Effects of supplementation of calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids on serum concentrations of progesterone and insulin of pregnant dairy cows

Forty-five non-lactating, pregnant Holstein animals (18 heifers and 27 multiparous cows; BW = 561 +/- 114 kg; BCS = 2.9 +/- 0.3; days pregnant = 110 +/- 56 d) were stratified by initial BW and BCS, and randomly assigned to receive daily (as-fed basis) 0.50 kg of ground corn plus 0.22 kg of kaolin (CON), calcium salts of saturated fatty acids (SFA) or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PF) for 14 d. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7 and 14, immediately prior to (0 h) and 3, 6, 9 and 12 h after feeding, to determine the serum concentrations of P 4 and insulin. No treatment effects were detected for serum concentrations of P 4 (5.52, 6.13 and 5.63 +/- 0.41 ng/mL for CON, SFA and PF, respectively). No treatment effects were detected for serum concentrations of insulin (11.5, 10.5 and 10.1 +/- 1.43 mu IU/mL for CON, SFA and PF, respectively). Heifers had greater serum concentrations of P 4 than multiparous cows (6.35 vs. 5.16 +/- 0.42 ng/mL), but lower serum concentrations of insulin (7.0 vs. 14.4 +/- 1.49 mu IU/mL). Feeding 0.22 kg of calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids is not sufficient to increase the serum concentrations of P 4 and insulin of non-lactating, pregnant dairy cows.

Methodological Difficulties of Conducting Agroecological Studies from a Statistical Perspective

Statistical methods for analyzing agroecological data might not be able to help agroecologists to solve all of the current problems concerning crop and animal husbandry, but such methods could well help them assess, tackle, and resolve several agroecological issues in a more reliable and accurate manner. Therefore, our goal in this article is to discuss the importance of statistical tools for alternative agronomic approaches, because alternative approaches, such as organic farming, should not only be promoted by encouraging farmers to deploy agroecological techniques, but also by providing agroecologists with robust analyses based on rigorous statistical procedures.

Influence of salts on the coexistence curve and protein partitioning in nonionic aqueous two-phase micellar systems

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Stability, characterization and functionality of proton conducting NiO-BaCe0.85-xNbxY0.15O3-delta cermet anodes for IT-SOFC application

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Electrical properties of highly conducting Sno2:Sb nanocrystals synthesized using a nonaqueous sol gel method

This work describes the synthesis of highly conducting antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanocrystals prepared via a nonaqueous sol–gel route in the size range of 4–6 nm and provides insights into its electrical properties. The antimony composition was varied from 1 to 18 mol% and the lowest resistivity (4.0 × 10−4Ω·cm) was observed at room temperature in the SnO2:8.8 mol% Sb composition. The samples were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope, and resistivity measurements were taken in the four-probe mode in the temperature range of 13–300 K. The results show highly crystalline nanoparticles in a monodisperse colloidal system, dependence on the shape of ATO nanoparticles as a function of Sb distribution, low resistivity, and semiconductor–metal transition.

Probing the Mott physics in kappa-(BEDT-TTF)(2)X salts via thermal expansion

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Improvement of the alcohol dehydrogenase from baker's yeast using polymers and salts for alcohol determinations in beverages

An alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was purified from dry baker’s yeast. This is a key enzyme of the primary short-chain alcohol metabolism in many organisms. In the present study, the obtained enzymatic preparation of baker’s yeast, containing 2.7 U/mg of ADH, was used in the reactions. The purified extract of the ADH obtained from Fermix commercial dry yeast, presented the highest activity and purification factor when ammonium sulfate was added in the precipitation of protein, in the range 35-60% (w/v). The enzymatic preparation was maintained for 2 months in the lyophilized form at 4ºC (retention of 96.2% of activity) in the presence of 1 mmol/L of sodium azide, and it maintained 47% of activity for 30 days at 30°C in the presence of 15% PEG. The assays of ethanol (detection range 5 mM -150 mM or 2.3 x 10-4 – 6.91 x 10-3g/L) in different samples in alcoholic beverages, presented a maximum deviation of only 2.1%. Assays of recovery of the substrate (99.25%) added in the wine showed that the methodology is viable for this sample type. The standard curve and the analytic curve of this method meet the conditions of precision, sensitivity, simplicity, and low cost, required for a useable analytical method.

