes. Here we provide new δ11B, Mg/Ca, and δ18O measurements from a suite of global sediment cores spanning this time range. We use these geochemical data to reconstruct ocean temperature, pH and salinity and pair the new data with previously published analyses of planktic foraminifera assemblages to study the respective effects of ocean warming and acidification on the foraminiferal habitat. At most open-ocean sample locations, our proxies indicate warming and acidification similar to previously published estimates, but in some marginal seas and coastal locations pH changes little between over the glacial termination. At face value, these observations suggest that warming is generally more important for ecosystem changes than acidification, at least over the slow rates of warming and ocean acidification in this time period. While geochemical data collection is being completed, we aim to include these data in an ecological model of foraminiferal habitat preferences.

  12. Effects of pH and temperature on growth and glycerol production kinetics of two indigenous wine strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from Turkey

    PubMed Central

    Yalcin, Seda Karasu; Yesim Ozbas, Z.

    2008-01-01

    The study was performed in a batch system in order to determine the effects of pH and temperature on growth and glycerol production kinetics of two indigenous wine yeast strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae Kalecik 1 and Narince 3. The highest values of dry mass and specific growth rate were obtained at pH 4.00 for both of the strains. Maximum specific glycerol production rates were obtained at pH 5.92 and 6.27 for the strains Kalecik 1 and Narince 3, respectively. Kalecik 1 strain produced maximum 8.8 gL−1 of glycerol at pH 6.46. Maximum glycerol concentration obtained by the strain Narince 3 was 9.1 gL−1 at pH 6.48. Both yeasts reached maximum specific growth rate at 30°C. Optimum temperature range for glycerol production was determined as 25-30°C for the strain Kalecik 1. The strain Narince 3 reached maximum specific glycerol production rate at 30°C. Maximum glycerol concentrations at 30°C were obtained as 8.5 and 7.6 gL−1 for Kalecik 1 and Narince 3, respectively. PMID:24031225

  13. A metabolic hypothesis for the evolution of temperature effects on the arterial PCO2  and pH of vertebrate ectotherms.

    PubMed

    Hillman, Stanley S; Hedrick, Michael S

    2018-01-04

    Body temperature increases in ectothermic vertebrates characteristically lead to both increases in arterial P CO 2  ( P a CO 2 ) and declines in resting arterial pH (pHa) of about 0.017 pH units per 1°C increase in temperature. This 'alphastat' pH pattern has previously been interpreted as being evolutionarily driven by the maintenance of a constant protonation state on the imidazole moiety of histidine protein residues, hence stabilizing protein structure-function. Analysis of the existing data for interclass responses of ectothermic vertebrates shows different degrees of P a CO 2  increases and pH declines with temperature between the classes, with reptiles>amphibians>fish. The P a CO 2  at the temperature where maximal aerobic metabolism ( V̇ O 2 ,max ) is achieved is significantly and positively correlated with temperature for all vertebrate classes. For ectotherms, the P a CO 2  where V̇ O 2 ,max is greatest is also correlated with V̇ O 2 ,max , indicating there is an increased driving force for CO 2 efflux that is lowest in fish, intermediate in amphibians and highest in reptiles. The pattern of increased P a CO 2  and the resultant reduction of pHa in response to increased body temperature would serve to increase CO 2 efflux, O 2 delivery and blood buffering capacity and maintain ventilatory scope. This represents a new hypothesis for the selective advantage of arterial pH regulation from a systems physiology perspective in addition to the advantages of maintenance of protein structure-function. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  14. Leaching of lead from new unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) pipes into drinking water.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yuanyuan; Lin, Yi-Pin

    2015-06-01

    Unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) pipes have been used in the premise plumbing system due to their high strength, long-term durability, and low cost. uPVC pipes, however, may contain lead due to the use of lead compounds as the stabilizer during the manufacturing process. The release of lead from three locally purchased uPVC pipes was investigated in this study. The effects of various water quality parameters including pH value, temperature, and type of disinfectant on the rate of lead release were examined. The elemental mapping obtained using scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) confirmed the presence of lead on the inner surfaces of the uPVC pipes and their surface lead weight percentages were determined. The leachable lead concentration for each pipe was determined using high strength acidic EDTA solutions (pH 4, EDTA = 100 mg/L). Lead leaching experiments using tap water and reconstituted tape water under static conditions showed that the rate of lead release increased with the decreasing pH value and increasing temperature. In the presence of monochloramine, lead release was faster than that in the presence of free chlorine.

  15. Cationic and Neutral Cp*M(NO)(κ2-Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2) Complexes of Molybdenum and Tungsten: Lewis-Acid-Induced Intramolecular C-H Activation.

    PubMed

    Handford, Rex C; Wakeham, Russell J; Patrick, Brian O; Legzdins, Peter

    2017-03-20

    Treatment of CH 2 Cl 2 solutions of Cp*M(NO)Cl 2 (Cp* = η 5 -C 5 (CH 3 ) 5 ; M = Mo, W) first with 2 equiv of AgSbF 6 in the presence of PhCN and then with 1 equiv of Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 affords the yellow-orange salts [Cp*M(NO)(PhCN)(κ 2 -Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 )](SbF 6 ) 2 in good yields (M = Mo, W). Reduction of [Cp*M(NO)(PhCN)(κ 2 -Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 )](SbF 6 ) 2 with 2 equiv of Cp 2 Co in C 6 H 6 at 80 °C produces the corresponding 18e neutral compounds, Cp*M(NO)(κ 2 -Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) which have been isolated as analytically pure orange-red solids. The addition of 1 equiv of the Lewis acid, Sc(OTf) 3 , to solutions of Cp*M(NO)(κ 2 -Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) at room temperature results in the immediate formation of thermally stable Cp*M(NO→Sc(OTf) 3 )(H)(κ 3 -(C 6 H 4 )PhPCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) complexes in which one of the phenyl substituents of the Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ligands has undergone intramolecular orthometalation. In a similar manner, addition of BF 3 produces the analogous Cp*M(NO→BF 3 )(H)(κ 3 -(C 6 H 4 )PhPCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) complexes. In contrast, B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 forms the 1:1 Lewis acid-base adducts, Cp*M(NO→B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 )(κ 2 -Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) in CH 2 Cl 2 at room temperature. Upon warming to 80 °C, Cp*Mo(NO→B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 )(κ 2 -Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) converts cleanly to the orthometalated product Cp*Mo(NO→B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 )(H)(κ 3 -(C 6 H 4 )PhPCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ), but Cp*W(NO→B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 )(κ 2 -Ph 2 PCH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) generates a mixture of products whose identities remain to be ascertained. Attempts to extend this chemistry to include related Ph 2 PCH 2 PPh 2 compounds have had only limited success. All new complexes have been characterized by conventional spectroscopic and analytical methods, and the solid-state molecular structures of most of them have been established by single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analyses.

  16. Interactive effects of near-future temperature increase and ocean acidification on physiology and gonad development in adult Pacific sea urchin, Echinometra sp . A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uthicke, S.; Liddy, M.; Nguyen, H. D.; Byrne, M.

    2014-09-01

    Increased atmospheric CO2 will have a twofold impact on future marine ecosystems, increasing global sea surface temperatures and uptake of CO2 (Ocean Acidification). Many experiments focus on the investigation of one of these stressors, but under realistic future climate predictions, these stressors may have interactive effects on individuals. Here, we investigate the effect of warming and acidification in combination. We test for interactive effects of potential near-future (2100) temperature (+2 to 3 °C) and pCO2 (~860-940 μAtm) levels on the physiology of the tropical echinoid Echinometra sp . A. The greatest reduction in growth was under simultaneous temperature and pH/ pCO2 stress (marginally significant temperature × pH/ pCO2 interaction). This was mirrored by the physiological data, with highest metabolic activity (measured as respiration and ammonium excretion) occurring at the increased temperature and pCO2 treatment, although this was not significant for excretion. The perivisceral coelomic fluid pH was ~7.5-7.6, as typical for echinoids, and showed no significant changes between treatments. Indicative of active calcification, internal magnesium and calcium concentrations were reduced compared to the external medium, but were not different between treatments. Gonad weight was lower at the higher temperature, and this difference was more distinct and statistically significant for males. The condition of the gonads assessed by histology declined in increased temperature and low pH treatments. The Echinometra grew in all treatments indicating active calcification of their magnesium calcite tests even as carbonate mineral saturation decreased. Our results indicate that the interactive temperature and pH effects are more important for adult echinoids than individual stressors. Although adult specimens grow and survive in near-future conditions, higher energy demands may influence gonad development and thus population maintenance.

  17. Uptake of Cr3+ from aqueous solution by lignite-based humic acids.

    PubMed

    Arslan, G; Pehlivan, E

    2008-11-01

    Humic acid (HA) produced from brown coal, a relatively abundant and inexpensive material is currently being investigated as an adsorbent to remove toxic metals from aqueous solution. The influence of five parameters (contact time, solution pH, initial metal concentration, temperature and amount of adsorbent) on the removal at 20+/-1 degrees C was studied. HAs were prepared from lignites by using alkaline extraction, sedimentation and acidic precipitation. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved in about 60 min for Cr3+ ion. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was used to describe observed sorption phenomena. The maximum adsorption capacity of 0.17 mmol for Ilgin (HA1), 0.29 mmol for Beysehir (HA2) and 0.18 mmol Ermenek (HA3) and 0.17 mmol of Cr3+/g for activated carbon (AC) was achieved, respectively at pH of 4.1. More than 84% of Cr3+ was removed by HA2, 54% by HA3 and 51% by HA1 and 50% by AC from aqueous solution. The adsorption was strongly dependent on pH but independent of ionic strength and metal ions. The adsorption of Cr3+ was higher between pH 4.1 and 5.1 for all HAs and maximum sorption was observed at pH 4.1. The rise in temperature caused a slight decrease in the value of the equilibrium constant (Kc) for the sorption of Cr3+ ion. Complex mechanisms including ion exchange, complexation and adsorption and size exclusion are possible for sorption of Cr3+ ion on HAs.

  18. Intraoral pH and temperature during sleep with and without mouth breathing.

    PubMed

    Choi, J E; Waddell, J N; Lyons, K M; Kieser, J A

    2016-05-01

    To measure and compare the intraoral pH and temperature of individuals during sleep with and without mouth breathing. Ten healthy participants [mean age = 25·8 (± 4·3)] wore a custom-made appliance fitted with a pH probe and thermocouple for two sets of 48 h. Continuous pH and temperature measurements were taken from the palatal aspect of the upper central incisors. To simulate mouth breathing during sleep, participants wore a nose clip for two nights of the four, with the first group (n = 5) wearing the nose clip during the first night and the rest (n = 5) wearing the nose clip during the second night of sleep to balance any potential bias from the wearing sequence. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. The mean intraoral pH during daytime was 7·3 (± 0·4) and during sleep was 7·0 (± 0·5). The mean intraoral pH during sleep with mouth breathing was 6·6 (± 0·5), which was statistically significant compared with the normal sleep condition (P < 0·01). The intraoral pH decreased slowly over the hours of sleep in all participants. When sleeping with forced mouth breathing, intraoral pH showed a greater fall over a longer period of time. The mean intraoral temperature was 33·1 °C (± 5·2) during daytime and 33·3 °C (± 6·1) during sleep, with no statistical significance between sleep with and without mouth breathing (P > 0·05). The results suggest that mouth breathing during sleep is related to a decrease in intraoral pH compared with normal breathing during sleep, and this has been proposed as a causal factor for dental erosion and caries. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Equilibrium and kinetic modelling of chromium(III) sorption by animal bones.

    PubMed

    Chojnacka, Katarzyna

    2005-04-01

    The paper discusses sorption of Cr(III) ions from aqueous solutions by animal bones. Animal bones were found to be an efficient sorbent with the maximum experimentally determined sorption capacity in the range 29-194 mg g(-1) that depended on pH and temperature. The maximum experimentally determined sorption capacity was obtained at 50 degrees C, pH 5. Batch kinetics and equilibrium experiments were performed in order to investigate the influence of contact time, initial concentration of sorbate and sorbent, temperature and pH. It was found that sorption capacity increased with increase of Cr(III) concentration, temperature and initial pH of metal solution. Mathematical models describing kinetics and statics of sorption were proposed. It was found that process kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order pattern. The influence of sorbent concentration was described with Langmuir-type equation and the influence of sorbate concentration was described with empirical dependence. The models were positively verified.

  20. Characterization of the pH and Temperature in the Rabbit, Pig, and Monkey Eye: Key Parameters for the Development of Long-Acting Delivery Ocular Strategies.

    PubMed

    Lorget, Florence; Parenteau, Audrey; Carrier, Michel; Lambert, Daniel; Gueorguieva, Ana; Schuetz, Chris; Bantseev, Vlad; Thackaberry, Evan

    2016-09-06

    Many long-acting delivery strategies for ocular indications rely on pH- and/or temperature-driven release of the therapeutic agent and degradation of the drug carrier. Yet, these physiological parameters are poorly characterized in ocular animal models. These strategies aim at reducing the frequency of dosing, which is of particular interest for the treatment of chronic disorders affecting the posterior segment of the eye, such as macular degeneration that warrants monthly or every other month intravitreal injections. We used anesthetized white New Zealand rabbits, Yucatan mini pigs, and cynomolgus monkeys to characterize pH and temperature in several vitreous locations and the central aqueous location. We also established post mortem pH changes in the vitreous. Our data showed regional and species differences, which need to be factored into strategies for developing biodegradable long-acting delivery systems.

  1. Geochemical Constraints on the Distribution and Function of Thermoproteales Populations in Yellowstone National Park

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jay, Z.; Rusch, D.; Romine, M.; Beam, J.; Inskeep, W.

    2014-12-01

    Metagenome surveys in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) indicate that members of the order Thermoproteales (phylum Crenarchaeota) are abundant in high-temperature (> 70 °C) geothermal systems. The goals of this study were to compare Thermoproteales sequences from different geothermal environments across YNP, and determine the variation in metabolic potential associated with their distribution. Thermoproteales sequence assemblies (> 0.5 Mbases) were curated from 10 habitats ranging in pH from 3 - 9 (with or without dissolved sulfide). The distribution of specific Thermoproteales is constrained by pH: Vulcanisaeta-like sequences are the most abundant Thermoproteales at pH < 6, Caldivirga-like sequences more important from pH 4 - 6, and Thermoproteus-like sequences abundant from ~ pH 5 - 7, and at pH > 7, Pyrobaculum­-like sequences are nearly the only Thermoproteales present. Thermoproteales populations are generally found in hypoxic systems where reduced forms of S and As often limit concentrations of dissolved oxygen. These environmental conditions are correlated with the presence or absence of system-defined respiratory complexes including different terminal oxidases (e.g., aa3 or bd), numerous DMSO-molybdopterins, and dissimilatory sulfate reductases. Metabolic reconstruction of different genera revealed similar pathways for the degradation of carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids across sites. Only the Thermoproteus and Pyrobaculum populations contained the three marker genes for the dicarboxylate/4-hyhdroxybutyrate cycle, which is responsible for the fixation of inorganic carbon. Most Thermoproteales populations have the metabolic capacity to synthesize their requirements for vitamins, cofactors, amino acids, and/or nucleotides. Our results indicate that Thermoproteales populations are important members of high-temperature microbial communities across a wide pH range, are responsible for the degradation of organic carbon, and may also serve as a source of metabolites required by other community members. Thermoproteales genera are abundant thermophiles in many hypoxic (and especially sulfidic) systems; however, the presence of introns in the 16S rRNA gene of many Thermoproteales often precludes accurate abundance estimates using universal primers.

  2. Pathophysiological evaluation of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) by continuous ruminal pH monitoring

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Evaluation of the radio‐transmission pH‐measurement system for monitoring the ruminal pH and subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in cattle is described. This is done in order to reveal the possible application of this system for detection and pathophysiological research of SARA by continuous ruminal pH measurement. The possibility of using this system for assessment of the ruminal pH in SARA cattle, and the presence of negative correlation between the ruminal pH and ruminal temperature in heathy and SARA cattle were determined. In addition, the 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing analysis showed that the ruminal microbial community was simpler in SARA cattle, and the bacterial numbers in SARA cattle were lower than those in healthy hay‐fed cattle. Concentrate feeding might have reduced the diversity of the ruminal microbial community. Changes in the ruminal microbial community of SARA cattle might be related to the changes in ruminal pH followed by the decrease in the number of some bacteria. Continuous monitoring of the ruminal pH using the radio‐transmission pH‐measurement system would be applied for detection and prevention of SARA in the field and pathophysiological research of SARA, including ruminal zymology and bacteriology, which have been determined previously by sampling of the ruminal fluid and measuring of ruminal pH. PMID:26279060

  3. Anaerobic acidification of sugar-containing wastewater for biotechnological production of organic acids and ethanol.

    PubMed

    Darwin; Charles, Wipa; Cord-Ruwisch, Ralf

    2018-05-03

    Anaerobic acidification of sugars can produce some useful end-products such as alcohol, volatile fatty acids (e.g. acetate, propionate, and butyrate) and lactic acid. The production of end-products is highly dependent on factors including pH, temperature, hydraulic retention time and the types of sugar being fermented. Results of this current study indicate that the pH and hydraulic retention time played significant roles in determining the end products from the anaerobic acidification of maltose and glucose. Under uncontrolled pH, the anaerobic acidification of maltose ceased when pH in the reactor dropped below 5 while anaerobic acidification of glucose continued and produced ethanol as the main end-product. Under controlled pH, lactic acid was found to be the dominant end-product produced from both maltose and glucose at pH 5. Acetate was the main end-product from both maltose and glucose fermented at neutral pH (6 and 7). Short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2 days could induce the production of ethanol from the anaerobic acidification of glucose. However, the anaerobic acidification of maltose could stop when short HRT of 2 days was applied in the reactor. This finding is significant for industrial fermentation and waste management systems, and selective production of different types of organic acids could be achieved by managing pH and HRT in the reactor.

  4. Tailoring the structure of biphasic calcium phosphate via synthesis procedure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mansour, S. F.; El-dek, S. I.; Ahmed, M. K.

    2017-12-01

    Nano calcium phosphate ceramics (CaPC) were synthesized using simple co-precipitation method at different preparation conditions. The selected Ca/P ratio with a variation of pH value lead to formation of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) at pH 5 and 6 while, hydroxyapatite (HAP) nano particles were formed at pH 9 and 12 at room temperature. The crystallite size was in the range of 15-55 nm depending on the obtained crystalline phase. The study displayed variation of decomposition depending on the annealing temperature. The significant note is the different transformation trend of each phase depending on the starting pH value. The HRTEM illustrated that the DCPD phase was formed as fibers with diameter around 4-6 nm, while HAP was formed in rod shape. The aspect ratio decreased from 6.6 at pH 9 to 4 at pH 12 which refer to the great influence of pH value on the morphology of calcium phosphates.

  5. Acid-catalysed xylose dehydration into furfural in the presence of kraft lignin.

    PubMed

    Lamminpää, Kaisa; Ahola, Juha; Tanskanen, Juha

    2015-02-01

    In this study, the effects of kraft lignin (Indulin AT) on acid-catalysed xylose dehydration into furfural were studied in formic and sulphuric acids. The study was done using D-optimal design. Three variables in both acids were included in the design: time (20-80 min), temperature (160-180°C) and initial lignin concentration (0-20 g/l). The dependent variables were xylose conversion, furfural yield, furfural selectivity and pH change. The results showed that the xylose conversion and furfural yield decreased in sulphuric acid, while in formic acid the changes were minor. Additionally, it was showed that lignin has an acid-neutralising capacity, and the added lignin increased the pH of reactant solutions in both acids. The pH rise was considerably lower in formic acid than in sulphuric acid. However, the higher pH did not explain all the changes in conversion and yield, and thus lignin evidently inhibits the formation of furfural. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Structural Characterization of the Degradation Products of a Minor Natural Sweet Diterpene Glycoside Rebaudioside M under Acidic Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Prakash, Indra; Chaturvedula, Venkata Sai Prakash; Markosyan, Avetik

    2014-01-01

    Degradation of rebaudioside M, a minor sweet component of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, under conditions that simulated extreme pH and temperature conditions has been studied. Thus, rebaudioside M was treated with 0.1 M phosphoric acid solution (pH 2.0) and 80 °C temperature for 24 h. Experimental results indicated that rebaudioside M under low pH and higher temperature yielded three minor degradation compounds, whose structural characterization was performed on the basis of 1D (1H-, 13C-) & 2D (COSY, HSQC, HMBC) NMR, HRMS, MS/MS spectral data as well as enzymatic and acid hydrolysis studies. PMID:24424316

  7. The 7.5- to 13.5-micron spectrum of Saturn

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gillett, F. C.; Forrest, W. J.

    1974-01-01

    A medium-resolution spectrum of Saturn in the 7.5-13.5 micron range is presented. The observed low brightness temperature between 9 and 11 microns of about 100-105 K rules out gaseous NH3 as the dominant absorber in this spectral range. Absorption features due to PH3 may be present around 10 microns and cloud particles could be an important source of opacity in this wavelength range. There are strong indications of a temperature inversion in the upper atmosphere, including high brightness temperature in the 7.7-micron CH4 band, and possible emission from C2H6 around 12 microns.

  8. The Effect of Temperature and Solution pH on Tetragonal Lysozyme Nucleation Kinetics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Judge, Russell A.; Jacobs, Randolph S.; Frazier, Tyralynn; Snell, Edward H.; Pusey, Marc L.

    1998-01-01

    Part of the challenge of macromolecular crystal growth for structure determination is obtaining an appropriate number of crystals with a crystal volume suitable for x-ray analysis. In this respect an understanding of the effect of solution conditions on macromolecule nucleation rates is advantageous. This study investigated the effects of supersaturation, temperature and pH on the nucleation rate of tetragonal lysozyme crystals. Batch crystallization plates were prepared at given solution concentrations and incubated at set temperatures over one week. The number of crystals per well with their size and axial ratios were recorded and correlated with solution conditions, Duplicate experiments indicate the reproducibility of the technique, Crystal numbers were found to increase with increasing supersaturation and temperature. The most significant variable however, was pH, where crystal numbers changed by two orders of magnitude over the pH range 4.0 to 5.2. Crystal size varied also with solution conditions, with the largest crystals being obtained at pH 5.2. Having optimized the crystallization conditions, a batch of crystals were prepared under exactly the same conditions and fifty of these crystals were analyzed by x-ray techniques. The results indicate that even under the same crystallization conditions, a marked variation in crystal properties exists.

  9. An Electrochemistry Study of Cryoelectrolysis in Frozen Physiological Saline.

    PubMed

    Manuel, Thomas J; Munnangi, Pujita; Rubinsky, Boris

    2017-07-01

    Cryoelectrolysis is a new minimally invasive tissue ablation surgical technique that combines the processes of electrolysis and solid/liquid phase transformation (freezing). This study investigated this new technique by measuring the pH front propagation and the changes in resistance in a tissue simulant made of physiological saline gel with a pH dye as a function of the sample temperature in the high subzero range above the eutectic. Results demonstrated that effective electrolysis can occur in a high subzero freezing milieu and that the propagation of the pH front is only weakly dependent on temperature. These observations are consistent with a mechanism involving ionic movement through the concentrated saline solution channels between ice crystals at subfreezing temperatures above the eutectic. Moreover, results suggest that Joule heating in these microchannels may cause local microscopic melting, the observed weak dependence of pH front propagation on temperature, and the large changes in resistance with time. A final insight provided by the results is that the pH front propagation from the anode is more rapid than from the cathode, a feature indicative of the electro-osmotic flow from the cathode to the anode. The findings in this paper may be critical for designing future cryoelectrolytic ablation surgery protocols.

  10. A probability model for enterotoxin production of Bacillus cereus as a function of pH and temperature

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bacillus cereus is frequently isolated from a variety of foods including vegetables, dairy products, meat, and other raw and processed foods. The bacterium is capable of producing enterotoxin and emetic toxin that can cause severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The objectives of this study were to a...

