A Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA announced the availability of the final report, A Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in Central Appalachian Streams. This report describes a method to characterize the relationship between the extirpation (the effective extinction) of invertebrate genera and salinity (measured as conductivity) and from that relationship derives a freshwater aquatic life benchmark. This benchmark of 300 µS/cm may be applied to waters in Appalachian streams that are dominated by calcium and magnesium salts of sulfate and bicarbonate at circum-neutral to mildly alkaline pH. This report provides scientific evidence for a conductivity benchmark in a specific region rather than for the entire United States.

Alkaline phosphatase as a screening test for osteomalacia.

PubMed

Chinoy, Muhammad Amin; Javed, Muhammad Imran; Khan, Alamzeb; Sadruddin, Nooruddin

2011-01-01

Vitamin D deficiency remains common in children and adults in Pakistan despite adequate sunlight exposure. Diagnosis in adults is usually delayed and is made following pathological fractures that result in significant morbidity. The objective of this study was to see whether Serum Alkaline Phosphatase levels could be used as a screening test for osteomalacia. The Study was conducted at Fatima Hospital, Baqai Medical University, Gadap, Karachi, between July 2002 and June 2005. Serum calcium levels are commonly used to screen patients suspected of osteomalacia, and raised serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP) is considered a diagnostic finding. We used SALP to screen patients who presented with back or non-specific aches and pain of more than six months duration. Three hundred thirty-four (334) patients were screened of which 116 (35%) had raised SALP. Osteomalacia was diagnosed in 92 (79.3%) of these 116 either by plain radiographs, bone biopsy or isotope bone scan. Fifty-four (53.4%) of the 101 cases had a normal level of serum calcium. Osteomalacia is likely to be missed if only serum calcium is used to screen patients. Serum Alkaline Phosphate should be used as the preferred method for screening these patients.

Development of Conductivity Method as an Alternative to Titration for Hydrolytic Resistance Testing Used for Evaluation of Glass Vials Used in Pharmaceutical Industry.

PubMed

Fujimori, Kiyoshi; Lee, Hans; Phillips, Joseph; Nashed-Samuel, Yasser

The European Pharmacopeia surface test to analyze the hydrolytic resistance is a common industrial method to understand and ensure the quality of produced glass vials. Hydrolytic resistance is evaluated by calculating the alkalinity of water extract from autoclaved vials by titration. As an alternative to this titration technique, a conductivity technique was assessed, which directly measures the ions in the water extract. A conductivity meter with a 12 mm diameter electrode was calibrated with a 100 μS/cm conductivity standard and carryover minimized by rinsing the probe in a water beaker per analysis. The limit of quantification at 1 μS/cm was determined as having a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 compared with the water blank. The conductivity method was selective for glass-composing elements (boron, sodium, aluminum, silicon, potassium, and calcium) within the vial extract. Accuracies of spiked conductivity standard within the range of 1 to 100 μS/cm were ±7% and had linearity with coefficient of determination (R 2 ) of ≥0.9999. Intraday precision had a relative standard deviation (RSD) (n = 5) of ≤6% for spiked conductivity standard within the range of 1 to 100 μS/cm. Interday precision had a RSD (n = 4) of ≤6% for 10 vials from three glass vial lots. Conductivity of water extracts from nine sets of seven lots of glass vials had a precise linear relationship [R 2 = 0.9876, RSD = 1% (n = 9)] with titration volumes of the same lots. Conductivity results in μS/cm could be converted to titration volumes in milliliters by a conversion factor of 0.0275. The simplicity, sample stability, and individual vial analysis of the conductivity technique were more advantageous than the current titration technique. The quality of glass vials used as primary containers in the pharmaceutical industry is of concern due to recent observations of glass flake-like delamination, or lamellae, under specific storage conditions. The current European Pharmacopoeia method to assess glass vial quality utilizes acid titration of vial extract pools to determine hydrolytic resistance or alkalinity. As an alternative to the European Pharmacopoeia method, the vial extracts were analyzed for conductivity, which directly determines the level of ions that were readily extracted from the vial surfaces. Lower quality glass would have greater surface defects that lead to higher ions extracted and higher conductivity value. The conductivity method was found to be suitable to measure the ions in water extracts and showed strong correlation with alkalinity. The advantage of the conductivity method over the alkalinity method was greater ease, lower volume requirements, stability, and flexibility in analysis. © PDA, Inc. 2017.

Nature of immobilization surface affects antibody specificity to placental alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Kumar, Mukesh; Khan, Imran; Sinha, Subrata

2015-01-01

Retention of native conformation of immobilized protein is essential for various applications including selection and detection of specific recombinant antibodies (scFvs). Placental alkaline phosphatase (PAP), an onco-fetal antigen expressed on the surface of several tumors, was immobilized on supermagnetic particles for selection of recombinant antibodies from a human phage display antibody library. The isolated antibodies were found to be cross-reactive to either of the isozymes of alkaline phosphatase, i.e., bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) or intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) and could not be used for tumor targeting. A specific anti-PAP monoclonal antibody H17E2 was tested for retention of specificity under these conditions. Binding of the antibody to magnetic beads conjugated IAP and BAP along with PAP and the ability of the two isozymes to inhibit its binding to PAP depicted the loss of isozyme specificity of the antibody. However, the antibody retained its specificity to PAP immobilized on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surface. Enzyme activity was observed on both surfaces. This demonstrates that nature of immobilization may affect antigen-antibody binding in subtle ways, resulting in alteration of conformation of the epitopes. This may have consequences for determining the specificity of antibody binding for proteins that share a high degree of homology.

Alkaline and non-aqueous proton-conducting pouch-cell batteries

DOEpatents

Young, Kwo-hsiung; Nei, Jean; Meng, Tiejun

2018-01-02

Provided are sealed pouch-cell batteries that are alkaline batteries or non-aqueous proton-conducing batteries. A pouch cell includes a flexible housing such as is used for pouch cell construction where the housing is in the form of a pouch, a cathode comprising a cathode active material suitable for use in an alkaline battery, an anode comprising an anode active material suitable for use in an alkaline battery, an electrolyte that is optionally an alkaline or proton-conducting electrolyte, and wherein the pouch does not include or require a safety vent or other gas absorbing or releasing system as the anode active material and the cathode active material do not increase the internal atmospheric pressure any more than 2 psig during cycling. The batteries provided function contrary to the art recognized belief that such battery systems were impossible due to unacceptable gas production during cycling.

40 CFR 721.9680 - Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Alkaline titania silica gel (generic... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.9680 Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name). (a) Chemical substance... alkaline titania silica gel (PMN P-95-529) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant...

40 CFR 721.9680 - Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Alkaline titania silica gel (generic... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.9680 Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name). (a) Chemical substance... alkaline titania silica gel (PMN P-95-529) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant...

40 CFR 721.9680 - Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Alkaline titania silica gel (generic... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.9680 Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name). (a) Chemical substance... alkaline titania silica gel (PMN P-95-529) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant...

40 CFR 721.9680 - Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Alkaline titania silica gel (generic... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.9680 Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name). (a) Chemical substance... alkaline titania silica gel (PMN P-95-529) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant...

40 CFR 721.9680 - Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Alkaline titania silica gel (generic... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.9680 Alkaline titania silica gel (generic name). (a) Chemical substance... alkaline titania silica gel (PMN P-95-529) is subject to reporting under this section for the significant...

40 CFR 721.4668 - Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.4668 Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions. (a... hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions (PMN P-94-1557) is subject to reporting under...

40 CFR 721.4668 - Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.4668 Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions. (a... hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions (PMN P-94-1557) is subject to reporting under...

40 CFR 721.4668 - Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.4668 Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions. (a... hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions (PMN P-94-1557) is subject to reporting under...

40 CFR 721.4668 - Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.4668 Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions. (a... hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions (PMN P-94-1557) is subject to reporting under...

40 CFR 721.4668 - Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of... Specific Chemical Substances § 721.4668 Hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions. (a... hydrated alkaline earth metal salts of metalloid oxyanions (PMN P-94-1557) is subject to reporting under...

Water-quality data for two surface coal mines reclaimed with alkaline waste or urban sewage sludge, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, May 1983 through November 1989

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dugas, D.L.; Cravotta, C.A.; Saad, D.A.

1993-01-01

Water-quality and other hydrologic data for two surface coal mines in Clarion County, Pa., were collected during 1983-89 as part of studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. Water samples were collected from streams, seeps, monitor wells, and lysimeters on a monthly basis to evaluate changes in water quality resulting from the addition of alkaline waste or urban sewage sludge to the reclaimed mine-spoil surface. The mines are about 3.5 miles apart and were mined for bituminous coal of the upper and lower Clarion seams of the Allegheny Group of Pennsylvanian age. The coal had high sulfur (greater than 2 weight percent) concentrations. Acidic mine drainage is present at both mines. At one mine, about 8 years after mining was completed, large quantities (greater than 400 tons per acre) of alkaline waste consisting of limestone and lime-kiln flue dust were applied on two 2.5-acre plots within the 65-acre mine area. Water-quality data for the alkaline-addition plots and surrounding area were collected for 1 year before and 3 years after application of the alkaline additives (May 1983-July 1987). Data collected for the alkaline-addition study include ground-water level, surface-water discharge rate, temperature, specific conductance, pH, and concentrations of alkalinity, acidity, sulfate, iron (total and ferrous), manganese, aluminum, calcium, and magnesium. At the other mine, about 3.5 years after mining was completed, urban sewage sludge was applied over 60 acres within the 150-acre mine area. Waterquality data for the sludge-addition study were collected for 3.5 years after the application of the sludge (June 1986-December 1989). Data collected for the sludge-addition study include the above constituents plus dissolved oxygen, redox potential (Eh), and concentrations of dissolved solids, phosphorus, nitrogen species, sulfide, chloride, silica, sodium, potassium, cyanide, arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, strontium, and zinc. Climatic data, including monthly average temperature and cumulative precipitation, from a nearby weather station for the period January 1983 through December 1989 also are reported.

Alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells stably working at 80 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Hanqing; Li, Qihao; Hu, Meixue; Xiao, Li; Lu, Juntao; Zhuang, Lin

2018-06-01

Alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells are a new class of polymer electrolyte fuel cells that fundamentally enables the use of nonprecious metal catalysts. The cell performance mostly relies on the quality of alkaline polymer electrolytes, including the ionic conductivity and the chemical/mechanical stability. For a long time, alkaline polymer electrolytes are thought to be too weak in stability to allow the fuel cell to be operated at elevated temperatures, e.g., above 60 °C. In the present work, we report a progress in the state-of-the-art alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cell technology. By using a newly developed alkaline polymer electrolyte, quaternary ammonia poly (N-methyl-piperidine-co-p-terphenyl), which simultaneously possesses high ionic conductivity and excellent chemical/mechanical stability, the fuel cell can now be stably operated at 80 °C with high power density. The peak power density reaches ca. 1.5 W/cm2 at 80 °C with Pt/C catalysts used in both the anode and the cathode. The cell works stably in a period of study over 100 h.

Analysis of differentially expressed genes and adaptive mechanisms of Prunus triloba Lindl. under alkaline stress.

PubMed

Liu, Jia; Wang, Yongqing; Li, Qingtian

2017-01-01

Prunus triloba Lindl. is a naturally salt-alkaline-tolerant plant with several unique characteristics, and it can be used as the rootstock of Chinese plum ( Prunus salicina Lindl.) in saline-alkaline soils. To comprehensively investigate the alkaline acclimation mechanisms in P. triloba , a series of analyses were conducted under alkaline stress, including analyses of the kinetics of molecular and physiological changes, and leaf microstructure. To understand the kinetics of molecular changes under short-term alkaline stress, we used Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform to identify alkaline stress-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in P. triloba . Approximately 53.0 million high-quality clean reads were generated from 59.6 million raw reads, and a total of 124,786 unigenes were obtained after de novo assembly of P. triloba transcriptome data. After alkaline stress treatment, a total of 8948 unigenes were identified as DEGs. Based on these DEGs, a Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was conducted, suggesting that 28 genes may play an important role in the early alkaline stress response. In addition, analysis of DEGs with the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) revealed that pathways were significant at different treatment time points. A significant positive correlation was found between the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results and the RNA-Seq data for seven alkaline-related genes, confirming the reliability of the RNA-Seq results. Based on physiological analysis of P. triloba in response to long-term alkaline stress, we found that the internal microstructures of the leaves of P. triloba changed to adapt to long-term alkaline stress. Various physiological indexes indicated that the degree of membrane injury increased with increasing duration of alkaline stress, affecting photosynthesis in P. triloba seedlings. This represents the first investigation into the physiology and transcriptome of P. triloba in response to alkaline stress. The results of this study can enrich the genomic resources available for P. triloba , as well as deepening our understanding of molecular and physiological alkaline tolerance mechanisms in P. triloba . This will also provide new insights into our understanding of alkaline acclimation mechanisms in Chinese plum ( Prunus salicina ) trees.

Chemistry of selected high-elevation lakes in seven national parks in the western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clow, David W.; Striegl, Robert G.; Nanus, Leora; Mast, M. Alisa; Campbell, Donald H.; Krabbenhoft, David P.

2002-01-01

A chemical survey of 69 high-altitude lakes in seven national parks in the western United States was conducted during the fallof 1999; the lakes were previously sampled during the fall of 1985, as part of the Western Lake Survey. Lakes in parks in the Sierra/southern Cascades (Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks) and in the southern RockyMountains (Rocky Mountain National Park) were very dilute; medianspecific conductance ranged from 4.4 to 12.2 μS cm-1 andmedian alkalinity concentrations ranged from 32.2 to 72.9 μeqL-1. Specific conductances and alkalinity concentrations were substantially higher in lakes in the central and northernRocky Mountains parks (Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and GlacierNational Parks), probably due to the prevalence of more reactivebedrock types. Regional patterns in lake concentrations of NO3 and SO4 were similar to regional patterns in NO3 and SO4 concentrations in precipitation, suggestingthat the lakes are showing a response to atmospheric deposition.Concentrations of NO3 were particularly high in Rocky Mountain National Park, where some ecosystems appear to be undergoing nitrogen saturation.

Standard procedures and quality-control practices for the U.S. Geological Survey National Field Quality Assurance Program from 1982 through 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanley, D.L.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey operates the National Field Quality Assurance Program to provide quality- assurance reference samples to field personnel who make water-quality field measurements. The program monitors the accuracy and precision of pH, specific conductance, and alkalinity field measurements. This report documents the operational procedures and quality-control techniques used in operating the quality-assurance program.

Nitrogen-Superdoped 3D Graphene Networks for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Zhang, Weili; Xu, Chuan; Ma, Chaoqun; Li, Guoxian; Wang, Yuzuo; Zhang, Kaiyu; Li, Feng; Liu, Chang; Cheng, Hui-Ming; Du, Youwei; Tang, Nujiang; Ren, Wencai

2017-09-01

An N-superdoped 3D graphene network structure with an N-doping level up to 15.8 at% for high-performance supercapacitor is designed and synthesized, in which the graphene foam with high conductivity acts as skeleton and nested with N-superdoped reduced graphene oxide arogels. This material shows a highly conductive interconnected 3D porous structure (3.33 S cm -1 ), large surface area (583 m 2 g -1 ), low internal resistance (0.4 Ω), good wettability, and a great number of active sites. Because of the multiple synergistic effects of these features, the supercapacitors based on this material show a remarkably excellent electrochemical behavior with a high specific capacitance (of up to 380, 332, and 245 F g -1 in alkaline, acidic, and neutral electrolytes measured in three-electrode configuration, respectively, 297 F g -1 in alkaline electrolytes measured in two-electrode configuration), good rate capability, excellent cycling stability (93.5% retention after 4600 cycles), and low internal resistance (0.4 Ω), resulting in high power density with proper high energy density. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Highly Stable, Anion Conductive, Comb-Shaped Copolymers for Alkaline Fuel Cells

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

Li, NW; Leng, YJ; Hickner, MA

2013-07-10

To produce an anion-conductive and durable polymer electrolyte for alkaline fuel cell applications, a series of quaternized poly(2,6-dimethyl phenylene oxide)s containing long alkyl side chains pendant to the nitrogen-centered cation were synthesized using a Menshutkin reaction to form comb-shaped structures. The pendant alkyl chains were responsible for the development of highly conductive ionic domains, as confirmed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The comb-shaped polymers having one alkyl side chain showed higher hydroxide conductivities than those with benzyltrimethyl ammonium moieties or structures with more than one alkyl side chain per cationic site. The highest conductivity was observed for comb-shaped polymers withmore » benzyldimethylhexadecyl ammonium cations. The chemical stabilities of the comb-shaped membranes were evaluated under severe, accelerated-aging conditions, and degradation was observed by measuring IEC and ion conductivity changes during aging. The comb-shaped membranes retained their high ion conductivity in 1 M NaOH at 80 degrees C for 2000 h. These cationic polymers were employed as ionomers in catalyst layers for alkaline fuel cells. The results indicated that the C-16 alkyl side chain ionomer had a slightly better initial performance, despite its low IEC value, but very poor durability in the fuel cell. In contrast, 90% of the initial performance was retained for the alkaline fuel cell with electrodes containing the C-6 side chain after 60 h of fuel cell operation.« less

Online assay of bone specific alkaline phosphatase with a flow injection-bead injection system.

PubMed

Hartwell, Supaporn Kradtap; Somprayoon, Duangporn; Kongtawelert, Prachya; Ongchai, Siriwan; Arppornchayanon, Olarn; Ganranoo, Lucksagoon; Lapanantnoppakhun, Somchai; Grudpan, Kate

2007-09-26

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) has been used as one of the biomarkers for bone resorption and liver diseases. Normally, total alkaline phosphatase is quantified along with other symptoms to determine the releasing source of the alkaline phosphatase. A semi-automated flow injection-bead injection system was proposed to conveniently and selectively assay bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) based on its specific binding to wheat germ coated beads. Amount of BALP in serum was determined from the intensity of the yellow product produced from bound BALP on the retained beads and its substrate pNPP. The used beads were discarded and the fresh ones were introduced for the next analysis. The reaction cell was designed to be opened and closed using a computer controlled solenoid valve for a precise incubation time. The performance of the proposed system was evaluated by using it to assay BALP in human serum. The results were compared to those obtained by using a commercial ELISA kit. The system is proposed to be an easy and cost effective system for quantification of BALP as an alternative to batch wise wheat germ specific binding technique.

Design and applications of biomimetic anthraquinone dyes. Purification of calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase with immobilised terminal ring analogues of C.I. reactive blue 2.

PubMed

Lindner, N M; Jeffcoat, R; Lowe, C R

1989-06-28

A 330-fold one-step purification of alkaline phosphatase from a crude calf intestinal extract has been achieved using specific elution with inorganic phosphate (5 mM) from a purpose designed adsorbent comprising a terminal ring phosphonate analogue of C.I. Reactive Blue 2 coupled to Sepharose CL-6B-200. The resulting alkaline phosphatase preparation displayed a specific activity in excess of 1000 U/mg and was of equivalent purity to commercial "high purity" preparations as deduced by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and specific activity comparisons.

Isonicotinohydrazones as inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase and ecto-5'-nucleotidase.

PubMed

Channar, Pervaiz Ali; Shah, Syed Jawad Ali; Hassan, Sidra; Nisa, Zaib Un; Lecka, Joanna; Sévigny, Jean; Bajorath, Jürgen; Saeed, Aamer; Iqbal, Jamshed

2017-03-01

A series of isonicotinohydrazide derivatives was synthesized and tested against recombinant human and rat ecto-5'-nucleotidases (h-e5'NT and r-e5'NT) and alkaline phosphatase isozymes including both bovine tissue-non-specific alkaline phosphatase (b-TNAP) and tissue-specific calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (c-IAP). These enzymes are implicated in vascular calcifications, hypophosphatasia, solid tumors, and cancers, such as colon, lung, breast, pancreas, and ovary. All tested compounds were active against both enzymes. The most potent inhibitor of h-e5'NT was derivative (E)-N'-(1-(3-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)ethylidene)isonicotinohydrazide (3j), whereas derivative (E)-N'-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)isonicotinohydrazide (3g) exhibited significant inhibitory activity against r-e5'NT. In addition, the derivative (E)-N'-(4'-chlorobenzylidene)isonicotinohydrazide (3a) was most potent inhibitor against calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase and the derivative (E)-N'-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)isonicotinohydrazide (3g) was found to be most potent inhibitor of bovine tissue-non-specific alkaline phosphatase. Furthermore, putative binding modes of potent compounds against e5'NT (human and rat e5'NT) and AP (including b-TNAP and c-IAP) were determined computationally. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The relationship between glucose metabolism, metabolic syndrome, and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase: a structural equation modeling approach.

PubMed

Cheung, Ching-Lung; Tan, Kathryn C B; Lam, Karen S L; Cheung, Bernard M Y

2013-09-01

Serum alkaline phosphatase plays a role in vascular calcification. It is found in various tissues, whereas bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) more specifically reflects mineral metabolism. The relationship of serum alkaline phosphatase (total and bone-specific) with diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS), 2 major risk factors of vascular calcification, is largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the relationships between glucose metabolism, components of the MetS, and alkaline phosphatase. This was a cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population in 1999 through 2004. Participants were 3773 nondiabetic participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. We measured serum BAP and total alkaline phosphatase. In multivariable linear regression, updated homeostasis model assessment (HOMA2) for insulin resistance (β = 0.068), HOMA2 for β-cell function (β = 0.081), insulin (β = 0.065), mean arterial pressure (β = 0.15), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (β = 0.209) were positively associated with BAP, whereas HOMA2 for insulin sensitivity (β = -0.065) was negatively associated with BAP. On the other hand, only mean arterial pressure and HDL-cholesterol were significantly associated with total alkaline phosphatase. Moreover, a structural equation model revealed that hypertension, low HDL, and insulin resistance had significant direct effects on serum BAP levels, whereas obesity and inflammation might have indirect effects on serum BAP levels. The overall model showed very good fit to the data (comparative fit index = 0.995, root mean square error of approximation = 0.037, and standardized root mean square residual = 0.006). Glucose metabolism and MetS are significantly related to serum BAP levels. How BAP mediates vascular calcification in diabetes and MetS warrants further studies.

Li2C2, a High-Capacity Cathode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Tian, Na; Gao, Yurui; Li, Yurong; Wang, Zhaoxiang; Song, Xiaoyan; Chen, Liquan

2016-01-11

As a typical alkaline earth metal carbide, lithium carbide (Li2C2) has the highest theoretical specific capacity (1400 mA h g(-1)) among all the reported lithium-containing cathode materials for lithium ion batteries. Herein, the feasibility of using Li2C2 as a cathode material was studied. The results show that at least half of the lithium can be extracted from Li2C2 and the reversible specific capacity reaches 700 mA h g(-1). The C≡C bond tends to rotate to form C4 (C≡C⋅⋅⋅C≡C) chains during lithium extraction, as indicated with the first-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulation. The low electronic and ionic conductivity are believed to be responsible for the potential gap between charge and discharge, as is supported with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and Arrhenius fitting results. These findings illustrate the feasibility to use the alkali and alkaline earth metal carbides as high-capacity electrode materials for secondary batteries. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An empirical study into the effect of long term storage (-36±2 °C) of electron-beamed ETFE on the properties of radiation-grafted alkaline anion-exchange membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kizewski, Jamie Peter; Mudri, Nurul H.; Varcoe, John R.

2013-08-01

The application of alkaline anion-exchange membranes (AAEM) in solid alkaline fuel cells is growing in prominence mainly due to enhanced tolerance to carbon dioxide, compared to alkaline fuel cells containing aqueous electrolytes, and the potential for using non precious metal catalysts. Radiation grafting is a common methodology for the production of functional polymers and membranes. This statistical study examines the synthesis of radiation grafted AAEMs that are formed from electron beam irradiated poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene), EB-ETFE. It is shown that EB-ETFE can be cold stored for at least 16 months and still be used to produce ionically conductive AAEMs. The limitations of routine measurements of properties, such as dimensional increases, ion-exchange capacity, water uptakes and ionic conductivities, are also highlighted.

Pediatric reference intervals for alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Zierk, Jakob; Arzideh, Farhad; Haeckel, Rainer; Cario, Holger; Frühwald, Michael C; Groß, Hans-Jürgen; Gscheidmeier, Thomas; Hoffmann, Reinhard; Krebs, Alexander; Lichtinghagen, Ralf; Neumann, Michael; Ruf, Hans-Georg; Steigerwald, Udo; Streichert, Thomas; Rascher, Wolfgang; Metzler, Markus; Rauh, Manfred

2017-01-01

Interpretation of alkaline phosphatase activity in children is challenging due to extensive changes with growth and puberty leading to distinct sex- and age-specific dynamics. Continuous percentile charts from birth to adulthood allow accurate consideration of these dynamics and seem reasonable for an analyte as closely linked to growth as alkaline phosphatase. However, the ethical and practical challenges unique to pediatric reference intervals have restricted the creation of such percentile charts, resulting in limitations when clinical decisions are based on alkaline phosphatase activity. We applied an indirect method to generate percentile charts for alkaline phosphatase activity using clinical laboratory data collected during the clinical care of patients. A total of 361,405 samples from 124,440 patients from six German tertiary care centers and one German laboratory service provider measured between January 2004 and June 2015 were analyzed. Measurement of alkaline phosphatase activity was performed on Roche Cobas analyzers using the IFCC's photometric method. We created percentile charts for alkaline phosphatase activity in girls and boys from birth to 18 years which can be used as reference intervals. Additionally, data tables of age- and sex-specific percentile values allow the incorporation of these results into laboratory information systems. The percentile charts provided enable the appropriate differential diagnosis of changes in alkaline phosphatase activity due to disease and changes due to physiological development. After local validation, integration of the provided percentile charts into result reporting facilitates precise assessment of alkaline phosphatase dynamics in pediatrics.

Regenerative fuel cell energy storage system for a low earth orbit space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, R. E.; Garow, J.; Michaels, K. B.

1988-01-01

A study was conducted to define characteristics of a Regenerative Fuel Cell System (RFCS) for low earth orbit Space Station missions. The RFCS's were defined and characterized based on both an alkaline electrolyte fuel cell integrated with an alkaline electrolyte water electrolyzer and an alkaline electrolyte fuel cell integrated with an acid solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) water electrolyzer. The study defined the operating characteristics of the systems including system weight, volume, and efficiency. A maintenance philosophy was defined and the implications of system reliability requirements and modularization were determined. Finally, an Engineering Model System was defined and a program to develop and demonstrate the EMS and pacing technology items that should be developed in parallel with the EMS were identified. The specific weight of an optimized RFCS operating at 140 F was defined as a function of system efficiency for a range of module sizes. An EMS operating at a nominal temperature of 180 F and capable of delivery of 10 kW at an overall efficiency of 55.4 percent is described. A program to develop the EMS is described including a technology development effort for pacing technology items.

Water-quality data for Smith and Bybee Lakes, Portland, Oregon, June to November, 1982

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clifton, Daphne G.

1983-01-01

Water-quality monitoring at Smith and Bybee Lakes included measurement of water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration and percent saturation, pH, specific conductance, lake depth, alkalinity, dissolved carbon, total dissolved solids, secchi disk light transparency, nutrients, and chlorophyll a and b. In addition, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthic invertebrate populations were identified and enumerated. Lakebed sediment was analyzed for particle size, volatile solids, immediate oxygen demand, trace metals, total organic carbon, nutrients, and organic constituents. (USGS)

Predicting Carbonate Species Ionic Conductivity in Alkaline Anion Exchange Membranes

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

This method has been used previously with both PEM and AEM fuel cells and demonstrated its ability to accurately predict ionic conductivity [2,9,24...water. In an AMFC, the mobile species is a hydroxide ion (OH - ) and in a PEM fuel cell , the proton is solvated with a water molecule forming...membrane synthesis techniques have produced polymer electrolyte membranes that are capable of transporting anions in alkaline membrane fuel cells

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.

Amino Acid Synthesis in Seafloor Environments on Icy Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Erika; Barge, Laura; VanderVelde, David; Kallas, Kayo; Baum, Marc M.; Russell, Michael J.; Kanik, Isik

2016-10-01

In 2005, the Cassini mission detected plumes erupting from Enceladus' surface, containing carbon dioxide, methane, silica, and possibly ammonia. Subsequent laboratory experiments indicated that the silica particles in the plumes were generated under alkaline conditions and at moderate temperatures of ~90°C (Hsu et al., 2015); one scenario for such conditions would be the existence of alkaline (serpentinization-driven) hydrothermal activity within Enceladus. Alkaline vents are significant since they have been proposed as a likely environment for the emergence of metabolism on the early Earth (Russell et al. 2014) and thus could also provide a mechanism for origin of life on ocean worlds with a water-rock interface. Alkaline vents in an acidic, iron-containing ocean could produce mineral precipitates that could act as primitive enzymes or catalysts mediating organic reactions; for example, metal sulfides can catalyze the reductive amination of pyruvate to alanine (Novikov and Copley 2013). We have conducted experiments testing the synthesis of amino acids catalyzed by other iron minerals that might be expected to precipitate on the seafloor of early Earth or Enceladus. Preliminary results indicate that amino acids as well as other organic products can be synthesized in 1-3 days under alkaline hydrothermal conditions. We also find that the yield and type of organic products is highly dependent on pH and temperature, implying that understanding the specifics of the geochemical hydrothermal gradients on Enceladus (or other ocean worlds) will be significant in determining their potential for synthesizing building blocks for life.Hsu, H.-W. et al. (2015), Nature 519, 207-210.Russell, M. J. et al. (2014), Astrobiology, 14, 308-43.Novikov Y. and Copley S. D. (2013) PNAS 110, 33, 13283-13288.

A facile synthesis of highly stable multiblock poly(arylene ether)s based alkaline membranes for fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasti, Amaranadh; Shahi, Vinod K.

2014-12-01

Herein, we are disclosing simple route for the preparation of alkaline membranes (AMs) based on aminated multiblock poly(arylene ether)s (AMPEs) synthesized by nucleophilic substitution-poly condensation followed by quaternization and alkalization reactions. In this procedure, four quaternary ammonium groups are successfully introduced without use of carcinogenic reagents such as chloromethylmethyl ether (CMME). Hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase separation is responsible for their high hydroxide conductivity (∼150 mS cm-1 at 80 °C) due to development of interconnected ion transport pathway. AMs are exhibiting good alkaline stability due to the presence of two vicinal quaternary ammonium groups and avoid degradation such as Sommelet-Hauser rearrangement and Hofmann elimination. Vicinal quaternary ammonium groups also resist nucleophilic (OH-) attack and suppress the Stevens rearrangement as well as SN2 substitution reaction due to stearic hindrance. Optimized AM (AMPE-M20N15 (55% DCM)) exhibits about 0.95 V open circuit voltage (OCV) and 48.8 mW cm-2 power density at 65 °C in alkaline direct methanol fuel cell (ADMFC) operation. These results suggest promising begin for the preparation of stable and conductive AMs for ADMFC applications and useful for developing hydroxide conductive materials.

Detergent-compatible bacterial amylases.

PubMed

Niyonzima, Francois N; More, Sunil S

2014-10-01

Proteases, lipases, amylases, and cellulases are enzymes used in detergent formulation to improve the detergency. The amylases are specifically supplemented to the detergent to digest starchy stains. Most of the solid and liquid detergents that are currently manufactured contain alkaline enzymes. The advantages of using alkaline enzymes in the detergent formulation are that they aid in removing tough stains and the process is environmentally friendly since they reduce the use of toxic detergent ingredients. Amylases active at low temperature are preferred as the energy consumption gets reduced, and the whole process becomes cost-effective. Most microbial alkaline amylases are used as detergent ingredients. Various reviews report on the production, purification, characterization, and application of amylases in different industry sectors, but there is no specific review on bacterial or fungal alkaline amylases or detergent-compatible amylases. In this mini-review, an overview on the production and property studies of the detergent bacterial amylases is given, and the stability and compatibility of the alkaline bacterial amylases in the presence of the detergents and the detergent components are highlighted.

Development of a pH/alkalinity treatment model for applications of the lampricide TFM to streams tributary to the Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bills, Terry D.; Boogaard, Michael A.; Johnson, David A.; Brege, Dorance C.; Scholefield, Ronald J.; Westman, R. Wayne; Stephens, Brian E.

2003-01-01

It has long been known that the toxicity of the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) is influenced by chemical and physical properties of water. As the pH, conductivity, and alkalinity of water increase, greater concentrations of TFM are required to kill sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) larvae. Consequently, the concentration of TFM required for effective treatment varies among streams. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) and sea lamprey larvae were exposed to a series of TFM concentrations in a continuous-flow diluter for 12 h. Twenty five exposures were conducted at various water alkalinities and pHs that treatment personnel encounter during lampricide treatments. Survival/mortality data were analyzed for lampricide concentrations that produced 50 and 99.9% mortality (LC50 and LC99.9) for sea lamprey larvae and 25 and 50% mortality (LC25 and LC50) for brown trout. Linear regression analyses were performed for each set of tests for each selected alkalinity by comparing the 12-h post exposure LC99.9 sea lamprey data and LC25 brown trout data at each pH. Mortality data from on-site toxicity tests conducted by lampricide control personnel were compared to predicted values from the pH/alkalinity prediction model. Of the 31 tests examined, 27 resulted in the LC100s (lowest TFM concentration where 100% mortality of sea lamprey was observed after 12 h of exposure) falling within 0.2 mg/L of the predicted sea lamprey minimum lethal (LC99.9) range. The pH/alkalinity prediction model provides managers with an operational tool that reduces the amount of TFM required for effective treatment while minimizing the impact on non-target organisms.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator contributes to reacidification of alkalinized lysosomes in RPE cells.

PubMed

Liu, Ji; Lu, Wennan; Guha, Sonia; Baltazar, Gabriel C; Coffey, Erin E; Laties, Alan M; Rubenstein, Ronald C; Reenstra, William W; Mitchell, Claire H

2012-07-15

The role of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in lysosomal acidification has been difficult to determine. We demonstrate here that CFTR contributes more to the reacidification of lysosomes from an elevated pH than to baseline pH maintenance. Lysosomal alkalinization is increasingly recognized as a factor in diseases of accumulation, and we previously showed that cAMP reacidified alkalinized lysosomes in retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. As the influx of anions to electrically balance proton accumulation may enhance lysosomal acidification, the contribution of the cAMP-activated anion channel CFTR to lysosomal reacidification was probed. The antagonist CFTR(inh)-172 had little effect on baseline levels of lysosomal pH in cultured human RPE cells but substantially reduced the reacidification of compromised lysosomes by cAMP. Likewise, CFTR activators had a bigger impact on cells whose lysosomes had been alkalinized. Knockdown of CFTR with small interfering RNA had a larger effect on alkalinized lysosomes than on baseline levels. Inhibition of CFTR in isolated lysosomes altered pH. While CFTR and Lamp1 were colocalized, treatment with cAMP did not increase targeting of CFTR to the lysosome. The inhibition of CFTR slowed lysosomal degradation of photoreceptor outer segments while activation of CFTR enhanced their clearance from compromised lysosomes. Activation of CFTR acidified RPE lysosomes from the ABCA4(-/-) mouse model of recessive Stargardt's disease, whose lysosomes are considerably alkalinized. In summary, CFTR contributes more to reducing lysosomal pH from alkalinized levels than to maintaining baseline pH. Treatment to activate CFTR may thus be of benefit in disorders of accumulation associated with lysosomal alkalinization.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator contributes to reacidification of alkalinized lysosomes in RPE cells

PubMed Central

Liu, Ji; Lu, Wennan; Guha, Sonia; Baltazar, Gabriel C.; Coffey, Erin E.; Laties, Alan M.; Rubenstein, Ronald C.; Reenstra, William W.

2012-01-01

The role of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in lysosomal acidification has been difficult to determine. We demonstrate here that CFTR contributes more to the reacidification of lysosomes from an elevated pH than to baseline pH maintenance. Lysosomal alkalinization is increasingly recognized as a factor in diseases of accumulation, and we previously showed that cAMP reacidified alkalinized lysosomes in retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. As the influx of anions to electrically balance proton accumulation may enhance lysosomal acidification, the contribution of the cAMP-activated anion channel CFTR to lysosomal reacidification was probed. The antagonist CFTRinh-172 had little effect on baseline levels of lysosomal pH in cultured human RPE cells but substantially reduced the reacidification of compromised lysosomes by cAMP. Likewise, CFTR activators had a bigger impact on cells whose lysosomes had been alkalinized. Knockdown of CFTR with small interfering RNA had a larger effect on alkalinized lysosomes than on baseline levels. Inhibition of CFTR in isolated lysosomes altered pH. While CFTR and Lamp1 were colocalized, treatment with cAMP did not increase targeting of CFTR to the lysosome. The inhibition of CFTR slowed lysosomal degradation of photoreceptor outer segments while activation of CFTR enhanced their clearance from compromised lysosomes. Activation of CFTR acidified RPE lysosomes from the ABCA4−/− mouse model of recessive Stargardt's disease, whose lysosomes are considerably alkalinized. In summary, CFTR contributes more to reducing lysosomal pH from alkalinized levels than to maintaining baseline pH. Treatment to activate CFTR may thus be of benefit in disorders of accumulation associated with lysosomal alkalinization. PMID:22572847

Alkaline electrochemical cells and method of making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoyt, H. E.; Pfluger, H. L. (Inventor)

1970-01-01

Equilibrated cellulose ether membranes of increased electrolytic conductivity for use as separators in concentrated alkaline electrochemical cells are investigated. The method of making such membranes by equilibration to the degree desired in an aqueous alkali solution mantained at a temperature below about 10 C is described.

Increase in serum alkaline phosphatase due to fatty meal in undergraduate students of Khyber Medical University, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

PubMed

Khan, Muhammad Jaseem; Ahmed, Basir; Ahmed, Saeed; Khan, Momin

2016-04-01

To evaluate the effect of fatty meal on intestinal alkaline phosphatase. The cross-sectional study was conducted at Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan from March to April 2014 and comprised young healthy individuals 18-25 years of age. Whole blood samples were collected from the subjects in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid anti-coagulated and plane serum tubes. For blood group analysis, blood group anti sera were used, while for serum alkaline phosphatase, a chemistry analyser was used. Alkaline phosphatase levels in the blood before and after breakfast were compared. Of the 177 subjects, there were 139(78.5%) men and 38(21.4%) women. Mean fasting alkaline phosphatise level was 144.22+/-75.57, while mean random value was 174.15+/-96.70 (p=0.001). Serum alkaline phosphatise must be analysed in fasting state early in the morning.

Inorganic-organic separators for alkaline batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheibley, D. W. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A flexible separator is reported for use between the electrodes of Ni-Cd and Ni-Zn batteries using alkaline electrolytes. The separator was made by coating a porous substrate with a battery separator composition. The coating material included a rubber-based resin copolymer, a plasticizer and inorganic and organic fillers which comprised 55% by volume or less of the coating as finally dried. One or more of the filler materials, whether organic or inorganic, is preferably active with the alkaline electrolyte to produce pores in the separator coating. The plasticizer was an organic material which is hydrolyzed by the alkaline electrolyte to improve conductivity of the separator coating.

GsERF6, an ethylene-responsive factor from Glycine soja, mediates the regulation of plant bicarbonate tolerance in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Yu, Yang; Liu, Ailin; Duan, Xiangbo; Wang, Sunting; Sun, Xiaoli; Duanmu, Huizi; Zhu, Dan; Chen, Chao; Cao, Lei; Xiao, Jialei; Li, Qiang; Nisa, Zaib Un; Zhu, Yanming; Ding, Xiaodong

2016-09-01

This is an original study focus on ERF gene response to alkaline stress. GsERF6 functions as transcription factor and significantly enhanced plant tolerance to bicarbonate (HCO 3 (-) ) in transgenic Arabidopsis . Alkaline stress is one of the most harmful, but little studied environmental factors, which negatively affects plant growth, development and yield. The cause of alkaline stress is mainly due to the damaging consequence of high concentration of the bicarbonate ion, high-pH, and osmotic shock to plants. The AP2/ERF family genes encode plant-specific transcription factors involved in diverse environmental stresses. However, little is known about their physiological functions, especially in alkaline stress responses. In this study, we functionally characterized a novel ERF subfamily gene, GsERF6 from alkaline-tolerant wild soybean (Glycine soja). In wild soybean, GsERF6 was rapidly induced by NaHCO3 treatment, and its overexpression in Arabidopsis enhanced transgenic plant tolerance to NaHCO3 challenge. Interestingly, GsERF6 transgenic lines also displayed increased tolerance to KHCO3 treatment, but not to high pH stress, implicating that GsERF6 may participate specifically in bicarbonate stress responses. We also found that GsERF6 overexpression up-regulated the transcription levels of bicarbonate-stress-inducible genes such as NADP-ME, H (+)-Ppase and H (+)-ATPase, as well as downstream stress-tolerant genes such as RD29A, COR47 and KINI. GsERF6 overexpression and NaHCO3 stress also altered the expression patterns of plant hormone synthesis and hormone-responsive genes. Conjointly, our results suggested that GsERF6 is a positive regulator of plant alkaline stress by increasing bicarbonate ionic resistance specifically, providing a new insight into the regulation of gene expression under alkaline conditions.

Evidence of associations between feto-maternal vitamin D status, cord parathyroid hormone and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and newborn whole body bone mineral content

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In spite of a high prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in pregnant women and neonates, relationships among vitamin D status [25(OH)D], parathyroid hormone (PTH), bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and whole body bone mineral content (WBBMC) in the newborn are poorly characterized. The purpose...

TMC-1 mediates alkaline sensation in C. elegans through nociceptive neurons

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiang; Li, Guang; Liu, Jie; Liu, Jianfeng; Xu, X.Z. Shawn

2016-01-01

Noxious pH triggers pungent taste and nocifensive behavior. While the mechanisms underlying acidic pH sensation has been extensively characterized, little is known about how animals sense alkaline pH in the environment. TMC genes encode a family of evolutionarily conserved membrane proteins, whose functions are largely unknown. Here, we characterize C. elegans TMC-1 which was suggested to form a Na+-sensitive channel mediating salt chemosensation. Interestingly, we find that TMC-1 is required for worms to avoid noxious alkaline environment. Alkaline pH evokes an inward current in nociceptive neurons, which is primarily mediated by TMC-1 and to a lesser extent by the TRP channel OSM-9. However, unlike OSM-9 which is sensitive to both acidic and alkaline pH, TMC-1 is only required for alkali-activated current, revealing a specificity for alkaline sensation. Ectopic expression of TMC-1 confers alkaline sensitivity to alkali-insensitive cells. Our results identify an unexpected role for TMCs in alkaline sensation and nociception. PMID:27321925

Alkaline battery operational methodology

DOEpatents

Sholklapper, Tal; Gallaway, Joshua; Steingart, Daniel; Ingale, Nilesh; Nyce, Michael

2016-08-16

Methods of using specific operational charge and discharge parameters to extend the life of alkaline batteries are disclosed. The methods can be used with any commercial primary or secondary alkaline battery, as well as with newer alkaline battery designs, including batteries with flowing electrolyte. The methods include cycling batteries within a narrow operating voltage window, with minimum and maximum cut-off voltages that are set based on battery characteristics and environmental conditions. The narrow voltage window decreases available capacity but allows the batteries to be cycled for hundreds or thousands of times.

Metal oxide films on metal

DOEpatents

Wu, Xin D.; Tiwari, Prabhat

1995-01-01

A structure including a thin film of a conductive alkaline earth metal oxide selected from the group consisting of strontium ruthenium trioxide, calcium ruthenium trioxide, barium ruthenium trioxide, lanthanum-strontium cobalt oxide or mixed alkaline earth ruthenium trioxides thereof upon a thin film of a noble metal such as platinum is provided.

Computational design of a pH stable enzyme: understanding molecular mechanism of penicillin acylase's adaptation to alkaline conditions.

PubMed

Suplatov, Dmitry; Panin, Nikolay; Kirilin, Evgeny; Shcherbakova, Tatyana; Kudryavtsev, Pavel; Svedas, Vytas

2014-01-01

Protein stability provides advantageous development of novel properties and can be crucial in affording tolerance to mutations that introduce functionally preferential phenotypes. Consequently, understanding the determining factors for protein stability is important for the study of structure-function relationship and design of novel protein functions. Thermal stability has been extensively studied in connection with practical application of biocatalysts. However, little work has been done to explore the mechanism of pH-dependent inactivation. In this study, bioinformatic analysis of the Ntn-hydrolase superfamily was performed to identify functionally important subfamily-specific positions in protein structures. Furthermore, the involvement of these positions in pH-induced inactivation was studied. The conformational mobility of penicillin acylase in Escherichia coli was analyzed through molecular modeling in neutral and alkaline conditions. Two functionally important subfamily-specific residues, Gluβ482 and Aspβ484, were found. Ionization of these residues at alkaline pH promoted the collapse of a buried network of stabilizing interactions that consequently disrupted the functional protein conformation. The subfamily-specific position Aspβ484 was selected as a hotspot for mutation to engineer enzyme variant tolerant to alkaline medium. The corresponding Dβ484N mutant was produced and showed 9-fold increase in stability at alkaline conditions. Bioinformatic analysis of subfamily-specific positions can be further explored to study mechanisms of protein inactivation and to design more stable variants for the engineering of homologous Ntn-hydrolases with improved catalytic properties.

Computational Design of a pH Stable Enzyme: Understanding Molecular Mechanism of Penicillin Acylase's Adaptation to Alkaline Conditions

PubMed Central

Suplatov, Dmitry; Panin, Nikolay; Kirilin, Evgeny; Shcherbakova, Tatyana; Kudryavtsev, Pavel; Švedas, Vytas

2014-01-01

Protein stability provides advantageous development of novel properties and can be crucial in affording tolerance to mutations that introduce functionally preferential phenotypes. Consequently, understanding the determining factors for protein stability is important for the study of structure-function relationship and design of novel protein functions. Thermal stability has been extensively studied in connection with practical application of biocatalysts. However, little work has been done to explore the mechanism of pH-dependent inactivation. In this study, bioinformatic analysis of the Ntn-hydrolase superfamily was performed to identify functionally important subfamily-specific positions in protein structures. Furthermore, the involvement of these positions in pH-induced inactivation was studied. The conformational mobility of penicillin acylase in Escherichia coli was analyzed through molecular modeling in neutral and alkaline conditions. Two functionally important subfamily-specific residues, Gluβ482 and Aspβ484, were found. Ionization of these residues at alkaline pH promoted the collapse of a buried network of stabilizing interactions that consequently disrupted the functional protein conformation. The subfamily-specific position Aspβ484 was selected as a hotspot for mutation to engineer enzyme variant tolerant to alkaline medium. The corresponding Dβ484N mutant was produced and showed 9-fold increase in stability at alkaline conditions. Bioinformatic analysis of subfamily-specific positions can be further explored to study mechanisms of protein inactivation and to design more stable variants for the engineering of homologous Ntn-hydrolases with improved catalytic properties. PMID:24959852

Prophylactic treatment with alkaline phosphatase in cardiac surgery induces endogenous alkaline phosphatase release.

PubMed

Kats, Suzanne; Brands, Ruud; Hamad, Mohamed A Soliman; Seinen, Willem; Scharnhorst, Volkher; Wulkan, Raymond W; Schönberger, Jacques P; Oeveren, Wim van

2012-02-01

Laboratory and clinical data have implicated endotoxin as an important factor in the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass. We assessed the effects of the administration of bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase (bIAP), an endotoxin detoxifier, on alkaline phosphatase levels in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. A total of 63 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were enrolled and prospectively randomized. Bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase (n=32) or placebo (n=31) was administered as an intravenous bolus followed by continuous infusion for 36 hours. The primary endpoint was to evaluate alkaline phosphatase levels in both groups and to find out if administration of bIAP to patients undergoing CABG would lead to endogenous alkaline phosphatase release. No significant adverse effects were identified in either group. In all the 32 patients of the bIAP-treated group, we found an initial rise of plasma alkaline phosphatase levels due to bolus administration (464.27±176.17 IU/L). A significant increase of plasma alkaline phosphatase at 4-6 hours postoperatively was observed (354.97±95.00 IU/L) as well. Using LHA inhibition, it was shown that this second peak was caused by the generation of tissue non specific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP-type alkaline phosphatase). Intravenous bolus administration plus 8 hours continuous infusion of alkaline phosphatase in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass results in endogenous alkaline phosphatase release. This endogenous alkaline phosphatase may play a role in the immune defense system.

Chemical test for mammalian feces in grain products: collaborative study.

PubMed

Gerber, H R

1989-01-01

A collaborative study was conducted to validate the use of the AOAC alkaline phosphatase method for mammalian feces in corn meal, 44.B01-44.B06, for 7 additional products: brown rice cream, oat bran, grits, semolina, pasta flour, farina, and barley plus (a mixture of barley, oat bran, and brown rice). The proposed method determines the presence of alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme contained in mammalian feces, by using phenolphthalein diphosphate as the enzyme substrate in a test agar medium. Fecal matter is separated from the grain products by specific gravity differences in 1% test agar. As the product is distributed on liquid test agar, fecal fragments float while the grain products sink. The alkaline phosphatase cleaves phosphate radicals from phenolphthalein diphosphate, generating free phenolphthalein, which produces a pink to red-purple color around the fecal particles in the previously colorless medium. Collaborators' recovery averages ranged from 21.7 particles (72.3%) for oat bran to 25.3 particles (84.3%) for semolina at the 30 particle spike level. Overall average background was 0.4 positive reactions per food type. The collaborators reported that the method was quick, simple, and easy to use. The method has been approved interim official first action for all 7 grain products.

Heat Stable Enzymes from Thermophiles

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-02-01

final product and is somewhat messy to work with. Therefore, alternatives were tested. However, no combination of corn syrup , alternative sugars and...INTRODUCTION 9 CLONING OF ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE GENE AND PRODUCTION OF HIGH SPECIFIC ACTIVITY ENZYME 9 Cloning into E. coil and expression of high activity...JKR209, into an alternative, better producing organism. CLONING OF ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE GENE AND PRODUCTION OF HIGH SPECIFIC ACTIVITY ENZYME Cloning into

Chemistry of Stream Sediments and Surface Waters in New England

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Gilpin R.; Kapo, Katherine E.; Grossman, Jeffrey N.

2004-01-01

Summary -- This online publication portrays regional data for pH, alkalinity, and specific conductance for stream waters and a multi-element geochemical dataset for stream sediments collected in the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. A series of interpolation grid maps portray the chemistry of the stream waters and sediments in relation to bedrock geology, lithology, drainage basins, and urban areas. A series of box plots portray the statistical variation of the chemical data grouped by lithology and other features.

Kinetic comparison of tissue non-specific and placental human alkaline phosphatases expressed in baculovirus infected cells: application to screening for Down's syndrome.

PubMed

Denier, Colette C; Brisson-Lougarre, Andrée A; Biasini, Ghislaine G; Grozdea, Jean J; Fournier, Didier D

2002-01-01

In humans, there are four alkaline phosphatases, and each form exhibits a characteristic pattern of tissue distribution. The availability of an easy method to reveal their activity has resulted in large amount of data reporting correlations between variations in activity and illnesses. For example, alkaline phosphatase from neutrophils of mothers pregnant with a trisomy 21 fetus (Down's syndrome) displays significant differences both in its biochemical and immunological properties, and in its affinity for some specific inhibitors. To analyse these differences, the biochemical characteristics of two isozymes (non specific and placental alkaline phosphatases) were expressed in baculovirus infected cells. Comparative analysis of the two proteins allowed us to estimate the kinetic constants of denaturation and sensitivity to two inhibitors (L-p-bromotetramisole and thiophosphate), allowing better discrimination between the two enzymes. These parameters were then used to estimate the ratio of the two isoenzymes in neutrophils of pregnant mothers with or without a trisomy 21 fetus. It appeared that the placental isozyme represented 13% of the total activity of neutrophils of non pregnant women. This proportion did not significantly increase with normal pregnancy. By contrast, in pregnancies with trisomy 21 fetus, the proportion reached 60-80% of activity. Over-expression of the placental isozyme compared with the tissue-nonspecific form in neutrophils of mother with a trisomy 21 fetus may explain why the characteristics of the alkaline phosphatase in these cells is different from normal. Application of this knowledge could improve the potential of using alkaline phosphatase measurements to screen for Down's syndrome.

Groundwater quality assessment in the village of Lutfullapur Nawada, Loni, District Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Singh, Vinod K; Bikundia, Devendra Singh; Sarswat, Ankur; Mohan, Dinesh

2012-07-01

The groundwater quality for drinking, domestic and irrigation in the village Lutfullapur Nawada, Loni, district Ghaziabad, U.P., India, has been assessed. Groundwater samples were collected, processed and analyzed for temperature, pH, conductivity, salinity, total alkalinity, carbonate alkalinity, bicarbonate alkalinity, total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, total solids, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, nitrate-nitrogen, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, phosphate, silica, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, total chromium, cadmium, copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc. A number of groundwater samples showed levels of electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, chloride, calcium, sodium, potassium and iron exceeding their permissible limits. Except iron, the other metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were analyzed below the permissible limits. The correlation matrices for 28 variables were performed. EC, salinity, TS and TDS had significant positive correlations among themselves and also with NO (3) (-) , Cl(-), alkalinity, Na(+), K(+), and Ca(2+). Fluoride was not significantly correlated with any of the parameters. NO (3) (-) was significantly positively correlated with Cl(-), alkalinity, Na(+), K(+) and Ca(2+). Chloride also correlated significantly with alkalinity, Na(+), K(+) and Ca(2+). Sodium showed a strong and positive correlation with K(+) and Ca(2+). pH was negatively correlated with most of the physicochemical parameters. This groundwater is classified as a normal sulfate and chloride type. Base-exchange indices classified 73% of the groundwater sources as the Na(+)-SO (4) (2-) type. The meteoric genesis indices demonstrated that 67% of groundwater sources belong to a deep meteoric water percolation type. Hydrochemical groundwater evaluations revealed that most of the groundwaters belong to the Na(+)-K(+)-Cl(-)-SO (4) (2-) type followed by Na(+)-K(+)-HCO (3) (-) type. Salinity, chlorinity and SAR indices indicated that majority of groundwater samples can be considered suitable for irrigation purposes.

Preparation and performance evaluation of novel alkaline stable anion exchange membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irfan, Muhammad; Bakangura, Erigene; Afsar, Noor Ul; Hossain, Md. Masem; Ran, Jin; Xu, Tongwen

2017-07-01

Novel alkaline stable anion exchange membranes are prepared from various amounts of N-methyl dipicolylamine (MDPA) and brominated poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (BPPO). The dipicolylamine and MDPA are synthesized through condensation reaction and confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The morphologies of prepared membranes are investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H NMR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical and physical properties of AEMs are tested comprising water uptake (WU), ion exchange capacity (IEC), alkaline stability, linear expansion ratio (LER), thermal stability and mechanical stability. The obtained hydroxide conductivity of MDPA-4 is 66.5 mS/cm at 80 °C. The MDPA-4 membrane shows good alkaline stability, high hydroxide conductivity, low methanol permeability (3.43 × 10-7 cm2/s), higher selectivity (8.26 × 107 mS s/cm3), less water uptake (41.1%) and lower linear expansion (11.1%) despite of high IEC value (1.62 mmol/g). The results prove that MDPA membranes have great potential application in anion exchange membrane fuel cell.

Effect of alkaline pretreatment on anaerobic digestion of olive mill solid waste.

PubMed

Pellera, Frantseska-Maria; Santori, Sofia; Pomi, Raffaella; Polettini, Alessandra; Gidarakos, Evangelos

2016-12-01

The present study evaluates the influence of alkaline (NaOH) pretreatment on anaerobic digestion of olive pomace. Batch hydrolysis experiments with different NaOH dosages, process durations and temperatures were conducted, in which the variation of olive pomace solubilization in the liquid phase was investigated. The effect of pretreatment on anaerobic digestion was studied through biochemical methane potential assays. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the NaOH pretreatment in improving olive pomace solubilization as well as its biodegradability. Maximum specific methane yields were achieved at different NaOH dosages depending on the pretreatment temperature. Consequently, it was concluded that the two operating parameters of the pretreatment stage (NaOH dosage and temperature) may exert a joint effect on substrate biodegradability and methane yields. The highest methane yield (242NmLCH 4 /gVS) was obtained for the material pretreated at 90°C, at a dosage of 1mmol/gVS (4% of VS). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phage displayed scFv: pIII scaffold may fine tune binding specificity.

PubMed

Goswami, Pooja; Saini, Deepti; Sinha, Subrata

2009-10-01

The fine specificity of antibodies is important for their discriminating powers during diagnostics and in vivo therapy. We have attempted to isolate human scFv antibodies to the oncofetal antigen, the placental isozyme of alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) in which it is important to distinguish between the closely related intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) isozymes. As the antibodies are selected in the phage displayed form and might be finally used as different entities, including the soluble scFv form, it may be important to look at the influence of scaffolds in determining specificity. There have been earlier reports of the role of the constant region and other scaffolding proteins in determining specificity. In this paper, we report isolation of one such clone, E6, which showed specificity to PLAP in phage antibody form but lost the specificity when soluble scFv was tested for same, and showed partial cross reactivity to BAP. We suggest that the altered specificity of scFv might be the result of loss of phage pIII scaffold, which is present in phage-displayed antibody and may help the displayed antibody to assume specific conformational structure, which may govern binding characteristics of the same.

Changes in Bone Alkaline Phosphatase and Procollagen Type-1 C-Peptide after Static and Dynamic Exercises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubo, Keitaro; Yuki, Kazuhito; Ikebukuro, Toshihiro

2012-01-01

We investigated the effects of two types of nonweight-bearing exercise on changes in bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and pro-collagen type 1 C-peptide (P1P). BAP is a specific marker of bone synthesis, whereas P1P reflects synthesis of type 1 collagen in other organs as well as bone. Eight participants performed static and dynamic…

Exploring crystalline-structural variations of cellulose during alkaline pretreatment for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis.

PubMed

Ling, Zhe; Chen, Sheng; Zhang, Xun; Xu, Feng

2017-01-01

The study aimed to explore the crystallinity and crystalline structure of alkaline pretreated cellulose. The enzymatic hydrolysis followed by pretreatment was conducted for measuring the efficiency of sugar conversion. For cellulose Iβ dominated samples, alkaline pretreatment (<8wt%) caused increased cellulose crystallinity and depolymerized hemicelluloses, that were superimposed to affect the enzymatic conversion to glucose. Varying crystallite sizes and lattice spacings indicated the separation of cellulose crystals during mercerization (8-12wt% NaOH). Completion of mercerization was proved under higher alkaline concentration (14-18wt% NaOH), leading to distortion of crystalline cellulose to some extent. Cellulose II crystallinity showed a stimulative impact on enzymatic hydrolysis due to the weakened hydrophobic interactions within cellulose chains. The current study may provide innovative explanations for enhanced enzymatic digestibility of alkaline pretreated lignocellulosic materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure-guided systems-level engineering of oxidation-prone methionine residues in catalytic domain of an alkaline α-amylase from Alkalimonas amylolytica for significant improvement of both oxidative stability and catalytic efficiency.

PubMed

Yang, Haiquan; Liu, Long; Shin, Hyun-dong; Li, Jianghua; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

2013-01-01

High oxidative stability and catalytic efficiency are required for the alkaline α-amylases to keep the enzymatic performance under the harsh conditions in detergent industries. In this work, we attempted to significantly improve both the oxidative stability and catalytic efficiency of an alkaline α-amylase from Alkalimonas amylolytica by engineering the five oxidation-prone methionine residues around the catalytic domain via a systematic approach. Specifically, based on the tertiary structure analysis, five methionines (Met 145, Met 214, Met 229, Met 247 and Met 317) were individually substituted with oxidation-resistant threonine, isoleucine and alaline, respectively. Among the created 15 mutants, 7 mutants M145A, M145I, M214A, M229A, M229T, M247T and M317I showed significantly enhanced oxidative stability or catalytic efficiency. In previous work, we found that the replacement of M247 with leucine could significantly improve the oxidative stability. Thus, these 8 positive mutants (M145A, M145I, M214A, M229A, M229T, M247T, M247L and M317I) were used to conduct the second round of combinational mutations. Among the constructed 85 mutants (25 two-point mutants, 36 three-point mutants, 16 four-point mutants and 8 five-point mutants), the mutant M145I-214A-229T-247T-317I showed a 5.4-fold increase in oxidative stability and a 3.0-fold increase in catalytic efficiency. Interestingly, the specific activity, alkaline stability and thermal stability of this mutant were also increased. The increase of salt bridge and hydrogen bonds around the catalytic domain contributed to the significantly improved catalytic efficiency and stability, as revealed by the three-dimensional structure model of wild-type alkaline α-amylase and its mutant M145I-214A-229T-247T-317I. With the significantly improved oxidative stability and catalytic efficiency, the mutant M145I-214A-229T-247T-317I has a great potential as a detergent additive, and this structure-guided systems engineering strategy may be useful for the protein engineering of the other microbial enzymes to fulfill industrial requirements.

Induction of alkaline phosphatase in the inflamed intestine: a novel pharmacological target for inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Sánchez de Medina, Fermín; Martínez-Augustin, Olga; González, Raquel; Ballester, Isabel; Nieto, Ana; Gálvez, Julio; Zarzuelo, Antonio

2004-12-15

This study demonstrates the upregulation of alkaline phosphatase and the mechanisms involved in experimental colitis. All models of ileal and colonic inflammation examined, which were characterized by significant oxidative stress and neutrophil infiltration, resulted in an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity which was attributable to both epithelial cells and cells of the lamina propria, mainly leukocytes. The increase in alkaline phosphatase sensitivity to the inhibitors levamisole and homoarginine, together with changes in the apparent molecular size and in the sialization of the enzyme, indicated a change in the isoform expressed. An increase in tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase expression was observed by Western blotting. Treatment with the bone/kidney alkaline phosphatase inhibitor levamisole or a monoclonal antibody resulted in significant protection from colonic inflammation. Taken together, these results indicate that the kidney isoform is a marker of intestinal inflammation and that it might even constitute a target for pharmacological intervention.

[Effects of alkaline fertilizer on cadmium content in rice and paddy soil.

PubMed

Zhang, Liang Liang; Fan, Xiao Lin; Zhang, Li Dan; Liu, Fang

2016-03-01

A field plot trial was conducted at Songbai Village, Chenzhou, Hunan Province to exa-mine the effects of alkaline fertilizer with and without combination application of bacterial regent on cadmium accumulation in rice and paddy soil. Compared with the conventional fertilizer, the alkaline fertilizer reduced the available cadmium content in soil at the tillering, filling and the harvest stages by 8.3%, 6.7% and 16.4% respectively. Compared with the Cd content in soil before transplanting, it was reduced by 7.2% at harvest time in alkaline fertilizer treatment, while increased by 11.0% in the conventional fertilizer treatment. The available cadmium content in soil was increased by 1.2% to 23.3% by bacterial regent. Compared with the conventional fertilizer, the cadmium content of root, stem sheath, leaf, grain and brown rice of the alkaline fertilizer treatment reduced by 54.9%, 56.6%, 41.8%, 62.7% and 67.6% respectively. The alkaline fertilizer treatment combined with bacterial regent increased the cadmium content of brown rice by 63.2%. It was concluded that the alkaline fertilizer could significantly reduce the available cadmium content in both soil and the different organs of the rice, however, when it was combined with bacterial regent together, the effect of alkaline fertilizer to reduce Cd content of brown rice would be declined.

Irrigation water acidification to neutralize alkalinity for nursery crop production: Substrate pH, electrical conductivity, nutrient concentrations, and plant nutrition and growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Liming agents in irrigation water, typically associated with carbonates and bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium, contribute to water alkalinity. Repeated application of LA to container crops can cause media-solution pH to rise overtime, that uncorrected, can lead to a nutrient availability imbalan...

Kinetic comparison of tissue non-specific and placental human alkaline phosphatases expressed in baculovirus infected cells: application to screening for Down's syndrome

PubMed Central

Denier, Colette C; Brisson-Lougarre, Andrée A; Biasini, Ghislaine G; Grozdea, Jean J; Fournier, Didier D

2002-01-01

Background In humans, there are four alkaline phosphatases, and each form exibits a characteristic pattern of tissue distribution. The availability of an easy method to reveal their activity has resulted in large amount of data reporting correlations between variations in activity and illnesses. For example, alkaline phosphatase from neutrophils of mothers pregnent with a trisomy 21 fetus (Down's syndrome) displays significant differences both in its biochemical and immunological properties, and in its affinity for some specific inhibitors. Results To analyse these differences, the biochemical characteristics of two isozymes (non specific and placental alkaline phosphatases) were expressed in baculovirus infected cells. Comparative analysis of the two proteins allowed us to estimate the kinetic constants of denaturation and sensitivity to two inhibitors (L-p-bromotetramisole and thiophosphate), allowing better discrimination between the two enzymes. These parameters were then used to estimate the ratio of the two isoenzymes in neutrophils of pregnant mothers with or without a trisomy 21 fetus. It appeared that the placental isozyme represented 13% of the total activity of neutrophils of non pregnant women. This proportion did not significantly increase with normal pregnancy. By contrast, in pregnancies with trisomy 21 fetus, the proportion reached 60–80% of activity. Conclusion Over-expression of the placental isozyme compared with the tissue-nonspecific form in neutrophils of mother with a trisomy 21 fetus may explain why the characteristics of the alkaline phosphatase in these cells is different from normal. Application of this knowledge could improve the potential of using alkaline phosphatase measurements to screen for Down's syndrome. PMID:11818032

Diarylsulfonamides and their bioisosteres as dual inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase and carbonic anhydrase: Structure activity relationship and molecular modelling studies.

PubMed

Al-Rashida, Mariya; Ejaz, Syeda Abida; Ali, Sharafat; Shaukat, Aisha; Hamayoun, Mehwish; Ahmed, Maqsood; Iqbal, Jamshed

2015-05-15

The effect of bioisosteric replacement of carboxamide linking group with sulfonamide linking group, on alkaline phosphatase (AP) and carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibition activity of aromatic benzenesulfonamides was investigated. A series of carboxamide linked aromatic benzenesulfonamides 1a-1c, 2a-2d and their sulfonamide linked bioisosteres 3a-3d, 4a-4d was synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory activity against bovine tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) and bCA II. A significant increase in CA inhibition activity was observed upon bioisosteric replacement of carboxamide linking group with a sulfonamide group. Some of these compounds were identified as highly potent and selective AP inhibitors. Compounds 1b, 2b, 3d, 4d 5b and 5c were found to be selective bTNAP inhibitors, whereas compounds 1a, 1c, 2a, 2c, 2d, 3a, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 5a were found to be selective bIAP inhibitors. For most active AP inhibitor 3b, detailed kinetic studies indicated a competitive mode of inhibition against tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) and non-competitive mode of inhibition against intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP). Molecular docking studies were carried out to rationalize important binding site interactions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cellulose nanocrystal-based composite electrolyte with superior dimensional stability for alkaline fuel cell membranes

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

Lu, Yuan; Artmentrout, Aaron A.; Li, Juchuan

2015-05-13

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-based composite films were prepared as a solid electrolyte for alkaline fuel cells. Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and silica gel hybrid was used to bind the CNCs to form a robust composite film. The mass ratio (i.e., 1 : 1, 1 : 2) of PVA and silica gel was tuned to control the hydrophobicity of the resulting films. Composite films with a range of CNC content (i.e., 20 to 60%) were prepared to demonstrate the impact of CNC on the performance of these materials as a solid electrolyte for alkaline fuel cells. Different from previously reported cross-linked polymermore » films, CNC-based composite films with 40% hydrophobic binder (i.e., PVA : silica gel=1 : 2) exhibited simultaneous low water swelling (e.g., ~5%) and high water uptake (e.g., ~80%) due to the hydrophilicity and extraordinary dimensional stability of CNC. It also showed a conductivity of 0.044 and 0.065 S/cm at 20 and 60 oC, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, the film with 60% CNC and 40% binder is characterized by the lowest hydroxide conductivity-normalized swelling ratio. Decreased CNC content (i.e., 40 and 20%) resulted in comparable hydroxide conductivity but a greater swelling ratio. Finally, these results demonstrate the advantage of CNC as a key component for a solid electrolyte for alkaline fuel cells over conventional polymers, suggesting the great potential of CNCs in improving the dimensional stability while maintaining the conductivity of existing anion exchange membranes.« less

Towards high conductivity in anion-exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cells.

PubMed

Li, Nanwen; Guiver, Michael D; Binder, Wolfgang H

2013-08-01

Quaternized poly(2,6-dimethylphenylene oxide) materials (PPOs) containing clicked 1,2,3-triazoles were first prepared through Cu(I) -catalyzed "click chemistry" to improve the anion transport in anion-exchange membranes (AEMs). Clicked 1,2,3-triazoles incorporated into AEMs provided more sites to form efficient and continuous hydrogen-bond networks between the water/hydroxide and the triazole for anion transport. Higher water uptake was observed for these triazole membranes. Thus, the membranes showed an impressive enhancement of the hydroxide diffusion coefficient and, therefore, the anion conductivities. The recorded hydroxide conductivity was 27.8-62 mS cm(-1) at 20 °C in water, which was several times higher than that of a typical PPO-based AEM (TMA-20) derived from trimethylamine (5 mS cm(-1) ). Even at reduced relative humidity, the clicked membrane showed superior conductivity to a trimethylamine-based membrane. Moreover, similar alkaline stabilities at 80 °C in 1 M NaOH were observed for the clicked and non-clicked membranes. The performance of a H2 /O2 single cell assembled with a clicked AEM was much improved compared to that of a non-clicked TMA-20 membrane. The peak power density achieved for an alkaline fuel cell with the synthesized membrane 1a(20) was 188.7 mW cm(-2) at 50 °C. These results indicated that clicked AEM could be a viable strategy for improving the performance of alkaline fuel cells. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hydrolysis of alkaline pretreated banana peel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatmawati, A.; Gunawan, K. Y.; Hadiwijaya, F. A.

2017-11-01

Banana peel is one of food wastes that are rich in carbohydrate. This shows its potential as fermentation substrate including bio-ethanol. This paper presented banana peel alkaline pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. The pretreatment was intended to prepare banana peel in order to increase hydrolysis performance. The alkaline pretreatment used 10, 20, and 30% w/v NaOH solution and was done at 60, 70 and 80°C for 1 hour. The hydrolysis reaction was conducted using two commercial cellulose enzymes. The reaction time was varied for 3, 5, and 7 days. The best condition for pretreatment process was one conducted using 30% NaOH solution and at 80°C. This condition resulted in cellulose content of 90.27% and acid insoluble lignin content of 2.88%. Seven-day hydrolysis time had exhibited the highest reducing sugar concentration, which was7.2869 g/L.

Francisella DnaK Inhibits Tissue-nonspecific Alkaline Phosphatase*

PubMed Central

Arulanandam, Bernard P.; Chetty, Senthilnath Lakshmana; Yu, Jieh-Juen; Leonard, Sean; Klose, Karl; Seshu, Janakiram; Cap, Andrew; Valdes, James J.; Chambers, James P.

2012-01-01

Following pulmonary infection with Francisella tularensis, we observed an unexpected but significant reduction of alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme normally up-regulated following inflammation. However, no reduction was observed in mice infected with a closely related Gram-negative pneumonic organism (Klebsiella pneumoniae) suggesting the inhibition may be Francisella-specific. In similar fashion to in vivo observations, addition of Francisella lysate to exogenous alkaline phosphatase (tissue-nonspecific isozyme) was inhibitory. Partial purification and subsequent proteomic analysis indicated the inhibitory factor to be the heat shock protein DnaK. Incubation with increasing amounts of anti-DnaK antibody reduced the inhibitory effect in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, DnaK contains an adenosine triphosphate binding domain at its N terminus, and addition of adenosine triphosphate enhances dissociation of DnaK with its target protein, e.g. alkaline phosphatase. Addition of adenosine triphosphate resulted in decreased DnaK co-immunoprecipitated with alkaline phosphatase as well as reduction of Francisella-mediated alkaline phosphatase inhibition further supporting the binding of Francisella DnaK to alkaline phosphatase. Release of DnaK via secretion and/or bacterial cell lysis into the extracellular milieu and inhibition of plasma alkaline phosphatase could promote an orchestrated, inflammatory response advantageous to Francisella. PMID:22923614

Francisella DnaK inhibits tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Arulanandam, Bernard P; Chetty, Senthilnath Lakshmana; Yu, Jieh-Juen; Leonard, Sean; Klose, Karl; Seshu, Janakiram; Cap, Andrew; Valdes, James J; Chambers, James P

2012-10-26

Following pulmonary infection with Francisella tularensis, we observed an unexpected but significant reduction of alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme normally up-regulated following inflammation. However, no reduction was observed in mice infected with a closely related gram-negative pneumonic organism (Klebsiella pneumoniae) suggesting the inhibition may be Francisella-specific. In similar fashion to in vivo observations, addition of Francisella lysate to exogenous alkaline phosphatase (tissue-nonspecific isozyme) was inhibitory. Partial purification and subsequent proteomic analysis indicated the inhibitory factor to be the heat shock protein DnaK. Incubation with increasing amounts of anti-DnaK antibody reduced the inhibitory effect in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, DnaK contains an adenosine triphosphate binding domain at its N terminus, and addition of adenosine triphosphate enhances dissociation of DnaK with its target protein, e.g. alkaline phosphatase. Addition of adenosine triphosphate resulted in decreased DnaK co-immunoprecipitated with alkaline phosphatase as well as reduction of Francisella-mediated alkaline phosphatase inhibition further supporting the binding of Francisella DnaK to alkaline phosphatase. Release of DnaK via secretion and/or bacterial cell lysis into the extracellular milieu and inhibition of plasma alkaline phosphatase could promote an orchestrated, inflammatory response advantageous to Francisella.

