Neodymium two-step optogalvanic spectroscopy in a hollow cathode lamp

This paper presents the results of Doppler-limited optogalvanic spectroscopy in commercial neodymium hollow cathode lamp, ranging from 580 to 600 nm. Using the laser multistep excitation technique, five transitions for the first step excitation from the neodymium ground state and seven transitions related to the second step of photoionization scheme were observed. Within these results, for the first time, a new line, 596.645 nm, was observed which could be attributed to a possible two-step transition to neodymium energy level from the 16 979.352 cm^? 1 to 33 735.4 cm^? 1. The simulated (synthetic) spectra of a mixture of neon (Ne I) and neodymium (Nd I) in this region are compared with experiments in order to facilitate data analysis.     

Directional persistence and the optimality of run-and-tumble chemotaxis

E. coli does chemotaxis by performing a biased random walk composed of alternating periods of swimming (runs) and reorientations (tumbles). Tumbles are typically modelled as complete directional randomisations but it is known that in wild type E. coli, successive run directions are actually weakly correlated, with a mean directional difference of 63°. We recently presented a model of the evolution of chemotactic swimming strategies in bacteria which is able to quantitatively reproduce the emergence of this correlation. The agreement between model and experiments suggests that directional persistence may serve some function, a hypothesis supported by the results of an earlier model. Here we investigate the effect of persistence on chemotactic efficiency, using a spatial Monte Carlo model of bacterial swimming in a gradient, combined with simulations of natural selection based on chemotactic efficiency. A direct search of the parameter space reveals two attractant gradient regimes, (a) a low-gradient regime, in which efficiency is unaffected by directional persistence and (b) a high-gradient regime, in which persistence can improve chemotactic efficiency. The value of the persistence parameter that maximises this effect corresponds very closely with the value observed experimentally. This result is matched by independent simulations of the evolution of directional memory in a population of model bacteria, which also predict the emergence of persistence in high-gradient conditions. The relationship between optimality and persistence in different environments may reflect a universal property of random-walk foraging algorithms, which must strike a compromise between two competing aims: exploration and exploitation. We also present a new graphical way to generally illustrate the evolution of a particular trait in a population, in terms of variations in an evolvable parameter.     

Development of a Urea Bioprobe Based on Platinized Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrodes

Urea (CH₆ON₂) is one of the main human nitrogen‐based metabolic wastes. The concentration of urea in blood lies between 2.5–7 mM for healthy individuals, and is commonly used as an indicator for several diseases that may alter this value. Spectrophotometric methods are employed for the determination of blood urea concentration during clinical assays. Although these methods are sensitive, they make use of toxic reagents and complex reaction schemes. Therefore, in this research we present the bioelectrochemical determination of urea by the use of the protein urease (E.C.3.1.1.5) along with a nano‐platinized boron‐doped diamond electrode. This approach has been proven to be efficient and sensitive providing a platform with detection limits of 1.79 mM (S/N=3). The linear range resulted from 1 mM to 25 mM for the determination of urea, and response time of five minutes.     

Microhardness of a dental restorative composite resin containing nanoparticles polymerized with argon ion laser

The objective of this study was to compare the microhardness of two resin composites (microhybrid and nanoparticles). Light activation was performed with argon ion laser 1.56 J (L) and halogen light 2.6 J (H) was used as control. Measurements were taken on the irradiated surfaces and those opposite them, at thicknesses of 1, 2 and 3 mm. To evaluate the quality of polymerization, the percentages of maximum hardness were calculated (PMH). For statistical analysis the ANOVA and Tukey tests were used (p ≤ 0.05). To microhybrid was shown that the hardness with laser was inferior to the hardness achieved with halogen light, for both the 1 mm and 2 mm. The nanoparticles polymerized with laser, presented lower hardness even on the irradiated surface, than the same surface light activated with halogen light. The microhybrid attained a minimum PMH of 80% up to the thickness of 2 mm with halogen light, and with laser, only up to 1 mm. The nanoparticles attained a minimum PMH of 80% up to 3 mm thickness with halogen light and with laser this minimum was not obtained at any thickness. Based on these results, it could be concluded that light activation with argon ion laser is contra-indicated for the studied nanoparticles.     