  11. A renaissance of soaps? - How to make clear and stable solutions at neutral pH and room temperature.

    PubMed

    Wolfrum, Stefan; Marcus, Julien; Touraud, Didier; Kunz, Werner

    2016-10-01

    Soaps are the oldest and perhaps most natural surfactants. However, they lost much of their importance since "technical surfactants", usually based on sulfates or sulfonates, have been developed over the last fifty years. Indeed, soaps are pH- and salt-sensitive and they are irritant, especially to the eyes. In food emulsions, although authorized, they have a bad taste, and long-chain saturated soaps have a high Krafft temperature. We believe that most or perhaps all of these problems can be solved with modern formulation approaches. We start this paper with a short overview of our present knowledge of soaps and soap formulations. Then we focus on the problem of the lacking soap solubility at neutral pH values. For example, it is well known that with the food emulsifier sodium oleate (NaOl), clear and stable aqueous solutions can only be obtained at pH values higher than 10. A decrease in the pH value leads to turbid and unstable solutions. This effect is not compatible with the formulation of aqueous stable and drinkable formulations with neutral or even acidic pH values. However, the pH value/phase behavior of aqueous soap solutions can be altered by the addition of other surfactants. Such a surfactant can be Rebaudioside A (RebA), a steviol glycoside from the plant Stevia rebaudiana which is used as a natural food sweetener. In a recent paper, we showed the influence of RebA on the apKa value of sodium oleate in a beverage microemulsion and on its clearing temperature. In the present paper, we report on the effect of the edible bio-surfactant RebA, on the macroscopic and microscopic phase behavior of simple aqueous sodium oleate solutions at varying pH values. The macroscopic phase behavior is investigated by visual observation and turbidity measurements. The microscopic phase behavior is analyzed by acid-base titration curves, phase-contrast and electron microscopy. It turned out that even at neutral pH, aqueous NaOl/RebA solutions can be completely clear and stable for more than 50days at room temperature. This is for the first time that a long chain soap could be really solubilized in water at neutral pH at room temperature. At last, these findings were applied to prepare stable, highly translucent and drinkable aqueous solutions of omega-3-fatty acids at a pH value of 7.5. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Online PH measurement technique in seawater desalination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Haibo; Wu, Kaihua; Hu, Shaopeng

    2009-11-01

    The measurement technology of pH is essential in seawater desalination. Glass electrode is the main pH sensor in seawater desalination. Because the internal impedance of glass electrode is high and the signal of pH sensor is easy to be disturbed, a signal processing circuit with high input impedance was designed. Because of high salinity of seawater and the characteristic of glass electrode, ultrasonic cleaning technology was used to online clean pH sensor. Temperature compensation was also designed to reduce the measurement error caused by variety of environment temperature. Additionally, the potential drift of pH sensor was analyzed and an automatic calibration method was proposed. In order to online monitor the variety of pH in seawater desalination, three operating modes were designed. The three modes are online monitoring mode, ultrasonic cleaning mode and auto-calibration mode. The current pH in seawater desalination was measured and displayed in online monitoring mode. The cleaning process of pH sensor was done in ultrasonic cleaning mode. The calibration of pH sensor was finished in auto-calibration mode. The result of experiments showed that the measurement technology of pH could meet the technical requirements for desalination. The glass electrode could be promptly and online cleaned and its service life was lengthened greatly.

  13. The pH sensing characteristics of the extended-gate field-effect transistors of multi-walled carbon-nanotube thin film using low-temperature ultrasonic spray method.

    PubMed

    Chien, Yun-Shan; Yang, Po-Yu; Tsai, Wan-Lin; Li, Yu-Ren; Chou, Chia-Hsin; Chou, Jung-Chuan; Cheng, Huang-Chung

    2012-07-01

    A novel, simple and low-temperature ultrasonic spray method was developed to fabricate the multi-walled carbon-nanotubes (MWCNTs) based extended-gate field-effect transistors (EGFETs) as the pH sensor. With an acid-treated process, the chemically functionalized two-dimensional MWCNT network could provide plenty of functional groups which exhibit hydrophilic property and serve as hydrogen sensing sites. For the first time, the EGFET using a MWCNT structure could achieve a wide sensing rage from pH = 1 to pH = 13. Furthermore, the pH sensitivity and linearity values of the CNT pH-EGFET devices were enhanced to 51.74 mV/pH and 0.9948 from pH = 1 to pH = 13 while the sprayed deposition reached 50 times. The sensing properties of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions show significantly dependent on the sprayed deposition times, morphologies, crystalline and chemical bonding of acid-treated MWCNT. These results demonstrate that the MWCNT-EGFETs are very promising for the applications in the pH and biomedical sensors.

  14. Characterisation and deployment of an immobilised pH sensor spot towards surface ocean pH measurements.

    PubMed

    Clarke, Jennifer S; Achterberg, Eric P; Rérolle, Victoire M C; Abi Kaed Bey, Samer; Floquet, Cedric F A; Mowlem, Matthew C

    2015-10-15

    The oceans are a major sink for anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the uptake causes changes to the marine carbonate system and has wide ranging effects on flora and fauna. It is crucial to develop analytical systems that allow us to follow the increase in oceanic pCO2 and corresponding reduction in pH. Miniaturised sensor systems using immobilised fluorescence indicator spots are attractive for this purpose because of their simple design and low power requirements. The technology is increasingly used for oceanic dissolved oxygen measurements. We present a detailed method on the use of immobilised fluorescence indicator spots to determine pH in ocean waters across the pH range 7.6-8.2. We characterised temperature (-0.046 pH/°C from 5 to 25 °C) and salinity dependences (-0.01 pH/psu over 5-35), and performed a preliminary investigation into the influence of chlorophyll on the pH measurement. The apparent pKa of the sensor spots was 6.93 at 20 °C. A drift of 0.00014 R (ca. 0.0004 pH, at 25 °C, salinity 35) was observed over a 3 day period in a laboratory based drift experiment. We achieved a precision of 0.0074 pH units, and observed a drift of 0.06 pH units during a test deployment of 5 week duration in the Southern Ocean as an underway surface ocean sensor, which was corrected for using certified reference materials. The temperature and salinity dependences were accounted for with the algorithm, R=0.00034-0.17·pH+0.15·S(2)+0.0067·T-0.0084·S·1.075. This study provides a first step towards a pH optode system suitable for autonomous deployment. The use of a short duration low power illumination (LED current 0.2 mA, 5 μs illumination time) improved the lifetime and precision of the spot. Further improvements to the pH indicator spot operations include regular application of certified reference materials for drift correction and cross-calibration against a spectrophotometric pH system. Desirable future developments should involve novel fluorescence spots with improved response time and apparent pKa values closer to the pH of surface ocean waters. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Abrin toxicity and bioavailability after temperature and pH treatment

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Abrin, one of most potent toxins known to man, is derived from the rosary pea (jequirity pea), Abrus precatorius. Due to its potential use as a bioterror weapon, the efficacy of standard food processing methods must be evaluated for its effectiveness against abrin. The temperature and pH stability o...

  16. Robustness of larval development of intertidal sea urchin species to simulated ocean warming and acidification.

    PubMed

    García, Eliseba; Hernández, José Carlos; Clemente, Sabrina

    2018-08-01

    Ocean warming and acidification are the two most significant side effects of carbone dioxide emissions in the world's oceans. By changing water, temperature and pH are the main environmental factors controlling the distribution, physiology, morphology and behaviour of marine invertebrates. This study evaluated the combined effects of predicted high temperature levels, and predicted low pH values, on fertilization and early development stages of the sea urchins Arbacia lixula, Paracentrotus lividus, Sphaerechinus granularis and Diadema africanum. Twelve treatments, combining different temperatures (19, 21, 23 and 25 °C) and pH values (8.1, 7.7 and 7.4 units), were tested in laboratory experiments. All of the tested temperatures and pH values were within the open coast seawater range expected within the next century. We examined fertilization rate, cleavage rate, 3-day larvae survival, and development of the different sea urchin species at set time intervals after insemination. Our results highlight the susceptibility of subtidal species to environmental changes, and the robustness of intertidal species to ocean warming and acidification. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Effect of the culture media optimization, pH and temperature on the biohydrogen production and the hydrogenase activities by Klebsiella pneumoniae ECU-15.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Yan; Zhang, Xu; Zhu, Minglong; Tan, Wensong

    2013-06-01

    The low yield of the biohydrogen production is the main constraint for its industrialization process. In order to improve its production, medium compositions of the hydrogen fermentation by Klebsiella pneumoniae ECU-15 were optimized through the response surface methodology (RSM). Experimental results showed that the optimum hydrogen production of 5363.8 ml/L was obtained when the concentration of glucose, the ammonium sulfate and the trace elements were 35.62 g/L, 2.78 g/L and 23.15 ml/L at temperature 37.0°C, pH 6.0. H2 evolving hydrogenase was greatly enhanced by the optimization of the medium compositions. The activity of H2 evolving hydrogenase increased with the temperature, and decreased with the pH, while the activity of the uptake hydrogenase increased with the temperature and the pH. So the biohydrogen production process of the K. pneumoniae ECU-15 was the comprehensive results of the evolution hydrogen process and the uptake hydrogen process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Effect of various pH values, ionic strength, and temperature on papain hydrolysis of salivary film.

    PubMed

    Yao, Jiang-Wu; Xiao, Yin; Lin, Feng

    2012-04-01

    Stimulated human whole saliva (WS) was used to study the dynamics of papain hydrolysis at defined pH, ionic strength, and temperature with the view of reducing an acquired pellicle. A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) was used to monitor the changes in frequency caused by enzyme hydrolysis of WS films, and the hydrolytic parameters were calculated using an empirical model. The morphological and conformational changes of the salivary films before and after enzymatic hydrolysis were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and grazing-angle Fourier transform infrared (GA-FTIR ) spectra, respectively. The characteristics of papain hydrolysis of WS films were pH-, ionic strength-, and temperature-dependent. The WS films were partially removed by the action of papain, resulting in thinner and smoother surfaces. The infrared data suggested that hydrolysis-induced deformation did not occur on the remnants of salivary films. The processes of papain hydrolysis of WS films can be controlled by properly regulating pH, ionic strength, and temperature. © 2012 Eur J Oral Sci.

  19. Modeling the germination kinetics of clostridium botulinum 56A spores as affected by temperature, pH, and sodium chloride.

    PubMed

    Chea, F P; Chen, Y; Montville, T J; Schaffner, D W

    2000-08-01

    The germination kinetics of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum 56A spores were modeled as a function of temperature (15, 22, 30 degrees C), pH (5.5, 6.0, 6.5), and sodium chloride (0.5, 2.0, 4.0%). Germination in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth was followed with phase-contrast microscopy. Data collected were used to develop the mathematical models. The germination kinetics expressed as cumulated fraction of germinated spores over time at each environmental condition were best described by an exponential distribution. Quadratic polynomial models were developed by regression analysis to describe the exponential parameter (time to 63% germination) (r2 = 0.982) and the germination extent (r2 = 0.867) as a function of temperature, pH, and sodium chloride. Validation experiments in BHI broth (pH: 5.75, 6.25; NaCl: 1.0, 3.0%; temperature: 18, 26 degrees C) confirmed that the model's predictions were within an acceptable range compared to the experimental results and were fail-safe in most cases.

  20. Effect of solids retention time and temperature on waste activated sludge hydrolysis and short-chain fatty acids accumulation under alkaline conditions in continuous-flow reactors.

    PubMed

    Feng, Leiyu; Wang, Hua; Chen, Yinguang; Wang, Qin

    2009-01-01

    The effects of solids retention time (SRT) and temperature on waste activated sludge (WAS) hydrolysis and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) accumulation were investigated in a series of continuous-flow reactors at pH 10. The experimental results showed that the increase of either SRT or temperature benefited the hydrolysis of WAS and the production of SCFAs. The changes in SRT gave also impact on the percentage of acetic and propionic acids in the fermentative SCFAs, but little influence on that of the slightly long-chain SCFAs, such as n-butyric, iso-butyric, n-valeric and iso-valeric acids. Compared with the control (pH unadjusted) experiment, at SRT of 12d and temperature of 20 degrees C the concentration of SCFAs produced at pH 10 increased from 261.2 to 933.5mg COD/L, and the propionic acid percentage improved from 11.7 to 16.0%. It can be concluded from this investigation that the efficient continuous production of SCFAs at pH 10 is feasible.

  1. Hot Ductility of the 17-4 PH Stainless Steels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herrera Lara, V.; Guerra Fuentes, L.; Covarrubias Alvarado, O.; Salinas Rodriguez, A.; Garcia Sanchez, E.

    2016-03-01

    The mechanisms of loss of hot ductility and the mechanical behavior of 17-4 PH alloys were investigated using hot tensile testing at temperatures between 700 and 1100 °C and strain rates of 10-4, 10-2, and 10-1 s-1. Scanning electron microscopy was used in conjunction with the results of the tensile tests to find the temperature region of loss of ductility and correlate it with cracking observed during processing by hot upsetting prior to ring rolling. It is reported that 17-4 PH alloys lose ductility in a temperature range around 900 °C near to the duplex austenite + ferrite phase field. Furthermore, it is found that niobium carbides precipitated at austenite/ferrite interfaces and grain boundaries have a pronounced effect on the mechanical behavior of the alloy during high-temperature deformation.

  2. Casein maps: Effect of ethanol, pH, temperature, and CaCl2 on the particle size of reconstituted casein micelles

    PubMed Central

    Ye, Ran; Harte, Federico

    2015-01-01

    Although conditions favoring casein micelle aggregation are well known, factors promoting the dissociation of the casein micelle are not fully understood. It was our objective to investigate the ethanol-induced dissociation of micellar casein as affected by temperature and a wide range of pH, along with the concentrations of calcium and casein. Two different concentrations of casein micelles were dispersed in imidazole buffer with 0 to 80% ethanol (vol/vol) and 2 and 10 mM calcium. Apparent micelle size was determined by dynamic light scattering at 5, 30, and 60°C. In the absence of ethanol, casein precipitation occurred at pH 4.6 in imidazole buffer. Ten to forty percent ethanol promoted casein aggregation (>1,000 nm) and higher temperature (30 and 60°C) enhanced this effect. Higher ethanol concentrations at 50 to 80% induced the dissociation (<40 nm) of the casein micelle upon acidification (pH <5) and alkalization (pH >8) in imidazole buffer. In addition, higher concentrations of casein (0.25 mg/mL) and calcium (20 mM) caused the formation of larger aggregates (>1,000 nm) in the presence of ethanol when comparing with the initial lower concentrations of casein (0.1 mg/mL) and calcium (2 mM). Casein micelle dissociation can be achieved near the isoelectric pH by modifying the solvent composition and temperature. PMID:23200467

  3. Casein maps: effect of ethanol, pH, temperature, and CaCl2 on the particle size of reconstituted casein micelles.

    PubMed

    Ye, Ran; Harte, Federico

    2013-02-01

    Although conditions favoring casein micelle aggregation are well known, factors promoting the dissociation of the casein micelle are not fully understood. It was our objective to investigate the ethanol-induced dissociation of micellar casein as affected by temperature and a wide range of pH, along with the concentrations of calcium and casein. Two different concentrations of casein micelles were dispersed in imidazole buffer with 0 to 80% ethanol (vol/vol) and 2 and 10mM calcium. Apparent micelle size was determined by dynamic light scattering at 5, 30, and 60°C. In the absence of ethanol, casein precipitation occurred at pH 4.6 in imidazole buffer. Ten to forty percent ethanol promoted casein aggregation (>1,000 nm) and higher temperature (30 and 60°C) enhanced this effect. Higher ethanol concentrations at 50 to 80% induced the dissociation (<40 nm) of the casein micelle upon acidification (pH <5) and alkalization (pH>8) in imidazole buffer. In addition, higher concentrations of casein (0.25mg/mL) and calcium (20mM) caused the formation of larger aggregates (>1,000 nm) in the presence of ethanol when comparing with the initial lower concentrations of casein (0.1mg/mL) and calcium (2mM). Casein micelle dissociation can be achieved near the isoelectric pH by modifying the solvent composition and temperature. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Identification of lipolytic enzymes isolated from bacteria indigenous to Eucalyptus wood species for application in the pulping industry.

    PubMed

    Ramnath, L; Sithole, B; Govinden, R

    2017-09-01

    This study highlights the importance of determining substrate specificity at variable experimental conditions. Lipases and esterases were isolated from microorganisms cultivated from Eucalyptus wood species and then concentrated (cellulases removed) and characterized. Phenol red agar plates supplemented with 1% olive oil or tributyrin was ascertained to be the most favourable method of screening for lipolytic activity. Lipolytic activity of the various enzymes were highest at 45-61 U/ml at the optimum temperature and pH of between at 30-35 °C and pH 4-5, respectively. Change in pH influenced the substrate specificity of the enzymes tested. The majority of enzymes tested displayed a propensity for longer aliphatic acyl chains such as dodecanoate (C 12 ), myristate (C 14 ), palmitate (C 16 ) and stearate (C 18 ) indicating that they could be characterised as potential lipases. Prospective esterases were also detected with specificity towards acetate (C 2 ), butyrate (C 4 ) and valerate (C 5 ). Enzymes maintained up to 95% activity at the optimal pH and temperature for 2-3 h. It is essential to test substrates at various pH and temperature when determining optimum activity of lipolytic enzymes, a method rarely employed. The stability of the enzymes at acidic pH and moderate temperatures makes them excellent candidates for application in the treatment of pitch during acid bi-sulphite pulping, which would greatly benefit the pulp and paper industry.

  5. Effect of temperature, water activity, and pH on growth and production of ochratoxin A by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarius from Brazilian grapes.

    PubMed

    Passamani, Fabiana Reinis Franca; Hernandes, Thais; Lopes, Noelly Alves; Bastos, Sabrina Carvalho; Santiago, Wilder Douglas; Cardoso, Maria das Graças; Batista, Luís Roberto

    2014-11-01

    The growth of ochratoxigenic fungus and the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in grapes and their derivatives can be caused by a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological factors. The determination of interactions between these factors and fungal species from different climatic regions is important in designing models for minimizing the risk of OTA in wine and grape juice. This study evaluated the influence of temperature, water activity (aw), and pH on the development and production of OTA in a semisynthetic grape culture medium by Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus niger strains. To analyze the growth conditions and production of OTA, an experimental design was conducted using response surface methodology as a tool to assess the effects of these abiotic variables on fungal behavior. A. carbonarius showed the highest growth at temperatures from 20 to 33°C, aw between 0.95 and 0.98, and pH levels between 5 and 6.5. Similarly, for A. niger, temperatures between 24 and 37°C, aw greater than 0.95, and pH levels between 4 and 6.5 were optimal. The greatest toxin concentrations for A. carbonarius and A. niger (10 μg/g and 7.0 μg/g, respectively) were found at 15°C, aw 0.99, and pH 5.35. The lowest pH was found to contribute to greater OTA production. These results show that the evaluated fungi are able to grow and produce OTA in a wide range of temperature, aw, and pH. However, the optimal conditions for toxin production are generally different from those optimal for fungal growth. The knowledge of optimal conditions for fungal growth and production of OTA, and of the stages of cultivation in which these conditions are optimal, allows a more precise assessment of the potential risk to health from consumption of products derived from grapes.

  6. Factors affecting Archaeal Lipid Compositions of the Sulfolobus Species

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, L.; Han, J.; Wei, Y.; Lin, L.; Wei, Y.; Zhang, C.

    2010-12-01

    Temperature is the best known variable affecting the distribution of the archaeal glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) in marine and freshwater systems. Other variables such as pH, ionic strength, or bicarbonate concentration may also affect archaeal GDGTs in terrestrial systems. Studies of pure cultures can help us pinpoint the specific effects these variables may have on archaeal lipid distribution in natural environments. In this study, three Sulfolobus species (HG4, HB5-2, HB9-6) isolated from Tengchong hot springs (pH 2-3, temperature 73-90°C) in China were used to investigate the effects of temperature, pH, substrate, and type of strain on the composition of GDGTs. Results showed that increase in temperature had negative effects on the relative contents of GDGT-0 (no cyclopentyl rings), GDGT-1 (one cyclopentyl ring), GDGT-2 and GDGT-3 but positive effects on GDGT-4, GDGT-4', GDGT-5 and GDGT-5'. Increase in pH, on the other hand, had negative effects on GDGT-0, GDGT-1, GDGT-4', GDGT-5 and GDGT-5', and positive effects on GDGT-3 and GDGT-4. GDGT-2 remained relatively constant with changing pH. When the HG4 was grown on different substrates, GDGT-5 was five time more abundant in sucrose-grown cultures than in yeast extract- or sulfur- grown cultures, suggesting that carbohydrates may stimulate the production of GDGT-5. For all three species, the ring index (average number of rings) of GDGTs correlated positively with incubation temperature. In HG4, ring index was much lower at optimal pH (3.5) than at other pH values. Ring index of HB5-2 or HB9-6 is higher than that of HG4, suggesting that speciation may affect the degree of cyclization of GDGT of the Sulfolobus. These results indicate that individual archaeal lipids respond differently to changes in environmental variables, which may be also species specific.

  7. Optimization of pectin extraction from banana peels with citric acid by using response surface methodology.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Túlio Ítalo S; Rosa, Morsyleide F; Cavalcante, Fabio Lima; Pereira, Paulo Henrique F; Moates, Graham K; Wellner, Nikolaus; Mazzetto, Selma E; Waldron, Keith W; Azeredo, Henriette M C

    2016-05-01

    A central composite design was used to determine effects of pH (2.0-4.5), extraction temperature (70-90 °C) and time (120-240 min) on the yield, degree of methoxylation (DM) and galacturonic acid content (GA) of pectins extracted from banana peels with citric acid. Changes in composition during the main steps of pectin extraction were followed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR was also used to determine DM and GA of pectins. Harsh temperature and pH conditions enhanced the extraction yield, but decreased DM. GA presented a maximum value at 83 °C, 190 min, and pH 2.7. The yield of galacturonic acid (YGA), which took into account both the extraction yield and the pectin purity, was improved by higher temperature and lower pH values. The optimum extraction conditions, defined as those resulting in a maximum YGA while keeping DM at a minimum of 51%, were: 87 °C, 160 min, pH 2.0. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sundaramurthi, Prakash; Suryanarayanan, Raj

    To effectively inhibit succinate buffer crystallization and the consequent pH changes in frozen solutions. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), the crystallization behavior of succinate buffer in the presence of either (i) a crystallizing (glycine, mannitol, trehalose) or (ii) a non-crystallizing cosolute (sucrose) was evaluated. Aqueous succinate buffer solutions, 50 or 200 mM, at pH values 4.0 or 6.0 were cooled from room temperature to -25 C at 0.5 C/min. The pH of the solution was measured as a function of temperature using a probe designed to function at low temperatures. The final lyophiles prepared from thesemore » solutions were characterized using synchrotron radiation. When the succinic acid solution buffered to pH 4.0, in the absence of a cosolute, was cooled, there was a pronounced shift in the freeze-concentrate pH. Glycine and mannitol, which have a tendency to crystallize in frozen solutions, remained amorphous when the initial pH was 6.0. Under this condition, they also inhibited buffer crystallization and prevented pH change. At pH 4.0 (50 mM initial concentration), glycine and mannitol crystallized and did not prevent pH change in frozen solutions. While sucrose, a non-crystallizing cosolute, did not completely prevent buffer crystallization, the extent of crystallization was reduced. Sucrose decomposition, based on XRD peaks attributable to {beta}-D-glucose, was observed in frozen buffer solutions with an initial pH of 4.0. Trehalose completely inhibited crystallization of the buffer components when the initial pH was 6.0 but not at pH 4.0. At the lower pH, the crystallization of both trehalose dihydrate and buffer components was evident. When retained amorphous, sucrose and trehalose effectively inhibited succinate buffer component crystallization and the consequent pH shift. However, when trehalose crystallized or sucrose degraded to yield a crystalline decomposition product, crystallization of buffer was observed. Similarly, glycine and mannitol, two widely used bulking agents, inhibited buffer component crystallization only when retained amorphous. In addition to stabilizing the active pharmaceutical ingredient, lyoprotectants may prevent solution pH shift by inhibiting buffer crystallization.« less

  9. Temperature and pH Conditions That Prevail during Fermentation of Sausages Are Optimal for Production of the Antilisterial Bacteriocin Sakacin K

    PubMed Central

    Leroy, Frédéric; de Vuyst, Luc

    1999-01-01

    Sakacin K is an antilisterial bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus sake CTC 494, a strain isolated from Spanish dry fermented sausages. The biokinetics of cell growth and bacteriocin production of L. sake CTC 494 in vitro during laboratory fermentations were investigated by making use of MRS broth. The data obtained from the fermentations was used to set up a predictive model to describe the influence of the physical factors temperature and pH on microbial behavior. The model was validated successfully for all components. However, the specific bacteriocin production rate seemed to have an upper limit. Both cell growth and bacteriocin activity were very much influenced by changes in temperature and pH. The production of biomass was closely related to bacteriocin activity, indicating primary metabolite kinetics, but was not the only factor of importance. Acidity dramatically influenced both the production and the inactivation of sakacin K; the optimal pH for cell growth did not correspond to the pH for maximal sakacin K activity. Furthermore, cells grew well at 35°C but no bacteriocin production could be detected at this temperature. L. sake CTC 494 shows special promise for implementation as a novel bacteriocin-producing sausage starter culture with antilisterial properties, considering the fact that the temperature and acidity conditions that prevail during the fermentation process of dry fermented sausages are optimal for the production of sakacin K. PMID:10049850

  10. Effects of Temperature on Bacterial Communities and Metabolites during Fermentation of Myeolchi-Aekjeot, a Traditional Korean Fermented Anchovy Sauce.