Systematic review of the association between dietary acid load, alkaline water and cancer.

PubMed

Fenton, Tanis R; Huang, Tian

2016-06-13

To evaluate the evidence for a causal relationship between dietary acid/alkaline and alkaline water for the aetiology and treatment of cancer. A systematic review was conducted on published and grey literature separately for randomised intervention and observational studies with either varying acid-base dietary intakes and/or alkaline water with any cancer outcome or for cancer treatment. Incidence of cancer and outcomes of cancer treatment. 8278 citations were identified, and 252 abstracts were reviewed; 1 study met the inclusion criteria and was included in this systematic review. No randomised trials were located. No studies were located that examined dietary acid or alkaline or alkaline water for cancer treatment. The included study was a cohort study with a low risk of bias. This study revealed no association between the diet acid load with bladder cancer (OR=1.15: 95% CI 0.86 to 1.55, p=0.36). No association was found even among long-term smokers (OR=1.72: 95% CI 0.96 to 3.10, p=0.08). Despite the promotion of the alkaline diet and alkaline water by the media and salespeople, there is almost no actual research to either support or disprove these ideas. This systematic review of the literature revealed a lack of evidence for or against diet acid load and/or alkaline water for the initiation or treatment of cancer. Promotion of alkaline diet and alkaline water to the public for cancer prevention or treatment is not justified. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Irrigation water acidification to neutralize alkalinity for nursery crop production: Substrate pH, electrical conductivity, and nutrient concentrations; and plant nutrition and growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Liming agents (LA) in irrigation water, typically associated with carbonates and bicarbonates of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), contribute to water alkalinity. Repeated application of LA to container crops can cause media-solution pH to rise overtime, that uncorrected, can lead to a nutrient avail...

Anaerobic digestion of thermal-alkaline-pretreated cephalosporin bacterial residues for methane production.

PubMed

Li, Guixia; Zhong, Weizhang; Wang, Rui; Chen, Jiaqi; Li, Zaixing

2017-08-01

Optimum anaerobic conditions of cephalosporin bacterial residues after thermal-alkaline pretreatment were determined by orthogonal experiments. And through biochemical methane potential tests (BMPs) for cephalosporin bacterial residues, the ability for bacterial degradation of cephalosporin was also evaluated. The thermal-alkaline pretreatment with the optimum values of 6% NaOH at 105 °C for 15 min significantly improved digestion performance. With the thermal-alkaline pretreatment, the specific methane yield of the pretreated cephalosporin bacterial residue increased by 254.79% compared with that of the un-pretreated cephalosporin bacterial residue. The results showed that anaerobic digestion of thermal-alkaline-pretreated cephalosporin bacterial residues could be one of the options for efficient methane production and waste treatment. This work investigates the thermal-alkaline pretreatment of cephalosporin bacterial residues, which can increase their methane yield by 254.79% compared with no pretreatment. The digestion performance is significantly improved under the condition of 6% NaOH at 105 °C for 15 min. The results show that anaerobic digestion of thermal-alkaline-pretreated cephalosporin bacterial residues could be one of the options for efficient methane production and waste treatment.

Field and laboratory analyses of water from the Columbia aquifer in Eastern Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bachman, L.J.

1984-01-01

Field and laboratory analyses of pH, alkalinity, and specific conductance from water samples collected from the Columbia aquifer on the Delmarva Peninsula in eastern Maryland were compared to determine if laboratory analyses could be used for making regional water-quality interpretations. Kruskal-Wallis tests of field and laboratory data indicate that the difference between field and laboratory values is usually not enough to affect the outcome of the statistical tests. Thus, laboratory measurements of these constituents may be adequate for making certain regional water-quality interpretations, although they may result in errors if used for geochemical interpretations.

Approach of describing dynamic production of volatile fatty acids from sludge alkaline fermentation.

PubMed

Wang, Dongbo; Liu, Yiwen; Ngo, Huu Hao; Zhang, Chang; Yang, Qi; Peng, Lai; He, Dandan; Zeng, Guangming; Li, Xiaoming; Ni, Bing-Jie

2017-08-01

In this work, a mathematical model was developed to describe the dynamics of fermentation products in sludge alkaline fermentation systems for the first time. In this model, the impacts of alkaline fermentation on sludge disintegration, hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis processes are specifically considered for describing the high-level formation of fermentation products. The model proposed successfully reproduced the experimental data obtained from five independent sludge alkaline fermentation studies. The modeling results showed that alkaline fermentation largely facilitated the disintegration, acidogenesis, and acetogenesis processes and severely inhibited methanogenesis process. With the pH increase from 7.0 to 10.0, the disintegration, acidogenesis, and acetogenesis processes respectively increased by 53%, 1030%, and 30% while methane production decreased by 3800%. However, no substantial effect on hydrolysis process was found. The model also indicated that the pathway of acetoclastic methanogenesis was more severely inhibited by alkaline condition than that of hydrogentrophic methanogenesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alkaline phosphatase protein increases in response to prednisolone in HeLa cells.

PubMed Central

Hanford, W C; Kottel, R H; Fishman, W H

1981-01-01

Quantification of term-placental alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme protein in HeLa TCRC-1 cells grown in the presence and absence of prednisolone indicates that there is a net increase in amount of enzyme-specific protein in prednisolone-stimulated cells. In a similar analysis of HeLa D98AH2 cells, prednisolone treatment causes the appearance of term-placental alkaline phosphatase protein and the loss of the intestinal isoenzyme protein. These results support the interpretation that the response of these cells to corticosteroids is the net accumulation of alkaline phosphatase protein rather than the modification of pre-existing enzyme to a more active state. Images Fig. 1. Fig. 2. PMID:7340849

Transport and solubility of Hetero-disperse dry deposition particulate matter subject to urban source area rainfall-runoff processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ying, G.; Sansalone, J.

2010-03-01

SummaryWith respect to hydrologic processes, the impervious pavement interface significantly alters relationships between rainfall and runoff. Commensurate with alteration of hydrologic processes the pavement also facilitates transport and solubility of dry deposition particulate matter (PM) in runoff. This study examines dry depositional flux rates, granulometric modification by runoff transport, as well as generation of total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity and conductivity in source area runoff resulting from PM solubility. PM is collected from a paved source area transportation corridor (I-10) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana encompassing 17 dry deposition and 8 runoff events. The mass-based granulometric particle size distribution (PSD) is measured and modeled through a cumulative gamma function, while PM surface area distributions across the PSD follow a log-normal distribution. Dry deposition flux rates are modeled as separate first-order exponential functions of previous dry hours (PDH) for PM and suspended, settleable and sediment fractions. When trans-located from dry deposition into runoff, PSDs are modified, with a d50m decreasing from 331 to 14 μm after transport and 60 min of settling. Solubility experiments as a function of pH, contact time and particle size using source area rainfall generate constitutive models to reproduce pH, alkalinity, TDS and alkalinity for historical events. Equilibrium pH, alkalinity and TDS are strongly influenced by particle size and contact times. The constitutive leaching models are combined with measured PSDs from a series of rainfall-runoff events to demonstrate that the model results replicate alkalinity and TDS in runoff from the subject watershed. Results illustrate the granulometry of dry deposition PM, modification of PSDs along the drainage pathway, and the role of PM solubility for generation of TDS, alkalinity and conductivity in urban source area rainfall-runoff.

Leachate Geochemical Results for Ash and Burned Soil Samples from the October 2007 Southern California Wildfires

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hageman, Philip L.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Martin, Deborah A.; Hoefen, Todd M.; Meeker, Gregory P.; Adams, Monique; Lamothe, Paul J.; Anthony, Michael W.

2008-01-01

This report is the second release of leachate geochemical data included as part of a multidisciplinary study of ash and burned soil samples from the October 2007 wildfires in southern California. Geochemical data for the first set of samples were released in an Open-File Report (Plumlee and others, 2007). This study is a continuation of that work. The objectives of this leaching study are to aid in understanding the interactions of ash and burned soil with rainfall. For this study, 12 samples collected in early November 2007 were leached using the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Field Leach Test (FLT). Following leaching, sub-samples of the leachate were analyzed for pH and specific conductance. The leachate was then filtered, and aliquots were preserved for geochemical analysis. This report presents leachate geochemical data for pH, specific conductance, alkalinity, anions using ion chromatography (I.C.), cations using inductively coupled plasma?atomic mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and mercury by continuous flow injection?cold vapor?atomic fluorescence (CVAFS).

Aqueous solubility and alkaline hydrolysis of the novel high explosive hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20).

PubMed

Karakaya, Pelin; Sidhoum, Mohammed; Christodoulatos, Christos; Nicolich, Steve; Balas, Wendy

2005-04-11

The recently developed polycyclic nitramine CL-20 is considered as a possible replacement for the monocyclic nitramines RDX and HMX. The present study reports aqueous solubility data for CL-20, as well as the kinetic parameters for its alkaline hydrolysis with sodium hydroxide below and above its solubility limits. Aqueous solubility of CL-20 was measured in the temperature range of 4-69 degrees C and the data were fitted to a generalized solubility model. Alkaline hydrolysis experiments were conducted at 15, 20, 30 and 40 degrees C, with hydroxide concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 300 mM. Like RDX and HMX, alkaline hydrolysis of CL-20 follows second-order kinetics. CL-20 alkaline hydrolysis was found to proceed at a significantly faster rate than RDX. The temperature dependency of the second-order rate constants was evaluated using the Arrhenius model. The activation energy for CL-20 was found to be within close range of the activation energies reported for RDX and HMX.

Characterization of alkaline hydroxide-preserved whole poultry as a dry byproduct meal.

PubMed

Shafer, D J; Burgess, R P; Conrad, K A; Prochaska, J F; Carey, J B

2001-11-01

Studies were conducted to examine the chemical preservation of whole broiler carcasses by using aqueous alkaline hydroxide solutions. Conversion of the preserved carcasses and solutions into an acceptable poultry byproduct meal was examined. Carcasses and alkaline solutions at a 1:1 ratio were blended and freeze-dried to produce a high fat whole poultry byproduct meal. The dry meal was analyzed for nutrient composition, true metabolizable energy, and amino acid content. Viable bacteria were not recovered after inoculation of the experimental meal with Salmonella enteritidis. The meal was incorporated at 5 and 10% of chick starter diets. Chicks found the meal-containing diets acceptable. Feed consumption, water consumption, BW, and mortality were not significantly different among the dietary treatments in either of the two feeding trials. Necropsy samples revealed no pathological or histological differences attributable to consumption of the alkaline poultry byproduct and blood serum evaluation found no variation in blood chemistry. Alkaline treatment of whole broiler carcasses was an effective preservation method and acceptable as a dry poultry byproduct meal.

Introducing catalyst in alkaline membrane for improved performance direct borohydride fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Haiying; Lin, Longxia; Chu, Wen; Jiang, Wei; He, Yan; Shi, Qiao; Deng, Yonghong; Ji, Zhenguo; Liu, Jiabin; Tao, Shanwen

2018-01-01

A catalytic material is introduced into the polymer matrix to prepare a novel polymeric alkaline electrolyte membrane (AEM) which simultaneously increases ionic conductivity, reduces the fuel cross-over. In this work, the hydroxide anion exchange membrane is mainly composed of poly(vinylalcohol) and alkaline exchange resin. CoCl2 is added into the poly(vinylalcohol) and alkaline exchange resin gel before casting the membrane to introduce catalytic materials. CoCl2 is converted into CoOOH after the reaction with KOH solution. The crystallinity of the polymer matrix decreases and the ionic conductivity of the composite membrane is notably improved by the introduction of Co-species. A direct borohydride fuel cell using the composite membrane exhibits an open circuit voltage of 1.11 V at 30 °C, which is notably higher than that of cells using other AEMs. The cell using the composite membrane achieves a maximum power density of 283 mW cm-2 at 60 °C while the cell using the membrane without Co-species only reaches 117 mW cm-2 at the same conditions. The outstanding performance of the cell using the composite membrane benefits from impregnation of the catalytic Co-species in the membrane, which not only increases the ionic conductivity but also reduces electrode polarization thus improves the fuel cell performance. This work provides a new approach to develop high-performance fuel cells through adding catalysts in the electrolyte membrane.

Determination of Cancer Cell-Based pH-Sensitive Fluorescent Carbon Nanoparticles of Cross-Linked Polydopamine by Fluorescence Sensing of Alkaline Phosphatase Activity on Coated Surfaces and Aqueous Solution.

PubMed

Kang, Eun Bi; Choi, Cheong A; Mazrad, Zihnil Adha Islamy; Kim, Sung Han; In, Insik; Park, Sung Young

2017-12-19

The tumor-specific sensitive fluorescence sensing of cellular alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity on the basis of host-guest specific and pH sensitivity was conducted on coated surfaces and aqueous states. Cross-linked fluorescent nanoparticles (C-FNP) consisting of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)/boronic acid (BA) and fluorescent hyaluronic acid [FNP(HA)] were conjugated to fluorescent polydopamine [FNP(pDA)]. To determine the quenching effect of this system, hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (NPP) to 4-nitrophenol (NP) was performed in the cavity of β-CD in the presence of ALP activated photoinduced electron transfer (PET) between NP and C-FNP. At an ALP level of 30-1000 U/L, NP caused off-emission of C-FNP because of their specific host-guest recognition. Fluorescence can be recovered under pH shock due to cleavage of the diol bond between β-CD and BA, resulting in release of NP from the fluorescent system. Sensitivity of the assays was assessed by confocal imaging not only in aqueous states, but also for the first time on coated surfaces in MDAMB-231 and MDCK cells. This novel system demonstrated high sensitivity to ALP through generation of good electron donor/acceptor pair during the PET process. Therefore, this fluorescence sensor system can be used to enhance ALP monitoring and cancer diagnosis on both coated surfaces and in aqueous states in clinical settings.

Comparison of enteral and parenteral methods of urine alkalinization in patients receiving high-dose methotrexate.

PubMed

Rouch, Jamie A; Burton, Bradley; Dabb, Alix; Brown, Vicky; Seung, Amy H; Kinsman, Katharine; Holdhoff, Matthias

2017-01-01

Purpose Hyperhydration and urinary alkalinization is implemented with all high-dose (HD)-methotrexate infusions to promote excretion and prevent precipitation of methotrexate in the renal tubules. Our institution utilized enteral alkalinizing agents (sodium bicarbonate tablets and sodium citrate/citric acid solution) to alkalinize the urine of patients receiving HD-methotrexate during a parenteral sodium bicarbonate and sodium acetate shortage. The purpose of this study is to establish the safety and efficacy of the enteral route for urine alkalinization. Methods A single-center, retrospective, cohort study was conducted comparing cycles of HD-methotrexate using enteral alkalinizing agents to parenteral sodium bicarbonate. The primary objective was to compare the time, in hours, from administration of first inpatient administered dose of alkalinizing agent to time of achieving goal urine pH. Secondary objectives evaluated total dose of sodium bicarbonate required to achieve goal urine pH, time from start of urine alkalinizing agent until time of achieving methotrexate level safe for discharge, and toxicities associated with methotrexate and the alkalinizing agents. Results A total of 118 patients were included in this study, equally divided into two cohorts based on parenteral versus enteral routes of administration. No statistical difference was determined between the two cohorts regarding time to goal urine pH (6.5 h versus 7.9 h, P = 0.051) or regarding time to methotrexate level deemed safe for discharge (63.5 h versus 62.5 h, p = 0.835). There were no significant differences in methotrexate-induced toxicities. Conclusion Our study found enteral routes of urine alkalinization to be a viable alternative to the traditional parenteral sodium bicarbonate, especially during parenteral sodium bicarbonate and acetate shortages.

Surfactant-enhanced alkaline flooding: Buffering at intermediate alkaline pH

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

Rudin, J.; Wasan, D.T.

1993-11-01

The alkaline flooding process involves injecting alkaline agents into the reservoir to produce more oil than is produced through conventional waterflooding. The interaction of the alkali in the flood water with the naturally occurring acids in the reservoir oil results in in-situ formation of soaps, which are partially responsible for lowering IFT and improving oil recovery. The extent to which IFT is lowered depends on the specific oil and injection water properties. Numerous investigators have attempted to clarify the relationship between system chemical composition and IFT. An experimental investigation of buffered alkaline flooding system chemistry was undertaken to determine themore » influence of various species present on interfacial tension (IFT) as a function of pH and ionic strength. IFT was found to go through an ultralow minimum in certain pH ranges. This synergism results from simultaneous adsorption of un-ionized and ionized acid species on the interface.« less

Spurious testosterone laboratory results in a patient taking synthetic alkaline phosphatase (asfotase alfa).

PubMed

Sofronescu, Alina G; Ross, Meredith; Rush, Eric; Goldner, Whitney

2018-04-27

We report a case of discordant total and free testosterone values in a patient with hypogonadism and juvenile hypophosphatasia after he initiated treatment with asfotase alfa, recombinant tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase. Total testosterone was evaluated using immunoassay pre and post initiation of therapy with asfotase alfa, and free testosterone was evaluated using radioimmunoassay and LC-MS/MS while on asfotase alfa therapy. Total testosterone measured by immunoassay was normal prior to therapy with asfotase alfa, and was low post initiation of therapy. During the same time frame, free testosterone measured using RAI and total testosterone measured using LC-MS/MS were normal on asfotase alfa therapy. This suggests assay interference with the total testosterone immunoassay. When laboratory results are discordant or do not match the clinical impression, the possibility of assay interference should be considered. Alternative laboratory methods free of the interference should be selected to evaluate these patients. ALPL gene, Approved name: Alkaline phosphatase, liver/bone/kidney, Synonym: Tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNSAP). Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary plant design of Escherichia coli BPPTCC-EgRK2 cell culture for recombinant cellulase production using Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) as substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surya, E. A.; Rahman, S. F.; Zulamraini, S.; Gozan, M.

2018-03-01

An economic analysis of recombinant cellulase production from E. coli BPPTCC Eg-RK2 was conducted to support the fulfilling of Indonesia’s energy roadmap for ethanol production. The plant use oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) as primary substrate in cellulase production, with the expected lifetime of 12 years. The plant is assumed to be built in Indonesia and will fulfill 1% of total market demand. The effect of different pretreatment process (alkaline, steam explosion, and sequential acid-alkaline) on the economic value was also studied. A simulation using SuperPro Designer was used to calculate the mass and energy balance based on the kinetic parameter of E. coli BPPTCC-EgRK2. Technology evaluation show that alkaline pretreatment gave the highest yield with no known inhibitors formed. The steam explosion show the lowest lignin and hemicellulose removal and known to form known fermentation inhibitors. The net present value of alkaline, steam explosion, and sequential acid-alkaline pretreatment were USD 7,118,000; - USD 73,411,000 and USD -114,013,000 respectively, which mean alkaline pretreatment is the only economically feasible pretreatment method for recombinant cellulase production.

Improved methane production from waste activated sludge with low organic content by alkaline pretreatment at pH 10.

PubMed

Feng, L Y; Yang, L Q; Zhang, L X; Chen, H L; Chen, J

2013-01-01

Sludge with low organic content always results in an unsatisfactory performance, even failure of anaerobic digestion. The alkaline pretreatment effect on anaerobic digestion of sludge with low organic content has seldom been studied although it gives many benefits for sludge with high organic content. In this study the influence of alkaline pretreatment (pH 10, an effective alkaline pH) on the solubilization and methane production from waste activated sludge (WAS) with low organic content was investigated. Results from biochemical methane potential (BMP) experiments showed that anaerobic biodegradability of WAS was greatly improved by alkaline pretreatment at pH 10. Methane production from the current WAS under conditions of pretreatment time 4 h and digestion time 15 d was 139.6 mL/g VS (volatile solids), much higher than that from the unpretreated WAS with digestion time of 20 d (75.2 mL/g VS). Also, the solubilization of WAS was significantly accelerated by alkaline pretreatment. Mechanism exploration indicated that the general activities of anaerobic microorganisms, specific activities of key enzymes and the amounts of methanogens were enhanced by alkaline pretreatment at pH 10, showing good agreement with methane production.

Plasma membranes modified by plasma treatment or deposition as solid electrolytes for potential application in solid alkaline fuel cells.

PubMed

Reinholdt, Marc; Ilie, Alina; Roualdès, Stéphanie; Frugier, Jérémy; Schieda, Mauricio; Coutanceau, Christophe; Martemianov, Serguei; Flaud, Valérie; Beche, Eric; Durand, Jean

2012-07-30

In the highly competitive market of fuel cells, solid alkaline fuel cells using liquid fuel (such as cheap, non-toxic and non-valorized glycerol) and not requiring noble metal as catalyst seem quite promising. One of the main hurdles for emergence of such a technology is the development of a hydroxide-conducting membrane characterized by both high conductivity and low fuel permeability. Plasma treatments can enable to positively tune the main fuel cell membrane requirements. In this work, commercial ADP-Morgane® fluorinated polymer membranes and a new brand of cross-linked poly(aryl-ether) polymer membranes, named AMELI-32®, both containing quaternary ammonium functionalities, have been modified by argon plasma treatment or triallylamine-based plasma deposit. Under the concomitant etching/cross-linking/oxidation effects inherent to the plasma modification, transport properties (ionic exchange capacity, water uptake, ionic conductivity and fuel retention) of membranes have been improved. Consequently, using plasma modified ADP-Morgane® membrane as electrolyte in a solid alkaline fuel cell operating with glycerol as fuel has allowed increasing the maximum power density by a factor 3 when compared to the untreated membrane.

Plasma Membranes Modified by Plasma Treatment or Deposition as Solid Electrolytes for Potential Application in Solid Alkaline Fuel Cells

PubMed Central

Reinholdt, Marc; Ilie, Alina; Roualdès, Stéphanie; Frugier, Jérémy; Schieda, Mauricio; Coutanceau, Christophe; Martemianov, Serguei; Flaud, Valérie; Beche, Eric; Durand, Jean

2012-01-01

In the highly competitive market of fuel cells, solid alkaline fuel cells using liquid fuel (such as cheap, non-toxic and non-valorized glycerol) and not requiring noble metal as catalyst seem quite promising. One of the main hurdles for emergence of such a technology is the development of a hydroxide-conducting membrane characterized by both high conductivity and low fuel permeability. Plasma treatments can enable to positively tune the main fuel cell membrane requirements. In this work, commercial ADP-Morgane® fluorinated polymer membranes and a new brand of cross-linked poly(aryl-ether) polymer membranes, named AMELI-32®, both containing quaternary ammonium functionalities, have been modified by argon plasma treatment or triallylamine-based plasma deposit. Under the concomitant etching/cross-linking/oxidation effects inherent to the plasma modification, transport properties (ionic exchange capacity, water uptake, ionic conductivity and fuel retention) of membranes have been improved. Consequently, using plasma modified ADP-Morgane® membrane as electrolyte in a solid alkaline fuel cell operating with glycerol as fuel has allowed increasing the maximum power density by a factor 3 when compared to the untreated membrane. PMID:24958295

Investigating aquifer contamination and groundwater quality in eastern Terai region of Nepal.

PubMed

Mahato, Sanjay; Mahato, Asmita; Karna, Pankaj Kumar; Balmiki, Nisha

2018-05-21

This study aims at assessing the groundwater quality of the three districts of Eastern Terai region of Nepal viz. Morang, Jhapa, Sunsari using physicochemical characteristics and statistical approach so that possible contamination of water reservoir can be understood. pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, color, total dissolved solids, fluorides, ammonia, nitrates, chloride, total hardness, calcium hardness, calcium, magnesium, total alkalinity, iron, manganese, arsenic have to be analyzed to know the present status of groundwater quality. Results revealed that the value of analyzed parameters were within the acceptable limits for drinking water recommended by World Health Organization except for pH, turbidity, ammonia and iron. As per Nepal Drinking Water Quality Standards, fluoride and manganese too were not complying with the permissible limit. Electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chloride, total hardness, calcium hardness, manganese, and total alkalinity show good positive correlation with major water quality parameters. Calcium, magnesium, total hardness, calcium hardness and total alkalinity greatly influences total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity. ANOVA, Tukey, and clustering highlight the significance of three districts. Groundwater can be considered safe, but there is always a chance of contamination through chemical wastes in the heavily industrialized area of Morang and Sunsari Industrial corridor.

Size and performance of anoxic limestone drains to neutralize acdic mine drainagei

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cravotta, C.A.

2003-01-01

Acidic mine drainage (AMD) can be neutralized effectively in underground, anoxic limestone drains (ALDs). Owing to reaction between the AMD and limestone (CaCO3), the pH and concentrations of alkalinity and calcium increase asymptotically with detention time in the ALD, while concentrations of sulfate, ferrous iron, and manganese typically are unaffected. This paper introduces a method to predict the alkalinity produced within an ALD and to estimate the mass of limestone required for its construction on the basis of data from short-term, closed-container (cubitainer) tests. The cubitainer tests, which used an initial mass of 4 kg crushed limestone completely inundated with 2.8 L AMD, were conducted for 11 to 16 d and provided estimates for the initial and maximum alkalinities and corresponding rates of alkalinity production and limestone dissolution. Long-term (5-11 yr) data for alkalinity and CaCO3 flux at the Howe Bridge, Morrison, and Buck Mountain ALDs in Pennsylvania, USA, indicate that rates of alkalinity production and limestone dissolution under field conditions were comparable with those in cubitainers filled with limestone and AMD from each site. The alkalinity of effluent and intermediate samples along the flow path through the ALDs and long-term trends in the residual mass of limestone and the effluent alkalinity were estimated as a function of the computed detention time within the ALD and second-order dissolution rate models for cubitainer tests. Thus, cubitainer tests can be a useful tool for designing ALDs and predicting their performance.

Surfactant free graphene nanosheets based nanofluids by in-situ reduction of alkaline graphite oxide suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jyothirmayee Aravind, S. S.; Ramaprabhu, S.

2011-12-01

Herein we report an entirely different route for the synthesis of graphene nanosheets (GNs) based nanofluids without surfactant or harsh chemical treatments, by reducing the alkaline graphite oxide suspension in ethylene glycol (EG) and de-ionized (DI) water based fluids by a simple thermal treatment. The thermal conductivity measurement after the reduction shows about 6.5 and 13.6% enhancements at 25 °C for the 0.14% volume fraction of GN in EG and DI water, respectively, which is ascribed to the high aspect ratio of the GNs. In addition, a large enhancement in the electrical conductivity of EG and DI water based reduced nanofluids is observed. This interesting result is attributed to the high electrical conductivity of reduced graphene nanosheets suspensions.

Poly(vinylbenzylchloride) Based Anion-Exchange Blend Membranes (AEBMs): Influence of PEG Additive on Conductivity and Stability

PubMed Central

Kerres, Jochen A.; Krieg, Henning M.

2017-01-01

In view of the many possible applications such as fuel cells and electrolysers, recent interest in novel anion exchange membranes (AEMs) has increased significantly. However, their low conductivity and chemical stability limits their current suitability. In this study, the synthesis and characterization of several three- and four-component anion exchange blend membranes (AEBMs) is described, where the compositions have been systematically varied to study the influence of the AEBM’s composition on the anion conductivities as well as chemical and thermal stabilities under strongly alkaline conditions. It was shown that the epoxide-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol)s that were introduced into the four-component AEBMs resulted in increased conductivity as well as a marked improvement in the stability of the AEBMs in an alkaline environment. In addition, the thermal stability of the novel AEBMs was excellent showing the suitability of these membranes for several electrochemical applications. PMID:28621717

Phosphatidylinositol anchor of HeLa cell alkaline phosphatase

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

Jemmerson, R.; Low, M.G.

1987-09-08

Alkaline phosphatase from cancer cells, HeLa TCRC-1, was biosynthetically labeled with either /sup 3/H-fatty acids or (/sup 3/H)ethanolamine as analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography of immunoprecipitated material. Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) released a substantial proportion of the /sup 3/H-fatty acid label from immunoaffinity-purified alkaline phosphatase but had no effect on the radioactivity of (/sup 3/H)ethanolamine-labeled material. PI-PLC also liberated catalytically active alkaline phosphatase from viable cells, and this could be selectively blocked by monoclonal antibodies to alkaline phosphatase. However, the alkaline phosphatase released from /sup 3/H-fatty acid labeled cells by PI-PLC was not radioactive. By contrast,more » treatment with bromelain removed both the /sup 3/H-fatty acid and the (/sup 3/H)ethanolamine label from purified alkaline phosphatase. Subtilisin was also able to remove the (/sup 3/H)ethanolamine label from the purified alkaline phosphatase. The /sup 3/H radioactivity in alkaline phosphatase purified from (/sup 3/H)ethanolamine-labeled cells comigrated with authentic (/sup 3/H)ethanolamine by anion-exchange chromatography after acid hydrolysis. The data suggest that the /sup 3/H-fatty acid and (/sup 3/H)ethanolamine are covalently attached to the carboxyl-terminal segment since bromelain and subtilisin both release alkaline phosphatase from the membrane by cleavage at that end of the polypeptide chain. The data are consistent with findings for other proteins recently shown to be anchored in the membrane through a glycosylphosphatidylinositol structure and indicate that a similar structure contributes to the membrane anchoring of alkaline phosphatase.« less

The hydro-chemical and physical conditions of the environment of the immature stages of some species of the simulium (Edwardsellum) damnosum complex (Diptera).

PubMed

Grunewald, J

1976-12-01

Water samples were collected from breeding sites of species of the Simulium (Edwardsellum) damnoslm complex in Upper Volta, Liberia and Cameroon during the dry season; and in Tanzania and Kenya at various seasons during a period of two years. The following 20 factors were analysed at 45 breeding sites: water temperature, current velocity, pH value, conductivity free carbon dioxide, oxygen content, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, alkalinity, chloride, sulphate, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, silicate, total iron and organic substance (consumption of potassium permanganate). A number of notable differences in the chemical composition of the water of the breeding sites of 13 S. damnosum complex species were found, particularly with regard to the pH and conductivity. On the basis of these differences the various species can be divided into three main groups: Group I: 3 species (S. sanctipauli, S. yahense, "Menge"); breeding in sites with pH values always below 7 and conductivity values below 50 mumhos. Group II: 8 species (S. sirbanum, S. sudanense, S. damnosum s.s., S. squamosum, "Sanje", "Nkusi", "Nyamagasani", "Jovi"); breeding in watercourses with neutral, weakly acid or weakly alkaline reactions and conductivity values ranging from 50 to 150 mumhos. Group III: 2 species ("Kibwezi", "Kisiwani"); breeding in watercourses characterized by highly alkaline reactions with pH values between 7.7 and 10 and by conductivity values between 400 and 950 mumhos. The vectors of Onchocerca volvulus are included in group I and II only.

Effects of Cations on Corrosion of Inconel 625 in Molten Chloride Salts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Ming; Ma, Hongfang; Wang, Mingjing; Wang, Zhihua; Sharif, Adel

2016-04-01

Hot corrosion of Inconel 625 in sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and their mixtures with different compositions is conducted at 900°C to investigate the effects of cations in chloride salts on corrosion behavior of the alloy. XRD, SEM/EDS were used to analyze the compositions, phases, and morphologies of the corrosion products. The results showed that Inconel 625 suffers more severe corrosion in alkaline earth metal chloride molten salts than alkaline metal chloride molten salts. For corrosion in mixture salts, the corrosion rate increased with increasing alkaline earth metal chloride salt content in the mixture. Cations in the chloride molten salts mainly affect the thermal and chemical properties of the salts such as vapor pressure and hydroscopicities, which can affect the basicity of the molten salt. Corrosion of Inconel 625 in alkaline earth metal chloride salts is accelerated with increasing basicity.

Elucidating Performance Limitations in Alkaline-Exchange- Membrane Fuel Cells

DOE PAGES

Shiau, Huai-Suen; Zenyuk, Iryna V.; Weber, Adam Z.

2017-07-15

Water management is a serious concern for alkaline-exchange-membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) because water is a reactant in the alkaline oxygen-reduction reaction and hydroxide conduction in alkaline-exchange membranes is highly hydration dependent. Here in this article, we develop and use a multiphysics, multiphase model to explore water management in AEMFCs. We demonstrate that the low performance is mostly caused by extremely non-uniform distribution of water in the ionomer phase. A sensitivity analysis of design parameters including humidification strategies, membrane properties, and water transport resistance was undertaken to explore possible optimization strategies. Furthermore, the strategy and issues of reducing bicarbonate/carbonate buildup inmore » the membrane-electrode assembly with CO 2 from air is demonstrated based on the model prediction. Overall, mathematical modeling is used to explore trends and strategies to overcome performance bottlenecks and help enable AEMFC commercialization.« less

Acid and alkali doped PBI electrolyte in electrochemical system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Baozhong

In this work the conductivity of blank PBI membrane, acid doped PBI and alkaline doped PBI was systematically studied. A new methodology for sorption kinetics study in electrolyte solution has been established by monitoring the conductivity change during the sorption process. The model of the doping process and mechanism of conductivity are proposed. The performance of PBI (doped under optimum conditions) in fuel cell as PEM was evaluated. The experimental results show that the blank PBI in acid solution is an ionic insulator. It clarified the long time confusion in this area. The acid doped PBI membrane is an ionic conductor. The conductivity increases with the concentration of the acid solution. In high concentration acid solution, the conductivity increases with the type of acid in the order: H2SO 4 > H3PO4 > HClO4 > HNO3 > HCl. The kinetics of the doping process was studied, by a continuous method. The ionic conductivity mechanism was established. The PBI membranes doped with H2SO4 and H3PO4 exhibit better performance than NafionRTM. The doped FBI has more resistance to CO poison. 3% CO in H2 has little effect on the H3PO 4 doped PBI membrane at 185°C. The conductivity of the alkali doped PBI membrane changes with the concentration of the alkaline solution and the type of the alkalis. The conductivity has a maximum in KOH and NaOH solution. The maximum conductivity in KOH is higher than in NaOH and LiOH. It is about 5 times of that of NafionRTM in alkaline solution. The two-step sorption process in alkaline solution was observed. The first step is the permeation process of the alkalis in the PBI membrane. The permeation is the results of diffusion and interaction. It is concluded that the permeation process is controlled by the rate of interaction between the alkali and PBI molecule. The second step is the relaxation process in the membrane. This step contributes more to the conductivity for the membrane than the first step. The ionic conductivity mechanism was established. In solution the cations and OH- all participate in the transport of current. It is the OH- that breaks the bonds between PBI molecules and enables the cations pass through the membrane. The performance of alkali doped PBI (doped under optimum conditions) in fuel cell as PEM is as good as NafionRTM.

40 CFR 227.7 - Limits established for specific wastes or waste constituents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... that the average total alkalinity or total acidity of the ocean water after allowance for initial mixing, as defined in § 227.29, may be changed, based on stoichiometric calculations, by no more than 10..., consideration shall be given to: (1) The effects of any change in acidity or alkalinity of the water at the...

40 CFR 227.7 - Limits established for specific wastes or waste constituents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... that the average total alkalinity or total acidity of the ocean water after allowance for initial mixing, as defined in § 227.29, may be changed, based on stoichiometric calculations, by no more than 10..., consideration shall be given to: (1) The effects of any change in acidity or alkalinity of the water at the...

40 CFR 227.7 - Limits established for specific wastes or waste constituents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... that the average total alkalinity or total acidity of the ocean water after allowance for initial mixing, as defined in § 227.29, may be changed, based on stoichiometric calculations, by no more than 10..., consideration shall be given to: (1) The effects of any change in acidity or alkalinity of the water at the...

40 CFR 227.7 - Limits established for specific wastes or waste constituents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... that the average total alkalinity or total acidity of the ocean water after allowance for initial mixing, as defined in § 227.29, may be changed, based on stoichiometric calculations, by no more than 10..., consideration shall be given to: (1) The effects of any change in acidity or alkalinity of the water at the...

40 CFR 227.7 - Limits established for specific wastes or waste constituents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... that the average total alkalinity or total acidity of the ocean water after allowance for initial mixing, as defined in § 227.29, may be changed, based on stoichiometric calculations, by no more than 10..., consideration shall be given to: (1) The effects of any change in acidity or alkalinity of the water at the...

Water-quality reconnaissance of Laguna Tortuguero, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, March 1999-May 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soler-Lopez, Luis; Guzman-Rios, Senen; Conde-Costas, Carlos

2006-01-01

The Laguna Tortuguero, a slightly saline to freshwater lagoon in north-central Puerto Rico, has a surface area of about 220 hectares and a mean depth of about 1.2 meters. As part of a water-quality reconnaissance, water samples were collected at about monthly and near bi-monthly intervals from March 1999 to May 2000 at four sites: three stations inside the lagoon and one station at the artificial outlet channel dredged in 1940, which connects the lagoon with the Atlantic Ocean. Physical characteristics that were determined from these water samples were pH, temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen saturation, and discharge at the outlet canal. Other water-quality constituents also were determined, including nitrogen and phosphorus species, organic carbon, chlorophyll a and b, plankton biomass, hardness, alkalinity as calcium carbonate, and major ions. Additionally, a diel study was conducted at three stations in the lagoon to obtain data on the diurnal variation of temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved oxygen saturation. The data analysis indicates the water quality of Laguna Tortuguero complies with the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board standards and regulations.

Layer-by-layer self-assembled two-dimensional MXene/layered double hydroxide composites as cathode for alkaline hybrid batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Xiaowan; Zhang, Yadi; Ding, Bing; Hao, Xiaodong; Dou, Hui; Zhang, Xiaogang

2018-06-01

Multifarious layered materials have received extensive concern in the field of energy storage due to their distinctive two-dimensional (2D) structure. However, the natural tendency to be re-superimposed and the inherent disadvantages of a single 2D material significantly limit their performance. In this work, the delaminated Ti3C2Tx (d-Ti3C2Tx)/cobalt-aluminum layered double hydroxide (Ti3C2Tx/CoAl-LDH) composites are prepared by layer-by-layer self-assembly driven by electrostatic interaction. The alternate Ti3C2Tx and CoAl-LDH layers prevent each other from restacking and the obtained Ti3C2Tx/CoAl-LDH heterostructure combine the advantages of high electron conductivity of Ti3C2Tx and high electrochemical activity of CoAl-LDH, thus effectively improving the electrochemical reactivity of electrode materials and accelerating the kinetics of Faraday reaction. As a consequence, as a cathode for alkaline hybrid battery, the Ti3C2Tx/CoAl-LDH electrode exhibits a high specific capacity of 106 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1 and excellent rate capability (78% at 10 A g-1), with an excellent cycling stability of 90% retention after 5000 cycles at 4 A g-1. This work provides an alternative route to design advanced 2D electrode materials, thus exploiting their full potentials for alkaline hybrid batteries.

Analytical results for 544 water samples collected in the Attean Quartz Monzonite in the vicinity of Jackman, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ficklin, W.H.; Nowlan, G.A.; Preston, D.J.

1983-01-01

Water samples were collected in the vicinity of Jackman, Maine as a part of the study of the relationship of dissolved constituents in water to the sediments subjacent to the water. Each sample was analyzed for specific conductance, alkalinity, acidity, pH, fluoride, chloride, sulfate, phosphate, nitrate, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and silica. Trace elements determined were copper, zinc, molybdenum, lead, iron, manganese, arsenic, cobalt, nickel, and strontium. The longitude and latitude of each sample location and a sample site map are included in the report as well as a table of the analytical results.

New test method for the evaluation of the preservation efficacy of soaps at very alkaline pH made by saponification.

PubMed

Témoin-Fardini, S; Servant, J; Sellam, S

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to develop a test method to evaluate the preservation efficacy for a specific product, a very high-alkaline liquid soap (pH around 10) made by a saponification process. Several manufacturers have experienced contamination issues with these high-pH soaps despite passing a classic preservative efficacy challenge test or even a multi-inoculation challenge test. Bacteria were isolated from contaminated soaps and were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. High-alkaline-pH unpreserved soaps were tested using the Thor Personal Care internal multichallenge test method (TM206) with classical microorganisms and then with the bacterial strains isolated from various contaminated soaps (TM768). Preservatives were added to these soaps and assessed for their efficacy using the newly developed test. Four different species of bacteria (Nesterenkonia lacusekhoensis, Dermacoccus sp., Halomonas sp. and Roseomonas sp.) were identified by sequencing among the contaminants of the various soaps tested. Among these, only one bacterial species, Nesterenkonia lacusekhoensis, appeared to be responsible for the specific contamination of these high-alkaline soaps. Thus, one specific wild-type strain of Nesterenkonia lacusekhoensis, named as strain 768, was used in a new multi-inoculation test (TM768). Unlike the single inoculation challenge test, the multi-inoculation test using the Nesterenkonia strain 768 was able to predict the sensitivity of a product towards this bacterium. Among the 27 different preservatives tested, 10 were able to protect the formula against contamination with this bacterium. This study enabled the development of a test method to evaluate the efficacy of preservation using a specific bacterium, Nesterenkonia lacusekhoensis, responsible for the contamination of very alkaline soaps made by saponification and identify an appropriate preservative system. © 2017 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Comparison of Acid Titration, Conductivity, Flame Photometry, ICP-MS, and Accelerated Lamellae Formation Techniques in Determining Glass Vial Quality.

PubMed

Fujimori, Kiyoshi; Lee, Hans; Sloey, Christopher; Ricci, Margaret S; Wen, Zai-Qing; Phillips, Joseph; Nashed-Samuel, Yasser

2016-01-01

Certain types of glass vials used as primary containers for liquid formulations of biopharmaceutical drug products have been observed with delamination that produced small glass like flakes termed lamellae under certain conditions during storage. The cause of this delamination is in part related to the glass surface defects, which renders the vials susceptible to flaking, and lamellae are formed during the high-temperature melting and annealing used for vial fabrication and shaping. The current European Pharmacopoeia method to assess glass vial quality utilizes acid titration of vial extract pools to determine hydrolytic resistance or alkalinity. Four alternative techniques with improved throughput, convenience, and/or comprehension were examined by subjecting seven lots of vials to analysis by all techniques. The first three new techniques of conductivity, flame photometry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measured the same sample pools as acid titration. All three showed good correlation with alkalinity: conductivity (R(2) = 0.9951), flame photometry sodium (R(2) = 0.9895), and several elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry [(sodium (R(2) = 0.9869), boron (R(2) = 0.9796), silicon (R(2) = 0.9426), total (R(2) = 0.9639)]. The fourth technique processed the vials under conditions that promote delamination, termed accelerated lamellae formation, and then inspected those vials visually for lamellae. The visual inspection results without the lot with different processing condition correlated well with alkalinity (R(2) = 0.9474). Due to vial processing differences affecting alkalinity measurements and delamination propensity differently, the ratio of silicon and sodium measurements from inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was the most informative technique to assess overall vial quality and vial propensity for lamellae formation. The other techniques of conductivity, flame photometry, and accelerated lamellae formation condition may still be suitable for routine screening of vial lots produced under consistent processes. Recently, delamination that produced small glass like flakes termed lamellae has been observed in glass vials that are commonly used as primary containers for pharmaceutical drug products under certain conditions during storage. The main cause of these lamellae was the quality of the glass itself related to the manufacturing process. Current European Pharmacopoeia method to assess glass vial quality utilizes acid titration of vial extract pools to determine hydrolytic resistance or alkalinity. As alternative to the European Pharmacopoeia method, four other techniques were assessed. Three new techniques of conductivity, flame photometry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measured the vial extract pool as acid titration to quantify quality, and they demonstrated good correlation with original alkalinity. The fourth technique processed the vials under conditions that promote delamination, termed accelerated lamellae formation, and the vials were then inspected visually for lamellae. The accelerated lamellae formation technique also showed good correlation with alkalinity. Of the new four techniques, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was the most informative technique to assess overall vial quality even with differences in processing between vial lots. Other three techniques were still suitable for routine screening of vial lots produced under consistent processes. © PDA, Inc. 2016.

Electricity generation from banana peels in an alkaline fuel cell with a Cu2O-Cu modified activated carbon cathode.

PubMed

Liu, Peng; Liu, Xianhua; Dong, Feng; Lin, Qingxia; Tong, Yindong; Li, Yang; Zhang, Pingping

2018-08-01

Low-cost and highly active catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction is of great importance in the design of alkaline fuel cells. In this work, Cu 2 O-Cu composite catalyst has been fabricated by a facile laser-irradiation method. The addition of Cu 2 O-Cu composite in activated carbon air-cathode greatly improves the performance of the cathode. Our results indicate the enhanced performance is likely attributed to the synergistic effect of high conductivity of Cu and the catalytic activity of Cu 2 O towards the oxygen reduction reaction. Furthermore, an alkaline fuel cell equipped with the composite air-cathode has been built to turn banana peels into electricity. Peak power density of 16.12Wm -2 is obtained under the condition of 3M KOH and 22.04gL -1 reducing sugar, which is higher than other reported low-temperature direct biomass alkaline fuel cells. HPLC results indicate the main oxidation products in the alkaline fuel cell were small organic acids. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The β subunit of yeast AMP-activated protein kinase directs substrate specificity in response to alkaline stress.

PubMed

Chandrashekarappa, Dakshayini G; McCartney, Rhonda R; O'Donnell, Allyson F; Schmidt, Martin C

2016-12-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae express three isoforms of Snf1 kinase that differ by which β subunit is present, Gal83, Sip1 or Sip2. Here we investigate the abundance, activation, localization and signaling specificity of the three Snf1 isoforms. The relative abundance of these isoforms was assessed by quantitative immunoblotting using two different protein extraction methods and by fluorescence microscopy. The Gal83 containing isoform is the most abundant in all assays while the abundance of the Sip1 and Sip2 isoforms is typically underestimated especially in glass-bead extractions. Earlier studies to assess Snf1 isoform function utilized gene deletions as a means to inactivate specific isoforms. Here we use point mutations in Gal83 and Sip2 and a 17 amino acid C-terminal truncation of Sip1 to inactivate specific isoforms without affecting their abundance or association with the other subunits. The effect of low glucose and alkaline stresses was examined for two Snf1 phosphorylation substrates, the Mig1 and Mig2 proteins. Any of the three isoforms was capable of phosphorylating Mig1 in response to glucose stress. In contrast, the Gal83 isoform of Snf1 was both necessary and sufficient for the phosphorylation of the Mig2 protein in response to alkaline stress. Alkaline stress led to the activation of all three isoforms yet only the Gal83 isoform translocates to the nucleus and phosphorylates Mig2. Deletion of the SAK1 gene blocked nuclear translocation of Gal83 and signaling to Mig2. These data strongly support the idea that Snf1 signaling specificity is mediated by localization of the different Snf1 isoforms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The β subunit of yeast AMP-activated protein kinase directs substrate specificity in response to alkaline stress

PubMed Central

Chandrashekarappa, Dakshayini G.; McCartney, Rhonda R.; O’Donnell, Allyson F.; Schmidt, Martin C.

2016-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae express three isoforms of Snf1 kinase that differ by which β subunit is present, Gal83, Sip1 or Sip2. Here we investigate the abundance, activation, localization and signaling specificity of the three Snf1 isoforms. The relative abundance of these isoforms was assessed by quantitative immunoblotting using two different protein extraction methods and by fluorescence microscopy. The Gal83 containing isoform is the most abundant in all assays while the abundance of the Sip1 and Sip2 isoforms is typically underestimated especially in glass-bead extractions. Earlier studies to assess Snf1 isoform function utilized gene deletions as a means to inactivate specific isoforms. Here we use point mutations in Gal83 and Sip2 and a 17 amino acid C-terminal truncation of Sip1 to inactivate specific isoforms without affecting their abundance or association with the other subunits. The effect of low glucose and alkaline stresses was examined for two Snf1 phosphorylation substrates, the Mig1 and Mig2 proteins. Any of the three isoforms was capable of phosphorylating Mig1 in response to glucose stress. In contrast, the Gal83 isoform of Snf 1 was both necessary and sufficient for the phosphorylation of the Mig2 protein in response to alkaline stress. Alkaline stress led to the activation of all three isoforms yet only the Gal83 isoform translocates to the nucleus and phosphorylates Mig2. Deletion of the SAK1 gene blocked nuclear translocation of Gal83 and signaling to Mig2. These data strongly support the idea that Snf1 signaling specificity is mediated by localization of the different Snf1 isoforms. PMID:27592031

3D Graphene Functionalized by Covalent Organic Framework Thin Film as Capacitive Electrode in Alkaline Media.

PubMed

Zha, Zeqi; Xu, Lirong; Wang, Zhikui; Li, Xiaoguang; Pan, Qinmin; Hu, Pingan; Lei, Shengbin

2015-08-19

To harness the electroactivity of anthraquinone as an electrode material, a great recent effort have been invested to composite anthraquinone with carbon materials to improve the conductivity. Here we report on a noncovalent way to modify three-dimensional graphene with anthraquinone moieties through on-surface synthesis of two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks. We incorporate 2,6-diamino-anthraquinone moieties into COF through Schiff-base reaction with benzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde. The synthesized COF -graphene composite exhibits large specific capacitance of 31.7 mF/cm(2). Long-term galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling experiments revealed a decrease of capacitance, which was attributed to the loss of COF materials and electrostatic repulsion accumulated during charge-discharge circles which result in the poor electrical conductivity between 2D COF layers.

Corrosion of radioactive waste tanks containing washed sludge and precipitates

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

Bickford, D.F.; Congdon, J.W.; Oblath, S.B.

1988-05-01

At the US Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Plant, the corrosion of carbon steel storage tanks containing alkaline, high-level radioactive waste is controlled by specification of limits on waste composition and temperature. Laboratory tests, conducted to determine minimum corrosion inhibitor levels, indicated pitting of carbon steel near the waterline for proposed storage conditions. In situ electrochemical measurements of full-scale radioactive process demonstrations were conducted to assess the validity of laboratory tests. The in situ results are compared to those of laboratory tests, with particular regard given to simulated solution composition. Transition metal hydroxide sludge contains strong passivating species formore » carbon steel. Washed precipitate contains organic species that lower solution pH and tend to reduce passivating films, requiring higher inhibitor concentrations than the 0.01 M nitrite required for reactor fuel reprocessing wastes.« less

Stability indicating methods for the analysis of cefprozil in the presence of its alkaline induced degradation product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attia, Khalid A. M.; Nassar, Mohammed W. I.; El-Zeiny, Mohamed B.; Serag, Ahmed

2016-04-01

Three simple, specific, accurate and precise spectrophotometric methods were developed for the determination of cefprozil (CZ) in the presence of its alkaline induced degradation product (DCZ). The first method was the bivariate method, while the two other multivariate methods were partial least squares (PLS) and spectral residual augmented classical least squares (SRACLS). The multivariate methods were applied with and without variable selection procedure (genetic algorithm GA). These methods were tested by analyzing laboratory prepared mixtures of the above drug with its alkaline induced degradation product and they were applied to its commercial pharmaceutical products.

Alkaline Phosphatase, Soluble Extracellular Adenine Nucleotides, and Adenosine Production after Infant Cardiopulmonary Bypass

PubMed Central

Davidson, Jesse A.; Urban, Tracy; Tong, Suhong; Twite, Mark; Woodruff, Alan

2016-01-01

Rationale Decreased alkaline phosphatase activity after infant cardiac surgery is associated with increased post-operative cardiovascular support requirements. In adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, alkaline phosphatase infusion may reduce inflammation. Mechanisms underlying these effects have not been explored but may include decreased conversion of extracellular adenine nucleotides to adenosine. Objectives 1) Evaluate the association between alkaline phosphatase activity and serum conversion of adenosine monophosphate to adenosine after infant cardiac surgery; 2) assess if inhibition/supplementation of serum alkaline phosphatase modulates this conversion. Methods and Research Pre/post-bypass serum samples were obtained from 75 infants <4 months of age. Serum conversion of 13C5-adenosine monophosphate to 13C5-adenosine was assessed with/without selective inhibition of alkaline phosphatase and CD73. Low and high concentration 13C5-adenosine monophosphate (simulating normal/stress concentrations) were used. Effects of alkaline phosphatase supplementation on adenosine monophosphate clearance were also assessed. Changes in serum alkaline phosphatase activity were strongly correlated with changes in 13C5-adenosine production with or without CD73 inhibition (r = 0.83; p<0.0001). Serum with low alkaline phosphatase activity (≤80 U/L) generated significantly less 13C5-adenosine, particularly in the presence of high concentration 13C5-adenosine monophosphate (10.4μmol/L vs 12.9μmol/L; p = 0.0004). Inhibition of alkaline phosphatase led to a marked decrease in 13C5-adenosine production (11.9μmol/L vs 2.7μmol/L; p<0.0001). Supplementation with physiologic dose human tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase or high dose bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase doubled 13C5-adenosine monophosphate conversion to 13C5-adenosine (p<0.0001). Conclusions Alkaline phosphatase represents the primary serum ectonucleotidase after infant cardiac surgery and low post-operative alkaline phosphatase activity leads to impaired capacity to clear adenosine monophosphate. AP supplementation improves serum clearance of adenosine monophosphate to adenosine. These findings represent a potential therapeutic mechanism for alkaline phosphatase infusion during cardiac surgery. New and Noteworthy We identify alkaline phosphatase (AP) as the primary soluble ectonucleotidase in infants undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass and show decreased capacity to clear AMP when AP activity decreases post-bypass. Supplementation of AP ex vivo improves this capacity and may represent the beneficial therapeutic mechanism of AP infusion seen in phase 2 studies. PMID:27384524

Alkaline Phosphatase, Soluble Extracellular Adenine Nucleotides, and Adenosine Production after Infant Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

PubMed

Davidson, Jesse A; Urban, Tracy; Tong, Suhong; Twite, Mark; Woodruff, Alan; Wischmeyer, Paul E; Klawitter, Jelena

2016-01-01

Decreased alkaline phosphatase activity after infant cardiac surgery is associated with increased post-operative cardiovascular support requirements. In adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, alkaline phosphatase infusion may reduce inflammation. Mechanisms underlying these effects have not been explored but may include decreased conversion of extracellular adenine nucleotides to adenosine. 1) Evaluate the association between alkaline phosphatase activity and serum conversion of adenosine monophosphate to adenosine after infant cardiac surgery; 2) assess if inhibition/supplementation of serum alkaline phosphatase modulates this conversion. Pre/post-bypass serum samples were obtained from 75 infants <4 months of age. Serum conversion of 13C5-adenosine monophosphate to 13C5-adenosine was assessed with/without selective inhibition of alkaline phosphatase and CD73. Low and high concentration 13C5-adenosine monophosphate (simulating normal/stress concentrations) were used. Effects of alkaline phosphatase supplementation on adenosine monophosphate clearance were also assessed. Changes in serum alkaline phosphatase activity were strongly correlated with changes in 13C5-adenosine production with or without CD73 inhibition (r = 0.83; p<0.0001). Serum with low alkaline phosphatase activity (≤80 U/L) generated significantly less 13C5-adenosine, particularly in the presence of high concentration 13C5-adenosine monophosphate (10.4μmol/L vs 12.9μmol/L; p = 0.0004). Inhibition of alkaline phosphatase led to a marked decrease in 13C5-adenosine production (11.9μmol/L vs 2.7μmol/L; p<0.0001). Supplementation with physiologic dose human tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase or high dose bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase doubled 13C5-adenosine monophosphate conversion to 13C5-adenosine (p<0.0001). Alkaline phosphatase represents the primary serum ectonucleotidase after infant cardiac surgery and low post-operative alkaline phosphatase activity leads to impaired capacity to clear adenosine monophosphate. AP supplementation improves serum clearance of adenosine monophosphate to adenosine. These findings represent a potential therapeutic mechanism for alkaline phosphatase infusion during cardiac surgery. We identify alkaline phosphatase (AP) as the primary soluble ectonucleotidase in infants undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass and show decreased capacity to clear AMP when AP activity decreases post-bypass. Supplementation of AP ex vivo improves this capacity and may represent the beneficial therapeutic mechanism of AP infusion seen in phase 2 studies.

The Effect of Alkaline Activator Ratio on the Compressive Strength of Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Paste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lăzărescu, A. V.; Szilagyi, H.; Baeră, C.; Ioani, A.

2017-06-01

Alkaline activation of fly ash is a particular procedure in which ash resulting from a power plant combined with a specific alkaline activator creates a solid material when dried at a certain temperature. In order to obtain desirable compressive strengths, the mix design of fly ash based geopolymer pastes should be explored comprehensively. To determine the preliminary compressive strength for fly ash based geopolymer paste using Romanian material source, various ratios of Na2SiO3 solution/ NaOH solution were produced, keeping the fly ash/alkaline activator ratio constant. All the mixes were then cured at 70 °C for 24 hours and tested at 2 and 7 days, respectively. The aim of this paper is to present the preliminary compressive strength results for producing fly ash based geopolymer paste using Romanian material sources, the effect of alkaline activators ratio on the compressive strength and studying the directions for future research.

Calixarene crown ether solvent composition and use thereof for extraction of cesium from alkaline waste solutions

DOEpatents

Moyer, Bruce A.; Sachleben, Richard A.; Bonnesen, Peter V.; Presley, Derek J.

2001-01-01

A solvent composition and corresponding method for extracting cesium (Cs) from aqueous neutral and alkaline solutions containing Cs and perhaps other competing metal ions is described. The method entails contacting an aqueous Cs-containing solution with a solvent consisting of a specific class of lipophilic calix[4]arene-crown ether extractants dissolved in a hydrocarbon-based diluent containing a specific class of alkyl-aromatic ether alcohols as modifiers. The cesium values are subsequently recovered from the extractant, and the solvent subsequently recycled, by contacting the Cs-containing organic solution with an aqueous stripping solution. This combined extraction and stripping method is especially useful as a process for removal of the radionuclide cesium-137 from highly alkaline waste solutions which are also very concentrated in sodium and potassium. No pre-treatment of the waste solution is necessary, and the cesium can be recovered using a safe and inexpensive stripping process using water, dilute (millimolar) acid solutions, or dilute (millimolar) salt solutions. An important application for this invention would be treatment of alkaline nuclear tank wastes. Alternatively, the invention could be applied to decontamination of acidic reprocessing wastes containing cesium-137.

Water-quality conditions during low flow in the lower Youghiogheny River basin, Pennsylvania, October 5-7, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sams, James I.; Schroeder, Karl T.; Ackman, Terry E.; Crawford, J.K.; Otto, Kim L.

2001-01-01

In October 1998, a chemical synoptic survey was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, in the Lower Youghiogheny River Basin in Pennsylvania to give a snapshot of present (1998) water quality during low-flow conditions. Water samples from 38 sites—12 mainstem sites, 22 tributaries, and 4 mine discharges that discharge directly to the Youghiogheny River—were used to identify sources of contaminants from mining operations. Specific conductance, water temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured in the field at each site and concentrations of major ions and trace elements were measured in the laboratory.zUnaccounted for gains and losses in streamflow were measured during the study. Unaccounted for losses in streamflow might be attributed to water loss through streambed fractures. Extensive mine tunnels are present in the basin and loss of water to these tunnels seems likely. Unaccounted for gains in streamflow may be from unmeasured tributaries or surface seeps, but most of the gains are suspected to come from artesian flow through fractures in the streambed from underground mine pools. Influent flows of rust-colored water were noted in some river sections.The pH values for all the samples collected during this survey were above 5.8, and most (33 of 38 samples) were above 7.0. Samples from the four mine-discharge sites also had pH values between 6.3 and 6.7. The lowest pH (5.8) was in a tributary, Galley Run. All 38 sampling sites had net alkalinity.The alkalinity load in the Youghiogheny River increased between Connellsville and McKeesport from 35 to 79 tons per day. Above Smithton, the measured alkalinity load in the Lower Youghiogheny River agreed well with the estimated alkalinity load. Below Smithton, measured alkalinity loads in the Lower Youghiogheny River are greater than calculated loads, resulting in unaccounted for gains in alkalinity. These gains are believed to be from seeps in the streambed. Approximately one-third of the load of total alkalinity in the Youghiogheny River at McKeesport is attributed to Sewickley Creek, which contributes 14 tons per day.Sulfate concentrations in the Youghiogheny River steadily increase from 33 milligrams per liter at Connellsville to 77 milligrams per liter near McKeesport. The measured concentrations of sulfate exceeded Pennsylvania water-quality standards at four tributary sites (Galley Run, Hickman Run, Sewickley Creek, and Gillespie Run) and all four mine-discharge sites but not at any main-stem sites. A large increase in sulfate load between West Newton and Sutersville can be attributed almost entirely to the contribution from Sewickley Creek (49 tons per day). Approximately 25 percent of the load measured between Connellsville and McKeesport is unaccounted for. These gains are believed to be from seeps in the streambed from underground mine pools.Similar patterns also were observed for loads of sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Unmeasured inputs from mine drainage are believed to be the source of these loads. Elevated concentrations (above background levels) of chemicals associated with drainage from coal-mining operations were measured in samples from tributaries, especially from Galley Run, Gillespie Run, and Sewickley Creek, and from the mine-discharge sites. The synoptic survey conducted for this study was successful in identifying generalized reaches of the Youghiogheny River where unaccounted for loads of constituents associated with mining activities are entering the river. However, the survey was not able to pinpoint the location of these loads. Remote-sensing techniques, such as thermal infrared imaging by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, could be useful for determining the precise locations of these inputs.

Specific Immunoassays for Placental Alkaline Phosphatase As a Tumor Marker

PubMed Central

Stinghen, Sérvio T.; Moura, Juliana F.; Zancanella, Patrícia; Rodrigues, Giovanna A.; Pianovski, Mara A.; Lalli, Enzo; Arnold, Dodie L.; Minozzo, João C.; Callefe, Luis G.; Ribeiro, Raul C.; Figueiredo, Bonald C.

2006-01-01

Human placental (hPLAP) and germ cell (PLAP-like) alkaline phosphatases are polymorphic and heat-stable enzymes. This study was designed to develop specific immunoassays for quantifying hPLAP and PLAP-like enzyme activity (EA) in sera of cancer patients, pregnant women, or smokers. Polyclonal sheep anti-hPLAP antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography with whole hPLAP protein (ICA-PLAP assay) or a synthetic peptide (aa 57–71) of hPLAP (ICA-PEP assay); the working range was 0.1–11 U/L and cutoff value was 0.2 U/L EA for nonsmokers. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 3.7%–6.5% (ICA-PLAP assay) and 9.0%–9.9% (ICA-PEP assay). An insignificant cross-reactivity was noted for high levels of unheated intestinal alkaline phosphatase in ICA-PEP assay. A positive correlation between the regression of tumor size and EA was noted in a child with embryonal carcinoma. It can be concluded that ICA-PEP assay is more specific than ICA-PLAP, which is still useful to detect other PLAP/PLAP-like phenotypes. PMID:17489017

Wild soybean roots depend on specific transcription factors and oxidation reduction related genesin response to alkaline stress.

PubMed

DuanMu, Huizi; Wang, Yang; Bai, Xi; Cheng, Shufei; Deyholos, Michael K; Wong, Gane Ka-Shu; Li, Dan; Zhu, Dan; Li, Ran; Yu, Yang; Cao, Lei; Chen, Chao; Zhu, Yanming

2015-11-01

Soil alkalinity is an important environmental problem limiting agricultural productivity. Wild soybean (Glycine soja) shows strong alkaline stress tolerance, so it is an ideal plant candidate for studying the molecular mechanisms of alkaline tolerance and identifying alkaline stress-responsive genes. However, limited information is available about G. soja responses to alkaline stress on a genomic scale. Therefore, in the present study, we used RNA sequencing to compare transcript profiles of G. soja root responses to sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) at six time points, and a total of 68,138,478 pairs of clean reads were obtained using the Illumina GAIIX. Expression patterns of 46,404 G. soja genes were profiled in all six samples based on RNA-seq data using Cufflinks software. Then, t12 transcription factors from MYB, WRKY, NAC, bZIP, C2H2, HB, and TIFY families and 12 oxidation reduction related genes were chosen and verified to be induced in response to alkaline stress by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The GO functional annotation analysis showed that besides "transcriptional regulation" and "oxidation reduction," these genes were involved in a variety of processes, such as "binding" and "response to stress." This is the first comprehensive transcriptome profiling analysis of wild soybean root under alkaline stress by RNA sequencing. Our results highlight changes in the gene expression patterns and identify a set of genes induced by NaHCO3 stress. These findings provide a base for the global analyses of G. soja alkaline stress tolerance mechanisms.

Genetic evaluations of Chinese patients with odontohypophosphatasia resulting from heterozygosity for mutations in the tissue-non-specific alkaline phosphatase gene.

PubMed

Wan, Jia; Zhang, Li; Liu, Tang; Wang, Yewei

2017-08-01

Hypophosphatasia is a rare heritable metabolic disorder characterized by defective bone and tooth mineralization accompanied by a deficiency of tissue-non-specific (liver/bone/kidney) isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase activity, caused by a number of loss-of-function mutations in the alkaline phosphatase liver type gene. We seek to explore the clinical manifestations and identify the mutations associated with the disease in a Chinese odonto- hypophosphatasia family. The proband and his younger brother affected with premature loss of primary teeth at their 2-year-old. They have mild abnormal serum alkaline phosphatase and 25-hydroxy vitamin D values, but the serum alkaline phosphatase activity of their father, mother and grandmother, who showed no clinical symptoms of hypophosphatasia, was exhibited significant decreased. In addition to premature loss of primary teeth, the proband and his younger brother showed low bone mineral density, X-rays showed that they had slight metaphyseal osteoporosis changes, but no additional skeletal abnormalities. Deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing and analysis revealed a single nucleotide polymorphism c.787T>C (p.Y263H) in exon 7 and/or a novel mutation c.-92C>T located at 5'UTR were found in the affected individuals. We examined all individuals of an odonto- hypophosphatasia family by clinical and radiographic examinations as well as laboratory assays. Furthermore, all 12 exons and the exon-intron boundaries of the alkaline phosphatase liver type gene were amplified and directly sequenced for further analysis and screened for mutations. Our present findings suggest the single nucleotide polymorphism c.787T>C and c.-92C>T should be responsible for the odonto- hypophosphatasia disorders in this family.

Gymnocypris przewalskii decreases cytosolic carbonic anhydrase expression to compensate for respiratory alkalosis and osmoregulation in the saline-alkaline lake Qinghai.

PubMed

Yao, Zongli; Guo, Wenfei; Lai, Qifang; Shi, Jianquan; Zhou, Kai; Qi, Hongfang; Lin, Tingting; Li, Ziniu; Wang, Hui

2016-01-01

Naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii), endemic to the saline-alkaline Lake Qinghai, have the capacity to tolerate combined high salinity and alkalinity, but migrate to spawn in freshwater rivers each year. In this study, the full-length cDNA of the cytosolic carbonic anhydrase c isoform of G. przewalskii (GpCAc) was amplified and sequenced; mRNA levels and enzyme activity of GpCAc and blood chemistry were evaluated to understand the compensatory responses as the naked carp returned to the saline-alkaline lake after spawning. We found that GpCAc had a total length of 1400 bp and encodes a peptide of 260 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences and phylogenetic analysis showed that GpCAc was a member of the cytosolic carbonic anhydrase II-like c family. Cytosolic-carbonic-anhydrase-c-specific primers were used to analyze the tissue distribution of GpCAc mRNA expression. Expression of GpCAc mRNA was found in brain, gill, liver, kidney, gut, and muscle tissues, but primarily in the gill and posterior kidney; however, none was evident in red blood cells. Transferring fish from river water to lake water resulted in a respiratory alkalosis, osmolality, and ion rise in the blood, as well as significant decreases in the expression and enzyme activity of GpCAc in both the gill and kidney within 96 h. These results indicate that GpCAc may play an important role in the acclimation to both high salinity and carbonate alkalinity. Specifically, G. przewalskii decreases cytosolic carbonic anhydrase c expression to compensate for a respiratory alkalosis and to aid in osmoregulation during the transition from river to saline-alkaline lake.

Block copolymers for alkaline fuel cell membrane materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yifan

Alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) using anion exchange membranes (AEMs) as electrolyte have recently received considerable attention. AFCs offer some advantages over proton exchange membrane fuel cells, including the potential of non-noble metal (e.g. nickel, silver) catalyst on the cathode, which can dramatically lower the fuel cell cost. The main drawback of traditional AFCs is the use of liquid electrolyte (e.g. aqueous potassium hydroxide), which can result in the formation of carbonate precipitates by reaction with carbon dioxide. AEMs with tethered cations can overcome the precipitates formed in traditional AFCs. Our current research focuses on developing different polymer systems (blend, block, grafted, and crosslinked polymers) in order to understand alkaline fuel cell membrane in many aspects and design optimized anion exchange membranes with better alkaline stability, mechanical integrity and ionic conductivity. A number of distinct materials have been produced and characterized. A polymer blend system comprised of poly(vinylbenzyl chloride)-b-polystyrene (PVBC-b-PS) diblock copolymer, prepared by nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP), with poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) or brominated PPO was studied for conversion into a blend membrane for AEM. The formation of a miscible blend matrix improved mechanical properties while maintaining high ionic conductivity through formation of phase separated ionic domains. Using anionic polymerization, a polyethylene based block copolymer was designed where the polyethylene-based block copolymer formed bicontinuous morphological structures to enhance the hydroxide conductivity (up to 94 mS/cm at 80 °C) while excellent mechanical properties (strain up to 205%) of the polyethylene block copolymer membrane was observed. A polymer system was designed and characterized with monomethoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) as a hydrophilic polymer grafted through substitution of pendent benzyl chloride groups of a PVBC-b-PS. The incorporation of the hydrophilic polymer allows for an investigation of the effect of hydration on ionic conductivity, resulting in the increase in membrane water affinity, enhancement of conductivity and reduced dependence of conductivity on relative humidity. A study of crosslinking of block copolymers was done wherein the crosslinking occurs in the non-matrix phase in order to maintain mechanical properties. The formation of a cationic crosslinked structure improves the mechanical integrity of the membrane in water while showing little deleterious effect on ionic conductivity and mechanical properties.

Synthesis and Structure-Conductivity Relationship of Polystyrene-block-Poly(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium) for Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells ( PEMFCs ), which convert chemical energy to electrical energy through redox reactions, have been developed as...platinum)-based electrocata- lysts, the commercialization of PEMFCs is still limited. Addi- tionally, oxygen reduction and fuel (hydrogen or alcohol) oxi...These are serious obstacles to the extensive adoption of PEMFCs as energy devices.4 An alkaline fuel cell (AFC) uses potassium hydroxide as a liq- uid

Production of Alkaline Cellulase by Fungi Isolated from an Undisturbed Rain Forest of Peru

PubMed Central

Vega, Karin; Villena, Gretty K.; Sarmiento, Victor H.; Ludeña, Yvette; Vera, Nadia; Gutiérrez-Correa, Marcel

2012-01-01

Alkaline cellulase producing fungi were isolated from soils of an undisturbed rain forest of Peru. The soil dilution plate method was used for the enumeration and isolation of fast growing cellulolytic fungi on an enriched selective medium. Eleven out of 50 different morphological colonies were finally selected by using the plate clearing assay with CMC as substrate at different pH values. All 11 strains produced cellulases in liquid culture with activities at alkaline pH values without an apparent decrease of them indicating that they are true alkaline cellulase producers. Aspergillus sp. LM-HP32, Penicillium sp. LM-HP33, and Penicillium sp. LM-HP37 were the best producers of FP cellulase (>3 U mL−1) with higher specific productivities (>30 U g−1 h−1). Three strains have been found suitable for developing processes for alkaline cellulase production. Soils from Amazonian rain forests are good sources of industrial fungi with particular characteristics. The results of the present study are of commercial and biological interest. Alkaline cellulases may be used in the polishing and washing of denim processing of the textile industry. PMID:23213539

Immunoelectron microscopic double labeling of alkaline phosphatase and penicillinase with colloidal gold in frozen thin sections of Bacillus licheniformis 749/C.

PubMed Central

Guan, T; Ghosh, A; Ghosh, B K

1985-01-01

The subcellular distribution of alkaline phosphatase and penicillinase was determined by double labeling frozen thin sections of Bacillus licheniformis 749/C with colloidal gold-immunoglobulin G (IgG). Antipenicillinase and anti-alkaline phosphatase antibodies were used to prepare complexes with 5- and 15-nm colloidal gold particles, respectively. The character of the labeling of membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase and penicillinase was different: the immunolabels for alkaline phosphatase (15-nm particles) were bound to a few sites at the inner surface of the plasma membrane, and the gold particles formed clusters of various sizes at the binding sites; the immunolabels for penicillinase (5-nm particles), on the other hand, were bound to the plasma membrane in a dispersed and random fashion. In the cytoplasm, immunolabels for both proteins were distributed randomly, and the character of their binding was similar. The labeling was specific: pretreating the frozen thin sections with different concentrations of anti-alkaline phosphatase or penicillinase blocked the binding of the immunolabel prepared with the same antibody. Binding could be fully blocked by pretreatment with 800 micrograms of either antibody per ml. Images PMID:3876329

Environmental geochemical study of Red Mountain--an undisturbed volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit in the Bonnifield District, Alaska range, east-central Alaska: Chapter I in Recent U.S. Geological Survey studies in the Tintina Gold Province, Alaska, United States, and Yukon, Canada--results of a 5-year project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eppinger, Robert G.; Briggs, Paul H.; Dusel-Bacon, Cynthia; Giles, Stuart A.; Gough, Larry P.; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Hubbard, Bernard E.