Mean growth and geometric zero distribution of solutions of linear differential equations

The aim of this paper is to consider certain conditions on the coefficient A of the differential equation f″ + Af = 0 in the unit disc which place all normal solutions f in the union of Hardy spaces or result in the zero-sequence of each non-trivial solution being uniformly separated. The conditions on the coefficient are given in terms of Carleson measures.     

水溶液中蛋白质在聚合物表面共价及非共价吸附的控制(英文)

pacc:7320A Theadsorptionandcovalentimmobilization ofhumanimmunoglobulin(HIgG),lysozyme, α-chymotrypsin,andmyoglobinhavebeencom paredusingdifferentexperimentaltechniques:el lipsometry(ELM),X-rayphotoelectronspec troscopy(XPS),opticalfluorescenceandatom…     

Efficient procedure for c '- 3 substitution and c - 7 n-acylation of 7-aminocepha-losporanic acid (7-aca): Synthesis of cefazolin antibiotic and related compounds

A new preparative method for the C'-3 substitution of 7-aminocepha-losporanic acid (7-ACA), is described. The key feature of our method is based on the protection of the anino group as a Schiff base instead of the usual procedure based on the acylation of the amino group. The relative incapacity of 7-ACA derivatives to produce organic solutions with usual tertiary bases is easily overcome with bicyclic amidines. Catalytic amounts of these bases and N-trimethylsilyl-2-oxazolidinone are used to obtain the silylated products. Activation of sensitive tetrazolylacetic acid by means of N,N-dimethylchloro-sulfitemethaniminium chloride (SOCl₂-DMF) and preparation of cefazolin antibiotic under anhydrous conditions is also described.     

Simultaneous analysis of piperacillin and tazobactam in rabbits: application to pharmacokinetic study

A simple and rapid assay is developed for the simultaneous analysis of piperacillin and tazobactam in rabbit serum and tissue cage fluid (TCF). To eliminate endogenous interferences, a wavelength switch technique was applied, in which the programmable UV detector changed the monitoring wavelength from 218 to 254 nm at 10 min. After liquid-liquid extraction, sample analyses were performed on a C(18) column by gradient elution; the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (0.014 m, pH 2.4). Owing to the limited amount of rabbit TCF available, a cross-validation of a proxy matrix was evaluated. The relative standard deviation of the between- and within-batch precision of both compounds was less than 5.1%; the relative error of the between- and within-batch accuracy was less than 7.3%. The recoveries of both compounds in serum and TCF were larger than 80%. This assay was successfully applied to simultaneously analyze piperacillin and tazobactam in rabbit serum and TCF samples.     

The Chlorhexidine: beta;-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Compound: Preparation, Characterization and Microbiological Evaluation

The 1 : 2 chlorhexidine : -cyclodextrin(Cx : CD) complex was prepared and characterised using X-ray crystallography, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis and nuclearmagnetic resonance. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC₅₀) of the chlorhexidine : -cyclodextrin inclusion compoundagainst Streptococcus mutans, Eubacterium Lentum, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Bacteroides fragilis andActinomices actinomycetemcomitans was determined. TheCx : CD inclusion compound inhibited the bacterial growth at a low concentration.     

High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Angiography of the Mouse Brain: Application to Murine Focal Cerebral Ischemia Models

Three-dimensional time-of-flight high-resolution magnetic resonance angiography was applied to visualize the cerebral vasculature of the mouse brain. In normal mice, angiograms of good quality, showing the essential details of the arterial cerebrovascular anatomy, could be obtained in only 2.5 min without the use of contrast agents. Signals from slowly flowing blood, e.g., in veins, could also be detected after administration of a blood pool contrast agent. The technique was applied to mouse models of permanent and transient brain ischemia, involving the occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. High-resolution magnetic resonance angiography proved to be a very useful tool for verifying the success of the occlusion in these models.