    PubMed

    Jung, Ji Young; Lee, Hyo Jung; Chun, Byung Hee; Jeon, Che Ok

    2016-01-01

    Myeolchi-aekjeot (MA) in Korea is produced outdoors without temperature controls, which is a major obstacle to produce commercial MA products with uniform quality. To investigate the effects of temperature on MA fermentation, pH, bacterial abundance and community, and metabolites were monitored during fermentation at 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C. Initial pH values were approximately 6.0, and pH values increased after approximately 42 days, with faster increases at higher temperatures. Bacterial abundances increased rapidly in all MA samples after quick initial decreases during early fermentation and then they again steadily decreased after reaching their maxima, which were significantly greater at higher temperatures. Bacterial community analysis revealed that Proteobacteria and Tenericutes were predominant in all initial MA samples, but they were rapidly displaced by Firmicutes as fermentation progressed. Photobacterium and Mycoplasma belonging to Proteobacteria and Tenericutes, respectively, which may include potentially pathogenic strains, were dominant in initial MA, but decreased with the growth of Chromohalobacter, which occurred faster at higher temperatures--they were dominant until 273 and 100 days at 15°C and 20°C, respectively, but not detected after 30 days at 25°C and 30°C. Chromohalobacter also decreased with the appearance of subsequent genera belonging to Firmicutes in all MA samples. Tetragenococcus, halophilic lactic acid bacteria, appeared predominantly at 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C; they were most abundant at 30°C, but not detected at 15°C. Alkalibacillus and Lentibacillus appeared as dominant genera with the decrease of Tetragenococcus at 25°C and 30°C, but only Lentibacillus was dominant at 15°C and 20°C. Metabolite analysis showed that amino acids related to tastes were major metabolites and their concentrations were relatively higher at high temperatures. This study suggests that high temperatures (approximately 30°C) may be appropriate in MA fermentation, in the light of faster disappearance of potentially pathogenic genera, higher amino acids, growth of Tetragenococcus, and faster fermentation.

  11. Effects of pH and Temperature on Recombinant Manganese Peroxidase Production and Stability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Fei; Kongsaeree, Puapong; Schilke, Karl; Lajoie, Curtis; Kelly, Christine

    The enzyme manganese peroxidase (MnP) is produced by numerous white-rot fungi to overcome biomass recalcitrance caused by lignin. MnP acts directly on lignin and increases access of the woody structure to synergistic wood-degrading enzymes such as cellulases and xylanases. Recombinant MnP (rMnP) can be produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris αMnP1-1 in fed-batch fermentations. The effects of pH and temperature on recombinant manganese peroxidase (rMnP) production by P. pastoris αMnP1-1 were investigated in shake flask and fed-batch fermentations. The optimum pH and temperature for a standardized fed-batch fermentation process for rMnP production in P. pastoris ctMnP1-1 were determined to be pH 6 and 30 °C, respectively. P. pastoris αMnP1-1 constitutively expresses the manganese peroxidase (mnp1) complementary DNA from Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and the rMnP has similar kinetic characteristics and pH activity and stability ranges as the wild-type MnP (wtMnP). Cultivation of P. chrysosporium mycelia in stationary flasks for production of heme peroxidases is commonly conducted at low pH (pH 4.2). However, shake flask and fed-batch fermentation experiments with P. pastoris αMnP1-1 demonstrated that rMnP production is highest at pH 6, with rMnP concentrations in the medium declining rapidly at pH less than 5.5, although cell growth rates were similar from pH 4-7. Investigations of the cause of low rMnP production at low pH were consistent with the hypothesis that intracellular proteases are released from dead and lysed yeast cells during the fermentation that are active against rMnP at pH less than 5.5.

  12. Actual Waste Demonstration of the Nitric-Glycolic Flowsheet for Sludge Batch 9 Qualification

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. D. Newell; Pareizs, J. M.; Martino, C. J.

    For each sludge batch that is processed in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performs qualification testing to demonstrate that the sludge batch is processable. Testing performed by the Savannah River National Laboratory has shown glycolic acid to be effective in replacing the function of formic acid in the DWPF chemical process. The nitric-glycolic flowsheet reduces mercury, significantly lowers the catalytic generation of hydrogen and ammonia which could allow purge reduction in the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT), stabilizes the pH and chemistry in the SRAT and the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME), allowsmore » for effective rheology adjustment, and is favorable with respect to melter flammability. In order to implement the new flowsheet, SRAT and SME cycles, designated SC-18, were performed using a Sludge Batch (SB) 9 slurry blended from SB8 Tank 40H and Tank 51H samples. The SRAT cycle involved adding nitric and glycolic acids to the sludge, refluxing to steam strip mercury, and dewatering to a targeted solids concentration. Data collected during the SRAT cycle included offgas analyses, process temperatures, heat transfer, and pH measurements. The SME cycle demonstrated the addition of glass frit and the replication of six canister decontamination additions. The demonstration concluded with dewatering to a targeted solids concentration. Data collected during the SME cycle included offgas analyses, process temperatures, heat transfer, and pH measurements. Slurry and condensate samples were collected for subsequent analysis« less

  13. Buffer-free therapeutic antibody preparations provide a viable alternative to conventionally buffered solutions: from protein buffer capacity prediction to bioprocess applications.

    PubMed

    Bahrenburg, Sven; Karow, Anne R; Garidel, Patrick

    2015-04-01

    Protein therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), have significant buffering capacity, particularly at concentrations>50 mg/mL. This report addresses pH-related issues critical to adoption of self-buffered monoclonal antibody formulations. We evaluated solution conditions with protein concentrations ranging from 50 to 250 mg/mL. Samples were both buffer-free and conventionally buffered with citrate. Samples were non-isotonic or adjusted for isotonicity with NaCl or trehalose. Studies included accelerated temperature stability tests, shaking stability studies, and pH changes in infusion media as protein concentrate is added. We present averaged buffering slopes of capacity that can be applied to any mAb and present a general method for calculating buffering capacity of buffer-free, highly concentrated antibody liquid formulations. In temperature stability tests, neither buffer-free nor conventionally buffered solution conditions showed significant pH changes. Conventionally buffered solutions showed significantly higher opalescence than buffer-free ones. In general, buffer-free solution conditions showed less aggregation than conventionally buffered solutions. Shaking stability tests showed no differences between buffer-free and conventionally buffered solutions. "In-use" preparation experiments showed that pH in infusion bag medium can rapidly approximate that of self-buffered protein concentrate as concentrate is added. In summary, the buffer capacity of proteins can be predicted and buffer-free therapeutic antibody preparations provide a viable alternative to conventionally buffered solutions. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Bulk Dissolution Rates of Cadmium and Bismuth Tellurides As a Function of pH, Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen.

    PubMed

    Biver, Marc; Filella, Montserrat

    2016-05-03

    The toxicity of Cd being well established and that of Te suspected, the bulk, surface-normalized steady-state dissolution rates of two industrially important binary tellurides-polycrystalline cadmium and bismuth tellurides- were studied over the pH range 3-11, at various temperatures (25-70 °C) and dissolved oxygen concentrations (0-100% O2 in the gas phase). The behavior of both tellurides is strikingly different. The dissolution rates of CdTe monotonically decreased with increasing pH, the trend becoming more pronounced with increasing temperature. Activation energies were of the order of magnitude associated with surface controlled processes; they decreased with decreasing acidity. At pH 7, the CdTe dissolution rate increased linearly with dissolved oxygen. In anoxic solution, CdTe dissolved at a finite rate. In contrast, the dissolution rate of Bi2Te3 passed through a minimum at pH 5.3. The activation energy had a maximum in the rate minimum at pH 5.3 and fell below the threshold for diffusion control at pH 11. No oxygen dependence was detected. Bi2Te3 dissolves much more slowly than CdTe; from one to more than 3.5 orders of magnitude in the Bi2Te3 rate minimum. Both will readily dissolve under long-term landfill deposition conditions but comparatively slowly.

  15. Heat aggregation studies of phycobilisomes, ferritin, insulin, and immunoglobulin by dynamic light scattering.

    PubMed

    Singh, B P; Bohidar, H B; Chopra, S

    1991-10-15

    Dynamic laser light scattering studies on the heat aggregation behavior of phycobilisomes (PBS), ferritin, insulin, and immunoglobulin (IgG) in dilute aqueous solutions has been reported. Except for PBS, results are reported for heat aggregation trends in these proteins for three different pH environments (4.0, 7.5, 9.1). For PBS, studies were performed only in the neutral buffer medium (pH 7.5). The experiments were performed in the very dilute concentration regime (between 0.23 and 1.8 gL-1). For all these samples heat aggregation and dissociation trends were found to be linear with temperature. Upon temperature reversal (self-cooling), hysteresis-like behavior observed in insulin was found to be predominantly large at pH 7.5. PBS, ferritin, and IgG showed no such behavior at any of three pH values, and retraced their path of aggregation while dissociating on temperature reversal. Heat aggregation and dissociation processes in ferritin were found to be independent of pH. The IgG samples showed smooth aggregation tendency only up to 35 degrees C in the buffer media pH 4.0 and 9.1, whereas for pH 7.0 the same could be observed until 60 degrees C. Low polydispersity in the correlation spectra was observed in case of all these samples.

  16. pH and heat-dependent behaviour of glucose oxidase down to single molecule level by combined fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular modelling.

    PubMed

    Dumitraşcu, Loredana; Stănciuc, Nicoleta; Bahrim, Gabriela Elena; Ciumac, Alexandrina; Aprodu, Iuliana

    2016-04-01

    In the food industry, glucose oxidase (GOX) is used to improve the shelf life of food materials. The pH- and heat-induced conformational changes of glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger were quantified by means of fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. The phase diagram showed an all-or-none transition process, indicating that pH and temperature largely influence the conformational state of GOX. Shifts in maximum wavelength of Trp, Tyr were registered as the protein encounters a lower pH (pH 4.0), suggesting significant changes of the polarity around the chromophore molecule. Quenching experiments using KI showed higher quenching constants of Trp and flavin adenine dinucleotide upon heating or by changing pH value, and were mainly correlated with the conformational changes upon protein matrix. Finally, valuable insights into the thermal behaviour of GOX were obtained from molecular modelling results. The conformation and structure of GOX protein is dependent upon the pH and heat treatment applied. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated significant changes in the substrate binding region at temperatures over 60 °C that might affect enzyme activity. Moreover, an important alteration of the small pocket hosting the positively charged His(516) residue responsible for oxygen activation appears evident at high temperatures. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  17. Wearable sweat detector device design for health monitoring and clinical diagnosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Qiuchen; Zhang, Xiaodong; Tian, Bihao; Zhang, Hongyan; Yu, Yang; Wang, Ming

    2017-06-01

    Miniaturized sensor is necessary part for wearable detector for biomedical applications. Wearable detector device is indispensable for online health care. This paper presents a concept of an wearable digital health monitoring device design for sweat analysis. The flexible sensor is developed to quantify the amount of hydrogen ions in sweat and skin temperature in real time. The detection system includes pH sensor, temperature sensor, signal processing module, power source, microprocessor, display module and so on. The sweat monitoring device is designed for sport monitoring or clinical diagnosis.

  18. Studies on the production of alkaline α-amylase from Bacillus subtilis CB-18.

    PubMed

    Nwokoro, Ogbonnaya; Anthonia, Odiase

    2015-01-01

    Amylases are among the main enzymes used in food and other industries. They hydrolyse starch molecules into polymers composing glucose units. Amylases have potential applications in a number of industrial processes including foods and pharmaceutical industries. Alkaline α-amylase has the potential of hydrolysing starch under alkaline pH and is useful in the starch and textile industries and as an ingredient of detergents. Amylases are produced from plants, however, microbial production processes have dominated applications in the industries. Optimization of microbial production processes can result in improved enzyme yields. Amylase activity was assayed by incubating the enzyme solution (0.5 ml) with 1% soluble starch (0.5 ml) in 0.1 M Tris/HCl buffer (pH 8.5). After 30 minutes, the reaction was stopped by the addition of 4 mL of 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) reagent then heated for 10 min in boiling water bath and cooled in a refrigerator. Absorbance readings were used to estimate the units of enzyme activity from glucose standard curve. Hydrolysed native starches from cassava, rice, corn, coco yam, maize and potato and soluble starch were adjusted to pH 8.5 prior to incubation with crude enzyme solution. Reducing sugars produced were therefore determined. The effect of pH on enzyme activity of the alkaline α-amylase was determined by using buffer solutions of different pH (potassium phosphate buffer, 6.0-7.0; Tris-HCl buffer 7.5 to 9.0 and carbonate/bicarbonate buffer, pH 9.5-11) for enzyme assay. The pH stability profile of the enzyme was determined by incubating 0.5 ml of α-amylase enzyme in 0.1 M Tris/HCl buffer (pH 8.5) and 0.5 ml of 1% (w/v) soluble starch (Merck) in 0.1 M Tris/HCl buffer (pH 8.5) for 3 h in various buffers. The effect of temperature on enzyme activity was studied by incubating 0.5 mL of the enzyme solution contained in the test tube and 0.5 mL of 1% soluble starch (Merck) solution prepared in 0.1 M Tris/HCl buffer (pH 8.5) for 3 h at various temperatures (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60°C) in a thermo static water bath. The reactions were stopped by adding DNS reagent. The enzyme activity was therefore determined. Thermal stability was studied by incubating 0.5 ml of enzyme solution in 0.1 M Tris/HCl buffer (pH 8.5) and 0.5 ml of 1% (w/v) soluble starch (Merck) in 0.1 M Tris/HCl buffer (pH 8.5) for 3 h at various temperatures (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70°C) for 60 min. The enzyme displayed optimal activity at pH 8.0 at which it produced maximum specific activity of 34.3 units/mg protein. Maximum stability was at pH 8.0 to 9.0. Maximum activity was observed at temperature of 50°C while thermo stability of the enzyme was observed at 40-50°C. The enzyme displayed a wide range of activities on starch and caused the release of 5.86, 4.75, 5.98, 3.44, 3.96, 8.84 mg/mL reducing sugar from cassava, potato, cocoyam, corn, rice and soluble starch respectively. This investigation reports some biochemical characterization of alkaline α-amylase from Bacillus subtilis CB-18. The substrate specificities of this enzyme on various starches suggested that the alkaline α-amylase enzyme had combined activities on raw and soluble starch.

  19. Effect of incubation temperature and pH on the recovery of Bacillus weihenstephanensis spores after exposure to a peracetic acid-based disinfectant or to pulsed light.

    PubMed

    Trunet, C; Mtimet, N; Mathot, A-G; Postollec, F; Leguérinel, I; Couvert, O; Carlin, F; Coroller, L

    2018-04-12

    The recovery at a range of incubation temperatures and pH of spores of Bacillus weihenstephanensis KBAB4 exposed to a peracetic acid-based disinfectant (PABD) or to pulsed light was estimated. Spores of B. weihenstephanensis were produced at 30 °C and pH 7.00, at 30 °C and pH 5.50, or at 12 °C and pH 7.00. The spores were treated with a commercial peracetic acid-based disinfectant at 80 mg·mL -1 for 0 to 200 min at 18 °C or by pulsed light at fluences ranging between 0.4 and 2.3 J·cm -2 for pulsed light treatment. After each treatment, the spores were incubated on nutrient agar at 12 °C, 30 °C or 37 °C, or at pH 5.10, 6.00 or 7.40. Incubation temperature during recovery had a significant impact only near the recovery limits, beyond which surviving spores previously exposed to a PABD or to pulsed light were not able to form colonies. In contrast, a decrease in pH of the recovery nutrient agar had a progressive impact on the ability of spores to form colonies. The time to first log reduction after PABD treatment was 29.5 ± 0.7 min with recovery at pH 7.40, and was tremendously shortened 5.1 ± 0.2 min with recovery at pH 5.10. Concerning the fluence necessary for the first log reduction, it was 1.5 times higher when the spores were recovered at pH 6.00 compared to a recovery at pH 5.10. The impact of recovery temperature and pH can be described with a mathematical model using cardinal temperature and pH as parameters. These effects of temperature and pH on recovery of Bacillus weihenstephanensis spores exposed to a disinfectant combining peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide, or pulsed light are similar, although these treatments are of different natures. Sporulation temperature or pH did not impact resistance to the peracetic acid-based disinfectant or pulsed light. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Development of Bench and Full-Scale Temperature and pH Responsive Functionalized PVDF Membranes with Tunable Properties

    PubMed Central

    Xiao, Li; Isner, Austin; Waldrop, Krysta; Saad, Anthony; Takigawa, Doreen; Bhattacharyya, Dibakar

    2014-01-01

    Temperature and pH responsive polymers (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), and polyacrylic acid, PAA) were synthesized in one common macrofiltration PVDF membrane platform by pore-filling method. The microstructure and morphology of the PNIPAAm-PVDF, and PNIPAAm-FPAA-PVDF membranes were studied by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The membrane pore size was controlled by the swelling and shrinking of the PNIPAAm at the temperature around lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The composite membrane demonstrated a rapid and reversible swelling and deswelling change within a small temperature range. The controllable flux makes it possible to utilize this temperature responsive membrane as a valve to regulate filtration properties by temperature change. Dextran solution (Mw=2,000,000g/mol, 26 nm diameter) was used to evaluate the separation performance of the temperature responsive membranes. The ranges of dextran rejection are from 4% to 95% depending on the temperature, monomer amount and pressure. The full-scale membrane was also developed to confirm the feasibility of our bench-scale experimental results. The full-scale membrane also exhibited both temperature and pH responsivity. This system was also used for controlled nanoparticles synthesis and for dechlorination reaction. PMID:24944434

  1. Reduction-resistant and reduction-catalytic double-crown nickel nanoclusters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Min; Zhou, Zhou, Shiming; Yao, Chuanhao; Liao, Lingwen; Wu, Zhikun

    2014-11-01

    In this work, an attempt to synthesize zero-valent Ni nanoclusters using the Brust method resulted in an unexpected material, Ni6(SCH2CH2Ph)12, which is a nanoscale Ni(ii)-phenylethanethiolate complex and a hexameric, double-crown-like structure, as determined by a series of characterizations, including mass spectrometry (MS), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). An interesting finding is that this complex is resistant to aqueous BH4-. Investigations into other metal-phenylethanethiolate and Ni-thiolate complexes reveal that this property is not universal and appears only in complexes with a double-crown-like structure, indicating the correlation between this interesting property and the complexes' special structure. Another interesting finding is that the reduction-resistant Ni6(SCH2CH2Ph)12 exhibits remarkably higher catalytic activity than a well-known catalyst, Au25(SCH2CH2Ph)18, toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol at low temperature (e.g., 0 °C). This work will help stimulate more research on the properties and applications of less noble metal nanoclusters.In this work, an attempt to synthesize zero-valent Ni nanoclusters using the Brust method resulted in an unexpected material, Ni6(SCH2CH2Ph)12, which is a nanoscale Ni(ii)-phenylethanethiolate complex and a hexameric, double-crown-like structure, as determined by a series of characterizations, including mass spectrometry (MS), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). An interesting finding is that this complex is resistant to aqueous BH4-. Investigations into other metal-phenylethanethiolate and Ni-thiolate complexes reveal that this property is not universal and appears only in complexes with a double-crown-like structure, indicating the correlation between this interesting property and the complexes' special structure. Another interesting finding is that the reduction-resistant Ni6(SCH2CH2Ph)12 exhibits remarkably higher catalytic activity than a well-known catalyst, Au25(SCH2CH2Ph)18, toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol at low temperature (e.g., 0 °C). This work will help stimulate more research on the properties and applications of less noble metal nanoclusters. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental section, detailed structural data, MS analyses of M-SCH2CH2Ph complexes, stability study of Ni6 and TGA analysis of Au25(SCH2CH2Ph)18. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr04981k

  2. Comparison of electrical conductivity calculation methods for natural waters

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Ryan, Joseph N.

    2012-01-01

    The capability of eleven methods to calculate the electrical conductivity of a wide range of natural waters from their chemical composition was investigated. A brief summary of each method is presented including equations to calculate the conductivities of individual ions, the ions incorporated, and the method's limitations. The ability of each method to reliably predict the conductivity depends on the ions included, effective accounting of ion pairing, and the accuracy of the equation used to estimate the ionic conductivities. The performances of the methods were evaluated by calculating the conductivity of 33 environmentally important electrolyte solutions, 41 U.S. Geological Survey standard reference water samples, and 1593 natural water samples. The natural waters tested include acid mine waters, geothermal waters, seawater, dilute mountain waters, and river water impacted by municipal waste water. The three most recent conductivity methods predict the conductivity of natural waters better than other methods. Two of the recent methods can be used to reliably calculate the conductivity for samples with pH values greater than about 3 and temperatures between 0 and 40°C. One method is applicable to a variety of natural water types with a range of pH from 1 to 10, temperature from 0 to 95°C, and ionic strength up to 1 m.

  3. The ExoMol pressure broadening diet: H2 and He line-broadening parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barton, Emma J.; Hill, C.; Czurylo, M.; Li, H. Y.; Hyslop, A.; Yurchenko, Sergei N.; Tennyson, Jonathan

    2017-12-01

    In a variety of astronomical objects including gas giant (exo-)planets, brown dwarfs and cool stars, molecular hydrogen and helium are the major line broadeners. However, there is currently no systematic source for these parameters, particularly at the elevated temperatures encountered in many of these objects. The ExoMol project provides comprehensive molecular line lists for exoplanet and other hot atmospheres. The ExoMol database has recently been extended to provide additional data including temperature-dependent, pressure-broadening parameters. Here we assemble H2 and He pressure-broadening datasets for the molecules H2O, NH3, SO2, CH4, PH3, HCN and H2CO using available experimental and theoretical studies.

  4. 40 CFR 411.22 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. English units (lb/1,000 lb of dust leached) TSS 0.4. Temperature (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. [39 FR 6591, Feb. 20, 1974, as amended at 60 FR 33951, June 29...

  5. 40 CFR 411.22 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. English units (lb/1,000 lb of dust leached) TSS 0.4. Temperature (heat) Not to exceed 3 °C rise above inlet temperature. pH Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. [39 FR 6591, Feb. 20, 1974, as amended at 60 FR 33951, June 29...

  6. Malate dehydrogenase isozymes in the longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae.

    PubMed

    Starzyk, R M; Merritt, R B

    1980-08-01

    The interspecies homology of dace supernatant (A2,AB,B2) and mitochondrial (C2) malate dehydrogenase isozymes has been established through cell fractionation and tissue distribution studies. Isolated supernatant malate dehydrogenase (s-MDH) isozymes show significant differences in Michaelis constants for oxaloacetate and in pH optima. Shifts in s-MDH isozyme pH optima with temperature may result in immediate compensation for increase in ectotherm body pH with decrease in temperature, but duplicate s-MDH isozymes are probably maintained through selection for tissue specific regulation of metabolism.

  7. Identification of molecular and physiological responses to chronic environmental challenge in an invasive species: the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas

    PubMed Central

    Clark, Melody S; Thorne, Michael A S; Amaral, Ana; Vieira, Florbela; Batista, Frederico M; Reis, João; Power, Deborah M

    2013-01-01

    Understanding the environmental responses of an invasive species is critical in predicting how ecosystem composition may be transformed in the future, especially under climate change. In this study, Crassostrea gigas, a species well adapted to the highly variable intertidal environment, was exposed to the chronic environmental challenges of temperature (19 and 24°C) and pH (ambient seawater and a reduction of 0.4 pH units) in an extended 3-month laboratory-based study. Physiological parameters were measured (condition index, shell growth, respiration, excretion rates, O:N ratios, and ability to repair shell damage) alongside molecular analyses. Temperature was by far the most important stressor, as demonstrated by reduced condition indexes and shell growth at 24°C, with relatively little effect detected for pH. Transcriptional profiling using candidate genes and SOLiD sequencing of mantle tissue revealed that classical “stress” genes, previously reported to be upregulated under acute temperature challenges, were not significantly expressed in any of the treatments, emphasizing the different response between acute and longer term chronic stress. The transcriptional profiling also elaborated on the cellular responses underpinning the physiological results, including the identification of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway as a potentially novel marker for chronic environmental challenge. This study represents a first attempt to understand the energetic consequences of cumulative thermal stress on the intertidal C. gigas which could significantly impact on coastal ecosystem biodiversity and function in the future. PMID:24223268

  8. Optimization of the mineralization of a mixture of phenolic pollutants under a ferrioxalate-induced solar photo-Fenton process.

