Headspace SPME–GC Method for Acetone Analysis and its Biomedical Application

A new method for extraction and analysis of acetone in human urine based on headspace solid phase microextraction using a mixture of activated carbon and zeolite as sorbents in a PVC matrix coated on a silver wire and its application to the determination of ketone bodies is described. Unlike commercial fibers, which are coated on fused silica, the coating adheres strongly to the silver wire and is thermally stable up to 250 °C. After optimization of coating composition and microextraction conditions the fiber was used for the analysis of acetone in human urine.     

A sunlight-induced method for rapid biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using an <Emphasis Type="Italic">Andrachnea chordifolia</Emphasis> ethanol extract

In this study a sunlight-induced method for rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles using an ethanol extract of Andrachnea chordifolia is described. The silver nitrate solutions (1 mM) containing the ethanol extract of Andrachnea chordifolia were irradiated by both sunlight radiation and by sunlight radiation passed through different colored filters (red, yellow or green). The smallest size of silver nanoparticles was obtained when a silver ion solution was irradiated for 5 minutes by direct sunlight radiation. Further examination of the shape and size and of the surface chemistry of these biogenic silver nanoparticles, which were prepared under sunlight radiation, was carried out using transmission electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy images show spherical particles with an average size of 3.4 nm. Hydroxyl residues were also detected on the surface of these biogenic silver nanoparticles fabricated using plant extract of Andrachnea chordifolia under sunlight radiation. Our study on the reduction of silver ions by this plant extract in darkness shows that the synthesis process can take place under dark conditions at much longer incubations (48 hours). Larger silver polydispersed nanoparticles ranging in size from 3 to 30 nm were obtained when the silver ions were treated with the ethanol extract of Andrachnea chordifolia under dark conditions for 48 hours.     

A dynamical formulation of one-dimensional scattering theory and its applications in optics

We develop a dynamical formulation of one-dimensional scattering theory where the reflection and transmission amplitudes for a general, possibly complex and energy-dependent, scattering potential are given as solutions of a set of dynamical equations. By decoupling and partially integrating these equations, we reduce the scattering problem to a second order linear differential equation with universal initial conditions that is equivalent to an initial-value time-independent Schrödinger equation. We give explicit formulas for the reflection and transmission amplitudes in terms of the solution of either of these equations and employ them to outline an inverse-scattering method for constructing finite-range potentials with desirable scattering properties at any prescribed wavelength. In particular, we construct optical potentials displaying threshold lasing, antilasing, and unidirectional invisibility.     

Critical properties of mixed spin-1 and spin-5/2 with equal and unequal crystal fields

The effects of assuming equal or unequal crystal fields (CF) on the phase diagrams of a mixed spin-1 and spin-5/2 system are investigated in terms of the recursion relations on the Bethe lattice (BL). The equal CF case was considered for the coordination numbers q=3, 4, and 6, while for q=3 the unequal CF case was also studied. It was found that for the equal CF case, the model exhibits second-order phase transitions and two compensation temperatures for all q, the reentrant behavior for q=4 and first-order phase transitions and tricritical point (TCP) for q=6. In the unequal CF case for q=3, the system yields first- and second-order phase transitions, TCP's, and three compensation temperatures. In addition, the TCP's in a very short range are classified as the stable and unstable ones depending on their free energies.     

Synthetic approach for novel bis(α‐aminophosphonic acid) derivatives of chromone containing 1,2,4,3‐triazaphosphole moieties

Terephthalic acid hydrazide ( 1 ) was reacted with phenylphosphonic dichloride to yield bis(1,3,4,2‐oxadiazaphosphole) derivative 3 , which was condensed with α‐aminophosphonic acid derivative 4 to afford bis[(1,2,4,3‐triazaphospholyl)(chromonyl)methylphosphonic acid] derivative 5 . The addition of diethyl phosphite to Schiff bases 9 and 10 derived from the condensation of bis(4‐amino‐1,2,4,3‐triazaphosphole) derivative 6 or bis(4‐phosphorylamino‐1,2,4,3‐triazaphosphole) derivative 7 with 3‐formyl‐6‐methylchromone ( 8 ) yielded bis[(1,2,4,3‐triazaphospholyl)(chromonyl)aminomethylphosphonate] derivative 11 and bis[(1,2,4,3‐triazaphospholyl)(chromonyl)phosphorylamino‐methylphosphonate] derivative 12 , respectively. The structures of all products were established by elemental analysis and spectral data. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 20:117–122, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20520     

