DAC-FECS Affairs

DAC-FECS Affairs

The Division of Analytical Chemistry     

Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil column lysimeters from Kwajalein Island

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Soil column studies were used to evaluate petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) remediation in soils from Kwajalein Atoll. Treatments included controls, and...     

Separation and quantitation of fatty acids by high-performance liquid chromatography

To facilitate the determination of the fatty acid composition of tissues and the investigation of fatty acid metabolism, we developed a method for the rapid separation by high-performance liquid chromatography and quantitation (by ultraviolet light absorption) of p-bromophenyl esters of fatty acids which vary in chain length from 10 to 22 carbon atoms. The utility of the method was demonstrated by evaluating the fatty acid composition of human uterine decidua vera tissue and human endometrial stromal cells that are maintained in monolayer culture.     

Relations between subclasses of greedoids

In previous papers many different classes and constructions of greedoids have been defined and studied. This paper documents inclusion relations among all subclasses of greedoids which are known so far. It will be shown that all inclusion relations are proper and that all but one subclasses of interval greedoids are distinct.

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Zusammenfassung In früheren Arbeiten wurden viele verschiedene Klassen und Konstruktionen für Greedoide eingeführt und studiert. In dieser Arbeit werden alle bekannten Inklusionsbeziehungen zwischen Unterklassen von Greedoiden dokumentiert. Es wird gezeigt, daß alle Inklusionsbeziehungen echt und alle Unterklassen mit einer Ausnahme tatsächlich verschieden sind.

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Supported by the joint research project Algorithmic Aspects of Combinatorial Optimization of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Magyar Tudományos Akadémia) and the German Research Association (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 21). Part of this research was done while the first author was visiting the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization, University of Waterloo.     

Kettenlängeneffekte in Paraffinen, 4. Mitt.: Synthese von primären Carbonsäuren neben Alkylmalonsäuren aus n-Paraffinen durch Ummetallierung und anschließende Carboxylierung

Zusammenfassung Ausn-Paraffinen lassen sich mit Hilfe des Systems Quecksilberdialkyl/Kalium und nachfolgender Carboxylierung mit CO₂ primäre Monocarbonsäuren neben alkylierten Malonsäuren darstellen. Sekundäre Monocarbonsäuren bilden sich aus Paraffinen dabei höchstens in Spuren. Verzweigte Paraffine reagieren unter den beschriebenen Versuchsbedingungen schwer und stören als Verunreinigungen inn-Paraffinen nicht.Herrn ProfessorAsinger zu seinem 60. Geburtstag herzlichst zugeeignet. F. Korte, W. Klein undE. J. Schmid, Tetrahedron1966, Suppl.8, 93 (1966).     

Monitoring bisphenol A and estrogenic chemicals in thermal paper with yeast-based bioreporter assay

Bioluminescent Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast-based bioreporters were used to monitor bisphenol A and other estrogenic chemicals in thermal paper samples collected mainly from Finland on two occasions in 2010/2011, and 2013. The bisphenol A-targeted (BPA-R) and the human oestrogen receptor (hERα) bioreporters were applied to analyse both non-treated and extracted paper samples. Bisphenol A was readily bioavailable to the yeast bioreporters on the non-treated paper samples without any pre-treatment. Detected concentrations ranged from a detection limit of 9–142 μg/g to over 20 mg/g of bisphenol A equivalents in the thermal papers. Low bisphenol A like activities were detected in many samples, and were considered to be caused by residual bisphenol A or other types of bisphenols, such as bisphenol S. Most of the thermal paper samples were toxic to the yeast bioreporters. The toxicity did not, however, depend on the bisphenol A concentration of the samples. The yeast bioreporters were demonstrated to be a robust and cost-efficient method to monitor thermal paper samples for their bisphenol A content and estrogenicity. Thermal paper was considered as a potential BPA source for both human exposure and environmental emission.     

The Structural Diversity of Benzofuran Resorcinarene Leads to Enhanced Fluorescence

An unexpected and previously unknown resorcinarene mono‐crown with a fused benzofuran moiety in its macrocyclic core was obtained as a byproduct from a bridging reaction of tetramethoxy resorcinarene with tetraethylene glycol ditosylate. The formation of the fused benzofuran moiety in the resorcinarene macrocycle resulted in a unique rigid and puckered boat conformation, as shown by XRD studies in the solid state. Modification of the macrocycle was also observed to affect the photophysical properties in solution by enhancing the fluorescence brightness compared with a conventional resorcinarene macrocycle. The fluorescent properties enabled unique detection of structural features, that is, the rigid boat conformation with the conjugated benzofuran system and the more flexible crown bridge part, in solution.     

The Effect of the Side Chain on Gelation Properties of Bile Acid Alkyl Amides

Six bile acid alkyl amide derivatives were studied with respect to their gelation properties. The derivatives were composed of three different bile acids with hexyl or cyclohexyl side chains. The gelation behaviour of all six compounds were studied for 36 solvents with varying polarities. Gelation was observed mainly in aromatic solvents, which is characteristic for bile-acid-based low molecular weight gelators. Out of 108 bile acid-solvent combinations, a total of 44 gel systems were formed, 28 of which from lithocholic acid derivatives, only two from deoxycholic acid derivatives, and 14 from cholic acid derivatives. The majority of the gel systems were formed from bile acids with hexyl side chains, contrary to the cyclohexyl group, which seems to be a poor gelation moiety. These results indicate that the spatial demand of the side chain is the key feature for the gelation properties of the bile acid amides.