Development of a solid phase dispersion-pressurized liquid extraction method for the analysis of suspected fragrance allergens in leave-on cosmetics

A new method based on solid phase dispersion-pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed for the determination of 26 suspected fragrance allergens (all the regulated in the EU Cosmetics Directive amenable by GC, as well as pinene and methyleugenol) in cosmetic samples. The effects of the temperature, extraction time and solvent, and dispersing sorbent, affecting the whole proposed procedure, have been evaluated using a multifactor strategy. The optima conditions after the analysis of main and second order effects entailed the extraction at 120°C for 15 min, using hexane/acetone as solvent, and florisil as dispersing sorbent. The method performance has been studied, showing good linearity (R≥0.996) as well as good precision (RSD≤10%). Detection limits (S/N=3) ranged from 0.000001 to 0.0002% (w/w), values far below the established restrictions as regard labelling in the European Cosmetics Regulation. Reliability was demonstrated through the quantitative recoveries of all the studied compounds. The absence of matrix effects allowed quantification of the compounds by calibration with standard solutions. The analysis of 10 samples (several moisturizing and anti-wrinkle creams and lotions, hand creams, and sunscreen and after-sun creams), covering very different matrices, showed the presence of suspected allergens in all the analyzed samples; in fact, half of the samples contained an elevated number of them. Although the ubiquity of these compounds was demonstrated, labelling was in all cases in consonance with the European Cosmetics Regulation.     

Slope detection method by modulated speckle patterns

An optical technique for slope detection by using as storing medium a photorefractive BSO crystal is proposed. The technique relays in that a local tilt produced in a diffusing reflective surface can be mapped as a speckle transversal shifting in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. The volume nature of the storing medium is quite adequate to highlight the speckle volume nature and its associated properties. Experimental results obtained by using a rubber vibrating membrane are presented.     

A simple method for the preparation of colloidal polymer-supported silver nanoparticles

Polysulfone?silver composite nanoparticles have been prepared by combining polymer nanoprecipitation and redox synthesis of silver, in the presence of a glucose-modified cyclosiloxane as stabilizing agent. Based on previous kinetic investigations and on model reactions, we concluded that the reducing agent in this case is the tetrahydrofuran (THF) used as solvent for polysulfone. Dynamic light scattering measurements on the obtained polymer-silver composite particles indicated particle average diameter of 176 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.25. The UV–vis spectrum exhibited the silver plasmon resonance. By different microscopic methods (atomic force microscopy—AFM, high resolution transmission electron microscopy—HRTEM, and scanning electron microscopy—SEM), larger polymer particles coated with silver nanoprticles were observed. The Energy Dispersive X-Ray analysis—EDX; confirmed the presence of Ag on the surface of the particles, while the selected area electron diffraction showed single crystalline silver nanospheres with face-centered cubic structure.     

Using permutations to detect dependence between time series

In this paper, we propose an independence test between two time series which is based on permutations. The proposed test can be carried out by means of different common statistics such as Pearson’s chi-square or the likelihood ratio. We also point out why an exact test is necessary. Simulated and real data (return exchange rates between several currencies) reveal the capacity of this test to detect linear and nonlinear dependences.     

Attenuation of the depolarizing field in a thin film model relaxor

The behavior of the polarization in a microscopic statistical model for a thin film relaxor placed between two metallic electrodes is studied by numerical simulations. Depolarization fields different from zero, due to a non-perfect compensation of surface charges at the metallic electrodes, are taken into account. Different thicknesses and different values of the compositional charge disorder density for the relaxor are considered. Depolarization field is found to be extremely attenuated for large values of the number density of charge carriers in the relaxor. In such a case, field attenuation allows for the existence of a homogeneous ferroelectric ground state.     

Shrinking and boundedly complete Schauder frames in Fréchet spaces

We study Schauder frames in Fréchet spaces and their duals, as well as perturbation results. We define shrinking and boundedly complete Schauder frames on a locally convex space, study the duality of these two concepts and their relation with the reflexivity of the space. We characterize when an unconditional Schauder frame is shrinking or boundedly complete in terms of properties of the space. Several examples of concrete Schauder frames in function spaces are also presented.     

Spectral Properties for Matrix Algebras

We consider Banach algebras of infinite matrices defined in terms of a weight measuring the off-diagonal decay of the matrix entries. If a given matrix $A$ is invertible as an operator on $\ell ^2$ we analyze the decay of its inverse matrix entries in the case where the matrix algebra is not inverse closed in ${\mathcal B} (\ell ^2),$ the Banach algebra of bounded operators on $\ell ^2.$ To this end we consider a condition on sequences of weights which extends the notion of GRS-condition. Finally we focus on the behavior of inverses of pseudodifferential operators whose Weyl symbols belong to weighted modulation spaces and the weights lack the GRS condition.     

Deep drawing of a layered composite: material characterization and finite-element simulation

Composite materials are widely used in different industrial fields, because of their good formability and their high strength to weight ratio. In the present work a triple-layered sandwich composite is investigated. Experimental tests at room temperature are carried out for the materials constituting the composite. A finite element model of a deep-drawing process of the composite is performed, where a finite strain constitutive model for the metal part, with material parameters calibrated to uniaxial tensile tests, has been implemented. Experimental results are compared to the numerical simulations in view of validation purposes. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Modulation of amyloid-β aggregation by metal complexes with a dual binding mode and their delivery across the blood–brain barrier using focused ultrasound

One of the key hallmarks of Alzheimer''s disease is the aggregation of the amyloid-β peptide to form fibrils. Consequently, there has been great interest in studying molecules that can disrupt amyloid-β aggregation. While a handful of molecules have been shown to inhibit amyloid-β aggregation in vitro, there remains a lack of in vivo data reported due to their inability to cross the blood–brain barrier. Here, we investigate a series of new metal complexes for their ability to inhibit amyloid-β aggregation in vitro. We demonstrate that octahedral cobalt complexes with polyaromatic ligands have high inhibitory activity thanks to their dual binding mode involving π–π stacking and metal coordination to amyloid-β (confirmed via a range of spectroscopic and biophysical techniques). In addition to their high activity, these complexes are not cytotoxic to human neuroblastoma cells. Finally, we report for the first time that these metal complexes can be safely delivered across the blood–brain barrier to specific locations in the brains of mice using focused ultrasound.

We report a series of non-toxic cobalt(iii) complexes which inhibit Aβ peptide aggregation in vitro; these complexes can be safely delivered across the blood–brain barrier in mice using focused ultrasound.