Sensitive harmonic detection of ammonia trace using a compact photoacoustic resonator at double-pass configuration and a wavelength-modulated distributed feedback diode laser

A sensitive detection of ammonia in parts per billion by volume is described. The system based on photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) consists of distributed feedback laser diode emitting near 1,531.7 nm and a compact PA cell at double-pass configuration. In order to optimize the signal background ratio of the system, two types of modulations were tested, amplitude and wavelength modulations (WM). Using a digital lock-in amplifier, the 1f and 2f detection in WM could be investigated. A detection limit of 470 parts per million by volume could be achieved at WM-2f. In the sense of quantifing the adsorption–desorption process, the response time of the system and detection accuracy was performed in different flows. Response times between 10 and 49 s, depending on the flow rate, were obtained which enables the PA system to measure low concentrations of ammonia with high accuracy in real time.     

Production and Stability of Protease from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida buinensis</Emphasis>

Cow raw milk from dairy cooperatives was examined for its microbial composition. Among the isolates identified, 17.6% were yeasts. The most frequent genus was Candida, although members belonging to the genera Brettanomyces, Dekkera, and Geotricum were also identified. Although qualitative and quantitative tests for extracellular proteolytic activity were positive for all the species isolated, Candida buinensis showed the highest response (23.5 U/mg); therefore, it was selected for subsequent investigation. The results of fermentations carried out at variable temperature, pH, and soybean flour concentration, according to a 2³ full factorial design, demonstrated that this yeast ensured the highest production of extracellular proteases (573 U/mL) when cultivated at 35 °C, pH 6.5, and using soybean flour concentrations in the range 0.1–0.5% (w/v). The cell-free supernatants showed the highest activity at 25 °C and pH 7.0, and satisfactory stability in the ranges 25–30 °C and pH 7–9. The first-order rate constants of protease inactivation in the cell-free supernatants were calculated at different temperatures from semi-log plots of the residual activity versus time and then used in Arrhenius and Eyring plots to estimate the main thermodynamic parameters of thermoinactivation (E* = 40.0 kJ/mol; ΔH* = 37.3 kJ/mol; ΔS* = −197.5 J/mol K; ΔG* = 101 kJ/mol).     

Studies on the cellulose-binding domains adsorption to cellulose

Cellulose-binding domains (CBD) are modular peptides, present in many glycanases, which anchor these enzymes to the substrate. In this work, the effect of CBD adsorption on the surface properties of a model cellulose, Whatman CF11, was studied. The methods applied include inverse gas chromatography (IGC), ESCA, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The CBD partition affinity (0.85 L/g) was calculated from adsorption isotherms. However, true adsorption equilibrium does not exist, since CBDs are apparently irreversibly adsorbed to the fibers. Both IGC and ESCA showed that fibers with adsorbed CBD have a lower acidic character and also a slightly higher affinity toward aliphatic molecules. This may however be a consequence of an increased surface area, a hypothesis that is supported by microscopic observations. The crystallinity index was not affected by CBD treatment.     

Comparison of Yarrowia lipolytica and Pichia pastoris Cellular Response to Different Agents of Oxidative Stress

Yeast cells exposed to adverse conditions employ a number of defense mechanisms in order to respond effectively to the stress effects of reactive oxygen species. In this work, the cellular response of Yarrowia lipolytica and Pichia pastoris to the exposure to the ROS-inducing agents’ paraquat, hydrogen peroxide, and increased air pressure was analyzed. Yeast cells at exponential phase were exposed for 3 h to 1 mM paraquat, to 50 mM H₂O₂, or to increased air pressure of 3 or 5 bar. For both strains, the cellular viability loss and lipid peroxidation was lower for the cells exposed to increased air pressure than for those exposed to chemical oxidants. The glutathione induction occurred only in Y. lipolytica strain and reached the highest level as a response to PQ exposure. In general, antioxidant enzymes were more expressed in Y. lipolytica than in P. pastoris. The enzyme superoxide dismutase was induced in both strains under all the oxidant conditions but was dependent on the cellular growth phase, being undetectable in non-growing cells, whereas glutathione reductase was more induced in those conditions. Hydrogen peroxide was the most efficient inducer of catalase. Both yeast cultures underwent no cellular growth inhibition with increased air pressure, indicating that these yeast species were able to adapt to the oxidative stressful environment.     