2007-01-01

Water samples with the lowest pH values, highest specific conductances, and highest major- and trace-element concentrations are from springs and streams within the quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration zone. Aluminum, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Y, and particularly Zn and the REEs are all found in high concentrations, ranging across four orders of magnitude. Waters collected upstream from the alteration zone have near-neutral pH values, lower specific conductances, lower metal concentrations, and measurable alkalinities. Water samples collected downstream of the alteration zone have pH values and metal concentrations intermediate between these two extremes. Stream sediments are anomalous in Zn, Pb, S, Fe, Cu, As, Co, Sb, and Cd relative to local and regional background abundances. Red Mountain Creek and its tributaries do not support, and probably never have supported, significant megascopic faunal aquatic life.

Production optimization of a heat-tolerant alkaline pectinase from Bacillus subtilis ZGL14 and its purification and characterization.

PubMed

Yu, Ping; Zhang, Yishu; Gu, Donglu

2017-09-03

Alkaline pectinase has important applications in the pretreatment of waste water from food processing and in both the fabric and paper industries. In this study, a 2-level factorial design was used to screen significant factors that affect the activity of alkaline pectinase, and the response surface methodology (RSM) with a Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to optimize their concentrations. Starch, peptone, KH 2 PO 4 and K 2 HPO 4 ·3H 2 O were found to significantly affect the activity of alkaline pectinase. Their optimal concentrations were as follows: 4.68% starch, 1.6% peptone, 0.26% KH 2 PO 4 and 0.68% K 2 HPO 4 ·3H 2 O. Under the above conditions, the activity of alkaline pectinase was significantly improved to 734.11 U/mL. Alkaline pectinase was purified to homogeneity with a recovery rate of 9.6% and a specific activity of 52372.52 U/mg. Its optimal temperature and pH were 50°C and 8.6, respectively. The purified enzyme showed strong thermo-stability and good alkali resistance. In addition, the activity of alkaline pectinase was improved in the presence of Mg 2+ . Cu 2+ , Mn 2+ , and Co 2+ significantly inhibited its activity. This study provides an important basis for the future development and use of a heat-tolerant alkaline pectinase from B. subtilis ZGL14.

Production optimization of a heat-tolerant alkaline pectinase from Bacillus subtilis ZGL14 and its purification and characterization

PubMed Central

Yu, Ping; Zhang, Yishu; Gu, Donglu

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Alkaline pectinase has important applications in the pretreatment of waste water from food processing and in both the fabric and paper industries. In this study, a 2-level factorial design was used to screen significant factors that affect the activity of alkaline pectinase, and the response surface methodology (RSM) with a Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to optimize their concentrations. Starch, peptone, KH2PO4 and K2HPO4·3H2O were found to significantly affect the activity of alkaline pectinase. Their optimal concentrations were as follows: 4.68% starch, 1.6% peptone, 0.26% KH2PO4 and 0.68% K2HPO4·3H2O. Under the above conditions, the activity of alkaline pectinase was significantly improved to 734.11 U/mL. Alkaline pectinase was purified to homogeneity with a recovery rate of 9.6% and a specific activity of 52372.52 U/mg. Its optimal temperature and pH were 50°C and 8.6, respectively. The purified enzyme showed strong thermo-stability and good alkali resistance. In addition, the activity of alkaline pectinase was improved in the presence of Mg2+. Cu2+, Mn2+, and Co2+ significantly inhibited its activity. This study provides an important basis for the future development and use of a heat-tolerant alkaline pectinase from B. subtilis ZGL14. PMID:28282260

Proteomic analysis of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in neutral and alkaline conditions.

PubMed

Gonzales-Siles, Lucia; Karlsson, Roger; Kenny, Diarmuid; Karlsson, Anders; Sjöling, Åsa

2017-01-07

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of diarrhea in children and travelers to endemic areas. Secretion of the heat labile AB 5 toxin (LT) is induced by alkaline conditions. In this study, we determined the surface proteome of ETEC exposed to alkaline conditions (pH 9) as compared to neutral conditions (pH 7) using a LPI Hexalane FlowCell combined with quantitative proteomics. Relative quantitation with isobaric labeling (TMT) was used to compare peptide abundance and their corresponding proteins in multiple samples at MS/MS level. For protein identification and quantification samples were analyzed using either a 1D-LCMS or a 2D-LCMS approach. Strong up-regulation of the ATP synthase operon encoding F1Fo ATP synthase and down-regulation of proton pumping proteins NuoF, NuoG, Ndh and WrbA were detected among proteins involved in regulating the proton and electron transport under alkaline conditions. Reduced expression of proteins involved in osmotic stress was found at alkaline conditions while the Sec-dependent transport over the inner membrane and outer membrane protein proteins such as OmpA and the β-Barrel Assembly Machinery (BAM) complex were up-regulated. ETEC exposed to alkaline environments express a specific proteome profile characterized by up-regulation of membrane proteins and secretion of LT toxin. Alkaline microenvironments have been reported close to the intestinal epithelium and the alkaline proteome may hence represent a better view of ETEC during infection.

Novel inorganic materials for polymer electrolyte and alkaline fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadanaga, Kiyoharu

2012-06-01

Inorganic materials with high ionic conductivity must have big advantages for the thermal and long term stability when the materials are used as the electrolyte of fuel cells. In the present paper, novel ionic conductive inorganic materials for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and all solid state alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) that have been developed by our group have been reviewed. PEFCs which can operate in temperature range from 100 to 200 °C are intensively studied because of some advantages such as reduction of CO poisoning of Pt catalyst and acceleration of electrode reactions. We showed that the fuel cells using the composite membranes prepared from phosphosilicate gel powder and polyimide precursor can operate in the temperature range from 30 to 180 °C. We also found that the inorganic-organic hybrid membranes with acid-base pairs from 3-aminopropyl triethoxy silane and H2SO4 or H3PO4 show high proton conductivity under dry atmosphere, and the membranes are thermally stable at intermediate temperatures. On the other hand, because the use of noble platinum is the serious problem for the commercialization of PEFCs and because oxidation reactions are usually faster than those of acid-type fuel cells, alkaline type fuel cells, in which a nonplatinum catalyst can be used, are attractive. Recently, we have proposed an alkaline-type direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) using a natural clay electrolyte with non-platinum catalysts. So-called hydrotalcite clay, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with CO32- (Mg-Al CO32- LDH), has been proved to be a hydroxide ion conductor. An alkalinetype DEFC using Mg-Al CO32- LDH as the electrolyte and aqueous solution of ethanol and potassium hydroxide as a source of fuel exhibited excellent electrochemical performance.

Electrochemical Behavior of Sulfur in Aqueous Alkaline Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamyrbekova, Aigul; Mamitova, A. D.; Mamyrbekova, Aizhan

2018-03-01

The kinetics and mechanism of the electrode oxidation-reduction of sulfur on an electrically conductive sulfur-graphite electrode in an alkaline solution was studied by the potentiodynamic method. To examine the mechanism of electrode processes occurring during AC polarization on a sulfur-graphite electrode, the cyclic polarization in both directions and anodic polarization curves were recorded. The kinetic parameters: charge transfer coefficients (α), diffusion coefficients ( D), heterogeneous rate constants of electrode process ( k s), and effective activation energies of the process ( E a) were calculated from the results of polarization measurements. An analysis of the results and calculated kinetic parameters of electrode processes showed that discharge ionization of sulfur in alkaline solutions occurs as a sequence of two stages and is a quasireversible process.

Significantly enhancing recombinant alkaline amylase production in Bacillus subtilis by integration of a novel mutagenesis-screening strategy with systems-level fermentation optimization.

PubMed

Ma, Yingfang; Shen, Wei; Chen, Xianzhong; Liu, Long; Zhou, Zhemin; Xu, Fei; Yang, Haiquan

2016-01-01

Alkaline amylase has significant potential for applications in the textile, paper and detergent industries, however, low yield of which cannot meet the requirement of industrial application. In this work, a novel ARTP mutagenesis-screening method and fermentation optimization strategies were used to significantly improve the expression level of recombinant alkaline amylase in B. subtilis 168. The activity of alkaline amylase in mutant B. subtilis 168 mut-16# strain was 1.34-fold greater than that in the wild-type, and the highest specific production rate was improved from 1.31 U/(mg·h) in the wild-type strain to 1.57 U/(mg·h) in the mutant strain. Meanwhile, the growth of B. subtilis was significantly enhanced by ARTP mutagenesis. When the agitation speed was 550 rpm, the highest activity of recombinant alkaline amylase was 1.16- and 1.25-fold of the activities at 450 and 650 rpm, respectively. When the concentration of soluble starch and soy peptone in the initial fermentation medium was doubled, alkaline amylase activity was increased 1.29-fold. Feeding hydrolyzed starch and soy peptone mixture or glucose significantly improved cell growth, but inhibited the alkaline amylase production in B. subtilis 168 mut-16#. The highest alkaline amylase activity by feeding hydrolyzed starch reached 591.4 U/mL, which was 1.51-fold the activity by feeding hydrolyzed starch and soy peptone mixture. Single pulse feeding-based batch feeding at 10 h favored the production of alkaline amylase in B. subtilis 168 mut-16#. The results indicated that this novel ARTP mutagenesis-screening method could significantly improve the yield of recombinant proteins in B. subtilis . Meanwhile, fermentation optimization strategies efficiently promoted expression of recombinant alkaline amylase in B. subtilis 168 mut-16#. These findings have great potential for facilitating the industrial-scale production of alkaline amylase and other enzymes, using B. subtilis cultures as microbial cell factories.

Specifics of geological composition, geochemistry and geochronology of rocks from the Kresty alkaline-ultrabasic massif (Maimecha-Kotui province, Polar Siberia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sazonov, A. M.; Zvyagina, E. A.; Gertner, I. F.; Krasnova, T. S.; Lipenkov, G. P.

2017-12-01

In this work, we demonstrate new data that allows us to accurate geochronological ranges of formation of the Kresty alkaline-ultrabasic massif, which is considered to be a satellite of the Gulinian giant pluton. We also interpreted geological, geochemical and isotope-geochemical data obtained earlier for major varieties of this volcanic-plutonic association taking into account new geochronological results, as well as considered new aspects/information on matter source of alkaline-ultrabasic massifs from this province. One of the main aspects is interaction of Siberian super plume matter with hosting substrate of Siberian craton continental crust.

Spectral engineering of optical fiber through active nanoparticle doping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindstrom-James, Tiffany

The spectral engineering of optical fiber is a method of intentional doping of the core region in order to absorb/emit specific wavelengths of light therby providing enhanced performance over current fibers. Efforts here focused on developing an understanding of optically active nanoparticles based on alkaline earth fluorides that could be easily and homogeneously incorporated into the core of a silica based optical fiber preform and result in efficient and tailorable spectral emissions. Doped and undoped calcium, strontium and barium fluoride nanoparticles were successfully synthesized and characterized for their physical, chemical, and optical behavior. Distinct spectroscopic differences as a result of different host materials, varying rare earth doping levels and processing conditions, indicated the ability to influence the spectral behavior of the doped nanoparticle. By using photoluminescence to predict diffusion behavior, the application of a simple one dimensional model for diffusion provided a method for predicting the diffusion coefficient of europium ions in alkaline earth fluorides with order of magnitude accuracy. Modified chemical vapor deposition derived silica preforms were individually solution doped with europium doped alkaline earth fluoride nanoparticles. By using the rare earth doped alkaline earth fluoride nanoparticles as the dopant materials in the core of optical fiber preforms, the resultant optical properties of the glass were significantly influenced by their presence in the core. The incorporation of these rare earth doped alkaline earth fluoride nanoparticles was found to significantly influence the local chemical and structural environment about the rare earth ion, demonstrated homogeneity and uniform distribution of the rare earth dopant and resulted in specifically unique spectral behavior when compared to conventional doping methods. A more detailed structural model of the doped core glass region has been developed based on the spectral behavior of these active fiber preforms. It has been shown that rare earth doping of alkaline earth fluoride nanoparticles provides a material which can be 'tuned' to specific applications through the use of different host materials, processing conditions and doping levels of the rare earth and when used as dopant materials for active optical fibers, provides a means to tailor the optical behavior.

The relationship of catchment topography and soil hydraulic characteristics to lake alkalinity in the northeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolock, D.M.; Hornberger, G.M.; Beven, K.J.; Campbell, W.G.

1989-01-01

We undertook the task of determining whether base flow alkalinity of surface waters in the northeastern United States is related to indices of soil contact time and flow path partitioning that are derived from topographic and soils information. The influence of topography and soils on catchment hydrology has been incorporated previously in the variable source area model TOPMODEL as the relative frequency distribution of ln (a/Kb tan B), where ln is the Naperian logarithm, “a” is the area drained per unit contour, K is the saturated hydraulic conductivity, b is the soil depth, and tan B is the slope. Using digital elevation and soil survey data, we calculated the ln (a/Kb tan B) distribution for 145 catchments. Indices of flow path partitioning and soil contact time were derived from the ln (a/Kb tan B) distributions and compared to measurements of alkalinity in lakes to which the catchments drain. We found that alkalinity was, in general, positively correlated with the index of soil contact time, whereas the correlation between alkalinity and the flow path partitioning index was weak at best. A portion of the correlation between the soil contact time index and alkalinity was attributable to covariation with soil base saturation and cation exchange capacity, while another portion was found to be independent of these factors. Although our results indicate that catchments with long soil contact time indices are most likely to produce high alkalinity base flow, a sensitivity analysis of TOPMODEL suggests that surface waters of these same watersheds may be susceptible to alkalinity depressions during storm events, due to the role of flow paths.

Microchannel conductivity measurements in microchip for on line monitoring of dephosphorylation rates of organic phosphates using paramagnetic-beads linked alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Kechadi, Mohammed; Sotta, Bruno; Gamby, Jean

2015-01-01

This paper presents the use of polymer coated microelectrodes for the realtime conductivity monitoring in a microchannel photoablated through the polymer without contact. Based on this strategy, a small conductometry sensor has been developed to record in time conductivity variation when an enzymatic reaction occurs through the channel. The rate constant determination, k2, for the dephosphorylation of organic phosphate-alkaline phosphatase-superparamagnetic beads complex using chemically different substrates such as adenosine monoesterphosphate, adenosine diphosphate and adenosine triphosphate was taken as an example to demonstrate selectivity and sensivity of the detection scheme. The k2 value measured for each adenosine phosphate decreases from 39 to 30 s(-1) in proportion with the number (3, 2 and 1) of attached phosphate moiety, thus emphasizing the steric hindrance effect on kinetics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water quality and processes affecting dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Blackwater River, Canaan Valley, West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waldron, M.C.; Wiley, J.B.

1996-01-01

The water quality and environmental processes affecting dissolved oxygen were determined for the Blackwater River in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. Canaan Valley is oval-shaped (14 miles by 5 miles) and is located in the Allegheny Mountains at an average elevation of 3,200 feet above sea level. Tourism, population, and real estate development have increased in the past two decades. Most streams in Canaan Valley are a dilute calcium magnesium bicarbonate-type water. Streamwater typicaly was soft and low in alkalinity and dissolved solids. Maximum values for specific conductance, hardness, alkalinity, and dissolved solids occurred during low-flow periods when streamflow was at or near baseflow. Dissolved oxygen concentrations are most sensitive to processes affecting the rate of reaeration. The reaeration is affected by solubility (atmospheric pressure, water temperature, humidity, and cloud cover) and processes that determine stream turbulence (stream depth, width, velocity, and roughness). In the headwaters, photosynthetic dissolved oxygen production by benthic algae can result in supersaturated dissolved oxygen concentrations. In beaver pools, dissolved oxygen consumption from sediment oxygen demand and carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand can result in dissolved oxygen deficits.

Improving methane production from digested manure biofibers by mechanical and thermal alkaline pretreatment.

PubMed

Tsapekos, P; Kougias, Panagiotis G; Frison, A; Raga, R; Angelidaki, I

2016-09-01

Animal manure digestion is associated with limited methane production, due to the high content in fibers, which are hardly degradable lignocellulosic compounds. In this study, different mechanical and thermal alkaline pretreatment methods were applied to partially degradable fibers, separated from the effluent stream of biogas reactors. Batch and continuous experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of these pretreatments. In batch experiments, the mechanical pretreatment improved the degradability up to 45%. Even higher efficiency was shown by applying thermal alkaline pretreatments, enhancing fibers degradability by more than 4-fold. In continuous experiments, the thermal alkaline pretreatment, using 6% NaOH at 55°C was proven to be the most efficient pretreatment method as the methane production was increased by 26%. The findings demonstrated that the methane production of the biogas plants can be increased by further exploiting the fraction of the digested manure fibers which are discarded in the post-storage tank. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acidic and alkaline pretreatments of activated carbon and their effects on the performance of air-cathodes in microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Gao, Ningshengjie; Zhou, Qixing; Dong, Heng; Yu, Hongbing; Feng, Yujie

2013-09-01

Activated carbon (AC) is a high performing and cost effective catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) of air-cathodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Acidic (HNO3) and alkaline (KOH) pretreatments on AC at low temperature (85°C) are conducted to enhance the performance of MFCs. The alkaline pretreatment increased the power density by 16% from 804±70 to 957±31 mW m(-2), possibly due to the decrease of ohmic resistance (from 20.58 to 19.20 Ω) and the increase of ORR activities provided by the adsorbed hydroxide ion and extra micropore area/volume after alkaline pretreatment. However, acidic pretreatment decreased the power output to 537±36 mW m(-2), which can be mainly attributed to the corrosion by adsorbed proton at the interface of AC powder and stainless steel mesh and the decreased pore area. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical probing of high-level radioactive waste tanks containing washed sludge and precipitates

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

Bickford, D.F.; Congdon, J.W.; Oblath, S.B.

1987-01-01

At the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant, corrosion of carbon steel storage tanks containing alkaline, high-level radioactive waste is controlled by specification of limits on waste composition and temperature. Processes for the preparation of waste for final disposal will result in waste with low corrosion inhibitor concentrations and, in some cases, high aromatic organic concentrations, neither of which are characteristic of previous operations. Laboratory tests, conducted to determine minimum corrosion inhibitor levels indicated pitting of carbon steel near the waterline for proposed storage conditions. In situ electrochemical measurements of full-scale radioactive process demonstrations have been conducted to assessmore » the validity of laboratory tests. Probes included pH, Eh (potential relative to a standard hydrogen electrode), tank potential, and alloy coupons. In situ results are compared to those of the laboratory tests, with particular regard given to simulated solution composition.« less

The Effect of Acid Neutralization on Analytical Results Produced from SW846 Method 8330 after the Alkaline Hydrolysis of Explosives in Soil

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

basic form of phosphoric acid or sodium phosphate NO2- Nitrite OH- Hydroxide ion ERDC/EL TR-12-14 1 1 Introduction Alkaline hydrolysis has...into amber sample vials and refrigerated until analyzed. TNT analyses were conducted by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a C-18...The explosives concentrations of the different soils were quantified using a DIONEX HPLC system equipped with a C-18 reverse phase column and a

Anionic membrane and ionomer based on poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) for alkaline membrane fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Ai Lien; Saad, Saeed; Lan, Rong; Goodfellow, Robert J.; Tao, Shanwen

2011-10-01

Hydroxyl-ion conductive poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) membranes with different characteristics were prepared via relatively simple bromination/amination serial reactions with reduced number of involved chemicals and shorter reaction time. The effects of reactants ratio, reaction atmosphere, polymer concentration, casting solvent, and hydroxylation treatment on reaction were investigated in details. The microstructure, water uptake, swelling ratio, ion-exchange capacity and ionic conductivity of the membranes were also studied. The obtained results demonstrate that, the ionic conductivity of the membrane is dependent on casting solvent. The N-methyl-2-pyrrolidonecast membrane exhibits the highest conductivity with the thinnest film. Although the membrane was prepared via a relatively simple preparation route with least toxic chemicals, a competitive ionic conductivity value of 1.64 × 10-2 S cm-1 was achieved at 60 °C. A power density of 19.5 mW cm-2 has been demonstrated from the alkaline membrane fuel cell operated at 70 °C, assembled from the entirely homemade membrane electrode assembly without any hot-pressing.

Effects of Different Saline-Alkaline Conditions on the Characteristics of Phytoplankton Communities in the Lakes of Songnen Plain, China

PubMed Central

Zang, Shuying; Fan, Yawen; Ye, Huaxiang

2016-01-01

Many lakes located in the Songnen Plain of China exhibit a high saline-alkaline level. 25 lakes in the Songnen Plain were selected as research objects in this study. Water samples in these lakes were collected from June to August in 2008. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Total Alkalinity (TA) were measured to assess the saline-alkaline level, and partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was conducted as well. The results show that the majority of these lakes in the study area could be categorized into HCO3−-Na+-I type. According to the TDS assessment, of the total 25 lakes, there are 14 for freshwater, 7 for brackish water and 4 for saltwater; and the respective range of TA was from 0.98 to 40.52. The relationship between TA and TDS indicated significant linear relationship (R2 = 0.9292) in the HCO3−-Na+-I type lakes in the Songnen Plain. There was a general trend that cell density, genera richness and taxonomic diversity decreased with the increase of saline-alkaline gradient, whereas a contrary trend was observed for the proportion of dominant species. When the TDS values were above 3×103mg/L and the TA values were above 15mg/L, there was a significant reduction in cell density, genera richness and biodiversity, and their corresponding values were respectively below 10×106 (ind/L), 15 and approximately 2.5. Through the partial canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), 10.7% of the genera variation was explained by pure saline-alkaline variables. Cyclotella meneghiniana, Melosira ambigua and Melosira granulate were found to become the dominant species in most of these lakes, which indicated that there may be rather wide saline-alkaline niches for common dominant species. About one-quarters of the genera which have certain tolerance to salinity and alkalinity preferred to live in the regions with relatively higher saline-alkaline levels in this study. PMID:27749936

Alkaline Comet Assay for Assessing DNA Damage in Individual Cells.

PubMed

Pu, Xinzhu; Wang, Zemin; Klaunig, James E

2015-08-06

Single-cell gel electrophoresis, commonly called a comet assay, is a simple and sensitive method for assessing DNA damage at the single-cell level. It is an important technique in genetic toxicological studies. The comet assay performed under alkaline conditions (pH >13) is considered the optimal version for identifying agents with genotoxic activity. The alkaline comet assay is capable of detecting DNA double-strand breaks, single-strand breaks, alkali-labile sites, DNA-DNA/DNA-protein cross-linking, and incomplete excision repair sites. The inclusion of digestion of lesion-specific DNA repair enzymes in the procedure allows the detection of various DNA base alterations, such as oxidative base damage. This unit describes alkaline comet assay procedures for assessing DNA strand breaks and oxidative base alterations. These methods can be applied in a variety of cells from in vitro and in vivo experiments, as well as human studies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Osteomalacia with low alkaline phosphatase: a not so rare condition with important consequences.

PubMed

Belkhouribchia, Jamal; Bravenboer, Bert; Meuwissen, Marije; Velkeniers, Brigitte

2016-01-28

Hypophosphatasia is a genetic disorder, characterised by a dysfunctional tissue-non-specific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase that impacts bone metabolism and predisposes to osteomalacia or rickets. The clinical presentation is very diverse, depending on the age of onset and the severity of the disease. Several forms of hypophosphatasia are recognised. We present a case of a 50-year-old woman with low impact fractures and loss of teeth at a young age. She also had a low alkaline phosphatase and was diagnosed with adult hypophosphatasia. Although the severe forms of hypophosphatasia are rather rare, the adult form is thought to occur quite frequently. As this condition is not well known by healthcare professionals, the time to diagnosis and initiation of adequate treatment is often postponed. When encountering a patient with low alkaline phosphatase, low bone density or a history of bone fractures, the possibility of hypophosphatasia should be considered. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Origin and evolution of the Ilmeny-Vishnevogorsky carbonatites (Urals, Russia): insights from trace-element compositions, and Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, U-Pb, Lu-Hf isotope data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nedosekova, I. L.; Belousova, E. A.; Sharygin, V. V.; Belyatsky, B. V.; Bayanova, T. B.

2013-02-01

The carbonatites of the Ilmeny-Vishnevogorsky Alkaline Complex (IVAC) are specific in geological and geochemical aspects and differ by some characteristics from classic carbonatites of the zoned alkaline-ultramafic complexes. Geological, geochemical and isotopic data and comparison with relevant experimental systems show that the IVAC carbonatites are genetically related to miaskites, and seem to be formed as a result of separation of carbonatite liquid from a miaskitic magma. Appreciable role of a carbonate fluid is established at the later stages of carbonatite formation. The trace element contents in the IVAC carbonatites are similar to carbonatites of the ultramafic-alkaline complexes. The characteristic signatures of the IVAC carbonatites are a high Sr content, a slight depletion in Ba, Nb, Та, Ti, Zr, and Hf, and enrichment in HREE in comparison with carbonatites of ultramafic-alkaline complexes. This testifies a specific nature of the IVAC carbonatites related to the fractionation of a miaskitic magma and to further Late Paleozoic metamorphism. Isotope data suggest a mantle source for IVAC carbonatites and indicate that moderately depleted mantle and enriched EMI-type components participated in magma generation. The lower crust could have been involved in the generation of the IVAC magma.

Optimization of NaOH Molarity, LUSI Mud/Alkaline Activator, and Na2SiO3/NaOH Ratio to Produce Lightweight Aggregate-Based Geopolymer

PubMed Central

Abdul Razak, Rafiza; Abdullah, Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri; Hussin, Kamarudin; Ismail, Khairul Nizar; Hardjito, Djwantoro; Yahya, Zarina

2015-01-01

This paper presents the mechanical function and characterization of an artificial lightweight geopolymer aggregate (ALGA) using LUSI (Sidoarjo mud) and alkaline activator as source materials. LUSI stands for LU-Lumpur and SI-Sidoarjo, meaning mud from Sidoarjo which erupted near the Banjarpanji-1 exploration well in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia on 27 May 2006. The effect of NaOH molarity, LUSI mud/Alkaline activator (LM/AA) ratio, and Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio to the ALGA are investigated at a sintering temperature of 950 °C. The results show that the optimum NaOH molarity found in this study is 12 M due to the highest strength (lowest AIV value) of 15.79% with lower water absorption and specific gravity. The optimum LUSI mud/Alkaline activator (LM/AA) ratio of 1.7 and the Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio of 0.4 gives the highest strength with AIV value of 15.42% with specific gravity of 1.10 g/cm3 and water absorption of 4.7%. The major synthesized crystalline phases were identified as sodalite, quartz and albite. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image showed more complete geopolymer matrix which contributes to highest strength of ALGA produced. PMID:26006238

Ultrastable α phase nickel hydroxide as energy storage materials for alkaline secondary batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Haili; Guo, Yinjian; Cheng, Yuanhui

2018-03-01

α Phase nickel hydroxide (α-Ni(OH)2) has higher theoretical capacity than that of commercial β phase Ni(OH)2. But the low stability inhibits its wide application in alkaline rechargeable batteries. Here, we propose a totally new idea to stabilize α phase Ni(OH)2 by introducing large organic molecule into the interlayer spacing together with doping multivalent cobalt into the layered Ni(OH)2 host. Ethylene glycol is served as neutral stabilizer in the interlayer spacing. Nickel is substituted by cobalt to increase the electrostatic attraction between layered Ni(OH)2 host and anion ions in the interlayer spacing. Polyethylene glycol (PEG-200) is utilized to design a three-dimensional network structure. This prepared α-Ni(OH)2-20 exhibits specific capacity as high as 334 mAh g-1and good structural stability even after immersing into strong alkaline zincate solution for 20 days. Ni(OH)2 electrode with a specific capacity of 35 mAh cm-2 is fabricated and used as positive electrode in zinc-nickel single flow batteries, which also shows good cycling stability. This result can provide an important guideline for the rational design and preparation of highly active and stable α phase Ni(OH)2 for alkaline secondary battery.

Assessment of water-quality data from Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota--2008 through 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tangen, Brian A.; Finocchiaro, Raymond G.; Gleason, Robert A.; Rabenberg, Michael J.; Dahl, Charles F.; Ell, Mike J.

2013-01-01

ong Lake National Wildlife Refuge, located in south-central North Dakota, is an important habitat for numerous migratory birds and waterfowl, including several threatened or endangered species. The refuge is distinguished by Long Lake, which is approximately 65 square kilometers and consists of four primary water management units. Water levels in the Long Lake units are maintained by low-level dikes and water-control structures, which after construction during the 1930s increased the water-storage capacity of Long Lake and reduced the frequency and volume of flushing flows downstream. The altered water regime, along with the negative precipitation:evaporation ratio of the region, may be contributing to the accumulation of water-borne chemical constituents such as salts, trace metals, and other constituents, which at certain threshold concentrations may impair aquatic plant, invertebrate, and bird communities of the refuge. The refuge’s comprehensive conservation planning process identified the need for water-quality monitoring to assess current (2013) conditions, establish comparative baselines, evaluate changes over time (trends), and support adaptive management of the wetland units. In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and North Dakota Department of Health began a water-quality monitoring program at Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge to address these needs. Biweekly water-quality samples were collected for ions, trace metals, and nutrients; and in situ sensors and data loggers were installed for the continuous measurement of specific conductance and water depth. Long Lake was characterized primarily by sodium, bicarbonate, and sulfate ions. Overall results for total alkalinity and hardness were 580 and 329 milligrams per liter, respectively; thus, Long Lake is considered alkaline and classified as very hard. The mean pH and sodium adsorption ratio for Long Lake were 8.8 and 10, respectively. Total dissolved solids concentrations averaged approximately 1,750 milligrams per liter, and ranged from 117 to 39,700 milligrams per liter. Twelve of the 14 trace metals detected in the water samples had established North Dakota water-quality standards for aquatic life, and only aluminum and copper consistently exceeded these criteria. Aluminum is considered harmful to aquatic biota in acidic (pH less than 5.5) systems and most of the copper standard exceedances were collected from highly concentrated waters because of evaporation and seasonally low water levels. Concentrations for various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus generally were similar to reported regional values. Specific conductance of Long Lake varied seasonally and annually both within and among management units, with values ranging from less than 500 to nearly 40,000 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. Long Lake was characterized by consistent seasonal patterns of increasing specific conductance from spring (March and April) to fall (September and October), with levels stabilizing through the end of the sampling season (November). These seasonal patterns in specific conductance were associated with decreasing water levels throughout the summer due primarily to evaporation and continuous water releases through the Unit 1 outlet structure, which resulted in the concentration of salts. Specific conductance of each unit, along with water levels, also varied among years. Overall, specific conductance levels were greatest during the drier year of 2008 when water levels were low. Specific conductance levels were lowest during the spring of 2009 following above-average volumes of fresh water from snowmelt runoff. Comparisons of specific conductance among sample sites that were spatially distributed within each management unit suggested that spatial variability within units was low except for areas associated with local inflows. Data collected during this study revealed consistent seasonal patterns and low within-unit spatial variability of specific conductance. Based on these data results, future sample collection efforts may be reduced, as well as the number of sample locations, to limit sampling costs. Water-quality samples collected monthly or seasonally during the growing season (spring, summer, and fall) from a single representative location within each water-management unit should provide sufficient data to assess seasonal changes in water-quality over time and provide information for Long Lake management decisions.

The Effects of Elevated Specific Conductivity on the Chronic Toxicity of Mining Influenced Streams Using Ceriodaphnia dubia

PubMed Central

Armstead, Mindy Yeager; Bitzer-Creathers, Leah; Wilson, Mandee

2016-01-01

Salinization of freshwater ecosystems as a result of human activities has markedly increased in recent years. Much attention is currently directed at evaluating the effects of increased salinity on freshwater biota. In the Central Appalachian region of the eastern United States, specific conductance from alkaline discharges associated with mountain top mining practices has been implicated in macroinvertebrate community declines in streams receiving coal mining discharges. Whole effluent toxicity testing of receiving stream water was used to test the hypothesis that mine discharges are toxic to laboratory test organisms and further, that toxicity is related to ionic concentrations as indicated by conductivity. Chronic toxicity testing using Ceriodaphnia dubia was conducted by contract laboratories at 72 sites with a total of 129 tests over a 3.5 year period. The database was evaluated to determine the ionic composition of mine effluent dominated streams and whether discharge constituents were related to toxicity in C. dubia. As expected, sulfate was found to be the dominant anion in streams receiving mining discharges with bicarbonate variable and sometimes a substantial component of the dissolved solids. Overall, the temporal variability in conductance was low at each site which would indicate fairly stable water quality conditions. Results of the toxicity tests show no relationship between conductance and survival of C. dubia in the mining influenced streams with the traditional toxicity test endpoints. However, consideration of the entire dataset revealed a significant inverse relationship between conductivity and neonate production. While conductivity explained very little of the high variability in the offspring production (r2 = 0.1304), the average numbers of offspring were consistently less than 20 neonates at the highest conductivities. PMID:27814378

Ab initio study of the alkali and alkaline-earth monohydroxides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.; Langhoff, S. R.; Partridge, H.

1986-01-01

A systematic study of the structures and dissociation energies of all the alkali and alkaline-earth monohydroxides is conducted. A theoretical model for determining accurate dissociation energies of ionic molecules is discussed. The obtained theoretical structures and dissociation energies of the alkali and alkaline-earth monohydroxides, respectively, are compared with experimental data. It is found that the theoretical studies of the bending potentials of BeOH, MgOH, and CaOH reveal the different admixture of covalent character in these systems. The BeOH molecule with the largest degree of covalent character is found to be bent (theta equals 147 deg). The MgOH is also linear. The theoretical dissociation energies for the alkali and akaline-earth hydroxides are thought to be accurate to 0.1 eV.

Compatibilities of YBa2Cu3O(9-delta) type phase in quintenary systems Y-Ba-Cu-O-X (impurity)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karen, P.; Braaten, O.; Fjellvag, H.; Kjekshus, A.

1991-01-01

Isothermal phase diagrams at various oxygen pressures were studied by powder diffraction and chemical analytical methods. The components, Y, Ba, Cu, and O (specifically O2, O2-, and O2 sup 2-) are treated, together with C (specifically CO2 and CO2 sup 2-), alkaline metals, Mg, alkaline earths, Sc, 3-d and 4-f elements. Effects of the substitutions at the structural sites of YBa2Cu3O(9-delta) on T sub c are discussed with respect to changes in crystallochemical characteristics of the substituted phase and to the nature of the substituents.

An alkaline phosphatase transport mechanism in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration.

PubMed

Pike, Adrianne F; Kramer, Nynke I; Blaauboer, Bas J; Seinen, Willem; Brands, Ruud

2015-01-25

Systemic inflammation is associated with loss of blood-brain barrier integrity and neuroinflammation that lead to the exacerbation of neurodegenerative diseases. It is also associated specifically with the characteristic amyloid-β and tau pathologies of Alzheimer's disease. We have previously proposed an immunosurveillance mechanism for epithelial barriers involving negative feedback-regulated alkaline phosphatase transcytosis as an acute phase anti-inflammatory response that hangs in the balance between the resolution and the progression of inflammation. We now extend this model to endothelial barriers, particularly the blood-brain barrier, and present a literature-supported mechanistic explanation for Alzheimer's disease pathology with this system at its foundation. In this mechanism, a switch in the role of alkaline phosphatase from its baseline duties to a stopgap anti-inflammatory function results in the loss of alkaline phosphatase from cell membranes into circulation, thereby decreasing blood-brain barrier integrity and functionality. This occurs with impairment of both amyloid-β efflux and tau dephosphorylating activity in the brain as alkaline phosphatase is replenished at the barrier by receptor-mediated transport. We suggest systemic alkaline phosphatase administration as a potential therapy for the resolution of inflammation and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease pathology as well as that of other inflammation-related neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cord blood calcium, phosphate, magnesium, and alkaline phosphatase gestational age-specific reference intervals for preterm infants.

PubMed

Fenton, Tanis R; Lyon, Andrew W; Rose, M Sarah

2011-08-31

The objective was to determine the influence of gestational age, maternal, and neonatal variables on reference intervals for cord blood bone minerals (calcium, phosphate, magnesium) and related laboratory tests (alkaline phosphatase, and albumin-adjusted calcium), and to develop gestational age specific reference intervals based on infants without influential pathological conditions. Cross-sectional study. 702 babies were identified as candidates for this study in a regional referral neonatal unit. After exclusions (for anomalies, asphyxia, maternal magnesium sulfate administration, and death), relationships were examined between cord blood serum laboratory analytes (calcium, phosphate, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin-adjusted calcium) with gestation age and also with maternal and neonatal variables using multiple linear regression. Infants with influential pathological conditions were omitted from the development of gestational age specific reference intervals for the following categories: 23-27, 28-31, 32-34, 35-36 and > 36 weeks. Among the 506 preterm and 54 terms infants included in the sample. Phosphate, magnesium, and alkaline phosphatase in cord blood serum decreased with gestational age, calcium increased with gestational age. Those who were triplets, small for gestational age, and those whose mother had pregnancy-induced hypertension were influential for most of the analytes. The reference ranges for the preterm infants ≥ 36 weeks were: phosphate 1.5 to 2.6 mmol/L (4.5 to 8.0 mg/dL), calcium: 2.1 to 3.1 mmol/L (8.3 to 12.4 mg/dL); albumin-adjusted calcium: 2.3 to 3.2 mmol/L (9.1 to 12.9 mg/dL); magnesium 0.6 to 1.0 mmol/L (1.4 to 2.3 mg/dL), and alkaline phosphatase 60 to 301 units/L. These data suggest that gestational age, as well as potentially pathogenic maternal and neonatal variables should be considered in the development of reference intervals for preterm infants.

Anion exchange membrane crosslinked in the easiest way stands out for fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossain, Md. Masem; Wu, Liang; Liang, Xian; Yang, Zhengjin; Hou, Jianqiu; Xu, Tongwen

2018-06-01

Covalent crosslinking is an effective method to stabilize anion exchange membranes (AEMs) against water swelling and high alkaline environment, yet complicated process is required. We report herein a straightforward approach to prepare highly crosslinked, transparent and flexible AEM by simply immersing a halo-alkylated polymer (e.g., brominated poly-(2,6-dimethyl-phenylene oxide)) based membrane in aqueous dimethylamine solution at room temperature and the following methylation. During this crosslinking process, a robust self-crosslinking network is formed which shows a gel fraction in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone of (up to) 94%. Self-crosslinked membranes show low water uptakes (20-42%) and dimensional swelling (9-16%) compared to non-crosslinked membrane but good hydroxide conductivities (up to 26 mS cm-1) at room temperature. Besides, the resulting membranes show some interesting features: the membranes do not immensely change its room temperature water swelling properties at high temperature but exhibits good hydroxide conductivities (up to 60 mS cm-1 at 80 °C). Noting that, the self-crosslinked AEM reported here has no β-hydrogens, exhibiting extremely high alkaline stability (no decline in hydroxide conductivity in 1 M KOH at 60 °C for 360h). Membrane electrode assembly consists of fabricated membrane shows moderate fuel cell performance reaching peak power density 31 mW cm-2 at 60 °C in a H2/O2 alkaline fuel cell.

The influence of lake water alkalinity and humic substances on particle dispersion and lanthanum desorption from a lanthanum modified bentonite.

PubMed

Reitzel, Kasper; Balslev, Kristiane Astrid; Jensen, Henning S

2017-11-15

A 12 days laboratory study on potential desorption of Lanthanum (La) from a commercial La modified clay (Phoslock) was conducted using lake water from 17 Danish lakes with alkalinities between 0.02 and 3.7 meq L -1 and varying concentrations of DOC and humic acids (HA's). A similar study was conducted in artificial lake water with alkalinities from 0 to 2.5 meq L -1 in order to exclude interference from dissolved HA's. To test if La in solution (FLa) was associated with fine particles, the water samples were filtered sequentially through three filter sizes (1.2 μm, 0.45 μm and 0.2 μm), and finally, ultracentrifugation was used in an attempt to separate colloidal La from dissolved La. The study showed that higher FLa (up to 2.5 mg L -1 or 14% of the total La in the Phoslock) concentrations were found in soft water lakes compared to hard water lakes, probably due to dispersion of the clay at low alkalinities. In addition, this study showed that HA's seem to increase the FLa concentrations in soft water lakes, most likely through complexation of La retained in the Phoslock matrix. In summary, we conclude that elevated La concentrations in lake water after a Phoslock treatment should only be expected in soft water lakes rich in DOC and HA's. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus urumqiensis BZ-SZ-XJ18T, a Moderately Haloalkaliphilic Bacterium Isolated from a Saline-Alkaline Lake.

PubMed

Liao, Ziya; Ren, Chao; Guo, Xiaomeng; Yan, Yanchun; Li, Jun; Zhao, Baisuo

2018-05-31

The moderately haloalkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus urumqiensis BZ-SZ-XJ18 T was isolated from a saline-alkaline lake located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Optimum growth occurred at the total Na + concentration of 1.08 M, with a broad optimum pH of 8.5 to 9.5. The draft genome consists of approximately 3.28 Mb and contains 3,228 predicted genes. A number of genes associated with adaptation strategies for osmotic balance and alkaline pH homeostasis were identified, providing pertinent insight into specific adaptations to the double-extreme environment. Copyright © 2018 Liao et al.

Alkaline-assisted screw press pretreatment affecting enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat straw.

PubMed

Yan, Qingqi; Wang, Yumei; Rodiahwati, Wawat; Spiess, Antje; Modigell, Michael

2017-02-01

Screw press processing of biomass can be considered as a suitable mechanically based pretreatment for biofuel production since it disrupts the structure of lignocellulosic biomass with high shear and pressure forces. The combination with chemical treatment has been suggested to increase the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars. Within the study, the synergetic effect of alkaline (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) soaking and screw press pretreatment on wheat straw was evaluated based on, e.g., sugar recovery and energy efficiency. After alkaline soaking (at 0.1 M for 30 min) and sequential screw press pretreatment with various screw press configurations and modified screw barrel, the lignin content of pretreated wheat straw was quantified. In addition, the structure of pretreated wheat straw was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and measurement of specific surface area. It could be shown that removal of lignin is more important than increase of surface area of the biomass to reach a high sugar recovery. The rate constant of the enzymatic hydrolysis increased from 1.1 × 10 -3  1/h for the non-treated material over 2.3 × 10 -3  1/h for the alkaline-soaked material to 26.9 × 10 -3  1/h for alkaline-assisted screw press pretreated material, indicating a nearly 25-fold improvement of the digestibility by the combined chemo-mechanical pretreatment. Finally, the screw configuration was found to be an important factor for improving the sugar recovery and for reducing the specific energy consumption of the screw press pretreatment.

Assessment, water-quality trends, and options for remediation of acidic drainage from abandoned coal mines near Huntsville, Missouri, 2003-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christensen, Eric D.

2005-01-01

Water from abandoned underground coal mines acidifies receiving streams in the Sugar Creek Basin and Mitchell Mine Basin near Huntsville, Missouri. A 4.35-kilometer (2.7-mile) reach of Sugar Creek has been classified as impaired based on Missouri's Water Quality Standards because of small pH values [< (less than) 6.5]. Samples collected from Sugar Creek from July 2003 to June 2004 did not have pH values outside of the specified range of 6.5 to 9.0. However, large concentrations of iron [416 to 2,320 mg/L (milligrams per liter)], manganese (8.36 to 33.5 mg/L), aluminum (0.870 to 428 mg/L), and sulfate (2,990 to 13,700 mg/L) in acidic mine drainage (AMD) from two mine springs as well as small and diffuse seeps were observed to have an effect on water quality in Sugar Creek. Metal and sulfate loads increased and pH decreased immediately downstream from Sugar Creek's confluence with the Calfee Slope and Huntsville Gob drainages that discharge AMD into Sugar Creek. Similar effects were observed in the Mitchell Mine drainage that receives AMD from a large mine spring. Comparisons of water-quality samples from this study and two previous studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1987-1988 and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2000-2002 indicate that AMD generation in the Sugar Creek Basin and Mitchell Mine Basin is declining, but the data are insufficient to quantify any trends or time frame. AMD samples from the largest mine spring in the Calfee Slope subbasin indicated a modest but significant increase in median pH from 4.8 to 5.2 using the Wilcoxan rank-sum test (p <0.05) and a decrease in median specific conductance from 5,000 to 3,540 ?S/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius) during a 17-year period. AMD samples from the largest mine spring in the Mitchell Mine Basin indicated an increase in median pH values from 5.6 to 6.0 and a decrease in median specific conductance from 3,050 to 2,450 ?S/cm during the same period. Remediation of AMD at or near the sites of the three largest mine springs is geochemically feasible based on alkalinity addition rates and increased pH determined by cubitainer experiments and geochemical mixing experiments using the computer model PHREEQCI. Alkalinity values for seven cubitainer experiments conducted to simulate anoxic treatment options exceeded the targeted value for alkalinity [90 mg/L as calcium carbonate (CaCO3)] specified in Missouri's Total Maximum Daily Load program by 18 percent or more, but maximum pH values were between 6.2 and 6.3, which is less than the targeted pH value of 6.5. Treatment of AMD by mixing with stream water or sewage effluent can further increase pH as indicated by geochemical modeling, but will not totally achieve water-quality goals because of limited discharges. A combination of treatments including settling ponds, oxic or anoxic limestone drains, and possibly successive alkalinity producing systems to remediate AMD will likely be required in the Sugar Creek Basin and Mitchell Mine Basin to consistently meet Missouri's Water Quality Standards.

Hydrogeology and ground-water quality of northern Bucks County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sloto, Ronald A.; Schreffler, Curtis L.

1994-01-01

Water from wells in the crystalline rocks has the lowest median pH (5.8), the lowest median specific conductance (139 microsiemens per centimeter), the lowest median alkalinity [16 mg/L (milligrams per liter) as CaCOg], and the highest dissolved oxygen concentration (9.0 mg/L) of the hydrogeologic units. Water from wells in carbonate rocks has the highest median pH (7.8) and the highest median alkalinity (195 mg/L as CaCO3) of the hydrogeologic units. Water from wells in the Lockatong Formation has the highest median specific conductance (428 microsiemens per centimeter) and the lowest dissolved oxygen concentration (0.8 mg/L) of the hydrogeologic units. Water from wells in crystalline rocks contains the lowest concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) of the hydrogeologic units. Water from the Lockatong Formation contains the highest concentration of TDS of the hydrogeologic units. Water from only 1 of 83 wells sampled exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) for TDS; the well is in the Lockatong Formation. Five of 86 samples (6 percent) and 6 of 75 samples (8 percent) exceed the USEPA SMCL for iron and manganese, respectively. Nitrate is the most prevalent nitrogen species in ground water. The median nitrate concentration for all hydrogeologic units is 2.3 mg/L. Of 71 water samples from wells, no concentrations of nitrate exceed the USEPA maximum contaminant level. The median dissolved radon-222 activity was highest for water samples from wells in crystalline rock [3,600 pCi/L (picocuries per liter)] and lowest for water samples from wells in the Lockatong Formation (340 pCi/L) and diabase (350 pCi/L). Water samples for analysis for volatile organic compounds (VOC's) were collected from 34 wells in areas where the potential existed for the presence of VOC's in ground water. VOC's were detected in 23 percent of the 34 wells sampled. The most commonly detected compound was trichloroethylene (13 percent of sampled wells).

Distinct alkaline phosphatase in serum of patients with lymphatic leukemia and infectious mononucleosis

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

Neumann, H.; Moran, E.M.; Russell, R.M.

1974-10-11

A distinct alkaline phosphatase (phosphatase N) was demonstrated in the serum of patients with acute lymphatic leukemia, chronic lymphatic leukemia, and infectious mononucleosis. This enzyme closely resembles that extracted from the thymus of mice with lymphoma or lymphatic leukemia, both in its electrophoretic mobility and its substrate specificity. The phosphatase N activity was related to the clinical state of patients with lymphatic leukemia and disappeared with recovery from infectious mononucleosis.

Design of ternary alkaline-earth metal Sn(II) oxides with potential good p-type conductivity

DOE PAGES

Du, Mao -Hua; Singh, David J.; Zhang, Lijun; ...

2016-04-19

Oxides with good p-type conductivity have been long sought after to achieve high performance all-oxide optoelectronic devices. Divalent Sn(II) based oxides are promising candidates because of their rather dispersive upper valence bands caused by the Sn-5s/O-2p anti-bonding hybridization. There are so far few known Sn(II) oxides being p-type conductive suitable for device applications. Here, we present via first-principles global optimization structure searches a material design study for a hitherto unexplored Sn(II)-based system, ternary alkaline-earth metal Sn(II) oxides in the stoichiometry of MSn 2O 3 (M = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba). We identify two stable compounds of SrSn 2O 3 andmore » BaSn 2O 3, which can be stabilized by Sn-rich conditions in phase stability diagrams. Their structures follow the Zintl behaviour and consist of basic structural motifs of SnO 3 tetrahedra. Unexpectedly they show distinct electronic properties with band gaps ranging from 1.90 (BaSn 2O 3) to 3.15 (SrSn 2O 3) eV, and hole effective masses ranging from 0.87 (BaSn 2O 3) to above 6.0 (SrSn 2O 3) m0. Further exploration of metastable phases indicates a wide tunability of electronic properties controlled by the details of the bonding between the basic structural motifs. Lastly, this suggests further exploration of alkaline-earth metal Sn(II) oxides for potential applications requiring good p-type conductivity such as transparent conductors and photovoltaic absorbers.« less

Purification and characterization of the enzymes involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide degradation by Penicillium brevicompactum NRC 829.

PubMed

Ali, Thanaa Hamed; El-Ghonemy, Dina Helmy

2016-06-01

The present study was conducted to investigate a new pathway for the degradation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) by Penicillium brevicompactum NRC 829 extracts. Enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of NAD, i.e. alkaline phosphatase, aminohydrolase and glycohydrolase were determined. Alkaline phosphatase was found to catalyse the sequential hydrolysis of two phosphate moieties of NAD molecule to nicotinamide riboside plus adenosine. Adenosine was then deaminated by aminohydrolase to inosine and ammonia. While glycohydrolase catalyzed the hydrolysis of the nicotinamide-ribosidic bond of NAD+ to produce nicotinamide and ADP-ribose in equimolar amounts, enzyme purification through a 3-step purification procedure revealed the existence of two peaks of alkaline phosphatases, and one peak contained deaminase and glycohydrolase activities. NAD deaminase was purified to homogeneity as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with an apparent molecular mass of 91 kDa. Characterization and determination of some of NAD aminohydrolase kinetic properties were conducted due to its biological role in the regulation of cellular NAD level. The results also revealed that NAD did not exert its feedback control on nicotinamide amidase produced by P. brevicompactum.

Short-Term Effect of Vermicompost Application on Biological Properties of an Alkaline Soil with High Lime Content from Mediterranean Region of Turkey

PubMed Central

Uz, Ilker; Tavali, Ismail Emrah

2014-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate direct short-term impact of vermicompost on some soil biological properties by monitoring changes after addition of vermicompost as compared to farmyard manure in an alkaline soil with high lime content from semiarid Mediterranean region of Turkey. For this purpose, mixtures of soil and organic fertilizers in different doses were incubated under greenhouse condition. Soil samples collected in regular intervals were analyzed for biological parameters including dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline phosphatase activities, and total number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria. Even though soil dehydrogenase activity appeared to be dose-independent based on overall evaluation, organic amendments were found to elevate dehydrogenase activity when sampling periods are evaluated individually. β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline phosphatase activity, and aerobic mesophilic bacterial numbers in vermicompost treatments fluctuated but remained significantly above the control. A slight but statistically significant difference was detected between organic amendments in terms of urease activity. Vermicompost appeared to more significantly increase bacterial number in soil. Clearly, vermicompost has a potential to be used as an alternative to farmyard manure to improve and maintain soil biological activity in alkaline calcareous soils from the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Further studies are needed to assess its full potential for these soils. PMID:25254238

Chemically durable polymer electrolytes for solid-state alkaline water electrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Eun Joo; Capuano, Christopher B.; Ayers, Katherine E.; Bae, Chulsung

2018-01-01

Generation of high purity hydrogen using electrochemical splitting of water is one of the most promising methods for sustainable fuel production. The materials to be used as solid-state electrolytes for alkaline water electrolyzer require high thermochemical stability against hydroxide ion attack in alkaline environment during the operation of electrolysis. In this study, two quaternary ammonium-tethered aromatic polymers were synthesized and investigated for anion exchange membrane (AEM)-based alkaline water electrolyzer. The membranes properties including ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, swelling degree, and anion conductivity were studied. The membranes composed of all C-C bond polymer backbones and flexible side chain terminated by cation head groups exhibited remarkably good chemical stability by maintaining structural integrity in 1 M NaOH solution at 95 °C for 60 days. Initial electrochemical performance and steady-state operation performance were evaluated, and both membranes showed a good stabilization of the cell voltage during the steady-state operation at the constant current density at 200 mA/cm2. Although both membranes in current form require improvement in mechanical stability to afford better durability in electrolysis operation, the next generation AEMs based on this report could lead to potentially viable AEM candidates which can provide high electrolysis performance under alkaline operating condition.

Alkalinity-salinity relationship in the Chesapeake Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cintrón Del Valle, S. M.; Najjar, R.; Herrmann, M.; Goldberger, S.; Stets, E.

2016-12-01

Estuaries are a significant source of atmospheric CO2, a major greenhouse gas. However, it is not known whether the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, is a source or sink of CO2. Extensive pH measurements in the Bay offer the possibility of estimating the air-water CO2 flux if robust relationships between alkalinity, the acid neutralizing capacity of a water body, and salinity can be established. Here we conduct a comprehensive analysis of the alkalinity-salinity relationship in the Chesapeake Bay based on more than 18,000 alkalinity measurements made between 1985 and 2015. It was found that seven segments of the Bay could be grouped into three different linear functions, suggesting that alkalinity is conserved in the Bay and has properties that change depending on the freshwater endmember (the riverine source). The highest freshwater endmember was 1.21 mol m-3 for the Potomac River, the lowest one was 0.41 mol m-3 for the York and Rappahannock Rivers, and an intermediate freshwater endmember was 0.79 mol m-3 for the remaining four segments. For some segments, most notably the Potomac River, the scatter of the data increases with decreasing salinity, which is due, in part, to seasonal and interannual variations in the freshwater endmember.

Evaluation of non-specific binding suppression schemes for neutravidin and alkaline phosphatase at the surface of reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes.

PubMed

Shedge, Hemangi Y; Creager, Stephen E

2010-01-11

Non-specific binding (NSB) of high-molecular-weight proteins onto electrode surfaces can complicate the application of electroanalytical techniques to clinical and environmental research, particularly in biosensor applications. We present herein various strategies to modify the surface of reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) electrodes to suppress non-specific binding of biomolecules onto its surface. Non-specific binding and specific binding (SB) of two enzyme conjugates, neutravidin-alkaline phosphatase (NA-ALP) and biotinylated alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP), and also neutravidin itself, were studied using hydroquinone diphosphate (HQDP) as an enzyme substrate for ALP inside the pores of RVC electrodes that had been subjected to various modification schemes. The extent of NSB and SB of these biomolecules inside RVC pores was assessed by measuring the initial rate of generation of an electroactive product, hydroquinone (HQ), of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction, using linear scan voltammetry (LSV) for HQ detection. Electrodes functionalized with phenylacetic acid and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) showed low NSB and high SB (when biotin capture ligands were included in the modification scheme) in comparison with unmodified electrodes and RVC electrodes modified in other ways. A simple sandwich bioassay for neutravidin was performed on the RVC electrode with the lowest NSB. A concentration detection limit of 52+/-2 ng mL(-1) and an absolute detection limit of 5.2+/-0.2 ng were achieved for neutravidin when this assay was performed using a 100 microL sample size.

An evaluation of the effects of acid rain on low conductivity headwater streams in Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ritter, John R.; Brown, Ann E.

1981-01-01

Analyses of water collected at 32 sites on headwater streams in Pennsylvania during low-flow conditions in 1970-80 were compared to pre-1971 data to evaluate whether acid rain had changed the chemistry of the streams in the previous decade. Most pH, alkalinity, and sulfate values of the samples collected in 1970-80 fell within the ranges of values for samples collected before 1971. The limited data indicate, however, that pH may have increased and alkalinity and sulfate may have decreased with time.

Corrosion control in water supply systems: effect of pH, alkalinity, and orthophosphate on lead and copper leaching from brass plumbing.

PubMed

Tam, Y S; Elefsiniotis, P

2009-10-01

This study explored the potential of lead and copper leaching from brass plumbing in the Auckland region of New Zealand. A five-month field investigation, at six representative locations, indicated that Auckland's water can be characterized as soft and potentially corrosive, having low alkalinity and hardness levels and a moderately alkaline pH. More than 90% of the unflushed samples contained lead above the maximum acceptable value (MAV) of 10 microg/L (New Zealand Standards). In contrast, the copper level of unflushed samples remained consistently below the corresponding MAV of 2 mg/L. Flushing however reduced sharply metal concentrations, with lead values well below the MAV limit. Generally, metal leaching patterns showed a limited degree of correlation with the variations in temperature, dissolved oxygen and free chlorine residual at all sampling locations. Furthermore, a series of bench-scale experiments was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of pH and alkalinity adjustment, as well as orthophosphate addition as corrosion control tools regarding lead and copper dissolution. Results demonstrated that lead and copper leaching was predominant during the first 24 hr of stagnation, but reached an equilibrium state afterwards. Since the soluble fraction of both metals was small (12% for lead, 29% for copper), it is apparent that the non-soluble compounds play a predominant role in the dissolution process. The degree of leaching however was largely affected by the variations in pH and alkalinity. At pH around neutrality, an increase in alkalinity promoted metal dissolution, while at pH 9.0 the effect of alkalinity on leaching was marginal. Lastly, addition of orthophosphate as a corrosion inhibitor was more effective at pH 7.5 or higher, resulting in approximately 70% reduction in both lead and copper concentrations.

Identification and characterization of miRNAs and targets in flax (Linum usitatissimum) under saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses.

PubMed

Yu, Ying; Wu, Guangwen; Yuan, Hongmei; Cheng, Lili; Zhao, Dongsheng; Huang, Wengong; Zhang, Shuquan; Zhang, Liguo; Chen, Hongyu; Zhang, Jian; Guan, Fengzhi

2016-05-27

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in responses to biotic and abiotic stress and have been characterized in a large number of plant species. Although flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most important fiber and oil crops worldwide, no reports have been published describing flax miRNAs (Lus-miRNAs) induced in response to saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses. In this work, combined small RNA and degradome deep sequencing was used to analyze flax libraries constructed after alkaline-salt stress (AS2), neutral salt stress (NSS), alkaline stress (AS), and the non-stressed control (CK). From the CK, AS, AS2, and NSS libraries, a total of 118, 119, 122, and 120 known Lus-miRNAs and 233, 213, 211, and 212 novel Lus-miRNAs were isolated, respectively. After assessment of differential expression profiles, 17 known Lus-miRNAs and 36 novel Lus-miRNAs were selected and used to predict putative target genes. Gene ontology term enrichment analysis revealed target genes that were involved in responses to stimuli, including signaling and catalytic activity. Eight Lus-miRNAs were selected for analysis using qRT-PCR to confirm the accuracy and reliability of the miRNA-seq results. The qRT-PCR results showed that changes in stress-induced expression profiles of these miRNAs mirrored expression trends observed using miRNA-seq. Degradome sequencing and transcriptome profiling showed that expression of 29 miRNA-target pairs displayed inverse expression patterns under saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses. From the target prediction analysis, the miR398a-targeted gene codes for a copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, and the miR530 has been shown to explicitly target WRKY family transcription factors, which suggesting that these two micRNAs and their targets may significant involve in the saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stress response in flax. Identification and characterization of flax miRNAs, their target genes, functional annotations, and gene expression patterns are reported in this work. These findings will enhance our understanding of flax miRNA regulatory mechanisms under saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses and provide a foundation for future elucidation of the specific functions of these miRNAs.

Self-Supported Ni(P, O)x·MoOx Nanowire Array on Nickel Foam as an Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution.

PubMed

Hua, Wei; Liu, Huanyan; Wang, Jian-Gan; Wei, Bingqing

2017-12-06

Earth-abundant and low-cost catalysts with excellent electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in alkaline solution play an important role in the sustainable production of hydrogen energy. In this work, a catalyst of Ni(P, O) x ·MoO x nanowire array on nickel foam has been prepared via a facile route for efficient alkaline HER. Benefiting from the collaborative advantages of Ni(P, O) x and amorphous MoO x , as well as three-dimensional porous conductive nickel scaffold, the hybrid electrocatalyst shows high catalytic activity in 1 M KOH aqueous solution, including a small overpotential of 59 mV at 10 mA cm -2 , a low Tafel slope of 54 mV dec -1 , and excellent cycling stability.

Self-Supported Ni(P, O)x·MoOx Nanowire Array on Nickel Foam as an Efficient and Durable Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution

PubMed Central

Hua, Wei; Liu, Huanyan

2017-01-01

Earth-abundant and low-cost catalysts with excellent electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in alkaline solution play an important role in the sustainable production of hydrogen energy. In this work, a catalyst of Ni(P, O)x·MoOx nanowire array on nickel foam has been prepared via a facile route for efficient alkaline HER. Benefiting from the collaborative advantages of Ni(P, O)x and amorphous MoOx, as well as three-dimensional porous conductive nickel scaffold, the hybrid electrocatalyst shows high catalytic activity in 1 M KOH aqueous solution, including a small overpotential of 59 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 54 mV dec-1, and excellent cycling stability. PMID:29210991

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

Shiau, Huai-Suen; Zenyuk, Iryna V.; Weber, Adam Z.

Water management is a serious concern for alkaline-exchange-membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) because water is a reactant in the alkaline oxygen-reduction reaction and hydroxide conduction in alkaline-exchange membranes is highly hydration dependent. Here in this article, we develop and use a multiphysics, multiphase model to explore water management in AEMFCs. We demonstrate that the low performance is mostly caused by extremely non-uniform distribution of water in the ionomer phase. A sensitivity analysis of design parameters including humidification strategies, membrane properties, and water transport resistance was undertaken to explore possible optimization strategies. Furthermore, the strategy and issues of reducing bicarbonate/carbonate buildup inmore » the membrane-electrode assembly with CO 2 from air is demonstrated based on the model prediction. Overall, mathematical modeling is used to explore trends and strategies to overcome performance bottlenecks and help enable AEMFC commercialization.« less

Rechargeable alkaline manganese dioxide cells. A test report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrington, Michael D.

The rechargeable alkaline MnO 2 (RAM) system has now been commercially available for several years. The Canadian Department of National Defence is interested in determining if the low cost RAM system is technically capable of replacing existing cells and batteries now in use. A preliminary study identified sufficient candidate batteries in use within the Department whose performance requirements compared favourably with RAM manufacturers' claims. Further study was warranted. Replacement cost savings could be significant. A study is now in progress that is aimed at determining how well the RAM technology actually performs. This paper presents test results that illustrate how RAM cells compare to primary alkaline cells and nickel/cadmium. The majority of the work is focused on the 'AA' size products from Rayovac and Pure Energy: tests were also conducted on Rayovac 'D' cells.

High H⁻ ionic conductivity in barium hydride.

PubMed

Verbraeken, Maarten C; Cheung, Chaksum; Suard, Emmanuelle; Irvine, John T S

2015-01-01

With hydrogen being seen as a key renewable energy vector, the search for materials exhibiting fast hydrogen transport becomes ever more important. Not only do hydrogen storage materials require high mobility of hydrogen in the solid state, but the efficiency of electrochemical devices is also largely determined by fast ionic transport. Although the heavy alkaline-earth hydrides are of limited interest for their hydrogen storage potential, owing to low gravimetric densities, their ionic nature may prove useful in new electrochemical applications, especially as an ionically conducting electrolyte material. Here we show that barium hydride shows fast pure ionic transport of hydride ions (H(-)) in the high-temperature, high-symmetry phase. Although some conductivity studies have been reported on related materials previously, the nature of the charge carriers has not been determined. BaH2 gives rise to hydride ion conductivity of 0.2 S cm(-1) at 630 °C. This is an order of magnitude larger than that of state-of-the-art proton-conducting perovskites or oxide ion conductors at this temperature. These results suggest that the alkaline-earth hydrides form an important new family of materials, with potential use in a number of applications, such as separation membranes, electrochemical reactors and so on.

Protein distribution in lupin protein isolates from Lupinus angustifolius L. prepared by various isolation techniques.

PubMed

Muranyi, Isabel S; Volke, Daniela; Hoffmann, Ralf; Eisner, Peter; Herfellner, Thomas; Brunnbauer, Markus; Koehler, Peter; Schweiggert-Weisz, Ute

2016-09-15

Differences in the protein distribution of various protein isolates from Lupinus angustifolius L. Vitabor were identified as affected by the isolation procedure (alkaline and/or salt-induced extraction followed by isoelectric and/or dilutive precipitation). Protein isolates extracted in alkaline solution showed higher protein yields (26.4-31.7%) compared to salt-induced extraction (19.8-30.0%) or combined alkaline and salt-induced extraction (23.3-25.6%). Chemical variations among the protein isolates especially occurred within the albumins. Protein isolates precipitated isoelectrically showed the highest contents, whereas protein isolates precipitated by dilutive showed the lowest contents of conglutin δ. Furthermore, the alkaline subunits of conglutin α and conglutin γ decreased during alkaline extraction compared to salt-induced extraction. A decrease in protein-bound polar and basic amino acids was shown after protein isolation. In contrast, the amounts of nonpolar, aliphatic, aromatic, hydroxylated and sulfur-rich amino acids were higher in the lupin protein isolates compared to the lupin flakes. However, the functional side chains could not be related to the specific molecular arrangements of the protein isolates, as a similar amino acid composition was found among the protein isolates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response to alkaline stress by root canal bacteria in biofilms.

PubMed

Chávez de Paz, L E; Bergenholtz, G; Dahlén, G; Svensäter, G

2007-05-01

To determine whether bacteria isolated from infected root canals survive alkaline shifts better in biofilms than in planktonic cultures. Clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus paracasei, Olsenella uli, Streptococcus anginosus, S. gordonii, S. oralis and Fusobacterium nucleatum in biofilm and planktonic cultures were stressed at pH 10.5 for 4 h, and cell viability determined using the fluorescent staining LIVE/DEAD BacLight bacterial viability kit. In addition, proteins released into extracellular culture fluids were identified by Western blotting. Enterococcus faecalis, L. paracasei, O. uli and S. gordonii survived in high numbers in both planktonic cultures and in biofilms after alkaline challenge. S. anginosus, S. oralis and F. nucleatum showed increased viability in biofilms compared with planktonic cultures. Alkaline exposure caused all planktonic cultures to aggregate into clusters and resulted in a greater extrusion of cellular proteins compared with cells in biofilms. Increased levels of DnaK, HPr and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase were observed in culture fluids, especially amongst streptococci. In general, bacteria isolated from infected roots canals resisted alkaline stress better in biofilms than in planktonic cultures, however, planktonic cells appeared to use aggregation and the extracellular transport of specific proteins as survival mechanisms.

Characterisation of a detergent-stable alkaline protease from a novel thermophilic strain Paenibacillus tezpurensis sp. nov. AS-S24-II.

PubMed

Rai, Sudhir K; Roy, Jetendra K; Mukherjee, Ashis K

2010-02-01

An alkaline-protease-producing bacterial strain (AS-S24-II) isolated from a soil sample in Assam is a Gram-stain-positive, catalase-positive, endospore-forming rod and grows at temperatures ranging from 30 degrees C to 60 degrees C and salinity ranging from 0% to 7% (w/v) NaCl. Phenotypic characterisation, chemotaxonomic properties, presence of Paenibacillus-specific signature sequences, and ribotyping data suggested that the strain AS-S24-II represents a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus tezpurensis sp. nov. (MTCC 8959) is proposed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that P. lentimorbus strain DNG-14 and P. lentimorbus strain DNG-16 represent the closest phylogenetic neighbour of this novel strain. Alkaline protease production (598 x 10(3) U l(-1)) by P. tezpurensis sp. nov. in SmF was optimised by response surface method. A laundry-detergent-stable, Ca(2+)-independent, 43-kDa molecular weight alkaline serine protease from this strain was purified with a 1.7-fold increase in specific activity. The purified protease displayed optimum activity at pH 9.5 and 45-50 degrees C temperature range and exhibited a significant stability and compatibility with surfactants and most of the tested commercial laundry detergents at room temperature. Further, the protease improved the wash performance of detergents, thus demonstrating its feasibility for inclusion in laundry detergent formulations.

Amelioration of an Ultisol profile acidity using crop straws combined with alkaline slag.

PubMed

Li, Jiu-yu; Masud, M M; Li, Zhong-yi; Xu, Ren-kou

2015-07-01

The acidity of Ultisols (pH <5) is detrimental to crop production. Technologies should be explored to promote base saturation and liming effect for amelioration of Ultisol pH. Column leaching experiments were conducted to investigate the amelioration effects of canola straw (CS) and peanut straw (PS) in single treatment and in combination whether with alkaline slag (AS) or with lime on Ultisol profile acidity. The treatment without liming materials was set as control, and the AS and lime in single treatment are set for comparison. Results indicated that all the liming materials increase soil profile pH and soil exchangeable base cations at the 0-40-cm depth, except that the lime had amelioration effect just on 0 to 15-cm profile. The amelioration effect of the liming materials on surface soil acidity was mainly dependent on the ash alkalinity in organic materials or acid neutralization capacity of inorganic materials. Specific adsorption of sulfate (SO4(2-)) or organic anions, decarboxylation of organic acids/anions, and the association of H(+) with organic anions induced a "liming effect" of crop residues and AS on subsoil acidity. Moreover, SO4(2-) and chloride (Cl(-)) in PS, CS, and AS primarily induced base cations to move downward to subsoil and exchange with exchangeable aluminum (Al(3+)) and protons (H(+)). These anions also promoted the exchangeable Al to leach out of the soil profile. The CS was more effective than PS in decreasing soil acidity in the subsoil, which mainly resulted from higher sulfur (S) and Cl content in CS compared to PS. The CS combined with AS was the better amendment choice in practical agricultural systems.

Identification of α-amylase by random and specific mutagenesis of Texcoconibacillus texcoconensis 13CCT strain isolated from extreme alkaline-saline soil of the former Lake Texcoco (Mexico).

PubMed

Bello-López, Juan Manuel; Navarro-Noya, Yendi E; Gómez-Acata, Selene; Hernández-Montañez, Zahuiti; Dendooven, Luc

2014-05-01

The alkaline α-amylase produced by Texcoconibacillus texcoconensis 13CC(T) strain was identified by random mutagenesis and confirmed by directed mutagenesis. A transposon mutagenesis approach was taken to identify the gene responsible for the degradation of starch in T. texcoconensis 13CC(T) strain. The deduced amino acids of the amy gene had a 99% similarity with those of Bacillus selenitireducens MLS10 and 97% with those of Paenibacillus curdlanolyticus YK9. The enzyme showed a maximum activity of 131.1 U/mL at 37 °C and pH 9.5 to 10.5. In situ activity of the enzyme determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed only one band with amylolytic activity. This is the first report of a bacterium isolated from the extreme alkaline-saline soil of the former Lake Texcoco (Mexico) with amylolytic activity in alkaline conditions while its potential as a source of amylases for the industry is discussed.

Synthesis, alkaline phosphatase inhibition studies and molecular docking of novel derivatives of 4-quinolones.

PubMed

Miliutina, Mariia; Ejaz, Syeda Abida; Khan, Shafi Ullah; Iaroshenko, Viktor O; Villinger, Alexander; Iqbal, Jamshed; Langer, Peter

2017-01-27

New and convenient methods for the functionalization of the 4-quinolone scaffold at positions C-1, C-3 and C-6 were developed. The 4-quinolone derivatives were evaluated for their inhibitory potential on alkaline phosphatase isozymes. Most of the compounds exhibit excellent inhibitory activity and moderate selectivity. The IC 50 values on tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) were in the range of 1.34 ± 0.11 to 44.80 ± 2.34 μM, while the values on intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) were in the range of 1.06 ± 0.32 to 192.10 ± 3.78 μM. The most active derivative exhibits a potent inhibition on IAP with a ≈14 fold higher selectivity as compared to TNAP. Furthermore, molecular docking calculations were performed for the most potent inhibitors to show their binding interactions within the active site of the respective enzymes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Wax removal for accelerated cotton scouring with alkaline pectinase.

PubMed

Agrawal, Pramod B; Nierstrasz, Vincent A; Klug-Santner, Barbara G; Gübitz, Georg M; Lenting, Herman B M; Warmoeskerken, Marijn M C G

2007-03-01

A rational approach has been applied to design a new environmentally acceptable and industrially viable enzymatic scouring process. Owing to the substrate specificity, the selection of enzymes depends on the structure and composition of the substrate, i.e. cotton fibre. The structure and composition of the outer layers of cotton fibre has been established on the basis of thorough literature study, which identifies wax and pectin removal to be the key steps for successful scouring process. Three main issues are discussed here, i.e. benchmarking of the existing alkaline scouring process, an evaluation of several selected acidic and alkaline pectinases for scouring, and the effect of wax removal treatment on pectinase performance. It has been found that the pectinolytic capability of alkaline pectinases on cotton pectin is nearly 75% higher than that of acidic pectinases. It is concluded that an efficient wax removal prior to pectinase treatment indeed results in improved performance in terms of hydrophilicity and pectin removal. To evaluate the hydrophilicity, the structural contact angle (theta) was measured using an auto-porosimeter.

Mineral Carbonation Potential of CO2 from Natural and Industrial-based Alkalinity Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, J.; Kirchofer, A.

