A model equation for the gravielectric effect in electrochemical cells

The gravielectric effect model equation for a single-membrane system was elaborated. This model for binary and ternary ionic solutions was verified using a cell with a horizontally mounted membrane. In this cell, the membrane and transition potentials were measured as a function of gravitational configuration. In these experiments, a 0.001 M aqueous solution of sodium chloride was placed on one side of the membrane. The opposite side of the membrane was exposed to either aqueous sodium chloride solutions, with densities greater than that of 0.001 M aqueous NaCl, or ethanol/NaCl/water solutions. On the basis of the experimental results, the influence of constrained release and the gravielectric effect were established. These experimental findings are interpreted in terms of a convective gravitational instability that reduces boundary layer dimensions and increases the permeability coefficient of the complex system: boundary layer/membrane/boundary layer. A concentration-gradient Rayleigh number is used in a mathematical model for gravitationally sensitive membrane potential.     

Gravitational Effects in a Passive Transmembrane Transport: The Flux Graviosmotic and Gravidiffusive Effects in Non-Electrolytes

In this paper the classification ofthe gravitational effects in a passive transmembranetransport is presented. Among these effects there arethe flux and force gravitational effects (fluxgraviosmotic effect, osmotic pressure graviosmoticeffect, flux gravidiffusive effect, osmotic pressuregravidiffusive effect, voltage gravielectric effectand current gravielectric effect). The volume fluxgraviosmotic and solute flux gravidiffusive effectsmodel equations for a single-membrane system areelaborated. These models for binary and ternarynon-electrolyte solutions have been verified using anexperimental data volume and solute fluxes forosmotic-diffusion cell with horizontally mountedmembrane. In the experimental set-up, water was placedon one side of the membrane. The opposite side of themembrane was exposed to binary or ternary solutions ofdensities greater than that of water (aqueous glucoseor glucose-0.2 mole/l aqueous ethanol) and binary andternary solutions of densities larger than that ofwater (aqueous ethanol or ethanol-0.05 mole/l aqueousglucose). These experimental results are interpretedin terms of the convective instability that increasesthe diffusive permeability coefficient of junction:boundary layer/membrane/boundary layer.     

Volume osmotic flows of non-homogeneous electrolyte solutions through horizontally mounted membrane

Results of an experimental study of volume osmotic flows in a single-membrane osmotic-diffusive cell, which contains a horizontal, microporous, symmetrical polymer membrane separating water and binary or ternary electrolyte solutions are presented. In the experimental set-up, water was placed on one side of the membrane. The opposite side of the membrane was exposed to binary or ternary solutions. As binary solutions, aqueous potassium chloride or ammonia solutions were used, whereas potassium chloride in 0.25 mol x l(-1) aqueous ammonia solution or ammonia in 0.1 mol x l(-1) aqueous potassium chloride solution were used as ternary solutions. Two (A and B) configurations of a single-membrane osmotic-diffusive cell in a gravitational field were studied. In configuration A, water was placed in a compartment above the membrane and the solution below the membrane. In configuration B the position of water and solution was reversed. Furthermore, the effect of amplification of volume osmotic flows of electrolyte solutions in the single-membrane osmotic-diffusive electrochemical cell was demonstrated. The thermodynamic models of the flux graviosmotic and amplification effects were developed, and the volume flux graviosmotic effect for configurations A and B of a single-membrane osmotic-diffusive cell was calculated. The results were interpreted within the conventional instability category, increasing the diffusion permeability coefficient value for the system: concentration boundary layer/membrane/concentration boundary layer.     

