Solute Concentration (solute + concentration)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Prospective Evaluation of the Change of Predialysis Protein-Bound Uremic Solute Concentration With Postdilution Online Hemodiafiltration

ARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 7 2010
Natalie Meert
Abstract Although protein-bound uremic compounds have been related to outcome in observational studies, few current dialysis strategies provide more removal of those compounds than standard hemodialysis. We evaluated the evolution of protein-bound uremic solutes after a switch from high-flux hemodialysis to postdilution hemodiafiltration (n = 13). We compared predialysis solute concentration at 4, 5, and 9 weeks versus baseline for several protein-bound compounds and water-soluble solutes, as well as for ,2 -microglobulin. After 9 weeks of postdilution hemodiafiltration, a significant decrease versus baseline could be detected for total concentration of protein-bound solutes: p-cresylsulfate (3.98 ± 1.51,3.17 ± 1.77 mg/dL, ,20%, P < 0.01) and 3-carboxyl-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropionic acid (0.72 ± 0.52,0.64 ± 0.46 mg/dL, ,11%, P < 0.01). For the other protein-bound solutes, hippuric acid, indoleacetic acid, and indoxylsulfate, no change in total concentration could be detected. The concentration of the middle molecule, ,2 -microglobulin, decreased as well after 9 weeks of postdilution hemodiafiltration (24.7 ± 9.3,18.1 ± 6.7 mg/L, ,27%, P < 0.01). For water-soluble compounds, no significant change of concentration was found. Postdilution hemodiafiltration in comparison to high-flux hemodialysis provided significant reduction of predialysis concentration of protein-bound compounds, especially those with the highest protein binding, and of ,2 -microglobulin, by ,11 to ,27% in 9 weeks. [source]


The solute budget of a forest catchment and solute fluxes within a Pinus radiata and a secondary native forest site, southern Chile

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 13 2002
Geertrui Y. P. Uyttendaele
Abstract Solute concentrations and fluxes in rainfall, throughfall and stemflow in two forest types, and stream flow in a 90 ha catchment in southern Chile (39°44,S, 73°10,W) were measured. Bulk precipitation pH was 6·1 and conductivity was low. Cation concentrations in rainfall were low (0·58 mg Ca2+ l,1, 0·13 mg K+ l,1, 0·11 mg Mg2+ l,1 and <0·08 mg NH4,N l,1), except for sodium (1·10 mg l,1). Unexpected high levels of nitrate deposition in rainfall (mean concentration 0·38 mg NO3,N l,1, total flux 6·3 kg NO3,N ha,1) were measured. Concentrations of soluble phosphorous in bulk precipitation and stream flow were below detection limits (<0·09 mg l,1) for all events. Stream-flow pH was 6·3 and conductivity was 28·3 ,s. Stream-water chemistry was also dominated by sodium (2·70 mg l,1) followed by Ca, Mg and K (1·31, 0·70 and 0·36 mg l,1). The solute budget indicated a net loss of 3·8 kg Na+ ha,1 year,1, 5·4 kg Mg2+ ha,1 year,1, 1·5 kg Ca2+ ha,1 year,1 and 0·9 kg K+ ha,1 year,1, while 4·9 kg NO3,N ha,1 year,1 was retained by the ecosystem. Stream water is not suitable for domestic use owing to high manganese and, especially, iron concentrations. Throughfall and stemflow chemistry at a pine stand (Pinus radiata D. Don) and a native forest site (Siempreverde type), both located within the catchment, were compared. Nitrate fluxes within both forest sites were similar (1·3 kg NO3,N ha,1 year,1 as throughfall). Cation fluxes in net rainfall (throughfall plus stemflow) at the pine stand generally were higher (34·8 kg Na+ ha,1 year,1, 21·5 kg K+ ha,1 year,1, 5·1 kg Mg2+ ha,1 year,1) compared with the secondary native forest site (24·7 kg Na+ ha,1 year,1, 18·9 kg K+ ha,1 year,1 and 4·4 kg Mg2+ ha,1 year,1). However, calcium deposition beneath the native forest stand was higher (15·9 kg Ca2+ ha,1 year,1) compared with the pine stand (12·6 kg Ca2+ ha,1 year,1). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


A novel self-consistent Nývlt-like equation for metastable zone width determined by the polythermal method

CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2009
K. Sangwal
Abstract Using a power-law relation between three-dimensional nucleation rate J and dimensionless supersaturation ratio S, and the theory of regular solutions to describe the temperature dependence of solubility, a novel Nývlt-like equation of metastable zone width of solution relating maximum supercooling ,Tmax with cooling rate R is proposed in the form: ln(,Tmax/T0) = , + , lnR, with intercept , = {(1,m)/m }ln(,Hs/RGTlim) + (1/m)ln(f/KT0) and slope , = 1/m. Here T0 is the initial saturation temperature of solution in a cooling experiment, ,Hs is the heat of dissolution, RG is the gas constant, Tlim is the temperature of appearance of first nuclei, m is the nucleation order, and K is a new nucleation constant connected with the factor f defined as the number of particles per unit volume. It was found that the value of the term , for a system at saturation temperature T0 is essentially determined by the constant m and the factor f. The value of the factor f for a solute,solvent system at initial saturation temperature T0 is determined by solute concentration c0. Analysis of the experiment data for four different solute-water systems according to the above equation revealed that: (1) the values of , and m for a system at a given temperature depend on the method of detection of metstable zone width, and (2) the value of slope , = 1/m for a system is practically a temperature-independent constant characteristic of the system, but the value of , increases with an increase in saturation temperature T0, following an Arrhenius-type equation with an activation energy Esat. The results showed, among others, that solubility of a solute is an important factor that determines the value of the nucleation order m and the activation energy Esat for diffusion. In general, the lower the solubility of a solute in a given solvent, the higher is the value of m and lower is the value of Esat. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


