The Donnan law and its application to ion exchanger polymers

A new technique of measuring the electrolyte up take from dilute solutions by ion exchanger polymers has been developed, which perm its measurements at solution concentrations as low as 10 -4 m. The results show that the Donnan equilibrium relation, which at low concentrations predicts a co-ion distribution coefficient proportional to the solution concentration, is not obeyed. In stead it is shown that the distribution coefficient is proportional over a very wide range to a low power of the external counter-ion concentration. Measurements of the diffusion coefficients in the exchanger phase show an abnormally high dependence on concentration. The conclusion is drawn that these phenomena are due to the fact that even the ‘homogeneous’ exchanger polymers are not uniform and thus cannot be treated as a single phase.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3749
Author(s):  
Diego Repetto ◽  
Elena Angeli ◽  
Denise Pezzuoli ◽  
Patrizia Guida ◽  
Giuseppe Firpo ◽  
...  

Nanofluidic systems offer new functionalities for the development of high sensitivity biosensors, but many of the interesting electrokinetic phenomena taking place inside or in the proximity of nanostructures are still not fully characterized. Here, to better understand the accumulation phenomena observed in fluidic systems with asymmetric nanostructures, we study the distribution of the ion concentration inside a long (more than 90 µm) micrometric funnel terminating with a nanochannel. We show numerical simulations, based on the finite element method, and analyze how the ion distribution changes depending on the average concentration of the working solutions. We also report on the effect of surface charge on the ion distribution inside a long funnel and analyze how the phenomena of ion current rectification depend on the applied voltage and on the working solution concentration. Our results can be used in the design and implementation of high-performance concentrators, which, if combined with high sensitivity detectors, could drive the development of a new class of miniaturized biosensors characterized by an improved sensitivity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 720-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaushik Das ◽  
Karabi Datta ◽  
Subhasis Karmakar ◽  
Swapan K. Datta

Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) have diverse structures, varied modes of actions, and can inhibit the growth of a wide range of pathogens at low concentrations. Plants are constantly under attack by a wide range of phytopathogens causing massive yield losses worldwide. To combat these pathogens, nature has armed plants with a battery of defense responses including Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs). These peptides form a vital component of the two-tier plant defense system. They are constitutively expressed as part of the pre-existing first line of defense against pathogen entry. When a pathogen overcomes this barrier, it faces the inducible defense system, which responds to specific molecular or effector patterns by launching an arsenal of defense responses including the production of AMPs. This review emphasizes the structural and functional aspects of different plant-derived AMPs, their homology with AMPs from other organisms, and how their biotechnological potential could generate durable resistance in a wide range of crops against different classes of phytopathogens in an environmentally friendly way without phenotypic cost.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-542
Author(s):  
Zhigacheva Irina ◽  
Volodkin Aleksandr ◽  
Rasulov Maksud

Background: One of the main sources of ROS in stress conditions is the mitochondria. Excessive generation of ROS leads to oxidation of thiol groups of proteins, peroxidation of membrane lipids and swelling of the mitochondria. In this regard, there is a need to search for preparationsadaptogens that increase the body's resistance to stress factors. Perhaps, antioxidants can serve as such adaptogens. This work aims at studying the effect of antioxidant; the potassium anphen in a wide range of concentrations on the functional state of 6 day etiolated pea seedlings mitochondria (Pisum sativum L). Methods: The functional state of mitochondria was studied per rates of mitochondria respiration, by the level of lipid peroxidation and study of fatty acid composition of mitochondrial membranes by chromatography technique. Results: Potassium anphen in concentrations of 10-5 - 10-8 M and 10-13-10-16 prevented the activation of LPO in the mitochondrial membranes of pea seedlings, increased the oxidation rates of NAD-dependent substrates and succinate in the respiratory chain of mitochondria that probably pointed to the anti-stress properties of the drug. Indeed, the treatment of pea seeds with the preparation in concentrations of 10-13 M prevented the inhibition of growth of seedlings in conditions of water deficiency. Conclusion: It is assumed that the dose dependence of the biological effects of potassium anphen and the manifestation of these effects in ultra-low concentrations are due to its ability in water solutions to form a hydrate containing molecular ensembles (structures).


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8620
Author(s):  
Sanaz Salehi ◽  
Kourosh Abdollahi ◽  
Reza Panahi ◽  
Nejat Rahmanian ◽  
Mozaffar Shakeri ◽  
...  

