Kinetic behaviour of muscle LDH immobilized in nylon tubing

Immobilization was carried out of the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from rabbit muscle (EC 1.1.1.27), cross-linked through the bifunctional reactive glutar-aldehyde on to nylon tubing (1 m long, 53cm² internal surface area). Immobilized LDH inactivation kinetics are of first order (t_1/2 = 3·6 years, k = 5·4,e^?4 day^?1 to 5°C). The smaller effect of pH on activity than in the case of LDH in solution can be explained on the basis of limitation to proton diffusion towards the support. A limiting effect to free external diffusion of the substrate towards and products from the support was also observed, an effect which seems to determine the effective kinetic behaviour of immobilized LDH. The apparent optimum temperature is centred around 40°C, observing a clear inactivation (thermal denaturation) above this temperature. In the temperature range studied (10–40°C), the co-existence was seen of a kinetic control accompanied by another control, involving diffusional transport of substrates and products, on the global activity of the immobilized enzyme. This makes the Arrhenius profiles curvilinear. Both graphic and statistical non-linear regression analysis of the kinetic data—rate, v, versus substrate concentration [S]—carried out under conditions in which the diffusional limitations can be considered negligible (high recirculation flow rate), permitted investigation of the intrinsic kinetic behaviour of immobilized LDH. In this sense, it can be deduced that the rate equation to which these data seem to be fitted is of the polynomial quotient type in [S] of minimum degree 2:2. Although the diffusional limitations have a marked effect on the type of global kinetics shown by immobilized LDH, temperature was not found to affect its v[S] behaviour. The experimental evidence obtained thus indicates that the rate equation in the 10-40°C temperature range continues to be a rational equation of at least degree 2:2 in [S].     

Optically generated electrical-modulation formats in digital-microwave link applications

We investigate a novel technique to generate the transmission signal in digital-microwave link applications. This technique is based on a photonic device that achieves both electrical modulation (QAM, PSK, ASK) and harmonic upconversion of the microwave carrier. Simulation results are provided for a seventh-harmonic 38.5-GHz transmission of a 2.5-Gbps signal through a 1-km fiber span. The impact of fiber chromatic-dispersion on the link bandwidth is also analyzed.     

用工农业废料配制的两种堆肥培育观赏植物

由工农业废料配制的两种堆肥作为试验用的基质:C1——酿造啤酒等废料(酵母和麦芽)加修剪下的柠檬树枝;C2——橄榄研磨厂废水的固体级分加橄榄树叶。以每种堆肥与泥炭藓泥炭或商品基质(CS)按不同的比例混合,可配制成16种基质。尽管基质的物理和理化特性例如总孔隙度和电导率(EC)都是合适的,但由堆肥提供的养分(氮和钾)释放缓慢,对金盏花发育的影响尤为明显。另一方面,由于对盐分含量敏感,EC和氯化物浓度是影响蒲包草生长的主要因素。为供金盏花发育的适宜的基质可以通过含量高达75?与泥炭或高达50?与CS混合,以及高达50?与泥炭或CS混合使用。对蒲包花来说,基质中堆肥比例应较低,可用50?与泥炭或CS混合,也可以用25?与泥炭或CS混合使用。因此,只要基质至少含有25%的泥炭或CS,源于工农业废料的堆肥可作为培育观赏植物的泥炭和CS的替代品。     

A Secure Elliptic Curve-Based RFID Protocol

Nowadays, the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems in industry and stores has increased. Nevertheless, some of these systems present privacy problems that may discourage potential users. Hence, high confidence and effient privacy protocols are urgently needed. Previous studies in the literature proposed schemes that are proven to be secure, but they have scalability problems. A feasible and scalable protocol to guarantee privacy is presented in this paper. The proposed protocol uses elliptic curve cryptography combined with a zero knowledge-based authentication scheme. An analysis to prove the system secure, and even forward secure is also provided. This work is supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya under Grant No. FIC 2007FIC 00880, and the projects of the Spanish MCyT MTM2007-66842-C02-02 and TIN2006-15662-C02-02.     

Clinical presentation of HIV infection in patients aged 50 years or older

A case of metachronous malignancy in an elderly postmenopausal lady is presented. She had previously been successfully treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and now four years later, presented with a right lower lobe lung abscess. On evaluation she was found to have a small cell carcinoma of the lung involving the right intermediate and right lower lobe bronchus. She improved clinically and radiologically with parenteral antibiotics, combination chemotherapy and local external radiotherapy.     

Membrane treatment by nanofiltration of exhausted vegetable tannin liquors from the leather industry

A rational use of water in the leather industry is described by applying the criteria of "clean technologies" by means of membrane processes. A nanofiltration (NF) process was used for recovering tannins and water from exhausted baths and reusing them as tanning agents and washings. Results of experiments performed on laboratory and semi-industrial pilot scale plants, operating and fluid-dynamic conditions and mass balance of the NF process are reported and discussed. Chemical and physical analytical values measured on skins treated with the recovered solutions were very similar to those measured on control skins tanned with standard solutions. According to the obtained results, a process scheme is suggested. It permits both to recover water and to increase the tannin/non tannin (T/NT) ratio in the retentate solution, starting from exhausted tanning baths and by using a NF membrane purification/concentration. The final volume reduction factor of tested exhausted baths was 5.25, the increase of T/NT ratio was from 1.1 to 2.3 and the average permeate flux was 12.5l/m(2)h. Advantages are in terms of: reduction of environmental impact (up to 75% of COD reduction of the global effluent), simplification of cleaning-up processes of wastewaters, decrease of disposal costs, saving of chemicals and water.     

The longitudinal electrical conductivity of metal-matrix composites at cryogenic temperature in the presence of a longitudinal magnetic field

We solve the Boltzmann equation in the relaxation time approximation with parallel E and B fields parallel to the continuous fibres reinforcing a metal matrix. It is shown that this solution is identical to that described by us elsewhere, except for the addition of the cyclotron frequency. The addition of the cyclotron frequency term shows that the electrons follow helical paths as they drift down the composite. The boundary considered is either the external or the internal surface of a cylinder representing the fibre. To apply this solution to metal-matrix composite materials we assumed that the cylindrical fibres are non-conducting cylinders in a matrix of pure crystalline metal. The electron mean free path is never greater than half the fibre separation distance. In a companion paper we discuss the application of this solution to metal-matrix composites.     

Remarks on the use of Boltzmann's equation for electrical conduction calculations in metal matrix and in situ composites

The Boltzmann equation and its solutions are cental to the development of microscopic models describing the longitudinal and transverse electrical conductivity of metal matrix and in situ composites. Such solutions are needed to describe electron and phonon scattering and transport phenomena in the matrix due to the presence of a second filamentary phase, and to describe electrical conductivity at cryogenic and higher temperatures. In this paper, we derive solutions to the Boltzmann equation in the relaxation time approximation in cylindrical coordinates. It is shown that one solution for the electric field parallel to the fibre direction leads to an expression for composite conductivity at cryogenic and higher temperatures. We also present a solution for the case in which the electric field is normal to the fibre direction.     

Room-temperature magnetic refrigerator using permanent magnets

A magnetic refrigerator device based on adiabatic magnetic refrigeration is described. The magnetic material is cyclically magnetized and demagnetized by permanent magnets in an adiabatic process. A temperature difference of 1.6 K between the hot and cold regions was obtained under a low magnetic field (0.3 T). Gadolinium was the magnetic material used in experiments at room temperature. The range of working temperatures is between 70 and 300 K for a variety of active magnetic materials. The optimized experimental setup increased the device efficiency by achieving a temperature difference between hot and cold sources up to 5 K