Indirect Methods For Determination of The Protective Effects of Coating Films on The Surface of Crystals

The extents of the protective effects of coating films on the surface of crystals were determined. Three different samples were made with different quantities of coating fluid (Sepifilm LP 010 in 10% aqueous solution). Since the atomizing rate was constant, the coating time increased in parallel with the volume of coating fluid applied. The direct measurement of film thickness and smoothness is very difficult, and therefore indirect methods were used. Dimenhydrinate was chosen as model drug; this is a heat-sensitive antihistamine with a low melting point. This temperature can be reached during the tableting process. The behaviour of samples on exposure to heat was examined by differential scanning calorimetry. The water uptakes of the samples were determined with an Enslin apparatus. Plasticity was studied with an instrumented tablet machine. These indirect methods (thermal conductivity, water uptake and plasticity measurements) revealed connections between the results of the various experiments. An overlong coating time decreased the protective effect of the coating film. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Optical Glucose Monitoring Based on Femtosecond Two-Color Pulse Interferometry

We demonstrate the potential of femtosecond two-color pulse interferometry for in vitro optical glucose monitoring, by dispersion of the group refractive index in a glucose solution sample with respect to a red-color light and a blue-color light. By comparison with femtosecond one-color pulse interferometry, the basic performance of the present system with regard to sensitivity, quantitativeness, and tolerance to surrounding disturbances, is evaluated. The resulting accuracy and precision of glucose determination are 77 and 118mg/dl for 10-mm-sample-thickness, respectively. This near-common-path configuration of the two-color pulse light provides good stability to fluctuations of sample temperature, which is important in clinical applications. Considering the performance of femtosecond two-color pulse interferometry as an optical glucose sensor, a suitable measurement site for in vivo optical glucose monitoring is discussed.     

High-throughput concept for tailoring switchable mirrors

The optical properties, the switching kinetics and the lifetime of hydrogen switchable mirrors based on Mg-Ni alloys are determined with particular regard to the composition of the optically active metal-hydride layer in combination with the thickness of the catalytic capping layer. For this, a high-throughput experiment is introduced. The switching kinetics and the reversibility of switchable mirrors are strongly thickness dependent, though the details hinge on the fine structure of the clustered capping layer. Therefore, the kinetics is correlated with the surface structures of Pd on Mg_yNi_1−y as investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. The results are explained by the so-called strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) state, characterized by a complete encapsulation of the capping layer clusters by oxidized species originating from the support. The SMSI-effect is less important with increasing Pd-layer thickness, and is suppressed by a good wetting of the Pd-clusters on the optically active film. This explains the critical thickness for the catalyzed hydrogen uptake observed in many switchable mirror systems. Moreover, the degradation of the kinetics during cycling is found to depend on the Pd-layer thickness and on the gas environment. Only films, covered with at least 15 nm Pd, show small degradation caused by the SMSI-effect. The SMSI-effect is partly reversible: after changing the gas environment from hydrogen to oxygen, the oxide on the Pd-clusters can be partly removed.     

Bioaccumulation and excretion of arsenic compounds by a marine unicellular alga,polyphysa peniculus

Polyphysa peniculus was grown in artificial seawater in the presence of arsenate, arsenite, monomethylarsonate and dimethylarsinic acid. The separation and identification of some of the arsenic species produced in the cells as well as in the growth medium were achieved by using hydride generation–gas chromatography–atomic absorption spectrometry methodology. Arsenite and dimethylarsinate were detected following incubation with arsenate. When the alga was treated with arsenite, dimethylarsinate was the major metabolite in the cells and in the growth medium; trace amounts of monomethylarsonate were also detected in the cells. With monomethylarsonate as a substrate, the metabolite is dimethylarsinate. Polyphysa peniculus did not metabolize dimethylarsinic acid when it was used as a substrate. Significant amounts of more complex arsenic species, such as arsenosungars, were not observed in the cells or medium on the evidence of flow injection–microwave digestion–hydride generation–atomic absorption spectrometry methodology. Transfer of the exposed cells to fresh medium caused release of most cell–associated arsenicals to the surrounding environment.     

