Application of a high density adsorbent in expanded bed adsorption of lipase from Burkholderia pseudomallei

The application of STREAMLINE Direct HST adsorbent in expanded bed adsorption of lipase from Burkholderia pseudomallei was explored in this study. Scouting of optimum binding and elution condition was performed in batch binding mode. The addition of 0.2 M salt in acetate buffer (pH 5)during adsorption has increased the specificity and quantity of lipase binding onto the adsorbent. The addition of 0.4 M salt in phosphate buffer (pH 7) achieved the highest purification fold (2.5) in elution. The high density of the adsorbent allowed the EBA to be operated at linear velocity as high as 657 cm/h with feedstock containing 4.5% (w/v) wet biomass. The Richardson-Zaki correlation obtained for this EBA system at the presence of 4.5% (w/v) wet biomass is 5.14, a value closed to the laminar flow regime of 4.8, demonstrated that a stable bed is achieved under this operating condition. Meanwhile, a flow velocity of 343 cm/h with bed expansion of 3.2 gave highest dynamic binding capacity (4979.28 U/ml)and productivity (61.52 U/ml.min) for this EBA operation. It also demonstrated that biomass concentration up to 4.5% (w/v) wet weight showed slightly drop of sorption efficiency (0.82) compared to lower biomass concentration (0.94). Further increase of biomass concentration above 4.5% (w/v) wet weight has greatly decreased the equilibrium and dynamic capacity. Application of high density adsorbent tolerated to high density and biomass has reduced the processing time and increased theproductivity

ASCI 2010 standardized practice protocol for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: a report of the Asian society of cardiovascular imaging cardiac computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging guideline working group

These practice guidelines are recommended by the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (ASCI), the sole society in Asia designated for cardiovascular imaging, to provide a framework to healthcare providers for suggested essential elements in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examinations of different disease spectra. The guideline is composed of recommendations on the general technique, acquisition of some basic modules, and protocols on stress tests. The protocols for specific diseases are provided in a table format for quick reference to be easily utilized for everyday clinical CMR. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

Localized amyloidosis presenting with a penile mass: a case report

Amyloidosis is a disease characterized by the deposition of altered proteins in tissues. Amyloid deposition always occurs in the extracellular matrix and presents a fibrillary conformation. Local deposition of amyloid may occur in individual organs, without systemic involvement. We report here a rare case of localized penile shaft amyloidosis--an unusual location for amyloid deposition--presenting as a penile mass that resulted in a urethral stricture in 37-year old male patient. We have also comprehensively reviewed the literature regarding localized amyloidosis

The solar eclipse and associated atmospheric variations observed in South Korea on 22 July 2009

A partial solar eclipse occurred in South Korea on 22 July 2009. It started at 09:30 a.m. and lasted until 12:14 LST with coverage of between 76.8% and 93.1% of the sun. The observed atmospheric effects of the eclipse are presented. It was found that from the onset of the eclipse, solar radiation was reduced by as much as 88.1 ∼ 89.9% at the present research centre. Also, during the eclipse, air temperature decreased slightly or remained almost unchanged. After the eclipse, however, it rose by 2.5 to 4.5°C at observed stations. Meanwhile, relative humidity increased and wind speeds were lowered by the eclipse. Ground-level ozone was observed to decrease during the event

Efficient Performance of Electrostatic Spray-Deposited TiO2 Blocking Layers in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells after Swift Heavy Ion Beam Irradiation

A compact TiO2 layer (~1.1 μm) prepared by electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) and swift heavy ion beam (SHI) irradiation using oxygen ions onto a fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) conducting substrate showed enhancement of photovoltaic performance in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The short circuit current density (Jsc = 12.2 mA cm-2) of DSSCs was found to increase significantly when an ESD technique was applied for fabrication of the TiO2 blocking layer, compared to a conventional spin-coated layer (Jsc = 8.9 mA cm-2). When SHI irradiation of oxygen ions of fluence 1 × 1013 ions/cm2 was carried out on the ESD TiO2, it was found that the energy conversion efficiency improved mainly due to the increase in open circuit voltage of DSSCs. This increased energy conversion efficiency seems to be associated with improved electronic energy transfer by increasing the densification of the blocking layer and improving the adhesion between the blocking layer and the FTO substrate. The adhesion results from instantaneous local melting of the TiO2 particles. An increase in the electron transport from the blocking layer may also retard the electron recombination process due to the oxidized species present in the electrolyte. These findings from novel treatments using ESD and SHI irradiation techniques may provide a new tool to improve the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs

Correlation Between Microstructures and Tensile Properties of Strain-Based API X60 Pipeline Steels

The correlation between the microstructures and tensile properties of strain-based American Petroleum Institute (API) X60 pipeline steels was investigated. Eight types of strain-based API X60 pipeline steels were fabricated by varying the chemical compositions, such as C, Ni, Cr, and Mo, and the finish cooling temperatures, such as single-phase and dual-phase regions. In the 4N and 5C steels, the volume fractions of bainitic ferrite (BF) and the secondary phases increased with the increasing C and adding Cr instead of Ni. In the 5C and 6NC steels, the volume fractions of acicular ferrite (AF) and BF decreased with increasing C and adding Ni, whereas the volume fractions of polygonal ferrite (PF) and the secondary phases increased. In the 6NC and 6NM steels, the volume fraction of BF was increased by adding Mo instead of Cr, whereas the volume fractions of PF and the secondary phases decreased. In the steels rolled in the single-phase region, the volume fraction of polygonal ferrite ranged from 40 to 60 pct and the volume fraction of AF ranged from 20 to 40 pct. In the steels rolled in the dual-phase region, however, the volume fraction of PF was more than 70 pct and the volume fraction of AF was below 20 pct. The strength of the steels with a high volume fraction of AF was higher than those of the steels with a high volume fraction of PF, whereas the yield point elongation and the strain hardening exponent were opposite. The uniform elongation after the thermal aging process decreased with increasing volume fraction of PF, whereas the uniform elongation increased with increasing volume fraction of AF. The strain hardening exponent increased with increasing volume fraction of PF, but decreased with increasing volume fraction of AF and effective grain size. (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2016open1183sciescopu

Improved ground-state modulation characteristics in 1.3 μm InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers by rapid thermal annealing

We investigated the ground-state (GS) modulation characteristics of 1.3 μm InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) lasers that consist of either as-grown or annealed QDs. The choice of annealing conditions was determined from our recently reported results. With reference to the as-grown QD lasers, one obtains approximately 18% improvement in the modulation bandwidth from the annealed QD lasers. In addition, the modulation efficiency of the annealed QD lasers improves by approximately 45% as compared to the as-grown ones. The observed improvements are due to (1) the removal of defects which act as nonradiative recombination centers in the QD structure and (2) the reduction in the Auger-related recombination processes upon annealing