No abstract

Gas hydrates and gas bubbles were collected during the MARNAUT cruise (May-June 2007) in the Sea of Marmara along the North Anatolian Fault system, Turkey. Gas hydrates were sampled in the western part of the Sea of Marmara (on the Western High), and three gas-bubble samples were recovered on the Western High, the Central High (center part of the Sea of Marmara) and in the Çinarcik Basin (eastern part of the Sea of Marmara). Methane is the major component of hydrates (66.1%), but heavier gases such as C 2 , C 3 , and i-C 4 are also present in relatively high concentration. The methane contained within gas hydrate is clearly thermogenic as evidenced by a low C 1 /C 2 + C 3 ratio of 3.3, and carbon and hydrogen isotopic data (δ 13 C CH4 of − 44.1‰ PDB and δD CH4 of − 219‰ SMOW). A similar signature is found for the associated gas bubbles (C 1 /C 2 + C 3 ratio of 24.4, δ 13 C CH4 of − 44.4‰ PDB) which have the same composition as natural gas fromK. Marmara-af field. Gas bubbles from Central High show also a thermogenic origin as evidenced by a C 1 /C 2 + C 3 ratio of 137, and carbon and hydrogen isotopic data (δ 13 C CH4 of − 44.4‰ PDB and δD CH4 of − 210‰ SMOW), whereas those from the Çinarcik Basin have a primarily microbial origin (C 1 /C 2 + C 3 ratio of 16,600, δ 13 C CH4 of − 64.1‰ PDB). UV-Raman spectroscopy reveals structure II for gas hydrates, with CH 4 trapped in the small (5 12) and large (5 12 6 4) cages, and with C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 and i-C 4 H 10 trapped in the large cages. Hydrate composition is in good agreement with equilibrium calculations, which confirm the genetic link between the gas hydrate and gas bubbles at Western High and the K.Marmara-af offshore gas field located north of the Western High. We calculate the characteristics of the hydrate stability zone at Western High and in the Çinarcik Basin using the CSM-GEM computer program. The base of the structure II hydrate stability field is at about 100 m depth below the seafloor at the Western High site, whereas in the Çinarcik Basin, P-T conditions at the seafloor correspond to the uppermost range for structure I hydrate formation from microbial gas.

The crystallization kinetics and the resulting structure and morphology of polylactide (PLA) were investigated in the presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Nanocomposite samples prepared by solution and melt mixing present homogeneous filler dispersion, as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Calorimetric characterization of the nonisothermal and isothermal crystallization behavior analyzed according to Avrami’s theory provides evidence of the significant impact of CNTs on the crystallization kinetics of the PLA matrix. The nucleating effect of the nanofillers is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy experiments. Indeed, during isothermal crystallization, the nanotube characteristic vibrations are strongly affected by the development of polymer crystalline phase. Additionally, CNTs increase the number of nucleation sites and thereby decrease the average spherolite size as observed by optical microscopy. The PLA crystal structure is not modified by the presence of CNTs, as probed by X-ray diffraction.

Border-like cells are released by Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) root tips as organized layers of several cells that remain attached to each other rather than completely detached from each other, as is usually observed in border cells of many species. Unlike border cells, cell attachment between border-like cells is maintained after their release into the external environment. To investigate the role of cell wall polysaccharides in the attachment and organization of border-like cells, we have examined their release in several well-characterized mutants defective in the biosynthesis of xyloglucan, cellulose, or pectin. Our data show that among all mutants examined, only quasimodo mutants (qua1-1 and qua2-1), which have been characterized as producing less homogalacturonan, had an altered border-like cell phenotype as compared with the wild type. Border-like cells in both lines were released as isolated cells separated from each other, with the phenotype being much more pronounced in qua1-1 than in qua2-1. Further analysis of border-like cells in the qua1-1 mutant using immunocytochemistry and a set of anti-cell wall polysaccharide antibodies showed that the loss of the wild-type phenotype was accompanied by (1) a reduction in homogalacturonan-JIM5 epitope in the cell wall of border-like cells, confirmed by Fourier transform infrared microspectrometry, and (2) the secretion of an abundant mucilage that is enriched in xylogalacturonan and arabinogalactan-protein epitopes, in which the cells are trapped in the vicinity of the root tip.