Ethanol stripping by pervaporation using porous PTFE membrane

In a shell-and-tube type of module containing either porous or nonporous tubular membranes, the sweeping action of a flow inert gas in the shell side was used to strip ethanol from an aqueous ethanol solution flowing countercurrently in the tube side. A calculation of the overall mass transfer coefficient, K_G, of the membrane used was made for this system. In ethanol stripping tests using a module containing polytetrafluoreethylene (PTFE) tubular membranes, the K_G was found to be more affected by the liquid flow rate than the gas flow rate. Moreover, the gas side mass transfer coefficient, k_G, was estimated to be about 5×10⁻⁵ mol/cm²·s·atm. The liquid side mass transfer coefficient, k_L, on the other hand, was found to increase linearly with the linear velocity of the aqueous solution. Also, at an average solution temperature range of 21 to 32°C, no significant change in the K_G was observed. Comparison of the K_G of different tubular membranes revealed that the K_G of the PTFE membrane was higher than that of polypropylene or silicone membranes under the given experimental conditions.     

Effect of alcohol on the solubility of amino acid in water

In a previous work, the parameters of the statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) equation of state for amino acids were determined by using the method developed. The solubility of amino acids in water was modeled. In this work, the SAFT equation of state has been applied to describe the solubility of amino acids in aqueous alcohol solutions. The systems include dl-alanine/ethanol/water, glycine/ethanol/water, dl-valine/ethanol/water, dl-serine/ethanol/water, glycine/1-propanol/water, glycine/2-propanol/water, l-alanine/2-propanol/water, l-leucine/ethanol/water. Binary interaction parameters between amino acid and alcohol are needed by the SAFT model to get good modeling results.     

Modeling of sodium acetate recovery from aqueous solutions by electrodialysis

The main engineering parameters (i.e., ion transport numbers in solution and electro-membranes; effective solute and water transport numbers; effective membrane surface area, membrane surface resistances, and limiting current intensity) affecting the recovery of sodium acetate from model solutions by electrodialysis (ED) were determined in accordance with a sequential experimental procedure. Such parameters allowed a satisfactory simulation of a few validation tests carried out under constant or step-wisely variable current intensity. The performance of this ED process was characterized in terms of a current efficiency (omega) of about 93% in the constant-current region, a water transport number (t(W)) of about 15, and a specific energy consumption (epsilon) increasing from 0.14 to 0.31 kWh/kg for a solute recovery yield of 95% as the current density (j) was increased from 112 to 337 A/m2. The specific resistance of the anion- or cation-exchange membranes were found to be three or two times greater than those measured in aqueous NaCl solutions and are to be used to design and/or optimize ED stacks involved in the downstream processing of acetic acid fermentation broths.     

Effects of brassinosteroid infiltration prior to cold treatment on ion leakage and pigment contents in rape leaves

The effect of 24-epibrassinolide (BR₂₇) on cold resistance of rape seedlings was studied by ion leakage and photosynthetic pigment degradation measurements. Aqueous solutions of BR₂₇ were injected into cotyledons or primary leaves of rape plants and these plants were incubated at 2 °C or 20 °C. Cold treatment (2 °C) without BR₂₇ injection elevated the membrane permeability in both primary leaves and cotyledons significantly. Surprisingly, injection of leaves with water or 0.467 % aqueous ethanol solution led to a massive increase in membrane permeability after cold stress at 2 °C. The synergistic effect of leaf infiltration and cold on permeability was abolished by 0.05 and 1.00 μM of BR₂₇ in primary leaves and by 1.00 μM of BR₂₇ in cotyledons. On the other hand, BR₂₇ solutions strongly elevated the membrane permeability at 20 °C, while water and ethanol solutions brought about only negligible increases. Water or ethanol infiltrations strongly reduced the leaf contents of chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b and carotenoids at 2 °C but less markedly at 20 °C. However, in seedlings exposed to 2 °C pigments content was significantly higher in BR₂₇-treated leaves as compared to water/ethanol control. There were no differences between pigment contents of leaves injected with BR₂₇ solutions or only water/ethanol at 20 °C. The above data strongly support the stress protecting effect of BR₂₇.     

