Rapid fermentation of beer using an immobilized yeast multistage bioreactor

The characteristics of yeast sulfite metabolism in a multistage bioreactor system for beer fermentation were investigated. No sulfite was produced in the continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR). However, large amounts were produced in the packed-bed reactor (PBR). Production of sulfite in the PBR seems to be inevitable when it is operated continuously. In order to control the sulfite level in the young beer, the yeast needs to be reactivated into the growth phase. One possible strategy to achieve this is to aerate and periodically remove yeast clogged in the reactor once every 6–7 months before the sulfite level exceeds a given concentration (e.g., 20 mg/L). It was confirmed that sulfite production is closely related to the growth condition of the yeast and is therefore important to consider in the control strategy for sulfite when using the immobilized yeast reactor for beer production.     

A novel glycosylation concept; microwave-assisted acetal-exchange type glycosylations from methyl glycosides as donors

Efficient microwave-assisted glycosylations from methyl glucopyranosides are described. We have discussed the effects of microwave irradiation on this unique glycoside exchanging reaction from view points such as amount of Lewis acid promoters and acceptors, hydroxyl protecting groups of methyl glucopyranosides donors for reactivity, and neighboring effect.     

Optically active 1,2-bis(1-arylhydroxymethyl) ferrocene: a new, efficient chiral ligand for scandium-catalyzed asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction

[reaction: see text] The Sc(OTf)3/FERRODIOL (2) complex was prepared at -78 degrees C in CH2Cl2 in the presence of 2,6-lutidine and MS 4A. The chiral scandium Lewis acid-catalyzed asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene (3) with 3-acyloxazolidin-2-ones (4) effectively produced the adduct (5) in a high yield with good selectivity, i.e., endo/exo = 90:10 up to 91% ee (endo).     

Organoaluminum–cyclic ether-cyclic imide catalysts for the polymerization of epoxides

A catalyst for the polymerization of epoxides consisting of trialkylaluminums, cyclic ethers, and cyclic imides has been investigated. Various catalyst components were examined to reveal that the combination of triisobutylaluminum, dioxane, and succinimide gives the most active catalyst. The catalytic activity is greatly enhanced with aging in which the change in color from pale yellow to dark red takes place. The polymerization data show that the dioxane provides a pathway for the catalyst components to form an active species. The dioxane-containing catalyst is likely to be different in structure from that of the dioxane-free catalyst. It was shown that the catalyst solution is electrically conductive. A parallel correlation seems to exist between the electrical conductivity and the catalytic activity, suggesting that the catalytic species may be of an ionic character.     

Determination of minor and trace elements in silicate rocks by inductively-coupled plasma emission spectrometry

Samples (0.5 g) are decomposed with mixed acids in a sealed teflon vessel. After suitable treatment, barium, cobalt, chromium, copper, lithium, nickel, scandium. strontium, vanadium and zirconium are determined sequentially. The method is satisfactory for a variety of standard silicate materials.     

Effects of electron beam preirradiation on the γ radiolysis of polyethylene

The γ radiolysis of polyethylene preirradiated with electron beams to 3 Mrad was carried out at 30–100°C in vacuo with a dose rate of 6.35 × 10⁵ rad/hr. The hydrogen formation in the γ radiolysis was little affected by the preirradiation of electron beams, whereas the formation of trans-vinylene unsaturation and gel was somewhat retarded. The rates of the formation of hydrogen and trans-vinylene unsaturation were described by the zero-order formation kinetics with respect to each concentration combined with the first-order disappearance. The apparent rate constants and activation energies for the formation and disappearance of hydrogen and trans-vinylene unsaturation were almost independent of the preirradiation. The gel fraction was analyzed by using the Charlesby–Pinner equation. The G values of crosslinking and main chain scission were increased by the preirradiation, whereas their activation energies remained unaltered. On the basis of these results the effects of preirradiation on the reactions induced by γ rays in polyethylene were discussed.     

