Structural impacts on thallus and algal cell components of two lichen species in response to low-level air pollution in pacific northwest forests.

Lichens have long been regarded as bioindicators of air pollution, and structural studies typically have indicated negative impacts in highly polluted areas. In this research, Parmelia sulcata and Platismatia glauca were collected from one clean and two polluted sites in the Pacific Northwest forests of the United States to investigate the anatomical and ultrastructural responses of relatively resistant lichens to moderate air pollution. Light microscopy of polluted materials revealed only slight increases in the algal cell proportions of the thallus, and a decrease in the fungal cells of the medulla. Using transmission electron microscopy, increased lipid droplets in the cytoplasm and an increase in the cell wall thickness of the photobionts were found in the polluted lichens. These results were compared with physiological data in which the net carbon uptake did not show any significant differences; however, the total chlorophyll content was heightened in the polluted samples. The increased total chlorophyll content and the absence of any changes in the algal cell proportions of the polluted samples suggest that the photobionts possessed a higher chlorophyll content per unit volume of the photobiont at polluted sites. The results also indicate that lichens have altered their storage allocation in different cellular compartments. This may be a result of symbiotic readjustment(s) between the photobiont and the mycobiont. In comparison with the physiological results from these two species, these changes do not represent damaging effects by low-level air pollution.     

A definitive investigation of the reaction of cyclopentadiene with cis-3,4-dichlorocyclobutene: A literature correction

Structural assignments are made to the three adducts derived from the title reaction. ¹H-n.m.r., ¹³C-n.m.r. and euroshift data are used to support the new structures.     

Commutator-finite orthomodular lattices

The class of orthomodular lattices which have only finitely many commutators is investigated. The following theorems are proved: contains the block-finite orthomodular lattices. Every irreducible element of is simple. Every element of is a direct product of a Boolean algebra and finitely many simple orthomodular lattices. The irreducible elements of which are modular, or are M-symmetric with at least one atom, have height two or less.     

Voltammetric sizing of a sphere.

The size of a glass sphere positioned in the center of a microdisk electrode is determined by using a simple electrochemical procedure and is confirmed, additionally, by a microscopical measurement of the sphere at the time of the electrochemical measurement. The cyclic voltammetric response of the naked electrode and of the electrode with the sphere positioned in its center is recorded over a wide range of scan rates (0.002-1.5 V s(-1)). The size of the sphere is then determined by comparison of the experimental voltammogram with simulations for each individual scan rate.     

The stereoselective synthesis of novel macrolide antibacterial agents via an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide

An intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide, generated in situ via the reaction of C12-glycinate derivative of macrolide with formaldehyde, provided a novel tricyclic macrolide. The high stereoselectivity of this [2+3] reaction was achieved by introducing a suitable directing group at C-6 position of macrolide.     

Synthesis and polymerisation of α,ω-bis(3-pyrrolyl)alkanes

The synthesis, characterisation and polymerisation studies of a homologous series of α,ω-bis(pyrrolyl)alkanes are described. These α,ω-bis(pyrrolyl)alkanes were produced using Friedel-Crafts acylation followed by reduction of the carbonyl group using Red-Al^®. Chemical polymerisation of the resultant dimers using FeCl₃ produced poly(α,ω-bis(pyrrolyl)alkane) films, which were characterised by SEM, FTIR and tested for conductivity.     

Reaction Engineering Aspects of α-l,4-D-Glucan Phosphorylase Catalysis

Some important process properties of α-l,4-D-ghican phosphorylases isolated from the bacteriumCorynebacterium callunae and potato tubers (Solatium tuberosum) were compared. Apart from minor differences in their stability and specificity (represented by the maximum degree of maltodextrin conversion) and a 10-fold higher affinity of the plant phosphorylase for maltodextrin (K _M of 1.3 g/L at 300 mM of orthophosphate), the performances of both enzymes in a continuous ultrafiltration membrane reactor were almost identical. Product synthesis was carried out over a time course of 300–400 h in the presence or absence of auxiliary pullulanase (increasing the accessibility of the glucan substrate for phosphorolytic attack up to 15–20%). The effect of varied dilution rate and reaction temperature on the resulting productivities was quantitated, and a maximum operational temperature of 40°C was identified.     

On-line determination of organophosphorus pesticides in water by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography with thermionic-selective detection

This paper describes the extraction of 49 organophosphorus pesti-cides (OPPs) from water samples using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Three fibers, including a 15-μm XAD-coated fiber, a 85-μm polyacrylate-coated fiber, and a 30-μm polydimethylsilox-ane-coated fiber (PDMS), were evaluated here. The effects of stirring and the addition of NaCl to the sample were examined for the polyacrylate-coated fiber. The precision of the technique was examined for all three fibers and the extraction kinetics were investigated using the XAD- and polyacrylate-coated fibers. With some exceptions, the XAD- and polyacrylate-coated fibers performed better than the PDMS-coated fiber. The superiority of the XAD-nd polyacrylate-coated fiber. The superiority of the XAD- and polyacrylate-coated fibers over the PDMS-coated fibers can be attribuibuted to the aromatic functionalities of the XAD and the polar functionalities in the polyacrylate. The relatively high percent RSDs indicate that the SPME technique needs to be further refined before it can be used for anything other than screening. A more effective form of agitation than mechanical stirring may be neccessary to reduce variability and achieve a faster equilibrium between the sample and the SPME fiber.