A practical approach to assessment of sampling uncertainty

The paper reports the approach followed in the SOILSAMP project, funded by the National Environmental Protection Agency (ANPA)of Italy. SOILSAMP is aimed at assessing uncertainties associated with soil sampling in agricultural, semi-natural, urban, and industrial environments. The uncertainty assessment is based on a bottom-up approach, according to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). A designated agricultural area, which has been characterized in terms of elemental spatial distribution, will be used in future as a reference site for soil sampling intercomparison exercises. Received: 19 November 2001 Accepted: 6 January 2002     

Temperature dependent deuterium quadrupole coupling constants of short hydrogen bonds

Very short hydrogen bonds universally show large positive dependences of the deuterium NMR quadrupolar coupling constant with temperature. We present temperature dependent NMR data for eight such systems, with OO distances of between 238 and 250 pm, and show we can model the temperature dependences by density functional methods, as long as proper attention is paid to intermolecular effects and intermode couplings.     

Direct evidence of singlet molecular oxygen [O2(1Deltag)] production in the reaction of linoleic acid hydroperoxide with peroxynitrite

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-), a biologically active species, can induce lipid peroxidation in biological membranes, thereby leading to the formation of various hydroperoxides. We report herein on the formation of singlet molecular oxygen [O(2) ((1)Delta(g))] in the reaction of peroxynitrite with linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LAOOH) or (18)O-labeled LAOOH. The formation of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) was characterized by (i) dimol light emission in the red spectral region (lambda > 570 nm) using a red-sensitive photomultiplier; (ii) monomol light emission in the near-infrared region (lambda = 1270 nm) with a liquid nitrogen-cooled germanium diode or a photomultiplier coupled to a monochromator; (iii) the enhacing effect of deuterium oxide on chemiluminescence intensity, as well as the quenching effect of sodium azide; and (iv) chemical trapping of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) or (18)O-labeled O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) with the 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) and detection of the corresponding DPAO(2) or (18)O-labeled DPA endoperoxide by HPLC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Moreover, the presence of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) was unequivocally demonstrated by a direct spectral characterization of the near-infrared light emission attributed to the transition of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) to the triplet ground state. For the sake of comparison, O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) deriving from the thermolysis of the endoperoxide of 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene or from the H(2)O(2)/hypochlorite and H(2)O(2)/molybdate systems were also monitored. These novel observations identified the generation of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) in the reaction of LAOOH with peroxynitrite, suggesting a potential O(2) ((1)Delta(g))-dependent mechanism that contributes to cytotoxicity mediated by lipid hydroperoxides and peroxynitrite reactions in biological systems.     

Synthesis of alpha-acyl-functionalized azacycles by Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of alpha-alkoxyboronates with lactam-derived vinyl triflates

Alkoxydienyl- and alkoxystyrylboronates were used for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with lactam-derived vinyl triflates. The hydrolysis of the coupling products with alkoxystyrylboronates provided the corresponding alpha-acyl-substituted 3,4-dihydro-(2H)-pyridines and 2,3,4,5-tetrahydroazepines in good to high yields. The hydrolysis of the coupling products with alkoxydienylboronates, performed in the presence of Amberlyst 15, resulted in a Nazarov-type cyclization that afforded hexahydro[1]pyrindin-7-ones and 3,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-(2H)-cyclopenta[b]azepin-8-ones. This methodology represents a novel and efficient procedure for the preparation of these classes of azacyclic compounds.     

Spatially resolved gas phase composition measurements in supersonic flows using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

We used a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer to follow the condensation of D(2)O in a supersonic Laval nozzle. We measured both the concentration of the condensible vapor and the spectroscopic temperature as a function of position and compared the results to those inferred from static pressure measurements. Upstream and in the early stages of condensation, the quantitative agreement between the different experimental techniques is good. Far downstream, the spectroscopic results predict a lower gas phase concentration, a higher condensate mass fraction, and a higher temperature than the pressure measurements. The difference between the two measurement techniques is consistent with a slight compression of the boundary layers along the nozzle walls during condensation.     

Quantitative determination of fluoride as a major pollutant in the emissions from the thermal treatment of clayey raw materials

Three clayey raw materials for production of traditional ceramics, all with medium to high fluorine content, have been investigated for determining their attitude to fluoride emission during firing, at varying parameters of the firing cycle, maximum firing temperature included, and in the presence or in the absence of calcium carbonate either added to the sample or naturally present in it. Different analytical methods for the determination of fluoride have been tested, together with different sample preparation procedures aimed to obtain minimum loss of fluoride in the pre-treatment step.     

Regio- and stereoselectivity of the addition of O-, S-, N-, and C-nucleophiles to the beta vinyl oxirane derived from D-glucal

6-O-Trityl- (1a) and 6-(O-benzyl)-substituted epoxide (1b) derived from D-glucal were examined in their addition reactions with O-, C-, N-, and S-nucleophiles. A 1,4-regio- and beta-stereoselective or an anti 1,2-addition pathway is commonly observed depending on the ability of the nucleophile to coordinate with the oxirane oxygen. When TMSN(3) or LiN(3) are used as azide-based nucleophiles, a 1,2-syn-addition pathway is also observed.     

Activation of chlorobenzene as phenylating agent by means of a dinitrogen-molybdenum complex

Bis(dinitrogen)bis[1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane]molybdenum reacts with chlorobenzene to form molybdenum chloro complexes and phenylated organic products. Benzene, biphenyl, o-, m-, p-chlorobiphenyl, a dihydro derivative of o-chlorobiphenyl, triphenylphosphine and diphenylvinylphosphine were formed. The isomer distribution of the chlorobiphenyls is close to that obtained by decomposition of 0.02 M benzoyl peroxide in chlorobenzene under dinitrogen. The cleavage of the PhCl bond induced by the molybdenum-dinitrogen complex appears to give rise to the same homolytic reaction pattern. Phenylation of anisole and of triethyl phosphite has also been achieved with the same reagent.     

Effects of Al(III) speciation on cell membranes and molecular models

Aluminum, a very abundant metal, might play an important role in several pathologies which could be related to its interactions with cell membranes. Although the effects of Al(III) on biological membranes have been extensively described, direct information concerning the molecular basis of its biological activity is rather scarce. One reason for this lack of molecular information is the ill-defined chemical speciation of the metal compounds utilized in toxicological experimental protocols. Another is the complex molecular structure of cell membranes. For this reason, molecular models consisting in phospholipid bilayers are commonly used. In this review the interaction of four Al(III) compounds with phospholipid bilayers built-up of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) and their effects on ion channels present in isolated toad skins are discussed. The aluminum compounds are Al(acac)₃, AlCl₃, AlF₃ and the Al-citrate complex [K₅Al(C₆H₄O₇)₂]. It is concluded that they interact with and produce different structural and functional effects on the model and biological membranes. X-ray diffraction revealed that AlCl₃ (1 mM) induced the most damaging effects to both DMPC and DMPE bilayers whereas the Al-citrate complex caused only slight perturbation, the effects of Al(acac)₃ and AlF₃ being intermediate. The inhibitory effects on the isolated skin, in descending order, were (100 μM): AlCl₃, possibly by indirect and direct inactivation of Na⁺ channels and/or perturbation of an ATPase; AlF₃, by direct inactivation of the Na⁺ channel and mild ATPase inhibition; Al-citrate, by decrease of Na⁺ permeability, and lastly, Al(acac)₃, which decreased Na⁺ transport only at far higher concentration (250 μM).