Preparation of uniform calcium alginate gel beads by membrane emulsification coupled with internal gelation

With the objective of making calcium alginate gel beads with small and uniform size, membrane emulsification coupled with internal gelation was proposed. Spherical gel beads with mean size of about 50 mum, and even smaller ones in water, and with narrow size distribution were successfully obtained. Experimental studies focusing mainly on the effect of process parameters on bead properties were performed. The size of the beads was mainly dependent on the diameter of the membrane pores. High transmembrane pressure made for large gel beads with wide size distribution. Low sodium alginate concentration produced nonspherical beads, whereas a high concentration was unsuitable for the production of small beads with narrow distribution. Thus 1.5% w/v was enough. A high surfactant concentration favored the formation of small beads, but the adverse effect on mass transfer should be considered in this novel process. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

微生物酶法拆分消旋芳香族氨基酸的研究

通过单因子和多因子摇瓶正交试验，确定了米曲霉液态发酵产氨基酰化酶的最佳发酵条件。优化发酵培养基组成（ρ/g L-1）： 葡萄糖40,蔗糖10,可溶性淀粉20,蛋白胨2.5,马铃薯液1 000mL, pH自然。培养基装量50mL/250mL三角瓶，接种量4%。培养温度30℃，转速100 rmin-1，发酵时间42h。每50mL培养物的总酶活由优化前的2627U提高到7338U，是优化前的2.79倍。 研究了米曲霉氨基酰化酶的部分酶学性质，该酶催化反应的最适pH为7.0，最适温度为40℃，低浓度的Co2+（5×10-4mol/L）对酶活激活作用显著，催化反应过程中，底物浓度大于0.2 mol/L时，存在高浓度底物抑制酶活力现象。 初步探索了包埋法固定化米曲霉氨基酰化酶的载体，在实验的五种载体中，以海藻酸钠为载体包埋固定化米曲霉氨基酰化酶酶活保留率高，且操作简单，成本低廉。对包埋法固定化米曲霉氨基酰化酶酶学性质进行了研究，较游离米曲霉氨基酰化酶，最适温度未发生改变，最适pH向碱性范围偏移至8.0，对酸碱和热的稳定性增强，最适底物浓度增大到0.4 mol/L。 根据氨基酰化酶能立体专一水解L-氨基酰化物的特点，利用米曲霉氨基酰化酶对消旋苯丙氨酸进行了拆分。在米曲霉氨基酰化酶选择性的作用于底物N-乙酰-L-苯丙氨酸，得到L-苯丙氨酸后，通过732阳离子树脂和结晶法分别将L-苯丙氨酸和N-乙酰-D-苯丙氨酸分离，N-乙酰-D-苯丙氨酸通过酸水解脱去乙酰基得到D-苯丙氨酸，拆分得到光学纯度为98%的L-苯丙氨酸（收率84.8%）和光学纯度为92.3%的D-苯丙氨酸（收率89.5%）。 separate factors tests and orthogonal experiments,the optimum fermentation conditions of aminoacylase –producing Aspergillus oryzae were determined, as follows（ρ/g L-1）,glucose 40,sucrose 10,soluble starch 20,peptone 2.5，potato juice 1000ml, inoculation volume 4%and fermentation temperature 30℃,rotation speed 100rmin-1.The highest total enzyme activity ,7338μ,was obtained after fermentation for 42 h, increased by 279% compared with the original value of 2627μbefore optimization. We dicussed partial characteristics of aminoacylase. The optimal pH and temperature of aminoacylase were 7.0 and 40℃ respectively. Low- concentration Co2+ (5×10-4mol/L）activated the aminoacylase remarkably while high-concentration substrate lowered the aminoacylase . Five vectors has been used for immobolizing the enzyme and calcium alginate showed to be the best one for it had the slightest influence on the enzyme activity, easy to operate ,and low in price, comparing with other fours. The enzymatic charateristic study showed that its optimum temperature didn’t change, but the optimum pH and substrat concentration were higher after immobilization. The stability of immobolized enzyme to acid, alkaline and heat rised as well. The aminoacylse from Aspergillus oryzae was used to resolute racemic phenylalanine to obtain D-phenylalanine. After catalyzing process, we took two methods to separate D-phenylalanine .In end,L-phenylalanine was obtained with 98% optical purity in 84.8% yield, D-phenylalanine was obtained with 92.3% optical purity in 89.5% yield.

