Microcalorimetric measurements of the metabolic activity by bacteria and fungi in some Brazilian soils amended with different organic matter

The effect of bacterial and fungal activities on organic matter degradation in Brazilian soils was studied by a microcalorimetric method. Bacteria and fungi isolated from tropical soils and added to: Rhodic eutrudox (R), Typic eutrudox (V) and Quartzipsamment (Q) soils amended separately with moisture (control) (A) and 25% of cattle manure (E), municipal refuse compost (L), earthworm casts (H) or 23 μg of trifluralin (T) were investigated. The number of colony forming units in soil suspension was quantified by microscopy and inoculated in respective soil. All processes were measured at intervals of 7 days over a period of 35 days. The exothermic thermal effect (μJ) per cm³ of bacteria or fungi per gram of dry soil, respectively, for each substrate was: [(9±1), (4±1)] RA; [(478±24), (105±5)] RE; [(121±6), (71±4)] RL; [(121±6), (71±4)] RH; [(8±1); (3±1)] RT; [(10±1), (9±1] VA; [(347±17), (261±13)] VE; [(71±4), (28±1)] VL; [(22±1), (33±2)] VH; [(7±1), (10±1)] VT; [(19±1), (12±1)] QA; [(1301±65), (46±2)] QE; [(89±4), (9±1)] QL; [(130±7), (11±1)] QH; [(32±2), (8±1)] QT. The calorimetric values are higher for bacteria than for fungi. In general, the results showed higher activities in the soil amended with cattle manure than with other additives.     

Characterization of sulfate-reducing bacteria in yeast industry waste by microcalorimetry and PCR amplification

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were isolated from anaerobic sludge of yeast factory wastewater treatment plant by cultivation on Postgate C medium. Microcalorimetry was used to monitor the anaerobic digestion processes and to measure the growth rates of sulfate-reducing bacteria. The maximum growth rates determined by microcalorimetry and ATP analysis were different—μ_max(dQ/dt) = 0.165 ± 0.008 h⁻¹ and μ_max(N_ATP) = 0.207 ± 0.013 h⁻¹. Experiments on the cultivation of SRB from yeast industry wastewater treatment plant in batch culture showed that during the first 20 h the concentration of sulfate decreased from 78.3 mM down to 62.2 mM while the increase of sulfide production was negligible. Perceptible amount of sulfide (7.82 mM) appeared on the 33.5 h of fermentation together with a peak on the power–time curve and considerable increase in the cell count (1.26 × 10⁹). First steps of sulfate metabolism (activation of sulfate by ATP sulfurylase, production of H₂) are accompanied by endothermic heat effects, therefore the values of thermal power remain moderate until the evolution of sulfide starts. The influence of green microalgae Chlorococcum sp. (preparation Biotreat 100) on the growth characteristics of microorganisms was also studied. Identification of one SRB strain was started by sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene. Two sets of primers were used for PCR amplification, both specific for domain Bacteria but giving different gene fragments. PCR-products were purified with JETQUICK kit according to the manufacturer instructions.     

Characterization of iron surface modified by 2-mercaptobenzothiazole self-assembled monolayers

A self-assembled monolayer of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) adsorbed on the iron surface was prepared. The films were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared reflection spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Besides, the microcalorimetry method was utilized to study the self-assembled process on iron surface and the adsorption mechanism was discussed from the power-time curve. The results indicated that MBT was able to form a film spontaneously on iron surface and the presence of it could protect iron from corrosion effectively. However, the assembling time and the concentration influence the protection efficiency. Quantum chemical calculations, according to which adsorption mechanism was discussed, could explain the experimental results to some extent.     

大肠杆菌有限生长的微量热及非线性动力学研究

The finite growth of Escherichia coli was studied by using a LKB 2277 BioActivity Mollitor. We found that the finite growth is a nonliear dynamic process. The nonlinear dynamic behaviour in the finite growth process and the nonlinear dynamic models describing the process were discovered and established. The curve of logistic map corresponding to the finite growth thermogram of Escherichia coli was obtained and the nonlinear dynamic parameters were calculated by means of a computer. Moreover, we also discussed the nonlinear dynamic characters of Escherichia colt in its finite growth process.     

