Microbially-induced separation of chalcopyrite and galena

Cells of Paenibacillus polymyxa and their metabolic products such as bioproteins and exopolysaccharides could be effectively used in the separation of galena from chalcopyrite. While interaction with bacterial cells resulted in significant flocculation of both chalcopyrite and galena, treatment with bioproteins selectively flocculated only chalcopyrite, dispersing galena. Microbially-induced selective flocculation after conditioning with cells, bioproteins or exopolysaccharides resulted in efficient separation of chalcopyrite and galena from their mixtures. Prior interaction with bioproteins facilitated enhanced flotation of galena from chalcopyrite. The role of bacterial cells and bioreagents such as proteins and polysaccharides in mineral beneficiation is demonstrated.

Optimized Policies for the Retransmission Probabilities in Slotted Aloha

In this paper, we study the behaviour of the slotted Aloha multiple access scheme with a finite number of users under different traffic loads and optimize the retransmission probability q(r) for various settings, cost objectives and policies. First, we formulate the problem as a parameter optimization problem and use certain efficient smoothed functional algorithms for finding the optimal retransmission probability parameter. Next, we propose two classes of multi-level closed-loop feedback policies (for finding in each case the retransmission probability qr that now depends on the current system state) and apply the above algorithms for finding an optimal policy within each class of policies. While one of the policy classes depends on the number of backlogged nodes in the system, the other depends on the number of time slots since the last successful transmission. The latter policies are more realistic as it is difficult to keep track of the number of backlogged nodes at each instant. We investigate the effect of increasing the number of levels in the feedback policies. Wen also investigate the effects of using different cost functions (withn and without penalization) in our algorithms and the corresponding change in the throughput and delay using these. Both of our algorithms use two-timescale stochastic approximation. One of the algorithms uses one simulation while the other uses two simulations of the system. The two-simulation algorithm is seen to perform better than the other algorithm. Optimal multi-level closed-loop policies are seen to perform better than optimal open-loop policies. The performance further improves when more levels are used in the feedback policies.

BER-optimized linear parallel interference cancellers for multicarrier DS-CDMA systems

In this paper, we consider the design and bit-error performance analysis of linear parallel interference cancellers (LPIC) for multicarrier (MC) direct-sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) systems. We propose an LPIC scheme where we estimate and cancel the multiple access interference (MAT) based on the soft decision outputs on individual subcarriers, and the interference cancelled outputs on different subcarriers are combined to form the final decision statistic. We scale the MAI estimate on individual subcarriers by a weight before cancellation. In order to choose these weights optimally, we derive exact closed-form expressions for the bit-error rate (BER) at the output of different stages of the LPIC, which we minimize to obtain the optimum weights for the different stages. In addition, using an alternate approach involving the characteristic function of the decision variable, we derive BER expressions for the weighted LPIC scheme, matched filter (MF) detector, decorrelating detector, and minimum mean square error (MMSE) detector for the considered multicarrier DS-CDMA system. We show that the proposed BER-optimized weighted LPIC scheme performs better than the MF detector and the conventional LPIC scheme (where the weights are taken to be unity), and close to the decorrelating and MMSE detectors.

Physicochemical studies on the gelation of hen egg yolk; separation of gelling protein components from yolk plasma

A study of the component(s) in egg yolk responsible for gelation of yolk on freezing and thawing has shown that granule-free yolk plasma, obtained by high-speed centrifugation of yolk, has the capacity to gel. As with the whole yolk, gelation of yolk plasma on freezing and thawing could be inhibited by additives such as sugars, sodium chloride, proteolytic enzymes, and phospholipase-A. Phospholipase-C, which induces gelation of whole yolk at room temperature, has a similar effect on yolk plasma. Yolk plasma has been separated into aggregating (gelling) and soluble fractions by delipidation, using formic acid. Each of these fractions consists of three or four protein components, as observed by gel filtration, ultracentrifugation, and agar electrophoresis. The proteins are glycoproteins and contain bound hexoses, hexosamine, and sialic acid. The gelation of yolk has been attributed to the interactions between protein molecules following disruption of lipid-protein bonds.

