C NMR spectroscopy characterization of particle-size fractionated soil organic carbon in subalpine forest and grassland ecosystems.

Background: Soil organic carbon (SOC) and carbon (C) functional groups in different particle-size fractions are important indicators of microbial activity and soil decomposition stages under wildfire disturbances. This research investigated a natural Tsuga forest and a nearby fire-induced grassland along a sampling transect in Central Taiwan with the aim to better understand the effect of forest wildfires on the change of SOC in different soil particle scales. Soil samples were separated into six particle sizes and SOC was characterized by solid-state C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in each fraction.

Characterization of soil organic matter in perhumid natural cypress forest: comparison of humification in different particle-size fractions.

Background: The Chamaecyparis forest is a valuable natural resource in eastern Asia. The characteristics of soil humic substances and the influence of environmental factors in natural Chamaecyparis forests in subtropical mountain regions are poorly understood. The study site of a perhumid Chamaecyparis forest is in the Yuanyang Lake Preserved Area in northcentral Taiwan.

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory effects of Broussonetia papyrifera stem bark.

Objective: Broussonetia papyrifera is used as a traditional medicine to treat few diseases. However, the antiinflammatory effect of B. papyrifera stem bark has not been evaluated.

Production of copper-based rare earth composite metal materials by coprecipitation and applications for gaseous ammonia removal.

This study addresses the oxidation of ammonia (NH3) at temperatures between 423 and 673 K by selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) over a copper-based, rare earth composite metal material that was prepared by coprecipitating copper nitrate, lanthanum nitrate, and cerium nitrate at various molar ratios. The catalysts were characterized using Brunner, Emmett, and Teller spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Xray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetric spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. At a temperature of 673 K and an oxygen content of 4%, approximately 99.

Treatment of ammonia by catalytic wet oxidation process over platinum-rhodium bimetallic catalyst in a trickle-bed reactor: effect of pH.

This work adopted aqueous solutions of ammonia for use in catalytic liquid-phase reduction in a trickle-bed reactor with a platinum-rhodium bimetallic catalyst, prepared by the co-precipitation of chloroplatinic acid (H2PtCl6) and rhodium nitrate [Rh(NO3)3]. The experimental results demonstrated that a minimal amount of ammonia was removed from the solution by wet oxidation in the absence of any catalyst, while approximately 97.0% of the ammonia was removed by wet oxidation over the platinum-rhodium bimetallic catalyst at 230 degrees C with an oxygen partial pressure of 2.

Characterization and performance of Pt-Pd-Rh cordierite monolith catalyst for selectivity catalytic oxidation of ammonia.

This work considers the oxidation of ammonia (NH(3)) by selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) over a Pt-Pd-Rh cordierite monolith catalyst in a tubular fixed-bed flow quartz reactor (TFBR) at temperatures between 423 and 623K. A Pt-Pd-Rh cordierite monolith catalyst was prepared by incipient wetness impregnation with aqueous solutions of H(2)PtCl(6), Pd(NO(3))(3) and Rh(NO(3))(3) that were coated on cordierite substances. The catalysts were characterized using XRD, PSA and SEM.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of cis-dichloridoplatinum(II) complexes of 1,1'-biisoquinolines.

A simple approach to 1,1',2,2',3,3',4,4'-octahydro-1,1'-biisoquinolines is described. Reaction of phenethylamines with oxalyl chloride led to N,N'-bis(phenethyl) oxamides (1). Cyclization of oxamides by using Bischler-Napieralski conditions gave 3,3',4,4'-tetrahydro-1,1'-biisoquinoline (3) and unusual products 2, 4, 5.

Activity of Cu-activated carbon fiber catalyst in wet oxidation of ammonia solution.

Aqueous solutions of 200-1000 mg/L of ammonia were oxidized in a trickle-bed reactor using Cu-activated carbon fiber (ACF) catalysts, which were prepared by incipient wet impregnation with aqueous solutions of copper nitrate that was deposited on ACF substrates. The results reveal that the conversion of ammonia by wet oxidation in the presence of Cu-ACF catalysts was a function of the metal loading weight ratio of the catalyst. The total conversion efficiency of ammonia was 95% during wet oxidation over the catalyst at 463 K at an oxygen partial pressure of 3.

The synthesis of N-phenoxyethyl-1-substituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines and their alpha1-adrenoceptor blocking activity.

