Probing Proteins in Solution by Xe NMR Spectroscopy

The interaction of xenon with different proteins in aqueous solution is investigated by ¹²⁹Xe NMR spectroscopy. Chemical shifts are measured in horse metmyoglobin, hen egg white lysozyme, and horse cytochrome c solutions as a function of xenon concentration. In these systems, xenon is in fast exchange between all possible environments. The results suggest that nonspecific interactions exist between xenon and the protein exteriors and the data are analyzed in term of parameters which characterize the protein surfaces. The experimental data for horse metmyoglobin are interpreted using a model in which xenon forms a 1:1 complex with the protein and the chemical shift of the complexed xenon is reported (Locci et al., Keystone Symposia “Frontiers of NMR in Molecular Biology VI”, Jan. 9–15, 1999, Breckenridge, CO, Abstract E216, p. 53; Locci et al., XeMAT 2000 “Optical Polarization and Xenon NMR of Materials”, June 28–30, 2000, Sestri Levante, Italy, p. 46).     

Synthesis and mesomorphism behaviour of chalcones and pyrazoles type compounds as photo-luminescent materials

The following organic and organic–inorganic hybrid compounds were prepared as photo-luminescent materials following efficient and practical synthetic methods: 1,3-bis[4-(n-alkoxy)phenyl]-2-propen-1-one (where, n-alkoxy: O(CH₂)_nH, n = 6,7,8,9 or 10); 3,5-bis[4-(n-alkoxy)phenyl]-1H-pyrazole (where, n-alkoxy: O(CH₂)_nH, n = 6,7,8,9 or 10) (in case of n = 7, a mixture of 3,5-bis(4-heptyloxyphenyl)-1H-pyrazole and 3,5-bis(4-heptyloxyphenyl)-4H-pyrazole was detected) and bis(3,5-bis [4-(n-alkoxy) phenyl]-1H-pyrazole) silver(I) nitrate (where, n-alkoxy: O(CH₂)_nH, n = 6,7,8,9 or 10). The prepared compounds have been characterised and their structures were elucidated depending upon (FTIR, UV-Vis, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR, 2D ¹H-¹H-COSY, 2D ¹H-¹³C-HSQC and mass spectra) in addition to molar conductivity measurements for silver(I) complexes. The mesomorphism behaviour of the prepared compounds was studied using polarised light optical microscopy and confirmed with differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction techniques. The studies showed that among all of these compounds only the pyrazole derivatives are liquid crystal materials. The luminescent properties of all the prepared compounds were also investigated which confirmed that all of these compounds are photo-luminescent in the crystalline solid state and in the mesophase.     

A review on potential development of flame retardant kenaf fibers reinforced polymer composites

Kenaf fibers have been extensively explored from the past few decades in polymer composites industries owing to its extensive adaptations, excellent properties together with its comparable mechanical properties to traditional glass fibers polymer composites. The combustibility or lowered flame retardancy hampered the diverse applications of kenaf fibers reinforced polymer composites, as it affects the mechanical strength and stiffness of composites during fire. Current review article intended to be a comprehensive source of published literature involving the flame retardants (FRs), types and applications of FRs and the fabrication of kenaf fibers reinforced polymer composites. This article will also provide a perfect data on the recent development of the FR kenaf fibers polymer composites with different FRs and explored its structural and semi‐structural industrial application for performing further research in this topic. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

聚多巴胺功能化硅胶沉积单分散Pd纳米粒子的简易原位合成及用作醇需氧氧化反应的多相可循环使用的纳米催化剂（英文）

本文报道了一种不使用任何稳定剂或还原剂,原位合成硅胶/聚多巴胺复合物(SiO_2/PDA)负载的Pd纳米颗粒(Pd NPs)的简易方法.该方法先将PDA涂覆的SiO_2颗粒浸在Pd镀液中,然后利用PDA中含N基团的还原能力将Pd物种原位还原为纳米簇合物.并采用高分辨透射电镜、前场扫描电镜、能量散射谱、X射线衍射、X射线光电子能谱、诱导耦合等离子体和红外光谱等手段对所得纳米复合物的结构、形貌和物化性质进行了表征.被PDA基团锚合的Pd NPs具有显著的小颗粒(30–40 nm)特性.作为一个可循环使用的纳米催化剂,SiO_2/PDA/Pd NPs在醇的需氧氧化反应中表现出高活性.另外,催化剂经回收和多次重复使用时未出现明显的失活.     

Application of experimental design for optimization of erbium determination by high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using lanthanum as a chemical modifier

ABSTRACT

In this paper, lanthanum was used as a chemical modifier for the direct determination of erbium by high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. A two-step experimental design was used for optimization, first a full factorial design was conducted for identification of significant factors, and then a central composite design was carried out for final optimization of the significant factors. The optimum parameters were obtained as follows: atomization temperature of 2500°C, pyrolysis temperature of 1600°C, and pyrolysis time of 10?s in the presence of lanthanum as a chemical modifier. Under optimum conditions, the characteristic mass, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were 29?pg, 0.71, and 2.4?µg?L^?1, respectively. The precision of the method, estimated as the relative standard deviation for 10 replicate measurements of 50?µg?L^?1 of erbium, was 1.8%. The optimized method was applied to determine erbium content in sediments and rock samples. The determined values of erbium in sediment certified reference materials were in satisfactory agreement with the certified values according to the t-test for a 95% confidence level.     

