Electrochemosensor for Trace Analysis of Perfluorooctanesulfonate in Water Based on a Molecularly Imprinted Poly(o-phenylenediamine) Polymer

This work is aimed at developing an electrochemical sensor for the sensitive and selective detection of trace levels of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in water. Contamination of waters by perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) is a problem of global concern due to their suspected toxicity and ability to bioaccumulate. PFOS is the perfluorinated compound of major concern, as it has the lowest suggested control concentrations. The sensor reported here is based on a gold electrode modified with a thin coating of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), prepared by anodic electropolymerization of o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) in the presence of PFOS as the template. Activation of the sensor is achieved by template removal with suitable a solvent mixture. Voltammetry, a quartz crystal microbalance, scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis were used to monitor the electropolymerization process, template removal, and binding of the analyte. Ferrocenecarboxylic acid (FcCOOH) has been exploited as an electrochemical probe able to generate analytically useful voltammetric signals by competing for the binding sites with PFOS, as the latter is not electroactive. The sensor has a low detection limit (0.04 nM), a satisfactory selectivity, and is reproducible and repeatable, giving analytical results in good agreement with those obtained by HPLC-MS/MS analyses

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT ON THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF 1-D JANUS PARTICLES FOR CHEMICAL SENSING PURPOSES

The dual nature of Janus particles (JPs) confers upon them fascinating properties. The name of this particles is referred to the Roman god of gates, having two opposite and distinct faces. In practice, the term Janus Particles defines all those particles displaying a dual anisotropic structure, in which two parts with distinct characteristics can be distinguished. Possible architecture for JPs are schematized in Fig. 1. Figure 1. Different Janus Particles arrangements. JPs have been prepared by a variety of methods, including: surface coating, biphasic electrified jetting, photo-polymerization in microfluidic channels, polymer self-assembly (1). Bipolar electrochemistry (2) have been applied to the goal of preparing JPs, with the advantages of requiring simple and cheap instrumentation as well as being potentially suitable for relatively large scale production. In this communication, we describe the electrochemical preparation of Janus like 1-D nanowires (J-NWs) in particular by bipolar electrochemistry and by membrane templated electrochemical deposition (3) exploiting the experimental set-up recently proposed (4). Advantages and limits of bipolar electrochemistry vs. template deposition are critically evaluated, taking into account that the final goal of this study is the synthesis of 1D JPs suitable for analytical applications, based on differentiated self-assembly of the J-NWS in response to changes of the chemical environment in which they are suspended. (1) J. Hu, S. Zhou, Y. Sun, X. Fanga, L. Wu. Chemical Society Review, 41 (2012) 4356–4378. (2) G. Loget, V. Lapeyre, P. Garrigue,C. Warakulwit, J. Limtrakul, M.-H. Delville, A. Kuhn. Chemistry of Materials 23 (2011) 2595-2599. (3) P. Ugo, L.M. Moretto, Handbook of Electrochemistry, C. Zoski ed., chp. 16.2, Elsevier, 2007. (4) A. Gambirasi, S. Cattarin, M. Musiani, L. Vázquez-Gómeza, E. Verlato. Electrochimica Acta 56 (2011) 8582-8588

Organic pollutants in sea-surface microlayer and aerosol in thecoastal environment of Leghorn—(Tyrrhenian Sea)

The levels of dissolved and particle-associated n-alkanes, alkylbenzenes, phthalates, PAHs, anionic surfactants and surfactant fluorescent organic matter ŽSFOM. were measured in sea-surface microlayer ŽSML. and sub-surface water ŽSSL. samples collected in the Leghorn marine environment in September and October 1999. Nine stations, located in the Leghorn harbour and at increasing distances from the Port, were sampled three times on the same day. At all the stations, SML concentrations of the selected organic compounds were significantly higher than SSL values and the enrichment factors ŽEFsSML concentrationrSSL concentration. were greater in the particulate phase than in the dissolved phase. SML concentrations varied greatly among the sampling sites, the highest levels Žn-alkanes 3674 mgrl, phthalates 177 mgrl, total PAHs 226 mgrl. being found in the particulate phase in the Leghorn harbour. To improve the knowledge on pollutant exchanges between sea-surface waters and atmosphere, the validity of spray drop adsorption model ŽSDAM. was verified for SFOM, surface-active agents, such as phthalates, and compounds which can interact with SFOM, such as n-alkanes and PAHs. q2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Developing a data-driven method to constrain the antiproton background in the Mu2e experiment

