Effect of cloud on atmospheric ozone formation over Kolkata (22°34′N, 88°24′E), India

The paper presents the nature of variations of clouds and total ozone over Kolkata (22°34′N, 88°24′E), India. The low-level cloud over Kolkata has been noticed to occur for many days and nights, particularly in the months from June to September. The low level cloud occurrences were minimum in winter months. The effect of cloud occurrence on ozone concentration has been critically analyzed and explained. It has been observed that the concentration of ozone increased with the increase of cloud occurrence. The related possible chemical explanation for ozone production processes has been offered.     

Utilization of optimized BCR three-step sequential and dilute HCl single extraction procedures for soil-plant metal transfer predictions in contaminated lands

The prediction of soil metal phytoavailability using the chemical extractions is a conventional approach routinely used in soil testing. The adequacy of such soil tests for this purpose is commonly assessed through a comparison of extraction results with metal contents in relevant plants. In this work, the fractions of selected risk metals (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) that can be taken up by various plants were obtained by optimized BCR (Community Bureau of Reference) three-step sequential extraction procedure (SEP) and by single 0.5 mol L(-1) HCl extraction. These procedures were validated using five soil and sediment reference materials (SRM 2710, SRM 2711, CRM 483, CRM 701, SRM RTH 912) and applied to significantly different acidified soils for the fractionation of studied metals. The new indicative values of Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, P, Pb and Zn fractional concentrations for these reference materials were obtained by the dilute HCl single extraction. The influence of various soil genesis, content of essential elements (Ca, Mg, K, P) and different anthropogenic sources of acidification on extraction yields of individual risk metal fractions was investigated. The concentrations of studied elements were determined by atomic spectrometry methods (flame, graphite furnace and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry). It can be concluded that the data of extraction yields from first BCR SEP acid extractable step and soil-plant transfer coefficients can be applied to the prediction of qualitative mobility of selected risk metals in different soil systems.     

Understanding Conformational Properties and Role of Hydrogen Bonds in Glycosaminoglycans-Interleukin8 Complexes in Aqueous Medium by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were performed under ambient conditions to explore the conformational features and binding affinities of hexameric glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) with chemokine Interleukin8 (IL8) in an aqueous medium. We tried to understand the role of hydrogen bonds (HBs) involving conserved water in mediating the interactions. The Luzar-Chandler model was adopted to study the kinetics of HB breaking and formation concerning different water-mediated HBs. The conformational flexibilities of bound GAGs are due to the flexible glycosidic linkages than the occasional/rare ring pucker conformation. The free energy landscape constructed with ϕ, and ψ, depicted that different conformational minima associated with the glycosidic linkage flexibility of the GAGs in bound states are separated by energy barriers. The binding affinities of IL8 towards GAGs are favored through the electrostatic and non-polar solvation interactions. 4-different types of conserved water were explored in the solvent-mediated binding of GAGs with IL8. The average lifetime of the IL8-GAG direct HB pairs was ∼ten times less than the IL8-GAG-shared water HBs. This is due to the rapid establishment of HB breaking and reformation kinetics involving water of a shared layer. We find that despite the highly negatively charged surface of GAGs, the IL8 surface populated by non-cationic amino acids could serve as a promising binding site in addition to the cationic surface of the protein.     

Electrochemical behaviour of the LiF-(CaF2)-La2O3 system

The electrochemical behaviour of the LiF-La₂O₃ and LiF-CaF₂-La₂O₃ systems was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry. Several types of working electrodes (spectrographic pure graphite, W, Mo, Ni, Cu) were used. It was found that chemical reactions take place in the system during the dissolution of lanthanum oxide. The reduction of lithium cations occurred at the most positive potential from the species formed in the melt on ‘inert’ cathodes (W, Mo). The reactive cathodes (Cu, Ni) allowed the lanthanum deposition with depolarisation.     

Vanadium(V) tartrato complexes: speciation in the H3O+(OH-)/H2VO4-/(2R,3R)-tartrate system and X-ray crystal structures of Na4[V4O8(rac-tart)2].12H2O and (NEt4)4[V4O8((R,R)-tart)2].6H2O (tart = C4H2O6(4-))

A study of the aqueous H3O+(OH-)/H2VO4-/(2R,3R)-tartrate system has been performed at 273 K in a 1.0 mol/L Na+(Cl-) ionic medium using 51V NMR spectroscopy. In this relatively complicated system, more than 12 different species were observed. Ligand concentration, vanadate concentration, and pH variation studies were carried out, particularly for the range of pH 5.8-8.0 and for pH 2.4. Chemical shifts, vanadium-ligand stoichiometry, and also composition and formation constants for some, but not all, species are given. Despite some reduction of vanadium(V) to vanadium(IV) in an acidic medium at pH approximately 2.4, the stoichiometries of the principal species in solution at this pH were determined. Electrospray ionization mass spectra for some solutions were obtained and were in accordance with the conclusions drawn from the speciation studies. A series of crystalline vanadium(V) tartrato complexes M4[V4O8(tart)2].aq were also prepared and characterized. X-ray diffraction studies of Na4[V4O8(rac-tart)2].12H2O (1) and (NEt4)4[V4O8((R,R)-tart)2].6H2O (2) revealed unique tetranuclear [V4O8(tart)2]4- ions for which the {V4O4} rings have boat conformations.     