Growth of big single crystals of a new magnetic superconducting double perovskite Ba2PrRu1,xCuxO6

CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
S. M. Rao
Abstract Single crystals of Ba2PrRu1,xCuxO6 with x = 0 to 0.2, have been grown from high temperature solutions of a mixture of PbO-PbF2 in the temperature range 1100,1200 °C. Thin crystals with mostly a hexagonal and triangular plate like habit measuring up to 1,2 mm across and 0.1,0.2 mm thick were obtained. The size, quality and morphology of the crystals were improved by varying the solution volume as well as additives like B2O3. Large crystals measuring up to 3 mm across and 0.3 to 0.5 mm thick were obtained with 5,7 wt% solute concentration and 0.51 wt% of B2O3. The ZFC curves exhibit a spin glass like behavior with x = 0 and a superconducting transition at 8 to 11 K depending on x = 0.05 to 0.1. The transition was also influenced by the growth temperature and post growth annealing. Powder x-ray diffraction, EDS and Raman spectroscopic measurements confirm the presence of Cu in the crystals. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


The effect of surface,solute interactions on the transport of solutes through porous materials

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2009
D. A. Rose
Summary We have investigated the effect of differences in surface charge, valency of ion, solute concentration, solution flux and physical structure on the leaching and uptake of individual ions from simple solutions flowing through porous materials. We studied the miscible displacement of solutions of four salts (KBr, K2SO4, CaBr2 and CaSO4) having different cation : anion ratios separately through three inert materials (ballotini, pumice and ceramic) and two sizes of a reactive material (sepiolite) over several ranges of concentration (c) and at many pore-water velocities (v) under steady vertical saturated flow. Breakthrough curves of individual effluent ions (K+, Br,, Ca2+ and SO42,) were analysed by CXTFIT 2.0 to optimize transport parameters (retardation factor, R; dispersion coefficient, K) assuming that transport was governed by the convective,dispersion equation. In the inert materials, R did not differ significantly from 1 irrespective of c. In sepiolite, R was < 1 for anions and > 1 for cations, and became more extreme as c decreased. R varied with the valency of the anions, as predicted by diffuse double layer theory, and with that of the cations by a simple charge balance. Freundlich isotherms, reconstructed from R values, described the sorption of the cations and exclusion of the anions. For the inert materials, K did not depend on the ion or c and increased monotonically with v. For sepiolite, K also increased with v and with small but non-significant differences between ions and concentrations. The K(v) functions were consistent with Passioura's theory of dispersion in aggregated media, and the transport was reversible as R and K values did not depend on whether the media were being leached or resalinized. The effective dispersion coefficient of an ion is K* = K/R so, although K(v) appears to be unaffected by ion or concentration of solute in sepiolite, K*(v) will be affected. Thus, the controlling factor of these surface,solute interactions is R. [source]


Recovery of water-soluble constituents of rose oil using simultaneous distillation,extraction

FLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 6 2005
Mohammad H. Eikani
Abstract Recovery of water-soluble constituents of rose oil from aqueous solutions using simultaneous distillation,extraction was studied. Experiments were carried out using a modified Likens,Nickerson apparatus. A preliminary study was first performed on aqueous 2-phenylethanol solutions. Using n -butyl acetate as the solvent, the effects of extraction time, solvent volume and solute concentration on recovery yields were investigated. The optimum experimental conditions obtained from the preliminary study were applied to extract rose oil constituents from actual aqueous solutions, such as rose water, second distillation water and residual water of Iranian rose (Rosa damascena Mill). The results show that a representative extract with recovery of the most valuable constituents of rose oil was carried out successfully. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Karst Spring Responses Examined by Process-Based Modeling

GROUND WATER, Issue 6 2006
Steffen Birk
Ground water in karst terrains is highly vulnerable to contamination due to the rapid transport of contaminants through the highly conductive conduit system. For contamination risk assessment purposes, information about hydraulic and geometric characteristics of the conduits and their hydraulic interaction with the fissured porous rock is an important prerequisite. The relationship between aquifer characteristics and short-term responses to recharge events of both spring discharge and physicochemical parameters of the discharged water was examined using a process-based flow and transport model. In the respective software, a pipe-network model, representing fast conduit flow, is coupled to MODFLOW, which simulates flow in the fissured porous rock. This hybrid flow model was extended to include modules simulating heat and reactive solute transport in conduits. The application of this modeling tool demonstrates that variations of physicochemical parameters, such as solute concentration and water temperature, depend to a large extent on the intensity and duration of recharge events and provide information about the structure and geometry of the conduit system as well as about the interaction between conduits and fissured porous rock. Moreover, the responses of solute concentration and temperature of spring discharge appear to reflect different processes, thus complementing each other in the aquifer characterization. [source]


