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“A strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from a site contaminated with refined oil products exhibited demulsification capabilities against Tween 80-Span 80 stabilized oil-in-water (O/W), Tween 80-stabilized PP2 clinical trial water-in-oil (W/O) model emulsions (kerosene-water), and an industrial emulsion (Daido Dairoll PA-5A). GC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of fatty acids and carbohydrates in the extracellular biodemulsifier. The demulsifying activity of cells and culture supernatants was favored by growth in media containing 1% diesel oil. There was a correlation between culture age, de-emulsification and

cellular hydrophobicity, and highest activities were observed for cells and supernatants from 96-h cultures. Activity increased with addition of up to 60

mg cells or 300 mu L supernatant to emulsions. The activity was relatively stable at 20-40 degrees C and to freezing, but was reduced by 69% by washing the cells with chloroform-methanol-water. This demulsifier has potential for application in biotreatment of emulsified oily wastewaters to promote recovery and/or degradation of oil. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Glasses of the composition 19Li(2)O-20PbO-20B(2)O(3)-30SiO(2)-(10-x) WH-4-023 Bi2O3-1Fe(2)O(3): xIn(2)O(3) with six values of x (0 to 5.0) were synthesized. Dielectric properties viz., dielectric constant, epsilon’(omega), loss, tan delta, ac conductivity, sigma(ac), electric modulus, M(omega) over HSP990 order wide ranges of frequency and temperature and also dielectric break down strength have been studied as a function of In2O3 concentration. The temperature

dispersion of real part of dielectric constant, epsilon’ (omega) has been analyzed using space charge polarization model. The dielectric loss (and also the electric moduli) variation with frequency and temperature exhibited relaxation effects and these effects were attributed to the divalent iron ion complexes. The ac conductivity exhibited maximal effect, whereas the activation energy for the conductivity demonstrated minimal magnitude at about 1.0 mol% of In2O3. The conductivity mechanism is understood due to the polaronic transfer between Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions. The low temperature ac conductivity mechanism is explained following the quantum mechanical tunneling model. Spectroscopic studies viz., optical absorption and ESR spectra have revealed that the. redox ratio (Fe2+/Fe3+) is maximal when the concentration of In2O3 is similar to 1.0 mol%. The higher values of dielectric parameters observed at 1.0 mol% of In2O3 are attributed to the presence of iron ions largely in divalent state and act as modifiers. The analysis of these results together with spectroscopic studies has indicated that when In2O3 is present in the glass matrix in higher concentrations (more than 1.0 mol%) iron ions predominantly exist in trivalent state, occupy substitutional positions and make the glass more rigid.