Dehydration from alcohols by polyion complex cross-linked chitosan composite membranes during evapomeation

This study describes the dehydration of an ethanol/water azeotrope during evapomeation using polyion complex cross-linked chitosan composite (q-Chito-PEO acid polyion complex/PES composite) membranes, constructed from quaternized chitosan (q-Chito) and poly(ethylene oxydiglycolic acid) (PEO acid) on a porous poly(ether sulfone) (PES) support. Both the q-Chito/PES composite and the q-Chito-PEO acid polyion complex/PES composite membranes showed high water permselectivity for an ethanol/water azeotrope. Both the permeation rate and the water permselectivity of the q-Chito/PES composite membranes were enhanced by increasing the degree of quaternization of the chitosan molecule because the affinity of the q-Chito/PES composite membranes for water was increased by introducing a quaternized ammonium group into the chitosan molecule. q-Chito-PEO acid polyion complex/PES composite membranes prepared from an equimolar ratio of carboxylate groups in the PEO acid versus quaternized ammonium groups in the q-Chito showed the maximum separation factor for water permselectivity without lowering the permeation rate. With an increasing molecular weight of PEO acid, the separation factor for water permselectivity increased, but the permeation rate almost did not change. The mechanism responsible for the separation of an ethanol/water azeotrope through the q-Chito-PEO acid polyion complex/PES composite membranes was analyzed by the solution-diffusion model. The permeation rate, separation factor for water permselectivity, and evapomeation index of q-Chito-PEO acid 400 polyion complex/PES composite membrane with an equimolar ratio of carboxylate groups in PEO acid 400 and ammonium groups in q-Chito were 3.5 x 10(-1) kg/(m(2) hr), 6300, and 2205, respectively, and very high membrane performance. The separation factor for water permselectivity for aqueous solutions of n-propyl and isopropyl alcohol was also maximized at an equimolar ratio of carboxylate groups and ammonium groups and was greater than that for an ethanol/water azeotrope. The above results were discussed from the viewpoint of the physical and chemical structure of the q-Chito-PEO acid polyion complex/PES composite membranes and the permeants.     

Recovery of L-lysine from dilute water solutions by liquid pertraction

Kinetics of liquid membrane (Pertraction) recovery of L-lysine from dilute aqueous solutions is studied in a tow-compartment glass cell. A 5% (vol) solution of the cation exchange carrier di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid in n-decane was used as intermediate, membrane liquid. The third stripping phase was 1/v hydrochloric acid. The reaction mechanism and stoichiometry were defined, and on the basis of the proposed mathematical model of the process and the experimental data obtained, the mass transfer coefficients were evaluated. It was found that overall transfer rate is controlled by the eddy diffusion of transported species in the donor and membrane liquids. The results proved the feasibility of the pertraction process for recovery and concentration of L-lysine from its dilute aqueous solutions.     

Intracellular activities of chloride, potassium and sodium ions in rabbit corneal epithelium

The mechanism of ion transport in the epithelium of rabbit cornea was studied by determining the intracellular ion activity of Cl-, Na+ and K+ under various conditions. Ionic activities were measured by means of microelectrodes containing liquid ion-exchangers selective for Cl-, Na+ or K+. The Cl- activity in basal cells of the epithelium in Na+ containing bathing solutions amounts to 28 +/- 2 mM (n = 11). This value is 1.9-times greater than expected on the basis of passive distribution across the tear side membrane. This finding suggests the existence of a Cl- accumulating process. Replacement of Na+ in the aqueous bathing solution by choline or tetraethylammonium results in a reversible decrease in Cl- activity to 22 +/- 1 mM (n = 11, P less than 0.025). The ratio of observed and predicted Cl- activity decreased significantly from 1.9 to 1.4 (P less than 0.05). The decrease in Cl- activity due to Na+ replacement was rather slow. In contrast, after readmittance of Na+ to the aqueous bathing solution, Cl- activity rose to a stable level within 30 min. These results indicate involvement of Na+ in Cl- accumulation into the basal cells of the epithelium. The K+ and Na+ activities of the basal cells of rabbit corneal epithelium in control bathing solutions were 75 +/- 4 mM (n = 13) and 24 +/- 3 mM (n = 12), respectively. The results can be summarized in the following model for Cl- transport across corneal epithelium. Cl- is accumulated in the basal cells across the aqueous side membrane, energized by a favourable Na+ gradient. Cl- will subsequently leak out across the tear side membranes. Na+ is extruded again across the aqueous side membrane of the epithelium by the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase.     

