No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Carleton University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

abstract: Hydrogenases, the enzymes that reversibly convert protons and electrons to hydrogen, are used in all three domains of life. [NiFe]-hydrogenases are considered best suited for biotechnological applications because of their reversible inactivation with oxygen. Phylogenetically, there are four groups of [NiFe]-hydrogenases. The best characterized group, "uptake" hydrogenases, are membrane-bound and catalyze hydrogen oxidation in vivo. In contrast, the group 3 [NiFe]-hydrogenases are heteromultimeric, bifunctional enzymes that fulfill various cellular roles. In this dissertation, protein film electrochemistry (PFE) is used to characterize the catalytic properties of two group 3 [NiFe]-hydrogenases: HoxEFUYH from Synechocystsis sp. PCC 6803 and SHI from Pyrococcus furiosus. First, HoxEFUYH is shown to be biased towards hydrogen production. Upon exposure to oxygen, HoxEFUYH inactivates to two states, both of which can be reactivated on the timescale of seconds. Second, we show that PfSHI is the first example of an oxygen tolerant [NiFe]-hydrogenase that produces two inactive states upon exposure to oxygen. Both inactive states are analogous to those characterized for HoxEFUYH, but oxygen exposed PfSHI produces a greater fraction that reactivates at high potentials, enabling hydrogen oxidation in the presence of oxygen. Third, it is shown that removing the NAD(P)-reducing subunits from PfSHI leads to a decrease in bias towards hydrogen oxidation and renders the enzyme oxygen sensitive. Both traits are likely due to impaired intramolecular electron transfer. Mechanistic hypotheseses for these functional differences are considered. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Biochemistry 2012

