Optimized spacer layer thickness for plasmonic-induced enhancement of photocurrent in a-Si:H

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - Plasmonic interfaces consisting of silver nanoparticles of different sizes (50–100&;nbsp;nm) have been processed by the self-assembled dewetting...     

Formation and pharmacological activity of silicon—chitosan-containing glycerohydrogels obtained by biomimetic mineralization

The biomimetic sol—gel synthesis of silicon—chitosan-containing glycerohydrogels was carried out using silicon tetraglycerolate as a precursor. It was found that chitosan accelerates gel formation in weakly acidic media. In more acidic media, the kinetics of the process changes according to the curve with a maximum, which can be attributed to different mechanisms of silanol condensation before and after the isoelectric point. The investigated silicon—chitosan-containing glycerohydrogels exhibit antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing activity. The synthesized hybrid glycerohydrogels are promising materials for biomedical applications.     

Determination,residue and risk assessment of trifloxystrobin,trifloxystrobin acid and tebuconazole in Chinese rice consumption

A simple and rapid analytical method for the detection of trifloxystrobin, trifloxystrobin acid and tebuconazole in soil, brown rice, paddy plants and rice hulls was established and validated by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Acceptable linearity (R² > 0.99), accuracy (average recoveries of 74.3–108.5%) and precision (intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations of 0.9–8.8%) were obtained using the developed determination approach. In the field trial, the half-lives of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole in paddy plants were 5.7–8.3 days in three locations throughout China, and the terminal residue concentrations of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole were <100 and 500 μg/kg (maximum residue limits set by China), respectively, at harvest, which indicated that, based on the recommended application procedure, trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole are safe for use on rice. The risk assessment results demonstrated that, owing to risk quotient values of both fungicides being <100%, the potential risk of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole on rice was acceptable for Chinese consumers. These data could provide supporting information for the proper use and safety evaluation of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole in rice.     

A volatolomic approach using cerumen as biofluid to diagnose bovine intoxication by Stryphnodendron rotundifolium

An innovative volatolomic approach employs the detection of biomarkers present in cerumen (earwax) to identify cattle intoxication by Stryphnodendron rotundifolium Mart., Fabaceae (popularly known as barbatimão). S. rotundifolium is a poisonous plant with the toxic compound undefined and widely distributed throughout the Brazilian territory. Cerumen samples from cattle of two local Brazilian breeds (‘Curraleiro Pé-Duro’ and ‘Pantaneiro’) were collected during an experimental intoxication protocol and analyzed using headspace (HS)/GC–MS followed by multivariate analysis (genetic algorithm for a partial least squares, cluster analysis, and classification and regression trees). A total of 106 volatile organic metabolites were identified in the cerumen samples of bovines. The intoxication by S. rotundifolium influenced the cerumen volatolomic profile of the bovines throughout the intoxication protocol. In this way, it was possible to detect biomarkers for cattle intoxication. Among the biomarkers, 2-octyldecanol and 9-tetradecen-1-ol were able to discriminate all samples between intoxicated and nonintoxicated bovines. The cattle intoxication diagnosis by S. rotundifolium was accomplished by applying the cerumen analysis using HS/GC–MS, in an easy, accurate, and noninvasive way. Thus, the proposed bioanalytical chromatography protocol is a useful tool in veterinary applications to determine this kind of intoxication.     

An efficient method for the synthesis of quinoxaline derivatives catalyzed by titanium silicate-1

Research on Chemical Intermediates - A series of quinoxaline derivatives were efficiently synthesized by convenient and simple procedure in excellent yields using 1 wt.% of titanium silicate (TS-1)...