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Caldwell Mathews posted an update 6 days, 8 hours ago
A disposable screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modified with an ionic liquid/graphene composite (IL/G) exhibits a wider potential window, excellent conductivity, and specific surface area for the improvement in the voltammetric signal of rapamycin detection. The modified composite was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical behavior of rapamycin at the modified SPCE was investigated by cyclic and square wave voltammetry in 6040 EtOH 0.1 M LiClO4 at pH 5.0. A high reproducible and well-defined peak with a high peak current were obtained for rapamycin detection at a position potential of + 0.98 V versus Ag/AgCl. Under the optimized conditions, the rapamycin concentration in the range 0.1 to 100 μM (R2 = 0.9986) had a good linear relation with the peak current. The detection limit of this method was 0.03 μM (3SD/slope). The proposed device can selectively detect rapamycin in the presence of commonly interfering compounds. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to determine rapamycin in urine and blood samples with excellent recoveries. These devices are disposable and cost-effective and might be used as an alternative tool for detecting rapamycin in biological samples and other biological compounds. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of wide electrochemical window and disposable screen-printed sensor using ionic liquid/graphene composite for the determination of rapamycin. This composite can enhance the oxidation current and expand the potential for rapamycin detection.Sanitary landfills are a well-planned engineering work for final disposal of municipal solid waste in order to minimize the environmental impacts in soil and groundwater. Therefore, several control systems are installed such as liners and leachate and biogas collectors. However, the establishment of landfill in vulnerable areas, the inadequate operations, and failures in collectors and liner systems can cause subsurface contamination. The discovery of eventual leachate leakage usually is based on chemical analyses of groundwater using monitoring wells; which may not be representative in spatial terms. This work involves a geophysical monitoring of the leachate percolation in a landfill waste cell closed in 2014, in which geomembrane boreholes and aquifer contamination have been proved. The DC resistivity method was applied by means of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in order to detect eventual contrasts in electrical properties. Twelve ERT lines have been carried out in a steady mesh during three years of study (2016, 2017, and 2018). The results of 2016 allowed a clear contrast between zones of leachate percolation into the aquifer and the natural environment. The comparative analyses of the three-year monitoring results reveal a gradual increase in resistivity values in the areas of leachate percolation. The absence of replacement of biodegradable organic matter after 2014 conditions the gradual decrease of leachate salinity. In this sense, the increase in resistivity is an indicator of the tendency for chemical stabilization of the organic waste and existence of natural attenuation processes.Nitrogen-rich heterocycles and their nitro derivatives are one of the important classes of energetic materials. In the present study, the computational methods have been applied to determine the thermodynamic and detonation properties of nitro derivatives of BN indole molecule. Structure optimization and electronic energy of the designed molecules are determined using the density functional theory. The gas-phase heat of formation of the species concerned is determined by the atomization method. Wave function analysis-surface analysis suite (WFA-SAS) has been applied to determine the condensed phase heat of formation and crystal density of designed molecules. Bond dissociation energy (BDE) is determined to identify the trigger bond. click here The energy gap between highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) has been calculated to predict the stability of the molecule. Impact sensitivity and detonation properties of designed species are calculated. The calculated parameters show that among all the designed molecules, the molecule A6 (1,2,3,5,6,7-Hexanitrobnindole) has the properties to be considered as a high density energetic molecule.The detailed illustrations of the structures, elastic properties, and Raman and IR vibration modes for [Na(H2O)(N5)]·2H2O (a) and [Mg(H2O)6(N5)2]·4H2O (b) have been presented in this investigation by using the first-principles method based on the density functional theory. Our results indicate that the active centers of both two types of the energetic metal pentazolate hydrates appear on the cyclo-N5. The bonding character of N atoms in the cyclo-N5 is shown to be covalent, and the cyclo-N5 ring can be considered as an anion. Based on the analysis of elastic properties, we conclude that complex a is easier to deform than b, and both complexes are mechanically stable. From the calculated Raman and IR vibration modes, the vibration in the region of 960-1206 cm-1 (for a) and 985-1208 cm-1 (for b) is determined by basically mixing the cyclo-N5 stretching and deformation modes. The vibrational modes of a and b in their highest frequency zones are both related to the stretching of the O-H bonds.BACKGROUND Area under expiratory flow-volume curve (AEX) is a useful spirometric tool in stratifying respiratory impairment. The AEX approximations based on isovolumic flows can be used with reasonable accuracy when AEX is unavailable. We assessed here pre- to post-bronchodilator (BD) variability of AEX4 as a functional assessment tool for lung disorders. METHODS The BD response was assessed in 4330 subjects by changes in FEV1, FVC, and AEX4, which were derived from FVC, peak expiratory flow, and forced expiratory flow at 25%, 50%, and 75% FVC. Newly proposed BD response categories (negative, minimal, mild, moderate and marked) have been investigated in addition to standard criteria. RESULTS Using standard BD criteria, 24% of subjects had a positive response. Using the new BD response categories, only 23% of subjects had a negative response; 45% minimal, 18% mild, 9% moderate, and 5% had a marked BD response. Mean percent change of the square root AEX4 was 0.3% and 14.3% in the standard BD-negative and BD-positive response groups, respectively.