Antiferromagnetic versus ferromagnetic exchange interactions in bis(μ-O(oximate))dinickel(II) units for a series of closely related cube shaped carboxamideoximate-bridged Ni(4) complexes. A combined experimental and theoretical magneto-structural study

The syntheses, crystal structures, and the experimental and theoretical magnetochemical characterization for three tetrametallic Ni(II) clusters, namely, [Ni(4)(L)(4)(Cl)(2)(MeOH)(2)](ClO(4))(2)·4MeOH (1), [Ni(4)(L)(4)(N(3))(2)(MeOH)(2)](ClO(4))(2)·2MeOH (2), and [Ni(4)(L1)(4)(pyz)(2)(PhCOO)(2)(MeOH)(2)](ClO(4))(2)·7MeOH (3) (where HL and HL1 represent bipyridine-2-carboxamideoxime and pyrimidine-2-carboxamideoxime, respectively) are reported. Within the Ni(4)(2+) units of these compounds, distorted octahedral Ni(II) ions are bridged by carboxamideoximato ligands to adopt a distorted tetrahedral disposition. The Ni(4)(2+) unit, of C(2) symmetry, can also be viewed as a cube with single [O-atom] and double [NO oxime] bridging groups as atom edges, which define two almost square-planar Ni(O)(2)Ni rings and four irregular hexagonal Ni(NO)(2)Ni rings. To analyze the magnetic properties of 1-3, we have considered the simplest two-J model, where J(1) = J(2) (exchange interactions between the Ni(II) ions belonging to the Ni(O)(2)Ni square rings) and J(a) = J(b) = J(c) = J(d) (exchange interactions between the Ni(II) ions belonging to the Ni-(NO)(2)Ni hexagonal rings) with the Hamiltonian H = -J(1)(S(1)S(2) + S(3)S(4)) - J(a)(S(1)S(3) + S(1)S(4) + S(2)S(3) + S(2)S(4)). The J(1) and J(a) values derived from the fitting of the experimental susceptibility data are -5.8 cm(-1) and -22.1 cm(-1) for 1; -2.4 cm(-1) and -22.8 cm(-1) for 2, and +15.6 cm(-1) and -10.8 cm(-1) for 3. The magneto-structural results and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the exchange interactions inside the Ni(μ-O)(2)Ni square rings depend on the Ni-O-Ni bridging angle (θ) and the out-of-plane angle of the NO oximate bridging group with respect to the Ni(O)(2)Ni plane (τ), whereas the interactions propagated through the Ni-N-O(Ni)-Ni exchange pathways defining the side of the hexagonal rings depend on the Ni-N-O-Ni torsion angle (α). In both cases, theoretical magneto-structural correlations were obtained, which allow the prediction of the angle for which ferromagnetic interactions are expected. For compound 3, the existence of the axial magnetic exchange pathway through the syn-syn benzoate bridge may also contribute (in addition to the θ and τ angles) to the observed F interaction in this compound through orbital countercomplementarity, which has been supported by DFT calculations. Finally, DFT calculations clearly show that the antiferromagnetic exchange increases when the dihedral angle between the O-Ni-O planes of the Ni(μ-O)(2)Ni square ring, β, increases.     

Synthesis and antifolate activity of 2,4-diamino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine analogues of trimetrexate and piritrexim

