Identification of shrimp species in raw and processed food products by means of a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method targeted to cytochrome b mitochondrial sequences

A novel PCR-RFLP method has been developed for the identification of six commercially relevant penaeid shrimp species in raw and processed food products. The method can be completed within 8 h. To implement the method, PCR amplification with the crustF/crustR primers, targeted to the amplification of a ca. 181 bp region of the cytochrome b (cytb) mitochondrial gene in penaeid shrimps, was coupled to restriction analysis with CviJI, DdeI and NlaIV. The method was also applied successfully to the identification of shrimp species in complex processed foods, including this type of shellfish as an added-value food ingredient. The small size of this molecular target facilitates amplification from fresh, frozen, or precooked samples, where DNA fragmentation may be relevant and fragment size critical. We also report the first cytb mitochondrial sequences described to date for the species Farfantepenaeus notialis, Parapenaeus longirostris and Pleoticus muelleri, and these nearly triplicate current knowledge of reference nucleotide sequences in this mitochondrial region for this group of species. The cytb mitochondrial gene may also be considered as a molecular marker for identification and phylogenetic purposes in penaeid shrimp species.     

Luminescence of Ln3+ lanthanide complexes in polymer matrices

The photoluminescence properties of Tb³⁺ and Eu³⁺ complexes with polymer ligands containing various kinds of complexing groups??namely, carboxyl (5?C20 mol %), pyridylquinoline (5 mol %), or pyridylnaphthyl (5 and 10 mol %) groups??in solution and block are considered. The chemical structure of a neutral comonomer (methyl methacrylate; styrene; isopropyl-, phenyl-, or benzylmethacrylamide; and N-vinylamides) in polymer ligands is varied. The intensity of photoluminescence is dependent not only on the chemical nature of a complexing group but also the chemical nature of a neutral comonomer and a spacer. Variation in the nature of a comonomer and a ligand makes it possible to prepare complexes in which a high luminescence of a low-molecular-mass complex is preserved and advantages inherent in a polymer complex are acquired. The effect of the nature of the polymer matrix (photoactive and photoinert) on the efficiency of electronic-excitation energy transfer is ascertained. The data on the photoluminescence of metal-polymer complexes that are based on polymer ligands containing vinylcarbozole units and that possess hole conductivity make it possible to regard them as materials for electroluminescence. The intensity of photoluminescence of these complexes is related to the competition of oppositely directed photophysical processes in a macromolecule: formation of excimers and migration of electronic excitation energy. An analysis of the published data and of the results of the authors shows that detailed studies of these polymer systems in solution and in matrices are needed to gain insight into the relationship between photo- and electroluminescence properties of metal-polymer complexes, because the matrix plays different roles in photoluminescence and electroluminescence (inner filter or conduction); as a consequence, the emission spectra may differ appreciably. It is shown that the efficiency of electroluminescence may be improved if the transfer of energy from the lanthanide ligand in a complex to the conducting matrix is decreased.     

Rate constant of capture of electron charge carriers on a screened repulsive center

The rate constant of capture of electron charge carriers on a screened repulsive center are performed. Approximate expressions for the potential barrier width, the capture cross section, and rate constant are derived. It is shown that the increase in the concentration of free charge carriers in silver azide from 10¹⁶ to 10²⁰ cm^?3 results in an increase in the capture rate constant by four orders of magnitude. It is also shown that, with increasing concentration of free carriers, the temperature dependence of the rate constant weakens and the effective activation energy of capture in silver azide decreases from 0.18 to 0.01 eV.     

Determination of spatial characteristics of the chain reaction wave in silver azide

The paper presents the methodology and results of determination of the spatiotemporal characteristics of the solid-state chain reaction wave in silver azide, initiated by a neodymium laser pulsed. The wave’s leading front width at half maximum is l ₁ = (110 ± 10) μm, the wave’s rear front width at half maximum is l ₂ = (120 ± 20) μm. The spatiotemporal parameters of the reaction wave in silver azide whiskers are calculated using a phenomenological model of the process previously proposed by the authors. It is shown that the calculated values of the velocity and the wave front width are consistent with the available experimental data.     

Synthesis and nitration of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N,N</Emphasis>´-bis(3-R-furoxan-4-yl)methylenediamines

A Mannich reaction of 4-amino-3-R-furoxans with paraformaldehyde in 10% aqueous H₂SO₄ led to the high yields of N,N′-bis(3-R-furoxan-4-yl)methylenediamines, whose structure (using R = Me as an example) was confirmed by X-ray diffraction study. The N,N′-bis-(3-R-furoxan-4-yl)methylenediamines obtained were nitrated to N,N′-dinitro-N,N′-bis-(3-R-furoxan-4-yl)methylenediamines upon the action of 100% HNO₃ in acetic or trifluoroacetic anhydride.     

IR spectroscopic study of filled polymeric films

Distribution of scattering centers (filler particles and pores) in films of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene xerogel was studied by IR spectroscopy and optical microscopy.     

Optical properties of ion-modified metal surface in the infrared range

The results of study of ion-cleaned and -implanted surfaces of polycrystalline Be, Al, Ti, Fe, Cu, Mo, Zr, and W using optical and infrared (IR) spectroscopy are presented. It is shown that major changes in the optical reflectance spectra are observed in the range of 190–250 nm and are associated with both the formation of scattering centers and features of the chemical state of near-surface layers of materials. It is established using IR spectroscopy that treatment by Ar⁺ ion beam with a broad energy spectrum increases the reflection coefficient of the modified surface and additional resonance lines related to the formation of oxides themselves and hydroxyl groups are revealed in the reflectance spectrum in the case of formation of oxide film on the surface.     

Mechanism of chemical deposition of nickel-boron coatings in tartrate-glycine solutions

The effect of glycine additive on the deposition of nickel-boron coatings from tartrate-glycine solutions was studied.