Modifications of the Hurwicz’s decision rule

The Hurwicz’s criterion is one of the classical decision rules applied in decision making under uncertainty as a tool enabling to find an optimal pure strategy both for interval and scenarios uncertainty. The interval uncertainty occurs when the decision maker knows the range of payoffs for each alternative and all values belonging to this interval are theoretically probable (the distribution of payoffs is continuous). The scenarios uncertainty takes place when the result of a decision depends on the state of nature that will finally occur and the number of possible states of nature is known and limited (the distribution of payoffs is discrete). In some specific cases the use of the Hurwicz’s criterion in the scenarios uncertainty may lead to quite illogical and unexpected results. Therefore, the author presents two new procedures combining the Hurwicz’s pessimism-optimism index with the Laplace’s approach and using an additional parameter allowing to set an appropriate width for the ranges of relatively good and bad payoffs related to a given decision. The author demonstrates both methods on the basis of an example concerning the choice of an investment project. The methods described may be used in each decision making process within which each alternative (decision, strategy) is characterized by only one criterion (or one synthetic measure).     

Chemical Characterization and Bioactivity of Commercial Essential Oils and Hydrolates Obtained from Portuguese Forest Logging and Thinning

Essential oils (EOs) and hydrolates (Hds) are natural sources of biologically active ingredients with broad applications in the cosmetic industry. In this study, nationally produced (mainland Portugal and Azores archipelago) EOs (11) and Hds (7) obtained from forest logging and thinning of Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus pinaster, Pinus pinea and Cryptomeria japonica, were chemically evaluated, and their bioactivity and sensorial properties were assessed. EOs and Hd volatiles (HdVs) were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. 1,8-Cineole was dominant in E. globulus EOs and HdVs, and α- and β-pinene in P. pinaster EOs. Limonene and α-pinene led in P. pinea and C. japonica EOs, respectively. P. pinaster and C. japonica HVs were dominated by α-terpineol and terpinen-4-ol, respectively. The antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH, ORAC and ROS. C. japonica EO showed the highest antioxidant activity, whereas one of the E. globulus EOs showed the lowest. Antimicrobial activity results revealed different levels of efficacy for Eucalyptus and Pinus EOs while C. japonica EO showed no antimicrobial activity against the selected strains. The perception and applicability of emulsions with 0.5% of EOs were evaluated through an in vivo sensory study. C. japonica emulsion, which has a fresh and earthy odour, was chosen as the most pleasant fragrance (60%), followed by P. pinea emulsion (53%). In summary, some of the studied EOs and Hds showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and they are possible candidates to address the consumers demand for more sustainable and responsibly sourced ingredients.     

Vibrational overtone spectroscopy of three-membered rings

We have recorded vapor-phase photoacoustic spectra of cyclopropane, ethylene oxide, and ethylene sulfide in the third, fourth, and fifth CH-stretching overtone regions. We have used a harmonically coupled anharmonic oscillator local mode model to facilitate analysis of the spectra. Fermi resonance between the CH-stretching and HCH-bending vibrations is essential to explain the observed wide and multistructured CH-stretching overtone bands. A number of weak combination bands can account for the remaining experimental features observed to the blue of the CH-stretching regions. We have reassigned the fundamental spectra of these three-membered rings.     

Domoic acid--a new toxin in the Croatian Adriatic shellfish toxin profile

This is the first study that presents concentrations of domoic acid detected in the whole shellfish tissue from breeding and harvesting areas along the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea during the period 2006 to 2008. Shellfish sample analyses after SAX cleaning procedures, using a UV-DAD-HPLC system, showed the presence of domoic acid in four species. The most prevalent of those species were the blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), followed by European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis), Mediterranean scallop (Pecten jacobaeus) and proteus scallop (Flexopecten proteus). Domoic acid, a potentially lethal phycotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), was detected for the first time in January 2006 with the highest value of 6.5486 μg g?1 in whole shellfish tissue. Pseudo-nitzschia spp. bloom events preceded these high domoic acid concentrations. According to this study, retention of domoic acid in the blue mussel M. galloprovincialis is more than 42 days. This investigation indicates the first presence of domoic acid in Croatian shellfish, but in concentrations under the regulatory limit (20 μg g?1), therefore shellfish consumption was not found to endanger human health.     

