Thermal oxidation of cellulose investigated by chemiluminescence. The effect of magnesium and calcium carbonates and of different pHs

Whatman cellulose impregnated with calcium and magnesium carbonates was oxidized and chemiluminescence accompanying this oxidation has been measured. It was shown that magnesium ions in deacidified cellulose pulp promote the light emission significantly. On the other hand, acid papers give the more pronounced light signals at temperatures close to ambient. The relation between chemiluminescence runs and paper degradation has been implicated, with an attempt to extrapolate half-lives of paper samples to conditions close to ambient. To cite this article: J. Rychlý et al., C. R. Chimie 9 (2006).     

Search on ruggedness of fast gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in pesticide residues analysis

In this study, suitability of fast gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) on a narrow-bore column with a programmed temperature vaporizer for the analysis of pesticide residues in non-fatty food was evaluated. The main objectives were ruggedness and stability of chromatographic system with regards to co-extractives injected. The chromatographic matrix induced response enhancement was found to be strongly dependent on the concentration of residues and is reaching up to 700% compared to the pesticides solutions in a neat solvent. However, the responses of pesticides in matrix-matched standards at different concentration levels do not significantly change during 130 injections. Response enhancement/or decrease is influenced by the sample preparation technique. External calibration with matrix-matched calibration standards should, therefore, provide results with good precision also at the concentration level of 0.005 mg kg(-1). Special attention is given to the performance of the chromatographic column and retention gap with regards to peak widths, peak tailing and different sample preparation methods. During approximately 460 matrix sample injections, the performance of the analytical column was acceptable. GC-MS set-up with 0.15 mm i.d. column can be successfully utilized for the pesticide residues analysis.     

Reproducibility of retention indices measurement of alkylbenzenes on crosslinked methyl silicone phase fused silica capillaries

Summary Reproducibility of the Kovats retention indices of alkylbenzenes was studied on conventional “PONA” fused-silica capillary columns coated with crosslinked dimethyl silicone phase, with a film thickness of 0.5 μm. The data were compared with those obtained on conventional OV-101 columns. The tested PONA columns showed reproducible chromatographic properties, capacity ratios and high efficiencies. Having a standard deviation of s=0.03 i.u. of the retention indices on a single column, the column-to-columns differences were found to be up to 0.3 i.u. Higher indices were determined for crosslinked columns, the difference being in most cases about one i.u.     

Practical aspects of splitless injection of semivolatile compounds in fast gas chromatography

Possibilities and practical aspects of implementation of splitless injection of larger volumes for fast GC purposes utilizing narrow-bore column, hydrogen as carrier gas, fast temperature programming under programmed flow conditions and commercial instrumentation were searched. As a model sample semivolatile compounds of a broad range of volatility and polarity (7 n-alkanes and 19 pesticides) were chosen. Peak shapes, peak broadening and peak areas and its repeatability were evaluated under various experimental set-ups (liner/injection technique combinations). Various factors, such as liner design, injection technique, retention gap length, compound volatility and polarity, the solvent used, initial oven temperature influenced compound focusation and/or maximal injection volume. Combination of analytical column (CP-Sil 13 CB 25 m long, 0.15 mm i.d., film thickness 0.4 microm) with normal-bore retention gap (1 m long, 0.32 mm i.d.) allowed maximal injection volume 8 microl for 4 mm i.d. liner used without any peak distortion when solvent recondensation in the retention gap was employed.     

Thermo-oxidation of polypropylene in the presence of triphenylphosphonium cyclopentadienylide

From measurements of weight losses of samples of isotactic polypropylene (IPP) with triphenylphosphonium cyclopentadienylide (TPCP) under various conditions and from the measurements of time courses of chemiluminescence, kinetic parameters of the process were determined. At concentrations of TPCP >1 wt%, the rate of loss of weight changes with the additive concentration. Compensation of the values of activation energy and pre-exponential term, determined from thermo-oxidation of IPP alone and IPP with TPCP, indicates that interaction of TPCP with oxidized polymer is complex.     

Neural stem cells express melatonin receptors and neurotrophic factors: colocalization of the MT<Subscript>1</Subscript>receptor with neuronal and glial markers

Background  

In order to optimize the potential benefits of neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, it is necessary to understand their biological characteristics. Although neurotrophin transduction strategies are promising, alternative approaches such as the modulation of intrinsic neurotrophin expression by NSCs, could also be beneficial. Therefore, utilizing the C17.2 neural stem cell line, we have examined the expression of selected neurotrophic factors under different in vitro conditions. In view of recent evidence suggesting a role for the pineal hormone melatonin in vertebrate development, it was also of interest to determine whether its G protein-coupled MT₁ and MT₂ receptors are expressed in NSCs.     

Screw-type transparency in a three-level medium

A solution is obtained for the system of Maxwell-Schrödinger equations describing the propagation of a laser pulse through a three-level Λ medium in which the initial atomic populations are in a specially prepared coherent superposition of low-energy states. This solution describes a new type of transparency which is characterized by the presence of conversion of the frequency of the incident pulse and can be used, specifically, to produce “optical keys” and frequency converters for laser radiation.     

Coherent population trapping in an ensemble of three-level atoms in the presence of cooperative relaxation

We derive equations that describe the dynamics of three-level atoms with a cascade system of levels interacting with two resonant coherent fields in conditions where cooperative relaxation dominates over incoherent spontaneous emission. We calculate the temporal dynamics of the values of the atomic populations. The possibility of coherent population trapping in the presence of the cooperative decay is established. Finally, we calculate the averaged population of the intermediate level as a function of detuning for different values of the coupling constant. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 869–876 (September 1997)     

Nonlinear magnetic phenomena in atomic bose gas

Optically confined (j=1, j=2)-Bose gas is studied. The spin Hamiltonian and the ground state of a set of particles with spins j=1 and j=2 are obtained. Nonlinear magnetic phenomena in the set of particles with j=1 are considered.