Identification (GC and GC-MS) of unsaturated acetates in Elasmopalpus lignosellus and their biological activity (GC-EAD and EAG)

Two insect colonies of Elasmopalpus lignosellus were reared in our laboratory, the first being initiated from pupae obtained from a cornfield in the region of Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais and the second from a cornfield in the region of Goiania, Goiás. From the two colonies, two extracts were prepared from the pheromone glands of virgin E. lignosellus females. The extract obtained from the first colony was designated as extract 1 while the extract obtained from the second colony was designated as extract 2. Extract 1 was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with (Z)-9-hexadecenyl acetate [(Z)-9-HDA] and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate [(Z)-11-HDA] being identified and confirmed by the formation of DMDS derivatives. In addition, a third acetate, which could be either (E)-8-hexadecenyl acetate [(E)-8-HDA] or (E)-9-hexadecenyl acetate [(E)-9-HDA] was detected by GC-MS. Extract 2 was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-electroannetography (GC-EAD) revealing the presence of (Z)-11-HDA and (Z)-9-TDA. In addition, the same compounds elicited a response with the E. lignosellus male antenna obtained from the second insect colony. Electroantennography (EAG) screening with the male E. lignosellus antenna (obtained from the second insect colony) was conducted with the 23 possible tetradecenyl acetates (TDA) and 22 hexadecenyl acetates (HDA) as standards. Out of the 23 TDA isomers evaluated, only (Z)-9-TDA elicited a response and out of the 22 HDA [(Z) and (E) isomers gamma2 to delta13] evaluated only (Z)-11-HDA elicited a response. The acetate compositions of two extracts obtained from insects originating from the two states (Minas Gerais and Goiás) of Brazil were different from one another as well as from that obtained from insects in Tifton, GA, USA. The bioactivity data (GC-EAD) of the extract 2 differed from those reported for the Tifton, GA, USA population. These data suggest polymorphism in relation to the insect populations found in Brazil and in the USA. The possibility of the existence of an E. lignosellus sub-species cannot be ruled out.     

Automatic flow procedure for the determination of glycerol in wine using enzymatic reaction and spectrophotometry

An automatic flow procedure for the determination of glycerol in wines by employing a flow system based on multicommutation and enzymatic reaction is described. Glycerol dehydrogenase was immobilized on aminopropyl glass beads and packed into a column that was coupled to the flow system. The NADH produced by the enzymatic reaction was monitored by spectrophotometry at 340 nm and its radiation absorption presented a relationship with glycerol concentration. The system manifold comprised a set of three-way solenoid valves controlled by a microcomputer, which was furnished with electronic interfaces and runs a software that was designed to carry out on-line sample dilution, reagent addition, and data acquisition. The procedure allows the determination of glycerol in wine samples without any prior pretreatment. The procedure presented as profitable features a linear response range between 2.0 and 10.0 g l⁻¹ glycerol (R=0.998), a detection limit of 0.006 g l⁻¹ glycerol, a relative standard deviation of 1.8% (n=14) for a typical wine sample presenting 5.3 g l⁻¹ glycerol, a sampling throughput of 33 determinations per hour, and a NAD⁺ consumption of 0.8 mg per determination. The results were compared with those obtained using a reference method and no significant difference at 90% confidence level was observed.     

Production of high melt strength polypropylene by gamma irradiation

High melt strength polypropylene (HMS-PP) has been recently developed and introduced in the market by the major international producers of polypropylene. Therefore, BRASKEM, the leading Brazilian PP producer, together with EMBRARAD, the leading Brazilian gamma irradiator, and the IPEN (Institute of Nuclear Energy and Research) worked to develop a national technology for the production of HMS-PP. One of the effective approaches to improve melt strength and extensibility is to add chain branches onto polypropylene backbone using gamma radiation. Branching and grafting result from the radical combinations during irradiation process. Crosslinking and main chain scission in the polymer structure are also obtained during this process. In this work, gamma irradiation technique was used to induce chemical changes in commercial polypropylene with two different monomers, Tri-allyl-isocyanurate (TAIC) and Tri-methylolpropane-trimethacrylate (TMPTMA), with concentration ranging from 1.5 to 5.0 mmol/100 g of polypropylene. These samples were irradiated with a ⁶⁰Co source at dose of 20 kGy. It used two different methods of HMS-PP processing. The crosslinking of modified polymers was studied by measuring gel content melt flow rate and rheological properties like melt strength and drawability. It was observed that the reaction method and the monomer type have influenced the properties. However, the concentration variation of monomer has no effect.     

