Authenticating Turkey Red Textiles through Material Investigations by FTIR and UHPLC

Nineteenth-century Turkey red, a cotton textile dyed by a peculiar and unique process, is found in many collections around the world. It was known for its bright colour and remarkable fastness to light exposure and washing. Light fading is a significant concern in the display of historical textiles, and understanding more about the properties of these objects may increase the accessibility of collections. This research explored the identification of historical Turkey red through non-invasive Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to detect the presence of oil – a necessary step in the process – on the fibres. Around 1869, Turkey red dyers began to transition from using madder and garancine to synthetic alizarin, which was investigated through ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). The chemical profiles of 19th-century samples and references of known dye source were used to predict whether Turkey red of unknown date was dyed with natural or synthetic dye

A review of vibration problems in power station boiler feed pumps

Boiler feed pump reliability and availability is recognized as important to the overall efficiency of power generation. Vibration monitoring is often used as a part of planned maintenance. This paper reviews a number of different types of boiler feed pump vibration problems describing some methods of solution in the process. It is hoped that this review may assist both designers and users faced with similar problems

Fundamental reassessment of the taxonomy of five Normapolles pollen genera

National audienceDiagnoses of the Normapolles pollen genera Hungaropollis,Krutzschipollis, Longanulipollis, Oculopollis and Trudopollis and56 of their species are emended and many specimens illustrated inorder to provide a basis for more successful and consistent identificationthan has been possible hitherto. These taxa were recoveredfrom palynological preparations of selected samples from Late Cretaceousdeposits in Europe, southern Sweden and eastern USA.As indicated on an accompanying range chart the majority are encounteredin Santonian and/or Campanian deposits. Eleven of thespecies described have been transferred from other genera and aretherefore in new combinations, namely: Hungaropollis granulatus(Kedves et Herngreen), Longanulipollis coronatiformis (Góczánet Siegl-Farkas), L. orbicularis (Góczán), L. ornatus (Kedves etDiniz), L. parvoculus (Góczán), L. skarbyae (Kedves et Diniz),Oculopollis artifex (Weyland et Krieger), O. rector (Pflug), O.triceps (Skarby), Trudopollis cuneolis (Góczán et Siegl-Farkas),and T. spinulosus (Skarby). Six are new: Hungaropollis pinguis,Krutzschipollis cucullus, K. immanis, Longanulipollis amabilis, L.lobus and Oculopollis viriosus. Thirteen genera are regarded assynonyms of Hungaropollis (Aveiropollenites and Romeinipollenites),Longanulipollis (Coronatipollis, Intercalaripollis, Portaepollenitesand Verruoculopollis), Oculopollis (Druggipollenites, Pseudoculopollisand Semioculopollis) and Trudopollis (Cuneipollis,Felderipollenites, Hofkeripollenites and Kriegeripollenites) respectively.As a result of some of these nomenclatural changes 14 otherspecies are in new generic combinations but are not otherwise considered.Seven morphotypes are identified in open nomenclatureand four placed in comparison

Evaluation of chicory seeds maturity by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) seed production includes sorting to remove foreign materials and non-viable seeds. A machine vision system was developed to monitor the fluorescence in order to detect the immature chicory seeds. It comprised a monochromatic light source, a highpass filter and a monochromatic CCD camera sensitive to red and infrared. With this device, blue light reflected by the seeds was blocked whilst red fluorescence was measured by the camera. A segmentation algorithm was designed to estimate separately the fluorescence intensities of the pappus, a crown of scales, and the main body of the pericarp. Experiments were carried out on five clones of cross-pollinated chicory plants used for seed production. Two hundred flower heads were labelled at flowering and harvested at different times during the maturation process expressed in “days after flowering” (DAF). Germination tests were performed according to the recommendations of the International Seed Testing Association to measure the germination percentage (GP) and the germination rate (GR), an indicator of seed vigour. Seed chlorophyll content diminished during maturation following a different logistic trend for the pappus and the pericarp. The GP increased from 18 DAF to reach its maximum value at 21 DAF, but the GR remained low until 30 DAF and increased afterwards. The potential of chlorophyll fluorescence to be used as an indicator of chicory seed vigour was the greatest between 21 and 36 DAF

Synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted heterocycles by Pd-catalyzed arylallylation of unactivated alkenes

