Trace elements content in size-classified volcanic ashes as determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

At present there is an increasing concern as regards the release of potentially toxic metals into the environment. Volcanic eruptions are a natural source of metals and metalloids in the atmosphere. Toxic trace elements ejected during an eruptive episode may produce hazardous effects for people and the environment in areas close to the volcano. In this context, a study was undertaken to investigate the concentration of metal and metalloids in ashes ejected from Copahue volcano, Neuquén, Argentina. Two samples (A and B) of deposited particles were collected one day after the first eruption and size-fractionated in four sub-samples (S1, S2, S3 and S4). Analysis was performed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the accuracy for the entire analytical procedure was performed by means of the certified reference material CRM GBW 07105 Rocks (NRCCRM, China). The elements considered were: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, U, V and Zn. The adverse effect of potentially interfering species on the mass-spectrometric determination of these elements was also taken into account. The concentration intervals found in the four fractions are as follows (in μg g⁻¹): As, 6.0-2.6; Cd, 0.71-0.36; Cr, 29.5-54.0; Cu, 132-49.0; Hg, 0.020-0.007; Ni, 36.0-26.0; Pb, 15.5-2.55; Sb, 1.07-0.30; U, 2.57-1.94; V, 152-106; Zn, 85.5-55.0. The elements with the highest concentrations were: Cu, V and Zn. All fractions, in both samples, were found to be enriched in some toxic trace elements in the following order Sb>Cd>As. On the contrary, samples were depleted in Ni, Cr and Hg. Lead was the element that exhibits a noticeable difference in concentration between the finer and coarser fractions.     

Communication: Blocked Disaccharide Analogs Bearing an Oxyimino Interglycosidic Bridge

Oligosaccharide units in which a ONH group replaces the usual oxy bridge have been encountered in nature, for ex. in the antitumor antibiotic calicheamicin γ^1,2 and the biological importance of this peculiar interglycosidic junction has been emphasized.³ The N-O bond is very different from the bonds habitually found in carbohydrate chemistry, owing, in particular, to its weakness and the presence of lone-pairs on its two hetero atoms. These characteristics considerably affect the conformational properties of molecules like calicheamicin. As we have developed,⁴ in the CHARMm force field,⁵ parameters pertaining to this bond, we needed models of disaccharides of this type to fit computed results in with experimental data. These O-N-disaccharide derivatives were easily obtained from the O-aminosugar derivative 1.⁶     

Aripiprazole salts. III. Bis(aripiprazolium) oxalate–oxalic acid (1/1)

The asymmetric unit of the title salt [systematic name: bis(4‐(2,3‐dichlorophenyl)‐1‐{4‐[(2‐oxo‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinolin‐7‐yl)oxy]butyl}piperazin‐1‐ium) oxalate–oxalic acid (1/1)], 2C₂₃H₂₈Cl₂N₃O₂⁺·C₂O₄²⁻·C₂H₂O₄, consists of one protonated aripiprazole unit (HArip⁺), half an oxalate dianion and half an oxalic acid molecule, the latter two lying on inversion centres. The conformation of the HArip⁺ cation differs from that in other reported salts and resembles more the conformation of neutral Arip units in reported polymorphs and solvates. The intermolecular interaction linking HArip⁺ cations is also similar to those in reported Arip compounds crystallizing in the space group P, with head‐to‐head N—H...O hydrogen bonds generating centrosymmetric dimers, which are further organized into planar ribbons parallel to (01). The oxalate anions and oxalic acid molecules form hydrogen‐bonded chains running along [010], which `pierce' the planar ribbons, interacting with them through a number of stronger N—H...O and weaker C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a three‐dimensional network.     

