Electron pulse radiolysis determination of hydroxyl radical rate constants with Suwannee River fulvic acid and other dissolved organic matter isolates

Pulse radiolysis experiments were conducted on dissolved organic matter (DOM) samples isolated as hydrophobic and hydrophilic acids and neutrals from different sources (i.e., stream, lake, wastewater treatment plant). Absolute bimolecular reaction rate constants for the reaction of hydroxyl radicals (*OH) with DOM (k*(OH), DOM) were determined. k*(OH, DOM) values are expressed as moles of carbon. Based on direct measurement of transient DOM radicals (DOM*) and competition kinetic techniques, both using pulse radiolysis, the k*(OH, DOM) value for a standard fulvic acid from the Suwannee River purchased from the International Humic Substances Society was (1.60 +/- 0.24) x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1). Both pulse radiolysis methods yielded comparable k*(OH, DOM) values. The k*(OH, DOM) values for the seven DOM isolates from different sources ranged from 1.39 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) to 4.53 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1), and averaged 2.23 x 108 M(-1) s(-1) (equivalent to 1.9 x 10(4) (mgC/L)(-1) s(-1)). These values represent the first direct measurements of k*(OH, DOM,) and they compare well with literature values obtained via competition kinetic techniques during ozone or ultraviolet irradiation experiments. More polar, lower-molecular-weight DOM isolates from wastewater have higher k*(OH, DOM) values. In addition, the formation (microsecond time scale) and decay (millisecond time scale) of DOM* transients were observed for the first time. DOM* from hydrophobic acids exhibited broader absorbance spectra than transphilic acids, while wastewater DOM isolates had narrower DOM* spectra more skewed toward shorter wavelengths than did DOM* spectra for hydrophobic acids.     

Improvement of Emissions and Burning Limits in Burner Combustion using an Injector on the Concept of Fuel-Water Internally Rapid Mixing

This study tried to apply biomass fuel to clean burner combustion under high load conditions by water addition. A newly developed injector mixes fuel rapidly with water inside of the injector with support of atomizing air. The mixture composed of three-fluid is injected as spray into a flame stabilizer of burner. Investigation of emission performance of this injector shows that the internally rapid mixing type of injector is hopeful technique to introduce water into burner combustion. Combustion by this injector emits exceedingly less particulate matters at high load. NOx emission is strongly dependent on water flow rate.     

Effects of inhibitors on anaerobic microbial consortium with enhanced dechlorination activity in polychlorinated biphenyl mixture

Characterization was carried out on the anaerobic microbial consortium with enhanced degradation activity toward polychlorinated biphenyls in Kanechlor-300 and Kanechlor-400 mixtures in a burnt soil (BS) culture. The addition of molybdate to the BS culture resulted in the accumulation of less-chlorinated biphenyls such as 4,4'-dichlorinated biphenyl and 2,3',4-trichlorinated biphenyl; however, no such accumulation occurred without molybdate supplementation. No significant effect was observed in individual congeners in the BS culture supplemented with 2-bromoethane sulfonic acid. Analyses involving both the polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of partial 16S rRNA genes and respiratory quinones showed that the predominant microorganisms in the BS culture were anaerobic Firmicutes, while sulfate reducers of the phyla Deltaproteobacteria, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi were absent in the culture amended with the inhibitors. No positive correlation was observed between the dechlorination activity and a PCR-based detection of gene fragments of known dechlorinating bacteria. These results suggest that sulfate reducers played an important role in the enhanced anaerobic dechlorination of PCBs in the BS culture.     

Three-dimensional rainbow schlieren measurements in underexpanded sonic jets from axisymmetric convergent nozzles

The rainbow schlieren deflectometry has been combined with the computed tomography to obtain three-dimensional density fields of shock containing free jets and we call the method the schlieren CT. Experiments on the schlieren CT have been performed at a nozzle pressure ratio of 4.0 by using an axisymmetric convergent nozzle with an inner diameter of 10 mm at the exit where the nozzle was operated at an underexpanded condition. Multidirectional rainbow schlieren pictures of an underexpanded sonic jet can be acquired by rotating the nozzle about its longitudinal axis in equal angular intervals and the three-dimensional density fields are reconstructed by the schlieren CT. The validity of the schlieren CT is verified by a comparison with the density fields reconstructed by the Abel inversion method. As a result, it is found that excellent quantitative agreement is reached between the three-dimensional jet density fields reconstructed from both methods.     

