Water‐Accelerated Organometallic Chemistry: Alkyne Carboalumination – Sulfinimine Addition and Asymmetric Synthesis of Allylic Amines

Carboalumination of alkynes in the presence of catalytic Cp₂ZrCl₂ and H₂O affords vinyl‐alane intermediates, which serve as nucleophiles in the subsequent addition to enantiomerically enriched (tert‐butyl)‐ and (para‐tolyl)sulfinimines. This new in situ protocol produces two new C C bonds. Chiral allylic sulfinamides are obtained in high diastereoselectivity and in good yield. Cleavage of the chiral auxiliary leads to synthetically useful allylic amine building blocks, and facile oxidative degradation of the alkene moiety can be used as an approach toward amino acid derivatives and for assignment of absolute configuration.     

Co-Treatment of Purified Annatto Oil (Bixa orellana L.) and Its Granules (Chronic®) Improves the Blood Lipid Profile and Bone Protective Effects of Testosterone in the Orchiectomy-Induced Osteoporosis in Wistar Rats

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of co-treatment with purified annatto oil (PAO) or its granules (GRA, Chronic^®) with that of testosterone on the orchiectomy-induced osteoporosis in Wistar rats. After surgery, rats were treated from day 7 until day 45 with testosterone only (TES, 7 mg/kg, IM) or TES + PAO or GRA (200 mg/kg, p.o.). The following parameters were evaluated: food/water intake, weight, HDL, LDL, glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), alkaline phosphatase levels, blood phosphorus and calcium contents, femur weight, structure (through scanning electron microscopy), and calcium content (through atomic absorption spectrophotometry). Our results show that orchiectomy could significantly change the blood lipid profile and decrease bone integrity parameters. Testosterone reposition alone could improve some endpoints, including LDL, TC, bone weight, and bone calcium concentration. However, other parameters were not significantly improved. Co-treatment with PAO or GRA improved the blood lipid profile and bone integrity more significantly and improved some endpoints not affected by testosterone reposition alone (such as TG levels and trabeculae sizes). The results suggest that co-treatment with annatto products improved the blood lipid profile and the anti-osteoporosis effects of testosterone. Overall, GRA had better results than PAO.     

Terahertz laser-induced 1D–0D crossover in the density of states for electrons in a cylindrical semiconductor quantum wire

The effects of a linearly polarized, terahertz laser field on the density of states (DOS) for carriers confined in a cylindrical semiconductor quantum wire are investigated here within a nonperturbative scheme, based upon a Green’s function approach. In our model, the functional dependence of the DOS on energy is significantly modified in two ways: (i) an uniform blueshift with respect to the laser-free DOS; and (ii) a strong suppression, with the appearance of Franz–Keldysh-like oscillations. Interestingly, with the increase (decrease) of the laser intensity (frequency) the DOS profile evolves from the usual shape for one-dimensional (1D) systems to a discrete set of sharp peaks that resembles the DOS for quasi-zero-dimensional (quasi-0D) electrons confined in quantum dots.     

Polysaccharide Structures and Their Hypocholesterolemic Potential

Several classes of polysaccharides have been described to have hypocholesterolemic potential, namely cholesterol bioaccessibility and bioavailability. This review will highlight the main mechanisms by which polysaccharides are known to affect cholesterol homeostasis at the intestine, namely the effect (i) of polysaccharide viscosity and its influence on cholesterol bioaccessibility; (ii) on bile salt sequestration and its dependence on the structural diversity of polysaccharides; (iii) of bio-transformations of polysaccharides and bile salts by the gut microbiota. Different quantitative structure–hypocholesterolemic activity relationships have been explored depending on the mechanism involved, and these were based on polysaccharide physicochemical properties, such as sugar composition and ramification degree, linkage type, size/molecular weight, and charge. The information gathered will support the rationalization of polysaccharides’ effect on cholesterol homeostasis and highlight predictive rules towards the development of customized hypocholesterolemic functional food.     

CONTROLLING THE 3D NANOSCALE ORGANIZATION OF BULK HETEROJUNCTION POLYMER SOLAR CELLS

In this study,the three dimensional nanoscale organization in the photoactive layers of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and a methanofullerene derivative (PCBM) is revealed by transmission electron tomography.After annealing treatment,either at elevated temperature or during slow solvent evaporation,nanoscale interpenetrating networks are formed with high crystalline order and favorable concentration gradients of both components through the thickness of the photoactive layer.Such a tailored morphology acco...     

