Neuron-based microarray sensors for environmental sensing

We present a novel sensing scheme for detecting the effects of unburned fossil fuels by integrating microarray technology and dielectrophoresis to develop single-neuron arrays. These arrays have the capability to sense and identify the two fuels, at parts per billion (ppb) concentrations, as well to determine the associated physiological changes at the single-cell level. Identification is achieved through frequency domain analysis of the measured changes to the extracellular electrical activity due to the effect of the fossil fuels. This yields unique electrical identifiers known as "signature patterns". Simultaneous optical visualization to the physiological changes is obtained by specific fluorescent staining. The correlation between the signature patterns and the cellular biological behavior establishes the veracity of this identification technique.     

Electrokinetic properties of sepiolite suspensions in different electrolyte media

The present paper deals with the electrokinetic characterization of sepiolite. A series of systematic zeta potential measurements have been carried out to determine the isoelectric point (iep) and potential-determining ions (pdi), and the effect of mono-, di-, and trivalent electrolytes such as NaCl, KCl, LiCl, NaNO(3), NaCH(3)COO, MgCl(2), CaCl(2), BaCl(2), CoCl(2), CuCl(2), Pb(NO(3))(2), Na(2)CO(3), Na(2)SO(4), AlCl(3), FeCl(3), and Na(3)PO(4) on the zeta potential of sepiolite. Zeta potential has been calculated with the aid of Smoluchowski's equation. Sepiolite yields an isoelectric point at pH 6.6. The zeta potential for the sepiolite has ranged from +23.3 mV at pH approximately 2 to -22.4 mV at pH approximately 8 at 20 +/- 2 degrees C in water. The valency of the ions have proven to have a great influence on the electrokinetic behavior of the suspension. Monovalent cations were found to have a weak effect, while di- and trivalent cations made the zeta potential positive. Charge reversal was observed for divalent cations at 1 x 10(-2) M and for trivalent cations at 3 x 10(-4) M. As a result, it can be said that monovalent cations are indifferent ions when di- and trivalent cations are potential-determining ions.     

Characterization of active sites over reduced Ni-Mo/Al(2)O(3) catalysts for hydrogenation of linear aldehydes

Reduced Ni-Mo/Al(2)O(3) catalysts exhibit a behavior analogous to that of sulfided Ni-Mo/Al(2)O(3) catalysts in hydrogenation of linear aldehydes to alcohols. Similar to what has been previously reported for sulfided catalysts, NO and CO(2) can be used over the reduced Ni-Mo catalysts as probe molecules for the active sites responsible for two competing reactions -- aldehyde hydrogenation to alcohols and condensation reactions to heavy products, respectively. Reduced catalysts have a higher aldehyde conversion activity and alcohol selectivity than their sulfided counterparts. The reduction temperature has a strong effect on the surface density of anion vacancies, which are responsible for alcohol formation. Reduction temperature also plays a role in determining the abundance of OH groups on the alumina surface. The effect of reduction temperature also manifests itself through the differences seen in the oxidation states of Mo and Ni species.     

Simultaneous Determination of Abacavir,Efavirenz and Valganciclovir in Human Serum Samples by Isocratic HPLC-DAD Detection

A rapid, sensitive, and specific reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection procedure for the simultaneous determination of abacavir, efavirenz and valganciclovir in spiked human serum is described. Separation was performed on a 5 μm Waters Spherisorb column (250 × 4.6 mm ID) with acetonitrile: methanol:KH₂PO₄ (at pH 5.00) (40:20:40 v/v/v) isocratic elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹. Calibration curves were constructed in the range of 50–30,000 ng mL⁻¹ for abacavir and efavirenz, and 10–30,000 ngmL⁻¹ for valganciclovir in serum samples. The limit of detection and limit of quantification concentrations of the HPLC method were 3.80 and 12.68 ng mL⁻¹ for abacavir, 2.61 and 8.69 ng mL⁻¹ for efavirenz, 1.30 and 4.32 ng mL⁻¹ for valganciclovir. The method has been applied, without any interference from excipients or endogenous substances, for the simultaneous determination of these three compounds in human serum.

     

Electrochemical DNA biosensor for the determination of benzo[a]pyrene–DNA adducts

The metabolites of the environmental pollutant, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are carcinogenic and mutagenic agents. Thus, the determination of additional products (adducts) of the interaction between DNA and BaP, attracts great interest in cancer research.

In this study, the determination of interaction between BaP and calf thymus double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was performed by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and constant current chronopotentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) in connection with carbon paste electrode (CPE) or glassy carbon electrode (GCE). As a result of interaction of BaP with dsDNA, the signal obtained from the oxidation of guanine decreased and a new adduct signal at a more positive potential appeared. This new peak is attributed to the formation of an adduct from the interaction of guanine with BaP. The chemically prepared anti-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) adduct by using iodine oxidation was analyzed and the electrochemical signal of the adduct was observed. When the dsDNA modified GCE was immersed into various concentrations of BaP solution, the oxidation peak of guanine decreased and the adduct peak increased with the increasing BaP concentration. The partition coefficient was also obtained from the peak of BaP with dsDNA. The results revealed that the formation of adducts could be determined by using electrochemical DNA biosensors, which are fast, simple and cost-effective devices. Furthermore, this study promises that the analysis of other important adducts would benefit from the introduction of electrochemical methods.     

Hydrogen bonding and dimeric self-association of 2-pyrrolidinone: An ab initio study

Ab initio calculations on the different associated structures of 2-pyrrolidinone with water and with itself were carried out using 3-21G and 6-31G^* basis sets at the Hartree–Fock level, including electron correlation using second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory. The calculated free energy changes for the intermolecular hydrogen bonded dimer and hydrated species indicated that the molecular systems with cyclic dimerization and association with two water molecules are dominant. The results are compared to the available experimental data in the literature.     

Boundary-value problem for a class of second-order parameter-dependent dynamic equations on a time scale

In this study, we consider a boundary value problem generated by a second-order dynamic equation on a time scale and boundary conditions depending on the spectral parameter. We give some properties of the solutions and obtain a formulation of the number of eigenvalues of the problem.     

Phenoxazine polymers: synthesis and structure

Phenoxazine polymers were obtained for the first time under conditions of chemical oxidative polymerization in aqueous alcohols and in an interphase process. The interphase process gave products with the higher molecular weight. Dependencies of the yields and degree of polymerization of phenoxazine from polymerization method, concentration of reactants, their ratio, reaction temperature and time, as well as chemical structures of the obtained polymers depending on the synthesis conditions, were studied. The polyphenoxazine chain growth is accomplished by the C-C-addition at the para-position of the phenyl rings with respect to nitrogen. Even when an excess of oxidant was used, the polyphenoxazine structure has only phenyleneamine units. The polymers obtained are amorphous and thermally stable.