Uremic Toxins: Removal with Different Therapies

HEMODIALYSIS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2003
Raymond C. Vanholder
A convenient way to classify uremic solutes is to subdivide them according to the physicochemical characteristics influencing their dialytic removal into small water-soluble compounds (<500 Da), protein-bound compounds, and middle molecules (>500 Da). The prototype of small water-soluble solutes remains urea although the proof of its toxicity is scanty. Only a few other water-soluble compounds exert toxicity (e.g., the guanidines, the purines), but most of these are characterized by an intra-dialytic behavior, which is different from that of urea. In addition, the protein-bound compounds and the middle molecules behave in a different way from urea, due to their protein binding and their molecular weights, respectively. Because of these specific removal patterns, it is suggested that new approaches of influencing uremic solute concentration should be explored, such as specific adsorptive systems, alternative dialytic timeframes, removal by intestinal adsorption, modification of toxin, or general metabolism by drug administration. Middle molecule removal has been improved by the introduction of large pore, high-flux membranes, but this approach seems to have come close to its maximal removal capacity, whereas multicompartmental behavior might become an additional factor hampering attempts to decrease toxin concentration. Hence, further enhancement of uremic toxin removal should be pursued by the introduction of alternative concepts of elimination. [source]


Numerical study of boundary conditions for solute transport through a porous medium

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 7 2001
Glen P. Peters
Abstract A transition region may be defined as a region of rapid change in medium properties about the interface between two porous media or at the interface between a porous medium and a reservoir. Modelling the transition region between different porous media can assist in the selection of the most appropriate boundary conditions for the standard advection,dispersion equation (ADE). An advantage of modelling the transition region is that it removes the need for explicitly defining boundary conditions, though boundary conditions may be recovered as limiting cases. As the width of a transition region is reduced, the solution of the transition region model (TR model) becomes equivalent to the solution of the standard ADE model with correct boundary conditions. In this paper numerical simulations using the TR model are employed to select the most appropriate boundary conditions for the standard ADE under a variety of configurations and conditions. It is shown that at the inlet boundary between a reservoir and porous medium, continuity of solute mass flux should be used as the boundary condition. At the boundary interface between two porous media both continuity of solute concentration and solute mass flux should be used. Finally, in a finite porous medium where the solute is allowed to advect freely from the exit point, both continuity of solute concentration and solute mass flux should be used as the outlet boundary condition. The findings made here are discussed with reference to a detailed review of previous relevant theoretical and experimental observations. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


A conservative 2D model of inundation flow with solute transport over dry bed

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 10 2006
J. Murillo
Abstract In this paper, a transient 2D coupled vertically averaged flow/transport model is presented. The model deals with all kind of bed geometries and guarantees global conservation and positive values of both water level and solute concentration in the transient solution. The model is based on an upwind finite volume method, using Roe's approximate Riemann solver. A specific modification of the Riemann solver is proposed to overcome the generation of negative values of depth and concentration, that can appear as a consequence of existing wetting/drying and solute advance fronts over variable bed levels, or by the generation of new ones when dry areas appear. The numerical stability constraints of the explicit model are stated incorporating the influence of the flow velocity, the bed variations and the possible appearance of dry cells. Faced to the important restriction that this new stability condition can impose on the time step size, a different strategy to allow stability using a maximum time step, and in consequence a minimum computational cost is presented. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Control of pore structure and size in freeze-dried collagen sponges

JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH, Issue 4 2001
Heike Schoof
Abstract Because of many suitable properties, collagen sponges are used as an acellular implant or a biomaterial in the field of tissue engineering. Generally, the inner three-dimensional structure of the sponges influences the behavior of cells. To investigate this influence, it is necessary to develop a process to produce sponges with a defined, adjustable, and homogeneous pore structure. Collagen sponges can be produced by freeze-drying of collagen suspensions. The pore structure of the freeze-dried sponges mirrors the ice-crystal morphology after freezing. In industrial production, the collagen suspensions are solidified under time- and space-dependent freezing conditions, resulting in an inhomogeneous pore structure. In this investigation, unidirectional solidification was applied during the freezing process to produce collagen sponges with a homogeneous pore structure. Using this technique the entire sample can be solidified under thermally constant freezing conditions. The ice-crystal morphology and size can be adjusted by varying the solute concentration in the collagen suspension. Collagen sponges with a very uniform and defined pore structure can be produced. Furthermore, the pore size can be adjusted between 20,40 ,m. The thickness of the sponges prepared during this research was 10 mm. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 58: 352,357, 2001 [source]


Behaviour and mechanism of Zn(II) adsorption on Chinese loess at dilute slurry concentrations