Phenol and its derivatives are hazardous, teratogenic and mutagenic, and have gained significant attention in recent years due to their high toxicity even at low concentrations. Phenolic compounds appear in petroleum refinery wastewater from several sources, such as the neutralized spent caustic waste streams, the tank water drain, the desalter effluent and the production unit. Therefore, effective treatments of such wastewaters are crucial. Conventional techniques used to treat these wastewaters pose several drawbacks, such as incomplete or low efficient removal of phenols. Recently, biocatalysts have attracted much attention for the sustainable and effective removal of toxic chemicals like phenols from wastewaters. The advantages of biocatalytic processes over the conventional treatment methods are their ability to operate over a wide range of operating conditions, low consumption of oxidants, simpler process control, and no delays or shock loading effects associated with the start-up/shutdown of the plant. Among different biocatalysts, oxidoreductases (i.e., tyrosinase, laccase and horseradish peroxidase) are known as green catalysts with massive potentialities to sustainably tackle phenolic contaminants of high concerns. Such enzymes mainly catalyze the o-hydroxylation of a broad spectrum of environmentally related contaminants into their corresponding o-diphenols. This review covers the latest advancement regarding the exploitation of these enzymes for sustainable oxidation of phenolic compounds in wastewater, and suggests a way forward.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 355
Author(s):  
Unai Caballero ◽  
Sarah Kim ◽  
Elena Eraso ◽  
Guillermo Quindós ◽  
Valvanera Vozmediano ◽  
...  

Candida auris is an emergent fungal pathogen that causes severe infectious outbreaks globally. The public health concern when dealing with this pathogen is mainly due to reduced susceptibility to current antifungal drugs. A valuable alternative to overcome this problem is to investigate the efficacy of combination therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro interactions of isavuconazole with echinocandins against C. auris. Interactions were determined using a checkerboard method, and absorbance data were analyzed with different approaches: the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI), Greco universal response surface approach, and Bliss interaction model. All models were in accordance and showed that combinations of isavuconazole with echinocandins resulted in an overall synergistic interaction. A wide range of concentrations within the therapeutic range were selected to perform time-kill curves. These confirmed that isavuconazole–echinocandin combinations were more effective than monotherapy regimens. Synergism and fungistatic activity were achieved with combinations that included isavuconazole in low concentrations (≥0.125 mg/L) and ≥1 mg/L of echinocandin. Time-kill curves revealed that once synergy was achieved, combinations of higher drug concentrations did not improve the antifungal activity. This work launches promising results regarding the combination of isavuconazole with echinocandins for the treatment of C. auris infections.


Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Viacheslav Glinskikh ◽  
Oleg Nechaev ◽  
Igor Mikhaylov ◽  
Kirill Danilovskiy ◽  
Vladimir Olenchenko

This paper is dedicated to the topical problem of examining permafrost’s state and the processes of its geocryological changes by means of geophysical methods. To monitor the cryolithozone, we proposed and scientifically substantiated a new technique of pulsed electromagnetic cross-well sounding. Based on the vector finite-element method, we created a mathematical model of the cross-well sounding process with a pulsed source in a three-dimensional spatially heterogeneous medium. A high-performance parallel computing algorithm was developed and verified. Through realistic geoelectric models of permafrost with a talik under a highway, constructed following the results of electrotomography field data interpretation, we numerically simulated the pulsed sounding on the computing resources of the Siberian Supercomputer Center of SB RAS. The simulation results suggest the proposed system of pulsed electromagnetic cross-well monitoring to be characterized by a high sensitivity to the presence and dimensions of the talik. The devised approach can be oriented to addressing a wide range of issues related to monitoring permafrost rocks under civil and industrial facilities, buildings, and constructions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-17
Author(s):  
V. P. Bui ◽  
◽  
S. S. Gavruishin ◽  
V. B. Phung ◽  
H. M. Dang ◽  
...  

