Optimization of a solid-phase extraction procedure in the fluorimetric determination of sulfonamides in milk using the second-order advantage of PARAFAC and D-optimal design

The objective of this work is to optimize a solid-phase extraction procedure for the simultaneous determination of sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethazine in milk by fluorimetric detection. For this task, an alternative strategy is employed, which allows one to reduce noticeably the number of experiments without losing the quality of the estimations. It consists of the use of a D-optimal design together with PARAFAC decomposition for the calculation of the response in the experimental design. Effects of amount of cartridge sorbent, kind of milk, volume of conditioning solutions, kind of wash and elution, and kind of mixture of sulfonamides have been evaluated, for maximizing sulfonamide mean recovery and minimizing its standard deviation. Since milk without sulfonamides may give some matrix effect over the fluorescence signal, its behavior has also been studied. Optimal conditions have been selected where the ratio between sulfonamide recovery and milk without sulfonamides was the highest, which are 500 mg of cartridge sorbent, acid wash, and elution and 3 mL of conditioning solutions. The type of milk and mixture of sulfonamides not significant. This makes the procedure suitable for the combined determination of sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethazine in any kind of milk. Finally, an experimental procedure is proposed, obtaining a sulfonamide mean recovery equal to 68.5% with values of standard deviation between 7 and 8 μg kg⁻¹.     

Hydrodynamic Fluctuations in Laminar Fluid Flow. I. Fluctuating Orr-Sommerfeld Equation

In recent years it has become evident that fluctuating hydrodynamics predicts that fluctuations in nonequilibrium states are always spatially long ranged. In this paper we consider the application of fluctuating hydrodynamics to laminar fluid flow, using plane Couette flow as a representative example. Specifically, fluctuating hydrodynamics yields a stochastic Orr-Sommerfeld equation for the wall-normal velocity fluctuations, where spontaneous thermal noise acts as a random source.This stochastic equation needs to be solved subject to appropriate boundary conditions. We show how an exact solution can be obtained from an expansion in terms of the eigenfunctions of the Orr-Sommerfeld hydrodynamic operator. We demonstrate the presence of a flow-induced enhancement of the wall-normal velocity fluctuations and a resulting flow-induced energy amplification and provide a quantitative analysis how these quantities depend on wave number and Reynolds number.     

Synthesis and conformational analysis of azacyclophanes from l-tyrosine

The synthesis of a new azacyclophane formed by two l-tyrosine units joined by two methylene bridges is presented. The structural and conformational characteristics are briefly discussed. Spectroscopic and theoretical data reveal a syn structure with two intramolecular hydrogen bonds.     

Thermodynamics of the Dimer Formation of 2I,3I-O-(o-Xylylene)-per-O-Me-γ-cyclodextrin: Fluorescence, Molecular Mechanics and Molecular Dynamics

The thermodynamics of the dimer formation of 2^I,3^I-O-(o-xylylene)-per-O-Me-γ-cyclodextrin (XmγCD) in aqueous solution was studied by fluorescence techniques, Molecular Mechanics and Molecular Dynamics. Lifetime averages á t ñ \left\langle \tau \right\rangle , obtained from fluorescence decay profiles upon excitation of the xylylene appended group, were used as the property sensitive to the association process. The dimerization equilibrium constants (K _D) were obtained from non-linear regression analysis of the plots of á t ñ \left\langle \tau \right\rangle against [XmγCD] at several temperatures and they were compared with the values obtained for the counterparts Xmα- and XmβCDs. The van’t Hoff plot allows us to obtain the ΔH and ΔS showing that the dimerization process was also entropically disfavoured. Molecular Mechanics as well as Molecular Dynamics calculations in the presence of water were also employed to study the conformational behaviour of isolated XmγCDs, the possible structure of the dimers formed and the driving forces involved in such association processes. Results indicate that those conformations where Xy moiety does not block the cavity entrance are favoured. Dimers are preferably formed by head-to-head CD approaching. However, the formation of stable head-to-tail is not dismissed.     

