Assessment of the fate of some household micropollutants in urban wastewater treatment plant

Everyday domestic activity is a significant source of water pollution. The presence of six household micropollutants in an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was assessed in wastewater and sludge. A multi-target analytical method was developed for the quantification of ibuprofen, erythromycin, ofloxacin, 4-nonylphenol, 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol (triclosan), and sucralose. The micropollutants were extracted from the liquid and solid phases and their concentrations were determined by LC-MS/MS. The efficiency of micropollutants’ removal within a conventional activated sludge process was assessed. From 50 % to 90 % of ibuprofen and erythromycin was removed from the wastewater liquid phase. Their removal can be attributed to biological degradation as they were not found adsorbed on the outlet sludge. Ofloxacin and triclosan were removed from the liquid phase with similar efficiencies; however, they were adsorbed on the sludge, so it was not possible to determine their removal mechanism (whether biodegradation or displacement to solid phase/sequestration). Sucralose was not removed from wastewater (3 μg L^?1 in inlet and outlet liquid phase) and not adsorbed on the sludge. 4-Nonylphenol concentrations were sometimes higher in the WWTP outlet water; this may relate to the degradation of alkylphenol ethoxylates in the wastewater treatment process. 4-Nonylphenol was always present in the outlet sludge.     

Synergistic Effect of Polyoxometalate and Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Peroxidase‐like Mimics and Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide

A novel Keggin‐type metatungstate hybrid POMs ((APy)₆[H₂W₁₂O₄₀])/carboxylic acid functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotube based amperometric sensing platform was successfully constructed for the sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide. A simple and reliable procedure was implemented for the synthesis of new composite materials obtained by the covalent grafting of (APy)₆[H₂W₁₂O₄₀] onto the surface of (SWCNT‐COOH). The synergistic effect of single walled carbon nanotubes on the electrochemical behavior of (APy)₆[H₂W₁₂O₄₀] was evidenced through the increase of the oxidation and reduction peaks of the polyoxometalate. The sensitivity of hydrogen peroxide detection was increased by a factor of 38.5 in presence of SWCNTs, showing their high influence on peroxidase‐like mimics of (APy)₆[H₂W₁₂O₄₀]. The detection limit, the response time, the repeatability and the shelf lifetime were respectively 0.4 μM, 10 s, <4%, 60 days.     

An Amphipathic Alpha‐Helix Guides Maturation of the Ribosomally‐Synthesized Lipolanthines

The recently discovered strongly anti‐Gram‐positive lipolanthines represent a new group of lipidated, ribosomally synthesized and post‐translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). They are bicyclic octapeptides with a central quaternary carbon atom (avionin), which is installed through the cooperative action of the class‐III lanthipeptide synthetase MicKC and the cysteine decarboxylase MicD. Genome mining efforts indicate a widespread distribution and unprecedented biosynthetic diversity of lipolanthine gene clusters, combining elements of RiPPs, polyketide and non‐ribosomal peptide biosynthesis. Utilizing NMR spectroscopy, we show that a (θxx)θxxθxxθ (θ=L, I, V, M or T) motif, which is conserved in the leader peptides of all class‐III and ‐IV lanthipeptides, forms an amphipathic α‐helix in MicA that destines the peptide substrate for enzymatic processing. Our results provide general rules of substrate recruitment and enzymatic regulation during lipolanthine maturation. These insights will facilitate future efforts to rationally design new lanthipeptide scaffolds with antibacterial potency.     

Sequence‐Defined Heteromultivalent Precision Glycomacromolecules Bearing Sulfonated/Sulfated Nonglycosidic Moieties Preferentially Bind Galectin‐3 and Delay Wound Healing of a Galectin‐3 Positive Tumor Cell Line in an In Vitro Wound Scratch Assay

Within this work, a new class of sequence‐defined heteromultivalent glycomacromolecules bearing lactose residues and nonglycosidic motifs for probing glycoconjugate recognition in carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of galectin‐3 is presented. Galectins, a family of β‐galactoside‐binding proteins, are known to play crucial roles in different signaling pathways involved in tumor biology. Thus, research has focused on the design and synthesis of galectin‐targeting ligands for use as diagnostic markers or potential therapeutics. Heteromultivalent precision glycomacromolecules have the potential to serve as ligands for galectins. In this work, multivalency and the introduction of nonglycosidic motifs bearing either neutral, amine, or sulfonated/sulfated groups are used to better understand binding in the galectin‐3 CRD. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays and surface plasmon resonance studies are performed, revealing a positive impact of the sulfonated/sulfated nonglycosidic motifs on galectin‐3 binding but not on galectin‐1 binding. Selected compounds are then tested with galectin‐3 positive MCF 7 breast cancer cells using an in vitro would scratch assay. Preliminary results demonstrate a differential biological effect on MCF 7 cells with high galectin‐3 expression in comparison to an HEK 293 control with low galectin‐3 expression, indicating the potential for sulfonated/sulfated heteromultivalent glycomacromolecules to serve as preferential ligands for galectin‐3 targeting.     

Synthesis of the Novel Antidepressant (R)-(-)-Rolipram

Enantioselective synthesis of (R)-Rolipram 1 has been achieved through a conjugate addition of cyanide to enantiomerically pure 2-(2-aryl ethenyl)oxazoline 2, followed by selective reduction of the adduct with NaBH₄-NiCl₂.     

Physical interpretation of initial conditions for fractional differential equations with Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives

On a series of examples from the field of viscoelasticity we demonstrate that it is possible to attribute physical meaning to initial conditions expressed in terms of Riemann–Liouville fractional derivatives, and that it is possible to obtain initial values for such initial conditions by appropriate measurements or observations.Dedicated to professor Hari M. Srivastava on the occasion of his 65th birthday