Fate and occurrence of X-ray contrast media in the environment

Interest in the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment has recently increased. Despite continuous research efforts there is still a large gap in our knowledge of their fate and effects on the ecosystem. This review covers current information on the occurrence of iodinated X-ray contrast media (ICM) in the environment and developments in the analysis of these highly polar organic micropollutants in aqueous environmental samples. Findings from monitoring surveys conducted on wastewater-treatment plants (WWTP), surface waters, and drinking waters are compiled, and strategies for removal of the compounds in WWTP and waterworks using advanced treatment are reported. Characteristics and advantages of different compound-specific or element-specific mass spectrometric techniques used to monitor ICM in the environment are compared, and applications in elucidation of the structures of biotransformation products, generated in laboratory-scale experiments that simulate sewage treatment or river water/sediment systems, are described.     

Effect of cyclodextrins on the viability of endothelial cells

Natural cyclodextrins (CD) and some of their derivatives have been tested in order to evaluate their cytotoxicity on LT2 endothelial cells. After 1 h of treatment with concentrations not higher than 10 mM, the number of cells was quantified by measuring DNA content. No significative decrease in the DNA amount was observed except for the dimethyl-β-CD at the highest tested concentration.     

Quantification of triiodinated benzene derivatives and X-ray contrast media in water samples by liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A method for the analysis of iodinated X-ray contrast media and possible metabolites in environmental water samples is presented. The method consists of a sequential solid-phase extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry for detection. The recoveries for the analytes in tap water varies between 70 and 100%. For matrix poor samples the detection limit is in the lower ng/l range. In case of native, complex samples the recoveries are lower and the parallel analysis of a spiked sample is necessary to obtain reliable data. With the presented method iodinated X-ray contrast media could be detected and quantified in a sewage treatment plant effluent, in a receiving channel and lake. In the receiving lake the concentrations are still high with values between 0.5 and 4 μg/l.     

微生物燃料电池影响因素及作用机理探讨

以生活污水为初始接种体, 以醋酸钠水溶液为原料, 构建了一个无媒介体、无膜的单室微生物燃料电池, 考察了溶液的浓度、外电阻、温度和氧气的加入等因素对电池性能的影响, 监测了电池外电压和两极电极电势的变化过程, 分析了微生物燃料电池的运行机理. 研究结果表明: (1) 阳极吸附的微生物的活性是影响电池输出电压(输出功率)的关键因素. 营养液初始浓度越高, 微生物活性越高, 输出最大电压越高, 输出电压与浓度之间的关系符合MONOD方程; 溶液中溶氧的存在使微生物活性明显降低, 但溶氧浓度降低到一定程度后, 活性逐步恢复; 随着电池温度的升高, 微生物活性快速上升, 但温度突变到50 ℃后, 微生物活性明显降低; (2) 电池换水后, 由微生物活性所决定的阳极电势迅速达到平衡, 而阴极电势需要较长的时间才能达到极大值; (3) 随电流密度的变化, 两极电极电势相应发生变化, 其变化趋势符合原电池的基本规律; (4) 随外电阻的变化, 电池输出功率出现极大值, 即当外电阻为200 Ω时, 电池输出功率达到346 mW/m2.     

Effect of berberine on the viability of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells in nutrients deficient condition

This study was designed to examine whether berberine protects rat adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) against glucose and serum deprivation (GSD)-induced cell death. ASCs were cultured for 24 h in GSD condition in the presence of berberine and then cell viability, apoptosis and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated. The GSD condition significantly decreased ASCs viability and increased ROS generation and apoptosis. Incubation with 0.75–3 μM berberine partially increased cell viability and decreased ROS generation and apoptosis in GSD condition. In conclusion, berberine partially protects ASCs in nutrients deficient condition and may help ASCs to preserve their survival during cell therapy of ischemia.     

Determination of residual solvents and reagents in X-ray contrast media by automatic static headspace capillary gas chromatography

A specific, sensitive, and simple method for the quantitation of residual methanol, 2-propanol, 2-butanol, 2-methoxy-1-ethanol, 1-chloro-3-methoxy-2-propanol, 3-chloro-2-methoxy-1-propanol, and 1,3-dimethoxy-2-propanol in two non-ionic X-ray contrast media, has been developed. The headspace of a 25 % w/V aqueous solution of contrast media, obtained at 90–110°C in 15 min, was injected onto a capillary column coated with cyanopropyl, phenyl, dimethylpolysiloxane polymer. The internal standards used were 2-pentanol and 3-methoxy-1-butanol. The limits of detection were below 5 μg/g. The repeatability of the method at 50 μg/g of each solvent was below 5 %; and at 100 μg/g of the methoxypropanol compounds and 2-methoxy-1-ethanol, below 10 % (RSD, N = 5).     

