Electroosmotic flow modulation in capillary electrophoresis by organic cations from ionic liquids

This paper describes the ability of several ionic liquids cations for electroosmotic flow modulation in capillary electrophoresis. Organic salts based on phosphonium, sulfonium, cysteinium, ammonium, and guanidinium cations were selected to study this property. In addition, the synergistic effect of these compounds in cyclodextrin chiral separation was also evaluated. In comparison with most studied imidazolium-based ionic liquids, several of the cations studied, are stronger modifiers in terms of electroosmotic flow (EOF) modulation. Phosphonium-based compounds and tri-octyl methylammonium chloride ([Aliquat]Cl) had the strongest ability to reverse EOF both in acidic and in basic conditions and had the lowest EOF reversal concentrations in the presence of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin. EOF modulation ability of phosphonium cations also contributed to the improvement of chiral separation of DL-propranolol by hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin at lower concentrations in comparison with most commonly used EOF modulators such as tetrabutylammonium phosphate.     

An antimicrobial diketopiperazine alkaloid and co-metabolites from an endophytic strain of Gliocladium isolated from Strychnos cf. toxifera

From an endophytic strain of Gliocladium sp. isolated from the Amazonian plant Strychnos cf. toxifera, we obtained the diketopiperazine alkaloid cyclo-(glycyl-L-tyrosyl)-4,4-dimethylallyl ether (1), the steroids ergosterol (2), ergosterol peroxide (3), cerevisterol (4) and the citric acid (5). The AcOEt extract of the fermented broth by Gliocladium sp. showed potent activity against the cancer cell lines MDA-MB435 (human breast cancer cells), HCT-8 (human colorectal cancer cells) and SF-295 (human glioblastoma cancer cells). Compound 1 exhibited a strong antimicrobial activity against Micrococcus luteus at a concentration of 43.4?μM.     

On Riesz systems of harmonic conjugates in

In continuation of recent studies, we discuss two constructive approaches for the generation of harmonic conjugates to find null solutions to the Riesz system in . This class of solutions coincides with the subclass of monogenic functions with values in the reduced quaternions. Our first algorithm for harmonic conjugates is based on special systems of homogeneous harmonic and monogenic polynomials, whereas the second one is presented by means of an integral representation. Some examples of function spaces illustrating the techniques involved are given. More specifically, we discuss the (monogenic) Hardy and weighted Bergman spaces on the unit ball in consisting of functions with values in the reduced quaternions. We end up proving the boundedness of the underlying harmonic conjugation operators in certain weighted spaces. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and characterization of uncoated and gold-coated magnetite nanoparticles

We report on the synthesis and characterization of uncoated and gold coated magnetite nanoparticles. Structural characterizations, carried out using X-ray diffraction, confirm the formation of magnetite phase with a mean size of ~7 and ~8 nm for the uncoated and gold covered magnetite nanoparticles, respectively. The value of the gold coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is consistent with the mean physical size determined from transmission electron microscopy images. Mössbauer spectra at room temperature are consistent with the thermal relaxation of magnetic moments mediated by particle-particle interactions. The 77 K Mössbauer spectra are modeled with four sextets. Those sextets are assigned to the signal of iron ions occupying the tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the core and shell parts of the particle. The room-temperature saturation magnetization value determined for the uncoated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is roughly ~60 emu/g and suggests the occurrence of surface effects such as magnetic disorder or the partial surface oxidation. These surface effects are reduced in the gold-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Zero-field–cooled and field-cooled curves of both samples show irreversibilities which are consistent with a superparamagnetic behavior of interacting nanoparticles.     

Are metabolites of Fusarium oxysporum responsible for fungal skin invasion? A morphological and Raman spectroscopy monitoring

Fusarium is an emerging pathogen with high levels of morbidity and mortality. A significant tissue response is observed in infected patients, and the condition has been associated with the production of toxic metabolites. The aim of the present study was to identify a major fraction of crude metabolic extract of Fusarium oxysporum and investigate its effects on the skin of healthy rats. Fraction F1 was obtained from the cultivation of F. oxysporum in Czapek–Dox. In the treatment groups, fraction F1 (0.05 mg/ ml) was injected intradermally, while (50 µl) 0.9% of saline solution was injected in the control groups. The animals were killed 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after inoculation. The skin was fixed for inclusion in paraffin to obtain histological sections and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Sirius red, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick‐end labeling. Samples were analyzed using Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy. The tissue reactions were classified and compared over time and by treatment. In the treatment group, inflammatory reaction peaked at 6 h, being classified as moderate, with infiltrate composed mainly of neutrophils. terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick‐end labeling staining was negative. The area occupied by types I and III collagen in the treatment group increased over time. There was a change in the area occupied by amide I and the ratios of the –CH₂ and –CH₃ molecules. It can be argued that the fraction F1 contains elements that contribute to the invasion of Fusarium in the skin, destructurizing the organization of the extracellular matrix. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A reaction cell for time‐resolved in situ XAS studies during wet chemical synthesis: the Cu2(OH)3Cl case

The use of in situ time‐resolved dispersive X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (DXAS) to monitor the formation of Cu₂(OH)₃Cl particles in an aqueous solution is reported. The measurements were performed using a dedicated reaction cell, which enabled the evolution of the Cu K‐edge X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy to be followed during mild chemical synthesis. The formed Cu₂(OH)₃Cl particles were also characterized by synchrotron‐radiation‐excited X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the electronic and structural properties of the formed particles was investigated. The results indicate clearly the formation of Cu₂(OH)₃Cl, with or without the use of PVP, which presents very similar crystalline structures in the long‐range order. However, depending on the reaction, dramatic differences were observed by in situ DXAS in the vicinities of the Cu atoms.     

Computational aspects of the continuum quaternionic wave functions for hydrogen

Over the past few years considerable attention has been given to the role played by the Hydrogen Continuum Wave Functions (HCWFs) in quantum theory. The HCWFs arise via the method of separation of variables for the time-independent Schrödinger equation in spherical coordinates. The HCWFs are composed of products of a radial part involving associated Laguerre polynomials multiplied by exponential factors and an angular part that is the spherical harmonics. In the present paper we introduce the continuum wave functions for hydrogen within quaternionic analysis ((R)QHCWFs), a result which is not available in the existing literature. In particular, the underlying functions are of three real variables and take on either values in the reduced and full quaternions (identified, respectively, with R³${\mathbb{R}}^3$ and R⁴${\mathbb{R}}^4$). We prove that the (R)QHCWFs are orthonormal to one another. The representation of these functions in terms of the HCWFs are explicitly given, from which several recurrence formulae for fast computer implementations can be derived. A summary of fundamental properties and further computation of the hydrogen-like atom transforms of the (R)QHCWFs are also discussed. We address all the above and explore some basic facts of the arising quaternionic function theory. As an application, we provide the reader with plot simulations that demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.     

On Lennard–Jones Type Potentials and Hard-Core Potentials with an Attractive Tail

We revisit an old tree graph formula, namely the Brydges–Federbush tree identity, and use it to get new bounds for the convergence radius of the Mayer series for gases of continuous particles interacting via non-absolutely summable pair potentials with an attractive tail including Lennard–Jones type pair potentials.     

Magnetite nanoparticles as-prepared and dispersed in Copaiba oil: study using magnetic measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy

Study of magnetite nanoparticles, as-prepared and dispersed in Copaiba oil as magnetic fluid, by means of magnetic measurement and Mössbauer spectroscopy at various temperatures demonstrated differences in the saturation magnetization and Mössbauer hyperfine parameters which were related to the interactions of Copaiba oil polar molecules with iron cations on magnetite nanoparticle’s surface.