Hydrophobic *BEA-Type Zeolite Membranes on Tubular Silica Supports for Alcohol/Water Separation by Pervaporation.

Hydrophobic pure-silica *BEA-type zeolite membranes with large pores were prepared on tubular silica supports by hydrothermal synthesis using a secondary growth method and were applied to the separation of alcohol/water mixtures by pervaporation (PV), an alternative energy-efficient process for production of biofuels. Amorphous pure-silica tubular silica supports, free of Al atoms, were used for preparing the membranes. In this study, the effects of the synthesis conditions, such as the HO/SiO and NHF/SiO ratios in the synthetic gel, on the membrane formation process and separation performance were systematically investigated.

Effects of Silica-Particle Coating on a Silica Support for the Fabrication of High-Performance Silicalite-1 Membranes by Gel-Free Steam-Assisted Conversion.

Silicalite-1 membranes with high pervaporation performance were prepared successfully on a silica-particle-coated tubular silica support using a gel-free steam-assisted conversion (SAC) method. The effects of the silica-particle layer formed on the top surface of the silica support and the physical properties of the silica particles themselves on the membrane-formation process were investigated. The silica particles coated served as the additional silica source for growing the silicalite-1 seed crystal layer into the silicalite-1 membrane.

Efficient butanol recovery from acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation cultures grown on sweet sorghum juice by pervaporation using silicalite-1 membrane.

We investigated butanol recovery by pervaporation separation, using a silicalite-1 membrane, from batch cultures of butanol-producing Clostridium beijerinckii SBP2 grown on sweet sorghum juice as a fermentation medium. The pervaporation system yielded 73% (w/v) butanol from intact feed cultures containing 1% (w/v) butanol, and had a butanol permeation flux of 11 g m(-2) h(-1). Upon neutralization and activated charcoal treatment of the feed cultures, butanol yield and total flux increased to 82% (w/v) and 40 g m(-2) h(-1), respectively.

Membrane-assisted extractive butanol fermentation by Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 with 1-dodecanol as the extractant.

A polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane was used in membrane-assisted extractive (MAE) fermentation of acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) by Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4. The growth inhibition effects of 1-dodecanol, which has a high partition coefficient for butanol, can be prevented by employing 1-dodecanol as an extractant when using a PTFE membrane. Compared to conventional fermentation, MAE-ABE fermentation with 1-dodecanol decreased butanol inhibition and increased glucose consumption from 59.

Response of human fibroblasts to implant surface coated with titanium dioxide photocatalytic films.

Purpose: This study was to develop a titanium dioxide (TiO(2))-coated implant abutment, surface with ultraviolet (UV) light-induced hydrophilicity and investigate the initial response of human, fibroblasts to the surface modification.

Materials And Methods: Commercially pure titanium (JIS 2 grade) disks were coated with TiO(2) to various, thicknesses (1, 2 or 3 μm) using peroxotitanium acid solution. The surface characteristics of each disk, were examined with X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface roughness equipment and scanning electron, microscopy (SEM).

IL-1β stimulates IL-8 production, including prostaglandin E2 receptor EP4-triggered pathways, in synoviocyte MH7A cells.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an important modulator of cytokine-driven inflammation. Using GeneChip analysis, we found that interleukin (IL)-1β induces the gene expression of PTGER4, which encodes the PGE2 receptor subtype EP4 (PGE2EP4). This subtype is one of four PGE2 receptors occurring in synoviocyte MH7A cells.

Co-treatment with basic fibroblast growth factor and 17beta-estradiol in the presence of dexamethasone accelerates bone formation by rat bone marrow stromal cell culture.

Purpose: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are a promising cell source in applications for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Optimization and control of the growth and differentiation of cultivated cells can be achieved by the administration of growth factors and hormones in vitro. This study provided experimental information on the enhancement of the osteogenic potential of rat BMSCs in vitro and in vivo.

Candida krusei produces ethanol without production of succinic acid; a potential advantage for ethanol recovery by pervaporation membrane separation.

The development of fermentative yeasts secreting no organic acids is highly desirable for ethanol production coupled with membrane separation processes, because the acidic byproduct, succinic acid, significantly inhibits the membrane permeation of ethanol. Of the Pichia and Candida yeasts tested, Candida krusei IA-1 showed the highest ethanol productivity [55 g L(-1) day(-1) from 150 g L(-1) (w/v) of glucose], comparable to the strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and produced much less of the acid (0.6 g L(-1) day(-1)) than the Saccharomyces strains (1.

Naturally engineered glycolipid biosurfactants leading to distinctive self-assembled structures.

Self-assembling properties of "natural" glycolipid biosurfactants, mannosyl-erythritol lipids A and B (MEL-A, MEL-B), which are abundantly produced from yeast strains, were investigated by using the fluorescence-probe method, dynamic light-scattering (DLS) analysis, freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM), and synchrotron small/wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) analysis, among other methods. Both MEL-A and MEL-B exhibit excellent self-assembly properties at extremely low concentrations; they self-assemble into large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) just above their critical-aggregation concentration (CAC). The CAC(I) value was found to be 4.

Proliferation and differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells on poly(glycolic acid)-collagen sponge.

We studied the effects of dexamethasone (Dex) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on proliferation and differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells (RBMSCs), using three scaffolds: collagen sponge, poly(glycolic acid) (PGA)-collagen sponge, and PGA-collagen (UV) sponge. RBMSCs were seeded into the sponges, and cultured in primary medium, primary medium with Dex, and primary medium with bFGF and Dex. Three weeks after cultivation, we examined alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and cell number in the sponges, and also performed macroscopic, light microscopic, and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations.

Durability of FTLA treatment as a medicament for dentin hypersensitivity--abrasion resistance and profiles of fluoride release.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the durability of tubules occluded with FTLA treatment by toothbrush abrasion test on the applied surface and by measuring fluoride release from the FTLA components. Dentin specimens with simulated hypersensitive surfaces were treated with APF containing tannic acid. After which, the specimens received lanthanum-chloride-with-powdered-fluoroapatite-glass-ceramics treatment.