A new technique is described, used by the authors to automate the design process of the main drive of a new generation machine intended for industrial washing of fruits and vegetables. To solve the problem of multi-criteria design, the original approach is proposed that uses interconnected mathematical models describing the dynamic behavior, strength reliability and functional characteristics of the machine in a unified information space. The generalized mathematical model includes 12 controlled parameters, 16 functional constraints, and 3 quality criteria. A genetic algorithm was used to find the space of Pareto-optimal solutions. The situational approach was used to select the final rational solution from a set of solutions belonging to the Pareto-optimal domain. The rational design of option the washer found using the proposed approach is compared with the existing ones. The proposed design methodology can be recommended for the design of a wide range of similar mechanical structures.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jusciêne B. Moura ◽  
Agueda C. de Vargas ◽  
Gisele V. Gouveia ◽  
João J. de S. Gouveia ◽  
Juracy C. Ramos-Júnior ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: Cladonia substellata Vainio is a lichen found in different regions of the world, including the Northeast of Brazil. It contains several secondary metabolites with biological activity, including usnic acid, which has exhibited a wide range of biological activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of the organic extract of C. substellata and purified usnic acid. Initially, Staphylococcus spp., derived from samples of skin and ears of dogs and cats with suspected pyoderma and otitis, were isolated and analyzed. In antimicrobial susceptibility testing against Staphylococcus spp., 77% (105/136) of the isolates were resistant to the antimicrobials tested. In the assessment of biofilm production, 83% (113/136) were classified as producing biofilm. In genetic characterization, 32% (44/136) were positive for blaZ, no isolate (0/136) was positive for the mecA gene, and 2% (3/136) were positive for the icaD gene. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the organic extract of C. substellata and purified usnic acid against Staphylococcus spp. ranged from 0.25mg/mL to 0.0019mg/mL, inhibiting bacterial growth at low concentrations. The substances were more effective against biofilm-producing bacteria (0.65mg/mL-0.42mg/mL) when compared to non-biofilm producing bacteria (2.52mg/mL-2.71mg/mL). Usnic acid and the organic extract of C. substellata can be effective in the treatment of pyoderma and otitis in dogs and cats caused by Staphylococcus spp.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 1079-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C Griffiths ◽  
David W Knight ◽  
Ian R Morgan ◽  
Amy Ford ◽  
James Brown ◽  
...  

Understanding the gelation of liquids by low molecular weight solutes at low concentrations gives an insight into many molecular recognition phenomena and also offers a simple route to modifying the physical properties of the liquid. Bis-(α,β-dihydroxy ester)s are shown here to gel thermoreversibly a wide range of solvents, raising interesting questions as to the mechanism of gelation. At gelator concentrations of 5–50 mg ml−1, gels were successfully formed in acetone, ethanol/water mixtures, toluene, cyclohexane and chloroform (the latter, albeit at a higher gelator concentration). A range of neutron techniques – in particular small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) – have been employed to probe the structure of a selection of these gels. The universality of gelation in a range of solvent types suggests the gelation mechanism is a feature of the bis-(α,β-dihydroxy ester) motif, with SANS demonstrating the presence of regular structures in the 30–40 Å range. A correlation between the apparent rodlike character of the structures formed and the polarity of the solvent is evident. Preliminary spin-echo neutron scattering studies (SESANS) indicated the absence of any larger scale structures. Inelastic neutron spectroscopy (INS) studies demonstrated that the solvent is largely unaffected by gelation, but does reveal insights into the thermal history of the samples. Further neutron studies of this kind (particularly SESANS and INS) are warranted, and it is hoped that this work will stimulate others to pursue this line of research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Joel Pineda Pineda ◽  
Felipe Sánchez del Castillo ◽  
Esaú Del Carmen Moreno Pérez ◽  
Luis Alonso Valdez Aguilar ◽  
Ana María Castillo González ◽  
...  

Pine (Pinus sp.) sawdust has been used as a growing medium for the cultivation of vegetables and ornamentals. In the present work the objective was to assess the immobilization or retention of N, P, K, and Ca in pine sawdust as the main substrate component by applying Steiner nutrient solution at different concentrations (20, 30 and 40 meq L-1). We used uncomposted sawdust, alone or in mixtures (70/30, v/v) with volcanic tuff of different particle sizes (fine ≤ 3 mm, medium 3-6 mm, and coarse 6-12 mm). For two months, leachate was collected daily, and every 10 days, the average concentrations of N, P, K, and Ca, as well as pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured. The effect of the interaction substrate × nutrient solution concentration on N, P, K and Ca in the leached water was observed. These nutrients increased in concentration in the leachate water in accord with the nutrient solution concentration and as the diameter of volcanic tuff particles diminished. Irrigation with 20 meq L-1 (2 dS m-1) concentration of nutrient solution reduced the concentration of N, P, K, and Ca in leached water below its concentration in the supplied nutrient solution, while irrigation with 30 or 40 meq L-1 (2 or 4 dS m-1) resulted in similar concentration in leached water up to 20 or 30 dat, but at 40 dat, concentration of these nutrients in the leached water was higher. Immobilization of N and P, K, and Ca retention in the sawdust substrate occurred during the first 40 ddt, related to an increase in pH (up to 8.6), a decrease in EC (until 0.5 dS m-1) and low concentrations of N, P, K, and Ca in the leached water.


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