Optical sensor for sulfur dioxide based on fluorescence quenching

A series of potential indicator dyes is evaluated for use in the development of optical sensors for measuring sulfur dioxide in gaseous samples. Rhodamine B isothiocyanate is selected on the basis of relative sensitivity to dynamic quenching by sulfur dioxide and oxygen. A solid-state fluorometer is described for monitoring the sulfur dioxide induced fluorescence quenching of sensing membranes composed of silicone and rhodamine B isothiocyanate. A modulated blue LED is coupled with the lock-in detection of a photodiode detector to provide high signal-to-noise ratios. The limit of detection is 0.114+/-0.009% for sulfur dioxide in a carrier stream of nitrogen gas. Selectivity measurements indicate no interference from several common gases (HCl, NH(3), NO, and CO(2)). Oxygen alters the sensor response when comparing signals for sulfur dioxide in 0, 20 and 100% oxygen environments.     

Flow injection spectrophotometric determination of boron in ceramic materials

A flow injection spectrophotometric method for the determination of boron in ceramic materials is described. The method is based on spectrophotometric measurement of the decrease in the pH produced by the reaction between boric acid and mannitol in the presence of an acid-base indicator. A bichannel FI (flow injection) manifold in which the sample solutions were injected into deionized water (at pH 5.4) and the stream was later merged with the reagent stream (a mannitol solution containing 1x10(-4) mol l(-1) bromocresol green at pH 5.4), was used. Transient signals were monitored at 616 nm. A theoretical model which describes the dependence between the absorbance values and boric acid concentration is presented. The model predicts a non linear dependence between the absorbance or increment in absorbance and the boric acid concentration. In contrast, the model predicts a linear dependence between the inverse of the absorbance values and the boric acid concentration. The calibration graphs (1/A vs mug ml(-1) B(2)O(3)) were linear over the range 1-30 mug ml(-1) of B(2)O(3). The relative standard deviations were 0.7 and 0.4% for 4 and 8 mug ml(-1) of B(2)O(3), respectively. The limit of detection was 0.02 mug ml(-1) of B(2)O(3) (3sigma criterium). The method was used to determine boron in nine ceramic materials with very different nominal boron compositions. The results were compared with those obtained using a potentiometric titration method as reference method. No significant differences (at 95% probability level) were found between the proposed and reference methods. The method is rapid, reliable, precise and free of interferences.     

Analysis of double-stranded DNA by microchip capillary electrophoresis using polymer solutions containing gold nanoparticles

The impact of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) on the microchip electrophoretic separation of double-stranded (ds) DNA using poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is described. Coating of the 75-microm separation channel on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) plate in sequence with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), PEO, and 13-nm GNPs is effective to improve reproducibility and resolution. In this study, we have also found that adding 13-nm GNPs to 1.5% PEO is extremely important to achieve high resolution and reproducibility for DNA separation. In terms of the stability of the GNPs, 100 mM glycine-citrate buffer at pH 9.2 is a good buffer system for preparing 1.5% PEO. The separation of DNA markers V and VI ranging in size from 8 to 2176 base pairs has been demonstrated using the three-layer-coated PMMA microdevice filled with 1.5% PEO containing the GNPs. Using these conditions, the analysis of the polymerase chain reaction products of UGT1A7 was complete in 7 min, with the relative standard deviation values of the peak heights and migration times less than 2.3% and 2.0%, respectively. In conjunction with stepwise changes of the concentrations of ethidium bromide (0.5 and 5 microg/ml), this method allows improved resolution and sensitivity for DNA markers V and VI.     

Direct detection of oxygen intermediates in the non-heme Fe enzyme taurine/alpha-ketoglutarate dioxygenase

The reaction of substrate-bound taurine/alpha-ketoglutarate dioxygenase with O2 has been studied using cryogenic continuous-flow spectroscopy. Transient absorption spectra acquired at -38 degrees C show an exponential decay of a 318-nm chromophore with an apparent rate of 1.3 s-1. The observed optical changes and their kinetics are consistent with the profile of an Fe(IV) species detected recently by M?ssbauer spectroscopy (Price et al., Biochemistry 2003, 42, 7497-7508). Resonance Raman measurement upon excitation at 363.7 nm reveal at least two oxygen isotope-sensitive vibrations at 821/787 cm-1 and 583/555 cm-1 for 16O and 18O derivatives, respectively. An additional mode is likely to be obscured by an ethylene glycol vibration at 865 cm-1 and/or 1089 cm-1. The 821 cm-1 vibration is assigned to the stretching mode of Fe(IV)=O species on the basis of its frequency and isotopic shift amplitude. The 583 cm-1 band is likely to originate from an Fe-O2 precursor of the Fe(IV)=O species, although its structural details are unclear at present.     