2014-12-01

Mineral carbonation is a Carbon Capture and Storage (CSS) technology where gaseous CO2 is reacted with alkaline materials (such as silicate minerals and alkaline industrial wastes) and converted into stable and environmentally benign carbonate minerals (Metz et al., 2005). Here, we present a holistic, transparent life cycle assessment model of aqueous mineral carbonation built using a hybrid process model and economic input-output life cycle assessment approach. We compared the energy efficiency and the net CO2 storage potential of various mineral carbonation processes based on different feedstock material and process schemes on a consistent basis by determining the energy and material balance of each implementation (Kirchofer et al., 2011). In particular, we evaluated the net CO2 storage potential of aqueous mineral carbonation for serpentine, olivine, cement kiln dust, fly ash, and steel slag across a range of reaction conditions and process parameters. A preliminary systematic investigation of the tradeoffs inherent in mineral carbonation processes was conducted and guidelines for the optimization of the life-cycle energy efficiency are provided. The life-cycle assessment of aqueous mineral carbonation suggests that a variety of alkalinity sources and process configurations are capable of net CO2 reductions. The maximum carbonation efficiency, defined as mass percent of CO2 mitigated per CO2 input, was 83% for CKD at ambient temperature and pressure conditions. In order of decreasing efficiency, the maximum carbonation efficiencies for the other alkalinity sources investigated were: olivine, 66%; SS, 64%; FA, 36%; and serpentine, 13%. For natural alkalinity sources, availability is estimated based on U.S. production rates of a) lime (18 Mt/yr) or b) sand and gravel (760 Mt/yr) (USGS, 2011). The low estimate assumes the maximum sequestration efficiency of the alkalinity source obtained in the current work and the high estimate assumes a sequestration efficiency of 85%. The total CO2 storage potential for the alkalinity sources considered in the U.S. ranges from 1.3% to 23.7% of U.S. CO2 emissions, depending on the assumed availability of natural alkalinity sources and efficiency of the mineral carbonation processes.

Optical and electronic properties of conductive ternary nitrides with rare- or alkaline-earth elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassavetis, S.; Hodroj, A.; Metaxa, C.; Logothetidis, S.; Pierson, J. F.; Patsalas, P.

2016-12-01

Conductive nitrides, such as TiN, are key engineering materials for electronics, photonics, and plasmonics; one of the essential issues for such applications is the ability of tuning the conduction electron density, the resistivity, and the electron scattering. While enhancing the conduction electron density and blueshifting the intraband absorption towards the UV were easily achieved previously, reducing the conduction electron density and redshifting the intraband absorption into the infrared are still an open issue. The latter is achieved in this work by alloying TiN by rare earth (RE = Sc, Y, La) or alkaline earth (AE = Mg, Ca) atoms in Ti substitutional positions. The produced TixRE1-xN and TixAE1-xN thin film samples were grown by a hybrid arc evaporation/sputtering process, and most of them are stable in the B1 cubic structure. Their optical properties were studied in an extensive spectral range by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The ellipsometric spectra were analyzed and quantified by the Drude-Lorentz model, which provided the conduction electron density, the electron mean free path, and the resistivity. The observed interband transitions are firmly assigned, and the optical and electrical properties of TixRE1-xN and TixAE1-xN are quantitatively correlated with their composition and crystal structure.

Combined treatment of alkaline and disperser for improving solubilization and anaerobic biodegradability of dairy waste activated sludge.

PubMed

Uma Rani, R; Kaliappan, S; Adish Kumar, S; Rajesh Banu, J

2012-12-01

An investigation into the influence of combined alkaline and disperser pretreatment on sludge disintegration was studied. The effects of four variables, alkalines (NaOH, KOH, Ca(OH)(2)), treatment time (15-180 min), pH (8-11) and rpm (4000-24,000) were investigated. The effect of sludge pretreatment was evaluated by COD solubilization, suspended solids reduction and biogas production. The best performances, in terms of COD solubilization, SS reduction and biogas production, were the ones that occurred for specific energy input of 4544 kJ kg(-1) TS for NaOH at pH10, were found to be 24%, 23.3% and 76%, higher than the control, respectively. Not only the increase in biogas production was investigated, excluding protein hydrolysis was also performed successfully by this combined pretreatment even at low specific energy input. Thus, this chemo-mechanical is an effective method for enhancement of biodegradability and it laid the basis to produce higher biogas quantities, to improve clean energy generation from WAS. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure and functioning of the acid-base system in the Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuliński, Karol; Schneider, Bernd; Szymczycha, Beata; Stokowski, Marcin

2017-12-01

The marine acid-base system is relatively well understood for oceanic waters. Its structure and functioning is less obvious for the coastal and shelf seas due to a number of regionally specific anomalies. In this review article we collect and integrate existing knowledge of the acid-base system in the Baltic Sea. Hydrographical and biogeochemical characteristics of the Baltic Sea, as manifested in horizontal and vertical salinity gradients, permanent stratification of the water column, eutrophication, high organic-matter concentrations and high anthropogenic pressure, make the acid-base system complex. In this study, we summarize the general knowledge of the marine acid-base system as well as describe the peculiarities identified and reported for the Baltic Sea specifically. In this context we discuss issues such as dissociation constants in brackish water, different chemical alkalinity models including contributions by organic acid-base systems, long-term changes in total alkalinity, anomalies of borate alkalinity, and the acid-base effects of biomass production and mineralization. Finally, we identify research gaps and specify limitations concerning the Baltic Sea acid-base system.

Comparative Study on Different Expression Hosts for Alkaline Phytase Engineered in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Chen, Weiwei; Yu, Hongwei; Ye, Lidan

2016-07-01

The application of alkaline phytase as a feed additive is restricted by the poor specific activity. Escherichia coli is a frequently used host for directed evolution of proteins including alkaline phytase towards improved activity. However, it is not suitable for production of food-grade products due to potential pathogenicity. To combine the advantages of different expression systems, mutants of the alkaline phytase originated from Bacillus subtilis 168 (phy168) were first generated via directed evolution in E. coli and then transformed to food-grade hosts B. subtilis and Pichia pastoris for secretory expression. In order to investigate the suitability of different expression systems, the phy168 mutants expressed in different hosts were characterized and compared in terms of specific activity, pH profile, pH stability, temperature profile, and thermostability. The specific activity of B. subtilis-expressed D24G/K70R/K111E/N121S mutant at pH 7.0 and 60 °C was 30.4 U/mg, obviously higher than those in P. pastoris (22.7 U/mg) and E. coli (19.7 U/mg). Moreover, after 10 min incubation at 80 °C, the B. subtilis-expressed D24G/K70R/K111E/N121S retained about 70 % of the activity at pH 7.0 and 37 °C, whereas the values were only about 25 and 50 % when expressed in P. pastoris and E. coli, respectively. These results suggested B. subtilis as an appropriate host for expression of phy168 mutants and that the strategy of creating mutants in one host and expressing them in another might be a new solution to industrial production of proteins with desired properties.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for Z-DNA.

PubMed

Thomas, M J; Strobl, J S

1988-10-01

Dot blot and transblot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (e.l.i.s.a.) are described which provide sensitive non-radioactive methods for screening Z-DNA-specific antisera and for detecting Z-DNA in polydeoxyribonucleotides and supercoiled plasmids. In the alkaline phosphatase dot blot e.l.i.s.a., Z-DNA, Br-poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC), or B-DNA, poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC), poly(dA-dT).poly(dA-dT), Br-poly(dI-dC).poly(dI-dC), or salmon sperm DNA were spotted onto nitrocellulose discs and baked. The e.l.i.s.a. was conducted in 48-well culture dishes at 37 degrees C using a rabbit polyclonal antiserum developed against Br-poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC), an alkaline phosphatase-conjugated second antibody, and p-nitrophenol as the substrate. Under conditions where antibody concentrations were not limiting, alkaline phosphatase activity was linear for 2 h. Dot blot e.l.i.s.a. conditions are described which allow quantification of Z-DNA [Br-poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC)] within the range 5-250 ng. Dot blot and transblot horseradish peroxidase e.l.i.s.a. are described that detect Z-DNA within supercoiled plasmid DNAs immobilized on diazophenylthioether (DPT) paper. In the transblot e.l.i.s.a., plasmid pUC8 derivatives containing 16, 24, or 32 residues of Z-DNA were electrophoresed in agarose gels and electrophoretically transferred to DPT paper. Z-DNA-antibody complexes were detected by the horseradish peroxidase-catalysed conversion of 4-chloro-1-naphthol to a coloured product that was covalently bound to the DPT paper. Z-DNA antibody reactivity was specific for supercoiled Z-DNA containing plasmids after removal of the antibodies cross-reactive with B-DNA by absorption onto native DNA-cellulose. The transblot e.l.i.s.a. was sensitive enough to detect 16 base pairs of alternating G-C residues in 100 ng of pUC8 DNA.

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.

Properties of Wheat-Straw Boards with Frw Based on Interface Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, X. D.; Wang, F. H.; Liu, Y.

This paper explored the effect of MDI, UF and FRW content on the mechanical and fire retardant property of straw based panels with surface alkali liquor processing. In order to manufacture the straw based panel with high quality, low toxic and fire retardant, the interface of wheat-straw was treated with alkaline liquid, and the orthogonal test was carried out to optimize the technical parameters. The conductivity and diffusion coefficient K of the straw material after alkaline liquid treatment increased obviously. This indicated that alkaline liquid treatment improved the surface wet ability of straw, which is helpful for the infiltration of resin. The results of orthogonal test showed that the optimized treating condition was alkaline liquid concentration as 0.4-0.8%, alkaline dosage as 1:2.5-1:4.5, alkalinetreated time as 12h-48 h.The physical and mechanical properties of wheat-straw boards after treated increased remarkably and it could satisfy the national standard. The improvement of the straw surface wet ability is helpful to the forming of chemical bond. Whereas the variance analysis of the fire retardant property of straw based panel showed that TTI, pkHRR and peak value appearance time were not affected by the MDI, UF and FRW content significantly. The results of orthogonal test showed that the optimized processing condition was MDI content as 3%, UF resin content as 6% and the FRW content as 10%.

Influence of the marinating type on the morphological and sensory properties of horse meat.

PubMed

Vlahova-Vangelova, Dessislava B; Abjanova, Sholpan; Dragoev, Stefan G

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the influence of acid, alkaline and water-oil marinating on morphological changes and sensory properties of horse meat (m. Longissimus dorsi). Nine samples (C - control stored in air, AL - alkaline marinated in 2% polyphosphates and 2% sodium chloride brine solution, AC - acid marinated in 2% sodium lactate and 2% sodium chloride brine solution, WO - marinated in water-oil emulsion (50/50) contained and 2% sodium chloride and SC - marinated in 2% sodium chloride brine solution) were examined. After 24 h and 48 h of marinating changes in morphology of marinated meat, pH and sensory properties of raw and roasted samples were established. It was determined that sensory properties (aroma, flavor and tenderness) after roasting were classified as follows: AL48 > AL24 > AC24 > AC48 > SC48 > SC24 > WO24 > WO48 > С. Meat tenderness in AL48, AL24, AC24 and AC48 showed better results due to stronger morphological changes in connective and muscle tissues. Alkaline solutions were more suitable for horse meat marinating compared to acid solutions and the possible reason for strong action of alkaline solutions was lower internal meat pH. Alkaline marinating should be conducted for 24 h because after 48 h the meat acquires a soft and unusually tender texture. Water-oil marinating was not appropriate for horse meat.

Evaluating Hydrogen Evolution and Oxidation in Alkaline Media to Establish Baselines

DOE PAGES

Alia, Shaun M.; Pivovar, Bryan S.

2018-04-28

This paper fills a significant gap in the literature for alkaline hydrogen evolution (HER) and oxidation (HOR) baseline performance, while reviewing the different variables that influence observed properties. Although high-performing HER-HOR catalysts in acidic electrolytes are too active to measure kinetic in rotating disk electrode (RDE) half-cells, under alkaline conditions RDE kinetics evaluations are relevant and half-cell performances are comparable to hydrogen pump data. This paper focuses on best practices to ensure that half-cell tests don't unnecessarily lower platinum group metal (PGM) performance or improve non-PGM performance. Specific aspects examined include experiments on PGMs minimizing the impact of impurities (electrolyte,more » cell material) and experiments on non-PGMs minimizing the impact from test protocols (counter electrode).« less

Fractional, biodegradable and spectral characteristics of extracted and fractionated sludge extracellular polymeric substances.

PubMed

Wei, Liang-Liang; Wang, Kun; Zhao, Qing-Liang; Jiang, Jun-Qiu; Kong, Xiang-Juan; Lee, Duu-Jong

2012-09-15

Correlation between fractional, biodegradable and spectral characteristics of sludge extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) by different protocols has not been well established. This work extracted sludge EPS using alkaline extractants (NH₄OH and formaldehyde + NaOH) and physical protocols (ultrasonication, heating at 80 °C or cation exchange resin (CER)) and then fractionated the extracts using XAD-8/XAD-4 resins. The alkaline extractants yielded more sludge EPS than the physical protocols. However, the physical protocols extracted principally the hydrophilic components which were readily biodegradable by microorganisms. The alkaline extractants dissolved additional humic-like substances from sludge solids which were refractory in nature. Different extraction protocols preferably extracted EPS with distinct fractional, biodegradable and spectral characteristics which could be applied in specific usages. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Hydrogen Evolution and Oxidation in Alkaline Media to Establish Baselines

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

Alia, Shaun M.; Pivovar, Bryan S.

This paper fills a significant gap in the literature for alkaline hydrogen evolution (HER) and oxidation (HOR) baseline performance, while reviewing the different variables that influence observed properties. Although high-performing HER-HOR catalysts in acidic electrolytes are too active to measure kinetic in rotating disk electrode (RDE) half-cells, under alkaline conditions RDE kinetics evaluations are relevant and half-cell performances are comparable to hydrogen pump data. This paper focuses on best practices to ensure that half-cell tests don't unnecessarily lower platinum group metal (PGM) performance or improve non-PGM performance. Specific aspects examined include experiments on PGMs minimizing the impact of impurities (electrolyte,more » cell material) and experiments on non-PGMs minimizing the impact from test protocols (counter electrode).« less

Bromide, Chloride, and Sulfate Concentrations, and Specific Conductance, Lake Texoma, Texas and Oklahoma, 2007-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldys, Stanley

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Dallas Water Utilities Division, collected water-quality data from 11 sites on Lake Texoma, a reservoir on the Texas-Oklahoma border, during April 2007-September 2008. At 10 of the sites, physical properties (depth, specific conductance, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity) were measured and samples were collected for analysis of selected dissolved constituents (bromide, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate); at one site, only physical properties were measured. The primary constituent of interest was bromide. Bromate can form when ozone is used to disinfect raw water containing bromide, and bromate is a suspected human carcinogen. Chloride and sulfate were of secondary interest. Only the analytical results for bromide, chloride, sulfate, and measured specific conductance are discussed in this report. Median dissolved bromide concentrations ranged from 0.28 to 0.60 milligrams per liter. The largest median dissolved bromide concentration (0.60 milligram per liter at site 11) was from the Red River arm of Lake Texoma. Dissolved bromide concentrations generally were larger in the Red River arm of Lake Texoma than in the Washita arm of the lake. Median dissolved chloride concentrations were largest in the Red River arm of Lake Texoma at site 11 (431 milligrams per liter) and smallest at site 8 (122 milligrams per liter) in the Washita arm. At site 11 in the Red River arm, the mean and median chloride concentrations exceeded the secondary maximum contaminant level of 300 milligrams per liter for chloride established by the 'Texas Surface Water Quality Standards' for surface-water bodies designated for the public water supply use. Median dissolved sulfate concentrations ranged from 182 milligrams per liter at site 4 in the Big Mineral arm to 246 milligrams per liter at site 11 in the Red River arm. None of the mean or median sulfate concentrations exceeded the secondary maximum contaminant level of 300 milligrams per liter. Median specific conductance measurements at sites ranged from 1,120 microsiemens per centimeter at site 8 in the Washita arm to 2,100 microsiemens per centimeter in the Red River arm. The spatial distribution of specific conductance in Lake Texoma was similar to that of bromide and chloride, with larger specific conductance values in the Red River arm compared to those in the Washita arm.

Development of composite membranes of PVA-TEOS doped KOH for alkaline membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haryadi, Sugianto, D.; Ristopan, E.

2015-12-01

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an important role in separating fuel and oxygen (or air) in the Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells. Preparation of hybrid organic inorganic materials of Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) - Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) composite membrane doped KOH for direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell application has been investigated. The sol-gel method has been used to prepare the composite membrane of PVA-TEOS through crosslinking step and catalyzed by concentrated of hydrochloric acid. The gel solution was cast on the membrane plastic plate to obtain membrane sheets. The dry membranes were then doped by immersing in various concentrations of KOH solutions for about 4 hours. Investigations of the cross-linking process and the presence of hydroxyl group were conducted by FTIR as shown for frequency at about 1600 cm-1 and 3300 cm-1 respectively. The degree of swelling in ethanol decreased as the KOH concentration for membrane soaking process increased. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was 0.25meq/g. This composite membranes display significant ionic conductivity of 3.23 x 10-2 S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. In addition, the morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the membrane indicates that soaking process of membrane in KOH increased thermal resistant.

Phytoremediation of arsenic- and molybdenum-contaminated alkaline wastewater by Eleocharis acicularis in winter in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazaki, Shusaku; Okazaki, Kenji; Kurahashi, Toshiyuki; Sakakibara, Masayuki

2017-06-01

Phytoremediation using aquatic plants is a sustainable, low-cost measure for remediating water contaminated by toxic heavy metals. In this study, we conducted a channel experiment using Eleocharis acicularis in heavy metal-contaminated mildly alkaline wastewater under unfavorable plant habitat conditions in winter in northeastern Japan. The wastewater from an embankment consisting of Neogene marine sediments had a temperature of 10-15 °C and a pH of about 9, and it contained ∼0.02 mg/L of As and ∼ 0.23 mg/L of Mo. About 16 kg (fresh weight) of E. acicularis was laid in a plastic channel measuring 30 cm in width by 20 m in length, and the channel was enclosed in a tunnel greenhouse. The experiment was conducted for the 3 months from November 2015 at an average flow rate of 0.3 L/min and an air temperature of -4 to 19 °C. No reductions in As or Mo concentrations in the outflow were detected. However, at 3 months, the E. acicularis showed accumulations of ∼7 mg/kg As and ∼18 mg/kg Mo as dry weight, indicating that this remediation method is workable in an unfavorable low-temperature, mildly alkaline environment.

Effects of addition of different carbon materials on the electrochemical performance of nickel hydroxide electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sierczynska, Agnieszka; Lota, Katarzyna; Lota, Grzegorz

Nickel hydroxide is used as an active material in positive electrodes of rechargeable alkaline batteries. The capacity of nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries depends on the specific capacity of the positive electrode and utilization of the active material because of the Ni(OH) 2/NiOOH electrode capacity limitation. The practical capacity of the positive nickel electrode depends on the efficiency of the conductive network connecting the Ni(OH) 2 particle with the current collector. As β-Ni(OH) 2 is a kind of semiconductor, the additives are necessary to improve the conductivity between the active material and the current collector. In this study the effect of adding different carbon materials (flake graphite, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT)) on the electrochemical performance of pasted nickel-foam electrode was established. A method of production of MWNT special type of catalysts had an influence on the performance of the nickel electrodes. The electrochemical tests showed that the electrode with added MWNT (110-170 nm diameter) exhibited better electrochemical properties in the chargeability, specific discharge capacity, active material utilization, discharge voltage and cycling stability. The nickel electrodes with MWNT addition (110-170 nm diameter) have exhibited a specific capacity close to 280 mAh g -1 of Ni(OH) 2, and the degree of active material utilization was ∼96%.

Realm of Thermoalkaline Lipases in Bioprocess Commodities.

PubMed

Lajis, Ahmad Firdaus B

2018-01-01

For decades, microbial lipases are notably used as biocatalysts and efficiently catalyze various processes in many important industries. Biocatalysts are less corrosive to industrial equipment and due to their substrate specificity and regioselectivity they produced less harmful waste which promotes environmental sustainability. At present, thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases have gained enormous interest as biocatalyst due to their stability and robustness under high temperature and alkaline environment operation. Several characteristics of the thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases are discussed. Their molecular weight and resistance towards a range of temperature, pH, metal, and surfactants are compared. Their industrial applications in biodiesel, biodetergents, biodegreasing, and other types of bioconversions are also described. This review also discusses the advance of fermentation process for thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases production focusing on the process development in microorganism selection and strain improvement, culture medium optimization via several optimization techniques (i.e., one-factor-at-a-time, surface response methodology, and artificial neural network), and other fermentation parameters (i.e., inoculums size, temperature, pH, agitation rate, dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), and aeration rate). Two common fermentation techniques for thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases production which are solid-state and submerged fermentation methods are compared and discussed. Recent optimization approaches using evolutionary algorithms (i.e., Genetic Algorithm, Differential Evolution, and Particle Swarm Optimization) are also highlighted in this article.

Arsanilic acid modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for Purification of alkaline phosphatase from hen's egg yolk.

PubMed

Farzi-Khajeh, Hamed; Safa, Kazem D; Dastmalchi, Siavoush

2017-09-01

Recent studies of magnetic carrier technology have focused on its applications in separation and purification technologies, due to easy separation of the target from the reaction medium by applying an external magnetic field. In the present study, Fe 3 O 4 superparamagnetic nanoparticles were prepared to utilize a chemical co-precipitation method, then the surfaces of the nanoparticles were modified with arsanilic acid derivatives which were used as the specific nanocarriers for the affinity purification of alkaline phosphatase from the hen's egg yolk. The six different types of magnetic nanocarriers with varied lengths of the linkers were obtained. All samples were characterized step by step and validated using FTIR, SEM, EDX, VSM and XRD analysis methods As the results were shown, the use of inflexible tags with long linkers on the surface of the nanocarrier could lead to better results for separation of alkaline phosphatase from the hen's egg yolk with 76.2% recovery and 1361.7-fold purification. The molecular weight of the purified alkaline phosphatase was estimated to be 68kDa by SDS-PAGE. The results of this study showed that the novel magnetic nanocarriers were capable of purifying alkaline phosphatase in a practically time and cost effective way. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extraction of hexavalent chromium from chromated copper arsenate treated wood under alkaline conditions.

PubMed

Radivojevic, Suzana; Cooper, Paul A

2008-05-15

Information on chromium (Cr) oxidation states is essential for the assessment of environmental and health risks associated with the overall life-cycle of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood products because of differences in toxicity between trivalent [Cr(III)] and hexavalent [Cr(VI)] chromium compounds. Hypothetical Cr(VI) fixation products were investigated in CCA type C treated sawdust of aspen and red pine during or following preservative fixation by extraction with Cr(VI)-specific extractants. Cr(VI) was found only in alkaline extracts of treated wood. A major source of Cr(VI) was method-induced oxidation of fixed Cr(III) during alkaline extraction, as confirmed by demonstrated oxidation of Cr(III) from CrCl3 treated wood. Oxidation of nontoxic and immobile Cr(III) to toxic and mobile Cr(VI) was facilitated by the presence of wood at pH > 8.5. Thermodynamic equilibrium between Cr(III) and Cr(VI) is affected by pH, temperature, rates of dissolution of CrIII) compounds, and oxygen availability. Results of this study recommend against alkaline extraction protocols for determination of Cr(VI) in treated wood. This Cr oxidation mechanism can act as a previously unrecognized route for generation of hazardous Cr(VI) if CCA treated wood is exposed to alkaline conditions during its production, use, or waste management.

Simultaneous generation of acidic and alkaline water using atmospheric air plasma formed in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imai, Shin-ichi; Sakaguchi, Yoshihiro; Shirafuji, Tatsuru

2018-01-01

Plasmas on water surfaces and in water can be generated at atmosphere pressure using several kinds of gases, including helium, argon, oxygen, and air. Nitrates are generated in water through the interaction between water and atmospheric plasma that uses ambient air. Water that has been made acidic by the generation of nitric acid and the acidic water can be used for the sterilization of medical instruments, toilet bowls, and washing machines. Dishwashers are another potential application, as alkaline water is needed to remove grease from tableware. To investigate the production of alkaline water and its mechanism, gas component analysis was performed using an atmospheric quadrupole mass spectrometer. It was found that hydrogen gas evolves from the water surrounding both the positive and negative electrodes. The gas and water analyses carried out in this study revealed that acidic water of pH 2.5 and alkaline water of pH 10 can be simultaneously generated by our ambient air plasma device, which has been altered from our original model. The alterative plasma device has a partition wall, which is made of conductive resin, between the positive and negative electrodes.

Bacterial treatment of alkaline cement kiln dust using Bacillus halodurans strain KG1.

PubMed

Kunal; Rajor, Anita; Siddique, Rafat

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to isolate an acid-producing, alkaliphilic bacterium to reduce the alkalinity of cement industry waste (cement kiln dust). Gram-positive isolate KG1 grew well at pH values of 6-12, temperatures of 28-50°C, and NaCl concentrations of 0-16% and thus was further screened for its potential to reduce the pH of an alkaline medium. Phenotypic characteristics of the KG1 isolate were consistent with those of the genus Bacillus, and the highest level of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity was found with Bacillus halodurans strain DSM 497 (94.7%). On the basis of its phenotypic characteristics and genotypic distinctiveness from other phylogenetic neighbors belonging to alkaliphilic Bacillus species, the isolated strain was designated B. halodurans strain KG1, with GenBank accession number JQ307184 (= NCIM 5439). Isolate KG1 reduced the alkalinity (by 83.64%) and the chloride content (by 86.96%) of cement kiln dust and showed a potential to be used in the cement industry for a variety of applications. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Neutralization of a single arginine residue gates open a two-pore domain, alkali-activated K+ channel

PubMed Central

Niemeyer, María Isabel; González-Nilo, Fernando D.; Zúñiga, Leandro; González, Wendy; Cid, L. Pablo; Sepúlveda, Francisco V.

2007-01-01

Potassium channels share a common selectivity filter that determines the conduction characteristics of the pore. Diversity in K+ channels is given by how they are gated open. TASK-2, TALK-1, and TALK-2 are two-pore region (2P) KCNK K+ channels gated open by extracellular alkalinization. We have explored the mechanism for this alkalinization-dependent gating using molecular simulation and site-directed mutagenesis followed by functional assay. We show that the side chain of a single arginine residue (R224) near the pore senses pH in TASK-2 with an unusual pKa of 8.0, a shift likely due to its hydrophobic environment. R224 would block the channel through an electrostatic effect on the pore, a situation relieved by its deprotonation by alkalinization. A lysine residue in TALK-2 fulfills the same role but with a largely unchanged pKa, which correlates with an environment that stabilizes its positive charge. In addition to suggesting unified alkaline pH-gating mechanisms within the TALK subfamily of channels, our results illustrate in a physiological context the principle that hydrophobic environment can drastically modulate the pKa of charged amino acids within a protein. PMID:17197424

DEVELOPMENT AND SELECTION OF IONIC LIQUID ELECTROLYTES FOR HYDROXIDE CONDUCTING POLYBENZIMIDAZOLE MEMBRANES IN ALKALINE FUEL CELLS

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

Fox, E.

2012-05-01

Alkaline fuel cell (AFC) operation is currently limited to specialty applications such as low temperatures and pure HO due to the corrosive nature of the electrolyte and formation of carbonates. AFCs are the cheapest and potentially most efficient (approaching 70%) fuel cells. The fact that non-Pt catalysts can be used, makes them an ideal low cost alternative for power production. The anode and cathode are separated by and solid electrolyte or alkaline porous media saturated with KOH. However, CO from the atmosphere or fuel feed severely poisons the electrolyte by forming insoluble carbonates. The corrosivity of KOH (electrolyte) limits operatingmore » temperatures to no more than 80°C. This chapter examines the development of ionic liquids electrolytes that are less corrosive, have higher operating temperatures, do not chemically bond to CO and enable alternative fuels. Work is detailed on the IL selection and characterization as well as casting methods within the polybenzimidazole based solid membrane. This approach is novel as it targets the root of the problem (the electrolyte) unlike other current work in alkaline fuel cells which focus on making the fuel cell components more durable.« less

40 CFR 141.28 - Certified laboratories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 141.28 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Monitoring and Analytical Requirements § 141.28 Certified... certified by the State except that measurements of alkalinity, calcium, conductivity, disinfectant residual...

40 CFR 141.28 - Certified laboratories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 141.28 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Monitoring and Analytical Requirements § 141.28 Certified... certified by the State except that measurements of alkalinity, calcium, conductivity, disinfectant residual...

Xanthan and κ-carrageenan based alkaline hydrogels as electrolytes for Al/air batteries.

PubMed

Di Palma, T M; Migliardini, F; Caputo, D; Corbo, P

2017-02-10

Xanthan and κ-carrageenan were used to prepare alkaline hydrogels to be used as electrolytes in aluminium air primary batteries. Two pasty gels were obtained starting from xanthan and KOH solutions (1M and 8M), while only the 8M KOH solution permitted the formation of a stable, elastic and gumminess hydrogel with κ-carrageenan. Discharge tests, performed on three Al/air cells assembled with Al anodes, electrolyte gels and Pt based cathodes, evidenced that all hydrogels exhibited appreciable properties of Al ion conductivities, according to the following performance order: xanthan with KOH 1M

Mechanochemical synthesis, structure and properties of lead containing alkaline earth metal fluoride solid solutions MxPb1-xF2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heise, M.; Scholz, G.; Düvel, A.; Heitjans, P.; Kemnitz, E.

2018-03-01

The paper deals with the mechanochemical synthesis of lead containing alkaline earth metal fluoride solid solutions MxPb1-xF2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) by high-energy ball milling. Several metal precursors and fluorinating agents were tested for synthesizing M0.5Pb0.5F2. Metal acetates and ammonium fluoride as precursors show the most promising results and were therefore used for the formation of MxPb1-xF2 with different metal cationic ratios. The characterization of the local fluorine coordination and the crystal structure was performed by 19F MAS NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Additional calculations of 19F chemical shifts using the superposition model allow a deeper insight into the local structure of the compounds. The fluoride ion conductivity was followed by temperature dependent DC conductivity measurements. Significantly higher conductivities were found in comparison with those of the corresponding binary fluorides. The highest values were observed for samples with high lead content M0.25Pb0.75F2, bearing in mind the much higher conductivity of PbF2 compared to MF2.

Alkaline earth metal and samarium co-doped ceria as efficient electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Amjad; Raza, Rizwan; Kaleem Ullah, M.; Rafique, Asia; Wang, Baoyuan; Zhu, Bin

2018-01-01

Co-doped ceramic electrolytes M0.1Sm0.1Ce0.8O2-δ (M = Ba, Ca, Mg, and Sr) were synthesized via co-precipitation. The focus of this study was to highlight the effects of alkaline earth metals in doped ceria on the microstructure, densification, conductivity, and performance. The ionic conductivity comparisons of prepared electrolytes in the air atmosphere were studied. It has been observed that Ca0.1Sm0.1Ce0.8O2-δ shows the highest conductivity of 0.124 Scm-1 at 650 °C and a lower activation energy of 0.48 eV. The cell shows a maximum power density of 630 mW cm-2 at 650 °C using hydrogen fuel. The enhancement in conductivity and performance was due to increasing the oxygen vacancies in the ceria lattice with the increasing dopant concentration. The bandgap was calculated from UV-Vis data, which shows a red shift when compared with pure ceria. The average crystallite size is in the range of 37-49 nm. DFT was used to analyze the co-doping structure, and the calculated lattice parameter was compared with the experimental lattice parameter.

The Positive Regulatory Roles of the TIFY10 Proteins in Plant Responses to Alkaline Stress

PubMed Central

Zhu, Dan; Li, Rongtian; Liu, Xin; Sun, Mingzhe; Wu, Jing; Zhang, Ning; Zhu, Yanming

2014-01-01

The TIFY family is a novel plant-specific protein family, and is characterized by a conserved TIFY motif (TIFF/YXG). Our previous studies indicated the potential roles of TIFY10/11 proteins in plant responses to alkaline stress. In the current study, we focused on the regulatory roles and possible physiological and molecular basis of the TIFY10 proteins in plant responses to alkaline stress. We demonstrated the positive function of TIFY10s in alkaline responses by using the AtTIFY10a and AtTIFY10b knockout Arabidopsis, as evidenced by the relatively lower germination rates of attify10a and attify10b mutant seeds under alkaline stress. We also revealed that ectopic expression of GsTIFY10a in Medicago sativa promoted plant growth, and increased the NADP-ME activity, citric acid content and free proline content but decreased the MDA content of transgenic plants under alkaline stress. Furthermore, expression levels of the stress responsive genes including NADP-ME, CS, H+-ppase and P5CS were also up-regulated in GsTIFY10a transgenic plants under alkaline stress. Interestingly, GsTIFY10a overexpression increased the jasmonate content of the transgenic alfalfa. In addition, we showed that neither GsTIFY10a nor GsTIFY10e exhibited transcriptional activity in yeast cells. However, through Y2H and BiFc assays, we demonstrated that GsTIFY10a, not GsTIFY10e, could form homodimers in yeast cells and in living plant cells. As expected, we also demonstrated that GsTIFY10a and GsTIFY10e could heterodimerize with each other in both yeast and plant cells. Taken together, our results provided direct evidence supporting the positive regulatory roles of the TIFY10 proteins in plant responses to alkaline stress. PMID:25375909

Temporal coherence of two alpine lake basins of the Colorado Front Range, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baron, Jill S.; Caine, N.

2000-01-01

1. Knowledge of synchrony in trends is important to determining regional responses of lakes to disturbances such as atmospheric deposition and climate change. We explored the temporal coherence of physical and chemical characteristics of two series of mostly alpine lakes in nearby basins of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Using year-to-year variation over a 10-year period, we asked whether lakes more similar in exposure to the atmosphere be-haved more similarly than those with greater influence of catchment or in-lake processes.2. The Green Lakes Valley and Loch Vale Watershed are steeply incised basins with strong altitudinal gradients. There are glaciers at the heads of each catchment. The eight lakes studied are small, shallow and typically ice-covered for more than half the year. Snowmelt is the dominant hydrological event each year, flushing about 70% of the annual discharge from each lake between April and mid-July. The lakes do not thermally stratify during the period of open water. Data from these lakes included surface water temper-ature, sulphate, nitrate, calcium, silica, bicarbonate alkalinity and conductivity.3. Coherence was estimated by Pearson's correlation coefficient between lake pairs for each of the different variables. Despite close geographical proximity, there was not a strong direct signal from climatic or atmospheric conditions across all lakes in the study. Individual lake characteristics overwhelmed regional responses. Temporal coherence was higher for lakes within each basin than between basins and was highest for nearest neighbours.4. Among the Green Lakes, conductivity, alkalinity and temperature were temporally coherent, suggesting that these lakes were sensitive to climate fluctuations. Water tem-perature is indicative of air temperature, and conductivity and alkalinity concentrations are indicative of dilution from the amount of precipitation flushed through by snowmelt.5. In Loch Vale, calcium, conductivity, nitrate, sulphate and alkalinity were temporally coherent, while silica and temperature were not. This suggests that external influences are attenuated by internal catchment and lake processes in Loch Vale lakes. Calcium and sulphate are primarily weathering products, but sulphate derives both from deposition and from mineral weathering. Different proportions of snowmelt versus groundwater in different years could influence summer lake concentrations. Nitrate is elevated in lake waters from atmospheric deposition, but the internal dynamics of nitrate and silica may be controlled by lake food webs. Temperature is attenuated by inconsistently different climates across altitude and glacial meltwaters.6. It appears that, while the lakes in the two basins are topographically close, geologically and morphologically similar, and often connected by streams, only some attributes are temporally coherent. Catchment and in-lake processes influenced temporal patterns, especially for temperature, alkalinity and silica. Montane lakes with high altitudinal gradients may be particularly prone to local controls compared to systems where coherence is more obvious.

n-Type Conductivity of Cu2O Thin Film Prepared in Basic Aqueous Solution Under Hydrothermal Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ursu, Daniel; Miclau, Nicolae; Miclau, Marinela

2018-03-01

We report for the first time in situ hydrothermal synthesis of n-type Cu2O thin film using strong alkaline solution. The use of copper foil as substrate and precursor material, low synthesis temperature and short reaction time represent the arguments of a new, simple, inexpensive and high field synthesis method for the preparation of n-type Cu2O thin film. The donor concentration of n-type Cu2O thin film obtained at 2 h of reaction time has increased two orders of magnitude than previous reported values. We have demonstrated n-type conduction in Cu2O thin film prepared in strong alkaline solution, in the contradiction with the previous works. Based on experimental results, the synthesis mechanism and the origin of n-type photo-responsive behavior of Cu2O thin film were discussed. We have proposed that the unexpected n-type character could be explained by H doping of Cu2O thin film in during of the hydrothermal synthesis that caused the p-to-n conductivity-type conversion. Also, this work raises new questions about the origin of n-type conduction in Cu2O thin film, the influence of the synthesis method on the nature of the intrinsic defects and the electrical conduction behavior.

Chapter A6. Field Measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilde, Franceska D.; Radtke, Dean B.

1998-01-01

The National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data (National Field Manual) provides guidelines and standard procedures for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel who collect data used to assess the quality of the Nation's surface-water and ground-water resources. Chapter A6 presents procedures and guidelines for the collection of data on air and water temperature, and on dissolved-oxygen concentrations, specific electrical conductance, pH, reduction-oxidation potential, alkalinity, and turbidity in water. Each chapter of the National Field Manual is published separately and revised periodically. Newly published and revised chapters are posted on the World Wide Web on the USGS page 'National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data.' The URL for this page is http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/twri9A (accessed August 6, 2005).

Natural contamination with arsenic and other trace elements in groundwater of the Central-West region of Chaco, Argentina.

PubMed

Blanes, Patricia S; Buchhamer, Edgar E; Giménez, María C

2011-01-01

This study covered the central agricultural region of the Chaco province, which lacks a permanent river networks. However, during the rainy period there is localized groundwater recharge. About 84 groundwater samples were taken during the period April-December 2007. These groundwater samples were collected from two different depths: 62 samples from shallow wells (4 to 20 m) and 24 samples from deep wells (20 to 100 m). Chemical variables were determined: pH, specific conductance, total dissolved solid, hardness, alkalinity, HCO(3)-, CO(3)(2-), SO(4)(2-), Cl-, NO(3)-, NO(2) -, NH(4)+, F-, As((tot)), Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. The chemical composition of groundwater in the study area is dominantly sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride bicarbonate, comprising more than 60% (52/86) of shallow and deep groundwater samples. Of the 86 analyzed groundwater samples, 88% exceeded the WHO (World Health Organization) and CAA (Código Alimentario Argentino) standards (10 μg/L) for As (arsenic) and 9% exceeded the WHO standard (1.5 mg/L) for F(-).Groundwater highly contaminated with As (max. 1,073 μg/L) and F- (max. 4.2 mg/L) was found in shallow aquifer. The contaminated groundwater is characterized by high pH (max. 8.9), alkalinity (max. HCO(3)- 1,932 mg/L), SO(4)(2-) (max. 11,862 mg/L), Na(+) (max. 3,158 mg/L), Cl(-) (max. 10,493 mg/L) and electric conductivity greater than 33.3 μS/cm. Other associated elements (Ni, Pb, Cu and Zn) are present in low concentrations, except for Fe that in 32% of samples exceeded the guideline value of 0.3 mg/L suggested by the CAA.

Alkali or alkaline earth metal promoted catalyst and a process for methanol synthesis using alkali or alkaline earth metals as promoters

DOEpatents

Tierney, J.W.; Wender, I.; Palekar, V.M.

1995-01-31

The present invention relates to a novel route for the synthesis of methanol, and more specifically to the production of methanol by contacting synthesis gas under relatively mild conditions in a slurry phase with a heterogeneous catalyst comprising reduced copper chromite impregnated with an alkali or alkaline earth metal. There is thus no need to add a separate alkali or alkaline earth compound. The present invention allows the synthesis of methanol to occur in the temperature range of approximately 100--160 C and the pressure range of 40--65 atm. The process produces methanol with up to 90% syngas conversion per pass and up to 95% methanol selectivity. The only major by-product is a small amount of easily separated methyl formate. Very small amounts of water, carbon dioxide and dimethyl ether are also produced. The present catalyst combination also is capable of tolerating fluctuations in the H[sub 2]/CO ratio without major deleterious effect on the reaction rate. Furthermore, carbon dioxide and water are also tolerated without substantial catalyst deactivation.

[The influence of melatonin and epithalon on blood leukocyte count and leukocyte alkaline phosphatase in rats under different lighting conditions during ontogenesis].

PubMed

Uzenbaeva, L B; Vinogradova, I A; Golubeva, A G; Niuppieva, M G; Iliukha, V A

2008-01-01

The effect of pineal body hormone melatonin and synthetic tetrapeptide epithalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) under different light conditions on leucocytes differential count in rats were investigated. It has been established that melatonin and epithalon decrease the level of blood leucocytes and relative content of band neutrophils in 12 months rats which was higher in the constant light more than in other photoperiod. The melatonin prevents age-specific decreasing blood lymphocytes level in standard photoperiod (12 h light/12 h darkness). Contrary to melatonin, epithalon significantly reduces the number of lymphocytes and increases the number of neutrophils in some age period. The leucocytes alkaline phosphatase activity was increased during aging. Constant light in compare with other light conditions promotes early increasing of alkaline phosphatase activity (at 12 months), associated with accelerated development of pathological process in organism. The melatonin and epithalon adjacency effect on increasing of alkaline phosphatase activity under the standard as well as natural light condition demonstrate homeostatic character of geroprotectors action furthermore depend on leucocytes functional status.

A novel serine alkaline protease from Bacillus altitudinis GVC11 and its application as a dehairing agent.

PubMed

Vijay Kumar, E; Srijana, M; Kiran Kumar, K; Harikrishna, N; Reddy, Gopal

2011-05-01

A serine alkaline protease from a newly isolated alkaliphilic Bacillus altitudinis GVC11 was purified and characterized. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by acetone precipitation, DEAE-cellulose anion exchange chromatography with 7.03-fold increase in specific activity and 15.25% recovery. The molecular weight of alkaline protease was estimated to be 28 kDa by SDS PAGE and activity was further assessed by zymogram analysis. The enzyme was highly active over a wide range of pH 8.5 to 12.5 with an optimum pH of 9.5. The optimum temperature of purified enzyme was 45 °C and Ca(2+) further increased the thermal stability of the enzyme. The enzyme activity was enhanced by Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) and inhibited by Hg(2+). The present study is the first report to examine and describe production of highly alkaline protease from Bacillus altitudinis and also its remarkable dehairing ability of goat hide in 18 h without disturbing the collagen and hair integrity.

Alkali or alkaline earth metal promoted catalyst and a process for methanol synthesis using alkali or alkaline earth metals as promoters

DOEpatents

Tierney, John W.; Wender, Irving; Palekar, Vishwesh M.

1995-01-01

The present invention relates to a novel route for the synthesis of methanol, and more specifically to the production of methanol by contacting synthesis gas under relatively mild conditions in a slurry phase with a heterogeneous catalyst comprising reduced copper chromite impregnated with an alkali or alkaline earth metal. There is thus no need to add a separate alkali or alkaline earth compound. The present invention allows the synthesis of methanol to occur in the temperature range of approximately 100.degree.-160.degree. C. and the pressure range of 40-65 atm. The process produces methanol with up to 90% syngas conversion per pass and up to 95% methanol selectivity. The only major by-product is a small amount of easily separated methyl formate. Very small amounts of water, carbon dioxide and dimethyl ether are also produced. The present catalyst combination also is capable of tolerating fluctuations in the H.sub.2 /CO ratio without major deleterious effect on the reaction rate. Furthermore, carbon dioxide and water are also tolerated without substantial catalyst deactivation.

Imidazolium-Based Polymeric Materials as Alkaline Anion-Exchange Fuel Cell Membranes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narayan, Sri R.; Yen, Shiao-Ping S.; Reddy, Prakash V.; Nair, Nanditha

2012-01-01

Polymer electrolyte membranes that conduct hydroxide ions have potential use in fuel cells. A variety of polystyrene-based quaternary ammonium hydroxides have been reported as anion exchange fuel cell membranes. However, the hydrolytic stability and conductivity of the commercially available membranes are not adequate to meet the requirements of fuel cell applications. When compared with commercially available membranes, polystyrene-imidazolium alkaline membrane electrolytes are more stable and more highly conducting. At the time of this reporting, this has been the first such usage for imidazolium-based polymeric materials for fuel cells. Imidazolium salts are known to be electrochemically stable over wide potential ranges. By controlling the relative ratio of imidazolium groups in polystyrene-imidazolium salts, their physiochemical properties could be modulated. Alkaline anion exchange membranes based on polystyrene-imidazolium hydroxide materials have been developed. The first step was to synthesize the poly(styrene-co-(1-((4-vinyl)methyl)-3- methylimidazolium) chloride through a free-radical polymerization. Casting of this material followed by in situ treatment of the membranes with sodium hydroxide solutions provided the corresponding hydroxide salts. Various ratios of the monomers 4-chloromoethylvinylbenzine (CMVB) and vinylbenzine (VB) provided various compositions of the polymer. The preferred material, due to the relative ease of casting the film, and its relatively low hygroscopic nature, was a 2:1 ratio of CMVB to VB. Testing confirmed that at room temperature, the new membranes outperformed commercially available membranes by a large margin. With fuel cells now in use at NASA and in transportation, and with defense potential, any improvement to fuel cell efficiency is a significant development.

Structural Analysis of the Catalytic Mechanism and Substrate Specificity of Anabaena Alkaline Invertase InvA Reveals a Novel Glucosidase*

PubMed Central

Xie, Jin; Cai, Kun; Hu, Hai-Xi; Jiang, Yong-Liang; Yang, Feng; Hu, Peng-Fei; Cao, Dong-Dong; Li, Wei-Fang; Chen, Yuxing; Zhou, Cong-Zhao

2016-01-01

Invertases catalyze the hydrolysis of sucrose to glucose and fructose, thereby playing a key role in primary metabolism and plant development. According to the optimum pH, invertases are classified into acid invertases (Ac-Invs) and alkaline/neutral invertases (A/N-Invs), which share no sequence homology. Compared with Ac-Invs that have been extensively studied, the structure and catalytic mechanism of A/N-Invs remain unknown. Here we report the crystal structures of Anabaena alkaline invertase InvA, which was proposed to be the ancestor of modern plant A/N-Invs. These structures are the first in the GH100 family. InvA exists as a hexamer in both crystal and solution. Each subunit consists of an (α/α)6 barrel core structure in addition to an insertion of three helices. A couple of structures in complex with the substrate or products enabled us to assign the subsites −1 and +1 specifically binding glucose and fructose, respectively. Structural comparison combined with enzymatic assays indicated that Asp-188 and Glu-414 are putative catalytic residues. Further analysis of the substrate binding pocket demonstrated that InvA possesses a stringent substrate specificity toward the α1,2-glycosidic bond of sucrose. Together, we suggest that InvA and homologs represent a novel family of glucosidases. PMID:27777307

Structural Analysis of the Catalytic Mechanism and Substrate Specificity of Anabaena Alkaline Invertase InvA Reveals a Novel Glucosidase.

PubMed

Xie, Jin; Cai, Kun; Hu, Hai-Xi; Jiang, Yong-Liang; Yang, Feng; Hu, Peng-Fei; Cao, Dong-Dong; Li, Wei-Fang; Chen, Yuxing; Zhou, Cong-Zhao

2016-12-02

Invertases catalyze the hydrolysis of sucrose to glucose and fructose, thereby playing a key role in primary metabolism and plant development. According to the optimum pH, invertases are classified into acid invertases (Ac-Invs) and alkaline/neutral invertases (A/N-Invs), which share no sequence homology. Compared with Ac-Invs that have been extensively studied, the structure and catalytic mechanism of A/N-Invs remain unknown. Here we report the crystal structures of Anabaena alkaline invertase InvA, which was proposed to be the ancestor of modern plant A/N-Invs. These structures are the first in the GH100 family. InvA exists as a hexamer in both crystal and solution. Each subunit consists of an (α/α) 6 barrel core structure in addition to an insertion of three helices. A couple of structures in complex with the substrate or products enabled us to assign the subsites -1 and +1 specifically binding glucose and fructose, respectively. Structural comparison combined with enzymatic assays indicated that Asp-188 and Glu-414 are putative catalytic residues. Further analysis of the substrate binding pocket demonstrated that InvA possesses a stringent substrate specificity toward the α1,2-glycosidic bond of sucrose. Together, we suggest that InvA and homologs represent a novel family of glucosidases. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Dynamics of pH modification of an acidic protein bait used for tropical fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae).

PubMed

Heath, Robert R; Vazquez, Aime; Schnell, Elena Q; Villareal, Janett; Kendra, Paul E; Epsky, Nancy D

2009-12-01

Several species of Anastrepha and Bactrocera fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are captured in traps baited with the protein bait NuLure combined with borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) in an aqueous solution, typically 9% NuLure (vol:vol) with 3% borax (wt:vol). NuLure is an acid hydrolysate of corn and has an acidic pH. Addition of borax makes the solution more alkaline, and increase in alkalinity results in increase of ammonia release from the bait solution. This is a very dynamic system, with resultant pH affected by factors such as the amount of borax added, the pH of the water used for preparation, the age of the bait solution, and the development of microbial growth. Problems with borax include amount needed to increase alkalinity of NuLure solutions, which creates difficulties in disposing of spent bait in fruit fly trapping programs. Therefore, research was conducted to evaluate NaOH as an alternative method to increase alkalinity of NuLure solutions. Laboratory experiments compared effect of NaOH versus borax for pH modification on changes in pH and ammonia content of NuLure solutions over time. Although NuLure/NaOH solutions could be adjusted to a more alkaline pH than NuLure/borax solutions, borax plays a critical role in pH stability over time. However, the pH of NuLure/NaOH is stabilized when propylene glycol (10% vol:vol) was used to prepare the bait solution. The use of NaOH can provide an alternative to the use of borax to increase bait solution alkalinity.

Identification of rat serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme by means of wheat germ agglutinin.

PubMed

Wada, H; Niwa, N; Hayakawa, T; Tsuge, H

1997-01-01

Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) precipitates bone type serum alkaline phosphatase (sALP) isoenzyme specifically. The precipitates are composed of the macromolecules of WGA and "bone type sALP" (WGA-ALP complex). In order to use bone type sALP as a marker in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), a method to separate "bone type sALP" from the "WGA-ALP complex" was established by using N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc)-Sepharose 6E column chromatography. It was concluded that this method is useful for clinical examination in the rat.

Purification and characterization of a novel alkaline β-1,3-1,4-glucanase (lichenase) from thermophilic fungus Malbranchea cinnamomea.

PubMed

Yang, Shaoqing; Xiong, Hao; Yan, Qiaojuan; Yang, Hongye; Jiang, Zhengqiang

2014-10-01

A novel alkaline β-1,3-1,4-glucanase (McLic1) from a thermophilic fungus, Malbranchea cinnamomea, was purified and biochemically characterized. McLic1 was purified to homogeneity with a purification fold of 3.1 and a recovery yield of 3.7 %. The purified enzyme was most active at pH 10.0 and 55 °C, and exhibited a wide range of pH stability (pH 4.0-10.0). McLic1 displayed strict substrate specificity for barley β-glucan, oat β-glucan and lichenan, but did not show activity towards other tested polysaccharides and synthetic p-nitrophenyl derivates, suggesting that it is a specific β-1,3-1,4-glucanase. The K m values for barley β-glucan, oat β-glucan and lichenan were determined to be 0.69, 1.11 and 0.63 mg mL(-1), respectively. Moreover, the enzyme was stable in various non ionic surfactants, oxidizing agents and several commercial detergents. Thus, the alkaline β-1,3-1,4-glucanase may have potential in industrial applications, such as detergent, paper and pulp industries.

Genome-wide identification of genes involved in polyamine biosynthesis and the role of exogenous polyamines in Malus hupehensis Rehd. under alkaline stress.

PubMed

Gong, Xiaoqing; Dou, Fangfang; Cheng, Xi; Zhou, Jing; Zou, Yangjun; Ma, Fengwang

2018-08-30

Polyamines (PAs) in plants are growth substrates with functions similar to phytohormones. Although they contribute to diverse processes, little is known about their role in stress responses, especially for perennial woody plants. We conducted a genome-wide investigation of 18 sequences involved in PA biosynthesis in the genome of apple (Malus domestica). Further analysis was performed to construct a phylogenetic tree, analyze their protein motifs and gene structures. In addition, we developed their expression profiles in response to stressed conditions. Both MDP0000171041 (MdSAMDC1) and MDP0000198590 (MdSPDS1) were induced by alkaline, salt, ABA, cold, and dehydration stress treatments, suggesting that these genes are the main contributors to activities of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.50) and spermidine synthase (EC 2.5.1.16) in apple. Changes in PA biosynthesis under stress conditions indicated that spermidine and spermine are more essential than putrescine for apple, especially when responding to alkaline or salt stress. When seedlings of M. hupehensis Rehd. were supplied with exogenous PAs, their leaves showed less chlorosis under alkaline stress when compared with untreated plants. This application also inhibited the decline in SPAD levels and reduced relative electrolyte leakage in those stressed seedlings, while increasing their concentration of active iron. These results suggest that the alteration in PA biosynthesis confers enhanced tolerance to alkaline stress in M. hupehensis Rehd. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Alkaline fuel cell performance investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, R. E.; Manzo, M. A.

1988-01-01

An exploratory experimental fuel cell test program was conducted to investigate the performance characteristics of alkaline laboratory research electrodes. The objective of this work was to establish the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration upon performance and evaluate candidate cathode configurations having the potential for improved performance. The performance characterization tests provided data to empirically establish the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration upon performance for cell temperatures up to 300 F and reactant pressures up to 200 psia. Evaluation of five gold alloy cathode catalysts revealed that three doped gold alloys had more that two times the surface areas of reference cathodes and therefore offered the best potential for improved performance.

Alkaline fuel cell performance investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, R. E.; Manzo, M. A.

1988-01-01

An exploratory experimental fuel cell test program was conducted to investigate the performance characteristics of alkaline laboratory research electrodes. The objective of this work was to establish the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration upon performance and evaluate candidate cathode configurations having the potential for improved performance. The performance characterization tests provided data to empirically establish the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration upon performance for cell temperatures up to 300 F and reactant pressures up to 200 psia. Evaluation of five gold alloy cathode catalysts revealed that three doped gold alloys had more than two times the surface areas of reference cathodes and therefore offered the best potential for improved performance.

Purification and characterization of an alkaline protease Prot 1 from Botrytis cinerea : biodetergent catalyst assay.

PubMed

Abidi, Ferid; Limam, Ferid; Marzouki, M Nejib

2007-01-01

Alkaline thiol protease named Prot 1 was isolated from a culture filtrate of Botrytis cinerea. The enzyme was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration, and ion-exchange chromatography. Thus, the enzyme was purified to homogeneity with specific activity of 30-fold higher than that of the crude broth. The purified alkaline protease has an apparent molecular mass of 43 kDa under denaturing conditions as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The native molecular mass (45 kDa), determined by gel filtration, indicated that the alkaline protease has a monomeric form. The purified protease was biochemically characterized. The enzyme is active at alkaline pH and has a suitable and high thermostability. The optimal pH and temperature for activity were 9.0-10.0 and 60 degrees C, respectively. This protease was stable between pH 5.0 and 12.0. The enzyme retained 85% of its activity by treatment at 50 degrees C over 120 min; it maintained 50% of activity after 60 min of heating at 60 degrees C. Furthermore, the protease retained almost complete activity after 4 wk storage at 25 degrees C. The activity was significantly affected by thiol protease inhibitors, suggesting that the enzyme belongs to the alkaline thiol protease family. With the aim on industrial applications, we focused on studying the stability of the protease in several conditions. Prot 1 activity was not affected by ionic strength and different detergent additives, and, thus, the protease shows remarkable properties as a biodetergent catalyst.

Changes in digestive enzyme activities during larval development of Chinese loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus (Dabry de Thiersant, 1872).

PubMed

Zhang, Yun-Long; Wu, Qiao-Wan; Hu, Wei-Hua; Wang, Fan; Zhao, Zhong-Bo; He, Hui; Shao, Wei-Han; Fan, Qi-Xue

2015-12-01

The digestive physiology of Chinese loach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus) was studied by assessing the specific and total activities of different pancreatic (trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase), gastric (pepsin) and intestinal (alkaline phosphatase and leucine-aminopeptidase) enzymes from hatching to 40 days after hatching (DAH). Larvae were reared at 24.4 ± 0.4 °C and fed with rotifers from mouth opening (4 DAH) to 15 DAH, from 10 to 35 DAH with Cladocera and from 30 to 40 DAH with compound diet. Enzyme activities for trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase were detected before the onset of exogenous feeding, indicating that these enzymes were genetically pre-programmed. Most of the pancreatic enzyme specific activities increased until 20 DAH and decreased thereafter. The pepsin activity of Chinese loach was firstly detected at 30 DAH, indicating the appearance of functional gastric gland. Alkaline phosphatase specific activity was detected from hatching onward, showed marked increase and reached the second peak at 20 DAH, while a gradual increase in specific leucine-aminopeptidase activity was observed until the end of the experiment. Accordingly, the larvae of Chinese loach possess a functional digestive system before the onset of exogenous feeding and the digestive capacity gradually increases as development progresses. The abrupt increase in intestinal enzyme activities between 10 and 20 DAH demonstrates onset of juvenile-like digestive mode in Chinese loach larvae. The increase in pepsin activity after 30 DAH indicates the shift from alkaline to acidic digestion in Chinese loach larvae, which may be considered as the onset of weaning.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT; RECHARGEABLE ALKALINE HOUSEHOLD BATTERY SYSTEM; RAYOVAC CORPORATION, RENEWAL

EPA Science Inventory

The EPA's ETV Program, in partnership with recognized testing organizations, objectively and systematically documents the performance of commercial ready technologies. Together, with the full participation of the technology developer, develop plans, conduct tests, collect and ana...

When should we test for voltage-gated potassium channel complex antibodies? A retrospective case control study.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, B J; Steele, T; Ellul, M A; Kirby, E; Duale, A; Kier, G; Crooks, D; Jacob, A; Solomon, T; Michael, B D

2016-11-01

Patients with voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC)-complex antibodies are increasingly recognized as having central, peripheral or combined phenotypes. With increasing awareness, more patients are tested and the clinical spectrum is expanding. Consequently, clinicians may be uncertain as to which patients should or should not be tested. Previous studies have identified common clinical features, but none has looked at the usefulness of these in predicting seropositive disease. We conducted a case-control study of patients tested for VGKC-complex antibodies over 10years at a regional tertiary neurology centre determining which clinical/biochemical features were associated with antibody-positive disease. We found a marked increase in the numbers tested, although the percentage positive remained low. Antibody titre was highest in central disease (p<0.001). Time from presentation to testing was shorter in those with VGKC-disease (p=0.01). Seizures were present in 11 (69%) of those with VGKC-disease versus three (18%) without (odds ratio [OR] 10.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0-52.7, p=0.005). There was an inverse correlation between the antibody titre and serum sodium. A multivariate model selected seizures and hyponatraemia as predictive of VGKC disease (sensitivity 75% and specificity 82%); faciobrachial dystonic movements were specific but insensitive. Interestingly serum alkaline phosphatase was higher in those with VGKC-disease (p=0.016) and highest in those with peripheral disease (p=0.015). An ALP>70u/L was strongly associated with antibody positivity (OR 4.11 95% CI: 1.43-11.8, p=0.007) with a sensitivity of 74.2%. The presence of seizures, faciobrachial movements, and hyponatraemia should raise suspicion of VGKC-disease; alkaline phosphatase may represent a novel biomarker, particularly in those with peripheral disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Downscaling Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in a Subtropical Reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Y.

2011-12-01

This research was conducted by downscaling study to understand phosphorus (P)-deficient status of different plankton and the role of alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in subtropical Feitsui Reservoir. Results from field survey showed that bulk APA (1.6~95.2 nM h-1) was widely observed in the epilimnion (0~20 m) with an apparent seasonal variations, suggesting that plankton in the system were subjected to P-deficient seasonally. Mixed layer depth (an index of phosphate availability) is the major factor influencing the variation of bulk APA and specific APA (124~1,253 nmol mg C-1 h-1), based on multiple linear regression analysis. Size-fractionated APA assays showed that picoplankton (size 0.2~3 um) contributed most of the bulk APA in the system. In addition, single-cell APA detected by enzyme-labeled fluorescence (ELF) assay indicated that heterotrophic bacteria are the major contributors of APA. Thus, we can infer that bacteria play an important role in accelerating P-cycle within P-deficient systems. Light/nutrient manipulation bioassays showed that bacterial growth was directly controlled by phosphate, while picocyanobacterial growth is controlled by light and can out-compete bacteria under P-limited condition with the aid of light. Further analysis revealed that the strength of summer typhoon is a factor responsible for the inter-annual variability of bulk and specific APA. APA study demonstrated the episodic events (e.g. strong typhoon and extreme precipitation) had significant influence on APA variability in sub-tropical to tropical aquatic ecosystems. Hence, the results herein will allow future studies on monitoring typhoon disturbance (intensity and frequency) as well as the APA of plankton during summer-to-autumn in subtropical systems.

Effects of low-level radioactive-waste disposal on water chemistry in the unsaturated zone at a site near Sheffield, Illinois, 1982-84

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, C.A.; Striegl, Robert G.; Mills, P.C.; Healy, R.W.

1992-01-01

A 1982-84 field study defined the chemistry of water collected from the unsaturated zone at a low-level radioactive-waste disposal site near Sheffield, Bureau County, Ill. Chemical data were evaluated to determine the principal, naturally occurring geochemical reactions in the unsaturated zone and to evaluate waste-induced effects on pore-water chemistry. Samples of precipitation, unsaturated-zone pore water, and saturated-zone water were analyzed for specific conductance, pH, alkalinity, major cations and anions, dissolved organic carbon, gross alpha and beta radiation, and tritium. Little change in concentration of most major constituents in the unsaturated-zone water was observed with respect to depth or distance from disposal trenches. Tritium and dissolved organic carbon concentrations were, however, dependent on proximity to trenches. The primary reactions, both on-site and off-site, were carbonate and clay dissolution, cation exchange, and the oxidation of pyrite. The major difference between on-site and off-site inorganic water chemistry resulted from the removal of the Roxana Silt and the Radnor Till Member of the Glasford Formation from on-site. Off-site, the Roxana Silt contributed substantial quantities of sodium to solution from montmorillonite dissolution and associated cation-exchange reactions. The Radnor Till Member provided exchange surfaces for magnesium. Precipitation at the site had an ionic composition of calcium zinc sulfate and an average pH of 4.6. Within 0.3 meter of the land surface, infiltrating rainwater or snowmelt changed to an ionic composition of calcium sulfate off-site and calcium bicarbonate on-site and had an average pH of 7.9; below that depth, pH averaged 7.5 and the ionic composition generally was calcium magnesium bicarbonate. Alkalinity and specific conductance differed primarily according to composition of geologic materials. Tritium concentrations ranged from 0.2 (detection limit) to 1,380 nanocuries per liter. The methods of constructing, installing, and sampling with lysimeters were evaluated to ensure data reliability. These evaluations indicate that, with respect to most constituents, the samples retrieved from the lysimeters accurately represented pore-water chemistry.

Effects of low-level radioactive-waste disposal on water chemistry in the unsaturated zone at a site near Sheffield, Illinois, 1982-84

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, C.A.; Striegl, Robert G.; Mills, P.C.; Healy, R.W.

1992-01-01

A 1982-84 field study defined the chemistry of water collected from the unsaturated zone at a low-level radioactive-waste disposal site near Sheffield, Bureau County, Illinois. Chemical data were evaluated to determine the principal naturally occurring geochemical reactions in the unsaturated zone and to evaluate waste-induced effects on pore-water chemistry. Samples of precipitation, unsaturated-zone pore water, and saturated-zone water were analyzed for specific conductance, pH, alkalinity, major cations and anions, dissolved organic carbon, gross alpha and beta radiation, and tritium. Little change in concentration of most major constituents in the unsaturated-zone water was observed with respect to depth or distance from disposal trenches. Tritium and dissolved organic carbon concentrations were, however, dependent on proximity to trenches. The primary reactions, both on- site and off-site, were carbonate and clay dissolution, cation exchange, and the oxidation of pyrite. The major difference between on-site and off-site inorganic water chemistry resulted from the removal of the Roxana Silt and the Radnor Till Member of the Glasford Formation from on-site. Off-site, the Roxana Silt contributed substantial quantities of sodium to solution from montmorillonite dissolution and associated cation-exchange reactions. The Radnor Till Member provided exchange surfaces for magnesium. Precipitation at the site had an ionic composition of calcium zinc sulfate and an average pH of 4.6. Within 0.3 meter of the land surface, infiltrating rain water or snowmelt changed to an ionic canposition of calcium sulfate off-site and calcium bicarbonate on-site and had an average pH of 7.9; below that depth, pH averaged 7.5 and the ionic composition generally was calcium magnesium bicarbonate. Alkalinity and specific conductance differed primarily according to composition of geologic materials. Tritium concentrations ranged from 0.2 (detection limit) to 1,380 nanocuries per liter. The methods of constructing, installing, and sampling with lysimeters were evaluated to ensure data reliability. These evaluations indicate that, with respect to most constituents, the samples retrieved from the lysimeters accurately represented pore-water chemistry.

Development of composite membranes of PVA-TEOS doped KOH for alkaline membrane fuel cell

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

Haryadi,, E-mail: haryadi@polban.ac.id; Sugianto, D.; Ristopan, E.

2015-12-29

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an important role in separating fuel and oxygen (or air) in the Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells. Preparation of hybrid organic inorganic materials of Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) - Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) composite membrane doped KOH for direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell application has been investigated. The sol-gel method has been used to prepare the composite membrane of PVA-TEOS through crosslinking step and catalyzed by concentrated of hydrochloric acid. The gel solution was cast on the membrane plastic plate to obtain membrane sheets. The dry membranes were then doped by immersing in various concentrations of KOH solutions for aboutmore » 4 hours. Investigations of the cross-linking process and the presence of hydroxyl group were conducted by FTIR as shown for frequency at about 1600 cm{sup −1} and 3300 cm{sup −1} respectively. The degree of swelling in ethanol decreased as the KOH concentration for membrane soaking process increased. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was 0.25meq/g. This composite membranes display significant ionic conductivity of 3.23 x 10{sup −2} S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. In addition, the morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the membrane indicates that soaking process of membrane in KOH increased thermal resistant.« less

Degradation Kinetics Study of Alogliptin Benzoate in Alkaline Medium by Validated Stability-Indicating HPTLC Method.

PubMed

Bodiwala, Kunjan Bharatkumar; Shah, Shailesh; Thakor, Jeenal; Marolia, Bhavin; Prajapati, Pintu

2016-11-01

A rapid, sensitive, and stability-indicating high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method was developed and validated to study degradation kinetics of Alogliptin benzoate (ALG) in an alkaline medium. ALG was degraded under acidic, alkaline, oxidative, and thermal stress conditions. The degraded samples were chromatographed on silica gel 60F254-TLC plates, developed using a quaternary-solvent system (chloroform-methanol-ethyl acetate-triethyl amine, 9+1+1+0.5, v/v/v/v), and scanned at 278 nm. The developed method was validated per International Conference on Harmonization guidelines using validation parameters such as specificity, linearity and range, precision, accuracy, LOD, and LOQ. The linearity range for ALG was 100-500 ng/band (correlation coefficient = 0.9997) with an average recovery of 99.47%. The LOD and LOQ for ALG were 9.8 and 32.7 ng/band, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for the quantitative estimation of ALG in its synthetic mixture with common excipients. Degradation kinetics of ALG in an alkaline medium was studied by degrading it under three different temperatures and three different concentrations of alkali. Degradation of ALG in the alkaline medium was found to follow first-order kinetics. Contour plots have been generated to predict degradation rate constant, half-life, and shelf life of ALG in various combinations of temperature and concentration of alkali using Design Expert software.

Enhanced NO2 abatement by alkaline-earth modified g-C3N4 nanocomposites for efficient air purification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papailias, Ilias; Todorova, Nadia; Giannakopoulou, Tatiana; Karapati, Sofia; Boukos, Nikos; Dimotikali, Dimitra; Trapalis, Christos

2018-02-01

The emission of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a major problem encountered in photocatalytic NOx removal for air purification. Although the oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) has been extensively studied, the elimination of NO2 byproduct is still in preliminary stage. In this work, alkaline-earth modified graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is proposed for efficient NOx removal by minimizing the emission of NO2 during the NO oxidation process. The novel photocatalysts were synthesized by annealing mixtures of melamine and various alkaline-earth acetates (magnesium, calcium and barium acetate) at 550 °C for 3 h. The specific surface area of the photocatalysts varied between 4.65 and 11.81 m2/g. The formation of MgO, CaCO3 and BaCO3 was demonstrated by XPS and FT-IR analyses. The initial concentration of each alkaline-earth precursor was 5 and 10 wt%, while the final metal concentration in the nanocomposites was in the range of 7.19-22.39 wt%. The modified photocatalysts showed slightly reduced NO oxidation ability. However, the overall air quality was significantly improved by restraining the NO2 emission. The results were related to the basic character of the nanocomposites due to the presence of alkaline-earths and their enhanced NO2 adsorption capability.

Realm of Thermoalkaline Lipases in Bioprocess Commodities

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

For decades, microbial lipases are notably used as biocatalysts and efficiently catalyze various processes in many important industries. Biocatalysts are less corrosive to industrial equipment and due to their substrate specificity and regioselectivity they produced less harmful waste which promotes environmental sustainability. At present, thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases have gained enormous interest as biocatalyst due to their stability and robustness under high temperature and alkaline environment operation. Several characteristics of the thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases are discussed. Their molecular weight and resistance towards a range of temperature, pH, metal, and surfactants are compared. Their industrial applications in biodiesel, biodetergents, biodegreasing, and other types of bioconversions are also described. This review also discusses the advance of fermentation process for thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases production focusing on the process development in microorganism selection and strain improvement, culture medium optimization via several optimization techniques (i.e., one-factor-at-a-time, surface response methodology, and artificial neural network), and other fermentation parameters (i.e., inoculums size, temperature, pH, agitation rate, dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), and aeration rate). Two common fermentation techniques for thermostable and alkaline tolerant lipases production which are solid-state and submerged fermentation methods are compared and discussed. Recent optimization approaches using evolutionary algorithms (i.e., Genetic Algorithm, Differential Evolution, and Particle Swarm Optimization) are also highlighted in this article. PMID:29666707

N-doped carbon@Ni-Al2O3 nanosheet array@graphene oxide composite as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Juan; Qiu, Tian; Chen, Xu; Lu, Yanluo; Yang, Wensheng

2015-10-01

An NiAl-layered double-hydroxide (NiAl-LDH) nanosheet array is grown on a graphene oxide (GO) substrate (NiAl-LDH@GO) by the hydrothermal method. The NiAl-LDH@GO is used as the precursor to synthetize an N-doped carbon@Ni-Al2O3 nanosheet array@GO composite (N-C@Ni-Al2O3@GO) by coating with dopamine followed by calcination. The N-C@Ni-Al2O3@GO is used as a non-noble metal electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline medium, and exhibits high electrocatalytic activity with low onset overpotential (-75 mV). The improved electrocatalytic performance of N-C@Ni-Al2O3@GO arises from its intrinsic features. First, it has a high specific surface area with the Ni nanoparticles in the composite dispersed well and the sizes of Ni nanoparticles are small, which lead to the exposure of more active sites for electrocatalysis. Second, there is a synergistic effect between the Ni nanoparticles and the N-C coating layer, which is beneficial to reduce the activation energy of the Volmer step and improve the electrocatalytic activity. Third, the N-C coating layer and the XC-72 additive can form an electrically conductive network, which serves as a bridge for the transfer of electrons from the electrode to the Ni nanoparticles.

The effects of garlic-supplemented diets on skin mucosal immune responses, stress resistance and growth performance of the Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus) fry.

PubMed

Ghehdarijani, Mahbubeh Salmanian; Hajimoradloo, Abdolmajid; Ghorbani, Rasol; Roohi, Zahra

2016-02-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of garlic supplementation on some skin mucus immune parameters, mucus antimicrobial activity and growth performance of the Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus caspicus) fry. Fish (1 ± 0.07 g) were divided into four groups fed diets containing 0 (control), 5, 10 and 15 g kg(-1) garlic for 8 weeks. The results showed that there was a significant increase in weight gain and specific growth rate in those fish fed garlic diets compared with the control (P < 0.05). Condition factor was not significantly affected by garlic dosage. At the end of trial, the epidermal mucus protein level, alkaline phosphatase and antimicrobial activity against 2 g-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens) and gram-positive bacteria (Streptococcus faecium and Micrococcus luteus) were measured. Skin mucus alkaline phosphatase, protein levels and antimicrobial activity were increased following garlic administration, and the bacterial growth inhibition zones were significantly elevated in garlic-fed fish (P < 0.05). In salinity stress experiment, no differences were observed for survival rate among the experimental diets. No mortality was recorded during the feeding trial. These results indicated that dietary garlic beneficially affects the skin mucus immune parameters and growth performance of the Caspian roach fry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of rice starch and protein obtained by a fast alkaline extraction method.

