Measurement of benzene concentration in urban air using passive sampling

The concentration of benzene in urban air in the Tri-City area of Poland (Gdańsk–Sopot–Gdynia, and Tczew) was assessed using diffusive passive samplers (Radiello). Samples were collected during a four-year monitoring campaign (2007–2010) at selected monitoring stations managed by the Agency of Regional Air Quality Monitoring in the Gdańsk Metropolitan Area (ARMAAG) Foundation. The performance of the passive samplers was investigated in a field study that measured the benzene concentration in urban air. The results obtained by the Radiello samplers were compared with the results obtained using an on-line monitor (Chrompack CP 7001). Statistical analysis of the results obtained by the two different techniques (passive and on-line) was performed by a linear regression method (Student’s t-test). The influence of temperature fluctuations on the uptake rate behavior of the passive samplers was also investigated.     

Spectroscopic and Structural Study of a New Conducting Pyrazolium Salt

The increase in conductivity with temperature in 1H-pyrazol-2-ium 2,6-dicarboxybenzoate monohydrate was analyzed, and the influence of the mobility of the water was discussed in this study. The electric properties of the salt were studied using the impedance spectroscopy method. WB97XD/6-311++G(d,p) calculations were performed, and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAiM) approach and the Hirshfeld surface method were applied to analyze the hydrogen bond interaction. It was found that temperature influences the spectroscopic properties of pyrazolium salt, particularly the carbonyl and hydroxyl frequencies. The influence of water molecules, connected by three-center hydrogen bonds with co-planar tetrameters, on the formation of structural defects is also discussed in this report.     

Physicochemical Properties,Fatty Acid Composition,Volatile Compounds of Blueberries,Cranberries, Raspberries,and Cuckooflower Seeds Obtained Using Sonication Method

Every year, thousands of tons of fruit seeds are discarded as agro-industrial by-products around the world. Fruit seeds are an excellent source of oils, monounsaturated fatty acids, and n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. This study aimed to develop a novel technology for extracting active substances from selected seeds that were obtained after pressing fruit juices. The proposed technology involved sonification with the use of ethyl alcohol at a low extraction temperature. Seeds of four species—blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), and cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis)—were used for extraction. Following alcohol evaporation under nitrogen, the antioxidant activity, chemical composition, and volatile compounds of the obtained extracts were analyzed using chromatographic methods, including gas chromatography (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS) (GC–MS/MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography–MS. We analyzed physicochemical properties, fatty acid, and volatile compounds composition, sterol and tocochromanol content of blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, and cuckooflower seed oils obtained by sonication. This method is safe and effective, and allows for obtaining valuable oils from the seeds.     

Chemical Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Spreng. at the Southern Border of the Geographical Range of the Species in Europe

The bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Spreng.) is a source of herbal material—bearberry leaf (Uvae ursi folium), which is highly valued and sought by pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. For many years, leaves of this plant have been used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory agent for various diseases of the urogenital tract. The bearberry has also been proposed as a natural antioxidant additive due to the high contents of phenolic compounds in its leaves. The study was focused on characterization of the basic phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts derived from bearberry leaves collected from plants located at the southern border of the geographical range of the species in Europe. The investigated herbal material is characterized by a different chemical profile compared to the chemical profiles of bearberry found in other parts of the continent. Bearberry extracts from plants growing in two different habitat types—heathlands and pine forests showed a wide range of variation, especially in the concentration of hyperoside, corilagin, and methylartutin and the total flavonoid contents. In addition to arbutin, bearberry can be a valuable source of phenolic compounds, which are mainly responsible for the antioxidant properties of extracts. The high content of phenols and high values of antioxidant parameters indicate a high potential of bearberry leaves to be used as a powerful natural source of antioxidants in herbal preparations. Therefore, the A. uva-ursi populations can be a source of plant material for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.     

Antimicrobial,Cytotoxic and Mutagenic Activity of Gemini QAS Derivatives of 1,4:3,6-Dianhydro-l-iditol

A series of quaternary diammonium salts derivatives of 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-l-iditol were synthesized, using isommanide (1,4:3,6-dianhydro-d-mannitol) as a starting material. Both aromatic (pyridine, 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP), (3-carboxamide)pyridine; N-methylimidazole) and aliphatic (trimethylamine, N,N-dimethylhexylamine, N,N-dimethyloctylamine, N,N-dimethyldecylamine) amines were used, giving eight gemini quaternary ammonium salts (QAS). All salts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against yeasts, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, as well as bacterial Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli reference strains. Moreover, antibacterial activity against 20 isolates of S. aureus collected from patients with skin and soft tissue infections (n = 8) and strains derived from subclinical bovine mastitis milk samples (n = 12) were evaluated. Two QAS with octyl and decyl residues exhibited antimicrobial activity, whereas those with two decyl residues proved to be the most active against the tested pathogens, with MIC of 16–32, 32, and 8 µg/mL for yeast, E. coli, and S. aureus reference and clinical strains, respectively. Only QAS with decyl residues proved to be cytotoxic in MTT assay against human keratinocytes (HaCaT), IC₅₀ 12.8 ± 1.2 μg/mL. Ames test was used to assess the mutagenic potential of QAS, and none of them showed mutagenic activity in the concentration range 4–2000 µg/plate.     