Separation of vitamins A1 and A2 allied compounds by thin-layer chromatography

A simple and rapid method for the separation of vitamins A1 and A2 and allied compounds by thin-layer chromatography using kieselgel has been described. The method, however, cannot bbe applied for quantitative estimation.

Anthranilic acid oxidase system of Tecoma stans—II. : Studies on the properties of a purified anthranilic acid oxidase system and its separation into different enzymic components

An enzyme system which catalysed the conversion of anthranilic acid to catechol has been purified 20-fold from a cell-free leaf extract of Tecoma stans. The optimum substrate concentration was 10−3 M and optimum temperature for the reaction was 45°. The presence of a multi-enzyme system was inferred from inhibition studies. The formation of catechol was inhibited by Mg2+, Zn2+, and Co2+ ions, whereas anthranilic acid disappearance was not affected to the same extent. The effect of metal chelating agents like EDTA, cyanide and pyrophosphate showed a similar trend. PCMB inhibited catechol formation but had no effect on anthranilic acid disappearance. The reaction was not inhibited by catalase, nor was it activated by peroxide-donating systems. This ruled out the possibility of peroxidative type of reaction. The overall reaction is markedly activated by NADPH and THFA. This multi-enzyme was separated into three different components, by fractionation with Alumina Cγ and calcium phosphate gels. The overall reaction catalysed by these components can be represented as anthranilic acid→3-hydroxy anthranilic acid→o-aminophenol→catechol.

Microbially induced separation of quartz from hematite using sulfate reducing bacteria

Cells and metabolic products of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans were successfully used to separate quartz from hematite through environmentally benign microbially induced flotation. Bacterial metabolic products such as extracellular proteins and polysaccharides were isolated from both unadapted and mineral-adapted bacterial metabolite and their basic characteristics were studied in order to get insight into the changes brought about on bioreagents during adaptation. Interaction between bacterial cells and metabolites with minerals like hematite and quartz brought about significant surface-chemical changes on both the minerals. Quartz was rendered more hydrophobic, while hematite became more hydrophilic after biotreatment.The predominance of bacterial polysaccharides on interacted hematite and of proteins on quartz was responsible for the above surface-chemical changes, as attested through adsorption studies. Surface-chemical changes were also observed on bacterial cells after adaptation to the above minerals. Selective separation of quartz from hematite was achieved through interaction with quartz-adapted bacterial cells and metabolite. Mineral-specific proteins secreted by quartz-adapted cells were responsible for conferment of hydrophobicity on quartz resulting in enhanced separation from hematite through flotation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chromatographic separation, fractionation and oxidation of selected beta-lactoglobulin peptides

The literature review elucidates the mechanism of oxidation in proteins and amino acids and gives an overview of the detection and analysis of protein oxidation products as well as information about ?-lactoglobulin and studies carried out on modifications of this protein under certain conditions. The experimental research included the fractionation of the tryptic peptides of ?-lactoglobulin using preparative-HPLC-MS and monitoring the oxidation process of these peptides via reverse phase-HPLC-UV. Peptides chosen to be oxidized were selected with respect to their amino acid content which were susceptible to oxidation and fractionated according to their m/z values. These peptides were: IPAVFK (m/z 674), ALPMHIR (m/z 838), LIVTQTMK (m/z 934) and VLVLDTDYK (m/z 1066). Even though it was not possible to solely isolate the target peptides due to co-elution of various fractions, the percentages of target peptides in the samples were satisfactory to carry out the oxidation procedure. IPAVFK and VLVLDTDYK fractions were found to yield the oxidation products reviewed in literature, however, unoxidized peptides were still present in high amounts after 21 days of oxidation. The UV data at 260 and 280 nm enabled to monitor both the main peptides and the oxidation products due to the absorbance of aromatic side-chains these peptides possess. ALPMHIR and LIVTQTMK fractions were oxidatively consumed rapidly and oxidation products of these peptides were observed even on day 0. High rates of depletion of these peptides were acredited to the presence of His (H) and sulfur-containing side-chains of Met (M). In conclusion, selected peptides hold the potential to be utilized as marker peptides in ?-lactoglobulin oxidation.

