Comparative analysis of bias in the collection of airborne pollutants: Tests on major aromatic VOC using three types of sorbent-based methods

This study was undertaken to establish one of the most reliable sampling methods and to precisely evaluate the bias involved in the collection of airborne pollutant samples. For the purpose of our study, we investigated the performance of three different types of sampling techniques by measuring major aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOC) in outdoor air; the target analytes specifically include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (commonly called BTEX). As the first step of our approach, we designed and developed a multi-channel sampling system consisting of a six-port mass flow controller (SJU-MFC) system. Because this system allowed the collection of up to six replicate samples, our measurement results were analyzed and screened statistically for the derivation of high-quality BTEX data. The feasibility of this sampling system was further tested through a comparison with concurrent measurement data sets obtained by two additional, but independent, sampling techniques: (1) automatic continuous sampler (ACS) and (2) on-line GC (O-GC) system. Based on the data sets collected concurrently by three different sampling methods, we attempted to evaluate the compatibility of sampling techniques. Although the results obtained by SJU-MFC system were not statistically different from those of the O-GC system, they were moderately distinguishable from those of ACS. Such patterns were seen consistently, when examined by correlation analysis. The overall results of our study thus generally point out that the compatibility of data sets, when the proper caution is taken, improve significantly among different sampling methodologies.     

Study on the interaction of platinum(IV), gold(III) and silver(I) ions with DNA

Fluorescence, absorption spectra have been produced by the interaction of platinum(IV), silver(I) and gold(III) ions with the berberine–DNA system (berberine, Scheme 1). Platinum(IV) and gold(III) ions show different effects from that of silver(I) ion on the spectral characteristics of the berberine–DNA system. Quenching fluorescence is seen with platinum(IV) and gold(III) ions addition, whereas increasing fluorescence is observed for silver(I) ions. The addition of gold(III) and silver(I) ions cause an increase in absorption of the berberine–DNA system. The above results suggest that different metal ions exhibit different affinities when binding to DNA correlates well with the ions’ charge, structure and the coordination ability.     

Photodegradation of azodyes: comparison of different catalytic systems and control of the effective mineralisation

Three different azodyes were used as target molecules to test the efficiency of the photodegradation process catalysed by titanium dioxide under UV irradiation. A comparison of different catalytic systems was performed using the catalyst both free in solution (system I) and immobilised in a polymeric membrane (system II). Iron oxalate and a conducting polymer (polyaniline, PA) were added to the I and II systems respectively to check an eventual synergetic effect. The research evolved through three different steps involving each one the use of a different analytical method. Shortly, the UV spectrophotometry were preliminarily used to monitor the bleaching process and allowed to choose the best catalytic system, HPLC and GC/MS were used to monitor the appearance and disappearance of the photodegradation intermediates and, lastly, the effective mineralisation was tested by an indirect ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) determination of the produced carbon dioxide.     

Why have serine/threonine/tyrosine kinases been evolutionarily selected in eukaryotic signaling cascades?

The signal transduction systems of eukaryotes are different from those of prokaryotes with respect to their structures and mechanisms. The main signal transduction system of prokaryotes called the two-component system (TCS) is a one-step phosphorelay system composed of a histidine kinase (HK) while the central signal transduction system of eukaryotes called the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade system (MCS) is a multi-step phosphorelay system composed of serine/threonine/tyrosine kinases (STYKs). The two signal transduction systems are also different in their transphosphorylation mechanisms. HK in the TCS transfers its own phosphate group to the response regulator protein while STYKs in the MCS phosphorylate other proteins using ATP. We were intrigued by the different dynamics resulting from such differences and wondered why STYKs instead of HKs have been evolutionarily selected in eukaryotic signaling cascades. In this paper, we compared the dynamical characteristics of two mathematical models which reflect such differences between the TCS and the MCS, and found that STYKs are more appropriate for cascade structures in eukaryotic signal transduction than HK with respect to the duration and settling time of response signals.     

