Uranium in ground water of Rajnandgaon District of Central India

The present study highlights uranium levels, associated health effects, and physicochemical properties of ground water samples collected from Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh State, Central India. Uranium concentrations of ground water samples are found to exceed than 30 µg/L (United States Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organisation recommended limit) at two villages in summer and at one village in winter while it is found higher than 60 µg/L (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Department of Atomic Energy, India recommended limit) at only one village in summer. Correlation analysis between uranium and physicochemical parameters suggest that Ca²⁺ ion and total alkalinity play an important role in uranium contamination of ground water.

     

Aggregation‐Induced and Polymorphism‐Dependent Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) Characteristics of an Oligothiophene: Applications in Time‐Dependent Live Cell Multicolour Imaging

Typically, molecules with a twisted donor–acceptor (D‐A) architecture have been exploited for constructing thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials. Herein, we report the first example of a thiophene‐based thermally activated delayed fluorescent molecule without a D‐A architecture. Compound 1 (2,5‐bis(2,2‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)vinyl)thiophene) is conformationally flexible and shows weak fluorescence in the solution state but displays bright TADFin both condensed and solid states. Compound 1 crystallized in two different polymorphs ( 1 a and 1 b ). Interestingly, both polymorphs show distinctly different TADF features. The broad spectral features and the TADF characteristics of 1 have been explored for the time‐dependent multicolor (green, yellow and red) imaging of living cells.     

Synthesis of (−)-elemoxide,a commercially important fragrance compound

(?)-Elemoxide, a fragrant compound was synthesised using commercially available elemol in four steps with overall yield of 32%. The cyclic ether skeleton was constructed via intramolecular hydroalkoxylation using I₂ and PhSiH₃ catalytic system. Also, intramolecular oxymercuration-demercuration was employed as an alternate approach for cyclization. The various regioselective strategies involving epoxidation of alkene, reduction of epoxide and intramolecular cyclization were the highlights of the work. The key intermediate diol serves as a versatile intermediate for the synthesis of elemoxide and elemene.     

A simple approach for the synthesis of azocine alkaloids: The total synthesis of megallanesine

A new three step synthetic route to construct azocine ring system using anion chemistry and intramolecular Friedel-Craft reaction of an ester is presented. This method allows synthesis of azocine ring analogues in excellent overall yields. The designed strategy was applied for the synthesis of naturally occurring magallanesine.     

Direct Analysis of Proteins from Solutions with High Salt Concentration Using Laser Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

The detection of lysozyme, or a mixture of lysozyme, cytochrome c, and myoglobin, from solutions with varying salt concentrations (0.1 to 250 mM NaCl) is compared using laser electrospray mass spectrometry (LEMS) and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Protonated protein peaks were observed up to a concentration of 250 mM NaCl in the case of LEMS. In the case of ESI-MS, a protein solution with salt concentration >?0.5 mM resulted in predominantly salt-adducted features, with suppression of the protonated protein ions. The constituents in the mixture of proteins were assignable up to 250 mM NaCl for LEMS and were not assignable above a NaCl concentration of 0.5 mM for ESI. The average sodium adducts (< n >) bound to the 7+ charge state of lysozyme for LEMS measurements from salt concentrations of 2.5, 25, 50, and 100 mM NaCl are 1.71, 5.23, 5.26, and 5.11, respectively. The conventional electrospray measurements for lysozyme solution containing salt concentrations of 0.1, 1, 2, and 5 mM NaCl resulted in < n > of 2.65, 6.44, 7.57, and 8.48, respectively. LEMS displays an approximately two orders of magnitude higher salt tolerance in comparison with conventional ESI-MS. The non-equilibrium partitioning of proteins on the surface of the charged droplets is proposed as the mechanism for the high salt tolerance phenomena observed in the LEMS measurements.

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Visible‐Light Photocatalysis: Does It Make a Difference in Organic Synthesis?

Visible‐light photocatalysis has evolved over the last decade into a widely used method in organic synthesis. Photocatalytic variants have been reported for many important transformations, such as cross‐coupling reactions, α‐amino functionalizations, cycloadditions, ATRA reactions, or fluorinations. To help chemists select photocatalytic methods for their synthesis, we compare in this Review classical and photocatalytic procedures for selected classes of reactions and highlight their advantages and limitations. In many cases, the photocatalytic reactions proceed under milder reaction conditions, typically at room temperature, and stoichiometric reagents are replaced by simple oxidants or reductants, such as air, oxygen, or amines. Does visible‐light photocatalysis make a difference in organic synthesis? The prospect of shuttling electrons back and forth to substrates and intermediates or to selectively transfer energy through a visible‐light‐absorbing photocatalyst holds the promise to improve current procedures in radical chemistry and to open up new avenues by accessing reactive species hitherto unknown, especially by merging photocatalysis with organo‐ or metal catalysis.     