Lipophilic toxin profile in Mytilus galloprovincialis during episodes of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in the N.E. Adriatic Sea in 2006

Dinophysis spp. blooms and related shellfish toxicity events of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) have been the most reported toxicity event through the Croatian National monitoring program. With the aim to characterize the DSP toxin profile in shellfish farmed in Croatia, for the first time a complete analysis of the toxin profile of Croatian mussels has been carried out using the LC-MS/MS technique. The obtained results showed okadaic acid (OA) as the main toxin contaminating Croatian mussels at that time. The maximum concentration of OA in shellfish tissue was recorded 12 days after the Dinophysis fortii bloom, thus suggesting that rapid growth of the toxin level in the shellfish occurred in the first week after the bloom while it was slower in the second week. Furthermore, the presence of only OA at concentrations which could endanger human health suggests D. fortii as the main organism responsible for the toxic event that occurred in Lim Bay. The presence of gymnodimine and spirolides in Croatian mussel has been detected for the first time, while the presence of yessotoxin and pectenotoxin-2 is confirmed.     

Study of Blood Porphyrin Spectral Profile for Diagnosis of Chronic Renal Failure

The progression to end-stage renal failure is independent of the initial pathogenic mechanism. Metabolic acidosis is a common consequence of chronic renal failure that results from inadequate ammonium excretion and decreased tubular bicarbonate reabsorption. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is the immediate metabolic precursor of the heme molecule. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of erythrocytes protoporphyrin IX at an animal model during progressive renal disease. A total of 36 eight-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into six groups: Normal, 4 and 8 weeks after 5/6 nephrectomy (NX). Renal function was evaluated by creatinine clearance and plasma creatinine levels. The autofluorescence of erythrocytes porphyrin of healthy and NX rats was analyzed using fluorescence spectroscopy. Emission spectra were obtained by exciting the samples at 405 nm. Significant differences between normal and NX rats autofluorescence shape occurred in the 600–700 nm spectral region. A correlation was observed between emission band intensity at 635 nm and progression of renal disease.     

Evaluation of Bookkeeper mass deacidification based on historical book papers

Cellulose - Bookkeeper, the most widely used deacidification process based on MgO particles, was systematically evaluated on two sets of nonvaluable historical paper samples. Established analytical...     

Chemical Strategies for Dendritic Magneto-plasmonic Nanostructures Applied to Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Chemical analyses in the field using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) protocols are expected to be part of several analytical procedures applied to water quality monitoring. To date, these endeavors have been supported by developments in SERS substrate nanofabrication, instrumentation portability, and the internet of things. Here, we report distinct chemical strategies for preparing magneto-plasmonic (Fe₃O₄ : Au) colloids, which are relevant in the context of trace-level detection of water contaminants due to their inherent multifunctionality. The main objective of this research is to investigate the role of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (PAMAMs) in the preparation of SERS substrates integrating both functionalities into single nanostructures. Three chemical routes were investigated to design magneto-plasmonic nanostructures that translate into different ways for assessing SERS detection by using distinct interfaces. Hence, a series of magneto-plasmonic colloids have been characterized and then assessed for their SERS activity by using a model pesticide (thiram) dissolved in aqueous samples.     

The catalytic system [(Cp2TiCl)2]:LiAlH4 in aromatic solvents,Part II. Formation of η3-allyltitanocene derivatives in the presence of dienes — their structure and e.s.r. spectra

Summary The addition of dienes to the system [(Cp₂TiCl)₂] LiAlH₄toluene changes the system so that the complex [Cp₂TiAlH₄] is quantitatively formed instead of a titanocene hydride — aluminium hydride cluster. The complex [Cp₂TiAlH₄] is further converted into ³-allyltitanocene derivatives ([Cp₂TiA]) if the diene structure is suitable for formation of stable [Cp₂TiA] compounds and if the equilibrium [Cp₂TiAlH₄]+diene[Cp₂TiA]+A1H₃ is shifted towards the formation of [Cp₂TiA] by the excess of diene. All the compounds [Cp₂TiA] exhibit high-resolution e.s.r. spectra at g=1.993, showing interaction of the unpaired electron with the cyclopentadienyl and ³-allyl protons. The e.s.r. spectra clearly reveal the presence of alkyl substituents atsyn-1,3-positions of ³-allyl ligand, and show a triplet of multiplets for (³-allyl)titanocene, doublets of multiplets for (1-alkyl-³-allyl)titanocenes and single multiplets for (1,3-dialkyl-³-allyl)-titanocenes. thermal isomerization of (1,3-dimethyl-³-allyl)-titanocene and (1-methyl-3-ethyl-³-allyl)titanocene, hitherto considered as the stable Cp₂TiA compounds, into (1-alkyl-³-allyl)titanocenes was confirmed by e.s.r. and electronic absorption spectroscopy as well as by chemical means.