Common Constituents Research Articles

Synthetic Condensates and Cell-Like Architectures from Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures.

Synthetic droplets and condensates are becoming increasingly common constituents of advanced biomimetic systems and synthetic cells, where they can be used to establish compartmentalization and sustain life-like responses. Synthetic DNA nanostructures have demonstrated significant potential as condensate-forming building blocks owing to their programmable shape, chemical functionalization, and self-assembly behavior. We have recently demonstrated that amphiphilic DNA "nanostars", obtained by labeling DNA junctions with hydrophobic moieties, constitute a particularly robust and versatile solution. The resulting amphiphilic DNA condensates can be programmed to display complex, multi-compartment internal architectures, structurally respond to various external stimuli, synthesize macromolecules, capture and release payloads, undergo morphological transformations, and interact with live cells. Here, we demonstrate protocols for preparing amphiphilic DNA condensates starting from constituent DNA oligonucleotides. We will address (i) single-component systems forming uniform condensates, (ii) two-component systems forming core-shell condensates, and (iii) systems in which the condensates are modified to support in vitro transcription of RNA nanostructures.

The Negative Impact of Vaping and Electric Cigarettes for Healing of Chronic Wounds: A Literature Review

Non-smokers, particularly adolescents, face significant public health risks from e-cigarette use due to immediate health hazards, the potential for initiating tobacco use, and insufficient data on critical health outcomes, including wound healing. This study investigates vaping's impact on chronic wound healing, emphasizing e-cigarette chemical components. E-cigarettes contain common constituents: 1) Base liquids: Propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), 2) Nicotine, 3) Flavoring chemicals and additives, 4) Trace contaminants and toxins. Chronic wounds exhibit persistent inflammation, impaired proliferation, delayed remodeling, and environmental factors (e.g., ischemia, infection, trauma). E-cigarette components impair wound healing: VG induces osmotic effects and cellular toxicity, nicotine causes vasoconstriction, reduced oxygenation, and impaired angiogenesis. Flavoring chemicals contribute to cytotoxicity and modulate inflammatory responses, while contaminants like heavy metals induce oxidative stress and inflammation. Despite e-cigarettes' lower harm compared to traditional cigarettes, their effects on chronic wound healing remain poorly understood. Further research is essential to elucidate smoking's precise impact on chronic wound healing.

Ethyl acetate in e-liquids: Implications for breath testing.

Electronic cigarette liquids (e-liquids) can contain a variety of chemicals to impart flavors, smells and pharmacological effects. Surveillance studies have identified hundreds of chemicals used in e-liquids that have known health and safety implications. Ethyl acetate has been identified as a common constituent of e-liquids. Ethyl acetate is rapidly hydrolyzed to ethanol in vivo. Animal studies have demonstrated that inhaling >2,000 mg/L ethyl acetate can lead to the accumulation of ethanol in the blood at concentrations >1,000 mg/L, or 0.10%. A "Heisenberg" e-liquid was submitted to the Laboratory for Forensic Toxicology Research for analysis after a random workplace drug test resulted in a breath test result of 0.019% for a safety-sensitive position employee. Analysis of this sample resulted in the detection of 1,488 ± 6 mg/L ethyl acetate. The evaluation of purchased "Heisenberg" e-liquids determined that these products contain ethyl acetate. The identification of ethyl acetate in e-liquids demonstrates poor regulatory oversight and enforcement that potentially has consequences for breath ethanol testing and interpretations. The accumulation of ethanol in the breath from the ingestion/inhalation of ethyl acetate from an e-liquid used prior to a breath test may contribute to the detection of ethanol.

Sodium Metabisulfite Inhibits Acanthamoeba Trophozoite Growth through Thiamine Depletion.

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a severe infection of the cornea. Prevention and treatment are difficult due to the inefficacy of currently available compounds. The impact of many commonly used compounds for routine examinations of Acanthamoeba is unexplored but might offer insight useful in combatting AK. In this study, we demonstrate that sodium metabisulfite, a common preservation constituent of eye care solutions, was found to be active against Acanthamoeba trophozoites at concentrations lower than that commonly found in eye drops (IC50 0.03 mg/mL). We demonstrate that sodium metabisulfite depletes thiamine from growth medium and that Acanthamoeba is a thiamine auxotroph, requiring thiamine salvage for growth. The inhibitory effects of sodium metabisulfite can be overcome by thiamine supplementation. These results are consistent with the lack of key enzymes for thiamine biosynthesis in the genome of Acanthamoeba, an area which might prove exploitable using new or existing compounds. Indeed, this study highlights sodium metabisulfite as a useful inhibitor of Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites in vitro and that it acts, at least in part, by limiting available thiamine.

