Ethanol Production from Sugarcane Bagasse by Zymomonas mobilis Using Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) Process

Considerable efforts have been made to utilize agricultural and forest residues as biomass feedstock for the production of second-generation bioethanol as an alternative fuel. Fermentation utilizing strains of Zymomonas mobilis and the use of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process has been proposed. Statistical experimental design was used to optimize the conditions of SSF, evaluating solid content, enzymatic load, and cell concentration. The optimum conditions were found to be solid content (30%), enzymatic load (25 filter paper units/g), and cell concentration (4 g/L), resulting in a maximum ethanol concentration of 60 g/L and a volumetric productivity of 1.5 g L^?1?h^?1.     

Internal standard in flow injection analysis with amperometric detection

In this work, we describe for the first time the use of the internal standard method in flow injection analysis (FIA) with amperometric detection. The method is based on the application of sequential potential pulses to the working electrode in an electrochemical flow cell. The sequence of potential pulses is selected in such a way that the analyte and internal standard compound are detected and monitored individually and independently at the same working electrode. This approach compensates for random errors associated with variations of flow rate, injection volume, ionic strength difference between standards and samples, and accidental insertion or formation of air bubbles in the carrier stream. In addition, this method can overcome the major drawback of amperometric detection using solid electrodes, which is gradual electrode passivation. To illustrate the potential of this method, the flow-injection amperometric detection of uric acid using [Fe(CN)₆]^3? as an internal standard (IS) is presented as an example.     

Preparation of the Ca–diclofenac complex in solid state

Two ONNO type naphtaldehyde derivative Schiff base compounds were reduced and two symmetric phenol-amine ligands containing naphthalene groups were obtained; bis-N,N′[(2-hydroxy-1-naphtyl) methyl]-1,3-propanediamine (NAFL^H) and bis-N,N′[(2-hydroxy-1-naphtyl) methyl]-2,2′-dimetyhyl-1,3-propanediamine (NAFLDM^H). Homotrinuclear Ni(II) complexes of these ligands were prepared. The solid-state molecular structures of representative nickel complex of NAFLDM^H were determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The terminal Ni(II) ions were found to be situated in between the donor atoms of the organic ligand. The central Ni(II) ion was observed to be bonded via two different μ-bridges. The phenolic oxygens and carboxylate ion were seen to form two different μ-bridges. TG analysis proved that the compounds have different thermal characteristics than those cited in literature. The complexes showed extreme exothermic degradation reactions in inert atmosphere. The complexes are ruptured with a two stepped exothermic reaction which appears huge heat over 300 °C. The heat appeared in O₂ atmosphere is observed to be higher than the heat appeared in inert atmosphere. Revealed heat is observed to be higher than the conventional explosive materials.     

On the relationships between molecular conformations and intermolecular contacts toward crystal self-assembly of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetra-oxygenated xanthone derivatives

Oxygenated xanthones have been extensively investigated over the years, but there are few reports concerning their crystal structure. Our chemical investigations of Brazilian plants resulted in the isolation of four natural products named 1-hydroxyxanthone (I), 1-hydroxy-7-methoxyxanthone (II), 1,5-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone (III), and 1,7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyxanthone (IV). The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of single crystal X-ray diffraction. The xanthone nucleus conformation is essentially planar with the substituents adopting the orientations less sterically hindered. In addition, classical intermolecular hydrogen bonds (O–H···O) present in III and IV give rise to infinite ribbons. However, the xanthone I does not present any intermolecular hydrogen bonds, meanwhile the xanthone II presents only a non-classical one (C–H···O). The crystal packing of all xanthone structures is also stabilized by π–π interactions. The fingerprint plots, derived from the Hirshfeld surfaces, exhibited significant features of each crystal structures.     

Comprehensive blood plasma lipidomics by liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A lipidomics strategy, combining high resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) with high resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QqTOF), is described. The method has carefully been assessed in both a qualitative and a quantitative fashion utilizing human blood plasma. The inherent low technical variability associated with the lipidomics method allows to measure 65% of the features with an intensity RSD value below 10%. Blood plasma lipid spike-in experiments demonstrate that relative concentration differences smaller than 25% can readily be revealed by means of a t-test. Utilizing an advanced identification strategy, it is shown that the detected features mainly originate from (lyso-)phospholipids, sphingolipids, mono-, di- and triacylglycerols and cholesterol esters. The high resolution offered by the up-front RPLC step further allows to discriminate various isomeric species associated with the different lipid classes. The added value of utilizing a Jetstream electrospray ionization (ESI) source over a regular ESI source in lipidomics is for the first time demonstrated. In addition, the application of ultra high performance LC (UHPLC) up to 1200 bar to extend the peak capacity or increase productivity is discussed.     

Weak and strong coupling theories for polarizable colloids and nanoparticles

A theory is presented which allows us to accurately calculate the density profile of monovalent and multivalent counterions in suspensions of polarizable colloids or nanoparticles. In the case of monovalent ions, we derive a weak-coupling theory that explicitly accounts for the ion-image interaction, leading to a modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation. For suspensions with multivalent counterions, a strong-coupling theory is used to calculate the density profile near the colloidal surface and a Poisson-Boltzmann equation with a renormalized boundary condition to account for the counterion distribution in the far field. All the results are compared with the Monte?Carlo simulations, showing an excellent agreement between the theory and the simulations.     

Dark matter results from 100 live days of XENON100 data

We present results from the direct search for dark matter with the XENON100 detector, installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN, Italy. XENON100 is a two-phase time-projection chamber with a 62 kg liquid xenon target. Interaction vertex reconstruction in three dimensions with millimeter precision allows the selection of only the innermost 48 kg as the ultralow background fiducial target. In 100.9 live days of data, acquired between January and June 2010, no evidence for dark matter is found. Three candidate events were observed in the signal region with an expected background of (1.8 ± 0.6) events. This leads to the most stringent limit on dark matter interactions today, excluding spin-independent elastic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) nucleon scattering cross sections above 7.0 × 10(-45) cm(2) for a WIMP mass of 50 GeV/c(2) at 90% confidence level.     

BPS solutions to a generalized Maxwell–Higgs model

We look for topological BPS solutions of an Abelian Maxwell–Higgs theory endowed by non-standard kinetic terms to both gauge and scalar fields. Here, the non-usual dynamics are controlled by two positive functions, G(|ϕ|) and w(|ϕ|), which are related to the self-dual scalar potential V(|ϕ|) of the model by a fundamental constraint. The numerical results we found present interesting new features, and contribute to the development of the recent issue concerning the study of generalized models and their applications.     

Electro-optic coefficient and wavelength dispersion in sillenite crystals

We report on the measurement of the electro-optic or Pockels coefficient of titanosillenite crystals and show that there is no sensible wavelength dispersion, at least in the explored 510–650 nm wavelength range. This result is in close agreement with a previous paper by Papazoglou et al.: Appl. Phys. B 65, 499–503 (1997) for titanosillenites but in contradiction with a recent paper by Efremidis et al.: Appl. Phys. B 95, 467–473 (2009) reporting on a large dispersion for sillenite crystals. We stress on the fact that photoinduced space-charge electrical polarization may be at the origin of a misleading apparent wavelength dependence of the electro-optic coefficient.