Speciation of copper in fresh waters

The cations and readily dissociable complexes of copper are separated from copper adsorbed on inorganic and organic particulate species in river and pond waters by selective sorption on a strong-acid cation-exchange resin, AG 50W-X12, and a chelating resin, Chelex-100, for atomic absorption spectrometry. The sorption behaviour after the pH change and removal of carbon dioxide suggests that the dominant low-molecular-weight copper species in river waters are neutral CuCO⁰₃ and Cu²⁺ ions.     

Novel derivatization and immunoextraction to improve microanalysis of 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 in human urine

A new, highly selective procedure for the determination of 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 (11-dehydro-TXB2) in human urine is described. Following the addition of [19,19,20,20-2H4]11-dehydro-TXB2 as an internal standard, samples were extracted with an affinity column of anti-11-dehydro-TXB2. Conversion of the immunoextracted 11-dehydro-TXB2 into its 1-methyl ester-11-n-propylamide-9,12,15-tris-dimethylisopropylsilyl ether derivative was followed by gas chromatography-selected-ion monitoring. The mass spectrum of the 11-dehydro-TXB2 derivative was dominated by the base peak ion of [M-C3H7]+ at m/z 698, which accounted for more than 10% of the total ion current. A typical result showed that the immunoaffinity purification procedures provided an extremely clean alternative to more conventional methods of chromatographic fractionation, and that interfering substances from the urine matrix were almost entirely eliminated during the microanalysis.     

Chiral,Thermally Irreversible and Quasi-Stealth Photochromic Dopant to Control Selective Reflection Wavelength of Cholesteric Liquid Crystal

A chiral and thermally irreversible photochromic fulgide derivative incorporating an (R)-binaphthol unit in its acid anhydride moiety was used for the photoswitching of the pitch length of cholesteric liquid crystals. Since the absorption maximum wavelengths of both thermally stable photoisomers are nearly in the UV region (quasi-stealth photochromism), it can be exposed to visible light without inducing photochromic reactions. Therefore, when the photoswitching molecule is added to a permanent cholesteric liquid crystal whose reflection light wavelength is in the visible region, the UV light-induced photochromic reaction of the photoswitching molecule changes the wavelength of the reflection light in the visible light region. We have succeeded in regulating the color of cholesteric liquid crystalline cells between red and blue upon UV light irradiation. Attempts to introduce this system in polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystals are also described.     

Two new dioxopiperazine derivatives, arestrictins A and B, isolated from Aspergillus restrictus and Aspergillus penicilloides

In the course of searching for bioactive substances, two new dioxopiperazine derivatives, arestrictins A (1) and B (2), were isolated along with the known dioxopiperazine, cristatin A (3), and the known peptide, asperglucide (4), from the organic extract of the xerophilic fungi, Aspergillus restrictus and Aspergillus penicilloides. The absolute structures of 1 and 2, except for the configuration of the secondary alcohol in 1, were established by spectroscopic and chemical investigation. The absolute configuration of cristatin A (3) was also determined.     

Determination of trace heavy metals associated with suspended particulate matter in pond water by microscale anodic stripping voltammetry

Summary Less than 1 milligram of suspended particulate matter in a 50-ml water sample was separated by centrifugation, decomposed with 22l of 21010 perchloric-nitric-hydrofluoric acid mixture, and analyzed for copper, lead, cadmium and zinc by microscale differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry with a hanging mercury drop electrode in 300l of 0.06M perchloric acid. The procedure was simple and rapid, because a single Teflon microvessel was used throughout the whole procedure.

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Bestimmung von Schwermetallspuren in suspendierten Teilchen in Teichwasser durch Anodic Stripping Voltammetry im Mikromaßstab

Zusammenfassung Weniger als 1 mg suspendierter Teilchenmaterie wurde durch Zentrifugieren abgetrennt, mit 22l eines Gemisches HClO₄HNO₃HF (21010) zersetzt und darin Cu, Pb, Cd und Zn durchDifferential-Pulse-Anodic-Stripping-Voltammetrymit hängender Hg-Tropfelektrode in 300 l 0.06M Perchlorsäure bestimmt. Das Verfahren ist einfach und schnell, es bedarf dazu nur eines Mikrokölbchens aus Teflon.

     

Tackling the omitted variables problem without the strong assumptions of proxies

Omitted variables that interact with included independent variables change the vertical placement of observations. Thus, by projecting the data to an output oriented VRS DEA frontier, the influence of omitted variables can be eliminated. After this is done once, the efficient observations can be eliminated and the process repeated. Each subsequent iteration shows the relationship between the dependant and known independent variable for progressively less favorable omitted variables. Building on these ideas, we introduce a new analytical technique named “Reiterative Truncated Projected Least Squares” (RTPLS). We provide both a theoretical argument and simulation evidence that RTPLS produces less bias than ordinary least squares (OLS) when there are omitted variables that interact with the included variables. By way of example, we show how omitted variables have affected the relationship between the monetary base (MB) and the money supply (M2 + CDs) for Japan using monthly data from January 1970 to April 2003.