Kinetics of uptake of organic liquid substrates by microbial cells: A method to distinguish interfacial contact and mass-transfer mechanisms

AbstractFluorescent sterol probes, comprising a fluorophore connected to a sterol backbone by means of a linker, are promising tools for enabling high-resolution imaging of intracellular cholesterol. In this study, we evaluated how the size of the linker, site of its attachment and nature of the fluorophore, affect the localization and trafficking properties of fluorescent sterol probes. Varying lengths of linker using the same fluorophore affected cell penetration and retention in specific cell compartments. A C-4 linker was confirmed as optimal. Derivatives of heterocyclic sterol precursors attached with identical C-4 linker to different fluorophores at diverse positions also showed significant differences in their binding properties to various intracellular compartments and kinetics of trafficking. Two novel red-emitting probes with good cell permeability, fast intracellular labelling and slightly different distribution displayed very promising characteristics for sterol probes. These probes also strongly labelled endo/lysosomal compartment in cells with pharmacologically disrupted cholesterol transport, or with a genetic mutation of cholesterol transporting protein NPC1, that overlapped with filipin staining of cholesterol. Overall, the present study demonstrates that the physicochemical properties of the fluorophore/linker pairing determine the kinetics of uptake and distribution and subsequently influence the applicability of final probes.

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Mass Transfer Coefficients during Steel Decarburization in a RH Degasser

Defect and Diffusion Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/ddf.273-276.679 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 273-276 ◽

pp. 679-684

Author(s):

Roberto Parreiras Tavares ◽

André Afonso Nascimento ◽

Henrique Loures Vale Pujatti

Keyword(s):

Mass Transfer ◽

Reynolds Number ◽

Transfer Coefficient ◽

Mass Transfer Coefficient ◽

Gas Flow ◽

Vacuum Chamber ◽

Volumetric Mass Transfer Coefficient ◽

Gas Flow Rate ◽

Rh Process ◽

Kinetics Of

The RH process is a secondary refining process that can simultaneously attain significant levels of removal of interstitial elements, such as carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen, from liquid steel. In the RH process, the decarburization rate plays a very important role in determining the productivity of the equipment. The kinetics of this reaction is controlled by mass transfer in the liquid phase. In the present work, a physical model of a RH degasser has been built and used in the study of the kinetics of decarburization. The effects of the gas flow rate and of the configurations of the nozzles used in the injection of the gas have been analyzed. The decarburization reaction of liquid steel was simulated using a reaction involving CO2 and caustic solutions. The concentration of CO2 in the solution was evaluated using pH measurements. Based on the experimental results, it was possible to estimate the reaction rate constant. A volumetric mass transfer coefficient was then calculated based on these rate constants and on the circulation rate of the liquid. The logarithm of the mass transfer coefficient showed a linear relationship with the logarithm of the gas flow rate. The slope of the line was found to vary according to the relevance of the reaction at the free surface in the vacuum chamber. A linear relationship between the volumetric mass transfer coefficient and the nozzle Reynolds number was also observed. The slopes of the lines changed according to the relative importance of the two reaction sites, gas-liquid interface in the upleg snorkel and in the vacuum. At higher Reynolds number, the reaction in the vacuum chamber tends to be more significant.

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