The behavior of pharmaceutically active compounds and contrast agents during wastewater treatment - Combining sampling strategies and analytical techniques: A critical review.

Increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals and the respective consequences for the aquatic environment have been the focus of many studies over the last thirty years. Various aspects in this field were investigated, considering diverse pharmaceutical groups and employing a wide range of research methodologies. Various questions from the perspectives of different research areas were devised and answered, resulting in a large mix of individual findings and conclusions.

Ionothermal Approach to Homo- and Heteroleptic Alkylation of Tellurido Mercurate Clusters for Assembly in Lamellar Crystal Structures.

The selective methylation and butylation of chalcogenido metalate clusters by utilizing imidazolium-based ionic liquids turned out to be not only a comparably mild but at the same time also the only known method for postsynthetic alkylation of such species in order to increase their solubility. For additional impact on the crystal structures, selective alkylation with longer alkyl chains was addressed by utilizing the ionic liquid (CCIm)[BF] (C = decyl group at position 1 and C = methyl group at position 3 of the cation's Im = imidazolium ring) for ionothermal syntheses of functionalized tellurido mercurate clusters. Herein, we report three novel compounds, two of which comprise cluster anions that exhibit a selective organic functionalization of their terminal telluride ligands upon in situ alkylation with the ionic liquid: [HgTe(Te)(TeDec)] (in ; Dec = decyl) represents the first decylated chalcogenido metalate cluster.

Strategies for Automated Enzymatic Glycan Synthesis (AEGS).

Glycans are the most abundant biopolymers on earth and are constituents of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans with multiple biological functions. The availability of different complex glycan structures is of major interest in biotechnology and basic research of biological systems. High complexity, establishment of general and ubiquitous synthesis techniques, as well as sophisticated analytics, are major challenges in the development of glycan synthesis strategies.

Kinetics of the direct DME synthesis from CO rich syngas under variation of the CZA-to-γ-AlO ratio of a mixed catalyst bed.

The one-step synthesis of dimethyl ether over mechanical mixtures of Cu/ZnO/AlO (CZA) and γ-AlO was studied in a wide range of process conditions. Experiments were performed at an industrially relevant pressure of 50 bar varying the carbon oxide ratio in the feed (CO in CO from 20 to 80%), temperature (503-533 K), space-time (240-400 kg s m ), and the CZA-to-γ-AlO weight ratio (from 1 to 5). Factors favoring the DME production in the investigated range of conditions are an elevated temperature, a low CO content in the feed, and a CZA-to-γ-AlO weight ratio of 2.

Multielectrode biosensor chip for spatial resolution screening of 3D cell models based on microcavity arrays.

Three-dimensional cell models represent the native in vivo situation more closely than two-dimensional cultures and are therefore preferred today for in vitro studies. In this context, there is a great demand for fast, non-invasive, real-time, and label-free methods that are capable for detailed analyses of three-dimensional cultures. To characterize heterogeneous cultures or to detect localized drug effects, a measurement method such as impedance spectroscopy in combination with microcavity arrays (MCAs) is desirable, which additionally offers spatial resolution.

The "Hockey" Assist Makes the Difference-Validation of a Defensive Disruptiveness Model to Evaluate Passing Sequences in Elite Soccer.

With the growing availability of position data in sports, spatiotemporal analysis in soccer is a topic of rising interest. The aim of this study is to validate a performance indicator, namely D-Def, measuring passing effectiveness. D-Def calculates the change of the teams' centroid, centroids of formation lines (e.

SUPERFACT: A Model Fuel for Studying the Evolution of the Microstructure of Spent Nuclear Fuel during Storage/Disposal.

The transmutation of minor actinides (in particular, Np and Am), which are among the main contributors to spent fuel α-radiotoxicity, was studied in the SUPERFACT irradiation. Several types of transmutation UO-based fuels were produced, differing by their minor actinide content (Am, Np, Pu), and irradiated in the Phénix fast reactor. Due to the high content in rather short-lived alpha-decaying actinides, both the archive, but also the irradiated fuels, cumulated an alpha dose during a laboratory time scale, which is comparable to that of standard LWR fuels during centuries/millenaries of storage.

The transformation of cuboctahedral to icosahedral nanoparticles: atomic structure and dynamics.

The rearrangement of transition metal nanoparticles from cuboctahedral to icosahedral structures is studied for up to 923 atoms. The atomic structure and temperature dependence of the transition are investigated with a well-defined collective variable. This collective variable describes the folding of the square fcc(100) facets into two triangular facets through a linear combination of the diagonals of all fcc(100) facets of all shells of the particle.

Di- and Tetracyano-Substituted Pyrene-Fused Pyrazaacenes: Aggregation in the Solid State.

Five di- and tetracyano-substituted pyrene-fused pyrazaacenes were synthesized and studied as potential electron acceptors in the solid state. Single crystals of all compounds were grown and the crystal packing studied by DFT calculations (transfer integrals and reorganization energies) to get insight into possible use for semiconducting charge transport.

Triptycene End-Capped Benzothienobenzothiophene and Naphthothienobenzothiophene.

Previously it was demonstrated that triptycene end-capping can be used as a crystal engineering strategy to direct the packing of quinoxalinophenanthrophenazines (QPPs) towards cofacially stacked π dimers with large molecular overlap resulting in high charge transfer integrals. Remarkably, this packing motif was formed under different crystallization conditions and with a variety of derivatives bearing additional functional groups or aromatic substituents. Benzothienobenzothiophene (BTBT) and its derivatives are known as some of the best performing compounds for organic field-effect transistors.

