Structural Analysis and Intrinsic Enzyme Mimicking Activities of Ligand-Free PtAg Nanoalloys

Nanozymes are nanomaterials with biocatalytic properties under physiological conditions and are one class of artificial enzymes to overcome the high cost and low stability of natural enzymes. However, surface ligands on nanomaterials will decrease the catalytic activity of the nanozymes by blocking the active sites. To address this limitation, ligand-free PtAg nanoclusters (NCs) are synthesized and applied as nanozymes for various enzyme-mimicking reactions. By taking advantage of the mutual interaction of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8) and Pt precursors, a good dispersion of PtAg bimetal NCs with a diameter of 1.78 ± 0.1 nm is achieved with ZIF-8 as a template. The incorporation of PtAgNCs in the voids of ZIF-8 is confirmed with structural analysis using the atomic pair-distribution function and powder X-ray diffraction. Importantly, the PtAgNCs present good catalytic activity for various enzyme-mimicking reactions, including peroxidase-/catalase- and oxidase-like reactions. Further, this work compares the catalytic activity between PtAg NCs and PtAg nanoparticles with different compositions and finds that these two nanozymes present a converse dependency of Ag-loading on their activity. This study contributes to the field of nanozymes and presents a potential option to prepare ligand-free bimetal biocatalysts with sizes in the nanocluster regime.     

Ancient Bacterial Class Alphaproteobacteria Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenases Can Be Found in Other Bacterial Species

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs/P450s), heme-thiolate proteins, are well-known players in the generation of chemicals valuable to humans and as a drug target against pathogens. Understanding the evolution of P450s in a bacterial population is gaining momentum. In this study, we report comprehensive analysis of P450s in the ancient group of the bacterial class Alphaproteobacteria. Genome data mining and annotation of P450s in 599 alphaproteobacterial species belonging to 164 genera revealed the presence of P450s in only 241 species belonging to 82 genera that are grouped into 143 P450 families and 214 P450 subfamilies, including 77 new P450 families. Alphaproteobacterial species have the highest average number of P450s compared to Firmicutes species and cyanobacterial species. The lowest percentage of alphaproteobacterial species P450s (2.4%) was found to be part of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), compared other bacterial species, indicating that during evolution large numbers of P450s became part of BGCs in other bacterial species. Our study identified that some of the P450 families found in alphaproteobacterial species were passed to other bacterial species. This is the first study to report on the identification of CYP125 P450, cholesterol and cholest-4-en-3-one hydroxylase in alphaproteobacterial species (Phenylobacterium zucineum) and to predict cholesterol side-chain oxidation capability (based on homolog proteins) by P. zucineum.     

Effects of Polar Organic Solvent on Separation of Y （edta）^-／Nd （edta）^- Complexes on Polyacrylic Anion Exchangers

The use of polar organic solvents for the separations of rare earth elements ( Ⅲ ) is effective especially for their extensive separations despite the solubility limitations.The study shows that polyaerylate anion exchangers, particularly the weakly basic, gel anion exchanger Ambedite IRA 68,can be applied to the separation of rare earth complexes with EDTA in H20-metthanol and H20-ethanol systems.In most cases the determined distribution coefficients of Ln^3 complexes with EDTA in mixed media like water-methanol on polyacrylate anion exchangers are larger than those in pure water media.     

Simultaneous application of phytase and xylanase to broiler feeds based on wheat: in vitro measurements of phosphorus and pentose release from wheats and wheat-based feeds†

An in vitro procedure that simulated digestion in growing broilers was tested to predict phosphorus availability and arabinoxylan hydrolysis in samples of nine wheat varieties and in a wheat-based diet. Amounts of dialysable phosphorus freed from wheat samples correlated with activities of endogenous phytase (R = 0.913; p < 0.0001), whereas amounts of pentoses released were correlated with viscosities of the digested samples (R = 0.899; p < 0.0001). Differences in phosphorus release resulting from graded levels of microbial phytase added to feeds that were either autoclaved or not autoclaved revealed a decreasing role of endogenous phytase in dephosphorylation as levels of microbial phytase supplementation grew. Amounts of pentoses released from feeds containing two different xylanase preparations reflected literature data on different in vivo efficacies of those preparations. Simultaneous addition of phytase and xylanase affected phosphorus release in a manner that depended upon the form of xylanase preparation used (liquid or powder). There was a positive influence of acid protease on both phytate and arabinoxylan hydrolysis in feeds supplemented with phytase. Effects observed by the in vitro procedures corresponded to in vivo phenomena described in the literature. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Analysis of solid sorbents for control and removal processes for elemental mercury from gas streams:a review

Due to the restriction such as the Minamata Convention as well as the IED of the European Commission,mercury removal from flue gases of coal-fired power plants(...     

Bifunctional N-Oxides of Alkyldiamidoamines

A homologous series of new surface-active 1,1-bis{[3-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl]-amido}alkane-di-N-oxides were synthesized in the reaction of an appropriate diethyl 2-alkylmalonate with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine followed by oxidation with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide. The adsorption isotherms of their aqueous solutions were measured and evaluated to obtain adsorption parameters: critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface excess concentration (Γ_CMC), equilibrium surface tension at the CMC (γ _CMC), cross-sectional area of the adsorbed surfactant molecule (A _CMC), standard free energies of adsorption and micellization

Physical and sensory characteristics and probiotic survival in ice cream sweetened with various polyols

The effect of polyols (xylitol, erythritol, maltitol and isomalt) on physical and sensory properties of probiotic ice cream, as well as the survival of Bifidobacterium BB‐12 during freezing over 28 days of frozen storage, was investigated. The control sample of ice cream, sweetened with sugar, showed a lower pH and higher overrun than those sweetened with polyols. The viable bifidobacteria counts remained above 8 log cfu/g in all samples. The amount of erythritol added was not enough to obtain a similar sweetness as in control, but too high to get an ice cream with good textural properties.     

Weak gels of fat crystals in oils at low temperatures and their fractal nature

The formation of fat crystal gels in soybean oil has been studied by sedimentation in a low concentration region at 10–25°C. At 10°C, weak gels were formed with 1% crystals, and no gels formed at concentrations of 2–5%. At temperatures of 15–25°C, no gels were formed at concentrations of 1–5%, and samples sedimented. Stronger gels of fat crystals were formed with ∼10% fat crystals at all temperatures examined. Formation of weak gels is a consequence of the fractal nature of fat crystal aggregates and sediments. At low temperature, the interaction is weak. The fractal dimension is then high, and the floc size is large for low crystal concentrations. These large flocs form a three-dimensional network that act as a weak gel and withstand gravitational force. When the temperature is increased, the fat crystal interaction becomes stronger, fractal dimension decreases, and floc size decreases. Smaller flocs have a higher density, pack more easily, and sediment. Similar effects are observed when the concentration of fat crystals is increased at low temperature due to a decrease in floc size.     

Determination and Modelling of the Influence of Cooling in the Coil on the Mechanical Properties of Hot Strip Steels with Bainite

The phenomenon of bainite formation in the hot strip mill for unalloyed steels and the influence of the complex cooling process have hardly been dealt with in literature. Only two useful model equations were found, namely according to Suehiro et al. [4] for the determination of the strength parameters R_p0.2 and R_m of annealed bainite, and according to Umemoto et al. [2] for the calculation of the tensile strength R_m of bainite formed during the isothermal holding temperature. These equations could be optimized by structural complements and modification of the coefficients by adjusting them to the own measured values. For building up the necessary data base, experimental methods were developed, involving the use of a computerized deformation dilatometer. The results thus obtained can be applied to the industrial practice.