Optimization of Plant Sample Preparation and ICP Parameters for Analysis of Phosphorus

Abstract

Parameters of HNO₃-H₂O₂ wet digestion sample preparation method and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer     

On the equations defining irreducible algebraic groups

Abstract

We consider five known problems concerning positive laws in groups. One of them has a counterexample, the others are open in general. It is shown that three of the problems are equivalent and all of them have a positive solution in the class of locally graded groups.     

Development of a novel approach for the production of dried genomic DNA for use as standards for qualitative PCR testing of food-borne pathogens

As part of a multi-centre European project, FOOD-PCR, the feasibility of a novel approach for production of dried bacterial DNA that could be used as certified reference materials (CRM) was assessed. Selected strains of Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter jejuni and Yersinia enterocolitica were used to produce genomic DNA (gDNA). These preparations gave support to method development for qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection methods for food-borne pathogens. Purified gDNA was transformed into stable and dry gDNA by using polypropylene vials as carrier and applying a vacuum-drying technique. The gDNA preparations were shown to be sufficiently stable under ambient transport conditions without cooling and proved to have long-term stability at 5°C of at least 22 months. The dried DNA was easily reconstituted by addition of distilled water then gentle shaking. These studies have shown that production of stable and dry bacterial gDNA material is feasible and could help satisfy the increasing need for certified reference DNA positive control samples in the field of PCR testing for detection and verification of food-borne microbial pathogens.     

A class of scaled direct methods for linear systems

A generalization of the class of direct methods for linear systems recently introduced by Abaffy, Broyden and Spedicato is obtained by applying these algorithms to a scaled system. The resulting class contains an essentially free parameter at each step, giving a unified approach to finitely terminating methods for linear systems. Various properties of the generalized class are presented. Particular attention is paid to the subclasses that contain the classic Hestenes-Stiefel method and the Hegedus-Bodocs biorthogonalization methods.This work was partially supported by CNR under contract 85.02648.01.     

Fatty acid-cyclodextrin complexes: Properties and applications

The complexation of fatty acids (both saturated and unsaturated) with various cyclodextrins and cyclodextrin derivatives greatly modifies their properties. Inclusion complex formation — depending upon the type of host cyclodextrin — may result in protection against the environment, in improved water solubility and bioavailability. Thus lipid complexation enables the preparation of more reliable diagnostic reagents, better chromatographic separations and higher yields in biotechnological processes. The relevant literature is reviewed with particular emphasis on the practical utility of the molecular encapsulation of fatty acids with cyclodextrins.     

On the Uniform Distribution of Inverses modulo n

In this expository note we use uniform distribution to clarify a result on the difference of an element and its inverse in (Z/nZ)*. We then explain why our remarks apply to some other settings. In doing so we state and prove a couple of folklore theorems on uniform distribution. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Phase transitions in mesophase macromolecules. I. Novel behavior in the vitrification of poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-p-oxybenzoate)

A 40:60 mole ratio poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-p-oxybenzoate) was studied by dynamic scanning calorimetry. Vitrification occurred in two steps, which could be linked by optical microscopy to a two-phase structure. For the lower glass transition, hysteresis was absent on heating and cooling through the transition temperature. Since all prior studied glasses show such hysteresis, this may be linked to the mesophase structure and raises the question whether mesophases always display such glass-transition behavior.     

On the Number of Sums and Products

A new lower bound on max{|A + A|, |A · A|} is given,where A is a finite set of complex numbers. 2000 MathematicsSubject Classification 11B75 (primary), 52C10 (secondary).