Sterols of the adult and juvenile forms of ivy,Hedera helix L.

Sterols have been isolated from both adult and juvenile ivy in free and esterified form. Stigmasterol or its C-24 isomer, poriferasterol, is the main component, and lesser amounts of sitosterol, α-spinasterol, 5α-stigmast-7-en-3β-ol, cholesterol, and campesterol also were detected. Flowers and fruits were found to contain a glycoside fraction in which stigmasterol, together with some sitosterol, could be detected.     

Comparison of larval and adult P-450 activity levels for alkaloid metabolism in desertDrosophila

The cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase system has been implicated in plant utilization by at least three species ofDrosophila (D. nigrospiracula, D. mettleri, andD. mojavensis) that are endemic to the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Basal and induced levels of total cytochrome P-450 were determined for third-instar and decapitated 2- to 5-day post eclosion adults of the three desert species. Total P-450 levels, both basal and induced for all species assayed, were significantly higher for adults than for larvae by up to 20-fold. On a per organism basis, the levels of in vitro metabolism of the cactus alkaloid, carnegine, and patterns of response to induction by cactus tissue for adult desertDrosophila approximated those of larvae. Induction by phenobarbital, however, resulted in levels of in vitro carnegine metabolism that were up to 5.6-fold higher in adults than in larvae.     

Preparation,forms and properties of controlled-release phosphate fertilizers

Controlled-release phosphate fertilizers include phosphate rocks (PRs) for direct application, partially acidulated phosphate rocks (PAPRs) and thermal phosphates. Phosphate rocks contain apatite as the main P containing mineral, the composition and the chemical nature of which vary between PRs. Based on the solubility in chemical extractants PRs are broadly grouped into ‘reactive’ and ‘unreactive’. The ‘reactivity’ of PRs is influenced strongly by the extent of carbonate substitution for phosphate in the apatite minerals. Under certain soil and climatic conditions reactive PRs (RPRs) can be used as a source of P for direct application. Partially acidulated phosphate rocks (PAPRs) are produced either by direct partial acidulation of PRs with mineral acids or by mixing PRs with fully acidulated superphosphate reaction mixtures. Partial acidulation of PRs with H₃PO₄ generally results in higher water soluble P contents than those acidulated with H₂SO₄. Mixing of RPRs with superphosphate reaction mixtures sometimes results in the preferential consumption of free acid and thereby increases the amounts of residual unreacted PRs. Thermal phosphates are produced by either heating PRs below melting point both in the presence and the absence of silica (calcined phosphates) or heating PRs with silica above melting point (fused phosphate). These phosphates are alkaline in nature and hence suitable for acidic soils.     

Solid forms of pharmaceuticals: Polymorphs,salts and cocrystals

Control and selection of the properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients is a crucial part of the drug development process. One major part of this process is the selection of an appropriate solid form. This review will discuss three major types of crystalline solids, polymorphs, salts and cocrystals and processes used to develop and find these forms.     

Characterization of pedicel,paper, and larval silk from nest ofPolistes annularis (L.)

The pedicel, nest paper, and larval silk ofPolistes annularis nests were analyzed by high-resolution solid-state [¹³C]NMR. The pedicel was found to have a high nitrogen content (11%), and the NMR spectra indicated that it is a mixture of carbohydrate and protein. The pedicel protein has an amino acid composition that is very rich in glycine, alanine, serine, and proline (67% of identified residues), similar to that of some insect silks. Solid-state [¹³C]NMR indicated that the nest paper is composed predominantly of cellulose. Silk, spun by matureP. annularis larvae, was shown by [¹³C] NMR and amino acid analysis to be a protein very high in serine and alanine (53%), but the amino acid composition is distinct from that of the pedicel protein.     

Chemical nature of larval osmeterial secretions of papilionid butterflies in the generaParnassius,Sericinus andPachliopta

Volatile components of the larval osmeterial secretion ofParnassius glacialis (Parnassiinae, Parnassiini) consisted of isobutyric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, and their methyl esters. In contrast, the osmeterial exudate ofSericinus montela (Parnassiinae, Zerynthiini) was characterized as monoterpene hydrocarbons comprising-myrcene (Major),-pinene, sabinene, limonene, and-phellandrene, whereas that ofPachliopta aristolochiae (Papilioninae, Troidini) was composed of numerous sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, including-himachalene,-amorphene, and germacrene-A, and a few oxygenated sesquiterpenoids. In these three species, the chemical nature of the secretions of the last and the penultimate instars was essentially of similar quality, suggesting that the three genera,Parnassius, Sericinus, andPachliopta, are assigned to homogeneous types.     