    PubMed

    Monteagudo, J M; Durán, A; Aguirre, M; San Martín, I

    2011-01-15

    The mineralization of solutions containing a mixture of three phenolic compounds, gallic, p-coumaric and protocatechuic acids, in a ferrioxalate-induced solar photo-Fenton process was investigated. The reactions were carried out in a pilot plant consisting of a compound parabolic collector (CPC) solar reactor. An optimization study was performed combining a multivariate experimental design and neuronal networks that included the following variables: pH, temperature, solar power, air flow and initial concentrations of H(2)O(2), Fe(II) and oxalic acid. Under optimal conditions, total elimination of the original compounds and 94% TOC removal of the mixture were achieved in 5 and 194 min, respectively. pH and initial concentrations of H(2)O(2) and Fe(II) were the most significant factors affecting the mixture mineralization. The molar correlation between consumed hydrogen peroxide and removed TOC was always between 1 and 3. A detailed analysis of the reaction was presented. The values of the pseudo-first-order mineralization kinetic rate constant, k(TOC), increased as initial Fe(II) and H(2)O(2) concentrations and temperature increased. The optimum pH value also slightly increased with greater Fe(II) and hydrogen peroxide concentrations but decreased when temperature increased. OH and O(2)(-) radicals were the main oxidative intermediate species in the process, although singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) also played a role in the mineralization reaction. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. A ph sensor based on a flexible substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Wen-Ding

    pH sensor is an essential component used in many chemical, food, and bio-material industries. Conventional glass electrodes have been used to construct pH sensors, however, have some disadvantages. Glass electrodes are easily affected by alkaline or HF solution, they require a high input impedance pH meter, they often exhibit a sluggish response. In some specific applications, it is also difficult to use glass electrodes for in vivo biomedical or food monitoring applications due to the difficulty of size miniaturization, planarization and polymerization based on current manufacturing technologies. In this work, we have demonstrated a novel flexible pH sensor based on low-cost sol-gel fabrication process of iridium oxide (IrOx) sensing film (IROF). A pair of flexible miniature IrOx/AgCl electrode generated the action potential from the solution by electrochemical mechanism to obtain the pH level of the reagent. The fabrication process including sol-gel, thermal oxidation, and the electro-plating process of the silver chloride (AgCl) reference electrode were reported in the work. The IrOx film was verified and characterized using electron dispersive analysis (EDAX), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The flexible pH sensor's performance and characterization have been investigated with different testing parameters such as sensitivity, response time, stability, reversibility, repeatability, selectivity and temperature dependence. The flexible IrOx pH sensors exhibited promising sensing performance with a near-Nernstian response of sensitivity which is between --51.1mV/pH and --51.7mV/pH in different pH levels ranging from 1.5 to 12 at 25°C. Two applications including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) diagnosis and food freshness wireless monitoring using our micro-flexible IrOx pH sensors were demonstrated. For the GERD diagnosing system, we embedded the micro flexible pH sensor on a 1.2cmx3.8cm of the capsule size of wireless sensor implanted inside the esophagus. Our pH electrode can monitor the pH changes of gastric juice in real time when the reflux happening in the esophagus. Our micro flexible pH sensor performed clear responses in each distinct pH reflux episode quickly and accurately comparing with the other commercial pH monitoring system. For the food freshness monitoring applications, we used the flexible pH sensor as a freshness indicator to monitor the pH changing profile during the food spoilage procedure. The sensor was then embedded with radio frequency identification (RFID) based passive telemetry enabling remote monitoring of food freshness. In the result, our pH-wireless RFID system presented 633Hz/pH of the sensitivity in the frequency calibration. The calibration of stability and dynamical response of the RFID system were also demonstrated before the test on food freshness monitoring. Finally, a white fish meat for long term spoilage procedure monitoring was applied and tested by using our wireless IrOx pH sensing system. Our RFID pH sensing module is able to monitor, collect and transmit the pH information continuously for 18 hours during the food spoilage procedure. In this dissertation, a micro size of IrOx/AgCl pH sensor was fabricated on a flexible substrate. The physical properties of the IrO x thin film was verified in the work. The different sensing capability such as the sensitivity, stability, reversibility, response time, repeatability, selectivity, and temperature dependence was then demonstrated in this work. After the different in-vitro tests, the pH sensor were embedded with our passive RFID circuitry for the in-vivo GERD diagnosis and food freshness monitoring application. Our wireless pH sensing system was able to deliver the accurate and quick pH sensing data wirelessly. In conclusion, our deformable IrOx pH electrodes have been demonstrated with the advantages of accommodating and conforming sensors in small spaces or curved surfaces. This miniature IrOx pH sensor can respond to distinct potentials of the various pH levels as traditional glass electrodes, however, the miniature, bio-compatible and flexible substrate and the ability to be integrated in batterryless telemetry enable the pH sensor to be applied on many new medical, bio-chemical and biological field.

  10. Thermodynamic analysis of journal bearings operating under steady state loading in laminar regime. Ph.D. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Khonsari, M. M.

    1983-01-01

    Thermohydrodynamic effects in journal bearings operating under steady load in laminar regime are investigated. An analytical model for the finite and infinitely long journal bearings is formulated. The model includes correction factors for the cavitation effects in the unloaded region of the bearing and the mixing of the recirculating oil and supply oil at the oil inlet. A finite difference computer program is developed to numerically solve the governing equations of the continuity, Reynolds, energy, Laplace heat conduction, and a viscosity-temperature relation simultaneously. The program includes a numerical technique for obtaining an isothermal shaft temperature. The numerical results of temperature distribution and the heat effects on the bearing load carrying capacity agree closely with those of experimental findings. Several different sets of simpler boundary conditions for the energy equation are studied.

  11. Comparative study of energy-transducing properties of cytoplasmic membranes from mesophilic and thermophilic Bacillus species.

    PubMed Central

    De Vrij, W; Bulthuis, R A; Konings, W N

    1988-01-01

    The properties of enzymes involved in energy transduction from a mesophilic (Bacillus subtilis) and a thermophilic (B. stearothermophilus) bacterium were compared. Membrane preparations of the two organisms contained dehydrogenases for NADH, succinate, L-alpha-glycerophosphate, and L-lactate. Maximum NADH and cytochrome c oxidation rates were obtained at the respective growth temperatures of the two bacteria. The enzymes involved in the oxidation reactions in membranes of the thermophilic species were more thermostable than those of the mesophilic species. The apparent microviscosities of the two membrane preparations were studied at different temperatures. At the respective optimal growth temperatures, the apparent microviscosities of the membranes of the two organisms were remarkably similar. The transition from the gel to the liquid-crystalline state occurred at different temperatures in the two species. In the two species, the oxidation of physiological (NADH) and nonphysiological (N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine or phenazine methosulfate) electron donors led to generation of a proton motive force which varied strongly with temperature. At increasing temperatures, the efficiency of energy transduction declined because of increasing H+ permeability. At the growth temperature, the efficiency of energy transduction was lower in B. stearothermophilus than in the mesophilic species. Extremely high respiratory activities enabled B. stearothermophilus to maintain a high proton motive force at elevated temperatures. The pH dependence of proton motive force generation appeared to be similar in the two membrane preparations. The highest proton motive forces were generated at low external pH, mainly because of a high pH gradient. At increasing external pH, the proton motive force declined. PMID:2834342

  12. Predicting the crystallization propensity of carboxylic acid buffers in frozen systems--relevance to freeze-drying.

    PubMed

    Sundaramurthi, Prakash; Suryanarayanan, Raj

    2011-04-01

    Selective crystallization of buffer components in frozen solutions is known to cause pronounced pH shifts. Our objective was to study the crystallization behavior and the consequent pH shift in frozen aqueous carboxylic acid buffers. Aqueous carboxylic acid buffers were cooled to -25°C and the pH of the solution was measured as a function of temperature. The thermal behavior of solutions during freezing and thawing was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The crystallized phases in frozen solution were identified by X-ray diffractometry. The malate buffer system was robust with no evidence of buffer component crystallization and hence negligible pH shift. In the citrate and tartarate systems, at initial pH

  13. Biophysical characterization and conformational stability of Ebola and Marburg virus-like particles.

    PubMed

    Hu, Lei; Trefethen, Jared M; Zeng, Yuhong; Yee, Luisa; Ohtake, Satoshi; Lechuga-Ballesteros, David; Warfield, Kelly L; Aman, M Javad; Shulenin, Sergey; Unfer, Robert; Enterlein, Sven G; Truong-Le, Vu; Volkin, David B; Joshi, Sangeeta B; Middaugh, C Russell

    2011-12-01

    The filoviruses, Ebola virus and Marburg virus, cause severe hemorrhagic fever with up to 90% human mortality. Virus-like particles of EBOV (eVLPs) and MARV (mVLPs) are attractive vaccine candidates. For the development of stable vaccines, the conformational stability of these two enveloped VLPs produced in insect cells was characterized by various spectroscopic techniques over a wide pH and temperature range. Temperature-induced aggregation of the VLPs at various pH values was monitored by light scattering. Temperature/pH empirical phase diagrams (EPDs) of the two VLPs were constructed to summarize the large volume of data generated. The EPDs show that both VLPs lose their conformational integrity above about 50°C-60°C, depending on solution pH. The VLPs were maximally thermal stable in solution at pH 7-8, with a significant reduction in stability at pH 5 and 6. They were much less stable in solution at pH 3-4 due to increased susceptibility of the VLPs to aggregation. The characterization data and conformational stability profiles from these studies provide a basis for selection of optimized solution conditions for further vaccine formulation and long-term stability studies of eVLPs and mVLPs. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  14. Short communication: Serum composition of milk subjected to re-equilibration by dialysis at different temperatures, after pH adjustments.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Zhengtao; Corredig, Milena

    2016-04-01

    The objective of this work was to investigate the properties of casein micelles after pH adjustment and their re-equilibration to the original pH and serum composition. Re-equilibration was carried out by dialyzing against skim milk at 2 different temperatures (4 or 22 °C). Turbidity, the average radius of the casein micelles, and the composition of the soluble phase were measured at different pH values, ranging between 5.5 and 8. Acidification led to the solubilization of colloidal calcium phosphate and decrease of the average radius of the micelles. With re-equilibration, casein dissociation occurred. In milk with pH values greater than 6.0, the average radius was recovered after re-equilibration. At pH values greater than neutral, an increase of the radius of casein micelles and increased dissociation of the casein were found. After re-equilibration, the radius of micelles and soluble protein in the serum decreased. The results were not affected by the temperature of re-equilibration. The changes to the calcium phosphate equilibrium and the dissociation of the micelles will have important consequences to the functionality of casein micelles. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Triple-Stimuli-Responsive Ferrocene-Containing PEGs in Water and on the Surface.

    PubMed

    Alkan, Arda; Steinmetz, Christian; Landfester, Katharina; Wurm, Frederik R

    2015-12-02

    Triple-stimuli-responsive PEG-based materials are prepared by living anionic ring-opening copolymerization of ethylene oxide and vinyl ferrocenyl glycidyl ether and subsequent thiol-ene postpolymerization modification with cysteamine. The hydrophilicity of these materials can be tuned by three stimuli: (i) temperature (depending on the comonomer ratio), (ii) oxidation state of iron centers in the ferrocene moieties, and (iii) pH-value (through amino groups), both in aqueous solution and at the interface after covalent attachment to a glass surface. In such materials, the cloud point temperatures are adjustable in solution by changing oxidation state and/or pH. On the surface, the contact angle increases with increasing pH and temperature and after oxidation, making these smart surfaces interesting for catalytic applications. Also, their redox response can be switched by temperature and pH, making this material useful for catalysis and electrochemistry applications. Exemplarily, the temperature-dependent catalysis of the chemiluminescence of luminol (a typical blood analysis tool in forensics) was investigated with these polymers.

  16. Injectable and body temperature sensitive hydrogels based on chitosan and hyaluronic acid for pH sensitive drug release.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Wei; Jin, Xin; Li, Heng; Zhang, Run-Run; Wu, Cheng-Wei

    2018-04-15

    Hydrogels based on chitosan/hyaluronic acid/β-sodium glycerophosphate demonstrate injectability, body temperature sensitivity, pH sensitive drug release and adhesion to cancer cell. The drug (doxorubicin) loaded hydrogel precursor solutions are injectable and turn to hydrogels when the temperature is increased to body temperature. The acidic condition (pH 4.00) can trigger the release of drug and the cancer cell (Hela) can adhere to the surface of the hydrogels, which will be beneficial for tumor site-specific administration of drug. The mechanical strength, the gelation temperature, and the drug release behavior can be tuned by varying hyaluronic acid content. The mechanisms were characterized using dynamic mechanical analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The carboxyl group in hyaluronic acid can form the hydrogen bondings with the protonated amine in chitosan, which promotes the increase of mechanical strength of the hydrogels and depresses the initial burst release of drug from the hydrogel. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Biological mechanisms supporting adaptation to ocean acidification in coastal ecosystems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hendriks, Iris E.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Olsen, Ylva S.; Steckbauer, Alexandra; Ramajo, Laura; Moore, Tommy S.; Trotter, Julie A.; McCulloch, Malcolm

    2015-01-01

    The direct influence of anthropogenic CO2 might play a limited role in pH regulation in coastal ecosystems as pH regulation in these areas can be complex. They experience large variability across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, with complex external and internal drivers. Organisms influence pH at a patch scale, where community metabolic effects and hydrodynamic processes interact to produce broad ranges in pH, (˜0.3-0.5 pH units) over daily cycles and spatial scales (mm to m) particularly in shallow vegetated habitats and coral reefs where both respiration and photosynthetic activity are intense. Biological interactions at the ecosystem scale, linked to patchiness in habitat landscapes and seasonal changes in metabolic processes and temperature lead to changes of about 0.3-0.5 pH units throughout a year. Furthermore, on the scale of individual organisms, small-scale processes including changes at the Diffusive Boundary Layer (DBL), interactions with symbionts, and changes to the specific calcification environment, induce additional changes in excess of 0.5 pH units. In these highly variable pH environments calcifying organisms have developed the capacity to alter the pH of their calcifying environment, or specifically within critical tissues where calcification occurs, thus achieving a homeostasis. This capacity to control the conditions for calcification at the organism scale may therefore buffer the full impacts of ocean acidification on an organism scale, although this might be at a cost to the individual. Furthermore, in some areas, calcifiers may potentially benefit from changes to ambient seawater pH, where photosynthetic organisms drawdown CO2.

  18. Ammonium stability and nitrogen isotope fractionations for NH4+-NH3(aq)-NH3(gas) systems at 20-70 °C and pH of 2-13: Applications to habitability and nitrogen cycling in low-temperature hydrothermal systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Long; Lollar, Barbara Sherwood; Li, Hong; Wortmann, Ulrich G.; Lacrampe-Couloume, Georges

    2012-05-01

    Ammonium/ammonia is an essential nutrient and energy source to support life in oceanic and terrestrial hydrothermal systems. Thus the stability of ammonium is crucial to determine the habitability or ecological structure in hydrothermal environments, but still not well understood. To date, the lack of constraints on nitrogen isotope fractionations between ammonium and ammonia has limited the application of nitrogen isotopes to trace (bio)geochemical processes in such environments. In this study, we carried out laboratory experiments to (1) examine the stability of ammonium in an ammonium sulfate solution under temperature conditions from 20 to 70 °C and pH from 2.1 to 12.6 and (2) determine nitrogen isotope fractionation between ammonium and ammonia. Our experimental results show that ammonium is stable under the experimental temperatures when pH is less than 6. In experiments with starting pH greater than 8, significant ammonium was lost as a result of dissociation of ammonium and degassing of ammonia product. Nitrogen concentrations in the fluids decreased by more than 50% in the first two hours, indicating extremely fast effusion rates of ammonia. This implies that ammonium at high pH fluids (e.g., Lost City Hydrothermal Vents, Oman ophiolite hyperalkaline springs) may not be stable. Habitable environments may be more favorable at the leading edge of a pH gradient toward more acidic conditions, where the fluid can efficiently trap any ammonia transferred from a high pH vent. Although modeling shows that high temperature, low pH hydrothermal vents (e.g., Rainbow hydrothermal vent) may have the capability to retain ammonium, their high temperatures may limit habitability. The habitable zone associated with such a hydrothermal vent is likely at the lower front of a temperature gradient. In contrast, modeling of ammonium in deep terrestrial systems, suggests that saline fracture waters in crystalline rocks such as described in the Canadian Shield and in the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa may also provide habitable environments for life. The nitrogen isotope results of remaining ammonium from the partial dissociation experiments fit well with a batch equilibrium model, indicating equilibrium nitrogen isotope fractionations have been reached between ammonium and its dissociation product aqueous ammonia. Modeling yielded nitrogen isotope fractionations between ammonium and aqueous ammonia were 45.4‰ at 23 °C, 37.7‰ at 50 °C, and 33.5‰ at 70 °C, respectively. A relationship between nitrogen equilibrium isotope fractionation and temperature is determined for the experimental temperature range as: 103·lnα(aq)=25.94×{103}/{T}-42.25 Integrated with three previous theoretical estimates on nitrogen isotope equilibrium fractionations between ammonium and gaseous ammonia, we achieved three possible temperature-dependent nitrogen isotope equilibrium fractionation between aqueous ammonia and gaseous ammonia:

  19. The acid-tolerant L-arabinose isomerase from the mesophilic Shewanella sp. ANA-3 is highly active at low temperatures

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background L-arabinose isomerases catalyse the isomerization of L-arabinose into L-ribulose at insight biological systems. At industrial scale of this enzyme is used for the bioconversion of D-galactose into D-tagatose which has many applications in pharmaceutical and agro-food industries. The isomerization reaction is thermodynamically equilibrated, and therefore the bioconversion rates is shifted towards tagatose when the temperature is increased. Moreover, to prevent secondary reactions it will be of interest to operate at low pH. The profitability of this D-tagatose production process is mainly related to the use of lactose as cheaper raw material. In many dairy products it will be interesting to produce D-tagatose during storage. This requires an efficient L-arabinose isomerase acting at low temperature and pH values. Results The gene encoding the L-arabinose isomerase from Shewanella sp. ANA-3 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The purified protein has a tetrameric arrangement composed by four identical 55 kDa subunits. The biochemical characterization of this enzyme showed that it was distinguishable by its maximal activity at low temperatures comprised between 15-35°C. Interestingly, this biocatalyst preserves more than 85% of its activity in a broad range of temperatures from 4.0 to 45°C. Shewanella sp. ANA-3 L-arabinose isomerase was also optimally active at pH 5.5-6.5 and maintained over 80% of its activity at large pH values from 4.0 to 8.5. Furthermore, this enzyme exhibited a weak requirement for metallic ions for its activity evaluated at 0.6 mM Mn2+. Stability studies showed that this protein is highly stable mainly at low temperature and pH values. Remarkably, T268K mutation clearly enhances the enzyme stability at low pH values. Use of this L-arabinose isomerase for D-tagatose production allows the achievement of attractive bioconversion rates of 16% at 4°C and 34% at 35°C. Conclusions Here we reported the purification and the biochemical characterization of the novel Shewanella sp. ANA-3 L-arabinose isomerase. Determination of the biochemical properties demonstrated that this enzyme was highly active at low temperatures. The generated T268K mutant displays an increase of the enzyme stability essentially at low pH. These features seem to be very attractive for the bioconversion of D-galactose into D-tagatose at low temperature which is very interesting from industrial point of view. PMID:22074172

  20. HYDROXYL RADICAL/OZONE RATIOS DURING OZONATION PROCESSES. II. THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE, PH, ALKALINITY, AND DOM PROPERTIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The influence of temperature, pH, alkalinity, and type and concentration of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the rate of ozone (O3) decomposition, O3-exposure, .OH-exposure and the ratio Rct of the concentrations of .OH and O3 has been studied. For a standardized single ozon...

  1. Introducing global peat-specific temperature and pH calibrations based on brGDGT bacterial lipids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naafs, B. D. A.; Inglis, G. N.; Zheng, Y.; Amesbury, M. J.; Biester, H.; Bindler, R.; Blewett, J.; Burrows, M. A.; del Castillo Torres, D.; Chambers, F. M.; Cohen, A. D.; Evershed, R. P.; Feakins, S. J.; Gałka, M.; Gallego-Sala, A.; Gandois, L.; Gray, D. M.; Hatcher, P. G.; Honorio Coronado, E. N.; Hughes, P. D. M.; Huguet, A.; Könönen, M.; Laggoun-Défarge, F.; Lähteenoja, O.; Lamentowicz, M.; Marchant, R.; McClymont, E.; Pontevedra-Pombal, X.; Ponton, C.; Pourmand, A.; Rizzuti, A. M.; Rochefort, L.; Schellekens, J.; De Vleeschouwer, F.; Pancost, R. D.

    2017-07-01

    Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are membrane-spanning lipids from Bacteria and Archaea that are ubiquitous in a range of natural archives and especially abundant in peat. Previous work demonstrated that the distribution of bacterial branched GDGTs (brGDGTs) in mineral soils is correlated to environmental factors such as mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and soil pH. However, the influence of these parameters on brGDGT distributions in peat is largely unknown. Here we investigate the distribution of brGDGTs in 470 samples from 96 peatlands around the world with a broad mean annual air temperature (-8 to 27 °C) and pH (3-8) range and present the first peat-specific brGDGT-based temperature and pH calibrations. Our results demonstrate that the degree of cyclisation of brGDGTs in peat is positively correlated with pH, pH = 2.49 × CBTpeat + 8.07 (n = 51, R2 = 0.58, RMSE = 0.8) and the degree of methylation of brGDGTs is positively correlated with MAAT, MAATpeat (°C) = 52.18 × MBT5me‧ - 23.05 (n = 96, R2 = 0.76, RMSE = 4.7 °C). These peat-specific calibrations are distinct from the available mineral soil calibrations. In light of the error in the temperature calibration (∼4.7 °C), we urge caution in any application to reconstruct late Holocene climate variability, where the climatic signals are relatively small, and the duration of excursions could be brief. Instead, these proxies are well-suited to reconstruct large amplitude, longer-term shifts in climate such as deglacial transitions. Indeed, when applied to a peat deposit spanning the late glacial period (∼15.2 kyr), we demonstrate that MAATpeat yields absolute temperatures and relative temperature changes that are consistent with those from other proxies. In addition, the application of MAATpeat to fossil peat (i.e. lignites) has the potential to reconstruct terrestrial climate during the Cenozoic. We conclude that there is clear potential to use brGDGTs in peats and lignites to reconstruct past terrestrial climate.

  2. Tensile Properties of 17-7 PH and 12 MoV Stainless-Steel Sheet under Rapid-Heating and Constant-Temperature Conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manning, Charles R., Jr.; Price, Howard L.

    1961-01-01

    Results are presented of rapid-heating tests of 17-7 PH and 12 MoV stainless-steel sheet heated to failure at temperature rates from about 1 F to 170 F per second under constant-load conditions. Yield and rupture strengths obtained from rapid-heating tests are compared with yield and tensile strengths obtained from short-time elevated-temperature tensile tests (30-minute exposure). A rate-temperature parameter was used to construct master curves from which yield and rupture stresses or temperatures can be predicted. A method for measuring strain by optical means is described.

  3. Accelerated dissolution testing for controlled release microspheres using the flow-through dissolution apparatus.

    PubMed

    Collier, Jarrod W; Thakare, Mohan; Garner, Solomon T; Israel, Bridg'ette; Ahmed, Hisham; Granade, Saundra; Strong, Deborah L; Price, James C; Capomacchia, A C

    2009-01-01

    Theophylline controlled release capsules (THEO-24 CR) were used as a model system to evaluate accelerated dissolution tests for process and quality control and formulation development of controlled release formulations. Dissolution test acceleration was provided by increasing temperature, pH, flow rate, or adding surfactant. Electron microscope studies on the theophylline microspheres subsequent to each experiment showed that at pH values of 6.6 and 7.6 the microspheres remained intact, but at pH 8.6 they showed deterioration. As temperature was increased from 37-57 degrees C, no change in microsphere integrity was noted. Increased flow rate also showed no detrimental effect on integrity. The effect of increased temperature was determined to be the statistically significant variable.

  4. Effects of pH and seasonal temperature variation on simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in free-water surface wetlands.

    PubMed

    He, Yuling; Tao, Wendong; Wang, Ziyuan; Shayya, Walid

    2012-11-15

    Design considerations to enhance simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in constructed wetlands are largely unknown. This study examined the effects of pH and seasonal temperature variation on simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in two free-water surface wetlands. In order to enhance partial nitrification and inhibit nitrite oxidation, furnace slag was placed on the rooting substrate to maintain different pH levels in the wetland water. The wetlands were batch operated for dairy wastewater treatment under oxygen-limited conditions at a cycle time of 7 d. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis found that aerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria and anammox bacteria accounted for 42-73% of the bacterial populations in the wetlands, which was the highest relative abundance of ammonium oxidizing and anammox bacteria in constructed wetlands enhancing simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox. The two wetlands removed total inorganic nitrogen efficiently, 3.36-3.38 g/m(2)/d in the warm season with water temperatures at 18.9-24.9 °C and 1.09-1.50 g/m(2)/d in the cool season at 13.8-18.9 °C. Plant uptake contributed 2-45% to the total inorganic nitrogen removal in the growing season. A seasonal temperature variation of more than 6 °C would affect simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox significantly. Significant pH effects were identified only when the temperatures were below 18.9 °C. Anammox was the limiting stage of simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in the wetlands. Water pH should be controlled along with influent ammonium concentration and temperature to avoid toxicity of free ammonia to anammox bacteria. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effect of temperature and pH on the solubility of caseins: environmental influences on the dissociation of α(S)- and β-casein.

