Radiation characteristics of Botryococcus braunii, Chlorococcum littorale, and Chlorella sp. used for fixation and biofuel production

This paper reports experimental measurements of the radiation characteristics of green algae used for carbon dioxide fixation via photosynthesis. The generated biomass can be used to produce not only biofuels but also feed for animal and food supplements for human consumptions. Particular attention was paid to three widely used species namely Botryococcus braunii, Chlorella sp., and Chlorococcum littorale. Their extinction and absorption coefficients were obtained from normal–normal and normal–hemispherical transmittance measurements over the spectral range from 400 to 800 nm. Moreover, a polar nephelometer was used to measure the scattering phase function of the microorganisms at 632.8 nm. It was observed that for all strains, scattering dominates over absorption. The magnitudes of the extinction and scattering cross-section are functions of the size, shape, and chlorophyll content of each strain in a non-trivial manner. Absorption peaks at 435, 475, and 676 nm corresponding to chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. The results can be used for scaling and optimization of CO₂ fixation in ponds or photobioreactors as well as in the development of controlled ecological life support systems.     

Enantioselective Allylic Alkylation Catalyzed by Novel C2‐Symmetric Bisphosphinites

In this article, we present our results concerning new C₂‐symmetric bisphosphinites with a (1R,2R)‐1,2‐bis([1,1′: 3′,1″‐terphenyl]‐5′‐yl)ethane backbone. For the given chirality of the backbone, derivatives with aromatic and aliphatic substituents at the donor P‐atoms were synthesized with moderate yields in a straightforward manner. These compounds were evaluated in the Pd⁰‐catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylations (up to 67% ee).     

Chemometric determination of naproxen sodium and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride in tablets by HPLC

A new chemometric determination by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode array (PDA) detection was implemented for the simultaneous determination of naproxen sodium and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride in tablets. Three chemometric calibration techniques, classical least squares (CLS), principle component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS) were applied to the peak area at multiwavelength PDA detector responses. The combinations of HPLC with chemometric calibration techniques were called HPLC-CLS, HPLC-PCR and HPLC-PLS. For comparison purposes the HPLC method called the classic HPLC method was used to confirm the results obtained from combined HPLC-chemometric calibration techniques. A good chromatographic separation between two drugs with losartan potassium as an internal standard was achieved using a Waters Symmetry C18 Column 5 microm 4.6+/-250 mm and a mobile phase containing 0.2 M acetate buffer and acetonitrile (v/v, 40:60). The multiwavelength PDA detection was measured at five different wavelengths. The chromatograms were recorded as a training set in the mobile phase. Three HPLC-chemometric calibrations and the classic-HPLC method were used to test the synthetic mixtures of naproxen sodium and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride in the presence of the internal standard. The HPLC-chemometric approaches were applied to real samples containing drugs of interest. The experimental results obtained from HPLC-chemometric calibrations were compared with those obtained by a classic HPLC method.     

Ultrasensitive measurements of microbial rhodopsin photocycles using photochromic FRET

Microbial rhodopsins are an important class of light-activated transmembrane proteins whose function is typically studied on bulk samples. Herein, we apply photochromic fluorescence resonance energy transfer to investigate the dynamics of these proteins with sensitivity approaching the single-molecule limit. The brightness of a covalently linked organic fluorophore is modulated by changes in the absorption spectrum of the endogenous retinal chromophore that occur as the molecule undergoes a light-activated photocycle. We studied the photocycles of blue-absorbing proteorhodopsin and sensory rhodopsin II (SRII). Clusters of 2-3 molecules of SRII clearly showed a light-induced photocycle. Single molecules of SRII showed a photocycle upon signal averaging over several illumination cycles.     

Scintillations of multiwavelength Gaussian, cos, cosh and annular Gaussian beams

We provide the scintillation formulation for a multiwavelength source. Within this context, the scintillation aspects of Gaussian, cos, cosh and annular Gaussian beams are investigated. For all situations examined, it is found that for a source comprising many wavelengths, there will be less scintillations as compared to a single wavelength source of the lowest wavelength and but the reverse will be true if the comparison is with respect to the single wavelength source of the highest wavelength. The same is observed at all propagation distances, source sizes, on-axis and off-axis positions considered. Additionally, it is seen that the scintillation characteristics of multiwavelength sources will follow similar trends of single wavelength sources. The analysis is based on the Rytov approximation, therefore our results are valid for conditions of weak atmospheric turbulence.     

On Gauss-Weierstrass semigroups and inversion of potentials associated with the Bessel differential operator

In this paper, we define the generalized Gauss Weierstrass semigroups with Weierstrass kernel, and give some of their properties. Using them, we study the inversion formulas for the generalized Riesz and Bessel potentials, generated by the generalized shift operators and associated with the Laplace Bessel differential operator.     

Synthesis, characterization, tautomerism and theoretical study of some new Schiff base derivatives

New Schiff base derivatives were prepared by the condensation of 5-chloro and 5-bromo salicylaldehyde with bis(o-aminophenol)ethers. Five bis(o-nitrophenol)ether compounds were synthesized using some ditosylate, 1,3-dibromopropane and 1,4-dibromobuthane with o-nitrophenol. These compounds were reduced to bis(o-aminophenol)ethers. The products have been characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR, HETCOR and HMBC spectroscopic techniques. The tautomerisms of all of the Schiff bases compounds were determined in DMSO, CHCl3, C2H5OH and C6H12 solvents and in both acidic and basic media using the UV-vis spectrophotometric method. The heat of formation (ΔHf), enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS), Gibbs free energy (ΔGf and ΔG), stable isomers, conformations and tautomers of the synthesized compounds are calculated using the MOPAC2009 (PM6) program.     

Monolithic methacrylate packed 96-tips for high throughput bioanalysis

In the pharmaceutical industry the growing number of samples to be analyzed requires high throughput and fully automated analytical techniques. Commonly used sample-preparation methods are solid-phase extraction (SPE), liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and protein precipitation. In this paper we will discus a new sample-preparation technique based on SPE for high throughput drug extraction developed and used by our group. This new sample-preparation method is based on monolithic methacrylate polymer as packing sorbent for 96-tip robotic device. Using this device a 96-well plate could be handled in 2–4 min. The key aspect of the monolithic phase is that monolithic material can offer both good binding capacity and low back-pressure properties compared to e.g. silica phases. The present paper presents the successful application of monolithic 96-tips and LC–MS/MS by the sample preparation of busulphan, rescovitine, metoprolol, pindolol and local anaesthetics from human plasma samples and cyklophosphamid from mice blood samples.