Continuous hydrolysis of olive oil by lipase in microporous hydrophobic membrane bioreactor

Continuous hydrolysis of olive oil byCandida cylindracea’s lipase was studied in a microporous hydrophobic membrane bioreactor. Olive oil and buffer solution, fed continuously through two compartments partitioned by membrane, caused reaction at the interface of lipase-adsorbed membrane and buffer solution. Fatty acid was obtained in a single phase without being mixed with components of other phases. At all mean residence times, countercurrent flow mode was superior to cocurrent one. The lipase was adsorbed onto the membrane, and its adsorption was suggested to be partially specific from the experiments with enzymes having various levels of purity. The percent hydrolysis depended hyperbolically on the interfacial enzyme concentration. The hydrolysis seemed to be limited by diffusion of fat or fatty acid through the micropores of the membrane at higher interfacial enzyme concentrations. The lipase was stabilized significantly by glycerol added to the buffer solution. Satisfactory performance of the membrane bioreactor was obtained in a longterm continuous operation which lasted for 24 days by feeding buffer-glycerol (18.0%) solution over the adsorbed lipase. The operational half-life of the adsorbed enzyme was 15 days at 40 C.     

Superconductivity in SrTa2S5

A strontium tantalum sulfide, SrTa₂S₅, has a hexagonal structure with lattice constants of a =3.32 and c=24.1 Å. With decreasing temperature the electrical resistivity decreases monotonically and exhibits an abrupt superconducting transition at 3.16 K (midpoint). The diamagnetic susceptibility is observed below T_c. The magnetic susceptibility is nearly independent of temperature above T_c and shows Pauli paramagnetism.     

Formation and Characterization of Ce3ZrO8 Prepared by the Hydrazine Method

A compound denoted as (Ce_0.75Zr_0.25)O₂ (Ce, ZrO₈) is formed near room temperature from cerium and zirconium nitrates using hydrazine monohydrate. It has a cubic unit cell with a = 0.5342 nm. Characterization of powders heated to various temperatures at 10°C/min demonstrates that the specific surface area does not decrease below 20 mVg until >1000°C.     

Optimal production-inventory policy for make-to-order versus make-to-stock based on the M/Er/1 queuing model

This paper analyzes a multi-product production / inventory system where demands for each item arrive according to a Poisson process and the production time for each product has an Erlang distribution. The paper proposes an optimality condition that specifies whether each product should be produced make-to-stock or make-to-order. In the event a product should be produced make-to-stock, an approach for computing the optimal base-stock level is proposed. Numerical examples are given for illustrative purpose.     

Clinical study of total intravenous anesthesia with droperidol, fentanyl and ketamine--effects of nicardipine, diltiazem and nifedipine on intraoperative hypertension

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between the exposure of adolescents in the seventh and eighth grades to cigarette advertising and their being smokers. A survey questionnaire given to 602 adolescents assessed their exposure to cigarette advertising and provided measures of their smoking behavior, demographic characteristics, and some psychosocial variables. The results indicated that exposure to cigarette advertising and having friends who smoked were predictive of current smoking status. Adolescents with high exposure to cigarette advertising were significantly more likely to be smokers, according to several measures of smoking behavior, than were those with low exposure to cigarette advertising. The findings extend previous research identifying factors that may play a role in the initiation and maintenance of smoking among adolescents.     

Effects of Annealing on Dielectric Loss and Microstructure of Aluminum Nitride Ceramics

The effect of annealing on tan δ and microstructures of aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics were explored. Yttria was added as a sintering additive to AlN powders, and the powders were pressureless-sintered at 1900°C for 2 h in a nitrogen flow atmosphere. In succession to sintering, AlN samples were annealed at 720, 970 and 1210°C for 2 and 4 h. Very low tan δ values between 2.6 and 6.0 × 10⁻⁴ at 28 GHz were obtained when the AlN samples were annealed for 4 h at all the annealing temperatures.     

In-situ monitoring of the stabilization with hydrogen of free radicals thermally induced from coal using high pressure e.s.r., d.t.a. and p.d.a. equipment

High temperature, high pressure e.s.r. measurements of the hydrogenation reaction of Taiheiyo coal in the presence of catalysts were carried out to understand the stabilization of thermally and/or catalytically induced free radicals. A decrease in free radical concentration with increasing temperature was observed for ZnCl₂ and SnCl₂ · 2H₂O catalysts at 10MPa under hydrogen gas. High pressure modified single-cell d.t.a. and p.d.a. equipment augmented the uniquely designed high temperature, high pressure e.s.r. cell. The hydrogenation reaction was monitored under the same experimental conditions as for e.s.r. From the results of the combination of high temperature, high pressure e.s.r. with high pressure d.t.a. and p.d.a., it was established that H₂ molecules can react efficiently with free radicals from coal molecules created by the presence of ZnCl₂ and SnCl₂ · 2H₂O catalysts.