PubMed

Souza, Daiana de; Sbardelotto, Arthur Francisco; Ziegler, Denize Righetto; Marczak, Ligia Damasceno Ferreira; Tessaro, Isabel Cristina

2016-01-15

This study evaluated the characteristics of rice starch and protein obtained by a fast alkaline extraction method on rice flour (RF) derived from broken rice. The extraction was conducted using 0.18% NaOH at 30°C for 30min followed by centrifugation to separate the starch rich and the protein rich fractions. This fast extraction method allowed to obtain an isoelectric precipitation protein concentrate (IPPC) with 79% protein and a starchy product with low protein content. The amino acid content of IPPC was practically unchanged compared to the protein in RF. The proteins of the IPPC underwent denaturation during extraction and some of the starch suffered the cold gelatinization phenomenon, due to the alkaline treatment. With some modifications, the fast method can be interesting in a technological point of view as it enables process cost reduction and useful ingredients obtention to the food and chemical industries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interpreting sperm DNA damage in a diverse range of mammalian sperm by means of the two-tailed comet assay

PubMed Central

Cortés-Gutiérrez, Elva I.; López-Fernández, Carmen; Fernández, José Luis; Dávila-Rodríguez, Martha I.; Johnston, Stephen D.; Gosálvez, Jaime

2014-01-01

Key Concepts The two-dimensional Two-Tailed Comet assay (TT-comet) protocol is a valuable technique to differentiate between single-stranded (SSBs) and double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) on the same sperm cell.Protein lysis inherent with the TT-comet protocol accounts for differences in sperm protamine composition at a species-specific level to produce reliable visualization of sperm DNA damage.Alkaline treatment may break the sugar–phosphate backbone in abasic sites or at sites with deoxyribose damage, transforming these lesions into DNA breaks that are also converted into ssDNA. These lesions are known as Alkali Labile Sites “ALSs.”DBD–FISH permits the in situ visualization of DNA breaks, abasic sites or alkaline-sensitive DNA regions.The alkaline comet single assay reveals that all mammalian species display constitutive ALS related with the requirement of the sperm to undergo transient changes in DNA structure linked with chromatin packing.Sperm DNA damage is associated with fertilization failure, impaired pre-and post- embryo implantation and poor pregnancy outcome.The TT is a valuable tool for identifying SSBs or DSBs in sperm cells with DNA fragmentation and can be therefore used for the purposes of fertility assessment. Sperm DNA damage is associated with fertilization failure, impaired pre-and post- embryo implantation and poor pregnancy outcome. A series of methodologies to assess DNA damage in spermatozoa have been developed but most are unable to differentiate between single-stranded DNA breaks (SSBs) and double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) on the same sperm cell. The two-dimensional Two-Tailed Comet assay (TT-comet) protocol highlighted in this review overcomes this limitation and emphasizes the importance in accounting for the difference in sperm protamine composition at a species-specific level for the appropriate preparation of the assay. The TT-comet is a modification of the original comet assay that uses a two dimensional electrophoresis to allow for the simultaneous evaluation of DSBs and SSBs in mammalian spermatozoa. Here we have compiled a retrospective overview of how the TT-comet assay has been used to investigate the structure and function of sperm DNA across a diverse range of mammalian species (eutheria, metatheria, and prototheria). When conducted as part of the TT-comet assay, we illustrate (a) how the alkaline comet single assay has been used to help understand the constitutive and transient changes in DNA structure associated with chromatin packing, (b) the capacity of the TT-comet to differentiate between the presence of SSBs and DSBs (c) and the possible implications of SSBs or DSBs for the assessment of infertility. PMID:25505901

Evaluation of a liquid chromatography method for compound-specific δ13C analysis of plant carbohydrates in alkaline media.

PubMed

Rinne, Katja T; Saurer, Matthias; Streit, Kathrin; Siegwolf, Rolf T W

2012-09-30

Isotope analysis of carbohydrates is important for improved understanding of plant carbon metabolism and plant physiological response to the environment. High-performance liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HPLC/IRMS) for direct compound-specific δ(13)C measurements of soluble carbohydrates has recently been developed, but the still challenging sample preparation and the fact that no single method is capable of separating all compounds of interest hinder its wide-spread application. Here we tested in detail a chromatography method in alkaline media. We examined the most suitable chromatographic conditions for HPLC/IRMS analysis of carbohydrates in aqueous conifer needle extracts using a CarboPac PA20 anion-exchange column with NaOH eluent, paying specific attention to compound yields, carbon isotope fractionation processes and the reproducibility of the method. Furthermore, we adapted and calibrated sample preparation methods for HPLC/IRMS analysis. OnGuard II cartridges were used for sample purification. Good peak separation and highly linear and reproducible concentration and δ(13)C measurements were obtained. The alkaline eluent was observed to induce isomerization of hexoses, detected as reduced yields and (13)C fractionation of the affected compounds. A reproducible pre-purification method providing ~100% yield for the carbohydrate compounds of interest was calibrated. The good level of peak separation obtained in this study is reflected in the good precision and linearity of concentration and δ(13)C results. The data provided crucial information on the behaviour of sugars in LC analysis with alkaline media. The observations highlight the importance for the application of compound-matched standard solution for the detection and correction of instrumental biases in concentration and δ(13)C analysis performed under identical chromatographic conditions. The calibrated pre-purification method is well suited for studies with complex matrices that disable the use of a spiked internal standard for the detection of procedural losses. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of copper toxicity using site specific algae and water chemistry: Field validation of laboratory bioassays.

PubMed

Fawaz, Elyssa G; Salam, Darine A; Kamareddine, Lina

2018-07-15

Studies of metal toxicity to microalgae have predominantly been conducted using single non-target algae species and without due regard for the chemistry of the treated waters, leading to ineffective or excessive algaecide treatments. In this study, indigenous multi-algal species (Scenedesmus quadricauda, and Scenedesmus subspicatus and Oscillatoria agardhii) were used in laboratory toxicity bioassays under simulated field water chemistry (pH = 7.2, hardness = 196 mg L -1 as CaCO 3 , and alkalinity = 222 mg L -1 as CaCO 3 ) to determine the optimum copper sulfate treatment dose to control algae growth in an irrigation canal. Toxicity bioassays were conducted using copper sulfate in chelated (with EDTA) and non-chelated (without EDTA) forms to assess the influence of the use of synthetic chelators in toxicity studies. Also, copper toxicity to the indigenous algae species was measured in the non-modified EPA test medium (pH = 7.5, hardness = 92 mg L -1 as CaCO 3 , alkalinity = 10 mg L -1 as CaCO 3 and EDTA= 300 µg L -1 ) to assess the impact of the water chemistry on algae inhibitory algal dosages. Under simulated water chemistry conditions, lower toxicity was measured in the test flasks with the chelated form of copper (96 h- EC 50 = 386.67 µg L -1 as Cu) as compared to those with the non-chelated metal (96 h-EC 50 = 217.17 µg L -1 as Cu). In addition, higher copper toxicity was measured in the test flasks prepared with the non-modified EPA medium using chelated copper (96 h-EC 50 = 65.93 µg L -1 as Cu) as compared to their analogous microcosms with modified water chemistry (96 h-EC 50 = 386.67 µg L -1 as Cu), the increased water hardness and alkalinity in the latter case contributing to the decrease of the metal bioavailability. Results from laboratory experiments showed good correlation with copper dosages used in a small scale field testing to control algae growth, increasing confidence in laboratory bioassays. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Water-quality characteristics and trend analyses for the Tongue, Powder, Cheyenne, and Belle Fourche River drainage basins, Wyoming and Montana, for selected periods, water years 1991 through 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Melanie L.

2012-01-01

The Powder River structural basin in northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana is an area of ongoing coalbed natural gas (CBNG) development. Waters produced during CBNG development are managed with a variety of techniques, including surface impoundments and discharges into stream drainages. The interaction of CBNG-produced waters with the atmosphere and the semiarid soils of the Powder River structural basin can affect water chemistry in several ways. Specific conductance and sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) of CBNG-produced waters that are discharged to streams have been of particular concern because they have the potential to affect the use of the water for irrigation. Water-quality monitoring has been conducted since 2001 at main-stem and tributary sites in the Tongue, Powder, Cheyenne, and Belle Fourche River drainage basins in response to concerns about CBNG effects. A study was conducted to summarize characteristics of stream-water quality for water years 2001–10 (October 1, 2000, to September 30, 2010) and examine trends in specific conductance, SAR, and primary constituents that contribute to specific conductance and SAR for changes through time (water years 1991–2010) that may have occurred as a result of CBNG development. Specific conductance and SAR are the focus characteristics of this report. Dissolved calcium, magnesium, and sodium, which are primary contributors to specific conductance and SAR, as well as dissolved alkalinity, chloride, and sulfate, which are other primary contributors to specific conductance, also are described. Stream-water quality in the Tongue, Powder, Cheyenne, and Belle Fourche River drainage basins was variable during water years 2001–10, in part because of variations in streamflow. In general, annual runoff was less than average during water years 2001–06 and near or above average during water years 2007–10. Stream water of the Tongue River had the smallest specific conductance values, sodium adsorption ratios, and major ion concentrations of the main-stem streams. Sites in the Tongue River drainage basin typically had the smallest range of specific conductance and SAR values. The water chemistry of sites in the Powder River drainage basin generally was the most variable as a result of diverse characteristics of that basin. Plains tributaries in the Powder River drainage basin had the largest range of specific conductance and SAR values, in part due to the many tributaries that receive CBNG-produced waters. Trends were analyzed using the seasonal Kendall test with flow-adjusted concentrations to determine changes to water quality through time at sites in the Tongue, Powder, Cheyenne, and Belle Fourche River drainage basins. Trends were evaluated for water years 2001–10 for 17 sites, which generally were on the main-stem streams and primary tributaries. Trends were evaluated for water years 2005–10 for 26 sites to increase the spatial coverage of sites. Trends were evaluated for water years 1991–2010 for eight sites to include water-quality data collected prior to widespread CBNG development and expand the temporal context of trends. Consistent patterns were not observed in trend results for water years 2001–10 for flow-adjusted specific conductance and SAR values in the Tongue, Powder, and Belle Fourche River drainage basins. Significant (p-values less than 0.05) upward trends in flow-adjusted specific conductance values were determined for 3 sites, a downward trend was determined for 1 site, and no significant (p-value greater than 0.05) trends were determined for 13 sites. One of the sites with a significant upward trend was the Tongue River at the Wyoming-Montana State line. No trend in flow-adjusted specific conductance values was determined for the Powder River at Moorhead, Mont. Significant upward trends in flow-adjusted SAR values were determined for 2 sites and no significant trends were determined for 15 sites. No trends in flow-adjusted SAR values were determined for the Tongue River at the Wyoming-Montana State line or for the Powder River at Moorhead, Mont. One of the sites with a significant upward trend in flow-adjusted SAR values was the Powder River at Arvada, Wyo. For water years 2005–10, significant upward trends in flow-adjusted specific conductance values were determined no significant trends were determined for 13 sites. A significant upward trend was determined for flow-adjusted specific conductance values for the Tongue River at the Wyoming-Montana State line. No trend in flow-adjusted specific conductance values was determined for the Powder River at Moorhead, Mont. Significant upward trends in flow-adjusted SAR values were determined for 4 sites, downward trends were determined for 5 sites, and no significant trend was determined for 17 sites. No trends in flow-adjusted SAR values were determined for the Tongue River at the Wyoming-Montana State line or for the Powder River at Moorhead, Mont. Results of the seasonal Kendall test applied to flow-adjusted specific conductance values for water years 1991–2010 indicated no significant trend for eight sites in the Tongue, Powder, and Belle Fourche River drainage basins. No significant trend in flow-adjusted specific conductance was determined for the Tongue River at the Wyoming-Montana State line or the Powder River at Moorhead, Mont. Results of the seasonal Kendall test applied to flow-adjusted SAR values for water years 1991–2010 indicated an upward trend for one site and no significant trend for four sites in the Powder and Belle Fourche River drainage basins. The significant upward trend in flow-adjusted SAR values was determined for the Powder River at Arvada, Wyo., for water years 1991–2010. Results indicate that CBNG development in the Powder River structural basin may have contributed to some trends, such as the upward trend in flow-adjusted SAR for the Powder River at Arvada, Wyo., for water years 1991–2010. An upward trend in flow-adjusted alkalinity concentrations for water years 2001–10 also was determined for the Powder River at Arvada, Wyo. Trend results are consistent with changes that can occur from the addition of sodium and bicarbonate associated with CBNG-produced waters to the Powder River. Upward trends in constituents at other sites, including the Belle Fourche River, may be the result of declining CBNG development, indicating that CBNG-produced waters may have had a dilution effect on some streams. The factors affecting other trends could not be determined because multiple factors could have been affecting the stream-water quality or because trends were observed at sites upstream from CBNG development that may have affected water-quality trends at sites downstream.

Synthesis and evaluation of benzo[b]thiophene derivatives as inhibitors of alkaline phosphatases.

PubMed

Li, Lina; Chang, Lei; Pellet-Rostaing, Stéphane; Liger, François; Lemaire, Marc; Buchet, René; Wu, Yuqing

2009-10-15

Presence of basic calcium phosphate in knee joints of osteoarthritis patients could be prevented by inhibiting tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) activity. Levamisole or the L stereoisomer of tetramisole (a known TNAP inhibitor) has been used as a treatment for curing rheumatoid arthritis but its therapeutical use is limited due to side effects. We report the synthesis and the TNAP inhibition property of benzo[b]thiophene derivatives, among which benzothiopheno-tetramisole and benzothiopheno-2,3-dehydrotetramisole, which could be involved in a drug therapy for osteoarthritis. Two water soluble racemic benzothiopheno-tetramisole and -2,3-dehydrotetramisole with apparent inhibition constants K(i)=85+/-6 microM and 135+/-3 microM (n=3) comparable to that of enantiomeric levamisole 93+/-4 microM were found. Several novel derivatives showed more pronounced inhibition properties towards intestinal alkaline phosphatase than TNAP.

Oil oxidation in corn flour from grains processed with alkaline cooking by use of peroxide value, UV and FTIR.

PubMed

Yahuaca-Juárez, B; Martínez-Flores, H E; Huerta-Ruelas, J A; Pless, R C; Vázquez-Landaverde, P A; Tello Santillán, R

2013-03-01

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of alkaline cooking on the oxidative stability of oil in corn flour. A central composite design was used to study the combined effect of lime concentration (%) and steep time (h) on peroxide value (PV); specific extinction coefficients at 232 and 270 nm (K232 and K270); and FTIR absorbance at 3009 cm(-1), 3444 cm(-1), and 3530 cm(-1) in oils from corn flour obtained by alkaline cooking. The results indicate that lime concentration and steep time affected the PV, K232, and K270. A decrease of 2.56 % was observed in the IR absorption bands, corresponding to the polyunsaturated fatty acids. The FTIR spectra also showed absorption bands related to the secondary oil oxidation products.

S, N‐Co‐Doped Graphene‐Nickel Cobalt Sulfide Aerogel: Improved Energy Storage and Electrocatalytic Performance

PubMed Central

He, Guanjie; Qiao, Mo; Li, Wenyao; Lu, Yao; Zhao, Tingting; Zou, Rujia; Li, Bo; Darr, Jawwad A.; Hu, Junqing; Titirici, Maria‐Magdalena

2016-01-01

Metal sulfides are commonly used in energy storage and electrocatalysts due to their redox centers and active sites. Most literature reports show that their performance decreases significantly caused by oxidation in alkaline electrolyte during electrochemical testing. Herein, S and N co‐doped graphene‐based nickel cobalt sulfide aerogels are synthesized for use as rechargeable alkaline battery electrodes and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. Notably, this system shows improved cyclability due to the stabilization effect of the S and N co‐doped graphene aerogel (SNGA). This reduces the rate of oxidation and the decay of electronic conductivity of the metal sulfides materials in alkaline electrolyte, i.e., the capacity decrease of CoNi2S4/SNGA is 4.2% for 10 000 cycles in a three‐electrode test; the current retention of 88.6% for Co—S/SNGA after 12 000 s current–time chronoamperometric response in the ORR test is higher than corresponding Co—S nanoparticles and Co—S/non‐doped graphene aerogels. Importantly, the results here confirm that the Ni—Co—S ternary materials behave as an electrode for rechargeable alkaline batteries rather than supercapacitors electrodes in three‐electrode test as commonly described and accepted in the literature. Furthermore, formulas to evaluate the performance of hybrid battery devices are specified. PMID:28105397

Impact of RO-desalted water on distribution water qualities.

PubMed

Taylor, J; Dietz, J; Randall, A; Hong, S

2005-01-01

A large-scale pilot distribution study was conducted to investigate the impacts of blending different source waters on distribution water qualities, with an emphasis on metal release (i.e. corrosion). The principal source waters investigated were conventionally treated ground water (G1), surface water processed by enhanced treatment (S1), and desalted seawater by reverse osmosis membranes (RO). Due to the nature of raw water quality and associated treatment processes, G1 water had high alkalinity, while S1 and RO sources were characterized as high sulfate and high chloride waters, respectively. The blending ratio of different treated waters determined the quality of finished waters. Iron release from aged cast iron pipes increased significantly when exposed to RO and S1 waters: that is, the greater iron release was experienced with alkalinity reduced below the background of G1 water. Copper release to drinking water, however, increased with increasing alkalinity and decreasing pH. Lead release, on the other hand, increased with increasing chloride and decreasing sulfate. The effect of pH and alkalinity on lead release was not clearly observed from pilot blending study. The flat and compact corrosion scales observed for lead surface exposed to S1 water may be attributable to lead concentration less than that of RO water blends.

Recovery and characterization of proteins from pangas (Pangasius pangasius) processing waste obtained through pH shift processing.

PubMed

Surasani, Vijay Kumar Reddy; Kudre, Tanaji; Ballari, Rajashekhar V

2018-04-01

Study was conducted to recover proteins from pangas (Pangasius pangasius) processing waste (fillet frames) using pH shift method and to characterize the recovered isolates. pH 2.0 from acidic range and pH 13.0 from alkaline range were found to have maximum protein recovery (p < 0.05). During the recovery process, acidic pH (pH 2.0) was found to have minimal effect on proteins resulting in more stable isolates and strong protein gels. Alkaline pH (pH 13.0) caused protein denaturation resulting in less stable proteins and poor gel network. Both acidic and alkaline-aided processing caused significant (p < 0.05) reductions in total lipid, myoglobin, and pigment content thus by resulting in whiter protein isolates and gels. The content of total essential amino acids increased during pH shift processing, indicating the enrichment of essential amino acids. No microbial counts were detected in any of the isolates prepared using acid and alkaline extraction methods. pH shift processing was found to be promising in the utilization of fish processing waste for the recovery of functional proteins from pangas processing waste thus by reducing the supply demand gap as well pollution problems.

Evaluating the role of ion composition on the toxicity of copper to Ceriodaphnia dubia in very hard waters.

PubMed

Gensemer, Robert W; Naddy, Rami B; Stubblefield, William A; Hockett, J Russell; Santore, Robert; Paquin, Paul

2002-09-01

The mitigating effect of increasing hardness on metal toxicity is reflected in water quality criteria in the United States over the range of 25-400 mgl(-1) (as CaCO(3)). However, waters in the arid west of the US frequently exceed 400 mgl(-1) hardness, and the applicability of hardness-toxicity relationships in these waters is unknown. Acute toxicity tests with Ceriodaphnia dubia were conducted at hardness levels ranging from approximately 300 to 1,200 mgl(-1) using reconstituted waters that mimic two natural waters with elevated hardness: (1) alkaline desert southwest streams (Las Vegas Wash, NV), and (2) low alkalinity waters from a CaSO(4)-treated mining effluent in Colorado. The moderately-alkaline EPA synthetic hard water was also included for comparison. Copper toxicity did not consistently vary as a function of hardness, but likely as a function of other water quality characteristics (e.g., alkalinity or other correlated factors). The hardness equations used in regulatory criteria, therefore, may not provide an accurate level of protection against copper toxicity in all types of very hard waters. However, the mechanistic Biotic ligand model generally predicted copper toxicity within +/-2X of observed EC(50) values, and thus may be more useful than hardness for modifying water quality criteria.

Transgenic Petunia with the Iron(III)-Phytosiderophore Transporter Gene Acquires Tolerance to Iron Deficiency in Alkaline Environments

PubMed Central

Murata, Yoshiko; Itoh, Yoshiyuki; Iwashita, Takashi; Namba, Kosuke

2015-01-01

Iron is an essential nutrient for all plants. However, terrestrial plants often suffer from iron deficiency in alkaline soil due to its extremely low solubility. Alkaline soil accounts for about 30% of all cultivated ground in the world. Plants have evolved two distinct strategies, I and II, for iron uptake from the soil. Dicots and non-graminaceous monocots use Strategy I, which is primarily based on the reduction of iron(III) to iron(II) and the uptake of iron(II) by the iron-regulated transporter, IRT1. In contrast, graminaceous plants use Strategy II to efficiently acquire insoluble iron(III). Strategy II comprises the synthesis and secretion of iron-chelating phytosiderophores, such as mugineic acids and the Yellow Stripe 1 transporter proteins of the iron(III)-phytosiderophore complex. Barley, which exhibits the highest tolerance to iron deficiency in alkaline soil among graminaceous plants, utilizes mugineic acids and the specific iron(III)-mugineic acids transporter, HvYS1. In this study, we established the transgenic plant Petunia hybrida, which originally had only Strategy I, by introducing the HvYS1 transporter gene derived from barley. When the transgenic plants were grown hydroponically in media containing the iron(III)-2′-deoxymugineic acid complex, free 2′-deoxymugineic acid and its iron(III) complex were detected in the root extract of the transgenic plant by electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The growth of the transgenic petunia was significantly better than that of the control host in alkaline conditions. Consequently, the transgenic plant acquired a significantly enhanced tolerance to alkaline hydroponic media in the presence of the iron(III)-2′-deoxymugineic acid complex. Furthermore, the flower color of the transgenic plant deepened. The results showed that iron-phytosiderophore complexes and their transporters can potentially be utilized to overcome the worldwide iron uptake problems to diverse plant species that are found in areas with alkaline conditions. PMID:25781941

Assessing ocean alkalinity for carbon sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renforth, Phil; Henderson, Gideon

2017-09-01

Over the coming century humanity may need to find reservoirs to store several trillions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from fossil fuel combustion, which would otherwise cause dangerous climate change if it were left in the atmosphere. Carbon storage in the ocean as bicarbonate ions (by increasing ocean alkalinity) has received very little attention. Yet recent work suggests sufficient capacity to sequester copious quantities of CO2. It may be possible to sequester hundreds of billions to trillions of tons of C without surpassing postindustrial average carbonate saturation states in the surface ocean. When globally distributed, the impact of elevated alkalinity is potentially small and may help ameliorate the effects of ocean acidification. However, the local impact around addition sites may be more acute but is specific to the mineral and technology. The alkalinity of the ocean increases naturally because of rock weathering in which >1.5 mol of carbon are removed from the atmosphere for every mole of magnesium or calcium dissolved from silicate minerals (e.g., wollastonite, olivine, and anorthite) and 0.5 mol for carbonate minerals (e.g., calcite and dolomite). These processes are responsible for naturally sequestering 0.5 billion tons of CO2 per year. Alkalinity is reduced in the ocean through carbonate mineral precipitation, which is almost exclusively formed from biological activity. Most of the previous work on the biological response to changes in carbonate chemistry have focused on acidifying conditions. More research is required to understand carbonate precipitation at elevated alkalinity to constrain the longevity of carbon storage. A range of technologies have been proposed to increase ocean alkalinity (accelerated weathering of limestone, enhanced weathering, electrochemical promoted weathering, and ocean liming), the cost of which may be comparable to alternative carbon sequestration proposals (e.g., $20-100 tCO2-1). There are still many unanswered technical, environmental, social, and ethical questions, but the scale of the carbon sequestration challenge warrants research to address these.

Transgenic petunia with the iron(III)-phytosiderophore transporter gene acquires tolerance to iron deficiency in alkaline environments.

PubMed

Murata, Yoshiko; Itoh, Yoshiyuki; Iwashita, Takashi; Namba, Kosuke

2015-01-01

Iron is an essential nutrient for all plants. However, terrestrial plants often suffer from iron deficiency in alkaline soil due to its extremely low solubility. Alkaline soil accounts for about 30% of all cultivated ground in the world. Plants have evolved two distinct strategies, I and II, for iron uptake from the soil. Dicots and non-graminaceous monocots use Strategy I, which is primarily based on the reduction of iron(III) to iron(II) and the uptake of iron(II) by the iron-regulated transporter, IRT1. In contrast, graminaceous plants use Strategy II to efficiently acquire insoluble iron(III). Strategy II comprises the synthesis and secretion of iron-chelating phytosiderophores, such as mugineic acids and the Yellow Stripe 1 transporter proteins of the iron(III)-phytosiderophore complex. Barley, which exhibits the highest tolerance to iron deficiency in alkaline soil among graminaceous plants, utilizes mugineic acids and the specific iron(III)-mugineic acids transporter, HvYS1. In this study, we established the transgenic plant Petunia hybrida, which originally had only Strategy I, by introducing the HvYS1 transporter gene derived from barley. When the transgenic plants were grown hydroponically in media containing the iron(III)-2'-deoxymugineic acid complex, free 2'-deoxymugineic acid and its iron(III) complex were detected in the root extract of the transgenic plant by electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The growth of the transgenic petunia was significantly better than that of the control host in alkaline conditions. Consequently, the transgenic plant acquired a significantly enhanced tolerance to alkaline hydroponic media in the presence of the iron(III)-2'-deoxymugineic acid complex. Furthermore, the flower color of the transgenic plant deepened. The results showed that iron-phytosiderophore complexes and their transporters can potentially be utilized to overcome the worldwide iron uptake problems to diverse plant species that are found in areas with alkaline conditions.

Detergent-compatible proteases: microbial production, properties, and stain removal analysis.

PubMed

Niyonzima, Francois Niyongabo; More, Sunil

2015-01-01

Proteases are one of the most important commercial enzymes used in various industrial domains such as detergent and leather industries. The alkaline proteases as well as other detergent-compatible enzymes such as lipases and amylases serve now as the key components in detergent formulations. They break down various stains during fabric washing. The search for detergent-compatible proteases with better properties is a continuous exercise. The current trend is to use detergent-compatible proteases that are stable over a wide temperature range. Although the proteases showing stability at elevated pH have the capacity to be used in detergent formulations, their usage can be significant if they are also stable and compatible with detergent and detergent ingredients, and also able to remove protein stains. Despite the existence of some reviews on alkaline proteases, there is no specification for the use of alkaline proteases as detergent additives. The present review describes the detergent-compatible proteases tested as detergent additives. An overview was provided for screening, optimization, purification, and properties of detergent compatible proteases, with an emphasis on the stability and compatibility of the alkaline proteases with the detergent and detergent compounds, as well as stain removal examination methods.

Energetics of alkali and alkaline earth ion-exchanged zeolite A

DOE PAGES

Sun, Hui; Wu, Di; Liu, Kefeng; ...

2016-06-30

Alkali and alkaline earth ion-exchanged zeolite A samples were synthesized in aqueous exchange media. They were thoroughly studied by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microprobe (EMPA), thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), and high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry. The hydration energetics and enthalpies of formation of these zeolite A materials from constituent oxides were determined. Specifically, the hydration level of zeolite A has a linear dependence on the average ionic potential ( Z/r) of the cation, from 0.894 (Rb-A) to 1.317 per TO 2 (Mg-A). The formation enthalpies from oxides (25 °C) range from –93.71 ± 1.77 (K-A)more » to –48.02 ± 1.85 kJ/mol per TO 2 (Li-A) for hydrated alkali ion-exchanged zeolite A, and from –47.99 ± 1.20 (Ba-A) to –26.41 ± 1.71 kJ/mol per TO 2 (Mg-A) for hydrated alkaline earth ion-exchanged zeolite A. As a result, the formation enthalpy from oxides generally becomes less exothermic as Z/r increases, but a distinct difference in slope is observed between the alkali and the alkaline earth series.« less

Segment-specific expression of alkaline phosphatase in the Tubifex embryo requires DNA replication and mRNA synthesis.

PubMed

Kitamura, Kaoru; Shimizu, Takashi

2002-04-15

During embryogenesis of the oligochaete annelid Tubifex, segments VII and VIII specifically express mesodermal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the ventrolateral region. In this study, using specific inhibitors, we examined whether this segment-specific expression of ALP activity depends on DNA replication and RNA transcription. BrdU-incorporation experiments showed that presumptive ALP-expressing cells undergo the last round of DNA replication at 12-24 hr prior to emergence of ALP activity. When this DNA replication was inhibited by aphidicolin, ALP development was completely abrogated in the ventrolateral mesoderm. Similar inhibition of ALP development was also observed in alpha-amanitin-injected embryos. While injection of alpha-amanitin at 24 hr prior to the emergence of ALP activity exerted inhibitory effects on ALP development, injection at 14 hr was no longer effective. In contrast, ALP activity developed normally in cytochalasin-D-treated embryos in which cytokinesis was prevented from occurring for 36 hs prior to appearance of ALP activity. These results suggest that the segment-specific development of ALP activity in the Tubifex embryo depends on DNA replication and mRNA transcription, both of which occur long before the emergence of ALP activity. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Chemical analyses of water samples from the Picher mining area, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parkhurst, David L.

1987-01-01

Chemical analyses are presented for 169 water samples from Tar Creek drainage and the Picher lead-zinc mining area of northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas. Water samples were taken from November 1983 through February 1986 from the abandoned mines, from points of mine-water discharge, and from surface-water locations upstream and downstream from mine discharge area. The pH, temperature, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance were measured in the field. Laboratory analyses routinely included the major ions plus aluminum, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc. Non-routine analyses of dissolved gases and tritium are presented. Stable carbon-isotope ratios for 11 mine-water samples and three carbonate-rock samples are reported. Miscellaneous stream-discharge measurements made at the time of sampling or taken from gaging-station records are included in the report.

Hydrology of area 25, Eastern Region, Interior Coal Province, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zuehls, E.E.; Ryan, G.L.; Peart, D.B.; Fitzgerald, K.K.

1981-01-01

The eastern region of the Interior Coal Province has been divided into 11 hydrologic study areas. Area 25, located in west-central Illinois, includes the Spoon River and small tributaries to the Illinois River. Pennsylvanian age rocks underlie most of the study area. Illinois, with the largest reserves of bituminous coal, is second only to Montana in total coal reserves. Loess soils cover most of the study area. Agriculture is the dominant land use. Surface water provides 97% of all the water used. Precipitation averages 34 to 35 inches. Water-quality data has been collected at over 31 sites. Analysis for specific conductance, pH, alkalinity, iron, manganese, sulfate and many trace elements and other water-quality constituents have been completed. These data are available from computer storage through the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE). (USGS)

Rolling Circle Amplification of Complete Nematode Mitochondrial Genomes

PubMed Central

Tang, Sha; Hyman, Bradley C.

2005-01-01

To enable investigation of nematode mitochondrial DNA evolution, methodology has been developed to amplify intact nematode mitochondrial genomes in preparative yields using a rolling circle replication strategy. Successful reactions were generated from whole cell template DNA prepared by alkaline lysis of the rhabditid nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and a mermithid nematode, Thaumamermis cosgrovei. These taxa, representing the two major nematode classes Chromodorea and Enoplea, maintain mitochondrial genomes of 13.8 kb and 20.0 kb, respectively. Efficient amplifications were conducted on template DNA isolated from individual or pooled nematodes that were alive or stored at -80°C. Unexpectedly, these experiments revealed that multiple T. cosgrovei mitochondrial DNA haplotypes are maintained in our local population. Rolling circle amplification products can be used as templates for standard PCR reactions with specific primers that target mitochondrial genes or for direct DNA sequencing. PMID:19262866

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

Qafoku, Nikolla; Sahajpal, Rahul

Chromium-contaminated subsurface sites are common throughout the globe. In this chapter the discussion will be focused on one Cr-contaminated, i.e., Hanford site, WA, USA. The chapter summarizes the work conducted at this site to study contaminant Cr6+ fate and behavior under conditions imposed by different waste chemistries ranging from acidic to hyperalkaline. The objectives of this chapter are to present an overview of different aspects of Cr interaction with minerals; present evidence of similar and contrasting Cr6+ reactions, processes and attenuation mechanisms operating in subsurface environments under different conditions imposed by acidic, neutral and alkaline waste liquids; provide inputs tomore » conceptual Cr geochemical models (either site specific or general and suitable for many contaminated sites); present ideas on potential remedial measures. The insights presented and discussed in this chapter should be useful for other Cr contaminated sites across the world.« less

WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF LAKE TEXOMA BEACHES, 1999-2001

EPA Science Inventory

A biological and inorganic assessment of five beaches on Lake Texoma was conducted from September 1999 through July 2001. Water samples for each beach site were divided into two groups, a swimming season and non-swimming season. Water properties such as temperature, alkalinity,...

ORGANIC WASTE CONTAMINATION INDICATORS IN SMALL GEORGIA PIEDMONT STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

We monitored concentrations of nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide, nutrients and other parameters (T, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, pH, DOC, DON, flow rate) in 17 headwater streams (watershed sizes from 0.5 to 3.4 kilometers) of the South Fork Broad River waters...

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

Physical and electrochemical properties of alkaline earth doped, rare earth vanadates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adijanto, Lawrence; Balaji Padmanabhan, Venu; Holmes, Kevin J.; Gorte, Raymond J.; Vohs, John M.

2012-06-01

The effect of partial substitution of alkaline earth (AE) ions, Sr2+ and Ca2+, for the rare earth (RE) ions, La3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, and Sm3+, on the physical properties of REVO4 compounds were investigated. The use of the Pechini method to synthesize the vanadates allowed for high levels of AE substitution to be obtained. Coulometric titration was used to measure redox isotherms for these materials and showed that the addition of the AE ions increased both reducibility and electronic conductivity under typical solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode conditions, through the formation of compounds with mixed vanadium valence. In spite of their high electronic conductivity, REVO4-yttira stabilized zirconia (YSZ) composite anodes exhibited only modest performance when used in SOFCs operating with H2 fuel at 973 K due to their low catalytic activity. High performance was obtained, however, after the addition of a small amount of catalytically active Pd to the anode.

New finding and optimal production of a novel extracellular alkaline lipase from Yarrowia lipolytica NRRL Y-2178.

PubMed

Lee, Geon-Ho; Bae, Jae-Han; Suh, Min-Jung; Kim, In-Hwan; Hou, Ching T; Kim, Hak-Ryul

2007-06-01

Lipases are industrially useful versatile enzymes that catalyze numerous different reactions including hydrolysis of triglycerides, transesterification, and chiral synthesis of esters under natural conditions. Although lipases from various sources have been widely used in industrial applications, such as in food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and detergent industries, there are still substantial current interests in developing new microbial lipases, specifically those functioning in abnormal conditions. We screened 17 lipase-producing yeast strains, which were prescreened for substrate specificity of lipase from more than 500 yeast strains from the Agricultural Research Service Culture Collection (Peoria, IL, U.S.A.), and selected Yarrowia lipolytica NRRL Y-2178 as a best lipase producer. This report presents new finding and optimal production of a novel extracellular alkaline lipase from Y. lipolytica NRRL Y-2178. Optimal c ulture conditions f orlipase production by Y. lipolytica NRRL Y-2178 were 72 h incubation time, 27.5 degrees C, pH 9.0. Glycerol and glucose were efficiently used as the most efficient carbon sources, and a combination of yeast extract and peptone was a good nitrogen source for lipase production by Y. lipolytica NRRL Y-2178. These results suggested that Y. lipolytica NRRL Y-2178 showsgood industrial potential as a new alkaline lipase producer.

Impact of alkaline alterations to a Brazilian soil on cesium retention under low temperature conditions.

PubMed

Calábria, Jaqueline Alves de Almeida; Cota, Stela Dalva Santos; de Morais, Gustavo Ferrari; Ladeira, Ana Cláudia Queiroz

2017-11-01

To be used as backfilling materials in radioactive waste disposal facilities, a natural material must have a suitable permeability, mechanical properties and a high sorption capacity for radionuclides. Also important when considering a material as a backfill is the effect of its interaction with the alkaline solution generated from concrete degradation. This solution promotes mineralogical alterations that result in significant changes in the material key properties influencing its performance as a safety component of the repository. This paper presents results of an investigation on the effect of alkaline interaction under a low temperature on cesium retention properties of a local soil being considered suitable as a backfill for the Brazilian near surface disposal facility. A sample of the Brazilian soil was mixed with an alkaline solution, simulating the pore water leached in the first stage of cement degradation, during 1, 7, 14 and 28 days. The experiments were conducted under low temperature (25 °C) aiming to evaluate similar conditions found on a low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal installation. A non-classical isotherm sorption model was fitted to sorption data obtained from batch experiments, for unaltered and altered samples, providing parameters that allowed us to assess the effect of the interaction on material quality as Cs sorbent. The sorption parameters obtained from the data-fitted isotherm were used then to estimate the corresponding retardation factor (R). Alkaline interaction significantly modified the soil sorption properties for Cs. The parameter Q, related to the maximum sorption capacity, as well as the affinity parameter (K) and the retardation coefficients became significantly smaller (about 1000 times for the R coefficient) after pretreatment with the simulated alkaline solutions. Moreover, the increase in n-values, which is related with the energy distribution width and heterogeneity of surface site energies, demonstrated that the adsorbent surface became more homogenous as a consequence of the alkaline alteration. Together these results suggest that cementitious leachate has a profound effect on Cs retention and should be accounted for estimating radionuclide retention in radioactive waste disposal systems containing cementitious materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of surfactant and mineralizer on the dielectric properties of zirconia nanocrsytals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maheswari, A. Uma; Mohan, Sreedevi R.; Sivakumar, M.

2018-01-01

The combined effect of surfactants (PVP/CTAB) and alkaline mineralizers (NaOH/NH4OH) on dielectric properties of zirconia nanocrystals is analyzed. It is found that, the stabilization of zirconia tetramers by surfactants and the rate of hydroxyl ions released by alkaline mineralizers have significant impact on the dielectric properties of nanocrystals. The PVP capped tetramers form highly conducting grains with insulating boundaries, whereas the grains of CTAB capped tetramers are highly insulating with conducting grain boundaries, as revealed by Nyquist plots. Consequently, the space charge polarization would be quite large in highly conducting grains resulting in higher dielectric constant values at lower frequencies. The higher dielectric constant of PVP capped nanocrystals is due to greater tetragonal coordination of 3d5/2 and 3d3/2 electrons of Zr4+ ions than that of CTAB capped nanocrystals. Further, the surface oxygen vacancies of PVP samples are higher, resulting in a high space charge polarization. The ESR signal corresponding to F+ centers appears stronger for PVP/NH4OH nanocrystals. Moreover, the larger ESR line width of PVP/NH4OH nanocrystals corresponding to more oxygen vacancies is in accordance with the inference attained from the XPS analysis.

Water-quality data collected on Prairie Island near Welch, Minnesota, 1998-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winterstein, Thomas A.

2000-01-01

This report presents the water-quality data collected during 1998-99 from the land owned by the Prairie Island Indian Community at the northern end of Prairie Island, Minnesota. The data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Prairie Island Indian Community. Seventeen monitoring wells were installed by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1998. Fifteen of the wells were installed with the screen at the water-table. The well screens for the other two wells were approximately 26 and 56 feet below the water table. Samples were collected from the wells in 1998. The water-quality properties and constituents determined for the 17 wells include temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, major ions, nutrients, and iron and manganese. Water samples collected from two of the wells were analyzed for common agricultural pesticides. In addition, semiquantitative immunoassay screens for presence of atrazine and related triazine herbicides were conducted on samples from all 17 wells. Water-surface altitudes were measured during 1999 in the 17 wells and at 8 surface-water sites.

One-Dimensional Assembly of Conductive and Capacitive Metal Oxide Electrodes for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Harilal, Midhun; Vidyadharan, Baiju; Misnon, Izan Izwan; Anilkumar, Gopinathan M; Lowe, Adrian; Ismail, Jamil; Yusoff, Mashitah M; Jose, Rajan

2017-03-29

A one-dimensional morphology comprising nanograins of two metal oxides, one with higher electrical conductivity (CuO) and the other with higher charge storability (Co 3 O 4 ), is developed by electrospinning technique. The CuO-Co 3 O 4 nanocomposite nanowires thus formed show high specific capacitance, high rate capability, and high cycling stability compared to their single-component nanowire counterparts when used as a supercapacitor electrode. Practical symmetric (SSCs) and asymmetric (ASCs) supercapacitors are fabricated using commercial activated carbon, CuO, Co 3 O 4 , and CuO-Co 3 O 4 composite nanowires, and their properties are compared. A high energy density of ∼44 Wh kg -1 at a power density of 14 kW kg -1 is achieved in CuO-Co 3 O 4 ASCs employing aqueous alkaline electrolytes, enabling them to store high energy at a faster rate. The current methodology of hybrid nanowires of various functional materials could be applied to extend the performance limit of diverse electrical and electrochemical devices.

Reconnaissance of water-quality characteristics of streams in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eddins, W.H.; Crawford, J.K.

1984-01-01

In 1979-81, water samples were collected from 119 sites on streams throughout the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and were analyzed for specific conductance, dissolved chloride, hardness, pH, total alkalinity, total phosphorus, trace elements, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, silver, and zinc and biological measures including dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, fecal coliform bacteria, and fecal streptococcus bacteria. Sampling was conducted during both low flow (base flow) and high flow. Several water-quality measures including pH, total arsenic, total cadmium, total chromium, total copper, total iron, total lead, total manganese, total mercury, total silver, total zinc, dissolved oxygen, and fecal coliform bacteria at times exceeded North Carolina water-quality standards in various streams. Runoff from non-point sources appears to contribute more to the deterioration of streams in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County than point-source effluents. Urban and industrial areas contribute various trace elements. Residential and rural areas and municipal waste-water treatment plants contribute high amounts of phosphorus.

[Intraoperative lactic acidosis, can it be treated? Clinico-experimental, prospective, sequential study].

PubMed

Pietropaoli, P; Caporelli, S; De Pace, F; Donati, A; Adrario, E; Luzi, A; Munch, C; Giovannini, C; Frezzotti, A R

1994-12-01

To verify the efficacy and absence of risk attributable to therapy with alkaline solutions for correction of lactic acidosis and to demonstrate the usefulness of L-carnitine in converting lactate into pyruvate in conditions of good blood oxygenation. Prospective study on a consecutive series of patients subdivided into three groups following the use of: alkalinizing therapy (group I), L-carnitine (group II), or saline solution (group III). Groups 1 and 2 were further subdivided into subgroups "a" and "b" according to the type of alkalinizing agent and of L-carnitine somministration. Teaching Hospital-Torrette di Ancona. 65 patients submitted to major vascular surgery with aortic clamping in the time period between January 1992 and August 1993. During aortic clamping patients of: group I received 2 mEq:kg of bicarbonate or tromentamolo according to the specific subgroup. Group II received a bolus of 2 g of L-carnitine, patients of group IIb received further 2 g of carnitine in continuous perfusion until the end of surgery. Group III received no pharmacological intervention. HR BP, arterial blood gases and lactic acid levels were measured at 12 pre-determined times. Only a neutralizing effect of alkalinizing therapy was observed, whereas the lactic acid measurements demonstrated no significant differences between the different groups. These results confirm the data of other Authors concerning the good compliance of alkalinizing therapy, however, there was demonstrated no clear evidence of its effective usefulness. No metabolic stimulation due to L-canitina could be demonstrated in our experimental conditions.

The effect of cinacalcet on bone remodeling and renal function in transplant patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism.

PubMed

Schwarz, Anke; Merkel, Saskia; Leitolf, Holger; Haller, Hermann

2011-03-15

Parathyroidectomy is associated with renal functional losses in transplant patients; cinacalcet offers an attractive alternative. We performed a prospective observational study in 58 patients with persisting hyperparathyroidism after renal transplantation (Ca≥2.6 mmol/L) and impaired renal transplant function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <50 mL/min). The patients received 30 to 90 mg cinacalcet for 12 months with the target to normalize serum Ca. We measured parathyroid hormone (PTH), serum Ca, serum phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and telopeptide at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of cinacalcet treatment. Fractional excretion of calcium and phosphorus (n=24) were monitored at 0 and 1 month. At inclusion, creatinine was 181±70 μmol/L, eGFR 43±19 mL/min, PTH 371±279 pg/mL, and Ca 2.73±0.22 mmol/L. We observed nephrocalcinosis in 58% of biopsied patients at enrollment. After cinacalcet, Ca decreased significantly and normalized at nearly any measurement. Phosphorus increased significantly at months 1, 9, and 12. PTH decreased significantly, but only at months 9 and 12 and did not normalize. Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase increased significantly (>normal) by month 12. eGFR decreased and serum creatinine increased at all time points. The Δ(creatinine) % increase correlated significantly with the Δ(PTH) % decrease at month 1 and 12. Telopeptide and alkaline phosphatase correlated with PTH and telopeptide also correlated with serum creatinine. Calcium-phosphorus homeostasis in hypercalcemic renal transplant patients normalizes under cinacalcet and PTH decreases, albeit not to normal. The renal functional decline could be PTH mediated, analogous to the effects observed after parathyroidectomy.

Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory : evaluation of alkaline persulfate digestion as an alternative to Kjeldahl digestion for determination of total and dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus in water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patton, Charles J.; Kryskalla, Jennifer R.

2003-01-01

Alkaline persulfate digestion was evaluated and validated as a more sensitive, accurate, and less toxic alternative to Kjeldahl digestion for routine determination of nitrogen and phosphorus in surface- and ground-water samples in a large-scale and geographically diverse study conducted by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) between October 1, 2001, and September 30, 2002. Data for this study were obtained from about 2,100 surface- and ground-water samples that were analyzed for Kjeldahl nitrogen and Kjeldahl phosphorus in the course of routine operations at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL). These samples were analyzed independently for total nitrogen and total phosphorus using an alkaline persulfate digestion method developed by the NWQL Methods Research and Development Program. About half of these samples were collected during nominally high-flow (April-June) conditions and the other half were collected during nominally low-flow (August-September) conditions. The number of filtered and whole-water samples analyzed from each flow regime was about equal.By operational definition, Kjeldahl nitrogen (ammonium + organic nitrogen) and alkaline persulfate digestion total nitrogen (ammonium + nitrite + nitrate + organic nitrogen) are not equivalent. It was necessary, therefore, to reconcile this operational difference by subtracting nitrate + nitrite concentra-tions from alkaline persulfate dissolved and total nitrogen concentrations prior to graphical and statistical comparisons with dissolved and total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations. On the basis of two-population paired t-test statistics, the means of all nitrate-corrected alkaline persulfate nitrogen and Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations (2,066 paired results) were significantly different from zero at the p = 0.05 level. Statistically, the means of Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations were greater than those of nitrate-corrected alkaline persulfate nitrogen concentrations. Experimental evidence strongly suggests, however, that this apparent low bias resulted from nitrate interference in the Kjeldahl digestion method rather than low nitrogen recovery by the alkaline persulfate digestion method. Typically, differences between means of Kjeldahl nitrogen and nitrate-corrected alkaline persulfate nitrogen in low-nitrate concentration (< 0.1 milligram nitrate nitrogen per liter) subsets of filtered surface- and ground-water samples were statistically equivalent to zero at the p =level.Paired analytical results for dissolved and total phosphorus in Kjeldahl and alkaline persulfate digests were directly comparable because both digestion methods convert all forms of phosphorus in water samples to orthophosphate. On the basis of two-population paired t-test statistics, the means of all Kjeldahl phosphorus and alkaline persulfate phosphorus concentrations (2,093 paired results) were not significantly different from zero at the p = 0.05 level. For some subsets of these data, which were grouped according to water type and flow conditions at the time of sample collection, differences between means of Kjeldahl phosphorus and alkaline persulfate phosphorus concentrations were not equivalent to zero at the p = 0.05 level. Differences between means of these subsets, however, were less than the method detection limit for phosphorus (0.007 milligram phosphorus per liter) by the alkaline persulfate digestion method, and were therefore analytically insignificant.This report provides details of the alkaline persulfate digestion procedure, interference studies, recovery of various nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing compounds, and other analytical figures of merit. The automated air-segmented continuous flow methods developed to determine nitrate and orthophosphate in the alkaline persulfate digests also are described. About 125 microliters of digested sample are required to determine nitrogen and phosphorus in parallel at a rate of about 100 samples per hour with less than 1-percent sample in

Osteocalcin and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) at different ages.

PubMed

Arya, Nlin; Moonarmart, Walasinee; Cheewamongkolnimit, Nareerat; Keratikul, Nutcha; Poon-Iam, Sawinee; Routh, Andrew; Bumpenpol, Pitikarn; Angkawanish, Taweepoke

2015-11-01

Bone turnover markers could offer a potential alternative means for the early diagnosis of metabolic bone disease in young growing elephants although the baseline of bone turnover markers in elephant is not well established. The aim of this study was to determine any relationship between the age of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and markers of bone formation. Serum samples from 24 female Asian elephants were collected to evaluate levels of two bone formation markers, namely, osteocalcin (OC) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP). Both intact and N-terminal midfragment OC and BAP were negatively correlated with age. The findings demonstrate that younger elephants have a higher rate of bone turnover than older elephants. Use of these and additional bone markers could lead to the establishment of validated protocols for the monitoring of bone disease in elephants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell performance using alkali-impregnated polyvinyl alcohol/functionalized carbon nano-tube solid electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chien-Yi; Lin, Jia-Shiun; Pan, Wen-Han; Shih, Chao-Ming; Liu, Ying-Ling; Lue, Shingjiang Jessie

2016-01-01

This study investigates the application of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/functionalized carbon nano-tubes (m-CNTs) composite in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFC). The m-CNTs are functionalized with PVA using the ozone mediation method, and the PVA composite containing the modified CNTs is prepared. Adding m-CNT into the PVA matrix enhances the alkaline uptake and the ionic conductivity of the KOH-doped electrolyte. Meanwhile, the m-CNT-containing membrane exhibited a lower swelling ratio and suppressed ethanol permeability compared to the pristine PVA film. The optimal condition for the ADEFC is determined to be under operation at an anode feed of 3 M ethanol in a 5 M KOH solution (at a flow rate of 5 cm3 min-1) with a cathode feed of moisturized oxygen (with a flow rate of 100 cm3 min-1) and the KOH-doped PVA/m-CNT electrolyte. We achieved a peak power density value of 65 mW cm-2 at 60 °C, which is the highest among the ADEFC literature data and several times higher than the proton-exchange direct ethanol fuel cells using sulfonated membrane electrolytes. Therefore, the KOH-doped PVA/m-CNT electrolyte is a suitable solid electrolyte for ADEFCs and has potential for commercialization in alkaline fuel cell applications.

Monitoring of photoluminescence decay by alkali and alkaline earth metal cations using a photoluminescent bolaamphiphile self-assembly as an optical probe.

PubMed

Kim, Sunhyung; Kwak, Jinyoung; Lee, Sang-Yup

2014-05-01

Photoluminescence (PL) decay induced by the displacement of an ionic fluorescence component, Tb(3+), with alkali and alkaline earth metal cations was investigated using photoluminescent spherical self-assemblies as optical probes. The photoluminescent spherical self-assembly was prepared by the self-organization of a tyrosine-containing bolaamphiphile molecule with a photosensitizer and Tb(3+) ion. The lanthanide ion, Tb(3+), electrically bound to the carboxyl group of the bolaamphiphile molecule, was displaced by alkali and alkaline earth metal cations that had stronger electrophilicity. The PL of the self-assembly decayed remarkably due to the substitution of lanthanide ions with alkali and alkaline earth metal cations. The PL decay showed a positive correlation with cation concentration and was sensitive to the cation valency. Generally, the PL decay was enhanced by the electrophilicity of the cations. However, Ca(2+) showed greater PL decay than Mg(2+) because Ca(2+) could create various complexes with the carboxyl groups of the bolaamphiphile molecule. Microscopic and spectroscopic investigations were conducted to study the photon energy transfer and displacement of Tb(3+) by the cation exchange. This study demonstrated that the PL decay by the displacement of the ionic fluorescent compound was applied to the detection of various cations in aqueous media and is applicable to the development of future optical sensors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of limestone drains for long- term treatment of acidic mine drainage, Swatara Creek Basin, Schuylkill County, PA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cravotta, Charles A.; Ward, S.J.; Koury, Daniel J.; Koch, R.D.

2004-01-01

Limestone drains were constructed in 1995, 1997, and 2000 to treat acidic mine drainage (AMD) from the Orchard, Buck Mtn., and Hegins discharges, respectively, in the Swatara Creek Basin, Southern Anthracite Coalfield, east-central Pennsylvania. This report summarizes the construction characteristics and performance of each of the limestone drains on the basis of influent and effluent quality and laboratory tests of variables affecting limestone dissolution rates. Data for influent and effluent indicate substantial alkalinity production by the Orchard and Buck Mtn. limestone drains and only marginal benefits from the Hegins drain. Nevertheless, the annual alkalinity loading rates have progressively declined with age of all three systems. Collapsible-container (cubitainer) testing was conducted to evaluate current scenarios and possible options for reconstruction and maintenance of the limestone drains to optimize their long-term performance. The cubitainer tests indicated dissolution rates for the current configurations that were in agreement with field flux data (net loading) for alkalinity and dissolved calcium. The dissolution rates in cubitainers were larger for closed conditions than open conditions, but the rates were comparable for coated and uncoated limestone for a given condition. Models developed on the basis of the cubitainer testing indicate (1) exponential declines in limestone mass and corresponding alkalinity loading rates with increased age of limestone drains and (2) potential for improved performance with enlargement, complete burial, and/or regular flushing of the systems.

40 CFR 141.89 - Analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Analytical methods. 141.89 Section 141...) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Control of Lead and Copper § 141.89 Analytical methods. (a... shall be conducted with the methods in § 141.23(k)(1). (1) Analyses for alkalinity, calcium...

40 CFR 141.89 - Analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Analytical methods. 141.89 Section 141...) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Control of Lead and Copper § 141.89 Analytical methods. (a... shall be conducted with the methods in § 141.23(k)(1). (1) Analyses for alkalinity, calcium...

40 CFR 141.89 - Analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Analytical methods. 141.89 Section 141...) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Control of Lead and Copper § 141.89 Analytical methods. (a... shall be conducted with the methods in § 141.23(k)(1). (1) Analyses for alkalinity, calcium...

40 CFR 141.89 - Analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Analytical methods. 141.89 Section 141...) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Control of Lead and Copper § 141.89 Analytical methods. (a... shall be conducted with the methods in § 141.23(k)(1). (1) Analyses for alkalinity, calcium...

40 CFR 141.89 - Analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Analytical methods. 141.89 Section 141...) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Control of Lead and Copper § 141.89 Analytical methods. (a... shall be conducted with the methods in § 141.23(k)(1). (1) Analyses for alkalinity, calcium...

Carbon dioxide dynamics and community metabolism in the Mississippi River plume

EPA Science Inventory

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity (TAlk), pH, and DO were measured in the Mississippi River plume during five cruises conducted in spring, summer and fall. In contrast to many other large rivers, both DIC and TAlk were higher at the river end-member than in seawa...

Enhancing extension recommendations to maximize efficacy of spray programs for the Georgia DOT : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-12-23

Research was conducted to evaluate equipment, adjuvants, and water quality used by the : Georgia DOT on herbicide efficacy for roadside management. From 19 DOT stations, 68% had alkaline : (7.1 to 7.9) water, 32% had hard water (>120 ppm), and 10% ha...

No effect of bicarbonate treatment on insulin sensitivity and glucose control in non-diabetic older adults

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Chronic mild metabolic acidosis is common among older adults, and limited evidence suggests that it may contribute to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. This analysis was conducted to determine whether bicarbonate supplementation, an alkalinizing treatment, improves insulin sensitivity or gluco...

BIOGEOCHEMICAL INDICATORS OF ORGANIC WASTE CONTAMINATION IN SMALL STREAMS OF THE GEORGIA PIEDMONT

EPA Science Inventory

We monitored concentrations of nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide, nutrients and other parameters (T, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, pH, DOC, DON, flow rate) in 17 headwater streams (watershed sizes from 0.5 to 3.4 km2) of the South Fork Broad River, Georgia wate...

BIOGEOCHEMICAL INDICATORS OF ORGANIC WASTE CONTAMINATION IN GEORGIA PIEDMONT STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

We monitored concentrations of nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide, nutrients and other parameters (T, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, pH, DOC, DON, flow rate) in 17 headwater streams (watershed sizes from 0.5 to 3.4 km2) of the South Fork Broad River, Georgia wate...

Diagenetic Iron Cycling in Ancient Alkaline Saline Lacustrine Sedimentary Rocks: A Case Study on the Jurassic Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation, Colorado Plateau, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter-McIntyre, S. L.; Chan, M. A.; McPherson, B. J. O. L.

2014-12-01

The upper part of the Brushy Basin Member in the Four Corners region of the U.S. was deposited in an ephemeral alkaline saline lake system with copious input of volcanic ash. The variegated shale formation provides a setting for the study of early diagenetic iron cycling that records the action of alkaline saline fluid chemistries reacting with volcaniclastic sediments in the presence of microbes. A bull's-eye pattern of authigenic minerals with increasing alteration towards the basinal center similar to modern alkaline saline lakes provides evidence for an extreme paleoenvironmental interpretation. The purpose of this research is to document specific factors, such as reactive sediments, microbial influences, and grain size that affect concretion formation and iron cycling in an ancient extreme environment. Three broad diagenetic facies are interpreted by color and associated bioturbation features: red, green and intermediate. Diagenetic facies reflect meter-scale paleotopography: red facies represent shallow water to subaerial, oxidizing conditions; green facies reflect saturated conditions and reducing pore water chemistry shortly after deposition, and intermediate facies represent a combination of the previous two conditions. Evidence of biotic influence is abundant and trace fossils exhibit patterns associated with the diagenetic facies. Red diagenetic facies typically contain burrows and root traces and green diagenetic facies exhibit restricted biotic diversity typically limited to algal molds (vugs). Microbial fossils are well-preserved and are in close proximity to specific iron mineral textures suggesting biotic influence on the crystal morphology. Three categories of concretions are characterized based on mineralogy: carbonate, iron (oxyhydr)oxide and phosphate concretions. Concretion mineralogy and size vary within an outcrop and even within a stratigraphic horizon such that more than one main category is typically present in an outcrop. Variation in concretion mineralogy and morphology within the Brushy Basin Member suggests that alkaline saline fluid chemistries in concert with microbial interaction created diagenetic microenvironments within a larger lake system to influence iron cycling and these reactions can be spatially variable even on 10s of cm scales.

Acid neutralization within limestone sand reactors receiving coal mine drainage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watten, B.J.; Sibrell, P.L.; Schwartz, M.F.

2005-01-01

Pulsed bed treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) uses CO2 to accelerate limestone dissolution and intermittent fluidization to abrade and carry away metal hydrolysis products. Tests conducted with a prototype of 60 L/min capacity showed effective removal of H+ acidity over the range 196-584 mg/L (CaCO3) while concurrently generating surplus acid neutralization capacity. Effluent alkalinity (mg/L CaCO3) rose with increases in CO2 (DC, mg/L) according to the model Alkalinity = 31.22 + 2.97(DC)0.5, where DC was varied from 11-726 mg/L. Altering fluidization and contraction periods from 30 s/30 s to 10 s/50 s did not influence alkalinity but did increase energy dissipation and bed expansion ratios. Field trials with three AMD sources demonstrated the process is capable of raising AMD pH above that required for hydrolysis and precipitation of Fe3+ and Al3+ but not Fe2+ and Mn2+. Numerical modeling showed CO2 requirements are reduced as AMD acidity increases and when DC is recycled from system effluent. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of enzymes by a newly isolated Bacillus sp. TMF-1 in solid state fermentation on agricultural by-products: The evaluation of substrate pretreatment methods.

PubMed

Salim, Abdalla Ali; Grbavčić, Sanja; Šekuljica, Nataša; Stefanović, Andrea; Jakovetić Tanasković, Sonja; Luković, Nevena; Knežević-Jugović, Zorica

2017-03-01

Study on potential of different agro-industrial waste residues for supporting the growth of newly isolated Bacillus sp. TMF-1 strain under solid-state fermentation (SSF) was conducted aiming to produce several industrially valuable enzymes. Since the feasibility of the initial study was confirmed, further objectives included evaluation of several pretreatments of the studied agricultural by-products (soybean meal, sunflower meal, maize bran, maize pericarp, olive oil cake and wheat bran) on the microbial productivity as means of enhancing the yields of produced proteases, α-amylases, cellulases and pectinases. Among acid/alkaline treatment, ultrasound and microwave assisted methods, chemical treatments superiorly affected most of the studied substrates. Highest yields of produced proteases (50.5IUg -1 ) and α-amylases (50.75IUg -1 ) were achieved on alkaline treated corn pericarp. Alkaline treatment also promoted the secretion of cellulases on maize bran (1.19IUg -1 ). Highest yield of pectinases was obtained on untreated soybean meal (64.90IUg -1 ). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental and analytical analysis of polarization and water transport behaviors of hydrogen alkaline membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huo, Sen; Zhou, Jiaxun; Wang, Tianyou; Chen, Rui; Jiao, Kui

2018-04-01

Experimental test and analytical modeling are conducted to investigate the operating behavior of an alkaline electrolyte membrane (AEM) fuel cell fed by H2/air (or O2) and explore the effect of various operating pressures on the water transfer mechanism. According to the experimental test, the cell performance is greatly improved through increasing the operating pressure gradient from anode to cathode which leads to significant liquid water permeation through the membrane. The high frequency resistance of the A901 alkaline membrane is observed to be relatively stable as the operating pressure varies based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method. Correspondingly, based on the modeling prediction, the averaged water content in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) does not change too much which leads to the weak variation of membrane ohmic resistance. This reveals that the performance enhancement should give the credit to better electro-chemical reaction kinetics for both the anode and cathode, also prone by the EIS results. The reversion of water back diffusion direction across the membrane is also observed through analytical solution.

Distribution of desert varnish in Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elvidge, Christopher D.

1989-01-01

Desert varnish is the dark coat of clay and ferromanganese oxides developed on exposed rock surfaces in arid regions. It forms from the accretion of material from windblown dust. The distribution of desert varnish was mapped in Arizona. It was discovered that desert varnish could be mapped on a regional scale. Well developed desert varnish is common on stable rock surfaces in areas having alkaline soils and less than about 25 cm of annual precipitation. Rock surfaces in areas having more than 40 cm of annual precipitation are generally devoid of desert varnish. An experiment was conducted with varnished desert pavement stone. The stones were broken in half and half was set on a roof in central Illinois from April until October. Removed from the alkaline desert environment, it only took seven months for the varnish to develop an eroded appearance. This experiment graphically illustrates the dependency of desert varnish on alkalinity. In this context, the zones of eroded desert varnish in Arizona indicate that the area of active desert varnish formation has fluctuated, expanding in drier times and contracting/eroding in wetter times.

INTESTINAL ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE: A SUMMARY OF ITS ROLE IN CLINICAL DISEASE

PubMed Central

Fawley, Jason; Gourlay, David

2016-01-01

Over the past few years, there is increasing evidence implicating a novel role for Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase (IAP) in mitigating inflammatory mediated disorders. IAP is an endogenous protein expressed by the intestinal epithelium that is believed to play a vital role in maintaining gut homeostasis. Loss of IAP expression or function is associated with increased intestinal inflammation, dysbiosis, bacterial translocation and subsequently systemic inflammation. As these events are a cornerstone of the pathophysiology of many diseases relevant to surgeons, we sought to review recent research in both animal and humans on IAP’s physiologic function, mechanisms of action and current research in specific surgical diseases. PMID:27083970

Wide-band-gap, alkaline-earth-oxide semiconductor and devices utilizing same

DOEpatents

Abraham, Marvin M.; Chen, Yok; Kernohan, Robert H.

1981-01-01

This invention relates to novel and comparatively inexpensive semiconductor devices utilizing semiconducting alkaline-earth-oxide crystals doped with alkali metal. The semiconducting crystals are produced by a simple and relatively inexpensive process. As a specific example, a high-purity lithium-doped MgO crystal is grown by conventional techniques. The crystal then is heated in an oxygen-containing atmosphere to form many [Li].degree. defects therein, and the resulting defect-rich hot crystal is promptly quenched to render the defects stable at room temperature and temperatures well above the same. Quenching can be effected conveniently by contacting the hot crystal with room-temperature air.

Recombinant expression and antigenic properties of a 32-kilodalton extracellular alkaline protease, representing a possible virulence factor from Aspergillus fumigatus.

PubMed Central

Moser, M; Menz, G; Blaser, K; Crameri, R

1994-01-01

A 32-kDa nonglycosylated alkaline protease (EC 3.4.1.14) with elastolytic activity, secreted by the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC 42202, is suggested to be a virulence factor of this fungus. The enzyme is a serine protease of the subtilisin family, and its cDNA nucleotide sequence has recently been reported. We have cloned the cDNA encoding the mature protease into a high-level Escherichia coli expression plasmid and produced the recombinant protease as a fusion protein with a six-adjacent-histidine affinity tag at the carboxy terminus. Subsequently, the recombinant protease was purified to homogeneity, with affinity chromatography yielding 30 to 40 mg of recombinant protease per liter of E. coli culture. Refolded recombinant protease, in comparison with native protease, demonstrated weak enzymatic activity but similar immunochemical characteristics as analyzed by antigen-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), competition ELISA, and immunoblotting assays. To assess the allergenic potential of the protease, sera from patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and sera from healthy control individuals were analyzed by ELISA and immunoblotting techniques. Sera from patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis did not have protease-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies and, remarkably, did not show significantly elevated protease-specific IgG antibody levels compared with those in sera from healthy control individuals. This suggests that the alkaline protease from A. fumigatus does not elicit IgE antibodies and has weak immunogenicity, a property which may explain fungus persistence in allergic individuals. Images PMID:8112866

Passive treatment of acid mine drainage using coal combustion by-products and spent mushroom substrate: Results of column study

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

Crisp, T.E.; Nairn, R.W.; Strevett, K.A.

1998-12-31

A column study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using of coal combustion by-products (CCB) as alkaline materials in a field scale downflow constructed wetlands for acid mine drainage treatment. Five columns (15.24 cm in diameter and 91.44 cm high) were constructed and filled with a combination of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and one of three alkaline materials (limestone, hydrated fly ash, or fluidized bed ash). The five mixtures utilized were 10% fluidized bed ash/40% limestone (FBA/LS), 10% fluidized bed ash (FBA), 50% limestone (LS), 50% hydrated fly ash (HFA),m and 50% sieved (>1.5 cm) hydrated fly ash (S.more » HFA) with the remainder as SMS on a w/w basis. Column received synthetic acid mine drainage containing: 400 mg/L iron, 59 mg/L aluminum, 11 mg/L manganese, 50% mg/L magnesium, 40 mg/L calcium, and 1200 mg/L sulfate for 5 months. Anoxic conditions in the influent reservoirs were maintained by a positive nitrogen pressure head. Flow rates of 2.0 mL/minute to each column were maintained by a multichannel peristaltic pump. For all columns, effluent acidity concentrations were less than influent acidity concentration (877{sup {minus}}30, n = 75f). Mean effluent acidity concentrations were 241 mg/L (FBA/LS), 186 mg/L (FBA), 419 mg/L (LS), {minus}28.5 mg/L (HFA), and 351 mg/L (S. HFA), respectively. While all column produced measurable alkalinity, only the HFA column produced a net alkaline discharge. The results of these column studies are applicable to the design and sizing of innovative field scale systems using alkaline-rich CCB`s.« less

Early containment of high-alkaline solution simulating low-level radioactive waste stream in clay-bearing blended cement

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

Kruger, A.A.; Olson, R.A.; Tennis, P.D.

1995-04-01

Portland cement blended with fly ash and attapulgite clay was mixed with high-alkaline solution simulating low-level radioactive waste stream at a one-to-one weight ratio. Mixtures were adiabatically and isothermally cured at various temperatures and analyzed for phase composition, total alkalinity, pore solution chemistry, and transport properties as measured by impedance spectroscopy. Total alkalinity is characterized by two main drops. The early one corresponds to a rapid removal of phosphorous, aluminum, sodium, and to a lesser extent potassium solution. The second drop from about 10 h to 3 days is mainly associated with the removal of aluminum, silicon, and sodium. Thereafter,more » the total alkalinity continues descending, but at a lower rate. All pastes display a rapid flow loss that is attributed to an early precipitation of hydrated products. Hemicarbonate appears as early as one hour after mixing and is probably followed by apatite precipitation. However, the former is unstable and decomposes at a rate that is inversely related to the curing temperature. At high temperatures, zeolite appears at about 10 h after mixing. At 30 days, the stabilized crystalline composition Includes zeolite, apatite and other minor amounts of CaCO{sub 3}, quartz, and monosulfate Impedance spectra conform with the chemical and mineralogical data. The normalized conductivity of the pastes shows an early drop, which is followed by a main decrease from about 12 h to three days. At three days, the permeability of the cement-based waste as calculated by Katz-Thompson equation is over three orders of magnitude lower than that of ordinary portland cement paste. However, a further decrease in the calculated permeability is questionable. Chemical stabilization is favorable through incorporation of waste species into apatite and zeolite.« less

CARINA alkalinity data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velo, A.; Perez, F. F.; Brown, P.; Tanhua, T.; Schuster, U.; Key, R. M.

2009-08-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these, 75 cruises report alkalinity values. Here we present details of the secondary QC on alkalinity for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the alkalinity values for 16 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL alkalinity data to be 3.3 μmol kg-1. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

CARINA alkalinity data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velo, A.; Perez, F. F.; Brown, P.; Tanhua, T.; Schuster, U.; Key, R. M.

2009-11-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these, 75 cruises report alkalinity values. Here we present details of the secondary QC on alkalinity for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the alkalinity values for 16 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL alkalinity data to be 3.3 μmol kg-1. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

Gold nanoparticle-polymer nanocomposites synthesized by room temperature atmospheric pressure plasma and their potential for fuel cell electrocatalytic application

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ri-Chao; Sun, Dan; Zhang, Ruirui; Lin, Wen-Feng; Macias-Montero, Manuel; Patel, Jenish; Askari, Sadegh; McDonald, Calum; Mariotti, Davide; Maguire, Paul

2017-01-01

Conductive polymers have been increasingly used as fuel cell catalyst support due to their electrical conductivity, large surface areas and stability. The incorporation of metal nanoparticles into a polymer matrix can effectively increase the specific surface area of these materials and hence improve the catalytic efficiency. In this work, a nanoparticle loaded conductive polymer nanocomposite was obtained by a one-step synthesis approach based on room temperature direct current plasma-liquid interaction. Gold nanoparticles were directly synthesized from HAuCl4 precursor in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The resulting AuNPs/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposites were subsequently characterized under a practical alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell operation condition for its potential application as an electrocatalyst. Results show that AuNPs sizes within the PEDOT:PSS matrix are dependent on the plasma treatment time and precursor concentration, which in turn affect the nanocomposites electrical conductivity and their catalytic performance. Under certain synthesis conditions, unique nanoscale AuNPs/PEDOT:PSS core-shell structures could also be produced, indicating the interaction at the AuNPs/polymer interface. The enhanced catalytic activity shown by AuNPs/PEDOT:PSS has been attributed to the effective electron transfer and reactive species diffusion through the porous polymer network, as well as the synergistic interfacial interaction at the metal/polymer and metal/metal interfaces. PMID:28436454

Gold nanoparticle-polymer nanocomposites synthesized by room temperature atmospheric pressure plasma and their potential for fuel cell electrocatalytic application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ri-Chao; Sun, Dan; Zhang, Ruirui; Lin, Wen-Feng; Macias-Montero, Manuel; Patel, Jenish; Askari, Sadegh; McDonald, Calum; Mariotti, Davide; Maguire, Paul

2017-04-01

Conductive polymers have been increasingly used as fuel cell catalyst support due to their electrical conductivity, large surface areas and stability. The incorporation of metal nanoparticles into a polymer matrix can effectively increase the specific surface area of these materials and hence improve the catalytic efficiency. In this work, a nanoparticle loaded conductive polymer nanocomposite was obtained by a one-step synthesis approach based on room temperature direct current plasma-liquid interaction. Gold nanoparticles were directly synthesized from HAuCl4 precursor in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The resulting AuNPs/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposites were subsequently characterized under a practical alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell operation condition for its potential application as an electrocatalyst. Results show that AuNPs sizes within the PEDOT:PSS matrix are dependent on the plasma treatment time and precursor concentration, which in turn affect the nanocomposites electrical conductivity and their catalytic performance. Under certain synthesis conditions, unique nanoscale AuNPs/PEDOT:PSS core-shell structures could also be produced, indicating the interaction at the AuNPs/polymer interface. The enhanced catalytic activity shown by AuNPs/PEDOT:PSS has been attributed to the effective electron transfer and reactive species diffusion through the porous polymer network, as well as the synergistic interfacial interaction at the metal/polymer and metal/metal interfaces.

Improvement of selective removal of heavy metals in cyanobacteria by NaOH treatment.