Synthesis, spectroscopy, and X-ray structures of fac-(CO)3(dppe)MnSC(S)H, fac-(CO)3(dppe)ReSC(S)H, fac-(CO)3(dppp)ReSC(S)H, and fac-(CO)3(dppb)ReSC(S)H

The monodentate dithioformato complexes, fac-(CO)₃(dppe)MnSC(S)H (1), fac- (CO)₃(dppe)ReSC(S)H (2), fac-(CO)₃(dppp)ReSC(S)H (3), and fac-(CO)₃ (dppb)ReSC(S)H (4), where dppe is 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, dppp is 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane, and dppb is 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane, were synthesized from the treatment of the corresponding hydrides, fac-(CO)₃ (P-P)MSC(S)H with CS₂. Compounds 1–4 crystallize in the monoclinic crystal system: for 1, space group = P2₁/c, a = 15.3139(3) Å, b = 9.7297(4) Å, c = 19.0991(6) Å, = 105.928(1), V = 2736.5 ų, Z = 4; for 2, space group = P2₁/c, a = 15.6395(8) Å, b = 9.8182(5) Å, c = 19.4153(11) Å, = 106.741(1), V = 2854.9(3) ų, Z = 4; for 3, space group = P2₁/n, a = 11.3570(10) Å, b = 19.465(2) Å, c = 15.5702(14) Å, = 104.776(2), V = 3328.3(5) ų, Z = 4; and for 4, space group = C2/c, a = 32.078(2) Å, b = 10.4741(6) Å, c = 19.0608(9) Å, = 94.315(2), V = 6386.1(6) ų, Z = 8.     

Spectrophotometric simultaneous determination of rabeprazole sodium and itopride hydrochloride in capsule dosage form

A new simple, economical, rapid, precise and accurate method for simultaneous determination of rabeprazole sodium and itopride hydrochloride in capsule dosage form has been developed. The method is based on ratio spectra derivative spectrophotometry. The amplitudes in the first derivative of the corresponding ratio spectra at 231nm (minima) and 260nm were selected to determine rabeprazole sodium and itopride hydrochloride, respectively. The method was validated with respect to linearity, precision and accuracy.     

DNA damage, apoptosis and langerhans cells--Activators of UV-induced immune tolerance

Solar UVR is highly mutagenic but is only partially absorbed by the outer stratum corneum of the epidermis. UVR can penetrate into the deeper layers of the epidermis, depending on melanin content, where it induces DNA damage and apoptosis in epidermal cells, including those in the germinative basal layer. The cellular decision to initiate either cellular repair or undergo apoptosis has evolved to balance the acute need to maintain skin barrier function with the long-term risk of retaining precancerous cells. Langerhans cells (LCs) are positioned suprabasally, where they may sense UV damage directly, or indirectly through recognition of apoptotic vesicles and soluble mediators derived from surrounding keratinocytes. Apoptotic vesicles will contain UV-induced altered proteins that may be presented to the immune system as foreign. The observation that UVR induces immune tolerance to skin-associated antigens suggests that this photodamage response has evolved to preserve the skin barrier by protecting it from autoimmune attack. LC involvement in this process is not clear and controversial. We will highlight some basic concepts of photobiology and review recent advances pertaining to UV-induced DNA damage, apoptosis regulation, novel immunomodulatory mechanisms and the role of LCs in generating antigen-specific regulatory T cells.     

Characterization of the photochromic pigments in red fluorescent proteins purified from the gut juice of the silkworm Bombyx mori L

Multiple forms of red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) were observed in the gut juice of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. It is to be noted that only one RFP band is reported in the literature so far. However, we report here three electrophoretically separated RFPs (A, B and C) found to be heterogeneous with respect to their components, namely the protein part and the fluorescent tetrapyrrole pigment moiety. Of the three RFPs, band C was found to be a glycoprotein. The absorption extinction coefficients and fluorescence quantum yields of the three RFPs were estimated. Further, this is the first communication demonstrating the presence of three different chlorophyll derivatives associated with the three different RFPs. The pigments were analyzed by thin layer chromatography followed by their elution to characterize the pigments by spectrophotometric and spectrofluorometric methods. Spectral characteristics have led to the identification of monovinyl chlorophyllide a, divinyl protochlorophyllide a and monovinyl pheophytin a as being associated with RFP bands A, B and C, respectively. These three purified RFPs can serve as the source of the three pigments as the standards.