Vital-Fluorochromization of Microorganisms Using 3′,6′-Diacetylfluorescein to Determine Damages of Cell Membranes and Loss of Metabolic Activity by Ozonation

Cell suspensions of Escherichia coli as a model for bacterial populations in wastewaters were treated with ozone as a disinfectant in a continuously operated pilot plant with a plug flow reactor. Suspensions with an initial number of CFU (colony forming units) of 10⁸ mL^?1 were ozonized with ozone concentrations up to 12 mg/L. Metabolic activities and membrane functions break down with increasing ozone concentrations. The fluorochromization using 3′,6′-diacetylfluorescein (FDA) proved to be a suitable method for the detection of an alteration in permeability of the cell membranes and an inactivation of metabolic activity. By fluorescence microscopic and photometric investigations it could be clearly demonstrated that, in the case of disinfection with ozone, inactivation of the cells includes first of all a damage of the cell membranes. In contrast to the determination of the number of CFU, fluorochromization allows the detection of alteration in metabolic activities.     

微量Ag对CP276合金性能和组织的影响

研究添加不同含量的Ａｇ对ＣＰ２７６合金的拉伸性能和时效组织的影响。对拉伸强度、延伸率测试及透射电镜观察表明：０．１１ｗｔ％加入可促进Ｔ１相析出，使合金强度值升高；０．３５ｗｔ％Ａｇ的加入可在时效前期生成富Ａｇ、Ｍｇ的稳定的ＧＰ区，从而降低合金中Ｃｕ的固溶度，阻碍Ｔ１相析出，时效后期，ＧＰ区分解，生成大量Ｔ１相，使合金强度值显著升高。     

Advancing controlled release packaging through smart blending

Researchers from Rutgers University and Clemson University have collaborated to develop a concept of using smart blending to generate functional packaging films for the controlled release of active compounds such as antimicrobials, antioxidants and flavour compounds to extend the shelf‐life of food. In this paper, literature results are reviewed to justify the significance of controlled release packaging (CRP) and the research gaps for further development are identified. A major research gap is the lack of packaging materials that can provide the release of active compounds at rates suitable for a wide range of food packaging applications. Smart blending is a promising technology for bridging this research gap. To fully realize the potentials of smart blending, a systematic approach for developing CRP using smart blending is also presented. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

KCl与NaCl在低盐固态法酱油发酵中的应用比较

对KCl与NaCl在低盐固态酱油发酵中的应用进行了比较研究。结果表明：用KCl代替NaCl，KCl的浓度要高于NaCl才能抑制发酵期间杂茵的污染，且使用KCl的发酵效果比NaCl要好。     

用层次分析法(AHP)确定QFD中客户需求权重

客户需求权重的确定是质量功能配置(QFD)实现过程中的重要一环，然而传统的确定权重的方法都有各自的缺陷。本文采用层次分析法(AHP)来确定客户需求的权重，首先建立了评价模型，并构造出比较判断矩阵，然后通过层次排序和一致性检验，最终获得了接近实际的客户需求权重结果。文章最后以某企业所生产的车床的客户需求为例，验证了用AHP法来确定QFD中客户需求权重的可行性。     

Crystallization behavior of star-shaped poly(ethylene oxide) with cubic silsesquioxane (CSSQ) core

The crystallization behavior of well-defined star-shaped cubic silsesquioxane-poly(ethylene oxide) (CSSQ-PEO) and linear PEO were studied in terms of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). It was found in DSC analysis that the glass transition temperature (T_g) and the crystallization temperature (T_c) of CSSQ-PEO are different from those of linear PEO. The presence of CSSQ in PEO reduced the overall crystallization growth rate. This effect can be ascribed to the reduction of the mobility of the PEO crystallites in the presence of CSSQ and the star structure of the polymer. The Ozawa method is qualitatively satisfactory for describing the nonisothermal crystallizations of linear PEO and CSSQ-PEO. The presence of CSSQ leads to the diffusion- and nucleation-controlled mechanisms in the crystallization process of CSSQ-PEO whilst only the nucleation-controlled mechanism was observed in the case of linear PEO. The apparent activation energy required for crystallization was calculated using the Kissinger method. The isothermal crystallization morphology of PEO and CSSQ-PEO were also examined by cross-polarizing optical microscopy (CPOM). The CPOM images indicated the spherulite growth is slower in CSSQ-PEO as compared to linear PEO. It was also investigated that more number of PEO spherulites in CSSQ-PEO were observed, which sizes are markedly smaller than the spherulites developed in linear PEO. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) studies showed that the crystallization peaks for linear PEO and CSSQ-PEO appeared at different temperature revealing the crystallization process and crystal growth rate are different from each other. However, no significant distortion of the crystal structure of PEO was evaluated in the presence of CSSQ.     