PubMed

Nagase, Hiroyasu; Inthorn, Duangrat; Oda, Aiko; Nishimura, Jun; Kajiwara, Yumiko; Park, Myong-Oku; Hirata, Kazumasa; Miyamoto, Kazuhisa

2005-04-01

In the freshwater cyanobacterium, Tolypothrix tenuis, treatment with 0.1 M NaOH increased its Cd-selective adsorption ability in the presence of Ca(2+) or Mg(2+). The selective adsorption was also achieved by other alkaline treatments. Energy-distributed spectroscopy analysis revealed that Cd(2+) was found mainly on the surface of non-treated cells, whereas it was distributed throughout the cell after NaOH treatment. The alkaline treatment was effective in increasing the selective adsorption ability of the cyanobacterium for other bivalent heavy metals such as Cu(2+), Pb(2+) and Zn(2+). The treatment was also applicable to Anabaena variabilis and Microcystis aeruginosa, which are typical cyanobacteria causing algal blooms. The main binding site of Cd(2+) in NaOH-treated cells is assumed to be the carboxyl groups because the binding ability of the cells was diminished by the esterification of carboxyl groups. These results suggest that alkaline treatment of cyanobacteria is a useful technique for producing biosorbents having highly specific binding abilities for heavy metals.

Mechanisms implicated in the effects of boron on wound healing.

PubMed

Nzietchueng, Rosine Mayap; Dousset, Brigitte; Franck, Patricia; Benderdour, Mohamed; Nabet, Pierre; Hess, Ketsia

2002-01-01

Recently, we demonstrated that boron modulates the turnover of the extracellular matrix and increases TNFalpha release. In the present study, we used an in vitro test to investigate the direct effect of boron on specific enzymes (elastase, trypsin-like enzymes, collagenase and alkaline phosphatase) implicated in extracellular matrix turnover. Boron decreased the elastase and alkaline phosphatase activity, but had no effect on trypsin and collagenase activities. The effect of boron on the enzyme activities was also tested in fibroblasts considered as an in vivo test. In contrast to the results obtained in vitro, boron enhanced the trypsin-like, collagenase, and cathepsin D activities in fibroblasts. Boron did not modify the generation of free radicals compared to the control and did not seem to act on the intracellular alkaline phosphatase activity, However, as it did enhance phosphorylation, it can be hypothesized that boron may affect living cells via a mediator, which could be TNFalpha whose transduction signal involves a cascade of phosphorylations.

Comparing alkaline and thermal disintegration characteristics for mechanically dewatered sludge.

PubMed

Tunçal, Tolga

2011-10-01

Thermal drying is one of the advanced technologies ultimately providing an alternative method of sludge disposal. In this study, the drying kinetics of mechanically dewatered sludge (MDS) after alkaline and thermal disintegration have been studied. In addition, the effect of total organic carbon (TOC) on specific resistance to filtration and sludge bound water content were also investigated on freshly collected sludge samples. The combined effect of pH and TOC on the thermal sludge drying rate for MDS was modelled using the two-factorial experimental design method. Statistical assessment of the obtained results proposed that sludge drying potential has increased exponentially for both increasing temperature and lime dosage. Execution of curve fitting algorithms also implied that drying profiles for raw and alkaline-disintegrated sludge were well fitted to the Henderson and Pabis model. The activation energy of MDS decreased from 28.716 to 11.390 kJ mol(-1) after disintegration. Consequently, the unit power requirement for thermal drying decreased remarkably from 706 to 281 W g(-1) H2O.

Evolution of extreme stomach pH in bilateria inferred from gastric alkalization mechanisms in basal deuterostomes

PubMed Central

Stumpp, Meike; Hu, Marian Y.; Tseng, Yung-Che; Guh, Ying-Jeh; Chen, Yi-Chih; Yu, Jr-Kai; Su, Yi-Hsien; Hwang, Pung-Pung

2015-01-01

The stomachs of most vertebrates operate at an acidic pH of 2 generated by the gastric H+/K+-ATPase located in parietal cells. The acidic pH in stomachs of vertebrates is believed to aid digestion and to protect against environmental pathogens. Little attention has been placed on whether acidic gastric pH regulation is a vertebrate character or a deuterostome ancestral trait. Here, we report alkaline conditions up to pH 10.5 in the larval digestive systems of ambulacraria (echinoderm + hemichordate), the closest relative of the chordate. Microelectrode measurements in combination with specific inhibitors for acid-base transporters and ion pumps demonstrated that the gastric alkalization machinery in sea urchin larvae is mainly based on direct H+ secretion from the stomach lumen and involves a conserved set of ion pumps and transporters. Hemichordate larvae additionally utilized HCO3− transport pathways to generate even more alkaline digestive conditions. Molecular analyses in combination with acidification experiments supported these findings and identified genes coding for ion pumps energizing gastric alkalization. Given that insect larval guts were also reported to be alkaline, our discovery raises the hypothesis that the bilaterian ancestor utilized alkaline digestive system while the vertebrate lineage has evolved a strategy to strongly acidify their stomachs. PMID:26051042

Evolution of extreme stomach pH in bilateria inferred from gastric alkalization mechanisms in basal deuterostomes.

PubMed

Stumpp, Meike; Hu, Marian Y; Tseng, Yung-Che; Guh, Ying-Jeh; Chen, Yi-Chih; Yu, Jr-Kai; Su, Yi-Hsien; Hwang, Pung-Pung

2015-06-08

The stomachs of most vertebrates operate at an acidic pH of 2 generated by the gastric H(+)/K(+)-ATPase located in parietal cells. The acidic pH in stomachs of vertebrates is believed to aid digestion and to protect against environmental pathogens. Little attention has been placed on whether acidic gastric pH regulation is a vertebrate character or a deuterostome ancestral trait. Here, we report alkaline conditions up to pH 10.5 in the larval digestive systems of ambulacraria (echinoderm + hemichordate), the closest relative of the chordate. Microelectrode measurements in combination with specific inhibitors for acid-base transporters and ion pumps demonstrated that the gastric alkalization machinery in sea urchin larvae is mainly based on direct H(+) secretion from the stomach lumen and involves a conserved set of ion pumps and transporters. Hemichordate larvae additionally utilized HCO3(-) transport pathways to generate even more alkaline digestive conditions. Molecular analyses in combination with acidification experiments supported these findings and identified genes coding for ion pumps energizing gastric alkalization. Given that insect larval guts were also reported to be alkaline, our discovery raises the hypothesis that the bilaterian ancestor utilized alkaline digestive system while the vertebrate lineage has evolved a strategy to strongly acidify their stomachs.

A High-Performance Sintered Iron Electrode for Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries to Enable Large-Scale Energy Storage

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

Yang, Chenguang; Manohar, Aswin K.; Narayanan, S. R.

Iron-based alkaline rechargeable batteries such as iron-air and nickel-iron batteries are particularly attractive for large-scale energy storage because these batteries can be relatively inexpensive, environment- friendly, and also safe. Therefore, our study has focused on achieving the essential electrical performance and cycling properties needed for the widespread use of iron-based alkaline batteries in stationary and distributed energy storage applications.We have demonstrated for the first time, an advanced sintered iron electrode capable of 3500 cycles of repeated charge and discharge at the 1-hour rate and 100% depth of discharge in each cycle, and an average Coulombic efficiency of over 97%. Suchmore » a robust and efficient rechargeable iron electrode is also capable of continuous discharge at rates as high as 3C with no noticeable loss in utilization. We have shown that the porosity, pore size and thickness of the sintered electrode can be selected rationally to optimize specific capacity, rate capability and robustness. As a result, these advances in the electrical performance and durability of the iron electrode enables iron-based alkaline batteries to be a viable technology solution for meeting the dire need for large-scale electrical energy storage.« less

[Alkaline-adapted beta-mannanase of Bacillus pumilus: gene heterologous expression and enzyme characterization].

PubMed

Tang, Jiajie; Guo, Su; Wang, Wei; Wei, Wei; Wei, Dongzhi

2015-11-04

We expressed a novel alkaline-adapted beta-mannanase gene and characterized the enzyme for potential industrial applications. We obtained a mannanase gene (named man(B)) from Bacillus pumilus Nsic2 and expressed the gene man(B) in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Furthermore, we characterized the enzyme. The gene man(B) had an open reading frame of 1104 bp that encoded a polypeptide of 367-amino-acid beta-mannanase (Man(B)). The protein sequence showed the highest identity with the beta-mannanase from B. pumilus CCAM080065. We expressed the gene man(B) in E. coli BL21 (DE3) with the enzyme activity of 11021.3 U/mL. Compared with other mannanases, Man(B) showed higher stability under alkaline conditions and was stable at pH6.0 -9.0. The specific activity of purified Man(B) was 4191 ± 107 U/mg. The K(m) and V(max) values of purified Man(B) were 35.7 mg/mL and 14.9 μmol/(mL x min), respectively. Meanwhile, we achieved recombinant protein secretion expression in B. subtilis WB800N. We achieved heterologous expression of the gene man(B) and characterized its enzyme. The alkaline-adapted Man(B) showed potential value in industrial applications due to its pH stability.

Comprehensive analysis of sperm DNA fragmentation by five different assays: TUNEL assay, SCSA, SCD test and alkaline and neutral Comet assay.

PubMed

Ribas-Maynou, J; García-Peiró, A; Fernández-Encinas, A; Abad, C; Amengual, M J; Prada, E; Navarro, J; Benet, J

2013-09-01

Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) is becoming an important test to assess male infertility. Several different tests are available, but no consensus has yet been reached as to which tests are most predictive of infertility. Few publications have reported a comprehensive analysis comparing these methods within the same population. The objective of this study was to analyze the differences between the five most common methodologies, to study their correlations and to establish their cut-off values, sensitivity and specificity in predicting male infertility. We found differences in SDF between fertile donors and infertile patients in TUNEL, SCSA, SCD and alkaline Comet assays, but none with the neutral Comet assay. The alkaline COMET assay was the best in predicting male infertility followed by TUNEL, SCD and SCSA, whereas the neutral COMET assay had no predictive power. For our patient population, threshold values for infertility were 20.05% for TUNEL assay, 18.90% for SCSA, 22.75% for the SCD test, 45.37% for alkaline Comet and 34.37% for neutral Comet. This work establishes in a comprehensive study that the all techniques except neutral Comet are useful to distinguish fertile and infertile men. © 2013 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

Coregulated Expression of the Na+/Phosphate Pho89 Transporter and Ena1 Na+-ATPase Allows Their Functional Coupling under High-pH Stress

PubMed Central

Serra-Cardona, Albert; Petrezsélyová, Silvia; Canadell, David; Ramos, José

2014-01-01

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has two main high-affinity inorganic phosphate (Pi) transporters, Pho84 and Pho89, that are functionally relevant at acidic/neutral pH and alkaline pH, respectively. Upon Pi starvation, PHO84 and PHO89 are induced by the activation of the PHO regulon by the binding of the Pho4 transcription factor to specific promoter sequences. We show that PHO89 and PHO84 are induced by alkalinization of the medium with different kinetics and that the network controlling Pho89 expression in response to alkaline pH differs from that of other members of the PHO regulon. In addition to Pho4, the PHO89 promoter is regulated by the transcriptional activator Crz1 through the calcium-activated phosphatase calcineurin, and it is under the control of several repressors (Mig2, Nrg1, and Nrg2) coordinately regulated by the Snf1 protein kinase and the Rim101 transcription factor. This network mimics the one regulating expression of the Na+-ATPase gene ENA1, encoding a major determinant for Na+ detoxification. Our data highlight a scenario in which the activities of Pho89 and Ena1 are functionally coordinated to sustain growth in an alkaline environment. PMID:25266663

Mechanisms Of The Dissolution Inhibition Effect And Their Application To Designing Novel Deep-UV Resists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murata, Makoto; Koshiba, Mitsunobu; Harita, Yoshiyuki

1989-08-01

The dissolution inhibition effect and alkaline solubility were investigated for naphthoquinone diazides like 1,2-naphthoquinone diazide (NQD), its 5-sulfonylchloride (NQD-C) and 5-sulfonyloxybenzene (DAM), and for other compounds like sulfonylchlorides, sulfonyl esters, sulfones and a ketone which do not contain a naphthoquinone diazide moiety. As a result, it has turned out that the dissolution inhibition effect does not depend on the specific structure; namely, the naphthoquinone diazide moiety itself, but largely on the alkaline solubility of the compounds added to a novolak resin. An XPS study for the films consisting of a novolak resin and a dissolution inhibitor indicates a formation of an inhibitor-rich protective thin layer on the film surface after immersion of the film in an alkaline developer. In this paper is proposed a new third dissolution inhibition mechanism in addition to the previously reported chemical crosslinking and dipolar interaction; i.e., the alkaline insoluble protective layer inhibits the dissolution of novolak resin at the interface between the film and the developer. A new three-component type deep-UV resist has been also developed as an application of the new mechanism. The resist consists of a novolak resin, 5-diazo Meldrum's acid and a new dissolution inhibitors like phenyltosylate and p-phenylene ditosylate, which successfully improve the residual resist thickness.

A High-Performance Sintered Iron Electrode for Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries to Enable Large-Scale Energy Storage

DOE PAGES

Yang, Chenguang; Manohar, Aswin K.; Narayanan, S. R.

2017-01-07

Iron-based alkaline rechargeable batteries such as iron-air and nickel-iron batteries are particularly attractive for large-scale energy storage because these batteries can be relatively inexpensive, environment- friendly, and also safe. Therefore, our study has focused on achieving the essential electrical performance and cycling properties needed for the widespread use of iron-based alkaline batteries in stationary and distributed energy storage applications.We have demonstrated for the first time, an advanced sintered iron electrode capable of 3500 cycles of repeated charge and discharge at the 1-hour rate and 100% depth of discharge in each cycle, and an average Coulombic efficiency of over 97%. Suchmore » a robust and efficient rechargeable iron electrode is also capable of continuous discharge at rates as high as 3C with no noticeable loss in utilization. We have shown that the porosity, pore size and thickness of the sintered electrode can be selected rationally to optimize specific capacity, rate capability and robustness. As a result, these advances in the electrical performance and durability of the iron electrode enables iron-based alkaline batteries to be a viable technology solution for meeting the dire need for large-scale electrical energy storage.« less

Usefulness of organic acid produced by Exiguobacterium sp. 12/1 on neutralization of alkaline wastewater.

PubMed

Kulshreshtha, Niha Mohan; Kumar, Anil; Bisht, Gopal; Pasha, Santosh; Kumar, Rita

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of organic acids produced by Exiguobacterium sp. strain 12/1 (DSM 21148) in neutralization of alkaline wastewater emanated from beverage industry. This bacterium is known to be able to grow in medium of pH as high as pH 12.0 and to neutralize alkaline industrial wastewater from pH 12.0 to pH 7.5. The initial investigation on the type of functional groups present in medium, carried out using FT-IR spectroscopy, revealed the presence of peaks corresponding to carbonyl group and hydroxyl group, suggesting the release of carboxylic acid or related metabolic product(s). The identification of specific carboxylic group, carried out using RP-HPLC, revealed the presence of a single peak in the culture supernatant with retention time most similar to formic acid. The concentration of acid produced on different carbon sources was studied as a function of time. Although acid was present in same final concentration, the rate of acid production was highest in case of medium supplemented with sucrose followed by fructose and glucose. The knowledge of metabolic products of the bacterium can be considered as a first step towards realization of its potential for large-scale bioremediation of alkaline wastewater from beverage industry.

Usefulness of Organic Acid Produced by Exiguobacterium sp. 12/1 on Neutralization of Alkaline Wastewater

PubMed Central

Kulshreshtha, Niha Mohan; Kumar, Anil; Bisht, Gopal; Pasha, Santosh; Kumar, Rita

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of organic acids produced by Exiguobacterium sp. strain 12/1 (DSM 21148) in neutralization of alkaline wastewater emanated from beverage industry. This bacterium is known to be able to grow in medium of pH as high as pH 12.0 and to neutralize alkaline industrial wastewater from pH 12.0 to pH 7.5. The initial investigation on the type of functional groups present in medium, carried out using FT-IR spectroscopy, revealed the presence of peaks corresponding to carbonyl group and hydroxyl group, suggesting the release of carboxylic acid or related metabolic product(s). The identification of specific carboxylic group, carried out using RP-HPLC, revealed the presence of a single peak in the culture supernatant with retention time most similar to formic acid. The concentration of acid produced on different carbon sources was studied as a function of time. Although acid was present in same final concentration, the rate of acid production was highest in case of medium supplemented with sucrose followed by fructose and glucose. The knowledge of metabolic products of the bacterium can be considered as a first step towards realization of its potential for large-scale bioremediation of alkaline wastewater from beverage industry. PMID:22666107

Impact of 6-month frozen storage of cervical specimens in alkaline buffer conditions on human papillomavirus genotyping.

PubMed

LaMere, Brandon J; Howell, Renee; Fetterman, Barbara; Shieh, Jen; Castle, Philip E

2008-08-01

The impact of 6-month storage of cervical specimens under alkaline conditions that occurs as the result of Hybrid Capture 2 testing on human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping is not well documented. To examine this issue, 143 frozen hc2-positive specimens in specimen transport medium were selected at random from each of the following groups: specimens stored for 6 months, 4 months, and 2.5 months under alkaline pH (pH 12-13) and specimens stored 1 month at neutral pH (pH 6-7) as controls. Specimens were tested in a masked fashion for 20 HPV genotypes (HPV6, 11, 16, 18, 26, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, 73, and 82) using a prototype, research-use-only GP5+/6+ L1 consensus PCR method and multiplex hybridization using Luminex xMAP for detection of specific HPV genotypes One control specimen had missing test results. There were no statistical differences in the number of HPV genotypes detected, number of carcinogenic HPV genotypes detected, or in the signal strength among HPV-positive results across groups. Six-month frozen storage of cervical specimens at alkaline pH had little impact on testing for HPV genotypes among hc2-positive women using this HPV genotyping method.

Influence of elevated alkalinity and natural organic matter (NOM) on tissue-specific metal accumulation and reproductive performance in fathead minnows during chronic, multi-trophic exposures to a metal mine effluent.

PubMed

Ouellet, Jacob D; Dubé, Monique G; Niyogi, Som

2013-09-01

Metal bioavailability in aquatic organisms is known to be influenced by various water chemistry parameters. The present study examined the influence of alkalinity and natural organic matter (NOM) on tissue-specific metal accumulation and reproductive performance of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) during environmentally relevant chronic exposures to a metal mine effluent (MME). Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or NOM (as commercial humic acid) were added to a Canadian MME [45 percent process water effluent (PWE)] in order to evaluate whether increases in alkalinity (3-4 fold) or NOM (~1.5-3mg/L dissolved organic carbon) would reduce metal accumulation and mitigate reproductive toxicity in fathead minnows during a 21-day multi-trophic exposure. Eleven metals (barium, boron, cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, rubidium, selenium, and strontium) were elevated in the 45 percent PWE relative to the reference water. Exposure to the unmodified 45 percent PWE resulted in a decrease of fathead minnow egg production (~300 fewer eggs/pair) relative to the unmodified reference water, over the 21-day exposure period. Water chemistry modifications produced a modest decrease in free ion activity of some metals (as shown by MINTEQ, Version 3) in the 45 percent PWE exposure water, but did not alter the metal burden in the treatment-matched larval Chironomus dilutus (the food source of fish during exposure). The tissue-specific metal accumulation increased in fish exposed to the 45 percent PWE relative to the reference water, irrespective of water chemistry modifications, and the tissue metal concentrations were found to be similar between fish in the unmodified and modified 45 percent PWE (higher alkalinity or NOM) treatments. Interestingly however, increased alkalinity and NOM markedly improved fish egg production both in the reference water (~500 and ~590 additional eggs/pair, respectively) and 45 percent PWE treatments (~570 and ~260 additional eggs/pair, respectively), although fecundity over 21 day exposure consistently remained lower in the 45 percent PWE treatment groups relative to the treatment-matched reference groups. Collectively, these findings suggest that metal accumulation caused by chronic 45 percent PWE exposure cannot solely explain the reproductive toxicity in fish, and decrease in food availability (decrease in C. dilutus abundance in 45 percent PWE exposures) might have played a role. In addition, it appears that NaHCO3 or humic acid mitigated reproductive toxicity in fish exposed to 45 percent PWE by their direct beneficial effects on the physiological status of fish. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Systematic Studies on Anharmonicity of Rattling Phonons in Type I Clathrates by Low Temperature Heat Capacity Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanigaki, Katsumi; Wu, Jiazhen; Tanabe, Yoichi; Heguri, Satoshi; Shiimotani, Hidekazu; Tohoku University Collaboration

2014-03-01

Clathrates are featured by cage-like polyhedral hosts mainly composed of the IVth group elements of Si, Ge, or Sn and alkali metal or alkaline-earth metal elements can be accommodated inside as a guest atom. One of the most intriguing issues in clathrates is their outstanding high thermoelectric performances thanks to the low thermal conductivity. Being irrespective of good electric conductivity σ, the guest atom motions provide a low-energy lying less-dispersive phonons and can greatly suppress thermal conductivity κ. This makes clathrates close to the concept of ``phonon glass electron crystal: PGEC'' and useful in thermoelectric materials from the viewpoint of the figure of merit. In the present study, we show that the local phonon anharmonicity indicated by the tunneling-term of the endohedral atoms (αT) and the itinerant-electron term (γeT), both of which show T-linear dependences in specific heat Cp, can successfully be separated by employing single crystals with various carrier concentrations in a wide range of temperture experimennts. The factors affecting on the phonon anharmonicity as well as the strength of electron-phonon interactions will be discussed based on our recent experiments. The research was financially supported by Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Grant in Aid for Science, and Technology of Japan.

Analytical results and sample locality map of heavy-mineral-concentrate and rock samples from the Castle Peaks Wilderness Study Area (CDCA- 266), San Bernardino County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adrian, B.M.; Frisken, J.G.; Malcolm, M.J.; Crock, J.G.

1986-01-01

The report presents water-quality and geohydrologic information for 106 public water-supply wells in Illinois. These wells were sampled during April to December 1984 as part of a pilot program to develop a ground-water observation network in the State. The pilot program was designed to sample single-aquifer wells from three major aquifer systems--(1) sand and gravel, both confined and unconfined; (2) Silurian dolomite; and (3) the Ironton-Galesville deep sandstone. Data are tabulated for water temperature, pH, specific conductance, oxidation-reduction potential, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate + nitrite nitrogen, phosphorus, silica, arsenic, lead, mercury, fluoride, chloride, sulfate, cyanide, phenols, selenium, residue on evaporation at 180 degrees Celsius, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, barium, boron, beryllium, cadmium, chormium, copper, cobalt, iron, aluminum, manganese, nickel, silver, strontium, vanadium, zinc, and selected geohydrologic information.

Water-quality and ground-water-level data, Bernalillo County, central New Mexico, 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rankin, D.R.

1996-01-01

Water-quality and ground-water-level data were collected in two areas of eastern Bernalillo County in central New Mexico between March and July of 1995. Fifty-one wells, two springs, and the Ojo Grande Acequia in the east mountain area of Bernalillo County and nine wells in the northeast area of the city of Albuquerque were sampled. The water samples were analyzed for selected nutrient species; total organic carbon; major dissolved constituents; dissolved arsenic, boron, iron, and manganese; and methylene blue active substances. Analytical results were used to compute hardness, sodium adsorption ratio, and dissolved solids. Specific conductance, pH, temperature, and alkalinity were measured in the field at the time of sample collection. Ground- water-level and well-depth measurements were made at the time of sample collection when possible. Water-quality data, ground- water-level data, and well-depth data are presented in tabular form.

Lithologic descriptions of two cores and ground-water-quality data from five counties in the northeastern part of the coastal plain of South Carolina, 1988 and 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falls, W.F.

1994-01-01

This report presents data collected as part of a hydrologic investigation of Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, and Marlboro Counties in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. These data include lithologic descriptions of sediment recovered from two continuously cored boreholes and water-quality results for samples collected from 17 existing wells. One continuously cored borehole was drilled near Lake Darpo in the northern part of Darlington County to a total depth of 447 feet below land surface. The other borehole was drilled in Lake City in the south-central part of Florence County to a total depth of 1,090 feet below land surface. Water-quality results presented in this report include specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, alkalinity, major- and minor-ion chemistry, and hydrogen sulfide.

Changes to Idaho's statewide surface-water quality monitoring program since 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Dell, Ivalou; Maret, Terry R.; Moore, Susan E.

1998-01-01

The program design included chemical analyses of water samples collected at 56 sites on the Bear, Clearwater, Kootenai, Pend Oreille, Salmon, Snake, and Spokane Rivers and their tributaries (fig. 1). Samples were collected every year (1990 through 1995) at 5 sites (annual sites), every other year at 19 sites (biennial sites), and every third year at 32 sites (triennial sites). Each year, 25 of the 56 sites were sampled. During water years 1990–95 (October 1, 1989, to September 30, 1995), samples were collected bimonthly. Onsite analyses consisted of discharge, specific conductance, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, bacteria (fecal coliform and fecal streptococci), and alkalinity. Laboratory analyses consisted of major ions, nutrients, trace elements, turbidity, and suspended sediment. Analytical results from the five annual sites sampled during water years 1990–93 are presented in a report by O’Dell and Berenbrock (1994).

Semiconductor cooling apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A. (Inventor); Gaier, James R. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

Gas derived graphite fibers generated by the decomposition of an organic gas are joined with a suitable binder. This produces a high thermal conductivity composite material which passively conducts heat from a source, such as a semiconductor, to a heat sink. The fibers may be intercalated. The intercalate can be halogen or halide salt, alkaline metal, or any other species which contributes to the electrical conductivity improvement of the graphite fiber. The fibers are bundled and joined with a suitable binder to form a high thermal conductivity composite material device. The heat transfer device may also be made of intercalated highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and machined, rather than made of fibers.

Acid-base properties of Baltic Sea dissolved organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammer, Karoline; Schneider, Bernd; Kuliński, Karol; Schulz-Bull, Detlef E.

2017-09-01

Calculations related to the marine CO2 system that are based on alkalinity data may be strongly biased if the contributions of organic compounds are ignored. In coastal seas, concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) are frequently high and alkalinity from inorganic compounds is low. In this study, based on measurements of total alkalinity, total CO2, and pH, we determined the organic alkalinity, Aorg, in water from the central Baltic Sea. The maximum Aorg measured in the surface mixed layer during the spring bloom was > 50 μmol/kg-SW but the Aorg decreased with depth and approached zero below the permanent halocline. This behavior could be attributed to the decreased pH of deeper water layers. The data were used to calculate the bulk dissociation constant, KDOM, for marine DOM and the fraction f of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) that acts as a carrier for acid-base functional groups. The p KDOM (7.27) agreed well with the value (7.34) previously estimated in a preliminary study of organic alkalinity in the Baltic Sea. The fraction of carbon atoms carrying acid-base groups was 17% and was somewhat higher than previously reported (12%). Spike experiments performed using artificial seawater and three different humic/fulvic substances tested whether the acid-base properties of these substances explain the results of our field study. Specifically, Aorg was determined at different concentrations (DOC) of the added humic/fulvic substances. The relationship between Aorg and the DOC concentrations indicated that humic/fulvic substances are more acidic (p KDOM < 6.5) than the bulk DOC natural occurring in the Baltic Sea.

Screening Brazilian Macrophomina phaseolina isolates for alkaline lipases and other extracellular hydrolases.

PubMed

Schinke, Claudia; Germani, José C

2012-03-01

Macrophomina phaseolina, phylum Ascomycota, is a phytopathogenic fungus distributed worldwide in hot dry areas. There are few studies on its secreted lipases and none on its colony radial growth rate, an indicator of fungal ability to use nutrients for growth, on media other than potato-dextrose agar. In this study, 13 M. phaseolina isolates collected in different Brazilian regions were screened for fast-growth and the production of hydrolases of industrial interest, especially alkaline lipases. Hydrolase detection and growth rate determination were done on citric pectin, gelatin, casein, soluble starch, and olive oil as substrates. Ten isolates were found to be active on all substrates tested. The most commonly detected enzymes were pectinases, amylases, and lipases. The growth rate on pectin was significantly higher (P < 0.05), while the growth rates on the different media identified CMM 2105, CMM 1091, and PEL as the fastest-growing isolates. The lipase activity of four isolates grown on olive oil was followed for 4 days by measuring the activity in the cultivation broth. The specific lipolytic activity of isolate PEL was significantly higher at 96 h (130 mU mg protein(-1)). The broth was active at 37 °C, pH 8, indicating the potential utility of the lipases of this isolate in mild alkaline detergents. There was a strong and positive correlation (0.86) between radial growth rate and specific lipolytic activity.

New Class of Flow Batteries for Terrestrial and Aerospace Energy Storage Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bugga, Ratnakumar V.; West, William C.; Kindler, Andrew; Smart, Marshall C.

2013-01-01

Future sustainable energy generation technologies such as photovoltaic and wind farms require advanced energy storage systems on a massive scale to make the alternate (green) energy options practical. The daunting requirements of such large-scale energy systems such as long operating and cycle life, safety, and low cost are not adequately met by state-of-the-art energy storage technologies such as vanadium flow cells, lead-acid, and zinc-bromine batteries. Much attention is being paid to redox batteries specifically to the vanadium redox battery (VRB) due to their simplicity, low cost, and good life characteristics compared to other related battery technologies. NASA is currently seeking high-specific- energy and long-cycle-life rechargeable batteries in the 10-to-100-kW range to support future human exploration missions, such as planetary habitats, human rovers, etc. The flow batteries described above are excellent candidates for these applications, as well as other applications that propose to use regenerative fuel cells. A new flow cell technology is proposed based on coupling two novel electrodes in the form of solvated electron systems (SES) between an alkali (or alkaline earth) metal and poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), separated by an ionically conducting separator. The cell reaction involves the formation of such SES with a PAH of high voltage in the cathode, while the alkali (or alkaline earth metal) is reduced from such an MPAH complex in the anode half-cell. During recharge, the reactions are reversed in both electrodes. In other words, the alkali (alkaline earth) metal ion simply shuttles from one M-PAH complex (SES) to another, which are separated by a metal-ion conducting solid or polymer electrolyte separator. As an example, the concept was demonstrated with Li-naphthalene//Li DDQ (DDQ is 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano- 1,4-benzoquinone) separated by lithium super ion conductor, either ceramic or polymer (solid polymer or gel polymer) electrolytes. The reactants are Li-naphthalene dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) with a lithium salt of 1M LiBF4 (lithium tetra fluoroborate) in the anode compartment, and DDQ again dissolved in THF and also containing 1M LiBF4 salt in the cathode half-cell. The solid electrolyte separator used in the first set of experiments is a ceramic solid electrolyte, available from a commercial source. The open circuit voltage of the cells is close to 3.0 V, as expected from the individual half-cell voltages of Li-naphthalene and Li-DDQ. Upon discharge, the cell shows steady discharge voltage of 2.7 V, which confirms that the electrochemical processes do involve lithium ion shuttling from the anodic compartment to the cathode half-cell. The reversibility or rechargeability is demonstrated by charging the partially discharged cells (i.e., with lithium present in the DDQ half). Once again, a steady voltage close to 3.0 V was observed during charge, indicating that the system is quite reversible. In the subsequent concept-demonstration studies, the ceramic electrolyte has been replaced with a gel polymer electrolyte, e.g., PVDF-HFP (poly vinylene difluoride hexafluoropropene) gel, which has several advantages such as high ionic conductivity (almost comparable to liquid electrolyte and about 2 orders of magnitude better than the ceramic equivalent), lower cost, and possibly higher chemical stability at the anode. In addition, it can be bonded to the electrode by thermal fusion to form membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), as is done in fuel cells.

Polymeric membrane systems of potential use for battery separators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philipp, W. H.

1977-01-01

Two membrane systems were investigated that may have potential use as alkaline battery separators. One system comprises two miscible polymers: a support polymer (e.g., polyvinyl formal) and an ion conductor such as polyacrylic acid. The other system involves a film composed of two immiscible polymers: a conducting polymer (e.g., calcium polyacrylate) suspended in an inert polymer support matrix, polyphenylene oxide. Resistivities in 45-percent potassium hydroxide and qualitative mechanical properties are presented for films comprising various proportions of conducting and support polymers. In terms of these parameters, the results are encouraging for optimum ratios of conducting to support polymers.

Intrinsically modified thermoelectric performance of alkaline-earth isovalently substituted [Bi2AE2O4][CoO2]y single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, N.; Dong, S. T.; Zhang, B. B.; Chen, Y. B.; Zhou, J.; Zhang, S. T.; Gu, Z. B.; Yao, S. H.; Chen, Y. F.

2013-07-01

Alkaline-earth elements isovalently substituted into a [Bi2AE2O4][CoO2]y (AE2 = Ca2, Sr2, and CaSr) single crystal with a layered structure were grown by the optical floating zone method. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy showed that the layers were oriented perpendicular to the c-axis, as well as the growth of direction was parallel to the ab-plane. The thermoelectric properties, including the Seebeck effect, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity were investigated. The results of the thermoelectric measurements showed that the full substitution of Ca for Sr in [Bi2Sr2-xCaxO4][CoO2]y has the best overall thermoelectric performance. Compared with the other two cases studied, the full Ca substituted crystal [Bi2Ca2O4][CoO2]y exhibits both reduced resistivity and thermal conductivity, but not a reduced Seebeck coefficient. The enhanced thermoelectric property in [Bi2Ca2O4][CoO2]y is mainly due to lower structural symmetry, which is confirmed by electron microscopy characterization. This work demonstrates that even isovalently substitution can play a crucial role in the thermoelectric effect of layered cobalt oxides.

Soil Respiration in Different Agricultural and Natural Ecosystems in an Arid Region

PubMed Central

Lai, Liming; Zhao, Xuechun; Jiang, Lianhe; Wang, Yongji; Luo, Liangguo; Zheng, Yuanrun; Chen, Xi; Rimmington, Glyn M.

2012-01-01

The variation of different ecosystems on the terrestrial carbon balance is predicted to be large. We investigated a typical arid region with widespread saline/alkaline soils, and evaluated soil respiration of different agricultural and natural ecosystems. Soil respiration for five ecosystems together with soil temperature, soil moisture, soil pH, soil electric conductivity and soil organic carbon content were investigated in the field. Comparing with the natural ecosystems, the mean seasonal soil respiration rates of the agricultural ecosystems were 96%–386% higher and agricultural ecosystems exhibited lower CO2 absorption by the saline/alkaline soil. Soil temperature and moisture together explained 48%, 86%, 84%, 54% and 54% of the seasonal variations of soil respiration in the five ecosystems, respectively. There was a significant negative relationship between soil respiration and soil electrical conductivity, but a weak correlation between soil respiration and soil pH or soil organic carbon content. Our results showed that soil CO2 emissions were significantly different among different agricultural and natural ecosystems, although we caution that this was an observational, not manipulative, study. Temperature at the soil surface and electric conductivity were the main driving factors of soil respiration across the five ecosystems. Care should be taken when converting native vegetation into cropland from the point of view of greenhouse gas emissions. PMID:23082234

Soil respiration in different agricultural and natural ecosystems in an arid region.

PubMed

Lai, Liming; Zhao, Xuechun; Jiang, Lianhe; Wang, Yongji; Luo, Liangguo; Zheng, Yuanrun; Chen, Xi; Rimmington, Glyn M

2012-01-01

The variation of different ecosystems on the terrestrial carbon balance is predicted to be large. We investigated a typical arid region with widespread saline/alkaline soils, and evaluated soil respiration of different agricultural and natural ecosystems. Soil respiration for five ecosystems together with soil temperature, soil moisture, soil pH, soil electric conductivity and soil organic carbon content were investigated in the field. Comparing with the natural ecosystems, the mean seasonal soil respiration rates of the agricultural ecosystems were 96%-386% higher and agricultural ecosystems exhibited lower CO(2) absorption by the saline/alkaline soil. Soil temperature and moisture together explained 48%, 86%, 84%, 54% and 54% of the seasonal variations of soil respiration in the five ecosystems, respectively. There was a significant negative relationship between soil respiration and soil electrical conductivity, but a weak correlation between soil respiration and soil pH or soil organic carbon content. Our results showed that soil CO(2) emissions were significantly different among different agricultural and natural ecosystems, although we caution that this was an observational, not manipulative, study. Temperature at the soil surface and electric conductivity were the main driving factors of soil respiration across the five ecosystems. Care should be taken when converting native vegetation into cropland from the point of view of greenhouse gas emissions.

Lignosulfonate To Enhance Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocelluloses: Role of Molecular Weight and Substrate Lignin

Treesearch

Haifeng Zhou; Hongming Lou; Dongjie Yang; J.Y. Zhu; Xueqing Qiu

2013-01-01

This study conducted an investigation of the effect of lignosulfonate (LS) on enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses. Two commercial LSs and one laboratory sulfonated kraft lignin were applied to Whatman paper, dilute acid and SPORL (sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocelluloses) pretreated aspen, and kraft alkaline and SPORL pretreated...

A little copper goes a long way for columnaris disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Columnaris disease is a costly bacterial disease of commercially grown channel catfish. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of pre-exposing channel catfish fingerlings to 0, ½, 1, or 2 times the recommended copper sulfate rate (1 % of the alkalinity which was 210 mg/L CaCO3) for...

Enhanced coagulation for turbidity and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal from river Kansawati water.

PubMed

Narayan, Sumit; Goel, Sudha

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine optimum coagulant doses for turbidity and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal and evaluate the extent to which TOC can be removed by enhanced coagulation. Jar tests were conducted in the laboratory to determine optimum doses of alum for the removal of turbidity and Natural Organic Matter (NOM) from river water. Various other water quality parameters were measured before and after thejar tests and included: UV Absorbance (UVA) at 254 nm, microbial concentrations, TDS, conductivity, hardness, alkalinity, and pH. The optimum alum dose for removal of turbidity and TOC was 20 mg/L for the sample collected in November 2009 and 100 mg/L for the sample collected in March 2010. In both cases, the dose for enhanced coagulation was significantly higher than that for conventional coagulation. The gain in TOC removal was insignificant compared to the increase in coagulant dose required. This is usual for low TOC (< 2 mg/L)--high alkalinity water. Other water samples with higher TOC need to be tested to demonstrate the effectiveness of enhanced coagulation.

Synthesis of Sr0.9K0.1FeO3-δ electrocatalysts by mechanical activation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteiro, J. F.; Waerenborgh, J. C.; Kovalevsky, A. V.; Yaremchenko, A. A.; Frade, J. R.

2013-02-01

Potassium-substituted SrFeO3-δ for possible application as oxygen evolution electrode in alkaline or molten salt media was prepared by mechanical activation and characterized by X-ray diffraction, dilatometric and thermogravimetric analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and electrical conductivity measurements. Room temperature mechanical activation of a mixture of oxide precursors with subsequent thermal treatments at 700-900 °C results in the formation of Sr0.9K0.1FeO3-δ with tetragonal perovskite-like structure. Such allows to decrease the synthesis temperature, if compared to the conventional solid-state route, and to prevent possible volatilization of potassium. The results of Mössbauer spectroscopy studies indicate that the oxygen nonstoichiometry in the samples annealed in air at 900-1100 °C with subsequent rapid cooling vary in the range δ=0.30-0.32. The electrical conductivity in air exhibits a metal-like behaviour at temperatures above 400 °C and semiconductor behaviour in the low-temperature range, reaching 13-30 S/cm under prospective operation conditions for alkaline electrolyzers (≤90 °C).

Distribution of Surface pH and Total Alkalinity at the Sea of Okhotsk and the East Sea in October 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shim, J.; Kang, D.; Jin, Y.; Obzhirov, A.

2008-12-01

Surface pH, total alkalinity, temperature and salinity were measured at the Sea of Okhotsk and the East Sea (along a track from Vladivostok to the northeastern slope of Sakhalin Island through Soya Strait: 42°N, 132°E - 55°N, 145°E) in October 2007. Continuous pH measurements were conducted using an underway potentiometric pH system modified from Tishchenko et al. (2002) and discrete total alkalinity measurements were made by direct titration with hydrochloric acid. Warm saline surface waters were observed in the East Sea (from Vladivostok to Soya Strait), and relatively cold less-saline waters were observed in the Sea of Okhotsk (at the eastern slopes of Sakhalin Island). In the East Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, surface pH ranged from 8.063 to 8.158 and 8.047 to 8.226, and total alkalinity normalized to salinity 35 ranged from 2323 to 2344 μmol kg-1 and 2367 to 2422 μmol kg-1, respectively. Due to the freshwater input from rivers and geochemical activity in the water column and sediment, the Sea of Okhotsk generally showed much wider ranges of water properties and richer in carbonate parameters than those of the East Sea. Particularly, water properties changed dramatically at the eastern slopes of Sakhalin Island; surface salinity decreased southward by about 0.5-1 psu and pH and normalized total alkalinity increased southward by about 0.05-0.1 and 20-50 μmol kg-1, respectively. Thus, pCO2 concentration calculated from pH and total alkalinity, ranged from 350-375 μatm in the north to 280-300 μatm in the south of the Okhotsk Sea. The high pH and normalized total alkalinity, and low pCO2 and salinity in the south might be the result of surface water mixing with fresh water discharge from rivers and/or the results of massive primary production along the eastern coast of Sakhalin Island. In the most study area, surface pCO2 ranged from 280 to 370 μatm and was undersaturated relative to atmosphere. Therefore, the Sea of Okhotsk and the East Sea acted as effective CO2 sinks during the study period

Catalytically active alkaline molten globular enzyme: Effect of pH and temperature on the structural integrity of 5-aminolevulinate synthase.

PubMed

Stojanovski, Bosko M; Breydo, Leonid; Hunter, Gregory A; Uversky, Vladimir N; Ferreira, Gloria C

2014-12-01

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 pH2.0, 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 (pH10.5 and pH9.5/37°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 420nm to 330nm dichroic band. Under acidic conditions, the PLP cofactor dissociates from ALAS. Reaction with 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic 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 pH1.0 and 9.5 yielded subtly different dynamic quenching constants. The alkaline molten globule state of ALAS is catalytically active (pH9.5/37°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. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrical Switchability and Dry-Wash Durability of Conductive Textiles

PubMed Central

Wu, Bangting; Zhang, Bowu; Wu, Jingxia; Wang, Ziqiang; Ma, Hongjuan; Yu, Ming; Li, Linfan; Li, Jingye

2015-01-01

There is growing interest in the area of conductive textiles in the scientific and industrial community. Herein, we successfully prepared a conductive textile via covalently grafting polyaniline (PANI) onto cotton by a multi-step treatment process. The conductivity of the resultant fabric could be tuned by immersing in water having different pH values. The conductive and insulating properties of the textile could be conveniently switched by alternately immersing in acidic and alkaline bath solutions. Most importantly, the resultant conductive fabrics were able to withstand 40 simulated dry-wash cycles, with almost no decay in the electrical conductivity, indicating their excellent dry-wash durability. The present strategy for fabricating conductive fabrics with excellent switchability of electrical properties and dry-wash durability is expected to provide inspiration for the production of multifunctional conductive textiles for use in hash or sensitive conditions. PMID:26066704

Continuous water-quality monitoring and regression analysis to estimate constituent concentrations and loads in the Red River of the North, Fargo, North Dakota, 2003-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ryberg, Karen R.

2006-01-01

This report presents the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, done in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior, to estimate water-quality constituent concentrations in the Red River of the North at Fargo, North Dakota. Regression analysis of water-quality data collected in 2003-05 was used to estimate concentrations and loads for alkalinity, dissolved solids, sulfate, chloride, total nitrite plus nitrate, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and suspended sediment. The explanatory variables examined for regression relation were continuously monitored physical properties of water-streamflow, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. For the conditions observed in 2003-05, streamflow was a significant explanatory variable for all estimated constituents except dissolved solids. pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen were not statistically significant explanatory variables for any of the constituents in this study. Specific conductance was a significant explanatory variable for alkalinity, dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride. Turbidity was a significant explanatory variable for total phosphorus and suspended sediment. For the nutrients, total nitrite plus nitrate, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus, cosine and sine functions of time also were used to explain the seasonality in constituent concentrations. The regression equations were evaluated using common measures of variability, including R2, or the proportion of variability in the estimated constituent explained by the regression equation. R2 values ranged from 0.703 for total nitrogen concentration to 0.990 for dissolved-solids concentration. The regression equations also were evaluated by calculating the median relative percentage difference (RPD) between measured constituent concentration and the constituent concentration estimated by the regression equations. Median RPDs ranged from 1.1 for dissolved solids to 35.2 for total nitrite plus nitrate. Regression equations also were used to estimate daily constituent loads. Load estimates can be used by water-quality managers for comparison of current water-quality conditions to water-quality standards expressed as total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). TMDLs are a measure of the maximum amount of chemical constituents that a water body can receive and still meet established water-quality standards. The peak loads generally occurred in June and July when streamflow also peaked.

Electrochemical cell with calcium anode

DOEpatents

Cooper, John F.; Hosmer, Pamela K.; Kelly, Benjamin E.

1979-01-01

An electrochemical cell comprising a calcium anode and a suitable cathode in an alkaline electrolyte consisting essentially of an aqueous solution of an hydroxide and a chloride. Specifically disclosed is a mechanically rechargeable calcium/air fuel cell with an aqueous NaOH/NaCl electrolyte.

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase: a summary of its role in clinical disease.

PubMed

Fawley, Jason; Gourlay, David M

2016-05-01

Over the past few years, there is increasing evidence implicating a novel role for Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase (IAP) in mitigating inflammatory mediated disorders. IAP is an endogenous protein expressed by the intestinal epithelium that is believed to play a vital role in maintaining gut homeostasis. Loss of IAP expression or function is associated with increased intestinal inflammation, dysbiosis, bacterial translocation and subsequently systemic inflammation. As these events are a cornerstone of the pathophysiology of many diseases relevant to surgeons, we sought to review recent research in both animal and humans on IAP's physiologic function, mechanisms of action and current research in specific surgical diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nickel hydroxide positive electrode for alkaline rechargeable battery

DOEpatents

Young, Kwo; Wang, Lixin; Mays, William; Reichman, Benjamin; Chao-Ian, Hu; Wong, Diana; Nei, Jean

2018-04-03

Certain nickel hydroxide active cathode materials for use in alkaline rechargeable batteries are capable of transferring >1.3 electrons per Ni atom under reversible electrochemical conditions. The specific capacity of the nickel hydroxide active materials is for example .gtoreq.325 mAh/g. The cathode active materials exhibit an additional discharge plateau near 0.8 V vs. a metal hydride (MH) anode. Ni in an oxidation state of less than 2, such as Ni.sup.1+, is able to participate in electrochemical reactions when using the present cathode active materials. It is possible that up to 2.3 electrons, up to 2.5 electrons or more may be transferred per Ni atom under electrochemical conditions.

Nickel hydroxide positive electrode for alkaline rechargeable battery

DOEpatents

Young, Kwo; Wang, Lixin; Mays, William; Reichman, Benjamin; Chao-Ian, Hu; Wong, Diana; Nei, Jean

2018-02-20

Certain nickel hydroxide active cathode materials for use in alkaline rechargeable batteries are capable of transferring >1.3 electrons per Ni atom under reversible electrochemical conditions. The specific capacity of the nickel hydroxide active materials is for example .gtoreq.325 mAh/g. The cathode active materials exhibit an additional discharge plateau near 0.8 V vs. a metal hydride (MH) anode. Ni in an oxidation state of less than 2, such as Ni.sup.1+, is able to participate in electrochemical reactions when using the present cathode active materials. It is possible that up to 2.3 electrons, up to 2.5 electrons or more may be transferred per Ni atom under electrochemical conditions.

Regenerative fuel cell study for satellites in GEO orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levy, Alexander; Vandine, Leslie L.; Stedman, James K.

1987-01-01

Summarized are the results of a 12-month study to identify high performance regenerative hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell concepts for geosynchronous satellite application. Emphasis was placed on concepts with the potential for high energy density (W-hr/lb) and passive means for water and heat management to maximize system reliability. Both polymer membrane and alkaline electrolyte fuel cells were considered, with emphasis on the alkaline cell because of its high performance, advanced state of development, and proven ability to operate in a launch and space environment. Three alkaline system concepts were studied. The first, the integrated design, utilized a configuration in which the fuel cell and electrolysis cells are alternately stacked inside a pressure vessel. Product water is transferred by diffusion during electrolysis and waste heat is conducted through the pressure wall, thus using completely passive means for transfer and control. The second alkaline system, the dedicated design, uses a separate fuel cell and electrolysis stack so that each unit can be optimized in size and weight based on its orbital operating period. The third design was a dual function stack configuration, in which each cell can operate in both fuel cell and electrolysis mode, thus eliminating the need for two separate stacks and associated equipment. Results indicate that using near term technology energy densities between 46 and 52 W-hr/lb can be achieved at efficiencies of 55 percent. System densities of 115 W-hr/lb are contemplated.

Effect of Trichoderma viride biofertilizer on ammonia volatilization from an alkaline soil in Northern China.

PubMed

Wang, Xia; Xu, Shengjun; Wu, Shanghua; Feng, Shugeng; Bai, Zhihui; Zhuang, Guoqiang; Zhuang, Xuliang

2018-04-01

Ammonia (NH 3 ) volatilization is one of the primary pathways of nitrogen (N) loss from soils after chemical fertilizer is applied, especially from the alkaline soils in Northern China, which results in lower efficiency for chemical fertilizers. Therefore, we conducted an incubation experiment using an alkaline soil from Tianjin (pH8.37-8.43) to evaluate the suppression effect of Trichoderma viride (T. viride) biofertilizer on NH 3 volatilization, and compared the differences in microbial community structure among all samples. The results showed that viable T. viride biofertilizer (T) decreased NH 3 volatilization by 42.21% compared with conventional fertilizer ((CK), urea), while nonviable T. viride biofertilizer (TS) decreased NH 3 volatilization by 32.42%. NH 3 volatilization was significantly higher in CK and sweet potato starch wastewater (SPSW) treatments during the peak period. T. viride biofertilizer also improved the transfer of ammonium from soil to sweet sorghum. Plant dry weights increased 91.23% and 61.08% for T and TS, respectively, compared to CK. Moreover, T. viride biofertilizer enhanced nitrification by increasing the abundance of ammonium-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). The results of high-throughput sequencing indicated that the microbial community structure and composition were significantly changed by the application of T. viride biofertilizer. This study demonstrated the immense potential of T. viride biofertilizer in reducing NH 3 volatilization from alkaline soil and simultaneously improving the utilization of fertilizer N by sweet sorghum. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Direct Solar Charging of an Organic–Inorganic, Stable, and Aqueous Alkaline Redox Flow Battery with a Hematite Photoanode

PubMed Central

Wedege, Kristina; Azevedo, João; Khataee, Amirreza

2016-01-01

Abstract The intermittent nature of the sunlight and its increasing contribution to electricity generation is fostering the energy storage research. Direct solar charging of an auspicious type of redox flow battery could make solar energy directly and efficiently dispatchable. The first solar aqueous alkaline redox flow battery using low cost and environmentally safe materials is demonstrated. The electrolytes consist of the redox couples ferrocyanide and anthraquinone‐2,7‐disulphonate in sodium hydroxide solution, yielding a standard cell potential of 0.74 V. Photovoltage enhancement strategies are demonstrated for the ferrocyanide‐hematite junction by employing an annealing treatment and growing a layer of a conductive polyaniline polymer on the electrode surface, which decreases electron–hole recombination. PMID:27151516

Alkaline Ammonia Electrolysis on Electrodeposited Platinum for Controllable Hydrogen Production.

PubMed

Gwak, Jieun; Choun, Myounghoon; Lee, Jaeyoung

2016-02-19

Ammonia is beginning to attract a great deal of attention as an alternative energy source carrier, because clean hydrogen can be produced through electrolytic processes without the emission of COx . In this study, we deposited various shapes of Pt catalysts under potentiostatic mode; the electrocatalytic oxidation behavior of ammonia using these catalysts was studied in alkaline media. The electrodeposited Pt was characterized by both qualitative and quantitative analysis. To discover the optimal structure and the effect of ammonia concentration, the bulk pH value, reaction temperature, and applied current of ammonia oxidation were investigated using potential sweep and galvanostatic methods. Finally, ammonia electrolysis was conducted using a zero-gap cell, producing highly pure hydrogen with an energy efficiency over 80 %. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Oxygen electrodes for rechargeable alkaline fuel cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swette, Larry; Giner, Jose

1987-01-01

Electrocatalysts and supports for the positive electrode of moderate temperature single unit rechargeable alkaline fuel cells were investigated and developed. The electrocatalysts are defined as the material with a higher activity for the oxygen electrode reaction than the support. Advanced development will require that the materials be prepared in high surface area forms, and may also entail integration of various candidate materials. Eight candidate support materials and seven electrocatalysts were investigated. Of the 8 support, 3 materials meet the preliminary requirements in terms of electrical conductivity and stability. Emphasis is now on preparing in high surface area form and testing under more severe corrosion stress conditions. Of the 7 electrocatalysts prepared and evaluated, at least 5 materials remain as potential candidates. The major emphasis remains on preparation, physical characterization and electrochemical performance testing.

Uncharged positive electrode composition

DOEpatents

Kaun, Thomas D.; Vissers, Donald R.; Shimotake, Hiroshi

1977-03-08

An uncharged positive-electrode composition contains particulate lithium sulfide, another alkali metal or alkaline earth metal compound other than sulfide, e.g., lithium carbide, and a transition metal powder. The composition along with a binder, such as electrolytic salt or a thermosetting resin is applied onto an electrically conductive substrate to form a plaque. The plaque is assembled as a positive electrode within an electrochemical cell opposite to a negative electrode containing a material such as aluminum or silicon for alloying with lithium. During charging, lithium alloy is formed within the negative electrode and transition metal sulfide such as iron sulfide is produced within the positive electrode. Excess negative electrode capacity over that from the transition metal sulfide is provided due to the electrochemical reaction of the other than sulfide alkali metal or alkaline earth metal compound.

Development of an alkaline fuel cell subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

A two task program was initiated to develop advanced fuel cell components which could be assembled into an alkaline power section for the Space Station Prototype (SSP) fuel cell subsystem. The first task was to establish a preliminary SSP power section design to be representative of the 200 cell Space Station power section. The second task was to conduct tooling and fabrication trials and fabrication of selected cell stack components. A lightweight, reliable cell stack design suitable for the SSP regenerative fuel cell power plant was completed. The design meets NASA's preliminary requirements for future multikilowatt Space Station missions. Cell stack component fabrication and tooling trials demonstrated cell components of the SSP stack design of the 1.0 sq ft area can be manufactured using techniques and methods previously evaluated and developed.

The Effect of Microstructure On Transport Properties of Porous Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Serena W.

The goal of this work is to further understand the relationships between porous electrode microstructure and mass transport properties. This understanding allows us to predict and improve cell performance from fundamental principles. The investigated battery systems are the widely used rechargeable Li-ion battery and the non-rechargeable alkaline battery. This work includes three main contributions in the battery field listed below. Direct Measurement of Effective Electronic Transport in Porous Li-ion Electrodes. An accurate assessment of the electronic conductivity of electrodes is necessary for understanding and optimizing battery performance. The bulk electronic conductivity of porous LiCoO2-based cathodes was measured as a function of porosity, pressure, carbon fraction, and the presence of an electrolyte. The measurements were performed by delamination of thin-film electrodes from their aluminum current collectors and by use of a four-line probe. Imaging and Correlating Microstructure To Conductivity. Transport properties of porous electrodes are strongly related to microstructure. An experimental 3D microstructure is needed not only for computation of direct transport properties, but also for a detailed electrode microstructure characterization. This work utilized X-ray tomography and focused ion beam (FIB)/scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to obtain the 3D structures of alkaline battery cathodes. FIB/SEM has the advantage of detecting carbon additives; thus, it was the main tomography tool employed. Additionally, protocols and techniques for acquiring, processing and segmenting series of FIB/SEM images were developed as part of this work. FIB/SEM images were also used to correlate electrodes' microstructure to their respective conductivities for both Li-ion and alkaline batteries. Electrode Microstructure Metrics and the 3D Stochastic Grid Model. A detailed characterization of microstructure was conducted in this work, including characterization of the volume fraction, nearest neighbor probability, domain size distribution, shape factor, and Fourier transform coefficient. These metrics are compared between 2D FIB/SEM, 3D FIB/SEM and X-ray structures. Among those metrics, the first three metrics are used as a basis for SG model parameterization. The 3D stochastic grid (SG) model is based on Monte Carlo techniques, in which a small set of fundamental inter-domain parameters are used to generate structures. This allows us to predict electrode microstructure and its effects on both electronic and ionic properties.

Isolation of a novel alkaline-stable lipase from a metagenomic library and its specific application for milkfat flavor production.

PubMed

Peng, Qing; Wang, Xu; Shang, Meng; Huang, Jinjin; Guan, Guohua; Li, Ying; Shi, Bo

2014-01-04

Lipolytic enzymes are commonly used to produce desired flavors in lipolyzed milkfat (LMF) manufacturing processes. However, the choice of enzyme is critical because it determines the final profile of fatty acids released and the consequent flavor of the product. We previously constructed a metagenomic library from marine sediments, to explore the novel enzymes which have unique properties useful in flavor-enhancing LMF. A novel lipase Est_p6 was isolated from a metagenomic library and was expressed highly in E.coli. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that Est_p6 belongs to lipolytic enzyme family IV, the molecular weight of purified Est_p6 was estimated at 36 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The hydrolytic activity of the enzyme was stable under alkaline condition and the optimal temperature was 50°C. It had a high specific activity (2500 U/mg) toward pNP butyrate (pNP-C4), with K(m) and V(max) values of 1.148 mM and 3497 μmol∙min⁻¹∙mg⁻¹, respectively. The enzyme activity was enhanced by DTT and was not significantly inhibited by PMSF, EDTA or SDS. This enzyme also showed high hydrolysis specificity for myristate (C14) and palmitate (C16). It seems that Est_p6 has safety for commercial LMF flavor production and food manufacturing processes. The ocean is a vast and largely unexplored resource for enzymes. According the outstanding alkaline-stability of Est_p6 and it produced myristic acid and palmitic acid more efficiently than other free fatty acids in lipolyzed milkfat. This novel lipase may be used to impart a distinctive and desirable flavor and odor in milkfat flavor production.

Tissue Non-specific Alkaline Phosphatase Expression is Needed for the Full Stimulation of T Cells and T Cell-Dependent Colitis.

PubMed

Hernández-Chirlaque, Cristina; Gámez-Belmonte, Reyes; Ocón, Borja; Martínez-Moya, Patricia; Wirtz, Stefan; Sánchez de Medina, Fermín; Martínez-Augustin, Olga

2017-07-01

Two alkaline phosphatase isoforms, intestinal [IAP] and tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase [TNAP], are coexpressed in mouse colon, with the latter predominating in colitis. We aimed to examine the role of TNAP in T lymphocytes, using heterozygous TNAP+/- mice [as TNAP-/- mice are non-viable]. In vitro primary cultures and in vivo T cell models using TNAP+/- mice were used. Stimulated splenocytes [lipopolysaccharide and concanavalin A] and T lymphocytes [concanavalin A and a-CD3/a-CD28] showed a decreased cytokine production and expression when compared with wild-type [WT] cells. Decreased T cell activation was reproduced by the TNAP inhibitors levamisole, theophylline, and phenylalanine in WT cells. Intraperitoneal administration of anti-CD3 in vivo resulted in reduced plasma cytokine levels, and decreased activation of splenocytes and T cells ex vivo in TNAP+/- mice. We further tested the hypothesis that TNAP expressed in T lymphocytes is involved in T cell activation and inflammation, using the lymphocyte transfer model of colitis. Rag1-/- mice were transferred with T naïve cells [CD4+ CD62L+] from TNAP+/- or WT mice and developed colitis, which was attenuated in the group receiving TNAP+/- cells. Compared with WT, T cells from TNAP+/- mice showed a decreased capacity for proliferation, with no change in differentiation. Our results offer clear evidence that TNAP modulates T lymphocyte function and specifically T cell-dependent colitis. This was associated with distinct changes in the type of TNAP expressed, probably because of changes in glycosylation. Copyright © 2016 European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

The Influence of Fe Substitution in Lanthanum Calcium Cobalt Oxide on the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Media

DOE PAGES

Abreu-Sepulveda, Maria A.; Dhital, Chetan; Huq, Ashfia; ...

2016-07-30

The effect due to systematic substitution of cobalt by iron in La 0.6Ca 0.4Co 1-xFe xO 3 towards the oxygen evolution reaction(OER) in alkaline media has been investigated. We synthesized these compounds by a facile glycine-nitrate synthesis and the phase formation was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Neutron Diffraction elemental analysis. The apparent OER activity was evaluated by quasi steady state current measurements in alkaline media using a traditional three-electrode cell. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows iron substitution causes an increase in the surface concentration of various cobalt oxidation states. Tafel slope in the vicinity of 60 mV/decade and electrochemical reactionmore » order towards OH- near unity were achieved for the unsubstituted La 0.6Ca 0.4CoO 3. Moreover, a decrease in the Tafel slope to 49 mV/decade was observed when iron is substituted in high amounts in the perovskite structure. The area specific current density showed dependence on the Fe fraction, however the relationship of specific current density with Fe fraction is not linear. High Fe substitutions, La 0.6Ca 0.4Co 0.2Fe 0.8O 3 and La 0.6Ca 0.4Co 0.1Fe 0.9O 3 showed higher area specific activity towards OER than La 0.6Ca 0.4CoO 3 or La 0.6Ca 0.4FeO 3. Finally, we believe iron inclusion in the cobalt sites of the perovskite helps decrease the electron transfer barrier and facilitates the formation of cobalt-hydroxide at the surface. Possible OER mechanisms based on the observed kinetic parameters will be discussed.« less

Isolation of a novel alkaline-stable lipase from a metagenomic library and its specific application for milkfat flavor production

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Lipolytic enzymes are commonly used to produce desired flavors in lipolyzed milkfat (LMF) manufacturing processes. However, the choice of enzyme is critical because it determines the final profile of fatty acids released and the consequent flavor of the product. We previously constructed a metagenomic library from marine sediments, to explore the novel enzymes which have unique properties useful in flavor-enhancing LMF. Results A novel lipase Est_p6 was isolated from a metagenomic library and was expressed highly in E.coli. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that Est_p6 belongs to lipolytic enzyme family IV, the molecular weight of purified Est_p6 was estimated at 36 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The hydrolytic activity of the enzyme was stable under alkaline condition and the optimal temperature was 50°C. It had a high specific activity (2500 U/mg) toward pNP butyrate (pNP-C4), with Km and Vmax values of 1.148 mM and 3497 μmol∙min-1∙mg-1, respectively. The enzyme activity was enhanced by DTT and was not significantly inhibited by PMSF, EDTA or SDS. This enzyme also showed high hydrolysis specificity for myristate (C14) and palmitate (C16). It seems that Est_p6 has safety for commercial LMF flavor production and food manufacturing processes. Conclusions The ocean is a vast and largely unexplored resource for enzymes. According the outstanding alkaline-stability of Est_p6 and it produced myristic acid and palmitic acid more efficiently than other free fatty acids in lipolyzed milkfat. This novel lipase may be used to impart a distinctive and desirable flavor and odor in milkfat flavor production. PMID:24387764

Kinetic Release of Alkalinity from Particle-Containing Oil-in-Water Emulsions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, K.; Chapra, S. C.; Ramsburg, A.

2014-12-01

Oil-in-water emulsions are typically employed during remediation to promote biotic reduction of contaminants. Emulsions, however, hold promise for encapsulated delivery of many types of active ingredients required for successful site remediation or long-term site stewardship. Our research is currently focused on using alkalinity-containing particles held within oil-in-water emulsions to sustain control of subsurface pH. Here we describe results from laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling conducted to quantify the kinetics associated with the emulsion delivery and alkalinity release process. Kinetically stable oil-in-water emulsions containing (~60 nmCaCO3 or ~100 nm MgO particles) were previously developed using soybean oil and Gum Arabic as a stabilizing agent. Batch and column experiments were employed to assess the accessibility and release of the alkalinity from the emulsion. Successive additions of HCl were used in batch systems to produce several pH responses (pH rebounds) that were subsequently modeled to elucidate release mechanisms and rates for varying emulsion compositions and particle types. Initial results suggest that a linear-driving-force model is generally able to capture the release behavior in the batch system when the temporally-constant, lumped mass-transfer coefficient is scaled by the fraction of particle mass remaining within the droplets. This result suggests that the rate limiting step in the release process may be the interphase transfer of reactive species at the oil-water interface. 1-d column experiments were also completed in order to quantify the extent and rate of alkalinity release from emulsion droplets retained in a sandy medium. Alkalinity release from the retained droplets treated a pH 4 influent water for 25-60 pore volumes (the duration depended on particle type and mass loading), and the cessation in treatment corresponded to exhaustion of the particle mass held within the oil. Column experiments were simulated using a transport code containing the linear-driving-force expression evaluated in the batch experiments. In these simulations the lumped mass transfer coefficient was fit and compared with values predicted using existing correlations for liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces in porous media.

Hydrologic reconnaissance of western Arctic Alaska, 1976 and 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Childers, Joseph M.; Kernodle, Donald R.; Loeffler, Robert M.

1979-01-01

Reconnaissance water-resource investigations were conducted on the western Alaskan Arctic Slope during April 1976 and August 1977; these months are times of winter and summer low flow. The information gathered is important for coordinated development in the area. Such development has been spurred by oil and gas discoveries on the North Slope, most notably at Prudhoe Bay. Little water resources information is currently available. The study area extended from the Colville River to the vicinity of Kotzebue. It included the western Arctic Slope and the western foothills of the Brooks Range. Nine springs, nine lakes and eleven rivers were sampled during the April 1976 reconnaissance trip. Its purpose was to locate winter flow and describe its quantity and quality. Field water-quality measurements made at these sites were: ice thickness, water depth, discharge (spring and streams), specific conductance, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity (bicarbonate, HOC3), and pH. A followup summer trip was made in August 1977 to determine flood characteristics of twenty selected streams. Bankfull and maximum evident flood-peak discharges were determined by measuring channel geometry and estimating channel roughness. Aquatic invertebrate samples were collected at springs and flood survey sites visited during both reconnaissance trips. (Woodard-USGS)

Preparation and Characterization of PVA Alkaline Solid Polymer Electrolyte with Addition of Bamboo Charcoal.

PubMed

Fan, Lidan; Wang, Mengyue; Zhang, Zhen; Qin, Gang; Hu, Xiaoyi; Chen, Qiang

2018-04-26

Natural bamboo charcoal (BC) powder has been developed as a novel filler in order to further improve performances of the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based alkaline solid polymer electrolyte (ASPE) by solution casting method. X-ray diffraction patterns of composite polymer electrolyte with BC revealed the decrease in the degree of crystallinity with increasing content of BC. Scanning electron microscopy images showed pores on a micrometer scale (average diameter about 2 μm) distributed inside and on the surface of the membranes, indicating a three-dimension network formed in the polymer framework. The ionic conductivity was measured by the alternating-current (AC) impedance method, and the highest conductivity value of 6.63 × 10 −2 S·cm −1 was obtained with 16 wt % of BC content and m KOH : m PVA = 2:1.5 at 30 °C. The contents of BC and KOH could significantly influence the conductivity. The temperature dependence of the bulk electrical conductivity displayed a combination of Arrhenius nature, and the activation energy for the ion in polymer electrolyte has been calculated. The electrochemical stability window of the electrolyte membrane was over 1.6 V. The thermogravimetric analysis curves showed that the degradation temperatures of PVA-BC-KOH ASPE membranes shifted toward higher with adding BC. A simple nickel-hydrogen battery containing PVA-BC-KOH electrolyte membrane was assembled with a maximum discharge capacity of 193 mAh·g −1 .

Mild alkaline presoaking and organosolv pretreatment of corn stover and their impacts on corn stover composition, structure, and digestibility.

PubMed

Qing, Qing; Zhou, Linlin; Guo, Qi; Gao, Xiaohang; Zhang, Yan; He, Yucai; Zhang, Yue

2017-06-01

An efficient strategy was developed in current work for biochemical conversion of carbohydrates of corn stover into monosaccharides. Corn stover was first presoaked in mild alkaline solution (1% Na 2 S) under 40°C for 4h, after which about 35.3% of the lignin was successfully removed while the specific surface area was notably enlarged. Then the presoaked solids were subjected to organosolv pretreatment that employed 20% methanol with an addition of 0.2% HCl as catalyst at 160°C for 20min, and the maximum total sugar yield of the pretreated corn stover achieved was 98.6%. The intact structure of corn stover was disrupted by this two-step process, which resulted in a porous but crystalline structure of the regenerated solids that were mainly composed of cellulose. The enlarged specific surface area and increased accessibility made the regenerated solids highly digestible by a moderate enzyme loading. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

One-pot process combining transesterification and selective hydrogenation for biodiesel production from starting material of high degree of unsaturation.

PubMed

Yang, Ru; Su, Mengxing; Li, Min; Zhang, Jianchun; Hao, Xinmin; Zhang, Hua

2010-08-01

A one-pot process combining transesterification and selective hydrogenation was established to produce biodiesel from hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed oil which is eliminated as a potential feedstock by a specification of iodine value (IV; 120 g I(2)/100g maximum) contained in EN 14214. A series of alkaline earth metal oxides and alkaline earth metal supported copper oxide were prepared and tested as catalysts. SrO supported 10 wt.% CuO showed the superior catalytic activity for transesterification with a biodiesel yield of 96% and hydrogenation with a reduced iodine value of 113 and also exhibited a promising selectivity for eliminating methyl linolenate and increasing methyl oleate without rising methyl stearate in the selective hydrogenation. The fuel properties of the selective hydrogenated methyl esters are within biodiesel specifications. Furthermore, cetane numbers and iodine values were well correlated with the compositions of the hydrogenated methyl esters according to degrees of unsaturation. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Signaling alkaline pH stress in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae through the Wsc1 cell surface sensor and the Slt2 MAPK pathway.

PubMed

Serrano, Raquel; Martín, Humberto; Casamayor, Antonio; Ariño, Joaquín

2006-12-29

Alkalinization of the external environment represents a stress situation for Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Adaptation to this circumstance involves the activation of diverse response mechanisms, the components of which are still largely unknown. We show here that mutation of members of the cell integrity Pkc1/Slt2 MAPK module, as well as upstream and downstream elements of the system, confers sensitivity to alkali. Alkalinization resulted in fast and transient activation of the Slt2 MAPK, which depended on the integrity of the kinase module and was largely abolished by sorbitol. Lack of Wsc1, removal of specific extracellular and intracellular domains, or substitution of Tyr(303) in this putative membrane stress sensor rendered cells sensitive to alkali and considerably decreased alkali-induced Slt2 activation. In contrast, constitutive activation of Slt2 by the bck1-20 allele increased pH tolerance in the wsc1 mutant. DNA microarray analysis revealed that several genes encoding cell wall proteins, such as GSC2/FKS2, DFG5, SKT5, and CRH1, were induced, at least in part, by high pH in an Slt2-dependent manner. We observed that dfg5, skt5, and particularly dfg5 skt5 cells were alkali-sensitive. Therefore, our results show that an alkaline environment imposes a stress condition on the yeast cell wall. We propose that the Slt2-mediated MAPK pathway plays an important role in the adaptive response to this insult and that Wsc1 participates as an essential cell-surface pH sensor. Moreover, these results provide a new example of the complexity of the response of budding yeast to the alkalinization of the environment.

Discrimination of acidic and alkaline enzyme using Chou's pseudo amino acid composition in conjunction with probabilistic neural network model.

PubMed

Khan, Zaheer Ullah; Hayat, Maqsood; Khan, Muazzam Ali

2015-01-21

Enzyme catalysis is one of the most essential and striking processes among of all the complex processes that have evolved in living organisms. Enzymes are biological catalysts, which play a significant role in industrial applications as well as in medical areas, due to profound specificity, selectivity and catalytic efficiency. Refining catalytic efficiency of enzymes has become the most challenging job of enzyme engineering, into acidic and alkaline. Discrimination of acidic and alkaline enzymes through experimental approaches is difficult, sometimes impossible due to lack of established structures. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop a computational model for discriminating acidic and alkaline enzymes from primary sequences. In this study, we have developed a robust, accurate and high throughput computational model using two discrete sample representation methods Pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC) and split amino acid composition. Various classification algorithms including probabilistic neural network (PNN), K-nearest neighbor, decision tree, multi-layer perceptron and support vector machine are applied to predict acidic and alkaline with high accuracy. 10-fold cross validation test and several statistical measures namely, accuracy, F-measure, and area under ROC are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. The performance of the model is examined using two benchmark datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model. The empirical results show that the performance of PNN in conjunction with PseAAC is quite promising compared to existing approaches in the literature so for. It has achieved 96.3% accuracy on dataset1 and 99.2% on dataset2. It is ascertained that the proposed model might be useful for basic research and drug related application areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High performance nano-Ni/Graphite electrode for electro-oxidation in direct alkaline ethanol fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soliman, Ahmed B.; Abdel-Samad, Hesham S.; Abdel Rehim, Sayed S.; Ahmed, Mohamed A.; Hassan, Hamdy H.

2016-09-01

Ni/Graphite electrocatalysts (Ni/G) are successfully prepared through electrodeposition of Ni from acidic (pH = 0.8) and feebly acidic (pH = 5.5) aqueous Ni (II) baths. The efficiencies of such electrodes are investigated as anodes for direct alkaline ethanol fuel cells through their ethanol electrooxidation cyclic voltammetric (CV) response in alkaline medium. A direct proportionality between the amount of the electrodeposited Ni and its CV response is found. The amounts of the deposited Ni from the two baths are recorded using the Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (eQCM). The Ni/G electrodes prepared from the feebly acidic bath show a higher electrocatalytic response than those prepared from the acidic bath. Surface morphology of the Ni particles electrodeposited from feebly acidic bath appears in a nano-scale dimension. Various electrochemical experiments are conducted to confirm that the Ni/G ethanol electrooxidation CV response greatly depends on the pH rather than nickel ion concentration of the deposition bath. The eQCM technique is used to detect the crystalline phases of nickel as α-Ni(OH)2/γ-NiOOH and β-Ni(OH)2/β-NiOOH and their in-situ inter-transformations during the potentiodynamic polarization.

