Modelling of a fluidized bed bioreactor for immobilized enzymes (Part 2)

In the first part of this contribution, a mathematical model was presented for a liquid fluidized bed using immobilized enzymes, with reversible Michaelis-Menten kinetics. This part is focused on the experimental results. The reaction kinetics of native and immobilized enzymes was determined in continuous stirred tank reactors under comparable conditions. The influence of external mass transfer was investigated in a fixed bed reactor column. The extend of pore diffusional resistance was examined in a continuous stirred tank reactor and with a numerical simulation. Hydrodynamics was measured in different reactor columns (diameter d_t = 0.052 ? 0.225 m; length L: 1.0–2.0m) and with a static mixer. Further, the concentration profile was determined in a fluidized bed reactor with side stream analysis for different biocatalyst samples, fluid velocities and bed heights. The simulation of experimental results indicates that they are well described by the developed model. Furthermore, the model is well suited to predicting the influence of specific parameters on the effective kinetics of the biocatalyst and the expansion of the fluidized bed.     

Modelling of a fluidized bed bioreactor for immobilized enzymes (Part 1)

In the first part of this paper, a mathematical model is presented for a liquid fluidized bed bioreactor using immobilized enzymes with reversible Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The model is based on the axial dispersion model for the bulk liquid phase. Inter- and intraparticle mass transfer as well as enzyme catalyzed reaction inside the porous beads are considered. The overall efficiency of the biocatalysts is calculated by a numerical routine. For the calculation of the concentration profile inside the reactor, a semi-analytical solution is derived which takes into account the height dependence of the effectiveness factor.     

Organising a joint green European electricity market: the model ElGreen

In this paper, the features and the most important results of the computer model ElGreen will be presented. With the help of the computer model it is possible to simulate various promotion strategies for different technologies in all EU countries. Policies that can be selected are the most important price driven strategies (feed-in tariffs, investment subsidies, tax incentives), capacity driven instruments (tradable green certificates, national or international wide trading system) and a voluntary green pricing system.The following recommendations are derived:

(i)Regardless of which strategy is chosen credible sources must guarantee that the promotional strategy will survive a specified planning horizon;

(ii)The differences between either national trading, international trading or feed-in tariffs are very small if the design of the promotional system is optimised;

(iii)When introducing a TGC system it is of paramount importance that no mix up between existing and new capacities takes place.

     

Improved precision of iTRAQ and TMT quantification by an axial extraction field in an Orbitrap HCD cell

Improving analytical precision is a major goal in quantitative differential proteomics as high precision ensures low numbers of outliers, a source of false positives with regard to quantification. In addition, higher precision increases statistical power, i.e., the probability to detect significant differences. With chemical labeling using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) or tandem mass tag (TMT) reagents, quantification is based on the extraction of reporter ions from tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectra. We compared the performance of two versions of the LTQ Orbitrap higher energy collisional dissociation (HCD) cell with and without an axial electric field with regard to reporter ion quantification. The HCD cell with the axial electric field was designed to push fragment ions into the C-trap and this version is mounted in current Orbitrap XL ETD and Orbitrap Velos instruments. Our goal was to evaluate whether the purported improvement in ion transmission had a measurable impact on the precision of MS/MS based quantification using peptide labeling with isobaric tags. We show that the axial electric field led to an increased percentage of HCD spectra in which the complete set of reporter ions was detected and, even more important, to a reduction in overall variance, i.e., improved analytical precision of the acquired data. Notably, adequate precision of HCD-based quantification was maintained even for low precursor ion intensities of a complex biological sample. These findings may help researchers in their design of quantitative proteomics studies using isobaric tags and establish HCD-based quantification on the LTQ Orbitrap as a highly precise approach in quantitative proteomics.     

Optimizing counter-terror operations: Should one fight fire with “fire” or “water”?

This paper deals dynamically with the question of how recruitment to terror organizations is influenced by counter-terror operations. This is done within an optimal control model, where the key state is the (relative) number of terrorists and the key controls are two types of counter-terror tactics, one (“water”) that does not and one (“fire”) that does provoke recruitment of new terrorists. The model is nonlinear and does not admit analytical solutions, but an efficient numerical implementation of Pontryagin's minimum principle allows for solution with base case parameters and considerable sensitivity analysis. Generally, this model yields two different steady states, one where the terror organization is nearly eradicated and one with a high number of terrorists. Whereas water strategies are used at almost any time, it can be optimal not to use fire strategies if the number of terrorists is below a certain threshold.     

Gentrification and South African Cities: Towards a research agenda

Whereas South Africa’s cities have generally been understood as a “unique” urban form, many theoretical perspectives and urban processes – such as gentrification – which are often reserved for consideration in cities of advanced capitalist societies, are also of relevance there. In fact, important contributions to these theoretical perspectives can be made by drawing upon the South African urban experiences, while also providing a basis whereby local scholarship can be integrated into international urban debates.     

The constitutive behaviour of a Nb-V HSLA steel in the temperature range of 900 to 975 °C

Isothermal true-stress true-strain flow curves of a Nb-V HSLA steel (0.13% C-1.55% Mn-0.028% Nb-0.059% V) are presented in this paper. Constitutive relations, valid at temperatures from 900 to 975 °C and at rates of strain from 0.005 to 5 s^?1, are derived. It is found that an Arrhenius-type equation, with a digital data bank storing its constants for different levels of normalized strains, represents the material's resistance to deformation adequately.