Strong bulk-edge coupling in the compressible half-filled quantum Hall state

We study bulk and edge correlations in the compressible half-filled state, using a modified version of the plasma analogy. The corresponding plasma has anomalously weak screening properties, and as a consequence we find that the correlations along the edge do not decay algebraically as in the Laughlin (incompressible) case, while the bulk correlations decay in the same way. The results suggest that due to the strong coupling between charged modes on the edge and the neutral fermions in the bulk, reflected by the weak screening in the plasma analogue, the (attractive) correlation hole is not well defined on the edge. Hence, the system there can be modeled as a free Fermi gas of electrons. We finally comment on a possible scenario, in which the Laughlin-like dynamical edge correlations may nevertheless be realized.     

Sufficient conditions for positive definiteness of tridiagonal matrices revisited

We review several sufficient conditions for the positive definiteness of a tridiagonal matrix and propose a different approach to the problem, recalling and comprising little-known results on chain sequences.     

Phenethyl Ester of Gallic Acid Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Gallic acid is a phenolic acid present in various plants, nuts, and fruits. It is well known for its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. The phenethyl ester of gallic acid (PEGA) was synthesized with the aim of increasing the bioavailability of gallic acid, and thus its pharmacological potential. Here, the effects of PEGA on encephalitogenic cells were examined, and PEGA was found to modulate the inflammatory activities of T cells and macrophages/microglia. Specifically, PEGA reduced the release of interleukin (IL)-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ from T cells, as well as NO, and IL-6 from macrophages/microglia. Importantly, PEGA ameliorated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS)—multiple sclerosis. Thus, PEGA is a potent anti-inflammatory compound with a perspective to be further explored in the context of CNS autoimmunity and other chronic inflammatory disorders.     

Phenolic Compounds as Phytochemical Tracers of Varietal Origin of Some Autochthonous Apple Cultivars Grown in Serbia

Domesticated international (standard) apple cultivars, together with resistant apple cultivars are the core of the Serbian apple production. Furthermore, autochthonous cultivars are characterized by a good adaptability to the local environmental conditions and represent a valuable source of genetic variability, as well as an important source of the gene pool for further breeding programs. Additionally, they show a higher phenolic content and a stronger antioxidant activity, in comparison to commercial cultivars. Therefore, they are more likely to be used as a functional food. The subjects of this study were seventeen samples of fruits and leaves from autochthonous apple cultivars, five international standard cultivars, and six resistant apple cultivars. The phenolic profile was determined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), coupled with a diode array detector and a TSQ Quantum Access Max triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. A total of twenty compounds were quantified in the samples. Most of the analyzed phenolics were detected in higher amounts in the peel, compared to the mesocarp. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicate that 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid is present in the highest amount in the mesocarp, while in the peel and leaves, quercetin-glycosides were detected in the highest amount. According to the MANOVA: phloretin, phlorizin, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, kaempferol, and p-coumaric acid are present in significantly higher levels in the autochthonous cultivars, compared to the standard and resistant ones (in both fruits and leaves). Therefore, these compounds can be used as chemical tracers of the apple varietal origin.     

Some notes on the threshold graphs

In this paper we consider threshold graphs (also called nested split graphs) and investigate some invariants of these graphs which can be of interest in bounding the largest eigenvalue of some graph spectra.     

Stimulation of Wood Degradation by Daedaleopsis confragosa and D. tricolor

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Biological pretreatment of the lignocellulosic residues, in which white-rot fungi have a crucial role, has many advantages compared to the chemical,...     

OXYGEN QUENCHING OF CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESCENCE IN CHLOROPLASTS

Abstract— Three phases of chlorophyll a fluorescence quenching by O₂ are observed in green plants. The effects of various inhibitors on photosynthetic partial processes in chloroplasts were investigated in attempts to (1) localize the O₂-quenching sites and (2) assess possible physiological significance of O₂-quenching. Our results localize the most sensitive (and presumably functionally important) phase to a site between plastoquinone and the photosystem I acceptor, chlorophyll (P₇₀₀), possibly plastocyanin. It is suggested that PC may transfer electrons to oxygen in addition to P₇₀₀.     

Effects of various drugs on alcohol-induced oxidative stress in the liver

The major aim of this work was to investigate how alcohol-induced oxidative stress in combined chemotherapy changes the metabolic function of the liver in experimental animals. This research was conducted to establish how bromocriptine, haloperidol and azithromycin, applied to the experimental model, affected the antioxidative status of the liver. The following parameters were determined: reduced glutathione, activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, peroxidase, catalase, xanthine oxidase and lipid peroxidation intensity. Alanine transaminase was measured in serum. Alcohol stress (AO group) reduced glutathione and the activity of xanthine oxidase and glutathione peroxidase, but increased catalase and alanine transaminase activity. The best protective effect was achieved with the bromocriptine (AB1 group), while other groups had similar effects on the studied parameters.     

Phenolic natural products of the wines obtained from three new Merlot clone candidates

This work aimed to evaluate the total contents of polyphenolics (the Ribereau-Gayon–Maurié procedure), anthocyanins (using pH differential method) and tannins (the Nègre procedure) as well as the content of phenolic acids (using UPLC/MS chromatography), respectively of the wines obtained from three new Merlot clone candidates in the perennial clonal selection. The aforementioned chemical parameters were determined in the samples covering the period 2009–2012. In comparison both with the standard Merlot wine (mother vine) and the wines obtained from other two clone candidates, the Merlot wine of the clone candidate No. 022 was found to have the highest total content of all three examined components 1.89 ± 0.05 g/L (polyphenolics), 185.59 ± 5.00 mg/L (anthocyanins) and 1.11 ± 0.03 g/L (tannins), as well as six phenolic acids including gallic acid (25.49 ± 0.27 mg/L). These findings are in good agreement with the observed trend for the viticultural parameters indicating the clone candidate No. 022 as more promising than mother.