2,4-Diamino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidines with di- and trimethoxyaralkyl substitution at the 6-position were synthesized from the N⁶-unsubstituted compound and appropriate aralkyl bromides in N,N-dimethylformamide solution containing a catalytic amount of sodium iodide. An improved method of preparation of 2,4-diamino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine from 2-amino-6-benzyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one was also developed, in which N² was protected by reaction with pivalic anhydride and the resulting product was subjected consecutively to reaction with 4-chlorophenylphosphorodichloridate and 1,2,4-triazole, ammonolysis to replace the 4-imidazolido group and remove the N²-pivaloyl group, and catalytic hydrogenolysis to remove the 6-benzyl group. In assays of the ability of the products to inhibit dihydrofolate reductase from Pneumocystis carinii, and Toxoplasma gondii, and rat liver the most active of the compounds tested was 2,4-diamino-6-(2′-bromo-3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine. The concentration of this compound needed to inhibit enzyme activity by 50% was 0.51 μM against the P. carinii enzyme, 0.09 μM against the T. gondii enzyme, and 0.35 μM against the rat enzyme. Thus, there was selectivity of binding to T. gondii enzyme, but not P. carinii enzyme, relative to rat enzyme. 2′,5′-Dimethoxybenzyl analogues were less active than the corresponding 3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzyl analogues, and compounds with a CH₂CH₂ or CH₂CH₂CH₂ bridge were less active than those with a CH₂ bridge. 2,4-Diamino-6-(2′-bromo-3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidine showed greater selectivity than trimetrexate or piritrexim for the P. carinii and T. gondii enzyme, but was less selective than trimethoprim or pyrimethamine. However its molar potency against both enzymes was greater than that of trimethoprim, the antifolate most commonly used, in combination with sulfamethoxazole, for initial treatment of opportunistic P. carinii and T. gondii infections in patients with AIDS and other disorders of the immune system.     

Family of carboxylate- and nitrate-diphenoxo triply bridged dinuclear Ni(II)Ln(III) complexes (Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, Y): synthesis, experimental and theoretical magneto-structural studies, and single-molecule magnet behavior

Seven acetate-diphenoxo triply bridged M(II)-Ln(III) complexes (M(II) = Ni(II) and Ln(III) = Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, and Y; M(II) = Zn(II) and Ln(III) = Ho(III) and Er(III)) of formula [M(μ-L)(μ-OAc)Ln(NO(3))(2)], one nitrate-diphenoxo triply bridged Ni(II)-Tb(III) complex, [Ni(μ-L)(μ-NO(3))Tb(NO(3))(2)]·2CH(3)OH, and two diphenoxo doubly bridged Ni(II)-Ln(III) complexes (Ln(III) = Eu, Gd) of formula [Ni(H(2)O)(μ-L)Ln(NO(3))(3)]·2CH(3)OH have been prepared in one pot reaction from the compartmental ligand N,N',N"-trimethyl-N,N"-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-methylbenzyl)diethylenetriamine (H(2)L). Moreover, Ni(II)-Ln(III) complexes bearing benzoate or 9-anthracenecarboxylate bridging groups of formula [Ni(μ-L)(μ-BzO)Dy(NO(3))(2)] and [Ni(μ-L)(μ-9-An)Dy(9-An)(NO(3))(2)]·3CH(3)CN have also been successfully synthesized. In acetate-diphenoxo triply bridged complexes, the acetate bridging group forces the structure to be folded with an average hinge angle in the M(μ-O(2))Ln bridging fragment of ~22°, whereas nitrate-diphenoxo doubly bridged complexes and diphenoxo-doubly bridged complexes exhibit more planar structures with hinge angles of ~13° and ~2°, respectively. All Ni(II)-Ln(III) complexes exhibit ferromagnetic interactions between Ni(II) and Ln(III) ions and, in the case of the Gd(III) complexes, the J(NiGd) coupling increases weakly but significantly with the planarity of the M-(O)(2)-Gd bridging fragment and with the increase of the Ni-O-Gd angle. Density functional theory (DFT) theoretical calculations on the Ni(II)Gd(III) complexes and model compounds support these magneto-structural correlations as well as the experimental J(NiGd) values, which were found to be ~1.38 and ~2.1 cm(-1) for the folded [Ni(μ-L)(μ-OAc)Gd(NO(3))(2)] and planar [Ni(H(2)O)(μ-L)Gd(NO(3))(3)]·2CH(3)OH complexes, respectively. The Ni(II)Dy(III) complexes exhibit slow relaxation of the magnetization with Δ/k(B) energy barriers under 1000 Oe applied magnetic fields of 9.2 and 10.1 K for [Ni(μ-L)(μ-BzO)Dy(NO(3))(2)] and [Ni(μ-L)(μ-9-An)Dy(9-An)(NO(3))(2)]·3CH(3)CN, respectively.     