A dominance-based rough set approach applied to evaluate the credit risk of sovereign bonds

4OR - Even though sovereign bonds represent low-risk alternatives that give investors a healthy income, the risk assessment process for these bonds is still considered subjective because of the...     

The dynamics of spatiotemporal modulations

The modulational instability of traveling waves is often thought to be a crucial point in the mechanism of transition to space-time disorder and turbulence. The aim of this paper is to study the effect of spatiotemporal modulations on some dynamics u(0)(x,t), which may occur as an instability process when a control parameter varies, for instance. We analyze the properties of the modulated dynamics of the form g(1)(x)g(2)(t)u(0)(x,t) compared to those of the reference dynamics u(0)(x,t), using operator theory. We show that, if the reference dynamics is invariant under some space-time symmetry in the sense of Ref. [J. Nonlinear Sci. 2, 183 (1992)], the modulation has the effect of either deforming this symmetry or breaking it, depending on whether the corresponding operator remains unitary or not. We also demonstrate that the smallest Euclidean space containing the modulated dynamics has a dimension smaller than or equal to the smallest Euclidean space containing u(0)(x,t). The previous results are then applied to the case of modulated uniformly traveling waves. While the spatiotemporal translation invariance of the wave never persists in the presence of a modulation, the existence of a spatiotemporal symmetry depends on the resonance of the Fourier sidebands due to the modulation. In case of nonresonance, a spatiotemporal symmetry exists and is explicitly determined. In this situation, the modulated wave and the carrier wave have the same spectrum (up to a normalization factor), the same entropy, and the spatial (resp., temporal) two-point correlation is deformed only by the spatial (resp., temporal) modulation. (c) 1995 American Institute of Physics.     

Spectrum of γ-Fluids: A statistical derivation

The spectrum of massless bosonic and fermionic fluids satisfying the equation of statep=(–1) is derived using elementary statistical methods. As a limiting case, the Lorentz-invariant spectrum of the vacuum (=0,p=–) is deduced. These results are in agreement with our earlier derivation for bosons using thermodynamics and semiclassical considerations.     

Rationalisation of weak ferromagnetism in manganese(III) chains: the relation between structure and ordering phenomena

The synthesis, structure and magnetic properties of the one-dimensional chain compounds [Mn(cyclam)(SO4)]ClO4.H2O (1) and [Mn(cyclam)(HCOO)](CF3SO3)(ClO4) (2) are reported. Cyclam is the cyclic tetradentate ligand 1,4,7,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane. Both chain compounds exhibit antiferromagnetic interactions within the chains. A magnetic ordering phase transition at 5.5 K in (1) is investigated by magnetisation measurements along the three principal crystallographic axes of a single crystal and the results show unambiguously that the ferromagnetic ordering is only taking place along one crystallographic axis. The spin structure of the magnetic ordered phase and the magnitude of the ferromagnetic moment are correlated with the crystal structure and symmetry of the compound.     

Activation analysis of alkaline rocks. A comparison between destructive and non-destructive methods

The United States Geological Survey reference sample AGV-1 andesite, and three alkaline rocks from the apatite mine of Jacupiranga, Brasil, were analyzed by thermal neutron activation analysis using destructive and non-destructive methods, and high resolution Ge(Li) gamma-ray detectors. One of the rocks, a carbonatite, was also analyzed by instrumental activation analysis with epithermal neutrons. A greater number of elements can be determined using the radiochemical separation, but the precision and accuracy attained by INAA and RNAA were of the same order for most of the elements analyzed. Epithermal activation was more advantageous for tantalum, terbium and holmium. Comparison of the analytical results for USGS reference sample (AGV-1) with the data published by others gave good agreement. Statistical tests used for comparison of the results of destructive and non-destructive methods, as well as other results are presented.