Zinc Extraction from Zinc Plants Residue Using Selective Alkaline Leaching and Electrowinning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashtari, Pedram; Pourghahramani, Parviz

2015-10-01

Annually, a great amount of zinc plants residue is produced in Iran. One of them is hot filter cake (known as HFC) which can be used as a secondary resource of zinc, cobalt and manganese. Unfortunately, despite its heavy metal content, the HFC is not treated. For the first time, zinc was selectively leached from HFC employing alkaline leaching. Secondly, leaching was optimized to achieve maximum recovery using this method. Effects of factors like NaOH concentration (C = 3, 5, 7 and 9 M), temperature (T = 50, 70, 90 and 105 °C), solid/liquid ratio (weight/volume, S/L = 1/10 and 1/5 W/V) and stirring speed (R = 500 and 800 rpm) were studied on HFC leaching. L16 orthogonal array (OA, two factors in four levels and two factors in two levels) was applied to determine the optimum condition and the most significant factor affecting the overall zinc extraction. As a result, maximum zinc extraction was 83.4 %. Afterwards, a rough test was conducted for zinc electrowinning from alkaline solution according to the common condition available in literature by which pure zinc powder (99.96 %) was successfully obtained.

Inorganic Carbon Source for Photosynthesis in the Seagrass Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb.) Aschers.

PubMed

Abel, K M

1984-11-01

Photosynthetic carbon uptake of the tropical seagrass Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb.) Aschers was studied by several methods. Photosynthesis in buffered seawater in media in the range of pH 6 to pH 9 showed an exponentially increasing rate with decreasing pH, thus indicating that free CO(2) was a photosynthetic substrate. However, these experiments were unable to determine whether photosynthesis at alkaline pH also contained some component due to HCO(3) (-) uptake. This aspect was further investigated by studying photosynthetic rates in a number of media of varying pH (7.8-8.61) and total inorganic carbon (0.75-13.17 millimolar). In these media, photosynthetic rate was correlated with free CO(2) concentration and was independent of the HCO(3) (-) concentration in the medium. Short time-course experiments were conducted during equilibration of free CO(2) and HCO(3) (-) after injection of (14)C labeled solution at acid or alkaline pH. High initial photosynthetic rates were observed when acidic solutions (largely free CO(2)) were used but not with alkaline solutions. The concentration of free CO(2) was found to be a limiting factor for photosynthesis in this plant.

Alkaline electrochemical advanced oxidation process for chromium oxidation at graphitized multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Xue, Yudong; Zheng, Shili; Sun, Zhi; Zhang, Yi; Jin, Wei

2017-09-01

Alkaline electrochemical advanced oxidation processes for chromium oxidation and Cr-contaminated waste disposal were reported in this study. The highly graphitized multi-walled carbon nanotubes g-MWCNTs modified electrode was prepared for the in-situ electrochemical generation of HO 2 - . RRDE test results illustrated that g-MWCNTs exhibited much higher two-electron oxygen reduction activity than other nanocarbon materials with peak current density of 1.24 mA cm -2 , %HO 2 - of 77.0% and onset potential of -0.15 V (vs. Hg/HgO). It was originated from the highly graphitized structure and good electrical conductivity as illustrated from the Raman, XRD and EIS characterizations, respectively. Large amount of reactive oxygen species (HO 2 - and ·OH) were in-situ electro-generated from the two-electron oxygen reduction and chromium-induced alkaline electro-Fenton-like reaction. The oxidation of Cr(III) was efficiently achieved within 90 min and the conversion ratio maintained more than 95% of the original value after stability test, offering an efficient and green approach for the utilization of Cr-containing wastes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimum mix for fly ash geopolymer binder based on workability and compressive strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arafa, S. A.; Ali, A. Z. M.; Awal, A. S. M. A.; Loon, L. Y.

2018-04-01

The request of concrete is increasing every day for sustaining the necessity of development of structure. The production of OPC not only consumes big amount of natural resources and energy, but also emit significant quantity of CO2 to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is necessary to find alternatives like Geopolymer to make the concrete environment friendly. Geopolymer is an inorganic alumino-silicate compound, produced from fly ash. This paper describes the experimental work conducted by casting 40 geopolymer paste mixes, and was cured at 80°C for 24 h to evaluate the effect of various parameters affecting the workability and compressive strength. Alkaline solution to fly ash ratio and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration were chosen as the key parameters of strength and workability. Laboratory investigation with different percentage of sodium hydroxide concentration and different alkaline liquid to fly ash ratio reveals that the optimum ratios are 10 M, AL/FA=0.5. It has generally been found that the workability decreased and the compressive strength increased with an increase in the concentration of sodium hydroxide solution. However, workability was increased and the compressive strength was decreased with the increase in the ratio of fly ash to alkaline solution.

Carbon Dioxide Addition to Microbial Fuel Cell Cathodes Maintains Sustainable Catholyte pH and Improves Anolyte pH, Alkalinity, and Conductivity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bioelectrochemical system (BES) pH imbalances develop due to anodic proton-generating oxidation reactions and cathodic hydroxide-ion-generating reduction reactions. Until now, workers added unsustainable buffers to reduce the pH difference between the anode and cathode because the pH imbalance cont...

Moisture meter calibration for untreated and ACQ-treated southern yellow pine plywood

Treesearch

Samuel V. Glass; Charles G. Carll

2009-01-01

Conductance moisture meter readings using stainless steel screws as electrodes were compared with gravimetric moisture content for 1) southern yellow pine (SYP) dimensioned lumber, 2) untreated (underlayment grade) SYP plywood, and 3) SYP plywood treated with alkaline copper quaternary. Meter readings were taken with the meter set to the manufacturer-provided species...

pH. Agricultural Lesson Plans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale. Dept. of Agricultural Education and Mechanization.

This lesson plan is intended for use in conducting classes on the effect of pH on plant growth. Presented first are an attention step/problem statement and a series of questions and answers designed to convey general information about soil pH and its effect on plants. The following topics are among those discussed: acidity and alkalinity; the…

Posttranslational heterogeneity of bone alkaline phosphatase in metabolic bone disease.

PubMed

Langlois, M R; Delanghe, J R; Kaufman, J M; De Buyzere, M L; Van Hoecke, M J; Leroux-Roels, G G

1994-09-01

Bone alkaline phosphatase is a marker of osteoblast activity. In order to study the posttranscriptional modification (glycosylation) of bone alkaline phosphatase in bone disease, we investigated the relationship between mass and catalytic activity of bone alkaline phosphatase in patients with osteoporosis and hyperthyroidism. Serum bone alkaline phosphatase activity was measured after lectin precipitation using the Iso-ALP test kit. Mass concentration of bone alkaline phosphatase was determined with an immunoradiometric assay (Tandem-R Ostase). In general, serum bone alkaline phosphatase mass and activity concentration correlated well. The activity : mass ratio of bone alkaline phosphatase was low in hyperthyroidism. Activation energy of the reaction catalysed by bone alkaline phosphatase was high in osteoporosis and in hyperthyroidism. Experiments with neuraminidase digestion further demonstrated that the thermodynamic heterogeneity of bone alkaline phosphatase can be explained by a different glycosylation of the enzyme.

The fuel cell in space: Yesterday, today and tomorrow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warshay, Marvin; Prokopius, Paul R.

1989-01-01

The past, present, and future of space fuel cell power systems is reviewed, starting with the first practical fuel cell by F.T. Bacon which led to the 1.5 kW Apollo alkaline fuel cell. However, the first fuel cell to be used for space power was the Gemini 1.0 kW Acid IEM fuel cell. The successor to the Apollo fuel cell is today's 12 kW Orbiter alkaline fuel cell whose technology is considerably different and considerably better than that of its ancestor, the Bacon cell. And in terms of specific weight there has been a steady improvement from the past to the present, from the close to 200 lb/kW of Apollo to the 20 lb/kW of the orbiter. For NASA future Lunar and Martian surface power requirements the regenerative fuel cell (RFC) energy storage system is enabling technology, with the alkaline and the PEM the leading RFC candidate systems. The U.S. Air Force continues to support fuel cell high power density technology development for its future short duration applications.

Asparagus stem as a new lignocellulosic biomass feedstock for anaerobic digestion: increasing hydrolysis rate, methane production and biodegradability by alkaline pretreatment.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaohua; Gu, Yu; Zhou, Xuefei; Zhang, Yalei

2014-07-01

Recently, anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass for methane production has attracted considerable attention. However, there is little information regarding methane production from asparagus stem, a typical lignocellulosic biomass, by anaerobic digestion. In this study, alkaline pretreatment of asparagus stem was investigated for its ability to increase hydrolysis rate and methane production and to improve biodegradability (BD). The hydrolysis rate increased with increasing NaOH dose, due to higher removal rates of lignin and hemicelluloses. However, the optimal NaOH dose was 6% (w/w) according to the specific methane production (SMP). Under this condition, the SMP and the technical digestion time of the NaOH-treated asparagus stem were 242.3 mL/g VS and 18 days, which were 38.4% higher and 51.4% shorter than those of the untreated sample, respectively. The BD was improved from 40.1% to 55.4%. These results indicate that alkaline pretreatment could be an efficient method for increasing methane production from asparagus stem. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production and biochemical characterization of insecticidal enzymes from Aspergillus fumigatus toward Callosobruchus maculatus.

PubMed

Pereira, Jackeline L; Franco, Octávio L; Noronha, Eliane F

2006-06-01

In the present work, Aspergillus fumigatus is described as a higher producer of hydrolytic enzymes secreted in response to the presence of the Callosobruchus maculatus bruchid pest. This fungus was able to grow over cowpea weevil shells as a unique carbon source, secreting alkaline proteolytic and chitinolytic enzymes. Enzyme secretion in A. fumigatus was induced by both C. maculatus exoskeleton as well as commercial chitin, and alkaline proteolytic and chitinolytic activities were detected after 48 hours of growth. Furthermore, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis showed the production of specific proteins. Among them, two extracellular alkaline proteinases from culture enriched with C. maculatus exoskeleton were purified after chromatographic procedures using ion exchange and affinity columns. These proteins, named AP15 and AP30, had apparent molecular masses of 15,500 and 30,000 Da, respectively, as estimated by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. AP30 was classified as a serine proteinase because it was inhibited by 5 mM: phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (100%) and 50 microM leupeptin (67.94%).

2-Substituted 7-trifluoromethyl-thiadiazolopyrimidones as alkaline phosphatase inhibitors. Synthesis, structure activity relationship and molecular docking study.

PubMed

Jafari, Behzad; Ospanov, Meirambek; Ejaz, Syeda Abida; Yelibayeva, Nazym; Khan, Shafi Ullah; Amjad, Sayyeda Tayyeba; Safarov, Sayfidin; Abilov, Zharylkasyn A; Turmukhanova, Mirgul Zh; Kalugin, Sergey N; Ehlers, Peter; Lecka, Joanna; Sévigny, Jean; Iqbal, Jamshed; Langer, Peter

2018-01-20

Alkaline Phosphatases (APs) play a key role in maintaining a ratio of phosphate to inorganic pyrophosphate (P i /PP i ) and thus regulate extracellular matrix calcification during bone formation and growth. Among different isozymes of AP, aberrant increase in the level of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) is strongly associated with vascular calcification and end-stage renal diseases. In this context, we synthesized a novel series of fluorinated pyrimidone derivatives, i.e., 2-bromo-7-trifluoromethyl-5-oxo-5H-1,3,4-thiadiazolepyrimidones. The bromine functionality was further used for derivatisation by nucleophilic aromatic substitution using amines as nucleophiles as well as by Palladium catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. The synthesized derivatives were found potent but non-selective inhibitors of both isozymes of AP. Arylated thiadiazolopyrimidones exhibited stronger inhibitory activities than 2-amino-thiadiazolopyrimidones. The binding modes and possible interactions of the most active inhibitor within the active site of the enzyme were observed by molecular docking studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Cogeneration of biodiesel and nontoxic rapeseed meal from rapeseed through in-situ alkaline transesterification.

PubMed

Qian, Junfeng; Yang, Qiuhui; Sun, Fuan; He, Mingyang; Chen, Qun; Yun, Zhi; Qin, Lizhen

2013-01-01

In-situ alkaline transesterification of rapeseed oil with methanol for the production of biodiesel and nontoxic rapeseed meal was carried out. Water removal from milled rapeseed by methanol washing was more effective than vacuum drying. The conversion rate of rapeseed oil into FAME was 92%, FAME mass was 8.81 g, glucosinolates content in remaining rapeseed meal was 0.12% by methanol washing, while by vacuum drying the values were 46%, 4.44 g, 0.58%, respectively. In the presence of 0.10 mol/L NaOH in methanol, with methanol/oil molar ratio of 180:1 and a 3h reaction at 40 °C, a conversion rate of 98% was achieved, and the glucosinolates content was reduce to 0.07%, a value which below the GB/T 22514-2008 standard in China. Thus the rapeseed meal can be used as a source of protein in animal feed. The FAME prepared through in-situ alkaline transesterification met the ASTM specifications for biodiesel. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In silico kinetics of alkaline hydrolysis of 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX): M06-2X investigation.

PubMed

Sviatenko, L K; Gorb, L; Leszczynska, D; Okovytyy, S I; Shukla, M K; Leszczynski, J

2017-03-22

Alkaline hydrolysis of RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine), as one of the most promising methods for nitrocompound remediation, was investigated computationally at the PCM(Pauling)/M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. Computational simulation shows that RDX hydrolysis is a highly exothermic multistep process involving initial deprotonation and nitrite elimination, cycle cleavage, further transformation of cycle-opened intermediates to end products caused by a series of C-N bond ruptures, hydroxide attachments, and proton transfers. Computationally predicted products of RDX hydrolysis such as nitrite, nitrous oxide, formaldehyde, formate, and ammonia correspond to experimentally observed ones. Accounting of specific hydration of hydroxide is critical to create an accurate kinetic model for alkaline hydrolysis. Simulated kinetics of the hydrolysis are in good agreement with available experimental data. A period of one month is necessary for 99% RDX decomposition at pH 10. Computations predict significant increases of the reaction rate of hydrolysis at pH 11, pH 12, and pH 13.

Metallated porphyrin based porous organic polymers as efficient electrocatalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Guolong; Zhu, Youlong; Xu, Kongliang; Jin, Yinghua; Ren, Zhiyong Jason; Liu, Zhenning; Zhang, Wei

2015-10-01

Developing efficient, stable and low-cost catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) is of great significance to many emerging technologies including fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Herein, we report the development of a cobalt(ii) porphyrin based porous organic polymer (CoPOP) and its pyrolyzed derivatives as highly active ORR catalysts. The as-synthesized CoPOP exhibits high porosity and excellent catalytic performance stability, retaining ~100% constant ORR current over 50 000 s in both alkaline and acidic media. Pyrolysis of CoPOP at various temperatures (600 °C, 800 °C, and 1000 °C) yields the materials consisting of graphitic carbon layers and cobalt nanoparticles, which show greatly enhanced catalytic activity compared to the as-synthesized CoPOP. Among them, CoPOP-800/C pyrolyzed at 800 °C shows the highest specific surface area and ORR activity, displaying the most positive half-wave potential (0.825 V vs. RHE) and the largest limited diffusion current density (5.35 mA cm-2) in an alkaline medium, which are comparable to those of commercial Pt/C (20 wt%) (half-wave potential 0.829 V vs. RHE, limited diffusion current density 5.10 mA cm-2). RDE and RRDE experiments indicate that CoPOP-800/C directly reduces molecular oxygen to water through a 4-e- pathway in both alkaline and acidic media. More importantly, CoPOP-800/C exhibits excellent durability and methanol-tolerance under acidic and alkaline conditions, which surpass the Pt/C (20 wt%) system.Developing efficient, stable and low-cost catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) is of great significance to many emerging technologies including fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Herein, we report the development of a cobalt(ii) porphyrin based porous organic polymer (CoPOP) and its pyrolyzed derivatives as highly active ORR catalysts. The as-synthesized CoPOP exhibits high porosity and excellent catalytic performance stability, retaining ~100% constant ORR current over 50 000 s in both alkaline and acidic media. Pyrolysis of CoPOP at various temperatures (600 °C, 800 °C, and 1000 °C) yields the materials consisting of graphitic carbon layers and cobalt nanoparticles, which show greatly enhanced catalytic activity compared to the as-synthesized CoPOP. Among them, CoPOP-800/C pyrolyzed at 800 °C shows the highest specific surface area and ORR activity, displaying the most positive half-wave potential (0.825 V vs. RHE) and the largest limited diffusion current density (5.35 mA cm-2) in an alkaline medium, which are comparable to those of commercial Pt/C (20 wt%) (half-wave potential 0.829 V vs. RHE, limited diffusion current density 5.10 mA cm-2). RDE and RRDE experiments indicate that CoPOP-800/C directly reduces molecular oxygen to water through a 4-e- pathway in both alkaline and acidic media. More importantly, CoPOP-800/C exhibits excellent durability and methanol-tolerance under acidic and alkaline conditions, which surpass the Pt/C (20 wt%) system. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details of the experimental section, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data, scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) data, and additional electrochemical data. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05324b

Stress Survival Islet 2, Predominantly Present in Listeria monocytogenes Strains of Sequence Type 121, Is Involved in the Alkaline and Oxidative Stress Responses

PubMed Central

Harter, Eva; Wagner, Eva Maria; Zaiser, Andreas; Halecker, Sabrina; Wagner, Martin

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is able to survive a variety of stress conditions leading to the colonization of different niches like the food processing environment. This study focuses on the hypervariable genetic hot spot lmo0443 to lmo0449 haboring three inserts: the stress survival islet 1 (SSI-1), the single-gene insert LMOf2365_0481, and two homologous genes of the nonpathogenic species Listeria innocua: lin0464, coding for a putative transcriptional regulator, and lin0465, encoding an intracellular PfpI protease. Our prevalence study revealed a different distribution of the inserts between human and food-associated isolates. The lin0464-lin0465 insert was predominantly found in food-associated strains of sequence type 121 (ST121). Functional characterization of this insert showed that the putative PfpI protease Lin0465 is involved in alkaline and oxidative stress responses but not in acidic, gastric, heat, cold, osmotic, and antibiotic stresses. In parallel, deletion of lin0464 decreased survival under alkaline and oxidative stresses. The expression of both genes increased significantly under oxidative stress conditions independently of the alternative sigma factor σB. Furthermore, we showed that the expression of the protease gene lin0465 is regulated by the transcription factor lin0464 under stress conditions, suggesting that lin0464 and lin0465 form a functional unit. In conclusion, we identified a novel stress survival islet 2 (SSI-2), predominantly present in L. monocytogenes ST121 strains, beneficial for survival under alkaline and oxidative stresses, potentially supporting adaptation and persistence of L. monocytogenes in food processing environments. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes strains of ST121 are known to persist for months and even years in food processing environments, thereby increasing the risk of food contamination and listeriosis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this remarkable niche-specific adaptation is still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the genomic islet SSI-2, predominantly present in L. monocytogenes ST121 strains, is beneficial for survival under alkaline and oxidative stress conditions, which are routinely encountered in food processing environments. Our findings suggest that SSI-2 is part of a diverse set of molecular determinants contributing to niche-specific adaptation and persistence of L. monocytogenes ST121 strains in food processing environments. PMID:28625982

Stress Survival Islet 2, Predominantly Present in Listeria monocytogenes Strains of Sequence Type 121, Is Involved in the Alkaline and Oxidative Stress Responses.

PubMed

Harter, Eva; Wagner, Eva Maria; Zaiser, Andreas; Halecker, Sabrina; Wagner, Martin; Rychli, Kathrin

2017-08-15

The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is able to survive a variety of stress conditions leading to the colonization of different niches like the food processing environment. This study focuses on the hypervariable genetic hot spot lmo0443 to lmo0449 haboring three inserts: the stress survival islet 1 (SSI-1), the single-gene insert LMOf2365_0481 , and two homologous genes of the nonpathogenic species Listeria innocua : lin0464 , coding for a putative transcriptional regulator, and lin0465 , encoding an intracellular PfpI protease. Our prevalence study revealed a different distribution of the inserts between human and food-associated isolates. The lin0464-lin0465 insert was predominantly found in food-associated strains of sequence type 121 (ST121). Functional characterization of this insert showed that the putative PfpI protease Lin0465 is involved in alkaline and oxidative stress responses but not in acidic, gastric, heat, cold, osmotic, and antibiotic stresses. In parallel, deletion of lin0464 decreased survival under alkaline and oxidative stresses. The expression of both genes increased significantly under oxidative stress conditions independently of the alternative sigma factor σ B Furthermore, we showed that the expression of the protease gene lin0465 is regulated by the transcription factor lin0464 under stress conditions, suggesting that lin0464 and lin0465 form a functional unit. In conclusion, we identified a novel stress survival islet 2 (SSI-2), predominantly present in L. monocytogenes ST121 strains, beneficial for survival under alkaline and oxidative stresses, potentially supporting adaptation and persistence of L. monocytogenes in food processing environments. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes strains of ST121 are known to persist for months and even years in food processing environments, thereby increasing the risk of food contamination and listeriosis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this remarkable niche-specific adaptation is still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the genomic islet SSI-2, predominantly present in L. monocytogenes ST121 strains, is beneficial for survival under alkaline and oxidative stress conditions, which are routinely encountered in food processing environments. Our findings suggest that SSI-2 is part of a diverse set of molecular determinants contributing to niche-specific adaptation and persistence of L. monocytogenes ST121 strains in food processing environments. Copyright © 2017 Harter et al.

Design of Perovskite Oxides as Anion-Intercalation-Type Electrodes for Supercapacitors: Cation Leaching Effect.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Dinh, Jim; Tade, Moses O; Shao, Zongping

2016-09-14

Oxygen ions can be exploited as a charge carrier to effectively realize a new type of anion-intercalation supercapacitor. In this study, to get some useful guidelines for future materials development, we comparatively studied SrCoO3-δ (SC), Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (BSCF), and Co3O4 as electrodes in supercapacitors with aqueous alkaline electrolyte. The effect of interaction between the electrode materials with the alkaline solution was focused on the structure and specific surface area of the electrode material, and ultimately the electrochemical performance was emphasized. Both BSCF and SC were found to experience cation leaching in alkaline solution, resulting in an increase in the specific surface area of the material, but overleaching caused the damage of perovskite structure of BSCF. Barium leaching was more serious than strontium, and the cation leaching was component dependent. Although high initial capacitance was achieved for BSCF, it was not a good candidate as intercalation-type electrode for supercapacitor because of poor cycling stability from serious Ba(2+) and Sr(2+) leaching. Instead, SC was a favorable electrode candidate for practical use in supercapacitors due to its high capacity and proper cation leaching capacity, which brought beneficial effect on cycling stability. It is suggested that cation leaching effect should be seriously considered in the development of new perovskite materials as electrodes for supercapacitors.

Imidazolium-based Block Copolymers as Solid-State Separators for Alkaline Fuel Cells and Lithium Ion Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nykaza, Jacob Richard

In this study, polymerized ionic liquid (PIL) diblock copolymers were explored as solid-state polymer separators as an anion exchange membrane (AEM) for alkaline fuel cells AFCs and as a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) for lithium-ion batteries. Polymerized ionic liquid (PIL) block copolymers are a distinct set of block copolymers that combine the properties of both ionic liquids (e.g., high conductivity, high electrochemical stability) and block copolymers (e.g., self-assembly into various nanostructures), which provides the opportunity to design highly conductive robust solid-state electrolytes that can be tuned for various applications including AFCs and lithium-ion batteries via simple anion exchange. A series of bromide conducting PIL diblock copolymers with an undecyl alkyl side chain between the polymer backbone and the imidazolium moiety were first synthesized at various compositions comprising of a PIL component and a non-ionic component. Synthesis was achieved by post-functionalization from its non-ionic precursor PIL diblock copolymer, which was synthesized via the reverse addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) technique. This PIL diblock copolymer with long alkyl side chains resulted in flexible, transparent films with high mechanical strength and high bromide ion conductivity. The conductivity of the PIL diblock copolymer was three times higher than its analogous PIL homopolymer and an order of magnitude higher than a similar PIL diblock copolymer with shorter alkyl side chain length, which was due to the microphase separated morphology, more specifically, water/ion clusters within the PIL microdomains in the hydrated state. Due to the high conductivity and mechanical robustness of this novel PIL block copolymer, its application as both the ionomer and AEM in an AFC was investigated via anion exchange to hydroxide (OH-), where a maximum power density of 29.3 mW cm-1 (60 °C with H2/O2 at 25 psig (172 kPa) backpressure) was achieved. Rotating disk electrode (RDE) experiments determined the interfacial resistance imposed during cell assembly between the AEM, catalyst, and ionomer was a factor in fuel cell performance. Further RDE studies investigated the electrochemical stability of the PIL block copolymer ionomer under applied potentials, where it was determined that potential cycling increased the degradation compared to constant voltage or open circuit voltage studies. The PIL diblock copolymer was then anion exchanged to the bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide (TFSI-) anion form and imbibed with a lithium salt and ionic liquid solution for use as a SPE in lithium-ion batteries resulting in a maximum discharge capacity of 112 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C with a Coulombic efficiency greater than 94% over 100 cycles. PIL block copolymers have promising mechanical properties and transport properties (i.e., ion conductivity) in both the hydrated (hydrophilic anions; Br-, OH-) and dry (hydrophobic anions; TFSI-) states resulting in highly conductive, chemically/thermally stable, and mechanically robust solid-state polymer separators for use as AEMs in AFCs and as SPEs in lithium-ion batteries.

76 FR 10433 - Mandatory Inspection of Catfish and Catfish Products

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-24

...--proper temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrite, alkalinity, hardness, carbon dioxide, chloride, and oxygen... hypophthalmus; synonym, Pangasius sutchi), raised principally in Southeast Asia for domestic consumption and... deciding how it could carry out the FMIA to the best effect. Specifically, the Agency looked at data...

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

Lee, Kyongwoon

Microstructural characteristics of the CGHAZ (coarse grained heat affected zone) made of the 2.25Cr-1Mo-V-Ti material for the thermal power plant boiler tube were discussed using the technique of tint etching. To conduct the micro structural characterization, the sample on which CGHAZ was produced by using a high temperature thermal cycle simulator, Gleeble 3500 equipment was used for comparative analyses using the existing Nital etching (ASTM E407-74) and the alkaline etching (ASTM E40785). The latter was used to observe a specific phase. For the microstructure on which the alkaline etching was experimented, the shape of a black strip (Ghost microstructure) inmore » a few microns was observed, which was not observed from the Nital etching. It was found from the phase identifications based EPMA, EBSD and TEM experiments that the image of the black strip in a few microns represented the alpha phase in which C, Cr and Mo became segregated. In addition, it was verified that austenite and M{sub 23}C{sub 6} phase were present around the segregated zone. Based on such results, the mechanism by which the image of the black strip in a few microns was formed at the CGHAZ. In this study, we have investigated the mechanism of the appeared black strip in the CGHAZ. - Highlights: •Ghost microstructure was observed which was not observed from the nital etching. •Ghost microstructure has high concentrations of carbon and molybdenum than matrix. •Schematic illustration proposed of why Ghost microstructure was generated. •Ghost microstructure caused by partial dissolution of M{sub 23}C{sub 6} precipitation.« less

Leaching potential of pervious concrete and immobilization of Cu, Pb and Zn using pervious concrete.

PubMed

Solpuker, U; Sheets, J; Kim, Y; Schwartz, F W

2014-06-01

This paper investigates the leaching potential of pervious concrete and its capacity for immobilizing Cu, Pb and Zn, which are common contaminants in urban runoff. Batch experiments showed that the leachability of Cu, Pb and Zn increased when pH<8. According to PHREEQC equilibrium modeling, the leaching of major ions and trace metals was mainly controlled by the dissolution/precipitation and surface complexation reactions, respectively. A 1-D reactive transport experiment was undertaken to better understand how pervious concrete might function to attenuate contaminant migration. A porous concrete block was sprayed with low pH water (pH=4.3±0.1) for 190 h. The effluent was highly alkaline (pH~10 to 12). In the first 50 h, specific conductance and trace-metal were high but declined towards steady state values. PHREEQC modeling showed that mixing of interstitial alkaline matrix waters with capillary pore water was required in order to produce the observed water chemistry. The interstitial pore solutions seem responsible for the high pH values and relatively high concentrations of trace metals and major cations in the early stages of the experiment. Finally, pervious concrete was sprayed with a synthetic contaminated urban runoff (10 ppb Cu, Pb and Zn) with a pH of 4.3±0.1 for 135 h. It was found that Pb immobilization was greater than either Cu or Zn. Zn is the most mobile among three and also has the highest variation in the observed degree of immobilization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of air pollution on vitamin D deficiency and bone health in adolescents.

PubMed

Feizabad, Elham; Hossein-Nezhad, Arash; Maghbooli, Zhila; Ramezani, Majid; Hashemian, Roxana; Moattari, Syamak

2017-12-01

The association between air pollution and bone health was evaluated in adolescents in the city of Tehran. This study is essentially ecological. Vitamin D deficiency among adolescents has been reported at higher rates in polluted areas than in non-polluted areas. Additionally, residence in polluted areas is associated with lower levels of bone alkaline phosphatase. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ambient air pollution and bone turnover in adolescents and to compare the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency between polluted and non-polluted areas of Tehran. This cross-sectional population-based study was conducted on 325 middle- and high-school students (both girls and boys) in Tehran in the winter. During the study period, detailed daily data on air pollution were obtained from archived data collected by Tehran Air Quality Control Company (AQCC). Serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, 25(OH) vitamin D, osteocalcin, cross-linked C-telopeptide (CTX), total protein, albumin, and creatinine were obtained from the study group. Vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in polluted areas than in non-polluted areas. After adjustment for age and sex, residence in the polluted area showed a statistically significant positive association with vitamin D deficiency and a statistically significant negative association with bone turnover. Interestingly, high calcium intake (>5000 mg/week) protects against the effects of air pollution on bone turnover. Air pollution is a chief factor determining the amount of solar UVB that reaches the earth's surface. Thus, atmospheric pollution may play a significant independent role in the development of vitamin D deficiency.

Effect of alkalinity on nitrite accumulation in treatment of coal chemical industry wastewater using moving bed biofilm reactor.

PubMed

Hou, Baolin; Han, Hongjun; Jia, Shengyong; Zhuang, Haifeng; Zhao, Qian; Xu, Peng

2014-05-01

Nitrogen removal via nitrite (the nitrite pathway) is more suitable for carbon-limited industrial wastewater. Partial nitrification to nitrite is the primary step to achieve nitrogen removal via nitrite. The effect of alkalinity on nitrite accumulation in a continuous process was investigated by progressively increasing the alkalinity dosage ratio (amount of alkalinity to ammonia ratio, mol/mol). There is a close relationship among alkalinity, pH and the state of matter present in aqueous solution. When alkalinity was insufficient (compared to the theoretical alkalinity amount), ammonia removal efficiency increased first and then decreased at each alkalinity dosage ratio, with an abrupt removal efficiency peak. Generally, ammonia removal efficiency rose with increasing alkalinity dosage ratio. Ammonia removal efficiency reached to 88% from 23% when alkalinity addition was sufficient. Nitrite accumulation could be achieved by inhibiting nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) by free ammonia (FA) in the early period and free nitrous acid in the later period of nitrification when alkalinity was not adequate. Only FA worked to inhibit the activity of NOB when alkalinity addition was sufficient. Copyright © 2014 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of succinimide sites in proteins by N-terminal sequence analysis after alkaline hydroxylamine cleavage.

PubMed Central

Kwong, M. Y.; Harris, R. J.

1994-01-01

Under favorable conditions, Asp or Asn residues can undergo rearrangement to a succinimide (cyclic imide), which may also serve as an intermediate for deamidation and/or isoaspartate formation. Direct identification of such succinimides by peptide mapping is hampered by their lability at neutral and alkaline pH. We determined that incubation in 2 M hydroxylamine, 0.2 M Tris buffer, pH 9, for 2 h at 45 degrees C will specifically cleave on the C-terminal side of succinimides without cleavage at Asn-Gly bonds; yields are typically approximately 50%. N-terminal sequence analysis can then be used to identify an internal sequence generated by cleavage of the succinimide, hence identifying the succinimide site. PMID:8142891

The Bbgas3 β-glucanosyltransferase contributes to fungal adaptation to extreme alkaline pH.

PubMed

Luo, Zhibing; Zhang, Tongbing; Liu, Pengfei; Bai, Yuting; Chen, Qiyan; Zhang, Yongjun; Keyhani, Nemat O

2018-05-25

Fungal β-1,3-glucanosyltransferases are cell wall remodeling enzymes implicated in stress response, cell wall integrity, and virulence, with most fungal genomes containing multiple members. The insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana displays robust growth over a wide pH range (pH = 4-10). Random insertion mutant library screening for increased sensitivity to alkaline (pH 10) growth conditions resulted in the identification and mapping of a mutant to a β-1,3-glucanosyltransferase gene ( Bbgas3 ). Bbgas3 expression was pH dependent and regulated by the PacC transcription factor, that activates genes in response to neutral/alkaline growth conditions. Targeted gene-knockout of Bbgas3 resulted in reduced growth under alkaline conditions, with only minor effects of increased sensitivity to cell wall stress (Congo Red and calcofluor white), and no significant effects on fungal sensitivity to oxidative or osmotic stress. The cell walls of ΔBbgas3 aerial conidia were thinner than wild type and complemented strains in response to alkaline conditions, and β-1,3-glucan antibody and lectin staining revealed alterations in cell surface carbohydrate epitopes. The ΔBbgas3 mutant displayed alterations in cell wall chitin and carbohydrate content in response to alkaline pH. Insect bioassays revealed impaired virulence for the ΔBbgas3 mutant depending upon the pH of the media on which the conidia were grown and harvested. Unexpectedly, a decreased lethal time to kill (LT 50 , i.e. increased virulence) was seen for the mutant using intra-hemocoel injection assays using conidia grown at acidic pH (5.6). These data show that BbGas3 acts as a pH-responsive cell wall remodeling enzyme involved in resistance to extreme pH (>9). Importance Little is known about adaptations required for growth at high (>9) pH. Here, we show that a specific fungal membrane remodelling β-1,3-glucanosyltransferase ( Bbgas3 ), regulated by the pH-responsive PacC transcription factor forms a critical aspect of the ability of the insect pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana to grow at extreme pH. Loss of Bbgas3 resulted in a unique decreased ability to grow at high pH, with little to no effects seen with respect to other stress conditions, i.e. cell wall integrity, osmotic, and oxidative stress. However, pH-dependent alternations in cell wall properties and virulence were noted for the ΔBbg as3 mutant. These data provide a mechanistic insight into the importance of specific cell wall structure required to stabilize the cell at high pH and link it to the PacC/Pal/Rim pH-sensor and regulatory system. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Metal leaching in mine tailings: short-term impact of biochar and wood ash amendments.

PubMed

Beauchemin, Suzanne; Clemente, Joyce S; MacKinnon, Ted; Tisch, Bryan; Lastra, Rolando; Smith, Derek; Kwong, John

2015-01-01

Biochar is perceived as a promising amendment to reclaim degraded, metal-contaminated lands. The objective of this study was to compare the potential of biochar and wood ash amendments to reduce metal(loid) leaching in mine tailings. A 2-mo leaching experiment was conducted in duplicate on acidic and alkaline tailings, each mixed with 5 wt.% of one of the following amendments: three wood-derived, fast-pyrolysis biochars (OC > 57 wt.%) and two wood ash materials (organic carbon [OC] ≤ 16 wt.%); a control test with no carbon input was also added. The columns were leached with water after 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 d, and the leachates were monitored for dissolved metals, OC, and pH. For the acidic and alkaline tailings, the most significant impact on metal mobility was observed with wood ash materials due to their greater neutralization potential (>15% CaCO eq.) compared with biochar (≤3.3% CaCO eq.). An increase of 1 pH unit in the wood ash-treated alkaline tailings led to an undesirable mobilization of As and Se. The addition of biochar did not significantly reduce the leaching of the main contaminants (Cu and Ni in the acidic tailings and As in the alkaline tailings) over 2 mo. The Se attenuation noted in some biochar-treated acid tailings may be mainly due to a slight alkaline effect rather than Se removal by biochar, given the low capacity for the fresh biochars to retain Se under acidic conditions (pH 4.5). The increased loss of dissolved OC in the biochar-amended systems was of short duration and was not associated with metal(loid) mobilization. Copyright © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

ARD remediation with limestone in a CO2 pressurized reactor

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sibrell, Philip L.; Watten, Barnaby J.; Friedrich, Andrew E.; Vinci, Brian J.

2000-01-01

We evaluated a new process for remediation of acid rock drainage (ARD). The process treats ARD with intermittently fluidized beds of granular limestone maintained within a continuous flow reactor pressurized with CO2. Tests were performed over a thirty day period at the Toby Creek mine drainage treatment plant, Elk County, Pennsylvania in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Equipment performance was established at operating pressures of 0, 34, 82, and 117 kPa using an ARD flow of 227 L/min. The ARD had the following characteristics: pH, 3.1; temperature, 10 °C; dissolved oxygen, 6.4 mg/L; acidity, 260 mg/L; total iron, 21 mg/L; aluminum, 22 mg/L; manganese, 7.5 mg/L; and conductivity, 1400 μS/cm. In all cases tested, processed ARD was net alkaline with mean pH and alkalinities of 6.7 and 59 mg/L at a CO2 pressure of 0 kPa, 6.6 and 158 mg/L at 34 kPa, 7.4 and 240 mg/L at 82 kPa, and 7.4 and 290 mg/L at 117 kPa. Processed ARD alkalinities were correlated to the settled bed depth (p<0.001) and CO2 pressure (p<0.001). Iron, aluminum, and manganese removal efficiencies of 96%, 99%, and 5%, respectively, were achieved with filtration following treatment. No indications of metal hydroxide precipitation or armoring of the limestone were observed. The surplus alkalinity established at 82 kPa was successful in treating an equivalent of 1136 L/min (five-fold dilution) of the combined three ARD streams entering the Toby Creek Plant. This side-stream capability provides savings in treatment unit scale as well as flexibility in treatment effect. The capability of the system to handle higher influent acidity was tested by elevating the acidity to 5000 mg/L with sulfuric acid. Net alkaline effluent was produced, indicating applicability of the process to highly acidic ARD.

Catalytic Diversity in Alkaline Hydrothermal Vent Systems on Ocean Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cameron, Ryan D.; Barge, Laura; Chin, Keith B.; Doloboff, Ivria J.; Flores, Erika; Hammer, Arden C.; Sobron, Pablo; Russell, Michael J.; Kanik, Isik

2016-10-01

Hydrothermal systems formed by serpentinization can create moderate-temperature, alkaline systems and it is possible that this type of vent could exist on icy worlds such as Europa which have water-rock interfaces. It has been proposed that some prebiotic chemistry responsible for the emergence of life on Earth and possibly other wet and icy worlds could occur as a result ofredox potential and pH gradients in submarine alkaline hydrothermal vents (Russell et al., 2014). Hydrothermal chimneys formed in laboratory simulations of alkaline vents under early Earth conditions have precipitate membranes that contain minerals such as iron sulfides, which are hypothesized to catalyze reduction of CO2 (Yamaguchi et al. 2014, Roldan et al. 2014) leading to further organic synthesis. This CO2 reduction process may be affected by other trace components in the chimney, e.g. nickel or organic molecules. We have conducted experiments to investigate catalytic properties of iron and iron-nickel sulfides containing organic dopants in slightly acidic ocean simulants relevant to early Earth or possibly ocean worlds. We find that the electrochemical properties of the chimney as well as the morphology/chemistry of the precipitate are affected by the concentration and type of organics present. These results imply that synthesis of organics in water-rock systems on ocean worlds may lead to hydrothermal precipitates which can incorporate these organic into the mineral matrix and may affect the role of gradients in alkaline vent systems.Therefore, further understanding on the electroactive roles of various organic species within hydrothermal chimneys will have important implications for habitability as well as prebiotic chemistry. This work is funded by NASA Astrobiology Institute JPL Icy Worlds Team and a NAI Director's Discretionary Fund award.Yamaguchi A. et al. (2014) Electrochimica Acta, 141, 311-318.Russell, M. J. et al. (2014), Astrobiology, 14, 308-43.Roldan, A. (2014) Chem. Comm. 51, 35: 7501-7504.

Acid rock drainage passive remediation using alkaline clay and impacts of vegetation and saturated sand barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaza, F.; Wen, Y.; Liang, X.

2017-12-01

Acid rock drainage (ARD) caused by abundance of coal refuse (CR) deposits in mining regions requires adequate treatment to prevent serious water pollution due to its acidity and high concentrations of sulfate and metals/metalloids. Over the past decades, various approaches have been explored and developed to remediate ARD. This study uses laboratory experiments to investigate the effectiveness and impacts of ARD passive remediation using alkaline clay (AC), a by-product of the aluminum refining process. Twelve column kinetic leaching experiments were set up with CR/AC mixing ratios ranging from 1%AC to 10%AC. Samples were collected from these columns to measure the pH, sulfate, metals/metalloids, acidity and alkalinity. Additional tests of XRD and acid base accounting were also conducted to better characterize the mineral phase in terms of the alkalinity and acidity potential. Based on the leachate measurement results, these columns were further classified into two groups of neutral/near neutral pH and acidic pH for further analysis. In addition, impacts of the vegetation and saturated sand layer on the remediation effectiveness were explored. The results of our long-term (more than three years in some cases) laboratory experiments show that AC is an effective ARD remediation material for the neutralization of leachate pH and immobilization of sulfate and metals such as Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Co. The CR/AC mixing ratios higher than 3%AC are found to be effective, with 10% close to optimal. Moreover, the results demonstrate the benefits of using vegetation and a saturated sand barrier. Vegetation acted as a phytoaccumulation/phytoextraction agent, causing an additional immobilization of metals. The saturated sand barrier blocked the oxygen and water diffusion downwards, leading to a reduction of the pyrite oxidation rate. Finally, the proposed remediation approach shows that the acidity consumption will likely occur before all the alkalinity is exhausted, guaranteeing an adequate long-term performance of this remediation approach.

Solid-State Water Electrolysis with an Alkaline Membrane

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

Leng, YJ; Chen, G; Mendoza, AJ

2012-06-06

We report high-performance, durable alkaline membrane water electrolysis in a solid-state cell. An anion exchange membrane (AEM) and catalyst layer ionomer for hydroxide ion conduction were used without the addition of liquid electrolyte. At 50 degrees C, an AEM electrolysis cell using iridium oxide as the anode catalyst and Pt black as the cathode catalyst exhibited a current density of 399 mA/cm(2) at 1.80 V. We found that the durability of the AEM-based electrolysis cell could be improved by incorporating a highly durable ionomer in the catalyst layer and optimizing the water feed configuration. We demonstrated an AEM-based electrolysis cellmore » with a lifetime of > 535 h. These first-time results of water electrolysis in a solid-state membrane cell are promising for low-cost, scalable hydrogen production.« less

Radiolytic preparation of ETFE and PFA based anion exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Beom-Seok; Sohn, Joon-Yong; Nho, Young-Chang; Shin, Junhwa

2011-11-01

In this study, a versatile monomer, vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) was radiolytically grafted onto a partially fluorinated ETFE and perfluorinated polymer PFA films. The VBC grafted films were treated with trimethylamine to prepare the alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEMs). No significant differences in the ion exchange capacities and water uptakes were observed between the ETFE and PFA based AAEMs with similar degree of grafting (DOG). However, the distribution patterns of the graft chains over the cross-section of the ETFE and PFA based AAEMs were found to be quite different; the even distribution was observed from the ETFE based AAEMs while the uneven distribution was observed from the PFA based AAEMs. It was also found that the PFA based AAEMs have the higher ionic conductivity and chemical stability, compared to the ETFE based AAEMs.

Direct Solar Charging of an Organic-Inorganic, Stable, and Aqueous Alkaline Redox Flow Battery with a Hematite Photoanode.

PubMed

Wedege, Kristina; Azevedo, João; Khataee, Amirreza; Bentien, Anders; Mendes, Adélio

2016-06-13

The intermittent nature of the sunlight and its increasing contribution to electricity generation is fostering the energy storage research. Direct solar charging of an auspicious type of redox flow battery could make solar energy directly and efficiently dispatchable. The first solar aqueous alkaline redox flow battery using low cost and environmentally safe materials is demonstrated. The electrolytes consist of the redox couples ferrocyanide and anthraquinone-2,7-disulphonate in sodium hydroxide solution, yielding a standard cell potential of 0.74 V. Photovoltage enhancement strategies are demonstrated for the ferrocyanide-hematite junction by employing an annealing treatment and growing a layer of a conductive polyaniline polymer on the electrode surface, which decreases electron-hole recombination. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Spongy Raney nickel hydrogen electrodes for alkaline fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomida, Tahei; Nakabayashi, Ichiro

1989-11-01

Spongy Raney nickel catalysts for use as hydrogen electrodes of fuel cells were prepared by a new method. In this method molten aluminum was sprayed on both sides of a spongy plate of nickel as substrate with an acetylene-oxygen flame gun. Then, the spongy nickel electrodes were activated by alloying at a given temperature of from 550 to 750 C, and leaching the aluminum from the alloy in alkaline solution. This type of catalyst showed good thermal and electrical conductivity and also mechanical strength by itself. Its polarization resistance was very low, and the characteristics of the electrodes improved with increase in the temperature of heat-treatment for alloying. The finding that activity depended on the alloying temperature was consistent with observations by scanning electron microscope on the surface textures of catalysts alloyed at different temperatures.

Properties and function of KCNQ1 K+ channels isolated from the rectal gland of Squalus acanthias.

PubMed

Kerst, G; Beschorner, U; Unsöld, B; von Hahn, T; Schreiber, R; Greger, R; Gerlach, U; Lang, H J; Kunzelmann, K; Bleich, M

2001-10-01

KCNQ1 (KVLQT1) K+ channels play an important role during electrolyte secretion in airways and colon. KCNQ1 was cloned recently from NaCl-secreting shark rectal glands. Here we study the properties and regulation of the cloned sKVLQT1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and compare the results with those obtained from in vitro perfused rectal gland tubules (RGT). The expression of sKCNQ1 induced voltage-dependent, delayed activated K+ currents, which were augmented by an increase in intracellular cAMP and Ca2+. The chromanol derivatives 293B and 526B potently inhibited sKCNQ1 expressed in oocytes and CHO cells, but had little effect on RGT electrolyte transport. Short-circuit currents in RGT were activated by alkalinization and were decreased by acidification. In CHO cells an alkaline pH activated and an acidic pH inhibited 293B-sensitive KCNQ1 currents. Noise analysis of the cell-attached basolateral membrane of RGT indicated the presence of low-conductance (<3 pS) K+ channels, in parallel with other K+ channels. sKCNQ1 generated similar small-conductance K+ channels upon expression in CHO cells and Xenopus oocytes. The results suggest the presence of low-conductance KCNQ1 K+ channels in RGT, which are probably regulated by changes in intracellular cAMP, Ca2+ and pH.

Effectiveness of the addition of alkaline materials at surface coal mines in preventing or abating acid mine drainage--Part 2. Mine site case studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brady, Keith; Smith, Michael W.; Beam, Richard L.; Cravotta,, Charles A.

1990-01-01

The effectiveness of preventing or ameliorating acid mine drainage (AMD) through the application of alkaline additives is evaluated for eight surface coal mines in Pennsylvania. Many of the mine sites had overburden characteristics that made prediction of post‐mining water quality uncertain. Alkaline materials were applied at rates ranging from 42 to greater than 1,000 tons as calcium carbonate per acre. In addition, two sites that were mined and reclaimed without alkaline additives are included for comparative purposes. Overburden sulfur concentration and "neutralization potential" (NP) data for multiple strata at each mine site were used to compute the cumulative, mass‐weighted "maximum potential acidity" (MPA) and "net neutralization potential" (NNP = NP ‐ MPA) by using three different calculation methods. Post‐reclamation water‐quality data were used to compute the net alkalinity (= alkalinity ‐ acidity). The most conservative determination of NNP, whereby MPA is calculated by multiplying the total sulfur concentration, in weight percent, by 62.5 instead of 31.25, yielded the best agreement with net alkalinity (patching signs on NNP and net alkalinity). The error in prediction using each method was that the reclaimed overburden was computed to be alkaline overall (NNP > 0), but the post‐reclamation water was acid (net alkalinity < 0). In general, alkaline addition rates were probably insufficient to neutralize, or too late to prevent, acid production in the mine spoil. At six of the seven mine sites that had overburden with insufficient NP relative to MPA (NNP < 0), the addition of alkaline materials failed to create alkaline mine drainage; AMD was formed or persisted. A control site which also had insufficient alkaline material, but did not incorporate alkaline additives, generated severe AMD. Two sites that had substantial, natural alkaline overburden produced alkaline drainage. Although the addition rates appear to be inadequate, other factors, such as unequal distribution and exposure of the acid‐forming or neutralizing materials and hydrogeological variability, complicate the evaluation of relative effectiveness of using different alkaline materials and placement of the acid‐ or alkaline‐producing materials.

Effects of biochars on the availability of heavy metals to ryegrass in an alkaline contaminated soil.

PubMed

Zhang, Guixiang; Guo, Xiaofang; Zhao, Zhihua; He, Qiusheng; Wang, Shuifeng; Zhu, Yuen; Yan, Yulong; Liu, Xitao; Sun, Ke; Zhao, Ye; Qian, Tianwei

2016-11-01

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of biochars on the availability of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) to ryegrass in an alkaline contaminated soil. Biochars only slightly decreased or even increased the availability of heavy metals assesses by chemical extractant (a mixture of 0.05 mol L -1 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium, 0.01 mol L -1 CaCl 2 , and 0.1 mol L -1 triethanolamine). The significantly positive correlation between most chemical-extractable heavy metals and the ash content in biochars indicated the positive role of ash in this extraction. Biochars significantly reduced the plant uptake of heavy metals, excluding Mn. The absence of a positive correlation between the chemical-extractable heavy metals and the plant uptake counterparts (except for Mn) indicates that chemical extractability is probably not a reliable indicator to predict the phytoavailability of most heavy metals in alkaline soils treated with biochars. The obviously negative correlation between the plant uptake of heavy metals (except for Mn) and the (O + N)/C and H/C indicates that biochars with more polar groups, which were produced at lower temperatures, had higher efficiency for reducing the phytoavailability of heavy metals. The significantly negative correlations between the plant uptake of Mn and ryegrass biomass indicated the "dilution effect" caused by the improvement of biomass. These observations will be helpful for designing biochars as soil amendments to reduce the availability of heavy metals to plants in soils, especially in alkaline soils. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

New stable ternary alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides: Ca / Sr / BaPb 2 O 3 and BaPbO 2

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

Li, Yuwei; Zhang, Lijun; Singh, David J.

The different but related chemical behaviors of Pb(II) oxides compared to Sn(II) oxides, and the existence of known alkali/alkali-earth metal Sn(II) ternary phases, suggest that there should be additional ternary Pb(II) oxide phases. Here, we report structure searches on the ternary alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides leading to four new phases. These are two ternary Pb(II) oxides, SrPb 2O 3 and BaPb 2O 3, which have larger chemical potential stability ranges compared with the corresponding Sn(II) oxides, and additionally two other ternary Pb(II) oxides, CaPb 2O 3 and BaPbO 2, for which there are no corresponding Sn(II) oxides. Those Pb(II) oxidesmore » are stabilized by Pb-rich conditions. These structures follow the Zintl behavior and consist of basic structural motifs of (PbO 3) 4- anionic units separated and stabilized by the alkaline-earth metal ions. They show wide band gaps ranging from 2.86 to 3.12 eV, and two compounds (CaPb 2O 3 and SrPb 2O 3) show rather light hole effective masses (around 2m 0). The valence band maxima of these compounds have a Pb-6s/O-2p antibonding character, which may lead to p-type defect (or doping) tolerant behavior. This then suggests alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides may be potential p-type transparent conducting oxides.« less

New stable ternary alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides: Ca / Sr / BaPb 2 O 3 and BaPbO 2

DOE PAGES

Li, Yuwei; Zhang, Lijun; Singh, David J.

2017-10-16

The different but related chemical behaviors of Pb(II) oxides compared to Sn(II) oxides, and the existence of known alkali/alkali-earth metal Sn(II) ternary phases, suggest that there should be additional ternary Pb(II) oxide phases. Here, we report structure searches on the ternary alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides leading to four new phases. These are two ternary Pb(II) oxides, SrPb 2O 3 and BaPb 2O 3, which have larger chemical potential stability ranges compared with the corresponding Sn(II) oxides, and additionally two other ternary Pb(II) oxides, CaPb 2O 3 and BaPbO 2, for which there are no corresponding Sn(II) oxides. Those Pb(II) oxidesmore » are stabilized by Pb-rich conditions. These structures follow the Zintl behavior and consist of basic structural motifs of (PbO 3) 4- anionic units separated and stabilized by the alkaline-earth metal ions. They show wide band gaps ranging from 2.86 to 3.12 eV, and two compounds (CaPb 2O 3 and SrPb 2O 3) show rather light hole effective masses (around 2m 0). The valence band maxima of these compounds have a Pb-6s/O-2p antibonding character, which may lead to p-type defect (or doping) tolerant behavior. This then suggests alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides may be potential p-type transparent conducting oxides.« less

Applying WEPP technologies to western alkaline surface coal mines

Treesearch

J. Q. Wu; S. Dun; H. Rhee; X. Liu; W. J. Elliot; T. Golnar; J. R. Frankenberger; D. C. Flanagan; P. W. Conrad; R. L. McNearny

2011-01-01

One aspect of planning surface mining operations, regulated by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), is estimating potential environmental impacts during mining operations and the reclamation period that follows. Practical computer simulation tools are effective for evaluating site-specific sediment control and reclamation plans for the NPDES....

21 CFR 864.7660 - Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test. 864.7660... Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test. (a) Identification. A leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test is a device used to identify the enzyme leukocyte alkaline phosphatase in neutrophilic granulocytes (granular...

21 CFR 864.7660 - Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test. 864.7660... Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test. (a) Identification. A leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test is a device used to identify the enzyme leukocyte alkaline phosphatase in neutrophilic granulocytes (granular...

21 CFR 864.7660 - Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test. 864.7660... Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test. (a) Identification. A leukocyte alkaline phosphatase test is a device used to identify the enzyme leukocyte alkaline phosphatase in neutrophilic granulocytes (granular...

Inorganic rechargeable non-aqueous cell

DOEpatents

Bowden, William L.; Dey, Arabinda N.

1985-05-07

A totally inorganic non-aqueous rechargeable cell having an alkali or alkaline earth metal anode such as of lithium, a sulfur dioxide containing electrolyte and a discharging metal halide cathode, such as of CuCl.sub.2, CuBr.sub.2 and the like with said metal halide being substantially totally insoluble in SO.sub.2 and admixed with a conductive carbon material.

Understanding Anion Transport in an Aminated Trimethyl Polyphenylene with High Anionic Conductivity

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

published online DOI: 10.1002/polb.23164 ABSTRACT: An alkaline exchange membrane (AEM) based on an aminated trimethyl poly(phenylene) is studied in...3874–3882. 23 Cotts, R. M.; Hoch, M. J. R.; Sun, T.; Markert , J. T. J. Magn. Reson. (1969) 1989, 83, 252–266. 24 Tanner, J. E. J. Chem. Phys. 1970

Possible mechanism for anthraquinone species diffusion in alkaline pulping

Treesearch

X.-S. Chai; J. Samp; Q.X. Hou; S.-H Yoon; J.Y. Zhu

2007-01-01

An analysis of the effectiveness of anthraquinone (AQ) in kraft-AQ pulping in terms of its mechanism of transport has been conducted. Our previous work showed that caustic solutions of wood lignin can decrease the membrane exclusion for anthraquinones, i.e., the presence of wood lignin enhances the ability of AQ to pass through a membrane when a reducing agent is...

Novel fluoropolymer anion exchange membranes for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanmei; Fang, Jun; Wu, Yongbin; Xu, Hankun; Chi, Xianjun; Li, Wei; Yang, Yixu; Yan, Ge; Zhuang, Yongze

2012-09-01

A series of novel fluoropolymer anion exchange membranes based on the copolymer of vinylbenzyl chloride, butyl methacrylate, and hexafluorobutyl methacrylate has been prepared. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and elemental analysis techniques are used to study the chemical structure and chemical composition of the membranes. The water uptake, ion-exchange capacity (IEC), conductivity, methanol permeability, and chemical stability of the membranes are also determined. The membranes exhibit high anionic conductivity in deionized water at 65 °C ranging from 3.86×10(-2) S cm(-1) to 4.36×10(-2) S cm(-1). The methanol permeability coefficients of the membranes are in the range of 4.21-5.80×10(-8) cm(2) s(-1) at 65 °C. The novel membranes also show good chemical and thermal stability. An open-circuit voltage of 0.7 V and a maximum power density of 53.2 mW cm(-2) of alkaline direct methanol fuel cell (ADMFC) with the membrane C, 1 M methanol, 1 M NaOH, and humidified oxygen are achieved at 65 °C. Therefore, these membranes have great potential for applications in fuel cell systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anion exchange composite membrane based on octa quaternary ammonium Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane for alkaline fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elumalai, Vijayakumar; Sangeetha, Dharmalingam

2018-01-01

A series of novel composite anion exchange membranes were prepared via simple solution casting method using synthesized quaternary ammonium functionalized Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (QA-POSS) with Quaternary polysulfone (QPSU). QA-POSS was synthesized from prepared Cl-POSS and well characterized by FT-IR, NMR, SEM and TEM analyses to confirm the chemical modifications and cubic morphologies. The QA-POSS nano particles have dual role in the membrane providing additional ion conducting groups and reinforcing the membrane in molecular level for the overall improvement of composite membrane. Additionally, the composite membranes were characterized by XRD, SEM, Ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake and conductivity to ensure the suitability of its use as an electrolyte in alkaline fuel cell. Finally, membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was fabricated using Pt anode (0.25 mg/cm2), Ag cathode (0.375 mg/cm2) and various synthesized composite membranes, and then it was tested in real time fuel cell setup. The membrane with 15% QA-POSS showed the maximum power density of 321 mW/cm2. The results showed that QA-POSS possess the ability to enhance the performance of the anion exchange membrane significantly.

Root Damage under Alkaline Stress Is Associated with Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hui; Liu, Xiao-Long; Zhang, Rui-Xue; Yuan, Hai-Yan; Wang, Ming-Ming; Yang, Hao-Yu; Ma, Hong-Yuan; Liu, Duo; Jiang, Chang-Jie; Liang, Zheng-Wei

2017-01-01

Alkaline stress (high pH) severely damages root cells, and consequently, inhibits rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedling growth. In this study, we demonstrate the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in root cells under alkaline stress. Seedlings of two rice cultivars with different alkaline tolerances, ‘Dongdao-4’ (moderately alkaline-tolerant) and ‘Jiudao-51’ (alkaline-sensitive), were subjected to alkaline stress simulated by 15 mM sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). Alkaline stress greatly reduced seedling survival rate, shoot and root growth, and root vigor. Moreover, severe root cell damage was observed under alkaline stress, as shown by increased membrane injury, malondialdehyde accumulation, and Evan’s Blue staining. The expression of the cell death-related genes OsKOD1, OsHsr203j, OsCP1, and OsNAC4 was consistently upregulated, while that of a cell death-suppressor gene, OsBI1, was downregulated. Analysis of the ROS contents revealed that alkaline stress induced a marked accumulation of superoxide anions (O2•-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in rice roots. The application of procyanidins (a potent antioxidant) to rice seedlings 24 h prior to alkaline treatment significantly alleviated alkalinity-induced root damage and promoted seedling growth inhibition, which were concomitant with reduced ROS accumulation. These results suggest that root cell damage, and consequently growth inhibition, of rice seedlings under alkaline stress is closely associated with ROS accumulation. The antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase increased under alkaline stress in the roots, probably in response to the cellular damage induced by oxidative stress. However, this response mechanism may be overwhelmed by the excess ROS accumulation observed under stress, resulting in oxidative damage to root cells. Our findings provide physiological insights into the molecular mechanisms of alkalinity-induced damage to root cells, and will contribute to the improvement of alkaline stress tolerance in rice plants. PMID:28943882

Root Damage under Alkaline Stress Is Associated with Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Zhang, Hui; Liu, Xiao-Long; Zhang, Rui-Xue; Yuan, Hai-Yan; Wang, Ming-Ming; Yang, Hao-Yu; Ma, Hong-Yuan; Liu, Duo; Jiang, Chang-Jie; Liang, Zheng-Wei

2017-01-01

Alkaline stress (high pH) severely damages root cells, and consequently, inhibits rice ( Oryza sativa L.) seedling growth. In this study, we demonstrate the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in root cells under alkaline stress. Seedlings of two rice cultivars with different alkaline tolerances, 'Dongdao-4' (moderately alkaline-tolerant) and 'Jiudao-51' (alkaline-sensitive), were subjected to alkaline stress simulated by 15 mM sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ). Alkaline stress greatly reduced seedling survival rate, shoot and root growth, and root vigor. Moreover, severe root cell damage was observed under alkaline stress, as shown by increased membrane injury, malondialdehyde accumulation, and Evan's Blue staining. The expression of the cell death-related genes OsKOD1 , OsHsr203j , OsCP1 , and OsNAC4 was consistently upregulated, while that of a cell death-suppressor gene, OsBI1 , was downregulated. Analysis of the ROS contents revealed that alkaline stress induced a marked accumulation of superoxide anions ([Formula: see text]) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in rice roots. The application of procyanidins (a potent antioxidant) to rice seedlings 24 h prior to alkaline treatment significantly alleviated alkalinity-induced root damage and promoted seedling growth inhibition, which were concomitant with reduced ROS accumulation. These results suggest that root cell damage, and consequently growth inhibition, of rice seedlings under alkaline stress is closely associated with ROS accumulation. The antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase increased under alkaline stress in the roots, probably in response to the cellular damage induced by oxidative stress. However, this response mechanism may be overwhelmed by the excess ROS accumulation observed under stress, resulting in oxidative damage to root cells. Our findings provide physiological insights into the molecular mechanisms of alkalinity-induced damage to root cells, and will contribute to the improvement of alkaline stress tolerance in rice plants.

40 CFR 420.110 - Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... alkaline cleaning subcategory. 420.110 Section 420.110 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Alkaline Cleaning Subcategory § 420.110 Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory... alkaline cleaning baths to remove mineral and animal fats or oils from the steel, and those rinsing...

40 CFR 420.110 - Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... alkaline cleaning subcategory. 420.110 Section 420.110 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Alkaline Cleaning Subcategory § 420.110 Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory... alkaline cleaning baths to remove mineral and animal fats or oils from the steel, and those rinsing...

40 CFR 420.110 - Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... alkaline cleaning subcategory. 420.110 Section 420.110 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Alkaline Cleaning Subcategory § 420.110 Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory... alkaline cleaning baths to remove mineral and animal fats or oils from the steel, and those rinsing...

40 CFR 420.110 - Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... alkaline cleaning subcategory. 420.110 Section 420.110 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Alkaline Cleaning Subcategory § 420.110 Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory... alkaline cleaning baths to remove mineral and animal fats or oils from the steel, and those rinsing...

40 CFR 420.110 - Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... alkaline cleaning subcategory. 420.110 Section 420.110 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Alkaline Cleaning Subcategory § 420.110 Applicability; description of the alkaline cleaning subcategory... alkaline cleaning baths to remove mineral and animal fats or oils from the steel, and those rinsing...

Alkaline biodegradable implants for osteoporotic bone defects--importance of microenvironment pH.

PubMed

Liu, W; Wang, T; Yang, C; Darvell, B W; Wu, J; Lin, K; Chang, J; Pan, H; Lu, W W

2016-01-01

Change of microenvironment pH by biodegradable implants may ameliorate unbalanced osteoporotic bone remodeling. The present work demonstrated that a weak alkaline condition stimulated osteoblasts differentiation while suppressed osteoclast generation. In vivo, implants with an alkaline microenvironment pH (monitored by a pH microelectrode) exhibited a promising healing effect for the repair of osteoporotic bone defects. Under osteoporotic conditions, the response of the bone microenvironment to an endosseous implant is significantly impaired, and this substantially increases the risk of fracture, non-union and aseptic implant loosening. Acid-base equilibrium is an important factor influencing bone cell behaviour. The present purpose was to study the effect of a series of alkaline biodegradable implant materials on regeneration of osteoporotic bone defect, monitoring the microenvironment pH (μe-pH) over time. The proliferation and differentiation potential of osteoporotic rat bone marrow stromal cells and RAW 264.7 cells were examined under various pH conditions. Ovariectomized rat bone defects were filled with specific biodegradable materials, and μe-pH was measured by pH microelectrode. New osteoid and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive osteoclast-like cells were examined by Goldner's trichrome and TRAP staining, respectively. The intermediate layer between implants and new bone were studied using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) linear scanning. In vitro, weak alkaline conditions stimulated osteoporotic rat bone marrow stromal cells (oBMSC) differentiation, while inhibiting the formation of osteoclasts. In vivo, μe-pH differs from that of the homogeneous peripheral blood and exhibits variations over time particular to each material. Higher initial μe-pH was associated with more new bone formation, late response of TRAP-positive osteoclast-like cells and the development of an intermediate 'apatitic' layer in vivo. EDX suggested that residual material may influence μe-pH even 9 weeks post-surgery. The pH microelectrode is suitable for in vivo μe-pH detection. Alkaline biodegradable materials generate an in vivo microenvironmental pH which is higher than the normal physiological value and show promising healing effects in the context of osteoporotic bone defects.

21 CFR 862.1050 - Alkaline phosphatase or isoenzymes test system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Alkaline phosphatase or isoenzymes test system... Test Systems § 862.1050 Alkaline phosphatase or isoenzymes test system. (a) Identification. An alkaline phosphatase or isoenzymes test system is a device intended to measure alkaline phosphatase or its isoenzymes...

Global Variability and Changes in Ocean Total Alkalinity from Aquarius Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fine, R. A.; Willey, D. A.; Millero, F. J., Jr.

2016-02-01

To document effects of ocean acidification it is important to have an understanding of the processes and parameters that influence alkalinity. Alkalinity is a gauge on the ability of seawater to neutralize acids. We use Aquarius satellite data, which allow unprecedented global mapping of surface total alkalinity as it correlates strongly with salinity and to a lesser extent with temperature. Spatial variability in total alkalinity and salinity exceed temporal variability, the latter includes seasonal and differences compared to climatological data. The northern hemisphere has more spatial and monthly variability in total alkalinity and salinity, while less variability in Southern Ocean alkalinity is due to less salinity variability and upwelling of waters enriched in alkalinity. Satellite alkalinity data are providing a global baseline that can be used for comparing with future carbon data, and for evaluating spatial and temporal variability and past trends. For the first time it is shown that recent satellite derived total alkalinity in the subtropics have increased as compared with climatological data; this is reflective of large scale changes in the global water cycle. Total alkalinity increases imply increased dissolution of calcareous minerals and difficulty for calcifying organisms to make their shells.

Accumulation of True Single Strand Breaks and AP sites in Base Excision Repair Deficient Cells

PubMed Central

Luke, April M.; Chastain, Paul D.; Pachkowski, Brian F.; Afonin, Valeriy; Takeda, Shunichi; Kaufman, David G.; Swenberg, James A.; Nakamura, Jun

2010-01-01

Single strand breaks (SSBs) are one of the most frequent DNA lesions caused by endogenous and exogenous agents. The most utilized alkaline-based assays for SSB detection frequently give false positive results due to the presence of alkali-labile sites that are converted to SSBs. Methoxyamine, an acidic O-hydroxylamine, has been utilized to measure DNA damage in cells. However, the neutralization of methoxyamine is required prior to usage. Here we developed a convenient, specific SSB assay using alkaline gel electrophoresis (AGE) coupled with a neutral O-hydroxylamine, O-(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)hydroxylamine (OTX). OTX stabilizes abasic sites (AP sites) to prevent their alkaline incision while still allowing for strong alkaline DNA denaturation. DNA from DT40 and isogenic polymerase β null cells exposed to methyl methanesulfonate were applied to the OTX-coupled AGE (OTX-AGE) assay. Time-dependent increases in SSBs were detected in each cell line with more extensive SSB formation in the null cells. These findings were supported by an assay that indirectly detects SSBs through measuring NAD(P)H depletion. An ARP-slot blot assay demonstrated a significant time-dependent increase in AP sites in both cell lines by 1 mM MMS compared to control. Furthermore, the Pol β-null cells displayed greater AP site formation than the parental DT40 cells. OTX use represents a facile approach for assessing SSB formation, whose benefits can also be applied to other established SSB assays. PMID:20851134

The alkaline tide goes out and the nitrogen stays in after feeding in the dogfish shark, Squalus acanthias.

PubMed

Wood, Chris M; Bucking, Carol; Fitzpatrick, John; Nadella, Sunita

2007-11-15

In light of previous work showing a marked metabolic alkalosis ("alkaline tide") in the bloodstream after feeding in the dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias), we evaluated whether there was a corresponding net base excretion to the water at this time. In the 48 h after a natural voluntary meal (teleost tissue, averaging 5.5% of body weight), dogfish excreted 10,470 micromol kg(-1) more base (i.e. HCO3- equivalents) than the fasted control animals (which exhibited a negative base excretion of -2160 micromol kg(-1)). This large activation of branchial base excretion after feeding thereby prevented a potentially fatal alkalinization of the body fluids by the alkaline tide. The rate peaked at 330 micromol kg(-1) h(-1) at 12.5-24 h after the meal. Despite a prolonged 1.7-fold elevation in MO2 after feeding ("specific dynamic action"), urea-N excretion decreased by 39% in the same 48 h period relative to fasted controls. In contrast, ammonia-N excretion did not change appreciably. The N/O2 ratio declined from 0.51 in fasted animals to 0.19 in fed sharks, indicating a stimulation of N-anabolic processes at this time. These results, which differ greatly from those in teleost fish, are interpreted in terms of the fundamentally different ureotelic osmoregulatory strategy of elasmobranchs, and recent discoveries on base excretion and urea-retention mechanisms in elasmobranch gills.

Oxygen electrodes for rechargeable alkaline fuel cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swette, L.; Kackley, N.

1989-01-01

Electrocatalysts and supports for the positive electrode of moderate temperature single-unit rechargeable alkaline fuel cells are being investigated and developed. Candidate support materials were drawn from transition metal carbides, borides, nitrides and oxides which have high conductivity (greater than 1 ohm/cm). Candidate catalyst materials were selected largely from metal oxides of the form ABO sub x (where A = Pb, Cd, Mn, Ti, Zr, La, Sr, Na, and B = Pt, Pd, Ir, Ru, Ni (Co) which were investigated and/or developed for one function only, O2 reduction or O2 evolution. The electrical conductivity requirement for catalysts may be lower, especially if integrated with a higher conductivity support. All candidate materials of acceptable conductivity are subjected to corrosion testing. Materials that survive chemical testing are examined for electrochemical corrosion activity. For more stringent corrosion testing, and for further evaluation of electrocatalysts (which generally show significant O2 evolution at at 1.4 V), samples are held at 1.6 V or 0.6 V for about 100 hours. The surviving materials are then physically and chemically analyzed for signs of degradation. To evaluate the bifunctional oxygen activity of candidate catalysts, Teflon-bonded electrodes are fabricated and tested in a floating electrode configuration. Many of the experimental materials being studied have required development of a customized electrode fabrication procedure. In advanced development, the goal is to reduce the polarization to about 300 to 350 mV. Approximately six support materials and five catalyst materials were identified to date for further development. The test results will be described.