Influence of the anions on the structure and magnetic properties of a series of bis(μ-diphenoxo)-bridged linear trinuclear copper(II) complexes: an experimental and theoretical study

The reaction of H(2)L (N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-methylbenzyl)-ethylenediamine) with different copper salts, in methanol and using a H(2)L/Cu = 2 : 3 molar ratio, led to four new bis(μ-diphenoxo)-bridged Cu(3) complexes of general formula [{Cu(S)(μ-L)}(2)Cu(H(2)O)(2n)]X(2) (S = CH(3)OH, n = 1 and X = BF(4)(-) for (1) or ClO(4)(-) for (2); S = Br(3)(-) anion and n = 1 without any X species for (3); S = H(2)O, n = 0 and X = NO(3)(-) for (4)). The use in the same reaction conditions of 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bipy) as connector led to the chain complex [{Cu(μ-4,4'-bipy)(0.5)(μ-L)}(2)Cu(H(2)O)(2n)](ClO(4))(2)·17H(2)O (5). The structure of the centrosymmetric trinuclear unit in (1)-(5) consists of two [Cu(L)] fragments connected through two phenoxo bridging groups to the central copper(II) ion giving rise to a linear arrangement of the copper(II) ions, where the ligand acts in a compartmental form wrapping the metal centre with a N(2)O(2) tetradentate bridging mode. The coordination polyhedron of the symmetrically related external copper atoms exhibits a geometry very close to square-pyramidal, whereas the central copper(II) atom displays either a tetragonally elongated octahedral geometry or a square-planar geometry. Owing to the steric hindrance promoted by the methoxy groups at the phenyl rings, the whole Cu(3) structure is not planar but folded along the line connecting the phenoxo bridging oxygen atoms of the same ligand. Temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of complexes (1)-(5) was measured, showing strong antiferromagnetic interactions between the central and external atoms through the bis(μ-phenoxo) groups. DFT calculations were also performed (a) to support the experimental values of the coupling constant (J(1)) between the nearest-neighbouring copper atoms, (b) to determine the magnitude of the interactions between next-nearest copper(II) atoms (J(2)) and (c) to study magneto-structural correlations for this kind of bis(μ-diphenoxo) trinuclear copper(II) complex.     

Ferromagnetic heterotrinuclear Cu-Ni complexes of a compartmental chiral Schiff base

Nickel(II) and copper(II) acetate react with the trinucleating compartmental Schiff base H(4)L (H(4)L = 6,6'-(E)-3,3'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(1-(2-((E)-3-bromo-5-chloro-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)ethyl)imidazolidine-3,2-diyl)bis(2-bromo-4-chlorophenol)) to produce the heterotrinuclear complexes [Ni(2)CuL(OAc)(2)]·0.25H(2)O·2.5MeOH (1·0.25H(2)O·2.5MeOH) and [NiCu(2)L(OAc)(2)]·3.25H(2)O·0.5MeOH (2·3.25H(2)O·0.5MeOH) as a function of the Ni(OAc)(2)?:?Cu(OAc)(2) molar ratio. The crystal structures of H(4)L, 1·0.25H(2)O·2.5MeOH and 2·3.25H(2)O·0.5MeOH could be solved. The free ligand presents two stereogenic methine groups on the imidazolidine heterocycles. X-Ray diffraction studies on H(4)L determined that the solved crystal structure corresponds to a racemate formed by the (2R,2'R) and (2S,2'S) enantiomers, without detecting the (2R,2'S) diastereoisomer. The crystal structures of both heterotrinuclear complexes reveal that Ni(II) has a preference for the central ligand pocket, showing that this cavity discriminates between Ni(II) and Cu(II) when both species are present in the reaction medium. These results are validated by DFT calculations. As a consequence of the coordination, 1·0.25H(2)O·2.5MeOH and 2·3.25H(2)O·0.5MeOH are also chiral, but crystallise as racemates. In addition to their asymmetric methine groups, these complexes present four other stereogenic centres: the four coordinated imidazolidine N atoms. The luminescent properties of the ligand and both complexes were analysed, showing that the presence of the metals partially inhibits the emission of the ligand and apparently tunes the position of the secondary fluorescence emission band. The magnetic characterisation of 1·0.25H(2)O·2.5MeOH and 2·3.25H(2)O·0.5MeOH was also performed, showing the ferromagnetic behaviour of both complexes.