Low-field NMR for quality control on oils.

Oil is a prominent, but multifaceted material class with a wide variety of applications. Technical oils, crude oils as well as edibles are main subclasses. In this review, the question is addressed how low-field NMR can contribute in oil characterization as an analytical tool, mainly with respect to quality control.

Ionic Liquid-Based Electrolyte Membranes for Medium-High Temperature Lithium Polymer Batteries.

Li⁺-conducting polyethylene oxide-based membranes incorporating -butyl--methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide are used as electrolyte separators for all-solid-state lithium polymer batteries operating at medium-high temperatures. The incorporation of the ionic liquid remarkably improves the thermal, ion-transport and interfacial properties of the polymer electrolyte, which, in combination with the wide electrochemical stability even at medium-high temperatures, allows high current rates without any appreciable lithium anode degradation. Battery tests carried out at 80 °C have shown excellent cycling performance and capacity retention, even at high rates, which are never tackled by ionic liquid-free polymer electrolytes.

Connection between Lithium Coordination and Lithium Diffusion in [Pyr ][FTFSI] Ionic Liquid Electrolytes.

The use of highly concentrated ionic liquid-based electrolytes results in improved rate capability and capacity retention at 20 °C compared to Li -dilute systems in Li-metal and Li-ion cells. This work explores the connection between the bulk electrolyte properties and the molecular organization to provide insight into the concentration dependence of the Li transport mechanisms. Below 30 mol %, the Li -containing species are primarily smaller complexes (one Li cation) and the Li ion transport is mostly derived from the vehicular transport.

Complexation of Actinide(III) and Lanthanide(III) with HTPAEN for a Separation of Americium from Curium and Lanthanides.

Previous studies have identified the TPAEN ligand as a potentially appropriate complexing agent in solvent extraction processes for the separation of americium (Am(III)) from the fission products including lanthanide (Ln(III)) and curium (Cm(III)) ions, a challenging issue for advanced nuclear fuel recycling. To get insight into the selectivity of this ligand, the complexation of selected trivalent Ln(III) and actinide (An(III)) cations with TPAEN was investigated in solution. First, the structure and stoichiometry of the TPAEN complex with Am(III) were characterized by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS).

Platinum(II)-Crosslinked Single-Chain Nanoparticles: An Approach towards Recyclable Homogeneous Catalysts.

We introduce the synthesis and in-depth characterization of platinum(II)-crosslinked single-chain nanoparticles (Pt -SCNPs) to demonstrate their application as a recyclable homogeneous catalyst. Specifically, a linear precursor copolymer of styrene and 4-(diphenylphosphino)styrene was synthesized via nitroxide-mediated polymerization. The triarylphosphine ligand moieties along the backbone allowed for the intramolecular crosslinking of single chains via the addition of [Pt(1,5-cyclooctadiene)Cl ] in dilute solution.

Magnetic field therapy in patients with cytostatics-induced polyneuropathy: A prospective randomized placebo-controlled phase-III study.

No causal treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is known. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a therapy for CIPN. Only scarce clinical data are available concerning magnetic field therapy (MFT) in this context.

Bioaccessibility of carotenoids from Chlorella vulgaris and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Microalgae can contribute to a balanced diet because of their composition. Beside numerous essential nutrients, carotenoids are in the focus for food applications. The bioavailability of carotenoids from photoautotrophic-cultivated Chlorella vulgaris (C.

Interphase Evolution of a Lithium-Ion/Oxygen Battery.

A novel lithium-ion/oxygen battery employing Pyr14TFSI-LiTFSI as the electrolyte and nanostructured LixSn-C as the anode is reported. The remarkable energy content of the oxygen cathode, the replacement of the lithium metal anode by a nanostructured stable lithium-alloying composite, and the concomitant use of nonflammable ionic liquid-based electrolyte result in a new and intrinsically safer energy storage system. The lithium-ion/oxygen battery delivers a stable capacity of 500 mAh g(-1) at a working voltage of 2.

A phasemeter concept for space applications that integrates an autonomous signal acquisition stage based on the discrete wavelet transform.

We describe a phasemeter designed to autonomously acquire and track a heterodyne signal with low signal-to-noise ratio in a frequency band that spans from 1 MHz to 25 MHz. The background driving some of the design criterions of the phasemeter comes from studies on future space mission concepts such as orbiting gravitational wave observatories and next generation geodesy missions which all rely on tracking phasemeters in order to meet their mission goal. The phasemeter has been implemented within a field programmable gate array trying to minimize the requirement of computational resources and its performance has been tested using signal generators.

Clickable tyrosine binding bifunctional linkers for preparation of DNA-protein conjugates.

We have prepared bifunctional linkers containing clickable functional groups that enable preparation of protein-DNA conjugates through binding onto tyrosine residues. Mild conjugation strategy was demonstrated using two proteins, streptavidin(STV) and myoglobin (Mb) and it resulted in conjugates with preserved functionality of both the proteins and DNA strands. Furthermore, we show that protein-DNA conjugates can be successfully immobilized onto solid surface containing complementary DNA strands and the enzymatic activity of Mb-DNA conjugates is even higher than that of corresponding conjugates prepared through Lys binding.