Adsorption of Zn(II) by crosslinked acrylic copolymers with amine functional groups

Adsorption of Zn(II) ions from diluted aqueous solutions by the acrylic copolymer based on ethylacrylate : acrylonitrile : divinylbenzene matrix with different crosslinking degrees and ethylenediamine and triethylenetetramine functional groups was investigated. Adsorption experiments were carried out by batch method. The effects of the pH, initial concentration of zinc, time of contact, and the crosslinking degree of the copolymers were studied. On the basis of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, the parameters that characterize the adsorption were determined. The maximum Zn(II) retention capacity value (500 mg g^?1) was obtained for the acrylic copolymer with 2% crosslinking degree and ethylenediamine, as functional groups. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 803–808, 2004     

Comprehensive analysis of major and minor chlorogenic acids and lactones in economically relevant Brazilian coffee cultivars

Coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world and a significant source of phenolic compounds, particularly chlorogenic acids (CGA). During coffee roasting, some CGA are partially transformed into chlorogenic acid lactones (CGL). Both CGA and CGL are important compounds for flavor and potentially beneficial to human health. In the present study, using LC–MS and synthetic standards, we investigated major and minor CGA and CGL isomers in green and roasted samples of economically relevant Brazilian Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora coffee cultivars. For the first time, in addition to nineteen previously identified CGA and CGL, 1-feruloylquinic acid, 1-feruloylquinic lactone and 3,4-diferuloylquinic acid were quantified in C. arabica and C. canephora, the contents of 3- and 4-p-coumaroylquinic lactones were reported in C. canephora and 3,4-di-p-coumaroylquinic acid was identified in C. arabica. Despite their low concentrations, the implications of these findings for flavor, cup quality and the biological properties of coffee merit further investigation.     

Magnetic Force Microscopy in Liquids

In this work, the use of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) to acquire images of magnetic nanostructures in liquid environments is presented. Optimization of the MFM signal acquisition in liquid media is performed and it is applied to characterize the magnetic signal of magnetite nanoparticles. The ability for detecting magnetic nanostructures along with the well‐known capabilities of atomic force microscopy in liquids suggests potential applications in fields such as nanomedicine, nanobiotechnology, or nanocatalysis.     

Photosensitized degradation in water of the phenolic pesticides bromoxynil and dichlorophen in the presence of riboflavin, as a model of their natural photodecomposition in the environment

Within the context of environmentally friendly methods for the elimination of surface-water pollutants, the photodegradation of the phenolic pesticides bromoxynil (BXN) and dichlorophen (DCP) under simulated natural conditions has been studied. The work was done in the presence of the visible-light absorber photosensitizer riboflavin (Rf), usually present in trace quantities in natural waters. Under aerobic conditions, an efficient photooxidation of both pesticides was observed. The relatively intricate photochemical mechanism involves pesticide and oxygen consumption and, to a lesser extent, Rf degradation. The kinetic and mechanistic study supports that both H(2)O(2) and singlet molecular oxygen, O(2)((1)Δ(g)), are involved in the process. Kinetic data for the O(2)((1)Δ(g))-mediated oxidation indicate that BXN and DCP are photodegraded with this species faster than the parent compound phenol, very frequently employed as a model for aquatic contaminants, likely due to their lower pK(a) values. This observation allows the design of phenolic pesticides with different photodegradation rates under environmental conditions.     

Determination of priority polybrominated diphenyl ethers by isotope dilution gas chromatography(electron ionization)MS using 81Br-labeled standards

A mixture of (81)Br-labeled polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), previously synthesized in our laboratory, was separated by liquid chromatography for the individual isolation of different (81)Br-labeled PBDEs containing from 3 to 6 bromine atoms. The different fractions were collected, and a mixed labeled standard was then prepared adequate for the determination of priority PBDEs (congeners 28, 47, 99, 100, 153, and 154) in environmental samples. The spike mixture was then characterized using gas chromatography(electron ionization)MS (GC(EI)MS) both in isotope composition and concentration in combination with multiple least-squares. Contamination from natural abundance BDEs 153 and 154 was detected in the spike mixture, and a new isotope dilution equation was developed to take into account the natural abundance contribution from the spike. The spike mixture was shown to be stable during at least 4 months, and no isotope exchange between natural abundance and labeled PBDEs was detected during this period of time. Finally, the (81)Br-labeled PBDEs standard was used for the determination of congeners 28 (+33), 47, 49, 99, 100, 153, and 154 in a standard reference material (Lake Michigan fish tissue SRM 1947) using three different sample to spike ratios. No methodological calibration needed to be prepared, as no isotopic effects were detected using this labeling mode. Concentrations found were in agreement with the certified concentrations (recoveries between 89% and 116%), and reproducibility was always below 7% RSD. Kragten procedure was used to calculate expanded uncertainties. Very low limits of detection were obtained for all compounds (between 0.02 and 0.9 ng·g(-1)) using the procedure developed here.     

