Comment: Towards a Complete Classification of Spherically Symmetric Lorentzian Manifolds According to Their Ricci Collineations

General expressions for the components of the Ricci collineation vector are derived and the related constraints are obtained. These constraints are then solved to obtain Ricci collineations and the related constraints on the Ricci tensor components for all spacetime manifolds (degenerate or non-degenerate, diagonal or non-diagonal) admitting symmetries larger than so(3) and already known results are recovered. A complete solution is achieved for the spacetime manifolds admitting so(3) as the maximal symmetry group with non-degenerate and non diagonal Ricci tensor components. It is interesting to point out that there appear cases with finite number of Ricci collineations although the Ricci tensor is degenerate and also the cases with infinitely many Ricci collineations even in the case of non-degenerate Ricci tensor. Interestingly, it is found that the spacetime manifolds with so(3) as maximal symmetry group may admit two extra proper Ricci collineations, although they do not admit a G ₅ as the maximal symmetry group. Examples are provided which show and clarify some comments made by Camci et al. [Camci, U., and Branes, A. (2002). Class. Quantum Grav. 19, 393–404]. Theorems are proved which correct the earlier claims made in [Carot, J., Nunez, L. A., and Percoco, U. (1997). Gen. Relativ. Gravit. 29, 1223–1237; Contreras, G., Núñez, L. A., and Percolo, U. (2000). Gen. Relativ. Gravit. 32, 285–294].     

On-column trace enrichment by sequential frontal and elution electrochromatography II. Enhancement of sensitivity by segmented capillaries with z-cell configuration--application to the detection of dilute samples of moderately polar and nonpolar pesticides

An on-column trace enrichment method for capillary electrochromatography of dilute samples is described. It involves the sequential use of frontal and elution electrochromatography on a segmented capillary column comprising of two contiguous segments each packed with a different sorbent. While the entering segment is for preconcentration by frontal electrochromatography the second segment is much longer and is meant for separation of the enriched analytes in the subsequent elution electrochromatography step. The preconcentration segment is usually packed with a sorbent that affords the highest affinity towards the solutes of interest while the separation segment is packed with a stationary phase that exhibits the highest selectivity and separation efficiency for the analytes. The detection is performed in the UV using a z-cell configuration for achieving an increased path length for detection. The effectiveness of this on-column trace enrichment is demonstrated on dilute samples of moderately polar solutes (e.g., carbamate insecticides) and nonpolar solutes (e.g., pyrethroid insecticides). Under optimal frontal and elution electrochromatography conditions. 817- and 1100-fold sensitivity increase are achieved for permethrin (a pyrethroid insecticide) and methiocarb (a carbamate insecticide), respectively, with a UV detector. The method is demonstrated with real water samples (e.g., tap and lake water samples) spiked with carbamate and pyrethroid insecticides. The limits of detection for the pesticides achieved in tap and lake waters reached 10(-8) to 10(-9) M.     

Capillary electrochromatography with monolithic silica columns III. Preparation of hydrophilic silica monoliths having surface-bound cyano groups: chromatographic characterization and application to the separation of carbohydrates, nucleosides, nucleic acid bases and other neutral polar species

Two synthetic routes have been introduced and evaluated for the preparation of hydrophilic silica-based monoliths possessing surface-bound cyano functions. In one synthetic scheme, the silica monolith was reacted in a single step with 3-cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane to yield a cyano phase referred to as CN-monolith. In a second synthetic route, the silica monolith was first reacted with gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (gamma-GPTS), followed by a reaction with 3-hydroxypropionitrile (3-HPN) to give a stationary phase denoted CN-OH-monolith. Although the gamma-GPTS was intended to play the role of a spacer arm to link the 3-HPN to the silica surface, this spacer arm became an integral part of the hydrophilic stationary phase. Thus, the CN-OH-monolith can be viewed as a double-layered stationary phase (i.e., stratified phase) with a hydroxy sub-layer and a cyano top layer. Due to its stronger hydrophilic character, the CN-OH-monolith yielded higher retention and better selectivity than the CN-monolith. The CN-OH-monolith was demonstrated in the normal-phase capillary electrochromatography (CEC) of various polar compounds including phenols and chloro-substituted phenols, nucleic acid bases, nucleosides, and nitrophenyl derivatives of mono- and oligosaccharides. The CN-OH-monolith yielded a relatively strong electroosmotic flow over a wide range of mobile phase composition, thus allowing rapid separation of the polar compounds studied.     

