Refinements of the Weyl Pure Geometrical Thick Branes From Information‐Entropic Measure

This work aims to analyse the so‐called configurational entropy in the Weyl pure geometrical thick brane model. The Weyl structure plays a prominent role in the brane thickness of this model. We find a set of parameters associated to the brane width where the configurational entropy exhibits critical points. The information‐theoretical measure sets bounds into parameter of Weyl pure geometrical brane model. In addition, we also argue that a similar approach can be useful to analyze the corrections to Newtonian and Coulombian potentials in Weyl scenarios.     

Mass spectrometric approaches for the identification of anthracycline analogs produced by actinobacteria

Anthracyclines are a well‐known chemical class produced by actinobacteria used effectively in cancer treatment; however, these compounds are usually produced in few amounts because of being toxic against their producers. In this work, we successfully explored the mass spectrometry versatility to detect 18 anthracyclines in microbial crude extract. From collision‐induced dissociation and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, we proposed structures for five new and identified three more anthracyclines already described in the literature, nocardicyclins A and B and nothramicin. One new compound 8 (4‐[4‐(dimethylamino)‐5‐hydroxy‐4,6‐dimethyloxan‐2‐yl]oxy‐2,5,7,12‐tetrahydroxy‐3,10‐dimethoxy‐2‐methyl‐3,4‐dihydrotetracene‐1,6,11‐trione) was isolated and had its structure confirmed by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance. The anthracyclines identified in this work show an interesting aminoglycoside, poorly found in natural products, 3‐methyl‐rhodosamine and derivatives. This fact encouraged to develop a focused method to identify compounds with aminoglycosides (rhodosamine, m/z 158; 3‐methyl‐rhodosamine, m/z 172; 4′‐O‐acethyl‐3‐C‐methyl‐rhodosamine, m/z 214). This method allowed the detection of four more anthracyclines. This focused method can also be applied in the search of these aminoglycosides in other microbial crude extracts. Additionally, it was observed that nocardicyclin A, nothramicin and compound 8 were able to interact to DNA through a DNA‐binding study by mass spectrometry, showing its potential as anticancer drugs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glass/PDMS hybrid microfluidic device integrating vertically aligned SWCNTs to ultrasensitive electrochemical determinations

This communication reports a promising platform for rapid, simple, direct, and ultrasensitive determination of serotonin. The method is related to integration of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in electrochemical microfluidic devices. The required microfabrication protocol is simple and fast. In addition, the nanomaterial influenced remarkably the obtained limit-of-detection (LOD) values. Our system achieved a LOD of 0.2 nmol L(-1) for serotonin, to the best of our knowledge one of the lowest values reported in the literature.     

One-pot RAFT/"click" chemistry via isocyanates: efficient synthesis of α-end-functionalized polymers

A new methodology has been developed for preparing α-functional polymers in a one-pot simultaneous polymerization/isocyanate "click" reaction. Our original synthetic strategy is based on the preparation of a carbonyl-azide chain transfer agent (CTA) precursor that undergoes the Curtius rearrangement in situ during reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization yielding well-controlled α-isocyanate modified polymers. This strategy overcomes numerous difficulties associated with the synthesis of a polymerization mediator bearing an isocyanate at the R group and with the handling of such a reactive functionality. This new carbonyl-azide CTA can control the polymerization of a wide range of monomers, including (meth)acrylates, acrylamides, and styrenes (M(n) = 2-30 kDa; ? = 1.16-1.38). We also show that this carbonyl-azide CTA can be used as a universal platform for the synthesis of α-end-functionalized polymers in a one-pot RAFT polymerization/isocyanate "click" procedure.     

Automation of a Mass Flow Controller for Application in Time‐Multiplex SF6+CH4 Plasma Etching of Silicon

