Alkalizing Reactions Streamline Cellular Metabolism in Acidogenic Microorganisms

An understanding of the integrated relationships among the principal cellular functions that govern the bioenergetic reactions of an organism is necessary to determine how cells remain viable and optimise their fitness in the environment. Urease is a complex enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbonic acid. While the induction of urease activity by several microorganisms has been predominantly considered a stress-response that is initiated to generate a nitrogen source in response to a low environmental pH, here we demonstrate a new role of urease in the optimisation of cellular bioenergetics. We show that urea hydrolysis increases the catabolic efficiency of Streptococcus thermophilus, a lactic acid bacterium that is widely used in the industrial manufacture of dairy products. By modulating the intracellular pH and thereby increasing the activity of β-galactosidase, glycolytic enzymes and lactate dehydrogenase, urease increases the overall change in enthalpy generated by the bioenergetic reactions. A cooperative altruistic behaviour of urease-positive microorganisms on the urease-negative microorganisms within the same environment was also observed. The physiological role of a single enzymatic activity demonstrates a novel and unexpected view of the non-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that govern the bioenergetics of a bacterial cell, highlighting a new role for cytosol-alkalizing biochemical pathways in acidogenic microorganisms

Wear performance of alumina-based ceramics - a review of the influence of microstructure on erosive wear

Ceramic materials are of technical and commercial interest due to their chemical, mechanical and thermal performance, leading ceramics to meet many engineering requirements. Alumina (aluminum oxide) is one of the primary representatives of this class of materials because of its high fracture toughness, hardness and density, which enable its use in the production of highly critical parts. One such application involves protection against abrasion and erosion wear. The wear properties of a ceramic can be improved not only by controlling its material characteristics but also by controlling the fabrication process, which defines the material's microstructure. Many studies of the effects of the microstructure on these properties have been published. The objective of this study was to review the effects of the microstructure on the erosive wear resistance of alumina-based ceramics. Four factors that control the erosive wear of alumina were identified: (i) the effects of dopants on the diffusivity of the grain boundaries, (ii) the fabrication route, (iii) the sintering mechanisms and (iv) the alumina grain size. The published experimental results related to these topics are described and provide a clear understanding of the erosive wear of alumina

Superfícies fotocatalíticas de titânia em substratos cerâmicos: Parte I: Síntese, estrutura e fotoatividade

A fotocatálise é um processo de oxidação avançada capaz de transformar uma grande variedade de poluentes orgânicos tóxicos em substâncias inofensivas em condições ambientes. Porém, a utilização do dióxido de titânio na fase anatase em produtos cerâmicos é limitada devido à transformação para fase rutilo em temperaturas superiores a 400 °C. As pesquisas apontam caminhos promissores para inibir a formação da fase rutilo através da introdução de dopantes na estrutura do semicondutor. Neste trabalho, foi realizada uma revisão dos principais aspectos encontrados na literatura especializada sobre fotocatálise com dióxido de titânio, em particular a relação entre estrutura química e atividade fotocatalítica