A surface fit approach with a disposable optical tongue for alkaline ion analysis

A disposable optical tongue for the alkaline ions Na(I) and K(I) is described. The two-sensor layout prepared on a transparent support consists of non-specific polymeric membranes working by ionophore-chromoionophore chemistry. The non-specific behavior of the membranes was controlled by means of the crown ether-type ionophore present. The imaging of the tongue, after reaction for 3 min with the unknown solution, by means of a conventional flatbed scanner working by transmission mode, makes it possible to calculate the H (hue) value of the hue, saturation, value (HSV) color space used as a robust and precise analytical parameter. The modelling of the response of the two-sensor tongue as a sigmoidal surface is used to characterize the behavior of the tongue and as a basis to infer the concentration values. To compute the concentration of two analytes from the two hue values obtained using the optical tongue, a surface fit approach was used. The tongue works over a wide dynamic range (1.0×10(-4)-0.1 M both in Na(I) and K(I)). The sensing membranes show good intramembrane (1.4% RSD) and intermembrane precision (0.71% RSD) and lifetime (around 45 days in darkness). The procedure was used to analyze Na(I) and K(I) in different types of natural waters (tap and mineral), validating the results against a reference procedure.     

Excited electron-bubble states in superfluid 4He: a time-dependent density functional approach

We present a systematic study on the excited electron-bubble states in superfluid (4)He using a time-dependent density functional approach. For the evolution of the 1P bubble state, two different functionals accompanied with two different time-development schemes are used, namely an accurate finite-range functional for helium with an adiabatic approximation for electron versus an efficient zero-range functional for helium with a real-time evolution for electron. We make a detailed comparison between the quantitative results obtained from the two methods, which allow us to employ with confidence the optimal method for suitable problems. Based on this knowledge, we use the finite-range functional to calculate the time-resolved absorption spectrum of the 1P bubble, which in principle can be experimentally determined, and we use the zero-range functional to real-time evolve the 2P bubble for several hundreds of picoseconds, which is theoretically interesting due to the break down of adiabaticity for this state. Our results discard the physical realization of relaxed, metastable configurations above the 1P state.     

超高效液相色谱-质谱法比较黑顺片单煎液及其复方煎煮液中次乌头碱在大鼠体内的吸收

为了研究有毒中药中主要成分的体内吸收,以黑顺片单煎液及其复方煎煮液“术附汤”和“甘草附子汤”灌胃大鼠血浆中的次乌头碱为检测指标,建立了血浆中次乌头碱的超高效液相色谱-四极杆飞行时间质谱(UPLC/Q-TOF MS)检测方法,并采用内标法对其进行了含量测定,绘制了血药浓度-时间曲线,计算了药动学参数。方法学考察结果表明血中次乌头碱在0.02～10 ng/mL范围内呈现良好的线性关系;样品测定结果表明,“术附汤”中的某种或某些成分抑制了次乌头碱的体内吸收,而“甘草附子汤”中的某种或某些成分促进了次乌头碱的体内吸收,两复方功效差异可能来源于次乌头碱在体内吸收程度的不同。由3种煎煮液中次乌头碱的消除半衰期(T1/2)及血药浓度-时间曲线下面积(AUC)值推测次乌头碱在大鼠体内的转运过程为非线性动力学过程。     

A zebrafish scale assay to monitor dioxin-like activity in surface water samples

New regulations on water quality require a close control of the possible biological activities known or unexpected pollutants may bring about. We present here a protocol based on the direct exposure of zebrafish to river water and the analysis of expression of specific genes in their scales to determine the presence of compounds with dioxin-like biological activity. The method does not require the killing of animals and allows detection of the biological activity after a single day of exposure. When tested, the method with real samples from the Llobregat River, clear temporal and spatial variations were observed, demonstrating its suitability for monitoring natural variations in water quality linked to specific discharges. High biological activities were unrelated to the currently checked water quality parameters (macropollutants, turbidity, TOC, etc.), but they did correlate with the presence of micropollutants (estrogens, detergents, etc.) related to domestic and/or industrial runoffs. The scale assay therefore provides a new tool to evaluate water quality changes that cannot be easily derived from the existing standard analytical procedures. It ranks among the very few described protocols able to detect biological effects from natural water samples, without a pre-concentration step, and after only 24 h of exposure.     

On cyclic Meir-Keeler contractions in metric spaces

Cyclic Meir-Keeler contractions are considered under the recently introduced WUC and HW properties on pairs of subsets of metric spaces. We show that, in contrast with previous results in the theory, best proximity point theorems under these properties do not directly extend from cyclic contractions to cyclic Meir-Keeler contractions. We obtain, however, a positive result for cyclic Meir-Keeler contractions under additional properties which is shown to be an extension of already existing results for cyclic contractions. Moreover, we give examples supporting the necessity of our additional conditions.     