动态复合对染料敏化太阳电池性能的影响

本文通过设计一种特殊的电池结构,动态改变电解液与导电玻璃（Tc0）的接触面积,固定Ti02薄膜面积,将TCO／OL解液界面与TiO2／电解液界面两种复合途径进行区分,从实验和理论两方面研究了复合途径变化对染料敏化太阳电池（DSC）性能的影响．采用电化学阻抗谱（EIS）表征界面电荷交换过程,研究了不同途径在复合中的作用机理．通过单色光下,1-V性能测试,对不同界面复合主导下的DSC二极管特性进行数值分析,探讨了复合过程中界面电荷交换变化对光电压（‰）的影响．研究结果表明,高光强下（Voc=700mV）改变TCO／电解液接触面积对复合影响不明显,DSC电子复合主要经由TiO2／电解液界面,电池具有明显的二极管特征;而弱光下（Voc〈400mV）增加TCO／电解液接触面积将使复合大幅增加,此时电荷交换由TCO／电解液界面主导,电池填充因子大幅降低,整流作用减弱．由于TCO／OL解液界面电荷交换明显慢于TiO2／电解液界面,通过同一电池一定光强范围内的光电压变化对比发现,高光强下光电压变化较慢,而弱光下光电压变化较快．     

Effect of cooling rate on methane hydrate formation in media

In order to study gas hydrate in media, formation of methane hydrate in three different media including loess, fine and coarse sands were studied. Five cooling rates were applied to form the methane hydrate. The nucleation time of the formation of methane hydrate with each cooling rate were measured for comparison. The experimental results show that the cooling rate is a significant factor affecting nucleation of methane hydrate and gas conversion. Under the same initial conditions, the faster the cooling rate, the shorter the nucleation time and the lower the methane gas conversion rate. The media also affect the formation process of methane hydrate within it. In loess, the gas conversion rate is lowest; in coarse sand, the gas conversion rate is the greatest; and in fine sand, it is in between. According to the study, it is found that the smaller the particle size of the media, the harder the methane hydrate forms within it.     

Influence of the seed polymer on the chromatographic properties of size monodisperse polymeric separation media prepared by a multi-step swelling and polymerization method

Monodisperse polymer particle-based separation media were prepared by a multi-step swelling and polymerization method with two pairs of monomers and two porogenic solvents. Their chromatographic properties were compared to those of beads prepared by a corresponding suspension polymerization method without the use of seed polymer to ascertain the influence of the seed polymer on their porous structures. A large change in porous structure was observed when the swollen particle consisting of monomers and porogenic solvents contained at least one good solvent for the polystyrene seed polymer, allowing it to remain in the polymerizing medium. In contrast, when the polystyrene seed particle was excluded from the swollen oil droplets, due to its poor solubility in the monomers and the porogenic solvents, there was no difference in the chromatographic properties such as pore volume, pore size, pore size distribution, or retention selectivity between the multi-step swelling and polymerization method and the suspension polymerization method. Since the only difference between the multi-step swelling and polymerization method and the suspension method is the use of the seed polymer, it appears that a very small amount (< 1% v/v) of seed polymers in the enlarged swollen droplets plays an important role as a porogen and affects the porous structure as well as the chromatographic properties of the monodisperse polymer particle-based separation media. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Experimental study on geochemical characteristic of methane hydrate formed in porous media

The natural occurrence of methane hydrates in marine sediments has been intensively studied over the past decades, and geochemical charac-teristic of hydrate is one of the most attractive research fields. In this paper, we discussed the geochemical anomaly during hydrate formation in porous media. By doing so, we also investigated the temperature influence on hydrate formation under isobaric condition. It turns out that sub-cooling is an important factor to dominate hydrate formation. Larger subcooling provides more powerful driving force for hydrate formation. During the geochemical anomaly research, six kinds of ions and the total dissolved salt (TDS) were measured before and after the experiment in different porous media. The result is that all kinds of ionic concentration increased after hydrate formation which can be defined as salting out effect mainly affected by gas consumption. But the variation ratio of different ions is not equal. Ca2+ seems to be the most significantly influenced one, and its variation ratio is up to 80%. Finally, we theoretically made a model to calculate the TDS variation, the result is in good accordance with measured one, especially when gas consumption is large.     

