Influence of inert components on the formation of conducting channels in ion-exchange membranes

In this work, the results of investigation of the influence of inert binder and reinforcing fabric on structural organization and mechanism of current transfer in homogeneous and heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes are presented by theoretical analysis of parameters of the extended three-wire conductivity model. It was established that analogy in reorganization of the current paths takes place in the course of inclusion of the reinforcing fabric in perfluorinated membranes and addition of polyethylene and nylon 6 to ion-exchange resins during preparation of heterogeneous membranes. In comparison with perfluorinated membranes, the essential difference in conducting properties of heterogeneous membranes is the opportunity for the current transfer via the channel filled with equilibrium solution. The size of this channel decreases with increase in the volume fraction of the inert component inside the membrane.     

Free Radicals, Salicylic Acid and Mycotoxins in Asparagus After Inoculation with Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum

Electron paramagnetic resonance was used to monitor free radicals and paramagnetic species like Fe, Mn, Cu generation, stability and status in Asparagus officinalis infected by common pathogens Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum. Occurrence of F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum, level of free radicals and other paramagnetic species, as well as salicylic acid and mycotoxins content in roots and stems of seedlings were estimated on the second and fourth week after inoculation. In the first term free and total salicylic acid contents were related to free radicals level in stem (P?=?0.010 and P?=?0.033, respectively). Concentration of Fe(3+) ions in porphyrin complexes (g?=?2.3, g?=?2.9) was related to the species of pathogen. There was no significant difference between Mn(2+) concentrations in stem samples; however, the level of free radicals in samples inoculated with F. proliferatum was significantly higher when compared to F. oxysporum.     

ELEMENTAL SULFUR REACTIONS WITH 2-PICOLINE

Abstract

A study of the reaction of the elemental sulfur with 2-picoline is reported. The process was carried out at the boiling point of the 2-picoline under argon. After removing unreacted solids, the reaction products were identified by means of LC. GC and GC-MS. The following products have been identified by mass spectrometry: 1,2-di/2-pyridyl/-ethane. 1,2-di/2-pyridyl/-ethene. 2-methyl-x-[/2-pyridyl/methyl]pyridines, 2-mercapto-methyl-[x/2-pyridyl/methyl]-pyridines, l-mercapto-1,2-di/2-pyridyl/-ethane, 5,6-di/2-pyridyl/-5H-cyclopenta-[b]pyridine, 5,6-di/2-pyridyl/-7H-cyclopenta[b]pyridine, 1,2,3-tri/2-pyridyl/-propane. 1,2-di/2-pyridyl/-1-[x-/2-methyl/-pyridyl]-ethane, 5,6-di/2-pyridyl/-7-[/2-pyridyl/methyl]-7H-cyclopenta[b]pyridine, 5,6-di/2-pyridyl/-5-[/2-pyridyl/-methyl]-5H-cyclopenta-[b]pyridine. Di{7-[5,6-di/2-pyridyl/-7H-cyclopenta[b]pyridyl]} sulfide and di(7-[5,6-di/2-pyridyl/-7H-cyclopentalblpyridyl]} disulfide.     

Quality assurance in immunoassay performance—comparison of different enzyme immunoassays for the determination of caffeine in consumer products

Enzyme immunoassays with optical detection are amongst the most widely used bioanalytical tools. We defined seven parameters for the quality assessment of immunoassays that were addressed in a systematic study of direct and indirect immunoassays, using the enzymes horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and alkaline phosphatase (AP), the chromogenic substrates 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and para-nitrophenyl phosphate, and the fluorescent substrates 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid and 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate. The same monoclonal antibody against caffeine was used throughout the study. The four quality parameters regarding the standard curve were the test midpoint (sensitivity), the measurement range, the relative dynamic range of the signal, and the goodness of fit of the adjusted four-parameter logistic function. All HRP immunoassays showed a higher sensitivity compared to the AP assays. On the basis of all four criteria, it was established that the direct assay format is superior to the indirect format, the immunoassay using HRP TMB fulfilling all requirements best. In a second step, caffeine concentrations in 24 beverage and cosmetics samples were determined and three more quality parameters were assessed with this application. The direct HRP TMB assay showed one of the best intra- and inter-plate precisions and the best accuracy, defined by the correlation of results with those from the chosen reference method liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Considering all criteria, HRP TMB seems to be the enzyme substrate system of choice preferably used in the direct assay format.