Characterization of structure and diffusion behaviour of Ca-alginate beads prepared with external or internal calcium sources

Ca-alginate beads were prepared with either external or internal calcium sources. The structures of both beads were investigated with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy. It was shown that the beads with internal calcium source had a looser structure and bigger pore size than those with external calcium source. The attempts to interpret the difference were carried out by determining the Ca content within the beads at various times, which indicated that it was the different gelation mechanisms that caused the difference of structures of both beads. Furthermore, it was also found that the diffusion rate of haemoglobin (Hb) within the beads with an internal calcium source was faster than that of the beads with an external one, which was consistent with the observation of their structures.

Fluid flow induced calcium response in bone cell network

In our previous work, bone cell networks with controlled spacing and functional intercellular gap junctions had been successfully established by using microcontact printing and self assembled monolayers technologies [Guo, X. E., E. Takai, X. Jiang, Q. Xu, G. M. Whitesides, J. T. Yardley, C. T. Hung, E. M. Chow, T. Hantschel, and K. D. Costa. Mol. Cell. Biomech. 3:95-107, 2006]. The present study investigated the calcium response and the underlying signaling pathways in patterned bone cell networks exposed to a steady fluid flow. The glass slides with cell networks were separated into eight groups for treatment with specific pharmacological agents that inhibit pathways significant in bone cell calcium signaling. The calcium transients of the network were recorded and quantitatively evaluated with a set of network parameters. The results showed that 18 alpha-GA (gap junction blocker), suramin (ATP inhibitor), and thapsigargin (depleting intracellular calcium stores) significantly reduced the occurrence of multiple calcium peaks, which were visually obvious in the untreated group. The number of responsive peaks also decreased slightly yet significantly when either the COX-2/PGE(2) or the NOS/nitric oxide pathway was disrupted. Different from all other groups, cells treated with 18 alpha-GA maintained a high concentration of intracellular calcium following the first peak. In the absence of calcium in the culture medium, the intracellular calcium concentration decreased slowly with fluid flow without any calcium transients observed. These findings have identified important factors in the flow mediated calcium signaling of bone cells within a patterned network.

Multicolor luminescence in oxygen-deficient Tb3+;doped calcium aluminogermanate glasses

In this paper, we report on the multicolor luminescence in oxygen-deficient Tb3+-doped calcium aluminogermanate glasses. A simple method was proposed to control oxygen-deficient defects in glasses by adding metal Al instead of the corresponding oxide (Al2O3), resulting in efficient blue and red emissions from Tb3+-undoped glasses with 300 and 380 nm excitation wavelengths, respectively. Moreover, in Tb3+-doped oxygen-deficient glasses, bright three-color (sky-blue, green or yellow, and red) luminescence was observed with 300, 380, and 395 nm excitation wavelengths, respectively. These glasses are useful for the fabrication of white light-emitting diode (LED) lighting.

Spectral investigation of Yb-doped calcium pyroniobate crystal

Ytterbium-doped calcium pyroniobate single crystal has been grown for the first time. Spectral properties of Yb: Ca2Nb2O7 were investigated by emission and absorption spectra. Its cooperative luminescence and fluorescence lifetime were also studied. Yb ions in Ca2Nb2O7 showed very broad absorption and emission bandwidth and relatively large absorption and emission cross-sections. Along with other optical properties, this Yb-doped crystal would be a potential self-frequency doubling femtosecond laser gain material. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.