Corrosion protection of aluminium alloy by cerium conversion and conducting polymer duplex coatings

The corrosion protection of AA6063 aluminium alloy by cerium conversion, polyaniline conducting polymer and by duplex coatings has been investigated. The electrochemical behaviour was evaluated in aerated 3.5 wt.% NaCl. All coatings tested shifted the corrosion and pitting potentials to more positive values, indicating protection against corrosion. The duplex coatings are significantly more effective than each coating alone: corrosion and pitting potentials were shifted by +183 and +417 mV(SCE), respectively, by duplex coatings in relation to the untreated aluminium alloy. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy are in agreement with the electrochemical results, reinforcing the superior performance of duplex coatings. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lamivudine salts with improved solubilities

To optimize solubility of drugs, current strategies mainly focus on engineering and screening of smart crystal phases. Two salts of the anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug lamivudinenamely, lamivudine hydrochloride and lamivudine hydrochloride monohydrate, were prepared in the course of screening the crystallization conditions of lamivudine duplex, an uncommon DNA-mimic, double-stranded helical structure made up of partially protonated drug pairs. Here, water solubilities of lamivudine hydrochloride, lamivudine hydrochloride monohydrate, and lamivudine duplex are reported. The aqueous solubility of this anti-HIV drug was significantly increased in both salts and also in lamivudine duplex in relation to the water solubility of lamivudine form II. In comparison with the lamivudine form II incorporated into therapeutic formulations, the drug solubility was increased at a temperature of 299 +/- 2 K by factors of 1.2, 3.3, and 4.5 in lamivudine hydrochloride, lamivudine hydrochloride monohydrate, and lamivudine duplex, respectively, demonstrating that this solid-state property of lamivudine can be improved by crystal engineering strategies. Solubility profiles were understood on the basis of structural and solventsolute interaction approaches. At last, correlations between solubility and crystal structures allowed for a rational approach to understand how this physicochemical feature could be enhanced by engineering new salts of the drug. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 101:21432154, 2012

Characterization of flexible DNA films

Polymer electrolytes (PEs) are currently the focus of much attention as potential electrolytes in electrochemical devices such as batteries, display devices and sensors. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as an important biological macromolecule has electric conducting electrochemical properties and unique three dimensional structures. With the goal of developing a new family of environmentally friendly multifunctional biohybrid materials displaying simultaneously high ionic conductivity we have produced in the present work, flexible films based on DNA, incorporating ionic liquids (ILs). Over the last decade ILs have been employed as a new media in electrochemistry and electroanalysis. The materials studied here have been characterized by means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Complex Impedance Spectroscopy and Cyclic Voltammetry. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kinetic resolution of alpha-bromophenylacetamides using quinine or Cinchona alkaloid salts

The kinetic resolution of racemic alpha-bromophenylacetamides 1 was achieved in the presence of benzenethiolate and Cinchona alkaloid salts as phase-transfer catalysts or benzenethiol and quinine, yielding (S)-enantioenriched alpha-sulfanylated products. The observed stereoselection was rationalized on the basis of the best fitting of 1 and the resolving agent in the ternary complexes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Salts of the anti-HIV drug lamivudine with phthalic and salicylic acids

Salts of the anti-HIV drug lamivudine, with phthalic acid and salicylic acid as counterions, were investigated in this study. Neither the packing of the (lamivudine)(+)(phthalic acid)(-) ion pairs nor the conformation of the lamivudine moiety itself were similar to those found in other multicomponent molecular salts of the drug, such as hydrogen maleate and saccharinate ones, even though all three salts crystallize in the same P2(1)2(1)2(1) orthorhombic space group with similar unit cell metrics. Lamivudine salicylate assumes a different crystal structure to those of the hydrogen maleate and saccharinate salts, crystallizing in the P2(1) monoclinic space group as a monohydrate whose (lamivudine)(+)(salicylic acid)(-) ion pair is assembled through two hydrogen bonds with cytosine as a dual donor to both oxygens of the carboxylate, such as in the pairing of lamivudine with a phthalic acid counterion. In lamivudine salicylate monohydrate, the drug conformation is related to the hydrogen maleate and saccharinate salts. However, such a conformational similarity is not related to the intermolecular interaction patterns. Lamivudine and water molecules alternate into helical chains in the salicylate salt monohydrate.

Sodium Alginate-Based Ionic Conducting Membranes

The present study investigates gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) based on sodium alginate plasticized with glycerol containing either CH3COOH or LiClO4. The membranes showed ionic conductivity results of 3.1 x 10(-4) S/cm for the samples with LiClO4 and 8.7x10(-5) S/cm for the samples with CH3COOH at room temperature. The samples also showed thermal stability up to 160 degrees C, transparency of up to 90%, surface uniformity and adhesion to glass and steel. Moreover, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis revealed two relaxations for both samples and the Ea values were between 18 and 36 kJ/mol. All the results obtained indicate that alginate-based GPEs can be used as electrolytes in electrochemical devices.

Ion-Conducting Membranes Based on Gelatin and Containing LiI/I-2 for Electrochromic Devices

Ionic conducting membranes of gelatin plasticized with glycerol and containing LiI/I-2 have been obtained and characterized by X-ray diffraction measurements, UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, thermal analysis and impedance spectroscopy. The transparent (80-90% in the visible range) membranes showed ionic conductivity value of 5 x 10(-5) S/cm at room temperature, which increased to 3 x 10(-3) S/cm at 80 degrees C. All the ionic conductivity measurements as a function of temperature showed VTF dependence and activation energy of 8 kJ/mol. These samples also showed low glass transition temperature of -76 degrees C. Moreover the samples were predominantly amorphous. The membranes applied to small electrochromic devices showed 20% of color change from colored to bleached states during more than 70 cronoamperometric cycles.