Elastic scattering of neutrons on natPb at forward angles

Angular distributions were measured for neutron elastically scattered by ^natPb at 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4MeV at very forward angles. The mono-energetic neutron flux was produced at the tandem accelerator facility of the National Institute of Nuclear Research (ININ), Mexico, using the Associated Particle Technique (APT) in the D(d, n)³He reaction. Optical model predictions with best potential systematic show a fairly good agreement with our data, and also the need for a better understanding of the neutron scattering process at very small angles from the theoretical point of view.     

Modulating the Photochemistry of Bipyridylic Compounds by Symmetric Substitutions

A quantum electronic study of the effect of substituents on (2,2′‐bipyridyl)‐3,3′‐diol and (2,2′‐bipyridyl)‐3,3′‐diamine is presented. A large difference in the photochemical behavior between the original and the substituted selected systems is expected. For the sake of simplicity, the study is restricted to the symmetrically bi‐substituted compounds: fluorine, the more electronegative atom and thus a strong σ‐acceptor but also a weak π‐donor group, and NO₂, a strong π‐acceptor substituent. Among the large set of compounds studied, two receive special attention: 5,5′‐dinitro‐(2,2′‐bipyridyl)‐3,3′‐diamine and 6,6′‐difluoro‐(2,2′‐bipyridyl)‐3,3′‐diol. While in the former case the nitro substitution transforms (2,2′‐bipyridyl)‐3,3′‐diamine, previously suggested to behave as a photomemory material, into a simple fluorescent species, the latter substitution turns (2,2′‐bipyridyl)‐3,3′‐diol into a fresh new candidate for a photomemory device.     

Permeabilization of biological and artificial membranes by a bacterial dirhamnolipid produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, when cultured under the appropriate conditions, secretes rhamnolipids to the external medium. These glycolipids constitute one of the most interesting classes of biosurfactants so far. A dirhamnolipid fraction was isolated and purified from the crude biosurfactant, and its action on model and biological membranes was studied. Dirhamnolipid induced leakage of internal contents, as measured by the release of carboxyfluorescein, in phosphatidylcholine unilamellar vesicles, at concentrations below its CMC. Membrane solubilization was not observed within this concentration range. The presence of inverted cone-shaped lipids in the membrane, namely lysophosphatidylcholine, accelerated leakage, whereas cone-shaped lipids, like phosphatidylethanolamine, decreased leakage rate. Increasing concentrations of cholesterol protected the membrane against dirhamnolipid-induced leakage, which was totally abolished by the presence of 50 mol% of the sterol. Dirhamnolipid caused hemolysis of human erythrocytes through a lytic mechanism, as shown by the similar rates of K⁺ and hemoglobin leakage, and by the absence of effect of osmotic protectants. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the addition of the biosurfactant changed the usual disc shape of erythrocytes into that of spheroechinocytes. The results are discussed within the frame of the biological actions of dirhamnolipid, and the possible future applications of this biosurfactant.     

New triazole antifungal agents derived from mercaptomethylisoxazoles

Several new triazole antifungal agents derived from mercaptomethylisoxazoles of general structure 2(2,4-dihalogenophenyl)-3-((X-isoxazolyl)methylthio)-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-2-propanol, as well as some selected sulfoxides and sulfones derived thereof, have been synthesized and tested for antifungal activity. Some of these compounds showed good activity against yeasts and dermatophytes.     

Elucidating a particulate matter deposition episode by combining scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

Multielemental composition and morphology of particulate matter samples were examined to detect the presence of two potential responsible pollutant emitters at four sites impacted during a pollution episode in the City of Campana, Argentina. Coke and smoke black are the main constituents associated to the industrial plants that were considered, a priori, as responsible pollutant emitters. Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) was employed for the analysis of metals in samples coming from both, suspected sources and four sites. On the basis of multielemental composition profiles, a screening analysis was undertaken for exploring similarities among sources and sample sites adopting the average concentration profile of the crustal rock as soil surrogate. Particle morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in source samples and in those environmental samples selected through the screening analysis. Two types of collected samples were analyzed: 1) those with composition profiles closer to the potential sources and 2) those closer to the cluster rock. This strategy was adequate to identify the responsible source of the contamination episode.