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Xiaowu Tang
Abstract BACKGROUND: Zn(II) is commonly present in mining drainage in developing countries. Since loess is abundant and always located near mining sites in China, it would be useful to investigate the possibility and efficiency of using loess to remove Zn(II) from aqueous solution. RESULTS: The Zn(II) adsorption capacity of Chinese loess was determined as 215.9 mg g,1. The adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and took place mainly by surface diffusion. Generally, higher initial pH and solute concentration resulted in higher % Zn(II) removal, while higher temperature and slurry concentration led to lower % Zn(II) removal. A thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption process was exothermic, with the predicted enthalpy change ranging from ,20.87 to ,4.06 kJ mol,1. With the assistance of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, the high adsorption capacity was ascribed to the growth of micro-organisms and mineral constituents such as kaolinite and goethite. CONCLUSION: Chinese loess proved effective for Zn(II) adsorption in this study. The optimal adsorption conditions included pH > 3.0, temperature ,15 °C and contact time , 400 min. As an abundant natural soil in arid areas with very low population density, it would be appropriate to develop this material into a wastewater-purifying agent. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Sorption of tannic acid on zirconium pillared clay

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
P Vinod
Abstract Zirconium pillared clay (PILC) was prepared using montmorillonite as the base clay. Adsorption of tannic acid (tannin) was studied by a batch equilibrium technique, as a function of adsorbate concentration, temperature, pH, agitation speed, particle size of the adsorbent and ionic strength. The process of uptake is governed by diffusion controlled first-order reversible rate kinetics. The higher uptake for the pH range 4.0,6.0 was attributed to external hydrogen bonding between phenolic-OH groups of tannin molecules and the hydrogen bonding sites on the clay. The removal of tannin by adsorption was found to be >99.0% depending on the initial concentration in the pH range of 4.0,6.0. The process involves both film and pore diffusion to different extents. The effects of solute concentration, temperature, agitation speed and particle size on the diffusion rate were investigated. Tannin uptake was found to increase with ionic strength due to the compression of diffuse double layers. The applicability of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models has been tested. The maximum adsorption capacity of PILC was found to be 45.8,µmol,g,1 of clay and the affinity constant is 2.9,×,10,2,dm3,µmol,1 at 30,°C. Thermodynamic parameters such as ,G,°,,H,° and ,S,° were calculated to predict the nature of adsorption. The isosteric enthalpies of adsorption were also determined and found to decrease with increasing surface coverage. Regeneration with hot water (60,°C) has been investigated for several cycles with a view to recovering the adsorbed tannin and also restoring the sorbent to its original state. Copyright © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Changes in Apple Liquid Phase Concentration throughout Equilibrium in Osmotic Dehydration

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 2 2007
J.M. Barat
ABSTRACT:, Previous results on apple tissue equilibration during osmotic dehydration showed that, at very long processing times, the solute concentrations of the fruit liquid phase and the osmotic solution were the same. In the present study, changes in apple liquid phase composition throughout equilibrium in osmotic dehydration were analyzed and modeled. Results showed that, by the time osmosed samples reached the maximum weight and volume loss, solute concentration of the fruit liquid phase was higher than that of the osmotic solution. The reported overconcentration could be explained in terms of the apple structure shrinkage that occurred during the osmotic dehydration with highly concentrated osmotic solutions due to the elastic response of the food structure to the loss of water and intake of solutes. The fruit liquid phase overconcentration rate was observed to depend on the concentration of the osmotic solution, the processing temperature, the sample size, and shape of the cellular tissue. [source]


Introduction of HPLC/orbitrap mass spectrometry as screening method for doping control

JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 7 2008
E. D. Virus
Abstract A new doping control screening method has been developed, for the analysis of doping agents in human urine, using HPLC/orbitrap with in-source collision-induced dissociation and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. The developed method allows the detection of 29 compounds, including agents with antiestrogenic activity, ,2 agonists, exogenous anabolic steroids, and other anabolic agents. The mass accuracy of this method is better at 2 ppm using an external reference. The detection limit for all compounds tested was better than 100 pg/ml. The recoveries of most analytes were above 70%. The measured median repeatability values for doping agents included in the method at concentrations of 1 and 10 ng/ml were 21 and 17%, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the intraday precision (n = 6) ranged from RSD = 16,22%, whereas the interday precision (n = 18), ranged from RSD = 17,26%, depending on the solute concentration investigated. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Phase equilibrium in supercritical CO2 mixtures using a modified Kwak-Mansoori mixing rule

AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2004
José O. Valderrama
Abstract The mixing rules proposed by Kwak and Mansoori for the Peng-Robinson equation of state have been modified to describe vapor-liquid equilibrium in mixtures that contain supercritical CO2. Data in the literature for nine binary liquid,vapor systems containing supercritical CO2 are used for testing the modified models. The systems studied were binary mixtures containing carbon dioxide with lauric acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, 1-octanol, 1-decanol, 2-methyl-1-pentanol, ,-pinene, and limonene. The modifications studied included the introduction of a nonquadratic mixing rule proposed by one of the authors and a different interaction parameter for the volume constant of the equation of state. Compared to results in the literature, the Kwak-Mansoori combining rules and the proposed empirical modifications give lower deviations in correlating the solute concentration in the vapor phase, the most important variable for the design of supercritical extraction processes. Contrary to arguments found in the literature, it is also demonstrated that a severe test for an equation of state and its mixing rules is the correlation of the solute concentration in vapor,liquid mixtures. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 480,488, 2004 [source]


