Artifacts in the Determination of Trace Metal Binding Forms in Anoxic Sediments by Sequential Extraction

Abstract

The binding forms of Co, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in an anoxic, sulfide-bearing sediment were investigated by performing both thermodynamic equilibrium calculations and sequential extractions. Care was taken to maintain oxygen-free conditions during the whole experiment. The calculations suggested that trace metals were bound to sulfidic minerals. Sequential extraction results, however, showed increased importance of exchangeable and reducible fractions in the order Cu < Cd < Pb < Zn < Co. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations of the chemical reactions during extraction showed that Cd, Co, Pb, and Zn sulfides are to a significant extent soluble in the acetate-exchangeable (step 1 + 2) and oxalate-reducible (step 3) fractions. Neglecting the dissolution of sulfide minerals would lead to a misinterpretation of the experimental results.     

CdSe quantum dot-dispersed DOBAMBC: an electro-optical study

Cadmium selenide quantum dot (CdSe QD) has been used as a dopant in ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) 2-methylbutyl 4-(4-decyloxybenzylideneamino) cinnamate (DOBAMBC). Effect of CdSe QD in DOBAMBC on its different electro-optical (E-O) properties has been studied in the SmC* phase. The optical micrographs recorded for the pure and composite material are showing good dispersion of QDs in the FLC matrix. Micrographs of unaligned sample cell revealed that CdSe QDs induce homeotropic alignment of FLC molecules. An appreciable change in the value of E-O parameters like tilt angle, spontaneous polarisation and response time with shifting of SmA–SmC* phase transition temperature has been observed for CdSe QD–DOBAMBC composite. The observed properties of composite system have been discussed on the basis of surface properties of QDs in FLC system.     

Octapeptide-Specific and Sensitive Assay for Angiotensin II in Plasma

Abstract

Angiotensin-(1–8)octapeptide (angiotensin II) is the active principle of the reninangiotensin system. Crossreaction of angiotensin II-antisera with inactive precursors and metabolic fragments prevented the specific quantitation of this hormone in biological fluids. Peptide-extraction on bonded-phase silica followed by peptide-separation using isocratic reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and subsequent radioimmunoassay rendered possible the octapeptide-specific measurement of angiotensin II in 2 ml plasma with a detection limit of 0.4fmol/ml. The coefficient of variation for intra-assay precision was 0.06 and for inter-assay precision 0.13. ¹²⁵Iangiotensin II was recovered from plasma by solid-phase extraction to 99±2% (mean ± S.D.). The overall recovery of 5, 10 and 20 fmol unlabeled angiotensin II added to plasma was 80±10%. Plasma concentrations in supine normal humans averaged 4.1 ± 1.6 fmol/ml and were suppressed below the detection limit by angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibition.     

Topological conjugacy of constant length substitution dynamical systems

Primitive constant length substitutions generate minimal symbolic dynamical systems. In this article we present an algorithm which can produce the list of injective substitutions of the same length that generate topologically conjugate systems. We show that each conjugacy class contains infinitely many substitutions which are not injective. As examples, the Toeplitz conjugacy class contains three injective substitutions (two on two symbols and one on three symbols), and the length two Thue–Morse conjugacy class contains twelve substitutions, among which are two on six symbols. Together, they constitute a list of all primitive substitutions of length two with infinite minimal systems which are factors of the Thue–Morse system.     

Antioxidant activity,lipophilicity and extractability of polyphenols from pig skin – development of analytical methods for skin permeation studies

Permeation of polyphenols through the stratum corneum barrier is a precondition for the protective action of polyphenols against oxidative skin damage. Prior to in vitro skin permeation experiments, we developed a method for the quantification of polyphenols in pig skin, including organic solvent extraction and HPLC analysis. Catechine hydrate, epigallocatechin gallate, trans‐resveratrol, quercetin, rutin and protocatechuic acid were chosen for this study as representatives of phenolics with different lipophilicity and molecular weight. The antioxidative activities of polyphenols as well as their octanol–water partition coefficients at different pH values were determined. Extraction of polyphenols from pig skin was optimized by variation of solvent composition, homogenization intensity and time, as well as partial exclusion of oxygen during extraction. The highest recovery rates could be reached by extraction with the methanol–water mixture (90:10, v/v), containing 0.2 g/L l ‐ascorbic acid, after the cryo‐milling for 4 min. Recoveries of 72% for total phenolics, 96% for quercetin and protocatechuic acid, 90% for rutin and 74% for trans‐resveratrol, were achieved. These extraction parameters will be selected for the polyphenol extraction from pig skin for further in vitro drug permeation studies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

WATER MOVEMENT CAUSED BY SPREADING SURFACTANTS IN UNSATURATED SYSTEMS OF PARTICLES OF NONUNIFORM SIZE

The movement of water originated by the spreading of two surfactants was analyzed in glass beads as well as on soil systems, both of particles of nonuniform size

The higher difference of surface tension produced in the system by 1 -hexadecanol compared to that of 1-tetradecanol led therefore to a higher amount of water moved. Decreased proportion of the smaller sized particles in glass beads system produced a decrease in the total water moved by both surfactants.

Organic matter acted in soil as a second surfactant in glass beads. This effect was compared in glass beads systems once 1-hexadecanol was evenly distributed among the particles as continuous film, which played a role alike that of organic matter in soil and then a second surfactant 1-tetradecanol was added. These additional surfactant effect diminished the difference between initial and final surface tension (surface tension depression) of the system and so the total water moved.

The soil organic matter (1.7%) modified the water movement curve in the presence of low (0.2g) content of 1-hexadecanol, whereas for high content of either alcohol (0.4g) or low content of 1-tetradecanol content (0.2g) the water movement curves were the same     

Radical Copolymerization of Vinylidene Chloride with 3(2-Methyl)-6-methylpyridazinone in Several Solvents

The radical copolymerization of vinylidene chloride (Vc, M₁) with 3(2-methyl)-6-methylpyridazinone (I, M₂) was carried out in benzene, ethanol, phenol, and acetic acid at 60 and 80°C. The monomer reactivity ratios were found to vary with the reaction conditions. The linear correlationships were obtained by plotting the values of log r₁ against those of ^V C[dbnd]O and ^V C[dbnd]C of monomers determined in the solvents.     

Fluid inertia effects in ferrofluid squeeze film between a sphere and a plate

On the ground of the ferrohydrodynamic model proposed by Shliomis  and , the present study investigates the influences of fluid inertia forces on the ferrofluid squeeze film between a sphere and a plate in the presence of external magnetic fields. According to the results, the effects of fluid inertia forces enhance the load capacity and prolong the approaching time for the ferrofluid sphere–plate system. Further numerical results for the load capacity are also provided in a table for engineering applications.     

On statistical properties of the lyapunov exponent of the generalized skew tent map

The statistical properties of the Lyapunov exponent of the chaotic generalized skew tent map is studied. Expressions of the mean and the variance of this Lyapunov exponent at each discrete time index are obtained. A sufficient condition for weakly mixing of the chaotic generalized skew tent map is derived, and the asymptotic distribution of its Lyapunov exponent is provided.