    PubMed

    Post, A E; Arnold, B; Weiss, J; Hinrichs, J

    2012-04-01

    Selective precipitation is a common method for the isolation of β-casein, using the different calcium sensitivities of the individual caseins and the selective solubility of β-casein at a low temperature. In previous studies, it has been indicated that the β-casein yield depends on the physicochemical characteristics of the casein raw material used for fractionation. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the solubility of α(S)- and β-casein in solutions of micellar casein, sodium caseinate, and calcium caseinate as a function of pH and temperature. Additionally, the solubility of isolated α(S)- and β-casein fractions in demineralized water, ultrafiltration permeate, and a calcium-depleted milk salt solution was investigated depending on the pH and temperature. Furthermore, micellar casein, sodium caseinate, and calcium caseinate were subjected to a calcium chloride-precipitation process to determine the solubility of α(S)- and β-casein in calcium chloride precipitate, which is produced during selective precipitation, as a function of temperature and pH. Generally, the temperature had only a marginal influence on the α(S)-casein solubility compared with the β-casein solubility, whereas the solubility was shown to be strongly influenced by the pH. Our results suggest that the yield of β-casein obtained during isolation by means of selective precipitation may be a result of the solubility characteristics of α(S)- and β-casein in calcium chloride precipitate. Manufacturers may consider a simple solubility experiment before the β-casein isolation process by means of selective precipitation to predict β-casein yield. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Optimization of Extraction Conditions for the 6-Shogaol-rich Extract from Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe).

    PubMed

    Ok, Seon; Jeong, Woo-Sik

    2012-06-01

    6-Shogaol, a dehydrated form of 6-gingerol, is a minor component in ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and has recently been reported to have more potent bioactivity than 6-gingerol. Based on the thermal instability of gingerols (their dehydration to corresponding shogaols at high temperature), we aimed to develop an optimal process to maximize the 6-shogaol content during ginger extraction by modulating temperature and pH. Fresh gingers were dried under various conditions: freeze-, room temperature (RT)- or convection oven-drying at 60 or 80°C, and extracted by 95% ethanol at RT, 60 or 80°C. The content of 6-shogaol was augmented by increasing both drying and extraction temperatures. The highest production of 6-shogaol was achieved at 80°C extraction after drying at the same temperature and the content of 6-shogaol was about 7-fold compared to the lowest producing process by freezing and extraction at RT. Adjustment of pH (pH 1, 4, 7 and 10) for the 6-shogaol-richest extract (dried and extracted both at 80°C) also affected the chemical composition of ginger and the yield of 6-shogaol was maximized at the most acidic condition of pH 1. Taken together, the current study shows for the first time that a maximized production of 6-shogaol can be achieved during practical drying and extraction process of ginger by increasing both drying and extracting temperatures. Adjustment of pH to extraction solvent with strong acid also helps increase the production of 6-shogaol. Our data could be usefully employed in the fields of food processing as well as nutraceutical industry.

  7. Susceptibility of the individual caseins in reconstituted skim milk to cross-linking by transglutaminase: influence of temperature, pH and mineral equilibria.

    PubMed

    Hinz, Katharina; Huppertz, Thom; Kelly, Alan L

    2012-11-01

    The susceptibility of total casein and the individual caseins in reconstituted skim milk to transglutaminase (TGase)-induced cross-linking was studied as a function of incubation temperature (5-40 °C), pH (5·0-7·0) and mineral addition. Within the ranges studied, the level of total casein cross-linked increased with increasing temperature, pH and concentration of added trisodium citrate, whereas adding calcium chloride had the opposite effect. These effects can be largely related to the effects of these parameters on TGase activity. In addition, the parameters were also found to influence the susceptibility of κ-casein, and to a lesser extent β-casein, to cross-linking, whereas the susceptibility of αs1-casein was not affected. The susceptibility of κ-casein to cross-linking increased with increasing temperature and calcium chloride addition, but decreased with increasing pH and citrate content, whereas the susceptibility of β-casein to TGase-induced cross-linking decreased with increasing temperature, but was not affected by other parameters. These findings highlight the fact that selection of environmental conditions during cross-linking can be applied to tailor the surface, and hence possibly colloidal stability, of casein micelles in TGase-treated milk.

  8. Stability of Synthetic Cathinones in Urine.

    PubMed

    Glicksberg, Lindsay; Kerrigan, Sarah

    2018-03-01

    In this report, we evaluate the concentration, pH, temperature and analyte-dependent effects on cathinone stability in preserved human urine. A total of 22 synthetic cathinones were evaluated at 100 ng/mL and 1,000 ng/mL in pH 4 and pH 8 urine over 6 months. Specimens were stored at -20°C, 4°C, 20°C and 32°C. The stability of synthetic cathinones was highly dependent on urine pH and storage temperature. Cathinones were considerably more stable in acidic urine (pH 4) at low temperature. In alkaline urine (pH 8) at 32°C, significant losses (>20%) were observed within hours for the majority of drugs. In contrast, all drugs were stable in frozen and refrigerated urine at pH 4 for the duration of the study. These results highlight the importance of sample storage and the potential for pre-analytical changes in concentration during routine shipping and handling of specimens. Significant structural influence was also observed. Cathinones bearing a tertiary amine (pyrrolidine group) were significantly more stable than their secondary amine counterparts. The methylenedioxy group also exerted a significant stabilizing effect on both the tertiary and secondary amines. In the absence of the methylenedioxy group, no significant differences in stability were observed between the unsubstituted and ring substituted secondary amines. Half-lives at ambient temperature in pH 8 urine ranged from 9 h (3-fluoromethcathinone) to 4.3 months (methylenedioxypyrovalerone and 3,4-methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinobutiophenone), demonstrating the importance of analyte dependence, and the dual stabilizing effect of both the pyrollidine and methylenedioxy groups. Biological evidence may be subjected to a variety of environmental conditions prior to, and during transport to the forensic laboratory. These findings demonstrate the inherent instability of certain cathinone species in biological evidence under some conditions. Moreover, this study highlights the need for quantitative drug findings in toxicological investigations to be interpreted cautiously, and within the context of specimen storage and integrity.

  9. Biosmart Materials: Breaking New Ground in Dentistry

    PubMed Central

    Badami, Vijetha; Ahuja, Bharat

    2014-01-01

    By definition and general agreement, smart materials are materials that have properties which may be altered in a controlled fashion by stimuli, such as stress, temperature, moisture, pH, and electric or magnetic fields. There are numerous types of smart materials, some of which are already common. Examples include piezoelectric materials, which produce a voltage when stress is applied or vice versa, shape memory alloys or shape memory polymers which are thermoresponsive, and pH sensitive polymers which swell or shrink as a response to change in pH. Thus, smart materials respond to stimuli by altering one or more of their properties. Smart behaviour occurs when a material can sense some stimulus from its environment and react to it in a useful, reliable, reproducible, and usually reversible manner. These properties have a beneficial application in various fields including dentistry. Shape memory alloys, zirconia, and smartseal are examples of materials exhibiting a smart behavior in dentistry. There is a strong trend in material science to develop and apply these intelligent materials. These materials would potentially allow new and groundbreaking dental therapies with a significantly enhanced clinical outcome of treatments. PMID:24672407

  10. Large scale micro-photometry for high resolution pH-characterization during electro-osmotic pumping and modular micro-swimming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niu, Ran; Khodorov, Stanislav; Weber, Julian; Reinmüller, Alexander; Palberg, Thomas

    2017-11-01

    Micro-fluidic pumps as well as artificial micro-swimmers are conveniently realized exploiting phoretic solvent flows based on local gradients of temperature, electrolyte concentration or pH. We here present a facile micro-photometric method for monitoring pH gradients and demonstrate its performance and scope on different experimental situations including an electro-osmotic pump and modular micro-swimmers assembled from ion exchange resin beads and polystyrene colloids. In combination with the present microscope and DSLR camera our method offers a 2 μm spatial resolution at video frame rate over a field of view of 3920 × 2602 μm2. Under optimal conditions we achieve a pH-resolution of 0.05 with about equal contributions from statistical and systematical uncertainties. Our quantitative micro-photometric characterization of pH gradients which develop in time and reach out several mm is anticipated to provide valuable input for reliable modeling and simulations of a large variety of complex flow situations involving pH-gradients including artificial micro-swimmers, microfluidic pumping or even electro-convection.

  11. Characterization of Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane with Variation of Crystallizing Temperature for pH Sensor.

    PubMed

    Yeo, Jin-Ho; Lee, Sung-Gap; Jo, Ye-Won; Jung, Hye-Rin

    2015-11-01

    We fabricated electrolyte-dielectric-metal (EDM) device incorporating a high-k Al2O3 sensing membrane from a porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) using a two step anodizing process for pH sensors. In order to change the properties of the AAO template, the crystallizing temperature was varied from 400 degrees C to 700 degrees C over 2 hours. The structural properties were observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The pH sensitivity increased with an increase in the crystallizing temperature from 400 degrees C to 600 degrees C. However at 700 degrees C, deformation occurred. The porous AAO sensor with a crystallizing temperature of 600 degrees C displayed the good sensitivity and long-term stability and the values were 55.7 mV/pH and 0.16 mV/h, respectively.

  12. Reinvestigation of the Henry's law constant for hydrogen peroxide with temperature and acidity variation.

    PubMed

    Huang, Daoming; Chen, Zhongming

    2010-01-01

    Hydrogen peroxide is not only an important oxidant in itself; it also serves as both sink and temporary reservoir for other important oxidants including HOx (OH and HO2) radicals and O3 in the atmosphere. Its partitioning between gas and aqueous phases in the atmosphere, usually described by its Henry's law constant (K(H)), significantly influences its role in atmospheric processes. Large discrepancies between the K(H) values reported in previous work, however, have created uncertainty for atmospheric modelers. Based on our newly developed online instrumentation, we have re-determined the temperature and acidity dependence of K(H) for hydrogen peroxide at an air pressure of (0.960 +/- 0.013) atm (1 atm = 1.01325 x 10(5) Pa). The results indicated that the temperature dependence of K(H) for hydrogen peroxide fits to the Van't Hoff equation form, expressed as lnK(H) = a/T - b, and a = -deltaH/R, where K(H) is in M/atm (M is mol/L), T is in degrees Kelvin, R is the ideal gas constant, and deltaH is the standard heat of solution. For acidity dependence, results demonstrated that the K(H) value of hydrogen peroxide appeared to have no obvious dependence on decreasing pH level (from pH 7 to pH 1). Combining the dependence of both temperature and acidity, the obtained a and b were 7024 +/- 138 and 11.97 +/- 0.48, respectively, deltaH was (58.40 +/- 1.15) kJ/(K x mol), and the uncertainties represent sigma. Our determined K(H) values for hydrogen peroxide will therefore be of great use in atmospheric models.

  13. Beyond temperature: Clumped isotope signatures in dissolved inorganic carbon species and the influence of solution chemistry on carbonate mineral composition

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tripati, Aradhna K.; Hill, Pamela S.; Eagle, Robert A.; Mosenfelder, Jed L.; Tang, Jianwu; Schauble, Edwin A.; Eiler, John M.; Zeebe, Richard E.; Uchikawa, Joji; Coplen, Tyler B.; Ries, Justin B.; Henry, Drew

    2015-01-01

    “Clumped-isotope” thermometry is an emerging tool to probe the temperature history of surface and subsurface environments based on measurements of the proportion of 13C and 18O isotopes bound to each other within carbonate minerals in 13C18O16O22- groups (heavy isotope “clumps”). Although most clumped isotope geothermometry implicitly presumes carbonate crystals have attained lattice equilibrium (i.e., thermodynamic equilibrium for a mineral, which is independent of solution chemistry), several factors other than temperature, including dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) speciation may influence mineral isotopic signatures. Therefore we used a combination of approaches to understand the potential influence of different variables on the clumped isotope (and oxygen isotope) composition of minerals.We conducted witherite precipitation experiments at a single temperature and at varied pH to empirically determine 13C-18O bond ordering (Δ47) and δ18O of CO32- and HCO3- molecules at a 25 °C equilibrium. Ab initio cluster models based on density functional theory were used to predict equilibrium 13C-18O bond abundances and δ18O of different DIC species and minerals as a function of temperature. Experiments and theory indicate Δ47 and δ18O compositions of CO32- and HCO3- ions are significantly different from each other. Experiments constrain the Δ47-δ18O slope for a pH effect (0.011 ± 0.001; 12 ⩾ pH ⩾ 7). Rapidly-growing temperate corals exhibit disequilibrium mineral isotopic signatures with a Δ47-δ18O slope of 0.011 ± 0.003, consistent with a pH effect.Our theoretical calculations for carbonate minerals indicate equilibrium lattice calcite values for Δ47 and δ18O are intermediate between HCO3− and CO32−. We analyzed synthetic calcites grown at temperatures ranging from 0.5 to 50 °C with and without the enzyme carbonic anhydrase present. This enzyme catalyzes oxygen isotopic exchange between DIC species and is present in many natural systems. The two types of experiments yielded statistically indistinguishable results, and these measurements yield a calibration that overlaps with our theoretical predictions for calcite at equilibrium. The slow-growing Devils Hole calcite exhibits Δ47 and δ18O values consistent with lattice equilibrium.Factors influencing DIC speciation (pH, salinity) and the timescale for DIC equilibration, as well as reactions at the mineral–solution interface, have the potential to influence clumped-isotope signatures and the δ18O of carbonate minerals. In fast-growing carbonate minerals, solution chemistry may be an important factor, particularly over extremes of pH and salinity. If a crystal grows too rapidly to reach an internal equilibrium (i.e., achieve the value for the temperature-dependent mineral lattice equilibrium), it may record the clumped-isotope signature of a DIC species (e.g., the temperature-dependent equilibrium of HCO3−) or a mixture of DIC species, and hence record a disequilibrium mineral composition. For extremely slow-growing crystals, and for rapidly-grown samples grown at a pH where HCO3- dominates the DIC pool at equilibrium, effects of solution chemistry are likely to be relatively small or negligible. In summary, growth environment, solution chemistry, surface equilibria, and precipitation rate may all play a role in dictating whether a crystal achieves equilibrium or disequilibrium clumped-isotope signatures.

  14. Understanding short-chain fatty acids accumulation enhanced in waste activated sludge alkaline fermentation: kinetics and microbiology.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Peng; Chen, Yinguang; Zhou, Qi; Zheng, Xiong; Zhu, Xiaoyu; Zhao, Yuxiao

    2010-12-15

    Most of the studies on sewage sludge treatment in literature were conducted for methane generation under acidic or near neutral pH conditions. It was reported in our previous studies that the accumulation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the preferred carbon source of biological wastewater nutrient removal, was significantly enhanced when sludge was fermented under alkaline conditions, but the optimal pH was temperature-dependent (pH 10 at ambient temperature, pH 9 at mesophilic, and pH 8 at thermophilic), and the maximal SCFAs yields were in the following order: thermophilic pH 8 > mesophilic pH 9 > ambient pH 10 > ambient uncontrolled pH. In this study the kinetic and microbiological features of waste activated sludge fermented in the range of pH 7-10 were investigated to understand the mechanism of remarkably high SCFAs accumulation under alkaline conditions. The developed sludge alkaline fermentation model could be applied to predicate the experimental data in either batch or semicontinuous sludge alkaline fermentation tests, and the relationships among alkaline pH, kinetic parameters, and SCFAs were discussed. Further analyses with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and PCR-based 16S rRNA gene clone library indicated that both the ratio of bacteria to archaea and the fraction of SCFAs producer accounting for bacteria were in the sequence of thermophilic pH 8 > mesophilic pH 9 > ambient pH 10 > ambient uncontrolled pH, which was in correspondence with the observed order of maximal SCFAs yields.

  15. Effect of pH, Mg2+, CO2 and Mercurials on the Circular Dichroism, Thermal Stability and Light Scattering of Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylases from Alfalfa, Spinach and Tobacco

    PubMed Central

    Tomimatsu, Yoshio; Donovan, John W.

    1981-01-01

    Circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry and light-scattering measurements of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (E.C. 4.1.1.39) from alfalfa, spinach and tobacco show: a) The conformation and thermal stability of the native carboxylases are sensitive to changes in pH and to activation of the enzyme with Mg2+ and CO2. The helical content, denaturation temperature (Td) and specific enthalpy of denaturation (Δq) decreased with increase in pH. Addition of Mg2+ and CO2 at pH 9 increased Td by 4 to 5 C; at pH 7.5 the changes in Td were smaller. b) Addition of mercurials produced changes in conformation and thermal stability. The decrease in helical content of the enzymes with increase in pH was enhanced by the addition of p-chloromercuribenzoate. At pH 9, addition of p-chloromercuribenzoate or of 1-(3-(chloromercuri)-2-methoxypropyl)urea decreased Td by 11.4 to 20.2 C and Δq by 2.1 to 2.8 calories per gram. c) The spinach carboxylase undergoes the largest and the tobacco the smallest changes in conformation and thermal stability upon change in pH or treatment with mercurials. d) The calorimetric data suggest that the large and small subunits are heat denatured independently but at the same temperature. e) Light scattering measurements at pH 9 of p-chloromercuribenzoate treated tobacco enzyme showed that there is no dissociation into subunits upon heating to temperatures greater than Td. A `ball and string' model for the carboxylase molecule is proposed to reconcile independence of subunit denaturation with apparent strong interactions between subunits. PMID:16662003

  16. Pore formation and pore closure in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) films.

    PubMed

    Fredenberg, Susanne; Wahlgren, Marie; Reslow, Mats; Axelsson, Anders

    2011-03-10

    Pore formation and pore closure in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)-based drug delivery systems are two important processes as they control the release of the encapsulated drug. The phenomenon pore closure was investigated by studying the effects of the pH and the temperature of the release medium, and the properties of the polymer. Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) films were subjected to a pore forming pre-treatment, and then pore closure was observed simultaneously with changes in glass transition temperature, wettability (contact angle), water absorption and mass remaining. To further understand the effect of pH, combined pore formation and pore closure were studied at different pH values. Pore closure was increased in a release medium with low pH, with a low-molecular-weight PLG of relatively low degree of hydrophobicity, or at high temperature. Pore closure occurred by two different mechanisms, one based on polymer-polymer interactions and one on polymer-water interactions. The mobility of the PLG chains also played an important role. The surface of the PLG films were more porous at pH 5-6 than at lower or higher pH, as pore formation was relatively fast and pore closure were less pronounced in this pH range. The pH had a significant impact on the porous structure, which should be kept in mind when evaluating experimental results, as the pH may be significantly decreased in vitro, in vivo and in situ. The results also show that the initial porosity is very important when using a high-molecular-weight PLG. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Catalytically active alkaline molten globular enzyme: Effect of pH and temperature on the structural integrity of 5-aminolevulinate synthase*

    PubMed Central

    Stojanovski, Bosko M.; Breydo, Leonid; Hunter, Gregory A.; Uversky, Vladimir N.; Ferreira, Gloria C.

    2014-01-01

    5-Aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), a pyridoxal-5′phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme, catalyzes the first step of heme biosynthesis in mammals. Circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopies were used to examine the effects of pH (1.0–3.0 and 7.5–10.5) and temperature (20 and 37 °C) on the structural integrity of ALAS. The secondary structure, as deduced from far-UV CD, is mostly resilient to pH and temperature changes. Partial unfolding was observed at pH 2.0, but further decreasing pH resulted in acid-induced refolding of the secondary structure to nearly native levels. The tertiary structure rigidity, monitored by near-UV CD, is lost under acidic and specific alkaline conditions (pH 10.5 and pH 9.5/37 °C), where ALAS populates a molten globule state. As the enzyme becomes less structured with increased alkalinity, the chiral environment of the internal aldimine is also modified, with a shift from a 420 nm to 330 nm dichroic band. Under acidic conditions, the PLP cofactor dissociates from ALAS. Reaction with 8-anilino-1-naphtalenesulfonic acid corroborates increased exposure of hydrophobic clusters in the alkaline and acidic molten globules, although the reaction is more pronounced with the latter. Furthermore, quenching the intrinsic fluorescence of ALAS with acrylamide at pH 1.0 and 9.5 yielded subtly different dynamic quenching constants. The alkaline molten globule state of ALAS is catalytically active (pH 9.5/37 °C), although the kcat value is significantly decreased. Finally, the binding of 5-aminolevulinate restricts conformational fluctuations in the alkaline molten globule. Overall, our findings prove how the structural plasticity of ALAS contributes to reaching a functional enzyme. PMID:25240868

  18. Preparation of titanium oxide ceramic membranes

    DOEpatents

    Anderson, Marc A.; Xu, Qunyin

    1992-01-01

    A procedure is disclosed for the reliable production of either particulate or polymeric titanium ceramic membranes by a highly constrained sol-gel procedure. The critical constraints in the procedure include the choice of alkyl alcohol solvent, the amount of water and its rate of addition, the pH of the solution during hydrolysis, and the limit of sintering temperature applied to the resulting gels.

  19. Method of saccharifying cellulose

    DOEpatents

    Johnson, Eric A.; Demain, Arnold L.; Madia, Ashwin

    1985-09-10

    A method of saccharifying cellulose by incubation with the cellulase of Clostridium thermocellum in a broth containing an efficacious amount of a reducing agent. Other incubation parameters which may be advantageously controlled to stimulate saccharification include the concentration of alkaline earth salts, pH, temperature, and duration. By the method of the invention, even native crystalline cellulose such as that found in cotton may be completely saccharified.

  20. CAES 2014 Chemical Analyses of Thermal Wells and Springs in Southeastern Idaho

    DOE Data Explorer

    Baum, Jeffrey

    2014-03-10

    This dataset contains chemical analyses for thermal wells and springs in Southeastern Idaho. Data includes all major cations, major anions, pH, collection temperature, and some trace metals, These samples were collected in 2014 by the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES), and are part of a continuous effort to analyze the geothermal potential of Southeastern Idaho.

  1. Preparation of titanium oxide ceramic membranes

    DOEpatents

    Anderson, M.A.; Xu, Q.

    1992-03-17

    A procedure is disclosed for the reliable production of either particulate or polymeric titanium ceramic membranes by a highly constrained sol-gel procedure. The critical constraints in the procedure include the choice of alkyl alcohol solvent, the amount of water and its rate of addition, the pH of the solution during hydrolysis, and the limit of sintering temperature applied to the resulting gels.

  2. Single-molecule spectroscopy of the unexpected collapse of an unfolded protein at low pH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hofmann, Hagen; Nettels, Daniel; Schuler, Benjamin

    2013-09-01

    The dimensions of intrinsically disordered and unfolded proteins critically depend on the solution conditions, such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, and osmolyte or denarurant concentration. However, a quantitative understanding of how the complex combination of chain-chain and chain-solvent interactions is affected by the solvent is still missing. Here, we take a step towards this goal by investigating the combined effect of pH and denaturants on the dimensions of an unfolded protein. We use single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy to extract the dimensions of unfolded cold shock protein (CspTm) in mixtures of the denaturants urea and guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) at neutral and acidic pH. Surprisingly, even though a change in pH from 7 to 2.9 increases the net charge of CspTm from -3.8 to +10.2, the radius of gyration of the chain is very similar under both conditions, indicating that protonation of acidic side chains at low pH results in additional hydrophobic interactions. We use a simple shared binding site model that describes the joint effect of urea and GdmCl, together with polyampholyte theory and an ion cloud model that includes the chemical free energy of counterion interactions and side chain protonation, to quantify this effect.

  3. Laboratory investigations of stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratio data enhance monitoring of CO2 underground

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barth, Johannes A. C.; Myrttinen, Anssi; Becker, Veith; Nowak, Martin; Mayer, Bernhard

    2014-05-01

    Stable carbon and oxygen isotope data play an important role in monitoring CO2 in the subsurface, for instance during carbon capture and storage (CCS). This includes monitoring of supercritical and gaseous CO2 movement and reactions under reservoir conditions and detection of potential CO2 leakage scenarios. However, in many cases isotope data from field campaigns are either limited due to complex sample retrieval or require verification under controlled boundary conditions. Moreover, experimentally verified isotope fractionation factors are also accurately known only for temperatures and pressures lower than commonly found in CO2 reservoirs (Myrttinen et al., 2012). For this reason, several experimental series were conducted in order to investigate effects of elevated pressures, temperatures and salinities on stable carbon and oxygen isotope changes of CO2 and water. These tests were conducted with a heateable pressure device and with glass or metal gas containers in which CO2 reacted with fluids for time periods of hours to several weeks. The obtained results revealed systematic differences in 13C/12C-distributions between CO2 and the most important dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) species under reservoir conditions (CO2(aq), H2CO3 and HCO3-). Since direct measurements of the pH, even immediately after sampling, were unreliable due to rapid CO2 de-gassing, one of the key results of this work is that carbon isotope fractionation data between DIC and CO2 may serve to reconstruct in situ pH values. pH values reconstructed with this approach ranged between 5.5 and 7.4 for experiments with 60 bars and up to 120 °C and were on average 1.4 pH units lower than those measured with standard pH electrodes directly after sampling. In addition, pressure and temperature experiments with H2O and CO2 revealed that differences between the oxygen isotope ratios of both phases depended on temperature, water-gas ratios as well as salt contents of the solutions involved. Such systematic knowledge of the extent of oxygen isotope fractionation between H2O and CO2 can help to reconstruct equilibration times, fluid-CO2 ratios as well as temperature and salinity conditions. Isotope results from systematic laboratory studies and the information they provide for assessing in situ reservoir conditions can be transferred to field applications concerning integrity of CO2 reservoirs. They can also apply to natural systems and other industrial uses that involve monitoring of gases in the subsurface under similar pressure and temperature conditions. Reference: Myrttinen, A., Becker, V., Barth, J.A.C., 2012. A review of methods used for equilibrium isotope fractionation investigations between dissolved inorganic carbon and CO2. Earth-Science Reviews, 115(3): 192-199.

