ALBERT

Notes: A study has been made of the effect of properties and composition of soils on the adsorption of ethofumesate. Adsorption isotherms of ethofumesate by agricultural and natural soils and by montmorillonite and humic acid were obtained. The correlations between the Freundlich K constants, and Kd distribution coefficients and the soil parameters were determined. Significant correlations (P〈0.05) were found between K and clay content and between Kd and smectite content for the agricultural soils but the correlation with organic matter content was of borderline or no significance.Considering the agricultural and natural soils together or the soils with an organic matter content 〉2%, a highly significant correlation was found between K and the organic matter content. According to the r2 determination coefficient, the organic matter content accounts for 88.4% of the variability in adsorption in the first case, and 92.2% in the second case. The log10 Kdom values of soils with an organic matter content 〉2% were similar and confirm the importance of the organic matter as a determinant parameter in the adsorption of ethofumesate by these soils. The adsorption of the herbicide by montmorillonite and humic acid confirmed the results obtained with the soils and point to the importance of the exchangeable cation nature of the samples and of the temperature in the adsorption process. Adsorption de l'éthofumesate dans des sols agri-coles et naturels L'effet des propriétés et de la composition du sol sur l'adsorption de l'ethofumesate a étéétudié. Les isothermes d'adsorption de 1'éthofumesate par des sols agricoles et naturels ainsi que par la montmorillonite et des acides humiques ont été déterminés. Les corrélations entre les caractéris-tiques du sol, les constantes de Freundlich K d'une part et les coefficients de distribution Kd d'autre part ont été déterminées. Des corrélations significatives (P〈0.05) ont été mises en évidence entre K et la teneur en argile ainsi qu'entre Kd et la teneur en smectite pour les sols agricoles mais la correlation avec la teneur en matisre organique etait tout juste ou non significative.Lorsqu'on considérait les sols agricoles et naturels ensemble ou les sols dont la teneur en matière organique est supérieure à 2%, une corrélation hautement significative existait entre K et la teneur en matière organique. Le coefficient de détermination r2 montre que la teneur en matière organique explique 88.4% de la vari-abilité de l'adsorption dans le premier cas et 92.2% dans le second cas. Le log10 Kdométait similaire pour les sols de teneur en matière organique 〉2%, ce qui confirme l'importance du paramètre matière organique dans l'adsorption de 1'ethofumesate par ces sols. L'adsorption de I'herbicide par la montmorillonite et les acides humiques a confirmé les résultats obtenus avec les sols et a montre 1'importance de la température du process et de la nature des cations d'échange des échantillons. Adsorption von Ethofumesat in Acker- and natürlichen Böden Bei der Untersuchung der Wirkung der Eigen-schaften und der Zusammensetzung von Böden auf die Adsorption von Ethofumesat wurden Adsorplions-Isothermen mit Acker- und natürlichen Böden sowie mit Montmorillonit und Huminsäure ermittelt. Die Korrelationen zwischen den Freundlich-Konstanten K sowie den Verteilungskoeffizienten Kd und den Bodenparametern wurden bestimmt. Signifikante Korrelationen (P〈0.05) wurden für K und den Tongehall und für Kd und den Smectit-Gehalt in Ackerböden gefunden, doch die Korrelation mit dem Gehalt an organischer Substanz war marginal oder nicht signifikant. Für Acker-und natürliche Böden insgesamt oder Böden mit einem Gehalt an organischer Substanz von 〉2% wurde eine hochsignifikante Korrelation zwischen K und dem Corg.-Gehalt gefunden. Das Bestimmtheitsmaß (r2) für die organische Substanz lag swischen 88.4% im ersten und 92.2% im zweiten Fall. Die log10Koc-Werte Böden mit einem Corg.-Gehalt von 〉2 % waren ähnlich und bestätigen die Bedeutung der organischen Substanz als bestimmenden Parameter für die Adsorption von Ethofumesat in diesen Böden. Die Adsorption des Herbizids an Montmorillonit und Huminsäure unterstreichen die an den Böden gewonnenen Ergebnisse und die Bedeutung der Kationen-Austauschfähigkeit der Proben.

Notes: Abstract A new and easy method for the preparation of 1,3,7,9-tetramethylpyrido-[2,3-d∶6,5-d′]-dipyrimidine-2,4,6,8-tetrone is described. The structure of this compound has been solved by means of X-ray diffraction methods. The chemical characterization by spectral (mass, ultraviolet, infrared, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance) and thermal (thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry) method is also reported. The compound is monoclinic, space groupP21/c,a=12.720(5),b=13.688(7),c=8.079(2) Å, β=107.06(4)°,Z=4. The structure consists of discrete tricyclic molecules, stacking playing an important role in crystal packing.

Notes: Abstract Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid productivities from chemostat cultures of an isolate of Isochrysis galbana have been studied. The productivities reached in the interval of dilution rates between 0.0295 h−1 and 0.0355 h−1 were 1.5mg·1−1·h−1 for lipids, 300 μg·1−1·h−1 for EPA and 130μg1·1−1·h−1 for DHA. Furthermore, light attenuation by mutual shading, and agitation speed influences on growth and fatty acid composition were analysed. A model relating steady-state dilution rates to internal average light intensity has been proposed, the parameter values of which obtained by non-linear regression were: maximum specific growth rate (μmax)=0.0426 h−1; the affinity of cells to light (Ik) = 10.92 W·m−2; the exponent (n) = 5.13; regression coefficient (r 2)=0.9999.