Thin-Layer chromatography of inorganic ions on cellulose phosphate in sulfuric acid-organic solvent media

Summary Thin-layer chromatographic behavior of 49 inorganic ions on cellulose phosphate (P-cellulose) has systematically been surveyed with binary solvent mixtures consisting of sulfuric acid and an organic solvent such as methanol or acetone. The R_f values of many bivalent and monovalent ions as well as Te(VI) decrease on the P-cellulose layer with an increasing concentration of the organic solvent. Polyvalent ions which form strong phosphato-complexes and precipitate insoluble sulfate are strongly retained on P-cellulose. Oxy-anions, Au(III) and Pt(IV) are not adsorbed on the cellulose to any great extent. Feasibilities of the separation of multicomponent mixtures are demonstrated on the P-cellulose layer.     

Influence of different copolymer sequences in low band gap polymers on their performance in organic solar cells

The chemical design of a polymer can be tailored by a random or a block sequence of the comonomers in order to influence the properties of the final material. In this work, two sequences, PCPDTBT and F8BT (F8), were polymerized to form a block or a random copolymer. Differences between the various polymers were examined by exploring the surface topography and charge carrier mobility. A distinct surface texture and a higher charge carrier mobility was found for the block copolymer with respect to the other materials. Solar cells were prepared with polymer:PC₇₁BM blend active layers and the best performance of up to 2% was found for the block copolymer, which was a direct result of the fill factor. Overall, the sequences of different copolymers for solar cell applications were varied and a positive impact on efficiency was found when the block copolymer structure was utilized. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Impact of biological factors on binding media identification in art objects: identification of animal glue in the presence of Aspergillus niger

The materials and especially organic materials used for creation of art objects can be utilized by various microorganisms for their growth and facilitate the microbial colonization of the object. An understanding of the chemical alterations in artefacts caused by the presence of microorganisms can be crucial for correct identification of the materials initially used for the artefact creation--nowadays an important step in restoration and/or art-historical investigation of the art object. The present article describes a model experiment in which we investigated the possible chemical alterations in animal glue films used as substrate for growth of the fungus Aspergillus niger. The sterilized animal glue solution was poured into Petri dishes, inoculated with Aspergillus niger, and subsequently incubated at 15 degrees C for 0, 7, 9, 14, and 28 days. After interruption of incubation, the content of the Petri dish was analyzed for amino acid composition by the GC-MS based method. It was found that the growth of Aspergillus niger on animal glue films did not cause significant changes in the amino acid composition of the film and had no impact on animal glue identification.     

Influence of Extraction Barrier on the Loss Process of Photogenerated Charge Carrier in Polymer Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Based on a full device model adopting three-dimensional Pauli master equation approach, the charge carrier loss process due to poor extraction channels between electrode and active layer in polymer bulk heterojunction(BHJ) solar cells was studied. The influence of barrier height on device performance was simulated to reveal the importance of electrode improvement. It was found that relatively large extraction barrier height(over 0.40 eV) can lead to the significant diminishing of the overall charge collection efficiency, since bimolecular recombination rate would increase to a high level due to enhanced space charge accumulation effect near electrodes. In contrast, the percentage of charge carrier annihilated due to geminate recombination did not change significantly with barrier height variation. Our simulation results may provide the basis for a more accurate model and potential direction of polymer BHJ solar cells improvement.     

Thin-layer chromatography of inorganic ions on sulphoethyl cellulose in sulphuric acid and ammonium sulphate media

Summary Thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) behaviour of 51 inorganic ions on a strongly acidic cation-exchanger, sulphoethyl (SE) cellulose, has been studied systematically in sulphuric acid and ammonium sulphate media (0.01–0.2 mol dm⁻³). Some aspects of the adsorption behaviour of the inorganic ions on the SE-cellulose are compared with those on other cation-exchangers in the same eluent systems. The possibilities for TLC separations of analytical interest are also proposed on SE-cellulose in sulphuric acid and acid ammonium sulphate media.     

