Use of headspace solid-phase microextraction for the quantification of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) in microbial cells

Biopolymers such as poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) have received much attention due to their physico-chemical properties, biodegradability, and biocompatibility that make them good candidates for industrial and medical applications. Produced by some microorganisms PHAs accumulate within the cells of these organisms. The optimization of microbial processes to produce PHAs at a lower cost requires rapid and accurate techniques for quantification of the biopolymer in biomass. The present study describes a method based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography (GC) for the determination of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in Alcaligenes latus cells. First PHB was depolymerized by either methanolic or hydrolytic digestion into methyl 3-hydroxybutyrate (Me-3-HB) or crotonic acid (CA), respectively. The resulting analytes were then subjected to analysis by headspace SPME/GC with flame ionization detection (FID). The two depolymerization/SPME/GC-FID methods were optimized and applied to the analysis of PHB in bacterial biomass harvested from a fermentation process that uses A. latus. Results were compared with those obtained using GC-FID analysis of MeOH/CHCl(3) digested samples. Excellent agreement was found between the three methods but the two SPME-based methods were environmentally friendly and easier to perform.     

Homoclinic orbits for the perturbed sine‐Gordon equation

In this work, we study the persistence of a homoclinic orbit of the sine‐Gordon equation under diffusive and driven perturbations. An analytic perturbation method based on time‐dependent scattering theory, together with Fredholm theory, is used to establish persistence. The estimates are given in space‐time function spaces, with a certain time decay required for the existence of a homoclinic orbit. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of novel benzoxazocino quinoliniums and quinolones under PTC conditions and their application in Suzuki cross coupling reaction for the construction of polynuclear heteroaromatics

A general and highly efficient synthetic protocol under phase transfer catalytic condition has been established for the synthesis of fused tetracyclic oxazocinoquinolone analogues which served as the precursors for novel biaryl quinolones using microwave assisted Suzuki cross coupling reaction.     

Influence of various shapes of nanoparticles on unsteady stagnation-point flow of Cu-H2O nanofluid on a flat surface in a porous medium: A stability analysis

The nanofluid and porous medium together are able to fulfill the requirement of high cooling rate in many engineering problems. So, here the impact of various shapes of nanoparticles on unsteady stagnation-point flow of Cu-H₂O nanofluid on a flat surface in a porous medium is examined. Moreover, the thermal radiation and viscous dissipation effects are considered. The problem governing partial differential equations are converted into self-similar coupled ordinary differential equations and those are numerically solved by the shooting method. The computed results can reveal many vital findings of practical importance. Firstly, dual solutions exist for decelerating unsteady flow and for accelerating unsteady and steady flows, the solution is unique. The presence of nanoparticles affects the existence of dual solution in decelerating unsteady flow only when the medium of the flow is a porous medium. But different shapes of nanoparticles are not disturbing the dual solution existence range, though it has a considerable impact on thermal conductivity of the mixture. Different shapes of nanoparticles act differently to enhance the heat transfer characteristics of the base fluid, i.e., the water here. On the other hand, the existence range of dual solutions becomes wider for a larger permeability parameter related to the porous medium. Regarding the cooling rate of the heated surface, it rises with the permeability parameter, shape factor (related to various shapes of Cu-nanoparticles), and radiation parameter. The surface drag force becomes stronger with the permeability parameter. Also, with growing values of nanoparticle volume fraction, the boundary layer thickness (BLT) increases and the thermal BLT becomes thicker with larger values of shape factor. For decelerating unsteady flow, the nanofluid velocity rises with permeability parameter in the case of upper branch solution and an opposite trend for the lower branch is witnessed. The thermal BLT is thicker with radiation parameter. Due to the existence of dual solutions, a linear stability analysis is made and it is concluded that the upper branch and unique solutions are stable solutions.     

High-efficiency ozone generation via electrochemical oxidation of water using Ti anode coated with Ni–Sb–SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Ozone (O₃) has been generated on Ni–Sb–SnO₂/Ti electrode as anode immersed in acidic media at 25 °C by electrochemical process. The anode was electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry and morphologically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. The concentration of dissolved ozone was determined by a UV/Vis spectrophotometer. The type of electrode with different times coating on the titanium mesh and different acid type and various concentrations (C _acid) were used, and the stability of the electrode was investigated under the experimental conditions by SEM images. Results shows that higher efficiency (53.7%) for O₃ generation by electrochemical oxidation of water were obtained in HClO₄ (1 M) and an applied potential of 2.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl in 150 ml volume undivided electrochemical cell.     