Chemotaxis of larval soybean cyst nematode,Heterodera glycines Race 3, to root leachates and ions

Second-stage larvae of the soybean cyst nematodeHeterodera glycines Race 3 were attracted in an in vitro bioassay to pooled leachates of soybean roots that were expressed as root gram-hours (1 g of root/hr/vol). Their responses were dosage dependent with maximal attraction to a 5 root g-hr/ml source. Optimal bioassay conditions used 24 hr for gradient formation and 1.5 hr for larval movement. Individual plants produced leachate with little variation in biological activity. Production was constant for five days of preparation. The attractive activity of root leachate declined with storage at 4 °C and heating over 30 °C, but loss of activity was reduced by freezing. Extraction and Sep-Pak fractionation indicated that the attractions(s) was water-soluble. Larvae were attracted also to several ionic solutions.     

Possible function of ecdysteroid-22-O-acyltransferase in the larval gut of tobacco budworm,Heliothis virescens

In the larval gut of the tobacco budworm,Heliothis virescens, most ingested ecdysteroids are transformed to ecdysteroid-22-acyl esters by a novel enzyme, ecdysteroid-22-O-acyltransferase. This conversion is different from the normal metabolic pathway in which the compounds are usually transformed to more water-soluble products. Most ecdysteroid-22-O-acyltransferase activity was found in the midgut epithelial-cell membrane and was active only during feeding stages. The activity decreased as the larvae became committed to pupation, and it was not enhanced by feeding ecdysteroids to the fifth-instar larvae. Our preliminary results showed that the esterification was very specific to 22-OH in ecdysteroids. We suggest that detoxification is the major function of ecdysteroid-22-O-acyltransferase.     

Solid-state forms of sodium valproate, active component of the anticonvulsant drug epilim

The results of the first detailed and systematic investigation of the solid-state forms of sodium valproate, one of the most potent and widely used anticonvulsant medicines, are presented. By using wet and dry methods, eight solid forms of varying stability in air were obtained and characterized. Three extremely hygroscopic polycrystalline hydrates, Na(C8H15O2) X H2O (form A), Na(C8H15O2) X xH2O (form B), and Na(C8H15O2) X yH2O (form D), three acid-stabilized stoichiometric solvates, Na3(C8H15O2)3(C8H16O2)H2O (form C), Na(C8H15O2)(C8H16O2) (form E), and Na3(C8H15O2)3(C8H16O2) X 2H2O (form F), the pure anhydrous salt Na(C8H15O2) (form H), and an additional unstable thermal intermediate Na3(C8H15O2)3(C8H16O2)0.5 (form G) were prepared. Under ambient conditions, forms A and B as well as the commercially available compound appear as very hygroscopic white powders. Form C is less hygroscopic, while forms E and F are stable and are not hygroscopic. Partial stabilization of forms A and B can be achieved by evacuation and pressing, which results in a lower hydrate D, or after a heating-cooling cycle, resulting in crystallization of the anhydrous salt H. Addition of one molecule of valproic acid and saturation with one molecule of water of forms A and B results in the less hygroscopic form C. Addition to form C of a second water molecule affords form F, which is not hygroscopic and is indefinitely stable. The symmetric structure and medium alkyl chain length of the valproate ion are some of the probable reasons for the presence of a number of solid solvates: in its most stable conformation, the valproate ion cannot simultaneously pack efficiently and interact strongly through the negatively charged carboxylate group without leaving voids in the crystalline lattice. The conformational flexibility of the aliphatic chains probably aids the penetration of water molecules, which results in a strong affinity for the absorption of water.     

Geochemical modeling of leaching of Ca, Mg, Al, and Pb from cementitious waste forms

Results from extraction tests on cement-waste samples were simulated with a thermodynamic equilibrium model using a consistent database, to which lead data were added. Subsequent diffusion tests were modeled by means of a 3D diffusive transport model combined with the geochemical model derived from the extraction tests.Modeling results of the leached major element concentrations for both uncarbonated and (partially) carbonated samples agreed well with the extraction test using the set of pure minerals and solid solutions present in the database. The observed decrease in Ca leaching with increasing carbonation level was qualitatively predicted. Simulations also revealed that Pb leaching is not controlled by dissolution/precipitation only. The addition of the calcite-cerrusite solid solution and adsorption reactions on amorphous Fe- and Al-oxides improved the predictions and are considered to control the Pb leaching during the extractions tests. The dynamic diffusive leaching tests were appropriately modeled for Na, K, Ca and Pb.     

Repellency of volatile fatty acids present in frass of larval yellow mealworms,Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), to larval conspecifics

Frass of late-instar larvae ofTenebrio molitor L. contained 0.0889 g of butyric acid, 0.0279 g of propionic acid, and 0.0175 g of valeric acid per 100 g. Grouped larvae were strongly repelled by butyric acid at the 10^–1 M concentration. Lower concentrations of butyric acid were less repellent. Valeric acid was repellent at 10^–1 M to 10^–3 M concentrations, below which no tested concentration, including one identical to that occurring in prepared solutions of frass found to be attractive, displayed any effect. Propionic acid was repellent at the concentration in prepared solutions of frass, which were strongly attractive. Concentrations of 10^–1 M, 10^–3 M, and 10^–4 M propionic acid were also found to be repellent. The implications of the repellency of these compounds to groups of mealworm larvae are discussed, with particular reference to the interaction between these frass components and others that have already been studied.     

