Production of D-lyxose from D-glucose by microbial and enzymatic reactions

D-arabitol was first prepared from D-glucose using Candida famata R28. The reaction gave 5.0% D-arabitol from 10.0% D-glucose. D-arabitol was then almost completely converted to D-xylulose using Acetobacter aceti IFO 3281. Finally, D-lyxose was prepared from D-xylulose enzymatically using L-ribose isomerase from toluene-treated cells of Acinetobacter sp. strain DL-28. The isomerization reaction progressed steadily and the concentration of D-xylulose increased from 1.0 to 10.0%. About 70% of D-xylulose was converted to D-lyxose in all cases. Separation of residual D-xylulose from the reaction mixture is very difficult to achieve by column chromatography, but D-xylulose could be selectively degraded easily using Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 0841. The product was crystallized and was confirmed to be D-lyxose by HPLC, 13C-NMR spectra, IR spectra analysis, and optical rotation measurement.     

Influence of Media Composition on the Production of alpha-Amylase and Amyloglucosidase by a Strain of Aspergillus niger

The nature of thermophilic amylolytic enzymes produced by a strain of Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem was influenced by media composition. While glucose, maltose, dextrin and soluble starch induced the production of amyloglucosidase, pectin and sodium polypectate almost exclusively induced the formation of α-amylase. Alkali ions suppressed the formation of amyloglucosidase. NH₄NO₃, (NH₄)₂HPO₄ and (NH₄)₂C₄H₄O₆ served as good inorganic nitrogen sources, while casein, groundnut protein and corn steep liquor served to a similar capacity as nitrogen sources from organic material. Deletion of the growth factors pyridoxine-hydrochloride and inositol suppressed enzyme production, while the absence of riboflavin had the opposite effect.     

A Study of the Boundary Conditions for the Gel Formation of Alginates of Polyvalent Metals

A method has been developed to determine the boundary conditions of gelation in the water-soluble acid polyelectrolyte-polyvalent metal salt system. In the case of sodium alginate-polyvalent metal chloride system, at chloride concentrations below 0.15mol/l, the gelation capacity increases in the series: Ca²⁺ <Sr²⁺ <Ba²⁺ <Cu²⁺ < La³⁺. The constants of ion exchange, resulting in the formation of intermolecular bonds, have been calculated. The gelation capacity of the sodium alginate-calcium chloride system decreases in the presence of urea and chlorides of alkali metals.     

Fluoro- and Chlorodeoxy Derivatives of Starches

Treatment of 6-O-p-tolylsulfonyl starch with anhydrous potassium fluoride in boiling 1,2-dihydroxyethane afforded deoxyfluorostarches (D. S. Fluorine 0.18). Reaction of starch with hydrofluoric acid in dimethyl sulfoxide at −30 °C gave deoxyfluorostarches of high fluorine content (D. S. Fluorine 0.91). Chlorodeoxystarches have been prepared by the reaction of corn starch with (chloromethylene) dimethylimminium chloride in N, N′-dimethyl-formamide.     

Selecting Meters for Water-Based Heat Supply Systems

Basic criteria are considered for selecting meters for open and closed water-based heat supply systems. Results are given from an independent questionnaire concerned with the ranking of selection criteria and preferences for types of meter present on the Russian market, as well as the technical characteristics and services provided by meters made by the Teplocom company in St. Petersburg.     

Direct vapor phase growth process and robust photoluminescence properties of large area MoS2 layers

There has been growing research interest in the use of molybdenum disulfide in the fields of optoelectronics and energy harvesting devices, by virtue of its indirect-to-direct band gap tunability. However, obtaining large area thin films of MoS2 for future device applications still remains a challenge. In the present study, the amounts of the precursors （S and MOO3） were varied systematically in order to optimize the growth of highly crystalline and large area MoS2 layers by the chemical vapor deposition method. Careful control of the amounts of precursors was found to the key factor in the synthesis of large area highly crystalline flakes. The thickness of the layers was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The optical properties and chemical composition were studied by photoluminescence （PL） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The emergence of strong direct excitonic emissions at 1.82 eV （A-exciton, with a normalized PL intensity of -55 × 10^3） and 1.98 eV （B-exciton, with a normalized PL intensity of -5 × 10^3） of the sample at room temperature clearly indicates the high luminescence quantum efficiency. The mobility of the films was found to be 0.09 cm^2/（V.s） at room temperature. This study provides a method for the controlled synthesis of high-quality two-dimensional （2D） transition metal dichalcogenide materials, useful for applications in nanodevices, optoelectronics and solar energv conversion.