Nonlinear Optical Properties of Novel Metallophthalocyanines

Journal of Applied Spectroscopy - Detailed measurements of nonlinear optical properties and optical limiting for four phthalocyanine (Pc) derivatives (PcCo, PcCu, PcMn, and PcSi) are reported. The...     

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis of a biomass-based biorefinery

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this research, a biorefinery plant is proposed to generate biofuel through fast pyrolysis and gasification. The proposed biorefinery comprises...     

A generalization of Lomonosov's inequality and its applications to invariant subspaces

In this article we generalize Victor Lomonosov's famous inequality so as to be applicable to a wider class of functions. Then using it we prove that the adjoint of an algebra with a compactness property which is weaker than the PS property, employed by Victor Lomonosov, has nontrivial invariant subspaces.

     

Determination of trace elements in marine plankton by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

A method has been developed for the determination of 23 elements in marine plankton in which inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source mass spectrometry (MS) was used to quantify the elements in the solution after digestion in a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acids in sealed PTFE vessels in a microwave field. The procedure was validated by the analysis of a standard reference soil (SRM 2709 San Joaquin Soil) and a standard reference fresh water plankton (CRM 414). The method was applied to the analysis of several marine plankton samples grown under controlled conditions including several whose growth media had been enriched with selenium. Matrix induced signal suppressions and instrumental drift were corrected by internal standardization. The suitabilities of germanium, indium, rhodium, scandium and yttrium as internal standard elements were evaluated. Neither scandium nor yttrium could be used due to the presence of these elements in the samples, germanium was used for the determination of As, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Se, Si and Zn, indium was used for Al, Ba, Ca, Eu, Sr, and Tl, and rhodium was used for Cd, Cr, Hg, Mg, Pb, Sb, Sn, and V. For Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Si, Sr, V, and Zn internal standardization did not completely compensate for the suppressive effect of the heavier elements and the solutions were diluted. However, for As, Ba, Cd, Co, Eu, Hg, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn and T1, it was possible to obtain accurate results despite the 35-40% suppression in the signals. Isobaric overlap was only a problem in the cases of 42Ca and 78Se; 44Ca and 77Se, respectively, were used. Memory effects were only observed with Hg for which a nitric acid-sodium chloride solution was the most effective wash-out solution. The marine plankton samples were able to tolerate a higher concentration of Hg as the selenium concentration increased.     

Thermodynamic and lfer studies for the oxidation of anilines by the periodate ion

The various thermodynamic parameters for the periodate oxidation of six anilines, viz. aniline, p-chloroaniline, p-ethoxyaniline, o- and p-methoxyanilines and p-methylaniline have been reported and discussed. The validity of the isokinetic relationship and various linear free energy relationships (LFERs) have been tested and discussed. An attempt has been made to correlate these findings with the mechanism operative in these reactions.     

Toward artificial developmental regulators

A polyamide-peptide conjugate is designed which recruits sequence specifically the developmental regulator Exd to a cognate DNA site. In particular, an eight-ring hairpin polyamide (Im-Im-Py(C3H6NHR)-Py-gamma-Im-Py-Py-Py-beta-Dp) with a heptapeptide (R = Ac-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Trp-Met-Lys-Gly-) attached on a central ring was shown to induce cooperative binding of the Drosophila Hox protein cofactor Exd with a Kd of 4.4 nM in vitro, an order of magnitude more efficient than the natural Hox protein partner Ubx. The conjugate joins two sequence specific domains, one for DNA and one for the protein. This small molecule thus serves as a cooperative protein-DNA dimerizer, which mimics the natural Hox family of developmental regulators.     

Determination of calcium, magnesium and strontium in soils by flow injection flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Several procedures for the determination of Ca, Mg and Sr in soils have been compared on the basis of the accuracy of analysis of two NIST reference materials (Montana Soils SRM 2710 and SRM 2711). Samples were dissolved in a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acids in sealed vessels in a microwave oven and in teflon beakers on a hot plate. The digests obtained from both dissolution methods were evaporated to dryness in an attempt to remove silicon. Boric acid was added to prevent the precipitation of the lanthanum releasing agent (as lanthanum fluoride) and potassium was added as an ionization buffer. Determinations were made by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with both the nitrous oxide-acetylene flame and the air-acetylene flame, with calibration either by standard additions or against external standards matrix matched with respect to nitric acid, boric acid, lanthanum and potassium. The silicon remaining in the solution was also determined by external calibration. A single-line flow injection manifold was used to overcome any problems due to the presence of high dissolved solids. A volume of 300 mul was injected into a water carrier stream flowing at 8 ml min(-1). To determine Ca in the air-acetylene flame, it was necessary to remove silicon. Magnesium was determined in either flame without complete removal of the silicon, however, for the determination of Sr, it was necessary to remove the silicon and use the nitrous oxide-acetylene flame. The indicative value for Sr in SRM 2710 was too low: the value determined was 360+/-30 mug g(-1).