Finding new methods of carbon–carbon bond formation is a key goal in expanding current methodology for heterocycle formation. Because of their inherently non-planar shape, new methods of forming sp3-rich scaffolds are of particular importance. While there are methods for combining heterocyclisation and formation of new sp3–sp3 carbon–carbon bonds, these form the carbon– heteroatom bond rather than a carbon–carbon bond of the heterocycle. Here we show a new alkene arylallylation reaction that generates a heterocycle with concomitant formation of two new carbon– carbon bonds. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this process occurs through an isohypsic (redox neutral) mechanism. Overall, this carboallylation reaction gives a new route to the synthesis of 3,3- disubstituted heterocycles

Phonon-like hydrogen-bond modes in protic ionic liquids

Gigahertz- to terahertz-frequency infrared and Raman spectra contain a wealth of information concerning the structure, intermolecular forces, and dynamics of ionic liquids. However, these spectra generally have a large number of contributions ranging from slow diffusional modes to underdamped librations and intramolecular vibrational modes. This makes it difficult to isolate effects such as the role of Coulombic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. We have applied far-infrared and ultrafast optical Kerr effect spectroscopies on carefully selected ions with a greater or lesser degree of symmetry in order to isolate spectral signals of interest. This has allowed us to demonstrate the presence of longitudinal and transverse optical phonon modes and a great similarity of alkylammonium-based protic ionic liquids to liquid water. The data show that such phonon modes will be present in all ionic liquids, requiring a reinterpretation of their spectra

Re-examination of the palynological content of the Lower Cretaceous deposits of Angeac, Charente, south-west France::Age, palaeoenvironment and taxonomic determinations

International audienceFurther to the work published by Néraudeau et al. six years ago, palynological matter recovered from the lignitic bone bed of Angeac in Charente (south-west France) has been re-examined in order to provide more evidence of its age, the previous Hauterivian–Barremian interpretation being regarded as controversial. The samples come from four sedimentological units, An2–An5, which together yielded an assemblage of 34 species, taxonomically dominated by palaeoecologically significant lygodiaceous verrucate spores, including eight species attributable to the genus Concavissimisporites and three species of Trilobosporites. A few bisaccate pollen grains, including Vitreisporites pallidus, have been recovered, but the gymnospermous pollen spectrum is clearly dominated by the cheirolepidiaceous genus Classopollis, its abundance diminishing progressively upwards from units An4 to An2. The great abundance and diversity of verrucate forms, along with the presence of other spores typical of Lower Cretaceous deposits, such as Aequitriradites verrucosus, and the scarcity of specimens referable to Cicatricosisporites, render this assemblage most similar to those of the Hastings Group of southern England, and the Bückeberg Formation in north-western Germany. The time of deposition is, therefore, more likely to have been Berriasian–Valanginian rather than Hauterivian–Barremian, as previously stated. The associated small assemblage of megaspores is consistent with this determination. Except for Trilobosporites and Concavissimisporites, the use of several other genera commonly applied to Mesozoic verrucate spores, such as Converrucosisporites and Impardecispora, is considered unnecessary. To support this assertion, a Principal Components Analysis has been carried out on 120 verrucate spores from sedimentological units An2–4, taking into account ten morphological variables. The results show that specimens attributable to Trilobosporites are well be separated from the main cluster, which corresponds to Concavissimisporites, underlining the futility of using more than two genera for the species concerned

Jumping into the 20th century before it is too late: is laboratory robotics still in its infancy?

Successful management of laboratory robotic automation programmes in the environment of research and drug discovery within the pharmaceutical industry may perhaps be best compared to a chef preparing the perfect hollandaise sauce. All the ingredients must be available at the same time and be of highest quality for the right price. However, if components are not added in the right quantities and in the proper order, no amount of whipping together by the product champion will create the best product. In the past, managerial scepticism surrounding useful implementation of cost-effective, high-throughput robotic systems often placed these ‘modern toys’ at low priorities for research development laboratories. Management now recognizes the unique contributions of robotics in the research environment. Although the scientific director must still play the role of product champion, new questions are being proposed and new commitments are being made to bring the potential of robotic automation to every laboratory where repetitive functions can benefit from new applications. Research laboratory directors have become both the key ingredient, as well as the rate-limiting determinant in the development of new applications. Having fulfilled the promise of robotic automation to release talented personnel, the challenge now is for the ‘end users’, the bench scientists, to be provided with opportunities to invest the time and effort required for future applications and new career functions