Detection of Charge-Neutral Near-Equilibrium Processes at Na-Metal Electrodes by Electrochemical Microcalorimetry

Investigations on electrochemical kinetics usually rely on the measurement of current or potential as a function of time. Charge-neutral process steps or side reactions are naturally disguised in the electrical signals and have only indirect impact. However, all processes will contribute to heat evolution. In this work, heat absorption/liberation is measured as a function of time for pulsed Na deposition/dissolution on a Na-electrode in a 1 m NaPF₆/diglyme solution, in addition to the standard electrochemical signals. While potential and current transients both exhibited sharp rectangular shapes, indicating instantaneous electrochemical Na deposition or dissolution on the time scale of the pulse (10 ms), heat absorption or liberation continued up to about 0.5 s after the pulse. Since heat evolution is to large extent reversible, this corresponded to entropy changes in the absence of external electric current flow, pointing to a reversible, charge-neutral chemical process accompanying Na deposition or dissolution. From the observed entropy changes, it is suggested that upon Na deposition solvated Na⁺ ions are instantaneously transferred into the outer layers of the solid electrolyte interphase, followed by slow desolvation.     

Application of equilibrium and mass transfer models to dynamic removal of Cr(VI) ions by Chitin in packed column reactor

The dynamic removal of hexavalent chromium by chitin flakes was studied in a packed column reactor. The values of column parameters were predicted as a function of flow rate, bed depth, particle size and inlet metal ion concentration. On evaluating the breakthrough curves, sorption isotherms were obtained and modelled according to the Langmuir, the Redlich–Peterson and the Freundlich models. Kinetic and mass transfer aspects of the dynamic removal of Cr(VI) ions by chitin were investigated using several mathematical models. Column studies showed a good correlation between the experimental data and the calculated breakthrough curves obtained by the Adams–Bohart or the Wolborska models and the Clark model. The simulation of the whole breakthrough curve was effective with the Clark model, but the breakthrough was best predicted by Adams–Bohart, or related derived models.     

Microcalorimetric studies of hybridoma cells

In the present study, overall metabolism has been estimated in hybridoma cells by microcalorimetric measurement. Heat production rate was found to be 30-50 pW/cell at cell concentrations 0.65-4.5 x 10(5)/ml. High cell concentrations (1 x 10(6) cells/ml) caused unstable power-curves with an initial high peak and a rapid declining phase, whereas low cell concentrations (0.6-4.5 x 10(5) cells/ml) produced steady-state power-curves. Oxygen consumption was found to range between 1.5-6.1 x 10(-5) mol 02/cell/min, corresponding to about 80% of the total metabolic activity. The metabolic inhibitors sodium fluoride (50 nM), sodium azide (160 mM) and rotenone (0.1 mM) caused a reduction in overall cell metabolism of 60, 55 and 40% respectively.     

X射线对我国两种典型土壤中微生物活性及群落结构的影响

【目的】X射线断层扫描技术(X-ray micro-Computed Tomography,micro-CT)能够原位、无损伤的解析土壤物理结构,有望与土壤微生物研究结合,以有助于更好的了解土壤生态系统。由于土壤的高度异质性,X射线扫描和土壤微生物分析应为同一样品,但是关于X射线扫描后的土壤样品是否兼容土壤微生物分析却鲜有报道,即X射线扫描是否影响土壤微生物的活性及群落尚未明确。【方法】本研究采集我国华北地区潮土和亚热带红壤,利用平板计数、微量热技术和高通量测序技术研究了X射线扫描对可培养微生物数量、土壤微生物的代谢热和群落结构的影响。【结果】X射线辐射显著降低了2种土壤中活体细菌的数量,同时微生物的代谢活性也发生改变;在分子水平上,基于细菌16S r RNA基因的高通量数据显示2种土壤的细菌多样性指数发生了变化,而其群落结构均无改变。【结论】X射线断层扫描技术并不兼容土壤微生物功能的研究;但可兼容基于分子生物学的微生物群落结构分析。     

土壤异养呼吸的测定及其温度敏感性影响因子

土壤异养呼吸主要指土壤中微生物分解有机质释放CO2的过程,是陆地生态系统中土壤碳的主要净输出途径,土壤异养呼吸与净初级生产力的差值是决定生态系统碳源/汇的关键.本文介绍了土壤异养呼吸的测定方法--室内培养的去根土壤样品培养和原状土柱培养,以及野外原位测定的根排除法、环割法和同位素法等操作方法的优缺点以及适用范围.在土壤异养呼吸的研究方面,土壤异养呼吸温度敏感性(Q10)是碳循环研究的重要方面之一,温度、水分以及土壤呼吸底物是影响Q10的主要因子,一般情况下,随着温度的升高,Q10下降;土壤含水量过低或过高时,Q10降低;土壤有机碳的有效性影响着土壤异养呼吸对温度变化的响应程度,当有效性降低时Q10下降,不同周转时间的有机碳的温度敏感性也不相同,活性有机碳的温度敏感性较惰性有机碳的温度敏感性低.     