Experimental investigation into the effect of stress on dissolution and growth of very soluble brittle salts in aqueous solution

Das Studium der Auflösungs- und Wachstumsprozesse an Feststoff-Flüssigkeits-Grenzflächen unter nicht-hydrostatischen Beanspruchungen ist wesentlich für das Verständnis von Defor-mationsprozessen, die in der Erde ablaufen. Unter diesen genannten Prozessen gehört die Drucklösung zu den wichtigsten duktilen Deformationsprozessen, von der Diagenese bishin zur niedrig- bis mittelgradigen metamorphen Bedingungen. Bisher ist allerdings wenig darüber bekannt, welche mechanischen, physikalischen oder chemischen Potentialenergie-Gradienten die Drucklösung steuern. I.a. wird angenommen, daß die Drucklösung durch Un-terschiede kristallplastischer Verformungsenergien oder aber durch Unterschiede der Normal-beanspruchung an Korngrenzen gesteuert wird. Unterschiede der elastischen Verformungs-energien werden dabei allerdings als zu gering erachtet, um einen signifikanten Beitrag zu leisten. Aus diesem Grund werden sie als mögliche treibende Kräfte für die Drucklösung vernachlässigt. Andererseits haben neue experimentelle und theoretische Untersuchungen gezeigt, daß die elastische Verformung in der Tat einen starken Einfluß auf Lösungs- und Wachstumsmechanismen von Kristallen in einer Lösung haben kann. Da die in der Erdkruste vorherrschenden Deformationsmechanismen überwiegend im elastischen Verformungsbereich der Gesteine ablaufen, ist es sehr wichtig, das Verständnis für die Effekte, die die elastische Verformung verursacht, zu erweitern, und ihre Rolle während der Deformation durch Drucklösung zu definieren. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit Experimenten, bei denen der Effekt der mechanisch kompressiven Beanspruchung auf Lösungs- und Wachstumsprozesse von Einzelkristallen unterschiedlicher, sehr gut löslicher, elastisch/spröder Salze untersucht wurde. Diese Salze wurden als Analoga gesteinsbildender Minerale wie Quarz und Calcit ausgewählt. Der Einfluß von Stress auf die Ausbildung der Oberflächenmikrostrukturen in einer untersättigten Lösung wurde an Kaliumalaun untersucht.Lösungsrillen (20 – 40 µm breit, 10 – 40 µm tief und 20 – 80 µm Abstand) entwickelten sich in den Bereichen, in denen die Beanspruchung im Kristall am größten war. Sie verschwanden wieder, sobald der Kristall entlastet wurde. Diese Rillen entwickelten sich parallel zu niedrig indizierten kristallographischen Richtungen und sub-perpendikular zu den Trajektorien, die der maximalen, lokalen kompressiven Beanspruchung entsprachen. Die Größe der Lösungsrillen hing von der lokalen Oberflächenbeanspruchung, der Oberflächenenergie und dem Untersättigungsgrad der wässrigen Lösung ab. Die mikrostrukturelle Entwicklung der Kristalloberflächen stimmte gut mit den theoretischen Vorhersagen überein, die auf den Modellen von Heidug & Leroy (1994) und Leroy & Heidug (1994) basieren. Der Einfluß der Beanspruchung auf die Auflösungsrate wurde an Natriumchlorat-Einzelkristallen untersucht. Dabei wurde herausgefunden, daß sich gestresste Kristalle schneller lösen als Kristalle, auf die keine Beanspruchung einwirkt. Der experimentell beobachtete Anstieg der Auflösungsrate der gestressten Kristalle war ein bis zwei Größenordnungen höher als theoretisch erwartet. Die Auflösungsrate stieg linear mit dem Stress an, und der Anstieg war um so größer, je stärker die Lösung untersättigt war. Außerdem wurde der Effekt der Bean-spruchung auf das Kristallwachstum an Kaliumalaun- und Kaliumdihydrogenphosphat-Ein-zelkristallen untersucht. Die Wachstumsrate der Flächen {100} und {110} von Kalium-alaun war bei Beanspruchung stark reduziert. Für all diese Ergebnisse spielte die Oberflächenrauhigkeit der Kristalle eine Schlüsselrolle, indem sie eine nicht-homogene Stressverteilung auf der Kristalloberfläche verursachte. Die Resultate zeigen, daß die elastische Verformung eine signifikante Rolle während der Drucklösung spielen kann, und eine signifikante Deformation in der oberen Kruste verursachen kann, bei Beanspruchungen, die geringer sind, als gemeinhin angenommen wird. Somit folgt, daß die elastische Bean-spruchung berücksichtigt werden muß, wenn mikrophysikalische Deformationsmodelle entwickelt werden sollen.