Anchoring of copper complex in MCM-41 matrix: a highly efficient catalyst for epoxidation of olefins by tert-BuOOH

A complex moiety containing copper (II) has been anchored covalently into the organic-modified Si-MCM-41 to prepare a new catalyst. The amine group containing organic moiety 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane has been first anchored on the surface of Si-MCM-41 via silicon alkoxide route. The amine group upon condensation with salicyldehyde affords a bidentate ligand in the mesoporous matrix for anchoring copper(II) ions. The prepared catalyst has been characterized by UV-vis, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and infrared (IR) spectroscopic analysis, small-angle X-ray diffraction, and N2 sorption study. A remarkable difference in the pore structure has been observed after the immobilization of copper(II) complex in Si-MCM-41. The catalyst showed excellent catalytic efficiency in epoxidation reactions with various olefinic compounds including styrene and allyl alcohol, using tert-BuOOH as oxidant. Notably, styrene shows unprecedented high conversion (97%) as well as epoxide selectivity (89%) with tert-BuOOH over the Cu-MCM-41 catalyst.     

Implementation of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of halogenated contaminants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fish

In the presented study, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC?×?GC-TOFMS) was shown to be a powerful tool for the simultaneous determination of various groups of contaminants including 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), seven polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Since different groups of analytes (traditionally analyzed separately) were included into one instrumental method, significant time savings were achieved. Following the development of an integrated sample preparation procedure for an effective and rapid isolation of several groups of contaminants from fish tissue, the GC?×?GC-TOFMS instrumental method was optimized to obtain the best chromatographic resolution and low quantification limits (LOQs) of all target analytes in a complex mixture. Using large-volume programmable temperature vaporization, the following LOQs were achieved-PCBs, 0.01-0.25 μg/kg; PBDEs, 0.025-5 μg/kg; PAHs 0.025-0.5 μg/kg. Furthermore, several capillary column combinations (BPX5, BPX50, and Rxi-17Sil-ms in the first dimension and BPX5, BPX50, Rt-LC35, and HT8 in the second dimension) were tested during the experiments, and the optimal separation of all target analytes even of critical groups of PAHs (group (a): benz[a]anthracene, cyclopenta[cd]pyrene and chrysene; group (b): benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[j]fluoranthene and benzo[k]fluoranthene; group (c): dibenz[ah]anthracene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene and benzo[ghi]perylene) was observed on BPX5?×?BPX50 column setup. Moreover, since the determination of target analytes was performed using TOFMS detector, further identification of other non-target compounds in real life samples was also feasible.     

Stable cellulose nanospheres for cellular uptake

Pure, perfectly spherical cellulose nanoparticles with sizes of ≈80-260 nm can be prepared by dialysis starting from trimethylsilylcellulose (TMSC). The aqueous suspensions obtained are storable for several months. Subsequent covalent labeling of the cellulose nanoparticles with FITC has no influence on particle size, shape, and stability. The particles can be sterilized and suspended in biological media without structural changes. Incorporation of FITC-labeled cellulose nanoparticles into living human fibroblasts is studied using confocal LSM. In contrast to cellulose nanocrystals, fast cellular uptake is found for the nanospheres without transfection reagents or attachment of a receptor molecule. This suggests an influence of the geometry of biocompatible nanomaterials on endocytosis.     

Native polyacrylamide electrophoresis in the presence of Ponceau Red to study oligomeric states of protein complexes

Native polyacrylamide electrophoresis in the presence of two reversible protein anionic stains (Ponceau S and Ponceau 2R) was used to study the oligomeric states of soluble proteins. A mild binding of the used protein stains to nondissociated protein oligomers imposed a charge shift on the proteins resulting into separation of protein species according to their size under physiological conditions. Adsorbed stains could be easily removed after electrophoresis by washing of polyacrylamide gel with buffer and protein complexes could be visualized either by the detection of their enzyme activity or by using a nonspecific protein stain. The specific detection of enzyme activity of glycosidases, lactate dehydrogenase, or phosphatases was shown as an example.