Magnetic mixed matrix membranes in air separation

Ethylcellulose (EC) or linear polyimide (LPI) and magnetic neodymium powder particles MQP-14-12 were used for the preparation of inorganic-organic hybrid membranes. For all the membranes, N₂, O₂ and air permeability were examined. Mass transport coefficients were determined using the Time Lag System based on dynamic experiments in a constant pressure system. The results showed that the membrane permeation properties were improved by the addition of magnetic neodymium particles to the polymer matrix. The magnetic ethylcellulose and polyimide membranes exhibited higher gas permeability and diffusivity, while their permeability selectivity and solubility were either unchanged or slightly increased. Polyimide mixed matrix membranes were characterised by a higher thermal and mechanical stability, larger filler loading, better magnetic properties and reasonable selectivity in the air separation.     

A spectrophotometric method for plant pigments determination and herbs classification

Twenty herbs, showing medicinal benefits on human life, like Taraxacum officinale, Plantago lanceolata, Hypericum perforatum, Ocimum basilicum, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, and others, were tested. The percentage content of pigments, i.e. chlorophylls, carotenoids, and flavonoids, in the chosen herbs was determined. The spectrophotometric method, which is quick and readily available, was used. Measurements required pigment extraction with a solvent. Ethanol was used for the determination of chlorophylls and carotenoids, and acetone for the determination of flavonoids. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis was performed in order to confirm the experimental results. The study of flavonoids content showed an interesting regularity which can be used for the classification of herbs. Plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family showed the flavonoids content in the range from 0.18 % to 0.68 %, whereas those belonging to the Apiaceaehas family showed the flavonoids content in the 0.75–1.20 % range.     

Fisher information and matrix-valued valuations

All continuous and affinely contravariant matrix-valued valuations on the Sobolev space W1,2(Rn) are completely classified. It is shown that there is a unique such valuation. This valuation turns out to be the Fisher information matrix.     

Semisynthesis of Functional Glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐Anchored Proteins

Glypiation is a common posttranslational modification of eukaryotic proteins involving the attachment of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) glycolipid. GPIs contain a conserved phosphoglycan that is modified in a cell‐ and tissue‐specific manner. GPI complexity suggests roles in biological processes and effects on the attached protein, but the difficulties to get homogeneous material have hindered studies. We disclose a one‐pot intein‐mediated ligation (OPL) to obtain GPI‐anchored proteins. The strategy enables the glypiation of folded and denatured proteins with a natural linkage to the glycolipid. Using the strategy, glypiated eGFP, Thy1, and the Plasmodium berghei protein MSP1₁₉ were prepared. Glypiation did not alter the structure of eGFP and MSP1₁₉ proteins in solution, but it induced a strong pro‐inflammatory response in vitro. The strategy provides access to glypiated proteins to elucidate the activity of this modification and for use as vaccine candidates against parasitic infections.     

Methodological aspects of an off‐line combination of preparative isotachophoresis and high‐performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry in the analysis of biological matrices

This work reports on some methodological aspects of an off‐line combination of preparative ITP and HPLC with mass spectrometric detection (pITP‐HPLC‐MS) and its potential applications to the analysis of high molecular mass compounds present in complex biological matrices from the analytical chemistry perspective. Lysozyme served as the model analyte and human saliva as the complex biological matrix in this study. A mixture of five low‐molecular mass compounds was found and successfully used in the pITP experiments as discrete spacers to isolate the analyte from the interferents present in the complex biological matrix and to minimize their disturbance effect on the final MS analysis. The experiments at the pITP stage were performed in the cationic mode. On‐column conductivity detectors were used for the detection of ITP zones. Lysozyme was found in the human saliva samples using just deconvolution of the MS data after background correction. The MS data obtained from HPLC‐MS analysis of pITP fractions exhibited the great analytical potential of the combination of pITP‐HPLC‐MS resulting from the ITP clean‐up effect as well as the ITP preconcentration of the analyte present at low concentration levels in complex biological matrices.     

Synthesis and characterization of 6,6″′-bis(anthracen-9-yl)-2,2′;6′,2″;6″,2″′-quaterpyridine

New bianthracene-quaterpyridine ligand 6,6″′-bis(anthracen-9-yl)-2,2′;6′,2″;6″,2″′-quaterpyridine L has been obtained in a multistep synthesis using Suzuki–Miyaura and Stille-type coupling reactions. The dianthracene ligand L has four nitrogen-donor atoms and can form different supramolecular architectures with transition metal ions. Ligand L and intermediate compounds have been characterized by spectroscopic methods and elemental analyses. 2-(Anthracen-9-yl)-6-bromopyridine and 6-(anthracen-9-yl)-6′-bromo-2,2′-bipyridine have been also characterized by X-ray crystallography.     

Physical boundaries within aggregates – differences between amorphous,para‐crystalline,and crystalline Structures

The structural properties of finely divided inorganic materials such as metal and metalloid oxides, silicates or carbonates of both synthetic and natural origin are compared by means of electron microscopy and tomography. The structure of the outer surfaces of various compact or compacted agglomerates may suggest some striking similarities between various amorphous silica on the one hand and crystalline titania and alumina on the other however the details of the interior fine structure are completely different. Inside of the crystalline aggregates of, for example, alumina and titania distinct grain boundaries between the inter‐grown primary crystallites exist. Also physical boundaries between different solid phases and crystalline/amorphous transitions in core/shell structures can occur. No physical grain or phase boundaries were found inside of synthetic amorphous silica or para‐crystalline carbon black thus, the aggregate is the constituent particle. Synthetic amorphous silica from different production technologies (fumed/pyrogenic, precipitated, aerogel, gel) may exhibit different macro‐morphology but distinct similarities of the amorphous silica networks. Computational studies on silica and titania underline the stability of constituent particles and aggregates as observed by means of TEM after dispersing the original materials by ultra‐sonication.     

Diaquadichloridobis(1H‐imidazole)manganese(II) at 100 K

The mononuclear title complex, [MnCl₂(C₃H₄N₂)₂(H₂O)₂], is located on a crystallographic inversion center. The Mn^II ion is coordinated by two imidazole ligands [Mn—N = 2.2080 (9) Å], two Cl atoms [Mn—Cl = 2.5747 (3) Å] and two water molecules [Mn—O = 2.2064 (8) Å]. These six monodentate ligands define an octahedron with almost ideal angles: the adjacent N—Mn—O, N—Mn—Cl and O—Mn—Cl angles are 90.56 (3), 92.04 (2) and 90.21 (2)°, respectively. Hydrogen bonds between the coordinated water molecules and Cl atoms form a two‐dimensional network parallel to (100) involving R₄²(8) rings. The two‐dimensional networks link into a three‐dimensional framework through weaker N—H...Cl interactions. Thermogravimetric analysis results are in accordance with the water‐coordinated character of the substance and its dehydration in two successive steps.     

On-line arbitrarily vertex decomposable suns

We give a complete characterization of on-line arbitrarily vertex decomposable graphs in the family of unicycle graphs called suns. A sun is a graph with maximum degree three, such that deleting vertices of degree one results in a cycle. This result has already been used in another paper to prove some Ore-type conditions for on-line arbitrarily decomposable graphs.