Ampicillin micronization by supercritical assisted atomization

JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 11 2003
E. Reverchon
ABSTRACT The micronization technique called supercritical assisted atomization (SAA) was used to produce ampicillin microparticles with controlled particle size and particle size distribution suitable for aerosol drug delivery. The process is based on the solubilization of supercritical CO2 in a liquid solution. The ternary mixture is then sprayed through a nozzle and, as a consequence of enhanced atomization, solid microparticles are formed. Water and organic solvents were tested with ampicillin to determine the influence of the solvent on the process mechanism. SAA process parameters were studied by testing different supercritical/liquid solvent flow ratios, ampicillin concentrations in the liquid solution and nozzle diameters. The effect of these parameters on morphology, particle size and particle size distribution of microparticles was analysed. Ampicillin particles suitable for aerosol delivery in the size range 1,5 ,m were obtained using buffered water. Moreover, by varying the solute concentration, ampicillin particles in a narrower range (1,3 ,m) than that usually suggested for aerosol deliverable drugs were obtained. This is an example of particle size tailoring by SAA. [source]


Stress Development Due to Capillary Condensation in Powder Compacts: A Two-Dimensional Model Study

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 6 2000
Stefan Lampenscherf
A model experiment is presented to investigate the relationship between the humidity-dependent liquid distribution and the macroscopic stress in a partially wet powder compact. Therefore, films of monosized spherical particles were cast on silicon substrates. Using environmental SEM the geometry of the liquid necks trapped between particles was imaged as a function of relative humidity. Simultaneously the macroscopic stress in the substrate adhered particle film was measured by capacitive deflection measurement. The experimentally found humidity dependence of the liquid neck size and the macroscopic film stress are compared with model predictions. The circle,circle approximation is used to predict the size of the liquid necks between touching particles as a function of the capillary pressure. Using the modified Kelvin relation between capillary pressure and relative humidity, we consider the effect of an additional solute which may be present in the capillary liquid. The results of the stress measurement are compared with the model predictions for a film of touching particles in hexagonal symmetry. The contribution of the capillary interaction to the adhesion force between neighboring particles is calculated using the integrated Laplace equation. The resulting film stress can be approximated relating this capillary force to an effective cross section per particle. The experimentally found humidity dependence of the liquid neck size is in good agreement with the model predictions for finite solute concentration. The film stress corresponds to the model predictions only for large relative humidities and shows an unexpected increase at small values. As is shown with an atomic force microscope, the real structure of the particle,particle contact area changes during the wet/dry cycle. A solution/reprecipitation process causes surface heterogeneities and solid bridging between the particles. It is claimed that the existence of a finite contact zone between the particles gives rise to the unexpected increase of the stress at small relative humidities. [source]


Loading of Bacterial Cellulose Aerogels with Bioactive Compounds by Antisolvent Precipitation with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

MACROMOLECULAR SYMPOSIA, Issue 2 2010
Emmerich Haimer
Abstract Bacterial cellulose aerogels overcome the drawback of shrinking during preparation by drying with supercritical CO2. Thus, the pore network of these gels is fully accessible. These materials can be fully rewetted to 100% of its initial water content, without collapsing of the structure due to surface tension of the rewetting solvent. This rehydration property and the high pore volume of these material rendered bacterial cellulose aerogels very interesting as controlled release matrices. Supercritical CO2 drying, the method of choice for aerogel preparation, can simultaneously be used to precipitate solutes within the cellulose matrix and thus to load bacterial cellulose aerogels with active substances. This process, frequently termed supercritical antisolvent precipitation, is able to perform production of the actual aerogel and its loading in one single preparation step. In this work, the loading of a bacterial cellulose aerogel matrix with two model substances, namely dexpanthenol and L-ascorbic acid, and the release behavior from the matrix were studied. A mathematical release model was applied to model the interactions between the solutes and the cellulose matrix. The bacterial cellulose aerogels were easily equipped with the reagents by supercritical antisolvent precipitation. Loading isotherms as well as release kinetics indicated no specific interaction between matrix and loaded substances. Hence, loading and release can be controlled and predicted just by varying the thickness of the gel and the solute concentration in the loading bath. [source]


Interaction of non-ionic hydrogels with weak aromatic acids

MACROMOLECULAR SYMPOSIA, Issue 1 2003
Krisztina László
Abstract Measurements are reported of the swelling behaviour at 20°C of poly (N isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) gels in aqueous solutions of two weak aromatic acids, phenol and resorcinol. For solute concentrations below 45 mmol/l the uptake of these solutions is similar. Due to selective solvation phenol exhibits an excess equilibrium concentration inside the gel of 5% over that in the surrounding bath, while for resorcinol, the excess is found to be 12%. At 50 mmol/l solute concentration, both systems display a volume transition accompanied by expulsion of the solvent. The solubility limits in water of these aromatic compounds, which are significantly different from each other (870 mmol/l and 9080 mmol/l respectively), are far above this critical concentration. In the collapsed condition the expelled liquid spreads on the surface of the phenol treated gel, while an ordered arrangement of separate droplets is generated in the case of resorcinol. In the latter case an acute contact angle was observed. It is also shown by acid-base titration that the PNIPA/water system may exhibit a slight ion exchanging character. [source]


