Hydrostatic pressure influence on electric relaxation response of bismuth manganite ceramics

Electrical impedance of bismuth manganite ceramics was studied under ambient and high hydrostatic pressure. Local disorder of crystal lattice was confirmed using XRD and DSC. Two relaxation processes were discerned. One was attributed to small polarons, which showed a changeover from variable range hopping features related to Fermi glass and structural disorder to the nearest neighbor hopping behavior in higher temperature range related to uniform distribution of energy levels. Hydrostatic pressure shortened relaxation times that would be interesting for applications. The second process, which was assigned to the nearest neighbor hopping of polarons, also exhibited a changeover to glassy features in a high-temperature range.     

Fluorine-Containing Drug Administration in Rats Results in Fluorination of Selected Proteins in Liver and Brain Tissue

In many pharmaceuticals, a hydrogen atom or hydroxyl group is replaced by a fluorine to increase bioavailability and biostability. The fate of fluorine released from fluorine-containing drugs is not well investigated. The aim of this study was to examine possible fluorination of proteins in rat liver and brain after administration of the fluorinated drug cinacalcet. We assigned 18 Wistar rats to a control group (n = 6) and a group treated with cinacalcet (2 mg kg⁻¹/body weight, 5 days/week), divided into 7 day (n = 6) and 21 day (n = 6) treatment subgroups. Fluorinated proteins were identified using a free proteomics approach; chromatographic separation and analysis by high-resolution mass spectrometry; peptide/protein identification using the Mascot search algorithm; manual verification of an experimentally generated MS/MS spectrum with the theoretical MS/MS spectrum of identified fluorinated peptides. Three fluorinated proteins (spectrin beta chain; carbamoyl-phosphate synthase [ammonia], mitochondrial; 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2, 6-bisphosphatase 1) were identified in the liver and four (spectrin beta chain, dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 4, prominin-2, dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 4) in the brain tissue after 21 days of cinacalcet treatment, but not in the control group. Introduction of fluorine into an organism by administration of fluorinated drugs results in tissue-specific fluorination of proteins.     

New lake district in Europe: origin and hydrochemical characteristics

This article presents a new lake district in Southern Poland created as a result of human activity in the Upper Silesian region. The area has been named the Upper Silesian Anthropogenic Lake District. The lake density of the Lake District as delineated by the authors (with an area of 6766 km²) is 2.74%. It includes 4773 water bodies of various origins – reservoirs retained by dams, flooded mineral workings, water bodies formed in subsidence basins and hollows, levee ponds, residual water bodies following river regulation and other water bodies. These are located in urban‐industrial, rural‐agricultural or quasi‐natural areas. The hydrochemical diversity of water bodies is conditioned by their origin, location in the catchment and function. Studies have shown the widespread occurrence of eutrophication processes in limnic waters within the Lake District. The diverse origin and hydrochemical properties of water bodies within the Upper Silesian Anthropogenic Lake District make it special among other anthropogenic lake districts.     

Acetals and Ethers. XVIII. Reaction products of prop-2-enal and but-2-enal with mixture: n-Aliphatic alcohol and ethylene glycol

The direct condensation reaction of prop-2-enal or but-2-enal with mixture of n-aliphatic alcohol and ethylene glycol, in the presence of p-toluenesulphonic acid as catalyst, leads to a complex mixture of saturated, unsaturated, cyclic and linear acetals, moreover, 2-(2-alkoxy-alkyl)-1,3-dioxolanes are the main reaction products. The detailed investigations for n-butanol showed that unsaturated cyclic acetals: 2-vinyl-1,2-dioxolane 1a or 2-(1-propenyl)-1,3-dioxolane 1b , as well as unsaturated linear acetals: 1,1-dibutoxy-prop-2-en 2a or 1,1-dibutoxy-but-2-en 2b are intermediate reaction products. Additionally, it was found in final products presence of eight by-products: 5-butoxy- 4a or 5-butoxy-7-methyl-1,4-dioxepane 4b , 1,1,3-tributoxypropane 5a or 1,1,3-tributoxybutane 5b , 2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl]- 6a or 2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)propyl]-1,3-dioxolane 6b , 5-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-7-methyl-1,4-dioxepane 7b , 1,3-dibutoxy-1-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-propane 8a or 1,3-dibutoxy-1-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-butane 8b , 1,1-dibutoxy-3-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-propane 9a or 1,1-dibutoxy-3-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-butane 9b , 3-butoxy-1,1-bis-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-propane 10a or 3-butoxy-1,1-bis-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-butane 10b , and 1-butoxy-1,3-bis-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-propane 11a or 1-butoxy-1,3-bis-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-butane 11b , respectively.     