The Mu2e experiment will search for CLFV neutrinoless coherent muon to electron conversion in the field of an Al nucleus. The expected signal is a 104.97 MeV/c monochromatic e- (CE). CE-like e-’s could also come from p ̄’s annihilating in the Stopping Target (ST). The background induced by p ̄’s is expected to be low but has a large systematic uncertainty. It cannot be suppressed by the time window cut used to reduce the prompt background. However, pp ̄ annihilation in the ST is the only source of events in the Mu2e detector with multiple tracks coming from the ST, simultaneous in time, each with a momentum in the signal window region. We exploited this unique feature and developed algorithms to identify and reconstruct multi-track events. This paper discusses the status and prospects of this data-driven method to constrain the p ̄ background at Mu2e

MACROGLOSSIA AS A CAUSE OF ATYPICAL SWALLOWING: COMPARISON OF EVALUATION AND LOGOPEDIC TREATMENT BETWEEN BECKWITH-WIEDEMANN AND DOWN PATIENTS

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Formaldehyde determination in seawater. Preliminary applicationto coastal samples at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica)

A sensitive spectrofluorimetric-FIA (flow injection analysis) method for formaldehyde (HCHO) determination was improved with the aim of analysing seawater samples.The fluorescence emission versus HCHO concentration shows a linear pattern from sub mg L1 to about 1000 mg L1. The reproducibility at 15 ppb level is about 2%. Interferences from other aldehydes were checked; only glyoxal shows a significative interference, but only when its concentration is about 6000 times higher than that of formaldehyde. Superficial (microlayer, just sub-pack or sea-ice free sea surface) and deep (along the water column, sub-pack or in sea-ice free areas) seawater samples were collected near the coast at Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica) during the 1998/1999 and 2001/2002 Italian Antarctic Expedition. We report here the preliminary results of the spectrofluorimetric-FIA determination of the HCHO content. The mean seawater superficial formaldehyde concentration was 15 mg L1; the concentration along the water column ranged between 4.5 to over 40 mg L1 (20 mg L1 mean concentration), usually with a maximum value for the 30 m depth, corresponding to a fluorescence maximum. The sampling was repeated 7 times in the austral summer in order to evaluate seasonal changes in the formaldehyde concentration/seawater depth profiles. The results show changes in the formaldehyde concentration at different depths

Controllability and universal three-qubit quantum computation with trapped electron states

We show how to control and perform universal three-qubit quantum computation with trapped electron quantum states. The three qubits are the electron spin, and the first two quantum states of the cyclotron and axial harmonic oscillators. We explicitly show how the universal gates can be performed. As an example of a non-trivial quantum algorithm, we outline the implementation of the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm in this system.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Typos corrected. The original publication is available at http://www.springerlink.co

Results of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR's Search for Double-Beta Decay of 76Ge to Excited States of 76Se

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is searching for double-beta decay of 76Ge to excited states (E.S.) in 76Se using a modular array of high purity Germanium detectors. 76Ge can decay into three E.S.s of 76Se. The E.S. decays have a clear event signature consisting of a ββ-decay with the prompt emission of one or two γ-rays, resulting in with high probability in a multi-site event. The granularity of the DEMONSTRATOR detector array enables powerful discrimination of this event signature from backgrounds. Using 21.3 kg-y of isotopic exposure, the DEMONSTRATOR has set world leading limits for each E.S. decay, with 90% CL lower half-life limits in the range of (0.56 2.1) ⋅ 1024 y. In particular, for the 2v transition to the first 0+ E.S. of 76Se, a lower half-life limit of 0.68 ⋅ 1024 at 90% CL was achieved

ADC Nonlinearity Correction for the Majorana Demonstrator

Imperfections in analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) cannot be ignored when signal digitization requirements demand both wide dynamic range and high resolution, as is the case for the Majorana Demonstrator 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay search. Enabling the experiment's high-resolution spectral analysis and efficient pulse shape discrimination required careful measurement and correction of ADC nonlinearities. A simple measurement protocol was developed that did not require sophisticated equipment or lengthy data-taking campaigns. A slope-dependent hysteresis was observed and characterized. A correction applied to digitized waveforms prior to signal processing reduced the differential and integral nonlinearities by an order of magnitude, eliminating these as dominant contributions to the systematic energy uncertainty at the double-beta decay Q value