In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of the Molecular Mimicry of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein by Common Short Constituent Sequences (cSCSs) in the Human Proteome: Toward Safer Epitope Design for Vaccine Development.

Spike protein sequences in SARS-CoV-2 have been employed for vaccine epitopes, but many short constituent sequences (SCSs) in the spike protein are present in the human proteome, suggesting that some anti-spike antibodies induced by infection or vaccination may be autoantibodies against human proteins. To evaluate this possibility of "molecular mimicry" in silico and in vitro, we exhaustively identified common SCSs (cSCSs) found both in spike and human proteins bioinformatically. The commonality of SCSs between the two systems seemed to be coincidental, and only some cSCSs were likely to be relevant to potential self-epitopes based on three-dimensional information. Among three antibodies raised against cSCS-containing spike peptides, only the antibody against EPLDVL showed high affinity for the spike protein and reacted with an EPLDVL-containing peptide from the human unc-80 homolog protein. Western blot analysis revealed that this antibody also reacted with several human proteins expressed mainly in the small intestine, ovary, and stomach. Taken together, these results showed that most cSCSs are likely incapable of inducing autoantibodies but that at least EPLDVL functions as a self-epitope, suggesting a serious possibility of infection-induced or vaccine-induced autoantibodies in humans. High-risk cSCSs, including EPLDVL, should be excluded from vaccine epitopes to prevent potential autoimmune disorders.

The where, when, and how of ooid formation: What ooids tell us about ancient seawater chemistry

Ooids are a common constituent of carbonate rock throughout the last 3.2 billion years. The chemical and physical characteristics of ooids record essential details of the carbonate chemistry and hydrodynamic conditions of their depositional environment. As a result, ooids may be a powerful tool for reconstructing Earth's ancient climates and environments. However, lack of constraints on fundamental aspects of ooid formation, such as the role of abrasion, underscores the potential for additional discoveries utilizing ooids as paleoenvironmental proxies. Here, we use three-dimensional models built by serially grinding and imaging ooids to show how ooid shape changes during growth. We find that ooid abrasion plays only a small role in the formation of ooids, even in giant ooids, where the mass should cause abrasion to be most intense. A lack of abrasion during ooid formation suggests a greater sensitivity of ooid distribution and size to the chemistry of depositional environments. This insight enables us to harmonize our understanding of ooid formation with longstanding questions regarding their spatial and temporal distribution, as well as size variations. With a new database of ooid occurrences, we analyze the influence of seawater chemistry, carbonate shelf area, and evolutionary developments on ooid abundance in the Modern, Last Glacial Period, and throughout the Phanerozoic. Finally, we leverage our new understanding of ooid growth to show how ooid size, including giant ooids, can shed light on relative changes in alkalinity throughout the Phanerozoic.

Unlocking high-efficiency decontamination by building a novel heterogeneous catalytic reduction system of thiourea dioxide/biochar

Herein, we reported a new contaminant purification paradigm, which enabled highly efficient reductive denitration and dechlorination using a green, stable reducing agent thiourea dioxide (TDO) coupled with biochar (BC) over a wide pH range under anoxic conditions. Specifically, BC acted as both activators and electron shuttles for TDO decomposition to achieve complete anoxic degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP), p-nitroaniline, 4-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol within 2 h. During this process, multiple strongly reducing species (i.e., SO22-, SO2•- and e-/H•) were generated in BC/TDO systems, accounting for 13.3%, 9.7% and 75.5% of PNP removal, respectively. While electron transfer between TDO and H+ or contaminants mediated by BC led to H• generation and contaminant reduction. These processes depended on the electron-accepting capacity and electron-conducting domains of biochar. Significantly, the BC/TDO systems were highly efficient at a pH of 2.0–8.0, especially under acidic conditions, which performed robustly in common natural water constituents.

Biological and Synthetic Surfactants Increase Class I Integron Prevalence in Ex Situ Biofilms.