In this work is proposed the automation of a gas injection (mass flow) system in order to generate timemultiplex SF₆/CH₄ radiofrequency plasma applied for silicon (Si) etching process. The control of the gas injection system is important in order to better control the process anisotropy, i.e., the high‐aspect‐ratio of mask pattern transfer to substrate surface. In other words, this control allows the attainment of deep Si etching process. Here, the automation of the gas injection system was realized through the interface between a computer and a data acquisition board. The automation software developed allows controlling the gas flow rate switching it on and off during whole process through the use of a square waveform routine, intermittent flow, beyond the conventional condition of a fixed value for gas flow rate, continuous flow. In order to investigate the time‐multiplex SF₆/CH₄ plasma etching of Si, the residual gas analysis was performed. The investigations were made keeping the following process parameters: flow of SF₆: 10 sccm, flow of CH₄: 6 sccm, 100 W rf power, wave period: 20 sec. It were monitored the partial pressure of SF⁺ ₅ (parent neutral specie: SF₆), CH⁺₄ (CH4) and SiF+ ₃ (SiF4) species as a function of time for different gas flow switching and duty cycle. The results showed that with the generation of plasma occurs a drastic change in behavior of partial pressures of SF⁺ ₅ and CH⁺₄ species. Moreover, it is evidenced that the interactions between the SF₆ and CH₄ fragments promotes a high production rate of HF molecule and consequently a decrease of atomic fluorine, mainly when plasma is on. Finally, the behavior of partial pressure of SiF⁺ ₃ specie for alternatively intermittent SF₆ and CH₄ flow operation shows us that both the etching processes and the deposition of a polymer passivation layer are occurring alternatively, a desirable feature for multi‐step etching process (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Structural and electronic properties of BN M?bius stripes

In the present contribution it is applied first-principles calculations to investigate the electronic structure of boron nitride M?bius stripes, with armchair and zigzag configurations, obtained from boron nitride nanoribbons using a ??cut?? and ??glue?? process. The results show that the structural stability strongly depends on the length and width of the stripe. It is also found that the energy gap and work function depends on the structure chirality. Due to the formation of an antiphase boundary, zigzag stripes present tunable electronic properties, with significant potential for technological applications.     

Effect of Ylang-Ylang (Cananga odorata Hook. F. & Thomson) Essential Oil on Acute Inflammatory Response In Vitro and In Vivo

The aim of this study is to evaluate the phytochemical profile, oral acute toxicity, and the effect of ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata Hook. F. & Thomson) essential oil (YEO) on acute inflammation. YEO was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. For in vitro tests, YEO was assessed using cytotoxicity, neutrophil chemotaxis induced by N-formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (fMLP), and phagocytic activity tests. YEO was orally administered in zymosan-induced peritonitis, carrageenan-induced leukocyte rolling, and adhesion events in the in situ microcirculation model and in carrageenan-induced paw edema models. YEO (2000 mg/kg) was also tested using an acute toxicity test in Swiss mice. YEO showed a predominance of benzyl acetate, linalool, benzyl benzoate, and methyl benzoate. YEO did not present in vitro cytotoxicity. YEO reduced the in vitro neutrophil chemotaxis induced by fMLP and reduced the phagocytic activity. The oral treatment with YEO reduced the leukocyte recruitment and nitric oxide production in the zymosan-induced peritonitis model, reduced rolling and adherent leukocyte number induced by carrageenan in the in situ microcirculation model, and reduced carrageenan-induced edema and mechanical hyperalgesia. YEO did not present signs of toxicity in the acute toxicity test. In conclusion, YEO affected the leukocyte activation, and presented antiedematogenic, anti-hyperalgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties.     

Behaviour of Ca2Fe2O5 with Nb substitution and sintering temperatures seen by Mössbauer spectroscopy

Mössbauer spectroscopy of samples of Ca₂Fe_2?xNb_xO_5+x with x values ranging from 0 to 0.8 and sintering temperatures of 1200°C and 1300°C shows the presence of two magnetic fields and a paramagnetic signal. The behaviour of the parameters as a function of x and of the sintering temperatures are discussed and compared with XRD results.     

Studies on immobilizd lipase in hydrophobic sol-gel

The hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane using the sol-gel process was used to produce silica matrices, and these were tested for the immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa by three methods: physical adsorption, covalent binding, and gel entrapment in the presence and absence of polyethylene glycol (PEG-1450). The silica matrices and their derivatives were characterized regarding particle size distribution, specific surface area, pore size distribution (Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller [B.E.T.] method), yield of grafting (thermogravimetric analyzer [TGA]), and chemical composition (Fourier transform infrared). Immobilization yields based on recovered lipase activity varied from 3.0 to 32.0%, and the highest efficiency was attained when lipase was encapsulated in the presence of PEG.