The behavior of the fluorescence lifetime and polarization of oxonol potential-sensitive extrinsic probes in solution and in beef heart submitochondrial particles

Summary The fluorescence polarization and lifetime of the extrinsic potential-sensitive probes oxonols V and VI have been investigated both for the dyes free in aqueous and ethanol solutions and in the presence of beef heart submitochondrial particles under resting and energy-transducing conditions. The emission lifetime of the dyes appears to be inversely related to the solvent dielectric constant and increases as the solvent is changed from an aqueous medium to ethanol to the biological membrane. The fluorescence decay curve becomes biphasic in the presence of the membrane preparation and consists of a faster decaying component, the lifetime of which is the same as that of the probe in aqueous solution and of a slower decaying component. The longer lived component suffers an uncoupler-sensitive decrease in lifetime when ATP is added to the medium. The decrease in lifetime of the longer lived species is accompanied by large depolarizations of the dye fluorescence. These observations are consistent with a redistribution-type mechanism for the energy-dependent spectral changes involving the movement of probe from the aqueous phase to the membrane vesicles. The rotational relaxation time of oxonols V and VI is increased by over an order of magnitude when these dyes associate with the membrane. This observation is consistent with a previously developed model for the location of the dyes in the bilayer in which the side chains serve as anchors, preventing the rapid tumbling of the probe in the membrane.     

Factors influencing deactivation of yeast cells exposed to ethanol

The lyotropic series discovered in 1888 by Hofmeister describes the effect of solutes on the structure and physical chemistry of the aqueous phase. Chaotropic members of the lyotropic series destructure the aqueous phase while antichaotropic solutes act to enhance the structuredness of the aqueous phase. This alteration of the aqueous phase affects the physical structure or physicochemical state of any other phase exposed to the aqueous phase, such as the plasma membrane of any cell. Solute lyotropy is therefore, via its ability to alter the physicochemical state of the plasma membrane, able to modify the processes of yeast cell deactivation (i.e. the processes leading to loss of ability to replicate and to eventual cell death) in the presence of toxic solutes such as ethanol. In this study the effect of a variety of salts and non-ionic solutes upon cell deactivation in the presence of 16% w/v ethanol is explained in terms of the lyotropic series. Chaotropic salts protect against ethanol-induced deactivation and antichaotropic salts enhance the rate of this process. It is proposed that the mechanism by which chaotropic solutes exert their protective effect involves a reduction in the activity coefficient of the ethanol, thereby reducing the concentration of ethanol within the plasma membrane.     

Ethanol-induced conformational transitions in holo-α-lactalbumin: Spectral and calorimetric studies

Conformational transitions of holo-α-lactalbumin in a hydro-ethanolic cosolvent system was studied by spectrofluorescence, CD in near- and far-uv regions, and high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry. Experimental results allow us to propose that in isothermal conditions α-lactalbumin undergoes a number of conformational transitions with increasing ethanol concentration: N ⇔ I ⇔ D ⇔ H . The existence of I -state was deduced from spectrofluorometric and near-uv CD data. In this state the aromatic chromophores of the amino acid side chains are more accessible to the solvent displaying higher local mobility. The H -state was detected from far-uv CD spectra as a state corresponding to the content of α-helices higher than originally found in native protein. However, calorimetric measurements provide data revealing only the two-state mechanism of α-lactalbumin unfolding in both water and in aqueous ethanol solutions. This indicates that the energy levels of N - and I -states as well as of D - and H -states are similar. Thermodynamics of the unfolding of α-lactalbumin in hydro-ethanolic solutions was analyzed with the help of the linear model of solvent denaturation. Unfolding increments of enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy of transfer of the protein from a reference aqueous solution to hydro-ethanolic solutions of different concentrations were determined from the calorimetric data. They are linear functions of molar ethanol fraction. The slope of the unfolding increment of Gibbs energy of transfer was calculated from data on transfer of amino acid residues taking into account the average solvent accessibility of amino acid residues in the native structure of small globular proteins, using the additive group contribution method. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 46: 253–265, 1998     