Automated sample preparation and analysis using a sequential-injection-capillary electrophoresis (SI-CE) interface

A fully automated sequential-injection-capillary electrophoresis (SI-CE) system was developed using commercially available components as the syringe pump, the selection and injection valves and the high voltage power supply. The interface connecting the SI with the CE unit consisted of two T-pieces, where the capillary was inserted in one T-piece and a Pt electrode in the other (grounded) T-piece. By pressurising the whole system using a syringe pump, hydrodynamic injection was feasible. For characterisation, the system was applied to a mixture of adenosine and adenosine monophosphate at different concentrations. The calibration curve obtained gave a detection limit of 0.5 microg g(-1) (correlation coefficient of 0.997). The reproducibility of the injection was also assessed, resulting in a RSD value (5 injections) of 5.4%. The total time of analysis, from injection, conditioning and separation to cleaning the capillary again was 15 minutes. In another application, employing the full power of the automated SIA-CE system, myoglobin was mixed directly using the flow system with different concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), a known denaturing agent. The different conformations obtained in this way were analysed with the CE system and a distinct shift in migration time and decreasing of the native peak of myoglobin (Mb) could be observed. The protein samples prepared were also analysed with off-line infrared spectroscopy (IR), confirming these results.     

Diode-array detectors in flow-injection analysis Mixture resolution by multi-wavelength analysis

The application of diode-array spectrophotometers to multi-component analysis by flow-injection analysis is reported. Two different aspects are considered: (a) the obtainment of a reproducible spectrum corresponding to the maximum of the FIA peak, and (b) the mathematical treatment involved in determining the mixture of components. The spectrum is recorded by two different procedures according to the type of injection system used. The mixtures are resolved with the aid of three different treatments: (a) a linear equation system, (b) a multi-component analysis program (Hewlett-Packard) and (c) a graphical method (multi-wavelength linear regression analysis). All three procedures have been applied to the determination of Fe(II) and Fe(III) with a mixture of 1,10-phenanthroline and sulphosalicylic acid.     

Structural Changes Induced in the Surfactant System C(12)E(4)/Benzyl Alcohol/Water by the Admixture of the Cationic Surfactant Cetylpyridinium Chloride

The influence of the addition of the cationic surfactant cetylpyridinium chloride (CPyCl) on the structure of the different phases of the ternary surfactant system C(12)E(4)/benzyl alcohol/water in the dilute region has been studied by means of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and freeze-fracture microscopy (FF-TEM). In the ternary system various different subregions of the L(alpha)-phase were identified as a function of the concentration of the cosurfactant, benzyl alcohol. Addition of small amounts of CPyCl suppresses these different L(alpha)-phases in favor of the one composed of multilamellar vesicles. Addition of somewhat larger amounts (up to 2 mol% relative to the total surfactant concentration) destabilizes the formation of bilayer structures completely and leads to the formation of micellar solutions. This demonstrates that in this surfactant system the incorporation of very small amounts of cationic surfactant has a pronounced and systematic fluence on its phase behavior and its structures. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Brownian dynamics of mixed surfactant micelles

We investigate micelle formation in a system containing two or more different amphiphiles with different geometries using a stochastic molecular-dynamics (MD) simulation method. For a binary system containing two amphiphiles, we calculate the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and cluster distribution for the mixture at several mole fractions and compare the simulation results with those predicted by analytic theories in the dilute limit and with experiments. We find that the CMC obtained from molecular mean-field theory agrees well with our simulation results. Motivated by the industrial use of mixed surfactant systems, we then extend our studies to a system containing six different chain lengths drawn from a Poisson distribution. We find that unlike a binary mixture of amphiphiles, the different species cancel the effects of each other so that the cluster distribution for the mixture has a shape of a system consisted entirely of amphiphiles of length equal to the mean chain length of the Poisson distribution.     

降解水中有机毒物的新型反应体系研究

利用空气中的氧电化学合成H₂O₂,制备具有较高电流效率的空气电极.将空气电极用于构成降解有机毒物的新型反应体系电化学氧化体系、光激发氧化剂氧化体系和光电-Fenton氧化体系.实验测量了H₂O₂在不同体系不同条件下的分解速率,并与相应的传统式体系作了比较.实验测量了苯胺在新型体系中的矿化反应速率,发现H₂O₂的分解速率与苯胺的矿化速率有良好的平行关系,其中H₂O₂分解速率最快的光电-Fenton体系是氧化降解有机分子的最佳体系.通过光电-Fenton体系和光-Fenton体系的比较,揭示了空气电极/溶液界面在光电-Fenton体系中所起的重要作用.初步讨论了苯胺分子在光电-Fenton体系中矿化反应的机制.     