Courtship pheromone production and body size as correlates of larval diet in males of the arctiid moth,Utetheisa ornatrix

Hydroxydanaidal, the corematal courtship pheromone of maleUtetheisa ornatrix, shows pronounced quantitative variation in natural populations of the moth. Males that, as larvae, fed on seed-bearing rather than immature food plants (Crotalaria spectabilis orC. mucronata) produce higher levels of hydroxydanaidal. Such males also have higher systemic loads of pyrrolizidine alkaloid, the known metabolic precursor of hydroxydanaidal, whichUtetheisa sequester from their larval diet and which is concentrated in the seeds ofCrotalaria. Males raised on seed-bearing plants also achieve higher adult weight. In the context of sexual selection, therefore, femaleUtetheisa could, through assessment of male hydroxydanaidal levels, gauge both the alkaloid content and body weight of their suitors.     

External stimulus-responsive biomaterials designed for the culture and differentiation of ES,iPS, and adult stem cells

The physical and chemical characteristics of biomaterial surface and hydrogels can be altered by external stimuli, such as light irradiation, temperature changes, pH shifts, shear stress forces, electrical forces, and the addition of small chemical molecules. Such external stimulus-responsive biomaterials represent promising candidates that have been developed for the culture and differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and adult stem cells. Biomaterials that are designed to respond in a reversible manner to specific external signals can be formed on micropatterned or non-micropatterned surface, in hydrogels, or on microcarriers. Stem cells and the cells differentiated from them into specific tissue lineages can be cultured and/or differentiated on dishes with immobilized external stimulus-responsive polymers. Cells can be detached from these dishes without using an enzymatic digestion method or a mechanical method when the appropriate external stimulus is generated on the surface. This review discusses the polymers and polymeric designs employed to produce surface and hydrogels for stem cell culture, differentiation, and/or cell detachment using various external stimuli.     

Explicit forms for the calculation of heat and momentum transfer coefficients for vapour condensation on surfaces of various forms

A relatively simple method to calculate the heat and momentum transfer coefficients for the laminar condensation of pure vapours on surfaces of various forms is presented. It can be applied generally to surfaces having a variety of geometrical forms. Examples of such applications are presented for the cases of: plane and exponential curved plate profiles, horizontal cylinders, sinusoidal plates and rotating discs and cones. The mathematical treatment leads to explicit expressions for the parameters of the process, among them the heat transfer coefficients. It considers the effects of film acceleration and energy convection. It must be stressed that the method is not intended to bring more precision than existing methods which take into account the mentioned effects, but is proposed as a generalized procedure for geometrical surface forms and also to speed the calculations for complicated condensation surface geometries. A guide for equipment designers is also provided.     

Inhibition of larval settlement by natural products from the ascidian,Eudistoma olivaceum (Van Name)

Settlement bioassays with larvae of the cheilostome bryozoanBugula neritina were used to isolate and purify antifouling compounds from the ascidianEudistoma olivaceum (Van Name). Three inhibitors of larval settlement, two toxic and one nontoxic, were investigated. The toxic compounds accounted for approximately 0.4% of the organic fraction (on a dry weight basis) and were identified as eudistomins g and h, two of a number of alkaloids possessed byE. olivaceum. The nontoxic inhibitor of settlement was not characterized. Eudistomins g and h were effective inhibitors of larval settlement at concentrations as low as 0.5% of that present in the living animal.     

Isolation and identification of the multiple forms of soybean phytases

Sequential precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and KCl followed by preparative anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography was used to isolated acid phosphatases (APases) from germinating soybean seeds. KCl inhibited the PEG precipitation of APases. Thus individual APases can be isolated directly from crude extracts by controlling PEG and KCl concentrations. Four of the isolated APases were phytases. APases 3 and 5 exhibited optimal activity at pH 4.5 and and 5.8. Phytase activity was at its peak at 40°C for APase 4 and at 60°C for APases 3, 5, and 6. This isolation method can be used to identify endogenous and/or exogenous phytases that are suitable for phytic acid hydrolysis in many food and feed systems, especially during the processing. of oilseeds and cereal-based ingredients.     

On the different forms of the azeotropic relationship

Gurikov’s equation extended to multicomponent systems is not an independent form of the azeotropic relationship, but only a derivative of Zharov’s form. A new form of the azeotropic relationship has been derived from Serafimov’s equation.     

Exact forms of the unrestricted Gibbs-Duhem equation

The exact forms of the Gibbs-Duhen equation in terms of fugacities and activity coefficients, applicable to any multicomponent phase, are developed in a straightforward manner. Reduction to restricted equations valid for constant temperature, constant pressure, or constant composition becomes a simple matter of dropping terms.