Weak solutions of a phase-field model for phase change of an alloy with thermal properties

MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 14 2002
José Luiz Boldrini
The phase-field method provides a mathematical description for free-boundary problems associated to physical processes with phase transitions. It postulates the existence of a function, called the phase-field, whose value identifies the phase at a particular point in space and time. The method is particularly suitable for cases with complex growth structures occurring during phase transitions. The mathematical model studied in this work describes the solidification process occurring in a binary alloy with temperature-dependent properties. It is based on a highly non-linear degenerate parabolic system of partial differential equations with three independent variables: phase-field, solute concentration and temperature. Existence of weak solutions for this system is obtained via the introduction of a regularized problem, followed by the derivation of suitable estimates and the application of compactness arguments. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Simultaneous measurement of water flow velocity and solute transport in xylem and phloem of adult plants of Ricinus communis over a daily time course by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry

PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 5 2001
A. D. Peuke
ABSTRACT A new method for simultaneously quantifying rates of flow in xylem and phloem using the FLASH imaging capabilities of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry was applied in this study. The method has a time resolution of up to 4 min (for the xylem) and was used to measure the velocity of flows in phloem and xylem for periods of several hours to days. For the first time, diurnal time course measurements of flow velocities and apparent volume flows in phloem and xylem in the hypocotyl of 40-d-old Ricinus communis L were obtained. Additional data on gas exchange and the chemical composition of leaves, xylem and phloem sap were used to assess the role of leaves as sinks for xylem sap and sources for phloem. The velocity in the phloem (0·250 ± 0·004 mm s,1) was constant over a full day and not notably affected by the light/dark cycle. Sucrose was loaded into the phloem and transported at night, owing to degradation of starch accumulated during the day. Concentrations of solutes in the phloem were generally less during the night than during the day but varied little within either the day or night. In contrast to the phloem, flow velocities in the xylem were about 1·6-fold higher in the light (0·401 ± 0·004 mm s,1) than in the dark (0·255 ± 0·003 mm s,1) and volume flow varied commensurately. Larger delays were observed in changes to xylem flow velocity with variation in light than in gas exchange. The relative rates of solute transport during day and night were estimated on the basis of relative flow and solute concentrations in xylem and phloem. In general, changes in relative flow rates were compensated for by changes in solute concentration during the daily light/dark cycle. However, the major solutes (K+, NO3,) varied appreciably in relative concentrations. Hence the regulation of loading into transport systems seems to be more important to the overall process of solute transport than do changes in mass flow. Due to transport behaviour, the chemical composition of leaves varied during the day only with regard to starch and soluble carbohydrates. [source]


Prospective Evaluation of the Change of Predialysis Protein-Bound Uremic Solute Concentration With Postdilution Online Hemodiafiltration

ARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 7 2010
Natalie Meert
Abstract Although protein-bound uremic compounds have been related to outcome in observational studies, few current dialysis strategies provide more removal of those compounds than standard hemodialysis. We evaluated the evolution of protein-bound uremic solutes after a switch from high-flux hemodialysis to postdilution hemodiafiltration (n = 13). We compared predialysis solute concentration at 4, 5, and 9 weeks versus baseline for several protein-bound compounds and water-soluble solutes, as well as for ,2 -microglobulin. After 9 weeks of postdilution hemodiafiltration, a significant decrease versus baseline could be detected for total concentration of protein-bound solutes: p-cresylsulfate (3.98 ± 1.51,3.17 ± 1.77 mg/dL, ,20%, P < 0.01) and 3-carboxyl-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropionic acid (0.72 ± 0.52,0.64 ± 0.46 mg/dL, ,11%, P < 0.01). For the other protein-bound solutes, hippuric acid, indoleacetic acid, and indoxylsulfate, no change in total concentration could be detected. The concentration of the middle molecule, ,2 -microglobulin, decreased as well after 9 weeks of postdilution hemodiafiltration (24.7 ± 9.3,18.1 ± 6.7 mg/L, ,27%, P < 0.01). For water-soluble compounds, no significant change of concentration was found. Postdilution hemodiafiltration in comparison to high-flux hemodialysis provided significant reduction of predialysis concentration of protein-bound compounds, especially those with the highest protein binding, and of ,2 -microglobulin, by ,11 to ,27% in 9 weeks. [source]