First law analysis for viscous dissipation in liquid flows in micro-channels

This paper focuses on temperature rise due to the viscous dissipation in liquids flowing through micro-channels. In the past, equations for the prediction of the temperature rise have been obtained as a function of the friction factor, Reynolds number and Eckert number or a similar form, starting from Navier–Stokes equation and energy equation under the assumption of fully developed laminar flow by researchers. The temperature rises calculated from the equations have been compared with experimental data and the equations have been validated. However, in this paper, a new equation for the prediction of the temperature rise is simply obtained from the first law of thermodynamics without restriction of fully developed laminar flow.     

DNA microarray analysis suggests that zinc pyrithione causes iron starvation to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Zinc pyrithione has been used in anti-dandruff shampoos and in anti-fouling paint on ships. However, little is known of its mode of action. We characterized the effects of sub-lethal concentrations of zinc pyrithione (Zpt) on Saccharomyces cerevisiae using DNA microarrays. The majority of the strongly upregulated genes are related to iron transport, and many of the strongly downregulated genes are related to the biosynthesis of cytochrome (heme). These data suggest that Zpt induces severe iron starvation. To confirm the DNA microarray data, we supplemented cultures containing Zpt with iron, and the growth of the yeast was restored significantly. From these results, we propose that the principal toxicity of zinc pyrithione arises from iron starvation.     

Potential of predominant activated sludge bacteria as recipients in conjugative plasmid transfer

We investigated the possibility of conjugative plasmid transfer to the predominant bacteria in activated sludge and the factors influencing the transfer frequency in the activated sludge process. We performed conjugative transfers of a self-transmissible, broad-host-range plasmid RP4 from Escherichia coli C600 to activated sludge bacteria by broth mating. Most of the activated sludge bacteria tested could acquire plasmid RP4, although the transfer frequencies varied from 8.8 x 10(-7) to 1.3 x 10(-2) transconjugants per recipient. The transfer frequencies in several strains were similar to, or higher than, that in intraspecific transfer to E. coli HB101. Matings under various environmental conditions showed that factors relevant to physiological activity, such as temperature and nutrient conditions, seemed to affect the transfer frequency. In addition, conjugative transfer was detected even in filtered raw and treated wastewaters. Thus, the predominant activated sludge bacteria seem to have sufficient potential as recipients in conjugative plasmid transfer under the conditions likely to occur in the activated sludge process. Transfer frequency was reduced by agitation in the presence of suspended solid. This may suggest that conjugative plasmid transfer is physically inhibited in aeration tanks.     

Effects of Phosphoryl Oligosaccharides of Calcium (POs-Ca) on Mycelial Growth and Fruiting Body Development of the Edible Mushroom,Pleurotus ostreatus

Phosphoryl oligosaccharides of calcium (POs-Ca) is a calcium salt of phosphoryl maltooligosaccharides made from potato starch. POs-Ca is highly water-soluble and can supply both the calcium ion and acidic oligosaccharides in an aqueous solution. In this study, we investigated the effects of POs-Ca on the mycelial growth and fruiting body yield of Pleurotus ostreatus , which is one of the most widely cultivated edible mushrooms in the world. We cultivated the mushroom using both potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and sawdust-based medium, with added calcium salts. The addition of POs-Ca into the PDA medium with a calcium concentration of 10 mg increased mycelial growth significantly ( p < 0.05, vs . control). POs-Ca addition to the sawdust-based medium at concentrations of 1.0 to 3.0 g/100 g medium increased the amount of calcium in the fruiting bodies but did not affect the length of the cultivation period or the weight of the fruiting body. The calcium content in the fruiting body increased 12-fold when compared to the control. On the other hand, neither the CaHPO ₄ ･2H ₂ O group nor the CaHPO ₄ ･2H ₂ O with oligosaccharides group showed changes in the calcium content of the fruiting bodies. Our results indicate that the use of POs-Ca in mushroom cultivation allows for the possibility of developing new functional foods like calcium-enriched edible mushrooms. This is the first report describing the effects of POs-Ca on mushroom cultivation.