Capillary electrochromatography with monolithic stationary phases: 1. Preparation of sulfonated stearyl acrylate monoliths and their electrochromatographic characterization with neutral and charged solutes

A novel monolithic stationary phase having long alkyl chain ligands (C17) was introduced and evaluated in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) of small neutral and charged species. The monolithic stationary phase was prepared by the in situ copolymerization of pentaerythritol diacrylate monostearate (PEDAS) and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) in a ternary porogenic solvent consisting of cyclohexanol/ethylene-glycol/water. While AMPS was meant to support the electroosmotic flow (EOF) necessary for transporting the mobile phase through the monolithic capillary, the PEDAS was introduced to provide the nonpolar sites for chromatographic retention. Monolithic columns at various EOF velocities were readily prepared by conveniently adjusting the amount of AMPS in the polymerization solution as well as the composition of the porogenic solvent. The monolithic stationary phases thus obtained exhibited reversed-phase chromatography behavior toward neutral solutes and yielded a relatively strong EOF. For charged solutes (e.g., dansyl amino acids), nonpolar as well as electrostatic interaction/repulsion with the monoliths were observed in addition to electrophoretic migration. Therefore, for charged solutes, selectivity and migration can be readily manipulated by changing various parameters including the nature of the monolith and the composition of the mobile phase (e.g., pH, ionic strength and organic modifier). Ultrafast separation on the time scale of seconds of 17 different charged and neutral pesticides and metabolites were performed using short capillary columns of 8.5 cm x 100 microm ID.     

Precursor Carboxy-silica for Functionalization With Interactive Ligands. II. Carbodiimide Assisted Preparation of Silica Bonded Stationary Phases with D-glucamine for Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography

Chromatographia - A precursor carboxy-silica support was introduced for grafting a retentive polar ligand, namely D-glucamine, for use in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. This support...     

Determination of <Superscript>210</Superscript>Pb in human skeletal remains from Morocco: implications for time since death assessment

In forensic contexts, time since death assessment in human skeletal remains is crucial for identification, and both accuracy and reliability are required. In this paper, we present the possibilities and constraints of the use of ²¹⁰Pb in dating skeletonized human bones in Morocco. The method was tested on recent as well as archaeological bones of known dates of death. A calibration curve was obtained from the available data in the scientific literature. The ²¹⁰Pb initial activity was introduced as an increasing lineal function with time. The ²¹⁰Pb dating approach gives promising results only for recent bones. On the contrary, for archaeological bones, the technique has erroneously led to post-mortem intervals in the range of recent bones which constitute a serious limitation of the method. On the other hand, uranium isotopes content in bones is suggested in this work as a possible indicator in placing a studied bone within either a forensic or archaeological context.     

Theory of coupled optical PT-symmetric structures

Starting from Lagrangian principles we develop a formalism suitable for describing coupled optical parity-time symmetric systems.     