The role of biocides in the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been addressed but only a few studies focus on the impact of surfactants on microbial diversity and AMR, although they are common constituents of cleaners, disinfectants, and personal care products and are thus released into the environment in large quantities. In this study, we used a static ex situ biofilm model to examine the development of four biofilms exposed to surfactants and analyzed the biofilms for their prevalence of class I integrons as a proxy for the overall abundance of AMR in a sample. We furthermore determined the shift in bacterial community composition by high-resolution melt analysis and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing. Depending on the initial intrinsic prevalence of class I integrons in the respective ex situ biofilm, benzalkonium chloride, alkylbenzene sulfonate, and cocamidopropyl betaine increased its prevalence by up to 6.5× on average. For fatty alcohol ethoxylate and the biosurfactants sophorolipid and rhamnolipid, the mean increase did not exceed 2.5-fold. Across all surfactants, the increase in class I integrons was accompanied by a shift in bacterial community composition. Especially benzalkonium chloride, cocamidopropyl betaine, and alkylbenzene sulfonate changed the communities, while fatty alcohol ethoxylate, sophorolipid, and rhamnolipid had a lower effect on the bacterial biofilm composition.

Polystyrene-degrading bacteria in the gut microbiome of marine benthic polychaetes support enhanced digestion of plastic fragments

Polystyrene foam, which is used as a buoyant material in mariculture, is a common constituent of marine plastic debris. Here, we conduct analyses on polystyrene foam debris collected on the east coast of Xiamen Island, China, and associated plastic-burrowing clamworms. We apply interferometry, mass spectrometry and microscopy to polystyrene foam fragments excreted by the benthic clamworms (Perinereis vancaurica). We find evidence of polystyrene digestion and degradation during passage of the clamworm gut leading to the formation and accumulation of microplastics, with a mean diameter of 0.6 ± 0.2 mm. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of clamworm intestines indicated diverse bacterial gut microbiome, dominated by Acinetobacter and Ruegeria bacteria. Further characterization confirmed that polystyrene was degraded by representative gut isolates of Acinetobacter johnsonii, Brevibacterium casei, and Ruegeria arenilitoris. During a 30-day incubation, we observed a very slight decrease in polystyrene weight, changes in chemical group and thermal characteristic, and production of polystyrene metabolic intermediates. Our findings indicate that polystyrene-degrading bacteria in the gut microbiome of clamworms may influence plastic fragmentation and degradation in marine ecosystems.

Chemical profiling of bioactive compounds in the methanolic extract of wild leaf and callus of Vitex negundo using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The investigation of plant-based therapeutic agents in medicinal plants has revealed their presence in the extracts and provides the vision to formulate novel techniques for drug therapy. Vitex negundo (V. negundo), a perennial herb belonging to the Varbanaceae family, is extensively used in conventional medication. To determine the existence of therapeutic components in leaf and callus extracts from wild V. negundo plants using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In this study, we conducted GC-MS on wild plant leaf extracts and correlated the presence of constituents with those in callus extracts. Various growth regulators such as 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), α-naphthylacetic acid (NAA), and di-phenylurea (DPU) were added to plant leaves and in-vitro callus and grown on MS medium. The results clearly indicated that the addition of BAP (2.0 mg/L), 2,4-D (0.2 mg/mL), DPU (2.0 mg/L) and 2,4-D (0.2 mg/mL) in MS medium resulted in rapid callus development. The plant profile of Vitex extracts by GC-MS analysis showed that 24, 10, and 14 bioactive constituents were detected in the methanolic extract of leaf, green callus and the methanolic extract of white loose callus, respectively. Octadecadienoic acid, hexadecanoic acid and methyl ester were the major constituents in the leaf and callus methanolic extract. Octadecadienoic acid was the most common constituent in all samples. The maximum concentration of octadecadienoic acid in leaves, green callus and white loose callus was 21.93%, 47.79% and 40.38%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the concentration of octadecadienoic acid doubles in-vitro compared to in-vivo. In addition to octadecadienoic acid; butyric acid, benzene, 1-methoxy-4-(1-propenyl), dospan, tridecanedialdehyde, methylcyclohexenylbutanol, chlorpyrifos, n-secondary terpene diester, anflunine and other important active compounds were also detected. All these components were only available in callus formed in-vitro. This study showed that the callus contained additional botanical characteristics compared with wild plants. Due to the presence of numerous bioactive compounds, the medical use of Vitex for various diseases has been accepted and the plant is considered an important source of therapeutics for research and development.