Bounds for Asian basket options

In this paper we propose pricing bounds for European-style discrete arithmetic Asian basket options in a Black and Scholes framework. We start from methods used for basket options and Asian options. First, we use the general approach for deriving upper and lower bounds for stop-loss premia of sums of non-independent random variables as in Kaas et al. [Upper and lower bounds for sums of random variables, Insurance Math. Econom. 27 (2000) 151–168] or Dhaene et al. [The concept of comonotonicity in actuarial science and finance: theory, Insurance Math. Econom. 31(1) (2002) 3–33]. We generalize the methods in Deelstra et al. [Pricing of arithmetic basket options by conditioning, Insurance Math. Econom. 34 (2004) 55–57] and Vanmaele et al. [Bounds for the price of discrete sampled arithmetic Asian options, J. Comput. Appl. Math. 185(1) (2006) 51–90]. Afterwards we show how to derive an analytical closed-form expression for a lower bound in the non-comonotonic case. Finally, we derive upper bounds for Asian basket options by applying techniques as in Thompson [Fast narrow bounds on the value of Asian options, Working Paper, University of Cambridge, 1999] and Lord [Partially exact and bounded approximations for arithmetic Asian options, J. Comput. Finance 10 (2) (2006) 1–52]. Numerical results are included and on the basis of our numerical tests, we explain which method we recommend depending on moneyness and time-to-maturity.     

Limiting search cost distribution for the move-to-front rule with random request probabilities

Consider a list of n files whose popularities are random. The list is updated according to the move-to-front rule. When the induced Markov chain is at equilibrium, we explicitly compute the limiting distribution of the search-cost per item as n tends to infinity. The uniform distribution results in the largest search cost.     

Linearization of a class of non-linear systems modelled by multibond graphs

Based on non-linear systems described by multibond graphs, a procedure designed to present symbolic linearization of these multibond graphs, is presented in this paper. Firstly, a junction structure of a multibond graph with multiport gyrators that represent Eulerian junction structures is proposed. In addition, non-linear multiport resistors are considered. By knowing the non-linear causal paths and loops of the non-linear multibond graph, the linearization is obtained by two steps: (1) The original multibond graph on the nominal operating point is evaluated; (2) New and additional paths based on the non-linear causal paths and loops are included. The state space representation of the linearized multibond graph using the corresponding junction structure is presented. An advantage of this methodology is its ability to allow the user to define a nominal operating point in which the linearization will be carried out.

In order to apply the proposed methodology, two physical systems are modelled and linearized by multibond graphs: a synchronous generator and a two degrees of freedom PUMA. Simulation results of these non-linear and linearized systems are shown.     

Cocyclic two-circulant core Hadamard matrices

Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics - The two-circulant core (TCC) construction for Hadamard matrices uses two sequences with almost perfect autocorrelation to construct a Hadamard matrix. A...     

Molecular Cloning and Heterologous Expression in Pichia pastoris of X-Prolyl-dipeptidyl Aminopeptidase from Basidiomycete Ustilago maydis

Dipeptidyl aminopeptidases are enzymes involved in the posttranslational control of bioactive peptides. Here we identified the gene dapUm in Ustilago maydis by homology with other fungal dipeptidyl aminopeptidases. Analysis of the dapUm-deduced amino acid sequence indicated that it encodes for membrane-type serine protease with a characteristic prolyl oligopeptidase catalytic motif triad: Ser, Asp, His. In order to overexpress the DapUm, the gene encoding for it was cloned and transformed into Pichia. Using this system, we observed a ～125-kDa recombinant protein with an optimal enzymatic activity at pH 6.0 and at 40 °C for the Ala-Pro-p-nitroanilide substrate and an experimental pH of 6.9. U. maydis DapUm was specifically inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and Pefabloc, confirming the presence of a serine residue in the active site. To our knowledge, this study is the first report on the cloning and expression of a DPP IV dipeptidyl aminopeptidase from a basidiomycete organism. Moreover, the use of recombinant DapUm will allow us to further study and characterize this enzyme, in addition to testing chemical compounds for pharmaceutical purposes.     

Pappus’ theorem and a construction of complex Kleinian groups with rich dynamics

Pappus’ theorem is used to produce and study discrete subgroups of PSL(3, ?) with very rich dynamics. We get an example of a subgroup of PSL(3, ?) which is not conjugate to any subgroup of PU(2, 1) nor to any subgroup of Aff(?²), its Kulkarni region of discontinuity is non-empty and its complement, the Kulkarni limit set, contains infinitely many complex projective lines in general position. This construction is based on a representation of the group SL(2, ?) in the projective group PSL(3, ?).