Preparation and properties of a new composite photocatalyst based on nanosized titanium dioxide

The use of photocatalysts supported on adsorbents is receiving substantial attention. Supporting TiO₂ with zeolites is found to be one of the best solutions to increase the efficiency of TiO₂-based photocatalysts. This work was focused on simple preparation of a TiO₂/Na-ZSM-5 composite catalyst by the solid state dispersion (SSD) method and its modification with an organic photosensitizer — polythiophene (PT). Using the XRD diffractometry, structure of the new composite catalyst was proved. Beside this composite catalyst, mechanical mixtures of TiO₂-based catalysts with Na-ZSM-5 zeolite were prepared. The efficiency of all five available photocatalysts (TiO₂, TiO₂-PT, mechanical mixture of TiO₂ + Na-ZSM-5, mechanical mixture of TiO₂-PT + Na-ZSM-5, and the modified SSD-PT composite) on photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol was compared. By measuring the formation of chloride ions and decreasing the 4-chlorophenol concentration at two different initial concentrations of 4-chlorophenol in the basic aqueous solution, the photoefficiency and adsorption properties of our photocatalysts were determined. Presented at the 35th International Conference of the Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, Tatranské Matliare, 26–30 May 2008.     

Structure,Bioactivity and Analytical Methods for the Determination of Yucca Saponins

Yucca is one of the main sources of steroidal saponins, hence different extracts are commercialized for use as surfactant additives by beverage, animal feed, cosmetics or agricultural products. For a deeper understanding of the potential of the saponins that can be found in this genus, an exhaustive review of the structural characteristics, bioactivities and analytical methods that can be used with these compounds has been carried out, since there are no recent reviews on the matter. Thus, a total of 108 saponins from eight species of the genus Yucca have been described. Out of these, the bioactivity of 68 saponins derived from the isolation of Yucca or other genera has been evaluated. Regarding the evaluation and quality control of the saponins from this genus LC-MS technique is the most often used. Nevertheless, the development of methods for their routine analysis in commercial preparations are needed. Moreover, most of the studies found in the literature have been carried out on Y. schidigera extract, since is the most often used for commercial purposes. Only eight of the 50 species that belong to this genus have been studied, which clearly indicates that the identification of saponins present in Yucca genus is still an unresolved question.     

A Posteriori Error Analysis of a Fully-Mixed Finite Element Method for a Two-Dimensional Fluid-Solid Interaction Problem

In this paper we develop an a posteriori error analysis of a fully-mixed finite element method for a fluid-solid interaction problem in 2D. The media are governed by the elastodynamic and acoustic equations in time-harmonic regime, respectively, the transmission conditions are given by the equilibrium of forces and the equality of the corresponding normal displacements, and the fluid is supposed to occupy an annular region surrounding the solid, so that a Robin boundary condition imitating the behavior of the Sommerfeld condition is imposed on its exterior boundary. Dual-mixed approaches are applied in both domains, and the governing equations are employed to eliminate the displacement u of the solid and the pressure $p$ of the fluid. In addition, since both transmission conditions become essential, they are enforced weakly by means of two suitable Lagrange multipliers. The unknowns of the solid and the fluid are then approximated by a conforming Galerkin scheme defined in terms of PEERS elements in the solid, Raviart-Thomas of lowest order in the fluid, and continuous piecewise linear functions on the boundary. As the main contribution of this work, we derive a reliable and efficient residual-based a posteriori error estimator for the aforedescribed coupled problem. Some numerical results confirming the properties of the estimator are also reported.     

Nonlinear model predicts diverse respiratory patterns of birdsong

A central aspect of the motor control of birdsong production is the capacity to generate diverse respiratory rhythms, which determine the coarse temporal pattern of song. The neural mechanisms that underlie this diversity of respiratory gestures and the resulting acoustic syllables are largely unknown. We show that the respiratory patterns of the highly complex and variable temporal organization of song in the canary (Serinus canaria) can be generated as solutions of a simple model describing the integration between song control and respiratory centers. This example suggests that subharmonic behavior can play an important role in providing a complex variety of responses with minimal neural substrate.     

Live cell refractometry using microfluidic devices

Using Hilbert phase microscopy for extracting quantitative phase images, we measured the average refractive index associated with live cells in culture. To decouple the contributions to the phase signal from the cell refractive index and thickness, we confined the cells in microchannels. The results are confirmed by comparison with measurements of spherical cells in suspension.     

