Turbulent Entrainment in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Turbulent entrainment – the process by which turbulence inside of the atmospheric boundary layer entrains air from the free troposphere above it – has been investigated using direct numerical simulations in two configurations, one without a cloud and one with a cloud. With the first configuration, we have learned that the entrainment zone in a convective boundary layer growing into a linearly stratified troposphere is better described in terms of a two-layer structure, with different characteristic scales associated with each of the two sub-layers. With the second configuration, we have explained how wind shear across the entrainment zone capping a stratocumulus cloud can render evaporative cooling as important as radiative cooling in driving convective motions. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Characterization of oil from roasted hemp seeds using the PDSC and FTIR techniques

The purpose of the present work was to characterize oil extracted from roasted hemp seeds using the PDSC and FTIR techniques. Roasting was conducted in a laboratory convective dryer. DSC method was used for the determination of the oxidative stability of oil extracted from hemp seeds. Pressure differential scanning calorimetry experiments were carried out using a DSC Q20, TA Instruments, coupled with a high-pressure cell. The isothermal temperature (393 K) was used for the data collection. The oxidative induction time was obtained from the PDSC curves. Infrared spectra were registered for every sample in the classic range of 4000–400 cm^?1 with 1 cm^?1 resolution, using System 2000 PerkinElmer instrument. The Grams AI 8.0 and TQ Analyst 8 software were used for spectral data processing. The samples of oil were also characterized by standard quality parameters: fatty acids composition (with use of GC technique), free fatty acids content by titration with 0.1 M potassium hydroxide and peroxide value determined by iodometric titration technique. Samples of oil extracted from hemp seeds after roasting in higher temperatures were characterized by lower induction time than oil from hemp seeds roasted in lower temperature. The results confirm that the induction time obtained from PDSC measurements can be used as parameters for the assessment of the resistance of oils from roasted hemp seeds to their thermal–oxidative decomposition.

     

Synthesis and spectral properties of 2‐[(o‐ and p‐substituted)aminophenyl] ‐3H‐5‐[(o‐ and p‐substituted)phenyl]‐7‐chloro‐1,4‐benzodiazepines

A series of twelve new 2‐[(o‐ and p‐substituted)aminophenyl]‐3H‐5‐[(o‐ and p‐substituted)phenyl]‐7‐chloro‐1,4‐benzodiazepines, which have possible pharmacological properties has been obtained. The synthesis was carried out following six steps. The structure of all products was corroborated by ir, ¹H nmr, ¹³C nmr and ms. In addition for the compound 2‐(o‐chloroaminophenyl)‐3H‐5‐(o‐fluorophenyl)‐7‐chloro‐1,4‐benzodiazepine 7, its structure was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction.     

Use of convolutive potential sweep voltammetry in the calculation of hydration equilibrium constants of α-dicarbonyl compounds

The applicability of the convolution potential sweep voltammetry to the calculation of hydration equilibrium constants K_H for a series of α-dicarbonyl compounds is demonstrated. K_H values for glyoxal, methylglyoxal, acetylbenzoyl, 1,2-cyclohexanedione, diacetyl and 3,4-hexanedione are obtained as functions of the temperature. The values of apparent ΔH and ΔS are calculated from these constants. The consistency of the K_H values is tested by showing the occurrence of an enthalpy—entropy compensation effect. Hydration reactions are shown to be enthalpy controlled.     

