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.     

The phase transition in the fully frustrated XY model as a percolation problem

The fully frustrated planar rotator and fully frustrated XY models in two dimensions have two phase transitions: one of the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless type and other in the Ising universality class. We use Monte Carlo simulation to study both models. We fix our attention in the Ising-like transition, which we show can be understood as a percolation transition. We obtain the critical temperature as well as the critical exponents of the mean cluster size, γ, and Fisher's exponent τ. The critical temperature agree very well with other calculations. We found that the critical exponents are smaller than in the pure two-dimensional percolation case. We interpret this as due to the long-range interaction between vortex and antivortex.     

Reaction of 1,3-dimethyl-5-acetyl-barbituric acid (DAB) with primary amines. Access to intermediates for selectively protected spermidines

The ability of 1,3-dimethyl-5-acetyl-barbituric acid (DAB) to react with primary amines in a chemoselective fashion was applied to the synthesis of a selectively protected spermidine.     

Polynomial Stability to Three-Dimensional Magnetoelastic Waves

In this work we show that the energy associated to the linear three-dimensional magneto-elastic system decays polynomially to zero as time goes to infinity, provided the initial data is smooth enough.     

Inhomogeneous two-fluid cosmologies

A new class of expanding cosmological solutions is derived. The matter content of these models is a mixture of two interacting simple fluids: the first one, homogeneous and isotropic with equation of statep = (-1), the dynamics of which is given by the FRW equation and the second one an inhomogenous dust. The limiting case of two dusts corresponds to the Szekeres' universes of class II. A large subclass of the models evolve to a FRW phase for all physically meaningful values of the polytropic index and the curvature parameterk. A gauge condition, under which the metric is invariant, is shown to exist for k0. In particular, it explains why the parabolic model is a peculiar solution in the class found by Szekeres.On leave from Departamento de Fisica Teórica e Experimental Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.     

Chimie des complexes de metaux de transition avec des hydrocarbures cyanes : III. Quelques observations sur la conformation et la reactivite de complexes dicyclopentadienyles du molybdene et du tungstene

A new class of cyclic telluronium salts has been prepared. All the salts are stable in solution in CHCl₃ or dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO). Conductivity measurements in DMSO and dimethylformamide (DMF) have shown that considerable ion pairing occurs in solution. Infrared, ¹H, ¹³C, ¹²⁵Te NMR, and mass spectra are reported and discussed.     

Thermal study of CoxZn7-xSb2O12 spinel obtained by pechini method using different alcohols

With the aim of obtaining materials with applications in pigments, Co_xZn_7-xSb₂O₁₂ spinels were synthesized using the Pechini method. This method consists in the formation of a polymeric net, where the metallic cations are homogeneously distributed. In this work, two types of alcohol (ethyl glycol and ethylene glycol) were used for the synthesis of a zinc antimoniate spinel, Co_xZn_7-xSb₂O₁₂ (x=0-7). The materials were characterized by termogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). TG results indicated a decrease in total mass loss when cobalt was added to the solution substituting zinc, for samples prepared using the two different alcohols. Decomposition temperatures, obtained by TG and DTA, presented a decreasing behavior as cobalt was added to the material. In relation to the alcohols, all results indicated a better polymerization of the resin when ethylene glycol was used, being the most indicated one for cation immobilization. X-ray diffraction did not show differences between the two alcohols - both presented the spinel phase (Co, Zn)_2.33Sb₀.₆₇O₄. Samples with higher quantity of cobalt also presented ilmenite phase (Co, Zn)Sb₂O₆. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Potentiometric studies on the complexation of copper(II) by phenolic acids as discrete ligand models of humic substances

Studies on the complexation of copper(II) by phenolic acids, as ligand models of humic substances were done by potentiometry. The acids under study were: 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid or hydrocaffeic acid (1), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (2) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid or protocatechuic acid (3). Acidity constants of the ligands and the formation constants of metal-ligand complexes were evaluated by computer programs. The carboxylic group of the phenolic acids has different pK_a1 values, being the dissociation constants intrinsically related with the distance between the function and the aromatic nucleus. The results obtained allow concluding that acidity constants of the catechol moiety of the compounds are similar with pK_a2 and pK_a3 values between 9.47-9.41 and 11.55-11.70. The complexation properties of the three ligands towards copper(II) ion are quite similar, being the species found not different either in nature or stability. Although the model ligands have some structural differences no significant differences were found in their complexation properties towards copper(II). So, it can be postulated that complexation process is intrinsically related with the presence of a catechol group.     

Lipase from a Brazilian StrainPenicillium citrinum Cultured in a Simple and Inexpensive Medium st]Heat-Denaturation, Kinetics, and pH Stability

This work is a study of lipase production by a Brazilian strain ofPenicillium citrinum using an inexpensive and simple medium without organic nitrogen sources and of some important industrial properties, including thermostability in relation to ionic strength. The maximal lipase activity (1585 U/L) was obtained whenPenicillium citrinum was cultured on 0.75% ammonium sulfate complemented with minerals salts instead of yeast extract. Although this activity was about 55% lower than that produced in medium with yeast extract (2850 U/L), the specific activity (7.8 U/mg proteins) was higher than that obtained with the yeast extract (4.9 U/mg proteins). The morphology of fungus changed totally, with yeast extract there are smooth, solid, and spherical pellets whereas on ammonium sulfate there are small “hairy” pellets uniformly suspended in the medium. The effect of ferrous (Fe⁺⁺) ions was carried out using medium MA with and without Fe⁺⁺ ions. Lipase production byPenicillium citrinum in medium MA requires Fe⁺⁺ ions, the absence of which caused a decreased of about 50% in the specific activity (3.5 U/mg proteins). The utilization of commercial, locally available oils as carbon sources, such as soybean oil (236 U/L) and corn oil (74 U/L) resulted in lower activity compared to olive oil, showing that lipase production byPenicillium citrinum is specifically induced by olive oil. Potassium concentration in the medium can effects the production of lipase (1 mM (1585 U/L), 10 mM (1290 U/L), and 30 mM (1238 U/L), 50 mM (195 U/L), and 100 mM (2 U/L). The crude culture filtered was susceptable to thermal deactivation. It was stable at pH 6.0, but was not stable at the optimum pH (8.0-8.5) at 50 mM. At the low ionic concentration (1-25 mM) this lipase was stable at low pH (3.5-4.0). The activation energy was 22.4 ±2.2 Kcal. mol 1.