A series of phenoxyisoquinolines, N-phenoxyethyl-1-(2-nitrophenyl)-1,2,3,4-THIQs 3a-3d, N-phenoxyethyl-1-benzyl-1,2,3,4-THIQ 3e, N-phenoxyethyl-1-(2-aminophenyl)-1,2,3,4-THIQs 5f-5i, N-phenoxyethyl-1-(2-phenoxyethylaminophenyl)-1,2,3,4-THIQs 5f'-5i', have been synthesized and tested in isolated rat vas deferens alpha-adrenoreceptors. Comparison of pA2 values for these compounds in the presence of phenylephrine confirms that alpha(1)-adrenoceptor blocking activity of 3a-3d (-NO(2) series) is more active than 6a-6c (-NH(2) series) in the aortic rings isolated from SD rats. On the other hand, the electron-donating group at the 6-position of isoquinoline ring either increases or decreases the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor blocking activity.

Catalytic wet oxidation of ammonia solution: activity of the nanoscale platinum-palladium-rhodium composite oxide catalyst.

Aqueous solutions of 400-1000 mg/L of ammonia were oxidized in a trickle-bed reactor (TBR) in this study of nanoscale platinum-palladium-rhodium composite oxide catalysts, which were prepared by the co-precipitation of H(2)PtCl(6), Pd(NO(3))(3) and Rh(NO(3))(3). Hardly any of the dissolved ammonia was removed by wet oxidation in the absence of any catalyst, whereas about 99% of the ammonia was reduced during wet oxidation over nanoscale platinum-palladium-rhodium composite oxide catalysts at 503 K in an oxygen partial pressure of 2.0 MPa.

Decomposition kinetics of ammonia in gaseous stream by a nanoscale copper-cerium bimetallic catalyst.

This study performance is to examine the kinetics over nanoscale copper-cerium bimetallic catalyst under selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) of ammonia to N(2) in a tubular fixed-bed reactor (TFBR) at temperatures from 150 to 400 degrees C in the presence of oxygen. The nanoscale copper-cerium bimetallic catalyst was prepared by co-precipitation with Cu(NO(3))(2) and Ce(NO(3))(3) at molar ratio of 6:4. Experimental results showed that the catalyst with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that copper and cerium are well dispersed and catalyst in the form of nanometer-sized particles.

Combining high-performance liquid chromatography with on-line microdialysis sampling for the simultaneous determination of ascorbyl glucoside, kojic acid, and niacinamide in bleaching cosmetics.

We have used on-line microdialysis sampling coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography and UV-vis detection to simultaneously determine the contents of ascorbyl glucoside (AA-2G), kojic acid (KA), and niacinamide (VitB(3)) in commercial bleaching cosmetics. Our results indicate that AA-2G, KA, and VitB(3) separated well within 4.5 min on a reverse-phase Hypersil Fluophase PFP column when eluting with 0.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of cis-dichloroplatinum(II) complexes of 1-(2-aminophenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines.

Fifteen cis-dichloroplatinum complexes (5a-5o) were synthesized by treatment of 1-(2-aminophenyl)-1,2,3,4-THIQs (4a-4o) with K(2)PtCl(4). The antitumor activity of these compounds was examined against four different human tumor cell lines. Their structure-activity relationships for antitumor activity are reported.

Microdialysis sampling coupled to on-line high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of arbutin in whitening cosmetics.

We have developed a method that uses on-line microdialysis sampling coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine arbutin in whitening cosmetics. The optimum analytical conditions for microdialysis sampling were a probe length of 10mm and a dialysis flow-rate of 5 microl min-1. The accuracy (% bias) for intra-day (n=6) and inter-day (n=30, five consecutive days) analyses ranged from -8.

Determination of hydroquinone in cosmetic emulsion using microdialysis sampling coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography.

A method based on microdialysis sampling combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed for the determination of hydroquinone in cosmetic emulsion. In microdialysis sampling, using deionized water as perfusate, a probe length of 10mm and dialysis flow-rate of 5 microl min(-1) were found to be the optimum conditions for the analysis. The accuracy (% bias) for intra-day (n=3) and inter-day (n=12, four consecutive days) ranged from -9.

Structure-activity relationship studies on chalcone derivatives. the potent inhibition of chemical mediators release.

Some chalcones exert potent anti-inflammatory activities. 2',5'-Dialkoxychalcones and 2',5'-dihydroxy-4-chloro-dihydrochalcone inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-activated N9 microglial cells and in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophage-like cells have been demonstrated in our previous reports.

Robust image registration for functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.

Motion-related artifacts are still a major problem in data analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) studies of brain activation. However, the traditional image registration algorithm is prone to inaccuracy when there are residual variations owing to counting statistics, partial volume effects or biological variation. In particular, susceptibility artifacts usually result in remarkable signal intensity variance, and they can mislead the estimation of motion parameters.