The role of anions in oxygen reduction in neutral and basic media on gold single-crystal electrodes

Oxygen reduction on well-defined single-crystal electrodes in different basic and neutral media has been studied using the impinging jet system. The results obtained with this system in 0.1 M NaOH are comparable to those reported in the literature for rotating disk electrodes, indicating that the impinging jet system behaves as a system in which the thickness of the diffusion layer is stationary. The activity of the Au(100) electrode is considerably higher than the rest of the basal planes in all media and yields water when E>–0.2 V and hydrogen peroxide for E<–0.2 V on the SHE scale. For Au(111) and Au(110) the activity of the electrode is much smaller and the final product is always hydrogen peroxide. The transition between both mechanisms for the Au(100) is, essentially, independent of the solution pH. In acid media the final product is always hydrogen peroxide for all the electrodes studied. The differences between the activities of the electrodes have been explained in the light of the different adsorption properties of the surfaces in relation to HO₂ ^–. In the case of the Au(100) electrode, the existence of a negative charge density on the metal inhibits further reduction of HO₂ ^–.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Wolf Vielstich on the occasion of his 80th birthday in recognition of his numerous contributions to interfacial electrochemistry     

A highly selective fluorescent probe for nanomolar detection of ferric ions in the living cells and aqueous media

A dipodal fluorescent probe 3, with imine and hydroxyl moieties as binding sites, has been synthesized and characterized with spectroscopic methods, single-crystal X-ray techniques, and DFT. The synthesized probe 3 (φ = 0.0028) showed highly sensitive and highly specific fluorescent ‘turn-on’ effect (λ_em = 453 nm) for the 1:1 binding with Fe³⁺ ions to form probe 3.Fe³⁺ complex (φ = 0.203) in semi-aqueous medium (acetonitrile:water (50:50; v/v)) and live cells. The 1:1 binding stoichiometry of probe 3 and Fe³⁺ ions was proposed by DFT calculations and confirmed by the NMR spectroscopy, crystal structures of probe 3 and 3.Fe³⁺ complex, and mass spectrum of probe 3.Fe³⁺ complex. The stability of probe 3.Fe³⁺ complex in a wide pH range (pH 2–12) and reversibility for binding with Fe³⁺ ions in the presence of EDTA indicates that it can be an effective chemosensor for the detection of Fe³⁺ ions in various samples, including living cells. Importantly, with the LOD of 21.5 nM for the detection of Fe³⁺ ions, probe 3 did not show any interference from potentially competing ions even at a 1:3 ratio, indicates its biocompatibility. The nanomolar limit of detection (21.5 nM), cell permeability, and low cytotoxicity allows the probe 3 to be an excellent tool for the live-cell imaging and detection of ferric ions in live cells.     

Thin-layer chromatography of inorganic ions on polyethyleneimine cellulose in sulfuric acid and acid-ammonium sulfate media

Summary The thin-layer chromatographic behavior of 49 inorganic ions on polyethyleneimine (PEI) cellulose, a weakly basic anion-exchanger, has been systematically studied in sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate media (both 0.01–1.0 moldm⁻³). The sorption on the cellulose decreases with increasing concentration of the acid or sulfate for most of the ions and to a lesser extent for Hg(II), Bi(III), Th(IV), Nb(V), and U(VI). The R_f values of Pd(II), Ru(III), Au(III), Pt(IV), and Ta(V) are extremely low in both systems. Ba(II), Pb(II), Sb(III), Mo(VI), and W(VI) are also strongly retained on the layer. Oxy-anions such as As(III) and Se(VI) are not adsorbed on the cellulose to any great extent, but Re(VII) distributes on the plate with a R_f value of about 0.5. The characteristic retention on PEI-cellulose layer of several polyvalent ions, which form anionic sulfato complexes, can be observed in ammonium sulfate media. Possibilities for separations of analytical interest are also demonstrated in both systems.     

Capillary electrophoresis in mixed aqueous-organic media: Effect of tetrahydrofuran on mobilities, dissociation constants and separation of a series of quinolones

Summary The influence of the composition of aqueous-tetrahydrofuran mixtures on the electrophoretic behaviour of nine quinolones was studied in order to predict the optimum conditions for their separation. The effect of pH, pK _a and activity coefficients on electrophoretic behaviour was established. Standard pH values for buffer solutions of the NIST scale as previously determined in THF-water were used in accordance with IUPAC rules. pH was therefore measured for these media as for water. The pK _a values of quinolones were determined from the electrophoretic mobilities-pH data pairs in different THF-water mixtures. The electrophoretic resolution between pairs of substances was then predicted in order to obtain the optimal experimental conditions for separation methodologies.