Estimating UV erythemal irradiance by means of neural networks

In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in attempts to model the flux of ultraviolet radiation (UV). UV irradiance at surface level is a result of the combined effects of solar zenith angle, surface elevation, cloud cover, aerosol load and optical properties, surface albedo and the vertical profile of ozone. In this study, we present the development of an artificial neural network (ANN) model that can be used to estimate solar UV irradiance on the basis of optical air mass, ozone columnar content, latitude, horizontal visibility data and cloud information such as type, coverage and height. ANN are widely accepted as a technology offering an alternative way to tackle complex and ill-defined problems. They can learn from examples, are fault tolerant in the sense that they are able to handle noisy and incomplete data, are able to deal with nonlinear problems and, once trained, can perform prediction and generalization at high speed. In this study, a multilayer perceptron network (MLP) consisting of an input layer, an output layer and one hidden layer was used. Training of the neural network was done using the Bayesian regulation back propagation algorithm. The study was developed using data from three stations on the Iberian Peninsula: Madrid and Murcia during the period 2000-2001 and Zaragoza in 2001. To train and validate the MPL neural networks, independent subsets of data were extracted from the complete database at each station. The results suggest that a MLP neural network using optical air mass, ozone columnar content, latitude and total cloud coverage provides the best estimates, with mean bias deviation and root mean square deviation of -0.1% and 18.0%, 1.6% and 19.6%, 0.1% and 14.6% at Madrid, Murcia and Zaragoza, respectively. Despite the dependence of the cloud radiative effect on cloud type, the use of additional information such as cloud type or cloud elevation did not improve these results. The performance of the developed ANN has been checked regarding its ability to estimate the UV index (UVI); results indicate that in more than 95% of the cases, the difference between estimated and measured values does not exceed one unit of UVI.     

Synthesis and spectral properties of 11‐[(o‐; and p‐substituted)‐phenyl]‐8‐[(o‐; m‐;p‐methoxy)phenylthio]‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,3,4,5,10,11‐hexahydro‐1h‐dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepin‐1‐ones

The preparation of twelve novel 2,3,4,5,10,11‐hexahydro‐1H‐dibenzo[b,e] [1,4]diazepin‐l‐ones which have potentially useful pharmacological properties; by condensation and cyclization between 3‐{[4‐(o‐; m‐; p‐methoxy)phenylthio]‐1,2‐phenylenediamine}‐5,5‐dimethyl‐2‐cyclohexenone with (o‐; and p‐substi‐tuted)benzaldehyde. The structure of all final products were corroborated by ir, ¹H‐nmr, ¹³C‐nmr and ms.     

Imidazolinone and triazine herbicides in soils in relation to the complexes formed with Cu(II) ions

Imidazolinone and triazine herbicides are used in many countries and may have a great impact on metal biocycles in soil. This article deals with the dynamics of imidazolinone and triazine herbicides in soils related to the formation of complexes with Cu(II) ions, which can be very stable. The stability constants of the complexes formed by five imidazolinone herbicides and ten triazine herbicides with Cu(II) ions are determined by means of fast, easy, and inexpensive measurements performed by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, for imidazolinones, and voltammetry (cyclic and differential pulse), for triazines. Because of the occurrence of dissociation reactions, the determinations were performed at three pH values for imidazolinones and at one pH value for triazines. In aqueous solutions of 5 < pH < 10 (corresponding to the majority of soils of agricultural use), the herbicides form very stable complexes with the Cu(II) ions, the complexes being integrated by two ligands (herbicides) and one copper ion. In conclusion, crops treated with such herbicides in conjunction with Cu(II) salts experience a decrease in its persistence and effectiveness. In addition, the herbicides and the copper ions may pass to the phreatic layer of the soil, increasing the chance of pollution.     

Electrochemical reduction of isonicotinic amide in a strong acid medium

Isonicotinic amide was studied by dc and DP polarography and linear sweep cyclic voltammetry in a strong acid medium (pH < 3). Tafel slopes and reaction orders were obtained at potentials corresponding to the foot of the polarographic wave.In a very strong acidic medium the process occurs through the formation of a protonated gem-hydroxylamine which is transformed into the aldehyde via a substitution by water, which is the rate-determining step. For 0 < pH < 3, the gem-hydroxylamine formed after two reversible electron transfers can eliminate an ammonia molecule in two ways: (a) proton-catalysed substitution by water followed by the formation of a hydrated aldehyde; and (b) non-catalysed elimination to form the free aldehyde. The limiting current of the wave is partially controlled by these concurrent chemical reactions and. consequently, the process appears as ECE.