Understanding the properties of aerobic sludge granules as hydrogels

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 5 2009
Thomas Seviour
Abstract Aerobic sludge granules are larger, denser microbial aggregates than activated sludge flocs with a smoother and more regular surface, which facilitates greater wastewater treatment intensity. Factors important in their growth are still poorly understood, which is an impediment to the construction and operation of full-scale aerobic sludge granule processes. Data in this article obtained with granules treating an abattoir wastewater provide evidence that aerobic sludge granules are hydrogels. The results also demonstrate a method for characterizing macromolecular associations. The rheological profile of these granules was found to be analogous with that of typical polymer gels. Water uptake or swelling reflects an equilibrium between granule elastic modulus and osmotic pressure, whereby uptake is increased by reducing solute concentration or the elastic modulus. A weakening of the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix as demonstrated with mechanical spectroscopy was induced by several environmental factors including temperature, pH and ionic strength. Uniform and elastic deformation was observed at low strain. Enzymatic degradation studies indicate that proteins and ,-polysaccharides were the major granule structural materials. The aerobic sludge granules in the current study were therefore protein,polysaccharide composite physical hydrogels. While aerobic sludge granules treating an abattoir wastewater are used as a case study, many of the fundamental principles detailed here are relevant to other granulation processes. The paradigm established in this study can potentially be applied to better understand the formation of aerobic sludge granules and thus overcome a hurdle in the acceptance of aerobic sludge granulation as an alternative to more traditional wastewater treatment processes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1483,1493. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Prediction of ice content in biological model solutions when frozen under high pressure

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2009
B. Guignon
Abstract High pressure is, at least, as effective as cryoprotective agents (CPAs) and are used for decreasing both homogenous nucleation and freezing temperatures. This fact gives rise to a great variety of possible cryopreservation processes under high pressure. They have not been optimized yet, since they are relatively recent and are mainly based on the pressure,temperature phase diagram of pure water. Very few phase diagrams of biological material are available under pressure. This is owing to the lack of suitable equipment and to the difficulties encountered in carrying out the measurements. Different aqueous solutions of salt and CPAs as biological models are studied in the range of 0°C down to -35°C, 0.1 up to 250 MPa, and 0,20% w/w total solute concentration. The phase transition curves of glycerol and of sodium chloride with either glycerol or sucrose in aqueous solutions are determined in a high hydrostatic pressure vessel. The experimental phase diagrams of binary solutions were well described by a third-degree polynomial equation. It was also shown that Robinson and Stokes' equation at high pressure succeeds in predicting the phase diagrams of both binary and ternary solutions. The solute cryoconcentration and the ice content were calculated as a function of temperature and pressure conditions during the freezing of a binary solution. This information should provide a basis upon which high-pressure cryopreservation processes may be performed and the damages derived from ice formation evaluated. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009 [source]


Self-Assembled Monolayers of Alkoxy-Substituted Octadehydrodibenzo[12]annulenes on a Graphite Surface: Attempts at peri -Benzopolyacene Formation by On-Surface Polymerization

CHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 28 2010
Kazukuni Tahara Dr.
Abstract Self-assembled monolayers of a series of tetraalkoxy-substituted octadehydrodibenzo[12]annulene (DBA) derivatives 1,c,g possessing butadiyne linkages were studied at the 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB) or 1-phenyloctane/graphite interface by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The purpose of this research is not only to investigate the structural variation of two-dimensional (2D) monolayers, but also to assess a possibility for peri -benzopolyacene formation by two-dimensionally controlled polymerization on a surface. As a result, the formation of three structures, porous, linear, and lamella structures, were observed by changing the alkyl chain length and the solute concentration. The formation of multilayers of the lamella structure was often observed for all compounds. The selection of molecular networks is basically ascribed to intermolecular and molecule,substrate interactions per unit area and network density. The selective appearance of the linear structure of 1,d is attributed to favorable epitaxial registry matching between the substrate lattice and the overlayer lattice. Even though the closest interatomic distance between the diacetylenic units of the DBAs in the lamella structure (,0.6,nm) is slightly larger compared to the typical distances necessary for topochemical polymerization, the reactivity toward external stimuli (electronic-pulse irradiation from an STM tip and UV irradiation) was investigated. Unfortunately, no evidence for polymerization of the DBAs on the surface was observed. The present results indicate the necessity for further designing a suitable system for the on-surface construction of structurally novel conjugated polymers, which are otherwise difficult to prepare. [source]


The geochemical evolution of very dilute CO2 -rich water in Chungcheong Province, Korea: processes and pathways

GEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2008
K. KIM
Abstract A geochemical study was carried out on the CO2 -rich water occurring in granite areas of Chungcheong Province, Korea. In this area, very dilute and acidic CO2 -rich waters [62,242 mg l,1 in total dissolved solid (TDS), 4.0,5.3 in pH; group I) occur together with normal CO2 -rich waters (317,988 mg l,1 in TDS, 5.5,6.0 in pH; group II). The concentration levels and ages of group I water are similar to those of recently recharged and low-mineralized groundwater (group III). Calculation of reaction pathways suggests that group I waters are produced by direct influx of CO2 gas into group III type waters. When the groundwater is injected with CO2, it develops the capacity to accept dissolved solids and it can evolve into water with very high solute concentrations. Whether the water is open or closed to the CO2 gases becomes less important in controlling the reaction pathway of the CO2 -rich groundwater when the initial pco2 is high. Our data show that most of the solutes are dissolved in the CO2 -rich groundwater at pH > 5 where the weathering rates of silicates are very slow or independent of pH. Thus, groundwater age is likely more important in developing high solute concentrations in the CO2 -rich groundwaters than accelerated weathering kinetics because of acidic pH caused by high pco2. [source]