K2CO3/H2O in [omim][BF4] Ionic Liquid: A Green Medium for Efficient Room‐Temperature Synthesis of N‐Substituted 1,4‐Benzoxazin‐3‐ones

A medium consisting of K₂CO₃ and H₂O in [omim][BF₄] ionic liquid (IL) was used to synthesize N‐substituted 2H‐benzo[b][1,4]oxazin‐3(4H)‐one derivatives from their corresponding o‐aminophenols and 2‐bromoalkanoates. As a result, chemoselective formation of benzoxazinones in high yields has been observed at room temperature. After the reactions and separation of the products, the IL was recovered and successfully reused in subsequent reactions without significant loss of activity.     

Simple and Highly Efficient Catalytic Thiocyanation of Aromatic Compounds in Aqueous Media

Two simple, mild, and efficient procedures for the thiocyanation of N‐heterocycles, substituted anilines (electron‐rich and electron‐deficient), and N‐substituted aromatic amines at room temperature are reported (Table 3). The first uses H₂O₂ as pollution‐free oxidant and the second H₅IO₆; both with the reagent potassium thiocyanate in H₂O as solvent. These procedures provided the target thiocyanates after a short reaction time in good to excellent yields and high regioselectivity.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Diphenyltin(IV) Dicarboxylates Containing Germanium

Twelve new germanium substituted diphenyltin dipropionates with the general formula (R¹GeCHR²‐CHR³COO)₂SnPh₂ where R¹ = N(CH₂CH₂O)₃, (C₆H₅)₃ and (CH₃C₆H₄)₃, R² = H, CH₃, C₆H₅, p‐CH₃C₆H₄, p‐CH₃OC₆H₄, p‐ClC₆H₄, and R³ = H, CH₃ have been synthesized by the reaction of diphenyltin oxide with a germanium substituted propionic acid. All the compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, multi‐nuclear (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn) NMR and Mössbauer spectroscopies as well as mass spectrometry. The in vitro antibacterial activity of selected compounds is also reported.     

Fuzzy model prediction of Co (III)Al2O3 catalytic behavior in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

The application of Co(Ⅲ)/Al2O3 catalyst in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis(FTS)was studied in a wide range of synthesis gas conversions and compared with Fuzzy Simulation results.Present study applies fuzzy model to predicting the product composition of CH4,CO2 and CO in Fischer-Tropsch process for natural gas synthesis,in which the input vector was 4-dimension including four variables(operating pressure, operating temperature,time and CO/H2 ratio)of 70 different experiments and the output product is a composition of CO2,CO and CH4. The Mamdani algorithm has been applied to the training of the fuzzy system and the test set was used to evaluate the performance of the system including R2,ARE,AARE and SD.The results demonstrated that the predicted values from the model were in good consistency with the experimental data.The work indicates how fuzzy inference system(FIS),as a promising predicting technique,would be effectively used in FTS.     

Towards single cell heat shock response by accurate control on thermal confinement with an on-chip microwire electrode

Metal electrodes with micron scale width enable the heating of less than a dozen cells in a confluent layer at predictable temperatures up to 85 °C with an accuracy of ±2 °C. Those performances were obtained by a preliminary robust temperature calibration based on biotin-rhodamine fluorescence and by controlling the temperature map on the substrate through thermal modeling. The temperature accuracy was proved by inducing the expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) in a few NIH-3T3 cells through a confined and precise temperature rise. Our device is therefore effective to locally induce a heat shock response with almost single-cell resolution. Furthermore, we show that cells heated at a higher temperature than the one of heat shock remain alive without producing HSP. Electrode deposition being one of the most common engineering processes, the fabrication of electrode arrays with a simple control circuit is clearly within reach for parallel testing. This should enable the study of several key mechanisms such as cell heat shock, death or signaling. In nanomedicine, controlled drug release by external stimuli such as for example temperature has attracted much attention. Our device could allow fast and efficient testing of thermoactivable drug delivery systems.