Les méthodes existantes de titrage de N et O d'une post-décharge au moyen de l'intensité d'émission de la molécule NO excitée ne permettant pas d'aller au-delà de x = 5% dans un mélange xO2-(100%-x)N2, nous présentons une démarche valable pour x⩽20%. Cette technique est fondée sur la mesure de l'intensité d'émission de NO2(A), en fonction du débit de NO introduit, en relation avec une dérivation analytique des équations des concentrations [N] et [O]. La concentration d'oxygène atomique obtenue par cette méthode est validée de façon indépendante à partir de la mesure du rapport des intensités d'émission de NO(B) et de N2(B, 11) (celle-ci détectable pour x⩽8%). Enfin, la méthode proposée est mise en oeuvre pour apprécier l'influence de la valeur de la concentration d'oxygène atomique sur le temps de stérilisation dans une post-décharge en flux à partir d'un plasma de N2-O2. \engabstract Existing titration methods of N and O in an afterglow based on the emission intensity of the excited NO molecule cannot be used at x values exceeding 5% in the xO2-(100%-x)N2 mixture. Our technique extends the x range to 20%. It utilizes the emission intensity measurement of NO2(A), as a function of the introduced NO flow, in relation with analytically derived equations for the O and N concentrations. The atomic oxygen concentration obtained in this way is validated independently through measurements of the emission intensity ratio of NO(B) and N2(B, 11) (detectable for x⩽8%). Finally, the proposed method is used to assess the influence of the oxygen atom concentration on the sterilization time in the flowing afterglow of an N2-O2 plasma.

No abstract

Microscopic interactions of an imidazolium-based ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (C2mimTFSI), with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), methanol (MeOH), and acetonitrile (AN) have been analyzed by means of Raman, attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR), (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy techniques. The magnitude of the red-shift of the C(2)-H vibration mode of the imidazolium ring and the deshielding of the C(2)-H hydrogen and carbon atoms, compared with that of the other atoms of the ring or the anion, indicated a strong interaction between the C(2)-H hydrogen atom and the molecular liquids in the following order; DMSO ≫ MeOH > AN. This correlates with the order of the electron donicities of these molecular liquids which allows us to suggest a hydrogen bonding character of these interactions. The behavior of S= O vibration of DMSO as a function of the DMSO molar fraction xDMSO also suggested that DMSO molecules are stoichiometrically hydrogen-bonded with the three hydrogen atoms, C(2,4,5)-H, of the ring. In contrast, the hydrogen bonding between MeOH and the C(4,5)-H atoms is much weaker than that in DMSO. AN hardly forms hydrogen bonds with the C(4,5)-H atoms. Instead, AN molecules may interact with the imidazolium ring through the π-π interaction. The interactions between the imidazolium ring and the molecular liquids lead to the loosening of the TFSI anion from the cation; this correlates with both the blue-shift of the S=O stretching vibration of TFSI and the deshielding of the trifluoromethyl carbon atoms with an increase in the molar fraction of the molecular liquid xML. The latter is weak in the MeOH solutions, and may be explained by the possible hydrogen bonding of the MeOH hydroxyl group as an electron-acceptor with the TFSI anion. Furthermore, the organization of MeOH molecules around the ethyl and methyl groups of the cation is discussed in terms of the chemical shift of the hydrogen and carbon atoms in these groups as a function of xML.

The increasing interest in nanoscience in many research fields like physics, chemistry, and biology, including the environmental fate of the produced nano-objects, requires instrumental improvements to address the sub-micrometric analysis challenges. The originality of our approach is to use both the super-resolution concept and multivariate curve resolution (MCR-ALS) algorithm in confocal Raman imaging to surmount its instrumental limits and to characterize chemical components of atmospheric aerosols at the level of the individual particles. We demonstrate the possibility to go beyond the diffraction limit with this algorithmic approach. Indeed, the spatial resolution is improved by 65% to achieve 200 nm for the considered far-field spectrophotometer. A multivariate curve resolution method is then coupled with super-resolution in order to explore the heterogeneous structure of submicron particles for describing physical and chemical processes that may occur in the atmosphere. The proposed methodology provides new tools for sub-micron characterization of heterogeneous samples using far-field (i.e. conventional) Raman imaging spectrometer.