  4. Sampling and storage of blood for pH and blood gas analysis.

    PubMed

    Haskins, S C

    1977-02-15

    Techniques used in sampling and storage of a blood sample for pH and gas measurements can have an important effect on the measured values. Observation of these techniques and principles will minimize in vitro alteration of the pH and blood gas values. To consider that a significant change has occurred in a pH or blood gas measurement from previous values, the change must exceed 0.015 for pH, 3 mm Hg for PCO2, 5 mm Hg for PO2, and 2 mEq/L for [HCO-3] or base excess/deficit. In vitro dilution of the blood sample with anticoagulant should be avoided because it will alter the measured PCO2 and base excess/deficit values. Arterial samples should be collected for meaningful pH and blood gas values. Central venous and free-flowing capillary blood can be used for screening procedures in normal patients but are subject to considerable error. A blood sample can be stored for up to 30 minutes at room temperature without significant change in acid-base values but only up to 12 minutes before significant changes occur in PO2. A blood sample can be stored for up to 3.5 hours in an ice-water bath without significant change in pH and for 6 hours without significant change in PCO2 or PO2. Variations of body temperatures from normal will cause a measurable change in pH and blood gas values when the blood is exposed to the normal water bath temperatures of the analyzer.

  5. Temperature, soluble solids and pH effect on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris viability in lemon juice concentrate.

    PubMed

    Maldonado, María C; Belfiore, Carolina; Navarro, Antonio R

    2008-02-01

    Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is a thermoacidophilic, non-pathogenic, spore-forming bacterium detected in spoiled commercial pasteurized fruit juice. Apple, white grape and tomato are particularly susceptible. A. acidoterrestris spores are resistant to lemon juice pasteurization (2 min at 82 degrees C), and they can germinate and grow causing spoilage. This contamination is characterized by a medicinal or disinfectant smell attributed to guaiacol (o-dihydroxybenzene) production and other taint chemicals. The aim of this work was to study the influence of temperature (82, 86, 92 and 95 degrees C), total soluble solids (SS) (6.20, 9.8, 50 and 68 degrees Brix) and pH (2.28, 2.45, 2.80, 3.25, 3.5) on decimal reduction time (D) of the A. acidoterrestris in clarified and non-clarified concentrated lemon juice. Once D-value was determined, the resistance of A. acidoterrestris at the assayed temperatures was confirmed. SS and pH influence spore viability, because spore resistance increases with higher SS (50 degrees Brix 22 min 82 degrees C-68 degrees Brix 28 min 82 degrees C) and pH values (pH 2.28, 17 min-pH 4.00, 22 min). Bacterial growth was lower in clarified lemon juice, 26 min at 82 degrees C, than in non-clarified lemon juice, 51 min at 82 degrees C. Temperature was the parameter that had the greatest influence on the D value.

  6. Inhibitory effect of Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil, alone and in combination with monolaurin, on Listeria monocytogenes

    PubMed Central

    Raeisi, Mojtaba; Tajik, Hossein; Razavi Rohani, Seyed Mehdi; Tepe, Bektas; Kiani, Hossein; Khoshbakht, Rahem; Shirzad Aski, Hesamaddin; Tadrisi, Hamed

    2016-01-01

    Listeria monocytogenes is one of the major causes of infections in developing countries. In this study, chemical composition and anti-listerial effect of the essential oil of Zataria multiflora Boiss. alone and in combination with monolaurin were evaluated at different pH values (5, 6, and 7) and temperatures (5 ˚C and 30 ˚C). Chemical composition of Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil was evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oil and monolaurin were determined using microbroth dilution method and the interactions of essential oil and monolaurin were determined by the evaluation of fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC) index. Carvacrol (63.20%) and thymol (15.10%) were found as the main components of the essential oil. The MIC values of the oil and monolaurin at pH 7 and 30 ˚C were measured as 312.50 µg mL-1 and 125.00 µg mL-1, respectively. Combination of monolaurin and Z. multiflora essential oil were found to act synergistically (FIC index < 0.5) against L. monocytogenes under different pH and temperature conditions. Decrease in the pH and temperature values have increased the anti-listerial activity of monolaurin and the essential oil. The lowest MIC value of monolaurin and essential oil was observed at pH 5 and 5 ˚C. According to our results, the oil alone or in combination with monolaurin at low pH and temperature conditions showed a promising inhibitory effect on L. monocytogenes. PMID:27226881

  7. Inhibitory effect of Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil, alone and in combination with monolaurin, on Listeria monocytogenes.

    PubMed

    Raeisi, Mojtaba; Tajik, Hossein; Razavi Rohani, Seyed Mehdi; Tepe, Bektas; Kiani, Hossein; Khoshbakht, Rahem; Shirzad Aski, Hesamaddin; Tadrisi, Hamed

    2016-01-01

    Listeria monocytogenes is one of the major causes of infections in developing countries. In this study, chemical composition and anti-listerial effect of the essential oil of Zataria multiflora Boiss. alone and in combination with monolaurin were evaluated at different pH values (5, 6, and 7) and temperatures (5 ˚C and 30 ˚C). Chemical composition of Zataria multiflora Boiss. essential oil was evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oil and monolaurin were determined using microbroth dilution method and the interactions of essential oil and monolaurin were determined by the evaluation of fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC) index. Carvacrol (63.20%) and thymol (15.10%) were found as the main components of the essential oil. The MIC values of the oil and monolaurin at pH 7 and 30 ˚C were measured as 312.50 µg mL(-1) and 125.00 µg mL(-1), respectively. Combination of monolaurin and Z. multiflora essential oil were found to act synergistically (FIC index < 0.5) against L. monocytogenes under different pH and temperature conditions. Decrease in the pH and temperature values have increased the anti-listerial activity of monolaurin and the essential oil. The lowest MIC value of monolaurin and essential oil was observed at pH 5 and 5 ˚C. According to our results, the oil alone or in combination with monolaurin at low pH and temperature conditions showed a promising inhibitory effect on L. monocytogenes.

  8. Conformal self-assembled thin films for optical pH sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Topasna, Daniela M.; Topasna, Gregory A.; Liu, Minghanbo; Tseng, Ching-Hung

    2016-04-01

    Simple, reliable, lightweight, and inexpensive thin films based sensors are still in intense development and high demand in many applications such as biomedical, industrial, environmental, military, and consumer products. One important class of sensors is the optical pH sensor. In addition, conformal thin film based sensors extend the range of application for pH optical sensors. We present the results on the fabrication and characterization of optical pH sensing coatings made through ionic self-assembled technique. These thin films are based on the combination of a polyelectrolyte and water-soluble organic dye molecule Direct Yellow 4. A series of films was fabricated and characterized in order to determine the optimized parameters of the polymer and of the organic dye solutions. The optical pH responses of these films were also studied. The transparent films were immersed in solutions at various temperature and pH values. The films are stable when immersed in solutions with pH below 9.0 and temperatures below 90 °C and they maintain their performance after longer immersion times. We also demonstrate the functionality of these coatings as conformal films.

  9. Superlattice photonic crystal as broadband solar absorber for high temperature operation.

    PubMed

    Rinnerbauer, Veronika; Shen, Yichen; Joannopoulos, John D; Soljačić, Marin; Schäffler, Friedrich; Celanovic, Ivan

    2014-12-15

    A high performance solar absorber using a 2D tantalum superlattice photonic crystal (PhC) is proposed and its design is optimized for high-temperature energy conversion. In contrast to the simple lattice PhC, which is limited by diffraction in the short wavelength range, the superlattice PhC achieves solar absorption over broadband spectral range due to the contribution from two superposed lattices with different cavity radii. The superlattice PhC geometry is tailored to achieve maximum thermal transfer efficiency for a low concentration system of 250 suns at 1500 K reaching 85.0% solar absorptivity. In the high concentration case of 1000 suns, the superlattice PhC absorber achieves a solar absorptivity of 96.2% and a thermal transfer efficiency of 82.9% at 1500 K, amounting to an improvement of 10% and 5%, respectively, versus the simple square lattice PhC absorber. In addition, the performance of the superlattice PhC absorber is studied in a solar thermophotovoltaic system which is optimized to minimize absorber re-emission by reducing the absorber-to-emitter area ratio and using a highly reflective silver aperture.

  10. Diel Variability in Seawater pH Relates to Calcification and Benthic Community Structure on Coral Reefs

    PubMed Central

    Martz, Todd R.; Brainard, Russell E.

    2012-01-01

    Community structure and assembly are determined in part by environmental heterogeneity. While reef-building corals respond negatively to warming (i.e. bleaching events) and ocean acidification (OA), the extent of present-day natural variability in pH on shallow reefs and ecological consequences for benthic assemblages is unknown. We documented high resolution temporal patterns in temperature and pH from three reefs in the central Pacific and examined how these data relate to community development and net accretion rates of early successional benthic organisms. These reefs experienced substantial diel fluctuations in temperature (0.78°C) and pH (>0.2) similar to the magnitude of ‘warming’ and ‘acidification’ expected over the next century. Where daily pH within the benthic boundary layer failed to exceed pelagic climatological seasonal lows, net accretion was slower and fleshy, non-calcifying benthic organisms dominated space. Thus, key aspects of coral reef ecosystem structure and function are presently related to natural diurnal variability in pH. PMID:22952785

  11. Microbiologically influenced corrosion of orthodontic metallic appliances.

    PubMed

    Kameda, Takashi; Oda, Hirotake; Ohkuma, Kazuo; Sano, Natsuki; Batbayar, Nomintsetseg; Terashima, Yukari; Sato, Soh; Terada, Kazuto

    2014-01-01

    Biocorrosion (microbiologically influenced corrosion; MIC) occur in aquatic habitats varying in nutrient content, temperature, stress and pH. The oral environment of organisms, including humans, should be one of the most hospitable for MIC. Corrosion of metallic appliances in the oral region is one cause of metal allergy in patients. In this study, an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer revealed elution of Fe, Cr and Ni from stainless steel (SUS) appliances incubated with oral bacteria. Three-dimensional laser confocal microscopy also revealed that oral bacterial culture promoted increased surface roughness and corrosion pits in SUS appliances. The pH of the supernatant was lowered after co-culture of appliances and oral bacteria in any combinations, but not reached at the level of depassivation pH of their metallic materials. This study showed that Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis which easily created biofilm on the surfaces of teeth and appliances, did corrode orthodontic SUS appliances.

  12. 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) Is Selectively Toxic to Primary Dopaminergic Neurons In Vitro

    PubMed Central

    Griggs, Amy M.; Agim, Zeynep S.; Mishra, Vartika R.; Tambe, Mitali A.; Director-Myska, Alison E.; Turteltaub, Kenneth W.; McCabe, George P.; Rochet, Jean-Christophe; Cannon, Jason R.

    2014-01-01

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Much data has linked the etiology of PD to a variety of environmental factors. The majority of cases are thought to arise from a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Chronic exposures to dietary factors, including meat, have been identified as potential risk factors. Although heterocyclic amines that are produced during high-temperature meat cooking are known to be carcinogenic, their effect on the nervous system has yet to be studied in depth. In this study, we investigated neurotoxic effects of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), a highly abundant heterocyclic amine in cooked meat, in vitro. We tested toxicity of PhIP and the two major phase I metabolites, N-OH-PhIP and 4′-OH-PhIP, using primary mesencephalic cultures from rat embryos. This culture system contains both dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons, which allows specificity of neurotoxicity to be readily examined. We find that exposure to PhIP or N-OH-PhIP is selectively toxic to dopaminergic neurons in primary cultures, resulting in a decreased percentage of dopaminergic neurons. Neurite length is decreased in surviving dopaminergic neurons. Exposure to 4′-OH-PhIP did not produce significant neurotoxicity. PhIP treatment also increased formation of oxidative damage markers, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and 3-nitrotyrosine in dopaminergic neurons. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine was protective. Finally, treatment with blueberry extract, a dietary factor with known antioxidant and other protective mechanisms, prevented PhIP-induced toxicity. Collectively, our study suggests, for the first time, that PhIP is selectively toxic to dopaminergic neurons likely through inducing oxidative stress. PMID:24718704

  13. The effects of pH and temperature on the in vitro bindings of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids to bovine serum albumin.

    PubMed

    Papa, V M; Shen, M L; Ou, D W

    1990-01-01

    Albumin is a major carrier of drugs and fatty acids in biological fluids. These protein-drug complexes serve to solubilize, transport these compounds to sites of action, and have been associated with increased half-life for these compounds. The authors are interested in the pH and temperature effects of the binding of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol to albumin. Ultrafiltration techniques were used in the separation of free to bound compounds. Cannabinoids bind to bovine serum albumin rapidly. The cannabinoid binding sites are more sensitive to temperature changes (37-47 degrees C) than changes in pH with 37 degrees C and pH 7.4 resulting in optimal binding. These conditions would result in the greatest viability in the cells, while allowing for the use of a variety of compounds in in vitro studies for the administration of compounds to isolated cells and cell lines.

  14. Temperature and pH influence adsorption of cellobiohydrolase onto lignin by changing the protein properties.

    PubMed

    Lu, Xianqin; Wang, Can; Li, Xuezhi; Zhao, Jian

    2017-12-01

    Non-productive adsorption of cellulase onto lignin restricted the movement of cellulase and also hindered the cellulase recycling in bioconversion of lignocellulose. In this study, effect of temperature and pH on adsorption and desorption of cellobiohydrolase (CBH) on lignin and its possible mechanism were discussed. It found that pH value and temperature influenced the adsorption and desorption behaviors of CBH on lignin. Different thermodynamic models suggested that the action between lignin and CBH was physical action. More CBH was adsorbed onto lignin, but lower initial adsorption velocity was detected at 50°C comparing with 4°C. Elevating pH value could improve desorption of cellulase from lignin. The changes of hydrophobicity and electric potential on protein surface may partially explain the impact of environmental conditions on the adsorption and desorption behaviors of CBH on lignin, and comparing to electrical interaction, the hydrophobicity may be the dominating factor influencing the behaviors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Digestibility and antigenicity of β-lactoglobulin as affected by heat, pH and applied shear.

    PubMed

    Rahaman, Toheder; Vasiljevic, Todor; Ramchandran, Lata

    2017-02-15

    Processing induced conformational changes can modulate digestibility of food allergens and thereby their antigenicity. Effect of different pH (3, 5, 7), temperature (room temperature, 120°C) and shear (0s(-1), 1000s(-1)) on simulated gastrointestinal digestibility of β-lg and post digestion antigenic characteristics have been studied. At all pH levels unheated β-lg showed resistance to peptic digestion with high antigenic value while it was fairly susceptible to pancreatin with moderate reduction in antigenicity. Heating at 120°C significantly improved both peptic and pancreatic digestion attributed to structural alterations that resulted in much lower antigenicity; the level of reduction being pH dependant. The lowest antigenicity was recorded at pH 5. Shearing (1000s(-1)) had a minor impact reducing digestibility and thereby enhancing antigenicity of unheated β-lg at pH 5 and 7 slightly; however in conjunction with heating (120°C) it reduced antigenicity further irrespective of the pH. Overall, treatment at pH 5, 120°C and 1000s(-1) could potentially reduce post digestion antigenicity of β-lg. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Room-Temperature Phosphorescence in Pure Organic Materials: Halogen Bonding Switching Effects.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Lu; Wu, Yishi; Yu, Zhenyi; Xu, Zhenzhen; Li, Jinbiao; Liu, Yanping; Yao, Jiannian; Fu, Hongbing

    2018-02-06

    Organic room-temperature phosphorescence (ORTP), when combined with external stimuli-responsive capability, is very attractive for sensors and bio-imaging devices, but remains challenging. Herein, by doping two β-iminoenamine-BF 2 derivatives (S-2CN and S-2I) into a 4-iodoaniline (I-Ph-NH 2 ) crystalline matrix, the formation of S-2CN⋅⋅⋅I-Ph-NH 2 and S-2I⋅⋅⋅I-Ph-NH 2 halogen bonds leads to bright-red RTP emissions from these two host-guest doped crystals (hgDCs) with quantum efficiencies up to 13.43 % and 15.96 %, respectively. Upon treatment with HCl, the competition of I-Ph-NH 2 ⋅HCl formation against S-2I⋅⋅⋅I-Ph-NH 2 halogen bonding switches off the red RTP from S-2I/I-Ph-NH 2 hgDCs, whereas the stable halogen-bonded S-2CN⋅⋅⋅I-Ph-NH 2 ensures red RTP from S-2CN/I-Ph-NH 2 hgDCs remains unchanged. A security protection luminescence pattern by using these different HCl-responsive RTP behaviors was designed. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Effects of ocean warming and acidification on fertilization in the Antarctic echinoid Sterechinus neumayeri across a range of sperm concentrations.

    PubMed

    Ho, M A; Price, C; King, C K; Virtue, P; Byrne, M

    2013-09-01

    The gametes of marine invertebrates are being spawned into an ocean that is simultaneously warming and decreasing in pH. Predicting the potential for interactive effects of these stressors on fertilization is difficult, especially for stenothermal polar invertebrates adapted to fertilization in cold, viscous water and, when decreased sperm availability may be an additional stressor. The impact of increased temperature (2-4 °C above ambient) and decreased pH (0.2-0.4 pH units below ambient) on fertilization in the Antarctic echinoid Sterechinus neumayeri across a range of sperm concentrations was investigated in cross-factorial experiments in context with near future ocean change projections. The high temperature treatment (+4 °C) was also used to assess thermal tolerance. Gametes from multiple males and females in replicate experiments were used to reflect the multiple spawner scenario in nature. For fertilization at low sperm density we tested three hypotheses, 1) increased temperature enhances fertilization success, 2) low pH reduces fertilization and, 3) due to the cold stenothermal physiology of S. neumayeri, temperature would be the more significant stressor. Temperature and sperm levels had a significant effect on fertilization, but decreased pH did not affect fertilization. Warming enhanced fertilization at the lowest sperm concentration tested likely through stimulation of sperm motility and reduced water viscosity. Our results indicate that fertilization in S. neumayeri, even at low sperm levels potentially found in nature, is resilient to near-future ocean warming and acidification. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Stabilization of photosystem II reaction centers: influence of bile salt detergents and low pH.

    PubMed

    Gall, B; Scheer, H

    1998-07-17

    Rapid deterioration of samples is a major obstacle in research on the isolated reaction center of photosystem II. Its stability was tested systematically using a wide range of detergents, varying pH and temperature. Stability and activity did not depend on ionic properties of detergents or on critical micellar concentration. However, both were significantly increased by bile salt detergents in the dark as well as in the light. Low pH (5.5) and low temperature further improved stability. The results suggest that in particular the zwitterionic bile salt detergent, CHAPS, in pH 5.5 buffers is a very useful detergent and even superior to dodecylmaltoside for work with photosystem II reaction centers.

  19. Effects of Temperature on Bacterial Communities and Metabolites during Fermentation of Myeolchi-Aekjeot, a Traditional Korean Fermented Anchovy Sauce

    PubMed Central

    Chun, Byung Hee; Jeon, Che Ok

    2016-01-01

    Myeolchi-aekjeot (MA) in Korea is produced outdoors without temperature controls, which is a major obstacle to produce commercial MA products with uniform quality. To investigate the effects of temperature on MA fermentation, pH, bacterial abundance and community, and metabolites were monitored during fermentation at 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C. Initial pH values were approximately 6.0, and pH values increased after approximately 42 days, with faster increases at higher temperatures. Bacterial abundances increased rapidly in all MA samples after quick initial decreases during early fermentation and then they again steadily decreased after reaching their maxima, which were significantly greater at higher temperatures. Bacterial community analysis revealed that Proteobacteria and Tenericutes were predominant in all initial MA samples, but they were rapidly displaced by Firmicutes as fermentation progressed. Photobacterium and Mycoplasma belonging to Proteobacteria and Tenericutes, respectively, which may include potentially pathogenic strains, were dominant in initial MA, but decreased with the growth of Chromohalobacter, which occurred faster at higher temperatures––they were dominant until 273 and 100 days at 15°C and 20°C, respectively, but not detected after 30 days at 25°C and 30°C. Chromohalobacter also decreased with the appearance of subsequent genera belonging to Firmicutes in all MA samples. Tetragenococcus, halophilic lactic acid bacteria, appeared predominantly at 20°C, 25°C, and 30°C; they were most abundant at 30°C, but not detected at 15°C. Alkalibacillus and Lentibacillus appeared as dominant genera with the decrease of Tetragenococcus at 25°C and 30°C, but only Lentibacillus was dominant at 15°C and 20°C. Metabolite analysis showed that amino acids related to tastes were major metabolites and their concentrations were relatively higher at high temperatures. This study suggests that high temperatures (approximately 30°C) may be appropriate in MA fermentation, in the light of faster disappearance of potentially pathogenic genera, higher amino acids, growth of Tetragenococcus, and faster fermentation. PMID:26977596

  20. Pathophysiological evaluation of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) by continuous ruminal pH monitoring.

    PubMed

    Sato, Shigeru

    2016-02-01

    Evaluation of the radio-transmission pH-measurement system for monitoring the ruminal pH and subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in cattle is described. This is done in order to reveal the possible application of this system for detection and pathophysiological research of SARA by continuous ruminal pH measurement. The possibility of using this system for assessment of the ruminal pH in SARA cattle, and the presence of negative correlation between the ruminal pH and ruminal temperature in heathy and SARA cattle were determined. In addition, the 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing analysis showed that the ruminal microbial community was simpler in SARA cattle, and the bacterial numbers in SARA cattle were lower than those in healthy hay-fed cattle. Concentrate feeding might have reduced the diversity of the ruminal microbial community. Changes in the ruminal microbial community of SARA cattle might be related to the changes in ruminal pH followed by the decrease in the number of some bacteria. Continuous monitoring of the ruminal pH using the radio-transmission pH-measurement system would be applied for detection and prevention of SARA in the field and pathophysiological research of SARA, including ruminal zymology and bacteriology, which have been determined previously by sampling of the ruminal fluid and measuring of ruminal pH. © 2015 The Authors. Animal Science Journal published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  1. Scanning tunneling microscopy study of low temperature silicon epitaxy on hydrogen/silicon(001) and phosphine adsorption on silicon(111)-7x7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ji, Jeong-Young

    A three-chamber ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) system with preparation, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers was designed and built. Here, one can perform surface preparation, STM e-beam lithography, precursor gas dosing, ion sputtering, silicon epitaxy, and various measurements such as reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Processes performed in the ultra-clean preparation and gas-filled CVD chambers can be monitored by transferring the samples back to the STM chamber to take topographical images. Si deposition on H-terminated Si(001)-2x1 surfaces at temperatures 300--530 K was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. Hydrogen apparently hinders Si adatom diffusion and enhances surface roughening. Post-growth annealing transfers the top layer atoms downward to fill in vacancies in the lower layer, restoring the crystallinity of the thin film. Hydrogen is shown to remain on the growth front up to at least 10 ML. Si deposition onto the H/Si(001)-3x1 surface at 530 K suggests that dihydride units further suppress Si adatom diffusion and increase surface roughness. PH3 adsorption on Si(111)-7x7 was studied for various exposures between 0.3--60 L at room temperature by means of the scanning-tunneling-microscopy (STM). PH3-, PH2-, H-reacted, and unreacted adatoms can be identified by analyzing STM images at different sample biases. Most of PH3 adsorbs dissociatively on the surface at initial exposure, generating H and PH2 adsorption sites, followed by molecular adsorption of PH3. Rest atoms are more reactive than the adatoms and PH 2-reacted rest atom sites are also observed in STM images. Statistical analysis shows that center adatoms are more reactive than corner adatoms and the saturation P coverage is ˜0.22 ML. Finally, 900 K annealing of a PH 3 dosed surface results in a disordered, partially P-covered surface and PH3 dosing at 900 K forms the same surface reconstruction as a P2-adsorbed surface at similar temperature.

  2. Assessment of water quality, nutrients, algal productivity, and management alternatives for low-flow conditions, South Umpqua River basin, Oregon, 1990-92

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tanner, Dwight Q.; Anderson, Chauncey W.

    1996-01-01

    Ammonia from wastewater-treatment-plant effluent, high pH values, and high temperatures present a potential for chronic ammonia toxicity in the lower reaches of the South Umpqua River; however, actual violations of standards for chronic concentrations were not detected because of diel fluctuations in pH and water temperature.

