A continuum thermodynamical approach to electrochemical systems

This work focuses on formulating constitutive models for the bulk and double layer regions of an electrochemical system based on the fundamentals of modern continuum thermodynamics. Particularly, the constitutive models proposed accounting for transport phenomena in electrochemical systems by emphasizing the possibility of cross-coupling between two or more phenomena. Upon deriving a set of thermodynamic restrictions from the Müller-Liu approach of the second law of thermodynamics and axioms of constitutive theory, non-equilibrium quantities are examined in detail, and constitutive answers of the bulk and double layer regions are discussed. Moreover, the conditions for the thermodynamic equilibrium are evaluated for each region as well as the occurrence of dissipative mechanisms. Besides offering a proper formulation for non-equilibrium electrochemical systems, the approach described in this work can be easily extended to more complex chemical systems.     

Adsorption of benzene-1,4-dithiol on the Au(111) surface and its possible role in molecular conductance

It is a consensus in the field of molecular electronics that the transport of charge across a single molecule depends sensitively on the details of the interaction between the molecule and the metallic leads, such as the molecular orientation. To advance the design of complex molecular devices, it is crucial to have a detailed understanding of these many aspects that influence the electron transport. A simple system that has been used as a paradigm of the class of conjugated aryl molecules is the benzene-1,4-dithiol (BDT). However, we still do not have a full understanding of the BDT transport experiments. Usually the geometries considered in transport calculations assumed that the BDT was connected to the two Au leads via the S atoms, and that the molecule was either perpendicular or close to a perpendicular configuration relative to the Au surfaces. Using ab initio calculations, we show that, for an isolated molecule, the configuration with largest adsorption energy has the BDT phenyl ring closer to being parallel to the surface, and we then argue, based on nonequilibrium Green's function-density functional theory calculations, that, depending on the experimental procedure, this may be the relevant configuration to be used in the transport calculations.     

Global Analytic Regularity for Structures of Co-Rank One

We consider real analytic involutive structures 𝒱, of co-rank one, defined on a real analytic paracompact orientable manifold M. To each such structure we associate certain connected subsets of M which we call the level sets of 𝒱. We prove that analytic regularity propagates along them. With a further assumption on the level sets of 𝒱 we characterize the global analytic hypoellipticity of a differential operator naturally associated to 𝒱.

As an application we study a case of tube structures.     

Fragile to strong crossover and Widom line in supercooled water: A comparative study

The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between the dynamics and thermodynamics of water in the supercooled region. Reviewed case studies comprehend bulk water simulated with the SPC/E, TIP4P and TIP4P/2005 potentials, water at protein interfaces, and water in solution with electrolytes. Upon supercooling, the fragile to strong crossover in the α-relaxation of water is found to occur when the Widom line emanating from the liquid-liquid critical point is crossed. This appears to be a general characteristic of supercooled water, not depending on the applied interaction potential and/or different local environments.     

Effect of k L a on the production of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown by fermentation process

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - In a 5-L fermentor (NBS-MF 105), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.7 g/L) was inoculated into a liquid medium (pH 4.0) containing 17 g/L of glucose, 2.55 g/L of...     

Partition behavior and partial purification of hexokinase in aqueous two-phase polyethylene glycol/citrate systems

This study dealt with the partition behavior and partial purification of hexokinase (HK) from baker’s yeast by liquid-liquid extraction using aqueous two-phase polyethylene glycol (PEG)/citrate systems. First, we investigated the effect of agitation type (vortex and 8 rpm rotation) on the stability of the system, and then the effects of sodium citrate concentration, PEG concentration, and molar mass of PEG on the partition coefficient of this enzyme by using a 2⁵ factorial experimental design. The results of this factorial experiment showed the possibility of a partial purification of HK by using two extraction steps, since the enzyme preferentially migrated to the top phase and the total proteins (mainly contaminants) remained in the bottom phase. The purification factor (Pur _TOP) of the enzyme in the top phase was 1.87, and the partition coefficient of the total proteins (K _Prot ) was 0.47.     

Use of the Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes of Poly(acrylic acid)‐Chitosan as Inductors of Tolerance Against Pathogenic Fungi in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. var. Floradade)

The interpolyelectrolyte complexes of poly(acrylic acid)‐chitosan were investigated as inductor of systemic resistance potentially useful in the organic production of vegetables. These complexes, which are water soluble, were tested in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. var. Floradade). The seed treatments were carried out using solutions consisting of 0.1 vol.‐% of the complex and 5 g · L^?1 NaCl in water. The data showed that this treatment produced a higher resistance to the attack by Fusarium oxysporum and Phytophthora capsici pathogens in tomato seedlings.

Formation of the interpolyelectrolyte complex of poly(acrylic acid) and chitosan.     

Protein partitioning in poly(ethylene glycol)/sodium polyacrylate aqueous two-phase systems

The partition of hemoglobin, lysozyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) in a novel inexpensive aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) composed by poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and sodium polyacrylate (NaPA) has been studied. The effect of NaCl and Na(2)SO(4), pH and PEG molecular size on the partitioning has been studied. At high pH (above 9), hemoglobin partitions strongly to the PEG-phase. Although some precipitation of hemoglobin occurs, high recovery values are obtained particularly for lysozyme and G6PDH. The partitioning forces are dominated by the hydrophobic and electrochemical (salt) effects, since the positively charged lysozyme and negatively charged G6PDH partitions to the non-charged PEG and the strongly negatively charged polyacrylate enriched phase, respectively.     

Mesoscopic continuum thermodynamics for mixtures of particles with orientation

The aim of the present paper is a continuum theoretical framework for mixtures of different chemical components, including the possibility of chemical reactions. The molecules are assumed to have an orientational degree of freedom, i.e. they are needle-shaped or planar. In the first case the microscopic director is the orientation of the particle long axis, in the second case it is the unit vector normal to the disc. This orientation is introduced as an additional variable in the domain of the field quantities. On this enlarged domain, the mesoscopic space, balance equations are derived. Compared to usual continuum theory, additional fluxes in orientation space occur. These are constitutive functions, like internal energy, heat flux and stress tensor. The restrictions on constitutive functions imposed by the second law of thermodynamics are derived by the method of Liu. Therefore, this new approach is very promising, since microscopic features of the particles, discarded in traditional continuous thermodynamics, become now an important part in the understanding of chemical systems. In addition, the results presented here can be extended to the study of other complex materials such as alloys, ferrofluids, carbon fibers, etc.     

Overexpression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) (EC 1.1.1.49) is an abun dant enzyme in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This enzyme is of great interest as an analytical reagent because it is used in a large number of quantitative assays. A strain of S. cerevisiae was genetically modified to improve G6PD production during aerobic culture. The modifications are based on cloning the G6PD sequence under the control of promoters that are upregulated by the carbon source used for yeast growth. The results showed that S. cerevisiae acquired from a commercial source and the same strain produced by aerobic cultivation under controlled conditions provided very similar G6PD. However, G6PD production by genetically modified S. cerevisiae produced very high enzyme activity and showed to be the most effective procedure to obtain glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. As a consequence, the cost of producing G6PD can be significantly reduced by using strains that contain levels of G6PD up to 14-fold higher than the level of G6PD found in commercially available strains.