Lucifer Yellow as a live cell fluorescent probe for imaging water transport in subcellular organelles

While the water permeability of the plasma membranes of mammalian cells has been studied extensively, water transport across membranes of subcellular compartments (e.g., lysosomes, macropinosomes) has been difficult to study. Here we demonstrate a new method for measuring water flux in late endosomes and lysosomes of intact living cells using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. Cells were loaded by fluid-phase uptake with a mixture of the Lucifer Yellow dextran (LY-dex), a D(2)O sensitive dye, and a D(2)O insensitive control dye, Alexa fluor 546 dextran (AF546-dex). LY-dex responded linearly to changes in D(2)O concentration and the LY-dex D(2)O sensitivity was not affected by changes in pH, physiological salt, and protein concentrations. The co-loaded control dye, AF546-dex, showed no signal changes as a function of D(2)O concentration. To measure membrane water flux, the LY-dex fluorescence in labeled organelles was recorded during rapid superfusion of cells with isotonic buffers prepared in D(2)O. The time constant of water exchange across the lysosomal membrane of intact cells was determined by fitting the data to a single exponential function. From these data, together with the measured area of the organelles, observed water permeability for intracellular CHO-K1 lysosomes was calculated to be 5.3 × 10(-3) ± 0.3 × 10(-3) cm/s. This work demonstrates the feasibility of measuring water flux into subcellular organelles in live cells using LY-dex.     

TIGUKAT: A uniform behavioral objectbase management system

We describe the TIGUKAT objectbase management system, which is under development at the Laboratory for Database Systems Research at the University of Alberta. TIGUKAT has a novel object model, whose identifying characteristics include a purely behavioral semantics and a uniform approach to objects. Everything in the system, including types, classes, collections, behaviors, and functions, as well as meta-information, is a first-class object with well-defined behavior. In this way, the model abstracts everything, including traditional structural notions such as instance variables, method implementation, and schema definition, into a uniform semantics of behaviors on objects. Our emphasis in this article is on the object model, its implementation, the persistence model, and the query language. We also (briefly) present other database management functions that are under development such as the query optimizer, the version control system, and the transaction manager.Bell Northem Research     

Resistance of Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) seeds to Callosobruchus maculatus is restricted to cotyledonary tissues

We have investigated the survival of Callosobruchus maculatus larvae when reared on resistant IT81D 1045 Vigna unguiculata seeds, whose resistance has been associated with variant forms of vicilins. Here, we present data which show that larvae of C. maculatus feeding on embryonic axis of resistant cowpea reach a mass of around 28 times higher than those feeding on cotyledonary tissues. Additionally, incorporation of 5–10% of embryonic axis flour on artificial seeds made of resistant flour restores toxicity of seeds to the bruchid. Vicilins purified from both susceptible and resistant embryonic axis had no deleterious effects either on insect development or on insect survival until a level of 4% of incorporation. In contrast, vicilins from resistant cotyledons show an LD₅₀ (50% lethal dose) and WD₅₀ (half weight dose) of 2%. Total vicilin contents of embryonic axes were around two times lower than in cotyledonary tissues, while proteolytic activities of all four proteinase classes were always higher in the former tissues. By 2D‐PAGE we visualized eight protein spots, which seem to be exclusively found on resistant cotyledons. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Cytological criteria for assessing the evolution of herpetic keratitis

There were studied 33 patients admitted with clinical diagnosis of superficial herpetic keratitis, typical form of dendritic ulcer. In all these cases there were performed smears from the level of cornea and conjunctiva, that were stained with rapid blue polycrome tanin Dragan staining method. Smears were performed before and during the evolution of the disease, in patients specifically treated with antiviral drugs and also in cases treated unspecifically. There are described some cytological particularities which have a relative specificity for the diagnosis: a high number of lymphocytes with cytoplasmic blebs, giant multinucleated cells, and epithelial cells with degenerative lesions (nucleocytoplasmic inclusions, vacuoles, chromophobe halo around nucleus). Such lesions were not observed in patients with non herpetic keratitis. Modifications noticed in epithelial corneal cells could suggest the diagnosis, which can be associated with clinical examination, in order to administer a specific therapy. Dynamic cytological evolution shows early regression of specific cellular modifications in patients treated by Acyclovir.     

Chlorogenic acids and related compounds in medicinal plants and infusions

The consumption of plant infusions for prevention and treatment of health disorders is a worldwide practise. Various pharmacological activities inherent to medicinal plants have been attributed to their phenolic composition, including chlorogenic acids (CGA). Studies have shown potential beneficial properties of CGA to humans such as antioxidant, hepatoprotective, hypoglycaemic. In the present study, the CGA composition of 14 dried medicinal plants was determined by HPLC-UV and LC-DAD–ESI-MS. The plants with the highest CGA contents were Ilex paraguariensis, Bacharis genistelloides, Pimpinella anisum, Achyrochine satureioides, Camellia sinensis, Melissa officinalis and Cymbopogon citratus, with 84.7 mg/100 g–9.7 g/100 g, dry weight. Plant infusions were prepared (at 0.5%) in order to evaluate the actual consumption of CGA through these beverages. Total CGA contents in the infusions were similar to those in the methanolic extracts and indicated that a satisfactory extraction occurs during the preparation of infusions. These CGA-rich plants deserve attention regarding the pharmacological properties attributed to CGA.