  3. Preparation of starch-poly-glutamic acid graft copolymers by microwave irradiation and the characterization of their properties

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Graft copolymers of waxy maize starch and poly-y-glutamic acid (PGA) were produced in an aqueous solution using microwave irradiation. The microwave reaction conditions were optimized with regard to temperature and pH. The temperature of 180 deg C and pH 7.0 were the best reaction conditions resulti...

  4. Affinity interactions between natural pigments and human whole saliva.

    PubMed

    Yao, Jiang-Wu; Lin, Feng; Tao, Tao; Lin, Chang-Jian

    2011-03-01

    The aim of the present study was to assess the null hypothesis that there are no differences of affinity between pigments and human whole saliva (WS), and the affinity is not influenced by the functional groups of pigments, temperatures, pH values, and salt concentrations. The affinity constants of interactions between WS and theaflavin (TF)/curcumin (Cur)/cyanidin (Cy) were determined by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and fluorescence quenching. Mass-uptake at various temperatures, pH values, and salt concentrations was also carried out. The order of affinity of the pigments binding to WS is TF>Cur>Cy. A large number of complexes and precipitations of pigments/proteins were formed through a quick, strong, and almost irreversible binding process. The mass-uptake of pigments was affected not only by the functional groups, but also by molecular weight of pigments, temperatures, pH values, and salt concentrations. The complex of pigments may easily and rapidly deposit onto the WS film, and are difficult to remove from the WS surface. However, the complex of pigments can be reduced by properly regulating the physicochemical conditions, such as temperatures, pH values, and salt concentrations. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Temperature and pH effect on reduction of graphene oxides in aqueous solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tai, Guoan; Zeng, Tian; Li, Hongxiang; Liu, Jinsong; Kong, Jizhou; Lv, Fuyong

    2014-09-01

    Reduced graphene oxides (RGOs) have usually been obtained by hydrazine reduction, but hydrazine-related compounds are corrosive, highly flammable and very hazardous, and the obtained RGOs heavily aggregated. Here we investigated extensively the effect of temperature and pH value on the structure of RGOs in hydrothermal environments without any reducing agents. The attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra showed that reduction rate of GOs remarkably increased with the temperature from 100 to 180 °C and with pH value from 3 to 10. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) exhibited the structural transition of the RGOs. Energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) showed the reduction degree of the RGO samples quantitatively. The results demonstrate that the GOs can be reduced controllably by a hydrothermal reduction process at pH value of 10 at 140 °C, and the large-scale RGOs are cut into small nanosheets with size from several to a few tens of nanometers with increasing temperature and duration. This study provides a feasible approach to controllably reduce GO with different nanostructures such as porous structures and quantum dots for applications in optoelectronics and biomedicals.

  6. Study on effects of temperature, moisture and pH in degradation and degradation kinetics of aldrin, endosulfan, lindane pesticides during full-scale continuous rotary drum composting.

    PubMed

    Ali, Muntjeer; Kazmi, A A; Ahmed, Naseem

    2014-05-01

    Study focused on effects of temperature, moisture and pH on degradation and degradation kinetics of aldrin, endosulfan (α), endosulfan (β) and lindane during vegetable waste composting using full-scale continuous rotary drum composter (FSCRDC). Extraction, concentration and quantification of pesticides were made from waste material at different stages by ultra-sonification, silica gel column and GC-MS analysis. Removal efficiency of aldrin, endosulfan α, endosulfan β and lindane was found 85.67%, 84.95%, 83.20% and 81.36% respectively due to optimum temperature, moisture, pH and enhanced microbial activity. Maximum temperature in inlet zone was found 60-65°C which is most suitable for complex microbial population. After feeding and turning in inlet zone, temperature reduced to 38°C from 60 to 65°C and regained it within 7-8h, and pH reduced to 5.3±0.2 from 7.5±0.3 in 4h and regained it in 10h. Heterotrophic bacteria Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Lactobacillus sp. also decreased from 4.4×10(3) to 7.80×10(2)CFU g(-1) in 2 h due to gradual variation in temperature and pH. No significant temperature change was found in middle and outlet zones during feeding and turning. Degradation of pesticides was observed as first order kinetics and half-life of aldrin, endosulfan α, endosulfan β and lindane was reduced to 25.54, 18.43, 18.43 and 27.43 d from 1095, 60, 270 and 160 d respectively. Thus, the observations in contrast of removal and degradation kinetics of organochlorine pesticides residues in vegetable waste though full-scale rotary drum composting proved it the best suited technique. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. [Purification and physicochemical properties of Bacillus thuringiensis IMB B-7324 peptidase with elastolytic and fibrinolytic activity].

    PubMed

    Matseliukh, O V; Nidialkova, N A; Varbanets', L D

    2012-01-01

    The scheme of isolation and purification of Bacillus thuringiensis IMV B-7324 peptidase has been developed. This scheme includes ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatography on neutral and charged TSK-gels. It was found that the enzyme hydrolyzes elastin and fibrin. The molecular weight is 26 kDa. It was shown that the enzyme is an alkaline serine peptidase. The optimal pH of hydrolysis of elastin and fibrin were 9.0 and 10.0, respectively. The optimal temperature of elastin and fibrin hydrolysis are 40 and 50 degrees C, respectively. The high stability of the purified preparation in the studied range of pH and temperature was shown. The stabilizing effect of zinc at a concentration of 1 mM on the elastase activity, and the inhibitory effect of other divalent cations under study have been established. The investigated chloride and acetate anions reduced activity by 20%, while phosphate anions increased activity by 15-30%.

  8. A multiphase mixture model for substrate concentration distribution characteristics and photo-hydrogen production performance of the entrapped-cell photobioreactor.

    PubMed

    Guo, Cheng-Long; Cao, Hong-Xia; Pei, Hong-Shan; Guo, Fei-Qiang; Liu, Da-Meng

    2015-04-01

    A multiphase mixture model was developed for revealing the interaction mechanism between biochemical reactions and transfer processes in the entrapped-cell photobioreactor packed with gel granules containing Rhodopseudomonas palustris CQK 01. The effects of difference operation parameters, including operation temperature, influent medium pH value and porosity of packed bed, on substrate concentration distribution characteristics and photo-hydrogen production performance were investigated. The results showed that the model predictions were in good agreement with the experimental data reported. Moreover, the operation temperature of 30 °C and the influent medium pH value of 7 were the most suitable conditions for photo-hydrogen production by biodegrading substrate. In addition, the lower porosity of packed bed was beneficial to enhance photo-hydrogen production performance owing to the improvement on the amount of substrate transferred into gel granules caused by the increased specific area for substrate transfer in the elemental volume. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Improved in situ saccharification of cellulose pretreated by dimethyl sulfoxide/ionic liquid using cellulase from a newly isolated Paenibacillus sp. LLZ1.

    PubMed

    Hu, Dongxue; Ju, Xin; Li, Liangzhi; Hu, Cuiying; Yan, Lishi; Wu, Tianyun; Fu, Jiaolong; Qin, Ming

    2016-02-01

    A cellulase producing strain was newly isolated from soil samples and identified as Paenibacillus sp. LLZ1. A novel aqueous-dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([Emin]DEP)-cellulase system was designed and optimized. In the pretreatment, DMSO was found to be a low-cost substitute of up to 70% ionic liquid to enhance the cellulose dissolution. In the enzymatic saccharification, the optimum pH and temperature of the Paenibacillus sp. LLZ1 cellulase were identified as 6.0 and 40°C, respectively. Under the optimized reaction condition, the conversion of microcrystalline cellulose and bagasse cellulose increased by 39.3% and 37.6%, compared with unpretreated cellulose. Compared to current methods of saccharification, this new approach has several advantages including lower operating temperature, milder pH, and less usage of ionic liquid, indicating a marked progress in environmental friendly hydrolysis of biomass-based materials. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Development of new UV-vis spectroscopic microwave-assisted method for determination of glucose in pharmaceutical samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mabood, Fazal; Hussain, Z.; Haq, H.; Arian, M. B.; Boqué, R.; Khan, K. M.; Hussain, K.; Jabeen, F.; Hussain, J.; Ahmed, M.; Alharasi, A.; Naureen, Z.; Hussain, H.; Khan, A.; Perveen, S.

    2016-01-01

    A new UV-Visible spectroscopic method assisted with microwave for the determination of glucose in pharmaceutical formulations was developed. In this study glucose solutions were oxidized by ammonium molybdate in the presence of microwave energy and reacted with aniline to produce a colored solution. Optimum conditions of the reaction including wavelength, temperature, and pH of the medium and relative concentration ratio of the reactants were investigated. It was found that the optimal wavelength for the reaction is 610 nm, the optimal reaction time is 80 s, the optimal reaction temperature is 160 °C, the optimal reaction pH is 4, and the optimal concentration ratio aniline/ammonium molybdate solution was found to be 1:1. The limits of detection and quantification of the method are 0.82 and 2.75 ppm for glucose solution, respectively. The use of microwaves improved the speed of the method while the use of aniline improved the sensitivity of the method by shifting the wavelength.

  11. Stimuli-responsive magnetic particles for biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    Medeiros, S F; Santos, A M; Fessi, H; Elaissari, A

    2011-01-17

    In recent years, magnetic nanoparticles have been studied due to their potential applications as magnetic carriers in biomedical area. These materials have been increasingly exploited as efficient delivery vectors, leading to opportunities of use as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents, mediators of hyperthermia cancer treatment and in targeted therapies. Much attention has been also focused on "smart" polymers, which are able to respond to environmental changes, such as changes in the temperature and pH. In this context, this article reviews the state-of-the art in stimuli-responsive magnetic systems for biomedical applications. The paper describes different types of stimuli-sensitive systems, mainly temperature- and pH sensitive polymers, the combination of this characteristic with magnetic properties and, finally, it gives an account of their preparation methods. The article also discusses the main in vivo biomedical applications of such materials. A survey of the recent literature on various stimuli-responsive magnetic gels in biomedical applications is also included. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. High resolution microscopy reveals significant impacts of ocean acidification and warming on larval shell development in Laternula elliptica.

    PubMed

    Bylenga, Christine H; Cummings, Vonda J; Ryan, Ken G

    2017-01-01

    Environmental stressors impact marine larval growth rates, quality and sizes. Larvae of the Antarctic bivalve, Laternula elliptica, were raised to the D-larvae stage under temperature and pH conditions representing ambient and end of century projections (-1.6°C to +0.4°C and pH 7.98 to 7.65). Previous observations using light microscopy suggested pH had no influence on larval abnormalities in this species. Detailed analysis of the shell using SEM showed that reduced pH is in fact a major stressor during development for this species, producing D-larvae with abnormal shapes, deformed shell edges and irregular hinges, cracked shell surfaces and even uncalcified larvae. Additionally, reduced pH increased pitting and cracking on shell surfaces. Thus, apparently normal larvae may be compromised at the ultrastructural level and these larvae would be in poor condition at settlement, reducing juvenile recruitment and overall survival. Elevated temperatures increased prodissoconch II sizes. However, the overall impacts on larval shell quality and integrity with concurrent ocean acidification would likely overshadow any beneficial results from warmer temperatures, limiting populations of this prevalent Antarctic species.

  13. Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference system analysis on adsorption studies of Reactive Red 198 from aqueous solution by SBA-15/CTAB composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aghajani, Khadijeh; Tayebi, Habib-Allah

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the Mesoporous material SBA-15 were synthesized and then, the surface was modified by the surfactant Cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB). Finally, the obtained adsorbent was used in order to remove Reactive Red 198 (RR 198) from aqueous solution. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and BET were utilized for the purpose of examining the structural characteristics of obtained adsorbent. Parameters affecting the removal of RR 198 such as pH, the amount of adsorbent, and contact time were investigated at various temperatures and were also optimized. The obtained optimized condition is as follows: pH = 2, time = 60 min and adsorbent dose = 1 g/l. Moreover, a predictive model based on ANFIS for predicting the adsorption amount according to the input variables is presented. The presented model can be used for predicting the adsorption rate based on the input variables include temperature, pH, time, dosage, concentration. The error between actual and approximated output confirm the high accuracy of the proposed model in the prediction process. This fact results in cost reduction because prediction can be done without resorting to costly experimental efforts. SBA-15, CTAB, Reactive Red 198, adsorption study, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference systems (ANFIS).

  14. Peroxidase extraction from jicama skin peels for phenol removal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiong, T.; Lau, S. Y.; Khor, E. H.; Danquah, M. K.

    2016-06-01

    Phenol and its derivatives exist in various types of industrial effluents, and are known to be harmful to aquatic lives even at low concentrations. Conventional treatment technologies for phenol removal are challenged with long retention time, high energy consumption and process cost. Enzymatic treatment has emerged as an alternative technology for phenol removal from wastewater. These enzymes interact with aromatic compounds including phenols in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, forming free radicals which polymerize spontaneously to produce insoluble phenolic polymers. This work aims to extract peroxidase from agricultural wastes materials and establish its application for phenol removal. Peroxidase was extracted from jicama skin peels under varying extraction conditions of pH, sample-to-buffer ratio (w/v %) and temperature. Experimental results showed that extraction process conducted at pH 10, 40% w/v and 25oC demonstrated a peroxidase activity of 0.79 U/mL. Elevated temperatures slightly enhanced the peroxidase activities. Jicama peroxidase extracted at optimum extraction conditions demonstrated a phenol removal efficiency of 87.5% at pH 7. Phenol removal efficiency was ∼ 97% in the range of 30 - 40oC, and H2O2 dosage has to be kept below 100 mM for maximum removal under phenol concentration tested.

  15. Factors influencing disinfection by-products formation in drinking water of six cities in China.

    PubMed

    Ye, Bixiong; Wang, Wuyi; Yang, Linsheng; Wei, Jianrong; E, Xueli

    2009-11-15

    Based on the measured chemical and physical data in drinking water from six cities in China, the factors including total organic carbon (TOC), ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV(254)), pH, applied chlorine dosage, temperature, concentrations of bromide ion and several chemical elements which possibly affect the formation of trihalomethane (THM) and haloacetic acid (HAA) have been studied. The results showed that: in all factors, TOC and UV(254) have definite correlations with total THM, but have nonsignificant relationships with total HAA. In the studied pH range of 6.5-8.5 for drinking water, the total THM concentration increased with the increasing of pH value, but the total HAA concentration slightly decreased. A low but significant relationship (r=0.26, p<0.01) occurred between total THM and applied chlorine dosage. Similar relationship (r=0.21, p<0.01) was found between total HAA and applied chlorine dosage. When the water temperature was low, the variation of THMs and HAAs was little, but in warmer water, the concentration of THMs and HAAs varied quickly. The extent of bromine incorporation into the DBPs increases with increasing bromide ion concentration. Based on the effect of chemical elements for the DBPs remove effect, the polyferric chloride could be a preferred flocculant agent in waterworks.

  16. Temperature Effects on Biomass and Regeneration of Vegetation in a Geothermal Area

    PubMed Central

    Nishar, Abdul; Bader, Martin K.-F.; O’Gorman, Eoin J.; Deng, Jieyu; Breen, Barbara; Leuzinger, Sebastian

    2017-01-01

    Understanding the effects of increasing temperature is central in explaining the effects of climate change on vegetation. Here, we investigate how warming affects vegetation regeneration and root biomass and if there is an interactive effect of warming with other environmental variables. We also examine if geothermal warming effects on vegetation regeneration and root biomass can be used in climate change experiments. Monitoring plots were arranged in a grid across the study area to cover a range of soil temperatures. The plots were cleared of vegetation and root-free ingrowth cores were installed to assess above and below-ground regeneration rates. Temperature sensors were buried in the plots for continued soil temperature monitoring. Soil moisture, pH, and soil chemistry of the plots were also recorded. Data were analyzed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and linear regression to identify the environmental variable with the greatest influence on vegetation regeneration and root biomass. There was lower root biomass and slower vegetation regeneration in high temperature plots. Soil temperature was positively correlated with soil moisture and negatively correlated with soil pH. Iron and sulfate were present in the soil in the highest quantities compared to other measured soil chemicals and had a strong positive relationship with soil temperature. Our findings suggest that soil temperature had a major impact on root biomass and vegetation regeneration. In geothermal fields, vegetation establishment and growth can be restricted by low soil moisture, low soil pH, and an imbalance in soil chemistry. The correlation between soil moisture, pH, chemistry, and plant regeneration was chiefly driven by soil temperature. Soil temperature was negatively correlated to the distance from the geothermal features. Apart from characterizing plant regeneration on geothermal soils, this study further demonstrates a novel approach to global warming experiments, which could be particularly useful in low heat flow geothermal systems that more realistically mimic soil warming. PMID:28326088

  17. Temperature Effects on Biomass and Regeneration of Vegetation in a Geothermal Area.

    PubMed

    Nishar, Abdul; Bader, Martin K-F; O'Gorman, Eoin J; Deng, Jieyu; Breen, Barbara; Leuzinger, Sebastian

    2017-01-01

    Understanding the effects of increasing temperature is central in explaining the effects of climate change on vegetation. Here, we investigate how warming affects vegetation regeneration and root biomass and if there is an interactive effect of warming with other environmental variables. We also examine if geothermal warming effects on vegetation regeneration and root biomass can be used in climate change experiments. Monitoring plots were arranged in a grid across the study area to cover a range of soil temperatures. The plots were cleared of vegetation and root-free ingrowth cores were installed to assess above and below-ground regeneration rates. Temperature sensors were buried in the plots for continued soil temperature monitoring. Soil moisture, pH, and soil chemistry of the plots were also recorded. Data were analyzed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and linear regression to identify the environmental variable with the greatest influence on vegetation regeneration and root biomass. There was lower root biomass and slower vegetation regeneration in high temperature plots. Soil temperature was positively correlated with soil moisture and negatively correlated with soil pH. Iron and sulfate were present in the soil in the highest quantities compared to other measured soil chemicals and had a strong positive relationship with soil temperature. Our findings suggest that soil temperature had a major impact on root biomass and vegetation regeneration. In geothermal fields, vegetation establishment and growth can be restricted by low soil moisture, low soil pH, and an imbalance in soil chemistry. The correlation between soil moisture, pH, chemistry, and plant regeneration was chiefly driven by soil temperature. Soil temperature was negatively correlated to the distance from the geothermal features. Apart from characterizing plant regeneration on geothermal soils, this study further demonstrates a novel approach to global warming experiments, which could be particularly useful in low heat flow geothermal systems that more realistically mimic soil warming.

  18. Occurance and survival of Vibrio alginolyticus in Tamouda Bay (Morocco).

    PubMed

    Sabir, M; Cohen, N; Boukhanjer, A; Ennaji, M M

    2011-10-15

    The objectives of this study were to investigate the spatial and seasonal fluctuations of Vibrio alginolyticus in marine environment of the Tamouda Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco and to determine the dominant factors of the environment that govern these fluctuations. The samples (sea water, plankton, shellfish and sediment) were collected fortnightly for two years from three study sites on the coast Tamouda Bay in northern Morocco. The charge of Vibrio alginolyticus is determined by MPN method. The physicochemical parameters including temperature of sea water, pH, salinity, turbidity and chlorophyll a concentration were determined. Analysis of variance of specific variables and several principal component analyses showed that the temperature of seawater is the major determinant of seasonal distribution of Vibrio alginolyticus. The results showed a positive linear correlation between Vibrio alginolyticus and the water temperature, pH, turbidity and chlorophyll a. Similarly, there are seasonal variations and spatial of Vibrio alginolyticus in marine environment of the Tamouda bay and the highest concentrations were recorded in both years of study during the warm season whereas it was minimal during the cold season. Linear positive correlation was recorded between Vibrio alginolyticus populations in all ecological types of samples studied.

  19. Removal of Emulsified Oil from Water by Fruiting Bodies of Macro-Fungus (Auricularia polytricha)

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Xunan; Guo, Mengting; Wu, Yinghai; Wu, Qunhe; Zhang, Renduo

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of utilizing the fruiting bodies of a jelly macro-fungus Auricularia polytricha as adsorbents to remove emulsified oil from water. The effects of several factors, including temperature, initial pH, agitation speed, and adsorbent dosage, were taken into account. Results showed that the optimized conditions for adsorption of A. polytricha were a temperature of 35°C, pH of 7.5, and agitation speed of 100 rpm. The adsorption kinetics were characterized by the pseudo-first order model, which showed the adsorption to be a fast physical process. The Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm described the adsorption very well and predicted the maximum adsorption capacity of 398 mg g−1, under optimized conditions. As illustrated by scanning electron micrographs, the oil particles were adsorbed onto the hairs covering the bottom surface and could be desorbed by normal temperature volatilization. The material could be used as an emulsified oil adsorbent at least three times, retaining more than 95% of the maximum adsorption capacity. The results demonstrated that the fruiting bodies of A. polytricha can be a useful adsorbent to remove emulsified oil from water. PMID:24743498

  20. Biology, ecology, and biotechnological applications of anaerobic bacteria adapted to environmental stresses in temperature, pH, salinity, or substrates.

    PubMed Central

    Lowe, S E; Jain, M K; Zeikus, J G

    1993-01-01

    Anaerobic bacteria include diverse species that can grow at environmental extremes of temperature, pH, salinity, substrate toxicity, or available free energy. The first evolved archaebacterial and eubacterial species appear to have been anaerobes adapted to high temperatures. Thermoanaerobes and their stable enzymes have served as model systems for basic and applied studies of microbial cellulose and starch degradation, methanogenesis, ethanologenesis, acetogenesis, autotrophic CO2 fixation, saccharidases, hydrogenases, and alcohol dehydrogenases. Anaerobes, unlike aerobes, appear to have evolved more energy-conserving mechanisms for physiological adaptation to environmental stresses such as novel enzyme activities and stabilities and novel membrane lipid compositions and functions. Anaerobic syntrophs do not have similar aerobic bacterial counterparts. The metabolic end products of syntrophs are potent thermodynamic inhibitors of energy conservation mechanisms, and they require coordinated consumption by a second partner organism for species growth. Anaerobes adapted to environmental stresses and their enzymes have biotechnological applications in organic waste treatment systems and chemical and fuel production systems based on biomass-derived substrates or syngas. These kinds of anaerobes have only recently been examined by biologists, and considerably more study is required before they are fully appreciated by science and technology. Images PMID:8336675

  1. Preformulation considerations for controlled release dosage forms. Part II. Selected candidate support.

    PubMed

    Chrzanowski, Frank

    2008-01-01

    Practical examples of preformulation support of the form selected for formulation development are provided using several drug substances (DSs). The examples include determination of the solubilities vs. pH particularly for the range pH 1 to 8 because of its relationship to gastrointestinal (GI) conditions and dissolution method development. The advantages of equilibrium solubility and trial solubility methods are described. The equilibrium method is related to detecting polymorphism and the trial solubility method, to simplifying difficult solubility problems. An example of two polymorphs existing in mixtures of DS is presented in which one of the forms is very unstable. Accelerating stability studies are used in conjunction with HPLC and quantitative X-ray powder diffraction (QXRD) to demonstrate the differences in chemical and polymorphic stabilities. The results from two model excipient compatibility methods are compared to determine which has better predictive accuracy for room temperature stability. A DSC (calorimetric) method and an isothermal stress with quantitative analysis (ISQA) method that simulates wet granulation conditions were compared using a 2 year room temperature sample set as reference. An example of a pH stability profile for understanding stability and extrapolating stability to other environments is provided. The pH-stability of omeprazole and lansoprazole, which are extremely unstable in acidic and even mildly acidic conditions, are related to the formulation of delayed release dosage forms and the resolution of the problem associated with free carboxyl groups from the enteric coating polymers reacting with the DSs. Dissolution method requirements for CR dosage forms are discussed. The applicability of a modified disintegration time (DT) apparatus for supporting CR dosage form development of a pH sensitive DS at a specific pH such as duodenal pH 5.6 is related. This method is applicable for DSs such as peptides, proteins, enzymes and natural products where physical observation can be used in place of a difficult to perform analytical method, saving resources and providing rapid preformulation support.

  2. Effect of ph Value and Calcination Temperature on Structure and Magnetic Properties of Strontium Hexaferrite Thin Film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shanaghi, A.

    2012-02-01

    Strontium hexaferrite was widely used in the fabrication of commercial permanent magnets and certain microwave devices. In this study, the strontium hexaferrite nanoparticle coatings were prepared by sol-gel method and using spin coating process on silicon substrate, then the effect of pH value, such as 5, 7 and 9, and calcination temperatures, such as 600°C, 800°C, and 1000°C, on structural and magnetic properties of strontium hexaferrite thin films were investigated by XRD, SEM and VSM measurements. The maximum saturation magnetization value of 57.43 emu/g and coercivity value of 3908 Oe were achieved for the thin film with crystallite size approximately 41 nm, prepared at pH value of 7 and calcinations temperature of 800°C.

  3. Effect of fermentation conditions on biohydrogen production from cassava starch by anaerobic mixed cultures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tien, Hai M.; Le, Kien A.; Tran, An T.; Le, Phung K.

