Exploration of the Crystal Structure and Thermal and Spectroscopic Properties of Monoclinic Praseodymium Sulfate Pr2(SO4)3

Praseodymium sulfate was obtained by the precipitation method and the crystal structure was determined by Rietveld analysis. Pr₂(SO₄)₃ is crystallized in the monoclinic structure, space group C2/c, with cell parameters a = 21.6052 (4), b = 6.7237 (1) and c = 6.9777 (1) Å, β = 107.9148 (7)°, Z = 4, V = 964.48 (3) ų (T = 150 °C). The thermal expansion of Pr₂(SO₄)₃ is strongly anisotropic. As was obtained by XRD measurements, all cell parameters are increased on heating. However, due to a strong increase of the monoclinic angle β, there is a direction of negative thermal expansion. In the argon atmosphere, Pr₂(SO₄)₃ is stable in the temperature range of T = 30–870 °C. The kinetics of the thermal decomposition process of praseodymium sulfate octahydrate Pr₂(SO₄)₃·8H₂O was studied as well. The vibrational properties of Pr₂(SO₄)₃ were examined by Raman and Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectroscopy methods. The band gap structure of Pr₂(SO₄)₃ was evaluated by ab initio calculations, and it was found that the valence band top is dominated by the p electrons of oxygen ions, while the conduction band bottom is formed by the d electrons of Pr³⁺ ions. The exact position of ZPL is determined via PL and PLE spectra at 77 K to be at 481 nm, and that enabled a correct assignment of luminescent bands. The maximum luminescent band in Pr₂(SO₄)₃ belongs to the ³P₀ → ³F₂ transition at 640 nm.     

Efficacy of Biologically Active Food Supplements for People with Atherosclerotic Vascular Changes

The current paper deals with the development of a new biologically active food supplement (BAFS) aimed at treating atherosclerosis. Since atherosclerosis is considered to be a disease of aging, the composition of the supplement includes such essential minerals as magnesium and potassium, which are commonly used to prevent atherosclerosis, as well as vitamins C, E and the B-group vitamins in order to address the needs of the elderly. The authors outline the supplement-manufacturing technology and discuss the clinical trial undertaken by patients, aged about 60 years, with peripheral atherosclerosis. The research methodology focuses on studying the effectiveness of the developed supplement by assessing the influence of the active ingredients on treating metabolic disorders. To establish the efficacy of the supplement, blood tests, ultrasound and physical examinations were applied. The combination therapy resulted in improved metabolism and an overall better performance of the cardiovascular system; therefore, the BASF can be recommended as part of combination therapy to prevent and treat atherosclerotic and age-related changes in blood vessels.     

The Genus Cetraria s. str.—A Review of Its Botany,Phytochemistry, Traditional Uses and Pharmacology

The genus Cetraria s. str. (Parmeliaceae family, Cetrarioid clade) consists of 15 species of mostly erect brown or greenish yellow fruticose or subfoliose thallus. These Cetraria species have a cosmopolitan distribution, being primarily located in the Northern Hemisphere, in North America and in the Eurasia area. Phytochemical analysis has demonstrated the presence of dibenzofuran derivatives (usnic acid), depsidones (fumarprotocetraric and protocetraric acids) and fatty acids (lichesterinic and protolichesterinic acids). The species of Cetraria, and more particularly Cetraria islandica, has been widely employed in folk medicine for the treatment of digestive and respiratory diseases as decoctions, tinctures, aqueous extract, and infusions. Moreover, Cetraria islandica has had an important nutritional and cosmetic value. These traditional uses have been validated in in vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies. Additionally, new therapeutic activities are being investigated, such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, cytotoxic, genotoxic and antigenotoxic. Among all Cetraria species, the most investigated by far has been Cetraria islandica, followed by Cetraria pinastri and Cetraria aculeata. The aim of the current review is to update all the knowledge about the genus Cetraria covering aspects that include taxonomy and phylogeny, morphology and distribution, ecological and environmental interest, phytochemistry, traditional uses and pharmacological properties.     

Almost Diagonalization of $$\tau $$ τ -Pseudodifferential Operators with Symbols in Wiener Amalgam and Modulation Spaces

Journal of Fourier Analysis and Applications - In this paper we focus on the almost-diagonalization properties of $$\tau $$ -pseudodifferential operators using techniques from time-frequency...     

