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As the development of renewable energy has become imperative, biodiesel fuel (BDF) has been used as renewable biofuel with the advantage of having lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the transesterification reaction that produces BDF generates a high-salinity crude glycerol (CG) byproduct, which is difficult to recycle. Halomonas elongata is a moderately halophilic bacterium being used as a cell factory due to its ability to assimilate varieties of substrates for growth in high-salinity conditions. Previously, we engineered a recombinant H. elongata GOP-Gad to biosynthesize and accumulate γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a high-value product. Here, we tested the ability of H. elongata GOPGad to use CG as a substrate for cell growth and GABA production. The CG byproduct was obtained from a BDF facility in Unzen City, Nagasaki, Japan, where geothermal energy catalyzed BDF production from waste cooking oil and biomethanol. Prior to use as the sole carbon (C) source in culture media, the CG byproduct was partially purified to remove soap substances and other impurities. Finally, we showed that H. elongata GOP-Gad could grow and accumulate GABA up to 28 μmol/g cell fresh weight in a minimal M63 medium containing 7% w/v NaCl with 4% w/v glycerol from the partially purified CG as a C source and 15 mM (NH4)2SO4 as a nitrogen (N) source. This result demonstrates a new circulatory bioprocess of C and N, in which H. elongata GOP-Gad can use partially purified CG and (NH4)2SO4 as the sole C and N sources for growth and GABA production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Modern Food Science & Technology is the property of Editorial Office of Modern Food Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Polymer composite fibers with superior properties such as excellent combined strength and toughness and biocompatibility can be used in high-tech applications of braided protective devices and smart wearable, however the research of high-performance polymer composite fiber remains in the infant stage. Here we present a strategy to produce strong and tough anisotropic polymer nanocomposite fibers with orientedly aligned salt rods using mechanical stretching-assisted salting-out treatment. The prepared nanocomposite fibers have a tensile strength of up to 786 ± 2.7 MPa and an elongation at break of 81%, and the anisotropic fibers exhibit good transmission of mechanical vibration in the longitudinal direction with high resolution. During the fabrication process, the salt builds up into oriented rods during the directional salting process, and the polymer is confined to the 150 nm domain between the rods after the solvent is completely evaporated, giving the nanocomposite fibers superior mechanical properties. The presented strategy can be applied to the continuous mass production of nanocomposite fibers and is also generalizable to other polymer nanocomposites, which could extend the applicability of nanocomposite fibers to conditions involving more demanding mechanical loading and mechanical vibration transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Water phase trapping (WPT) is one of the primary formation damage issues which can cause a steep drop in tight gas production. This paper presented a rapid assessment of the damage potential of WPT in Daniudi, Nanpu 5th, and Keshen 9th tight gas reservoirs involving shallow to ultra-deep layers in China. Typical core samples of the three tight gas reservoirs were selected to perform water imbibition and drainage experiments to mimic the WPT occurrence. After that, the damage degree to core gas permeability induced by WPT was evaluated. Results showed that, for a 16-h vertical water imbibition experiment, the core samples of Daniudi gas reservoir experienced the fastest water imbibition process while the core samples of Keshen 9th gas reservoir established the highest water saturation. After water removal, the ranges of damage degree to core gas permeability induced by the incremental water saturation were 36.07%–78.13%, 36.06%–56.21%, and 61.00%–76.30% in Daniudi, Nanpu 5th, and Keshen 9th tight gas reservoirs, respectively. It found that with the increasing formation depth, tight gas reservoirs can suffer greater damage from WPT not only because of the decline in rock permeability but also the salting out of high salinity formation water. In general, it holds that strong water capillary imbibition phenomenon, low water removal capacity, and high gas permeability damage degree are found to be the striking features of WPT potential on these typical tight gas reservoirs in China.

This study presents a novel, cost‐effective approach involving spectrophotometric and smartphone paper‐based (SPB) methods and a distinctive salting‐out air‐assisted dispersive microextraction procedure to quantify thiocyanate in saliva samples. The method relies on the inhibitory effect of thiocyanate on quinoneimine dye formation during the Emerson reaction with sodium hypochlorite. Spectrophotometry quantifies the extracted dye by monitoring quinoneimine color intensity reduction at 525 nm. In the SPB method, extracted dye is applied to a paper strip, a smartphone captures the colored paper, and an application analyzes red, green, and blue components. All analyte determination and extraction variables were explored. Both methods exhibit good linearity (10–100 μg/L) with a coefficient of determination of 0.9991 and a limit of detection of 7.5 μg/L for the spectrophotometric method, and a coefficient of determination of 0.9988 and a limit of detection of 8.8 μg/L for the SPB method. The calculated values for the enrichment factor and extraction recovery of the developed extraction methodology were 46% and 93%, respectively. The methods detect thiocyanate in saliva samples, producing results comparable to a validated method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and practical method was developed to extract histamine from fish products using sodium chloride (NaCl). After obtaining a saline extract from fish samples, histamine was derivatized by a condensation reaction with ortho-phthalaldehyde. Fluorescence intensity was measured by a fluorimeter. The first part of this work concerned a solid-liquid extraction tested with samples from the Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme. The best histamine extraction yield (97%) was obtained using an extraction time of 4 minutes, a temperature of 40°C, and a NaCl/water ratio of 41% (w/w). The second part focused on a liquid-liquid extraction carried out on standard solutions of histamine (45, 90, and 180 mg/kg). The use of NaCl (41%), and trichloroacetic acid [(TCA) 10%] did not show any significant difference in extraction yield. The yield obtained was 99.15-100.1% for TCA (10%) and 98.65-99.45% for NaCl (41%). The validation criteria (repeatability and reproducibility) were checked by evaluating the reliability of the method. Extraction using NaCl has proven to be an interesting alternative method for the extraction of histamine from fish, as it is reliable, inexpensive, and less hazardous.

Copyright of Polymer Materials Science & Engineering is the property of Sichuan University, Polymer Research Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study developed a method for quantifying eight short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in mouse fecal samples using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with triple quadrupole gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Furthermore, significant factors affecting SCFA analysis, including SPME fiber selection, pH, salting-out agent, and sample collection time, were investigated. Contrary to previous studies, we found that the CAR/PDMS fiber had the highest extraction efficiency for all SCFAs. The optimal extraction efficiency was observed at pH 2.0, particularly for low-molecular-weight SCFAs. NaH2PO4 showed a more effective extraction efficiency than NaCl, owing to its pH stability and less interference with the solvent matrix. Additionally, our results showed that the SCFA concentration increased over collection time. The composition ratio of the eight SCFAs was maintained for up to 24 h; thus, we concluded that samples should be collected within four hours to obtain reliable results. Our findings may improve laboratory methods for SCFA extraction and mouse fecal sample analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of ammonia compounds from food samples is a challenging topic due to the hydrophilic property of ammonia. A simple and rapid extraction method was developed for the determination of ammonia in a type of local bread (Ahari bread) and milk samples using a salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction and spectrophotometry. Acetonitrile was used to clean up, and potassium chloride salt solution was added to separate the acetonitrile and aqueous phase by creating two phases. The ammonia concentration in the aqueous phase was determined based on a colorimetric method. Various parameters affecting absorption intensity were optimized using the response surface methodology. Then, the optimized parameters were applied to establish a valid analytical method. The developed method was used to quantify ammonia compounds in food samples, i.e. Ahari bread and milk, by the standard addition method. The linearity of the method was from 2.5 to 40 µg ml with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.994, and numerical values of a limit of detection, and limit of quantification was found to be 0.39 and 1.29 µg ml-1, respectively. The accuracy (%error) and precision (%relative standard deviation) were in the acceptable range. The established extraction technique and standard addition method could detect ammonia in real food samples. These data showed that the established analysis approach is a simple and sensitive technique for extraction and determination of ammonia concentration in foodstuff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has seen an upsurge in the development of small‐scale magnetic robots for various biomedical applications. However, many of the reported designs comprise components with biocompatibility concerns. Strategies for fabricating biocompatible and degradable microrobots are required. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)‐based magnetic hydrogel microrobots with different morphologies and tunable stability are developed by combining a 3D printed template‐assisted casting with a salting‐out process. 3D sacrificial micromolds are prepared via direct laser writing to shape PVA‐magnetic nanoparticle composite hydrogel microrobots with high architectural complexity. By adjusting the PVA composition and salting‐out parameters, the hydrogel dissolubility can be customized. Due to their high mobility, tunable stability, and high biocompatibility, these PVA‐based magnetic microrobots are suitable platforms for targeted drug and cell delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo develop an analytical method for fast determination of banned pigment quinoline yellow in pastries by salting out assisted-high performance liquid chromatography.MethodsThe sample was extracted with 40% methanol-sodium chloride-water， precipitated with potassium ferrocyanide-zinc acetate solution， eluted with mobile phase of methanol-0.02 mol/L ammonium acetate solution， separated by X-Bridge C18 column v（150 mm×4.6 mm， 3.5 μm）， and detected with diode -array detector by external standard method.ResultsThe method showed good linearity （r>0.999） in the range of 0.4-40.0 μg/mL. The limit of detection （S/N=3） was 1.25 mg/kg and the limit of quantification （S/N=10） was 5.0 mg/kg. The average recoveries of three different concentrations level at 5.0， 10.0 and 50.0 mg/kg ranged from 89.18% to 110.10%， with relative standard deviation in the range of 2.83%-8.65%.ConclusionThe method was convenient， accurate and reproducible， and it was suitable for qualitative and quantitative analysis of banned pigment quinoline yellow in pastries.

After steam discharge in heavy oil reservoirs, the distribution of temperature, pressure, and permeability in different wells becomes irregular. Flow channels can easily be produced, which affect the sweep efficiency of the oil displacement. Previous studies have shown that the salting-out plugging method can effectively block these channels in high-temperature reservoirs, improve the suction profile, and increase oil production. In the present study, the optimal dosage of the plugging agent is determined taking into account connection transmissibility and interwell volumes. Together with the connectivity model, a water flooding simulation model is introduced. Moreover, a non-gradient stochastic disturbance algorithm is used to obtain the optimal plugging agent dosage, which provides the basis for the high-temperature salting-out plugging agent adjustment in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) gel electrolyte-based quasi-solid-state electrical double-layer capacitors (QSEDLCs) have been extensively investigated in the past ten years, but challenges remain to fabricate the PVA gel electrolyte possessing both superior mechanical and outstanding electrochemical performances. Herein, we develop a strategy to address this issue by a rational design of PVA gel electrolytes, based on a combination of the freeze-thaw (FT) method and sodium perchlorate (NaClO 4 )-based water-in-salt (WIS) electrolyte. Our study demonstrates that either the FT method or the NaClO 4 -based WIS electrolyte can improve both the mechanical performance of the PVA gel electrolyte by increasing the crystallization of PVA chains and the electrochemical performance of the PVA gel electrolyte-based QSEDLC by different mechanisms. In comparison with the conventional solvent evaporation method, this work provides an effective strategy to concurrently improve both the mechanical and electrochemical performances of aqueous QSEDLCs.

The recovery of crude oil and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) spilt in the environment is an intractable problem for environmental scientists. In this paper, a new lipophilic polyelectrolyte gel as an absorbent for various volatile chemical compounds is demonstrated. It is prepared by radical copolymerization of an acrylate monomer with an ionic group, tetraalkylammonium tetraarylborate, octadecyl acrylate, and a crosslinker, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, in the presence of a radial initiator. Investigation of the swelling behavior for the mixtures of water or aqueous salts reveals that the gel shows similar swelling behavior to those for pure organic solvents. On the other hand, the swelling degree in THF‐water mixture is lower than that of pure THF, because THF and water are miscible to each other, and the presence of a small amount of water in THF reduces the compatibility of the gel and THF. The salting‐out effect can separate the THF‐water mixture to form a biphasic system and recover the high swelling ability of the gel. The swelling behavior in the mixture of water‐organic solvents systems provides a new insight for designing VOC and oil absorbents in various environmental conditions, especially in hydrosphere such as seas and lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C-phycocyanin is a highly valuable phycobiliprotein from Arthrospira platensis. However, its extraction, purification and conservation currently limit its commercial use. We review here the most common techniques and less conventional methods. Simple incubation in phosphate buffer at neutral pH can give high yields (> 100 mg/g) and even high protein purity (> 0.7) if the parameters (buffer concentration, temperature, incubation time, Arthrospira platensis. state etc.) are chosen correctly. This method is preferable to incubation in distilled water or acid solutions. Some mechanical, physical or thermal treatments can improve the extraction yield and accelerate the release of C-phycocyanin. Ultrasound-assisted extraction has been widely studied and probes generally give higher extraction yields than baths (> 100 mg/g) in less than 30 min. This technique can be coupled with others, such as freeze–thaw methods, to improve protein release. Indeed, freeze–thaw cycles are an efficient destructuring technique that can be used alone or as a pretreatment. Bead mills or pulsed electric fields can also be used to extract C-phycocyanin, but there is room for improvement in the choice of operating parameters. For purification of the extracted pigments, salting out or aqueous two-phase extraction can be used to increase phycocyanin grade. More advanced purification methods, mostly based on chromatography, can provide addition improvement. C-phycocyanin stability is dependent principally on pH and temperature, and is higher between pH 5 and pH 7 and at temperatures below 40 °C, but the use of various preservatives or conditioning can increases its lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a crucial process for treating waters across various salinity levels, but membrane fouling persists as an inherent challenge. While surface modification with hydrophilic polymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and its derivatives is a prevailing strategy to alleviate fouling, its effectiveness has primarily been explored in low-salinity conditions, leaving a critical knowledge gap regarding the performance of such membranes in high-salinity environments and their susceptibility to feed salinity variations. We here investigated the antifouling characteristics of PEG-modified RO membranes for high-salinity wastewater and seawater treatment. Remarkably, our findings indicated a substantial decrease in fouling resistance under high-salinity conditions compared to low-salinity wastewaters used as control. The reduction in Lewis acid-base interactions, induced by decreased water structuring, was found to be a critical factor for the diminished fouling resistance based on the Extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) analysis. Complementary experimental and theoretical studies unveiled the disruptive role of high-concentration NaCl on PEG-water hydrogen bonds, causing PEG dehydration and configurational compression, which thus compromised the enthalpic barrier and entropic repulsion against fouling. Our study emphasizes the pivotal role of feed salinity in determining the fouling resistance of membranes modified with hydrophilic polymers, a factor often neglected in prior research. [Display omitted] • PEG-modified membranes show reduced antifouling property under high salinity. • High-concentration NaCl disrupts the hydrogen bonds between PEG and water. • Polymer shifts from a thick, soft state to a thin, rigid one as salinity increases. • High salinity induces a "salting out" effect that impacts antifouling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels of flexibility, strength, and conductivity have demonstrated broad applications in wearable electronics and soft robotics. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate conductive hydrogels with high strength massively and economically. Herein, a simple strategy is proposed to design a strong ionically conductive hydrogel. This ion-conducting hydrogel was obtained under the synergistic action by salting out the frozen mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and graphene oxide (GO) using a high concentration of sodium chloride solution. The developed hydrogel containing only 5 wt% PVA manifests good tensile stress (65 kPa) and elongation (180%). Meanwhile, the PVA matrix doped with a small amount of GO formed uniformly porous ion channels after salting out, endowed the PVA/GO hydrogel with excellent ionic conductivity (up to 3.38 S m−1). Therefore, the fabricated PVA/GO hydrogel, anticipated for a strain sensor, exhibits good sensitivity (Gauge factor = 2.05 at 100% strain), satisfying working stability (stably cycled for 10 min), and excellent recognition ability. This facile method to prepare conductive hydrogels displays translational potential in flexible electronics for engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxylic acid ester disperse dyes containing an azo pyridone structure have a high molar extinction coefficient, excellent washing color fastness, and simple synthetic methods. Dyes were readily synthesized through a conventional diazo coupling reaction between the reactant ethyl p-aminobenzoate and a coupling component containing an azo pyridone structure. Subsequently, the molecular structures of the target products were characterized by FTIR, mass spectrometry, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The synthesized dyes were used to dye poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabric, and their washing and rubbing color fastness properties were tested and compared under different post-treatment methods. Moreover, under the condition of alkali clearing, the relationships among different alkali concentrations and clearing effects were studied to determine the optimal alkali clearing process conditions for dyed fabrics, and the minimum alkali consumption required to obtain the best results was determined. It was found that carboxylic ester disperse dyes containing an azo pyridone structure showed good dyeing performance and alkali-clearable properties on polyester fibers. In addition, in hydrolyzate recovery, BaCl2 (salting out) can be used instead of acidification to recover the dye hydrolyzate, which has good environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soapstock is a large-tonnage waste of the oil and fat industry, the disposal of which is environmentally hazardous. Processing of soapstock into industrially valuable products, in particular, fatty acids, is promising. The method for producing fatty acids, which consists in sequential saponification of soapstock with sodium hydroxide solution, salting out with sodium chloride and decomposition with sulfuric acid solution has been investigated. The feature of this work is the study of the effect of salting out conditions of saponified soapstock on the yield and neutralization number of fatty acids. As an experimental sample, sunflower soapstock was used, the indicators of which correspond to DSTU 5033 (CAS 68952-95-4): mass fraction of total fat – 67.3 %, fatty acids – 61.8 %, neutral fat – 5.5 %. Soapstock was subjected to preliminary saponification under the following conditions: duration 85 min., concentration of sodium hydroxide solution 45 %. After that, the saponified mass was subjected to salting out. The obtained core soap was decomposed with the sulfuric acid solution under the following conditions: temperature 90 °C, duration 40 min. Rational salting out conditions were determined: duration (80 min.) and sodium chloride concentration (16 %). Under these conditions, the fatty acid yield is 95.0 %, the neutralization number is 194.8 mg KOH/g. The resulting fatty acids comply with DSTU 4860 (CAS 61788-66-7): the mass fraction of moisture and volatiles is 0.85 %, the mass fraction of total fat is 98.9 %, cleavage depth is 94.2 % oleic acid. This method of soapstock processing increases the fatty acid yield by 3.5 % compared to the method with saponification and decomposition, by 20.3 % compared to the method of soapstock decomposition with sulfuric acid. At the same time, the neutralization number increases by 4.1 % and 8.2 %, respectively. The improved method for fatty acids producing from soapstock provides highquality fatty acids with increased yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase equilibria and critical phenomena in the ternary system potassium iodide–water–triethylamine, where the liquid subsystem is characterized by LCST = 18.3°C, were studied by the visual-polythermal method in a range of 0.0–60.0°C. Two- and three-liquid phase states, monotectics, and saturated solutions are realized in these component mixtures. The temperature of formation of the critical tie line of the monotectic state (1.9°C) was determined. The isotherms of phase states plotted for fifteen temperatures have revealed the topological transformation of the phase diagram of the studied system. Small concentrations of potassium iodide have a salting-in effect on heterogeneous mixtures of water and triethylamine, causing their homogenization. Further introduction of potassium iodide into these solutions and an increase in temperature led to phase separation. In the phase diagram, there is a field of three liquid phases inside the two-phase state field in the range of 10.1–18.4°C. Possibly, the appearance and disappearance of the third liquid phase is caused by the salting-in–salting-out effect of potassium iodide upon triethylamine hydrates. It was found that potassium iodide effectively salted-out triethylamine from its aqueous solutions above 20.0°C and the studied system can be used as an extraction one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A salting‐out‐assisted switchable hydrophilicity solvent‐based liquid phase microextraction (SA–SHS–LPME) was developed for the separation and determination of trace amounts of imatinib and N‐desmethyl imatinib in biological and environmental samples by HPLC–UV. Triethylamine as a hydrophobic compound and protonated triethylamine carbonate as a hydrophilic one were switched by the addition or elimination of CO2. The use of NaOH resulted in the elimination of CO2 from the sample solution, which led to the conversion of P‐TEA‐C into triethylamine (TEA) and as a result, the analytes was extracted and entered the TEA phase. The salting out was performed to speed up the formation of the TEA in the shape of fine droplets in the specimen solution. Furthermore, the impact of several momentous factors that influence the recovery of the extraction was investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the limit of detection and limit of quantification were obtained in ranges of 0.03–0.05 and 0.1–0.15 μg L−1 for imatinib and 0.04–0.06 and 0.13–0.20 μg L−1 for N‐desmethyl imatinib, respectively. The preconcentration factor was 250. Inter‐ and intraday precision (RSD, n = 5) was <5%. In the case of imatinib and N‐desmethyl imatinib in biological and environmental specimens, a range of 97.0–102% was obtained as the recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels of flexibility, strength, and conductivity have demonstrated broad applications in wearable electronics and soft robotics. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate conductive hydrogels with high strength massively and economically. Herein, a simple strategy is proposed to design a strong ionically conductive hydrogel. This ion-conducting hydrogel was obtained under the synergistic action by salting out the frozen mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and graphene oxide (GO) using a high concentration of sodium chloride solution. The developed hydrogel containing only 5 wt% PVA manifests good tensile stress (65 kPa) and elongation (180%). Meanwhile, the PVA matrix doped with a small amount of GO formed uniformly porous ion channels after salting out, endowed the PVA/GO hydrogel with excellent ionic conductivity (up to 3.38 S m−1). Therefore, the fabricated PVA/GO hydrogel, anticipated for a strain sensor, exhibits good sensitivity (Gauge factor = 2.05 at 100% strain), satisfying working stability (stably cycled for 10 min), and excellent recognition ability. This facile method to prepare conductive hydrogels displays translational potential in flexible electronics for engineering applications.

The scheme of temperature-dependent topologic transformations in water–oxyethylated nonylphenol–MgCl2 phase diagrams was proved experimentally. An immiscibility area appears in the homogeneous area; it is bounded by a looped binodal curve and expands as temperature rises. The monotectic equilibrium area appears when the binodal curve touches the salt solubility line. The increasing neonol oxyethylation leads to an increase in temperature at which the immiscibility area appears and in monotectic temperature, due to the increasing hydration of surfactant micelles. The elucidated trends and studied phase diagrams can serve to purposefully select components and optimize process parameters of extraction involving oxyethylated surfactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most antivenoms are produced by techniques developed over 50 years ago, with minor modifications. Herein we revise the core of traditional antivenom production processes aiming to optimize key determinants for both consistent antivenom production and the best balance between F(ab')2 quality and recovery. Factorial design analysis revealed that pepsin digestion of 1:3 saline diluted equine plasma for 60 min under pH: 3.20, 37 °C temperature and a 1:15 pepsin to protein ratio conditions, allowed to achieve maximal IgG to F(ab')2 conversion with minimal protein aggregate formation. Further downstream processing by salting out with ammonium sulfate was also studied by factorial analysis. The influence of ammonium sulfate (AS) concentration, temperature (T) and the albumin to total plasma protein ratio plasma (Alb:P) were assayed, revealing that both AS, T and their interaction have a significant impact in F(ab')2 quality and recovery. Taking into account the existing compromise between F(ab')2 monomer recovery and quality two alternative conditions were selected: 14 g/dl AS at 56 °C and, alternatively 16 g/dl AS at 30 °C. Reasonable yields (42%) and product quality (2.5% of aggregates) without significant changes in production cost of traditional methodologies was achieved under the optimized conditions found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time a new sample preparation method namely salt-assisted liquid-liquid extraction in microchennel (SALLE-MC) was developed for the determination of paraquat (PQ) in environmental samples. In the proposed method, the mixture of aqueous sample, miscible organic solvent (extracting solvent) and salting-out agent were mixed by a magnetic stirrer and simultaneously delivered into a microchannel using a syringe pump. Quantitative analysis was achieved using a high-performance liquid chromatography system. Effective parameters on the extraction efficiency of PQ such as extracting solvent and its volume, salt amount, pH of sample solution, microchannel shape, length and its inner diameter were investigated and optimised. Under the optimised conditions, calibration curve of the proposed method was linear in the range of 0.02–30 µg/mL with R2 coefficient of 0.9954. Extraction recovery data were in the range of 90.0–94.0% with relative standard deviation less than 6.0%. The results show that the proposed method has higher extraction efficiency than conventional SALLE. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of PQ in environmental samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results from assessing the salting-out capacity of inorganic salts with respect to poly(ethylene glycol) monoalkyl ethers (DS-10 and ALM-10 synthanols) are summarized. The effect the length of the aliphatic substituent in a molecule of a surfactant has on the salting-out capacity is determined. The correlation dependences between the energy of hydration of ions and their salting-out capacity are determined for poly(ethylene glycol) monoalkyl ethers and ethoxylated nonylphenols (AF 9-12 and AF 9-25 neonols). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expediency of using multicomponent brines extracted together with oil (gas) as the raw material for obtaining lithium products and products required for oil fields has been shown. After the lithium concentrate is obtained, the brine is used for obtaining bromine, calcium bromide, magnesium oxide and chloride, and sodium chloride for the electrochemical obtainment of reagents for technological processes. These products are used for the preparation of drilling fluid and magnesite cement, as well as for the tamping of mixtures. Most of the brine (~80%) is supplied for oil pool flooding to maintain the formation pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of nontransition metal and ammonium salts on the salting-out of the pseudocationic ethoxylated surfactant Ethomeen C/15 was studied under polythermal conditions. The most effective salting-out agents were the salts of multiply charged oxygen-containing acids at room temperature and alkali metal chlorides at higher temperatures. The distribution of some organic complexing reagents in Ethomeen C/15–water and NaCl–Ethomeen C/15–water systems at 60°C was studied. The distribution coefficient of the reagents was found to depend on their hydrophilicity and composition of the extraction system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments suggest that the phase transition of natural and synthetic biomacromolecules represents an important and ubiquitous mechanism underlying structural assemblies toward the fabrication of high-performance materials. Such a transition results in the formation of condensed liquid droplets, described as condensates or coacervates. Being able to effectively control the assembly of such entities is essential for tuning the quality and their functionality. Here we describe how self-coacervation of genetically engineered spidroin-inspired proteins can be preceded by a wide range of kosmotropic salts. We studied the kinetics and mechanisms of coacervation in different conditions, from direct observation of initial phase separation to the early stage of nucleation/growth and fusion into large fluid assemblies. We found that coacervation induced by kosmotropic salts follows the classical nucleation theory and critically relies on precursor clusters of few weak-interacting protein monomers. Depending on solution conditions and the strength of the supramolecular interaction as a function of time, coacervates with a continuum of physiochemical properties were observed. We observed similar characteristics in other protein-based coacervates, which include having a spherical-ellipsoid shape in solution, an interconnected bicontinuous network, surface adhesion, and wetting properties. Finally, we demonstrated the use of salt-induced self-coacervates of spidroin-inspired protein as a cellulosic binder in dried condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and practical method was developed to extract histamine from fish products using sodium chloride (NaCl). After obtaining a saline extract from fish samples, histamine was derivatized by a condensation reaction with ortho-phthalaldehyde. Fluorescence intensity was measured by a fluorimeter. The first part of this work concerned a solid-liquid extraction tested with samples from the food analysis performance assessment scheme. The best histamine extraction yield (97%) was obtained using an extraction time of 4 minutes, a temperature of 40°C, and a NaCl/water ratio of 41% (w/w). The second part focused on a liquid-liquid extraction carried out on standard solutions of histamine (45, 90, and 180 mg/kg). The use of NaCl (41%) and trichloroacetic acid [(TCA) 10%] did not show any significant difference in extraction yield. The yield obtained was 99.15-100.1% for TCA (10%) and 98.65-99.45% for NaCl (41%). The validation criteria (repeatability and reproducibility) were checked by evaluating the reliability of the method. Extraction using NaCl has proven to be an interesting alternative method for the extraction of histamine from fish, as it is reliable, inexpensive, and less hazardous., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: the authors declare that they have no competing interests, and all authors confirm accuracy., (Copyright © 2024, the Author(s).)

BACKGROUND: Protein precipitation is a unit operation commonly employed in bioprocesses. The most important thermodynamic property for designing an industrial precipitation operation is the solubility. The solubility is defined as the protein concentration in a certain liquid phase in equilibrium with its solid precipitate. In some cases, the protein concentration in the liquid phase at equilibrium depends on the initial concentration of the protein, therefore being an apparent solubility. Here an assessment of the effect of the molecular mass of proteins on the dependence of the apparent solubility on the initial protein concentration is reported. RESULTS: Proteins with different molecular masses (bovine insulin, 5.7 kDa; chicken egg white lysozyme, 14.7 kDa; porcine trypsin, 23.4 kDa; bovine serum albumin (BSA), 66.0 kDa) at different initial concentrations were precipitated with NaCl at constant pH and temperature. Lysozyme was the only protein that showed no change in its solubility as a function of the initial protein concentration at the studied conditions. For insulin, the effect of the initial concentration on the apparent solubility was verified only at low salt concentrations. The apparent solubility of proteins with higher molecular mass, i.e. trypsin and albumin, showed dependence on the initial protein concentration: the higher the initial protein concentration, the higher the apparent solubility. CONCLUSION: Based on the data of this work and the literature, the molecular mass appears to affect the dependence of the apparent solubility of proteins on their initial concentration in precipitation processes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased use of salting to de-ice roadways, especially in urban areas, is leading to elevated salinity levels in soil as well as surface- and ground water. This salt pollution may cause long-term ecological changes to soil and aquatic microbial communities. In this study, we examined the impact on microbial communities in soils exposed to urban road salt runoff using both culturing and 16S amplicon sequencing. Both methods showed an increase in halophilic Bacteria and Archaea in samples from road salt-exposed areas and suggested that halophiles are becoming persistent members of microbial communities in urban, road salt-impacted soils. Since salt is a pollutant that can accumulate in soils over time, it is critical to begin assessing its impact on the environment immediately. Toward this goal, we have developed a facile semi-quantitative assay utilizing halophilic microbes as biomarkers to evaluate on-going salt pollution of soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixed-volume titanium alloy hydrothermal reactors permit research into fundamental aspects of mineralogy and aqueous geochemistry at the T-P conditions encountered on the frontiers of submarine and terrestrial geothermal system exploration. The impressive mechanical strength of new titanium alloys facilitate studies involving fluids and minerals at conditions up to 500 °C and 50 MPa. The corrosion resistance of titanium is a well-known attribute that also allows experiments to be performed in acidic, NaCl-bearing aqueous fluids. Titanium, however, can suffer irreversible surface reactions in aqueous fluids at high temperatures that may produce or consume appreciable concentrations of dissolved hydrogen (H 2(aq)), complicating the interpretation of redox processes in homogenous and heterogeneous chemical systems. Here we report results of hydrothermal experiments designed to examine the direction and magnitude of changes in dissolved H 2(aq) in deionized water and NaCl bearing aqueous fluid contained within a newly constructed Ti alloy (Ti-6242) reactor. The redox sensitivity of these and related experiments, however, required testing and assessing surface passivation involving pre-treatment with nitric acid at moderately high temperature. Results indicate that passivation procedures were required to render the Ti surface of the reactor unreactive in both low and high hydrogen-bearing fluid (H 2 O and NaCl-H 2 O systems). Once passivated, experiments were then conducted at 400 °C to assess the effect of dissolved NaCl on dissolved H 2(aq) concentrations coexisting with the well-known HM (hematite-magnetite) redox buffer. These data indicate highly non-ideal activity-concentration relations for H 2(aq) in the NaCl bearing fluids. Accordingly, the common assumption of unity for the activity coefficient of dissolved H 2(aq) in hydrothermal fluids is not supported. The implications of this are important for accurate redox reconstruction for compositionally variable natural and experimental hydrothermal systems at elevated temperatures and pressures. The experimental strategy of monitoring the rate and magnitude of H 2(aq) production and consumption in situ , during on-going experiments, provides quantitative insight on the effectiveness of the passivation process and the usefulness of redox buffers in hydrothermal geochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) depolymerase is known to decompose PHB, biodegradable polymers and therefore has great commercial significance in the bioplastic sector. However, reports on PHB depolymerases from isolates obtained from plastic-contaminated sites that reflect the potential of the source organism is scarce. In this study, we evaluated the production of extracellular PHB depolymerase from Microbacterium paraoxydans RZS6 isolated from the plastic-contaminated site in the municipal area of Shahada, Maharashtra, India, for the first time. The isolate was identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (GC-FAME), and BIOLOG method. Ithydrolyzed PHB on minimal salt medium (MSM) containing PHB as the only source of carbon. The isolate produced PHB depolymerase at 45°C during 48 h of incubation. The enzyme was purified most efficiently using octyl-sepharose CL-4B column, with the highest purification yield of 6.675 Umg-1mL-1. The activity of the enzyme was enhanced in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions but inhibited by Fe2+ (1 mM) ions and mercaptoethanol (1000 rpm). the nzyme kinetic analysis revealed that the enzyme was a metalloenzyme; requiring Mg2+ ions, that showed optimum enzyme activity at 30°C (mesophilic) and under neutrophilic (pH 7) conditions. Scale-up from the shake-flask level to a laboratory-scale bioreactor further enhanced the enzyme yield by 0.809 UmL-1. The molecular weight of the enzyme (40 kDa), as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, closely resembled the PHB depolymerase of Aureobacterium saperdae. Our findings highlighted the applicability of M. paraoxydans as a producer of extracellular PHB depolymerase having potential of degrading PHB under diverse conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubility in the pseudo-ternary aqueous systems based on potassium bis(alkylpolyoxyethylene)phosphate (oxyphos B) or alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride (catamine AB) and potassium or ammonium thiocyanates used as salting-out agents is studied by the isothermal cross-section method. It is found that thiocyanates exhibit a high salting-out capacity with respect to catamine AB and have much lower salting-out properties with respect to oxyphos B. The regularities of extraction of iron(III), copper(II), cobalt(II), zinc and cadmium ions in the potassium thiocyanate-catamine AB-water system in the presence of sulfuric acid are studied. It is demonstrated that these metals can be concentrated groupwise via the anionexchange mechanism when sulfuric acid content in the system is > 0.75 mol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel matte (Ni 3 S 2) is the most common feedstock for producing nickel oxide and nickel metal in associated refineries. Nickel matte is produced from sulfide or laterite ores, and contains around 73 wt% nickel. This study investigated the dissolution parameters of nickel matte in dilute sulfuric acid media in the presence of air as oxidant with the goal of presenting a cost-effective process for leaching nickel matte. The dissolution experiments were carried out to examine the following effects: air flow rate, stirring speed, S/L ratio, acid concentration, reaction temperature, reaction time and the amount of ferrous sulfate added. Nickel extraction of 90% and cobalt extraction of 80% were achieved using dilute H 2 SO 4 and sparging of air as a source of oxygen. To increase the dissolution percentage of the matte, ferrous sulfate addition was studied and the oxidation and reduction potential (ORP) was measured to investigate the effect of ferrous ions on nickel and cobalt recovery. The highest nickel dissolution percentage (95%) was observed with the initial addition of 1200 mg/L Fe (II). Characterization of samples has been carried out with quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy, along with an energy dispersive system (SEM-EDS). • Oxygen in air has been used as an oxidizing agent for the conversion of Ni 3 S 2 into NiSO 4 in nickel matte. • It is possible to dissolve nickel and cobalt in nickel matte at percentages of approximately 90% and 80%, respectively. • It is possible to leach nickel matte in a sulfuric acid without using toxic and/or expensive oxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solubility in systems containing cationic surfactant—alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride (catamine AB), inorganic acid, and water is studied. It is shown that nitric and perchloric acids, the anions of which have low energies of hydration, have the greatest salting-out ability. The optimum parameters of extraction in a HNO3–catamine AB–water system are determined and the potential of its use for the concentration of thallium(III) is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The hydrolysis of Ba2+ and Ra2+ was studied at 25 °C using ion exchange method in NaOH and NaClO 4 mixtures. • The hypothesis that BaOH+ and RaOH+ are not formed in the studied system was tested and rejected. • A model for ion pairing was developed and apparent BaOH+ and RaOH+ stability constants were derived. • Systematic uncertainties have a much greater contribution to the BaOH+ and RaOH+ stability constant uncertainty budget. • A model for uncertainty assessment in ion paring was suggested. Abstract The hydrolysis of Ba2+ and Ra2+ was studied at 25 °C in aqueous mixtures of NaOH and NaClO 4 using an ion exchange method and radiotracer and batch techniques. The distribution of 133Ba and 226Ra between solid (ion exchange resin) and aqueous (mixture of NaOH and NaClO 4) phases was measured via gamma spectrometry and liquid scintillation counting. The total ionic strength was kept constant and the concentration of NaOH in the aqueous phase was varied from 0 (pure NaClO 4) to pure NaOH from sample to sample. It was shown that an increase of the Ba2+ or Ra2+ concentration in the aqueous phase with an increase of the NaOH concentration cannot be explained solely by Ba2+ or Ra2+ activity coefficient differences in the NaOH and NaClO 4 media (salting out) and that weak BaOH+ and RaOH+ ion pairing occurs in the systems studied. A model for weak ion association was developed and apparent BaOH+ and RaOH+ stability constants were derived assuming the formation of weak aqueous NaOH(aq) ion pairs via non-linear curve fitting. It was demonstrated that systematic uncertainties have a much greater contribution to the NaOH(aq), BaOH+ and RaOH+ stability constant uncertainty budget compared to stochastic uncertainties and a method for estimation of the systematic uncertainties was proposed. The method combines fitting, restricted primitive model computations with surveyed literature data that resulted in a stability constant for NaOH(aq) that ranged from 0 to 1 at ionic strengths below 5 mol·kg−1 (i.e. K NaOH = 0.5 ± 0.5, where the uncertainty is a systematic 95% confidence interval). The variation of K NaOH allowed the estimation of the systematic 95% confidence interval in the apparent stability constants of BaOH+ and RaOH+. The specific ion interaction theory was used to extrapolate the derived logarithms of the BaOH+ and RaOH+ apparent stability constants to zero ionic strength (log 10 K = 0.7 ± 0.2 for both ion pairs) and obtain the relevant ion interaction parameters. It was shown that both the Ba2+ and Ra2+ ions have similar activity coefficients and undergo similar short-range interactions in aqueous NaOH-NaClO 4 media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the phenomenon of cell dehydration in electrolyte solutions, a simple salting out method was performed to fabricate controllable water releasing hydrogels, achieving solid–liquid composite lubrication within a single material. [Display omitted] • MXene/PVA hydrogel with controllable water release was prepared by salting out. • The salt out effect induced densification of the hydrogel structure and water release. • The structure and properties of MXene/PVA hydrogel were significantly strengthened. • The hydrogel achieved solid–liquid composite lubrication within a single material. Due to the unique synergistic lubrication mechanisms, solid–liquid composite lubrication has received widespread attention in tribology. However, the cumbersome preparation process and solid–liquid separated service conditions limit its practical application. Inspired by the phenomenon of cell dehydration in electrolyte solutions, a simple salting out method is employed to develop multi-crosslinked and salted out MXene/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (MS-MP) hydrogels that can release water controllably for achieving solid–liquid composite lubrication in a single material. In this work, zinc ions (Zn2+) with both multi-crosslinking effect and salting out effect are incorporated into MXene/PVA hydrogels. These effects not only induce the formation of crystalline domains and the strengthening of network structure of hydrogels, but also release the water in hydrogels to realize the solid–liquid composite lubrication. Furthermore, the structure and tribological properties of MS-MP hydrogels can be regulated by adjusting the salting out degree, resulting in the acquisition of a structurally stable hydrogel with exceptional load-bearing capacity and superior lubrication performance. In brief, this work provides a novel and simple strategy for the fabrication of solid–liquid composite lubricating hydrogels, which shows great potential in fabricating liquid-containing lubrication materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, two methods for DNA extraction from fresh rat blood were compared. One is based on the use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB method), while the other one is well-known salting out method. Spectrophotometric analysis was employed to assess yield and purity of isolated DNA, while agarose gel electrophoresis was carried out to evaluate DNA integrity. The results have clearly demonstrated that the extraction method has significantly influenced the quantity and purity of isolated DNA. By using the CTAB method, a larger quantity of high-molecular weight DNA with good purity is obtained which, along with timeand cost-efficiency of the procedure, makes this method more suitable for the extraction of DNA from rat whole blood.