Elimination of autofluorescence background from fluorescence tissue images by use of time-gated detection and the AzaDiOxaTriAngulenium (ADOTA) fluorophore

Sample autofluorescence (fluorescence of inherent components of tissue and fixative-induced fluorescence) is a significant problem in direct imaging of molecular processes in biological samples. A large variety of naturally occurring fluorescent components in tissue results in broad emission that overlaps the emission of typical fluorescent dyes used for tissue labeling. In addition, autofluorescence is characterized by complex fluorescence intensity decay composed of multiple components whose lifetimes range from sub-nanoseconds to a few nanoseconds. For these reasons, the real fluorescence signal of the probe is difficult to separate from the unwanted autofluorescence. Here we present a method for reducing the autofluorescence problem by utilizing an azadioxatriangulenium (ADOTA) dye with a fluorescence lifetime of approximately 15 ns, much longer than those of most of the components of autofluorescence. A probe with such a long lifetime enables us to use time-gated intensity imaging to separate the signal of the targeting dye from the autofluorescence. We have shown experimentally that by discarding photons detected within the first 20 ns of the excitation pulse, the signal-to-background ratio is improved fivefold. This time-gating eliminates over 96 % of autofluorescence. Analysis using a variable time-gate may enable quantitative determination of the bound probe without the contributions from the background.     

Wetting behavior of pulmonary surfactant aqueous solutions

The wetting properties of pulmonary surfactant aqueous solutions with respect to solid surfaces with different degree of hydrophobicity have been studied. The contact angles θ of drops from a pulmonary surfactant solution onto SiO₂-glass surfaces have been measured as a function of their degree of hydrophobicity θ _w. The completely hydrophilic SiO₂-glass surface is essentially hydrophobized by the animal-derived pulmonary surfactant Curosurf. The hydrophobization depends on the surfactant concentration—the contact angles increase with increasing the Curosurf concentration C _s in the low concentration range, but they remain almost constant in a wide range of C _s >90 μg/ml. Additions like NaCl and bovine serum albumin influence the θ-values. The contact angles θ naturally increase with increasing θ _w but this dependence is not linear—the curve steepens at larger θ _w values. The thickness h of the wetting thin liquid films from Curosurf aqueous solutions depends on the hydrophobicity θ _w of the solid surface and the h(θ _w) curves always pass a minimum. The h-values, as well as the h(θ _w) curve, are mainly determined by the steric and hydrophobic disjoining pressures, which depend on the orientations and conformations of the molecules adsorbed on the solid surface from the very complicated multi-component aqueous solutions.     

Characterization of a Robust CoII Fluorescent Complex Deposited Intact On HOPG

The new diimine fluorescent ligand ACRI‐1 based on a central acridine yellow core is reported along with its coordination complex [Co₂( ACRI‐1 )₂] ( 1 ), a fluorescent weak ferromagnet. Due to the strong fluorescence of the acridine yellow fluorophore, it is not completely quenched when the ligand is coordinated to Co^II. The magnetic properties of bulk complex 1 and its stability in solution have been studied. Complex 1 has been deposited on highly ordered pyrolitic graphite (HOGP) from solution. The thin films prepared have been characterized by AFM, time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS), grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXRD), X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and theoretical calculations. The data show that the complex is robust and remains intact on the surface of graphite.     

Thermal and dynamic mechanical analysis of cross-linked poly(esterurethanes)

New cross-linked poly(esterurethanes) (PEU) based on unsaturated olygo(alkyleneester)diol (OAE), 4,4’-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and styrene or methyl methacrylate as curing monomers were prepared. The synthesis of PEU was performed in two steps. In the first step OAE was obtained from adipic acid, maleic anhydride and ethylene glycol. In the second step a prepolymer was obtained in a reaction of OAE with different amounts of 4,4’-diphenylmethane diisocyanate followed by crosslinking using previously mentioned curing monomers. The influence of structure of the poly(esterurethanes) on thermal and dynamic mechanical properties is studied. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that cross-linked poly(esterurethanes) demonstrate high thermal stability. Moreover the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis shows that the presence of styrene cross-linking chains in polymers lead to the phase separation in cross-linked poly(esterurethanes).     

Synthesis and anti-leukaemic activity of pyrrolo[3,2,1-hi]indole-1,2-diones,pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinoline-1,2-diones and other polycyclic isatin derivatives

To further expand the structure–cytotoxic activity relationships of isatin derivatives and to reduce flexibility in substituent groups at nitrogen, 20 analogues incorporating a ring system between the N1 and C7 atoms of isatin were prepared using a variety of synthetic strategies. This yielded pyrroloindole-, pyrroloquinoline-, pyrroloacridine-, pyrrolophenanthridine- and benzopyrrolophenanthridine-based systems with embedded isatin moieties, the latter possessing a novel carbon skeleton. These compounds were subsequently assessed for their in vitro cytotoxicity against human U937 lymphoma cells, with the brominated pyrroloacridine dione 27 showing the most promising activity (IC₅₀ 3.01 μM) after 24 h.