Uncoupled metabolism stimulated by chemical uncoupler and oxic-settling-anaerobic combined process to reduce excess sludge production

The effects of three uncoupled metabolic systems (conventional activated sludge process with the addition of 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide [TCS], oxic-settling-anaerobic [OSA] process modified by insertion of a sludge-holding tank in the sludge return line, and TCS and OSA combined process) on reducing excess sludge production were studied. Compared with the control conventional activated sludge process, the most effective system was the combined process, which could reduce excess sludge production by 46.90%. The 180-d operation results confirmed that TCS is an effective chemical uncoupler in reducing the sludge yield but that it had an adverse effect on substrate removal capability, effluent nitrogen concentration, and sludge settleability. The OSA process decreased excess sludge production by only 26% but had less adverse effect on effluent quality and could improve sludge settleability. The effluent total phosphorous concentration of the three systems was slightly lower than of the control unit. Microbial populations were monitored by both microscopic and molecular biologic analysis method (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [DGGE]). The presence of TCS caused metazoans to disappear and decreased the number and activity of protozoa. PCR amplification of 16S rRNA and sequent DGGE analysis found a shift in the diversity of the predominant species. The results imply that OSA combined with the chemical uncoupler process may effectively reduce excess sludge yield and not affect process performance significantly.     

Synthesis and characterization of perfluorohexylated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

The perfluorohexylated 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene 5 was prepared via Mitsunobu reaction of perfluorohexylatyed diol 2 with diethyl 3,4-dihydroxythiophenedicarboxylate followed by decarboxylation. The polymerization of 5 was conducted with both oxidative chemical and electrochemical polymerizations. The polymers were characterized by cyclic voltammogram, UV, IR, TGA and DSC.     

互通多孔碳/二氧化锰纳米复合材料的原位水热合成及电化学性能

以互通多孔碳（IPC）为载体，水热条件下在碳表面原位反应生成纳米结构的二氧化锰（MnO₂），制备互通多孔碳/二氧化锰纳米（IPC/MnO₂）复合电极材料. 采用扫描电镜（SEM），透射电镜（TEM），X射线衍射（XRD），热重分析（TGA）对其结构进行表征；采用循环伏安法、恒流充放电和交流阻抗对其电化学性能进行研究. 结果表明：生成的MnO₂均匀地负载在碳的表面，形成多层次结构，并且随着温度的升高IPC表面负载的MnO₂由纳米颗粒变为纳米片状结构；MnO₂纳米片具有典型的K-Birnessite 型晶体结构；复合物中MnO₂的含量约为34%（w）. 在100 ℃制备的IPC/MnO₂复合材料在三电极系统中最高比电容达到了411 F·g^-1；随着反应温度的升高,比容量先增长后基本保持不变. 以IPC/MnO₂为正极，活性炭（AC）为负极，1 mol·L^-1 Na₂SO₄溶液为电解液组装成IPC/MnO₂//AC 混合超级电容器，发现IPC/MnO₂电极的电容器其电位窗口从1 V扩展到1.8 V，容量可达86F·g^-1，且表现出良好的电容特性和大电流放电性能.     

Electrophoresis in a non-Newtonian fluid: sphere in a spherical cavity

The electrophoretic behavior of a sphere in a non-Newtonian fluid is investigated theoretically by analyzing the phenomenon that occurs in a spherical cavity under the condition of a weak applied electrical field. Non-Newtonian behavior in the liquid phase may be due to, for example, the addition of polymer to a colloidal dispersion to improve its stability. It may also arise from the increase in the volume fraction of the dispersed phase such as the slurry used in chemical mechanical polishing. A Carreau model is adopted to characterize the shear-thinning behavior of the liquid phase. We show that the difference between the mobility of the particle based on the present model and that based on the corresponding Newtonian fluid increases with the decrease in the thickness of a double layer. The shear-thinning nature of the liquid phase has the effect of increasing the mobility.     

Effect of humidity on the adsorption kinetics of lung surfactant at air-water interfaces

The in vitro adsorption kinetics of lung surfactant at air-water interfaces is affected by both the composition of the surfactant preparations and the conditions under which the assessment is conducted. Relevant experimental conditions are surfactant concentration, temperature, subphase pH, electrolyte concentration, humidity, and gas composition of the atmosphere exposed to the interface. The effect of humidity on the adsorption kinetics of a therapeutic lung surfactant preparation, bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES), was studied by measuring the dynamic surface tension (DST). Axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) was used in conjunction with three different experimental methodologies, i.e., captive bubble (CB), pendant drop (PD), and constrained sessile drop (CSD), to measure the DST. The experimental results obtained from these three methodologies show that for 100% relative humidity (RH) at 37 degrees C the rate of adsorption of BLES at an air-water interface is substantially slower than for low humidity. It is also found that there is a difference in the rate of surface tension decrease measured from the PD and CB/CSD methods. These experimental results agree well with an adsorption model that considers the combined effects of entropic force, electrostatic interaction, and gravity. These findings have implications for the development and evaluation of new formulations for surfactant replacement therapy.     