An open source ion gate pulser for ion mobility spectrometry

Excluding the ion source, an ion mobility spectrometer is fundamentally comprised of drift chamber, ion gate, pulsing electronics, and a mechanism for amplifying and recording ion signals. Historically, the solutions to each of these challenges have been custom and rarely replicated exactly. For the IMS research community few detailed resources exist that explicitly detail the construction and operation of ion mobility systems. In an effort to address this knowledge gap we outline a solution to one of the key aspects of a drift tube ion mobility system, the ion gate pulser. Bradbury-Nielsen or Tyndall ion gates are found in nearly every research-grade and commercial IMS system. While conceptually simple, these gate structures often require custom, high-voltage, floating electronics. In this report we detail the operation and performance characteristics of a wifi-enabled, MOSFET-based pulser design that uses a lithium-polymer battery and does not require high voltage isolation transformers. Currently, each output of this circuit follows a TTL signal with ~20 ns rise and fall times, pulses up to +/? 200 V, and is entirely isolated using fiber optics. Detailed schematics and source code are provided to enable continued use of robust pulsing electronics that ease experimental efforts for future comparison.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Antimony(III) Complexes of Thioamides,and Crystal Structure of {[Sb(Imt)2Cl2]2((2‐Imt)}Cl2(Imt=Imidazolidine‐2‐thione)

Antimony(III) complexes of thioamides [thioamides=thiourea (Tu), N,N′‐dimethylthiourea (Dmtu), tetramethylthiourea (Tmtu), imidazolidine‐2‐thione (Imt) and diazinane‐2‐thione (Diaz)] with the general formulae, Sb(thione)_nCl₃ (n=1, 2, 2.5, 3) were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C) spectroscopic methods. The spectral data of the complexes are consistent with the coordination of the thiones to antimony(III). The crystal structure of one of them, {[Sb(Imt)₂Cl₂]₂(μ₂‐Imt)}Cl₂ ( 1 ), was determined by X‐ray crystallography, which shows that the complex is dinuclear consisting of two [Sb(Imt)₂Cl₂] units bridged by an Imt molecule. In 1 , the antimony atom is bonded to two chlorine atoms, two sulfur atoms of coordinated Imt molecules and one sulfur atom of a bridging Imt molecule. The antimony environment can be considered to be distorted octahedral with one Cl^? ion weakly bound to antimony.     

Simultaneous detection and quantification of parecoxib and valdecoxib in canine plasma by HPLC with spectrofluorimetric detection: development and validation of a new methodology

Parecoxib is the injectable prodrug of valdecoxib, a cicloxygenase-2 selective drug, currently used in human medicine. Recent studies have suggested both its excellent clinical effectiveness and wide safety profile. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a new high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with spectrofluorimetric detection method to quantify parecoxib and valdecoxib in canine plasma. Several parameters both in the extraction and the detection method were evaluated. The applicability of the method was determined by administering parecoxib to one dog: the protocol provided the expected pharmacokinetic results. The final mobile phase was acetonitrile: AcONH₄ (10 mM; pH 5.0) 55:45, v/v, with a flow rate of 0.4 mL min⁻¹, and excitation and emission wavelengths of 265 and 375 nm, respectively. The analytical column was a reverse-phase C18 ODS2 3-μm particle size. Protein precipitation in acidic medium followed by two successive liquid–liquid steps was carried out. The best extraction solvent was cyclohexane:Et₂O (3:2, v/v) that gave recoveries ranging from 81.1% to 89.1% and from 94.8% to 103.6% for parecoxib and valdecoxib, respectively. The limits of quantification were 25 and 10 ng mL⁻¹ for parecoxib and valdecoxib, respectively. The chromatographic runs were specific with no interfering peaks at the retention times of the analytes, as confirmed by HPLC–mass spectrometry experiments. The other validation parameters were in agreement with the European Medicines Evaluation Agency and International Conference on Harmonisation guidelines. In conclusion, this method (extraction, separation and applied techniques) is simple and effective. This is the first time that use of a HPLC with spectrofluorimetric detection technique to simultaneously detect parecoxib and valdecoxib in plasma has been reported. This technique may have applications for pharmacokinetic studies.     

Directed segregation in compartmentalized bi-disperse granular gas

A bi-disperse granular gas in an asymmetrical two-compartment system is studied experimentally.The presence of asymmetry within the range of our experimental parameters results in a directed segregated state and a directed clustering state.This deterministic system does not depend on the initial conditions.A modified flux model based on Lohse’s flux model for bi-disperse granular gases is derived.The modified flux model explains qualitatively the experimental results.