Ethylene Inhibits Root Elongation during Alkaline Stress through AUXIN1 and Associated Changes in Auxin Accumulation1

PubMed Central

Li, Juan; Xu, Heng-Hao; Liu, Wen-Cheng; Zhang, Xiao-Wei

2015-01-01

Soil alkalinity causes major reductions in yield and quality of crops worldwide. The plant root is the first organ sensing soil alkalinity, which results in shorter primary roots. However, the mechanism underlying alkaline stress-mediated inhibition of root elongation remains to be further elucidated. Here, we report that alkaline conditions inhibit primary root elongation of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings by reducing cell division potential in the meristem zones and that ethylene signaling affects this process. The ethylene perception antagonist silver (Ag+) alleviated the inhibition of root elongation by alkaline stress. Moreover, the ethylene signaling mutants ethylene response1-3 (etr1-3), ethylene insensitive2 (ein2), and ein3-1 showed less reduction in root length under alkaline conditions, indicating a reduced sensitivity to alkalinity. Ethylene biosynthesis also was found to play a role in alkaline stress-mediated root inhibition; the ethylene overproducer1-1 mutant, which overproduces ethylene because of increased stability of 1-AMINOCYCLOPROPANE-1-CARBOXYLIC ACID SYNTHASE5, was hypersensitive to alkaline stress. In addition, the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor cobalt (Co2+) suppressed alkaline stress-mediated inhibition of root elongation. We further found that alkaline stress caused an increase in auxin levels by promoting expression of auxin biosynthesis-related genes, but the increase in auxin levels was reduced in the roots of the etr1-3 and ein3-1 mutants and in Ag+/Co2+-treated wild-type plants. Additional genetic and physiological data showed that AUXIN1 (AUX1) was involved in alkaline stress-mediated inhibition of root elongation. Taken together, our results reveal that ethylene modulates alkaline stress-mediated inhibition of root growth by increasing auxin accumulation by stimulating the expression of AUX1 and auxin biosynthesis-related genes. PMID:26109425

New Application of the Comet Assay

PubMed Central

Cortés-Gutiérrez, Elva I.; Dávila-Rodríguez, Martha I.; Fernández, José Luís; López-Fernández, Carmen; Gosálbez, Altea; Gosálvez, Jaime

2011-01-01

The comet assay is a well-established, simple, versatile, visual, rapid, and sensitive tool used extensively to assess DNA damage and DNA repair quantitatively and qualitatively in single cells. The comet assay is most frequently used to analyze white blood cells or lymphocytes in human biomonitoring studies, although other cell types have been examined, including buccal, nasal, epithelial, and placental cells and even spermatozoa. This study was conducted to design a protocol that can be used to generate comets in subnuclear units, such as chromosomes. The new technique is based on the chromosome isolation protocols currently used for whole chromosome mounting in electron microscopy, coupled to the alkaline variant of the comet assay, to detect DNA damage. The results show that migrant DNA fragments can be visualized in whole nuclei and isolated chromosomes and that they exhibit patterns of DNA migration that depend on the level of DNA damage produced. This protocol has great potential for the highly reproducible study of DNA damage and repair in specific chromosomal domains. PMID:21540337

A reconnaissance of the effects of a forest fire on water quality in Kings Canyon National Park, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffman, Ray J.; Ferreira, Rodger F.

1976-01-01

Following two forest fires in the Roaring River drainage basin, Kings Canyon National Park, Calif., water samples were collected from May to July 1974 to determine water-quality changes resulting from the fires. Field measurements included alkalinity , pH, specific conductance, temperature, and discharge. Samples were analyzed in the laboratory for major dissolved chemical constituents, selected plant nutrients, trace metals, suspended sediment, total organic carbon, and seston. Periphytic algae and benthic invertebrate samples were collected. A noticeable increase in the concentration of nitrogen was found in Roaring River immediately downstream from the Moraine Creek fire. The increase in the concentration of inorganic nitrogen compounds, however, was not great enough to pose a serious threat to the aquatic ecosystem. High total organic nitrogen concentrations may have been due, in part, to factors other than the effect of fire. The results of other water-quality measurements were typical of dilute Sierra Nevada streams and indicate that Roaring River was not adversely affected by the fires. (Woodard-USGS)

Monitoring and evaluation of the water quality of Budeasa Reservoir-Arges River, Romania.

PubMed

Ion, Antoanela; Vladescu, Luminita; Badea, Irinel Adriana; Comanescu, Laura

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to monitor and record the specific characteristics and properties of the Arges River water in the Budeasa Reservoir (the principal water resources of municipal tap water of the big Romanian city Pitesti and surrounding area) for a period of 5 years (2005-2009). The monitored physical and chemical parameters were turbidity, pH, electrical conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, 5 days biochemical oxygen demand, free dissolved oxygen, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrogen, chloride, total dissolved iron ions, sulfate, manganese, phosphate, total alkalinity, and total hardness. The results were discussed in correlation with the precipitation values during the study. Monthly and annual values of each parameter determined in the period January 2005-December 2009 were used as a basis for the classification of Budeasa Reservoir water, according to the European legislation, as well as for assessing its quality as a drinking water supply. Principal component analysis and Pearson correlation coefficients were used as statistical procedures in order to evaluate the data obtained during this study.

Data from synoptic water-quality studies on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, November 1990 and June 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Howard E.; Peart, D.B.; Antweiler, Ronald C.; Brinton, T.I.; Campbell, W.L.; Barbarino, J.R.; Roth, D.A.; Hart, R.J.; Averett, R.C.

1996-01-01

Two water-quality synoptic studies were made on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Field measurements and the collection of water samples for laboratory analysis were made at 10 mainstem and 6 tributary sites every 6 hours for a 48-hour period on November 5-6, 1990, and again on June 18-20, 1991. Field measurements included discharge, alkalinity, water temperature, light penetration, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen. Water samples were collected for the laboratory analysis of major and minor ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, strontium, chloride, sulfate, silica as SiO2), trace elements (aluminum, arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lead, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, thallium, uranium, vanadium and zinc), and nutrients (phosphate, nitrate, ammonium, nitrite, total dissolved nitrogen, total dissolved phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon). Biological measurements included drift (benthic invertebrates and detrital material), and benthic invertebrates from the river bottom.

Water quality of the tidal Potomac River and estuary hydrologic data report, 1980 water year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blanchard, Stephen; Coupe, R.H.; Woodward, J.C.

1982-01-01

This report contains data on the physical and chemical properties measured in the Tidal Potomac River and Estuary during the 1980 Water Year. Data were collected routinely at five stations, and periodically at 17 stations including three stations near the mouth of the Potomac River in Chesapeake Bay. Each of the five stations represent a cross section through which the transport of selected dissolved and suspended materials can be computed. The remaining stations represent locations at which data were collected for special synoptic studies such as salt water migration, and dissolved oxygen dynamics. Routinely, samples were analyzed for silica, nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, pheophytin, and suspended sediment. Additional samples were analyzed for organic carbon, calcium, manganese, magnesium, sodium, alkalinity, sulfate, iron, potassium, chloride, fluoride, seston, algal growth potential, adenosine triphosphate, nitrifying bacteria and dissolved-solids residue. In addition, solar radiation measurements and in-situ measurements of dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, pH, temperature, and Secchi disk transparency are reported. (USGS)

Heterologous expression, biochemical characterization, and overproduction of alkaline α-amylase from Bacillus alcalophilus in Bacillus subtilis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Alkaline α-amylases have potential applications for hydrolyzing starch under high pH conditions in the starch and textile industries and as ingredients in detergents for automatic dishwashers and laundries. While the alkaline α-amylase gains increased industrial interest, the yield of alkaline α-amylases from wild-type microbes is low, and the combination of genetic engineering and process optimization is necessary to achieve the overproduction of alkaline α-amylase. Results The alkaline α-amylase gene from Bacillus alcalophilus JN21 (CCTCC NO. M 2011229) was cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis strain WB600 with vector pMA5. The recombinant alkaline α-amylase was stable at pH from 7.0 to 11.0 and temperature below 40°C. The optimum pH and temperature of alkaline α-amylase was 9.0 and 50°C, respectively. Using soluble starch as the substrate, the Km and Vmax of alkaline α-amylase were 9.64 g/L and 0.80 g/(L·min), respectively. The effects of medium compositions (starch, peptone, and soybean meal) and temperature on the recombinant production of alkaline α-amylase in B. subtilis were investigated. Under the optimal conditions (starch concentration 0.6% (w/v), peptone concentration 1.45% (w/v), soybean meal concentration 1.3% (w/v), and temperature 37°C), the highest yield of alkaline α-amylase reached 415 U/mL. The yield of alkaline α-amylase in a 3-L fermentor reached 441 U/mL, which was 79 times that of native alkaline α-amylase from B. alcalophilus JN21. Conclusions This is the first report concerning the heterologous expression of alkaline α-amylase in B. subtilis, and the obtained results make it feasible to achieve the industrial production of alkaline α-amylase with the recombinant B. subtilis. PMID:21978209

Clinical utility of a wheat-germ precipitation assay for determination of bone alkaline phosphatase concentrations in patients with different metabolic bone diseases.

PubMed

Braga, V; Dorizzi, R; Brocco, G; Rossini, M; Zamberlan, N; Gatti, D; Adami, S

1995-07-01

Bone alkaline phosphatase was evaluated by wheat-germ lectin precipitation in several clinical conditions. The study included 33 premenopausal healthy women, 46 postmenopausal apparently healthy women, 19 growing children, 24 patients with Paget's disease, 31 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and 66 patients with hepatobiliary diseases. In postmenopausal women the mean T score (i.e.: the number of SD below or above the mean for premenopausal women) was 2.6 +/- 1.3 (SD) for bone alkaline phosphatase and 1.61 +/- 1.21 for total alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.001). The T score for bone alkaline phosphatase provided a better discrimination from normals for both Paget's disease (22.1 +/- 27.8 versus 12.8 +/- 16 p < 0.001) and primary hyperparathyroidism (8.2 +/- 4.3 versus 4.6 +/- 3.7 p < 0.005 for bone alkaline phosphatase and total alkaline phosphatase respectively). After treatment with intravenous bisphosphonate the percent decrease of bone alkaline phosphatase was larger than that of total alkaline phosphatase both in patients with Paget's disease (-46% versus -72% p < 0.01) and in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (-21% versus -47% p < 0.02) and an estimate of the precision (delta mean/SD of the delta mean) for bone alkaline phosphatase was 1.9-3.7 times higher than that of total alkaline phosphatase. In twelve osteoporotic patients treated for six months with oral alendronate the decrease in bone turnover was detected with significantly higher precision with bone alkaline phosphatase than with total alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bacterial colonization of a fumigated alkaline saline soil.

PubMed

Bello-López, Juan M; Domínguez-Mendoza, Cristina A; de León-Lorenzana, Arit S; Delgado-Balbuena, Laura; Navarro-Noya, Yendi E; Gómez-Acata, Selene; Rodríguez-Valentín, Analine; Ruíz-Valdiviezo, Victor M; Luna-Guido, Marco; Verhulst, Nele; Govaerts, Bram; Dendooven, Luc

2014-07-01

After chloroform fumigating an arable soil, the relative abundance of phylotypes belonging to only two phyla (Actinobacteria and Firmicutes) and two orders [Actinomycetales and Bacillales (mostly Bacillus)] increased in a subsequent aerobic incubation, while it decreased for a wide range of bacterial groups. It remained to be seen if similar bacterial groups were affected when an extreme alkaline saline soil was fumigated. Soil with electrolytic conductivity between 139 and 157 dS m(-1), and pH 10.0 and 10.3 was fumigated and the bacterial community structure determined after 0, 1, 5 and 10 days by analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, while an unfumigated soil served as control. The relative abundance of the Firmicutes increased in the fumigated soil (52.8%) compared to the unfumigated soil (34.2%), while that of the Bacteroidetes decreased from 16.2% in the unfumigated soil to 8.8% in the fumigated soil. Fumigation increased the relative abundance of the genus Bacillus from 14.7% in the unfumigated soil to 25.7%. It was found that phylotypes belonging to the Firmicutes, mostly of the genus Bacillus, were dominant in colonizing the fumigated alkaline saline as found in the arable soil, while the relative abundance of a wide range of bacterial groups decreased.

Sorption of water alkalinity and hardness from high-strength wastewater on bifunctional activated carbon: process optimization, kinetics and equilibrium studies.

PubMed

Amosa, Mutiu K

2016-08-01

Sorption optimization and mechanism of hardness and alkalinity on bifunctional empty fruit bunch-based powdered activation carbon (PAC) were studied. The PAC possessed both high surface area and ion-exchange properties, and it was utilized in the treatment of biotreated palm oil mill effluent. Batch adsorption experiments designed with Design Expert(®) were conducted in correlating the singular and interactive effects of the three adsorption parameters: PAC dosage, agitation speed and contact time. The sorption trends of the two contaminants were sequentially assessed through a full factorial design with three factor interaction models and a central composite design with polynomial models of quadratic order. Analysis of variance revealed the significant factors on each design response with very high R(2) values indicating good agreement between model and experimental values. The optimum operating conditions of the two contaminants differed due to their different regions of operating interests, thus necessitating the utility of desirability factor to get consolidated optimum operation conditions. The equilibrium data for alkalinity and hardness sorption were better represented by the Langmuir isotherm, while the pseudo-second-order kinetic model described the adsorption rates and behavior better. It was concluded that chemisorption contributed majorly to the adsorption process.

Quality assessment and artificial neural networks modeling for characterization of chemical and physical parameters of potable water.

PubMed

Salari, Marjan; Salami Shahid, Esmaeel; Afzali, Seied Hosein; Ehteshami, Majid; Conti, Gea Oliveri; Derakhshan, Zahra; Sheibani, Solmaz Nikbakht

2018-04-22

Today, due to the increase in the population, the growth of industry and the variety of chemical compounds, the quality of drinking water has decreased. Five important river water quality properties such as: dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), alkalinity (ALK) and turbidity (TU) were estimated by parameters such as: electric conductivity (EC), temperature (T), and pH that could be measured easily with almost no costs. Simulate water quality parameters were examined with two methods of modeling include mathematical and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Mathematical methods are based on polynomial fitting with least square method and ANN modeling algorithms are feed-forward networks. All conditions/circumstances covered by neural network modeling were tested for all parameters in this study, except for Alkalinity. All optimum ANN models developed to simulate water quality parameters had precision value as R-value close to 0.99. The ANN model extended to simulate alkalinity with R-value equals to 0.82. Moreover, Surface fitting techniques were used to refine data sets. Presented models and equations are reliable/useable tools for studying water quality parameters at similar rivers, as a proper replacement for traditional water quality measuring equipment's. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quaternized poly(styrene ethylene butylene poly styrene)/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites for alkaline fuel cell applications.

PubMed

Vinodh, Rajangam; Sangeetha, Dharmalingam

2013-08-01

The present study is aimed at synthesizing a novel anion exchange composite membrane from quaternized polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polystyrene [QPSEBS] and functionalized multi walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNT) by solution casting method. The characteristic properties of the QPSEBS/f-MWCNT composite membranes were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-Visible spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and Raman spectroscopy. The water uptake, ion exchange capacity, ionic conductivity, methanol permeability and selectivity ratio of the membranes were also studied. The prepared composite membranes were tested in an in-house fabricated alkaline membrane fuel cell (AMFC) set up using Pt/C as the common anode catalyst and three different cathode catalysts namely Pt/C, Pd-Ni/C and Ag/C. Among all the three cathode catalysts, Pt/C for QPSEBS/5% f-MWCNT is found to show the maximum power density and open circuit voltage (OCV) of 187 mW cm(-2) and 0.73 V respectively. For direct methanol alkaline membrane fuel cells (DMAMFC), the OCV of QPSEBS/5% f-MWCNT is found to be 0.76 V and the maximum power density of 59.5 mW cm(-2) is achieved at a current density of 175 mA cm(-2).

Ultrasound versus liver function tests for diagnosis of common bile duct stones.

PubMed

Gurusamy, Kurinchi Selvan; Giljaca, Vanja; Takwoingi, Yemisi; Higgie, David; Poropat, Goran; Štimac, Davor; Davidson, Brian R

2015-02-26

Ultrasound and liver function tests (serum bilirubin and serum alkaline phosphatase) are used as screening tests for the diagnosis of common bile duct stones in people suspected of having common bile duct stones. There has been no systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound and liver function tests. To determine and compare the accuracy of ultrasound versus liver function tests for the diagnosis of common bile duct stones. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded, BIOSIS, and Clinicaltrials.gov to September 2012. We searched the references of included studies to identify further studies and systematic reviews identified from various databases (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Health Technology Assessment, Medion, and ARIF (Aggressive Research Intelligence Facility)). We did not restrict studies based on language or publication status, or whether data were collected prospectively or retrospectively. We included studies that provided the number of true positives, false positives, false negatives, and true negatives for ultrasound, serum bilirubin, or serum alkaline phosphatase. We only accepted studies that confirmed the presence of common bile duct stones by extraction of the stones (irrespective of whether this was done by surgical or endoscopic methods) for a positive test result, and absence of common bile duct stones by surgical or endoscopic negative exploration of the common bile duct, or symptom-free follow-up for at least six months for a negative test result as the reference standard in people suspected of having common bile duct stones. We included participants with or without prior diagnosis of cholelithiasis; with or without symptoms and complications of common bile duct stones, with or without prior treatment for common bile duct stones; and before or after cholecystectomy. At least two authors screened abstracts and selected studies for inclusion independently. Two authors independently collected data from each study. Where meta-analysis was possible, we used the bivariate model to summarise sensitivity and specificity. Five studies including 523 participants reported the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound. One studies (262 participants) compared the accuracy of ultrasound, serum bilirubin and serum alkaline phosphatase in the same participants. All the studies included people with symptoms. One study included only participants without previous cholecystectomy but this information was not available from the remaining studies. All the studies were of poor methodological quality. The sensitivities for ultrasound ranged from 0.32 to 1.00, and the specificities ranged from 0.77 to 0.97. The summary sensitivity was 0.73 (95% CI 0.44 to 0.90) and the specificity was 0.91 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.95). At the median pre-test probability of common bile duct stones of 0.408, the post-test probability (95% CI) associated with positive ultrasound tests was 0.85 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.91), and negative ultrasound tests was 0.17 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.33).The single study of liver function tests reported diagnostic accuracy at two cut-offs for bilirubin (greater than 22.23 μmol/L and greater than twice the normal limit) and two cut-offs for alkaline phosphatase (greater than 125 IU/L and greater than twice the normal limit). This study also assessed ultrasound and reported higher sensitivities for bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase at both cut-offs but the specificities of the markers were higher at only the greater than twice the normal limit cut-off. The sensitivity for ultrasound was 0.32 (95% CI 0.15 to 0.54), bilirubin (cut-off greater than 22.23 μmol/L) was 0.84 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.95), and alkaline phosphatase (cut-off greater than 125 IU/L) was 0.92 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.99). The specificity for ultrasound was 0.95 (95% CI 0.91 to 0.97), bilirubin (cut-off greater than 22.23 μmol/L) was 0.91 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.94), and alkaline phosphatase (cut-off greater than 125 IU/L) was 0.79 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.84). No study reported the diagnostic accuracy of a combination of bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase, or combinations with ultrasound. Many people may have common bile duct stones in spite of having a negative ultrasound or liver function test. Such people may have to be re-tested with other modalities if the clinical suspicion of common bile duct stones is very high because of their symptoms. False-positive results are also possible and further non-invasive testing is recommended to confirm common bile duct stones to avoid the risks of invasive testing.It should be noted that these results were based on few studies of poor methodological quality and the results for ultrasound varied considerably between studies. Therefore, the results should be interpreted with caution. Further studies of high methodological quality are necessary to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound and liver function tests.

Cytochrome c conformations resolved by the photon counting histogram: Watching the alkaline transition with single-molecule sensitivity

PubMed Central

Perroud, Thomas D.; Bokoch, Michael P.; Zare, Richard N.

2005-01-01

We apply the photon counting histogram (PCH) model, a fluorescence technique with single-molecule sensitivity, to study pH-induced conformational changes of cytochrome c. PCH is able to distinguish different protein conformations based on the brightness of a fluorophore sensitive to its local environment. We label cytochrome c through its single free cysteine with tetramethylrhodamine-5-maleimide (TMR), a fluorophore with specific brightnesses that we associate with specific protein conformations. Ensemble measurements demonstrate two different fluorescence responses with increasing pH: (i) a decrease in fluorescence intensity caused by the alkaline transition of cytochrome c (pH 7.0–9.5), and (ii) an increase in intensity when the protein unfolds (pH 9.5–10.8). The magnitudes of these two responses depend strongly on the molar ratio of TMR used to label cytochrome c. Using PCH we determine that this effect arises from the proportion of a nonfunctional conformation in the sample, which can be differentiated from the functional conformation. We further determine the causes of each ensemble fluorescence response: (i) during the alkaline transition, the fluorophore enters a dark state and discrete conformations are observed, and (ii) as cytochrome c unfolds, the fluorophore incrementally brightens, but discrete conformations are no longer resolved. Moreover, we also show that functional TMR-cytochrome c undergoes a response of identical magnitude regardless of the proportion of nonfunctional protein in the sample. As expected for a technique with single-molecule sensitivity, we demonstrate that PCH can directly observe the most relevant conformation, unlike ensemble fluorometry. PMID:16314563

Synthesis and evaluation of thiophenyl derivatives as inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Chang, Lei; Duy, Do Le; Mébarek, Saida; Popowycz, Florence; Pellet-Rostaing, Stéphane; Lemaire, Marc; Buchet, René

2011-04-15

Pathological calcifications induced by deposition of basic phosphate crystals or hydroxyapatite (HA) on soft tissues are a large family of diseases comprising of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) and vascular calcification. High activity of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) is a hallmark of pathological calcifications induced by HA deposition. The use of TNAP inhibitor is a possible therapeutic option to address calcific diseases produced by HA deposition on soft tissues. We report the synthesis of a series of thiopheno-imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole derivatives which were evaluated as potential inhibitors of TNAP displaying a large range of IC(50) at pH 10.4 (from 42±13 μM to more than 800 μM). Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Biomimetic mineral self-organization from silica-rich spring waters.

PubMed

García-Ruiz, Juan Manuel; Nakouzi, Elias; Kotopoulou, Electra; Tamborrino, Leonardo; Steinbock, Oliver

2017-03-01

Purely inorganic reactions of silica, metal carbonates, and metal hydroxides can produce self-organized complex structures that mimic the texture of biominerals, the morphology of primitive organisms, and that catalyze prebiotic reactions. To date, these fascinating structures have only been synthesized using model solutions. We report that mineral self-assembly can be also obtained from natural alkaline silica-rich water deriving from serpentinization. Specifically, we demonstrate three main types of mineral self-assembly: (i) nanocrystalline biomorphs of barium carbonate and silica, (ii) mesocrystals and crystal aggregates of calcium carbonate with complex biomimetic textures, and (iii) osmosis-driven metal silicate hydrate membranes that form compartmentalized, hollow structures. Our results suggest that silica-induced mineral self-assembly could have been a common phenomenon in alkaline environments of early Earth and Earth-like planets.

Application of different enzyme assays and biomarkers for pollution monitoring of the marine environment.

PubMed

Seitkalieva, Alexandra V; Menzorova, Natalie I; Rasskazov, Valerу A

2016-01-01

New phosphatase and DNase inhibition tests for assessing the total pollution of a natural marine ecosystem were applied. The seawater samples with different pollution degrees were collected in the Troitsa Bay of the Peter the Great Bay (the Sea of Japan). The sensitivity of the alkaline phosphatase test to integrated pollution was in accordance with the sensitivity of the standard sea urchin sperm cell toxicity test. The increased seawater pollution level was shown to result in an up to fourfold increase in specific activities of acid and alkaline phosphatases from the mussel Crenomytilus grayanus. It was demonstrated that a complex methodological approach can be used to assess marine water areas, as well as to assess the biological conditions of invertebrates adapting to different environmental and anthropogenic effects.

Preparation and characterization of carbon-supported sub-monolayer palladium decorated gold nanoparticles for the electro-oxidation of ethanol in alkaline media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, L. D.; Zhao, T. S.; Xu, J. B.; Liang, Z. X.

Carbon-supported gold nanoparticles (Au/C) are successfully decorated with mono- or sub-monolayer palladium atoms with different Pd/Au atomic ratios by a chemically epitaxial seeded growth method. TEM, UV-vis spectrometry and XRD techniques are used to characterize the particle size, dispersion, palladium coverage on gold seeds and crystal structures of the prepared catalysts. Cyclic voltammetric tests show that the Pd-decorated Au/C (denoted by Pd@Au/C) have higher specific activities than that of Pd/C for the oxidation of ethanol in alkaline media. This suggests that the Pd utilization is improved with such a surface-alloyed nanostructure. In addition, stable chronoamperometric responses are achieved with the so-prepared electrocatalysts during ethanol oxidation.

Antibiosis by Pantoea agglomerans biocontrol strain E325 against Erwinia amylovora on apple blossom stigmas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pantoea agglomerans E325, the active ingredient in a commercial product for fire blight control, was previously shown in vitro to produce a unique alkaline- and phosphate-sensitive antibiotic specific to Erwinia amylovora. Antibiosis was evaluated as a mode of antagonism on blossom stigmas using two...

Screening for Wilson disease in acute liver failure: a comparison of currently available diagnostic tests.

PubMed

Korman, Jessica D; Volenberg, Irene; Balko, Jody; Webster, Joe; Schiodt, Frank V; Squires, Robert H; Fontana, Robert J; Lee, William M; Schilsky, Michael L

2008-10-01

Acute liver failure (ALF) due to Wilson disease (WD) is invariably fatal without emergency liver transplantation. Therefore, rapid diagnosis of WD should aid prompt transplant listing. To identify the best method for diagnosis of ALF due to WD (ALF-WD), data and serum were collected from 140 ALF patients (16 with WD), 29 with other chronic liver diseases and 17 with treated chronic WD. Ceruloplasmin (Cp) was measured by both oxidase activity and nephelometry and serum copper levels by atomic absorption spectroscopy. In patients with ALF, a serum Cp <20 mg/dL by the oxidase method provided a diagnostic sensitivity of 21% and specificity of 84% while, by nephelometry, a sensitivity of 56% and specificity of 63%. Serum copper levels exceeded 200 microg/dL in all ALF-WD patients measured (13/16), but were also elevated in non-WD ALF. An alkaline phosphatase (AP) to total bilirubin (TB) ratio <4 yielded a sensitivity of 94%, specificity of 96%, and a likelihood ratio of 23 for diagnosing fulminant WD. In addition, an AST:ALT ratio >2.2 yielded a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of 86%, and a likelihood ratio of 7 for diagnosing fulminant WD. Combining the tests provided a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100%. Conventional WD testing utilizing serum ceruloplasmin and/or serum copper levels are less sensitive and specific in identifying patients with ALF-WD than other available tests. More readily available laboratory tests including alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin and serum aminotransferases by contrast provides the most rapid and accurate method for diagnosis of ALF due to WD.

Hydrodynamic cavitation as a novel pretreatment approach for bioethanol production from reed.

PubMed

Kim, Ilgook; Lee, Ilgyu; Jeon, Seok Hwan; Hwang, Taewoon; Han, Jong-In

2015-09-01

In this study, hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) was employed as a physical means to improve alkaline pretreatment of reed. The HC-assisted alkaline pretreatment was undertaken to evaluate the influence of NaOH concentration (1-5%), solid-to-liquid ratio (5-15%), and reaction time (20-60 min) on glucose yield. The optimal condition was found to be 3.0% NaOH at solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratio of 11.8% for 41.1 min, which resulted in the maximum glucose yield of 326.5 g/kg biomass. Furthermore, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) was conducted to assess the ethanol production. An ethanol concentration of 25.9 g/L and ethanol yield of 90% were achieved using batch SSF. These results clearly demonstrated HC system can be indeed a promising pretreatment tool for lignocellulosic bioethanol production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From Metal-Organic Frameworks to Single-Atom Fe Implanted N-doped Porous Carbons: Efficient Oxygen Reduction in Both Alkaline and Acidic Media.

PubMed

Jiao, Long; Wan, Gang; Zhang, Rui; Zhou, Hua; Yu, Shu-Hong; Jiang, Hai-Long

2018-05-09

It remains highly desired but a great challenge to achieve atomically dispersed metals in high loadings for efficient catalysis. Now porphyrinic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been synthesized based on a novel mixed-ligand strategy to afford high-content (1.76 wt %) single-atom (SA) iron-implanted N-doped porous carbon (Fe SA -N-C) via pyrolysis. Thanks to the single-atom Fe sites, hierarchical pores, oriented mesochannels and high conductivity, the optimized Fe SA -N-C exhibits excellent oxygen reduction activity and stability, surpassing almost all non-noble-metal catalysts and state-of-the-art Pt/C, in both alkaline and more challenging acidic media. More far-reaching, this MOF-based mixed-ligand strategy opens a novel avenue to the precise fabrication of efficient single-atom catalysts. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Control of the orbital ordering in manganite superlattices and impact on properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koçak, Ayşegül Begüm; Varignon, Julien; Lemal, Sébastien; Ghosez, Philippe; Lepetit, Marie-Bernadette

2017-09-01

The present paper theoretically studies the possibility to control the orbital ordering in manganite superlattices. Indeed, favored dz2eg -orbital occupancy is one of the proposed interpretations for the formation of a "dead" layer at the interfaces in manganite thin films and superlattices. We show here that favored dz2eg -orbital occupancy at the interfaces can be prevented by using alkaline-earth simple oxides as alternating layers in very thin superlattices. Such an alternating layer promotes the contraction of the manganite layers at the interfaces and favors a dx2-y2eg orbital occupancy. This result holds for different manganites, different alkaline-earth simple oxides, as well as different thicknesses of the two layers. While Boltzmann's transport calculations on different superlattices show unexpectedly only weak dependence of the electrical conductivity on the orbital ordering, the enhanced occupation of the dx2-y2 orbital should result in an increased Curie temperature.

Modeling an alkaline electrolysis cell through reduced-order and loss-estimate approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milewski, Jaroslaw; Guandalini, Giulio; Campanari, Stefano

2014-12-01

The paper presents two approaches to the mathematical modeling of an Alkaline Electrolyzer Cell. The presented models were compared and validated against available experimental results taken from a laboratory test and against literature data. The first modeling approach is based on the analysis of estimated losses due to the different phenomena occurring inside the electrolytic cell, and requires careful calibration of several specific parameters (e.g. those related to the electrochemical behavior of the electrodes) some of which could be hard to define. An alternative approach is based on a reduced-order equivalent circuit, resulting in only two fitting parameters (electrodes specific resistance and parasitic losses) and calculation of the internal electric resistance of the electrolyte. Both models yield satisfactory results with an average error limited below 3% vs. the considered experimental data and show the capability to describe with sufficient accuracy the different operating conditions of the electrolyzer; the reduced-order model could be preferred thanks to its simplicity for implementation within plant simulation tools dealing with complex systems, such as electrolyzers coupled with storage facilities and intermittent renewable energy sources.

Appraisal of data for ground-water quality in Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Engberg, R.A.

1984-01-01

This report summarizes existing data for groundwater quality in Nebraska and indicates their adequacy as a data base. Analyses have been made of water from nearly 10,000 wells by 8 agencies. Those analyses that meet reliability criteria have been aggregated by geologic source of water into four principal aquifer groupings--Holocene-Pleistocene aquifers, Tertiary aquifers, Mesozoic aquifers, and Paleozoic aquifers. For each aquifer grouping, data for specific conductance and 24 constituents in the water are summarized statistically. Also, diagrams are presented showing differences in statistical parameters, or in chemical composition, of water from the different aquifer groupings. Additionally, for each grouping except Paleozoic aquifers, maps show ranges in concentration of dissolved solids, calcium, alkalinity, and sulfate. In areas where data are insufficient to delimit, ranges in concentration also are shown on the maps. Point-source contamination has been identified at 41 locations and nonpoint-source contamination in 3 areas, namely, the central Platte Valley, Holt County, and Boyd County. Potential for nonpoint-source contamination exists in 10 major areas, which together comprise more than one-third of the State. Existing data are mostly from specific projects having limited areas and objectives. Consequently, a lack of data exists for other areas and for certain geologic units, particularly the Mesozoic and Paleozoic aquifers. Specific data needs for each of the four principal aquifer groupings are indicated in a matrix table.

Highly uniform and monodisperse carbon nanospheres enriched with cobalt-nitrogen active sites as a potential oxygen reduction electrocatalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Xing; Wang, Hongjuan; Yu, Hao; Peng, Feng

2017-04-01

Uniform cobalt and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanospheres (CoN-CNS) with high specific surface area (865 m2 g-1) have been prepared by a simple but efficient method. The prepared CoN-CNS catalyst exhibits outstanding catalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in both alkaline and acidic electrolytes. In alkaline electrolyte, the prepared CoN-CNS has more positive half-wave potential and larger kinetic current density than commercial Pt/C. In acidic electrolyte, CoN-CNS also shows good ORR activity with high electron transfer number, its onset and half-wave potentials are all close to those of commercial carbon supported platinum catalyst (Pt/C). CoN-CNS catalyst shows more superior stability and higher methanol-tolerance than commercial Pt/C both in alkaline and in acidic electrolytes. The potassium thiocyanate-poisoning test further confirms that the cobalt-nitrogen active sites exist in CoN-CNS, which are dominating to endow high ORR catalytic activity in acidic electrolyte. This study develops a new method to prepare non-precious metal catalyst with excellent ORR performances for direct methanol fuel cells.

Silicon Solar Cell Optimization.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

from the surface. (b) Oxide mask formation Etching grooves into the silicon requires an effective alkaline-resistant mask which will withstand the...face. This technique employs a very viscous photoresist, Furt #206, in conjunction with multiple spin-applications and bake periods, to effectively ...175 80 125 78 75 74 To compare the effects of groove depth, substrate thick- ness and bulk resistivity, an experiment was conducted. Using identical

Melting curve of compressed barium carbonate from in situ ionic conductivity measurements: Implications for the melting behavior of alkaline earth carbonates in Earth's deep carbon cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, J.; Li, J.; Zhu, F.; Li, Z.; Farawi, R.

2017-12-01

The whereabouts of subducted carbonates place a major constraint on the Earth's deep carbon cycle, but the fraction of carbon retained in the slab and transported into the deep mantle, compared to that released from the slab and recycled to the surface, is still under debate. Knowledge of the stability of carbonated mantle rocks is pivotal for assessing the ability of slabs to carry carbonates into the deep mantle. Determination and systematic comparison of the melting curves of alkali and alkaline earth carbonates at high pressure can help construct thermodynamic models to predict the melting behavior of complex carbonated mantle rocks. Among alkaline earth carbonates, the melting behavior of barium carbonate (BaCO3) has not been adequately understood. The reported melting point of BaCO3at 1 bar differ by nearly 800 °C and constraints on the melting curve of BaCO3 at high pressure are not available. In this study, the melting temperatures of BaCO3 were determined up to 11 GPa from in situ ionic conductivity measurements using the multi-anvil apparatus at the University of Michigan. The solid-liquid boundary at high pressure was detected on the basis of a steep rise in conductivity through the sample upon melting. The melting point of BaCO3 was found to drop from 1797 °C at 3.3 GPa to 1600 °C at 5.5 GPa and then rise with pressure to 2180 °C at 11 GPa. The observed melting depression point at 5.5 GPa corresponds to the phase transition of BaCO3 from the aragonite structure (Pmcn) to post-aragonite structure (Pmmn) at 6.3 GPa, 877 °C and 8.0 GPa, 727 °C, determined from synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements using laser-heated DAC experiments at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. These results are also compared with ex situ falling marker experiments, and the three methods together place tight constraints on the melting curve of BaCO3 and elucidates the effect of structural phase transitions on its melting behavior.

Field Evaluation of the Restorative Capacity of the Aquifer Downgradient of a Uranium In-Situ Recovery Mining Site

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

Reimus, Paul William

A two-part field study was conducted in Smith Ranch-Highland in-situ recovery (ISR) near Douglas, Wyoming, to evaluate the restorative capacity of the aquifer downgradient (i.e., hydrologically downstream) of a Uranium ISR mining site with respect to the transport of uranium and other potential contaminants in groundwater after mining has ceased. The study was partially conducted by checking the Uranium content and the alkalinity of separate wells, some wells had been restored and others had not. A map and in-depth procedures of the study are included.

Gasifiable carbon-graphite fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humphrey, Marshall F. (Inventor); Ramohalli, Kumar N. R. (Inventor); Dowler, Warren L. (Inventor)

1982-01-01

Fine, carbon-graphite fibers do not combust during the combustion of a composite and are expelled into the air as fine conductive particles. Coating of the fibers with a salt of a metal having a work function below 4.2 eV such as an alkaline earth metal salt, e.g., calcium acetate, catalytically enhances combustion of the fibers at temperatures below 1000.degree. C. such that the fibers self-support combustion and burn to produce a non-conductive ash. Fire-polishing the fibers before application of the coating is desirable to remove sizing to expose the carbon surface to the catalyst.

Effects of soy protein isolate and moderate exercise on bone turnover and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

PubMed Central

Evans, Ellen M.; Racette, Susan B.; Van Pelt, Rachael E.; Peterson, Linda R.; Villareal, Dennis T.

2008-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the independent and additive effects of soy protein isolate (SPI) and moderate-intensity exercise (EX) on bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD). Design This study used a placebo-controlled, double-blind (soy), randomized 2 (SPI vs milk protein isolate [MPI]) × 2 (EX vs no EX) design. Sixty-one postmenopausal women were randomized, and 43 (62 ± 5 y) completed the 9-month intervention (SPI, n = 10; MPI, n = 12; SPI + EX, n = 11; MPI + EX, n = 10). Serum C-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type I collagen and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase were measured as markers of bone resorption and formation, respectively. BMD was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results At 9 months, SPI reduced serum C-terminal cross-linked telopeptides (−13.3% ± 15.3% vs −1.5% ± 21.0%; P = 0.02) and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (−4.7% ± 14.7% vs 6.5% ± 17.7%; P = 0.02) compared to milk protein isolate. EX attenuated the reduction in serum C-terminal cross-linked telopeptides (−1.9% ± 21.6% vs −12.4% ± 15.3%; P = 0.04); however, no EX effects were apparent in serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase at 9 months (2.8% ± 16.1% vs −1.0% ± 18.3%; P = 0.28). Neither SPI nor EX affected BMD at any site; however, change in BMD was related to change in fat mass (r = 0.40, P < 0.05). Conclusions In postmenopausal women (1) SPI reduces bone turnover with no impact on BMD over 9 months; (2) moderate-intensity endurance exercise training did not favorably alter bone turnover and had no impact on BMD; and (3) there were no additive effects of soy and exercise on bone turnover or BMD. PMID:17213752

Ethylene Inhibits Root Elongation during Alkaline Stress through AUXIN1 and Associated Changes in Auxin Accumulation.

PubMed

Li, Juan; Xu, Heng-Hao; Liu, Wen-Cheng; Zhang, Xiao-Wei; Lu, Ying-Tang

2015-08-01

Soil alkalinity causes major reductions in yield and quality of crops worldwide. The plant root is the first organ sensing soil alkalinity, which results in shorter primary roots. However, the mechanism underlying alkaline stress-mediated inhibition of root elongation remains to be further elucidated. Here, we report that alkaline conditions inhibit primary root elongation of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings by reducing cell division potential in the meristem zones and that ethylene signaling affects this process. The ethylene perception antagonist silver (Ag(+)) alleviated the inhibition of root elongation by alkaline stress. Moreover, the ethylene signaling mutants ethylene response1-3 (etr1-3), ethylene insensitive2 (ein2), and ein3-1 showed less reduction in root length under alkaline conditions, indicating a reduced sensitivity to alkalinity. Ethylene biosynthesis also was found to play a role in alkaline stress-mediated root inhibition; the ethylene overproducer1-1 mutant, which overproduces ethylene because of increased stability of 1-AMINOCYCLOPROPANE-1-CARBOXYLIC ACID SYNTHASE5, was hypersensitive to alkaline stress. In addition, the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor cobalt (Co(2+)) suppressed alkaline stress-mediated inhibition of root elongation. We further found that alkaline stress caused an increase in auxin levels by promoting expression of auxin biosynthesis-related genes, but the increase in auxin levels was reduced in the roots of the etr1-3 and ein3-1 mutants and in Ag(+)/Co(2+)-treated wild-type plants. Additional genetic and physiological data showed that AUXIN1 (AUX1) was involved in alkaline stress-mediated inhibition of root elongation. Taken together, our results reveal that ethylene modulates alkaline stress-mediated inhibition of root growth by increasing auxin accumulation by stimulating the expression of AUX1 and auxin biosynthesis-related genes. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Standardization of a Patella spp. (Mollusca, Gastropoda) embryo-larval bioassay and advantages of its use in marine ecotoxicology.

PubMed

Pérez, Sara; Fernández, Nuria; Ribeiro, Pedro A

2016-05-01

The use of three limpet species, Patella vulgata Linnaeus, 1758, Patella depressa Pennant, 1777 and Patella ulyssiponensis Gmelin, 1791 as model organisms in marine ecotoxicology has been evaluated. Initial laboratory experiments were aimed to standardize a biological test with embryos and larvae of Patella spp, establishing the percentage of normal trochophore larvae as endpoint. Before conducting in vitro fertilization, oocytes must be maturated artificially by incubation in an alkaline solution; therefore, alkalinizing agent, pH and time of eggs alkalinization were evaluated. Moreover, time of sperm activation, optimum sperm and oocytes concentration during fertilization, gamete contact time, use of stirring during the fertilization, egg concentration and incubation temperature were examined. Minimum sample size per treatment was also estimated. Exposure of oocytes for 10min to FSW alkalinized with NH4OH at pH 9.0, the use of undiluted sperm pre-activated during 45min and a concentration of 200 oocytesmL(-1), a gamete-contact time of 180min and egg incubation at 18°C during 24h at a concentration of 80 eggsmL(-1) were the conditions allowing maximal embryo-larval development success. With an error of 0.05, a sampling size ≥320 allows a 95% confidence in the estimate. This Patella spp. acute bioassay fulfills a number of important a priori requirements to be used in ecotoxicological studies. Nevertheless, in vitro fertilization requires considerable handling, which may lead to failure in fecundation. Such difficulties are also addressed, in order to facilitate the routine use of this protocol by other laboratories. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on the Changes in Enzyme and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Concentrations in Blood Serum and Growth Characteristics of Velvet Antler during the Antler Growth Period in Sika Deer (Cervus nippon).

PubMed

Park, Jaehyun; Jeon, Byongtae; Kang, Sungki; Oh, Mirae; Kim, Myonghwa; Jang, Seyoung; Park, Pyojam; Kim, Sangwoo; Moon, Sangho

2015-09-01

This study was conducted to investigate changes in blood enzyme parameters and to evaluate the relationship between insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), antler growth and body weight during the antler growth of sika deer (Cervus nippon). Serum enzyme activity and IGF-1 concentrations were measured in blood samples collected from the jugular and femoral veins at regular intervals during the antler growth period. Blood samples were taken in the morning from fasted stags (n = 12) which were healthy and showed no clinical signs of disease. Alfalfa was available ad libitum and concentrates were given at 1% of body weight to all stags. The experimental diet was provided at 9 am with water available at all times. There were no significant differences in alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase during antler growth, but alkaline phosphatase concentrations increased with antler growth progression, and the highest alkaline phosphatase concentration was obtained 55 days after antler casting. Serum IGF-1 concentrations measured from blood samples taken from the jugular vein during antler growth, determined that levels of IGF-1 was associated with body weight and antler growth patterns. Serum IGF-1 concentrations were higher at the antler cutting date than other sampling dates. Antler length increased significantly during antler growth (p<0.001), and there was a similar trend to between right and left beams. Body weight increased with antler growth but was not significant. Consequently it appeared that serum alkaline phosphatase concentration was related to antler growth and both antler growth and body weight were associated positively with IGF-1 concentrations during antler growth.

Cellular chloride and bicarbonate retention alters intracellular pH regulation in Cftr KO crypt epithelium

PubMed Central

Walker, Nancy M.; Liu, Jinghua; Stein, Sydney R.; Stefanski, Casey D.; Strubberg, Ashlee M.

2015-01-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an anion channel providing a major pathway for Cl− and HCO3− efflux across the apical membrane of the epithelium. In the intestine, CF manifests as obstructive syndromes, dysbiosis, inflammation, and an increased risk for gastrointestinal cancer. Cftr knockout (KO) mice recapitulate CF intestinal disease, including intestinal hyperproliferation. Previous studies using Cftr KO intestinal organoids (enteroids) indicate that crypt epithelium maintains an alkaline intracellular pH (pHi). We hypothesized that Cftr has a cell-autonomous role in downregulating pHi that is incompletely compensated by acid-base regulation in its absence. Here, 2′,7′-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein microfluorimetry of enteroids showed that Cftr KO crypt epithelium sustains an alkaline pHi and resistance to cell acidification relative to wild-type. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that Cftr KO enteroids exhibit downregulated transcription of base (HCO3−)-loading proteins and upregulation of the basolateral membrane HCO3−-unloader anion exchanger 2 (Ae2). Although Cftr KO crypt epithelium had increased Ae2 expression and Ae2-mediated Cl−/HCO3− exchange with maximized gradients, it also had increased intracellular Cl− concentration relative to wild-type. Pharmacological reduction of intracellular Cl− concentration in Cftr KO crypt epithelium normalized pHi, which was largely Ae2-dependent. We conclude that Cftr KO crypt epithelium maintains an alkaline pHi as a consequence of losing both Cl− and HCO3− efflux, which impairs pHi regulation by Ae2. Retention of Cl− and an alkaline pHi in crypt epithelium may alter several cellular processes in the proliferative compartment of Cftr KO intestine. PMID:26542396

First-principles study of codoping in lanthanum bromide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erhart, Paul; Sadigh, Babak; Schleife, André; Åberg, Daniel

2015-04-01

Codoping of Ce-doped LaBr3 with Ba, Ca, or Sr improves the energy resolution that can be achieved by radiation detectors based on these materials. Here, we present a mechanism that rationalizes this enhancement on the basis of first-principles electronic structure calculations and point defect thermodynamics. It is shown that incorporation of Sr creates neutral VBr-SrLa complexes that can temporarily trap electrons. As a result, Auger quenching of free carriers is reduced, allowing for a more linear, albeit slower, scintillation light yield response. Experimental Stokes shifts can be related to different CeLa-SrLa-VBr triple complex configurations. Codoping with other alkaline as well as alkaline-earth metals is considered as well. Alkaline elements are found to have extremely small solubilities on the order of 0.1 ppm and below at 1000 K. Among the alkaline-earth metals the lighter dopant atoms prefer interstitial-like positions and create strong scattering centers, which has a detrimental impact on carrier mobilities. Only the heavier alkaline-earth elements (Ca, Sr, Ba) combine matching ionic radii with sufficiently high solubilities. This provides a rationale for the experimental finding that improved scintillator performance is exclusively achieved using Sr, Ca, or Ba. The present mechanism demonstrates that codoping of wide-gap materials can provide an efficient means for managing charge carrier populations under out-of-equilibrium conditions. In the present case dopants are introduced that manipulate not only the concentrations but also the electronic properties of intrinsic defects without introducing additional gap levels. This leads to the availability of shallow electron traps that can temporarily localize charge carriers, effectively deactivating carrier-carrier recombination channels. The principles of this mechanism are therefore not specific to the material considered here but can be adapted for controlling charge carrier populations and recombination in other wide-gap materials.

Introducing TEX86 as a Water pH Proxy for Alkaline Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, M.; Tian, Q.; Li, X.; Liang, J.; Yue, H.; Hou, J.

2017-12-01

Lake water pH represents one of the most important indicators for lake evolution and factors influencing the evolution of aquatic ecosystem, however, which is less studied on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Applicability of diatom assemblages, an effective proxy of lake water pH variation in freshwater lakes, is highly limited on the TP because the widespread distribution of alkaline lakes is unfavorable for preservation of diatom shells. Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are a series of specific membrane lipids biosynthesized by archaea and bacteria, which appear to be a promising method to reflect lake water pH variation. Here we present the distribution of iGDGTs compounds in surface sediments across the TP to discuss the effect of various environmental factors on iGDGTs distribution. The results show that TEX86 is a promising proxy for lake water pH in high-elevation alkaline lakes, as water pH appears to be the most important factor to affect the cyclization of iGDGTs. We proposed the water pH calibration for lakes (salinity<20g/L) on TP, pH=1.8176×TEX86+8.2376 (n=31, r=0.86, RMSE=0.24). To evaluate its performance, we applied the calibration at Bangong Co in western TP and reconstructed past changes in lake water pH. The TEX86-derived pH at Bangong Co varied from 8.69 to 9.49 since the last 16 kyr BP, which is generally consistent with precipitation isotope variation that was reconstructed from leaf wax D/H ratios in the same sediment core, suggesting the lake water pH was mainly controlled by local hydrology. We believe that TEX86 will be able to infer past water pH of alkaline lakes over TP and could be a potentially useful tool for reconstructing pH in alkaline lakes worldwide after regional calibrated.

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among women of child-bearing age in Lahore Pakistan, associating with lack of sun exposure and illiteracy.

PubMed

Junaid, Kashaf; Rehman, Abdul; Jolliffe, David A; Wood, Kristie; Martineau, Adrian R

2015-10-12

Vitamin D status is a key determinant of maternal and neonatal health. Deficiency has been reported to be common in Pakistani women, but information regarding environmental and genetic determinants of vitamin D status is lacking in this population. We conducted a cross-sectional study among three groups of healthy women living in Lahore, Pakistan: university students, students or employees of Medrasas or Islamic Institutes, and employees working in office, hospital or domestic settings. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify environmental and genetic determinants of vitamin D status: polymorphisms in genes encoding the vitamin D receptor, vitamin D 25-hydroxylase enzyme CYP2R1 and vitamin D binding protein [DBP] were investigated. We also conducted analyses to identify determinants of body ache and bone pain in this population, and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of testing for hypocalcaemia and raised serum alkaline phosphatase to screen for vitamin D deficiency. Of 215 participants, 156 (73 %) were vitamin D deficient (serum 25[OH]D <50 nmol/L). Risk of vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with illiteracy (adjusted OR 4.0, 95 % CI 1.03-15.52, P = 0.04), <30 min sun exposure per day (adjusted OR 2.13, 95 % CI 1.08-4.19, P = 0.02), sampling in January to March (adjusted OR 2.38, 95 % CI 1.20-4.70), P = 0.01) and lack of regular intake of multivitamins (adjusted OR 2.61, 95 % CI 1.32-5.16, p = 0.005). Participants with the GG genotype of the rs4588 polymorphism in the gene encoding vitamin D binding protein tended to have lower 25(OH)D concentrations than those with GT/TT genotypes (95 % CI for difference 22.7 to -0.13 nmol/L, P = 0.053). Vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with increased risk of body ache or bone pain (adjusted OR 4.43, 95 % CI 2.07 to 9.49, P = 0.001). Hypocalcaemia (serum calcium concentration ≤9.5 mg/dL) and raised alkaline phosphatase concentration (≥280 IU/L) had low sensitivity and very low specificity for identification of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is common among healthy women of child-bearing age in Lahore, Pakistan: illiteracy, decreased sun exposure and lack of multivitamin intake are risk factors.

Electrochemical probing of high-level radioactive waste tanks containing washed sludge and precipitates

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

Bickford, D.F.; Congdon, J.W.; Oblath, S.B.

1986-12-01

At the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant, corrosion of carbon steel storage tanks containing alkaline, high-level radioactive waste is controlled by specification of limits on waste composition and temperature. Processes for the preparation of waste for final disposal will result in waste with low corrosion inhibitor concentrations and, in some cases, high aromatic organic concentrations, neither of which are characteristic of previous operations. Laboratory tests, conducted to determine minimum corrosion inhibitor levels indicated pitting of carbon steel near the waterline for proposed storage conditions. In situ electrochemical measurements of full-scale radioactive process demonstrations have been conducted to assessmore » the validity of laboratory tests. Probes included pH, Eh (potential relative to a standard hydrogen electrode), tank potential, and alloy coupons. In situ results are compared to those of the laboratory tests, with particular regard given to simulated solution composition. Transition metal hydroxide sludge contains strong passivating species for carbon steel. Washed precipitate contains organic species that lower solution pH and tend to reduce passivating films, requiring higher inhibitor concentrations than the 0.01 molar nitrite required for reactor fuel reprocessing wastes. Periodic agitation, to keep the organic phase suspended, or cathodic protection are possible alternatives to higher nitrite inhibitor concentrations.« less

Effect of highways and local activities on the quality of underground water in Ogun State, Nigeria: a case study of three districts in Ogun State, Nigeria.

PubMed

Odukoya, Olusegun O; Onianwa, Percy C; Sanusi, Olanrewaju I

2010-09-01

The effect of highways and local activities on the quality of groundwater in Ogun State, Nigeria was investigated. This was done by collecting groundwater samples from three different districts in the state, located in Southwestern Nigeria. The water samples collected at 5 m from the highway and control samples collected at 3 km from the highway were analyzed for the following physicochemical parameters: pH, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, alkalinity, total hardness, total solid, suspended solid, dissolved solid, chloride, sulfate, phosphate, nitrate, phenol, and the metals-lead, zinc, iron, aluminum, sodium, and potassium. The levels of chromium, copper, and cadmium in the samples were below the detectable limit. The levels of the parameters show that there are significant differences between those in the samples and the controls (F test) except for phosphate and phenol. Also, anthropogenic sources (local activities) elevate the levels of different specific parameters, which are related to these activities. Good correlation was observed between traffic density and lead levels as well as between conductivity and dissolved solids. Comparisons with the World Health Organization guidelines indicate that most of the water samples are not suitable for human consumption.

DNA single strand breakage, DNA adducts, and sister chromatid exchange in lymphocytes and phenanthrene and pyrene metabolites in urine of coke oven workers.

PubMed Central

Popp, W; Vahrenholz, C; Schell, C; Grimmer, G; Dettbarn, G; Kraus, R; Brauksiepe, A; Schmeling, B; Gutzeit, T; von Bülow, J; Norpoth, K

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the specificity of biological monitoring variables (excretion of phenanthrene and pyrene metabolites in urine) and the usefulness of some biomarkers of effect (alkaline filter elution, 32P postlabelling assay, measurement of sister chromatid exchange) in workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). METHODS: 29 coke oven workers and a standardised control group were investigated for frequencies of DNA single strand breakage, DNA protein cross links (alkaline filter elution assay), sister chromatid exchange, and DNA adducts (32P postlabelling assay) in lymphocytes. Phenanthrene and pyrene metabolites were measured in 24 hour urine samples. 19 different PAHs (including benzo(a)pyrene, pyrene, and phenanthrene) were measured at the workplace by personal air monitoring. The GSTT1 activity in erythrocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations in blood was also measured. RESULTS: Concentrations of phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene in air correlated well with the concentration of total PAHs in air; they could be used for comparisons of different workplaces if the emission compositions were known. The measurement of phenanthrene metabolites in urine proved to be a better biological monitoring variable than the measurement of 1-hydroxypyrene. Significantly more DNA strand breaks in lymphocytes of coke oven workers were found (alkaline filter elution assay); the DNA adduct rate was not significantly increased in workers, but correlated with exposure to PAHs in a semiquantitative manner. The number of sister chromatid exchanges was lower in coke oven workers but this was not significant; thus counting sister chromatid exchanges was not a good variable for biomonitoring of coke oven workers. Also, indications for immunotoxic influences (changes in lymphocyte subpopulations) were found. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of phenanthrene metabolites in urine seems to be a better biological monitoring variable for exposure to PAHs than measurement of hydroxypyrene. The alkaline filter elution assay proved to be the most sensitive biomarker for genotoxic damage, whereas the postlabelling assay was the only one with some specificity for DNA alterations caused by known compounds. PMID:9155778

Serial serum alkaline phosphatase as an early biomarker for osteopenia of prematurity.

PubMed

Abdallah, Enas A A; Said, Reem N; Mosallam, Dalia S; Moawad, Eman M I; Kamal, Naglaa M; Fathallah, Mohammed G E-D

2016-09-01

Metabolic bone disease of prematurity is a condition characterized by reduction in bone mineral content (osteopenia). It is a problem faced by very low birth weight (VLBW) infants because of lack of fetal mineralization during the last trimester. Our aim was to assess serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level as an early biomarker for osteopenia in premature infants and to estimate an optimal cutoff value of serum ALP at which osteopenia is detected radiologically in premature newborns.This prospective study was conducted on a cohort of 120 newborn infants of both sex of ≤34 weeks' gestational age and <1500 g birth weight. Two blood samples, from each infant on at least 2 consecutive weeks, were reported for calcium, phosphorus, and ALP. Evidence of osteopenia was evaluated radiologically by performing wrist/knee x-ray.Sixteen infants (13.3%) had evidence of osteopenia in x-ray, whereas 104 infants (86.7%) were nonosteopenic and all the osteopenic infants were <1000-g birth weight. Birth weight and gestational age were significantly inversely related to serum ALP levels. Both samples showed statistically significantly higher mean ALP level in osteopenic than nonosteopenics (P < 0.001, and P < 0.001 respectively). There was no constant value of serum ALP related to radiologic evidence of osteopenia. However, the optimal cutoff value of serum ALP at which osteopenia is detected is 500 IU/L with 100% sensitivity and 80.77% specificity.High levels of ALP can be considered a reliable biomarker to predict the status of bone mineralization and the need for radiological evaluation in premature infants particularly those <1000-g birth weight and <32 weeks' gestation.

Four Novel Mutations in the ALPL Gene in Chinese patients with Odonto, Childhood and Adult Hypophosphatasia.

PubMed

Xu, Lijun; Pang, Qianqian; Jiang, Yan; Wang, Ou; Li, Mei; Xing, Xiaoping; Xia, Weibo

2018-05-03

Background and purpose: Hypophosphatasiais (HPP) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by defective bone and/or dental mineralization, and decreased serum alkaline phosphatase activity. ALPL , the only gene related with HPP, encodes tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). Few studies were carried out in ALPL gene mutations in the Chinese population with HPP. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the clinical and genetic characteristics of HPP in 5 unrelated Chinese families and 2 sporadic patients. Methods : 10 clinically diagnosed HPP patients from 5 unrelated Chinese families and 2 sporadic patients and 50 healthy controls were genetic investigated. All 12 exons and exon-intron boundaries of the ALPL gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and directly sequenced. The laboratory and radiological investigations were conducted simultaneously in these 10 HPP patients. A three-dimensional model of the TNSALP was used to predict the dominant negative effect of identified missense mutations. Results : 3 odonto, 3 childhood and 4 adult types of HPP were clinically diagnosed. 10 mutations were identified in 5 unrelated Chinese families and 2 sporadic patients, including 8 missense mutations and 2 frameshift mutations. Of which, 4 were novel: 1 frameshift mutation (p.R138Pfsx45); 3 missense mutations (p.C201R, p.V459A, p.C497S). No identical mutations and any other new ALPL mutations were found in unrelated 50 healthy controls. Conclusions : Our study demonstrated that the ALPL  gene mutations are responsible for HPP in these Chinese families. These findings will be useful for clinicians to improve understanding of this heritable bone disorder. ©2018 The Author(s).

Evaluation of Milk Trace Elements, Lactate Dehydrogenase, Alkaline Phosphatase and Aspartate Aminotransferase Activity of Subclinical Mastitis as and Indicator of Subclinical Mastitis in Riverine Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

PubMed

Guha, Anirban; Gera, Sandeep; Sharma, Anshu

2012-03-01

Mastitis is a highly morbid disease that requires detection at the subclinical stage. Tropical countries like India mainly depend on milch buffaloes for milk. The present study was conducted to investigate whether the trace minerals viz. copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co) and manganese (Mn) and enzyme activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in riverine buffalo milk can be used as an indicator of subclinical mastitis (SCM) with the aim of developing suitable diagnostic kit for SCM. Trace elements and enzyme activity in milk were estimated with Atomic absorption Spectrophotometer, GBC 932 plus and biochemical methods, respectively. Somatic cell count (SCC) was done microscopically. The cultural examination revealed Gram positive bacteria as the most prevalent etiological agent. A statistically significant (p<0.01) increase in SCC, Fe, Zn, Co and LDH occurred in SCM milk containing gram positive bacterial agents only. ALP was found to be elevated in milk infected by both gram positive and negative bacteria. The percent sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, predictive values and likelihood ratios were calculated taking bacterial culture examination and SCC≥2×10(5) cells/ml of milk as the benchmark. Only ALP and Zn, the former being superior, were found to be suitable for diagnosis of SCM irrespective of etiological agents. LDH, Co and Fe can be introduced in the screening programs where Gram positive bacteria are omnipresent. It is recommended that both ALP and Zn be measured together in milk to diagnose buffalo SCM, irrespective of etiology.

Synthesis, crystal structure and investigation of mononuclear copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of a new carboxylate rich tripodal ligand and their interaction with carbohydrates in alkaline aqueous solution

PubMed Central

Stewart, Christopher D.; Pedraza, Mayra; Arman, Hadi; Fan, Hua-Jun; Schilling, Eduardo Luiz; Szpoganicz, Bruno; Musie, Ghezai T.

2016-01-01

A new carboxylate rich asymmetric tripodal ligand, N-[2-carboxybenzomethyl]-N-[carboxymethyl]-β-alanine (H3camb), and its di-copper(II), (NH4)2[1]2, and di-zinc(II), ((CH3)4 N)2[2]2, complexes have been synthesized as carbohydrate binding models in aqueous solutions. The ligand and complexes have been fully characterized using several techniques, including single crystal X-ray diffraction. The interactions of (NH4)2[1]2 and ((CH3)4 N)2[2]2 with D-glucose, D-mannose, D-xylose and xylitol in aqueous alkaline media were investigated using UV–Vis and 13C-NMR spectroscopic techniques, respectively. The molar conductance, NMR and ESI–MS studies indicate that the complexes dissociate in solution to produce the respective complex anions, 1− and 2−. Complexes 1− and 2− showed chelating ability towards the naturally abundant and biologically relevant sugars, D-glucose, D-mannose, D-xylose, and xylitol. The complex ions bind to one molar equivalent of the sugars, even in the presence of stoichiometric excess of the substrates, in solution. Experimentally obtained spectroscopic data and computational results suggest that the substrates bind to the metal center in a bidentate fashion. Apparent binding constant values, pKapp, between the complexes and the substrates were determined and a specific mode of substrate binding is proposed. The pKapp and relativistic density functional theory (DFT) calculated Gibbs free energy values indicate that D-mannose displayed the strongest interaction with the complexes. Syntheses, characterizations, detailed substrate binding studies using spectroscopic techniques, single crystal X-ray diffraction and geometry optimizations of the complex-substrates with DFT calculations are also reported. PMID:25969174

Antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of Arctium lappa root’s hydro-alcoholic extract on nicotinamide-streptozotocin induced type 2 model of diabetes in male mice

PubMed Central

Ahangarpour, Akram; Heidari, Hamid; Oroojan, Ali Akbar; Mirzavandi, Farhang; Nasr Esfehani, Khalil; Dehghan Mohammadi, Zeinab

2017-01-01

Objective: Arctium lappa (burdock), (A. lappa) root has hypoglycemic and antioxidative effects, and has been used for treatment of diabetes in tradition medicine. This study was conducted to evaluate the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic properties of A. lappa root extract on nicotinamide-streptozotocin (NA-STZ)-induced type2 diabetes in mice. Materials and Methods: In this investigation, 70 adult male NMRI mice (30-35g) randomly divided into 7 groups (n=10) as follow: 1-control, 2-type 2 diabetic mice, 3-diabetic mice that received glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg) as an anti-diabetic drug, 4, 5, 6 and 7- diabetic and normal animals that were pre-treated with 200 and 300 mg/kg A. lappa root extract, respectively, for 28 days. Diabetes has been induced by intraperitoneal injection of NA and STZ. Finally, the blood sample was taken and insulin, glucose, SGOT, SGPT, alkaline phosphatase, leptin and lipid levels was evaluated. Results: Induction of diabetes decreased the level of insulin, leptin and high density lipoprotein (HDL) and increased the level of other lipids, glucose, and hepatic enzymes significantly (p<0.05). Administration of both doses of the extract significantly decreased the level of triglyceride, very low density lipoprotein, glucose and alkaline phosphatase in diabetic mice (p<0.05). Insulin levels increased in animals treated with 200 mg/kg (p<0.05) and HDL and leptin levels increased in animals treated with 300 mg/kg of the extract (p<0.01). Conclusion: The results showed that A. lappa root extract, at specific doses, has an anti-diabetic effect through its hypolipidemic and insulinotropic properties. Hence, this plant extract may be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. PMID:28348972

Antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects of Arctium lappa root's hydro-alcoholic extract on nicotinamide-streptozotocin induced type 2 model of diabetes in male mice.

PubMed

Ahangarpour, Akram; Heidari, Hamid; Oroojan, Ali Akbar; Mirzavandi, Farhang; Nasr Esfehani, Khalil; Dehghan Mohammadi, Zeinab

2017-01-01

Arctium lappa (burdock), (A. lappa) root has hypoglycemic and antioxidative effects, and has been used for treatment of diabetes in tradition medicine. This study was conducted to evaluate the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic properties of A. lappa root extract on nicotinamide-streptozotocin (NA-STZ)-induced type2 diabetes in mice. In this investigation, 70 adult male NMRI mice (30-35g) randomly divided into 7 groups (n=10) as follow: 1-control, 2-type 2 diabetic mice, 3-diabetic mice that received glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg) as an anti-diabetic drug, 4, 5, 6 and 7- diabetic and normal animals that were pre-treated with 200 and 300 mg/kg A. lappa root extract, respectively, for 28 days. Diabetes has been induced by intraperitoneal injection of NA and STZ. Finally, the blood sample was taken and insulin, glucose, SGOT, SGPT, alkaline phosphatase, leptin and lipid levels was evaluated. Induction of diabetes decreased the level of insulin, leptin and high density lipoprotein (HDL) and increased the level of other lipids, glucose, and hepatic enzymes significantly (p<0.05). Administration of both doses of the extract significantly decreased the level of triglyceride, very low density lipoprotein, glucose and alkaline phosphatase in diabetic mice (p<0.05). Insulin levels increased in animals treated with 200 mg/kg (p<0.05) and HDL and leptin levels increased in animals treated with 300 mg/kg of the extract (p<0.01). The results showed that A. lappa root extract, at specific doses, has an anti-diabetic effect through its hypolipidemic and insulinotropic properties. Hence, this plant extract may be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.

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

Du, Mao -Hua; Singh, David J.; Zhang, Lijun

Oxides with good p-type conductivity have been long sought after to achieve high performance all-oxide optoelectronic devices. Divalent Sn(II) based oxides are promising candidates because of their rather dispersive upper valence bands caused by the Sn-5s/O-2p anti-bonding hybridization. There are so far few known Sn(II) oxides being p-type conductive suitable for device applications. Here, we present via first-principles global optimization structure searches a material design study for a hitherto unexplored Sn(II)-based system, ternary alkaline-earth metal Sn(II) oxides in the stoichiometry of MSn 2O 3 (M = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba). We identify two stable compounds of SrSn 2O 3 andmore » BaSn 2O 3, which can be stabilized by Sn-rich conditions in phase stability diagrams. Their structures follow the Zintl behaviour and consist of basic structural motifs of SnO 3 tetrahedra. Unexpectedly they show distinct electronic properties with band gaps ranging from 1.90 (BaSn 2O 3) to 3.15 (SrSn 2O 3) eV, and hole effective masses ranging from 0.87 (BaSn 2O 3) to above 6.0 (SrSn 2O 3) m0. Further exploration of metastable phases indicates a wide tunability of electronic properties controlled by the details of the bonding between the basic structural motifs. Lastly, this suggests further exploration of alkaline-earth metal Sn(II) oxides for potential applications requiring good p-type conductivity such as transparent conductors and photovoltaic absorbers.« less

Imidazolium-based anion exchange membranes for alkaline anion fuel cells: elucidation of the morphology and the interplay between the morphology and properties.

PubMed

Zhao, Yue; Yoshimura, Kimio; Shishitani, Hideyuki; Yamaguchi, Susumu; Tanaka, Hirohisa; Koizumi, Satoshi; Szekely, Noemi; Radulescu, Aurel; Richter, Dieter; Maekawa, Yasunari

2016-02-07

We investigated the morphology and swelling behavior of a new graft-type of anion exchange membrane (AEM) containing 2-methylimidazolium groups by using a contrast variation small angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique. These AEMs were prepared by radiation-induced grafting of 2-methyl-1-vinylimidazole and styrene into poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films and subsequent N-alkylation with methyliodide, and possessed both high alkaline durability and high conductivity. Our results showed that the crystalline lamellar and crystallite structures originating from the pristine ETFE films were more or less conserved in these AEMs, but the lamellar d-spacing in both dry and wet membranes was enlarged, indicating an expansion of the amorphous lamellae due to the graft chains introduced in the grafting process and the water incorporated in the swelling process. For the first time, the swelling behavior of the AEMs was studied quantitatively in various water mixtures of water and deuterated water with different volume ratios (contrast variation method), and the morphology of these membranes was elucidated by three phases: phase (1) crystalline ETFE domains, which offer good mechanical properties; phase (2) hydrophobic amorphous domains, which are made up of amorphous ETFE chains and offer a matrix to create conducting regions; phase (3) interconnected hydrated domains, which are composed of the entire graft chains and water and play a key role in promoting the conductivity.

Toxicity of cadmium to goldfish, Carassius auratus, in hard, and soft water

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

McCarty, L.S.; Henry, J.A.C.; Houston, A.H.

1978-01-01

Variations in cadmium form and concentration and in selected water quality parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, total hardness, total alkalinity, conductivity) were monitored during static bioassays conducted with relatively soft (approximately 20 mg/L as CaCO/sub 3/) and hard (approximately 140 mg/L as CaCO/sub 3/) waters. Cadmium concentrations were reasonably stable in soft water, and with the exception of total hardness, water quality was not greatly altered during assay. Cumulative mortality curves were of a simple sigmoidal type and readily analyzed by conventional procedures. LC50 values of 2.76, 2.13, and 1.78 mg Cd/L were estimated on the basis of 48-, 96-, andmore » 240-h periods of observation. During hard-water trials there were transient increases in the amount of particulate cadmium present and sharp decreases in total cadmium levels. Several parameters (pH, total alkalinity, conductivity) exhibited transient and/or sustained variations of a cadmium concentration-dependent type. Mortality curves were typically biphasic. The extent of first-phase mortality was significantly correlated with the magnitude of the initial pH decline and the amount of cadmium present in centrifugable form. Conventional procedures did not result in rectification of 240-h cumulative mortality curves, and the 240-h LC50 value (40.2 mg Cd/L) is considered to be inherently less precise than those obtained on the basis of 48- and 96-h periods of observation (46.9, 46.8 mg Cd/L).« less

Idaho's surface-water-quality monitoring program: results from five sites sampled during water years 1990-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1994-01-01

In 1990, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Environmental Quality, implemented a statewide water-quality monitoring program in response to Idaho's antidegradation policy as required by the Clean Water Act. The program objective is to provide water-quality managers with a coordinated statewide network to detect trends in surface-water quality. The monitoring program includes the collection and analysis of samples from 56 sites on the Bear, Clearwater, Kootenai, Pend Oreille, Salmon, Snake, and Spokane Rivers and their tributaries (fig. 1). Samples are collected every year at 5 sites (annual sites) in drainage basins where long-term water-quality management is practiced, every other year at 19 sites (biennial sites) in basins where land and water uses change slowly, and every third year at 32 sites (triennial sites) where future development may affect water quality. Each year, 25 of the 56 sites are sampled. This report discusses results of sampling at five annual sites. During water years 1990-93 (October 1, 1989, through September 30, 1993), samples were collected six times per year at the five annual sites (fig. 1). Onsite analyses were made for discharge, specific conductance, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, bacteria (fecal coliform and fecal streptococci), and alkalinity. Laboratory analyses were made for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, and suspended sediment. Suspended sediment, nitrate, fecal coliform, trace elements, and specific conductance were used to characterize surface-water quality. Because concentrations of all trace elements except zinc were near detection limits, only zinc is discussed.

Concentrations of chlorinated organic compounds in biota and bed sediment in streams of the lower San Joaquin River drainage, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.

1998-01-01

Samples of resident biota and bed sediments were collected in 1992 from 18 sites on or near the floor of the San Joaquin Valley, California, for analysis of 33 organochlorine compounds. The sites were divided into five groups on the basis of physiographic region and land use. Ten compounds were detected in tissue, and 16 compounds were detected in bed sediment. The most frequently detected compound in both media was p,p'-DDE. Concentrations of total DDT (sum of o,p'- and p,p'-forms of DDD, DDE, and DDT) were statistically different among groups of sites for tissue and sediment (Kruskal-Wallis, P < 0.05). Concentrations in both media were highest in streams draining the west side of the valley. Concentrations of total DDT in tissue were significantly correlated with specific conductance, pH, and total alkalinity (P < 0.05), which are indicators of the proportion of irrigation-return flows in stream discharge. Concentrations in sediment on a dry-weight basis were not correlated with these water-quality parameters, but total-organic- carbon (TOC) normalized concentrations were significantly correlated with specific conductance and pH (P < 0.05). Regressions of the concentration of total DDT in tissue as a function of total DDT in bed sediment were significant and explained as much as 76 percent of the variance in the data. The concentration of total DDT in sediment may be related to mechanisms of soil transport to surface water with bioavailability of compounds related to the concentration of TOC in sediment.

Water chemistry near the closed Norman Landfill, Cleveland County, Oklahoma 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schlottmann, Jamie L.

2001-01-01

The Norman Landfill was selected for study as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program in 1994. The landfill is located south of the City of Norman on alluvial deposits of the Canadian River. Type of waste deposited in the landfill from 1922 to 1973 was largely unrestricted and may include substances now recognized as hazardous. Dissolved and suspended substances leached from wastes in the closed and capped landfill are now in ground water extending toward the Canadian River as a plume of leachate. Water samples were collected from two stock wells, one domestic well, temporary drive-point wells, the Canadian River, and a small intermittent stream hydraulically downgradient of the capped landfill known as the slough. Most constituent concentrations were greater in ground water downgradient from the capped landfill than in background ground water and were greater in the slough than in the Canadian River. Concentrations of most constituents in the Canadian River, other than sulfate, manganese, and iron, were similar to concentrations in background ground water. Some constituents measured in ground-water for this investigation are potential indicators of leachate contamination. Potential indicators that could be used to differentiate leachate contaminated water from uncontaminated ground water of the alluvial aquifer include specific conductance, chloride, alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon, boron, and dD. Specific conductance and chloride were greater in water from wells downgradient of the landfill than water from background wells. Dissolved organic carbon and boron also were greater in the leachate contaminated ground water than in background ground water.