AN ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ACTION SPECTRUM FOR IMMEDIATE PIGMENT DARKENING

The wavelength dependence for immediate pigment darkening (IPD) was investigated by exposing the midback skin of volunteers to a series of incremental fluences of narrow waveband radiation isolated by band-pass filters in the310–400 nm region. The threshold IPD fluence for each waveband was determined by visual assessment of the skin responses immediately after each exposure. The action spectrum, constructed from the mean threshold fluences, was broad and extended from 320 nm to 400 nm with a peak at around 340 nm. No IPD could be evoked at 310 nm, even after erythemogenic fluences. The spectrum was similar in each of the three skin types investigated (III, IV, V). The broad nature of the action spectrum within the UVA region suggests that IPD may serve as an alternative endpoint for measuring photoprotection against these wavelengths.     

Gas Chromatographic Method for Routine Determination of Oleanolic and Ursolic Acids in Medicinal Plants

Summary A rapid and simple gas chromatographic method has been established for routine analysis of free oleanolic and ursolic acids in dried samples of medicinal herbs. Soxhlet extraction of triterpenes was followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE). Amounts of the compounds were measured by gas chromatography after silylation of the purified samples. Experiments were performed to establish the optimum conditions (e.g. solvent, and mode and duration of extraction) for calibration curve linearity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and recovery. The conditions used for derivatization and gas chromatographic analysis resulted in an improvement on literature data. The method devised enables accurate routine measurement of many samples in quite a short time (e.g. for chemotaxonomical screening, or quality control of herbal drugs). The practical application of the method was illustrated on five Lamiaceae species.     

Electrochemical characterization of solid materials in volume range I. Chemical effects on the matrix-phase separation

The electrochemical phase isolation (EPI) is described as a preparation method for determining specific precipitations in solid materials in microamounts and microdimensions. Fundamental criteria are examined as a function of the main parameter (polarization current) on the system Fe₃C in a Fe-matrix. The influence of the electrolyte composition on the electrochemical behaviour of the matrix, on the one hand, and of the phase, on the other hand, are investigated and utilized.     

Determination of noble elements in coins by gamma activation analysis

Silver and gold were analysed in coins and medals by inelastic gamma-scattering reaction. The irradiation was performed with a 740 TBq (20 kCi)⁶⁰Co source. After irradiation the isomer activities were measured with a well type NaI(Tl) scintillation counter and evaluated by means of a software program.     

Conformational Isomerism in Monomeric,Low‐Coordinate Group 12 Complexes Stabilized by a Naphthyl‐Substituted m‐Terphenyl Ligand

The synthesis and characterization of the first series of low‐coordinate bis(terphenyl) complexes of the Group 12 metals, [Zn(2,6‐Naph₂C₆H₃)₂] ( 1 ), [Cd(OEt₂)(2,6‐Naph₂C₆H₃)₂] ( 2 ) and [Hg(OEt₂)(2,6‐Naph₂C₆H₃)₂] ( 3 ) (Naph=1‐C₁₀H₇) are described. The naphthyl substituents of the terphenyl ligands confer considerable steric bulk, and as a result of limited flexibility introduce multiple conformations to these unusual systems. In the solid state, complex 1 features a two‐coordinate Zn centre with the ligands oriented in a syn/anti conformation, whereas the three‐coordinate distorted T‐shaped complexes 2 and 3 feature the ligands in the syn/syn configurations. The results of DFT calculations are in good agreement with the solid‐state configurations for these complexes and support the spectroscopic measurements, which indicate several conformers in solution.     

Absolute convergence of multiple Fourier series revisited

In a recent paper [4], Gogoladze and Meskhia generalized the classical results of Bernstein, Szász, Zygmund and others related to absolute convergence of single trigonometric Fourier series. Our aim is to extend these results from single to multiple Fourier series. To this effect, we introduce the notions of multiplicative moduli of continuity and that of smoothness. Multiplicative Lipschitz classes of functions in several variables, and functions of bounded s-variation in the sense of Vitali are also considered.