Succinic acid adsorption from fermentation broth and regeneration

More than 25 sorbents were tested for uptake of succinic acid from aqueous solutions. The best resins were then tested for successive loading and regeneration using hotwater. The key desired properties for an ideal sorbent are high capacity, complete stable regenerability, and specificity for the product. The best resins have a stable capacity of about 0.06 g of succinic acid/g of resin at moderate concentrations (1–5 g/L) of succinic acid. Several sorbents were tested more exhaustively for uptake of succinic acid and for successive loading and regeneration using hot water. One resin, XUS 40285, has a good stable isotherm capacity, prefers succinate over glucose, and has good capacities at both acidic and neutral pH. Succinic acid was removed from simulated media containing salts, succinic acid, acetic acid, and sugar using a packed column of sorbent resin, XUS 40285. The fermentation byproduct, acetate, was completely separated from succinate. A simple hot water regeneration successfully concentrated succinate from 10 g/L (inlet) to 40–110 g/L in the effluent. If successful, this would lower separation costs by reducing the need for chemicals for the initial purification step. Despie promising initial results of good capacity (0.06 g of succinic/g of sorbent), 70% recovery using hot water, and a recovered concentration of >100 g/L, this regeneration was not stable over 10 cycles in the column. Alternative regeneration schemes using acid and base were examined. Two (XUS 40285 and XFS-40422) showed both good stable capacities for succinic acid over 10 cycles and >95% recovery in a batch operation using a modified extraction procedure combining acid and hot water washes. These resins showed comparable results with actual broth.     

An aqueous route to organically functionalized silica diatom skeletons

Diatomaceous earth was functionalized by grafting organotrialkoxysilane precursors onto the surface of the porous silica cell walls of this biomineral. Vinyl- and mercapto-containing structures were prepared in aqueous media without disruption of the diatomic architecture. Successful grafting of the organic moieties was confirmed using solid state ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectroscopy, and the presence of the intact diatom framework by scanning electron microscopy. The sorption properties of mercaptopropyl-functionalized diatoms towards heavy metals was studied by measuring the accessibility and diffusion rates of mercury(II) species to the binding sites (-SH) by the means of electrochemical methods.     

The structure-activity relationship of inhibitors of serotonin uptake and receptor binding

Summary An analysis of five different datasets of inhibitors of serotonin uptake has yielded quantitative structure/ activity relationships (QSARs) which delineate the role of steric and hydrophobic properties essential for inhibition by phenylethylamine-type analogues.     

添加有机肥和葡萄糖对铜毒害旱地红壤微生物生物量的影响

在预培红壤中加入定量的有机肥和葡萄糖及不同浓度的Cu,25℃培养14d，测定了土壤微生物生物量C（Cmic),N(Nmic)。结果表明，存在有机肥和葡萄糖时，土壤中Cmic和Nmic随着Cu浓度的增加而降低；Cmic/Nmic随着Cu浓度的增加而增大。施加有机肥和葡萄糖的土壤中，在所有Cu处理浓度下，土壤中Cmic和Nmic均比未加有机物质处理高，特别是有机肥处理中土壤Cmic和Nmic均比其它处理高得多，说明有机肥可明显减轻Cu对土壤微生物生物量的毒性，同时也说明有机肥可提供微生物N源。不含Cu时，加入有机肥和葡萄糖导致土壤中Cmic和Nmic增加，其中有机肥明显。     

Effects of sugar inhibition on cellulases and β-glucosidase during enzymatic hydrolysis of softwood substrates

A quantitative approach was taken to determine the inhibition effects of glucose and other sugar monomers during cellulase and β-Glucosidase hydrolysis of two types of cellulosic material: Avicel and acetic acid-pretreated softwood. The increased glucose content in the hydrolysate resulted in a dramatic increase in the degrees of inhibition on both β-Glucosidase and cellulase activities. Supplementation of mannose, xylose, and galactose during cellobiose hydrolysis did not show any inhibitory effects on β-Glucosidase activity. However, these sugars were shown to have significant inhibitory effects on cellulase activity during cellulose hydrolysis. Our study suggests that high-substrate consistency hydrolysis with supplementation of hemicellulose is likely to be a practical solution to minimizing end-product inhibition effects while producing hydrolysate with high glucose concentration.     

红珍珠降糖胶囊中微量元素营养研究

红珍珠降糖胶囊是具有显著降低血糖水平,确定糖尿病患者康复的绿色营养保健食品。通过红珍珠降糖胶囊中Cr、Mn、Cu、Zn、Mg等微量元素的分析测试以及与青海小麦、膳食日摄取量等对比研究,表明红珍珠降糖胶囊富含涉及糖尿病的微量元素,在降低血粮糖水平方面具有十分重要的营养学、功效学作用和意义。