Simultaneous sample preparation for high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of Vitamin A and β-carotene in emulsified nutritional supplements after solid-phase extraction

Determination of small amounts of the fat-soluble species Vitamin A (VA) (2.5 μg/g) and β-carotene (9 μg/g) from emulsified nutritional supplements containing 50 kinds of co-existing compounds and a fat content between 2000 and 8000 times higher was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection set at ex. 350 nm and em. 480 nm, and visible detection at 450 nm using an Inertsil ODS 80A (5 μm) analytical column. Mobile phases of methanol-ethanol (50:50) and acetonitrile-ethanol (70:30) were used for the both vitamins. A Bond Elut C₁₈ cartridge was chosen for SPE after comparison with eight other types of SPE cartridge. Retention time of VA and β-carotene was 7 and 8 min, respectively, giving a limit of detection of ca. 0.1 ng per injection at a signal-to-noise ratio 3:1. Recoveries of VA and β-carotene were over 90% by the standard addition method. Relative standard deviation of VA and β-carotene were ca. 2.9 (n=5) and 2.3% (n=5), respectively.     

Synthesis and properties of a poly(diphenylacetylene) containing carbazolyl groups

1-(p-N-Carbazolylphenyl)-2-phenylacetylene (p-CzDPA) was polymerized by TaCl₅–co-catalyst systems (cocatalysts: n-Bu₁Sn, Et₃SiH, and 9BBN) to produce acetone-insoluble polymers in about 60-70% yields. Poly(p-CzDPA) was a yellowish-orange solid, most part of which was soluble in toluene, chloroform, etc., and its weight-average molecular weights were around 4×10⁵. This polymer formed a tough film by solution casting, and was thermally very stable (the onset temperature of weight loss in TGA in air 470°C). The oxygen per-meability coefficient of the polymer at 25°C was lower than two barrers. The present polymer showed photoconductivity and redox activity. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Stimulatory effect of red light on starch accumulation in a marine green alga,chlamydomonas sp. strain MGA161

A marine green alga,Chlamydomonas sp. strain MGA161 was cultivated under illumination of red and white lights. The growth rate under red light illumination was almost the same as that in the basic conditions under white light illumination, but red light-grown cells accumulated almost twice as much starch as white light-grown cells. Although there was a slight decrease in carbonic anhydrase activity, red light-illuminated cells had almost 2.3 times the fructose-l,6-diphos-phatase activity of white light-illuminated cells. Red light might stimulate starch accumulation by increasing the amounts of enzymes related to carbon fixation through the phytochrome system. Cells grown under red light degraded 1.6 times as much starch and produced 1.7 times as much hydrogen and 1.6 times as much ethanol compared with cells grown under white light during 12 h of dark anaerobic fermentation.     

Thermodynamically stable vesicle formation from glycolipid biosurfactant sponge phase

Thermodynamically stable vesicle (L(alpha1)) formation from glycolipid biosurfactant sponge phase (L(3)) and its mechanism were investigated using a "natural" biocompatible mannosyl-erythritol lipid-A (MEL-A)/L-alpha-dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) mixture by varying the composition. The trapping efficiency for calcein and turbidity measurements clearly indicated the existence of three regions: while the trapping efficiencies of the mixed MEL-A/DLPC assemblies at the compositions with X(DLPC)< or =0.1 or X(DLPC)> or =0.8 were almost zero, the mixed assemblies at the compositions with 0.1 or =0.8 were multilamellar vesicles (L(alpha)) with diameter from 2 to 10 microm. Meanwhile, dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement revealed that the average size of the vesicles at the composition of X(DLPC)=0.3 was 633.2 nm, which is remarkably small compared to other compositions. Moreover, the mixed vesicle solution at the composition of X(DLPC)=0.3 was slightly bluish and turbid and kept its dispersion stability at 25 degrees C for more than 3 months, indicating the formation of a thermodynamically stable vesicle (L(alpha1)). These results exhibited the formation of a thermodynamically stable vesicle (L(alpha1)) with a high dispersibility from the MEL-A/DLPC mixture. The asymmetric distribution of MEL-A and DLPC in the two vesicle monolayers caused by the difference in geometrical structures is very likely to have changed their self-assembled structure from a sponge phase (L(3)) to a thermodynamically stable vesicle (L(alpha1)).