Global diversity of enterococci and description of 18 previously unknown species

Enterococci are gut microbes of most land animals. Likely appearing first in the guts of arthropods as they moved onto land, they diversified over hundreds of millions of years adapting to evolving hosts and host diets. Over 60 enterococcal species are now known. Two species, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, are common constituents of the human microbiome. They are also now leading causes of multidrug-resistant hospital-associated infection. The basis for host association of enterococcal species is unknown. To begin identifying traits that drive host association, we collected 886 enterococcal strains from widely diverse hosts, ecologies, and geographies. This identified 18 previously undescribed species expanding genus diversity by >25%. These species harbor diverse genes including toxins and systems for detoxification and resource acquisition. Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium were isolated from diverse hosts highlighting their generalist properties. Most other species showed a more restricted distribution indicative of specialized host association. The expanded species diversity permitted the Enterococcus genus phylogeny to be viewed with unprecedented resolution, allowing features to be identified that distinguish its four deeply rooted clades, and the entry of genes associated with range expansion such as B-vitamin biosynthesis and flagellar motility to be mapped to the phylogeny. This work provides an unprecedentedly broad and deep view of the genus Enterococcus, including insights into its evolution, potential new threats to human health, and where substantial additional enterococcal diversity is likely to be found.

Gas and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry as a Tool for Elucidating Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Metabolites in Maternal Milk: A Perspective on Infants’ Health Risk Assessment

Maternal milk is pivotal for infants’ nutrition. It also portrays the chemical burden to which the mother has been exposed. One of the chemical families that is prevalent and related to potential toxic effects are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In the present study, motivated by the scarcity of works dealing with concomitant VOC and metabolite determination in maternal milk, two new gas/liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS) methods for the simultaneous measurement of 25 VOCs and 9 of their metabolites, respectively, in maternal milk were developed and applied to 20 maternal milk samples collected from mothers in Greece. In parallel, a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME)–GC-MS method was employed for the untargeted screening of chemicals. Low detection rates for benzene, toluene, styrene and p,m-xylenes, and three of their metabolites, namely N-acetyl-S-(benzyl)-L-cysteine (BMA, metabolite of toluene), 3-methylhippuric (3-MHA, metabolite of xylenes) and mandelic acid (MA as DL and R isomers, metabolites of styrene and ethylbenzene), were evidenced in concentrations varying from <lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) to 0.79 ng mL−1. HS-SPME–GC-MS disclosed the presence of common maternal milk constituents such as fatty acids. Nevertheless, bisphenol-A, bisphenol derivatives and phthalates were also detected. The infants’ health risk assessment demonstrated a low risk and negligible carcinogenic risk, yet the detection of these compounds should not be underestimated.

Citrus limon Essential Oil: Chemical Composition and Selected Biological Properties Focusing on the Antimicrobial (In Vitro, In Situ), Antibiofilm, Insecticidal Activity and Preservative Effect against Salmonella enterica Inoculated in Carrot.

New goals for industry and science have led to increased awareness of food safety and healthier living in the modern era. Here, one of the challenges in food quality assurance is the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. As planktonic cells can form biofilms and go into a sessile state, microorganisms are now more resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Due to their proven antibacterial properties, essential oils represent a potential option to prevent food spoilage in the search for effective natural preservatives. In this study, the chemical profile of Citrus limon essential oil (CLEO) was evaluated. GC-MS analysis revealed that limonene (60.7%), β-pinene (12.6%), and γ-terpinene (10.3%) are common constituents of CLEO, which prompted further research on antibacterial and antibiofilm properties. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values showed that CLEO generally exhibits acceptable antibacterial properties. In addition, in situ antimicrobial research revealed that vapour-phase CLEO can arrest the growth of Candida and Y. enterocolitica species on specific food models, indicating the potential of CLEO as a preservative. The antibiofilm properties of CLEO were evaluated by MIC assays, crystal violet assays, and MALDI-TOF MS analysis against S. enterica biofilm. The results of the MIC and crystal violet assays showed that CLEO has strong antibiofilm activity. In addition, the data obtained by MALDI-TOF MS investigation showed that CLEO altered the protein profiles of the bacteria studied on glass and stainless-steel surfaces. Our study also found a positive antimicrobial effect of CLEO against S. enterica. The anti-Salmonella activity of CLEO in vacuum-packed sous vide carrot samples was slightly stronger than in controls. These results highlight the advantages of the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of CLEO, suggesting potential applications in food preservation.