Determination of cusp forms by central values of Rankin–Selberg <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">L</Emphasis>-functions<Superscript>*</Superscript>

Let f be a fixed holomorphic Hecke eigen cusp form of weight k for \( SL\left( {2,{\mathbb Z}} \right) \), and let \( {\mathcal U} = \left\{ {{u_j}:j \geqslant 1} \right\} \) be an orthonormal basis of Hecke–Maass cusp forms for \( SL\left( {2,{\mathbb Z}} \right) \). We prove an asymptotic formula for the twisted first moment of the Rankin–Selberg L-functions \( L\left( {s,f \otimes {u_j}} \right) \) at \( s = \frac{1}{2} \) as u _j runs over \( {\mathcal U} \). It follows that f is uniquely determined by the central values of the family of Rankin–Selberg L-functions \( \left\{ {L\left( {s,f \otimes {u_j}} \right):{u_j} \in {\mathcal U}} \right\} \).     

Synthesis and characterization of nanomagnetite particles and their polymer coated forms

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles were prepared by coprecipitation of ferrous (Fe(2+)) and ferric (Fe(3+)) aqueous solution by a base. Nanomagnetite particles were coated with poly(St/PEG-EEM/DMAPM) and poly(St/PEG-MA/DMAPM) layer by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization. Chemical structure of nanoparticles was characterized by both FTIR and (1)H NMR. Particle morphologies were determined by Zeta Sizer, DLS, XRD and SAXS. Structural analysis showed that after polymer coating nanomagnetite particles kept their superparamagnetic property. Besides the synthesized magnetites, polymer coated forms of these particles are more biocompatible, well dispersable and uniform. These properties make them a very strong candidate for bioengineering applications, such as bioseparation, gene transfer.     

Synthesis of Fe3O4@poly(methylmethacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) magnetic porous microspheres and their application in the separation of phenol from aqueous solutions

A simple strategy to fabricate magnetic porous microspheres of Fe(3)O(4)@poly(methylmethacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) was demonstrated. The magnetic microspheres, consisting of polymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles, were synthesized by the modified suspension polymerization of methacrylate and divinylbenzene in the presence of a magnetic fluid. The morphology and the properties of the magnetic porous microspheres were examined by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, superconducting quantum interference device, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and X-ray powder diffraction. The pore size distribution and the specific surface area of the microspheres were measured by nitrogen sorption and mercury porosimetry technique. As predicted from the previous knowledge, the magnetic porous microspheres possessed a high specific surface area using n-hexane as a porogen. It was further found that the amounts of divinylbenzene and methacrylate, the ratio of porogens, and the dosage of ferrofluids affect the specific surface area of the microspheres. Furthermore, the microspheres were applied to remove phenol from aqueous solutions. The results showed that the microspheres had a high adsorption capacity for phenol and a high separation efficiency due to their porous structure, polar groups, and superparamagnetic characteristic.     

In vitro cytotoxic evaluation of a novel phosphinyl derivative of boldine

2,9-Dimethoxymethylboldine (2), 2,9-dimethoxymethyl-3-bromoboldine (3) and 2,9-dimethoxymethyl-3-diphenylphosphinylboldine (4) have been synthesized in an effort to find compounds with potential pharmacological applications. The cytotoxic activities of the natural precursor 1 and these three derivatives have been measured as IC?? inhibitory growth. The diphenylphosphinyl derivative 4 showed a significant cytotoxic activity on two breast cancer cell lines, namely MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, with IC?? values of 55.5 and 62.7 [μM], respectively. These results suggest that the kind of structural modifications introduced to synthesize compound 4 represent a promising way to enhance the cytotoxic activity of boldine derivatives.     

Equation of state of CaMnO3: a combined experimental and computational study

Elastic properties of CaMnO₃ are of primary importance in the science and technology of CaMnO₃-based perovskites. From X-ray diffraction experiments performed at pressures up to 100 kbar using a diamond-anvil cell to hydrostatically compress our sample, a bulk modulus, K ₀, of 1734(96) kbar was obtained after fitting parameters to the third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state. Mean field, semiclassical simulations predict, for the first time, the third-order equation-of-state parameters and show how the bulk modulus increases with pressure (the zero pressure value being 2062.1 kbar) and decreases with the extent of nonstoichiometry caused by the formation of oxygen vacancies. These trends are amplified for the shear modulus. A more accurate model that allows for the explicit reduction of Mn ions, or localization of excess electrons, yields qualitatively similar results. The experimental and calculated axial ratios show the same trends in their variation with rising pressure.