Notes: Light alloys are increasingly applied in different industrial sectors, mainly aerospace.Because of this, it is needed to analyze their behavior in the different processing procedures and,specially, machining. On the other hand, up to a few years, cutting fluids were successfullyemployed in these processes since their coolant and lubricant properties. Notwithstanding,environmental necessities have promoted researches focused on the development of cleanerprocesses avoiding cutting fluids, in particular, dry machining. However, this process can changetool geometry and affect to the material giving rise to changes in the design specifications. In thiswork, geometrical deviations, particularly straightness deviations, in the dry turning of UNSA92024 (Al-Cu) alloy are studied as a function of feed and cutting speed through a parametricmodel

Notes: Abstract The relationship between vitamin D and bone density was studied in 150 selected, mature (45–74), postmenopausal women with a lumbar spine Z score below 0. Vitamin D status was evaluated using calcidiol serum levels. Serum calcitriol and parathyroid hormone (PTH) values were also evaluated in some subjects. Bone mass was evaluated by ascertaining bone density and Z and T scores in the lumbar spine and femur region. The reference group consisted of 25 premenopausal women. The postmenopausal group was divided into subgroups according to age, i.e., under or over 60 years old. Additionally, the whole group was also subdivided according to their lumbar spine Z scores into group I (Z〉-1), group II (Z〈-1; 〉-2), and group III (Z〈-2). Group III of postmenopausal women had higher PTH and lower calcitriol levels than premenopausal women. Calcidiol serum levels were lower in postmenopausal women groups II or III than in the group I and premenopausal women. Calcidiol serum levels and the bone mass values for the lumbar spine were correlated positively in all the postmenopausal women; in the women over 60 years of age, calcidiol levels also correlated with the bone mass values expressed as the bone density in three femur regions: femoral neck, trocanter, and Ward's triangle. In conclusion, mature postmenopausal woman showed high PTH levels and low calcidiol and calcitriol values. Calcidiol status is significantly related to bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and in women over 60 years, calcidiol levels also correlated with bone density in the femur regions.

Notes: Abstract The present report describes an initial characterization of actin from non-infected roots and symbiotic nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Negro damapa. Using anti-actin monoclonal antibodies, a 42-kDa polypeptide was identified in plant extracts. After two-dimensional SDS-PAGE analysis and Western blotting of actin fractions enriched using diethylaminoethyl-resin, the presence of one major isoform of actin in symbiotic nodules and two main isoforms in non-infected roots was revealed. Possible implications of this finding are discussed.

Notes: Abstract Using adsorption isotherms, a study was performed of the adsorption of two organophosphorus pesticides, azinphosmethyl (sparingly soluble in water) and dichlorvos (moderately soluble in water), by montmorillonites saturated with the cations hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA+), dodecyltrimethylammonium (DDTMA+) and tetramethylammonium (TMA+) in aqueous media. The results were compared with those obtained for the adsorption of these pesticides by natural montmorillonite, humic acid and by the soil organic matter and with the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) of the compounds. Results indicated that regarding the capacity to remove azinphosmethyl from water the organic matter derived from the organic cations HDTMA+ and DDTMA+ is 5–10 times more effective than humic acid; 10–20 times more effective than the organic matter from the soil and 20–50 times more efficient than octanol. However, both organic phases, that derived from the organic matter of the soil and that of the organic cations, have similar effectiveness for removing dichlorvos from water, in turn, their efficiency is 50 times higher than that of octanol. These findings may find application in the removal of azinphosmethyl or other sparingly water soluble organophosphorus pesticides from aquifers.

Notes: Abstract A highly variable DNA region (EhVRI), isolated from Entamoeba histolytica clone A, strain HM1:IMSS, is transcribed into several transcripts, which differ in genetically related clones. EhVRI (3.5 kb) is composed of two contiguous fragments; one of these 1.9 kb long, at the 3′ end, identified similar transcripts in clones A, L6 and C2 (all derived from strain HM 1: IMMS), the other of 1.6 kb, at the 5′ end, detected 0.5, 0.6 and 0.7 kb transcripts only in clone A. Variability of the 1.6 kb fragment was found even within the same clone maintained under different conditions. EhVRl was localized to 1.3 and 1.4 Mb linear chromosomes and also found in circular molecules. The sequence of the 1.6 kb fragment revealed the presence of a large number of different repeats, including inverted and palindromic repeats. A p145 sequence, previously detected in episomal DNA of the amoeba, was found at the 5′ end of EhVR1. The presence of EhVRI in linear and circular molecules, its high number of repeats, and its variability in genetically related clones suggest the existence of DNA regions that undergo dynamic non-reciprocal recombination between circular episomes and linear chromosomes, and may thus contribute to variability in the trophozoite genome.