CAMELS-Chem: augmenting CAMELS (Catchment Attributes and Meteorology for Large-sample Studies) with atmospheric and stream water chemistry data

Abstract. Large sample datasets are transforming the catchment sciences, but there are few off-the-shelf stream water chemistry datasets with complementary atmospheric deposition, streamflow, meteorology, and catchment physiographic attributes. The existing CAMELS (Catchment Attributes and Meteorology for Large-sample Studies) dataset includes data on topography, climate, streamflow, land cover, soil, and geology across the continental US. With CAMELS-Chem, we pair these existing attribute data for 516 catchments with atmospheric deposition data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program and water chemistry and instantaneous discharge data from the US Geological Survey over the period from 1980 through 2018 in a relational database and corresponding dataset. The data include 18 common stream water chemistry constituents: Al, Ca, Cl, dissolved organic carbon, total organic carbon, HCO3, K, Mg, Na, total dissolved N, total organic N, NO3, dissolved oxygen, pH (field and lab), Si, SO4, and water temperature. Annual deposition loads and concentrations include hydrogen, NH4, NO3, total inorganic N, Cl, SO4, Ca, K, Mg, and Na. We demonstrate that CAMELS-Chem water chemistry data are sampled effectively across climates, seasons, and discharges for trend analysis and highlight the coincident sampling of stream constituents for process-based understanding. To motivate their use by the larger scientific community across a variety of disciplines, we show examples of how these publicly available datasets can be applied to trend detection and attribution, biogeochemical process understanding, and new hypothesis generation via data-driven techniques.

Antihistaminic, Antiarthritic, and Antiobesity Activities of Yellow Horn Poppy Natural Products

Background: Yellow horn poppy ( Glaucium flavum, syn. Chelidonium flavum) in the family Papaveraceae, is growing in many geographical areas; it is mostly native to Northern Africa, Western Asia, and Europe. The plant is well known for its different types of alkaloids, including aporphines, protopines, and phenolic compounds. In Eastern Europe, the HCl and HBr salts of glaucine (the common active constituent in G. flavum) have been approved as cough suppressants, in addition to several therapeutic applications in traditional medicine. The natural products of G. flavum varied according to the geographical habitat, the stage of maturity, and the selected plant organ. Materials and Methods: For the first time, the extraction and isolation of natural products (alkaloids and flavonoids) from dried aerial parts of the Libyan population of yellow horn poppy and testing their biological effects, which include antihistaminic, antiarthritic, and antiobesity effects. Results: Alkaloids (glaucine and isoboldine) and flavonoid constituents (quercetin-7- O-rutinoside and rutin) have been isolated, while the biological activity results showed that quercetin-7- O-rutinoside and rutin showed half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) (µg) = 29.7 and 46.6, 26.2 and 61.3, and 58.8 and 50.1 for antihistaminic, antiarthritic, and antiobesity, respectively, compared with those of glaucine and isoboldine effects, IC50 = 77.4 and 159.3, 61.7 and 118.7, and 237.8 and 157.6, respectively. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, the antihistaminic, antiarthritic, and antiobesity effects of the flavonoid compounds were stronger than those of the alkaloidal constituents of yellow horn poppy.

Structural and functional analysis of a new co-processed tableting excipient for food compaction processes

Food compacts are convenient to industry and customers and must primarily possess a sufficient strength to withstand packaging processing and customer handling. In contrast to pharmaceutical applications, the choice of excipients is usually limited to necessary ingredients of the final food product. In accordance, novel, better performing materials derived from advanced processing of common food constituents are highly attractive. This study thoroughly characterizes the properties of such a novel, co-processed food material called “Salt-Starch” to demonstrate its superior tableting behavior and to investigate the cause of its superiority. For a fundamental understanding of the binding mechanisms and the resulting structure, tabletability, compressibility, compactibility and elastic recovery of compacts based on Salt-Starch, its sole starting components with different particle sizes and their physical blends are investigated. Results indicate, that the specific structure of a viscoelastic continuous phase of starch and a brittle-ductile dispersed phase of (sub-)micron-sized sodium chloride lead to superior strength of Salt-Starch, which cannot be achieved by physical mixtures. Compacts tensile strength is elevated 40 times at an applied pressure of 55 MPa and elastic recovery is less than half compared to the elastic recovery of binary mixture tablets.

Influence of Divalent Cation Inhibition and Dissolved Organic Matter Enhancement on Phenol Oxidation Kinetics by Manganese Oxides.