Band structure studies on crystalline C60, Ca3C60, and Ca5C60

The three-dimensional EHMO crystal orbital calculations for crystalline C₆₀, Ca₃C₆₀, and Ca₅C₆₀ are reported. The ground states of both undoped solid C₆₀ and partially doped Ca₃C₆₀ are found to be insulating with an indirect energy gap of 1.2 and 0.5 eV, respectively. In contrast, Ca₅C₆₀ forms a metallic conducting phase with a set of three half-filled bands crossing the Fermi level, which is found to be located close to a peak of the density of state. The character of crystal orbitals near the Fermi level for both Ca₃C₆₀ and Ca₅C₆₀ is completely carbonlike. In both cases, the Ca atoms are almost fully ionized and C₆₀ molecules form a stable negative charge state with six to 10 additional electrons. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Simultaneous determination of sulfite, sulfate, and hydroxymethanesulfonate in atmospheric waters by ion-pair HPLC technique

A reversed-phase ion-pair HPLC with indirect photometric detection for the simultaneous determination of sulfite, sulfate, hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS), and other inorganic anions in atmospheric water has been developed. Separations were accomplished in less than 10 min in a cetylpyridinium-coated C₁₈ column with 0.5 mM potassium hydrogen phthalate-0.015% triethanolamine-3% methanol at pH 7.9 as mobile phase. Quantitation was carried out by the peak area method, with detection limits in the pmol range. UV light absorption responses were linear over a wide concentration range from several hundred μmoles to the detection limits of each anion. The application of the method provides a rapid and efficient technique for the quantitative determination of sulfur and other inorganic species in atmospheric liquids.     

Kinetic investigation of the textile bleaching process

Volumetric H₂-uptake measurements on an Mo₂N (79 m²g^–1) sample reduced at 673 K have been carried out and the uptake isotherms in the temperature range of 308–623 K have been determined. Both the total and reversible hydrogen uptake increased with the uptake temperature. The irreversible hydrogen uptake increased abruptly when the uptake temperature was raised up to 423 K. The maximum of irreversible hydrogen uptake was measured at 473 K. The H_IR/Mo ratio calculated from the uptakes obtained in the temperature range of 308–623 K varies in the range of 0.0010–0.0202. One possible mechanism for hydrogen adsorption is proposed to be heterolytic dissociation on Mo-N paris, in which the molybdenum atoms are in unsaturated coordination.     

Photoassisted reaction of chemical warfare agent VX droplets under UV light irradiation

A photoassisted reaction of O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino) ethyl] methylphosphonothioate (VX) droplets in air was carried out. The experimental results indicated that VX droplets could be easily and chemically transformed into other compounds under irradiation of a germicidal lamp over sufficient time. Quantum chemical calculation results demonstrated that UV light less than 278 nm wavelength could possibly initiate photoreaction of VX and that both P-S and P=O bonds in the VX molecule were lengthened. The identification of reaction products by gas and liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy and NMR revealed that the VX molecule in air under UV light irradiation could undergo isomerization of S-esters to O-esters, cleavage of P-S, S-C, and C-N bonds, and ozonation of tertiary amines.     

Mass spectral fragmentation of (S,S)-2-substituted 4,4-diphenyl-3,1-oxazabicyclo[3.3.0]octanes: ring contraction of pyrrolidine and 1,3-oxazolidine in mass spectrometry

The mass spectral behaviour of (S,S)-2-substituted 4,4-diphenyl-3,1-oxazabicyclo[3.3.0]octanes has been studied with the aid of mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy spectrometry and accurate mass measurements under fast atom bombardment (FAB) and electron impact (EI) ionization conditions. Under FAB ionization, all compounds show a tendency to form protonated aldehyde or benzophenone ions and to form protonated 1-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane ions, which can further lose an ethylene or cyclopropane from the pyrrolidine ring to produce protonated 1-azabicyclo[1.1.0]butane ions and 3H-azirine ions, respectively. Under EI ionization, a similar fragmentation to that under FAB ionization was observed. The title compounds also show a tendency to yield oxirane ions and oxirenium ions by loss of pyrrolidine and pyrrolidine plus H. Ring contractions of 1,3-oxazolidine by loss of an aldehyde or ketone and of pyrrolidine by loss of an ethylene or cyclopropane were observed under both FAB and EI ionization conditions.