盐生盐杆菌生长过程热动力学研究

用 LKB2 2 77生物活性检测系统测定了盐生盐杆菌 R1、J7、S9以及 R1和 J7的融合子 F9生长的产热功率曲线 .根据曲线的特征 ,建立了古生菌生长过程的热动力学方程 :ln[P· ( 1 -P/Pm) r- 1 ]=ln[P0 · ( 1 -P0 /Pm) r- 1 ]+k· t.由此求得了盐生盐杆菌的生长速率常数 ,并对此模型和融合子 F9的生长进行了讨论 .该热动力学方程描述了一系列非理想的细菌生长过程的产热功率曲线 ,并将其与经典的指数式生长模型和 lo-gistic模型进行了比较 ,它具有更广泛的适用性 .首次报道了微量热技术在古生菌中的应用     

Inhibitory study of some novel Schiff base derivatives on Staphylococcus aureus by microcalorimetry

The effect of a series of novel Schiff base compounds on Staphylococcus aureus was studied by microcalorimetric method at 37 °C The results showed that all of the organic compounds had the capacity to inhibit the growth of S. aureus in different extent. And the extent and duration of the inhibitory effect on the growth of S. aureus, judged from the rate constant (k), varied with the different structure of the Schiff base compounds. According to the power-time curves, the multiplication rate constant and inhibition ratio were calculated. The growth rate constant of S. aureus (in log phase) in the presence of Schiff base compounds decreased with the increasing of the concentrations of these compounds regularly. The experimental results revealed that the hydrophilicity of Schiff bases had a great influence on their antibacterial activity. Of these Schiff bases, the greater their hydrophilicity, the higher their antibacterial activity. The antibacterial structure-activity relationship (SAR) of Schiff base derivatives was also briefly discussed.     

Heat capacity of alcohols in aqueous solutions in the temperature range from 5 to 125°C

Using a precise technique of scanning microcalorimetry the heat capacity differences between water and dilute aqueous solutions of ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol and n-pentanol were measured from 5 to 125°C and the partial molar heat capacities of these substances in water were determined. It was found that the heat capacity increment for alcohol disolved in water is proportional to the number of the-CH ₂ ^– groups and decrease with a temperature increase. The heat capacity increment of hydration of non-polar groups is shown to be positive and large at room temperature and decreases in magnitude as the temperature increases. In contrast, the heat capacity increment of hydration of polar groups is negative at room tempreature and increases as the temperature increases. From the temperature dependence of the heat capacity increment one can assume that the water molecules solvated by the non-polar groups of the alcohols behave in a non-cooperative manner.     

Enthalpies of dilution of l-cystine in aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid

The enthalpies of dilution of l-cystine in solutions of two strong alkalis and one strong acid have been determined by isothermal flow-mix calorimetry at the temperatures 298.15 K, 303.15 K, 308.15 K, 313.15 K and 318.15 K. Equations of apparent enthalpies of dilution have been obtained from the experimental data in terms of the improved McMillan-Mayer theory. Enthalpic interaction coefficients, h₂, h₃, and h₄, are obtained and the values of pair-wise enthalpic interaction coefficient, h₂, discussed in the light of solute-solute and solute-solvent interactions.     

Fast determination of evaporation enthalpies of solvents and binary mixtures using a microsilicon chip device with integrated thin film transducers

A silicon chip device with two types of integrated platinum thin film resistors was applied for microcaloric measurements. It was shown that the device is capable of fast characterization of liquid evaporation behaviour and allows the determination of evaporation enthalpies for pure liquids and mixtures. The applicability was demonstrated for a wide range of solvents from nonpolar aliphatic solvents over polar organics to protic solvents (e.g. iso-octane, toluene, acetone, ethanol, methanol and water). The sample volumes were in the range of about 2-5 μL. The determination of transient times, in case of constant power mode, or the power integral over time was used for the fast estimation of binary liquid mixtures. Thermo-resistive measurements of 5 μL droplets of solvent mixtures like methanol/iso-propanol, ethanol/water, iso-octane/iso-propanol and iso-octane/1,4-dioxane showed significant changes in temperature characteristics and evaporation enthalpies in dependence on composition. The applied heating power was about 1 W, which corresponds to measurement times between a few seconds and a minute.     

微量热法研究γ-Mo2N催化剂表面氢的微分吸附热

Differential heats of H 2 adsorption on γ-Mo2N catalysts were studied by using microcalorimetry. Samples with high and medium surface areas (90 and 17 m2•g -1 ) present a homogeneous energetic distribution of surface sites, which corresponds with the preferential orientation of their (200) planes. Molybdenum nitride with low surface area (8 m2•g -1 ) displays a heterogeneous energetic distribution of H 2 adsorption sites. The higher initial differential heat of hydrogen adsorption observed for the low surface Mo nitride was attributed to species adsorbed on surface sites associated with the (111) plane.