Manganese oxides can oxidize organic compounds, such as phenols, and may potentially be used in passive water treatment applications. However, the impact of common water constituents, including cations and dissolved organic matter (DOM), on this reaction is poorly understood. For example, the presence of DOM can increase or decrease phenol oxidation rates with manganese oxides. Furthermore, the interactions of DOM and cations and their impact on the phenol oxidation rates have not been examined. Therefore, we investigated the oxidation kinetics of six phenolic contaminants with acid birnessite in ten whole water samples. The oxidation rate constants of 4-chlorophenol, 4-tert-octylphenol, 4-bromophenol, and phenol consistently decreased in all waters relative to buffered ultrapure water, whereas the oxidation rate of bisphenol A and triclosan increased by up to 260% in some waters. Linear regression analyses and targeted experiments demonstrated that the inhibition of phenol oxidation is largely determined by cations. Furthermore, quencher experiments indicated that radical-mediated interactions from oxidized DOM contributed to enhanced oxidation of bisphenol A. The variable changes between compounds and water samples demonstrate the challenge of accurately predicting contaminant transformation rates in environmentally relevant systems based on experiments conducted in the absence of natural water constituents.

Chromatographic Evaluation and Characterization of Constituents of Sunflower Seed Extract Used as Food Additives.

Sunflower seed extract, an antioxidant agent registered on the List of Existing Food Additives in Japan, was evaluated using HPLC, and three common constituents were detected. These peaks were identified as monocaffeoylquinic acids (3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid [chlorogenic acid]). Upon scrutinizing other components, dicaffeoylquinic acids (isochlorogenic acids; 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic, and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acids) were also identified. Structures of two newly isolated compounds were determined to be 3-O-(3S-2-oxo-3-hydroxy-indole-3-acetyl)-5-O-caffeoylquinic and 4-O-(3S-2-oxo-3-hydroxy-indole-3-acetyl)-5-O-caffeoylquinic acids. To identify the components that contribute to the antioxidant activity of sunflower seed extract, we fractionated the food additive sample solution and examined the active fractions for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Monocaffeoylquinic and dicaffeoylquinic acids showed high DPPH activity, including their contribution to the antioxidant activity of this food additive. DPPH radical scavenging activity of the new compounds showed almost the same value as that of the positive control, Trolox. Therefore, the contribution of these compounds was also considered.

Chemical Kinetics for the Oxidation of Californium(III) Ions with Select Radiation-Induced Inorganic Radicals (Cl2•- and SO4•-).

Despite the availability of transuranic elements increasing in recent years, our understanding of their most basic and inherent radiation chemistry is limited and yet essential for the accurate interpretation of their physical and chemical properties. Here, we explore the transient interactions between trivalent californium ions () and select inorganic radicals arising from the radiolytic decomposition of common anions and functional group constituents, specifically the dichlorine (Cl2•-) and sulfate (SO4•-) radical anions. Chemical kinetics, as measured using integrated electron pulse radiolysis and transient absorption spectroscopy techniques, are presented for the reactions of these two oxidizing radicals with ions. The derived and ionic strength-corrected second-order rate coefficients (k) for these radiation-induced processes are k( + Cl2•-) = (8.28 ± 0.61) × 105 M-1 s-1 and k( + SO4•-) = (9.50 ± 0.43) × 108 M-1 s-1 under ambient temperature conditions (22 ± 1 °C).

Pharmaceutical impacts on aerobic granular sludge morphology and potential implications for abiotic removal

The goal of this study was to investigate abiotic pharmaceutical removal and abiotic pharmaceutical effects on aerobic granular sludge morphology. For 80 days, a pharmaceutical mixture containing approximately 150 μg/L each of diclofenac, erythromycin, and gemfibrozil was fed to an aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactor and granule characteristics were compared with those from a control reactor. Aqueous and solid phase pharmaceutical concentrations were monitored and staining was used to assess changes in biofilm structures. Solid phase pharmaceutical concentrations were elevated over the first 12 days of dosing; however, they then dropped, indicative of desorption. The lipid content in pharmaceutical-exposed granules declined by approximately half over the dosing period, though the relative concentrations of other key biofilm components (proteins, alpha-, and beta-polysaccharides) did not change. Batch experiments were conducted to try to find an explanation for the desorption observed, but reduced solid phase pharmaceutical concentrations could not be linked with the presence of common wastewater constituents such as ammonia or phosphate. Sorption of all three compounds was modeled best by the Henry isotherm, indicating that, even at 150 μg/L, granules’ sorption site coverage was incomplete. Altogether, this study demonstrates that simplified batch systems may not accurately represent the complex abiotic processes occurring in flow-through, biotic systems.