Optimization of ammonium removal from waste water by natural zeolite using central composite design approach

The aims of the present study are to investigate removal of ammonium ion from wastewater using natural Western Azarbaijan zeolite and to optimize effective parameters by experimental design. In order to remove ammonium ions from aqueous solutions, experiments were carried out using column method as functions of the initial ammonium concentration, flow rate and pH of the solution. The results clearly confirmed that all mentioned parameters have vital affects on removing ammonium ions from wastewater and effluents, so got optimized. Central composite design with response surface methodology was applied for the optimization of main experiment parameters. The significance of the independent variables and their interactions were tested by the analysis of variance ANOVA and f-test statistics. Optimization of the variables for maximum removal efficiency by natural zeolite was performed using the quadratic model. The model predicted maximum removal efficiency under the optimum conditions including initial ammonium concentration of 30?mg?l^?1; flow rate of 1?ml?min^?1 and pH 6, which was very close to the experimental value determined in column experiment. The cation exchange capacity of natural Western Azarbaijan zeolite was found to be 1.79?meq?g^?1. Based on the experimental results, it can be concluded that the natural Western Azarbaijan zeolite has an excellent potential for removing ammonium ions from aqueous solutions and it is suggested as a suitable material for wastewater treatment.     

Striking Improvement in Peroxidase Activity of Cytochrome c by Modulating Hydrophobicity of Surface‐Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles within Cationic Reverse Micelles

This work demonstrates a remarkable enhancement in the peroxidase activity of mitochondrial membrane protein cytochrome c (cyt c) by perturbing its tertiary structure in the presence of surface‐functionalised gold nanoparticles (GNPs) within cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) reverse micelles. The loss in the tertiary structure of cyt c exposes its heme moiety (which is buried inside in the native globular form), which provides greater substrate (pyrogallol and H₂O₂) accessibility to the reactive heme residue. The surfactant shell of the CTAB reverse micelle in the presence of co‐surfactant (n‐hexanol) exerted higher crowding effects on the interfacially bound cyt c than similar anionic systems. The congested interface led to protein unfolding, which resulted in a 56‐fold higher peroxidase activity of cyt c than that in water. Further perturbation in the protein’s structure was achieved by doping amphiphile‐capped GNPs with varying hydrophobicities in the water pool of the reverse micelles. The hydrophobic moiety on the surface of the GNPs was directed towards the interfacial region, which induced major steric strain at the interface. Consequently, interaction of the protein with the hydrophobic domain of the amphiphile further disrupted its tertiary structure, which led to better opening up of the heme residue and, thereby, superior activity of the cyt c. The cyt c activity in the reverse micelles proportionately enhanced with an increase in the hydrophobicity of the GNP‐capping amphiphiles. A rigid cholesterol moiety as the hydrophobic end group of the GNP strikingly improved the cyt c activity by up to 200‐fold relative to that found in aqueous buffer. Fluorescence studies with both a tryptophan residue (Trp59) of the native protein and the sodium salt of fluorescein delineated the crucial role of the hydrophobicity of the GNP‐capping amphiphiles in improving the peroxidase activity of cyt c by unfolding its tertiary structure within the reverse micelles.     

Efficient One‐pot Synthesis of Alkyl 3‐(alkyl)‐4‐methyl‐2‐thioxo‐2,3‐dihydrothiazole‐5‐carboxylates in a Multi Component Reaction

A simple and efficient one‐pot synthesis of alkyl 2‐(alkyl)‐4‐methyl‐2‐thioxo‐2,3‐dihydrothiazole‐5‐carboxylates from the reaction of primary alkylamines and carbon disulfide in the presence of 2‐chloro‐1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds is described. This new protocol has several advantages such as lack of necessity of the catalyst, good yields, mild conditions and short times for reaction.     

Unsteady flow of a Maxwell fluid over a stretching surface in presence of chemical reaction

An analysis is presented for unsteady two-dimensional flow of a Maxwell fluid over a stretching surface in presence of a first order constructive/destructive chemical reaction. Using suitable transformations, the governing partial differential equations are converted to ordinary one and are then solved numerically by shooting method. The flow fields and mass transfer are significantly influenced by the governing parameters. Fluid velocity initially decreases with increasing unsteadiness parameter and concentration decreases significantly due to unsteadiness. The effect of increasing values of the Maxwell parameter is to suppress the velocity field. But the concentration is enhanced with increasing Maxwell parameter.     

Linear Stability Analysis of Double-Diffusive Convection in Porous Media,with Application to Geological Storage of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Onset of double-diffusive buoyancy-driven flow resulted from vertical temperature and concentration gradients in a horizontal layer of a saturated and homogenous porous medium is investigated using amplification factor theory. After injection of CO₂ into a deep saline aquifer, the density of the brine saturated with CO₂ increases slightly. This increase in density induces natural convection. The effect of geothermal gradient is also considered in this work as a second incentive for convection and the double-diffusion convection was studied. Linear stability analysis is used to predict the inception of instabilities and initial wavelength of the convective instabilities. The analysis presented is applied to acid gas injection (as an analogue for CO₂ storage) into saline aquifers in the Alberta basin. It is found that the geothermal gradient does not have significant effect on the onset of convection for these aquifers. It is shown that the geothermal effects on the onset of natural convection are negligible as compared to the solutal effects induced by dissolution and diffusion of CO₂ in deep saline aquifers. Therefore, the linear stability analysis and the long-term numerical simulation of CO₂ sequestration into such saline aquifers may be assumed to be isothermal in terms of natural convection occurrence.