Sur les courbes représentées par ľľquation polaire

Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo Series 1 -     

On the role of leptonic CPV phases in cLFV observables

The European Physical Journal C - We argue that high-quality data on the reaction $$e^+e^-\rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^-\eta $$ will allow one to determine the doubly-virtual form factor $$\eta...     

Novel Bisphosphonates Derived from 1H‐Indazole, 1H‐Pyrazolo[3,4‐b]Pyridine,and 1H‐Pyrazolo[3,4‐b]Quinoline

Novel tetraethyl ethylene‐1,1‐bisphosphonate esters derived from 1H‐indazole, 1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine, and 1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐b]quinoline were synthesized by a Michael addition reaction of tetraethyl ethylidene‐1,1‐bisphosphonate with the corresponding heterocycle, using conventional heating and microwave‐assisted methods. The microwave‐assisted method provides shorter reaction times and better yields. The hydrolysis of bisphosphonates afforded the corresponding bisphosphonic acids or salt, using concentrated hydrochloric acid or TMSBr/collidine, respectively. All new compounds were fully characterized, and their structures were assigned using ¹H, ³¹P, and ¹³C NMR and IR spectroscopies and mass spectrometry. The molecular structure of compound 6 was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction studies.     

A new controlled release system of chlorhexidine and chlorhexidine:βcd inclusion compounds based on porous silica

The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize a controlled release system based on porous silica loaded with chlorhexidine (Cx) and its inclusion compounds in β-cyclodextrin (βcd), and to evaluate its antimicrobial activity. Acetate chlorhexidine (CxA), gluconate chlorhexidine (CxG), βcd:chlorhexidine acetate 2:1 (βcd:CxA) and βcd:chlorhexidine gluconate 2:1 (βcd:CxG) were incorporated into porous silica. Drug loading was characterized by FTIR, powder X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and BET, and was shown to be in an amorphous state and porous matrix. The kinetics release parameter of the drug was established, which showed that the Cx systems release profile followed zero order release until 400 h and Higuchi model release until 750 h, after the burst effect at the first 8 h. Chlorhexidine therapeutic range was reached near first hour for all systems. The chlorhexidine porous silica system was biologically active against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans in vitro. The systems showed an efficient Cx controlled release modulated by the presence of the β-cyclodextrin and by the porous silica matrices, providing effective antimicrobial activity.     

Entropically Driven Self‐Assembly of Lysinibacillus sphaericus S‐Layer Proteins Analyzed Under Various Environmental Conditions

S‐Layer proteins are an example of bionanostructures that can be exploited in nanofabrication. In addition to their ordered structure, the ability to self‐assembly is a key feature that makes them a promising technological tool. Here, in vitro self‐assembly kinetics of SpbA was investigated, and found that it occurs at a rate that is dependent on temperature, its concentration, and the concentration of calcium ions and sodium chloride. The activation enthalpy (120.81 kJ · mol^?1) and entropy (129.34 J · mol^?1 · K^?1) obtained infers that the incorporation of monomers incurs in a net loss of hydrophobic surface. By understanding how the protein monomers drive the self‐assembly at different conditions, the rational optimization of this process was feasible.

     

Synthesis and Study of the Photophysical Properties of a New Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript> Complex with 3-Hydroxypicolinamide

This work reports on the synthesis and characterization of a new complex of Eu³⁺ with the 3-hydroxypicolinamide ligand (Hhpa). Here we present an approach for obtaining bis[2-carbamoyl(κO)pyridin-3-olato(κO’)] lanthanide complexes, which were characterized through elemental analysis, thermal analysis, infrared and photoluminescence spectroscopies (emission, excitation, luminescence lifetimes, quantum efficiencies, Judd-Ofelt parameters and quantum yields). Although hpa can act as a bidentate ligand in different conformations, the results attest for the occurrence of a unique coordination site of low symmetry for the Eu³⁺ ions, in which two anionic hpa ligands coordinate the cations through an O/O chelating system. The phosphorescence of the synthesized gadolinium complex provides the energy of the triplet state, which is determined to be at 20,830 cm^-1 over the ground state. This makes the Hhpa ligand very adequate for sensitizing the Eu³⁺ luminescence, which leads to a very efficient antenna effect and opens a wide range of applications for the complex in light emitting organic-inorganic devices.     

A study of the firing temperature of archeological pottery by X-ray diffraction and electron paramagnetic resonance

A fragment of an archeological funerary urn from Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil, was studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The thermal stability of all paramagnetic species was studied with isothermal treatment. In the present study, the iron signal (Fe³⁺) cannot be used as a firing temperature reference for archeological pottery. The intensification of this signal with temperature is a consequence of Fe²⁺ oxidation, but this reaction occurs in a short-lived treatment at high temperature or in an extended treatment at lower temperature. However, the iron signal and three other paramagnetic species indicate that the urn was fired for an extended time (up to three days). The thermal stability of the three paramagnetic species indicates a firing temperature of around 500 °C in the inner layer, between 400 and 500 °C in the middle layer, and between 500 and 800 °C in the outer layer. The presence of kaolinite structures only in the middle portion is consistent with the temperature values estimated. A firing method for the funerary archeological urn is suggested.     

Birth of limit cycles bifurcating from a nonsmooth center

This paper is concerned with a codimension analysis of a two-fold singularity of piecewise smooth planar vector fields, when it behaves itself like a center of smooth vector fields (also called nondegenerate Σ-center). We prove that any nondegenerate Σ-center is Σ  -equivalent to a particular normal form _Z0$Z_0$. Given a positive integer number k   we explicitly construct families of piecewise smooth vector fields emerging from _Z0$Z_0$ that have k hyperbolic limit cycles bifurcating from the nondegenerate Σ  -center of _Z0$Z_0$ (the same holds for k=∞$k=\infty$). Moreover, we also exhibit families of piecewise smooth vector fields of codimension k   emerging from _Z0$Z_0$. As a consequence we prove that _Z0$Z_0$ has infinite codimension.     

Revisiting the Γ(K→eν)/Γ(K→μν) ratio in supersymmetric unified models

We present a generator for single top-quark production via flavour-changing neutral currents. The MEtop event generator allows for Next-to-Leading-Order direct top production pp??t and Leading-Order production of several other single top processes. A?few packages with definite sets of dimension six operators are available. We discuss how to improve the bounds on the effective operators and how well new physics can be probed with each set of independent dimension six operators.     

Polysaccharide from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anacardium occidentale</Emphasis> L. tree gum (Policaju) as a coating for Tommy Atkins mangoes

Policaju-based coatings were applied on “Tommy Atkins” mangoes and the effects of four different treatments on mango shelf-life were evaluated under storage condition at 4°C and 82 % of relative humidity over 28 days. The surface tension of mangoes was found to be 29.04 mN m⁻¹; the dispersive and polar components were 27.57 mN m⁻¹ and 1.47 mN m⁻¹, respectively, and the critical surface tension was 22.7 mN m⁻¹. A significantly lower mass loss was observed in all mangoes treated with Policaju-based coatings. For all applied treatments, no significant variation in the total soluble solids and pH was detected over the experimental storage time. The results show that Policaju-based coatings have a positive effect on the shelf-life extension of mangoes at low storage temperatures (4°C).