The Reaction of Malononitrile with Enamines of some cyclic β-Keto acid anilides and amidines

The reaction of enamines 1 derivatives of cyclohexanon- or cycloheptanon-2-carboxylic acid anilides with malononitrile gave in the first step 2-phenylcarbamoyl-cycloalkylideno-malononitriles 3 , which in turn were converted into 1-oxo-2-phenyl-3-amino-4-cyano-cycloalkenoisoquinolines 4 . Enamines containing an adjacent diphenylamidino group 6 reacted with malononitrile giving 1-phenylimino-2-phenyl-3-amino-4-cyano-cycloalkenoisoquinolines 7 . The alkaline hydrolysis of 7 yielded 1-phenylamino-3-oxo-4-cyano-cycloalkenoisoquinoline 8 .     

Heavy Metals in Stream Sediments from the Coquimbo region (Chile): Effects of Sustained Mining and Natural Processes in a Semi-arid Andean Basin

Abstract.   Active sediments from the Elqui River in Chile were sampled 4 times at 10 sites during 2000. Concentrations of Ag, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, and S were normal. Zinc levels were clearly high, and those of Cu (hundred to thousands ppm) and As (tens to hundreds ppm) were highly anomalous. Dissolved Cu (0.1-12.7 ppm) and Zn (0.2-2.2 ppm) levels were also very high. The anomalies of the upper tributaries are due to the El Indio–Tambo Au-Cu-As district and large hydrothermal alteration zones at altitudes between 3500–4500 m. Lower on the river, old and active tailing waste deposits and on-going mining operations in the Talcuna Cu (Pb) district are responsible. Partially eroded tailing deposits in the alluvial plain of the Elqui River and its tributaries, and especially in the El Indio-Tambo district, after mine closure in 2000, warrant special attention.     

Hydrogen production by catalytic decomposition of selected hydrocarbons and H2O dissociation over CeZrO2 and Ni/CeZrO2

Presented paper deals with the catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons (methane and toluene) in the aspect of H₂ production and types of obtained carbon deposits. The catalyst used in our studies was nickel supported on ceria–zirconia (Ni/CeZrO₂). The aim of this work was to investigate the reactivity of obtained carbon deposits with H₂O. Both issues are of great importance for determining the mechanisms of carbon deposits formation and their suppression during steam reforming reaction.     

Crowding as an Agronomic Factor Determining the Development of Plants and the Productivity of Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

ABSTRACT

Nine sowing densities of linseed were compared in a two-year experiment. Self-regulation of the density of a linseed stand resulted in a differentiated branching of the plants. The number of capsules on a linseed shoot, as well as seeds in the capsule, and the number of seeds from the shoot were highly varied from year to year, and there is even a stronger differentiation in the weight of 1000 seeds. Linear relationships were noted between the mass of seeds from the linseed plant and the number of capsules. The yield of linseed was affected by both factors. An increasing sowing rate reduced the seed yield from the shoot and the plant. At lower seeding rates, the lateral shoots contributed in the seeds yield of the plant to a higher degree compared to the main ones.     

Broccoli leaf powder as an attractive by-product ingredient: effect on batter behaviour,technological properties and sensory quality of gluten-free mini sponge cake

Broccoli by-products, in particular leaves, are rich sources of nutritional and bioactive components thus could constitute a valuable food additive. Although an upsurge in quantity of gluten-free products is observed further studies are required on improvement of their nutritional quality and palatability. This study aimed to investigate the influence of broccoli leaf powder (BLP) on dough behaviour, and technological characteristics and sensory quality of gluten-free mini sponge cake (GFS). Broccoli leaf powder replaced an equivalent amount (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%; w/w) of corn and potato starches in GFS formulation. Applied BLP increased the instrumental firmness of GFS but sensorial attributes (elasticity, crustiness, mastication and adhesiveness) were similar to the control. All broccoli GFS were vividly green, had small size pores properly distributed. Among them, sample with 2.5% BLP was distinguished for its desirable sensory quality, despite a slightly perceived cabbage aroma and taste. Moderate amount of BLP allows to preserve a good quality GFS improving its attractiveness and palatability.