Production of Hydrogen-Rich Synthesis Gas by Pulsed Atmospheric Plasma Submerged in Mixture of Water with Ethanol

Hydrogen-rich synthesis gas was produced by pulsed dc plasma submerged into ethanol–water mixtures using an original system with a coaxial geometry. The ignition of the discharge is immediately followed by production of hydrogen and after a short time necessary for filling the outlet tubing a flame can be ignited. No auxiliary gas was used for the reforming process. The synthesis gas containing up to 60% of hydrogen was formed, at the outflow rate of 250 sccm at the average power as low as 10 W. The hydrogen production efficiency corresponds to 12 kWh/kg H₂.     

Effects of neonicotinoid insecticide formulations and their components on Daphnia magna – the role of active ingredients and co-formulants

Formulating agents used in pesticide products have been regarded as inactive/inert components; however, several studies confirmed additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects between the active ingredients (AIs) and additives, or the individual toxicity of the formulating agents. The worldwide used neonicotinoid insecticides and their components can reach surface waters, due to their physico-chemical properties (e.g. water solubility) or improper application in chemical plant protection technology, and can adversely affect non-target aquatic organisms. Formulated pesticides were analysed for alkane sulphonate surfactants by using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. In acute immobilisation tests on Daphnia magna, differences were found among the toxicity of the investigated neonicotinoid AIs and formulations. The toxicity of a formulated insecticide (Apache 50 WG®– AI: clothianidin) was found to be 46.5 times more toxic than explained by its AI, probably due to toxic effect of the formulating agents on D. magna. In contrast, two preparations (Calypso 480SC® – AI: thiacloprid, Actara 240 SC®– AI: thiamethoxam) were 2–3 times less toxic than their AIs. Results indicate possible synergistic/antagonistic interaction with the AIs.     

Corannulene Chalcogenides

The introduction of chalcogen atoms into a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon structure is an established method to tune material properties. In the context of corannulene (C₂₀H₁₀), a fragment of fullerene C₆₀, such structural adjustments have given rise to an emerging class of functional and responsive molecular materials. In this minireview, our aim is to discuss the synthesis and properties of such chalcogen (sulfur, selenium, and tellurium) derivatives of corannulene.     

Semigroups of max-plus linear operators

We define strongly continuous max-additive and max-plus linear operator semigroups and study their main properties. We present some important examples of such semigroups coming from non-linear evolution equations.     

Rainbow matchings in bipartite multigraphs

Suppose that k is a non-negative integer and a bipartite multigraph G is the union of

$$\begin{aligned} N=\left\lfloor \frac{k+2}{k+1}n\right\rfloor -(k+1) \end{aligned}$$

matchings \(M_1,\dots ,M_N\), each of size n. We show that G has a rainbow matching of size \(n-k\), i.e. a matching of size \(n-k\) with all edges coming from different \(M_i\)’s. Several choices of the parameter k relate to known results and conjectures.

     

Chelate-free metal ion binding and heat-induced radiolabeling of iron oxide nanoparticles

A novel reaction for chelate-free, heat-induced metal ion binding and radiolabeling of ultra-small paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIOs) has been established. Radiochemical and non-radioactive labeling studies demonstrated that the reaction has a wide chemical scope and is applicable to p-, d- and f-block metal ions with varying ionic sizes and formal oxidation states from 2+ to 4+. Radiolabeling studies found that ⁸⁹Zr–Feraheme (⁸⁹Zr–FH or ⁸⁹Zr–ferumoxytol) can be isolated in 93 ± 3% radiochemical yield (RCY) and >98% radiochemical purity using size-exclusion chromatography. ⁸⁹Zr–FH was found to be thermodynamically and kinetically stable in vitro using a series of ligand challenge and plasma stability tests, and in vivo using PET/CT imaging and biodistribution studies in mice. Remarkably, ICP-MS and radiochemistry experiments showed that the same reaction conditions used to produce ⁸⁹Zr–FH can be employed with different radionuclides to yield ⁶⁴Cu–FH (66 ± 6% RCY) and ¹¹¹In–FH (91 ± 2% RCY). Electron magnetic resonance studies support a mechanism of binding involving metal ion association with the surface of the magnetite crystal core. Collectively, these data suggest that chelate-free labeling methods can be employed to facilitate clinical translation of a new class of multimodality PET/MRI radiotracers derived from metal-based nanoparticles. Further, this discovery is likely to have broader implications in drug delivery, metal separation science, ecotoxicology of nanoparticles and beyond.     