两项纺织品检测技术通过鉴定

2005年12月4日，中国检验检疫科学研究院在京主持召开了“纺织品中烷基酚聚氧乙烯醚的检测技术研究”鉴定会。该课题在国内首次建立了用于测定纺织品中烷基酚聚氧乙烯醚（APEOs）的高效液相色谱法与液相色谱-质谱联用法两种检测方法，这两种方法准确可靠、简便快速，总体技术达到了国际同类水平，适用于棉、麻、丝、毛、涤等多种纺织品中烷基酚聚氧乙烯醚的检测，为我国纺织品的进出口贸易提供了先进实用的检测技术手段。     

New methodologies for the preparation of porphodimethenes and their conversion to trans-porphyrins with functionalized naphthyl spacers

The MacDonald [2 + 2]-type condensation of readily available 5-aryl-substituted dipyrromethanes with acenaphthenequinone leads to the trans-syn- and anti-porphodimethenes, which in turn can be converted to the alpha,alpha- and alpha,beta-porphyrin atropisomers, respectively. Treatment of the metalated or unmetalated porphodimethenes with KOH or NaOMe in THF followed by protonation with HCl results in a ring opening of the acenaphthenone and formation of the trans-8-carboxynaphthylporphyrins or their esters (NaOMe) after oxidation. Alternatively, the porphyrin formation can be accomplished by reaction of the porphodimethenes with acids in the presence of water or methanol. Reaction with NaBH(4) in a THF--methanol mixture yields the corresponding dialcohols in nearly quantitative yields. Sixteen different building blocks were prepared in order to evaluate the generality of this new synthetic approach, with Ar = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2); 2,6-Cl(2)C(6)H(3); 2,6-F(2)C(6)H(3); 3,4-tBu(2)C(6)H(3); 3,4,5-(MeO)(3)C(6)H(2); 4-BrC(6)H(4); 4-MeC(6)H(4); and 4-MeOOCC(6)H(4) at the meso positions. The synthesized porphodimethenes and porphyrins have been fully characterized, and the X-ray structure analyses of three representative derivatives are presented.     

人工神经网络X射线荧光光谱法测定钢中酸溶铝

建立了一种人工神经网络-X射线荧光光谱法测定钢中酸溶铝的方法，用X射线荧光光谱法测定低合金钢中总铝值，应用所建立的ANN-BP网络模型，输入总铝含量直接预测出酸溶铝含量。同时使用改进的BP算法，避免了神经网络学习中可能产生的麻痹现象。该方法用于钢中酸溶铝的测定，结果满意。     

The influence of cosolvent polarity on the flow properties of hydroalcoholic gels: empirical models

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of cosolvent polarity on the rheological flow properties of aqueous and hydroalcoholic gels obtained from the Carbopol Ultrez 10 base and used for topical applications. Specifically, we have examined the effect of pH (range 4.0--7.0) on the consistency and flow properties of dispersed systems in water and mixtures--15 : 85% v/v of methanol : water, ethanol : water, n-propanol : water and n-butanol : water--at a constant polymer concentration of 0.3% w/w. The gels, which had decreasing polarity values in the jellifying medium, showed qualitatively similar flow behavior, characteristic of pseudoplastic systems, and all of the flow curves were adjusted to the Ostwald model. Sigmoidal dose response functions were calculated to describe the flow and consistency indexes as a function of pH. As a result, the influence of alcohol polarity on the polymer network has been assessed meaningfully using the empirical parameters obtained: maximum consistency index value (k(max)), pH value required for 50% development of polymer network (pH(50)), and asymptotic flow index value (n(min)) for the fully structured gels.     

UV index experimental values during the years 2000 and 2001 from the Spanish broadband UV-B radiometric network

An analysis is made of experimental ultraviolet erythemal solar radiation data measured during the years 2000 and 2001 by the Spanish UV-B radiation evaluation and prediction network. This network consists of 16 Robertson-Berger type pyranometers for evaluating solar erythemal radiation and five Brewer spectroradiometers for evaluating the stratospheric ozone. On the basis of these data the Ultraviolet Index (UVI) was evaluated for the measuring stations that are located either in coastal regions or in the more densely populated regions inland on the Iberian Peninsula. It has been checked that in most cases the maximum irradiance values corresponded to solar noon, although there were exceptions that could be explained by cloudiness. The maximum experimental values of the UVI were around 9 during the summer, though frequently passing this value at the inland measurement stations. The annual accumulated dose of irradiation on a horizontal plane has also been studied, as well as the evolution through the year in units of energy, standard erythemal doses and minimum erythemal doses, according to different phototypes.