Letter: Models of Relativistic Particle with Curvature and Torsion Revisited

Models, describing relativistic particles, where Lagrangian densities depend linearly on both the curvature and the torsion of the trajectories, are revisited in D=3 space forms. The moduli spaces of trajectories are completely and explicitly determined using the Lancret program. The moduli subspaces of closed solitons in the three sphere are also determined.     

Optimized Method for the Determination of Prednisolone, Zn-Bacitracin and Phenylephrine in Local Pharmaceutical Preparations by Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary Chromatography

Summary A new, rapid and simple method is described and applied to resolve and quantify mixtures of prednisolone, Zn-bacitracin and phenylephrine. The determination was accomplished by MEKC. The separation was carried out at 25 °C and 30 kV, using a 5 mM phosphate-5 mM borate buffer (pH=8.2), 40 mM SDS as background electrolyte. Under these conditions, the run time was 6.6 min and the limits of quantification were about 1.0 mg L^–1 for every component. Repeatability and reproducibility studies were achieved showing no significant differences at 95% confidence level. The MEKC method has been applied for quantifying these compounds in different commercials pharmaceuticals products, without separations steps.     

Optimization of culture medium and conditions for penicillin acylase production by Streptomyces lavendulae ATCC 13664

The culture medium for Streptomyces lavendulae ATCC 13664 was optimized on a shake-flask scale by using a statistical factorial design for enhanced production of penicillin acylase. This extracellular enzyme recently has been reported to be a penicillin K acylase, presenting also high hydrolytic activity against penicillin V and other natural aliphatic penicillins such as penicillin K, penicillin F, and penicillin dihydroF. The factorial design indicated that the main factors that positively affect penicillin acylase production by S. lavendulae were the concentration of yeast extract and the presence of oligoelements in the fermentation medium, whereas the presence of olive oil in the medium had no effect on enzyme production. An initial concentration of 2.5% (w/v) yeast extract and 3 microg/mL of CuSO4 x 5H2O was found to be best for acylase production. In such optimized culture medium, fermentation of the microorganism yielded 289 IU/L of enzyme in 72 h when employing a volume medium/volume flask ratio of 0.4 and a 300-rpm shaking speed. The presence of copper, alone and in combination with other metals, stimulated biomass as well as penicillin acylase production. The time course of penicillin acylase production was also studied in the optimized medium and conditions. Enzyme production showed catabolite repression by different carbon sources such as glucose, lactose, citrate, glycerol, and glycine.     

Kinetics of the amorphous—anatase phase transformation in copper doped titanium oxide

Samples of TiO₂ doped with 2 and 5 mol% of Cu²⁺ were prepared by the sol-gel process. Titanium(IV) isopropoxide and copper(II) nitrate were used as precursors. The samples were prepared as monolithic shapes, dried at 80°C for 72 h and heat treated at various temperatures in the range 200–900°C for 2 h. The structural transformation and texture of the samples were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen adsorption. Significant changes were observed during the crystallization process; on the one hand, the crystallization profiles show that crystallization occurs uniformly and is practically insensitive to the dopant concentration, but when the transformation at a given temperature is followed as a function of time, the rate of the amorphous-anatase transformation is larger for the sample containing 2 mol% Cu²⁺. Electron spin resonance (ESR) results show that in this sample there is no segregation of Cu²⁺ ions. The sample containing 2 mol% of Cu²⁺ was selected for the kinetic studies and the temperatures selected were 300, 325, 350, 375 and 400°C, which were taken from the amorphous to anatase crystallization profile. An activation energy of 137 ± 4 kJ/mol for the crystallization process was estimated from the kinetic data. These results showed that the effect of the open structure present in the TiO₂ amorphous phase provides the atomic mobility required for the crystallization. On the other hand, the differences in the crystallization rate due to the amount of Cu²⁺ were explained by the segregation of copper ions to the surface of the samples.     

Isolation from Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus cell walls of specific receptors for sugarcane glycoproteins, which act as recognition factors

Glycoproteins from sugarcane stalks have been isolated from plants field-grown by size-exclusion chromatography. Some of these glycoproteins, previously labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate, are able to bind to the cell wall of the sugarcane endophyte, N2-fixing Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus, and largely removed after washing the bacterial cells with sucrose. This implies that sugarcane glycoproteins use beta-(1-->2)-fructofuranosyl fructose domains in their glycosidic moiety to bind to specific receptors in the bacterial cell walls. These receptors have been isolated by affinity chromatography on a sugarcane glycoprotein-agarose matrix, desorbed with sucrose and characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophresisand capillary electrophoresis (CE).     

Use of intermittent jets to enhance flux in crossflow filtration

This paper deals with the influence of a new flow unsteadiness on the permeate fluxes in crossflow filtration. A pneumatically controlled valve generates intermittent jets from the main flow, causing the formation of large vortices moving downstream along the tubular membrane. The main results of the numerical calculation of such flows are given. The experimental study was carried out by filtering a bentonite suspension through an ultrafiltration mineral membrane. Time evolutions of flux were achieved in steady and unsteady operating conditions. Results concerning the influence and limits of the nozzle to tube diameter ratio and the jet velocities are discussed. The applicability of such an unsteady flow is examined with a view to effects on energy consumption and possible viscosity effects.     

Rheological and Electrokinetic Properties of Sodium Montmorillonite Suspensions

Because of their particular electric surface properties and crystal structure, most clay minerals possess a very high ion exchange capacity. Furthermore, the surface charge distribution is anisotropic: while faces of the laminar clay particles have a negative, pH-independent charge, edges may be positive or negative, depending on pH. In this work, we propose to contribute new data on particle-particle interaction and charge distribution, by means of measurements of the low-frequency dielectric dispersion (LFDD) of the clay suspensions. Because of the nonspherical shape of clay particles, there are no theoretical models capable of explaining the experimental relaxation spectra. Hence, we limit ourselves to obtaining indirect information by comparing LFDD spectra in different experimental conditions. The quantities of interest in LFDD are the value of the low-frequency dielectric constant, epsilon'(r)(0), and the characteristic or relaxation frequency, omega(cr). These two parameters were measured varying the weight fraction, straight phi, of clay (0.5, 1, and 1.5% w/v) and the pH of the dispersion medium (5, 7, and 9), while maintaining the ionic strength constant ([NaCl]=10(-4) M). It was found that the characteristic relaxation frequency of the dielectric constant was pH-dependent, with a significant minimum at pH 7 in all cases. The results are interpreted as the superposition of two independent relaxation phenomena, associated with edges and faces. With respect to the weight fraction influence, we have found a linear behavior of epsilon'(r)(0) with straight phi at pH 9, indicating the existence of no significant interaction between particles. However, at pH 7 a slight deviation of linearity is observed, and at pH 5 we observe a clearly nonlinear behavior, indicating a stronger degree of interaction between particles. This is in good agreement with the initial assumption that at acid pH values, the electric surface charge of faces is negative, whereas the edges possess a positive charge, thus favoring attractive face-to-edge interaction. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Optically pure trans-2,3-disubstituted N-sulfinyl aziridines. Regio- and stereoselective opening mediated by the sulfinyl group

A new entry to optically pure trans-2,3-disubstituted N-sulfinyl aziridines starting from 1,2-aminosulfides, involving formation of a sulfonium salt intermediate followed by intramolecular nucleophilic attack by the sulfinamide nitrogen atom, is reported. The regio- and stereoselective opening of the aziridine ring can be achieved by anchimeric assistance of the sulfinyl group.