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Comparative Experiment (comparative + experiment)
Selected AbstractsPhotodegradation of Soil Organic Matter and its Effect on Gram-negative Bacterial GrowthPHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Gabriela N. Bosio ABSTRACT To learn more about the role of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the production of bioavailable products of the dissolved organic matter, we investigate here the effect of the photolysis (,exc > 320 nm) of a soil extract (SE) on the growth of bacteria isolated from the same soil as used for obtaining the extract. Comparative experiments with Aldrich humic acid (AHA) as substrate were performed. The photodegradation of the SE was evaluated with different techniques,UV,visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence excitation emission matrices (EEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Known ROS scavengers were employed to study the effect of photochemically produced ROS on the photodegradation of the substrates. To evaluate the effect of irradiation on the bioavailability of the SE and AHA, photolyzed and nonphotolyzed substrates were added to different culture media and the growth of Pseudomonas sp. isolated from the soil and a strain of Escherichia coli were studied. The different results obtained were assigned to the dissimilar metabolisms of both bacteria. [source] Crystal quality and differential crystal-growth behaviour of three proteins crystallized in gel at high hydrostatic pressureACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 6 2005A. Kadri Pressure is a non-invasive physical parameter that can be used to control and influence protein crystallization. It is also found that protein crystals of superior quality can be produced in gel. Here, a novel crystallization strategy combining hydrostatic pressure and agarose gel is described. Comparative experiments were conducted on hen and turkey egg-white lysozymes and the plant protein thaumatin. Crystals could be produced under up to 75,100,MPa (lysozymes) and 250,MPa (thaumatin). Several pressure-dependent parameters were determined, which included solubility and supersaturation of the proteins, number, size and morphology of the crystals, and the crystallization volume. Exploration of three-dimensional phase diagrams in which pH and pressure varied identified growth conditions where crystals had largest size and best morphology. As a general trend, nucleation and crystal-growth kinetics are altered and nucleation is always enhanced under pressure. Further, solubility of the lysozymes increases with pressure while that of thaumatin decreases. Likewise, changes in crystallization volumes at high and atmospheric pressure are opposite, being positive for the lysozymes and negative for thaumatin. Crystal quality was estimated by analysis of Bragg reflection profiles and X-ray topographs. While the quality of lysozyme crystals deteriorates as pressure increases, that of thaumatin crystals improves, with more homogeneous crystal morphology suggesting that pressure selectively dissociates ill-formed nuclei. Analysis of the thaumatin structure reveals a less hydrated solvent shell around the protein when pressure increases, with ,20% less ordered water molecules in crystals grown at 150,MPa when compared with those grown at atmospheric pressure (0.1,MPa). Noticeably, the altered water distribution is seen in depressurized crystals, indicating that pressure triggers a stable structural alteration on the protein surface while its polypeptide backbone remains essentially unaltered. [source] Comparative single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and microscopy-based analysis of nitrogen cultivation interactive effects on the fungal community of a semiarid steppe soilFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 2-3 2001Jennifer L. Lowell Abstract The effects of nitrogen accretion on fungal diversity and community structure in early-seral (cultivated) and native (uncultivated) shortgrass steppe soils were evaluated using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and microscopy in a comparative experiment. Selected haplotypes generated from fungal 18S gene fragments were also sequenced for species identification. Microscopy-based analyses showed significantly shorter fungal hyphal lengths in the early-seral control plots in comparison with the native control plots (P<0.0003), independent of nitrogen addition. Although diversity indices did not show significant differences between the plots, SSCP analyses indicated that fungal community structure differed in the native and early-seral control sites. In nitrogen-amended sites, gene sequences from dominant haplotypes indicated a shift to a more common nitrogen-impacted fungal community. While nitrogen amendments appear to be more important than cultivation in influencing these soil fungal communities, hyphal lengths were only decreased due to cultivation. The use of microscopic and molecular techniques, as carried out in this study, provided integrative information concerning fungal community responses to wide spread stresses being imposed globally on terrestrial ecosystems, that is not provided by the individual techniques. [source] A comparative experiment in the consolidation of cremated boneINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2004D. Rossi Abstract This experiment assessed whether consolidation of cremated remains facilitated cross-sectioning and grinding, which often are required for microstructural analyses such as the histomorphometric estimation of age and the examination of pathological lesions. Green, bovine femoral diaphyses were cremated at three temperature ranges (346,357°C; 610,755°C; 684,838°C) in an electric furnace and then consolidated with Acryloid B-72 or Butvar B-98 using simple brushing and immersion techniques. After consolidation was complete, bone pieces were cross-sectioned and ground to a thickness of 100,120,,m. Results indicate that specimens treated with Acryloid B-72 are harder and stronger than Butvar treated and untreated control specimens. Acryloid B-72 is, therefore, recommended for the consolidation of cremated remains in preparation for microstructural analysis. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Experimental and numerical investigation of the precipitation of barium sulfate in a rotating liquid film reactorAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 8 2009Shengchang Guo Abstract Precipitation of nanosized barium sulfate in a rotating liquid film reactor (RLFR) has been investigated experimentally and through simulations based on the computational fluid dynamics technique including the population balance equation coupled with the Navier,Stokes equations, renormalization group k,, model equations, and species transport equations. A comparative experiment was carried out involving conventional precipitation in a flask. The structure of the precipitate was identified by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), which showed that the crystals obtained using the RLFR were smaller in size than those obtained in the flask. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images demonstrated that the crystals produced by the two different processes had different morphologies. Further detailed experiments involving varying the operating parameters of the RLFR were performed to investigate the effects on crystal size distribution (CSD). Increasing the speed of the rotor in the RLFR in the range 1000,5000 rpm or increasing the rotor-stator gap in the range 0.1,0.5 mm resulted in a decrease in particle size and narrower particle size distributions. The simulation results suggested that turbulent effects and reaction processes in the effective reactor space were directly related to rotor speed and rotor-stator gap. The simulated volume weighted mean diameter and CSD of particles of barium sulfate were almost identical to the corresponding experimental results obtained using TEM and laser particle size analyzer. The effects of other parameters such as the Kolmogorov scale and competition between induction time and mixing time are also discussed. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] A systematic study on the stability of UV ink photoinitiators in food simulants using GCPACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Issue 3 2009Zhi-Wei Wang Abstract Several studies have been published on the stability of plastic monomers and additives in food simulants. However, there are practically no published results about the stability of ink components in food simulants. In this work, the stability of two ultraviolet (UV) ink photoinitiators (PIs) in one aqueous and in two substitute fat food simulants was studied under various time,temperature conditions. Furthermore, the addition of the stabilizing agent hydroquinone monomethyl ester (HQMME) in the same conditions was considered as a comparative experiment. The PIs tested were 1-hydroxycyclohexyl-1-phenyl ketone (Irgacure-184) and benzyldimethyl ketal (Irgacure-651). The various test conditions included exposure of 10 days to temperatures of 20, 40 and 60°C for 10% ethanol and 95% ethanol simulants, and exposure of 2 days to temperatures of 20, 40 and 60°C for isooctane. Following exposure to these conditions, the additive samples were analysed. The extracts of samples exposed to various temperature conditions as well as unexposed spiked controls and blanks were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) on a non-polar (5%-phenyl)-methylpolysiloxane capillary column. The results showed that the protective effect of HQMME was not obvious in all test conditions under dark conditions. The Irgacure-184 was quite stable under all test conditions whether the stabilizing agent was added or not. Irgacure-651 was stable almost under all test conditions, except in 10% ethanol at 60°C. The mass spectrum of decomposed product of Irgacure-651 was detected by GC-MS (Mass Spectrum), and the structure of the decomposed product was obtained by mass spectrographic analysis. The method of detection and disposal is also applicable for UV ink PI migration testing from several different paper or paperboard-plastic coating layer materials into the food simulants used in the study. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2008 [source] Evolution of iron catalysts for effective living radical polymerization: P,N chelate ligand for enhancement of catalytic performancesJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 20 2008Chihiro Uchiike Abstract Iron catalysts were evolved for more active transition metal-catalyzed living radical polymerization through design of the ligands. In situ introduction of P,N chelate-ligands, consisting of hetero-coordinating atoms [phosphine (P) and nitrogene (N)], onto FeBr2 effectively catalyzed living radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in conjunction with a bromide initiator, where the monomer-conversion reached over 90% without dropping the rates and the molecular weights of obtained PMMAs were well controlled. The benign effects of the "hetero-chelation" were demonstrated by comparative experiments with homo-chelate ligands (P,P, N,N), model compounds of the composed coordination site, and the combinations. We successfully achieved an isolation of iron complex with a P,N ligand [FeBr2(DMDPE); DMDPE: (R)- N,N -dimethyl-1-(2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl)-ethanamine], which was superior to the conventional catalyst [FeBr2(Pn -Bu)2] with respect to controllability and activity, especially at the latter stage. The catalyst was almost quantitatively removed by water washing after polymerization. It was also effective for living polymerization of styrene. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 6819,6827, 2008 [source] Protein Matrix Elasticity Determined by Fluorescence Anisotropy of Its Tryptophan Residues,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Christian Zentz ABSTRACT Rotational motions of Trp residues embedded within human hemoglobin matrix have been measured by using their steady-state fluorescence anisotropy. The mean square angular displacement ,2 of Trp residues, depending on the temperature, can be expressed by where W is the thermal energy acting on the Trp residues and C the resilient torque constant of the protein matrix. To study the external medium influencing the protein dynamics, comparative experiments were made with protein in aqueous buffer and in the presence of 32% glycerol. The data show that between 5°C and 25°C, external medium acts on the protein matrix elasticity. [source] Design of a Tubular Loop Bioreactor for Scale-up and Scale-down of Fermentation ProcessesBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 5 2003Maria Papagianni Microorganisms traveling through circulation loops in large-scale bioreactors experience variations in their environment such as dissolved oxygen concentration and pH gradients. The same changes are not experienced in small bioreactors, and it is suggested that herein lies one of the major reasons for the problems encountered when translating fermentation data from one scale to another. One approach to study this problem is to look at the circulation loop itself. The present work concerns an attempt to simulate the circulation loops inside stirred tank reactors, using a tubular loop reactor specially constructed for the purpose. The reactor carries a number of ports and probes along its length for the determination of concentration gradients within. The broth is circulated around the loop by the use of peristaltic pumps, and the circulation time (tc, s) is used as a measure of simulated reactor size. The reactor system has been evaluated using the citric acid fermentation by Aspergillus niger as a test process. Acid production and fungal morphology, in terms of the mean convex perimeter of mycelial clumps quantified by image analysis, were used as the parameters of evaluation for the two systems in comparison. From comparative experiments carried out in 10 and 200 L stirred tank bioreactors, it appears that the loop reactor simulates the corresponding stirred tank representing a valuable tool in scaling up and scaling down of fermentation process. [source] | |||||||||||||