Summaries of resolutions recently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and ECLAC which may be of special interest to member countries of CDCC

Summary Summarises selected resolutions adopted by the forty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly which are of special interest to member countries of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee. These include observer status being granted to the ACS; Cooperation between the UN and the Caribbean Community and Implementation of the World Summit for Social Development.

The Number of Bleaching Sessions Influences Pulp Tissue Damage in Rat Teeth

Introduction: Hydrogen peroxide tooth bleaching is claimed to cause alterations in dental tissue structures. This study investigated the influence of the number of bleaching sessions on pulp tissue in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were studied in 5 groups (groups 1S-5S) of 10 each, which differed by the number (1-5) of bleaching sessions. In each session, the animals were anesthetized, and 35% hydrogen peroxide gel was applied to 3 upper right molars. Two days after the experimental period, the animals were killed, and their jaws were processed for light microscope evaluation. Pulp tissue reactions were scored as follows: 1, no or few inflammatory cells and no reaction; 2, <25 cells and a mild reaction; 3, between 25 and 125 cells and a moderate reaction; and 4, 125 or more cells and a severe reaction. Results from each experimental group were compared between groups and within groups to the corresponding unbleached upper left molars and analyzed for significant differences using the Kruskal-Wallis test (P < .05). Results: All tissue sections showed significant bleaching-induced changes in the dental pulp. After 1 bleaching session, necrotic tissue in the pulp horns and underlying inflammatory changes were observed. The extent and intensity of these changes increased with the number of bleaching sessions. After 5 sessions, the changes included necrotic areas in the pulp tissue involving the second third of the radicular pulp and intense inflammation in the apical third. Conclusions: The number of bleaching sessions directly influenced the extent of pulp damage. © 2013 American Association of Endodontists.

Magnetocrystalline interactions and oxidation state determination of Mn(2-x)V(1+x)O4 (x=0, 1/3 and 1) magnetorresistive spinel family

Oxidation states of transition metal cations in spinels-type oxides are sometimes extremely difficult to determine by conventional spectroscopic methods. One of the most complex cases occurs when there are different cations, each one with several possible oxidation states, as in the case of the magnetoresistant Mn(2-x)V(1+x)O4 (x=0, 1/3 and 1) spinel-type family. In this contribution we describe the determination of the oxidation state of manganese and vanadium in Mn(2-x)V(1+x)O4 (x=0, 1/3,1) spinel-type compounds by analyzing XANES and high-resolution K beta X-ray fluorescence spectra. The ionic models found are Mn22+V4+O4, Mn5/32+V4/33.5+O4 and Mn2+V23+O4. Combination of the present results with previous data provided a reliable cation distribution model. For these spinels, single magnetic electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) lines are observed at 480 K showing the interaction among the different magnetic ions. The analysis of the EPR parameters show that g-values and relative intensities are highly influenced by the concentration and the high-spin state of Mn2+. EPR broadening linewidth is explained in terms of the bottleneck effect, which is due to the presence of the fast relaxing V3+ ion instead of the weak Mn2+ (S state) coupled to the lattice. The EPR results, at high temperature, are well explained assuming the oxidation states of the magnetic ions obtained by the other spectroscopic techniques. (c) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential application of Ganoderma lucidum in solid state fermentation of primary sludge and wheat straw

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The steady-state behavior of the synthetic and side-sensitive synthetic double sampling (X)over-bar charts

The steady-state average run length is used to measure the performance of the recently proposed synthetic double sampling (X) over bar chart (synthetic DS chart). The overall performance of the DS X chart in signaling process mean shifts of different magnitudes does not improve when it is integrated with the conforming run length chart, except when the integrated charts are designed to offer very high protection against false alarms, and the use of large samples is prohibitive. The synthetic chart signals when a second point falls beyond the control limits, no matter whether one of them falls above the centerline and the other falls below it; with the side-sensitive feature, the synthetic chart does not signal when they fall on opposite sides of the centerline. We also investigated the steady-state average run length of the side-sensitive synthetic DS X chart. With the side-sensitive feature, the overall performance of the synthetic DS X chart improves, but not enough to outperform the non-synthetic DS X chart. Copyright (C) 2014 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.

Synthesis, characterisation and thermal behaviour of solid state compounds of 4-methylbenzylidenepyruvate with heavier trivalent lanthanides and yttrium(III)

Solid state Ln-4-Me-BP compounds, where Ln stands for heavier trivalent lanthanides (gadolinium to lutetium) and yttrium(III) and 4-Me-BP is 4-methylbenzylidenepyruvate (CH3-C6H4-CH=CH-COCOO-), have been synthesized. Elemental analysis, complexometry, X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy and simultaneous thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), have been used to characterise and to study the thermal behaviour of these compounds. The results provided information concerning the stoichiometry, crystallinity, ligand's denticity, thermal stability and thermal decomposition. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Production and Characterization of β-glucosidase Obtained by the Solid-State Cultivation of the Thermophilic Fungus Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae N31

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

Solid-state compounds of 2-methoxybenzylidenepyruvate with some bivalent metal ions - Synthesis, characterization and thermal behavior studies

Solid-state M-2-MeO-BP compounds, where M represents bivalent Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and 2-MeO-BP is 2-methoxybenzylidenepyruvate have been synthesized. Simultaneous thermogravinietry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and complexometry were used to characterize and to study the thermal stability and thermal decomposition of these compounds. The results led to information about the composition, dehydration, crystallinity and thermal decomposition of the isolated compounds.

The preparation and thermal decomposition of solid state compounds of 4-dimethylaminobenzylidenepyruvate and trivalent lanthanides and yttrium

Solid state Ln-DMBP compounds, where Ln represents trivalent lanthanides (except for promethium) and yttrium, and DMBP is 4-dimethylaminobenzylidenepyruvate, were prepared. Thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and other methods of analysis were used to characterize and to study the thermal stability and thermal decomposition of these compounds. © 1993.