Quantum dynamics in simple fluids

We use quantum-correction factors to calculate approximately the quantum velocity time-correlation function (TCF) of supercritical Lennard-Jones argon from the classical TCF. We find that for this quite classical system, several different quantum-correction schemes yield essentially identical results for the real and imaginary parts of the quantum TCF, and also agree well with the recent forward-backward semiclassical dynamics (FBSD) results of Wright and Makri [J. Chem. Phys. 119, 1634 (2003)]. We also consider a more quantum-mechanical fluid of lighter atoms (neon) at a lower temperature. In this case different quantum-correction schemes give different results. FBSD calculations show that the harmonic quantum correction factor works the best for this system     

GA-BrO3——H2SO4-Mn2+体系的复杂振荡反应的研究

本文报道GA-BrO_3~--H_2SO-(4~-)Mn~(2 )体系的复杂振荡反应,这种在一个均相封闭体系中同时出现三种不同类型的连续振荡反应及混乱振荡反应至今尚未见报道。实验部分1.试剂:实验中所采用的各种试剂均为分析纯,溶液都用去离子水配制。2.实验仪器及方法:实验在恒温30±0.15℃下进行,以溴离子选择电极和PXS-215型离子活度计测量电位的变化来反映[Br~-]的变化,以Hg|Hg_2SO_4|K_2SO_4为参比电极,实验结果用XWT-台式自动平衡记录仪记录。     

A simple taste analyzing system design for visual and quantitative analysis of different tastes using multi-array chemical sensors and pattern recognition techniques

In this paper, we describe design of a simple taste analyzing system using sensory system based on a multi-array chemical sensor (MACS) and personal digital assistant (PDA) for visual and quantitative analysis of different tastes using pattern recognition techniques. The sensory system is communicated with PDA, which has several interesting benefits for data analysis and display, via wireless using the Bluetooth. A various pattern recognition techniques are adapted including spider map, principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy C-means (FCM) algorithm to classify visually data patterns detected by the sensory system. The proposed techniques can be determined the cluster centers and membership grade of patterns through the unsupervised way. The membership grade of an unknown pattern, which does not shown previously, can be visually and analytically determined. Throughout the experimental trails, the taste analyzing system is demonstrated robust performance through data acquisition via wireless communication and visual and quantitative analysis of different tastes for the liquids. The system, which is implemented as a simple hand-held taste analyzing instrument, can be applicable to on-site taste monitoring.     

PNIPA和PDEA在水-甲醇混合溶剂中性质的研究

分别研究了聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺（PNIPA）和聚N,N-二乙基丙烯酰胺（PDEA）在水-甲醇混合溶剂中的溶液性质.结果表明,在PDEA和PNIPA体系中均存在水和甲醇分子之间的复合.由于PDEA比PNIPA的亲脂性强,在水-甲醇混合溶剂中,水与甲醇分子形成的复合物对PDEA和PNIPA的溶剂化作用不同,导致随着体系中甲醇体积分数（φ）的增大,PNIPA体系的低临界溶解温度（TLCS）发生了再进入相转变,而PDEA体系的TLCS则逐渐升高.     

基于在线二维色谱的不同生长时期鹿茸的比较蛋白质组分析

建立了基于在线二维弱阴离子交换色谱-反相液相色谱(2D-WAX-RPLC)的蛋白质分离系统,并用于不同生长时期鹿茸的比较蛋白质组分析。以5种标准蛋白质的混合物为样品,考察了系统的重现性。通过改变标准蛋白质之间的浓度比,研究了该系统进行蛋白质相对定量的能力。在此基础上,针对4个不同生长时期的鹿茸样品,分别采用5种不同的方法进行蛋白质提取,经2D-WAX-RPLC分离后,收集各生长时期对应蛋白质的峰高最大比超过2的组分。酶解后,采用微柱反相液相色谱-串联质谱(μRPLC-MS/MS)进行肽段的分离鉴定;共从9个差异蛋白质峰中鉴定到了22个差异蛋白质。研究结果表明,利用基于蛋白质水平的在线二维液相色谱分离技术找寻差异蛋白质,具有重现性好、自动化程度高等优点,可用于开展比较蛋白质组学的研究。     

Rapid separation of tritiated thyrotropin-releasing hormone and its catabolic products from mouse and human central nervous system tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography with radioactive flow detection

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with radioactive flow detection was utilized to investigate the catabolism of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in central nervous system (CNS) tissues. Two different column/gradient solvent systems were tested: (1) octadecylsilane (ODS) with an acetic acid-acetonitrile gradient and (2) poly(styrenedivinylbenzene) (PRP-1) with a trifluoroacetic acid-acetonitrile gradient. Both systems used 1-hexanesulfonic acid as the second ion-pairing reagent and yielded excellent separation of TRH and its catabolic products, TRH acid, cyclo(histidyl-proline), histidyl-proline, proline, and prolinamide, produced in CNS tissue homogenates. The PRP-1 column with a trifluoroacetic acid-acetonitrile solvent system produced a better and more reproducible separation of TRH catabolic products than the ODS column with the acetic acid-acetonitrile solvent system. This PRP-1 technique was utilized to demonstrate different rates and products of TRH catabolism in mouse and human spinal cord compared with cerebral cortex.     

