Investigation of seismicity after the initiation of a Seismic Electric Signal activity until the main shock

The behavior of seismicity in the area candidate to suffer a main shock is investigated after the observation of the Seismic Electric Signal activity until the impending main shock. This is based on the view that the occurrence of earthquakes is a critical phenomenon to which statistical dynamics may be applied. In the present work, analysing the time series of small earthquakes, the concept of natural time chi was used and the results revealed that the approach to criticality itself can be manifested by the probability density function (PDF) of kappa(1) calculated over an appropriate statistical ensemble. Here, kappa(1) is the variance kappa(1)(=-(2)) resulting from the power spectrum of a function defined as Phi(omega)= summation operator(k=1)(N) p(k) exp(iomegachi(k)), where p(k) is the normalized energy of the k-th small earthquake and omega the natural frequency. This PDF exhibits a maximum at kappa(1) asymptotically equal to 0.070 a few days before the main shock. Examples are presented, referring to the magnitude 6 approximately 7 class earthquakes that occurred in Greece.     

小型天然气液化装置在我国天然气工业中的应用前景分析

天然气是一种洁净的能源,在国家环保安全和能源保障方面具有重要意义。液化天然气是天然气推广应用的重要形式。文中分析了小型天然气液化装置在我国天然气工业上游的零散气田和边远气田天然气、油田伴生气以及煤层气等领域和下游的液化天然气汽车和城市燃气调峰等领域的应用前景,指出小型天然气液化装置的应用将推动我国天然气工业的发展,为我国的能源结构调整和可持续发展发挥作用。     

Monitoring the changes of 5-caffeoylquinic acid during its reaction with ABTS cation radicals by LC-MS

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species including free radicals are responsible for noxious changes in living organisms which can be associated with many diseases for e.g. cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory diseases or cancer. In the struggle against free radicals the organism is supported by antioxidants. As they are often provided by nature, they can be considered safe. 5-Caffeoylquinic acid is one of main chlorogenic acids found in vegetables and fruits. The main objective of the presented article was monitoring the changes of 5-caffeoylquinic acid during the reaction with colorful radicals. The experiments were conducted at different molar ratios of radicals to antioxidant using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Irrespective of the applied molar ratios, the obtained results proved that the antioxidant takes part in the reaction for three days. Additionally, during the radical neutralization the formation of semiquinones and/or quinones, methoxy adduct of caffeoylquinic acid, and quinones adduct with methanol was observed.     

Noble metal nanoparticles functionalized by natural asphaltenes as model phases for geochemical research

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Sphaerococcus coronopifolius (Rhodophyta,Gigartinales): a Mediterranean red alga with potential and applications in restoration

Abstract

Experimental studies conducted on some species of Mediterranean red algae allowed to identify Sphaerococcus coronopifolius Stackhouse as a valid alternative to the Pacific alga Gloiopeltis furcata (Postels & Ruprecht) J. Agardh, for the extraction of a material usable as natural consolidant and adhesive in the field of restoration. Promising results have been observed by comparing the extracts obtained from these two algae after the same extraction procedure. Chemical analysis (FTIR) revealed that S. coronopifolius has qualities similar to G. furcata. Even more promising results for S. coronopifolius compared to G. furcata were observed after the analysis of pH and conductivity, and the adhesion tests carried out on both extracts.     

Gedunin,ad-seco limonoid

Chloroform/Methanol extraction of the bark ofCedrela salvadorensis (Meliaceae), followed by chromatography afforded the crystalline C₂₈H₃₄O₇ terpene. The structure first proposed by spectroscopy is confirmed by this X-ray analysis as 7-acetyloxy-14,15:21,23-diepoxy-4,4,8-trimethyl-d-homo-24-nor-17-oxachola-1,20,22-triene-3,16,-dione. The title compound crystallized in the orthorhombic space groupP2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell parametersa=10.243(2),b=13.356(3) andc=18.058(4) Å. The molecule is comprised of a six-membered tetracyclic skeleton, with a circular arc overall conformation. No intermolecular hydrogen bonding is indicated.     

Determination of Diazepam and Clonazepam in Natural Water – a Voltammetric Study

The differential pulse adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (DP‐AdsCSV) employing the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) was used towards the determination of two psychotropic drugs in environmental samples. Voltammetric and experimental conditions to Clonazepam (CLO) and diazepam (DIAZ) were optimized and the methods were in‐house validated. Accumulation potentials were −0.3 V to CLO and −0.6 V to DIAZ at 120 s of accumulation time. Pulse amplitude, pulse time and scan rate were 80 mV, 20 ms and 25 mV s⁻¹ to CLO and 100 mV, 20 ms and 40 mV s⁻¹ to DIAZ, respectively. Recovery tests were done in three different concentrations to evaluate methods’ accuracy and the results were from 88±6 to 120±13 %. In precision tests, standard deviations were lower than 15 % for both methods. Goods limits of quantification 0.65 and 0.27 μg L⁻¹ to CLO and DIAZ respectively were achieved without pre‐concentration steps such as SPE, etc. Voltammetry employing HMDE was first used for the determination of CLO and DIAZ in natural water. Natural samples were spiked and recovery tests confirmed the applicability of the methods developed. Nine samples from Parana state, Brazil, were analyzed and CLO and DIAZ values were below the limits of detection in all samples.     

Stellatolide H,a cytotoxic peptide lactone from a deep-sea sponge Discodermia sp.

Stellatolide H (1) was isolated from a deep-sea sponge Discodermia sp. as the cytotoxic constituent. The planar structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of the NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data. The absolute configurations of the constituent amino acid residues were determined by the Marfey’s method. Stellatolide H (1) is a peptide lactone of the callipeltin class with its N-terminus blocked by 3-hydroxy-6,8-dimethyldeca-(4Z,6E)-dienoic acid (Hdda).     

Divergent Total Syntheses of Enmein‐Type Natural Products: (−)‐Enmein, (−)‐Isodocarpin,and (−)‐Sculponin R

Divergent total syntheses of the enmein‐type natural products (?)‐enmein, (?)‐isodocarpin, and (?)‐sculponin R have been achieved in a concise fashion. Key features of the strategy include 1) an efficient early‐stage cage formation to control succeeding diastereoselectivity, 2) a one‐pot acylation/akylation/lactonization to construct the C‐ring and C8 quarternary center, 3) a reductive alkenylation approach to construct the enmain D/E rings and 4) a flexible route to allow divergent syntheses of three natural products.