M.Sc. / This dissertation describes the synthesis and characterization of CdSe/ZnO and Ag/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles using water as a solvent. The effects of the concentration of the shell precursor, pH, and stabilizing agents on the properties of the nanoparticles were investigated. In general, the type of capping agents had an influence on the crystallite size of the core nanocrystals. The particle size distributions which were calculated from TEM images show that thioglycolic acid as a capping agent produced larger particle sizes compared to thioglycerol. For example, thioglycolic acid produced on average 5.0 nm CdSe nanoparticles while 4.0 nm average CdSe particle size was obtained when using thioglycerol as stabilizer. This observation was confirmed by UV/Vis absorption results which showed that thioglycerol capped CdSe NCs exhibited excitonic peaks positioned at lower wavelength than thioglycolic capped CdSe NCs. XRD results showed that the capping agents used in the current work had no influence upon crystal structure of the CdSe nanocrystals as the cubic structure was obtained with both stabilizers. The effect of shell precursor concentration at pH 12 showed heterogeneous formation of ZnO nanoparticles at high shell precursor concentrations. Various ZnO morphologies including nanoflowers and nanotriangles were observed on TEM images when 50 mL and 25 mL of zinc nitrate solution were used as shell precursors. UV/Vis absorption results also confirmed the presence of ZnO absorption peaks for samples prepared with 50 mL and 25 mL of zinc nitrate solution as shell precursors. PL results showed an increase in peak intensity as a function of precursor volumes. XRD results showed diffraction patterns due to the wurtzite structure of ZnO. CdSe diffraction patterns in these samples were not detected by the XRD instrument. At low volume of the shell precursor, which was 5 mL of 0.05 M zinc nitrate, TEM results showed that spherical CdSe/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles were obtained at pH 12 with 5 mL of 0.05 M zinc nitrate solution and 0.1 M sodium hydroxide used as shell precursor solutions, and thioglycerol as a stabilizer. XRD analysis of the v sample exhibited ZnO diffraction patterns and the CdSe patterns were not detected owing to their low peak intensities compared to those of the ZnO. Similar results were obtained when thioglycolic acid was used a stabilizing agent. However, TEM images showed the hexagonal shape of the CdSe/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles. The pH level was found to influence the photoluminescence properties of the CdSe/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles. The enhanced PL intensity was obtained with CdSe/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles with pH 9 in comparison with CdSe/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles prepared at pH 12. TEM images showed the presence of a thin ZnO shell on the surface of CdSe cores for CdSe/ZnO prepared at pH 9 which could be attributed to the PL enhancement. Although EDS results confirmed the presence of elements such as Cd, Se, Zn and O for both the CdSe core and ZnO shell, the XRD results confirmed the presence of only CdSe diffraction patterns, which suggested the ZnO shell had low peak intensity or was amorphous. A similar effect of these capping agents was observed for Ag nanoparticles as thioglycerol produced average particle size of 16.0 nm whereas 31.0 nm as the average particle size was obtained with thioglycolic acid as stabilizing agent. The crystal phase of Ag NPs was independent of the type of stabilizer. The Ag NPs precipitated in face centred cubic phase. Core/shell Ag/ZnO nanoparticles were produced with 5 ml of zinc nitrate as shell precursor. Higher volumes (50 ml and 25 ml) of zinc nitrate shell precursor induced heterogeneous precipitation of ZnO nanoparticles. XRD patterns confirmed peaks due to ZnO and Ag for Ag/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of M.Tech.: Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, 2017. / The presence of dyes in effluent poses various environmental as well as health hazards for many organisms. Although various remediation strategies have been implemented to reduce their effect, dyes still manage to infiltrate into the environment and hence new strategies are required to address some of the problems. This study investigated the innovation of two cationic water-soluble polymers viz., Proline-Epichlorohydrin-Ethylenediamine Polymer (PEP) and Thiazolidine-Epichlorohydrin-Ethylenediamine Polymer (TEP) that were used to remediate selected synthetic dyes from synthetic effluent by adsorption and dye reduction. Both polymers were synthesized using monomers of a secondary amine, epichlorohydrin and ethylenediamine and were subsequently characterized and modified and their remediation potential studied. In the first study, PEP was synthesized and characterized by 1H-NMR Spectroscopy, FT-IR Spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thereafter PEP was modified with bentonite clay, by simple mixing of the reactants, to form a Proline-Epichlorohydrin-Ethylenediamine Polymer-bentonite composite (PRO-BEN); it was characterized by FT-IR Spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/ energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Adsorption studies were then undertaken with a synthetic effluent containing three textile dyes, viz., Reactive Blue 222 (RB 222), Reactive Red 195 (RR 195) and Reactive Yellow (RY 145). Various conditions were investigated including pH of the solution, temperature, sodium chloride concentration, initial dye concentration and the dosage of adsorbent used. The experimental data for all dyes followed a Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption process was found to be pseudo-second order. According to the thermodynamic parameters, the adsorption of the dyes was classified as physisorption and the reaction was spontaneous and exothermic. The data were also compared using studies with alumina as an adsorbent. Results showed that PRO-BEN exhibited better absorptivity and desorption than alumina making its use a better recyclable remediation strategy for the removal of organic dyes in wastewater treatment plants. In the second study, TEP was synthesized and then characterized by FT-IR Spectroscopy, 1H-NMR Spectroscopy, TGA and DLS. Thereafter, TEP was used to prepare TEP capped gold nanoparticles (TEP-AuNPs). Herein, two methods were investigated: the Turkevich method and an adaptation of the Turkevich method using bagasse extract. The TEP-AuNPs was characterized by FT-IR Spectroscopy, SEM, EDX, DLS and TEM. Thereafter the reduction of each of Allura Red, Congo Red and Methylene Blue was investigated with the TEP-AuNPs for its catalytic activity toward dye reduction. This study showed that the batch of AuNPs prepared by the Turkevich method had higher rates of dye reduction compared with AuNPs prepared using bagasse extract. Also the quantity of TEP used as capping agent greatly influenced the size, shape and surface charge of the nanoparticles as well as their catalytic performance: the Vroman effect explained this behavior of the TEP-AuNPs. It was finally concluded that whilst PRO-BEN, in the first study, showed excellent dye remediation properties, the second study on TEP-AuNPs showed good catalytic activity for the reduction of selected dyes, however, it was more effective at lower polymer concentration. Finally, both materials displayed good potential for the clean-up of selected synthetic dyes from synthetic effluents. / M

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第16406号 / 工博第3487号 / 新制||工||1527(附属図書館) / 29037 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科高分子化学専攻 / (主査)教授 岩田 博夫, 教授 田畑 泰彦, 教授 秋吉 一成 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

No description available.

