Selection of thermotolerant yeasts for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of cellulose to ethanol

A total of 27 yeast strains belonging to the groupsCandida, Saccharomyces, andKluyveromyces were screened for their ability to grow and ferment glucose at temperatures ranging 32-45°C. K. marxianus andK. fragilis were found to be the best ethanol producing organisms at the higher temperature tested and, so, were selected for subsequent simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) studies.     

对MDTA中测样品热容量的准恒温法的评述

对用调制差热分析（ＭＤＴＡ）准恒温法测样品热容量的情形进行了讨论。通过结合最基本的热传导定律和ＭＤＴＡ模型，指出了目前国际上测量样品热容量的准恒温法只能得到在所测温度范围内的物质热容量平均值，调制温度的幅度越大或调制频率越高，所得到的热容量数据越平滑。在所测温度范围内样品热容量基本不变时，用ＭＤＴＡ准恒温法较好；但当样品热容量在所测温度范围内有明显变化时，用传统差热分析法（ＤＴＡ）更好一些。     

硒化合物对不饱和脂肪酸过氧自由基的作用

本文用电子自旋共振谱技术研究了硒代二乙酸和硒代二丙酸对不饱和脂肪酸过氧自由基的作用。结果表明,硒化合物清除不饱和度为2和2以上的脂肪酸的过氧自由基,但促进仅含一个双键的不饱和脂肪酸的过氧自由基的生成。     

The role of the π-bonding network for trigonal level splittings of tris-bidentate Cr(acac)3 and Cr(ox) 3 3−

The varying -bonding contributions in the title compounds caused by the different electronic and molecular structure of the chelate rings are used for explaining the large band splittings in the absorption spectra by trigonal symmetry. It is shown that usual ligand field theory and the angular overlap model are not able to account for the trigonal level splitting of Cr(acac)₃ for which the coordination sphere of oxygen atoms is nearly octahedrally arranged. The experimental finding can, however, be rationalized by an extended angular overlap model which considers the phase coupling of -orbitals in the ligands leading to non-additive contributions to the metal-ligand bond energy.On leave of absence from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria     

Employment of 4-(1-imidazolyl)phenol as a luminol signal enhancer in a competitive-type chemiluminescence immunoassay and its comparison with the conventional antigen-horseradish peroxidase conjugate-based assay

This study describes the employment of a novel imidazole-substituted phenol [4-(1-imidazolyl)phenol] as a highly potent signal enhancer in a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-luminol chemiluminescence (CL) immunoassay. This competitive-type immunoassay for the model antigen fentanyl is based on the use of fentanyl polyclonal antibody immobilized on white microtiter plates and a biotinylated bovine serum albumin (BSA)-fentanyl derivative as a tracer. The latter was detected by means of streptavidin labeled with HRP, resulting in the generation of a high-intensity and relatively stable chemiluminescent signal, immediately after the addition of the substrate solution (NOAS). The developed method fulfilled the requirements of accuracy (percentage recovery ranged from 93.8 to 107%) and precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs were 2.5-5.2 and 4.5-11.9%, respectively). Its plasma detection limit (1.05 pg ml⁻¹) was lower than those of previous immunoassays. The novel assay was compared in terms of sensitivity and concentration range with other common HRP substrate systems: luminol-p-iodophenol-H₂O₂ and TMB-H₂O₂. Finally, the described method was compared with an HRP-fentanyl conjugate-based assay, similar to commercially available kits (SKIT), employing the novel substrate solution for both assays and the differences observed were explained by applying previously described models. The detection limit was 4.82 pg ml⁻¹ for SKIT, recovery values were 94.2-105% and intra- and inter-assay CVs were 2.5-5.2 and 4.5-11.9%, respectively. In conclusion, the proposed assay could be utilized for a wide range of molecules and replace the existing enzyme-labeled antigen-based kits.     

Poly(ε-caprolactone) macroligands with β-diketonate binding sites: synthesis and coordination chemistry

Dibenzoylmethane (dbm) initiators with one and two alcohol sites were used to generate dbm end-functionalized and dbm-centered poly(ε-caprolactone) macroligands (dbmPCL and dbmPCL₂) with low polydispersities (∼1.1). Chelation of polymeric ligands to metal ions (Eu³⁺, Fe³⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺) produced metal-centered star polymers, which were characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as gel permeation chromatography.     