Application of Dipotassium Glycoxides–Activated 18-Crown-6 for the Synthesis of Poly(propylene oxide) with Increased Molar Mass

Mono- and dipotassium salts of dipropylene glycol were applied for the polymerization of propylene oxide in mild conditions, i.e., tetrahydrofuran solution at ambient temperature. The structure of polymers was investigated by use of ¹³C NMR and MALDI-TOF techniques. The structure depends strongly on the kind of initiator and additives that are used such as coronand 18-crown-6 and dipropylene glycol. The lowest unsaturation, represented by allyloxy starting groups, has the polymer obtained by use of monopotassium salt without the ligand. The highest unsaturation degree is for the polymer synthesized in the presence of dipotassium salt–activated 18-crown-6. This polymer, obtained at high initial monomer concentration and low initial concentration of initiator, consists of two fractions, i.e., a low molar mass fraction (M_n = 9400) containing mainly macromolecules with alkoxide starting and end groups and a much higher molar mass fraction (M_n = 29500 g/mol) containing macromolecules with allyloxy starting groups and alkoxide or hydroxyl end groups. Addition of free glycol to this system decreases the molar mass of polymers. Similar results were obtained by use of dipotassium salts of other glycols. The mechanisms of the studied processes are discussed.     

Electron attachment to chlorouracil: a comparison between 6-ClU and 5-ClU

Low energy electron impact to the isomers 6-chlorouracil (6-ClU) and 5-chlorouracil (5-ClU) yields a variety of negative ion fragments with surprisingly high cross sections. These ions are dominantly formed via sharply structured resonance features at energies below the threshold for electronic excitation and result from dissociative electron attachment (DEA). The most dominant DEA channel is formation of (M-HCl)-, i.e., ejection of a neutral HCl molecule with the negative charge remaining on the ring. The reaction cross section is 9 x 10(-18) m2 and 5 x 10(-18) m2 for 6-Cl and 5-ClU, respectively, and thus about two orders of magnitude higher than the geometrical cross section of the molecule. Further reactions also operative via low energy resonances (<2.5 eV) are Cl- abstraction, dehydrogenation [formation of (M-H)-, M=ClU], and DEA processes associated with a ring opening. Most of the ion yield curves exhibit remarkably sharp structures which have not been observed before in DEA to a polyatomic system. Although some possibilities on their origin are discussed, their interpretation remains a challenge for theory and further experiments. While electron attachment to both 6-ClU and 5-ClU generates fragments of the same stoichiometric composition, their ion yields and also their relative intensities show some very pronounced differences which can be explained by the different structure but also the different energetic situation in the two isomers.     

Study of the temperature-dependent near-infrared spectra of water by two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy and principal components analysis

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is an important analytical tool in monitoring properties of systems for that water is a major constituent. For such objects of analysis a quality of information extracted from the NIR spectra depends essentially on used methods of analysis of a massive absorbance of water. Correctly chosen method should be able to identified rational number of overlapped components hidden under the broad band of water. The resolved components have to be justified on grounds of the structure of water and by relation to the properties a hydrogen-bonded network of water molecules. The interest in the correlation is imposed by a fact that hydrogen bonds of water around nonpolar group are significantly strengthened and weakened around polar groups. Intensity variations classified in this context could be valuable source of information on varying properties of the solute molecules embedded in water environment. Therefore, there is a big interest in methods that have a power for detailed analysis of the intensity changes in the broad NIR spectra. Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) and principal component analysis (PCA) are our proposition. In the analysis of the temperature-dependent NIR spectra of water by means of the two methods we have focused on the interpretation of the 2DCOS results through the concept of linear and nonlinear relationships. Moreover, a cascaded curve fitting procedure has been employed. Presented approach should be very instructive of how to interpret the features of the 2D results that frequently is not a straightforward task.     

The influence of the mobile phase pH and the stationary phase type on the selectivity tuning in high performance liquid chromatography nucleosides separation

Analysis of the modified nucleosides is particularly important in the medical area because of a possibility of cancerogenic processes studies. The aim of this work was to study the selectivity tuning of modified nucleosides through the investigations of interactions analyte (modified nucleoside) <==> stationary phase <==> mobile phase. A series of homemade stationary phases with different surface properties has been utilized. All of them contain various interaction sites such as: cholesterol (SG-CHOL); n-acylamide (SG-CHOL, SG-AP); aminopropyl (SG-CHOL, SG-AP, SG-NH2, SG-MIX); cyanopropyl, phenyl, octyl (SG-MIX), octadecyl (SG-MIX, SG-C18) and silanols localized on the silica gel surface of all packings. The attempt to predict the main interactions responsible for the retention between nucleosides and stationary phase ligands was done on the basis of the elemental analysis, and proportional part of an individual ligand bonded to silica surface results. In order to study the influence of different packing types on the analyzed nucleosides retention, the relationship between pH of the mobile phase buffer and the selectivity of a stationary phase was investigated.