The main aim of the studies was to evaluate the modes of actions of Bio-Mos and the effect that it has on intestinal health as well as performance in broiler chickens. For the purpose of this study there were 2 main objectives. The first was to determine the effect of Bio-Mos as well as soluble mannan on salmonella colonization and to do this it was necessary to develop an in vivo pathogen challenge model, specifically designed for salmonella, using the chicken as animal model. The aim with this salmonella assay was to design a model that could accurately determine the efficacy of different components of the yeast cell wall at reducing or eliminating salmonella colonisation in chickens. The second objective was to evaluate the effect of Bio-Mos with or without the addition of a soluble mannan, fed at different inclusion levels, on chicken health. Specific parameters measured included feed conversion ratios (FCR), volatile fatty acid (VFA) analysis, antibiotic resistance amongst coliform populations, immunoglobulin quantification and gut morphology. Gut morphology measurements included villi height and width, crypt depth, muscularis thickness, goblet cell size and goblet cell density. The salmonella assay trial was not able to yield positive results for either the cell wall preparations or the positive control, indicating that there are some external factors that have to be addressed before this assay can be used to draw any accurate conclusions from. The second section of this study did show FCR differences between some of the treatments, but did not show numerically large differences for VFA production or antibiotic resistance, however the histological evaluation did yield interesting results. Measurements based on the villi height and width, crypt depth and muscularis thickness showed no significant differences between treatments but there was a treatment effect on the goblet cells. The goblet cells of chickens receiving cell wall preparations were statistically significantly larger and present at a higher density than those of the control treatment birds. In an attempt to develop the salmonella assay several aspects of the existing assay model were altered or eliminated. It is possible that the assay can work with some more adjustments, but due to time constrictions it was not possible to further explore alternative approaches. Little research has been done on the effect of nutrition on the goblet cells in chicken intestines. The results noted in this report warrant a more in-depth investigation into the exact modes of action resulting in the differences in goblet cells observed. The use of cell wall preparations on a commercial level holds many advantages, as cell wall preparations appear to affect animal health in a positive way. / Dissertation (MSc (Agric) : Animal Nutrition)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Animal and Wildlife Sciences / MSc (Agric) / unrestricted

In field experiments conducted in northern Virginia during 1998, oils reduced photosynthesis, fruit maturity, and crop yield. Three applications of a 1.5% (v/v) oil/water emulsion were made to Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon vine canopies at 6200 L/ha (Chardonnay) and 2440 L/ha (Cabernet Sauvignon). Net assimilation rate (NAR), soluble solids concentration (SSC), and berry size were reduced by oil treatments when compared to an untreated control. Also in 1998, a 1.5% (v/v) oil/water emulsion at 5550 L/ha and 4680 L/ha was applied to 23 wine grape cultivars. Eleven cultivars had significant foliar injury but injury was not related to reductions in fruit maturity. Experiments conducted in 1999 determined if reduced spray volumes or applications to only the fruit zone minimize reductions in NAR and SSC. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were treated with JMS Stylet oil (1.5%) using 5600 L/ha or 1870 L/ha applied to the whole canopy or 930 L/ha applied to the fruit zone. The NAR of 5600 L/ha treated Cabernet Sauvignon was significantly lower than the NAR of control and other oil treatments on three measurement dates. The NAR of Chardonnay in the 5600 L/ha treatment was significantly lower than the NAR of control treatments in three measurements. Cabernet Sauvignon SSC was reduced by the 5600 L/ha and 1870 L/ha treatments, relative to the water treated control, on three sample dates but not at harvest. The SSC of Chardonnay in the 5600 L/ha treatment was reduced at harvest as compared to all other treatments. The SSC of Chardonnay in the 1870 and 930 L/ha treatments was reduced relative to the water control. Low volumes of oil caused less reduction in NAR and SSC; however, there are concerns about the efficacy of oils used at low volumes due to poor coverage. / Master of Science