Cloud point extraction procedure for flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of lead(II) in sediment and water samples

The conditions for cloud point extraction of lead(II) from aqueous solutions were investigated and optimized. The procedure is based on the separation of Pb(II) – brillant cresyl blue (BCB) complexes into the micellar media by adding the surfactant Triton X-114. After phase separation, the surfactant-rich phase was dissolved with 1 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ in ethanol and diluted with 1 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ solution before lead was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Optimization of the pH, ligand and surfactant quantities, incubation time, temperature, viscosity, sample volume, and interfering ions was performed. The effects of the matrix ions were also examined. The detection limits for three times the standard deviations of the blank for lead were 7.5 μg L⁻¹ for water samples and 0.33 μg g⁻¹ for sediment samples. The validity of cloud point extraction was checked by employing certified reference samples of Lake Sediment IAEA-SL-1 and Sewage Sludge BCR-CRM 144R. The procedure was applied to natural waters and sediment samples with satisfactory results (recoveries >95%, relative standard deviations <6.4%).     

Synthesis of novel iodo derived bicalutamide analogs

A series of optically active nonsteroidal selective androgen receptor modulators with structures analogous to bicalutamide was prepared by replacing the trifluoromethyl group with iodine and the sulfonyl linker by oxygen.     

Role of copper species in the oxidative dimerization of arylboronic acids: synthesis of symmetrical biaryls

Certain Cu(I) and Cu(II) salts are able to mediate the dimerization of arylboronic acids in DMF. They provide the corresponding symmetrical biaryls in moderate to very good yields. It is possible to run the reaction catalytically under an oxygen atmosphere without a significant loss of yields.     

Minimal number of singular fibers in a Lefschetz fibration

There exists a (relatively minimal) genus Lefschetz fibration with only one singular fiber over a closed (Riemann) surface of genus iff and . The singular fiber can be chosen to be reducible or irreducible. Other results are that every Dehn twist on a closed surface of genus at least three is a product of two commutators and no Dehn twist on any closed surface is equal to a single commutator.

     

Energy Levels of Neutral Atoms Via a New Perturbation Method

The energy levels of neutral atoms supported by potential V (r) = -Zexp(-ar)/r (Yukawa potential) are studied, using both dimensional and dimensionless quantities, via a new analytical methodical proposal (devised to solve for nonexactly solvable Schrödinger equation). Using dimensionless quantities, by scaling the radial Hamiltonian through y = Zr and = /Z, we report that the scaled screening parameter is restricted to have values ranging from zero to less than 0.4. On the other hand, working with the scaled Hamiltonian enhances the accuracy and extremely speeds up the convergence of the energy eigenvalues. The energy levels of several new eligible scaled screening parameter values are also reported.     

Acoustic Analysis Findings in Objective Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Patients

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of objective laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) on the acoustic parameters of patients by comparing their voice samples with that of control subjects. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study in two tertiary reference hospitals. METHODS: 48 consecutive patients with symptoms related to LPR and 64 control subjects were included in the study. Suspected LPR patients underwent a 24-hour ambulatory pH monitoring, and 25 (52%) of them were shown to have objective LPR. Acoustical evaluation results of objective LPR patients were compared with that of symptomatic LPR patients and control subjects. RESULTS: All frequency perturbation values obtained from objective and symptomatic LPR patients were higher than the control subjects (P<0.01). Mean fundamental frequency, amplitude perturbation measures, and noise-to-harmonics ratio were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: LPR patients have significantly different frequency perturbation values than control subjects.     

Green polymer chemistry: Telechelic poly(ethylene glycol)s via enzymatic catalysis

This article reports our discovery that poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) can quantitatively be functionalized by transesterification using Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozyme 435) as the catalyst. α‐ω telechelic PEG‐methacrylates and PEG‐acetates were successfully prepared using commercially available PEGs with both narrow and broad molecular weight distribution. ¹H and ¹³C NMR together with MALDI‐TOF mass spectroscopy verified the expected structures. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3024–3028, 2008     

Precision synthesis and characterization of thymine‐functionalized polyisobutylene

A new two‐step synthesis of polyisobutylene (PIB) with precisely one thymine functionality per chain (PIB‐T) is reported. The primary hydroxyl‐functionalized PIB (PIB‐OH) precursor was prepared by direct functionalization via living carbocationic polymerization of isobutylene initiated by the α‐methylstyrene epoxide/TiCl₄ system. Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐ToF MS) of a low molecular weight PIB‐OH precursor demonstrated the effectiveness of direct functionalization by this method. A PIB‐acrylate precursor (PIB‐Ac) was obtained from such a PIB‐OH, and the PIB‐T was subsequently prepared by Michael addition of thymine across the acrylate double bond. MALDI‐ToF MS of the products verified that all polymer chains carried precisely one thymine group. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3501–3506, 2010