Factors influencing deactivation of yeast cells exposed to ethanol

The lyotropic series discovered in 1888 by Hofmeister describes the effect of solutes on the structure and physical chemistry of the aqueous phase. Chaotropic members of the lyotropic series destructure the aqueous phase while antichaotropic solutes act to enhance the structuredness of the aqueous phase. This alteration of the aqueous phase affects the physical structure or physicochemical state of any other phase exposed to the aqueous phase, such as the plasma membrane of any cell. Solute lyotropy is therefore, via its ability to alter the physicochemical state of the plasma membrane, able to modify the processes of yeast cell deactivation (i.e. the processes leading to loss of ability to replicate and to eventual cell death) in the presence of toxic solutes such as ethanol. In this study the effect of a variety of salts and non-ionic solutes upon cell deactivation in the presence of 16% w/v ethanol is explained in terms of the lyotropic series. Chaotropic salts protect against ethanol-induced deactivation and antichaotropic salts enhance the rate of this process. It is proposed that the mechanism by which chaotropic solutes exert their protective effect involves a reduction in the activity coefficient of the ethanol, thereby reducing the concentration of ethanol within the plasma membrane.     

Actin filament branching and protrusion velocity in a simple 1D model of a motile cell

We formulate and analyse a 1D model for the spatial distribution of actin density at the leading edge of a motile cell. The model incorporates nucleation, capping, growth and decay of actin filaments, as well as retrograde flow of the actin meshwork and known parameter values based on the literature. Using a simplified geometry, and reasonable assumptions about the biochemical processes, we derive PDEs for the density of actin filaments and their tips. Analytic travelling wave solutions are used to predict how the speed of the cell depends on rates of nucleation, capping, polymerization and membrane resistance. Analysis and simulations agree with experimental profiles for measured actin distributions. Extended versions of the model are studied numerically. We find that our model produces stable travelling wave solutions with reasonable cell speeds. Increasing the rate of nucleation of filaments (by the actin related protein Arp2/3) or the rate of actin polymerization leads to faster cell speed, whereas increasing the rate of capping or the membrane resistance reduces cell speed. We consider several variants of nucleation (spontaneous, tip, and side branching) and find best agreement with experimentally measured spatial profiles of filament and tip density in the side branching case.     

CO2 and fluorinated solvent-based technologies for protein microparticle precipitation from aqueous solutions

Precipitation with a compressed or supercritical fluid antisolvent (PCA) has been used to produce microparticles of biologically active proteins, pharmaceuticals, and polymers. However, the application of PCA to a wider range of proteins is limited by the low mutual solubility of water (necessary to dissolve most proteins) and CO(2) (traditionally used as the compressed antisolvent). This investigation extends PCA to proteins in aqueous solutions by utilizing ethanol as a cosolvent to enhance the antisolvent properties of CO(2) toward aqueous systems. alpha-Chymotrypsin, a model protein, was precipitated from both compressed CO(2) and a liquid fluorinated antisolvent, a hydrofluoroether (HFE). The equilibrium phase behavior of the antisolvent/ethanol/water systems was examined to identify a one-phase region suitable for protein precipitation. Spherical protein microparticles with a primary particle size of approximately 0.2-0.6 microm were recovered using both the compressed CO(2) and fluorinated antisolvents. Although the proteins retained significant activity using both antisolvent systems, the HFE-precipitated chymotrypsin retained higher activity than the CO(2)-precipitated protein.     