Separation Of Beta-Apocarotenals And Related Compounds By Reversed-Phase Paper And Thin-Layer Chromatography

Tlie sclxuntion and clraractcrization of vitamins Al and An nnd related compoundsby reversed-pllasc paper cliromatogrnpl~y as well as ly thin-lqxr chromategraphy have hen rcportccl carlicrl * $. Thin-lnycr chromatography has also been used for the separatinn and charncterizatio11 of carotenoids from natural sourccs3~ ‘1. I-Iowcver, 130tr.rc,1~1~ofib scrvccl that carotenoid misturcs cannot be separated on a sin& aclsorhnt with ;1 sin& solvent. The scparntion and clctermi1wtion of carotenoid alclclydes from plants, microorganisms and animnl tissues have lxxn carriecl out by nicans of thin-layer clirf.~li~ato~apI~~U. Apocarotcnals awl apocarotcnoic acid have been detected in ornnges by the same technique’*

Localised instability in unsteady separation bubbles

We propose in experimental method to study the instability of thin unsteady separation bubbles, i.e. of unsteady boundary layers with reverse flow. The unsteady boundary layer is created by controlled temporal and spatial variations of the velocity external to the boundary layer. We present results of the evolution of instability in different temporally varying flows in a shallow angle diffuser. Depending on the extent of reverse flow in the boundary we observe that instability can be spatially localised.

Automatic text block separation in document images

Separation of printed text blocks from the non-text areas, containing signatures, handwritten text, logos and other such symbols, is a necessary first step for an OCR involving printed text recognition. In the present work, we compare the efficacy of some feature-classifier combinations to carry out this separation task. We have selected length-nomalized horizontal projection profile (HPP) as the starting point of such a separation task. This is with the assumption that the printed text blocks contain lines of text which generate HPP's with some regularity. Such an assumption is demonstrated to be valid. Our features are the HPP and its two transformed versions, namely, eigen and Fisher profiles. Four well known classifiers, namely, Nearest neighbor, Linear discriminant function, SVM's and artificial neural networks have been considered and efficiency of the combination of these classifiers with the above features is compared. A sequential floating feature selection technique has been adopted to enhance the efficiency of this separation task. The results give an average accuracy of about 96.

On the bursting criterion for laminar separation bubbles

Traditionally, laminar separation bubbles have been characterised as being 'long' or 'short' on the basis of a two parameter 'bursting' criterion involving a pressure gradient parameter and Reynolds Number at separation. In the present work we suggest a refined bursting criterion, which takes into account not just the length of the bubble but also the maximum height of the bubble, thereby shedding some light on the less understood phenomenon of 'bursting' in laminar separation bubbles.

Electronic phase separation in correlated oxides: The phenomenon, its present status and future prospects

Many transition metal oxide materials of high chemical purity are not necessarily monophasic. Thus, single crystals of chemically pure rare earth manganites and cobaltates of the general formula Ln1-xAxMO3 (Ln=rare earth metal, A=alkaline earth metal, M=Mn, Co) exhibit the phenomenon of electronic phase separation wherein phases of different electronic and magnetic properties coexist. Such phase separation, the length scale of which can vary anywhere between a few nanometers to microns, gives distinct signatures in X-ray and neutron diffraction patterns, electrical and magnetic properties, as well as in NMR and other spectroscopies. While the probe one employs to investigate electronic phase separation depends on the length scale, it is noteworthy that direct imaging of the inhomogeneities has been accomplished. Some understanding of this phenomenon has been possible on the basis of some of the theoretical models, but we are far from unraveling the varied aspects of this new phenomenon. Herein, we present the highlights of experimental techniques and theoretical approaches, and comment on the future outlook for this fascinating phenomenon