Degradation of xenobiotic compounds in situ: Capabilities and limits

Abstract: Exploiting microorganisms for remediation of waste sites is a promising alternative to groundwater pumping and above ground treatment. The objective of in situ bioremediation is to stimulate the growth of indigenous or introduced microorganisms in regions of subsurface contamination, and thus to provide direct contact between microorganisms and the dissolved and sorbed contaminants for biotransformation. Subsurface microorganisms detected at a former manufactured gas plant site contaminated with coal tars mineralized significant amounts of naphthalene (8–43%) and phenanthrene (3–31%) in sediment-water microcosms incubated for 4 weeks under aerobic conditions. Evidence was obtained for naphthalene mineralization (8–13%) in the absence of oxygen in field samples. These data suggest that biodegradation of these compounds is occurring at the site, and the prospects are good for enhancing this biodegradation. Additional batch studies demonstrated that sorption of naphthalene onto aquifer materials reduced the extent and rate of biodegradation, indicating that desorption rate was controlling the biodegradation performance.     

Simple ITC method for activity and inhibition studies on human salivary α-amylase

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) has an increasing significance in enzyme kinetic studies owing to its general applicability and sensitivity. In the present work, we aimed at developing a simple ITC-based screening procedure for the measurement of human salivary α-amylase (HSA) activity. Reaction of two substrates was studied with three independent methods (ITC, HPLC and spectrophotometry). ITC experiments were made using free and chromophore-containing maltooligomers of different length as substrates. Detailed studies revealed that maltoheptaose or longer oligomers could model properly starch and the presence of aromatic chromophore group did not affect the K_M values considerably. It is the first time, when ITC was used to investigate of HSA-catalysed hydrolysis of different substrates (2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl-4-O-α-D-galactopyranosyl-maltoside, maltoheptaose and starch) in the presence of acarbose inhibitor. All measured IC₅₀ values are in micromolar range (0.9, 18.6 and 29.0?μM, respectively) and increased in parallel with the degree of polymerisation of substrates.     

Metals sorption from aqueous solutions by Kluyveromyces marxianus: Process optimization,equilibrium modeling and chemical characterization

The dead Kluyveromyces marxianus biomass, a fermentation industry waste, was used to explore its sorption potential for lead, mercury, arsenic, cobalt, and cadmium as a function of pH, biosorbent dosage, contact time, agitation speed, and initial metal concentration. The equilibrium data fitted the Langmuir model better for cobalt and cadmium, but Freundlich isotherm for all metals tested. At equilibrium, the maximum uptake capacity (Qmax) was highest for lead followed by mercury, arsenic, cobalt, and cadmium. The RL values ranged between 0–1, indicating favorable sorption of all test metals by the biosorbent. The maximum Kf value of Pb showed its efficient removal from the solution. However, multi-metal analysis depicted that sorption of all metals decreased except Pb. The potentiometric titration of biosorbent revealed the presence of functional groups viz. amines, carboxylic acids, phosphates, and sulfhydryl group involved in heavy metal sorption. The extent of contribution of functional groups and lipids to biosorption was in the order: carboxylic>lipids>amines>phosphates. Blocking of sulfhydryl group did not have any significant effect on metal sorption.     

Nitrogen isotope effects in the assimilation of inorganic nitrogenous compounds by marine diatoms

Nitrogen isotope fractionation in the assimilation of inorganic nitrogenous compounds was studied using marine diatoms (Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chaetoceros sp.). The isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N) of the diatoms ranged from 7 to ‐18‰ relative to that of the nitrogen source, i.e., ammonium, nitrite, or nitrate. When the growth was light‐limited, the isotope fractionation in nitrate assimilation was inversely correlated with the growth rate. The highest fractionation factor of 1.016 was obtained when the growth rate was as low as 0.025 day^‐1. Fractionation was negligible when the growth, rate was higher than 1 day^‐1. A steady‐state kinetic model was applied to explain the isotope fractionation in nitrate assimilation. The nitrogen isotope fractionation primarily takes place at the step of N‐O bond breaking in nitrate reduction to nitrite. The extent of the isotope fractionation associated with the nitrate uptake is very small, and barely exceeds the limit of detection.     

Soil minerals and humic acids alter enzyme stability: implications for ecosystem processes

In most ecosystems, the degradation of complex organic material depends on extracellular enzymes produced by microbes. These enzymes can exist in bound or free form within the soil, but the dynamics of these different enzyme pools remain uncertain. To address this uncertainty, I determined rates of enzyme turnover in a volcanic soil with and without added enzymes. I also tested whether or not soil minerals and humic acids would alter enzyme activity. In soils that were gamma-irradiated to stop enzyme production, 35–70% of the enzyme activity was stable throughout the 21-day incubation. The remaining enzyme fraction decayed at rates ranging from − 0.032 to − 0.628 day⁻¹. In both the irradiated soils and in soils with added enzymes, addition of the mineral allophane had a strong positive effect on most enzyme activities. Another added mineral, ferrihydrite, had a weak positive effect on some enzymes. Added humic acids strongly inhibited enzyme activity. These findings suggest that minerals, especially allophane, enhance potential enzyme activities in young volcanic soils. However, the actual activity and function of these enzymes may be low under field conditions if stabilization results in less efficient enzyme-substrate interactions. If this is the case, then much of the measured enzyme activity in bulk soil may be stabilized but unlikely to contribute greatly to ecosystem processes.