Incorporation of graphene oxide in polyethersulfone mixed matrix membranes to enhance hemodialysis membrane performance.

Graphene is a carbon allotrope and possesses numerous unique properties which make it an attractive material in many areas. In this work, graphene oxide (GO) was added to polyethersulfone (PES) mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) to improve the performance of hemodialysis membranes. GO was synthesized from tartaric acid by pyrolysis with various temperatures of the pyrolysis and the membrane was fabricated by a casting solution method followed by its characterization.

Influence of heart failure on the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction in southwestern China.

The impact of heart failure (HF) on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients from southwestern China remains unclear. The present study aimed to compare in-hospital cardiovascular events, mortality and clinical therapies in AMI patients with or without HF in southwestern China. In total, 591 patients with AMI hospitalized between February 2009 and December 2012 were examined; those with a history of HF were excluded.

Modeling conversion and transport phenomena in solid-state fermentation: a review and perspectives.

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is accompanied inevitably by development of concentration and temperature gradients within the substrate particles and microbial biofilms. These gradients are needed for driving the transport of substrates and products. In addition, concentration gradients have been suggested to be crucial for obtaining the characteristics that define the products of SSF; nevertheless, gradients are also known to result in reduced productivity and unwanted side reactions.

Concomitant extracellular accumulation of alpha-keto acids and higher alcohols by Zygosaccharomyces rouxii.

Alpha-keto acids are key intermediates in the formation of higher alcohols, important flavor components in soy sauce, and produced by the salt-tolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Unlike most of the higher alcohols, the alpha-keto acids are usually not extracellularly accumulated by Z. rouxii when it is cultivated with ammonium as the sole nitrogen source.

Significance of bed porosity, bran and specific surface area in solid-state cultivation of Aspergillus oryzae.

In this paper, the effects of bed porosity, bran and specific surface area on the oxygen uptake rate and alpha-amylase production during growth of Aspergillus oryzae on wheat grain and wheat-flour substrate are reported. The high oxygen uptake rate found during cultivation of A. oryzae on wheat-flour substrate was not reached on wheat grain.