New chalcanonol glycoside from the seeds of saw palmetto: antiproliferative and antioxidant effects

A new chalcanonol glycoside dimer, bis-O-[(I-4′) → (II-6′)]-α-hydroxyphloretin-2′-O-β-glucoside (1), in addition to six known compounds, namely ( ? )-epicatechin (2) and ( ? )-epiafzelechin (3), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4), protocatechuic acid (5), methylgallate (6), β-sitosterol (7) and β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside (8), was isolated from the seeds of saw palmetto. The structures of the isolated compounds were established from the analysis of their MS and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. The antiproliferative activities of the isolated compounds towards PC3, the human prostate cancer cells were investigated. Amongst the isolated compounds, the new compound and the sterolic derivatives showed antiproliferative effects. Screening of the antioxidant effects of the isolated compounds by 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical assay revealed that the isolated phenolics were active free radical scavengers.     

Congestion-based leadtime quotation and pricing for revenue maximization with heterogeneous customers

This paper studies a queuing model where two customer classes compete for a given resource and each customer is dynamically quoted a menu of price and leadtime pairs upon arrival. Customers select their preferred pairs from the menu and the server is obligated to meet the quoted leadtime. Customers have convex–concave delay costs. The firm does not have information on a given customer’s type, so the offered menus must be incentive compatible. A menu quotation policy is given and proven to be asymptotically optimal under traditional large-capacity heavy-traffic scaling.     

Über einige mikrochemische Unterscheidungsreaktionen für Cocain,Novocain und Stovain

Zusammenfassung Nach kritischem Studium der verschiedenen Reaktionen, die von anderen Autoren zur Identifizierung der drei Alkaloide Cocain, Novocain und Stovain vorgeschlagen worden sind, konnten wir feststellen, welche dieser Reaktionen nicht verwendbar sind, wenn Gemische der genannten Alkaloide vorliegen. Dabei bildet die Reaktion vonWagenaar, welche gestattet, das Novocain mit einer Empfindlichkeit von 1 : 3000 nachzuweisen, eine Ausnahme.Bei Verwendung des neuen Reagens RhCl₃·KJ, das der eine von uns aufgefunden hat, kann man mikrochemisch das Cocain und Stovain mit einer Empfindlichkeit von 1 : 10000 nach weisen und unterscheiden.Diese Reaktion, zusammen mit derjenigen, die das K₂PbJ₄ in Gegenwart derselben Alkaloide zeigt, und die Reaktion vonWagenaar genügen in der analytischen Praxis für die Identifizierung dieser Alkaloide.

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Summary As the result of a critical study of the various reactions which have been proposed by different authors for the identification of the three alkaloids cocaine, novocaine and stovaine, it has been shown which of these reactions cannot be employed when a mixture of the above alkaloids is present.Wagenaar's reaction forms an exception, as this permits the detection of novocaine with a sensitivity of 1:3000.Cocaine and stovaine can be detected and identified with a sensitivity of 1:10000 by making use of the new reagent RhCl₃ KI, discovered by one of the authors.This latter reaction, together with the one based on the behaviour of K₂PbI₄ towards the above alkaloids, andWagenaar's reaction, suffices in analytical practice for their identification

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Résumé Après une étude critique des réactions diverses proposées par d'autres auteurs pour l'identification des trois alcaloides: cocaine, novocaine, stovaine, nous pouvons constater celles qui ne sont pas utilisables dans le cas des mélanges; la réaction deWagenaar y est exceptée car elle permet le décèlement de la novocaine avec une sensibilité de 1:3000.En employant le nouveau réactif RhCl₃·KI trouvé par l'un de nous, on peut déceler et différencier microchimiquement la cocaine et la stovaine avec une sensibilité de 1:10000.Cette réaction, avec celle que donne K₂PbI₄ en présence des mêmes alcaloides, et la réaction deWagenaar suffisent dans la pratique analytique pour l'identification des alcaloides ci-dessus.