Poly(carboxyethyl acrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) precursor monolith with bonded octadecyl ligands for use in reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography

A carboxy precursor monolithic column, namely poly(carboxy ethyl acrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) was first produced in a 100 μm i.d. fused-silica capillary and subsequently surface bonded with n-octadecyl (C₁₈) ligands by a post-polymerization functionalization process with octadecylamine in the presence of N,N´-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The bonding of octadecyl ligands was achieved via an amide linkage between the carboxy functions of the precursor monolith and the amino group of the octadecylamine compound. The resulting C₁₈ monolith exhibited a very low electroosmotic flow (EOF), a fact that required the incorporation of small amounts of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) in the polymerization solution to produce a precursor monolith with fixed negative charges of sulfonate groups. This may indicate that the conjugation of the carboxy functions with octadecylamine occurred to a large extent so that the amount of residual carboxy functions was sparsely dispersed and not enough to produce a desirable EOF. The EOF velocity of the C₁₈ column having fixed negative charges provided by the incorporated AMPS increased with increasing ACN content of the mobile phase signaling an increased binding of mobile phase ions to the polar amide linkages near the monolithic surface, and a decreased viscosity of the mobile phase, both of which would result in increased EOF velocity. The C₁₈ monolithic column constituted a novel nonpolar sorbent for reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography for nonpolar solutes, e.g., alkylbenzenes, alkylphenyl ketones, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and slightly polar compounds including phenol and chlorophenols. The C₁₈ monolithic column exhibited relatively high selectivity toward chlorophenols differing by one chloro substituent.     

Graphene oxide-octadecylsilane incorporated monolithic nano-columns with 50 μm id and 100 μm id for small molecule and protein separation by nano-liquid chromatography

In this study, graphene oxide-octadecylsilane incorporated monolithic nano-columns were developed for protein analysis by nano liquid chromatography (nano LC). The monolithic column with 100 μm id was first prepared by an in situ polymerization using ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA), 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropylmethacrylate (HPMA-Cl), and methacryloyl graphene oxide nanoparticles (MGONPs). MGONPs were synthesized by the treatment of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (TMSPM) and GO. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) and dodecanol were used as the porogenic solvent. The resulting column was functionalized by dimethyloctadecylch lorosilane (DODCS) for the enhancement of hydrophobicity. The functionalization greatly improved the baseline separation of hydrophobic compounds such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The optimized monolith with respect to total polymerization mixture was characterized by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) X-ray diffraction (XRD) and chromatographic analyses. The blank monoliths without functionalization exhibited poor separation while a good separation performance of MGONPs functionalized monoliths was achieved. The monolith with 100 μm id was evaluated in protein separation in nano LC using RNase A, Cytochrome C, Lysozyme, Trypsin, and Ca isozyme II as the test proteins. It was shown that protein separation mechanism was based on large π-system of GO and hydrophobicity of the monolithic structure. Theoretical plates number up to 57 600 plates were achieved. The nano-column with 50 μm id was also prepared using the same polymerization mixture under the same chemical conditions. These nano-columns were employed for protein separation by nano LC, and the dependence of both nano-column performance on the internal diameter was also discussed.     

Apis mellifera syriaca Venom: Evaluation of Its Anticoagulant Effect,Proteolytic Activity,and Cytotoxicity along with Its Two Main Compounds—MEL and PLA2—On HeLa Cancer Cells

Bee venom (BV) is one of the most remarkable natural products that has been a subject of studies since ancient times. Recent studies have shown that Apis mellifera syriaca venom possesses antibacterial as well as cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines. The venom contains a variety of bioactive molecules—mainly melittin (MEL) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2), as well as other compounds that are not well characterized. In this work, we continue the biological characterization of A. mellifera syriaca venom by testing its anticoagulant effect on human plasma using the prothrombin time (PT) test, as well as assessing its proteolytic activity. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the crude venom—and of its two main components, MEL and PLA2—was tested on HeLa cancer cell lines for the first time. The results obtained showed the capacity of A. mellifera syriaca venom to increase clotting time, thereby proving its anticoagulant effect. Moreover, the venom did not demonstrate a significant proteolytic activity unless administrated at concentrations ≥ 5 mg/mL. Finally, we showed that crude A. mellifera syriaca venom, along with MEL, exhibit a strong in vitro cytotoxic effect on HeLa cancer cell lines, even at low concentrations. In summary, our findings could serve as a basis for the development of new natural-based drug candidates in the therapeutic field.