Photo-oxidation of elastomers. A fundamental approach based on the study of a series of photo-sensitive elastomeric systems: A review

The photo-oxidation and crosslinking of increasingly complex photo-sensitized elastomers were quantitatively investigated. An ethylene-propenebutadiene terpolymer (EPDM), selected as an elastomeric medium exhibiting reactive unsaturated side chains, was photo-sensitized with various chromophoric groups: grafted phenyl groups (systems I and II), different carbonyl functions (systems III and IV), blended photo-initiators dimethoxyphenylacetophenone (DMPA) (system V) and benzophenone (BP) (system VI). Knowledge of the behaviour of these model systems proves necessary to the understanding of the predominant processes involved in the photo-oxidation of ethylene-propene rubber (EPR or EPM) blended with DMPA (system VII) or BP (system VIII) and of a random styrene-butadiene (SBR) copolymer (system IX).     

Sponge-like nanostructured conducting polymers for electrically controlled drug release

An electrically controlled drug release (ECDR) system based on sponge-like nanostructured conducting polymer (CP) polypyrrole (PPy) film was developed. The nanostructured PPy film was composed of template-synthesized nanoporous PPy covered with a thin protective PPy layer. The proposed controlled release system can load drug molecules in the polymer backbones and inside the nanoholes respectively. Electrical stimulation can release drugs from both the polymer backbones and the nanoholes, which significantly improves the drug load and release efficiency. Furthermore, with one drug incorporated in the polymer backbone during electrochemical polymerization, the nanoholes inside the polymer can act as containers to store a different drug, and simultaneous electrically triggered release of different drugs can be realized with this system.     

Structures of crystalline mixed peganole-brompeganole systems

The structures of mixed crystals — solid solutions in the peganole-brompeganole system with molar ratios 0.72:0.28, 0.32:0.68, 0.10:0.90 and of pure peganole are determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. It is shown that the solid solutions (mixed crystals) exist as three different phases. These crystal structures tend to form closed centrosymmetric dimers involving two molecules (probably different) joined by “anti-parallel” centrosymmetric hydrogen O-H...N(1) bonds. The development of this dimer is the cause of forming mixed crystals in the peganole–brompeganole system.     

The evaluation of recovery rate associated with the use of thermal desorption systems for the analysis of atmospheric reduced sulfur compounds (RSC) using the GC/PFPD method

In this work, the recovery rate (RR) of preconcentration technique was examined using a combination of the Peltier cooling (PC) and thermal desorption (TD) system for the gas chromatographic (GC) analysis of reduced sulfur compounds (RSC) in air. The possible loss or gain of analytes resulting from the use of the PC/TD system was estimated by analyzing equimolar standards (10 ppm) of four S compounds including H₂S, CH₃SH, DMS, and DMDS in two different manners: (1) by injecting directly the four S compounds into the GC via injector and (2) by introducing them through the PC/TD system. When a series of tests were conducted on different types of gas media (ultrapure air versus N₂) and across varying relative humidity (RH), it was found that the RR values for the four S compounds vary from 80 to 110% range. The overall results of our study thus indicate that the RR for the PC/TD system is fairly good and that subtle differences in their RR values may reflect the combined effects of different factors investigated in this study such as types of gas media, RH change, and properties of target analytes (e.g., recovery rate of the least (H₂S) versus the highest compound (DMDS)).     

Second virial coefficients of oxygen—oxygen and carbon—oxygen interactions in different electronic states

Second virial coefficients of oxygen—oxygen and carbon—oxygen interactions in different electronic states have been calculated up to 20000 K. The results show that the virial coefficients of excited states are greater than the corresponding ground state values. The influence of the excited states on the total virial coefficients, calculated by assuming a Botlzmann distribution along the different states, has been found strong (up to 40%) in the carbon—oxygen system, while a minor effect (up to 3%) has been observed for the oxygen—oxygen system.