Suppression of α‐Amylase inactivation in the presence of ethanol: Application of a two‐step model

A number of years ago we reported a two‐step inactivation mechanism for α‐amylase (enzyme) on the basis of theoretical and experimental studies in aqueous solutions. In the first step the metal (Ca²⁺) ion dissociates reversibly from the enzyme followed by an irreversible thermal inactivation of the apoenzyme. In this study we report inactivation of the enzyme in the presence of ethanol–water solutions. We noticed that as the concentration of ethanol in the aqueous solution is increased, the thermal inactivation of the enzyme is suppressed with almost no inactivation (in 1 h, 30°C) when 50% alcohol is present in the solution. These results are explained by the two‐step inactivation model. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1271–1275, 2016     

Highly concentrated aqueous ethanol solutions by pervaporation using silicalite membrane — Improvement of ethanol selectivity by addition of sugars to ethanol solution

Pervaporation performance using silicalite membranes in the separation of an ethanol/water solution was affected by the addition of sugars, sugar alcohols or yeast cells. Although the membrane flux drastically decreased to about 30% of that for an aqueous ethanol solution with increasing glucose or lactose concentration, the selectivity towards ethanol was inversely enhanced by the addition of glucose from 23 to 137. The accumulated proteins and acidic by-products in the fermentation broth caused the decline in the performance.     

A model of epithelial water transport. The corneal endothelium.

To try to understand how an epithelial tissue can transport water between bathing solutions of equal tonicity and how intracellular solute and protein concentration are related to the structural specialization of the cell membrane at its apical, basal, and lateral margins, we have formulated and solved, using approximate analytical techniques, a new model which combines the detailed transport of local osmotic flow in extracellular channel with the multicompartment approach of thermodynamic models requiring the overall conservation of water and solute for the entire cell layer. Thus, unlike most previous models, which dealt exclusively with either the average properties of the cell layer or the local transport in the extracellular channel, we are able to solve simultaneously for the interaction of the cell with its environments across its apical, basal, and lateral cell membranes as well as the detailed transport in the extracellular channel. The model is then applied to corneal endothelium to obtain new insight into the water flow movement in this tissue under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Then in vitro solution shows that the cell at 297 mosmol/liter is slightly hypotonic to the 300-mosmol/liter external bathing solutions which drive water equally out both the aqueous (apical) and stromal (basal) cell faces. This water is replaced from the extracellular channel. There is a net flow of water because more water enters the channel through its open stromal end than through the higher resistance tight junction. In vivo, the solution predicts that the stromal swelling pressure forces water through the tight junctions towards the stroma so that there is no net flow. The interesting new features of our solution are the water recirculation pattern and the role of the osmotically active proteins in making the cell hypertonic relative to the channel.     

不同方法提取杜仲中桃叶珊瑚苷等4种高活性成分的比较研究

为研究生物化学方法对杜仲中高活性成分的提取率,本文以高效液相色谱法检验样品中提取出活性成分的含量差异,比较了在相同条件下酶解法、水提法、醇提法对杜仲树皮中桃叶珊瑚苷、京尼平苷、京尼平苷酸与绿原酸这4种活性成分的提取量,并对4种活性成分的不同提取效果进行了比较研究。结果发现三种方法的提取量存在明显差异,其中桃叶珊瑚苷提取量为:酶解法22. 42μg/g,水提法8. 27μg/g,醇提法9. 13μg/g;京尼平苷提取量为:酶解法77. 89μg/g,水提法33. 19μg/g,醇提法7. 76μg/g;京尼平苷酸提取量为:酶解法110. 05μg/g,水提法36. 63μg/g,醇提法47. 40μg/g;绿原酸提取量为:酶解法345. 35μg/g,水提法118. 85μg/g,醇提法172. 04μg/g,即酶解法提取量均比水提法、醇提法高出数倍。实验表明酶解法是3种方法中提取效果最好的,且无化学污染。