Preliminary studies of laser-induced breakdown spectrometry for the determination of Ba,Cd, Cr and Pb in toys

The performance of laser-induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) for the determination of Ba, Cd, Cr and Pb in toys has been evaluated by using a Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm and an Echelle spectrometer with intensified charge-coupled device detector. Samples were purchased in different cities of São Paulo State market and analyzed directly without sample preparation. Laser-induced breakdown spectrometry experimental conditions (number of pulses, delay time, integration time gate and pulse energy) were optimized by using a Doehlert design. Laser-induced breakdown spectrometry signals correlated reasonably well with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) concentrations after microwave-assisted acid digestion of selected samples. Thermal analysis was used for polymer identification and scanning electron microscopy to visualize differences in crater geometry of different polymers employed for toy fabrication. Results indicate that laser-induced breakdown spectrometry can be proposed as a rapid screening method for investigation of potentially toxic elements in toys. The unique application of laser-induced breakdown spectrometry for identification of contaminants in successive layers of ink and polymer is also demonstrated.     

A simple and sensitive detection of diquat herbicide using a dental amalgam electrode: A comparison using the chromatographic technique

This paper describes the use of a dental amalgam electrode (DAE) to evaluate the electrochemical behaviour and to develop an electroanalytical procedure for determination of diquat herbicide in natural water and potato samples. The work was based on the square wave voltammetry responses of diquat, which presented two well-defined and reversible reduction peaks, at −0.56 V (peak 1) and −1.00 V (peak 2). The experimental and voltammetric parameters were optimised, and the analytical curves were constructed and compared to similar curves performed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometric detector (HPLC/UV-vis). The responses were directly proportional to diquat concentration in a large interval of concentration, and the calculated detection limits were very similar, around 10 μg L⁻¹ (10 ppb) for voltammetric and chromatographic experiments. These values were lower than the maximum residue limit established for natural water by the Brazilian Environmental Agency. The recovery percentages in pure electrolyte, natural water and potato samples showed values from 70% to 130%, demonstrating that the voltammetric methodology proposed is suitable for determining any contamination by diquat in different samples, minimising the toxic residues due to the use of liquid mercury or the adsorptive process relative to use of other solid surfaces.     

Bias sensitive spectral sensitivity in double -SiC:H pin structures

In this work we discuss the use of multilayer stacked structures (p(SiC:H)/i(SiC:H)/n(SiC:H)/p(SiC:H)/i(Si:H)/n(Si:H)) sandwiched between two transparent conductive contacts as colour sensing devices. The thickness and the absorption coefficient of both front and back p–i–n cells were specifically designed in order to achieve simultaneously high blue collection and red transmittance in the front cell and full green absorption and high red collection in the back cell. Electric and optical sensing methods were used for measuring the current–voltage characteristics and the spectral sensitivity, under different experimental conditions. Results show that the spectral sensitivity of the device is strongly modulated by the applied voltage, which allows colour selectivity. The results were supported by a physical model.     

Ultrastructural study of the salivary glands of the sugarcane spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata (Stal, 1854) (Euhemiptera: Cercopidae)

Spittlebugs are insects that suck sap from plants and regurgitate saliva containing toxic enzymes into the leaves. As a consequence, the conductive channels are blocked resulting in dry leaves, thus giving a burned aspect to the plantation. This work performed ultrastructural analyses of the salivary glands of the sugarcane spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata, since these organs produce the enzymes that are injected into the plants, thus being responsible for the economic losses in the production of sugarcane. Three kinds of secretory cells are found in principal gland, forming the lobules I-IV. The main differences among these cells relate to size, morphology and electron density of the secretory vesicles. The accessory glands contain different secretory vesicles to those in the principal gland. Muscular cells are found around the entire gland. The different secretory vesicles found in both principal and accessory glands indicate that the gland produces different substances or that the secretion in the interior of cells passes through a maturation process.     

Near-infrared quantum cutting through a three-step energy transfer process in Nd(3+)-Yb(3+) co-doped fluoroindogallate glasses

The Nd(3+)-Yb(3+) couple was investigated in fluoroindogallate glasses using optical spectroscopy to elucidate the energy transfer mechanisms involved in the downconversion (DC) process. Upon excitation of a Nd(3+) ion by an ultraviolet photon, DC through a three-step energy transfer process occurs, in which the energy of the ultraviolet photon absorbed by the Nd(3+) ion is converted into three infrared photons emitted by Yb(3+) ions, i.e.?quantum cutting (QC). In addition, with excitation in the visible, our results confirm that the DC process occurs through a one-step energy transfer process, in which the energy of a visible photon absorbed by the Nd(3+) ion is converted into only one infrared photon emitted by an Yb(3+) ion. Time-resolved measurements enabled the estimation of the efficiencies of the cross-relaxation processes between Nd(3+) and Yb(3+) ions.