Acidogenic fermentation of blended food‐waste in combination with primary sludge for the production of volatile fatty acids

The performance of a laboratory‐scale anaerobic acidogenic fermenter fed with a mixture of blended kitchen food‐waste and primary sludge from a sewage treatment plant was investigated for the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA). The operating variables for acidogenic fermentation were kitchen food‐waste content (10 and 25 wt %), hydraulic retention time (HRT: 1, 3 and 5 days), temperature (ambient: 18 ± 2 °C, and mesophilic: 35 ± 2 °C) and pH (varied from 5.2 to 6.7). The experimental results indicated that effluent VFA concentrations and VFA production rates were higher at ambient temperature than at mesophilic conditions. The net amount of VFA with 10 wt % food‐waste increased up to 920 mg dm^?3 with an increase of HRT, but contrasting results (a decrease of 2610 mg dm^?3) were found due to the conversion of VFA into biogas in the case of 25 wt % food‐waste, which increased significantly at HRT of 3–5 days. In terms of biogas composition (CO₂ and CH₄), the organic matter was converted into CO₂ through the oxidative pathway by facultative species at low temperature while mesophilic temperature and optimum pH (6.3–7.8) played a pivotal role in increasing rate of conversion of VFA into biogas by methanogenesis. Rates of VFA production and their conversion are dependent on the food‐waste content in the mixture. Yet, the higher concentration of food‐waste (25% compared with 10%) did not produce VFA proportionally due to the increased rate of conversion of VFA into gaseous products. The maximum VFA production rate (0.318 g VFA_produced g^?1 VS_fed day^?1) was achieved in the 10 wt % food‐waste at ambient temperature and at a 5‐day HRT. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nutrient removal performance of an anaerobic–anoxic–aerobic process as a function of influent C/P ratio

The laboratory scale anaerobic–anoxic–aerobic (A²O) process fed with synthetic brewage wastewater was designed to investigate the effects of changing feed C/P ratio on the performance of biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes. In the experiment, the influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration was kept at approximately 300 mg L^?1 while the total phosphorus concentration was varied to obtain the desired C/P ratio. Results showed that when the C/P ratio was lower than 32, phosphorus removal efficiency increased as C/P ratio increased linearly, while when the C/P ratio was higher than 32, the P removal efficiency was maintained at 90–98%, and effluent P concentration was lower than 0.5 mg L^?1. However, regardless of the C/P ratio, excellent COD removal (90% or higher) and good total nitrogen removal (75–84%) were maintained throughout the experiments. It was also found that very good linear correlation was obtained between COD uptake per unit P released in the anaerobic zone and C/P ratio. In addition, the P content in the wasted activated sludge increased with the decrease in the C/P ratio. Based on the results, it was recommended that the wastewater C/P ratio and its effects be incorporated into BNR design and operational procedures, appropriate C/P ratios were used to achieve the effluent treatment goals. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Analysis of supersaturation and nucleation in a moving solution droplet with flowing supercritical carbon dioxide

A supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process is employed for production of solid nanoparticles from atomized droplets of dilute solution in a flowing supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO₂) stream by attaining extremely high, very rapid, and uniform supersaturation. This is facilitated by a two‐way mass transfer of CO₂ and solvent, to and from the droplet respectively, rendering rapid reduction in equilibrium solubility of the solid solute in the ternary solution. The present work analyses the degree of supersaturation and nucleation kinetics in a single droplet of cholesterol solution in acetone during its flight in a flowing SC CO₂ stream. Both temperature and composition are assumed to be uniform within the droplet, and their variations with time are calculated by balancing the heat and mass transfer fluxes to and from the droplet. The equilibrium solubility of cholesterol with CO₂ dissolution has been predicted as being directly proportional to the Partial Molar Volume Fraction (PMVF) of acetone in the binary (CO₂–acetone) system. The degree of supersaturation has been simulated up to the time required to attain almost zero cholesterol solubility in the droplet for evaluating the rate of nucleation and the size of the stable critical nuclei formed. The effects of process parameters have been analysed in the pressure range of 7.1–35.0 MPa, temperature range of 313–333 K, SC CO₂ flow rate of 0.1136–1.136 mol s^?1, the ratio of the volumetric flow rates of CO₂‐to‐solution in the range of 100–1000, and the initial mole fraction of cholesterol in acetone solution in the range of 0.0025–0.010. The results confirm an extremely high and rapid increase in degree of supersaturation, very high nucleation rates and stable critical nucleus diameter of the order of a nanometre. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry