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The fungi Aureobasidium pullulans , Mortierella humilis , Trichoderma harzianum and Phoma glomerata were used to investigate the formation of selenium- and tellurium-containing nanoparticles during growth on selenium- and tellurium-containing media. Most organisms were able to grow on both selenium- and tellurium-containing media at concentrations of 1 mM resulting in extensive precipitation of elemental selenium and tellurium on fungal surfaces as observed by the red and black colour changes. Red or black deposits were confirmed as elemental selenium and tellurium, respectively. Selenium oxide and tellurium oxide were also found after growth of Trichoderma harzianum with 1 mM selenite and tellurite as well as the formation of elemental selenium and tellurium. The hyphal matrix provided nucleation sites for metalloid deposition with extracellular protein and extracellular polymeric substances localizing the resultant Se or Te nanoparticles. These findings are relevant to remedial treatments for selenium and tellurium and to novel approaches for selenium and tellurium biorecovery.

Cadmium zinc telluride selenide (Cd1−xZnxTe1−ySey or CZTS) is one of the emerging CdTe-based semiconductor materials for detecting X- and gamma-ray radiation at or near room temperature (i.e., without cryogenic cooling). Potential applications of CZTS sensors include medical imaging, X-ray detection, and gamma-ray spectroscopy. Chemical passivation of CZTS is needed to reduce the conductivity of Te-rich surfaces, which reduces the noise and improves the device performance. In this study, we focus on the effect of surface passivation of CZTS using a 10% aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride. The effects of the chemical treatment were studied on the leakage current, charge transport measured as the electron mobility-lifetime (µτ) product, and the spectral resolution measured as the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of specific peaks. After passivation, the leakage current increased and began to decrease towards pre-passivation levels. The energy resolutions were recorded for eight applied voltages between −35 V and −200 V. The results showed an average of 25% improvement in the detector’s energy resolution for the 59.6 keV gamma peak of Am-241. The electron µτ product was unchanged at 2 × 10−3 cm2/V. These results show that ammonium fluoride is effective for chemical passivation of CZTS detectors.

Plants take up large amounts of K+ from the soil solution and distribute it to the cells of all organs, where it fulfills important physiological functions. Transport of K+ from the soil solution to its final destination is mediated by channels and transporters. To better understand K+ movements in plants, we intended to characterize the function of the large KT-HAK-KUP family of transporters in rice (Oryza sativa cv Nipponbare). By searching in databases and cDNA cloning, we have identified 17 genes (OsHAK1-17) encoding transporters of this family and obtained evidence of the existence of other two genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the encoded transporters reveals a great diversity among them, and three distant transporters, OsHAK1, OsHAK7, and OsHAK10, were expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and bacterial mutants to determine their functions. The three transporters mediate K+ influxes or effluxes, depending on the conditions of the experiment. A comparative kinetic analysis of HAK-mediated K+ influx in yeast and in roots of K+-starved rice seedlings demonstrated the involvement of HAK transporters in root K+ uptake. We discuss that all HAK transporters may mediate K+ transport, but probably not only in the plasma membrane. Transient expression of the OsHAK10-green fluorescent protein fusion protein in living onion epidermal cells targeted this protein to the tonoplast.

Zerovalent iron (ZVI) has been widely used in the removal of environmental contaminants from water. In this study, ZVI was used to remove selenate [Se(VI)] at a level of 1000 microgram L(-1) in the presence of varying concentrations of Cl(-), SO4(2-), NO3(-), HCO3(-), and PO4(3-). Results showed that Se(VI) was rapidly removed during the corrosion of ZVI to iron oxyhydroxides (Fe(OH)). During the 16 h of the experiments, 100 and 56% of the added Se(VI) was removed in 10 mM Cl and SO4(2-) solutions under a closed contained system, respectively. Under an open condition, 100 and 93% of the added Se(VI) were removed in the Cl(-) and SO4(2-) solutions, respectively. Analysis of Se species in ZVI-Fe(OH) revealed that selenite [Se(IV)] and nonextractable Se increased during the first 2 to 4 h of reaction, with a decrease of Se(VI) in the Cl(-) experiment and no detection of Se(VI) in the SO4(2-) experiment. Two mechanisms can be attributed to the rapid removal of Se(VI) from the solutions. One is the reduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV), followed by rapid adsorption of Se(IV) to Fe(OH). The other is the adsorption of Se(VI) directly to Fe(OH), followed by its reduction to Se(IV). The results also show that there was little effect on Se(VI) removal in the presence of Cl(-) (5, 50, and 100 mM), NO3(-) (1, 5, and 10 mM), SO4(2-) (5 mM), HCO3(-) (1 and 5 mM), or PO4(3-) (1 mM) and only a slight effect in the presence of SO4(2-) (50 and 100 mM), HCO3(-) (10 mM), and PO4(3-) (5 mM) during a 2-d experiment, whereas 10 mM PO4(3-) significantly inhibited Se(VI) removal. This work suggests that ZVI may be an effective agent to remove Se from Se-contaminated agricultural drainage water.

Sample preparation methods based on the use of proteolytic and cell wall digesting enzymes for the speciation analysis of selenized mushroom were investigated. The sample (Agaricus bisporus; 160 microg total Se per g sample) was grown on compost supplemented with selenized yeast. Experiments were carried out to elucidate the possible role of the cell wall digesting enzymes--Lysing enzyme and Driselase--in the improvement of extraction efficiency with and without inhibiting proteolysis during cell wall digestion. A 3-step procedure applying Lysing enzyme and pronase gave the highest extraction efficiency (89%); however, the best species recovery was achieved by a one-step proteolytic procedure. All the procedures of selenium speciation were controlled by independent ICP-AES analysis measuring the total amount of selenium.

Increased tightening of air regulations is leading more electric utilities to install flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. These systems produce brine containing high concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, and selenate which must be removed before discharge. The H2-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) was shown to consistently remove nitrate, nitrite, and selenate at high efficiencies. The maximum selenate removal flux reached 362 mg Se m−2d−1 and was higher than that observed in earlier research, which shows continual improvement of the biofilm for selenate reduction. A low pH of 6.8 inhibited precipitation when treating actual FGD brine, yet did not inhibit removal. SO42− was not removed and therefore did not compete with nitrate, nitrite, and selenate reduction for the available H2.

Thiol-containing compounds, such as glutathione and cysteine, react with selenite under specific conditions to form selenotrisulfides. Previous studies have focused on isolation and characterization of intermolecular selenotrisulfides. This study describes the preparation and characterization of intramolecular selenotrisulfide derivatives of lipoic acid and lipoamide. These derivatives, after separation from other reaction products by reverse-phase HPLC, exhibit an absorbance maximum at 288 nm with an extinction coefficient of 1,500 M-1· cm-1. The selenotrisulfide derivative of lipoic acid was significantly stable at or below pH 8.0 in contrast to several other previously studied selenotrisulfides. Mass spectral analysis of the lipoic acid and lipoamide derivatives confirmed both the expected molecular weights and also the presence of a single atom of selenium as revealed by its isotopic distribution. The selenotrisulfide derivative of lipoic acid was found to serve as an effective substrate for recombinant human thioredoxin reductase as well as native rat thioredoxin reductase in the presence of NADPH. Likewise, the lipoamide derivative was efficiently reduced by NADH-dependent bovine lipoamide dehydrogenase. The significant in vitro stability of these intramolecular selenotrisulfide derivatives of lipoic acid can serve as an important asset in the study of such selenium adducts as model selenium donor compounds for selenophosphate biosynthesis and as rate enhancement effectors in various redox reactions.

Removal of selenium (Se) from agricultural drainage water is very important for protecting wildlife in wetland systems. We conducted a series of experiments on selenite [Se(IV)] adsorption and selenate [Se(VI)] reduction to determine Se removal from drainage water amended with 1000 μg/L of Se(VI) or Se(IV) and 5 g of rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw. Under sterile conditions, the added Se(IV) was not adsorbed to the rice straw within 2 d of the experiment and the added Se(VI) was not reduced within 14 d. In contrast, added Se(VI) in a nonsterile rice‐straw solution was reduced rapidly, from 930 μg/L at Day 3 to 20 μg/L at Day 5, with an increase in unprecipitated elemental Se [Se(0)] and total Se(0). In the last several days of the experiments, unprecipitated Se(0) was the major Se form in the rice‐straw solution, with a small amount of organic Se(−II). This study showed that Se removal from drainage water in the presence of rice straw involves a two‐step process. The first is the microbial reduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV) and then to colloidal Se(0). The second is flocculation and precipitation of colloidal Se(0) to the bottom of the experimental flasks and the surface of rice straw.

The retention of organic selenium compounds on a porous graphitic carbon stationary phase was investigated. Different acids were studied as mobile phases to elute selenocystamine, selenoethionine, selenomethionine and selenocystine. Detection was achieved using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry to provide selenium-specific and sensitive detection. The separation of the four species was carried out using methanoic acid. An important on-column preconcentration was obtained when solutes were injected in nitric acid or trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) media. The large injection volume employed (2,500 micro L) allowed us to reach low relative detection limits (2-6 micro g/L). The method, employing TFA as injection solvent and methanoic acid as the eluent was found to be robust with respect to different matrices spiked with selenocompounds.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) with direct UV detection is proposed for speciation of inorganic Se in high-level liquid waste. In this aim, the optimal conditions of measurements (pH, electrolyte buffer concentration) and the influence of nitrate excess on the quantitative determination of Se(IV) and Se(VI) were studied. Different electrolyte buffers were considered: carbonate, phosphate and citrate. It was found, that citrate buffer is the most suitable for the application under consideration. Under the chosen optimal conditions (20 mmol L(-1) citrate buffer, pH 2.5), calibration curves for Se(IV) and Se(VI) are linear in the concentration range 10(-4)-10(-3) mol L(-1). The detection limits are 4x10(-6 )for Se(IV) and 2x10(-5) for Se(VI). The accuracy of the procedure was checked by calculating the recovery by spiking simulation solutions. Relative standard deviation (S(r)) is less than 10%.