Concentration,discharge relationships reflect chemostatic characteristics of US catchments

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 13 2009
Sarah E. Godsey
Abstract Concentration,discharge relationships have been widely used as clues to the hydrochemical processes that control runoff chemistry. Here we examine concentration,discharge relationships for solutes produced primarily by mineral weathering in 59 geochemically diverse US catchments. We show that these catchments exhibit nearly chemostatic behaviour; their stream concentrations of weathering products such as Ca, Mg, Na, and Si typically vary by factors of only 3 to 20 while discharge varies by several orders of magnitude. Similar patterns are observed at the inter-annual time scale. This behaviour implies that solute concentrations in stream water are not determined by simple dilution of a fixed solute flux by a variable flux of water, and that rates of solute production and/or mobilization must be nearly proportional to water fluxes, both on storm and inter-annual timescales. We compared these catchments' concentration,discharge relationships to the predictions of several simple hydrological and geochemical models. Most of these models can be forced to approximately fit the observed concentration,discharge relationships, but often only by assuming unrealistic or internally inconsistent parameter values. We propose a new model that also fits the data and may be more robust. We suggest possible tests of the new model for future studies. The relative stability of concentration under widely varying discharge may help make aquatic environments habitable. It also implies that fluxes of weathering solutes in streams, and thus fluxes of alkalinity to the oceans, are determined primarily by water fluxes. Thus, hydrology may be a major driver of the ocean-alkalinity feedback regulating climate change. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The impact of storm events on solute exports from a glaciated forested watershed in western New York, USA

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 16 2006
S. P. Inamdar
Abstract This study analysed the importance of precipitation events from May 2003 to April 2004 on surface water chemistry and solute export from a 696 ha glaciated forested watershed in western New York State, USA. The specific objectives of the study were to determine: (a) the temporal patterns of solutes within individual storm events; (b) the impact of precipitation events on seasonal and annual export budgets; and (c) how solute concentrations and loads varied for precipitation events among seasons as functions of storm intensity and antecedent moisture conditions. Analysis of solute trajectories showed that NH4+, total Al and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) peaked on the hydrograph rising limb, whereas dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations peaked following the discharge peak. Sulphate and base-cations displayed a dilution pattern with a minimum around peak discharge. End-member mixing analysis showed that throughfall contributions were highest on the rising limb, whereas valley-bottom riparian waters peaked following the discharge peak. The trajectories of NO3, concentrations varied with season, indicating the influence of biotic processes on the generation, and hence flux, of this solute. Storm events had the greatest impact on the annual budgets for NH4+, K+, total dissolved Al, DON and DOC. Storm events during summer had the greatest impact on seasonal solute budgets. Summer events had the highest hourly discharges and high concentrations of solutes. However, NO3, and DOC exports during a spring snowmelt event were considerably more than those observed for large events during other periods of the year. Comparisons among storms showed that season, precipitation amount, and antecedent moisture conditions affected solute concentrations and loads. Concentrations of solutes were elevated for storms that occurred after dry antecedent conditions. Seven of the largest storms accounted for only 15% of the annual discharge, but were responsible for 34%, 19%, 64%, 13%, 39% and 24% of the annual exports of NH4+, K+, Al, NO3,, DON and DOC respectively. These results suggest that the intense and infrequent storms predicted for future climate-change scenarios will likely increase the exports of solutes like DOC, DON, NH4+, Al and K+ from watersheds. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


On the relationship between hydrographs and chemographs

HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 14 2006
Andreas Kurtenbach
Abstract The spatial representativeness of gauging stations was investigated in two low-mountainous river basins near the city of Trier, southwest Germany. Longitudinal profiles during low and high flow conditions were sampled in order to identify sources of solutes and to characterize the alteration of flood wave properties during its travel downstream. Numerous hydrographs and chemographs of natural flood events were analysed in detail. Additionally, artificial flood events were investigated to study in-channel transport processes. During dry weather conditions the gauging station was only representative for a short river segment upstream, owing to discharge and solute concentrations of sources contiguous to the measurement site. During artificial flood events the kinematic wave velocity was considerably faster than the movement of water body and solutes, refuting the idea of a simple mixing process of individual runoff components. Depending on hydrological boundary conditions, the wave at a specific gauge could be entirely composed of old in-channel water, which notably reduces the spatial representativeness of a sampling site. Natural flood events were characterized by a superimposition of local overland flow, riparian water and the kinematic wave process comprising the downstream conveyance of solutes. Summer floods in particular were marked by a chronological occurrence of distinct individual runoff components originating only from a few contributing areas adjacent to the stream and gauge. Thus, the representativeness of a gauge for processes in the whole basin depends on the distance of the nearest significant source to the station. The consequence of our study is that the assumptions of mixing models are not satisfied in river basins larger than 3 km2. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]