The mechanisms of the homogeneous,unimolecular, elimination kinetics of several β‐substituted diethyl acetals in the gas‐phase

The rates of gas‐phase elimination of several β‐substituted diethyl acetals have been determined in a static system and seasoned with allyl bromide. The reactions, inhibited with toluene, are homogeneous, unimolecular, and follow first‐order law kinetics. These elimination processes involve two parallel reactions. The first parallel reaction yields ethanol and the corresponding ethyl vinyl ether. The latter product is an unstable intermediate and further decomposes to ethylene and the corresponding substituted aldehyde. The second parallel reaction gives ethane and the corresponding ethyl ester. The kinetics has been measured over the temperature range of 370–441 °C and pressure range of 23–160 torr. The rate coefficients are given by the following Arrhenius equations: The differences in the rates of ethanol formation may be attributed to electronic transmission of the β‐substituent. The comparative kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the parallel reactions suggest two different concerted polar four‐membered cyclic transition state types of mechanisms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transfer of naturally occurring radionuclides to wheat under laboratory controlled conditions

Knowledge of soil–plant transfer of naturally occurring radionuclides can be essential to assure an adequate radiological protection. Available data are mainly for anthropogenic radionuclides and biased for temperate climates. Wheat plantlets were grown using soil collected in Mediterranean regions and transfer factors, TF, for ^234,238U, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁰Po and stable elements (K, Na, Ca and Mg) were determined. U, Ra and Po were mainly located in roots. Calcium presented the highest TF values, whereas for radionuclides were much lower. Uranium TFs were correlated with total and exchangeable potassium concentration in soil. Calcium and radium TFs were correlated with total calcium concentration in soil.

     

Nature's Combinatorial Biosynthesis Produces Vatiamides A–F

Hybrid type I PKS/NRPS biosynthetic pathways typically proceed in a collinear manner wherein one molecular building block is enzymatically incorporated in a sequence that corresponds to gene arrangement. In this work, genome mining combined with the use of a fluorogenic azide‐based click probe led to the discovery and characterization of vatiamides A–F, three structurally diverse alkynylated lipopeptides, and their brominated analogues, from the cyanobacterium Moorea producens ASI16Jul14‐2. These derive from a unique combinatorial non‐collinear PKS/NRPS system encoded by a 90 kb gene cluster in which an upstream PKS cassette interacts with three separate cognate NRPS partners. This is facilitated by a series of promiscuous intermodule PKS‐NRPS docking motifs possessing identical amino acid sequences. This interaction confers a new type of combinatorial capacity for creating molecular diversity in microbial systems.     

High Molecular Weight Polystyrene Obtained by Cationic Emulsion Polymerization Catalyzed by Imidazolium‐Based Ionic Liquid

The ionic liquid 1‐n‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium heptachlorodiferrate (BMI.Fe₂Cl₇) is efficiently used as catalyst in the cationic emulsion polymerization of styrene. The effect of different reaction temperatures, surfactant, and ionic liquid concentrations on polymer properties as molecular weight distribution and particle size is evaluated. High weight average molecular weights, above 1000 kDa, are achieved at 70% of conversion in 100 nm polystyrene particles formed mainly by micellar nucleation. Particle sizes and molecular weights increase with the decrease of the amount of surfactant. Even at low concentrations, BMI.Fe₂Cl₇/styrene molar ratio equal to 1/1000, the ionic liquid proves to be efficient for the emulsion polymerization of styrene, and lower ionic liquid concentrations lead to the formation of longer polymer chains.     

Gravity,antimatter and the Dirac-Milne universe

We review the main arguments against antigravity, a different acceleration of antimatter relative to matter in a gravitational field, discussing and challenging Morrison’s, Good’s and Schiff’s arguments. Following Price, we show that, very surprisingly, the usual expression of the Equivalence Principle is violated by General Relativity when particles of negative mass are supposed to exist, which may provide a fundamental explanation of MOND phenomenology, obviating the need for Dark Matter. Motivated by the observation of repulsive gravity under the form of Dark Energy, and by the fact that our universe looks very similar to a coasting (neither decelerating nor accelerating) universe, we study the Dirac-Milne cosmology, a symmetric matter-antimatter cosmology where antiparticles have the same gravitational properties as holes in a semiconductor. Noting the similarities with our universe (age, SN1a luminosity distance, nucleosynthesis, CMB angular scale), we focus our attention on structure formation mechanisms, finding strong similarities with our universe. Additional tests of the Dirac-Milne cosmology are briefly reviewed, and we finally note that a crucial test of the Dirac-Milne cosmology will be soon realized at CERN next to the ELENA antiproton decelerator, possibly as early as fall 2018, with the AEgIS, ALPHA-g and Gbar antihydrogen gravity experiments.