Tetra(μ3-hydroxo)hexa(μ2-carboxylato-O,O′)-bridged tetranuclear terbium(III) cubane complex

A novel tetranuclear terbium(III) complex [Tb₄(OH)₄(pybet)₆(H₂O)₈][Tb₄(OH)₄(pybet)₆(H₂O)₇ (NO₃)](ClO₄)₁₄·6H₂O has been synthesized and shown by X-ray crystallography to have a cubane-like Tb₄(μ₃-OH)₄(μ₂-carboxylato-O,O′)₆ core. The ligand pybet is pyridinoacetate, C₅H₅⁺N-CH₂CO₂⁻. Magnetic susceptibility data were measured for this Tb₄ complex in the range of 2.0–320 K and in fields of 1.0 G to 50.0 kG. It is concluded that either there is very weak antiferromagnetic exchange interaction (J = −0.015 cm⁻¹) or there is a small crystal-field splitting of the ⁷F₆ Tb^III ground state.     

Acid-catalyzed attack of the dinitrogen ligand in thecis-(Me2PhP)4Mo(N2)2 andtrans-(Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2W(N2)2 complexes by nitronium and nitrosonium cations with the formation of nitrogen oxides

The interaction of labeled dinitrogen complexescis-(Me₂PhP)₄Mo(¹⁵N₂)₂ andtrans-(dppe)₂W(¹⁵N₂)₂ with non-labeled nitronium and nitrosonium fluoroborates,¹⁴NO₂BF₄ and¹⁴NOBF₄, in sulfolane at room temperature in the presence of H₂SO₄ results in rapid formation of labeled nitrous and nitric oxides (¹⁵N¹⁴NO,¹⁵NO), as well as¹⁵N¹⁴N. The yield of the products depends on the reagent ratio and reaches 10–20 mol. % per mole of a complex under optimum conditions. The mechanism of the reactions found is proposed. It involves the step of protonation of the dinitrogen ligand to form the corresponding hydrazido(2–) derivatives, which are then attacked by nitronium or nitrosonium cations. In accordance with the mechanism proposed, it was established that the hydrazido(2–) complexes, (Me₂PhP)₃Mo(¹⁵N₂H₂)Cl₂ and (dppe)₂W(¹⁵N₂H₂)Cl₂, are capable of forming¹⁵N¹⁴NO,¹⁵NO, and¹⁵N¹⁴N under the action of¹⁴NO₂BF₄ and¹⁴NOBF₄ in the absence of an acid.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 13–13, July, 1995.     

Quantum chemical calculations of the isomer shift in iron(II) complexes of 1,2,4-triazoles with a 1 A 1 ⇔ 5 T 2 spin transition

DFT calculations have been performed to determine the isomer shift for a series of iron(II) clusters with nitrogen-containing ligands which serve as models of coordination units in Fe(II) complexes with 1,2,4-triazoles possessing a ¹ A ₁ ? ⁵ T ₂ spin transition. Good agreement has been found between the theoretical and experimental values of the isomer shift for both low-and high-spin phases. Our calculations confirmed the hypothesis about relationship between the experimentally observed differences in the isomer shift for the low-spin phases of the complexes and variations of the Fe-N mean bond length.     

Kinetic parameters of unsaturated polyester resin modified with poly(ε -caprolactone)

The mineral sabugalite (HAl)_0.5[(UO₂)₂(PO₄)]₂⋅8H₂O, has been studied using a combination of energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, dynamic and controlled rate thermal analysis techniques. X-ray diffraction shows that the starting material in the thermal decomposition is sabugalite and the product of the thermal treatment is a mixture of aluminium and uranyl phosphates. Four mass loss steps are observed for the dehydration of sabugalite at 48°C (temperature range 39 to 59°C), 84°C (temperature range 59 to 109°C), 127°C (temperature range 109 to 165°C) and around 270°C (temperature range 175 to 525°C) with mass losses of 2.8, 6.5, 2.3 and 4.4%, respectively, making a total mass loss of water of 16.0%. In the CRTA experiment mass loss stages were found at 60, 97, 140 and 270°C which correspond to four dehydration steps involving the loss of 2, 6, 6 and 2 moles of water. These mass losses result in the formation of four phases namely meta(I)sabugalite, meta(II)sabugalite, meta(III)sabugalite and finally uranyl phosphate and alumina phosphates. The use of a combination of dynamic and controlled rate thermal analysis techniques enabled a definitive study of the thermal decomposition of sabugalite. While the temperature ranges and the mass losses vary due to the different experimental conditions, the results of the CRTA analysis should be considered as standard data due to the quasi-equilibrium nature of the thermal decomposition process. The online version of the original article can be found at