    2016-06-01

    In this work, a series of batch tests were conducted to investigate the effect of pH, temperature, fermentation time, and inoculums ratio to hydrogen production using cassava starch as a substrate. The statistical analysis of the experiment indicated that the significant effects for the fermentation yield were the main effect of temperature, pH and inoculums ratio. It was fouund that the suitable fermentation conditions of biohydrogen production should be at temperature 40 ° C; pH 6.5, inoculums to medium ratio 10 % and COD operation at 4800 g/mL. The maximum value of hydrogen volume produced was 76.22 mL. These affected has been evaluated and the result can be used as an reference for the pilot or industrial biohydrogen production.

  4. Lysine and novel hydroxylysine lipids in soil bacteria: amino acid membrane lipid response to temperature and pH in Pseudopedobacter saltans

    PubMed Central

    Moore, Eli K.; Hopmans, Ellen C.; Rijpstra, W. Irene C.; Sánchez-Andrea, Irene; Villanueva, Laura; Wienk, Hans; Schoutsen, Frans; Stams, Alfons J. M.; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

    2015-01-01

    Microbial decomposition of organic matter is an essential process in the global carbon cycle. The soil bacteria Pseudopedobacter saltans and Flavobacterium johnsoniae are both able to degrade complex organic molecules, but it is not fully known how their membrane structures are adapted to their environmental niche. The membrane lipids of these species were extracted and analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/ion trap/mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI/IT/MS) and high resolution accurate mass/mass spectrometry (HRAM/MS). Abundant unknown intact polar lipids (IPLs) from P. saltans were isolated and further characterized using amino acid analysis and two dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Ornithine IPLs (OLs) with variable (hydroxy) fatty acid composition were observed in both bacterial species. Lysine-containing IPLs (LLs) were also detected in both species and were characterized here for the first time using HPLC-MS. Novel LLs containing hydroxy fatty acids and novel hydroxylysine lipids with variable (hydroxy) fatty acid composition were identified in P. saltans. The confirmation of OL and LL formation in F. johnsoniae and P. saltans and the presence of OlsF putative homologs in P. saltans suggest the OlsF gene coding protein is possibly involved in OL and LL biosynthesis in both species, however, potential pathways of OL and LL hydroxylation in P. saltans are still undetermined. Triplicate cultures of P. saltans were grown at three temperature/pH combinations: 30°C/pH 7, 15°C/pH 7, and 15°C/pH 9. The fractional abundance of total amino acid containing IPLs containing hydroxylated fatty acids was significantly higher at higher temperature, and the fractional abundance of lysine-containing IPLs was significantly higher at lower temperature and higher pH. These results suggest that these amino acid-containing IPLs, including the novel hydroxylysine lipids, could be involved in temperature and pH stress response of soil bacteria. PMID:26175720

  5. Optimized postweld heat treatment procedures for 17-4 PH stainless steels

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bhaduri, A.K.; Sujith, S.; Srinivasan, G.

    1995-05-01

    The postweld heat treatment (PWHT) procedures for 17-4 PH stainless steel weldments of matching chemistry was optimized vis-a-vis its microstructure prior to welding based on microstructural studies and room-temperature mechanical properties. The 17-4 PH stainless steel was welded in two different prior microstructural conditions (condition A and condition H 1150) and then postweld heat treated to condition H900 or condition H1150, using different heat treatment procedures. Microstructural investigations and room-temperature tensile properties were determined to study the combined effects of prior microstructural and PWHT procedures.

  6. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Oda, H., E-mail: h-oda@photon.chitose.ac.jp; Yamanaka, A.; Ozaki, N.

    The development of small sized laser operating above room temperature is important in the realization of optical integrated circuits. Recently, micro-lasers consisting of photonic crystals (PhCs) and whispering gallery mode cavities have been demonstrated. Optically pumped laser devices could be easily designed using photonic crystal-slab waveguides (PhC-WGs) with an air-bridge type structure. In this study, we observe lasing at 1.3μm from two-photon pumped InAs-quantum-dots embedded GaAs PhC-WGs above room temperature. This type of compact laser shows promise as a new light source in ultra-compact photonics integrated circuits.

  7. Effects of pH and calcination temperature on structural and optical properties of alumina nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amirsalari, A.; Farjami Shayesteh, S.

    2015-06-01

    In this study, we describe the synthesis of alumina nanoparticles using a chemical wet method in at varying pH. The optimized prepared particles with pH equals to 9 were calcined at various temperatures. For characterization of structural and optical properties of nanoparticles had been used X-ray diffraction, Infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, field effect-scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The results revealed that the nanoparticles calcined at 500 °C consist of an Al2O3 tetragonal structure and tetragonal distortion decreases with increasing calcination temperature up to 750 °C then increased with increasing temperature. Another phase similar to γ-Al2O3 was formed instead of δ-Al2O3 in the transition sequence from the γ to θ phase. FT-IR analysis; suggests that there are a few different types of functional groups on the surface of the alumina nanoparticles such as hydroxy groups and oxy groups. The transmittance spectra showed that the absorption bands in the UV region strongly depend on the calcination temperature. Moreover, the results showed that alumina has an optical direct band gap and that the energy gap decreases with increasing the calcination temperature and pH of the reaction. Luminescence spectra showed that some luminescent centers such as OH-related radiative centers and oxygen vacancies (F, F22+ and F2 centers) centers exist in the nanoparticles.

  8. Heat Priming Induces Trans-generational Tolerance to High Temperature Stress in Wheat

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xiao; Xin, Caiyun; Cai, Jian; Zhou, Qin; Dai, Tingbo; Cao, Weixing; Jiang, Dong

    2016-01-01

    Wheat plants are very sensitive to high temperature stress during grain filling. Effects of heat priming applied to the first generation on tolerance of the successive generation to post-anthesis high temperature stress were investigated. Compared with the progeny of non-heat primed plants (NH), the progeny of heat-primed plants (PH) possessed higher grain yield, leaf photosynthesis and activities of antioxidant enzymes and lower cell membrane damage under high temperature stress. In the transcriptome profile, 1430 probes showed obvious difference in expression between PH and NH. These genes were related to signal transduction, transcription, energy, defense, and protein destination and storage, respectively. The gene encoding the lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) which was involved in histone demethylation related to epigenetic modification was up-regulated in the PH compared with NH. The proteome analysis indicated that the proteins involved in photosynthesis, energy production and protein destination and storage were up-regulated in the PH compared with NH. In short, thermos-tolerance was induced through heritable epigenetic alternation and signaling transduction, both processes further triggered prompt modifications of defense related responses in anti-oxidation, transcription, energy production, and protein destination and storage in the progeny of the primed plants under high temperature stress. It was concluded that trans-generation thermo-tolerance was induced by heat priming in the first generation, and this might be an effective measure to cope with severe high-temperature stresses during key growth stages in wheat production. PMID:27148324

  9. Temperature-dependent dynamics of bovine casein micelles in the range 10-40 °C.

    PubMed

    Liu, Dylan Z; Weeks, Michael G; Dunstan, David E; Martin, Gregory J O

    2013-12-15

    Milk is a complex colloidal system that responds to changes in temperature imposed during processing. Whilst much has been learned about the effects of temperature on milk, little is known about the dynamic response of casein micelles to changes in temperature. In this study, a comprehensive physico-chemical study of casein micelles in skim milk was performed between 10 and 40 °C. When fully equilibrated, the amount of soluble casein, soluble calcium and the pH of skim milk all decreased as a function of increasing temperature, whilst the hydration and volume fraction of the casein micelles decreased. The effect of temperature on casein micelle size, as determined by dynamic light scattering and differential centrifugation, was less straightforward. Real-time measurements of turbidity and pH were used to investigate the dynamics of the system during warming and cooling of milk in the range 10-40 °C. Changes in pH are indicative of changes to the mineral system and the turbidity is a measure of alterations to the casein micelles. The pH and turbidity showed that alterations to both the casein micelles and the mineral system occurred very rapidly on warming. However, whilst mineral re-equilibration occurred very rapidly on cooling, changes to the casein micelle structure continued after 40 min of measurement, returning to equilibrium after 16 h equilibration. Casein micelle structure and the mineral system of milk were both dependent on temperature in the range 10-40 °C. The dynamic response of the mineral system to changes in temperature appeared almost instantaneous whereas equilibration of casein was considerably slower, particularly upon cooling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Anodic oxidation of coke oven wastewater: Multiparameter optimization for simultaneous removal of cyanide, COD and phenol.

    PubMed

    Sasidharan Pillai, Indu M; Gupta, Ashok K

    2016-07-01

    Anodic oxidation of industrial wastewater from a coke oven plant having cyanide including thiocyanate (280 mg L(-1)), chemical oxygen demand (COD - 1520 mg L(-1)) and phenol (900 mg L(-1)) was carried out using a novel PbO2 anode. From univariate optimization study, low NaCl concentration, acidic pH, high current density and temperature were found beneficial for the oxidation. Multivariate optimization was performed with cyanide including thiocyanate, COD and phenol removal efficiencies as a function of changes in initial pH, NaCl concentration and current density using Box-Behnken experimental design. Optimization was performed for maximizing the removal efficiencies of these three parameters simultaneously. The optimum condition was obtained as initial pH 3.95, NaCl as 1 g L(-1) and current density of 6.7 mA cm(-2), for which the predicted removal efficiencies were 99.6%, 86.7% and 99.7% for cyanide including thiocyanate, COD and phenol respectively. It was in agreement with the values obtained experimentally as 99.1%, 85.2% and 99.7% respectively for these parameters. The optimum conditions with initial pH constrained to a range of 6-8 was initial pH 6, NaCl as 1.31 g L(-1) and current density as 6.7 mA cm(-2). The predicted removal efficiencies were 99%, 86.7% and 99.6% for the three parameters. The efficiencies obtained experimentally were in agreement at 99%, 87.8% and 99.6% respectively. The cost of operation for degradation at optimum conditions was calculated as 21.4 USD m(-3). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Embedded micro-sensor for monitoring pH in concrete structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srinivasan, Rengaswamy; Phillips, Terry E.; Bargeron, C. Brent; Carlson, Micah A.; Schemm, Elizabeth R.; Saffarian, Hassan M.

    2000-04-01

    Three major causes of corrosion of steel in concrete are chloride ions (Cl-), temperature (T) and acidity (pH). Under normal operating temperatures and with pH above 13, steel does not undergo pitting corrosion. In presence of Cl-, if the pH decreases below 12, the probability of pitting increases. Acid rain and atmospheric carbon dioxide cause the pH to drop in concrete, often leading to corrosion of the structure with the concomitant cost of repair or replacement. Currently, the pH level in concrete is estimated through destructive testing of the structures. Glass ISFET, and other pH sensors that need maintenance and calibration cannot be embedded in concrete. In this paper, we describe an inexpensive solid state pH sensor that can be embedded in concrete, to detect pH changes at the early stages. It employs a chemical reagent, trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) that exhibits changes in optical properties in the 12 - 14 pH range, and is held in a film of a sol-gel/TNBS composite on an optically transparent surface. A simple LED/filter/photodiode transducer monitors pH-induced changes in TNBS. Such a device needs no periodic calibration or maintenance. The optical window, the light-source and sensor can be easily housed and encapsulated in a chemically inert structure, and embedded in concrete.

  12. Evaluation of the pH- and Thermal Stability of the Recombinant Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in the Presence of Sodium Chloride

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ishii, Marina; Kunimura, Juliana Sayuri; Jeng, Hélio Tallon; Vessoni Penna, Thereza Christina; Cholewa, Olivia

    The thermal stability of recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP) in sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions at different concentrations, pH, and temperatures was evaluated by assaying the loss of fluorescence intensity as a measure of denaturation. GFP, extracted from Escherichia coli cells by the three-phase partitioning method and purified through a butyl hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) column, was diluted in water for injection (WFI) (pH 6.0-7.0) and in 10 mM buffer solutions (acetate, pH 5.0; phosphate, pH 7.0; and Tris-EDTA, pH 8.0) with 0.9-30% NaCl or without and incubated at 80-95°C. The extent of protein denaturation was expressed as a percentage of the calculated decimal reduction time (D-value). In acetate buffer (pH 4.84 ±0.12), the mean D-values for 90% reduction in GFP fluorescence ranged from 2.3 to 3.6 min, independent of NaCl concentration and temperature. GFP thermal stability diluted in WFI (pH 5.94±0.60) was half that observed in phosphate buffer (pH 6.08±0.60); but in both systems, D-values decreased linearly with increasing NaCl concentration, with D-values (at 80°C) ranging from 3.44, min (WFI) to 6.1 min (phosphate buffer), both with 30% NaCl. However, D-values in Tris-EDTA (pH 7.65±0.17) were directly dependent on the NaCl concentration and 5-10 times higher than D-values for GFP in WFI at 80°C. GFP pH-and thermal stability can be easily monitored by the convenient measure of fluorescence intensity and potentially be used as an indicator to monitor that processing times and temperatures were attained.

  13. Effects of pH and Temperature on Antibacterial Activity of Zinc Oxide Nanofluid Against Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Staphylococcus aureus

    PubMed Central

    Saliani, Mahsa; Jalal, Razieh; Kafshdare. Goharshadi, Elaheh

    2015-01-01

    Background: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are known as one of the important inorganic materials used in research and health-related applications with effective antibacterial activities. Although the toxic effects of ZnO NPs have already been evaluated, more information is required to understand the possible mechanisms. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the influences of pH and temperature on antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs against some strains of pathogenic bacteria. Identifying the interrelationship between toxicity and cultural conditions helps us to have a better understanding of the optimum reaction conditions for maximum antimicrobial activity. Materials and Methods: ZnO NPs were prepared and characterized and then dispersed in glycerol with the help of ammonium citrate as the dispersant. The antibacterial tests were performed by measuring the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus with different concentrations of ZnO NPs in glycerol. All the experiments were conducted at different incubation temperatures (25-42°C) and pH levels (4-10 for E. coli O157:H7 and 5-10 for S. aureus). Results: The results showed that ZnO nanofluid have antibacterial activity against E. coli O157:H7 and S. aureus and the inhibitory effect increases with increasing the nanofluid concentration. The experiments showed that the antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs was influenced by temperature and pH. Higher antibacterial activity was observed at acidic pH levels with the maximum toxicity at pH = 4 and pH = 5 for E. coli O157: H7 and S. aureus, respectively. By raising the temperature, the toxicity of ZnO nanofluid increased, with the highest antibacterial activity at 42°C for both bacterial types in comparison with positive controls under the same conditions. Conclusions: Analysis of the results demonstrated that exposure media of ZnO NPs and cultural factors play a role in their cytotoxic effects. It could be attributed to the principal mechanism at different reaction conditions. PMID:25825643

  14. Effect of pH, temperature, and moisture on the formation of volatile compounds in glycine/glucose model systems.

    PubMed

    Ames, J M; Guy, R C; Kipping, G J

    2001-09-01

    Mixtures of glycine, glucose, and starch were extrusion cooked using sodium hydroxide at 0, 3, and 6 g/L of extruder water feed, 18% moisture, and 120, 150, and 180 degrees C target die temperatures, giving extrudates with pH values of 5.6, 6.8, and 7.4. Freeze-dried equimolar solutions of glucose and glycine were heated either dry or after equilibration to approximately 13% moisture at 180 degrees C in a reaction-tube system designed to mimic the heating profile in an extruder. Volatile compounds were isolated onto Tenax and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the extrudates, total yields of volatiles increased with decreasing pH at 180 degrees C, reached a maximum at pH 6.8 at 150 degrees C, and increased with increasing pH at 120 degrees C. Amounts increased with temperature at all pH values. Pyrazines were the most abundant class for all sets of conditions (54-79% of total volatiles). Pyrroles, ketones, furans, oxazoles, and pyridines were also identified. Yields of volatiles from the reaction-tube samples increased by >60% in the moist system. Levels of individual classes also increased in the presence of moisture, except pyrazines, which decreased approximately 3.5-fold. Twenty-one of the compounds were common to the reaction-tube samples and the extrudates.

  15. Gold Nanoparticles Grafted with PLL-b-PNIPAM: Interplay on Thermal/pH Dual-Response and Optical Properties.

    PubMed

    Li, Hui-Juan; Li, Peng-Yun; Li, Li-Ying; Haleem, Abdul; He, Wei-Dong

    2018-04-16

    Narrowly distributed poly(l-lysine- b - N -isopropylacrylamide) (PLL- b -PNIPAM) was prepared through ring-opening polymerization of ε-benzyloxycarbonyl-l-lysine N -carboxy-α-amino anhydride and atom transfer radical polymerization of NIPAM, followed with the removal of ε-benzyloxycarbonyl group. Then gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) grafted with PLL- b -PNIPAM (PNIPAM-PLL-AuNPs) were obtained by the reduction of chloroauric acid with sodium citrate in the presence of PLL- b -PNIPAM. PNIPAM-PLL-AuNPs and its precursors were thoroughly characterized by proton magnetic resonance spectroscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope, UV-vis spectroscope, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, and circular dichroism. The obtained PNIPAM-PLL-AuNPs exhibited high colloid stability even at strong alkaline (pH = 12) and acidic (pH = 2) conditions. The thermal and pH dual-responsive behaviors of the grafting PLL- b -PNIPAM chains was observed to be affected by AuNPs, while not for the secondary structure of PLL chains. Correspondingly, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of AuNPs was found to be sensitive to both pH value and temperature. A blue shift in the SPR happened both with increasing pH value and increasing temperature. The stimuli-response was reversible in heating-cooling cycles. The gold nanoparticles with both pH and temperature response may have potential applications in biomedical areas and biosensors.

  16. Tensile stress rupture behavior of a woven ceramic matrix composite in humid environments at intermediate temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larochelle, Kevin J.

    This study focused on moisture and intermediate temperature effects on the embrittlement phenomenon and stress rupture life of the ceramic matrix composite (CMC) made of Sylramic(TM) fibers with an in-situ layer of boron nitride (Syl-iBN), boron nitride interphase (BN), and SiC matrix (Syl-iBN/BN/SiC). Stress rupture tests were performed at 550°C or 750°C with moisture contents of 0.0, 0.2, or 0.6 atm partial pressure of water vapor, pH 2O. The CMC stress rupture strengths at 100 hrs at 550°C with 0.0, 0.2, or 0.6 atm pH2O were 75%, 65% and 51% of the monotonic room temperature tensile strength, respectively. At 750°C, the corresponding strengths were 67%, 51%, and 49%, respectively. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis showed that the amount of pesting by glass formations increased with time, temperature, and pH2O leading to embrittlement. Total embrittlement times for 550°C were estimated to be greater than 63 hrs for 0.0 atm pH2O greater than 38 hrs for 0.2 atm pH 2O and between 8 and 71 hrs for 0.6 atm pH2O. Corresponding estimated embrittlement times for the 750°C were greater than 83 hrs, between 13 and 71 hrs, and between 1 and 6 hrs. A time-dependent, phenomenological, Monte Carlo-type simulation of composite failure was developed. The simulated total embrittlement times for the 550°C cases were 300 hrs, 100 hrs, and 25 hrs for 0.0, 0.2, and 0.6 atm pH 2O, respectively. The corresponding embrittlement times for the 750°C cases were 300 hrs, 20 hrs, and 3 hrs. A detailed sensitivity analysis on the variables used in the model was conducted. The model was most sensitive to variation in the ultimate strength of the CMC at room temperature, the ultimate strength of the CMC at elevated temperature, and the reference strength of a fiber and it was least sensitive to variation in the modulus of elasticity of the matrix and fiber. The sensitivity analysis showed that the stress ruptures curves generated by variation in the total embrittlement time simulate the trends in the experimental data. This research showed that the degree of stress rupture strength degradation increases with temperature, moisture content level, and exposure time.

  17. A luminescent silver-saccharinato complex with S, S-diphenylsulfimide: Synthesis, spectroscopic, thermal, structural and DFT computational studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gumus, Sedat; Hamamci, Sevim; Yilmaz, V. T.; Kazak, Canan

    2007-02-01

    A new silver(I)-saccharinato (sac) complex with S, S-diphenylsulfimide, [Ag(sac)(Ph 2SNH)], has been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray diffraction analyses show that the title complex has a monomeric structure containing linearly coordinated silver(I) ion with an N-Ag-N angle of 173.80(10)°. The individual molecules are linked by strong N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and aromatic stacking π⋯π interactions and packing of the molecules is further reinforced by C-H⋯π interactions. Ph 2SNH and [Ag(sac)(Ph 2SNH)] in solution at room temperature display intense blue luminescence with emission maxima at 380 and 408 nm, respectively. The photoluminescence properties have been investigated by DFT calculations, showing that the luminescence properties of the Ph 2SNH are due to intraligand transitions, while for the silver(I) complex, the luminescence was originated from several transitions including intraligand transitions and metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT).

  18. Biochemical thermodynamics: applications of Mathematica.

    PubMed

    Alberty, Robert A

    2006-01-01

    The most efficient way to store thermodynamic data on enzyme-catalyzed reactions is to use matrices of species properties. Since equilibrium in enzyme-catalyzed reactions is reached at specified pH values, the thermodynamics of the reactions is discussed in terms of transformed thermodynamic properties. These transformed thermodynamic properties are complicated functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength that can be calculated from the matrices of species values. The most important of these transformed thermodynamic properties is the standard transformed Gibbs energy of formation of a reactant (sum of species). It is the most important because when this function of temperature, pH, and ionic strength is known, all the other standard transformed properties can be calculated by taking partial derivatives. The species database in this package contains data matrices for 199 reactants. For 94 of these reactants, standard enthalpies of formation of species are known, and so standard transformed Gibbs energies, standard transformed enthalpies, standard transformed entropies, and average numbers of hydrogen atoms can be calculated as functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength. For reactions between these 94 reactants, the changes in these properties can be calculated over a range of temperatures, pHs, and ionic strengths, and so can apparent equilibrium constants. For the other 105 reactants, only standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation and average numbers of hydrogen atoms at 298.15 K can be calculated. The loading of this package provides functions of pH and ionic strength at 298.15 K for standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation and average numbers of hydrogen atoms for 199 reactants. It also provides functions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength for the standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation, standard transformed enthalpies of formation, standard transformed entropies of formation, and average numbers of hydrogen atoms for 94 reactants. Thus loading this package makes available 774 mathematical functions for these properties. These functions can be added and subtracted to obtain changes in these properties in biochemical reactions and apparent equilibrium constants.

  19. Sorption-desorption of fipronil in some soils, as influenced by ionic strength, pH and temperature.

    PubMed

    Singh, Anand; Srivastava, Anjana; Srivastava, Prakash C

    2016-08-01

    The sorption-desorpion of fipronil insecticide is influenced by soil properties and variables such as pH, ionic strength, temperature, etc. A better understanding of soil properties and these variables in sorption-desorption processes by quantification of fipronil using liquid chromatography may help to optimise suitable soil management to reduce contamination of surface and groundwaters. In the present investigation, the sorption-desorption of fipronil was studied in some soils at varying concentrations, ionic strengths, temperatures and pH values, and IR specta of fipronil sorbed onto soils were studied. The sorption of fipronil onto soils conformed to the Freundlich isotherm model. The sorption-desorption of fipronil varied with ionic strength in each of the soils. Sorption decreased but desorption increased with temperature. Sorption did not change with increasing pH, but for desorption there was no correlation. The cumulative desorption of fipronil from soil was significantly and inversely related to soil organic carbon content. IR spectra of sorbed fipronil showed the involvement of amino, nitrile, sulfone, chloro and fluoro groups and the pyrazole nucleus of the fipronil molecule. The sorption of fipronil onto soils appeared to be a physical process with the involvement of hydrogen bonding. An increase in soil organic carbon may help to reduce desorption of fipronil. High-temperature regimes are more conducive to the desorption. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. Effect of substitution group on dielectric properties of 4H-pyrano [3, 2-c] quinoline derivatives thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    H, M. Zeyada; F, M. El-Taweel; M, M. El-Nahass; M, M. El-Shabaan

    2016-07-01

    The AC electrical conductivity and dielectrical properties of 2-amino-6-ethyl-5-oxo-4-(3-phenoxyphenyl)-5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrano[3, 2-c]quinoline-3-carbonitrile (Ph-HPQ) and 2-amino-4-(2-chlorophenyl)-6-ethyl-5-oxo-5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrano [3, 2-c] quinoline-3-carbonitrile (Ch-HPQ) thin films were determined in the frequency range of 0.5 kHz-5 MHz and the temperature range of 290-443 K. The AC electrical conduction of both compounds in thin film form is governed by the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) mechanism. Some parameters such as the barrier height, the maximum barrier height, the density of charges, and the hopping distance were determined as functions of temperature and frequency. The phenoxyphenyl group has a greater influence on those parameters than the chlorophenyl group. The AC activation energies were determined at different frequencies and temperatures. The dielectric behaviors of Ph-HPQ and Ch-HPQ were investigated using the impedance spectroscopy technique. The impedance data are presented in Nyquist diagrams for different temperatures. The Ch-HPQ films have higher impedance than the Ph-HPQ films. The real dielectric constant and dielectric loss show a remarkable dependence on the frequency and temperature. The Ph-HPQ has higher dielectric constants than the Ch-HPQ.

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