Self-Assembled Binaphthyl-Bridged Amphiphilic AABB Phthalocyanines: Nanostructures for Efficient Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy

Herein, the photodynamic activity of phthalocyanine (pc)-assembled nanoparticles against bacterial strains is demonstrated. The photosensitizers (PS) studied in this work are two chiral Zn^IIPcs ( PS-1 and PS-2 ), with an AABB geometry (where A and B refer to differently substituted isoindole constituents). They contain differently functionalized, chiral binaphthyloxy-linked A isoindole units, which determine the hydrophobicity of the system, and cationic methyl pyridinium moieties in the other two isoindoles to embody hydrophilicity. Both compounds have the ability to self-assemble into nanoparticles in aqueous media and have proved efficient in the photo-inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, selected as models of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The average size of the nanoparticles was determined by substitution at the binaphthyl core and, in turn, influences the toxicity of the PS. Thus, PS-1 , presenting a nonsubstituted binaphthyl core, forms larger nanoparticles with a larger cationic surface than the octyl-functionalized PS-2 . Although both PSs present similar structure and photophysical features, the self-assembled nanostructures of PS-1 are more effective at killing both types of strain, showing an outstanding photo-inactivation capacity with the Gram-negative E. coli.     

Experimental study of X-ray charge density and the selection of reference points for a source function in η6-(2-methyl-1,4-dihydro-2H-3,1-benzoxazine)tricarbonylchromium(0)

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Completing the picture of tolazamide polymorphism under extreme conditions: a low‐temperature study

We present the results of an experimental and computational study of structural changes in two polymorphs of tolazamide {systematic name: 1‐[(azepan‐1‐ylamino)carbonyl]‐4‐methylbenzenesulfonamide}, C₁₄H₂₁N₃O₃S, on cooling to 100 K and reverse heating. No phase transitions occurred in this temperature range. The anisotropy of the thermal expansion was different for the two polymorphs and differed from that reported previously for the hydrostatic compression. The changes in different intermolecular contacts responsible for the strain anisotropy were analysed. Relative shortening of the contacts was related directly to their initial length and reversely to the steric density around them. Increasing steric density is likely to be the driving force for the conformational ordering of the azepane ring under compression.     

The Shape of the Simplest Non-proteinogenic Amino Acid α-Aminoisobutyric Acid (Aib)

The simplest non-proteinogenic amino acid α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), an analogue of glycine and alanine, has been vaporized by laser ablation and probed by high-resolution Fourier transform microwave spectroscopic techniques. Comparison of the experimental rotational and ¹⁴N nuclear quadrupole constants with that predicted ab initio has allowed the identification of three conformers of Aib exhibiting three types of hydrogen-bond interactions I (NH⋅⋅⋅O=C, cis-COOH), II (OH⋅⋅⋅N, trans-COOH), and III (N−H⋅⋅⋅O−H, cis-COOH) within the amino acid backbone. The observation of conformer III, not detected previously for related proteinogenic amino acids with a nonpolar side chain in a supersonic expansion, indicates that the presence of the methyl groups should restrict the conformational relaxation from conformer Aib-III to Aib-I. For conformer Aib-II, the rotational spectra of the ¹³C isotopomers reveal a tunneling motion arising from the two equivalent methyl groups in the molecule. The observation of a single spectrum at the midpoint between those predicted for the two ¹³C of the methyl groups has been explained by considering a double-minimum potential function with a low-energy interconversion barrier for a large amplitude internal motion. This singular fact has been corroborated by the anomalous centrifugal distortion effects determined in conformer Aib-II.     

PtFe catalysts supported on hierarchical porous carbon toward oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cells

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - A new family of PtFe catalysts supported on hierarchical porous carbon (HPC), with different porous sizes, was developed and tested as cathodes in oxygen...     

Self-sustained oscillations within the temperature hysteresis in CO oxidation over Pd: Mathematical model of a cascade of continuous stirred-tank reactors

The results of temperature-programmed reaction experimental studies and mathematical modeling of self-sustained oscillations within an inverse temperature hysteresis in CO oxidation over Pd catalyst are presented. The experimental data demonstrate the influence of the reaction medium on the catalyst activity under reaction conditions. Under oxygen excess in the feeding gas mixture and high temperature, the defects appeared on the initially flat surface of metallic palladium due to deep oxidation of palladium (three-dimensional PdO nanoparticles were observed). The palladium oxide reduced under cooling of the catalytic system, and the catalyst surface became flat again. To take into account these variations of the palladium surface structure, we consider the piecewise-constant dependence of the rate constant of some reaction step on the concentrations of oxygen species, namely, the dissolved oxygen or oxide in the palladium bulk. The proposed model of the process in the cascade of continuous stirred-tank reactors that account for these dependences qualitatively describes the inverse temperature hysteresis as well as the oscillatory dynamics within the hysteresis loop which were obtained experimentally.